mentioned, being rulers and judges, and this righteousness being of such eminent use to the church and to the world, it is that most likely, which is here ascribed to them. See Psalm ci, throughout; and 1 Sam. vii, 15—17.

§4. It is said of them that they "obtained promises." Sundry expositors have taken pains to reconcile this with what is said, ver. 39. As if "they obtained," and "they received not the promise," were contradictory. But they make a difficulty themselves where there is none; which when they have done, they cannot easily solve. For (Exluxov εTayyελiv) they obtained promises, viz. the things peculiarly promised to them on particular occasions, may well consist with (en enoμioavlo tyv ETAYYEλav) they received not that great promise of the coming of Christ in the flesh, in its actual accomplishment; wherefore the promises here intended, which by faith they obtained, were such as were made particularly to themselves. As to Joshua, that he should conquer Canaan; to Gideon, that he should defeat the Midianites; and to David, that he should be king over all Israel. And they are said to obtain these promises, because of the difficulty there was in their accomplishment, yea, and sometimes a seeming impossibility. How often was the faith of Joshua tried in the conquest of Canaan; yet at length he obtained the promise. Gideon was put on a great improbability, when he was commanded with three hundred men to set upon an innumerable host, and yet he obtained the promise of their destruction. And it is known how long, and by what various ways, the faith of David was tried and exercised, before the promise made to him was fulfilled.

$5. It is ascribed to them, that they "stopped the mouths of lions;" which may intend the preventing of

them from destroying and devouring by any means whatever. It is with their mouths that they devour; and he that hinders them from devouring, may well be said to stop their mouths. In this sense it may be ascribed to Sampson, who, when a young lion roared against him, approaching to devour him, he rent him to pieces, Judg. xiv, 5, 6. In like manner, David stopped the mouth of a lion, when he slew him, 1 Sam. xvii, 34, 35. But if the word be taken in its proper signification, to put a stop to the mouth of a lion, so that he shall neither hurt nor devour, though he be kept alive and at liberty, then it is applied to Daniel only; for so it is said of him expressly, when cast into the den of lions, that God had sent his angel, and "shut the lion's mouths," that they did not hurt him; Dan. vi, 22; and Daniel did it by faith; for although the ministry of angels was used therein, yet it was done, because he believed in his God, ver. 20.

δυναμιν πυρος)

§6. (Eoßerav Suvaui Tupos) "they quenched the violence of fire." He doth not say, they quenched fire, which may be done by natural means; but they took off, abated, restrained"the violence," the power of fire, as if the fire itself had been utterly quenched. This, therefore, belongs to the three companions of Daniel, who were cast into the burning fiery furnace, Dan. iii, 23. The fire continued still, and retained its burning power, for it slew the men that cast them into the furnace. But by faith they quenched or restrained the power and violence of it towards themselves, that not one hair of their head was singed, ver. 27. And the faith of these men consisted in their committing themselves to the omnipotence and sovereignty of God in the dis charge of their duty.

§7. (Εφυγον στοματα μαχαιρας) “They escaped the edge of the sword;" the mouths of the sword from the He

brew () and a "trro edged sword," they call a "sword of mouths," as in the Greek (paxaipa diotopios, chap. iv, 12.) "They escaped" by flight from the danger. So was it frequently with David, when he fled from the sword of Saul, which was in a manner at his throat several times, and he "escaped by flight," wherein God was with him. So did Elijah, when he was threatened to be slain by Jezebel, 1 Kings, xix, 3. It may be said, Was not this an effect of fear rather than of faith, with all its good success? No; for it is the wisdom and duty of faith, to apply itself to all lawful means and ways of deliverance from danger. Not, to use means when God affords them to us, is not to trust but to tempt him. Fear will be in all cases of danger, and yet faith may have the principal conduct of the soul. And a victory is sometimes obtained by flight.

§8. Some of them, (evɛduvaμwlyσav aто ασDevεias) “out of weakness were made strong." The term (aobEVEIα) weakness, denotes any kind of infirmity, moral or corporeal. The words are taken almost literally out of Isaiah; "The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness," Isa. xxxviii, 9; and that this was through faith is evident in the story, and was in part miraculous.

$9. some of them through faith (eyevyenσav oxupor Ev Toλeμw) were made valiant, waxed strong in fight or battle. As this may be applied to many of them, as Joshua, Barak, Gideon, Jephthæ, so David affirms of himself, that "God taught his hands to war, so that a bow of steel was broken by his arms; and that he girded him with strength unto battle," Psal. xviii, 34-39, which answers to what is here affirmed.

§10. Of the same kind is that which followeth, (παρεμβολας εκλιναν αλλοτριων) "They turned to flight the armies of the aliens." The original word (TapeμßoλAL)

properly denotes the camps, the fortified tents of an army; but it is used for an army itself, 1 Sam. iv, 16; an host encamped like that of the Midianites when Gideon went down unto it, Judg. vii, 10; which overthrow of that host is here principally intended; for so it was signified in the dream, that the tents should be smitten and overturned, ver. 13. But because the apostle useth the word in the plural number, it compriseth other enterprises of the like nature, as that of Barak and Jonathan against the Philistines, with the victories of Asa and Jehoshaphat, in all which there was an eminent exercise of faith, as the stories of them declare. And these "aliens," were those whom the scripture calls (7) strangers from and enemies to the church of God,

$11. It is added, "Women received their dead raised to life again." These women were, the widow of Zarephath, whose son Elijah raised from death, 1 Kings, xvii, 17-24; and the Shunamitess, whose son was raised by Elisha, 2 Kings, iv, 33-36. And it is said of them, that they received their children from the dead; for in both places the prophets having raised them from the dead, gave them into their mother's arms, who received them with joy and thankfulness. Their faith is not expressed; but respect is rather had to the faith of the prophets, who obtained this miraculous operation by faith. However, at least one of them, the Shunamitess, seems to have exercised much faith in the whole matter. And it is said, they received their dead, (εž uvuslasews) out of, or, by a resurrection. These ten instances did the apostle choose to give, out of the great things that had been done through faith, to assure the Hebrews, and us with them, that there is nothing too hard or difficult for faith to effect, when it is set on work and applied according to the mind of God.

§12. We may now observe:

1. There is nothing that can lie in the way of the accomplishment of any of God's promises, but it is conquerable by faith. Or, whatever difficulties any one may have to conflict with in the discharge of his duty, if he abide in faith, he shall in the end obtain the things promised.

2. Faith, that hath thus "stopped the mouths of lions," can restrain, disappoint, and stop the rage of the most savage oppressors and persecutors of the church.

3. We ought to exercise faith about temporal mercies, as they are oftentimes received by it, and given on account of it.

VERSES S5---37.

And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings, and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.

$1. Instances of another nature. The power of faith under various sufferings. 2. Some were tortured to death, $3. Yet accepted not deliverance. $4. The ground of their steadfastness. 5. Others had trials of mockings, scourgings, bonds, imprisonments. $6. Stoned. $7. Some were sawn asunder. 98. Tempted. 9. Slain. $10. Some wandered about, $11. Meanly clothed, $12. and destitute of friends. $13. Observations,

$1. He proceeds in the next place to instances quite of another nature, and which were more immediately suited to the condition of the Hebrews: for hearing of these great and glorious things, they might be apt to think that they were not so immediately concerned in them. For their condition was poor, persecuted, exposed to all evils, and death itself, for the profession of the gospel. Their interest therefore was to inquire what help from faith they might expect in that condition? What will faith do, where men are to be oppressed,