dulnesse were not very capable of them and that he would not now spend any labour in delivering the principles of Christian Religion Thus of the former sence now for the latter The Author had reproved the Hebrewes for being so slow and dull in their study of Christianity that when for the length of their time spent therein they should become teachers of others themselves had need to be taught againe the first principles of it and like babes must yet be nourished with milke and not with strong meate Therefore he admonisheth them that casting off this drowsinesse of spirit they would leave at last those principles and launch themselves into a deeper knowledge of those divine mysteries Therefore that which before he had objected unto them that they had need to be taught againe the principles of Christianity must not be so understood as if they had now wholly forgotten or lost them for this to speake generally of them all could hardly be but because by their negligence they did not well remember them but had need to have them renewed and re-inforced upon them For it plainly appeares from passages which are read of them both in this chapter and other parts of this Epistle that they began to doubt of the Christian faith and truth Now they that are such have need that Christian principles should be anew inculcated and confirmed unto them Neither is it his meaning that they should altogether leave and neglect the principles and so goe on to perfection for this neither could nor must be done but they should not stick and dwell wholly upon the principles without proceeding any further for they that proceed further doe passe by the places whereat they are already arrived So a man may say to a boy leave your Accedence and your Grammer and passe on to other Authors The principles of the doctrine of Christ They are the fundamentall verities which being first learned do help us to proceed in Christian Religion Let us go on unto perfection The principles rightly understood and applyed will by degrees carry us on from one verity to another till we come at the deepest mysteries of Christianity and into a full body where being once arrived we are at perfection even at a fulnesse and ripenesse in the knowledge of Christ Not laying againe the foundation The foundation is the first principles of Christianity which are as it were a foundation of that edifice of doctrines wherein the perfect knowledge of God and Christ consisteth Now to lay this foundation is either to teach these principles if we follow the former sense or to learne them if we follow the latter And to lay this foundation againe is to initiate these principles anew from the beginning and for a man to become the Disciple of Christ a second time after once he had deserted the verities of them whereof supposing the latter sense he would have the Hebrewes to beware for they were neere approaching to this mischiefe and lest they should fall into it the Author excites them very seriously For they had not as yet altogether deserted the Christian faith as appeares partly from this whole Epistle and partly from a passage at the ninth verse of this chapter where he saith that he is perswaded better things of them then of those he meanes who after the knowledge of the truth have relapsed and revolted from it and lastly in that he continues to exhort them to constancy in Christianity Of repentance from dead workes He being to explicate this foundation of Christianity and layes severall parts of it whereof the first is repentance But because in this place as we have said he treates of laying the foundation not in regard of Christian life but of Christian doctrine as it appeares by the words following of resurrection of the dead and eternall life which may be repeated againe in respect of the doctrine or learning of them Therefore here to lay the foundation of repentance is either to teach or learne the doctrine of repentance and in like manner the doctrine of faith in God of the resurrection of the dead and of eternall judgement All which doctrines are the principles of Christian discipline and as it were the foundation of all other Christian verities Dead workes are deadly workes such as bring and continue death upon the agent And repentance from these deadly workes which is a principle of Christianity includes not onely a sorrow of minde that thou hast committed deadly workes but also and much rather the effect of that sorrow which is a course of minde and life far diverse from the former For repentance is sometimes distinguished from that sorrow as the effect from the cause See 2 Cor. 7.9,10 And of faith towards God What that is the Author shews afterward chap. 11. 2. Of the doctrine of baptismes and the laying on of hands These words may be taken two wayes either as they signifie some part of the foundation distinct from the parts both preceding and following namely from the doctrine of repentance and faith of the resurrection and eternall judgement or else as added by way of apposition for amplification sake q.d. which doctrines of repentance and faith belong to those that are baptized and that receive Imposition of hands If we follow the former sense and take them for parts of the foundation to signifie the doctrine of Baptismes and of Imposition of hands then first it may be demanded what that doctrine is The Answer is that doctrine consisteth chiefly in shewing what baptismes and imposition of hands signifie and to what ends they are used And these doctrines are therefore accounted among the principles of Christianity because they were used from the beginning of the Church to initiate men into Christ and therefore it was needfull that the Disciples of Christ should at first be instructed in them and be taught their end and scope Secondly it may be demanded why he mentions baptismes in the plurall number as if he intended many although the Syriake translation render it baptisme in the singular number seeing Christians received but one baptisme of water for repentance Resp This was therefore done either because he spake in respect of them that were baptised who because they were many made also many baptismes or else because he respected both the baptisme of John who was the forerunner of Christ and the baptisme of the Apostles the followers of Christ especially that wherewith the Apostles baptised after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ For the Baptisme of John was the baptisme of Repentance for the remission of sinnes which was used as a signe and a pledge of future repentance for the forgivenesse of sinnes because by washing it resembled repentance and remission of sinnes For both these are a washing from the filth of sin repentance is a washing from the acts of it and remission from the guilt and paine of it Repentance was signified as the baptisme of those that were baptised of their owne
that benefit of such efficacie and power as to containe the people in their duty perpetually after And therefore it is apparent that the Holy Ghost intended some other sense farre more excellent In the literall sense then that remission must bee understood to bee really performed for the taking away of their temporall punishment but in the mysticall sense it must be understood of Gods promise to be performed in due time for the releasing especially of eternall death under condition of repentance as the nature of the new Covenant requires it And hence it is why the Iews being afterward forgetfull of this divine benefit as of a thing past did againe fall into divers sinnes and forsake Gods law But the Christian or the people of the new covenant may be excited to do their duty perpetually and serve God cheerfully to the end they may at last really obtaine the blessing promised them a right whereto they now enjoy and not make themselves unworthy of it by their own fault 13. In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old By these words he shewes that the old Covenant is in a manner condemned and rejected For when God saith hee will make a new Covenant he thereby antiquates and abrogates the old Whence it plainely appeares that the old Covenant was in it selfe blameable and faultie and therefore contained no great and excellent promises in it And from hence it is most manifest that the new Covenant is cleerly different from the old neither differs it onely in perspicuity and cleernesse as many men beleeye but in the very promises and conditions of it Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the former words he inferres by the way that the old Covenant although at that time it seemed to bee of force among the Jewes and to stand while their Temple and their state were standing yet by little and little it grew to decay as a thing waxing old and already antiquated of God For that which waxeth old though it bee yet for a time extant and appeare yet after a while it will wholly decay and vanish seeing to wax old is nothing else but by little and little to be destroyed and abolished This the Authour doth ominate of Moses Covenant and the event was answerable to his prediction For not long after the Temple and State of the Jews was overthrowne whereupon the Mosaick religion and the publike worship of God prescribed in the old Covenant did fall and vanish so that at this day there appeares nothing of it but onely some relicks and shatters in the tolerated Synagogues of that scattered Nation The Contents of this eighth Chapter are 1. Doctrine Christ is a greater Priest then any of the legall Priests verse 1. Reason 1. Because he is set at the right hand of Gods throne whereas the legall Priest stood before the Mercy-seat which was but the shadow of Gods throne verse 1. 2. Because Christ Ministers in the true heavenly Sanctuary whereof the legall Sanctuary was but a shadow verse 2. 3. Because Christ offers himselfe to God a gift and sacrifice whereof the legall offerings were but shadows verse 3. 4. 4. Because Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises then the former verse 6. 2. Doctine The Gospel or new Covenant is better then the old legall Covenant verse 6. Reason 1. Because the Gospel hath a better Mediatour so much as Christ is better then Moses verse eod 2. Because the Gospel is established upon better promises eod 3. Because the old Covenant was faulty for God found fault with it as weak and unprofitable verse 7. 8. 4. Because the Gospel hath better Lawes for they are written in the mindes and hearts of the faithfull ver 10. 5. Because the Gospel breeds an universall knowledge of God in all men from the least to the greatest verse 11. 6. Because the Gospel allowes an universall pardon of all sinnes whatsoever v. 12. 7. Because the new Covenant doth antiquate and abolish the old v. ult CHAPTER IX 1. THen verily the first Covenant The particle then for therefore shewes that these words so follow the former that in a manner they are deduced or inferred from them Yet they seem not inferred from the words immediatly preceding though they have some connexion even with them also but rather from the words neer the beginning of the former chapter where the Author made a comparison of Christ with the legall Priests and affirmed that their Tabernacle their Ministery and offerings to God were but terrene shadows of that heavenly Sanctuary wherein Christ doth minister and offer himselfe to God and therefore that the Priesthod of Christ was farre more excellent then theirs To this point he seemes now to returne and to handle a little more largely what before hee had but briefly touched concerning the ministery and service of the legall Priests The word first in the originall hath no substantive with it wherewith to agree yet must not be referred to the Tabernacle as some copies translate it for it hath a cleare reference to the Covenant which in the last verse of the former chapter is called the first and here againe repeated so for by this reference of it all things wil most rationally correspond and comply both with the preceding and subsequent passages Had also ordinances of divine service Ordinances are institutes i. Arbitrary and positive Lawes or precepts depending on the sole will and pleasure of the Law-maker or ordainer to determine any action for the manner and other circumstances which in it selfe and by the Law of nature is indifferent and may be done many wayes to be notwithstanding performed after some one way For Gods Covenant doth not containe promises only which are to be performed on Gods part solely but they also comprehend Commandements and Precepts of services and duties to be performed on our part which we if we enter the Covenant must promise and covenant to performe as God on his part doth covenant to performe his promise The matter or subject of these ordinances was divine service how God should be publikly worshipped and served The true nature of divine worship and service The originall word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies worship and not service for worship and service in reference to God though by most Interpreters on the holy Scriptures they bee confounded and put indifferently each for other yet indeed their natures are very different and contradistinct For worship properly signifies any holy reverence which by some lowly gesture we performe to God as by standing up bowing downe kneeling downe or falling downe before him whereof the Scriptures afford us many examples But service properly signifies any holy action performed immediatly to the honour of God as prayer praise thanksgiving and sacrificing whereof also the examples are frequent in Scripture and particularly all the Ministery of the legall Priesthood by offering
doctrines of it 14. But strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect of full age Having said that strong meat must not be given to babes now on the contrary he shewes to whom it must be given namely to them that are adulted or perfect in age For the perfect or adulted who are of age are here opposed to infants and babes and so they are opposed 1. Cor. 14.20 and Ephes 4.13.14 Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised Those is not any note of distinction to difference some perfect or adulted persons from others but a note of explication to shew the cause of his assertion For the Author shews the cause or reason why onely strong meat is to be given to the perfect or them of full age and to them only The reason is because they only have their sensories or organs of their sences exercised as their eyes tongue and palate whereby they can easily discerne and judge of strong meat which is good and wholsome for them and contrarily which is evil and hurtfull These sensories of their eyes tongue and palate they have exercised through practise and custome in seeing touching and tasting of meates To discerne both good and evil These words are not to be taken in a Morall sense but a Physicall He that is of perfect or full age and hath been accustome to make severall trials of severall meats can easily finde by experience what meats doe agree with his stomack and what not for they that are agreeing and nourishing to him they are good and wholsome for him they which doe not are evil and hurtfull Which difference of meats being first tryed inwardly in his stomack hee will afterward easily discerne by his outward sences and particularly by his eye which upon sight of any meats will easily judge of them before hee taste them To these perfect or full aged persons they are resembled who have their mindes exercised and trained with frequent and daily meditations of things divine who have tasted divers doctrines as it were severall meats and have digested the knowledge of many divine mysteries who have gotten a custome or habite of minde whereby they can easily discerne and judge what doctrine is true and what false which is consequent to Christian religion and which is repugnant This discretion they onely have attained who can comprehend in their minde as it were a body of Christian religion and stick not onely in the first principles of it The Contents of this fifth Chapter are 1. Every high Priest is ordained for men v. 1. Reason 1. Because hee is a Mediatour for men to God in things pertaining to God eod 2 Because he must offer gifs and sacrifices for the sins of men eod 2. Every high Priest must have compassion on mens ignorances and infirmities v. 2. Reason 1. Because he himselfe is subject to ignorances and infirmities eod 2. Because he must offer for his owne ignorances and infirmities as well as for the peoples v. 3. 3. No high Priest must take the high-Priesthood to himselfe v. 4 Reason 1. Because he must be called of God as was Aaron eod 4. Christ is truely a high Priest v. 5. Reason 1. Because he tooke not this Priest-hood to himselfe but was called of God to be a perpetuall high Priest after the terme of Melchisedec ver eod and 6. 2. Because Christ offered for his owne infirmities in sufferings v. 7. 3. Because being saved from death he becomes the Author of eternall salvation to all that obey him 5. The Mysteries concerning Christs high Priest-hood were hard to be uttered to the Hebrewes v. 11. Reason 1. Because they were dull of hearing eod 2. Because though long taught they had not yet learned the principles of Christianity 3. Because the Mysteries of Christs Priest-hood was too strong meat for their unexercised mindes CHAPTER VI. 1. THerefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ There is a double sence of these words found among Interpreters and thereupon a double way of their coherence with the former Chapter For it is plaine that the words are inferd from thence as the particle therefore shewes Both sences of the words seeme to require that they be taken in a Rhetoricall communication but in a contrary manner For either the Authour speakes personally here of himselfe and saith that himselfe in this place will leave the principles of the Doctrine of Christ and proceed to explicate more sublime Mysteries comprehended therein or else hee admonisheth them to whom hee writes that they leaving those Principles would proceed to a fuller knowledge in Christianitie We rather approve of the former sence as followed by many learned men yet because the latter is not to be despised therefore we shall explicate them both If therefore we receive the first sence the Author seemes to say Therefore I will leave to speake further of the principles of Christianity and draw toward the perfection of it and propose deeper mysteries in it for I will not lay againe the foundation of Repentance to be practised and of Faith to relye on God neither will I deliver the doctrine of Baptismes of Imposition of hands of the Resurrection of the dead and of eternall life Upon which verities as upon principles and foundations the doctrines of Repentance and faith in God is raised and built up These principles I will not handle againe for it is enough that they have beene propounded once although I refuse not to handle them againe if God permit Which I therefore speake because it is impossible for those who were once enlightned c. to renew them againe unto repentance If we follow this sence all points will agree well enough yet in the coherence onely there will seeme some difficulty For some man may object Seeing the Author said in the former chapter that those Hebrewes had need to be taught againe the very principles of Religion to be nourished with milke and not with meate How can he from this inferre that therefore he will leave the principles and the milke to propose strong meate and deeper mysteries seeing rather he should inferre the quite contrary This difficulty may easily be salved if we say that the coherence of these words must be referred to the eleventh verse of the former chapter where the Author said He had many things to say and hard to be uttered of Christ his high Priesthood That in reference to these words he might inferre Therefore leaving the principles let us go on to perfection So that all the intermediate verses betweene the eleventh of the former chapter and the beginning of this which were added occasionally to excite the Hebrewes to a diligent attention must be read as it were in a parenthesis If then we follow this sence we must say that the Author in the first part of this chapter doth affirme that he will proceed in explicating the mysteries of Christs Priesthood notwithstanding the Hebrewes by reason of their slownesse and
that have once beene Christians and have ceased to be so Vnto repentance So as they performe the acts of repentance by changing their minde into a better frame and by condemning their former resolution to resume that Religion again which once they have wickedly rejected and then to compose their life according to the rules of it Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh In these words hee shewes the matter wherein this falling away consists or rather the foul wickednesse cleaving to it and therefore what good cause there is why God wil not have such persons renewed to repentance To crucifie the Son of God is a damnable wickednesse how much more is it so to crucifie him afresh after he is now become glorious immortall and Lord of all things To themselves They doe not crucifie him afresh really and properly for that cannot be but to themselves In respect of themselves they doe it for their falling away from the Christian Religion is all one as if they crucified Christ for by their falling away they judge and condemne him againe to have been a seducer a teacher of false doctrines and so to have been deservedly crucified And put him to an open shame They cast a publike ignominy and reproach upon him as is done to those who undergo a publike and infamous punishment This very wickednesse the Author expresseth in other words signifying the same thing chap. 10.29 where he saith They tread under foot the Sonne and account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing 7. For the earth He illustrates and withall confirmes his former assertion by an argument partly of similitude and partly of contrariety For while he shews what is done to good men that are fruitfull of good workes he shews withall what befalls men forgetfull of Gods benefits conferred upon them and ungratefull to him This simily hee proposeth in a concise and contracted forme of speech confounding and mingling the members of it as is frequently done both in Sacred and prophane Writers For hereupon he seems to say of the earth that because it is fruitfull therefore it receives blessing from God which cannot be said properly but only by way of compatison For God doth not blesse the earth with fruits as a reward of her fruitfulnesse for the blessing of God upon the earth is the inriching her with fruits as appears by the words of Isaac to Jacob Gen. 27.27 See the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed But because a fruitfull soile is tilled the more diligently hence it is that it more plentifully abounds in fruits And as we have noted the Author spake in this manner because in the reddition this simily it is properly true For when a man becomes like a fruitfull soile and abounds in the fruits of good workes then he receives ablessing from God in reward of his godlinesse Which drinketh in the raine that often commeth upon it The raine that often moisteneth the earth is like the gifts of God showred downe upon men whereof he treated ver 4.5 which are therefore fitly resembled to the raine often falling on the earth because they are manifold and plenteous sufficient to moisten the soul of man and make it spiritually fertill to produce divers fruits of good workes The raine may also resemble the frequent and daily preaching of Gods word which when it is preached is like a showre streaming downe from heaven to water and fructifie the soule of man But the former resemblance is more full and more fit to the point And bringeth forth hearbs meet for them for whom it is dressed The various fruits of vertue and workes acceptable to God done according to his Laws doe resemble those hearbs which the earth brings forth meet for them that dresse it or rather meet for them at whose charge and for whose sake it is dressed namely for the Lord of the soile to whom the fruits and revenues of it doe belong and accrue who in the reddition of the simily is God Hence the Apostle saith We are Gods labourers ye are Gods tillage yee are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Is dressed The earth besides the falling of raine upon it must have a diligent tilling or dressing For the raine alone is not sufficient to make the earth fruitfull in hearbs meet for the Owner of it unlesse it be also dressed by plowing or digging weeding and dunging Hence the vine-dresser pleaded for the barren fig-tree Lord let it alone this yeere also till I shall dig about it and dung it Luke 13.8 So also God doth not onely water our soules with his gifts as with frequent and seasonable showres but also affords us a diligent and various dressing by the labour of his Ministers to instruct exhort reprove and comfort us Receaveth blessing from God Why the Authour speakes thus of the earth and what that blessing is in reference to the earth we have shewed already in the enterance of this verse But in reference to men fruitfull in good workes this blessing of God signifies both a multiplying of his spirituall gifts in this life for to him that hath shall bee given saith Christ and every branch that beareth fruit God prunes it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15.2 and also chiefly the gift of eternall happinesse in the life to come For then God blesseth a man when he makes things to goe well with him but better things can never go with us then when he makes us eternally blessed and happy 8 But that which beareth thornes and briars That earth which is watered with frequent rain and diligently dressed doth not withstanding beare thornes and briars Whence it appeares that here the Author hath reference to men who have received the knowledge of divine truth as the assertion it selfe requires for proofe whereof he alledgeth these words and to such men who for no small time have been endowed with divers gifts and diligently dressed of God These thornes and briars are all sorts of evill workes which have no use but for evil for hence the Apostle calls them unfruitfull workes Ephes 5.11 Among which Apostasie or defection from Christ leads the first ranke And from this simily it is manifest that the judgement or punishment which expects apostates doth also wait for them who have affinity with apostates whom we mentioned before who after knowledge of the truth and after so many gifts and benefits bestowed by God upon them are yet indulgent to their sinnes and without all endeavour of a better life conformable to Gods lawes Is rejected In the originall is reprobated For no man is willing to labour in vain and to weary himselfe with fruitlesse workes When a piece of land hath been dressed and dunged with all labour and care and yet in stead of fruits bringeth forth nothing but thorns and briars and other weeds that yeeld no profit to the husbandman the manner is for men to meddle no more with
apply our minde to this hope because it is the onely refuge we have in all our dangers and distresses In all these words the heires of the promise are described 19. Which we have as an anchor of the soule He now explicates the simily which before he had but intimated Our hope of eternall salvation he compares to a firme and strong anchor and our soule supported by this hope he likens to a ship riding at anchor Our hope of eternall salvation is an anchor to our soule because as long as our soule is held by this anchor it is not beaten with any tempests of miseries nor broken with rocks and flats and therefore in no danger of being wrecked Both sure and stedfast These be the chiefe qualities of a good anchor first that the cable be sure and breake not and then that the anchor be stedfast and come not home For if the anchor faile in either of these respects the ship is in danger to be lost And an anchor indeed doth many times faile for either it comes home or the cable breakes but the anchor of our hope can never faile and therefore we may assure our selves upon it And which entreth into that within the vaile That an anchor may be sure and stedfast this also is required in it that being fastened to the ship it sinke downe to the bottome of the sea and that there it lye not upon the face of the ground but pierce deepe within the ground The like quality is in the anchor of our hope all the difference is that the anchor of the ship falls downeward but the anchor of our hope flies upward and reacheth unto heaven it selfe and pierceth inwardly into the very closets of it The Author would rather signifie heaven by the word vaile then call it by the pâ—oper name because he would prepare himselfe a passage or rather a returne to his intended treatise of Christs Priesthood from whence hitherto he had digressed For having made mention of the vaile that hanged in the Sanctuary and parted it from the Oracle or most holy place he presently takes occasion to speake of the high Priest whose pâ—oper office it was to enter within that vaile into the most holy place And therefore he adds 20. Whither the fore-runner is for us entred Thus hee speakes of Christ that withall he may tacitly shew the cause why our hope should flye so high and enter into heaven namely because our forerunner Jesus Christ is entred there and entred there for us He calls Christ our fore-runner because he is the guide of our journey thither and goes before leading thither the whole Army of Saints He as soone as he entered heaven drew thither our hope with him Neither did he enter heaven as a bare guide to us in our journey thither to shew us the way thither onely by his example that we might not stray or faile of the right path but he entred heaven also as a haâ—binger there to prepare a place for us that should follow him for so he testisies of himselfe in saying In my Fathers house are many mansions c. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come agâ—ine and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also John 14.2,3 This the Author also teacheth us by saying for us Christ is entred heaven for us even for our sakes to procure unto us eternall salvation and happinesse there Even Iesus made a high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech In that Christ is made our heavenly and eternall high Priest therefore eternall salvation is obtained for us For it cannot be but so great a high Priest doth fully expiate our sins doth turne away from us all Gods wrath and whatsoever punishments we have deserved doth procure us eternall life which is the promised effect of Gods favour especially seeing our salvation is in his hand and left to his dispose For hence it comes to passe that our hope doth raise it selfe up unto heaven and hides it selfe with Christ in the mansions of it and therefore doth so firmely support our soules that they cannot be wrecked with any stormes of evils And so the Author makes entrance to his intended treatise of Christ Priesthood which followes in the next Chapter The Contents of this sixth Chapter are 1. Doctrine Christian Religion hath her principles verse 1. Reason 1. Because she hath some doctrines that are foundations that must be laid as grouds eod 2. Because she hath doctrines that are Initiations wherein they are instructed that are initiated into Christ by Baptisme and laying on of hands verse 2. 2. Doctrine The notions of a true Christian are severall verse 4. Reason 1. To be enlightned with saving knowledge 2. To be sensible of peace of minde 3. To partake of the holy Ghost 4. To be affected with Gods promise of salvation 5. To be delighted with the endowments which eternall life brings with it verse 5. 4. Doctrine Apostates that fall away cannot be restored by repentance v. 6. Reason 1. Because they crucifie Christ againe v. 6. 2. Because such are reprobated and rejected by God as barren ground is by the husbandman v. 8. 5. Comfort The Hebrewes were in the state of salvation v. 9. Reason 1. Because they shewed workes and labours of love in ministring to the Saints 6. Exhort We must be diligent to assure our salvation v. 11. Reason 1. Because we must be followers of those that did assure themselves by faith and patience as Abraham v. 12 13. 2. Because God hath assured it by promise to the faithfull who are the spirituall seed of Abraham v. 13 14. 3. Because God hath assured it by his oath wherewith he confirmed his promise and consequently it is assured us by two things immutable 7. Doctrine When God sweares he sweares by himselfe v. 13. Reason 1. Because he hath none greater then himselfe by whom to sweare eod 8. Doctrine Hope is an anchor to the soule v. 19. Reason 1. Because hope keeps the soule sure and stedfast in all the troubles and stormes of this life ibid. 2. Because it entereth into heaven where Christ is fore-entred for us CHAPTER VII 1. FOr this Melchisedec The particle for shews that the Author would give a reason of his last words in the former Chapter why Christ is said to be made a Priest after the order of Melchisedec namely because between Melchisedec and Christ there is a great convenience and likenesse For Melchisedec had a name and a kingdome most agreeable to that of Christ he was a person of so great dignity that he exceeded the Patriarch Abraham himselfe and lastly in the order of his Priesthood he was like unto Christ King of Salem It is manifest that Salem was a City so called wherein Melchisedec reigned For we cannot assent to them who say that he was not truly king of Salem but onely called so because his
Commandements of Christ Strictly as it eminently signifies the most grievous sin of Apostacie which is a falling away from the Christian Religion or rather infidelity in generall whereto if by way of difference yee adde what the Author presently addeth after knowledge of the truth received ye have the definition of Apostacie For Apostacie is an Infidelity that followes after faith or a desertion of the faith and a rejection of the truth once knowne and received So John 16.9 Christ by the word sinne seems eminently to understand Infidelity The latter sense is favoured 1. In that the Author ver 28. following being to prove that men sinning after the manner here specified shall by no meanes escape the judgement of God seemes to draw his argument from them who wholy rejected Gods Law and turned to false Gods of whom wee read Deut. 17. and whom no men resemble neerer then they who fall away from Christ and his most holy Religion 2. In that it seems proper to Apostates to tread under foot the Son of God and to account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing for this is incompatible to them who constantly adhering to the Christian Religion are notwithstanding fallen into some single sin or vice 3. In that this place seems most alike to that Chap. 6.4 where we have said the Author speaks properly of Apostates But the former sense is also favoured 1. In that the word Sinne hath a generall signification and perhaps every where for words must not be restrained within the use of speech when no reason constraines it And the word Sinne in the place of John 16.9 hath of it selfe a generall signification though afterward it be specified and explicated in particular what kinde of sin he there understands 2. From the occasion and scope of the Author For before he had admonished them to exhort one another and now he shews what great danger will or at least may come of it if this action be neglected namely that they may wilfully sinne after they have received the knowledge of the truth and so involve themselves into a heavy judgement And seeing the Exhortation is at large as must bee used as a remedy against all kinde of sinnes why therefore should not that sin which the Author faith might easily arise from the neglect of exhortation be extended largely also Now in answer of the reasons brought for the other sense To the first we say that the Authors argument seems drawne from all them who sinned against the Law with a high hand of whom there is a place Numb 15.30,31 But the soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be borne in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that soule shall be cut off from among his people Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his Commandement that soule shall surely be cut off his miquity shall be upon him For to despise the Law here in this Author is the same with despising the word of the Lord and breaking his Commandement with Moses in Numbers Here to sinne wilfully and there to doe presumptuously are all one And here shall dye without mercy and there he shall surely be cut off are all one for what is this else but not to spare not to shew any mercy To the second we say That he doth tread under foot the Son of God and account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing who dares violate the Covenant which is published by Christ and established by his bloud or dares as much as in him lyes to irritate or dissolve it that it may be void and of no effect by committing those sinnes which by the Covenant are punished by death and damnation To the third we say That this place is not so altogether like that Chap. 6.4 but that there appears a plaine unlikenesse For there both the scope and occasion of the words and the word it selfe of falling away compared with the matter preceding doe all declare that the Author properly speaks of Apostacie but here as we have seene the scope and occasion of the words tend another way Wherefore we must conclude that the former acception of the word Sin which includes in it also the latter is rather to bee received Although amongst those sinnes Apostacie holds the first place and thereto the Author hath reference chiefly but not only The word wilfully as we have said seems to signifie the same sinne that the Scriptures of the Old Testament call presumptuously and so committed in contempt of Gods Majesty or by hautinesse and pride of minde and this kinde of sinne is opposed to sinnes committed either out of ignorance or infirmity Wherefore it notes unto us those kinde of sinnes which are wittingly advisedly and purposely and so argue a meer malice of mind Such under the New Testament are accounted all vitious habits and customes of sinning and persevering in evill-doing as also all heynous and foule wickednesses done wittingly and advisedly For infirmity or humane frailty cannot be pretexed for such sinnes especially among Christians After that we have received the knowledge of the truth Sinnes wilfully and wittingly committed before the knowledge of the truth are of another nature then those that follow that knowledge for the Sacrifice of Christ was ordained to expiate the former but for the expiation of the latter there is no other sacrifice to be expected as wee shall heare afterward For crimes or foule sinnes committed after the knowledge of the truth are far more heynous then those done in ignorance of it and the malice of man appeares far greater in those then in these though otherwise the facts may be equall Therefore it more agrees with the equity and wisdome of God to grant a meanes for the expiation of those then of these and consequently to pardon those and not these There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes In these words is expressed the miserable estate of those who after knowledge of the truth received sinne in the manner we have said namely that seeing the sacrifice and offering of Christ did not profit them there remaines no other wherby their sinnes may be expiated But the sacrifice and offering of Christ profited them not because they are relapsed into their former sinnes and bring not forth fruit worthy of faith and repentance For upon this condition only it is that the sacrifice and offering of Christ bringeth salvation to them who live after their knowledge of the truth and their reception of the Christian faith For sins committed before the knowledge of the truth may be washed away by faith only in Christ and the profession of it and a purpose and as it were a covenant of living holily afterward but sins done after such knowledge are no otherwise washed away but by an actuall and totall desertion or forsaking of them and by inducing in their roome all Christian virtues as fruits of the Spirit and of faith For this is it
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
is manifest what we are to thinke of that repentance and sorrow of minde as they call it which appears in persons dying who while they lived and were healthy followed their sinnes or as the Author said before sinned willingly after they had received the knowledge of the truth For upon their death-bed the time of a true fruitfull repentance is past and they are called as it were to the tribunall of Gods judgement For although it is better even then to sue also for Gods mercy with tears and cryes then by casting away of all hope to doe nothing at all for the compassing of mercy yet by force of the new Covenant it death follow and no time granted them for the putting off the old man with his workes and putting on the new they cannot be saved Therefore such have need of some extraordinary grace and favour from God which we have reason to think befals but a few and to none of those who lived prophanely as Esau did 18. For ye are not come Here begins another part of the Chapter wherein the Author useth a new argument to perswade them from falling from the Grace of God and Religion of Christ and from being so prophane as to be more indulgent to fornications uncleannesses and other sinnes then to enjoy that happinesse whereto they have gotten a right by their faith in Christ For he shewes of what great priviledges they are made partakers by receiving the Religion of Christ and this he doth by framing of a comparison of them with those things which long since befell to their ancestours in the publishing of the Law at Mount Sinai And withall he doth tacitly disparage that glorious and terrible manner wherein the Law was proclaimed which happily was no small motive to the Hebrewes to think that they were not to forsake the Law whose proclamation was performed with such Majesty Having shewed the great benefits accruing by the Gospell he thence infers that they ought with all their endeavour to obey the voice of the Gospell otherwise they shall fall upon terrible and infallible judgements not amoveable by any tears and cryes First therefore he mentions the things that of old happened to the Israelites at the publication of the Law and afterward to them he opposeth the things happening to Christians at the publication of the Gospell For saith he ye are not come to the Mount that might be touched Ye came not namely then when ye were initiated unto Christ and were made members or subjects unto him as our ancestors came long since when they became bound to the rules of the Law And the things whereto the Israelites then came he shews to be partly contemptible partly terrible Mount Sinai was a thing contemptible which hee therefore termes the tractable Mount or the Mount that might be touched not only because it might be so but because it often had been so for many times it had been both touched and trampled on both by men and beasts whereto it was no lesse exposed then any other Mountaine The Israelites came to this Mount because by Gods command they were assembled at the foot of it that there they might hear God delivering the Law from the Mount And that burned with fire But the rest of the things that hereupon he mentions are very terrible for the Mount burned with fire which was so great and so high that it burned up unto heaven as the sacred History relates it Nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest By blacknesse we may understand that thicke cloud wherein God is said to have descended and the darknesse was the great shadow which was caused by the overspreading of that cloud which being extremely thick must needs induce an extraordinary darknesse And the Tempest was not by any violence of windes and raine as by lightnings and thunders which rush with as much violence as windes in a tempest and many times are accompained with a tempest All things were composed and suted to inject feare and terror for from the thicke cloud and the darkenesse that it caused there issued forth a horrible burning of fire the lightnings shined out and the thunders clapped and besides the thunders was a noise more fearefull for the noise of a trumpet that sounded long and loud and by degrees rose lowder and lowder filled the whole ayre and that nothing might want for rerrour the whole Mount from the top to the bottome trembled and quaked to the extreme amazement of the people 19. And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words The words were the commandements of the Law and the voice was the voice of God wherewith the words of the Law were uttered from the top of the Mount out of the midst of the fire For after that the whole multitude summoned by the sound of the trumpet stood at the foote of the Mount ready to heare the Law then God with a voice undoubtedly no lesse terrible then the sound of the trumpet published his will in the Law For how terrible Gods voice was hereby it appeares in that the Israclites supplicated that God would speake no more unto them For so it followeth in the rest of the verse Which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more The voice of God was so terrible to the people that thereby they were afraid of their lives and therefore entreated Moses that if there were any more to be spoken he would speake it and not God lest say they we dye See Exod. 20.18,19 and Deut. 5.25,26 20. For they could not endure that which was commanded If these words cohere with the words immediately following in the verse and if so much as a beast touch the Mountaine it shall be stoned c. So that these words be taken for that which was commanded and which the people could not endure wee may well doubt how this agrees with the Sacred history from whence no such things seemes to appeare that the people therefore deprecated Gods further speech unto them because they feared that command of not touching the Mount and could not endure it as a thing too grievous and dangerous to them but rather therefore because they were terribly afraid of that fire out of which God spake and because they imagined that God could not long speake with man but that man unable to beare the voice and majesty of God must needs dye as appeares by their words to Moses See Deut. 5.24,25,26 Yet because by their words there it is manifest that they feared to be consumed by the fire out of which God spake it seemes that it could proceed from no other reason but because they were afraid they might easily offend God and provoke him whereupon that fire would take hold of them For why otherwise should they be so afraid of that fearefull but harmelesse fire which hurt Moses nothing at all And wherein could they sooner and more easily offend God then if any of them