that have once beene Christians and have ceased to be so Vnto repentance So as they performe the acts of repentance by changing their minde into a better frame and by condemning their former resolution to resume that Religion again which once they have wickedly rejected and then to compose their life according to the rules of it Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh In these words hee shewes the matter wherein this falling away consists or rather the foul wickednesse cleaving to it and therefore what good cause there is why God wil not have such persons renewed to repentance To crucifie the Son of God is a damnable wickednesse how much more is it so to crucifie him afresh after he is now become glorious immortall and Lord of all things To themselves They doe not crucifie him afresh really and properly for that cannot be but to themselves In respect of themselves they doe it for their falling away from the Christian Religion is all one as if they crucified Christ for by their falling away they judge and condemne him againe to have been a seducer a teacher of false doctrines and so to have been deservedly crucified And put him to an open shame They cast a publike ignominy and reproach upon him as is done to those who undergo a publike and infamous punishment This very wickednesse the Author expresseth in other words signifying the same thing chap. 10.29 where he saith They tread under foot the Sonne and account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing 7. For the earth He illustrates and withall confirmes his former assertion by an argument partly of similitude and partly of contrariety For while he shews what is done to good men that are fruitfull of good workes he shews withall what befalls men forgetfull of Gods benefits conferred upon them and ungratefull to him This simily hee proposeth in a concise and contracted forme of speech confounding and mingling the members of it as is frequently done both in Sacred and prophane Writers For hereupon he seems to say of the earth that because it is fruitfull therefore it receives blessing from God which cannot be said properly but only by way of compatison For God doth not blesse the earth with fruits as a reward of her fruitfulnesse for the blessing of God upon the earth is the inriching her with fruits as appears by the words of Isaac to Jacob Gen. 27.27 See the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed But because a fruitfull soile is tilled the more diligently hence it is that it more plentifully abounds in fruits And as we have noted the Author spake in this manner because in the reddition this simily it is properly true For when a man becomes like a fruitfull soile and abounds in the fruits of good workes then he receives ablessing from God in reward of his godlinesse Which drinketh in the raine that often commeth upon it The raine that often moisteneth the earth is like the gifts of God showred downe upon men whereof he treated ver 4.5 which are therefore fitly resembled to the raine often falling on the earth because they are manifold and plenteous sufficient to moisten the soul of man and make it spiritually fertill to produce divers fruits of good workes The raine may also resemble the frequent and daily preaching of Gods word which when it is preached is like a showre streaming downe from heaven to water and fructifie the soule of man But the former resemblance is more full and more fit to the point And bringeth forth hearbs meet for them for whom it is dressed The various fruits of vertue and workes acceptable to God done according to his Laws doe resemble those hearbs which the earth brings forth meet for them that dresse it or rather meet for them at whose charge and for whose sake it is dressed namely for the Lord of the soile to whom the fruits and revenues of it doe belong and accrue who in the reddition of the simily is God Hence the Apostle saith We are Gods labourers ye are Gods tillage yee are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Is dressed The earth besides the falling of raine upon it must have a diligent tilling or dressing For the raine alone is not sufficient to make the earth fruitfull in hearbs meet for the Owner of it unlesse it be also dressed by plowing or digging weeding and dunging Hence the vine-dresser pleaded for the barren fig-tree Lord let it alone this yeere also till I shall dig about it and dung it Luke 13.8 So also God doth not onely water our soules with his gifts as with frequent and seasonable showres but also affords us a diligent and various dressing by the labour of his Ministers to instruct exhort reprove and comfort us Receaveth blessing from God Why the Authour speakes thus of the earth and what that blessing is in reference to the earth we have shewed already in the enterance of this verse But in reference to men fruitfull in good workes this blessing of God signifies both a multiplying of his spirituall gifts in this life for to him that hath shall bee given saith Christ and every branch that beareth fruit God prunes it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15.2 and also chiefly the gift of eternall happinesse in the life to come For then God blesseth a man when he makes things to goe well with him but better things can never go with us then when he makes us eternally blessed and happy 8 But that which beareth thornes and briars That earth which is watered with frequent rain and diligently dressed doth not withstanding beare thornes and briars Whence it appeares that here the Author hath reference to men who have received the knowledge of divine truth as the assertion it selfe requires for proofe whereof he alledgeth these words and to such men who for no small time have been endowed with divers gifts and diligently dressed of God These thornes and briars are all sorts of evill workes which have no use but for evil for hence the Apostle calls them unfruitfull workes Ephes 5.11 Among which Apostasie or defection from Christ leads the first ranke And from this simily it is manifest that the judgement or punishment which expects apostates doth also wait for them who have affinity with apostates whom we mentioned before who after knowledge of the truth and after so many gifts and benefits bestowed by God upon them are yet indulgent to their sinnes and without all endeavour of a better life conformable to Gods lawes Is rejected In the originall is reprobated For no man is willing to labour in vain and to weary himselfe with fruitlesse workes When a piece of land hath been dressed and dunged with all labour and care and yet in stead of fruits bringeth forth nothing but thorns and briars and other weeds that yeeld no profit to the husbandman the manner is for men to meddle no more with
without an oath by so much is the new Covenant better then the old 21. For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath This whole verse must be read in a parenthesis because it containes an opposition between the old Priests and Christ in as much as they were made Priests without any oath of God but Christ with an oath By him that said unto him namely by him that said those words unto him Thou art a Priest for ever c. And by him that said those words to Christ God himself seems to be understood although the words next cited The Lord sware and will not repent him seeme not to be the words of God himself but of the Prophet who relates this oath of God But because the words following Thou art a Priest for ever are the words of God therefore by him that said unto him the Author might well meane God For although in these words there bee no oath of God expressed yet it is as much as if it had been expressed seeing the Prophet testifies that God uttering these words did swear which therefore the Author would not omit though he were to relate the words of God himselfe and not of the Prophet But if by him who said these words unto Christ we understand not God but the Prophet as some Interpreters upon that Psalme do who so expound these words as if the Psalmist had said The Lord sware c. Thou art a Priest for ever then the Prophet must be meant by a common forme of speech that Christ was made Priest by the Prophet because the Prophet by these words did foretell and declare that he should bee made Priest For many times in Scripture the declaring of a thing is said to be the doing of it In this sense Jeremy is said to have been appointed to root out and to destroy to build and to plant Jer. 1.10 So the Prophet Esay is said to raise up the tribes of Jacob to restore the preserved of Israel and to be given for a light to the Gentiles because he prophesied and foretold of these things The Lord sware and will not repent this oath argues that the matter of it was great certain and unchangeable and because God will not repent it therefore it was very good and acceptable to God So that the thing must not be altered or undone both in regard of the oath and of the goodnesse of it Unlesse by not repenting we conceive the setled constancie of God never to revoke or alter the matter For repentance attributed to God signifies only a change of the fact by way of resemblance from men who if they repent doe commonly alter the thing if it lye in their power 22. By so much was Iesus made the surety of a better testament These words are cleerely answerable to the beginning of the 20. verse as appeares by the particles of relation there and here in as much and by so much Jesus is called the surety of the Covenant or Testament because he contracted it with us in the Name of God and ratified it on Gods part making faith of it unto us that God would keepe the promises of his Covenant Not therefore as if he became our surety to God and tooke upon him the payment of our debts For we sent not Christ unto God is our name but God sent him to us in his Name And Christ came to us from God made a Covenant with us became surety for the promises of it and undertooke they should be performed And therefore he is not called a Surety simply but the Surety of the Covenant And he undertooke for the truth of Gods Covenant diverse wayes as by his perpetuall testimony in words for the force and strength of it by proving the faith of his function in it in many documents by his perfect innocency and holinesse of life by severall divine workes and miracles which he wrought by suffering a grievous death to assert the truth of his doctrine Hence his Apostle John produced those three witnesses of undoubted faith to confirme the truth of Christian Religion namely the Spirit water and bloud 1 John 5.8 Where by Spirit he understands that divine power in Christ which he shewed in his admirable workes by water the blamelesse and spotlesse life of Christ and by bloud his bloudy death For Christian truth approves it selfe by such witnesses That divine Spirit testified by so many wondrous workes doth it not evidently declare that Christ was a divine man sent from God and therefore that he preached nothing forged of himselfe but onely that which he had received from the God of truth Would that God who is most holy replenish an impostor with such so great gifts of his Spirit The most pure and holy life of Christ is it not an open testimony that Christ respected no earthly thing that he sought no worldly wealth no honors nor pleasures but had reposed all his hopes in God and in those heavenly goods which he promised unto others From whence otherwise could so great holinesse of life proceed and so great contempt of all worldly things For Impostors use not to trust in God and to expect from him the rewards of heaven Impostors use not to passe their life in such holinesse abstinence from all sin For why do they labour to delude men with their impostures and deceits Do they it only to deceive without any advantage to themselves and to expose themselves to nothing but diverse dangers and troubles which commonly accompany such impostures and making themselves guilty of this one thanklesse wickednesse to follow piety in all things else certainely nothing lesse Such kinde of persons seeke their owne commodity to gaine wealth to get a vaine glorious name and to abound in pleasure which whoso aymes at cannot leade a life innocent and void of all blame Hence the Apostle speaking of Impostors or false teachers doth justly affirme that they have their belly for their god and minde earthly things that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and have their conscience seared with a hot iron Phil. 3.18,19 and 1 Tim. 4.2 And Christ warning his Disciples to beware of false prophets tels them that such may be knowne by their fruits i. by their works which are an infallible signe of their deceit Doe men saith he gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.16 For however for a time they may dissemble and make shew of godlinesse yet they cannot do it constantly For feigned holinesse lasteth not long and covert wickednesse lyes not long hid The life therefore of Christ being carried on in one perpetuall tenor of innocency and holinesse doth wholly vindicate him from the crime of any imposture Hence Christ himselfe contends with the Jews by this argument Which of you convinceth me of sin and if I say the truth why do yee not beleeve me John 8 46. q.d. Either convince
he saith that Christ was not the sole but the first preacher of it and after him others who were taught it by him and sent forth by him to preach it universally over all parts of the world who therefore were called the Apostles or Emissaries of Christ And was confirmed unto us by them that heard him In the confirmation of the Gospel the preaching of it is included or thereby supposed The Law was confirmed or made stedfast not onely by judgements and punishments annexed against the transgressors of it but also the publishing of the Law was confirmed and certified with wonderfull sights and sounds as the lightnings and thunders and trembling of the Mount and the voice of a Trumpet exceeding shrill that sounded long waxing louder and louder so that all the people in the Camp trembled Exod. 19.16 Now lest any man should think that the Gospel either in this regard was inferiour to the Law or was but a vaine novelty that wanted solid arguments and proofes both for the verity of it and the publishing of it therefore the Gospel also was confirmed and certified with most divine testimonies that were without all exception and such as were never seene nor heard of in the world before Vnto us To this Author and others By them that heard him that heard Christ publish and preach the Gospel The Gospel was first confirmed firmed by Christ by vertue of his miracles and sufferings and afterward his publishing of the Gospel his miracles and sufferings were confirmed by them that heard his preaching saw both his miracles and sufferings even by them that were constant auditors of his doctrines and spectators of his miracles such as were especially the Apostles and disciples of Christ Hence it may not improbably be gathered That Paul was not the Author of this Epistle For hee never exempts himselfe from the number of the Apostles nor reckons himselfe as a hearer of the Apostles as the Author of this Epistle here doth Paul alwaies preserved his Apostolick authority and maintained it entire against all that maligned it and he was especially so to doe when hee had to deale with the Hebrewes or Jewes who depraved and slighted his authority Neither was any Apostle the Author of it but some Apostolick person who had learnt the Gospel from some Apostle 4. God also bearing them witnesse The Apostles after Christ did second Christ in preaching and confirming the Gospel yet they confirmed it not by their owne power but by divine power for the confirmation of it was from God because God did beare witnes of their doctrine and gave his suffrage to their sayings Who therefore would not yeeld his faith and belief to so great a confirmation and to so great a testimony of so great a witnes Neither could these things be denied by these Hebrewes to whom this Epistle is written seeing they themselves had seene and heard the preaching of the Gospel confirmed before them Both with signes and wonders and divers miracles Here hee shewes by what meanes God did confirme the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles namely by meanes of two sorts by the workes of miracles and by the gifts of the holy Ghost Signes were testimonies in generall that the Apostles were sent of God and spake the truth Wonders were signes also yet but one sort of signes namely the sublimest and most powerfull kinde that bred astonishment in the people such as raising the dead and the falling downe of Ananias dead And these signes and miracles were not all of one sort but various and diverse as casting out of devils raising the dead others falling downe dead giving sight to the blinde and blindnes to others as to Elymas the sorcerer by healing diseases not only by their word but by the shadow of Peter and by the handkerchief of Paul Concerning this confirmation of the Gospel St. Austine speaks very wittily Wee know saith hee that almost all the world was drawne unto Christ by the force of miracles They that deny this by eluding miracles they themselves make a greater miracle For when so few Apostles so unlearned men preached things so incredible to humane reason that all the world anciently seasoned with other Religions should beleeve them without any miracles this is a more incredible miracle then any of those miracles which they are said to have done And gifts of the holy Ghost for gifts the originall hath distributions The second meanes of confirming the Gospel preached by the Apostles was by the distributions or gifts of the holy Ghost This the Author names in particular because it is a most divine work most peculiar to the Gospel That at the preaching of the Apostles or at the laying on of their hands the holy Ghost was given to those that beleeved at their preaching He calls them distributions or gifts diversly imparted because the gifts in themselves were diverse and also were diversly imparted to diverse persons Not one and the same gift to all but one to one and another to another one to diverse and diverse to diverse in diverse manners to one in a lesse measure to another in a greater according to the measure both for quantity and quality that it pleased Christ to conferre these graces See 1. Cor. 12.11 and Ephes 4.5 For this variety and diversity in distributing the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost did greatly redound to the benefit and necessity of the Church who is one great Corporation or body mysticall composed of various and diverse members that some standing in need of others help might more mutually conspire in love and unitie among themselves According to his owne will The power to diversifie and varie the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost was not at the will and pleasure of the Apostles but was a prerogative reserved to God and the distribution was varied according to his own will 5. For unto the Angels He returnes to his former point of preferring Christ above the Angels for which he brings a new Argument and withall tacitely shewes the cause why Christ being one somewhat inferiour to the angels in respect of his mortall nature was at last advanced to be far greater and higher then they The reason hereof was because the future world to come was to be subject to Christ and not to the angels For to this purpose the words cited out of the eighth Psalme that the world to come must be subject to a man are by the Author applyed to Christ as the like is done by Paul 1. Cor. 15.27 and Ephes 1.22 And this testimony of Christ being made better then the angels seemes to be reserved for the last place because by this meanes he might both dissolve the doubt why Christ being first lower then the angels was at last made much higher then they and also might prepare himselfe an entrance to explicate the cause of that Imminution of Christ whereat he principally aimed and so gradually proceed to handle the Priesthood of Christ
or posterity of Abraham whether they be carnall by birth onely or spirituall by faith onely or both by birth and faith And he rather said the seed of Abraham in two respects 1. Because we often reade in Scripture that Christ is promised to no other men properly but to the posterity of Abraham or at least to his seed chiefly and in the first place 2. Because this word would be most pleasing to the Hebrews to whom he writes who were themselves the seed or posterity of Abraham But by this ambiguous appellation which might signifie the seed of Abraham whether carnall or spirituall he so ingratiates the Hebrews that withall he might tacitely invite them to continue Christians because Christians onely of what Nation soever they be are the spirituall seed of Abraham Gal. 3.29 For Christ was destinate to take hold of to help succour and save onely that spirituall seed as being their onely mercifull and faithfull high Priest And by the words here we must understand rather the spirituall seed of Abraham then the carnall but they that are his seed both wayes both carnally and spiritually as these Hebrewes were may challenge Christ in a manner by a double right to be their ayder and helper The summe of all is As in the former clause of this verse the Author proved the negative That Christ was not made an Angel because he was not to take hold of them to help and succour them So in this clause he proves the affirmative why he was made lower then the Angels why he tooke part of flesh and bloud Because by his death he was to take hold of the seed of Abraham to help and succour the faithfull in delivering them from the feare and bondage of death So the words shew not what Christ was by his birth but what he did by his death Hence now it plainly appeares how incongruously these words are wrested to Christs taking on him humane nature For this sence is contrary to the context and altogether crosse to right reasoning for by it the same truth is made a reason whereby to conclude it selfe At the fourteenth verse before this is laid downe for a truth That Christ tooke part of our flesh and bloud i. he did partake of humane nature of which truth how can a reason be given by this that hee tooke on him our humane nature seeing these two truths are identicall though not in words yet altogether in sence But if we understand these words of helping and succouring the faithfull then there runs a veine of evident reasoning Christ was made lower then the Angels and tooke part of flesh and bloud to what end that he might suffer death Why so To destroy the Devils power of death Why that Because he was to deliver men from the feare and bondage of death Why did he that Because he was to take hold of men to helpe and succour them who are the seed of Abraham 17. Wherefore in all things Hitherto he hath shewed that Christ must be a mortall man to suffer death now from the last cause of his helping or succouring men he teacheth that he must not onely be mortall but subject to divers afflictions and not onely subject but actually to suffer them and that not some few but even all wherewith the rest of the faithfull are afflicted It behooved him to be made like unto his brethren How and why the faithfull are the brethren of Christ hath before beene shewed and proved Yet in this place againe the word brethren carries a powerfull force of reasoning It behooveth a brother to helpe and succour his brother and Christ therefore takes hold of the faithfull to help and succour them because they are his brethren especially the seed of Abraham who are his brethren both by God and man And it behooveth also a brother to be like a brother and the more alike they are the more lovely they are to all and the more loving one to another And therefore it behooved Christ to be made like unto his brethren not onely in some one thing as in their nature to be made a little lower then the Angels as his brethren were or to take part of flesh and bloud as they did but also to be like them in all things even in their whole condition to be subject to afflictions and temptations as they are and actually to suffer all sorts of them as they doe yet he was not like them in sin for that is excepted Heb. 4.15 and a universall saying must alwayes abate when a particular exception is expresly made against it That he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Christ must be made like unto his brethren in nature that he might be their high Priest for the Priest and the people must be of one Nation he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified must be all of one and he was made like them in condition for suffering afflictions and therefore he must bee unto them a mercifull and faithfull high Priest 1. He must be mercifull to be touched with a sence of his brethrens miseries and sorrowes and to thinke them so his owne or so neere him that he may be moved readily to succour or help them as himselfe For mercy is a sorrow for anothers misery moving us to succour him 2. He must be faithfull to administer and performe all things with all care and diligence in their behalfe that concernes their sanctifying or succouring to expiate their sins and help them from misery And this faithfulnesse takes some roote and growth from mercifulnesse for mercy doth beget and nourish faithfulnesse Now that Christ might be truly mercifull and faithfull to his brethren in all things therefore he must bee made like them in all things even in all their afflictions and sorrowes In things pertaining to God The office of the high Priest in generall was this to administer in things pertaining to God as to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin as the Author explicates it afterward chap. 5.1 And it was peculiar and proper to the high Priest to expiate or make atonement for the sins of the whole people together and not of single persons by themselves for that was common to other Priests This popular Expiation was performed by Christ our high Priest when after the shedding of his bloud on earth he entred into heaven as into the Sanctuary or holiest of all there to appeare in the presence of God to make Intercession for us that is that resting in heaven with God he might administer and performe all things that concernes our deliverance from the punishments of our sins To make reconciliation for the sins of the people The end of the office of the high Priest was to make reconciliation for the sins of the people i. To propitiate or expiate their sinnes The word in the originall signifies to cover hence the cover of the Arke was called the propitiatory because it covered the Tables of the Law that lay in
But we have already shewed that the Israelites in Massa tempted God not with excesse of trust but with defect of it The like words in the like sence are used by Peter Acts 15 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoake upon the neck of the Disciples c. q.d. Hath not God already given us experiments and arguments enough and sufficient that we should not impose upon the Disciples the yoke of legall Ceremonies seeing he hath given the holy Ghost to them as well as to us seeing he hath made no difference betweene us and them purifying their hearts by faith why therefore as if the thing were not already apparent enough do ye require more arguments and tokens of it and so tempt God 9. When your fathers tempted me Me here is referred to God whom the Israelites tempted for here according to an usuall forme in Scripture the person is changed and God himselfe is brought in speaking of himselfe whereas in the words before David spake of God in the third person but now brings in God speaking in the first person of himselfe In the Originall it is not when but where for here the circumstantiall particle is not temporall for the time when they tempted but locall for the place where they tempted and that place hath reference to the wildernesse immediately before mentioned For in the wildernesse they tempted God not onely at that time but afterwards also at divers other times and in other particular places of that wildernesse For at Cadeshbarnea whence the twelve spies were sent to search the land of Canaan and upon their returne the people bad stone Caleb and Joshuah because they discented from the other ten who had brought up an evill report upon the Land then the Lord complaines that they had provoked him long and often that they had long distrusted him notwithstanding all the signes he had shewed amongst them Numb 14.11 And againe at ver 22. he complaines that they had tempted him now ten times i. very many times Proved me He expresseth the same thing in another word For as to tempt a man argues distrust and doubt of him so also to prove him And saw my workes The particle and is by an Hebraisme put for although q.d. If they had not seene my wondrous works it had beene lesse wonder that they tempted me but now although they see them yet they doubt of my power and goodnesse toward them what a strange diffidence and distrust is this What works God wrought both in Egypt and in the Wildernesse to certifie the people of his promise and to gaine faith for their passage into Canaan are largely described in the books of Exodus and Numbers Forty yeares This space of forty yeares as the history it selfe and the Hebrew text and this Author also signifies at ver 17. must be referred forwards to Gods indignation whereby he was grieved with them for the space of forty yeares Yet it is true also that this space may be referred backward as the Septuagint have pointed it to the peoples tempting of God and seeing his works for the space of forty yeares for so long the people tempted him and so long saw his works For even at the expiration of those yeares when Miriam was dead in Cadesh they againe murmured against Moses and Aaron for want of water as their fathers had done before at Meriba and Massa and that place also was branded by the name of Meriba or waters of strife where the diffidence or distrust in God was greater then any formerly for it was extended even to Moses and Aaron who were also infected with the sin of it Numb 20. And this seemes to be cause of the Greek pointing and reading which this Author followed having fallen upon it that he might not seeme to make any alteration in it though afterward at the 17. verse he plainly shews that he was not ignorant of the true reading as it was pointed in the Hebrew But here is meant that other tentation mentioned Numb 14. upon which God sware the people should not enter into his rest as appeares by the verses here following Hence appeares their errour who from hence conclude that the holy Ghost is that God who was tempted of the Jews therefore because here God himselfe speakes and saith he was tempted of their fathers and the Author affirmes that the holy Ghost spake these things These men marke not that from the first words of this place and so from the former of the whole Psalme wherein David himselfe speakes in very deed in his owne person and professeth himselfe one of Gods people to worship and serve God it will by the same reason follow that the holy Ghost is also David For the former words wherein David is brought in speaking are no lesse attributed to the holy Ghost When the sayings of holy Writers are attributed to the holy Ghost we are not thereby to understand that the holy Ghost is that person who indeed speaks or to whom those things really agree which he attributes to himselfe that speakes or is brought in speaking but onely that those sayings were uttered by the vertue and motion of the holy Ghost and not onely by the will and pleasure of men whosoever the person be that speaketh as Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 1.21 For otherwise there must be one onely person alwaies brought in speaking namely the holy Ghost to whom alone all sayings must be attributed which he attributes to himselfe that speaketh then which nothing can be further from the truth For the Prophets for the most part use to speake in their owne persons sometime they bring in God speaking whose Spirit the Holy Ghost is sometime they bring in other persons Besides from this that the words of God are attributed to the Holy Ghost we cannot rightly conclude that therefore the Holy Ghost is God himselfe Are they not rightly attributed to him therefore because God speaks by him as we read that the words of Christ are attributed to the Spirit Rev. 2.7 although the Spirit be not Christ So Paul Rom. 11.4 attributes the words of God to the oracle and this Author cap. 12.5 attributes the words of God to the Exhortation not that either the oracle or the exhortation is God but because God is supposed to speake by the oracle and the exhortation 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation That is a Generation according to Scripture which comprehends the men that live within the period of one and the same age And that generation wherewith God was grieved were those persons of Israel whom hee brought out of Egypt who saw his mighty workes and received the Law at Mount Sinai This generation provoked and tempted God and therefore God was grieved with it God is not passively grieved as man but then he is said to be grieved when he doth such actions as persons grieved use to doe especially being thereto provoked by the sinnes of men And said they doe
the testimonies are alleadged for the same thing Some men that they may elude the true sense of the former testimony which the Holy Ghost shewes to be in the words Thou art my Sonne To day have I begotten thee say that those words are not alleadged as a testimony of Gods collating the Priesthood upon Christ but as a description of him who conferred this office upon him There men doe a manifest injury to the truth and to the words of the Author For how should these following words agree with the former as he saith also in another place doth hee not by these latter words manifestly declare that now another place or Psalm is cited by him wherein the same point is proved for which the former testimony was produced For ever The Priestood of Christ shall last for ever in the person of Christ without ever having any successour in his office for his office shall last as long as there needs any expiation for sinnes even to the end of the world and so long he shall continue in that office After the order of Melchisedeck The duration or terme of Christs Priesthood shall runne out like the duration of Melchisedecks Priesthood or as the Author expresseth himselfe afterward chap. 7.15 after the similitude of Melchisedeck But of these words we shall speake further chap. 7. where the Author explicates this likenesse more fully But here he tacitly meets with a doubt which some man might imagine touching the Priesthood of Christ in that Christ descended not from the family of Aaron or tribe of Levi to which tribe the Priesthood was limited by the Law of God For the type of Melchisedeck doth not only require an eternall Priesthood but also requires that no respect of tribe or family should be had therein as we shall shew hereafter 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh From the third property required in a high Priest and concluded to agree with Christ he ascends now to the second property and saith that Christ also was compassed with infirmity and by reason thereof offered for himselfe This he shews in this 7. verse and then at the 8. verse he inferres that from this infirmity Christ learned to be mercifull toward the distressed and afflicted In the dayes of his flesh By flesh hee understands the infirmity of Christ for flesh is the subject of infirmity and in a manner the cause of it And the dayes of his flesh are the dayes wherein he suffered for in that time chiefly his infirmity most appeared For then it most appeared that Christ was flesh When he had offered prayers and supplications Now he shews that Christ offered also for himselfe Of which his oblation his infirmity and afflictions were the cause the sence whereof how deepely it struck into his soule and how greatly it exercised him appeares from the things which he offered For he shews distinctly both what he offered and to whom as also the adjunct of his offering and the issue of it The matter of his offering was Prayers This is a generall word to signifie all petitions or rather all kinde of speech unto God And supplications which are the prayers or petitions of supplicants whose manner is to fall upon their knees casting themselves at the feet or touching the knees of them to whom they make their prayer The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as some Interpreters note doth properly signifie an olive-branch wrapped about with wooll which supplicants held in their hands Hence we may easily imagine in what anguish of soule Christ was and what pangs of paine he felt when he was driven to such earnest prayers and devout supplications But what prayers and supplications the Author means will appeare from the words following wherein the person to whom he prayed is described in such manner that thence wee may easily understand what he prayed although the adjunct of his prayer doth partly also declare it Vnto him that was able to save him from death In these words he shews not only the person to whom Christ offered but also the cause why he offered him prayers and what the thing was for which he so earnestly prayed And this is the cause why he would describe God after this manner rather then simply name him for therefore he so devoutly supplicated to God because God onely is hee that can save from death which Christ by his prayers chiefly requested He indeed requested some other things besides for in the garden hee petitioned that the cup might passe from him i. he there was an humble supplicant prostrate upon his knees and afterward on his face praying againe and againe with great ardour of minde that hee might be delivered from the great anguish and heavinesse which hee felt in his soule And hanging upon the crosse he poured forth this lamentation unto God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherein hee prayed that God would put an ease and an end to his extreme paines But the summe and breviate or at least the head of all those prayers was this for his delivery from death For hee that is delivered from death in that sence that Christ here desired hee hath found an end of all paines both of soule and body and hath obtained supreme happinesse This delivery Christ prayed for in commending his Spirit to God when he was ready to expire For to commend the spirit to God or to pray that God would receive it into his hands what is it else but to pray that he would preserve it and afterward restore it and consequently to recal him from death to life whose spirit it is That the Author had respect to these prayers of Christ it may appeare by their adjunct which he also mentions in saying That his prayers were offered up With strong crying and teares The holy History of the Evangelists doe testifie that Christ hanging upon the Crosse complained in the words of the Psalme with a great cry that God had forsaken him and afterward being ready to expire he commended his Spirit to God But the Sacred History mentions not any teares of Christ shed at that time yet notwithstanding it appeares that it was so and was knowne to the Authour to bee so Now this cry and teares doe further shew how deepely the sence of paine was impressed into him when it forced him to expresse such cryes and teares Hence it appeares further that Christ thus exercised with so great a sence of paines himselfe cannot but be moved at the miseries and paines of his people cannot but willingly hear the dolefull cryes and complaines and affoord his opportune succour and help in their afflictions and distresses From these words of the Authour it appeares how Christ offered for himselfe namely that hee offered not himselfe but his prayers for himselfe and then he offered them not when he became immortall in his heavenly Tabernacle but in the dayes of his flesh or infirmity For when he became immortall he could not
then offer for this end that he might be saved from death which as wee have cleared from the words of the Authour was indeed the end of his offering Besides being in heaven he offered himselfe immaculate and therefore had no need to offer for himselfe there Wherefore Christ offered one way for himselfe and another way for us for for himselfe hee offered prayers on earth for us he offered himselfe in heaven for himselfe when yet he was mortall or in the dayes of his flesh for us when he was made an immortall and eternall Spirit And was heard The effect and issue of these prayers offered was this that he was delivered and saved not from death for hee suffered it and dyed but out of death from whence he was raised For whom God heareth praying in that manner him he delivers and frees though not from his misery before he suffer it yet out of it after hee hath suffered So speakes David as a type of Christ Psal 22.21 Thou hast heard mee from the hornes of the Vnicornes i. as learned men have noted thou hast heard to save me from extreame dangers So that the word heard is taken here Metonymically to include the effect of his hearing hee was heard and saved In that he feared Hee was saved from or out of the thing hee feared namely out of death The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some take for a passionate feare the object whereof here in Christ was death and so by a Metonymie feare is here put for death the act for the object or thing to be feared For of all terrours death is most terrible and fearfull and this feare was the cause of his prayers and supplications at least of the cryes and teares wherewith they were offered And then this example of Christ may teach us partly with what fervency of soule we must implore the help of God in the times of our distresses partly what things especially we must pray for partly wherein that opportune help chiefly consists whereof the Author spake in the end of the former chapter namely in this that Christ saveth us out of death into eternall life Others take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a reverentiall or religious feare for this sence is set in the margent of our last translation that he was heard for his pietie And then the object of his pietie reverence or fear was God to whom he prayed And so this feare of God was the proper motive to this offering of Christ and to all the circumstances of his offering His offering it selfe proceeded from his pietie or feare of God for every offering is an act of pietie His prayers and supplications proceeded from it for prayer also is an act of pietie his cryes and teares proceeded from it for they also are concurrents of pietie and fervent devotion His exaudition in being heard of God proceeded from it for Gods hearing of our prayers is the fruit of our pietie and devotion seeing God heareth not impious and sinfull persons but such as are pious to reverence and worship him and doe his will those hee heareth John 9.31 The prayers of Christ were supplications i. as before is noted petitions exhibited upon the knees with great worship and reverence given to God His prayers in the garden were such supplications performed with great worship and reverence bowing toward God for first hee fell upon his knees and afterward hee went more humbly and fell upon his face And his prayers on the crosse were supplications also as the Author termeth them and therefore performed with reverent bowing also such as was possible for Christ to use in that case being stretched and nailed upon the crosse where because he could not bow his knees therefore as the Sacred story relates it hee bowed his head when hee cryed and commended his spirit unto God Which bowing of his head was not a simple act of a dying man as some Interpreters slightly passe it over but an act of worship and reverence of a pious man that was making his offering unto God by prayers and supplications adding cryes and teares and all religious meanes for exaudition that God might heare him Wherefore it carries a very congruous sence to say that Christ was heard for his pietie i. for the feare and reverence he used toward God in his prayers and supplications for fear is the inward motion of the soule from which the outward worship and reverend bowings of the body do proceed And these outward reverences of bowing the head bowing the body and bowing the knees are acts of worship unto God which have beene used by Gods people in all ages of the world For bowing the head See Gen. 24.26.48 and Exod. 4.31 and Exod. 12.27 and Exod. 34.8 and 1. Chro. 29.20 and 2. Chro. 20.18 and 2. Chro. 29.30 and Nehem. 8.6 Hence it appeares also from this example of Christ that our prayers and supplications unto God should proceed from inward piety and fear of God and should be offered unto him with outward worship and reverence accompanyed with cryes and teares in times of extreme distresses if we mean to have exaudition that God should graciously heare us 8. Who though he were a son Christ by the evils which he suffered became such a one as to have compassion on those who labour to obey God through difficulties and sufferings Hee learned obedience He learned what it is to obey God what a difficult and harsh duty it is how bitter and unpleasing to flesh and blood For in this place hee takes obedience for that part of obedience which is seene in difficult and hard cases such as are these to be afflicted and suffer death for the justice and truth of God Yet I conceive the word obedience is here to be understood more literally and derivatively from audience for a giving of audience Christ who upon his prayers and supplications made to God with cryes and teares to save him from death had audience of God and was heard therein did therby learne to give audience and hearing to his people when in their distresses they offer up prayers and supplications with cryes and teares to him thereby to have compassion on them and deliver them from their distresses For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here fitly renderd obedience doth carry an elegant symploce of sence both of audience to heare another what he would have done and of obedience to doe the thing which he hath heard And that very act of compassion in Christ in hearing the distressed though it be his audience to them yet it is his obedience to God who ordained a high Priest for that function By the things that hee suffered In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of or from the things that he suffered so it is rendred Mat. 24.32 Learne a parable of the figtree Christ by or from his owne evills and sufferings learned what bitternesse and trouble there lyes in suffering persecutions for righteousnesse
accustomed to do evill The man accustomed to evill cannot ordinarily recover from his evill custome but if he do the case is extraordinary by an extraordinary influence of Gods grace upon him Who were once enlightned He begins to describe those men that have beene converted unto Christ In which description he declares what graces such men have received from God Whence it is no mervaile if upon their neglect and contempt of so great graces God do afterward reprobate and reject them Men converted are enlightned with the light of the Gospel wherewith as the Apostle speakes Christ hath brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 whereby he hath expeld all errors all darknesse and blindnesse of minde And have tasted of the heavenly gift The article the added to gift doth designe and specifie some extraordinary and notable gift Yet he meanes not the gift of the holy Ghost because he mentions that particularly by it selfe presently after And therefore he rather meanes that which ariseth and followeth in the minde after it is enlightned with the Gospell such as is the tranquility and peace of minde which growes from the knowledge of a plenary pardon of all our sins and the pleasing joy which issues from the hope of eternall life For these are truly heavenly gifts which men converted unto Christ have tasted by feeling the pleasantnesse and sweetnesse of them in their soules And were made partakers of the holy Ghost Men converted unto Christ are made partakers of that divine power and efficacy whereby their minds are yet more cleerely and certainly enlightned whereby those heavenly gifts are enlarged and increased unto them for the greater beauty ornament and comfort of their soules whereby they are sealed unto the day of redemption whereby they receive an earnest a pledge and an assurance of their heavenly inheritance and whereby they perceive the certaine truth of their Christian faith which procures such great benefits from God unto them 5. And have tasted the good word of God The good word of God although it may signifie the whole doctrine of the Gospel which is very faire and good every way consonant to reason and honesty yet by use of Scripture it seemes to signifie particularly that part of Gods word which containes Gods promises because when God makes us a promise he therein gives us his word And as Gods other revealed verities are his true word so his promises are his good word because they alwayes entitle us to some good which is conveyed in his promise So Gods promise to the Jews for the release of their Captivity is called his good word and his performance of that promise is called the performance of his good word because both the promise and especially the performance of it brought a great good to the people of God Thus saith the Lord that after seventy yeares be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and performe my good word toward you in causing you to returne to this place Jer. 29.10 This promise or good word was given unto them before as ye may reade Jer. 25.12 And so Gods promise of Christ in raising a Branch of righteousnesse unto David was his good word and the performance of it is called a performance of that good thing which he promised See Jer. 33.14,15 And the powers of the world to come These powers seeme to be those eminent qualities of that world and life to come such as are everlasting pleasure glory beauty dignity strength and force a totall freedome from all evill and a totall fulnesse of all good Of these powers or qualities men converted unto Christ have tasted because they are not onely enlightned with the knowledge of them and delighted with the hope of them but also affected with an unspeakeable sense of them 6. If they fall away Wee have noted before that the Authour treats not here of a simple falling into sin but of a falling away which is Apostacy whereof he before also made mention chap. 3.13 This may be proved from 2. grounds 1. Because God doth not use to reprobate men converted unto Christ and put in that state which the Authour formerly described if after their conversion adhering still to the Christian religion if they fall simply into whatsoever sin For the Apostle saith If any man sinne any man that hath given himselfe to Christ we have an advocate with the Father Jesu Christ the righâ—eous 1 John 2.1 From these words it is plaine that men converted unto Christ shall obtaine pardon of God even of those sinnes which they have committed after their conversion in case they forsake them and wholly cast off the yoke of sinne and follow Christian vertues For if they were not pardoned for such lapses then Christ were not their advocare 2. The Author speaks here of such as crucifie the Son of God againe and put him to an open shame as appears in this verse But this can agree to none but Apostates as we shall see in the explication of those words Yet there are some sinnes which by way of analogie may be reduced to Apostacie as those that are committed presumptuously with a high hand after knowledge of the truth i. casting away all feare and reverence of God For hee that yet retaines and embraceth the doctrine of Christ in his minde cannot let himselfe so loose unto sinne Or if a man after the knowledge of the truth and reception of the Christian faith have no serious thoughts of repentance and amendment of life but indulge himselfe to sinne as freely and as loosely as he did before Or having cast off the yoke of sin doe againe deliver up himselfe to the servitude and bondage of sinne The miserable and dolefull condition of such men is described by Peter 2 Pet. 2. For such men seem little to regard the holinesse of Christian Religion which they had embraced and therefore come not much short of them who altogether reject it But he that in hope of retaining the reward promised by Christ doth alwayes carry a minde to forsake sinne and seriously endeavours it though for some time he cast not away the custome of some vice or make himselfe guilty of some heynous sinne through infirmity is not therefore so wholly reprobated and accursed that it should prove impossible for him to be recovered from such sinnes and after recovery to be justified and saved To renew them againe unto repentance To renew is a verb of active signification and notes the act of another upon one so fallen away From whence it appeares in his former words verse 1. where he said not laying againe the foundation c. and at the 3. verse and this will we doe doth really speake either of himselfe alone or at least as including himselfe as the renewer of such For in these words hee shewes the cause of those q.d. Take heed that we be not forced to renew you againe to repentance because it is impossible to renew againe to repentance those
common use For this sanctifying as the word following shewes consisteth onely in purifying of the flesh All the sanctifying that proceeded from the offerings of the bloud of calves and goates or from the sprinkling of the ashes of an heifer was but a carnall purifying to cleanse the flesh The Ceremoniall uncleannesses wherewith men by chance were defiled were expiated by these offerings and sprinklings and the partie predefiled became purified so that now it was lawfull for him to converse with other men to come to the Temple to be present at divine servivices and to partake of the Sacrifice from all which his former uncleannesse debarred him So that this Puritie or cleannesse of the flesh was both the end and effect of the offering of bloud and sprinkling of ashes 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ Some man may think that the Author should not have drawne his argument à mirori but rather à pari seeing there seemes an equalitie of reason on both sides that as well the legall sacrifice as that of Christ had a like force to produce their effects the blood of beasts to purifie the flesh and the blood of Christ to purifie the conscience But we must note that the blood of beasts and the offering of it is not altogether of like nature to purifie the flesh as the blood of Christ offered to God by the spirit is to the cleansing of the conscience For if we looke upon the nature of the thing what force hath the blood of beasts offered in the Sanctuary that thereby it should cleanse the flesh or be reputed to cleanse it Was not this effect of purifying the flesh tyed to the shedding and offering of that blood onely by the decree of God and that it might bee accounted to have this effect must they not have a knowledge of Gods decree by some other meanes But for the blood of Christ after the shedding of it there followed the offering of Christ himselfe in the heavenly Tabernacle or the shedding of Christs blood joyned with the offering of Christ himselfe as the Author considers the blood of Christ here seeing Christ therefore shed it that hee might offer himselfe in the Sanctuary of heaven both as a Priest and as a Sacrifice The blood of Christ I say if we respect the nature of the thing hath a potent force to purge our consciences or is the true and effectuall cause of their being purged For in the offering of Christ as wee have already said somwhat and more shall afterward is contained his singular and onely care of our salvation in heaven from whence the purifying of our consciences and the plenary remission of our sinnes doth flow and proceed as from the proper cause of it Furthermore that the blood of Christ may be knowne to have so great force looking on the nature of Christs death and the circumstances of it every man may easily be admonished of it For Christ by his blood did strongly maintain the truth of his doctrine having shed his blood he entred into heaven the habitacle of immortall life that what he had promised by his words hee might testifie to all men by his example having shed his blood and entered into his heavenly Sanctuary hee offered himselfe an immaculate sacrifice to God for us having shed his blood he obtained all power both in heaven and earth all judgement and arbitrement of our salvation Neither to obtaine this was the bloodshed of Christ a bare condition that of it owne nature and proper efficacy conferred nothing to it but seeing it conteineth so hard a worke of vertue and obedience a worke so acceptable to God and so advancing to his glory even of it own nature it had force and power to procure this power unto Christ and to produce in us the cleansing of our conscience Hee that ponders all this in his minde can he doubt but that by the blood of Christ he is expiated from all staine of sinne if he embrace the faith of Christ with all his heart and afterward as farre as the hope of eternall life can encourage him keep himselfe undefiled and pure from all staine of sinne Thus the nature and force of Christs death being considered the Authour with very good reason doth draw and conclude this his argument not from a parity of reason but from a disparity or from the lesse to the greater The blood of Christ There seemes an Emphasis in these words of the Author to make it yet more fully appeare how great force his blood hath in cleansing our consciences As if he had said The blood not of an ordinary man which yet is better then that of beasts but of Christ who is the unigenit son of God feated in heaven at the right hand of God and reigning over all creatures Shall not this blood have much more force to purge the conscience then the blood of beasts had to purifie the flesh Now that we may a little prevent the words of the Author the cleansing of our conscience is attributed to the blood of Christ both as it is the blood of the Covenant whereby the new Covenant is established and as it is the blood of the sacrifice which is offered for us in that heavenly Sanctuary both which the Authour hath conjoyned saving that he explicates the first last and the last first because it belongs to his Priesthood as the former is referred to his Mediatorship which two functions of Christ were fitly conjoyned in the mention of his blood for they are both coupled in the death of Christ for his Mediatorship ended in his death and his Priesthood began there But how the blood of Christ purgeth our consciences as it is the bloud of the Covenant wee shall see hereafter Yet now we shall adde thus much that the new Covenant was established by the bloud of Christ not onely as appointed so by God in manner as the bloud of calves and goates was of old appointed for the establishing of the old covenant but even the very nature and condition of his bloud was of great efficacy thereto For who can doubt of the truth of that covenant for confirmation whereof the bloud of Christ was shed who made this covenant in the name of God and afterward became our heavenly King Who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Here the Author clearly expresseth by what meanes the bloud of Christ as it was the bloud of the sacrifice had so much power force as to purge our consciences namely because Christ having shed his bloud did through the eternall Spirit offer himself without spot to God in the heavenly Sanctuary Hence it is manifest that the bloud of Christ had so far power to expiate our sins as the shedding of it was seconded by Christ his offering of himselfe in heaven which could not follow unlesse Christ had first shed his bloud For the bloud of Christ not onely as it is the bloud of
the New Testament as we shewed in the former Chapter to containe the remission of all our sinnes even the most heinous and consequently to be of force to purge our conscience And because it is a Testament therefore it was first to be confirmed by death which here neither can nor must be any other then the death of Christ Whence it is manifest that the death or bloud of Christ as it confirmes the New Testament doth purge our conscience from dead workes The particle and shews that a new argument is alledged and the words for this cause note the finall cause for which Christ died He is the Mediatour of the New Testament Wee now use the word Testament and not Covenant because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies a Testament and not a Covenant though sacred Writers use it to signifie also a Covenant And the ambiguity of the word did well serve the Author to draw his argument from that which must needs be done in a Testament And to speake a little yet more accurately Testament and Covenant differ but alternly as genus and species For every Testament is a Covenant though not è contra for though the heire doe not covenant with the Testator at the making of the Testament because that may be done altogether without his knowledge which is necessarily required in him that covenanteth Yet he covenants at the validity of the Testament for when the Covenant takes effect by his acceptance of the condition specified in the Testament and by his entrance upon the Inheritance then though before he were free he covenants ex Lege to performe the will of the Testatour So that every Testament at least when it is consummate and valid is a kinde of Covenant and it is the best kinde of Covenant 1. Because it is most solemnely testified by sealing and witnessing from whence it is called a Testament 2. Because it is most preciously confirmed even by death and the death of him that makes it who establisheth his owne deed by his owne death 3. Because it containes an extraordinary benefit in conveying the Testators inheritance and whole estate to the heire And lastly because it proceeds with the greatest freedome in leaving the heire to his liberity whether he will accept of the Inheritance or not Now this New Testament is the last will of God which must stand for ever because it is already confirmed and therefore cannot be revoked But how Christ is the Mediatour of it hath beene partly shewed before chap. 8.6 and is partly to be shewed afterward yet his Mediatorship consisteth chiefly in these two acts first in declaring or publishing it and then in confirming or establishing it by his death as a Testament ought to be That by meane of death for the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance Here is a file of finall causes linked one to another whereof the last end is the obtaining of an eternall inheritance the intermean is the redemption for the transgressions which were under the first Testament the prime Mean to these two former subordinate ends whereby they are successively atrained is death which in a Testament must necessarily intervene Hence we may see that the redemption of transgressions doth properly depend and flow from the New Testament and the death of Christ doth give force and strength to this Testament The word Redemption is put for Expiation as was shewed ver 12. For Expiation is one kinde or sort of Redemption both because the effect of expiation is a delivery and because also the meanes or it whereby it is wrought is an expence for it commonly costeth bloud Hence some Translators in this place render it Expiation But because the word Redemption carries the sense of Expiation therefore it both followes the construction of it and is simply called the redemption of transgressions either for their expiation as wee have said In which sense the Scripture speakes elswhere For Prov 16.6 where the vulgar Latine reads it By truth iniquity is redeemed there our English translation hath it By truth iniquity is purged i. expiated Or for redemption from transgressions For Cicero himselfe in a sense not unlike saith Liberationem culpa for à culpâ And he useth the word Transgressions whereby grievous sinnes are commonly signified to shew us what sinnes chiefly are remitted in the New Testament namely heynous and grievous sinnes for which in the Old Testament there was no expiation allowed but the punishment of death imposed Wherefore he addeth Which were under the first Testament He means which remained in force or could not be expiated or for which no remission was allowed under the Law But hee seems withall to intimate that those grievous sinnes had their being and were wont to bee committed under the Old Testament whereas the New Testament together with their guilt doth wholly take away their being in them who cordially beleeve the promises of it For that this is the force and effect of the New Testament and of the bloud of Christ we have already shewed partly in the eight Chapter and partly here And he mentions not the expiation of transgressions only or grievous sins therfore as if under the New Testament also all lighter sins were not expiated but it is as much as if he had said Yea even of those transgressions under c. For somtimes the Scripture speaketh simply not to exclude other things but to teach us that those other things wherof there might be greater doubt are included which being thoght included much more is it to be thought so of the rest So Psal 25.8 David saith of God That he is good and upright therefore wil he teach sinners in the way i. Yea even sinners and not righteous men only though he will teach them also and much rather for so he presently addes in the verse following The meeke will he guide in judgement and teach his way So Paul Rom. 4.5 saith That God justifieth the ungodly not that he justifieth him onely but that hee is so gracious as to justifie him also Or else the Authour mentions only transgressions or grievous sins to shew that they chiefly are expiated under the new Testament and that this is the proper fruit of the new Testament and of the oblation of Christ But if the guilt of grievous sins be taken away under the new Testament much more must it be true of lighter sinnes Besides grievous sins do much more grieve the conscience then lighter for to lighter sinnes there was some expiation granted in the law whereby men might imagine that God of his infinite goodnes would also release the penalty of eternall death but to the other no expiation was allowed Might receive the promise To receive the promise of eternall inheritance doth in this place signifie to enter the reall possession of the eternall inheritance which was before promised and not to receive the promise
of it onely Therefore those grievous sinnes whereof men stood guiltie and for which they were subject to eternall death must first be expiated before they can enter and receive the eternall inheritance For those sinnes did hinder men from entring it which being purged away now nothing hinders but they may take possession of it But who shall do this shall all promiscuously no certainly but they which are called i. They to whom this eternal inheritance is offered by the Gospel of Christ and who accept this great grace of God by a lively faith For both of these use to be included in the word called But he simply saith they which are called might receive this eternall inheritance because all which are called may receive it if they will and be not wanting to themselves for in God and Christ there is no let 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator Here he gives the cause why he said that by meanes of death this effect of remission of sinnes and receiving the eternall inheritance doth follow because saith he where a Testament is there of necessity the death of the Testator must intervene which reason hee confirmes by a Super-reason in the verse following But here some man may object that the Author doth but sophisticate with words and not draw a reall argument from the thing it selfe Seeing Christ was not the Author of any testament properly but onely the Mediatour of the Covenant although the Greeke writers use the word Testament to signifie a Covenant But the ambiguity of the word must not confound the natures and properties of the things so that what is true of one thing which the ambiguous word signifies should forthwith bee transfered to the other signified by the same word We answer That the speech is here of such a thing as is common to both the significations of the word the proper and improper or rather the generall and the speciall i. that is Covenant and Testament for we said before that every Testament is a Covenant an especiall and best kind of Covenant For Covenant is a generall name whereby those things are called that are more properly named leagues and testaments both which are Covenants And indeed almost throughout the old testament the originall word which our English translation renders Covenant doth properly signifie a League and were better so rendered for because God is a publike person and so is mankinde also therefore all Gods Covenants with man are properly Leagues Hence the Latine translations both vulgar and others constantly render them Faedera So for a testament if we consider the nature of it accuratly then any solemne act of any person testified by his death is properly a testament and he who testifies anothers act though he be no Author but onely the assertor of it is properly the testator of it For hence the Civilians have borrowed their termes of Testament and Testator which commonly concurre in the same person yet not necessarily but accidentally for whatsoever witnesse will testifie upon his death the verity and certainty of another mans last Will and Testament such a witnesse is truely a testator to that Testament And he that mediats to certifie a mans Testament and mediats so farre as to testifie it with his death hee is both the mediator and the testator of that Testament so that a mediator and a testator in respect of the same Testament are not functions incompatible but consentaneous that may easily concurre in the same person Yea hee that in this sence is the testator of a Testament is necessarily thereupon the mediator of it So that Gods two solemne Covenants or rather his Leagues the old and the new are truely and properly called Testaments because they are both testified by bloud and death to certifie confirme and establish them for the old Testament was testified by the bloud and death of calves and goates which was therefore called the bloud of the Testament as it is declared in the verses following But because the new Testament was testified certified confirmed and established by the death and bloud of Christ therefore Christ though hee were not the Author of it yet is most truely and properly the testator of it And because Christ did mediate for this Testament to certifie and publish it to the world that the old and former testament was abrogated and revoaked and that this new one was the last Will and Testament of his Father therefore also be was most truely and properly the Mediatour of it And hee was so constant and earnest a Mediator to certifie the truth of this new Testament that thereupon hee became the testator of it also to testifie and confirme it with his death and blood Nay because Christ was the Testator of it therefore hee must necessarily also be the Mediator of it for no man will testifie that truth or that cause with his bloud for which he no way mediats seeing he â—hat no way mediats for a thing will 〈◊〉 testifie it with his blood Wherefore in the words of these 16. and 17 verses though the Author for a while supposeth and takes it for graunted that not onely death but the death of the Testator which here is Christ must needs intervene to confirme the new Testament yet a little after at the 23. verse and so forward hee clearly demonstrats it For there he teacheth that the matter must not nor could not be effected by the bloud of beasts because he was both the Mediator and the high Priest of the Covenant or League who when he was to appeare before God in his heavenly Sanctuary and there to performe his offering certainly he was not to slay some beast to bring the bloud of it into that Sanctuary but must shed his own bloud to make himselfe his owne offering in heauen thereby to confirme and establish the new League or Covenant which as he might do so he must doe it for the great dignity and sublimity of the particulars therein contained So that in this respect the new Covenant comes neerer to the nature of a Testament then of a League which was the proper nature of the old Covenant For what effect could there be in the bloud of a beast to confirme and make faith unto us of heavenly promises Such a Confirmation had very ill beseemed this divine and heavenly Covenant especially seeing it might be confirmed by other bloud more sutable to it and by bloud that notwithstanding was to be shed for another cause which cause hath already been shewed at the 14. verse Whence wee may perceive that in these words in this 16. verse as they are also extended to Covenants or Leagues and to the Authors and Mediators of them somthing must be understood to make the truth of them fully to appeare which yet is not expressed because it makes nothing to the point in hand For these words of the Author here must be taken as it he had
perfect purging that we may enjoy a right to heaven Secondly because by the accesse of sinfull men who by the doctrine of the Gospel are called to take possession of the kingdome of heaven it seemes to be polluted which Christ himself hath expressed in other words when he said The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Matth. 11.12 As the old Tabernacle was accounted polluted by the sins and uncleannesses of the people who lived round about it Therefore as the high Priest of old did expiate that old Tabernacle as polluted by the sinnes of the people with Sacrifices and Offerings and reconciled it as it were to its due holinesse So Christ as I may say restored heaven to it due honour when he offered himself there to God and thereby tooke order that men guiltie of sinnes having first deposed their sinnes by a lively faith and repentance might not be thought altogether unworthy of heaven With better sacrifices then these He puts the plural number for the singular to comply with his comparison which included many Sacrifices so that here also the comparison produced an abusion For by those better Sacrifices is meant that single sacrifice of Christ offered I say offered because by use of Scripture that onely is accounted a Sacrifice which is offered For Christ after he was slaine was himself offered and therein is a difference betweene the old Sacrifices especially those that were expiatory and the Sacrifice Christ for when the old Sacrifice was slaine the beast it selfe was not offered to God but only the bloud of it and those other parcels that were burnt with fire upon the Altar But Christ himselfe who was slaine and not his bloud was offered to God and hee not then while yet he lay dead but then when he was raised to life and such a life as was eternall Although as we have often said in this sacrifice of Christ offered is also included the shedding of his bloud and his bloudy death For although Christ offered to God not his bloud but himselfe yet without the shedding of his bloud he neither could nor might offer himselfe And by reason of what we have said therefore it is that the Author comparing Christ with the legall sacrifices doth perpetually shun to say that the bloud of Christ was offered and yet that he might comply with his comparison he perpetually insinuates the shedding of Christs bloud which unlesse it had preceded there could not have been so full and so fit a comparison betweene Christ and the old sacrifices From hence therefore it is manifest that into those holy places of heaven for their purification and dedication there must be brought a most pretious sacrifice and therefore not the bloud of calves and goats nay not any bloud at all but the very Sonne of God himselfe and hee also stripped of all his mortall nature then which there could not be imagined a more pretious and more sacred sacrifice 24. For Christ is not entered Here hee gives the reason why hee said that the heavenly holy places were purged with better sacrifices namely because Christ our high Priest is entered into no other holy places but those of heaven Whereupon it must follow that be must enter with a far better sacrifice and more worthy of those holy places then the old high Priest entered into his earthly holy places Not into the holy places made with hands He illustrates the matter by a difference and an opposition between those heavenly holy places and the earthly that those were not made with hands which difference we have already shewed before ver 11. Which are the figures of the true For figures the Greeke text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antitypes are the images or figures imprinted from the mould as the wax is figured from the seale or mony from the stampe which in this place signifies the same that paternes did in the verse before Now the holy places made with hands are called antitypes or figures not as opposed efficiently to that which doth figure them but as opposed objectively to the thing whereof they are a figure or which they are accounted to represent as the image or superscription upon a peece of coine is not properly the image of the stampe which did imprint it but of the Prince whose image it is and whom it represents for the person of the Prince is that verity or truth whereof the coine is but the image or figure So that antitypes are here put simply for types which is an usuall signification of the word among the Greeks As in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put simply for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when Christ is said to be a ransome 1 Tim. 2.6 Now the true holy places whereof the earthly holy places made with hands are said to be types or figures are the heavenly holy places which are called the true as we noted before not as if the earthly were false but because the earthly were but types figures and shadowes in respect of the heavenly or because those qualities which should have been in the earthly were found most truly and perfectly in the heavenly And yet those earthly places were called holy primely and properly but the heavenly metaphorically After this manner Christ is called the true light the true bread and the true vine Now the qualities of those earthly places are these first to be most sacred or holy and wholy seperate from all prophane uses and 2ly to be an house or dwelling for God Both which qualities agreed to those earthly holy places but umbratilously imaginarily and imperfectly but to the heavenly holy places truly really and perfectly But into heaven it self Christ did never enter into the earthly holy places which were but the types figures of heaven but into heaven it self where are the right true holy places And he is entred into that heaven which is beyond and above all the visible orbes of heaven and into that place of that heaven which is the most holy even where the Throne of God is at the right hand whereof he is seated Now to appeare in the presence of God for us Hee gives the reason why Christ entered into heaven and he drawes his reason from the end of his entrance In expressing whereof he alludes to the ancient high Priest and the better to serve his allusion if we respect the property and usuall signification of his words he faith lesse of Christ then the thing is indeed and then the full end of his entrance came to For the ancient high Priest entring the most holy place is said to appeare before God because he so procured the salvation of the people that hee himselfe conferred it not but obtained it from another for he sued to God to conferre it But the appearance of Christ our high Priest before God and his offering of himselfe must bee so taken that it exclude not his sitting at the right hand of
Commandements of Christ Strictly as it eminently signifies the most grievous sin of Apostacie which is a falling away from the Christian Religion or rather infidelity in generall whereto if by way of difference yee adde what the Author presently addeth after knowledge of the truth received ye have the definition of Apostacie For Apostacie is an Infidelity that followes after faith or a desertion of the faith and a rejection of the truth once knowne and received So John 16.9 Christ by the word sinne seems eminently to understand Infidelity The latter sense is favoured 1. In that the Author ver 28. following being to prove that men sinning after the manner here specified shall by no meanes escape the judgement of God seemes to draw his argument from them who wholy rejected Gods Law and turned to false Gods of whom wee read Deut. 17. and whom no men resemble neerer then they who fall away from Christ and his most holy Religion 2. In that it seems proper to Apostates to tread under foot the Son of God and to account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing for this is incompatible to them who constantly adhering to the Christian Religion are notwithstanding fallen into some single sin or vice 3. In that this place seems most alike to that Chap. 6.4 where we have said the Author speaks properly of Apostates But the former sense is also favoured 1. In that the word Sinne hath a generall signification and perhaps every where for words must not be restrained within the use of speech when no reason constraines it And the word Sinne in the place of John 16.9 hath of it selfe a generall signification though afterward it be specified and explicated in particular what kinde of sin he there understands 2. From the occasion and scope of the Author For before he had admonished them to exhort one another and now he shews what great danger will or at least may come of it if this action be neglected namely that they may wilfully sinne after they have received the knowledge of the truth and so involve themselves into a heavy judgement And seeing the Exhortation is at large as must bee used as a remedy against all kinde of sinnes why therefore should not that sin which the Author faith might easily arise from the neglect of exhortation be extended largely also Now in answer of the reasons brought for the other sense To the first we say that the Authors argument seems drawne from all them who sinned against the Law with a high hand of whom there is a place Numb 15.30,31 But the soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be borne in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that soule shall be cut off from among his people Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his Commandement that soule shall surely be cut off his miquity shall be upon him For to despise the Law here in this Author is the same with despising the word of the Lord and breaking his Commandement with Moses in Numbers Here to sinne wilfully and there to doe presumptuously are all one And here shall dye without mercy and there he shall surely be cut off are all one for what is this else but not to spare not to shew any mercy To the second we say That he doth tread under foot the Son of God and account the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing who dares violate the Covenant which is published by Christ and established by his bloud or dares as much as in him lyes to irritate or dissolve it that it may be void and of no effect by committing those sinnes which by the Covenant are punished by death and damnation To the third we say That this place is not so altogether like that Chap. 6.4 but that there appears a plaine unlikenesse For there both the scope and occasion of the words and the word it selfe of falling away compared with the matter preceding doe all declare that the Author properly speaks of Apostacie but here as we have seene the scope and occasion of the words tend another way Wherefore we must conclude that the former acception of the word Sin which includes in it also the latter is rather to bee received Although amongst those sinnes Apostacie holds the first place and thereto the Author hath reference chiefly but not only The word wilfully as we have said seems to signifie the same sinne that the Scriptures of the Old Testament call presumptuously and so committed in contempt of Gods Majesty or by hautinesse and pride of minde and this kinde of sinne is opposed to sinnes committed either out of ignorance or infirmity Wherefore it notes unto us those kinde of sinnes which are wittingly advisedly and purposely and so argue a meer malice of mind Such under the New Testament are accounted all vitious habits and customes of sinning and persevering in evill-doing as also all heynous and foule wickednesses done wittingly and advisedly For infirmity or humane frailty cannot be pretexed for such sinnes especially among Christians After that we have received the knowledge of the truth Sinnes wilfully and wittingly committed before the knowledge of the truth are of another nature then those that follow that knowledge for the Sacrifice of Christ was ordained to expiate the former but for the expiation of the latter there is no other sacrifice to be expected as wee shall heare afterward For crimes or foule sinnes committed after the knowledge of the truth are far more heynous then those done in ignorance of it and the malice of man appeares far greater in those then in these though otherwise the facts may be equall Therefore it more agrees with the equity and wisdome of God to grant a meanes for the expiation of those then of these and consequently to pardon those and not these There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes In these words is expressed the miserable estate of those who after knowledge of the truth received sinne in the manner we have said namely that seeing the sacrifice and offering of Christ did not profit them there remaines no other wherby their sinnes may be expiated But the sacrifice and offering of Christ profited them not because they are relapsed into their former sinnes and bring not forth fruit worthy of faith and repentance For upon this condition only it is that the sacrifice and offering of Christ bringeth salvation to them who live after their knowledge of the truth and their reception of the Christian faith For sins committed before the knowledge of the truth may be washed away by faith only in Christ and the profession of it and a purpose and as it were a covenant of living holily afterward but sins done after such knowledge are no otherwise washed away but by an actuall and totall desertion or forsaking of them and by inducing in their roome all Christian virtues as fruits of the Spirit and of faith For this is it
Lord the Author understands the afflictions which the Hebrewes suffered for Christs sake because many times God is wont to use such afflictions not onely to make triall of men but to make men good and to amend them by a fatherly correction And wee must conceive that this had then befallen those Hebrewes Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Another abuse of Gods chastening quite contrary to the former and that is to faint and sinke downe under it For some when they are chastned of God are of a stubborne and impatient spirit others are soft natured or have no spirit at all whence it comes to passe that being overcome with afflictions they faint and forsaking their trust and hope in God turne aside from the pathes of righteousnesse 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth The reason expressed in the exhortation it selfe why we should be obedient unto it is because chastening is an effect and an argument of Gods love toward us And what proceeds from Gods love must not be despised or rejected but be held in high esteem neither must it deject our minds from faith and hope in God but rather raise and encourage us to receive it But we must note that chastisement that is that correction or punishment which God inflicts upon us for our amendment is a token and effect of Gods love and not every punishment which oftentimes is laid on men for their destruction for this is the effect of Gods wrath and indignation against which David supplicates in the sixth Psalme Besides this reason must be taken with a limitation for God doth not chastise every one whom he loves if we take chastising not simply for affliction but for a punishment but then onely when they deserve chastising as for the most part they doe But it appears by the scope and intent of the Author that these words must be taken as if it had been said Whom the Lord loveth he at last chastiseth or sometime chastiseth Which sentence is more fully expressed in the Hebrew text if wee looke upon the following words as wee shall see presently For otherwise we could not hence gather that chastising is alwayes an effect and token of Gods love For saving the truth of the words in the text a man may imagine that whom God loveth hee chastiseth but not conversly that whom he chastiseth he loveth so that it may be doubted whether chastising proceed from Gods love or hatred Neither are these sayings repugnant Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and whom he loveth not he chastiseth seeing God may chastise both these unlesse as we said we understand the particle at last in the latter part of the former saying which in such sayings falles out very frequently And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth This is but a repetition of the same saying In the Hebrew it is even as a father the son in whom he delighteth which is nothing else but the converse of the former saying as if Solomon had said whom God loveth he chastiseth and whom he chastiseth he loveth So that chastising is a most certain and undoubted effect and token of Gods love Whom he receiveth i. whom God adopteth acknowledgeth and accounteth for his Sonne For God doth not acknowledge all for sonnes who call themselves the Sonnes of God 7. If ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with sons From the former divine exhortation the Author frames in a manner a new argument to excite them unto patience in suffering of afflictions because then God dealeth with them as with sonnes Ye have this commodity by your patience that God offers himselfe unto you as unto children and he on his part performes the office of a Father so thereby ye have God for your Father And God delighteth in him whom he chastiseth as a father in his sonne For what sonne is he whom the father chastiseth not It is the office of the father to chastise the sonne that deserveth it and he alwayes doth it unlesse many and great injuries have overcome his patience and there be something that hee fears more then he blames 8. But if ye be without chastisement To be without chastisement in this verse is opposed to endure chastening in the former verse whence it appears that the word endure in the former verse doth not signifie the vertue of patience which is a duty belonging to the godly but only the suffering or sense of paine which concernes their state and condition Hee shews on the other part illustrating the thing from the contrary what an inconvenience it is for a man to be without chastisement and to receive no trouble nor evill from God And the inconvenience is this that such goe not for sonnes but are reputed of God as bastards and children of adultery and changelings which of all inconveniences is to man the greatest We must therefore needs chuse one of these two either to be acknowledged for the sons of God and so undergoe chastisement or if we will not be chastised we must bee accounted bastards Whereof all are partakers To be the Son of God and to be chastised at least as often as need requires are conditions so connexed and coupled between themselves that all the Sons of God must needs undergoe this Law all must needs feele their Fathers hand and be partakers of chastisement All must needs be partakers hereof yet not universally but generally because there are few sons or rather but one only who deserved not chastisement neither had any need of it And yet even he was exercised with hard conditions not that hee was partaker of chastisement properly that is of punishment for what place could punishment have in him that was most innocent but that by his stripes and wounds we might be perfectly healed Hence the chastisement of our peace or that brought us true peace and happines is said to have been upon him Esay 53.5 in which place the word chastisement must by way of synecdoche be taken for affliction Then are ye bastards and not sonnes Ye are not truly borne of God not such whom God acknowledgeth for his sonnes and children but yee are bastards and changelings For they are bastards who goe for the sonnes of such a man yet indeed were not begotten of him and such are not alwayes acknowledged of their carnall fathers but our spirituall Father cannot be deceived for he knowes all that are not borne of him and acknowledgeth them for none of his and thereupon vouchsafeth not to bestow any fatherly care and chastisement for the framing of their manners and behaviour 9. Further more we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us He shews by another argument which is yet of affinity with the former that we must endure Gods chastisements and so endure them that thereby we become corrected and amended for such as do this they only receive chastisement as they ought The fathers of our flesh are our carnall fathers that begat us according to the flesh
earth but now hee hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven For here it is manifest that the whole verse is meant of God But who shall wee say is understood by him who spake on earth By him may be understood both God himselfe and that single Angel who bare the name and person of God in Mount Sinai If by him wee understand God himselfe then here will be no opposition betweene divers persons but onely betweene divers places from whence God delivered the Law and from whence the Gospel Namely that the Law was published on earth from Mount Sinai but the Gospel was published by God from heaven You will say that God then no lesse published the Law from heaven then afterward he did the Gospell seeing God himselfe descends not from heaven but as he sent Christ from heaven to preach the Gospel so he sent an Angell from heaven in his name to deliver the Law To this I answer There is a great difference between the mission or sending of Christ from God and of that Angel For Christ being sent from God carried himselfe alwayes as a person diverse from God which the thing it selfe declares for he was the sonne of man and called himself Gods messenger sent from God did manifestly professe and testifie that his doctrine was not his owne but his who sent him that he spake nothing of himselfe but what he had received and heard from the Father But that Angell so descended from heaven that hee bare the person and name of God and therefore he alwayes speaks as if he had been God himselfe And this was the cause why Christ had not such Majesty and visible glory about him as had that Angel For Christ had but that Majesty and glory which became Gods legate or messenger and he a man and a mortall man But that Angell had that Majesty and glory which was sutable to God himselfe if God himselfe had descended from Heaven It may therefore be well said that God himselfe descended in that Angell and must be considered as if he himselfe had spoken upon earth Contrarily because God sent Christ to preach the Gospell as his Apostle or messenger and sent him from heaven as a person distinct from him not as of old he sent Moses from the earth that is but from Mount Sinai therefore now with good reason he is said to deliver his oracles and to publish his pleasure to us from heaven But it is a far greater matter to deliver oracles from heaven it selfe then from earth or from some earthly mountaine seeing heaven is far higher and worthier then any mountaine Therefore although the manner which God used in publishing and revealing his Gospel was not if we respect the outward shew and splendour of it so illustrious as that wherewith he published the Law yet indeed it was far more divine and perfect and in all respects most beseeming the perfect discipline of Evangelicall truth For what else did it signifie that God descended on earth to publish the Law but that the precepts of the Law were earthly and not heavenly For they that speake from a low place seem to speake but low matter and they earthly that speake from the earth as we read in the Gospell of John chap. 3.31 But contrarily that God remaining in heaven and not descending himselfe on earth either in his own person or in the person of another hath spoken to us by Christ sent from heaven as his Interpreter and messenger what else can this signifie but that he hath spoken heavenly things and that Christ is far greater then Moses For as it is written in the fore-cited place of John He that commeth from above is above all and he that commeth from heaven is above all In this sense therefore that Angell representing God must stand for God and Christ must not be compared with that Angell who represented the person and name of God but with Moses and the difference between Christ and Moses must stand in this that God spake to Moses on earth but to Christ in heaven and that God sent Moses from the mount to the Israelites but Christ from heaven to Christians If this be displeasing to any man which yet we beleeve to be most agreeable both to the truth and to the Scripture and to the Text we may say which is our other answer to the question proposed and another sense of the words that by him who spake on earth must be understood that Angell who in Gods name published the Law on Mount Sinai and by him who spake from Heaven must be understood the most high God himselfe For he that by himselfe delivers Laws on earth doth thereby shew that he is not the most high God For the Majesty of the most high God permits not that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords should depart from his inaccessible light and from his heavenly throne to descend downe upon earth But hee that offers himselfe as God to be heard from heaven he by far greater reason must be reckoned for God himselfe But you will say when did God himselfe publish the Gospell from heaven I answer This was done then when by his voice uttered from heaven he testified that Christ was his beloved Sonne and therefore his Ambassadour and withall commanded us to heare him For shall not God himselfe be thought to speak to us from heaven when we heare that doctrine which God himselfe authorised by his voice uttered from heaven For although by the wise determination of God the promiscuous multitude heard not this voice with their ears yet it was heard and published by them whose testimony is irrefragable But in the publishing of the Law was no such thing Whence it is manifest that even in this sense the Authors argument wants no force For it is a greater crime to turne away from God who spake from heaven then from an Angell who spake on earth though he sustained the name of God Hee turnes away from God and as it were turnes his backe upon him who refuseth either to beleeve or obey the voice of God 26. Whose voice then shooke the earth From these words it seems to be gathered that the Author by him who spake on earth understands God himselfe For here he mainifestly attributeth to God himself the shaking of the earth i. of Mount Sinai which happened at the publishing of the Law from thence But nothing hinders why this action may not be ascribed both to God and to the Angell who in publishing the Law sustained the person of God as likewise that speaking or uttering the oracles a little before mentioned For the Angell properly and immediatly did both shake the earth or mountaine and also spake and God did it mediatly by that very Angell But in these words there is a tacit answer to an objection and withall a strong reason why Christians must obey the voice of God published by Christ For some man
what a worme is man 7. Remember them that have the rule over you The sixth precept or duty whereto he excites them is to imitate and follow their leaders and rulers in the Christian Religion These leaders and rulers were such as had taught them by their doctrine and example of life going before them in the wayes of truth and godlinesse or as the Author here describes them Who have spoken unto you the word of God Namely Gods word of the Gospel such as first of all preached the Gospel unto them among whom without doubt were some of the Apostles and those who next succeeded the first Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation Having designed out the persons who should be remembred namely their rulers who had preached the Gospel unto them here he expresseth and specifieth the matter wherein or for what their rulers should be remembred namely for their faith and for their conversation They must consider and follow the faith and doctrine which their rulers delivered unto them and they must consider and follow the conversation of their life and manners and they must consider the end of their faith and conversation what issue and event both these had How they were not onely constant to the end in the faith and doctrine which they delivered and in the conversation and holinesse of life which they practised but many of them fealed the verity of their holy Religion with their bloud by a bitter death These are the things that after due consideration had they must labour to follow by adhering to that faith and doctrine whereto they adhered with the same firmity and constancy that they did and by professing it so effectually that by vertue thereof we doe not onely abstaine from all manner of vice to live holily in the sight of God but also not decline to dye for the truth of it See the manner and way whereby we must preserve the memory of the Saints departed out of this life not by erecting Tombes and Temples unto them at vast charges not by consecrating statues and Images unto them not by powring out our prayers unto them or their Images For these wayes are either superfluous and superstitious or else unlawfull and impious But we must alwayes remember their holy ordinances and the course of their lives sutable to those ordinances diligently labouring to follow them by imitating and expressing their examples in our practice For this way will leade us unto holinesse and happinesse 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Because he had before said they must remember their rulers following their faith and considering their conversation wherein as we said was also included that they should alwayes preserve and retaine the doctrine which they had heard from them and not decline any thing from it Therefore now hee shews that the doctrine of Christ both for our knowledge and practise is unchangeable that in no tract of time or age any change must be made therein either by adding subtracting or altering any thing therein Jesus Christ namely considered both in respect of his office and in respect of his doctrine or rather the doctrine it selfe of Christ by way of Metonymy the efficient or Author for the act or effect as often elsewhere The same yesterday and to day and for ever Christ and his doctrine is the very same constant to it selfe and nothing either changed or changeable for it is the same alwayes in reference to all times whether past present or to come For as the word to day signifies the time present so yesterday notes the time past yet not long past but lately a while since as then was the first time of publishing the Gospel upon earth For among the people of God yesterday signifies the time indefinitely and lately past which vulgarly we expresse by the other day See Gen. 31.2 and Exod. 4.10 and Exod. 5.14 and 1 Sam. 20.27 and 2 Sam. 15.20 and 2 King 9.26 and Job 8.9 And the word for ever signifies the time to come not for some part of it but for all parts of it successively while any time shall be lasting So that nothing is hath beene or shall be changed in the doctrine of Christ as it was of late when it was first delivered and published to the world so it is now at this present so it shall be hereafter for all times to come throughout all ages for though the world should last never so long yet to the worlds end there shal be no change nor alteration in the doctrin of the Gospel not that there wil want men who shall labour to corrupt and change the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles or shall indeed corrupt and change it in divers particulars for that such men there shall be wee may gather by the words of the Author in the next verse following wherein he warnes them of declining from the purity of the Gospel and being carried about with diverse and strange doctrines but that the doctrine of Christ considered in it selfe and as it containes the truth and will of God is no way subject to any mutation or innovation Whence it appeares what we are to thinke of those doctrines and opinions which have risen since the first times of the Church of Christ and were never delivered by the Apostles themselves nor ever received in the primitive Church Of these we are to thinke as the Apostle hath left it written Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that yee have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.8,9 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines The seventh precept or duty whereto he exhorts them although it were in a manner comprehended in the former verse where a ground was laid that will necessarily inferre it And it is that they should not suffer them to be perswaded to diverse and new doctrines which were neither heretofore delivered unto them by their teachers and rulers in the Christian Religion nor were agreeable to the rule of the truth delivered Diverse doctrines in this place are they which are different and diverse from themselves and opposite one to another As if he had said In matters concerning Christian Religion for of these onely he speaketh see that ye receive not one while this opinion and another while that for to doe so is their fashion who are not yet exercised in the knowledge of the truth or not yet sufficiently confirmed in it He addes the word strange that by this meanes they might discerne those doctrines For strange doctrines are new doctrines neither delivered by the first publishers of the Christian verity nor consonant to those that were first delivered whose very countenance and habit as I may say doth easily discover them to be none of the Apostles