Case 3. The third case respects the reasoning work of faith. How far is assurance necessary, that so faith may have some strength and encouragement, that we may be persuaded into acts of obedience by these arguments of faith ? I answer —
1. We live by faith, and not by assurance. The first act of faith is vital, and unites and implants into Christ : Heb. iii. 14, ' For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.' If you can but maintain the first act of faith, this is enough to make you partakers of Christ, when you can roll and cast the soul upon Christ.
2. Assurance is very comfortable, and we have a great loss, when we are upon terms of uncertainty. It is far better to say, Christ died for me, than barely to say, Christ died for sinners ; then the arguments of faith are more sharpened, and fall with a more direct stroke upon the soul, when once you can plead, all this he hath done for me, and this is for my sake.
3. We may reason from the general acts of Christ's love, when we are not able particularly to apply them. And that gratitude is very pure when I can bless God for Christ without reflection upon my own private benefit, for putting salvation into so possible a way. This is enough to urge the soul to duties of obedience : Titus ii. 11, 12, 'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.' That general salvation that the grace of God hath brought into the world ministers holy arguments and discourses to the soul, whereby we may resist lusts and overcome temptations — ' He came into the world to
474 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XVI.
save sinners, whereof I am cliief,' saith Paul, 1 Tim. i. 15. Here is some kind of application in this, when we take hold of the promises on the dark side; when we can reason as Paul — ' It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,' Christ died for sinners. Now I come to handle the consequents of Abel's faith.
1. The first is a testimony — Bi/ which he obtained witness that he loas righteous, God testifying of his gifts.
2. The second a special privilege — By it he, being dead, yet speaketh.
First, The testimony, and that is double — (1.) Of his person, ' That he was riujhteous ; ' (2.) Of his performance, ' Grod testifying of his gifts.' The one proves the other: he proves his })erson was accepted of God, because God gave testimony concerning the acceptance of his gifts. By which, by what? In the original it is hi rj<;. Some ap{)ly it to faith — by which faith he obtained witness ; others apply it to sacrifice, by which sacrifice he obtained witness.
There are arguments on both sides. Most probably it must be referred to faith — ' By faith he obtained witness that he was righteous.'
1. Because the apostle had laid down the general proposition ; ver. 2, that ' by faith the elders obtained a good report ;' and now he comes to make it good by special instances, for by it Abel ' obtained witness that he was righteous.'
2. If it be referred to offering sacrifice, the apostle would rather have said 81 ov, by which act of his, in offering sacrifice. However, in a soimd sense, it may be referred to either. His righteousness may be referred to his faith, and the testimony of his righteousness to his sacrifice, which was but the witness of his faith. It is one thing to be righteous, and another thing to obtain witness that we are righteous. By faith Abel was a righteous person in foro carli, accepted in the Messiah in the court of God ; but by his better saciifice, as a fruit of faith, he obtained the testimony of his I'ighteousness in foro conscientice, in his own feeling, and in foro ecclesice, in the solemn approbation of tlie church.
He obtained witness that he was righteous, ifxapTvprjOr} elvac hlKaio^, he had a good report of his righteousness. It is the same word with eybapTvpTf)6r]aav, ver. 2. How did he obtain this witness ? I answer, Eitiier in the word of God: Gen. iv. 4, 'The Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offering' (and everywhere he is spoken of as a holy and righteous man ; it is his solemn title, 'rigliteous Abel,' Mat. xxiii. 35) ; or else it may be meant of the respect God bore to his ])erson and sacrifice, for so the apostle himself proveth it — ' God testifying of his gifts,' viz., by some outward and visible demonstration of acceptance, to which now is equivalent the inward witness of the Holy Ghost ; for when graces have their full work and exercise, God there gives in the light and comfort of them. For a more fidl clearing of this passage, you nmst know this sacrifice was an act for tlie election and consecra- tion of one of the two brethren as the head of the blessed seed and race. I sny, the trial now was which of them God would choose, in whose family the line of the church and the blessed generation was to be continued. As afterwards Moses puts Korah upon the like trial, when