charge given him, and he must give an account of it — ' The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell (or the grave) delivered up the dead which were in them,' Rev. xx. 13. We should not be afraid to go down to the grave now we hear of such a glorious resur- rection from it. This is the way for the body to go to heaven.
SERMON LVII.
By faitJi Moses, wTien he ivas horn, tvas Idd three months of his parents, because they saw he icas a proper child; and they not afraid of the JdiKjs commandment. — Heb. xi. 23.
The apostle goetli on M'ith the story of the church ; and having done with the patriarchs, he goeth on to their posterity. Egypt had been kind to Israel, but now opi^ressed them, and the posture of things is changed. Pharaoh, a domineering commander that knew not Joseph, now bore sway, Exod. i. 8. He made a bloody law that the male children of the Hebrews should be destroyed, Exod. i. 10. Now the text showeth what Moses' parents did with respect to this bloody edict — ' By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of hii> parents,' &c.
The iaith of Moses' parents is described —
1. By the action wherein it was shown — Moses, ivhen he ivas hoi'n, icas hid three months of his parents.
2. The considerations on which it was done.. [1.] In the action there is —
(1.) The action itself — 'He was hid.'
(2.) The duration—' Three months.'
[2.] In the considerations are two things ; the one external, the other internal.
(1.) The occasion, or external impulsive cause — Because they saw he was a proper child.
(2.) Tlie internal moving cause — 2'hey not afraid of the kings commandment.
But three things I shall consider in the words — (1.) What is com- mended; (2.) Who is commended ; (3.) The commendation itself.
First, What is commended — 'By faith.' What great matter of faith was here ? Brute creatures are careful to })reserve their young ones ; their endeavour to save him might seem to be a work of natural aftectiou, but the Holy Ghost ascribeth it to faith. Natural affections sanctified are subservient and useful to faith ; grace doth not abolish nature, but perfect it. We are to obey God against our natural affec- tion ; as by faith Abraham offered his son Isaac ; nature was against it. And we are to obey God with natural affection : by faith Moses
420 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. LVII.
was hid of his parents ; there nature was for it. Many times God's interests and ours are twisted together, and then nature is allowed to work, but grace must bear sway ; sometimes they are severed, and then we must leave nature to keep company with God.
Use 1. It informeth us, that to strengthen faith we may and must take in the helj) of nature ; it is God's allowance, that we may be carried out more cheerfully in the work of God : Philem. 16, ' Dear to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord.' When a dictate of grace and the inclination of nature concur, and nature and grace run in one channel, the stream is the more violent. This is seen in labouring for the conversion of a child, in seeking the life of a near relation, or in laying to heart their sufferings.
2. That their wickedness is very great that sin against nature. Some men will be held in with no restraints, neither with the bonds of nature nor grace, nor both together. The more unnatural a sin is, the more aggravated ; yet it is usual that most sins have an inconvenience to nature annexed to them. Envy and anger troubleth our own flesh, and eats like a cannibal ; lust sucketh the bones ; love of pleasure, of corn, wine, and oil, wastes the purse. We have reasons in nature to be against carking, and many other sins.
3. In all these mixed actions look to your principles, what beareth sway and worketh most — faith or natural affection. God alloweth nature to work, and accepts it as a gracious action if faith beareth sway. There are many common actions which a man would do by nature, but then he doth them in another manner, as in and to the Lord, out of love to God, and fear of God, and respect of God's glory, and so the nature of the action is changed ; as meek deportment in our relations is for our own quiet, but it is to be done in obedience to God, and out of the fear of God, and so second table duties are acts of faith, fear, and love to God.
Quest. But Vv^herein lay the faith of this action ?
Ans. Chiefly in overcoming fear, in trusting God's protection for the preservation of the child ; and possibly there might be something of a public regard and consideration, in believing the future deliverance of the church and people of God out of Egypt. Josephus saith that it was revealed to Am ram in a dream that he should have a son, who in time should free the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt ; but that is uncertain. But this might be gathered out of that general promise : Gen. xv. 14, ' That nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterwards they shall come out with great substance.'