to dye The Articles of the Covenant also evinceth it to be a Testament and the promiser bound to make his word good and so to dye For Jer. 31. the Lord Christ promiseth to reconcile his people to God to take away their sins and to be their God Iustice required satisfaction of them before they could be reconciled Satisfaction they could not make themselves therefore he who promised to make the Reconciliation with God was bound to make the satisfaction for them to God and if satisfaction for them then to undergo the curse of the Law for them and so to dye Then 1. The New Covenant is of the nature of a Testament and the benefits promised therein to wit Remission of sins Reconciliation Sanctification and Life Eternal are Legacies freely left unto us by our Defunct Lord who was dead and is alive to execute his own will for evermore The Scripture is the instrument and evidence the Apostles Notaries the Sacraments are seals witnesses from Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit witnesses on earth the Water the Blood and the Spirit 2. Christ Jesus is both the maker of the Covenant which is in Ier. 31. and the Mediator thereof also the Testator and Executor of that blessed Testament 3. Christs death was concluded and resolved upon and intimated before he came into the world Vers. 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the Testator liveth He cleareth his reasoning from the nature of Testaments amongst men which not before but after a mans death have force But here it may be objected How can this be seeing by vertue of the testament of Christ benefits not a few were bestowed upon the Church before his death from the beginning of the world not onely Remission of sins and Eternal Life but also many graces and blessings in this life both bodily and spiritual I answer Albeit Christs death was not accomplished in act till of late yet for the certainty of his death to follow and the unchangeableness of his minde towards his Church before his death he was reckoned both with God and the Church for dead and the promise of laying down his life for his people accepted for the time as if it had been performed For which cause he is called Rev. 13.8 The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world And Christ was still represented as a slain man in all these Sacrifices which the Apostle pointeth at as meeting this doubt in the next words which follow hereafter Vers. 18. Vers. 18. Whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without blood He proveth the necessity of Christs death yet farther Under the Law his bloodshed was represented by types of bloody Sacrifices therefore it behoved those types to be answered by his real bloodshed and death Then 1. What the types of the Law did signifie Christ behoved to accomplish in verity 2. The Old Church was taught that by vertue of the blood signified by these types the Covenant stood betwixt God and them Vers. 19. For when Moses had spoken every Precept to all the people according to the Law he took the blood of Calves and of Goats with Water and Scarlet Wooll and Hyssope and sprinkled both the book and all the people 20. Saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you 21. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministery From Moses example we learn 1. That the Lords Word should be manifested to all the people and none of them debarred from taking knowledge thereof 2. That the Word must be spoken plainly with a distinct voyce in the common Language and not muttered in an unknown Tongue 3. That with the use of holy Rites appointed of God the Preaching of Gods Word should be joyned to shew the Institution and force of Gods Ordinances to his people 2. In that the Book and the People and Instruments of Service were all to be sprinkled we learn That every thing which we touch or meddle with or make use of is unclean unto us were it never so holy in it self except the Blood of Jesus make it clean unto us and cleanse us in the using of it Vers. 22. And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission He saith Almost because of some purging which was done by washing and yet even that washing also drew the Vertue of Ceremonial purging from the Sacrifice whereunto the washing was annexed 2. In saying Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins he teacheth us That wheresoever a sacrifice is offered for obtaining remission of sin there shedding of blood must really be and where an unbloody sacrifice is pretended to be offered for obtaining remission it serveth not the purpose because Without shedding of blood there is no remission Either therefore must such as pretend to offer Christ for obtaining the remission of sin grant that Christ is daily murthered by them and his blood shed anew in their pretended Offering or else that by their Offering no new Remission is purchased But the truth is Christs Blood is once shed and never to be shed again and that once Offering and Blood shedding is sufficient for everlasting remission without any new Offering of him again Vers. 23. It was therefore necessary that the Patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these but the Heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices than these Another reason of the necessity of Christs death in force thus much If things figuratively holy behoved to be cleansed with the Typical Blood of Beasts Then things truly holy behoved to be cleansed with better blood even the blood of the Messias Hence we learn 1. That for the significations cause God would not have the Tabernacle nor any Instrument of Service about it to â—e esteemed holy till blood was shed to sprinkle it That it might be known thereby that without the shedding of Christs blood he would not accept of any thing from us as holy 2. That the blood of Beasts was sufficient to make representation but better blood even the Blood of the Messiah behoved to be shed to give the truth of the signification For as far as Heaven is above the earthly sanctuary and mens souls above the vessels thereof so far better behoved to be that blood which made souls acceptable to God and to get entrance into heaven than the blood of Levitical sacrifices was Vers. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us He cleareth the matter how Christ hath offered a better Sacrifice than the Levitical yea and behoved to offer a better because he is entered into a better Sanctuary another man in another manner and to another end than the High Priest under
often with a lively voice partly making it manifest in his whole doctrine that hee is the same which came out of his Fathers bosome and laid open his counsel touching mans salvation Hee that cometh from above hee that cometh from Heaven is above all Ioh. 4.31 3 The Holy Ghost bears record that Jesus Christ is the Son of God partly by his descending upon him in his Baptism partly by his descending upon his Apostles and Disciples in the day of Pentecost partly by inspiring the doctrine of Christ into the Pen-men of the Scripture and by commending it to the world that it might teach men and perswade and confirm them touching that truth as truly divine By which hee may gather a Church and lead it into all truth to eternal life These three are said to bear record in Heaven 1 Because they immediately bear witness from Heaven as from their Throne 2 Because the Majesty of these witnesses chiefly shines in Heaven 3 Because this testimony is not heard observed acknowledged unless by souls lifted up to Heaven Lastly Because this testimony for the most part is perfected in Heaven although it should never bee received on earth Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ for his testimonies sake Vers. 8. And there are three that bear witness in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one Argum. 4. Because three witnesses in earth consent together to prove that Christ is the Son of God viz. the Spirit and the Water and the Blood which are called witnesses in earth 1 Because this testimony is mediate and is produced out of the works which are to bee seen in the earth 2 Because uttering of this testimony is written in men that are in the earth and is acknowledged by the Visible Church Lastly Because this testimony doth not onely sound in the Church but also utters its voice amongst the men of the world and is heard of them to their conviction For 1 The Spirit or manifestation of the Spirit partly in miraculous gifts which are shed abroad in the Church even to the amazement of the world for many years after Christs ascention Partly in ordinary gifts which as yet flourish in the Church and suffice both to testifie that Christ who is preached amongst us is God and to draw an acknowledgement from them who are without the Church that God is in us who beleeve in Christ 1 Cor. 14. Furthermore the operation of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithful doth so quicken the words of Christ and by them doth so instruct comfort and confirm the elect that it leaves no doubt as touching the Divinity of Christ. As for Water which is the virtue of Christ sanctifiing his it so expresly speaks of Christ that those also who are without the Church seeing the light of good works in Christians are forced to glorifie our Father and the Father of Christ who is in Heaven so that also being even perceived in women it brought their unbeleeving husbands to God who at the first did not acknowledge the Word of God 1 Pet. 3.1 Lastly As for Blood which is the price of redemption and the virtue of Christ expiating sins and reconciling men to God that blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel so that it makes the consciences of the faithful quiet and peaceable and opens a way to the Throne of God and so confirms their hearts against the world and all things which are evil in it that they may bee bold and able to resound even with their own blood this testimony to those enemies that hear them in the midst of torments with joy Rev. 12.11 Therefore wee ought to beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 9. If wee receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater For this is the witness of God which hee hath testified of his Son Argum. 5. For the sake of the testimonies of faithful and true men wee beleeve their assertions Therefore for the sake of the testimony of God which is greater testifying of his Son we ought to beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 10. Hee that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself hee that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyer because hee beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son Argum. 6 Hee that beleeves in Christ as the Son of God is so much rectified that hee rests in the witness of the Spirit inâ—ardly confirming this truth of the Divine Word Therefore c. Hee that beleeveth not Argum. 7. Hee that doth not beleeve in â—hrist as the Son of God doth really accuse God of a lye because hee rejects the testimony concerning his Son as if it were false Therefore wee must beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 11. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son Argum. 8. Those that beleeve in the Son have right to eternal life which is in the Son as in the Fountain Procurer Giver and Conserver given to them by grace and confirmed by the constancy of Gods testimony Therefore c. Vers. 12. Hee that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life Argum. 9. Hee that truly embraces the Son by Faith hath also eternal life not onely as to the right of it but also to 〈◊〉 inchoate possession and hee that hath not the Son by Faith or seeks life in another rather than in him is destitute and shut out from all spiritual life Therefore c. Vers. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Son of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God Argum. 10. For this end all these things are written to the faithful from the Holy Ghost by the Apostle the Pen-man that they might bee certain that they have eternal life already and might more and more beleeve in the name of the Son of God Therefore yee must beleeve in Christ. Vers. 14. And this is the confidence that wee have in him that if wee ask any thing according to his will hee heareth us Argum. 11. Hee that beleeveth in Christ hath confidence in his approaches to God in prayer and that hee shall have Gods favourable ear in every petition which is put up according to the will of God Therefore c. Vers. 15. And if wee know that hee heareth us whatsoever wee ask wee know that wee have the pâ—titions that wee desired of him Argum. 12. Explicating and unfolding the former Hee that beleeves in Christ by knowing that God will bee propitious to him in his lawful or well-ordered petitions hee may also bee certain that the petitions which hee hath offered according to the Promises of God are already granted by him before they bee finished and so hee may bee assured of the success
of the blood of Iesus for remission of sins after this hearty application of Christs blood the conscience is furnished with a good answer unto all challenges and so is made good a comfortable conscience absolving the man through faith in Jesus whom it tormented with challenges before it ran to the blood of Jesus for sprinkling Then whensoever the conscience is evil accuseth and vexeth let the vexed heart run to Christs blood and then shall it be free from an evil conscience for the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin Let the heart be sprinkled and the conscience will be good 6. The fourth thing required in him that draweth near as he should is That his body be washed with pure water That is That according to the signification of that Legal Rite their outward conversation be blameless and holy sin being so curbed within that it reign not in their mortal body so foughten against within as it break not forth in scandalous works of Darkness in the actions of the body Then 1. With a sprinkled conscience within men must joyn an holy and blameless conversation without 2. The washing of the conversation without must proceed from an heart sensibly acquainted with the power of the blood of Jesus 3. And this outward holiness of the body must be wrought with pure water that is by the Spirit of Sanctification to distinguish the reformation of a believer from a counterfeit who without may look like a righteous man but within be as a whited Tomb full of rottenness Verse 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Another Exhortation to avow the faith of Christ that is the doctrine of Christ the truth received from Christ and believed and not to quit it in the time of tryal upon any condition 1. The requiring to hold fast the confession of our Faith or Hope as the word importeth teacheth 1. That a true Christian must not onely hold the truth of Christ secretly but must confess it profess and avow it openly where Gods glory and others good requireth the same 2. That he must look for adversary powers and temptations to take that truth or at least the confession of it from him 3. That in these tryals and essays he must hold the faster gripe and avow it so much the more stedfastly as he is tempted to quit it 4. That when he is put to the tryal of this Confession of any point of his Faith hee is also put to the tryal of the confession of his hope whether his hopes of the promised salvation in Jesus be stronger to keep him stedfast or the terror and allurement from men stronger to make him quit the point of truth converted 5. That nothing but this hope is able to make a man stand out in tryal if hee be hardly urged 2. Hee will have the avowing of the truth of Christ to be without wavering Then 1. Men must so learn the Truth that they need not to change again that is must study to know the Truth soundly and solidly 2. And having learned it must not say and unsay one day avow it and another day quit it For so God getteth not his due glory Beholders are not edified the mans testimony wanteth weight with the adversary But hee must be invincible in the truth who will neither alter nor change or diminish any thing of it for fear or favour 3. Hee giveth this for a ground of constancy For hee is faithful who hath promised That is the promises which Iesus hath made to such as constantly beleeve in him shall be surely performed that no constant professor of his Truth shall be ashamed Then 1. Where wee have a promise of any thing made unto us in Scripture wee may be confident to obtain it and bold to avow our hope thereof against such as would teach us the Doctrine of Doubting whereunto wee are of our selves prone and inclined and against such as shake the assurance of the Saints perseverance 2. The ground of our confidence is not in our selves but in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who hath promised such graces to his children 3. Our bold avowing of our hope is not a bragging of our own strength but a magnifying of Christs faithfulness Vers. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and unto good works Hee strengtheneth his former Exhortation by giving of directions to further their obedience thereunto And first for mutual up-stirring one of another Whereof wee learn 1. That mutual edification of Christians amongst themselves and sharpening one of another is a special help to constancy in true Religion and a preservative against Apostacy 2. Prudence is required hereunto that mutually wee observe one anothers disposition Gifts Experience Virtues and Faults that wee may the better fit our selves to do good each one of us unto another and to receive good each one of another in our Christian conversing together 3. A godly striving one with another who shall be first in love and well-doing is better than the ordinary strife who shall exceed others in vanity and superfluity of apparel and fare Vers. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching Another mean to this same end is the frequenting of Christian Assemblies and Meetings which may further this purpose of mutual edification And therefore 1. Church-Assemblies must be well kept by such as do minde to prove constant in the true Religion 2. Christian Meetings also of private Christians for mutual conference and exhorting one of another is not to be neglected nor forsaken but to be used for keeping unity in the Church and not to foster Schism or hinder the publick Assemblies 2. Hee taxeth the fault of some amongst them who in Schism or purpose of Apostasie withdrew themselves from all Church-Assemblies and Christian-Meetings and fell back again or were in the way of falling back to the denial of Christ openly Then 1. Separation from the true Church and Christian society of the faithful is a remarkable evil 2. The Schism or Apostasie of others should not weaken us in following any good mean of edification but rather stir us up unto more diligence lest by negligence wee fall peece and peece back after their example 3. Hee maketh the approaching of the day to wit of Gods Iudgement a special motive to use the means diligently and make us constant in the Faith Then 1. The day of Gods Judgement should still be looked unto as a thing near hand even at the doors because it is but a very little and our day shall come yea and but a little time till our Lord shall come to judgement 2. The consideration of the day of judgement is a fit mean to sharpen us unto all good Duties which may make our reckoning to be furthered at that day and to make us boldly
not work the love of God without love of the Brethren Therefore c. For hee Hee confirms this Argument by this Reason Because wee are more moved to love by sight than by hearing hee that loveth not his Brother whom hee hath seen and the Image of God in him hee cannot love God whom hee hath not seen Therefore the boasting of love towards God is vain where love of the Brethren is wanting Vers. 21. And this commandement have wee from him that hee who loveth God loveth his brother also Argum. 20. The same authority of God hath conjoyned the command of both requiring of all that love God that they love their Brethren also Therefore yee ought to love the Brethren CHAP. V. THe principal scope of the whole Epistle and especially of this Chapter is propounded vers 13. viz. that those who beleeve in Christ may know that they have eternal life and that knowing they have life they may more and more believe in Christ. Of the Chapter there bee two parts In the first hee describes the marks of those that are true beleevers or born again who have right to eternal life with an inchoate possession thereof to vers 6. In the second hee propounds the Arguments to move us to beleeve in Christ. Vers. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him The marks of those that are true beleevers or born again and live sincerely are six Note 1. Hee that is truly faithful or begotten of God beleeves seriously that Jesus is the promised Christ viz. the Redeemer of the world for whosoever solidly receives this truth and applies it to himself acknowledges it in his heart as the Scripture requires is born of God And every one Note 2. Hee so loves God that hee loves the Brethren or those that are begotten of him Vers. 2. By this wee know that wee love the children of God when wee love God and keep his commandements Note 3. Those that are truly faithful do so love the Brethren that they also love God and out of love to God they endeavour to keep his commandements Vers. 3. For this is the love of God that wee keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous Note 4. Explicating the former They that are truly faithful demonstrate the sincerity of their love in endeavouring to observe Gods Commandements out of love to him so that his commandements how much soever they bee hard and unpleasant to the flesh yet they are not grievous but such as they desire most willingly to perform Vers. 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Note 5. Giving the reason of the former They that are truly faithful or born again do overcome the world that is they overcome whatsoever opposes it self to the Spirit of God viz. deceits inticements and the terrours of the world and all hinderances which may draw them from obedience to Gods commandements so that their conflicts bee daily yet they do not yeeld but are sure to triumph as conquerors as often as their enemies oppose them And this Note 6. Explicating the former They that are truly faithful do not lean to their own strength in warring against the world but on Christ by Faith who hath overcome the world in their behalf and doth administer strength to them for the overcoming the world which is the most certain excellent and compleat way to conquer Vers. 5. Who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that beleeveth that Iesus is the Son of God The reason of the victory got over the world by Faith is because it is impossible that any one should overcome the world unless it bee hee that despairing of himself by Faith leans on the sole truth and strength of Jesus Christ as of the omnipotent Son of God who hath not onely overcome the world for his but doth also make all his conquerors The Second Part. Vers. 6. This is â—ee that came by water and blood even Iesus Christ not by water onely but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth The other part of the Chapter follows wherein hee proves that wee ought to beleeve in Christ as in the Son of God The Arguments are fourteen Argum. 1. Because Jesus Christ is hee who when hee came brought with him the solid substance of Legal Ceremonies as to that which chiefly belongs to the abolishing of sin For hee came with water or with that holiness in himself and virtue for the sanctifying his which was signified by water and washings in the old Law to be in the Messias that was to come when he came And hee came with blood or with a full expiation of their sins by the propitiatory Sacrifice of his blood offered on the Cross for the taking away of the sins of his people Not by water Hee confirms that because Christ came not with one propriety of a Mediatour which is the Sanctity of his Person and virtue of sanctifying his signified by water or legal washings but hee comes also with another propriety which is expiation and full reconciliation signified by the sprinkling of blood or by the slaying of beasts The admirable symbole of which conjunction was the flowing of water and blood out of his side on the cross as our Apostle hath diligently observed in his Gospel Chap. 19.34 That wee may all know that whom Christ justifies hee also sanctifies and on the contrary those whom hee sanctifies the same hee also justifies Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ. The Spirit Argum. 2. The spirit witnesseth the same i. e. the manifestation of the spirit in divers gifts poured forth upon Christs Disciples witnesseth that Christ is the Son of God and by its dictate makes this firm in the hearts of those that are faithful Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ. Truth Hee confirms this Argument that the Spirit in these operations is true and far from all deceit because it commends nothing to us besides the Word of God or Truth it self Vers. 7. For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Arg. 3. Because as the three persons of the God-head the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are one in essence so they also consent together in witnessing to confirm this one thing That Jesus Christ is the Son of God For the Father witnesseth of him 1 Pronouncing with an audible voice both in Christs Baptism and Transfiguration that he was his beloved Son in whom hee was well pleased 2 In the works which hee gave to Christ to finish Iob 5.16.36 Furthermore the word bears record of Christ that is Christ wherein hee is God bears record of himself being incarnate that hee is the Son of God partly affirming that very
the second assertion follows from a solid consolation which this way of our Iustification affords against wrath and sin The parts of the Chapter are two In the first is propounded a consolation in repeating the several fruits of our Righteousness by Faith in Christ to verse the sixth In the other is set forth the solidity of this comfort to the end of the Chapter Vers. 1. Therefore being justified by Faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The first part of the Chap. in which hee recites nine benefits or fruits which depend upon each other to shew the consolation which Justification by Faith in Christ affordâ— to us The first fruit is peace or reconciliation with God now appeased by our Mediator or through Christ who hath made peace for us Vers. 2. By whom also wee have access by Faith into his Grace wherein wee stand The second fruit is a daily leading by the hand as it were through Christ by Faith into the favour and grace of God that wee might use and enjoy it more and more and bee even wholly taken into it Stand The third fruit is the confirmation of us in this state of grace that wee may not fall from it but constantly stand And rejoyce The fourth fruit is a rejoycing in the most assured hope of enjoying of celestial glory hereafter with God Vers. 3. And not only so but wee glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope The fifth fruit is a glorying in all tribulations and that in the midst of afflictions to which wee are lyable in this life after wee are justified Knowing The sixth fruit is the giving occasion of rejoycing in tribulations upon a certain knowledge or perswasion of persevering in holiness by the Cross. Because thereby God teacheth us patience and by patience in us affords us new instructions of his grace towards us giving us experience and by experience encreaseth and confirms our faith and hope of present and full freedome hereafter from tribulations Vers. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us The seventh fruit is a certainty of the possession of the good hoped for or freedome from being ashamed which the frustration of conceived hope causeth for hope arising from Justifying Faith after this manner stirred up and encreased deceiveth not nor maketh him that hopes ashamed Shed abroad The eighth fruit confirming the former is a sense of Divine Love towards us shed abroad in our hearts and filling them which as a certain earnest stablisheth us in the hope of future good things The Spirit The ninth fruit is the Holy Ghost more plentifully given to us who believe in Christ which Spirit works in us this sense of Divine Love towards us and witnesses together with our Spirits that wee are the sons of God and works in us all his other works belonging to Regeneration Consolation and Salvation All that are justified by Faith have right to all these priviledges If there bee any that are Babes in Christ or under any tentation and know not that they are justified and are not acquainted with the Consolations of the Spirit and sorrow under their sins no wonder that they receive no comfort from these fruits Vers. 6. For when wee were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die 8. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for us 9 Much more then being now justified by his Blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The second Part. The second part of the Chapter wherein hee shews the solidity of Consolation against wrath and sin by a two-fold comparison whereof the first is of Christ with Christ to ver 12. The other is of Christ which is the second Adam with Adam our first parent to the end There are three members of the comparison of Christ with Christ wherein is proved that they which are justified shall bee saved from wrath by three Arguments The fiâ—st member of the comparison is of the efficacy of Christs love towards us before Justification with the efficacy of his love towards us after our Justification To this sense when wee lay in misery and sin destitute of all strength to deliver our selves Christ in the fulness of time died for us sinners ver 6. Such great love amongst men is scarcely found towards a righteous man unless perchance for a good man and some way profitable to us some would dare to die ver 7. Whereupon the love of Christ is commended to us from this that when wee were yet sinners not yet justified Christ died for us that wee might bee delivered from wrath ver 8. Therefore much more effectual shall the love of Christ bee towards us now justified by his blood that wee might bee delivered by him from wrath ver 9. The Argument is sufficient because the love of Christ towards us now justified cannot bee less than it was towards us when wee lay in our sins This is the first Argument Vers. 10. For if whâ—n wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life The second member of the comparison is the efficacy of Christs death before Justification and of his life after Justification after this manner If when wee were enemies the Death of Christ was effectual for the reconciling of us unto God it shall bee effectual to free us from wrath now being justified and reconciled because it is absurd to determine that Christ being raised from the dead and living in heaven should not preserve us from wrath for whom that wee might bee freed hee both died and arose from the dead And this is the second Argument Vers. 11. And not only so but wee also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom wee have now received the attonement The third member of the comparison is of the efficacy or virtue of Christ to procure and effect that God might bee ours as a thing properly our own which is greater with the virtue and efficacy of Christ to preserve us from wrath which is less To this sense wee have not this advantage only by Christ that wee should bee preserved from wrath but that which is chiâ—fest of all wee make our boast or rejoyce in God as our peculiar possession through our Lord Jesus Christ who hath not only obtained reconciliation for us but hath applyed it to us now justified by Faith and hath made God reconciled peculiarly ours therefore wee are sure to bee preserved from wrath And this is the third Argument In all which is shewed the solid consolation of those which are justified by Faith Vers. 12. Wherefore as by
you Vers. 10. And if Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness Reas. 3. Seeing that Christ is in you though your bodie indeed in respect to the remnants of sin not to bee abolished but by death is destined to death and shall certainly dye Yet the Spirit of Regeneration which is given to you is eternal life it self in you or begun in your souls because of the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto you Therefore there is no condemnation unto you Vers. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Reas. 4. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in you will never forsake his habitation but will render you to himself a glorious and immortal receptacle To which end God will no less certainly and powerfully raise even your mortal bodies to life immortal as hee hath raised the body of Christ from the dead Therefore to you there is no condemnation Vers. 12. Therefore Brethren wee are debtors not to the flâ—sh to live after the flesh The Consolation which hee had applied to the Romans from their immunity from condemnation bee draws into use exhorting them to the study of holiness by which they should strengthen their consolation The Arguments of his exhortation are six The first Argument Wee are bound by all means to obey the Holy Ghost continually minding us of our duty both inwardly and by the Word But wee â—re no debtors to the flesh or to serve the lusts of our nature because wee are nothing indebted to that besides hatred and all means of mortification Therefore ought wee to follow after holiness Vers. 13. For if yee live after the flesh yee shall dye but if you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live Argum. 2. If you set up the lusts of the flesh and corrupt Nature for a Rule that you may order your lives according to that yee shall eternally dye Therefore as you would not perish follow after holiness Argum. 3. If you obey the Holy Ghost using onely those means prescribed by it and make use of that power communicated by the Spirit to you that beleeve in Christ for the mortifying the corrupt affections and deeds of your bodies without doubt you shall obtain Eternal Life through the grace of God Therefore ought you to follow after holiness Vers. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Argum. 4. Confirming the former All that follow the command and guidance of the Holy Spirit testifie themselves to bee the Children of God by virtue of the regenerating Spirit Therefore that you may prove your selves the Sons of God obeying the Spirit of God follow after holiness Vers. 15. For yee have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Argum. 5. Further confirming that they are the Sons of God Because after they fled to Christ and embraced the Covenant of Grace being set free by Faith from the servile fear of condemnation which the Spirit strikes all those with who seek Life from the Covenant of Works and are indued with the Spirit of Adoption from hence the Argument After yee have imbraced the Covenant of Grace by Faith in Christ a servile fear of Condemnation according to the tenor of the Gospel is no more given unto you but the Spirit of Adoption that you may most familiarly call upon God the Father with the people of God every one in his own tongue Therefore you are both the Sons of God and also it becomes you to behave your selves as the Sons of God in following after holiness Vers. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that wee are the Children of God Argum. 6. The Spirit of God seals up in our hearts and witnesses together with our spirits or consciences that wee are the Children of God Wee are therefore bound as it becomes the Sons of God to follow after holiness The second Part. Vers. 17. And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ if so bee that wee suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together The second part of the Chapter comprehends the consolations of justified persons by Faith against the sharpness of afflictions in this life Hee premises a Conclusion drawn from what was said before wherein hee proves that they who are justified by Faith are not onely Heirs of God and have right to all his good things but also co-heirs with Christ and brought by Adoption into communion with the onely begotten Son and into the inheritance with him being the Sons of God This is the right of those that are justified to the inheritance which inheritance that they might bee brought into the possession of hee subjoyns the condition of suffering with Christ. And this affords thirteen Arguments of consolation The first Argument of Comfort Communion with Christ in the Kingdome of Heaven and the possession of the glorious inheritance will follow our communion with him in his sufferings Therefore let us comfort our selves in our afflictions Vers. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall bee revealed in us Argum. 2. This is no hard condition because casting up the account I finde that whatever wee suffer in this life for righteousness sake is unworthy to bee compared with the glory that shall hereafter bee revealed and at length bee bestowed upon us whether wee respect the quality of the things or the duration of time Therefore let us comfort our selves in our tribulations Vers. 19. For the earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God Argum. 3. Figurately propounded the whole frame of the world in its kind suffering together with us sustains it self in the hope of the glory of God to bee revealed in the day of judgement and very earnestly as it were with the head stretched out expects that wished-for time Therefore wee also with this hope ought to support our selves Vers. 20. For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Hee explicates this Argument shewing first that created things are subject to vanity i. e. a corruptible condition and to the abuse of the vainest men who abuse the Creature to all manner of sin and prostitute it to their service to the fulfilling of their vainest lusts Secondly That the Creature is not subject to this vanity willingly or of its natural propensity or its natural use to which it was created of God but for the will and pleasure or the judgement of God which hath subjected the Creature to this curse with sinful man for whose sake the
are the people of God as a field or building ought to bee closely united to one another in the service of God Therefore ought they not to bee rent into parties one from another Vers. 10. According unto the Grace of God which is given unto mee as a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every man take heed how hee buildeth thereupon Argum. 8. Is propounded under the form of an admonition whereby hee more sharply wounds their ambitious Teachers the authors of Schism which strove by their boasting of Philosophy and Eloquence every one to gain Disciples after them This is the Argument It is dangerous lest while each of these ordinary Teachers serve their own ambition they build some kind of doctrine upon the Apostles foundation which agrees not with the foundation Therefore Schism is not to bee fomented Vers. 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Iesus Christ. Hee gives a Reason why hee directs his admonition onely to their ordinary Teachers about superstructures because the summe of all saving doctrine concerning Jesus Christ as the sure and onely foundation is laid by the Apostles from which it is not lawful for ordinary or extraordinary Teachers to depart Vers. 12. Now if any man build on this foundation Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble Therefore hee compares the doctrine of the Gospel to a building the Apostles to builders laying the foundation of all saving doctrine Those Teachers that follow after hee compares to those that build the walls upon the foundation laid by the Apostles of whom some taught â—ound doctrine agreeable to the foundation for the truth of it and the spiritual manner of handling it others stuffed their preaching with Philosophical flowers and the wisdome of words building as it were Wood Stubble Hay not solid matter nor tending to salvation Vers. 13. Every mans work shall bee made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall bee revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is That they might here know their danger hee fore-tells the tryal of every ones work in his preaching the Gospel no less exact than that of Gold-smiths in trying their metals by fire at leastwise in the last day wherein God will judge of all persons and works Vers. 14. If any mans work abide which hee hath built thereupon hee shall receive a reward In which day at least whosoever hath built solid and precious doctrine agreeable to the foundation shall receive a reward of his faithfulness according to the promises of God Vers. 15. If any mans work shall bee burnt hee shall suffer loss but hee himself shall bee saved yet so as by fire But if any one shall mingle Philosophical speculations the hay of humane wisdome the stubble of wordy eloquence with his preaching or shall add any other devices of his own which cannot indure the sentence of divine judgement hee shall suffer loss of all his labours but the Preacher shall bee saved but so as by fire i. e. if so bee hee is able to abide the fiery and exact tryal of God whereby hee wiâ—l accurately separate the sincere from Hypocrites as the fire purges the rust from the metal the summe of all is The Preacher himself shall bee saved if otherwise hee bee found sincere in the Faith of Christ. Vers. 16. Know yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you Argum. 9. Appertains to preachers as also hearers because when they know themselves to bee the Temple of God it is a wicked thing to defile and do violence to the Church or Temple of God even their own conscience being witness Therefore this Schism is not further to bee fomented unless they will do injury to the Spirit of God dwelling in them Vers. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are Argum. 10. From the pernicious effect It is to bee feared lest God destroy you with your vanities and dissentions while you defile his Temple Therefore this Schism is not to bee fomented any further Vers. 18. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to bee wise in this world let him become a fool that hee may bee wise Argum. 11. Propounded by way of prevention of an Objection in maintaining this Schism you seem wise to your selves but your self-confidence deceives you This is the cause of Schism and therefore you are to beware of it and that you may beware of the Schism hee prescribes the way how they should beware which is this that hee which seems to excel in humane wisdome renounce this vain opinion of his own wisdome and yeeld up himself in obedience unto God following the plain manner of Preaching which though it seem foolishness to men yet it alone is able to make us wise Vers. 19. For the wisdome of this world is foolishness with God for it is written Hee taketh the wise in their own craftiness 20. And again The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain Hee confirms the counsel that hee had given from the judgement of God concerning carnal wisdome that God accounts it foolishness especially when carnal wisdome rejects the institutions of God and despises the simplicity of them which hee proves by the testimony of the Scriptures the first is of Iob 5.13 The sense whereof is However vain men may seem wise to themselves and the world yet God so frustrates their devices and turns them into snares that they may fall by their own Counsels rather than by others and thus hee convinceth them of folly Another Testimony is in Psal. 94.11 Where God declares the thoughts of the wise to bee vain which savour onely humane things for those things which they imagine to make most for their happiness contribute least Vers. 21. Therefore let no man glory in men for all things are yours 22. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours Argum. 12. Propounded by way of dehortation from the Schism which hee reprehended Because Schism and making parties concerning their Teachers is unholy boasting in men Therefore this Schism is not to bee fomented They gloried in their Teachers when they ascribed too much to them depending upon them and made them as it were Masters of their Faith when they ought onely to depend upon God who speaks by his Ministers when and as much as hee please All things Confirming this dehortation hee adds Argum. 13. Because all your Teachers the least and the greatest even the Apostles themselves and all things in the world things present and things to come life and death and whatsoever else can bee reckoned up are appointed of God that they may bee serviceable to the salvation of the faithful Therefore you
serve our neighbours Vers. 22. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord. Now follow the oeconomical Precepts 1 That Wives should bee in subjection to their own Husbands chastly sincerely and in lawful things The reasons whereof are four As unto the Lord Reason 1. Because Christ commanded that the Wife should bee subject to her Husband and accounts of that subjection as if shee yeelded obedience to himself and in like manner looks upon the Wives rebellion against her Husband as rebellion against himself Vers. 23. For the Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is the Head of the Church and hee is the Saviour of the body Reas. 2. Because the Husband is in honour and authority over the Wife as the head is over the body Therefore it is meet that the Wife â—â—ould bee in subjection to him As Christ Reas. 3. Because 〈◊〉 will have the Husbands authority over the Wife to â—ee a similitude of Christs authority over the Church And hee is Reas. 4. The same similitude is illustrated As Christ is the Head of the Church for its good so the Husband is the Head of the Wife for her good whom hee ought in all things to defend châ—rish and comfort And as it is expedient for the Church to bee obedient to Christ so it is for the Wife to bee obedient to her Husband Vers. 24. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives bee to their own Husbands in every thing From these reasons hee inferrs the conclusion that it is necessary for the Wife to bee obedient to her Husband in all things which hinder not her due subjection unto God and Christ. Vers. 25. Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it Prec 2. Which is given to men that they should love their Wives the reasons thereof are five As Reas. 1. From the example of Christs love towards the Church which love the Apostle commends from these four marks 1 That Christ out of his love offered himself for the Church which was then lost Vers. 26. That hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word 2 That hee loved his Church and offered himself for it to the end that hee might sanctifie it or of a prophane and impure Church make it a holy one Washing 3 That Christ doth effectually cleanse his Church by virtue of his blood and of his free promise which hee applies to us by the ordinary means of Baptism and of the Word as by instruments of his Spirit ordained for the confirmation of Faith and the communication of virtue Vers. 27. That hee might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle nor any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blemish 4 That hee hath loved his Church for this end that hee might at length present it glorious in Heaven without any mark or token either of sin or misery and hee will ever prosecute this his work till hee hath brought it to pass Vers. 28. So ought men to love their Wives as their own bodies hee that loveth his Wife loveth himself Reas. 2. Of the Precept given to men touching loving their Wives Because Wives are the bodies of their own Husbands according to that Law of God They two shall bee one flesh Hee that loveth Reas. 3. Because hee which loveth his Wife loveth himself and performs the office of love unto himself for that love of a mans own Wife doth every way redound to the Husbands good Vers. 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church Reas. 4. Because it is as unnatural to a Wife and good Husband not to love his Wife as it is to hate his own flesh and it is as agreeable to reason to favour and make much of his Wife as it is to regard his own flesh As Hee confirms and illustrates this reason by the example of Christ which hee wills us alwaies to have in our eye as the most perfect example of love Vers. 30. For wee are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Hee proves that Christ loved us as his own flesh and that it was not possible for him to hate us but hee was as it were constrained out of love to maintain and cherish us because wee are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone that is wee are as nearly joyned to him as Eve was to Adam for what Eve owed to Adam in the flesh wee owe to Christ in the regeneration of our spirit and much more In the forming of Eve Adam lost onely one rib but in the reforming of the Church Christ lost his life Onely the matter of Eve was from Adam but the Church hath from Christ its natural formation and spiritual reformation in respect of both the body and soul of every member Vers. 31. For this cause shall a man leave his Father and Mother and shall bee joyned unto his Wife and they two shall bee one flesh Reas. 5. Where hee proves both that the Church owes its beginning to Christ and that Husbands ought to love their Wives even from the institution of marriage which requires that by reason of the streight knot between Husband and Wife a man shall leave Father and Mother and bee joyned to his Wife and they two shall bee united into one flesh by the bond of wedlock by which they now have a mutual right to and power over one another the words of this institution have a typical sense for God in that saying Gen. 2.23 Thou art flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone intended to represent the union of Christ and the Church and to shew that wee are bone of Christs bone and flesh of Christs flesh that is that wee are most nearly united to Christ because in the speech of Adam to Eve it was prefigured that Christ as hee was one flesh with us and made us one flesh with himself by a spiritual wedlock did as it were leave his own Father laying aside after a manner that glory which hee had with the Father abasing himself when hee was in the form of God and taking upon him the form of a servant Also it was prefigured that Christ should leave Mary his Mother that by dying hee might buy the Church to bee his Spouse with which hee would bee one flesh Vers. 32. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church The Apostle viewing this last thing not the carnal wedlock but the union of Christ with the Church calls it a great mystery and lest any one should otherwise understand his saying hee signifies in express words that hee doth not speak this of the mystery touching the carnal marriage of Husband and Wife but concerning the spiritual conjunction of Christ and the Church which is made by virtue of
without blood which hee offered for himself and for the errours of the people Hee proceeds in describing the anniversary rites which were of this sort 1 The High Priest alone without any companion 2 Once a year not oftener 3 Never without the offering the blood of a Calf and an Hee-Goat in a basin 4 This blood hee offered for his own sins great and small and for the sins of the people All these outward worldly and shadowy things were in no wise efficacious in themselves For they prefigured the entring of Christ into Heaven by his own blood the true Propitiatory This is the first Argument of the earthly imperfection in the Levitical Priesthood Vers. 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing Argum. 2. Propounded by way of exposition of the next mystery In the time of the Levitical Priesthood while it obtained a standing Tabernacle and that Ceremonial worship about the Sanctuary the way to Heaven or the true Sanctuary was not manifestly declared as it is now under the Priesthood of Christ That which the Holy Ghost taught by excluding the Priests from the inward Sanctuary by admitting the High Priest once a year the Sanctuary remaining shut all the year after Therefore the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 9. Which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience Argum. 3. The rites of the foresaid expiatory and the other such exercises of the Levitical High Priest were typical and parabolical and a meer pattern of those things which were to bee performed by Christ Therefore the excellency of the Levitical Priesthood is no waies to bee equallized with the Priesthood of Christ. For the time Argum. 4. The things which were done by the High Priest and the Levitical Priests served onely for the time present of the Law institution viz. in the infancy and beginning of the Church wherein gifts and typical Sacrifices were offered Therefore the Levitical Priesthood is far inferiour to the Priesthood of Christ. Could not Argum. 5. The gifts and sacrifices which were offered by the Levitical Priesthood could not sanctifie the conscience of him that worshiped or take away the evil conscience of sins committed Therefore the Levitical Priesthood c. Vers. 10. Which stood onely in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation Argum. 6. Confirming the former Those things which were offered by the Levitical Priest consisted onely in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal rites which did not commend a man to God 1 Cor. 8.2 but onely they did these things as sanctified in the flesh ceremonially they might bee accounted pure worshipers Therefore the Levitical Priesthood is nothing being compared to the Priesthood of Christ. Until Argum. 7. These gifts and sacrifices and the other offices of the Levitical Priests were imposed as a yoak and burden onely till the time of Reformation i. e. till the comming of Christ who would reform the imperfect sacrifices and gifts of the old Priesthood and they being abolished hee would introduce a more perfect gift and sacrifice Therefore the Priesthood of Christ is more perfect c. Vers. 11. But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Argum. 8. Christ is the High Priest not of types but of spiritual good things of Justification Sanctification and Salvation which were figured by the types Therefore c. By a greater Argum. 9. Christ had a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands not of a common structure viz. the Tabernacle of his body which was formed in the womb of the Virgin by the Holy Ghost after a special manner without the spot of Original sin in which Tabernacle the fulness of the Godhead dwels Therefore his Priesthood is far more excellent than c. Vers. 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood hee entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Argum. 10. Christ offered not the blood of Bulls or Goats as the Levitical Priests but his own blood and the same is made the Priest and the Sacrifice Therefore his Priesthood c. Once Argum. 11. Christ hath once entred into the true holy place i. e. Heaven and there abides not often as the Levitical Priests into the typical holy place Therefore his Priesthood c. Eternal Argum. 12. Christ hath purchased eternal Redemption with his own blood which was impossible for the Levitical Priests Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent than c. Vers. 13. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of 〈◊〉 Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God Shall purge Argum. 13. Confirming the former The blood of Christ purges the conscience partly as the conscience seeing full satisfaction made in the death of Christ to divine Justice for it self closeth with its perfect discharge and rests therein partly as the power of sanctifying the heart to the service of God flowes from him For if Hee confirms this Argument a minori The blood of Bulls and other types performed what they were appointed to viz. Ecclesiastical purification of the outward man that hee might be sanctified to the works of external worship how much more shall the blood of Christ the Antitype perform that which is signified by the types viz. The purifying of the conscience from sins to the service of God Sins are called dead works because they deserve death and make sinners guilty of death By the Spirit Argum. 14. In the Sacrifice of Christ the Eternal Spirit or Christ as God acted the chief parts of the Priest and offered up himself as a man without spot for a Sacrifice Therefore his Priesthood is so much the more excellent than the Levitical as God is more excellent than man and his holy humanity than a beast Vers. 15. And for this cause hee is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Argum. 15. Under the Old Covenant neither Remission of sin nor the Inheritance of Eternal Life was given to them that were called but for the sake of Christs death interceding under the New Covenant to which end hee being now the Mediatour of the New Covenant is ordained for all them that are called Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent
nothing remains but the subduing of enemies and the application of the benefits procured by that Oblation for the good of the Elect. Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that hee had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember us more Argum. 11. The New Covenant founded on the Sacrifice of Christ absolutely without any condition promises to all the Elect full Sanctification I will put my Law c. and remission of sins I will remember them no more as the Holy Ghost testifies Ier. 31.31 c. Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ c. Vers. 18 Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin Argum. 12. That one Sacrifice of Christ obtains from God full pardon of sins to the faithful under the New Covenant that hee neither leaves any place for the repetition of it nor to any other offering for sin Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical The Second Part of the Chapter Vers. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Iesus The second paâ—â— follows wherein hee brings the precedent Doctrine into use by way of exhortation consisting of divers branches That with confidence in God to ver 23. promoting the work of Holiness in themselves particularly and in all the members of the Church in general to ver 26. they patiently and confidently persevere in the Faith unto the end And briefly this whole exhortation may bee gathered into this Proposition Yee ought with confidence patiently to persevere in your endeavours after holiness The Arguments of this exhortation which prove and inforce this Proposition are nineteen whereof some alluding to types so hee lays them down that withall hee may raise the minds of the Hebrews to the excellency of the thing signified Having Argum. 1. Yee have together with us boldness by Faith in your prayers in this life of entring into Heaven and full possession after this life by approaching unto God himself Therefore ought yee with boldness to persevere in the Faith By the blood Argum. 2. By the blood or death of Jesus Christ as by a full price of our Redemption and Reconciliation this priviledge is procured for you that in all your necessities yee may freely open your minds to God Therefore ought yee boldly to persevere Vers. 20. By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Argum. 3. Christ being made man and uniting himself with us in our common nature hath dedicated his flesh or his humanity to this use that yee with us being advantaged with this communion of nature by his Mediation as by a new way plain safe and living which quickens those that walk in it and refreshes the weary yee may come unto God as the Levitical High Priest entred by the veil into the Sanctuary Therefore ought yee to persevere with confidence in God Vers. 21. And having an High Priest over the house of God Argum. 4. Wee have Christ our High Priest who goes before us in the way bearing the iniquity of the inferiour Priests lest the things which are done amiss by us in our imperfect services might hinder our access to God Therefore c. Over the Argum. 5. Wee have Christ very tender towards us over the house of God who hath power to admit into Heaven whom hee will and of assigning a place to them that are entered as he please and out of the treasury of his grace to bestow upon them as much as can be desired Therefore c. Vers. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for hee is faithful that promised Argum. 6. The priviledge of a new and sincere heart is given to Beleevers to a full assurance of Faith and a peaceable conscience in Christ and to holiness of life which were signified by the Legal washings yee therefore by Faith apprehending your priviledge with us and applying to your selves the virtue of Christs blood by Faith being assured yee ought together with us in Sanctification of life to approach nearer unto God and to cleave unto him that yee may the more boldly persevere Faithful Arg. 7. God who hath promised all grace to them that hope in him that they may perseveâ—e to salvation is faithful Therefore c. Vers. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching Argum. 8. Unless yee diligently take heed that by all waies and means which make for your particular or the Churches perseverance in general viz. by considering one another and exciting one another to love and to good works by attending publick meetings and preserving the unity of the Church c. there is danger leâ—t a separation or Schism follow and at length Apostacy from the Faith as experience testifies in the persons of some Therefore c. So much the more Argum. 9. The day of judgement approacheth wherein to those that persevere in and apostatize from the Faith a reward shall bee given according to their works Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins Argum. 10. Unless yee persevere in the Faith or if after the acknowledgement of the truth of the Gospel wilfully or on set purpose yee fall back from the Gospel which is to sin against the Holy Ghost there remains no more Sacrifice for sin nor by consequence remission of sin if so be yee rejecting Christ and his Sacrifice maliciously there is no more Sacrifice for sin left Therefore lest yee fall into this abysse yee ought carefully to persevere Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Argum. 11. There abides for Apostates who knowingly and willfully reject Christ and maliciously betake themselves to the adversaries side a fear of the dreadful judgement of God and of eternal fire which shall devoure all the enemies of Christ and chiefly Apostates Therefore ought yee to persevere in the Faith Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace
Hee confirms this Argument with six Reasons Reas. 1. Because the contemner of Moses Law legally convicted was adjudged to capital punishment without mercy Therefore much more is the Apostate to be destroyed Trodden under foot Reas. 2. Because the Apostate is no less injurious to Christ as much as lyes in him than if hee should draw him from his Throne and trample him under his feet Blood Reas. 3. Because they esteem the most Holy blood of Christ whereby once as to the outward man or the outward Ecclesiastical Sanctification they are separated from the world and in Baptism consecrated unto God as the blood of some common man Spirit Reas. 4. Because they offer despite to the Holy Spirit as if hee was a lyar who convinceth them of the Deity and Divine power of Christ. Vers. 30. For wee know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto mee I will recompence saith the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people Reas. 5. Because God professeth himself the revenger of all sin and of injuries done to his people Deut. 32.35 36. and much more of so horrible a sin against his Son and also against the whole Church Vers. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Reas. 6. Because Apostates have not to do with miserable mortals but with the Living God i. e. him that is omnipotent and alwaies in readiness to revenge into whose hands as into the hands of an angry Judge it is a fearful thing to fall Therefore Apostates must expect nothing but the fearful judgement of God Withall hee propounds Argum. 12. To perseverance in the Faith Wilful Apostacy from the Faith is joyned with so many hainous Reproaches against Christ and the Holy Spirit Therefore take yee heed of Apostacy and persevere yee constantly in the Faith Vers. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after yee were illuminated yee endured a great fight of afflictions 33. Partly whilst yee were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst yee became companions of them that were so used 34. For yee had compassion of mee in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Argum. 13. By suffering persecution for the Gospel yee have long since given a famous proof of your constancy in the Faith hoping for that reward which is laid up for you in Heaven Therefore ought yee hereafter to persevere constantly in the Faith Hee opens this Argument by minding them how presently upon their receiving the Faith of Christ being illuminated by the word and Spirit of God they entred into a fight of grievous afflictions as it were vers 32. Partly whilst they themselves were openly reproached by the enemies of the Gospel and oppressed with all kind of injustice and violence Partly also whilst they out of Christian sympathy joyned themselves as companions to those that were afflicted and oppressed for the Gospels sake vers 33. which hee makes apparent by experience because whilst the Apostle was in bonds for the Gospel the faithful Hebrews sympathized and took the spoiling of their goods joyfully not respecting earthly riches in comparison to the heavenly and eternal inheritance laid up for them in Heaven vers 34. Vers. 35. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Argum. 14. Constant perseverance in the Faith hath a great recompence of reward Therefore the Profession of your Faith is not to be cast away but constantly to be held fast by you Vers. 36. For yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of God yee might receive the Promise Argum. 15. If yee patiently persevere yee shall receive eternal life which is promised unto you otherwise not Therefore yee ought constantly and patiently to persevere in the Faith Vers. 37. For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Argum. 16. Yee shall shortly have an end of your labours and yet want but little of the victory yet a little while and God will set you at liberty from all trouble as the Prophet Habak 2.4 gives us notice Therefore ought yee constantly to persevere Vers. 38. Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Argum. 17. The Just shall live by Faith not by the present possession of his hope laying hold upon Life and Righteousness no other waies but by Faith Therefore yee ought to persevere in the Faith that yee may obtain Righteousness and Life If any Argum. 18. Hee that casts away his Faith and is puffed up with carnal confidence of his own strength or rests upon the power of any creature is hateful to God and his Saints Therefore ought yee to persevere in the Faith Vers. 39. But wee are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul. Argum. 19. I am perswaded that wee who truly beleeve are not of those reprobate Hypocrites who in the day of temptation fall away to their own perdition but of those that are elected whereof every one perseveres to the saving of his soul Therefore ought yee boldly to persevere in the Faith CHAP. XI HEE proceeds to confirm his former exhortation to perseverance in the Faith with divers Arguments drawn from the properties and effects of Faith Illustrated from the manifold experience of the Saints The Arguments of his Exhortation are twenty four All which prove that Faith is to bee promoted or that wee ought to persevere in the Faith or live by it in the midst of afflictions Vers. 1. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Argum. 1. Faith embracing the promise concerning things hoped for makes the things as it were present and gives them a kind of subsistence so far as it applies to us the truth and power of God promising in whose power the things promised are contained and makes us as certain of the event as if the things promised were actually performed Therefore wee ought to live by Faith and persevere in it And the Argum. 2. Faith laying hold upon the Word of God is a convincing demonstration of the truth of things past present and to come which are not seen or appear and are justly esteemed by us most certain because of the undoubted truth of the word of God Therefore c. Vers. 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good report Argum. 3. By Faith Beleevers are commended justified and proclaimed blessed by the Testimony of God as it appears by ancient examples in the Scripture Therefore wee ought to live by Faith and persevere in it in the midst of afflictions Vers. 3. Through Faith wee understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear
or do they read and not consider it Do they not weigh what is imported by it in sense and meaning It fareth with them as with those to whom Christ said Mat. 22.29 You erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Do they not love it Behold their Plague 2 Thes. 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved for this very cause saith the Text God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a Lie that they might be damned Do they not stedfastly beleeve what they learn in Scripture In Gods judgement with the foolish and unstable they are suffered to wrest the Scriptures to their own destructioâ— were they never so great wits 2 Pet. 3.16 Do they not study to give obedience unto the â—â—own Truth of it Hee dealeth with them as with Israel Psal. 81.11 My people would not hearken unto my voice and Israel would none of mee Hee counteth himself rejected because his Word was rejected But what followeth vers 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels But to such as will be Christs Disciples indeed Students seeking to grow in knowledge beleef and obedience of his Word seeking to love him and keep his sayings hee promiseth Joh. 14.26 to send unto them The Spirit of Truth the Comforter the Holy Ghost to teach them all things That is to perfect their knowledge more and more by his Spirit to fill their hearts with joy and comfort according to his Truth and to make them holy more and more And why are all these stiles given Even to shew that such as will have Christs Spirit to work any of these must seek him to work all of these joyntly or not to have him for working any of them at all Neither comfort without truth nor comfort without Holiness The same is it which Wisdome cryeth Prov. 8.34 35 36. Blessed is the man that heareth mee watching daily at my Gates waiting at the Posts of my Doors For who so findeth mee findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But hee that sinneth against mee wrongeth his own Soul all that hate mee love death Therefore how thou doest hate Death and love thine own Soul how thou standest affected towards Gods and the fellowship of the Comforter the holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth and towards the enlargement of the Kingdome of Christ let thy affection towards the Scriptures more abundant dwelling in thy self and for the Scriptures more free course amongst others bear witness Farewel THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the HEBREWS WHen Peter wrote his second Epistle to the scattered Hebrews there was extant an Epistle of Paul to those same scattered Hebrews also received in the Church for a part of Canonical Scripture and distinguished from Pauls other Epistles 2 Pet. 3.15 16. Therefore amongst other reasons this may bee one to make us think this Epistle must bee it For it is without reason to think that the Churches should bee negligent in keeping such a Iewel commended unto them by the Authority of two chief Apostles or lose Pauls Epistle and keep Peters which maketh mention of it The sum of the Epistle BEcause the Hebrews were hardly drawn from the observation of Levitical Ordinances unto the simplicity of the Gospel and in danger of making Apostacy from the Christian Faith by persecution the Apostle Paul setteth before their eyes the glory of Jesus Christ in his person far above men and Angels by whose Ministery the Law was given not only as God Chap. 1. but also as man Chap. 2. and in his Office above Moses Chap. 3. Threatning them therefore if they should mis-believe Christs Doctrine Ch. 3 4. and above the Levitical High-Priest Ch. 5. Threatning them again if they should make Apostacy from him Chap. 6. yea above all the glory of the Levitical Ordinances as hee in whom all those things had their accomplishment and period of expiring Chap. 7 8 9 10. Threatning them again if they should not persevere in the Faith of Christ unto which perseverance through whatsoever difficulties hee encourageth them by the example of the Faithful before them Chap. 10 11. and by other grounds of Christian comfort Chap. 12. That so in the fruitful obedience of the Gospel they might follow upon Christ seeking for that City that is to come and not for their earthly Hierusalem any more Ch. 13. The sum of Chap. I. IF you shall make comparison O Hebrews the Ministery of the Gospel shall bee found more glorious than the Ministery of the Law For the manner of Gods dispensing his will before Christ came was by part and part and subject to his own addition not after one setled manner but subject to alteration and by the Ministery of men the Prophets Verse 1. But now hee hath declared his last Will gloriously by his own Son God and Man in one person Verse 2 3. who is as far above not only the Prophets but the Angels also as the native glory of his Person and Office is above theirs Verse 4. For hee is of the same substance with the Father Verse 5. and partaker of the same worship with him Verse 6. The Angels but servants to him Verse 7. Hee is eternal God and King over all Verse 8. and in regard of his Manhead and Office filled with the Spirit Verse 9. Yea hee is Creator unchangeable and everlasting Verse 10 11 12. Joyned with the Father in the government of the world Verse 13. The Angels but servants both to him and to his children Verse 14. The Doctrine contained in Chap. I. Vers. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets ALbeit the Apostle was willing that these Hebrews should understand that this Epistle came unto them from him as appeareth Chap. 10. vers 34. yet doth hee not prefix his name in the body of it as in all his other Epistles that by the prudent dealing of these faithful Hebrews as wee may think others who kept pâ—ejudice against his person might bee drawn on to take notice of his Doctrine more impartially and know his name after they had tasted of the truth from him in a fitter time Whence wee learn 1. That it is lawful for godly men to dispose of the expression of their names in their writings as they see it expedient 2. That it is not much to bee inquired who is the Writer of any purpose till wee have impartially pondered the matter written 3. That it is not alwayes necessary that wee should know the name of the Writer of every part of Scripture for the authority thereof is not from men but from God the Inspirer thereof 1. Hee saith not simply The Prophets spake but God spake to the Fathers by the Prophets Then 1. God was the chief Doctor of his own Church from the beginning 2. And what the Prophets conveighed from God to the Church
Vers. 8. But unto the Son Hee saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdome 9. Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity Therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows 1. By this place cited out of Psal. 45.7 It is evident that the 45. Psalm is a Song of the mystical Marriage of Christ and his Church and in this Passage a number of notable Doctrines concerning Christ are pointed at 1. Hee is called God and so is fit to reconcile us to God able and all-sufficient to accomplish our Salvation a Rock to lean unto 2. A King enthroned not onely over the World but in a gracious manner over the Church which hee marrieth to himself in this Psalm and therefore shall his Church have Laws and Direction and Protection from him 3. Hee hath a Throne for ever and ever and therefore shall his Church which is his Kingdome endure for ever and ever 4. Hee hath a Scepter to rule with and therefore power and authority to take order with his subjects and with his Enemies also 5. His Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness because hee cannot abuse his power to do wrong to any but will do right to all yea and lead on his Subjects to Righteousness of Faith to justifie them before God and Righteousness of Conversation to adorn them before Men. 2. Hee loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity And therefore 1. His Scepter cannot be swayed but righteously 2. And so must his Subjects set themselves to do if they will please him 3. Therefore Christs God hath anointed him with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows Then 1. As Christ is God himself so also is hee Man under God in regard of his Man-head and Office therein 2. And God is his God by Covenant Christ as man is confederate with God 3. And hee hath Fellows in the Covenant that is others of man-kind with whom hee is partaker of flesh and blood Fellow-brethren and Co-heirs Shares-men in all the Fathers Goods with him 4. Hee is anointed with the Oyl of Gladness furnished with the Spirit that bringeth joy unto him and all his Subjects who get conveyed unto them by Christ Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost 5. Hee is anointed above his Fellows The rest of the confederate Saints are anointed also yet by measure receive they the Spirit But Christ is anointed above them the Spirit is not given to him by measure but to dwell bodily or substantially that wee of his fulness may all receive Grace for Grace 4. Because hee loveth Righteousness c. Therefore hee is anointed Then The Righteousness of Christ is the procuring and meritorious cause of this joy to him and his Subjects Fellows in the Covenant Vers. 10. And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Works of thine Hands 11. They shall perish but Thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a Garment 12. And as a Vesture shalt Thou fold them up and they shall bee changed but Thou art the same and Thy years shall not fail 1. Another Testimony of Christ from Psal. 102.25 26. wherein hee is expresly called 1. Iehovah God in essence the same God with the Father and the Holy Ghost who giveth Being to the Creatures and Performance to the Promises 2. Who laid the Foundation of the Earth c. and so Creator of Heaven and Earth 3. And by consequence who can create in us a right Spirit and make us of naughty sinners Sons 2. They shall perish wax old and be changed Then The Heavens and the Earth now subject to corruption shall both not continue and yet they shall not utterly be abolished but changed into an incorruptible estate for mans cause Rom. 8.21 3. Christ remaineth and is the same and his years fail not Then 1. Christ is eternal and our Mediatour cannot be missing cannot dye 2. Constant and immutable and cannot change his purpose of love to his called Ones whatsoever changes befall them And this is the Rock of the Churches comfort when shee looketh to her own frailty and changeableness Vers. 13. But to which of the Angels said hee at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy footstool Psal. 110. 1. To which of the Angels said hee Hee asketh for Scripture to shew what is due to Angels Then 1. The Scripture must determine what is due to Angels and other Creatures what is to be thought of them and done to them also 2. And no word in Scripture doth countenance the giving of the glory of the Mediatour to any Angel 2. The Father hath said to Christ Sit Thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy Footstoot Then 1. Christs Kingdome will not want enemies 2. Yea his enemies shall be such as there shall be need of divine wisdome and power to overcome them 3. God professeth himself Party against all the enemies of Christs Church and Kingdome 4. God will put them at under peice and peice and altogether at length 5. Their opposition and overthrow shall serve to glorifie Christs Kingdome and Government They shall be his Footstool 6. In the mean time of this Battel Christ in his own Person shall continue equal with Glory and Majesty with the Father beholding the Victory brought about and bringing it about with the Father unto the Souldiers comfort Vers. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation The Angels are all ministring Spirits Then 1. Angels are not bodies but their substance is invisible 2. They are all of them even these that are called Arch-Angels the greatest of them but servants to Christ and none of them must have their Masters honour that is any religious worship of prayer or invocation made to them 2. They are sent forth for Service or Ministring Then Their employment is about Gods Children to attend us and serve us at Christs direction not to bee served by us by any devotion 3. Christs Subjects are called Heirs of salvation Then 1. They are Sons 2. And what they get is by Heirship by virtue of their Adoption and Sonship not by merit of their works 3. And they shall surely get Salvation as an Heritage never to bee taken from them The Summe of Chap. II. FRom the former Doctrine hee inferreth Seeing Christ is so glorious let his Gospel bee stedfastly beleeved Vers. 1. For if the disobedience of the Law given by the Ministry of Angels was punished Vers. 2. Far more the disobedience of the Gospel so gloriously confirmed Vers. 3 4. For Christ is greater than the Angels even as Man and hath all things in subjection to him Vers. 5. As David witnesseth speaking of elected men with their Head the Man Christ Vers. 6 7 8. And albeit wee see not that subjection yet fully accomplished
repeated But Christs entry into Heaven to be perfect because but once not to be repeated 3. The Levitical Priests entred by the blood of Goats and Calves But Christ entred by his own blood 1. And if Christ entred but once into Heaven after his Suffering Then Wee must not think that his Body is any where else but in Heaven onely wherein it is once onely entred 2. If the blood whereby Christ entred into Heaven was his own blood Then 1. Verily Christs Body was like ours in substance having blood in it as ours and wee must not conceive otherwise of his body than to be of the same substance and substantial properties with ours 2. The blood belonged to the same person to whom the properties of God belongeth so often in this Epistle attributed unto Christ. His Blood was the blood of God Act. 20.28 That is the same Jesus was God and man with flesh and blood in one person 3. The Fruit of Christs bloody Sacrifice hee maketh The Eternal Redemption of those for whom hee offered it And to the typical Sacrifice hee ascribeth no redemption at all in the comparison Thereby giving us to understand 1. That from the worlds beginning to the end thereof salvation of sinners is by way of Christs Redemption That is by his loosing them through payment of a price 2. That the Redemption was manifested to have force when after his bloody Sacrifice hee entred into Heaven 3. That such as are once redeemed by Christ are Eternally Redeemed not for a time to fall away again but eternally to be saved most certainly Vers. 13. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh Vers. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God To prove that eternal Redemption is the fruit of Christs Sacrifice he reasoneth thus If the Typical Sacrifices and Rites of old were able to work that for which they were ordained that is external Sanctification Much more shall Christs true Sacrifice be able to work that for which it was appointed that is Eternal Remission of sins and inward Sanctification unto eternal life Then there are two sorts of Sanctification One external of the flesh which maketh a man holy to the Church whatsoever he be within Another internal of the conscience and inner man which maketh a man holy before God 2. The purifying of the flesh he maketh to be by the exercise of such and such Ordinances of Divine Service for the time Then External or Church-holiness of the outward man is procured by such and such exercises of Divine Ordinances in the Church as serve to make a man to be reputed and holden for clean before men and so to be received for a member of the Church as is to be seen Numb 19. 3. From his form of reasoning we learn That whatsoever liberty and access of coming to the Church was made to the Jew of old by these ceremonies of the Law as much and more liberty is made to the Christian to come in to God by the blood of Christ. 4. In describing Christs Sacrifice he saith Christ through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Then 1. Christ is both the Sacrifice and the Priest in one person He offered himself as man through the Eternal Spirit that is by the vertue and power of his own Godhead by which he preached before his Incarnation to sinners 1 Pet. 3.19 2. His sacrifice was without spot He was that spotless Lamb in whom was no sin nor imperfection nor defect of any thing that the sacrifice required 3. The vertue of the sacrifice which made it to purchase Eternal Redemption unto us floweth from the infinite worth of his Eternal Godhead 4. Albeit Christs two natures have their distinct respects in the actions of his Office yet Christ is one and undivided in the execution of his Office 5. The fruit and force of the sacrifice is set down in this that this Blood shall purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God That is shall both absolve a man from his foregon sin and also enable him to serve God for time to come Then 1. Sins are but dead works flowing from nature dead in sin and not onely deserving but also drawing on death upon the sinner 2. The conscience lieth polluted with the filthiness of dead works till the vertue of the blood of Jesus applied bring intimation of absolution 3. Christs blood doth not purge the Conscience from dead works that a man should go wallow in them again but that he may serve the living God more acceptably 4. The purging vertue of Christs blood is joyned with the sanctifying and renewing of the absolved sinner and what God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder Vers. 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Now lest any man should stumble at Christs death he sheweth a necessity thereof in respect of his office of Mediation and the purchase to be made by his Redemption The force of the reason is this Remission of sins could not have been given under the Law except the Mediator had been to pay the price of the same under the Gospel Nor could the faithful and called ones either then or now obtain eternal life for an inheritance otherwise than by the Mediators death Therefore it behoved the true Mediator by means of death to pay the promised price of the purchase of remission of sins and eternal life Then 1. The remission of transgressions and the inheritance of eternal life are both fruits of Christs Passion 2. The fruits of his Passion extended themselves unto them who were under the Old Testament as well as unto us under the New 3. The way of purchase of these benefits was by Redemption that is to say by lawful purchase such as might satisfie justice 4. The way in special was by means of the Mediators death His life was laid down to redeem ours His one life as good as all ours 5. For this cause Christ took the office of a Mediator unto himself that he might have right and interest by death to make this purchase 6. And therefore except he had really died the purchase could not have been lawfully made Vers. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator Another reason to prove the necessity of Christs death from the force of the word Covenant which signifieth also a Testament The force of the reason is this Christ Jer. 31.31 promised to make a New Covenant and therefore also a New Testament iâ— to make a New Testament then also he promised
maintain the Truth against all fear of men Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins Another Motive to constancy in the Truth of Religion taken from the fearful case of wilful Apostates who sinning the sin against the Holy Ghost are secluded for ever from Mercy I say the sin against the Holy Ghost because wee shall finde the sin here described not to be any particular sin against the Law but against the Gospel Not a sin against some point of Truth but against Christs whole Doctrine Not of infirmity but wilfulness Not of rashness but of deliberation wittingly and willingly Not of ignorance but after Illumination and Profession Such as Iews turned Christians revolting from Christianity back again to their former hostility against Christ did commit It is true many who commit lesser sins get never grace to repent and many who make defection in some point of their profession may be secluded from mercy thereafter but this sin here described is a wilful rejecting of Christ and the Benefit of his Sacrifice after Illumination and Profession of the Faith of Christ. Then 1. As Apostacy from the true Religion lyeth nearest unto this sin so they who desire to be freed of this sin must be the more careful to be constant in the profession of every point of the Truth of the Gospel 2. If a man reject the Benefit of that once offered Sacrifice of Christ there is no other Sacrifice for sin after that nor any other mean to help him But if a man seek unto Jesus Christ and will not quit Him whatsoever hee may think of the hainousness of his own sins the Sacrifice which Jesus offered for sins remaineth whereby hee may be saved Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Having secluded the Apostate from Mercy hee goeth on in these words to shew his miserable estate Whereof wee gather 1. That the wilful Apostate from the Faith of Christ is also a wilful Adversary to Christ of the highest sort Partaker of Satans sin and Satans Profession 2. That every Apostate of this sort is destitute of Gods Peace self-condemned desperate of salvation hopeless of Relief without all purpose of Repentance or using means of help stricken with the fore-sight of the Wrath coming upon him and made to expect it although hee should dissemble it never so much 3. The Apostates fear shall come upon him judgement answerable to his sin the indignation and wrath of God yea fiery indignation the most terrible that can be thought upon which hee shall not escape but it shall devoute him swallow him up and feed upon his body and soul even for ever 2. In that hee maketh this the judgement of Christs Adversaries Wee learn That the soul which loveth Christ and cannot quiâ— Him cannot endure to think of a separation will not quit the true Religion nor any known point of Christs Truth and is using the means to get Gods Peace albeit it might seem to it self because of the present sense of wrath to be in the self-same estate that is here described yet it is â—ree as yet of the sin against the Holy Ghost and not to be reckoned amongst adversaries but amongst the friends and lovers of Christ how vehemently soever Satans suggestions bear in the contrary 3. In that by setting before them the fearful estate of Apostates from the known Truth of the true Religion hee Laboureth to strengthen them against the fear of persecution Whence wee learn That if Apostates before they make Apostasie from the true Religion did fore-see their own danger as after Apostasie they are made to fore-see their own condemnation all the terrour of all the torment which man could put them unto and all the allurements which this world could give them would not move them to quit the least point of the Truth of true Religion Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace 1. Hee proveth the equity of their judgement by the proportion of their punishment who despised the Law of Moses Then As sins are greater so must the punishment be greater and the conscience being posed as here cannot but subscribe to the proportion 2. To make the sin appear the better hee pointeth out some particular sins involved within this great sin For clearing whereof it may be asked How can the Apostates tread the Blood of the Son of God under foot c. I answer They cannot indeed by physical action but by doing the equivalent sin they are accounted of God to do it by judicial interpretation Their Apostasie importeth their agreeing to do Christ as much indignity as if they did offer Him this personal violence Their deeds shew that they have this base estimation of Christ and His Blood and no better For what saith the Apostate of Christ by his deed but That Hee is not worthy to be professed or avowed or followed And what is this in effect but to tread Him under all these base things which the Apostate preferreth before Him And so is to be understood of the Blood of Christ and His Spirit Quest. But how can the Reprobate be said to be sanctified by the Blood of the Covenant I answer There is a sanctification to the purifying of the flesh and a sanctification to the purifying of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. The sanctification external to the purifying of the flesh consisteth in the mans separation from the world and dedication unto Gods service by Calling and Covenant common to all the members of the visible Church and it is forcible thus far as to bring a man into credit estimation as a Saint before men and unto the common Priviledges of the Church whereupon as Men so God also speaketh unto him and of him as one of His People and dealeth with him in his external dispensation as with one of His own People In this sense all the Congregation of Israel and every one of them is called holy yea Core also and his followers Num. 16.3 The Sanctification internal by renovation consisteth in a mans separation from the state of Nature to the state of grace from his old conditions to be a new creature indeed By this latter sort a Reprobate cannot be called Sanctified but by the former hee may be called Sanctified and that by virtue of the Blood of the Covenant albeit hee should not get any further good thereby For as the Blood of CHRIST hath virtue to cleanse the conscience and renew the soul which commeth unto it truly and spiritually so it
must have force to do that which is less that is purifie the flesh and external condition of the man who cometh unto it outwardly onely as the Types did under the Law whereupon an Hypocrite in the Christian Church must be accounted one of the Congregation of the Saints as well as an Hypocrite under the Law was so called because CHRISTS Blood cannot be inferiour to the Types which were of this force to sanctifie men to the purifying of the flesh Or wee may say more shortly There is a sanctification by consecration when any thing is devoted or dedicated unto God and a sanctification by inhabitation of the holy Spirit 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. Of the former sort the Censers of Core Dathan and Abiram are called Holy And the reason is given Because they offered them before the LORD therefore they are hallowed Numb 16.38 And in this sense all the members of the visible Church even such as afterwards do prove Apostates are sanctified because they are offered and offer themselves unto the Lord. But the inhabitation of the holy Spirit is proper onely to the Elect and Gods Children Hence learn 1. That all the members of the visible Church are so confederate unto God that it is sacriledge for them not to seek Gods honour in all things or to bestow themselves any other way than for God 2. Men are reckoned by God so to deal with Christ and his Blood and Covenant and Spirit as they make account thereof as they have estimation of Christ and his Blood and Spirit 3. And their estimation is not reckoned by their words or pretences but by their deeds as these do import so are they judged to esteem 4. Because Apostasie from Christ importeth as much as Hee and his Doctrine are unworthy to be avowed or maintained by consequence it importeth also that Christ was not the Man hee called himself and that all his Spirit had taught them was untruth and therefore justly here doth the Scripture challenge the Apostate of counting Christs blood no better than the blood of a common Malefactor and of giving of the Lie to the holy Spirit So fearful a thing is it to make defection from any known part of true Religion Vers. 30. For wee know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto mee I will recompence saith the Lord. And again The LORD shall judge his People In that hee proveth the certainty of their punishment out of Deut. 32.35 36. Learn 1. That the justice and constancy of Gods Truth in general threatnings is sufficient to prove the certain punishment of particular sins 2. The punishment of Apostates of one kind may evidence the punishment of Apostates of another kind For it is the Jews Apostasie to Idolatry and worshiping of Images which in that place the Lord doth threaten 2. Hee maketh the knowing of God who speaketh a proof sufficient for the certain performance of his Word Then As men understand Gods Nature so will his Word weigh with them And such as know him best will stand most in awe of him beleeve his Word most Vers. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God From this knowledge of Gods Nature hee pronounceth how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of an adversary to be punished Then 1. It is presupposed that such as reject the Mercy of Christ shall not be able to reject justice but must fall into his Hand 2. The eternity of God maketh his wrath terrible For hee liveth for ever to avenge himself on his foes 3. The terror of the Lord what torment hee is able to inflict and that for ever is a fit mean to make men beware to make Apostasie from Christ. Vers. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after yee were illuminated yee endured a great fight of afflictions For a mean to help them constantly to go on hee directeth them to make use of their former patience and experience of troubles for the Gospel Then 1. Even they who have suffered for Christ have need to be stirred up to constancy and to be terrified from Apostasie 2. The more men have suffered for Christ they ought to be the bolder in the profession of his Truth and the more ready for new sufferings 2. He maketh the time of their first troubles to be after illumination Then some do enter into troubles for Religion at their very first conversion and are yoked in battel against persecutors beside other on-sets of Satan and their own nature Vers. 33. Partly whilest ye were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilest ye became companions of them which were so used He maketh their troubles in their own persons by reproaches and afflictions the first part of their fight wherein they were a gazing-stock to the world Then 1. Such as are called to suffer for Christ are set upon a Theater to give proof of their faith and love to Christ before the world 2. The blinde world wondreth at such as adventure to suffer any thing for the truth of Christ and think but ignominiously of Christ and his cause and of those that maintain the same 3. Reproaches and taunts of the godly by the world are reckoned up to them for parts of their Christian cross and their glory before God 2. The next part of their fight was their partaking with such as did suffer the like Then 1. It is the part of true Christians to countenance them that confesse Christ yea and to joyn with them that suffer for him 2. Communion with the sufferings of others is reckoned up for a part of our own sufferings 3. To suffer patiently our selves or take a part with others in their sufferings will cost us a battel Vers. 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance He cometh to particulars and first their compassion towards himself in his bonds is remembred by him Then 1. Compassion with sufferers especially when it is manifested to the afflicted party for his comfort maketh the compassionate person a partaker with the sufferer 2. Such compassion should be remembred by the sufferer thankfully and recompenced by seeking their eternal welfare who have shewed them such great kindeness 2. Another particular is their joyful enduring the spoliation of their goods Then 1. When trial cometh of mens faith in Christ such as minde to be constant must prepare themselves to quit their goods if GOD please so to honour them with employment 2. When we see we must lose our goods for Christs sake or suffer any other inconveniency we ought to do it chearfully and count our gain in Christ more than our loss in the world And if we finde trouble to let our adversaries know as little of it as we can namely seeing there is no cause of grief if our eyes were opened and our
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Grace unto you and peace be multiplied In the first place Peter the Penman of the Epistle in the inscription is described from the Office of his Apostleship that he might give authority to this Epistle Moreover the Hebrews to whom he writ are described first from their outward low condition that they were strangers scattered through the Regions here mentioned not excluding the rest that lived otherwhere The second from the inward spiritual and excellent state viz. that they were elected foreknown sanctified partakers of the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ For to be elected through Sanctification of the Spirit to the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus is to be elected that we by way of Sanctification might come to a full participation of the fruits of Christs obedience and sprinkling of his blood or the imputed righteousness of Christ made obedient to his Father for us unto the death of the Cross And so there are set down four causes of the excellent condition of the believing Hebrews or our spiritual state 1. The election of God he Father comprehending both the eternal election wherein God from eternity would have them before others separated for the obtaining salvation in Christ and that temporal wherein God by an efficacious calling actually separated them from others 2. The other cause is the foreknowledge of God by which he means the act of Divine predilection or eternal love whereby he determined in himself or willed out of his meer love to do good to all his sheep and namely to them 3. The Sanctification of the Spirit by which he means the whole progress of the spiritual change of our state from the beginning of our conversion even unto perfect holiness and glory 4. The obedience of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood whereby is meant both the active and passive righteousness of Christ as some distinguish yea the whole work of redemption together with his application to their Justification and Reconciliation unto God which causes of Salvation are illustrated by naming the three Divine Persons to which distinctly indeed but without division or separation of persons those causes in their order are ascribed whereby we may very easily perceive the distinction grace vertue and the order of their working For fore-knowledge and election is ascribed to God the Father as to the Fountain of our felicity To Christ Reconciliation as Mâ—diator meriting and purchasing that felicity and to the Holy Ghost as an Executor applying that to us And so the causes of our Righteousness and Salvation the original obtaining and application are wholly placed in the alone good pleasure of one God electing us out of his meer favour From whence our efficacious calling flows and true Sanctification as a certain fruit of our election But the onely means whereby the vertue and efficacy of our election to Sanctification and Salvation is derived to us is the mediation of Christ or our reconciliation made in him In the benediction or salutatory prayer he wishes for encrease and multiplication of the effects of Divine favour towards them in all things which may compleat their Sanctification and Salvation Vers. 3. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead The first part of the Chapter follows wherein that he may confirm them in the faith and grace of Christ wherein they stood he thanks God as the Father of Jesus Christ for spiritual benefits in Christ bestowed upon them in this state of grace The reasons of his thanksgiving and also of the confirmation of their faith are sixteen all which prove that they ought to give thanks to God and be confirmed in faith Vs Reas. 1. God hath no less regenerated you than the rest of the Saints yea no lest than the Apostles themselves Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith The Father Reas. 2. He hath regenerated as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. he hath by Regeneration put you into the society of the Covenant of Christ and hath received you into the fellowship of Christs Sonship by adoption Therefore c. Out of his abundant Reas. 3. He hath out of his abundant mercy regenerated you i. e. not induced by any deserts nor hindred by any of your unworthiness or ill deservings hath given unto you the benefit of Regeneration Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vnto Hope Reas. 4. God hath regenerated you unto a certain lively hope of eternal life which shews it self in the works of spiritual life Therefore c. By Reas. 5. God hath solidly founded the lively certainty of your hope upon Christs Resurrection from the dead which is both the cause and pledge of your resurrection from the dead Therefore ye ought c. Vers. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Reas. 6. God hath regenerated you unto life eternal which freely he bestowed upon you by the will and testament of your Father as an inheritance gotten by none of your merits and which is not earthly but heavenly incorruptible undefiled immarcessible excelling all worldly possessions even that condition of life which Adam had in his innocency as that which is incident to no change and whereunto nothing is wanting as to its full perfection Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vers. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Reas. 7. God hath bestowed perseverance upon the regenerate and hath established the gift keeping you to salvation as with an armed Garrison and supporting your faith lest ye fail from the way of salvation and that by his most firm decree whereby he hath both prepared that salvation for you and also appointed a certain time for the communicating of it viz. the day of judgement Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vers. 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations 7. That the tryal of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Reas. 8. The condition of the faith and grace of Christ wherein ye stand is solid matter of your rejoycing and triumph Now if Reas. 9. The grace in which ye stand administreth to you joy even when ye are tossed with manifold afflictions and sorrows it gives you solid arguments of consolation Such as these four 1. The shortness of your afflictions 2. Intermission of your afflictions 3. And the necessity of them For ye are now in
6. They who are united in the Faith of the Truth preached by us shall also be united with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ by virtue of the Holy Ghost Therefore c. Vers. 4. And these things write wee unto you that your joy may be full Reas. 7. The summe of our preaching which is written to you hath this end that yee being made certain of your election and glorification may have a true and spiritual joy and that your joy may remain and be perfected Therefore it is deservedly to be accounted the most excellent Vers. 5. This then is the message which wee have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all Reas. 8. The summe of our preaching is that God is light or a most present and perfect remedy against the evils of ignorance errours falshood vices and miseries which are in us and that God in himself is most free from these evils so that it is impossible for those that come unto him to be deceived not to be illuminated and directed not to be delivered from sins and misery and not to obtain eternal life Therefore it is necessary that my preaching and the rest of the Apostles should be excellent Vers. 6. If wee say that wee have fellowship with him and walk in darkness wee lye and do not the Truth The other part of the Chapter follows wherein hee propounds partly negatively and partly affirmatively the notes or signs of him that is a true Beleever who shall be partaker of the good things promised in the Gospel And the Notes are five Note 1. Is negatively propounded with his confirmation Hee that is a true beleever doth not walk in darkness is not given ever to sin leading his life according to the lusts of the flesh Because if any one profess himself to have communion with God who is light and holiness and in 〈◊〉 mean time walketh in the darkness of his sins hee is an hypocrite and a lyar seeing that hee doth not that which is right but that which hee professes with his mouth hee denies in his works Vers. 7. But if wee walk in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Note 2. Is propounded affirmatively Hee that walks in the light or hee that follows after holiness that hee may be conformable to God who is light and perfect holiness hee is a true beleever having communion truly with God and the Saints to whom the fruit also of Christs death to the remission of sins doth wholly belong Vers. 8. If wee say that wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Note 3. Is negative Hee that is a true Beleever is not so just in his own eies that hee denies that hee cannot sin either in word or deed or that hee hath not sinned after Justification or that hee as if hee could not want the daily intercession of Christ and the daily applying of his merit for the delivering of his conscience from new guilt is not touched with the sense of sin so that hee must forthwith flye unto Christ as his Redeemer For whosoever either in word or deed doth really so deny that hee hath sin in him for the present deceives himself and is an hypocrite in whom there is no sincerity Vers. 9. If we confess our sins hee is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Note 4. Hee that is a true Beleever is so affected with the sense of his sins that hee acknowledgeth them before God and doth confess from his soul that hee deserves eternal death and that his guilt can no otherwise be expiated but by the merit of the blood of the Son of God and that hee cannot be sanctified but by the divine virtue of the Spirit of Christ or be free from the pollution of sin Faithful The Apostle promiseth to him that doth so confess his sins that upon the faithfulness and righteousness of God hee shall be absolved and purged from the guilt of sin or sanctified from the stain of it For God is faithful who hath promised these things and God is just who hath taken satisfaction from Christ the Surety hee doth not exact the debt from him for whom Christ hath satisfied but on the other side hee bestowes all the good things upon him that beleeves which Christ hath purchased for his salvation Vers. 10. If wee say that wee have not sinned wee make him a lyar and his word is not in us Note 5. Is negative Hee that is a true Beleever doth neither deny nor extenuate his sins past as if either with that Pharisee hee had performed all the commands of God from his youth or as if there was no original sin or as if it was not at all worthy of death Neither is hee impenitent as if the sins which hee had committed were light and venial which need not the expiation of the blood of Christ or as if there were not so much corruption in his nature but that by his free will hee might confide in his own strength to dispose himself for grace and merit it or at leastwise bee able to obtain it For hee that either so or by any other means directly or indirectly denies that hee hath not sinned and consequently denies that hee is not nor hath not been so guilty of death that hee needed such an expiation as the death of the Son of God is hee is a blasphemer against God accusing him of a lye who hath in his word condemned all as sinners and guilty of death and hath affirmed that there is no remission of sins but by the blood of his Son neither is the Word of God received by Faith at any time in his heart i. e. neither hath hee beleeved the Doctrine of the Law not yet of the Gospel CHAP. II. THe rest of the whole Epistle enforceth the use of the former Doctrine to which end five Exhortations are propounded The first to vers 9. The second to vers 15. The third to vers 18. The fourth to vers 29. The fifth to verse the last Vers. 1. My little Children these things write I unto you that yee sin not And if any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous The first Exhortation is to the following after holiness that they sin not The Reasons of the Exhortation besides a friendly compellation are eleven Reas. 1. Because this is the end and use of the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Apostles writing These things write I unto you that yee sin not saith hee Therefore follow yee holiness And if Reas. 2. If yee follow after holiness the sins which perhaps yee shall fall into shall bee taken away through the intercession of Christ Jesus our Advocate and Lord Therefore endeavour after holiness When hee names one