whence it runnes and the marke of it whereto it runnes Consider Iesus Christ Ye six your mindes and hearts upon Moses to consider him in all particulars consider also Jesus Christ The Apostle and high Priest of our profession Our profession is our Religion whereby we professe to serve God and to be saved Of this our Religion Christ is the great Prophet the grand Apostle Emissary or Legate or the first Messenger of it because he was the first that was sent from God to bring it into the world and to publish or preach it unto men For every Prophet sent with a message immediatly from God is therefore an Apostle And of this our Religion Christ is the high Priest or chiefe President to order it because he perpetually administers and officiates all things pertaining to it and because by him all the professors of it have their accesse to God because hee expiates and purgeth away their sins and because hee takes care that all things pertaining to divine worship be rightly performed in the Temple of God dedicate to this Religion For in this place the Author remarkably calls Christ by the name of high Priest because anciently the high Priests were Presidents over the Temple and holy things of God From both these offices thus united in Christ appears his transcendent dignity For anciently there was an Apostle or Prophet of the Jewish Religion who was Moses for he first taught and published it but then among them there was another high Priest who was Aaron and his Successors But Christ alone in one person was both the Apostle and high Priest of our profession But in this place we must ampliate extend the word high Priest so largely that it may also comprehend the Regall dignity or office of Christ For it is not likely that the Author in this breviate of Christs offices would wholly omit the chiefest especially in this place where hee would move them to consider Christ especially when he had before tearmed him such a high Priest as was able to succour them that are tempted which thing belongs also to his Regall power and had in the first chapter so lively expressed his Regall dignity by severall testimonies of Scripture 2. Who was faithfull to him that appointed him It had been enough to move the Hebrewes to consider Christ by what the Author had delivered before in preferring him above the Angels by severall arguments of reason and testimonies of Scripture but the Author not content with this doth here single out Moses and equall Christ with him because the Hebrewes had Moses in high esteeme opposing him to Christ and preferring him before Christ The particular wherein he equals Christ with Moses is the faithfulnesse of Christ and he instanceth the rather in this particular because that when God gave a singular commendation of Moses the Lord instanced in the particular of his faithfulnesse to God He therefore declares that Christ was as faithfull to God as ever Moses was Now the faithfulnesse of Christ relates to both his offices of high Legate or Apostle and high Priest The faithfulnesse of a Legate consists in these two things 1. That he deliver his Message wholly and truly according to his Commission 2. That he use all meanes to perswade and gaine faith to his Message especially if he be thereto enjoyned by him that sent him And the faithfulnesse of a high Priest is To provide all things pertinent to the worship of God and then to propitiate God toward those that worship him The person to whom Christ was thus faithfull was the supreme God who made him his Legate and high Priest by appointing him to the execution of these offices wherein he might exercise his singular faithfulnesse for Christ assumed not these offices of himselfe but was thereto appointed of God the Father as afterward more fully As also Moses was faithfull in all his house Moses was a great Prophet and Legate sent from God in so much that when Aaron and Miriam had spoken against him the Lord to publish his great esteeme of him would vindicate him by his owne mouth and thereupon preferres him before all other Prophets in that he would deale more familiarly with him then with any other for he would speake to others by visions and dreames and dark speeches but he would speake to Moses mouth to mouth even apparently and he should behold the similitude of the Lord of which dealing with Moses the Lord gives this reason because Moses was faithfull in all the Lords house Numb 12.6,7,8 In which words who sees not how highly God esteemed Moses above all other Prophets Now whether we take house for Gods Tabernacle or for his family yet Moses was most faithfull in both respects in that he neglected nothing that pertained to the care and good of either The summe is Lest by this singular testimony given by God to Moses for his faithfulnesse any man should hereby thinke that herein Moses was greater then Christ therefore the Author adornes Christ with the very same commendation of faithfulnesse that God had given to Moses that thereby hee might take from Moses all prerogative of his being above Christ in any thing and consequently inferres Christ equall to Moses 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses Having shewed that Christ was no way inferiour to Moses here he advanceth a degree higher and affirmes that Christ was much superiour to Moses and counted worthy of more honour that he might further move them to the consideration of Christ And yet more determinately that the honour of Christ is a great distance above that of Moses And the following words shew how much As much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house He properly builds the house that either frameth it himselfe or causeth it to be framed for himselfe for whosoever is the owner is properly the builder and not the mercenary who is hired to build it for another Now the builder is more honourable then the building for the Builder by his building becomes the Lord or Owner of it which is the first originall or naturall ground of honour And looke how much the builder is more honourable then the building though the degree be never so indefinite so much is Christ more honourable then Moses For Moses was but a part of the building in Gods family but Christ under God is the builder of his whole Church 4. For every house is builded by some man No house doth raise or build it selfe but is built or raised by some person or other who builds it himselfe for himselfe or causeth it to be builded for himselfe But he that hath built all things is God Here he expresseth what person he understands for the architect or builder of the house whereof he speakes namely that he meanes God himselfe Hence it appeares that the Authors minde was to say That Christ is so much more honourable then Moses as God is
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
let him seriously endeavour to be holy that is to sequester and seperate himselfe from the profane multitude of the world not onely in profession but in life and manners For he to whom this holines is wanting doth in vaine poor wretch flatter himselfe with the hope of happinesse 15. Looking ailigently Another part of our dutie is here declared Namely that wee should not onely have a diligent care of our owne lives but we should also be as it were visitors and overseers one of another that carrying a mutuall and common care for our common salvation we might so much the more easily and certainly attain it Left any man fall of the grace of God This is the thing against which we must provide and looke diligently that it happen not amongst us By this grace is understood the grace of the Gospel which is conveyed unto men by Christ then which no greater grace could possibly be done to mortall men That man is said to faile who either stands still under this grace or drawes backe from it as we saw before chap. 4.1 Such are all they who forsake the most sacred Religion of Christ and will follow his Standerd no longer Lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you The Authour here alludes to the words of Moses Deut. 29.18 Wherein he likewise speaketh of Apostats By root of bitternesse which is an Hebraisme for a bitter root he understands Apostats who are called bitter because both they themselves are bitter and unsavoury to God and to the godly and also because they bring forth fruit like themselves that is very bitter and sowre This root springeth up or groweth when a man dares utter unto others that Apostacie which he had before but conceived in his mind and onely cherished in his owne bosome or when it so increaseth and gathereth strength in one person that at last it spreads the infection of it upon others For the manner of it is for the most part to grow up and get strength by degrees as faith doth which is contrary to it for that which at the first is but small and weake doth afterward increase and strengthen And Apostacy doth breed trouble when it opposeth the growth of faith and a good life in others as plants and trees set too neere hinder one anothers growth or as weeds hinder the growth of corne Although the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to trouble and hinder a mans rest which Apostats also commit for they trouble the quiet and peace of the Church And thereby many be defiled Pollution or defiling in this place seems to be put for infection for many times by defiling a thing is infected So a garment defiled by the flesh is said to be infected or spotted Jude 23. by a Metaphor taken from the body and a garment thereby infected with the plague And hither wee may referre that which is said of the tongue that it defiles the whole body Jam. 3.6 where defiling seemes to be put for infecting for in this sense the Metaphor is the more elegant whereupon it is said a little after at the 8. verse that the tongue is full of deadly poison The same therefore might bee intended in this place if wee respect the sense of it For things properly are not defiled by rootes but infected for plants sometime doe infect plants by their mutuall contagion or touch of one another yea by their very shadow which they cast upon other plants But it may be the Authour receding from the Metaphor of roots doth relate unto the persons of whom he spake who by another Metaphor are said to be defiled as often as they are infected with errour or sinne 16. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau It is doubtfull whether both these the fornicator and profane person be to be referred to Esau Of Esaus fornication wee read nothing in the holy Scriptures unlesse wee referre hither his mariage with the women of Canaan against the manner and custome of those holy men who would not mingle their sons seasoned with the true worship of God with their daughters who were destitute of the knowledge of God Therefore they might account such mariage uncleane and incestuous And certainely we see God was provoked in this case and thereby induced to bring the flood upon the whole world Gen. 6.2 c. Besides we read in particular of the wives of Esau that they offended the minde of Isaac and Rebecca in so much that Rebecca said to Isaac I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. i. The wives of Esau if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these which are of the daughters of the land what good shall my life doe me Gen. 27.46 And Isaac calling Jacob to him charged him saying Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan Arise goe to Padan aram to the house of Bethuel thy mothers father and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mothers brother Gen. 28.1.2 See also in the same Chap. ver 6 7.8 For although Esaus wives might bee unpleasing and distastefull to Isaac and Rebecca by reason of their rudenesse insolencies and other vices yet it is more likely it was because they sprang from wicked parents and came from a prophane stocke wholly allien from the Religion and worship of the true God and were superstitiously addicted to religions false and impious It appears also indeed that the family of Bethuel and Laban himselfe whose daughters Jacob afterward married was with all his houshold given to Idolatry and the worship of false gods and was so bred from his very ancestors as appears Gen. 31.19,30,32 and Joshua 24.2 yet it sufficiently appears also that in that family the knowledge and worship of the true God also was not wholly extinct as in the time of Ahab it was not wholly extinct in the Kingdome of Israel see Gen. 24.50,51 and Gen. 29.32,33 and Gen. 30.6,27 and Gen. 31.16,24,49,50 But the Canaanites where wholly ignorant and void of the true God And what difference there is between those who wholly renouncing the worship of the true God serve only false gods and idols and those who joyne the worship of the true God with idolatry and the worship of false gods doth easily appeare from 2 King 17.24 and so on to the end Wherefore although Labans daughters were not free from the worship of false gods as appears from the passage formerly cited Gen. 31.19,32 and Gen. 35.2 yet seeing they were also seasoned with the knowledge of the true God they were therefore the lesse prophane and came from a stocke the lesse wicked and seeing there could bee found no women better who were addicted only to the true Religion it was therefore most fit as the case stood that the sons of holy men should take their wives from these and wave the women of Canaan who were wholly prophane and wicked The
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