but temporal blessings, and (except the birth of a son) very remote, such as he should never live to see, nor in his own person have the benefit of; but because he questioned not the performance of it, but rested fully satisfied in the goodness, truth, and faithfulness of God who had promised, it was counted to him for righteousness. Let us see how St. Paul expresses it: Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be: and being not weak in his faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old; neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was able to perform: and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.'' St. Paul having here emphatically described the strength and firmness of Abraham's faith, informs us, that he thereby gave glory to God; and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.' This is the way that God deals with poor frail mortals. He is graciously pleased to take it well of them, and give it the place of righteousness, and a kind of merit in his sight, if they believe his promises, and have a steadfast relying on his veracity and goodness. St. Paul tells us, Without faith it is impossible to please God: but at the same time tells us what faith that is. For,' says he, he that cometh to God, must believe that he is; and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' He must be persuaded of God's mercy and good will

Rom. iv. 18-22.

2 Heb. xi. 6.

to those who seek to obey him, and rest assured of his rewarding those who rely on him, for whatever, either by the light of nature or particular promises, he has revealed to them of his tender mercies, and taught them to expect from his bounty. This description of faith (that we might not mistake what he means by that faith without which we cannot please God, and which recommended the saints of old) St. Paul places in the middle of the list of those who were eminent for their faith, and whom he sets as patterns to the converted Hebrews under persecution, to encourage them to persist in their confidence of deliverance by the coming of Jesus Christ, and in their belief of the promises they now had under the gospel: by those examples he exhorts them not to draw back from the hope that was set before them, nor apostatize from the profession of the Christian religion. This is plain from verses 35-38, of the precedent chapter: 'Cast not away therefore your confidence, which bath great recompence of reward. For ye have great need of persisting,' or perseverance, (for so the Greek word signifies here, which our translation renders patience,')' that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.'

161. The examples of faith which St. Paul enumerates and proposes in the following words, plainly show, that the faith whereby those be

See Luke, viii. 15.

lievers of old pleased God, was nothing but a steadfast reliance on the goodness and faithfulness of God, for those good things which either the light of nature or particular promises had given them grounds to hope for. Of what avail this faith was with God we may see: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain; by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,' being wary, by faith prepared an ark, to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.' And what it was that God so graciously accepted and rewarded we are told, verse 11: Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child, when she was past age.' How she came to obtain this grace from God the apostle tells us: 'Because she judged him faithful who had promised.' Those therefore who pleased God, and were accepted by him before the coming of Christ, did it only by believing the promises, and relying on the goodness of God, as far as he had revealed it to them. For the apostle, in the following words, tells us, verse 13: These all died in faith, not having received (the accomplishment of) the promises; but having seen them afar off: and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.' This was all that was required of them, to be persuaded of, and embrace the promises which they had. They could be persuaded of no more than was proposed to them; embrace no more than was revealed, according to

the promises they had received, and the dispensations they were under. And if the faith of things 'seen afar off;' if their trusting in God for the promises he then gave them; if a belief of the Messiah to come, were sufficient to render those who lived in the ages before Christ, acceptable to God and righteous before him, I desire those who tell us that God will not (nay, some go so far as to say cannot) accept any who do not believe every article of their particular creeds and systems, to consider, why God, out of his infinite mercy, cannot as well justify man now for believing Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Messiah, the king and deliverer, as those heretofore, who believed only that God would, according to his promise, in due time, send the Messiah to be a king and deliverer?

162. There is another difficulty often to be met with, which seems to have something of more weight in it; and that is, that though the faith of those before Christ (believing that God would send the Messiah, to be a prince, and a Saviour to his people, as he had promised) and the faith of those since his time (believing Jesus to be that Messiah, promised and sent by God) shall be accounted to them for righteousness; yet what shall become of all the rest of mankind, who having never heard of the promise or news of a Saviour, not a word of a Messiah to be sent, or that was come, have had no thought or belief concerning him?

163. To this I answer, that God will require of every man according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not. He will not expect ten talents where he gave but one; nor require any

N

one should believe a promise of which he has never heard. The apostle's reasoning, Rom. x. 14, is very just: How shall they believe in him of whom they have hot heard?' But though there be many who, being strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, were also strangers to the oracles of God committed to that people; many, to whom the promise of the Messiah never came, and so were never in a capacity to believe or reject that revelation; yet God had, by the light of reason, revealed to all mankind, who would make use of that light, that he was good and merciful. The same spark of the divine nature and knowledge in man, which, making him a man, showed him the law he was under as a man, showed him also the way of atoning the merciful, kind, compassionate Author and Father of him and his being, when he had transgressed that law. He that made use of this candle of the Lord, so far as to find what was his duty, could not miss to find also the way to reconciliation and forgiveness, when he had failed of his duty; though, if he used not his reason this way, if he put out, or neglected this light, he might, perhaps, see neither.

164. The law is the eternal, immutable standard of right. And a part of that law is, that a man should forgive, not only his children, but his enemies, upon their repentance, asking pardon and amendment; and therefore he could not doubt that the author of this law, and God of patience and consolation, who is rich in mercy, would forgive his frail offspring, if they acknowledged their faults, disapproved the iniquity of their transgressions, begged his pardon, and resolved in earnest