we understand that knowledg by negligence may be diminished and lost For usually he that increaseth not decreaseth and he that goes not forward goes backward For that which is acquired by industry by industry must be kept and improved If God give a Talent it must not be hid but used to gain more and where he gives capacity helps and means he requires the use and exercise of them Suppose a man should or could retain the knowledg of the principles and yet proceed no further he must needs be guilty and unfit to be advanced to an higher Form in Christ's School He will prove a Babe a Child and render himself uncapable of higher Instruction Ver. 13 14. For every one that useth Milk is unkilful in the Word of Righteousness for he is a Babe But strong Meat belongeth to them who are of fa'll age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil § 12. IN these words the Apostle gives a reason why he could not so well proceed to deliver the Doctrine of this great Priest-hood and it 's this By their negligence they had made themselves uncapable This he doth express in an allegorical Metaphor wherein he compares the Ignorant to Babes and the more knowing Hebrew-Christians to men of full age and the Principles of the Oracles of God to Milk and his Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood to strong meat His intent therefore is to let them know that as strong meat is not for Babes but for such as are of full age so his Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood is not for them which have not digested the principles but for such as by use and constant diligence have improved their knowledg Here we must observe who are Babes in knowledg and who are of full age They are Babes who are unskilful in the Word of Righteousness they are of full age who have their senses exercised to discern good and evil according to that Word Where by word is meant that Doctrine of the Scripture which was revealed from Heaven to direct Man unto eternal life especially the Gospel It 's called the Word of Righteousness 1. Because it is a righteous Doctrine that is just firm stable and of eternal certain Truth For thus the word Righteous is sometimes taken in the Hebrew therefore is it called so often the word of Truth 2. The Gospel may be called the Word of Righteousness because in it is revealed the Righteousness of God by Faith 3. It 's the perfect Rule of Righteousness To be unskilful in this Word is to be ignorant of it and not to understand it To have the senses exercised to discern Good and Evil may 1. Be understood of the long experience of such as are at full age in respect of meats which by long use and exercise of the senses of seeing smelling tasting have acquired a more perfect knowledg to discern what food is good and wholsome what unwholsome Yet it 's principally by Analogy to be understood of such as by much attention study meditation have exercised their intellective faculty to find out the true sense and meaning of the Gospel and by the same to acquire a divine discerning faculty and habit more easily to understand the truths of the same and by the same to judge what Doctrine is true and what is false and more easily to apprehend and judge of higher points if taught unto them Such as these the Hebrews should generally have been and then they had been sit Schollars for his School Where we might observe That the proper act and work of man's intellective faculty is to discern and know the differences of things to be understood But now amongst us there is risen up a Generation of People who never were well grounded in the principles of the Oracles of God who yet will take upon them to teach themselvs and others too These forsake the Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath blessed with a greater measure of divine knowledg and by long and earnest study reading prayer and other means have improved themselves to an higher degree of understanding in the holy Scriptures These separate themselves from other sober and more solid Christians and are divided into several Sects and their end will be sad and woful for being deserted by their God they will fall at last into some damnable heresy or impiety or iniquity if God in his great mercy prevent it not This is a fair warning to all such as profess themselves Christians first to ground themselves well in the principles and then use all the power and means God hath given them to improve themselves and with all humility acknowledg their imperfections not thinking of themselves more highly then they ought but to think soberly according as God hâ—â—â— deals to every man the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. CHAP. VI. Ver. I. Therefore leaving the Principles c. § 1. THis part of the Apostle's Letter seems to be brought in upon and joyned to the former by the Illative Particle and Conjunction Therefore which though sometimes expletive yet usually inferrs a conclusion What the conclusion inferred is we find in ver 1 3. But from what words it's inferred seems to be doubtful They may be antecedent or consequent Those antecedent are Chap. 5. 11. Of whom we have many things to say As though the Apostle should say Though many of you be dull of hearing and your incapacity through negligence be such as that you have need to be taught again the Principles of the Oracles of God yet because there be many things and excellent points of Doctrine concerning the Priest-hood of Christ which I have to deliver unto you Therefore I will not go back again to initiate you but go forward unto perfection yet the premises may be in the words consequent to this purpose That seeing there is little or no hope of the recovery of such as fall so far as to need instruction in the very principles and to be initiated again and though I thus speak to warn you yet hope better things of you Therefore I will leave the principles and proceed to perfection Yet we need not stand strictly upon the one or the other for it may be he inferrs the conclusion from both joyntly § 2. But to enter upon the Chapter In it we may observe 1. The continuance of his Digression 2. His return unto his former Subject In the former we have 1. His resolution what to do from ver 1. to the 11. 2. An exhortation to these Hebrews from the 11. to the last In his resolution are to be considered 1. The thing resolved upon 2. The reasons of his resolution The thing resolved upon is to proceed in his Discourse concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. The Reasons of this resolution are two 1. That if any fall away so far as that there shall be a necessity to return unto the principles and laying the foundation of Christianity anew there is little
find this to be so § 9. Because the Faith and Doctrine of Jesus Christ taught by the Apostles is as Christ himself the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore the Apostle dehorteth them thus Ver. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace and not with meats which have not profited them which have been occupied therein THese words are a Dehortation and in it we may consider 1. The Sin dehorted from 2. The reason why they should take heed of it 1. The Sin is to be carried about with divers and strange Doctrines Doctrines divers and strange are all such as are different from the Gospel which is a Doctrine of perpetual and immutable truth and alwayes uniform the same Therefore the word divers may signify such as are different from it and different amongst themselves as all false and heretical Doctrines are though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies new or absurd and such all errors in Religion are They are new because invented and vented after the Truth was revealed and absurd because all such are irrational and many of them very gross They are also strange as having not the same Original with the Truth which was revealed from Heaven and of another stamp and quality By these some think he means Judaism and Philosophy and the Errors and Superstitions of the Morinthians and Cerinthians who attempted to make up one Body of Religion by joyning Judaism and Christianism together yet not only these but all other Heresies whatsoever are here intended They must not be carried away or about with these this is the Duty The Metaphor seems to be taken from Wethercocks or Ships which turn every way as the Wind carries them to be so carried about implies that they turn from the truth of the Gospel believe these false Doctrines and so are deceived as the word in the Original may signify and it signifies the inconstancy of such as receive them as not being firm and fixed in the saving Truth For if we once turn away from that we fall first into one Error then into another and are first of one Sect after that of another and can settle no where We have had sad experience of this in our times wherein many forsaking their Orthodox Teachers and the antient and apostolical Doctrine turned Anabaptists Seekers Quakers and men above the Ordinances of Scripture Sacraments Sabbaths Such we must not be not so erroneous heretical unstable This Text agrees with many others as Rom. 16. 17. Ephes. 4. 14. Colos. 2. 8 16. and many more noted by Curcellaâ—s Great is our frailty in this particular because of the imperfection of our Understanding the corruption of our Hearts the subtilty of the Devil and Seducers therefore let us he well informed in the Truth endeavour to live according to the Truth certainly known pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide us For it is not wit or learning without the Grace of God can preserve us from these Doctrines which carry us away from Christ and cause us to wander in by-wayes that lead our Souls into Destruction 2. The reason is 1. Because the Doctrine of the Gospel can save us 2. These strange Doctrines cannot promote our Salvation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 1. It 's good the heart be established with Grace not with Meats By Grace may understand the Truth and the Truth of the Gospel so it 's taken Tit. 2. 11. And it 's called Grace because it 's the Word or Doctrine of Grace Act. 20. 24 32. which manifests the Grace of God in Christ and the Knowledg and Love of it is a Grace and Mercy of God To have the heart established therewith is to understand it believe it be affected with it so as to adhere unto it and make it our care in seeking eternal Life And then the heart is thus established with it when the Spirit of God writes it in our hearts so that we know it more clearly and are effectually moved to follow and practise it It must be deeply imprinted in our hearts and our hearts must be firmly fixt in it And this is good and profitable for Sanctification and Salvation but meats are not so By Meats is understood the Doctrine of Meats and by Doctrine of Meats may be meant Doctrine of Ceremonies such we find in the Books of Moses yet all abolished by the Gospel The Jews were perswaded that they were sanctified by the observation of Mosaical Ceremonies and the Traditions of their Elders This also was the perswasion of all Superstitious Wretches whether Heathens or Hereticks For Meats may here signify not only false Doctrines and Ceremonial Observations of the Jews but also all other various strange and different Opinions and Superstitions of all others whose hearts were not stablished by Grace And though men's hearts be never so pertinaciously fixed in them yet they could not advance their Salvation For it followeth which have not profited such as were occupied or as the Greek word signifies walked therein To walk in them is to profess and in their practise constantly to observe them Not to profit them is not to sanctify justify them or make them acceptable to God For that is truly profitable in this kind which makes a man more holy brings him nearer unto God and renders him more capable of eternal Life The sum is they must take heed of all false Doctrines and adhere to the truth of the Gospel And the reason is 1. Because establishment in the truth of the Gospel is good and certainly conduceth to eternal Life 2. The belief profession practice of any other Doctrine is not so cannot further our happiness § 10. There is another reason why they must not return to Judaism or any other Doctrine different from the Gospel For Ver. 10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle IN these words we have 1. A benefit or priviledg 2. A right unto it granted unto Christians denied unto Jews and others The Propositions are two 1. We have an Altar 1 2. They who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of it 1. Altar here is the Priest or Sacrifice offered upon and sanctified by the Altar The Sacrifice is that of Christ's Body slain and offered by the eternal Spirit without spot unto God To have this is to have a right unto it so as to eat and be partakers of it The expression and phrase is Legal and Levitical For in the Law there were certain Sacrifices whereof part was given and offered to God part was given to the Priests to eat thereof part was allowed to the People which brought the Sacrifice and they might eat thereof before the Lord in the Tabernacle or the Temple The same Custom many of the Gentiles had To this the Apostle doth allude and doth imply that the Body of Christ was slain and offered unto
sixth seventh eight ninth and part of the tenth Chapter The test of the Epistle from the 15th verse of the tenth unto the end is chiefly exhortation to continue in the profession of that Faith in Christ their only Prophet and their only Priest and a life sutable to this profession as the only way and means whereby they may obtain eternal Salvation For no other kind of profession and life could serve them yet in all this you must understand that the divine Authour with his reasons whereby he demonstrates the excellency and sufficiency of Christ doth intermix exhortations motives reproofs and sometimes digressions yet all to good purpose so that no part or parcel is impertinent The reason why I pitched upon this Epistle is 1. Because in it we find more of Christ's propheticall and especially of his sacerdotal Office then in all the Scriptures besides 2. To clear it from the false Glosses of Crellius who seeks to elude those places which so clearly contradict their Socinian Errours especially in the Deity and Satisfaction of Christ. And this I do the rather because his Book is translated and speak Socinianism in English and goes abroad under the â—â—me of Dr. Lushington for though we find not his name in the Book printed yet he is charged with the Translation and making it publick Whether it be a meer Translation I cannot say because I have not seen Crellius § 2. To enter upon the first part which is concerning Christ's prophetical Office we must observe that the substance of the first four Chapters is reduced to two Propositions The first is That Christ is a Prophet more excellent then the former Prophets then Angels then Moses The second That therefore he must be heard The first is the Doctrine the second the use That he is far above the former Prophets and the Angels is proved in the first Chapter The Use is to hearken unto him in the second where we have a digression in the third he is proved to be more excellent then Moses The Use is an Exhortation to hearken unto him and believe him the reason is lest as the Israelites hardning their hearts were overthrown in the Wildernesse So we not believing Christ never attain our eternal Sabbatism or Rest upon this the Apostle enlargeth in the third and four Chapters His excellency above the former Prophets we may understand in the three first verses above the Angels in the rest of the Chapter So that the Propositions of this first Chapter are two First That Christ is more excellent then the Prophets Secondly Christ is more excellent then the Angels To understand the first Proposition we must note that the excellency of one above another cannot be known except they be compared and laid together Therefore the Apostle though he do not expresse it yet implyes a Comparison which is in quantity and presupposeth a former in quality That in quality is this That as the holy men of Old were excellent so is Christ they are excellent he is excellent both are excellent That in quantity is That though they were excellent yet he is more yea far more excellent The meaning whereof is that 1. They are compared as Prophets for they were Prophets and so Christ is a Prophet 2. Christ is a more excellent Prophet not only the party prophesying is more excellent but also as a Prophet or in respect of his propheticall Office and the exercise thereof § 3. God who at sundry times c. ver 1. Before we can understand that Christ is more excellent then the Prophets we must know 1. Who those Prophets were 2. Who Christ is Therefore the Apostle gives us here 1. A description of the Prophets ver 1. 2. Of Christ ver 2 3. The former Prophets are described to be men by whom God spake unto the Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners or ways This implyes that a Prophet is one by whom God speaks to men and because God spake to men by them and also by Christ therefore both they and Christ are Prophets In prophecy therefore we may consider 1. The matter 2. The form 1. The matter is the mind of God infallibly made known to Man or Angel here to Man 2. The form is the infallible declaration unto Man of this mind of God first infallibly known The mind of God is Something contrived by his Wisdom and decreed by his will concerning Man as subject to his Power and ordinable to an estate of happinesse or misery 2. This is represented unto Man apprehended by Man and both infallible so that he hath a more certain and infallible knowledg of the thing revealed The form thereof is an infallible declaration of thi mind of God known infallibly It may be declared to others by Word Writing Both and this declaration also must be infallible or else God doth not speak by them For because that God is true and necessarily true therefore his Word is necessarily true Hence the Divine authority and absolute Truth of the Scriptures because God speaks in them and by them to us and for this reason are they â—â—â—â—ed The Word of God God speaks to Men immediately mediately by men infallible and inspired falllble not inspired He spake immediately and at the first hand to the Prophets mediately by the Prophets at the second hand at the third hand by such as understand and teach the Doctrine of the Scriptures A Prophet as receiving his knowledg from God may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roâ—h in respect of his declaration and speaking to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he is but God's Instrument Officer Minister if he prophesy by Word he may be said to be God's mouth if by Writing God's hand or scribe or secretary And because God is the principal Agent upon whom in this work the Prophet totally depends therefore he is said to speak by them God spake by the Prophets § 4. This explication premised doth give us to understand what the Prophets were 〈◊〉 Men by whom God spake unto the Fathers of Old at sundry times in divers 〈◊〉 1. God spake by them and this did make them fit to be Prophets and this may be sâ—id to be the general wherein they agree with Christ For God spake by him and in that respect he was a Prophet 2. In the rest they differ from him and that in four things 1. They spâ—â—e to the Fathers that is their Ancestors who lived formarly in the times of the Prophets 2. They prophesyed of Old in former days before the incarâ—ation and exâ—ibition of Christ. 3. God spake by them to the Fathers at several times â—â— as some 〈◊〉 it in many parts This implyes 1. That the Prophets by whom God spake were 〈◊〉 For the Doctrine of the Old Testament was not either spoken or written by one man but by many 2. That Doctrine was delivered by parts the whole body and systeme was not 〈◊〉 up at once but first one part then
another then a third till the whole was finished One part was declared as it was revealed by one Prophet another by another a third by a â—â—ird 3. That one part was written at one time another at another and the whole â—â— several and sundry times 4. There was a considerable time between the Prophet and the parts and a great distance between the first and the last For some of the best Chronologâ—ts â—ell us that the time from Moses to Malachi was a thousand and two hundred years 5. This 〈◊〉 â—ay referr to the matter which was various 4. As it was delivered by parts and in several times so it was revealed and declared many and several ways as it seemed good to the manifold wisdom of God â—ho 〈◊〉 many ways both to inform his Prophets and instruct his People In this they all agreed that they were moved inspired illuminated and infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost Yet this eternal Spirit did inform them by several representations made to the oâ—â—ward 〈◊〉 whilst they were waking or to the inward senses in Dreams oâ— Exâ—â—fies or more partly of immediately to the immortal Soul by illaps and powerful penâ—â—â—tion with a divine Light into the intellectual Spirit And as he did notify and make known his thoughts and 〈◊〉 lent Counsels several ways unto the Prophets so by them he declared them to â—â—â— People in any ways as by words by writing by writings read by visible Figures So that he 〈◊〉 any way did apply himself to the Fathers and used several means to cause them to understand his Will He omitted no way which was either necessary or expedient for their good From all this we may collect a Description of that part of the Scripture which we call the Oâ—â— Testament It is the Word of God which at sundry times by parts many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 times past he spake by the Prophets to the Fathers These were not all the Prophets 〈◊〉 the beginning For Adam was a Propher so was Eâ—och and 〈◊〉 and Nâ—â—h â—â—â— Abraham but these were they by whom God spake to the Fathers and Ancestors of those 〈◊〉 and were the pen-men of the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament whereof 〈◊〉 were Priests and Kings That God by these was pleased to speak unto the Fathers 〈◊〉 a peculiar mercy and special favour to that People above all other People and was in act of â—â—â—gular care and extraordinary providence And it was a prerogative and a 〈◊〉 priviledg that they were trusted with his Oracles It 's true that the Church never was without some Prophecy and Word of God whereby he supplyed the ignorance and negligence of men and defects of humane reason and memory in divine things in 〈◊〉 known those things concerning man's eternal good which otherwise could never have been known § 5. The first Proposition is That the Prophets are excellent as hath been made evident The second follows and affirms That Christ is more excellent and that not only as a Prophet but many other ways Both are excellent because God spake by both and the Fathers as also their Children happy because God spake to both Yet Christ is more excellent because God spake by Him as by his Son and their Children more happy then the Fathers because God spake to them not by Prophets but his Son For in these last Days God hath spoken to us by his Son c. Ver. 2. In the words four things are to be considered 1. Who spake 2. To whom He spake 3. When He spake 4. By whom He spake 1. Who spake It was God the same God who spake unto the Fathers For the same God is the Authour of the whole Canon of the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament 2. To whom did He speak To us that is the Children and Posterity of the Fathers living in the time of Christ and the Apostles Such were these Hebrews and the Apostles For whom God reserved this special happiness above their Ancestors For many Prophets and Kings desired to see those things which they saw and did not see them and to bear those things which they heard and did not hear them Luke 10. 24. 3. When did God speak to the Children Even in the last days which in this respect were the best days because of clearest light and greatest mercy wherewith this time was blessed above the former days 4. By whom did he speak then unto them By his Son the Greatest and most Excellent of all the Prophets and far above them all For the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst them and they beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. § 6. The intention of the Apostle in these words is to set forth the excellency of Christ and therefore he gives us a description of Him which we must 1. Understand 2. From thence conclude his Excellency both absolutely and comparatively In the description some things affirmed of Christ agree to him as the Word not made Flesh some agree to him as the Word made Flesh or Incarnate Christ Jesus if we observe is the Son of God by whom he spake whom he hath made Heir of all things by whom he made the Worlds the brightness of his Fathers Glory c. 1. He is the Son of God and that in a Supereminent manner so as neither Men or Angels though Sons of God are therefore is He said to be his only begotten He is a Son not only in respect of his person Divine but of the humane Nature united to the Word He is a Son not only because like God or because adopted but by a divine and ineffable generation and production which far transcends the capacity of humane reason As the Word He is so near to God that He is God as Flesh and Man He is nearer then either Men or Angels 2. This Son of God is a Prophet for God spake by him as he did by the Prophets yet by him in a more perfect and excellent manner 3. God hath appointed him Heir of all things To be Heir is to be Lord to be made Heir is to receive Power to be made Heir of All is to receive an Universal and supream Power not only over Men but Angels This Power he received and it was given him upon the Resuâ—rection Therefore being risen he saith All Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me Matth. 28. 18. This includes 1. A right 3. A possession upon a Solemn investicure In this phrase he seems to allude unto the priviledg of the first born Son who was Lord of the whole Inheritance and must Rule over his Brethren And this agrees to Christ as Man yet united to the Word 4. By him he made the Worlds This is affirmed and to be understood of Christ as the Word not incarnate and made Flesh. In the words we may observe 1. Worlds made 2. The making of them 3. By whom they were made
whose House it is is expresse Scripture that Christ doth build it is so too For thus Christ saith to Peter Upon this Rock will I build my Church Matth. 16. 18. Some restrain the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things to the Church but that 's not probable For the better understanding of these words you must observe 1. That one of the most noble Effects and Works of God is the Church a most rare and curious piece 2. That to Frame Build and Constitute this must be a special act of that excellent and universal Builder 3. That as by the Word God created all things and built the World at the first so by this Word Incarnate dying and rising again sending down the Holy Ghost revealing the Gospel he built and founded the Church-Christian which shall stand for ever 4. That because he built this Church not meerly as God by the word not-Incarnate but Incarnate and made Flesh therefore it must necessarily follow that Christ is not part of the House nor the House it self but the Builder of the House For though he doth many things by the word not-Incarnate yet he never built the Church but by it The substance of the words is That presupposing this for a certain truth That every House hath a Builder therefore this House must have so too yet because it cannot be built by Men or Angels it must be built by God and because the materials of it are Men first sinful and guilty God must build it by Christ who is the Word made Flesh. This discourse implyes that Moses was not a Builder but a Member of this House yet an eminent Member and one advanced far above the ordinary ranck of other Members not only because a Prophet but an excellent and eminent Prophet too § 7. Thus far the excellency of Christ above Moses set forth by a Similitude taken from building The second Comparison is between Him and Moses as between Lord and Servant For it follows Ver. 5. And verily Moses was faithful in all his House as a Servant for a Testimony c. These words are part of the Minor Proposition and with the words immediately following inform us of two things The one concerning Moses the other concerning Christ 1. Concerning Moses That for his place he was a Servant 2. Concerning Christ That He was Lord of God's House They both agree in this that they had some certain place in the House of God but differ in this That the one was in a lower the other in a higher place Moses though faithful yet was but a Servant He was God's Servant in an honourable Place and in an Office of great Trust For the word Servant signifies an Officer yet because all Officers are Servants therefore by a Synechdoche they are often called Servants under their Soveraign He was a kind of Steward trusted with a general superintendency and inspection over God's House the Church of Israil In a word he was a Prophet and a Prince Yet here he is considered as a Prophet for he was to testify and declare unto the People the Laws and other things God should reveal unto him And it was an Honour to be such a Servant and a greater Honour to be faithful as he was to declare and testify all things which God revealed unto him and to do this without diminishing the least or adding any thing unto God's Word This is one proper Duty of Christ's Ministers to be witnesses of Christ and declare the whole counsel of God faithfully and how happy might the Church be if her Prophets were such As 1. Who did know what the Will and Word of God is 2. Did teach it faithfully and wisely according to their Commission Though Moses in this respect was counted worthy of Honour and deserved to be heard and obeyed by that People yet Christ was worthy in this respect of far greater Honour For it followeth Ver. 6. But Christ as a Son over his own House Here Son is opposed to Servant and his own House to the House of another which is the Master Christ is the Son Moses but the Servant Christ is in the House as his own built by him Moses was in the Church of the Jews as a Servant in the House of his Master giving directions for all things to be done therein according to the Will of God his Lord and Master Christ is not here called Lord but Son but by Son is meant the Heir which is Lord of all For as you heard before God had made Christ his Son Heir that is Lord of all Chap. 1. 2. The Church is his own House for he redeemed and purchased it by his own Blood he gave himself for it which Moses never did and his Father hath given all things into his hands and made Him Head of that Church and House which he himself hath Built Moses was never advanced to this Honour he never had any such Title This excellency of Christ both absolute and comparative we are exhorted to consider It 's represented unto us fully and clearly in the Gospel yet will be of little use to us if we consider it not so as we may the more clearly and distinctly know it and be effectually moved to honour Christ and prefert Him far above Moses For the end of consideration is a more clear and perfect knowledg of the things considered and in practicals the end of that knowledg is to move and incline out hearts This exhortation is but subordinate unto another as the duty of Consideration is but subordinate to an higher and far greater and that is Perseverance which is here thus expressed Ver. 6. Whose House We are if we hold fast the considence and rejoycing of hope firm to the end § 8. The Duty exhorted unto is final perseverance and is here described by the Apostle to be an holding fast of the considence and rejoycing of hope firm to the end This is opposed to Apostacy or a falling off before the end Perâ—everance is conceived to be no virtue distinct in it self but an adjunct of virtues and especially of Faith The virtues here are considence and rejoycing of hope The nature of it is 1. To hold these fast and firm 2. To hold them fast unto the end The subject immediate of this constancy and perseverance is confidence and hope 1. Confidence in this place presupposeth a firm and certain belief of the Truth of the Gospel concerning Christ as the only sufficient Saviour by whom alone God will give us everlasting Life 2. This confidence is a reliance and resting or reposing of our hearts upon God promising remission and eternal Life for Christ's sake alone For seeing God who is almighty in Power infinite in Wisdom unchangeable in his Purposes hath signified his willingness to save us and hath bound himself by his promise upon certain terms expressed in his promise we may be confident that what he hath promised he will perform and will in no wise fail or be
unfaithful He is a firm unmovable eternal Rock whereon we may securely settle and fix our selves and so much the rather because there is not any other besides him in whom we may trust 3. The effect if not the act of this confidence is boldly without any fear of Persecutions or Sufferings to profess our Faith in God and Christ our Saviour For where there is true Faith within there will be profession of it without And though the inward confidence be the principal thing yet profession outward is necessary and should be inseperably joyned The second thing is the rejoycing of hope Hope may here be the thing hoped for which is Salvation and eternal Glory yet not as considered absolutely in itself but as due to us by Christ's merit and God's promise in which respect we expect it and look for it and that upon most sure grounds The rejoycing of this hope is rejoycing in eternal Life as hoped for Eternal Life and the state of Glory is the principal though not the adequate object of Christian hope and is often so expressed in Scripture It may be known and believed on Earth yet it 's to be enjoyed in Heaven As only known and believed it cannot be a cause of joy but as either possessed or hoped for at least Neither can any man hope for it except he be so qualified as to be capable of it and have a right unto it by vertue of God's promise and a certain possibility to obtain it and that by divine assistance and constant use of means ordained to that end And this well-grounded hope makes it in some sort present though imperfectly to the party hoping And to look upon it represented and apprehended by a divine Light as ours and to be had in due time though for the present it be future and at a great distance yet it revivâ—s the heart and warmes it with an unspeakable joy This confidence and this hope are Duties required in the first Commandment understood evangelically and are found in every true Believer and never are without this heavenly joy Now because these heavenly virtues are not essential to the Soul not eternally inseparable adjuncts and may continue inherent for a time and yet not finally except God preserve them in us and we use the means of continuation therefore the Apostle exhorts us to hold them fast and firm unto the end And this is the Duty exhorted unto which is called perseverance which is not in our power but depends upon the divine assistance For that God which did first work them in these Hebrew-Christians must continue them yet so that he requires a performance of Duty and an humble dependance upon him in the use of all means appointed to that end with a serious consideration of those weighty Reasons and Motives which are proposed in the Scriptures and apt of themselves to work effectually upon us This exhortation presupposeth faith and hope as already qualifying the Soul for there 's no holding fast of that we have not no continuance of that which hath no existence in us And the more deeply and firmly they are radicated in the Soul and intensively increased they will be more easily preserved though the continuance depends ab extrinseco from the principal Efficient which is God who will never be wanting to such as carefully rely upon him and constantly pray unto him § 9. Thus you have heard 1. Who the persons exhorted are And 2. What the Duty pressed upon them is The third thing is the Reasons and Motives which are as before reduced to three Heads The first is the excellency of Christ as one so far above Moses as the Builder above the House and the Son and Lord above the Servant And this was an argument very forcible and powerful with the Hebrews and that not without plain reason For if they so much honoured and magnified Moses as they were bound to do because he was so excellent and the first Authour under God of their Jewish Profession how much more upon their own principle and practise were they bound to honour Christ the Authour of that Christianity which they had already received For if Moses was sent of God so was Christ if Moses was a most eminent Prophet so was Christ if Moses was faithful in the House of God so was Christ. Yet this is far short Christ was not a Servant but a Son and a Builder of this spiritual House which Moses was not and every way far more excellent and clearly manifested so to be And if they were bound to observe the Laws of Moses till Christ came and to continue firm and faithful in the Covenant contracted by Moses with God and their Fathers how much more were they bound to submit themselves to Christ receive him as their Apostle and High-Priest and hold fast and firm their Faith and Hope in Him upon whom their everlasting happiness did so much depend To forsake Christ and return to Moses must be a very hainous Crime and deserving a most grievous Punishment For Moses was no ways so beneficial nor any wayes so excellent as Christ. That Christ is far more beneficial is next to be considered § 10. Whose House we are This Clause inserted proposeth a second reason of and a motive to perseverance and that from the benefit the inestimable benefit which follows upon the performance of this Duty to such as do perform it If we will reduce the whole into a Proposition it 's this That they who persevere unto the end are Christ's House This in these is an eternal Truth whereon the Apostle grounds his argument the force whereof will then appear when we shall understand what it is to be Christ's House 1. We have an House 2. Christ's House The word House is to be taken metaphorically for some thing like an House There are many kind of Houses all made for some to dwell in them among these Temples and sacred Palaces excell because they are not made for habitation of men but for some God or Deity to dwell in them and take possession of them Therefore some have made the perfection if not the essence of a Temple the presence and inhabitation of a God The excellency therefore of this House here meant must be the special presence and inhabitation of God-Redeemer by Christ. And the truth is that as Christ by his Spirit dwells in every true Believer in which respect they are said to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost so he dwells in the whole Church as in one House God dwells in us here in a special manner but he will dwell in us far more gloriously hereafter And if we well consider this House shall not be fully Built much less furnished and fully beautified untill the Resurrection when Christ shall perfectly sanctify and glorify us and so dwell in us never to remove but for ever to abide and make us for ever holy and happy This latter condition of this House and more excellent
of heavenly comfort The Sin therefore which was the cause of this dulness and incapacity was their great neglect of the improvement of their knowledg in the Word of God And this their neglect was great For 1. They had had time and teaching enough and other means to increase their knowledg so far as to be able to teach and instruct others and yet they had wofully mispent this time and lost much knowledg which they might have attained both for their own advantage and the good of others 2. They had so wofully mispent this time that they were ignorant of the very principles of the Oracles of God and had need to be instructed in them by others had need of milk not strong meat 3. By this means they had made themselves uncapable of further instruction in the higher and more execellent points of the Gospel concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. This was the greater Sin because they not only might but also ought to have improved their time so as to be men of Age able to digest strong meat and understand and learn higher Doctrine In this Text we may observe 1. That they are principles of the Oracles of God 2. That when these are once taught and learned men ought to improve their knowledg so far as to be able to teach others that are ignorant of these principles and to be capable of higher points of Doctrine 3. That many are so negligent and careless in this particular that they forget their principles are Babes and have need of Milk still and be taught their principles again The first Proposition implies 1. That there are principles of the Oracles of God 2. These are like Milk 3. Men should be first taught these By Oracles of God we must understand the Word of God revealed in the Scripture for to direct us to Salvation For God being willing to save Man gave him a Rule to direct him to eternal happiness Man knew not the way neither could he direct himself neither could any other Man or Angel teach him Therefore God was willing by the illumination and inspiration of his blessed Spirit to make known his mind unto certain men who being infallibly directed must teach others both by word and writing and their Doctrine must be the Rule of all other Teachers and is sufficient as a Doctrine to save any Man that shall learn to know and practise it This Doctrine may well and truly be called the Word of God because by it whether inspired or spoken by word of mouth or written he doth express his mind and signifies unto Man what he must know and do to be for ever saved Yet here we must observe that by these Oracles of God is here principally meant the Doctrine of the New Testament and the Gospel Yet here it 's to be noted 1. That all Scripture is the Word of God and is immediately from God in respect of the first Revelation 2. That as it came first from God it is of unchangeable Truth and the dictates of divine Wisdom are therein contained 3. That it 's sufficient without any other addition in that kind to that end God intended it Of these Oracles there are Principles In these Oracles we are taught many things and of them there be several parts which are unequal and different one from another one part and the chiefest is that of the Principles These are 1. Such as are first in order and first to be taught and learned 2. They are the chief and fundamental Truths of the Gospel and such as upon which the rest depend or to which the rest are appertinent and which are most conducing to Salvation These being prime Truths are reduced to a few Heads in a certain method intimated in several places of the New Testament and contracted in the antient Creed's grounded upon our Saviours words Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as I have shewed in my Theopolitica These are like the A. B. C. or letters of the Alphabet upon which all words and sentences so far depend in Grammar that except they be first learned it will be impossible to spell or read They are like the Elements in Nature of which all mixt bodies are compounded and made They are like the foundation of an House without which it can neither be built or stand And not to teach these first to those who are willing to learn is a vain undertaking and a preposterous course and a very unprofitable way and we find it to be so in the learning of all other Arts and Sciences 2. These principles are like Milk Milk is the fittest nourishment for new-born Babes and Infants and of most easie digestion so these are plain and easie and such as Children ignorant and unlearned People if wisely directed may understand and they give great light to all other Doctrines and it was the great Wisdom and Mercy of God to make them such And 3. They which do not first learn these cannot profit much some confused knowledg they may acquite but distinct clear and orderly understanding without these first learned cannot be expected For the very matter and method of those give great light to all other divine Doctrines of the Scripture 2. After the first Proposition That they are principles of the Oracles of God first to be taught and learned follows the second which is That when these principles are learned men may and ought to improve their knowledg so far as to be able to teach others and be capable of higher Doctrines This is implyed in these words when for the time yo ought to have been Teachers By Teachers are not meant Ministers and publick Teachers who are Officers and have taken upon them the charge of others Souls but such as privately are fit and able to instruct their Families and their ignorant Neighbours Neither may they presume to teach higher Points of Doctrine but the principles and such as they well understand If these would do their Duty they might help the Ministers much and edisy one another and so knowledg in necessaries might abound If any of these be of excellent parts and much improved they may be called to the Ministry Yet many are so ignorant that they are not able to teach their Children and their Servants and so are not fit as for matter of Religion to be Masters of Families 3. The last Proposition is That many of these Hâ—brews and so others were so negligent that when they might and ought to have been Teachers of others they have need to be taught again the very principles of Christianity This is a great Sin and cannot be excused and many are guilty of it for two Reasons 1. Because they do not improve their former knowledg 2. Because they forget and so lose the knowledg of the very principles which they had formerly gained and so become Babes uncapable of higher Doctrine which is for men of better improvement By this
which they can neither be renewed or mortified and proceed in the wayes of Righteousness and Holiness unto the attaining of eternal life 5. Resurrection is the fifth part of this Doctrine and seems to signisy in this place immortality and eternal Glory as a Reward This presupposeth the exercise of all heavenly Virtues and the continuance of their Faith and Obedience Under this Head may be brought Justification Reconciliation Adoption with the continuance of the sanctifying and regenerating Spirit and also the joys and comforts of God's Saints in this Life and their security and bliss upon their departure out of this Life untill the Resurrection 6. The sixth Doctrine is that of eternal Judgment Both Resurrection and this Judgment presuppose men's Obedience or Disobedience to the Laws of God and by Judgment may be understood either Judgment in general which follows the Resurrection and determines finally the eternal Punishments and Rewards or by a Synecdoche for the eternal Punishments which that Judgment shall award to certain persons This latter seems to be the intended sense because the word is usually taken for Condemnation and Punishment and so much the rather because we never find Judgment taken properly said to be everlasting This presupposeth impenitence and unbelief both Negative and Positive and to this Head are reducible all the spiritual Penalties inflicted upon Man in this Life as fore-runners of this eternal Vengeance It was necessary in the first place to lay the foundation in teaching these Truths of Repentance Faith the sealing of the Covenant the sanctification of the Spirit and the retribution of eternal Rewards and Punishments according to men's observation or violation of the Covenant of Grace This Doctrine they had formerly learned and professed and it was the sum and substance of the antient Creeds And if they any wayes were fallen from this it was in vain to lay the foundation anew and initiate them again Therefore he was resolved to proceed and do that which he had proposed if God would permit and assist him for all resolutions of Men are in God's Power For he alone can so assist them as to make them effectual or hinder them so as to frustrate their designs This implies the Authour's dependance upon God for the carrying on and finishing his intended Discourse concerning the Priest-hood of Christ. § 4. Thus far the Apostle's Resolution the Reasons follow The first is because to lay the foundation anew would be in vain It would prove so because such as fall from these principles render themselves uncapable of any benefit to be received by Christ's Death and Passion neither can they be renewed again unto Repentance The argument in form is this The Apostle presupposing that no man ought and no wise man will do that which he knows to be in vain and to no purpose he proves that to lay the foundation again is in vain thus To attempt that which is impossible is in vain But to attempt by laying the foundation again to renew unto Repentance such as fall away is to attempt that which is impossible therefore it 's in vain To understand the force of this Reason let us reduce the Apostles words into these Propositions 1. They which have been enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the Powers of the World to come may fall away 2. If they fall away it is impossible for them to be renewed again unto Repentance 3. The reason why it is impossible is because they Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame These may be reduced to one Syllogism thus It 's impossible that they which Crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame should be again renewed to Repentance But such as fall away from Christianity once received do Crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Therefore it 's impossible again to renew them to Repentance The sum of all is this he would not lay again the foundation of Christianity because it was in vain It was in vain because the recovery of such as fall away and renounce Christ was impossible In the first Proposition I will consider 1. What it is to fall away 2. Who they are that may fall away 1. To fall away is here to be Apostates and forsake Christianity once received it 's not to fall into any kind of Sin but such as are contra integrum faedus contrary to the essence and substance of Christianity such are impenitency and unbelief after Repentance and Faith In this respect David's Murther and Adultery though very grievous Sins and against the Covenant yet they were not a violation of it essentially and formally considered This is falling away or Apostacy in this place 2. The subject of this Apostacy and parties which may fall away are such as have received Christianity and have been convinced of the Truth thereof For he that never was a Christian cannot be said to fall away from Christianity he must be a Christian before he can be an Apostate But to enter more particularly upon the Description of the Subject of Apostacy and persons that may fall away 2. They are described from sive things or adjuncts 1. They are enlightned 2. Have tasted of the heavenly Gift 3. Are partakers of the Holy Ghost 4. Have tasted of the good Word of God 5. Have tasted of the Powers of the World to come 2. The difference of several Writers in the Exposition of these five particulars is great For with some 1. To be enlightned is Repentance 2. To taste of the heavenly Gift is Faith in God 3. To be partakers of the Holy Ghost is to receive the Gifts of the Spirit 4. To taste of the good Word of God answers to Imposition of hands 5. To taste of the Powers of the World to come is to have some apprehensions of the Resurrection and eternal Judgment with affections suitable Others understand 1. By enlightning Baptism 2. By tasting of the heavenly Gift spiritual Peace and Joy 3. By the Holy Ghost Gifts of that blessed Spirit 4. By tasting the good Word of God The sinding how sweet and comfortable the Doctrine and especially the Promises of the Gospel be 5. By tasting of the Powers of the World to come The experience of the efficacy and moving Power of the Doctrine of everlasting Life and Death believed Others not differing much think that 1. Enlightning is the knowledg of saving-saving-Truth 2. Tasting of the heavenly Gift is the receiving of Christ by Faith 3. Participation of the Holy Ghost is receiving of the Gifts of the Spirit 4. Tasting of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come is some experimental effects of the Gospel and Spirit 3. Yet upon examination the first three may be one And that is the illumination of the heart and mind by the heavenly Gift of
it receiveth Blessing from God For it is God that maketh the Earth fruitfull and flourishing and without his Blessing the best Land though never so well husbanded is barren and of this we have frequent experience The Reddition of this is 1. That the thing signified in general is sinful Man and especially his heart Yet there is a great difference of men's heart for though no man can make his heart spiritually good yet every man may make his heart bad and worse then other mens and may by neglect and other wayes much obscure the light of Nature and dull the edge of conscience and so render himself indisposed for better things If this were not so there would be no inequality but all men would be equally sinful which daily experience contradicts A good heart is like good Ground therefore may be an heart not so bad or morally good according to the light of Nature and the power of Conscience which we find in Heathens and somewhat improved higher by Christian Education For the heart to bring forth fruit meet for the Dresser is to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit answerable to God's Spiritual Husbandry and the Showres of his heavenly Doctrine and the workings of his Spirit It 's to walk worthy of our Calling wherewith we are called This is that good and honest heart which bringeth forth fruit unto perfection The Blessing received is the continuance of the means of Salvation the increasing of heavenly Graces and Comforts and in the end eternal Life which is the greatest Blessing of all The end of this part of the Comparison is not only to perswade and encourage to Duty because of the great Blessing and Reward which will follow but also to let others who incline to Apostacy know how they deprive themselves of God's heavenly Blessings and these glorious Rewards § 8. The second protasis or proposition is concerning bad Ground which 1. Appears to be bad by bearing Thorns and Bryers 2. Is used as bad Ground 1. By being rejected 2. Nigh unto Cursing 3. In the end burned This Ground is a bad heart which is manifested by the fruits which are words and deeds tending to the dishonour of God and the hurt of Man And this Sin is so much the greater because of the means of Grace and workings of the Spirit over and above the light of Nature which God hath graciously afforded them The punishment of this barrenness in all virtue and fruitfulness in Sin followeth and there are three degrees thereof The first is rejecting when God takes away his Ministers his Word or if they continue withdraw the powerful working of the Spirit whereupon man is justly deserted of God as unworthy of any farther spiritual Dressing and useless for that end God in his great Mercy intended him The second he is nigh unto Cursing and the sentence of Excommunication whereby he is delivered up to Satan and a reprobate mind Hence blindness hardness of heart and the spirit of slumber This was the case of the unbelieving Jew and is the greatest Curse that can fall upon man in this life The third their end is Burning For rejection and this Curse will end in eternal punishments compared to torment with unquenchable fire This comparison is not only an illustration for the more clear representation of the condition of Apostates but also a very serious admonition to take heed of that grievous Sin and of all things that tend thereunto because the end will be so woful and the punishment so grievous For if men deal thus with their Ground which is devoid of reason sense and understanding how much more cause hath God to punish and that so severely men who are endued with understanding and enjoy so many helps and means of Conversion and Salvation § 9. The second reason of the Apostates resolution is given Ver. 9. But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak THe brief meaning of the words is 1. That though we did sharply reprove you and by our discourse of Apostacy might seem to imply that you were either Apostates or very near unto it yet I desire to be understood in another manner For I have more charity for you better conceirs of you and hopes of your continuance in Christianity so that you need not be initiated again by laying the foundation and I have good Grounds of this my hope 2. This is the reason why I will not lay the foundation again but go on to perfection and further inform you of higher points of Doctrine and in particular of the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood In this reason we may observe 1. His hope and good perswasion of them 2. The ground of this his hope In these words we have a Rhetorical Anticipation whereby he endeavours to prevent the thoughts which might arise in their hearts upon his former speeches and expressions For they might think that he did by them tacitely condemn them as Apostates or in the way to Apostacy And if he did so he must needs wrong them and discourage them for he did tacitely imply though not positively and expresly affirm that they were of a bad disposition and in a very sad condition and this Opinion of them was against charity and truth To remove such suspicious and jealousies out of their minds he in these words assures them of his Charity and that his words were not inconsistent with his good conceipt of them The first that is his Charity he signifies by the term of Compellation Beloved for he loved them with a dear and tender Love as Christians continuing in Christianity This he could not have done if he had judged them Apostates and Enemies to Christ. By this we are taught that it is our Duty not onely to love our Christian Brethren but upon occasion to express it and further to give the reason and ground of our love as the Apostle here doth For the reason and ground of this love was his perswasion of their continuance in Christianity For he was perswaded better things of them c. In which words 1. He confesseth he spake such things as might seem to charge them with Apostacy and condemn them as cursed 2. He yet denies that those words do imply any such thing and that he was so far from any such thoughts of them that he was perswaded of the contrary He did indeed reprove them for their Ignorance and Negligence whereof some of them were highly guilty and also signify the deplorable and desperate case of Apostates and there was danger lest some might in time be guilty of that Sin yet all this was not to accuse them but warn them that this danger might be prevented To reprove and admonish are Acts of Charity and such as the most loving Father in the World may and sometimes must use if he truly love his Children We may represent the ugly and filthy face of Sin and the horrid pains of
from him As Abraham gave Melchisedec as blessing him so all Christians should give the tenth and a competent portion of all their Goods to maintain his Servants Messengers and Ministers who labour in the Word and Doctrine without which his Worship cannot be maintained And all those who deny to do this are Enemies to Christ and to Christian Religion and cannot be excused There is a Generation of men who under pretence of Reformation and greater Purity would have all Tythes taken away and their design is to starve the Ministry enrich themselves and friends but the issue of all this will be the destruction of the Ministry the famishing of Souls and the decay of Christianity Others would have Ministers to continue but they must pinch them and keep them poor This is a base spirit and temper and no wayes suitable to the profession of Christianity Ministers indeed should not cover Riches and the Splendor of the World for thus to do is base on their parts and no wayes becoming the faithful Servants of Christ. Yet they should be comfortably maintained and such as receive any real spiritual Blessing and Comfort by them will not grudge to minister unto them and will be far from taking from them that allowance which by just Laws is settled upon them as firmly as any man's Inheritance except in the right of Alienation Some do honour Learning and are willing to have it maintained and if there be sufficient reason for this then it will follow that the most excellent Learning of all other and the most beneficial to mankind and in the exercise thereof effectually conducing to eternal Salvation should be honoured and maintained much more Some conclude from hence and not without cause That seeing Melchisedec was a Type of Christ in all things here mentioned then Christ Blessing man must receive Tythes by his Ministers as due unto Him For if he was a Type in the rest no wit of man can according to the tenour of this Scripture deny him to be a Type in receiving Tythes And this is so much the stronger 1. In this that he insists in the following words more largely upon this particular of Tythes then any of the rest 2. Because Tythes or something as good as Tythes are plainly necessary to the maintainance of Christian Religion 3. Because Christ hath ordained a maintainance 3. He was a Type in the continuance of his Priest-hood For as he did not receive his Priest-hood by Descent from any Predecessor nor transmit it to Successors in that manner as the Levitical Priest's did So Christ had no Predecessor from whom by Birth nor Successor to whom he should derive it And as Melchisedee's Priest-hood was effectual for that excellent end for which it was ordained and because it was not so carnal and imperfect as that of Aaron's was there was no reason it should be abolished So Christ's Priest-hood being perfect and effectual to bring in an eternal glorious estate upon a perfect Righteousness there was all the reason in the World it should continue for ever and never be altered § 11. After the Description of Melchisedec which is absolute follows his excellency and greatness set forth comparatively And before I enter upon the words somethings must be premised and enquiry must be made of 1. What the order and connexion of these words with the former is 2. What the Apostle's Scope is 3. In what manner the Apostle doth proceed 4. What kind of Comparison this is 5. How the words and discourse of the Apostle is brought in 1. The order is this 1. After that the Authour had informed us out of Gen. 14. who this Melchisedec was he goes on to speak of the Order of Melchisedec So that the Subject of the former words was Melchisedec the last words of the Text Psal. 110. 4. and of these words following the Order of Melchisedec For the words of the Psalmist do imply that there was one Melchisedec a Priest 2. That there was an especial distinct Order of that Priest-hood This is the Order 2. The intention and scope of the Authour is to shew the excellency of the Priest-hood of Melchisedec And 2. From thence to conclude the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood For if Melchisedec who was but the Type then much more Christ the Anti-type of that Order must needs be excellent 3. The manner of the Apostle's proceeding is Dianoetical for he proves the excellency of this Order by illation and deduction of certain conclusions from the express words of the Text Gen. 14. This act of Reason is called discourse which discovers the truths included in the bowels of the Premises By this manner of arguing is manifested the vanity of irrational Sectaries which call for expresse Scripture in points of Controversy and reject all Consequences These implicitly deny our Dianoetical faculty given us by God and tacitly blame Christ and his Apostles for drawing conclusions from expresse places of the Word Though this discoursive power as used to clear a truth whereof we doubt and are ignorant of imply an imperfection yet as it is a deducing and inferring one truth out of another it is a perfection and may agree to Angels nay to God himself because we find him by his Spirit in his Word doing so 4. But what kind of Comparison is this It 's indeed a Comparison in quantity of imparity yet it presupposeth a Comparison in quality For it implyeth That Abraham was great and excellent and that the Levitical Priest's were such and Melchisedec also They all agree in this that they were excellent but they differ in the inequality and imparity of excellency for one was more excellent then another Abraham was above the Levitical Priest and Melchisedec above Abraham his Order was the most excellent and this is the thing which as he intends so he clearly proves The Order of his Priest-hood was such a by the acts thereof did manifest the dignity and worth thereof 5. The Authour brings in this discourse with a word of Exhortation For he begins thus Consider So that from these words unto ver 11. we have an Exhortation directed unto these Hebrews and so to us The Text therefore is Ver. 4. Now consider how great this Man was to whom even the Patriach Abraham gave the tenth of the Spoils § 12. IN these words with those that follow we have 1. The Duty in general which is Consideration 2. The Matter and Subject to be considered 1. I will not stand upon the word which seems to be a Metaphorical but the thing signified by it which is the principal Consideration therefore as intended in this place is an act of the Understanding and especially the act of Judgment yet presupposing the antecedent act of Apprehension Yet it 's not any act of Judgment whether Noetical or Dianoetical but a serious and more intense act wherein we use the utmost activity of our discerning faculty And because the Understanding of man as imperfect cannot in an instant
signify God's Will what Christ should be the Oath did signify that this his Will should stand immâ—table for ever Yet the word of the Oath may be nothing else but the words of the Psalmist I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec Where we have 1. The thing Christ's everlasting Priest-hood 2. The confirmation of this thing which is by Oath the Oath of God 3. This word of this Oath was after the Law For 1. The prophesy that God would thus swear unto his Son in future times was four hundred years and more after the Law 2. The Oath it elf was sworn actually above a thousand years after the Law and then when Christ was ascended into Heaven and set at the right hand of God and that is now a thousand six hundred years and above before these present times So that whereas the Apostle had handled the several parts of his great Text Psal. 110. 4. severally now in these words he sums and knits them all up together in one divine Axiom informing us who this everlasting Priest was and the time when he was fully constituted After the several parts considered severally follows the consideration of them joyntly in their opposition which is easily understood For 1. The former High-Priests were but Servants but Christ is the Son 2. They had infirmities Christ had none 3. They were made Priests by the Law Christ by the word of the Oath 4. The Law was before the word of the Oath after 5. They were made Priests without an Oath but for a time Christ was made with an Oath a Priest for evermore So that in these words we have in brief all the former supercellencies of Christ summed up and to this end that these Hebrews should not rely upon the Law and legal Priest-hood which God in the very constitution of it intended to continue but for a time but upon Christ who was able to save them for ever and therefore by Oath made an everlasting Priest CHAP. VIII Concerning the Tabernacle or Sanctuary wherein Christ must minister the Service he must perform and the Covenant whereof he must be Mediatour § 1. ALL do grant that the scope of the Apostle is this Chapter as in the former is to demonstrate That Christ is a more excellent Priest then Aaron or any of that Order and thus it agrees with the former and the two latter Chapters This he doth 1. By summing up the matter of the former Chapter 2. By producing new Arguments These arguments are taken from his ministration as some conceive and this ministration is proved to be more excellent from 1. The place which is Heaven 2. The Offering and Service 3. The Covenant whereof he is Mediatour Janius thinks that the Authour continues his Discourse concerning the vocation of this great High-Priest and determines the subject of this part to be the Office to which he was Called and proceeds to speak of the execution of this Office in the Chapter following and not before But this is not accurate because the vocation of Christ to be a Priest after a certain Order made him an Officer and gave him a sacerdotal Office But if he mean by Office Officiation Function and the exercise of his pontifical Power then it 's true that this is the subject of this Chapter The principal matter of the ninth and a great part of the tenth Chapter is concerning one principal piece of his Service and Mistration which was the great Sacrifice of himself and the excellent virtue and eternal efficacy of the same So that the proper subject of this part is Christ's ministration or officiation yet this must be rightly understood for the Apostle doth not here instance in or insist upon any work or service in particular of his Priest-hood but informs us of certain rules of this officiation But to return to the words themselves we thus read Ver. 1. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens THese words are said to be a Transition and it 's certain they are a part of one A Transition is perfect or imperfect the perfect is defined to be Epilogus dictorum Propositio dicendorum for it not onely informs in a few words what hath been said already but also proposeth the Subject of the ensuing Discourse These words are the first part of a Transition wherein we may consider 1. That some things were spoken already 2. The Sum of them 3. The things spoken and sum'd up 1. Something 's were spoken and delivered already in the three former Chapters especially in the seventh where the Apostle had discoursed at large and that with great Wisdom and profound Learning and discovered and unfolded many excellent truths concerning the Priest-hood of Christ contained in certain Texts of the Old Testament A Transition is a Rule of Art and the first part of it doth necessarily presuppose something already handled and more largely treated upon 2. These things spoken of already are sum'd up The word in the Original for the most part is a Sum or brief Contraction of many things into few and the Verb signifie to contract abridge or epitomize We find it once used in the Apocryphal Books Ecclus. 32. 8. Let thy Speech be short comprehending much in few words The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we have the definition of a Sum as here it 's taken not for a Sum of Money as Act. 2â— 28. but of words It is a speaking of many things in few words for when the things are many and our words expressing them are few then we may be said to sum up and contract our Speech Yet this may be done when nothing hath been formerly delivered but as it is a part of a Transition this Contraction presupposeth something spoken formerly and at large Some think the word signifies the chief and principal things formerly delivered though we hardly find any where this signification yet when we contract many words into a few we do little to purpose if we omit the principal matters or take in any other A transition whereof this is the principal part belongs to Logick and is a part of Method The use of it is handsomely to tye and knit the parts of a Discourse together to give light and make it perspicuous to manifest the order of things and the dependance of one upon another and so it helps the apprehension the judgment and the memory especially The same is done chiefly by the Epilogue and former part which is the summing up of a large Discourse in a few words 3. The things summed up or the matter of this Sum is 1. That we have such an High-Priest c. Where we have two Propositions 1. We have an High-Priest 2. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the
Doctrine so it is also a ground of the future Exhortations For if there had been no way made or if there had been a way and we could have had no liberty of accesse unto the Throne of Grace by the Blood of Christ or if there had been a way and liberty to enter and yet no High-Priest set over the House of God it would be in vain to continue in the profession of Christian Faith or to perform any of those Duties exhorted unto in the following part of the Epistle But seeing we have all these and none of them nor any other thing necessary to Salvation is wanting but eternal life is possible and certainly upon these Reason to be obtained therefore we have a great motive and encouragement to go on and continue in the performance of the Duties exhorted unto For the ground of our hope is the possibility and certainty of attaining eternal Salvation and the ground of our practise and perseverance is our Hope which is the stronger because a way is made a liberty to enter obtained and a Priest set over God's House who will secure us of eternal bliss if we continue to believe and obey him to the end This is so much the more an effectuall reason because none of these could be had by the Law § 19. But what are these Duties exhorted unto They are several yet such as have great affinity one with another and all tend to one end The first this is Ver. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of â—aith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water THE Apostle in these words and those which follow exhorts to severall Duties 1 To draw near to God ver 22. 2. To persevere in their Christian Profession ver 23. 3. To stir up one another to Love and good Works ver 24. 4. To Continue in Christian Communion ver 25. In the first Exhortation we may observe 1. The Duty exhorted unto and to be performed 2. The manner of performance 3. The preparation of the persons who must perform it For the Duty is to no purpose no wayes profitable if it be not 1. Performed 2. Performed in due manner 3. Performed by persons prepared and duly qualified 1. To draw near to God for so the words are to be understood is to Worship God in general in particular to pray and seek Remission and eternal Life from him This is to make use of the way Consecrated through Christ's Flesh and of our liberty to enter into the Holiest procured by the Blood of Christ. It 's the same with coming boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace for seasonable Help Chap. 4. 16. It 's the same with coming to God by Christ to sue for Mercy Chap. 7. 25. The party therefore to whom we come is God yet considered as sitting in the Throne of Grace and propitiated by the Blood of Christ. The drawing nigh or coming to God thus considered is a motion not of the Body but the Soul whereby it turns away both the mind and heart from all other objects and turneth and addresseth it self unto God to converse with him for his Favour Mercy Blessings that it may obtain them from him And it fixeth upon him and abides with him till the business with him be finished This Coming is called Worshipping as Worshippers are called Commers ver 1. 2. This being the Duty it must be performed with a pure heart and in full assurance of Faith this is the manner and the due qualification of the act of drawing nigh to God without which it can neither please God nor profit Man This qualification is two-fold 1. The purity of Heart 2. The full assurance of Faith 1. It must be performed with the Heart For all serious actions issue from the Heart and whatsoever is not done with Knowledg and Will is not the action of a Man as a Man and a rational Creature The Worship of God whereby we seek eternal happiness requires both and in the highest degree of our activity because in it we have to do with God concerning the most weighty business of all others yet we may Worship with the Heart and not with a true Heart that is without sincerity The Heart is then sincere when according to God's Will it 's firmly fixed upon and aims chiefly at the chief End God's Glory and eternal Happiness desiring and intending both far above all other things and this out of clear Understanding And here it 's to be observed That sincerity is required not only in the person Worshipping but in the action of Worship He that is habitually sincere may so fâ—â— forget himself as to worship without sincerity and the principal part essence power reality and truth of that Worship which God requires For this truth and sincerity is the very Life and Soul of acceptable Worship If we incline or have secret and remote thoughts of Vain-glory of falling off from our profession or returning to Sin then our Heart is not perfect sincere upright and our worship must needs be like our hearts which ought in the first place wholly and folely be given and offered to God By this we easily understand and both how few do Worship God sincerely and how defective the Worship of the best may often prove 2. Besides sincerity is required a full assurance of Faith Faith is both a belief and a confidence and assurance full assurance is an higher degree of both As a belief it 's grounded on God's Word in general revealing the Truths and Propositions to be believed as a confidence it 's grounded on the promise a special part of God's Word The belief goes before confidence follows after as depending upon the belief for the promise is first a Truth and so to be considered before it can be conceived under the formal notion of a Promise He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him That God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him is a truth or true proposition and is to be believed and it is a Promise because therein God signifies that as he is able so he is willing to reward such any he hath in the Gospel signified his unchangeable Will and Decree so to do and hath bound himself both by his Decree and his Word which is the signification of the Decree The full assurance of this Faith is grounded upon the infallible Truth of his Word and the fidelity and immutability of his Promise And where as this full ssurance is thought generally an high degree of Faith yet Faith is no divine Faith without it For no man receives the Word and Promise of God as the Word and Promise of God that wants this full assurance For the firmness of Faith should answer the firmness of God's Word If this full assurance were an assurance of our particular estate
together as the manner of some was 2. Affirmatively They must exhort one another The Reason is taken from the Cause where we must consider 1. The Reason it self They did see the day approaching nearer and nearer 2. The performance pressed by this Reason and that was to exhort more and more In the Negative part of the Duty we observe several Propositions 1. There were Assemblies of Christians 2. It was the manner of some to forsake them 3. They must not follow their Example or do so 1. There were Assemblies Now Assemblies are of many kinds amongst the many differences of them this is one that some are Civil for matters of this Life some are Religious for matters spiritual wherein we do converse with God and amongst our selves These were Assemblies religious wherein Christians did meet together for to serve and worship God and by so doing did mutually promote their Salvation There are private Devotions and religious Duties to be performed in our Closets and also in our Families and also publick Divine Services These Assemblies were instituted and observed for publick Converse with God and these were occasional or more solemn and observed at set and determinate times and in times of Peace and Liberty in certain convenient places erected or separated for that end and use Hence Synagogues and Sabbaths amongst the Jews The Heathens also had their Temples and sacred places and their solemn times yet abused to Superstition and Idolatry The Light of Nature doth dictate that God is to be worshipped not only in private but in publick and that this Worship if orderly performed requires not only certain solemn times but also convenient places yet the times were alwayes more considerable than the places To enjoy these Assemblies and have Liberty in publick to serve their God both in convenient places and at certain and solemn times was a great Mercy of God and a great benefit to Man For in these they restified their Union and Agreement in the same Faith and Worship they had the benefit of God's special presence they joyntly both heard God speak unto them by his Prophets and Messengers they joyntly tendred their Petitions and Thanksgiving before the Throne of Grace they had the Covenant confirmed to them by Sacraments they comforted and encouraged one another and as Vis unita fortiâ—r the Service and Worship of many was more powerful so the Blessings Graces and Gifts of God were more plentifully poured down from Heaven upon them And we are very brutish or very inconsiderate if we understand not the Excellency of these religious publick Assemblies and very unthankful if we acknowledg not the benefit of them The persecuting Enemies of the Church knew full well if they could scatter these Meetings and Conventions take away their Ministers demolish their Houses of Worship and deprive them of their solemn sacred times they might do much to destroy Christian Religion David did love the place where God's Honour dwelt veâ—emently desired God's presence in that place and sadly complained to his God when he was banished from these holy and blessed Assemblies and yet those were far inferiour to these of the Gospel And doleful was that Lamentation of the Captives of Jerusalem when God had taken away his Tabernacle as if it were a Garden destroyed the places of Assemblies had caused the solemn Feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and had despised in the Indignation of his Anger the King and the Priest Lament 2. 6. God grant this prove not to be our Case and sad Condition because of our neglect and abuse of these Assemblies and our Unthankfulness 2. It was the manner or Custom of some to forsake these Assemblies This was a grievous Sin and of very ill Consequence for when they forsook these they forsook the Church they forsook Christ they forsook their God and deprived themselves of the incomparable benefits of these sweet and blessed Associations And this Sin was the greater in that they did not sometimes but usually frequently constantly forsake them for it was their Custom Some might do this out of negligence because they had no lively sense of Religion Some might do it for fear of Persecution because they loved their Lives their Goods their Reputation their Liberty their Quiet and Peace more than Christ and feared Reproach and Tribulation yet these were convinced in their hearts of the truth of Christianity Yet some cast off their Profession turned Jews and became Apostates Some might be Seperatists and Schismaticks It 's to be feared that most of the Seperatists of these times if not all are guilty of this Sin for What Reason can they have to refuse Communion either in whole or in part with any who profess the truth of the Gospel and worship God according to his Word 3. Though this was the Custom of some yet they must not follow their Example for it was evill and contrary to the Laws of God And though as yet they did frequent these sacred Meetings yet they must consider that there was a possibility nay a danger they might offend as others had done even in this particular They had their frailties and lay open to Temptation But now being admonished they should be the more careful not onely to do their Duty but also to avoid the Causes and Occasions of this Sin This is the Negative a Branch of that general Eschew evill The Affirmative which is brought in by the Particle discretive but which sometimes is a note of Opposition is To exhort one another which may be understood two wayes 1. Privately to exhort one another to frequent these holy Assemblies and never to forsake them Or Publickly to exhort mutually in these publick Assemblies for so to do was one end â—â—y they were ordained and to be used Consider this part of the Duty in opposition 〈◊〉 the wicked Custom of some then and many now it is to frequent these Assemblies â—nd mutually to agree to assemble and being assembled to exhort one another The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to comfort entreat encourage and to exhort And Exhortation in Scripture especially in the New Testament signifies sometimes strictly to stir up unto the performance of some Duty commanded by God as conducing to our Salvation and sometimes more largely for any set and formal Discourse as that excellent Sermon which Paul preached in the Synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of Exhortation though it contained many other things And in this sense Exhortation may signify the Sermons made and Doctrine preached by the Ministers of the Church in publick Congregations one head whereof is Exhortation to continue in the Profession of the truth and the Observations of Christ's Commandments And these Assemblings if rightly ordered are effectually conducing to that end and where we find them neglected or turned into private Conventicles in a time of Peace and Liberty there Religion doth decay there is little Unity in the Truth
Apostates Therefore as they desired God's favour and an happy End and feared his Indignation and their own eternal Destruction let them persevere and use all means to perswade others to continue firm and faithful to the end And here you must observe that the principal Duty exhorted unto is Perseverance and the rest are subservient thereunto § 25. It follows Ver. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins IN these words 1. We have a Reason given to perswade unto perseverance 2. Yet this Reason is directly and immediately disswasive and dehorrative from Apostacy 3. Secondarily and by Consequence it exhorts and moves to perseverance For whatsoever Reason is against Apostacy the same is for perseverance 4. This Reason doth seem to imply that the forsaking of Christian Assemblies was Apostacy or tended to it and the day approaching to be a day of Judgment and in particular of the Punishment of such as fall away 5. This Reason begins here and is continued to the 32d Verse 6. It 's taken à poena from the Punishment which is avoided by perseverance and is executed upon Apostates 7. In Form it 's this If the Sin of Apostacy be unpardonable and shall be punished with unavoidable and most grievous Punishment then we ought to be very careful copâ—â—severe But the Antecedent is true Therefore we ought to persevere In the words of the Reason we have 1. The Sin 2. The Punishment which is Unavoidable Grievous The Sin is described in the 26. Ver. to be a sinning wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Where we must consider 1. What it presupposeth and that is the Acknowledgment of the Truth 2. What it is upon this presupposed It 's a wilful sinning In the presupposition we have 1. Truth 2. The Knowledg of it 3. The receiving of this Knowledg 1. By the Truth is meant the true pure and most certain Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ already come Faith and Salvation This is called Truth because it 's true and most eminently and infallibly true which is no wayes in any thing false and erroneous as being at first immediately revealed from God the God of Truth of all Truth who is not only true but Truth it self It 's called also the Truth by way of eminency as the most excellent Truth revealed for Man's eternal Happiness The Reason of this Truth is the Perfection of his full and clear Knowledge and his absolute Integrity and purest Holiness which both are such as that he neither can nor will reveal any thing but Truth 2. Truth may be Truth and yet not known to any Man or Angel and this Truth was first known only unto God Yet it pleased him out of his great Mercy to reveal his mind to Man and in particular this Truth of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostle who made it known unto others who by that means came to know it For many who heard the Gospel preached and attended unto it attained to the Knowledg of the great Mystery of God's Kingdom and of those things which were sufficient and effectual for Information of the Understanding unto everlasting Life This Knowledg was not Mathematical Physical Political or Metaphysical as some use to speak but Theological and Divine and a Light above the Light of Nature The word may signify not only Knowledg but Acknowledgment of this Truth by a full Assent upon Conviction And this might be caused not only by outward Revelation Information and Miracles but also by the Illumination of the Spirit and supernatural Gifts For God goes far with Man and doth much to save him he many times penetrates his inward parts and by his divine Light and Power enters into his very heart and all this to convert him 3. They received this Knowledg God did not only offer it but give it which he might be properly said to do when they received it They had it not by Nature for it 's far above the natural Man They acquired it but not by their own Power and Industry neither did they merit it Yet in this receiving they were not meerly passive yet passive before they could be active God must do something without Man before he can actively receive he must prevent him by Revelation and Information without and by Illumination and Operation within and this done Man may be active For to receive it is certainly an Act not only of the Understanding which assents but of the Will which approves So that he both wittingly and willingly receives and that with some delight and proceeds to Profession and continues for a while to believe approve profess Though this receiving of Knowledg may seem only to be Acknowledgment yet it 's something more Truth is opposed to Erroar Knowledg to Ignorance Acknowledgment to Dissent Approbation to Rejection of this Truth § 26. This receiving and having is presupposed to Apostacy and sinning wilfully For no Man can loose and fall away from that which he never had either in Title or Possession so none can fall away from Grace or any degree of Grace which he never had The Heathens in Scripture were never said to breâ—k the Covenant of God or forsake God as their God by Covenant Therefore the proper Subject of Apostacy is one in the Church a member of the visible Church and in the times of the Gospel a Christian who hath professeth his Faith in Christ yet of these Apostates there is a difference and there are degrees of this Apostacy For some receive and profess Christianity by tradition and an implicit Faith yet never have any distinct knowledg of the Truth to be believed Some believe and understand more explicitely the Doctrine of Christianity and are convinced of the truth of it yet are never affected with the matter so as to forsake their Sins and reform their Lives but continue in their Sin Some know believe are affected with the matter as so they begin by the power of the Spirit to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and find some spiritual joy and comfort To fall away from any of these is Apostacy but to fall from the last is the greatest And there was something proper to those times which did aggravate this sin very much For the Truth then was confirmed both by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost this confirmation was clear and extraordinary and to renounce that Truth so confirmed must needs be hainous and of this the Apostle seems to speak Christians may fall away three wayes by denying the Truth 1. In their Profession Or 2. In their practise Or 3. In both And that denial which we call Apostacy is destructive of Christianity and maketh a man of a Christian no Christian. Yet some may deny Christ or fall into some grievous Sin and yet verily believe in their hearts and retain the love of Christ as Peter and others have
the supream Judg. Angels or Men may have the use of it but the Propriety is in God And that you may understand it more fully you must know that this Power of punishing is an universal a supream an original Power as it belongs to God and none else It extends to all Persons to all Causes and to these in all respects For he hath Jurisdiction over Angels and the Consciences and immortal Souls of men and can irrogate spiritual and eternal Punishments 2. As Vengeance so Retribution belongs unto the Lord and it may be considered not only as it is a Power or Right to recompense but the Act and Exercise of vindicative Justice and may include both the Sentence and the Execution which is nothing else but a returning evil for evil the evil of Punishment for the evil of Sin The Apostle in this follows the Septuagint which turn it I will recompence which seems to imply that as he is 1. Just to punish Sin 2. Hath a power of Retribution So. 3. He will recompense and exercise this Power and that certainly 3. He will judg his People This may be understood two wayes 1. That God will judg the Cause of his oppressed and persecuted People by punishing and destroying their Enemies and this the Context in Denteronomy seems to imply 2. That he will judg his People and punish severely all Apostates among them So that by People may be meant all men punishable either according to the Law of Nature or of Moses or according to the Gospel Amongst those which are punishable such as â—â—e in Covenant with God and by Covenant are his Heople if they revolt are the greatest Offenders and amongst the Revolters such as fall away from the Truth of the Gospel once received are the most hainous Delinquents of all To judg these is to condemn them and to inflict the Punishment to which they are condemned and when it 's said He will judg them it signifies he will certainly do it and they shall not escape Men may threaten and never condemn they may condemn and never execute but God will certainly do both 4. The Lord saith so Man might have said it and it might have been otherwise out of Ignorance he might have been deceived or out of pravity he might lye and deceive others or if any earthly Judg who knew his own mind and power should have said so yet he might change his mind or want power and so Recompence might fail But it 's God who is Supream Judg who cannot be deceived cannot deceive cannot change his mind who hath almighty Power that saith so and his Word is his Deed. If therefore he say I will recompense I will judg Recompence and Judgment will certainly follow they cannot fail 5. They knew it was God who said so that God who could certainly do as he had said If any other had said it or God himself had said it and they had been ignorant of it their fear had been less though the danger had been as great as if they had known it Seeing therefore it is the Lord who said it and they knew that it was said and that by him their fear should be answerable to the danger and so much the greater as their Knowledge was more clear and certain They knew this and that by Scripture which they believed to be the Word of God Ignorance of this Truth makes men secure and presumptuous and so doth Unbelief This seems to prove the Punishment to be unavoidable § 31. Yet though it be certain and unavoidable yet if it be lesse it 's lesse feared But Ver. 31. It 's a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the Living God THis again doth signify how grievous the Punishment of Apostates must needs be for they fall into the hands of the Living God And this is deduced from the former Text c for there it 's said God will recompence God will judg and take Vengeance And if it be the Punishment that the Living God will execute then it must needs be most fearful and unavoidable To understand the force of the Text we must observe in it 1. The Living God 2. The hands of the Living God 3. The falling into his hands 4. The fearfull Condition of such as fall into his hands 1. The Living God is here opposed not only to dumb and dead Idols but to mortal men and the word Living is added to signify not only the eternal Duration of his Existence but his active and lively Power and Strength which is said to be almighty and is of himself 2. The Hands and Arm of God in Scripture doth usually signify this Power and Strength of God which is exercised sometimes in Mercy sometimes in severe Justice For it is this Almighty Strength of God which doth deliver and save his People and punish and execute Vengeance on their Enemies And here it 's taken for his punishing and revenging hand whereby he executes his Wrath upon Apostates and manifests his greatest Indignation against them 3. To fall into his Hands is by Apostacy to make our selvs obnoxious to the severâ—ty of his revenging Justice in that manner as no wayes to escape either the Sentence or the Execution For this Sin is the most provoking of all others renders the Sinner uncapable of any Mercy makes him liable to the greatest Punishment Man can suffer and he shall be no wayes able to avoid it but must in the end certainly feel it We are all in God's hands and in his power at all times but the Apostate casts himself into the hands of his severest Justice never to be delivered ever to be tormented 4. It 's a fearfull thing Where we must note that to fall into the hands of the Living God is the Subject or Antecedent and a fearfull thing is the Predicate and Consequent of the Proposition and argues the Antecedent as an Adjunct inseperable doth it's Subject yet in this place to be fearful is to be apt to cause fear The Object of all fear is some evil approaching and the greater the evil is the more approaching and approaching as inevitable the greater Cause of fear there is The Evil is Punishment the greatest Punishment Man can suffer and it 's very near for he is already fallen into the hands of the Living God and he can no wayes escape It 's a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of a severe and potent Judg or of a cruel Enemy much more into the hands of this supream and eternal Judg who can not only kill the Body but cast both Soul and Body into Hell and eternally and extreamly torment both The Sum and Substance of this Argument is that seeing the Punishment of Apostates will be most grievous and unavoidable therefore it concerns them much to consider seriously of it and take heed of falling away from their Profession § 32. The Apostle proceeds to another argument Ver. 32. But call to remembrance the former dayes in
are reckoned up jointly with others which are not mentioned by Name After the Catalogue of these Worthies is finished the Argument taken from their Example is applied In all this Discourse you must observe 1. That the end of the Apostle is to shew the Excellency of that Faith and Perseverance which was spoken of in the former Chapter 2. That the Argument or Suasive here used for to confirm them in the Faith is taken from Example of many of the most eminent Saints and Servants of God recorded in the Old Testament and of such as lived before the Exhibition of Christ. 3. That the force of the Argument is not only in this that they believed and persevered in the Faith but chiefly from this that all their rarest and most heroick Acts and Sufferings whereby they attained so many and great Blessings did issue from their Faith without which they could have done little or nothing § 2. But to enter upon the Chapter and the Text it self we read Ver. 1. Now Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen THis is said to be a Description of Divine Faith a perfect Definition it cannot be That Faith is such a vertue as here is described may easily be known from the former ter whence it may be and is deduced And the Apostle thought good to premise these words for the better understanding and application of the following Examples In the words which speak of Faith we have two Propositions 1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for 2. Faith is the Evidence of things not seen In both these we may note 1. The Object 2. The Act of Faith In the first Proposition things hoped for are in the Object and the Act is signified by the word Hypostasis here turned Substance The whole Verse may be understood either of Faith in general whether Moral or Divine yet here it 's principally meant of that Divine Faith whereby we obtain Salvation To define what Faith in general is belongs to Logick which is the Rule of Man's Understanding whereof Faith is an Act and that Act which we call Assent and so it differs from Dissent and Doubting Yet Assent may be imperfect and mixt with some degrees of Doubt and this is ordinarily called Opinion and it may be perfect and certain and that without Doubt Yet this Assent may be firm and given unto a false Proposition conceived to be true or to a Proposition true in it self either as clear in it's own Light or upon demonstration and evident Proof or at second hand and represented unto us by some extrinsecal Lights as by the Testimony of another of whose certain Knowledg and Integrity we make no doubt This Testimony is humane or divine The ground of this Faith and Assent here intended is the Testimony of God And here two things are required 1. That the thing testified be credible 2. That we have certain Knowledg that the thing to be believed be testified by God The Tradition of the Church being but an humane Testimony cannot fully satisfy us herein but we must have other artificial Arguments to prove that which the Church saith is the word of God indeed And so far only as we know the things to be believed to be testified by God so far only can we believe with a divine and an infallible Faith So that the Testimony of God known certainly to us to be his Testimony is the ground of this Faith here intended One Object of this Faith is things hoped for Things hoped for in this Text are 1. Things and Rewards promised by God as to come and not yet received 2. The principal of these is eternal life and that great and glorious Reward mentioned in the former Chapter and to be received upon final Perseverance in Faith Of these things or of their futurition we can by Nature and the Light of Reason have no intuitive or demonstrative Knowledg The Truths concerning them and their fruition are revealed from Heaven and as so revealed they are fit and proper Objects of our Faith which is here said to be the Hypostasis of these things This word is interpreted several wayes for some will have it to signify the Substance Ground Foundation of things hoped for Others a certain persuasion and expectation of them Others the Subsistance or Existence of this great Reward to come This variety of Opinions concerning the signification of the word in this place makes the Proposition doubtful unto many The Syriack Translator turns the words in this manner Faith is the Certainty or certain Persuasion of these things which are in hope as though they did actually exist or were in effect to them that do believe This Certainty or certain Persuasion is an act of the Soul of Man divinely enlightned whereby it doth as firmly believe that such as persevere in Faith shall as certainly receive the great Reward as though they did actually enjoy it This is that we call a firm Assent grounded upon the Word and Promise of God for this Word and Promise is the Hypostasis Ground Foundation Basis of this Assent in respect of things hoped for upon which the Soul is firmly fixed and this Assent is the Principle of all other heavenly vertues and in particular and more immediately of our Hope So that by this Assent these things hoped for though in themselvs yet to come have a kind of mental ideal intellectual Existence as present by Faith unto him that hath Faith and this is a mighty motive to perseverance And here is to be noted 1. That though things future as hoped for are here only mentioned as the object of Faith yet it 's not the adequate object for Faith extends further and moves in a larger Sphear 2. That this Faith is not only a certain assent perswasion and belief of the Truths and Revelations of God concerning these things but also a certain expectation of the things promised and a firm confidence and reliance upon God promising concerning the performance of the promise Yet neither this expectation nor this confidence can be Faith strictly taken though it 's certain that in respect of things hoped for as such it 's often taken in this large sense The firm assent is indeed alwayes presupposed as the ground of both § 3. The second Proposition which is That Faith is the evidence of things not sin Where 1. The Object is things unseen 2. The Act is evidence of those things 1. The Object is something not seen Things unseen are not only such things as are invisible and such as cannot be received by the eye but also such as are not perceivable by any of our senses Neither are things insensible meant but such as are above the reach of reason Most of our knowledg is acquired by our senses especially of hearing and seeing according to that Maxim Nihil est in intellect is quod non prius fuer at in sensu Though this be true only
of All and many great miseries for his sake and continued faithful in the Covenant of their God 4. They did all this by Faith For they believed the Word of God to be true rested in his promises exspected the great Reward and were assured that it was better to suffer Affliction for a while then lose the eternal Comforts of their God § 38. Thus the Catalogue and Induction of these rare Worthies is finished and by it we understand the universal necessity of Faith and the excellency of it in the rare Effects thereof and the Chapter is closed up thus Ver. 39. And these all having obtained a good Report through Faith received not the Promise Ver. 40. God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect IN these words we may observe the difference of the Times wherein these Worthies and those wherein the Apostle and these Hebrews lived with the imperfection of the one and the perfection of the other In the former Verse we have a Rhetorical Epanalepsis and a elegant Repetition of the main Proposition which the Author intended to prove by Induction For he had said ver 2. That by Faith which he had described the Elders obtained a good Report This he repeats again in this manner These all having obtained a good Report through Faith The propositions are two 1. The forementioned Elders obtained a good Report through Faith 2. Yet they received not the Promise In the first we must consider 1. The parties intended 2. Their good Report 3. The means whereby they obtained this good Report These things were formerly spoken of and therefore I may be brief 1. The persons formerly said to be the Elders that is the Saints who lived in former time This was a general term which is here more explicitely limited and enlarged by pointing at the particular persons The words are all these by these are meant Abel Enoch Noah Abraham and the rest by name expressed or some other wayes implyed All this note of universality puts them all and every one together without exclusion or exception of any one 2. These all these obtained a good Report and had their Testimonials To be witnessed is to be commended and well spoken of by a Synechdoche as you formerly heard The person who approved and testified of them was God and that in the holy Scriptures and Records of former times and they must needs be good whom God doth commend All expressed by name are spoken of expresly and particularly in the Canonical Writings of the Old Testament and some others not named at all The rest who lived after the Canon was finished are also in the Canon commended implicitely and by undoubted Consequence For when God approves any Virtues and virtuous Acts he approves all such as are endued with those Vertues and manifest them in their lives and conversation 3. The means whereby they became so famous and of so good report was their Faith For without it they neither could have pleased God nor done so rare and glorious Works nor obtained so great Promises nor suffered with patience so great tryals and afflictions Faith was the fundamental Virtue in them all and the very principle of all their divine Actions and Sufferings These obtained a good Report yet received not the Promise For 1. They had a Promise 2. They received it not 1. By Promise understand something promised which upon God's Promise made to them they expected What this was is doubted by many some will have it to be the Resurrection some the Deliverance out of Limbus where it 's imagined their Souls were lodged till Christ descended into Hell and brought them out of that Lake As for the former opinion if understood of the universal Resurrection it may be true As for the latter it presupposeth divers things which yet were never proved and therefore it 's no matter or fit object of a divine Faith it 's a meer fiction and no better This is very certain and clear out of Scripture that they all had a Promise of Christ to be exhibited and this was the great Promise the foundation and chief corner-stone of their Faith No Faith but in him could please God or give sinful man any hope of eternal Glory 2. This Promise they received not for though it be said before ver 33. That many of them received Promises and it 's true they did so yet Christ was not exhibited in their times they all dyed before the Incarnation Passion Death and Glorification of Christ The Word made Flesh. This signifies both the imperfection of those Times and of their Faith for they believed indeed in Christ and by that Faith were justified and saved yet their Faith was in Christ to come and could not be so full and clear as that of the Saints under the dispensation of the Gospel And the Redemption of Christ to come was fore-seen and fore-accepted of God and was effectual to all Believers from the beginning Yet this doth manifest the excellency of Faith in that it was so effectual in these Saints before the exhibition of Christ and doth much commend these Saints who seeing Christ represented unto them at so great a distance yet did so firmly believe in him and by that Faith did effect so glorious Works and so constantly endured so many Afflictions And here one thing specially is to be noted that is that the Faith whereby they obtained a good Report was not a meer speculative assent but a divine lively powerful working Faith Such must ours be or else we can never certainly expect eternal life This condemns many of us living in the times and light of the Gospel For some of us have no Faith some have only a speculative liveless Faith some have only a weak Faith and come far short of these Worthies Yet we have their example and enjoy a clearer Light Thus far concerning the times wherein these Saints lived 3. In the next place follows God's benignity and favour unto us who live in the dayes of the Gospel For God hath provided some better thing for us that without us they should not be made perfect Where we have two Propositions 1. God provided some better thing for us 2. They were not made perfect without us In the former observe 1. Some better thing 2. The same provided by God for us This better thing is the exhibition of Christ and the revelation of the Gospel which made the latter times more perfect and more happy The truth of this appears 1. By that Halelujal◠which the Angels sung at Christ's Nativity when they brought the News thereof from Heaven Luke 2. 13 14. 2. By words of our Saviour who turning unto his Disciples said privately Blessed are the Eyes which see the things that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see the things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear the things which ye hear and have not
to be Overseers which have a Charge of men's Souls committed unto them for Direction unto eternal Bliss and also Rulers because of their Power and Authority whereby they may in the Name of Christ command them to obey his Laws and in this respect the People are subject unto them in that manner that if they hear and receive them they receive Christ who sent them and God who sent Christ And whosoever receiveth not but despiseth them desplseth Christ and God who sent them 2. These Guides lest they should be ignorant who they were were such as had spoken the Word of God unto them The Word of God is that part of the Word of God which we call The Gospel which is concerning Christ exhibited humbled exalted and reigning at the right hand of God contained in that part of the Scripture we call The New Testament This Doctrine is the Word of God not only because it speaks of God but also because it was revealed by God and that by his own Son in the last dayes This Word they had spoken and declared both by Word and Writing and that infallibly according as by Inspiration they had received an immediate Knowledg of it and this their infallible Doctrine was the Rule of inferiour Teachers 3. These they must remember Some of these might be living some of them dead both must be remembred To remember in this place is to call to mind which presupposeth a former Act of Understanding and is a Reiteration of the same Act upon the same Object These must be remembred not only as Men but as Guides and as such as had spoken the Word of God even unto them so as that they had heard them and learned from them the Mystery of the Gospel so as to believe in Christ Yet amongst these they must principally remember the most eminent and in particular those by whom they had believed For if men begin once to forget their Teachers they will soon forget their Doctrine The second part of their Duty to which their former Remembrance was subservient is the Consideration of the end of their Conversation Their Conversation and Course of life no doubt was agreeable to their Doctrine and the Word of God they taught their Preaching and their Practice were suitable and as their Conversation was good so the End was answerable In that Faith they lived in the same they dyed and as their Life was holy so their Death was happy In these words some observe two things 1. That these were dead and some of them at least had sealed the Truth of the Gospel with their Blood and dyed Martyrs 2. That they had been constant in the Profession and Practice of that heavenly Truth which they had preached and taught to others This Constancy and blessed Issue of their Conversation they are exhorted to consider and seriously review with the Eyes of their Souls as a rare and excellent Pattern worthy their Imitation 3. And if they were so worthy Imitation it was their Duty in the third place to follow their Faith that is their Doctrine which they preached believed professed practised unto Death and which they confirmed by their Suffering This is the true End of hearing Word of God and the true Use of all good Examples which are given us and set before our Eyes for this very End that we may do as they did and as they taught us both by their Words and Works their Doctrine and Practice We must follow the Example of all good men and above others of such Guides as these were amongst these Guides the most eminent in Truth Piety and Perseverance because their Doctrine and Life did agree and contiued suitable to the End § 8. It followeth Jesus Christ the same c. These words seem to stand absolute in themselvs without any dependance upon or Connexion with the Context antecedent or consequent and this hath given occasion to many several and different Expositions Some of the Ancients consider them in themselvs and understand them of Christ as God and from them prove his God-head by his perpetual Existence because he was is and shall be for ever and by his immutability because he alwayes is the same Some understand this of Christ as Redeemer whose Power and Efficacy in redeeming and saving all such as believe in him was from the first time that he was promised unto the World's End for he saved all those who believed in him for to come and all such who believe in him already come and exhibited Both these senses are true but whether intended here or no may be a Question But most Expositors consider the words in Coherence either with that which goes before or that which follows 1. With that which goes before and that two wayes 1. That as Christ the Word not incarnate or made Flesh spake to Joshua and promised not to leave him and forsake him so if they follow the Faith of their Guides and Teachers and persevere in the same to the End Christ will be with them and not leave them nor forsake them 2. That the Faith of their Guides was Faith in Christ according to their Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ an eternal unchangeable and never-failing Saviour and this their Faith in Christ they must follow and then Christ will be to them the same he was to their Guides and will certainly save them In this sense the words not only signify what kind of Faith that of their Teachers was and what was the Object and Foundation of it but also contain a Reason why they should follow it For their Faith was Faith in Christ which is the only saving Faith for ever as he Himself is the same for ever The Aethiopick Version favours this sense in part for thus they translate the words Follow me in the Faith of Christ c. So that according to this Christ is Faith in Christ. But others understand by Jesus Christ the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is the same as Christ is and that for ever and never shall be changed Therefore they must follow it and never turn from it Christ may by a Metonymy signify Faith in Christ and the Doctrine of Christ because he was the Object of their Faith and the Subject of their Doctrine This Vatablus terms an Enallage This seems to be confirmed by the Exhortation following To apply this to our selves as it is our Duty so we must have a care often to remember the Apostles and their Successours who have taught us the Word of God and considering their happy Departure out of this World with the Joy and Comfort which they found in their Saviour let us follow their Doctrine and their Faith in Christ which if we do we shall have the same End and find the same Comfort in Christ who will be the same to us which he was to them for as He so his Doctrine is unchangeable for ever and whosoever shall follow his Doctrine and believe in him shall