An account hereof the apostle enters upon in the close of the foregoing chapter; and withal declares unto them the only way and means on their part whereby they may be preserved and kept constant in their profession, notwithstanding all the evils that might befal them therein, and this is by faith alone. From their temptations they were delivered by the doctrine of truth, and from the opposition made unto them by faith in exercise.

But whereas things grievous and dreadful were likely to befal them, which would at length probably arise to blood, or the loss of their lives, ch. xii. 4; it was necessary to know what this faith is, and what evidence can be produced to prove that it is able to effect this great work of preserving the souls of men in the profession of the truth, under bloody and destructive persecutions.

To comply with, and give satisfaction on this necessary inquiry, the apostle in this whole chapter diverts to give a description or declaration of faith in general, showing that it is meet and suited to produce that effect in the minds of believers; as also to confirm by instances, that it had formerly, even from the beginning of the world, wrought effects of the same nature, or those which in greatness and glory were parallel thereunto. And hereon he takes advantage, according unto his constant method in this Epistle, to make a full transition unto the hortatory part of the Epistle, which gives life unto the whole; and which he made provision for, and some entrance into, ch. x. 22, as hath been declared.

And that this is the design of the apostle, is evident beyond contradiction, in the inference which he makes from his whole discourse hereon, with the exhortation he presseth from it in the beginning of the next chapter, ver. 1-3, 'Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds,' &c. This is that which he designed to effect in their mind by his discourse of the nature of faith, and the instances given of its efficacy. The principal way whereby faith worketh in this case of encountering the difficulties which lie in the way of constancy in profession unto the end, is patience preserving the soul from fainting and weariness. This he had before proposed in the example of Abraham, ch. vi. 15; whereof see the exposition.

This being the design of the apostle, the missing of it hath caused sundry contests among expositors and others, about the nature of justifying faith, which is not here at all spoken unto. For the apostle treats not in this place of justification, or of faith as justifying, or of its interest in justification, but of its efficacy and operation in them that are justified, with respect unto constancy and perseverance in their profession, notwithstanding the difficulties which they have to conflict withal; in the same way as it is treated of James ii.

The instances which he chooseth out unto this purpose, in a long

season and tract of time, even from the beginning of the world unto the end of the church-state under the old testament, about the space of four thousand years, as unto the variety of their seasons, the distinct nature of the duties, and their effects expressed in them, with the influence into his present argument and exhortation, shall, God willing, be considered in our progress.

This only we may observe in general, that it is faith alone, which, from the beginning of the world in all ages, under all dispensations of divine grace, and all alterations in the church-state and worship, hath been the only principle in the church of living unto God, of obtaining the promises, of inheriting life eternal, and doth continue so to be unto the consummation of all things. For the recording here of what it hath done, is only to evidence what yet it will continue to do. Faith can do all things that belong unto the life of God, and without it nothing can be done. Spiritual life is by faith, Gal. ii. 20, and victory, 1 John v. 4, and perseverance, 1 Pet. i. 5, and salvation, Eph. ii. 8; 1 Pet. i. 9; and so they were from the beginning.

VER. 1.—THE first verse gives such a description of the nature of faith, as evidenceth its fitness and meetness unto the effecting of the great work assigned unto it, namely, the preservation of believers in the profession of the gospel, with constancy and perseverance.

VER. 1.—Εστι δε πιστις ελπιζομενων ὑπόστασις, πραγματων ελεγχος ου βλεπομένων.

The Vulgar translation placeth the comma after payμarov; sperandarum substantia rerum, excluding rerum from the last clause. Ελπιζομενων and βλεπομένων being both of the neuter gender, either of them may agree with payμarov, and the other be used absolutely. Sperandorum, that is, quæ sperantur.

'YTоoraσiç. Substantia, Vul. Lat. So we, the substance.' Bez. Illud quo subsistunt; others id quo extant, that whereby things hoped

פיסא על אילין דאיתיהין בסברא איך הו דהוי להין .for exist or subsist. Syr

, A persuasion of the things that are in hope, as if they were unto them in effect;' which goes a great way towards the true exposition of the words.

Ελεγχος. Vul. Lat. Argumentum illud quod demonstrat, 'that which doth evidently prove or declare.' Syr. 3, 'the revelation of things that are not seen.'

'YTоOTασiç is a word not used in the Scripture, but in 2 Cor. ix. 4, xi. 17, and in this Epistle, wherein it three times occurs. In the first, it is applied to express a distinct manner of subsistence in the divine nature, ch. i. 3. In the second, a firm persuasion of the truth; supporting our souls in the profession of it, ch. iii. 14. See the exposition of those places. Here we render it 'substance,' More properly it is * a real subsistence, των εν αερι φαντασματων, τα μεν εστι κατ' εμφασιν, Tа de Kal VπOoTao, Aristot. de Mundo. Of the things that are seen in the air, some have only an appearance, others have the real subsistence' (of nature;) are really subsistent, in contradiction unto

appearing phantasms. As it applied to signify a quality in the minds of men, it denotes confidence or presence of mind without fear, as in the places above, 2 Cor. ix. 4, xi. 17. Polybius of Cocles, oux ouтw Tηy δυναμιν, ὡς την ὑποστασιν αυτου, &c., • They wondered not so much at his strength, as his boldness, courage, confidence.' The first sense is proper to this place, whence it is rendered by many, that whereby they exist.' And the sense of the place is well expressed in the Greek scholiast, επειδη γαρ τα εν ελπίσιν ανυπόστατα εστιν ώστεως μη παροντα, ἡ πίστις ουσια τις αυτών και ὑπόστασις γίνεται είναι αυτά παρείναι, τροπον τινα παρασκευάζουσα. “Whereas things that are in hope only, have no subsistence of their own, as being not present; faith becomes the subsistence of them, making them to be present after a certain manner.' I shall retain in the translation the word 'substance,' as it is opposed unto that which hath no real being or subsistence, but is only an appearance of things,

Elyxos is usually a conviction accompanied with a reproof, redargutio; and so the verb is commonly used in the New Testament, as the noun also; Matt. xviii. 15; Luke iii. 19; John iii. 20, viii. 46, xvi. 8 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 24; Eph. v. 11, 13; 1 Tim. v. 20; 2 Tim. iii. 16; Tit. i. 9, 13. Sometimes it is taken absolutely, as anodic, a demonstration,' a convincing undeniable proof and evidence, that which makes evident; Syr. the revelation,' the way or means whereby they are made known.

VER. 1.-Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.

1. The respect and connexion of these words unto the preceding discourse, is in the particle de, which we render 'now;' for it is not adversative or exceptive, in this place as it is usually, but illative, denoting the introduction of a farther confirmation of what was before declared; that is, faith will do and effect what is ascribed unto it, in the preservation of your souls in the life of God, and constancy in profession; for it is the substance,' &c. The observation of the design of the apostle, dischargeth all the disputes of expositors on this place, about the nature and definition of faith, seeing he describes only one property of it, with respect unto a peculiar end, as was said before.

2. The subject spoken of is faith,' Toris, that faith whereby the just doth live; that is, faith divine, supernatural, justifying and saving, the faith of God's elect, the faith that is not of ourselves, that is of the operation of God, wherewith all true believers are endowed from above. It is therefore justifying faith that the apostle here speaks concerning; but he speaks not of it as justifying, but as it is effectually useful in our whole life unto God, especially as unto constancy and perseverance in profession.

1. That it is the sub

3. Unto this faith, two things are ascribed. stance of things hoped for. 2. That it is the evidence of things not seen.' And we must first inquire what are these things; are the acts of faith with respect unto them. First. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.'

and then what

These things

for the substance of them, are the same with the things which are said to be 'not seen,' the same payuara; but they are proposed under various considerations. For that they may be useful unto us as they are hoped for,' they are to have a present subsistence given unto them; as they are unseen,' they are to be made evident, both which are done by faith.

Secondly. Things hoped for,' edπisoμevwv, in general, are things good, promised, future, expected on unfailing grounds. The things therefore here intended as hoped for, are all the things that are divinely promised unto them that believe; all things of present grace and future glory for even the things of present grace are the object of hope. 1. With respect unto the degrees and measures of our participation of them. Believers live in the hope of increase of grace, because it is promised. 2. Absolutely, as unto the grace of perseverance in grace, which is future until its full accomplishment. As unto the things of future glory, see what hath been discoursed on ch. vi. 19, 20, viii. 7.

1. All these things, as they are promised, and so far as they are so, are the objects of our hope. And that the good things of the promises are the things here intended, the apostle declares in his ensuing discourse, where he makes the end and effect of the faith which he doth so commend, to be the enjoyment of the promises. Hope in God for these things, to be received in their appointed season, is the great support of believers, under all their trials, in the whole course of their profession, temptations, obedience, and sufferings. By hope we are saved, Rom. viii. 24; but yet I will not say, that things hoped for, and things unseen, are absolutely the same, so as that there should be nothing hoped for but what is unseen, which is true; nor any thing unseen but what is hoped for, which is not true. For there are things which are the objects of faith which are ov ẞλεñoμεvwv, 'unseen,' and yet not hoped for. Such is the creation of the world, wherein the apostle gives an instance in the first place. But generally they are things of the same nature that are intended, whereunto faith gives present subsistence as they are real, and evidence as they are true.

But still these things as hoped for are future, not yet in themselves enjoyed; and do, although hope comprises in it trust, confidence, and an assured expectation, giving great support unto the soul, yet the influence of things hoped for upon our comfort and stability, is weakened somewhat by their absence and distance.

This is that which faith supplies: it gives those things hoped for, and as they are hoped for, a real subsistence, úоσтασiç, in the minds and souls of them that do believe; and this is the sense of the words. Some would have unоoraσiç in this place, to be confidence in expectation;' which is hope, and not faith. Some render it 'the principle, or foundation,' which neither expresseth the sense of the word, nor reacheth the scope of the place. But this sense of it, is that which both the best translators, and the ancient_expositors give countenance unto: illud ex quo subsistunt, éxstant. Faith is that whereby they do subsist; and where do they so subsist, as if they were actually in effect, whilst they are yet hoped for? 'In them,' saith the Syriac translation; that is, in them that do believe. Faith is the essence of these things,

and their subsistence, causing them to be, and to be present, because it believes them,' saith Ecumenius. And Theophylact to the same purpose: Faith is the essence of those things which yet are not, the subsistence of those which in themselves do not yet subsist.' And yet more plainly in the Scholiast before recited. Or it is the substance or subsistence of those things, that is metonymically or instrumentally, in that it is the cause and means, giving them a subsistence. But how this is done, hath not been declared. This therefore is that which we must briefly inquire into. There are several things whereby faith gives a present subsistence unto things future, and so hoped for.

First. By mixing itself with the promises wherein they are contained. Divine promises do not only declare the good things promised, namely, that there are such things which God will bestow on believers, but they contain them by virtue of divine institution. Hence are they called 'the breasts of consolations,' Isa. lxvi. 11, as those which contained the refreshment which they exhibit and convey. They are the treasury wherein God hath laid them up. Hence, 'to receive a promise,' is to receive the things promised which are contained in them and exhibited by them, 2 Cor. v. 1; 2 Pet. i. 4. Now faith mixeth and incorporateth itself with the word of promise, ch. iv. 2; see the exposition of it. Hereby what is in the word it makes its own: and so the things themselves believed are enjoyed, which is their subsistence in us.

Secondly. By giving unto the soul a taste of their goodness; yea, making them the food thereof, which they cannot be unless they are really present unto it. We do by it not only taste that the Lord is gracious,' 1 Peter ii. 3, that is, have an experience of the grace of God in the sweetness and goodness of the things he hath promised and doth bestow; but the word itself is the meat, the food, the milk, and strong meat of believers, because it doth really exhibit unto their faith the goodness, sweetness, and nourishing virtue of spiritual things. They feed on them and they incorporate with them, which is their present subsistence.

Thirdly. It gives an experience of their power, as unto all the ends for which they are promised. Their use and end in general is to change and transform the whole soul into the image of God, by a conformity unto Jesus Christ the first-born. This we lost by sin, and this the good things of the promise do restore us unto, Eph. iv. 20-24. It is not truth merely as truth, but truth as conveying the things contained in it into the soul, that is powerfully operative unto this end. Truth, faith, and grace being all united in one living operative principle in the soul, give the things hoped for a subsistence therein. This is an eminent way of faith's giving a subsistence unto things hoped for in the souls of believers. Where this is not, they are unto men as clouds afar off, which yield them no refreshing showers. Expectation of things hoped for, when they are not in this power and efficacy brought in by faith into the soul, are ruinous self-deceivings. To have a subsistence in us, is to abide in us in their power and efficacy, unto all the ends of our spiritual life; see Eph. iii. 16-19.

Fourthly. It really communicates unto us, or we do receive by it the first-fruits of them all. They are present and do subsist, even the great