compass God's Altar was to draw nigh to God and to worship him to wash his hands in innocency was to cleanse his Heart and Body from sin before he did approach unto that God who requires holiness in all them that draw nigh unto him for they must be holy as he is holy This seems to be the reason why in our Liturgy the Confession of Sin was premised and began the Worship of God § 20. The second duty exhorted unto follows in these words Ver. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised THe first Exhortation is to the exercise of Divine and religious Worship upon which both our perseverance and eternal happiness depend and if the parties drawing nigh be prepared and the Worship duly performed there will be greater hope of Salvation In these words we are exhorted to perseverance in the profession of our Christian Faith and Hope which is necessary to the attainment and actuall enjoyment of the great Reward In the words two things are observable 1. The Duty Perseverance 2. The reason why the Duty should be performed This is the principal Duty and both the former and the two latter are means and helps which will enable us to perform it In the Duty we may take notice 1. Of Faith 2. Of the Confession of Faith 3. The holding of this Confession without wavering 1. We must have Faith that divine and fundamental vertue in our hearts Most Copies make no mention of Faith but of Hope and so do most of the Translations so that we may wonder what Copy our Translatours followed Yet this doth not vary the sense For where there is Hope there must be Faith and where there is true Faith there is certainly Hope for Faith is the ground of Hope and Hope depends upon Faith and these two are inseparable Besides Faith as a confidence hath great affinity with Hope and though they may be distinguished so as that confidence may look at the party promising and Hope at the thing promised yet both are taken often for the same I need not here inform you of the Nature of Hope for that I have done already Chap. 3. ver 6. 6. 11. Both Faith and Hope with Charity are by the School-men called Theological vertues 2. If there be Hope there must be a Confession of it Hope is inward and invisible as Faith is and must be manifested to others by our Confession This Confession may be made by Works or Words When our Works are holy and just and agreeable to our Faith we thereby signify that we believe in Christ and expect eternal Glory by him When in Words we signify to men that we believe that God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead and testify our Hope of the Resurrection unto everlasting Life then we confess both our Faith and Hope This Confession is solemnly made in Baptism and also in the Eucharist and by our Communion with God's People in our publick Assemblies This Confession is necessary without it such as are at Age are not capable of Baptism neither can they without it be justly admitted to the Lord's Supper To deny Christ before men as Peter did is contrary to this Confession and a grievous Sin For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 10. So that as without Faith there is no Righteousness so without Confession there is no Salvation 3. A man may confess his Hope for a time yet as his mind may alter so his Confession may waver therefore the Duty is to hold fast this Confession without wavering The more sincere Faith and Hope shall be and the more deeply they shall be rooted in the heart the more likely they are to persevere yet perseverance doth chiefly depend upon God's support and assistance For if temptation be violent and he desert us but for a little time we shall be in danger to waver if not to fall yet this divine assistance cannot be expected but in the diligent use of the means therefore saith the Apostle Let us hold fast And this will be the more easy in time of Peace when we shall meet with no Opposition But when the subtle Arguments of Seducers shall begin to delude the Understanding and the fear of cruel Persecution of bloody Enemies on the one hand and the desire of temporal Life Peace Happiness on the other hand shall work upon the Will then it will be a difficult thing to hold fast and not be shaken § 21. The Reason to perswade stir up and encourage is God's Promise and Fidelity For 1. We have a Promise 2. It 's God's Promise 3. God promising is faithful 1. We have a Promise We are secure when one that is able hath passed his word and by Promise bound himself unto us then we make sure thus far of the thing promised The thing which we desire and which is promised unto us is not onely the Reward of eternal Glory which is the Object of our Hope but power and ability with assistance to do all things necessary for the attainment thereof for in the Gospel not only the Reward but Power to perform our Duty are promised Therefore Paul prayes that the Ephesians may be enlightned that they may more fully know not only the excellency of the Reward of Glory but also the exceeding greatness of that Power which must not only strengthen but support and assist them in the seeking of the full possession and enjoyment Eph. 1. 16 17 18 19. 2. This Promise is not the Promise of any Man or Angel but of God this is more than if all the best men and all the holy Angels had bound themselvs unto us and given us all security which possibly they could The Reason hereof is that his Power is absolute and almighty and nothing can resist or hinder it if once it begin to work The Power of Men and Angels is great yet nothing unto this Besides God's Mercy is like his Power and as he is able so he is willing to do what he hath promised and he hath signified his Will and Purpose through Faith by his Power to preserve us unto Salvation 3. Yet one may be able and for a time willing and yet upon several Reasons and Motives change his mind for the Mind and Will of Man or Angel is not absolutely immutable and so though perhaps they will not yet it 's possible they may fail us But God will not God cannot for God who hath promised is faithful For as he cannot forget or be hindred by any contrary Power so he cannot change his Will If he say the word it must be done if he pass his Promise he will perform This faithfulness presupposeth his Power and his Promise and it 's the immutability of his Will for as he is unchangeable in his Being so he is in his Promise For the strength in Israel will not lye nor repent
habitation is here meant For only they who persevere unto the end shall be his House in this manner Though it may be said That we are his House now and shall be his House for ever in a more glorious manner if we persevere unto the end This is the meaning of the words The force of the argument from them thus understood is evident and very great For if this blessed and glorious estate of being Christ's House will certainly follow upon the final perseverance in sincere Christianity how much will it move and work upon such as believe and certainly hope that upon this duty performed so incomparable a Reward will follow And how careful will they be in case of all means which conduce to this perseverance For the greater good believed to follow upon any performance the greater and more powerful the motive is This is the second Reason § 11. The third follows and that is from the penalty that will follow upon non-perseverance and Apostacy This reason is annexed to a dehortation from hardening of the heart and apostacy which is unbelief yet this dehortation presupposeth the principal exhortation to Faith and continuance therein to the end and therefore because it is a reason of the dehortation from the contrary sin it must needs be a reason of the exhortation to the duty opposed to that sin It 's taken out of Psal. 95. from ver 8. unto the end And though it seem to be directed unto the People of those wherein the Psalm was composed yet it directly points at the Gospel and the dayes of the same In that part of the Psalm we may observe 1. The dehortation 2. The reason why they should take heed of the sin dehorted from The reason is from an example of the like Sin punished in their fore-fathers The Sin in one word was Unbelief expressed and declared by the effects thereof which were tempting of God and so offending him because they erred in their hearts and did not know or take notice of his wayes The punishment was exclusion out of Canaa◠their rest intended by God Which punishment was 1. Absolutely denounced by way of a final and peremptory sentence passed with an Oath 2. Executed by overthrowing their Carkasses in the Wildernesse The sum of all this was to let them know That if they sinned as their Fathers did they should certainly suffer the like punishment The conclusion inferred hence is That they must have a special care to persevere in the Faith and take heed of Apostacy This may suffice to be observed upon the words of the Psalmist § 12. The next thing is the Application of these words of the Psalmist unto the present Hebrews to whom he writes Wherein he 1. Presseth the Duty upon them according to the words of the Psalm 2. That his counsel might be more forcible and the Duty more diligently and carefully performed he useth two reasons The first from the benefit which will follow 2. From the punishment they must suffer if they fall away 1. The duty is the same which was formerly urged and that is perseverance and constancy in their Christian Profession which is opposed to unbelief and apostacy which is a departing from the living God which in the Psalmist is the hardning of the heart For that passage of the Psalmist presupposeth a Day and Time of God's speaking to mortal man and exhorteth man in that Day to hear and obey constantly till the Day of God's Voice be ended and dehorteth from hardness of heart Disobedience and Apostacy In this place the Apostle making the same application to the Children and Posterity which David did to their Fathers living in his time declareth the Duty 1. Negatively or rather apotreptic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of dehortation 2. Affirmatively by way of exhortation to that which will be a means of continuance and perseverance The dehortation is Ver. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God Where we must consider 1. The evil dehorted from 2. The dehortation it self The evil is an evil of Sin not of punishment where we have the root of it in the primary subject an evil heart of Unbelief the fruit and effect departing from the living God The heart is the primary and proper subject and also the cause of sin yet the heart as the heart is not the cause of actual sin but as an evil heart and here an evil heart of Unbelief Unbelief may in this place signify perfidiousnesse when the heart inclines to deny and forsake that Truth which was formerly professed and to violate that promise of Obedience made to God at the first entrance into Christianity and so actual unbelief is a breach of Covenant This unbelieving heart is an evil that is a disobedient impious perverted heart This is the basest temper and most malignant quality of the Soul whereby it 's most contrary to the most just and holy Law of God and the conditions of the Covenant of Grace That it is so is evident from the act or effect thereof which is to depart from the living God This departing from God is actual and formal apostacy which is so directly contrary to Perseverance This is signified by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Orginal which is to renounce something formerly received and acknowledged It 's like to a rebellion revolt and renouncing of a lawful Soveraign formerly acknowledged by allegiance and fidelity promised These Hebrews had received the Gospel acknowledged Christ their Saviour made a Covenant with the living God to whom they submitted themselves as their Soveraign Lord Redeemer by Christ. In their Baptism they had solemnly professed their Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and promised obedience To deny this profession or this Faith professed to break this promise to forsake their Christianity turn Jews or Heathens especially after that by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost that were so strongly convinced of the Truth must needs be an hainous sin issuing from an evil and malignant heart indeed There is an hardning of the heart against the light and motives of the Gospel when Christ is first tendered and not yet received There is an hardning of the heart against the Truth once received this latter not the former is Apostacy and the Sin here meant both hainous both forbidden by God both tending to eternal Death yet this more then the other And here it 's to be noted that positive unbelief blindness and hardness of heart are often taken for the same The Duty therefore is to take heed lest there be such an heart in any of them Where it 's implyed 1. That every one was in danger 2. That this sin began in the heart 3. Therefore all and every one must be very wary careful diligent to avoid the same and all the causes thereof For if they were not well-grounded in the principles of Christianity they
Power of God piercing the Understanding enables it to understand and know and believe such things which otherwise could not be understood known and believed Yet this Assent may be moral and probable or divine here is meant a divine Assent which without the Power of the Spirit cannot be in â—he heart of Man Thus by Faith and not by Reason we understand how the World was made that it was not eternal that the Wisdom and Power of God was wonderfully manifested in that glorious Work § 6. These things premised the Apostle enters upon his Argument from Examples which are set forth according to the order of time 1. By a particular Enumeration 2. By Accumulation He might have instanced in far more but these were the most eminent and for number sufficient for his purpose He begins with Abel who Ver. 4. By Faith offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Kain by which he obtained Witness that he was righteous God testifying of his Gifts And by it he being dead yet speaketh YOU must here observe that one thing wherein all these Saints und Worthies do agree was Faith 2. That this Faith is the principal thing to be noted in them all 3. His End is by a kind of Induction to prove the excellency and necessity of Faith 4. That according to the History of the Old Testament which he makes his Rule Abel is the first most eminent Person in whom he thought good to instance For as Stephen was though not the first Sufferer yet the Proto-Martyr of the New Testament so Abel was the Proto-Martyr of the Old and was the first Man who after the Creation and the Fall suffered death and sealed the Truth of God with his Blood And though his Father Adam and his Mother Eve had Faith yet the Scriptures do not relate unto us any special and eminent Work of their Faith so that there was no Example of eminency in Faith before him For seeing by Faith we believe the Creation of the World and the Fall of the first Man who was his Father by whom Sin came into the World there could not be any before him so near the beginning of the World so fit for Example Of this Abel two things are related 1. His Vertue 2. His Reward His Vertue in general was Faith manifesting it self in his excellent Sacrifice His Reward God's Testimony of him and his perpetual Fame The words may be reduced to three Propositions 1. That Abel by Faith offered a more excellent Sacrifice than â—ain 2. By this he obtained Witness that he was righteous God testifying of his Gifts 3. By this he being dead yet speaketh or is spoken of In the first Divine Axiom we may observe 1. That he offered Sacrifice to God 2. This Sacrifice was more excellent than that of Kain 3. That he offered this so excellent a Sacrifice by Faith 1. To offer Sacrifice was a religious Worship and may be considered as Moral Positive * Ceremonial As offered unto God in acknowledgment of his Supream Dominion it 's Moral so is the Gift and Offering of some part of our Goods for pious Uses and Maintenance of his Worship As it was a part of God's outward Worship depending only upon Divine Institution it was Positive As this Sacrifice signified a far greater Sacrifice to come it was Ceremonial For after Man had sinned besides the Confession and Amendment of the Sinner Satisfaction to God's Justice by a Sacrifice was required That this was Typically an explatory Sacrifice for Sin seems to be implied by the thing sacrificed which was of the Flock which must be slain and the Blood shed as though for compensation Life was given for Life and Blood for Blood so that this was a Shadow of Christ's Death and Offering This Sacrifice was offered unto the true and living God and not unto Idols and this according to the first Commandment For no Worship or Service Religious is due to any but to God who alone is Supream Lord and to whom alone the highest degree of honour is to be given Yet all these bloody Sacrifices began to be out of date upon the Death and Resurrection of Christ and now only the spiritual Sacrifices of an humble broken Spirit of Praise of Prayer of Thanksgiving and such like continue in force 2. This Sacrifice was more excellent than that of Kain This Kain was his Elder Brother He offered and Abel offered too They both offered unto the same eternal and universal Lord. The marter of his Offering was according to his outward Profession and Imployment of the fruits of the Earth and besides the difference in the matter there was a great Inequality For Abel's compared to his was far more excellent and acceptable Here we might take occasion to consider 1. Adam's care in the Education of his Children to fit them not only for the matters of this Life but for Religion and the World to come 2. That two Persons may worship God with the same kind of Worship and yet differ very much in the manner of their Service 3. This more excellent Sacrifice was offered by Faith and this Faith did make it so excellent For it was not the matter offered but the Qualification of the Person and his manner of Offering that gave the worth unto the Sacrifice and made it more precious Kain offers without Faith sincere and lively his Offering is base Abel offers with Faith his Offering is excellent and of great value This Faith is the Soul of all Religious Worship and here the principal thing to be observed is that Faith was the Principle which did animate and honour this piece of Service § 7. The Reward follows and it is a good Report 1. In his life-time 2. After death 1. In his life-time For 1. It was testified of him that he was righteous 2. This was done by God testifying of his Gifts 1. He was righteous for so our Saviour terms him speaking of the Blood of righteous Abel Mat. 23. 35. He was righteous not without all Sin for such no Man after the Fall ever was yet he was without Wickedness He was upright and his Faith was sincere and his Worship of God and his Obedience were without Hypocrisy He was justified and sanctified and continued in the State of Justification and Sanctification and in such a manner as that he may be said to be eminently righteous This Righteousness was not by Nature but Grace not by his deserts but by the merit of Christ and the mercy of God As he was righteous so he was manifested to be so and it was testified to his comfort and honour 2. It was God who testified of his Righteousness by testifying of his Gifts His Gifts were his Sacrifices offered to God these God did accept and some wayes signified his acceptation both of the Person and his Offering In Gen. 4. 45. we read thus And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his Offering But unto Cain and his Offering he had
were Canaanites so that they were but Heirs in Reversion This seemed good to divine Wisdom 1. Because the Sins of that People were not tipe 2. Abraham's Posterity was not yet sufficiently numerous to take Possession of that Land and to husband it Abraham with Isaac and Jacob though Heirs of this Land did but sojourn in it as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles This is the second Proposition wherein we have 1. The Place or Country 2. Their Pilgrimage in it 1. The Place or Country was a certain Land It was not their native Soil but it was to them a strange Country it was the Land of Promise that is that Land which God had promised them and whereof by vertue of this Promise they were Heirs and it was an excellent Land far too good for that wicked People which did inhabit and possess it It 's said to be a pleasant Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey 2. Their Pilgrimage in this Land is signified 1. In this that the place was to them a strange Country in opposition to their native Soil which was ur of the Chaldees beyond the River Euphrates out of which God had called Abraham 2. In that they had no fixed habitation in that strange place but dwelt in Tabernacles or Yents which were removable 3. In that they did but sojourn in this Land though they were Heirs of it So that they were not Cives either natural or naturalized and incorporated into any State neither were they Incolae because they had no fixed habitation in Canaan They were only Peregrini Pilgrims and as such they could have no Priviledges as other free Persons had Neither did they purchase any hereditary Estates except a burying place not did they build any House Town or City They had indeed some Confederates and abode in some places longer than in others Stephen tells us that God gave Abraham no Inheritance in that Land no not so much as to ser his foot on Act. 7. 5. This was so ordered by divine special Providence to teach them that though they were in the World yet they were not of the World and that they should remember that as they were born from Heaven so their native and hereditary Country was Heaven For when we once return unto our God we renounce the World and account our selvs but Strangers in it But of this more hereafter The next thing is their Faith for by Faith they thus sojourned and were content to be Pilgrims in a strange Land In this Peregrination of theirs we have an Act of their Faith whereby they understood and did affuredly believe that they had no abiding City on Earth and that they were of no Association in this World For they believed the Word of God which informed them that as there was no rest so there was no content in this World It was but a strange place where they must stay a little while pass thorow it to a better Country and that all Inhabitants thereof not born from Heaven were Strangers to them with whom they must have no spiritual Society This by Faith they did believe and out of this Belief did wean their hearts from this World as from a place of vanity misery and discomfort There was another Act of Faith whereby they did rely upon God's Promise and the Effect of this was a patient waiting for the Possession of the inheritance § 13. The second thing in the Text is their expectation of a better Country The words inform us 1. Of a City 2. Of their expectation of it by Faith 1. The City is described from the stability and the Builder thereof A City is sometimes taken for a place of habitation consisting in the vicinity of many Houses For multitude and vicinity of Buildings do commonly make a City in this sense Sometimes it 's taken for a Political Society and Community which if it be reduced under one Supream governing Power is called a Common-wealth Sometimes it 's taken for the condition and estate of these Societies In this place the word City must be taken spiritually for such a kind of Habitation Society and Estate for all these may be here meant as is not found in this World for it signifies the Habitation of Heaven the Society of Saints and Angels and the perfect peace and eternal happiness of this Society in that place Therefore is it said 1. To have Foundations which is the stability thereof and to signify the Excellency thereof 2. It 's said that God is the Builder and Maker of it 1. It hath Foundations for nothing can be firm which is not firmly fixed upon an immoveable Ground To signify the firmness and eternal stability of this City it 's said to have Foundations that is a most firm and immovable Foundation This doth difference it from Tabernacles and Tents and also from all other Buildings Habitations Societies States Kingdoms and their Prosperity For they are infirm movable obnoxious to change decay and ruine Experience doth sufficiently prove this by the ruine of so many Castles Palaces Cities Societies States and Kingdoms which have flourished in great Splendor Power and Strength yet now lye in the Dust and do not appear This City is no such thing but the place of abode the persons and their felicity endure for ever 2. The Builder and Maker is God All other Cities Societies and their Condition is from men but in this Man hath no hand at all for God is Artifex Opifex he contrived it he made it according to the Model contrived by himself These words are added to inform us 1. That it was so far above the Art and Power of Man that only God could make it He was not only the principal but the sole Efficient of it 2. That it was most excellent and far above all other Cities of the World for firmness duration beauty and felicity for the peace pleasures and felicity of it are full and everlasting 2. The next thing is Abraham's expectation of this City by Faith This looking for or expectation includes many things as 1. He had a Title to it by vertue of Gods Promise and his Qualification and this was not a meer Title but something more For theâ—e was a time limited in the grant of the full enjoyment and he had received the first-fruits of Glory 2. He desired and longed after the enjoyment of this City far more than for any thing in this World 3. These desires were very effectual and working upon his Soul and stirred him to seek this City and constantly to use all means appointed by God for to attain it and the whole course of his life was a continued Motion and an Approach towards this eternal Rest and glorious Estate 4. The actual Possession of this blessed Estate was deferred yet he with Patience did wait for it and made no doubt but to 〈◊〉 that which he so much desired And here it 's to be observed 1. That no man can
enlarge but also polish his Discourse and excellently set forth their Faith and the forenamed Effects thereof The whole is an excellent Testimony of the three eminent Patriarchs and therein we have 1. The Duty they performed 2. God's owning them and expressing his dear Affection towards them The first of these is continued from the beginning of Ver. 13. to the latter end of the 16th in the last words whereof we have the second thing here observed Their Duty and the Performance thereof may be reduced to certain Propositions 1. These all not receiving the Promises dyed in the Faith Of which two parts 1. Their not receiving the Promises 2. Their dying in the Faith though they received them not 1. They received not the Promises Where by Promises understand the things promised For otherwise it cannot be true because it 's certain that Promises were made unto them they knew them and received them by Faith But the things promised were neither given nor received till long after and these are reduced to four heads which be these 1. A numerous Posterity 2. The Land of Canaan 3. The Incarnation and Exhibition of Christ. 4. The Resurrection to eternal Glory The parties here meant are Abraham Isaac and Jacob not any named before nor any mentioned after these Three for they were the Persons who came from beyond the River Euphrates who sojourned in the Land of Canaan who dwelt in Tabernacles Of these it 's said that they received not the things promised For neither was their Posterity made as yet so numerous nor had they any hereditary Possession of the Land of Canaan nor did they see Christ in the Flesh or hear the Gospel for that followed about 2000 years after the Promises were first made nor did they attain the Resurrection and Immortality 2. Yet they dyed even all of them in the Faith Which words signify 1. They did believe 2. Continued firm in the Faith unto the end though they received not the Promises The meaning is they not only lived but dyed Believers delay and non-enjoyment did not break their hearts neither could Death it self when they might perhaps be put to the greatest Conflict separate their Souls and their Faith though it separated their Souls and their Bodies For this divine vertue was deeply rooted and fastned in them and was immortal as their better part was and followed the Soul into another World Death might bereave them of their Friends and their temporal Estates and all their earthly Comforts but of Faith it could not And it 's to be noted that not only one but all of them dyed in the Faith These were rare Patterns of Perseverance in this rare and incomparable vertue of Faith The second Proposition is That seeing them afar off they were perswaded of them and embraced them This should not have been a distinct Proposition for it's part of the former and added to those words not receiving the Promises And it 's somewhat observable that the word perswaded is wanting in several Manuscripts They received them not but 1. Saw them afar off For they were distant and to come and not to be accomplished or enjoyed in their dayes and some of them were more distant from their times than others some were nearer The principal which were the Exhibition of Christ and the universal Resurrection stood at the most remote distance of time from them Yet these they saw for divine Revelation as a celestial Light did represent them unto them the Promise did signify they had a Right unto them and part in them And as by this divine Light they were manifested unto them so by the Eye of Faith which is the spiritual visive Faculty of the Soul they saw them as they were represented that is at a distance For Faith can see beyond and above the World and hath some glimmering or imperfect sight of Eternity 2. They were perswaded of them and assured that in God's good time which was the sittest they should be fulfilled The Revelation and Promise was a sure Ground of this Perswasion and the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen 3. They embraced them the word signifies to salute to draw near to rejoyce to embrace for in saluting dearest friends we draw near unto them embrace them rejoyce to seethem Some think the word here is Metaphorical and the Expression taken from such as after a long and tedious Voyage at Sea come within ken of Land and discover their own dearest Country where they expect to abide and rest For so soon as they discover and have sight of their own dear native Soil they wonderfully rejoice and begin with joyful Acclamations to say Land Land Land Haven Haven Haven now Rest and Safety are near So it 's certain that these Saints and heavenly Worthies drawing near their end beheld these excellent Blessings and especially their Saviour and their heavenly Country and being sure of the futurition and enjoyment of them rejoyced with exceeding great Joy Our Saviour saith thus Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8. 56. When Abraham lived the day of Christ's Incarnation and the blessed Redemption of sinful Man was to come and afar off Yet Abraham by Faith saw that day and seeing it though not near or so clearly he was glad and rejoyced wonderfully And now our Faith and Hope of eternal Glory though afar off is a Cause of unspeakable Joy The third Proposition They confessing themselvs Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth declared plainly that they sought a Country Here we may consider 1. What they did express 2. What they did imply 1. The thing expressed is That they were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth For 1. They were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth 2. They did openly confess this 1. They were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth That they did so journ in the Land of promise as in a strange Country you heard before yet they sojourned not only there but in other places as in Gerar and Aegypt and for the whole time of their mortal Life they were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth and could not be said to be Free-men Denizons or Members of any Community or Commonwealth in the World But they might be such either Politically or Spiritually and they were in both respects such for Man being immortal should provide for some place of perpetual Abode and many thinking only of their Settlement on Earth and of perpetuating themselves and their Names in their Posterity by successive Generations look no higher than this World If these travel out of their native Country they must needs be Strangers in all Forreign States if not naturalized in some of them As for these Patriarchs they had forsaken their own Country out of which God had called them and lost all their native and birth-right Priviledges yet they did not seek to settle themselvs in any other part of the Earth neither did they incorporate with any other People in the
it seems grow upon the banks and also the Sea of Edom and because Edom signifies Red therefore it 's named the Red-Sea as the Septuaginâ—turns the proper substantive into an appellative 2. Pharoah and the Egyptians pursue them into the Sea and so were drowned This was ordered by the wisdom of God and was the execution of his just Judgment While way is made for Israel to pass the inconsistency and fluid nature of the Waters is suspended that the Egyptians following after the Israelies might enter into the heart and depth of the Channel Yet in the mean time the Angel of God continues to keep between Israel and Pharoah's Army till such time as all the People were safely landed and to retard the march of the Horse takes off their Chariot Wheels so that they drove heavily When Israel was past all danger God suffers the Waters to return to their former Course and so they overwhelm Pharoah and all his Host who sunk like lead into the bottom of the Sea and this was done in the sight of Israel that they might rejoyce and give glory unto God for their Salvation and the destruction of their Enemies This was a wonderful deliverance of God's People and the end of a proud and cruel Tyrant 3. The reason of the one was Faith of the other Unbelief For by Faith they found a way through the great deep And this was not the Faith of Israel alone but principally of Moses For it might truly be said They passed through the Sea by his Faith yet joyned with their's For God commanded Moses with his Rod to smite the Sea and Israel to pass on and promised to divide the Sea and save them not only from the Waters but from their Enemies This Moses did believe and perswades them to do so likewise and this Faith moved them to obey God's Command and upon their Obedience to expect the Mercy promised Without this Warrant and Word from Heaven and their belief of it and confidence in it it had been impossible for them to have escaped destruction The Egyptians assaying without this Faith to passe were drowned Pride cruelty desire of revenge drove them forward they had neither Revelation nor Command nor Promise and therefore they perished This example informs us 1. That there is no danger so great but God can deliver us out of it for God hath many wayes to deliver us 2. That when man's danger is the greatest God's help is the nearest For as the saying is Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity For he is a present help in time of trouble in the midst of the Waters and in the fiery Furnace 3. Many times the Salvation of God's People is the destruction of their Enemies and when he saves the one he destroyes the other and there will a day come when all God's People shall see their desire upon all their Enemies Yet we must believe and obey and trust in God and have a just Cause if we will expect deliverance and he that doth not so believe as to be ready to do what God Commands can never attain the benefit God doth promise which is so limited and consined to the performance of the Command upon Faith that without Performance and Obedience the Mercy promised cannot be expected and received This is the true reason why justifying Faith is inconsistent with the predominancy of any Lust and Sin For true Faith receives the Promise with the terms and conditions it requireth and whosoever believes or is perswaded that he may receive the Blessing promised without obedience to the Command annexed doth deceive himself For he that continuing in his sins not resolving from his heart to forsake them to renounce all righteousness in himself to rely wholly and solely upon the merit of Christ and mercy of God perswades himself of Remission promised doth mistake the Promise and shall not obtain that which he desires For his Faith is not sincere his confidence is but presumption and the issue will be shame and confusion This Doctrine also ministreth unspeakable comfort to all true Believers in the midst of their Extremities § 29. Joshua succeeded Moses and he by Faith did many glorious works one whereof the Apostle singleth out and instanceth in which was the fall of the walls Jericho For Ver. 30. By Faith the Walls of Jericho fell after they were compassed about seven times THis work was miraculous and is ascribed to Faith in God's Word The whole History here abridged by the Apostle we may read at large Joshua 6. Upon which as upon the rest of that Book Masuis doth excellently discourse In the words as in the former examples we may observe 1. The Work 2. The Faith whereby it was done In the Work as it 's briefly here expressed we may consider 1. What it was The fall of the Walls of Jericho 2. The means whereby it was done and that was by compassing them about seven times 3. The time When they had seven times compassed them But if we consider the History the principal things remarkable are 1. The Command and Instructions of God given to Joshua and the People 2. God's Promise 3. Their Obedience 4. The Issue or Event 1. God's Command was signified to Joshua and by Joshua to Israd and in general it was to compass about Jericho which was the first City of Canaan on this West side of Jordan which God gave into their hand and in such a manner as that it might encourage his Pecple and strike a terrour into the rest of their Enemies and let them know what to expect It was not very great yet strong For the manner how often in what order with what rites when to begin when to end they received Instructions and Directions and they were bound to follow them For we must not only do the thing God Commands but we must do it in that manner as he shall prescribe 2. God's Promise was in general to deliver it into their Hands and in that manner as that there should be no formal Siege or effusion of Blood This was a miraculous and extraordinary way which he did prescribe unto them and in it self very unlikely to take effect for there seemed to be no causality in the means not any power in them for to produce the effect Therefore a Promise of God was necessary that so they might have a ground of their Faith an encouragement to use the means and upon the use a certain expectation of the event Neither would the Promise of any other but of God serve the turn yet seeing they had had so much experience of his wonderful and almighty power it was sufficient and there was no cause of doubting 3. Seeing God had promised and they believed therefore they obey his Command readily and chearfully use the means and follow his Directions and compass the City in that manner and so often as God required This obedience to the Enemies who were ignorant both of God's Command and Promise might seem
unto is To consider Christ the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession and to presevere in his Doctrine ver 1. 2. The Reasons by which he presseth the performance of this Duty are 1. Christ was not only faithful in his Trust as Moses was but also far greater then Moses in two respects For 1. Moses was but part in the House builded Christ was the Builder of all things and especially of the Church ver 3 4. 2. Moses was but a Servant in that House Christ was the Lord and Owner ver 5 6. 2. If they persevere in his Doctrine and the Faith they shall be his House of Glory wherein God shall for ever dwell and make them fully blessed ver 7. 3. If they that disobeyed and hardned their hearts against Mose's Doctrine fell in the Wilderness and by a peremprory Oath were shut out of God's Rest much more shall they disobeying the Gospel and falling from the Faith be shut out of God's eternal Rest in Heaven In this Reason we must consider 1. That it 's taken out of Psal. 95. the words whereof are recired ver 7 8 9 10 11. 2. That from these words applied unto them he dehorts them from Unbelief and Apostacy and exhorts them to use all means of perseverance that so he might be partakers of that eternal Rest which Christ had merited for them ver 12 13 14 15. 3. He wisheth them to take special notice of such as did and such as did not enter into God's Rest and what was the cause of the exclusion of those whom God destroyed in the Wilderness and would not suffer to enter into Canaan and that was Unbelief ver 16 17 18 19. CHAP. IV. VVHerein the Discourse upon the words of the Psalm is continued and application made by way of Exhortation And 1. The Duty exhorted unto is To be obedient and mix the word with Faith ver 1. 2. The Reasons are 1. They are partakers of the heavenly Call and the Gospel was preached unto Them as well as to their Fathers 2. They not mixing the Word with Faith but being disobedient to the heavenly Call did not enter but came short ver 2. 3. They which do believe do enter into God's Rest ver 3. And here lest they should be ignorant what Rest of God is meant and to be expected he informs them of a three-fold Rest of God 1. His Rest of Creation 2. His Rest which he promised in the Land of Canaan to their Fathers 3. His spiritual and eternal Rest promised in the Gospel It was not the first ver 3 4. For after this he speaketh of another Rest ver 5. It was not the second into which many of their Fathers because of unbelief did not enter and after this he limitteth another Time and Rest which had never been mentioned if Joshua who brought their Fathers into the Land of Canaan had brought them into This ver 6 7 8. It 's a spiritual and eternal Rest in Heaven which remaineth for the People of God and is to be enjoyed when they cease from all their works of Obedience and Sufferings as God did from his when he had finished the work of Creation ver 9 10. 4. If they do not persevere they may fall after the example of their unbelieving Ancestors and lest they should presume or be secure he lets them know that Christ by the piercing Word of the Gospel will discover their inward and most secret sins and will be a severe and impartial Judg ver 11 12 13. 5. The same great Prophet who hath called us by the Word of the Gospel is our High Priest very sensible of our infirmities and entred into Heaven the eternal Rest of God in our behalf and if we wanting strength do come boldly by him before the Throne of Grace we shall obtain help in due season when we have greatest need ver 14 15 16. CHAP. V. VVHerein after the discourse of the excellency of Christ's prophetical Office he begins to speak of his Priest-hood And 1. Delivers the Doctrine thereof from this Chapter to ver 19 of the 10th 2. Applies the same and continues the Application from the 19th verse of the 10th Chapter unto the latter end of the last The scope of the Apostle in the Doctrine is To demonstrate the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood in respect of 1. The Constitution from the beginning of this Chapter to the 8th 2. The Ministration from the beginning of the 8th to the middle of the 10th In this Chapter we have 1. A Discourse of Priest-hood 2. A Digression begun in the latter end of this Chapter and continued in the 6th 1. The Discourse is 1. Concerning a Priest in general 2. Concerning Aaron 3. Concerning Christ. 1. An High Priest in general is described 1. From his Vocation He is taken from amongst men and ordained ver 1. 2. From his Ministration He must offer Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Ibid. 3. From his Qualification He must be merciful and compassionate ver 2 3. 2. Vocation which consists in Election and Ordination is not from Man but God for no Priest-hood can be efficiently conducing to Man's spiritual good except it be instituted from Heaven as Aaron's was ver 4. 3. Therefore Christ did not usurp his Sacerdotall Power but he had his Vocation Confirmation Consecration from God 1. His Vocation he finds Psal. 2. in these words Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee by which upon his Resurrection he was made and constituted King and Priest ver 5. 2. His Confirmation he reads Psal. 110. 4. I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec ver 6. 3. His Consecration which tended to his fuller Constitution was finished in his Agony and Death upon the Cross by which he became the Author of eternal Life to as many as obey him ver 7 8 9. Thus far the Author's Discourse of Priest-hood which is closed up with the Repetition of the words of Confirmation 1. Because the Confirmation followed the Consecration 2. From the same the Apostle takes occasion to make the Digression which followeth And therein he reproves them of their Ignorance contracted by their negligence which was such that whereas for the time they might have been more and apt to able teach others yet were Babes had need to be taught again the first Principles and were uncaple of the Doctrine which he intended to deliver concerning the Priest-hood of Christ ver 11 12 13 14. CHAP. VI. VVHerein 1. The Digression is continued 2. The principal Subject resumed ver 20. In the Digression we have 1. His Resolution 2. An Exhortation In the Resolution 1. The Thing Resolved upon 2. The Reasons of his Resolution The thing resolved upon is expressed 1. Negatively Not to go back and lay the Foundation 2. Affirmatively To go on with his intended Discourse ver 1 2 3. The Reasons are 1. If any of them after a clear conviction and considerable
Christ's Priest-hood in respect of the Constitution and now proceeds to prove his excellency in respect of the Ministration For if he be a Priest he must minister and officiate and his ministration is two-fold or there be two parts thereof The first whereof Which is his great Offering was performed on Earth The second Which is his Intercession is performed in Heaven He was a Priest elect when he offered on Earth He was a Priest constituted and confirmed before he did intercede in Heaven These things premised the Author doth 1. Sum up briefly the substance of his former Discourse Concerning the constitution of Christ's Priest-hood ver 1. 2. Proceed to set forth his excellency in respect of his Ministration 1. More generally in this Chapter 2. More particularly hereafter That he may do this the better he takes it for granted that the due ministration of a Priest requires 1. A Tabernacle or Temple 2. A Sacrifice or something to be offered 3. A Covenant whereof he must be Mediatour These things presupposed he proves the excellency of Christ's ministration in respect 1. Of the Tabernacle which is not made with hands but pitched by God ver 2. 2. Of the thing offered and the service both which are supernatural and divine not after the pattern of heavenly things ver 3 4 5. 3. Of the Covenant which he did confirm and make effectual as Mediatour which is better then that of Works whereof the Levitical High-Priest was Mediatour ver 6. That it was better he proves because it was established upon better Promises Where two things are observable 1. That the Promises of the Covenant were better 2. That it's stable and firm Ibid. To make both these evident he 1. Recites the words of the Prophet Jeremy concerning both the Covenants 2. In the words he 1. Informs us 1. Of the deficiency of the former ver 8 9. 2. Of the excellent Promises of the latter ver 10 11 12. 2. From the word Now he inferrs the abolition of the former to bring in the latter ver 13. CHAP. IX VVHerein the Apostle proceeds farther to evidence the excellency of Christ's ministration and this he doth more particularly by setting forth the excellency of his great Sacrifice and Offering That he may do this the better he singles out from all the other legal Services the anniversary Sacrifice of Expiation with the Blood whereof the High Priest alone once in the year only entred into the Holiest of all and proving Christ's Sacrifice upon the Cross to be far more excellent than this he doth clearly evince the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood The parts of the Chapter are two The first is concerning the Typical Tabernacle Priests Service The Tabernacle is described ver 1 2 3 4 5. The Priests ver 6 7. The Service Ibid. The imperfection of their Service ver 8 9 10. The principal part of the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies The principal Priest the High Priest The principal Service the presenting of the Blood of the Expiatory Offering in the Holiest place Where the Apostle observes 1. That because none but the High Priest alone might enter within the 2d Veil therefore the way into the Holiest was not yet made manifest 2. That because the Services and so the Ministration were but carnal therefore they could not perfect the Performers The second part is concerning the Antitypical Tabernacle Priest Service and especially the Service of Christ's great Offering which he proves to be far more excellent then the legal great Sacrifice of expiation and so than all other legal Sacrifices from the Effects and Consequents thereof For by it Christ entring the Holy place 1. Obtained eternal Redemption ver 11 12. 2. Purgeth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God ver 13 14. 3. Confirms the new Covenant makes it effectual and unalterable ver 15. This Confirmation is illustrated 1. From the Testaments of Men confirmed by the Death of the Testator ver 16 17. 2. From the Sanction and Confirmation of the former Covenant by Blood ver 18 19 20. The former purifying and expiating Virtue of Christ's Sacrifice is illustrated from the Purification Expiation and Consecration of most things under the Law by Blood And hence inferrs That heavenly and spiritual things must be purified by better Sacrifices ver 21 22 23. 4. Entring Heaven he appears before God for us making Intercession and needs not come out of that Holy place again to re-iterate his Death and Sacrifice as the High Priest under the Law did but he stayes there pleading his One Offering of eternal Virtue untill he come to Judgment and give the actual possession of eternal life to all such as wait for him and this is the ultimate benefit of this Great Offering ver 24 25 26 27 28. CHAP. X. VVHetein 1. The Doctrine of Christ's Sacrifice is continued 2. The same Doctrine is applied Of this Doctrine there be two parts 1. Concerning the imperfection of the legal Offeringâ— 2. Concerning the perfection of Christ's The imperfection of the former was in this They could nor sanctify because 1. They were but shadows ver 1. 2. They were re-iterated and left a conscience of sin ver 2 3. 3. They were but carnal and the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not take away the spiritual stain and guilt of Sin to purge the immortal Soul 4. God did reject them as insufficient for that purpose and did accept Christ's one Offering This is proved out of Psal. 40. 7 8 c. and here 1. The words are cited ver 5 6 7. 2. The principal thing intended thence concluded that not by them but this Sacrifice of Christ we are sanctified ver 8 9 10. 3. They being many offered many times by many Priests could not take away sin but this one Sacrifice offered but once and by one Priest doth consecrate the Sanctified for ever ver 11 12 13 This he proves out of Jer. 31. 1. Citing the words ver 15 16 17. 2. Thence concluding the eternal Virtue of this Offering ver 18. Thus far the Doctrine now follows the Application continued from this place to the latter end of the last Chapter In this Application we may consider 1. The Duties exhorted unto which are many but the principal is Perseverance 2. The Motives 3. Sometime the Means The first Duty exhorted unto is To draw near with a sincere Heart in assurance of Faith 2. The Motives The holy place is open A new way is made We have an High Priest ver 19 20 21 22. The second Duty is To hold fast our Profession and persevere ver 23. The Means 1. To stir up one another ver 24. 2. Not to forsake the Assemblies ver 25. The Motives 1. God is faithful who hath promised ver 23. 2. The time is near at hand ver 25. 3. If we fall away after we have received the Truth the Sin will be very hainous the punishment very grievous and unavoidable ver 26 27 28 29 30
sixth seventh eight ninth and part of the tenth Chapter The test of the Epistle from the 15th verse of the tenth unto the end is chiefly exhortation to continue in the profession of that Faith in Christ their only Prophet and their only Priest and a life sutable to this profession as the only way and means whereby they may obtain eternal Salvation For no other kind of profession and life could serve them yet in all this you must understand that the divine Authour with his reasons whereby he demonstrates the excellency and sufficiency of Christ doth intermix exhortations motives reproofs and sometimes digressions yet all to good purpose so that no part or parcel is impertinent The reason why I pitched upon this Epistle is 1. Because in it we find more of Christ's propheticall and especially of his sacerdotal Office then in all the Scriptures besides 2. To clear it from the false Glosses of Crellius who seeks to elude those places which so clearly contradict their Socinian Errours especially in the Deity and Satisfaction of Christ. And this I do the rather because his Book is translated and speak Socinianism in English and goes abroad under the â—â—me of Dr. Lushington for though we find not his name in the Book printed yet he is charged with the Translation and making it publick Whether it be a meer Translation I cannot say because I have not seen Crellius § 2. To enter upon the first part which is concerning Christ's prophetical Office we must observe that the substance of the first four Chapters is reduced to two Propositions The first is That Christ is a Prophet more excellent then the former Prophets then Angels then Moses The second That therefore he must be heard The first is the Doctrine the second the use That he is far above the former Prophets and the Angels is proved in the first Chapter The Use is to hearken unto him in the second where we have a digression in the third he is proved to be more excellent then Moses The Use is an Exhortation to hearken unto him and believe him the reason is lest as the Israelites hardning their hearts were overthrown in the Wildernesse So we not believing Christ never attain our eternal Sabbatism or Rest upon this the Apostle enlargeth in the third and four Chapters His excellency above the former Prophets we may understand in the three first verses above the Angels in the rest of the Chapter So that the Propositions of this first Chapter are two First That Christ is more excellent then the Prophets Secondly Christ is more excellent then the Angels To understand the first Proposition we must note that the excellency of one above another cannot be known except they be compared and laid together Therefore the Apostle though he do not expresse it yet implyes a Comparison which is in quantity and presupposeth a former in quality That in quality is this That as the holy men of Old were excellent so is Christ they are excellent he is excellent both are excellent That in quantity is That though they were excellent yet he is more yea far more excellent The meaning whereof is that 1. They are compared as Prophets for they were Prophets and so Christ is a Prophet 2. Christ is a more excellent Prophet not only the party prophesying is more excellent but also as a Prophet or in respect of his propheticall Office and the exercise thereof § 3. God who at sundry times c. ver 1. Before we can understand that Christ is more excellent then the Prophets we must know 1. Who those Prophets were 2. Who Christ is Therefore the Apostle gives us here 1. A description of the Prophets ver 1. 2. Of Christ ver 2 3. The former Prophets are described to be men by whom God spake unto the Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners or ways This implyes that a Prophet is one by whom God speaks to men and because God spake to men by them and also by Christ therefore both they and Christ are Prophets In prophecy therefore we may consider 1. The matter 2. The form 1. The matter is the mind of God infallibly made known to Man or Angel here to Man 2. The form is the infallible declaration unto Man of this mind of God first infallibly known The mind of God is Something contrived by his Wisdom and decreed by his will concerning Man as subject to his Power and ordinable to an estate of happinesse or misery 2. This is represented unto Man apprehended by Man and both infallible so that he hath a more certain and infallible knowledg of the thing revealed The form thereof is an infallible declaration of thi mind of God known infallibly It may be declared to others by Word Writing Both and this declaration also must be infallible or else God doth not speak by them For because that God is true and necessarily true therefore his Word is necessarily true Hence the Divine authority and absolute Truth of the Scriptures because God speaks in them and by them to us and for this reason are they â—â—â—â—ed The Word of God God speaks to Men immediately mediately by men infallible and inspired falllble not inspired He spake immediately and at the first hand to the Prophets mediately by the Prophets at the second hand at the third hand by such as understand and teach the Doctrine of the Scriptures A Prophet as receiving his knowledg from God may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roâ—h in respect of his declaration and speaking to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he is but God's Instrument Officer Minister if he prophesy by Word he may be said to be God's mouth if by Writing God's hand or scribe or secretary And because God is the principal Agent upon whom in this work the Prophet totally depends therefore he is said to speak by them God spake by the Prophets § 4. This explication premised doth give us to understand what the Prophets were 〈◊〉 Men by whom God spake unto the Fathers of Old at sundry times in divers 〈◊〉 1. God spake by them and this did make them fit to be Prophets and this may be sâ—id to be the general wherein they agree with Christ For God spake by him and in that respect he was a Prophet 2. In the rest they differ from him and that in four things 1. They spâ—â—e to the Fathers that is their Ancestors who lived formarly in the times of the Prophets 2. They prophesyed of Old in former days before the incarâ—ation and exâ—ibition of Christ. 3. God spake by them to the Fathers at several times â—â— as some 〈◊〉 it in many parts This implyes 1. That the Prophets by whom God spake were 〈◊〉 For the Doctrine of the Old Testament was not either spoken or written by one man but by many 2. That Doctrine was delivered by parts the whole body and systeme was not 〈◊〉 up at once but first one part then
were yet here they are called Brethren as believing in Christ and holy as sanctified by the Spirit of Christ So that this is a Fraternity in respect of Religion Christian. They became such Brethren and so holy by the heavenly Call they were partakers of the heavenly Calling For as they were not Brethren so neither were they holy by natural Generation but by supernatural and spiritual Regeneration as before To be partakers of this Call is either barely to be called or to be partakers of this Mercy together with others It 's said to be Heavenly as some understand it in respect of the efficient and the final Cause It 's from Heaven that is from God who is the principal Cause of this Work and because they are to be called to Heaven that is eternal Glory which is the end and ultimate Effect thereof In it we may consider 1. The Work of God 2. The Duty of Man 3. The Benefit following upon both The Work of God is by the Word of the Gospel and the Power of the Spirit to enlighten and sanctify man and gave him a Divine Power to believe and turn unto Him The duty of Man is to be obedient to the heavenly Call The benefit is the admission of him as obedient unto his heavenly Kingdom and receiving him as an Heir of Glory Upon this heavenly Call followeth a great change both in the disposition and condition of man called For his disposition he is made of unholy holy and therefore said to be called with an holy Calling and to be called unto Holiness For his condition he is made of miserable happy and therefore said to be called unto eternal Glory And because the distance between holiness and happiness and sinful and miserable Man is so great therefore this work of God is a work of great power and because the change is so happy therefore it 's a work of great mercy wherein God freely prevents man so that if he should not thus prevent him he would be for ever sinful and miserable Wo unto all such as are disobedient to this heavenly Call and neglect this preventing Grace for as their Sin is more hainous so their Punishment shall be more grievous The Apostle seems to put them in mind of this Calling to let them know how deeply they are engaged to God and how unworthy they should be if they should not persevere unto the end § 3. The duty exhorted unto is expressed ver 6. It 's to hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope firm to the end and is repeated ver 14. It 's opposed to unbelief ver 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God The duty therefore is persevetance which presupposeth that they had received the Truth of the Gospel and professed their Faith in Christ and is a continâ—ance in this Faith once received and professed to the end This Faith was from God and was wrought in them by the heavenly Call and the continuance of it depends upon God He gave it at the first he continues it to the last yet so that man must be obedient at the first and use all means with diligent care to preserve it to the last Some refuse to obey at the first others who have professed and received the Truth fall off before the end and both these are sins and they only guilty of them § 4. The reasons follow 1. From the excellency of Christ which is set forth by Comparison The parties compared are Christ and Moses both excellent but Christ far more And here it is observable 1. That the duty is the same with that which was pressed Chap. 2. 2. That the ground of that was the excellency of Christ above the Angels of this the excellency of Christ above Moses 3. The reason there was that if the disobedience unto the word of Angels was punished with Death how much more grievously shall they be punished which disobey the Gospel of Christ 4. The reason here is that if their fathers for their unbelief and disobedience to the Doctrine of Moses were eternally shut out of God's rest how much more shall they he shut out of Heaven and Christ's eternal rest if they do not continue in the Faith of Christ but fall off from their profession To understand this first reason we must consider 1. The excellency of Christ and the excellency of Moses absolutely and positively 2. The excellency of both comparatively that so we may understand the excellency of the one fâ—t above the the excellency of the other 1. Therefore they must consider the excellency of Christ Jesus which is this That he is the Apostle and High-Priest of their Profession Their profession was of the Christian Faith and Religion which they did professe The Authour Apostle and Legate sent from Heaven who first published this Faith and Doctrine was Christ the Son of God by whom God spake who was formerly proved to be more excellent then the Prophets then the Angels So that their Religion was from God nor by Prophets or Angels but by Christ the great Prophet For here to be an Apostle is to be a Prophet Yet Moses and so many others may be Prophets yet no High-Priest but Christ Jesus is not only the Prophet but the High-Priest who mediates between God and Man and officiates so as to make his Doctrine effectual and saving and expiate his Peoples Sin that they may be reconciled to their God This two-fold power was necessary as without which he could not have been a perfect Saviour These are his two Offices upon which the Apostle so much enlargeth and insisteth But 〈◊〉 may be an Officer and yet prove unfaithful and not discharge his trust yet Christ was faithful For it follows Ver. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him § 5. This is concerning Christ's fidelity expressed both absolutely in these words and comparatively in those which follow 1. Absolutely He was faithful to him who appointed him 2. Comparatively As Moses was faithful in all his House The former words 1. Imply his ordination 2. Expresse his fidelity to him that ordained him Where we have two Propositions 1. That God appointed Him 2. He was faithful to God In that He was appointed or made an Apostle and High-Priest of our Christian profession for so the words are to be understood it 's evident that He did not Usurp this two-fold Power and Office but received it and acquired it legally and none could invest Him with this Power but onely God and the reason is because it is so eminent and transcendent After he was once advanced he was faithful to that God who advanced and trusted him with so great a Power This fidelity was the true and full discharge of his Apostolical and Sacerdotal Office in perfectly doing all things necessary for the eternal Salvation of Man so far as it depended upon this two-fold Office As an Apostle or Prophet
this he in some sort pledged his Beeing and Deity to confirm his Sentence 2. This Oath he sware in his Wrath he sware to Abraham in his great mercy to confirm unto him the immutability of his Counsel which was to bless him and this he did upon the acceptation of his sincere Obedience But this was in wrath not of rash passion which God is in no ways subject unto but in his severe vindictive Justice moved by their abhominable disobedience and rebellion after so many mercies deliverances wonders and convictions 3. The end of this Oath was to make the Sentence immutable His Word and bare Sentence was sufficient but to manifest his high displeasure and to cut off from that People all hope of entrance he added this Oath which in some sort stands good against all such Apostate Wretches who can have no hope of God's eternal Rest which they have eternally forfeited This is the Question To whom did God thus swear and who were those Israelies who by this Oath were absolutely debarred of all entrance into that Land The Answer follows though proposed as the former Interrogatively in these words But to them that believed not This is evident and very clear and by it is signified 1. The Parties who were excluded 2. The Sin for which they were excluded and it was Unbelief They believed not God's Word and Promise were not moved by all his Mercies and Miracles and former Judgments And thereupon became guilty of the breach of Covenant refused obstinately to perform the conditions of it in the obedience of God's Command They hardned their hearts and departed from the living God and became perfidious and rebellious Apostates From these words he concludes the Chapter in this manner Ver. 19. So we see they could not enter in because of Unbelief For this was the scope whereat he aymed to make clear what the cause of their not entring into Cauaan was that special notice might be taken of the Sin that they might take heed of the like Sin that so they might avoid the like Punishment Where by the way we may take notice that God's Judgments are just and He never condemns any but for Sin and as the Sin is more or less hainous so he proportions the Punishment The sum and substance of this example of the Fathers proposed in the Psalm is this That if they should be guilty of hardning their hearts and unbelief as their Fathers were they should be punished with the like punishment under the Gospel And if their Fathers were so fearfully punished for their disobedience to the Law of Moses how much more grievously should they be punished if they disobeyed the Gospel and forsook Jesus Christ their Saviour The whole Chapter as you heard is an exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Profession and that upon several Reasons As 1. The exocllency of Christ so far above Moses 2. The incomparable benefit that would follow thereupon 3. The dreadful punishment they must suffer if they did fall away To make this last the more effectual He 1. Alledges the words of the Psalm 2. Applies them to these Hebrews that by the example of their Fathers they might take heed of Apostacy and Unbelief Yet this Application is but begun here and finished in the next Chapter CHAP. IV. Ver. I. FOR the better understanding of this part of the Epistle we must considor 1. The Coherence with the former 2. The Scope 3. The Method and parts 1. For the Coherence it agrees 1. With the former three Chapters in the subiect the prophetical Office of Christ and in urging the duty of attention belief prosession and obedience unto his Doctrine into the end 2. It agrees with the last part of the 〈◊〉 in a special manner For having made evident that the cause why their Fathers 〈◊〉 not into God's Rest was Unbelief therefore they must take â—eed of that Sin last they â—â—ffer the like searful punishment For he that will avoid the effect must take heed of that cause upon which that effect will certainly follow He further urgeth that exhortation of the Psalmist To day if 〈◊〉 will hear his Voyce so as to be edmitted into God's Rest we must not harden our hearts provoke grieve God as their Fathers in the Wilderness did 2. The scope of the Apostle presupposing a Rest promised in the Gospel is to perswade them and thâ— them up to use with all diligence those means whereby we may attain it and enter In a word it 's the same with that of the second and third Chapters to confirm them in the profession and practice of Christ's Doctrine so as to perse 〈◊〉 unto the end and so attain that eternal Rest and Happiness to which it directeth 3. The parts are two 1. A Dehortation ver 1. 2. An Exhortation ver 11. In the Dehortation we have 1. The thing dehorted from 2. The Reasons 3. The determination of the rest In the exhortation we may observe 1. The duty exhorted unto 2. The Reasons These are the parts and this is the method the particulars whereof you shall understand hereafter To enter upon the first part which is a Dehortation In every Dehortation we must observe there is some evil or sin to be avoided and the duty is to take heed of it The sin is to come short which we cannot do but by falling off from our profession which is Apostacy And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies deficere to fall off and is called a failing of the Grace of God or a falling from the Grace of God Chap. 12. 15. The Sin therefore is Unbelief which was observed in the former Chapter to be the cause why the Israelites could not enter into God's Rest. It 's true that many understand it of the punishment of not entring into Rest which is an inevitable consequent and moral effect of falling away The duty is to fear this and to be very careful to avoid the Sin that they may avoid the Punishment This duty lies upon all and every one For it 's said lest any of you and not only so but lest any of you seem which the Syriach interprets lest any of you be found Some indeed will have the meaning to be that they must be so careful to continue in the Faith that they must not so much as seem to fall off or make any appearance of Apostacy Yet there is no necessity so to understand it for the principal thing is to take heed of the Sin which if committed will appear and be judged and punished This is the duty brought in upon the words of the former Chapter by this illative Therefore as though he should say Seeing ye have so dreadful an example of God's wrath executed upon your Fathers for their Unbelief Take heed of their Sin lest ye suffer the like Punishment § 2. The reason follows from the example of their Fathers applyed to them The sum of it is this That as many of their Fathers
drink it and receive it into our bodies yet if we neither eat the one when it 's set before us nor drink the other when put into our hands we may perish for hunger and thirst So it is spiritually with our Souls in respect of the Word preached and heard only our with outward ears and not received and receiued in our hearts by a true and lively Faith So that the cause why the Word of God being so great a Blessing and so excellent a means of Salvation doth us no good is from our selves or in our selves who either refuse it at the first or reject it after we have professed it and promised to live according to it And this refusal and rejection as they are hainous sins not onely against God's just Laws but his merciful tender of eternal life so they will prove in the end the cause of our eternal misery which shall be greater and more intolerable than those to whom the Word of God was never preached 4. Therefore it concerns us all to fear this Sin of Apostacy as we fear loss of heavenly Rest God's eternal displeasure Hell Death and eternal Punishments The Apostle by this word fear implies there is danger of falling away and if we consider there is danger and the same very great For if we look upon our weakness and the remainders of corruption the deceipt and hypocrisy of our own hearts the imperfection of our Understanding in heavenly things the inconstancy of our Wills our little experience in the wayes of God and the violence and power of temptation from the Devil and the World we may easily see that it 's a wonder if not a matter of amazement that we stand one day one hour yet when we look up towards Heaven remember our Saviour Christ reigning and victorious the power of the blessed Spirit the helps God hath given us the Promises of assistance there is great cause of hope yet this hope doth not exclude but require our diligent Care continual Watching and instant Prayers without which we cannot by which we may hope to stand Oh how should we carefully and constantly attend unto God's Word lay it up in our hearts make it the Rule of our whole life so as to obey his Commands rely upon his Promises and fear his threats and every day call to mind the Profession we have made and the Promises whereby we have engaged our selves unto our God And seeing so few do fear it 's no wonder so many fall and come short of this blessed Rest. Most men presume upon the Promise and neglect the Duty The Israellres had a Promise yet did not enter because they did not believe § 3. There follows another distinct Reason from the former and that is the great benefit that follows upon the performance of the Duty Ver. 3. For we who have believed do enter into Rest as he said As I have sworn in my Wrath c. THere is some difficulty to know the coherence of these words with the former as also of those that follow with these and amongst themselves Some say they come in upon the words immediately antecedent and give a reason why the Word not mixed with Faith did not profit nor bring the hearers into God's Rest For onely we that believe do enter that is There is no entrance but by Faith but by Faith there is Others think they propose a reason why we should fear Apostacy and be careful to persevere and that from the happy consequent and the glorious reward which follows upon perseverance in belief and that is entrance and admittance into God's Rest yet they may referr to those words of the former Chapter For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Aegypt by Moses For Caleb and Joshua heard and believed and persevered for it 's said of Caleb and it 's the Testimony of God That he had another Spirit with him and followed the Lord fully Numb 14. 24. This he applyes to himself and the Hebrews to this purpose That though some did not enter because of Unbelief yet some did believe and did not provoke and so entred so likewise shall we believing do As the former might cause fear so this latter might cause hope and prove a strong motive why we should fear to fall and be very careful to persevere So that if we will sum up that which went before it 's this in brief To day if we will hear God's voice we must not harden our hearts 1. Because if we do harden them we shall be shut out of God's Rest as our rebellious and Apostate Fathers were 2. If we do not harden our hearts but believe we shall enter into God's Rest as Caleb and Joshua did It follows As he said I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest c. These words serve to inform us of three things 1. That the Word not believed could not profit because by Unbelief they provoked God to wrath and in his Wrath he sware they should not enter into his Rest so likewise we should fear to be guilty of Unbelief because if we prove such God in his Wrath by the like Oath will exclude us 2. That as God by this Oath did exclude none but Unbelievers and brought the Believers into Canaan so he will exclude none out of the Rest promised in the Gospel but Unbelievers and will without all fail bring us believing into our spirituall Canaan 3. That as the Oath so the Exhortation used by the Prophet David implied that as there was a Rest in the dayes of Joshua so there is another Rest besides that of the promised Land Therefore because it might be doubted what Rest either David meant or the Gospel doth promise the Apostle proceeds to prove that there is yet a Rest prepared for God's People under the Gospel and determines what Rest that is This is done by distinction for he informs us of a three-fold Rest 1. Of the Sabbath 2. Of the Land of Canaan 3. Of the eternal Rest in Heaven That it was the intention of the Apostle to manifest that there was a Rest for the People of God under the Gospel and yet that Rest was neither the first of the Sabbath nor the second of the Land of Canaan is evident by that which follows especially Ver 19 10. That it was expedient if not necessary for him to do thus is as clear because he had alledged the words of the Psalm To day if ye will hear his Voice and also said in Ver. 1. That a Promise was left us of entring into his Rest. The first is the Rest of the Sabbath in these words Although the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World And Ver. 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day in this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his Works THE particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned here although yet it may signify and
This Righteousness so far as it reacheth is true and tends much towards eternal life and the estate of such as do attain it is comfortable and hopeful But there are usually defects in it and those very great For 1. It doth not proceed to a deep and firm radication nor 2. To any habitual predominancy over all lusts nor 3. Will it endure any great tryall There may be and are indeed in many Persons Knowledge Faith Love Hope and Comfort and these not meerly Moral but Supernatural and divine caused not onely by the outward revelation of the Word but also by inward illumination and inspiration of the Spirit yet some of these if they be Persons of great estate will be unwilling to sell all and give unto the poor or restore four-fold to those they have wronged or forfeit credit liberty their whole estate and hazard their lives out of Love to their dear Saviour yet all these must be done and that freely and willingly before we can attain to an estate of Confirmation 4. Yet this Confirmation doth not depend upon the radication and intensive measure of their divine vertues but upon the Will and support of God which certain support Man cannot expect by vertue of the Covenant before he arrive at such a measure of Grace and performance of Duty For it 's the meet Mercy of God who delights in an upright heart which moved him to promise this Confirmation to persons of integrity who have overcome the World for till Faith improve so far as to obtain this Victory and that clearly Man may fall and the desires and fears of the World may the more easily prevail against him and God may justly desert him because he neglects to come up unto his terms and refuseth the conditions and qualification necessary to a compleat real and sincere Disciple to whom alone Confirmation by vertue of the Promise is due That which supports a Man against all temptations and prevents Apostacy is strength this strength is internal and external and both from God The internal strength is such a measure of Faith in Christ in Man as is sufficient to overcome the World and obtain a clear victory The external strength is that power of God superadded to the former which not only continues and preserves the inward power of Grace but also is continually ready to supply all defects and make the final issue infallible and most certain For there is a glorious Inheritance reserved in Heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed is the last time 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. Where we have Faith within and the power of God without and the preservation of the parties regenerate unto Salvation and final enjoyment as the effect of both Neither of these belong unto those which have only the Spirit of preparation and not of inhabitation For though they are in a fair way unto and in good hope of both yet they have attained neither Yet there are others which find the victorious power of Faith within them and having received the Spirit of Adoption testifying that they are the Sons of God and the first fruits of Glory may be assured of their preservation to the end according to the tenour of the Promises made in many places of Scripture to such as are so qualified as they know themselves to be § 12. Thus far the Apostle's Resolution and the Reasons thereof Now followeth his exhortation which comes in very seasonably after his former Doctrine of Apostacy which was terrible and the latter concerning the happy and safe estate of such as were qualified as they were For lest the one should occasion dispair and the other presumption and security by this exhortation he intimates that the very estate of confirmation in this life doth not exempt from duty and diligence on Man's part not exclude some kind of desertion on God's part For this Confirmation differs from that which shall be in Heaven where there shall be no Sin no Temptation but perfect holiness without any danger and a plenary possession of the blessed Inheritance For the estate of the Confirmed in this time of mortality is like that of Israel after that they had broken the main strength of the Canaanites divided the Land by lot and did begin to enjoy it But after all this was done there remained several parts of the Land not yet reduced nor totally subdued And God did so order it to try them and also to continue and improve their Military skill and valour So it is with God's regenerate Ones his true Israelites for though they have broken the main strength of the Enemy and as it were in one piâ—cht Battle obtained a clear Victory yet the remainders of corruption may sometimes put them hard to it and much annoy them And it 's God's Will it should be thus to teach them humbly to depend upon him and that continually to exercise their heavenly virtues to keep their watch and never put off their Armour till they have obtained a total and final Victory The principal things to be observed in this Exhortation are 1. The Duty exhorted unto 2. The Reasons why it should be performed For he that will exhort effectually must 1. Let the parties exhorted know distinctly what the Duty is 2. Demonstrate that it's very reasonable to perform it and the more clearly and fully both these are done the more effectually will the heart be moved For the rational Creature must be moved rationally Every exhortation implies the desire of the Oratour or party exhorting otherwise why doth he perswade why doth he exhort therefore saith the Apostle I desire you In this it differs both from a Command and a Petition and if the party desiring be excellent or beloved and the thing desired be reasonable and advantageous it should prevail much If such a person as Paul so worthy and so excellent shall desire the performance of a thing which is not only convenient but necessary to the attaining of eternal life how ready should we be to do it § 13. But To know the Duty is most considerable and it is Perseverance the same which was formerly urged Chap. 2. 3 4. This duty is proposed affirmatively and negatively and the performance of it concerned all and every one For thus he writes Ver. 11. And we desire that every one of you shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Ver. 12. That you be not slothfull THere is no mention of Perseverance in the Text yet it 's sufficiently implyed for if they must shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end then they must persevere But to understand the duty more fully let us enquire 1. What hope is 2. What the full assurance of hope 3. What it is to shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Hope is sometimes taken for the thing hoped for not as it is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned wherein by some are interpreted because and then the sense is that because an Oath is the end of all strife therefore God to remove all doubts and fears and establish and assure the Heirs of Promise was willing to swear and by that Oath to manifest more fully the immutability of his Counsel and that which was the end and issue of Men's Oath was the end and issue of this Oath of God If Men will believe Men swearing how much more should we believe and rest satisfied in the Oath of God From all this it 's clear that the Promise of God is as certain on God's part as possibly can be § 20. This is the immediate end of God's Oath yet it is but a means in respect of a further end which God intended For thus it followeth Ver. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before us IN which words we have 1. A strong Consolation 2. The parties to whom it doth belong 3. The means whereby it is obtained 1. Strong Consolation is the ultimate end both of the Promises of God and his Oath The mind of Man is discomforted vexed weakened from Doubts Fears Sorrows and whatsoever removes or abates these doth quiet refresh revive and strengthen the heart and so comfort it This comfort it may be weak it may be strong the comfort here is strong and prevailing comfort and such as will overcome all doubts fears and sorrows caused by Temptations Persecutions Tryals from without or from within This is opposed to all worldly and seeming joys and comforts which appear and vanish in a moment and cannot firmly stay and revive the heart for every blast of temptation scatters them It must be the hope or enjoyment of some solid lasting and substantial good that can be the cause of solid and lasting comfort Some by comfort understand Faith or Hope the cause of comfort 2. Though there be a firm and strong comfort yet it belongs not to every one but it 's intended for Believers the Heirs of Promise who sly for refuge to take hold upon the Hope set before them where we may observe 1. Hope 2. Hope set before us 3. The taking hold of this Hope 4. A flying for refuge to take hold on this Hope 1. Hope in this place is the thing hoped for considered as a formal object of the divine virtue of Hope and it is that blessed and glorious estate which is reserved in Heaven to be enjoyed there 2. This Hope is set before us as a prize and represented in the Promise as ours which we must seek and aym at as being called to the enjoyment thereof It 's set in our view that we might eye it much and often look upon it and press earnestly towards it 3. We must take hold upon it and that is done two wayes 1. By gaining a title and right unto it for so we take hold on it by Law 2. By getting some possession and that either in part as when we receive the first Fruits of the Spirit or in whole which is reserved for Heaven Both these are done by Faith and Hope and the more we exercise our Faith and Hope with other heavenly virtues the stronger hold we take For hereby we make more evident to us our right and obtain a greater measure of the first-Fruits 4. We fly for refuge to take hold of this Hope for it 's our Sanctuary and safety far better then a City of refuge and it 's a far greater security to take hold on this Hope then to take hold upon the Horns of the Altar For many have held fast hold upon the Altar and have either been pulled away or slain in the very place as Joab was Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the Proud nor such as turn aside to lies Psal. 40. 4. For all things and persons though never so great so strong so excellent are lies and if we trust in them they will fail us God never will For who or what can separate us from his love in Christ Eternal life is unchangeable and God who hath promised it and confirmed his Promise by Oath is unchangeable too Those who in all dangers storms and tempests retreat unto him find strong consolation For what need terrify or trouble them or shake their hearts when God hath assured them of eternal life 3. This security and strong comfort is grounded upon two immutable things wherein it 's impossible for God to lye These two things are the Promise and the Oath of God and as it is impossible for God to cease to be God so it is impossible for God to violate his Promise or his Oath These are sure things Heaven and Earth may pass away but these cannot fail nor frustrate our hopes § 21. The Apostle in the next words gives a reason why they did and we should fly to take hold upon the Hope set before us and it is this because Ver. 19. It was to them an ancre of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Vail VVHere we have a two-fold Reason 1. Because it 's like unto a sure and stedfast Ancre 2. It entereth into that within the Vail 1. It 's like an Ancre for what an Ancre is to a Ship the same is Hope unto the Soul that is a stay and means of safety in the midst of all the Waves and Storms of Temptation in this floating troublesome World For that which stays strengthens quiets the Soul of man is the hope of everlasting Glory grounded upon God's Promise and Oath For eternal life as theirs is the Ancre for though it be excellent in it self yet it 's nothing unto them if they have not a right unto it and a well-grounded hope of it 2. It enters into that within the Vail In the Tabernacle or Temple within the second Vail was the Holy of Holies which was a type of Heaven in allusion to this it signified that the object of our hope is something excellent and above the World something heavenly glorious and eternal Therefore it 's said That the Inheritance of God's Sons is reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4. And that the great object of our hope is laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. Where we shall fully enjoy our God and all things in him And surely nothing under Heaven can stay and firmly fix the floating heart of man neither can this Ancre fasten firmly but in Heaven This Hope may be said to be stronger and our hearts more assured because Ver. 20. The fore-runner is entred into Heaven THis fore-runner is entred Heaven to take possession for himself and also in our behalf and make the way passible this is more then ever Abraham did or could do Therefore we have a rare example far above that of
to null and abrogate it The effect of this Gospel upon the Expiation made by Christ is the Perfection that is the Justification and Sanctification of sinful guilty Man whereby he is freed from the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and especially from the condemning vindicative Justice of God and eternal death and so may draw nigh to God Where we must consider 1. What it is to draw nigh to God 2. Why this Clause is added To draw nigh to God is sometimes a Duty somtimes a Reward and Priviledge given for Christ's merit to such as perform the Duty As it is a Duty it 's sometimes a coming to the place where God hath put his Name and where he vouchsafed his special presence as in the Tabernacle and Temple he did for to worship him It 's sometime a worshipping of God or performing any divine Service unto him for then we pretend to leave the World and turn our backs upon all things and to present our selves before his Throne as in Prayer and other Duties Again it is a turning from our sins with a Resolution to forsake them and an engagement of our selvs and that with our whole hearts to be his Servants and obedient Subjects And this we cannot do effectually without Faith in Christ and the further we depart from sin the nearer we draw to him and are more like unto him This is a Duty But to have peace with God to be reconciled to him so as to have free access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of Grace where he sits as propitiated by the Blood of Christ and as a Father looks upon us as his Children is a great and gracious reward and special priviledg and presupposeth the former Duty performed and the party performing it in the state of Justification and Reconciliation For being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have acccess by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand c. Rom. 5. 1 2. To understand this more fully we must consider That the words are in some sort Metaphorical wherein the Apostle alludes either to the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai where he represented himself very terrible as sitting in the Throne of Justice and not of Grace and Mercy so as that to draw nigh unto him was a present Death The People must keep at a distance only Moses might come near and ascend the Mount which was a special and extraordinary favour or he may allude unto the legal dispensation under which no unclean person as a Leper or one defiled by touching a dead body or some other way might come into the Congregation or nigh the Tabernacle or Temple so as to worship with God's People before they were cleansed and purified but upon their purification finished they might draw nigh and come with the rest of God's unpolluted Servants to Worship and to serve their God so as to have communion with him and receive mercies blessings and comforts from him So in this place such as are perfected that is justified and sanctified through Faith by the Blood of Christ have liberty to draw nigh to God as to a Father to seek and receive mercies and increase of Grace and heavenly Comforts and have sweet communion with him Before their justification and reconciliation they stood at a distance from their God and looked upon him as a consuming Fire and to draw near was danger though even then they might have some hope of mercy They are like the Publican standing a far off and beating upon his Brest and saying Lord be merciful to me a Sinner but when their Consciences are purged and their Souls by Faith are cleansed in the Blood of Christ they then have liberty and draw nigh to serve and worship God with confidence that he will accept their persons prayers and other Services This is the drawing nigh to God here meant yet you must know that these approaches are not so nigh in this life but that there is some distance But in the place of Glory the approach shall be so near as that it will take away all distance and we shall have immediate and full communion with our God The reason why this Clause was added which is the second thing is to let us know how far more excellent the Gospel is above the Law For by the Law no Man was brought nigh to God or might approach unto him in this manner It 's true they might draw nigh to the place of God's special presence if legally clean or cleansed and by observation of the Law escape some temporal Judgments obtain some temporal Blessings and enjoy some earthly Comforts yet continue spiritually unclean guilty and liable to eternal penalties be far from God with their hearts remain unjustified unsanctified and so could have no spiritual peace with God nor any heavenly comfort neither could they draw nigh to God with boldness so as to have any near communion with him To draw nigh to God as to a Father in Christ is a far more excellent priviledg and could not be obtained by the Law Some do make these words a reason to prove that Perfection was had by the Priest-hood of Christ because by it we draw nigh to God And it 's true that by Christ as a Priest and the Gospel we obtain this priviledg which the Law could not give us For to draw nigh to God presupposeth the party approaching perfected and sanctified and by what we are sanctified by that we draw nigh and this priviledg doth prove perfection by the Gospel as the effect doth prove and manifest the cause So that the argumentation in form is this By what we draw nigh to God by that we are perfected But by the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel we are perfected Therefore by them we draw nigh to God For as we must not seperate the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law so neither must we divide the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel In all this discourse two things are observable 1. That God did not take away the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law till he brought in the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel 2. That he took away that which was imperfect to bring in that which was perfect and far more excellent And all this was done as to manifest his wisdom so especially his mercy and serious intention to save man For he would leave nothing undone that was necessary for the compleating of man's eternal Salvation For if the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law could have justified Man and so given life He had never sent Christ and made him a Priest and revealed the Gospel For then both Christ and Gospel had been needless and useless to that end For as the Apostle saith If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by that Law Gal. 3. 21. But because both Law and Priest-hood were insufficient therefore he decreed
imprinted there more perfectly Yet the word turned Laws signifies in the Hebrew Doctrines And these are the Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ's Person Nature Offices and the Work of Redemption the Doctrines of Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and eternal Life and these either presuppose or include the Moral Law For they must be such Truths as are necessary and effectual to Man's Salvation without the Knowledge and practice whereof sinful Man cannot attain eternal Life Further they are Doctrines concerning Christ as already exhibited glorified reigning and officiating in Heaven 2. The Book or Tables wherein they must be written are the mind and heart of Man By Mind some conceive is meant the Understanding and by Heart the Will and rational Appetite But by both words are meant the immortal Soul endued with a Power to understand and will or nill that which is understood The word in the Hebrew turned by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind and intellective Faculty signifieth the inward parts because as the heart and reins are the inmost parts of the Body so the mind thoughts and rational Appetite are intima Anime the inmost parts if we may so speak of the Soul They are as it were the Center of that immortal Substance where all the active vigour and powers of the Soul are united There is the Spring and Original of all rational and moral Operations of all thoughts affections and inward Motions There is the directive Counsel and imperial commanding Power There is the prime Mover of all humane Actions as such This is the Subject fit to receive not only natural but supernatural Truths and Doctrines and all Laws There divine Characters may be imprinted and made legible to the Soul it self This is the most noble and excellent Book that any can write in This is an Allusion to the Tables of Stone wherein the Law was written for the Law was not written in the heart but in stone upon Phylacteries Frontlets Posts and Walls of their Houses And now the Scriptures and divine Revelations are written in Books so as that they are legible by the Eye they may be spoken and so uttered by Man as to be perceived by the Ear and from these be conveyed to the common sense and fancy and by degree be transmitted to the Soul which by them receives some imperfect representations not informations This immortal Soul is the Book or Table wherein these Laws and divine Doctrines must be written 3. The Scribe or Pen-man is God for it 's said I will give or put I will write He that said so was the Lord And it must be He because the Work is so curious and excellent that it 's far above the Sphere of created activity He alone can immediately work upon the immortal Soul to inform it move it alter it and mould it anew so as neither Man or Angel can do They may by the outward senses and the fancy come near the Soul but immediately prepare it and make lively Impressions and write clear Characters of divine Truth upon it they cannot They may move it and affect or disaffect it yet to take away the stony heart and make an heart of Flesh is far above their Power Therefore God doth alwayes ascribe this great Work unto himself 4. The Act and Work of this Pen-man is to write and write these Laws and write them in the heart How he doth it we know not That he doth it is clear enough His preparations illuminations impulsions inspirations are strange and wonderful of great and mighty force For in this Work he doth not onely represent divine Objects in a clearer light and propose high Motives to incline and turn the heart but also gives a divine perceptive and appetitive Power whereby the Soul more easily and clearly apprehends and more effectually affects heavenly things The Effect of this Writing is a divine Knowledge of God's Laws and a ready and willing heart to obey them and conform unto them a Power to know and do the Word of God This is that Work of the Spirit which is called Vocation Renovation Regeneration Conversion actively taken without which Man cannot repent believe obey and turn to God It 's said to be a quickning of Man dead in sin a putting God's fear in Man's heart a putting God's Spirit within Man to cause him to obey his Laws a calling out of Darkness into Light a writing upon the fleshy Tables of Man's heart By this writing Man is said to have a new Heart and Spirit not that God creates in Man a new Soul or new Faculties but because he gives new Power new Light new Life new Qualifications so that Man is made partaker of a divine Nature and moulded anew with so much alteration that he is another Man though not for Substance yet for Qualities and Operations All this tends to an imperfect explication of this Promise wherein this new Covenant differs from and is more excellent than the former For that had no Promise of God's writing his Laws and Doctrines in Man's heart or of giving any sanctifying or renewing Power to enable them to observe and keep his Judgments Yet lest we mistake this excellent and most comfortable part of Scripture many things are to be observed 1. Concerning the Laws 2. Concerning the heart 3. Concerning God's writing in the heart 1. The Laws the Laws of God are written in the heart not the inventions fancies of men nor natural nor mathematical nor moral Philosophy much less the Errors and Blasphemies of Seducers and false Prophets It 's true that humane Learning and Languages are excellent means to find out the sense of the Scriptures and are great Blessings ordained of God for that end and being used with Prayer and sanctified may do much Yet we must know that these Doctrines are not only those of the Moral Law but these high Mysteries concerning Christ the Redemption Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and the eternal Punishments and Rewards in the World to come as they are revealed in the Gospel For the matter and subject of them is God's Kingdom and the Government of God-Redeemer ordering Man to his final and eternal estate as I have manifested in another Treatise 2. The heart of Man is by Nature a very untoward and indisposed Subject and not capable of these heavenly Doctrines It 's blind and perverse and there is an Antipathy between it and these Laws It hath some little parcels of the Law of Nature written in it but not any thing of these heavenly and evangelical Truths it neither knows them nor can relish them And when they are represented unto it yet it hath no intellective Power to understand them nor any Will or Desire to seek them or inclination to obey the Laws of God which direct unto everlasting life It 's not only ignorant but filthily blotted and blurred with Errours both in matters of Religion and humane Conversation And this is the condition not only of Heathens
Gospel To be Lord in this manner is to manifest himself in the Excellency of his Wisdom Power and Mercy To know him as such is not any wayes to understand those excellent things testified of him in the Gospel but effectually to believe those Truths as revealed from Heaven and to rely upon him and him alone as our onely Saviour renouncing all Righteousness in our selves and all Confidence in all other things and counting all things loss and dung in comparison of him This is that which we call Faith in Christ whereby we are justified and saved yet this Knowledge and Faith was not without teaching For how should they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how should they hear without a Preacher And again So then Faith is by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God that is taught and preached Rom. 10. 14 17. And the Apostles had Commission to go and teach or disciple all Nations Mat. 28. 19. and they must teach Repentance Faith in Christ and Remission of sins in his Name And when Christ ascended into Heaven he gave Gifts to men and sent Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4. 11. Yet this Teaching of Man was not without the Power of the Spirit teaching inwardly the same which they taught outwardly yet in a more excellent manner and with far greater efficacy The Persons who shall know God were all from the least to the greatest 1. The Jew taught but the Jew or his Proselyte the Apostles both Jew and Gentile of all Nations 2. All to whom the Gospel is preached aright know God or may know him 3. All may be restrained to all those who are taught not onely of Man but of God who writes his Laws in their hearts and gives them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever and so puts his fear in them that they shall not depart from him Jerem. 22. 39 40. And he had promised to give his People an heart to know him that he was the Lord and they his People and he their God for they shall return unto him with their whole heart Jer. 24. 7. Where it 's observable 1. That God will so give them one heart as that they shall turn with their whole heart to the Lord. 2. So turned they shall not only know God to be the Lord but to be their God and they his People 3. That this place compared with that of the same Prophet Chap. 31. 33 34. alledged in this place doth signify that this Knowledge is such as upon which will follow Remission of Sins and this is justifying Faith § 13. Two things remain to be considered 1. How this Reason infers this Conclusion That they shall not under the Gospel every Man teach his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord. 2. How these words come in upon the former whether so as to be a distinct and different Promise from the former or not For the first 1. It 's certain that in Heaven the Knowledge of the Lord shall be so perfect as that there shall be no need of any teaching of Man no nor of Prophets or Apostles therefore some of the Ancients understood the place of the perfection of Saints in the state of Glory 2. That unâ—er the Gospel there is need of Man's Teaching not onely for the first Conversion but for their further Edification till the Saints be perfect in Christ. 3. Yet there is a great difference between the teaching under the Law and that under the Gospel and that in three respects 1. Of the matter taught 2. Of the Teachers 3. Of the manner of Teaching 1. For the matter taught For the matter taught under the Law was The Lord bringing them out of Aegypt into the Land of Canaan and giving them Moral Judicial and Ceremonial Laws and blessing them in that good Land whilst in their manner and measure they observed these Laws Christ also was taught in Types and Shadows But the matter taught under the Gospel is God Redeemer by Christ exhibited glorified reigning at God's right hand and officiating in Heaven as being far more clearly and fully revealed 2. The Teachers under the Law whether Priests or Levites or Scribes or Parents or Masters or any private Persons were but Ministers of the Letter not of the Spirit But under the Gospel they were Ministers not onely of the Letter but of the Spirit and their Knowledge was far greater and clearer than that of the Teachers under the Law 3. For the manner of Teaching it was more clear more full more powerful as accompanied by the Spirit of Christ enlightning the Understanding and inclining the heart For in the Law there was no Promise of the Spirit to take away their stony heart and give them an heart of Flesh and to be put in them to cause them to walk in his Statutes As the saying of Austin is Lex jubet non juvat If the Spirit had been thus given to make the Doctrine of their Teachers effectual upon the heart of their Disciples and imprint the Knowledg of the Lord so deeply in their hearts as that they should never depart from him then the Promises of that Covenant had not been so far short of the Promises of the new Covenant But as the Law could expiate no Sin so it could not minister the Spirit It 's true that under the Law they had Faith in Christ to come and were enlightned and sanctified by the Spirit yet this they had not by vertue of the Law but the Promise by Christ to come and not by Moses And they who had it were few in number and their Knowledge of Christ was but implicit and the Power of the Spirit far less But under the Gospel they were many in number not only Jews and Proselytes but Gentiles of all Nations their Faith was far more explicit and the Power of the Spirit far greater So that the force of the Reason is That if the Teaching under the Gospel â—e so far more excellent in respect of the matter taught the Teachers and manner of Teaching which is such as that they all from the least to the greatest shall know the Lord so clearly fully and powerfully then there shall be no such Teaching as under the Law For seeing there is no distinct actual Knowledge without some kind of Disciplination and Instruction therefore where any Knowledg of the Lord is whether under the Law or the Gospel there must be some kind of Disciplination under both And here the Disciplination and Teaching of the Law and the Gospel are compared together And that of the Law was so weak and imperfect in respect of the Knowledg of the Lord which it did produce and that of the Gospel so powerful and also so perfect in respect of the Knowledge of the Lord the Effect thereof that there was great Reason that the former should cease as needless useless and imperfect For as the Apostle saith in another
Case When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13 10. Both Law and Gospel have their Teachers Teaching and the matter taught which is the Knowledg of the Lord and both agree thus far Yet they differ in the Quality Power and Manner in which respects the former shall cease and the latter continue There shall be no such Teaching under the Gospel as under the Law because there shall be a far better The second Enquiry is Whether these words are added to the former only for Explication or for to inform us of another distinct Promise Upon due consideration they may be found so to explicate the former as to add another Promise For they signify 1. That the end and issue of God's putting his Laws in their mind and writing them in their hearts is to know God the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent 2. To know God and Jesus Christ far more perfectly than ever they could do under the Law 3. To know him so as never to depart from him as their Fathers did 4. To know him so as that God should be their God for ever and bind himself in an everlasting Covenant unto them And this effect it should have not in a few but in very many of all sorts of all Nations And all and every one in whom he would thus write his Doctrines should thus know him fear him love him and obey him constantly and cheerfully so as they should not need either so much teaching admonishing threatning correcting punishing as they did under the Law nor be in such danger of departing and revolting from their God as their Fathers were For our God doth so deeply imprint his heavenly saving Truth in our hearts as that we shall be enamoured with Christ and so firmly adhere unto him as never to be separated from him This Effect it is not onely able to produce but hath actually produced it in thousands and millions This may be a new Promise whereby God doth engage himself not onely to be our God and take us for his People for a time but for ever For after once he becomes our God as here is meant he not onely rewards us but amongst other things doth continually minister unto us the sanctifying Power of his Spirit to enable us more and more to keep his Covenant that so in the end we may obtain the final and eternal Reward for he first writes his Laws in our hearts that upon our first Faith and Conversion he may first become our God and after he once is our God he writes them more and more that he may continue to be our God for evermore He will not only begin but finish the great Work of Salvation § 14. There is another Promise of unspeakable comfort expressed Ver. 12. For I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more THis is a Mercy of that concernment and necessity to sinful Man that all the rest without it are nothing The thing promised is eternal Remission of all sins Where we have 1. Sins 2. Remission of Sins 3. Remission for ever 4. The Person remitting 5. The Persons to whom they are remitted 1. For Sin we have three words 1. Unrighteousness 2. Sins 3. Iniquities Two of these are only named in the Prophet and the Apostle adds the third according to that of Exod. 34. 7. where we find three Hebrew words as we do Psal. 32. 12. And the Septuagint translate the three Original words by these three Greek words which are here used by the Apostle And here it 's implied That the People with whom God makes this Covenant have their Unrighteousness Sins and Iniquities and some of them not onely many but very hainous What Sin is I need not here define because I have done it more at large in my Theopolitica where I explain the meaning of the Apostle's definition 1 Joh. 3. 4. Sin presupposeth a Law-giver one Subject and under his Power a Law and the Obligation of the party subject And it 's a disobedience to the Law Here God's the Law-giver Man 's the Subject Commandments the Laws and when Man acts moves or is inclined contrary unto these Laws then he sins The Commands of God are his Rule and he ought to follow it and his heart ought to be conformable unto it and that freely and upon Knowledg For Man is bound to know the Law and to observe it And when Man sâ—vervs from this Rule he forsakes the Wisdom and Righteousness of God and follows his own Imagination and the Suggestion of the Devil and is carried away from his God by his base and ill-disposed Will and Lusts. And though all Sin is base yet some sins are more hainous than others Amongst other Consequents of Sin Guilt and Punishment are most remarkable and there can be no Sin which makes not Man guilty and liable to Punishment though the Punishment may be removed or the Suffering of it prevented And because God in his Law promiseth not only temporal but eternal Rewards and threatneth not only temporal but eternal Punishments therefore the condition of the guilty is very miserable and the more guilty the more miserable And if once we see our condition and be sensible of it our Souls are troubled and fearfully tormented and the thoughts and remembrance of Judgment are very terrible not onely because we are in danger to lose the eternal Rewards but to suffer eternal Punishments 2. Though there be Sins and the Guilt after the Sin is past remains yet there is Remission This Remission is a kind of loosing and dissolving an Obligation This Obligation here to be loosed is Guilt which is not Obligation to Obedience which is the Act of a Law but unto Punishment which follows upon the transgression of the Law by vertue of the Law and the Commination Pardon therefore and Remission is a freedom from the Guilt and so from the Punishment by necessary Consequence This Remission in this place is expressed by two words the first is I will be merciful the second I will not remember their Sins and Iniquities The first implies that Remission is an Act of Mercy pure and free Mercy for he that is guilty is in the hands of the Judge to punish or spare him and if he spare it 's a favour and an undeserved kindness Yet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull doth sometime imply such a Mercy as presupposeth some satisfaction and propitiation made without which Mercy and Pardon will not be granted and so it 's taken in this place For though God be merciful and inclined to pardon yet he will be just and Justice requires some expiation to be made by Blood or some other way and this to manifest his purest holiness and hatred of Sin and that he will not suffer his just Laws to be violated and yet let the party violating go free without any
to blot out all our Sins and never remember them never charge them upon us that Christ should be the Mediator of this Covenant and never cease his Mediation till he hath fully sanctified justified and blessed us for ever What can Man desire which he shall not have What can he want which God hath not provided for him Doth he desire an High-Priest He is ready and he is the best in the World Doth he desire his Ministry in Heaven He shall be sure of it Doth he desire a Covenant Here is a Covenant a new Covenant a Covenant of the best and sweetest Promises that ever were Doth he desire a Mediator of this Covenant A Mediator is at the right hand of God who ever lives there and as an Advocate pleads his Cause and will not rest Day or Night untill he hath made us capable of Pardon and procured Remission of all our Sins for ever The remembrance of these things must needs be sweet and wonderfully revive and refresh a bruised Spirit and a broken heart sensible of Sin hungring and thirsting after Righteousness and Salvation But how great is our Ignorance of these things how weak our Faith how languishing our Hopes Our eternal happiness depends upon this Covenant this Priest this Mediation and Ministry and issues from God the Father and from this High-Priest and from pure Mercy And how happy we if we had but a true and living Faith effectually to believe these things and totally to rely upon God's pure free and abundant Mercy in Jesus Christ for they who believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and he that hath the Son hath Life and Life for evermore Many and grievous are our Sins great is our danger and none can help us but this great Mediator of this blessed Covenant yet we are sensless of our Sins and do not seek unto our Saviour We are secure and do not understand that without his help and Ministry we must unavoidably perish God hath done much to save us and hath brought eternal life near unto us but we regard it not We continue in our Sins and will not believe on Christ and therefore are we condemned already because we have not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God And this will be our Condemnation that Light is come unto us and yet we love Darkness rather than the Light therefore Salvation is far from us Christ will not be our Saviour nor make Intercession for us O Lord put thy Laws in our minds and write them in our hearts that we may see our Sins and be sensible of them and seek our Saviour that thou mayest be our God and we thy People and know thee all of us from the least unto the greatest that so thou mayest mercifully pardon our Unrighteousness and remember our Sins and Iniquities no more Amen Amen CHAP. IX Of the Sacrifice of Christ and the excellent vertue thereof § 1. THE Apostle here doth enlarge upon and more particularly and distinctly explain those things which in the former Chapter he had only in general and briefly mentioned For he implyed there that a Priest once made and consecrated must have a Sanctuary must minister in it and be the Mediator of a Covenant and that the more excellent the Sanctuary the Service and the Covenant the more excellent the Priest that is Minister of these And did affirm that Christ in respect of all these was more excellent than the Levitical Priest But in this Chapter he speaks more at large of the earthly and the heavenly Sanctuary of the Service performed in both but especially of the great Sacrifice and Expiation made by both the Priests most of all of Christ's Expiation-Offering of the rare vertue and the excellent Effects thereof and how by it he was the Mediator of the new Covenant and made it effectual unto Remission and the eternal Salvation of Man This is some kind of co-herence whereby this part is joyned to the former But there is another for the Apostle having proved Christ more excellent than the Levitical High-Priest 1. In respect of his Constitution Chap. 5. 6. and especially in the 7th 2. In respect of his Ministration in the 8th In this 9th he proceeds to speak of his Ministration in particular and of his excellent Service in Offering himself a Sacrifice without spot to God § 2. The Subject of this whole Chapter and part of the tenth is the Sacrifice of the Cross. The Scope is to manifest how excellent this piece of Service is The Method upon consideration of the whole is this He informs us 1. Of the Typical Tabernacle and the Service especially the great Expiatory Sacrifice performed therein and this by way of Introduction to the 11th Verse 2. Of the Anti-Typical Sanctuary and Sacrifice and teacheth us 1. The Nature and Quality of both especially of the Sacrifice 2. The Vertue of this Sacrifice manifested in the Effects thereof from Ver. 11. to the end And this he doth 1. Both absolutely and sometimes comparatively in this Chapter 2. More comparatively in the Chapter following This is the general Analysis the particular you may expect both in and after the Explication The Substance of the whole is this He that being a Minister of a better Sanctuary doth offer a far more excellent Sacrifice must needs be a more excellent Priest than the Levitical But Christ being Minister of a better Tabernacle offered a more excellent Sacrifice Therefore he is a more excellent Priest The Proposition he takes for granted The Assumption he proves at large and very effectually and this is his Design and Work in this Chapter and part of the 10th § 3. To begin with the Introduction Ver. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary VVHere we may observe 1. The Connexion 2. The Matter The Connexion is signified by these words Then verily or according to the Original Therefore verily and so Vatablus Beza Junius translate By which the words following seem to contain a Conclusion deduced from the former Chapter Ver. 2. 3 4 5. and especially from the 5th where it 's implyed that there must be a Tabernacle and the Priests must serve and officiate in it according to the Example and Shadow of heavenly things and there were certain Rules given to Moses according to which both he must make the Tabernacle and the Priests must serve therein This briefly for the Connexion It follows 2. The former had Ordinances of Divine Service c. Where we have 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate The Subject the first the Original expresseth no more not informing us whether the first Priest-hood or the first Tabernacle or the first Covenant be meant Some Copies expresly read the first Tabernacle and so some understand the place but most reject that and supply the Ellipsis by the word Covenant and so much the rather because in the last Verse of the former
Rom. 8. 17. so may we likewise say If no Sons then no Heirs None can be Sons that are not justified none can be justified which believe not in the Death and Blood of Christ there can be no Belief in this Blood if not shed This Death and Blood of Christ 1. Expiates sin and makes it remissible 2. Merits the eternal Inheritance promised and the Promise too 3. It merits the Spirit to enable Man to keep the Covenant so as to obtain and receive the Inheritance 4. It merits a Power in Christ 1. To reveal the Gospel and give the Spirit to work Repentance and Faith in sinful Man's heart 2. Upon Repentance and Faith and his Intercession a Power to give Remission and the eternal Inheritance Take away this Death this Blood there is no Expiation of Sin no Inheritance no Covenant and suppose a Covenant and a Promise yet it 's ineffectual invalid without this Blood this Death For all the heavenly Promises are made for and in consideration of this Blood satisfying his Justice and meriting his Favour so that without it they are all nothing to purpose neither without it can the called though obedient to the heavenly Call ever have any Right unto or Possession of eternal Life So that the whole strength and efficacy of the Covenant doth depend upon this Blood for by it our Sins are expiated and our Consciences purged so as to be capable of the Inheritance This is a most clear Text to prove that the Saints even under the Law were called and saved and that not by the Ministry and Sacrifice of the Levitical Priests but by the Blood of Christ the vertue whereof extended to former times even the times of Adam Neither did they trust in their Sacrifices and their Priests and the Blood of Bulls and Goats and their Water of separation but in the Blood of Christ yet their Faith was very implicit The third Proposition is Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant for this Reason and for this End An excellent Covenant must have an excellent Priest and Mediator and seeing this Covenant doth promise eternal Remission and an eternal Inheritance it requires such a Priest as shall be able by his Ministry and Service to obtain this Remission and Inheritance This no Priests by their Sacrifices or any other Service could do but Christ could and therefore not they but He and He alone was made the Mediator of this new Covenant For by his Death he expiates sin and purgeth the Conscience so that the called receive the Promise of eternal Inheritance and the vertue of this Death is universal in respect of time and persons called The Sum of all this is That Christ by reason of his Death and Blood expiating Sin and purging the Conscience is the Mediator of the new Testament or Covenant to confirm and make it effectual to the Heirs of the Promise § 15. This Confirmation of the new Covenant is illustrated from a two-fold Similitude the one is taken a Jure Naturali the other a Jure Ceremoniali The first is taken from the Law of Nature for to it the Civilians refer the Rules of Testaments and Wills and is delivered Ver. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator Ver. 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the Testator liveth THis is an imperfect and contract Similitude for the parts thereof as of all Comparisons are two 1. The Proposition 2. The Reddition And yet the Proposition is only expressed and the Reddition is only implyed and to be supplied from the antecedent Context In the Proposition we may observe two things 1. The necessity of the Death of the Testator barely asserted Ver. 16. 2. The Reason thereof rendred Ver. 17. The Argument in Form may be this That which is not of force whilest the Testator liveth that necessarily requireth the Death of the Testator to make it of force But a Testament is not of force whilest the Testator liveth Therefore it requireth to make it of force the Death of the Testator The Assumption is expressed 1. Affirmatively A Testament is of force after men who are Testators are dead 2. Negatively It 's of no strength whilest the Testator liveth The Comparison at large is this As the Death of the Testator is necessary to make the Testament of force so the Death of Christ is necessary for to make the new Covenant of force For though Christ might in some respect be a Mediator of the new Covenant yet he could not make it valid firm and effectual without his death neither we under the Gospel nor the Fathers under the Law could without this Death be saved by it And as the death of the Testator gives full force and efficacy to the Testament and this Confirmation is an Effect of his Death so the Death of Christ gives full force to the new Covenant and makes â—â— effectual and this validity and efficacy is an Effect of this Death of Christ and manifests the excellency of this Sacrifice and of Christ the Priest who offered it The things compared as like are the Death of Christ and the Death of a Testator The things wherein they agree are 1. The like Effect of both which is to confirm and make effectual some Instrument 2. The necessity of both for that end to confirm and make effectual § 16. The Propositions in the first part of the Comparison are these 1. There are Testaments of men 2. These are not of force whilest the Testators live 3. They are of force upon the Death of the Testators 4. The Death of the Testators is necessary to make them of force 1. The matter of all Testaments is a temporal estate of these earthly Goods which God hath given Man to preserve this temporal Life The Testator is one that hath a just Title unto these Goods so that he hath power to dispose of them The Testament it self is the manner of disposing these Goods so as to give the same Right which he had in them unto other Persons after his Death and therefore it must signify his Will concerning these Goods and nominate the Persons who must succeed him so as to have them And because it 's an Act of Reason so to do therefore the Testator when he makes his Will must be Compos mentis and have the Use of his Reason and also sui Juris and not under the power of another The end of it is to prevent future suits and dissensions and Injustice about his Estate The Light of Nature doth teach men thus to dispose of their temporal Goods and therefore they are of ancient and universal Use. 2. These are not in force whilest the Testators live and the Reason of this is not only because whilest they are living they have need of or do use their Goods and though they make their Will in their life-time yet they
Will and great Command of God which can never be found in the Moral Law That Christ should suffer and offer himself to expiate the Sin of Man This Law is said to be in his heart and he delighted to do it For if he had not done it willingly it never had been accepted or effectual These words are left out in the Apostles allegation not only because he would have them understood but also because the Text of the Psalmist without them was sufficient for his purpose Though it 's very true that in the New Testament several times a few words of the Text cited out of the Old are expressed and the Reader referred to the Book where they are written at large 2. He came to do his Will that is to dye for the Sin of Man and to do this Will and offer himself a Sacrifice for the Expiation of our Sins was the end of his coming For as that was the great Command of his Father so it was the great Work he had to do Not long before his Death he said Now my Soul is troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Joh. 12. 27. And in his Agony he prayes That the bitter Cup of his Passion if it were possible might passe from him yet concludes Thy will not mine be done Where it 's implyed That it was his Father's Will he should suffer and offer himself and he was resolved to do it and to deny his own Will and submit unto his heavenly Father And again The Cup which my Father hath giveâ— me shall I not drink it Joh. 18. 11. He could have prayed to his Father and have obtained twelve Legions of Angels a Power sufficient to have rescued him from all his Enemies yet would not do it For saith he How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Matth. 26. 54. Where we must observe 1. That the Father had by the Prophets of Old signified That it was his Will that Christ should suffer 2. That he câ—me into the World to fulfil this Will and to present himself before his Father when the time came and said Lo I come 3. This was written in the Volume of God's Book This Book is the Book of the Old Testament and it 's called a Volume because it was not bound up as now Books are but rouled up into a Scroul or Volume as the Hebrew word doth signify and as some say The Jews do fold up the Book they read in their Synagogues Therefore is it said That when the Book of the Prophet Esay was delivered to Christ he unfolded it and when he had read a part of it he folded it up again as the word in the Original signifieth Luke 4. 17 20. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned by Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Hierom Pagnine Pratensis Tremelius and Junius Volumen by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Vulgar Caput and so in this place Tremelius and Beza translate it Schindler thinks the Septuagint took Megittah for Gilgoleth which signifies the Scul or the Head But this is not likely We need not much trouble our selves about the Word For as Genebrard observes the meaning is That it was written of him in the whole body of the Scriptures and the sum of them for the sum of Moses and the Prophets is Christ. And it 's certain That Christ was the principal Subject of all their Writings which Christ read and perfectly knew his Fathers Will revealed in them that men might believe in him and expect Salvation from him This Will so perfectly known to Christ was in his heart which he delighted to do and was resolved upon it Thus must we deny our own natural Desires to suffer loss of life and cruel pains to do the Will of God if we will be Christ's Disciples and receive benefit by him § 8. Thus far the words of the Psalmist the Apostle's Application followeth which will be the more perspicuous if we consider the Subject of his discourse and the scope whereat he aims His Subject is the sanctification and perfection of such aâ— Worship God by Sacrifices and Offerings and his scope is this to prove that the Legal Sacrifices and Offerings could not expiate Sin and perfect the Worshippers because that effect was reserved for an higher Cause and for a more excellent Sacrifice Thus much premised the Apostle having recited the words of the Psalm observes three things in them 1. The rejection of the Legal Offerings and that in these two words Thou wouldst not and thou hadst no pleasure therein 2. The acceptation of the Sacrifice of Christ the Offering whereof was the doing God's Will 3. The reason why he rejected and took away the former was that he might establish the latter And seeing these were the words of God spoken by the Prophet David and that in time of the Law and that they plainly signify the Will of God in the matter of Sacrifices therefore the argument was strong and evincing and did clearly prove that the Legal Offerings could not take away sin but Christ's could § 9. That Christ's Offering could do this he affirms saying Ver. 10. By which Will we are sanctified by the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all HEre the Apostle returns again unto the Sacrifice of Christ and proves it far more excellent then those of the Law and that especially in two things 1. In that it could sanctify which they could not 2. It did sanctify being but one and once offered whereas they were many and often offered This excellency virtue and efficacy is set forth two wayes 1. Absolutely ver 10. 2. Comparatively ver 11 12 13 14. In these words where we have the virtue of this Sacrifice asserted absolutely we have two things 1. An Effect our Sanctification 2. The Cause the Will of God through the once offering of the Body of Christ. Where 1. We must not understand by Sanctification only a communication of inherent Righteousness in renuing the Image of God in us but also Justification and a freedom from all Sin and all the consequents thereof so that we shall never Sin or be guilty of Sin any more This is a rare and noble Effect and such as upon the same we shall be fully and for ever blessed 2. The Cause of this is God's Will through Christ's Body once offered And here by Will is meant the Will and Command of God signifyed to Christ that he should offer his Body once with his promise to accept it Yet this Will may be considered 1. As a Law or Command given and signified to Christ. 2. As performed by Christ in which latter sense it is here taken principally For it 's not this Will or Command but this Will done that doth sanctify If God had given this Command and Christ had never
is there is no more offering for Sin IN all which we may observe 1. The Apostle's manner of Allegation ver 15. 2. The Text alledged ver 16 17. 3. The Aoostle's Application of the Text to the point in hand ver 18. 1. The manner of Allegation we have in these words Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness to us For after he had said before The principal things here considerable are 1. The thing testified 2. The Witness testifying The thing testified is implyed in the word Whereof and it is the excellency of Christ's Sacrifice in respect of the virtue thereof in taking away Sin for this is the principal Subject of his present Discourse and the demonstration of this Virtue is chiefly intended The witness testifying this is the Holy Ghost a greater a better Witness we cannot have This Testimony we find in the Scriptures which signifie That all Scripture is given by inspiration from God we read it in the Prophet Joremiah therefore he spake and wrote this as moved by the Holy Ghost Jeremy so speaks and writes them as the words of God for saith the Lord is his Style from whence we observe That the Holy Ghost is the eternal Jehovah For that which Jehovah saith there The Spirit is sâ—d to witness or testify here Therefore seeing it 's the Spirit that testifieth and upon Record the thing testified must needs be of infallible and undeniable Truth 2. The matter of the Text alledged is a Promise and it is two-fold 1. Of putting God's Laws in our hearts that we may believe and be converted 2. The Remission of our Sins upon our Faith and Conversion The first is done by illumination and inspiration whereby that word concerning Christ and Salvation which we hear is made effectual and the power of the Spirit is added to work Faith by that word in our hearts to make us capable of Remission The second is done by the Sentence of the Supream Judge absolving us The first is referred to Vocation The second to Justification And here we must observe what the Apostle's intention is which will appear in The third thing which is the Apostle's Application in ver 18. 1. The difference between the second Allegation of the same Text here and in Chapter 8th is That there he proves the excellency of the Covenant above the former Covenant from the excellency of the promises but here he proves the excellency of Christ's one offering above all the offerings of the Law because by virtue of it Sins are taken away which implies that the mercies promised in the New Covenant were merited by this Sacrifice and that in respect of this Sacrifice offered he was the Mediatour of this Covenant so that without it those promises had been never made or if they had been made they never had beeneffectual and beneficial unto sinful Man For in consideration of this offering God made these promises and for Christ's sake offering himself once he gives the things promised to such as are capable of them according to the Tenour of the Covenant 2. He singles out the latter promise of Remission as most pertinent to the point in hand for though the former promise be excellent and the thing promised necessary for to enable Man to keep the Covenant yet it is but subordinate to this second promise because if the Covenant be not kept there can be no remission neither is there any keeping of the Covenant except God's Laws be written in man's heart as well as in the Scripture outwardly 3. He puts an Emphasis upon the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Hebrew Text and the double negative in the Greek which imports That he will in no wise remember out Sins any more he will forgive them for ever 4. From hence he draws this conclusion there is no more offering for Sin 5. And from thence that Christ's Sacrifice was of that excellent virtue that by one offering it took away Sin all Sin and made it eternally Remissible and upon Faith eternally to be remitted So that the substance of the Doctrinal part of this Chapter is to demonstrate the inefficacy of the many Legal Offerings and the Efficacy of Christ's one Offering And all this tends to this end to inform us 1. That Legal Offerings cannot help and save us 2. That Christ's can 3. That Christ's is far more excellent and absolutely necessary And the Comparison therefore is in respect of the expiating power and vertue of both which of the one is little or none of the other is very great and sufficient for our Salvation and eternal happinesse And this Doctrine is full of heavenly Comfort to humble penitent and believing Sinners for by this Offering though our Sins be many and hainous yet they are all eternally pardoneâ— and we for ever consecrated § 15. The Apostle having finished his Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood begins here to apply the same and that by way of Exhortation to certain Duties which they were bound to perform by vertue of God's Command and that Faith in Christ they did profess The former Doctrine did serve to inform their Understanding more fully and to improve and confirm their Faith the Exhortations following tended to stir up the heart informed by the Understanding and directed by Faith to the performance of other Duties necessary to the attainment of that eternal life which Christ had merited for them This is the second part of this Chapter and almost of the whole Epistle for the Connexion will make it appear to be so if we either consider the matter or manner For the matter we find that these words are joyned with the antecedent Doctrine concerning the Excellency of Christ both as Prophet and Priest and so it 's the second part of the whole which is 1. Doctrinal 2. Practical For the former part is didascalical this latter protreptical and more practical But if we consider the immediate Connexion then it will appear that it 's in a more special manner joyned with the Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood continued from the fifth Chapter to this place and the first Application following as the last Chap. 13. doth more especially respect Christ's Priest-hood The manner of the Connexion is evident from the Illative Therefore which signifies that the Exhortations are so many Conclusions deduced from the former Doctrine especially that of Christ's Priest-hood The principal Duty exhorted unto and urged by many and powerful Arguments is Perseverance in the Christian Faith which they did profess Yet he exhorts unto many other which should alwayes accompany sincere Faith and are not separable from it These things premised it 's time to enter upon the Text as delivered Ver. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Christ Ver. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh Ver. 21. And having an High-Priest over the House of God THE Method of
Doctrine so it is also a ground of the future Exhortations For if there had been no way made or if there had been a way and we could have had no liberty of accesse unto the Throne of Grace by the Blood of Christ or if there had been a way and liberty to enter and yet no High-Priest set over the House of God it would be in vain to continue in the profession of Christian Faith or to perform any of those Duties exhorted unto in the following part of the Epistle But seeing we have all these and none of them nor any other thing necessary to Salvation is wanting but eternal life is possible and certainly upon these Reason to be obtained therefore we have a great motive and encouragement to go on and continue in the performance of the Duties exhorted unto For the ground of our hope is the possibility and certainty of attaining eternal Salvation and the ground of our practise and perseverance is our Hope which is the stronger because a way is made a liberty to enter obtained and a Priest set over God's House who will secure us of eternal bliss if we continue to believe and obey him to the end This is so much the more an effectuall reason because none of these could be had by the Law § 19. But what are these Duties exhorted unto They are several yet such as have great affinity one with another and all tend to one end The first this is Ver. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of â—aith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water THE Apostle in these words and those which follow exhorts to severall Duties 1 To draw near to God ver 22. 2. To persevere in their Christian Profession ver 23. 3. To stir up one another to Love and good Works ver 24. 4. To Continue in Christian Communion ver 25. In the first Exhortation we may observe 1. The Duty exhorted unto and to be performed 2. The manner of performance 3. The preparation of the persons who must perform it For the Duty is to no purpose no wayes profitable if it be not 1. Performed 2. Performed in due manner 3. Performed by persons prepared and duly qualified 1. To draw near to God for so the words are to be understood is to Worship God in general in particular to pray and seek Remission and eternal Life from him This is to make use of the way Consecrated through Christ's Flesh and of our liberty to enter into the Holiest procured by the Blood of Christ. It 's the same with coming boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace for seasonable Help Chap. 4. 16. It 's the same with coming to God by Christ to sue for Mercy Chap. 7. 25. The party therefore to whom we come is God yet considered as sitting in the Throne of Grace and propitiated by the Blood of Christ. The drawing nigh or coming to God thus considered is a motion not of the Body but the Soul whereby it turns away both the mind and heart from all other objects and turneth and addresseth it self unto God to converse with him for his Favour Mercy Blessings that it may obtain them from him And it fixeth upon him and abides with him till the business with him be finished This Coming is called Worshipping as Worshippers are called Commers ver 1. 2. This being the Duty it must be performed with a pure heart and in full assurance of Faith this is the manner and the due qualification of the act of drawing nigh to God without which it can neither please God nor profit Man This qualification is two-fold 1. The purity of Heart 2. The full assurance of Faith 1. It must be performed with the Heart For all serious actions issue from the Heart and whatsoever is not done with Knowledg and Will is not the action of a Man as a Man and a rational Creature The Worship of God whereby we seek eternal happiness requires both and in the highest degree of our activity because in it we have to do with God concerning the most weighty business of all others yet we may Worship with the Heart and not with a true Heart that is without sincerity The Heart is then sincere when according to God's Will it 's firmly fixed upon and aims chiefly at the chief End God's Glory and eternal Happiness desiring and intending both far above all other things and this out of clear Understanding And here it 's to be observed That sincerity is required not only in the person Worshipping but in the action of Worship He that is habitually sincere may so fâ—â— forget himself as to worship without sincerity and the principal part essence power reality and truth of that Worship which God requires For this truth and sincerity is the very Life and Soul of acceptable Worship If we incline or have secret and remote thoughts of Vain-glory of falling off from our profession or returning to Sin then our Heart is not perfect sincere upright and our worship must needs be like our hearts which ought in the first place wholly and folely be given and offered to God By this we easily understand and both how few do Worship God sincerely and how defective the Worship of the best may often prove 2. Besides sincerity is required a full assurance of Faith Faith is both a belief and a confidence and assurance full assurance is an higher degree of both As a belief it 's grounded on God's Word in general revealing the Truths and Propositions to be believed as a confidence it 's grounded on the promise a special part of God's Word The belief goes before confidence follows after as depending upon the belief for the promise is first a Truth and so to be considered before it can be conceived under the formal notion of a Promise He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him That God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him is a truth or true proposition and is to be believed and it is a Promise because therein God signifies that as he is able so he is willing to reward such any he hath in the Gospel signified his unchangeable Will and Decree so to do and hath bound himself both by his Decree and his Word which is the signification of the Decree The full assurance of this Faith is grounded upon the infallible Truth of his Word and the fidelity and immutability of his Promise And where as this full ssurance is thought generally an high degree of Faith yet Faith is no divine Faith without it For no man receives the Word and Promise of God as the Word and Promise of God that wants this full assurance For the firmness of Faith should answer the firmness of God's Word If this full assurance were an assurance of our particular estate
and of our Title to eternal Life and of our perseverance it might be though an high degree of Faith and separable from true and sincere Faith in many but the object of this full Assurance is the Word and Promise of God considered antecedently to the application of them to this or that particular Subject or our selves and to the conclusion we deduce from thence concerning our own particular estate And it 's necessarily required in every one who will draw near to God The confidence and reliance which is grounded upon God's Promise is not an assurance that God hath justified us already or that he will justify and save us absolutely but that he will justify save and reward those who by Repentance and Faith in Christ diligently seek him and by consequence that he will save us seeking him in that manner For the Promises of God include the Duty of Man and bind God only unto such as perform the Duty And he that comes to the Throne of Grace without a full assurance of Christ's Merit and God's Promise and the performance of it to them that do their Duty they come not aright their Worship is not acceptable their Prayers not effectual Therefore said the Apostle If any man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God c. But let him ask it in Faith nothing wavering c. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of God Jam. 1. 5 6 7. Where by a wavering man some understand not only a man not assured of the truth of God's Promises or doubting of them but one not resolved to perform the Conditions of the Covenant For any such unresolved man to think that he shall receive the mercies promised and prayed for is plain Presumption Therefore this full assurance is necessarily required in every person drawing nigh to God even then when he draws nigh and converseth with his God We must therefore draw near to God and pray every where lifting up holy hands without Wrath or Doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. Doubting is as prejudicial to Prayer as Wrath or impure hands This is the qualisication of actual Worship 3. The qualification of the Party followeth which is the purification of the heart and body For 1. Our hearts must be sprinkled from an evil Conscience 2. Our Bodies washed with pure water and the Apostle seems to presuppose them thus qualified because Believers The expressions are taken out of the Books of Moses in which God prescribed a two-fold purification one by bood which we have spoken of another by water And no person legally impure might draw nigh to God to worship him in the Tabernacle or Temple before he was purified And by this was signified that no man guilty and conscious of sin is fit to draw nigh unto or to worship God before he be purged from Sin The Ethiopick Translation is not here so wording as many other Translations be but is a Paraphrase and gives the true sense thus Our hearts being purged and our selves purified from Sin The reason hereof is this God heareth not Sinners Joh. 9. 31 But for the more distinct explication of the words we must observe 1. Our Hearts 2. The sprinkling of our Hearts 3. The sprinkling of them from an evil Conscience 4. The purifying of our Bodies with pure water 1. By Hearts are meant the rational appetite and will as subject unto the power of God and bound by his Laws This Heart and Will is the principal efficient of our actual Sins and proper and primary subject of Unrighteousness If this be pure all is pure if this be polluted all that issues out of it is polluted For out of the heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries c. Matth. 15. 19. 2. If this be unclean it must be sprinkled that is purged and cleansed for that 's the true meaning of the word For under the Law the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer were sprinkled upon the unclean and their Bodies being sprinkled with this Blood with these ashes were sanctified to the purifying of the Flesh so that the sanctified might be admitted into God's holy Tabernacle or Temple to Worship God with the rest of the People which were clean So under the Gospel such as are morally and spiritually unclean must be spiritually sprinkled and purged by the Blood of Christ which doth not only justify but sanctify the penitent Believer So that to have our hearts sprinkled is to have them justified and sanctified by the Blood of Christ. 3. The thing from which they must be cleansed is an evil Conscience which the Aethiopick Translatour interprets to be an evil Work or Sin For Evil here is Sin and an evil Conscience is the Sin whereof we are guilty and conscious For nothing doth spiritually and morally pollute us but Sin which makes us not only guilty and liable to punishment but also filthy and unfit for Communion with God 4. The Body must be washed with pure water Some understand the Body in proper sense as contra-distinct to the Heart and Soul and this water to be the water of Baptism which is sprinkled upon the Body and though not physicially yet sacramentally and mystically doth purge it and the Soul too from Sin This it 's said to do by virtue of the Institution by the merit of Christ's Blood and the power of the Spirit For Baptism is the washing of Renegeration by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tiâ— 3. 5. Yet this purifying cannot be by washing away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. It 's true that not only the Soul but the Body are polluted with Sin and both by reason of Sin are liable to punishment and both must be cleansed by the sprinkling of Christ's Blood and the Sanctification of the Spirit and this is the principal sense of the words The thing to be observed is That 1. No man unconverted unregenerate not sanctified by the Holy Ghost is fit to draw nigh to God 2. The regenerate who are in the State of justification and sanctification if they contract new guilt must by Repentance Faith in Christ's Blood and Prayer for the Spirit to sanctify them first cleanse themselves before they come to God The Body is but once washed with water and that is in Baptism but as it 's taken here it must be often washed and cleansed by the renewing of out Repentance and Faith So that by Heart and Body is meant the whole man and by sprinkling and washing is understood justification and sanctification not only begun upon our first conversion but continued by our Repentance and Faith continued habitually and re-iterated and actually exercised especially upon our relapfes and contracting of new guilt and pollution David knew this qualification to be necessary and therefore said I will wash my hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar Psal. 26 6. To
Apostates Therefore as they desired God's favour and an happy End and feared his Indignation and their own eternal Destruction let them persevere and use all means to perswade others to continue firm and faithful to the end And here you must observe that the principal Duty exhorted unto is Perseverance and the rest are subservient thereunto § 25. It follows Ver. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins IN these words 1. We have a Reason given to perswade unto perseverance 2. Yet this Reason is directly and immediately disswasive and dehorrative from Apostacy 3. Secondarily and by Consequence it exhorts and moves to perseverance For whatsoever Reason is against Apostacy the same is for perseverance 4. This Reason doth seem to imply that the forsaking of Christian Assemblies was Apostacy or tended to it and the day approaching to be a day of Judgment and in particular of the Punishment of such as fall away 5. This Reason begins here and is continued to the 32d Verse 6. It 's taken à poena from the Punishment which is avoided by perseverance and is executed upon Apostates 7. In Form it 's this If the Sin of Apostacy be unpardonable and shall be punished with unavoidable and most grievous Punishment then we ought to be very careful copâ—â—severe But the Antecedent is true Therefore we ought to persevere In the words of the Reason we have 1. The Sin 2. The Punishment which is Unavoidable Grievous The Sin is described in the 26. Ver. to be a sinning wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Where we must consider 1. What it presupposeth and that is the Acknowledgment of the Truth 2. What it is upon this presupposed It 's a wilful sinning In the presupposition we have 1. Truth 2. The Knowledg of it 3. The receiving of this Knowledg 1. By the Truth is meant the true pure and most certain Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ already come Faith and Salvation This is called Truth because it 's true and most eminently and infallibly true which is no wayes in any thing false and erroneous as being at first immediately revealed from God the God of Truth of all Truth who is not only true but Truth it self It 's called also the Truth by way of eminency as the most excellent Truth revealed for Man's eternal Happiness The Reason of this Truth is the Perfection of his full and clear Knowledge and his absolute Integrity and purest Holiness which both are such as that he neither can nor will reveal any thing but Truth 2. Truth may be Truth and yet not known to any Man or Angel and this Truth was first known only unto God Yet it pleased him out of his great Mercy to reveal his mind to Man and in particular this Truth of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostle who made it known unto others who by that means came to know it For many who heard the Gospel preached and attended unto it attained to the Knowledg of the great Mystery of God's Kingdom and of those things which were sufficient and effectual for Information of the Understanding unto everlasting Life This Knowledg was not Mathematical Physical Political or Metaphysical as some use to speak but Theological and Divine and a Light above the Light of Nature The word may signify not only Knowledg but Acknowledgment of this Truth by a full Assent upon Conviction And this might be caused not only by outward Revelation Information and Miracles but also by the Illumination of the Spirit and supernatural Gifts For God goes far with Man and doth much to save him he many times penetrates his inward parts and by his divine Light and Power enters into his very heart and all this to convert him 3. They received this Knowledg God did not only offer it but give it which he might be properly said to do when they received it They had it not by Nature for it 's far above the natural Man They acquired it but not by their own Power and Industry neither did they merit it Yet in this receiving they were not meerly passive yet passive before they could be active God must do something without Man before he can actively receive he must prevent him by Revelation and Information without and by Illumination and Operation within and this done Man may be active For to receive it is certainly an Act not only of the Understanding which assents but of the Will which approves So that he both wittingly and willingly receives and that with some delight and proceeds to Profession and continues for a while to believe approve profess Though this receiving of Knowledg may seem only to be Acknowledgment yet it 's something more Truth is opposed to Erroar Knowledg to Ignorance Acknowledgment to Dissent Approbation to Rejection of this Truth § 26. This receiving and having is presupposed to Apostacy and sinning wilfully For no Man can loose and fall away from that which he never had either in Title or Possession so none can fall away from Grace or any degree of Grace which he never had The Heathens in Scripture were never said to breâ—k the Covenant of God or forsake God as their God by Covenant Therefore the proper Subject of Apostacy is one in the Church a member of the visible Church and in the times of the Gospel a Christian who hath professeth his Faith in Christ yet of these Apostates there is a difference and there are degrees of this Apostacy For some receive and profess Christianity by tradition and an implicit Faith yet never have any distinct knowledg of the Truth to be believed Some believe and understand more explicitely the Doctrine of Christianity and are convinced of the truth of it yet are never affected with the matter so as to forsake their Sins and reform their Lives but continue in their Sin Some know believe are affected with the matter as so they begin by the power of the Spirit to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and find some spiritual joy and comfort To fall away from any of these is Apostacy but to fall from the last is the greatest And there was something proper to those times which did aggravate this sin very much For the Truth then was confirmed both by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost this confirmation was clear and extraordinary and to renounce that Truth so confirmed must needs be hainous and of this the Apostle seems to speak Christians may fall away three wayes by denying the Truth 1. In their Profession Or 2. In their practise Or 3. In both And that denial which we call Apostacy is destructive of Christianity and maketh a man of a Christian no Christian. Yet some may deny Christ or fall into some grievous Sin and yet verily believe in their hearts and retain the love of Christ as Peter and others have
which after you were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Afflictions THE former reason was from the certain and most grievous punishments of Apostacy the reasons following have some respect unto the Reward and they are two one in respect to time past the other to time to come The former is continued from this verse unto the 35. The latter from the 35. unto the end In the former we may consider 1. Their Suffering 2. The Time when they suffered 3. An exhortation to Remembrance of what they then suffered 4. The End of this remembrance 1. Their former Suffering is described and represented 1. In general 2. In particular The general we have in these words of this Text Ye endured a great fight of Afflictions Where we have 1. Afflictions 2. A fight of Afflictions 3. A great Fight 4. The enduring of this great Fight Christians ought to be endued with all heavenly Virtues not only such as encline and enable them to do good but also such as fit and strengthen them to endure evil in doing good and for serving their God To suffer for doing evil is no virtue but to suffer for Righteousness sake for Christ's sake is a noble and excellent Grace This is an high degree and a perfection of a Christian Therefore we are exhorted to let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. For without patience and fortitude it 's impossible to suffer as we ought and to attain this perfection 1. The thing to be suffered is Affliction which is some evil that doth vex trouble and â—â—reave us of that peace ease safety which we might otherwise enjoy and here it 's not one single affliction but a multitude of them for they endured Afflictions The word here turned by a Metonymy Afflictions signifies properly Sufferings because when we are afflicted we are patients and the Subject afflicted not the Agents afflicting and the evil dothly and press hard upon us to bruise and break us and all these tend to our destruction and misery 2. Here is a fight and a contest of Afflictions and the Contention is between the parties afflicting and the persons afflicted the one offending the other defending like two Enemies wherein the assailant seeks to overcome and subdue the party assaulted The great Enemy and Afflicter is the Devil his Agents and Instruments are unbelieving and wicked men His design is to break in pieces our Faith which is the strength of our hearts for Faith strives against fear and seeks to overcome those terrours which Satan would strike into us that so we might renounce our profession This is a spiritual Fight and Battle between spiritual Enemies between Faith and Fear between the Soul and Satan 3. This fight is great For the opposition on one side was cruel and violent and the resistance was strong and powerful so that the Enemy was beaten off and foiled When Fire and Water meet and encounter the violence on both sides is very great according to the degrees of contrary qualities destructive one of another Thus it is in the contest between the seed of the Serpent and of the Woman the Church and according as the emnity and the power of the Contendents are more intensive so is the Fight more fierce And this was a great Fight because the Devil doth most violently assail new Converts and the Dragon waits to devour the Churche's newly regenerate Children so soon as she shall bring them forth and would certainly do it if they were not taken up into Heaven and into God's protection 4. Yet though the Fight was great yet they endured it and this they did by patience and divine fortitude For they continued firm in their Christian profession without doubtings and fears Their Faith remained firm and was like a Shield impenerrable They bare and put off the blows and stood their Ground kept the Field and caused the Enemy to retreat and draw off and though they suffered temporally yet spiritually they did not § 33. Thus far of their Sufferings in general but least this should be insufficient he further expresseth what their Sufferings in particular were and he seems to reduce these to three heads 1. Shame 2. Pain 3. Loss For they were in disgrace they were scourged their Goods were taken from them they suffered in their Names in their Persons in their Goods and that not only for their own profession but their association with others Their first particular Sufferings we read Ver. 33. Partly while ye are made a gazing stock both by Reproaches and Afflictions and partly whilst ye became Companicus of such as were so used THis Text informs us both what they suffered considered in themselves and also what as considered joyntly with others The evils which they suffered are said to be Reproaches and Afflictions the manner how they suffered these and that was by being made a gazing-stock The words may be reduced to two Propositions 1. They were made a gazing-stock both by Reproaches and Afflictions 2. They were Companions of such as were so used Yet both these have reference to the words going before and might be delivered thus 1. They endured a great sight of Afflictions partly by being a gazing stock both in Reproaches and Afflictions 2. They endured a great Fight by being Companions of such as were so used In the first for explication sake we may observe 1. That they were Reproached and Afflicted 2. By these Reproaches and Afflictions they were made a gazing-stock 3. This was part of their great Fight 1. They were Reproached Thus they might be used either by Words or Deeds For to speak or do any thing that tends to our disgrace and infamy is to Reproach Perhaps they called them Sectaries Hereticks Apostates Innovators seditious Persons and also did so account them and in this respect did hate despise and desame them These Reproaches in themselves were bitter and grievous yet they were more grievous because of Afflictions for they afflicted them by scourging imprisoning banishing them these did straiten press vex torment their Bodies and deprive them of ease peace and liberty 2. Yet these were made still more grievous because they did reproach and afflict them not so much privately as publickly in open view to make their shame and ignominy the greater They brought them as it were upon a Stage and as into a Theater where multitudes even thousands might gaze upon them revile them scourge them and make a sport of their Sufferings Every one must take notice of them as base persons troublers of the World the reffuse and scum of mankind and abhorr them And in this they followed Christ and took up his Cross which was a suffering of pain and shame 3. This was part of their great Fight and a great Fight it was because naturally we much desire to preserve our credit honour and reputation which to some high Spirits which the World terms Generous is dearer then life for
Antecedent And this is a certain Rule that if the Antecedent be true the Consequent is so too The Connexion is not natural but depends upon divine Ordination who hath determined in general that Punishment shall follow upon Sin and in particular that final Perdition shall follow upon Apostacy This is part of the Text which the Apostle alledgeth out of Habakkuk and therefore the Original is Hebrew And this gives occasion to consider the difference of the Translations the Vulgar Junius Vatablus the Divines of Zurick following him and our English differ amongst themselvs in translating the Hebrew and the Septuagint which the Apostle follows seems to differ much from all the Rest. Besides the Hebrew Copy which they turned did not agree with these of latter times This difference will appear in the Explication of particulars which are two 1. Apostacy 2. God's Displeasure 1. The Apostacy which is signified by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be Pride so some to be Unbelief so others to be a Lifting up so our English to be a drawing back so the Septuagint These may be reconciled for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fear and out of fear to hide ones self and also to remit and abate of our former Boldness and Courage this signification agrees well enough with the Arabick signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gafal which some tells is to hide or neglect For all Apostacy issues from fear and a Remission of our more intensive Courage in time of Persecution so as to yield basely and cowardly unto our Enemy whom we might have resisted and overcome This drawing back is an Unbelief after Belief and Profession of our Faith And it may and sometimes doth proceed from Pride which will not suffer the heart to submit unto the Will of God and depend upon that Righteousness which is by Faith it will scorn to bear the Cross of Christ and it will despise the Promises and Comminations of the Gospel Yet it may issue from other Causes 2. The Punishment is expressed in these words My Soul shall have no pleasure in him In our present Hebrew Copies we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Soul whereas the Septuagint read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Soul To change the Affix Jod into Vau was an Errour easily committed in the Transcription By Soul therefore is not meant the Soul of the Apostate but of God and the Soul of God is God who is only Soul and Spirit and hath no Body Of God it 's said He will have no pleasure in the Apostate which is a Meiosis and signifies He will be highly displeased with him The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated to be upright doth signify also to please so the Septuagint divers time do turn it and I know no Reason why the Translatour should vary from them especially in Habakkuk By this Phrase is declared God's high displeasure against them for their Sin for as their Sin was high and hainous so was his Displeasure who would punish them severely that the penalty might be proportioned and made adequate to their Sin So in these words the words of God we find the Arguments both à Praemio Poena briefly contracted § 41. Yet lest the Hebrews should think that the Apostle had conceived some Jealousy and Suspicion of an Inclination in them to Apostacy he as in the sixth Chapter prevents all such thoughts by these words following Ver. 39. But we are not of them which draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul THis is an Application of the former Doctrine delivered in general to Paul and these Hebrews in particular There is little need of Explication for the words are easily understood from that which went before For to draw back is Apostacy and Perdition is utter Destruction which issues from the Displeasure and severe Justice of God To believe is the Duty Salvation of the Soul the Reward and to believe unto the Salvation of the Soul is to persevere in Faith unto the End and the full Possession of eternal Glory By these words we learn 1. To have a charitable conceit of Professors when we see and know nothing contrary to sincerity 2. To examine and thoroughly search our hearts that we may more clearly understand our spiritual condition Whether it be good or bad Whether our Faith be sincere and our Profession real or no Whether we tend unto Perdition or Salvation 3. They imply a secret Exhortation to Perseverance and a Dehortation from Apostacy upon the two main and principal Reasons of Perdition and Salvation 4. They serve for Comfort for to have a certain Knowledg of our Sincerity Constancy and Performance of our Duty and the Conditions of the Covenant is a Ground of great Joy and Comfort in the midst of our Afflictions and Tribulations for upon this Knowledg we are assured that God doth love us we are freed from the danger of Damnation have a firm Title unto everlasting Glory and all things shall work together for our good And happy we if we can truly say as here the Apostle doth We are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them who believe unto the Salvation of the Soul The Sum and Substance of the whole Chapter is 1. The Doctrine of the Excellency and Efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice which once offered doth consecrate the sanctified for ever 2. Exhortation to several Duties and especially to the principal which is Perseverance which is urged upon them by severall Arguments especially that of the fearful Punishment of Apostates and the glorius Reward of Perseverance CHAP. XI Concerning the excellency of Faith exemplisied in the Saints of former times § 1. THE Connexion of this Chapter with the former the Scope and Method are obvious and easily understood by the observant and considerate Reader 1. The Connexion is this the Apostle continues his Discourse concerning Faith and Profession and Perseverance in them unto Life Salvation and the receiving of the great Reward and his Exhortation unto Perseverance So that they agree in the same subject matter 2. The Scope is by a new Argument to stir them up unto continuance in the Exercise of this heavenly vertue 3. The Method is easily perceived by the Disposition of the parts which are 1. A Description of Faith Ver. 1. 2. An Instance in two general Effects Ver. 2 3. 3. An enumeration of many Saints and Worthies of former times who by this Faith did suffer grievous Afflictions did rare Exploits and obtained many great Blessings These Saints are represented unto us as marshalled and set in Array according to the times wherein they lived and 1. Some are expressed by Name 2. Some are not named at all Of such as are named 1. Some are honoured with the Testimony of the rare Acts and Effects of their Faith related in particular out of the Scriptures 2. Some are only named and the Effects of their Faith
walk with God doth presuppose we are with him and with him we cannot be except we first come unto him and come unto him for to walk with him we cannot without this Faith And here I might take occasion to speak of the distance between God and Man by Nature caused by Sin and also of Man's return and first approach unto this Fountain of eternal Bliss but of these things I have spoken in my Theo-Politica yet here you must remember that he that cometh unto God is the Subject of this divine vertue of Faith This is a definition of Faith in general the Object whereof is the whole Scripture as representing God the Cause and Fountain of eternal happiness whereof justifying Faith as justifying is but a Branch After the absolute consideration of this Text in the second place it remains we examine the words as they are an Argument or Reason to clear and prove something that went before And for this purpose we must remember that his intention was to prove that Enoch obtained the great Reward of his blessed Translation by Faith This he proves because he pleased God the Connexion of Faith and pleasing God is proved because without Faith it 's impossible to please God and that it 's impossible he makes evident from the definition of Faith necessarily required in every one that will come to God For if a man believe not that God is or that there is a God he can never come unto him for no God no Worship of God no thoughts of the Worship of that which is not believed to be Therefore all Atheists are profane Scoffers and not only neglect but deride Religion The belief of a God is the first Ground of all Religious Service But let a man believe there is a God and yet not be perswaded that this God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him his Religion will be very cold if any at all The mighty Motive to come to God and to walk with him is a certain Belief not only that God is but that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Upon this Ground because upon the Resurrection we receive this great and glorious Reward the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians to be stedfast and immovable in this Faith of the Resurrection alwayes abounding ing in the Work of the Lord in as much as they knew their Labour in the Lord was not in vain This presupposeth that the end is the Principle of Motion in Morals and this end as known The End whereat Man should aime chiefly is eternal happiness in the enjoyment of his God the means to walk with God and so diligently seek him These things are known by Revelation and if Man upon Revelation do not certainly believe that God is and that he will richly reward with eternal Bliss all such as diligently seek him he can have no Principle of divine Motion in him but will think all Religious Service and Obedience to be in vain If any therefore ask what Faith divine and saving Faith is this Text will teach us that Faith is a Belief that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him This definition is an Abridgment of the whole Creed it begins with Faith in God and ends with Life everlasting which is the great Reward It 's true that the Creeds and Confessious of the Ancients were not so full so clear so explicit as these of the Gospel yet they included implicitly the great work of Redemption by Christ as yet to come and somewhat darkly represented unto them § 10. This rare Example of the great Reward obtained by Faith was a mighty Motive to perswade them to Perseverance yet he stayes not here but proceeds to a third who also lived before the Flood and survived the old World as a Man of both This was Noah of whom it followeth Ver. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith IN those words we might observe 1. Noah's Faith 2. His Obedience 3. The Issue of both Yet for the better handling of them I will reduce them to three Propositions 1. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen was moved with fear 2. Being moved with fear he prepared an Ark for the saving of his House 3. By this he condemned the World and became Heir of that Righteousness which is by Faith 1. The first informs us 1. Of the Ground 2. Of the Object 3. Of the Effect in his heart of his Faith 1. The ground of his Faith was the Word of God for he was warned by God This we may learn at large both that God spake unto him and what he informed him of For these few words of this Text are a pithy abridgment of a larger History delivered by Moses Gen. 6. 7 8. Chapters And here it 's observable that the rule of the divine Faith of God's Saints in all Ages was the Revelation and the Word For the matters of their Faith are such as that without this word it could not have any certain and firm ground How God spake unto him whether by Angels or by audible Voice or by immediate inspiration or some other way is neither here nor in Moses his History expressed 2. The object of this Faith materially considered were things not seen formally these things not seen as revealed for he was warned or rather informed by God For it was God who spake unto him and because that information did represent some danger of a great end yet avoidable the word which hath many significations is turned being warned so warning is sometimes taken Those things were then not seen and so matter of Faith yet after they were seen But first whilst these things were in the mind of God no Man nor Angel could know them After that God had revealed them they might be known and seen by Faith but no wayes else 3. The Effect of this Faith in his heart was this That he feared The object of fear is some danger apprehended The danger revealed unto him by God was an universal destruction by a deluge this he understood by Faith The effectual belief of this caused fear fear made him careful to provide for his safety The word in the Original may signify to fear yet so to fear as to be cautious and wary and by caution to seek for to avoid some danger and because there may be some danger of Sin and punishment for Sin therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime taken for a devout and religious fear So that in this Effect of Faith may be fear caution and a care lest we offend our God This was his Faith his Obedience signified in the second Proposition followeth For being moved with fear he prepared an Ark to save his House As fear was an Effect
an Acknowledgment of the Power and the receiving of the Command and it is a willing and free Observation of the Command The Superiour here is God who is the supream Lord Abraham is the Subject to come out of his Country is the Law and Command Abraham's coming out of his Country and that willingly as bound by God's Command is his Obedience And here it 's to be observed that except Man first submit unfeignedly unto God as his Supream Lord renouncing his own Will he can never sincerely obey For this voluntary total Submission is the ground of all Obedience and may be said to be the Observation of the fundamental Law of Allegiance which is required in the first Commandment upon which all the rest do depend Obedience in general is no particular Duty to be restrained to any particular Command exclusively for it extends to all 2. He went out not knowing whither he went In that he knew not whither he went it doth inform us of the total absolute Resignation of his Will and heart to God This high degree of Resignation and Submission is due only unto God as absolutely wise and just and infinitely merciful There be two parts of this Obedience 1. He went out 2. He knew not whither he went 1. He went out This was a difficult part of Obedience To forsake his Countrey Kindred Friends Inheritance which his heart did so much affect and dearly love and to renounce that Religion which he had learned and observed seems to be above natural Power To part the heart and that which it most loveth is a Work that cannot be performed without some mighty conflict and torment of the Soul to overcome our strongest Affections and so forsake our darling-sins is an Heroick and Divine Victory Yet this was done by him and must be done by us all if we will be saved To deny our selvs take up the Cross forsake Father Mother Wife Children Brother Sister and Life it self was first of all required by Christ as without which no Man could be his Disciple The Promise of eternal Life and Treasure in Heaven could not part the young man and his great estate and therefore he continued uncapable of eternal Bliss 2. As he came out so he went he knew not whither for the Command was that he should go unto a Land which God should shew him a Land he never knew for he neither knew it not the way unto it This made the business more difficult for he must depend wholly upon God for his Protection Assistance and Direction And when we leave our Sin we must come unto our God and when we forsake the World we must come unto our Saviour and though the way may be very rough and troublesom we must pass through it We must not take up our Rest untill we come unto our Canaan whither out God will bring us 3. This he did by Faith which without Faith was impossible to be be done For except he had certainly known that it was God who called him and believed God's Command and Promises he could not have obeyed so as to come out and go towards Canaan So that this Belief was the very principle of his Obedience without this Faith this Obedience had been not only irrational but impossible But God who was his absolute supream Lord did command him and as almighty and most faithful did promise him a great and glorious Reward which would abundantly recompense his Damages which he should suffer in obeying him and these did effectually move him and powerfully incline his heart to Obedience For God doth know what will work most strongly upon Man's heart and therefore by a divine Light and Inspiration penetrateth the heart and lets him assuredly know that he calls him to eternal Glory so that by this divine Vocation Faith is produced in the Heart of Man and by it he most willingly and joyfully comes unto his God and continues to obey him From all this it 's evident that Man's Conversion is a supernatural Work of God's great Mercy and Power for that which is impossible with Man is possible with God The natural freedom of the Will is a poor impotent thing let us therefore pray earnestly to our God to give us with his Word his blessed Spirit § 12. This was the first and fundamental Effect of Faith in Abraham the second is that whereby he was content to be a Pilgrim and Stranger on Earth that he might attain an abiding City in Heaven which God had promised and prepared for him For so it followeth Ver. 9. By Faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the Heirs with him of the same Promise Ver. 10. For he looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Buâ—lder and Maker is God THese words inform us that after that Abraham was once by Faith converted and became obedient to the heavenly Call he presently changed his Condition and was a Stranger in this World and a Citizen or Denison of Heaven Such are all the Saints of God upon their Regeneration In them we may observe two things 1. The sojourning of Abraham with Isaac and Jacob in the Land of Canaan Ver. 9. 2. His Expectation of a better Country Ver. 10. In the first we have three Propositions 1. That Abraham Isaac and Jacob were Heirs of the same Promise 2. That they sojourned as Strangers in a strange Land dwelling in Tabernacles 3. They thus sojourned by Faith In the first observe 1. A Promise 2. Heirs of this Promise 3. The parties who were Heirs 1. By Promise understand the thing promised which was the Land of Canaan This was the Inheritance yet they had it not by natural Descent nor by Purchase nor by Exchange but by free Promise For it was promised and that by God who is the Proprietary of all Land and Counâ—reys and could not only convey it but give Possession This Inheritance was but a Type of a far better and this Promise was added to another far greater and more excellent 2. There were Heirs of this Promise or Land promised and to be an Heir in this place is to have a Right unto that Land and the Title and Ground of this Right was God's Promise which was the best and surest Instrument of conveyance in the World Before this Promise they could challenge no Right unto it after the Promise their Right was firm good clear without any flaw at all This is the great Mercy of God that when upon his Command we part with any thing he will give us something better that will more than countervail our damage 3. Abraham Isaac and Jacob were the Heirs For the Indenture and first Promise was made to Abraham sealed and confirmed Gen. 15. and in him it was made to them in which respect they were Joynt-Heifs but the same Promise was made severally to Isaac and then after that to Jacob. The parties who then possessed this Land
the Hebrew Copies we have now translate the place thus And Israel bowed himself upon the Beds-head To reconcile these some tell us of the difference of Mittah and Matteh the one signifying a Bed the other a Staff and say that the word being at first unpointed might be taken to signify the one or the other or both so that he might be at the head of his Bed leaning upon a Staff It 's true that the Chaldee and Samaritan read it Mittah a Bed The Syriack turns the word Sceptrum Yet this is clear enough that the Apostle followed the Greek Translation and we may safely follow him being divinely inspired Upon this Staff he leaned and by it supported himself after that Joseph had sworn to him that he would bury him in the Land of Canaan in the burying place of his Fathers He leaned thus upon his Staff that he might bow and worship But the Question is To whom he bowed Some think he bowed to Joseph not looking upon him now as his Son but as a Prince and Administrator General of the Kingdom of Egypt and this might give occasion to the Syriack Interpreter to think this Staff was Joseph's Scepter as though by this Posture he gave not only Honour but Thanks unto his Son that he would not only promise but confirm his Promise by Oath Others conceive that he had far higher thoughts and that with all humility he adored the divine Majesty and dd praise his glorious Name that he had provided for his Burial in the Land of Promise where his Posterity should settle where his Saviour should be born and where he should rise again to eternal Glory and this outward bowing was a Sign of his most humble Submission and Adoration of the supream and eternal Lord. This doth teach us 1. That the Object of religious Adoration is God as Supream Lord of infinite and eternal Excellency 2. That Humility is essential to this Act of Adoration 3. That by outward Carriage in the Worship of God we should signify our inward Humility 4. That near our End we should think not only of Death but of the Resurrection and with the thoughts thereof support and comfort our hearts Thus Jacob blessed thus he bowed and both by Faith For they were Effects of Faith without which it was impossible to do either of them as he did them This is the principal thing intended in all the Examples to shew the necessity and excellency of Faith and by both to perswade Perseverance therein And surely Jacob had some divine Revelation concerning the future Fates of his Grand-children and upon Joseph's Oath of his Burial in the Land of Canaan and he did most certainly believe it and rely upon it and this Belief and Reliance was the inward Principle of his Benediction and Adoration otherwise they had neither been effectual nor acceptable § 21. Thus both Joseph's Sons were blessed by the Faith of his Father Jacob and Joseph also had his Faith which was effectual too For Ver. 22. By Faith Joseph when he dyed made mention of the departing of the Children of Israel and gave Commandment concerning his Bones HEre likewise we have 1. The Effects of Joseph's Faith 2. His Faith the ground of these Effects The Effects are two 1. Mention of Israel 's Departure 2. A Charge or Command concerning his Bones 1. Joseph made mention of Israel's Departure Israel was the divine Name of Jacob for it was given him from Heaven because by his earnest and fervent Prayers he prevailed with God This Name was after given to his Posterity according to the Flesh and in the New Testament to his Children according to the Spirit In this place it signifies those Children and that Posterity of his who were living when God sent Moses to Pharaoh This Departure here meant is their departure out of Aegypt and Freedom from that miserable Bondage they suffered there This Deliverance Joseph being ready to dy and knowing his End to be near remembred as a matter of very great moment and out of this remembrance puts the Israelites his Brethren and probably his own Children and Nephews in mind of it and this perhaps also he did with a special Charge they should make it known to their Childrens Children that it might not be forgotten Of this we thus read And Joseph said unto his Brethren I dy and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this Land unto the Land which he sware to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob Gen. 50. 24. These words do fully explain this part of the Text. This was the first Effect 2. The second was That he gave Commandment concerning his Bones This is explained by the words following Gen. 50. 25. And Joseph took an Oath of the Children of Israel saying God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my Bones from hence These words imply that he had a great desire that his very Bones and that part which at the time of their Deliverance remained might be buried in Canaan and so take Possession of that Land where his Saviour should be born redeem sinful Man and rise again to Glory Out of this desire he gives a strict Charge unto his surviving Brethren and their Posterity to carry his Bones with them out of Aegypt into that Holy Land and if their Love to him could not perswade them as his Father took an Oath of him so he took an Oath of them to do this last Service and Office of Love that so not only Affection and Respect to him but the fear of the eternal God by whom they had sworn might make them and their Posterity mindful of their Promise And according to his Command their Promise and Oath the thing was done For Moses took the Bones of Joseph with him for he had straitly sworn the Children of Israel saying God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my Bones hence with you Exod. 13. 19. And they were buried many years after in Shechem the Portion of Joseph Josh. 24. 32. All this was done by Faith which was grounded upon that Promise which was confirmed by an Oath unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob that he would give them the Land of Canaan and bring their Children out of Aegypt for to settle them in that Country which was a Type of Heaven and in which by Christ they should rise again to everlasting Life This Revelation from Heaven he did assuredly believe and rested upon the Promise This Example should teach us to remember and never to forget the Promises of God to mind others of them perswade them to rest upon them and deeply to engage them to their God and the Performance of their Duty This doth also inform us of the Excellency of the Bodies of the Saints which have been Temples of the Holy Ghost and one day shall be made immortal § 22. And now we are come to the great Prophet Moses whose Preservation was wonderful and his Works glorious The Apostle instanceth 1. In
respect invisible but not in that manner aâ— God is No Man not Moses can see God and live as Angels and glorified Saints do neither can they see him as he sees himself so that in some respects he is invisible to all and only visible to himself 2. The Act of his Faith was that whereby he as it were and in some manner saw this invisible God He saw him not by his Senses nor by the natural Light of Reason but by a diviner and more excellent visive faculty to which he did represent himself in his Wisdom almighty Power Promise and Fidelity with all which he was engaged in this Act. This sight of him made Pharoah though a King of mighty Power as contemptible in his Eyes So glorious did he appear that all the Power and Princes of the World were nothing to him 3. The immediate Effect was that he so seeing him as though he were present marching in the Van bringing up the Rear and garding Israel on every side did endure not only with a patient but a constant and undaunted mind the Wrath of the King whom he feared He strengthned and hardned himself and resolved to carry Israel out of Egypt and rescue them from the Egyptian Bondage and Tyranny This was an Act of Faith of strong Faith and this Instance doth teach to fortify and embolden our hearts by Faith in God against all fears of the greatest most cruel and enraged Enemies § 27. The third Instance is made in that Act of keeping the Passover and preserving the first-born of Israel from the destroying Angel For Ver. 28. Through Faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of Blood lest he that destroyed the first-born should touch them IN these words we may observe 1. A Command 2. A Promise 3. Faith whereby the Command was obeyed and whereupon the Promise was performed 1. The Command for the matter was two-fold 1. The Celebration of the Passover 2. The sprinkling of Blood What the Passover was we easily learn from Exod. 12. and most do know it It was a Sacrament of the Old Testament to confirm the Promise of God made to Israel The Matter of it was a Lamb without blemish the Actions were Separation of the Lamb preparing and rosting it with fire and eating of it with soure Herbs and unleavened Bread with their Loins girt and their Staffs in their hand at the first time of the Institution Some tell us of a form of words prescribed but in this the Scripture is silent It was the same to them that the Eucharist is to us The use of the Blood at that time of which we never after read was to sprinkle the upper and side posts of their Doors with it and for this end to avert the destroying Angel In all this a far greater thing was mystically infolded as Christ our Paschal Lamb whose Blood sprinkled by Faith upon our Souls delivers us from the destroying wrath of God and the punishments of Hell of which Blood and Sacrifice of Christ you have heard much in the former Chapters That they should thus celebrate this Sacrament and thus sprinkle this Blood was the Command of God to Moses and by him declared to Israel 2. The promise of God was that if they did celebrate the Passover and sprinkle the Blood of the Paschal Lamb accordingly as God prescribed he would bring them out of Aegypt and save their first born in that Night when he would destroy all the first born of Man and Beast in the Land of Aegypt The great mystery was that whosoever should partake of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God which taketh away â—he Sin of the World and have the door of their Souls sprinkled with his Blood they should be delivered from the power of Satan freed from the wrath of God and pass on safely towards their heavenly Canaan and the place of their eternal Rest. 3. Moses believed the Word of God concerning these particulars and Israel believed Moses as speaking to them from God and both he and they relied upon the Promise By this Faith he and they obeyed the Command of God in celebrating the Passover and in sprinkling the Blood of the Paschal Lamb and upon this Obedience the Promise of God was performed their first born was saved and all of them that Night brought out of Aegypt Without this Faith they neither could have obeyed the Command of God nor obtained the great mercies promised So if we by Faith eat Christ's Flesh and drink his Blood we shall live and be everlastingly saved From hence we learn That Faith enables and stirrs us up to obey the Commands of God that so by it we may obtain the Rewards which God hath promised § 28. The fourth instance is of Israel's Faith whereby they passed through the Red Sea with safety when the Egyptians were drowned For Ver. 29. By Faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians assayling to do were drowned IN these words we have 1. The safety of Israel 2. The destruction of the Egyptians 3. The reason of the one and of the other 1. The safety of Israel was That they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land To understand this we must remember and call to mind the History We have heard of the bringing of Israel out of Aegypt and the saving of their first Born After they were marched on their way towards the Red Sea according to God's direction Pharoah repented of the dismission of Israel and by spies or some others informed what way they took and where they were conceived them to be in straits and easy to be reduced or destroyed Thereupon he arms and musters up the main strength of Aegypt marcheth himself in person with his Potent Armies and pursues them and some came near to them The Angel of God removes into the rere-ward and strikes in between Israel and Pharoah's Army till they came to the Red Sea where they were flanked on both sides with impulsive mountains the Red Sea was before them the mighty Army of Aegypt behind them so that in humane reason nothing but destruction could be expected Israel cryes out to Moses and Moses calls to God God here commands Moses to strike the Sea with a Rod and commands Israel to pass forward and expect the Salvation of God promising to deliver them The Sea was divided the Waters stood like walls and mountains as though they had been congealed and turned to Ice The bottom which never saw the Sun before appears is made firm ground without deep mud or quicksands Israel passeth on arrives at the further shore and neither Man nor Child is drowned As the deep and drowning waters saved Noah by bearing up the Ark so now the dangerous and threatning Sea and tumultuous waters are a safety to Israel This was a strange and glorious work of God's Almighty Power and unspeakable mercy This is called often in the Hebrew the Sea of Suph or Bulrushes which
men For as we must love all men even Strangers Enemies and Persecutors so we must have peace with all yet so far as this concord agrees with the Laws of God For we must agree with no person in that which is evill and we must have a special care to agree with the best If we differ from any man in that which is lawful we offend This peace presupposeth society and is the bond that knits together multitudes 3. We must follow peace as one that followeth and pursueth some thing running from him for to take it it 's the same with that Exhortation Seek peace and pursue it Psal. 34. 14. The phrase implies that it is a very difficult thing to have peace with a few much more with all For we find that true That when we are for Peace and speak for it most men are for War Psal. 120. 7. The means whereby we may lay hold of it according to the advice of the Psalmist is to eschew Evil and do Good to keep our Tongues from Evil and our Lips from speaking Guil. For we must not comply with any person in his Errours or his Sin nor neglect to reprove him or oppose him in his iniquity for our own quiet Yet to be just and merciful and kind is a good and lawful means and very effectual to obtain peace And in this way we must do what we can and use all diligence and if the issues answer not our defires and endeavours we have done our Duty and discharged our Conscience God doth not bind us to impossibilities For the Command is not absolute but given with this Proviso If it be possible as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. The sum of all is this We must give no just occasion or cause of difference to any person but use all lawful wayes and just means to procure peace Secondly We must follow holiness c. where we have 1. The Duty which is holiness 2. The Reason why we should perform it and that is because without it no man shall see the Lord. Some think these words are added to limit and direct our pursuance of peace wherein we must be so innocent as not to offend our God Some think holiness to be sincerity in the religious Service and Worship of our God For all Worship even of the true God is unholy if not performed with a sincere heart which being washed in the Blood of Christ and sanctified with the Spirit out of love to God hates Sin and endeavours to avoid it The principal subject of Holiness is the will and heart of man and it is a qualification whereby it 's conformed and made like to God It is the supernatural light beauty and purity of the Soul and purifies all acts and operations both inward and outward It 's that whereby we devote and consecrate our selves to God and have union and communion with him It 's opposed not only to profaness but hypocrisy and iniquity This holiness we must follow and pursue for it 's a difficult thing as to follow peace with all men so to be holy and the greater the difficulty the greater must be our care not only to be but to continue holy 2. The Reason hereof is because without it no man shall see God This implies 1. That God may be seen 2. That without holiness he cannot be seen 3. That by holiness this happiness may be obtained 4. That because without holiness it cannot and by holiness it may be obtained therefore we must follow holiness with God as we do peace with Man The three first are absolute 1. To see God as many understand it is immediately and clearly to behold God's Glory which is a priviledg reserved for Heaven Thus to see him is that which they call intuitive Knowledg and beatifical Vision from which unspeakable joyes and eternal delights do ever issue Yet it 's an Hebrew expression and signifies to enjoy therefore to see God is to enjoy him and have some special union and communion with him and derive some happiness from him either by Grace in this Life and Glory in the Life to come 2. This communion cannot be obtained without holiness For all Communion presupposeth union all union agreement and without holiness there can be no agreement no union no communion with God For he is holy and requires holiness in all them that draw near unto him for to worship him He is Light and in him is no Darkness that is He is pure and perfectly holy and as there is no fellowship of Light and Darkness so they who walk in Darkness and are polluted with Sin can have no fellowship with him So that without holiness we are not capable of fellowship with him 3. By holiness we may see him and enjoy him and according to the measure of our holiness is the measure of our enjoyment The more holy we are the nearer fellowship we have with him and derive more joy and comfort from him That by this holiness this sight and enjoyment may be obtained is evident from Christ's words Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 4. Seeing there can be no vision or fruition of God without holiness therefore our Duty is to be holy as God is holy for that 's the Duty urged upon this ground The reason why it 's not said by holiness we may see God but without holâ—ness we cannot see God is to signify the necessity of this purity as a means without which this blessed fruition cannot be attained Every one that knows how blessed a thing it is to be near unto our God and converse with him doth purify himself as he is pure 1 Joh. 3 3. And it highly concerns us all to keep our hearts right with God and this should be our chiefest work in this Life as we desire to have Communion with God here or see his Face in the Light of eternal Glory by Repentance and Faith in Christ's Blood and constant prayer for sanctification to cleanse our hearts from all impurity For the more pure we are the more capable we shall be of this great benefit and when we are once fully purified we shall be admitted into his glorious presence and enjoy him for evermore And this must be a certain principle That he that will be happy as God is must be holy as he is § 14. That they might continue holy the Apostles Exhortation is Ver. 15. Looking diligently lost any man fail of the Grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled THese words may be understood either of private care and vigilancy of one over another or of publick Discipline and the end of both especially of the latter is to prevent Apostacy and Scandal And here are observable 1. Some Danger or Evil to be prevented 2. The prevention of the same The Evil seems in this Text to be Apostacy in the next Scandal If we
God with a profane and wicked heart some serve him ignorantly or negligently without servency and due affection The Pharisee could give Alms Fast Pray pay Tythe of Mint Anniseed Cumin and neglect the weighty things of the Law as Justice Judgment Mercy they could and did draw near to God with their Lips and yet be far from God with their hearts they served God but according to the Traditions of men The Jews were zealous and devout in Ceremonials yet their hearts were polluted and their hands full of Blood Therefore we must know that no profane man or hypocrite or indisposed person can serve God acceptably To do this doth presuppose man in the state of Grace and an heart prepared and rightly disposed the person must first be accepted before the work can please God And as the Person so the Service must be rightly qualified and so it is when it proceeds from Faith in Christ is conformable to the Word of God and tends unto his Glory And if We and our Service be thus qualified though our infirmities be many yet so great is God's mercy that for Christ's sake he will accept both us and it we must not presume upon his mercy but yet we must rely upon him when we have a special care to shun that which offends him and do that which is just and holy and when we have done our best humbly in the Name of Christ pray for pardon of defects and acceptance of our sincere endeavours Yet we cannot serve God thus acceptably without reverence and godly feat Reverence in God's Service looks at his excellency and glorious Majesty and at our own unworthiness and the infinite distance between Him and Us and therefore we must adore God's excellent Majesty with deep humility abasing our selves very low being afraid and ashamed out of a sense of our own vileness to come near him except in his great mercy and free grace he vouchsafe access Signs of this reverence is cut kneeling bowing covering our faces prostration and such like gestures And if we were either apprehensive and sensible of our own vileness or God's excellency how could we possibly be so profane and unreverent in his Worship Godly fear may be the same with Reverence or distinct from it The word in the Greek signifies sometimes caution sometimes devotion sometimes fear and that in the Service of God which is a religious fear and care not to offend but to please him Both reverence and fear in this place may farther be a more then ordinary care and diligence in the Service of God that we may please him and be accepted of him For as the greatest honour with the greatest humility is due to God that Supreme Lord whose Majesty is infinite and eternal so the greatest caution must be used in his Worship for he will be sanctified in all them that draw near unto him 3. This is the manner how he will be served by all such as are admitted Subjects of this unmoveable and unchangeable Kingdom The reason is He is a consuming Fire These words are improper and metaphorical and a Metaphor is a contract Similitude which here we find In such Comparisons we may observe 1. The things compared as like and agreeing 2. The thing wherein they do agree The things here compared are God and Fire God is like to Fire The thing wherein they agree is this that they are consuming So that the meaning is That God is like unto Fire and he is like to it in this that as That so He hath a consuming force Many are the qualities and effects of Fire but this one is singled to represent the terrour of God For though that flery Law which God gave out of the midst of fire burning up to Heaven be removed yet in the Gospel of sweetest mercy and freest grace there are threatnings of unquenchable Fire and eternal Flames Therefore this expression signifies his punishing and vindictive Justice the Subjects whereof are profane impenitent and unbelieving persons who are disobedient to the Law of Grace and refuse the tender of saving mercy The effect of this Justice upon these Offenders are severe and everlasting punishments which cannot be expressed or conceived but are represented by the raging flames and â—â—erce burning of the most violent Fire which cannot be quenched And as the torment of violent hottest flames is the most grievous so these punishments are and if the Sufferers be immortal and immortally sensible the Torment will be not only grievous but perpetual The sum is that the punishment of delinquent and disloyal Subjects which the Judge shall execute and they suffer is extreme and everlasting The force of the Reason is great for as men tremble to think of everlasting tormenting and consuming Flames so let them have a special care to serve God unto the end in due manner This implies that there is a glorious Reward of eternal Light and delight to all such as shall like loyal Subjects continue constant unto the end in the profession of the Truth and the acceptable Service of this glorious and eternal Soveraign CHAP. XIII § 1. PRofession without Practise Faith without good works cannot attain the fruition of that eternal Life which Christ hath merited and God hath promised therefore the Apostle in this Chapter exhorts to Love good Works constancy in the Truth and other Duties He begins with Love Ver. 1. Let brotherly Love continue THe Analysis of this Chapter is easy for we have 1. The hortatory part thereof 2. The conclusion of the whole The Duties exhorted unto with several Motives are reduced to a kind of order by divers Expositors Yet as this is not exactly done so it 's needless to do it We may indeed enumerate the Duties and reduce them to their proper places and heads in the Body of Divine Wisdom and that is very easie to be done Yet the Wisdom of the Apostle was this that he doth not mention all Duties but such as were most requisite at that time to be performed by those persons and doth not strictly follow the method of the moral Law but takes liberty to place them in that order which he thought most convenient For he knew the performance of them to be the principal thing and it was sufficient for him to press them and then to know them The first Exhortation is to brotherly Love The Duty is 1. Brotherly love 2. Continuance in it Brotherly love is love of the Brethren For there are Brethren and these must be loved To love our Neighbour as our selves is the substance of the second Table of the moral Law And as there are several degrees of Neighbours so there is of Love Neighbours in full extent include Strangers Enemies and all such as are capable of our Love Of these some are more nearly linckt unto us as Brethren Yet these are either natural political or spiritual here spiritual Brethren are meant who have God to be their Father Jerusalem above to be their
find this to be so § 9. Because the Faith and Doctrine of Jesus Christ taught by the Apostles is as Christ himself the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore the Apostle dehorteth them thus Ver. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace and not with meats which have not profited them which have been occupied therein THese words are a Dehortation and in it we may consider 1. The Sin dehorted from 2. The reason why they should take heed of it 1. The Sin is to be carried about with divers and strange Doctrines Doctrines divers and strange are all such as are different from the Gospel which is a Doctrine of perpetual and immutable truth and alwayes uniform the same Therefore the word divers may signify such as are different from it and different amongst themselves as all false and heretical Doctrines are though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies new or absurd and such all errors in Religion are They are new because invented and vented after the Truth was revealed and absurd because all such are irrational and many of them very gross They are also strange as having not the same Original with the Truth which was revealed from Heaven and of another stamp and quality By these some think he means Judaism and Philosophy and the Errors and Superstitions of the Morinthians and Cerinthians who attempted to make up one Body of Religion by joyning Judaism and Christianism together yet not only these but all other Heresies whatsoever are here intended They must not be carried away or about with these this is the Duty The Metaphor seems to be taken from Wethercocks or Ships which turn every way as the Wind carries them to be so carried about implies that they turn from the truth of the Gospel believe these false Doctrines and so are deceived as the word in the Original may signify and it signifies the inconstancy of such as receive them as not being firm and fixed in the saving Truth For if we once turn away from that we fall first into one Error then into another and are first of one Sect after that of another and can settle no where We have had sad experience of this in our times wherein many forsaking their Orthodox Teachers and the antient and apostolical Doctrine turned Anabaptists Seekers Quakers and men above the Ordinances of Scripture Sacraments Sabbaths Such we must not be not so erroneous heretical unstable This Text agrees with many others as Rom. 16. 17. Ephes. 4. 14. Colos. 2. 8 16. and many more noted by Curcellaâ—s Great is our frailty in this particular because of the imperfection of our Understanding the corruption of our Hearts the subtilty of the Devil and Seducers therefore let us he well informed in the Truth endeavour to live according to the Truth certainly known pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide us For it is not wit or learning without the Grace of God can preserve us from these Doctrines which carry us away from Christ and cause us to wander in by-wayes that lead our Souls into Destruction 2. The reason is 1. Because the Doctrine of the Gospel can save us 2. These strange Doctrines cannot promote our Salvation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 1. It 's good the heart be established with Grace not with Meats By Grace may understand the Truth and the Truth of the Gospel so it 's taken Tit. 2. 11. And it 's called Grace because it 's the Word or Doctrine of Grace Act. 20. 24 32. which manifests the Grace of God in Christ and the Knowledg and Love of it is a Grace and Mercy of God To have the heart established therewith is to understand it believe it be affected with it so as to adhere unto it and make it our care in seeking eternal Life And then the heart is thus established with it when the Spirit of God writes it in our hearts so that we know it more clearly and are effectually moved to follow and practise it It must be deeply imprinted in our hearts and our hearts must be firmly fixt in it And this is good and profitable for Sanctification and Salvation but meats are not so By Meats is understood the Doctrine of Meats and by Doctrine of Meats may be meant Doctrine of Ceremonies such we find in the Books of Moses yet all abolished by the Gospel The Jews were perswaded that they were sanctified by the observation of Mosaical Ceremonies and the Traditions of their Elders This also was the perswasion of all Superstitious Wretches whether Heathens or Hereticks For Meats may here signify not only false Doctrines and Ceremonial Observations of the Jews but also all other various strange and different Opinions and Superstitions of all others whose hearts were not stablished by Grace And though men's hearts be never so pertinaciously fixed in them yet they could not advance their Salvation For it followeth which have not profited such as were occupied or as the Greek word signifies walked therein To walk in them is to profess and in their practise constantly to observe them Not to profit them is not to sanctify justify them or make them acceptable to God For that is truly profitable in this kind which makes a man more holy brings him nearer unto God and renders him more capable of eternal Life The sum is they must take heed of all false Doctrines and adhere to the truth of the Gospel And the reason is 1. Because establishment in the truth of the Gospel is good and certainly conduceth to eternal Life 2. The belief profession practice of any other Doctrine is not so cannot further our happiness § 10. There is another reason why they must not return to Judaism or any other Doctrine different from the Gospel For Ver. 10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle IN these words we have 1. A benefit or priviledg 2. A right unto it granted unto Christians denied unto Jews and others The Propositions are two 1. We have an Altar 1 2. They who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of it 1. Altar here is the Priest or Sacrifice offered upon and sanctified by the Altar The Sacrifice is that of Christ's Body slain and offered by the eternal Spirit without spot unto God To have this is to have a right unto it so as to eat and be partakers of it The expression and phrase is Legal and Levitical For in the Law there were certain Sacrifices whereof part was given and offered to God part was given to the Priests to eat thereof part was allowed to the People which brought the Sacrifice and they might eat thereof before the Lord in the Tabernacle or the Temple The same Custom many of the Gentiles had To this the Apostle doth allude and doth imply that the Body of Christ was slain and offered unto
God to expiate Sin given unto man in the Word and Sacrament as Food to preserve both Body and Soul unto eternal Life And as the Jews only had right to eat of their Sacrifices so Christians and only Christians have right unto and by a true and lively Faith according to the Gospel may partake of the same and live for ever For this meat alone doth profit those alone whose hearts are established with or by Grace and the Doctrine of the Gospel 2. To eat of this Altar and Sacrifice they who serve the Tabernacle have no right They who served the Tabernacle were unbelieving Jews Priests and People who adhered to the Law of Moses rejected the Gospel and refused to receive Christ for their Saviour These could have no right unto the benefit of Christ's Sacrifice◠for it was ordained only for the Salvation of such as should believe on him But these Jews out of a perverse belief that they should be justified and saved by the Law would not believe the Doctrine of the Gospel and seek righteousness by Faith in Christ. So that Israel following after the Law of Righteousnes attained not to the Law of Righteousness And why they sought not Righteousness by Faith in Christ who was the end of the Law which was a School-master to Christ. They were so confident that the Law was given for Justification and Salvation that they thought Christ not only needless but an Enemy to Moses and all Christians to be Hereticks and worthy to be persecuted to Death The force of the Apostle's Argument is That if their heart was not established with Grave but carried about with divers and strange Doctrines they deprived themselves of the inestimable benefit of Christ's Sacrifice for there is no Faith without the Gospel and no benefit in the Sacrifice of Christ without Faith for all right unto and participation of this Sacrifice is by Faith grounded upon the Gospel § 11. That they that serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of this Altar he proves thus Ver. 11. For the body of those Beasts whose Blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High-Priest are burnt without the Camp Ver. 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate IN these words we have 1. An Argument to prove the unbelieving Jew to have no right to eat of the Sacrifice of Christ And this is a Doctrine 2. A practical Conclusion and Application of this Doctrine unto our selves in the two verses following In the Argument we may observe 1. The Proposition and the Type 2. The Reddition and Anti-type 1. There were several Beasts Sacrificed whose Bodies were burnt without the Camp yet their Blood was not brought into the Sanctuary therefore it can hardly be thought the Apostle intended any Sacrifice so much as that of general Expiation whereof we read Lev. 16. For though this doth agree to other Sacrifices that their Blood was brought into the Sanctuary to be sprinkled upon the horns of the Altar of Incense and before the Veil and their Bodies were burnt without the Camp as we may understand from Exod. 29. Lev. 4. Yet of this Sacrifice it 's clearly written 1. That the Blood was brought into the inward Sanctuary within the second Veil and was sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat 2. This was done by the High-Priest alone and could be done by none else 3. This Blood was brought in and sprinkled for Expiation and Reconciliation 4. The Bodies of these Sacrifices were burnt without the Camp This Sacrifice as you have heard was a more lively resemblance of Christ who is the propitiation for the Sins of the whole World The principal thing the Apostle takes notice of is the burning of their Bodies out of the Camp for the Camp was that plot of Ground which was taken up with the Tents and Habitations of the Israelites in the Wilderness All this was counted holy and all unclean persons and things were to be removed out of the same And because the sins of the People were laid upon these Beasts therefore they were unclean accursed and God to signify that all Sinners are accursed and to be cast out of his presence and to be tormented with eternal fire and also to express his detestation of Sin he caused these Bodies 1. To be removed out of the Camp 2. To be burned 2. This was the Type the Anti-type was Christ of whom it is affirmed 1. That he Suffered without the Gate 2. That he Suffered there that he might sanctify the People by his Blood To Suffer here is to be Crucified and dye upon the Cross Without the Gate signifies the place where he Suffered and was Crucified and in particular it was Golgotha which was without the Gate of Jerusalem which was called the holy City because God chose that City to put his Name there and so did consecrate it this answered to the holy Camp The reason why God thus in his wise providence did order it was because Christ had taken upon him the Sins of the World and God had laid on him the Iniquities of us all One sad consequent of Sin not pardoned is a Curse and Excommunication out of God's presence so as that the person cursed is put at a distance and deprived of all communion with Saints and God Therefore it is written That Christ was made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. The end of this Suffering and that without the Gate was that by his Blood he might sanctify the People The People are all such as believe in him To sanctify them is to free them from the guilt and punishment of Sin For he was made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the Curse due unto us for our Sins And this he doth immediately by his Blood being shed and his Death which virtually and efficiently took away Sin and procures actual Remission and Sanctification upon our Faith For his Suffering out of the Gate made Sin pardonable and the punishment endured by him and deserved by us removable But when by Faith it 's sprinkled upon our Souls we are actually pardoned and the punishment actually removed because God will not punish Sin both in him and us believing The comparison is in similitude and like quality The things wherein the Type and Anti-type agree are these In the Sacrifice of general Expiation 1. The Blood is brought into the holy Place so Christ by his own Blood entred the holy place of Heaven 2. That Blood did expiate Sin so this doth obtain eternal Expiation and the People are sanctified by it 3. The Bodies of those Sacrifices were burnt without the Camp so Christ suffered upon the Cross without the Gate of Jerusalem 4. As they who serve at the Tabernacle had no Right not Licence to eat of those Sacrifices whose Bodies were burned without the Camp so no Jews that will not leave Judaism nor any other that will not go out of the World to suffer
might be deluded by the Sophisms of the unbelieving Jews and their cunning Emissaries if they were not strong in Faith and their former holy resolutions they might the more easily be overcome by the sear of persecution and the love of their Temporal Peace Safety Estates Liberty Lives The reason of this dehortation was because he knew that if they did not carefully avoid the contrary which was destructive of perseverance they could not persevere To avoid this sin he adds an exhortation wherein he prescribes a means tending to continue us in the Truth saying Vet. 13. But exhort one another daily whilst it 's called to Day lest any of you be hardued through the deceitfulness of sin § 13. Though we may exhort one another in private yet this seems to have some reference to their publick Assemblies for Religious Worship For as the Psalm was composed for the publick Worship and to be sung as a preparative to the same especially that part which is concerning the hearing of God's Word So in the times of the Gospel it was used by some Christian Churches to prepare the People assembled as for other Duties so for that of hearing the Gospel Thus we find it placed in our Liturgy And upon due consideration it will appear to be an excellent place of Scripture and most fit for that end In the words we have 1. An exhortation 2. A reason In the exhortation we have 1. The duty 2. The time of performance The duty is mutual exhortation and encouragement of one another The time is daily while it 's said To Day The reason is to prevent obduâ—ation lest any of you be hardned Before I enter upon the particular explication of these words I must inform the Reader That the Apostle having recited the words of the Psalm in the application of them follows the order of the principal words and parts thereof The first was Harden not your heart this he insists upon ver 12 13 14. The second The Fathers provoked God this he takes up in ver 15 16. The third God was grieved with that Generation this you find ver 17. The fourth is The shutting of these unbelieving Ancesters out of God's Rest this you may read of ver 18 19. The fifth is Entring into rest granted and promised to God's People after the days of David This takes up the greatest part of the Chapter following The duty exhorted unto is to exhort one another so that it is an exhortation to exhortation Where we must consider 1. What it is to exhort 2. Who they be who are concerned in this duty to perform it 1. To exhort is to move stir up encourage comfort strengthen perswade The end is confirmation and continuance in Christianity The means are proposing the divine Precepts the glorious Reward promised the fearful Punishments threatned to manifest the clear and pure Truth of the Gospel and the Divine confirmations of the same with the falshood of all contrary Doctrines To these we may add their publick and private Prayers with the Sacraments 2. This Duty concerned all and every one For every Christian according as he hath power and opportunity is bound as to convert others so to edisy and confirm one another converted and mutually further and promote their Salvation And this is a special work of Christian Charity which we owe one to another is Christian Brethren and fellow-Members of the same Body Yet the greater our Abillties and the more excellent out Gifts the greater is our Obligation And Ministers of all others are most concerned in it and the end of out Christian Assemblies for Religious Worship and Discipline is to do this work But how guilty are we of neglect how careless are we of this work How justly may God charge the Blood of the Souls of our Apostate Brethren upon us Most men hinder and that many wayes and few further the Salvation of their Brethren It 's high time for us all to reform in this particular This is the Duty to exhort one another the time limited for the performance is to Day whilst it 's said to Day For so the Psalmist saith To Day if you will hear his Voyce This presupposeth a time when God will speak and we must hear God speaks by his Word and here in particular by the Gospel and the Professors and Ministers thereof By it he Commands all men to repent and believe and being once converted to persevere unto the end and by it he promiseth to such as obey a glorious Reward He is further ready to accompany this Word of the Gospel with the power of his Spirit without which man cannot perform his Duty This is that which we call Vocation so that to Day is the time of Vocation granted to any People or to single Persons And whilst God grants to any the Word and Spirit which are the means of conversion He may be said to Call and Man is bound to hear and be Obedient Some think this Day to be the whole time of every man's life whilst he is a member of the visible Church yet we find that many of the Israelites were by an Oath excluded out of God's Rest before they dyed and that Jerusalem had by her hardness of heart made her case desperate and her ruine unavoidable long before it was destroyed so likewise many a man's Day and Time of possibility and hope to be saved is spent and ended before his life determine Therefore by Day in this place is understood in a special manner the present time because no man is certain of the future Therefore they must exhort one another whilst it 's said to Day that is presently and in no wise delay or intermit the performance of this Duty The reason of this exhortation is from the end which is the preventing hardness of heart through the deceitfulness of Sin This presupposeth that sin is deceitful and implies that the deceitfulness thereof will harden the heart Sin in it self is base and filthy and an object of abhomination and except it be represented in some appearance of good every one would abhor it Satan therefore when he would tempt and perswade man to it deludes his Understanding with false colours of Pleasure or Profit or something desirable but conceals the baseness and the sad and woful consequents thereof This outward appearance of goodness makes it like a bait fastned on an hook and man being greedy of the bait swallows the hook When he finds no mischief to follow upon the Commission immediately he goes on by degrees till he acquire an habit which hardens the heart makes it sensless blots out the Characters of divine Truth and so in the end changeth the very quality of the heart Whereas man before was very pliable and ready to receive the impressions of Divine Truth now he is blinded and become stupid Divine commands promises threats exhortations admonitions cannot work upon him and then how easily will he be perswaded to fall off
from Christ and deny the Faith he had professed Hardness of heart may be considered as a Judgment of God or as a Sin of Man here it 's to be considered as a Sin And such it may be either in respect of the first Call and so is or implies at least a refusal of Christianity and so it 's either a rejection of that Christianity which was once received and professed or at least makes way for it and thus it 's to be understood in this place For no man can fall off from the Christian Faith once received but his heart must needs be hardned and stand unmoved against all former convictions This considered either in the former or latter sense may be conceived 1. As a Not yielding unto the Reasons and Motives unto belief and profession proposed in the Gospel 2. As an obstinate resisting of these Motives and Reasons joyned with some power of the Spirit And both these may be caused either from the delusion of the understanding apprehending and 〈◊〉 to contrary Motives and Reasons which are not really such but seem to be such which may be called sinful 〈◊〉 as the words of the Text may be understood oâ— from the pure malignancy of the Will or from both Now to prevent all these mutual exhortation is an excellent mean ordained by God to that end And the neglect of this Duty is a great Cause or at least a great Advantage of sin and leaves the way open for Apostacy to come in For frequent proposals and representations of the true Reasons why we should believe and a continual â—itring up to holy Duties are effectual causes of the confirmation of our profession and so of our perseverance § 14. We must mutually exhort one another whilst it 's said to Day for to prevent Apostacy and we must prevent Apostacy because without final perseverance we cannot be partakers of Christ. For Ver. 14. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end This seems to be the same with that in ver 6. yet the expression is some what different For to hold fast our confidence and rejoycing of hope firm unto the end is the same with holding the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end And to be Christ's House the same with being partakers of Christ. So that I need not say much of this Text only some things may be observed As 1. That Hypostasis turned confidence may in this place signifie our Christian Faith 2. That the beginning of it is the first receiving of it or the principles of Christianity 3. That as it may signify a firm standing so it 's applyed to the Soul as firmly standing and continuing in the belief and profession of the Faith without wavering or doubting and is opposed to falling For though the principles and fundamental Truths are firm and stable for ever in themselves yet they are not so firm in the hearts of many who professe them Therefore it 's our duty to seek a firm existence of them in our hearts and a firm fixing of our hearts upon them never to be removed 4. That to be partakers of Christ is to partake of and attain the great Reward of eternal Glory merited by Christ For the word Christ is here taken Metonymically for the benefits of Christ. 5. That though this may seem to be the same reason with the former yet here it seems to be brought as a reason from the penalty that will follow upon our Apostacy which is an unspeakable loss of eternal Glory the greatest benefit Christ hath purchased for us For if we shall be partakers of Christ only upon this condition of perseverance to the end then if we harden our hearts and fall off we must needs lose eternal Glory and that great Benefit which Christ merited § 15. Thus far the Apostle hath made use of those words of the Psalmist To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Now he proceeds to the words following As in the Day of Provocation and enlargeth upon them in this manner Ver. 15. While it is said to Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation For some when they had heard provoked c. Where 1. He takes in the former words with this of Provocation 2. Though the Psalmist do not mention whether all their Fathers provoked and tempted God or no yet he observes that only some not all did provoke The connexion of these words with the former seems to be this That as their Fathers by hardning their hearts provoked God to wrath so if they hardned their hearts they will provoke God likewise and he will be offended with them The argument in form is this e must Wnot do any thing that will provoke God to anger but if we harden our hearts we shall provoke him to anger Therefore we must take heed of hardning our hearts and of Apostacy The proposition in these here presupposed is That hardning the heart will provoke The propositions here delivered in the Hypothesis are 1. That some of their Fathers did provoke 2. That all did not provoke That which all these imply and inferr is this as applyed to them That they must not harden their hearts lest they provoke Lest this discourse should not be so pertinent and effectual let us first enquire what this provodation is The Hebrew word is translated by the Septuagint to signify contention contradiction and exacerbation and so they turn it only in this place And the Apostle follows their Translation and useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a word 1. Compound 2. Derivative and is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies bitter as Meâ—â—s or Drinks are biâ—â—er to the taste The signification therefore in this place is Mephorical and informs us That as some Meats and Drinks being bitter are very offensive to the taste so hardness of heart and apoâ—â—acy are very offensive unto God The words used in the Psalm may be either Proper and so translated as in Meribah and Massa or Anellâ—tive as here the Apostle understands them This provocation may be considered either at a Sin or a consequent of Sin here it seems to be a consequent of sin yet necessarily presupposing the Sin Sin every sin being contrary to God 's Law provokes him to anger and gives him just cause to execute his vindictive Justice upon the Sinuer Yet some sins are more provoking then others especially such as are committed by People in Covenant with God who act contrary to their solemn Vows and Engagements as Israel in the Wilderness did And this hardning of the heart so as to fall away is the most provoking of all For it not only deserves punishment and by vertue of the Law makes the Sinner liable to it but provoks God to pass a definitive sentence and to proceed to execution This particular consequent of sin is that which here
obeyed it how could it have sanctified us But Christ came to do this Will and did it And he did it by offering of his Body once for all Where we may take notice of 1. The Body of Christ. 2. The Offering of it 3. The Offering of it once 1. The Body of Christ was the thing to be slain and sacrificed For he had said before A Body hast thou prepared me and here we understand why God did prepare him a Body and that is that it might be Sacrificed So that the matter of this Sacrifice was a Body yet not any Body but the Body of Christ which was the Body of the Son of God and so of God in a singular manner 2. This Body of Jesus Christ must be offered this was the form of the Sacrifice And here we might enquire and search out a reason why it 's said That the Body of Christ was offered And to discover this we must know That the God-head could not be offered For who can offer himself or any other thing to himself Neither could the Soul of Christ be offered because it was immortal For when it 's said That God made his Soul an offering for Sin Esay 53. 10. yet there by Soul is meant the Life of Christ. For the thing to be sacrificed must be slain the Blood shed and it must be offered to God But Christ's Soul though obedient unto Death was not slain had no Blood to be shed could not be sacrified to God Yet his Body might be slain the Blood thereof shed and both tendered unto God In this respect it 's said by Christ himself The Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I give for the Life of the World And when he instituted the Eucharist in memory of this great Sacrifice he mentions his Body broken and given and his Blood shed This Body must be offered and resigned up to God and willingly yielded unto Death out of obedience to God's Command and love to sinful Man with an intention to propitiate God offended and to expiate the Sin of Man For otherwise if it had been crucified and separated from the Body and not out of this obedience and love and for this end it could never have sanctified us For it must be offered yet though offered if not accepted of God as a Ransome for Man's Sin it could not have had this effect For as it was God's free love to give his only begotten Son so it was his free love to accept this Offering in the behalf of sinful Man the rare and excellent effects thereof depended upon his Will It 's true that this Offering in it self was very acceptable yet that thereupon so incomparable a benefit should redound unto Man was from his Will and good Pleasure For though in it self it was far above all Offerings of the Law and the dignity of the person was great yet to sanctify Man and free him from eternal penalty did depend upon God's acceptation 3. This Body was but offered once for that once was sufficient and so much accepted of God that a second Offering of the same Body or any other thing was needless And that cause which by one efficiency can reach the effect must not act again for a new production of it Neither did it seem good to the infinite Wisdom of God to require any offering of this Sacrifice but this one § 10. Thus far the excellency of this Offering considered absolutely in it self hath been declared the comparative excellency is set forth in the words following to ver 15. Where we have 1. The Proposition concering the Legal Offering ver 11. 2. The Reddition ver 12 13 14. The Proposition we find Ver. 11. And every Priest standeth daily Ministring and Offering oftentimes the same Sacrifices which can never take away Sins IN which Text we may take notice of 1. The Minstration of the Legal Priests 2. The inefficacy or weakness of their Ministration The Priests are of the Order of Aaron and are here implied to be many in opposition to Christ which was but one for it 's said Every Priest These Priests were ordained of God to minister before him and especially the High-Priests which are here principally intended whose principal Work it was by the yearly Sacrifice offered on the tenth day of the seventh Month to expiate the Sins of Israel 1. In the Ministration of those Priests which was principally to offer we may consider 1. The Sacrifices offered 2. The frequency of their Offering 3. Their continual attendance at the Altar for that purpose 1. That which they offered was Sacrifice yet the Sacrifices were many individually yet the same in kind for the same kind of Sacrifice was offered several times And hence 2. The frequency of offering and the manifold Re-iteration of the Act for they offered the same Sacrifices often and many several times 3. Lest this Work and Service should at any time be neglected every Priest stands daily ready to offer such Sacrifices as God had instituted and commanded to be offered at set and determinate times The Sum is that 1. Many Priests 2. Offered many Sacrifices individual of the same kind 3. Offered the same Sacrifice oftentimes 2. Though these many were many times offered by many Priests and often by the same individual Priest yet they could never take away Sin This was their impotency and ineffectual Causality in respect of Expiation spiritual and eternal Where it 's to be noted 1. That to perfect to sanctify to take away Sin is the same 2. That there is a Legal carnal Expiation and a spiritual and eternal and this latter is here to be understood as denyed of the Legal Sacrifices which could not expiate Sin in this manner 3. Whereas it sometimes falls out that that which one Cause cannot many may effect and that Cause which may be deficient at one time may be efficacious at another yet here it is said that not all these nor any of these could take away Sin at any time They could never take it away 4. Whereas Sin may be expiated and made remissible for ever in respect of the Sacrifice yet not actually taken away or remitted by reason of the indisposition of the Subject and impenitency of the Sinner in this place you must know that these Sacrifices were deficient not only in respect of the indisposition of the Subject but also in respect of the active expiating power of the Cause For they never made any Sin spiritually remissible or the spiritual and eternal Punishment removable For otherwise that Blood of Christ which obtained eternal Remission hath no Effect of Justification upon impenitent Unbelievers for before Sin can be actually taken away from any Person there must be 1. A propitiatory Sacrifice and such as God will accept as a full satisfaction for Sin 2. The party sinful must repent believe pray 3. Christ the great High-Priest since his Ascension must make Intercession and plead 4. God the Supream Judg must
pass the Sentence and execute the same The Sacrifice of a broken and penitent heart and of Prayer may be offered often but the propitiatory Sacrifice need not often to be offered one Offering will serve the turn § 11. Thus far the Proposition the Reddition follows Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God Ver. 13. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foo◠〈◊〉 Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected the sanctified for ever VVHere we have 1. The offering of Christ's one Sacrifice 2. The Reason why it was but once offered In the former we are informed 1. Of the Dissimilitude between the Legal Sacrifices and that Sacrifice of Christ and this is expressed 2. Of their Imparity which is implied 1. The Dissimilitude we find in several things 1. There under the Law were many Priests yea the Legal High-Priests were many this Priest Christ is but one 2. Their Sacrifices were many Christ's but one 3. There the same Sacrifices were offered often Christ's one Sacrifice was offered but once 4. Those Priests after they had offered the same Sacrifice stood ready to offer them again at set times Christ when he had offered once never offered again but sate down at the right hand of God 5. They had no Power to take away Sin Christ by this one Sacrifice once offered takes away Sin for ever 2. The Imparity which is great is implyed in the Dissimilitude for that Sacrifice which being but one and but once offered by one Priest took away Sin for ever is incomparably more excellent than those Sacrifices which being many and offered many times by many Priests could never take away Sin But such is Christ's Sacrifice and such were theirs therefore it 's incomparably more excellent The Text may be reduced to three Propositions 1. This Man offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever 2. Having offered it he sate down at the right hand of God 3. Being set there he expects his Enemies to be made his Foot-stool In all which we have the Humiliation and Exaltation of the Son of God In the first Proposition there is little or no difficulty Yet 1. The Connexion of it with the former part of the Comparison is made by the Conjunction But for so they turn the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place which implies the difference and dissimilitude 2. The Subject of it according to our Translation is This Man but in some Copies the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it 's read and whereas they supply the Substantive by the word Man this Man yet it may be turned this Priest or this High-Priest as some Manuscripts in the former Verse read every High-Priest 3. When it 's said He had offered one Sacrifice it must be understood not only of one Sacrifice but of one single Offering 4. This is said to be offered for Sins this puts us in mind of our misery God's Mercy and Christ's merit For we have our Sins whereby we are liable to death yet God was so merciful as to give Christ for our Sins and Christ's offering was so acceptable and meritorious that it obtained eternal Remission in respect of which eternal efficacy some think it's said Christ offered this one Sacrifice for ever never to be offered again because of eternal vertue Yet several Copies joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever with the latter Proposition which is 2. That Christ having offered one Sacrifice for Sin sate down at the right hand of God for ever So the Vulgar Vatablus Beza Tremelius out of the Syriack and divers other Greek Copies read it This sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose Christ's Offering and deep Humiliation his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven 2. It is the highest degree of Glory and Power to that which is infinite which is the Power of God as God 3. This Power which under God is supream and universal is perpetually continued to him and his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Some think this sitting is opposed to the standing of the Levitical Priests which may be so and so it may signify that his Ministration in the Form of a Servant on Earth was ended and did cease for ever 4. This Session and Exaltation is to be considered not only as a Reward of his Humiliation unto death whereby he merited Remission and Salvation but also as a means whereby he might apply his merits and confer the Mercies which by his Sacrifice he had procured for us For as King he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals his Gospel by the Word and Spirit works Faith in us and converts us and so makes us Subjects capable of the benefits of his Redemption and as a Priest pleads his bloody Sacrifice and by his Intercession for us converted obtains our actual Remission and Salvation He need not offer any more but plead his one Offering till all his Saints be fully justified The third Proposition is concerning his expectation of a final Victory over all his Enemies by the Exercise of his transcendent Power at the right hand of God For so God had said and promised when he first invested him with supream Power For the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Where we must observe 1. That in respect of himself all his Enemies are conquered they have not the least Power to molest him Yet 2. In respect of his Reign and Government they oppose his Power continually 3. These Enemies are Sin Satan the World and Death all which must be destroyed in his Church and Saints yet this Destruction goes on by degrees and shall be finished in the end when the Saints shall rise and be immortal and freed from all Sin Sorrow Misery Enemies and Death it self 4. This is expectation of their final ruine is not doubtful and uncertain but most certain And this estate of Glory is opposed to his Death and Humiliation and both his Regal and Sacerdotal Power are subservient to this total final Victory § 12. But here it may be enquired what should be the Reason why Christ's Sacrifice should not be iterated but that one single Offering should be sufficient To satisfy us in this particular the Apostle gives the Reason thus Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified THE Conjunction For doth signify that in these words is given a Reason of something antecedent and that is why the offering of Christ was but one and this it is Because by that one Christ did more than all the Legal Priests by all their many frequent Offerings could do And not only so but also it did enough to consecrate all true Believers for ever and proved to be of eternal vertue in all such as were capable of it In the words themselvs we