Those that sought him without such a rule, as the apostle tells them did but strive nλapnoeav, to feel after him,' as men feel after a thing in the dark, when they know neither what it is, nor how to come at it, Acts xvii. 27.

2. This rule neither is, nor ever was, nor can be any other but the rule of God's covenant with us, and the revelation made of himself therein. In the state of original righteousness, man was bound to seek God (for this is eternally indispensable to all creatures, until we come to the full fruition of him) according to the tenor of the covenant of works. His seeking of God, consisted in the faith and works of obedience, required in that covenant. And there is now no way to seek God, but according to the revelation that he hath made of himself in the covenant of grace, and the terms of obedience required therein. All other seeking of God, is vain, and not prescribed unto us in a way of duty. All those who do attempt it, do wax vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts are darkened. When once we have the knowledge of this rule, when God hath revealed his covenant unto us, and the confirmation of it in Christ, all things are plain and clear, both how we may find God, and what we shall find in him.

3. This seeking of God is progressive, and hath various degrees. For there is, 1. Antecedent unto it, God's finding of us in a way of sovereign grace and mercy. So he is found of them that sought him not,' Isa. lxv. 1. And if he had not so sought us, we should never have sought after him. For herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he first loved us.' 2. In itself, it takes in our first conversion unto God. To seek God, is to seek his grace and favour in Christ Jesus, to seek his kingdom and righteousness, to turn and adhere unto him in faith, and love unfeigned. 3. A diligent attendance unto all the ways of duty and obedience, which he hath prescribed unto us. 'Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, that seek the Lord,' Isa. li. 1. 4. A patient waiting for the accomplishment of the promises, which the apostle so celebrates in Abraham. Wherefore,

4. This diligent seeking of God in them unto whom God, will be a rewarder in a way of goodness and bounty, is an access unto him by faith, initial and progressive, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, that we may find favour and acceptance with him. So did Abel seek God, when he offered a bloody sacrifice, in faith of the future propitiation by the seed of the woman. So did Enoch seek God, when he walked before him in covenant obedience. Neither will God be such a rewarder as is here intended, he will not give himself as a reward unto any but those that seek him after this way.

Obs. IV. They who seek God only according to the light of nature, do but feel after him in the dark, and they shall never find him as a rewarder; namely, such as here described, though they may have pregnant notions of his justice, and of rewards and punishments according unto it.

Obs. V. They who seek him according to the law of works, and by the best of their obedience thereunto, shall never find him as a rewarder, nor attain that which they seek after; as the apostle expressly declares, Rom. ix. 31, 32.

I have insisted the longer on the exposition of this verse, both on the account of the important truths contained in it, as also because some of late have endeavoured to wrest this text, as they do other Scriptures as though it should teach, that no other faith was required unto the justification of them of old, but only an assent unto the being of God, and his wisdom, righteousness, and power in governing the world with rewards and punishments; so to exclude all consideration of the promise of the Lord Christ, and his mediation from their faith. So is the place expounded by Crellius, and Grotius who followeth him, with his admirers, and others that borrow falsehoods from them. But as that assent is supposed and included herein, as necessary unto all religion, so, that it is what and all that is here proposed and required is consistent neither with the scope of the place, the design of the apostle, nor any expression in the text rightly understood. Observe,

Obs. VI. It is the most proper act of faith, to come and cleave to God as a rewarder in the way of grace and bounty, as proposing himself for our reward.

Obs. VII. That faith is vain, which doth not put men on a diligent inquiry after God.

Obs. VIII. The whole issue of our finding of God when we seek him, depends on the way and rule which we take and use in our so doing.

VER. 7.-NOAH is the third person mentioned in the Scripture, to whom testimony was given in particular that he was righteous; and therefore, the apostle produceth him in the third place, as an instance of the power and efficacy of faith, declaring also wherein his faith wrought and was effectual.

VER. 7.Πιστει χρηματισθεις Νωε περι των μηδεπω βλεπομένων, ευλαβηθεις κατεσκευασε κιβωτον, εις σωτηρίαν του οίκου αύτου δι' ἧς κατέκρινε τον κόσμον και της κατα πιστιν δικαιοσυνης εγενετο κληρονόμος.

Xpnuarios, Vulg. Lat. responso accepto; Rhem. 'having received an answer.' Hence sundry expositors who adhere unto that translation, inquire how Noah may be said to have an answer from God, whereas no mention is made of any inquiry of his in this matter. Some say, that Adam had foretold that the world should be twice destroyed, once by water, and again by fire. Hereon Noah inquired of God to know when the first of them should fall out, and received this answer, that it was now approaching. Some say, that 'to answer' in Scripture, is ofttimes used for 'to begin a speech unto another,' when there was nothing spoken before; whereof they give instances. I mention these things only to show what needless pains men put themselves unto, out of a prejudicate adherence unto what may deceive them, as here, by following a false translation. For in the original word, there is nothing that intimates an answer upon an inquiry. But the truth is, the translation hath not so much deceived them, as they have deceived themselves. For responsum in Latin, is a divine oracle,' and so used in all good

authors. Responsa Deorum, responsa Haruspicum, are oracular directions; and so is responsum absolutely. Syr. ny bb, when he was spoken to,' when there was a 'word with him.' Divinitus admonitus, as we say properly,' warned of God.'

Περι των μηδεπω βλεπομένων, Syr. ' of those things which are not seen; omitting underw, nondum; nondum adhuc, as all other translations. Arab. 'when it was revealed to Noah about things which yet

were not seen.'

Eulaßnes, veritus, reveritus, metuens, timuit, venerabundus, 'fearing,'' he feared,'' moved with fear,'' a reverential fear.'

Katεokvaσɛ, apparavit, he prepared;' Vulg. Lat. aptavit, 'he fitted by preparing and making of it.' Syr. y, fecit, condidit, 'he made, or built an ark.'

Eis owτnoiav ToV OKOν avrov, Syr., unto the lives (that is, the saving of the lives) of the sons of his house,' or family.

VER. 7.-By faith Noah being warned of God, of things not as yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Chrysostom well commends this instance of the apostle, in that it not only gives a demonstration of the efficacy of faith, on the one hand, in Noah; but also of the effect and consequence of unbelief on the other, in the whole world besides. Hence the application of this example, was exceedingly seasonable and proper unto these Hebrews, who stood now on their trial of what they would follow and abide by. Here they might see as in a glass, what would be the effect of the one and the other.

There is in the words, 1. The person spoken of, or instanced in, which is Noah. 2. What is affirmed of him; that he was warned of God of things not yet seen. 3. The effect hereof by faith. First. Internal in himself; he was moved with fear. Secondly. External, in obedience; he built an ark. 4. The consequent of his so doing. First. The saving of his own family. Secondly. The condemnation of the world. Thirdly. His own becoming an heir of the righteousness that is by faith.

First. The person spoken of is Noah, concerning whom some things may be observed that relate to the sense of the place.

1. Being designed of God for the great work to which he was to be called; namely, to live and act at that time and that season, wherein God would destroy the world for sin; he had his name given him by a spirit of prophecy. His father Lamech called him , whereof he gave this reason,, this shall comfort us, concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed,' Gen. v. 29. He foresaw that by him, and in his days, relief would come from the effects of the curse; which there did, 1. In the just destruction of the wicked world, wherein the earth for a while had rest from its bondage under which it groaned, Rom. viii. 22. 2. In that in him, the promise of the blessed seed should be preserved, whence all

rest and comfort do proceed. But either the name of , is not derived from to rest, or cause to rest,' but from, to comfort,' mem being rejected in the framing of the name; or else there is not in the words of Lamech,, this same shall comfort us,' a respect unto the etymology of the word, but an expression of the thing signified.

2. As unto his state and condition antecedent unto what is here declared of him, two things are affirmed. 1. That he found grace in the eyes of the Lord,' Gen. vi. 8. 2. That he was just, perfect in his generation, and walked with God,' ver. 9. He was accepted with God, justified and walked in acceptable obedience, before he was thus divinely warned, with what followed thereon. Wherefore, these things did not belong unto his first believing; but unto the exercise of that faith which he had before received. Nor was he then first made an heir of righteousness, but declared so to be, as Abraham was justified when he offered Isaac his son.

3. His employment in the world was, that he was a preacher of righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 5, that is, of the righteousness of God by faith; and of righteousness by repentance and obedience among men. And there is no doubt but that before, and whilst he was building the ark, he was urgent with mankind to call them to repentance, by declaring the promises and threatenings of God. And in a blessed state he was, to be a preacher of righteousness unto others, and an heir of righteousness in himself.

4. He is said to be oydoos, 2 Pet. ii. 5, the 'eighth person.' But, as Enoch was the seventh from Adam, and he the third from Enoch, he could not be the eighth, but was the tenth in the line of genealogy from Adam. He is therefore called the eighth, because he was the head of the eight that were saved, the other seven depending on him, and being saved by him; unless we shall suppose him to be called the eighth preacher of righteousness, that is from Enos, when the separation was first made between the wicked and the godly, and wickedness increasing, those who feared God began publicly to preach repentance,

Gen. iv. 26.

Secondly. That which is affirmed of him is, that he was xonuario Jeç, 'warned of God' of things not as yet seen. Xonuariw is, 'to give an Χρηματιζω answer with authority,' by kings or magistrates unto ambassadors or orators. It is noted by Plutarch, that it was one cause of the conspiracy against Caesar, that he miscarried herein. Προσιόντων των ὑπατων και των στρατηγων άμα δε και της βουλης άπασης επομενης, ουχ ὑπεξαναστας, αλλ' ώσπερ ιδιωταις τισι χρηματίζων απεκρινατο, ‘The Consuls, with the Prætors, and the whole Senate following them, coming to him, he arose not, but spake as unto a company of private men.' And Xonuatioμai is used in the Scripture in a common sense to be called or named, Acts xi. 26; Rom. vii. 3. But its more frequent use is for a divine warning, Matt. ii. 12, 22; Luke ii. 26; Acts x. 22; Heb. viii. 5. And Xonuarioμoç is a divine oracle, Rom. xi. 4. And it is used to express any kind of divine revelation, as by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Luke ii. 26; by the ministry of angels, Acts x. 22; by dreams, Matt. ii. 12, 22; by an immediate voice of God, Rom. xi. 4.

And this warning of God was no other but that which is recorded,

Gen. vi. 13, 14. And there were two parts of it, the first minatory, or a declaration of the purpose of God to destroy the whole world, ver. 13. The second is directory of what he required of him in making an ark, ver. 14-16. Accordingly, as we shall see, it had a twofold effect on Noah; the first, of fear in himself from the threatening; the other, of obedience in building the ark according to direction. Both parts of this divine warning were περι των μηδεπω βλεπομενων, 6 of things not yet seen.' Things of this sort, namely, things not seen,' he had before declared to be the proper object of faith, ver. 1. But the things here intended were not in their own nature invisible; they were sufficiently seen when they did exist. Therefore, the apostle saith, they were not 'yet' seen; namely, the flood, and the saving of himself in an ark. These were not seen when Noah was warned about them, nor for a hundred years after. They were seen, neither in themselves nor in their causes. For although in the morally procuring cause of the flood, namely, the wickedness of the world, it was present, yet there was nothing then to be seen or learned of its destruction by a flood. And efficient cause it had none, but the invisible power of God. Wherefore, it was a pure act of faith in Noah to believe that which he had no evidence for, but by divine revelation: especially considering, that the thing itself revealed was in itself strange, direful, and unto human reason every way incredible. And we may observe,

Obs. I. It is a high commendation to faith, to believe things on the word of God, that in themselves and all second causes are invisible, and seem impossible, Rom. iv. 17-21.

Obs. II. No obstacle can stand in the way of faith, when it fixeth itself on the almighty power of God, and his infinite veracity, Rom. xi. 23; Tit. i. 2.

Obs. III. It is a great encouragement and strengthening unto faith, when the things which it believes as promised or threatened, are suitable unto the properties of the divine nature, his righteousness, holiness, goodness, and the like; such as it becometh God to do. Such was the destruction of the world when it was filled with wickedness and violence.

Obs. IV. We have here a pledge of the certain accomplishment of all divine threatenings against ungodly sinners and enemies of the church, though the time of it may be yet far distant, and the means of it may not be evident. Unto this end is this example made use of, 2 Pet. ii. 5.

Thirdly. Of this warning of God given unto Noah, the first effect, as we observed, respected the first part of the warning, which was a threatening of total destruction. He was 'moved with fear.' And here TOTIS, 'faith,' in its efficacy, begins to take place. For although he may be said to be warned of God through faith, inasmuch as he became accepted with God by faith, whereon he received the especial favour of this divine warning; yet here respect seems to be had unto the effect which it had in Noah, with the consequents thereof. By faith he was moved with fear;' his believing the word of God had this effect on him. Of the meaning of the word suλaßnoç, see the exposition of ch. v. 7. A reverential fear it is of God's threatenings, and not an anxious soli