same outward duties, the one commonly more attending unto the rule of them than the other, as they did; but the one sort plead a secret interest in divine favour, and acceptance by faith, that is invisible, the other trust unto their outward works; whence an endless difference doth arise between them.

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3. This hath been the foundation of all superstition in divine worship. For a secret apprehension that God was to be pleased with outward works and duties, as Cain thought, was the reason of the multiplication of innumerable rites and ceremonies in divine service; of all the masses, purgatories, pilgrimages, vows, disciplines, idolatries, that constitute the Roman church. They were all found out in answer unto the inquiry made, Mic. vi. 6, 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' Hence one pretended duty that shall have something to commend it, as its charge, its difficulty, or its beauty, as it is adorned, must be added unto another; all to please God without faith.

4. This hath stirred up and maintained innumerable controversies in the church in all ages. Some openly contend, that this pleasing of God is the fruit of the merit of our own works, and is not attained by faith. And others endlessly contend to bring our works and duties into the same order and causality as unto our acceptance before God, with faith itself. These think it as true, as unto the end of the apostle's discourse, namely, our pleasing of God, and being accepted with him, that without our works it is impossible to please God; as it is, that 'without faith, it is impossible to please him,' which is to overthrow both his argument and design. Wherefore, unless we hold fast this truth, namely, Whatever be the necessity of other graces and duties, yet that it is faith alone whereby we please God, and obtain acceptance with him, we condemn the generation of the righteous in their cause from the foundation of the world, take part with Cain against Abel, and forego our testimony unto the righteousness of God in Christ.

Obs. I. Where God hath put an impossibility upon any thing, it is in vain for men to attempt it. From the days of Cain, multitudes have been designing to please God without faith, all in vain; like them that would have built a tower, whose top should reach to heaven. And,

Obs. II. It is of the highest importance to examine well into the sincerity of our faith, whether it be of the true kind or not; seeing thereon depends the acceptance of our persons, and all our duties. None ever thought that God was to be pleased without any faith at all: the very design of pleasing him avows some kind of faith. But that especial kind of faith whereby we may be justified they regard not. Of these things I have treated fully in my book of Justification.

Thirdly. Of this assertion the apostle gives a farther confirmation or illustration, by showing the necessity of faith unto acceptance with God. And this he doth, by declaring the duty of every one that would be so accepted. For it behoveth him that comes unto God, to believe,' &c. Wherein we have,

1. The assertion of the duty prescribed: 'it behoveth him,' or 'he

must.'

2. The subject spoken of, which is, he that cometh unto God.' 3. The duty prescribed, which is, 'to believe.'

4. The object of this faith prescribed as a duty, which is twofold: 1st. That God is. 2dly. That he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

That he gives a reason and proof of what he had before asserted, is declared in the illative conjunction, yap, 'for.' This makes the truth herein manifest.

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First. He makes application of his assertion to every one concerned in particular in a way of duty. Whoever he be that hath this design to come to God, and to be accepted with him, det, he ought,'' he must' do so. This is his duty, from which no one living shall have an exemption.

Secondly. The subject spoken of is, wрoσeρxoμεvov to Oɛq, he that cometh unto God.' Пpooepɣouat, in general, signifies any access, or coming to any person or thing; nor is it used in a sacred sense any where in the New Testament, but only in this Epistle, and 1 Pet. ii. 4. But the simple verb toxoua is frequently so used. And this coming unto God signifies in particular an access or approach unto him in sacred worship; see ch. x. 1, with the Exposition. But in general, as in this place, and ch. vii. 25, 1 Pet. ii. 4, it denotes an access of the person into the favour of God; including the particular addresses made to God, and the other duties connected with such an approach. We must therefore inquire, what it is thus to come to God, and what is required thereunto; that we may understand what it is that the apostle makes believing so necessary unto, and whereby he proves, that without faith it is impossible to please God.' And,

1. There is required thereunto a previous sense of a wanting, lost condition in ourselves, by a distance from God. No man designs to come to God, but it is for relief, satisfaction, and rest. It must be out of an apprehension, that he is yet at such a distance from God, as not to be capable of relief or rest from him, and that in this distance he is in a condition indigent, and miserable, as also that there is relief and rest for him in God. Without these apprehensions, no man will ever engage in a design to come unto God, as having no reason for it, nor end in it. And this can be wrought in none sincerely, but by faith. All other powers and faculties in the souls of men without faith, do incline and direct them to look for rest and satisfaction in themselves. This was the highest notion of those philosophers, who raised human wisdom into an admiration, namely, the Stoics, that every one was to seek for all rest and satisfaction in himself, and in nothing else; and so they came at length expressly to make every man a God to himself. Faith alone is the gracious power which takes us off from all confidence in ourselves, and directs us to look for all in another, that is, in God himself. And therefore it must see that in God, which is suited to give relief in this condition. And this is contained in the object of it as here proposed, as we shall see.

2. There must antecedently hereunto be some encouragement given unto him that will come to God, and that from God himself. A dis

covery of our wants, indigence, and misery, makes it necessary that we should come to God; but it gives no encouragement so to do. For it is accompanied with a discovery of our unworthiness so to do, and be accepted in doing it. Nor can any encouragement be taken from the consideration of the being of God, and his glorious excellencies absolutely. Nor is that any where in the Scripture absolutely, and in the first place, proposed for our encouragement. This therefore can be nothing but his free gracious promise, to receive them that come unto him in a due manner; that is, by Christ, as the whole Scripture testifieth. For what some pretend concerning coming unto God by encouragements taken from general notions of his nature, and his works of creation and providence, without any promise, is an empty speculation. Nor can they give any single instance of any one person that ever came to God, and found acceptance with him, without the encouragement of divine revelation, which hath in it the nature of a promise. Faith therefore is necessary unto this coming to God, because thereby alone we receive, lay hold of, embrace the promises, and are made partakers of them, which the apostle not only expressly affirmeth, but makes it his design to prove, in a great part of the chapter, as we shall see. There is nothing therefore more fond, more foreign to the apostle's intention, than what is here ignorantly and weakly by some pretended; namely, that faith here is nothing but an assent unto the truth of the being of God, and his distribution of rewards and punishments, without any respect unto the promise, that is, unto Christ and his mediation, as will yet farther appear. Wherefore,

3. To come to God, is to have an access into his favour, to please God, as did Enoch; so to come, as to be accepted with him. There may be a coming to God with our duties and services, as did Cain, when we are not accepted. But the apostle treats in this place only of an access with acceptance into his grace and favour, as is manifest from his instance, his design, and argument.

Thirdly. It is the duty of those that have this design, Trevoα, 'to believe.' This is the only way and means of attaining that end. Whence, believing' itself is often called, 'coming to God' or 'coming to Christ,' Isa. lv. 1, 3; John vi. 37, 44, vii. 37. And it is by faith alone that we have an access into this grace, Rom. v. 2, that is, whereby we thus come to God.

Fourthly. The object of this faith, or what in this case we ought to believe, is twofold. 1. The being of God: 'believe that he is.' 2. His office, that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The Syriac translation seems to make but one entire object of faith in the words, namely, that God is a rewarder, referring both the verb εστι and γίνεται unto μισθαποδότης; as if it were said, must believe that God is, and will be, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him ;' namely, in this world, and hereafter also. But I shall follow the usual distinction of the words.

1. The first thing to be believed, is, órt EOTI, that God is.' The expression seems to be imperfect, something more being intended than the mere belief of the divine existence absolutely considered. The connexion seems to require, that we supply, as 'his God,' or 'God to him.'

The schoolmen, and sundry expositors on the place, as Catharinus, Salmeron, Tena, &c., dispute earnestly, how the being of God, which is the object of natural science, seeing it may be known by the light of reason, can be proposed as the object of faith, which respects only things unseen, inevident, supernatural, made known by revelation only. And many distinctions they apply unto the solution of this difficulty. For my part, I no way doubt but the same thing or verity may, on divers respects, be the object of reason and faith also. So is it when that which is consistent with reason, and in general discoverable by it, as the creation of the world, is more distinctly and clearly proposed unto faith by divine revelation; which doth not destroy the former assent on principles of reason, but confirms the mind in the persuasion of the same truth, by a new evidence given unto it.

But the apostle speaks not here of any such assent unto the truth of the being and existence of God, as may be attained by reason or the light of nature; but that which is the pure object of faith, which the light of reason can no way reach unto. For that he treats of such things only, is evident from the description which he premiseth of the nature of faith: namely, that it is the evidence of things not seen. And it is such a believing of the being of God, as gives encouragement to come unto him, that we who are sinners may find favour and acceptance with him. And that apprehension which men may have of the being of God by the light of nature, yea, and of his being a rewarder, Cain had, as we have shown; and yet he had no share in that faith which the apostle here requires.

Wherefore, it is evident from the context, the circumstances of the subject-matter treated of, and the design of the apostle, that the being or existence of God, proposed as the object of our faith to be believed in a way of duty, is the divine nature with its glorious properties or perfections, as engaged, and acting themselves in a way of giving rest, satisfaction, and blessedness unto them that come unto him. When we are obliged to believe that he is, it is what he proposeth when he declareth himself by that name, 'I am,' Exod. iii. 14, whereby he did not only signify his existence absolutely, but that he so was, as that he would actually give existence and accomplishment unto all his promises unto the church. So when he revealed himself to Abraham by the name of Almighty God,' Gen. xvii. 1, he was not obliged to believe only his eternal power and godhead, which are intelligible by the light of nature, Rom. i. 20, but also that he would be so unto him, in exerting his almighty power on his behalf; whereon he requires of him, that he should walk before him and be perfect.' Wherefore, the believing that God is, 'I am,' the almighty God,' is to believe him as our God in covenant, exercising the holy properties of his nature, wisdom, goodness, grace, and the like, in a way of giving rest and blessedness unto our souls. For all this he required Abraham to believe, as the ground of the covenant on his part, whereon he requires universal obedience from him.

To suppose that the apostle intends by that faith, whereby we may come to God and find acceptance with him, nothing but an assent unto the being of God absolutely considered, which is altogether fruitless

in the generality of mankind, is a vain notion, unsuited unto his design. Wherefore,

Obs. III. God himself in his self-sufficiency, and his all-sufficiency, meet to act towards poor sinners in a way of bounty, is the first motive or encouragement unto, and the last object of faith.-See Isa. 1. 10; 1 Pet. i. 21.

2. The second thing which in order unto the same end of acceptance with God, we are required to believe, is, μodarodorns yiverai, ‘that he is,' or will be a rewarder of them that diligently seek him;' that is, he will act in all things towards them, suitably unto the proposal which he makes of himself unto faith, when he says, 'I am,' and I am God almighty,' or the like. Two things may be considered in this object of faith, 1. The assertion of the truth itself:-'God is a rewarder.' 2. The limitation of the exercise of that property as unto its object :'unto them that diligently seek him.'

And this limitation wholly excludes the general notion of believing rewards and punishments from God, present and future, from being here intended. For it is confined only unto the goodness and bounty of God towards 'believers;' 'those that seek him.' His dealing with them, is not exactly according unto distributive justice with respect unto themselves, but in a way of mercy, grace, and bounty. For the reward is of grace, and not of works.'

First. That which these words of the apostle hath respect to, and which is the ground of the faith here required, is contained in the revelation that God made of himself unto Abraham, Gen. xv. 1, ' Fear not Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.' God is so a rewarder unto them that seek him, as that he himself is their reward, which eternally excludes all thoughts of merit in them that are so rewarded. Who can merit God to be his reward? Rewarding in God, especially where he himself is the reward, is an act of infinite grace and bounty. And this gives us full direction unto the object of faith here intended, namely, God in Christ, as revealed in the promise of him, giving himself unto believers as a reward, (to be their God) in a way of infinite goodness and bounty. The proposal hereof, is that alone which gives encouragement to come unto him, which the apostle designs to declare.

Secondly. This farther appears from the limitation of the object, or of those unto whom he is thus a rewarder; namely, such as To EKTovσiv auTov, 'diligently seek him.' Znrev, to seek the Lord,' is used in general for any inquiry after him from the light of nature, or otherwise, Acts xvii. 27. But EKSTεv, the word here used by the apostle, argues a peculiar manner of seeking, whence we render it, diligently seek him.' But this duty of seeking God, is so frequently enjoined in the Scripture, and so declared to consist in faith acting itself in prayer, patience, and diligent attendance unto the ways of God's manifestation of himself in his ordinances of worship, that I shall not here insist upon it. Only I shall observe some things that are necessary unto the interpretation of the place.

1. To seek God, is to do according to some rule, guiding us both what way we are to go, and what we are to expect with him and from him.