Case When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13 10. Both Law and Gospel have their Teachers Teaching and the matter taught which is the Knowledg of the Lord and both agree thus far Yet they differ in the Quality Power and Manner in which respects the former shall cease and the latter continue There shall be no such Teaching under the Gospel as under the Law because there shall be a far better The second Enquiry is Whether these words are added to the former only for Explication or for to inform us of another distinct Promise Upon due consideration they may be found so to explicate the former as to add another Promise For they signify 1. That the end and issue of God's putting his Laws in their mind and writing them in their hearts is to know God the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent 2. To know God and Jesus Christ far more perfectly than ever they could do under the Law 3. To know him so as never to depart from him as their Fathers did 4. To know him so as that God should be their God for ever and bind himself in an everlasting Covenant unto them And this effect it should have not in a few but in very many of all sorts of all Nations And all and every one in whom he would thus write his Doctrines should thus know him fear him love him and obey him constantly and cheerfully so as they should not need either so much teaching admonishing threatning correcting punishing as they did under the Law nor be in such danger of departing and revolting from their God as their Fathers were For our God doth so deeply imprint his heavenly saving Truth in our hearts as that we shall be enamoured with Christ and so firmly adhere unto him as never to be separated from him This Effect it is not onely able to produce but hath actually produced it in thousands and millions This may be a new Promise whereby God doth engage himself not onely to be our God and take us for his People for a time but for ever For after once he becomes our God as here is meant he not onely rewards us but amongst other things doth continually minister unto us the sanctifying Power of his Spirit to enable us more and more to keep his Covenant that so in the end we may obtain the final and eternal Reward for he first writes his Laws in our hearts that upon our first Faith and Conversion he may first become our God and after he once is our God he writes them more and more that he may continue to be our God for evermore He will not only begin but finish the great Work of Salvation § 14. There is another Promise of unspeakable comfort expressed Ver. 12. For I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more THis is a Mercy of that concernment and necessity to sinful Man that all the rest without it are nothing The thing promised is eternal Remission of all sins Where we have 1. Sins 2. Remission of Sins 3. Remission for ever 4. The Person remitting 5. The Persons to whom they are remitted 1. For Sin we have three words 1. Unrighteousness 2. Sins 3. Iniquities Two of these are only named in the Prophet and the Apostle adds the third according to that of Exod. 34. 7. where we find three Hebrew words as we do Psal. 32. 12. And the Septuagint translate the three Original words by these three Greek words which are here used by the Apostle And here it 's implied That the People with whom God makes this Covenant have their Unrighteousness Sins and Iniquities and some of them not onely many but very hainous What Sin is I need not here define because I have done it more at large in my Theopolitica where I explain the meaning of the Apostle's definition 1 Joh. 3. 4. Sin presupposeth a Law-giver one Subject and under his Power a Law and the Obligation of the party subject And it 's a disobedience to the Law Here God's the Law-giver Man 's the Subject Commandments the Laws and when Man acts moves or is inclined contrary unto these Laws then he sins The Commands of God are his Rule and he ought to follow it and his heart ought to be conformable unto it and that freely and upon Knowledg For Man is bound to know the Law and to observe it And when Man sâ—vervs from this Rule he forsakes the Wisdom and Righteousness of God and follows his own Imagination and the Suggestion of the Devil and is carried away from his God by his base and ill-disposed Will and Lusts. And though all Sin is base yet some sins are more hainous than others Amongst other Consequents of Sin Guilt and Punishment are most remarkable and there can be no Sin which makes not Man guilty and liable to Punishment though the Punishment may be removed or the Suffering of it prevented And because God in his Law promiseth not only temporal but eternal Rewards and threatneth not only temporal but eternal Punishments therefore the condition of the guilty is very miserable and the more guilty the more miserable And if once we see our condition and be sensible of it our Souls are troubled and fearfully tormented and the thoughts and remembrance of Judgment are very terrible not onely because we are in danger to lose the eternal Rewards but to suffer eternal Punishments 2. Though there be Sins and the Guilt after the Sin is past remains yet there is Remission This Remission is a kind of loosing and dissolving an Obligation This Obligation here to be loosed is Guilt which is not Obligation to Obedience which is the Act of a Law but unto Punishment which follows upon the transgression of the Law by vertue of the Law and the Commination Pardon therefore and Remission is a freedom from the Guilt and so from the Punishment by necessary Consequence This Remission in this place is expressed by two words the first is I will be merciful the second I will not remember their Sins and Iniquities The first implies that Remission is an Act of Mercy pure and free Mercy for he that is guilty is in the hands of the Judge to punish or spare him and if he spare it 's a favour and an undeserved kindness Yet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull doth sometime imply such a Mercy as presupposeth some satisfaction and propitiation made without which Mercy and Pardon will not be granted and so it 's taken in this place For though God be merciful and inclined to pardon yet he will be just and Justice requires some expiation to be made by Blood or some other way and this to manifest his purest holiness and hatred of Sin and that he will not suffer his just Laws to be violated and yet let the party violating go free without any
satisfaction made Neither is it cruelty but Justice to require explation to be made and to accept it for a guilty Person and so upon the same to remit him is a great Mercy The second word is Not to remember To remember Sin in this place is an Act of a Judge taking notice of Sin so as to punish the Sinner Not to remember is not to charge the Sin upon the Sinner and so punish him but to free him from the Punishment and the Guilt too so that he shall neither be punished nor be liable to Punishment And it 's observable 1. That he will not only be mercifull but he will not remember 2. That though in the Hebrew there be but one Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the Septuagint and the Apostle we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double Negative where by the Multitude of words is signified that God's Mercy will be very great and by the Negatives that it will be very certain and the Sinner shall have no cause to doubt And both the words and the Negatives imply that God will certainly and abundantly pardon and he will in no wise punish 3. This Remission is eternal and takes away the Guilt of Sin for ever and puts the sinful guilty wretch once pardoned in a condition of eternal safety In the Law notwithstanding their Sacrifices for Sin and Burnt-Offerings and Expiations there was a yearly remembrance of Sin upon the day of Expiation and their many Sacrifices offered by many Priests often could not take away Sin But Christ by one Offering consecrated the sanctified for ever and by his Blood entring into the Holy place obtained eternal Remission and made Sin eternally pardonable And upon Repentance and Faith follows actual and eternal Remission and freedom from all Guilt and Punishment for evermore So that the pardon here promised is plenary for it 's total of all sins and perpetuall and an Act of eternal Amnesty or Oblivion will be passed in the supream Court of Heaven No sin not any shall in any wise be remembred any more 4. The party pardoning is God who makes the Covenant and in the Covenant this Promise For it 's said I will be mercifull I will not remember He is the supream Law-giver and the supream Judg and if he once justify none can condemn His Sentence cannot be revoked and null'd there lyes no Appeal from his Tribunal his Decrees once passed stand firm for ever Yet God pardons as propiâ—â—ated by the Blood of Christ and â—s there upon freely and abundantly merciful For to pardon one whom he may justly punish is Mercy to pardon many grievous sins is abundant Mercy to pardon for ever is eternal Mercy It is the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious â—â—ng-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin Exod. 34. 6. 7. Where we may observe that Mercy goes before Remission He loved and piâ—yed us when we were sinful and Enemies and gave his only begotten Son for us that by his Blood he might make way for his Mercy make our Sins paâ—â—â—onable and when the Sinner once repetus and believs and the Blood of Christ is once pleaded then he actually freely abundantly eternally pardons How are God's justified Ones bound to praise him with all their heart for evermore 5. The Persons pardoned are not all Sinners and every Transgressout For though God's Mercy â—e as he himself is infinite yet it 's by his Wisdom and Justice limited to certain Persons For though Christ hath merited pardon by his death yet no Sinner as a Sinner is capable of it his Death makes Sin and Faith makes the Sinner pardonable God must write his Laws in Man's heart and Man must know his God and Saviour and believe in him and Christ must make Intercession before Man can be actually justified Therefore this Promise follows all the rest Except Man receive God for his God and God become his God no pardon can be expected God received as our God and engaging himself to be our God in Christ doth justify And this is great Mercy of God that seeing Man is by Nature uncapable of Remission because sensless of his Sin and ignorant of his Saviour he writes his Laws in his heart to take away the stony and sensless quality thereof and makes it tender and sensible and so Man sees his Sin hates it is humbled and grieved for it willing to turn unto his God He enlightens him and lest he should despaire he manifests unto him his Saviour and his infinite Mercy in him promiseth pardon invites and calls him and lets him know there is plentiful Redemption Upon all this Man is willing to submit himself and take God to be his God in Christ and now he is in a capacity of pardon and justifiable Thus Man by God's Grace and performance of his Duty by the power of that Grace is prepared for this great Mercy of Remission and Justification And they who through neglect of hearing God's Word and Prayer continue in their Sin and harden their hearts can have no hope of this great benefit which God is so willing to give and sinful Man unwilling upon God's terms to receive These words thus explained contain this Promise That God will forgive Man his Sin and justify him and the words are brought in upon the former by the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek turned by our Translators For. And as I have observed before it 's sometimes expletive sometimes illative for therefore sometimes causal and accordingly is rendred Sometimes the Hebrew Particle signifies When. If it be expletive it 's used onely to bring in this last Promise and joyn it with the rest But if it be not such but used here as a rational Conjunction the Connexion of these words with the former is very doubtful Some make Remission to be the ground of all the other Priviledges which God doth promise because he will forgive their Sins Thus Dr. Gouge seems to understand it Yes this seems to give a Reason why God will write his Laws in their hearts be their God and so teach them as that they shall know him and it 's this That he may make them capable of Remission and being made such he may remit them This is certain that this is a distinct Promise of the Covenant different from the rest and it 's such a Promise and of so great a Blessing that the Law had none such neither by the Observation of it could any Man obtain Pardon and Justification And it 's certain and clear enough that one end why God made this Covenant and in the same promised to write his Laws in our hearts was that by them so written we might repent and believe and by them obtain Remission For the chief Laws and Commandments of this new Covenant are those of Repentance and Belief
31. 4. They must remember their former constancy in great Afflictions when they suffered in their own persons and also with others ver 32 33 34. 5. If they persevere the Reward will be great the enjoyment will be very certain and shall not long be delayed ver 35 36 37 38. CHAP. XI VVHerein Perseverance is urged upon other Reasons and Motives as 1. From the excellency of Faith in it self For 1. It can secure us of glorious Rewards to come 2. Assure us of things far above sense and reason ver 1. 2. From the Effects and also the Consequents thereof For 1. The Effects thereof are so excellent that by them the Saints of antient time became famous and obtained an excellent Testimony from God himself which is upon Record in sacred Scripture ver 2. 2. By it we know the World was made of things that did not appear ver 3. 3. From the particular examples of the Elders endued with this heavenly Virtue who obtained so good Report And in this Argument from Example we must observe 1. That it is only proposed in this Chapter and applied in the next 2. That the rare Effects of this Faith in them were that they 1. Obtained great Mercies 2. Suffered great Afflictions 3. Did rare Exploits 3. That they being many are Marshalled in order and reduced to three Companies 1. Such as lived near the Creation and before the Flood 2. Such as lived after the Flood before the Law 3. Such as lived under the Law till near the time of the Incamation 4. Some are mentioned by Name and the effects of their Faith specified and expressed some are not named at all 5. The Apostle insists most largely in Abraham and Moses as rare and eminent Patterns 6. All these lived before the exhibition of Christ and this is their great commendation that in the times of imperfection their Faith was so excellent and had so rare effects CHAP. XII VVHerein 1. The Motive from Examples proposed in the former Chapter is applied and these Hebrews exhorted to imitation ver 1. 2. The unparallel'd Example of Christ is proposed as a mighty Motive seeing for the Joy that was set before him he with great patience endured more then ever any did and that from wicked men ver 2 3. 3. Though they had suffered much yet they had not resisted to Blood and loss of their lives ver 4. 4. They must consider that all their Afflictions which they Suffer come from God as a Father loving them and looking upon them not as Bastards but as Sons and chastising them in Wisdom to make them more holy and more happy ver 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. And the Means of perseverance which they must use are 1. To encourage themselves and renew their strength 2. To live in peace and holiness 3. By Discipline to cast out from amongst them Apostates and scandalous Persons as Fornicators and profane Persons as Esau And the Motives to use these means are 2. Lest they be turned out of the way 3. Lest the Blessing be irrecoverably lost ver 12 13 14 15 16 17. 5. The sad estate of fear and bondage under the Law and the blessed and glorious estate under the Gospel in the Kingdom of Christ should perswade them much To be constant and never to think of returning back to Judaism again ver 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. 6. If they which refused to hearken to the Law given on Earth were severely punished How much more must they suffer who disobeyed him speaking from Heaven ver 25 7. They must persevere in their Profession and serve God accordingly because the former dispensation under the Law is altered and taken away and the dispensation of the Gospel shall never be shaken That this Dispensation continues for ever he proves out of Haggai by whom God said Once more I will shake not only Earth as I did when I gave the Law but Heaven too And after this there never shall be any more shaking or alteration in his Spiritual Kingdom ver 26 27 28. And lest they should not live according to their Profession he lets them know that God is a consuming Fire ver 29. CHAP. XIII VVHerein the Apostle 1. Exhorts 2. Concludes 1. He exhorts to brotherly-Love Hospitality and other Duties and urgeth the performance by several Reasons and Motives from ver 1. to the 18th 2. He concludes with Request Intercession Intreaty Information Salutation Benediction These things give light unto the Whole and the more particular Explication you may expect in the Comment AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews CHAP. 1. § 1. OF the Divine authority the Authour the Language and Translation of this Epistle others have spoken at large the Matter is the principal thing To do something cast in my mite after other learned men have done their part and to unfold the mysteries thereof is my design And before I enter upon particulars I think it expedient to acquaint the Reader with the scope and method of the Apostle The end and scope is easily known if we read the whole together and seriously consider the Contexture For upon this done it will appear and that very clearly that the whole and all the parts tend to the confirmation of the blebrews in that Christian Faith which they had professed and for which many of them had suffered For the divine Authour knew full well there was danger of Apostacy or at least of doubting in all because of the relapse of some He was not ignorant what the Devil by subtil perswasions or cruel persecutions might do For though some were strong yet many were weak and losse of Goods Imprisonment Banishment and hazzard of Life were shrewd temptations And though it was God who must assist strengthen support and establish them yet he might make him an Instrument in that work so far as to furnish them with Weapons and Armour and perswade them to make use of them Yet we must not think that the inward motive which stirred him up to write was meetly his natural affection to his Brethren and desire of their good or that he used only such means to confirm them in the Truth as natural reason and humane prudence did dictate We must have far higher conceits of this Letter which for matter is divine and far above the dictates of reason For he was inspired moved and infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost The principal Subject of the whole is Christ's prophetical and sacerdotal Office wherein he did excell not only the former Prophets and Priests but Angels too The attentive and intelligent Reader will easily find this and from thence observe his method For he single out his prophetical Office wherein he proves him far more excellent then Prophets Angels and Moses himself and all this in the first four Chapters In the fifth he begins his discourse of his Priest-hood as far above that of Aarons yea above Melchlsedeâ—ks and in this he Tpends the fifth
another then a third till the whole was finished One part was declared as it was revealed by one Prophet another by another a third by a â—â—ird 3. That one part was written at one time another at another and the whole â—â— several and sundry times 4. There was a considerable time between the Prophet and the parts and a great distance between the first and the last For some of the best Chronologâ—ts â—ell us that the time from Moses to Malachi was a thousand and two hundred years 5. This 〈◊〉 â—ay referr to the matter which was various 4. As it was delivered by parts and in several times so it was revealed and declared many and several ways as it seemed good to the manifold wisdom of God â—ho 〈◊〉 many ways both to inform his Prophets and instruct his People In this they all agreed that they were moved inspired illuminated and infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost Yet this eternal Spirit did inform them by several representations made to the oâ—â—ward 〈◊〉 whilst they were waking or to the inward senses in Dreams oâ— Exâ—â—fies or more partly of immediately to the immortal Soul by illaps and powerful penâ—â—â—tion with a divine Light into the intellectual Spirit And as he did notify and make known his thoughts and 〈◊〉 lent Counsels several ways unto the Prophets so by them he declared them to â—â—â— People in any ways as by words by writing by writings read by visible Figures So that he 〈◊〉 any way did apply himself to the Fathers and used several means to cause them to understand his Will He omitted no way which was either necessary or expedient for their good From all this we may collect a Description of that part of the Scripture which we call the Oâ—â— Testament It is the Word of God which at sundry times by parts many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 times past he spake by the Prophets to the Fathers These were not all the Prophets 〈◊〉 the beginning For Adam was a Propher so was Eâ—och and 〈◊〉 and Nâ—â—h â—â—â— Abraham but these were they by whom God spake to the Fathers and Ancestors of those 〈◊〉 and were the pen-men of the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament whereof 〈◊〉 were Priests and Kings That God by these was pleased to speak unto the Fathers 〈◊〉 a peculiar mercy and special favour to that People above all other People and was in act of â—â—â—gular care and extraordinary providence And it was a prerogative and a 〈◊〉 priviledg that they were trusted with his Oracles It 's true that the Church never was without some Prophecy and Word of God whereby he supplyed the ignorance and negligence of men and defects of humane reason and memory in divine things in 〈◊〉 known those things concerning man's eternal good which otherwise could never have been known § 5. The first Proposition is That the Prophets are excellent as hath been made evident The second follows and affirms That Christ is more excellent and that not only as a Prophet but many other ways Both are excellent because God spake by both and the Fathers as also their Children happy because God spake to both Yet Christ is more excellent because God spake by Him as by his Son and their Children more happy then the Fathers because God spake to them not by Prophets but his Son For in these last Days God hath spoken to us by his Son c. Ver. 2. In the words four things are to be considered 1. Who spake 2. To whom He spake 3. When He spake 4. By whom He spake 1. Who spake It was God the same God who spake unto the Fathers For the same God is the Authour of the whole Canon of the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament 2. To whom did He speak To us that is the Children and Posterity of the Fathers living in the time of Christ and the Apostles Such were these Hebrews and the Apostles For whom God reserved this special happiness above their Ancestors For many Prophets and Kings desired to see those things which they saw and did not see them and to bear those things which they heard and did not hear them Luke 10. 24. 3. When did God speak to the Children Even in the last days which in this respect were the best days because of clearest light and greatest mercy wherewith this time was blessed above the former days 4. By whom did he speak then unto them By his Son the Greatest and most Excellent of all the Prophets and far above them all For the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst them and they beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. § 6. The intention of the Apostle in these words is to set forth the excellency of Christ and therefore he gives us a description of Him which we must 1. Understand 2. From thence conclude his Excellency both absolutely and comparatively In the description some things affirmed of Christ agree to him as the Word not made Flesh some agree to him as the Word made Flesh or Incarnate Christ Jesus if we observe is the Son of God by whom he spake whom he hath made Heir of all things by whom he made the Worlds the brightness of his Fathers Glory c. 1. He is the Son of God and that in a Supereminent manner so as neither Men or Angels though Sons of God are therefore is He said to be his only begotten He is a Son not only in respect of his person Divine but of the humane Nature united to the Word He is a Son not only because like God or because adopted but by a divine and ineffable generation and production which far transcends the capacity of humane reason As the Word He is so near to God that He is God as Flesh and Man He is nearer then either Men or Angels 2. This Son of God is a Prophet for God spake by him as he did by the Prophets yet by him in a more perfect and excellent manner 3. God hath appointed him Heir of all things To be Heir is to be Lord to be made Heir is to receive Power to be made Heir of All is to receive an Universal and supream Power not only over Men but Angels This Power he received and it was given him upon the Resuâ—rection Therefore being risen he saith All Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me Matth. 28. 18. This includes 1. A right 3. A possession upon a Solemn investicure In this phrase he seems to allude unto the priviledg of the first born Son who was Lord of the whole Inheritance and must Rule over his Brethren And this agrees to Christ as Man yet united to the Word 4. By him he made the Worlds This is affirmed and to be understood of Christ as the Word not incarnate and made Flesh. In the words we may observe 1. Worlds made 2. The making of them 3. By whom they were made
believs and this High-Priest makes intercession effectually for his People who come to God by him and then it 's consummate when all the sins of his People are for ever pardoned and they finally justified This is a Work of great Mercy and if God commit it to him he undertake it and Man rely upon him if it be not done how can he be said to be faithful To reconcile and propitiate is a Work of greatest fidelity because of greatest Consequence Ver. 18. For in that he hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted § 21. In this Text and by these words we are informed of the Reason why Christ is so merciful and faithful an High-Priest and how he became such and that was by suffering and temptation whereof he had experience in himself In the words we have his Suffering and Temptation Power to help the tempted 1. His Sufferings were many and cruel and such as never any did endure yet his greatest Sufferings were reserved to the last And though he never sinned yet he knew and felt the woful Consequences of Sin and the Punishments it deservs 2. He was tempted for no sooner was he baptized and publickly initiated and declared in the sight of Heaven and Earth to be the Son of God but Satan the great Enemy set upon him and attempted his ruine yea all his Sufferings as from Satan were temptations and it 's very likely he did assault him most violently in the end By both these he knew what a sad and woful thing Suffering for Sin is and how hard a thing it is to be tempted and not to sin and how much such as being violently tempted do sin are to be pitied For if he who had the greatest power that ever was to resist and overcome temptations was hardly put to it he must needs know and could not be ignorant how dangerous Man's condition is and how easily a frail Sinner may be foiled 2. This Suffering and Temptation made him more merciful and faithful and able to succour To succour is to do all things for the procuring the Reconciliation of his People and his ability to succour is his mercifulness and fidelity whereby he is every way fitted powerfully inclined and effectually moved to succour them To be able sometimes is to be sit as Varinus observeth and so it may be here taken And the more fit the more able The saying is None so merciful as those who have been miserable and they who have not onely known misery but felt it are most powerfully inclined not onely to inward compassion but to the real relieving of others miserable And this was a contrivance of the profound Wisdom of that God who is infinitely knowing and merciful to find a way how to feel misery and be merciful another way This was by his Word assuming Flesh that in that Flesh he might be tempted violently and suffer most grievously and all this that he might be more merciful and effectually succour sinful Man This is the most powerful Remedy against despaire and the firmest ground of hope and comfort that ever sinful miserable Man sensible of his Sin could have And that was the great reason why Christ must suffer being tempted that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest and that he might be such was the end why it behoved him to be like his Brethren not onely in being Man and assuming flesh but in Suffering and Temptation too And thus the Son of God for a little time was made lower than the Angels This the Apostle insists upon so largely to let the Hebrews know that there was little reason why they should be offended with his Humiliation either because he was a mortal Man or that he suffered death For 1. It was fore-told that he must be lower than the Angels 2. That he should be lower for a little time 3. That this his Humiliation for a time was a way to Glory he was lower than those heavenly Spirits for a little time that he might be above them for ever 4. That thus to be humbled became God and it seemed in his Wisdom to be the most excellent way of consecrating the great Captain of our Salvation 5. It was most fitting that he that was sent to redeem and sanctify Man should be Man and not an Angel 6. It was infinitely beneficial unto us for by this means 1. He tasted death for us 2. By his death destroyed the Power of Satan 3. By destroying his Power delivered us from the slavish fear and danger of death 4. By his Humiliation in Suffering and Temptation he became a most merciful and faithful High-Priest and most able effectually to procure their Reconciliation And why should this voluntary Humiliation be either any the least derogation from the Excellency of Christ or stumbling-block unto the Jew or seem foolishness to the Gentiles There is no reason at all but it argues the Ignorance if not the wilful blindness of both Jew and Gentile The Errours of Crellâ—us we shall meet with hereafter For 1. He denieth Christ's Sufferings to be Punishments 2. He affirmeth that to succour is to expiate Sin 3. He saith that the principal Function of Christ's Priest-hood is performed now in Heaven and was not performed by his death on Earth which he denyes to be an Expiation by suffering Punishment for our sins CHAP. III. Ver. 1. § 1. THE Sum and Substance of this Chapter is an Exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Faith yet upon new grounds and reasons distinct from those in the two former Chapters For they shew that Christ was more excellent than the Prophets and the Angels and that the World to come was not subject to Angels but to Christ who though by his Sufferings he was for a little time lower than the Angels yet upon his Resurrection and Ascension was far above them This Chapter manifesteth his Excellency far above Mofes and argues that if Moses was to be heard then Christ much more and if they which disobeyed Moses were punished much more they which disobey Christ. In the Exhoâ—tation we must observe 1. The parties to whom the Exhortation is directed 2. The Duty exhorted unto 3. The reasons whereby the performance of the Duty is urged And these Reasons are taken from the Excellency of Christ. Benefit of Perseverance Punishment of Apostacy The Punishment is set forth by an Example of their Fathers Proposed Applied Ver. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling c. § 2. This is the Description of the parties exhorted They were Hebrews yet Christians and described as Brethren Holy Partakers of the heavenly Call They were Brethren and as such related to Paul an Hebrew and one unto another And the ground of this Relation and Fraternity was not onely Generation but chiefly Regeneration not so much natural as supernatural For though they were Brethren by natural Generation as descended from Abraham the same Father as the unbelieving Jews
were yet here they are called Brethren as believing in Christ and holy as sanctified by the Spirit of Christ So that this is a Fraternity in respect of Religion Christian. They became such Brethren and so holy by the heavenly Call they were partakers of the heavenly Calling For as they were not Brethren so neither were they holy by natural Generation but by supernatural and spiritual Regeneration as before To be partakers of this Call is either barely to be called or to be partakers of this Mercy together with others It 's said to be Heavenly as some understand it in respect of the efficient and the final Cause It 's from Heaven that is from God who is the principal Cause of this Work and because they are to be called to Heaven that is eternal Glory which is the end and ultimate Effect thereof In it we may consider 1. The Work of God 2. The Duty of Man 3. The Benefit following upon both The Work of God is by the Word of the Gospel and the Power of the Spirit to enlighten and sanctify man and gave him a Divine Power to believe and turn unto Him The duty of Man is to be obedient to the heavenly Call The benefit is the admission of him as obedient unto his heavenly Kingdom and receiving him as an Heir of Glory Upon this heavenly Call followeth a great change both in the disposition and condition of man called For his disposition he is made of unholy holy and therefore said to be called with an holy Calling and to be called unto Holiness For his condition he is made of miserable happy and therefore said to be called unto eternal Glory And because the distance between holiness and happiness and sinful and miserable Man is so great therefore this work of God is a work of great power and because the change is so happy therefore it 's a work of great mercy wherein God freely prevents man so that if he should not thus prevent him he would be for ever sinful and miserable Wo unto all such as are disobedient to this heavenly Call and neglect this preventing Grace for as their Sin is more hainous so their Punishment shall be more grievous The Apostle seems to put them in mind of this Calling to let them know how deeply they are engaged to God and how unworthy they should be if they should not persevere unto the end § 3. The duty exhorted unto is expressed ver 6. It 's to hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope firm to the end and is repeated ver 14. It 's opposed to unbelief ver 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God The duty therefore is persevetance which presupposeth that they had received the Truth of the Gospel and professed their Faith in Christ and is a continâ—ance in this Faith once received and professed to the end This Faith was from God and was wrought in them by the heavenly Call and the continuance of it depends upon God He gave it at the first he continues it to the last yet so that man must be obedient at the first and use all means with diligent care to preserve it to the last Some refuse to obey at the first others who have professed and received the Truth fall off before the end and both these are sins and they only guilty of them § 4. The reasons follow 1. From the excellency of Christ which is set forth by Comparison The parties compared are Christ and Moses both excellent but Christ far more And here it is observable 1. That the duty is the same with that which was pressed Chap. 2. 2. That the ground of that was the excellency of Christ above the Angels of this the excellency of Christ above Moses 3. The reason there was that if the disobedience unto the word of Angels was punished with Death how much more grievously shall they be punished which disobey the Gospel of Christ 4. The reason here is that if their fathers for their unbelief and disobedience to the Doctrine of Moses were eternally shut out of God's rest how much more shall they he shut out of Heaven and Christ's eternal rest if they do not continue in the Faith of Christ but fall off from their profession To understand this first reason we must consider 1. The excellency of Christ and the excellency of Moses absolutely and positively 2. The excellency of both comparatively that so we may understand the excellency of the one fâ—t above the the excellency of the other 1. Therefore they must consider the excellency of Christ Jesus which is this That he is the Apostle and High-Priest of their Profession Their profession was of the Christian Faith and Religion which they did professe The Authour Apostle and Legate sent from Heaven who first published this Faith and Doctrine was Christ the Son of God by whom God spake who was formerly proved to be more excellent then the Prophets then the Angels So that their Religion was from God nor by Prophets or Angels but by Christ the great Prophet For here to be an Apostle is to be a Prophet Yet Moses and so many others may be Prophets yet no High-Priest but Christ Jesus is not only the Prophet but the High-Priest who mediates between God and Man and officiates so as to make his Doctrine effectual and saving and expiate his Peoples Sin that they may be reconciled to their God This two-fold power was necessary as without which he could not have been a perfect Saviour These are his two Offices upon which the Apostle so much enlargeth and insisteth But 〈◊〉 may be an Officer and yet prove unfaithful and not discharge his trust yet Christ was faithful For it follows Ver. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him § 5. This is concerning Christ's fidelity expressed both absolutely in these words and comparatively in those which follow 1. Absolutely He was faithful to him who appointed him 2. Comparatively As Moses was faithful in all his House The former words 1. Imply his ordination 2. Expresse his fidelity to him that ordained him Where we have two Propositions 1. That God appointed Him 2. He was faithful to God In that He was appointed or made an Apostle and High-Priest of our Christian profession for so the words are to be understood it 's evident that He did not Usurp this two-fold Power and Office but received it and acquired it legally and none could invest Him with this Power but onely God and the reason is because it is so eminent and transcendent After he was once advanced he was faithful to that God who advanced and trusted him with so great a Power This fidelity was the true and full discharge of his Apostolical and Sacerdotal Office in perfectly doing all things necessary for the eternal Salvation of Man so far as it depended upon this two-fold Office As an Apostle or Prophet
this he in some sort pledged his Beeing and Deity to confirm his Sentence 2. This Oath he sware in his Wrath he sware to Abraham in his great mercy to confirm unto him the immutability of his Counsel which was to bless him and this he did upon the acceptation of his sincere Obedience But this was in wrath not of rash passion which God is in no ways subject unto but in his severe vindictive Justice moved by their abhominable disobedience and rebellion after so many mercies deliverances wonders and convictions 3. The end of this Oath was to make the Sentence immutable His Word and bare Sentence was sufficient but to manifest his high displeasure and to cut off from that People all hope of entrance he added this Oath which in some sort stands good against all such Apostate Wretches who can have no hope of God's eternal Rest which they have eternally forfeited This is the Question To whom did God thus swear and who were those Israelies who by this Oath were absolutely debarred of all entrance into that Land The Answer follows though proposed as the former Interrogatively in these words But to them that believed not This is evident and very clear and by it is signified 1. The Parties who were excluded 2. The Sin for which they were excluded and it was Unbelief They believed not God's Word and Promise were not moved by all his Mercies and Miracles and former Judgments And thereupon became guilty of the breach of Covenant refused obstinately to perform the conditions of it in the obedience of God's Command They hardned their hearts and departed from the living God and became perfidious and rebellious Apostates From these words he concludes the Chapter in this manner Ver. 19. So we see they could not enter in because of Unbelief For this was the scope whereat he aymed to make clear what the cause of their not entring into Cauaan was that special notice might be taken of the Sin that they might take heed of the like Sin that so they might avoid the like Punishment Where by the way we may take notice that God's Judgments are just and He never condemns any but for Sin and as the Sin is more or less hainous so he proportions the Punishment The sum and substance of this example of the Fathers proposed in the Psalm is this That if they should be guilty of hardning their hearts and unbelief as their Fathers were they should be punished with the like punishment under the Gospel And if their Fathers were so fearfully punished for their disobedience to the Law of Moses how much more grievously should they be punished if they disobeyed the Gospel and forsook Jesus Christ their Saviour The whole Chapter as you heard is an exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Profession and that upon several Reasons As 1. The exocllency of Christ so far above Moses 2. The incomparable benefit that would follow thereupon 3. The dreadful punishment they must suffer if they did fall away To make this last the more effectual He 1. Alledges the words of the Psalm 2. Applies them to these Hebrews that by the example of their Fathers they might take heed of Apostacy and Unbelief Yet this Application is but begun here and finished in the next Chapter CHAP. IV. Ver. I. FOR the better understanding of this part of the Epistle we must considor 1. The Coherence with the former 2. The Scope 3. The Method and parts 1. For the Coherence it agrees 1. With the former three Chapters in the subiect the prophetical Office of Christ and in urging the duty of attention belief prosession and obedience unto his Doctrine into the end 2. It agrees with the last part of the 〈◊〉 in a special manner For having made evident that the cause why their Fathers 〈◊〉 not into God's Rest was Unbelief therefore they must take â—eed of that Sin last they â—â—ffer the like searful punishment For he that will avoid the effect must take heed of that cause upon which that effect will certainly follow He further urgeth that exhortation of the Psalmist To day if 〈◊〉 will hear his Voyce so as to be edmitted into God's Rest we must not harden our hearts provoke grieve God as their Fathers in the Wilderness did 2. The scope of the Apostle presupposing a Rest promised in the Gospel is to perswade them and thâ— them up to use with all diligence those means whereby we may attain it and enter In a word it 's the same with that of the second and third Chapters to confirm them in the profession and practice of Christ's Doctrine so as to perse 〈◊〉 unto the end and so attain that eternal Rest and Happiness to which it directeth 3. The parts are two 1. A Dehortation ver 1. 2. An Exhortation ver 11. In the Dehortation we have 1. The thing dehorted from 2. The Reasons 3. The determination of the rest In the exhortation we may observe 1. The duty exhorted unto 2. The Reasons These are the parts and this is the method the particulars whereof you shall understand hereafter To enter upon the first part which is a Dehortation In every Dehortation we must observe there is some evil or sin to be avoided and the duty is to take heed of it The sin is to come short which we cannot do but by falling off from our profession which is Apostacy And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies deficere to fall off and is called a failing of the Grace of God or a falling from the Grace of God Chap. 12. 15. The Sin therefore is Unbelief which was observed in the former Chapter to be the cause why the Israelites could not enter into God's Rest. It 's true that many understand it of the punishment of not entring into Rest which is an inevitable consequent and moral effect of falling away The duty is to fear this and to be very careful to avoid the Sin that they may avoid the Punishment This duty lies upon all and every one For it 's said lest any of you and not only so but lest any of you seem which the Syriach interprets lest any of you be found Some indeed will have the meaning to be that they must be so careful to continue in the Faith that they must not so much as seem to fall off or make any appearance of Apostacy Yet there is no necessity so to understand it for the principal thing is to take heed of the Sin which if committed will appear and be judged and punished This is the duty brought in upon the words of the former Chapter by this illative Therefore as though he should say Seeing ye have so dreadful an example of God's wrath executed upon your Fathers for their Unbelief Take heed of their Sin lest ye suffer the like Punishment § 2. The reason follows from the example of their Fathers applyed to them The sum of it is this That as many of their Fathers
having a Promise not believing entred not into God's Rest and some of them believing did enter So they having a Promise if they believe not shall not enter if they believe shall enter and enjoy the benefit and Rest promised The ground of this Application is that they had a Promise and this thing promised is God's Rest For there was a Rest remaining for them as well as for their Fathers The words are A Promise being left of entring into his Rest. SOme translate and understand the words of leaving and by unbelief forsaking the Promise yet this cannot be the intention of the Apostle which is made clear by these words There remaineth therefore a Rest or Sabbatism to the People of God ver 9. where we have the same simple though not the same compound Verb. To understand this we must know that God promised Rest unto the Israelites in the Land of Canaan which should be their Inheritance Therefore some understand the word left to be taken Metaphorically as Legacies are left and bequeathed in a Testament unto Children and so this was left to them by God's Promise As they had a Promise of a Rest so these Hebrew Christians had a Promise of a far more excellent Rest as well as they But then the Question is where have we this Promise and who makes it and where is it made God makes it and he makes it in the Gospel Therefore he first proves that a Promise is left them as their Fathers had a Promise For it followeth Ver. 2. For unto Us was the Gospel preached as well on to Them VVHere we have two Propositions 1. That the Gospel was preached to the Israelites in the Wilderness 2. It was preached to these Hebrews 1. It was preached to the Israelites For as a Promise was made to Abraham that he in his Seed should inherit the Land of Canaan so this Promise was renewed unto them in the Wilderness and God was ready to perform it and give them possession Yet this Promise was made and to be performed upon certain conditions and duties to be performed by them And because this Canaan was a Type and Figure of the heavenly Inheritance and eternal Rest to be obtained by Jesus Christ therefore the Gospel might be said to be preached to them though darkly and implicitly 2. It was preached to these Hebrews yet more clearly and fully by the Apostles In this Gospel as preached to them the Promises are one principal thing and amongst the Promises that of eternal Rest is the chiefest and includes all the rest This Promise is made for and in consideration of Jesus Christ the condition is Faith in Christ meriting the same and after his Sufferings being entred into this rest This Promise of Rest upon Faith in Christ already come is the substance and matter of the Gospel and the Doctrine thereof is the Gospel in proper sense hough the Doctrine preached to the Israelites whereâ—n Rest was promised upon condition of Faith was also the Gospel and might be so called though imperfectly But what was the issue of this Promise in respect of the Israelites It was two-fold 1. In respect of them who believed not it did not profit them 2. In respect of them that believed they entred into God's rest for so the Apostle informs us But the Word preached did not profit them not mixed with Faith in them that heard it In which words may be observed 1. The Event 2. The Reason The Event It profited not the Reason They believed not the Word For though the Word be the Power of God unto Salvation in them that believe yet it 's a Word of eternal death to Unbelievers Both these the Event and the Reason are delivered in two Propositions 1. That the Word preached did not profit them 2. It was not mixed with Faith in them that heard it The latter is the former in order of Nature Both include many Propositions 1. That the Word was preached unto them 2. They did hear it for how should they hear without a Preacher Where by the way note that the Gospel of Doctrine here meant in the Original is called the Word of Hearing implying that it was so preached as that they did or might hear it as they were bound to do 3. They who heard it did not believe The Expression in the Original is that it was not mixed with Faith For that whereby the Soul receiveth the Word is Faith and that whereby it receiveth it effectually is a sincere Faith For this heavenly Doctrine is like a liquor it 's an heavenly Water and is poured upon men by preaching and is of rare and excellent vertue when it 's received and digested in the Soul by Faith For the saying in Philosophy is true in this case Actus activorum sunt in passo unito disposito For by the Soul rightly disposed and by Faith receiving this Doctrine the Doctrine is as it were incorporated into the Soul and made one with it 4. This Word not believed did not profit that is did not prove any wayes effectual either for a title to eternal rest or for the possession of it For they not performing the condition God was no wayes bound to perform his promise to them yet this was not all he was so offended with them that he pastan irrevocable sentence of exclusion upon them By all this we may understand 1. That it 's a great Mercy in God to vouchsafe us the Gospel and to have it faithfully and constantly preached unto us so that we may hear it This of it self is an excellent means of our Conversion and the mighty Power of God unto Salvation It 's like the Mannâ— and heavenly kind of Food which being eaten and received into our Souls will nourish and preserve us It 's a divine light to guid us to Heaven And â—o unto them to whom God denies it for they sit in darkness and the shadow of death without any hope of Salvation 2. In this Gospel there are precious Promises the cheifest whereof is that of entring into God's Rest The condition of it is sincere Faith and continuance therein unto the end This Rest was merited by Jesus Christ To believe sincerely and persevere therein is the Duty commanded and to be performed to enter is the great Reward Therefore we should diligently consider that it promises the greatest good that God did ever give or Man is capable of and in this respect is the best Doctrine in the World yet lest Man should presume he promiseth it upon condition of perseverance and for the merit of a Saviour If we do attain it we do not deserve it for the enjoyment of it is a free Gift of God yet though God give it freely yet he gives it to none that are guilty of Unbelief and Apostacy 3. Men may hear the Gospel preached and yet receive no benefit by it through their own fault Meat will feed if it be eaten Water will quench thirst if we
a great High-Priest above all others as Universal and Supream Pontiffe of Heaven and Earth in comparison of whom all other Priests even the highest are but shadows This is the excellency of his Office His Relation to us is this that we have him that is He is our great High-Priest in whom we who professe our Faith in him have a special Interest so that He as a Priest doth officiate for us and his excellent Office was instituted of God for our eternal good no Unbelievers can be said to have him in this manner Of this great High-Priest it 's affirmed that He is passed into the Heavens This entrance into Heaven was shadowed by the High-Priests entrance into the inmost sacrary of the Tabernacle or Temple which was called the Holy of Holiest The reason why this which is here first affirmed of him is mentioned may well be this because by this he hath not only obtained and taken possessiâ—â— of this eternal Rest wherein we must seek to enter but by this means hath procured an entrance for us For where he is there we shall be and the Head and Members must be and abide together Therefore if we labour and strive we cannot doubt of entrance seeing he hath made a passage open for us This of it self is a great encouragement that our High-Priest is passed into the heavenly Rest not only for himself but also in our behalf even to assure us that if we follow him trust in him and labour to enter that we shall not come short yet this is not all the encouragement is yet greater For it followeth Ver. 15. For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without Sin I Will not here mention the principal Exhortation expressed in the former verse but reserve it to the last For it is usual upon several Reasons delivered to repeat the exhortation In the words we may observe two things 1. Christ's merciful disposition towards us 2. The Reason of it His mercy is set down negatively in that he is not sensless of our Infirmities but is one that will be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities To be inwardly affected and moved with the miseries of others doth argue an excellent temper of spirit and is a proper act of that we call mercy and compassion and it issues from goodness and love Christ as God is infinitely merciful and mercy it self and in his Word doth signify how readily and abundantly he is inclined unto it and he would have man to know it And as Man none so merciful as He and that God might manifest what store of his mercy he had for sinful Man He became Man nay miserable and mortal Man and because experimental knowledg and sense is the most effectual therefore as Man he was willing to Suffer and be Tempted And this is the Reason why he is so sensible of our sad condition because he was tempted in all points like unto us This is that wonderful way which God by his profound Wisdom contrived to make his mercy greater and in some sort more then Infinite He would have a kind of knowledg of man's infirmities which as God and infinite he could never have That which makes us an object of compassion is our infirmity that which makes him so sensible of our condition is That he was tempted in all points like us yet alwayes without Sin Infirmity is sometimes weaknesse and so the word signifies sometime Sickness and Diseases which cause weaknesse The one is opposed to strength and the other to eucrasy and health and both are twofold either of Body or Soul and here is meant the weakness and distemper of the Soul and may be Sin or Punishment which makes our Case very miserable For sin taken either for native or acquired corruption and imperfection doth fearfully weaken the Soul because it doth not only incline to actual sin but makes us unable to resist temptation so that we are easily overcome by Satan a potent subtle malicious enemy who will not only violently but continually assault us This is the reason why our sins are so many and we so often and so halnously guilty and have continually great need of mercy and pardon which cannot be obtained without the effectual intercession of this righteous Advocate and merciful High-Priest And how merciful must he needs be that was tempted himself For he was tempted in all points like unto us but without Sin Where two things are observed 1. That his temptations were in all points like ours 2. That yet he was without Sin Temptation may be taken for Sufferings or for an inducement to Sin as directly tending to sin and having a power or causality moving us thereunto As for Christ's Sufferings they were exactly like unto Ours To that end he took a Body and Soul and continued for a while in a state of Humiliation whereby he was obnoxious unto them and did actually fall under them and felt them As for temptation to sin it 's inward outward inwardly he was not tempted outwardly he was Of us it 's truly said that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed But in him there was no such corruption lust or inward concupiscence yet he was outwardly vehemently assaulted by Men and Devils as much as ever any Man was and was tempted to the same kind of sins to which we being tempted to do commit This appears from the History of the temptation and passion yet though we being tempted do often sin yet he being often and violently tempted never sinned never yielded to the temptation but alwayes resisted and alwayes overcame This is a great comfort to us that he never sinned for because of this his Intercession for us is the more effectual with God and the more acceptable unto him For a guilty person pleading for guilty persons could not have made reconciliation for their sins As it is a comfort so it 's a rare example for us to follow that when we are tempted we should use all means to avoid Sin as he did § 8. But let it be granted Christ is so merciful an High-Priest and though entred into Heaven so sensible of our miseries what benefit do we receive by him This the Apostle resolves in the words following Ver. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need IN which words we may observe 1. That as we may so we ought to come boldly unto the Throne of Grace 2. That coming thus we may speed and attain that which we desire That which in the first Proposition is presupposed is that God sits in the Throne of Grace There is a Throne of Justice and a Throne of Grace If He look upon Man according to the Law of works he must needs sit upon the Throne of Justice as a severe Lord
and strict Judge to condemn us But being propitiated and attoned by the Blood of Christ his Throne is the Throne of Grace and Mercy In this phrase he alludes unto the propitiatory or seat of mercy above the Ark in the Tabernacle or Temple which did typify the propitiation to be made by the Death of Christ upon which accepted of God man's Sins become pardonable and God reconcileable and without this reconciliation it 's no coming near this Throne If once it be made a Throne of Grace then we may come boldly unto it For it 's not like Mount Sinai a Mount of Darknesse Thunder Lightning and Terrour but Mount Zion a Mount of Light Grace and Glory So that now we need not fear God's Wrath but hope in his Mercy And though we may justly be afraid to approach if we look upon our selves yet when we consider that Divine Justice is satisfied by our High-Priest's Sacrifice and that he is the admissional of Heaven ready to take us by the hand and bring us to his Father and plead our cause with his Blood then we may come boldly and ought so to do To come is to pray or to approach for to pray to come with boldness is in the Name of Christ to pray with great confidence not onely to be admitted but to be heard for his sake For by him we have accesse unto that Grace wherein we stand Rom. 5. 2. By him we have accesse by one Spirit to the Father Ephes. 2. 18. And in him we have boldness and access with confidence in the Faith of him cap. 3. 12. But suppose we come what may we expect or what shall we receive We may obtain mercy and find Grace for help in the time of need All our time on Earth is a time of need for we alwayes have need of help yet somtimes we have greater need than at other seasons The word in the Original is seasonable help help in due season and then it 's most seasonable when most needful To afford this help must need be an act of Mercy and Grace whereby sins past are pardoned and power of Sanctification with assistance to prevent sin for time to come obtained And without this help mercy pardon and assistance it 's impossible to enter into God's eternal Rest but by it we assuredly may So that if we persevere and so enter it 's to be ascribed to that Grace and Mercy which we obtain by Prayer if we come short the fault will be our own who do not seek help by our continual and instant Supplications in the Name of Christ. To understand the force of this as a Reason delivered in these three last Verses we must call to remembrance 1. What the Duty is which is to labour to enter into Rest and to hold fast our Profession which is nothing else but perseverance 2. We must consider that it 's taken from Christ as a Priest and it 's very effectual For if 1. He be our great High-Priest 2. Passed into the Heavens and hath taken possession of that eternal Rest and also in our behalf 3. So merciful and sensible of our Infirmities 4. So ready to procure us help when we seek it by Prayer before the Throne of Grace then let us not onely with all diligence but with greatest hope and confidence labour to persevere For a conclusion of these four first Chapters let us observe 1. That the Subject of them is Christ's Prophetical Office as most excellent and above that of other Prophets Angels Moses 2. That though this be the principal and intended Subject yet he speaks something of his Regal and Sacerdotal Function yet onely upon the by and with some reference to his Prophetick Faculty 3. That the principal Duty which he urgeth so strongly upon us from his Prophetical Excellency is perseverance in the Profession of his blessed Doctrine and the Observation of his Laws given by him as a Regal Prophet and Apostle 4. In the pressing of this Duty he insisteth upon the latter part of Psal. 95. where he â— Sexs forth the Example most clearly 2. Applies it to these Hebrrews 5. The last reason is taken from his Priest-hood which is handled and brought in with such Art that it not onely servs for to perswade us to attend to his Prophetical Doctrine and continue in it but also to prepare and make way for his admirable discourse following concerning his eternal Priesthood and is an imperfect Transition CHAP. V. Ver. I. For every High-Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins § 1. BEfore I enter upon the Chapter it self the connexion of this part with the former must be considered and I find the Agreement to be two-fold 1. General 2. More particular The general is very clear for after that in the former four Chapters the Apostle had set forth the Excellency of Christ's Prophetical Office wherein he was far above the former Prophets Angels and Moses and thereupon had exhorted to perseverance in the Profession of his Doctrine declared in the Gospel and pressed the performance of the Duty both from the fearful Punishment of Apostacy and the glorious Reward of Constancy He now in this Chapter enters upon a discourse of his Priest-hood as â—ar more excellent than that of Aaron's so that there was all the Reason in the World to persevere in respect of this Office likewise This is the general Method The particular seems to be implyed in the Particle For which many times is a causal Conjunction and renders a reason of something formerly delivered For seeing he had formerly affirmed Christ to be an High-Priest here he proves him to be such indeed and to have the Nature Properties Qualities and Power of such an Officer This particular refers to the three last Verses of the former Chapter which made way for this discourse that follows § 2. As the occasion of the former Doctrine was an high conceipt which the Hebrews had of the Law as delivered to them by Prophets Angels Moses so the occasion of what follows was their high esteem of Aaron and the Levitical High-Priest The Scope is to demonstrate the Excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above that of the Law and perswade them to continue in their Faith in him as so excellent an High-Priest as far above all others The Method is this 1. He delivers his Doctrine 2. Confirms it 3. Applies it The Doctrine is this Christ is a perfect High-Priest more excellent than Aaron or any of the Levitical Order The Confirmation is from his Calling and Order his Ministration and his excellent Sacrifice and this continues from this Chapter to the 19th Verse of the tenth After this confirmation finished he proceeds in cap. 10. 19. to Application which is made principally by way of Exhortation In this Chapter the Apostle doth 1. Manifest Christ to be a Priest for ever according to the the Order
of Melchizedeâ—k 2. Conceiving these Hebrews hardly capable of that discourse concerning this excellent and eternal Priest-hood which he intended he iâ—proves their Ignorance caused by their great negligence In the first part he 1. Informs us what an High-Priest in general is 2. Shews that none can be a lawful Priest who is not called 3. Proves Christ to be called and by Commission from Heaven made an High-Priest and invested with a Sacerdotal Power But to proceed unto particulars and enter upon the Text which gives us a description of an High-Priest and lets us know that he is an Officer in matters of Religion 2. That his Work is to offer Gifts and Sacrifices for Sin 3. He must be of a mercifull disposition and inclined to compassionate the People as having Infirmities of his own 4. The end whereat he must aim to make God propitious and procure his favour for the remission of the Peoples Sin He is an Officer in matters of Religion To be an Officer is the general wherein he agrees with all others in any Office to be such in matters of Religion differenceth him from all Magistrates and Civil Officers Before we handle the parts of the Description we must take notice first what the definitum or thing described is and it 's said to be an High-Priest Priest-hood if we consult the Greek or Latine Name is a sacred Office the word Cohen in Hebrew also is an Officer either sacred or civil and comes of a Verbe in Piel which signifie to minister or act in political or religious matters and such a Person may be a Magistrate or Minister a Prince or a Priest For anciently Princes were Priests and Priests Princes so Melchizedeck was King and Priest and such if we may believe some ancient Authours were the first-born of Families and had the Power and Charge of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government in the Family This Office is a place of power and dignity Yet there usually was an inequality between Priests for some were high-Priests some inferiour and the High-Priest was President over the rest of greater dignity and power and could and might officiate in some things wherein the inferiour could not In this place the thing or Person described is an High-Priest though many of these things might agree to other Priests And first he is an Officer For He is one taken from among men and ordained for men By this with that which follows we may easily understand that the Priest here described is a Man and not an Angel and an Officer for men and for sinful men 1. He must be taken from among man which implies not onely that he must be a Man but of the same ranck and quality with other men who are no Officers no Priests but of no Priests made Priests yet they should be duly qualified and fit for the place how else can they officiate as they ought to do This phrase to be taken from among men we find Exod. 28. 1. where Moses is commanded to take Aaron and his Sons from the midst or from among the children of Israel and a like Expression is used Levit. 8. 1. when Aaron must be consecrated This is a kind of election and designation of the person whereby he is singled out of and separated from the rest to be put in another and higher rank and order This designation is made by Lot or Birth-right or Election or divine immediate determination for here there must be no Usurpation After the Person is once designed and determined upon he must be constituted ordained set over other men for their good for the end of all Officers is to seek and endeavour the temporal or spiritual good of those to whom they are made Officers For though God can do all things immediately himself yet he is pleased to make use of man and by man communicate his Blessings to man This constitution is by a Mandate of him or them who can constitute an Officer and by this Mandate is signified the Constitutor's Will The effect of it is to give the Person constituted Power and to bind him to officiate For every Officer by his Ordination receivs a power and a charge to do the Works of his place And as the power and charge are many times great so the Constitution is made with solemn Rites which are used in the Inauguration of Princes and Consecration of Priests This is the general Nature of a Priest he is an Officer Yet there be Civil and there be Religious Officers but a Priest is an Officer in Religion and the things of God For we have to do with Men and we converse with God The Subject therefore wherein a Priest is imployed is things pertaining to God for he is the Supream Lord to whom all Glory Service and Obedience are due in the highest degree upon him we all alwayes do wholly depend both for our Being and Happiness both spiritual and temporal And though all men must worship him yet there are publick Services which none but a Priest may perform so as to be accepted Every one doth not know how God will be served neither if they knew it are they fit or qualified for it Therefore God ordained Priests who knew his Will his instituted Worship and how it should be performed and to come to God without them was in vain and for any other to officiate in that place is an Usurpation and a great Offence By this Office God did signify that sinful Man cannot come near unto him without a Mediator And it was an unspeakable Mercy of God to institute such Services as he requires at Man's hands and to ordain such Persons for the performance as he would accept As Religion so Priest-hood in general sin presupposed seems to be of the Law of Nature For no Nation is without Religion no Religion without a Priest therefore we read in Authours so much of Temples Altars Priest and amongst these High-Priests and Supream Pontiffs Yet there may be Officers in Religion who are no Priests but subservient unto them therefore we must know what is the proper Work of a Priest which is the next thing whereof the Apostle informs us in these words That he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins The Law and Ligh of Nature dictate unto us that something must be offered unto God in acknowledgment of his Supream Dominion and because men have their Sins and are guilty and God is just and hath power of life and death of punishment and pardon therefore Sacrifices must be offered to satisfy his Justice avert his Wrath and procure his favour But by what Gifts and Sacrifices God may be propitiated and in what manner they must be offered the Law of Nature will not teach us These things must be revealed and instituted from Heaven and so must the Priest-hood and party officiating too for every one must not offer these Gifts and Sacrifices either for himself or others but such as God shall either mediately or
experience For to learn to obey is to obey and to learn to suffer is to suffer God by laying on him the Iniquities of us all was the Master he by bearing that heavy burden became the Schollar for by the things he suffered that is by suffering so many things and amongst the rest the Death of the Cross he did perfectly learn and experimentally understand what obedience was This Lesson no Angel did ever learn in this manner they had no such command neither did they ever obey it though they knew it By the former words we understand that he offered prayers for himself and by these that he offered himself for us and learned to have pity upon poor Sinners who in their extremities cry unto God By this obedience was signified God's severity against Sin and his tender mercy towards Sinners § 8. Thus Christ was consecrated and by this Suffering and Sacrifice of himself fitly qualified for to be a Priest and a saving Priest unto all his loyal and obedient Servants For Ver. 9. Being made perfect he became the Authour of eternal Salvation uâ—to all â—â—â—m that obey him FIrst He is made perfect Secondly He became the Authout of Savation 1. To be made perfect is to be consecrated and made fit to minister before God as a Priest For though God did design Aaron for a Priest yet he did not suffer him to minister before he was consecrated There is no legal Consecration without Blood of Sacrifices therefore Christ was consecrated by his own Blood the Blood of that Sacrifice wherein he offered his life himself It was the Wisdom of God to order it and his Will â—o decree that Christ should first Suffer and shed his Blood for the Sin of man and so sanctify him by Suffering before he should have power to save For the best and most merciful Priest that ever was must be made in the best and most convenient manner Upon this strange and wonderful Consecration he became an Authour of Salvation Where we may observe 1. An Effect eternal Salvation 2. The Authour or efficient Christ consecrated 3. The Subject to which this Salvation is communicated such as obey him 1. By Salvation is meant deliverance from Sin and all the Consequents thereof so as that the party saved is made for ever happy There be both bodily and spiritual temporal and eternal dangers whereunto man by Sin is liable and this Salvation is a deliverance from all There is deliverance as from some evils and not all so deliverance only for a time and not for ever but this Salvation is a total deliverance from all evil and that for ever Eternal peace safety felicity is the issue and consequent thereof 2. This Salvation being so noble and glorious an effect must have some Cause some Authour and Efficient and this Efficient was Christ yet Christ as perfected and consecrated For by his Blood and purest Sacrifice of himself 1. He satisfied divine Justice and merited this Salvation 2. Being upon his Resurrection constituted and made an High-Priest and King and fit to minister and officiate as a Priest and Reign as King in Heaven he ascends into that glorious Temple and Palace and is set at the right hand of God 3. Being there established he begins as King to send down the Holy Ghost reveal the Gospel and by both to work Faith in the hearts of Men and qualify them for Justification and Salvation 4. When men are once qualified and prepared so as to sue for pardon in his Name before the Throne of God he as Priest begins his Intercession and by the plea of his own Blood for them procures their pardon and eternal Salvation So that as consecrated and perfect he becomes the great efficient Cause of this Salvation by way of merit intercession and actual communication There be many other ministerial and adjuvant causes of this effect yet he is the principal so the word which signifies a Cause in general was understood by our Translators who turn it the Authour 3. If it be communicated from and by him it must be received in some subject and if in him there be an eternal saving virtue and he exercise it there must be some subject and persons in whom this saving power shall produce this effect so as that they shall be saved And though this Power be able to save all yet only they and all they who obey him shall be saved Efficient causes work most effectually in Subjects united and disposed aright And so it is in this case for though the mercies of God mericed by Christ may be so far communicable to all as that all may become savable which is a great and universal Benefit yet they are not actually communicated to all because all are not obedient For the divine Wisdom and Justice have limited them to a certain subject and to regulate the manner of communicating them And seeing the proper subject of this Salvation are such as do obey this Saviour therefore here it 's presupposed that Christ is a King and Soveraign Prince and as such gives Commands and Laws to all his Subjects and such as submit unfainedly unto his Regal Power and obey his Laws and none else may expect this Salvation His Laws require this sincere submission and obedience in renouncing all others and a total dependance upon him and him alone in repenting of our Sins and believing upon him And this sincere Faith is the fundamental vertue and potentially all obedience Therefore is it said That whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting Life And he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life Joh. 3. 16. 36. § 9. Yet before he was an immediate and compleat Authour of eternal Salvation he must not only be consecrated But Ver. 10. Called of God an High-Priest after the Order of Melchisedec THese words are added and repeated not only to expound his former proof out of Psalm 110 but also to shew when and how he became so mighty and glorious a Saviour and also to bring in 1. The digression 2. The discourse that followeth 1. They are exegetical and declare the meaning of those words alledged ver 6. Thou are â—â— Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec For by this Text we are informed 1. That those words were spoken by God 2. That God by those words did make him a compleat and eternal Priest and by Oath confirmed his Priest-hood For this Text was alledged to prove that Christ did not glorify himself and usurp this Sacerdotal Office but God gave it him and so he came justly and legally by it They are 2. Added to shew when Christ became so compleat an High-Priest and to exercise his saving Power and that was not only upon his consecration but this confirmation of him at his right hand For then instantly he began to work and convert Men make Intercession for them and bring them to Salvation 3. Upon these words reiterated he takes occasion to deliver that
of heavenly comfort The Sin therefore which was the cause of this dulness and incapacity was their great neglect of the improvement of their knowledg in the Word of God And this their neglect was great For 1. They had had time and teaching enough and other means to increase their knowledg so far as to be able to teach and instruct others and yet they had wofully mispent this time and lost much knowledg which they might have attained both for their own advantage and the good of others 2. They had so wofully mispent this time that they were ignorant of the very principles of the Oracles of God and had need to be instructed in them by others had need of milk not strong meat 3. By this means they had made themselves uncapable of further instruction in the higher and more execellent points of the Gospel concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. This was the greater Sin because they not only might but also ought to have improved their time so as to be men of Age able to digest strong meat and understand and learn higher Doctrine In this Text we may observe 1. That they are principles of the Oracles of God 2. That when these are once taught and learned men ought to improve their knowledg so far as to be able to teach others that are ignorant of these principles and to be capable of higher points of Doctrine 3. That many are so negligent and careless in this particular that they forget their principles are Babes and have need of Milk still and be taught their principles again The first Proposition implies 1. That there are principles of the Oracles of God 2. These are like Milk 3. Men should be first taught these By Oracles of God we must understand the Word of God revealed in the Scripture for to direct us to Salvation For God being willing to save Man gave him a Rule to direct him to eternal happiness Man knew not the way neither could he direct himself neither could any other Man or Angel teach him Therefore God was willing by the illumination and inspiration of his blessed Spirit to make known his mind unto certain men who being infallibly directed must teach others both by word and writing and their Doctrine must be the Rule of all other Teachers and is sufficient as a Doctrine to save any Man that shall learn to know and practise it This Doctrine may well and truly be called the Word of God because by it whether inspired or spoken by word of mouth or written he doth express his mind and signifies unto Man what he must know and do to be for ever saved Yet here we must observe that by these Oracles of God is here principally meant the Doctrine of the New Testament and the Gospel Yet here it 's to be noted 1. That all Scripture is the Word of God and is immediately from God in respect of the first Revelation 2. That as it came first from God it is of unchangeable Truth and the dictates of divine Wisdom are therein contained 3. That it 's sufficient without any other addition in that kind to that end God intended it Of these Oracles there are Principles In these Oracles we are taught many things and of them there be several parts which are unequal and different one from another one part and the chiefest is that of the Principles These are 1. Such as are first in order and first to be taught and learned 2. They are the chief and fundamental Truths of the Gospel and such as upon which the rest depend or to which the rest are appertinent and which are most conducing to Salvation These being prime Truths are reduced to a few Heads in a certain method intimated in several places of the New Testament and contracted in the antient Creed's grounded upon our Saviours words Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as I have shewed in my Theopolitica These are like the A. B. C. or letters of the Alphabet upon which all words and sentences so far depend in Grammar that except they be first learned it will be impossible to spell or read They are like the Elements in Nature of which all mixt bodies are compounded and made They are like the foundation of an House without which it can neither be built or stand And not to teach these first to those who are willing to learn is a vain undertaking and a preposterous course and a very unprofitable way and we find it to be so in the learning of all other Arts and Sciences 2. These principles are like Milk Milk is the fittest nourishment for new-born Babes and Infants and of most easie digestion so these are plain and easie and such as Children ignorant and unlearned People if wisely directed may understand and they give great light to all other Doctrines and it was the great Wisdom and Mercy of God to make them such And 3. They which do not first learn these cannot profit much some confused knowledg they may acquite but distinct clear and orderly understanding without these first learned cannot be expected For the very matter and method of those give great light to all other divine Doctrines of the Scripture 2. After the first Proposition That they are principles of the Oracles of God first to be taught and learned follows the second which is That when these principles are learned men may and ought to improve their knowledg so far as to be able to teach others and be capable of higher Doctrines This is implyed in these words when for the time yo ought to have been Teachers By Teachers are not meant Ministers and publick Teachers who are Officers and have taken upon them the charge of others Souls but such as privately are fit and able to instruct their Families and their ignorant Neighbours Neither may they presume to teach higher Points of Doctrine but the principles and such as they well understand If these would do their Duty they might help the Ministers much and edisy one another and so knowledg in necessaries might abound If any of these be of excellent parts and much improved they may be called to the Ministry Yet many are so ignorant that they are not able to teach their Children and their Servants and so are not fit as for matter of Religion to be Masters of Families 3. The last Proposition is That many of these Hâ—brews and so others were so negligent that when they might and ought to have been Teachers of others they have need to be taught again the very principles of Christianity This is a great Sin and cannot be excused and many are guilty of it for two Reasons 1. Because they do not improve their former knowledg 2. Because they forget and so lose the knowledg of the very principles which they had formerly gained and so become Babes uncapable of higher Doctrine which is for men of better improvement By this
we understand that knowledg by negligence may be diminished and lost For usually he that increaseth not decreaseth and he that goes not forward goes backward For that which is acquired by industry by industry must be kept and improved If God give a Talent it must not be hid but used to gain more and where he gives capacity helps and means he requires the use and exercise of them Suppose a man should or could retain the knowledg of the principles and yet proceed no further he must needs be guilty and unfit to be advanced to an higher Form in Christ's School He will prove a Babe a Child and render himself uncapable of higher Instruction Ver. 13 14. For every one that useth Milk is unkilful in the Word of Righteousness for he is a Babe But strong Meat belongeth to them who are of fa'll age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil § 12. IN these words the Apostle gives a reason why he could not so well proceed to deliver the Doctrine of this great Priest-hood and it 's this By their negligence they had made themselves uncapable This he doth express in an allegorical Metaphor wherein he compares the Ignorant to Babes and the more knowing Hebrew-Christians to men of full age and the Principles of the Oracles of God to Milk and his Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood to strong meat His intent therefore is to let them know that as strong meat is not for Babes but for such as are of full age so his Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood is not for them which have not digested the principles but for such as by use and constant diligence have improved their knowledg Here we must observe who are Babes in knowledg and who are of full age They are Babes who are unskilful in the Word of Righteousness they are of full age who have their senses exercised to discern good and evil according to that Word Where by word is meant that Doctrine of the Scripture which was revealed from Heaven to direct Man unto eternal life especially the Gospel It 's called the Word of Righteousness 1. Because it is a righteous Doctrine that is just firm stable and of eternal certain Truth For thus the word Righteous is sometimes taken in the Hebrew therefore is it called so often the word of Truth 2. The Gospel may be called the Word of Righteousness because in it is revealed the Righteousness of God by Faith 3. It 's the perfect Rule of Righteousness To be unskilful in this Word is to be ignorant of it and not to understand it To have the senses exercised to discern Good and Evil may 1. Be understood of the long experience of such as are at full age in respect of meats which by long use and exercise of the senses of seeing smelling tasting have acquired a more perfect knowledg to discern what food is good and wholsome what unwholsome Yet it 's principally by Analogy to be understood of such as by much attention study meditation have exercised their intellective faculty to find out the true sense and meaning of the Gospel and by the same to acquire a divine discerning faculty and habit more easily to understand the truths of the same and by the same to judge what Doctrine is true and what is false and more easily to apprehend and judge of higher points if taught unto them Such as these the Hebrews should generally have been and then they had been sit Schollars for his School Where we might observe That the proper act and work of man's intellective faculty is to discern and know the differences of things to be understood But now amongst us there is risen up a Generation of People who never were well grounded in the principles of the Oracles of God who yet will take upon them to teach themselvs and others too These forsake the Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath blessed with a greater measure of divine knowledg and by long and earnest study reading prayer and other means have improved themselves to an higher degree of understanding in the holy Scriptures These separate themselves from other sober and more solid Christians and are divided into several Sects and their end will be sad and woful for being deserted by their God they will fall at last into some damnable heresy or impiety or iniquity if God in his great mercy prevent it not This is a fair warning to all such as profess themselves Christians first to ground themselves well in the principles and then use all the power and means God hath given them to improve themselves and with all humility acknowledg their imperfections not thinking of themselves more highly then they ought but to think soberly according as God hâ—â—â— deals to every man the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. CHAP. VI. Ver. I. Therefore leaving the Principles c. § 1. THis part of the Apostle's Letter seems to be brought in upon and joyned to the former by the Illative Particle and Conjunction Therefore which though sometimes expletive yet usually inferrs a conclusion What the conclusion inferred is we find in ver 1 3. But from what words it's inferred seems to be doubtful They may be antecedent or consequent Those antecedent are Chap. 5. 11. Of whom we have many things to say As though the Apostle should say Though many of you be dull of hearing and your incapacity through negligence be such as that you have need to be taught again the Principles of the Oracles of God yet because there be many things and excellent points of Doctrine concerning the Priest-hood of Christ which I have to deliver unto you Therefore I will not go back again to initiate you but go forward unto perfection yet the premises may be in the words consequent to this purpose That seeing there is little or no hope of the recovery of such as fall so far as to need instruction in the very principles and to be initiated again and though I thus speak to warn you yet hope better things of you Therefore I will leave the principles and proceed to perfection Yet we need not stand strictly upon the one or the other for it may be he inferrs the conclusion from both joyntly § 2. But to enter upon the Chapter In it we may observe 1. The continuance of his Digression 2. His return unto his former Subject In the former we have 1. His resolution what to do from ver 1. to the 11. 2. An exhortation to these Hebrews from the 11. to the last In his resolution are to be considered 1. The thing resolved upon 2. The reasons of his resolution The thing resolved upon is to proceed in his Discourse concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. The Reasons of this resolution are two 1. That if any fall away so far as that there shall be a necessity to return unto the principles and laying the foundation of Christianity anew there is little
the Holy Ghost given to that end 2. The two latter also may be the same and that is the affection and disposition of the heart answerable to the illumination and an effect thereof The first is a divine and supernatural knowledg of saving-Truth The second is some sanctification and consolation of the will and heart of Man 4. The qualification and condition of these persons were not meerly natural and moral but supernatural For they could not be acquired by any exercise of the natural and moral power of the Soul without a Divine active Power given them whereby they might act upon supernatural objects according to a supernatural Rule And as their operations were supernatural because they had a supernatural Efficient a supernatural Object a supernatural Rule and did tend to a supernatural End so the Consequents were supernatural and divine 5. To fall from the supernatural disposition and estate was a very grievous Sin and a great contempt of God's mercy Christ's merit and the Power of the Holy Ghost For 1. These things tended directly to their eternal Salvation 2. They issued from the mercy of God the merit of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit 3. That Grace which they had received and which was in them was real true serious and divine and if they had gone forward they might have attained to an estate of confirmation 4. It was a Crime so much the more hainous because they had received the Truth of the Gospel professed it and engaged by their Baptism in the Covenant and were fully convinced not only by Powers or Miracles without but by the Gifts of the Spirit and divine effects within 6. Yet here is no mention of any firm inherency or deep radication of divine Virtues in their Souls but rather the contrary is implyed For it 's said They did but taste of the heavenly Gift and taste of the good Word of God and taste of the Powers of the World to come To taste is indeed a real participation yet but of a little and in low degree But there can be no state of confirmation till Grace by a firm and deep radication proceed to an universal dominion of Sin and Corruption Yet this radication is not a sufficient cause in or by itself of confirmation which depends upon the Will of God who hath bound himself by promise to preserve Man attaining to a certain degree by his power through Faith unto Salvation which shall be revealed in the last Day For though this estate of one that only tasteth be good and comfortable and hopeful yet it may leave some lust or corruption unmortified which though it doth not appear for the time to the party thus far renewed yet in the day of Tryal it will break out and discover the hidden malignancy of the heart nor fully regenerate For they that have escaped the pollution of the World through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may again be entangled therein and overcome 2 Pet. 2. 20. 7. Yet this falling away from this measure of Grace and hopeful Condition is not to be attributed to divine desertion For God will not with-draw or with-hold any necessary support till Man by his negligence or pride and presumption give him cause For he loves any degree of Grace and is very tender over the weak and will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax he will gather the Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young § 5. Hitherto you have heard what it is to fall away and who they are that may fall away and that they all are Christians yet so that some may make a further progress in Christianity they are not all of one measure The 2. Proposition which for the order of matter might be the third is That it 's impossible for Apostates to be renewed To be renewed in this place is to be initiated and made Christians of no Christians For initiation is the entrance and admission into Christianity as the Apostle intends it To understand this better you must know that Apostacy doth un-Christian a man makes void his Baptism and takes away all Christian Priviledges by razising the very foundation As Apostacy presupposeth the Apostate a Christian first so this renewing presupposeth Christianity formerly received to be lost and forfeited For an Apostate is like a Rebel or a perfidious Revolter who loseth sussabdih and ceaseth to be a Subject contrary to his Allegiance Whereas the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again is inserted it 's rather to be joyned with the antecedent Verb fall away and signifies that as he was no Christian at the first and afterwards became a Christian so by Apostacy he is made to be no Christian again he returns unto his former estate of non-Christianity And the former estate was a kind of negation this latter a privation of Christianity This renovation if it could be made must be by repentance and way of return For the first initiation is by profession of Faith confession of Sin and promise of Reformation this therefore much more yet this Renovation is affirmed to be impossible That proposition or axâ—om which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impossible is opposed to that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessary and alwayes true for it is alwayes false and can never be true the dis unction and separation of the terms iâ— perpetual Therefore to say That an Apostate may be renewed by Repentance is eternally false because the thing represented by the subject and predicated are eternally separated yet this impossibility is not to be considered in respect of God's absolute and almighty power for he can renew an Apostate by Repentance but it 's in respect of his Will which hath decreed it to be impossible His Power can do it but his Will hath limited his power so that though he could do it yet he will never do it never suffer it to be done This is that which the School-men mean when they distinguish of God's Power and say It 's absoluta aâ—t ordinata Whereas some call this a Proposition modal there is no Proposition but is such and essentially includes the manner how the terms argue one another and here impossible is the predicate and to be renewed by Repentance is the Subject It was much controverted amongst some of the Antients whether such as fell away in time of persecution might be admitted to penance and reconciled to the Church some denyed some affirmed And as their opinion so their practise was some were more rigid some more remisse some moderate The reason of the difference was because they did not agree in the definition of an Apostate and so could not unanimously judge of the parties offending and their offences whereof some were so hainous that though they did not reach Apostacy yet many thought it not safe to admit them to communion because the example might be of bad
it receiveth Blessing from God For it is God that maketh the Earth fruitfull and flourishing and without his Blessing the best Land though never so well husbanded is barren and of this we have frequent experience The Reddition of this is 1. That the thing signified in general is sinful Man and especially his heart Yet there is a great difference of men's heart for though no man can make his heart spiritually good yet every man may make his heart bad and worse then other mens and may by neglect and other wayes much obscure the light of Nature and dull the edge of conscience and so render himself indisposed for better things If this were not so there would be no inequality but all men would be equally sinful which daily experience contradicts A good heart is like good Ground therefore may be an heart not so bad or morally good according to the light of Nature and the power of Conscience which we find in Heathens and somewhat improved higher by Christian Education For the heart to bring forth fruit meet for the Dresser is to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit answerable to God's Spiritual Husbandry and the Showres of his heavenly Doctrine and the workings of his Spirit It 's to walk worthy of our Calling wherewith we are called This is that good and honest heart which bringeth forth fruit unto perfection The Blessing received is the continuance of the means of Salvation the increasing of heavenly Graces and Comforts and in the end eternal Life which is the greatest Blessing of all The end of this part of the Comparison is not only to perswade and encourage to Duty because of the great Blessing and Reward which will follow but also to let others who incline to Apostacy know how they deprive themselves of God's heavenly Blessings and these glorious Rewards § 8. The second protasis or proposition is concerning bad Ground which 1. Appears to be bad by bearing Thorns and Bryers 2. Is used as bad Ground 1. By being rejected 2. Nigh unto Cursing 3. In the end burned This Ground is a bad heart which is manifested by the fruits which are words and deeds tending to the dishonour of God and the hurt of Man And this Sin is so much the greater because of the means of Grace and workings of the Spirit over and above the light of Nature which God hath graciously afforded them The punishment of this barrenness in all virtue and fruitfulness in Sin followeth and there are three degrees thereof The first is rejecting when God takes away his Ministers his Word or if they continue withdraw the powerful working of the Spirit whereupon man is justly deserted of God as unworthy of any farther spiritual Dressing and useless for that end God in his great Mercy intended him The second he is nigh unto Cursing and the sentence of Excommunication whereby he is delivered up to Satan and a reprobate mind Hence blindness hardness of heart and the spirit of slumber This was the case of the unbelieving Jew and is the greatest Curse that can fall upon man in this life The third their end is Burning For rejection and this Curse will end in eternal punishments compared to torment with unquenchable fire This comparison is not only an illustration for the more clear representation of the condition of Apostates but also a very serious admonition to take heed of that grievous Sin and of all things that tend thereunto because the end will be so woful and the punishment so grievous For if men deal thus with their Ground which is devoid of reason sense and understanding how much more cause hath God to punish and that so severely men who are endued with understanding and enjoy so many helps and means of Conversion and Salvation § 9. The second reason of the Apostates resolution is given Ver. 9. But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak THe brief meaning of the words is 1. That though we did sharply reprove you and by our discourse of Apostacy might seem to imply that you were either Apostates or very near unto it yet I desire to be understood in another manner For I have more charity for you better conceirs of you and hopes of your continuance in Christianity so that you need not be initiated again by laying the foundation and I have good Grounds of this my hope 2. This is the reason why I will not lay the foundation again but go on to perfection and further inform you of higher points of Doctrine and in particular of the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood In this reason we may observe 1. His hope and good perswasion of them 2. The ground of this his hope In these words we have a Rhetorical Anticipation whereby he endeavours to prevent the thoughts which might arise in their hearts upon his former speeches and expressions For they might think that he did by them tacitely condemn them as Apostates or in the way to Apostacy And if he did so he must needs wrong them and discourage them for he did tacitely imply though not positively and expresly affirm that they were of a bad disposition and in a very sad condition and this Opinion of them was against charity and truth To remove such suspicious and jealousies out of their minds he in these words assures them of his Charity and that his words were not inconsistent with his good conceipt of them The first that is his Charity he signifies by the term of Compellation Beloved for he loved them with a dear and tender Love as Christians continuing in Christianity This he could not have done if he had judged them Apostates and Enemies to Christ. By this we are taught that it is our Duty not onely to love our Christian Brethren but upon occasion to express it and further to give the reason and ground of our love as the Apostle here doth For the reason and ground of this love was his perswasion of their continuance in Christianity For he was perswaded better things of them c. In which words 1. He confesseth he spake such things as might seem to charge them with Apostacy and condemn them as cursed 2. He yet denies that those words do imply any such thing and that he was so far from any such thoughts of them that he was perswaded of the contrary He did indeed reprove them for their Ignorance and Negligence whereof some of them were highly guilty and also signify the deplorable and desperate case of Apostates and there was danger lest some might in time be guilty of that Sin yet all this was not to accuse them but warn them that this danger might be prevented To reprove and admonish are Acts of Charity and such as the most loving Father in the World may and sometimes must use if he truly love his Children We may represent the ugly and filthy face of Sin and the horrid pains of
two-fold Immediate and Remote Immediate is the manifestation of the immutability of his Counsel the Remote strong consolation The former is subordinate to the latter and as it is an end in respect of the Oath so it 's a means in respect of the consolation The first end therefore is to shew the immutability of his Counsel unto the Heirs of Promise For thus it 's written Ver. 17. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath VVHere we may observe 1. The immutability of God's Counsel 2. The more abundant manifestation thereof 3. The Oath of God interposed to that end If we reduce the Text to Proposions they are these 1. That God's Counsel is immutable 2. God was willing to manifest this to the Heirs of Promise 3. For that end He interposed an Oath Proposition 1. God's Counsel is immutable By God's Counsel is meant his Decree which is an act of the Will as Counsel is of the Understanding yet it 's called Counsel because no Decree of God is made without the Counsel Wisdom and direction of the Understanding For God being an intelligent Agent and of most perfect Knowledg and profoundest Wisdom can will or determine nothing but according to the best and most exact Understanding 2. The Decrees of God are many and extend to all things done or to be done but here the Decree or Counsel of God is special and limited to a special object the intellectual and immortal Creatures as Men and Angels and here to Men and amongst Men to the Heirs of Promise 3. The Heirs of Promise are the object of it in respect of their spiritual and immortal estate and the matter of it was the giving of eternal life For he decreed to give them eternal Bliss and Glory This Decree once made was immutable and could not be altered or revoked either by God himself or any thing out of God For 1. There can be no cause of revocation either for want of Wisdom or Justice for he is absolutely both wise and lust 2. Neitheir from the inconstancy of his Will for the strength of Israel will not lye or repent for he is not as Man that he should repent 1 Sam. 15. 29. 3. Neither need he alter nor can his Will be frustrated for want of Power for he is Almighty And if there be no ground or cause of alteration from within much less from without though all Men and Angels and all Creatures should combine together as they have no strength to frustrate so they have no power to Null his Decrees for he is the Supream and Universal Lord. Therefore it is said The Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all Generations Psal. 33. 11. This immutability is truly affirmed of all his Decrees but especially it is true of this particular determination concerning the eternal Salvation and Beatification of the Heirs of Promise This counsel is part of the Election and Predeâ—â—â—nation of his People and is to be referred to that Head And it 's noted that no Decree but this was confirmed by an Oath Proposition 2. God was willing more abundantly to shew this to the Heirs of Promise God only knows his own Thoughts and Counsels and neither Man or Angel is or can be privy to them except they be revealed None can reveal them but Himself and this he hath done freely and of his own accord and in great mercy hath let man know his gracious thoughts and purposes to make him for ever blessed In this manifestation we may consider 1. What the thing manifested is 2. To whom the manifestation is made 3. His willingness to manifest this to them more abundantly 1. The thing manifested as before is the immutability of his Counsel For he manifests not only his Counsel and Decree of everlasting Salvation but the immutability of it Man must know what his Counsel is and that it is unchangeable and irrevocable and the manifestation of both was necessary to the end he intended For if Man had not known his Counsel he could have had no immediate ground of comfort if he had known his Counsel and not the immutability of it his comfort could not have been strong certain stable 2. This manifestation was made unto the Heirs of Promise They are Heirs of Promise who have right unto the eternal inheritance promised these are sincere Believers and the Sons of God who are joynt-Heirs with Christ and by Faith derive their Title from him by virtue of God's Promise which in him is Yea and Amen By this we understand that the Promise was not made to Abraham alone but to all his Seed according to the Spirit for he was the Father of Believers who by Faith are Christ's And if Christ's then are they Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3. 29. These and these alone are they whom God intended to secure and make certain of their Salvation and for their security was the manifestation made but as for others as they have no right to the Promise so they can have no benefit by this manifestation 3. God was willing more abundantly to shew this to them It must be shewed and so it was by his Word it must be shewed abundantly and that was done by the Promise it must be shewed more abundantly and this could not be but by his Oath What more could be done what more could the Heirs of Promise desire But what moved him to do this nothing but his own will his goodness his dear affection and abundant love to the Heirs of Promise As for himself he knew his Counsel well enough and that it was unchangeable yet he had regard unto their infirmity and certainly intended to give them certain and strong comfort And for this he did not expect their Prayers but prevented them out his free and exceeding mercy which was the only Fountain from which this gracious manifestation did issue Proposition 3. To this end God interposed himself by an Oath or confirmed it by ab Oath This interposing or confirming by an Oath was the means and the immediate end of it was the more abundant manifestation of the immutability of his Counsel The word used in the Original signifies as a term of Law to interpose as a third person to give security So the Heirs of Promise are one party to whom the Promise is made God as promising is the other and God swearing is a third person who intervenes and interposeth himself as different from himself as promising So he becomes Interventor sidejussor for himself as promising to Believers to whom the Promise was made and as a Surety is engaged deeply for himself promising to see his Promise made good to man to whom he is bound And for this end He sware as Surety to confirm the Covenant that the Heirs of Promise might know the immutability of his Decree The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to Christ. God never intended them for that perfection which is here meant though if rightly observed and used they might make good the Promises of that former Covenant § 18. Because there was no perfection by that Priest-hood therefore there was further need of another Priest which is the second Proposition David who lived above 400 years after the first Institution of the Levitical Priest-hood and knew the imperfection thereof being inspired from Heaven and enlightned by the Spirit fore-saw that the Lord would make his Lord and Saviour sit at his right hand not onely a King but also a Priest and give him an eternal Priest-hood and did fore-tell that in times to come he would say to Christ I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec These words Paul by the same Spirit knew as well as any other to be meant of Christ as a Priest and that to make him such was an Act of God which did presuppose his excellent Wisdom which could neither decree nor effect any thing needless And therefore from them infers the necessity of another Priest which God would never have brought in nor have signified his Will to do so if the Levitical Priest had been sufficient and able to save sinful Man Yet there might have been another Priest endued with excellent power and priviledges that might have been sufficient to sanctify God's People and of some Order but 3. This Priest must be after the Order of Melchisedec This is the third Proposition This was very fitting and suitable to the Divine Wisdom seeing Melchizedec was so great a Priest and of such an excellent Order that from the Creation we do not read of a greater Yet why might he not be called after the Order of Aaron Could not God have raised a Priest of that Order far more excellent than Aaron Not to dispute God's power and what he could have done yet his Will was otherwise For 4. This other Priest must not be called after the Order of Aaron And this is the fourth and last proposition of the Text which informs us That though he might have his Name and so his bate Title after that Order yet this was no wayes fitting But if he should be constituted according to that Order for to be called may signify either to be named or to be constituted then there could be no difference between the Levitical Priest and Him neither could there be any hope of Perfection or Sanctification by him This Negative he infers from the words after the Order of Melchizedec For if he be after that Order and so constituted he could not be constituted after the Order of Aaron which was far inferiour to that of Melchizedec's which was far more excellent § 19. Yet because the words speak of another Priest therefore the Apostle infers two things 1. The Change of the Priest-hood 2. From that the Change of the Law For so we read Ver. 12. For the Priest-hood being changed there is made of necessity a Change of the Law VVHere the Apostle doth two things 1. Presuppose the Change of the Priest-hood 2. Proves from that Change a necessary Change of the Law The Reason why he presupposeth the former Change is because it was necessarily implyed in the words of the former Verse and a necessary Consequent of the words of the Psalm which expresly speaks of another Priest and the same after another Order therefore he might well presuppose it The Reason why he infers a necessity of the Change of the Law is because some might reply That though the Priest-hood was changed and another Priest brought in yet that other Priest might officiate according to the Law and so be a Mediator of that Covenant The Apostle's Argument in Form is this If the Priest-hood be changed the Law of necessity must be changed But the Priest-hood is changed Therefore of necessity the Law must be changed The words of the Text are not difficult therefore I will briefly handle them and 1. Reduce them to propositions 2. Declare the meaning of the word Changed 3. Examine the force of the Consequence 1. The Propositions are two 1. The Priest-hood is changed 2. There is made of necessity a Change also of the Law 2. By Change in this place is meant an abolition and taking away the Levitical Priest-hood For God never intended it to continue to the end but had fixed a time how long it should be in force and when that time once came it might be said to be abolished by exspiration Yet it seems rather to be taken away by actual Constitution of another Priest-hood the Priest-hood of Christ for when he had offered up his great Sacrifice and began to officiate and make Intercession in Heaven the other Priest-hood did cease and could not consist with this which was far better but was made useless When that which is perfect and can perfectly sanctify for ever shall come then that which was imperfect and could not sanctify was put away That it must be changed and the reason why it must be changed you heard before and this is the reason why the Apostle doth presuppose it as a thing made evident and to be granted 3. The force of the Consequence is clear enough to him that shall observe what hath formerly been said In the words of the second Proposition considered in it self we may observe 1. The Change of the Law 2. The necessity of the Change 3. This necessity of this Change after the Change of the Law 1. By Change is meant the abrogation of the Law which answers to the abolition of the Priest-hood Though the bringing in of this Law 430 years after the Promise could not make void the Promise yet the bringing in of a better Law and Covenant made null and void this Law And God as he limited a time how long it should continue so he determined to take it away by a better Covenant and would not abrogate it till that was established and published For the promulgation of the Gospel and the Instituton of Christianity did abrogate it and made it of no force And this was the great Mercy of God 1. That he would change and abrogate that which was imperfect and insufficient 2. That he would not abrogate it till he had confirmed that which was better 2. Of necessity there must be a Change of this Law This implies that the Change was not casual and contingent or arbitrary or any wayes to be provented yet this was not an absolute necessity but upon supposition of the Decree and Promise of God and the Sanctification of sinful Man and the Imperfection and Inability of the Levitical Priest-hood to effect any such thing So that it 's necessitas Consequentiae non Consequentis This word of necessity seems to make the Proposition modal though in strict sense it is not so for the truth of the Proposition doth not depend upon any absolute Connexion of the terms as
to null and abrogate it The effect of this Gospel upon the Expiation made by Christ is the Perfection that is the Justification and Sanctification of sinful guilty Man whereby he is freed from the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and especially from the condemning vindicative Justice of God and eternal death and so may draw nigh to God Where we must consider 1. What it is to draw nigh to God 2. Why this Clause is added To draw nigh to God is sometimes a Duty somtimes a Reward and Priviledge given for Christ's merit to such as perform the Duty As it is a Duty it 's sometimes a coming to the place where God hath put his Name and where he vouchsafed his special presence as in the Tabernacle and Temple he did for to worship him It 's sometime a worshipping of God or performing any divine Service unto him for then we pretend to leave the World and turn our backs upon all things and to present our selves before his Throne as in Prayer and other Duties Again it is a turning from our sins with a Resolution to forsake them and an engagement of our selvs and that with our whole hearts to be his Servants and obedient Subjects And this we cannot do effectually without Faith in Christ and the further we depart from sin the nearer we draw to him and are more like unto him This is a Duty But to have peace with God to be reconciled to him so as to have free access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of Grace where he sits as propitiated by the Blood of Christ and as a Father looks upon us as his Children is a great and gracious reward and special priviledg and presupposeth the former Duty performed and the party performing it in the state of Justification and Reconciliation For being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have acccess by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand c. Rom. 5. 1 2. To understand this more fully we must consider That the words are in some sort Metaphorical wherein the Apostle alludes either to the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai where he represented himself very terrible as sitting in the Throne of Justice and not of Grace and Mercy so as that to draw nigh unto him was a present Death The People must keep at a distance only Moses might come near and ascend the Mount which was a special and extraordinary favour or he may allude unto the legal dispensation under which no unclean person as a Leper or one defiled by touching a dead body or some other way might come into the Congregation or nigh the Tabernacle or Temple so as to worship with God's People before they were cleansed and purified but upon their purification finished they might draw nigh and come with the rest of God's unpolluted Servants to Worship and to serve their God so as to have communion with him and receive mercies blessings and comforts from him So in this place such as are perfected that is justified and sanctified through Faith by the Blood of Christ have liberty to draw nigh to God as to a Father to seek and receive mercies and increase of Grace and heavenly Comforts and have sweet communion with him Before their justification and reconciliation they stood at a distance from their God and looked upon him as a consuming Fire and to draw near was danger though even then they might have some hope of mercy They are like the Publican standing a far off and beating upon his Brest and saying Lord be merciful to me a Sinner but when their Consciences are purged and their Souls by Faith are cleansed in the Blood of Christ they then have liberty and draw nigh to serve and worship God with confidence that he will accept their persons prayers and other Services This is the drawing nigh to God here meant yet you must know that these approaches are not so nigh in this life but that there is some distance But in the place of Glory the approach shall be so near as that it will take away all distance and we shall have immediate and full communion with our God The reason why this Clause was added which is the second thing is to let us know how far more excellent the Gospel is above the Law For by the Law no Man was brought nigh to God or might approach unto him in this manner It 's true they might draw nigh to the place of God's special presence if legally clean or cleansed and by observation of the Law escape some temporal Judgments obtain some temporal Blessings and enjoy some earthly Comforts yet continue spiritually unclean guilty and liable to eternal penalties be far from God with their hearts remain unjustified unsanctified and so could have no spiritual peace with God nor any heavenly comfort neither could they draw nigh to God with boldness so as to have any near communion with him To draw nigh to God as to a Father in Christ is a far more excellent priviledg and could not be obtained by the Law Some do make these words a reason to prove that Perfection was had by the Priest-hood of Christ because by it we draw nigh to God And it 's true that by Christ as a Priest and the Gospel we obtain this priviledg which the Law could not give us For to draw nigh to God presupposeth the party approaching perfected and sanctified and by what we are sanctified by that we draw nigh and this priviledg doth prove perfection by the Gospel as the effect doth prove and manifest the cause So that the argumentation in form is this By what we draw nigh to God by that we are perfected But by the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel we are perfected Therefore by them we draw nigh to God For as we must not seperate the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law so neither must we divide the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel In all this discourse two things are observable 1. That God did not take away the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law till he brought in the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel 2. That he took away that which was imperfect to bring in that which was perfect and far more excellent And all this was done as to manifest his wisdom so especially his mercy and serious intention to save man For he would leave nothing undone that was necessary for the compleating of man's eternal Salvation For if the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law could have justified Man and so given life He had never sent Christ and made him a Priest and revealed the Gospel For then both Christ and Gospel had been needless and useless to that end For as the Apostle saith If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by that Law Gal. 3. 21. But because both Law and Priest-hood were insufficient therefore he decreed
and he stood so strictly upon these terms that except these were performed he would neither promise not give Remission and Salvation but Man must lye under his eternal displeasure Christ's mediation by intreaties or interpretations and declarations of the will of both the partie could do no good to be hately a Prophet would not serve the turn Therefore to mediate in this place is to be a Surety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you heard in the former Chapter And as Sponsor and Surety he first undertake to satisfy God's Justice by his own purest Blood and so make an arâ—â—â—ment and way for God's metoy to make promises upon easy terms and for the performance of the terms and conditions he by this Blood merits the Grace of the Spirit to enable man to repent's believe reform and relye wholly upon God's mercy procured by Christ's Sacrificeâ— neither is this all but in the second place he undertakes to obtain the mercies promised by his intercessions and pleading his blood in Heaven for penitent and believing Sinners That he is Mediatoâ—â— by his Blood shed and offered is evident from Chap. 9. 16. where it 's said That for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption or Remission of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of eternal Inheritance Where we may observe 1. That he was the Mediator of the new Covenant 2. That he was Mediator for his Sacrifice and offering of himself without spot to God 3. That whereas there was no expiation of Sin by any Sacrifice of the Law the sins then committed were expiated and remitted by vertue of his Death and Sacrifice 4. That except this expiation and remission had been obtained by this death the called could not have received the Promise of eternal Inheritance That he is Mediator of this Covenant by his Intercession is evident from 1 Joh. 2. 1. and other places Now both these agree to Christ as a Priest and therefore he is the Mediator of this new Covenant of better Promises as a Priest The Levitical Priests were Mediators for the former Covenant by their Offerings and Prayers to obtain the Promises of that Covenant and this Mediation was but a shadow and an obscure Representation of this heavenly and far more excellent Service and Ministry For 5. He by reason of this Mediation obtained and so enjoyed a more excellent Ministry and Office of Priest-hood For he that could lay the foundation of such an excellent Covenant by satisfying divine Justice and as Surety make it so valid so effectual and of eternal continuance must needs be a more excellent Priest in respect of his Ministration which had far more glorious effects than the Ministration of the High-Priests under the Law Where by the way observe That Christ is an High-Priest in respect of his Office and a Minister in respect of his Officiation which was the work and end of his Office From all this the force of the Argument is clear and evident for every Cause is to be valued according to its causal activity and the effects produced by it For that cause which produceth more noble and excellent Effects Physical Moral or Divine is more noble and excellent And seeing Christ as Priest by his Ministration doth produce far more glorious supernatural and divine Effects tending most effectually to Man's spiritual and eternal happiness therefore he is far more excellent than the Levitical Priests which were Mediators only of a far inferior Covenant and yet could not by their Officiation make that effectual Yet the Apostle not contented with this that he obtained a better Ministry further adds that the Ministry was so much the more excellent as the Covenant whereof he was Mediator was more excellent But the Covenant was far better and more excellent by many degrees therefore the Ministry is such too The major Proposition would easily be granted That the more excellent the Covenant the more excellent the Ministry But the Assumption might be excepted against and that several wayes as 1. There was no other Covenant or 2. If there was it was not better or more excellent Both these he therefore proves and 1. That the Covenant was better for it was established upon better Promises In which words we may observe two Arguments one expressed the other implyed For 1. The more excellent the Promises and the Rewards and Duties promised are the more excellent the Covenant must needs be this is expressed 2. When he saith that it 's established upon better Promises he implies that it is stable firm and raâ—fied so as not to be altered such the former was not Both these he proves and that two wayes 1. By an Artificial Argument 2. By Testimony § 6. First By an Artificial Argument Ver. 7. For if the first Covenant had been faultless then there should have no place been sought for the second IN the handling of this Text I will 1. Consider it absolutely and explain it 2. Inquire into the Apostle's Argumentation 3. Examine what the Apostle intends to prove 1. Absolutely considered it presupposeth as a thing well-known to these Hebrews that there are two Covenants the first and the second Upon this presupposed we find two absolute Propositions 1. That the first Covenant was not faultless 2. There was place sought for a second And both these are presupposed here as a ground of the Apostle's Argumentation though both are proved afterwards By this first Covenant is meant as we shall understand anon the Covenant made with the Israelites in the Wilderness after they were come out of Aegypt of it we find it affirmed that it was faulty or not faultless Not to be faultless is to be imperfect and defective and so not able to sanctify and perfect any man though the Jew thought otherwise and through his Unbelief and erroneous Imagination sought perfection by it Yet God in giving it intended no such thing but aimed at other ends for which it was sufficient neither could it possibly perfect any man because it neither gave Man any sanctifying Power to enable him to perform spiritual Obedience neither could the Priests by their Ministration expiate any Sin Therefore to be faulty is not to be unjust or justly blamable or insufficient for those ends God intended it but to be unable to justify as the Jew falsly judged it to be 2. There was place sought for a second The second was the Covenant of Grace in the Gospel called the second because it came in after the first It 's true that the Promise was 430 years before the Law and was the same for Substance with the Gospel but differed in this that it held out Christ onely in Promise to be exhibited in time then to come and required Faith in him not yet incamate But this new Covenant of the Gospel required Faith in Christ already come Between these two the Promise and the new
The time expressed in the second Axiom was the time when God brought them out of Aegypt in the third Month after their departure out of the Land of Bondage They were in a sad condition when God as a Father took them by the hand and it was a great Mercy to deliver them to have such a special care of them to do so many wonders for them and then bind himself in Covenant to them For though that Covenant was far inferiour to this new one yet it was a great Mercy unto them and tended to their great good The place where it was made is here implyed which was the Wilderness of Sinai Of the making of it we read Exod. 19. of the confirming of it by Sacrifice Blood and a Sacrificial Feast Exod. 24. 3. They continued not in that Covenant for they did prove unfaithful to their God and disobedient to his Laws They forsook him and revolted from their Lord and Sovereign went a whoring after other gods the golden Calves and Idols of the Heathen â—nd polluted themselve with their Abominations And though God had been a Husband to them yet they did all this according to their leud and whorish hearts and this did much aggravate their sin For the Covenant made between God and them was like the Covenant of Marriage a Covenant of nearest Union dearest Love and strictest Obligation and God had carried himself towards them like a loving and most faithful Husband and yet they did Apostate from him and made the Covenant void 4. Therefore God neglected them and regarded them not For he rejected and cast off the Kingdom of Israel and sent Judah into Captivity And why should he regard a leud impious whorish People who had forsaken their God and refused to turn unto him this was a just Punishment for their grievous sin And so it was to their Posterity who adhering to the old rejected the new Covenant 5. This new Covenant was not according unto but different from this old one It differed in the foundation and ground in the terms and conditions in the Promises in the force and efficacy and we might add in the Mediator The foundation of this Covenant whereon as upon its Basis it stood so firm as never to be shaken and altered was the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ without which God would not covenant upon any terms with sinful guilty man The terms were Repentance and Faith not Do this and live The Promises were not of legal Remission and temporal Prosperity but of eternal pardon of all Sins repented of and of eternal happiness The efficacy and power was great for this Covenant gave power to keep the conditions and could purge the Conscience neither of which the former was able to do Lastly the Mediator was the Son of God a far more excellent Priest 6. The Lord said this And this is the second time wherein the Lord is brought in as Witness and that to signify the certainty of the whole and every part of what was spoken And it had been to little purpose if any but God had said so for he alone had power to alter and make void the former and establish this new latter Covenant He only fore-knew what should come to pass and could fore-tell it infallibly He only could make the Prediction good His Testimony only was of undeniable Authority § 10. After that you have heard of the parties confederating the time of confederation and the quality of the Covenant as being new and far different from the old you must more especially consider the Promises which are essential parts of this Covenant by which is manifested the real difference of it from the former and the excellency and perfection thereof For the former was so defective that it could sanctify and justify no man nay by reason of the unfaithfulness and untowardliness of the People under the same it did not reach the end which by it was intended The parts thereof seem to be only Promises yet the Covenant had Precepts and Terms as conditions with threatnings of penalty if not performed and though these are not expressed yet they are not excluded but implyed The reason why the Promises are only mentioned is because they are the principal part upon which the attaining of the ultimate end did most depend And these are solemnly ushered in by these words Ver. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes c. FOR God not content to say I will make a new Covenant adds That this is the Covenant By the former words he signified his Will to make a new Covenant and by these he informs us what this Covenant is and what be the Promises By the former we understand that it was different from the former by this latter we learn wherein the the difference consists and that is chiefly though not only in the Promises which are so excellent that the Promises of the former Covenant were not worthy to be named with them yet this is not all but he again informs of the time after those dayes For as the former Covenant was made after the deliverance out of Aegypt so this latter must be made after the return of Babylon's Captivity And it 's remarkable that he deeply humbles by great and bitter Afflictions both the Fathers and the Children before he makes any Covenant with them For he knew this to be the way to prepare them and make them more ready to obey more capable of his Mercies and more desirous of his Blessings So much Corruption is in Man that God hath much a-do with us for to reduce us and make us a Subject fit to receive his Covenant and his Promises And here again God is brought in a Witness the third time by that Clause saith the Lord to signify how excellent and important and also how certain the matter is The Promises which are the principal part of this Covenant are Ver. 10. I will put my Laws in their mind and write them in their hearts This is the first Promise wherein we may observe 1. Some things to be written 2. The Book wherein they must be written 3. The Scribe or Pen-man who must write them 4. The Writing it self The things to be written are the Laws of God the Table Mens hearts the Scribe and Pen-man is God the writing is a wonderful Work of God whereby the Soul is enlightned sanctified and made capable of nearer Union with God 1. The things to be written are the Laws of God but what Laws these are may be doubted For some will have them to be the several Commandments of the Decalogue Yet these are said to be written in the heart of the very Heathens Rom. 2. 15. Yet suppose they be already in their hearts yet the writing of them there is very imperfect for both the Knowledge of them and power to keep them are very imperfect so that the Love of God and our Neighbour may be
and illiterate People but also of all natural men though of excellent parts and highly improved and exquisite humane Learning both Arts and Languages Besides Ignorance and Error corrupt Lusts inordinate Affections violent Passions indispose it very much and make it most averse from that which is just and good and strongly bent upon that which is evil As it hath no true Notions of the greatest good so it hath no mind to use the means which conduce to the attaining thereof This defacement of so noble a Substance is the Work of the Devil and Sin 3. Concerning God's writing his Laws in the heart of Man you must know 1. That they are not written there by Nature as you heard before If they were what need God write that which is already written 2. He writes nothing in this heart but his Laws and his saving Truths Therefore that which is not written without in the Scripture he doth not promise to write within the Heart and whosoever shall fancy any Doctrine received in his heart to be written by the hand of Heaven and yet cannot find it in the Gospel is deceived and deluded 3. Before these divine Doctrines can be written in the heart all Errors Lusts false Opinions must be rased and rooted out of the Soul and it must be made like blank paper This is the reason why we are commanded to prepare our selves for the hearing and reading of God's Word to be like good ground to put away all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness all Malice all Guile and Hypocrisies and Envies and evil-speaking and like new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God 4. God doth not write his Laws in our heats by Enthusiasm Rapture and Inspiration as he wrote his Word in the hearts of the Prophets and Apostles but he makes use of the Word and the Ministers of the Gospel and the Instructions of Man as also of the outward senses as of the Eye and Ear and also of the inward and of Reason and of all the powers he hath given Man to do any thing in this Work And whosoever will not use these means and exercise this Power by Reading Hearing Meditation Conference Prayer let him never expect or think that God will write these things in his heart The neglect of these helps is the Cause why Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and persons of high attainments as they boast as though they were above Ordinances have so little solid and saving Knowledg of God's Word fall into so many absurd abominable Errors 5. The Effect of this writing of God is not only Knowledge but also a Love of the Truth Light and Integrity Power and Dominion over Sin and the powerful Sanctifications and Consolations of the Spirit And whosoever doth not find these in his heart let him not think that God hath written his Laws in his heart For he writes with Power and leavs a permanent Tincture of holiness and a constant habitual inclination to that which is good just and right 6. God doth not write these Laws perfectly and fully in Man's heart whilst he is in the Flesh for he proceeds in this Work by degrees Therefore seeing God hath ordained means and commanded them to be used no Man must neglect them whilst this mortal life continues for these Truths are not written in any of our hearts further than we use these means which were given not only for the first inscription of these Laws but for the encrease and perfection of our divine Knowledge This was the way which Christ and his Apostles took for the Conversion Edification and Confirmation of their Disciples If this were not so what need was there of so many Epistles and in particular of this to be written to so many Converts and regenerate Saints 7. Though God doth both begin and encrease our Knowledg and Sanctification by these means yet this Work of his is immediate upon the Soul and far more excellent than these means can reach § 11. The end of this Promise made and the issue of it performed is to acknowledg and receive God as our God in Christ and to submit unto him with a real hearty and total Submission as to our onely Lord and Redeemer that so he may protect and bless us and we may serve and obey him And this we cannot do except God first write his Laws in our hearts therefore this must needs be the first Promise upon which the rest do depend and that whereby he in great Mercy binds himself to give us his preventing Grace and the continuance of it For such is our Case that except he prevent us by granting and vouchsasing unto us both the means of Conversion and the Power of his Spirit to make them effectual upon our immortal Souls we can never take him to be our God so as to become his People and loyal Subjects And upon this done he will be our God and take us for his People and so he promiseth here in this Ver. 10. And I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People THis is the second Promise of this new Covenant Where we must understand what it is for God to be a God unto any People and for any Persons to be his People This latter is easily known if we know the former 1. Therefore it is not for God to be God absolutely in himself most perfect glorious infinitely and eternally blessed for so he was from everlasting Yet except he be thus God in himself he cannot be a God to any Creature Neither 2. Is it to be a God by Creation Preservation and Ordination for so he is to all Creatures and to every one of them whilst they have their Being Nor 3. Is it to be a God in an higher degree to men as immortal and rational Creatures for so he is to all men Nor 4. Is it meerly to be a God in a peculiar manner to some certain People by choosing and singling them from amongst other men so as to enter into some special Covenant with them and to take a special care of them and to bless them with some special blessings and deliverances for so he was a God to the Jews But 5. It is to be a God unto any Persons or People by a new Covenant of eternal Mercy and Salvation by Jesus Christ exhibited and glorisied And to be his People is to be his Subjects of his special Kingdom so as to receive from him as their Lord-Redeemer spiritual and eternal Protection and Blessings This is the meaning of this Expression in this place In a word it 's a Promise of admission into his Kingdom of Grace and Glory To know this more distinctly we must take notice that to be God in this manner is so to exercise his Wisdom Power and Mercy in Christ as to protect and deliver us from all evill and give us all Blessings necessarily required to make us eternally and fully happy Thus much is
to blot out all our Sins and never remember them never charge them upon us that Christ should be the Mediator of this Covenant and never cease his Mediation till he hath fully sanctified justified and blessed us for ever What can Man desire which he shall not have What can he want which God hath not provided for him Doth he desire an High-Priest He is ready and he is the best in the World Doth he desire his Ministry in Heaven He shall be sure of it Doth he desire a Covenant Here is a Covenant a new Covenant a Covenant of the best and sweetest Promises that ever were Doth he desire a Mediator of this Covenant A Mediator is at the right hand of God who ever lives there and as an Advocate pleads his Cause and will not rest Day or Night untill he hath made us capable of Pardon and procured Remission of all our Sins for ever The remembrance of these things must needs be sweet and wonderfully revive and refresh a bruised Spirit and a broken heart sensible of Sin hungring and thirsting after Righteousness and Salvation But how great is our Ignorance of these things how weak our Faith how languishing our Hopes Our eternal happiness depends upon this Covenant this Priest this Mediation and Ministry and issues from God the Father and from this High-Priest and from pure Mercy And how happy we if we had but a true and living Faith effectually to believe these things and totally to rely upon God's pure free and abundant Mercy in Jesus Christ for they who believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and he that hath the Son hath Life and Life for evermore Many and grievous are our Sins great is our danger and none can help us but this great Mediator of this blessed Covenant yet we are sensless of our Sins and do not seek unto our Saviour We are secure and do not understand that without his help and Ministry we must unavoidably perish God hath done much to save us and hath brought eternal life near unto us but we regard it not We continue in our Sins and will not believe on Christ and therefore are we condemned already because we have not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God And this will be our Condemnation that Light is come unto us and yet we love Darkness rather than the Light therefore Salvation is far from us Christ will not be our Saviour nor make Intercession for us O Lord put thy Laws in our minds and write them in our hearts that we may see our Sins and be sensible of them and seek our Saviour that thou mayest be our God and we thy People and know thee all of us from the least unto the greatest that so thou mayest mercifully pardon our Unrighteousness and remember our Sins and Iniquities no more Amen Amen CHAP. IX Of the Sacrifice of Christ and the excellent vertue thereof § 1. THE Apostle here doth enlarge upon and more particularly and distinctly explain those things which in the former Chapter he had only in general and briefly mentioned For he implyed there that a Priest once made and consecrated must have a Sanctuary must minister in it and be the Mediator of a Covenant and that the more excellent the Sanctuary the Service and the Covenant the more excellent the Priest that is Minister of these And did affirm that Christ in respect of all these was more excellent than the Levitical Priest But in this Chapter he speaks more at large of the earthly and the heavenly Sanctuary of the Service performed in both but especially of the great Sacrifice and Expiation made by both the Priests most of all of Christ's Expiation-Offering of the rare vertue and the excellent Effects thereof and how by it he was the Mediator of the new Covenant and made it effectual unto Remission and the eternal Salvation of Man This is some kind of co-herence whereby this part is joyned to the former But there is another for the Apostle having proved Christ more excellent than the Levitical High-Priest 1. In respect of his Constitution Chap. 5. 6. and especially in the 7th 2. In respect of his Ministration in the 8th In this 9th he proceeds to speak of his Ministration in particular and of his excellent Service in Offering himself a Sacrifice without spot to God § 2. The Subject of this whole Chapter and part of the tenth is the Sacrifice of the Cross. The Scope is to manifest how excellent this piece of Service is The Method upon consideration of the whole is this He informs us 1. Of the Typical Tabernacle and the Service especially the great Expiatory Sacrifice performed therein and this by way of Introduction to the 11th Verse 2. Of the Anti-Typical Sanctuary and Sacrifice and teacheth us 1. The Nature and Quality of both especially of the Sacrifice 2. The Vertue of this Sacrifice manifested in the Effects thereof from Ver. 11. to the end And this he doth 1. Both absolutely and sometimes comparatively in this Chapter 2. More comparatively in the Chapter following This is the general Analysis the particular you may expect both in and after the Explication The Substance of the whole is this He that being a Minister of a better Sanctuary doth offer a far more excellent Sacrifice must needs be a more excellent Priest than the Levitical But Christ being Minister of a better Tabernacle offered a more excellent Sacrifice Therefore he is a more excellent Priest The Proposition he takes for granted The Assumption he proves at large and very effectually and this is his Design and Work in this Chapter and part of the 10th § 3. To begin with the Introduction Ver. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary VVHere we may observe 1. The Connexion 2. The Matter The Connexion is signified by these words Then verily or according to the Original Therefore verily and so Vatablus Beza Junius translate By which the words following seem to contain a Conclusion deduced from the former Chapter Ver. 2. 3 4 5. and especially from the 5th where it 's implyed that there must be a Tabernacle and the Priests must serve and officiate in it according to the Example and Shadow of heavenly things and there were certain Rules given to Moses according to which both he must make the Tabernacle and the Priests must serve therein This briefly for the Connexion It follows 2. The former had Ordinances of Divine Service c. Where we have 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate The Subject the first the Original expresseth no more not informing us whether the first Priest-hood or the first Tabernacle or the first Covenant be meant Some Copies expresly read the first Tabernacle and so some understand the place but most reject that and supply the Ellipsis by the word Covenant and so much the rather because in the last Verse of the former
which took away these Rites not as sinful but as imperfect and then useless when a better kind of Service was instituted The word here used in the Greek may signify Perfection Confirmation and Establishment and if we consult the Septuagint they tuâ—â— the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signify to perfect confirm and establish That therefore which in our Translation is a time of Reformation is a time of Perfeâ—â—â—â— Confirmation and Establishment and this is the time of the Gospel when the 〈◊〉 imperfect is taken away and that which is firm and stable shall be brought in and 〈◊〉 for evermore By this we may observe That because the Ceremonial Law was imposed by God the Jews were bound to observe it 2. That God intended not the Serviâ— of the Law as a means to sanctify the Conscience for then it should have continued 3. It was imposed onely for a time untill the Introduction of a better Service and then it was to cease And this is the third Imperfection it was not perfect firm stable and of perpetual continuance And this is to be understood not onely of some of these Services but of all even of that which is the principal and more excellent than all the rest even the yearly Sacrifice of Expiation § 10. Thus far the Typical Tabernacle and Service the Anti-Typical follows and begins in these words Ver. 11. But Christ being come an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this Building Ver. 12. Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calvs but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us TO understand this Text the better it 's to be observed 1. That as in the Type so here in the Anti-Type to make the Comparison perfect there are three things 1. An High-Priest 2. A Tabernacle with two Sanctuaries 3. A Service and Sacrifice to be performed by the High-Priest in the inmost Sacrary and Holiest of all into which he could not enter but by passing through the Sanctuary within the first Veil 2. That the words have special Reference to the seventh Verse which speaks of the Highest Levitical Service and Sacrifice which the High-Priest alone was to perform once a Year in the Holiest of all 3. That the Scope of the Apostle is to set forth the Excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above that of Aaron's in respect of the Service 4. That seeing this was the highest and most excellent Service which could procure the greatest good promised in the former Covenant therefore the Apostle singles out this informing us that it was but a shadow of a far more excellent Service which was of far greater Power and Efficacy to be performed by Christ. 5. That the Excellency of this Service and Sacrifice is set forth by rare and excellent Effects Consequents and Benefits which were such as the best and greatest Service of the Levitical Priest could not reach 6. That the first Effect is eternal Redemption which immediatly follows upon the performance of this Service and is the principal thing in this Text. In the Text we have four things 1. Christ come an High-Priest of good things to come 2. The Tabernacle whereof he is Minister 3. The Service and Sacrifice performed by this High-Priest 4. The first most excellent Effect thereof eternal Redemption The first Proposition is concerning Christian High-Priest and it 's affirmed 1. That he is come that is exhibited present and consecrated 2. That 〈◊〉 â—onsecrated he is a compleat High-Priest both these are demonstratively 〈…〉 in the former part of the Epistle 3. That he is an High-Priest 〈…〉 The end of all Priests and especially High-Priest 〈…〉 and Ministry to procure some Mercy and Benefit which the People want desire and have need of Yet they can proâ—â—â—â— no Mercy but such as God hath promised in that Covenant where of they are Priests 〈◊〉 Mediators therefore the Legal High-Priest could not obtain any greater Mercy than the Law did promise But because Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant established upon better Promises he doth procure for his People far greater Mercies which God hath promised in this Covenant Therefore 1. By good things understand those Mercies Benefits and Blessings which are promised in the new Covenant the principal whereof are Remission of Sin for ever and eternal life following thereupon 2. These good things are said to be future and to come and that either in respect of the Law which went before the Gospel according to that 〈◊〉 follows Chap. 10. 1. For the Law having a Shadow of good things to come Or 〈◊〉 of full enjoyment of them which is reserved for Heaven and that World 〈…〉 is yet to come For there is a World to come a Life to come an abidiâ—◠〈…〉 me a Glory to come which shall be revealed upon the Sons of God 〈…〉 long after and wait for this Life this City this Glory to come Again the time of the Gospel is said to be the World 〈◊〉 Chap. 2. 5 6. 5. The sense therefore may be this That Christ was an High-Priest effectually procuring these good things which were shadowed out and typified in the Law and were then to come but present and exhibited in the times of the Gospel The second Proposition which is concerning the Tabernacle doth affirm That Christ's Tabernacle wherein he must minister is greater and better than the Legal as not being of that Building To be greater may be understood of quantity or quality iâ— of quantity then it 's signified that it 's far larger and so Heaven where Christ doth minister is if of quality then the latter word explains the former and so greater is 〈◊〉 and both together inform us that it 's far more glorious and excellent And that it â—â— so it 's evident because it 's not of this Building but of a far better The former was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitched by the Art and Industry of Man yet so that the pattern and direction was from Heaven The Workman and Builder was not Man but God and is the Wisdom skil and Hand of God is infinitely above the Wisdom Skill and Power of Man so his Building must needs be far more excellent Therefore the Apostle told us before Chap. 〈◊〉 That Christ was the Minister of High-Priest of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched not Man The former was but a Shadow and diâ— but imperfectly represent this which was the Substance The Holiest of all though the most sacted and glorious place of the former Tabernacle and Temple was nothing to this Yet it 's much doubted 1. What this Tabernacle is 2. Whitherto these words are to 〈◊〉 referred First Some think this Tabernacle to be the Body of Christ yet this was the thing to be sacrificed and offered Others conceive it was the Church Militant
People as a third part 1. In making the Covenant in signifying God's Will unto the People and returning the People's Answer unto God Exod. 19. 2. 2. In confirming it by Blood as an indifferent distinct person Exod. 24. To which place the Apostle doth allude as we shall understand hereafter in the illustration This is the meaning of the first Proposition The second may be divided for explication and made two 1. Christ by means of Death expiated Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. By means of this Death the Called receive the promise of eternal Inheritance The first implies 1. That there were Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. That there was a Redemption of these Transgressions 3. This Redemption was by the Death of Christ. The first is clear enough for Moses Aaron David and the Saints of God from the times of Moses till the exhibition of Christ had their sins much more others not sanctified The second cannot be doubted of for if there was no Redemption of those Sins and Transgressions then they could not be saved they must suffer eternal punishments as they did temporal By Redemption here is meant Expiation and Propitiation whereby their sins were made remissible and upon certain terms and conditions performed actually to be remitted The third will be granted in general that the Expiation was by Death and Blood but that they were expiated by the Blood of Christ many of the Jews denied Yet if they had understood the Books of Moses they might have known that the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not expiate the Sin of Man a rational and immortal Creature not free from the eternal Punishment Some Legal frailties and infirmities they might expiate and avert some temporal penalties Therefore there must of necessity be some other Death and Blood that must do it And this was the Blood of Christ which all their Ilastical Sacrifices and Lustrations did typify Yet this is not so to be understood as though their Sins were not remissible and remitted till Christ dyed and offered his Sacrifice for by vertue of this Death fore-seen and fore-accepted they were in their Life-time upon their Repentance Faith in Christ to come and their fervent Prayers pardoned They did not rely upon their Legal Sacrifices nor expected Remission from them but relyed upon this Death of Christ to come according to the Promise That in him all Nations should be blessed This Proposition is not to be understood exclusively as though Christ's Death did expiate no Sin but that which was committed under the first Covenant but emphatically to singnify 1. That there was no Expiation for Transgressions under the Law 2. That if Christ's Death expiate former Transgressions under the Law much more will it expiate such as are committed under the Gospel 3. That there was no reason as some observe why they should be offended with the Death of Christ seeing without his Death and Blood neither they nor their Fathers could be saved but must suffer eternal penalties The second part of this second Proposition informs us that 1. There is an eternal Inheritance 2. There is a Promise of it 3. The called receive this Promise 4. By means of Christ's Death they receive this Promise For in the words we have an Inheritance the Heirs the Conveyance the Purchase or rather the price whereby it 's purchased The Inheritance is eternal Happiness the Heirs are the called the Conveyance is by Promise and Covenant the price of the purchase is Christ's Death and Blood 1. The Inheritance is that blessed and glorious Estate which is to be enjoyed upon the Resurrection for the full possession and enjoyment is reserved for Heaven where it 's said to be laid up and reserved It 's said to be eternal in opposition to the Land of Canaan which was the temporal Inheritance of them and their Fathers and to be enjoyed with the Blessings thereof so long as they kept the Covenant of their God and this was the Inheritance promised in the former Covenant and to this which formerly was called God's Rest the Apostle seems to allude as a Type of this which was far more excellent and glorious of eternal continuance in respect of the Inheritance it self the parties enjoying it and the enjoyment thereof 2. This eternal Inheritance was promised there was a Promise of it It was God's and the disposal of it was at his Will Man for his sin was cast out of Paradise and forfeited Heaven with the eternal Bliss thereof yet it was in his mind to give it sinful Man who deserved it not so great was his mercy and bounty and Man must know this For this end he promised it and by his Promise bound himself to give it and in it did signify his Will The Effect of this Promise was Obligation on God's part and a Right unto it on Man's part an Hope to obtain it and a Comfort upon this Hope And here it 's to be observed that our Title to eternal life depends immediately upon the Promise and is derived from it for as the Israelites had the Land of Canaan and held it by Covenant and Promise so do all the Children of God expect the heavenly Canaan and hope to have it by Promise of the new Covenant Some do ' understand by the Promise of eternal Inheritance this Inheritance promised yet there must be a Promise received before we receive the thing promised 3. After the Inheritance and the Promise and Conveyance follows the Heirs which are here said to be the called Some are not called at all these have no Promise of the Inheritance Such were the Gentiles before the Gospel was preached unto them they were Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Ephes. 2. 12. Some are called and have the means of Conversion but reject the terms of the Covenant and refuse to enter into it and engage themselvs such were the unbelieving Jews and many others Some are called enter the Covenant and solemnly bind themselvs to the observation of it yet do not observe it In respect of these two last it is that Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22. 14. None of these are Heirs Some are called and are obedient to the heavenly Call and keep the Covenant these receive the eternal Inheritance promised and first acquire the Title and after that the Possession Some were called before the Exhibition of Christ some after the former are here principally meant though the latter with them receive the Inheritance 4. These called Ones of former times with us receive this Promise by vertue of Christ's Death expiating their sins and of his Blood purging their Conscience To understand this you must consider that none but such whose Sins are expiated and their Consciences purged can be Heirs for they must be regenerated and acted by the Spirit and adopted Sons before they can be Heirs For as the Apostle argues If Sons then Heirs
fully enjoy it till his second appearance therefore they look and wait for his coming from Heaven that then their joy may be full Some think the Apostle doth here allude to the manner and order of the Levitical Service which was this The High-Priest enters the Sanctuary to pray and expiate Sin and the People stay without and wait for his coming out to bless them So Christ enters Heaven that glorious and eternal Sanctuary there appears before God and stayes a while and all his Saints do wait and look for his return and coming out from thence that they may by him be eternally Blessed These Lookers for him are they who shall be rewarded For though Christ came the first time to dye for all so far as to make their Sins remissible yet he comes the second time to conferr the ultimate benefit of his Redemption only upon them that look for him To look for Christ from Heaven doth presuppose the parties regenerate and renewed from Heaven justified and in the estate of justification and as having a title unto eternal Glory with a certain belief that Christ will come from Heaven and appear in Glory and that then they shall be glorified with him And this looking for Christ is their hope with a longing desire expressed sometimes by groans and yet a patient waiting God's leisure out of an assurance that he that shall come will come and will not tarry All this is signified by that of the Apostle And not only they but our selves also who have the first Fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodie Rom. 8. 13. Where we have 1. The persons waiting or the expectants 2. The thing waited for 3. The act and manner of waiting 1. The persons waiting are such as have the first Fruits of the Spirit which is a certain measure of Sanctification and consolation for these are the beginnings of Heaven where our holiness and comfort shall be perfect and full and these being but a little which bear the like proportion with eternal Glory as the first Fruits do with the Harvest do assure us as an Earnest of the full possession 2. Adoption is said to be the Redemption of our Bodies that is the Resurrection when our Adoption shall be compleat for then our minority being past and the time appointed by our heavenly Father come we shall be put into full possession of the Inheritance and glorious eternal estate which God hath prepared for those that love him and this is that which is called Salvation in this place 3. The act of waiting is an act of hope which resting upon the promise is assured and fully perswaded of the fruition of Glory in God's time and looks often towards it as our own The manner of this waiting is with vehement desires and longings and gâ—oans and yet with patience For because this blessed estate is so full of happiness and yet to come and only present in the first Fruits therefore we earnestly desire and long for Christ's comming saying Come Lord Jesu come quickly And because for the present we are pressed with the remainders of sin and corruption within us and with temptations and persecutions without and the distance between Heaven and Us is great therefore we groan and sigh and say Oh when will that time come when I shall be rid and fully freed from Sin and sorrow for ever I see the place of mine eternal Rest afar off when shall I come near and enter and enjoy my God for ever Yet because we have God's Word to assure us of possession we therefore are patient and content our selves in God's Will For if it be his will and pleasure that we must stay a while longer and suffer more we desire his will may be done and we submit unto it and there is great reason we should so do For we are unworthy of the least mercy and he might require a thousand years tryal and suffering and to give us so great and glorious reward and that within so short a time after our first regeneration is an act of greatest love and bounty § 28. Thus far the words have been absolutely handled now it 's time to consider them comparatively The notes of Similitude for it 's a comparison in quality are As and So For as man dies so Christ dies As man dies once So Christ dies once and no more And as man is appointed by God to dye but once so Christ was appointed by God to dye but once And as man after Death comes to Judgment so Christ after he died once will not dye again but come to Judgment Yet as in all things that are like there is some dissimilitude and difference so there is in Man and Christ. Man dies for his own Sin Christ for the Sins of others Man's Death doth not satisfy for Sin Christ's Death satisfies divine Justicé and his Sacrifice doth expiate the Sins of many for ever Upon man's Death follows Judgment and he himself is judged but after once suffering and offering Christ appears and comes to Judge and not to be judged to reward such as believe in him but not to be rewarded And here it 's to be noted 1. That as Christ died to make man savable so he appears before God actually to save and comes to Judgment to make man fully happy As by his Death he merited Remission and Glorification inestimable Benefits so he appears before God for us now and in the end will come to Judgment that he may communicate these Benefits and make men actually partakers of them 2. That remission of Sins and the enjoyment of Salvation and full happiness do depend upon Christ's Sacrifice once offered as the effect depends upon the cause To sum up the Chapter we must observe 1. That the Subject of it is the Sacrifice of Christ. 2. That in it the scope of the Authour is to prove the excellency of the same above all Levitical Services 3. That his method is this 1. He describes the Tabernacle and the parts thereof and the Services performed therein and singles out the greatest Service performed by the greatest Priest in the most holy place which was the yearly Sacrifice of Expiation 2. He proves the Sacrifice of Christ to be far more excellent then this in many respects but chiefly in respect of the effects thereof The first effect is eternal Expiation ver 12. The second purification of the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God in which respect it did excell all Legal purifications ver 14. The third is the confirmation of the New Covenant by virtue of this Expiation and Purification ver 15. The fourth lest they should think it strange that the Death and Blood-shed of their Messias should be any wayes conducing or necessary to these effects of Confirmation Expiation and Purification he lets them know First That for confirmation of the New Covenant it was very
may observe 1. An Effect To perfect the sanctified for ever 2. A Cause of that Effect Christ's one Offering I will begin for Explication's sake with the Effect though it be after the Cause in the Order of Nature In it we may consider 1. An Act. 2. A Subject 3. The Perpetuity of the force of this Act in the Subject 1. The Act is to perfect which may be to consummate or make a thing perfect and seeing the end of Christ's Sacrifice is Man's full Happiness therefore to perfect is to make us perfectly and fully happy and this certainly is intended in this place Yet we must further examine the force of the Greek Verb as it is used in this Epistle and other places of the Holy Scriptures and we find it signifies To consecrate and make one a perfect complete Priest so as that he may minister before God And though some understand the perfecting of the sanctified to be nothing else but to sanctify perfectly yet we find in several places of this Epistle that it signifies to make a Priest and is applyed by the Septuagint to the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons For though they were chosen and designed formerly to be Priests yet they could not act as Priests minister in the Tabernacle offer Sacrifice and officiate before they were consecrated and upon their Consecration finished they were actually constituted Priests and might perform any Acts of Service essential and proper to a Priest so as to please God and be accepted This Work of Consecration was finished in seven dayes and one Sacrifice used in this Consecsation was that of a Ram which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ram of Consecration And as they so we must be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ and this life is the time of our Consecration which goes on by degrees and will be made complete for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven That Christ doth consecrate and make us Kings and Priests is express Scripture He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Rev. 1. 6. And this is the acknowledgment of all his redeemed Saints Thou hast made us to our God Kings and Priests Rev. 5. 10. In this respect we are said to be a Royal Priest-hood an Holy Nation 1 Pet. 2. 9. There in this life though our Consecration be not finished we are styled An holy Priest-hood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ ibid. 5. This perfection and Consecration we find attributed to his Blood and Offering 2. The Subject of this Consecration are the Sanctified for Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated and when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate By Sanctification some understand Baptism as it 's a solemn Rite of our Initiation Others say it is Election whereby we are separated and set apart to this Perfection Yet it is that whereby we are freed not only from Infirmities Defects Depravations Inclinations to evil and so made inherently holy and righteous but also from the guilt of Sin The former is an act of the Spirit regenerating us and renuing the Image of God in us the other is the work of the same Spirit sprinkling our Consciences with the Blood of Christ and by the same frees us from God's vindicative Justice and the punishments due unto us for our Sins The former is usually called Sanctification the latter Justification That only the sanctified can be thus consecrated and come so near to God it 's plain out of the former places as Revel 1. 5 6. we are said first to be washed from our Sins in Christ's Blood which is Sanctification before we are be made Kings and Priests And Chap. 5. 9 10. to be redeemed with his Blood before we are Crowned and Consecrated And the persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation had their Garments first washed in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted to be as Priests before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Chap. 7. 14 15. Where we learn that upon this Sanctification and Consecration we have near access to the Throne of Glory full communion with our God a clear vision of his eternal beauty and as great a fiuition of his God-head as we shall be capable thereof And upon all this follows our eternal bliss joy and full content when we shall be freed from all evil and enjoy the fountain of eternal life This Sanctification and Consecration is said in the third place to be for ever because they are perpetually continued of endless date and of everlasting continuance § 13. This effect is glorious and most excellent and includes Regeneration Justification Reconciliation Adoption with the inferiour degrees of them all and also the Resurrection and eternal Glorification And surely so rare an effect must have some excellent cause and so it hath and that is that one offering of Christ For Christ is the cause and he isthe cause as offering himself not often but only once For by one Offering he consecrated the sanctified for ever Meer Man or Angel though most excellent was insufficient had no power to undertake and finish this glorious Work For man's Salvation and his eternal blisse must needs be ascribed to the highest first and universal cause and issuing from the fountain of eternal Love was contrived by infinite Wisdom and effected by Almighty Power and no way was thought so fit to accomplish it as this one Offering of this one Priest For this end the eternal Word of God which was God must be made Flesh But neither God as God nor the Word nor Flesh severally were the cause but God by the Word made Flesh yet this is not all this Word made Flesh must be a Priest and as a Priest he must suffer dye and offer himself for the Sin of Man He must be the Priest and Sacrifice too and offer himself without spot unto God the Supream and Universal Lord and Judge that so his Justice being satisfied his mercy might freely and aboundantly issue out upon sinful Man as it did when once this Sacrifice was offered and accepted and being offered once it was so accepted that a second offering was needless For this was of eternal virtue in respect of all Sins and Sinners and was the most noble and highest piece of Service that ever was performed by Men or Angels in Heaven or Earth and was an Ilastical and propitiatory Sacrifice The Priest offering it was the the Head and Representative of Mankind and the second Adam and was made such by God and his own voluntary submission as willing to suffer Death for those whom he did represent By this representation and substitution he became the Surety and Hostage of Mankind
so far as was necessary for their deliverance and became liable to the penalty which was due to Man for his Sin That which moved God to send and give his Son was his meer mercy and free love to miserable Sinners That which moved God to punish him once substituted was his vindicative Justice looking upon our Sins It is not proper to say That our Sins were a cause either intrinsecally or extrinsecally impelling God to put Christ to Death and to lay upon him the iniquities of us all Though Sin is the formal object of punitive justice and doth deserve punishment yet God as Supream Lord and Judge and above his own Law had power to pardon Sin or punish it and punish it either in the party offending or in Christman's voluntary Hostage and in what measure he pleased and to accept this punishment willingly suffered for what ends and in what degree he pleased For to inflict the penalty upon the party delinquent or upon another or in this or that degree or for this or that end which shall be agreeable to Justice and pleasing to Mercy is accidental and not essential to it And because this Death of Christ was suffered for Sin and so intended by the Supream Judge it was not only an affliction but properly a punishment That which moved Christ to offer himself was his love unto his heavenly Father a resolution to obey his Command and a desire to be beneficial to mankind and the offering was an act of Charity Obedience and properly a Sacrifice which did so please God that he in consideration of the same was willing to grant unto Man many glorious and incomparable Blessings And to substitute Christ to Command him to offer himself to make him Sin for us to accept his Sacrifice for 〈◊〉 and in consideration of the same to promise Remission of Sins and eternal life to sinful man believing was not meerly or properly a dispensation but an abrogation of the Law of Works In this offering God did manifest his Wisdom his Power his Holiness and hatred of Sin his love of Righteousness his vindicative Justice his supream Dominion and his infinite Mercy In it Christ was a patern and lively mirrour of Humility Patience Fortitude Faith Hope Charity Self-denial and Obedience unto Death the Death of the Cross. The effects of this one offering are here said to be Sanctification and Consecration yet it was not an absolute and immediate cause of these Therefore we must observe That the effects of this cause may be said to be immediate or mediate though this is no formal distinction of a cause as a Cause The immediate effects which are antecedent to application are of three sorts 1. Such as respect God to whom the Sacrifice was offered or Christ who offered it or Man for whom it was offered Such as respect God respect him either as Lord or Law-giver or Judge As Lord by this Sacrifice redeeming man he acquired a new power over Man as he was Law-giver the Law of Works was made relâ—xible or repealable as he was Judge his vindicative power in respect of the sin of man was suspended or inhibited upon a satisfaction or compensation made so that his mercy might freely issue out to save man without any breach or violation of Justice or derogation from the Authority of his Law All these may be reduced to propitiation and reconciliation In respect of Christ the person offering by this he acquired power over all Flesh and all that happiness and glory which his Father promised to conferr upon him upon the performance of this Service In respect of man for whom Christ offered he by this became savable upon a new Covenant and new terms for the performance of which Covenant and attaining of which Salvation all means and power necessary were merited These effects followed immediately in respect of the offering the mediate effects are such as followed upon this offering applyed yet are the immediate effects of it as applyed For upon the same received by Faith followed Justification Reconciliation Adoption Resurrection and eternal Salvation and all these are reduced by the Apostle to Sanctification and Consecration So that the Salvation of Man from first to last is wholly from this offering yet this offering was not the first Spring and Fountain of our Happiness for that was the love of God giving Christ to offer himself It 's a vain and loose assertion of the Socinian to sâ—y or argue That because God loved Man so as to give Christ for him therefore there was no need of any Propitiation or Reconciliation or Aversion of his Wrath by Blood For he might easily distinguish between a general indefinite and a particular love and between a love of good will and of friendship The love of God is best known by the acts and effects thereof For we find three degrees and effects of his love to sinful man The first is the giving of Christ to offer himself for him and thus he loved him when he was an Enemy and ungodly for we may love Enemies though not as Friends The second is the giving the means of Conversion that he may believe and when God loves him thus and first calls him he finds him still an Enemy The third degree and effect of his love is to justify and glorify him and when God loves him thus he finds him converted and looks upon him as a Friend From these degrees of love the Apostle argues That if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son how much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. And though Christ hath offered himself for Sinners and this was an act of exceeding love yet he that believeth not on the Son offering himself hath no life in him but the Wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 36. And no man can have peace with God by Jesus Christ before he be justified by Faith in Christ. For being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 16. Where to have peace with God and be the determinate object of God's special love doth presuppose and necessarily prerequire both Faith and Justification § 14. The Apostle having proved formerly out of Psalm 40. the excellency of Christ's Sacrifice and the virtue of it in the next words adds another proof out of Jeremy 31. 33 34. The same Text of the Prophet was alledged Chap. 8. and there handled and therefore here I need not enlarge but contract my Explication But let us hear the words of the Allegation Ver. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness to us For after he had said before Ver. 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them After those dayes saith the Lord I will put mâ— Laws in their hearts and in their minds will I write them Ver. 17. And their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more Ver. 18. Now where Remission of these
compass God's Altar was to draw nigh to God and to worship him to wash his hands in innocency was to cleanse his Heart and Body from sin before he did approach unto that God who requires holiness in all them that draw nigh unto him for they must be holy as he is holy This seems to be the reason why in our Liturgy the Confession of Sin was premised and began the Worship of God § 20. The second duty exhorted unto follows in these words Ver. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised THe first Exhortation is to the exercise of Divine and religious Worship upon which both our perseverance and eternal happiness depend and if the parties drawing nigh be prepared and the Worship duly performed there will be greater hope of Salvation In these words we are exhorted to perseverance in the profession of our Christian Faith and Hope which is necessary to the attainment and actuall enjoyment of the great Reward In the words two things are observable 1. The Duty Perseverance 2. The reason why the Duty should be performed This is the principal Duty and both the former and the two latter are means and helps which will enable us to perform it In the Duty we may take notice 1. Of Faith 2. Of the Confession of Faith 3. The holding of this Confession without wavering 1. We must have Faith that divine and fundamental vertue in our hearts Most Copies make no mention of Faith but of Hope and so do most of the Translations so that we may wonder what Copy our Translatours followed Yet this doth not vary the sense For where there is Hope there must be Faith and where there is true Faith there is certainly Hope for Faith is the ground of Hope and Hope depends upon Faith and these two are inseparable Besides Faith as a confidence hath great affinity with Hope and though they may be distinguished so as that confidence may look at the party promising and Hope at the thing promised yet both are taken often for the same I need not here inform you of the Nature of Hope for that I have done already Chap. 3. ver 6. 6. 11. Both Faith and Hope with Charity are by the School-men called Theological vertues 2. If there be Hope there must be a Confession of it Hope is inward and invisible as Faith is and must be manifested to others by our Confession This Confession may be made by Works or Words When our Works are holy and just and agreeable to our Faith we thereby signify that we believe in Christ and expect eternal Glory by him When in Words we signify to men that we believe that God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead and testify our Hope of the Resurrection unto everlasting Life then we confess both our Faith and Hope This Confession is solemnly made in Baptism and also in the Eucharist and by our Communion with God's People in our publick Assemblies This Confession is necessary without it such as are at Age are not capable of Baptism neither can they without it be justly admitted to the Lord's Supper To deny Christ before men as Peter did is contrary to this Confession and a grievous Sin For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 10. So that as without Faith there is no Righteousness so without Confession there is no Salvation 3. A man may confess his Hope for a time yet as his mind may alter so his Confession may waver therefore the Duty is to hold fast this Confession without wavering The more sincere Faith and Hope shall be and the more deeply they shall be rooted in the heart the more likely they are to persevere yet perseverance doth chiefly depend upon God's support and assistance For if temptation be violent and he desert us but for a little time we shall be in danger to waver if not to fall yet this divine assistance cannot be expected but in the diligent use of the means therefore saith the Apostle Let us hold fast And this will be the more easy in time of Peace when we shall meet with no Opposition But when the subtle Arguments of Seducers shall begin to delude the Understanding and the fear of cruel Persecution of bloody Enemies on the one hand and the desire of temporal Life Peace Happiness on the other hand shall work upon the Will then it will be a difficult thing to hold fast and not be shaken § 21. The Reason to perswade stir up and encourage is God's Promise and Fidelity For 1. We have a Promise 2. It 's God's Promise 3. God promising is faithful 1. We have a Promise We are secure when one that is able hath passed his word and by Promise bound himself unto us then we make sure thus far of the thing promised The thing which we desire and which is promised unto us is not onely the Reward of eternal Glory which is the Object of our Hope but power and ability with assistance to do all things necessary for the attainment thereof for in the Gospel not only the Reward but Power to perform our Duty are promised Therefore Paul prayes that the Ephesians may be enlightned that they may more fully know not only the excellency of the Reward of Glory but also the exceeding greatness of that Power which must not only strengthen but support and assist them in the seeking of the full possession and enjoyment Eph. 1. 16 17 18 19. 2. This Promise is not the Promise of any Man or Angel but of God this is more than if all the best men and all the holy Angels had bound themselvs unto us and given us all security which possibly they could The Reason hereof is that his Power is absolute and almighty and nothing can resist or hinder it if once it begin to work The Power of Men and Angels is great yet nothing unto this Besides God's Mercy is like his Power and as he is able so he is willing to do what he hath promised and he hath signified his Will and Purpose through Faith by his Power to preserve us unto Salvation 3. Yet one may be able and for a time willing and yet upon several Reasons and Motives change his mind for the Mind and Will of Man or Angel is not absolutely immutable and so though perhaps they will not yet it 's possible they may fail us But God will not God cannot for God who hath promised is faithful For as he cannot forget or be hindred by any contrary Power so he cannot change his Will If he say the word it must be done if he pass his Promise he will perform This faithfulness presupposeth his Power and his Promise and it 's the immutability of his Will for as he is unchangeable in his Being so he is in his Promise For the strength in Israel will not lye nor repent
together as the manner of some was 2. Affirmatively They must exhort one another The Reason is taken from the Cause where we must consider 1. The Reason it self They did see the day approaching nearer and nearer 2. The performance pressed by this Reason and that was to exhort more and more In the Negative part of the Duty we observe several Propositions 1. There were Assemblies of Christians 2. It was the manner of some to forsake them 3. They must not follow their Example or do so 1. There were Assemblies Now Assemblies are of many kinds amongst the many differences of them this is one that some are Civil for matters of this Life some are Religious for matters spiritual wherein we do converse with God and amongst our selves These were Assemblies religious wherein Christians did meet together for to serve and worship God and by so doing did mutually promote their Salvation There are private Devotions and religious Duties to be performed in our Closets and also in our Families and also publick Divine Services These Assemblies were instituted and observed for publick Converse with God and these were occasional or more solemn and observed at set and determinate times and in times of Peace and Liberty in certain convenient places erected or separated for that end and use Hence Synagogues and Sabbaths amongst the Jews The Heathens also had their Temples and sacred places and their solemn times yet abused to Superstition and Idolatry The Light of Nature doth dictate that God is to be worshipped not only in private but in publick and that this Worship if orderly performed requires not only certain solemn times but also convenient places yet the times were alwayes more considerable than the places To enjoy these Assemblies and have Liberty in publick to serve their God both in convenient places and at certain and solemn times was a great Mercy of God and a great benefit to Man For in these they restified their Union and Agreement in the same Faith and Worship they had the benefit of God's special presence they joyntly both heard God speak unto them by his Prophets and Messengers they joyntly tendred their Petitions and Thanksgiving before the Throne of Grace they had the Covenant confirmed to them by Sacraments they comforted and encouraged one another and as Vis unita fortiâ—r the Service and Worship of many was more powerful so the Blessings Graces and Gifts of God were more plentifully poured down from Heaven upon them And we are very brutish or very inconsiderate if we understand not the Excellency of these religious publick Assemblies and very unthankful if we acknowledg not the benefit of them The persecuting Enemies of the Church knew full well if they could scatter these Meetings and Conventions take away their Ministers demolish their Houses of Worship and deprive them of their solemn sacred times they might do much to destroy Christian Religion David did love the place where God's Honour dwelt veâ—emently desired God's presence in that place and sadly complained to his God when he was banished from these holy and blessed Assemblies and yet those were far inferiour to these of the Gospel And doleful was that Lamentation of the Captives of Jerusalem when God had taken away his Tabernacle as if it were a Garden destroyed the places of Assemblies had caused the solemn Feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and had despised in the Indignation of his Anger the King and the Priest Lament 2. 6. God grant this prove not to be our Case and sad Condition because of our neglect and abuse of these Assemblies and our Unthankfulness 2. It was the manner or Custom of some to forsake these Assemblies This was a grievous Sin and of very ill Consequence for when they forsook these they forsook the Church they forsook Christ they forsook their God and deprived themselves of the incomparable benefits of these sweet and blessed Associations And this Sin was the greater in that they did not sometimes but usually frequently constantly forsake them for it was their Custom Some might do this out of negligence because they had no lively sense of Religion Some might do it for fear of Persecution because they loved their Lives their Goods their Reputation their Liberty their Quiet and Peace more than Christ and feared Reproach and Tribulation yet these were convinced in their hearts of the truth of Christianity Yet some cast off their Profession turned Jews and became Apostates Some might be Seperatists and Schismaticks It 's to be feared that most of the Seperatists of these times if not all are guilty of this Sin for What Reason can they have to refuse Communion either in whole or in part with any who profess the truth of the Gospel and worship God according to his Word 3. Though this was the Custom of some yet they must not follow their Example for it was evill and contrary to the Laws of God And though as yet they did frequent these sacred Meetings yet they must consider that there was a possibility nay a danger they might offend as others had done even in this particular They had their frailties and lay open to Temptation But now being admonished they should be the more careful not onely to do their Duty but also to avoid the Causes and Occasions of this Sin This is the Negative a Branch of that general Eschew evill The Affirmative which is brought in by the Particle discretive but which sometimes is a note of Opposition is To exhort one another which may be understood two wayes 1. Privately to exhort one another to frequent these holy Assemblies and never to forsake them Or Publickly to exhort mutually in these publick Assemblies for so to do was one end â—â—y they were ordained and to be used Consider this part of the Duty in opposition 〈◊〉 the wicked Custom of some then and many now it is to frequent these Assemblies â—nd mutually to agree to assemble and being assembled to exhort one another The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to comfort entreat encourage and to exhort And Exhortation in Scripture especially in the New Testament signifies sometimes strictly to stir up unto the performance of some Duty commanded by God as conducing to our Salvation and sometimes more largely for any set and formal Discourse as that excellent Sermon which Paul preached in the Synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of Exhortation though it contained many other things And in this sense Exhortation may signify the Sermons made and Doctrine preached by the Ministers of the Church in publick Congregations one head whereof is Exhortation to continue in the Profession of the truth and the Observations of Christ's Commandments And these Assemblings if rightly ordered are effectually conducing to that end and where we find them neglected or turned into private Conventicles in a time of Peace and Liberty there Religion doth decay there is little Unity in the Truth
Apostates Therefore as they desired God's favour and an happy End and feared his Indignation and their own eternal Destruction let them persevere and use all means to perswade others to continue firm and faithful to the end And here you must observe that the principal Duty exhorted unto is Perseverance and the rest are subservient thereunto § 25. It follows Ver. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins IN these words 1. We have a Reason given to perswade unto perseverance 2. Yet this Reason is directly and immediately disswasive and dehorrative from Apostacy 3. Secondarily and by Consequence it exhorts and moves to perseverance For whatsoever Reason is against Apostacy the same is for perseverance 4. This Reason doth seem to imply that the forsaking of Christian Assemblies was Apostacy or tended to it and the day approaching to be a day of Judgment and in particular of the Punishment of such as fall away 5. This Reason begins here and is continued to the 32d Verse 6. It 's taken à poena from the Punishment which is avoided by perseverance and is executed upon Apostates 7. In Form it 's this If the Sin of Apostacy be unpardonable and shall be punished with unavoidable and most grievous Punishment then we ought to be very careful copâ—â—severe But the Antecedent is true Therefore we ought to persevere In the words of the Reason we have 1. The Sin 2. The Punishment which is Unavoidable Grievous The Sin is described in the 26. Ver. to be a sinning wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Where we must consider 1. What it presupposeth and that is the Acknowledgment of the Truth 2. What it is upon this presupposed It 's a wilful sinning In the presupposition we have 1. Truth 2. The Knowledg of it 3. The receiving of this Knowledg 1. By the Truth is meant the true pure and most certain Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ already come Faith and Salvation This is called Truth because it 's true and most eminently and infallibly true which is no wayes in any thing false and erroneous as being at first immediately revealed from God the God of Truth of all Truth who is not only true but Truth it self It 's called also the Truth by way of eminency as the most excellent Truth revealed for Man's eternal Happiness The Reason of this Truth is the Perfection of his full and clear Knowledge and his absolute Integrity and purest Holiness which both are such as that he neither can nor will reveal any thing but Truth 2. Truth may be Truth and yet not known to any Man or Angel and this Truth was first known only unto God Yet it pleased him out of his great Mercy to reveal his mind to Man and in particular this Truth of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostle who made it known unto others who by that means came to know it For many who heard the Gospel preached and attended unto it attained to the Knowledg of the great Mystery of God's Kingdom and of those things which were sufficient and effectual for Information of the Understanding unto everlasting Life This Knowledg was not Mathematical Physical Political or Metaphysical as some use to speak but Theological and Divine and a Light above the Light of Nature The word may signify not only Knowledg but Acknowledgment of this Truth by a full Assent upon Conviction And this might be caused not only by outward Revelation Information and Miracles but also by the Illumination of the Spirit and supernatural Gifts For God goes far with Man and doth much to save him he many times penetrates his inward parts and by his divine Light and Power enters into his very heart and all this to convert him 3. They received this Knowledg God did not only offer it but give it which he might be properly said to do when they received it They had it not by Nature for it 's far above the natural Man They acquired it but not by their own Power and Industry neither did they merit it Yet in this receiving they were not meerly passive yet passive before they could be active God must do something without Man before he can actively receive he must prevent him by Revelation and Information without and by Illumination and Operation within and this done Man may be active For to receive it is certainly an Act not only of the Understanding which assents but of the Will which approves So that he both wittingly and willingly receives and that with some delight and proceeds to Profession and continues for a while to believe approve profess Though this receiving of Knowledg may seem only to be Acknowledgment yet it 's something more Truth is opposed to Erroar Knowledg to Ignorance Acknowledgment to Dissent Approbation to Rejection of this Truth § 26. This receiving and having is presupposed to Apostacy and sinning wilfully For no Man can loose and fall away from that which he never had either in Title or Possession so none can fall away from Grace or any degree of Grace which he never had The Heathens in Scripture were never said to breâ—k the Covenant of God or forsake God as their God by Covenant Therefore the proper Subject of Apostacy is one in the Church a member of the visible Church and in the times of the Gospel a Christian who hath professeth his Faith in Christ yet of these Apostates there is a difference and there are degrees of this Apostacy For some receive and profess Christianity by tradition and an implicit Faith yet never have any distinct knowledg of the Truth to be believed Some believe and understand more explicitely the Doctrine of Christianity and are convinced of the truth of it yet are never affected with the matter so as to forsake their Sins and reform their Lives but continue in their Sin Some know believe are affected with the matter as so they begin by the power of the Spirit to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and find some spiritual joy and comfort To fall away from any of these is Apostacy but to fall from the last is the greatest And there was something proper to those times which did aggravate this sin very much For the Truth then was confirmed both by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost this confirmation was clear and extraordinary and to renounce that Truth so confirmed must needs be hainous and of this the Apostle seems to speak Christians may fall away three wayes by denying the Truth 1. In their Profession Or 2. In their practise Or 3. In both And that denial which we call Apostacy is destructive of Christianity and maketh a man of a Christian no Christian. Yet some may deny Christ or fall into some grievous Sin and yet verily believe in their hearts and retain the love of Christ as Peter and others have
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
Sufferings shall speedily determine their Joys shall never end For when life is ended all these Conflicts and cruel Fights are ended and they are instantly at rest cease from all their Labours and are secured of their eternal full Glory 3. A thousand years with Man are but as one day with God and in this â—espect his stay till the last Saint shall be perfected and finally Victorious is not much 4. When the day appointed is once come he will not stay an hour no not a minute He will rend the Heavens and come down and do glorious things And is his coming so certain and so speedy and hath God said so why should we be impatient and complain of delay The Saints of God sometimes will cry out Oh when shall these Labours these Difficulties these Sufferings of ours have an end How long will my Saviour delay his Coming When will he come in the Clouds of Heaven with all his holy Angels Shall I never see an end of this Battel and obtain a final Victory and so triumph for ever And the Church is alwayes praying Come Lord Jesu come quickly To all this his answer is Surely I come quickly And Behold I come quickly and again Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to render to every one according to his Works Revel 22. 7 12 20. And if we will not be patient strive suffer and fight a little while and that for a great and glorious Reward which we shall receive certainly and without all doubt we shall render our selvs unworthy altogether of so blessed a Victory and so joyful a Triumph as God hath of his free and unspeakable mercy promised us § 39. Further to encourage them he proves the certainty of their Reward to such as persevere and his displeasure against all such as draw back out of the next words of the Prophet which he renders thus Ver. 38. Now the Just shall live by Faith but if â—â—y man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him IN the handling of these words we must consider 1. How they come in upon the former 2. To what end the Apostle doth alledge them 3. What the matter therein contained is 4. For particular and more distinct Explication reduce then to Propositions 1. They come in upon the former as agreeing with them in the matter which is the great Reward Yet they have more immediate Connexion with the words immediately aâ—tecedent 1. As being taking out of the same place of the Prophets 2. As signifying that when Christ shall come he will accept and reward those that persevere and reject the rest 2. The End Scope is to encourage them from God's own words and Promise for they are the words of God to persevere and not draw back 3. The material parts are two 1. The final Acceptation of such as persevere 2. The Rejection of such as do not but draw back The Propositions are two 1. The just shall live by Faith 2. If any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him In the first Proposition we have 1. Faith 2. Righteousness 3. Life These three are subordinate for by Faith we attain Righteousness by Righteousness Life and by what we are justified by that we live No Faith no Righteousness no Righteousness no Life these three go together In the words we have two Propositions at least implied 1. We are justified or just by Faith 2. We are glorified and live by Faith According to the former Proposition the Apostle made use of this Text in the Prophet Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. to prove Justification by Faith in Christ without Works For because Man is sinful and guilty his Justification is Remission of Sin which presupposing the party penitent and believing depends upon the Satisfaction Merits and Intercession of Christ and the Mercy of God expressed in the Promise As there he makes use of this Text to prove gratuitous Justification so here he takes it up again to assure them that if they continue in this justifying Faith to the End in the End they shall live and be glorified and that Faith which is first justifying shall be Faith glorifying 1. We have Faith which is a divine practical Assent unto the saving Truths of the Gospel and a reliance upon the Promises of God And here it 's taken for this Faith continued to the End even in the midst of all Persecutions and Afflictions and includes the former continued Boldness of Profession with Patience and other heavenly Vertues with which it hath an inseparable Connexion and is the foundation of all 2. Upon Faith followeth Righteousness for the just have Faith and are just and justified by Faith For by just are here meant the justified by Faith according to the Tenour of the new Covenant For Man being sinful and guilty cannot be justified by his own Innocency Purity inherent Righteousness and perfect Obedience He is condemnable by Reason of his Guilt and is freed from Condemnation by deprecating the Wrath of the Supream Judg and pleading Christ's Sacrifice and God's Promise according to his penitent Faith God in justifying is merciful because the Person justified is a Sinner yet just because Christ hath suffered God hath promised and Man guilty doth believe This Justification doth not leave a Man under the Power and Dominion of Sin but in freeing from Guilt he renews and sanctifies him by his Spirit so that he is inherently righteous So that he is justified and inherently just yet the place is to be understood of such as are finally just as they are finally believing For he that hath Faith is just he that continueth in Faith continueth just and he that is finally believing is finally just 3. As guilty Man is just by Faith so being just he shall live by Faith By Life in this place is meant a spiritual happy and eternal Life the Life of Glory which is the great Reward which will certainly follow upon final Faith For it 's Faith which by vertue of Christ's Merit and God's Promise gives a Right to Life and upon a finall Faith the Possession and full Enjoyment of this blessed Life doth certainly follow The Duty therefore which the Apostle urgeth is final Perseverance in Faith and the Motive whereby he seeks to stir them up to Performance is the certain full Possession of the great Rewards for which he alledgeth God's own Word and Promise recorded in the Prophet And if they will hearken unto God speaking by the Prophet and take his Word and Promise there is great Reason why they should persevere § 40. As the former Reason is taken from God's Promise of Life so the latter is drawn from the Punishment and Displeasure of God which if they fall away they must suffer as certainly threatned by God For if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him The Proposition is hypothetical or compound and connex the Nature whereof is to deduce a Consequent from an
an Acknowledgment of the Power and the receiving of the Command and it is a willing and free Observation of the Command The Superiour here is God who is the supream Lord Abraham is the Subject to come out of his Country is the Law and Command Abraham's coming out of his Country and that willingly as bound by God's Command is his Obedience And here it 's to be observed that except Man first submit unfeignedly unto God as his Supream Lord renouncing his own Will he can never sincerely obey For this voluntary total Submission is the ground of all Obedience and may be said to be the Observation of the fundamental Law of Allegiance which is required in the first Commandment upon which all the rest do depend Obedience in general is no particular Duty to be restrained to any particular Command exclusively for it extends to all 2. He went out not knowing whither he went In that he knew not whither he went it doth inform us of the total absolute Resignation of his Will and heart to God This high degree of Resignation and Submission is due only unto God as absolutely wise and just and infinitely merciful There be two parts of this Obedience 1. He went out 2. He knew not whither he went 1. He went out This was a difficult part of Obedience To forsake his Countrey Kindred Friends Inheritance which his heart did so much affect and dearly love and to renounce that Religion which he had learned and observed seems to be above natural Power To part the heart and that which it most loveth is a Work that cannot be performed without some mighty conflict and torment of the Soul to overcome our strongest Affections and so forsake our darling-sins is an Heroick and Divine Victory Yet this was done by him and must be done by us all if we will be saved To deny our selvs take up the Cross forsake Father Mother Wife Children Brother Sister and Life it self was first of all required by Christ as without which no Man could be his Disciple The Promise of eternal Life and Treasure in Heaven could not part the young man and his great estate and therefore he continued uncapable of eternal Bliss 2. As he came out so he went he knew not whither for the Command was that he should go unto a Land which God should shew him a Land he never knew for he neither knew it not the way unto it This made the business more difficult for he must depend wholly upon God for his Protection Assistance and Direction And when we leave our Sin we must come unto our God and when we forsake the World we must come unto our Saviour and though the way may be very rough and troublesom we must pass through it We must not take up our Rest untill we come unto our Canaan whither out God will bring us 3. This he did by Faith which without Faith was impossible to be be done For except he had certainly known that it was God who called him and believed God's Command and Promises he could not have obeyed so as to come out and go towards Canaan So that this Belief was the very principle of his Obedience without this Faith this Obedience had been not only irrational but impossible But God who was his absolute supream Lord did command him and as almighty and most faithful did promise him a great and glorious Reward which would abundantly recompense his Damages which he should suffer in obeying him and these did effectually move him and powerfully incline his heart to Obedience For God doth know what will work most strongly upon Man's heart and therefore by a divine Light and Inspiration penetrateth the heart and lets him assuredly know that he calls him to eternal Glory so that by this divine Vocation Faith is produced in the Heart of Man and by it he most willingly and joyfully comes unto his God and continues to obey him From all this it 's evident that Man's Conversion is a supernatural Work of God's great Mercy and Power for that which is impossible with Man is possible with God The natural freedom of the Will is a poor impotent thing let us therefore pray earnestly to our God to give us with his Word his blessed Spirit § 12. This was the first and fundamental Effect of Faith in Abraham the second is that whereby he was content to be a Pilgrim and Stranger on Earth that he might attain an abiding City in Heaven which God had promised and prepared for him For so it followeth Ver. 9. By Faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the Heirs with him of the same Promise Ver. 10. For he looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Buâ—lder and Maker is God THese words inform us that after that Abraham was once by Faith converted and became obedient to the heavenly Call he presently changed his Condition and was a Stranger in this World and a Citizen or Denison of Heaven Such are all the Saints of God upon their Regeneration In them we may observe two things 1. The sojourning of Abraham with Isaac and Jacob in the Land of Canaan Ver. 9. 2. His Expectation of a better Country Ver. 10. In the first we have three Propositions 1. That Abraham Isaac and Jacob were Heirs of the same Promise 2. That they sojourned as Strangers in a strange Land dwelling in Tabernacles 3. They thus sojourned by Faith In the first observe 1. A Promise 2. Heirs of this Promise 3. The parties who were Heirs 1. By Promise understand the thing promised which was the Land of Canaan This was the Inheritance yet they had it not by natural Descent nor by Purchase nor by Exchange but by free Promise For it was promised and that by God who is the Proprietary of all Land and Counâ—reys and could not only convey it but give Possession This Inheritance was but a Type of a far better and this Promise was added to another far greater and more excellent 2. There were Heirs of this Promise or Land promised and to be an Heir in this place is to have a Right unto that Land and the Title and Ground of this Right was God's Promise which was the best and surest Instrument of conveyance in the World Before this Promise they could challenge no Right unto it after the Promise their Right was firm good clear without any flaw at all This is the great Mercy of God that when upon his Command we part with any thing he will give us something better that will more than countervail our damage 3. Abraham Isaac and Jacob were the Heirs For the Indenture and first Promise was made to Abraham sealed and confirmed Gen. 15. and in him it was made to them in which respect they were Joynt-Heifs but the same Promise was made severally to Isaac and then after that to Jacob. The parties who then possessed this Land
Slaughter of the Person to be sacrificed and he trust be offered as a burnt Offering upon the Altar This Offering once consummate would be the total Destruction of Isaac as to this mortal Life and that before he had any Issue Abraham is said to have offered him though he did not consummate and compleat the Oblation For 1. In his heart he had parted with him and given him wholly unto his God and was resolved to slay him and burn his Body upon the Altar So that this Oblation was finished in his heart 2. He proceeded further began really to do what he had resolved came to the place of Offering had prepared the Wood bound Isaac laid him upon the Altar and had lift up his hand to give the fatal blow and had done all the rest of his Work if God by the Voice of his Angel had not instantly staid his hand This was a difficult piece of Service and the more difficult the more excellent his Obedience for it was Isaac his only begotten of Sarah whom he was commanded to offer § 18. The next thing to be considered is his Faith for by Faith he offered Isaac This Faith was high and excellent because having so many difficultie to encounter yet conquered all and became finally victorious so that nothing could stand before it The difficulties may be reduced to two sorts 1. Such as seemed to be contrary to Reason 2. Such as were contrary to dear and tender Affection 1. Reason might doubt whether the Revelation was from God or a delusion of Satan and this was the first debate Yet upon serious consideration he knew assuredly that it was from God and as from him he by Faith receives it 2. But suppose it were from God and as from him he by Faith receivs it 2. But suppose it were from God yet he might scruple whether it was a Command and of absolute Obligation 3. Let it be so He might question the matter of the Command as contrary to an express Law against the Light of Nature and against all Justice and Equity to slay an innocent Person seemed so to be 4. Reason would most of all plead the Promise of God which was to be fulfilled in Isaac and would alledg that if Isaac be slain offered burnt then the Performance would be impossible and God would not prove faithful But Abraham in all these particulars wholly resigned up and sacrificed his reason to the Wisdom of God and by Faith was perswaded that the Commandment was from God was just did absolutely bind him and rested upon God's Almighty Power as able to raise him again out of the Ashes as he created the first man out of the Dust. And he had an Experiment of this Power which in his very Generation and Conception and Birth did above the Power of Nature as it were raise him from the dead according to those words From whence he received him in a Figure whereby is signified that his Generation was a kind of Resurrection from the dead and was very like unto it For his Body when he begot him and Sarah's Womb when she conceived him were in respect of generative Power both dead So that the Knowledg and Experience of God's Almighty Power and his full Assurance of God's fidelity in fulfilling his Promise did wholly silence and refuse the debates of Reason natural and not enlightned 2. As his Reason so his dear and tender Affection not only natural but moral was hardly and sorely put unto it For 1. God did not command him to offer his Bullocks Goats Rams or Lambs but his Son not his Son Ismael but Isaac the Son of his Joy the Son of his Love whom he loved as his own Son as his only Son by Sarah as a dutiful and pious Son as a Son given him extraordinarily from Heaven as the Son of Promise and which is more than all a Son from whom he expected Christ and in whom all the Promises were to be fulfilled To part with a Son with such a Son to have him slain to slay him himself and embrue his hands in the innocent Blood of so dearly beloved a Child whom he prized above any thing in the World for whose life he would have given his greatest Estate in whose Person so many of his Comforts were treasured up was grievous to Flesh and Blood and a Service and Work above the Power of Nature yet Faith was strong and overcame his Affection By this Act of Obedience we learn that Faith is a rare vertue and a great gift from Heaven that when God requires hard and difficult things from us as to forsake Father Mother all our dearest Relations Life it self and to bear the Cross we must deny our Reason and our Affections and resign our selvs wholly up to God's Wisdom and Will and the more we love our God the more we love our selvs in God This Isaac in this particular was a lively Type of Christ whom God gave for us For Christ was the only begotten and the dearly beloved Son of God better than all the World yet God to manifest his Love unto us sent him into the World and made Him a Burnt-Offering for us And he suffered most cruel pains was slain indeed and suffered a cruel and ignominious death In this Example which we are all bound to follow we may observe God's great Mercy unto Abraham in that he put him not to this hard Trial till his Faith was highly improved and was taught to love nothing above his God § 19. The Apostle observing the Order of time descends from Abraham to Isaac of whom it 's written thus Ver. 20. By Faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come BEfore I enter upon the Example I will put you in mind of some things only hinted and darkly implyed or not mentioned formerly As 1. Though God commanded Isaac to be sacrificed upon which Sacrifice and burnt-Offering once consummate the Performance of God's Promise seemed impossible yet God did fulfil in Isaac what he promised in that manner that the Command was no wayes contrary nor prejudicial to the Performance of the Promise 2. That though Abraham thought that the raising of Isaac from the dead might he a way for God to shew his faithfulness yet that was not God's way but another for when Abraham was ready to give the fatal and mortal blow God stayed his hand prevented his death and saved his Life Yet this was till that very moment concealed from Abraham that he might fully try him and manifest his total Resignation of himself to God 3. That though Abraham was willing yea resolved and ready to sacrifice his Son and for this was highly accepted of God yet this doth no wayes warrant or justify such as sacrificed their Children or were ready to offer the fruit of their Body for the Sin of their Soul For 1. They had no Commandment or Warrant from God as Abraham had 2. They offered their Children to Idols and
Devils 3. If they had offered them to God their Blood could not have expiated their Sins The Case being so different though the Obedience of Abraham was so pleasing to God yet their sacrificing was plainly unnatural Murther and abominable Idolatry 4. If our Faith be sincere we must Sacrifice our Isaac even what we love most unto our God The Lord increase our Faith that we may do this Service readily In the Text two things are observable 1. Isaac's Blessing and Effect or Work of his Faith 2. His Faith whereby he blessed his Sons In the Blessing we have 1. The Parties blessed 2. The Matter of the Blessing 3. The Blessing it self 1. The Parties blessed were Jacob and Esau these were Twins conceived and born together For as their Birth so their Conception were simultaneous in respect of time They were both his Children both Sons and all the Children which he had for we read of none others born unto him Jacob was the Younger because born thâ— lâ—â—ter yet preferred before the Elder by God's free Election and also in this Blessing for he received the Priviledges of the first-begotten and in him not in Esau he made the Covenant good 2. The Matter of the Blessing were things to come hoped for not seen and therefore fit Objects of Faith as no wayes certainly intelligible by the natural Light of Reason These things were Blessings and the same both temporal and spiritual Esau's Blessings were only temporal and not spiritual Jacob's both temporal and spiritual From which dispensation of these Mercies we may observe 1. That profane Persons as Esau may enjoy temporal Blessings and Prosperity and that in a greater measure than God's Children do and therefore they are no Argument of God's special Love for God causeth his Rain to fall and his Sun to shine as well upon the unjust as upon the just 2. That the godly such as Jacob was have the Blessings of this Life and of that which is to come And because they desire heavenly more than earthly Blessings therefore God though sometimes he denyes them earthly Prosperity yet will be sure to give them heavenly Comforts 3. The Blessing it self was an Act of Isaac though God was the principal Cause Of blessing others I have spoken Chap. 7. 6 7. All Blessings come from God for he is the Fountain and first Cause of them and disposeth of them as he pleaseth He sometimes communicates them by Man to Man as in this particular Example and makes Priests Prophets Parents instrumental and gives them Power to bless in his Name and that either in an ordinary or extraordinary way This Blessing was extraordinary wherein God made his words effectual for what he said came to pass The words of Benediction were Prophetical yet not meerly a Prophecy or Prediction but a Prediction with Power And though he intended to have blessed Esau with the principal Blessing yet Jacob obtained it It was God's Will to order it so yet his Will gave no Warrant to Rebeccah or Jacob to use any unlawfull means neither did their frailties hinder God's Mercy so gracious he was When the Blessing of Jacob intended for Esau was once past it proved irrevocable though profane Esau sought it even with tears yet there was no place found for Repentance But how did Isaac thus bless his Sons The Text informs that he blessed them by Faith and this is evident because the Benediction was concerning things to come This Faith required some divine Revelation and Promise as a necessary Ground and Foundation God had promised before great Blessings to his Father Abraham and to him yet to be fulfilled to their Posterity by this he understood that they should fall upon his Children but whether the principal Mercies should be given to Jacob and his Posterity or to Esau and his Children he knew not that was not revealed unto him and therefore he was so much mistaken Yet besides the former Revelation and Promise he had some more particular Illumination concerning his Sons and their Children for time to come and his Faith did believe both and relyed confidently upon the Promises and out of this Faith he blessed them really which without Faith he could not have done This shews the excellency of Faith and may perswade all Parents to believe and may encourage them to continue in Faith forby it they may derive some Blessings to their Children if they shall prove capable For some Children prove to be profane as Esaâ— and are not capable of spiritual Blessings § 20. Jacob succeeded Isaac and being blessed by his Father he blessed Joseph's Children For Ver. 21. By Faith Jacob when he was a dying blessed both the Sons of Joseph and worshipped leaning on his Rod. IT 's an happiness to be the Children of believing Parents who by their Faith transmit Blessings to Posterity For Jacob the Son of believing Isaac was blessed and he by his Faith transmits God's Blessings to Joseph's Children In the words we may note 1. Jacob's Effects or Works of Faith 2. His Faith The Effects are two 1. His Blessing of Joseph's Children when he was a dying 2. His Adoration leaning upon his Staff 1. To begin with the Blessing which was both predictive and effective as the former was we may observe 1. The Persons blessed 2. Divers Circumstances and Passages of this Act. The Persons were not his own immediate Children but his Grand-Children by Joseph every one of the Sons of Joseph These were Maâ—â—asseh and Ephrains and as we read of no other so it 's likely these two were all the Sons of Joseph at that time The Blessings by him solemnly then declared were to be expected and received by their Posterity 2. The Circumstance of time is expressed to be when he was a dying that is a little before and when he was drawing nigh unto death For then having some thoughts and care of his Posterity and especially of Joseph and his Children whom he dearly loved the Spirit of the Almighty came upon him to inform him of things to come especially concerning his Nephews and moved him to bless them and that being done he leavs the World The Passages are many Joseph presents his two Sons before him and perhaps by some divine Instinct or Impulse that he might bless them before his death and intended the Priviledg of Birth-right to his Elder Son as Isaac did formerly purpose Jacob layes his hands upon them a Rite used in Benediction He guided them so that he laid his right hand upon Ephraim the Younger and this was purposely done by divine direction This being done he adopts them and by Adoption makes them his immediate Children and by his Blessing gives them the Portion of two Tribes with the rest of his Sons and prefers the Younger before the Elder 2. The second Effect is his Adoration leaning upon his Staff where you must observe that the Apostle follows the Septuagint as in most part of this Epistle he doth Whereas others following
respect invisible but not in that manner aâ— God is No Man not Moses can see God and live as Angels and glorified Saints do neither can they see him as he sees himself so that in some respects he is invisible to all and only visible to himself 2. The Act of his Faith was that whereby he as it were and in some manner saw this invisible God He saw him not by his Senses nor by the natural Light of Reason but by a diviner and more excellent visive faculty to which he did represent himself in his Wisdom almighty Power Promise and Fidelity with all which he was engaged in this Act. This sight of him made Pharoah though a King of mighty Power as contemptible in his Eyes So glorious did he appear that all the Power and Princes of the World were nothing to him 3. The immediate Effect was that he so seeing him as though he were present marching in the Van bringing up the Rear and garding Israel on every side did endure not only with a patient but a constant and undaunted mind the Wrath of the King whom he feared He strengthned and hardned himself and resolved to carry Israel out of Egypt and rescue them from the Egyptian Bondage and Tyranny This was an Act of Faith of strong Faith and this Instance doth teach to fortify and embolden our hearts by Faith in God against all fears of the greatest most cruel and enraged Enemies § 27. The third Instance is made in that Act of keeping the Passover and preserving the first-born of Israel from the destroying Angel For Ver. 28. Through Faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of Blood lest he that destroyed the first-born should touch them IN these words we may observe 1. A Command 2. A Promise 3. Faith whereby the Command was obeyed and whereupon the Promise was performed 1. The Command for the matter was two-fold 1. The Celebration of the Passover 2. The sprinkling of Blood What the Passover was we easily learn from Exod. 12. and most do know it It was a Sacrament of the Old Testament to confirm the Promise of God made to Israel The Matter of it was a Lamb without blemish the Actions were Separation of the Lamb preparing and rosting it with fire and eating of it with soure Herbs and unleavened Bread with their Loins girt and their Staffs in their hand at the first time of the Institution Some tell us of a form of words prescribed but in this the Scripture is silent It was the same to them that the Eucharist is to us The use of the Blood at that time of which we never after read was to sprinkle the upper and side posts of their Doors with it and for this end to avert the destroying Angel In all this a far greater thing was mystically infolded as Christ our Paschal Lamb whose Blood sprinkled by Faith upon our Souls delivers us from the destroying wrath of God and the punishments of Hell of which Blood and Sacrifice of Christ you have heard much in the former Chapters That they should thus celebrate this Sacrament and thus sprinkle this Blood was the Command of God to Moses and by him declared to Israel 2. The promise of God was that if they did celebrate the Passover and sprinkle the Blood of the Paschal Lamb accordingly as God prescribed he would bring them out of Aegypt and save their first born in that Night when he would destroy all the first born of Man and Beast in the Land of Aegypt The great mystery was that whosoever should partake of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God which taketh away â—he Sin of the World and have the door of their Souls sprinkled with his Blood they should be delivered from the power of Satan freed from the wrath of God and pass on safely towards their heavenly Canaan and the place of their eternal Rest. 3. Moses believed the Word of God concerning these particulars and Israel believed Moses as speaking to them from God and both he and they relied upon the Promise By this Faith he and they obeyed the Command of God in celebrating the Passover and in sprinkling the Blood of the Paschal Lamb and upon this Obedience the Promise of God was performed their first born was saved and all of them that Night brought out of Aegypt Without this Faith they neither could have obeyed the Command of God nor obtained the great mercies promised So if we by Faith eat Christ's Flesh and drink his Blood we shall live and be everlastingly saved From hence we learn That Faith enables and stirrs us up to obey the Commands of God that so by it we may obtain the Rewards which God hath promised § 28. The fourth instance is of Israel's Faith whereby they passed through the Red Sea with safety when the Egyptians were drowned For Ver. 29. By Faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians assayling to do were drowned IN these words we have 1. The safety of Israel 2. The destruction of the Egyptians 3. The reason of the one and of the other 1. The safety of Israel was That they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land To understand this we must remember and call to mind the History We have heard of the bringing of Israel out of Aegypt and the saving of their first Born After they were marched on their way towards the Red Sea according to God's direction Pharoah repented of the dismission of Israel and by spies or some others informed what way they took and where they were conceived them to be in straits and easy to be reduced or destroyed Thereupon he arms and musters up the main strength of Aegypt marcheth himself in person with his Potent Armies and pursues them and some came near to them The Angel of God removes into the rere-ward and strikes in between Israel and Pharoah's Army till they came to the Red Sea where they were flanked on both sides with impulsive mountains the Red Sea was before them the mighty Army of Aegypt behind them so that in humane reason nothing but destruction could be expected Israel cryes out to Moses and Moses calls to God God here commands Moses to strike the Sea with a Rod and commands Israel to pass forward and expect the Salvation of God promising to deliver them The Sea was divided the Waters stood like walls and mountains as though they had been congealed and turned to Ice The bottom which never saw the Sun before appears is made firm ground without deep mud or quicksands Israel passeth on arrives at the further shore and neither Man nor Child is drowned As the deep and drowning waters saved Noah by bearing up the Ark so now the dangerous and threatning Sea and tumultuous waters are a safety to Israel This was a strange and glorious work of God's Almighty Power and unspeakable mercy This is called often in the Hebrew the Sea of Suph or Bulrushes which
Instances because the former were sufficient 2. That to go on to instance so largely in the rest of the following Ages would be too tedious take up much time and enlarge his Letter till it swell to a great Volume 3. Yet he lets them know that if need were and it were requisite he could instance in many more but yet he thought it no Wisdom to do so 2. In the matter we have 1. A particular enumeration of certain former Worthies 2. Their rare Exploits 3. Their many Sufferings 4. Their Deeds and Sufferings issuing from Faith 5. The time when they lived believed did these Works and suffered 6. God's benignity to us who in his Wisdom did so order it that they should not be perfect without us This is the Sum and Substance of the rest of this Chapter which contracts much matter into a narrow Compass and expresseth it in a few words As for the Persons commended for their Faith 1. Some of them are signified particularly by Name some by a general term expressing their Office 2. That though he names but six yet this was not because there were no more but these or that he was ignorant of them but because it was not needful 3. Amongst these we have four Judges one Prophet one King yet so that the Prophet was a Judge and the King a Prophet The Persons not mentioned by Name but signified by their Office were the Prophets and whereas there were Prophets both ordinary and extraordinary the extraordinary are intended By this passage and proceeding of the Apostle we learn that in our Discourses we should not be needlesly tedious and say all that we can but that only which is sufficient most expedient and conducing to the main Scope This was a Letter and he was not willing to enlarge beyond the bounds of a Letter which he must needs have done if he had instanced and amplified in all the particulars which he knew § 32. These are the Persons Their rare Exploits and Works of Faith follow for thus we read Ver. 33. Who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouths of Lions Ver. 34. Quenched the violence of Fire escaped the Edge of the Sword out of Weakness were made strong waxed strong in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens THE Effects of their Faith being doing great things obtaining great Mercies suffering great Afflictions are here only touched upon and briefly related Yet this is done without any Attribution of them to the Persons formerly named and mentioned for of these Persons those things are to be understood and they are all Effects and Consequents of Faith There is it said Who by Faith subdued c. And seeing his chief Intention was to shew the Excellency of Faith and these Effects were rare and excellent and such as depended upon Faith as Effects upon the Cause it was sufficient in this manner to reckon them up and to inform these Hebrews of them 1. They subdued Kingdoms Though this may agree to and be affirmed of others yet in this particular David seems to be most eminent who subdued the Philistins Edomites Ammonites and other of the Syrian Kingdoms For to understand this it 's to be observed 1. That the Cause of the Conqueror was just 2. That he had Warrant from God and many times the Warrant was extraordinary 3. Sometimes he had Directions from God who was first consulted 4. He depended not upon his own strength and policy but upon his God 5. The Victory was given by God upon the Faith and Prayer of the victorious Party 6. The Kingdoms subdued were not only Enemies to God's People but to God himself and his Laws so that both the safety of the People and also of Religion did much depend upon these Victories which were far more glorious and excellent because given upon the Faith of such as trusted in their God Others might prove Conquerors who waged War against others out of Ambition Pride Covetousness Cruelty without any just Cause of Commission from Heaven and they were rather Executioners of God's just Judgments upon wicked People and Offenders whom they cruelly punished without any thoughts of God or care of Justice as being wicked Person themselvs 2. They wrought Righteousness The subduing of Kingdoms was the exercise of their Military Power and this may seem to be the Use of the Sword of Justice For the Judges and David were Generals in War and Judges in peace they went out before the People and fought their Battles and in the time of Peace they did Justice and Judgments by reason of their Faith they were victorious in their Wars and just in their Judgment The Duty of a Prince is to defend his People from Forreign Enemies and to protect their just and loyal Subjects and punish the Oppressors and Injurious This Righteousness therefore is judicial Righteousness and their doing of Righteousness their constant Administration of Justice For the meaning is not meerly that they did some few Acts of Justice for so many wicked Princes do but these did execute Justice and Judgment constantly and in an eminent manner And the more their Faith the more their Righteousness for Faith must needs effectually incline them unto it 3. By Faith they obtained Promises By Promises understand things promised and these not general but particular To the Patriarchs before Joshua the Land of Caâ—aan was promised yet not given not enjoyed only their Posterity under Joshua obtained that Promise Christ was promised to them all yet they obtained not this Promise for he was not exhibited till many years after These were more general Promises There were besides many eminent Mercies particular of Victory Deliverance Peace and other things which by Faith they obtained yet so as that they used the means which God vouchsased unto them and these means without Faith had been insufficient This informs us that as great things are done so great things are obtained by Faith which believeth the Word of God and relyeth upon his Promises For God promised they believed the things promised were performed 4. By Faith they stopped the Mouths of Lions This is understood principally of Daniel Sampson slew a Lion and so did David Daniel was saved from the hungry fierce Lions when he was cast into their Den of purpose to be devoured This he acknowledged as a great and special Mercy from his God when he said to Darius My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions Mouths that they have not hurt me Dan. 6. 22. This Preservation was miraculous and a Mercy obtained by Faith For his Cause was just he would not intermit his constant Devotion and his Supplications unto his God though he should suffer Death and resolved to observe the just Command of God and refused to obey the unjust Command of Man and was perswaded that God was able to deliver him and therefore he cast himself wholly upon his Mercy This he could never have done without Faith
the mercies obtained by Faith the second to the sufferings which are to be reduced to the Catalogue of Sufferings which follow In the first we may observe 1. What the mercy received was 2. Who received it 3. By what they received it 1. The mercy received was great and such as could not have been given but by God and also by his extraordinary power For it presupposeth the parties raised to be dead which is the last and greatest of all evils in this Life and puts an end to all our earthly Hopes and Comforts which it wholly taketh away And though men may strengthen the Weak heal the Sick relieve the oppressed and deliver out of many Troubles and Dangers yet Death they cannot prevent when the fatal hour approacheth nor restore life after it 's once lost Death is an invincible Enemy and neither can Man or Angel rescue any out of Death's power yet the parties dead which were Children were raised life restored to them and Soul and Body separated were re-united yet to be separated again for the life restored was not immortal 2. The parties who received this extraordinary Mercy were both Women and Mothers as the parties dead were their Children The one was the Widow of Zarepta 1 King 17. 19. and he that raised her son was Elijah The other was the Shunamite whose son being dead was restored to life by Elisha 2 King 4. 21. There was a third person raised from the dead when he was cast into the Grave of the Prophet We do not read of any other dead persons restored to life in the Old Testament by these or any other Prophets 3. By Faith they are said to have received their dead It 's not written that they raised them but that they received them being raised The Prophets did raise them restore them and deliver them to their Mothers Yet neither could these Prophets by their own power do any such thing for it was an effect of the almighty power of God who made them his Instruments and by them upon their instant prayers did this great Work yet their prayers without Faith could not have been so effectual The Women also did much desire this mercy and did believe that God by the Prophets could restore their Children which were raised by the Faith of Prophets and received alive by the Faith of the Mothers The second Effect here mentioned is Patience in such as suffered cruel Torments in their Bodies Here begins the Catalogue of the suffering of the Saints which did evidence their Faith without which we can neither do good nor suffer evil so as God requireth This example is not found in Canonical Scripture therefore the Apostle knew it either by Tradition or some historical Writing yet so that he some wayes knew infallibly the truth of the matter Some think the Apostle understood Eliazar mentioned 2 Mach. 6. 18 19 20 c. and the Woman and her seven Sons so cruelly tortured as we read in 2 Maccab. 7. Chapter following who are related to have suffered constantly in hope of the Resurrection In the words we may observe 1. Their Suffering 2. Their non-Acceptance of Deliverance 3. Their Faith 1. Their Suffering they were Tortured The Sufferings of God's People may be truly said to be either Trials or Chastifements or Punishments or some or all of these and if we consider the Evils which both good and bad are subject unto in this Life we must distinguish between the matter and the manner For the matter of Sufferings passively considered may be the same in all but the manner as also the Causes are very different For the Sufferings of God's Saints are so qualified by Faith that in them many divine vertues are manifested and they tend though not to the meriting yet to the attaining of eternal Glory For if we suffer with Christ we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8. 17. And our leight Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. These Persons here intended are said to be Tympanized which is to be tormented several wayes as by beating and fustigation by racking and extension by tearing and excoriation for the word it self doth not determine the manner of Torment Therefore it 's well turned by this general word Tortured that is they were put to bodily pain The Torturers were Anâ—â—ochus and his cursed Agents the Sufferers and Subjects of these Tortures were the Jews which refused to obey the Commands of that cruel Tyrant contrary to the Laws of God 2. The Non-Acceptance of Deliverance doth imply that they might upon certain Conditions have been freed from these cruel Pains and so have prevented Death and that they rather chose to suffer more and dy than accept of the Conditions If we consult the History we shall understand 1. That they were commanded to do some things contrary to the Laws of God 2. That though they were in the Power of a cursed cruel Prince and perswaded both by Promise and threatning to obey yet they refused 3. That upon the Refusal they were tortured 4. In some Intermission of the torture they were advised again to yield for their Persecutors thought the bitterness of the pain might prevail much with them 5. Yet it did not for they remained constant and were ready to suffer the worst and to dy rather than disobey their God This was the Cause of their Suffering and made it glorious For they suffered not as Malefactors for their Crimes but for Righteousness sake and did manifest that they loved God and Righteousness more than their lives 3. They did thus suffer thus refuse Deliverance to obtain a better Resurrection this was the End of both and did manifest both their Faith and Hope 1. Their Faith in that they did believe there was a Resurrection unto eternal Life and that God not only could but also would raise them up again restore an immortal glorious blessed Life for a miserable short and mortal Breath and abundantly recompence their cruel Pains suffered in Obedience to him with eternal Pleasures They were assured that God was a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him by doing Good and suffering Evil for his sake 2. Their Hope grounded upon this Faith was their constant expectation of this Resurrection according to God's Promise For he had promised it to all such as really love him and their Suffering was a great Evidence of their Title and did assure them of Possession in due time Here two things are to be noted 1. That Resurrection to Immortality is general and common to all both good and bad for all must rise again to Judgment Yet some shall rise to Condemnation and the Suffering of eternal Shame and Punishment and others unto everlasting Life and Glory This latter Resurrection is here meant which is said to be better because by it they should receive a better Life than could be enjoyed on Earth 2. That it 's better for
High-Priest ascended into Heaven 2. This Blood of Sprinkling speaketh better things thau the Blood of Abel This Blood is the Blood of Christ and the End and so the principal Effect is to cleanse away Sin yet this it cannot do except it be first shed and then sprinkled Once shed it hath a cleansing Power and Vertue yet actually cleanseth and purifieth no man till it be sprinkled upon him The Blood of sprinkling is Blood to be sprinkled and it is to be sprinkled upon the unclean to make clean and therefore the Blood of Sprinkling is by a Metonymy cleansing and purifying Blood Yet there was a sprinkling of Blood in the Sanction and Confirmation of the Old Covenant and so Blood of Sprinkling here may be the Blood of Confirmation for as you heard Chap. 9. 16 17. a Testament is of force after men are dead so upon and by the death of Christ the new Covenant was made firm valid and in full force and power for that end God intended it If Christ had not dyed God might have abrogated or altered his Covenant but upon his death he was bound to stand to it for ever and the Title to the heavenly Inhâ—râ—tance is good to all such as observe the terms and conditions yet in this Expression it is very probable the Apostle alludes to the Legal Purifications by Water Ashes Blood which being sprinkled upon such as were Legally unclean or upon the Lepers did purify them The like Effect Christ's Blood hath upon all such as are capable of it therefore do we read that the Blood of Christ doth cleanse us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. and to cleanse is to forgive to be cleansed is to be pardoned as is implyed in that Text If we confess our Sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Ver. 9. This Blood is sprinkled upon such as confess repent believe pray receive the Sacraments The means of sprinkling is the Word Sacraments and principally the Spirit or whatsoever worketh or increaseth and strengthneth Faith and then it 's sprinkled when it 's so applyed as that the Person receiveth the benefit of Christ's Passion one Effect and the principal is Remission of Sin and Sanctification whereby we are freed from Sin and the woful Consequents thereof for this Blood speaketh better things than that of Abel Abel's Blood was shed so was Christ's Abel's Blood shed speaketh so Christ's Blood shed speaketh Abel's Blood speaketh to God so Christ's speaketh to him likewise they both speak loud and cry so that God hears Abel's Blood was precious Christ's far more precious and the Cry of both is heard in Heaven Thus far they agree yet differ much for the one cryes for Mercy the other for Judgment the one cryes against Man that did shed it the other for Man though his Sins did cause it to be shed The meaning is that Cain's Murther of his Brother Abel did so much offend God that it moved him to revenge it Christ's death as caused by the cursed cruel impenitent Jews did so far provoke God that he fearfully punished them and their Children according to their own words Let his Blood be upon us and our Children yet as suffered for the Sin of Man and offered unto God it was so pleasing so precious and so highly accepted that for and in condsieration of it God was effectually moved both to reward him and pardon all penitent and believing Sinners and that for evermore This Blood spake when it was shed and speaks effectually when pleaded before the eternal Judg. 3. They were come to this Mediator to this Blood They were not come to the Mount of Fire Smoak Darkness Terrour Death where there was no Mediator to make their peace with God no blood to cry for Metcy and cleanse them from their Sin and free them from eternal Death But they were come into that Society where Christ was their Mediator and Priest where they were freed from the Law of Sin and Death and under the Covenant of Free Mercy Grace and Life where the Blood of Christ sprinkled upon their Souls did cry aloud to Heaven for Mercy and did cleanse them from all Sin for ever And now since they were received into an heavenly Society where Angels and the best of men both living and dead were their fellow-Subjects God Redeemer sitting in the Throne of Grace their Soveraign Christ the Son of God their Priest who shed his Blood to wash away their Sins and though they had many Offences yet upon their Repentance would make Reconciliation for them and though they had many failings yet he was a righteous Advocate with their Father and would plead their Cause with his own Blood procure their pardon according to the Covenant of Grace so that they should be justified and live for ever there was no Reason in the World to return to Sinai and the Law again and forsake the best and happiest Kingdom that ever was a Kingdom of eternal Righteousness and Peace If they did Heaven might be astonished and Earth amazed at their Folly In this with that which follows the Apostle seems to sum up briefly in a few words all the former Arguments taken from the excellency of the Prophetical Office of the Covenant of the Priest-hood of Christ and he doth this in that manner that he clearly takes away all colour of excuse from such as should incline to Apostacy § 23. Therefore he further argues thus Ver. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven THE words are a Dehortation wherein we have 1. The Sin dehorted from 2. The Reason why we should take heed of it 1. The Sin is to refuse him that speaketh 2. The Reason is taken from the greater Punishment to be suffered if they do refuse 1. To refuse him that speaketh implyes 1. That Christ doth speak and God by him To speak is not only to reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the thing spoken but also to command Repentance and Faith in Christ with a Promise of Righteousness and eternal Life and a Commination of eternal Death unavoidable To refuse him that thus speaketh is either to reject this Doctrine and not receive it or if they have once received it to renounce it so that this Refusal includes both Unbelief and also Apostacy from the Christian Profession But they who had made Profession of this Doctrine must not refuse to continue in it nor renounce it to the dishonour and Contempt of God who out of greatest Mercy had tendred Salvation upon fairest terms 2. The Reason is taken from the hainousness of the Sin and the grievousness of the Punishment both which are set forth by a Comparison in Quantity And this Comparison presupposeth many things as 1. That God did speak in former times
and now again in these last dayes then by Moses and the Prophets now by Christ his Son 2. That when he gave the Law and made the former Covenant he spake on Earth upon Mount Sinai but when he spake by Christ he spake from Heaven for he came from Heaven returned to Heaven again and from Heaven sent down the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and by that Spirit in them revealed the Gospel 3. That some Sins are more hainous than others and the more hainous the Sin is the more heavy the Punishment will be 4. That to refuse God speaking on Earth was a grievous Sin and deserved a grievous Punishment and so to refuse him speaking from Heaven is a great Sin and renders the Refuser liable to fearful Punishment 5. That the latter is a more grievous Sin than the former and deservs a greater Punishment These things presupposed the Reason is clear and we must in any wise take heed of rejecting or renouncing the Gospel because if they who transgressed the Law given on Earth were severely punished then they if guilty of a far greater Sin as all such are who refuse the Gospel revealed from Heaven then they must suffer a far greater Penalty and no wayes could they escape it This differs something from the Argument used Chap. 2. 2 3 c. for that compares the Law delivered by Angels with the Gospel spoken and confirmed by Christ and the excellency of Christ above the Angels is the ground of his Argument But here God's speaking on Earth by Angels is compared with God's speaking from Heaven by Christ and here the Excellency of Heaven from whence the Gospel was revealed above the Earth where the Law was given is made the Foundation of the Reason And God by giving the Law on Earth and the Gospel from Heaven did intimate that there was some Excellency in the Gospel which was not in the Law in the new Covenant which was not in the old otherwise God could have revealed them both on Earth or both from Heaven Let us apply this unto our selvs and consider 1. Who speaks unto us 2. What he speaks 3. From whence he speaks 1. It 's not Man but God not Moses but Christ The Law indeed was by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ. The Majesty and Power of him who speaks is such as Angels are bound to attend and obey with all humble Submission and shall we Worms nay Dust and Ashes refuse to hear this glorious Lord 2. The Matter that he speaks and we hear is the best the most sweet the most comfortable and the most excellent never better things seen or heard or understood by the Heart of Man The Gospel is a Doctrine of profoundest Wisdom of greatest Love and Mercy and of highest Concernment and most conducing to our everlasting good And shall we reject it Shall we sin against so great a Majesty so great a Mercy Sins against the Mercies of God so freely tendred to us in Jesus Christ are the most hainous of all others Let us tremble to think of these Sins and those Punishments which they must suffer that are guilty of them 3. He speaks from Heaven for the Gospel is a Mystery hid from the beginning of the World and was brought unto us from the Bosom of the Father by his only begotten Son and by the Holy Ghost it 's the clearest manifestation of God's deepest Counsels concerring Man's eternal Estate and of his greatest Love to sinful Wretches the brightest Light that ever shined from Heaven yet we hear it and most men regard it not but reject it to their everlasting Woe § 24. The Apostle draws to a Conclusion and urgeth Perseverance by another Argument in the words following Ver. 26. Whose Voice then shook the Earth but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but Heaven also Ver. 27. And this Word Yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain GOD shook the Earth when he gave the Law and from this shaking the Authour takes occasion from the words of Haggai to prove the Immutability of the Gospel and the Administration of Christ's Kingdom In the Text the Proposition concerning this Immutability is 1. Cleared 2. Applyed in the two last Verses of the Chapter In the first he doth 1. Affirm the shaking of the Earth in giving of the Law 2. Alledgeth God's Promise of another shaking not only of Earth but Heaven 3. From that Promise he infers the Immutability of the Evangelical Administration The Propositions of the first part of the Text are two 1. That God then shook the Earth 2. That he that then shook the Earth promised to shake once more not only the Earth but Heaven also 1. God then shook the Earth The Adverb then points at the time of giving the Law on Mount Sinai for in the former Verse it 's said that he spake on Earth in the Hearing of all Israel That then he shook the Earth is the express words of the History Mount Sinai was all on a Sâ—â—ak and the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19. 18. With this agrees that of the Psalmist When thou O God wentest before thy People when thou didst march through the Wilderness The Earth shook the Heavens also dropped at the presence of God even Sinai it self was moved at the presence of God the God of Israel Psal. 68. 7 8. The principal things then signified by this shaking the Mount and the Earth were two 1. The Alteration of the former Administration of the Church and 2. The Constitution of that Order which continued untill the times of the Gospel For 1. Then God made a great Alteration in the Kingdom of Aegypt divided the Red Sea and shook the hearts of men in several Nations 2. He reduced the People of Israel into a Polity both Civil and Ecclesiastical made a Covenant with them gave them Laws Moral Ceremonial Judicial ordained a Priest-hood instituted a Form of Worship to continue till the coming of the Messias Thus then he shook the Earth 2. He promised once more to shake not only the Earth but Heaven Where the Subject is Shaking and presupposeth one Shaking past and informs us of another and the same far greater The former was only of the Earth the latter of Heaven too This Shaking is the thing promised the Promise was made first the Performance followeth several hundred years afterwards The Promise we find in Haggai the Prophet the words are these For thus saith the Lord of Hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land And I will shake all Nations and the Desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord Hag. 2. 6 7. Where we may observe 1. That the Occasion of these words was this the
God with a profane and wicked heart some serve him ignorantly or negligently without servency and due affection The Pharisee could give Alms Fast Pray pay Tythe of Mint Anniseed Cumin and neglect the weighty things of the Law as Justice Judgment Mercy they could and did draw near to God with their Lips and yet be far from God with their hearts they served God but according to the Traditions of men The Jews were zealous and devout in Ceremonials yet their hearts were polluted and their hands full of Blood Therefore we must know that no profane man or hypocrite or indisposed person can serve God acceptably To do this doth presuppose man in the state of Grace and an heart prepared and rightly disposed the person must first be accepted before the work can please God And as the Person so the Service must be rightly qualified and so it is when it proceeds from Faith in Christ is conformable to the Word of God and tends unto his Glory And if We and our Service be thus qualified though our infirmities be many yet so great is God's mercy that for Christ's sake he will accept both us and it we must not presume upon his mercy but yet we must rely upon him when we have a special care to shun that which offends him and do that which is just and holy and when we have done our best humbly in the Name of Christ pray for pardon of defects and acceptance of our sincere endeavours Yet we cannot serve God thus acceptably without reverence and godly feat Reverence in God's Service looks at his excellency and glorious Majesty and at our own unworthiness and the infinite distance between Him and Us and therefore we must adore God's excellent Majesty with deep humility abasing our selves very low being afraid and ashamed out of a sense of our own vileness to come near him except in his great mercy and free grace he vouchsafe access Signs of this reverence is cut kneeling bowing covering our faces prostration and such like gestures And if we were either apprehensive and sensible of our own vileness or God's excellency how could we possibly be so profane and unreverent in his Worship Godly fear may be the same with Reverence or distinct from it The word in the Greek signifies sometimes caution sometimes devotion sometimes fear and that in the Service of God which is a religious fear and care not to offend but to please him Both reverence and fear in this place may farther be a more then ordinary care and diligence in the Service of God that we may please him and be accepted of him For as the greatest honour with the greatest humility is due to God that Supreme Lord whose Majesty is infinite and eternal so the greatest caution must be used in his Worship for he will be sanctified in all them that draw near unto him 3. This is the manner how he will be served by all such as are admitted Subjects of this unmoveable and unchangeable Kingdom The reason is He is a consuming Fire These words are improper and metaphorical and a Metaphor is a contract Similitude which here we find In such Comparisons we may observe 1. The things compared as like and agreeing 2. The thing wherein they do agree The things here compared are God and Fire God is like to Fire The thing wherein they agree is this that they are consuming So that the meaning is That God is like unto Fire and he is like to it in this that as That so He hath a consuming force Many are the qualities and effects of Fire but this one is singled to represent the terrour of God For though that flery Law which God gave out of the midst of fire burning up to Heaven be removed yet in the Gospel of sweetest mercy and freest grace there are threatnings of unquenchable Fire and eternal Flames Therefore this expression signifies his punishing and vindictive Justice the Subjects whereof are profane impenitent and unbelieving persons who are disobedient to the Law of Grace and refuse the tender of saving mercy The effect of this Justice upon these Offenders are severe and everlasting punishments which cannot be expressed or conceived but are represented by the raging flames and â—â—erce burning of the most violent Fire which cannot be quenched And as the torment of violent hottest flames is the most grievous so these punishments are and if the Sufferers be immortal and immortally sensible the Torment will be not only grievous but perpetual The sum is that the punishment of delinquent and disloyal Subjects which the Judge shall execute and they suffer is extreme and everlasting The force of the Reason is great for as men tremble to think of everlasting tormenting and consuming Flames so let them have a special care to serve God unto the end in due manner This implies that there is a glorious Reward of eternal Light and delight to all such as shall like loyal Subjects continue constant unto the end in the profession of the Truth and the acceptable Service of this glorious and eternal Soveraign CHAP. XIII § 1. PRofession without Practise Faith without good works cannot attain the fruition of that eternal Life which Christ hath merited and God hath promised therefore the Apostle in this Chapter exhorts to Love good Works constancy in the Truth and other Duties He begins with Love Ver. 1. Let brotherly Love continue THe Analysis of this Chapter is easy for we have 1. The hortatory part thereof 2. The conclusion of the whole The Duties exhorted unto with several Motives are reduced to a kind of order by divers Expositors Yet as this is not exactly done so it 's needless to do it We may indeed enumerate the Duties and reduce them to their proper places and heads in the Body of Divine Wisdom and that is very easie to be done Yet the Wisdom of the Apostle was this that he doth not mention all Duties but such as were most requisite at that time to be performed by those persons and doth not strictly follow the method of the moral Law but takes liberty to place them in that order which he thought most convenient For he knew the performance of them to be the principal thing and it was sufficient for him to press them and then to know them The first Exhortation is to brotherly Love The Duty is 1. Brotherly love 2. Continuance in it Brotherly love is love of the Brethren For there are Brethren and these must be loved To love our Neighbour as our selves is the substance of the second Table of the moral Law And as there are several degrees of Neighbours so there is of Love Neighbours in full extent include Strangers Enemies and all such as are capable of our Love Of these some are more nearly linckt unto us as Brethren Yet these are either natural political or spiritual here spiritual Brethren are meant who have God to be their Father Jerusalem above to be their
Mother are born of the same incorruptible seed animated with the same Spirit of Christ and partakers of a divine Nature This spiritual consangunity is a principle of spiritual Love and this Divine Nature an object of a more ardent affection Though therefore we must love others truly and as our selves yet these if we be Christians we must love more then others And though we know no man's heart and reins yet such as appear and manifest themselves by their profession and practise to be Saints we must love as Brethren and though they be not such and we mistake yet our Love is acceptable to God This Love is not only a complacency in them and an esteem of their persons as having more of God in them then other men but we must effectually desire their good and happiness and when occasion serves really promote it It must be a real and a giving and a suffering love For as Christ laid down his Life for us so we must lay down our Lives for the Brethren And we must not love only in word and tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 16 18. By vertue of this Love there is in us a secret Sympathy which will manifest it self by rejoycing with them that rejoyce and mourning with them that mourn Yet this spiritual Love and divine Affection is found in few and it 's not so fervent and effectual in us as it should be Self-love and love of the World do much abate it And as the Brethren love the Brethren so the World hates them and counts them their greatest Enemies This is the love we must love them but this love must remain and continue in them This doth presuppose that they formerly had loved them and that was evident enough for they had ministred unto the Saints and did minister Chap. 6. 10. and became Companions of such as were teproached Chap. 10. 34. And their Duty was that as they had begun so they should go on and love to the End Life and Love must end together whilest we live we must love the Brethren And the words are not onely Paul's Exhortation but God's Command and the same universal and binds us as well as them § 2. The second Duty is Hospitality Ver. 2. Be not forgetful to entertain Strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares VVHere 1. The Duty is to entertain Strangers 2. The Motive is Because some have thereby been so happy as to entertain Angels unawares The Object of this Duty is Strangers the Duty it self is to entertain them the Cayeat is Not to forget so to do Strangers in this place may be either Christians or others both are an Object of Charity but especially the former We are Strangers when we are from home in another Place or Country where we have few Friends are not well known And being amongst Strangers where we have neither harbour nor other necessaries we must needs be in a miserable Condition and a proper Object of Hospitality Though this extends to others yet it 's principally understood of such as in these times were persecuted and scattered in strange Countries and being spoiled of their Goods were in great necessity not knowing sometimes where to have the next Lodging or Morsel of Bread These are principally meant and must be entertained To entertain them is freely to take them into our Houses and according to our ability supply their Wants for where should these receive Comfort or Relief but with Christian Brethren Some might pretend themselves to be such and that falsly and so abuse the Charity of well-meaning Christians yet there were several wayes whereby poor Christians and their sad Condition might be known And if they were once known we must not forget this Duty to forget is to neglect it not to forget is to perform it The Motive or Reason is this That by the performing of this Duty some have entertained Angels unawares The Persons who are here understood were Abraham and Lot both pious and righteous men of great Civility and Humanity and such as considered the Condition of Strangers as being Strangers themselves and dealt with them accordingly These received and entertained Angels who being sent by God did appear first to Abraham then to Lot Their business was to destroy Sodom Gomorrah and the Cities of the Plaines Yet in the Execution of this Judgment God remembred Abraham and Lot and according to his tender care of them gave these Angels a Charge and Instructions to preserve them They first came to Abraham in the appearance of men and of Strangers and as such he invites them and entertains them in the same manner they came to Sodom where they were invited and entertained under the same Notion yet they were truly and really Angels though conceived to be Men Therefore is it said they entertained them unawares that is though wittingly and willingly they received them as Men yet they knew them not at first to be Angels The force of this Reason to perswade Hospitality is 1. In respect of the Guests 2. Of the benefit they received by them 1. It was an Honour and a special Grace that the glorious blessed immortal Inhabitants of Heaven should enter their Houses and Tents accept of their Invitation and be so familiar with them 2. In respect of the benefit they received by them for first they came from Heaven to Abraham to let him know his Wife Sarah should bear him a Son and within a short time God would perform his Promise unto him This was a great Blessing much expected and desired of a long time and now determined assuredly to a certain Period within the present Year besides God acquainted him by these Angels with his Intention to destroy Sodom and yet upon his Intercession to save the Righteous in it and this Prayer may be conceived to be effectual for saving though not the City yet his Kinsman in it Lot also had the Honour and the Benefit too for by his blessed Guests he was saved not only from the cursed Sodomites but from the Flames that destroyed that City Yet it may be said What was this to these Hebrews or What is it to us It was a rare thing and not expected of these Saints and beloved Servants of God Yet it is much to us for by the receiving Strangers out of Faith in Christ and Love to God we may receive precious Saints and with them some blessed Angels which have a special Charge to keep and guard them in that condition and if a Cup of cold Water shall be rewarded how much more will so great a Work of Mercy be remembred Nay which is more by receiving them we receive Christ who will acknowledg this kindness as done to Him For in the day of final Judgment He will acknowledge before all Men all Angels and his heavenly Father that this Work of Mercy done to His was done to Him § 3. Yet there is another Work of Mercy which he exhorts them unto
to submit our selves The parties who must perform this Duty are Christian People as having Rules over them they are the Flock under their Shepheards Subjects under their Governours The parties to whom the Duty must be performed are such as have the Rule over them who before were called Guides which taught unto them the Word of God and here such as watch over their Souls All this implies that they are Superiors Governours Officers and to distinguish them from Civil Magistrates they are said to be trusted with men's Souls not their Bodies and Estates these are Officers in the Church whether extraordinary or ordinary of what order ranck or quality soever if instituted by Christ yet ordinary are here chiefly meant These are called Ministers of the Gospel Elders Pastors Teachers Their work chiefly is in Word Prayer administration of the Sacraments These most be fitly qualified for knowledg life utterance and approved by such as being sufficient to judg of them are appointed by the Church for that work They should be such as against whom no exception can justy be taken And this is said to be their Vocation upon which usually follows Ordination by Imposition of hands a certain form of words and prayer These are acts of the Church designing and engaging fit persons but their power is from Christ All this is to be understood of ordinary Pastors These are the persons to whom the Duty is to be performed The duty is Obedience and Subjection Obedience presupposeth Commands and subjection Power The Commands must be done the Power must be acknowledged The Power is spiritual and from God for they are made Overseers of the Church by the Holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. And it 's so great that Christ plainly affirms That whosoever heareth and receiveth them heareth and receiveth Christ and God who sent Christ and he that despiseth them despiseth Christ and God who sent him Matth. 10. 40. Luke 10. 16. And this is true not only of the Apostles but of their Successors Yet this presupposeth that they do all things in their place according to their Commission from Christ and in his Name exercising their Power according to his Command 2. The Reasons are taken 1. From their Work 2. From their Account 1. Their work is to watch over their Souls and here we must take notice 1. That the subject of their work are mens Souls and the Soul is the principal and more noble part of man and here it 's to be considered as immortal and capable of an eternal estate of felicity or misery And here they are considered as in great danger of eternal punishment and the work of the Minister must be to prevent it so far as he can This is done by watching which is a Metaphor taken from a Shepheard or a Scout or Sentinel And whatsoever the one should do for his Sheep and the other for his Country to save and preserve them this he must do for the Salvation of mens Soul For mens Souls are as Sheep without a Shepheard wandring in the wayes of Sin in danger of Satan Hell and Death dâ—stâ—â—ute of all necessary saving Blessings and all power either to direct or protect themselves And this Watching includes many works as instruction of the Ignorant reproof of the Guilty threatening the Stubborn strengthening the Weak comforting the Sorrowful directing all giving good example to all encouraging all praying for all To Watch is to do the whole work of the Ministry for Doctrine and Worship in the right dispensation of the Word and Sacraments Some understand by these Guides and Rulers all other Officers and Governours of the Church for Discipline but these may be other besides Ministers which are here principally intended Seeing these watch and that over their Souls and for their eternal Salvation to prevent their damnation they should be considered as most necessary of all other men and should be esteemed highly in love for their works sake People do little consider how great a blessing from God and happiness to Man good and faithful Ministers are but if they once find the power of their Doctrine and the comfort of the Spirit they prize them as Messengers and Angels sent from Heaven out of great mercy for their eternal good Yet the best are most hated of the Devil despised by Men reviled persecuted and sometimes martyred Yet we must not think this any strange thing seeing they called Christ Beelzebub and counted the Apostles the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things But the insufficiency and infidelity of vicious lazy ambitious covetous Wretches though it may give some occasion of contempt cannot excuse the wickedness of the World in this particular 2. As Watching over mens Souls is the first reason so the second is taken from their Account which may be good or bad in respect of the Ministers or the People committed to their Charge where it 's to be observed that it may be good in respect of the Minister who hath been faithful and yet bad in respect of the People who have been disobedient Yet here the account is chiefly considered with reference to the People And it is two-fold 1. Good and made with joy which is profitable 2. Bad and made with grief which is unprofitable to the People This implies that Ministers as they receive power from Christ so they receive Mandates with Instructions and are deeply charged and wo unto Paul if he preach not the Gospel For such will be guilty not only of their own sins but of the Blood and Damnation of the Peoples Souls this is an heavy Charge This implies they are Stewards and the Flock is not their own but Christ's who trusted them in their hands and will call them to account and as they prove faithful or unfaithful so he will deal with them and punish or reward them more then other men and surely if we did remember this Account or loved Christ we would feed his Flock which cost him so dear even his own Life and Blood And the People should consider the expence of Christ's Blood the charge the study the pains the prayers of their faithful Ministers and this consideration should work much upon them and perswade them to obedience and submission because the performance of the Duty will end in the Ministers joy and their profit For as it is a great grief to their Guides to see the People impenitent and all their labour lost in respect of them so it is a matter of great joy to see them converted and brought into an estate of Salvation so that they can say These Souls I have gained and saved from Hell and can present them blameless as washed in the Blood of Christ before the Judgment-seat of God And as it is a joy to their Pastors so it is a profit and great advantage unto them for their joy shall end in the Peoples Salvation who will bless the Day that ever they hearkened to them and in receiving them received
upon this mercy and power as having raised and advanced Christ first that by him thus raised and exalted he may first sanctify us fully and then give us everlasting Glory Therefore the Apostle saith That God out of his great mercy and love had quickned the believing Ephesians being formerly dead in Sins Trespasses together with Christ and raised them up together and set them in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 4 5 6. Where we may observe 1. That he quickened Christ being dead raised him up and set him in heavenly places 2. That he quickened them being dead in Sins and Trespasses raised them up and set them in heavenly places together with Christ and by Christ. 3. That both these were done by the same mercy and power first exercised upon Christ and then upon them After the Adoration and Compellation follows the Petition wherein the principal thing desired is Sanctification and the power of Regeneration continued in them that so they might perform a constant and universal Obedienceâ— which was a means to attain the possession of eternal Glory Where we must observe 1. That the Apostle having requested their prayers formerly doth in these words being not requested but of his own accord pray for them 2. That having exhorted them to the performance of several Duties and the exercise of several Virtues knowing that without the sanctifying Grace of God they could not perform these Duties constantly to the end in these words he prayes for the continuance of God's sanctifying power to enable them to do that which they without it cannot do 3. That seeing the Duties exhorted unto were but few and there were many more he desires God to perfect them not only in these but in every good Work that so they might perform an universal Obedience These things first observed in the words we must consider 1. Their Duty which is to be perfect in every good Work to do God's Will and that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. 2. God's Power whereby they are enabled to do their Duty and the same sought for by prayer 1. The Duty 1. Hath for the Rule the Will of God 2. This Will is observed when we do every good Work 3. Every good work thus done according to the Will of God is well-pleasing unto God 1. By the Will of God is meant his legislative and commanding Will whereby he signifies unto man what is just and good and binds him to observe these his Laws 2. The Will of God being our binding Rule our Duty is to observe it and we observe it when we do every good Work The works of man are the actions and operations of Man as a rational Creature and subject to the Laws and Will of God These works may be good or bad and then they are good when they are conformable to the Will and Law of God and this goodness presupposeth knowledg of this Will and the right disposition and qualification of the heart For if the heart be not good the work which is qualified by the heart cannot be good But it 's not sufficient to do some but every good work For the Laws of God command all good works and require that every work of man be good This is universal Obedience for the Law binds in all things and at all times so that it gives no liberty to do evil or transgress at any time 3. Every good work as good is well pleasing to God through Jesus Christ because it 's agreeable to his Will for to please God so as to be accepted of God is a Consequent of the goodness of the work as it is the end whereat man must aim Yet it cannot please God but by Faith in Jesus Christ For without Faith it 's impossible to please God Though these word Jesus Christ may be referred also to the Prayer wherein they desire sanctifying power through him and for his sake 2. The sanctifying power desired of God is expressed in two words 1. Perfecting 2. Working 1. The work of God must perfect us before we can do any good the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint signifies to uphold stablish direct compose and make up a thing so as to set it in order and finish it that it may be fit for the end it was made Thus to compose and make up a man in this place is to sanctify him and give him a power to do every good work and this is a work of the regenerating Spirit of God abiding in us and renewing us more and more In this respect we are said to be God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Eph. 2. 10. Yet this is not here meant of the first Regeneration but of the continuance and increase of this sanctifying Grace to strengthen us more and more As preservation and providence is to Creation so this work of perfecting is to the first Regeneration and as we are at first created unto good Works so we are perfected in Christ. Another thing desired of God is working in us that which is well pleasing unto him this signifies that God doth not only give us Power but continually co-operate and work in us and with us without whose co-operation we can do nothing that will please him For it is he that works in us both the Will and the Deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. This prayer in effect is the same with that we read was made for the Colossians For the Apostle and Timothy did not cease to pray for them and desire that he might be filled with the knowledg of God's Will in all spiritual Wisdom and Understanding That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fritful in every good Work increasing in the knowledg of God Col. 1. 9 10. Where we have 1. The Will of God as here which is the rule of our Obedience 2. Being fruitful in every good Work which is the same with doing every good Work which is the observation of God's Will 3. They must walk worthy to all pleasing so here they must do that which is well pleasing in his sight not in the sight of Man And as here when we do every good work we please him so there we please him by being fruitful in every good work 4. As here they could not please God except God perfect them and work in them so there neither could the Colossians please God without spiritual Knowledg Wisdom and Understanding of God's Will for Knowledg spiritual Wisdom and Understanding are the same as appears Prov. 2. 6. Where we find the words of the Septuagâ—nt taken up by the Apostle 5. As there this Grace of wisdom and fulness of it was sught by prayer so this continuance of God's sanctifying Grace is prayed for here This prayer informs us 1. That in doing all our good works we depend upon God both for the power given at the first and continued unto us and also for the working
and Timothy together and enjoy their blessed Society 1. Timothy was set at Libetry Who this Timothy was both by Birth Education Office and Employment we we may easily understand from the Acts of the Apostles Paul's Epistles and especially from two written and directed to him in particular He was a Jew by his Mother a Christian by Paul's Conversion of him a Minister of the Gospel an Evangelist and an Assistant unto Paul in the Work of the Ministry and though he was but young yet he was eminent and famous in the Churches planted by Paul a Person of Integrity and Fidelity This Timothy was set at Liberty which implies that he was bound imprisoned or some wayes restrained of his Liberty but where and how is not expressed in Scripture Yet now he was set at Liberty God had delivered him out of the hands of his Enemies and they must know it as a matter of Joy and Comfort It was a sad thing that such a Man as Timothy so faithful so serviceable to Paul and the Church of God should be restrained and he knew that to hear and have certain Intelligence and from him that he was released must needs comfort and rejoice their hearts So also we when we hear of the Liberty and Peace of the Church and especially of pious and eminent Ministers should be glad and should render Thanks unto our God for so great a Mercy 2. Yet there was a further degree of Comfort for he gives them hope that as Timothy was ser at Liberty so he would come unto them shortly and would see them and give them a Visit in his own Person And not only Timothy but he himself would come with him and see them together with him that they might mutually comfort and rejoice one another and this Meeting and Society would be sweer To hear of their Liberty was good News but to be certified of their speedy coming together to see them was better God's Servants cannot alwayes converse together on Earth that Happiness is reserved for Heaven yet their hearts do rise and much rejoyce when they can see and enjoy one anther though but for a time § 21. The fifth part of the Close of this Letter is spent in Salutations Ver. 24. Salute all them that have the Rule even you and all the Saints They of Italy salute you THE Saulutations are 1. Of Paul 2. Of them of Italy For Paul and they of Italy were the Persons saluting and their Guides and the rest of the Saints were the Persons saluted True and hearty Salutations are an Expression of our Love and good Affection towards the Persons saluted and they are either of Persons present or absent When we salute Persons present we express our Affection by words of Peace Health Happiness and by Embracements or Kisses or both according to the Custom of the Time and Places But when Friends are absent we signify our good desires by Writing or words of Messengers and so embrace one another at a Distance There are some who are not capable of Salutation to whom we must not say God speed 2 Joh. 10. Some are capable but not of a Christian Salutation because not capable of spiritual Grace and Peace in Christ Yet these Salutations are Christian 1. From Paul a Christian to the Hebrews Christians 2. From the Saints and Christians of Italy to the Saints and believing Hebrews Paul is the first in sending Salutations the Persons by him saluted are 1. Their Guides or Ministers put in the first place because of their Office and Eminency 2. The People which by Profession of Faith in Christ their Baptism and Society with the Church were Saints The Persons saluting in the second place and that by Paul were they of Italy that is their Brethren Saints and Believers in Italy and of the Church of Churches in Italy the Persons saluted are the same saluted before To salute anciently amongst the Jews and Israelites was to wish Peace under the Gospel Grace and Peace The Syriack turns these words Desire ye the Peace of your Guides c. but he is singular These Salutations though good in themselvs are much abused and made words of Course and Custom or turned into Complements devoid of reall and hearty Love § 22. The last part of the Conclusion is a Benediction in these few words Ver. 25. Grace be with you all Amen THis is so a Salutation as that it is a Benediction pronounced with Apostolical Power and was effectual upon all such as are capable This is a Benediction proper to Paul and usually if not alwayes written with his own hand which then was well known in many Churches though the Epistle it self might be written by some other whom he used for his Scribe It is so proper unto him that we find it used by none other of the Apostles neither James nor John nor Peter nor Jude Only John doth conclude and shut up the Revelation with it but that was not written with Paul's own hand And by this in those times this Epistle might certainly be known to be his We use to salute one another at our first Meeting and also at our Parting which latter is called a Valediction So Paul in all his Epistles excepting this begins with Grace and Peace and that 's his Salutation and he ends this as all the rest with Grace and this is his Valediction and Benediction This Benediction we find sometimes briefer sometimes larger and the largest of all closeth up the second Epistle to the Corinthians and we must know that the briefest contains all the matter of the largest though not expresly The usual Blessing both of old and of latter times is The Lord be with you For if the Lord be not against us but for us and with us we must needs be so far happy yet the Lord may be with us and in Mercy many wayes but to be with us in the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the highest and happiest degree of God's presence tending to our eternal Bliss Therefore the Apostle's Blessing is The Lord be with you all greater Blessing than this there cannot be By Lord is meant Jesus Christ our God-Redeemer whom the Father out of greatest Love sent to save us in whom and by whom we receive all spiritual Blessings which are signified by Grace which presupposeth here the Love of the Father the Redemption by Christ and the Communion of the Spirit the Effects of all which in us is Remission Reconciliation Adoption Sanctification heavenly Joy and Comfort For this Grace is sufficient to make us in time though by degrees fully and for ever happy And by Grace here is meant the continuance encrease and perfection of Grace This Grace he desired prayed for and pronounced upon them all as Believers for none but such are capable of it Amen is added to Petitions Doxologies Confessions and Benedictions as here it is to confirm his Benediction and to seal it up unto them The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed for ever FINIS * Though the principal subject be the prophetical and sacerdotal office yet there is mention made several times of his Regal excellency b I take prophecy in a large sense * 1 Pet. 4. 22. * Beza upon the place Ver. 6 7 8 9 c. Ver. â— * He signifies 1. That the Hebrews had no reason to be offended with the death and humiliatiof Christ. 2. That this humiliation was no hinderance of but a means unto his exaltation and it was so ordered by the wisdom of God for the unspeakable benefit of man who â—ould â—ot he saved but by this being lower then the Angels * There is no need to distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between videre â—â—d cernere †It may be a word which suited with the metaphor of a Cup wherein is contained some bitter poâ—ion which torments him who tasts of it Therefore Christ compares his sufferings to such a Cup ' when he saith Let this Cup passe from me Ver. 13. Ver. 14. * Therefore the Sacraments in publick Assemblies were called Exhortations * Many think that Priesthood is of Institution * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * The Aethiopick and Arabick have not the word Imposed Some Copies read not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voluntas est ambulatoria * For we find the word Megillah taken for a Roll. Ezra 6. 2. Ezek. 2. 9 3 1 2 3. †The Psalmist seems chiefly to intend the Books of Moses which were written before his time * Yet in this the Apostle may allude to the purifications under the Law By Ceremonial understand Typical * 1 Cor. 15. 18. * Conscience may be taken for the Heart and the intention of the Heart
Method of the Apostle is this 1. He compares the Law and the Gospel 2. By this Comparison manifests the excellency of the Gospel above the Law 3. From this manifested he inferrs the Duty They must not reject the Gospel and fall away 4. He urgeth the Performance of the Duty from the severe and terrible Punishment which must be suffered by such as perform it not So that from the 18th Verse to the 25th we have the Doctrine and in the 25th the Use. This Argument hath great Affinity with that we find used Chap. 2. 2 3. § 19. This being the Coherence whereby the Scope of the Apostle may be understood Let us consider the words themselvs wherein we may observe the Doctrine concerning 1. The Law 2. The Gospel 3. Their passing from the one to the other 4. The Use to be made of it In the first we have 1. The Manner of Promulgation 2. The fear it caused in Israel and Moses 3. Their freedom from it According to these three things we have three Propositions 1. The Promulgation of the Law was terrible 2. Being terrible it caused both Israel and Moses to fear exceedingly 3. These Hebrews were freed from this Law 1. For to understand the manner of Promulgation we must know the place and that in general was a Mountain in particular Sinai a Mountain in Arabia the Desert This Mountain is said to be palpabilis tactilis touchable or which may be touched that is it was visible and sensible a Mountain bodily accessible though not at that time and on Earth This is added to put a difference between this Hill and the spiritual Zion which is sometimes called Heaven from whence the Gospel was revealed therefore when Christ revealed the Gospel it 's said he spake from Heaven whereas when God gave the Law on the Mountain he is said to speak on Earth Ver. 25. This place was not terrible in it self but at this time because of the Fire wherewith it burned at that time For some Mountains where there are Vulcans as upon Vesuvius Aetna Hecla the Pike of Tenariff and many in America and other places of the Earth to burn with Fire is usual But this Burning was extraordinary at this time for the Mountain then did burn with fire Deut. 5. 23. yea it did burn with fire up to the midst of Heaven Deut. 4. 11. as though Heaven and Earth had been on a flame And this was some resemblance of that dreadful Fire which shall consume the combustible World at the latter day The flaming Fire gave Light but there was Blackness and Darkness which might be caused by thick Clouds and Smoak which covered the Mountain for â—as before it burnt with Fire unto the midst of Heaven with Darkness Clouds and thick Darkness Deut. 4. 11. For Mount Sinai was altogether on a Smoak because the Lord descended upon it in Fire and the smoak thereof ascended as the Smoak of a Furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19. 18. There were also Thundrings and Lightnings and the Noise of the Trumpet and the Mountain smoaking Chap. 20. 18. This was a Type of that utter Darkness of Hell Besides there were Tempests and terrible Storms a Sign of God's fearful Indignation which shall fall upon the Wicked The Sound of the Trumpet and the Voice of words did encrease the terrour for the Voice of the Trumpet was exceeding loud Exod. 19. 16. And all the People saw the Thundrings and the Lightnings and the Sound of the Trumpet Chap. 20. 18. This Trumpet did summon the People to appear before the Lord and did prepare them for to receive the Law and to hear their doom if they should transgress it As this was a Legislative so there shall be a Judicial Trumpet to convent the whole World to appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ An Arch-Angel shall sound the Trumpet and the Noise shall be loud and miraculous When the People were prepared on the third day the Trumpet sounded and then followed the Voice of words for God condescending to the Capacity of Man gave the Law out of the midst of the Fire and spake in an audible Voice in the Language of that People that they might understand it As the Sound of the Trumpet so the Voice of God was loud majestick terrible like Thunder so that the Words or Commands of the Law were dreadful not only in respect of the Sound but the Matter This dread and terrour did appear in two things 1. In this that they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more for they said to Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we dy Exod. 20. 19. And again they said Now therefore why should we dy for this great Fire will consume us If we hear the Voice of the Lord our God any more we shall dy Deut. 5. 25. Let me not hear again the Voice of the Lord my God neither let me see this great Fire any more that I dy not Chap. 18. 16. 2. They could not endure it and this is evident from their fear of Death And if Israel could not endure this Voice of the Law-giver and the sight of the Lord how will Wicked men endure to see Christ come from Heaven in flaming Fire and to hear his Sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels the most dreadful words that ever God spake or Man did hear or shall hear The terrour was yet greater for there was a Line drawn and a Range sixed to keep both Man and Beast at a Distance from the Mount and Moses was commanded to set these bounds before-hand to the People and if either Man or Beast came within the Range they were stricken dead instantly by Lightning or Thunderbolts The Reasons why this Law was given in this manner are many as 1. To signify the Majesty of the Supream Lawgiver and that they inight know that the Laws given were not the Laws of men but of the great Lord of Heaven and Earth And the more clearly he did manifest himself the greater Authority the Law must needs have 2. Great and weighty things are done with greatest solemnity and the more the solemnity is the greater Impression is made upon mens hearts 3. Seeing the very Promulgation and giving of the Law was so dreadful how dreadful must the Transgression be this was a mighty Motive to incline them to Obedience Therefore Moses said that God was come to prove them and that his fear might be before their faces that they sin not Exod 20. 20. 4. This did let them know that little Comfort was to be expected from that Law which did so strictly command and ministred no Power to obey had no Promise of Pardon therefore they should more earnestly desire and look for that great Prophet by whom God would speak unto them more comfortably and by whom they might have free access and
boldness to come before the Throne of Grace made accessible by his Blood This was a Law or Covenant rather of Justice than of Mercy of Fear than of Hope of Servitude and Bondage rather than of Liberty It was made to discover Sin to make it exceeding sinful to be a School-master to Christ. 2. This was the terrible manner of Promulgation the Effect whereof was fear and terror and the same very great and exceeding and that 1. In the People as we heard before who could not endure either the Voice or the strict Commands and Comminations They endured it a little but could endure no longer for fear of present death 2. And that which was more in Moses for so terrible was the sight that Moses feared did quake did fear and quake exceedingly and he said so and expressed his great fear And how terrible must that sight be which did strike such a terrour into a man so holy of such a constant Spirit so familiarly acquainted with God and who alone at that time should comfort and encourage the People That Moses said thus we do not read yet that which is affirmed by a man inspired as inspired must needs be true 3. They were not come to this Mount to receive so terrible a Law but they were freed from all these Terrours and from the Curses threatned and had received the Spirit of Adoption and therefore there was no reason why they should fall off to Judaism and return to that dreadful Mount and consuming Fire any more § 20. Thus far of the terrour of the Law the condition of such as were under it and the freedom of these Hebrews from it Now follows the condition of them as freed from the Law and living under the Gospel Before their Conversion they were in Minority Servitude and continual Fear but since they are in a more happy condition as being translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son wherein they enjoyed incomparable Priviledges spiritual Liberty and many sweet Comforts To understand all this the Apostle saith Ver. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Zion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and an innumerable Company of Angels IN these words and those which follow unto the five and twentieth Verse we may observe 1. A Description of a spiritual and eternal Kingdom 2. The Enjoyment of or rather the Admission into the same In the Description some observe 1. The Place 2. The Persons of this Kingdom The Place is Zion the City of the Living God the new Jerusalem The Persons are Subjects Soveraign The Subjects are Angels Men. Living Departed The Soveraign is God the King and Judg. Christ the Priest and Mediator There was a certain Place and certain Persons and they were come unto this Place these Persons Here we have a Zion a City a Jerusalem this Zion is a Mount this City is the City of the living God this Jerusalem is the heavenly Jerusalem Zion the Mount the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem here are the same and they may signify the Place or the Persons or the Association of Persons in such a Place and they may signify grammatically and properly or Rhetorically and Tropically Grammatically Zion opposed to Sinai is a Mount in Jerusalem where was first a Fort of the Jebusites then the Royal Palace of King David who adorned it with other Buildings and thence it was called The City of David On the North of this Mount some say the Temple was built and because that was the Palace and Throne of God therefore according to some Writers it was styled The City of the great King and because God did choose that place for his special presence it had the Name of The City of the Living God Shindler observs that the whole City was called Jerusalem in the Dual Number because it had two parts the one was the City of David on Mount Zion the other the City of Vision on Moriah which afterwards was inclosed But not to stand upon these things Zion and Jerusalem are taken for one City which God in former times did honour above all Cities in the World Therefore sung the Psalmist Why leap ye ye high Hills This is the Hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever Psal. 68. 16. For by God's special Residence in this place it was advanced above all other Cities of the Earth though never so magnificent But this was her greatest Glory That Christ the Son of God was presented there preached there and there did glorious Works there the Holy Ghost came down from Heaven upon the Apostles there the Gospel began first to be preached and thence it came out into all the World According to the Prophecy of old it came to pass for so the Evangelical Prophet wrote And in the last dayes it shall come to pass that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And a little after for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa. 2. 2 3. Where by Law and the Word of God understand the Doctrine of the Gospel This is the Grammatical sense Rhetorically Zion and the City of Jerusalem often signify the Church Militant and Triumphant by reason of God's spiritual and supernatural presence and habitation in the same If we consider this Church locally the place of our Pilgrimage is the Earth the place of our Rest and perpetual Abode is Heaven from whence we receive our spiritual Being where we must converse and whither we tend in these respects Heaven may be said to be the place whither upon our first Conversion we come The Persons which make up this Body and the spiritual Inhabitants are more intended by this Zion and this City yet they cannot make up this Politick Body Society and Common-weal but as associated under their Soveraign God-Redeemer And to distinguish this Zion and City of Jerusalem from that which was on Earth situate and lying in the Land of Canaan in the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin this is said to be The heavenly Jerusalem which is above and the Mother of us all which one day shall come down from Heaven as a Bride prepared for her Husband and God who dwells in her by Grace shall then dwell in her by Glory and bless her fully and for ever To come to this City and Kingdom is to be admitted and incorporated into the same upon our sincere Faith in Christ. In this City we find many Persons amongst whom the most eminent are the Angels those holy immortal and blessed Spirits of Heaven who ever see the face of God and environ his glorious Throne These are not few but many for they are an innumerable Company or Multitude for the Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands or many thousands of Angels Psal. 68. 17. The number of the Angels