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
Works because they 1. Signify God's Approbation of the Doctrine 2. Cause men to wonder 3. Are done by a divine and supernatural Power The same words are used 2. Cor. 12. 12. In Signs Wonders mighty Deeds They are said to be divers because they are not onely many of one kind but of several and different kinds as dispossessing of Devils raising the Dead and miraculously healing all kind of Diseases and as they are Works of extraordinary Power and Wisdom so they are of Mercy 2. By Gifts or Distributions of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will So that there were Gifts of the Holy Ghost Distributions of them These according to his Will Gifts of the Holy Ghost were extraordinary Qualities and Powers given such as heard the Apostles Doctrine and believed it as power to heal to speak in strange Languages to prophesy to do Miracles They are said to be Gifts and Effects of the Holy Ghost because they had them not by Nature or Industry or Instruction by Man but from the Power of God-Redeemer and the Spirit of Christ. They are called in the Original distributions or divisions because they were 1. Communicated to divers Persons 2. Were many of different kinds 3. Were given in several degrees They were distributed according to his own Will 1. Freely 2. To whom he will 3. What Gifts he will 4. In what measure he will For there are diversities of Gifts 1. Cor. 12. 4. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Ver. 11. The Effect of these Miracles and Gifts was the confirmation of the Doctrine of the Apostles which they did confirm by Word and Deed For 1. They did most certainly affirm and assert this Doctrine as having heard it immediately of Christ and as having received the immediate Knowledge there of from him 2. They did these Signs Wonders and mighty Deeds and upon the Imposition of their hands Believers received the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost yet they neither did these Miracles nor gave these Gifts by their own power or holiness But the Works were done and the Graces given by them as Instruments in the Name of Christ as risen and glorified and from God So that the Power of God the merit of Christ their Ministration did all concur to the production of these glorious Effects God was the principal Cause therefore is it said that by these God did bear them witness and attest their Doctrine to be true and from him so that this confirmation was a giving credibility to the Doctrine of the Gospel so far as it was new and delivered the positive truths concerning Jesus of Nazareth dying for our sins rising again sitting at the right hand of God and the dependence of Justification before the Tribunal of God and eternal Glory upon Faith in him making Intercession in Heaven For there was no need thus to confirm the Ceremonials of Moses and the Covenant of God with Israel before Mount Sinai to the Jew For these things he made no doubt of nor was this confirmation needful for to perswade the Gentile of the Equity and Justice of the Morals of the Scripture for the natural light of Reason did approve them These Miracles and Gifts were Proofs very strong and powerful for they were no jugling Impostures or Delusions but real demonstrations of the divine Will and clear to the senses § 7. The Transgression is a neglect of this divine Doctrine thus declared thus confirmed This neglect implies a contempt and is a disobedience to that Law of God-Redeemer by Christ exhibited in not believing and repenting or a positive deâ—ial of this excellent truth in such as never professed it or in Apostates who once received it The punishment is eternal death which can no ways be avoided by the Offenders neglecting this Salvation The force of the Argument is the last and chief thing to be considered To understand this we must observe the Form of the Apostles Argument which is this That sin which makes us liable to grievous and unavoidable punishment must with earnest heed be avoided But to let slip or recede from and neglect the Doctrine of the Gospel is such a Sin Therefore with all earnest heed to be avoided The Apostle in this Argument presupposeth 1. That sin makes liable to Punishment â—ainous sins to grievous punishments some sins to unavoidable punishments For the punishment of some sins are avoidable and the sins whereby we are made obnoxious though committed yet may be remitted Some are not by the tenor of God's Laws remissible 2. That we are made liable to punishment by the divine comminations 3. That the end of Comminations in God's Laws is by representing the penalty as certainly due upon Transgression to restrain us from Transgression and Disobedience For though the Love of God and Righteousness and hatred of Iniquity are the principal Motives to Obedience and Restraints from sin yet the hope of Rewards and fear of Punishments may have great force because we love our selves desire our own peace and happiness and abhor such things as tend to our misery and ruine These things taken for granted make the Proposition good But the doubt might be of the Assumption That neglect of the Doctrine of the Gospel will make us liable to such a grievous unavoidable punishment This he therefore proves thus If Disobedience unto the Law mucâ— more will the Disobedience to the Gospel make us liable to such a Punishment But Disobedience to the Law made the Offenders liable to such a Punishment This the Hebrew and Jew would grant for they knew it but the Proposition onely could be controverted by them Therefore he confirms it from this presupposed in general That greater sins make us obnoxious to greater Punishment but disobedience to the Gospel is the greater Sin And this he proves fully and that from many particulars For this end he proves the Doctrine of the Gospel more excellent than that of the Law more powerfully binding men to receive it and retain it And if it be so then to sin against it is more hainous than to sin against the Law That it is as excellent there could be no doubt for it hath all the excellencies of the Law But that it was more excellent he manifests by four things 1. It was the Doctrine of so great Salvation for such the Law was not It by it self without the Promise could not save eternally and suppose it could yet it was not so full so clear so powerfull and effectually conducing to eternal life 2. It was first spoken by the Lord Christ who is so far above the Angels by whom the Law was given 3. It was confirmed by Miracles far more in number and more glorious 4. Upon the hearing and receiving the Gospel the Believers received many different and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit which the Hearers of the Law did not For the Apostle saith to the Galathians He therefore that
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
able to succour them So that the Apostle 1. Affirms that he must be Man and that being Man he must Suffer 2. Proves why he must be Man 3. Why being Man he must Suffer The Text is brought in by an illative wherefore and the conclusion inferred is That in all things it behooved Christ to be like unto his Brethren And the premisses do not go before but follow in the last words of this verse and is explained more fully in verse 18. The conclusion is concerning Christ and the thing affirmed of him is That he must be like his Brethren for it behooved him in all things to be like them Where 1. We must understand what the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behooved doth import 2. What it is In all things it behooved him to be like them The Syriack word which signifies it was meet convenient right doth best expresse the meaning For it was most agreeable to God's wisdom and Mans condition That he should be like his Brethren Some make this conveniency to be a kind of duty to be performed or debt of money to be paid or of punishment to be suffered because the Word is so used in other places of the New Testament but none of these significations are here intended or can well be meant 2. For the words in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may be referred either to the Verb behooved and then the sense is It was altogether convenient and in every respect sitting or to the Adjective like that is He must be like us in all things there must be similitudo â—nmimods And whereas some tell us that this must be understood with a limitation and exception of sin it 's needless For if he must be a Saviour and expiate the sin of others he must needs be without sin This exception is made by the Apostle Chap. 4. 15. but upon another account The meaning therefore is That he must be like unto us in all things which are necessary or requisite to make him a compleat Redeemer and Saviour of sinful man But to this sin was neither necessary nor requisit but it was absolutely necessary he should be free from it This is the conlusion § 20. The premisses or Principle from whence it 's inferred is this Because he must be a merciful and faithful High-Priest If we bring the Apostles discourse into form it 's this onto this purpose If Christ must be a merciful and faithful High-Priest c. then in all things it behooved him to be like unto his Brethâ—ren But he must be a merciful and faithful High-Priest c. Wherefore or therefore In all things it behooved him to be like his Brethren In these words and those that follow we may observe that Christ 1. Is a merciful and faithful High-Priest c. 2. How he became such and that was by suffering and being tempted In the first part we have 1. Christ's Office 2. The Qualification for this Office 3. The Work of Function of his Office 1. His Office is to be an High-Priest in things pertaining to God A Priest is an Officer in things appertaining to God that is in matters of Religion wherein we have some Communion or Converse with God the Supream Lord upon whom we depend for all things especially such as tend to our spiritual and eternal happiness Therefore Priest-hood is an Office distinct from all Offices of a civil state Of this we shall hear more Chap. 5. Amongst Priests some are inferiour some are superiour and some above all the rest and the chief and highest Priests differed from the rest by some power proper to them and to none else as to enter into the Holy of holies and make the general Expiation Christ was a Priest and Mediatour between God and Man in matters of Religion and he was the highest supream and universal Priest and had a proper power far above all other Priests and could enter the Sacrary of Heaven and doth minister in that glorious Temple This is his Office 2. His Qualification which is alwayes requisite in a Priest is in two things He was 1. Merciful 2. Faithful 1. He must be merciful for he must deal with God for sinful and miserable Man for to help him and relieve him And he is then merciful when he doth not only know Man's misery but is inwardly sensible of it as his own so as to be moved and resolved and that effectually to succour him This mercifulness is opposed not onely to Ignorance of others misery and senslesness but also to harshness severity cruelty And Christ was more merciful than ever any Man or Angel was and there was great need he should be so for if every Offence nay if many and great offences should move him to Passion and enrage him so as to reject them and their Cause or proceed to plead against them or condemn them how many thousands should perish everlastingly 2. As he is merciful so he must be faithful and such as poor sinners may safely trust unto and depend upon when they commit their Cause concerning their eternal estate into his hands Christ may be said to be faithful either to God who hath given the Office of High-Priest and a Command to discharge it or unto Man who according to the Rules of God's Word believs in him trusts upon him and commits himself and all that he hath unto him And then he is actually faithful when he performs all things belonging to his Sacerdotal Office and goes thorough with his Work until he hath perfectly finished and sinful Man attains that for which he trusted him Man may be merciful and not faithful Christ is both and will be sensible of our Case and Cause will minde it and do it as his own In this respect our Hope is firm and our Comfort is unspeakable Blessed are all they who trust in him This is his Qualification the best that ever was or can be in any Priest 3. The Work the principal Work is to make Reconciliation for the Sins of his People 1. He hath his People and they are such as know him and trust in him 2. These have their Sins and are guilty 3. Reconciliation therefore is necessary otherwise they dy they perish everlastingly 4. There must be some one and the same a Priest both merciful and faithful to make this Reconciliation and this is Christ. The word that is translated to make Reconciliation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which taken actively and transitively is to make God propitious and merciful to sinful Man so as to free him from Sin and the woful Consequents thereof And this must be done so as to deliver Man from sin fully and for ever before this Sacerdotal Work shall cease This Reconciliation is first made and the Foundation of it laid in his Suffering Death and offering himself a Sacrifice unto the supream and universal Judge for the sin of Man first to make it remissible But it 's actually made when Man
themselves and the Scriptures § 5. Hitherto the description of a Priest in general and such as did officiate before the times of the Gospel the next thing is concerning their calling and acquisition of their Sacerdotal Power which is delivered in these words Ver. 4. And no man taketh this Honour unto himself but He that is called of God as was Aaron THe sum whereof is this that the Institution of an High-Priest-hood and an High-Priest is from God For the more distinct handling of the Text we must observe three things 1. That no man can make himself Priest 2. That God's Calling makes a Priest 3. Aaron for example was so made a Priest 1. The first Proposition is that no man can make himself a Priest For any man to take or receive to himself or by himself this Honour is to make himself such a Priest as is formerly described The sense is not that no man will usurp this sacerdotal power or that many will not take it upon them or many will not presume to make others Priests which God did never make such For Jeroboam made of the lowest of the People Priests Yet let Princes or People presume to make Priests let others without any consent of God or Man usurp this Power yet if God do not Institute and Call them either mediately or immediately their Priest-hood is no Priest-hood their Offering no Offerings their Service ineffectual and no wayes acceptable to God And here it 's observable that Priest-hood is called an honour because the Office is high and honourable and next to that of Kings though with many it 's contemptible 2. God's Calling makes a Priest for he not only hath power to institute this Office and invest men with this honour For as all Power is of God so is this of Priest as well as that of Prince And though God gives liberty to men for to institute some civil Offices and make Officers yet in matters of Religion it 's otherwise For he hath reserved that Power of making spiritual Officers and to appoint their Service unto himself and the successe of their Service doth meerly depend on him for without him it can have no spiritual effect upon the Souls and Consciences of men Yet God doth not Call all Officers in Religion immediately and by an extraordinary and particular designation but many are called in an ordinary way yet it 's necessary that every standing Office should be instituted either by a General or some special precept of universal Obligation for the time he will have such an Office to continue in the Church This precept determines the qualification of the person and this must be known and approved by the Church â—â— such as the Church shall trust and this approbation must be publickly declared before the party that must publickly officiate can be orderly admitted yet this rule admits of some exception in extraordinary Cases All the power that the Church in constitution of Officers can challenge is to signifie the Will of Christ concerning the particular persons to be constituted that they are rightly qualified and such as Christ requires them to be Christ therefore in this work is the principal and the Church following the rules of Christ is the instrumental cause Of vocation ordination imposition of hands and constituting of Church-Officers I shall speak more at large in my Treatise of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government 3. Aaron did not take this honour to himself but was Called of God this is an instance and a particular example of the divine Vocation of an High-Priest And though it was but a particular example yet it was agreeable to a general Rule That Aaron was an High-Priest and that he did not usurp this honour and that he was Called of God is evident out of Scripture For 1. God singles out the Tribe of Levi for religious Services 2. Out of this Tribe he singles the Family of Aaron for the Priest-hood 3. Out of this Family he separates Aaron and his Sons with their Posterity to be High-Priests 4. He caused him publickly to be set apart with his Sons and to be consecrated 5. Upon his Consecration when he first begins to minister and offer his Priest-hood is confirmed by Fire sent from Heaven to burn the Offering 6. Notwithstanding this particular institution and designation he was unjustly challenged as ingrossing the Sacerdotal Power till God by consuming the Company of Korah and causing Aaron's Rod to Blossom and bring forth ripe Almonds confirmed it again 7. Aaron's Children and Posterity acquired their power by lineal discent according to the first Institution for all his Successours derived their Power from the first Investiture of him and his Sons § 6. After the Description of an High-Priest and his divine Calling follows the Apostles discourse of the High-Priest-hood of Christ. And he 1. Asserts his Calling 2. Proves it His Calling is asserted in these words Ver. 5. So Christ also did not glorify himself but he that said c. THis doth presuppose 1. That Christ is a Priest and all things essential to a Priest we find in him according to the former Description 2. That to be a Priest is a Glory and Honour for it is a place as of Power so of Dignity and Glory Yet it 's said He did not glorify himself and take upon him the Sacerdotal Power and Dignity though he was qualified better then ever any was By this we understand the intolerable pride and presumption of many in these times which take upon them to officiate in matters of Religion though no wayes qualified or fitted for this work If ever any Man or Angel then surely Christ might have taken this Honour to himself yet he did not And this will be the eternal condemnation of all such as usurp Ecclesiastical Power without any Commission from God or Man How unlike unto Christ are all such who presume of their own merit and despise such as Christ hath called But if Christ did not glorify himself and take upon him to be a Priest how did he acquire his Sacerdotal Power It 's said That God did glorify and advance him to this place and honour This is included in these words But he that said unto him For he that said unto him the words following was God and He made him Priest And the truth is the place was so high and required such a measure of Power that none but God could constitute and invest him For it was not in the power of Man or Angel to make so great an High-Priest As before it 's said 1. That he did not make himself an High-Priest 2. That God made him so by those words found in Psal. 2. 7. he proves both that he was a Priest and that God made him such For 1. It 's clear that it is the Lord and everlasting Jehovah who spake these words 2. He spake them to Christ. 3. By them he constituted him a Priest The words of Constitution are these This Day have I
and he stood so strictly upon these terms that except these were performed he would neither promise not give Remission and Salvation but Man must lye under his eternal displeasure Christ's mediation by intreaties or interpretations and declarations of the will of both the partie could do no good to be hately a Prophet would not serve the turn Therefore to mediate in this place is to be a Surety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you heard in the former Chapter And as Sponsor and Surety he first undertake to satisfy God's Justice by his own purest Blood and so make an arâ—â—â—ment and way for God's metoy to make promises upon easy terms and for the performance of the terms and conditions he by this Blood merits the Grace of the Spirit to enable man to repent's believe reform and relye wholly upon God's mercy procured by Christ's Sacrificeâ— neither is this all but in the second place he undertakes to obtain the mercies promised by his intercessions and pleading his blood in Heaven for penitent and believing Sinners That he is Mediatoâ—â— by his Blood shed and offered is evident from Chap. 9. 16. where it 's said That for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption or Remission of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of eternal Inheritance Where we may observe 1. That he was the Mediator of the new Covenant 2. That he was Mediator for his Sacrifice and offering of himself without spot to God 3. That whereas there was no expiation of Sin by any Sacrifice of the Law the sins then committed were expiated and remitted by vertue of his Death and Sacrifice 4. That except this expiation and remission had been obtained by this death the called could not have received the Promise of eternal Inheritance That he is Mediator of this Covenant by his Intercession is evident from 1 Joh. 2. 1. and other places Now both these agree to Christ as a Priest and therefore he is the Mediator of this new Covenant of better Promises as a Priest The Levitical Priests were Mediators for the former Covenant by their Offerings and Prayers to obtain the Promises of that Covenant and this Mediation was but a shadow and an obscure Representation of this heavenly and far more excellent Service and Ministry For 5. He by reason of this Mediation obtained and so enjoyed a more excellent Ministry and Office of Priest-hood For he that could lay the foundation of such an excellent Covenant by satisfying divine Justice and as Surety make it so valid so effectual and of eternal continuance must needs be a more excellent Priest in respect of his Ministration which had far more glorious effects than the Ministration of the High-Priests under the Law Where by the way observe That Christ is an High-Priest in respect of his Office and a Minister in respect of his Officiation which was the work and end of his Office From all this the force of the Argument is clear and evident for every Cause is to be valued according to its causal activity and the effects produced by it For that cause which produceth more noble and excellent Effects Physical Moral or Divine is more noble and excellent And seeing Christ as Priest by his Ministration doth produce far more glorious supernatural and divine Effects tending most effectually to Man's spiritual and eternal happiness therefore he is far more excellent than the Levitical Priests which were Mediators only of a far inferior Covenant and yet could not by their Officiation make that effectual Yet the Apostle not contented with this that he obtained a better Ministry further adds that the Ministry was so much the more excellent as the Covenant whereof he was Mediator was more excellent But the Covenant was far better and more excellent by many degrees therefore the Ministry is such too The major Proposition would easily be granted That the more excellent the Covenant the more excellent the Ministry But the Assumption might be excepted against and that several wayes as 1. There was no other Covenant or 2. If there was it was not better or more excellent Both these he therefore proves and 1. That the Covenant was better for it was established upon better Promises In which words we may observe two Arguments one expressed the other implyed For 1. The more excellent the Promises and the Rewards and Duties promised are the more excellent the Covenant must needs be this is expressed 2. When he saith that it 's established upon better Promises he implies that it is stable firm and raâ—fied so as not to be altered such the former was not Both these he proves and that two wayes 1. By an Artificial Argument 2. By Testimony § 6. First By an Artificial Argument Ver. 7. For if the first Covenant had been faultless then there should have no place been sought for the second IN the handling of this Text I will 1. Consider it absolutely and explain it 2. Inquire into the Apostle's Argumentation 3. Examine what the Apostle intends to prove 1. Absolutely considered it presupposeth as a thing well-known to these Hebrews that there are two Covenants the first and the second Upon this presupposed we find two absolute Propositions 1. That the first Covenant was not faultless 2. There was place sought for a second And both these are presupposed here as a ground of the Apostle's Argumentation though both are proved afterwards By this first Covenant is meant as we shall understand anon the Covenant made with the Israelites in the Wilderness after they were come out of Aegypt of it we find it affirmed that it was faulty or not faultless Not to be faultless is to be imperfect and defective and so not able to sanctify and perfect any man though the Jew thought otherwise and through his Unbelief and erroneous Imagination sought perfection by it Yet God in giving it intended no such thing but aimed at other ends for which it was sufficient neither could it possibly perfect any man because it neither gave Man any sanctifying Power to enable him to perform spiritual Obedience neither could the Priests by their Ministration expiate any Sin Therefore to be faulty is not to be unjust or justly blamable or insufficient for those ends God intended it but to be unable to justify as the Jew falsly judged it to be 2. There was place sought for a second The second was the Covenant of Grace in the Gospel called the second because it came in after the first It 's true that the Promise was 430 years before the Law and was the same for Substance with the Gospel but differed in this that it held out Christ onely in Promise to be exhibited in time then to come and required Faith in him not yet incamate But this new Covenant of the Gospel required Faith in Christ already come Between these two the Promise and the new
and illiterate People but also of all natural men though of excellent parts and highly improved and exquisite humane Learning both Arts and Languages Besides Ignorance and Error corrupt Lusts inordinate Affections violent Passions indispose it very much and make it most averse from that which is just and good and strongly bent upon that which is evil As it hath no true Notions of the greatest good so it hath no mind to use the means which conduce to the attaining thereof This defacement of so noble a Substance is the Work of the Devil and Sin 3. Concerning God's writing his Laws in the heart of Man you must know 1. That they are not written there by Nature as you heard before If they were what need God write that which is already written 2. He writes nothing in this heart but his Laws and his saving Truths Therefore that which is not written without in the Scripture he doth not promise to write within the Heart and whosoever shall fancy any Doctrine received in his heart to be written by the hand of Heaven and yet cannot find it in the Gospel is deceived and deluded 3. Before these divine Doctrines can be written in the heart all Errors Lusts false Opinions must be rased and rooted out of the Soul and it must be made like blank paper This is the reason why we are commanded to prepare our selves for the hearing and reading of God's Word to be like good ground to put away all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness all Malice all Guile and Hypocrisies and Envies and evil-speaking and like new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God 4. God doth not write his Laws in our heats by Enthusiasm Rapture and Inspiration as he wrote his Word in the hearts of the Prophets and Apostles but he makes use of the Word and the Ministers of the Gospel and the Instructions of Man as also of the outward senses as of the Eye and Ear and also of the inward and of Reason and of all the powers he hath given Man to do any thing in this Work And whosoever will not use these means and exercise this Power by Reading Hearing Meditation Conference Prayer let him never expect or think that God will write these things in his heart The neglect of these helps is the Cause why Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and persons of high attainments as they boast as though they were above Ordinances have so little solid and saving Knowledg of God's Word fall into so many absurd abominable Errors 5. The Effect of this writing of God is not only Knowledge but also a Love of the Truth Light and Integrity Power and Dominion over Sin and the powerful Sanctifications and Consolations of the Spirit And whosoever doth not find these in his heart let him not think that God hath written his Laws in his heart For he writes with Power and leavs a permanent Tincture of holiness and a constant habitual inclination to that which is good just and right 6. God doth not write these Laws perfectly and fully in Man's heart whilst he is in the Flesh for he proceeds in this Work by degrees Therefore seeing God hath ordained means and commanded them to be used no Man must neglect them whilst this mortal life continues for these Truths are not written in any of our hearts further than we use these means which were given not only for the first inscription of these Laws but for the encrease and perfection of our divine Knowledge This was the way which Christ and his Apostles took for the Conversion Edification and Confirmation of their Disciples If this were not so what need was there of so many Epistles and in particular of this to be written to so many Converts and regenerate Saints 7. Though God doth both begin and encrease our Knowledg and Sanctification by these means yet this Work of his is immediate upon the Soul and far more excellent than these means can reach § 11. The end of this Promise made and the issue of it performed is to acknowledg and receive God as our God in Christ and to submit unto him with a real hearty and total Submission as to our onely Lord and Redeemer that so he may protect and bless us and we may serve and obey him And this we cannot do except God first write his Laws in our hearts therefore this must needs be the first Promise upon which the rest do depend and that whereby he in great Mercy binds himself to give us his preventing Grace and the continuance of it For such is our Case that except he prevent us by granting and vouchsasing unto us both the means of Conversion and the Power of his Spirit to make them effectual upon our immortal Souls we can never take him to be our God so as to become his People and loyal Subjects And upon this done he will be our God and take us for his People and so he promiseth here in this Ver. 10. And I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People THis is the second Promise of this new Covenant Where we must understand what it is for God to be a God unto any People and for any Persons to be his People This latter is easily known if we know the former 1. Therefore it is not for God to be God absolutely in himself most perfect glorious infinitely and eternally blessed for so he was from everlasting Yet except he be thus God in himself he cannot be a God to any Creature Neither 2. Is it to be a God by Creation Preservation and Ordination for so he is to all Creatures and to every one of them whilst they have their Being Nor 3. Is it to be a God in an higher degree to men as immortal and rational Creatures for so he is to all men Nor 4. Is it meerly to be a God in a peculiar manner to some certain People by choosing and singling them from amongst other men so as to enter into some special Covenant with them and to take a special care of them and to bless them with some special blessings and deliverances for so he was a God to the Jews But 5. It is to be a God unto any Persons or People by a new Covenant of eternal Mercy and Salvation by Jesus Christ exhibited and glorisied And to be his People is to be his Subjects of his special Kingdom so as to receive from him as their Lord-Redeemer spiritual and eternal Protection and Blessings This is the meaning of this Expression in this place In a word it 's a Promise of admission into his Kingdom of Grace and Glory To know this more distinctly we must take notice that to be God in this manner is so to exercise his Wisdom Power and Mercy in Christ as to protect and deliver us from all evill and give us all Blessings necessarily required to make us eternally and fully happy Thus much is
Assumption to sone former Proposition 2. There was in these yearly Scrifices a Remembrance of Sin for when this great Sacrifice was to be offered God dâ— command That Aaron the High-Priest should lay both his hands upon the Head of the Scape-Goat and confess over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all thir Transgressions in all their Sins Levit. 16. 21. Where we learn what Remembrance of Sin is it 's the Confession of Sins Now Confession presupposeth Remembrance and is â—n outward Expression and Declaration of the sins remembred To confess sins is to aknowledg the Confessors guilty notwithstanding Sacrifices had been offered and Expiaâ—on made and from hence it follows that those Sacrifices had no vertue to take away sin Some vertue they had and some Legal Expiation was made yet the Offering was â— sooner made but the expiating vertue vanished and their new sins must have a new Câ—nfession and a new Sacrifice which had been needless if the former Sacrifices had been sufficient And whereas it may be said that although many Sacrifices severally could 〈◊〉 yet all joyntly might purge the Worshippers The Answer is they could not â—o not any nor all had Power to purge the Conscience that must be purged by some bette Sacrifice whereof they were but Types and Shadows This is the third Argument § 5. The fourth we find Ver. 4. For it is not pssible that he Blood of Bulls and Goats should take awâ—y Sins THE force of the Reasons in this That seeing the Effect is to take away sin it must have a Cause sufficent to produce it but the Blood of Bulls and Goats which was the princiâ—l thing in the Legal Annual Sacrifices was no such Cause it had no such vertue the Effet was so far above it that there was no possibility that such a Cause should reach it For â—ery Cause doth work according to it's Power as it is greater or less but if there 〈◊〉 power at all in respect of any particular Effect in respect of that it can do nothingâ— all The Blood of Buls and Goats might be a sign of that Blood that could take away sin but take it away or any wayes actively concur to the taking away thereof it could â—o In the words we have 1. An Effect 2. The Impotency of Legal Sacrifices in respect of this Effect 1. The Effect is taking away of sin Where by Sins we must understand sins as past yet remaining in their Guilt For though the sins be past and not in being yet the Effect abides for the party that hath sinned is liable to Punishment and must suffer it if it be not prevented Therefore to take away Sin is to make it remissible and that by some Sacrifice and Satisfaction This is to make the Guilt removable which yet is not actually removed but by the Sentence of the Judg passed upon the Sinner rightly disposed and qualified by Faith in a right Sacrifice And here you must observe that the Guilt is an Obligation not only to some temporal but also to spiritual Punishment because sin is from the Soul an immortal substance and against a Law of God which binds the Conscience and immortal Soul and promiseth Rewards and threatneth Punishments not only temporal but spiritual and eternal And the taking away sins in this place is a freeing of the party from this Obligation 2. Such an Effect so great and glorious and so beneficial to sinful Man must have some excellent and powerful Cause such the Blood of Buls and Goats cannot be Where we must know that the things sacrificed on the great day of Expiation were Buls or Bullocks and Goats and with the Blood of these shed and taken and sprinkled in the Holy place within the second Veil the Legal Expiation was made As the Beasts so the Blood was morally neither bad nor good but indifferent And though offering and sprinkling of this Blood was a rational Act in the High-Priest yet it could give no moral spiritual or supernatural Power to the Blood Neither could the Priest have had any warrant to have made this use of this Blood if God hadnot commanded him and that to signify some better and far more excellent Blood Therefore if we look upon the Blood and consider what it was we cannot rationally inagine any Power in it either placare or piacere either to satisfy divine Justice or to merit any Acceptation for that end from the supream Judg Therefore well might the Apstle say That it was not possible for the Blood of Buls and Goats to take away Sins and thence conclude that the Legal Sacrifices could not perfect or purge the Worshippers § 6. Hitherto the Apostle hath proved the insuiclency and impotency of the chiefest Legal Sacrifices for to take away sins and this heâ—ath done by Artificial Arguments taken from the Nature of the Sacrifices themselvs ad the Reiteration of them and now he goes further to manifest that they could not perect any and that by an inartificial Argument and a Testimony The Testimony is â—ivine and of infallible Authority and such in the Judgment of these Hebrews so that thâ— could not deny it The End of it is to prove that they could not purge or perfect th Worshippers because God never intended to do any such thing by them He argueso this purpose That if God intended to expiate Sin and perfect sinful Man by anothe and a more excellent Sacrifice even the Sacrifice of Christ and by that alone then they ould not expiate and take away Sin and so purge the Worshippers But he intended to â— this great Work by another more excellent which was the Sacrifice of Christ and thaalone Therefore they could not do that great Work of Expiation This was so strong a Proof that it did evince that though the Legal Sacrifices might have had some expiatig Power yet they could never expiate Sin because that Effect was and that by God's ntention reserved for another and a better Cause And this may be said to be a fifth argument â—istinct from all the former Seeing this is an inartificial Argument we must consider the Nature of the Testimony it self and the matter or thing testified The Testmony as yo heard before is divine for it 's taken out of the Old Testament and out of that part whih is called The Book of Psalms and out of one of those Psalms which by the Title is said o be David's The Pen-men of the whole were Prophets and inspired from Heaven ad amongst the rest David of whom it 's said The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his Vord was in my Tongue 2 Sam. 23. 2. And not only he but all the men of God spake assey were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. As they spake so they wrote thefore their Writings are called The Scriptures by way of Eminency and The Holy Scripres and the words written therein are all the words of God who spake in them
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
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
ridiculous and a matter of laughter rather then of fears except they did suspect some magick Spells and diâ—belical power might be used in that formal procession 4. The Event was the fall of the Walls of Jericho and the ruine of that City and the Inhabitants Some think this fall to be the sinking of the Wall whole and entire into the ground so that the highest parts of them lay level with the surface of the Earth yet there is no certainty of this But this is certain that they so fell as that Israel might easily enter This was a work of almighty power and by this example we easily understand that when out of Faith we obey God's Commands that which God hath promised will be effected Therefore when any business is difficult to be done we must not so much look at the impotency of natural and secondary Causes as at the promise of God and the performance of our Duty And though it 's true that the principal if not the sole effective cause be the Power of God yet without the Faith and Obedience of man the fulfilling of the Promise cannot be expected This manner of giving Jericho into Israel's hand to humane reason not acquainted with the Counsel of God might seem strange Yet it was an excellent way to animate Israel and terrify the Canaanites For by this miraculous Event Israel might understand how easily without blow or blood of any man the strongest City might be taken and delivered into their hands and the Enemy might know that neither the strongest and highest Walls nor the power of the most warlike Souldiers could be able to stand out The principal thing here to be observed is the excellency of Faith grounded upon the Word and Promise of God § 30. In this strange and fearful destruction of Jericho God remembred mercy and saved Rahab and her Family so that they perished not with the rest For Ver. 31. By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the Spies with peace THis is the last Example of those whereupon the Apostle severally and more distinctly insists In it we may observe 1. The Party named and proposed for an Example which was Rahab the Harlot 2. The Work of her Faith She received the Spies in peace 3. Her Preservation in the general ruine of that City 4. Her Faith whereby she obtained that Reward 1. The Party was a Woman her Name Rahab a Gentile a Canaanite an Inhabitant and Native of Jericho an Inn-Keeper and an Harlot for she seems to be both Yet this is so far true that though she had formerly been guilty yet now she was a Penitent and upon her Faith if not before reformed God had prepared her for his own Design and made her a sit Instrument to save the Spies and the Spies fit Agents to inform Joshua of the Truth and to encourage all Israel to go on boldly in the Conquest of all Canaan 2. Her Work of Faith was that she received the Spies in peace These Spies were Agents sent by Joshua to discover the Country on the West-side of Jordan according to his Directions and his End in sending them was to receive Information from them of such things as were convenient to be known as Preparative for the future Conquest As Stratagems so Spies were useful as other Intelligencers are in a well-ordered State that hath to deal with Enemies and if the Cause be just and the Enemies unjust they are certainly lawful These she received though Enemies to her Country not only as Guests but Friends and as she received so she dismissed them in peace that is in safety and as Friends and not as Enemies This she did with so great Care Prudence and Fidelity that their best Friends in that Case could not have done more and better for them The manner how she entertained them the Conference she had with them the Contract made between them the Act how she concealed them the Counsel she gave them and the Contrivance of their safety you may read more at large in the Book of Joshua Her officious Lie which she made in their behalf cannot in strict Justice be excused though in mercy it may be pardoned And in this Act and Work of Charity towards them she was not guilty of persidious Treachery to her own Country which she knew to be wicked and destined by God himself unto Destruction and she was bound to love God more than her Country and his People more than his Enemies By her Faith she had renounced all to serve the true God and in her heart was become already one of God's Saints and Servants Treachery indeed is unjust and contrary to the Laws of God which require fidelity to God first and then to our Country so far as it shall be consistent with Fidelity to the Supream Lord and not one â—ote further 3. Her Reward followed upon this For she perished not with them that believed not Where we have 1. The Destruction of Unbelievers 2. Her Preservation The first implies that her Neighbours and Fellow-Citizens were grievous Sinners and so hardned in their Sins that they did not believe and so were Vessels of Wrath and fitted for Destruction These being such did perish and suffered Punishment due unto their Sins which was a total and final ruine But she perished not but was preserved and the manner of her Preservation we find related in the History For both the Spies and Joshua were faithful to her and performed the Promise and the Oath made unto her By this we learn how easily God can save us even in the midst of general Calamities 4. This her Preservation was a Reward of her Faith not that Faith did merit it but made her capable of God's Mercy This here Faith was wrought in her by the Fame of God's glorious Works and Counsels which she had heard and by the Power of the Holy Ghost and it was manifested much and very much both by her Words and Deeds when she received the Spies and preserved them from Death It was so much the more to be admited seeing she was an Alien a Gentile a Canaaâ—ute and dwelt amongst a cursed People amongst whom she had been a grievous Sinner Surely she will rise up in Judgment against the Unbelievers of our times § 31. The Apostle forbears to insist largely and particularly upon the Faith of any more of the ancient Worthies either Men or Women and draws towards a Conclusion by Contraction of his Discourse and in this manner Ver. 32. And what shall I more say For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barac and of Samson and of Jeptha of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets IN these words and those that follow in this Chapter we must consider 1. The manner how the following Discourse is brought in 2. The matter of it 1. The manner is by a Rhetorical Paraleipsis signifying 1. There was no necessity of any more
This place is not to be understood that he by his own Power did stop the Lions Mouths but that God by his Angel did it upon his Faith whereby he obtained this Mercy 5. By Faith some of them quenched the violence of Fire By this and the former we understand that divers of these particulars are not to be attributed to the Faith of all and every one but to some particular Persons of them as severed from the rest The former Worthy intended was one of the Prophets and these might be such also yet not so eminent for these words are not meant of a single Person but of Shadrac Meshech and Abcdâ—ego three Jews fellow-Captives with Daniel These were cast into a fiery Furnace so violently hot that the very persons who cast them in were consumed Yet these walking in the midst of this raging heat were not burned For upon their Bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head sindged neither were their Coates changed nor the smell of fire had passed upon them Dan. 3. 27. This was a wonderful deliverance and a work of God's almighty hand and it was obtained by their Faith manifested to be sincere by their Obedience For they disobeyed the wicked Command of the King and stedfastly resolved to obey their God For so they said unto Nebuchadnezzar We will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up This was their Obedience They feared not the wrath of the King but trusted in their God that be was able to deliver them This was their excellent Faith upon which followed this deliverance By these two last examples we understand how easily God can and how ready he is to deliver his believing Servants out of greatest dangers 6. By Faith they that is some of them escaped the Sword The Sword is a mortal Instrument the Prince of Weapons and used most of all in Wars when once the paâ—â—ies joyn battel and come close It may here be taken Synechdochically for any kind of destroying Instrument used either in War or Peace In War David and many of the Judges escaped the edge of the Sword and were saved from the fury of the Enemy In Peace Elijah Elisha Jeremy and other were delivered out of the hands of those who intended to murther them They were in danger because they served God did his Work and gave no just cause of offence They were delivered because whilst they were obedient to their God they trusted in him Yet here seems to be intended some great dangers and signal deliverances upon their eminent Faith As the former were delivered from Fire and wild Beasts so these from the Sword No dangers can hurt those whom God will save they are safe in the midst of greatest Evils 7. By Faith of weak some became strong This by many is understood of recovery from Sickness and Diseases and the same sometimes mortal and by man incurable and some instance in Ezekiah whom God upon his prayer of Faith restored to perfect health and because his Disease was mortal therefore the cure was supernatural and miraculous and said to be obtained by Faith Others understand it of such as were weak in respect of Warlike strength and valour and far inferiour to their Enemies for multitude strength prowesse policy yet by Faith and confidence in God few overcame many the weak subdued the strong the plain unskilful not only defended themselves but terrified their Enemies and though at first they were fearful yet by Faith they strengthned themselves in God and upon their prayers were encouraged against potent Enemies 8. Waxed valiant in fight Many of God's Saints and some of the fore-named were Souldiers and men of mighty Valour who through Faith were so encouraged that they feared neither the number nor the strength of their Enemies Valour is proper unto a good Souldier and in War is necessary as fear and coâ—ardize is the ruine of many a goodly Army War is very dangerous and full of hazard and the event uncertain The more the danger and the difficulty the greater measure of fortitude is requisite The nature of Valour is not wholly to contemn dangers but to foresee and resist them and no wayes yield unto them to adventure upon them and march through them It 's the strength of the mind without which the strength of the Body is to little purpose This is not a blind boldness nor meerly moral and grounded only upon Reason but it is divine For when the Cause was good and they had a Command with a Promise and sometimes with instructions from God they had great reason to be valiant they might say with David after they had prayed I will not be afraid of ten thousands of People which have set themselves round about me Psal. 3. 6. When the Lord was his Light and Salvation and strength of his Life he had little cause to fear For though an Host should encamp against him his heart was not afraid though War did rise against him yet in that would he be confident Psal. 27. 1 3. These did not fight only for their Estates Wives Children and their Country but for their Religion the Covenant and the Cities of their God Their valour was grounded upon the goodness of their cause and the promise of their God which firmly supported their Faith as their Faith did much increase their Valour 9. They turned to Flight the Armies of the Aliens These Aliens were Heathens and Idoliters and so Enemies not only to their Country but to their Religion and their God This made their Cause the better and more just and the Enemies Cause the more unjust The event of their Wars against these was that they routed them and made them turn their backs and sly For as they sought for God out of Faith so God fought for them according to his Promise which was the ground of their Belief and Confidence Most of these Wars seem to be defensive or if offensive yet waged against injurious People who were Enemies not only to them but to God and this Success and these Victories were extraordinary If in a just War we have the like Cause and the like Faith we may expect the like Success But now many Wars are made amongst Christians and sometimes in the bowels of the same Nation and the Cause is not just but the Quarrel is begun and continued out of Pride Malice Cruelty Ambition and desire of Revenge and they sight not out of Faith against God's Enemies but against God's People § 34. The Apostle proceeds in this Rhetorical strain to enumerate other effects of their Faith Ver. 35. Women received their Dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection IN these words we may observe two Consequents of Faith 1. The Resurrection of persons dead 2. The suffering of cruel torments in hope of the Resurrection to eternal life The first is to referred to
and Beeing but to be happy For as bitter Pills and Portions and also correcting Plaisters may effectually cure our Bodies motrally wounded or diseased so the Lord's Chastisements may heal our sick Spirits and so prevent spiritual Death and Punishments And as the Patient must be willing to receive bitter Pills and Potions for recovery so must we chearfully submit unto our heavenly Fathers Correction for our eternal safety and felicity § 11. Thus far the absolute consideration of these words Now follows the Comparison which presupposing some agreement in quality as in quanity of imparity For if we be bound to obey and reverence our earthly Fathers correcting us then we are bound to obey and be in subjection to our heavenly Father chastening us The reason is because as they so he hath power over us But this is not all for if we are bound if to them much then to him much more They are only Fathers of our Flesh and Bodies and have only a correcting power over them but he is the Father not only of our Bodies but also of our Spirits and hath an absolute Dominion over both not only to instruct counsel command but also to correct and his Correction tends not only to our temporal but our spiritual Health Safety and Happiness This the Apostle makes evident in the 10th Verse Where again we may consider some things 1. Absolute concerning our Earthly Heavenly Father 2. Comparative The words absolutely considered inform us 1. That our earthly Fathers for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure 2. That God our heavenly Father chasteneth us for our profit that we may be Partakers of his Holiness 1. In the former Chastisement we may observe 1. It 's short and for a few dayes 2. It 's arbitrary after their own pleasure 1. It 's short because it continues only for the time f our Child-hood and Minority when we are most apt to go astray and least able to direct out selves In these tender years Children may receive any Impression and that more easily than afterwards then the Foundation of Vertue or Vice is laid and if Children have their Liberty be neglected and left unto themselvs they are most subject to be corrupted Therefore theâ— they have most need of Correction and may be more easily kept under yet many times it falls out that Fathers devoid of Wisdom and not considering what is best and most truly good for their Children out of Passion and rashly not aiming at the choise End do correct them And the more Power they have and the less Resistance there is the more arbitrary and irregular their Chastisements prove so that as the time of their Chastening is short so it 's not regulated by the Dictates of Reason but follows Fancy and false Imaginations of the mind which many times represents as just and good that which indeed is evil and unjust The Intention of the Apostle in these words is to manifest the imperfection and deficiency of humane Castigation whereby it differs from that which is divine For 2. God chasteneth â—â— for our Profit that we may partake of his Holiness This is the Perfection of God's Correction which is not for a few dayes but continues for term of Life till he hath made us perfect and done his whole Work upon us It 's always regulated by his perfect Wisdom issues from purest Love tends unto and ends in our Happiness It 's no wayes arbitrary for he never chasteneth but when he sets cause and knows certainly that it will be good for us All this is implyed in these words for our profit where by profit we must not understand the good things of this World and the great Mammon which so many worship but some better thing some spiritual and divine benefit which in a word is a Participation of God's Holiness which Clause seems to be exegetical that we might know what he meant by Profit For whatsoever tends to make us spiritually better more like to God and more capable of Communion with him that 's true Profit God's Holiness may either be that whereby she is holy in himself oâ— that whereby weare holy He in himself is essentially infinitely and eternally holy most glorious excellent and pure in himself For the Holiness of God is sometimes taken for his Excellency and Glory sometimes for his Purity and perfect Righteousness in which respect it 's said That he is Light and in him is no Darkness so that he cannot sin be impure or unjust and therefore may be said to be Holiness it self As he is holy in himself so he is the Efficients and Fountain of Holiness to us for he makes us holy yet our Holiness is from him by participation and participated by us is more his than ours To be Partakers of his Holiness is either to be made holy as he is and so purified from Sin or being made holy to have Communion with him in some degree here or fully and for ever hereafter This Holiness is communicated to us by Chastisement accompanied with the Sanctisication of the Spirit for that 's the end whereaâ— God aims and the Effect which he produceth in his Children His Love doth set him on work his Wisdom directs and his Almghty Power effecteth that which his Love desireth This is the Absolute Consideration the Comparative followeth and that in quantity inequal for he argues from the less unto the greater For if they had with Patience endured their earthly Fathers chastizing them for a few dayes after their pleasure how much more should they with Patience and all humble Subjection endure their heavenly Father chastizing them in Wisdom for their everlasting Good This is a place which teacheth all Children their Duty towards their Parents chastening them and they must acknowledg their Power humbly submit unto it and be thankful unto them and their God for this good Work without which they might have been more wicked and more miserable And all Fathers should know that their Children are trusted in their hands by God not only to be instructed but corrected and in this part of Education they must imitate God and chasten them wisely in Love for their good The principal thing to be remembred is that seeing it is God that doth chastile them and in this manner and for their greatest good therefore they should not faint in their Sufferings for their Profession § 11. The Apostle proceeds further to discourse on the Text in Proverbs which speaks of Chastisement Of which it might be said that it 's a matter not of Joy but Grief and how then can it proceed from Love and be any wayes beneficial By way of prevention he resolvs this doubt in the words following Ver. 11. Now no Chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby BY these words we learn what the End and Effect of the Lord 's Chastening is