VER. 34, 35. Εσβεσαν δυναμιν πυρος, εφυγον στοματα μαχαίρας, ενδυναμώθησαν από ασθένειας, εγενήθησαν ισχυροί εν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολας εκλιναν αλλοτριων Ελαβον γυναικες εξ αναστάσεως

τους νεκρους αύτων.

VER. 34, 35.-Quenched the violence (the power) of fire; escaped (fled from) the edge (edges) of the sword; out of weakness were made strong; waxed (were made) valiant (powerful, strong) in fight; turned to flight the armies of the aliens, (or overthrew the tents or camps of the aliens ;) women received their dead, (by a resurrection) raised to life again.

Six more instances of the power of faith, are added unto those foregoing; and those, taken from things of all sorts, to let us know, that there is nothing of any kind whatever, wherein we may be concerned, but that faith will be useful and helpful in it.

1. The first instance is, that soßeoav dvvaμiv пνpos, they quenched the violence of fire.' He doth not say they quenched the fire, which may be done by natural means; but they took off, abated, restrained the power of fire, as if the fire itself had been utterly quenched. This, therefore, belongs unto the three companions of Daniel, who were cast into the burning fiery furnace, Dan. iii. 23. The fire continued still, and had its burning power in it; for it slew the men that cast them into the furnace. But by faith they quenched, or restrained the power and violence of it towards themselves, so as that not an hair of their head was singed,' ver. 27. And the faith of these men was considerable, in that it did not consist in an assurance that they should be so miraculously delivered; but only in committing themselves unto the omnipotency and sovereignty of God in the discharge of their duty; as it is declared ver. 16-18. A resolution to perform their duty whatever were the event, committing the disposal of themselves unto the sovereignty of God, with a full persuasion of his power to do whatever he pleased, and that he would do whatever was for his own glory, was the faith whereby they quenched the violence of fire. And, as this faith is imitable in us, for though a miracle ensued on it, yet was it not the faith of miracles, so it will never fail of those blessed effects which tend unto the glory of God, and the good of the church.

2. Equуov σтоμara paxaupas, they escaped the edge of the sword;' the edges' of it; swords with two edges. In the Greek it is, the 'mouths of the sword;' from the Hebrew D; and a two-edged sword, they call a sword of mouths; as in the Greek, μaxaipa dioтopos, διστομος, Heb. iv. 12; 'they escaped,' Vul. Lat. effugaverunt, for effugerunt. The way of their escape from death, when in danger of it by the sword, is intimated, namely, by flight from the danger, wherein God was present with them for their deliverance and preservation. So was it frequently with David when he fled from the sword of Saul, which was at his throat several times, and he escaped by flight, wherein God was with him. So did Elijah when he was threatened to be slain by Jezebel, 1 Kings xix. 3. Now this should seem rather to be the effect of fear than of faith; however, it had good success. But,

Obs. I. 1t is the wisdom and duty of faith, to apply itself to all lawful ways and means of deliverance from danger.-Not to use means when God affords them unto us, is not to trust in him, but to tempt him. Fear will be in all cases of danger, and yet faith may have the principal conduct of the soul. And a victory is sometimes obtained by flight.

3. Some of them, evεdvvauw&noаv añо aσdevɛaç, 'out of weakness were made strong.' Aoevea is any kind of weakness or infirmity, moral or corporeal. In each of these senses it is used in the Scripture, to be without, to want strength in any kind. Frequently it is applied to bodily distempers, Luke xiii. 11, 12; John v. 5, xi. 4; Acts xxviii. 9. And so it is here used. For the conjecture of Chrysostom and others of the Greek scholiasts, that respect is had herein unto the Jews in the Babylonish captivity, who were weakened therein, and afterwards restored unto strength and power, hath no probability in it. They are the words in Isaiah that the apostle doth almost express: "The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness,' ch. xxxviii. 9. For this was through faith, as is evident in the story, and was in part miraculous.

Obs. II. We ought to exercise faith about temporal mercies, as they are ofttimes received by it, and given in on the account of it.-In the miraculous cure of many diseases by our Saviour himself there was a concurrence of the faith of them that were healed. "Thy faith hath made thee whole.'

4. Some of them through faith, εγενήθησαν ισχυροι εν πολεμῳ, “ waxed (were made) valiant (strong) in fight,' (or battle.) As this may be applied unto many of them, as Joshua, Barak, Gideon, Jephthae, so David affirms of himself, that God taught his hands to war, so as that a bow of steel was broken by his arms :' and that he did, 'gird him with strength unto battle,' Ps. xviii. 34, 39; the same thing which is here affirmed.

5. Of the same kind is that which followeth: TrapeuẞoλaÇ EKλIVAν alλorpiov, they turned to flight the armies of the aliens.' Erasmus renders these words, incursiones averterunt exterorum,' they turned away the incursions of the aliens,' mistaking both the words, as many have observed. Пapeuẞola are the 'camps,' the fortified tents of an army but the word is used for an army itself; as Gen. xxxii. 7; 1 Sam. iv. 16. An host encamped like that of the Midianites when Gideon went down unto it, Judg. vii. 10. And his overthrow of that host, is here principally intended; for so it was signified in the dream, that the tents should be smitten and overturned, ver. 13. But because the apostle useth the word in the plural number, it compriseth other enterprises of the like nature, as that of Barak, and of Jonathan against the Philistines, with the victories of Asa and Jehoshaphat; in all which, there was an eminent exercise of faith, as the stories of them declare. And these aliens were those whom the Scripture calls, that is, not only foreigners, but strangers from, and enemies unto the church of God. And where this defence against foreign invasions is neglected, there can be no assured ground or security of deliverance, whatever the success may be.

6. It is added, έλαβον γυναικες εξ αναστάσεως τους νεκρους αύτων,

'women received their dead raised to life again.' These women were the widow of Zarephath, whose son, Elijah raised from death, 1 Kings xvii. 22-24. And the Shunammitess, whose son was raised by Elisha, 2 Kings iv. 36. And it is said of them, that they received their children from the dead;' for in both places, the prophets having raised them from the dead, gave them into their mother's arms, who received them with joy and thankfulness. Their faith is not expressed; but respect is rather had unto the faith of the prophets, who obtained this miraculous operation by faith. However, at least one of them, namely, the Shunamitess, seems to have exercised much faith in the whole matter. And it is said, 'they received their dead,' their children which had been dead, ɛ§ avaoraoɛwc, ‘out of, (or) by a resurrection.'

These ten instances did the apostle choose, to show the great things that had been done through faith, to assure the Hebrews, and us with them, that there is nothing too hard or difficult for faith to effect, when it is set on work and applied according to the mind of God.

VER. 35-37.—HE proceeds, in the next place, unto instances quite of another nature, and which were more immediately suited unto the condition of the Hebrews. For hearing of these great and glorious things, they might be apt to think that they were not so immediately concerned in them. For their condition was poor, persecuted, exposed to all evils, and death itself, for the profession of the gospel. Their interest, therefore, was to inquire, what help in, what relief from faith they might expect in that condition? What will faith do where men are to be oppressed, persecuted, and slain? Wherefore, the apostle, applying himself directly unto their condition, with what they suffered, and farther feared on the account of their profession of the gospel; he produceth a multitude of examples, as so many testimonies unto the power of faith in safe-guarding and preserving the souls of believers, under the greatest sufferings that human nature can be exposed unto. And sundry things lie plain in this discourse of the apostle.

1. That he would not hide from these believers, what they might meet withal and undergo in and for their profession. He lets them know that many of them who went before them in the same cause, endured all manner of miseries on the account thereof. Therefore ought not they to think it a strange thing, if they also should be called unto the like trials and sufferings. Our Lord Jesus Christ dealt openly and plainly in this matter; he hid nothing of what was like to befal them whom he called to be his disciples, but professed directly that he would admit of them on no other terms to be his disciples, but that they denied themselves and took up the cross, or engaged to undergo all sorts of sufferings for his sake and the gospel. He deceiveth none with fair promises of things in this world; nor ought we to be surprised, nor ought we to complain of any thing that may befal us in our following him; no not of a fiery trial, 1 Pet. iv. 12, v. 9. So the apostle here having given instances of the great and glorious things that have been done even in this world by faith, that those Hebrews might not expect that they should also be called to enjoy the like successes and victories, because they had the same spirit of faith with them who did so, he re

minds them of those who were called to exercise their faith in the greatest miseries that could be undergone.

2. That all the evils here enumerated did befal the persons intended, on the account of their faith, and the profession thereof. He doth not present them with a company of miserable, distressed creatures, that fell into that state through their own default, or merely on the account of a common providence, disposing their lot in this world into such a state of misery, as it is with many; but all the things mentioned they underwent merely and solely on the account of their faith in God, and the profession of true religion. So as that their case differed in nothing from that which they might be called unto. And from both these we may learn,

Obs. I. That it belongs unto the sovereign pleasure of God to dispose of the outward state and condition of the church, as unto its seasons of prosperity and persecution. As also,

Obs. II. That those whose lot falleth in the times of greatest distress or sufferings, are no less accepted with him, than those who enjoy the highest terrene felicity and success.

3. There is as much glory unto a spiritual eye, in the catalogue of the effects of faith that follow, as in that which went before. The church is no less beautiful and glorious when encompassed, and seemingly overwhelmed with all the evils and dreadful miseries here recounted, than when it is in the greatest peace and prosperity. To look, indeed, only on the outside of them, gives a terrible undesirable prospect. But to see faith and love to God working effectually under them all, to see comforts retained, yea, consolations abounding, holiness promoted, God glorified, the world condemned, the souls of men profited, and at length triumphant over all; this is beautiful and glorious.

4. That to do the greatest things, and to suffer the hardest, is all one to faith. It is equally ready for both, as God shall call; and equally effectual in both. These things unto the flesh differ next to heaven and hell: they are both alike to faith when duty calls.

5. That the evils here enumerated are of such various sorts and kinds, as to comprise every thing that may befall believers on the account of their profession. Temptations, scorn, mockings, scourgings, bonds, imprisonments, troubles of poverty, fears, and dangers; and those of long continuance, with death itself by all sorts of tortures and extremities. It is impossible that any believer can be called to suffer any thing in any kind whatever for the profession of the gospel, but that he may find an instance of it in the sufferings of these martyrs. And it is an encouragement in the greatest distresses, to remember that others in the same cause have undergone them, and been carried victoriously through them. There is good use to be made of the records of the sufferings of the primitive Christians under their Pagan oppressors, and of believers of late ages under the power of antichrist.

6. It may be observed, that as the apostle obliged not himself unto the order of time in naming the foregoing witnesses; so here he useth his own liberty in representing these sufferings of the church, without respect unto any method of coherence between the things themselves, or order of time as to the seasons wherein they fell out. Hence, in the

midst of his account of the various sorts of death which they underwent, he interposcth that they were tempted, ver. 37. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword.' This hath given occasion to many to question whether the word tempted do indeed belong unto the text, or whether it is not a mistake in the copies, for a word of almost an alike sound, but quite of another signification, namely, they were burned. But without cause: for it is evident that the apostle obligeth himself unto no such order, as that things of the same nature should be placed together, without the interposition of any thing else. And we shall see there was occasion to interpose that expression, they were tempted,' in the place where it is put by the apostle.

7. It may also be observed, that the apostle takes most of these instances, if not all of them, from the time of the persecution of the church under Antiochus, the king of Syria, in the days of the Maccabees. And we may consider concerning this season, 1. That it was after the closing of the canon of the Scripture or putting of the last hand unto writings by divine inspiration under the Old Testament. Wherefore, as the apostle represented these things from the notoriety of fact then fresh in memory, and it may be, some books then written of those things, like the books of the Maccabees, yet remaining; yet as they are delivered out unto the church by him, they proceeded from divine inspiration. 2. That in those days wherein these things fell out, there was no extraordinary prophet in the church. Prophecy, as the Jews confess, ceased under the second temple. And this makes it evident that the rule of the word, and the ordinary ministry of the church, is sufficient to maintain believers in their duty, against all oppositions whatever. 3. That this last persecution of the church under the Old Testament by Antiochus, was typical of the last persecution of the Christian church under antichrist; as is evident to all that compare the prophecy of Daniel, ch. viii. 10-14, 23–25, xi. 36-39, with that of the Revelation in sundry places. And indeed the martyrologies of those who have suffered under the Roman antichrist, are a better exposition of this context than any that can be given in words.

VER. 35. Αλλοι δε ετυμπανίσθησαν, ου προσδεξάμενοι την απολυ τρωσιν, ἵνα κρειττονος αναστασεως τυχωσιν.

Ervμtavio Inoav. Syr. T, 'They died with torments.' Vul. Lat. Districti sunt. Rhem. Were racked,' 'stretched out,' respecting that kind of torture wherein they were stretched on a wheel, as a skin is on the head of a drum. So Beza and Erasmus. We use a more general word, 'were tortured.'

Ov рoodεžaμevol тην aоλvтρwσiv. Syr. Tons. Trem. Neque intenti expectarunt ut liberentur. Others render it by Non speraverunt. "They looked not earnestly after deliverance,' they hoped not for it; that is, they regarded it not. Vul. Non suscipientes redemptionem, 'Not accepting redemption,' that is, deliverance; liberationem.

Ίνα κρείττονος αναστάσεως τυχωσιν. Syr. υπό λύπη ΝΠΟ ΝΠΟΡΤΟ