4. Who made them by him 1. By Worlds some understand 1. All times 2. All things in all times Others think that he used the expression of the Rabbins who make there Worlds 1. The lowest which is the Earth Sea and all things in them The second and the middle is the Ayr and the Aethereal part with the Sphears The third is the supream the World of Angels God and Souls Yet all these are but one World and systeme of Heaven and Earth and the Word signifies all times and durations with all places and all things in all times and places 2. The making of these Worlds is the giving them their Being after that they had no Being and is the same with creating and framing as we may read in many other places 3. These Worlds were made by the Word which once made Flesh was Christ For by the Word and Wisdom of God which was the Rule and Idea of all things all things were modeled and received their forms shapes and distinct beings 4. It was God who by this Word which was his Word and was with him in the beginning and also from eternity so that it was God as he was God the same God the same essence Yet we must not understand this so as though God made the World by his Son as by an instrument or inferiour distinct Agent but Father Word and Spirit were an individual efficient sole cause of the Worlds This is the same with that of the divine Evangelist All things were made by him that is by the Word and without him was not any thing made which was made Joh. 1. 3. The Apostle Paul expresseth this more particularly and distinctly for speaking of the Son he saith That by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in â—arâ—â— visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominâ—ons or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Colos. 1. 16. This is so clear that I wonder with what face Crâ—llius could expound the words so as by the Worlds to understand Man and by making and creating the Worlds the reforming and restoring Mankind This seems to be more strange seeing he understands those words By Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God Heb. 11. 3. of the Creation of the World The cause of this his false exposition is plain enough For this being affirmed of Christ that by him God made the Worlds it did plainly evince his Existence before his conception of the Virgin Mary nay before the World which was contrary to their damnable Errour Therefore he wilfully devised this interpretation lest he should grant the etemity of the Son of God But in Chap. 11. 3. where there was no mention of Christ he could give the genuine sense § 7. Ver. 3. Who being the brightness of his Glory To be Hâ—iâ— of all things did agree to him upon the Resurrection that God made the Worlds by Him referrs unto the work of Creation but to be the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express image of his person agrees to Him from eternity For in these words we may observe his eternal generation and production Some think the expression is taken out of the Book of Wisdom though Apocryâ—hâ—l Chap. 7. 26. where Wisdom is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightness oâ— effulgency of eternal Light For we find diverse expressions of those Apocryphal Books taken up and used in the New Testament For the better understanding hereof we must observe 1. That God is often called Light because this bodily and visible Light is Glorious and in several respects resembles that eternal glorious essence of God 2. That here God is said to have Light or Glory not that Glory or Light is an accident in God but because he is said to have that which he is For God is not only lightfome and glorious but Light and Glory Therefore this Glory is essential Glory or Light â— 3. The Similitude here used is taken not from accidental but substantial Light as the same is said to be a Light Purity beauty delectability in Light do teach us something of Him 4. Brightness or effulgency here must not be understood to be either an effect or an accident of this spiritual infinite and eternal Glory yet it 's something issuing from and produced by that Glory as the mental Word which is a kind of invisible brightness is the issue product or broode of the intellect which is a spiritual Light From this pâ—ice and such like the Nicene Fathers did conlude That Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made By this we may easily understand that they believed 1. The Glory to be a substance 2. The brightnesse to be a substance not an effect or accident 3. That the glory and brightnesse were one and the same substance 4. That the brightness issued from and was a product of the Glory not meerly as from a substance but as from a substance acting and acting upon it self 5. That Christ in this respect did exist from eternity We know little of this bodily Light less of the intellectual Light of the Soul and least of all of this eternal Light Therefore we trust believe according to plain Scripture most certainly that which we cannot clearly understand From hence we may understand the reason why Jesus Christ is called the Word and it is as because the word of the Intellect reflecting upon it self to know it self is a product of it self so is the Son of God the product of the eternal Intellect beholding it self to know itself yet this is the difference that this Word of the Soul is not so perfect nor real as this Word of God And the express Image of his person If Light produce Light then the Light produced must be like unto and in some measure represent more the Light and Glory producing and the more perfect and immediate the production is the more perfect is the resemblance and expression And because this production was perfect therefore this brightness is said to be the express Image of his Father The word translated here the express Image is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Character or impression made by Sculpture or some other way and this Character if rightly made is a lively expression of the samplar as an ectypon of the prototype This brightness is said to be the Character of his Hypostasis which some turn substance some turn person This implys 1. That he is a substantial Image yet not another but the same substance 2. That there is a relation between God who is this eternal Light and this image or brightness for he is the Image of this Glory 3. Yet he is not the Image of nor hath relation unto the Essence for
1 Sam. 15. 29. And these are his words I am the Lord I change not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Malach. 3. 6. So that all is sure on God's part and Man hath no cause to waver except he neglect his Duty and if he perish his destruction must be of himself O therefore let us give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure and persevere unto the end And shall we who have so great advantage so many helps so blessed an Opportunity and the Promise of a faithful God neglect and injure our selves so much as to lose this glorious and incomparable prize Shall we come out of Aegypt and come so near the borders of the heavenly Canaan and turn back or refuse to go forward Let us detest and eternally abhor to waver let us go on whatsoever it may cost us § 22. The third Duty is to further and set forward one another in this blessed Work This is the Exhortation of the Apostle Ver. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and good Works THE first Duty exhorted unto seems to be principally Faith in the full assurance whereof we must draw nigh to God The second Hope in the Profession whereof we must persevere The third Charity to which we must provoke one another The words have little difficulty in them and so need not much Explication In them we are exhorted 1. To consider one another 2. To provocation upon consideration 3. To provocation unto Love and good Works 1. This consideration is a Work and Duty of every Christian as he is a Member of the Church and it is universal all are bound unto it The Object is every Christian and Fellow-Member The thing to be considered is not their temporal but their spiritual Carriage and Conversation so far as it shall be manifested and made intelligible unto us The immediate End thereof to know their Life Carriage and Conversation which cannot be so well done as by a serious view and animadversion The Duty is to be performed mutually so as that every Christian may be the person considering another and the person considered by another In this Act though we may make use of our Eyes and outward senses yet we most of all must exercise the apprehensive and judicative faculty of our Understanding 2. We must consider to Provocation This word is but used twice in the New Testament and the Verb no oftner yet we find the Verb frequently taken up by the Septuagint under several Hebrew words It may be taken here either actively to provoke others or passively to be provoked our selves We provoke or stir up others when we see them ignorant forgetful negligent cold backward and that by Information minding them of their Duty perswading moving quickning them unto performance Or if we see our Brethren persecuted we stir up such as are able to pity them and by Works of Mercy to relieve them We are passively provoked our selvs by considering the good Example of others to do the like and follow them 3. The thing which we must provoke others or be provoked our selves unto is Charity for we must be provoked and provoke 1. To Love 2. To good Works which are the fruits of Love and amongst these good Works the principal are Works of Mercy whereby God's poor and persecuted Saints are relieved and comforted And that is no true real Love which is without good Works as that is no true Faith which can be separated either from the Love of Christ or from the Love of Christian Brethren From the words considered in the Context and explained in this Latitude many practical Conclusions are deducible 1. From the Context we are informed that Confession without Practice Love and good Works is defective imperfect and to little purpose Confession of the Mouth Love in the Heart and Works issuing from Love must go together and must never be separated in true and sincere Christians 2. From the word provoking taken passively we may learn this lesson to give good Example unto our Brethren and so let that heavenly Light which is in us shine forth that others may see our good Works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven For we should be the Light of the World and our Lives should be a Mirrour of all divine vertues 3. We must consides and take special notice of such as are eminent in Piety Righteousness and true Holness and follow closely their good Example they give us and tread in their paths which lead to the eternal Rest of Heaven 4. Take provoking actively and the Text informs of another Duty and that is to have care not only of our own Souls but the Souls of others and to use all means to promote their Salvation as well as our own Love teacheth us this Lession for we must Love our Neighbour as our self and the greatest Love we can shew unto him is to endeavour his spiritual and eternal good And we must remember that Love especially Christian Love is diffusive and communicative and in imitation of God doth good unto many Non solum nobis nati aâ—t â—eâ—iati sumus We are neither born nor born again for our selvs The End both of our natural and spiritual Birth is to benefit others as well as our selvs we should sharpen quicken and mightily stir up others to the best things especially to Love and good Works And this is the Duty not only of Ministers in relation to their People or of Parents in relation to their Children or of Masters in relation to their Servants but it 's general and so extensive that no Christian is exempted from the performance And the neglect of this Duty hath been the Cause why there is so little Piety so much Iniquity amongst us and why most men are profane or bare Professor and so few are zealous in the best things 5. From hence we may infer the Excellency of Christian Society Civil Society tends much to the temporal good of person civilly associated but spiritual Society in Religion and Christianity is far more excellent and beneficial Yet this presupposeth the Persons associated with whom we live and must converse to be good for otherwise ill Company is most pestiferous Therefore the Apostle commanded the Corinthians to purge out the old Leaven and scandalous Persons which like a contagion infect others And this doth imply that Christian Assemblies should be kept pure and consist of Orthodox and pious Members and to live amongst such must needs be a great advantage unto poor Souls seeking Salvation § 23. There was a fourth Duty exhorted unto For Ver. 25. They mustnot not for sake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some was but they must exhort one another and so much the more as they saw the day approaching IN which we have 1. A Duty 2. A Reason to enforce the performance The Duty is expressed 1. Negatively They must not for sake the assembling of themselves
not made of things that did appear 2. They were made or framed by the Word of God 3. This is understood by Faith Or rather thus 1. The Worlds were framed so that things seen were not made of things that did appear 2. They were thus framed and made by the Word of God 3. That they were thus made we understand by Faith Where we have two Propositions concerning the Object one concerning the Act. In the first Proposition we have 1. The Worlds and Things seen 2. The World 's framed and things seen made 3. Things seen not made of things that did appear 1. By Worlds must be understood Heaven and Earth and all things therein the Hosts of them the reason of the name Worlds you may read Chap. 1. 2. Things seen may be visible part of the World which is conspicuous and may be seen by bodily Eyes as the frame of Heaven and Earth with the Lights of Heaven and Creatures upon Earth and also the Waters and the Seas and all things therein in which respect they are contra-distinct to invisible Creatures For all things were made by Christ and these were either visible or invisible other wayes things seen may be things existent and in perfect being 2. These were framed and made that is they received their being and existence for the act and work of Creation gave existence to things that had no actual being before Yet the Word framed is extended by some to signify not only the work or act of Creation but also the union order and perfection of the whole and all the parts but howsoever it may connote these yet the intended force of it is to be Created so as that creation and Making are the same 3. The things seen were of things that did not appear By things not appearing some understand the Samplar and Idea of things in the Mind and Counsel of God but this can harldy be the sense But others say That things not appearing are things not pre-existent or in being And this may be taken two wayes 1. To signify that the first Creation did presuppose no matter stuff or atoms or any such thing because all things were purely and meerly Nothing had no being nor principle nor rudiment nor part of being at all And this doth differense the powerful and wonderful active strength and productive force of God from the power and active force of all other Agents in respect of which that 's true Ex nihilo nihil fit 2. To signify that the things now seen were made of that Earth that seminary and imperfect Rudiment which Gen. 1. 2. as the Septuagint translate it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invisible and darkness was upon the face of it For out of it God created the Elements and mixt Creatures which when Light was made and they finished did appear and most of them were visible This last sense is good and so is the former and both may agree because that Earth and imperfect Chaos concreated with the Heaven of Heavens was first nothing then invisible and not appearing before the things made out of it could be seen Where note that not to be made of things appearing and to be made of things not appearing are the same 2. The second Proposition is That these were made by the Word of God The Word of God is either the Word which was God and begotten of the Father from everlasting and so it cannot be taken here or the Word of God expressing something out of himself And this is also two-fold 1. That Word whereby he effecteth something 2. That which signifieth his mind and is not effective and productive further then to make his mind known But here his effective and productive Word is meant For God said Let there be Light this is his Word and there was Light this is the production of his powerful Word This Word is called the Will and Command of God not that it was so but because it did signify that it was his Will that at such a time such or such a thing should be made or created and did as it were command himself and his almighty power to effect it For he spake unto himself as almighty and his Word was his Deed and as his Wisdom Word and Power are not separated in himself so neither were they separated in this Work So that the World was made without any difficulty toil tumult tools or other adjuvant ministerial Causes The mighty glorious Work was done instantly and with ease by him to whom nothing is impossible The third Proposition is That by Faith we understand that the World was thus created Where three things 1. The thing understood 2. The understanding of it 3. The understanding of it by Faith 1. The thing understood is not this that the World was made for that may be known by Reason For it 's clear enough that it 's an Effect and must necessarily have an efficient Cause which must produce and effect it And they which hold it was ab eterno from Eternity some of them do confess this only they affirm that it was meant necessarily by the Supream Agent and the Production of it was like the Production of Light from the Sun which was no sooner in Being but Light did necessarily flow and issue from it so that there could be no Priority of time between the Sun and Light but the Being of both was simultaneous But that this World should be made at such a time and at first of no pre-existent matter and in the space of six dayes and in that order one part after another and by the Word of God as the sole efficient and so many years ago is far above Reason 2. Yet this is understood and it 's our reason and intellective faculty which doth apprehend and understand it For without it we can know nothing by it we know all things that are known unto us even the deep things and Counsels of God revealed Neither is Reason meerly passive but really active in this Work for it moves acts knows this Creation of the World as certainly as it doth things cognoscible by the senses or those whereof we have intuitive or demonstrative Knowledg 3. Yet we know it by Faith which is a divine and supernatural Light and elevates Reason above it's natural Sphere Faith sometimes by a Trope is taken for the Rule of Faith which is the Word and Revelation of God The proper Act of this word is to represent and this Representation may be made either outwardly or inwardly in the Soul so as to inform it and that either immediately which is Inspiration or mediately which is a more imperfect Disciplination When the Soul is once informed it receives the Impression knows the thing represented and assents unto it and this assenting Knowledg is a vital Act. The thing here represented is such as Reason by it's natural Active Power cannot reach therefore this divine Representation is necessary as a supernatural Light which by the
therefore the Duty is to cast off these This is the same with putting off the Old Man and mortifying the inordinate Inclinations and Motions both of the concupiscible and irascible part and this Mortification must be universal we must cast off every weight 2. The second Proposition is That when these Impediments are removed and every Weight and Sin cast off to run with Patience the Race that is set before us This implies 1. That there is a glorious prize set before us 2. That there is a Distance between it and us 3. That there is a space or way through which we must pass and leads directly unto it These things presupposed the Duty is To run with Patience the Race that is set before us This Running is a Motion and a speedy Motion too whereby we measure the space between Heaven and us it must be speedy and therefore requires the putting forth of our utmost Strength so as to strive as the Original word turned Race implies As we must run and so make speed so we must run with Patience The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies 1. That the way is troublesom 2. That it 's long It 's troblesom because we shall meet with many Impediments it 's long because of the great Distance between us and eternal Glory Because it 's troublesom and grievous to Flesh and Blood therefore we must be patient and endure because it 's long we must be constant and though the Flesh may much desire it yet we must not rest nor think of Rest before we reach the Goal and be possessed of the Prize for the word doth not only signify Patience but continued Patience If it be God's Will that we must pass unto our heavenly Inheritance through a Wilderness and there to wander forty years and longer we must be content go on not rest not think of returning into Aegypt we must quietly submit unto his good Pleasure This business of Perseverance is not so easy it cannot be performed except we receive a new life and vigour from Heaven and continual Assistance besides our care watchfulness and incessant labour We must strive if ever we will enter in at the strait Gate for the Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Yet the Prize is excellent and far above all that we can do and suffer for though we pass through Fire and Water yet God bringeth us into a wealthy place The force of the Apostle's Reason is very strong for we should persevere because 1. We have good Examples 2. These Examples are many 3. They are Examples of rare and excellent Persons some of the best that ever lived under Heaven 4. These Examples being upon Divine Record are proposed unto us by God himself 5. They are Patterns of the rarest Vertues manifested in their Divine and Noble Acts. 6. They are Precedents not onely in Words and Profession but in Deeds and bitter Sufferings and do manifest unto us that there is nothing in this Duty impossible nor any thing so difficult but may be overcome through Christ strengthning and enabling us § 2. The Apostle closeth up this Induction with the Example of Jesus Christ our Lord and the Son of God This he kept for a Reserve as far above all the rest for Christ was the purest Mirrour of all heavenly Vertues which as exemplified in Him were beyond Comparison and in the highest Degree They must eye the other Worthies much but Christ more for they must follow them and run their Race yet in running they must be Ver. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God IN these we have 1. An Example proposed 2. An Exhortation to look upon it In the first we may consider 1. Who it is that is proposed as an Example 2. Wherein He is an Example and what it is in Him which we must look upon The Party proposed for an Example is Christ who is described to be 1. The Author 2. The Finisher of our Faith That which we must look upon is 1. His Vertues manifested in his Humiliation 2. The great Reward of these Vertues and his glorious Exaltation The whole may be reduced to these Propositions 1. Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our Faith 2. He for the Glory set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame 3. After that despising the Shame he had endured the Cross he sate down at the right hand of God 4. In running with Patience the Race that is set before us We must look upon him thus represented 1. Christ is the Author and Finisher of our Faith This is not meant that he is the adequate Object of our Faith as saving nor that if Faith be taken for the habit and gift of Faith that he doth plant it in us at the first and continueth to preserve it till it be finished though both these in some respects are true But Faith seems here to be taken for our Christian Religion which we profess and also for the Rule of our Faith and Religion It 's true that this Christian Faith was from the beginning in a large sense for there was never any time since the first Promise of Christ wherein the Saints did not believe in Christ and had a certain Rule of their Faith Yet here Faith is taken more strictly for that Doctrine which represents Christ more fully and clearly as already come into the World and as having finished the great Work of Redemption This place is like that in Chap. 3. 1. where these Hebrews were exhorted to consider the Apostle and the High-Priest of their Profession Christ Jesus That which is there called Profession is here called Faith he who there is said to be the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession is said here to be the Author and Finisher of our Faith as though he were the Author as an Apostle and the Finisher as a Priest That as an Apostle and Prophet he was the Author Institutor and first Publisher of our Faith is evident For Chap. 2. 3. that Salvation that is that Doctrine of Salvation which is the Gospel began first to be spoken by the Lord. He might be said to finish perfect and confirm it as a Priest when he sealed i◠with his Blood and merited the Spirit of Revelation to make it known and of Power to make it effectual upon our hearts Again he is the Finisher of it as sending the Holy Ghost from Heaven upon the Apostles and by them making known the Gospel and diffusing the Christian Religion through the World In a word He was the sole and whole efficient Cause of Christian Religion and this is the meaning of the words The Reason of this Character given is to set forth the Excellency of the Person who is here proposed a Pattern more effectually to encourage
that cannot be But he hath relation to the essence as acting upon it self and producing an Image of himself for Christ is the Word and Image of the Father and his Person This is the same with that we read in another place That he is the Image of the invisible God Coloss. 1. 15. The word invisible seems to be added for to distinguish Christ from these visible Images of visible things For God is not visible to mortal and bodily Eyes neither is his Image visible in that manner For though Christ had a body yet he neither in that body nor in his humane Soul but as the Word was he the express Image of his Father Crellius his glosse upon these words is grosse and nothing to purpose For he tells us 1. That Christ is the lustre â—ay and beam of God's Majesty this is very obscure and in proper sense affirmed of Christ as the Word is false 2. That he was thus a ray and beam only as sent and manifested in the humane Nature unto us This is agreeable to his erroneous Doctrine denying the Deity and Incarnation of the Word contrary to expresse Scripture 3. That Man resembles God in some attributes but Christ is the Image of his Person as Lord and Soveraign This is both obscure illiterate and impertinent For to resemble God in Power and Dominion and to bear his person as his Substitute is political to resemble him in Wisdom Knowledg Holiness is physical and to be his Image as he had said before that Man is These he jumbles and confounds together and contradicts himself Again to be his Image and bear his person in respect of Power and Dominion is the same with that of being Heir of all things And will any man imagine that the Apostle in so few words so full of different matter would tautologize And where do we find political representation for Power and Lordship signified in Scripture by such terms But that he was guilty of a willful Errour he would never have sought to elude the genuine sense by such a â—rosse sophistication § 8. And upholding all things by the Word of his Power As before he made the Worlds and with the Father created all things so here he is affirmed to support and order all things so that he is Creatour and Preserver We may here observe two things 1. The Word by his Power 2. The upholding of all things by this Word of Power his Word of Power is his powerful Word Christ is the Word in respect of the Father the eternal Word of the Father and there is a word of the Word in respect of some thing to be done and effected This word of the Word for effecting something ad extra out of God is here meant This is the Word of Creation whereby God sald ' Let there be Light and there was Light And it is the Word of Providence as in this place we must understand is This word is sometimes an expression sometimes a decree sometimes a command sometimes a deed Here it 's a decree and command expressed whereupon the deed follows and something willed decreed and expressed is effected This is a Word of Power that is very powerful of almighty Power so that what is spoken is done and what the Word signifieth is effected This Word Power is added to signify the efficiency and wonderful efficacy of the Word which is such that we cannot well distinguish betwixt the Word and the executive Power Therefore it 's said God spake and it was done he commanded and is stâ—â—d 〈◊〉 Psal. 33. 9. And the same Nown Verbal both in Hebrew and Greek which signifies a Word signifies a deed And Christ's Word is his deed this Word being a Word of Power is the cause the effect here is the upholding of all things The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify to preserve and as Erasmus à Lapide Heinsius observe to govern And so it may expresse the two acts of Providence Conservation and Government and both universal for it upholds and orders all things This is the same which we find in another Scripture That by him all things subsist Coloss. 1. 17. In which place we may observe that as all things both visible and invisible were created by him so all things consist and be upholden by him This agrees to the Word not incarnate though being incarnate it doth not cease to exercise the same causal power because the Word made Flesh remains the Word and hath its universall causality as before the incarnation The Socinian lest he should grant the Deity and eternal existence of Christ understands this of Christ doing his Miracle by his Word and restrains all things to a few things done by Christ a Man And this is directly contrary to the Apostle affirming all things to consist by Christ even all things created and that from the beginning § 9. When he had by himself purged our Sins This was an act of Christ 1. As the word Incarnate 2. As a Priest 3. As a Priest offering himself a Sacrifice for our sins 4. This Sacrifice as not only offered but accepted of God had this power This purging of our Sin is not only actual pardon or sanctification but something antecedent and an immediate effect of Christ's Death as of a Sacrifice offered and accepted in behalf of sinfull man In the words we have an effect the purging of sin and the cause Christ by himself In the effect the object is our sins the act the purging of them By sins our sins are meant the consequents of sin in particular the guilt of sin yet joyned with the stain These are the sins of Men not of Angels our Sins The act of purging is the making of the consequents of sin especially the guilâ— removable upon certain terms determined by God our supream Judge and Law-giver This was done by satisfaction of divine justice and by merit For upon Christ's Sacrifice offered and the punishment due to us for our sins willingly suffered by him God was so well pleased as that he was willing to pardon that sin which was punished and by himself in his ownSon Sin therefore here by a Metonymie is said to be purged when this Sacrifice by which believed and pleaded sin is actually pardoned was offered and accepted because as offered and accepted it did make sin immediately pardonable and had a causal vertue to procure the actual pardon This causal vertue and vigour is said to be Purging But of this more hereafter especially in Chap. 9. The cause of this expiation is Christ by himself for he alone was the Priest he alone the Sacrifice He and he alone offered he and he alone was the thing offered he was the sole cause and efficient of this purging Neither Men or Angels did co-operate in this Work as co-efficients with him Crellius expounds these words yet so that his expression is neither exact nor clear nor altogether true For 1. By expiation and purging he
Prophets not by the glorious Son of God This is the first Proposition concerning the Law given § 5. The second proposition is that this Law was transgressed and disobeyed The sin which was the cause of the punishment is expressed by two words Transgression and Disobedience By these words we must not understand any kind of sin as of ignorance or infirmity or a sin upon surprizal or in petty matters for the best of the Saints and Prophets under the Law sinned in this manner But by them is understood some more hainous sins as Idolatry Blasphemy and such like or rebellion or apostacy or an habitual and continued course of Sin joyned with contempt of the Law For these were capital and capitally punished The third Proposition concerning the Punishment you heard before The fourth is concerning the Efficacy of the Law It was stedfast A Law should be armed with power and coactive force otherwise it cannot be executed and without Execution which is said to be the life of the Law it 's but words and can neither be a sufficient ground of hope in the Promises or fear in the Comminations When the Punishments threatned are inflicted it strikes a greater Terrour In this respect the Law proved firm and stedfast when the Offenders were punished according to their Transgressions and by suffering the penalties they knew that the word spoken by Angels was not vain but valid and effectual There is a three-fold stedfastness or firmness of a Law the first is in respect of the unalterable Will of the Law-giver the second in respect of the Execution the third in respect of the Party to whom it s given who firmly and certainly believes it The first is supposed the second is meant and is a great cause of the third The Emphasis is in the first words If the word spoken by Angels that is the word spoken by Angels and not by the Son proved firm and valid and was made and manifested to be such by the punishment of the Transgressors and especially in this that every transgression with an high hand contumacy and contempt was punished and not say such Offence escaped unpunished § 6. After the Sin and Punishment of Offenders in the times of the Law and Old Testament follow the Sin and Punishment of Offenders in the times of the New Testament The Sin is the neglect of the Gospel The punishment is implyed in the words How shall we escape In the first we may consider 1. The Word or Law 2. The Transgression of it In the Law we may observe 1. The Title or Name 2. The Publication 3. The Confirmation The Title is this so great Salvation by which is meant the Gospel which is called Salvation So great Salvation As in the Law so in the Gospel which is the Law of God Redeemer by Christ exhibited we have 1. Precepts and Prohibitions determining mens Duty 2. Promises and Threats declaring Punishments and Rewards according to mens Disobedience or Obedience and as in respect of the former the Gospel is the Rule of Man's Duty so in respect of the latter it 's a Rule of God's Judgment This Gospel is called Salvation because it promiseth Salvation and being followed brings loto Salvation and is said to be the Power of God unto Salvation and therefore is called the Word of Salvation and the Gospel of Salvation So that it 's called Salvation by a 〈◊〉 1. Of the Subject for the Adjunct because the matter and subject of it is Salvation 2. Of the Effect for the Cause because it â—ath a causal vertue and power to save As it's Salvation so it 's great Salvation because it doth promise and conduce to the attaining of eternal deliverance from eternal punishments and the greatest Enemies and of eternal bliss and full happiness the Word spoken by Angels did no such thing This is the Name or Title 2. The Publication or Promulgation is two fold 1. Began by Christ 2. Continued by them who heard him The Gospel is a Law and the Law of God Redeemer in Christ yet it could bind no man except it were published And it was first published by Christ. The Law and the Doctrine of the Old Testament was spoken and published by Angels and Prophets but this by Christ the Son and Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord by Redemption whereby he acquired a Right unto us and Power over us for because he suffered death for our sins God raised him up and made him Lord and Christ and being at his right hand he hath Power to command men and Angels and is the head of the Church which acknowledgeth his power and submits unto it He began to speak and declare the Gospel both before and after his Resutrection and they who heard him were especially the Apostles by whom afterward â—â—dued with the holy Ghost he declared it first to the Jew and these Hebrews then to the Gentiles It was so spoken as it was known by him and them so fully and clearly as was never done by Prophets and Angels before This is the Publication 3. The Confirmation follows where we must observe 1. To whom 2. By whom 3. By what it was confirmed 1. To whom It was confirmed saith the Author to Us that is to himself and these Hebrews so it 's commonly understood That it was confirmed to the Hebrews there can be no doubt and also to Paul who was an Hebrew to whom the Gospel was preached as to the rest of the Jews and also confirmed to him though he did not at the first believe it Yet it will not follow from hence that Paul received his immediate and infallible Knowledge of the Gospel from the Apostles For this he received immediately by Revelation from Christ as the rest of the Apostles did though they heard Christ as many more did who yet were no Apostles In this respect none can ground an Argument upon these words to prove that Paul was not the Author of this Epistle as divers do Again the word Us is often taken largely and indefinitely not strictly and precisely so as formally to include the person speaking And in this sense because it was confirmed to the Hebrews whereof he was one he might say It was confirmed to Us especially seeing it 's he that writes unto them 2. By whom was it confirmed It was confirmed by those which heard him Now many besides the Apostles did hear Him and also confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel Yet the Apostles did it in a more eminent manner and may be principally though not solely here intended Yet Paul did not hear Christ as the other Apostles did for though Christ spake to him from Heaven yet he did not speak to him as he did to others whil'st he conversed on Earth 3. By what was this Doctrine confirmed It was confirmed by two things 1. By Miracles 2. By the Gifts of the Holy Ghost Miracles are called Signs Wonders Powerful Works They are called 1. Signs 2. Wonders 3. Powerful
did see it To be Crowned with Glory and Honour is to be invested with great Glory Honour Dignity and Power and the words signify the exaltation of Christ at the right hand of God We need not here distinguish of Crowns which were of many sorts For if the Author did allude to any of these the sacerdotal Mitte and the imperial Diadem did most of all resemble the eminency and dignity of this Celestial Pontiff and this universal King But why may i◠not be an Hebraism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crown doth signify To compass about for God had circuminvested Christ with the highest and most eminent degree of Dignity and Power and this is the Word used by the Psalmist For the suffering of Death This passion was the meritorious cause his Glory and Honour the Reward according to another Scripture which informs us that because Christ was obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross Therefore God did highly exalt him Phil. 2. 8 9. Neither need we fear to say that Christ merited eternal Glory for Himself if we confess he merited it for Us. It 's true he could not merit the personal union and such things which necessarily followed upon the same but this is nothing to that Crown of Glory which was given him in consideration of that most excellent piece of Service which he performed in expiating the Sin of man and that by his own Blood which is plain Scripture Some referr this clause unto the former of Christ being made a little lower then the Angels yet understand it differently For some say He was made lower then the Angels by or in respect of his Death Others think that it denotes the final cause of his minoration as though the end why he was cast below the Angels was that he might suffer But neither of these are probable we see that is it was manifest both by the glorious Miracles done and excellent Gifts of the Spirit given in his Name and other ways and they did therefore see it The second Proposition He was made a little lower then the Angels It 's not material whether we understand by little a little measure of inferiority or a little time for both are true But the principal thing in these words is where in he was made lower then the Angels and that was in this that he was man and mortal Man is inferior to an Angel as man and much more as mortal because the Angels never dy Now Christ had the body of a man and a Soul separable from his body till the Resurrection and that was the little time here meant the time of his mortality Both might be joyned in one divine Axiome thus We see for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour that Jesus who for a little time was made lower then the Angel The third Proposition That he by the Grace of God might taste of Death for 〈◊〉 man In these words we have the reason and the end why Christ was made lower then the Angels for a time For it was that through the Grace of God he might redeem us by his Death In the words we have 1. The Death of Christ. 2. The parties for whom he dyed 3. The inward motive which inclined God to give him to Death and the first Original of Redemption 1. It 's said He insted of Death we need not play the Critick in the explication of the word taste For the plain meaning is that he suffered Death and by this is signified all his Sufferings which were many and bitter the principal and consummation whereof was Death wherein they all ended and without which there had been no expiation 2. He suffered Death for every man not that every man should absolutely enjoy the ultimate benefit thereof for every one doth not yet every man as a sinner hath some benefit by it Because the immediate effect of this Death was that every man's sin in respect of this Death is remissible and every man savable because Christ by it made God propitious and placable in that he had punished man's sin in him and laid on him the iniquities of us all And the reason why every man is not actually justified and saved is not for want of sufficient Propitiation but upon another account 4. That which moved God to transferr the punishment due to our sins upon Christ his only begotten Son was his Grace and free love For he so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our Sins The end therefore why Christ was made lower then the Angel was that he being man and mortal yet holy and innocent without sin might suffer Death that our sins might be expiated divine justice satisfied and a way made for mercy to save us Ver. 10. For it became him c. § 13. These words must be considered absolutely in themselves relatively in their connexion Absolutely considered they inform us and do affirm that it became God to bring us to Salvation by the Suffering of Christ. This is the substance In the words we may observe the end means conveniency of the means 1. The end is to bring many Sons unto Salvation 2. The means is to perfect their Captain by Sufferings 3. The convenience of these means in respect of this end it was such as that is became God to use them All these may be reduced to certain Propositions which are these 1. Christ is the Captain of Salvation 2. God made this Captain perfect by Suffering 3. This was the means to bring many Sons to Glory 4. Thus to do became him for whom and by whom are all things 1. Christ is the Captain of the Salvation of the Sons of God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned Captain signifies a Prince of a multitude eminent for dignity and priority or one who besides his eminent Dignity is invested with Power to command direct and order the rest inferiour and subject to his Power or one who in any work is a principal cause and hath a great and eminent influx upon the Subject to produce the Effect In all these significations Christ may be here taken For he in respect of all Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Saints Martyrs and Believers is the most eminent for dignity and invested with supream and universal Power and in both respects he is called their Lord and King and Head for as the Head is in respect of the members so is Christ in respect of his Saints and many Sons of God He is also the Authour Beginner and principal cause of their Salvation both for the merit of it and the application of the merit and the actual consummation and collation He by his Death laid the foundation and by his Word and Spirit makes them capable of Salvation and gives them a right unto it He by his Intercession procures their actual Justification and Glorification He by his Power doth raise them up and gives
them everlasting life Hee 's that Joshua who leads us and gives us possession of our spiritual and celestial Canaan 2. This Captain Prince and Authour was made perfect of God by Suffering or God made him perfect by Sufferings To be perfected in this place is to be consecrated and made a compleat Priest or at least to be put in an immediate capacity to act as a Priest Aaron and the Levitical Priests had their Consecration and it was not without Blood and the death of Sacrifices and the form was instituted and prescribed by God who alone could give them this Glory Power and Office That Christ was a Priest is expresse Scripture as we shall understand in this Epistle hereafter Yet such he could not be without Consecration neither could he be consecrated without Blood and suffering of Death and offering a bloody Sacrifice And the difference of the Consecration of other Priests and him was this that though both were consecrated by Blood yet they were consecrated by the blood of Beaâ—â—s sacrificed He by his own Blood when he sacrificed and offered himself without spot unto God The reason of this was Because he must be a Meditatour between God and sinful Man to reconcile them but no reconcilion without Blood and no Blood but his own Blood immaculate would be accepted For though God was merciful and willing to be reconciled yet his justice would admit of no reconciliation but upon satisfaction to be made by this Blood God did manifest his Justice and hatred of sin by punishing it in Christ before he would pardon it in Man It was God that did Consecrate him for no Man or Angel could conferr this Office upon him or make him an universal and eternal Priest to officiate and minister in Heaven only God could do this And he as supream Lord and Law-giveâ— could appoint and accept him to be Redeemer prescribe the manner of Consecration and as supream Judge accept of his Consecration once finished and invest him with this sacerdotal Power In these respects God is said to Consecrate him By him thus consecrated many Sons are brought to Glory There are many Sons brought to Glory he that brings them to Glory is God he doth this by Christ consecrated and made their Captain To bring to Glory is in the end to give possession of Glory and that everlasting and most excellent Estate prepared for the Sons of God These are many and are made his Sons by Regeneration and Adoption The one doth make them capable of the other gives them right to Glory which they shall fully enjoy when their heavenly Birth and gracious Adoption are perfected They derive their title from their Captain as consecrated by Suffering and received by Faith For as they are the Sons and Heirs of God so are they joynt-Heirs with Christ and in his right And if he never had been consecrated by Sufferings they never had been either Sons or Heirs or Glorified For he by his Sufferings merited all and laid the foundation of their eternal Happiness And for this Suffering he made him Captain and Head of all his Sons and gave him power to give eternal Life to as many as he had given him It 's God who brings these Sons to Glory by their Head and Captain He loved Man he gave his Son to Death he raised him up again made him King and Priest and gave him power to convert us and by him he adopts us and by him he gives us Glory The sum of all is this The glorification of sinful Man from first to last is from God it 's he and he alone that brings him to Glory yet though the persons glorified be many yet they are all Sons and none but Sons shall enjoy the Inheritance neither are they Sons by Nature or of themselves He makes them such by Christ and Christ was consecrated by Sufferings and made their Captain It became him for whom and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory thus to do God is here described from his efficiency where-by he is the cause of all things the universal Agent who produceth preserveth ordereth all things to their end especially his Sons unto Glory For though his works be many then some are more excellent then others and one of the chiefest is the Salvation of man Some do think that by these words for whom and by whom are meant that God is the final and efficient cause of all yet in strict sense God cannot in himself be said to be the end of any thing yet the manifestation of his glorious Perfection may be said to be intended by him in all his Works To consecrate the Captain of all his Sons by Sufferings did become him that is it seemed best to his divine Wisdom to use this means as most fit to manifest his justice and mercy in the Redemption and Salvation of man What Ways and means as conducing to this end he knew or his divine Wisdom did dictate unto him is hidden from us but this here mentioned he resolved upon as the best and most agreeable to his excellent perfection For God doth nothing but that which becomes him so glorious in himself and so excellent an Agent Men may do many things unbeseeming and no ways befitting them to do nay Angels have done many things which did not become so noble Spirits to do but God doth nothing but what God may do And this is the reason why Christ must taste of Death for every man Because it seemed good to God by that way and means to save sinful man And this is the relative consideration and connexion implyed in the causal conjunction For. They give a reason why Christ was lower then the Angels and suffered Death And why It became God so to do Ver. 11. For both he that Sanctifieth c. § 14. The Apostle in these and the following words doth manifest how it became God to cast Christ below the Angels and consecrate him by Sufferings and he doth so manifest it as that it may appear to be agreeable to Reason which is a spark or ray of divine Light To understand this the better you must remember 1. That Christ was lower then the Angels in suffering Death 2. That as God or Angel he could not suffer Death 3. If he could have suffered Death as a Spirit yet that Death was not so fit to redeem Man or expiate his sin and sanctify him 4. That seeing he must both dy and dy for man he must be Man and mortal Man to sanctify man These things premised the Apostle proves that it became God to make Christ a mortal Man and the reason is because he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctifyed ought and must be of one and this is the coherence In the words themselves we have the unity and indentity of the Sanctifier and sanctified By the Sanctifier or the person sanctifying is meant Christ and by the sanctified sinful men by being of one that
2. That whereas he became man in latter times he must needs be of some Nation and People with reference to the Head and first Father of that Nation and for Nation he was according to his humane Nature a Jew the first Father of which Nation was Abraham The reason hereof is this because God had made a special promise to Abraham That in his Seed all Nations should be blessed By which word Seed is meant Christ and Christ as descended from him according to the Flesh He is also called the Son of David because God promised That he should be born of his Family in Bethlehem the native place of David This sense 1. Is most agreeable to the Context antecedent where it 's said That Christ must be lower then the Angels must taste of Death must be consecrated by Suffering must be one with the sanctisied must be partaker of Flesh and Blood and deliver sinful man from the Devil But if he had assumed the nature of Angels none of these could be affirmed of him 2. The former two senses cannot be good because then he should have only apprenended and succoured the Seed of Abraham according to the Letter of this Text. Therefore seeing he took upon him the Seed of Abraham as he did the Seed of David therefore to take on him or assume the Seed of Abraham is to be of the Seed of Abraham as he was of David 2 Tim. 2 8. and to be made of the Seed of Abraham as he was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh Rom. 1. 3. And it is the same with that of the Divine Evangelist The Word was made Flesh Joh. 1. 14. Crellius here trifles egregiously for he excepts against this sense 1. Because to apprehend or take hold of a thing is not to assume the nature of it 2. The word Angels which is plural should have been singular But 1. Who will grant him that which neither others do nor he can prove that the word must be turned apprehended in this place whereas it hath other senses both in the Septuagint and in the New Testament and is turned oftner and by more Translatours assume as was shewed before 2. If Christ had assumed the individual substance of an Angel he had assumed the Nature of Angels He did but assume one individual Flesh and Blood yet he is said to take part with the Children which were many He again objects that if it be said that he took the nature not of Angels but Men then these words cannot contain and render a reason That Christ was made lower then the Angels because it is the same But 1. How will he prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is causal if it should be denied 2. Who told him that it referrs only to those words of the 7th verse as a reason of them whereas it 's plain if the conjunction be causal it referrs to that which went immediately before 3. To be lower then the Angels and assume the nature of Man are not precisely the same For now he is Man and yet above the Angels These words thus explained and cleared inform us 1. Of some special love of God shewed unto Man and to Angels and of some benefit issuing from that love and given unto Man and denied to the Angels He so loved Man that he gave his only begotton Son to be the propitiation for his sin and not for the Angels Christ and the eternal Word must be Man and dy for him but he must not be an Angel to dy for Apostate Angels or redeem them The cause of this was the free will of God who might have neglected both the one as well as the other for both were sinful and deserved Death Yet there might be a reason why he passed by the Angels and not Man even because Angels were not tempred yet sinned but Man was deceived and so was a subject more capable of mercy though he deserved no mercy Yet if Man will be obstinate in his sin and refuse to acknowledg this love and receive Christ God will turn his love into hatred and send him a cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and he shall lose eternally the benefit of Christ's Redemption which is remission and eternal life 2. They let us know the condescension and deep humiliation of the Son of God who vouchsafed not only to be Man but took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto Death the Death of the Crosse. And this Incarnation is a deep mystery and this humiliation a matter of greatest wonder 3. They acquaint us with the excellent dignity and high advancement of the humane Nature in that it was assumed and inseparably united unto that eternal Word which is God The Angels in many things are above us and more excellent then we are yet in this we are above the Angels and nearer unto God and our nature in Christ is Lord of Angels 4. We learn from them that the Seed of Abraham and the People of the Jews have a priority and priviledg above all People For Christ took upon him their Flesh and Blood and they were his Brethren of whom according to the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9. 5. This is the reason why he said when he lived on Earth That he was sent to the lost Sheep of Israel and why he chose out of them the Apostles preached the Gospel unto them first for the tender of eternal life was first made to them and why he began and finished the work of Redemption amongst them 5. From them we understand something of the nature of the Incarnation For herein we have 1. One person the eternal Word and the Son of God 2. Two Natures Divine and Humane 3. The union of these two by assumption for the Word assumed the nature of Man and this Nature was thereby united to the Word in the unity of person 4. The distinction of these two Natures for the Word is God and not Man this humane Nature remains Man and is not God and the difference is very great and perpetual And thus God-Man is Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer and happy are they who know him and believe in him Ver. 17 18. Wherefore in all things it behâ—â—ved him to be made like unto his Brethren c. § 19. In these words we have another reason why Christ must be lower then the Angels Man and like his Brethren One end was that he might suffer and dy and this he could not do except he be partaker of Flesh and Blood and therefore he took upon him the Nature of Men and not of Angels The end why he must dy was 1. That he might destroy the Devil who had the power of Death and so deliver them that were in continual danger 2. That he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest and so make reconciliation for the sins of his People and be
from Christ and deny the Faith he had professed Hardness of heart may be considered as a Judgment of God or as a Sin of Man here it 's to be considered as a Sin And such it may be either in respect of the first Call and so is or implies at least a refusal of Christianity and so it 's either a rejection of that Christianity which was once received and professed or at least makes way for it and thus it 's to be understood in this place For no man can fall off from the Christian Faith once received but his heart must needs be hardned and stand unmoved against all former convictions This considered either in the former or latter sense may be conceived 1. As a Not yielding unto the Reasons and Motives unto belief and profession proposed in the Gospel 2. As an obstinate resisting of these Motives and Reasons joyned with some power of the Spirit And both these may be caused either from the delusion of the understanding apprehending and 〈◊〉 to contrary Motives and Reasons which are not really such but seem to be such which may be called sinful 〈◊〉 as the words of the Text may be understood oâ— from the pure malignancy of the Will or from both Now to prevent all these mutual exhortation is an excellent mean ordained by God to that end And the neglect of this Duty is a great Cause or at least a great Advantage of sin and leaves the way open for Apostacy to come in For frequent proposals and representations of the true Reasons why we should believe and a continual â—itring up to holy Duties are effectual causes of the confirmation of our profession and so of our perseverance § 14. We must mutually exhort one another whilst it 's said to Day for to prevent Apostacy and we must prevent Apostacy because without final perseverance we cannot be partakers of Christ. For Ver. 14. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end This seems to be the same with that in ver 6. yet the expression is some what different For to hold fast our confidence and rejoycing of hope firm unto the end is the same with holding the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end And to be Christ's House the same with being partakers of Christ. So that I need not say much of this Text only some things may be observed As 1. That Hypostasis turned confidence may in this place signifie our Christian Faith 2. That the beginning of it is the first receiving of it or the principles of Christianity 3. That as it may signify a firm standing so it 's applyed to the Soul as firmly standing and continuing in the belief and profession of the Faith without wavering or doubting and is opposed to falling For though the principles and fundamental Truths are firm and stable for ever in themselves yet they are not so firm in the hearts of many who professe them Therefore it 's our duty to seek a firm existence of them in our hearts and a firm fixing of our hearts upon them never to be removed 4. That to be partakers of Christ is to partake of and attain the great Reward of eternal Glory merited by Christ For the word Christ is here taken Metonymically for the benefits of Christ. 5. That though this may seem to be the same reason with the former yet here it seems to be brought as a reason from the penalty that will follow upon our Apostacy which is an unspeakable loss of eternal Glory the greatest benefit Christ hath purchased for us For if we shall be partakers of Christ only upon this condition of perseverance to the end then if we harden our hearts and fall off we must needs lose eternal Glory and that great Benefit which Christ merited § 15. Thus far the Apostle hath made use of those words of the Psalmist To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Now he proceeds to the words following As in the Day of Provocation and enlargeth upon them in this manner Ver. 15. While it is said to Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation For some when they had heard provoked c. Where 1. He takes in the former words with this of Provocation 2. Though the Psalmist do not mention whether all their Fathers provoked and tempted God or no yet he observes that only some not all did provoke The connexion of these words with the former seems to be this That as their Fathers by hardning their hearts provoked God to wrath so if they hardned their hearts they will provoke God likewise and he will be offended with them The argument in form is this e must Wnot do any thing that will provoke God to anger but if we harden our hearts we shall provoke him to anger Therefore we must take heed of hardning our hearts and of Apostacy The proposition in these here presupposed is That hardning the heart will provoke The propositions here delivered in the Hypothesis are 1. That some of their Fathers did provoke 2. That all did not provoke That which all these imply and inferr is this as applyed to them That they must not harden their hearts lest they provoke Lest this discourse should not be so pertinent and effectual let us first enquire what this provodation is The Hebrew word is translated by the Septuagint to signify contention contradiction and exacerbation and so they turn it only in this place And the Apostle follows their Translation and useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a word 1. Compound 2. Derivative and is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies bitter as Meâ—â—s or Drinks are biâ—â—er to the taste The signification therefore in this place is Mephorical and informs us That as some Meats and Drinks being bitter are very offensive to the taste so hardness of heart and apoâ—â—acy are very offensive unto God The words used in the Psalm may be either Proper and so translated as in Meribah and Massa or Anellâ—tive as here the Apostle understands them This provocation may be considered either at a Sin or a consequent of Sin here it seems to be a consequent of sin yet necessarily presupposing the Sin Sin every sin being contrary to God 's Law provokes him to anger and gives him just cause to execute his vindictive Justice upon the Sinuer Yet some sins are more provoking then others especially such as are committed by People in Covenant with God who act contrary to their solemn Vows and Engagements as Israel in the Wilderness did And this hardning of the heart so as to fall away is the most provoking of all For it not only deserves punishment and by vertue of the Law makes the Sinner liable to it but provoks God to pass a definitive sentence and to proceed to execution This particular consequent of sin is that which here
is called provocation This premised I need not much insist upon the two Propositions following ver 16. The first is Some did provoke these were all that came out of Aegypt whose Carkasses were overthrown in the Wildernesse And the Sins were their Murâ—â—urings Unbelief tempting of God Rebellion Idolatry Lustings and the like and that that made up the measure of their Iniquity was that Rebellion which they made upon the return of those twelve men who were sent as Spies to view the Land All these sins were but so many acts of their Apostacy and revolt from God contrary to the Covenant that He had made with them The second Proposition is That all did not provoke for Caleb and Joshua with the Children of those were not guilty or chargeable with the test For many fell some did stand and continue stedfast in the Covenant This is a fair warning to all us who own our Baptism and profess Christianity Though we may have our sins of ignorance and infirmity yet let us take heed of provoking-Crimes For shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy Are we stronger then He § 16. The Apostle having said That some did yet not all did provoke He in the next words lets us know who did provoke and were shut out of God's Rest yet he doth not specifie them by their several names but by their qualification and the cause of their not entring into Canaan For thus he goes on Ver. 17. But with whom was He grieved forty years was it not with them who had sinned whose Carkasses fell in the Wilderness Thus these words come in upon the former And in these three last verses he useth a great deal of art not only Logical and Theological but Rhetorical too For the matter is Theological concerning sin and the consequents of sin which is the offence of God and punishment of Man offending The Logical form is Dianoetical to inferr a conclusion formerly expressed and here implyed The Rhetorical manner of expression is Dialogistical and like that which we call Addubitation wherein we have Questions and Answers yet these Answers are returned by Interrogation which imply a formal affirmative and possitive Answer to the Questions The end of this Rhetorick is not only to make the sin and the aggravations thereof more clear but to make a more lively representation both of the Sin and Punishment to the end his reason and disswasive may be more forcible The first Question and Answer we have in ver 17. The Question is But with whom was He grieved forty years This presupposeth that God was grieved forty years with a certain Generation as the Psalnist brings in God complaining In which words taken by the Apostle for granted we may consider 1. The party grieved 2. The parties grieving 3. The time of both 1. The party grieved was God 2. The party grieving was the People of Israel 3. The time was forty years To understand this Axiom we must first know what it is for man to grieve actively and for God to be grieved passively 1. For Man to grieve in this place is to sin and do something offensive and displeasing to God 2. For God to be grieved is to be offended to be dispeased Hiâ—rom turns it Displicuit Pâ—guine Litigaviâ— Pratensis Molâ—stia affectus suni The Vulgar offensus fui Vatablus cum toedio pertuli All these interpretations signify that God was much displeased with the carriage of that Generation so that He was even weary of them Genebrard expounds the word used by the Septuagint to be a pressing hard upon them and punishing them till they were consumed Yet because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Heinsius observes sometimes signifies Idol which God did abllor and abhominate it may be understood of God abhorring that Apostare and unbelieving People This informs us how God accounts of such Sins He accounts them as odious abhominable and contrary to his purest holiness and most just Laws We must not think that God can be grieved vexed molested but he thay be displeased and offended 2. The party grieved was God and oh how unworthy are we who will displease that God who hath made Us preserved Us redeemed Us and shewed so much love and kindness to Us upon whom we so much depend in whose favour is life and all solid comfort 3. The Generation that thus grieved God was that People of Israel who were at Age when they came out of Aegypt and made a Covenant with God at Horeb yet brake that Covenant 4. The time of their sinning and God's punishing was forty years from the time of their deliverance from Pharoah till their entrance upon the Land of Canaan Yet this is to be understood of them joyntly for many of them were overthrown and destroyed within a short time of their deliverance This is the Question The Answer is He was grieved with those that sinned whose Carkasses were overthrown in the Wilderness and this Answer is put interrogatively as though he would referr it to them or any other indifferent person to give the Answer For it 's very clear out of the Text who the persons were that grieved God they were such as sinned and were overthrown in the Wilderness And from their Sin which they committed and the Punishment which they suffered are they easily discovered Their Sin was hardning of their Hearts and Apostacy their Punishment was their Carkasses were overthrown in the Wilderness This the Hebrews must take special notice of that so they may take heed of the like Sin The second Question or Addubitation is Ver. 18. And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His Rest Now he comes to the last words of the Psalm So I sware in my wrath That they shall not enter into my Rest. Where we may observe 1. The matter of the Oath 2. The Oath it self The matter or thing Sworn was That they should not enter into God's Rest. This Rest was their quiet possession of the Land of Canaan and their abode therein after their bondage in Aegypt and so journing through the Wildernesse It was God's Rest Because 1. God hath the propriety of that Land as also he had of the whole Earth 2. God did undertake to dispossess the Inhabitants 3. He did promise and grant to Abraham to plant and settle his Posterity in it and He and He alone did give their Children possession of it It typified Heaven and that eternal Rest which God hath prepared for his Saints Into this rest they must not enter not ever have any possession of it This was the dreadful Sentence which God passed upon those unworthy and rebellious Wretches The Oath was the Oath of God which He sware in his Wrath The party swearing was God God sware and because He could swear by no greater He sware by Himself In this respect it differed from the Oaths both of Men and of Angels and could not be a part of Worship or Invocation as other Oaths are and in
this he in some sort pledged his Beeing and Deity to confirm his Sentence 2. This Oath he sware in his Wrath he sware to Abraham in his great mercy to confirm unto him the immutability of his Counsel which was to bless him and this he did upon the acceptation of his sincere Obedience But this was in wrath not of rash passion which God is in no ways subject unto but in his severe vindictive Justice moved by their abhominable disobedience and rebellion after so many mercies deliverances wonders and convictions 3. The end of this Oath was to make the Sentence immutable His Word and bare Sentence was sufficient but to manifest his high displeasure and to cut off from that People all hope of entrance he added this Oath which in some sort stands good against all such Apostate Wretches who can have no hope of God's eternal Rest which they have eternally forfeited This is the Question To whom did God thus swear and who were those Israelies who by this Oath were absolutely debarred of all entrance into that Land The Answer follows though proposed as the former Interrogatively in these words But to them that believed not This is evident and very clear and by it is signified 1. The Parties who were excluded 2. The Sin for which they were excluded and it was Unbelief They believed not God's Word and Promise were not moved by all his Mercies and Miracles and former Judgments And thereupon became guilty of the breach of Covenant refused obstinately to perform the conditions of it in the obedience of God's Command They hardned their hearts and departed from the living God and became perfidious and rebellious Apostates From these words he concludes the Chapter in this manner Ver. 19. So we see they could not enter in because of Unbelief For this was the scope whereat he aymed to make clear what the cause of their not entring into Cauaan was that special notice might be taken of the Sin that they might take heed of the like Sin that so they might avoid the like Punishment Where by the way we may take notice that God's Judgments are just and He never condemns any but for Sin and as the Sin is more or less hainous so he proportions the Punishment The sum and substance of this example of the Fathers proposed in the Psalm is this That if they should be guilty of hardning their hearts and unbelief as their Fathers were they should be punished with the like punishment under the Gospel And if their Fathers were so fearfully punished for their disobedience to the Law of Moses how much more grievously should they be punished if they disobeyed the Gospel and forsook Jesus Christ their Saviour The whole Chapter as you heard is an exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Profession and that upon several Reasons As 1. The exocllency of Christ so far above Moses 2. The incomparable benefit that would follow thereupon 3. The dreadful punishment they must suffer if they did fall away To make this last the more effectual He 1. Alledges the words of the Psalm 2. Applies them to these Hebrews that by the example of their Fathers they might take heed of Apostacy and Unbelief Yet this Application is but begun here and finished in the next Chapter CHAP. IV. Ver. I. FOR the better understanding of this part of the Epistle we must considor 1. The Coherence with the former 2. The Scope 3. The Method and parts 1. For the Coherence it agrees 1. With the former three Chapters in the subiect the prophetical Office of Christ and in urging the duty of attention belief prosession and obedience unto his Doctrine into the end 2. It agrees with the last part of the 〈◊〉 in a special manner For having made evident that the cause why their Fathers 〈◊〉 not into God's Rest was Unbelief therefore they must take â—eed of that Sin last they â—â—ffer the like searful punishment For he that will avoid the effect must take heed of that cause upon which that effect will certainly follow He further urgeth that exhortation of the Psalmist To day if 〈◊〉 will hear his Voyce so as to be edmitted into God's Rest we must not harden our hearts provoke grieve God as their Fathers in the Wilderness did 2. The scope of the Apostle presupposing a Rest promised in the Gospel is to perswade them and thâ— them up to use with all diligence those means whereby we may attain it and enter In a word it 's the same with that of the second and third Chapters to confirm them in the profession and practice of Christ's Doctrine so as to perse 〈◊〉 unto the end and so attain that eternal Rest and Happiness to which it directeth 3. The parts are two 1. A Dehortation ver 1. 2. An Exhortation ver 11. In the Dehortation we have 1. The thing dehorted from 2. The Reasons 3. The determination of the rest In the exhortation we may observe 1. The duty exhorted unto 2. The Reasons These are the parts and this is the method the particulars whereof you shall understand hereafter To enter upon the first part which is a Dehortation In every Dehortation we must observe there is some evil or sin to be avoided and the duty is to take heed of it The sin is to come short which we cannot do but by falling off from our profession which is Apostacy And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies deficere to fall off and is called a failing of the Grace of God or a falling from the Grace of God Chap. 12. 15. The Sin therefore is Unbelief which was observed in the former Chapter to be the cause why the Israelites could not enter into God's Rest. It 's true that many understand it of the punishment of not entring into Rest which is an inevitable consequent and moral effect of falling away The duty is to fear this and to be very careful to avoid the Sin that they may avoid the Punishment This duty lies upon all and every one For it 's said lest any of you and not only so but lest any of you seem which the Syriach interprets lest any of you be found Some indeed will have the meaning to be that they must be so careful to continue in the Faith that they must not so much as seem to fall off or make any appearance of Apostacy Yet there is no necessity so to understand it for the principal thing is to take heed of the Sin which if committed will appear and be judged and punished This is the duty brought in upon the words of the former Chapter by this illative Therefore as though he should say Seeing ye have so dreadful an example of God's wrath executed upon your Fathers for their Unbelief Take heed of their Sin lest ye suffer the like Punishment § 2. The reason follows from the example of their Fathers applyed to them The sum of it is this That as many of their Fathers
drink it and receive it into our bodies yet if we neither eat the one when it 's set before us nor drink the other when put into our hands we may perish for hunger and thirst So it is spiritually with our Souls in respect of the Word preached and heard only our with outward ears and not received and receiued in our hearts by a true and lively Faith So that the cause why the Word of God being so great a Blessing and so excellent a means of Salvation doth us no good is from our selves or in our selves who either refuse it at the first or reject it after we have professed it and promised to live according to it And this refusal and rejection as they are hainous sins not onely against God's just Laws but his merciful tender of eternal life so they will prove in the end the cause of our eternal misery which shall be greater and more intolerable than those to whom the Word of God was never preached 4. Therefore it concerns us all to fear this Sin of Apostacy as we fear loss of heavenly Rest God's eternal displeasure Hell Death and eternal Punishments The Apostle by this word fear implies there is danger of falling away and if we consider there is danger and the same very great For if we look upon our weakness and the remainders of corruption the deceipt and hypocrisy of our own hearts the imperfection of our Understanding in heavenly things the inconstancy of our Wills our little experience in the wayes of God and the violence and power of temptation from the Devil and the World we may easily see that it 's a wonder if not a matter of amazement that we stand one day one hour yet when we look up towards Heaven remember our Saviour Christ reigning and victorious the power of the blessed Spirit the helps God hath given us the Promises of assistance there is great cause of hope yet this hope doth not exclude but require our diligent Care continual Watching and instant Prayers without which we cannot by which we may hope to stand Oh how should we carefully and constantly attend unto God's Word lay it up in our hearts make it the Rule of our whole life so as to obey his Commands rely upon his Promises and fear his threats and every day call to mind the Profession we have made and the Promises whereby we have engaged our selves unto our God And seeing so few do fear it 's no wonder so many fall and come short of this blessed Rest. Most men presume upon the Promise and neglect the Duty The Israellres had a Promise yet did not enter because they did not believe § 3. There follows another distinct Reason from the former and that is the great benefit that follows upon the performance of the Duty Ver. 3. For we who have believed do enter into Rest as he said As I have sworn in my Wrath c. THere is some difficulty to know the coherence of these words with the former as also of those that follow with these and amongst themselves Some say they come in upon the words immediately antecedent and give a reason why the Word not mixed with Faith did not profit nor bring the hearers into God's Rest For onely we that believe do enter that is There is no entrance but by Faith but by Faith there is Others think they propose a reason why we should fear Apostacy and be careful to persevere and that from the happy consequent and the glorious reward which follows upon perseverance in belief and that is entrance and admittance into God's Rest yet they may referr to those words of the former Chapter For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Aegypt by Moses For Caleb and Joshua heard and believed and persevered for it 's said of Caleb and it 's the Testimony of God That he had another Spirit with him and followed the Lord fully Numb 14. 24. This he applyes to himself and the Hebrews to this purpose That though some did not enter because of Unbelief yet some did believe and did not provoke and so entred so likewise shall we believing do As the former might cause fear so this latter might cause hope and prove a strong motive why we should fear to fall and be very careful to persevere So that if we will sum up that which went before it 's this in brief To day if we will hear God's voice we must not harden our hearts 1. Because if we do harden them we shall be shut out of God's Rest as our rebellious and Apostate Fathers were 2. If we do not harden our hearts but believe we shall enter into God's Rest as Caleb and Joshua did It follows As he said I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest c. These words serve to inform us of three things 1. That the Word not believed could not profit because by Unbelief they provoked God to wrath and in his Wrath he sware they should not enter into his Rest so likewise we should fear to be guilty of Unbelief because if we prove such God in his Wrath by the like Oath will exclude us 2. That as God by this Oath did exclude none but Unbelievers and brought the Believers into Canaan so he will exclude none out of the Rest promised in the Gospel but Unbelievers and will without all fail bring us believing into our spirituall Canaan 3. That as the Oath so the Exhortation used by the Prophet David implied that as there was a Rest in the dayes of Joshua so there is another Rest besides that of the promised Land Therefore because it might be doubted what Rest either David meant or the Gospel doth promise the Apostle proceeds to prove that there is yet a Rest prepared for God's People under the Gospel and determines what Rest that is This is done by distinction for he informs us of a three-fold Rest 1. Of the Sabbath 2. Of the Land of Canaan 3. Of the eternal Rest in Heaven That it was the intention of the Apostle to manifest that there was a Rest for the People of God under the Gospel and yet that Rest was neither the first of the Sabbath nor the second of the Land of Canaan is evident by that which follows especially Ver 19 10. That it was expedient if not necessary for him to do thus is as clear because he had alledged the words of the Psalm To day if ye will hear his Voice and also said in Ver. 1. That a Promise was left us of entring into his Rest. The first is the Rest of the Sabbath in these words Although the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World And Ver. 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day in this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his Works THE particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned here although yet it may signify and
a great High-Priest above all others as Universal and Supream Pontiffe of Heaven and Earth in comparison of whom all other Priests even the highest are but shadows This is the excellency of his Office His Relation to us is this that we have him that is He is our great High-Priest in whom we who professe our Faith in him have a special Interest so that He as a Priest doth officiate for us and his excellent Office was instituted of God for our eternal good no Unbelievers can be said to have him in this manner Of this great High-Priest it 's affirmed that He is passed into the Heavens This entrance into Heaven was shadowed by the High-Priests entrance into the inmost sacrary of the Tabernacle or Temple which was called the Holy of Holiest The reason why this which is here first affirmed of him is mentioned may well be this because by this he hath not only obtained and taken possessiâ—â— of this eternal Rest wherein we must seek to enter but by this means hath procured an entrance for us For where he is there we shall be and the Head and Members must be and abide together Therefore if we labour and strive we cannot doubt of entrance seeing he hath made a passage open for us This of it self is a great encouragement that our High-Priest is passed into the heavenly Rest not only for himself but also in our behalf even to assure us that if we follow him trust in him and labour to enter that we shall not come short yet this is not all the encouragement is yet greater For it followeth Ver. 15. For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without Sin I Will not here mention the principal Exhortation expressed in the former verse but reserve it to the last For it is usual upon several Reasons delivered to repeat the exhortation In the words we may observe two things 1. Christ's merciful disposition towards us 2. The Reason of it His mercy is set down negatively in that he is not sensless of our Infirmities but is one that will be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities To be inwardly affected and moved with the miseries of others doth argue an excellent temper of spirit and is a proper act of that we call mercy and compassion and it issues from goodness and love Christ as God is infinitely merciful and mercy it self and in his Word doth signify how readily and abundantly he is inclined unto it and he would have man to know it And as Man none so merciful as He and that God might manifest what store of his mercy he had for sinful Man He became Man nay miserable and mortal Man and because experimental knowledg and sense is the most effectual therefore as Man he was willing to Suffer and be Tempted And this is the Reason why he is so sensible of our sad condition because he was tempted in all points like unto us This is that wonderful way which God by his profound Wisdom contrived to make his mercy greater and in some sort more then Infinite He would have a kind of knowledg of man's infirmities which as God and infinite he could never have That which makes us an object of compassion is our infirmity that which makes him so sensible of our condition is That he was tempted in all points like us yet alwayes without Sin Infirmity is sometimes weaknesse and so the word signifies sometime Sickness and Diseases which cause weaknesse The one is opposed to strength and the other to eucrasy and health and both are twofold either of Body or Soul and here is meant the weakness and distemper of the Soul and may be Sin or Punishment which makes our Case very miserable For sin taken either for native or acquired corruption and imperfection doth fearfully weaken the Soul because it doth not only incline to actual sin but makes us unable to resist temptation so that we are easily overcome by Satan a potent subtle malicious enemy who will not only violently but continually assault us This is the reason why our sins are so many and we so often and so halnously guilty and have continually great need of mercy and pardon which cannot be obtained without the effectual intercession of this righteous Advocate and merciful High-Priest And how merciful must he needs be that was tempted himself For he was tempted in all points like unto us but without Sin Where two things are observed 1. That his temptations were in all points like ours 2. That yet he was without Sin Temptation may be taken for Sufferings or for an inducement to Sin as directly tending to sin and having a power or causality moving us thereunto As for Christ's Sufferings they were exactly like unto Ours To that end he took a Body and Soul and continued for a while in a state of Humiliation whereby he was obnoxious unto them and did actually fall under them and felt them As for temptation to sin it 's inward outward inwardly he was not tempted outwardly he was Of us it 's truly said that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed But in him there was no such corruption lust or inward concupiscence yet he was outwardly vehemently assaulted by Men and Devils as much as ever any Man was and was tempted to the same kind of sins to which we being tempted to do commit This appears from the History of the temptation and passion yet though we being tempted do often sin yet he being often and violently tempted never sinned never yielded to the temptation but alwayes resisted and alwayes overcame This is a great comfort to us that he never sinned for because of this his Intercession for us is the more effectual with God and the more acceptable unto him For a guilty person pleading for guilty persons could not have made reconciliation for their sins As it is a comfort so it 's a rare example for us to follow that when we are tempted we should use all means to avoid Sin as he did § 8. But let it be granted Christ is so merciful an High-Priest and though entred into Heaven so sensible of our miseries what benefit do we receive by him This the Apostle resolves in the words following Ver. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need IN which words we may observe 1. That as we may so we ought to come boldly unto the Throne of Grace 2. That coming thus we may speed and attain that which we desire That which in the first Proposition is presupposed is that God sits in the Throne of Grace There is a Throne of Justice and a Throne of Grace If He look upon Man according to the Law of works he must needs sit upon the Throne of Justice as a severe Lord
in his prayers and most earnestly deprecare the Wrath of God as his Saviour did The sense of sin will break the stoniest heart and quicken our Prayers cause cryes and tears But we neither consider the grievousnesse of our sins nor the bitternesse of our Saviour's Passion therefore our Prayers are cold and weak and mercy stands afar off and pardon comes not near us 3. These Prayers were made and directed to God as One that was able to save him from Death All Petitions made to any Person either unable or unwilling to do that which is desired are in vain might and mercy power and goodness are necessarily required in him to whom Prayers which shall in the issue prove effectual are to be offered And because none but God is absolutely Powerfull and Good Almighty and Almerciful therefore to him alone as Supream Lord all Prayers are to be made as to the prime Authour and principal efficient of all Blessings and Mercies To addresse our selves in this manner to any other is flat Idolatry and a breach of the first and great Command None can deliver from Death but only He. Therefore Christ offered his Prayers and Supplications to Him as able to save from Death and this ability to save in greatest dangers was the ground of his confidence God was able to save from Death either by prevention and not suffering him to dy or if he suffered Death by raising him up again and restoring life once taken away and lost The latter he did the former he denied to do yet by Death in this place may be meant some other thing then loss of this mortal and temporal Life for in Scripture it signifies all kind of evils Man or Angel is subject unto and in this place something which he feared prayed against and was freed from by God his heavenly Father supporting him so that he did not sink under the heavy burden laid upon him He endured all with patience and willingness of mind and was not overcome or overwhelmed He suffered something far more terrible then all bodily pains and that Death which is only a separation of Soul and Body and this was violent temptation for he was tempted more violently then ever any was yet he never yielded the least but continued firm faithful obedient unto his heavenly Father in the midst of his greatest conflicts That which upheld him was the power of his Father and that which obtained the victory was his support obtained by his fervent Prayers For 4. His Prayers and Supplications were effectual he was heard in that he feared To be heard in the Hebrew is by a Metonymy sometimes to have our prayers granted and the thing requested done And to be heard when we pray for deliverance is to be delivered saved holpen This might be made manifest out of many places of the Old Testament translated by the Septuagint Two of them Heinsius observes as 2 Chron. 18. 31. where it 's written That Jehoshaphat cryed out and the Lord helped him so the Hebrew heard him so the Septuagint And Psal. 56. 16. As for me I will call upon God and the Lord will save me so the Hebrew hath heard me so the Greek So that for Christ to be heard was for Christ to be delivered But what was he delivered from certainly not from Death so as not to suffer it for he dyed but from something he seared For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifyeth fear Metonymically in this place signifies the thing feared which was the object and cause of his fear This word is once used by the Septuagint for so they translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh. 22. 24. But what did Christ fear Death No not bodily Death but such a Death as he suffered wherein he was so fearfully tempted For if God had deserted him wholly as he did in part and not have supported him he as man might have been overcome have sunk under the burden in distrust or dispair or impatience This he feared more then ten thousand Deaths of his Body and so to do was his holiness and though he knew his Father would support him yet he must offer vehement Prayers and be put hard unto it before he did obtain it Thus though he knew he must dy yet he defired vehemently that the Cup of his Passion if it were possible might passe and be omitted God began to hear him when he sent an Angel from Heaven to comfort him but then he heard fully when he had supported him to the end of his Passion so that he commended his Soul unspotted and victorious into his Fathers hand and made haste unto that Paradise into which no unclean thing shall ever enter When all was done and suffered the Devil found nothing in him could not charge him with the least Sin This was the efficacy of his Prayers which he offered for himself as different from all others that ever were made in his extremity whereby he learned to pity others in their temptations and necessities For an High-Priest must offer for himself as well as for others because he is compassed with infirmities So Christ though he had no Sin yet had infirmities and was tempted and had need to pray for himself as well as for his People and Ver. 8. Though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered VVHere we may observe two things and two propositions Two things 1. His eminent Dignity he was a Son 2. His obedience Two propositions 1. He was a Son 2. Though a Son yet he learned obedience by the things â—he Suffered 1. He was a Son the Son of God and in a more excellent manner then any either Man or Angel was or could be He was as the Word the Son of God so as that he was God and as Flesh and Man he was assumed by the Word and conceived by the holy Spirit in the Virgin 's Womb yet so that there were not two Sons but one the Word made Flesh and as such a Son he was nearer God then any other Heir of all things Lord of Men and Angels and the only-begotten Son of God Yet 2. Though a Son yet learned he obedience For though as a Son he was very high yet he humbled himself very low and took upon him the form of a Servant and in that form became obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross which was the Death of a Servant as he was sold for thirty pence the ordinary price of a Servant and Slave His obedience presupposed his subjection as Flesh unto his heavenly Father as his Supream Lord and a Command not only to Do but to Suffer even the Death of the Crosse and this was the highest greatest and hardest command to dye such a Death for the Sin of Man This command above all others he learned to obey He learned this hard Lesson not only to know it but chiefly to do it not meerly by speculation but real
experience For to learn to obey is to obey and to learn to suffer is to suffer God by laying on him the Iniquities of us all was the Master he by bearing that heavy burden became the Schollar for by the things he suffered that is by suffering so many things and amongst the rest the Death of the Cross he did perfectly learn and experimentally understand what obedience was This Lesson no Angel did ever learn in this manner they had no such command neither did they ever obey it though they knew it By the former words we understand that he offered prayers for himself and by these that he offered himself for us and learned to have pity upon poor Sinners who in their extremities cry unto God By this obedience was signified God's severity against Sin and his tender mercy towards Sinners § 8. Thus Christ was consecrated and by this Suffering and Sacrifice of himself fitly qualified for to be a Priest and a saving Priest unto all his loyal and obedient Servants For Ver. 9. Being made perfect he became the Authour of eternal Salvation uâ—to all â—â—â—m that obey him FIrst He is made perfect Secondly He became the Authout of Savation 1. To be made perfect is to be consecrated and made fit to minister before God as a Priest For though God did design Aaron for a Priest yet he did not suffer him to minister before he was consecrated There is no legal Consecration without Blood of Sacrifices therefore Christ was consecrated by his own Blood the Blood of that Sacrifice wherein he offered his life himself It was the Wisdom of God to order it and his Will â—o decree that Christ should first Suffer and shed his Blood for the Sin of man and so sanctify him by Suffering before he should have power to save For the best and most merciful Priest that ever was must be made in the best and most convenient manner Upon this strange and wonderful Consecration he became an Authour of Salvation Where we may observe 1. An Effect eternal Salvation 2. The Authour or efficient Christ consecrated 3. The Subject to which this Salvation is communicated such as obey him 1. By Salvation is meant deliverance from Sin and all the Consequents thereof so as that the party saved is made for ever happy There be both bodily and spiritual temporal and eternal dangers whereunto man by Sin is liable and this Salvation is a deliverance from all There is deliverance as from some evils and not all so deliverance only for a time and not for ever but this Salvation is a total deliverance from all evil and that for ever Eternal peace safety felicity is the issue and consequent thereof 2. This Salvation being so noble and glorious an effect must have some Cause some Authour and Efficient and this Efficient was Christ yet Christ as perfected and consecrated For by his Blood and purest Sacrifice of himself 1. He satisfied divine Justice and merited this Salvation 2. Being upon his Resurrection constituted and made an High-Priest and King and fit to minister and officiate as a Priest and Reign as King in Heaven he ascends into that glorious Temple and Palace and is set at the right hand of God 3. Being there established he begins as King to send down the Holy Ghost reveal the Gospel and by both to work Faith in the hearts of Men and qualify them for Justification and Salvation 4. When men are once qualified and prepared so as to sue for pardon in his Name before the Throne of God he as Priest begins his Intercession and by the plea of his own Blood for them procures their pardon and eternal Salvation So that as consecrated and perfect he becomes the great efficient Cause of this Salvation by way of merit intercession and actual communication There be many other ministerial and adjuvant causes of this effect yet he is the principal so the word which signifies a Cause in general was understood by our Translators who turn it the Authour 3. If it be communicated from and by him it must be received in some subject and if in him there be an eternal saving virtue and he exercise it there must be some subject and persons in whom this saving power shall produce this effect so as that they shall be saved And though this Power be able to save all yet only they and all they who obey him shall be saved Efficient causes work most effectually in Subjects united and disposed aright And so it is in this case for though the mercies of God mericed by Christ may be so far communicable to all as that all may become savable which is a great and universal Benefit yet they are not actually communicated to all because all are not obedient For the divine Wisdom and Justice have limited them to a certain subject and to regulate the manner of communicating them And seeing the proper subject of this Salvation are such as do obey this Saviour therefore here it 's presupposed that Christ is a King and Soveraign Prince and as such gives Commands and Laws to all his Subjects and such as submit unfainedly unto his Regal Power and obey his Laws and none else may expect this Salvation His Laws require this sincere submission and obedience in renouncing all others and a total dependance upon him and him alone in repenting of our Sins and believing upon him And this sincere Faith is the fundamental vertue and potentially all obedience Therefore is it said That whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting Life And he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life Joh. 3. 16. 36. § 9. Yet before he was an immediate and compleat Authour of eternal Salvation he must not only be consecrated But Ver. 10. Called of God an High-Priest after the Order of Melchisedec THese words are added and repeated not only to expound his former proof out of Psalm 110 but also to shew when and how he became so mighty and glorious a Saviour and also to bring in 1. The digression 2. The discourse that followeth 1. They are exegetical and declare the meaning of those words alledged ver 6. Thou are â—â— Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec For by this Text we are informed 1. That those words were spoken by God 2. That God by those words did make him a compleat and eternal Priest and by Oath confirmed his Priest-hood For this Text was alledged to prove that Christ did not glorify himself and usurp this Sacerdotal Office but God gave it him and so he came justly and legally by it They are 2. Added to shew when Christ became so compleat an High-Priest and to exercise his saving Power and that was not only upon his consecration but this confirmation of him at his right hand For then instantly he began to work and convert Men make Intercession for them and bring them to Salvation 3. Upon these words reiterated he takes occasion to deliver that
which follows as will appear anon Two things here I will only observe 1. That to be called is openly and solemnly with power to be declared For this inauguration and confirmation was made with great solemnity and that in the presence of all the Host and Angels of Heaven Whether God commanded any Archangel with sound of heavenly Trumpet to proclaim him and ouer these words before the Throne of Glory and the place of his special presence in the Heaven of Heavens we know not It 's certain by these words he was made an eternal Priest and thereupon all the Angels of Heaven did acknowledg him The second thing to be observed is that he was not only made a Priest but also a King for without either of these he could not be so powerful a Saviour yet he was not so made by these but other words § 10. Now follow a Digression For after that the Apostle had proved him to be a Priest and so made of God and a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec and not after that of Aaron order did require he should enlarge upon the words of the Psalmist yet because this Doctrine was mysterious and profound and they not so capable of it he takes occasion by the way to reprove their dulness stir up their attention and prepare them for this Doctrine concerning Christ's Priest-hood which he intended more fully to declare unto them This reproof is brought in artificially by a kind of Transition and in this manner Ver. 11. Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered seeing â—â— are dull of hearing IN these words and those which follow We have 1. The excellency and copiousness of the matter 2. The Hebrews incapacity 3. The reason of their incapacity The subject whereof he intended to speak was the Priest-hood of Christ and seeing he was a Priest after the Order of Melchisodec he must needs speak something of him The copiousness and aburdince of matter is signified by those words Of whom we have many things to say the excellency in those and hard to be uttered their incapacity they were dull of hearing The cause of this For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again c. which implies their negligence Of whom Some think this Relative whom referrs to Melchisedec others to Christ as Priest But it referrs to both to Christ principally to Melchisedec in order unto Christ For many things were to be known of Melchisedec that it might be made evident how he did typify Christ and how Christ was a Priest according to that Order and not the Order of Aaron This is the subject of which he intended to speak Of this subject he had many things to say This implies 1. That he knew many things concerning this Priest and Priest-hood and the same certainly and infallibly true as revealed unto him by the divine Spirit 2. That these things he could utter and express and that clearly and perspicuously enough and he was willing yea desirous to make them known if he could have found Schollars capable of this excellent Doctrine But such they were not for many excellent things might be taught if men would be careful to learn and improve their time and parts Yet these many things were hard to be uttered This implies that they were excellent and above the capacity of Babes and Children They were not hard or obscure to him for he knew them and fully understood them neither were they such things as he learned when he was rapt up into the third Heaven unutterable in themselves but they were hard to be uttered so as they might understand them For They were dull of hearing This was their incapacity The meaning is not that they were deaf either in whole or part or that such amongst them as were learned could not read them if written or understand the language but by hearing is meant understanding There are outward ears and outward hearing of the body inward ears and inward hearing of the Soul the former they had the latter they had not so as to be capable of such things as he had to say of this Priest and Priest-hood This was no obscurity in the matter but an indisposition in the Soul to receive this Doctrine Dulness was this indisposition which in general is a defect of active Power in particular in this place of the intellective faculty as not able to perceive discern apprehend and judge of this higher Doctrine It 's opposed to that we call acâ—â—â—n the sharpness quickness and piercing power of the wit and intellect yet here this dulness is restrained to a certain object for in other things they might be apprehensive and judicious enough By reason of this defect it is that much excellent and divine Doctrine is lost or at least useless to the greatest part of the People who are no whit moved with Doctrine though excellent if above their capacity For this cause the meanest Teachers are most popular though it 's true that all wise men must have respect unto the capacity of their Hearers and condescend unto them yet men should not be alwayes Babes and Dunces in God's School But what might be the cause of this dulness The Apostle informs us Ver. 12. That when for the time ye ought to have been Teachers you have need that one teach you again the principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not strong meat § 11. THis incapacity and defect of the Understanding may be either from natural imperfection as in Ideots and Naturals or such as are not much better or from want of teaching instruction and disciplination or from God's just Judgment and the delusions of Satan or from the negligence of such as are taught and do not attentively hear heed consider or from the sublimity and excellency of the matter taught or from ignorance of the language or terms or manner of expression used by such as take upon them to be Teachers or from the want of Understanding in principles upon which the knowledg of other things doth depend Dulness and so ignorance from some of these causes is blamless and will not be charged upon man in his last tryal For ignorance invincible is not counted a Sin but ignorance and dulness from neglect of the means God hath given Man to improve his knowledg for his own good is inexcusable If the things to be known be necessary and concern his everlasting Salvation or conduce to the same it 's far more hainous Such was the dulness and ignorance of these Hebrews and it 's implyed in this that they had had time and all other necessary means to improve their knowledg to that of Teachers and yet they were so ignorant that they had need to be taught again the very principles of Christianity This was a Sin and the same very grievous and a great impediment to their Salvation and increase
of Man but of God who is Truth it self 3. That the thing testified was firm certain and most stable The Apostle alledgeth the Prophet who was divinely inspired and one of the sacred and Canonical Writers and acknowledged by the Jews to be such so that they could not any wayes except against his Testimony as being not only divine but as alledged by him very plain and pertinent and effectual to prove the Point intended And it was the more effectual and undeniable because this Prophet was one of the Levitical Priests and delivered this Prophecy whilst that first Covenant was in power and force Yet another thing is further to be observed That the Apostle follows the Translation of the Septuagâ—nt except in one word and though it seem to differ from the Hebrew yet it doth not For the sense both of the Hebrew Original and Greek Version is the same That wherein they seem to differ most is that passage in the latter end of the ninth Verse and I regarded them not It is strange that our English Translators should here follow the Greek and in Jeremy 31. 32. the Hebrew as they conceived for thus they turn it there although I was an Husband â—nto them But to reconcile both the places we may note 1. That the Septuagint's Alexandrian Version is rather Paraphrastical than wording 2. That they knew the force and signification of the Hebrew words better than we do 3. That though our Lexicons give no such signification to the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to neglect or not regard yet it may signify so and they knew it and did so translate it to make the sense more perâ—picuous as they do in many other places 4. We find that Baal din signifies an Adversary in judgment and that Baal aph is One that is angry displeased and much offended 5. The words Though I had been a Husband to them may signify by a Meâ—onymy of the Cause for the Effect to neglect reject and cast off Because their breach of Covenant was aggravated very much in that God had been an Husband to them yet they forsook him and that was the Cause why he neglected them and thus some understand the place But to enter upon the words which we find Jer. 31. 31 32 33 34. Behold the dayes come c. The Adverb Behold is often used as in other Authors so in the Scriptures and for the most part is a Note of attention especially when the matter is rare strange or excellent And though every part of God's Word requires our attention yet some deserve an higher degree of consideration For being of special and great concernment and sometimes extraordinary that cannot be so effectual except we in a special and extraordinary manner attend unto them The word is Metaphorical and signifies an Act of our Eye and visive faculty but here by similitude an Act of the Understanding exercising both the apprehensive and judicial Power thereof And this new Covenant was a special Object of both The matter of the Text alledged is a Covenant described from 1. The parties confederating 2. The time 3. The quality 4. The promises 1. The parties confederating were God on one side and the House of Israel and Judah on the other God was the first and principal party who contrived the Covenant and resolved upon it and by the Prophet fore-told it and all these were Acts of his free Grace and abundant Love to sinful Man intending to save him The parties with whom he would make it was the House of Israel and Judah yet because there was Israel according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit and a Jew who was such outwardly and a Jew who was such inwardly therefore it doth not exclude the Gentile and it takes in not only the Proselyte but others too Yet the Houses of Israel and Judah have the preheminence and the Jew must first be called and the Covenant must first be tendred â—nto him And this Prophecy may be understood of them in a more special manner with reference to their Conversion in the latter times 2. The time when God would make it was then to come and when the Apostle wrote to these Hebrâ—ws it was past For God knew his own mind and purpose and signifies the same by the Prophet long before the Execution of the Decree for known to God from the beginning are all his Works yet though he know them he doth not instantly effect them But he knows the best times and fittest seasons and when they once come his almighty executive Power doth issue out and effect them Yet he may signify before hand what he will do in the times to come as here he did And there may be special Reasons moving him so to do as 1. To signify the Perfection of his Knowledge 2. To comfort his People in their great Afflictions by letting them know what good he intends them in future times Yet there might be some special reasons of this particular Prediction as 1. To teach them and their Posterity the weakness and imperfection of the former Covenant lest they should depend upon it for Justification and eternal Life 2. By this Prophecy to convince in future times the unbelieving Jews and confirm these believing Hebrews and also to prove the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood which is the use the Apostle makes of it in this place 3. The quality it was new and different from the former In that it was new it implies c. 1. That there was an Old Covenant 2. That the old was the former this the latter in Order of time 3. Because new things are better than old and sometimes far better in which respect Novum est eximium therefore heâ— here may signify a more excellent Covenant and so this was far more excellent than the former 4. New Covenant is another Covenant and different from the former and it differs not only accidentally but essentially Which difference is expressed Ver. 9. Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. § 9. VVHere many things are observable as 1. That the former Covenant was made with their Fathers 2. It was made when he brought them out of Aegypt 3. They continued not in that Covenant 4. He therefore rejected them 5. This new Covenant is not according to that 6. All this saith the Lord. 1. The first Proposition signifies the parties with whom God made this Covenant they were their Fathers and Ancestors in opposition to their Posterity and Children with whom he would make this Covenant These Fathers in particular were those who sojourned in Aegypt 430 years after the Promise was made to Abraham which informs us that it was different both from the Promise made before and the Gospel and this new Covenant revealed so long after 2.
satisfaction made Neither is it cruelty but Justice to require explation to be made and to accept it for a guilty Person and so upon the same to remit him is a great Mercy The second word is Not to remember To remember Sin in this place is an Act of a Judge taking notice of Sin so as to punish the Sinner Not to remember is not to charge the Sin upon the Sinner and so punish him but to free him from the Punishment and the Guilt too so that he shall neither be punished nor be liable to Punishment And it 's observable 1. That he will not only be mercifull but he will not remember 2. That though in the Hebrew there be but one Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the Septuagint and the Apostle we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double Negative where by the Multitude of words is signified that God's Mercy will be very great and by the Negatives that it will be very certain and the Sinner shall have no cause to doubt And both the words and the Negatives imply that God will certainly and abundantly pardon and he will in no wise punish 3. This Remission is eternal and takes away the Guilt of Sin for ever and puts the sinful guilty wretch once pardoned in a condition of eternal safety In the Law notwithstanding their Sacrifices for Sin and Burnt-Offerings and Expiations there was a yearly remembrance of Sin upon the day of Expiation and their many Sacrifices offered by many Priests often could not take away Sin But Christ by one Offering consecrated the sanctified for ever and by his Blood entring into the Holy place obtained eternal Remission and made Sin eternally pardonable And upon Repentance and Faith follows actual and eternal Remission and freedom from all Guilt and Punishment for evermore So that the pardon here promised is plenary for it 's total of all sins and perpetuall and an Act of eternal Amnesty or Oblivion will be passed in the supream Court of Heaven No sin not any shall in any wise be remembred any more 4. The party pardoning is God who makes the Covenant and in the Covenant this Promise For it 's said I will be mercifull I will not remember He is the supream Law-giver and the supream Judg and if he once justify none can condemn His Sentence cannot be revoked and null'd there lyes no Appeal from his Tribunal his Decrees once passed stand firm for ever Yet God pardons as propiâ—â—ated by the Blood of Christ and â—s there upon freely and abundantly merciful For to pardon one whom he may justly punish is Mercy to pardon many grievous sins is abundant Mercy to pardon for ever is eternal Mercy It is the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious â—â—ng-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin Exod. 34. 6. 7. Where we may observe that Mercy goes before Remission He loved and piâ—yed us when we were sinful and Enemies and gave his only begotten Son for us that by his Blood he might make way for his Mercy make our Sins paâ—â—â—onable and when the Sinner once repetus and believs and the Blood of Christ is once pleaded then he actually freely abundantly eternally pardons How are God's justified Ones bound to praise him with all their heart for evermore 5. The Persons pardoned are not all Sinners and every Transgressout For though God's Mercy â—e as he himself is infinite yet it 's by his Wisdom and Justice limited to certain Persons For though Christ hath merited pardon by his death yet no Sinner as a Sinner is capable of it his Death makes Sin and Faith makes the Sinner pardonable God must write his Laws in Man's heart and Man must know his God and Saviour and believe in him and Christ must make Intercession before Man can be actually justified Therefore this Promise follows all the rest Except Man receive God for his God and God become his God no pardon can be expected God received as our God and engaging himself to be our God in Christ doth justify And this is great Mercy of God that seeing Man is by Nature uncapable of Remission because sensless of his Sin and ignorant of his Saviour he writes his Laws in his heart to take away the stony and sensless quality thereof and makes it tender and sensible and so Man sees his Sin hates it is humbled and grieved for it willing to turn unto his God He enlightens him and lest he should despaire he manifests unto him his Saviour and his infinite Mercy in him promiseth pardon invites and calls him and lets him know there is plentiful Redemption Upon all this Man is willing to submit himself and take God to be his God in Christ and now he is in a capacity of pardon and justifiable Thus Man by God's Grace and performance of his Duty by the power of that Grace is prepared for this great Mercy of Remission and Justification And they who through neglect of hearing God's Word and Prayer continue in their Sin and harden their hearts can have no hope of this great benefit which God is so willing to give and sinful Man unwilling upon God's terms to receive These words thus explained contain this Promise That God will forgive Man his Sin and justify him and the words are brought in upon the former by the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek turned by our Translators For. And as I have observed before it 's sometimes expletive sometimes illative for therefore sometimes causal and accordingly is rendred Sometimes the Hebrew Particle signifies When. If it be expletive it 's used onely to bring in this last Promise and joyn it with the rest But if it be not such but used here as a rational Conjunction the Connexion of these words with the former is very doubtful Some make Remission to be the ground of all the other Priviledges which God doth promise because he will forgive their Sins Thus Dr. Gouge seems to understand it Yes this seems to give a Reason why God will write his Laws in their hearts be their God and so teach them as that they shall know him and it 's this That he may make them capable of Remission and being made such he may remit them This is certain that this is a distinct Promise of the Covenant different from the rest and it 's such a Promise and of so great a Blessing that the Law had none such neither by the Observation of it could any Man obtain Pardon and Justification And it 's certain and clear enough that one end why God made this Covenant and in the same promised to write his Laws in our hearts was that by them so written we might repent and believe and by them obtain Remission For the chief Laws and Commandments of this new Covenant are those of Repentance and Belief
and seeing the punishment was Death Death must first be suffered This was thus appointed and done to signify his purest holiness his hatred and detestation of sin his love of Justice and his respect unto the Law which bound to obedience or upon disobedience to punishment By this he signified and all men must know it that it 's a dangerous thing to transgress his Laws and this must hear and fear But then 2. Why by his own blood The reason in general is the will of God which did determine upon this blood and the wisdom of God which knew that it was the fittest of all other But more particularly the blood of Goats and Calves was no wayes convenient For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins Hebr. 10. 4. Nor the blood of man of the best man though far above the blood of Bullocks and Goates was fit for all men are guilty and their blood is stained Neither was the life of Angels fit for though it might be precious yet God did not think it sufficiently satisfactory and meritorious for sinful man And suppose an High-Priest should offer his own blood yet that would not serve Therefore it must be Christ's blood his own blood which was pure and without spot and most precious not only because it was the blood of God that eternal Word made Flesh which was God but because it was shed with greatest pain and most willingly out of love to sinful man whose Flesh and Blood he had assumed and in obedience to his heavenly Father who had made him the great High-Priest appointed him to be the Head Surety and Hostage of sinful man and commanded him to lay down his life and do this great Service And without the blood of this Sacrifice he could not have entred into the holy place and obtained eternal Redemption This is the fourth thing observed in the Text and the Subject of the fourth Proposition concerning one immediate effect of his blood For he entring by his own blood once obtained eternal Redemption Where we must enquire 1. What Redemption is 2. Why this Redemption is said to be eternal 3. How it was obtained by the blood of Christ entring into Heaven or by Christ entring Heaven once with his own blood 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Copher in Hebrew which signifies a price or gift offered to a Judge or an Enemy to deliver one from Death or some other evil or punishment and it 's called a Ransome in this respect Christ is said to give himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lytron a Ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. and Matth. 20. 28. In that place it 's such a price as is given to a Judge who hath power of Life and Death for to save the life of one capitally guilty and by Law bound to suffer Death The effect of this price is 1. To propitiate the Judge 2. Upon this propitiation made to save the lise of the party guilty In this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the effect of this price and is turned Redemption Expiation Remission Propitiation It 's true that the word may signify many other things and any kind of deliverance from evil But in this place it 's evident that it signifies the deliverance of guilty persons from Death upon a price given and accepted The party to whom this price was given is God as Supream Judge before whose Tribunal man stands guilty and liable to Death The effect of it is propitiation which includes satisfaction of divine Justice and merit of his favour and love Upon this propitiation sin becomes remissible and pardonable therefore Redemption and Propitiation are sometimes by a Metonymy taken for Remission according to that of the Apostle In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. In both which places the latter word seems to explain the former Yet Redemption is not Remission properly and actually but efficienter as the effect is said to be in the cause before it exist because of the virtue and power which abiding in the cause is sufficient to produce the effect and Christ must make sin by this Redemption remissible before it can be actually remitted 2. This Redemption and Propitiation is said to be eternal not because Christ is always redeeming and propitiating for that work was performed speedily and in a short time But it 's such because the virtue of it is of perpetual continuance in respect of all Sinners capable of all sins according to the Laws of God-Redeemer remissible and of the remission it self which frees the Sinner from all his sins from the eternal guilt and all penalties for ever Upon this Redemption is grounded that comfortable promise of the New Covenant formerly mentioned Chap. 8. 12. where God binds himself to remember our iniquities no more that is to give eternal pardon This adjunct of perpetuity is added to difference this Redemption and Expiation from that of the Law which must be made atleast every year It did but extend backward to sins of one year and the force of it presently expires 3. This was found and obtained by Christ as by his own blood entring once into the holy place None could make this propitiation but Christ neither could he do it except he enter the holy place Neither by that except he enter with blood his own blood But if he enter with that blood but once then the work is done for ever Why this Expiation and Propitiation should be made by blood and Christ's blood you have heard already But why with his blood must he enter the holy place and how being entered by and with this blood propitiation should be made for us as Translators by adding these words understand and supply the place though more difficult yet is to be cleared 1. Some tell us that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Aorist tense consignifying time past eternal Redemption and Propitiation was found and obtained first and then afterward he entred the holy place And it 's true that when Christ had suffered Death the principal work was done and the foundation of eternal Remission was laid Yet if Death and shedding of his blood obtained eternal Redemption before he entred Heaven at lest in his Soul separated from his Body then the Type and Anti-type did not agree For the legal Redemption and Expiation was not made instantly upon the slaying of the Coates and Bullocks but before the work could be finished and sin expiated the High-Priest must take the Blood and Incense and enter the Holy of Holies and first burn the Incense and then sprinkle the blood upon and before the Mercy-seat without both which done neither his own sins nor the sins of the People could be expiated In all bloody and propitiatory Sacrifices were required Mactatio
man yet willing upon certain terms to be merciful unto him And one condition which performed he will accept is that Christ as Surety for man should suffer Death for man to satisfie divine Justice In this respect is he said to give himself a Ransome or Price How far different this is from the offering here described is easy to understand The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used about sixteen times in this Epistle but never taken in his sense which is so absurd and unworthy that no rational man as rational much less a Christian and a Schollar can any wayes approve but reject with scorn The rest of his discourse upon this Text is like his description of Christ's offering and by it he seeks to cast a mist upon the divine Doctrine of the Apostle lest he should confound himself and suffer his Reader to see the truth Dr. Gouge upon this Text affirms Christ to be a Priest in both natures which cannot be true for though he that is Priest be God yet as God he is not he cannot be a Priest For a Priest is an Officer and all Officers as Officers are made such by Commission from the Supream Power from whom they derive their Office whom they represent and are Servants under them to serve them There are two prime and proper acts of Christ as a Priest to Sacrifice and offer himself to God as Supream Lord and to make Intercession to him To attribute either of these to God as God and affirm them of him in proper sense is plainly blasphemous and inexcusable it turns the Lord into the Servant and God into Man § 14. Hitherto the excellency of Christ's Sacrifice and Service hath been manifested by two glorious and excellent effects the one immediate which is Expiation the other mediate which is purging the Conscience from Dead Works The former made Sin pardonable and the Consequents thereof removable the latter actually takes away Sin and the Consequents thereof in him who believeth Besides these two there is a third effect shewing it to be yet more excellent and that is confirmation of the New Covenant for thus he writes Ver. 15. And for this cause is he the Mediatour of the New Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption of Transgressions under the first Test ament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal Inheritance THe subject of this Verse is the confirmation of the New Covenant by the Death and Sacrifice of Christ which is affirmed here and illustrated from ver 16. to the 23. afterwards And here the Coherence is 1. To be examined 2. The Text in it self to be considered The coherence with the former is in these words And for this cause The Copulative and may be as in other places expletive or it may be used to signify that the Death and bloody Sacrifice of Christ as it was ordained for another end besides the two former of Propitiation and purging the Conscience so it hath another and a third effect which is The confirmation of the New Covenant For this is to observed that he speaks and still continues his discourse of the Death and Blood of Christ. The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause which are turned by some therefore may referr either to that which goes before or that which follows If to that which goes before then they inform us that because Christ by his Blood entring the holy place of Heaven obtained eternal Remission and by it offering himself through the eternal Spirit without spot doth purge the Conscience to serve the living God therefore and for this cause and in respect of these two effects is he the Mediatour of the New Covenant If they relate to that which follows they are to be understood in this manner That because by the Death of Christ the Called receive the promise of eternal Inheritance therefore he is the Mediatour of the New Covenant This is the Coherence The absolute consideration of the Text followeth wherein we have two principal express Axioms or Propositions 1. Christ is the Mediatour of the New Covenant 2. By means of Death for the Redemption of Transgressions under the first Covenant the Called might receive the promise of eternal Inheritance 3. Christ is a Mediatour of the New Covenant that by means of Death for Redemption c. the Called may receive the promise c. In the first we have 1. A New Covenant 2. A Mediatour of this New Covenant 3. Christ the Mediatour 1. The New Covenant is that of the Gospel whereof you have heard in the former Chapter where it was opposed unto and compared with the Old Covenant made with the Fathers in the Wilderness Exod. 19. as established upon better promises And that word which was there turned Covenant is turned Testament not that there is any necessity but a conceived congruity For because here is mention of an Inheritance which is usually conveyed by the Will and Testament of man which Will is then firm and unalterable when the Testatour dieth therefore it was conceived by some that in this place that which formerly was called a Covenant should be called here a Testament yet notwithstanding it agrees with a Testament and may by a Metaphor be so termed yet it is more properly a Covenant 2. We have a Mediatour of this Covenant and what a Mediatour is you have heard before as also the distinctions of Mediators Some tell us that a Mediatour is aut â—untius aut sequester pacis aut arbiter aut sponsor yet we need not insist upon these terms for the Mediatour of this Covenant is a Priest and a Minister of it as the High-Priest was of the former Covenant 3. This Mediatour is Christ who may be said to be Nuntius à Dâ—o Intercessor pro hâ—mine Arbiter inter utrumque Sponsor pro utroque and he is a Messenger declaring the Covenant as a Prophet an Arbitratour between God and Man as a King a Surety and Intercessour as a Priest Yet though all this said may be in some respect true yet it 's neither accurate nor pertinent in this place Christ as a Priest and as a Priest officiating and offering himself a Sacrifice to propitiate God and purge the conscience of sinful Man is the Mediatour of this Covenant For as such and in this respect he mediates between God and Man to propitiate God and to make man fit for the receiving of the eternal Reward promised and both these he doth by his Blood and Death without which offered and applyed the promise would be void and never take effect It 's true that Christ doth procure the Covenant declares it confirms it and makes it effectual and in all these respects he may be said to be a Mediatour Yet here he is made such principally and most properly as confirming and making it effectual Moses and not Aaron was the Mediatour in the making and confirming the Old Covenant For he dealt between God and the
anoy them and so he wrote by them From hence it follows that the Authority of this Tstimony is divine and infallibly true and acknowledged so to be by them and it 's of◠much the more force because it was written in the time of the Law whilst it was in force Yet before I enter upon the matter we must consider of their connexion and bringing the words in Where three things are observable 1. The connexion with the former by the particle illative therefore 2. A Prosopopaeia whereby he brings in Christ speaking and makes the words his 3. The time when he speaks them 1. The illative particle signifies thus much That because the former Sacrifices were so unfit and so insufficient therefore for that cause God did even then by the Prophet David signify That he would reject them and pitch upon a better and that he had no intention to make use of them for to perfect and purge but from the beginning designed Christ's Sacrifice to that end and for that purpose 2. They are brought in Rhetorically as the words of Christ directing his Speech to God his heavenly Father The praediction that Christ would use these words is David's but the words must be Christs 3. The time when Christ should use these words was the time of his coming into the World which was then to come and now is past But the controversy is What should be meant by his coming into the World which most understand of his Incarnation and more particularly his inauguration and entrance upon his publick Ministry It 's certain they must be the words of Christ Incarnate after that God had signified his Will and Pleasure that he should sacrifice himself unto him for the Sin of Man The Socinian will have it to be his coming into the future World and entrance into Heaven and the reason of this opinion is his false conceit of Christ's Offering which is contrary to express Scripture as hath been formerly shewed But to come unto the matter contained in the words first as we find them in the Psalm secondly as they are understood and explained and so applyed by him to the point in hand § 7. The words of the Psalmist may be considered Grammatically or Theologically In them Grammatically considered we find a difference between the Hebrew and the Translation of the Septuagint which the Apostle follows and it is in one Clause For the Hebrew words translated as they seem properly to signify Mine ears hast thou opened the Septuagaint turn A body hast thou fitted me or prepared for me Here the Hebrew Text and the Greek Translation seem so much to differ as though they were not reconcileable A Greek Scholiast tells us that Paul understood and knew the Hebrew well enough yet he makes use of the word body used in the Septuagint as most subservient to his purpose And here I will not mention either what Nobitius observes upon the words of the Psalm or how several Authours translate the words or how à Lapide and many others seek to reconcile the Hebrew and the Septuagint Genebrard upon the Psalm by a tropical Explication endeavours the reconciliation The Tropes are 1. A metaphor in the Hebrew Verb and a Synechdoche in the Nown For as by Digging Hewing Cutting Lapidaries shape and fashion stones into the form of a Body so God created and framed Christ a Body this is Metaphorical And as many times a part is taken for the whole so Ear which is a part is taken for the whole Body this is Synechdochical Yet this will not satisfie therefore it 's to be observed That the Septuagint's Translation being not wording as formerly hath been noted but many times paraphrastical doth often leave the words and give the sense which here they seem to do For 1. To bore or digg the Ear is to addict one that is willing to perpetual Service This was the Ceremony prescribed by God Exod. 21. 6. This was in the Servant a denying himself a renouncing of his Liberty and a free voluntary total submission of his own will unto the will of his Master In the Master it was a Solemn engagement of the person willing to his perpetual Service According to this Christ the Lord of all made himself of no Reputation took upon him the form of a Servant and addicted himself wholly to his heavenly Father's Will 2. Yet Christ as the Word whereby the World was made could not be a Servant therefore the Word was made Flesh and God prepared him a Body a Flesh that in that Flesh he might be his Servant 3. Because the chiefest piece of Service was in offering up his Body and his Life for the Sin of Man which to perform was the Will and Command of his Father therefore the Interpretation of the Septuagint was most excellent Further it 's observable That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies a Servant and then the sense is That God made him his Servant and fitted him for the hardest Service that ever was even the Service of Sacrificing himself and of being obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross. Thus far the words have been Grammatically examined If we consider them Theologically we may observe in them two things 1. The Will of God concerning Christ. 2. The Coming of Christ to do the Will of God For God had determined that the Sin of Man should be expiated by some offering and this Will and Determination is expressed in the Text 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively For thus it 's written Ver. 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a body thou hast prepared me Ver. 6. In Burnt-Offering and Sacrifices for Sin thou hast had no pleasure VVHere we have 1. Sacrifices Offerings Burnt-Offerings Offerings for Sin by all which is signified all the Levitical Offerings for Expiation prescribed by God 2. The rejection of these for God would not have them he desired them not he took no pleasure in them This is the Negative Will of God in respect of these Offerings For he never intended them for to perfect and sanctify Worshippers because he knew them unfit for any such purpose Therefore all these were but shadows of a far better Offering 3. The Body of Christ different from and opposed to all the Legal Offerings as far more excellent 4. God's acceptance of this Body which God prepared for him that he might offer it for it was designed for that purpose and was far more fit for to expiate the Sin of Man This is God's Will Christ's will and readiness to perform God's Will follows For 1. Christ doth the Will of God 2. He came to do it 3. This was written in the Volume of God's Book 1. Christ's doing of God's Will is not that which we call his active Obedience unto the moral Law but his suffering Death willingly upon the Cross and offering his Body and Flesh for the life of the World For this was the
Will and great Command of God which can never be found in the Moral Law That Christ should suffer and offer himself to expiate the Sin of Man This Law is said to be in his heart and he delighted to do it For if he had not done it willingly it never had been accepted or effectual These words are left out in the Apostles allegation not only because he would have them understood but also because the Text of the Psalmist without them was sufficient for his purpose Though it 's very true that in the New Testament several times a few words of the Text cited out of the Old are expressed and the Reader referred to the Book where they are written at large 2. He came to do his Will that is to dye for the Sin of Man and to do this Will and offer himself a Sacrifice for the Expiation of our Sins was the end of his coming For as that was the great Command of his Father so it was the great Work he had to do Not long before his Death he said Now my Soul is troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Joh. 12. 27. And in his Agony he prayes That the bitter Cup of his Passion if it were possible might passe from him yet concludes Thy will not mine be done Where it 's implyed That it was his Father's Will he should suffer and offer himself and he was resolved to do it and to deny his own Will and submit unto his heavenly Father And again The Cup which my Father hath giveâ— me shall I not drink it Joh. 18. 11. He could have prayed to his Father and have obtained twelve Legions of Angels a Power sufficient to have rescued him from all his Enemies yet would not do it For saith he How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Matth. 26. 54. Where we must observe 1. That the Father had by the Prophets of Old signified That it was his Will that Christ should suffer 2. That he câ—me into the World to fulfil this Will and to present himself before his Father when the time came and said Lo I come 3. This was written in the Volume of God's Book This Book is the Book of the Old Testament and it 's called a Volume because it was not bound up as now Books are but rouled up into a Scroul or Volume as the Hebrew word doth signify and as some say The Jews do fold up the Book they read in their Synagogues Therefore is it said That when the Book of the Prophet Esay was delivered to Christ he unfolded it and when he had read a part of it he folded it up again as the word in the Original signifieth Luke 4. 17 20. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned by Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Hierom Pagnine Pratensis Tremelius and Junius Volumen by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Vulgar Caput and so in this place Tremelius and Beza translate it Schindler thinks the Septuagint took Megittah for Gilgoleth which signifies the Scul or the Head But this is not likely We need not much trouble our selves about the Word For as Genebrard observes the meaning is That it was written of him in the whole body of the Scriptures and the sum of them for the sum of Moses and the Prophets is Christ. And it 's certain That Christ was the principal Subject of all their Writings which Christ read and perfectly knew his Fathers Will revealed in them that men might believe in him and expect Salvation from him This Will so perfectly known to Christ was in his heart which he delighted to do and was resolved upon it Thus must we deny our own natural Desires to suffer loss of life and cruel pains to do the Will of God if we will be Christ's Disciples and receive benefit by him § 8. Thus far the words of the Psalmist the Apostle's Application followeth which will be the more perspicuous if we consider the Subject of his discourse and the scope whereat he aims His Subject is the sanctification and perfection of such aâ— Worship God by Sacrifices and Offerings and his scope is this to prove that the Legal Sacrifices and Offerings could not expiate Sin and perfect the Worshippers because that effect was reserved for an higher Cause and for a more excellent Sacrifice Thus much premised the Apostle having recited the words of the Psalm observes three things in them 1. The rejection of the Legal Offerings and that in these two words Thou wouldst not and thou hadst no pleasure therein 2. The acceptation of the Sacrifice of Christ the Offering whereof was the doing God's Will 3. The reason why he rejected and took away the former was that he might establish the latter And seeing these were the words of God spoken by the Prophet David and that in time of the Law and that they plainly signify the Will of God in the matter of Sacrifices therefore the argument was strong and evincing and did clearly prove that the Legal Offerings could not take away sin but Christ's could § 9. That Christ's Offering could do this he affirms saying Ver. 10. By which Will we are sanctified by the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all HEre the Apostle returns again unto the Sacrifice of Christ and proves it far more excellent then those of the Law and that especially in two things 1. In that it could sanctify which they could not 2. It did sanctify being but one and once offered whereas they were many and often offered This excellency virtue and efficacy is set forth two wayes 1. Absolutely ver 10. 2. Comparatively ver 11 12 13 14. In these words where we have the virtue of this Sacrifice asserted absolutely we have two things 1. An Effect our Sanctification 2. The Cause the Will of God through the once offering of the Body of Christ. Where 1. We must not understand by Sanctification only a communication of inherent Righteousness in renuing the Image of God in us but also Justification and a freedom from all Sin and all the consequents thereof so that we shall never Sin or be guilty of Sin any more This is a rare and noble Effect and such as upon the same we shall be fully and for ever blessed 2. The Cause of this is God's Will through Christ's Body once offered And here by Will is meant the Will and Command of God signifyed to Christ that he should offer his Body once with his promise to accept it Yet this Will may be considered 1. As a Law or Command given and signified to Christ. 2. As performed by Christ in which latter sense it is here taken principally For it 's not this Will or Command but this Will done that doth sanctify If God had given this Command and Christ had never
may observe 1. An Effect To perfect the sanctified for ever 2. A Cause of that Effect Christ's one Offering I will begin for Explication's sake with the Effect though it be after the Cause in the Order of Nature In it we may consider 1. An Act. 2. A Subject 3. The Perpetuity of the force of this Act in the Subject 1. The Act is to perfect which may be to consummate or make a thing perfect and seeing the end of Christ's Sacrifice is Man's full Happiness therefore to perfect is to make us perfectly and fully happy and this certainly is intended in this place Yet we must further examine the force of the Greek Verb as it is used in this Epistle and other places of the Holy Scriptures and we find it signifies To consecrate and make one a perfect complete Priest so as that he may minister before God And though some understand the perfecting of the sanctified to be nothing else but to sanctify perfectly yet we find in several places of this Epistle that it signifies to make a Priest and is applyed by the Septuagint to the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons For though they were chosen and designed formerly to be Priests yet they could not act as Priests minister in the Tabernacle offer Sacrifice and officiate before they were consecrated and upon their Consecration finished they were actually constituted Priests and might perform any Acts of Service essential and proper to a Priest so as to please God and be accepted This Work of Consecration was finished in seven dayes and one Sacrifice used in this Consecsation was that of a Ram which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ram of Consecration And as they so we must be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ and this life is the time of our Consecration which goes on by degrees and will be made complete for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven That Christ doth consecrate and make us Kings and Priests is express Scripture He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Rev. 1. 6. And this is the acknowledgment of all his redeemed Saints Thou hast made us to our God Kings and Priests Rev. 5. 10. In this respect we are said to be a Royal Priest-hood an Holy Nation 1 Pet. 2. 9. There in this life though our Consecration be not finished we are styled An holy Priest-hood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ ibid. 5. This perfection and Consecration we find attributed to his Blood and Offering 2. The Subject of this Consecration are the Sanctified for Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated and when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate By Sanctification some understand Baptism as it 's a solemn Rite of our Initiation Others say it is Election whereby we are separated and set apart to this Perfection Yet it is that whereby we are freed not only from Infirmities Defects Depravations Inclinations to evil and so made inherently holy and righteous but also from the guilt of Sin The former is an act of the Spirit regenerating us and renuing the Image of God in us the other is the work of the same Spirit sprinkling our Consciences with the Blood of Christ and by the same frees us from God's vindicative Justice and the punishments due unto us for our Sins The former is usually called Sanctification the latter Justification That only the sanctified can be thus consecrated and come so near to God it 's plain out of the former places as Revel 1. 5 6. we are said first to be washed from our Sins in Christ's Blood which is Sanctification before we are be made Kings and Priests And Chap. 5. 9 10. to be redeemed with his Blood before we are Crowned and Consecrated And the persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation had their Garments first washed in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted to be as Priests before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Chap. 7. 14 15. Where we learn that upon this Sanctification and Consecration we have near access to the Throne of Glory full communion with our God a clear vision of his eternal beauty and as great a fiuition of his God-head as we shall be capable thereof And upon all this follows our eternal bliss joy and full content when we shall be freed from all evil and enjoy the fountain of eternal life This Sanctification and Consecration is said in the third place to be for ever because they are perpetually continued of endless date and of everlasting continuance § 13. This effect is glorious and most excellent and includes Regeneration Justification Reconciliation Adoption with the inferiour degrees of them all and also the Resurrection and eternal Glorification And surely so rare an effect must have some excellent cause and so it hath and that is that one offering of Christ For Christ is the cause and he isthe cause as offering himself not often but only once For by one Offering he consecrated the sanctified for ever Meer Man or Angel though most excellent was insufficient had no power to undertake and finish this glorious Work For man's Salvation and his eternal blisse must needs be ascribed to the highest first and universal cause and issuing from the fountain of eternal Love was contrived by infinite Wisdom and effected by Almighty Power and no way was thought so fit to accomplish it as this one Offering of this one Priest For this end the eternal Word of God which was God must be made Flesh But neither God as God nor the Word nor Flesh severally were the cause but God by the Word made Flesh yet this is not all this Word made Flesh must be a Priest and as a Priest he must suffer dye and offer himself for the Sin of Man He must be the Priest and Sacrifice too and offer himself without spot unto God the Supream and Universal Lord and Judge that so his Justice being satisfied his mercy might freely and aboundantly issue out upon sinful Man as it did when once this Sacrifice was offered and accepted and being offered once it was so accepted that a second offering was needless For this was of eternal virtue in respect of all Sins and Sinners and was the most noble and highest piece of Service that ever was performed by Men or Angels in Heaven or Earth and was an Ilastical and propitiatory Sacrifice The Priest offering it was the the Head and Representative of Mankind and the second Adam and was made such by God and his own voluntary submission as willing to suffer Death for those whom he did represent By this representation and substitution he became the Surety and Hostage of Mankind
done and yet they remain Christians This is not strictly Apostacy In this number were many of those who antiently were called Lapsi and upon repenance were re-admitted to Christian Communion Therefore the Apostacy here 1. Is not barely to Sin for who lives and sins not Nor 2. To Sin willingly for so every one that Sins especially such as act against their knowledg may be said to do But 3. It 's to sin willingly after the reception of the knowledg of the Truth so as to renounce the Truth whereof they were fully convinced and to reject Christianity which they had received and professed That this was the sin here meant will fully appear hereafter § 26. This is the Sin The Punishment follows and it is unavoidable The reason hereof is first because it 's unpardonable This is signified by these words There remains no more Sacrifices for Sins This implies 1. That the punishment of Sins unpardonable is inavoidable and this is a clear and certain truth if we consider the Rules of God's Judgment and his Practice For whom he never pardons those he alwayes punisheth 2. That no sin is pardonable without a Sacrifice he meaneth the Sacrifice of Christ one immediate effect whereof once was to make Sin pardonable The reason why God required 1. Sacrifice 2. This Sacrifice was 1. To manifest his hatred of Sin and his Justice 2. To let men know that no Sacrifice was so fit for this purpose as that of Christ. These things implyed he affirms there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins In this he denies not this Sacrifice of Christ or the virtue of it to remain for both remain But his meaning is that neither this Sacrifice nor any other can make the Sins of these Apostates pardonable For Sin is pardonable by this Offering upon condition of Repentance and Faith and then actually to be pardoned when we actually do repent and believe sincerely But here we must take notice that the sins of many persons are pardonable and may be pardoned because though for the present they do not yet for the future they may in due time repent but the Sins of these Apostates upon their Apostacy become unpardonable so as that they neither shall not can be pardoned The reason of this is an eternal decree of divine Justice whereby he hath determined that the Sacrifice of Christ shall never benefit any such as fall away after they have received the knowledg of the Truth and if this Sacrifice shall never be accepted for them not any other ever shall have any force to expiate their Sin § 27. Therefore to such there can be no hope of mercy Ver. 27. But a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries IN the former words it 's implyed That the Apostate is liable to an unavoidable punishment of loss because he hath deprived himself of all hope of pardon or benefit to be received by the Sacrifice of Christ and here that he is obnoxious to a positive eternal penalty as unavoidable as the former In the words we may easily observe 1. The penalty to be inflicted 2. The parties who must suffer it 3. The certain expectation of it 1. The penalty may seem to be described 1. From the Cause the severe Justice of God 2. The Effect which is devouring or consuming The severe Justice of God is signified 1. More properly by the word Judgment 2. Improperly or Metaphorically by fiery Indignation 1. The word Judgment may inform us that this Justice is not legislative but judicial and as judicial not remunerative but vindictive which presupposeth Crime and Guilt in the party to be Judged The Judge is God the party to be judged the Apostare and the word Judgment may signify strictly the Sentence more largely or the Sentence and the Execution or the Punishment to be inferred This Judgment is the decree of Condemnation which determines the penalty and to signify how dreadful it is it 's said 2. Metaphorically to be fiery Indignation The words may be translated the hear or boiling or burning of fire that is fiery hear The Phrase is taken out of the Old Testament as Ezek 38. 19. Zeph. 1. 18 3 8. In which places the Septuagint use both these words of the Text For 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Wrath. 2. Indignation which is an high degree of Wrath and sometimes Jealously which is an implacable anger and the word fire is added to denote the force and vehemency of it And both words together signify Wrath very intensive and of an high degree yet God is not subject to passion as Man is but by these terms the Spirit informs us of God's high displeasure against and his great hatred and detestation of Apostacy and the severity of his Justice whereby he is resolved most fearfully to punish that Sin which is not barely a disobedience of some particular Law but a plain revolt So that God's severe Justice is the Cause the Effect is this that it will devour or consume which is no partial but a total destruction not that God will take away the beeing but the well-beeing of the Offender and will not only totally bereave him of all Comfort but torment him with extremity of Pain 2. The parties that most suffer are Adversaries Adversaries are Apostates who are not meerly disobedient Subjects but Revolters They violate the fundamentall Law of subjection and raze the foundation of Obedience for subjection unto God-Redeemer by Christ is the first and highest Duty God requires of sinful Man and it 's the ground of all Obedience and this Sin of Apostacy is opposed to this Subjection Yet it differs from that Rebellion which upon God's Call refuseth to submit and acknowledg Christ our Soveraign For this presupposeth that men have received Christ promised their Allegiance and by their Baptism have engaged themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and yet contrary to this engagment renounce the Supremacy of this universal Lord and so of engaged Subjects become Enemies for such all Rebells and Revolters are and shall be so judged by God Many besides these shall be condemned and fearfully punished but these are the Adversaries intended in this place 3. There remains a certain fearful looking for of this Judgment c. The meaning is they cannot look for any other final retribution This implies 1. That though they never fear it not think of it yet they are obnoxious to it 2. That this will certainly be their Doom and as they are obnoxious by Law and the certain and eternal rules of Judgment for neither Sentence nor Execution will fail they shall certainly suffer that which they have deserved 3. If they ever seriously reflect upon themselves and remember what they have done as Conscience will now and then lash them and mind them of their Crime they must needs expect it and their fear will be very great For as
〈◊〉 right Sojourner on Earth who doth not look for a City eternally stable in Heaven For that which most effectually draws the heart of Man off from this World is the expectation of a far better Estate in the World to come 2. That Believers and Expectants of Heaven who are Candidates of Eternity are of a most noble and divine Spirit Amongst men of this World the Ambitious who aspire to Crowns and Kingdoms and aim at perpetual fame by their heroick Vertues and rare Exploits are judged persons of far greater Gallantry than covetous Muck-worms or brutish Epicures yet in their thoughts and highest designs they are very base in Comparison of these Pilgrims in whose breast the Sparks of heavenly fire do ever burn and move and carry them upward far above the World 3. That neither Abraham nor any other without Faith could look for this glorious City For by it they did not only understand how glorious it was but also were verily perswaded of God's Promise and fidelity and without this Faith they could not possibly hope or look for it And as by Faith they did sojoum so by the same Faith they did look for this City § 14. The third Work of Abraham's Faith was the obtaining of Isaac For Ver. 11. Through Faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive Seed and was delivered of a Child when she was past Age because she judged him faithfull that had promised THis is attributed to Sarah's Faith yet it was a Blessing obtained also and that principally by the Faith of Abraham of whom it 's thus written That against hope he believed in hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was promised So shall thy Seed be And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was an hundred years old nor yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb. He staggered not at the Promise of God through Unbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God Rom. 4. 18 19 20. So that in this particular we must consider the Faith of both and though Sarah only be expressed yet Abraham as the chief Believer is to be understood Upon this Faith it followeth that not only Isaac Sarah's immediate Issue by Abraham but a numerous Posterity was given upon this Faith For Ver. 12. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Start of the Skie in multitude and as the Sands of the Sea-shore innumerable IN these Verses taken joyntly we may consider 1. A Promise made by God 2. The receiving of this Promise by Faith 3. God's sidelity in performing this Promise to the parties believing 1. The Promise is only implyed in these words who promised where you must know that the party promising was God and the thing promised was that Abraham should have a Son by Sarah and by that Son his Posterity in after times should be multiplyed as the Stars of Heaven and the Sand upon the Sea-shore This Promise was made to both though not expressed at several times 1. Gen. 15. 4 5. 2. It was renewed to both of them and that more expresly Gen. 17. 15 16 c. In both these places mention is made not only of one Son but a of very numerous Posterity 3. This Promise was repeated the third and last time Gen. 18. 10. The parties to whom this Promise was made were Abraham and Sarah The Mercy promised was considerable not only in this that they should have a Son of their own Bodies to continue their Name and inherit their temporal Estate but chiefly because of his Seed Christ should be brought into the World and his Posterity should enjoy the means of Salvation and be included in the special Covenant of Grace 2. This Promise was received by Faith for Sarah counted him faithful that had promised She seemed indeed to doubt till she was reproved and heard that nothing was impossible with God and the Promise was again repeated unto her Gen. 18. 14. So Abraham upon the first Promise of Isaac and a numerous Posterity is said to have believed in the Lord Gen. 15. 6. And the Apostle to signify the firmness of his Faith informs us as you heard before 1. That against hope he believed in 〈◊〉 2. He was not weak in Faith 3. He staggered not at the Promise 4. He was strong in Faith 5. He was fully perswaded Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. This Faith was grounded upon divine Revelation and was a firm and practical Assent unto the Word and Promise of God which did settle his mind For he looked not upon secondary Causes nor upon the Barrenness of Sarah nor their Age nor the deadness of their Bodies and Impotency of Generation by reason of Age But he considered that it was God who had promised that he was Almighty that he was faithful This Faith was required in both as necessary for to attain this great Blessing not that it had any Physical force to enable them for Generation but that it was a Moral Qualification required in them This their Faith is made known unto us for imitation that as they did so we should do rest upon God's Promise in greatest extremities perplexities and seeming impossibilities We must look higher and above all created Power and not measure God's Almighty strength according to and within the bounds of created activity 3. This Promise was fulfilled according to this Faith For Sarah received strength to conceive and in her Old-Age above the Course of Nature became the Mother of Isaac which was part of the Promise And from this one so good as dead sprang a posterity numerous and in some sort innumerable amongst whom Christ was born in whom all Nation were blessed by whom Abraham became the Father of a far more numerous spiritual Posterity which were Believers of all Nations So excellent a thing is Faith and upon Faith so wonderful the Works of the glorious and almighty God who begins with small things though unlikely at the first and multiplies a few to a vast number and magnifies small things to a stupendious greatness § 15. After this third Effect the Apostle returns unto the second concerning the Pilgrimage of Abraham Sarah Isaac Jacob and their expectation of that better and more glorious City which God had promised to them and their Heirs upon the condition of their Faith For thus we read in the words following Ver. 13. These all dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth Ver. 14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country THese words with the two Verses following are an Amplification of that which was briefly delivered in the 9 and 10. Verses They are sitly brought in upon the former as presupposing the Birth not only of Isaac but Jacob and the Apostle doth not only
to allude to the institution and education of Children who are sometimes more severely corrected not only by Words but by the Rod. The cause of Rebuke and Chastisement is some fault or offence the end is correction and reformation in respect of the former they are Punishments in respect of the latter Corrections in themselves they are Afflictions and sometimes they are Tryals God's Children have their failings ignorances negligences and sometimes are guilty of more hainous Sins In respect of these God as a Judge doth punish as a wise Master tryes them as a loving Father corrects them and by these doth prevent Sin for time to come stirs up to heavenly Duties makes them more penitent for Sin past more careful of themselves and prepares them for their possession of their eternal Inheritance Though they may truly be said to be Punishments because grievous for the time yet they are more properly Chastisements and Corrections because the principal thing intended is their future good As they come from their Persecutors they are Wrongs as from God they are Effects not only of his Justice but chiesly of his Mercy 2. To despise is to think them fortuitous and to bear them with a stupid or sensless mind and not consider and understand they come from God that the end is repentance and amendment that the cause is sin or if we understand these things not to repent and reform but continue and harden our hearts in sin For this is not to regard God's chastising hand so as to make right use of our Sufferings To faint under these is to be weaty of our Profession and to incline to Apostacy because our Sufferings for it are so grievous and of so long continuance And in this negative Dehortation is implied an affirmative Exhortation and the Duty exhorted unto is to make the right use of our Afflictions by reformation of our selves and a patient and constant Suffering unto the end For God's desâ—â—n in these is to prevent Apostacy that we may not be condemned with the World § 7. The Motive and Reason inclining us to performance followeth Ver. 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth overy Son whom he receiveth AS for the translation of these words there is some difference between the Hebrew Copies which we now have and the Septuagint which the Apostle followeth For the Hebrew readeth That God correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth but the Sâ—ptuagint otherwise That he chastenth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Some think that the Hebrew Copy which the Seventy translated differed from that which we now have Yet notwithstanding the sense of both for the matter and substance is the same For to chastise a Son whom he loveth and in whom he receiveth is to correct and scourge as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth The words must be considered 1. In themselves absolutely 2. As a reason of that which went before 1. In themselves the matter and subject of them is the castigation and correction of Children And here correction and chastigation of every Child whom God receiveth is the Effect and his love is the Cause and from this Cause and love of God is inferred the Effect the Chastisement of every Child The Propositions are two 1. God loveth and receiveth some as Children 2. He chastiseth every one whom he so loveth and receiveth 1. This Love here intended is a Love wherewith God loves us as Children which is the greatest and most tender love of all others and presupposeth another love antecedent whereby he Regenerates Adopts and makes us his Children this latter is a Love of benevolence and good will issuing from his own Goodness and that most freely The Object of it is Man as sinful ungodly an Enemy in whom there is nothing amiable and sit to move God to love us The former is a Love of complacency after he hath made us amiable and a sit Object of Love This Reception may either be an admission of us into the number of Sons which is adoption or his acceptation of us and delight in us once adoped and this seems here to be intended This paternal love and acceptation is the cause 2. The Effect is Chastisement For to correct chasten and scourge a Son here are the same And here it 's to be noted 1. That the Subject of this Castigation is Every Son 2. That it 's an Effect of Fatherly Love 1. It 's proper to a Son for though he may punish and afflict others yet he doth not chastise them And as it 's proper unto Sons so it agrees to every Son not any one of them is excepted for as all are castigable so all are castigated in one kind or another in a greater or lesser measure 2. That this Castigation is from Love because it tends conduceth and is in some sort necessary to our spiritual and eternal good God knows both our condition and disposition that both are such that they require Chastisement and Correction without which we are in danger of many Sins and of Apostacy to be prevented Yet the principal Cause of prevention is the sanctifying Spirit which alwayes makes use of the Word and many times of the Rod of Correction which will not be laid aside wholly whilst God's Children are in the Flesh But in Heaven where there is no danger there is no Use of it any more because them we shall be sanctified fully and for ever This is the meaning of the words considered absolutely but if we refer them to what went before we shall find them to contain a Motive and a Reason to perswade us to perform the Duty exhorted unto And the force of it is very great for if our Sufferings be from God as a Father and out of Love to us as his Children tending to our good and no Child of his is exempted from them then we should not despise them not faint under them but God himself saith they are such This Reason is more distinctly and particularly unfolded and urged in the words following § 8. Thus you have heard 1. How these words are brought in 2. What the Matter of them is Now 3. Follows the Apostle's Discourse upon them Ver. 7. If you endure Chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is there whom the Father chasteneth not Ver. 8. But if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are Partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons THis Discourse is grounded upon these words of the former Text He chastiseth every Son and informs us that God by his Chastisements doth evidence his Fatherly Affection towards us and that he accounts us his Children and not Bastards The Reasons which he finds in the former words of Scripture are reducible to three The first is taken from his Fatherly Affection manifested in Chastisements The second from God as a Father different from all earthly Fathers even in chastening us The third is taken from the Issue and
he doth this not like our earthly Fathers in an arbitrary way but after a certain Rule of perfect Wisdom and that for our good that we may be more holy and reap the peaceable fruit of Righteousness let us endure it with Patience and patiently continue to the End § 12. After this Discourse the Exhortation to the main Duty is expressed and repeated in these words Ver. 12. Wherefore lift up the Hands which hang down and the feeble Knees Ver. 13. And make strait Paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be heaeled THis Text might be considered as a Conclusion drawn from the former Discourse or inferred from the last words of Ver. 13. If from the former then take it in this manner If Suffering be God's Chastening issuing from Love ordered in Wisdom ending in our greater good then we must lift up the hands which hang down c. If from the latter then the Argument is drawn from the ill Consequence of our fainting Remissness we shall like that which is lame be turned out â—f the way In the words themselvs we have 1. A Duty 2. The Reason why it should be performed 1. The Duty is set forth in Metaphorical terms and the Similitudes seem to be taken 1. From Wrastlers 2. From such as run in a Race The former when once they begin to faint hang down their hands and cannot lift them up the latter when they are wearied become feeble in their knees cannot run strait on but turn or are turned out of the way These things are translated unto the Soul It implies that these Hebrews through neglect of their heavenly vertues and other means of Perseverance and Prayer unto God began to faint and lag in their heavenly Course They were wearied much and vexed with the Opposition of their unbelieving Brethren reproaching persecuting threatning them and spoiling them of their Goods and began to waver in their Profession They perhaps entertained thoughts of falling away and debated within themselvs whether they should continue or no and to doubt and be unresolved was a degree of Apostacy This was in them a Sin and though the words are an Exhortation yet they imply a Reproof The Duty exhorted unto was a Reformation of this deficiency by a more serious consideration of so many and rare Examples the nature of Sufferings they were Chastisements the glorious Reward of Perseverance the fearful Punishment of Apostacy And by this consideration with Prayer for strength they ought to encourage themselvs rouze up their drowzy Spirits gird up the Loyns of their minds and resolve to go on and finish their Race They must not through sloth love of Ease of their Estates of Liberty of their Lives now begin to turn back and so lose the benefit of their former Labours and Sufferings By this we understand our frailty and how ready we are to give back in the way to eternal Glory if God do desert us yet this is our Comfort that he will not deny to support us except we give him Cause by our negligence and grievous Sins 2. The Reason why we should often renew and raise up those Graces which are left in us is lest we prove lame and so be turned out of the way To be lame is to lose our spiritual strength and vigour of heavenly motion and this is our Sin because we diminish it by not using that Power which God hath given us And the Punishment of this Sin is to turn us out of the way and reject us for God may in this Case justly withdraw his sanctifying Power and condemn us as unworthy of that eternal glorious Reward to which he called us Yet this turning out may be considered either as a Punishment and Judgment from God or as a Sin of Man who willingly turns out of the way and makes himself guilty of Apostacy This Lameness may be cured for some times it is not a mortal and desperate Disease but such as by Discipline of the Church and Penitency of the Party may be healed Therefore it 's added But let it rather be healed This seems to point at Ecclesiastical Censures whereby Persons that begin to fall away are excommunicated and delivered up to Satan and so left in a desperate Case yet the Apostle doth advise that where there is any hope of Recovery the Church should endeavour to make them penitent and so to absolve and restore them upon Repentance and not leave them to perish Thus the ancient Church dealt with those who were called Lapsi And according to this sense to turn out of the way is to censure and excommunicate and to heal is to restore them made penitent § 13. Though Perseverance both in Faith and the Profession thereof be the principal Dâ—ty yet Faith cannot be without other vertues as Peace and Holiness therefore he adds Ver. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God THe reason of this Exhortation to these two Duties of Peace and Holiness may be this 1. Because without these our Profession is but Hypocrisy 2. These beautify and grace Christian Religion much and demonstrate our sincerity 3. By these we so demean our selves that our very Adversaries can have no just occasion to persecute us 4. If we follow peace with all men we shall avoid many Troubles which unadvised Zelots busy-Bodies turbulent and quarrelsom Persons bring upon themselves other good Christians If we follow holiness we shall give no scandal unto others please God and prepare our selves for Heaven the vision and fruition beautifical which will be our full hapiness So that there was special reason for to add these Exhortations But to consider the words in themselves we find in them a two-fold Duty 1. Of peace with Men. 2. Of holiness towards God 1. We must follow peace with all men where we must consider 1. What peace is 2. The parties with whom we must have peace 3. The following of this peace 1. Peace in this place is not agreement with every one in opinion affection practise for many have false opinions corruptions in affections and their practise is ungodly But peace is a virtue whereby we live quietly It issues from the loving of our Neighbour as our selves It 's opposed to a turbulent disposition of the Soul and all those qualities motions passions which cause dissension It cannot be without humility meekness patience forbearance kindness It so orders all words and actions that they tend to preserve concord and it gives no just cause of offence to any It labours to make up Breaches and reconcile Differences It 's an excellent virtue and is hardly separable from any Duty of the second Table therefore some have thought that by Peace in this place is signified the observation of all the Duties of that part of the moral Law which prescribes the duty of man to man 2. The parties with whom we must have peace are all
pass the Sentence and execute the same The Sacrifice of a broken and penitent heart and of Prayer may be offered often but the propitiatory Sacrifice need not often to be offered one Offering will serve the turn § 11. Thus far the Proposition the Reddition follows Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God Ver. 13. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foo◠〈◊〉 Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected the sanctified for ever VVHere we have 1. The offering of Christ's one Sacrifice 2. The Reason why it was but once offered In the former we are informed 1. Of the Dissimilitude between the Legal Sacrifices and that Sacrifice of Christ and this is expressed 2. Of their Imparity which is implied 1. The Dissimilitude we find in several things 1. There under the Law were many Priests yea the Legal High-Priests were many this Priest Christ is but one 2. Their Sacrifices were many Christ's but one 3. There the same Sacrifices were offered often Christ's one Sacrifice was offered but once 4. Those Priests after they had offered the same Sacrifice stood ready to offer them again at set times Christ when he had offered once never offered again but sate down at the right hand of God 5. They had no Power to take away Sin Christ by this one Sacrifice once offered takes away Sin for ever 2. The Imparity which is great is implyed in the Dissimilitude for that Sacrifice which being but one and but once offered by one Priest took away Sin for ever is incomparably more excellent than those Sacrifices which being many and offered many times by many Priests could never take away Sin But such is Christ's Sacrifice and such were theirs therefore it 's incomparably more excellent The Text may be reduced to three Propositions 1. This Man offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever 2. Having offered it he sate down at the right hand of God 3. Being set there he expects his Enemies to be made his Foot-stool In all which we have the Humiliation and Exaltation of the Son of God In the first Proposition there is little or no difficulty Yet 1. The Connexion of it with the former part of the Comparison is made by the Conjunction But for so they turn the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place which implies the difference and dissimilitude 2. The Subject of it according to our Translation is This Man but in some Copies the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it 's read and whereas they supply the Substantive by the word Man this Man yet it may be turned this Priest or this High-Priest as some Manuscripts in the former Verse read every High-Priest 3. When it 's said He had offered one Sacrifice it must be understood not only of one Sacrifice but of one single Offering 4. This is said to be offered for Sins this puts us in mind of our misery God's Mercy and Christ's merit For we have our Sins whereby we are liable to death yet God was so merciful as to give Christ for our Sins and Christ's offering was so acceptable and meritorious that it obtained eternal Remission in respect of which eternal efficacy some think it's said Christ offered this one Sacrifice for ever never to be offered again because of eternal vertue Yet several Copies joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever with the latter Proposition which is 2. That Christ having offered one Sacrifice for Sin sate down at the right hand of God for ever So the Vulgar Vatablus Beza Tremelius out of the Syriack and divers other Greek Copies read it This sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose Christ's Offering and deep Humiliation his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven 2. It is the highest degree of Glory and Power to that which is infinite which is the Power of God as God 3. This Power which under God is supream and universal is perpetually continued to him and his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Some think this sitting is opposed to the standing of the Levitical Priests which may be so and so it may signify that his Ministration in the Form of a Servant on Earth was ended and did cease for ever 4. This Session and Exaltation is to be considered not only as a Reward of his Humiliation unto death whereby he merited Remission and Salvation but also as a means whereby he might apply his merits and confer the Mercies which by his Sacrifice he had procured for us For as King he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals his Gospel by the Word and Spirit works Faith in us and converts us and so makes us Subjects capable of the benefits of his Redemption and as a Priest pleads his bloody Sacrifice and by his Intercession for us converted obtains our actual Remission and Salvation He need not offer any more but plead his one Offering till all his Saints be fully justified The third Proposition is concerning his expectation of a final Victory over all his Enemies by the Exercise of his transcendent Power at the right hand of God For so God had said and promised when he first invested him with supream Power For the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Where we must observe 1. That in respect of himself all his Enemies are conquered they have not the least Power to molest him Yet 2. In respect of his Reign and Government they oppose his Power continually 3. These Enemies are Sin Satan the World and Death all which must be destroyed in his Church and Saints yet this Destruction goes on by degrees and shall be finished in the end when the Saints shall rise and be immortal and freed from all Sin Sorrow Misery Enemies and Death it self 4. This is expectation of their final ruine is not doubtful and uncertain but most certain And this estate of Glory is opposed to his Death and Humiliation and both his Regal and Sacerdotal Power are subservient to this total final Victory § 12. But here it may be enquired what should be the Reason why Christ's Sacrifice should not be iterated but that one single Offering should be sufficient To satisfy us in this particular the Apostle gives the Reason thus Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified THE Conjunction For doth signify that in these words is given a Reason of something antecedent and that is why the offering of Christ was but one and this it is Because by that one Christ did more than all the Legal Priests by all their many frequent Offerings could do And not only so but also it did enough to consecrate all true Believers for ever and proved to be of eternal vertue in all such as were capable of it In the words themselvs we
a Text found in the Old Testament and here alledged and applyed to these Hebrews 2. In that which is expressed or expresly delivered we find three things 1. The manner how this Text is brought in and applied 2. The Text it self 3. The Apostle's Discourse upon the same 1. It 's brought in by way of Reprehension for they are charged with forgetfulness of an Exhortation of a Father to them as Children This informs us 1. That the words are an Exhortation 2. This Exhortation is directed unto them 3. It 's directed to them as Children 4. They had forgotten it 1. The words are an Exhortation To understand this we must consider both what an Exhortation is and also how these are an Exhortation An Exhortation in Scripture hath alwayes for Object some Duty commanded by God and is a stirring up of Man to the Performance of the Duty and that the Will may be more effectually moved the Performance is urged upon powerful Motives That they are an Exhortation may easily appear if we understand the general nature of all Exhortations and consider the Portion of Scripture whence these words are taken wherein we find the wise man pressing many and weighty Duties The word it self here used in the Greek doth sometimes signify a Consolation and such the Text is sometimes an Exhortation and such it may also be Yet in strict sense it is a Dehortation for it 's Negative despise not faint not and to despise the chastening of the Lord and faint under his Rebuke is an Evil a Sin which is forbidden in God's Law and here dehorted f om But yet as every Negative implies an Affirmative so doth every Dehortation an Exhortation to some Duty and the Duty here exhorted to is to take our Sufferings as Chastisements from God and to bear his Rebukes patiently 2. This Exhortation is directed to them for so it 's said The Exhortatien which speaketh unto you It 's true that the words are the words of God written by Solomm and seem to be directed more immediately to the People of God in his time yet this is a certain Rule that when a Duty is ordinary and general and of general Concernment and commanded in the Scriptures by God the universal Law-giver then it concerns all men so that no man can be exempted nay further if it be not only universal but also perpetual it binds all men of all timos And in this respect it may be said that what God speaks to one he speaks to all like that of our Saviour What I say to you I say to all Watch. Therefore we must understand this as spoken even to us as well as to others of former times This therefore would be our wisdom that when we read or hear of exhortations to duties of universal and perpetual Obligation to apply them to our selves and to make full account that God in them doth speak to us 3. It 's directed to them as Children This he infers from the word my Son where word Son though singular must be taken collectively so as to include the whole body and community of Sons both all joyntly and every one severally without exception This implies a special Relation such as is between Father and Children and also the love and authority of a Father and the Duty and Obligation of a Child Yet there are many kinds of Sons as natural adopted amongst men and also spiritual who are related unto God and such are here meant Such all should be but many are nor some are These are made by spiritual Regeneration and gracious Adoption and so soon as any shall sincerely believe in Christ they are justly Sons and so in this special manner related to God The matter of the Exhortation is such that it must be directed unto them and them alone 4. This they had forgotten It was their duty to have remembred it yet they did not For 1. It was forgotten this was a sin 2. They had forgotten it this was their sin and therefore so charged upon them by the Apostle actually to remember this expresly at all times was impossible neither was it required yet in time of Affliction when God's chastising and rebuking hand was upon them they should have thought upon it But it was not necessary to remember these very words but the thing contained in the words neither is the remembrance here required meerly speculative and an act only of the Understanding but it 's also practical For they must so remember the Duty as to do it memory without this is to no purpose This seems to imply that we are bound to understand the word of God in Scriptures necessary to Salvation and often to call to mind that which we do understand § 6. Thus the Text which we find Prov. 3. 11. is brought in and now the matter is to be considered wherein we have 1. The compellation 2. The exhortation it self 1. The compellation is sweet and comfortable for the person speaking and calling unto us is God as a Father the parties called unto are sinful men as children This implies a great condescension and a special love on God's part and a near relation and happy condition on mans part How low did the glorious and eternal Lord of Heaven and Earth descend to look upon respect and love poor mortal man dust and ashes who had defaced his Image imprinted upon him and was become his Enemy To redeem him with the precious Blood of his only begotten Son to call him regenerate him adopt him and make him Heir of an eternal Crown was matter of astonishment to Angels And how much is this silly and unworthy Creature honoured and how much is his estate advanced by this Relation How deeply is he engaged and obliged to eternal gratitude and obedience David might well admite and say Lord What is man that thou takest knowledg of him or the Son of man that thou makest account of him Psal. 144. 3. This compellation my Son is full of comfort and should be a mighty motive and incentive unto perseverance in the midst of greatest Sufferings 2. In the exhortation it self we may consider 1. The Duty exhorted unto 2. The Motive unto performance 1. The Duty is 1. Not to despise the Lord's chastening 2. Not to faint under his Rebuke In the first we may take notice 1. Of Chastisement and Rebuke 2. Of not despising not fainting 1. Chastisement and Rebuke are here taken for the same and signify their Sufferings from their unbelieving Brethren yet so that in the Book of the Proverbs they signify any Afflictions suffered by God People The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to restrain or correct by instruction admonition chiding threatning punishing So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to blame or reprove Both these are either verbal or real by words of the Mouth or violence of the Hand and here both may be meant and especially the latter The former word used in the Greek seems