that the worlds were framed, it necessarily includes its object, the divine revelation that is made thereof in the word of God; for there is no other way for faith to give us an understanding of it.

The apostle here lays a good foundation of all his following assertions; for if by faith we are assured of the creation of the world out of nothing, which is contrary to the most received principle of natural reason, (ex nihilo nihil fit) nothing comes of nothing, it will bear us out in the belief of other things that seem impossible to reason, if so be they are incontestably revealed. In particular, faith well fixed on the original of all things as made out of nothing, will bear us out in the belief of the resurrection of our bodies, which the apostle takes notice of with respect to some of Kis worthies.

"By faith we understand;" that is, by faith we not only assent to the divine revelation of it, but also come to have a due comprehension of it in its causes, so as that we may be said to understand it: wherefore "understanding" here is not opposed only to an utter ignorance, but also to that dark and confused apprehension of the creation of the world, which some by the light of reason attained to.

§3. (Tas alwvas nainphobai) that the worlds were framed. The word always denotes the ordering, disposing, fitting, perfecting, or adorning of what is produced; the reducing of all created things into that beautiful order which we behold; and the apostle hath an especial respect to the things that are seen, as they are orderly, beautiful, and glorious, setting forth the glory of their Maker, Psal. viii, 2, 3; xix, i, 2; Rom. i, 21: so it is said, that "God by his Spirit garnished the heavens," Job xxvi, 13; that is, cast them into that curious, glorious frame which we behold; and the apostle hath in

this word respect to Gen. ii, 1, (b) "The heavens and the earth, and all the host of them were finished," perfected, and completely framed.

(Paul Oɛ8) by the word of God; the ineffable facility of almighty power; he spake the word, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood fast. And surely it is alike easy unto him to dispose of all things that are made; and so faith, as to the disposal of all things by divine Providence, in times of great difficulties, and inseparable obstacles, is secured by the consideration of the easy production of all things out of nothing by the same power; how easy is it with God to help, relieve, and deliver them by changing, if necessary, the nature of all these things at his pleasure, who by his word, through an almighty facility, erected and perfected the worlds! And this consideration doth God himself frequently propose for the confirmation of the faith of the church, in all her troubles, Isa. xl, 28; xliv, 24; xlv, 12; li, 13.

4. "So the things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear;"-(Ta Breñoμeva) things which are seen; which are the objects of our senses, and our reason working by them; these aspectable heavens, with all their glorious luminaries; the earth, with all its furniture and ornaments; the sea, with all its fulness; their greatness, their glory, their order, and their use, with which the minds of men ought to be affected.

Of these things it is affirmed, that they were not made (ex Quivoμεvov) of things that do appear; which seems to be a negation of any pre-existing natural cause; the word (avoμeva) imports, things that appear clearly, illustriously, in their shape and order. The understanding of this we have by faith alone from divine revelation; for nothing of the order of creating, can be known or understood any other way;

and this the apostle intimates in the particles, (ELS TO, i. e. wolɛ) so that; by faith alone we understand that the worlds were made, so as "that the things which are seen were not made of things that appear."

§5. Hence we may observe,

1. Those who firmly assent to divine revelation, understand the creation of the world as to its truth, season, cause, manner, and end; it was never determined among the ancient sages of the world, the pretended priests of the mysteries of reason; some said one thing, and some another; some said it had a beginning, some said it had none, and some assigned it such a beginning, as it had better never had any; nothing but an assent to divine revelation can give us a clear understanding of it. And,

2. Then doth faith put forth its power in our minds in a due manner, when it gives us clear and distinct apprehensions of the things believed; faith that gives not understanding is but fancy.

3. As God's first work was perfect, so all his works shall be; he undertakes nothing, but what he will finish and complete in beauty and order; and not only the original production of all things out of nothing, but also the framing of them into their present order, is a demonstration of this eternal power of God.

4. The aids of reason, with the due consideration of the nature, use, and end of all things, ought to be admitted for confirming our minds in the persuasion of the original creation of all things; yet they are not to be rested in, but we must betake ourselves to faith fixed on divine revelation; for if they are alone, they will be shaken with a contrary maxim, (ex nihilo nihil fit) of nothing nothing comes; and they can give us no light into the way and manner of the creation of all things, which faith discovers.

VERSE 4.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

$1, Connexion. 2, 3. (1.) Exposition. 4. Abel's sacrifice better than Cain's. $5. The testimony given it. §6. How he yet speaketh. $7, 8. (II.) Observations.

§1. FROM the nature of faith in general, and its efficacy with respect to things believed, the apostle proceeds to give instances of its power and efficacy in particular persons, whose example in believing he proposeth to the Hebrews for their encouragement; and he begins with Abel; the first whose faith is expressly recorded, and the first that suffered in the cause of Christ, by shedding his blood, which the Hebrews had not yet experienced; wherefore on all accounts this was the meetest instance to begin with.

§2. (I.) "By faith Abel," who without example, without any outward encouragement, without any witness of his sufferings to transmit them to others, but God alone, was the first in the world that suffered death in the cause of Christ and his worship, and that even from his own brother, who joined with him in the outward acts of divine worship; which is an example of the two churches, the suffering, and the persecuting to the end of the world; and this hath made him famous in all generations; which, as Chrysostom thinks, is intended in the close of the words, (El area) he is yet spoken of, that is, with fame and renown. Note, Every circumstance in suffering shall add to the glory of the sufferer; and those who suffer here for Christ without witness, as many have done to death in prisons and dungeons, have yet an all-seeing Witness to give them testimony in due season. "The

righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance;" and nothing that is done or suffered for God shall be lost for ever.

§3. "By faith Abel offered unto God." The original account is more particular; (Gen. iv, 3-5; D»»7 rpp) after the expiration of some time, or days; after he and Cain were settled in their distinct callings, (ver. 3;) they had been until then under the instruction of their parents; but now being fixed in their own peculiar stations and callings, they made their distinct solemn profession of the worship of God; which is the sense of the place, though not observed by expositors. The matter of his offering was the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof; it was of living creatures, and therefore was made by mactation, or the shedding of blood; whence the apostle calls it (voia) a sacrifice by mactation;-it was of the best; it was an holocaust, wherein after the blood was shed on the altar, and offered unto God, the fat was burned on the altar, and the whole body at a distance from it; therefore it appears, that Abel's was, as to the matter of it, both in itself, and in God's esteem, of the most precious and valuable things in the whole creation, subject to man and his use; and even hence it may be called (λELOVA (πλειονα θυσια παρα Κάϊν) a more excellent sacrifice than that of Cain, which was only of the fruit of the ground that might be gathered (raptim) without choice of what was most meet to be offered.

And he offered this sacrifice unto God, (TW☺EW, ver. 3;) this was, from the first institution of it, the highest and most peculiar way of paying homage to the Divine Being; for to whomsoever sacrifice is offered, he is owned as God; and therefore when the Gentiles sacrificed to the devils, as they did, 1 Cor. x, 20,