not seen. ver. 1. This principle is farther defined to be, in opposition -the evidence of things to sight or sense generally, an evidence in the soul, or conviction of things not seen. The objects of faith are partly future, and altogether invisible. They are "not seen,” at least, "as yet," however brightly they may hereafter shine forth, when we shall be made capable of seeing what is spiritual, yea, of beholding God himself in his glory. Now alas! we are the creatures of our carnal sense: what we see, and hear, and handle, and feel, we believe, and, naturally, little else, but what is the subject either of sense or of consciousness. Faith gives us, as it were, a new sense; making what is unseen to be visible to the soul, though it be but as through a glass, darkly." Let us apply this test as we did the other. Let us ask ourselves, which world we are living for, the visible or the invisible? What things do we chiefly "look at ?" those which are seen and temporal, or those which are unseen and eternal? An honest answer to this inquiry would determine for us, whether or not we have that faith, which is the conviction of things not seen. 66 From the nature of faith, let us proceed, under the Apostle's guidance, to the examples of its living efficacy, with which the history of the church was so richly furnished, even then, when the Apostle wrote, before the martyrs and confessors of the New Testament were added to the spirits of just men made perfect. For by such a principle it was that, even from the first, righteousness was achieved;—by such For by it the elders obtained a good report. ver. 2. a principle as faith is described to be, that the elder Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. ver. 3. saints in the patriarchal and succeeding times obtained a good report, yea, a divine testimony in their favour. The foundation of religion, and therefore the first act of faith, is the recognition of a Divine Maker of heaven and earth: -the acknowledgment that this world, and all other worlds, sprang into being at his Almighty fiat. The effect of such a faith is, that it will lead us to make the universe a temple, to reverence the hand of God in all things, to attribute to him all our blessings with all our trials, and to remember continually that the things which do appear are but effects of the invisible First Cause. This principle of faith has been common to all pious men in all ages; yet, although acting from a common principle, they have differed from each other in exemplifying its practical effects, and hence it is that the examples of the righteous stand forth in Scripture as instances more especially of this or that particular part of piety. For, to an influence in particulars, the general acknowledgment of God will, if practical, necessarily lead. By faith Abel, for instance, was enabled to offer unto God a more acceptable sacrifice By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was than Cain; a sacrifice "more excellent" in itself, as being "of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof," and as such, apparently, costing him more than "the fruit of the ground" would have done. It was, it should seem, a richer offering than Cain's, implying a grateful conviction of the goodness of the invisible God, and a confident expectation of righteous, God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. ver. 4. his mercy. But this was not all: the sacrifice of Abel derived its chief excellence, probably, from being a sacrifice, or (to speak more strictly) from being the offering of a slain victim, and, as such, typical of the great Sacrifice for sin, which was, in the fulness of time, to be offered up by the Promised Seed. It was peculiarly in the province of faith to keep up a "confident expectation" of the future Deliverer of mankind; and surely it was only faith in an express appointment, that could have led to the adoption of animal sacrifices as an offering acceptable to God, when as yet the slaying of beasts for food was not permitted. Prompted by any other feeling than that of obedience in faith to a divine direction, the shedding of blood on the altar of the Most Holy must have proved offensive; but, resulting from a wellgrounded faith, it became an act of enlightened piety, a confession of guilt, a testimony to that important truth, that "without shedding of blood there is no remission," a type (and, be it observed, the first type) of the great atonement,―the Lamb thus typically "slain from the foundation of the world." By faith in the promises of God, thus exhibited in the extent and character of his religious service, as opposed to the grudging rationalism of Cain, Abel incurred, it is true, the fatal envy of his brother, but obtained, at the same time, a blessed testimony' from God, that he was righteous-an acquitted suppliant, an accepted worshipper. He fell a martyr to his faith, the victim of unbelieving malice: but, though dead, he is not forgotten. His history ends not with his life on earth. 1 See Gen. iv. 4. "Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." The righteous, however persecuted and cut off," shall be had in everlasting remembrance" before God. The blood of Abel crieth from the ground, and the Almighty himself takes up his cause; thus clearly teaching us, that, although Abel was slain, he still lived to God, happy in the divine favour, "where the wicked cease from troubling" any more the faithful worshipper. How forcibly did such an example speak to the Hebrew converts, and encourage them to perseverance in the faith of Christ, notwithstanding the opposition or hatred of their unbelieving brethren! yea, how forcibly does it "still speak" to all Christians! how clearly does it intimate to us the connexion which has ever existed between faith and patience, the necessity of persevering in a right faith, if we would be accounted righteous before God, and, in particular, the importance that our devotional services should spring from faith, and be ever animated by this humble, but holy principle! As there can be no practical religion without devotion, so will there be no acceptable devotion unaccompanied by an acknowledgment of our guilt, and our dependence on the promises of God in Christ for its remission. Even Abel did, in all probability, make such an acknowledgment, and express some such dependence: how much more should we! True it is, we offer up no sacrifices beyond "the calves of our lips," and the "living sacrifice" of our ownselves: but we have continual opportunities of keeping up, in the faithful celebration of the Lord's Supper, the " perpetual memory" of that great sacrifice on which all our hopes depend. What Abel prefigured, we may commemo rate. May we ever so commemorate it in the spirit of the faithful Abel, as with him to be accounted righteous, and, when we are dead, to be remembered with profit by our fellow-servants, and by our God with mercy! By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was The example of Abel is followed by that of Enoch. In one we behold the influence of faith in producing acceptable worship; in the other, its power and value as leading, through a holy life, to a heavenly reward. For it was by faith that Enoch was translated, so : not found, because God But God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ver. 5, 6. as not to see death, and was no longer to be found on earth. exposed to the persecutions of an "ungodly 1" world: it was by faith; for he had received testimony of being well-pleasing to God, which, without faith, is impossible. Men may please each other by mere moral virtue, without religion; but it is impossible to please God without believing in his existence, and practically regarding him as a Rewarder of them who diligently seek him. It is faith in a gracious God that draws men nigh to him in de votion and obedience, and brings Him nigh to them in blessing; so that, in the language of Scripture, man is said to walk with his Maker in a humble but heavenly "communion." May we exemplify in ourselves this holy and elevating effect of faith!-we, to whom the way of access to the Father has been so fully declared. Reconciled through his Son, and led by his Spirit, may we ever delight in "seeking dili 1 Jude 15. 2 2 Gen. v. 24. |