But we have already shewed that the Israelites in Massa tempted God not with excesse of trust but with defect of it The like words in the like sence are used by Peter Acts 15 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoake upon the neck of the Disciples c. q.d. Hath not God already given us experiments and arguments enough and sufficient that we should not impose upon the Disciples the yoke of legall Ceremonies seeing he hath given the holy Ghost to them as well as to us seeing he hath made no difference betweene us and them purifying their hearts by faith why therefore as if the thing were not already apparent enough do ye require more arguments and tokens of it and so tempt God 9. When your fathers tempted me Me here is referred to God whom the Israelites tempted for here according to an usuall forme in Scripture the person is changed and God himselfe is brought in speaking of himselfe whereas in the words before David spake of God in the third person but now brings in God speaking in the first person of himselfe In the Originall it is not when but where for here the circumstantiall particle is not temporall for the time when they tempted but locall for the place where they tempted and that place hath reference to the wildernesse immediately before mentioned For in the wildernesse they tempted God not onely at that time but afterwards also at divers other times and in other particular places of that wildernesse For at Cadeshbarnea whence the twelve spies were sent to search the land of Canaan and upon their returne the people bad stone Caleb and Joshuah because they discented from the other ten who had brought up an evill report upon the Land then the Lord complaines that they had provoked him long and often that they had long distrusted him notwithstanding all the signes he had shewed amongst them Numb 14.11 And againe at ver 22. he complaines that they had tempted him now ten times i. very many times Proved me He expresseth the same thing in another word For as to tempt a man argues distrust and doubt of him so also to prove him And saw my workes The particle and is by an Hebraisme put for although q.d. If they had not seene my wondrous works it had beene lesse wonder that they tempted me but now although they see them yet they doubt of my power and goodnesse toward them what a strange diffidence and distrust is this What works God wrought both in Egypt and in the Wildernesse to certifie the people of his promise and to gaine faith for their passage into Canaan are largely described in the books of Exodus and Numbers Forty yeares This space of forty yeares as the history it selfe and the Hebrew text and this Author also signifies at ver 17. must be referred forwards to Gods indignation whereby he was grieved with them for the space of forty yeares Yet it is true also that this space may be referred backward as the Septuagint have pointed it to the peoples tempting of God and seeing his works for the space of forty yeares for so long the people tempted him and so long saw his works For even at the expiration of those yeares when Miriam was dead in Cadesh they againe murmured against Moses and Aaron for want of water as their fathers had done before at Meriba and Massa and that place also was branded by the name of Meriba or waters of strife where the diffidence or distrust in God was greater then any formerly for it was extended even to Moses and Aaron who were also infected with the sin of it Numb 20. And this seemes to be cause of the Greek pointing and reading which this Author followed having fallen upon it that he might not seeme to make any alteration in it though afterward at the 17. verse he plainly shews that he was not ignorant of the true reading as it was pointed in the Hebrew But here is meant that other tentation mentioned Numb 14. upon which God sware the people should not enter into his rest as appeares by the verses here following Hence appeares their errour who from hence conclude that the holy Ghost is that God who was tempted of the Jews therefore because here God himselfe speakes and saith he was tempted of their fathers and the Author affirmes that the holy Ghost spake these things These men marke not that from the first words of this place and so from the former of the whole Psalme wherein David himselfe speakes in very deed in his owne person and professeth himselfe one of Gods people to worship and serve God it will by the same reason follow that the holy Ghost is also David For the former words wherein David is brought in speaking are no lesse attributed to the holy Ghost When the sayings of holy Writers are attributed to the holy Ghost we are not thereby to understand that the holy Ghost is that person who indeed speaks or to whom those things really agree which he attributes to himselfe that speakes or is brought in speaking but onely that those sayings were uttered by the vertue and motion of the holy Ghost and not onely by the will and pleasure of men whosoever the person be that speaketh as Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 1.21 For otherwise there must be one onely person alwaies brought in speaking namely the holy Ghost to whom alone all sayings must be attributed which he attributes to himselfe that speaketh then which nothing can be further from the truth For the Prophets for the most part use to speake in their owne persons sometime they bring in God speaking whose Spirit the Holy Ghost is sometime they bring in other persons Besides from this that the words of God are attributed to the Holy Ghost we cannot rightly conclude that therefore the Holy Ghost is God himselfe Are they not rightly attributed to him therefore because God speaks by him as we read that the words of Christ are attributed to the Spirit Rev. 2.7 although the Spirit be not Christ So Paul Rom. 11.4 attributes the words of God to the oracle and this Author cap. 12.5 attributes the words of God to the Exhortation not that either the oracle or the exhortation is God but because God is supposed to speake by the oracle and the exhortation 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation That is a Generation according to Scripture which comprehends the men that live within the period of one and the same age And that generation wherewith God was grieved were those persons of Israel whom hee brought out of Egypt who saw his mighty workes and received the Law at Mount Sinai This generation provoked and tempted God and therefore God was grieved with it God is not passively grieved as man but then he is said to be grieved when he doth such actions as persons grieved use to doe especially being thereto provoked by the sinnes of men And said they doe
the Sacrifice takes efficacy and force to purge sin from the subsequent oblation of Christ in offering himselfe in heaven but also as it is the bloud of the Covenant it received great force from the subsequent resurrection and glory of Christ For the death of Christ is as it were animated and quickned by his Resurrection and glory and then are the mightie effects of it when he that suffered death to confirm the new covenant is thereupon acknowledged to be the Sonne of God and the Christ which certainly could not have been without his Resurrection and the subsequent glory of it For then wee plainely perceive the boundlesse love of God in delivering Christ to death for us and the boundlesse love of Christ in dying for us from both which wee may easily draw an undoubted hope of our salvation And then also wee see from his most shamefull death a passage open to immortall life and lastly then we esteem the Covenant most sacred that was confirmed by a death so precious But if Christ had not risen from the dead who therefore died that he might appear to be the Christ and the King over Gods people his death had thereby lost all the force of it yea it would have been of force to nullifie the faith of all his promises But he had promised us eternal life in the Name of his Father and that he himself would give it us by raising us from the dead yea hee openly said of himselfe that he would rise the third day thereby to confirm his doctine wherefore unles the event had been answerable his doctrine had been stripped of all authority But let us returne to the offering of Christ which the Author opposeth to the offering of the old high Priest for severall respects 1. In that Christ offered through the Spirit and the eternall Spirit but the high Priest under the Law did enter the Holy place and offer through his infirmitie a weake man compassed with the flesh But Christ was filled with the eternall Spirit i. with the power of God which clarified him from all mortalitie and made him eternall subject to no destruction Now this Spirit seemes to be called eternall not onely because it eternally resides in Christ but because it makes him to become eternall Of which Spirit if Christ had been destitute he could not have offered himselfe in that heavenly Sanctuary to have remained there for ever Therefore in these words about which Interpreters have diverse disputes as men must needs do when the genuine sence of any place is either not perceived or not allowed is expressed the cause how Christ being before not onely of a mortall nature and compassed with flesh but also slaine as a sacrifice could afterward enter the heavenly Sanctuary the palace of immortality and there as a Priest offer himselfe to God This he saith was effected by the benefit of the eternall Spirit who throughly consecrated Christ and devested him from all naturall and terrene infirmities That which hee had spoken before chap. 7. ver 16. that Christ was made a Priest after the power of an endlesse life now hee saith againe in other words that Christ offered through the eternall Spirit for if wee looke into the thing it selfe what is the power of an endlesse life other then this eternall Spirit In a like manner Paul treating of Christ as he is ordained and declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead i. as God after his resurrection made him the celestiall and eternall King of his people with supreme power mentions the Spirit of holinesse or sanctification Rom. 1.4 and he saith that Christ was declared the Sonne of God according to the Spirit of holinesse as he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh For seeing he opposeth this Spirit to the flesh of Christ i. to whatsoever was humane in his nature what can he else understand but the power of Gods Spirit powred upon Christ which abolishing from him all his mortall condition did throughly consecrate him unto God made him a person most divine and most like unto God in nature and power and rendered him fully capable of a celestiall and eternall kingdome Hither also must that of Peter be referred where he saith as it is in the Greek that Christ was mortified in the flesh but vivified by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 where as the flesh of Christ is made the cause of his mortality and consequently of his death so is the Spirit namely of God in Christ made the spring and fountaine of his vivification or life 2. He opposeth the offering of Christ to that of the old high Priest in that Christ offered himselfe but the Legall Priest offered not himselfe but the bloud of slaine beasts but what force could that bloud have being offered and sprinkled before the Mercy-seate for the purifying of the flesh if we respect the nature of the thing But Christ himselfe being offered for us in the heavenly Tabernacle was he not a most acceptable sacrifice to God Is there any sin of those that are truly faithfull in Christ which by the offering of so holy a Sacrifice and by the authority and care of so great an high Priest with his heavenly Father could not be expiated 3. In that hee offered himselfe without spot or blemish For the old sacrifice must bee very pure and free from any spot wherefore seeing our high Priest himselfe was the sacrifice hee must needs bee void of all spot or blemish But the old high Priest when he entered the most holy place and offered was not without spot or blemish for even then he was to procure the expiation no lesse of his owne sins then of the peoples But Christ when he entered the heavenly Sanctuary and offered himselfe to God was then free from all spot not onely in respect of his most innocent life which he passed without the least spot of sinne but also which as wee said in the seventh Chapter the Author chiefly respecteth in respect of his immortall nature which he obtained free from all spot of infirmity when he was quickned with that eternall Spirit whereby he entered the heavenly Sanctuary But what is meant by this offering of Christ wee have declared before For these things are not properly spoken of Christ but onely comparatively and allusively to the ancient high Priest So that by this offering of Christ is signified his singular and onely care for the expiation of our sins and for our salvation Yet it is a care worthy and sutable to so great an high Priest who is not destitute of power in himselfe to conferre salvation upon us but is forced to obtaine it from another as the old high Priest was but is one that enjoyeth all command both in heaven and earth one that exerciseth all Judgement delivered over unto him from his Father and one that by his owne proper power doth release us from all guilt of our sins
person of God and commands all things in the Name of God and therefore in Christ God himselfe is worshipped And the execution of this Command that the Angels doe really performe this worship appeares in the Revelation where they are said to stand round about the Throne and to fall downe before the Throne on their faces to worship Christ Revel 7.11 7. And of the Angels he saith A third argument from the testimony of Scripture Psal 104.4 to prove Christ made better then the angels Who maketh his angels spirits This is not spoken of their Creation but of their Emission that God employeth them as his Emissaries or Messengers to shew their state and condition to be servants unto God wherein they greatly differ from the state of Christ sitting at Gods right hand and is not sent forth any whether And his Ministers a flaming fire Herein the Author aimes at no more then what he saith at the last verse of this Chapter that they are all Ministring spirits saving that he alludes from the Psalme to the manner of their Ministery which is like a spirit or a winde very forcible and yet invisible and like a flaming fire or lightning very penetrable subtile and agile moving almost in an instant from one part of heaven to another 8. But unto the Sonne he saith Thy Throne O God! Herein hee opposeth Christ to the Angels and preferres him above them from a testimony of Scripture Psal 45.6 which is literally spoken of Solomon but mystically of Christ And therein Solomon is said to have a throne and called God for the royalty of his throne and sublimitie of his power over Gods people And therefore Christ of whom Solomon was but a shadow is by a farre greater right called God because the Throne of Christ is farre more royall in being seated at the right hand of God And consequently Christ is farre better and superiour to the Angels as the King sitting on his throne is greater then his servants that minister unto him Is for ever and ever Solomons throne or kingdome is said to be everlasting or perpetuall because hee was promised to reigne in his person and in his posteritie after him for many ages Namely so long as the carnall and earthly state of Gods people should require an earthly King See Psal 89.28,29 and verse 36 37. For that Solomons posteritie were deprived of the kingdom before the coming of Christ which notwithstanding was restored in Christ though after a more divine and spirituall manner that hapned through the soule sinnes of his posteritie which God neither would nor could any longer tolerate Seeing God put this Article or condition in the Covenant which he made with David and his posteritie that his posterity should observe his Law See 1. Chron. 28.7 But this perpetuity of throne or kingdome agrees farre more eminently unto Christ because Christ was made immortall to live for ever and to raigne in his owne person for ever without any posterity to succeed him and he is to raigne so long as the people of God shall need such a King which Throne must needs last to the end of the world till all his enemies be destroyed And consequently the Throne or Kingdome of Christ is most properly and truely everlasting for ever and ever A Scepter of righteousnes is the Scepter of thy Kingdome Scepter is figuratively put for government because it is the ensigne of Royall government and Scepter of righteousnes is by an Hebraisme put for a righteous government Literally Solomons government was very just righteous and mystically the government of Christ is most just and righteous over the faithfull who are Gods people 9. Thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquity These words doe but amplifie and illustrate the former Literally Solomon did not only governe righteously but loved to doe it and hated to doe the contrary And mystically Christ loved it much more for he committed no iniquity nor sinne at all he never did any man injury nor suffers it to be done unpunished Therefore God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse He alludes to the anointing of Kings or rather to the anointing of guests at feasts which was an ancient custome because oyle doth exhilerate and refresh the spirits and cheer up the minde especially being perfumed with some sweet odour And therefore Oyle of gladnes is an Hebraisme put for exhilerating and cheering oile To this custome the Psalmist relates Psal 23.5 and our Saviour Matt. 6.17 and Luke 7.46 The literall sence is God did entertain Solomon more delicately then other men endowing him with extraordinary gifts and graces particularly with these three Wisedom Riches and Glory for he gave him his owne asking and that besides which hee asked not See 1. Kings 3.5 for his extraordinarie wisedome See 1. Kings 3.12 and 1. Kings 4.29 for his Riches and Glory See 1. Kings 3.13 and 1. Kings 10.21 to the end of the chapter The mysticall sence is That as God was the God of Solomon to endow him so he was the God of Christ also who endowed Christ anointing him with the holy Ghost and with spirituall graces in farre more extraordinary manner for spirituall wisedom whereby he knew the secrets of God and the thoughts of men with spirituall riches which is holinesse and righteousnsse with spirituall power and glory to have dominion over all men and angels See Luk. 1.15 and Luk. 4.1 and Luk 2.40 and Mat. 12.42 and Joh. 1.14 and Joh. 1.16 Above thy fellows The literall sence is Solomons brethren who were the rest of Davids children were cheerfully anointed or blessed of God with Wisedom Riches and Honours but Solomon was blessed above them all in a singular and eminent degree and advanced by God to the Kingdome of Israel before and above them so that all they were not onely rejected from the Crowne but made subject to him The Mysticall sence is All the faithfull like Solomons fellowes or brethren are begotten from the same Father that Christ is begotten and are anointed with the holy Ghost and have many things common with Christ yet notwithstanding Christ is anointed by God above all the faithful hath an immence measure power of the holy Ghost powred upon him especially after his resurrection from the dead when he was totally sanctified and advanced to be King and Lord over the faithful 10 And thou Lord c. A fourth Argument to prove Christ better then the Angels taken from a testimonie of Scripture Psal 102. vers 25 26 27. And here wee must note that this Testimony doth so farre onely belong to Christ as it conduceth to the scope of the Author which as appeares at the fourth verse of this chapter is to prove that Christ after that he was seated at the right hand of God was made better then the angels To which purpose the Creation of heaven and earth makes nothing at all For that cannot be referred to Christ unlesse the Author had taken it for
of Christs dying and his dying for mens salvation was the grace of God the free love and favour of God did bestow this transcendent benefit upon men that Christ should taste death for them For the Author had no sooner made open mention of Christs death but presently he addes the great and weighty causes of it both finall and efficient lest any man should sleight it and think it not a matter of such moment that therefore the Lord of the faithfull should be lesse then the Angels for that end 10. For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things These words are a circumlocution or a designation of God from his two great attributes of being the last end and the first cause of all things and are introduced as a ground whereby to answer this tacit objection Had it not beene farre more convenient and decent That Christ the Lord and King over Gods people though he were not an Angell but a man by nature mortall should not taste of death and other sufferings but alwaies remaine in his happinesse and glory as it became the worth of so great a King To this the Author answers That it wonderfully became God to proceed this way and not to doe otherwise then he did because this way did especially suite to his end and was a most convenient meanes to attaine the end by God intended For God himselfe is the last end of all things for whom all things are and he is also the first efficient of all things from and by whom all things are and therefore it became God who begins all things by himselfe and finisheth them for himselfe to apply such meanes as are most conducent to his end for it becomes the wisest agent to worke most wisely The particle by whom notes not God as an instrumentall or meane cause as if some higher agent did worke by him but supposeth him the principall and prime agent which is alwayes so when it is used of God as an efficient or agent of some thing For that particle referred to God carries with it this force in sence that the thing mentioned was not onely primely invented and decreed by God but by him also brought to issue by effectuall meanes proceeding from himselfe and not borrowed elsewhere This working of God as being sole Author and sole meanes is distinguished by Paul by these two phrases Of him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 But by this Author both are comprised in this one by whom are all things And the universall particle all things must be restrained to his proper respective subject formerly mentioned namely all things concerning the salvation of the faithfull In bringing many sons unto glory Here is expressed the intention or end whereat God aymed which was to bring many sons unto glory The faithfull are the sons of God in a double spirituall respect 1. Of their spirituall birth because they are regenerate begotten and borne of God by the action of his holy Spirit upon them 2. Of their spirituall right because they are adopted or instituted to be the universall heires of all his estate by having the same right with Christ whereby they become and are called his brethren For in a rurall sence he that hath a right to anothers estate becomes his son And the estate whereto God brings them is glory whereby is meant all that future happinesse and heavenly inheritance which eminently for the honour of it is called glory and which was mystically understood Psal 8.5 and wherewith a little before Christ is said to be crowned And the sons brought to glory are many not as many is a parcell opposed to all but as it is a multitude opposed to few for God hath ordained to bring to glory not a few sons but a great many even many multitudes God is not as man who can have but a few sons and cannot bring each of them to all his estate but God hath many multitudes of sons and yet will bring each of them to glory even to all his whole estate And therefore no marvaile if for so many sons sake God would not spare their Captaine whom he might have spared partly though not wholly had their number beene but few To make the Captaine of their salvation perfect through sufferings Here is expressed the meane whereby God wrought his end in bringing a multitude of sons to glory namely by giving them a Captaine and perfecting him through sufferings For seeing God hath so many sons or rather so many multitudes therefore they being so great an army required a Captaine Now Christ is the Captaine or in moderne language the Generall over the army of the faithfull in two respects 1. By leading them in their journey going before them in all their troubles and afflictions 2. By governing them as their head and Lord to command over them for in an Army the Generall doth both lead and governe it And he is the Captaine of salvation to the faithfull because he leads and governes them in their journey to salvation that is to the eternall glory wherewith himselfe is crowned as before which to them is salvation because thereby they are safe not only from destruction but from all affliction and all other evils And because Christ is their captain by whom God brings them to salvation by whom God saves them from death therefore Christ is called and is their Saviour And Christ their captaine passed thorow sufferings whereby is meant death especially a violent death comprising also all the miseries and evils that do precede and accompany it through all which sufferings Christ passed which therefore are called and are his passion And by these sufferings Christ was made perfect His mortality was finished and ended and he being translated to immortality was crowned with eternall glory and honour as before which was his ultimate consummation and finall perfection wherein nothing was wanting to him that might accrue to his supreme happinesse Now seeing therefore that this journey to salvation leads for the most part through divers calamities and afflictions through death and a violent death did it not become the wisedome of God that the leader or captaine in this journey should passe through divers sufferings and death yea a violent death before he could penetrate and arrive at the mark of eternall salvation that by his example hee might teach us that this so rough and craggie way which seemes to precipate men into eternall destruction should lead to the highest tower of eternall salvation by finishing our mortality and perfecting us into immortalitie And did it not become the wisdome of God that he into whose hand God had put the salvation of all his sons and whom he would ordaine for their high Priest should in all things be made like unto his brethren and taste of the same cup of sufferings with them that being himselfe acquainted with sufferings he might learne to succour them in theirs 11 For both he
then his owne or at least not as his owne but as anothers For here is a relation to those words of God formerly cited That Moses was faithfull in all Gods house Whose house are we Hee now expresseth what we must understand by this house of God or Christ namely all they are this house that professe the Religion of Christ of which number these Hebrews were a part and thereby he opens a passage to his following exhortation The faithfull are the house of God whether by house wee understand a family or a building For they are the family of God and Christ who serve God and Christ and are under his care They are also his building or spirituall Temple because God and Christ doe inhabit them by their holy Spirit and they are a Tabernacle for divine worship whereof are extant many testimonies of Scripture Hence appears the great dignity of Christians who therefore are to endeavour that they never fall from it but that it continue stable and perpetuall If wee hold fast the confidence For confidence the originall word properly signifies liberty of speech whereby a man speakes undauntedly though otherwise there bee cause of feare Hence the word is figuratively drawne to signifie courage of minde and also confidence thence refulting In this place it may be taken both properly and figuratively not only for a confidence or assurance of minde but for a liberty in professing Religion so that a Christian what feare soever assault him must openly and publickly professe himselfe the follower of Christ and not be deterred from it by any meanes And in the same sense it seemes the word is taken afterward cap. 10.35 for there the Author treats not only of inward faith but of outward profession of the Christian Religion Hence it appeares that to make us become the house of God it is required that we have confidence and to make us continue so wee must hold our confidence fast and firme unto the end And therefore we are the house of God being of the present tense must be understood as ampliated also to the future For that we should become the house of God for the present it is not required wee should hold fast our confidence to the end but that only for the present we should have confidence But that we might thence forward continue and remaine the house of God perpetually we must also continue and remain in our confidence perpetually by holding it fast to the end And the rejoycing of the hope Hope is put here materially for the thing hoped for which is eternal life for that is the final matter of our hope Rejoycing is either a high degree of joy exalted or an outward expression of our inward joy caused by our hope of eternal life for such great hopes must needs breed in us not only joy but rejoycing For rejoycing is a patent sign of hope latent in us and it is also an effect of that hope for if our confidence and hope of eternall life be reall and true in us it will work this effect in us to rejoyce of it by having it alwayes in our mouth and thereby professing our selves happy and blessed Whence it is no marvell the Author requires this rejoycing in Christians seeing Paul affirmes of them also That they rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 And this rejoycing of our confidence and hope doth necessarily draw with it and in a manner compriseth our rejoycing of Christian Religion whereon our hope both depends and relyes For wee must needs perceive that the Authors aime is we should hold fast the Christian Religion and not only professe it freely and boldly but also rejoyce in it because it brings us a sure hope of eternall happinesse Firme unto the end Unto the last gaspe of our life for this is the nature of a firme hope for then our confidence is firme and stable if it last and hold out to the last gaspe of our life Unlesse we shall say that a firme hope is opposed to a hope infirme that is wavering and weake which comes all to one because an infirme or weak hope is not likely to last and hold out to the end Hence it appeares that it is possible for a Christian endued to true faith to fall from that faith For otherwise why should the Author annex this condition of persevering in faith by holding it fast and firme if they who are once the house of God and have faith can no way faile and fall from it Why in the following admonition doth he exhort them to constancy Why doth hee will them to take heed of departing from the living God 7. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith Here he begins an Exhortation against obstinacie that they should not shew themselves incredulous and hard hearted against the voice of God by Christ in the Gospel Wherefore this word intimates that his Exhortation is drawn from his former discourse And it may be drawne either from his last words wherein he shewed us to be the house of God and for our continuing so we must persevere constantly in the faith and hope of eternall salvation For from hence the admonition may well be inferred that seeing the matter is of such moment therefore wee should shew our selves tractable and obsequious to the voice of God and so persist constantly in the faith Or it may be drawne from the words before that concerning the great dignity of Christ above Moses for if all obedience were due to the voice of God delivered by Moses how much more reverence and regard must be given to the voice of God published by Christ who was much greater then Moses As the holy Ghost saith q. d. That I may use unto you the words of the holy Ghost and say unto you now as hee sayth in the Psalmes Hee attributes the words of David to the holy Ghost because David uttered them by the instinct of the holy Ghost To day if yee will heare his voice These words whereof the Author here makes use to apply them to his present purpose are extant Psal 95.7 The literall sence is Upon the solemn festivall day the people were accustomed to enter the temple of God there to celebrate Divine worship and to heare the reading of the Law which was the word or voice of God Hereupon David composed this Psalme for the festivall day wherein he excites the people that when they went into the house of God to worship him and heare his word they should also obey it and not harden their hearts against it For the particle if is put for when when or seeing yee will heare his voice The mysticall sence The voyce of Christ whereby the Gospel is revealed and delivered to men is the voyce of God And the time of the Gospel is the festivall day of Grace wherein God offers salvation and invites us to it by the preaching of the Gospel which time will not last alwayes in respect of particular persons but
the testimonies are alleadged for the same thing Some men that they may elude the true sense of the former testimony which the Holy Ghost shewes to be in the words Thou art my Sonne To day have I begotten thee say that those words are not alleadged as a testimony of Gods collating the Priesthood upon Christ but as a description of him who conferred this office upon him There men doe a manifest injury to the truth and to the words of the Author For how should these following words agree with the former as he saith also in another place doth hee not by these latter words manifestly declare that now another place or Psalm is cited by him wherein the same point is proved for which the former testimony was produced For ever The Priestood of Christ shall last for ever in the person of Christ without ever having any successour in his office for his office shall last as long as there needs any expiation for sinnes even to the end of the world and so long he shall continue in that office After the order of Melchisedeck The duration or terme of Christs Priesthood shall runne out like the duration of Melchisedecks Priesthood or as the Author expresseth himselfe afterward chap. 7.15 after the similitude of Melchisedeck But of these words we shall speake further chap. 7. where the Author explicates this likenesse more fully But here he tacitly meets with a doubt which some man might imagine touching the Priesthood of Christ in that Christ descended not from the family of Aaron or tribe of Levi to which tribe the Priesthood was limited by the Law of God For the type of Melchisedeck doth not only require an eternall Priesthood but also requires that no respect of tribe or family should be had therein as we shall shew hereafter 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh From the third property required in a high Priest and concluded to agree with Christ he ascends now to the second property and saith that Christ also was compassed with infirmity and by reason thereof offered for himselfe This he shews in this 7. verse and then at the 8. verse he inferres that from this infirmity Christ learned to be mercifull toward the distressed and afflicted In the dayes of his flesh By flesh hee understands the infirmity of Christ for flesh is the subject of infirmity and in a manner the cause of it And the dayes of his flesh are the dayes wherein he suffered for in that time chiefly his infirmity most appeared For then it most appeared that Christ was flesh When he had offered prayers and supplications Now he shews that Christ offered also for himselfe Of which his oblation his infirmity and afflictions were the cause the sence whereof how deepely it struck into his soule and how greatly it exercised him appeares from the things which he offered For he shews distinctly both what he offered and to whom as also the adjunct of his offering and the issue of it The matter of his offering was Prayers This is a generall word to signifie all petitions or rather all kinde of speech unto God And supplications which are the prayers or petitions of supplicants whose manner is to fall upon their knees casting themselves at the feet or touching the knees of them to whom they make their prayer The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as some Interpreters note doth properly signifie an olive-branch wrapped about with wooll which supplicants held in their hands Hence we may easily imagine in what anguish of soule Christ was and what pangs of paine he felt when he was driven to such earnest prayers and devout supplications But what prayers and supplications the Author means will appeare from the words following wherein the person to whom he prayed is described in such manner that thence wee may easily understand what he prayed although the adjunct of his prayer doth partly also declare it Vnto him that was able to save him from death In these words he shews not only the person to whom Christ offered but also the cause why he offered him prayers and what the thing was for which he so earnestly prayed And this is the cause why he would describe God after this manner rather then simply name him for therefore he so devoutly supplicated to God because God onely is hee that can save from death which Christ by his prayers chiefly requested He indeed requested some other things besides for in the garden hee petitioned that the cup might passe from him i. he there was an humble supplicant prostrate upon his knees and afterward on his face praying againe and againe with great ardour of minde that hee might be delivered from the great anguish and heavinesse which hee felt in his soule And hanging upon the crosse he poured forth this lamentation unto God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherein hee prayed that God would put an ease and an end to his extreme paines But the summe and breviate or at least the head of all those prayers was this for his delivery from death For hee that is delivered from death in that sence that Christ here desired hee hath found an end of all paines both of soule and body and hath obtained supreme happinesse This delivery Christ prayed for in commending his Spirit to God when he was ready to expire For to commend the spirit to God or to pray that God would receive it into his hands what is it else but to pray that he would preserve it and afterward restore it and consequently to recal him from death to life whose spirit it is That the Author had respect to these prayers of Christ it may appeare by their adjunct which he also mentions in saying That his prayers were offered up With strong crying and teares The holy History of the Evangelists doe testifie that Christ hanging upon the Crosse complained in the words of the Psalme with a great cry that God had forsaken him and afterward being ready to expire he commended his Spirit to God But the Sacred History mentions not any teares of Christ shed at that time yet notwithstanding it appeares that it was so and was knowne to the Authour to bee so Now this cry and teares doe further shew how deepely the sence of paine was impressed into him when it forced him to expresse such cryes and teares Hence it appeares further that Christ thus exercised with so great a sence of paines himselfe cannot but be moved at the miseries and paines of his people cannot but willingly hear the dolefull cryes and complaines and affoord his opportune succour and help in their afflictions and distresses From these words of the Authour it appeares how Christ offered for himselfe namely that hee offered not himselfe but his prayers for himselfe and then he offered them not when he became immortall in his heavenly Tabernacle but in the dayes of his flesh or infirmity For when he became immortall he could not
compared with the Priesthood of Melchisedeck We have many things to say We have in our minde plentifull and copious matter which we would expresse concerning his Priesthood And hard to be uttered Not hard to the Author to utter simply but hard for him to utter so plainly that they might easily bee apprehended and understood of them to whom he should utter them And this hardnesse proceeded partly from the greatnesse and sublimenesse of the matters to bee uttered and partly from the incapacity and dulnesse of them to whom they should be uttered Seeing yee are dull of hearing q.d. The difficulty of uttering these things is not so much in regard of the things themselves or in regard of mee to whom the things are sufficiently knowne as in regard of you by reason of your dulnesse For if yee were of a ready and quicke capacity it were easie for me to utter all and for you to conceive them Dull is he that doth not easily heare or attend or not apprehend and consider things uttered unto him especially in the holy mysteries of salvation 12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers Their dulnesse of hearing holy mysteries is here declared from the effect of it namely that they were yet unskilfull and rude in the first principles of Christian Religion when notwithstanding they had spent so much time in the Schoole of Christ that they were not only competently to know the Christian Religion themselves but also ought to teach it unto others which was a great argument and sign of their slownesse and dulnesse Ye have need that one teach you againe which be the first principles of the oracles of God For a man to be taught is not strange neither doth it argue idlenesse or dulnesse but to be taught over againe and anew especially the first principles and elements this is a signe of a heavy and dull spirit There is an elegant opposition between him that should teach and him that needs teaching especially the elements of any discipline and the first elements of all The principles of any discipline are those verities which have no reasons and cannot be proved but are the reasons or causes to prove other verities and therefore are learned in the first place because they are knowne of themselves without the knowledge of other verities but other verities cannot be known without the knowledge of them These of some Divines are called fundamentalls in allusion to the foundations of buildings because the foundations are first laid and can lye without the buildings but the buildings cannot be made without them for the buildings are supported by the foundations and not the foundations by the buildings The oracles of God All the verities of Christian Religion whether they be principles that prove or doctrines that are proved from the principles are the oracles of God because they are the words of God proceeding from his mouth and revealed unto men by his holy Spirit And are become such as have need of milke and not of strong meat This is but a circumlocution of their ignorance and childishnesse in Christian verities Yee are become such that ye have need of principles which are the most simple verities and easiest to bee understood as knowne of themselves and not of abstruce and recondite doctrines the truths whereof appeare not but by the meanes and trace of many principles and foreknowne doctrines the apprehension whereof doth agitate and labour both the understanding and memory The principles of Christianity are resembled unto milke because as milke is a nourishment most easie of digestion and concoction because it hath a neare affinity with bloud wherewith we are finally nourished for milke is but elaborate bloud so the principles of Religion are most easily apprehended and understood because they have a neare affinity with the Spirit whereby wee are finally saved for the principles are spirit and life And abstruce doctrines are resembled to strong meat because strong meat is hardly digested and therefore is not nourishment for all stomackes so abstruce doctrines are hardly understood and therefore are not verities for every capacity And as strong meat not digested breeds crudities and diseases in the body so abstruce doctrines not understood breed controversies and distractions in the Church 13. For every one that useth milke He had tacitly affirmed before that strong meat must not be given to them that need milke and therein that abstruce doctrines must not be proposed to novices and weake mindes This assertion he proves by this reason because he that useth milke is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse and he confirmes this reason by another proofe because he that useth milke is a babe Seeing therefore a babe is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse therefore also he that useth milke must needs be unskifull in the same He that useth milke is not meant by him that eateth milke and other meats also for so doe many persons of full growth but by him that eateth only milke and can receive no other nourishment Unskilfull is hee that hath yet made no triall nor entrance into the principles of any discipline for such a one is altogether unskilfull The word of righteousnesse is an Hebraisme for the right word that is for the true and perfect word that is right and fit for them to know for true right and perfect are either the same or equipollent or adequate as mutuall consequents one to another and concurrent properties to the same subject Hence in Scripture they are often confounded or substituted one for another So David Psalme 4 1. calleth God the God of his righteousnesse i. his true right and perfect God in opposition to the heathenish gods their idols and images which were not true and right gods but false and wrong gods So our Saviour Luke 16.11 opposeth the riches of unrighteousnesse to the true right and perfect riches He therefore that yet useth milke only hath not yet attained to the true right and perfect word of God for a solid knowledge of Christ nor hath ever made triall of tasting and digesting it in his minde and therefore is not capable of it but his minde would instantly be oppressed with it For a man must first make triall of his stength and the minde by small exercises must be prepared for greater matters as infants and babes as long as they sucke milke only and by little and little use no solid meats are all that while incapable of them The words of the Author are a contracted similitude or a transition from the simily to the matter it selfe for the subject of his assertion shews in part the proposition of the simily and the predicat makes the reddition of it As among other places we have the like contracted simily Luke 9.62 For the simily explicated must runne thus As hee that yet hath used only milke is uncapable of solid meat so hee that is yet in the principles of Christianity is unskilfull of the mysteries and right
without an oath by so much is the new Covenant better then the old 21. For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath This whole verse must be read in a parenthesis because it containes an opposition between the old Priests and Christ in as much as they were made Priests without any oath of God but Christ with an oath By him that said unto him namely by him that said those words unto him Thou art a Priest for ever c. And by him that said those words to Christ God himself seems to be understood although the words next cited The Lord sware and will not repent him seeme not to be the words of God himself but of the Prophet who relates this oath of God But because the words following Thou art a Priest for ever are the words of God therefore by him that said unto him the Author might well meane God For although in these words there bee no oath of God expressed yet it is as much as if it had been expressed seeing the Prophet testifies that God uttering these words did swear which therefore the Author would not omit though he were to relate the words of God himselfe and not of the Prophet But if by him who said these words unto Christ we understand not God but the Prophet as some Interpreters upon that Psalme do who so expound these words as if the Psalmist had said The Lord sware c. Thou art a Priest for ever then the Prophet must be meant by a common forme of speech that Christ was made Priest by the Prophet because the Prophet by these words did foretell and declare that he should bee made Priest For many times in Scripture the declaring of a thing is said to be the doing of it In this sense Jeremy is said to have been appointed to root out and to destroy to build and to plant Jer. 1.10 So the Prophet Esay is said to raise up the tribes of Jacob to restore the preserved of Israel and to be given for a light to the Gentiles because he prophesied and foretold of these things The Lord sware and will not repent this oath argues that the matter of it was great certain and unchangeable and because God will not repent it therefore it was very good and acceptable to God So that the thing must not be altered or undone both in regard of the oath and of the goodnesse of it Unlesse by not repenting we conceive the setled constancie of God never to revoke or alter the matter For repentance attributed to God signifies only a change of the fact by way of resemblance from men who if they repent doe commonly alter the thing if it lye in their power 22. By so much was Iesus made the surety of a better testament These words are cleerely answerable to the beginning of the 20. verse as appeares by the particles of relation there and here in as much and by so much Jesus is called the surety of the Covenant or Testament because he contracted it with us in the Name of God and ratified it on Gods part making faith of it unto us that God would keepe the promises of his Covenant Not therefore as if he became our surety to God and tooke upon him the payment of our debts For we sent not Christ unto God is our name but God sent him to us in his Name And Christ came to us from God made a Covenant with us became surety for the promises of it and undertooke they should be performed And therefore he is not called a Surety simply but the Surety of the Covenant And he undertooke for the truth of Gods Covenant diverse wayes as by his perpetuall testimony in words for the force and strength of it by proving the faith of his function in it in many documents by his perfect innocency and holinesse of life by severall divine workes and miracles which he wrought by suffering a grievous death to assert the truth of his doctrine Hence his Apostle John produced those three witnesses of undoubted faith to confirme the truth of Christian Religion namely the Spirit water and bloud 1 John 5.8 Where by Spirit he understands that divine power in Christ which he shewed in his admirable workes by water the blamelesse and spotlesse life of Christ and by bloud his bloudy death For Christian truth approves it selfe by such witnesses That divine Spirit testified by so many wondrous workes doth it not evidently declare that Christ was a divine man sent from God and therefore that he preached nothing forged of himselfe but onely that which he had received from the God of truth Would that God who is most holy replenish an impostor with such so great gifts of his Spirit The most pure and holy life of Christ is it not an open testimony that Christ respected no earthly thing that he sought no worldly wealth no honors nor pleasures but had reposed all his hopes in God and in those heavenly goods which he promised unto others From whence otherwise could so great holinesse of life proceed and so great contempt of all worldly things For Impostors use not to trust in God and to expect from him the rewards of heaven Impostors use not to passe their life in such holinesse abstinence from all sin For why do they labour to delude men with their impostures and deceits Do they it only to deceive without any advantage to themselves and to expose themselves to nothing but diverse dangers and troubles which commonly accompany such impostures and making themselves guilty of this one thanklesse wickednesse to follow piety in all things else certainely nothing lesse Such kinde of persons seeke their owne commodity to gaine wealth to get a vaine glorious name and to abound in pleasure which whoso aymes at cannot leade a life innocent and void of all blame Hence the Apostle speaking of Impostors or false teachers doth justly affirme that they have their belly for their god and minde earthly things that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and have their conscience seared with a hot iron Phil. 3.18,19 and 1 Tim. 4.2 And Christ warning his Disciples to beware of false prophets tels them that such may be knowne by their fruits i. by their works which are an infallible signe of their deceit Doe men saith he gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.16 For however for a time they may dissemble and make shew of godlinesse yet they cannot do it constantly For feigned holinesse lasteth not long and covert wickednesse lyes not long hid The life therefore of Christ being carried on in one perpetuall tenor of innocency and holinesse doth wholly vindicate him from the crime of any imposture Hence Christ himselfe contends with the Jews by this argument Which of you convinceth me of sin and if I say the truth why do yee not beleeve me John 8 46. q.d. Either convince
Priest not onely in respect of the faithfull who are but a kinde of lesse Priests compared to Christ as of old under the Law among the Priests one was great and head over the rest but in respect of the high and great Priests under the Law who as we have heard compared with Christ were not onely little but in a manner very small and dimme shadowes Over the house of God By this house of God we may understand both that heavenly Sanctuary wherein our high Priest performes his holy offices answerable to the Legall Tabernacle and also the Church or people of God who are the spirituall house of God For Christ is president over both these houses both that heavenly and this spirituall on earth 22. Let us draw neere Here begins the other part of the Chapter containing an admonition drawne from the former doctrines They were said to come or draw neere as we heard at the first verse who while the Priest was officiating were intentive to the divine service for which they approached to the Tabernacle whereby they also came neere or drew neere to God The Author doth call upon us That seeing we have a high Priest truly great resident in the Sanctuary of heaven who there performes holy offices offerings for us therefore we also should approach and draw neere in soule and spirit unto that heavenly Sanctuary intentively minding the worship of God Which is nothing else but to apply our selves to the worship of God and never make doubt to draw neere unto him in confidence of Christ our high Priest With a true heart He shews what manner of persons they must be who will exercise this spirituall worship of God and apply themselves unto it They must have a true heart And a true heart is opposed to a seined deceitfull and dissembling heart which makes onely an outward shew of holinesse and thereby endeavours to deceive In full assurance of faith A full assurance of faith is opposed to a wavering and doubting faith for looke how much doubt is mingled with faith so much is wanting to the perfection and fulnesse of it Therefore then we have a full faith when wee doubt nothing of the truth of the Christian Religion and discipline Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience He alludes to a Ceremony ordained under the Law whereby they who had touched any uncleane thing must be sprinkled with the holy water of seperation before they might enter into the assembly of Gods people at the Sanctuary to performe the worship of God for if they did otherwise they must dye for it This purging or cleansing of the flesh by sprinkling the Author transferres spiritually to the spirit and soule whereby the soule is cleansed from the guilt and staine of conscience and the body from the filth of sinne Now the sprinkling or purging of the heart from an evill conscience may be taken two wayes either to signifie that cleansing whereby we get a full remission of our sinnes by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and are freed from an evill conscience and from feare of Gods punishment in which manner he said before that our conscience is purged from dead works or to signifie the cleansing of our soule from inward and secret sinnes For by an evill conscience in this place by a metony my of the effect he seemes to understand the hidden and secret vices of the soule as opposed to the filth of the body which as in the words immediatly subsequent he teacheth must be washed away For what else can the filth of the body signifie then those outward sinnes which are committed by the body it self not as if these did not also defile the conscience but because open sinnes are exposed to the eyes and censures of other men but the secret and inward sinnes of the soule though they make no man else conscious to them yet they agitate and burden the conscience Therefore by the former sence of these words is signified the great benefit of God which we attaine by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and by the latter is intimated our duty whereto wee are excited and oblieged by so great a benefit And our bodies washed We have already said that this washing of the body must be referred to the washing away of that filth whereby our body stands defiled before God therefore if we receive the last sence of the former words then the Author here puts us in minde of the same thing whereof Paul remembers us 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God And the Author shewes that it is a most fit and convenient thing to wash the body in this sence because anciently under the Law they who approached to the Sanctuary for the performance of Gods worship must wash their bodies all the difference is that there men understood the carnall staines of sinne but here the spirituall With pure water There is no necessity we should by this allegory thinke any thing answering by name to this water seeing the Author seemes to speake in allusion to the custome used under the Law of washing the body with pure water For comparisons as we have often intimated are subject to many abusions Yet if any man desire a full resemblance we may say that hereby is meant the spirit and doctrine of Christ or that spirituall water wherewith Christ sprinkleth his people not excluding his bloud For this is the pure water for the soule and by it only the filth of sin is washed away They that here understand the water of Baptisme are mistaken For the water of Baptisme is but onely an outward signe and shadow of this washing which here the Author understands wherewith neither can our hearts be sprinkled nor the filth of our vices really washed away Therefore that spirituall Baptisme which doth truly save us must be here understood even that Baptisme which as Peter saith is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh or the outward washing of the body but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1. Pet. 3.21 Which is not effected by any elementary water but only the heavenly and spiritual which washeth the conscience 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith He exhorts them to constancy in the profession of the Christian religion because it is not sufficient for us to serve God in heart and other workes unlesse wee also confesse him with the mouth In the Greeke it is the profession of our hope and by the word hope the Author seemes to comprise the whole Christian religion for the Christian religion consisteth chiefly in hope and in a hope most excellent even the hope of immortall life and eternall happines and all the parts and heads are directed and concurre to breed in mens mindes this hope and a holinesse of life sutable to it Hence Peter under the same
death for here is not considered what was done but what by the Law of Moses ought to be done 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy Here is the reddition of the former comparison which as the words themselves shew was drawne from the lesse to the more For it is a farre fowler offence to despise and reject the Son of God then Moses the Gospel then the Law Wherefore if to those who wilfully offended against Moses and the Law there was granted no pardon nor no place left for mercy much lesse must they hope it who despise the Son of God and much more are they to feare a more heavy judgement And therefore he can have no hope in the mercy of God that is found to be in so high an offence and in so wicked a state of life Who hath trodden under foote the Sonne of God They tread the Sonne of God under foote first who are obstinate enemies of the Gospel then Apostates who forsake the most holy Religion thereof either in their judgement and their profession or in their profession onely and after those who in profession adhere to the Son of God but in their lives and manners doe trample upon his holy ordinances and tread them under their feete And there is a great emphasis in the word treading underfeet for thereby is signified the most high contempt of the Son of God who is most worthy of all honour that the great wickednesse whereof such wretches are guilty may appeare more evidently And hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy thing He aggravates the wickednes of these men especially of Apostats who count the bloud of Christ a vulgar and common thing therefore unholy and profane For profane is opposed to holines especially to such holines which is in the bloud of the Sonne of God who being in his person most holy his bloud also must needs be holy Now they profane the bloud of Christ who either forsake Gods Covenant consecrated and hallowed by the bloud of Christ or else esteeme it not of that value as for his sake whose bloud it was to abolish their sins and afterward lead an holy life Wherewith he was sanctified Sactified here is not referred to Christ as he had beene sanctified with his owne blood but to the wicked sinner who by his Apostacy profanes that blood wherewith he was once sanctified For the bloud of Christ is so farre from being an unholy thing that it is most holy and so holy that thereby every man is sanctified or hallowed yea they themselves were thereby once sanctified who afterward through their foule ungodlinesse counted it unholy And we are said to be sanctified by the bloud of Christ because by it our sinnes are expiated through faith in Christ For they who receive the faith of Christ and so incorporated into the new Covenant they obtaine pardon of all their former sinnes by vertue of the Covenant and therefore also by vertue of that bloud wherewith the Covenant was establisted For an Impunitie wherein the remission of sins doth properly consist is here by attained in such a manner that they have not onely a right to it by vertue of the Covenant but doe actually enjoy it as long as they persist in the faith on condition their faith be lively and working by love because so long God doth neither really punish them unlesse it be by way of correction to further their salvation neither hath he any intention to punish or destroy them but rather ordains and orders them to eternall salvation by removing all obstacles that may hinder it if they be not wanting to themselves And all this depends upon the new Covenant and the bloud of Christ wherewith it is confirmed and established And therefore no Christian given to vices can have any hope from the bloud of Christ as long as hee changeth not his life and manners For that is most true which the Apostle hath written If wee walke in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne 1. John 1.7 Hence it appeares that wee are sanctified and cleansed by the bloud of Christ for the time to come yet upon this condition if for the time to come wee walke in the light as God is in the light i. If wee endeavour to bee like God in holinesse and righteousnesse persisting therein constantly to our lives end Yet the word Sanctifying in this place may signifie that separation of Christians from other men whereby through the knowledge of Gods truth they are sequestred from the profane and common sort of men and consecrated for the service of God For by the bloud of Christ wherewith the new Covenant is established men are moved to embrace Christian religion and receive it for the true And hath done despite unto the spirit of grace By the Spirit is understood that holy Spirit powred into the faithfull which is called the Spirit of grace because it is given by the singular grace and goodnes of God To this Spirit he doth despite whosoever rejecteth the Religion of Christ or esteemes it not so much as therefore to live holily according to the direction and suggestion of that Spirit For he gives not that credit to it that he ought and besides he doth in a manner as much as if he accounted it false 30. For we know him that hath said Vengeace belongeth unto me He confimes here what he said before of their fearfull punishments who wilfully runne into these sinnes Aud for this purpose hee citeth here the words of God Deut. 32.35 wherein God challengeth to himselfe recompence vengeance and judgement or professeth of himselfe that he will execute it Although God speake it there of vindicating his owne people and punishing those that oppressed them but the Author here applies them to that punishment which God himself will inflict upon his owne people if they rebell against God and Christ The meaning is that God will lay a heavy vengeance and judgement upon those that are rebellious and obstinate against the Sonne of God For we all know how great how powerfull and how terrible he is that hath reserved recompence and vengeance to himselfe Yet in these words Vengeance belongeth to me and I will recompence The intent is not so much to shew who the person is that hath this right to take vengeance as to leave it to our consideration how great and potent the person is who challengeth the execution of it to himselfe that hence it may appeare how grievous and how certaine the punishment of the wicked shall be Saith the Lord Here the person is expressed who challengeth to himselfe the execution of vengeance yet not so much for the designing of his person as for the notifying of his power that he is the Lord Jehovah the most high onely and Almighty God maker of
any more for they are equall unto the angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection Luke 20.35,36 What is all this else but to be an heire and a citizen of that heavenly countrey and city We see then that a heavenly countrey and city is prepared and ordained for Abraham Isaac and Jacob and therefore why should wee doubt but that the very same is reserved also for all us that are the worshippers and servitors of God which right of ours wee need not stand to evict from divers evidences and dark consequences seeing hereof wee have not only most open and clear promises which to those Patriarchs were never declared but also we know for certain that Christ our head doth now enjoy the possession of that countrey and city This only remaines for us that following the example of those Patriarks and much rather of Christ our Captaine wee should finally carry our selves obedient unto God and extending our hopes beyond our death should doe our utmost endeavour that our life should first fail us before we fail of our faith and allegiance toward God 17. By faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac The Author here mentions an example of Abrahams faith which of all other was most illustrious namely his offering up of Isaac the circumstances whereof the Authour doth but lightly touch as a thing sufficiently known and at large described in the sacred Scriptures Offered Abraham offered him not really and actually but which is all one with God purposely with an unchangeable and constant purpose of minde with as much endeavour as lay in his power and proceeding so farre in the action as had not God recalled him the effect undoubtedly had followed Thus he offered him and not onely slew him for the slaughter should have preceded and then the offering must have followed by fire for a burnt-offering for so God had commanded When hee was tryed For of his own election or accord it would never have come into his heart to have sacificed unto God who doth most abhorre crueltie with the bloud of man muchlesse of his owne son unlesse he had beene commanded of God to it And he was commanded to do it not that he should actually perform it but that by his willingnesse to performe it and by obeying Gods Command as farre as in him lay hee should give an assured triall of his faith And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten sonne What a strange fact was this of a strange faith where not only the father offered up his son but his only begotten son and what father was it even he who had received the promises who from the same mouth of God had received the promises of a seed a posterity to be propagated by Isaac and had confidently beleeved it he now received a command to slay Isaac before there was any issue from him Therefore truly here also Abraham may be said to have beleeved in hope against hope that we use the Apostles words speaking of another point of his faith who as a little after we shall shew doubted not to reconcile together two things clashing and crossing one another namely the life and death of the same person because it was God who had spake concerning both We may further adde here other circumstances expressed in the history as that three dayes journey with his sonne to a place assigned him by God with that thoughts and cares shall wee think the soule of the poor father was agitated journying toward the resolved slaughter of his deare and only sonne whom he drew on along with him ignorant of his destined calamity to become a sacrifice and a burnt-offering what spirits were in him may we imagine when upon his assent up that fatall Mount he laid the wood upon his sonne wherewith a fire should be kindled to burne him after his father had slaine him what thought he when his sonne perceiving no sacrifice besides himselfe and marvelling at the matter did gently demand of his father where was the Lambe for the burnt-offering what thought he when seasing upon his sonne with his owne hands expecting no such dealing from so dear a father he bound him and laid him on the Altar upon the wood when he drew his knife and standing over him eyed his throat and stretched forth his heavy hand that shook and trembled with fatherly love which of us all reading and considering all these findes not his soule melting in him yet the invincible faith of Abraham conquered all these And Isaac is called the only begotten sonne of Abraham or as it is in the Hebrew his only sonne not that hee only was his sonne for Ismael also was his sonne but because he was his only sonne by Sarah the true wife of Abraham and because hee was his only beloved sonne that was borne to his parents in their extreme old age by the singular gift and wondrous power of God and because he was to be the only heire of his fathers estate and of Gods promises and because the seed of Abraham was to bee called in him only for the children of Isaac only were to be accounted the true posterity of Abraham And he that received the promises The pronoune he whether we thinke it relative to Isaac or to Abraham which is better yet the sense is the same doth notifie unto us a notable circumstance of this fact that makes the faith of Abraham to appear yet much greater Certainly that faith is very great which is seen and tryed in hard cases as was the offering of an only sonne But how much greater is that faith which staggereth not at such an action as naturally would utterly overthrow it Yet such was this fact of Abraham Abraham had received promises from God whereof one was that a numerous posterity should be borne of him the other that the land of Canaan wherein he was a sojourner and a stranger should be given in possession to his posterity These promises Abraham had from God and he beleeved both of them with all his heart as it is signified by the word received and beleeving these promises he shewed himselfe obedient to all Gods commands that he might not faile of his hope from so great blessings Now what command doth God lay upon him God commands him to take Isaac his sonne in whose posterity all those promises were to be fulfilled and from whom as yet he had no grandchild yet him he must offer up that is he must slay and burne him for a sacrifice If Abraham must doe this and looke into the nature of the action could he possibly have any hope of those promises 18. Of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called This is therefore added lest any man should thinke that Abraham might imagine though Isaac were extinct yet the promises might have their issue in Ismael For Abraham could not imagine this because God had said unto him in Isaac
more bitter then the paine of it and therefore the Author addes Despising the shame It was a great shame and disgrace to the Sonne of God who well knew the high dignity of his person after he had delivered so many gracious doctrines and wrought so many admirable miracles after so great hope and expectation raised of him to be seized upon by hangmen dragged to execution nailed to a crosse lifted up on high to endure the faces and eyes of all men upon him and be set as a marke for the spears and darts of bitter tongues Yet Christ despised all this despite all this shame and this disgrace that for a momentany shame be might attaine everlasting glory and for a temporall paine on earth eternall joy in heaven And is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God This is added to shew that Christ was not frustrated of his hope but that hee received a large reward of his faith and patience To teach us that if we also follow him in this race we shall have the like issue of our faith and patience But the great dignity and glory to Christ that is signified by his sitting at the right hand of Gods throne is before explicated Chap. 1. ver 3. From this place and the other Chap. 8.1 it appears that when Christ is said to sit at the right hand of God by Gods right hand is not understood his power and strength as elsewhere it is but in this phrase by a simily drawne from men is signified that the place at Gods right hand is more honourable then that at his left For otherwise it were not rightly said the right hand of the throne of God because a throne hath no hand nor is supposed to have any but only a right side of it And many times in the same sense Christ is said to sit in the plurall number at the right hands of God or his power For when the power of God is understood or a right hand is attributed unto him by way of analogie it is not called the right hands of God in the plurall number but his right hand in the singular But when the right or left place is signified it is commonly expressed plurally by right or left hands though it be uttered in respect of one person only See Mat. 20.21 and Mat. 25.33,34 41. 3. For consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himselfe lest ye be wearied and faint in your mindes Hee expresseth the end and use of the example of Christ why wee should diligently consider it because we are to make this use of it that our mindes may not bee tired with adversities and afflictions and so wee become wearied and faint in the course of our faith and patience which here by profession of Christ we have begun to runne 4. For ye have not resisted unto blood striving against sinne He exhorts them with a new argument to an invincible courage in bearing the afflictions which they suffered For it seemes he would make them somwhat ashamed that seeing the miseries wherewith they were pressed were not so grievous as that hitherto they had drawne bloud from them yet they begun to fail in courage and strength contrary to Gods expresse monition Here also he alludes to strifes yet such as were by fencing or fighting and not by running For sinne would beat us from our constancy of faith and pietie toward God but among the afflictions which come to be suffered of us for the love of Christ is the abnegation or deniall of sinne against which we must fight In this fight therefore while the combat is but upon our goods our credit and reputation the matter is not yet come to bloud but when cruelty torture and death chargeth upon our bodies then the businesse is in good earnest and the fight is in the heat These Hebrewes as it seems were not yet in danger of their lives for Christ but their sufferings were only mockings reproaches and spoiling of their goods as appeareth chap. 10. ver 33.34 The Authour therefore shewes what a shamefull thing it is to turne the backe and flie at the first skirmish as it were and entrance of the fight But when he brings in sinne for their enemy with whom they are to deale he doth therein by a most effectuall argument encourage them to an holy valour lest they should fail in their combat with an enemy so base and dangerous 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation And for and yet by way of a particle adversative As if he had said Though ye have not yet spent your life and bloud for the love of Christ yet the divine admonition or exhortation is slipt out of your minde wherein yee are commanded to receive the chastning of the Lord with a ready minde and to beare it patiently And consequently yee have forgotten your dutie contained in that exhortation For the Authour doth not reprehend them meerly for their memory that they had forgotten the words of that exhortation but for their negligence in not performing the duty therein commanded We have said elswhere that hee is said to remember a person or a matter who hath a care of it and therefore hee that hath not such care though otherwise hee remember him in mind doth forget him This hath place chiefly in commands councells and exhortations which are not given therefore only to remaine in our memories but they must so remain in our memories as that they be put in execution and actually performed And when the authoritie of the commander or admonisher is so great that it is not likely but that hee who doth but onely remember the command or monition would obey it with great reason they may be said to forget it who though they retaine it in a lively memory yet obey it not Which speaketh unto you as unto children The Author commends this exhortation from the qualitie of it that it is very gentle and fatherly in regard it termes them children to whom it is directed For who but a froward and obstinate person would not give way to such an exhortation The exhortation is said to speak by way of Metonymie because he that exhorteth speaketh by it or rather because it is the very speech of him that exhorteth Now the person who exhorteth is openly Solomon but secretly God by whose instinct Solomon uttered this Pro. 3.11 Therefore in this exhortation God himselfe calleth us his children from whence it follows that we should receive it readily and observe it diligently My sonne despise not thou the chastning of the Lord. When we make God himselfe to speak and not Solomon then the name or Nowne of the Lord must bee supposed to be put for the Pronowne my after the Hebrew phrase To despise or as it is in the Hebrew to reject the chastning of the Lord is nothing else but an unwillingnesse to bear it patiently but to kick against it as against a prick By the chastning of the
to descend from heaven and that Kings and Nations are said to bring their glory into her and to walke in her light For the future in that they only who overcome and who are written in the Lambs booke of life have the promise of entrance into that City and possession there So that the great splendor and magnificence as it is there described is much more appliable to expresse the future state and happines of the Church then the present But yet notwithstanding that some men as inhabitants are seperate from this structure of the Church though the Church consist of men seasoned with certaine qualities and joyned one to another in a due order that is only in respect of single persons considered apart by themselves So Paul said that Timothy was in the house of God which is the Church and Peter when he had said that we must be built into a spirituall house he presently adds that we must be a holy Priesthood that is as it were a holy Colledge of Priests But Priests must remaine in the house of God and intend the service of God and so doe much differ from the house of God But the same persons considered in a diverse respect are both the house and the Priests yea and in a manner the sacrifices How ever therefore this Jerusalem be taken it is the City of the living God and heavenly This is manifest of that heavenly City built by God himselfe wherein we shall sometime dwell and of the Chuch as hereafter it shall bee in heaven and it is true of the Church as it now is on earth For it is a City because it is built or composed of single persons notably qualified and excellently ordered and by this City may be also understood the very society of men It is the City of the living God not only because the living God hath thus built it but also and much rather because God dwells in it in a far more peculiar and more divine manner then ever formerly in the City of Jerusalem For God inhabits it not only by his Angels but by his holy Spirit who is the maine bond between God and his Church And also because it is wholly proper and intirely consecrate unto God and no person hath right to dwell in it but such as belong to God such as feare and worship him It is heavenly because the Church hath her originall from heaven whence in the Revelation that new Jerusalem is said to descend from heaven and the forme or fashion of her is heavenly and not earthly She hath her originall from heaven because whatsoever is requisite for the constitution of her proceeds not from elsewhere but only from God himselfe out of heaven her forme is heavenly because her doctrine is heavenly her holinesse of life is heavenly and that charity whereby her frame is chiefly compacted is heavenly Lastly the order and ranke of her members whereby some stand before or after others either in respect of Ecclesiasticall offices or in respect of divine gifts is heavenly and not earthly And God is called the living God as he is opposed both to false gods and to true gods To the false gods because he lives whereas the false gods saving what mens opinion attributes to them are nothing but statues of wood stone or metall and so things wholly inanimate and void of life and he is opposed to the true gods because he hath life from himselfe and is the author of life to all that live so that he is eminently called the living God as hereof wee have spoken elsewhere And to an innumerable company of Angels He alludes to that multitude of Angels which in Mount Sinai were assistent to that Angel who sustained the name and person of God as it appeares Psal 6.68.17 where twenty thousand signifies a plurality of myriads for every ten thousand makes a myriade and thousands in the plurall number uttered indefinitly may signifie that innumerable company or the universall and infinite army of Gods Angels To the company of these Christians come as they are incorporated into one family and fellowship with them as the Angels become fellow-servants with them to worship and serve one common God and Lord with them So that the Angels carry themselves no longer as superiours unto men especially unto Christians neither when they are seen of men much lesse unseen doe they suffer any worship or divine homage to bee done unto them Also as the Angels are alwayes present with men as sent to minister for their sakes and lastly as men have a right to the same immortality which the Angels enjoy and shall in time so certainly attaine it that they shall become like unto the Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne So all the Greeke copies have it though the vulgar Latine Erasmus and the Syriack place the word assembly in the former verse and refer it to the innumerable company of Angels But whether this Assembly be taken relatively to the angels or collectively for that great corporation or society composed of Angels and Christians it comes all to one because these conjoyned make up a generall or rather an universall assembly of all the worshippers and servitors of God By the first borne we must understand the first-borne of God for of whom else should they bee the first-borne and there is no doubt but these signifie Christians and not those who lived before Christ for the men of those times are not wont to be called simply and absolutely the Sonnes of God in the plurall number much lesse the first-borne of God unlesse their rulers and such as have received some singular benefit of God are sometimes called Gods and the Sonnes of God But this appellation is in a manner proper to Christians who only are endued with that filiall spirit wherein so boldly and confidently they cry Abba Father Besides as afterward we shall see that company of the godly who lived before the times faith of Christ is signified by another name and called the just men made perfect Now if the first-borne signifie Christians and yet cannot signifie all them as the word and distinction of first-borne between them and those that are come in unto them declares whom by this name shall we better understand then those who first in every place received the Christan Religion and went before those that afterward followed them who also are sometimes called the first-fruits of that place wherein they lived among whom the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament lead the first file being the first fruits of Judea it selfe and in a manner the first-borne of all the Sonnes of God or faithfull in Christ especially the Apostles But why we think that the Author spake not of these only we are perswaded by the word generall assembly for hither we conceive it should be referred following the common authority of the Greekes which signifies an universall concourse or huge company of people met together
which could not be made up only of the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament Wherefore this generall assembly must be further extended which if it be then nothing is more probable but that by first-borne is understood in this place as we have said the first-fruits of the faithfull in every place For they were worthily of greatest esteem among the Christians they had the double portions as it were of the Holy Ghost or to speake in the words of the Apostle they had the first fruits of the Spirit and were endued with divine gifts above other men But some may demand whether the Author alludes in the word first-borne if he allude at all which if he doe it seems it is either unto the first-borne under the Law into whose place the Levites were chosen to minister in the Sanctuary or to the universall assembly of the Israelites when they stood at the foote of Mount Sinai to heare the Law For the former opinion it makes first from the word first-borne for first-borne are most fitly opposed to the first-borne Secondly in that these Hebrews to whom the Author writes being seasoned by the Apostles with the doctrine of Christ seeme answerable to that first assembly of the Israelites at Mount Sinai to heare the Law Which if it be so then the first borne can scarce signifie the universall multitude of the first Christians or the first common Church seeing there must be some who had accesse and other some to whom the accesse was had unlesse we say that these Hebrewes are considered as some part of the primitive assembly of Christians answering to that part of the Israelites assembly which first received the Law delivered from God himselfe For if by the heavenly Jerusalem the Church be signified these Hebrewes can be said to come unto it no otherwise then as the part to the whole Thirdly because by these first-borne some excellent and eminent men in the Church seeme to be understood as put in a meane betweene God and Angels for these very fitly answer the first-borne and to the Levites and Priests chosen into their roome as are the Apostles Prophets Evangelists and other excellent and eminent men who went before all that followed them not onely in time but in gifts And it is probable that the Author would make particular mention of them and then they were not expressed in other words then these The other opinion is favoured by the word generall assembly which signifies an universall meeting and likewise the word Church For that generall assembly of the Israelites who met at Mount Sinai to heare the Law was called the Church Acts 7.38 Hence it appeares of what great dignity they are who have received the Religion of Christ because they are incorporated as it were into one body and into one Church with that Church of the first-borne and who as S. Peter saith have obtained like precious faith with them 2 Pet. 1.1 and enjoy the same right with them of happinesse and salvation He calls them the generall assembly and Church of the first-borne because though all these first borne did never yet assemble in any one place upon earth for this shall be done hereafter onely in heaven yet because of the spirituall conjunction and likenesse of dignity and condition that is betweene them they are considered as one assembly and in a manner as one company Which are written in heaven He seemes to allude to the number-rolle or list of the names of the first-borne or of all the Israelites for God commanded Moses to taken the number of both these but both these were written on earth but the lift of Christians is written in heaven and written by God So that by these words their dignity and happinesse is notified But the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies not simply written but recorded for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a list upon record for their names use to be lifted upon record who are the citizens or members of a common-wealth By these words therefore is signified that Christians are citizens of heaven and have the right of a heavenly common-wealth that their God is alwayes mindfull of them seeing he keeps their names as it were written in a booke and therefore it cannot be but in due time he will put them in possession of his heavenly kingdome Whence also they that come unto them or are aggregated to their number are reckoned with them for citizens of heaven and members of that heavenly common-wealth And to God the judge of all But some may here say that the Israelites came long since unto God and therefore here is nothing said that concernes Christians in particular I answer 1. That they when they came to Mount Sinai did not really and truly come to God himself but onely to an angel who sustained the person and Name of God 2. That they came not in that manner that Christians doe unto God who as S. John saith come into a communion and fellowship with God 1 John 1.3 and into such a communion that they are reckoned the sons of God and in time to come shall be his heires in witnesse whereof they have received the earnest of his holy Spirit Ephes 1.14 3. The Israelites came not unto God as unto him whom they knew to be the Judge of all or rather who then caried himselfe as the universall Judge of all men of all countries and nations both quick and dead Now the name of Judge may be here taken either largely for any Lord and governour or strictly for him who according to mens merits decrees and payes rewards and punishments Anciently God tooke the peculiar charge and governement over the people of Israel onely but now he hath a fatherly care equally over all men of what Nation soever so they be Christians yea he provides that they become Christians Also he ordaines rewards and punishments for all men not onely in this life but also after it which to those first Israelites was not knowne especially in regard of those transcendent rewards to be collated after this life upon the godly without any difference of Nation And to the spirits of just men made perfect He seemes now to mention these that he tacitly may shew what a great happinesse it is to come to the Judge of all men both the living and the dead By the Iust he understands those men deceased notable for their righteousnesse whereof he reckoned up no small number in the former Chapter treating of faith in God And he saith that Christians are come to the spirits of the just because there is now nothing left of them but their spirits which God hath received into his faith and custody as the Judge of all And the just or righteous deceased are said to be made perfect not that they now enjoy finall happinesse and really possesse the finall promise of God for otherwise Christians had not come to their spirits onely but rather to them
have spent their life for his sake For by witnesses in this place wee must chiefly understand them who testifie Gods faithfulnesse and goodnesse with their bloud and hence are eminently called Martyrs i. witnesses A cloud of witnesses That is a great multitude of witnesses which carry the shew and bulke of a cloud Hence God himselfe comparing the multitude of our sins to a cloud saith I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes Isaiah 44.22 Let us lay aside every weight Hee recedes not from his simily proposed For they that will contend in the running of a race must free themselves from all weights and lighten themselves as much as they can By weight in this spirituall race of faith wee must understand the love of this life and the care of things pertaining to it wherewith our soules are burdened and pressed downeward to the earth as it were with a great weight And the sinne which doth so easily beset us He seemes to allude to long and loose garment which unlesse they be laid aside are a great hinderance to runners about whose legs such garments doe easily wave and wrap themselves By sinne he seemes to meane all outward vicious acts as before by weight he signified the inward vices of the soule For vicious acts doe easily insinuate themselves upon us in our race of faith and greatly retard us in our course begun unlesse we cast off all our love to sin for as often as we commit an actuall sinne so often we fall as it were in our course of godlinesse And let us runne with patience the race that is set before us This race is the course it selfe wherein we strive by running for in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby is signified all kinde of strife in this manner whether it be by running wrestling hurling or any other way but here he speakes of running Therefore to runne the race is nothing else but to strive by running and by this strife in running he meanes especially the strife of our faith which consists in this that we never be cast in our hope of Gods promises made by Christ especially when wee are to doe or suffer some hard matter for Christs sake To this strife particularly Paul exhorts his Timothy when he calls upon him to fight the good fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 And the very same is signified by this Author when in the next verse willing to excite us to this strife and to strengthen us for it he requires us to looke unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith For this we must therefore doe least we should waver in our faith fainting and failing under it for this is opposed to the strife of faith ver 3. This race is said to be set before us namely by God and Christ because the price or reward of eternall life is appointed us upon no other condition but of our running this race And wee are commanded to runne with patience either because without patience it is impossible to keepe our faith with God or rather because this race or strife of faith appeares and shewes it selfe in nothing more then in a constant suffering of adversities in so much that he who with an invincible courage doth suffer all evils for Gods sake and Christ is thereby truly said to runne the race of faith things doth strive with afflictions and will not be conquered or foiled by them 2. Looking unto Iesus the author and finisher of the faith Here hee shews from whence especially we must procure courage and strength for our race of faith and patience and what should incite us to runne stoutly and beare all things patiently for righteousnesse sake Namely the example of the Captaine of our faith upon whom we must cast and fasten the eyes of our minde considering seriously both what he did and what he suffered what a race he ran and what a prize hee obtained having finished his course But he calls him not the Captain of faith simply but of the faith adding the article the to specifie unto us some particular and singular faith which is denominated from him and called the Christian faith because Christ was the Author and Captain of it not only because he was the first that taught it but also the first that performed it or the first that did run the race of it And he is also called the finisher of our faith because as he was the first Author that began it so he is the finisher thereof to bring it to an issue and put an end unto it for a thing is then finished when it hath attained the proper end In like manner our faith shall be finished when it is come to the issue of it whereby we attaine the salvation of our soules which as Peter saith is the end of our faith 1 Pet. 1.9 And this end is attained through Christ For the like reason it was that this Author before Chap. 3. ver 1. called Christ Jesus the Apostle and high Priest of our profession For the appellation of Apostle though it rather note that Christ was the first teacher of our faith then the first sufferer for it and contrarily the appellation of the Captaine of our faith which here the Author useth notes rather the latter then the former yet both these appellations doe tacitly include both But Christ is our high Priest especially therefore because it is his office to procure the expiation of our sinnes and the eternall salvation of our soules in which point as we said consisteth the finishing and ending of our faith For to this present purpose this appellation of Christ is very sutable and of great force to strengthen our minds and confirme them against all afflictions For with what face should we forsake that faith which hath so great a Captaine to it and hath him for the finisher of it who is the Author of it Who for the joy that was set before him Christ to obtain the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and counterpoised the paine of death against the joy of eternall life Hence it appears that the joy of heaven cannot be gotten at any lesse price then the crosse if need require And he saith this joy was set before Christ in allusion to the prize that is proposed to them that run in a race or strive at some other game By Joy he understands that supreme and heavenly happinesse which Christ attained and he calls it joy from the adjunct of it because it is accompanied with unspeakable and perpetuall joy and withall is opposed to the paine of the Crosse which he suffered Of such high advantage it is for thee to endure trouble and torment for a small time that thereby thou maiest attaine heavenly joyes and pleasures for ever Endured the crosse The crosse hath in it two things extremely bitter extreme paine and extreme shame yet the shame of it is to a noble spirit far