were yet time enough for Christ to iterate his offerings and by a just proportion equall the number of the legall offerings although hee began not to suffer and offer himselfe from the foundation of the world For because hee suffered and offered himselfe in the end of the world hence it appeares that there is not time enough yet to come to serve for the multitude of his sufferings and offerings But the time wherein Christ came is therefore called the end of the world because it is the last age of the world and as it were the old age of it and because the other comming of Christ which is joyned with the consummation and end of the world is alwayes supposed to be at hand which could in no wise be if the offering of Christ were to be iterated answerably to the just number and proportion of the old Legall offerings But the holy Ghost would have us perpetually wait for the expectation of Christs comming For that his comming and together with it the end of the world is yet deferred and that so many ages have passed since his first comming into the world seating upon his heavenly throne this in a manner is accidentall by reason of the long suffering of God who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 To put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe He shews the finall cause of the comming and appearance of Christ which is for the putting away of sin which is done when all the force and power of sin is destroyed Which destruction of sin is effected two wayes the one is when sin hath no power to condemne men the other when it hath no power to subdue men by enthralling them under the yoke of it That both these effects might be produced Christ hath appeared both that he might deliver men from the punishment of sinne and also from the dominion of it even freeing them from sin it selfe Now the meanes whereby Christ hath put away sinne in destroying the power of it is by the sacrifice of himselfe For this act may be joyned as well with the word suffered as with appeared as other Interpreters also have observed How the sacrifice of Christ purgeth away our sins For Christ by the sacrifice of himselfe hath cashired and put away sinne by taking from it all it power to condemne and to reigne which though we have declared before yet are we willing to repeat it againe because the matter is of such moment that if it may be we might drive and fasten it throughly into mens mindes For as concerning the guilt and punishments of sinnes can there bee any sinnes so that we doe our duty which a sacrifice so acceptable to God offered in the Sanctuary of heaven and by so great an high Priest cannot expiate Can there be any danger that he will deale negligently in our cause who offered up himselfe as a sacrifice for our sinnes and who having himselfe suffered all those miseries and pressures that can possibly befall us hath assumed a minde so prone to pity us Hath not yet the wished effect been answerable to so holy a sacrifice and to so carefull a provision of our high Priest Is not the power of our salvation in the power of our high Priest and in his hand to release whom he will of sinne and to bestow eternall life and whatsoever good thing besides upon whom he will Doth he not negotiate the matter with his most deare Father who himselfe burnes with a desire of our salvation who himselfe hath made a sacred Covenant for the remission of our sinnes who himselfe ordained the holy Sacrifice for our sinnes who himselfe would have it offered unto him and caused it to be offered who himselfe ordained our high Priest with an oath and committed unto him the whole care of our salvation Now concerning the dominion of sinne for the excussion of the yoke of it can it possibly be that when we perceive so great and so certaine causes and proofes of our eternall salvation and of plenary remission of our sinnes that we should not with all our souls embrace the faith of Christ and devote our selves wholly to him when by this means through the grace and mercy of our God wee are effectually purged and justified from the guilt of all our sins shall we not contend with our whole force to abandon sin for ever after wholy addict our selves to holines shall we not labour to the utmost to preserve this great grace of God entire and whole to our last gaspe that at length we may enjoy the full fruit of it in our deliverance from death and inheritance of eternall life And shall it not mightily incourage us to shake off the yoke of sin in that our heavenly high Priest will perpetually support us with his Spirit supply us with power enough to live holily if we will live so and will strive to do it This therefore is the manner after which Christ by the Sacrifice of himself hath put away sin that neither it might hurt us nor reign in us The Sacrifice of Christ is Christ himself sacrificed being first slain then raised to immortall life that he might enter his heavenly Tabernacle and therein offer himself and appear for us for ever The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred a Sacrifice though it come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to slay yet it useth not to be taken in Scripture abstractedly for the slaughter but concretly for the creature slaughtered or rather for that part of it which is offered to God But if any man keeping the same sense will joyn these words by the sacrifice of himself with the verb appeared then the particle by must be taken for with and in that sense as we have noted before that John saith Christ came by water and bloud i. with water and bloud not that at his first comming into the world hee shed his bloud but because he therefore came that he might shed his bloud though not forthwith So Christ may be said to appeare with the sacrifice of himselfe not that as soon as he appeared he was made a sacrifice but that he so appeared that in his due time he might be made a sacrifice But we best approve of that sense which joynes these words by the sacrifice of himselfe with the words immediatly preceding to put away sinne For the finall end of the appearance or comming of Christ was to put away sin and the meanes whereby he abolished it was by the sacrifice of himselfe Seeing therefore Christ came in the end of the world that he might abolish sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe therefore hence it appears that he must not often iterate his sacrifice after the manner of the legall high Priest for otherwise he must have begunne this action more early and not have deferred it to the last age of the world 27. And as it
alwayes erre in their hearts They have a kinde of phrensie or madnesse upon them that is not accidentall to fall on them sometimes but naturall and radicall rooted and fixed in their very hearts so that it continues upon them to hold them alwayes They alwayes meditate and agitate in their minde that which is averse from my will and from the way whereto I labour to perswade them They alwayes refuse to obey me and follow the erronious thoughts of their owne minds and are wedded to the counsells of their owne wils And they have not knowne my wayes By the wayes of God we may understand both the workes of God and the Lawes of God especially his singular commands for such or such an action in particular For the acts and works of men are in Scripture called their wayes That generation is justly said to have knowne neither of these wayes of God for though they had seen his works and heard his laws and received many particular commands yet they carryed themselves so as if they had neither seen heard nor received any thing For they neither believed Gods promises though confirmed with such mighty works nor obeyed his Laws and Commands Of this their grosse stupidity there is a notable passage Deut. 29.2,3,4 Ye have seen saith Moses to them all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh unto his servants and unto all his land The great temptations which thine eyes have seene the signes and those great miracles yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to heare unto this day They saw Gods mighty workes like brute beasts not considering how great the Agent was and of how great power how worthy he was to have all credit given to his promises and all obedience to his commands Some such like accident befell the Disciples of Christ as we may read it Mark 6.52 They considered not the miracle of the loaves for their heart was hardned 11. Sol sware in my wrath God seldome sweares for the Scripture doth not bring him in swearing often but it must be a matter of weight and moment that makes him to sweare And motives whereupon he sweares are chiefly two either in mercy to confirme his gracious promises made to his children or in his wrath to establish his judgement against the wicked And the formes whereby he sweares are chiefly two 1 Surely for surely with God is a forme of swearing that is the thing which he affirmes and whereto hee sweares is no way uncertaine or doubtfull for the event as if it might not come to passe but shall most surely and certainly come to passe In this form God sware to Abraham that he would blesse and multiply him for so this Author reports it cap. 6.14 2. As I live that is let me not bee accounted for the living God if I performe not what I say In this forme God sweares that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezek. 33.11 And as among men there be degrees of oaths in that some are more obligatory and binding lest the Israelites might thinke that God would not fully binde himselfe for their not entring into Canaan therefore to divert that flattery of themselves God did swear it by both these forms of oaths For first he sware it by the first form Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers Num. 14.23 And afterward he sware it by the second form As I live your carkasses shall fall in this wildernesse Numb 14.28 Thus God swearing in his wrath did iterate his oath aggravate it They shall not enter In the originall it is if they shall enter The particle if after a verbe of swearing is an Hebraisme put for not they shall not enter So the people sweare for the rescue of Jonathan As the Lord liveth if one haire of his head should fall to the ground 1 Sam. 14.45 So the Psalmist brings in God swearing Once have I sworn by my holinesse if I lie unto David Psal 89.35 So Christ sweares that a sigre shall not be given to the Jewes Verily I say unto you if a signe shall be given to this generation Mark 8.12 yet this use of the particle if did first arise from those formes of swearing whereby if was properly taken by adding some imprecation or curse either expressely uttered or tacitly implyed For men being moved doe commonly in their anger use an abrupt speech and many times silently suppresse the imprecation or curse whereby they devote themselves and leave it to be collected by him to whom they speake Among many others we have David swearing with an imprecation or curse expressely added So and more also doe God to the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to Naball by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall 1 Sam. 25.22 And Job in like manner if my heart have been deceived by a woman or if I have laid wait at my neighbours doore Then let my wife grinde unto another and let others bow downe upon her Job 31.9 And ye have this curse suppressed in David also Psal 132.2,3,4,5 They that shall not enter are that generation that had provoked tempted and grieved God God had sworne to the Patriarks the forefathers of that generation that their posterity should enter that land this God had sworne at severall times to Abraham he had confirmed the same oath to Isaac and reconfirmed it to Jacob. And God had determined or designed which generation of his posterity should enter namely the fourth for so particularly God covenanted with Abraham Gen. 15.16 And this people now brought out of Egypt into the wildernesse for to enter was that fourth generation yet to them now God sweares againe that they shall not enter Yet notwithstanding there is no contrariety in Gods oaths neither doth this latter swearing any way crosse the former For the promise of God to Abraham and so the oath confirming it for this entrance of his posterity was conditionall that his children should walke in the steps of the faith and obedience of Abraham for the Covenant of God was made with Abraham and his seed and therefore not only he in his owne person but his posterity also in their generations were bound to keep it But this generation whereof we speake was diffident and disobedient for they provoked and tempted God and thereby brake the Covenant And the Covenant being broken on their part or the condition not performed God in all equity on his part is free both from his promise and the oath confirming it and therefore as the case now stood might justly take an oath for their not entring Now that faith and obedience was required as a condition for their entring appears cleerly by the last verse of this Chapter where it is said they could not enter because of unbeliefe For if the cause of their not-entring were not-beleeving then it must
sake and therefore cannot but bee affected with like sense of trouble at the troubles and pains of the innocent that suffer for his sake and therefore when they pray and cry unto him hee will be ready in obedience to God to give them audience to heare and helpe them Though he were a Son He illustrates the matter ex adversis So great a conjunction of Christ with God such a fatherly love of God toward him as being his only Sonne might seeme to be against this way of exercising him upon the stage of afflictions yet it was not against it God might have taught his Sonne the lessons of obedience in some other schoole then that of afflictions yet it pleased God to choose this way and not spare him from the common condition of his brethren Hence it is manifest how greatly God loved mankinde who would handle his owne Son so hardly to this end that having triall of suffering in his owne person miseris succurrere discat he might thereby learne to succour those in misery Hence it appeares also that Gods fatherly love to the faithfull is no way impaired when he exerciseth their faith and patience to make trials of them in sufferings For whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth chap. 12.6 9. And being made perfect In the last place he comes to the first property of an high Priest and applies it also to Christ namely that Christ procures the salvation of men and negotiates with God to be propitious to them and forgive them the punishments of their sinnes Which property in respect of Christ he expresseth in these words that he is become the Author of eternall salvation Made perfect This state of Christ in being made perfect or consummate is opposed to his state in the dayes of his flesh For then when Christ was infirme and himselfe wanted anothers help he could not perfectly and finally help others in all things But after that he was consummated or perfected i. after he had attained to immortality or a nature incorruptible and was invested with supreme power in heaven and earth so that nothing further was wanting to him or after hee was throughly consecrated of God and fully installed into his Priesthood as some think the word perfected to mean then he became the author of eternall salvation For then he was a most perfect cause of salvation In the dayes of his flesh he was indeed the cause of eternall salvation for then he was the great Legate or Apostle of God to preach it but being perfected he becomes the most perfect cause of it for now hee is our high Priest and heavenly King to give that which before he preached He is therefore the most perfect cause of eternall salvation because he gives it in a most perfect manner for he wants nothing neither for faculty or power nor for desire and will to perfect our eternall salvation For by his power he takes from us all punishment of our sins he gives us everlasting life he receives our spirits into his hands he speedily succours us in our afflictions lest our faith should fail and we thereby fall into punishments due to our sinnes The Author made choice of generall words to describe the power and efficacie of Christs Priesthood in the procuring of our salvation that he might expresse it with tearms more proper to it For Christ is not the cause of salvation in the very same manner with the legall high Priest who gave not salvation or pardon to the people himselfe of himselfe as Christ doth but only procured God to give it by propitiating him with offerings And there is a great difference betweene Christ and the legall high Priest in the salvation procured for hee procured only a temporary and transitory salvation but Christ gives an eternall salvation Furthermore this place affoords us an example of a rule in Scripture that some things are said to be simply done when they are more perfectly done We have an instance hereof in that passage of John 2.11 where the Disciples of Christ who did already believe in Christ are notwithstanding said to believe in Christ upon sight of the miracle of water turned into wine because then they believed in him much more stedfastly and perfectly then they did before or because then their faith received a great increase So Christ himselfe John 15.8 saith to his Disciples that if they did beare much fruit so they should bee his Disciples because by this meanes they should become his Disciples in a more perfect manner This we therefore notifie lest to any it should seeme strange that the Scripture notes divers times wherein Christ became the Sonne of God namely because he became so in a more perfect manner and higher degree although from the beginning of his conception he was truly the Son of God though not so perfectly as afterwards Vnto all them that obey him Here the persons are specified to whom Christ is the author of salvation namely to the obedient and to them universally to all that obey him For Christ is an high Priest properly to such and is ordained of God to expiate their sinnes Whence it appeares that all who will have their sins expiated by Christ and obtaine eternall salvation by him must obey him Christ indeed is the cause of salvation even to them who as yet obey him not in that he first makes them obedient and consequently saves them but to such he is but the remote cause but he is the immediate cause of it to them that actually obey him for therein his Priestly office is actually exercised Not unlike to this is that saying of Peter Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Saviour what else is this then to be the author or cause of salvation and by what means Christ doth worke and cause salvation Peter expresseth in the words following to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes This latter way of saving as being the perfecter is contained in this place 10. Called of God an high Priest Christ becomes the author or cause of eternall salvation by this meanes in being ordained an high Priest of God for when God calls him an high Priest thereby hee makes him so After the order of Melchisedeck Christ is such a high Priest unto us that withall he is also our heavenly Lord and King having supreme power to pardon all our sinnes and to free us from the punishment of them But of this point we shall speake more largely chap 7. 11. Of whom we have many things to say Hee passeth to another point wherein he reproves the slownesse and dulnesse of them to whom he writes to this end that he may excite and prepare them to receive those mysteries which he had in his minde to open concerning the Priesthood of Christ Of whom i. of Christ our high Priest either in reference to his Priesthood absolutely or respectively as it is
may sway him so to grant something that if he grant it not wee may well say he deals unequally and hardly In this latter way God may seem to be said unrighteous if he should be so unmindfull of vertues both past and present if he should presently reject men though otherwise worthy of reprobation if God should deale with them according to his Law and no way expect their repentance but wholly exclude them from all addresse to his clemency mercy especially if it appear not that there are some prevalent causes which restraine God from shewing mercy as in case he be to shew herein some example of his judgment For God must not presently be said unrighteous if he deal somewhat severely with one or two but then when he usually doth it or doth it with whole Churches Wherefore the Author brings not here any demonstrative or convictive reason or such as that God might not lawfully do otherwise without the aspersion of unrighteousnes or iniquity properly so term'd but only a reason very probable drawn for the most part from the clemencie and mercy of God which is voluntary in him To forget your work and labor of love To speak properly forgetfulnes is not incident unto God but figuratively he is then said to forget when he hath no regard of a thing or doth that which men forgetfull doe Their work as it seems was the conflict they had in suffering afflictions from their first entrance into the faith of Christ as the Author speaks of them afterward chap. 10 32. Unto which work or conflict he subjoyns the labour of love for in the place last cited after that conflict which they endured the Author mentions their offices of charity which they exercised toward the Saints And it is not likely that in this place where especially their good works were to be mentioned the Author would passe over their noblest act which consisted in suffering for Christs cause For Paul hath joyned these two together the work of faith and labor of love 1 Th. 1 3. where by the work of faith he seems to understand their many sufferings for the truths sake For such a work grows immediatly from faith as labour and bounty toward the Saints springs only from love and is therefore called the labor of love And that patience which proceeds from hope is called the patience of hope because it argues constancie in suffering afflictions under hope of reward and is there added to the work of faith and labour of love Their labour of love was another act of theirs no lesse acceptable to God and no lesse remarkable in it selfe Labour of love is that labour which proceeds from love or that labour whereto love puts us and love makes any labour light and easie for nothing is more powerfull nothing more imperious then love And this labour is seen in helping him whom we love with all our strength power endeavor Which ye have shewed toward his name Their love toward God made them so deare to God that it would not suffer him to reject them and wholly exclude them from salvation And this love was shewed toward the name of God because they shewed it to no other end but with respect to Gods name How this was thus effected hee presently declares In that ye have ministred to the Saints and doe minister We shew love when we minister and we shew love toward the name of God when we minister to the Saints meerly therefore because they are Saints and consecrate unto God For he that ministreth to the Saints and shews love to the Saints therefore because they are Saints and beare the name of God he shews love toward the name of God as he that ministreth to a Disciple of Christ because he is his Disciple he ministreth to Christ himselfe As much as ye have done it saith Christ unto one of the least of these my brethren yee have done it unto me Mat. 25.40 This Ministery consisted herein that in the afflictions of the Saints the Hebrews were wanting to them in no good office but helped them in all things to their power as he expresseth it afterward chap. 10.33 that they became their companions in their afflictions And this is done when we esteem the affliction of an other to be in a manner our owne when we have a singular care of him and performe those offices unto him that wee would have performed to our selves if we were in his case And doe minister This vertue of ministering to the Saints was not yet quite ceased in them albeit it may be somewhat abated 11. And we desire Here he passeth to the other part of the chapter wherein he exhorts them to a diligent and constant course of godlinesse and admonisheth them never to faint in their faith and hope And he seemes here to take away a tacit objection that might settle in their mindes From his last former words they might be too much advanced in hope to believe that now all must needs goe well with them seeing God without being unrighteous could not forget the things they had done and suffered and did yet doe and suffer for Gods cause Lest they should fall to imagine this the Author shews them what he would have them yet doe and what he yet findes wanting in them if they meant to retaine and assured hope of salvation Hee proceeds very prudently with them when a little before hee seemed to have terrified them too much and to debarre them from all hope of salvation he againe erected them and shewed that he did not so conceive this but that he was perswaded better things of them And now againe lest they should be too confident of themselves and bee pussed up in minde and flatter themselves with an infallible hope of salvation he shews them their wants that being thus reduced to a temper that they might neither despair of salvation nor presume of it That every one of you do shew the same diligence He calls not only upon the whole Church in generall but upon each person singly to continue the same diligence and endeavor that they had done from their first reception of the Gospel To the full assurance of hope To be assured of a thing is to have a knowledge of it that it is thus or thus And a full assurance is a full and certain knowledge or as we vulgarly speak it is a certainty And a full assurance of hope is a certainty of those things that are the object or matter of our hope And the hope here ment is the Christian hope whose object is eternal salvation wherof our Christian hope is an expectation And this hope is advanced augmented by our constancy in faith and good works wherby it is daily more and more assured and the assurance of it daily made more full They had a hope of salvation grounded upon the promises of God and quickned by the worke they had done and yet did for Gods cause but a
me of sin or if ye cannot do that but that my innocency acquits me from all crime why do yee reject me as an Impostor and a counterfeit and do not rather acknowledge my doctrine for truth Lastly the Bloud of Christ i. his cruell and infamous death which he suffered with such constancy that hee might assert his doctrine and especially that hee might testifie himselfe to bee Christ and the Sonne of God what possible suspicion can this leave of the least fraud or falshood For if Christ had beene conscious to himselfe of any fraud or falshood would hee have cast himselfe upon so infamous and fearfull a death and endure it with such patiency and constancy of minde If he had an intent to get himselfe a name by lyes and deceits would he have cast himselfe so freely uponextreame reproach and disgrace and get fame by no other meanes but by an infamous death for being condemned to the Crosse what could he else hope for if hee were an Impostor But if Christ were no way conscious to himselfe of any fraud or falshood but suffered death to assert his doctrine who sees not but he must needs be void of all offence For if his doctrine were false it must needs be fained of himselfe For he publiquely professed that he had seene the Father had received commands from him and was sent from him into the world that he was the Son of God and the King of Gods people which God had promised long before Now if these things were false how could Christ be ignorant of their falshood but if he knew them to be false whence could he have such a contempt of death for the asserting of them whence could he have such an invincible constancy and courage of minde Seeing therefore we have Jesus a surety of the new Covenant attested with so many documents of the truth shall we doubt to joyne our faith unto him to rest upon the hope of those heavenly blessings which he hath promised in this Covenant to cast off the yoke of sin and to give our name up to God and his righteousnesse Some man may marvaile why the Author treating of Christs Priesthood both before and after should suddenly call him the surety of the new Covenant and not the Priest of it Why did hee not say by so much was Iesus made a Priest of a better Testament For the whole context of the Chapter seemes to require this It is very credible that in the word surety the Priesthood of Christ is also understood For it is the part of a surety not onely to promise something in the name of another and to interpose his faith for another but also if the cause require to performe the thing he promised in anothers name and among men there is cause if the principall performe it not for whom the surety interposed but here it proceeds upon a contrary cause for the former cannot here take place namely because he for whom Christ interposed as a surety doth performe his promises to us by Christ himselfe in which action the Priesthood of Christ doth chiefly consist For Christ as he is a Priest doth now in heaven nothing more intentively then to performe Gods promises unto us i. he takes away all punishment of our sins he endowes us with Gods gifts and graces and at last translates us into heaven 23. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Here he brings a new difference betweene Christ a Priest after the order of Melchisedec and the Priests after Aarons order and withall proves him far more excellent then they And this difference is that they were many but Christ was but one himself onely The reason of both is taken from the 16. and 17. verses because they were mortall and one being dead another must succeed but Christ is immortall and lives for ever 24. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood The Priesthood of Christ is said unchangeable because it is not transitory to change the person and passe from one to another for seeing he lives for ever and hath no successor therefore the Priesthood doth alwayes remaine in his person For because his person is unchangeable and continueth for ever therefore also his Priesthood is unchangeable and continueth for ever in his person 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost From the former verse he drawes this as a consectary wherein appeares a great difference betweene Christ and the legall priests and his great preheminence above them Namely that Christ is able to save for ever and at all times which none of them could doe To the uttermost in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost of time at all times and for ever for uttermost must be referred to the perfection or fulnesse of time and not of his saving For although the salvation it selfe which Christ our Priest brings unto us be in all points perfect and complete yet this in this place is not deduced from the former verse but the other onely So that to the uttermost is all one with continually and perpetually as appeares by the latter words of this verse wherein the Author shews the reason of this as we shall shew there Able to save This salvation in reference to Christ is in it self as we said most perfect and absolute For Christ saveth us as he takes away all the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes as he succours us in our infirmities from sinking under them and consequently from falling into punishment for our sinnes thereupon as he receives our soules into his hands which he restores us in due time invested with eternall glory and happinesse Whereof wee treated chap. 2. and 4. and 5. That come unto God by him Christ doth not save all men actually but them that come unto God by him To come unto God is to worship God and serve him with all our heart by offering sacrifices unto him as the Author speakes afterward chap. 13.15 Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God And to come to God by Christ is to worship God in confidence of Christ trusting upon him and in obedience of Christ following his Commandements and to worship him in worshipping of Christ by adoring praising and praying to Christ For he that doth this doth not so much worship and serve Christ as God himselfe by Christ Seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them In these words hee expresly addes the reason of the Consectary at the beginning of the verse Christ is able to save to the uttermost continually and perpetually because hee liveth to the uttermost continually and perpetually for he liveth ever Christ is said to make intercession by way of resemblance to the legall Priest who by entring and offering in the most holy place did make intercession So also Christ by his entrance into the heavenly tabernacle by his owne blood and by his
of it onely Therefore those grievous sinnes whereof men stood guiltie and for which they were subject to eternall death must first be expiated before they can enter and receive the eternall inheritance For those sinnes did hinder men from entring it which being purged away now nothing hinders but they may take possession of it But who shall do this shall all promiscuously no certainly but they which are called i. They to whom this eternal inheritance is offered by the Gospel of Christ and who accept this great grace of God by a lively faith For both of these use to be included in the word called But he simply saith they which are called might receive this eternall inheritance because all which are called may receive it if they will and be not wanting to themselves for in God and Christ there is no let 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator Here he gives the cause why he said that by meanes of death this effect of remission of sinnes and receiving the eternall inheritance doth follow because saith he where a Testament is there of necessity the death of the Testator must intervene which reason hee confirmes by a Super-reason in the verse following But here some man may object that the Author doth but sophisticate with words and not draw a reall argument from the thing it selfe Seeing Christ was not the Author of any testament properly but onely the Mediatour of the Covenant although the Greeke writers use the word Testament to signifie a Covenant But the ambiguity of the word must not confound the natures and properties of the things so that what is true of one thing which the ambiguous word signifies should forthwith bee transfered to the other signified by the same word We answer That the speech is here of such a thing as is common to both the significations of the word the proper and improper or rather the generall and the speciall i. that is Covenant and Testament for we said before that every Testament is a Covenant an especiall and best kind of Covenant For Covenant is a generall name whereby those things are called that are more properly named leagues and testaments both which are Covenants And indeed almost throughout the old testament the originall word which our English translation renders Covenant doth properly signifie a League and were better so rendered for because God is a publike person and so is mankinde also therefore all Gods Covenants with man are properly Leagues Hence the Latine translations both vulgar and others constantly render them Faedera So for a testament if we consider the nature of it accuratly then any solemne act of any person testified by his death is properly a testament and he who testifies anothers act though he be no Author but onely the assertor of it is properly the testator of it For hence the Civilians have borrowed their termes of Testament and Testator which commonly concurre in the same person yet not necessarily but accidentally for whatsoever witnesse will testifie upon his death the verity and certainty of another mans last Will and Testament such a witnesse is truely a testator to that Testament And he that mediats to certifie a mans Testament and mediats so farre as to testifie it with his death hee is both the mediator and the testator of that Testament so that a mediator and a testator in respect of the same Testament are not functions incompatible but consentaneous that may easily concurre in the same person Yea hee that in this sence is the testator of a Testament is necessarily thereupon the mediator of it So that Gods two solemne Covenants or rather his Leagues the old and the new are truely and properly called Testaments because they are both testified by bloud and death to certifie confirme and establish them for the old Testament was testified by the bloud and death of calves and goates which was therefore called the bloud of the Testament as it is declared in the verses following But because the new Testament was testified certified confirmed and established by the death and bloud of Christ therefore Christ though hee were not the Author of it yet is most truely and properly the testator of it And because Christ did mediate for this Testament to certifie and publish it to the world that the old and former testament was abrogated and revoaked and that this new one was the last Will and Testament of his Father therefore also be was most truely and properly the Mediatour of it And hee was so constant and earnest a Mediator to certifie the truth of this new Testament that thereupon hee became the testator of it also to testifie and confirme it with his death and blood Nay because Christ was the Testator of it therefore hee must necessarily also be the Mediator of it for no man will testifie that truth or that cause with his bloud for which he no way mediats seeing he â—hat no way mediats for a thing will 〈◊〉 testifie it with his blood Wherefore in the words of these 16. and 17 verses though the Author for a while supposeth and takes it for graunted that not onely death but the death of the Testator which here is Christ must needs intervene to confirme the new Testament yet a little after at the 23. verse and so forward hee clearly demonstrats it For there he teacheth that the matter must not nor could not be effected by the bloud of beasts because he was both the Mediator and the high Priest of the Covenant or League who when he was to appeare before God in his heavenly Sanctuary and there to performe his offering certainly he was not to slay some beast to bring the bloud of it into that Sanctuary but must shed his own bloud to make himselfe his owne offering in heauen thereby to confirme and establish the new League or Covenant which as he might do so he must doe it for the great dignity and sublimity of the particulars therein contained So that in this respect the new Covenant comes neerer to the nature of a Testament then of a League which was the proper nature of the old Covenant For what effect could there be in the bloud of a beast to confirme and make faith unto us of heavenly promises Such a Confirmation had very ill beseemed this divine and heavenly Covenant especially seeing it might be confirmed by other bloud more sutable to it and by bloud that notwithstanding was to be shed for another cause which cause hath already been shewed at the 14. verse Whence wee may perceive that in these words in this 16. verse as they are also extended to Covenants or Leagues and to the Authors and Mediators of them somthing must be understood to make the truth of them fully to appeare which yet is not expressed because it makes nothing to the point in hand For these words of the Author here must be taken as it he had
heaven and earth And againe the Lord shall judge his people Againe is in the same place which was cited before And in the word Lord lies the Emphasis and force of the argument For if the Lord himself who is the most high God shall judge his people who sees not but that the judgement must needs be most heavy and fearfull To judge here signifies to condemne and punish In Deuteronomie as we said is signified by these words that the Lord would avenge his people upon their enemies from the oppressions and wrongs done to his people But the Author following the more frequent use and sense of those words in other passages of the Scriptures hath applyed them to the punishment of Gods people falling from their faith and obedience For it is no lesse true that the Lord will punish his owne people if they bee refractory and rebellious against him then that he would judge and avenge their cause and vindicate them from injuries if they were wrongfully oppressed And the words his people doe also argue the fearfulnesse of the judgement For it is great reason that the people of God if they shall presume to be rebellious and obstinate against God should suffer a heavier punishment then other men And they are here called the people of God who are disobedient and obstinate because they have received the knowledge of God and of his truth and in that respect stand obliged to God in a peculiar manner Besides the appellations or names of things do often remaine when the true ground or cause of the name is altered and gone 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God This is as it were the major Proposition of the Authors Argument whereby he would make it appeare that the punishment of the persons forementioned will be very grievous and fearfull For he reasoneth thus To fall into the hands of the living God is a fearfull thing but these men fall into the hands of the living God seeing as we have heard already God himselfe will doe judgement and execution upon them And therefore their punishment must needs be fearfull But hee puts the conclusion in the first place then the assumption and now he addes the major proposition which is of a knowne verity For what man is he that will not acknowledge how fearfull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God because the living God can punish far more fearfully then mortall men can doe Why God is called living wee have shewed before Chap. 9.14 But we must note that the Author speaks here of that punishment whereby God puts men to everlasting destruction and doth it in his wrath and not of that chastisement which God sometime inflicts for the good of his people For it is farre better to be chastised and corrected from God himselfe and from his owne hand then to be left to the pleasure of wicked men as David testifies 2 Sam. 24.14 32. But call to remembrance the former dayes Hee brings here a new argument whereby he perswades the Hebrewes to constancie and perseverance in the Christian Religion and he drawes it from their former constancie and vertue which they shewed at the beginning when first they received the Christian Faith In which after ye were illuminated Christ is severall times called the light and the true light because he brought into the world by the publishing of the Gospel that knowledge of God which doth truly illuminate and enlighten us not only in respect of that naturall ignorance that growes up with men concerning God but in respect of that revealed knowledge which under the first Covenant was but darke and shady for the Gospell doth reveale unto us those mysteries which did before lye hid for since the vaile of the old Sanctuary was rent we now have liberty to looke into the heavenly Sanctuary where by faith wee see and know many mysteries especially touching the expiation of our sinnes and salvation of our soules Of which truth when we receive the knowledge we are said to be illuminated And this illumination is the first act of our entrance into Covenant with God for thereby it is that we are made acquainted with the sacred contents of the Covenant So that Illuminated here is all one with receiving the knowledge of the truth before ver 26. Yee endured a great fight of afflictions To endure afflictions for Christ and not decline them but patiently and stoutly to goe through the triall of them is a great conflict or fight 33. Partly while ye were made a gazing stocke both by reproaches and afflections Reproaches and afflictions are put for all sorts of persecutions whereof these two are the chiefe kindes for reproaches are those persecutions whereby a mans reputation credit or good name is vexed and afflictions are those whereby men suffer in their bodies and goods as by sines imprisonments and punishments And reproaches and afflictions are the means whereby Gods people are made a gazing stocke or a spectacle for men to looke at Yet it is not necessary wee should take this word properly as if the Hebrews had been condemned by publicke decree of the Magistrate and in the sight of all men brought upon a Scaffold there to suffer punishment or to be branded with reproaches which notwithstanding did many times befall the Christians But it may be taken metaphorically for those reproaches and afflictions in generall which were publickly known to all or were in a manner in all mens mouths as for example when a Christian was openly reviled or beaten or dragged through the streets or had his house by publicke authority and open force plundered and rifled And partly when ye became companions of them that were so used This is done when we take care and make provision for them who are reproached and afflicted when wee harbour them helpe and cherish them make their case our owne and professe our selves their brethren and companions Men are used to reproaches and afflictions when they many times and often suffer them and by reason of them are agitated vexed and tossed too and fro from place to place for so much is here signified by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and tooke joyfully the spoyling of your goods Here he declares both those particulars which in the verse going before he had expressed and attributed to them saving that he puts the latter in the first place and the former in the latter For the compassion they had belong to their accompanying of those who were reproached and afflicted because true compassion as in this place is meant signifies not a bare griefe of minde proceeding from anothers misery but therewithall includes the effects and deeds of a minde truly compassionate And the spoiling of their goods is referred to the reproches and afflictions which they suffered Knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring
the Old Testament pertinent to his purpose or because he thought them not to be mentioned by reason of that sinne whereby they made themselves and their posterity subject unto death especially seeing in those Canonicall bookes we no where reade that God ever pardoned our first Parents for their sinne although the Author of the booke of Wisdome in the beginning of the tenth chapter affirmes That Wisdome preserved the first formed father of the world that was created alone and brought him out of his fall that is she freed him from the guilt and punishment of his sinne Therefore he begins with Abel their son placing him in the first place as the first person among those whose piety towards God and Gods love toward them is celebrated in Scripture and then shews what Abel obtained by his faith Of him therefore he saith That he offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain Some render it a more bountifull sacrifice others a more valuable thinking the Author intended to note that Cain as an ungratefull and a distrustfull person offered onely a few fruits but Abel to testifie his affection and faith offered things of more value namely the firstlings and fattest of his sheepe But the more simple and certaine meaning is that Abels sacrifice was not more bountifull or more valuable of it selfe then the others but more acceptable unto God who accepted and esteemed it better and more excellent by reason of the righteousnesse and godlinesse of the person that offered it for upon that ground it is that God esteemes and values all offerings made unto him Now there was no other cause of that godlinesse and consequently of Gods acceptation of Abels sacrifice but onely Abels saith whereby he stood perswaded that God was and was a Rewarder of those that seeke him and sue to him for his favour by godlinesse and righteousnesse And there was no other cause of his faith but that he had in him the substance of things hoped for for his hope of Gods favour and of Gods reward did breed this faith of God in him Furthermore he whose offering God hath in esteeme his person must needs be in more esteeme with God for from this roote growes the true happinesse of every man But that Cain offered the fruits of the earth and Abel the firstlings of his cattell the reason was because Cain was an husbandman and Abel an heards-man So both of them offered their sacrifice to God out of that substance wherein each abounded And that the word sacrifice which properly signifies an offering from the Herd which is slaine should be tacitly referred to Cains offering which was onely of fruits this must be attributed to the runne of the comparison the fitting whereof doth many times make way to some abusions or improprieties By which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous The words by which are better referred to Abels faith then to his sacrifice for the following words and by it he being dead yet speaketh are in like manner referred to his faith for they expresse a peculiar fruit of it But where did Abel obtaine this testimony of his righteousnesse even in that passage of Scripture where God had respect to him and to his sacrifice but not to that which Cain offered as we reade it Gen. 4.4,5 or as the Author declares himselfe in the words following God testifying of his gifts For therein God testified of his gifts or offerings that they were acceptable unto him in that he had respect unto them And very probable it is that God shewed his testimony and acceptance thereof by some fire sent from heaven which consumed the sacrifice and offering of Abel And when God doth accept of a mans gifts and offerings being graciously pleased to receive them he doth thereby testifie and witnesse that man to be a righteous person seeing no gifts or offerings are acceptable to God but such as come from a righteous man for the sacrifice of fooles or sinners is an abomination to him And when God in his discourse with Cain rendred him a reason why he had no respect to his offering he shewed cleerely enough that both Cain did not well and that Abel did well which is to be just See Gen. 4.7 And by it be being dead yet speaketh Another fruit of Abels faith which was the cause that God would be an avenger of his innocent bloud to persecute and banish from his presence his brother that had murdered him Abels bloud is said to speake or cry unto God by way of metaphor because God thereby is vehemently incited and moved to take vengeance for the murder of a person that was righteous and acceptable to God as if his bloud had cried and sued to God for justice to be done upon the murtherer So in the Revelation the souls of them that were slaine for the word of God are said to cry with a loud voice How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Revel 6.10 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him In the second place hee brings the Example of Enoch and sheweth what he obtained by his faith Into what place Enoch was translated the Scripture expresseth not but from what the Authour addes that he should not see death it appeares hee was translated into such a place wherein men see not death i. Are exempt and free from dying which seemes to be no other or at least no other knowne to us then that heavenly habitacle of Immortalitie wherein God and Christ and the holy Angels dwell But because the Scripture expresly saith not that Enoch obtained this favour by his faith therefore the Authour proves it by adding For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God The reason may runne thus Enoch was translated because he pleased God which the thing it selfe shewes and the Scripture testifies that before his translation he pleased God But without faith it is impossible to please God therefore Enoch was translated by his faith The consequence of this argument shal be defended afterward Or rather the reason may thus be gathered Enoch was translated because he pleased God and because he pleased God therefore hee had Gods testimoniall of it And againe because hee pleased God therefore hee had in himselfe some substance of things hoped for and some evidence of things not seene and because hee had in him this substance and evidence of things hoped for and not seene therefore hee had faith and because he had faith therefore by his faith hee was translated For in affirmative arguments that which is first in nature is last in course of reason He had this testimony namely either from the holy Scripture or from the holy Ghost by whom the Scripture was indited But the giving or the taking of this testimony must not be joyned with the preceding words before his translation
as if this testimonie were made of him before he was translated but must be only referred to the matter of the testimony which is this that before his translation he pleased God and after his translation the Scripture testified that hee pleased God before it And Enochs pleasing of God may be understood two wayes either that hee pleased God in endeavour by studying and labouring to please him or that hee pleased him in effect by an actuall service of God which latter is consequent to the former And the testimony of this is given in Scripture where it is said that Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.22.24 For hee that walketh with God certainely he endeavours to please God and either in effect doth actually please God or at least God is pleased with his endeavour So likewise of Noah it is said That he was a just man and perfect in his generations and that he walked with God Gen. 6.9 For this walking with God which in the following verse the Authour expresseth by comming to God and by seeking of God doth signifie a conversation of man with God whereby in a manner hee doth alwayes reverence God as being alwayes in his presence and as I may say never departing out of his sight but having ever his minde and thoughts fixed upon him and is so addicted to Gods Lawes and Commands that in all his actions through the whole course of his life hee hath God for his leader and companion whom he follows and accompanies Hee that is such a man must needs endeavour to please God and cannot chuse but actually please him For the Greeke translation which as hath beene often noted the Authour followes doth render the Hebrew words of Enochs walking with God by Greeke words which properly signifie his pleasing of God 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God Now we come to the defence of that argument which formerly we mentioned for here the Authour expresly confirmes and proves it by the following words For he that commeth to God must beleeve that hee is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Hee proves I say what before he had affirmed by this explication of faith or rather by two specifications of it whereof the first is to beleeve the existence of God that God is and the second to beleeve the righteousnesse or equitie of God that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him For is it not wholly necessary that he who commeth to God i. He who doth worship and serve him he who perpetually addicts himselfe to observe his Lawes and Commands hee who heartily endeavoureth to please him and actually doth please him should beleeve both these points and be strongly perswaded of them For if he beleeve not the existence of God that God is how should hee worship and serve him if he beleeve his existence and yet doubt of his goodnesse and righteousnesse whether hee will be a Benefactor to his worshippers and servitors how shall they subject themselves to his worship and service Now to beleeve that God is is to beleeve that there is really existent such a person in being who hath the supreme power or command over all things who depends on no other person but all other persons and things depend on him For by the single appellation of God this is commonly signified both here and elsewhere And he that beleeveth such a Dietie must thereupon withall necessarily beleeve that it is both eternall and singular for if it were not eternall and singular it could not be supreme To seeke God or enquire after God is nothing else but to sue for his grace and favour as we are admonished by the Prophet Esay chap 55.6 Seeke yee the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him Here hee shewes us the way how to seeke God Namely by calling upon him and the way to that at least to do it effectually is to forsake our unrighteousnes and sinfulnes and turn to the Lord observing his laws and commands Hence it appeares what is the nature of that faith which commends us to God for the Author teacheth it unto us in this Chapter and how farre such faith differs from their faith who place faith in the apprehension and application of the merits of Christ It further appeares that faith in Christ is not contained in all faith in God in respect of all times for in this description and illustration of that faith which the Author shews to have been in these ancient elders there is no mention of faith in Christ Yet from the nature of faith in God it is easie to collect wherein the faith in Christ consisteth namely that we beleeve that Christ is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him or rather to expresse it in the words of this Author It is to beleeve that Christ is become the author of eternall salvation to all them that obey him chap. 5.9 For from this faith ariseth a true confidence in Christ which naturally draws with it innocencie and holinesse of life and by these we come to please God and Christ and then being justified by his grace wee attaine the inheritance of eternall life And this also may be noted as it will further appear by many of the following examples That Faith if we take it properly and strictly doth differ from obedience from comming to God and seeking him because faith must necessarily bee in a man before he can actually come to God and seek him yet indeed the word faith is oftentimes so ampliated and enlarged as to comprehend in it all the effects and fruits of it even all the workes of godlinesse and righteousnesse And in this argumentation of the Author for we are also to take notice of it there is not more in the conclusion then was in the premises For from the premises as the Author explicates them it seems nothing else would follow but that Enoch was not translated without faith and not that hee was translated by or through or for his faith which is more and is also concluded by the Author But seeing without faith we cannot please God for faith is the true cause of our pleasing him and seeing Enoch was therefore translated because he did please God hence most rationally it must be concluded that Enochs faith was the cause of his translation and consequently he was translated by for through or because and by reason of his faith For whatsoever is the cause of any effect is also the cause of all things that follow that effect Now from this argumentation of the Author concluding Enochs faith to be the cause of his translation it manifestly appeares That good workes and an ardent endeavour of them whereby Enoch became to please God are not only the cause of eternall
salvation but in some respect a cause of it more immediate and nearer then faith For for what cause was Enoch translated Was it not because he pleased God But how came he to effect this I suppose by his righteousnesse or as the Scripture expresseth it by his walking with God But what was the cause that made him to walke with God and really endeavour with all his heart to please him Certainly his faith caused this and further yet What was the cause of his faith Certainly one or both those principles whereof we treated in the first verse of this Chapter Enoch had some evidence or sight of something unseen and he had some substance of something hoped And what were they Certainly the same two points whereof the Author spake in the fifth verse for he had a sight of God who is unseen that he is and secondly he had a subsistance of hope that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the chaine and these the severall linkes whereof Enochs translation depends For his evidence or sight was the cause of his hope his hope the cause of his faith his faith of his walking with God his walking with God of his pleasing God and his pleasing God was the cause of his translation Now if we goe backe by way of Resolution through the severall linkes of this chaine we shall easily perceive that without the first linke none of the rest can subsist and so consequently no one that followeth can be without the former and therefore the Author with good reason faith that without faith it is impossible to please God and by the like reason it will as necessarily follow that without good workes or walking with God it is impossible to please him also as also without an evidence or without a sight of God who is unseen it is impossible to have faith True it is that faith is the cause of our pleasing God and also of that eternall salvation which we have from God for what can be more pleasing to the supreme Lord of all things then to see a man of whom God was never seen to relye strongly and without any doubt of minde upon his fidelity bounty goodnesse righteousnesse power and wisdome But faith hath yet another vertue no lesse then the former whereby it procures our salvation as it were at a great distance namely in working in us good workes or walking with God and causing us to come to God and seeke him by suing to him for his favour and grace in all our desires and all our deeds 7. By faith Noah being warned of God The third example is the faith of Noah in that he beleeved the oracle of God warning him of things whereof in the course of nature there was not the least appearance Of this mans faith he teacheth us both what good is wrought in him and what good it brought unto him The word faith here must not be referred to the words immediately following as if he had been warned of God of things not yet seen by his faith but including those words with a comma his faith appeals and coheres to the words moved with feare and to the words following he prepared an Arke c. This oracle or warning of God given him is extant Gen. 6.13 unto the end of the Chapter Of things not seen as yet That is of the future floud that was to come upon the world which then as yet was not only not seene but there appeared no likelihood or possibility of it but what was drawne from Gods warning Moved with fear prepared an Arke These were the effects of Noahs faith first in that hee feared or was moved with feare that God would bring upon the world the punishment he had threatned then from the faith of the punishment and the feare of it he was further induced to frame the Arke as God appointed him that by means thereof he might escape the punishment by drowning the world and so save himselfe and his family from destruction and therefore the Author addes To the saving of his house When the floud came Noah and his family to the number of eight persons entered into the Arke whereby they were saved and all the rest of the world was drowned all men and beasts that were not in the Ark perished by the floud see Gen. 7. This faith of Noah is a good example to us for our imitation that we may learn to apply our selves to a firme faith and beliefe of Gods oracles and predictions whether they be promises concerning the future blessednesse of the godly or whether they bee menaces concerning the future punishment of the wicked and the miserable destruction of the whole world And further that we timely provide our selves of an Arke that is of meanes whereby we may escape the judgements of God and bee saved for ever Now the Arke whereby we may escape from the finall destruction of the whole world and enter into the Tabernacle of immortality is the Answer of a good conscience toward God as Peter teacheth us 1 Epist 3.21 By which he condemned the world It is somewhat doubtfull whether the relative which should be referred whether to Noahs faith or to the Arke for the sense seemes most inclining to the former but the words runne rather for the latter partly because the word Arke stands neerer it and partly because of the words following which say And became heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith Now if the word by which be referred to faith the sense will be this That Noah by his faith became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith but this seems not proper For can any man thinke that Noah by his faith could have obtained any other righteousnesse then that which comes by faith Neither doth the matter it selfe any way crosse this sense For although Noah condemned the world by his faith yet he also condemned it by the Arke in as much as the Arke was a manifest proofe of his faith For unlesse hee had beleeved the comming of the floud hee would never have prepared the Arke to have lost his labour therein and make himselfe ridiculous to all the world But he is said to condemne the world because by his faith in beleeving the floud and by his fact in making the Arke he convinced the world of obstinacie and thereby tooke away all excuse of sin from them who would give no credence to God by a metaphor taken from accusers who are said to condemne a guilty person in that they convict him of his crime and by that means are the cause that hee is condemned for properly to condemne is the act of the Judge In this sense also Christ saith That the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and condemne it And the Queene of the South shall rise up in the judgement and condemne it Matth. 12.41,42 For by the fact of the Ninevites who reponted at the preaching of
Jonas and by the fact of the Queen of the South who came from far to hear the wisdome of Solomon the contumacie and obstinacie of the Jewes is convinced who despised Christ that was present among them and by many degrees greater and wiser then either Jonas or Solomon Whence it came to passe that they were most justly punished of God In like manner Noah by his Faith and by his Arke which was an evidence of his faith convicted the obstinacie of that world and brought it to passe that with very good justice God punished it And as by his faith and the effect of it which was the Arke he procured condemnation to the world so to himselfe he procured righteousnesse for so it followes And became heire of the righteousnes which is by faith Righteousnesse is not here taken in a morall sense for that righteousnesse which flows from good workes but in a jurall sense for that right whereby a man hath a title to have hold and enjoy some benefit or blessing from God or for a right of liberty whereby a man stands exempted and freed from those burthens and punishments whereto others are liable for so it is taken in divers passages of Scripture especially in Pauls Epistles and so it must be taken here as plainly appeares from two grounds First from the opposition of it to the word condemned in the former clause For as to be condemned is to be adjudged to bee deprived of some benefit and to lose that right which a man had before whether it be losse of life limb or goods so on the contrary to be justified is to have some benefit adjudged unto him or be invested in a right to that whereto before he had no right nor title And as the condemnation of the world consisted in the judgement of God sentencing the people of it to lose their lives by drowning in the floud so the righteousnesse or right of Noah consisted in the grant of God whereby God gave Noah a right that he and his house should bee saved from that floud by means of the Arke and Noah accepting of this grant by his faith to beleeve it and rest upon it had thereby a right of salvation to himselfe and his House 2. From the consequence of it to the word heire for men are not heires of morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not a thing transient to be conveyed from one person to another and consequently is no way inheritable but men are heires of jurall rights to those persons that have the propertie or power to dispose convey and grant such rights unto others God granted Noah a right and title for him and his family to be saved from the flood by meanes of the Arke and because Noah accepted of this grant by his faith and testified his acceptance of it by his fact in preparing the Ark therefore he was heire to this right and did inherit or possesse it for heire is a jurall word and signifies one that hath a right whether in posse onely or in esse But from this right of being saved all the rest of the world was disinherited i. They were condemned to bee drowned And it is called a righteousnesse or right by faith because the right hee had thus to bee saved proceeded from Gods speciall grant of Gods meere grace and proper motion without any desert of it or suit for it on the part of Noah For it is opposed to a right by workes or to that right which is due by desert of works or service The Author therfore would intimate unto us that Noah had no right by any works of his to deserve this benefit of saving to him and his house but all the right he had came by his faith on his part but from the grace and favour of Gods grant on Gods part which Noah accepting by his faith was thereby setled upon him And it is opposed to a right by petition or suit which hath the first motion from the partie that petitioneth or sueth for it and thereupon is granted though then also it be granted of meere grace and favour in him that conferres it And thereby the Authour would further intimate unto us that Noah on his part made no petition or suit to God for this benefit for him and his family to be saved and therefore the first motion to have this right proceeded not from Noah but God of his meere and proper motion without any suit made to him proposed this benefit unto Noah and promised him the grant of it freely and primely from himselfe as appears in the sacred story where the thing is at large related Gen. 6.13 where wee read that first God told Noah of the sin of the world and then foretold him of the drowning of it next taught him to frame the Arke and lastly Covenanted with him to save him and his family in it Thus wee see the faith of Noah and the effects of it but what were the causes of it to effect and breed this faith in him We shall finde by inspection into the words of this verse that Noah had in him the two principles of faith whereof wee spake in the first verse For he had an evidence or sight of a thing unseene for God had revealed and forewarned him of the flood which thing to him was yet unseen And he had in him a subsistence of a thing hoped for for God had Covenanted with him and promised him to save him and his family in the Ark which salvation he hoped for So his fore-sight of the flood to come and his hope of being saved from it by the Arke were the causes to produce in him that faith whereby he was moved to feare the flood and to prepare the Arke 8. By faith Abraham when he was called to goe out into a place which hee should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and hee went out not knowing whither he went The fourth example is of Abraham the Father of the faithfull upon whom the Authour doth much inlarge himselfe relating many evidences and proofes of his faith To Abraham he subjoynes Isaac and Jacob in those particulars that were common to them And of Abrahams faith he mentions divers effects and benefits as his invincible courage and constancie that wee might labour to imitate him and expresse the neerest resemblance of it wee can as it becomes them who professe themselves the children of Abraham The first effect of his faith was his obedience for when God called and commanded him to goe out of his countrey unto a place which God would shew him Abraham obeyed without any scruple or delay and went out not knowing whither hee went And the causes or reasons of this faith were as in the former persons First an evidence or sight of a thing unseene for God told him of a place or countrey which was yet unseen of him And secondly a subsistence of a thing hoped for for God had promised him that hee should
he that shall consult the Sacred history and shall diligently both reade and relect it shall finde nothing either written or any way intimated concerning that matter But this divine Author relating examples from the holy Scriptures upon their authority and infallibility seemes not to say or affirme any particular concerning those holy Elders but what is grounded upon the holy Scriptures Yet that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had a hope not onely of some life and happinesse after death but also of a City which hath foundations that is of heaven it selfe and that heavenly happinesse which shall never determine or have end and upon that hope did undergoe all the travels and troubles of a continuall pilgrimage to leade alwayes an uncertaine and flitting life this the holy Scriptures have no where discovered Yea rather what hopes Abraham sometime had in this respect it may hence appeare in that while he was yet destitute of children when God spake to him and said Feare not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Abraham answered Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus and behold one borne in my house is mine heire Gen. 15.1,2 Doth it not hence appeare that the summe of all Abrahams desires came to this that hee might leave behinde him a sonne and heire of his owne body seeing he abounded already in all other goods and riches For if at that time he had with any firme hope conceived of heaven it selfe and the everlasting happinesse thereof when God promised him an exceeding great reward would he have answered Lord God what wilt thou give me For in these words he signified that God had already abundantly rewarded him and given him goods in a full measure and to promise him more was to no purpose seeing he had no childe of his owne to whom hee might leave his estate Whence it appeares that Abraham extended not that exceeding great reward which God promised him beyond the goods and happinesse of this life Wherefore it is more likely that in these words of Abrahams expectance the Author intended not to give a reason why Abraham indured with such constancie the toyles of a continuall pilgrimage and of a life alwayes unsetled but rather of the event as we said why God gave Abraham no possession in that land to inherit as his owne proper right granted him no City to dwell in nor seat where to settle himselfe but would have him dwell in tents with his sonne and grand-childe Namely because as afterward at the sixteenth verse the Author saith God had prepared for him a City infinitly greater and better then all the land of promise with all the Cities in it And the promises of God made to Abraham and his seed doe in the mysticall sense containe this spirituall happinesse and heavenly inheritance And in the same sense the seed of Abraham doth signifie the seed of all the faithfull who follow the faith of Abraham For both these senses are taught us by the Apostle Rom. 4.11,12,13 and Gal. 3.7 and Gal. 4 22. Therefore Abraham expected or looked for a City which hath foundations rather by reason of the event and purpose of God then from any intent and purpose of his owne whereby he might seem to fore know it For in this sense we many times attribute expectation to a thing so this Author Chap. 10. ver 27. saith that to them who sinne willingly there remaines a certaine fearfull expectation or looking for of judgement whereas if we referre this to their intent and purpose of minde sinners most times expect and looke for nothing lesse then the punishment of their sinnes Abraham then is therefore said to looke for this City because this City was by Gods decree reserved and appointed for him and because his faith was so constant in God neither broken nor shaken with any travels or troubles and his whole course of life was such as theirs is who relying upon Gods promise do really expect this heavenly City as a reward of their labours Whereof the first is spoken by way of Metonymie putting the effect for the cause and this latter is said by way of Metaphor This City the Author opposeth to Tabernacles and Tents and the matter is not great to live a while in a Tent that afterward we may live for ever in a City And it is a City that hath foundations By which attribute Heaven is opposed not only to Tabernacles or Tents which have no foundations but to all Cities which though they have foundations yet in comparison of Heaven they have none because they have none such And hereby is signified unto us the firmnesse and strength of our heavenly City which no force no tract of time no change of things can possibly shake or move which shall not be ruined by the ruine of that heaven and earth which to us is visible whereof see the Author afterward Chap. 12. ver 26 27 28. Whose builder and maker is God Certainly that City must needs be most stable ample most beautifull and plentifull of all happinesse which had such a builder and such a maker as God to found and raise it He opposeth God to men who are the founders and builders of all earthly Cities And therefore this City must needs be so divine and heavenly so firme and strong that no hand of man can prevaile against it Cities built by men by men may be destroyed and many times are so but the City whereof God is the builder and maker is secure and safe from all hazard 11. By faith also Sara her selfe received strength to receive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age It may here be doubted whether the Author doth speak here of the faith of Sarah or of Abraham as he first began and afterward goes on The former of these seems to be gathered first from the words of the Author when hee saith Sarah her selfe For it seems as much as if he had said Not only Abraham but also Sarah her selfe by faith received strength So that he joynes Sarah with Abraham in respect of her faith Secondly because the words She judged him faithfull which follow in the next clause of this verse seem to be referred to the next antecedent which is Sarah But the latter opinion seems perswasible First because the Author first began and afterward proceeds to speake of the faith of Abraham Secondly because the sacred History mentions not the faith of Sarah when Isaac was promised but rather the Scripture seems to mention something contrary to her faith for shee laughed within her selfe saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also and the Angell questioned Abraham upon it to know the cause of it saying Wherefore did Sarah laugh Is any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18.12,13 Whence also Paul discoursing upon the same point mentions only the strength of Abrahams
faith Rom. 4.19 Thirdly because in the next verse following where the effect and fruit of this faith is described no mention is made of Sarah but only of Abraham namely in these words Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the skie in multitude Whereupon we may well doubt which of these two opnions should be embraced seeing the reasons brought on either side may easily bee answered For to the first reason for the first opinion we may say That the Author therefore saith Through faith Sarah her selfe to shew us that by the faith of Abraham it came to passe that not only himselfe should have power to beget a sonne though he were then old and barren but also that Sarah her selfe should conceive who was by nature alwayes barren even in her youth and besides was then spent out with yeares and age yet she should both conceive and bring forth beyond all course of nature To the second reason we may answer That is is not necessary that the words judged him faithfull should be referred to the next antecedent but rather to that which is the principall antecedent though it be more remote as we see it done in the verse following wherein the reference is manifestly made to Abraham Neither is the answer difficult to the arguments of the latter opinion To the first it may be said That the Author as a little before he joyned Isaac and Jacob with Abraham for dwelling in tents as a thing common to them all so also here he might joyne Sarah with her husband Abraham in a matter common to them both For in mentioning afterward the speciall fact of Abraham in offering Isaac therein the Author would seem to observe the order of actions and of time For first he must handle Isaacs birth and the faith of Abraham concerning it before he come to the offering of Isaac and Abrahams faith about that To the second Although from Sarahs laughing and from the cause of it which is there expressed and from the answer of the Lord wherein hee reproved Sarah for laughing it appears That the promise made her for the bringing forth of a son within the compasse of the yeare seemed at the first hearing ridiculous to her and a thing not credible especially seeing she seemed not yet to know who the prison was that promised it for if we looke into the context of the History it is plaine that Abraham himselfe did not marke that the persons who spake with him were Angels of God till their speech touching Sarah his wife yet it follows not but that afterward when she had recollected her selfe and had observed the divine Authority of the speaker and perceived that the cause of her doubtfulnesse was strongly refuted by him she continued no longer in her â—…ancie and doubting yea the contrary is more probable both in it selfe and collectively from hence that upon her hearing of the Angels reproofe she was terrified and for feare denied shee had laughed For from whence came this terror and feare upon her but because she now had observed that she had not to deale with a man but with God whose sayings and promises to laugh at or distrust was altogether unlawfull for her though to her judgement they surpassed the whole force and course of nature We see that Abraham himselfe laughed also for the same cause when first God promised him a son by Sarah as wee may read Gen. 17.17 not that he doubted any thing of the faith or power of him that promised it for in the fore-cited place to the Romans Paul openly testifies the contrary but because the matter in it selfe considered especially heard upon the suddaine and at unawares seemed to him in a manner absurd and ridiculous and scarce credible But when he had intended his thoughts upon God that promised him and perceived his promise to be serious he became certaine of the power and saith of God and doubted not at all And the Virgin Mary when first she heard it from the Angel that she should conceive and bring forth a son she replyed How shall this be seeing I know not a man Luke 1.34 From which words it appears that at her first hearing of the Angels words there arose some scruple and doubt in her minde which when the Angel had removed by his answer she rested wholly satisfied For which cause Elizabeth afterward calls her blessed And blessed is she that beleeved Luke 1.45 To the third The following verse therefore treats of Abraham because this verse treats not of Sarah alone but Abraham is joyned with her in these words Through faith also Sarah herselfe For the particle also shews that besides Sarah hee intends some other person namely Abraham whom he named before Notwithstanding all this yet to us it seems more probable that these words of the Author should be referred to Abrahams faith as well as the rest and that his faith is herein also commended in that it produced so admirable an effect not only in himselfe being now old but also in Sarah his wife who was not only old but had been hitherto barren Although it seems the Author did so temper his words on purpose as that Sarah might be admitted into the fellowship and glory of that faith with her husband Abraham Because shee judged him faithfull who had promised Hence it appears that God is not only pleased with our obedience to his commands but also with our faith given to his promises when we by our faith judge him to be faithfull i. constant and true of his word alwayes certaine to performe the thing hee hath promised 12. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the skie in multitude and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable As if he had said The faith of Abraham was so effectuall and fruitfull that by reason thereof it came to passe that not only Sarah conceived and bare a son but also by this son who was but one and came from Abraham one man and he a barren man as good as dead there was propagated a posterity innumerable The Author in this verse hath relation to Gods promise wherein Abraham was promised a seed and a posterity answerable in number to the starres of heaven and to the sands of the sea Gen. 15.5 and Gen. 22.17 The Author expresseth the effect of Gods promise which might be seene with the eye that by experience it might appeare what faith and force there is in the promises of God 13. These all dyed in faith not having received the promises He declares the constancy of their faith in that all these departed this life under faith i. holding the faith of the promises and certainely beleeving the future performance of them though themselves obtained not the effect of the promises or the things promised For the promises were to be fulfilled not onely after their death but many
great calamity under which the people of God then suffered in Egypt Therefore the Author willing further to illustrate and more amply to describe this notable fact 〈◊〉 Moses doth adde in the verse following 25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season The riches and dignity which Moses did possesse with sin that is with the deniall of Gods people and so of God himselfe for otherwise enjoy them he could not he thought to be but a temporary use of sinne and he therefore thought so either because he saw how transitory and fading these things are or else because he thought that God who is the avenger of sinne would not suffer him long to enjoy those riches and dignities together with such a wickednesse and that some vengeance of God would suddainely strip him of all his riches and power and câ—st some sad punishment upon him for so foule a sin 26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt The Author proceeds yet further to illustrate and amplifie this fact of Moses But seeing by the reproach of Christ is signified that calamity whereinto Moses cast himselfe and which he esteemed greater riches then the treasures of Egypt there must needs be some trope in those words For properly the Reproach of Christ is that which Christ himselfe suffereth But by way of Metaphor it may signifie a Reproach like unto that which was sometime suffered by Christ or his people who are sometime tearmed by the name of Christ or the Reproach which he suffers who bears the type of Christ or his people Such was the Reproach of the Israelites in Egypt that is their extreme affliction and oppression joyned with much shame and disgrace Now Moses would rather become a partner of this calamity by professing himselfe an Israelite then to possesse the treasures of Egypt For whereas some imagine that Moses is said in this place to have suffered for Christs sake this is a fond conceit As if Pharaoh had ever thought of Christ or had therefore persecuted Moses because hee professed himselfe a Christian and not rather an Israelite Yet wee are to take notice that this metaphor here either in both the words joyned together namely the reproach of Christ or in the single word of Christ so as Christ in this place may be taken for the type or image of Christ And Christ whose type and image is here signified will bee either Christ himselfe or the people of Christ who as we have said are sometime noted and included in the name of Christ as 1 Cor. 12.12 So also is Christ and Gal. 3.16 and to thy seed which is Christ In which places it is most certaine that by the name of Christ is signified the people of Christ joyntly with Christ their head But that people of Israel were a type of both these both of Christ himselfe and of all Christian people For hence it is that in a mysticall sense that is referred to Christ which in a literall sense was spoken of the Israelites Out of Egypt have I called my Son Hos 11.1 and Mat. 2 15. Therefore this people of Israel in bearing this type both of Christ Christians might very fitly by this Author be called Christ But as we said there may be a Metaphor in both the words conjoyned the Reproach of Christ and so the reproach of the Israelites in Egypt may be called the reproach of Christ because in like manner it beares a type and image of the reproach both of Christ and of Christians by reason of Christ For so the Author was pleased to speak that he might speak with reference to the afflictions of Christians who must properly and truly beare the reproach of Christ for the hope of an exceeding reward from God which phrase the Author useth afterward Chap. 13.13 For comparisons and allusions as we have often noted are subject to many abusions or improprieties For hee had respect unto the recompence of the reward Here he shews the cause and ground from whence the faith of Moses grew was one or both the principles of faith mentioned in the first verse he had an evidence or sight of something unseen he saw the unseen recompence of reward which God would bestow on him for his esteem of the Reproach of Christ and he had a subsistence of a thing hoped for in that he hoped for the recompence of reward which sight and hope composed and framed his faith and are both signified in the word respect whereby he both saw and hoped for the recompence of reward And his faith built upon these two grounds made him doe and suffer hard things for Gods sake from whom he expected his reward for such is the generall nature of faith to encourage and support us under hard and heavy attempts 27. By faith he forsooke Egipt not fearing the wrath of the King He mentions here another effect of the faith of Moses And this may bee understood first of that flight of Moses out of Egypt after he had professed himselfe an Israelite not only in words but by the slaughter of an Egyptian doing wrong to an Israelite Exod. 2,15 In which flight especially the faith of Moses appeared because by his flight he hoped that by Gods helpe he should escape and that the wrath of so great and so potent a King who as one said truly have long hands should not hurt him having avoyded the danger by flying and being at a great distance out of the Kings reach he feared not the wrath of the King for so only wee must understand his not fearing of the Kings wrath For otherwise in the forecited place of Exod. 2.14 it is written that Moses did feare and because he feared therefore he fled But after that when he was fled then he feared not For he endured as seeing him who is invisible Here he more fully declares the faith of Moses and to shew the perfection of it doth explicate both the effect and the cause of it The effect of it was that thereby he endured that is hee voluntarily underwent a grievous banishment and constantly bore it and cared not so much to be reconciled to the King as to live in banishment despoyled of all his former dignity though hee could no where subsist safe or secure And the cause of his faith was his evidence or sight of a person unseen for he saw God who is invisible which sight built up his faith in God Yet this whole verse may bee referred to that fact of Moses when returning by Gods command from his flight and banishment into Egypt and doing there so many strange miracles that the King mastered with divers plagues and at last hardly dismissing the people he departed out of Egypt with all the Israelites as their Leader and Captaine which act he did by faith because he feared not that the King incensed with wrath as is usually done in the
land of Canaan but are there wholly intercepted and stopped from all entrance into the land promised Jericho therefore must needs first be taken and because it cannot be conquered by force of armes therefore it shall be taken by force of faith after compassing about the walles of it seven dayes God who is so powerfull that hee could create the world in six dayes could have destroyed Jericho in lesse then seven yet God who is so mercifull that hee gave the great City of Ninivie fourtie dayes would give little Jericho seven dayes for God who sent Jonas to them of Ninivie had provided Rahab for them of Jericho as a Prophet and a Preacher of repentance unto them For she who for her selfe had such faith to beleeve in God would gladly have preached the like faith to the Citie that God who is the God in heaven above and in earth beneath had given that land to his owne people as shee her selfe had before acknowledged to the spies of Israel Josh 2.9 11. But because they of Jericho were so wicked that shee durst not preach this faith among them and so obstinate that if shee had preached it yet they would not beleeve it therefore by the faith of Gods people after seven dayes compassing the walles of Jericho shall fall downe Now the cause of this faith in the people of God was their evidence or sight of things unseen and the subsistence they had of a thing hoped for for God had promised them by the mouth of Joshua that upon this fact of compassing the Citie seven dayes once a day and the seventh day seven times the wall of it should fall downe flat Josh 6.4,5 The truth of this promise being yet unseen they saw and hoped for and thereby grew their faith to beleeve it 31. By faith the harlot Rahab There are that thinke that Rahab was not an harlot but an Inkeeper or Taverner which because they are wont sometimes to be harlots or to receive harlots that frequent their houses therefore among the Hebrews the name of harlot is applied to hostesses But this signification of the Hebrew word Hazzonah they prove not by examples Neither is it for nothing that the Scripture whensoever she mentions the example of Rahab to whom God shewed so much favour and mercy forgets not to give her this attribute of harlot For it seemes to doe this thereby to shew the great force of a true and lively faith because by vertue thereof many attaine to justification and impunity who otherwise by their life little deserve it Now if the Hebrew word Hazzonah signified onely a publike hostesse when it is uttered of Rahab and not an harlot properly so called this singular commendation of Rahabs faith were utterly lost-which notwithstanding James and this Author endeavour to expresse Perished not with them that beleeved not The inhabitants of Jericho are called unbeleevers because they would not beleeve that the God of heaven had granted to the Israelites the possession both of their city and of the whole land of Canaan or because beleeving this grant of God yet they would not obey it by giving way to it for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well unobedient as unbeleeving And they were disobedient because they would not admit but opposed the people of God whom they knew were approaching and had heard what strange works God had done for them and consequently would not submit to Gods way For if herein they had joyned with Rahab to have beleeved as she did they might with her have escaped the destruction of their City and their owne ruine For that Law of God which had appointed so many Nations to the slaughter was by collating it with another Law to be understood to take place with the exception of those that should freely submit to things commanded them and should renounce the worship of their Idols and false gods All which appeares by the example of Rahab and of Solomon who tooke the remnant of the Canaanites to his dominion under tribute 1 King 9.20,21 When she had received the spies with peace She abstained from all injury towards those spies her selfe and from all treachery in discovering them to others and defended them from the violence of those that made inquisition after them For these were the expressions of that peace wherewith she received them And this her faith was not idle and empty but testified with a notable action of triall For she did not onely receive those spies with the danger of her life but she hid them and afterward dismissed them with many difficulties Which fact of hers how availeable it was to her justification both the thing it selfe declares and S. James openly testifies Jam. 2.25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when shee had received the messengers and had sent them out another way 32. And what shall I more say As if he had said Why should I stay longer in relating of single examples of those whose faith is testified in Scripture For the time would faile me to tell of Gedeon Barac Samson and of Jephte of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets Hee placeth David though latter in time before Samuel though elder not onely for the greater dignity of David but also because Samuel came neerer in quality to the Prophets with whom he closeth And David came neerer to those Heroes forenamed as Gedeon Barac and Samson for he was a middle person betweene the Heroes and the Prophets and was indeed both 33. Who through faith subdued kingdomes This is principally referred to David who subdued some kingdomes But this was done by faith because when God promised him victory over his enemies he beleeved it and upon his beliefe thereof did make warre upon them whereof we may reade severall Psalmes of David composed by him to that purpose and among others Psal 2.18.20 and 21. Wrought righteousnesse Such were also the same David Samuel and the Prophets Here in like manner it appeares that faith taken strictly and properly differs from the working of righteousnesse as the cause from the effect because righteousnesse is the effect of an effectuall faith Obtained promises These seeme rather to signifie that by faith they obtained new and extraordinary promises such as that promise made to David that the Kingdome should be setled upon his posterity for ever and that Christ should be borne from his line then that they obtained the effect of Gods solemne promises For if that effect be taken for immortall life it is false as it is taught afterward ver 39. But if we take it of the blessings of this life they scarce seem any other then victories and triumphs over their enemies But these are particularly related in the verse following unlesse we say that those promises which they obtained are specified and reckoned up in the verses following and so after he had said that by faith they wrought righteousnesse he rightly addes they also obtained the promises
number For temptation is a thing generall and common to all who suffer persecutions for righteousnesse sake And withall temptation doth imply the constancie of them who are tempted But if we must needs read it they were tempted then we must understand it of some particular kinde and forme of temptation wherewith persons in distresse might easily bee overcome and drawne from their constancie as for example when a man is follicited to some fained act or to some ambiguous words by promising him safety and some good rewards besides to condescend to this that though he will not truly recede from his former way yet that he seem to recede from it For after this manner we read Eleazer was temped Now for a man to overcome such a temptation by lending no care nor minde unto it but rather dye a cruell death then to staine the reputation of his confession and constancie with the least shew of dissembling is a great and a brave conquest They wandred about in sheeps skins and goats skins For they had no means to procure other garment or covering for their body and therefore he presently addes being destitute afflicted tormented This is the reason why they wandred about and why in sheeps skins and goats skins because they were destitute of all worldly provision and in all places where they came were afflicted and tormented and therefore they wandred from place to place in that despicable and poore manner All which miseries happened unto them in the times of the Maccabes under the persecution of the cruell Antiochus 38. Of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dens and caves of the earth The Author interposeth the former words of this verse to shew the indignity of the usage and foulnesse of the injury which the wicked inflicted upon the true servitors of God As if he had said these good men were constrained to wander like wilde beasts and to hide themselves like wilde beasts in desarts and mountaines in holes and caves of the earth but among men in Townes and Cities they could have no abode though for their piety and faith toward God they were of such worth and respect that the inhabitants of the whole world were unworthy of them Of this carriage Christians especially ought to take notice when they see worthy persons to be vexed banished afflicted and slaughtered of the unworthy good men of evill and the innocent of the wicked For as the Author would intimate unto us it may be that the world herein did in a manner punish her selfe in that shee persecuted and banished such holy persons and drave them away from her of whose conversation and company she was altogether unworthy 39. And these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise The word all seems in the intention of the Author to be chiefly referred to those persons last mentioned who for the love of Gods Law suffered such great calamities For the former persons mentioned before them obtained some promises of God as rewards of their faith but these latter that were persecuted and slain for the testimony of Gods Law had none And yet all their faith who were mentioned in the former place was not such a faith as to be of it self a saving faith or such an one which could procure them eternall life which the Author here understands by the name of the promise unlesse something else were added particularly that faith which concerns only wars or had some certaine thing proposed for the matter of it as the recovery of their health or the raising of their dead children to life and which was perpetuall in them working in them that had it true righteousnesse and piety for there is no cogent reason constraining us to affirme that it was such a faith See what the Author hath affirmed ver 33 34 35. A good report part through faith They obtained the praise and commendation of their faith in the Scriptures See ver 2. through faith Partly because their faith was the cause why they performed such worthy acts as deserved great praise and commendation Partly because such a notable faith in God was of it selfe the cause and matter of that good report and commendation Received not the promise The article the doth shew that some excellent promise is here designed out namely that which is peculiar and proper unto Christians which hath none greater and more excellent then it selfe the promise I meane of that truly blessed and eternall life which though it were not openly promised to them but only to us yet it shall be given to them as well as to us But the word promise is taken here materially for the thing promised 40. God having provided some better thing for us Hee addes here the cause why they have not yet received the promise For the Hebrews might thinke that God in this respect had not dealt so well with them that they had not yet received the reward of their faith workes and sufferings The Author therefore meets with such surmifes and shews it was done for this reason because God had provided some better thing for us A question But here it may be demanded wherein our condition is the better in that they might not receive that promise nor bee perfected without us For if they had received eternall happinesse before would the summe of our happinesse have been any thing the lesse Or is our happinesse any thing the greater because they are made to stay for it The Answer to this may be twofold and according to the twofold Answer there will arise a twofold sense of these words Answer 1. The first Answer is That God would herein provide for our dignity and make our happinesse the more illustrious For although if we regard the thing it self nothing would either be taken from our happines if they had obtained eternall life without us or before us or will now accrue unto it that they have it not without us but together with us yet respectively and comparatively we should have been far inferiour unto them if they without staying for us had been long since invested in heavenly joyes But now seeing they are constrained to stay for us and may not enjoy that promise before us hence appears that the dignity of Christians is very great and that their happinesse is made much more conspicuous seeing there are none who can seeme to obscure it by preventing it with a fuller or more early happinesse And certainly very convenient it was that God should so provide for it that they who had obeyed him only according to the ordinances of Moses should not prevent in happinesse those who compose their lives and manners according to the perfect Law and discipline of Christ and that they who never had any open promise of eternall life should enjoy that life before them who had an open and cleare Covenant for it But rather seeing by Gods goodnesse they were to
can want his care for feeding ruling and defending and lastly seeing he so feeds his sheep that he recovers them from the jaws of death and hell and settles them in possession of the Kingdome of Heaven Through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant These words must not be referred to the words brought again but must be construed with the word shepheard And a shepheard by or through bloud is such a shepheard as had shed his bloud for so we read 1 John 5.6 That Christ came by water and bloud not by water only but by water and bloud that is he was not only pure and clear from all spot or stain of sinne which purity is signified by the word water but also that he suffered a bloudy death by shedding of his bloud The Author had intimated before that this great Shepheard was dead in saying that God brought him againe from the dead but now he further shewes not onely the manner of his death that it was violent cruell and bloudy but also the cause of his death to what end he dyed which end tendeth to our infinite benefit namely to confirme and seale the everlasting covenant For the bloud of the Covenant is that bloud which is shed to dedicate establish and confirme the Covenant that it may never be revokeable But the Author understands the new Covenant which was confirmed by the bloud of Christ Whence wee may easily collect how certaine and sure we may be of the promises contained in that Covenant if we performe the conditions of it which are most just and equall When he calls this Covenant everlasting he tacitly opposeth it to the old covenant by Moses which was not to continue to the end of the world therfore was not properly everlasting And by the eternity of this Covenant that it is everlasting is withall intimated the perfection of it for if it were not perfect it could not be everlasting as the former old covenant was not everlasting because it was not perfect but weake and unprofitable and therefore it was disanulled and abolished as the Author said before chap. 7.18 For there is verily a disanulling of the commandement going before for the weakenesse and unprofitablenesse thereof And what is said of one commandement or precept may well be referred to the whole covenant Besides the eternity of this covenant is mentioned of purpose to advance our comfort and strengthen our hope for whereas it is called everlasting that shews that it shall not onely produce his full effect but also shall last to the end of the world Our Lord Iesus In these words the Author points out the person whom we must understand to be that great Shepheard namely no other then our Lord Jesus that is our Lord who is Jesus so that our Lord holds the place of the subject and the name Jesus is added to declare who is meant by our Lord. By which appellation the Author teacheth us what a great Shepheard Jesus is seeing he is our Lord constituted so by God his Father who brought him againe from the dead That onely Lord by whom are all things and we by him whom wee must worship with God the Father Yet in all this pathetick and stately description of our Lord Jesus the Author signifies nothing more unto us then what was formerly contained in his appellation of high Priest so frequently attributed unto him in this Epistle From all which what great hope and comfort wee may gather to our soules need not here bee repeated 21. Make you perfect in every good worke Now he expresseth the wish it selfe which is wholly concerning their owne duty For to attaine eternall happinesse nothing else is required on our part but to performe our duty according as it is enjoyned us To make them perfect in every good worke is so to enable them that no good worke office or Christian vertue be wanting in them and that they be wanting in no good worke to performe it perfunctorily unwillingly or disaffectedly especially in point of temptation and matter of persecution wherein because it is for the triall of their faith Patience must have her perfect worke as S. James requires it Jam. 1.4 To doe his will The particle to here doth not signifie the finall cause because to be perfect in every good worke and to doe the will of God are really the same thing and therefore these can neither be the end nor the meanes one of another But this particle is here explicative to the former words and is all one with so as for he that is perfect in every good worke or Christian vertue he truly and properly doth the will of God Working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight He expresseth the way or meanes whereby God is to make them perfect in every good worke namely by working in them that which is well-pleasing in his sight That which pleaseth God is every good worke And God worketh a good worke in us when he exciteth and moveth us to it and preventeth us with his grace while we thinke not of it when hee ministreth unto us sufficient strength and helpe thereto suggesteth occasions unto us and lastly when he cherisheth and perfecteth it in us And not that he worketh in us without our worke that is while we are unwitting unwilling or idle but while we are willing endeavouring and acting For otherwise there were neither need nor reason that the Author should exhort us with so many monitions incitements and precepts unto godlinesse whereto he with good reason also added his wish to teach us that we must joyne Gods helpe with our endeavours and our endeavours with his helpe Through Iesus Christ It is doubtfull whether these words must hee joyned with the word working or with the words well-pleasing to shew us what is well-pleasing in the sight of God namely that which is done through Iesus Christ and by him commanded to be done So Peter 1 Epist 2.5 when he had said that wee must offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable unto God added also by Jesus Christ shewing us thereby what those sacrifices are namely no other then what are commanded in the Religion of Jesus Christ For those words in Peter seeme rather to bee referred to acceptable then to offered although the latter may be admitted To whom be glory for ever and ever The pronoune to whom is placed so indifferently by the Author that it may be referred both unto God in the former verse and to Jesus Christ mentioned immediately before And the Author seemes to have ordered it so of purpose and to reserve the mention of Christ for the last place that with this one doxology he might celebrate and magnifie both persons both God and Christ For he that is a true Christian cannot be ignorant that glory for ever and ever must be ascribed no lesse unto Christ then unto God himselfe Whereof reade what is written Revel 5.12,13 Whence also Peter concludes his 2. Epistle with the like