presupposeth the Command so the Command presupposeth that God spake by his Son more excellent then the Angels and that they had heard his Doctrine This may be the Use or Application of the Doctrine delivered and confirmed in the former Chapter And the Use after the present mode of preaching is an Instruction which virtually includes an exhortation with a dehortation § 3. Ver. 2 3 4. The reason which may perswade and motive which may incline us to performance of the duty both affirmative and negative follows And it is two-fold 1. From the grievous unavoidable punishment to which upon non-performance we shall be liable and in the end suffer 2. From divine Ordination The first we read ver 2 3 4. where we may observe 1. A punishment grievous unavoidable 2. The cause of it 1. There can be no Punishment where there is no Law transgressed For where there is the Law there is no Transgression Rom. 4. 19. And where no transgression or sin there is no â—â—ath or punishment For the wages or desert of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. Punishment therefore is some evil determined and threatned in the Law by the Law-giver against the Transgressouâ— as due unto him upon the transgression It 's opposed properly to a reward promised not to a benefit which is no reward This punishment is grievous and the grievousness is implyed in a Comparison For if the Transgressours of the Law then the Transgressours of the Gospel shall be grievously punished and if the former much more the latter if their punishment was grievous much more grievous shall ours be It 's expressed in two words in the Original in three in our translation a just recompence of reward yet according to the Greek it 's a just retribution or rendring of wages that is a punishment of Death which they deserved and was justly due unto them To deserve and to be â—able to punishment is a consequent and moral effect of transgression by vertue of the Law to determine this punishment is an act of the Law-giver to infact it is an act of the Judge which infliction is a rendring of some evil as due to the party suffering as deserving it But as it is first grievous so it is unavoidable This is expressed 1. In that they under the Law receved it 2. In that we under the Gospel cannot escape it How shall we escape § 4. The cause of this grievous unavoidable punishment is some sin which is here expressed And to understand this more fully and distinctly let 's consider 1. The sin and punishment of transgressours under the Law 2. The sin and punishment of the transgressours under the Gospel 3. The force of the reason The words of the second verse informes us 1. Of the sin 2. The punishment of former Offenders 1. The sin is the transgression of the word spoken by Angels 2. The punishment was the destruction of the Offenders In the Text we have 1. A Law 2. The transgression of this Law 3. The punishment of the transgressours 4. The efficacy of the Law in this punishment If we reduce it to Propositions they are these 1. That a word was spoken by Angels 2. This word was disobeyed 3. The disodient suffered condign punishment 4. By this punishment the Law was made firm and valid In the first we have 1. A word 2. The the same spoken 3. The same spoken by Angels 1. By word is no doubt understood a Law consisting of precepts prohibitions promises threats or comminations which are principally here understood as a part of the Law Some think this Law to be the Decalogue yet this cannot be here intended as it stands alone separated from the Judicials and Ceremonials wherein we find many fearful penal Statutes and Comminations So that by Word is understood the whole body and systeme of those Laws God gave by Moses to Israel neither let any wonder that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signify a Word and a Law For in Hebrew Chaldee and Arabick the same verbes which signifie to speak signify to govern and the same Nouns which signifie words signifie Commands and Laws 2. This word was spoken that is this Law was published and promulgated For the matter of the Law the mind and will of the Law-giver the declaration of both do all concurr to constitute the essence of a Law 3. The word and Law was spoken and declared by Angels though the matter and the binding decree was from God and neither of them from the Angels who were used by God in the promulgation Though God in a more special manner is said to have uttered and written the ten Commandments or Decalogue yet in giving of the whole Systeme of the Law he used the ministry of Angels For they received the Law by the disposition of Angels Acts 7. 53. And it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. where by Law cannot be meant the Decalogue alone as appears by the context antecedent and consequent And God Angels Moses did all concurr as one efficient of the promulgation before it could be compleat Therefore there is no need with Hâ—insius to understand by Angels the Prophets as Angels that is Messengers of God Hence appears the vanity and error of Crellius For he doth suppose and take for granted that if the Law was spoken and published by Angels then it was not published by God or the Son of God in the person of the Diety For by this he might argue against the express words of the Apostle Chap. 1. 1. that because the Old Testament and the Doctrine thereof was published and declared by the Prophets therefore it was not published declared and spoken by God whereas it 's expresly said God spake by the Prophets to the Fathers 2. He argues to this purpose that if the Law was in proper sense delivered by God or the Son in the person of the Deity then it would follow that the Apostle's argument to prove the Gospel above the Law were not good for if the Law was published by God or the Son in the person of the Deity the Law must be more excellent then the Gospel But first He takes the Law only for the Decalogue which should not be done 2. He mistakes the Apostle's comparison and argument For the comparison is not in respect of him that spake but of those by whom he spake The Old and New Testament do not differ in this that God doth speak and declare them For both are the Word of God both were spoken by God in which respect they are equal and the same If God had not spoken in both both had not been the Word of God But the difference is in respect of those by whom he spake For of old he spake by the Prophets in the last days he spake by his Son and the Son is more excellent then the Prophets for here is the inequality and the excellency of the Gospel above the Law spoken by Angels and
and Sin reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5. 12 14. And the wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. Besides it 's said That in Adam all dye that is in Adam sinning for he was that one man by whom Sin entred into the World 1 Cor. 15. 22. So that God appointed Man to dye and to dye but once The second Proposition is That after Death followeth Judgment This is the second thing For Death is first Judgment the second and the word after signifies the order of time For Death goes before and Judgment follows after The party Judged is Man the Judge is God whose Judgment is particular or general particular of every particular individual person general or universal of all For there is the Judgment of the great Day when all shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and this Judgment is appointed of God and appointed to follow after Death after which follows the final and eternal estate of man which shall be unalterable and by Judgment may be meant not only the Sentence of the Judge but the estate of the parties judged which followeth thereupon whether it be an estate of misery or of felicity We live here that we may prepare for this Judgment and we ought so to live as that we may be happy for ever hereafter and prevent the suffering of eternal punishments Yet men do not believe that God will Judge us and that Judgment will follow and that unavoidably after Death or if they do not believe this yet they do not seriously consider it This is the reason why they live secure in their Sins and extream danger and this is the cause of their eternal ruine It 's not material to enquire whether the act of the Judge or the estate of the parties judged or whether particular or universal Judgment be here meant or no. It 's certain that this is a Judgment which followeth after Death and the final and universal Doom seems to be here intended when both Soul and Body the whole man and all men that dye shall be judged This is the proposition § 26. The Reddition followeth in these words Ver. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation THis Text informs us of the appearance of Christ for that 's the subject of it This appearance is two-fold the first and the second and both these differ much not only for the manner but the end The first was in Humility and the end was to suffer and by suffering to expiate Sin The second shall be in Glory and the end of it to give eternal Salvation to such as look for him The first was to suffer and save the second to judge and reward his faithful and obedient Servants The propositions therefore are two 1. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many 2. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation The first is the same with that in ver 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself The words differ the matter is the same For as there so here two things are observable 1. The Sacrifice the single Sacrifice of Christ. 2. The end of it The single Sacrifice for Christ was once offered the end for he was once offered to bear the Sins of many First he offered himself this was an act of him as a Priest and as he was the best Priest that ever lived so he himself was the best Sacrifice that ever was offered The end was also excellent for he bare the sins of many that is the punishment due for the sins of many and he bare this punishment to satisfy divine Justice and procure God's favour to sinful man We deserved the punishment and he suffers it he is punished that we may be spared It was tender compassion in him to offer himself for us and it was exceeding love in God to send and give him for to suffer and so be the propitiation for our Sins He bare the sins of all to make them pardonable and the sins of many even of all sincere Believers that they may be actually pardoned for ever possibility of pardon is the benefit of all actual pardon of many yet not of all For Christ had no absolute intention to procure the Salvation of all but of such as believe in him yet the reason why all are not pardoned is not from Christ's Death which made the Sins of all pardonable but from some other cause And this is the condemnation of all those to whom the Gospel is preached That Light comes unto them and they love Darkness rather then Light God hath given his only begotten Son and his Son hath offered himself and made the way to Heaven passible and remission of Sins and eternal Life are offered unto u upon fair and reasonable terms and conditions and though to corrupt Flesh and Blood they be difficult yet they are made easy by the power of the Spirit yet we love our Sins more then our Saviour and continue in them to our eternal condemnation § 27. The second Proposition is concerning his second appearance For he shall appear the second time where as before we have the manner and the end The manner is Glorious for he shall appear without Sin yet he never had any Sin and in his first appearance he was without Sin For Sin of his own he had not yet he bare Sins the Sins of others the Sins of many Yet these Sins were not his by Commission but by Imputation so far as to be liable to Death For God laid on him the Iniquities of us all So that without Sin is without suffering for the Sins of others He shall not come the second time to dye for our Sins as he did the first this is the genuine sense When he came to Sacrifice for Sin he came in great Humility and took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross this low condition was suitable to the work he then undertook But now he comes as King and Lord to judge the World and therefore he comes in Glory The end of his coming is to reward and the reward is Salvation and the parties to be rewarded are such as look for him By Salvation is meant eternal Life and full Happiness which he purchased by his precious Blood and it 's so called because man in danger of eternal Death shall then be fully saved and delivered from all Sin and all the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and that for ever for then Death man's last Enemy shall be destroyed Yet this immunity from all evil cannot consist without the enjoyment of those glorious and eternal Blessings which God hath promised this is the great reward which Believers do expect and because they know they shall not
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
power cannot be destroyed except Christ dy Christ cannot dy except he be lower then the Angels and made mortal Man This connexion and subordination of these things did become God and was agreeable to his heavenly wisdom whereas the Socinian saith That for Christ to take part with Men and be Flesh and Blood as they are doth not prove that the Incarnation is true if we consider it barely in it self as a participation of humane nature and mortality Yet if we consider the subject of this participation and the person taking part with man to be the Son of God by whom he made the Worlds the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the expresse Image of his Person and look upon him as that word which was in the beginning and was with God and was God then if this Son this Word be made Flesh as here the Apostle doth affirm and else-where then the Incarnation is plain and clear enough it cannot be denyed § 17. This farther end is expressed in these words Ver. 15. And deliver them who through the fear of Death were all their life-time subject to bondage This Text represents unto us two things 1. The sad condition of such as are under the power of Satan 2. A deliverance or freedom from it The sad condition is an estate of perpetual slavery and fear of Death For to be subject to bondage is to be a slave and to be thus subject all the time of his Life is to be a perpetual slave for time of Life And this is a grievous slavery and bondage not only because it 's perpetual but because of the great danger For by fear of Death may by a Metonymy be meant the danger of Death For the proper cause of fear is danger once apprehended for it 's true that men may be in danger and yet without fear because the danger is not seen apprehended known And the bondage of perpetual fear is woful if not intolerable This Death which is so dangerous and ever threatens to terrify and torment us is not only bodily but spiritual not only temporal but eternal and the greatest Evil of all others and if we be Satan's slaves and in his power he is a most cruel Tyrant and Enemy and seeks our extream and everlasting misery and we can expect nothing better from him who delights in our destruction Oh that man did but see his condition and were sensible of it For then he could take no rest Day or Night and he would seek and cast about for deliverance We see how sad it is by the terrours and torments of Judas and Cain and by the fears griefs troubles wounds sigh◠groans of such as were once sensible of their sins and apprehensive of the wrath of God Though this be a sad condition yet there is deliverance from this continual danger this perpetual fear which is the greatest slavery of all other The beginning of comfort is to know that there is a possibility of Freedom and that the Danger is avoidable or removable The first degree of this deliverance is in Christ's Death whereby divine justice was satisfied and freedome merited 2. That the power of the Devil was destroyed for whilst it continued this fear could not be removed 3. This freedome and liberty is more compleat when upon Faith in Christ's Death Sin is pardoned and the cause of this fear is taken away For the justified have peace with God are freed from condemnation and the Law of Sin and Death and they who feared eternal Punishments rejoyce in the hope of Glory Then this slavery is changed into a blessed liberty fear into hope and the sorrow of Death into the joy of Life § 18. It follows Ver. 16. For verily he took not upon him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham In these words it 's conceived a reason is given why Man and not Angels are delivered from the slavery of death and danger of eternal punishments and the reason is this because the Word was made Flesh and Man not a Spirit or an Angel And they more clearly explain these words Seeing the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he took part with them By Death to deliver them For if he 1. Took part with them 2. To deliver them 3. Deliver them by Death then he took not part with Angels but with the seed of Abraham as a fit means which it became God to use The Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not always causal to inferr a reason of some thing from the cause or some other argument For it is sometimes expletive sometimes hath another signification and so it may be here But to let that pass let 's consider the Text in it self which logically considered is a discretive axiom denying the same thing of one subject and affirming it of a another Christ took upon him something But 1. That was not the Angels or nature of Angels 2. He took upon him or to him the seed of Abraham So that in the words we have two simple axiomes or propositions The first is negative For verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels The second is affirmative He took on him the seed of Abraham The negation in the former proposition is strong for it 's not barely said He took not but he no where or not at all For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify nusquam aut nequaquam no where or in no wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies verily To understand the whole Text is difficult because of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some turn apprehend it he took hold on and think the expression is taken from such as pursue and follow hard after one that flyes from them to take hold on him and bring him back So Man runs from God and God became Man to follow after Man and take hold on him to save him Thus Chrysostome and from him Bishop Andrews Heinsius à Lapide with others Crellius and the Socinians turn the word another way and understand the place thus Christ succoured not the Angels but succoured the seed of Abraham This and also the former may be true but not pettinent The reason why Crellius likes the latter sense is because he likes not the Doctrine of the Incarnation he cannot digest it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated and that rightly by Vatablus Beza the Turgurines and Tremelius out of the Syriack assumpsit he assumed and by our English took on him doth answer to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned by the Septuagint several times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used And not to take the Angels that is nature of Angels is not to be made an Angel or Officer the individual substance of an Angel to redeem the Angels that sinned To assume or take the Seed of Abraham is 1. To be a man as Abraham and his Seed were men and partakers of Flesh and Blood
believs and this High-Priest makes intercession effectually for his People who come to God by him and then it 's consummate when all the sins of his People are for ever pardoned and they finally justified This is a Work of great Mercy and if God commit it to him he undertake it and Man rely upon him if it be not done how can he be said to be faithful To reconcile and propitiate is a Work of greatest fidelity because of greatest Consequence Ver. 18. For in that he hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted § 21. In this Text and by these words we are informed of the Reason why Christ is so merciful and faithful an High-Priest and how he became such and that was by suffering and temptation whereof he had experience in himself In the words we have his Suffering and Temptation Power to help the tempted 1. His Sufferings were many and cruel and such as never any did endure yet his greatest Sufferings were reserved to the last And though he never sinned yet he knew and felt the woful Consequences of Sin and the Punishments it deservs 2. He was tempted for no sooner was he baptized and publickly initiated and declared in the sight of Heaven and Earth to be the Son of God but Satan the great Enemy set upon him and attempted his ruine yea all his Sufferings as from Satan were temptations and it 's very likely he did assault him most violently in the end By both these he knew what a sad and woful thing Suffering for Sin is and how hard a thing it is to be tempted and not to sin and how much such as being violently tempted do sin are to be pitied For if he who had the greatest power that ever was to resist and overcome temptations was hardly put to it he must needs know and could not be ignorant how dangerous Man's condition is and how easily a frail Sinner may be foiled 2. This Suffering and Temptation made him more merciful and faithful and able to succour To succour is to do all things for the procuring the Reconciliation of his People and his ability to succour is his mercifulness and fidelity whereby he is every way fitted powerfully inclined and effectually moved to succour them To be able sometimes is to be sit as Varinus observeth and so it may be here taken And the more fit the more able The saying is None so merciful as those who have been miserable and they who have not onely known misery but felt it are most powerfully inclined not onely to inward compassion but to the real relieving of others miserable And this was a contrivance of the profound Wisdom of that God who is infinitely knowing and merciful to find a way how to feel misery and be merciful another way This was by his Word assuming Flesh that in that Flesh he might be tempted violently and suffer most grievously and all this that he might be more merciful and effectually succour sinful Man This is the most powerful Remedy against despaire and the firmest ground of hope and comfort that ever sinful miserable Man sensible of his Sin could have And that was the great reason why Christ must suffer being tempted that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest and that he might be such was the end why it behoved him to be like his Brethren not onely in being Man and assuming flesh but in Suffering and Temptation too And thus the Son of God for a little time was made lower than the Angels This the Apostle insists upon so largely to let the Hebrews know that there was little reason why they should be offended with his Humiliation either because he was a mortal Man or that he suffered death For 1. It was fore-told that he must be lower than the Angels 2. That he should be lower for a little time 3. That this his Humiliation for a time was a way to Glory he was lower than those heavenly Spirits for a little time that he might be above them for ever 4. That thus to be humbled became God and it seemed in his Wisdom to be the most excellent way of consecrating the great Captain of our Salvation 5. It was most fitting that he that was sent to redeem and sanctify Man should be Man and not an Angel 6. It was infinitely beneficial unto us for by this means 1. He tasted death for us 2. By his death destroyed the Power of Satan 3. By destroying his Power delivered us from the slavish fear and danger of death 4. By his Humiliation in Suffering and Temptation he became a most merciful and faithful High-Priest and most able effectually to procure their Reconciliation And why should this voluntary Humiliation be either any the least derogation from the Excellency of Christ or stumbling-block unto the Jew or seem foolishness to the Gentiles There is no reason at all but it argues the Ignorance if not the wilful blindness of both Jew and Gentile The Errours of Crellâ—us we shall meet with hereafter For 1. He denieth Christ's Sufferings to be Punishments 2. He affirmeth that to succour is to expiate Sin 3. He saith that the principal Function of Christ's Priest-hood is performed now in Heaven and was not performed by his death on Earth which he denyes to be an Expiation by suffering Punishment for our sins CHAP. III. Ver. 1. § 1. THE Sum and Substance of this Chapter is an Exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Faith yet upon new grounds and reasons distinct from those in the two former Chapters For they shew that Christ was more excellent than the Prophets and the Angels and that the World to come was not subject to Angels but to Christ who though by his Sufferings he was for a little time lower than the Angels yet upon his Resurrection and Ascension was far above them This Chapter manifesteth his Excellency far above Mofes and argues that if Moses was to be heard then Christ much more and if they which disobeyed Moses were punished much more they which disobey Christ. In the Exhoâ—tation we must observe 1. The parties to whom the Exhortation is directed 2. The Duty exhorted unto 3. The reasons whereby the performance of the Duty is urged And these Reasons are taken from the Excellency of Christ. Benefit of Perseverance Punishment of Apostacy The Punishment is set forth by an Example of their Fathers Proposed Applied Ver. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling c. § 2. This is the Description of the parties exhorted They were Hebrews yet Christians and described as Brethren Holy Partakers of the heavenly Call They were Brethren and as such related to Paul an Hebrew and one unto another And the ground of this Relation and Fraternity was not onely Generation but chiefly Regeneration not so much natural as supernatural For though they were Brethren by natural Generation as descended from Abraham the same Father as the unbelieving Jews
begotten thee This day as you heard before in the first Chapter is the day of Resurrection and for God to say that day Thou art my Son this Day have I begotten thee is to make him both a Priest and a King For to have the Birth-right and be the first begotten was to be King and Priest And if God who had all Power in his hands declare him to be his Son and first begotten this is to invest him with the Regal and Sacerdotal Power And though he was designed for this place long before yet till here he was consecrated by his own Blood he did not receive this Honour and it was a reward of Humiliation For you must know that God his Father by the Resurrection did not only restore his life which he had laid down upon the Cross and made him immortal but invested him with his Glory and Power And whereas this Psalm was composed long before the Resurrection and Incarnation of the Son of God yet the thing was not done nor the words spoken to Christ till his Resurrection for the meaning is not that then God did speak these words but after the Incarnation and Resurrection he would by them declare him Priest and King But he finds not only his Patent and Commission for his Priestood but the confirmation of it to him for ever in another place For thus he writes Ver. 6. As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec THe words here cited we find Psal. 110. 4. Where we may observe 1. That David was the Authour of that Psalm as appears Matth. 22. 43. 2. That the subject of the Psalm is Christ or the Messias and it 's to be understood of speaking of him 3. That it is prophetical and a prediction of things which were then to come and a long time after 4. These things are spoken of the Messias by the Prophet as moved inspired enlightned to see speak write such things as should come to passe and be accomplished in their time 5. The Apostle in this Discourse takes it for granted and as confessed by these Hebrews that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah in whom all these things were fulfilled 6. The things affirmed or predicated of the Messias were spoken done sworn not only after the Resurrection but the Ascension of our Saviour and upon his coming before the Antient of Days For when God set him at his right hand he established his glorious Kingdom and he began instantly to Reign and then it was that he confirmed his everlasting Priest-hood upon him by Oath and that he began to officiate and minister in the heavenly Temple And those words spoken by God were sufficient not only to make him a compleat Priest but to confirm him 7. Both these places prove not only that Christ was a Priest but that he was made an eternal Priest of a far higher Order than that of Aaron and all this by God himself immediately And as he was made a Priest by God so his Priest-hood was the most excellent Priest-hood and most beneficial to sinful Man that ever was or shall be § 7. These two places prove Christ 1. To be a Priest and therefore all things essential to that Office must agree to him according to the Description of a Priest in the beginning of the Chapter 2. They manifest he was a Priest not by Usurpation but by Commission from Heaven 3. The former Scripture informs us that he was constituted a compleat Priest upon his Resurrection the latter that he was confirmed in his unchangeable and everlasting Priest-hood upon his Ascension into Heaven and Session at the right hand of God The words following presuppose his designation and signify the manner of his Consecration which was such as that it did fitly qualify him to be a merciful and eternally-saving High-Priest who offered for himself not as sinful but bearing the punishment of man's Sin and for others too Therefore it follows Ver. 7. Who in the dayes of his Flesh when he offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared IN which words with those that follow ver 8 9. we may observe 1. The Consecration of the Son of God 2. The acquisition of a mighty saving Power upon the Consecration once ended In the Consecration by his deep Humiliation we have 1. His effectual Prayers 2. His learning Obedience Concerning his Prayers we are informed of 1. The time when they were offered 2. The manner how they were made 3. The party to whom they were presented 4. The efficacy and success of them He offered up Prayers and Supplications that is he prayed in humble and suppliant manner with bended knees and a bowed and deeply humbled Soul Both the words signify one and the same thing though expressed by two words the one whereof is often the other seldom or rather but once used in Scripture Both are Petitions and especially such as we call Deprecations which are used for the averting of some evil These Petitions were presented unto God for Prayer in strict sense is a representation of our Petitions unto God to move him for to grant our desires It 's a kind of Service or Sacrifice and therefore said to be offered unto God and doth imply an acknowledgment of his supream Dominion Though the word used in the Original sometimes signify a branch of Olive which Suppliants used to carry in their hands yet both the Verb from whence it comes doth signify humbly to request and it doth expresse a Supplication or humble Petition The Prayers here mentioned were the Prayers of Christ the Son of God And 1. They were made for the time in the days of his Flesh The days of his Flesh are the time of his humiliation frailty and mortality before his Death and Resurrection especially the time of his Agony and Suffering upon the Crosse. For in the one he vehemently prayed and deprecated the Cup of his Passion in the other he makes a most sad Complaint of his Desertion and many cruel Sufferings and petitions for help and deliverance and binds himself upon the same by solemn Vows unto his heavenly Father as we may read Psal. 22. And though he made use of the whole Psalm which exactly agrees to him and none else yet the Evangelists relate only the first words My God my God why hast thou for saken me The prayers made at these two times in his deepest and last humiliation are here principally intended by the Apostle 2. The manner how these Prayers were made is expressed in these words with strong cryes and tears which imply 1. His sad and woful condition the anguish sorrow and horrour of his mind and the bitternesse of his Passion 2. Signify the fervency and importunity of his prayers And if Man were once sensible of his sins for which his Saviour Suffered he would be fervent
or rather no hope of recovery 2. That he was perswaded better things of them though the negligence of many had been great In his Exhortation ver the 11. two things are chiefly to be taken notice of 1. The duty exhorted unto which was perseverance 2. The reasons whereupon he urgeth the performance § 2. To begin with the Resolution the thing resolved upon is expressed in the first words 1. Briefly Leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go â—â— to perfection 2. More largely Not laying again the Foundation c. This Resolution doth imply that in Christianity there is a Doctrine 1. Of Principles 1. Of perfection The first is for Babes and Children the second is for persons of full age The Principles are like Premises and the more perfect Doctrines like unto Conclusions and as some premises contain many excellent and precious Truths deducible from them and have affinity with many others reducible to them so these principles Both Principles and higher Doctrines must be taught in their time according to the capacity of the persons to be taught And the best must begin with the principles and after they are once well grounded in them they must proceed to higher points The Apostle here presupposeth the principles taught and once learned by these Hebrews therefore he resolves now to lay them aside and omit the Doctrine of them and to ascend to higher matters What he meant by leaving the principles he explains more at large and in particular It was Not to lay again the foundation of Repentance from dead works c. Where 1. He compares the work of man's Salvation to a Building And 2. The teaching of principles to the laying of the foundation which is the first and principal part of the Building supporting all the rest of the Superstructure and the teaching of these prime Truths is the laying of the foundation upon which the rest of Christianity depends 3. To lay this Foundation again presupposeth that he had formerly done this work and initiated them and to do this again implies they had lost their Christianity and were relasped into that Condition wherein they were before they did believe and were baptized and there was need of re-baptizing them 4. Yet this he would not do and to leave the Doctrine of the beginning or principles of Christ and not to lay the foundation of Christianity are the same And lest they or any other should be ignorant what these principles of Christianity and fundamental Doctrines were he informs us That they were the Doctrines Of Repentance Faith Baptism c. To understand these words the better we must consider 1. What was the way and order of initiating Christians 2. What Doctrine is contained in these particular Fundamentals 1. The way and order was this That 1. When they had taught them Repentance and Faith and they had willingly received this Doctrine and signified their acceptation then they most solemnly promised to repent and believe that Doctrine they did professe 2. Upon their promise and profession they were baptized 3. Being baptized they were confirmed by imposition of hands and receiving the Holy Ghost 4. Being confirmed they were exhorted to persevere to the end in hope of Resurrection to eternal life and fear of Condemnation to eternal punishment To lay the foundation in this manner was to admit them Christians again after they had lost their former Christianity 2. The Doctrine contained in these Particulars may easily be understood by the words themselves The first Head or Topick is that of Repentance from dead Works where by dead Works are meant Sins which pollute us spiritually and morally and also render us liable to Death of which hereafter Chap. 9. 14. Repentance from these is an acknowledgment of them with grief of heart and a resolution to forsake them and reform This Doctrine presupposeth the Creation especially of Man in the Image of God and contains those Truths we read in Scripture concerning Satan's Temptation man's Fall and Sin what Sin is and what the Consequents thereof be one whereof is Punishment and Death Knowledge Confession godly sorrow hatred of Sin returning to God this is the first part of the Creed The second Head is Faith in God under which comes in the Doctrine of God who so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to redeem us from our Sins by dying for us and rising again to apply and communicate the benefits of his Redemption The particulars of these parts are the Incarnation the Offices of Christ his Humiliation In taking upon him the form of a Servant and being obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross The immediate effects thereof which are satisfaction merit and putting man into a capacity of Salvation his Resurrection upon which he was made King and Priest his Ascension into Heaven his sitting at the right right hand of God to reign as King and make Intercession as a Priest and so make his satisfaction and merit effectual 3. The third Head is the Doctrine of Baptisms wherein Repentance and Faith are professed new obedience promised and both sealed and confirmed by Baptism To this Head may be referred the Covenant and the confirmation of it This Covenant presupposeth the Gospel with the Precepts and Promises thereof This was revealed by Christ as a Prophet sending the Holy Ghost to reveal it therein commanding promising and performing as a King As it presupposeth the Covenant in general so it doth the making thereof in applying the Precepts and Promises unto the particular persons to be baptized who on their part must professe and promise upon which done the confirmation on Gods part and Man's doth follow in Baptism We need not trouble our selves with the word Baptisms which is plural nor debate the reason why he used that number whether it was because the Baptisms of John and Christ both instituted from Heaven did differ in several particulars and so were Baptisms or because the Baptism of Christ was two-fold of Water and the Spirit which both must joyntly concurr to Regeneration or because that though Baptism in general in respect of the Institution be one yet in respect of several individual persons baptized it 's multiplyed For the Baptism of Peter is one the Baptism of Paul another and so many Baptisms there may be said to be as there are persons Baptized It 's certain he meant but one Baptism Rite and Ceremony instituted by Christ applyed to many several persons and so the Syriack Translatour using a Nown singular understood it 3. The fourth Head is that of Imposition of hands and by this may be meant either the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost proper to the Apostolical Times given upon imposition of the hands of the Apostles and Prayer or the sanctifying Power of the Spirit to confirm them in the Truth and enable them to keep the Covenant of God Under this Head come all the Gifts Virtues and saving-Graces of the Spirit without
and seeing the punishment was Death Death must first be suffered This was thus appointed and done to signify his purest holiness his hatred and detestation of sin his love of Justice and his respect unto the Law which bound to obedience or upon disobedience to punishment By this he signified and all men must know it that it 's a dangerous thing to transgress his Laws and this must hear and fear But then 2. Why by his own blood The reason in general is the will of God which did determine upon this blood and the wisdom of God which knew that it was the fittest of all other But more particularly the blood of Goats and Calves was no wayes convenient For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins Hebr. 10. 4. Nor the blood of man of the best man though far above the blood of Bullocks and Goates was fit for all men are guilty and their blood is stained Neither was the life of Angels fit for though it might be precious yet God did not think it sufficiently satisfactory and meritorious for sinful man And suppose an High-Priest should offer his own blood yet that would not serve Therefore it must be Christ's blood his own blood which was pure and without spot and most precious not only because it was the blood of God that eternal Word made Flesh which was God but because it was shed with greatest pain and most willingly out of love to sinful man whose Flesh and Blood he had assumed and in obedience to his heavenly Father who had made him the great High-Priest appointed him to be the Head Surety and Hostage of sinful man and commanded him to lay down his life and do this great Service And without the blood of this Sacrifice he could not have entred into the holy place and obtained eternal Redemption This is the fourth thing observed in the Text and the Subject of the fourth Proposition concerning one immediate effect of his blood For he entring by his own blood once obtained eternal Redemption Where we must enquire 1. What Redemption is 2. Why this Redemption is said to be eternal 3. How it was obtained by the blood of Christ entring into Heaven or by Christ entring Heaven once with his own blood 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Copher in Hebrew which signifies a price or gift offered to a Judge or an Enemy to deliver one from Death or some other evil or punishment and it 's called a Ransome in this respect Christ is said to give himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lytron a Ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. and Matth. 20. 28. In that place it 's such a price as is given to a Judge who hath power of Life and Death for to save the life of one capitally guilty and by Law bound to suffer Death The effect of this price is 1. To propitiate the Judge 2. Upon this propitiation made to save the lise of the party guilty In this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the effect of this price and is turned Redemption Expiation Remission Propitiation It 's true that the word may signify many other things and any kind of deliverance from evil But in this place it 's evident that it signifies the deliverance of guilty persons from Death upon a price given and accepted The party to whom this price was given is God as Supream Judge before whose Tribunal man stands guilty and liable to Death The effect of it is propitiation which includes satisfaction of divine Justice and merit of his favour and love Upon this propitiation sin becomes remissible and pardonable therefore Redemption and Propitiation are sometimes by a Metonymy taken for Remission according to that of the Apostle In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. In both which places the latter word seems to explain the former Yet Redemption is not Remission properly and actually but efficienter as the effect is said to be in the cause before it exist because of the virtue and power which abiding in the cause is sufficient to produce the effect and Christ must make sin by this Redemption remissible before it can be actually remitted 2. This Redemption and Propitiation is said to be eternal not because Christ is always redeeming and propitiating for that work was performed speedily and in a short time But it 's such because the virtue of it is of perpetual continuance in respect of all Sinners capable of all sins according to the Laws of God-Redeemer remissible and of the remission it self which frees the Sinner from all his sins from the eternal guilt and all penalties for ever Upon this Redemption is grounded that comfortable promise of the New Covenant formerly mentioned Chap. 8. 12. where God binds himself to remember our iniquities no more that is to give eternal pardon This adjunct of perpetuity is added to difference this Redemption and Expiation from that of the Law which must be made atleast every year It did but extend backward to sins of one year and the force of it presently expires 3. This was found and obtained by Christ as by his own blood entring once into the holy place None could make this propitiation but Christ neither could he do it except he enter the holy place Neither by that except he enter with blood his own blood But if he enter with that blood but once then the work is done for ever Why this Expiation and Propitiation should be made by blood and Christ's blood you have heard already But why with his blood must he enter the holy place and how being entered by and with this blood propitiation should be made for us as Translators by adding these words understand and supply the place though more difficult yet is to be cleared 1. Some tell us that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Aorist tense consignifying time past eternal Redemption and Propitiation was found and obtained first and then afterward he entred the holy place And it 's true that when Christ had suffered Death the principal work was done and the foundation of eternal Remission was laid Yet if Death and shedding of his blood obtained eternal Redemption before he entred Heaven at lest in his Soul separated from his Body then the Type and Anti-type did not agree For the legal Redemption and Expiation was not made instantly upon the slaying of the Coates and Bullocks but before the work could be finished and sin expiated the High-Priest must take the Blood and Incense and enter the Holy of Holies and first burn the Incense and then sprinkle the blood upon and before the Mercy-seat without both which done neither his own sins nor the sins of the People could be expiated In all bloody and propitiatory Sacrifices were required Mactatio
People as a third part 1. In making the Covenant in signifying God's Will unto the People and returning the People's Answer unto God Exod. 19. 2. 2. In confirming it by Blood as an indifferent distinct person Exod. 24. To which place the Apostle doth allude as we shall understand hereafter in the illustration This is the meaning of the first Proposition The second may be divided for explication and made two 1. Christ by means of Death expiated Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. By means of this Death the Called receive the promise of eternal Inheritance The first implies 1. That there were Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. That there was a Redemption of these Transgressions 3. This Redemption was by the Death of Christ. The first is clear enough for Moses Aaron David and the Saints of God from the times of Moses till the exhibition of Christ had their sins much more others not sanctified The second cannot be doubted of for if there was no Redemption of those Sins and Transgressions then they could not be saved they must suffer eternal punishments as they did temporal By Redemption here is meant Expiation and Propitiation whereby their sins were made remissible and upon certain terms and conditions performed actually to be remitted The third will be granted in general that the Expiation was by Death and Blood but that they were expiated by the Blood of Christ many of the Jews denied Yet if they had understood the Books of Moses they might have known that the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not expiate the Sin of Man a rational and immortal Creature not free from the eternal Punishment Some Legal frailties and infirmities they might expiate and avert some temporal penalties Therefore there must of necessity be some other Death and Blood that must do it And this was the Blood of Christ which all their Ilastical Sacrifices and Lustrations did typify Yet this is not so to be understood as though their Sins were not remissible and remitted till Christ dyed and offered his Sacrifice for by vertue of this Death fore-seen and fore-accepted they were in their Life-time upon their Repentance Faith in Christ to come and their fervent Prayers pardoned They did not rely upon their Legal Sacrifices nor expected Remission from them but relyed upon this Death of Christ to come according to the Promise That in him all Nations should be blessed This Proposition is not to be understood exclusively as though Christ's Death did expiate no Sin but that which was committed under the first Covenant but emphatically to singnify 1. That there was no Expiation for Transgressions under the Law 2. That if Christ's Death expiate former Transgressions under the Law much more will it expiate such as are committed under the Gospel 3. That there was no reason as some observe why they should be offended with the Death of Christ seeing without his Death and Blood neither they nor their Fathers could be saved but must suffer eternal penalties The second part of this second Proposition informs us that 1. There is an eternal Inheritance 2. There is a Promise of it 3. The called receive this Promise 4. By means of Christ's Death they receive this Promise For in the words we have an Inheritance the Heirs the Conveyance the Purchase or rather the price whereby it 's purchased The Inheritance is eternal Happiness the Heirs are the called the Conveyance is by Promise and Covenant the price of the purchase is Christ's Death and Blood 1. The Inheritance is that blessed and glorious Estate which is to be enjoyed upon the Resurrection for the full possession and enjoyment is reserved for Heaven where it 's said to be laid up and reserved It 's said to be eternal in opposition to the Land of Canaan which was the temporal Inheritance of them and their Fathers and to be enjoyed with the Blessings thereof so long as they kept the Covenant of their God and this was the Inheritance promised in the former Covenant and to this which formerly was called God's Rest the Apostle seems to allude as a Type of this which was far more excellent and glorious of eternal continuance in respect of the Inheritance it self the parties enjoying it and the enjoyment thereof 2. This eternal Inheritance was promised there was a Promise of it It was God's and the disposal of it was at his Will Man for his sin was cast out of Paradise and forfeited Heaven with the eternal Bliss thereof yet it was in his mind to give it sinful Man who deserved it not so great was his mercy and bounty and Man must know this For this end he promised it and by his Promise bound himself to give it and in it did signify his Will The Effect of this Promise was Obligation on God's part and a Right unto it on Man's part an Hope to obtain it and a Comfort upon this Hope And here it 's to be observed that our Title to eternal life depends immediately upon the Promise and is derived from it for as the Israelites had the Land of Canaan and held it by Covenant and Promise so do all the Children of God expect the heavenly Canaan and hope to have it by Promise of the new Covenant Some do ' understand by the Promise of eternal Inheritance this Inheritance promised yet there must be a Promise received before we receive the thing promised 3. After the Inheritance and the Promise and Conveyance follows the Heirs which are here said to be the called Some are not called at all these have no Promise of the Inheritance Such were the Gentiles before the Gospel was preached unto them they were Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Ephes. 2. 12. Some are called and have the means of Conversion but reject the terms of the Covenant and refuse to enter into it and engage themselvs such were the unbelieving Jews and many others Some are called enter the Covenant and solemnly bind themselvs to the observation of it yet do not observe it In respect of these two last it is that Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22. 14. None of these are Heirs Some are called and are obedient to the heavenly Call and keep the Covenant these receive the eternal Inheritance promised and first acquire the Title and after that the Possession Some were called before the Exhibition of Christ some after the former are here principally meant though the latter with them receive the Inheritance 4. These called Ones of former times with us receive this Promise by vertue of Christ's Death expiating their sins and of his Blood purging their Conscience To understand this you must consider that none but such whose Sins are expiated and their Consciences purged can be Heirs for they must be regenerated and acted by the Spirit and adopted Sons before they can be Heirs For as the Apostle argues If Sons then Heirs
respect of the prohibition and commination of the Law is guilt and rendring of the Sinner obnoxiâ—us unto vindicative Justice of the Law-giver and Judge This guilt can no waye he taken away but either by suffering or pardon or both as here it 's put away by Christ's suffering and God's pardon for Christ suffers for Sin God pardons it so Christ's sake and in consideration of his suffering and offering The effect of Sin is to render the party sinning obnoxious and liable to punishment and God's vindicative Justice and by this virtue of the commination of the Law God to make way for pardon by a transâ—endent extraordinary power makes Christ man's Surety and Christ voluntarily submits himself out of love to his Brethren to God's will so far as to suffer Death for man's Sin and offers himself as being â—lain to the Supream Judge Upon his submission he becomes one person with sinful man as a Surety with the principal and so is liable to that punishment which sinful man should have suffered as a Surety becomes liable to pay the debt of the principal From all this it 's evident that Sin is an efficient moral cause of Christ's suffering and Christ's suffering is a punishment in proper sense though both these be denied without any reason by the Socinian By this Legal substitution of Christ and the offering of himself Sin is made remissible and the way is made open to pardon and upon the penitency and faith of the Sinner actual pardon follows That Sin is pardonable and pardoned is the end and effect of Christ's Suffering To put away Sin is first to make Sin pardonable and the consequents of Sin removable For this is the work and immediate effect of Christ's Sacrifice of himself and the same not often but once offered in the end of the World In all this we may observe the difference between Christ and the Levitical High-Priest Christ suffers and offers himself and enters Heaven with his own Blood but the Levitical High-Priest offers often and enters with the blood of Bulls and Goats The virtue of the High-Priest's offering was but for a little time but the virtue of Christ's extends to all time In these respects Christ's Sacrifice is far more excellent and more purifying § 25. This discourse of Christ's once offering and once suffering is continued and enlarged for the Apostle informs us that the reason why Christ suffered but once in the end of the World was the Decree of God which had determined of Christ as he had done of other men and this decree was regulated by Divine Wisdom which alwayes dictates that which shall be best and fittest This Decree is two-fold 1. Concerning other men 2. Concerning Christ. And because there is some agreement between the lot of Christ and other Men in respect of Death and that which followeth Death therefore the singularity of Christ's Death is set forth comparatively And of the comparison we have 1. The Proposition Verse 27. And as it was appointed unto Men once to dye but after that the Judgment IN which words we have 1. Something 's ordained 2. The ordination The things ordained are two 1. That men once dy 2. Come to Judgment The words absolutely considered may be reduced to two Propositions 1. That it 's appointed unto men once to dye 2. But after Death follows Judgment The first tells us 1. That men dye and this we certainly know 2. That they dye but once 3. That this is appointed yet though men must dye and it 's so certain and so evident and easily known yet men little consider it but their hearts are strangely taken up with the things of this life and they admire the vanities of this World and promise unto themselves long life and certain enjoyment of these earthly things They do not remember that they are mortal and that there is no assurance that they shall live one hour before Death arrest them and seise upon their estates and all earthly comforts in that day their thoughts perish and their pride and glory are laid in the dust Oh inconsiderate Wretches are ye able to conquer Death turn Mortality into Eternity and Earth into Heaven Be wise and never forget that you must dye 2. Men dye but once there is no return into this World again neither any recovery of what man once dead hath lost As no man can keep alive his Soul so no man can raise his Body and re-unite the Soul unto it This is a work proper to God who made us and far above the power of any Creature When it 's said That men must dye it 's to be understood of the generality of mankind that all must dye because all are obnoxious to Death and Mortal even Enoch and Elias and all those who shall be found alive when Christ shall come to Judge the World And though the two Prophets did not and they who remain till Christ's coming shall not dye as others do yet the former suffered and the latter shall suffer a change equivalent to Death though in both there seems to be some exception from the general rule So to dye but once is the general rule and the ordinary fate yet Lazarus and others may dye twice because God reserved an arbitrary power to himself to raise some unto a mortal life so that they became obnoxious to a double Death and he did exercise this power to manifest his Glory in some particular persons Yet this was an extraordinary case and this reservation did not take away the general and ordinary rule according to which the Apostle is to be understood 3. This is appointed for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood and translated and it 's capable of that signification by a Trope The party who appointed decreed and ordained both that all men shall dye and dye once and but once is not expressed but it 's easily understood For the Supream Lord of Life and Death who hath an Universal Power over all Men is God and none else and therefore this must be a Decree of God as Supream Lord and a Sentence of him as Judge and the same irrevocable yet dispensable in some particular and extraordinary Cases as should seem good unto him Death is a punishment and therefore men being obnoxious unto it must be guilty of some Crime and condemned thereunto for some Offence against some Law threatening Death And that was the positive Law which God gave to Adam saying But of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Gen. 2. 17. This Law was transgressed and the Sentence followed in these words Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 19. Whereas the Socinian saith That Death is natural and not from any Decree of God his Opinion is not reconcileable with that of the Apostle As by one man Sin entred into the World and by Sin Death
he received Christianity and had felt the sanctifying and comforting power and divine effects of this Spirit in his own soul. For God by his Spirit had entred into him and done much towards his Salvation This is therefore a Sin against God the Father who loved us and sent Christ to redeem us against God the Son who had shed his precious Blood for the Expiation of our sins against God the Holy Ghost who had begun the Work of Sanctification and Consolation in us The penalty of this Sin is signified absolutely to be this that he is counted worthy of sore Punishment Sore Punishment is grievous heavy bitter Punishment To be worthy of it is to deserve it by some hainous Sin and not only so but to be liable to it for one may be worthy of Punishment yet not liable to it when he is under no Law yet whosoever is under the Obligation of a Law and yet transgresseth it he is not only worthy to suffer and deserving of Punishment but liable and bound to suffer For the nature of Law is to bind either to Obedience or Punishment But where there is no Law there is no Wrath that is no Punishment due yet one may be liable to Punishment which he hath deserved and yet no Man takes notice to censure or judg him But the Apostate from Christianity shall be accounted worthy and that not only by Man but by God who will not only take notice of the Sin but sentence him to the Punishment the sore Punishment deserved that is he will judg him without Mercy § 29. Thus far the parts have been considered and explicated absolutely the next thing to be done is to examine the whole under the Notion of a Comparison in quantity and it 's signified by these words Of how much sorer Punishment The things principally compared are the Punishments 1. To be inflicted upon such as transgress Moses Law 2. Upon Apostates under the Gospel Both are sore and great but the latter far more grievous than the former For a just Judg will judg according to the Law and a just Law will determine and proportion the Punishment according to the Offence To transgress Moses Law was a grievous Offence to sin willfully against the Gospel after we have received the knowledg thereof is far more hainous The Punishment of the former was death without Mercy the Punishment of the latter far more grievous This presupposeth the Gospel to be far above the Law as being a Covenant of Grace and greatest Mercy for in and by it God comes far nearer unto Man The Son of God is the Mediator one far more excellent than any Levitical High-Priest The Blood of this Son of God expiating Man's Sin which is far more precious than the Blood of Buls Goats doth confirm it The Spirit of God which the Law did not minister is the Spirit of Grace enlightning inspiring sanctifying Man and enabling him to keep the Conditions and comforming him To revolt from and rebell against God loving sinful Man against the Son of God redeeming him against the Spirit-sanctifying him is like the Sin of Devils and one of the highest Man can commit and far more hainous than the Violation of the Covenant made with Israel For by this a man wilfully refuseth to be saved and puts himself in a most desperate Condition after God had brought him out of the Spiritual Aegypt and the Kingdom of Darkness and brought him to the Borders of the heavenly Canaan Now as the Sin is more hainous far more hainous so the Punishment must be grievous far more grievous God hath no Mercy for such a Wretch for the Sin agrees directly with that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven It remains we consider the whole as a Reason that so we may understand the force of it The Scope of the Apostle is to perswade and exhort to perseverance the Reason is because that if they persevere not but fall away there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment c. that is the Punishment that they must suffer is grievous and unavoidable That it is both grievous and unavoidable he proves 1. By a Comparison from the Transgressors of the Law For if Apostates under the Law were grievously and certainly punished then much more should the Apostates under the Gospel who have received the Knowledg of the Truth be so punished for as their Sin is more grievous and provoking so their Punishment must be answerable This is the force of the Reason This Argument hath some Affinity with that of Chap. 2 Ver. 1 2 3 4 c. yet that refers more to the Prophetical this more to the Sacerdotal Office of Christ. § 30. Yet though the Apostate may be worthy of Punishment yet it may be be questioned and demanded 1. Who the Judge is And 2. Whether he will proceed to Judgment and execute it But both these the Apostle puts out of doubt in the words following Ver. 30. For we know him that he hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord And again The Lord shall judg his People IN which words he doth inform us 1. Who the Judg is 2. That he will certainly punish And here he cites a place out of the Old Testament which affirmeth both that God is Judg and also will execute Judgment This is more than if he had barely affirmed these things for he produceth God as Witness and so by Scripture confirms them The place is Deut. 32. 35 36. and he seems to divide it into two for Ver. 35. he saith Vengeance and Recompence belong to me Ver. 36. For the Lord will judg his People In the Text we have these Propositions 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. 2. He will recompence 3. He will judg his People 4. The Lord himself saith so 5. They knew it was the Lord who said so 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. Where by the way observe that the Apostle doth not follow as usually he doth the Septuagint according to our Copies but the Hebrew Text which is this Vengeance is mine and Retribution The Septuagint translates thus In the day of Vengeance I will recompence They seem to follow the Samaritan Hebrew Text in the former and the Targum in the â—â—tter part of the Clause yet neither the Vulgar nor the Syriack nor the Chaldee Paraphrast nor the Arabick follow them in their Translation of the first words In this Proposition we have 1. Vengeance 2. The party to whom it belongs By Vengeance is meant vindicative Justice punishing Offenders the acts whereof are Condemnation and Execution and it 's proper to a Judg as a Judg as it is Power of punishing as here it may be taken either for the Power or the Act and Exercise of the Power The party to whom it belongs is the Lord as he is the supream and universal Judg for he that is the supream Law-giver must needs be
any Man to suffer the most cruel Punishments and the worst of Tortures Man can inflict than lye under extream and everlasting Pains and the loss of Heaven in the Life to come and this was a Principle and Ground of their Patience Constancy and Fidelity to their God Thus they became true Martyrs proved Victorious and were crowned in Heaven § 35. Besides the former there were others who suffered other kinds of Evils for it follows Ver. 36. And others had Trial of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment HEre are three different Evils suffered by the Saints 1. Mockings 2. Scourgings 3. Bonds and Imprisonments So that the parts of the Text are three 1. The Enumeration of these Evils 2. Their Suffering of them 3. Their Faith 1. The Evils were 1. Mockings The Parties mocked were God's Saints and Prophets the Parties mocking were their Enemies and Persecutors which proved to be sometimes their own Brethren of the same Nation Language Kindred Religion and amongst these sometimes the basest of the People sometimes the Priests Princes and Rulers who should have honoured and protected them These Mockings issue out of Contempt and tend unto the Disgrace and Dishonour of the Party mocked and makes it a Sport to abuse them so as to rejoyce in their misery These Mockings are sometimes in words sometimes in signs sometimes in both And because to a grave serious Person of eminent Worth some of these Mockings are very bitter cutting cruel not only in respect of the matter but also of the Circumstances this made the Sufferings more glorious But why our Translators should add the word Cruel I know not the Septuagint and other Authors do not use either the Verb or Noun in that sense Yet to proud men that stand upon their Honour Mocking is far more grievous than to the lowly humble 2. Scourgings This is a Punishment also of great disgrace somtimes of cruel pain when by Whips either of Cords or Wires not only the Skin is broken but the very Flesh torn And this was the more grievous because it was an usual Punishment of Slaves of vilest Persons and of such as were of worst behaviour and by it they were not only put to pain but to open shame 3. The third Punishment was of Bonds and Imprisonnsent Bonds were Shackles Feâ—â—ers Chains Manacles wherewith their feet or hands or some other parts were bound Prisons were usually strong places and many times nasfy and uncomfortable and the worst kind of them were deep dark and dirty Dungeons Both these were restraints of Liberty which is so precious and desirable The End of them was the Reservation of Malefactors or suspected Persons till the time of Trial and Judgment and close Imprisonment was so much the more grievous when they were deprived of all comfortable Society and no friends suffered to relieve them 2. These they suffered some endured one of them some more some all For they had Trial or Experience of these things so some understand it as though the sense were that they did not fear them threatned but feel them inflicted Others think that these were called Trials from God to manifest the sincerity of their Faith and their heavenly Vertues that they might certainly know the happiness of their Condition or from their Petsecutors to shake their Faith and cause them to renounce their Fidelity to God But the former sense is more plain and genuine as appears by the Septuagint using it so and also from the 29th Verse of this Chapter and it signifies that they were not onely in danger of but under the present pressure of these evils Though their Enemies did afflict and vex them unjustly and wickedly yet they suffered them patiently and resolved that though God should kill them yet they would trust in him 3. They thus suffered these things by Faith For they knew the way to Heaven was rough and troublesom and that these Sufferings could not separate them from the Love of God nor deprive them of the great Reward but prepare them for eternal Glory For they vetily believed that there was eternal Life that God had promised it and that Constancy in the Covenant and Perseverance in the way of Righteousness was the only means to attain Possession and they knew that though their Sufferings were grievous yet the Reward would infinitely recompence all § 36. The Catalogue of the Saints Sufferings is continued and enlarged For Ver. 37. They were stoned sawen asunder tempted slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins destitute afflicted tormented IN this Text we find several sorts of Sufferers for some were put to Death some banished or fled and wandred in great want and misery seeking to save their Lives and keep a good Conscience So that they are of two sorts 1. Such as were put to Death 2. Such as wandred and continued a miserable Life 1. Those that dyed were 1. Either stoned or 2. Sawen asunder or 3. Tempted or 4. Slain with the Sword These were the several wayes whereby they were put to Death And those capital Punishments which God and just Law-givers determined for capital Offendors were inflicted upon the most innocent and best Persons of the World The Power of punishing Offenders is good and from God but the abuse of it is most intolerable for Persecutors condemn those whom God doth justify 1. Some were stoned This was a Punishment determined by God in the Judicial Laws of Moses to be executed upon several Delinquents and Transgressors Yet no Judg had Warrant from God to condemn any innocent Person to this kind of Death yet Zacharias for charging the Jews with their Sins and denbuncing God's Judgments against them was stoned to Death 2. Some were sawen asunder Thus some say Isaiah was slain by Manasses this was a cruel kind of Execution 3. Some were tempted so many printed Books read yet few can make sense of it Others think it should be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were buâ—â—t and this is more agreeable to the Place and Scope Others omit it as the Syriack the Aethiopick the first Greek Manu-script in New-Colledge Oxford Neither do Chrysostom or Theophylact read it as Grotius informs us yet a Lapide finds it in Chrysostom which seems to imply that either one of them was mistaken or that they followed several Editions If it should be read and in this place as it 's hardly probable then it signifies that several were tempted by some cruel kind of Death to forsake their God yet they did not 4. Some were slain by the Sword which is used as well by the Magistrate against offending Subjects as by the Souldier against Enemies Martyrs might be thus slain either judicially or extrajudicially without any formal Process of Judgment for many times they laid hainous Crimes to their Charge suborned Witnesses and so sentenced them to Death Sometimes they made Justice Injustice Obedience to God Disobedience to
God to expiate Sin given unto man in the Word and Sacrament as Food to preserve both Body and Soul unto eternal Life And as the Jews only had right to eat of their Sacrifices so Christians and only Christians have right unto and by a true and lively Faith according to the Gospel may partake of the same and live for ever For this meat alone doth profit those alone whose hearts are established with or by Grace and the Doctrine of the Gospel 2. To eat of this Altar and Sacrifice they who serve the Tabernacle have no right They who served the Tabernacle were unbelieving Jews Priests and People who adhered to the Law of Moses rejected the Gospel and refused to receive Christ for their Saviour These could have no right unto the benefit of Christ's Sacrifice◠for it was ordained only for the Salvation of such as should believe on him But these Jews out of a perverse belief that they should be justified and saved by the Law would not believe the Doctrine of the Gospel and seek righteousness by Faith in Christ. So that Israel following after the Law of Righteousnes attained not to the Law of Righteousness And why they sought not Righteousness by Faith in Christ who was the end of the Law which was a School-master to Christ. They were so confident that the Law was given for Justification and Salvation that they thought Christ not only needless but an Enemy to Moses and all Christians to be Hereticks and worthy to be persecuted to Death The force of the Apostle's Argument is That if their heart was not established with Grave but carried about with divers and strange Doctrines they deprived themselves of the inestimable benefit of Christ's Sacrifice for there is no Faith without the Gospel and no benefit in the Sacrifice of Christ without Faith for all right unto and participation of this Sacrifice is by Faith grounded upon the Gospel § 11. That they that serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of this Altar he proves thus Ver. 11. For the body of those Beasts whose Blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High-Priest are burnt without the Camp Ver. 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate IN these words we have 1. An Argument to prove the unbelieving Jew to have no right to eat of the Sacrifice of Christ And this is a Doctrine 2. A practical Conclusion and Application of this Doctrine unto our selves in the two verses following In the Argument we may observe 1. The Proposition and the Type 2. The Reddition and Anti-type 1. There were several Beasts Sacrificed whose Bodies were burnt without the Camp yet their Blood was not brought into the Sanctuary therefore it can hardly be thought the Apostle intended any Sacrifice so much as that of general Expiation whereof we read Lev. 16. For though this doth agree to other Sacrifices that their Blood was brought into the Sanctuary to be sprinkled upon the horns of the Altar of Incense and before the Veil and their Bodies were burnt without the Camp as we may understand from Exod. 29. Lev. 4. Yet of this Sacrifice it 's clearly written 1. That the Blood was brought into the inward Sanctuary within the second Veil and was sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat 2. This was done by the High-Priest alone and could be done by none else 3. This Blood was brought in and sprinkled for Expiation and Reconciliation 4. The Bodies of these Sacrifices were burnt without the Camp This Sacrifice as you have heard was a more lively resemblance of Christ who is the propitiation for the Sins of the whole World The principal thing the Apostle takes notice of is the burning of their Bodies out of the Camp for the Camp was that plot of Ground which was taken up with the Tents and Habitations of the Israelites in the Wilderness All this was counted holy and all unclean persons and things were to be removed out of the same And because the sins of the People were laid upon these Beasts therefore they were unclean accursed and God to signify that all Sinners are accursed and to be cast out of his presence and to be tormented with eternal fire and also to express his detestation of Sin he caused these Bodies 1. To be removed out of the Camp 2. To be burned 2. This was the Type the Anti-type was Christ of whom it is affirmed 1. That he Suffered without the Gate 2. That he Suffered there that he might sanctify the People by his Blood To Suffer here is to be Crucified and dye upon the Cross Without the Gate signifies the place where he Suffered and was Crucified and in particular it was Golgotha which was without the Gate of Jerusalem which was called the holy City because God chose that City to put his Name there and so did consecrate it this answered to the holy Camp The reason why God thus in his wise providence did order it was because Christ had taken upon him the Sins of the World and God had laid on him the Iniquities of us all One sad consequent of Sin not pardoned is a Curse and Excommunication out of God's presence so as that the person cursed is put at a distance and deprived of all communion with Saints and God Therefore it is written That Christ was made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. The end of this Suffering and that without the Gate was that by his Blood he might sanctify the People The People are all such as believe in him To sanctify them is to free them from the guilt and punishment of Sin For he was made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the Curse due unto us for our Sins And this he doth immediately by his Blood being shed and his Death which virtually and efficiently took away Sin and procures actual Remission and Sanctification upon our Faith For his Suffering out of the Gate made Sin pardonable and the punishment endured by him and deserved by us removable But when by Faith it 's sprinkled upon our Souls we are actually pardoned and the punishment actually removed because God will not punish Sin both in him and us believing The comparison is in similitude and like quality The things wherein the Type and Anti-type agree are these In the Sacrifice of general Expiation 1. The Blood is brought into the holy Place so Christ by his own Blood entred the holy place of Heaven 2. That Blood did expiate Sin so this doth obtain eternal Expiation and the People are sanctified by it 3. The Bodies of those Sacrifices were burnt without the Camp so Christ suffered upon the Cross without the Gate of Jerusalem 4. As they who serve at the Tabernacle had no Right not Licence to eat of those Sacrifices whose Bodies were burned without the Camp so no Jews that will not leave Judaism nor any other that will not go out of the World to suffer
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
consequence Therefore though they did not absolve them yet they prayed for them and referred them to the Judgment of God § 6. The Apostle not content barely to affirm this Renovation to be impossible gives us a reason hereof and that in a third Proposition which is They Crucify the Lord Jesus a new and put him to open shame This should have been the second but I follow the order of the words For this is the genuine method 1. Christians may fall away 2. Falling away they Crucify Christ and put him to open shame 3. It 's impossible for them doing so to be renewed by Repentance This third which I handled in the second place contains the medium whereby the impossibility of Repentance is inferred But 1. I will explain the words 2. Shew how they come in upon the former 1. To Crucify the Lord Jesus the Son of God afresh and to put him to an open shame are in some respect the same For the Death of the Crosse is a shameful and ignominious Death and Punishment therefore we read of shame and the Crosse joyned together For it 's said of Christ That he endured the Cross and despised the shame Hebr. 12. 2. There be many tormenting and disgracing Punishments inflicted by higher Powers upon Malefactors Amongst these Capital penalties are the greatest Of Capital Crucifying or putting to Death upon the Crosse is most cruel and ignominious This our blessed Saviour the Son of God once Suffered For such was the malice of the Jews that nothing but his Death and no other Death but the Death of the Crosse besides many other indignities would satisfy them The end of just punishments are loss pain and shame Therefore Malefactors were executed publickly and openly that others might see hear and fear to do the like Sinnes lest they should suffer the like Punishments if they should prove guilty of the like Crimes And not onely the Punishments executed by Man but such as are inflicted by God are exemplary Therefore as the Apostle saith The punishments which the Israelites suffered in the Wildernesse are our ensamples 1 Cor. 10. 6 11. Therefore the word turned put him to open shame signifies to make an example of shame and disgrace To return unto the Text Apostates are said to Crucify Christ unto themselves afresh the meaning is not that they put Christ to Death upon the Cross in proper sense For that they cannot do he dyed upon the Crosse once and rose again is immortal in Heaven and shall never dy any more For in that he dyed he dyed unto Sin or for Sin once and but once seeing he being raised from the Dead he dyed no more Death hath no more Dominion over him Rom. 6. 9 10. Therefore the words are to be understood Tropically they are a Metaphor which is a contract Similitude and signify that they are like unto the Jews and deal with Christ in somethings as they did For as the Jews judged Christ not to be the Messias and Son of God but a Seducer an Impostor and Malefactor and desired Judgment against him as such that he might be Crucified and put to open shame so these Apostates denying Christ whom they had formerly professed must needs account of him no better then the Jews did and so justify all their Accusations against him and his Crucifying as just and justly deserved by him But these Revolters especially agree with the malicious Jews who renounce him blaspheme him and persecute him in those who profess him such Julian was This is to tread under foot the Son of God and to count the blood of the Covenant that is whereby the everlasting Covenant was confirmed and they sanctified an unholy or profane thing This is the highest contempt of Christ and his Blood that possibly can be Some observe from these words Crucify him afresh 1. That though they cannot Crucify him because he is far out of their power yet for their part they are ready and have a mind to do it and would do it if it were in their power 2. That though he was Crucified once yet if he were living and in their reach they would Crucify him again § 7. This is the meaning of the Words Now secondly Let 's consider how they come in upon the former and what connexion they have with them They presuppose that Apostates do Crucify the Son of God to themselves afresh and are guilty of this Crime For Apostacy is their Sin and this necessarily follows upon it and is inseparably joyned with it And they seem to give a reason of the impossibility of their Renovation by Repentance For there can be no Renovation or Sanctification but by the Blood of the Son of God and this they deny renounce trample under foot therefore they can neither repent nor by repentance be renewed or receive any benefit For repentance presupposeth necessarily Faith in the Blood of Christ and the force thereof dependeth upon that Blood and the belief thereof without both which no repentance can ever do any good or benefit any man and this is the immutable Will and Decree of God Neither will God give Repentance to any Apostate or accept him though he should and could repent For Christ did never merit nor God promise to any such persons either of these The reason of all this is That God decreed that Christ should dy but once and that Sinners should be initiated but once and that whosoever makes void to himself this one Death and this one Initiation shall never have any benefit by a second Death or a second Initiation These are contrary to the eternal and unchangeable Rules and Laws of his Kingdom and by these Rules their Sin is irremissible and their final destruction unavoidable Therefore let us hear and fear lest by any means we fall away from that Christianity which we have received professed and engaged in By all this it 's evident that it 's in vain to lay the foundation again by Repentance Faith Baptism and the rest This reason to make it more plain is illustrated by a Similitude which as all other Comparisons hath two parts 1. A Proposition 2. A Reddition The Proposition is expressed the Reddition implyed The subject of the first part or proposition is the Earth and as there are two sorts or kinds of Earth good and bad so there be two parts of the proposition The first Concerning good Earth The second Concerning bad and barren Ground 1. Concerning the good we may consider 1. The Proposition and then the Reddition In the first observe 1. The Fruitfulness 2. God's Blessing The fruitfulness presupposeth Rain Dressing For without these two Moisture and Husbandry no Ground can be fruitful The Rain is from Heaven the Husbandry from Man The goodness of it is that it drinketh in the Rain bringeth forth Herbs meat for them by whom it 's dressed and here by Herbs may be meant all kind of Fruit that 's fit for man's food As it 's fruitful so
Othâ—â— imagine it was the whole World which with the parts thereof both the Tabernacle and Temple did represent wherein the Heaven of Heavens is the Sanctum Sanctorâ—n the Holiest of all and the Sanctuary through which the High-Priest passed into the Holiest place the Aethercal part of the World where the Sun and Moon and Stars represented by the Lights in the Golden Candlestick do ever shine Others determine it to 〈◊〉 the Heaven of Heavens whereof they make some different parts as one to be the place of Angels and Saints and another far more glorious which was the place of God's most blessed and special presence That Christ entred the Heaven of Heavens and that 〈◊〉 he ever ministers and makes Intercession there is express Scripture what difference and degrees of places be there we do not certainly know But let the Tabernacle â—e his Body or the Church Militant or the World or the Heaven of Heavens the second doubt is Whither these words concerning this Tabernacle are to be referred If to the former words which say that Christ being rome an High-Priest of good things to come then it 's nothing but this That Christ is the Minister and High-Priest of a far more glorious Sanctuary But some refer them to the word entred and make the sense to be that as the High-Priest under the Law passeth through the first Sanctuary to enter into the second which is the Holiest of all so Christ passed through the Militant into the Church Triumphant And it 's very true that Christ hath his Sanctuary and Temple here on Earth and that 's his Church wherein God dwels in a special manner and he passed through and from this into the Church Triumphant of Saints and Angels where God is more gloriously present and powerful nay he entred through the Aetherdal part of the World into the highest Heavens and through the Heaven of Angels and Saints unto the highest and most glorious place and Throne of God But the former sense that Christ is come an High-Priest and Minister of a far more glorious and excellent Sanctuary seems to be more genuine and confirmed by Chap. 8. 2. § 11. The third Proposition is concerning Christ's Service and Sacrifice offered in this Temple For Christ not by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood iâ—â—red in once into the holy place Where 1. We have the Holy place 2. Christ's Entrance into it 3. His Entrance once 4. His Entrance once by Blood not of Goats and Calvs but by his own Blood 1. The Holy place is the Heaven of Heavens signified by the Holiest of all in the Tabernacle and in the Temple for that was the place into which the High-Priest with Blood entred in once every Year so that there is no difficulty in this particular And that Christ entred into Heaven is clear enough For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self there to appear before God for us Ver. 24. of this Chapter 2. Christ entred into this Holy place But there is a Question made of the time when he entred That he entred forty dayes after the Resurrection it 's clear and express For he was taken up into Heaven Acts 1. 11. He was carried up into Heaven Luke 24. 71. And He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all Heavens to fulfil all things Ephes. 4. 10. But there seems to be another entrance before this and that was immediately upon his Death For when he had given up the Ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom and his Soul separated from his Body and commended into his Fathers hands entred into Paradise That he entred at that time into Heaven with his Soul separated from his Body the Text doth seem to affirm And what should the renting of the Catapetasm and the Inner-Vail immediately upon his Death signify but that the great High-Priest was ready to enter Heaven Again it may be said more properly that he entred Heaven with or by his Blood when his Soul was separated from his Body than when his Body was risen and made immortal and both Soul and Body joyntly ascended For it was the custom of the High-Priest according to God's Institution upon the slaying of the Sacrifice and taking of the Blood to enter the holy Place and the Type and Anti-type should agree especially in this particular Further the expiatory Offering was not compleate till the Blood was presented before the Throne of God in the inner Sacrary and it was suitable to the Type that the great High-Priest should after he was slain on Earth present himself as slain in Heaven before the Supream Judge as having suffered Death and satisfied Justice for the sin of man But all this I leave to the judgment of Learned men who shall seriously search the Book of God and impartially examine whether God doth not speak this in Scripture And howsoever it 's certain that whether he entred thus then yet he so entred at one time or other that he obtained eternal Redemption 3. He entred once This informs us that though the High-Priest entred once every year and so might enter above a thousand times yet Christ entred thus but once For as we shall read both in the latter end of this and also in the beginning of the next Chapter once to enter or one entrance in this manner was sufficient because one Death one Offering was able to do that which all the Offerings of all the High-Priests under the Law could not do neither was any more Offering needful seeing this had done all that was requisite for satisfaction and merit 4. This entrance was by or with Blood and this is set down negatively and affirmatively Negatively this was not blood of Goats and Calves and that with which the Legal High-Priests did enter within the Vail For as we may read Levit. 16. upon the day of expiation a Bullock and a Goat must be slain and with the Blood of these he must enter the holy Place The reason of this is because the blood of Beasts could not satisfy divine justice expiate the sin of man and purge his conscience and immortal Soul and so make the eternal penalty removable Therefore it must be a far more excellent blood the blood of the Son of God his own blood which was pare unspotted and most precious The reason 1. Why it must be by blood is because as without blood under the Law there was no Legal Remission or Expiation so it was the Will of God that without blood there should be no eternal Remission For though God was merciful and sate in the Throne of Grace and Mercy yet his Justice did require that satisfaction should be made and seeing sin was committed and punishment was deserved and due by his Law violated therefore sin must be punished before it could be pardonable
For unnecessary private Conventicles with the neglect of the publick Assemblies are usually the Seminaries of Errours and Schisms and very prejudicial to the publick good of the Church So that the Duty exhorted unto is to frequent constantly these Assemblies and make right use of them to edify confirm and encourage one another to perseverance in the Christian Faith and to Love and good Works I might here take occasion to enlarge and reckon up all the particular Duties to be performed in these religious Meetings and shew how subservient they are every one severally and all joyntly to that end whereat the Apostle chiefly aims but I proceed to the Reason § 24. For it might be said What Reason Suasive Motive may be given why we should be so careful to perform this Duty Yes there is a great and powerful Reason and that is Because the day approacheth Where 1. We must understand the words of the Reason considered in it self 2. The force of the Reason in respect of the performance of the Duty In the words of the Reason we have 1. A Day 2. The Approach of that Day 3. The nearer Approach 1. A Day is a part and the principal part of time as opposed to the Night and in this place it signifies some special and more than ordinary time as the day of death of the destruction of Jerusalem of the End of the World The day of death every Man must look for Nothing more certain than death though nothing more uncertain than the Hour of death Every man must dy and then be brought unto his last Account and as that shall be made so shall be the condition of every Man for ever for where the Tree falleth there it lyeth and as Death leavs us Judgment finds us There was a day of Jerusalem's destruction and of the ruine of that Nation appointed and made known by Christ and his Apostles and these Hebrews could not be altogether ignorant of it There is another greater day of the final and universal Judgment and this was part of their Creed All these and every one of these are special and great dayes And one or two or all these three may here be meant Some think the day of Jerusalem's râ—ine was most of all intended by the Apostle though that cannot be evidently evinced to be pointed at so as to exclude the other two 2. This day did approach and was near for first the day of every Man's death could not be far off the day of Jerusalem's destruction was near and so near as many then living might survive not only the Peace and Happiness of that Nation but the very Being and Existence of that City and of the Temple they might see the ruine and destruction of both and for ought they knew the end of the World 3. This day drew nearer and nearer For 1. We no sooner begin to live but we begin to dy for we are born mortal and ready we are to return to that dust from whence we were taken and raised at the first and the more of our Life is past the less is yet to come and every Day Hour Minute of our Life we approach nearer unto death and death unto us 2. As for Jerusalem's destruction there were many Signs of that approaching fore-told and then known to be past It was fatal and unavoidable even then when Christ wept over it lamenting her Sin and Punishment which he certainly did fore-know and when this Letter was written to these Hebrews that day of her Calamity was far nearer 3. For the day of Judgment the particular Year Month Day was hid yet the times of the Gospel were the last times and upon us the ends of the World are come And that which is alwayes unknown may alwayes be looked for seeing it will certainly come and that suddenly And though that day in those times was far off yet it 's nearer now and though now it may be many years before the Son of God shall come from Heaven and the time to Man may seem long yet a thousand years with God is but as one day Besides that day of final Judgment if we consider that the unchangeable condition of every Man begins immediately upon his death then the great day of Judgment may in some sense be said to be as near as death to every particular Person This is the meaning of the words considered in themselvs and now the force of them as containing a Reason remains to be considered For this end we must take notice of the thing here urged and it 's 1. The performance of a Duty 2. The performance of it the rather and the more for the more the day approacheth the more we should prepare for it Not to forsake the assembling of our selvs together and to exhort one another and to be careful very careful diligent and frequent in this Work of Association and Exhortation is a Duty commanded by God and pressed upon us by the Apostle to neglect this Duty is our Sin and Disobedience to do it constantly is our performance And this is that which is intended by this Reason The force thereof is great For seeing 1. The day of our great Account God's final Sentence to be passed upon us and the Execution thereof is so near it concerns us much not only to know our Duty but to bestir our selves and to perform it constantly with all our Power Our progress towards Heaven should be like a natural Motion which is slow or not so swift at the beginning and is swifter and swifter towards the end Upon this performance depends our final and eternal estate For if we neglect fail and fall away then we are undone for ever if we perform and be prepared we are eternally happy Seeing therefore that day is a day of eternal Rewards or Punishments and approacheth so near What should not we do to provide for our everlasting safety Yet men think little of these things If we under stand the Text of the day of Jerusalem's Calamities and desolation which was near at hand and was a day of death to many thousands yea to hundreds of thousands and a lively resemblance of the final Judgment this also might effectually work upon them and move them to performance and perseverance For then they should see and clearly behold the woful End of that unbelieving Nation and most of all of all Apostates from Christianity Then their seducing Brethren and their persecuting Enemies should be destroyed the Temple burnt and demolished all their Judaism and Legal Service wherein they trusted for ever abolished and those which out of fear complyed with them or of Christians turned Jews should suffer in the highest degree Therefore there was no Reason in the World they should forsake or deny Christ and turn from him to Moses from the Gospel to the Law for the day was approaching when they should see God's Judgment executed upon the unbelieving seducing persecuting Jew and the eternal Confusion of
they apprehend the peril so will their fear be and they cannot apprehend the Judgment but as very grievous near at hand pressing hard upon them and unavoidable and so it will terrify and torment them before the time of Execution The sum of this Text is that as there is no hope of mercy and pardon so there remains a fearful expectation of grievous punishment and the same unavoidable § 28. And lest the Apostate should slatter himself and promise impunity to his Soul the Apostle proceeds to prove it unavoidable and very grievous according to the hainousness of the Sin and this he doth in these words Ver. 28. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses Ver. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trâ—dden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace THese words are a Comparison and it 's two-fold 1. In quality 2. In quantity The first is presupposed and implyed The second intended and expresly delivered The first in quality informs that as he that transgressed Moses Law was punished without mercy so shall he be that Sins wilfully under the Gospel after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth In the second in quantity we may observe 1. The Proposition ver 28. 2. The Reddition ver 29. In the handling of these we must consider 1. The parts absolutely 2. The whole under the notion of a Comparison 3. The force of the Comparison as it is a reason In the Proposition we may take notice of 1. The party to be punished 2. The manner of judicial proceeding 3. The punishment it self 1. The party to be punished is one that transgressed Moses Law that is the Law of God given to Israel by Moses where we have the Person and the Crime or Cause The Person is one under the Law of Moses while it was in force before the time of the Gospel The Crime is a transgression of that Law and this transgression was not any disobedience but such as for which there was no Expiation appointed no Remission in that Law promised it was such a Crime as God determined to be capital and to be punished with a Capital punishment and loss of Life The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint intrepret by the word used in the Text and both signify to revolt and that Revolt from the Law was answerable to Apostacy from the Gospel This was a breach of that fundamental Law Thou shalt have no other Gods but me This was a revolt from the true God their God whom they had acknowledged to be their God unto Idols Yet there might be other Crimes which might so grate upon the Foundation as to amount to this hainous sin of Revolt 2. The manner of proceeding against such a Transgressour was by information and delation of such a Transgressour before a competent Judge who must proceed Secunduns allegata probata and could not justly sentense the party but upon evidence Sometimes the fact might be notorious or confessed and sometimes maintained by the party offending yet the ordinary way was by Witnesses and in case of a man's life he required two witnesses at least in which respect singular is testis nullus testis The end of witnesses was Evidence that so the merit or demerit of the Cause might appear to the Judge and so the Cause be in an immediate capacity for Sentence 3. The demerit of the cause once made evident Judgment passed upon the party and he was sentenced to Death without any mercy and this Judgment must be executed So that if the Judge did make the Law of Moses his rule he could not acquit or absolve the party nor impose any other punishment nor help the Offender by commutation nor abate the least of this penalty for he by his transgression had made himself uncapable of mercy In this Proposition two things are especially to be noted 1. The Crime which was hainous 3. The Punishment which was Death without mercy § 29. The Reddition follows in the next words where we must observe as before 1. The Sin 2. The Penalty 1. The Sin is described or rather aggravated from three particulars It 's 1. A creading of the Son of God under foot 2. A counting the Blood of the Covenant whereby the Transgressor was sanctified an unholy thing 3. A doing of despite unto the Spirit of Grace The Sin is Apostacy and no man can Apostate from Christianity once received but he shall be guilty of the Contempt 1. Of the Son of God 2. Of the Blood of the Covenant 3. Of the Spirit of Grace The first aggravation therefore is from the contempt of the Son of God For 1. The Apostate treads under foot the Son of God the expression is metaphorical and presupposeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and affirmeth that he though the Son of God is trodden under foot To tread a thing under foot is 1. To undervalue it if it be of any worth 2. To vilify it 3. To vilify it very much 4. To expresse this contempt by casting it upon the Ground and trampling upon it which is the greatest debasement and is sometimes an expression of utter detestation Thus Jezabel was thrown down upon the Earth and trampled upon by Jehu's Horses To vilify and debase things that are base is no fault and to despise unworthy men is tolerable but the Apostate undervalues vilifieth and in an high degree the Son of God and the greater his dignity the greater the indignity He is not meer man though man yet as man the best of men for he is the Son of God and that not any kind of Son but the only begotten and beloved Son of God the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his person and so the Son of God that he is God Though he did descend so low for a little time as to be made man and humbled himself so far as to take upon him the form of a Servant and in that form to be obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross yet in this low estate he was the Son of God But after his humiliation even as man he is advanced to the right hand of God and is made Lord of Men and Angels an everlasting King an everlasting Priest Yet this Son of God the Apostate Christian so far vilifies as that he denies him to be God to be the Son of God to be a just Man nay judgeth him to be an Impostor a false Prophet a Malefactor and justly and worthily Crucified and if he had been living on Earth and in the Apostate's power he would have dealt with him as they did Thus neither the Person and Deity of Christ nor his Natures nor the personal Union of them nor
Man and vertuous Acts hainous Crimes and so called Good Evil and Light Darkness Yet these were not all the kinds of capital Punishments which the Servants of God suffered but only some few for the Cruelty of Persecutors invented others and made use of them The whole signifies that the Lives of the Saints and Prophets were taken away cruelly and most unjustly by several kinds of tormenting Deaths 2. Some were not slain but lived a miserable Life For 1. They wandred They might be Wanderers either by constraint or voluntarily by Constraint as when they were banished or forcibly dispossessed of their Houses and dwelling places voluntarily as when for fear of Death or to enjoy the quiet of Conscience they fled out of their Country or from the places of their Habitation so that they had no certain safe place of Rest They were continually flitting and removing as not having where to lay their heads 1. In this wandring condition they were destitute of Rayment and Cloaths whereby they might cover their Shame and defend their Bodies from the Injuries of Heaven They wanted Stuff or if they had Stuff they could not have them made and in this Case they used Sheep-skins and Goat-skins which Expression implyes 1. That their Cloathing was very mean and coorse yea not so much as shapen sewed up and sitted for their Bodies but only wrapped about some principal paâ—â—s leaving others naked These did not deserve the name of Garments but were nothing else but Skin upon Skin the Skin of Beasts upon the Skin of Man We use Apparel for necessity conveniency decency and pomp These were far from pomp there was neither decency not conveniency in them they did hardly reach so far as necessity required Though great is the Pride Vanity and excess in Apparrel of many in these times who little think of this sad condition of God's Saints yet they know not how soon they may be stript of all 3. They were destitute that is in great want of other Necessaries and as the Word doth signify very poor and indigent for they had left all their Substance or it was taken from them or they could have no use of it in their Necessity And if they wandred amongst strangers little was to be expected from them for strangers are many times used strangely and few are sensible of their miseries Some think the word may be turned descerti deserted and forsaken for in such a case few dare own their own Flesh and Blood and nearest Relations Yet the former sense seems to be more genuine For their very Habit did signify that their Penury was very great 4. They were afflicted for in such a case their straits must be many and the pressures and perplexities of Body and Mind very great and such as none but some who have been in their case can truly apprehend 5. They were tormented The word may signify they were ill handled sorely vexed oppressed and brought very low § 37. Yet these were not all their miseries for though they were precious men of worth and the best in the World yet they were thrust out of the World For so it followeth Ver. 38. Of whom the World was not worthy they wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth THe first words seem to be put in parenthetically and so the words following agree immediately with the 37 verse The Propositions are two 1. The World was not worthy of them 2. They wandred in Deserts Mountains Dens and Caves of the Earth The first stands of it self and is yet pertinenly interlined Their Persecutors did vilify them and thought them unworthy to live and converse amongst men not fit to be suffered in any civil or religious Society They counted them the dross râ—feuse and filth of the World Therefore they banished them expelled them and as it were forced them out of their Company to live amongst Beasts yet they were persons of excellent worth the honour and grace of the World more fit for Heaven then Earth the only persons who were able to avert God's wrath and for whose sake the World did stand and by whom the destruction and conslagration of the World was delayed They were of high esteem with God and the wicked World was not worthy of their Society 2. These put out of the World were put to wander Before it 's said in the former verse They went about for so the word signifies here it 's said They wandered Some think the former word intends that they went from place to place and conversed with men though strangers though they had no certain place of aboad amongst them and this latter denoted a more sad and desolate condition for they wandred out of all wayes and in places neither inhabited nor well habitable Yet both words signify they had no fixed place of habitation amongst men But then it might be said Where did they wander The answer in places inhabited by men or in places not so inhabited the latter is here meant For they wandred 1. In deserts and solitary places where were neither Cities nor Towns nor Villages nor Houses nor so much as any poor Cottages And though man by Nature be a sociable Creature and society with men be comfortable yet they could not enjoy any such comfort To converse with men was dangerous to be deprived of society was uncomfortable therefore to avoid the danger they willingly did forego the comfort 2. They wandered in Mountains which also are solitary places and remote from the company of men And 3. In these Mountains amongst the high and craggy Rocks there were dens and hollow places made by Nature or by Art 4. Where there were neither Deserts nor Mountains they made Caves and Holes under the Ground and by Art and Industry contrived Labyrinths and subterraneal Passages like unto Roma Soterana Here they hid themselves and laid up such Utensils and Necessaries as they had hither they did in time of danger retire themselves So abandoning the World they chose such desert and desolate places where they might be more safe amongst wild Beasts than amongst their Persecutors where they might enjoy peace and quiet of Conscience converse with God and have sweet communion with their Saviour whom they prized and preferred far above the contents of the World Thus David hid himself in the Wilderness of Maon and of Ziph in the Cave of Adullam and in divers other places for to save himself from the persecuting rage of Saul Thus an hundred of the Lord's Prophets were hid by Obadiah by fifty in a Cave and were fed with Bread and Water Thus Elijah fled from Jezabel into the Wilderness and stayed not till he came to Horeb. In all these Sufferings you must observe 1. That they were innocent and so persecuted without any just cause 2. They encured Death and all these miseries with patient and chearful minds 3. In all this they preferred Christ before the World and were willing to suffer loss