condition, being deprived of him who was their only protector. At this season, to testify his own faith in the promise, now he had no more concernment in this world, and to encourage them unto the like confidence in it, he makes mention of its accomplishment. And we see, Obs. III. That no interposition of difficulties ought to weaken our faith, as unto the accomplishment of the promises of God.

Secondly. There is a particular instance of the faith of Joseph, in that EVETEXATO, he gave commandment concerning his bones.' And this was peculiar unto himself alone. That which the apostle expresseth by his commanding, or giving commandment, was his taking an oath of his brethren and their posterity in them, Gen. 1. 25. He 'straitly charged the children of Israel with an oath,' Exod. xiii. 19. As it was an act of authority in him, (for he had the rule of his brethren,) it was a command; the manner of the obligation unto the performance of it, was by an oath. So Abraham gave charge and command to Eliezer, his servant, about taking a wife for Isaac, with an oath, Gen. xxiv. 2, 3, 9. And these kind of oaths, in things lawful, for a good end, not arbitrarily imposed, but entered into by consent, are good in themselves, and in some cases necessary.

The apostle saith only, that he gave commandment concerning his bones,' and doth not declare what it was that he gave in charge concerning them. But this is expressed in the story; namely, that when God visited them, and delivered them out of Egypt, they should carry 'his bones along with them into Canaan,' Gen. 1. 25. In order hereunto, they embalmed him, and put him in a coffin in Egypt,' ver. 26. Probably the Egyptians left the care of his funeral unto his brethren, and that his coffin remained in the custody of their posterity, perhaps his own in particular, until the time of their departure. Then Moses took them into his care, Exod. xiii. 19. And the issue of the whole was, that into the land of Canaan they were safely carried, according to the oath of the people, and were buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground whereof Jacob had made a purchase, and left it in legacy to the children of Joseph, Josh. xxiv. 32.

Thus was it as unto the story; but an inquiry may be made into the reasons why Joseph gave this charge concerning his bones, unto his brethren; whereas all their bones rested in Egypt, were not translated into Canaan, nor did they take any care that they should be so. there were some things peculiar unto Joseph, which caused his faith to act in this way about the disposal of his bones. For,

But

the

1. He had been of great power, authority, and dignity among Egyptians. His fame and reputation for wisdom, righteousness, and law-making, were great among the nations. He might, thefore, justly have feared, that if he had not thus openly renounced all cognation and alliance with them, he might, among posterity, have been esteemed an Egyptian, which he abhorred. Therefore, he established this lasting monument of his being of the seed and posterity of Abraham, and not an Egyptian.

2. As it is supposed that God buried the body of Moses, where it should not be known by any, lest the people, prone to superstition and idolatry, should have worshipped it, as they did afterwards the brazen

serpent; so, had the bones of Joseph been continued in Egypt, they might have been turned into an idol by that foolish people, which hereby was prevented. Yea, it is generally thought, that in after ages, they did worship him under the name of Serapis, and the symbol of an ox. But this he prevented as far as he could, by this removal of his bones. 3. He did it plainly to encourage the faith and expectation of his brethren and their posterity, as unto the certainty of their future deliverance; as also to take them off from all designing to fix or plant themselves in Egypt, seeing he who had all advantages above them for that end, would not have so much as his bones to abide in the land.

4. He might also have respect herein unto the kindness of his father, who gave him a peculiar lot of inheritance in the land of Canaan, wherein, out of a remembrance of his faith in God and love unto him, he would be buried.

However it be, it is most evident that this holy man lived and died in faith, being enabled thereby to prefer the promise of God above all earthly enjoyments. The frame of his spirit, now he was dying, is a sufficient indication of what it was in the whole course of his life. He is not solicitous about the disposal of his wealth and revenues, which, no doubt, were very great; but his mind is wholly on the promise, and thereby on the covenant with Abraham. It is highly probable that he had converted his wife Asenath, a woman of a princely family, from idolatry, unto the knowledge of God, and faith in him. Hereon, as it is likely, she also was contented that her children and posterity should fall from their parental honour and revenues, to take up their portion among the afflicted people of God. The mighty, working of his faith, shines out in all these things.

And if a voluntary relinquishment of all earthly enjoyments, by preferring the promises of God before and above them all, be no less glorious and acceptable in the sight of God, a no less eminent effect of faith, than patiently to undergo the loss of them by the power of persecuting enemies; then is this instance of the apostle eminently suited unto the argument which he hath in hand.

The plea of some of the Roman church from this place, for the preservation and veneration of relics, or the bones of saints departed, is weak unto the utmost contempt. For besides that this charge of Joseph concerning his bones and their disposal, was singular, such a fruit of faith as could have no place in any other person, nor ever can there be the like occasion in the world; all that was done in compliance with that charge, was but the carrying of them shut up in a coffin into the land of Canaan, and there decently burying of them. To take an example from hence of digging men's bones out of their graves, of enshrining and placing them on altars, of carrying them up and down in procession, of adoring them with all signs of religious veneration, applying them unto miraculous operations, in curing diseases, casting out of devils, and the like, is fond and ridiculous.

VER. 23.-IN searching the sacred records, for eminent examples of the power and efficacy of faith, the apostle is arrived unto that of Moses. And because this is the greatest instance next to that of

Abraham, he insists on sundry acts and fruits thereof. And indeed, if we consider aright his person and his circumstances, the work which he was called unto, the trials, difficulties, and temptations he had to conflict withal, the concernment of the glory of God and of the whole church in him, the illustrious representation of the redemption and deliverance of the church by Christ in what he did, with his success and victory over all opposition; we must acknowledge, that there cannot be a more excellent exemplification of the power of faith, than what was given in him. For this cause the apostle takes one step backward, to declare the faith of his parents in his preservation in his infancy, whereon his future life, and all that he was called to, did depend. For ofttimes when God designeth persons to a great work, he giveth some previous indication of it, in or about their nativity; not by a fictitious horoscope, or the position and aspect of planets, a thing common to all born at the same time unto the most different events; but by some peculiar work and divine warning of his own. So was it in the birth of Samson, of Samuel, John the Baptist, and others. And so was it in the birth and preservation of this Moses, as it is declared in this verse.

VER. 23.Πιστει Μωσης γεννηθεις εκρύβη τριμηνον ύπο των πατερων αύτου, διοτι είδον αστειον το παιδίον και ουκ εφοβήθησαν το διαταγμα του βασιλεως.

VER. 23.-By faith Moses when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

It is the faith of the parents of Moses that is here celebrated. But because it is mentioned principally to introduce the discourse of himself and his faith, and also that what is spoken belongs unto his honour, it is thus peculiarly expressed. He saith not, By faith the parents of Moses when he was born, hid him;' but, By faith Moses when he was born, was hid;' that is, by the faith of his parents who hid him.

This birth of Moses fell out in the very height and fury of the persecution. After that Pharaoh failed in his design of destroying the male children of the Hebrews by the midwives, he gave the execution of it in charge unto all the people, that is, the officers among them, who no doubt were sufficiently diligent and officious in the work committed unto them. About the very entrance of this new and effectual way of destroying the male children, when their rage was most fierce, no way abated by compassion, nor wearied by long continuance, nor weakened by any conviction of want of success, which use to abate the edge of persecution in the wise disposal of divine providence, Moses is born and preserved, who was to be the deliverer of the whole people out of all their misery.

How blind are poor sinful mortals, in all their contrivances against the church of God! When they think all things secure, and that they shall not fail of their end, that their counsels are laid so deep as not to be blown up, their power so uncontrollable, and the way wherein they are engaged so effectual, as that God himself can hardly deliver it out of

their hands; he that sits on high laughs them to scorn, and with an almighty facility lays in provision for the deliverance of his church, and for their utter ruin.

Josephus, giving an account of the nativity of Moses, tells us, that Amram his father had a revelation from God, or a divine oracle, that of him and his wife Jochebed he should proceed and be born, by whom the people should be delivered out of bondage; and that hereon, seeing the eminent beauty of this child when it was born, he and his wife used the utmost of their industry, with the venture of their lives, for his preservation. For they firmly believed that the divine oracle should be accomplished. And because it is said that they hid him by faith, some expositors do judge, that in their faith they had respect to some immediate divine revelation. But we shall see that they had a sufficient ground of faith for what they did, without any such immediate revelation, which is not necessary unto the exercise of faith on all occasions. And as for Josephus, it is manifest that in the account he gives of the life of Moses, before his flight out of Egypt, he records many things without sufficient warrant, and some of them inconsistent with the Scrip

ture.

There are five things to be considered in the exposition of the words: 1. Who they were whose faith is here commended:-the parents of Moses. 2. Wherein they acted and manifested their faith:-they hid him three months. 3. What was their motive hereunto:-they saw he was a proper child. 4. How they did this:-by faith. 5. What was the power of that faith enabling them unto this duty :-they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

First. The persons intended were the parents of Moses, vro Twv πατέρων αύτου. Πατερες, fathers, is sometimes used in the common gender for yovels, parents,' as it is here. In the story there is mention only of his mother, Exod. ii. 2. And that was, because the execution of the counsel or advice was committed unto her; wherein she used also the help of her daughter, as ver. 4. But it is plain in this place that his father was no less engaged in this work and duty than his mother. He was in the advice and counsel, as also in the hazard of what was done, no less than she. And this had an influence into the success. For,

Obs. I. Where there is an agreement between husband and wife in faith and fear of the Lord, it makes way unto a blessed success in all their duties when it is otherwise, nothing succeeds unto their comfort. And,

Obs. II. When difficult duties befal persons in that relation, it is their wisdom each to apply themselves unto that part and share of it which they are best suited for. So was it in this case; Amram, no doubt, was the principal in the advice and contrivance, as his wife was in its actual execution.

Secondly. They hid him three months. Ekpußn rounvov, he was hid by them three months.' Herein they acted and exercised their faith. And this they seem to have done two ways. 1. They concealed his birth as much as they were able, and did not let it be known that a male child was born in the family. 2. They kept him not in the usual place

where children were disposed of, but hid him in some secret part of the house. Here he abode three months: about the end of which time probably the report began to grow that there was a male child born there, which would have occasioned an immediate strict search and scrutiny, from which they could not have preserved him. And,

Obs. III. This is the height of persecution, when private houses are searched by bloody officers, to execute tyrannical laws-when the last and utmost retreat of innocence, for that protection which is due unto it by the law of God and nature, with the common rules of human society, cannot be a shelter against wicked rage and fury.

No doubt but during this season, their diligence was accompanied with fervent cries unto God, and the exercise of trust in him. The occasion was great on all hands, and they were not wanting unto any part of their duty. The outward act of hiding the child, was but an indication of the internal working of their faith.

Thirdly. That which was their motive and encouragement to the exercise of their faith in this way of hiding the child is, because they saw he was a proper child.' Atort, some render quia, or quoniam, some quum; because' they saw, or when,' or 'whereas' they saw. It doth not include the whole cause of what they did, as though this were the only reason or ground whereon they did it: but it respects that impression on their minds which the sight of the child gave unto them, exciting them unto that duty which they had other grounds and reasons for, as we shall see immediately. It is granted, therefore, that the sight of the child (whose countenance was twice instrumental in the saving of its life; first, by the smiles of its beauty, and then by its weeping, Exod. ii. 2, 6,) did greatly excite their natural affections, by which their minds were made the more ready to engage in the hazard which faith called them unto for his preservation.

Αστειον το παιδιον, ' they saw that he was a proper child.

Heb.

Tob, in the Hebrew, is applied to every thing that is on any account approvable and excellent in its kind. It is the word whereby God approved of all his works of creation, and declared their perfection, Gen. i. ult. And it is applied in particular unto 'beauty of countenance,' Gen. xxiv. 16. Rebekah was na, 'good of countenance. It is in this place rendered by the LXX. aoTaoç, that is, elegans, venustus, festivus, scitus, bellus, pulcher. We render it here proper,' a proper child;' whether properly or not, the use of our language and custom in speaking must determine. The word signifies 'comely, beautiful, goodly,' ayažos, kaλoç. Holy Stephen expresseth the force of the Hebrew word by aστεos тy Oεw, 'fair to God,' or 'in the sight of God,' Acts vii. 20, which we render, exceeding fair.' No doubt but an unusual natural elegancy, sweetness, and beauty of countenance is intended. And not only so, but I am persuaded, from that expression of Stephen, that there was Outov TI, an appearance of somewhat divine and supernatural, which drew the thoughts and minds of the parents unto a deep consideration of the child. They quickly thought it was not for nothing that God had given such a peculiarly gracious promising countenance unto the infant. This not only drew their affections, and engaged them, but moved their minds and judgments to endeavour all lawful ways for its preservation. And,