without an oath by so much is the new Covenant better then the old 21. For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath This whole verse must be read in a parenthesis because it containes an opposition between the old Priests and Christ in as much as they were made Priests without any oath of God but Christ with an oath By him that said unto him namely by him that said those words unto him Thou art a Priest for ever c. And by him that said those words to Christ God himself seems to be understood although the words next cited The Lord sware and will not repent him seeme not to be the words of God himself but of the Prophet who relates this oath of God But because the words following Thou art a Priest for ever are the words of God therefore by him that said unto him the Author might well meane God For although in these words there bee no oath of God expressed yet it is as much as if it had been expressed seeing the Prophet testifies that God uttering these words did swear which therefore the Author would not omit though he were to relate the words of God himselfe and not of the Prophet But if by him who said these words unto Christ we understand not God but the Prophet as some Interpreters upon that Psalme do who so expound these words as if the Psalmist had said The Lord sware c. Thou art a Priest for ever then the Prophet must be meant by a common forme of speech that Christ was made Priest by the Prophet because the Prophet by these words did foretell and declare that he should bee made Priest For many times in Scripture the declaring of a thing is said to be the doing of it In this sense Jeremy is said to have been appointed to root out and to destroy to build and to plant Jer. 1.10 So the Prophet Esay is said to raise up the tribes of Jacob to restore the preserved of Israel and to be given for a light to the Gentiles because he prophesied and foretold of these things The Lord sware and will not repent this oath argues that the matter of it was great certain and unchangeable and because God will not repent it therefore it was very good and acceptable to God So that the thing must not be altered or undone both in regard of the oath and of the goodnesse of it Unlesse by not repenting we conceive the setled constancie of God never to revoke or alter the matter For repentance attributed to God signifies only a change of the fact by way of resemblance from men who if they repent doe commonly alter the thing if it lye in their power 22. By so much was Iesus made the surety of a better testament These words are cleerely answerable to the beginning of the 20. verse as appeares by the particles of relation there and here in as much and by so much Jesus is called the surety of the Covenant or Testament because he contracted it with us in the Name of God and ratified it on Gods part making faith of it unto us that God would keepe the promises of his Covenant Not therefore as if he became our surety to God and tooke upon him the payment of our debts For we sent not Christ unto God is our name but God sent him to us in his Name And Christ came to us from God made a Covenant with us became surety for the promises of it and undertooke they should be performed And therefore he is not called a Surety simply but the Surety of the Covenant And he undertooke for the truth of Gods Covenant diverse wayes as by his perpetuall testimony in words for the force and strength of it by proving the faith of his function in it in many documents by his perfect innocency and holinesse of life by severall divine workes and miracles which he wrought by suffering a grievous death to assert the truth of his doctrine Hence his Apostle John produced those three witnesses of undoubted faith to confirme the truth of Christian Religion namely the Spirit water and bloud 1 John 5.8 Where by Spirit he understands that divine power in Christ which he shewed in his admirable workes by water the blamelesse and spotlesse life of Christ and by bloud his bloudy death For Christian truth approves it selfe by such witnesses That divine Spirit testified by so many wondrous workes doth it not evidently declare that Christ was a divine man sent from God and therefore that he preached nothing forged of himselfe but onely that which he had received from the God of truth Would that God who is most holy replenish an impostor with such so great gifts of his Spirit The most pure and holy life of Christ is it not an open testimony that Christ respected no earthly thing that he sought no worldly wealth no honors nor pleasures but had reposed all his hopes in God and in those heavenly goods which he promised unto others From whence otherwise could so great holinesse of life proceed and so great contempt of all worldly things For Impostors use not to trust in God and to expect from him the rewards of heaven Impostors use not to passe their life in such holinesse abstinence from all sin For why do they labour to delude men with their impostures and deceits Do they it only to deceive without any advantage to themselves and to expose themselves to nothing but diverse dangers and troubles which commonly accompany such impostures and making themselves guilty of this one thanklesse wickednesse to follow piety in all things else certainely nothing lesse Such kinde of persons seeke their owne commodity to gaine wealth to get a vaine glorious name and to abound in pleasure which whoso aymes at cannot leade a life innocent and void of all blame Hence the Apostle speaking of Impostors or false teachers doth justly affirme that they have their belly for their god and minde earthly things that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and have their conscience seared with a hot iron Phil. 3.18,19 and 1 Tim. 4.2 And Christ warning his Disciples to beware of false prophets tels them that such may be knowne by their fruits i. by their works which are an infallible signe of their deceit Doe men saith he gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.16 For however for a time they may dissemble and make shew of godlinesse yet they cannot do it constantly For feigned holinesse lasteth not long and covert wickednesse lyes not long hid The life therefore of Christ being carried on in one perpetuall tenor of innocency and holinesse doth wholly vindicate him from the crime of any imposture Hence Christ himselfe contends with the Jews by this argument Which of you convinceth me of sin and if I say the truth why do yee not beleeve me John 8 46. q.d. Either convince
of it onely Therefore those grievous sinnes whereof men stood guiltie and for which they were subject to eternall death must first be expiated before they can enter and receive the eternall inheritance For those sinnes did hinder men from entring it which being purged away now nothing hinders but they may take possession of it But who shall do this shall all promiscuously no certainly but they which are called i. They to whom this eternal inheritance is offered by the Gospel of Christ and who accept this great grace of God by a lively faith For both of these use to be included in the word called But he simply saith they which are called might receive this eternall inheritance because all which are called may receive it if they will and be not wanting to themselves for in God and Christ there is no let 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator Here he gives the cause why he said that by meanes of death this effect of remission of sinnes and receiving the eternall inheritance doth follow because saith he where a Testament is there of necessity the death of the Testator must intervene which reason hee confirmes by a Super-reason in the verse following But here some man may object that the Author doth but sophisticate with words and not draw a reall argument from the thing it selfe Seeing Christ was not the Author of any testament properly but onely the Mediatour of the Covenant although the Greeke writers use the word Testament to signifie a Covenant But the ambiguity of the word must not confound the natures and properties of the things so that what is true of one thing which the ambiguous word signifies should forthwith bee transfered to the other signified by the same word We answer That the speech is here of such a thing as is common to both the significations of the word the proper and improper or rather the generall and the speciall i. that is Covenant and Testament for we said before that every Testament is a Covenant an especiall and best kind of Covenant For Covenant is a generall name whereby those things are called that are more properly named leagues and testaments both which are Covenants And indeed almost throughout the old testament the originall word which our English translation renders Covenant doth properly signifie a League and were better so rendered for because God is a publike person and so is mankinde also therefore all Gods Covenants with man are properly Leagues Hence the Latine translations both vulgar and others constantly render them Faedera So for a testament if we consider the nature of it accuratly then any solemne act of any person testified by his death is properly a testament and he who testifies anothers act though he be no Author but onely the assertor of it is properly the testator of it For hence the Civilians have borrowed their termes of Testament and Testator which commonly concurre in the same person yet not necessarily but accidentally for whatsoever witnesse will testifie upon his death the verity and certainty of another mans last Will and Testament such a witnesse is truely a testator to that Testament And he that mediats to certifie a mans Testament and mediats so farre as to testifie it with his death hee is both the mediator and the testator of that Testament so that a mediator and a testator in respect of the same Testament are not functions incompatible but consentaneous that may easily concurre in the same person Yea hee that in this sence is the testator of a Testament is necessarily thereupon the mediator of it So that Gods two solemne Covenants or rather his Leagues the old and the new are truely and properly called Testaments because they are both testified by bloud and death to certifie confirme and establish them for the old Testament was testified by the bloud and death of calves and goates which was therefore called the bloud of the Testament as it is declared in the verses following But because the new Testament was testified certified confirmed and established by the death and bloud of Christ therefore Christ though hee were not the Author of it yet is most truely and properly the testator of it And because Christ did mediate for this Testament to certifie and publish it to the world that the old and former testament was abrogated and revoaked and that this new one was the last Will and Testament of his Father therefore also be was most truely and properly the Mediatour of it And hee was so constant and earnest a Mediator to certifie the truth of this new Testament that thereupon hee became the testator of it also to testifie and confirme it with his death and blood Nay because Christ was the Testator of it therefore hee must necessarily also be the Mediator of it for no man will testifie that truth or that cause with his bloud for which he no way mediats seeing he â—hat no way mediats for a thing will 〈◊〉 testifie it with his blood Wherefore in the words of these 16. and 17 verses though the Author for a while supposeth and takes it for graunted that not onely death but the death of the Testator which here is Christ must needs intervene to confirme the new Testament yet a little after at the 23. verse and so forward hee clearly demonstrats it For there he teacheth that the matter must not nor could not be effected by the bloud of beasts because he was both the Mediator and the high Priest of the Covenant or League who when he was to appeare before God in his heavenly Sanctuary and there to performe his offering certainly he was not to slay some beast to bring the bloud of it into that Sanctuary but must shed his own bloud to make himselfe his owne offering in heauen thereby to confirme and establish the new League or Covenant which as he might do so he must doe it for the great dignity and sublimity of the particulars therein contained So that in this respect the new Covenant comes neerer to the nature of a Testament then of a League which was the proper nature of the old Covenant For what effect could there be in the bloud of a beast to confirme and make faith unto us of heavenly promises Such a Confirmation had very ill beseemed this divine and heavenly Covenant especially seeing it might be confirmed by other bloud more sutable to it and by bloud that notwithstanding was to be shed for another cause which cause hath already been shewed at the 14. verse Whence wee may perceive that in these words in this 16. verse as they are also extended to Covenants or Leagues and to the Authors and Mediators of them somthing must be understood to make the truth of them fully to appeare which yet is not expressed because it makes nothing to the point in hand For these words of the Author here must be taken as it he had
said where a Testament is there must needs bee the death of the Testator or at least as in leagues which in a manner resemble Testaments the death of some creature whereby the League is confirmed by him that makes it for till death intervene a Testament or League is of no force and strength which exception or rather which correction of his generall saying why it was not added here the cause hath been already shewed We may also answer the former objection thus That his reasoning here is comparative by way of similitude not explicitely but contractedly as is ofen used And the words are to be taken as if he had said as when a Testament is made the death of the Testator must needs accede because it must be animated by the death of the Testator for while the Testator lives the Testament lives not or is not in force So also when the new League or Testament was ordained his death must accede that made it and was in stead of the Testator that the Testament might be firme and of force For though Christ made not the new Testament as the Author or principall agent of it yet because hee was the Mediator and instrument of his Father to speed it in his Fathers name therefore he may be said to have made it for wee commonly attribute the same action both to the agent who is the prime cause of it and to the Instrument who is the means of it From hence it manifestly appears what force the bloud of Christ hath in procuring us remission of sinnes namely these two forces first that by it the New Testament was established or confirmed and secondly that thereupon he offered himselfe to God for us in heaven So that his bloud was confirmatory to settle the eternall inheritance upon us and expiatory to procure an eternall redemption of our sinnes whereof the former is handled in this verse the latter in those precedent Why Christ is called here the Testator we have before sufficiently reasoned namely because he was the maine witnesse to certifie the truth of the Testament by his death and because he was the maine party by whose death the Testament which till then lay dead became alive and valid to be of force and effect Yet here wee shall adde one reason more because it will serve wondrously to annimate our faith and love toward Christ and that is because the inheritance conveyed unto us by this New Testament is properly the inheritance of Christ for hee is the unigenit or only begotten Sonne of God and was ordained to be Lord and heire of all his Fathers estate and hath admitted us that will accept of it to be co-heires and fellow-partners with him in it and dyed as the Testator to settle the possession of it upon us Or to speake in the words of Paul He hath received us to the glory of God Rom. 15.7 And the words of Christ to his Disciples tend to this sense I appoâ—nt unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto mee Luke 22.29 17. For a testament is of force after men are dead This is the reason why the death of the testator must accede to the testament hee hath made because all the while the testator lives his testament is dead and of no force to give any possession to the heire of the inheritance and estate thereby to be conveyed but when the testator is dead then the testament takes life and becomes of force for then the heire hath an actuall right and power to enter upon the inheritance And therefore he addes Otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth These are the same words in effect with the former and are but a consequence from them by that rule of reasoning which we call conversion by contraposition For if a testament be of force when the testator is dead then it must needs follow that while the testator is not dead the testament is of no force Which kinde of reasoning is frequent in Scripture yet among many passages we shall instance but in this one and in this the rather because the texts of it are much obscured by Interpreters who labour to reconcile them as if they seemed opposite whereas no two texts can be more according for they are wholly equipollent and each consequent to the other Christ saith He that is not with me is against me Mat. 12.30 and he saith againe He that is not against us is for us or which is all one He that is not against me is with me Luke 9.50 This latter saying in Luke is so farre from being opposite or contrary to the former in Matthew that it is a most immediate and necessary consequence from it For if this saying be true as it is because the truth hath said it He that is not with Christ is against him Then this also from thence must needs follow for a truth He that is not against Christ is with him Because this latter saying is the conversion of the former by contraposition 18. Whereupon neither the first was dedicated without bloud What he had said before in generall of testaments now he declares in particular and proves by an example in the first or Old Testament and makes way for himselfe to apply the same unto Christ and to the New Testament established by him For because under the Old Testament it selfe was confirmed by bloud and because almost all things were cleansed by bloud at least sinnes could not be cleansed without shedding of bloud Therefore from hence he gathers by way of similitude that death and shedding of bloud must needs intervene under the New Testament that thereby both the Testament it selfe might be confirmed and our sinnes purged Was dedâ—cated The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Interpreters note is properly said when some solemne act is done whereby a new thing being perfected and finished begins to come in use So the Consecration of Solomons new Temple was called the Dedication of it and the Consecration of the new Altar erected by Judas Maccabeus was called the Dedication of it 1 Maccab. 4.56 And the annuall celebration of that dedication is called the feast of the dedication John 10.22 yet this word applied to leagues signifies nothing else but to confirme them And leagues are then confirmed when they are so ratified as thereby they have force and strength to become obligatory and binding to all parties therein interessed For the confirmation of a league is some solemne act done by the confederates or in their name whereby they mutually so binde their faith that it shall not bee lawfull for either party to rescinde or revoke the league And although there bee many formes of confirmation for leagues yet anciently the usuall forme was by bloud and that of the Old Testament was performed by the bloud of beasts Wherefore with good reason the Author saith that it was not dedicate or confirmed without bloud i. it began not to come
the world doth enlighten every man with his light yet not presently at his first rising but in processe of time as the Sun carrieth his light from one part of the world to another and by degrees dispels the darknesse Compare this place with John 9.5 and John 12.46 There remaine two opinions which strive as I may say for the mastery of the truth The one is that this comming of Christ into the world should be taken for that his comming when he made his first entrance among men to performe his ministeriall office The other is that it be understood of his entrance into the future world to come whereof this Author made mention before chap. 1.2 and chap. 2.5 and which is called by the single name of the world Rom. 4.13 Now the arguments which seeme to perswade us for the taking of it not for this present world but for the future world to come are chiefly three 1. Because God did not abrogate those Legall sacrifices and offerings before Christ entered and came into that future world but here the Author speakes of their abrogation 2. Because Christ saith A body hast thou prepared me For how can this be applyed to Christs first entrance upon his ministeriall function in this world among men Did Christ receive from God a new body and another different from what he had before then when he was first made knowne to the world by preaching of the Gospel And if wee should here understand that mortall body in which Christ first preached the Gospel what would this make to the abrogation of the Legall sacrifices Certainely either nothing at all or no way else but by many turnings and windings But if by this comming of Christ here wee understand his entrance into that future world to come then these words will much conduce to the matter For unlesse God had given Christ a new and incorruptible body he could not have entered that dwelling of immortality and there have offered himselfe to God and appeare before him neither could he have sitten at the right hand of this throne Therefore seeing God would abrogate and abolish those earthly sacrifices by the heavenly Sacrifice of Christ for that purpose God fitted him a body proper for that heavenly Sanctuary For that the Author in citing this testimony had a respect to these words is plaine by his words a little after at the tenth verse where he mentions the offering of the body of Christ By which forme of speech seeinghe useth it no where else he seemes as it were to point at these words in this testimony wherein God is said to have prepared a body for Christ 3. Because in an other passage of the 40. Psalme a little before this testimony cited by the Author David doth sing a song of thanksgiving unto God for his deliverance from a grievous calamitie saying He brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feete upon a rock and established my goings and he hath put a new song in my mouth c. Psal 40.2,3 If therefore Christ may bee thought to have sung these words of the Psalme with the rest cited by the Author after his deliverance from death and the grave then might the Author well affirme that Christ said both these and the rest by him cited at his comming or entrance into that future world to come Now these words cannot be meant of Christs comming into the world by his Resurrection from the dead because when the Scripture speakes of his comming into this world she thereby usually understands his being made known unto the world but Christ after and by his resurrection was not made knowne unto the world but was seene of a few onely who were to be witnesses of it to the world And therefore when the time of his death drew neere and of his departure to his Father after his death he himselfe affirmed that he should be no longer in the world He saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not Of the words themselves we shall speake upon the next verse wherewith they wholly agree in matter But here let us enquire why the Author affirmes that Christ then when hee commeth into the world saith these words The Author seemes to affirme this from the following words which Christ alledgeth presently after Loe I come to do thy will O God ver 7. For to what purpose did Christ come into the world whether we understand this world or that to come If we understand this world wee must say that Christ then when he came into this world or as the Author speakes before chap 9.26 when first hee appeared said these words unto God his Father Because the Legall sacrifices and offerings please thee not therefore Loe I am come to do thy will i. to offer thee such a sacrifice that is wholly according to thy good will and pleasure But if yee please to understand the future world to come then we must affirme that Christ said them when he entered in thither Seeing O God thou dost no longer approve the Legall sacrifices Lo I come to doe thy will i. to offer up my selfe unto thee that so I may wholly expiate the sinnes of thy people For this is the will of God and the pleasure of the Lord that shall prosper in the hand of Christ Isaiah 53.10 That every one who seeth the Son and beleeveth on him should be freed from the guilt and paine of all his sinnes and have everlasting life John 6.40 But a body hast thou prepared me It is not necessary we should thinke that the Author mentioned these words in respect of any sence proper to his purpose but cited them onely because they stood connexed with the other words of the testimonie which were pertinent to his intention This hee himselfe seemes to intimate at the eighth and ninth verses following where in the repetition of this testimony he leaves out these words and takes only the rest that serve for his scope which is this That the Legall sacrifices are abrogate and in their place the Sacrifice of Christ is established Though at the tenth verse following the Author speakes of the offering of the body of Christ yet it is not altogether necessary that wee therefore should say that he had reference to these words seeing the body of Christ might by an Hebraisme be put for Christ himselfe Againe the Authour might have no respect to the proper sence of these words for this reason because in the Hebrew other words are read for them But because the Author followed the Greek Translation therefore he alleaged the words as they stood in the Greeke lest men well accquainted with the Greeke Translation should conceive that hee had corrupted or changed the text a rule that this Author hath observed in other passages also as hath been noted The Hebrew text hath it Mine eares hast thou opened wherein there is a manifest allusion to the custome commanded by God when any
death for here is not considered what was done but what by the Law of Moses ought to be done 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy Here is the reddition of the former comparison which as the words themselves shew was drawne from the lesse to the more For it is a farre fowler offence to despise and reject the Son of God then Moses the Gospel then the Law Wherefore if to those who wilfully offended against Moses and the Law there was granted no pardon nor no place left for mercy much lesse must they hope it who despise the Son of God and much more are they to feare a more heavy judgement And therefore he can have no hope in the mercy of God that is found to be in so high an offence and in so wicked a state of life Who hath trodden under foote the Sonne of God They tread the Sonne of God under foote first who are obstinate enemies of the Gospel then Apostates who forsake the most holy Religion thereof either in their judgement and their profession or in their profession onely and after those who in profession adhere to the Son of God but in their lives and manners doe trample upon his holy ordinances and tread them under their feete And there is a great emphasis in the word treading underfeet for thereby is signified the most high contempt of the Son of God who is most worthy of all honour that the great wickednesse whereof such wretches are guilty may appeare more evidently And hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy thing He aggravates the wickednes of these men especially of Apostats who count the bloud of Christ a vulgar and common thing therefore unholy and profane For profane is opposed to holines especially to such holines which is in the bloud of the Sonne of God who being in his person most holy his bloud also must needs be holy Now they profane the bloud of Christ who either forsake Gods Covenant consecrated and hallowed by the bloud of Christ or else esteeme it not of that value as for his sake whose bloud it was to abolish their sins and afterward lead an holy life Wherewith he was sanctified Sactified here is not referred to Christ as he had beene sanctified with his owne blood but to the wicked sinner who by his Apostacy profanes that blood wherewith he was once sanctified For the bloud of Christ is so farre from being an unholy thing that it is most holy and so holy that thereby every man is sanctified or hallowed yea they themselves were thereby once sanctified who afterward through their foule ungodlinesse counted it unholy And we are said to be sanctified by the bloud of Christ because by it our sinnes are expiated through faith in Christ For they who receive the faith of Christ and so incorporated into the new Covenant they obtaine pardon of all their former sinnes by vertue of the Covenant and therefore also by vertue of that bloud wherewith the Covenant was establisted For an Impunitie wherein the remission of sins doth properly consist is here by attained in such a manner that they have not onely a right to it by vertue of the Covenant but doe actually enjoy it as long as they persist in the faith on condition their faith be lively and working by love because so long God doth neither really punish them unlesse it be by way of correction to further their salvation neither hath he any intention to punish or destroy them but rather ordains and orders them to eternall salvation by removing all obstacles that may hinder it if they be not wanting to themselves And all this depends upon the new Covenant and the bloud of Christ wherewith it is confirmed and established And therefore no Christian given to vices can have any hope from the bloud of Christ as long as hee changeth not his life and manners For that is most true which the Apostle hath written If wee walke in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne 1. John 1.7 Hence it appeares that wee are sanctified and cleansed by the bloud of Christ for the time to come yet upon this condition if for the time to come wee walke in the light as God is in the light i. If wee endeavour to bee like God in holinesse and righteousnesse persisting therein constantly to our lives end Yet the word Sanctifying in this place may signifie that separation of Christians from other men whereby through the knowledge of Gods truth they are sequestred from the profane and common sort of men and consecrated for the service of God For by the bloud of Christ wherewith the new Covenant is established men are moved to embrace Christian religion and receive it for the true And hath done despite unto the spirit of grace By the Spirit is understood that holy Spirit powred into the faithfull which is called the Spirit of grace because it is given by the singular grace and goodnes of God To this Spirit he doth despite whosoever rejecteth the Religion of Christ or esteemes it not so much as therefore to live holily according to the direction and suggestion of that Spirit For he gives not that credit to it that he ought and besides he doth in a manner as much as if he accounted it false 30. For we know him that hath said Vengeace belongeth unto me He confimes here what he said before of their fearfull punishments who wilfully runne into these sinnes Aud for this purpose hee citeth here the words of God Deut. 32.35 wherein God challengeth to himselfe recompence vengeance and judgement or professeth of himselfe that he will execute it Although God speake it there of vindicating his owne people and punishing those that oppressed them but the Author here applies them to that punishment which God himself will inflict upon his owne people if they rebell against God and Christ The meaning is that God will lay a heavy vengeance and judgement upon those that are rebellious and obstinate against the Sonne of God For we all know how great how powerfull and how terrible he is that hath reserved recompence and vengeance to himselfe Yet in these words Vengeance belongeth to me and I will recompence The intent is not so much to shew who the person is that hath this right to take vengeance as to leave it to our consideration how great and potent the person is who challengeth the execution of it to himselfe that hence it may appeare how grievous and how certaine the punishment of the wicked shall be Saith the Lord Here the person is expressed who challengeth to himselfe the execution of vengeance yet not so much for the designing of his person as for the notifying of his power that he is the Lord Jehovah the most high onely and Almighty God maker of
which the Apostle hath left written unto us Gal. 5.18 But if yee be lead by the Spirit yee are not under the Law Now the workds of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse tasciviousnesse Idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkennesse revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith weeknesse temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts If we live in the Spirit let us also walke in the Spirit Now what can bee more cleare then that these words doe openly teach that all they who after they have received the faith of Christ doe follow the workes of the flesh and are not lead by the Spirit of God shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor avoid eternall damnation And therefore if they will aspire to salvation they must with all speed lay aside their vices and bee effectually adorned with Christian virtues For in this place here the Author seems not to teach that men sinning wilfully after knowledge of the truth should have no hope at all lest of pardon and salvatoin but only that they have none till they actually put off their sinnes and qualifie themselves with such virtues as become Christians For unlesse they doe this he saith plainly that the sacrifice and offering of Christ will no way doe them good Seeing besides that one only sacrifice and offering of Christ there remaines no other to be expected as his words fully declare in that he saith there remaineth no more sacrifice q. d. besides that one only offering of Christ whereof we have treated hitherto there remaineth no other for them Whence further it seems that by these words all hope of conversion is not cut off to such as sinne wilfully after their knowledge of the faith but only all hope of pardon and salvation is so long cut off as they forsake not their sinfull courses and doe not the workes of true piety worthy of Christian repentance Although it is most true that some sinnes are so foule among which is Apostacie and such as have neare affinity with it whereof we spake Chap. 6. that if we looke into the nature of the New Covenant wee may well say that there is no hope of coversion from them because without the speciall mercy of God not comprehended in the Covenant the yoke of such sinnes cannot be loosed and cut off Sacrifice for sinnes is sacrifice whereby sinnes are expiated as appeares by the following verse whereto this sacrifice for sinnes is opposed a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation Wherefore as in these last words punishment is signified so in the former is pardon intimated 27. But a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement Here he illustrates his former negation by an affirmation of the contrary To them who after knowledge of the faith sin wilfully there remaines no more sacrifice for their sins but there remaines for them a fearfull looking for of judgement Judgement is here as in many other places taken by a metonymy for punishment because by judgement punishment is decreed It is not necessary wee should take expectation or looking for properly here seeing men given to sinne if wee respect their minds and thoughts do for the most part expect or looke for nothing lesse then punishment and damnation Therefore such men are said to looke for judgement metaphorically because for certaine a judgement remaines unto them or metonymically because they ought to looke for it This expectation or looking for is called fearfull in regard of the object because the judgement or punishment looked for or remaining to them is for the greatnesse of it horrible and fearefull And fiery indignation In these words he expresseth what the fearefull judgement or punishment shall be that remaines to such as sin wilfully after their knowledge of the faith namely they shall be caught and devoured by an extreame hot fire whereinto God will cast them in his indignation There is no doubt but by these words is signified that last judgement or punishment which in the last judgement must be inflicted upon all evill-doers For wee know they shall be tormented with mighty flames of fire and destroyed for ever although we exclude not other punishments of God in this life which use to be the fore-runners of that horrible vengeance to come For of all punishments that by fire is most fearefull and horrible and therefore is used to signifie the most grievous and wrathfull punishments In the Sermons of the Prophets when there is speech of some grievous judgements or punishments of God many times fire is mentioned See Deut. 32.22 and Job 15.34 and Job 20.26 and Psal 11.7 and Psal 21.9 and Psal 78.21 and Psal 97.3 and Psal 140.10 and Isaiah 10.16 Isaiah 26.11 and Isaiah 30.33 The anger also or wrath of God is in Scripture called a fire and among other passages in the 12. chapter following God himselfe by reason of the wrath wherewith he burnes against the ungodly is called a consuming fire And in this place by fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries of God is understood the wrath of God Which shall devoure the adversaries The adversaries of God are they that alwayes were his enemies and never submitted unto him or they that having once submitted doe afterward rebell against him Such are they who constantly reject the Religion of Christ or having once received it afterward forsake it or receiving and retaining it doe not submit their soules to the precepts of it 28. He that despised Moses Law He confirmes his former assertion by a comparison of this case with the like under the Law To despise a Law is to oppose the being power and execution of the Law that it may be void and of no force or so to disobey it that he may overthrow it And he was said to despise Moses Law who did presumptuously violate any commandement of that Law for which the punishment of death was ordained without mercy And this was framed especially against them who despised the first precept of the Decalogue and revolted to the worship of false gods For the first Commandement is the foundation of all the rest and he that despiseth or opposeth it doth seeme thereby to overthrow the whole Law of God and to revolt from it Hence we may gather that among wilfull sinners as appeares by their description added in the verse following they hold the first ranke who revolt from Christ For they who forsake Christ the Son of God do also forsake God himselfe and manifestly offend against the fundamentall Law of the Christian Religion Died without mercy under two or three witnesses i. must dye or be put to