let him seriously endeavour to be holy that is to sequester and seperate himselfe from the profane multitude of the world not onely in profession but in life and manners For he to whom this holines is wanting doth in vaine poor wretch flatter himselfe with the hope of happinesse 15. Looking ailigently Another part of our dutie is here declared Namely that wee should not onely have a diligent care of our owne lives but we should also be as it were visitors and overseers one of another that carrying a mutuall and common care for our common salvation we might so much the more easily and certainly attain it Left any man fall of the grace of God This is the thing against which we must provide and looke diligently that it happen not amongst us By this grace is understood the grace of the Gospel which is conveyed unto men by Christ then which no greater grace could possibly be done to mortall men That man is said to faile who either stands still under this grace or drawes backe from it as we saw before chap. 4.1 Such are all they who forsake the most sacred Religion of Christ and will follow his Standerd no longer Lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you The Authour here alludes to the words of Moses Deut. 29.18 Wherein he likewise speaketh of Apostats By root of bitternesse which is an Hebraisme for a bitter root he understands Apostats who are called bitter because both they themselves are bitter and unsavoury to God and to the godly and also because they bring forth fruit like themselves that is very bitter and sowre This root springeth up or groweth when a man dares utter unto others that Apostacie which he had before but conceived in his mind and onely cherished in his owne bosome or when it so increaseth and gathereth strength in one person that at last it spreads the infection of it upon others For the manner of it is for the most part to grow up and get strength by degrees as faith doth which is contrary to it for that which at the first is but small and weake doth afterward increase and strengthen And Apostacy doth breed trouble when it opposeth the growth of faith and a good life in others as plants and trees set too neere hinder one anothers growth or as weeds hinder the growth of corne Although the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to trouble and hinder a mans rest which Apostats also commit for they trouble the quiet and peace of the Church And thereby many be defiled Pollution or defiling in this place seems to be put for infection for many times by defiling a thing is infected So a garment defiled by the flesh is said to be infected or spotted Jude 23. by a Metaphor taken from the body and a garment thereby infected with the plague And hither wee may referre that which is said of the tongue that it defiles the whole body Jam. 3.6 where defiling seemes to be put for infecting for in this sense the Metaphor is the more elegant whereupon it is said a little after at the 8. verse that the tongue is full of deadly poison The same therefore might bee intended in this place if wee respect the sense of it For things properly are not defiled by rootes but infected for plants sometime doe infect plants by their mutuall contagion or touch of one another yea by their very shadow which they cast upon other plants But it may be the Authour receding from the Metaphor of roots doth relate unto the persons of whom he spake who by another Metaphor are said to be defiled as often as they are infected with errour or sinne 16. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau It is doubtfull whether both these the fornicator and profane person be to be referred to Esau Of Esaus fornication wee read nothing in the holy Scriptures unlesse wee referre hither his mariage with the women of Canaan against the manner and custome of those holy men who would not mingle their sons seasoned with the true worship of God with their daughters who were destitute of the knowledge of God Therefore they might account such mariage uncleane and incestuous And certainely we see God was provoked in this case and thereby induced to bring the flood upon the whole world Gen. 6.2 c. Besides we read in particular of the wives of Esau that they offended the minde of Isaac and Rebecca in so much that Rebecca said to Isaac I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. i. The wives of Esau if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these which are of the daughters of the land what good shall my life doe me Gen. 27.46 And Isaac calling Jacob to him charged him saying Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan Arise goe to Padan aram to the house of Bethuel thy mothers father and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mothers brother Gen. 28.1.2 See also in the same Chap. ver 6 7.8 For although Esaus wives might bee unpleasing and distastefull to Isaac and Rebecca by reason of their rudenesse insolencies and other vices yet it is more likely it was because they sprang from wicked parents and came from a prophane stocke wholly allien from the Religion and worship of the true God and were superstitiously addicted to religions false and impious It appears also indeed that the family of Bethuel and Laban himselfe whose daughters Jacob afterward married was with all his houshold given to Idolatry and the worship of false gods and was so bred from his very ancestors as appears Gen. 31.19,30,32 and Joshua 24.2 yet it sufficiently appears also that in that family the knowledge and worship of the true God also was not wholly extinct as in the time of Ahab it was not wholly extinct in the Kingdome of Israel see Gen. 24.50,51 and Gen. 29.32,33 and Gen. 30.6,27 and Gen. 31.16,24,49,50 But the Canaanites where wholly ignorant and void of the true God And what difference there is between those who wholly renouncing the worship of the true God serve only false gods and idols and those who joyne the worship of the true God with idolatry and the worship of false gods doth easily appeare from 2 King 17.24 and so on to the end Wherefore although Labans daughters were not free from the worship of false gods as appears from the passage formerly cited Gen. 31.19,32 and Gen. 35.2 yet seeing they were also seasoned with the knowledge of the true God they were therefore the lesse prophane and came from a stocke the lesse wicked and seeing there could bee found no women better who were addicted only to the true Religion it was therefore most fit as the case stood that the sons of holy men should take their wives from these and wave the women of Canaan who were wholly prophane and wicked The
doctrines of it 14. But strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect of full age Having said that strong meat must not be given to babes now on the contrary he shewes to whom it must be given namely to them that are adulted or perfect in age For the perfect or adulted who are of age are here opposed to infants and babes and so they are opposed 1. Cor. 14.20 and Ephes 4.13.14 Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised Those is not any note of distinction to difference some perfect or adulted persons from others but a note of explication to shew the cause of his assertion For the Author shews the cause or reason why onely strong meat is to be given to the perfect or them of full age and to them only The reason is because they only have their sensories or organs of their sences exercised as their eyes tongue and palate whereby they can easily discerne and judge of strong meat which is good and wholsome for them and contrarily which is evil and hurtfull These sensories of their eyes tongue and palate they have exercised through practise and custome in seeing touching and tasting of meates To discerne both good and evil These words are not to be taken in a Morall sense but a Physicall He that is of perfect or full age and hath been accustome to make severall trials of severall meats can easily finde by experience what meats doe agree with his stomack and what not for they that are agreeing and nourishing to him they are good and wholsome for him they which doe not are evil and hurtfull Which difference of meats being first tryed inwardly in his stomack hee will afterward easily discerne by his outward sences and particularly by his eye which upon sight of any meats will easily judge of them before hee taste them To these perfect or full aged persons they are resembled who have their mindes exercised and trained with frequent and daily meditations of things divine who have tasted divers doctrines as it were severall meats and have digested the knowledge of many divine mysteries who have gotten a custome or habite of minde whereby they can easily discerne and judge what doctrine is true and what false which is consequent to Christian religion and which is repugnant This discretion they onely have attained who can comprehend in their minde as it were a body of Christian religion and stick not onely in the first principles of it The Contents of this fifth Chapter are 1. Every high Priest is ordained for men v. 1. Reason 1. Because hee is a Mediatour for men to God in things pertaining to God eod 2 Because he must offer gifs and sacrifices for the sins of men eod 2. Every high Priest must have compassion on mens ignorances and infirmities v. 2. Reason 1. Because he himselfe is subject to ignorances and infirmities eod 2. Because he must offer for his owne ignorances and infirmities as well as for the peoples v. 3. 3. No high Priest must take the high-Priesthood to himselfe v. 4 Reason 1. Because he must be called of God as was Aaron eod 4. Christ is truely a high Priest v. 5. Reason 1. Because he tooke not this Priest-hood to himselfe but was called of God to be a perpetuall high Priest after the terme of Melchisedec ver eod and 6. 2. Because Christ offered for his owne infirmities in sufferings v. 7. 3. Because being saved from death he becomes the Author of eternall salvation to all that obey him 5. The Mysteries concerning Christs high Priest-hood were hard to be uttered to the Hebrewes v. 11. Reason 1. Because they were dull of hearing eod 2. Because though long taught they had not yet learned the principles of Christianity 3. Because the Mysteries of Christs Priest-hood was too strong meat for their unexercised mindes CHAPTER VI. 1. THerefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ There is a double sence of these words found among Interpreters and thereupon a double way of their coherence with the former Chapter For it is plaine that the words are inferd from thence as the particle therefore shewes Both sences of the words seeme to require that they be taken in a Rhetoricall communication but in a contrary manner For either the Authour speakes personally here of himselfe and saith that himselfe in this place will leave the principles of the Doctrine of Christ and proceed to explicate more sublime Mysteries comprehended therein or else hee admonisheth them to whom hee writes that they leaving those Principles would proceed to a fuller knowledge in Christianitie We rather approve of the former sence as followed by many learned men yet because the latter is not to be despised therefore we shall explicate them both If therefore we receive the first sence the Author seemes to say Therefore I will leave to speake further of the principles of Christianity and draw toward the perfection of it and propose deeper mysteries in it for I will not lay againe the foundation of Repentance to be practised and of Faith to relye on God neither will I deliver the doctrine of Baptismes of Imposition of hands of the Resurrection of the dead and of eternall life Upon which verities as upon principles and foundations the doctrines of Repentance and faith in God is raised and built up These principles I will not handle againe for it is enough that they have beene propounded once although I refuse not to handle them againe if God permit Which I therefore speake because it is impossible for those who were once enlightned c. to renew them againe unto repentance If we follow this sence all points will agree well enough yet in the coherence onely there will seeme some difficulty For some man may object Seeing the Author said in the former chapter that those Hebrewes had need to be taught againe the very principles of Religion to be nourished with milke and not with meate How can he from this inferre that therefore he will leave the principles and the milke to propose strong meate and deeper mysteries seeing rather he should inferre the quite contrary This difficulty may easily be salved if we say that the coherence of these words must be referred to the eleventh verse of the former chapter where the Author said He had many things to say and hard to be uttered of Christ his high Priesthood That in reference to these words he might inferre Therefore leaving the principles let us go on to perfection So that all the intermediate verses betweene the eleventh of the former chapter and the beginning of this which were added occasionally to excite the Hebrewes to a diligent attention must be read as it were in a parenthesis If then we follow this sence we must say that the Author in the first part of this chapter doth affirme that he will proceed in explicating the mysteries of Christs Priesthood notwithstanding the Hebrewes by reason of their slownesse and
they are said to be exercised by chastisement who either simply have beene agitated and afflicted with corrections yet so as tacitly it must be supposed that the persons thus exercised did profit in the course of vertue and piety as much as need required or who by their chastisements unlearned to do evill and whose minde by that meanes was framed to every good habit of well-doing so that withall is also signified the effect of that chastisement together with the persons profited by it 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang downe After the Author had shewed the great profit which wee receive by the chastisements of God he from thence inferres an exhortation that therefore we should not let fall our spirits but rather raise them up and with all alacrity proceed in the worke and course of Christian piety Hee tearmes their hands hanging downe because they had beene remisse in the works of Christian duties being tired as it were with diverse afflictions He would therefore have them not yeild to afflictions but raise up their courage and stoutly go on in their works began of Christian piety considering they saw that their afflictions proceeded from Gods love for their great benefit and profit And the feeble knees He draws a comparison from a man wearied with running or labouring when the strength of the sinewes is so loosened that the hands hang and the knees totter and all the members seeme as it were out of joynt The strength of these parts both of hands and knees they must resume and proceed afresh in the course of Christianity till they have finished the race of it 13. And make streight paths for your feet By paths he understands our accustomed actions which are frequently used of us as paths use to be And our paths are then streight when they answer the rule of Christian precepts and are agreeable unto it The Author in these words seemes particularly to admonish the Hebrewes that they should deale candidly and openly in the profession of Christian verity and not seeke any by-wayes of hypocrisie and dissimulation For they are said to walke streight who deale candidly and openly which Paul reproving Peter calls walking uprightly Gal. 2.14 Contrarily they who deale not candidly seeme to walke in by-paths and by turnings and windings Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Hee halteth or goeth lame that in professing of the truth or in his life and manners dealeth not so as becommeth him The Author intimates that among them to whom he wrote there were some who halted in the waye of Christian verity and piety and did incline sometime one way sometime another who indeed did not wholly forsake the Christian Religion yet were greatly propense to the Jewish or to avoid dangers and persecutions seemed propense In which sence Elias long since demanded of the Israelites who to comply with Ahab joyned in a manner the worship of Baal with the worship of the true God and yet adhered firmely to neither How long halt yee betweene two opinion 1 King 18.21 Be turned out of the way The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may bee taken in two senses either for the luxation or sprayning of some member or joynt necessary for walking which being dislocated will not suffer us to walke at all but wholly takes away all use of walking or else for straying from the way which to most Interpreters seemes most probable The former of these agrees best with the Metaphor of halting and healing which the Authour mentions presently after but the latter sutes best with the preceding words wherein wee are commanded to make straight pathes for our feet and that to the end that he who halteth in the path of Christianitie might not be turned out of the way so that to make straight paths and be turned out of the way are in a manner opposed For if he who in the right way maketh straight pathes or goeth straight on doth not erre from the right way then certainely he that erreth or turneth out of the way maketh not straight pathes But it easily fals out that he who halteth in the path doth at last wholly forsake it and turnes aside to the by-wayes of vices But it is not necessary that the healing which hee mentions in the words immediatly following should be properly and directly opposed to turning out of the way but onely that not turning out of the way should bee somewhat lesse then healing For it is cleare that the Authour compares things unequall betweene themselves as appeares by the particle rather when hee saith But let it rather be healed This healing here is opposed to the halting before thus Let him that halteth or goeth lame not turne out of the way of pietie or if he have turned our of it let him returne into it againe and leave his lamenesse or halting therein which is to be healed of it that being healed he may walke on uprightly and strongly lifting up the knees that were feeble and fill his mind with alacrity in the service of God and Christ for for want of this alacrity the spirituall lamenes or halting comes upon him 14 Follow peace with all men Having finished his former exhortation to constancy in the faith he now adds some precepts of Christian pietie whereof the first is to follow peace with all men Which precept is especially most necessary to be observed of Christians being persons exposed to all mens hatred not onely for the attaining of salvation but also for the avoiding of divers calamities as Peter teacheth us 1. Pet. 3.13 And holinesse Som thinke that the word holinesse in this place signifies onely chastitie as we see Paul understands it 1. Thess 4.3 and 1. Tim. 2.15 But there is no just reason why we should restraine a sentence which may have most conveniently a generall sense and streighten it to designe onely chastitie seeing other Christian vertues pertain no lesse then it to Christian sanctification and seperation from the profane multitude of the world See Ephes 5.26 where the word sanctifying or hallowing is extended to signifie the way of all pietie Without which no man shall see the Lord. Because in the Greek the article the is prefixed before the Lord therefore according to the common language of the new Covenant wee must here understand the Lord Jesus Christ whom hee that shall see shall also see God himselfe And to see the Lord and by him to see God containes all our future happines of immortalitie seeing see him wee cannot before we are made like him in nature by being made immortal For this sight of God must be understood of a cleare sight and such an one whereby as John speaks 1. Epist 3.2 Wee shall see God and Christ as they are and of a continuall sight that shall last for ever and a sight that shall flow from our conversation and company with the Lord. Wherefore he that desires the everlasting sight of God and Christ
accord was an action Remission was signified as the action of John himselfe who in a manner represented the person of God as his legat or messenger and in the name of God did promise men the remission and purgation of their sinnes and declared this by the signe of washing But the Baptisme of Christ doth not only represent repentance and remission of sinnes or is not only received as a signe of future repentance and remission but over and above it is a signe of putting on Christ and with him of dying to sinne and rising to newnesse of life that at last with him also wee may attaine everlasting life for baptisme doth elegantly shadow out our death and buriall with Christ by our immersion into the water and our resurrection with him by our emersion out of the water This Paul hath taught us in some passages of his Epistles See Rom. 6.3,4 and Col. 2.12 And of laying on of hands Some by this understand that Imposition of hands which was in use anciently in the Christian Church whereby the Elders laid their hands upon such as were admitted to the communion and society of the faithfull which use as it seems was derived or drawne from the Apostles who were wont to lay their hands upon such as were to receive the Holy Ghost But if we follow the former sense of these words as we have already explicated them it is better to take them for that Imposition of hands which the Apostles used for this end that the Disciples of Christ might receive the Holy Ghost See Acts 8.17,18,19 and 2 Tim. 1.6 Yet the sense will be no lesse elegant if wee take the words the latter way to signifie the doctrine which belonged to those that are baptised and have hands laid on them As if the Author had said Let us not returne to learne the doctrine of repentance and faith in God which useth to be proposed to them that are baptised and have hands laid on them For wee were long since baptised and had hands laid on us Let us leave these matters to novices and to such as come newly to the discipline of Christ This sense hath pleased some learned men and if we admit it we must read the words as it were in a Parenthesis And of resurrection of the dead The two remaining points are fundamentall And by the resurrection of the dead in this place and many others hee seems to comprehend immortall life as the reward which the godly attaine after death And of eternall judgement Which is the punishment ordained for the ungodly For seeing in this place the word judgement may signifie two things either the sentence or decree in generall touching men or damnation and punishment in particular the latter of these is more consonant to reason because of the word eternall attributed to judgement For this is more proper and usually called eternall punishment then the passing of the sentence which in it selfe is not eternall though in the effect of it it be eternall If therefore eternall judgement signifie eternall punishment then the resurrection of the dead in this place must signifie an eternall reward i. a blessed and immortall life which also a Popish Interpreter upon this place hath observed by saying Among other things these two were principally delivered to the catechised the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternall judgement that by hope of the resurrection they might willingly expose themselves unto all dangers for Christ and for feare of the judgement never returne to their former sins 3. And this will we do if God permit i. If God permit wee will lay the foundation againe As if he had said Although by all meanes we should take heed that the matter fall not to this passe as to cast a necessity upon us to lay the foundation againe Yet we will doe so if God shall please to permit us whereby he tacitly intimates that God would not alwayes suffer this to be done yet the Authors words are so carried that as he did not altogether hope it so neither did he wholly despaire it For in the words following he seemes to respect both these cases the former of them in the next words ver 4. and the latter at the ninth verse where he is perswaded better things of them and things that accompany salvation of which his perswasion or hope he alledgeth a reason drawne from the righteousnesse and goodnesse of God 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned In these words the Author brings a reason partly of what he lately intimated touching Gods permission and partly of what he had openly said of not laying againe the foundation namely because it is impossible that effect should follow which hereby may be intended Besides as we noted before it appeares that the Author speakes here properly of Apostates who condemne Christian Religion as false and thereupon desert it Of these he saith It is impossible for them to be renewed unto repentance Which impossibility partly depends upon the naturall difficulty that such should be againe converted unto Christ who have once forsaken him for it is an easier labour to retaine the Christian Religion being once attained then to recover it being once lost but if those men have not performed the easier worke in retaining it much lesse will they performe the harder in recovering it And if Christianity could not so work upon them as not to reject it how shall it gaine upon them to re-embrace it and receive it for true when it stands rejected And the impossibility partly depends upon Gods will and decree who when men become so ungracious as to staine their soules with such an incredible wickednesse is wont to judge them unworthy of his grace and thereupon to reprobate and curse them which word the Author useth afterward at the eighth verse by a simily drawne from a barren soile Whence it comes to passe that as the Scripture speakes God hardens them and holds them captives to his judgements Which notwithstanding must not be so understood as if God would never release this just rigour and severity but onely that he useth not to release it For the Civilians say That which depends upon the pleasure of the Prince is deemed impossible i. That which by the common course of Law cannot be done unlesse the Prince grant it by vertue of his prerogative is not thought possible and seasable especially if the thing be such as the Prince useth not to grant Renovation therefore is impossible unlesse God as it were make use of his prerogative to extend his singular grace and favour toward such a man not onely not to harden him and oppose himselfe against his conversion but also to further him by his speciall assistance and supply him with most effectuall remedies for his reclaiming For otherwise the saying of Jeremy must stand good Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may yee also do good that are
that benefit of such efficacie and power as to containe the people in their duty perpetually after And therefore it is apparent that the Holy Ghost intended some other sense farre more excellent In the literall sense then that remission must bee understood to bee really performed for the taking away of their temporall punishment but in the mysticall sense it must be understood of Gods promise to be performed in due time for the releasing especially of eternall death under condition of repentance as the nature of the new Covenant requires it And hence it is why the Iews being afterward forgetfull of this divine benefit as of a thing past did againe fall into divers sinnes and forsake Gods law But the Christian or the people of the new covenant may be excited to do their duty perpetually and serve God cheerfully to the end they may at last really obtaine the blessing promised them a right whereto they now enjoy and not make themselves unworthy of it by their own fault 13. In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old By these words he shewes that the old Covenant is in a manner condemned and rejected For when God saith hee will make a new Covenant he thereby antiquates and abrogates the old Whence it plainely appeares that the old Covenant was in it selfe blameable and faultie and therefore contained no great and excellent promises in it And from hence it is most manifest that the new Covenant is cleerly different from the old neither differs it onely in perspicuity and cleernesse as many men beleeye but in the very promises and conditions of it Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the former words he inferres by the way that the old Covenant although at that time it seemed to bee of force among the Jewes and to stand while their Temple and their state were standing yet by little and little it grew to decay as a thing waxing old and already antiquated of God For that which waxeth old though it bee yet for a time extant and appeare yet after a while it will wholly decay and vanish seeing to wax old is nothing else but by little and little to be destroyed and abolished This the Authour doth ominate of Moses Covenant and the event was answerable to his prediction For not long after the Temple and State of the Jews was overthrowne whereupon the Mosaick religion and the publike worship of God prescribed in the old Covenant did fall and vanish so that at this day there appeares nothing of it but onely some relicks and shatters in the tolerated Synagogues of that scattered Nation The Contents of this eighth Chapter are 1. Doctrine Christ is a greater Priest then any of the legall Priests verse 1. Reason 1. Because he is set at the right hand of Gods throne whereas the legall Priest stood before the Mercy-seat which was but the shadow of Gods throne verse 1. 2. Because Christ Ministers in the true heavenly Sanctuary whereof the legall Sanctuary was but a shadow verse 2. 3. Because Christ offers himselfe to God a gift and sacrifice whereof the legall offerings were but shadows verse 3. 4. 4. Because Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises then the former verse 6. 2. Doctine The Gospel or new Covenant is better then the old legall Covenant verse 6. Reason 1. Because the Gospel hath a better Mediatour so much as Christ is better then Moses verse eod 2. Because the Gospel is established upon better promises eod 3. Because the old Covenant was faulty for God found fault with it as weak and unprofitable verse 7. 8. 4. Because the Gospel hath better Lawes for they are written in the mindes and hearts of the faithfull ver 10. 5. Because the Gospel breeds an universall knowledge of God in all men from the least to the greatest verse 11. 6. Because the Gospel allowes an universall pardon of all sinnes whatsoever v. 12. 7. Because the new Covenant doth antiquate and abolish the old v. ult CHAPTER IX 1. THen verily the first Covenant The particle then for therefore shewes that these words so follow the former that in a manner they are deduced or inferred from them Yet they seem not inferred from the words immediatly preceding though they have some connexion even with them also but rather from the words neer the beginning of the former chapter where the Author made a comparison of Christ with the legall Priests and affirmed that their Tabernacle their Ministery and offerings to God were but terrene shadows of that heavenly Sanctuary wherein Christ doth minister and offer himselfe to God and therefore that the Priesthod of Christ was farre more excellent then theirs To this point he seemes now to returne and to handle a little more largely what before hee had but briefly touched concerning the ministery and service of the legall Priests The word first in the originall hath no substantive with it wherewith to agree yet must not be referred to the Tabernacle as some copies translate it for it hath a cleare reference to the Covenant which in the last verse of the former chapter is called the first and here againe repeated so for by this reference of it all things wil most rationally correspond and comply both with the preceding and subsequent passages Had also ordinances of divine service Ordinances are institutes i. Arbitrary and positive Lawes or precepts depending on the sole will and pleasure of the Law-maker or ordainer to determine any action for the manner and other circumstances which in it selfe and by the Law of nature is indifferent and may be done many wayes to be notwithstanding performed after some one way For Gods Covenant doth not containe promises only which are to be performed on Gods part solely but they also comprehend Commandements and Precepts of services and duties to be performed on our part which we if we enter the Covenant must promise and covenant to performe as God on his part doth covenant to performe his promise The matter or subject of these ordinances was divine service how God should be publikly worshipped and served The true nature of divine worship and service The originall word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies worship and not service for worship and service in reference to God though by most Interpreters on the holy Scriptures they bee confounded and put indifferently each for other yet indeed their natures are very different and contradistinct For worship properly signifies any holy reverence which by some lowly gesture we performe to God as by standing up bowing downe kneeling downe or falling downe before him whereof the Scriptures afford us many examples But service properly signifies any holy action performed immediatly to the honour of God as prayer praise thanksgiving and sacrificing whereof also the examples are frequent in Scripture and particularly all the Ministery of the legall Priesthood by offering
Commandements of Christ Strictly as it eminently signifies the most grievous sin of Apostacie which is a falling away from the Christian Religion or rather infidelity in generall whereto if by way of difference yee adde what the Author presently addeth after knowledge of the truth received ye have the definition of Apostacie For Apostacie is an Infidelity that followes after faith or a desertion of the faith and a rejection of the truth once knowne and received So John 16.9 Christ by the word sinne seems eminently to understand Infidelity The latter sense is favoured 1. In that the Author ver 28. following being to prove that men sinning after the manner here specified shall by no meanes escape the judgement of God seemes to draw his argument from them who wholy rejected Gods Law and turned to false Gods of whom wee read Deut. 17. and whom no men resemble neerer then they who fall away from Christ and his most holy Religion 2. In that it seems proper to Apostates to tread under foot the Son of God and to account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing for this is incompatible to them who constantly adhering to the Christian Religion are notwithstanding fallen into some single sin or vice 3. In that this place seems most alike to that Chap. 6.4 where we have said the Author speaks properly of Apostates But the former sense is also favoured 1. In that the word Sinne hath a generall signification and perhaps every where for words must not be restrained within the use of speech when no reason constraines it And the word Sinne in the place of John 16.9 hath of it selfe a generall signification though afterward it be specified and explicated in particular what kinde of sin he there understands 2. From the occasion and scope of the Author For before he had admonished them to exhort one another and now he shews what great danger will or at least may come of it if this action be neglected namely that they may wilfully sinne after they have received the knowledge of the truth and so involve themselves into a heavy judgement And seeing the Exhortation is at large as must bee used as a remedy against all kinde of sinnes why therefore should not that sin which the Author faith might easily arise from the neglect of exhortation be extended largely also Now in answer of the reasons brought for the other sense To the first we say that the Authors argument seems drawne from all them who sinned against the Law with a high hand of whom there is a place Numb 15.30,31 But the soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be borne in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that soule shall be cut off from among his people Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his Commandement that soule shall surely be cut off his miquity shall be upon him For to despise the Law here in this Author is the same with despising the word of the Lord and breaking his Commandement with Moses in Numbers Here to sinne wilfully and there to doe presumptuously are all one And here shall dye without mercy and there he shall surely be cut off are all one for what is this else but not to spare not to shew any mercy To the second we say That he doth tread under foot the Son of God and account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing who dares violate the Covenant which is published by Christ and established by his bloud or dares as much as in him lyes to irritate or dissolve it that it may be void and of no effect by committing those sinnes which by the Covenant are punished by death and damnation To the third we say That this place is not so altogether like that Chap. 6.4 but that there appears a plaine unlikenesse For there both the scope and occasion of the words and the word it selfe of falling away compared with the matter preceding doe all declare that the Author properly speaks of Apostacie but here as we have seene the scope and occasion of the words tend another way Wherefore we must conclude that the former acception of the word Sin which includes in it also the latter is rather to bee received Although amongst those sinnes Apostacie holds the first place and thereto the Author hath reference chiefly but not only The word wilfully as we have said seems to signifie the same sinne that the Scriptures of the Old Testament call presumptuously and so committed in contempt of Gods Majesty or by hautinesse and pride of minde and this kinde of sinne is opposed to sinnes committed either out of ignorance or infirmity Wherefore it notes unto us those kinde of sinnes which are wittingly advisedly and purposely and so argue a meer malice of mind Such under the New Testament are accounted all vitious habits and customes of sinning and persevering in evill-doing as also all heynous and foule wickednesses done wittingly and advisedly For infirmity or humane frailty cannot be pretexed for such sinnes especially among Christians After that we have received the knowledge of the truth Sinnes wilfully and wittingly committed before the knowledge of the truth are of another nature then those that follow that knowledge for the Sacrifice of Christ was ordained to expiate the former but for the expiation of the latter there is no other sacrifice to be expected as wee shall heare afterward For crimes or foule sinnes committed after the knowledge of the truth are far more heynous then those done in ignorance of it and the malice of man appeares far greater in those then in these though otherwise the facts may be equall Therefore it more agrees with the equity and wisdome of God to grant a meanes for the expiation of those then of these and consequently to pardon those and not these There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes In these words is expressed the miserable estate of those who after knowledge of the truth received sinne in the manner we have said namely that seeing the sacrifice and offering of Christ did not profit them there remaines no other wherby their sinnes may be expiated But the sacrifice and offering of Christ profited them not because they are relapsed into their former sinnes and bring not forth fruit worthy of faith and repentance For upon this condition only it is that the sacrifice and offering of Christ bringeth salvation to them who live after their knowledge of the truth and their reception of the Christian faith For sins committed before the knowledge of the truth may be washed away by faith only in Christ and the profession of it and a purpose and as it were a covenant of living holily afterward but sins done after such knowledge are no otherwise washed away but by an actuall and totall desertion or forsaking of them and by inducing in their roome all Christian virtues as fruits of the Spirit and of faith For this is it
Christ was to sanctifie the people by his owne bloud therefore hee must suffer without the gate and bee slaughtered by an infamous death to fit him for the subsequent offering of himselfe afterward to God in the heavenly Sanctuarie Let us go forth therefore unto him without the campe After the Author had shewed that the Hebrewes considering they have embraced the Christian Religion must not eate or banquet with the meates of sacrifices as if some part of divine worship or service were therein contained now from the infamous death which Christ suffered without the gate he inferres that they must not regard it at all if for Christs sake they be driven from the rest of the Jews not onely from their temples sacrifices and holy banquets but even from their City from their commerce and civill society yea although they be publikely reproached as impious and cursed persons and cut off from the body of the Jews common-wealth or at last lose their lives by the same or the like punishment under which Christ their head and Captaine suffered And this he therefore inferres because the hatred of the Jews against the Christians contained not it selfe with prohibiting them from their Ceremonies sacrifices and temple but proceeded so farre as to drive them from their common-wealth and Civill commerce with publique infamy and reproach onely because they professed the Religion and name of Christ Let us goe therefore Seeing our Lord Jesus Christ our high Priest and heavenly King was led out without the gate and so separated from the rest of the corporation of men and there put to an infamous death therefore Let us goe forth unto him without the camp Let us willingly and freely with an open and ready heart undergoe together with him banishment reproaches infamy death and all manner of evils Christ now lives without the camp without the City without the gate shall we not willingly goe forth to be rather with him alone then among the wicked multitude of the Jews For we are happier without the camp with Christ then in the camp without Christ seeing where Christ is there is true happinesse Why the Author names the campe we shewed the cause before ver 12. Bearing his reproach To beare the reproach of Christ is to refuse no suffering for Christs sake that Christ himselfe did beare For in the word reproach are included all evils that can be inflicted upon a man because evils are alwayes inflicted with infamy and reproach And the reproach of Christ is any reproach like to his reproach and for the like cause that he bare his namely for the testimony of that truth which he published that we may subconfirme by our death what he preconfirmed by his For it is not the suffering but the cause that makes the martyr 14. For here have we no continuing City He annexeth a new reason why we should goe forth without our camps that is beare it patiently to be ejected and exiled out of our Country or City because here upon earth we have no continuing city i. none that is durable which cannot be taken from us nor we from it All the cities which we inhabit upon earth we inhabit onely for a time Why therefore should we refuse for Christs sake to lose that city which otherwise we must wholly lose in a very short space Or else the Author teacheth us that we Christians as we are Christians enjoy no City upon earth by any firme and proper possession but in this respect we are alwayes subject to expulsions banishments and such like miseries The Author therefore might with good reason use this admonition to teach Christians what is their state and condition upon earth especially the Hebrewes who might imagine because they proceeded from the stock of Abraham therefore they had full right to enjoy the freedome of the city Jerusalem no lesse then others of their Nation and thereupon must needs take it grievously to be excluded from their inheritance Therefore he shews that Christians have another inheritance and enjoy a right to another city farre more excellent But wee seeke one to come This is that permanent and continuing city from the possession whereof wee shall never be disturbed in any age for to this city wee have a right by Christ who is the head and king of it that there wee may live safely under him and reigne under him But as long as wee live here on earth we are like pilgrims and strangers who are travelling toward their countrey He calls this city to come because to us it is to come but to God and Christ and the Angels it is already present The word we seeke although it signifie the effect it selfe yet it must not here be taken so much for the effect as for the efficacy of Christian Religion and our duty therein For then wee seeke when we follow the power and guidance of Christian Religion Because it is the condition and duty of Christians to seeke a City to come that is to endeavour with all care and diligence that they may attaine it 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise Here he proceeds to a new precept or duty yet such a one as issues from his former words and depends on them as the illative particle therefore shewes Yet it followes not from the words immediately preceding but both from his principall assertion and from what was included in the argument thereof The principall assertion is That the doctrine of Jesus Christ is immutable as it was in the beginning so shall it remaine for all ages In the argument or proofe of this doctrine Christ in a comparison with the high Priest is said to sanctifie the people with his bloud Now from this that the doctrine of Christ is alwayes so uniforme as to be one and the same subject to no alteration and that Christ is our high Priest who hath sanctified his whole people with his bloud it is rationally inferred that we must by him offer sacrifices to God For anciently the whole people joyntly and single persons from among the people offered sacrifices to God by the Priest the whole people by the high Priest onely but private persons by Priests of an inferiour order all which together with the high Priest as others were to offer sacrifices by them are correspondent to Christ alone for in this respect Christ alone is as much as all they together For although in the Christian Religion besides Christ our high Priest there are other Priests namely all Christians yet compared to Christ they must be accounted for the common people And to offer sacrifices by Christ is to offer such sacrifices as are consecrated and prepared as it were by Christ himselfe and by him are made acceptable unto God and this is done when we offer them as the worshippers and servitors of Christ by faith in God in and through Christ by the prescript and command of Christ for what is offered in this manner is offered