them such for Nature such for Office First For their Nature they are Spirits and a flame of sire for Office Angels and Ministers 1. They are Spirits that is spiritual and intellectual Creatures For whereas many think because Ruack in Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signify sometimes the Winds and that here the Angels are compared to the Winds for swiftness it 's poor For the word signifies the Soul of Man the Affections and Operations and the Mind it signifies also Angels both good and bad as they are spiritual and intellectual Substances 2. They are a flame of fire or flaming fire that is Seraphims bright glorious and excellent Creatures They are called Cherubims and Seraphims which are Spirits near unto the Throne of God ever in his presence like Princes tending upon his Majesty ready ever to do him Service and glorify him 1. God makes them and gives them an excellent Being and qualifies them and makes them fit to be his Servants 2. He makes them Servants and Officers to do him high and glorious Service 1. They must be Angels to know and declare his Will to those to whom he sends them 2. They must be Ministers to do and execute his Will He made them both their excellent Nature and their Office and both from him Here it might be noted that the Angels are not any kind of Servants but such as are in eminent place as Officers be yet Officers are but Servants and not Lords The Sum of all is that Angels though excellent Creatures are but Servants and Ministers and this the Apostle intended out of these words to prove § 16. Ver. 8 9. But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God c. Where we must consider 1. The Connexion 2. The Translation 3. The principal sense 4. The Scope of the Apostle 1. The Connexion is not copulative but discretive and implies an opposition and an eminency For Christ is here opposed to the Angels as Servants and Subjects are to Soveraigns as invested with a super-eminent Dignity and Power therefore the particle ω is well translated but. 2. The Translation is 1. Of the words of Allegation 2. Of the words alledged First Of the words of Allegation which may be translated either as they are here read To the Son he saith or as the former of the Son he saith or as for the Son he saith He that is God or the Psalmist or the Scripture or the Spirit by the Psalmist in the Scripture saith thus of the Son Secondly Of the words alledged the Translation is somewhat doubtful for they may be turned Thy Throne O God as they are commonly translated or Thy Throne is God as Genebrard ieforms us some Rabbins understand it or thy Throne of God and every one of these may be true 3. The genuine sense is this that the Power of Christ is from God a royal and divine Power for his Kingdom was not of this World but an heavenly Kingdom of universal and eternal continuance and of a perfect constitution and administration For because that he loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity so far as to be righteous and holy not only in life but death and by his death to expiate the sin of Man and to sanctify all that believe in him for ever therefore God even his God anointed him that is exalted him above all Kings and Prophets even above the Angels By Oyl of gladness is meant Oyl that maketh glad which here signifies not only the gifts but the power of the holy Spirit and to be anointed with this Oyl is not onely to receive gifts and ability but power and authority spiritual and divine and the same super-eminent above all power communicated to any other And this transcendent power was given him for his great and glorious Service in the work of Redemption by his Death and Sufferings 4. The Scope of the Apostle is to prove that Christ is more excellent than the Angels and the reason is strong they are but Messengers Ministers Servants God never made any of them an universal and eternal King but such he hath made Christ. The Apostle implies that the 45. Psalm speaks of Christ. § 17. Ver. 10 11 12. And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth c. How these words agree with the Scope of the Apostle so as to prove Christ to be more excellent than the Angels is difficult to understand They are taken out Psal. 102. The whole Psalm is a Prayer directed to God Redeemer by Christ the matter of the Petition is to hasten the coming of Christ and his glorious Kingdom the repair of the Church and the enlargement of it to all Nations that the People may be gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord that is the Lord Christ and that his Saints being mortal may be changed and inherit eternal life by that Lord Christ who shall destroy all Enemies consume the World with fire and eternally glorify the Saints The Propositions or divine Axioms contained in these words are 1. That Christ being Jehovah made the World 2. That Heaven and Earth created by him are mutable and shall be changed by him 3. That he is immutable and his Kingdom everlasting 4. That his Subjects and Servants though mortal shall enjoy eternal peace and happiness by him In all these things Christ is far above the Angels especially in this that he being Creator of the World shall be an everlasting King of an everlasting and unchangeable Kingdom Yet this is so to be understood that it doth not agree to Christ as the Word alone because as the Word alone he is not Redeemer nor to Christ as Flesh or Man alone for as such he could not create the World but it agrees unto him as the Word made Flesh and exalted at the right hand of God This may be considered either as a distinct proof from the former or a confirmation of the same in respect of his eternal Throne and Kingdom The Socinian upon this place 1. Denies Christ to be the Creator of the World and so to be God 2. Affirms that the intention of the Apostle is to prove Christ more excellent than the Angels onely by one thing in the words and that is by his secondary power to change Heaven and Earth which power God never gave unto the Angels And his design in all this was to cloud this place which so plainly affirms the Deity and immutable Being of Christ. 1. That Christ is the Creator of the World hath been clear from Joh. 1. 2 3. from the second Verse of this Chapter from Coloss. 1. 16. For Christ is not meerly Man as they affirm but the Word by which all things were made which in fulness of time was made flesh 2. That he that made the World is the same that shall change it and shall abide the same for ever For to create the World to change it to remain for ever are all affirmed of
ministreth unto you the spirit and worketh Miracles amongst you doth he it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Chap. 3. 5. Where he doth imply 1. That he did not so many and great Miracles amongst them to confirm the Doctrine of the Law but to confirm the Faith that is the Gospel 2. He did not minister the Spirit and gifts of the Holy Ghost by the preaching nor they receive the Spirit by the hearing of the Law but of the Gospel 3. That God to testify the excellency of the Gospel above the Law did concurr to work Miracles and give the Spirit in confirmation of the one not of the other Therefore if the Gospel in so many respects be more excellent then the Law then to let it slip to recede from it to neglect it is a far greater sin and therefore makes us obnoxious to far more grievous punishment So we are come to the principal Conclusion which is to take heed of departing from or neglecting of this Doctrine of so great Salvation § 8. The application of this is to be made unto all and every one who having the use of reason hath heard the Gospel Let every one of them seriously consider that God speaks in it he speaks not by Angels but his own Son it 's the most clear full and powerful Doctrine that ever was revealed from Heaven a Doctrine of eternal Salvation it 's confirmed by most glorious works and the excellent Gifts of the blessed Spirit It 's a discovery of profoundest wisdom a manifestation of greatest love and the last warning God will give No other knowledg so useful so excellent so absolutely necessary as this Therefore receive it readily lay it up in your hearts never forget ever remember it prize it never neglect it never depart from it If the love of God cannot perswade you let the fear of his eternal displeasure and the love of your own Salvation prevail with you What will you despise his sweetest mercy reject the tender of Salvation bring upon your selves eternal and unavoidable misery It will be the greatest Sin that you can commit and make you obnoxious to the greatest punishment if you shall refuse to hearken to this great Propher Shall the word of Angels transgressed be so severely punished and shall no Offender escape And shall the word of the eternal Son of God be disobeyed and any Offender guilty in this particular escape everlasting penalties Let not any slatter themselves and think to escape For how shall we escape if we neglect c Ver. 5. For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the World to come whereof we speak § 9. The words are difficult to be understood and must be explained before the scope of the Apostle in them can be discovered The subject matter of them is the World to come and God's subjection of it The greatest difficulty is to know what 's meant by the World to come which many think referrs to the state of glory and the World which follows the Resurrection Thus à Lapide and some of the Antients Riverae understands the Church-Christian as opposed to the Church of former times especially under the Law This is the more probable sense For the Apostle speaks of these last times wherein God spake unto men by his Son and it 's opposed to the times wherein he spake by his Prophets and Angels Yet we must not understand it of the Church exclusively as though God had not subjected other things even Angels for the good of the Church That World and those times whereof the Apostle speaks are here meant but he speaks of the times of the Gospel The proposition is negative God subjected not the World to come to Angels In former times God had used very much the ministery of Angels in ordering the Church and put much power in their hands to that end Yet now in this last time he made Christ his Son who by reason of his suffering was a little lower then the Angels to be the administratour-General of his Kingdom the Universal Lord and subjected the very Angels unto him The expression seems to be taken from Esay 9. 6. for whereas there amongst others Titles given to Christ one is â—verlasting Father the Sepâ—uagint turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father or Governour of the World to come which seems to be the genuine sense of the Hebrew words The sum is that God did not subject the Church in the times of the Gospel nor the World of those times to Angels but to Christ. The words thus understood may inform us 1. That Christ is more excellent then the Angels 2. If the Law and Word spoken by Angels when neglected and disobeyed was so severely punished much more severely shall they who neglect the Gospel spoken by Christ be punished 3. That if it was the duty of the Fathers and those who lived in former times to hearken to the Word spoken by Angels which are but Servants Then it 's much more the duty of us who live in these last times to hearken unto the Word of so great Salvation spoken by Christ made Lord of All. From hence we may understand the scope of the words to be the same with that of the former and that may be considered either aâ—part of the former reason why we should hearken to Christ and not neglect the Gospel or they may with the latter words following contain another distinct reason and in this manner that seeing God hath not to the Angels subjected the World to come but to Christ who by his Suffering and Death was for a little time made lower then the Angels and for that suffering afterward made Lord of all even of Angels then we ought to give the more earnest heed to his Doctrine Crellius understands by the World to come Heaven but without any reason but rather contrary to reason and to the purpose of the Apostle § 10. The former Text being negative doth not express but imply that the World to come was put in subjection to Christ. But in these words he doth not only express it but prove it And to this purpose he alledgeth the words of Psal. 8 4 5 6. In this testimony we may observe the allegation or the words alledged application of them The manner of the allegation we need not examine the Authour neither names the Book of Psalms as a distinct part of the Scriptures of the Old Testament nor the particular Psalm which is for number the 8th nor the Authour of the Psalm David But saith 1. That one or a certain man testifieth 2. He testifieth in a certain place This he did not through ignorance or defect of memory but out of some other reason He knew that the testimony or thing testified was the principal thing and that these Hebrews were well acquainted with the Scriptures and especially with the Book of Psalms To return to the words alledged out of the holy
believs and this High-Priest makes intercession effectually for his People who come to God by him and then it 's consummate when all the sins of his People are for ever pardoned and they finally justified This is a Work of great Mercy and if God commit it to him he undertake it and Man rely upon him if it be not done how can he be said to be faithful To reconcile and propitiate is a Work of greatest fidelity because of greatest Consequence Ver. 18. For in that he hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted § 21. In this Text and by these words we are informed of the Reason why Christ is so merciful and faithful an High-Priest and how he became such and that was by suffering and temptation whereof he had experience in himself In the words we have his Suffering and Temptation Power to help the tempted 1. His Sufferings were many and cruel and such as never any did endure yet his greatest Sufferings were reserved to the last And though he never sinned yet he knew and felt the woful Consequences of Sin and the Punishments it deservs 2. He was tempted for no sooner was he baptized and publickly initiated and declared in the sight of Heaven and Earth to be the Son of God but Satan the great Enemy set upon him and attempted his ruine yea all his Sufferings as from Satan were temptations and it 's very likely he did assault him most violently in the end By both these he knew what a sad and woful thing Suffering for Sin is and how hard a thing it is to be tempted and not to sin and how much such as being violently tempted do sin are to be pitied For if he who had the greatest power that ever was to resist and overcome temptations was hardly put to it he must needs know and could not be ignorant how dangerous Man's condition is and how easily a frail Sinner may be foiled 2. This Suffering and Temptation made him more merciful and faithful and able to succour To succour is to do all things for the procuring the Reconciliation of his People and his ability to succour is his mercifulness and fidelity whereby he is every way fitted powerfully inclined and effectually moved to succour them To be able sometimes is to be sit as Varinus observeth and so it may be here taken And the more fit the more able The saying is None so merciful as those who have been miserable and they who have not onely known misery but felt it are most powerfully inclined not onely to inward compassion but to the real relieving of others miserable And this was a contrivance of the profound Wisdom of that God who is infinitely knowing and merciful to find a way how to feel misery and be merciful another way This was by his Word assuming Flesh that in that Flesh he might be tempted violently and suffer most grievously and all this that he might be more merciful and effectually succour sinful Man This is the most powerful Remedy against despaire and the firmest ground of hope and comfort that ever sinful miserable Man sensible of his Sin could have And that was the great reason why Christ must suffer being tempted that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest and that he might be such was the end why it behoved him to be like his Brethren not onely in being Man and assuming flesh but in Suffering and Temptation too And thus the Son of God for a little time was made lower than the Angels This the Apostle insists upon so largely to let the Hebrews know that there was little reason why they should be offended with his Humiliation either because he was a mortal Man or that he suffered death For 1. It was fore-told that he must be lower than the Angels 2. That he should be lower for a little time 3. That this his Humiliation for a time was a way to Glory he was lower than those heavenly Spirits for a little time that he might be above them for ever 4. That thus to be humbled became God and it seemed in his Wisdom to be the most excellent way of consecrating the great Captain of our Salvation 5. It was most fitting that he that was sent to redeem and sanctify Man should be Man and not an Angel 6. It was infinitely beneficial unto us for by this means 1. He tasted death for us 2. By his death destroyed the Power of Satan 3. By destroying his Power delivered us from the slavish fear and danger of death 4. By his Humiliation in Suffering and Temptation he became a most merciful and faithful High-Priest and most able effectually to procure their Reconciliation And why should this voluntary Humiliation be either any the least derogation from the Excellency of Christ or stumbling-block unto the Jew or seem foolishness to the Gentiles There is no reason at all but it argues the Ignorance if not the wilful blindness of both Jew and Gentile The Errours of Crellâ—us we shall meet with hereafter For 1. He denieth Christ's Sufferings to be Punishments 2. He affirmeth that to succour is to expiate Sin 3. He saith that the principal Function of Christ's Priest-hood is performed now in Heaven and was not performed by his death on Earth which he denyes to be an Expiation by suffering Punishment for our sins CHAP. III. Ver. 1. § 1. THE Sum and Substance of this Chapter is an Exhortation to perseverance in the Christian Faith yet upon new grounds and reasons distinct from those in the two former Chapters For they shew that Christ was more excellent than the Prophets and the Angels and that the World to come was not subject to Angels but to Christ who though by his Sufferings he was for a little time lower than the Angels yet upon his Resurrection and Ascension was far above them This Chapter manifesteth his Excellency far above Mofes and argues that if Moses was to be heard then Christ much more and if they which disobeyed Moses were punished much more they which disobey Christ. In the Exhoâ—tation we must observe 1. The parties to whom the Exhortation is directed 2. The Duty exhorted unto 3. The reasons whereby the performance of the Duty is urged And these Reasons are taken from the Excellency of Christ. Benefit of Perseverance Punishment of Apostacy The Punishment is set forth by an Example of their Fathers Proposed Applied Ver. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling c. § 2. This is the Description of the parties exhorted They were Hebrews yet Christians and described as Brethren Holy Partakers of the heavenly Call They were Brethren and as such related to Paul an Hebrew and one unto another And the ground of this Relation and Fraternity was not onely Generation but chiefly Regeneration not so much natural as supernatural For though they were Brethren by natural Generation as descended from Abraham the same Father as the unbelieving Jews
drink it and receive it into our bodies yet if we neither eat the one when it 's set before us nor drink the other when put into our hands we may perish for hunger and thirst So it is spiritually with our Souls in respect of the Word preached and heard only our with outward ears and not received and receiued in our hearts by a true and lively Faith So that the cause why the Word of God being so great a Blessing and so excellent a means of Salvation doth us no good is from our selves or in our selves who either refuse it at the first or reject it after we have professed it and promised to live according to it And this refusal and rejection as they are hainous sins not onely against God's just Laws but his merciful tender of eternal life so they will prove in the end the cause of our eternal misery which shall be greater and more intolerable than those to whom the Word of God was never preached 4. Therefore it concerns us all to fear this Sin of Apostacy as we fear loss of heavenly Rest God's eternal displeasure Hell Death and eternal Punishments The Apostle by this word fear implies there is danger of falling away and if we consider there is danger and the same very great For if we look upon our weakness and the remainders of corruption the deceipt and hypocrisy of our own hearts the imperfection of our Understanding in heavenly things the inconstancy of our Wills our little experience in the wayes of God and the violence and power of temptation from the Devil and the World we may easily see that it 's a wonder if not a matter of amazement that we stand one day one hour yet when we look up towards Heaven remember our Saviour Christ reigning and victorious the power of the blessed Spirit the helps God hath given us the Promises of assistance there is great cause of hope yet this hope doth not exclude but require our diligent Care continual Watching and instant Prayers without which we cannot by which we may hope to stand Oh how should we carefully and constantly attend unto God's Word lay it up in our hearts make it the Rule of our whole life so as to obey his Commands rely upon his Promises and fear his threats and every day call to mind the Profession we have made and the Promises whereby we have engaged our selves unto our God And seeing so few do fear it 's no wonder so many fall and come short of this blessed Rest. Most men presume upon the Promise and neglect the Duty The Israellres had a Promise yet did not enter because they did not believe § 3. There follows another distinct Reason from the former and that is the great benefit that follows upon the performance of the Duty Ver. 3. For we who have believed do enter into Rest as he said As I have sworn in my Wrath c. THere is some difficulty to know the coherence of these words with the former as also of those that follow with these and amongst themselves Some say they come in upon the words immediately antecedent and give a reason why the Word not mixed with Faith did not profit nor bring the hearers into God's Rest For onely we that believe do enter that is There is no entrance but by Faith but by Faith there is Others think they propose a reason why we should fear Apostacy and be careful to persevere and that from the happy consequent and the glorious reward which follows upon perseverance in belief and that is entrance and admittance into God's Rest yet they may referr to those words of the former Chapter For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Aegypt by Moses For Caleb and Joshua heard and believed and persevered for it 's said of Caleb and it 's the Testimony of God That he had another Spirit with him and followed the Lord fully Numb 14. 24. This he applyes to himself and the Hebrews to this purpose That though some did not enter because of Unbelief yet some did believe and did not provoke and so entred so likewise shall we believing do As the former might cause fear so this latter might cause hope and prove a strong motive why we should fear to fall and be very careful to persevere So that if we will sum up that which went before it 's this in brief To day if we will hear God's voice we must not harden our hearts 1. Because if we do harden them we shall be shut out of God's Rest as our rebellious and Apostate Fathers were 2. If we do not harden our hearts but believe we shall enter into God's Rest as Caleb and Joshua did It follows As he said I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest c. These words serve to inform us of three things 1. That the Word not believed could not profit because by Unbelief they provoked God to wrath and in his Wrath he sware they should not enter into his Rest so likewise we should fear to be guilty of Unbelief because if we prove such God in his Wrath by the like Oath will exclude us 2. That as God by this Oath did exclude none but Unbelievers and brought the Believers into Canaan so he will exclude none out of the Rest promised in the Gospel but Unbelievers and will without all fail bring us believing into our spirituall Canaan 3. That as the Oath so the Exhortation used by the Prophet David implied that as there was a Rest in the dayes of Joshua so there is another Rest besides that of the promised Land Therefore because it might be doubted what Rest either David meant or the Gospel doth promise the Apostle proceeds to prove that there is yet a Rest prepared for God's People under the Gospel and determines what Rest that is This is done by distinction for he informs us of a three-fold Rest 1. Of the Sabbath 2. Of the Land of Canaan 3. Of the eternal Rest in Heaven That it was the intention of the Apostle to manifest that there was a Rest for the People of God under the Gospel and yet that Rest was neither the first of the Sabbath nor the second of the Land of Canaan is evident by that which follows especially Ver 19 10. That it was expedient if not necessary for him to do thus is as clear because he had alledged the words of the Psalm To day if ye will hear his Voice and also said in Ver. 1. That a Promise was left us of entring into his Rest. The first is the Rest of the Sabbath in these words Although the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World And Ver. 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day in this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his Works THE particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned here although yet it may signify and
it receiveth Blessing from God For it is God that maketh the Earth fruitfull and flourishing and without his Blessing the best Land though never so well husbanded is barren and of this we have frequent experience The Reddition of this is 1. That the thing signified in general is sinful Man and especially his heart Yet there is a great difference of men's heart for though no man can make his heart spiritually good yet every man may make his heart bad and worse then other mens and may by neglect and other wayes much obscure the light of Nature and dull the edge of conscience and so render himself indisposed for better things If this were not so there would be no inequality but all men would be equally sinful which daily experience contradicts A good heart is like good Ground therefore may be an heart not so bad or morally good according to the light of Nature and the power of Conscience which we find in Heathens and somewhat improved higher by Christian Education For the heart to bring forth fruit meet for the Dresser is to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit answerable to God's Spiritual Husbandry and the Showres of his heavenly Doctrine and the workings of his Spirit It 's to walk worthy of our Calling wherewith we are called This is that good and honest heart which bringeth forth fruit unto perfection The Blessing received is the continuance of the means of Salvation the increasing of heavenly Graces and Comforts and in the end eternal Life which is the greatest Blessing of all The end of this part of the Comparison is not only to perswade and encourage to Duty because of the great Blessing and Reward which will follow but also to let others who incline to Apostacy know how they deprive themselves of God's heavenly Blessings and these glorious Rewards § 8. The second protasis or proposition is concerning bad Ground which 1. Appears to be bad by bearing Thorns and Bryers 2. Is used as bad Ground 1. By being rejected 2. Nigh unto Cursing 3. In the end burned This Ground is a bad heart which is manifested by the fruits which are words and deeds tending to the dishonour of God and the hurt of Man And this Sin is so much the greater because of the means of Grace and workings of the Spirit over and above the light of Nature which God hath graciously afforded them The punishment of this barrenness in all virtue and fruitfulness in Sin followeth and there are three degrees thereof The first is rejecting when God takes away his Ministers his Word or if they continue withdraw the powerful working of the Spirit whereupon man is justly deserted of God as unworthy of any farther spiritual Dressing and useless for that end God in his great Mercy intended him The second he is nigh unto Cursing and the sentence of Excommunication whereby he is delivered up to Satan and a reprobate mind Hence blindness hardness of heart and the spirit of slumber This was the case of the unbelieving Jew and is the greatest Curse that can fall upon man in this life The third their end is Burning For rejection and this Curse will end in eternal punishments compared to torment with unquenchable fire This comparison is not only an illustration for the more clear representation of the condition of Apostates but also a very serious admonition to take heed of that grievous Sin and of all things that tend thereunto because the end will be so woful and the punishment so grievous For if men deal thus with their Ground which is devoid of reason sense and understanding how much more cause hath God to punish and that so severely men who are endued with understanding and enjoy so many helps and means of Conversion and Salvation § 9. The second reason of the Apostates resolution is given Ver. 9. But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak THe brief meaning of the words is 1. That though we did sharply reprove you and by our discourse of Apostacy might seem to imply that you were either Apostates or very near unto it yet I desire to be understood in another manner For I have more charity for you better conceirs of you and hopes of your continuance in Christianity so that you need not be initiated again by laying the foundation and I have good Grounds of this my hope 2. This is the reason why I will not lay the foundation again but go on to perfection and further inform you of higher points of Doctrine and in particular of the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood In this reason we may observe 1. His hope and good perswasion of them 2. The ground of this his hope In these words we have a Rhetorical Anticipation whereby he endeavours to prevent the thoughts which might arise in their hearts upon his former speeches and expressions For they might think that he did by them tacitely condemn them as Apostates or in the way to Apostacy And if he did so he must needs wrong them and discourage them for he did tacitely imply though not positively and expresly affirm that they were of a bad disposition and in a very sad condition and this Opinion of them was against charity and truth To remove such suspicious and jealousies out of their minds he in these words assures them of his Charity and that his words were not inconsistent with his good conceipt of them The first that is his Charity he signifies by the term of Compellation Beloved for he loved them with a dear and tender Love as Christians continuing in Christianity This he could not have done if he had judged them Apostates and Enemies to Christ. By this we are taught that it is our Duty not onely to love our Christian Brethren but upon occasion to express it and further to give the reason and ground of our love as the Apostle here doth For the reason and ground of this love was his perswasion of their continuance in Christianity For he was perswaded better things of them c. In which words 1. He confesseth he spake such things as might seem to charge them with Apostacy and condemn them as cursed 2. He yet denies that those words do imply any such thing and that he was so far from any such thoughts of them that he was perswaded of the contrary He did indeed reprove them for their Ignorance and Negligence whereof some of them were highly guilty and also signify the deplorable and desperate case of Apostates and there was danger lest some might in time be guilty of that Sin yet all this was not to accuse them but warn them that this danger might be prevented To reprove and admonish are Acts of Charity and such as the most loving Father in the World may and sometimes must use if he truly love his Children We may represent the ugly and filthy face of Sin and the horrid pains of
This Righteousness so far as it reacheth is true and tends much towards eternal life and the estate of such as do attain it is comfortable and hopeful But there are usually defects in it and those very great For 1. It doth not proceed to a deep and firm radication nor 2. To any habitual predominancy over all lusts nor 3. Will it endure any great tryall There may be and are indeed in many Persons Knowledge Faith Love Hope and Comfort and these not meerly Moral but Supernatural and divine caused not onely by the outward revelation of the Word but also by inward illumination and inspiration of the Spirit yet some of these if they be Persons of great estate will be unwilling to sell all and give unto the poor or restore four-fold to those they have wronged or forfeit credit liberty their whole estate and hazard their lives out of Love to their dear Saviour yet all these must be done and that freely and willingly before we can attain to an estate of Confirmation 4. Yet this Confirmation doth not depend upon the radication and intensive measure of their divine vertues but upon the Will and support of God which certain support Man cannot expect by vertue of the Covenant before he arrive at such a measure of Grace and performance of Duty For it 's the meet Mercy of God who delights in an upright heart which moved him to promise this Confirmation to persons of integrity who have overcome the World for till Faith improve so far as to obtain this Victory and that clearly Man may fall and the desires and fears of the World may the more easily prevail against him and God may justly desert him because he neglects to come up unto his terms and refuseth the conditions and qualification necessary to a compleat real and sincere Disciple to whom alone Confirmation by vertue of the Promise is due That which supports a Man against all temptations and prevents Apostacy is strength this strength is internal and external and both from God The internal strength is such a measure of Faith in Christ in Man as is sufficient to overcome the World and obtain a clear victory The external strength is that power of God superadded to the former which not only continues and preserves the inward power of Grace but also is continually ready to supply all defects and make the final issue infallible and most certain For there is a glorious Inheritance reserved in Heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed is the last time 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. Where we have Faith within and the power of God without and the preservation of the parties regenerate unto Salvation and final enjoyment as the effect of both Neither of these belong unto those which have only the Spirit of preparation and not of inhabitation For though they are in a fair way unto and in good hope of both yet they have attained neither Yet there are others which find the victorious power of Faith within them and having received the Spirit of Adoption testifying that they are the Sons of God and the first fruits of Glory may be assured of their preservation to the end according to the tenour of the Promises made in many places of Scripture to such as are so qualified as they know themselves to be § 12. Thus far the Apostle's Resolution and the Reasons thereof Now followeth his exhortation which comes in very seasonably after his former Doctrine of Apostacy which was terrible and the latter concerning the happy and safe estate of such as were qualified as they were For lest the one should occasion dispair and the other presumption and security by this exhortation he intimates that the very estate of confirmation in this life doth not exempt from duty and diligence on Man's part not exclude some kind of desertion on God's part For this Confirmation differs from that which shall be in Heaven where there shall be no Sin no Temptation but perfect holiness without any danger and a plenary possession of the blessed Inheritance For the estate of the Confirmed in this time of mortality is like that of Israel after that they had broken the main strength of the Canaanites divided the Land by lot and did begin to enjoy it But after all this was done there remained several parts of the Land not yet reduced nor totally subdued And God did so order it to try them and also to continue and improve their Military skill and valour So it is with God's regenerate Ones his true Israelites for though they have broken the main strength of the Enemy and as it were in one piâ—cht Battle obtained a clear Victory yet the remainders of corruption may sometimes put them hard to it and much annoy them And it 's God's Will it should be thus to teach them humbly to depend upon him and that continually to exercise their heavenly virtues to keep their watch and never put off their Armour till they have obtained a total and final Victory The principal things to be observed in this Exhortation are 1. The Duty exhorted unto 2. The Reasons why it should be performed For he that will exhort effectually must 1. Let the parties exhorted know distinctly what the Duty is 2. Demonstrate that it's very reasonable to perform it and the more clearly and fully both these are done the more effectually will the heart be moved For the rational Creature must be moved rationally Every exhortation implies the desire of the Oratour or party exhorting otherwise why doth he perswade why doth he exhort therefore saith the Apostle I desire you In this it differs both from a Command and a Petition and if the party desiring be excellent or beloved and the thing desired be reasonable and advantageous it should prevail much If such a person as Paul so worthy and so excellent shall desire the performance of a thing which is not only convenient but necessary to the attaining of eternal life how ready should we be to do it § 13. But To know the Duty is most considerable and it is Perseverance the same which was formerly urged Chap. 2. 3 4. This duty is proposed affirmatively and negatively and the performance of it concerned all and every one For thus he writes Ver. 11. And we desire that every one of you shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Ver. 12. That you be not slothfull THere is no mention of Perseverance in the Text yet it 's sufficiently implyed for if they must shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end then they must persevere But to understand the duty more fully let us enquire 1. What hope is 2. What the full assurance of hope 3. What it is to shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Hope is sometimes taken for the thing hoped for not as it is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned wherein by some are interpreted because and then the sense is that because an Oath is the end of all strife therefore God to remove all doubts and fears and establish and assure the Heirs of Promise was willing to swear and by that Oath to manifest more fully the immutability of his Counsel and that which was the end and issue of Men's Oath was the end and issue of this Oath of God If Men will believe Men swearing how much more should we believe and rest satisfied in the Oath of God From all this it 's clear that the Promise of God is as certain on God's part as possibly can be § 20. This is the immediate end of God's Oath yet it is but a means in respect of a further end which God intended For thus it followeth Ver. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before us IN which words we have 1. A strong Consolation 2. The parties to whom it doth belong 3. The means whereby it is obtained 1. Strong Consolation is the ultimate end both of the Promises of God and his Oath The mind of Man is discomforted vexed weakened from Doubts Fears Sorrows and whatsoever removes or abates these doth quiet refresh revive and strengthen the heart and so comfort it This comfort it may be weak it may be strong the comfort here is strong and prevailing comfort and such as will overcome all doubts fears and sorrows caused by Temptations Persecutions Tryals from without or from within This is opposed to all worldly and seeming joys and comforts which appear and vanish in a moment and cannot firmly stay and revive the heart for every blast of temptation scatters them It must be the hope or enjoyment of some solid lasting and substantial good that can be the cause of solid and lasting comfort Some by comfort understand Faith or Hope the cause of comfort 2. Though there be a firm and strong comfort yet it belongs not to every one but it 's intended for Believers the Heirs of Promise who sly for refuge to take hold upon the Hope set before them where we may observe 1. Hope 2. Hope set before us 3. The taking hold of this Hope 4. A flying for refuge to take hold on this Hope 1. Hope in this place is the thing hoped for considered as a formal object of the divine virtue of Hope and it is that blessed and glorious estate which is reserved in Heaven to be enjoyed there 2. This Hope is set before us as a prize and represented in the Promise as ours which we must seek and aym at as being called to the enjoyment thereof It 's set in our view that we might eye it much and often look upon it and press earnestly towards it 3. We must take hold upon it and that is done two wayes 1. By gaining a title and right unto it for so we take hold on it by Law 2. By getting some possession and that either in part as when we receive the first Fruits of the Spirit or in whole which is reserved for Heaven Both these are done by Faith and Hope and the more we exercise our Faith and Hope with other heavenly virtues the stronger hold we take For hereby we make more evident to us our right and obtain a greater measure of the first-Fruits 4. We fly for refuge to take hold of this Hope for it 's our Sanctuary and safety far better then a City of refuge and it 's a far greater security to take hold on this Hope then to take hold upon the Horns of the Altar For many have held fast hold upon the Altar and have either been pulled away or slain in the very place as Joab was Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the Proud nor such as turn aside to lies Psal. 40. 4. For all things and persons though never so great so strong so excellent are lies and if we trust in them they will fail us God never will For who or what can separate us from his love in Christ Eternal life is unchangeable and God who hath promised it and confirmed his Promise by Oath is unchangeable too Those who in all dangers storms and tempests retreat unto him find strong consolation For what need terrify or trouble them or shake their hearts when God hath assured them of eternal life 3. This security and strong comfort is grounded upon two immutable things wherein it 's impossible for God to lye These two things are the Promise and the Oath of God and as it is impossible for God to cease to be God so it is impossible for God to violate his Promise or his Oath These are sure things Heaven and Earth may pass away but these cannot fail nor frustrate our hopes § 21. The Apostle in the next words gives a reason why they did and we should fly to take hold upon the Hope set before us and it is this because Ver. 19. It was to them an ancre of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Vail VVHere we have a two-fold Reason 1. Because it 's like unto a sure and stedfast Ancre 2. It entereth into that within the Vail 1. It 's like an Ancre for what an Ancre is to a Ship the same is Hope unto the Soul that is a stay and means of safety in the midst of all the Waves and Storms of Temptation in this floating troublesome World For that which stays strengthens quiets the Soul of man is the hope of everlasting Glory grounded upon God's Promise and Oath For eternal life as theirs is the Ancre for though it be excellent in it self yet it 's nothing unto them if they have not a right unto it and a well-grounded hope of it 2. It enters into that within the Vail In the Tabernacle or Temple within the second Vail was the Holy of Holies which was a type of Heaven in allusion to this it signified that the object of our hope is something excellent and above the World something heavenly glorious and eternal Therefore it 's said That the Inheritance of God's Sons is reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4. And that the great object of our hope is laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. Where we shall fully enjoy our God and all things in him And surely nothing under Heaven can stay and firmly fix the floating heart of man neither can this Ancre fasten firmly but in Heaven This Hope may be said to be stronger and our hearts more assured because Ver. 20. The fore-runner is entred into Heaven THis fore-runner is entred Heaven to take possession for himself and also in our behalf and make the way passible this is more then ever Abraham did or could do Therefore we have a rare example far above that of
from him As Abraham gave Melchisedec as blessing him so all Christians should give the tenth and a competent portion of all their Goods to maintain his Servants Messengers and Ministers who labour in the Word and Doctrine without which his Worship cannot be maintained And all those who deny to do this are Enemies to Christ and to Christian Religion and cannot be excused There is a Generation of men who under pretence of Reformation and greater Purity would have all Tythes taken away and their design is to starve the Ministry enrich themselves and friends but the issue of all this will be the destruction of the Ministry the famishing of Souls and the decay of Christianity Others would have Ministers to continue but they must pinch them and keep them poor This is a base spirit and temper and no wayes suitable to the profession of Christianity Ministers indeed should not cover Riches and the Splendor of the World for thus to do is base on their parts and no wayes becoming the faithful Servants of Christ. Yet they should be comfortably maintained and such as receive any real spiritual Blessing and Comfort by them will not grudge to minister unto them and will be far from taking from them that allowance which by just Laws is settled upon them as firmly as any man's Inheritance except in the right of Alienation Some do honour Learning and are willing to have it maintained and if there be sufficient reason for this then it will follow that the most excellent Learning of all other and the most beneficial to mankind and in the exercise thereof effectually conducing to eternal Salvation should be honoured and maintained much more Some conclude from hence and not without cause That seeing Melchisedec was a Type of Christ in all things here mentioned then Christ Blessing man must receive Tythes by his Ministers as due unto Him For if he was a Type in the rest no wit of man can according to the tenour of this Scripture deny him to be a Type in receiving Tythes And this is so much the stronger 1. In this that he insists in the following words more largely upon this particular of Tythes then any of the rest 2. Because Tythes or something as good as Tythes are plainly necessary to the maintainance of Christian Religion 3. Because Christ hath ordained a maintainance 3. He was a Type in the continuance of his Priest-hood For as he did not receive his Priest-hood by Descent from any Predecessor nor transmit it to Successors in that manner as the Levitical Priest's did So Christ had no Predecessor from whom by Birth nor Successor to whom he should derive it And as Melchisedee's Priest-hood was effectual for that excellent end for which it was ordained and because it was not so carnal and imperfect as that of Aaron's was there was no reason it should be abolished So Christ's Priest-hood being perfect and effectual to bring in an eternal glorious estate upon a perfect Righteousness there was all the reason in the World it should continue for ever and never be altered § 11. After the Description of Melchisedec which is absolute follows his excellency and greatness set forth comparatively And before I enter upon the words somethings must be premised and enquiry must be made of 1. What the order and connexion of these words with the former is 2. What the Apostle's Scope is 3. In what manner the Apostle doth proceed 4. What kind of Comparison this is 5. How the words and discourse of the Apostle is brought in 1. The order is this 1. After that the Authour had informed us out of Gen. 14. who this Melchisedec was he goes on to speak of the Order of Melchisedec So that the Subject of the former words was Melchisedec the last words of the Text Psal. 110. 4. and of these words following the Order of Melchisedec For the words of the Psalmist do imply that there was one Melchisedec a Priest 2. That there was an especial distinct Order of that Priest-hood This is the Order 2. The intention and scope of the Authour is to shew the excellency of the Priest-hood of Melchisedec And 2. From thence to conclude the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood For if Melchisedec who was but the Type then much more Christ the Anti-type of that Order must needs be excellent 3. The manner of the Apostle's proceeding is Dianoetical for he proves the excellency of this Order by illation and deduction of certain conclusions from the express words of the Text Gen. 14. This act of Reason is called discourse which discovers the truths included in the bowels of the Premises By this manner of arguing is manifested the vanity of irrational Sectaries which call for expresse Scripture in points of Controversy and reject all Consequences These implicitly deny our Dianoetical faculty given us by God and tacitly blame Christ and his Apostles for drawing conclusions from expresse places of the Word Though this discoursive power as used to clear a truth whereof we doubt and are ignorant of imply an imperfection yet as it is a deducing and inferring one truth out of another it is a perfection and may agree to Angels nay to God himself because we find him by his Spirit in his Word doing so 4. But what kind of Comparison is this It 's indeed a Comparison in quantity of imparity yet it presupposeth a Comparison in quality For it implyeth That Abraham was great and excellent and that the Levitical Priest's were such and Melchisedec also They all agree in this that they were excellent but they differ in the inequality and imparity of excellency for one was more excellent then another Abraham was above the Levitical Priest and Melchisedec above Abraham his Order was the most excellent and this is the thing which as he intends so he clearly proves The Order of his Priest-hood was such a by the acts thereof did manifest the dignity and worth thereof 5. The Authour brings in this discourse with a word of Exhortation For he begins thus Consider So that from these words unto ver 11. we have an Exhortation directed unto these Hebrews and so to us The Text therefore is Ver. 4. Now consider how great this Man was to whom even the Patriach Abraham gave the tenth of the Spoils § 12. IN these words with those that follow we have 1. The Duty in general which is Consideration 2. The Matter and Subject to be considered 1. I will not stand upon the word which seems to be a Metaphorical but the thing signified by it which is the principal Consideration therefore as intended in this place is an act of the Understanding and especially the act of Judgment yet presupposing the antecedent act of Apprehension Yet it 's not any act of Judgment whether Noetical or Dianoetical but a serious and more intense act wherein we use the utmost activity of our discerning faculty And because the Understanding of man as imperfect cannot in an instant
Gospel To be Lord in this manner is to manifest himself in the Excellency of his Wisdom Power and Mercy To know him as such is not any wayes to understand those excellent things testified of him in the Gospel but effectually to believe those Truths as revealed from Heaven and to rely upon him and him alone as our onely Saviour renouncing all Righteousness in our selves and all Confidence in all other things and counting all things loss and dung in comparison of him This is that which we call Faith in Christ whereby we are justified and saved yet this Knowledge and Faith was not without teaching For how should they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how should they hear without a Preacher And again So then Faith is by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God that is taught and preached Rom. 10. 14 17. And the Apostles had Commission to go and teach or disciple all Nations Mat. 28. 19. and they must teach Repentance Faith in Christ and Remission of sins in his Name And when Christ ascended into Heaven he gave Gifts to men and sent Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4. 11. Yet this Teaching of Man was not without the Power of the Spirit teaching inwardly the same which they taught outwardly yet in a more excellent manner and with far greater efficacy The Persons who shall know God were all from the least to the greatest 1. The Jew taught but the Jew or his Proselyte the Apostles both Jew and Gentile of all Nations 2. All to whom the Gospel is preached aright know God or may know him 3. All may be restrained to all those who are taught not onely of Man but of God who writes his Laws in their hearts and gives them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever and so puts his fear in them that they shall not depart from him Jerem. 22. 39 40. And he had promised to give his People an heart to know him that he was the Lord and they his People and he their God for they shall return unto him with their whole heart Jer. 24. 7. Where it 's observable 1. That God will so give them one heart as that they shall turn with their whole heart to the Lord. 2. So turned they shall not only know God to be the Lord but to be their God and they his People 3. That this place compared with that of the same Prophet Chap. 31. 33 34. alledged in this place doth signify that this Knowledge is such as upon which will follow Remission of Sins and this is justifying Faith § 13. Two things remain to be considered 1. How this Reason infers this Conclusion That they shall not under the Gospel every Man teach his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord. 2. How these words come in upon the former whether so as to be a distinct and different Promise from the former or not For the first 1. It 's certain that in Heaven the Knowledge of the Lord shall be so perfect as that there shall be no need of any teaching of Man no nor of Prophets or Apostles therefore some of the Ancients understood the place of the perfection of Saints in the state of Glory 2. That unâ—er the Gospel there is need of Man's Teaching not onely for the first Conversion but for their further Edification till the Saints be perfect in Christ. 3. Yet there is a great difference between the teaching under the Law and that under the Gospel and that in three respects 1. Of the matter taught 2. Of the Teachers 3. Of the manner of Teaching 1. For the matter taught For the matter taught under the Law was The Lord bringing them out of Aegypt into the Land of Canaan and giving them Moral Judicial and Ceremonial Laws and blessing them in that good Land whilst in their manner and measure they observed these Laws Christ also was taught in Types and Shadows But the matter taught under the Gospel is God Redeemer by Christ exhibited glorified reigning at God's right hand and officiating in Heaven as being far more clearly and fully revealed 2. The Teachers under the Law whether Priests or Levites or Scribes or Parents or Masters or any private Persons were but Ministers of the Letter not of the Spirit But under the Gospel they were Ministers not onely of the Letter but of the Spirit and their Knowledge was far greater and clearer than that of the Teachers under the Law 3. For the manner of Teaching it was more clear more full more powerful as accompanied by the Spirit of Christ enlightning the Understanding and inclining the heart For in the Law there was no Promise of the Spirit to take away their stony heart and give them an heart of Flesh and to be put in them to cause them to walk in his Statutes As the saying of Austin is Lex jubet non juvat If the Spirit had been thus given to make the Doctrine of their Teachers effectual upon the heart of their Disciples and imprint the Knowledg of the Lord so deeply in their hearts as that they should never depart from him then the Promises of that Covenant had not been so far short of the Promises of the new Covenant But as the Law could expiate no Sin so it could not minister the Spirit It 's true that under the Law they had Faith in Christ to come and were enlightned and sanctified by the Spirit yet this they had not by vertue of the Law but the Promise by Christ to come and not by Moses And they who had it were few in number and their Knowledge of Christ was but implicit and the Power of the Spirit far less But under the Gospel they were many in number not only Jews and Proselytes but Gentiles of all Nations their Faith was far more explicit and the Power of the Spirit far greater So that the force of the Reason is That if the Teaching under the Gospel â—e so far more excellent in respect of the matter taught the Teachers and manner of Teaching which is such as that they all from the least to the greatest shall know the Lord so clearly fully and powerfully then there shall be no such Teaching as under the Law For seeing there is no distinct actual Knowledge without some kind of Disciplination and Instruction therefore where any Knowledg of the Lord is whether under the Law or the Gospel there must be some kind of Disciplination under both And here the Disciplination and Teaching of the Law and the Gospel are compared together And that of the Law was so weak and imperfect in respect of the Knowledg of the Lord which it did produce and that of the Gospel so powerful and also so perfect in respect of the Knowledge of the Lord the Effect thereof that there was great Reason that the former should cease as needless useless and imperfect For as the Apostle saith in another
to blot out all our Sins and never remember them never charge them upon us that Christ should be the Mediator of this Covenant and never cease his Mediation till he hath fully sanctified justified and blessed us for ever What can Man desire which he shall not have What can he want which God hath not provided for him Doth he desire an High-Priest He is ready and he is the best in the World Doth he desire his Ministry in Heaven He shall be sure of it Doth he desire a Covenant Here is a Covenant a new Covenant a Covenant of the best and sweetest Promises that ever were Doth he desire a Mediator of this Covenant A Mediator is at the right hand of God who ever lives there and as an Advocate pleads his Cause and will not rest Day or Night untill he hath made us capable of Pardon and procured Remission of all our Sins for ever The remembrance of these things must needs be sweet and wonderfully revive and refresh a bruised Spirit and a broken heart sensible of Sin hungring and thirsting after Righteousness and Salvation But how great is our Ignorance of these things how weak our Faith how languishing our Hopes Our eternal happiness depends upon this Covenant this Priest this Mediation and Ministry and issues from God the Father and from this High-Priest and from pure Mercy And how happy we if we had but a true and living Faith effectually to believe these things and totally to rely upon God's pure free and abundant Mercy in Jesus Christ for they who believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and he that hath the Son hath Life and Life for evermore Many and grievous are our Sins great is our danger and none can help us but this great Mediator of this blessed Covenant yet we are sensless of our Sins and do not seek unto our Saviour We are secure and do not understand that without his help and Ministry we must unavoidably perish God hath done much to save us and hath brought eternal life near unto us but we regard it not We continue in our Sins and will not believe on Christ and therefore are we condemned already because we have not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God And this will be our Condemnation that Light is come unto us and yet we love Darkness rather than the Light therefore Salvation is far from us Christ will not be our Saviour nor make Intercession for us O Lord put thy Laws in our minds and write them in our hearts that we may see our Sins and be sensible of them and seek our Saviour that thou mayest be our God and we thy People and know thee all of us from the least unto the greatest that so thou mayest mercifully pardon our Unrighteousness and remember our Sins and Iniquities no more Amen Amen CHAP. IX Of the Sacrifice of Christ and the excellent vertue thereof § 1. THE Apostle here doth enlarge upon and more particularly and distinctly explain those things which in the former Chapter he had only in general and briefly mentioned For he implyed there that a Priest once made and consecrated must have a Sanctuary must minister in it and be the Mediator of a Covenant and that the more excellent the Sanctuary the Service and the Covenant the more excellent the Priest that is Minister of these And did affirm that Christ in respect of all these was more excellent than the Levitical Priest But in this Chapter he speaks more at large of the earthly and the heavenly Sanctuary of the Service performed in both but especially of the great Sacrifice and Expiation made by both the Priests most of all of Christ's Expiation-Offering of the rare vertue and the excellent Effects thereof and how by it he was the Mediator of the new Covenant and made it effectual unto Remission and the eternal Salvation of Man This is some kind of co-herence whereby this part is joyned to the former But there is another for the Apostle having proved Christ more excellent than the Levitical High-Priest 1. In respect of his Constitution Chap. 5. 6. and especially in the 7th 2. In respect of his Ministration in the 8th In this 9th he proceeds to speak of his Ministration in particular and of his excellent Service in Offering himself a Sacrifice without spot to God § 2. The Subject of this whole Chapter and part of the tenth is the Sacrifice of the Cross. The Scope is to manifest how excellent this piece of Service is The Method upon consideration of the whole is this He informs us 1. Of the Typical Tabernacle and the Service especially the great Expiatory Sacrifice performed therein and this by way of Introduction to the 11th Verse 2. Of the Anti-Typical Sanctuary and Sacrifice and teacheth us 1. The Nature and Quality of both especially of the Sacrifice 2. The Vertue of this Sacrifice manifested in the Effects thereof from Ver. 11. to the end And this he doth 1. Both absolutely and sometimes comparatively in this Chapter 2. More comparatively in the Chapter following This is the general Analysis the particular you may expect both in and after the Explication The Substance of the whole is this He that being a Minister of a better Sanctuary doth offer a far more excellent Sacrifice must needs be a more excellent Priest than the Levitical But Christ being Minister of a better Tabernacle offered a more excellent Sacrifice Therefore he is a more excellent Priest The Proposition he takes for granted The Assumption he proves at large and very effectually and this is his Design and Work in this Chapter and part of the 10th § 3. To begin with the Introduction Ver. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary VVHere we may observe 1. The Connexion 2. The Matter The Connexion is signified by these words Then verily or according to the Original Therefore verily and so Vatablus Beza Junius translate By which the words following seem to contain a Conclusion deduced from the former Chapter Ver. 2. 3 4 5. and especially from the 5th where it 's implyed that there must be a Tabernacle and the Priests must serve and officiate in it according to the Example and Shadow of heavenly things and there were certain Rules given to Moses according to which both he must make the Tabernacle and the Priests must serve therein This briefly for the Connexion It follows 2. The former had Ordinances of Divine Service c. Where we have 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate The Subject the first the Original expresseth no more not informing us whether the first Priest-hood or the first Tabernacle or the first Covenant be meant Some Copies expresly read the first Tabernacle and so some understand the place but most reject that and supply the Ellipsis by the word Covenant and so much the rather because in the last Verse of the former
power to purge the Conscience To proceed unto particulars the parts of the Comparison are two 1. The Proposition 2. The Reddition The first Ver. 13 the second Ver. 14. In the first we have the Cause the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer then the Effect sanctifying to the purifying of the Flesh. Of the Blood of Bulls and Goats which is the same with the Blood of Goats and Calvs Ver. 12. you have heard before for that was the Expiatory Blood wherewith the Priest entring the most Holy place did sprinkle the Mercy-Seat and the Effect of this was the Expiation of the Sins of the Priest and the People whereby they were freed from such penalties as the Law imposed upon persons for some Legal and Ceremonial Offences The second purifying was by the Ashes of a red Heifer mixed with running Water and sprinkled upon Persons or things polluted by touching or being near the dead Of this you may read at large Numb 19. The Effect of both was sanctifying by cleansing from some Legal pollution and Guilt but neither of these could free any person from the Obligation to eternal penalties nor spiritually purify and make holy the Spirit and Soul of Man Some think that the Blood did signify the Death and bloody Sacrifice of Christ the Water the sanctifying Spirit Yet both are here compared with the Blood of Christ as Shadows of it This is the Proposition § 13. The Reddition followeth Ver. 14. Where we have two absolute Propositions and part of the Comparison 1. That Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit without Spot unto God 2. That the Blood of Christ who thus offered himself doth purge the Conscience from dead Works to serve the Living God 3. The Comparative part is that it hath much more Power or doth much more purge the Conscience The first Proposition is Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot unto God Where we may consider 1. The Priest 2. The thing offered 3. The manner how 4. The thing by which 5. The Person to whom the Offering was made 1. The Priest was Christ the Word made Flesh and the Son of God designed a Priest by God 2. The thing offered by this Priest was Himself that is his own Life his own Body and some add his own Soul This was spoken in opposition to such things as the Levitical High-Priests offered as Buls and Goats for none of them offered either other men or themselvs 3. The manner how this was offered is this that it was offered without Spot The thing offered and the Offering and the manner of offering were all pure 4. That by or through which he made this Offering was the eternal Spirit By Spirit some understand the Soul which is said to be eternal because it 's immortal And certainly in respect of his Body he may rather be said to be the thing offered and in respect of his Soul the Priest offering For this offering is said to be the doing of God's Will and an Act of Obedience unto death the death of the Cross and this is a proper Act of his immortal Soul and Spirit Yet this Soul and Body too were united to the Word which as God was an eternal Spirit in which respect some understand by eternal Spirit the Word and Divine Nature of Christ And both Soul and Body were in the highest degree sanctified and supported especially in suffering death by the Holy Ghost which some think is here meant It 's certain he did offer himself by his immortal Spirit sanctified and supported by the Holy Spirit and united to the Word which with the Father and the Holy Ghost are one God and eternal spiritual Substance 5. The party to whom he offered himself was God as supream Lord of Life and Death Law-giver and Judg of Man-kind For he alone had power to appoint him to be Priest to be Offering and to offer and also to accept this Offering in behalf of sinful Man and thereupon to justify him believing and reward him with eternal Life All these are expressed and joyned together to set forth the Excellency and the immanent and internal Vertue of Christ's Blood For How excellent and of what rare vertue and causality must that Blood Death Sacrifice be which was the Blood of Christ who was by God's own immediate Commission and Designment made the highest and the greatest Priest and offered Himself the best Sacrifice that ever was and that through the eternal Spirit purely spiritual and most holy and impolluted and that unto God the supream Lord and Judg and in that manner that the very Act of offering from first to last was most exactly conformable to his Will It had all the perfections of a Sacrifice and in the highest degree The Levitical High-Priest was a Priest but far inferiour to Christ he offered Goats and Calvs but not himself and if he had offered himself yet the thing offered had been nothing to this he offered indeed to God yet he had not that near Relation unto Agreement with and Interest in God as this Priest had He offered by or through his own Spirit which was very imperfect and the imperfections of his very Act of Offering were very many and great Therefore it was no wonder that it should not have the like rare efficiency with this The second Proposition in this Verse is That Christ's Blood doth purge the Conscience c. This is the outward Efficacy and Working of this Blood upon a certain Subject rightly disposed In the words we may observe 1. The Conscience which is the Subject 2. The pollution of the Conscience 3. The purging and cleansing of it 4. The â—ind and Consequent of this cleansing 1. The Conscience is the Spirit and immortal Soul of Man which is Intimum Hominis the in most and most excellent part yet this is not here considered meerly as a spiritual immortal intellective and free Substance created and preserved by God but as subject unto his Power bound by his Laws conscious to it 's own Disobedience and sensible of it For the Blood of Christ doth actually purge no other Soul nor any Soul but thus qualified neither without this Qualification is the Soul immediately capable of this Purgation 2. The Pollution of the Soul is from dead Works where by dead Works it 's generally granted are meant Sins and that not only of Commission but Omission All the Works of Man should be living Works and issue from a Soul endued with a spiritual and supernatural Life have a spiritual and supernatural Form which is Conformity to Divine Law and should tend unto a supernatural and spiritual end When they either issue from a Soul destitute of this heavenly Life or want this Conformity they are dead Works base and such as becomes not so excellent a Creature The ordinary Reasons given by Authors why Sins are called dead Works are because they are the Works of men dead in sin want the Life and
They were all in themselves considered indifferent things and a fit matter and subject of some positive Law 3. The offering and also the shedding of the blood of Christ were in respect of Christ acting and officiating in both purely moral and divine in the highest degree of Service For his suffering of Death for the sin of man at the Command of his heavenly Father was the highest degree of obedience that ever was performed to God There was in it so much love to God so much love of Man so much self denial so much humility and patience and such a resignation of himself to God as never could be parallel'd It was so excellently qualified that it was in a moral sense most powerfull to move God to mercy who is so mightily inclined to mercy of his own accord It was most pleasing unto God and most highly accepted of God considered in it self But seeing it was the suffering of a party different from man guilty who was bound himself to make satisfaction or to suffer according to the Law transgressed that it should be so far accepted of God as to make the Sinner pardonable and that certain pardon should follow upon Repentance and Faith depended upon the free will of God who in strict justice might have refused any satisfaction offered him in behalf of man who deserved to dye and might justly have been condemned to eternal Death It was one thing to accept the service and obedience in it self and another thing to accept it so for sinful man as to determine such inestimable benefits should follow thereupon and accrue to the sinful guilty Wretch The Socinian upon the Text is very muddy and obscure And 1. Though he deny Christ's satisfaction and merit yet he confesseth that the shedding of the blood of Christ even of its own nature had force and power to procure unto Christ all power in Heaven and Earth and all judgment and arbitrament of our Salvation and to produce in us the cleansing of Conscience This is not only obscure but if well examined false For what is it of its own nature to procure For if he mean by the word procure merit upon satisfaction it 's true that by his blood he satisfied and merited but both these he denies If he understand that of it own nature it did so procure this power and this effect so as it did solely or principally depend upon the will of Christ as Man for he denies him to be God and not principally and solely upon the will of God it 's false Here I must demand What difference he makes between procuring and meriting and also take occasion to shew the nature of meriting which is a moral act upon which some good or reward doth follow not necessarily and exnaturá rei but voluntarily according to the will of him in whose power the reward is but of this else-where 2. He puts a difference between Christ's Priest-hood and his Mediatourship and makes his Mediatourship to end with his Death and his Priest-hood there to begin But the Apostle makes no such difference but in this Epistle he takes Mediatour and Priest for the same That his Mediatourship should end and his Priest-hood should begin with and upon his Death I will believe when he can prove it which he can never do for there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God and it must needs be false upon this account that both are the same 3. He affirms that the blood of Christ takes efficacy and force to purge fin from the subsequent oblation of Christ in offering himself in Heaven and this he not only here but else-where doth often assert But 1. It 's very clear and certain that the total resignation of himself unto the will of his heavenly Father and his willing suffering of Death the voluntary laying down of his life the making himself a whole Burnt-offering was properly the oblation of himself This was on Earth this was the great act of Obedience the great Service that was so acceptable to God wherein Christ shewed himself a mirrour of so many heavenly virtues The representing of himself slaln in Heaven was not this offering nor the appearing before his Fathers Throne upon his Ascension The Scripture no where affirms it he cannot instance in one place for this And though God did require it yet it was not the meritorious act therefore never let him or any of that party delude us with his false and groundless notion of offering himself in Heaven By his Death Christ did satisfy and merit by his Resurrection and Ascension he makes his Death effectual unto us both by revealing the Gospel and sending the Spirit to work Faith in us and make us capable of remission and eternal life and by his Intercession and pleading his blood he obtains actual pardon and in the end full fruition of eternal life This is the meaning of those words Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. 4. He tells us that Christ was filled with the eternal Spirit that is with the power of God which clarified him from all mortality and made him eternal subject to no destruction This is a strange fancy of his own and invented because he is so great an Adversary to Satisfaction And 1. He saith that eternal Spirit is the power of God which he so understands as that he denies him to be God 2. The power is either God himself or some active power whether natural or supernatural created by God in some of his Creatures or an act of God extrinsecally supporting and preserving something creued Now that which made Christ's Sacrifice and Suffering so acceptable to God and so efficacions was the sanctifying power of the Spirit enduing him with such heavenly virtues and supporting him in this great Service of sacrificing himself For if he had not received a divine and supernatural active power of holiness and righteousness inherent in his Soul which so strongly inclined and moved him to obedience in greatest temptations and had been extrinsecally supported by him this Offering had never been so acceptable to God nor efficacious to purge the Conscience And this was a far more glorious effect of the Spirit then to make him immortal and bring him into Heaven For this immortality and entrance into Heaven were Rewards not Virtues and only made way for the exercise of his Regal and Sacerdotal Power in the Palace and Temple of Heaven 5. He saith that by the Offering of Christ is signified his singular and only care for the Expiation of our Sins and for our Salvation Where it is to be observed 1. That he understands this of Christ as entred by his Ascension into Heaven 2. That by Expiation he means Remission and Sanctification without any respect unto Propitiation and Satisfaction by blood antecedent 3. Christ's offering of himself is a religious Service performed unto God as Supream Lord and Judge offended with sinful
Apostates Therefore as they desired God's favour and an happy End and feared his Indignation and their own eternal Destruction let them persevere and use all means to perswade others to continue firm and faithful to the end And here you must observe that the principal Duty exhorted unto is Perseverance and the rest are subservient thereunto § 25. It follows Ver. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins IN these words 1. We have a Reason given to perswade unto perseverance 2. Yet this Reason is directly and immediately disswasive and dehorrative from Apostacy 3. Secondarily and by Consequence it exhorts and moves to perseverance For whatsoever Reason is against Apostacy the same is for perseverance 4. This Reason doth seem to imply that the forsaking of Christian Assemblies was Apostacy or tended to it and the day approaching to be a day of Judgment and in particular of the Punishment of such as fall away 5. This Reason begins here and is continued to the 32d Verse 6. It 's taken à poena from the Punishment which is avoided by perseverance and is executed upon Apostates 7. In Form it 's this If the Sin of Apostacy be unpardonable and shall be punished with unavoidable and most grievous Punishment then we ought to be very careful copâ—â—severe But the Antecedent is true Therefore we ought to persevere In the words of the Reason we have 1. The Sin 2. The Punishment which is Unavoidable Grievous The Sin is described in the 26. Ver. to be a sinning wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Where we must consider 1. What it presupposeth and that is the Acknowledgment of the Truth 2. What it is upon this presupposed It 's a wilful sinning In the presupposition we have 1. Truth 2. The Knowledg of it 3. The receiving of this Knowledg 1. By the Truth is meant the true pure and most certain Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ already come Faith and Salvation This is called Truth because it 's true and most eminently and infallibly true which is no wayes in any thing false and erroneous as being at first immediately revealed from God the God of Truth of all Truth who is not only true but Truth it self It 's called also the Truth by way of eminency as the most excellent Truth revealed for Man's eternal Happiness The Reason of this Truth is the Perfection of his full and clear Knowledge and his absolute Integrity and purest Holiness which both are such as that he neither can nor will reveal any thing but Truth 2. Truth may be Truth and yet not known to any Man or Angel and this Truth was first known only unto God Yet it pleased him out of his great Mercy to reveal his mind to Man and in particular this Truth of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostle who made it known unto others who by that means came to know it For many who heard the Gospel preached and attended unto it attained to the Knowledg of the great Mystery of God's Kingdom and of those things which were sufficient and effectual for Information of the Understanding unto everlasting Life This Knowledg was not Mathematical Physical Political or Metaphysical as some use to speak but Theological and Divine and a Light above the Light of Nature The word may signify not only Knowledg but Acknowledgment of this Truth by a full Assent upon Conviction And this might be caused not only by outward Revelation Information and Miracles but also by the Illumination of the Spirit and supernatural Gifts For God goes far with Man and doth much to save him he many times penetrates his inward parts and by his divine Light and Power enters into his very heart and all this to convert him 3. They received this Knowledg God did not only offer it but give it which he might be properly said to do when they received it They had it not by Nature for it 's far above the natural Man They acquired it but not by their own Power and Industry neither did they merit it Yet in this receiving they were not meerly passive yet passive before they could be active God must do something without Man before he can actively receive he must prevent him by Revelation and Information without and by Illumination and Operation within and this done Man may be active For to receive it is certainly an Act not only of the Understanding which assents but of the Will which approves So that he both wittingly and willingly receives and that with some delight and proceeds to Profession and continues for a while to believe approve profess Though this receiving of Knowledg may seem only to be Acknowledgment yet it 's something more Truth is opposed to Erroar Knowledg to Ignorance Acknowledgment to Dissent Approbation to Rejection of this Truth § 26. This receiving and having is presupposed to Apostacy and sinning wilfully For no Man can loose and fall away from that which he never had either in Title or Possession so none can fall away from Grace or any degree of Grace which he never had The Heathens in Scripture were never said to breâ—k the Covenant of God or forsake God as their God by Covenant Therefore the proper Subject of Apostacy is one in the Church a member of the visible Church and in the times of the Gospel a Christian who hath professeth his Faith in Christ yet of these Apostates there is a difference and there are degrees of this Apostacy For some receive and profess Christianity by tradition and an implicit Faith yet never have any distinct knowledg of the Truth to be believed Some believe and understand more explicitely the Doctrine of Christianity and are convinced of the truth of it yet are never affected with the matter so as to forsake their Sins and reform their Lives but continue in their Sin Some know believe are affected with the matter as so they begin by the power of the Spirit to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and find some spiritual joy and comfort To fall away from any of these is Apostacy but to fall from the last is the greatest And there was something proper to those times which did aggravate this sin very much For the Truth then was confirmed both by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost this confirmation was clear and extraordinary and to renounce that Truth so confirmed must needs be hainous and of this the Apostle seems to speak Christians may fall away three wayes by denying the Truth 1. In their Profession Or 2. In their practise Or 3. In both And that denial which we call Apostacy is destructive of Christianity and maketh a man of a Christian no Christian. Yet some may deny Christ or fall into some grievous Sin and yet verily believe in their hearts and retain the love of Christ as Peter and others have
done and yet they remain Christians This is not strictly Apostacy In this number were many of those who antiently were called Lapsi and upon repenance were re-admitted to Christian Communion Therefore the Apostacy here 1. Is not barely to Sin for who lives and sins not Nor 2. To Sin willingly for so every one that Sins especially such as act against their knowledg may be said to do But 3. It 's to sin willingly after the reception of the knowledg of the Truth so as to renounce the Truth whereof they were fully convinced and to reject Christianity which they had received and professed That this was the sin here meant will fully appear hereafter § 26. This is the Sin The Punishment follows and it is unavoidable The reason hereof is first because it 's unpardonable This is signified by these words There remains no more Sacrifices for Sins This implies 1. That the punishment of Sins unpardonable is inavoidable and this is a clear and certain truth if we consider the Rules of God's Judgment and his Practice For whom he never pardons those he alwayes punisheth 2. That no sin is pardonable without a Sacrifice he meaneth the Sacrifice of Christ one immediate effect whereof once was to make Sin pardonable The reason why God required 1. Sacrifice 2. This Sacrifice was 1. To manifest his hatred of Sin and his Justice 2. To let men know that no Sacrifice was so fit for this purpose as that of Christ. These things implyed he affirms there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins In this he denies not this Sacrifice of Christ or the virtue of it to remain for both remain But his meaning is that neither this Sacrifice nor any other can make the Sins of these Apostates pardonable For Sin is pardonable by this Offering upon condition of Repentance and Faith and then actually to be pardoned when we actually do repent and believe sincerely But here we must take notice that the sins of many persons are pardonable and may be pardoned because though for the present they do not yet for the future they may in due time repent but the Sins of these Apostates upon their Apostacy become unpardonable so as that they neither shall not can be pardoned The reason of this is an eternal decree of divine Justice whereby he hath determined that the Sacrifice of Christ shall never benefit any such as fall away after they have received the knowledg of the Truth and if this Sacrifice shall never be accepted for them not any other ever shall have any force to expiate their Sin § 27. Therefore to such there can be no hope of mercy Ver. 27. But a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries IN the former words it 's implyed That the Apostate is liable to an unavoidable punishment of loss because he hath deprived himself of all hope of pardon or benefit to be received by the Sacrifice of Christ and here that he is obnoxious to a positive eternal penalty as unavoidable as the former In the words we may easily observe 1. The penalty to be inflicted 2. The parties who must suffer it 3. The certain expectation of it 1. The penalty may seem to be described 1. From the Cause the severe Justice of God 2. The Effect which is devouring or consuming The severe Justice of God is signified 1. More properly by the word Judgment 2. Improperly or Metaphorically by fiery Indignation 1. The word Judgment may inform us that this Justice is not legislative but judicial and as judicial not remunerative but vindictive which presupposeth Crime and Guilt in the party to be Judged The Judge is God the party to be judged the Apostare and the word Judgment may signify strictly the Sentence more largely or the Sentence and the Execution or the Punishment to be inferred This Judgment is the decree of Condemnation which determines the penalty and to signify how dreadful it is it 's said 2. Metaphorically to be fiery Indignation The words may be translated the hear or boiling or burning of fire that is fiery hear The Phrase is taken out of the Old Testament as Ezek 38. 19. Zeph. 1. 18 3 8. In which places the Septuagint use both these words of the Text For 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Wrath. 2. Indignation which is an high degree of Wrath and sometimes Jealously which is an implacable anger and the word fire is added to denote the force and vehemency of it And both words together signify Wrath very intensive and of an high degree yet God is not subject to passion as Man is but by these terms the Spirit informs us of God's high displeasure against and his great hatred and detestation of Apostacy and the severity of his Justice whereby he is resolved most fearfully to punish that Sin which is not barely a disobedience of some particular Law but a plain revolt So that God's severe Justice is the Cause the Effect is this that it will devour or consume which is no partial but a total destruction not that God will take away the beeing but the well-beeing of the Offender and will not only totally bereave him of all Comfort but torment him with extremity of Pain 2. The parties that most suffer are Adversaries Adversaries are Apostates who are not meerly disobedient Subjects but Revolters They violate the fundamentall Law of subjection and raze the foundation of Obedience for subjection unto God-Redeemer by Christ is the first and highest Duty God requires of sinful Man and it 's the ground of all Obedience and this Sin of Apostacy is opposed to this Subjection Yet it differs from that Rebellion which upon God's Call refuseth to submit and acknowledg Christ our Soveraign For this presupposeth that men have received Christ promised their Allegiance and by their Baptism have engaged themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and yet contrary to this engagment renounce the Supremacy of this universal Lord and so of engaged Subjects become Enemies for such all Rebells and Revolters are and shall be so judged by God Many besides these shall be condemned and fearfully punished but these are the Adversaries intended in this place 3. There remains a certain fearful looking for of this Judgment c. The meaning is they cannot look for any other final retribution This implies 1. That though they never fear it not think of it yet they are obnoxious to it 2. That this will certainly be their Doom and as they are obnoxious by Law and the certain and eternal rules of Judgment for neither Sentence nor Execution will fail they shall certainly suffer that which they have deserved 3. If they ever seriously reflect upon themselves and remember what they have done as Conscience will now and then lash them and mind them of their Crime they must needs expect it and their fear will be very great For as
his transcendent Gifts nor his heavenly Wisdom nor his Glorious Workâ— nor his rare Virtues nor his great work of Expiation nor his Glory and Power which he enjoyes at the right hand of God could any wayes move him but he vilifies him and debaseth him that was higher then the Heavens as low as the dust and dirt under his feet yet this debasement was only an act of his base mind but could not in the least degree diminish or obscure the Glory and Excellency of Christ This is the first aggravation of Apostacy 2. He counteth the Blood of the Covenant whereby he was sanctified an unholy thing Where we have 1. The Blood of the Covenant 2. The sanctifying Power of this Blood 3. The counting of it unholy 1. By the Blood understand the blooddy Sacrifice of Christ so much magnified in the former Chapter for it 's that Blood by which Christ entring the holy place of Heaven obtained eternal Redemption that Blood which purgeth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God that Blood which confirmed the everlasting Covenant in which respect it 's called the Blood of the Covenant This Covenant is called the Conant of Grace wherein for and in consideration of the unspotted Blood of Christ once shed God promiseth Remission of Sins and the eternal Inheritance of Glory upon condition of Repentance and Faith in Christ. And it 's called the Blood of this Covenant because upon it the Covenant was grounded and by virtue of it all the Promises thereof are made unalterable firm and effectual 2. This was the Blood by which this Apostate upon his receiving the knowledg of the Truth was sanctified For 1. This Blood as offered and accepted of God made his Sin remissible 2. Upon the profession of his Faith and his Baptism his Sin was at least conditionally pardoned and purged 3. So long as he continued in his profession and so far as he proceeded according to certain degrees in Faith and the profession of it so far he might be said to be in a state of Justification or at least in the way to Justification and not only to Justification but Sanctification as it 's made distinct from Justification though Sanctification be taken in this Epistle for Justification For this Blood of Christ is more beneficial to those which receive the Gospel are baptized believe with some degree of Faith than to others who either never heard the Gospel or if they heard did reject it And all the power against sin that any professing baptized Christian receives all the hope joy comfort which follows upon their profession are from the Blood of Christ. And how far some men may proceed in Christianity and what benefit they may receive by Christ and yet after fall away you have heard something in this sixth Chapter And such is the benefit which such do receive by the Blood of Christ that in a fair sense they may be said to be sanctified and have their sins purged by it Yet the meaning of the Apostle may be not only that they were some wayes sanctified by it but that it was the Blood and the Blood alone which could sanctify them and from which alone they could expect Sanctification 3. Yet this sanctifying Blood the Apostate counts unholy or common To be common Blood may be understood 1. Such as hath no expiating and purging power 2. Such as is no better then the Blood of Bulls and Goats sacrificed 3. Such as differs not from the Blood of other men 4. Such as is the Blood of a Malefactor guilty and vicious person and that is impure and unholy Blood So that the Apostate though he had received some kind and measure of Sanctification from it yet ascribed no more virtue and excellency to it then to common Blood denyed the sanctifying power of it nay did account it unholy and polluted Yet you must note that though it be so vile in his conceit and judgment yet it 's really in it self the onely sanctifying Blood and effectually sanctifying to all such as do sincerely believe This is the second aggravation 3. The Apostate doth despite unto the Spirit of Grace where we must enquire 1. What this Spirit is 2. Why he is called the Spirit of Grace 3. What it is to do despite unto this Spirit 1. This Spirit is not the spirit of Man neither is it any Angel nor any created Person or Substance but it 's an uncreated Spirit the Spirit of God so as that it is God therefore the perfections and operations of God are predicated of it It 's that Spirit which with the Father and the Son is the Supream object of our Faith that Spirit by which God made the World preserves and governs the same that Spirit whereby he regenerates and sanctifies his People and animates the whole Body of the Church 2. This Spirit is said to be the Spirit of Grace Thus he may be called in opposition to the Spirit of bondage and fear which is the Spirit proper to the Law For the Spirit by the Law which had no Expiation for Sin no Blood to purge the Conscience no promise of power to keep it nor of pardon if transgressed could work nothing but fear which was a continued slavery and bondage The Spirit of the Gospel which is the Spirit of Christ promised and given in the Gospel is a Spirit of comfort and confidence a Spirit of Adoption which manifests the special love of God in Christ our Justification Reconciliation and gives us power to keep the Covenant Some understand it to be called the Spirit of Grace because he is given out of Grace and free Mercy Others think that this Name is given to this Spirit because by it God gives us Grace For by Grace they understand those spiritual and supernatural Graces which sanctify the Soul and dispose it for communion with God and all those supernatural comforts which issue from that Communion And it 's very true that as God by this Spirit works all things so especially by him he produceth these heavenly Virtues which tend so much unto eternal life 3. They do despite unto this Spirit In this despight there are Injury Reproach Contempt and the greater the Person to whom the despite is done the more hainous it is This here meant is not done to Man but God because done to that Spirit which is so the Spirit of God that he is God This is committed 1. By resisting the sanctifying Power of God 2. By undoing all that God by his Spirit had done in him for his Salvation 3. By accounting the Gifts Notions Motions of this Spirit the Works Delusions and Impulses of the Devil and that not only in himself but in others sanctified by this Spirit and endued with his Gifts This is the more hainous because done not out of ignorance or infirmity but out of pure malignity of the Will with malice to Christ and deâ—estation of Christian Religion and all this after upon conviction
〈◊〉 right Sojourner on Earth who doth not look for a City eternally stable in Heaven For that which most effectually draws the heart of Man off from this World is the expectation of a far better Estate in the World to come 2. That Believers and Expectants of Heaven who are Candidates of Eternity are of a most noble and divine Spirit Amongst men of this World the Ambitious who aspire to Crowns and Kingdoms and aim at perpetual fame by their heroick Vertues and rare Exploits are judged persons of far greater Gallantry than covetous Muck-worms or brutish Epicures yet in their thoughts and highest designs they are very base in Comparison of these Pilgrims in whose breast the Sparks of heavenly fire do ever burn and move and carry them upward far above the World 3. That neither Abraham nor any other without Faith could look for this glorious City For by it they did not only understand how glorious it was but also were verily perswaded of God's Promise and fidelity and without this Faith they could not possibly hope or look for it And as by Faith they did sojoum so by the same Faith they did look for this City § 14. The third Work of Abraham's Faith was the obtaining of Isaac For Ver. 11. Through Faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive Seed and was delivered of a Child when she was past Age because she judged him faithfull that had promised THis is attributed to Sarah's Faith yet it was a Blessing obtained also and that principally by the Faith of Abraham of whom it 's thus written That against hope he believed in hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was promised So shall thy Seed be And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was an hundred years old nor yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb. He staggered not at the Promise of God through Unbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God Rom. 4. 18 19 20. So that in this particular we must consider the Faith of both and though Sarah only be expressed yet Abraham as the chief Believer is to be understood Upon this Faith it followeth that not only Isaac Sarah's immediate Issue by Abraham but a numerous Posterity was given upon this Faith For Ver. 12. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Start of the Skie in multitude and as the Sands of the Sea-shore innumerable IN these Verses taken joyntly we may consider 1. A Promise made by God 2. The receiving of this Promise by Faith 3. God's sidelity in performing this Promise to the parties believing 1. The Promise is only implyed in these words who promised where you must know that the party promising was God and the thing promised was that Abraham should have a Son by Sarah and by that Son his Posterity in after times should be multiplyed as the Stars of Heaven and the Sand upon the Sea-shore This Promise was made to both though not expressed at several times 1. Gen. 15. 4 5. 2. It was renewed to both of them and that more expresly Gen. 17. 15 16 c. In both these places mention is made not only of one Son but a of very numerous Posterity 3. This Promise was repeated the third and last time Gen. 18. 10. The parties to whom this Promise was made were Abraham and Sarah The Mercy promised was considerable not only in this that they should have a Son of their own Bodies to continue their Name and inherit their temporal Estate but chiefly because of his Seed Christ should be brought into the World and his Posterity should enjoy the means of Salvation and be included in the special Covenant of Grace 2. This Promise was received by Faith for Sarah counted him faithful that had promised She seemed indeed to doubt till she was reproved and heard that nothing was impossible with God and the Promise was again repeated unto her Gen. 18. 14. So Abraham upon the first Promise of Isaac and a numerous Posterity is said to have believed in the Lord Gen. 15. 6. And the Apostle to signify the firmness of his Faith informs us as you heard before 1. That against hope he believed in 〈◊〉 2. He was not weak in Faith 3. He staggered not at the Promise 4. He was strong in Faith 5. He was fully perswaded Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. This Faith was grounded upon divine Revelation and was a firm and practical Assent unto the Word and Promise of God which did settle his mind For he looked not upon secondary Causes nor upon the Barrenness of Sarah nor their Age nor the deadness of their Bodies and Impotency of Generation by reason of Age But he considered that it was God who had promised that he was Almighty that he was faithful This Faith was required in both as necessary for to attain this great Blessing not that it had any Physical force to enable them for Generation but that it was a Moral Qualification required in them This their Faith is made known unto us for imitation that as they did so we should do rest upon God's Promise in greatest extremities perplexities and seeming impossibilities We must look higher and above all created Power and not measure God's Almighty strength according to and within the bounds of created activity 3. This Promise was fulfilled according to this Faith For Sarah received strength to conceive and in her Old-Age above the Course of Nature became the Mother of Isaac which was part of the Promise And from this one so good as dead sprang a posterity numerous and in some sort innumerable amongst whom Christ was born in whom all Nation were blessed by whom Abraham became the Father of a far more numerous spiritual Posterity which were Believers of all Nations So excellent a thing is Faith and upon Faith so wonderful the Works of the glorious and almighty God who begins with small things though unlikely at the first and multiplies a few to a vast number and magnifies small things to a stupendious greatness § 15. After this third Effect the Apostle returns unto the second concerning the Pilgrimage of Abraham Sarah Isaac Jacob and their expectation of that better and more glorious City which God had promised to them and their Heirs upon the condition of their Faith For thus we read in the words following Ver. 13. These all dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth Ver. 14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country THese words with the two Verses following are an Amplification of that which was briefly delivered in the 9 and 10. Verses They are sitly brought in upon the former as presupposing the Birth not only of Isaac but Jacob and the Apostle doth not only
could merit the Reward but only qualify him for the Enjoyment and give a Title to it by vertue of God's Promise made upon the Merit of Christ who by the Cross did merit this Reward for all such as by Faith should bear the Cross and follow him This Faith moved him to this Obedience of Self-Denial and bearing the Cross and gave him Power to overcome the World and that Faith which is not thus victorious is not justifying and saving The Philosopher's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Temperance and Fortitude seem to have some Affinity with this Doctrine but comes far short And here it 's observable That the Honour to be Pharoah's Daughter's Son the temporary Pleasures of Sin and the Treasures of Aegypt go together so do Afflictions of God's People and the Reproach of Christ. The Reproach of Christ is opposed to Honor the Afflictions of God's People to the Pleasures of Sin the Riches of Reproach for Christ to the Treasures of Aegypt The Reproaches of Christ and Afflictions are better to Man as his Case now stands not only in this that they tend to the Reward but also through Sanctification of the Spirit they exercise and improve our heavenly vertues and prevent many grievous Sins If we will be happy with Moses we must make Moses Choice and pray for the Power of the Spirit to enable us not only to resolve but also perform as he did and also often to eye the great Reward which will be a mighty Motive to Obedience Neither must we think it mercenary to look at the Reward for God's Glory and our Happiness are linked together so that the Belief and Expectation of the Reward do no wayes abate of our Love to God in Christ. § 26. The second Work of Moses his Faith wherein the Apostle instanceth was his forfaking of Aegypt For Ver. 27. By Faith he for sook Aegypt not fearing the Wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who was invisible FOR the better understanding both of this and the former part of the Example of Moses we must observe 1. That Moses had some divine Information of God's Intention by him to deliver Israel as is implyed by this that he visited his Brethren when he was forty years of Age for then it came into his heart to do so and in this Visitation he slew an Aegyptian who wronged and oppressed one of his Brethren By this Visitation and Act he supposed his Brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them but they understood not Acts 7. 23 24 25. 2. That if he would have laid aside all Affection and Care of his Brethren and all thoughts of delivering them he might have still continued to have been called the Son of Pharoah's Daughter and to have enjoyed the Pleasures and Treasures of Aegypt 3. That he was resolved though with the loss of all to attempt and undertake this Work and began it with this Visitation and Deliverance of one particular Person yet this way proved ineffectual for the time was not yet come 4. That in this Visitation it so fell out through the Folly and Iniquity of one of his own Brethren that Pharoah was incensed against him and sought to kill him and now he begins to suffer Affliction with God's People and to bear the Reproach of Christ. And now his Case was this that he must either fly and forsake Aegypt or be slain He cared not so much for the King's Wrath nor did he fear Death so much as he was grieved for the sad condition of his Brethren and troubled that the design of their Deliverance did for the present fail But to return unto the words wherein we may observe these Propositions 1. Moses for sook Aegypt not fearing the Wrath of the King 2. In this he endured as seeing him who is invisible In the former we have 1. His leaving Aegypt 2. The manner how he left it 1. He forsook Aegypt Two several times 1. When he fled into the Land of Midian where he was a Stranger and a Shepherd for many years 2. When he brought Israel out of Aegypt The great doubt is Whether of these is here intended Some think the former some the latter some both Yet whether it be one or both it 's certain both that he did leave Aegypt and that he did leave it in this manner In the former Departure he fled to avoid danger in the latter he marched out like a Prince and General with a mighty Host. The former was the loss of all his Honour high and happy Estate which he formerly enjoyed in Pharoah's Court and the beginning of his suffering Affliction and Reproach with the People of God This was from himself who out of Pity and ardent Affection to his Brethren brought himself into this Condition This seemed to be a great Fall for a great Prince became a poor Fugitive yet he was well content nay judged the Estate of the latter to be far better than that of the former For it was far more free from Temptation and more calm so that he might freely give himself to contemplation and converse with his God Therefore if we well consider this the former forsaking Aegypt is rather to be referred and ascribed to that Faith whereby he denyed himself and took up the Cross looking at the great Reward 2. In the latter though the Wrath of the King was great yet he feared it not The last time he was in the King's presence he did fearfully menace him saying Get thâ—t from me take â—eed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt dy Exod. 10. 28. This signifies that he was enraged against Moses and though upon the last and greatest Execution upon the Egyptians in the death of the first born he did for the present remit his fury and sending to Moses and Aaron did dismiss them and all Israel yet he suddenly changed his mind and armed all Aegypt to pursue them This Moses knew full well yet he marched with all the Armies of Israel out of that wicked Country with invincible Boldness and certain Confidence that God would make his March good and their Deliverance full and effectual against all the fury and force of that wicked King The Reason of this Boldness was his Faith whereby he endured as seeing him who is invisible which is the second Proposition Where 1. The Object of his Faith was the Invisible 2. The Act was he saw him or looked upon him 3. The Effect immediate was he endured 1. He that was invisible was God who is said to be the eternal immortal invisible God 1 Tim. 1. 17. whom no man hath seen nor can see Cap. 6. 16. and the invisible God Colos. 1. 15. To be invisible as here is meant must needs be proper unto God It 's true that many things especially spiritual Substances as immortal Souls and Angels are not visible or perceivable by bodily Eyes and in that
liveless and sonsless This is the deficiency of the Body from which the Metaphor is taken For the deficiency of the Soul in the profession of the Christian Faith is intended and signified by these words therefore is added the word mind that is lest you â—e â—â—ary and faint in your mind This implies that there is a divine spiritual or moral strength and fortitude of the mind whereby it 's enabled to endure Persecutions and Contradictions though many and long continued Yet as the Body so the Mind may be wearied faint yield ly under the burden and entertain thoughts of forsaking the Faith and at length forsake it indeed And this was the Devils design to tire and weary them out that so they might be willing to renounce Christianity the Profession whereof was so toublesom 2. The Remedy here mentioned whereby this sad Event might be prevented was to consider what Contradiction Christ suffered from Sinners and yet endured with Patience to the End This through the Sanctification of God's Spirit would refresh strengthen and revive them And here we must observe that some are of so poor a spirit as that they will yield before their Strength fail them some are lazy and love their Ease some are negligent and make no use of such Helps as God hath put in their power and this is a great Sin in any of us who profess the Faith of Christ and it tends to Apostacy For God requires whilst we have any strength to use it 3. Therefore they are exhorted to use the means and consider Christ's Patience and Constancy and following his Example not sink under a far leighter burden seeing he did not shrink under a far more heavy Temptation § 4. Besides the Example of Christ which they must consider there is another Reason Ver. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto Blood striving against Sin THough this may seem to be another distinct Reason from the former yet it may be a Branch of the same For Christ had resisted to Blood which they had not done Yet there may be something more in the Text for not only Christ but also other Saints far inferiour to Christ had been faithful unto Death and had sealed their Profession with their Blood This was no more than Duty and God required it at their hands and to faint and fall off before that Period was agrievous Sin This therefore presupposeth that it was their Duty to resist unto Blood and to suffer far more than yet they had endured therefore they must go on In the words we have two Propositions 1. They did strive against Sin or they did suffer striving against Sin 2. In striving against Sin they had not yet resisted unto Blood 1. By Sin is not meant any kind of Sin but some one principal and far above the rest and its Apostacy called so Antonomastik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s by way of Eminency It 's true that it 's a general Duty of all Christians to strive against all Sin for we are no sooner regenerate and have renounced the Devil and the World and bid desiance and proclaimed eternal Feud and Hostility but we are fearfully assaulted and after that time our Life is a continued Warfare hence the many fearful Conflicts between Flesh and Spirit within us The Events of this War are many and various but the final Issue is a total final eternal Victory The great Design of Satan in this Battle is to shake our Faith in pieces for then if that be done the Conquest is compleat Therefore said our Saviour to Peter Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Luk. 22. 31 32. And if Christ should not strengthen and support no Man could stand Therefore we should remember and consider what our condition is it 's a state of War and not of Peace and we are environed continually with potent vigilant and cruel Enemies which seek our temporal and eternal Ruine in this respect we must alwayes sight and strive with all our Power and stand continually upon our Watch pray for help and humbly depend upon our God and of all other things let us keep our Faith If that be safe all is safe and all other Sins pardonable but if that be lost all is lost and our case is desperate 2. Yet in this War they had not resisted to Blood By Blood is meant Death and a violent taking away of Life and though they had resisted stoutly and suffered much yet their lives were safe Reproaches and loss of Goods were grievous yet Life is very precious and the best thing we have in this World it 's far more than Goods and these temporal Estates and Man will do much and give much to save it In this respect Death is said to be so terrible as the greatest of all temporal Evils Upon this he urgeth this Duty of Perseverance in Resistance because their Life was due to Christ and whosoever will not lay it down for Christ's sake cannot be his Disciple For if any man saith Christ come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Seeing therefore their Duty was to do and suffer far more than yet they were put unto they should not faint under the loss when they were bound to beaâ— the greater burden And as this was their Duty so it 's ours and if we think it unreasonable to be put unto so hard Service to resist even unto Blood if God require it let us consider that Christ suffered cruel pains and laid down his Life for us that many of God's Saints did cheerfully suffer loss of all earthly Comforts and of life it self that if we lose our life which is but mortal and momentany we find a Life immortal glorious and for ever blessed that we resist and strive not for our temporal Estates Wives Children earthly Country but for our eternal Safety Peace and Happiness that our Sufferings though far greater than they are yet are but leight and for a moment but the Glory which will follow is exceeding and eternal and will make amends for all Lord encrease our Faith and strengthen our hearts in the hour of Temptation § 5. The next Argument is taken from the Nature of their Sufferings as they are Chastisements upon them from God as a Father chastning every Child according to his Wisdom for their Good and Happiness wherein they end for the end of them is Peace This Argument we find proposed first and then excellently polished It begins Ver. 5. And ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh to you as to Children My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked ef him IN these words with those that follow unto Ver. 14 we may observe 1. Something presupposed 2. Something expressed 1. The thing presupposed is
round about the Throne of God are ten thousand times ten thousand even thousands of thousands Revel 5. 11. To come to these is to be of their Society and every true Believer upon his Regeneration begins to have Communion with these blessed Spirits for regenerate Men and Angels are fellow-Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem and fellow-Subjects of the same Kingdom They are above us and we are a great Distance from them in respect of our present Estate yet some of them are very near us though we do not see them nor speak unto them nor familiarly converse with them and they love us have a special care of us and all of them are ministring Spirits for us who shall be Heirs of Salvation § 21. Yet there are other Subjects of this Kingdom of a lower and inferiour Ranck and a Supream Lord and Judg of all For we come Ver. 23 To the general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect VVHere we have God the Soveraign both of Angels and Men the Men who are Subjects in this Kingdom are the Living or Dead both in his Dominion and under his Power Some Copies and Translations joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the word Angels in the former verse You are come to Myriads the general assembly of Angels But others read as we do in our English The sense is not much altered by this difference for there is a general Assembly of Angels and a general Assembly of Men and these are different yet both make but one Body and Community of Subjects in this heavenly and spiritual Polity The Propositions are these 1. There is a general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven 2. There is God the Judge of all 3. There are Spirits of just men made perfect 4. They were come to these 1. In the first we have the first-born these are written in Heaven these are a great Assembly and Church 1. The first-born in this place are 1. Such as are regenerated and adopted for here to be born is to be born again and made the Sons of God by Word and Spirit They are God's first-born because they have the spiritual priviledges of primogeniture they are Heirs and also Kings and Priests to God for ever This signifies their excellent dignity above other men and their near relation to God and Christ. 2. These first-born are written or enroll'd in Heaven which is the same with having their Names written in Heaven and in the Book of Life Luke 10. 20. Rev. 20. 12. and in the Book of the Lamb. The meaning of the Phrase is that upon their serious Faith in Christ God doth account them as his Children and Heirs of Glory therefore it imports two things 1. Their title unto everlasting Glory 2. The certainty of the possession in due time so that there shall be no alteration of their Condition They are destined to an eternal Inheritance by an immutable decree and therefore their Names are said to be written in this Book from the beginning of the World and so they shall never be blotted or rased out again This enrolment is but virtual which upon their new Birth becomes actual This is a great priviledg to have our Names enrolled in the Register of Heaven which never shall be changed and an unspeakable comfort by our sincere Faith and Obedience to know it 3. There is the Church of these first-born that is though they be many yet they are called chosen congregated and united into one spiritual Body politick and made one Society therefore the Church is so often compared to a Body which hath many members yet all these united make but one Systeme called the Church the members and parts whereof are not natural but naturalized and by free Grace ingrafted 4. They are a general Assembly made up of many different persons gathered together out of several Countries into one Body though not into one place Some think the Apostle alludes unto the Olympian and other Assemblies of the Greeks wherein many from many places met together Some were Schollars as Philosophers Poets Orators who did exercise their wit some did manifest their activity in running wrastling and other bodily Exercises they had also their Delights and Recreations But the Analogy is not in these things but in this that they were one general Assembly and so did represent the Church as Catholick and Universal For these are a number gathered and redeemed by the Blood of Christ out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and a great multitude not only of Jews but Gentiles which no man can number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues Rev. 5. 9 7 9. They were come to these and were incorporated into this Society and made Subjects of this Kingdom and the first-born of God had a title to the same heavenly Inheritance and their Names were enrolled in the Book of Life and they were destin'd to eternal Glory 2. They were come to God the Judge of all What is the Body without an Head a Kingdom or multitude of Subjects without a King who is the Basis of the People and the Center of them all wherein they are united and the Corner-stone that doth support them Therefore in this most excellent Society there must be a King and Soveraign and this is God who is here styled the Judg of all In Hebrew to judg is to rule and govern and a Judg is a Ruler and Governour and so it may be taken here Yet there are inferiour and subordinate Rulers and also supream and universal Such God is for all things are subject to his Power yet he hath a special Kingdom as he is Lord and Redeemer by Christ and so he is in a special manner the Supream Governour of this general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are not only his Servants and Subjects but his Sons and Heirs of Glory He is their Lord and Father their Law-giver and their Judg he takes a special care of them and by his Laws doth order them to eternal Happiness and in the End rewards them with Glory He is Almighty in Power exactly just wonderfully wise and infinitely merciful and exerciseth his Perfections in promoting their eternal Bliss And they were come to him and admitted into his Kingdom received into his Protection and as he is able so he is resolved to destroy all their Enemies and give everlasting Peace His Angels must guard them all Creatures serve them and all things must work together for their good He continually sits in the Throne of Grace not in the midst of Smoak and Fire as upon Mount Siâ—ai he is compassed with Light and ever shines upon them with his favour 3. They were come unto the Spirits of just men made perfect Those Spirits were not Angels but the Souls of Men yet not in their Bodies but
is a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanks-giving 2. This Praise is the fruit of our Lips and so is Thanks-giving 3. This Sacrifice of Praise must be offered unto God with Thanks-giving to his Name 4. This Sacrifice must be offered by Christ. 5. It must be offered continually 1. There is a Sacrifice of Praise for there is Praise and this Praise is a Sacrifice Praise as it 's a Duty to be performed to God 1. Hath for Object some divine Vertues and Perfections and the same manifested unto us by his Word or Works or both and also apprehended by us 2. It is an Acknowledgment of these Perfections as proper unto God as most glorious and excellent in respect of them 3. Some outward Expression of this Acknowledgment as by word of Mouth or some other way 2. This Praise is a Sacrifice because to be offered to God of which hereafter 2. This Praise is the fruit of our Lips because by our words which issue from the heart we express our inward thoughts and high Apprehensions of the same Therefore our Tongue in Hebrew is said to be our Glory and the Reason given by some is not only this that by our Speech and Language we excel irrational Creatures but because it was given us to praise and glorify God And as our Understanding is given us to think of God and to know him so our Speech was given us to speak of God and declare his wondrous Works and his excellent Perfections manifested therein In this respect Praise is said to be a speaking well of the person or thing to be praised This Expression is made either in private or publick and the publick is the principal It is made either in our Prayers in our singing of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs wherein the Voice is louder sweeter and melodious which is called Vocal Musick sometimes joyned with that which is called Instrumental The Reason why in Assemblies we use this Vocal Praise is to inform others and stirr them up to praise God joyntly with us Thanks-giving also is the Fruit of our Lips wherein we use our Voice as in Praise and sometimes Praise and Thanks-giving are the same therefore the word here used signifies Confession which presupposing our inward Acknowledgment is an outward Declaration of the same Yet Thanks-giving strictly taken is different from Praise for the object of it is the works of God as beneficial to us and manifesting his mercy love and kindness and the act of it is an acknowledgment of his love mercy and kindness and an expression of the same And this is also a Fruit of our Lips as well as Praise and is signified outwardly for the same Reasons for which the inward Acknowledgment of Praise is expressed This Phrase Fruit of our Lips is taken out of the Prophets as Isa. 57. 19. but especially Hosea 14. 2. where the word Calves is turned by the Septuagint Fruit. 3. This Sacrifice of Praise and Thanks-giving must be offered to God and to his Name A Sacrifice is sometimes taken largely for an Oblation or Offering and in this sense a Sacrifice is an Offering of something to God as Supream Lord. Praise therefore and so Thanksgiving being something offered to God as Supream may be said to be a Sacrifice which is proper to a Deity Praise is due to Him as Supream in some Perfections Thanks as to the Supream Benefactor and Fountain of all Goodness Blessings Mercies These are due to him as he is Supream and we are bound to offer these by vertue of the first Commandment which requireth Love Fear Praise Thanks-giving Honour and other Duties to be performed to Him alone as Supream in the highest degree The Reason why the Authour mentions Sacrifice may be this Because all Religions require Sacrifices to be offered to a God whether true or imaginary and God required in the Law several kinds of Sacrifices both Ilastical and Eucharistical to be offered unto him and these Hebrews might say What is the Law of Moses so abrogated that all Sacrifices and Offerings to God are taken away Hath Christian Religion no such thing Is it singular in this particular To this the Apostle answers that indeed all Sacrifices of Bullocks Goats Lambs Rams which were carnal are taken away yet there are more excellent Sacrifices which are moral and spiritual of which praise and thanksgiving are not the least to be offered unto God as Supreme Lord. For you are an holy Priest-hood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices c. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Where it 's expresly signified 1. That there must be Sacrifices in the Christian Religion and Worship Yet 2. These Sacrifices must not be carnal but spiritual And under the Law God required the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving more then the Blood of Bulls and Goats Psal. 50. 14. and the Knowledg of God and mercy more then those Legal Sacrifices of Beasts Hos. 6. 6. and the Sacrifices of a broken Spirit of a broken and contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. This Sacrifice of praise was and is most solemnly to be offered in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ for that inestimable blessing of Redemption by that great Sacrifice offered upon the Cross. Therefore that Sacrament was called the Eucharist or Thanksgiving and a Commemoration of Christ's Death And this might be the reason why the Antients so often called it a Sacrifice to signify that neither the Heathens nor Jews had any reason to upbraid them with the want or neglect of Sacrifice It must be offered unto God and God alone as Supreme and to his Name where by Name may be signified either his Majesty and Supremacy and it is the same with offering unto God or it may signify his Glory and then the meaning is that it must be offered to him to manifest his Glory and to ascribe all Glory Honour excellency and Perfection unto him 4. This Sacrifice must be offered by Christ. By Christ that is by Faith in Christ 1. As having propitiated God by his Blood and made his Throne accessible For by him we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand Rom. 5. 2. Through him we have access by one Spirit to the Father Eph. 2. 18. And in him we have boldness and access with confidence by Faith of him Col. 3. 12. For how should sinful guilty man dare to approach into his presence of an holy and just Lord if satisfaction be not made first unto Divine Justice offended by Sin 2. By Faith in him as having merited God's favour and acceptance of our Services for without this Merit we are unworthy to enter into his presence and our best Services considered in themselves without his merit are not acceptable 3. By him as our Mediatour and Intercessour for he is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. As no man under the Law could offer his Sacrifice unto God but by the Priest so under the Gospel no man can offer his Prayers Praises Alms or any other
to submit our selves The parties who must perform this Duty are Christian People as having Rules over them they are the Flock under their Shepheards Subjects under their Governours The parties to whom the Duty must be performed are such as have the Rule over them who before were called Guides which taught unto them the Word of God and here such as watch over their Souls All this implies that they are Superiors Governours Officers and to distinguish them from Civil Magistrates they are said to be trusted with men's Souls not their Bodies and Estates these are Officers in the Church whether extraordinary or ordinary of what order ranck or quality soever if instituted by Christ yet ordinary are here chiefly meant These are called Ministers of the Gospel Elders Pastors Teachers Their work chiefly is in Word Prayer administration of the Sacraments These most be fitly qualified for knowledg life utterance and approved by such as being sufficient to judg of them are appointed by the Church for that work They should be such as against whom no exception can justy be taken And this is said to be their Vocation upon which usually follows Ordination by Imposition of hands a certain form of words and prayer These are acts of the Church designing and engaging fit persons but their power is from Christ All this is to be understood of ordinary Pastors These are the persons to whom the Duty is to be performed The duty is Obedience and Subjection Obedience presupposeth Commands and subjection Power The Commands must be done the Power must be acknowledged The Power is spiritual and from God for they are made Overseers of the Church by the Holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. And it 's so great that Christ plainly affirms That whosoever heareth and receiveth them heareth and receiveth Christ and God who sent Christ and he that despiseth them despiseth Christ and God who sent him Matth. 10. 40. Luke 10. 16. And this is true not only of the Apostles but of their Successors Yet this presupposeth that they do all things in their place according to their Commission from Christ and in his Name exercising their Power according to his Command 2. The Reasons are taken 1. From their Work 2. From their Account 1. Their work is to watch over their Souls and here we must take notice 1. That the subject of their work are mens Souls and the Soul is the principal and more noble part of man and here it 's to be considered as immortal and capable of an eternal estate of felicity or misery And here they are considered as in great danger of eternal punishment and the work of the Minister must be to prevent it so far as he can This is done by watching which is a Metaphor taken from a Shepheard or a Scout or Sentinel And whatsoever the one should do for his Sheep and the other for his Country to save and preserve them this he must do for the Salvation of mens Soul For mens Souls are as Sheep without a Shepheard wandring in the wayes of Sin in danger of Satan Hell and Death dâ—stâ—â—ute of all necessary saving Blessings and all power either to direct or protect themselves And this Watching includes many works as instruction of the Ignorant reproof of the Guilty threatening the Stubborn strengthening the Weak comforting the Sorrowful directing all giving good example to all encouraging all praying for all To Watch is to do the whole work of the Ministry for Doctrine and Worship in the right dispensation of the Word and Sacraments Some understand by these Guides and Rulers all other Officers and Governours of the Church for Discipline but these may be other besides Ministers which are here principally intended Seeing these watch and that over their Souls and for their eternal Salvation to prevent their damnation they should be considered as most necessary of all other men and should be esteemed highly in love for their works sake People do little consider how great a blessing from God and happiness to Man good and faithful Ministers are but if they once find the power of their Doctrine and the comfort of the Spirit they prize them as Messengers and Angels sent from Heaven out of great mercy for their eternal good Yet the best are most hated of the Devil despised by Men reviled persecuted and sometimes martyred Yet we must not think this any strange thing seeing they called Christ Beelzebub and counted the Apostles the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things But the insufficiency and infidelity of vicious lazy ambitious covetous Wretches though it may give some occasion of contempt cannot excuse the wickedness of the World in this particular 2. As Watching over mens Souls is the first reason so the second is taken from their Account which may be good or bad in respect of the Ministers or the People committed to their Charge where it 's to be observed that it may be good in respect of the Minister who hath been faithful and yet bad in respect of the People who have been disobedient Yet here the account is chiefly considered with reference to the People And it is two-fold 1. Good and made with joy which is profitable 2. Bad and made with grief which is unprofitable to the People This implies that Ministers as they receive power from Christ so they receive Mandates with Instructions and are deeply charged and wo unto Paul if he preach not the Gospel For such will be guilty not only of their own sins but of the Blood and Damnation of the Peoples Souls this is an heavy Charge This implies they are Stewards and the Flock is not their own but Christ's who trusted them in their hands and will call them to account and as they prove faithful or unfaithful so he will deal with them and punish or reward them more then other men and surely if we did remember this Account or loved Christ we would feed his Flock which cost him so dear even his own Life and Blood And the People should consider the expence of Christ's Blood the charge the study the pains the prayers of their faithful Ministers and this consideration should work much upon them and perswade them to obedience and submission because the performance of the Duty will end in the Ministers joy and their profit For as it is a great grief to their Guides to see the People impenitent and all their labour lost in respect of them so it is a matter of great joy to see them converted and brought into an estate of Salvation so that they can say These Souls I have gained and saved from Hell and can present them blameless as washed in the Blood of Christ before the Judgment-seat of God And as it is a joy to their Pastors so it is a profit and great advantage unto them for their joy shall end in the Peoples Salvation who will bless the Day that ever they hearkened to them and in receiving them received