Israelites from the first-born of other Families to the Tribe of Levi For we read that the were set apart for the Service of the Tabernacle Numb 1. 50. And this done by Command of God to Moses Ver. 48. This was the Reason why they were not numbred non had a several distinct part of the Land as the rest of the Tribes In this the Lord did punish shew Mercy and gave Honour He punished that Tribe in scattering them throughout all the Tribes according to the words of Jacob who denounced this Judgment against them for their dissimulation and cruelty exercised upon the Shechemites Gen. 49. 7. He shewed Mercy to the rest of the Tribes in that they were dispersed in every part amongst them to teach them the Laws of God He honoured these Levites in that he consecrated them to his Service and setled the Priest-hood in that Tribe And this seems to be a Reward for their Service in assisting Moses when he punished their idolatrous Brethren Therefore said Moses Consecrate your selves to day unto the Lord c. Exod. 32. 29. So wonderful is the Wisdom of God that by one Act he can both punish and reward the same parties and shew Mercy unto others Of this their separation and taking them for the first-born we may read Numb 3. 12. Yet though all the Sons of Levi did minister in holy things all were not Priests for of the Sons of Levi onely the Family of Aaron received the Office of Priest-hood and were Priests the rest of that Tribe were assistant and subservient to the Priests These had their Office not by Usurpation or the voluntary consent and suffrage of Man but by the ordination and determination of God without whose Power intervening so great an alteration in the Translation of the Sacerdotol Power could not have been valid or just In the Christian Church the Office of Ministers answers to this which could neither be necessary or effectual except Christ had instituted it And onely such as enter upon this Function according to his Institution are legal Ministers 2. The parties tythed were their Brethren though descended of Abraham The Priest-hood with their inferiour Ministry must be maintained and it seemed good to the Divine Wisdom to appoint the Tythes for that end as the sitrest and most convenient maintenance of all other and if duly paid according to his order the least subject to inconveniences And seeing they did serve and minister for the good and benefit of their Brethren sequestring themselves from other employments Justice and Epuity did require that they should maintain them and give them their Tythes The same Rule in general holds good in the times of the Gospel For saith the Apostle if we have sown unto yoâ— spiritual things is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things 1 Cor. 9. 11. Yet profane Worldâ—ings who make no account of spiritual Blessings will say It is a great thing an heavy charge and we desire to be freed from it yet carnal things are nothing to spiritual These Brethren were descended of Abraham as well as the Levites and Priests and both as Brethren and as descended of Abraham were equal Yet they must acknowledge themselves and that by paying of Tythes unto the Priests to be inferiour to them who vvere nearer God and did represent him in the highest Acts and Service 3. But by what Warrant and according to what Rule did these Priest receive Tythes of their Brethren They had a Warrant and a Rule and both from God For 1. He gave a Command they should be paid and a Rule how they should be given The Command did presuppose the Power and signified the Will of God so that the People were bound to give them and the Priests had Power to demand them as due For the Effect of this Command was to make them due to be given by the People and unto them and to none other After this Command they could not be a meer Benevolence God did often signify in the Books of Moses that Tythes were his and he had given them to the Sons of Levi and the Priests That they are the Lord's and holy unto him we find Levit. 27. 30 31 c. and they are commanded to bring them to the Priest Deut. 14. 22. And that he gave them the Children of Levi for their service is evident Num. 18. 21. and they were their Inheritance And whosoever deteineth them robs God and is cursed with a Curse Mal. 3 8 9. Work and Hire Service and Tythes the Preaching of the Gospel and Maintenance go together before the Law under the Law and in the time of the Gospel Commands and Laws do not onely define the Persons that must obey and the thing to be done but many times if not alwayes the manner of performance So it was in Decimation for the Law determined not onely the Persons that must give them but of what they must be given and at what time they must be paid and into what place they must be brought and where they must be laid up So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Command and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rule and both are parts of the Law of Tything Some think these words are brought in by the Apostle to prove the Superiority of the Priests above their Brethren because their Brethren gave and they received Tythes and it 's true as Tything them they were above them Others conceive that in them he answers the Objection That Tything and Decimation would not prove the Greatness of Melchizedec above the Levitical Priests for these as well as he did decimate And they understand the Apostle to return this Answer That though they received Tythes yet it was but from their Brethren who being the posterity of Abraham were far inferiour unto Abraham whom Melchizedec tythed yet this answer is not given by him in these words except in part For the principal part followeth § 14. For we read in the next words Ver. 6. But he whose Descent is not counted from them received Tythes of Abraham c. In which words we may observe two Propositions The 1. Negative That Melchizedec's Pedegree was not reckoned from them 2. Affirmative Yet he received Tythes of Abraham The first informs us that he was not descended from Levi neither was his Priesthood of their Order or derived from them If he had descended from their Tribe and his Priest-hood from the House of Aaron then they would have said that he received Tythes because he was of their Order and would further alledge that if one as great as Abraham should be found amongst their Brethren they had Power by vertue of their Priesthood to decimate him But all this he prevents by denying his Descent from them The second tells us plainly that he tythed Abraham who was far above Levi and the Levitical Priests and much more above their Brethren Yet this is not all he not onely tythed Abraham but He blessed him
done and yet they remain Christians This is not strictly Apostacy In this number were many of those who antiently were called Lapsi and upon repenance were re-admitted to Christian Communion Therefore the Apostacy here 1. Is not barely to Sin for who lives and sins not Nor 2. To Sin willingly for so every one that Sins especially such as act against their knowledg may be said to do But 3. It 's to sin willingly after the reception of the knowledg of the Truth so as to renounce the Truth whereof they were fully convinced and to reject Christianity which they had received and professed That this was the sin here meant will fully appear hereafter § 26. This is the Sin The Punishment follows and it is unavoidable The reason hereof is first because it 's unpardonable This is signified by these words There remains no more Sacrifices for Sins This implies 1. That the punishment of Sins unpardonable is inavoidable and this is a clear and certain truth if we consider the Rules of God's Judgment and his Practice For whom he never pardons those he alwayes punisheth 2. That no sin is pardonable without a Sacrifice he meaneth the Sacrifice of Christ one immediate effect whereof once was to make Sin pardonable The reason why God required 1. Sacrifice 2. This Sacrifice was 1. To manifest his hatred of Sin and his Justice 2. To let men know that no Sacrifice was so fit for this purpose as that of Christ. These things implyed he affirms there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins In this he denies not this Sacrifice of Christ or the virtue of it to remain for both remain But his meaning is that neither this Sacrifice nor any other can make the Sins of these Apostates pardonable For Sin is pardonable by this Offering upon condition of Repentance and Faith and then actually to be pardoned when we actually do repent and believe sincerely But here we must take notice that the sins of many persons are pardonable and may be pardoned because though for the present they do not yet for the future they may in due time repent but the Sins of these Apostates upon their Apostacy become unpardonable so as that they neither shall not can be pardoned The reason of this is an eternal decree of divine Justice whereby he hath determined that the Sacrifice of Christ shall never benefit any such as fall away after they have received the knowledg of the Truth and if this Sacrifice shall never be accepted for them not any other ever shall have any force to expiate their Sin § 27. Therefore to such there can be no hope of mercy Ver. 27. But a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries IN the former words it 's implyed That the Apostate is liable to an unavoidable punishment of loss because he hath deprived himself of all hope of pardon or benefit to be received by the Sacrifice of Christ and here that he is obnoxious to a positive eternal penalty as unavoidable as the former In the words we may easily observe 1. The penalty to be inflicted 2. The parties who must suffer it 3. The certain expectation of it 1. The penalty may seem to be described 1. From the Cause the severe Justice of God 2. The Effect which is devouring or consuming The severe Justice of God is signified 1. More properly by the word Judgment 2. Improperly or Metaphorically by fiery Indignation 1. The word Judgment may inform us that this Justice is not legislative but judicial and as judicial not remunerative but vindictive which presupposeth Crime and Guilt in the party to be Judged The Judge is God the party to be judged the Apostare and the word Judgment may signify strictly the Sentence more largely or the Sentence and the Execution or the Punishment to be inferred This Judgment is the decree of Condemnation which determines the penalty and to signify how dreadful it is it 's said 2. Metaphorically to be fiery Indignation The words may be translated the hear or boiling or burning of fire that is fiery hear The Phrase is taken out of the Old Testament as Ezek 38. 19. Zeph. 1. 18 3 8. In which places the Septuagint use both these words of the Text For 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Wrath. 2. Indignation which is an high degree of Wrath and sometimes Jealously which is an implacable anger and the word fire is added to denote the force and vehemency of it And both words together signify Wrath very intensive and of an high degree yet God is not subject to passion as Man is but by these terms the Spirit informs us of God's high displeasure against and his great hatred and detestation of Apostacy and the severity of his Justice whereby he is resolved most fearfully to punish that Sin which is not barely a disobedience of some particular Law but a plain revolt So that God's severe Justice is the Cause the Effect is this that it will devour or consume which is no partial but a total destruction not that God will take away the beeing but the well-beeing of the Offender and will not only totally bereave him of all Comfort but torment him with extremity of Pain 2. The parties that most suffer are Adversaries Adversaries are Apostates who are not meerly disobedient Subjects but Revolters They violate the fundamentall Law of subjection and raze the foundation of Obedience for subjection unto God-Redeemer by Christ is the first and highest Duty God requires of sinful Man and it 's the ground of all Obedience and this Sin of Apostacy is opposed to this Subjection Yet it differs from that Rebellion which upon God's Call refuseth to submit and acknowledg Christ our Soveraign For this presupposeth that men have received Christ promised their Allegiance and by their Baptism have engaged themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and yet contrary to this engagment renounce the Supremacy of this universal Lord and so of engaged Subjects become Enemies for such all Rebells and Revolters are and shall be so judged by God Many besides these shall be condemned and fearfully punished but these are the Adversaries intended in this place 3. There remains a certain fearful looking for of this Judgment c. The meaning is they cannot look for any other final retribution This implies 1. That though they never fear it not think of it yet they are obnoxious to it 2. That this will certainly be their Doom and as they are obnoxious by Law and the certain and eternal rules of Judgment for neither Sentence nor Execution will fail they shall certainly suffer that which they have deserved 3. If they ever seriously reflect upon themselves and remember what they have done as Conscience will now and then lash them and mind them of their Crime they must needs expect it and their fear will be very great For as
he received Christianity and had felt the sanctifying and comforting power and divine effects of this Spirit in his own soul. For God by his Spirit had entred into him and done much towards his Salvation This is therefore a Sin against God the Father who loved us and sent Christ to redeem us against God the Son who had shed his precious Blood for the Expiation of our sins against God the Holy Ghost who had begun the Work of Sanctification and Consolation in us The penalty of this Sin is signified absolutely to be this that he is counted worthy of sore Punishment Sore Punishment is grievous heavy bitter Punishment To be worthy of it is to deserve it by some hainous Sin and not only so but to be liable to it for one may be worthy of Punishment yet not liable to it when he is under no Law yet whosoever is under the Obligation of a Law and yet transgresseth it he is not only worthy to suffer and deserving of Punishment but liable and bound to suffer For the nature of Law is to bind either to Obedience or Punishment But where there is no Law there is no Wrath that is no Punishment due yet one may be liable to Punishment which he hath deserved and yet no Man takes notice to censure or judg him But the Apostate from Christianity shall be accounted worthy and that not only by Man but by God who will not only take notice of the Sin but sentence him to the Punishment the sore Punishment deserved that is he will judg him without Mercy § 29. Thus far the parts have been considered and explicated absolutely the next thing to be done is to examine the whole under the Notion of a Comparison in quantity and it 's signified by these words Of how much sorer Punishment The things principally compared are the Punishments 1. To be inflicted upon such as transgress Moses Law 2. Upon Apostates under the Gospel Both are sore and great but the latter far more grievous than the former For a just Judg will judg according to the Law and a just Law will determine and proportion the Punishment according to the Offence To transgress Moses Law was a grievous Offence to sin willfully against the Gospel after we have received the knowledg thereof is far more hainous The Punishment of the former was death without Mercy the Punishment of the latter far more grievous This presupposeth the Gospel to be far above the Law as being a Covenant of Grace and greatest Mercy for in and by it God comes far nearer unto Man The Son of God is the Mediator one far more excellent than any Levitical High-Priest The Blood of this Son of God expiating Man's Sin which is far more precious than the Blood of Buls Goats doth confirm it The Spirit of God which the Law did not minister is the Spirit of Grace enlightning inspiring sanctifying Man and enabling him to keep the Conditions and comforming him To revolt from and rebell against God loving sinful Man against the Son of God redeeming him against the Spirit-sanctifying him is like the Sin of Devils and one of the highest Man can commit and far more hainous than the Violation of the Covenant made with Israel For by this a man wilfully refuseth to be saved and puts himself in a most desperate Condition after God had brought him out of the Spiritual Aegypt and the Kingdom of Darkness and brought him to the Borders of the heavenly Canaan Now as the Sin is more hainous far more hainous so the Punishment must be grievous far more grievous God hath no Mercy for such a Wretch for the Sin agrees directly with that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven It remains we consider the whole as a Reason that so we may understand the force of it The Scope of the Apostle is to perswade and exhort to perseverance the Reason is because that if they persevere not but fall away there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment c. that is the Punishment that they must suffer is grievous and unavoidable That it is both grievous and unavoidable he proves 1. By a Comparison from the Transgressors of the Law For if Apostates under the Law were grievously and certainly punished then much more should the Apostates under the Gospel who have received the Knowledg of the Truth be so punished for as their Sin is more grievous and provoking so their Punishment must be answerable This is the force of the Reason This Argument hath some Affinity with that of Chap. 2 Ver. 1 2 3 4 c. yet that refers more to the Prophetical this more to the Sacerdotal Office of Christ. § 30. Yet though the Apostate may be worthy of Punishment yet it may be be questioned and demanded 1. Who the Judge is And 2. Whether he will proceed to Judgment and execute it But both these the Apostle puts out of doubt in the words following Ver. 30. For we know him that he hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord And again The Lord shall judg his People IN which words he doth inform us 1. Who the Judg is 2. That he will certainly punish And here he cites a place out of the Old Testament which affirmeth both that God is Judg and also will execute Judgment This is more than if he had barely affirmed these things for he produceth God as Witness and so by Scripture confirms them The place is Deut. 32. 35 36. and he seems to divide it into two for Ver. 35. he saith Vengeance and Recompence belong to me Ver. 36. For the Lord will judg his People In the Text we have these Propositions 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. 2. He will recompence 3. He will judg his People 4. The Lord himself saith so 5. They knew it was the Lord who said so 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. Where by the way observe that the Apostle doth not follow as usually he doth the Septuagint according to our Copies but the Hebrew Text which is this Vengeance is mine and Retribution The Septuagint translates thus In the day of Vengeance I will recompence They seem to follow the Samaritan Hebrew Text in the former and the Targum in the â—â—tter part of the Clause yet neither the Vulgar nor the Syriack nor the Chaldee Paraphrast nor the Arabick follow them in their Translation of the first words In this Proposition we have 1. Vengeance 2. The party to whom it belongs By Vengeance is meant vindicative Justice punishing Offenders the acts whereof are Condemnation and Execution and it 's proper to a Judg as a Judg as it is Power of punishing as here it may be taken either for the Power or the Act and Exercise of the Power The party to whom it belongs is the Lord as he is the supream and universal Judg for he that is the supream Law-giver must needs be
Christ hath by Inheritance it 's Hereditary and he is invested with it and actually possessed of it to enjoy it for ever Yet the word in the Greek signifies sometimes only to acquire possesse enjoy and so doth Iarash in Hebrew The Connexion is clear for whosoever hath greater dignity and power then another and that justly must needs be more excellent For excellency is a proper necessary consequence of Power § 13. For to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son By these words he proves that Christ hath or doth inherit a more excellent Name which is the minor 1. This is a proof by an inartificial argument or testimony which depends upon the authority of the Person testifying 2. The party testifying is God therefore the authority is Divine and without exception especially to the Hebrews who acknowledged the Old Testament to be from God and infallible 3. He produceth two places out of the Old Testament 4. He alledgeth both especially the first by way of interogation affirmative which is a more vehement Negation For to which of the Angels said he that is to none and he challengeth the Hebrews or any other to prove that God said so to any Angel The first Testimony we find Psal. 2. 7. which must first be examined The words are used by the Apostle to prove the Resurrection of Christ Act. 13. 33. and his Priestâ—â—ood Chap. 5. 5 1. By the first place Psal. 2. we understand that upon the Resurrection after the time of his Humiliation was past he was made a King and by the second Hebr. 5. 5. he was made and created a Priest 2. That both are to be understood of Christ and of Christ raised up from death 3. That upon this Resurrection Christ was constituted King and Priest universal and supream in Heaven and Earth Therefore he said after his Reâ—â—rrection and before his Ascension All Power is given unto me in Heaven and iâ— Earth Matth. 28. 18. Therefore this day is not Eternity nor are the words to be understood of his eternal Generation as some of the Ancients expounded them but it 's the day of Resurrection when he laid aside the Form of a Servant and that Work which in that Form he must accomplish was finished This place truly understood doth plainly inform us that as none of the Angels did so humble themselves as he did to do so great and glorious a Service as he performed so none of them were rewarded with the honour and power of an universal Kingdom and Priest-hood as he was He had a better Name a higher place and a greater power for the Regal power he gave him was such that the very Angels were subject unto him as to their Lord and Soveraign The second place alledged we find 2 Sam. 7. 14 16. and the words of that former History contracted a Câ—ron 22. 10. in this manner The Lord speaking of a Son who should succeed him faith He shall build an House for my Name and he shall be my Son and I will be his Father and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever To understand this passage of Scripture you must consider 1. That the words are to be understood of Solomon for David intending to build a House and Temple to God was certified by Nathaâ— from the Lord that he should not build Him an House but Solomon his Son who should sit in his Throne after him should undertake and finish that Work 2 That Solomon was but a Type of Christ and that in three things 1. In building God's House 2. In being a King And 3. In the perpetuation of his Kingdom 3. You must know that when any words are spoken of a Type as a Type they are to be understood of the Anti-type and that principally to agree more exactly to the Aâ—â—â—-type For here to build God a spiritual House and to succeed David as an everlasting King did agree fully to Christ not to Solomon 4. The words understood both of the Type and the Anti-type make but one literal sense For that I call the literal sense which is intended by the Spirit And this is the excellency of the Scripture that by the same word it signifies not onely one but several things and thaâ— as the words signify things immediately at first hand so these things signify other things-things past or present or things to come For such was the wonderful Wisdom of God that he ordered things of old so that they plainly shadowed out things to come and so did teach Mysteries not onely by words but things and many things by one word 5. Christ and his Apostles do sometimes so quote the words of the Old Testament that they onely Point at the place and refer the hearer to it where he may read more than he hears and the whole when a part onely is spoken 6. This place joyned with the former doth plainly tell us that to be a Son is to be a King universal over the Church for ever and this is the more excellent Name and hereditary Power given to Christ never given to the Angels David himself by these words understood that God therein promised the Messâ—as and his eternal Saviour who was afterwards called the Son of David and his Throne and Kingdom the Throne and Kingdom of David By Son in both places is meant 1. Not a Servant 2. Not any kind of Son but the first-born 3. Not the first-born of any but of a King 4. Not the first-born of any King but of God as universal and Supream King for his Son this Son must be Heir and Lord of all § 14 Ver. 6. And again when he bringeth in the first-begotten c. These words are taken out of Psal. 97. and are found in the Septuagint Deut. 32. 43. They are brought to prove the excellent Name of Christ above the Angels affirmed in the Minor of the Apostle's Argument Expositors differ in the manner of bringing in these words upon the former but agree in the matter The difference is two-fold 1. About the Adverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The bringing of Christ into the World whether it was his Incarnation as some affirm or his coming to Judgment as others For the Adverbe 〈◊〉 turned again some make it onely a word of Connexion of these words with the former as an Addition of a third Proof of the Minor out of a third place His first was from Psal. 2. The second from 2 Sam. 7. which is added to the former in this manner And again The third is this from Psal. 97. So that the word here signifies onely an Addition of a third Proof to the two former Thus Beza Trimellius Vatablus the Tigurines Zurick Erasmus Sasbout and our English Translators understand it Others think this too harsh a Transposition and joyn it with the Verbe
bringeth in when he brings again or a second time the first-begotten into the World thus the Vulgar à Lapide Ribera Mr. Mede The former is very probable the latter cannot be demonstrated to be intended but gives occasion of the second doubt which had been none if they had not fallen upon this Criticism For it gives occasion to doubt what coming of Christ into the World is here to be understood whether his Incarnation or Râ—surrection or last Judgment Some understand the first some the second some the last Two things perswade us to believe it of that second coming 1. Because the first proof out of Psal. 2. speaks of the bringing of Christ into the World as King I have sâ—t my King upon my holy Hill of Zion for upon his Resurrection he was made King by Decree and Patent according to those words I will declare the Decree The second place 2 Sam. 7. speaks of him as King first-born and Lord of all 2. The 97. Psalm doth not speak of his coming to Judgment but 1. Of his Exaltation above all Gods whether Men or Angels For thou Lord art high above all the Earth thou art exalted far above all Gods Ver. 9. 2. Of his Laws and the Promulgation of them These Laws are given to Jews to Heathens to Angels with threatnings of Punishment and promises of Reward There is not a word of the Summons Appearance Sentence Execution and final Retribution of eternal Rewards and Punishments But these things wherein some differ are not so material as that wherein they all agree which is The Command of God to all the Angels to worship Christ. Let all the Angels of God worship him In Psal. 97. 7. Worship him all yo Gods These seem to diâ—â—es much But here you must take notice that the Apostle useth the words of the Septuagint and that which is strange the words of the Septuagint as used in Deut. 32. 43. â—ather than those we read Psal. 97. 7. The words of the Psalm are translated by Hiâ—rom Pratâ—â—sâ—s Juâ—ius Viâ—tublus our Translators Worship him all yo Gods By Pagninâ— the Tigurine the Vulgar and the Septuagint Worship him all his Angels And it 's certain that the Greek Translators either followed an Hebrew Copy different from ours or else they understood the word Malachin Angels and expressed it in their Version For that Translation is not wording but rather a Paraphrase and many times gives the sense and sometimes where they are most blamed as forsaking the Original they are most excellent and give greatest light as the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast many times doth But not to insist upon the Translations nor upon the word Elohinâ— which is said to signify God Angels Princes excellent men Idols The words of the Apostle following the Septuagint are plain and inform us 1. That the 97. Psalm is to be understood of Christ as King and Lord Redeemet reigning in glory 2. That God by this Command and Edict subjected all his Angels to Christ. 3. That he did this upon the Resurrection and Exaltation of Christ when he raised him up from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this World but that which is to come Ephes. 1. 20 21. For Christ is gone inâ—o Heaven and is at the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 4. That not onely some but all the Angels of God are subject to him for all the Angels must worship him and acknowledge him to be their Lord. 5. Therefore Christ hath obtained a more excellent Name a Name above every Name Phil 2. 9. And this is not onely a Name of Dignity in respect whereof the Angels must honour him but of Subjection to his Power by which he might command them as his Subjects and Servants to obey him § 15. Ver. 7. And of the Angels he saith Who maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire These words may be referred either to the Context Antecedent or Consequent If to the Antecedent they seem to be a new Argument to this purpose If Christ be a Son and Lord of all even of Angels and Angels but his Legates and Servants then Christ is more excellent than Angels If they refer to the Context following then the Apostle argues in this manner If Angels be but Servants and Christ an everlasting King then Christ is more excellent than Angels but they are but Servants and he an everlasting King therefore he is more excellent There can be no doubt of the Major The Minor or Assumption hath two parts 1. That the Angels are Servants 2. Christ an everlasting King he proves both and out of the Psalms out of which are taken all the proofs except one in this Chapter and the most material proofs whereon he principally insists thorough out the first 9. Chapters of this Epistle This first part that Angels are but Servants he confirms out of Psal. 104. 4. 1. There is little or in effect no difference in the Translation nor much in the Exposition of the words for most do understand the place of Angels as spiritual and immortal Substances though some very few interpret it of the Winds and the fire which must needs be untrue except we will make the Apostle's Argument invalid 2. Yet there is some difference about the manner of Allegation in these words And of the Angels he saith for the Original seems to say that these words were spoken of the Angels not to the Angels So Vatablus Jumus Tremelius the Tigurines Zanck Divines and out Translators turn it The Vulgar reads it ad Angelos to the Angels yet a Lapide expounds the words of the Angels and thinks that the Vulgar follows the Hebrew wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad for super to for of And they of Zanck conceive there is an Enallage of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet Heinsius understands it in another manner and thinks it may well be translated ad Angelos and the sense is Quod ad Angelos spectat As for the Angels he saith and this is likely to be true Yet howsoever the words of the Psalmist are not spoken to but of the Angels 2. It s added he saith in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith without any expression who saith whether God or the Psalmist or God's Spirit by the Psalmist or it may be understood yet to the same purpose that the Scripture saith The words are the words 1. Of the Scripture 2. Of the Psalmist 3. Of the Spirit who is God But to the words themselves 1. The Subject of them is the Angels 2. The Scope is to prove that they are inferiour to Christ because Servants 3. They teach us 1. The Nature 2. The Place or Office of Angels 3. That God made
Prophets not by the glorious Son of God This is the first Proposition concerning the Law given § 5. The second proposition is that this Law was transgressed and disobeyed The sin which was the cause of the punishment is expressed by two words Transgression and Disobedience By these words we must not understand any kind of sin as of ignorance or infirmity or a sin upon surprizal or in petty matters for the best of the Saints and Prophets under the Law sinned in this manner But by them is understood some more hainous sins as Idolatry Blasphemy and such like or rebellion or apostacy or an habitual and continued course of Sin joyned with contempt of the Law For these were capital and capitally punished The third Proposition concerning the Punishment you heard before The fourth is concerning the Efficacy of the Law It was stedfast A Law should be armed with power and coactive force otherwise it cannot be executed and without Execution which is said to be the life of the Law it 's but words and can neither be a sufficient ground of hope in the Promises or fear in the Comminations When the Punishments threatned are inflicted it strikes a greater Terrour In this respect the Law proved firm and stedfast when the Offenders were punished according to their Transgressions and by suffering the penalties they knew that the word spoken by Angels was not vain but valid and effectual There is a three-fold stedfastness or firmness of a Law the first is in respect of the unalterable Will of the Law-giver the second in respect of the Execution the third in respect of the Party to whom it s given who firmly and certainly believes it The first is supposed the second is meant and is a great cause of the third The Emphasis is in the first words If the word spoken by Angels that is the word spoken by Angels and not by the Son proved firm and valid and was made and manifested to be such by the punishment of the Transgressors and especially in this that every transgression with an high hand contumacy and contempt was punished and not say such Offence escaped unpunished § 6. After the Sin and Punishment of Offenders in the times of the Law and Old Testament follow the Sin and Punishment of Offenders in the times of the New Testament The Sin is the neglect of the Gospel The punishment is implyed in the words How shall we escape In the first we may consider 1. The Word or Law 2. The Transgression of it In the Law we may observe 1. The Title or Name 2. The Publication 3. The Confirmation The Title is this so great Salvation by which is meant the Gospel which is called Salvation So great Salvation As in the Law so in the Gospel which is the Law of God Redeemer by Christ exhibited we have 1. Precepts and Prohibitions determining mens Duty 2. Promises and Threats declaring Punishments and Rewards according to mens Disobedience or Obedience and as in respect of the former the Gospel is the Rule of Man's Duty so in respect of the latter it 's a Rule of God's Judgment This Gospel is called Salvation because it promiseth Salvation and being followed brings loto Salvation and is said to be the Power of God unto Salvation and therefore is called the Word of Salvation and the Gospel of Salvation So that it 's called Salvation by a 〈◊〉 1. Of the Subject for the Adjunct because the matter and subject of it is Salvation 2. Of the Effect for the Cause because it â—ath a causal vertue and power to save As it's Salvation so it 's great Salvation because it doth promise and conduce to the attaining of eternal deliverance from eternal punishments and the greatest Enemies and of eternal bliss and full happiness the Word spoken by Angels did no such thing This is the Name or Title 2. The Publication or Promulgation is two fold 1. Began by Christ 2. Continued by them who heard him The Gospel is a Law and the Law of God Redeemer in Christ yet it could bind no man except it were published And it was first published by Christ. The Law and the Doctrine of the Old Testament was spoken and published by Angels and Prophets but this by Christ the Son and Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord by Redemption whereby he acquired a Right unto us and Power over us for because he suffered death for our sins God raised him up and made him Lord and Christ and being at his right hand he hath Power to command men and Angels and is the head of the Church which acknowledgeth his power and submits unto it He began to speak and declare the Gospel both before and after his Resutrection and they who heard him were especially the Apostles by whom afterward â—â—dued with the holy Ghost he declared it first to the Jew and these Hebrews then to the Gentiles It was so spoken as it was known by him and them so fully and clearly as was never done by Prophets and Angels before This is the Publication 3. The Confirmation follows where we must observe 1. To whom 2. By whom 3. By what it was confirmed 1. To whom It was confirmed saith the Author to Us that is to himself and these Hebrews so it 's commonly understood That it was confirmed to the Hebrews there can be no doubt and also to Paul who was an Hebrew to whom the Gospel was preached as to the rest of the Jews and also confirmed to him though he did not at the first believe it Yet it will not follow from hence that Paul received his immediate and infallible Knowledge of the Gospel from the Apostles For this he received immediately by Revelation from Christ as the rest of the Apostles did though they heard Christ as many more did who yet were no Apostles In this respect none can ground an Argument upon these words to prove that Paul was not the Author of this Epistle as divers do Again the word Us is often taken largely and indefinitely not strictly and precisely so as formally to include the person speaking And in this sense because it was confirmed to the Hebrews whereof he was one he might say It was confirmed to Us especially seeing it 's he that writes unto them 2. By whom was it confirmed It was confirmed by those which heard him Now many besides the Apostles did hear Him and also confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel Yet the Apostles did it in a more eminent manner and may be principally though not solely here intended Yet Paul did not hear Christ as the other Apostles did for though Christ spake to him from Heaven yet he did not speak to him as he did to others whil'st he conversed on Earth 3. By what was this Doctrine confirmed It was confirmed by two things 1. By Miracles 2. By the Gifts of the Holy Ghost Miracles are called Signs Wonders Powerful Works They are called 1. Signs 2. Wonders 3. Powerful
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 study ye And as one well observe Studium est vehemens applicatio axim ad aliquid agendum Study is a vehement application of the mind to do something Yet that which is matter of lamentation and a sad presage of the eternal ruine of many Souls is the great neglect of this Duty for few go seriously about it The vigonr and strength both of our Souls and Bodies is imployed and wholly spent in seeking the vanities of the World § 5. The Reasons whereupon the performance of this Duty is urged are three 1. From the sad and woful Consequent 2. From the severity of the all-seeing Judge 3. From the help and assistance of our High-Priest The reason from the sad Consequent is expressed thus Lest any fall after the same example of Unbelief THis implies 1. There is danger and an evil to be feared 2. The evil is falling 3. All and every one is in this danger lest any fall 4. Lest any should sleight the danger he instanceth in the Israelites who fell by Unbelief To fall may be a Sins or a Punishment If a Sin it 's Apostacy which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie in this as in many other places Rebellion and Apostacy If a Punishment it 's exclusion out of God's Rest with all the miseries that accompany it so it seems here to be taken By this as by many other places we easily understand how we must conceive of Examples and what use we must make of them If they be examples of Punishments we must account them as executions of God's Laws and especially of his Comminations The use that we must make of them is to avoid those Sins for which they were inflicted and to be the more careful in this particular because by them we may easily know that God's Laws are not only words and his Threats only wind It 's not with God as it 's often with Men who will threaten more then they will or can do Thence the Saying Threatned men live long But here it 's otherwise God's Word is his Deed and his Punishments threatned against Apostates are unavoidable They are not made unadvisedly and out of rash passion but according to the eternal Rules of Wisdom and Justice And let every one know that that God that spareth neither Men nor Angels nor his own chosen and beloved People will not spare Us. Therefore as we desire to escape this fearful Punishment let us labour to enter into that Rest which God hath promised § 6. The second Reason is from the severity of the Judge For Ver. 12. The Word is quick and powerful and sharper then a two-edged Sword c. TO understand this Text we need not doubt whether by Word is meant the Scripture and Doctrine of the Gospel or Christ Jesus which is the Word of God made Flesh or the penal decrees of the Gospel For by Word of God is meant the Law of God with his judicial Sentence For God is here brought in as a most perfect Law-giver and a most severe and exact Judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word is often taken for a Law as the ten Laws or Commandments are in the Hebrew called Ten-words Exod. 20. 1. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar both in Chaldee Syriack and Arabick doth sometimes signify to Order and Govern and because Government is by Laws and Judgment therefore Word signifies both This is more evident from Chap. 2. 2. Where you read If the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just recompence of Reward Where by Word is meant the Law without all doubt as you heard before wherein there were not only Precepts but Comminations according to which Judgment did proceed and was executed By Word therefore is meant the Law and Doctrine of God by Christ wherein we have not only precepts and prohibitions but promises and threats and according to these God will judge every Man to whom the Gospel shall be preached This is a defect in humane Laws that they cannot reach many Offendors and leave the conscience exempt from humane Tribunals and this is an imperfection in many Judges that they cannot attain the perfect and clear knowledg of many Causes brought before them or if they know them will not impartially punish them The Apostle removes these defects and imperfections from this Law-giver and Judge this Law and this Judgment For the Word or Law of God is quick and powerful The latter word explains the fornâ—er for those things that are living are said to be active in opposition to such things which are dead which have lost their power and to be lively and very active are many times the same and this signifies the efficacy and active power of this Law This active vigour and efficacy is illustrated by a Similitude For the Law is compared to a two-edged Sword which being used by a powerful and skilful hand doth manifest how sharp and cutting it is for it pierceth quickly into the inward parts and divideth between Soul and Spirit and the Bones and Marrow which are most nearly united and more hidden and secret in living Bodies So that in the Similitude we have two acts of a Sword or any such cutting Instrument The first is dividing things most nearly united The second discovering things most secret There cannot be any more perfect division or discovery in any dissection or anatomy then is here expressed The reddition of this Comparison seems to be made in these words And is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart For this cannot agree to a Sword or any cutting Instrument and therefore the meaning must be that as a Sword doth divide things so closely united and discover things so secretly hidden in Bodies so doth this Law in the Soul especially when it 's applyed by the Judge unto the case of sinful Man to be determined by him The most hidden things in Man as a subject of God's Judgment are the intents and thoughts of the heart and they seem to be closely and inseparably conjoyned both with the heart which is the most intimate thing in Man for cor intimum honunis and also one with another We need not curiously explain the words thoughts and intents of the heart or distinguish between them The heart is the Soul of Man endued with a faculty of understanding and willing such things as are the proper objects of it The Soul is in continual motion and action framing and moulding things with in it self Thoughts and intents are the secret acts both speculative and practical of the understanding and rational appetite The words turned thoughts and intentions may signify apprehensions conceptions judgments noetical or dianoetical consultations about mens intents concerning the ends decrees and all other acts of the Soul and may here be so understood And many of these acts and operations are most secret and concealed and in respect of them God saith The heart of man
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17. 9. Of this heart and these motions it 's said That the Word of God is the discerner For this Law must needs discern them otherwise it could not discover the pravity and rectitude of them as it must do if it will be a perfect Rule of Judgment The word discerner may signify a perfect judicial knowledg To understand this the better you must observe 1. That when it 's said the Word or the Law is a discerner it 's meant that God in his Word discovers and distinguisheth these 2. That in Judgment he will as clearly discern all moral acts and operations of the Soul as agreeable or disagreeable to this Law and will judge the party accordingly 3. That he by execution will make this Word effectual to the eternal confusion of disobedient and rebellious Wretches And lest any should think that something might be concealed from the Judge it 's added Ver. 13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sighâ— but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with wâ— on we have to do THis place informs Us of the perfect knowledg of God as He is Judge without which his Judgment cannot be just and perfect It presupposeth that perfection and attribute of God's understanding whereby he fully and clearly knoweth himself and all things else In this place it 's an exercise of that perfection restrained to things created and especially to matters of Judgment as all Persons and Causes of Men to whom the Gospel is made known as to be judged by him Where we may observe 1. The object all and every thing For it 's said not any thing and all things 2. The manifestation and clear representation of all in general and every thing in particular For there is not any Creature that is not manifest and all things are naked and open We need not here stand upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned here opened For in it there is a Metonymy and a Metaphor whether the Metaphor be taken from a body laid upon the back or flead and excoriated or divided through the back-bone it all comes to one for it signifies some thing made manifest 3. They are thus manifest in his sight naked and opened to him Which implies two things 1. That they are manifest naked opened that is very clearly most evidently and fully discovered to him 2. That if they be so clearly and fully manifest in his sight and to his eyes he must needs know them fully and clearly The sum of this is that God knows all things fully and clearly and therefore cannot be ignorant of any Man or any thing in any Man who must have to do with him that is be judged by him This is the matter of this Text considered in it self and is the same with that of the Prophet I the Lord search the Heart and try the Reins even to give every Man according to his â—ays and the fruit of his doings Jer. 17. 10. The force of it as a reason is this That seeing we must be judged according to a just Law by a most exact impartial and all-knowing Judge it concerns us much to labour and use all means to persevere For if we neglect this work or perform it sleightly or secretly in our deceitful hearts turn away and depart from God he will one day summon 〈◊〉 to Judgment we must appear before his Tribunal he will fully and clearly discover the persidiousness of our hearts shut us out of his eternal Rest and cast us into everlasting Flames and though now we will not believe it yet then we shall find it to our woe what a fearful thing it is to â—isobey the Laws of this most Just All-knowing and Almighty God Men now do little regard the Word of God and his Commands Promises Threatnings fear not to transgress his decrees seldom seriously think of that Day when all their baseness and treachery shall be discovered to their everlasting shame confusion and destruction This will be the end of such as do not consider with whom they have to do § 7. The third Reason is from the Priest-hood of Christ For Chap. 3. ver 1. we are exhorted to consider the Apostle and the High-Priest of our Profession He hath formerly pressed the duty of perseverance upon the consideration of his Apostleship and prophetical excellency and here urgeth it again upon the consideration of his Priest-hood This is the first connexion of these words with ver 1. of the third Chapter Again he seemed in the two former Reasons taken from the sad consequent of Apostacy and the severity of the Judge to set before them the Arduum or difficulty of the performance and in these words the possibile that though it be difficult yet it may be done by means of our great High-Priest The former arguments tended to work fear this to cause hope the former well considered might make them careful and diligent this last might encourage and give them comfort This is the second Coherence with the Text immediately antecedent But the words must be considered in themselves before we can understand the force of the Reason contained in them For this end we must take notice that the subject matter of them is the Priest-hood of Christ or Christ our great High-Priest Jesus the Son of God And concerning this High-Priest He 1. Affirmeth some things 2. From the things affirmed inferrs the main Conclusion He affirms of him 1. That he is entred into Heaven 2. Is very merciful to us and compassionate 3. Will prove very helpful The conclusion inferred is To hold fast our Profession Seeing Christ as Priest is the subject of the Text and this last part of the Chapter let 's hear what he writes Ver. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Where we may observe 1. The eminency of the person 2. The excellency of his Office 3. His Relation to us THe person is Jesus of Nazareth the Son of the Virgin Mary conceived at Nazareth born at Bethlehem and Crucified at Jerusalem This Jesus is Son of God not only because of his supernatural Conception and Birth but his eternal Generation For that Word which was from everlasting and by which the World was made was made Flesh and did assume that humane Nature conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary and possesseth the same inseparably and eternally This is the eminency of the Person who is Superiour to all Men and Angels The excellency of his Office is that he was a Priest and not only so but an High-Priest as Aaron was above other Priests and President in all matters of Divine Worship and might perform some sacerdotal Acts which none but he might do Many High-Priests were of that Dignity that they were equal with Kings But he was not only High-Priest but
which they can neither be renewed or mortified and proceed in the wayes of Righteousness and Holiness unto the attaining of eternal life 5. Resurrection is the fifth part of this Doctrine and seems to signisy in this place immortality and eternal Glory as a Reward This presupposeth the exercise of all heavenly Virtues and the continuance of their Faith and Obedience Under this Head may be brought Justification Reconciliation Adoption with the continuance of the sanctifying and regenerating Spirit and also the joys and comforts of God's Saints in this Life and their security and bliss upon their departure out of this Life untill the Resurrection 6. The sixth Doctrine is that of eternal Judgment Both Resurrection and this Judgment presuppose men's Obedience or Disobedience to the Laws of God and by Judgment may be understood either Judgment in general which follows the Resurrection and determines finally the eternal Punishments and Rewards or by a Synecdoche for the eternal Punishments which that Judgment shall award to certain persons This latter seems to be the intended sense because the word is usually taken for Condemnation and Punishment and so much the rather because we never find Judgment taken properly said to be everlasting This presupposeth impenitence and unbelief both Negative and Positive and to this Head are reducible all the spiritual Penalties inflicted upon Man in this Life as fore-runners of this eternal Vengeance It was necessary in the first place to lay the foundation in teaching these Truths of Repentance Faith the sealing of the Covenant the sanctification of the Spirit and the retribution of eternal Rewards and Punishments according to men's observation or violation of the Covenant of Grace This Doctrine they had formerly learned and professed and it was the sum and substance of the antient Creeds And if they any wayes were fallen from this it was in vain to lay the foundation anew and initiate them again Therefore he was resolved to proceed and do that which he had proposed if God would permit and assist him for all resolutions of Men are in God's Power For he alone can so assist them as to make them effectual or hinder them so as to frustrate their designs This implies the Authour's dependance upon God for the carrying on and finishing his intended Discourse concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. § 4. Thus far the Apostle's Resolution the Reasons follow The first is because to lay the foundation anew would be in vain It would prove so because such as fall from these principles render themselves uncapable of any benefit to be received by Christ's Death and Passion neither can they be renewed again unto Repentance The argument in form is this The Apostle presupposing that no man ought and no wise man will do that which he knows to be in vain and to no purpose he proves that to lay the foundation again is in vain thus To attempt that which is impossible is in vain But to attempt by laying the foundation again to renew unto Repentance such as fall away is to attempt that which is impossible therefore it 's in vain To understand the force of this Reason let us reduce the Apostles words into these Propositions 1. They which have been enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the Powers of the World to come may fall away 2. If they fall away it is impossible for them to be renewed again unto Repentance 3. The reason why it is impossible is because they Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame These may be reduced to one Syllogism thus It 's impossible that they which Crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame should be again renewed to Repentance But such as fall away from Christianity once received do Crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Therefore it 's impossible again to renew them to Repentance The sum of all is this he would not lay again the foundation of Christianity because it was in vain It was in vain because the recovery of such as fall away and renounce Christ was impossible In the first Proposition I will consider 1. What it is to fall away 2. Who they are that may fall away 1. To fall away is here to be Apostates and forsake Christianity once received it 's not to fall into any kind of Sin but such as are contra integrum faedus contrary to the essence and substance of Christianity such are impenitency and unbelief after Repentance and Faith In this respect David's Murther and Adultery though very grievous Sins and against the Covenant yet they were not a violation of it essentially and formally considered This is falling away or Apostacy in this place 2. The subject of this Apostacy and parties which may fall away are such as have received Christianity and have been convinced of the Truth thereof For he that never was a Christian cannot be said to fall away from Christianity he must be a Christian before he can be an Apostate But to enter more particularly upon the Description of the Subject of Apostacy and persons that may fall away 2. They are described from sive things or adjuncts 1. They are enlightned 2. Have tasted of the heavenly Gift 3. Are partakers of the Holy Ghost 4. Have tasted of the good Word of God 5. Have tasted of the Powers of the World to come 2. The difference of several Writers in the Exposition of these five particulars is great For with some 1. To be enlightned is Repentance 2. To taste of the heavenly Gift is Faith in God 3. To be partakers of the Holy Ghost is to receive the Gifts of the Spirit 4. To taste of the good Word of God answers to Imposition of hands 5. To taste of the Powers of the World to come is to have some apprehensions of the Resurrection and eternal Judgment with affections suitable Others understand 1. By enlightning Baptism 2. By tasting of the heavenly Gift spiritual Peace and Joy 3. By the Holy Ghost Gifts of that blessed Spirit 4. By tasting the good Word of God The sinding how sweet and comfortable the Doctrine and especially the Promises of the Gospel be 5. By tasting of the Powers of the World to come The experience of the efficacy and moving Power of the Doctrine of everlasting Life and Death believed Others not differing much think that 1. Enlightning is the knowledg of saving-Truth 2. Tasting of the heavenly Gift is the receiving of Christ by Faith 3. Participation of the Holy Ghost is receiving of the Gifts of the Spirit 4. Tasting of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come is some experimental effects of the Gospel and Spirit 3. Yet upon examination the first three may be one And that is the illumination of the heart and mind by the heavenly Gift of
King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace MElech and so Melchi in Hebrew signifies King Prince or Governour and such is being one person is eminent in Power above the rest Zedeck is Righteousness in that Language This name agrees with Adonizedeck of Adon or Adoni Lord and Zedeck Righteousness as before This Name did truly agree unto this Person and he did answer to his Name He was a just King and did Order and Govern his People in Righteousness by just Judgment and according to just Laws and sought their weal and common good Such all Civil Governours should be for justice is essential to good Government and God never gave any power to any person but bound him to Righteousness nay further governing Power is no Power without wisdom and justice it may be potâ—ntia but not potestas Some Princes are more righteous then other yet this man was eminently righteous because he proved a Prince of Peace For the Fruit of Righteousness is Peace and the more wise and just the Government of any State shall be the greater the Peace and Happiness of the People But Righteousness must go before and after that Peace will follow and Kings must first be Kings of Zedeck before they can be Kings of Salem If the Kings of Sodom had been such they had not been invaded subdued and spoiled by a forraign Enemy The words seem to imply that Zedeck and Salem were two places from whence he had his Name and Title first from the one then from the other or that because he was so just first he was called the King of Righteousness and after that because by his just Government the People enjoyed so great Peace He was called King of Salem § 9. The fourth and last particular is the perpetuity of his Priest-hood For thus it 's written Ver. 3. Without Father without Mother without Descent having neither beginning of Dayes nor end of Life but made like unto the Son of God abideth continually a Priest FOR the better understanding of these words we must consider 1. That if Melchisedec was a man living in Abraham's Dayes he had both Father and Mother and Descent and beginning of Dayes and end too except he as Enoch was translated not to see Death otherwise these words properly understood and strictly taken might justly give occasion to think he was an Angel in humane shape which was the opinion of some 2. Therefore for the most part the words are understood Tropically to this purpose That as he is described Gen. 14. the first and only place of the Old Testament that speaks more largely of him Moses the Historian makes no mention of his Father or Mother or Descent or Birth or Death And he was directed thus to do by the Spirit of purpose either because he being ignorant of all these the Spirit did not reveal them unto him or if he did and he knew them yet he was ordered and moved by the Spirit to conceal them that according to that Description he might appear a more lively and perfect Type of Christ. 3. The words have special reference unto his Priest-hood and gives us a real difference between him and the Levitical Priest and makes him far more like unto the Son of God our everlasting Priest For the Levitical High-Priests had their Priest-hood by Descent and Birth and upon their Death their Successors For as born of a Father of the Tribe of Levi and the House of Aaron after he was once consecrated and as born of a Mother who was a woman married to one of that House so they derived the Priest-hood from the first Investiture after the first Institution And whosoever could not manifest his Genealogy and Descent from that Family could not minister and officiate as a Priest As they had beginning of Dayes and by their Birth and Descent derived their Priest-hood from their Predecessors so they were Mortal and had end of Dayes and so transmitted their Priest-hood to their Successors Thus did not Melchisedec who though he might have Father and Mother and Descent and so beginning and end of Dayes as a man yet as a Priest he had no Predecessor from whom by Birth he might receive his Sacerdotal Power nor Successor who derived his Priest-hood from him So Christ the Son of God derived his Priest-hood from no mortal Predecessor but immediately from his heavenly Father neither will he transmit it to any Successor but when all Enemies shall be subdued and he shall deliver up his Commission by vertue of which he doth now officiate and intercede in Heaven He shall resign the same together with his Kingdom to God who gave him both And thus perhaps Melchisedec this great Priest and lively Type of Christ did And if there be any Priest-hood according to the Law of Nature which is of perpetual continunuance then he seems to be an extraordinary Priest according to the Law For there is the Law of Nature the Law of Moses the Law of Grace and every one of these may have their ordinary Priests and their extraordinary supream Pontiffs immediately instituted of God and the extraordinary supream Pontiff according to the Law of Nature must be above Aaron who was a High-Priest according to that Law which was but for a time and to be abolished and so more fit to typifie Christ the Mediatour and Priest of the New Covenant which shall stand for ever And these things I referr and in them submit my Judgment to the wise and judicious who may take occasion to seek further whether Melchisedec's Sacerdotal Title did not continue to him in Heaven till Christ's Ascension and then was delivered up to Christ and so it continued in him for ever and in this respect he abideth a Priest continually The first three verses seem to be one Proposition and all the whole description till the last words the subject or antecedent and abiding continually the predicate yet so that there are many simple Propositions in the antecedent And it 's observable that Righteousness Peace and Blessing of Melchisedec are perpetual § 10. After the explication of this Description we must consider wherein Melchisedec and Christ agree for there must be an agreement between the Type and the Antitype They agree in Offices Acts and Continuance 1. Melchisedec was a Priest and a King so was Christ Melchisedec was a King first of Righteousness and after of Peace so is Christ for he is the most righteous and just Administratour of his universal and perpetual Spiritual Kingdom and by Righteousness procures an everlasting Peace for our eternal Righteousness is from Him and the Fruit of this Righteousnesse is the perpetuall Peace of all his Loyall and Obedient Subjects 2. Melchisedec as a Priest received Tythes of Abraham and blessed him so Christ doth bless all such as believe in him and makes them eternally happy and all our spiritual Blessings and our eternal Bliss we expect to receive by him and
takes away the Consequent to take away the Antecedent If we resolve this Text into simple absolute Propositions They are these 1. There is no Perfection by the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law 2. There is further need of another Priest 3. This other Priest is after the Order of Melchisedec 4. He is not called after the Order of Aaron The first Proposition presupposeth perfection to be the end of Priest-hood and the Laws of God Where we must understand what is meant by perfection in this place perfection is expiation justification sanctification consecration as may appear Hebr. 10. 1 2 4 10 14. For to perfect sinful man is to free him from Sin and the consequents thereof so as to make him righteous holy and capable of eternal happiness in a near Communion with God And here we may take notice of the errour of Crellius who takes expiation for remission and sanctification without any satisfaction Whereas it 's evident that both in the Scriptures and especially in this Epistle it signifies to pacify and propitiate by Blood and something offered to God without which there is no justification and sanctification And this is evident from Chap. 10. 10. where it 's said We are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ. And ver 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected or rather consecrated the Sanctified for ever In both which places it's evident that there must be 1. An Offering or Sacrifice to propitiate God offended 2. That Sanctification and Consecration are by this Propitiation and no ways without it This perfection is the end of Priest-hood and Law For Priest-hood was ordained and with the Priest-hood Laws were made to avert the Wrath of God to procure his favour and to be means conducing to sinful man's Salvation and eternal Happiness and that Priest-hood and that Law which cannot do these things nor reach this end is insufficient and can save no sinful man nor give him hope of Life This perfection is denied to the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law for the Levitical Priest could offer no Sacrifice that could expiate Sin or propitiate God offended or purge the Conscience from dead works Neither could the Law do any such thing as is plainly asserted ver 19. and Chap. 10. 1 2 3 4. And here we must enquire 1. What is here meant by the Law 2. What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under which 3. Why this clause is added and inserted 1. Some will have this Law to be the Law of the Constitution of the Levitical Priest-hood others will have it to be the rule of their administration others will have it to be the Law of Worship Service and Obedience of the People with the Promises and Comminations and the simple word Law in this place included in the compound Verb may signifie all these Thus understood it 's opposed to the Promise made to Abraham and to the Gospel and the Jews sought Righteousness and Life by this Law and the Ministery of the Levitical Priest-hood and were confident of Salvation This was their great errour 2. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translatours turn under it that is under the Levitical Priest-hood some understand with it and about the same time the people received or were subjected to the Law Junius translates it and Vatablus expounds it differently from the rest in this manner For it that is for Sanctification the people received the Priest-hood or the Law of Priest-hood and so referr the Relative It not to Priest-hood but to perfection or sanctification and with them the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in this place not under but for Crellius seems to agree with them in part but not fully for he referrs the Relative as others do to the word Priest-hood and so will have it rendred That the people received the Law of or touching or concerning the Priest-hood that is the Law of Priest-hood yet according to the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint the place may be rendred thus For under or by the Priest-hood the People were directed or ordered For with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to guide order direct yet because the Apostle puts a plain difference between the Priest-hood and the Law and makes the one depend upon the other and joyns them inseparably and this in the very next Verse therefore the first sense is the best that with the Priest-hood and about the time of the Institution the People received the Law But thirdly Why is this Clause added and inserted It was inserted to inform us in general 1. That there is no Priest-hood especially instituted by God without a Law and Covenant 2. That this Priest-hood was not without a Law and that Law and Covenant was the same which God made with their Fathers in the Wilderness 3. That as the Law is such is the Priest-hood for as they cannot be separated but depend one upon another so the one cannot exceed or excell one another Every Covenant of God hath a Mediator and as the Covenant is better and established upon better Promises so the Mediator or Priest is more excellent For the end of the Priest is by his Ministration to avert the Wrath of God to make Reconciliation for the People and procure the Blessings promised in the Law and Covenant and no other therefore the Levitical Priest-hood could not so officiate or minister as to procure any Blessings but such as the Law or God in the Law did promise nor turn away any Judgments but such as it did threaten And this seems to be the special Reason why these words were added to signify that as there was no perfection by the Priest-hood so neither could there be by the Law and that because there could be no Expiation and Sanctification spiritual and eternal by the Law therefore there could be none by the Priest-hood The sum of all this is That there is no Expiation Remission and eternal Happiness by the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law And whereas the Hebrews or others might demand Why then did God institute that Priest-hood and give that Law if there be no perfection by either of them severally or both joyntly Doth God any thing in vain The Answer is That both the Priest-hood and the Law were indeed from God and he can do nothing in vain neither did he ordain the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law in vain For they were sufficient for that end he intended them But that was not spiritual and eternal Sanctification or the Confirmation of the eternal Covenant but a legal Consecration and Confirmation of that Covenant which was to continue onely for a time And as the Law had but the shadow of far better things to come so the Priest-hood was but a Type of a far better Priest-hood to which this was subordinate For as the Law was but a School-Master to Christ so it may be said of the Priest-hood that it did but lead
signify God's Will what Christ should be the Oath did signify that this his Will should stand immâ—table for ever Yet the word of the Oath may be nothing else but the words of the Psalmist I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec Where we have 1. The thing Christ's everlasting Priest-hood 2. The confirmation of this thing which is by Oath the Oath of God 3. This word of this Oath was after the Law For 1. The prophesy that God would thus swear unto his Son in future times was four hundred years and more after the Law 2. The Oath it elf was sworn actually above a thousand years after the Law and then when Christ was ascended into Heaven and set at the right hand of God and that is now a thousand six hundred years and above before these present times So that whereas the Apostle had handled the several parts of his great Text Psal. 110. 4. severally now in these words he sums and knits them all up together in one divine Axiom informing us who this everlasting Priest was and the time when he was fully constituted After the several parts considered severally follows the consideration of them joyntly in their opposition which is easily understood For 1. The former High-Priests were but Servants but Christ is the Son 2. They had infirmities Christ had none 3. They were made Priests by the Law Christ by the word of the Oath 4. The Law was before the word of the Oath after 5. They were made Priests without an Oath but for a time Christ was made with an Oath a Priest for evermore So that in these words we have in brief all the former supercellencies of Christ summed up and to this end that these Hebrews should not rely upon the Law and legal Priest-hood which God in the very constitution of it intended to continue but for a time but upon Christ who was able to save them for ever and therefore by Oath made an everlasting Priest CHAP. VIII Concerning the Tabernacle or Sanctuary wherein Christ must minister the Service he must perform and the Covenant whereof he must be Mediatour § 1. ALL do grant that the scope of the Apostle is this Chapter as in the former is to demonstrate That Christ is a more excellent Priest then Aaron or any of that Order and thus it agrees with the former and the two latter Chapters This he doth 1. By summing up the matter of the former Chapter 2. By producing new Arguments These arguments are taken from his ministration as some conceive and this ministration is proved to be more excellent from 1. The place which is Heaven 2. The Offering and Service 3. The Covenant whereof he is Mediatour Janius thinks that the Authour continues his Discourse concerning the vocation of this great High-Priest and determines the subject of this part to be the Office to which he was Called and proceeds to speak of the execution of this Office in the Chapter following and not before But this is not accurate because the vocation of Christ to be a Priest after a certain Order made him an Officer and gave him a sacerdotal Office But if he mean by Office Officiation Function and the exercise of his pontifical Power then it 's true that this is the subject of this Chapter The principal matter of the ninth and a great part of the tenth Chapter is concerning one principal piece of his Service and Mistration which was the great Sacrifice of himself and the excellent virtue and eternal efficacy of the same So that the proper subject of this part is Christ's ministration or officiation yet this must be rightly understood for the Apostle doth not here instance in or insist upon any work or service in particular of his Priest-hood but informs us of certain rules of this officiation But to return to the words themselves we thus read Ver. 1. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens THese words are said to be a Transition and it 's certain they are a part of one A Transition is perfect or imperfect the perfect is defined to be Epilogus dictorum Propositio dicendorum for it not onely informs in a few words what hath been said already but also proposeth the Subject of the ensuing Discourse These words are the first part of a Transition wherein we may consider 1. That some things were spoken already 2. The Sum of them 3. The things spoken and sum'd up 1. Something 's were spoken and delivered already in the three former Chapters especially in the seventh where the Apostle had discoursed at large and that with great Wisdom and profound Learning and discovered and unfolded many excellent truths concerning the Priest-hood of Christ contained in certain Texts of the Old Testament A Transition is a Rule of Art and the first part of it doth necessarily presuppose something already handled and more largely treated upon 2. These things spoken of already are sum'd up The word in the Original for the most part is a Sum or brief Contraction of many things into few and the Verb signifie to contract abridge or epitomize We find it once used in the Apocryphal Books Ecclus. 32. 8. Let thy Speech be short comprehending much in few words The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we have the definition of a Sum as here it 's taken not for a Sum of Money as Act. 2â— 28. but of words It is a speaking of many things in few words for when the things are many and our words expressing them are few then we may be said to sum up and contract our Speech Yet this may be done when nothing hath been formerly delivered but as it is a part of a Transition this Contraction presupposeth something spoken formerly and at large Some think the word signifies the chief and principal things formerly delivered though we hardly find any where this signification yet when we contract many words into a few we do little to purpose if we omit the principal matters or take in any other A transition whereof this is the principal part belongs to Logick and is a part of Method The use of it is handsomely to tye and knit the parts of a Discourse together to give light and make it perspicuous to manifest the order of things and the dependance of one upon another and so it helps the apprehension the judgment and the memory especially The same is done chiefly by the Epilogue and former part which is the summing up of a large Discourse in a few words 3. The things summed up or the matter of this Sum is 1. That we have such an High-Priest c. Where we have two Propositions 1. We have an High-Priest 2. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the
of Man but of God who is Truth it self 3. That the thing testified was firm certain and most stable The Apostle alledgeth the Prophet who was divinely inspired and one of the sacred and Canonical Writers and acknowledged by the Jews to be such so that they could not any wayes except against his Testimony as being not only divine but as alledged by him very plain and pertinent and effectual to prove the Point intended And it was the more effectual and undeniable because this Prophet was one of the Levitical Priests and delivered this Prophecy whilst that first Covenant was in power and force Yet another thing is further to be observed That the Apostle follows the Translation of the Septuagâ—nt except in one word and though it seem to differ from the Hebrew yet it doth not For the sense both of the Hebrew Original and Greek Version is the same That wherein they seem to differ most is that passage in the latter end of the ninth Verse and I regarded them not It is strange that our English Translators should here follow the Greek and in Jeremy 31. 32. the Hebrew as they conceived for thus they turn it there although I was an Husband â—nto them But to reconcile both the places we may note 1. That the Septuagint's Alexandrian Version is rather Paraphrastical than wording 2. That they knew the force and signification of the Hebrew words better than we do 3. That though our Lexicons give no such signification to the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to neglect or not regard yet it may signify so and they knew it and did so translate it to make the sense more perâ—picuous as they do in many other places 4. We find that Baal din signifies an Adversary in judgment and that Baal aph is One that is angry displeased and much offended 5. The words Though I had been a Husband to them may signify by a Meâ—onymy of the Cause for the Effect to neglect reject and cast off Because their breach of Covenant was aggravated very much in that God had been an Husband to them yet they forsook him and that was the Cause why he neglected them and thus some understand the place But to enter upon the words which we find Jer. 31. 31 32 33 34. Behold the dayes come c. The Adverb Behold is often used as in other Authors so in the Scriptures and for the most part is a Note of attention especially when the matter is rare strange or excellent And though every part of God's Word requires our attention yet some deserve an higher degree of consideration For being of special and great concernment and sometimes extraordinary that cannot be so effectual except we in a special and extraordinary manner attend unto them The word is Metaphorical and signifies an Act of our Eye and visive faculty but here by similitude an Act of the Understanding exercising both the apprehensive and judicial Power thereof And this new Covenant was a special Object of both The matter of the Text alledged is a Covenant described from 1. The parties confederating 2. The time 3. The quality 4. The promises 1. The parties confederating were God on one side and the House of Israel and Judah on the other God was the first and principal party who contrived the Covenant and resolved upon it and by the Prophet fore-told it and all these were Acts of his free Grace and abundant Love to sinful Man intending to save him The parties with whom he would make it was the House of Israel and Judah yet because there was Israel according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit and a Jew who was such outwardly and a Jew who was such inwardly therefore it doth not exclude the Gentile and it takes in not only the Proselyte but others too Yet the Houses of Israel and Judah have the preheminence and the Jew must first be called and the Covenant must first be tendred â—nto him And this Prophecy may be understood of them in a more special manner with reference to their Conversion in the latter times 2. The time when God would make it was then to come and when the Apostle wrote to these Hebrâ—ws it was past For God knew his own mind and purpose and signifies the same by the Prophet long before the Execution of the Decree for known to God from the beginning are all his Works yet though he know them he doth not instantly effect them But he knows the best times and fittest seasons and when they once come his almighty executive Power doth issue out and effect them Yet he may signify before hand what he will do in the times to come as here he did And there may be special Reasons moving him so to do as 1. To signify the Perfection of his Knowledge 2. To comfort his People in their great Afflictions by letting them know what good he intends them in future times Yet there might be some special reasons of this particular Prediction as 1. To teach them and their Posterity the weakness and imperfection of the former Covenant lest they should depend upon it for Justification and eternal Life 2. By this Prophecy to convince in future times the unbelieving Jews and confirm these believing Hebrews and also to prove the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood which is the use the Apostle makes of it in this place 3. The quality it was new and different from the former In that it was new it implies c. 1. That there was an Old Covenant 2. That the old was the former this the latter in Order of time 3. Because new things are better than old and sometimes far better in which respect Novum est eximium therefore heâ— here may signify a more excellent Covenant and so this was far more excellent than the former 4. New Covenant is another Covenant and different from the former and it differs not only accidentally but essentially Which difference is expressed Ver. 9. Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. § 9. VVHere many things are observable as 1. That the former Covenant was made with their Fathers 2. It was made when he brought them out of Aegypt 3. They continued not in that Covenant 4. He therefore rejected them 5. This new Covenant is not according to that 6. All this saith the Lord. 1. The first Proposition signifies the parties with whom God made this Covenant they were their Fathers and Ancestors in opposition to their Posterity and Children with whom he would make this Covenant These Fathers in particular were those who sojourned in Aegypt 430 years after the Promise was made to Abraham which informs us that it was different both from the Promise made before and the Gospel and this new Covenant revealed so long after 2.
They were all in themselves considered indifferent things and a fit matter and subject of some positive Law 3. The offering and also the shedding of the blood of Christ were in respect of Christ acting and officiating in both purely moral and divine in the highest degree of Service For his suffering of Death for the sin of man at the Command of his heavenly Father was the highest degree of obedience that ever was performed to God There was in it so much love to God so much love of Man so much self denial so much humility and patience and such a resignation of himself to God as never could be parallel'd It was so excellently qualified that it was in a moral sense most powerfull to move God to mercy who is so mightily inclined to mercy of his own accord It was most pleasing unto God and most highly accepted of God considered in it self But seeing it was the suffering of a party different from man guilty who was bound himself to make satisfaction or to suffer according to the Law transgressed that it should be so far accepted of God as to make the Sinner pardonable and that certain pardon should follow upon Repentance and Faith depended upon the free will of God who in strict justice might have refused any satisfaction offered him in behalf of man who deserved to dye and might justly have been condemned to eternal Death It was one thing to accept the service and obedience in it self and another thing to accept it so for sinful man as to determine such inestimable benefits should follow thereupon and accrue to the sinful guilty Wretch The Socinian upon the Text is very muddy and obscure And 1. Though he deny Christ's satisfaction and merit yet he confesseth that the shedding of the blood of Christ even of its own nature had force and power to procure unto Christ all power in Heaven and Earth and all judgment and arbitrament of our Salvation and to produce in us the cleansing of Conscience This is not only obscure but if well examined false For what is it of its own nature to procure For if he mean by the word procure merit upon satisfaction it 's true that by his blood he satisfied and merited but both these he denies If he understand that of it own nature it did so procure this power and this effect so as it did solely or principally depend upon the will of Christ as Man for he denies him to be God and not principally and solely upon the will of God it 's false Here I must demand What difference he makes between procuring and meriting and also take occasion to shew the nature of meriting which is a moral act upon which some good or reward doth follow not necessarily and exnaturá rei but voluntarily according to the will of him in whose power the reward is but of this else-where 2. He puts a difference between Christ's Priest-hood and his Mediatourship and makes his Mediatourship to end with his Death and his Priest-hood there to begin But the Apostle makes no such difference but in this Epistle he takes Mediatour and Priest for the same That his Mediatourship should end and his Priest-hood should begin with and upon his Death I will believe when he can prove it which he can never do for there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God and it must needs be false upon this account that both are the same 3. He affirms that the blood of Christ takes efficacy and force to purge fin from the subsequent oblation of Christ in offering himself in Heaven and this he not only here but else-where doth often assert But 1. It 's very clear and certain that the total resignation of himself unto the will of his heavenly Father and his willing suffering of Death the voluntary laying down of his life the making himself a whole Burnt-offering was properly the oblation of himself This was on Earth this was the great act of Obedience the great Service that was so acceptable to God wherein Christ shewed himself a mirrour of so many heavenly virtues The representing of himself slaln in Heaven was not this offering nor the appearing before his Fathers Throne upon his Ascension The Scripture no where affirms it he cannot instance in one place for this And though God did require it yet it was not the meritorious act therefore never let him or any of that party delude us with his false and groundless notion of offering himself in Heaven By his Death Christ did satisfy and merit by his Resurrection and Ascension he makes his Death effectual unto us both by revealing the Gospel and sending the Spirit to work Faith in us and make us capable of remission and eternal life and by his Intercession and pleading his blood he obtains actual pardon and in the end full fruition of eternal life This is the meaning of those words Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. 4. He tells us that Christ was filled with the eternal Spirit that is with the power of God which clarified him from all mortality and made him eternal subject to no destruction This is a strange fancy of his own and invented because he is so great an Adversary to Satisfaction And 1. He saith that eternal Spirit is the power of God which he so understands as that he denies him to be God 2. The power is either God himself or some active power whether natural or supernatural created by God in some of his Creatures or an act of God extrinsecally supporting and preserving something creued Now that which made Christ's Sacrifice and Suffering so acceptable to God and so efficacions was the sanctifying power of the Spirit enduing him with such heavenly virtues and supporting him in this great Service of sacrificing himself For if he had not received a divine and supernatural active power of holiness and righteousness inherent in his Soul which so strongly inclined and moved him to obedience in greatest temptations and had been extrinsecally supported by him this Offering had never been so acceptable to God nor efficacious to purge the Conscience And this was a far more glorious effect of the Spirit then to make him immortal and bring him into Heaven For this immortality and entrance into Heaven were Rewards not Virtues and only made way for the exercise of his Regal and Sacerdotal Power in the Palace and Temple of Heaven 5. He saith that by the Offering of Christ is signified his singular and only care for the Expiation of our Sins and for our Salvation Where it is to be observed 1. That he understands this of Christ as entred by his Ascension into Heaven 2. That by Expiation he means Remission and Sanctification without any respect unto Propitiation and Satisfaction by blood antecedent 3. Christ's offering of himself is a religious Service performed unto God as Supream Lord and Judge offended with sinful
respect of the prohibition and commination of the Law is guilt and rendring of the Sinner obnoxiâ—us unto vindicative Justice of the Law-giver and Judge This guilt can no waye he taken away but either by suffering or pardon or both as here it 's put away by Christ's suffering and God's pardon for Christ suffers for Sin God pardons it so Christ's sake and in consideration of his suffering and offering The effect of Sin is to render the party sinning obnoxious and liable to punishment and God's vindicative Justice and by this virtue of the commination of the Law God to make way for pardon by a transâ—endent extraordinary power makes Christ man's Surety and Christ voluntarily submits himself out of love to his Brethren to God's will so far as to suffer Death for man's Sin and offers himself as being â—lain to the Supream Judge Upon his submission he becomes one person with sinful man as a Surety with the principal and so is liable to that punishment which sinful man should have suffered as a Surety becomes liable to pay the debt of the principal From all this it 's evident that Sin is an efficient moral cause of Christ's suffering and Christ's suffering is a punishment in proper sense though both these be denied without any reason by the Socinian By this Legal substitution of Christ and the offering of himself Sin is made remissible and the way is made open to pardon and upon the penitency and faith of the Sinner actual pardon follows That Sin is pardonable and pardoned is the end and effect of Christ's Suffering To put away Sin is first to make Sin pardonable and the consequents of Sin removable For this is the work and immediate effect of Christ's Sacrifice of himself and the same not often but once offered in the end of the World In all this we may observe the difference between Christ and the Levitical High-Priest Christ suffers and offers himself and enters Heaven with his own Blood but the Levitical High-Priest offers often and enters with the blood of Bulls and Goats The virtue of the High-Priest's offering was but for a little time but the virtue of Christ's extends to all time In these respects Christ's Sacrifice is far more excellent and more purifying § 25. This discourse of Christ's once offering and once suffering is continued and enlarged for the Apostle informs us that the reason why Christ suffered but once in the end of the World was the Decree of God which had determined of Christ as he had done of other men and this decree was regulated by Divine Wisdom which alwayes dictates that which shall be best and fittest This Decree is two-fold 1. Concerning other men 2. Concerning Christ. And because there is some agreement between the lot of Christ and other Men in respect of Death and that which followeth Death therefore the singularity of Christ's Death is set forth comparatively And of the comparison we have 1. The Proposition Verse 27. And as it was appointed unto Men once to dye but after that the Judgment IN which words we have 1. Something 's ordained 2. The ordination The things ordained are two 1. That men once dy 2. Come to Judgment The words absolutely considered may be reduced to two Propositions 1. That it 's appointed unto men once to dye 2. But after Death follows Judgment The first tells us 1. That men dye and this we certainly know 2. That they dye but once 3. That this is appointed yet though men must dye and it 's so certain and so evident and easily known yet men little consider it but their hearts are strangely taken up with the things of this life and they admire the vanities of this World and promise unto themselves long life and certain enjoyment of these earthly things They do not remember that they are mortal and that there is no assurance that they shall live one hour before Death arrest them and seise upon their estates and all earthly comforts in that day their thoughts perish and their pride and glory are laid in the dust Oh inconsiderate Wretches are ye able to conquer Death turn Mortality into Eternity and Earth into Heaven Be wise and never forget that you must dye 2. Men dye but once there is no return into this World again neither any recovery of what man once dead hath lost As no man can keep alive his Soul so no man can raise his Body and re-unite the Soul unto it This is a work proper to God who made us and far above the power of any Creature When it 's said That men must dye it 's to be understood of the generality of mankind that all must dye because all are obnoxious to Death and Mortal even Enoch and Elias and all those who shall be found alive when Christ shall come to Judge the World And though the two Prophets did not and they who remain till Christ's coming shall not dye as others do yet the former suffered and the latter shall suffer a change equivalent to Death though in both there seems to be some exception from the general rule So to dye but once is the general rule and the ordinary fate yet Lazarus and others may dye twice because God reserved an arbitrary power to himself to raise some unto a mortal life so that they became obnoxious to a double Death and he did exercise this power to manifest his Glory in some particular persons Yet this was an extraordinary case and this reservation did not take away the general and ordinary rule according to which the Apostle is to be understood 3. This is appointed for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood and translated and it 's capable of that signification by a Trope The party who appointed decreed and ordained both that all men shall dye and dye once and but once is not expressed but it 's easily understood For the Supream Lord of Life and Death who hath an Universal Power over all Men is God and none else and therefore this must be a Decree of God as Supream Lord and a Sentence of him as Judge and the same irrevocable yet dispensable in some particular and extraordinary Cases as should seem good unto him Death is a punishment and therefore men being obnoxious unto it must be guilty of some Crime and condemned thereunto for some Offence against some Law threatening Death And that was the positive Law which God gave to Adam saying But of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Gen. 2. 17. This Law was transgressed and the Sentence followed in these words Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 19. Whereas the Socinian saith That Death is natural and not from any Decree of God his Opinion is not reconcileable with that of the Apostle As by one man Sin entred into the World and by Sin Death
and Sin reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5. 12 14. And the wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. Besides it 's said That in Adam all dye that is in Adam sinning for he was that one man by whom Sin entred into the World 1 Cor. 15. 22. So that God appointed Man to dye and to dye but once The second Proposition is That after Death followeth Judgment This is the second thing For Death is first Judgment the second and the word after signifies the order of time For Death goes before and Judgment follows after The party Judged is Man the Judge is God whose Judgment is particular or general particular of every particular individual person general or universal of all For there is the Judgment of the great Day when all shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and this Judgment is appointed of God and appointed to follow after Death after which follows the final and eternal estate of man which shall be unalterable and by Judgment may be meant not only the Sentence of the Judge but the estate of the parties judged which followeth thereupon whether it be an estate of misery or of felicity We live here that we may prepare for this Judgment and we ought so to live as that we may be happy for ever hereafter and prevent the suffering of eternal punishments Yet men do not believe that God will Judge us and that Judgment will follow and that unavoidably after Death or if they do not believe this yet they do not seriously consider it This is the reason why they live secure in their Sins and extream danger and this is the cause of their eternal ruine It 's not material to enquire whether the act of the Judge or the estate of the parties judged or whether particular or universal Judgment be here meant or no. It 's certain that this is a Judgment which followeth after Death and the final and universal Doom seems to be here intended when both Soul and Body the whole man and all men that dye shall be judged This is the proposition § 26. The Reddition followeth in these words Ver. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation THis Text informs us of the appearance of Christ for that 's the subject of it This appearance is two-fold the first and the second and both these differ much not only for the manner but the end The first was in Humility and the end was to suffer and by suffering to expiate Sin The second shall be in Glory and the end of it to give eternal Salvation to such as look for him The first was to suffer and save the second to judge and reward his faithful and obedient Servants The propositions therefore are two 1. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many 2. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation The first is the same with that in ver 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself The words differ the matter is the same For as there so here two things are observable 1. The Sacrifice the single Sacrifice of Christ. 2. The end of it The single Sacrifice for Christ was once offered the end for he was once offered to bear the Sins of many First he offered himself this was an act of him as a Priest and as he was the best Priest that ever lived so he himself was the best Sacrifice that ever was offered The end was also excellent for he bare the sins of many that is the punishment due for the sins of many and he bare this punishment to satisfy divine Justice and procure God's favour to sinful man We deserved the punishment and he suffers it he is punished that we may be spared It was tender compassion in him to offer himself for us and it was exceeding love in God to send and give him for to suffer and so be the propitiation for our Sins He bare the sins of all to make them pardonable and the sins of many even of all sincere Believers that they may be actually pardoned for ever possibility of pardon is the benefit of all actual pardon of many yet not of all For Christ had no absolute intention to procure the Salvation of all but of such as believe in him yet the reason why all are not pardoned is not from Christ's Death which made the Sins of all pardonable but from some other cause And this is the condemnation of all those to whom the Gospel is preached That Light comes unto them and they love Darkness rather then Light God hath given his only begotten Son and his Son hath offered himself and made the way to Heaven passible and remission of Sins and eternal Life are offered unto u upon fair and reasonable terms and conditions and though to corrupt Flesh and Blood they be difficult yet they are made easy by the power of the Spirit yet we love our Sins more then our Saviour and continue in them to our eternal condemnation § 27. The second Proposition is concerning his second appearance For he shall appear the second time where as before we have the manner and the end The manner is Glorious for he shall appear without Sin yet he never had any Sin and in his first appearance he was without Sin For Sin of his own he had not yet he bare Sins the Sins of others the Sins of many Yet these Sins were not his by Commission but by Imputation so far as to be liable to Death For God laid on him the Iniquities of us all So that without Sin is without suffering for the Sins of others He shall not come the second time to dye for our Sins as he did the first this is the genuine sense When he came to Sacrifice for Sin he came in great Humility and took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross this low condition was suitable to the work he then undertook But now he comes as King and Lord to judge the World and therefore he comes in Glory The end of his coming is to reward and the reward is Salvation and the parties to be rewarded are such as look for him By Salvation is meant eternal Life and full Happiness which he purchased by his precious Blood and it 's so called because man in danger of eternal Death shall then be fully saved and delivered from all Sin and all the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and that for ever for then Death man's last Enemy shall be destroyed Yet this immunity from all evil cannot consist without the enjoyment of those glorious and eternal Blessings which God hath promised this is the great reward which Believers do expect and because they know they shall not
For unnecessary private Conventicles with the neglect of the publick Assemblies are usually the Seminaries of Errours and Schisms and very prejudicial to the publick good of the Church So that the Duty exhorted unto is to frequent constantly these Assemblies and make right use of them to edify confirm and encourage one another to perseverance in the Christian Faith and to Love and good Works I might here take occasion to enlarge and reckon up all the particular Duties to be performed in these religious Meetings and shew how subservient they are every one severally and all joyntly to that end whereat the Apostle chiefly aims but I proceed to the Reason § 24. For it might be said What Reason Suasive Motive may be given why we should be so careful to perform this Duty Yes there is a great and powerful Reason and that is Because the day approacheth Where 1. We must understand the words of the Reason considered in it self 2. The force of the Reason in respect of the performance of the Duty In the words of the Reason we have 1. A Day 2. The Approach of that Day 3. The nearer Approach 1. A Day is a part and the principal part of time as opposed to the Night and in this place it signifies some special and more than ordinary time as the day of death of the destruction of Jerusalem of the End of the World The day of death every Man must look for Nothing more certain than death though nothing more uncertain than the Hour of death Every man must dy and then be brought unto his last Account and as that shall be made so shall be the condition of every Man for ever for where the Tree falleth there it lyeth and as Death leavs us Judgment finds us There was a day of Jerusalem's destruction and of the ruine of that Nation appointed and made known by Christ and his Apostles and these Hebrews could not be altogether ignorant of it There is another greater day of the final and universal Judgment and this was part of their Creed All these and every one of these are special and great dayes And one or two or all these three may here be meant Some think the day of Jerusalem's râ—ine was most of all intended by the Apostle though that cannot be evidently evinced to be pointed at so as to exclude the other two 2. This day did approach and was near for first the day of every Man's death could not be far off the day of Jerusalem's destruction was near and so near as many then living might survive not only the Peace and Happiness of that Nation but the very Being and Existence of that City and of the Temple they might see the ruine and destruction of both and for ought they knew the end of the World 3. This day drew nearer and nearer For 1. We no sooner begin to live but we begin to dy for we are born mortal and ready we are to return to that dust from whence we were taken and raised at the first and the more of our Life is past the less is yet to come and every Day Hour Minute of our Life we approach nearer unto death and death unto us 2. As for Jerusalem's destruction there were many Signs of that approaching fore-told and then known to be past It was fatal and unavoidable even then when Christ wept over it lamenting her Sin and Punishment which he certainly did fore-know and when this Letter was written to these Hebrews that day of her Calamity was far nearer 3. For the day of Judgment the particular Year Month Day was hid yet the times of the Gospel were the last times and upon us the ends of the World are come And that which is alwayes unknown may alwayes be looked for seeing it will certainly come and that suddenly And though that day in those times was far off yet it 's nearer now and though now it may be many years before the Son of God shall come from Heaven and the time to Man may seem long yet a thousand years with God is but as one day Besides that day of final Judgment if we consider that the unchangeable condition of every Man begins immediately upon his death then the great day of Judgment may in some sense be said to be as near as death to every particular Person This is the meaning of the words considered in themselvs and now the force of them as containing a Reason remains to be considered For this end we must take notice of the thing here urged and it 's 1. The performance of a Duty 2. The performance of it the rather and the more for the more the day approacheth the more we should prepare for it Not to forsake the assembling of our selvs together and to exhort one another and to be careful very careful diligent and frequent in this Work of Association and Exhortation is a Duty commanded by God and pressed upon us by the Apostle to neglect this Duty is our Sin and Disobedience to do it constantly is our performance And this is that which is intended by this Reason The force thereof is great For seeing 1. The day of our great Account God's final Sentence to be passed upon us and the Execution thereof is so near it concerns us much not only to know our Duty but to bestir our selves and to perform it constantly with all our Power Our progress towards Heaven should be like a natural Motion which is slow or not so swift at the beginning and is swifter and swifter towards the end Upon this performance depends our final and eternal estate For if we neglect fail and fall away then we are undone for ever if we perform and be prepared we are eternally happy Seeing therefore that day is a day of eternal Rewards or Punishments and approacheth so near What should not we do to provide for our everlasting safety Yet men think little of these things If we under stand the Text of the day of Jerusalem's Calamities and desolation which was near at hand and was a day of death to many thousands yea to hundreds of thousands and a lively resemblance of the final Judgment this also might effectually work upon them and move them to performance and perseverance For then they should see and clearly behold the woful End of that unbelieving Nation and most of all of all Apostates from Christianity Then their seducing Brethren and their persecuting Enemies should be destroyed the Temple burnt and demolished all their Judaism and Legal Service wherein they trusted for ever abolished and those which out of fear complyed with them or of Christians turned Jews should suffer in the highest degree Therefore there was no Reason in the World they should forsake or deny Christ and turn from him to Moses from the Gospel to the Law for the day was approaching when they should see God's Judgment executed upon the unbelieving seducing persecuting Jew and the eternal Confusion of
himself lest you be wearied and faint in your minds THe Apostle here seems to use a Rhetorical Prolepsis or anticipation for to prevent an Objection which might be made For they might say We have not only been reproached and spoiled of our Goods but much opposed and our profession is continually contradicted So the Jews at Rome could tell Paul As concerning this Sect we know that every where it 's spoken against Acts 28. 22. The Answer implied in these words is to this purpose What though it be so much contradicted and opposed yet there is no reason why ye should be wearied and faint in your minds if you consider Christ who endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself The Text is an Exhortation and in it we may observe 1. The Duty exhorted unto 2. The reason why we should perform it In the Duty we have 1. The Matter and Object to be considered 2. The Act of consideration All this may be reduced to Propositions thus 1. Christ endured much contradiction of Sinners against himself 2. This they must consider 3. It must be considered left they be wearied and faint in their minds For to understand the first we may note the several parts of it as 1. Christ himself was contradicted 2. He was contradicted by Sinners 3. He was contradicted much 4. Yet he endured all this contradiction from Sinners Propos. 1. 1. Christ himself was contradicted To be contradicted in strict sense is to be spoken against yet sometimes the word is taken more largely to be opposed and so one may be in words or deeds This contradiction presupposeth 1. A difference in Judgment 2. For the most part in Affection and this difference is signified usually by words or writing or some other way It 's either just or unjust Just when it ariseth from a certain knowledg of and a firm adherence unto the Truth with that affection that the party contradicting cannot brook the contrary errour Unjust issues either from ignorance or the contrary errour received into a man's mind and sometimes it 's joyned not only with an hatred of the Truth but of the person professing it Such was the contradiction here expressed The party contradicted was not John the Baptist though he was spoken against nor the Apostles and Disciples but Christ himself and they spake not only against his Doctrine and his Miracles but against his person and his divine Offices They not only denied his Doctrine as false and refused to receive it but accused him as a false Prophet a seducer of the People an Impostor an Enemy to Moses a Blasphemer They ascribed his glorious Miracles to Belzebuh the Prince of Devils They denyed him to be the Son of God the great Prophet the King of Israel and the Messias 2. This contradiction was from Sinners For though he was innocent and never deserved any blame nor ever gave them any cause of contradiction and they were many wayes guilty of many grievous sins yet they did oppose and contradict him so that the most worthy suffered from most unworthy wicked cursed persons It 's true that Christ suffered from all sort of persons both Civil and Military and Ecclesiastical and from these of all ranks even very abjects yet they who most opposed him were the Scribes Pharisees Priests and Rulers who under pretence of greatest Piety and purest Holiness were the most cursed wicked and abhominable Wretches under Heaven They were proud ambitious covetous envious malicious bloody wretches and guilty of most damnable Hypocrisy He was the best and they the worst of all others That he so excellent should suffer from them so vile did aggravate as their Sin so his Suffering very much For 3. He suffered much For such is so much contradiction And this implies that it was much and that it was so much that is very much And so it was in respect 1. Of the Persons which were Sinners and they very many 2. Of the Contradictions which were also many frequent bitter base malicious continued to the end of his Life yea after his Death and Resurrection Even Paul himself was a Blasphemer and many more and did violently contradict him 4. Yet he endured all this He was not wearied he fainted not but as the contradiction was continued so was his patience For he did not yield or abate the least of his heavenly zeal and fervour but went on to testify the Truth to confirm it by his miraculous Works to reprove Sin to convert Sinners to gather Disciples and to finish his Fathers great business His courage and constancy was invincible and unparallel'd Propos. 2. This is the thing to be considered to consider this is the Duty What consideration is you have heard before it is opposed to glances to leight sleighty superficial momentany thoughts and cogitations of a serious business It 's an act of the Understanding which more clearly apprehends more exactly judgeth of things and re-views and remembers them often so that in it we find the use of apprehension judgment memory and all the acts of the intellective faculty And they must not only consider what these Contradictions were but also how many and sum them up that they may appear not only what they are but how great they be this the word implies The end of all this is the more perfect knowledge of them both as absolute and also as comparative The object and matter which we must consider is 1. Christ so excellent the party suffering 2. The thing suffered Contradiction 3. The parties from whom he suffered Sinners so base so unworthy 4. How much how long he suffered 5. How patiently and constantly he endured all And shall he so far more excellent then we are endure so long so patiently from such unworthy persons so vile and so much contradiction And shall we so unworthy not endure far less Was not He most innocent and more glorious then the Angels and We poor and unworthy Wretches Are our Sufferings comparable to his And shall he endure and we be impatient under so light a burden O continue patient to the end Propos. 3. This must be considered left they be weary and faint in their minds wherein three things 1. The dificiency of their minds 2. The remedy to prevent it 3. The use of the remedy for prevention 1. There is a two-fold deficiency one of the Body another of the Mind The former is expressed in two words weariness and fainting These are accidential to the Body and may signify the same thing or if they differ it 's but gradually and weariness is a less fainting an higher degree of deficiency which may arise from labour hunger thirst sickness travall which abate the strength weaken the active power and dull the vital spirits and principle of motion so that the body requires some rest or refreshment or receiving Cordial without which all labour motion resistance toleration ceaseth and sometimes the vital power is contracted retires and leaves the curward parts
Christ and God who sent him But then on the contrary if the People be disobedient though the Ministers conscience will acquit him and Christ will richly reward his fidelity and pains yet it will trouble him much to see his Labours lost the People's Souls whose Salvation he so much desired and laboured for to perish And as this will be a grief to him so it will be an unspeakable dammage unto them for they shall lose the fairest opportunity of Salvation and shall be condemned to eternal punishments and the same more grievous because their sin was greater then the sin of other men who never heard the Gospel For the greatest punishments in Hell shall ly upon such as continued impenitent and unbelieving under the Gospel and a powerful Ministry For it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Zidon in the day of Judgment then for Bethsaida and Corazin and for Sodom and Gomorrha than for Capemaum These are mighty and powerful reasons and if People would lay them to heart they would tremble to think of disobedience to their Guides Where it 's to be noted that the same word which ver 7. is turned Guides is here translated Rulers for they are not meerly Guides to direct but Rulers instructed with power to command and forbid to bind and loose in the Name of Christ and in the former place the Authour seems to speak of such as were Dead and here of such as are Living And some observe that this is the last Exhortation because the Apostle for other Duties not here mentioned referred them to their present Pastors § 17. Thus far the Epistle hath been continued in the main Matter and Substance and it 's an excellent and profound Discourse concerning Christ's Prophetical and Sacerdotal Office joyned with an Exhortation unto Perseverance in their Christian Profession and Practice That little which remains may be said to be the Conclusion and of the same in a few words we have many parts or particulars as 1. A Request 2. An Intercession 3. An Exhortation 4. An Information 5. A Salutation 6. A Benediction 1. The Request we have Ver. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Ver. 19. But I beseech you the rather do to this that I may be restored to you the sooner IN this we may observe 1. The thing requested by Paul and that was their Prayers 2. The Reason of this Request And It was two-fold 1. He was capable of their Prayers and a fit Object of the same 2. Upon their Prayers he might the sooner be restored unto them 1. From this that he desires their Prayers for him we may observe 1. That we must pray for others as well as for our selvs and most of all should pray for the Church and in the Church for the Guides thereof upon whom the Good Edification Peace and Welfare of it doth so much depend 2. That there is no Man living but needs the Prayers of others no not the best and most eminent not Ministers not Apostles not Paul nay Christ himself in the day of his Agony desired the Prayers of the Apostles 3. That though the Apostle doth not mention or express what in particular they must seek of God by Prayer for him yet this was easily understood and we may learn from other places what the matter of their Prayers for him must be they must pray for Utterance Boldness Success in Preaching the Gospel Deliverance from wicked and absurd men and in particular for his Liberty and Enlargement as is implied in the next Verse And he implies that all these may be obtained by their Prayers 2. The Reason which might perswade them to perform this Office of Love was 1. Because he was not altogether unworthy of their Prayers nor any wayes uncapable of the benefit of their Petitions For there are some whom no Prayers and Intercession can help or profit though Moses Joh Daniel pray for them God will not hear But he was none of these for he was perswaded he had a good Conscience and the Reason of this perswasion was because he was willing in all things to live honestly Here some observe his Modesty in that he doth not say I have but I trust I have a good Conscience not that in all things he lived honestly but that he was willing to do so A good Conscience in this place is 1. A Conscience rightly informed by the Word of God and of his own Life as agreeable thereunto 2. A Conscience that could restify of the sincere Intention of his Heart and the Righteousnes of his Actions without Errour 3. It may be a Conscience also which did rightly dictate the Truth and put him on to do good Such a Conscience his was and he was perswaded of it for by due Examination a Man may know his own Conscience or his own Conscience may know it self The Reason of this Testimony of himself might be because some did accuse him that he was an Apostate from Judaism and turned Christian out of hatred to Moses and the Law and out of Design not of Sincerity but he being conscious to his Intentions and the Grounds of Conversion knew this Accusation to be false The Reason of this Trust was this he was willing in all things to live honestly To live honestly is to direct our Lives according to the Will of God and that in all things for true Honesty is a divine Vertue and a Life regulated constantly and universally by the Word of God And though no man attains to this Perfection of Honesty in this Life because every one hath his failings and none lives and sins not yet we may be willing to live so as to be perfectly honest The Will is the Imperiall Power in the Soul the first Mover and Principle of Moral Actions and as it stands disposed and constantly bent so the Life is good or bad Paul's heart was rightly disposed and predominantly bent unto Righteousness and he knew it to be so and especially in his proper Work of his Apostle-ship which was the Preaching of the Gospel which he first undertook and afterward continued upon right Grounds strong Convictions and out of the Sincerity and Integrity of his heart 2. There was another Reason which might make their Prayers in his behalf more frequent and ardent and stir them up unto this Work and that was Hope of his more timely Liberty and Restitution unto them This implies he was in Bonds and that he had some Hope of Liberty which their Prayers might obtain or at least hasten Some think he was then promised his Liberty but not yet fully discharged but whether it was so or no yet the force of the Reason is from the comfort and benefit which might redound to them upon his Release When James was slain and Peter imprisoned earnest and continual Prayer was made by the Church for his Release and this Prayer was so successfull and effectual
it self both will and deed are from him because he makes us of unwilling willing and causeth us actually to do that which we do 2. That we cannot obtain any mercy of God but by Christ nor do any Good pleasing to God but by him For without me saith Christ ye can do nothing This Petition is reducible to that in the Lord's Prayer Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven The Doxology followeth To whom be Glory for ever and ever This presupposeth 1. God's glorious and excellent perfections for he is glorious for ever in himself 2. The manifestation of these glorious and excellent perfections 3. The acknowledgment of this glory manifested in his works unto him so as to ascribe praise honour thanks unto him as due 4. The ascribing of it to him as due for ever and ever This may be understood by that of the Apocalyptist Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy Will and pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. Where we may observe 1. That God did manifest his excellency and perfections by his glorious works 2. That in this respect Glory Honour and Power was due unto him and deserved by him for he was worthy to receive it both from Men and Angels 3. This they acknowledg and by their acknowledgment return and give them unto him And here this Glory may be understood as given unto him for that great and blessed Work of raising Christ and making him the great Shepheard of the Sheep for their eternal Salvation As when we depart out of the presence of Kings and great Ones we bow and bless them so when we have made our Prayers and presented our Petitions to the great Soveraigh of Heaven and Earth we do not abruptly and rudely turn our backs and so depart but in all humility bless and glorify his Name and acknowledg him worthy of eternal praise This is one of the Ceremonies used in the Court of Heaven The Petition presented is sealed up with Amen which is to be understood as added not only to the Petition but the Doxology it 's the conclusion of the whole and seems to request that God would subscribe his Fiat to our Petitions and so seal up and confirm our Prayer We find it used in the Old Testament to signify our consent with others in what they had said or pray'd and so it 's implyed it should be used under the Gospel 1 Cor. 14. 16. It 's a word of Faith and Hope as Prayer is an Act of both and though our Prayer be long yet it 's an Abridgment and contains the substance of all and repeats and in one word prayes the whole prayer over again § 19. The third part of the Close is a kind of Exhortation or entreaty Ver. 22. And I beseech you Brethren suffer the Word of Exhortation for I have written a Letter unto you in few words IN these words we have two Propositions 1. Paul had written unto them in a few words 2. He beseecheth or entreates them to suffer the Word of Exhortation which he had written in a few words unto them 1. That which he had written and sent unto them in writing was this Epistle and it 's the largest Epistle of all the Epistles general of James Peter John and Jude and of Paul's except two that to the Romans and the first to the Corinthians Yet he terms it brief and if we consider the hortatory part it is but brief though the whole be somewhat large If we consider the matter and subject it required a very large Discourse yet he comprised much matter concerning the Offices of Christ both prophetical and facerdotal in a few words For we find that he omits many things not only because of their incapacity but because he had confined himself to such things as were most pertinent necessary and of greatest concernment And by this his practice he seems to condemn all such as unnecessarily enlarge their Discourses upon a certain distinct subject by impertinent needless and sometimes empty and unprofitable Digressions as many of copious Inventions and yet of no solid Judgment use to do 2. Because his Discourse was brief and contracted and not likely either to oppress their Memory or confound their Judgment he beseecheth them as Brethren for that 's his loving Compellation to suffer it He calls it a word of Exhortation By a Word is meant an orderly solid and Methodical Discourse and by a Word of Exhortation may be understood a Discourse of Comfort as the Vulgar Syriack Arabick turn the word or of Reproof Instruction Admonition For the word may imply if not directly signify all for Sermons and whole Discourses had the Name of Exhortation though we find in them many other things Howsoever the Apostle meant by the word the whole Epistle which in respect of the last part from Chap. 10. 19. is chiefly hortative and consolatory They must suffer this so our Translators and some others turn the word which gave occasion to some to tell us that Paul was more offensive to the Hebrews than any other of the Apostles because they were so much taken with the Law and Ceremonies to which they had been so long accustomed and therefore he both conceals his Name and desires them to bear with this Discourse and not to be offended with it But whether this was so or no it 's certain that the word here used signifies not only to suffer and tolerate but to receive hear and obey and so certainly it must be taken here For if they did not thus receive his Doctrine and Exhortation with Attention and Obedience the Epistle had been in vain and unprofitable unto them And whereas he might have commanded them as Inferiours and subject to his Apostolical Power yet in his Wisdom he thought good to entreat them as Brethren And this might the rather perswade them because his Discourse was brief and contained much profitable and necessary matter in a few words This implies 1. That it is our Duty to receive the Word of God readily and with all Attention and with Thankfulness of heart because it 's so great a Blessing 2. Yet such is our Corruption and depraved disposition that a short Discourse though full of heavenly matter is tedious to us and we are soon weary of it But profane and wicked Persons will not endure it § 20. The fourth thing is Information concerning Timothy Ver. 23. Know ye that our Brother Timothy it set at liberty with whom if he come shortly I will see you THis was Intelligence and good News the Subject of it was Timothy and himself Of Timothy he delivers 1. That he was set at Liberty 2. Gives some hope that he would come shortly Of himself he promiseth upon condition of Timothy's speedy coming to them that he would 1. Come with him 2. See them so that there was some hope that they might see both him