because it will surely come it will not tarry Hab. 2.3 Some tarrying therefore there will be yet short and small and therefore wee ought to expect it without wearinesse 38. Now the just shall live by faith The Authour proceeds in alleadging further words of the Prophet wherein is contained a new motive to constancy in faith on which our patience and sufferings of evils depends For from these words it appears what great fruit grows from an invincible faith that will not be beaten downe by any afflictions and on the contrary what great mischiefe followes upon a minde born down with afflictions and falling from the faith Now the fruit of faith is life even everlasting life For the just shall live by his faith i. He therefore shall live because he wholly trusteth upon God and relying upon his goodnesse power wisedome and promises do never let fall their courage what ever difficulties and impediments they meet withall in their obedience to Gods precepts hee is not dejected with any storme of evils hee is not wearied with any waiting for the stay of the promised reward and therefore hee perseveres in righteousnesse to his last end For faith in this place is considered as it is accompanied with patience constancie pietie and justice and as it is a living and a lively faith that is exercised and delighted in good workes For life is not promised to every man upon faith but to the just and righteous man and to this faith is opposed drawing backe in the words following But if any man draw backe To draw backe from God is nothing else but in despaire of his promises to cease from our duetie and to depart from the hard conflict of patience justice and pietie and in a word to acquit the Christian warfare and steale from the Armie of Christ My soul shall have no pleasure in him Thus the Septuagint have translated the Hebrew text of the soule of God and not of his soule who drawes back of whom the Hebrew text may be understood For in that it is his soul is not right in him If therefore according to the Hebrew text the words bee taken of his soule who drawes backe then the meaning is the soule of that man is not right in him his soule hath not a sincere and true love to vertue because his soule being weary of vertue and good workes takes thence an occasion to doubt of Gods promises And because such a soule is not right but perverse therefore it pleaseth not God Wherefore seeing the just who lives by his faith is opposed to the man that drawes backe and the just mans condition to this mans condition therefore the adversative particle but is by the Authour rightly applyed even to this latter clause but in the Prophet the clauses are transposed and this latter put in the former place vid. Hab. 2.4 39. But we are not of them who draw backe unto perdition Having declared the condition of the just man who is constant in his faith and of the man who drawes backe or wavers in his faith and pietie hee now shewes that not this latter but that former must be the condition of Christians whose state doth require from them that they be constant in the faith that by this meanes they may save their soules and not waver in faith to withdraw themselves from the conflicts of pietie and patience and so bring perdition to their soules For the Authour speakes not of what actually is done but what in justice ought to bee done and is agreeing to the calling and condition of a Christian The same sentence in a manner is contained in those words of the Apostle where describing the condition of Christians hee saith God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtaine salvation 1. Thes 5.9 Now the end of drawing backe is perdition or destruction as the issue of faith is the saving of the soule for perdition and salvation are opposed But of them that beleeve to the saving of the soule The soule in this place doth either signifie onely our life or our spirit which is the principall part of us and being preserved for us and restored unto us Our life remanes in safetie And we save our life or spirit when we are delivered from destruction unto such a life that can never be destroyed The Contents of this tenth Chapter are 1. Doctrine The legall Sacrifices could never perfect the worshippers of God Reason 1. Because the Law had but a shadow of perfect expiation and not the very image of it ver 1. 2. Because they were offered yeare by yeare continually for if they could have perfected the worshippers then they would have ceased to be offered ver 1. 2. 3. Because there was a new Remembrance guiltinesse and confession of sins every yeare v. 3. 4. Because the matter of them was the bloud of bulls and goats which cannot possibly take away sins ver 4. 2. Doctrine The Sacrifice of Christ is substituted in the roome of the Legall sacrifices ver 5. Reason 1. Because it was not the will and pleasure of God that the Legall sacrifices should be any longer of force v. 5. 8. 2. Because God had called Christ and fitted him a body for an expiatory sacrifice ver 5. 3. Because Christ most willingly accepted of Gods will and pleasure to performe it by making himselfe a sacrifice ver 7. 9. 4. Because we are really expiated and sanctified by the will of God through the offering of Christ ver 10. 3. Doctine The Sacrifice of Christ was singular one only once offered ver 10. Reason 1. Because he did not offer yeare by yeare as the Legall Priests did but once for ever ver 12. 2. Because after he had made his offering he sat downe at the right hand of God till his enemies were made his footstool ver 12. 13. 3. Because by one offering he perfectly expiated all that are sanctified 4. Because by virtue of the Covenant whereof he was the high Priest his one offering wrought a plenary remission of sins 4. Duty We must worship God with a true heart a full assurance of faith and a good conscience 22. Motive 1. Because we have now liberty to enter into heaven by a new and living way which Christ hath consecrated for us 19. 20. 2. Because wee have Christ a great high Priest over the house of God ver 21. 3. Because we are washed and sanctified with the Holy Ghost v. 22. 5. Duty We must be constant and stedfast in the profession of our faith without wavering ver 23. Motive 1. Because God who hath made us the promise is faithfull 6. Duty We must provoke one another to love and good works 24. Motive 1. Because we see the day of the Lord approaching 25. 7. Duty We must take heed of sinning wilfully after wee have received the truth ver 26. Motive 1. Because there is no other Sacrifice for sins besides that one offering of Christ once made 26. 2.
mentions their severall salutations to the Colossians chap. 4 The answere is It was not reason he should write any salutations from Timothy no more then from himselfe because hee had joyned Timothie with him as a Co-Authour of the whole Epistle which was more then a salutation This imprisonment then of Timothie is very probable though from this place it be not fully certaine For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated set at libertie doth properly signifie more generally for dismissed or dispatched or sent away and in this sence is frequently used in the new Testament And then it may signifie here that Timothy was now dismissed or dispatched there where formerly hee was detained about some businesse of the Ministry for certaine it is that Timothy by his especiall function was an Evangelist and therefore frequently employed by the Apostles who sent them upon messages about the Ministry unto remote Churches See this for Timothie Acts 17.14,15 and Acts 18.5 and Acts 19.22 and 1. Cor. 4.17 and Phil. 2.19 and 1. Thess 3.2 With whom if he come shortly I will see you He intimates unto them that hee expects the comming of Timothie to him very shortly yet withall that if hee come not in a short time then hee himself will come to them without him So that hereby he signifies his affection and love toward them with an earnest desire speedily to see them as impatient of his delay in expecting Timothie though he were very shortly to come 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints The name of Saints is here attributed to all Christians in generall As if he had said I desire you to salute from me not onely your Rulers as your Elders and Bishops but all the rest of the brethren even the whole Church All Christians must remember that they are Saints that is persons consecrated and hallowed unto God and therefore as the Apostle admonisheth must carry themselves as obedient children not fashioning themselves according to their former lusts in their ignorance but as he which hath called them is holy so must they be holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be yee holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.14,15,16 They of Italy salute you A Grecisme for the Italians or Christians of Italy for so the Greeks use to speake Whence it appeares that part of the clause which tradition hath added at the end of this Epistle is true That this Epistle was written to the Hebrewes from Italy For if the Author had written from any other place why should he insert a salutation from the Italians onely But the rest of that clause at the end of this Epistle is false That is was sent by Timothy For what could be more vaine then to write of him by whom he sent his Epistle Know ye that he is set at liberty And that in the very end of his Epistle as here he writeth of Timothy in the verse immediately preceding And besides in the very same verse he advertiseth them of Timothies comming to him and of his owne to them upon Timothies comming to him namely from that place where he was detained in prison and of his comming or returning from them as some say who would seeme to defend this postscript But there must needs be extant an argument to prove how different from the written word of God yea many times repugnant unto it are the written traditions of men and therefore much more mens traditions not written And the falsity of this subscription may justly make a man doubt of the verity of the inscription which carries the name of Paul traditionally also prefixed before it 25. Grace be with you all Amen Here the Author finisheth and closeth this Epistle with a devotion or holy wish Grace is the onely ground and meanes to that peace whereof he stiled God the Author before ver 20. And therefore also the onely ground of all happinesse for all happinesse comes meerly by grace Yet he expresseth not whose grace and favour he wisheth unto them as a thing sufficiently knowne among all Christians namely the grace of God our Father and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now the same grace of God our Father and of Jesus Christ our Lord be with all them that love verity and piety Amen The Contents of this 13. Chapter are 1. Duty We must be hospitable to entertains strangers ver 2. Motive Because some thereby have entertained Angels unawares eod 2. Duty We must be mercifull toward persons in adversity ver 3. Motive Because we our selves are also in the body and thereby also subject adversity eod 3. Duty Mariage must be maintained in the due honour of it ver 4. Motive Because God will judge whoremongers and adulterers and all that are defilers and disgracers of the mariage bed eod 4. Duty We must not be covetous v. 5. Motive 1. Because God hath promised he will never leave nor forsake us 2. Because we may boldly say The Lord is our helper and we will not feare what man shall do unto us 5. Duty Wee must not be inconstant to be carried about with diverse and strange doctrines v. 6. Motive 1. Because we must keepe our selves to our leaders who have taught us Gods word and must follow their faith and life v. 7. 2. Because the doctrine is alwayes the same as yesterday so to day and so for ever v. 8. 3. Because it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace ver 9. 6. Duty We must not eate of the sacrifices which our selves offer to God Motive 1. Because meates profit nothing to holinesse v. 9. 2. Because the sacrifices of the Christian altar are not edible v. 10. 3. Because the sin-offerings under the Law were not eaten but burnt without the camp v. 11. 4. Because Christ is our sin-offering who suffered without the gate to sanctifie us with his owne bloud 5. Because Christian sacrifices are onely spirituall for either they are the fruit of our lips as praise and thanksgiving ver 15. or the fruit of our hands to do good and communicate v. 16. 7. Duty We must be patient to suffer any misery in this life v. 13. Motive 1. Because Christ our high Priest who sanctified us with his own bloud suffered reproach banishment and death for he suffered without the gate v. 12. 2. Because here we have no continuing city v. 14. 8. Duty We must offer all our Christian sacrifices by Christ v. 15. Motive Because Christ is our high Priest who sanctified us ver 12. 9. Duty We must be beneficiall to do good and to communicate ver 16. Motive Because beneficence is a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased 10. Duty We must obey our spirituall rulers and submit to them v. 17. Motive Because they watch for our soules and must give account of their watching eod 2. Because our unrulinesse will be grievous to them and pernicious to us eod FINIS
punishment and other evils eminent and Reverence is this fear redoubled or graduated as wee have said The manner therefore how to make our worship and service of God acceptable and pleasing unto him is by seasoning our souls with these two affections of Modesty and Reverence which are the true and firme foundations whereupon are framed those holy gestures of standing up bowing downe and kneeling downe to him which are the proper acts whereof Gods outward worship doth consist as we have formerly specified For if the use of reverend gestures be decent and due to any person upon earth much more is the use of them decent and due to the most high God of heaven Seeing of all other persons in the world we should most fear to displease God by any appearance of indecency in the least circumstance and seeing God above all others hath all power to benefit us and all right to punish us In which consideration the Author immediatly subjoynes 29. For our God is a consuming fire Here he adjoyns the reason why we must worship and serve God in this acceptable manner with modesty and reverence namely because God is a consuming fire God is a fire of anger So God is called by reason of his anger and wrath wherewith he is so provoked by finne that hee growes hot and burnes against it and as often as hee burnes with wrath he consumes and destroyes ungodly men as suddenly and as fiercely as doth a most vehement fire And it seems that Moses from whom the Authour tooke these words tooke occasion to call God by this name Deut. 4.24 because that God descended downe upon Mount Sinai in a great flame of fire the smoke whereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace Exod. 19.18 and because God spake out of the middest of the fire that they who heard his voyce saw no other similitude of him Deut. 4.11 and because a fire proceeding from God burnt up some who in his worship and service carried not themselves toward him with that modesty and reverence that was acceptable unto him So he burnt up the two Priests the sons of Aaron who durst burne incense unto him with strange fire that was not sacred and fallen from heaven Levit. 10.2 So hee burnt up those two hundred and fifty men who being not Priests durst approach to offer and burne incense unto him Numb 16.35,39 Hence also it is that God appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 And in the Psalmes of David God is sometime introduced with a fire going before him and burning up his enemies round about Psal 97.3 And in that vision of Daniel the Ancient of dayes did sit whose throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels like burning fire and a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Dan. 7.9,10 Yet we must not think that God doth burne with perpetuall flames of anger For God is rather charity as Saint John doth testifie And of love Therefore God is alwayes a fire of love and charity towards men especially Christians unlesse it be when mens sinnes doe quench this fire of love and charity in him and kindle that other fire of anger and wrath Seeing then our God is a fire to consume those who dare presume to worship or serve him immodestly or irreverently or in any manner not acceptable unto him it therefore concernes us to bee carefull that in all our approaches to his worship or service we carry our selves with all modesty and reverence lest our God bee also unto us as a consuming fire The Contents of this 12. Chapter are 1. Duty We must be constant in professing the faith and patient in bearing the the crosses of it ver 1. Motive 1. Because wee have a cloud of witnesses who eye us in our course of faith and piety ver 1. 2. Because we have Christ for an example and paterne who did endure the crosse and the contradiction of sinners and despised the shame of it for the glory set before him v. 2. 3. 3. Because the crosse is but Gods chastisement upon us which argues his fatherly love to us as his children ver 5 6 7. for chastisement is universall whereof all are partakers except bastards ver 8. Wee take it patiently from our carnall fathers v. 9. Jt lasteth but a few dayes ver 10. and it smarts but only for the present v. 11. 2. Duty We must follow peace and holinesse v. 14. Motive Because without them no man shall see the Lord ibid. 3. Duty We must be diligent to keep one another from falling away Motive Because Apostacy is a bitter root that will both trouble and defile many v. 15. 4. Duty We must take heed of profanesse v. 16. Motive 1. Because Esau who first despised his birth-right afterward lost his blessing finally and could not recover it though hee sought it with teares v. 16 17. 2. Because the Church whereto we come is not an earthly mount where a God on earth speakes all in terrour as it was with the Israelites v. 18 19 20 21. But an heavenly mount whereof the assembly is God in heaven and Christ the Mediator thousands of Angels the first-borne of the Church and the spirits of the Righteous v. 22 23 24. 3. Because the Doctrine we are to hear was not spoken on earth as was the law but from heaven v. 25. 4. Because the time shall once come under the Gospel wherein God shall bee more terrible then ever he was at Mount Sinai for hee shall shake both heaven and earth to pieces even to abolsh them v. 26.27 5. Because we receive from God an infinite benefit even a Kingdome that is immutable and inconcussible v. 28. 6. Because God is a fire to consume the profane v. ult CHAPTER XIII 1. LEt brotherly love continue In the former Chapter hee exhorted them to severall duties concerning God as to constancy in the Faith and patience under the Crosse and to Holinesse and also disswading from the maine contrary vices of Apostacy and profanenes Now in this Chapter hee proceeds to humane duties in certaine mutuall good offices of men one toward another beginning with brotherly love which is our first and chiefest degree of Charitie towards men particularly such men as are our brethren They are eminently called our brethren who have one common spirituall father with us and are begotten into Christ from our heavenly Father by that incorruptible seed which is the word of the Gospel For if the faithfull who are sanctified are all brethren unto Christ who doth sanctifie them as was shewed before chap. 2.11 with much more reason are they brethren one to another because their mutuall resemblances between themselves are much more manifold And this brotherly love consisteth in the inward affect of it and in divers outward effects of doing good for faith and love also are both dead if they be ineffectuall This love must continue and remaine
saying your conversation is without covetousnesse but imperative Let your conversation be so Lastly because the contents of this Chapter seeme not to be matter of Doctrine but of Exhortation whose Mood is imperative moving us as we have said to severall duties and good offices If then wee understand these words Indicatively by supplying them with the verbe is Then the sence will be That mariage is in all or among men of all sorts and ranks a thing honest and by it onely the bed is undefiled so that a man may live in mariage with the safety of piety and honesty contrary to what is done in fornication and adultery But if we understand them imperatively or preceptively by supplying them with the verbe let be Let mariage be honourable Then the sence will be Let mariage bee preserved in it due honour and let the meanes to preserve it so be by keeping the bed undefiled from adulteries for nothing is more dishonourable to a maried person then to have his bed stained and defiled by the uncleannesse of another which is done in every adultery for the nature of adultery is here modestly defined to be the defiling of anothers bed The words in all may be referred either to things or persons If wee referre them to things the sence will be that mariage be in every thing observed honestly and chastly and that the bed be not polluted with any uncleane or strange lust But if wee referre in all to persons the sence will be that mariage must be had in honour and esteeme among all persons of all sexes that no person should so despise it as to presume or dare to invade anothers bed whether he be a single person or maried For all persons ought to have such an opinion of mariage as to esteeme it a thing sacred and not to be polluted for he that doth otherwise and transgresseth the Laws of mariage by defiling his bed and body with a stranger incurres a heavy penalty which God himselfe will one day execute upon him But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Here he brings a Motive or Reason whereby hee would perswade us to the former dutie of honouring mariage by our honesty and chastity namely because God will shew a judgement upon whoremongers and adulteres who are the maine transgressours against mariage to violate and dishonour it for to the honesty of mariage and the chastitie of the bed he opposeth whoredome and adulterie as a bed polluted and defiled For mariage is dishonoured and disgraced two wayes chiefly first by whoremongers who despise it and will not marry and secondly by adulterers who violate and affront mariage And the judgement which God hath already denounced and will certainly execute upon whormongers and adulterers is that they shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven See Gal. 5. verse 19.20.21 and Ephes 5.5 And the Author makes God the Judge to condemne and punish these whoremongers and adulterers to the end they might thinke and consider that though they commit their wickednesses secretly and many times escape the eyes and judgements of men yet they shall not evade the avenging hand of God and in vaine they deale warily if they live not chastly For God doth severely persecute uncleannes especially in them whom he hath seasoned with the knowledge of Christ sequestred from profane and worldly men and accepted as persons sacred to himselfe If therefore men would avoide this judgement of God in the losse of eternall life let them avoid the defiling sins of whoredome and adulterie Of single life Concerning celibate or single life here is nothing ordained because although a chaste celibate be purer and holier then mariage yet the necessitie of it is not commanded or imposed upon any man by the sacred Scripture But Christ doth only perswade it yet onely to them who can containe themselves Mat. 19.11,12 and Paul more amply and openly 1. Cor. 7. ver 8 26. and thence to the end of the chapter Here therefore we must walke in a middle way And as mariage must not be detruded into the number of fornications and uncleannesses as some anciently did who esteemed mariage nothing else but a kind of licenced whoredom so again on the other side it must not be equalled to a chaste celibate which the Scripture clearly prefers before mariage as containing more puritie and holinesse in it But as wee said it must be exacted from no man lest while we affect extream puritie either we our selves fall into mischiefes and uncleannesses or precipitate others into them who aspire either to the glory of celibate or to other vertues and offices inclosed with the necessitie of celibate Whatsoever is honourable honest and undefiled as the Authour here testifies of maririage that must bee granted free to any man especially if there arise a weightie cause as in this case there may to cut off all occasions of whoredomes adulteries and other defilements And they who debarre from mariage those which burne as the Apostle speakes doe all one as if a man who cannot hinder the disease doth yet forbid to use the remedy for what else can follow upon this but a soarer sicknesse For mariage is the remedie for burning and lust which when it is denyed to them that burne the issue will be that at length they fall into a farre worse disease and runne into uncleane and unlawfull pleasures Besides it detracts much from the dignity of celibate if it cease to be voluntary and be forced by law and arise not from free-will But to returne to the words of the Authour Whoredome is betweene those parties that are both free from the bond of mariage but adulterie is between parties whereof either both or one of them at least is married Anciently under the old Testament when husbands might have more wives then one it was not adultery for a married man to lie with a single woman unmarried but onely whoredome But under the new Testament where this licenciousnes of husbands is limited by the law of Christ and restrained to the company of one wife onely adultery is committed as well on the husbands part as on the wives as may easily appeare by the words of Christ Matth. 19.9 where he saith Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery Which certainely is not because of the mariage-bond for that of it selfe is rather to avoid uncleanesse then increase it but absolutely and simply because having a wife before hee presumes to lie with another woman when by Law the former woman ceaseth not to bee his wife because his divorce was illegall and a nullitie 5. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse The fifth dutie whereto he exhorts is Contentednesse by avoiding the vice of covetousnesse which here the Author disswades next after uncleannesse in the former verse For these two vices of uncleannes and covetousnes love to goe together or one to follow close upon another for