the mercies obtained by Faith the second to the sufferings which are to be reduced to the Catalogue of Sufferings which follow In the first we may observe 1. What the mercy received was 2. Who received it 3. By what they received it 1. The mercy received was great and such as could not have been given but by God and also by his extraordinary power For it presupposeth the parties raised to be dead which is the last and greatest of all evils in this Life and puts an end to all our earthly Hopes and Comforts which it wholly taketh away And though men may strengthen the Weak heal the Sick relieve the oppressed and deliver out of many Troubles and Dangers yet Death they cannot prevent when the fatal hour approacheth nor restore life after it 's once lost Death is an invincible Enemy and neither can Man or Angel rescue any out of Death's power yet the parties dead which were Children were raised life restored to them and Soul and Body separated were re-united yet to be separated again for the life restored was not immortal 2. The parties who received this extraordinary Mercy were both Women and Mothers as the parties dead were their Children The one was the Widow of Zarepta 1 King 17. 19. and he that raised her son was Elijah The other was the Shunamite whose son being dead was restored to life by Elisha 2 King 4. 21. There was a third person raised from the dead when he was cast into the Grave of the Prophet We do not read of any other dead persons restored to life in the Old Testament by these or any other Prophets 3. By Faith they are said to have received their dead It 's not written that they raised them but that they received them being raised The Prophets did raise them restore them and deliver them to their Mothers Yet neither could these Prophets by their own power do any such thing for it was an effect of the almighty power of God who made them his Instruments and by them upon their instant prayers did this great Work yet their prayers without Faith could not have been so effectual The Women also did much desire this mercy and did believe that God by the Prophets could restore their Children which were raised by the Faith of Prophets and received alive by the Faith of the Mothers The second Effect here mentioned is Patience in such as suffered cruel Torments in their Bodies Here begins the Catalogue of the suffering of the Saints which did evidence their Faith without which we can neither do good nor suffer evil so as God requireth This example is not found in Canonical Scripture therefore the Apostle knew it either by Tradition or some historical Writing yet so that he some wayes knew infallibly the truth of the matter Some think the Apostle understood Eliazar mentioned 2 Mach. 6. 18 19 20 c. and the Woman and her seven Sons so cruelly tortured as we read in 2 Maccab. 7. Chapter following who are related to have suffered constantly in hope of the Resurrection In the words we may observe 1. Their Suffering 2. Their non-Acceptance of Deliverance 3. Their Faith 1. Their Suffering they were Tortured The Sufferings of God's People may be truly said to be either Trials or Chastifements or Punishments or some or all of these and if we consider the Evils which both good and bad are subject unto in this Life we must distinguish between the matter and the manner For the matter of Sufferings passively considered may be the same in all but the manner as also the Causes are very different For the Sufferings of God's Saints are so qualified by Faith that in them many divine vertues are manifested and they tend though not to the meriting yet to the attaining of eternal Glory For if we suffer with Christ we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8. 17. And our leight Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. These Persons here intended are said to be Tympanized which is to be tormented several wayes as by beating and fustigation by racking and extension by tearing and excoriation for the word it self doth not determine the manner of Torment Therefore it 's well turned by this general word Tortured that is they were put to bodily pain The Torturers were Anâ—â—ochus and his cursed Agents the Sufferers and Subjects of these Tortures were the Jews which refused to obey the Commands of that cruel Tyrant contrary to the Laws of God 2. The Non-Acceptance of Deliverance doth imply that they might upon certain Conditions have been freed from these cruel Pains and so have prevented Death and that they rather chose to suffer more and dy than accept of the Conditions If we consult the History we shall understand 1. That they were commanded to do some things contrary to the Laws of God 2. That though they were in the Power of a cursed cruel Prince and perswaded both by Promise and threatning to obey yet they refused 3. That upon the Refusal they were tortured 4. In some Intermission of the torture they were advised again to yield for their Persecutors thought the bitterness of the pain might prevail much with them 5. Yet it did not for they remained constant and were ready to suffer the worst and to dy rather than disobey their God This was the Cause of their Suffering and made it glorious For they suffered not as Malefactors for their Crimes but for Righteousness sake and did manifest that they loved God and Righteousness more than their lives 3. They did thus suffer thus refuse Deliverance to obtain a better Resurrection this was the End of both and did manifest both their Faith and Hope 1. Their Faith in that they did believe there was a Resurrection unto eternal Life and that God not only could but also would raise them up again restore an immortal glorious blessed Life for a miserable short and mortal Breath and abundantly recompence their cruel Pains suffered in Obedience to him with eternal Pleasures They were assured that God was a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him by doing Good and suffering Evil for his sake 2. Their Hope grounded upon this Faith was their constant expectation of this Resurrection according to God's Promise For he had promised it to all such as really love him and their Suffering was a great Evidence of their Title and did assure them of Possession in due time Here two things are to be noted 1. That Resurrection to Immortality is general and common to all both good and bad for all must rise again to Judgment Yet some shall rise to Condemnation and the Suffering of eternal Shame and Punishment and others unto everlasting Life and Glory This latter Resurrection is here meant which is said to be better because by it they should receive a better Life than could be enjoyed on Earth 2. That it 's better for
habitation is here meant For only they who persevere unto the end shall be his House in this manner Though it may be said That we are his House now and shall be his House for ever in a more glorious manner if we persevere unto the end This is the meaning of the words The force of the argument from them thus understood is evident and very great For if this blessed and glorious estate of being Christ's House will certainly follow upon the final perseverance in sincere Christianity how much will it move and work upon such as believe and certainly hope that upon this duty performed so incomparable a Reward will follow And how careful will they be in case of all means which conduce to this perseverance For the greater good believed to follow upon any performance the greater and more powerful the motive is This is the second Reason § 11. The third follows and that is from the penalty that will follow upon non-perseverance and Apostacy This reason is annexed to a dehortation from hardening of the heart and apostacy which is unbelief yet this dehortation presupposeth the principal exhortation to Faith and continuance therein to the end and therefore because it is a reason of the dehortation from the contrary sin it must needs be a reason of the exhortation to the duty opposed to that sin It 's taken out of Psal. 95. from ver 8. unto the end And though it seem to be directed unto the People of those wherein the Psalm was composed yet it directly points at the Gospel and the dayes of the same In that part of the Psalm we may observe 1. The dehortation 2. The reason why they should take heed of the sin dehorted from The reason is from an example of the like Sin punished in their fore-fathers The Sin in one word was Unbelief expressed and declared by the effects thereof which were tempting of God and so offending him because they erred in their hearts and did not know or take notice of his wayes The punishment was exclusion out of Canaa◠their rest intended by God Which punishment was 1. Absolutely denounced by way of a final and peremptory sentence passed with an Oath 2. Executed by overthrowing their Carkasses in the Wildernesse The sum of all this was to let them know That if they sinned as their Fathers did they should certainly suffer the like punishment The conclusion inferred hence is That they must have a special care to persevere in the Faith and take heed of Apostacy This may suffice to be observed upon the words of the Psalmist § 12. The next thing is the Application of these words of the Psalmist unto the present Hebrews to whom he writes Wherein he 1. Presseth the Duty upon them according to the words of the Psalm 2. That his counsel might be more forcible and the Duty more diligently and carefully performed he useth two reasons The first from the benefit which will follow 2. From the punishment they must suffer if they fall away 1. The duty is the same which was formerly urged and that is perseverance and constancy in their Christian Profession which is opposed to unbelief and apostacy which is a departing from the living God which in the Psalmist is the hardning of the heart For that passage of the Psalmist presupposeth a Day and Time of God's speaking to mortal man and exhorteth man in that Day to hear and obey constantly till the Day of God's Voice be ended and dehorteth from hardness of heart Disobedience and Apostacy In this place the Apostle making the same application to the Children and Posterity which David did to their Fathers living in his time declareth the Duty 1. Negatively or rather apotreptic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of dehortation 2. Affirmatively by way of exhortation to that which will be a means of continuance and perseverance The dehortation is Ver. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God Where we must consider 1. The evil dehorted from 2. The dehortation it self The evil is an evil of Sin not of punishment where we have the root of it in the primary subject an evil heart of Unbelief the fruit and effect departing from the living God The heart is the primary and proper subject and also the cause of sin yet the heart as the heart is not the cause of actual sin but as an evil heart and here an evil heart of Unbelief Unbelief may in this place signify perfidiousnesse when the heart inclines to deny and forsake that Truth which was formerly professed and to violate that promise of Obedience made to God at the first entrance into Christianity and so actual unbelief is a breach of Covenant This unbelieving heart is an evil that is a disobedient impious perverted heart This is the basest temper and most malignant quality of the Soul whereby it 's most contrary to the most just and holy Law of God and the conditions of the Covenant of Grace That it is so is evident from the act or effect thereof which is to depart from the living God This departing from God is actual and formal apostacy which is so directly contrary to Perseverance This is signified by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Orginal which is to renounce something formerly received and acknowledged It 's like to a rebellion revolt and renouncing of a lawful Soveraign formerly acknowledged by allegiance and fidelity promised These Hebrews had received the Gospel acknowledged Christ their Saviour made a Covenant with the living God to whom they submitted themselves as their Soveraign Lord Redeemer by Christ. In their Baptism they had solemnly professed their Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and promised obedience To deny this profession or this Faith professed to break this promise to forsake their Christianity turn Jews or Heathens especially after that by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost that were so strongly convinced of the Truth must needs be an hainous sin issuing from an evil and malignant heart indeed There is an hardning of the heart against the light and motives of the Gospel when Christ is first tendered and not yet received There is an hardning of the heart against the Truth once received this latter not the former is Apostacy and the Sin here meant both hainous both forbidden by God both tending to eternal Death yet this more then the other And here it 's to be noted that positive unbelief blindness and hardness of heart are often taken for the same The Duty therefore is to take heed lest there be such an heart in any of them Where it 's implyed 1. That every one was in danger 2. That this sin began in the heart 3. Therefore all and every one must be very wary careful diligent to avoid the same and all the causes thereof For if they were not well-grounded in the principles of Christianity they
from Christ and deny the Faith he had professed Hardness of heart may be considered as a Judgment of God or as a Sin of Man here it 's to be considered as a Sin And such it may be either in respect of the first Call and so is or implies at least a refusal of Christianity and so it 's either a rejection of that Christianity which was once received and professed or at least makes way for it and thus it 's to be understood in this place For no man can fall off from the Christian Faith once received but his heart must needs be hardned and stand unmoved against all former convictions This considered either in the former or latter sense may be conceived 1. As a Not yielding unto the Reasons and Motives unto belief and profession proposed in the Gospel 2. As an obstinate resisting of these Motives and Reasons joyned with some power of the Spirit And both these may be caused either from the delusion of the understanding apprehending and 〈◊〉 to contrary Motives and Reasons which are not really such but seem to be such which may be called sinful 〈◊〉 as the words of the Text may be understood oâ— from the pure malignancy of the Will or from both Now to prevent all these mutual exhortation is an excellent mean ordained by God to that end And the neglect of this Duty is a great Cause or at least a great Advantage of sin and leaves the way open for Apostacy to come in For frequent proposals and representations of the true Reasons why we should believe and a continual â—itring up to holy Duties are effectual causes of the confirmation of our profession and so of our perseverance § 14. We must mutually exhort one another whilst it 's said to Day for to prevent Apostacy and we must prevent Apostacy because without final perseverance we cannot be partakers of Christ. For Ver. 14. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end This seems to be the same with that in ver 6. yet the expression is some what different For to hold fast our confidence and rejoycing of hope firm unto the end is the same with holding the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end And to be Christ's House the same with being partakers of Christ. So that I need not say much of this Text only some things may be observed As 1. That Hypostasis turned confidence may in this place signifie our Christian Faith 2. That the beginning of it is the first receiving of it or the principles of Christianity 3. That as it may signify a firm standing so it 's applyed to the Soul as firmly standing and continuing in the belief and profession of the Faith without wavering or doubting and is opposed to falling For though the principles and fundamental Truths are firm and stable for ever in themselves yet they are not so firm in the hearts of many who professe them Therefore it 's our duty to seek a firm existence of them in our hearts and a firm fixing of our hearts upon them never to be removed 4. That to be partakers of Christ is to partake of and attain the great Reward of eternal Glory merited by Christ For the word Christ is here taken Metonymically for the benefits of Christ. 5. That though this may seem to be the same reason with the former yet here it seems to be brought as a reason from the penalty that will follow upon our Apostacy which is an unspeakable loss of eternal Glory the greatest benefit Christ hath purchased for us For if we shall be partakers of Christ only upon this condition of perseverance to the end then if we harden our hearts and fall off we must needs lose eternal Glory and that great Benefit which Christ merited § 15. Thus far the Apostle hath made use of those words of the Psalmist To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Now he proceeds to the words following As in the Day of Provocation and enlargeth upon them in this manner Ver. 15. While it is said to Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation For some when they had heard provoked c. Where 1. He takes in the former words with this of Provocation 2. Though the Psalmist do not mention whether all their Fathers provoked and tempted God or no yet he observes that only some not all did provoke The connexion of these words with the former seems to be this That as their Fathers by hardning their hearts provoked God to wrath so if they hardned their hearts they will provoke God likewise and he will be offended with them The argument in form is this e must Wnot do any thing that will provoke God to anger but if we harden our hearts we shall provoke him to anger Therefore we must take heed of hardning our hearts and of Apostacy The proposition in these here presupposed is That hardning the heart will provoke The propositions here delivered in the Hypothesis are 1. That some of their Fathers did provoke 2. That all did not provoke That which all these imply and inferr is this as applyed to them That they must not harden their hearts lest they provoke Lest this discourse should not be so pertinent and effectual let us first enquire what this provodation is The Hebrew word is translated by the Septuagint to signify contention contradiction and exacerbation and so they turn it only in this place And the Apostle follows their Translation and useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a word 1. Compound 2. Derivative and is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies bitter as Meâ—â—s or Drinks are biâ—â—er to the taste The signification therefore in this place is Mephorical and informs us That as some Meats and Drinks being bitter are very offensive to the taste so hardness of heart and apoâ—â—acy are very offensive unto God The words used in the Psalm may be either Proper and so translated as in Meribah and Massa or Anellâ—tive as here the Apostle understands them This provocation may be considered either at a Sin or a consequent of Sin here it seems to be a consequent of sin yet necessarily presupposing the Sin Sin every sin being contrary to God 's Law provokes him to anger and gives him just cause to execute his vindictive Justice upon the Sinuer Yet some sins are more provoking then others especially such as are committed by People in Covenant with God who act contrary to their solemn Vows and Engagements as Israel in the Wilderness did And this hardning of the heart so as to fall away is the most provoking of all For it not only deserves punishment and by vertue of the Law makes the Sinner liable to it but provoks God to pass a definitive sentence and to proceed to execution This particular consequent of sin is that which here
Hell to our best friends to the end they may hate the one and escape the other Thus God doth in the Scriptures thus Christ often doth in his heavenly Sermons and useth this as a means to prevent their Damnation and promote their Salvation So that his former discourse was consistent both with Christian Charity and his good perswasion of them I am perswaded better things of you and such as accompany Salvation These words imply 1. That there were good things in them 2. He was perswaded of this The good things which in comparison of the former barrenness or fruitfulness in bringing forth briars and thorns and cursing and burning were better were 1. Their Qualification 2. Their Condition And they were better not because the other was good for they were not but very evil but because they were very good as the other were very bad This is a special kind of Phrase and Expression yet in some Languages ordinary yet it 's improper though elegant Some would call it a Mâ—iosis which is when more is meant than is expressed and so it 's reducible to a Synâ—chdochs Their qualification was from some heavenly vertues which did manifest themselvs in their practice their Condition was that of Salvation They were in the state of Salvation for their vertues were such as that by divine Ordination and Promise there was an inseparable Connexion between Salvation and them For Salvation and divine Graces go together in one Company the Graces go before Salvation follows after yet so that the Graces take hold of Salvation as the word in the Original signifies For such Christians as these Hebrews were have a present Right by Faith evidenced by the Works of Charity unto eternal life and Hope takes hold of it But what these vertues were we shall know from the next Verse 2. That these better things were in them the Apostle was perswaded that is he did not deny them no nor doubt of them but was confident of their good Qualification and Disposition § 10. Yet if a man be confident of another man's sincere Christianity he must have some ground sufficient for his confidence otherwise it 's vain and irrational Therefore he gives us the ground Ver. 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love c. The ground of his confidence concerning 1. Their qualification was his Knowledge of their Divine and Christian virtues 2. Concerning their condition was his Knowledg of God's Righteousness In the first we may observe 1. Their virtues 2. The manifestation of them so as that he might know them The virtues were Faith and Love Faith in Christ Love of the Saints Their Love is expresly mentioned your labour of Love their Faith is implied in that it was toward his Name There were other virtues for these could not be alone as their Patience in suffering of Afflictions for Christ's sake and that with joy and their hope of Glory Chap. 10. 34. The manifestation of these was in their work and labour in continuing to minister unto the Saints whereof he had certain Knowledge Here we are informed that Love will be working and labouring and ever bringing forth fruit and that is not real and sincere Love which is not such Therefore another Apostle exhorts us not to love onely in tongue but in truth and in deed 1 John 3. 18. And what it is to love in truth and indeed is signified in the 16th and 17th Verses going before it 's to give the lives of our bodies for them and relieve them with our goods it's a dying and giving Love And happy they which find this heavenly fire burning in their Souls But in most men though professed Christians we either find no Love or if any it 's but cold it will neither take pains nor be at Charge much less hazard life for the Brethren as Christ gave his life for us This love was fixed upon the suffering Saints who were persecuted for Christ's sake they were the speciall Object of it and this did argue their Love to God and their Faith in Christ without which this love could not have been truly Christian Therefore the Apostle joyns Faith in Christ and Love to all the Saints together Col. 1. 4. By all which we may understand that there is a Connexion of divine vertues For where one is in sincerity there all the rest are they cannot be seperated This work and labour in particular was their Ministration to the Saints Where we must enquire 1. What this Ministration is 2. To whom they did minister 3. How long they did minister 1. This Ministration was a work of Faith and Love whereby they used all just and effectual means in their power to preserve maintain comfort deliver the Saints persecuted and suffering 2. These Saints were Christians which suffered banishment imprisonment loss of Goods and other earthly Comforts for the Profession of their Faith in Christ. And by this Suffering were they known to be Saints Therefore this Love was not meerly natural nor meerly Moral but truly Christian Love and so denominated from the parties that loved who are such as that we are bound to love them above others and this Love is that whereby we may know that we are passed from Death to Life 3. The continuance of this Love was that they had ministred formerly in time past and now for the time present they continued this Work of Love for Christian Love is an immortal fire it will still burn and never dy This Ministration was a great evidence of their good Qualification and a good and firm ground of the Apostle's perswasion The ground of his perswasion concerning their good condition was the Knowledge of God's Righteousness For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love This Proposition is Negative and includes the Affirmative which is That God is fighteous and will remember their Christian Faith Love and good Works And it 's delivered Negatively to signify the infallible certain truth of the Affirmative for in this Case the Negative is more peremptory and emphatical The ground it self is thus expressed his Knowledge of it is implyed But let 's consider 1. What it is for God here to forget or remember 2. What it is for him to be righteous or not unrighteous 1. God can forget nothing at any time but alwayes remembers all things and the reason of this is the perfection of his Knowledge which is infinite as he himself is Therefore to forget in this place is not to take notice of their vertues and actions so as to recompense them To remember is so to regard them as to render a Reward To reward is an Act of God as a Supream Judge The Righteousness of God is his distributive Justice and faithfulness in performing his Promise in judging according to his Law And this rewarding of his loyal and obedient Subjects is a proper Act of his judicial Justice for God is the universal Judge and is
imprinted there more perfectly Yet the word turned Laws signifies in the Hebrew Doctrines And these are the Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ's Person Nature Offices and the Work of Redemption the Doctrines of Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and eternal Life and these either presuppose or include the Moral Law For they must be such Truths as are necessary and effectual to Man's Salvation without the Knowledge and practice whereof sinful Man cannot attain eternal Life Further they are Doctrines concerning Christ as already exhibited glorified reigning and officiating in Heaven 2. The Book or Tables wherein they must be written are the mind and heart of Man By Mind some conceive is meant the Understanding and by Heart the Will and rational Appetite But by both words are meant the immortal Soul endued with a Power to understand and will or nill that which is understood The word in the Hebrew turned by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind and intellective Faculty signifieth the inward parts because as the heart and reins are the inmost parts of the Body so the mind thoughts and rational Appetite are intima Anime the inmost parts if we may so speak of the Soul They are as it were the Center of that immortal Substance where all the active vigour and powers of the Soul are united There is the Spring and Original of all rational and moral Operations of all thoughts affections and inward Motions There is the directive Counsel and imperial commanding Power There is the prime Mover of all humane Actions as such This is the Subject fit to receive not only natural but supernatural Truths and Doctrines and all Laws There divine Characters may be imprinted and made legible to the Soul it self This is the most noble and excellent Book that any can write in This is an Allusion to the Tables of Stone wherein the Law was written for the Law was not written in the heart but in stone upon Phylacteries Frontlets Posts and Walls of their Houses And now the Scriptures and divine Revelations are written in Books so as that they are legible by the Eye they may be spoken and so uttered by Man as to be perceived by the Ear and from these be conveyed to the common sense and fancy and by degree be transmitted to the Soul which by them receives some imperfect representations not informations This immortal Soul is the Book or Table wherein these Laws and divine Doctrines must be written 3. The Scribe or Pen-man is God for it 's said I will give or put I will write He that said so was the Lord And it must be He because the Work is so curious and excellent that it 's far above the Sphere of created activity He alone can immediately work upon the immortal Soul to inform it move it alter it and mould it anew so as neither Man or Angel can do They may by the outward senses and the fancy come near the Soul but immediately prepare it and make lively Impressions and write clear Characters of divine Truth upon it they cannot They may move it and affect or disaffect it yet to take away the stony heart and make an heart of Flesh is far above their Power Therefore God doth alwayes ascribe this great Work unto himself 4. The Act and Work of this Pen-man is to write and write these Laws and write them in the heart How he doth it we know not That he doth it is clear enough His preparations illuminations impulsions inspirations are strange and wonderful of great and mighty force For in this Work he doth not onely represent divine Objects in a clearer light and propose high Motives to incline and turn the heart but also gives a divine perceptive and appetitive Power whereby the Soul more easily and clearly apprehends and more effectually affects heavenly things The Effect of this Writing is a divine Knowledge of God's Laws and a ready and willing heart to obey them and conform unto them a Power to know and do the Word of God This is that Work of the Spirit which is called Vocation Renovation Regeneration Conversion actively taken without which Man cannot repent believe obey and turn to God It 's said to be a quickning of Man dead in sin a putting God's fear in Man's heart a putting God's Spirit within Man to cause him to obey his Laws a calling out of Darkness into Light a writing upon the fleshy Tables of Man's heart By this writing Man is said to have a new Heart and Spirit not that God creates in Man a new Soul or new Faculties but because he gives new Power new Light new Life new Qualifications so that Man is made partaker of a divine Nature and moulded anew with so much alteration that he is another Man though not for Substance yet for Qualities and Operations All this tends to an imperfect explication of this Promise wherein this new Covenant differs from and is more excellent than the former For that had no Promise of God's writing his Laws and Doctrines in Man's heart or of giving any sanctifying or renewing Power to enable them to observe and keep his Judgments Yet lest we mistake this excellent and most comfortable part of Scripture many things are to be observed 1. Concerning the Laws 2. Concerning the heart 3. Concerning God's writing in the heart 1. The Laws the Laws of God are written in the heart not the inventions fancies of men nor natural nor mathematical nor moral Philosophy much less the Errors and Blasphemies of Seducers and false Prophets It 's true that humane Learning and Languages are excellent means to find out the sense of the Scriptures and are great Blessings ordained of God for that end and being used with Prayer and sanctified may do much Yet we must know that these Doctrines are not only those of the Moral Law but these high Mysteries concerning Christ the Redemption Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and the eternal Punishments and Rewards in the World to come as they are revealed in the Gospel For the matter and subject of them is God's Kingdom and the Government of God-Redeemer ordering Man to his final and eternal estate as I have manifested in another Treatise 2. The heart of Man is by Nature a very untoward and indisposed Subject and not capable of these heavenly Doctrines It 's blind and perverse and there is an Antipathy between it and these Laws It hath some little parcels of the Law of Nature written in it but not any thing of these heavenly and evangelical Truths it neither knows them nor can relish them And when they are represented unto it yet it hath no intellective Power to understand them nor any Will or Desire to seek them or inclination to obey the Laws of God which direct unto everlasting life It 's not only ignorant but filthily blotted and blurred with Errours both in matters of Religion and humane Conversation And this is the condition not only of Heathens
Doctrine so it is also a ground of the future Exhortations For if there had been no way made or if there had been a way and we could have had no liberty of accesse unto the Throne of Grace by the Blood of Christ or if there had been a way and liberty to enter and yet no High-Priest set over the House of God it would be in vain to continue in the profession of Christian Faith or to perform any of those Duties exhorted unto in the following part of the Epistle But seeing we have all these and none of them nor any other thing necessary to Salvation is wanting but eternal life is possible and certainly upon these Reason to be obtained therefore we have a great motive and encouragement to go on and continue in the performance of the Duties exhorted unto For the ground of our hope is the possibility and certainty of attaining eternal Salvation and the ground of our practise and perseverance is our Hope which is the stronger because a way is made a liberty to enter obtained and a Priest set over God's House who will secure us of eternal bliss if we continue to believe and obey him to the end This is so much the more an effectuall reason because none of these could be had by the Law § 19. But what are these Duties exhorted unto They are several yet such as have great affinity one with another and all tend to one end The first this is Ver. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of â—aith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water THE Apostle in these words and those which follow exhorts to severall Duties 1 To draw near to God ver 22. 2. To persevere in their Christian Profession ver 23. 3. To stir up one another to Love and good Works ver 24. 4. To Continue in Christian Communion ver 25. In the first Exhortation we may observe 1. The Duty exhorted unto and to be performed 2. The manner of performance 3. The preparation of the persons who must perform it For the Duty is to no purpose no wayes profitable if it be not 1. Performed 2. Performed in due manner 3. Performed by persons prepared and duly qualified 1. To draw near to God for so the words are to be understood is to Worship God in general in particular to pray and seek Remission and eternal Life from him This is to make use of the way Consecrated through Christ's Flesh and of our liberty to enter into the Holiest procured by the Blood of Christ. It 's the same with coming boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace for seasonable Help Chap. 4. 16. It 's the same with coming to God by Christ to sue for Mercy Chap. 7. 25. The party therefore to whom we come is God yet considered as sitting in the Throne of Grace and propitiated by the Blood of Christ. The drawing nigh or coming to God thus considered is a motion not of the Body but the Soul whereby it turns away both the mind and heart from all other objects and turneth and addresseth it self unto God to converse with him for his Favour Mercy Blessings that it may obtain them from him And it fixeth upon him and abides with him till the business with him be finished This Coming is called Worshipping as Worshippers are called Commers ver 1. 2. This being the Duty it must be performed with a pure heart and in full assurance of Faith this is the manner and the due qualification of the act of drawing nigh to God without which it can neither please God nor profit Man This qualification is two-fold 1. The purity of Heart 2. The full assurance of Faith 1. It must be performed with the Heart For all serious actions issue from the Heart and whatsoever is not done with Knowledg and Will is not the action of a Man as a Man and a rational Creature The Worship of God whereby we seek eternal happiness requires both and in the highest degree of our activity because in it we have to do with God concerning the most weighty business of all others yet we may Worship with the Heart and not with a true Heart that is without sincerity The Heart is then sincere when according to God's Will it 's firmly fixed upon and aims chiefly at the chief End God's Glory and eternal Happiness desiring and intending both far above all other things and this out of clear Understanding And here it 's to be observed That sincerity is required not only in the person Worshipping but in the action of Worship He that is habitually sincere may so fâ—â— forget himself as to worship without sincerity and the principal part essence power reality and truth of that Worship which God requires For this truth and sincerity is the very Life and Soul of acceptable Worship If we incline or have secret and remote thoughts of Vain-glory of falling off from our profession or returning to Sin then our Heart is not perfect sincere upright and our worship must needs be like our hearts which ought in the first place wholly and folely be given and offered to God By this we easily understand and both how few do Worship God sincerely and how defective the Worship of the best may often prove 2. Besides sincerity is required a full assurance of Faith Faith is both a belief and a confidence and assurance full assurance is an higher degree of both As a belief it 's grounded on God's Word in general revealing the Truths and Propositions to be believed as a confidence it 's grounded on the promise a special part of God's Word The belief goes before confidence follows after as depending upon the belief for the promise is first a Truth and so to be considered before it can be conceived under the formal notion of a Promise He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him That God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him is a truth or true proposition and is to be believed and it is a Promise because therein God signifies that as he is able so he is willing to reward such any he hath in the Gospel signified his unchangeable Will and Decree so to do and hath bound himself both by his Decree and his Word which is the signification of the Decree The full assurance of this Faith is grounded upon the infallible Truth of his Word and the fidelity and immutability of his Promise And where as this full ssurance is thought generally an high degree of Faith yet Faith is no divine Faith without it For no man receives the Word and Promise of God as the Word and Promise of God that wants this full assurance For the firmness of Faith should answer the firmness of God's Word If this full assurance were an assurance of our particular estate
and of our Title to eternal Life and of our perseverance it might be though an high degree of Faith and separable from true and sincere Faith in many but the object of this full Assurance is the Word and Promise of God considered antecedently to the application of them to this or that particular Subject or our selves and to the conclusion we deduce from thence concerning our own particular estate And it 's necessarily required in every one who will draw near to God The confidence and reliance which is grounded upon God's Promise is not an assurance that God hath justified us already or that he will justify and save us absolutely but that he will justify save and reward those who by Repentance and Faith in Christ diligently seek him and by consequence that he will save us seeking him in that manner For the Promises of God include the Duty of Man and bind God only unto such as perform the Duty And he that comes to the Throne of Grace without a full assurance of Christ's Merit and God's Promise and the performance of it to them that do their Duty they come not aright their Worship is not acceptable their Prayers not effectual Therefore said the Apostle If any man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God c. But let him ask it in Faith nothing wavering c. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of God Jam. 1. 5 6 7. Where by a wavering man some understand not only a man not assured of the truth of God's Promises or doubting of them but one not resolved to perform the Conditions of the Covenant For any such unresolved man to think that he shall receive the mercies promised and prayed for is plain Presumption Therefore this full assurance is necessarily required in every person drawing nigh to God even then when he draws nigh and converseth with his God We must therefore draw near to God and pray every where lifting up holy hands without Wrath or Doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. Doubting is as prejudicial to Prayer as Wrath or impure hands This is the qualisication of actual Worship 3. The qualification of the Party followeth which is the purification of the heart and body For 1. Our hearts must be sprinkled from an evil Conscience 2. Our Bodies washed with pure water and the Apostle seems to presuppose them thus qualified because Believers The expressions are taken out of the Books of Moses in which God prescribed a two-fold purification one by bood which we have spoken of another by water And no person legally impure might draw nigh to God to worship him in the Tabernacle or Temple before he was purified And by this was signified that no man guilty and conscious of sin is fit to draw nigh unto or to worship God before he be purged from Sin The Ethiopick Translation is not here so wording as many other Translations be but is a Paraphrase and gives the true sense thus Our hearts being purged and our selves purified from Sin The reason hereof is this God heareth not Sinners Joh. 9. 31 But for the more distinct explication of the words we must observe 1. Our Hearts 2. The sprinkling of our Hearts 3. The sprinkling of them from an evil Conscience 4. The purifying of our Bodies with pure water 1. By Hearts are meant the rational appetite and will as subject unto the power of God and bound by his Laws This Heart and Will is the principal efficient of our actual Sins and proper and primary subject of Unrighteousness If this be pure all is pure if this be polluted all that issues out of it is polluted For out of the heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries c. Matth. 15. 19. 2. If this be unclean it must be sprinkled that is purged and cleansed for that 's the true meaning of the word For under the Law the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer were sprinkled upon the unclean and their Bodies being sprinkled with this Blood with these ashes were sanctified to the purifying of the Flesh so that the sanctified might be admitted into God's holy Tabernacle or Temple to Worship God with the rest of the People which were clean So under the Gospel such as are morally and spiritually unclean must be spiritually sprinkled and purged by the Blood of Christ which doth not only justify but sanctify the penitent Believer So that to have our hearts sprinkled is to have them justified and sanctified by the Blood of Christ. 3. The thing from which they must be cleansed is an evil Conscience which the Aethiopick Translatour interprets to be an evil Work or Sin For Evil here is Sin and an evil Conscience is the Sin whereof we are guilty and conscious For nothing doth spiritually and morally pollute us but Sin which makes us not only guilty and liable to punishment but also filthy and unfit for Communion with God 4. The Body must be washed with pure water Some understand the Body in proper sense as contra-distinct to the Heart and Soul and this water to be the water of Baptism which is sprinkled upon the Body and though not physicially yet sacramentally and mystically doth purge it and the Soul too from Sin This it 's said to do by virtue of the Institution by the merit of Christ's Blood and the power of the Spirit For Baptism is the washing of Renegeration by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tiâ— 3. 5. Yet this purifying cannot be by washing away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. It 's true that not only the Soul but the Body are polluted with Sin and both by reason of Sin are liable to punishment and both must be cleansed by the sprinkling of Christ's Blood and the Sanctification of the Spirit and this is the principal sense of the words The thing to be observed is That 1. No man unconverted unregenerate not sanctified by the Holy Ghost is fit to draw nigh to God 2. The regenerate who are in the State of justification and sanctification if they contract new guilt must by Repentance Faith in Christ's Blood and Prayer for the Spirit to sanctify them first cleanse themselves before they come to God The Body is but once washed with water and that is in Baptism but as it 's taken here it must be often washed and cleansed by the renewing of out Repentance and Faith So that by Heart and Body is meant the whole man and by sprinkling and washing is understood justification and sanctification not only begun upon our first conversion but continued by our Repentance and Faith continued habitually and re-iterated and actually exercised especially upon our relapfes and contracting of new guilt and pollution David knew this qualification to be necessary and therefore said I will wash my hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar Psal. 26 6. To
Apostates Therefore as they desired God's favour and an happy End and feared his Indignation and their own eternal Destruction let them persevere and use all means to perswade others to continue firm and faithful to the end And here you must observe that the principal Duty exhorted unto is Perseverance and the rest are subservient thereunto § 25. It follows Ver. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins IN these words 1. We have a Reason given to perswade unto perseverance 2. Yet this Reason is directly and immediately disswasive and dehorrative from Apostacy 3. Secondarily and by Consequence it exhorts and moves to perseverance For whatsoever Reason is against Apostacy the same is for perseverance 4. This Reason doth seem to imply that the forsaking of Christian Assemblies was Apostacy or tended to it and the day approaching to be a day of Judgment and in particular of the Punishment of such as fall away 5. This Reason begins here and is continued to the 32d Verse 6. It 's taken à poena from the Punishment which is avoided by perseverance and is executed upon Apostates 7. In Form it 's this If the Sin of Apostacy be unpardonable and shall be punished with unavoidable and most grievous Punishment then we ought to be very careful copâ—â—severe But the Antecedent is true Therefore we ought to persevere In the words of the Reason we have 1. The Sin 2. The Punishment which is Unavoidable Grievous The Sin is described in the 26. Ver. to be a sinning wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Where we must consider 1. What it presupposeth and that is the Acknowledgment of the Truth 2. What it is upon this presupposed It 's a wilful sinning In the presupposition we have 1. Truth 2. The Knowledg of it 3. The receiving of this Knowledg 1. By the Truth is meant the true pure and most certain Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ already come Faith and Salvation This is called Truth because it 's true and most eminently and infallibly true which is no wayes in any thing false and erroneous as being at first immediately revealed from God the God of Truth of all Truth who is not only true but Truth it self It 's called also the Truth by way of eminency as the most excellent Truth revealed for Man's eternal Happiness The Reason of this Truth is the Perfection of his full and clear Knowledge and his absolute Integrity and purest Holiness which both are such as that he neither can nor will reveal any thing but Truth 2. Truth may be Truth and yet not known to any Man or Angel and this Truth was first known only unto God Yet it pleased him out of his great Mercy to reveal his mind to Man and in particular this Truth of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostle who made it known unto others who by that means came to know it For many who heard the Gospel preached and attended unto it attained to the Knowledg of the great Mystery of God's Kingdom and of those things which were sufficient and effectual for Information of the Understanding unto everlasting Life This Knowledg was not Mathematical Physical Political or Metaphysical as some use to speak but Theological and Divine and a Light above the Light of Nature The word may signify not only Knowledg but Acknowledgment of this Truth by a full Assent upon Conviction And this might be caused not only by outward Revelation Information and Miracles but also by the Illumination of the Spirit and supernatural Gifts For God goes far with Man and doth much to save him he many times penetrates his inward parts and by his divine Light and Power enters into his very heart and all this to convert him 3. They received this Knowledg God did not only offer it but give it which he might be properly said to do when they received it They had it not by Nature for it 's far above the natural Man They acquired it but not by their own Power and Industry neither did they merit it Yet in this receiving they were not meerly passive yet passive before they could be active God must do something without Man before he can actively receive he must prevent him by Revelation and Information without and by Illumination and Operation within and this done Man may be active For to receive it is certainly an Act not only of the Understanding which assents but of the Will which approves So that he both wittingly and willingly receives and that with some delight and proceeds to Profession and continues for a while to believe approve profess Though this receiving of Knowledg may seem only to be Acknowledgment yet it 's something more Truth is opposed to Erroar Knowledg to Ignorance Acknowledgment to Dissent Approbation to Rejection of this Truth § 26. This receiving and having is presupposed to Apostacy and sinning wilfully For no Man can loose and fall away from that which he never had either in Title or Possession so none can fall away from Grace or any degree of Grace which he never had The Heathens in Scripture were never said to breâ—k the Covenant of God or forsake God as their God by Covenant Therefore the proper Subject of Apostacy is one in the Church a member of the visible Church and in the times of the Gospel a Christian who hath professeth his Faith in Christ yet of these Apostates there is a difference and there are degrees of this Apostacy For some receive and profess Christianity by tradition and an implicit Faith yet never have any distinct knowledg of the Truth to be believed Some believe and understand more explicitely the Doctrine of Christianity and are convinced of the truth of it yet are never affected with the matter so as to forsake their Sins and reform their Lives but continue in their Sin Some know believe are affected with the matter as so they begin by the power of the Spirit to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and find some spiritual joy and comfort To fall away from any of these is Apostacy but to fall from the last is the greatest And there was something proper to those times which did aggravate this sin very much For the Truth then was confirmed both by Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost this confirmation was clear and extraordinary and to renounce that Truth so confirmed must needs be hainous and of this the Apostle seems to speak Christians may fall away three wayes by denying the Truth 1. In their Profession Or 2. In their practise Or 3. In both And that denial which we call Apostacy is destructive of Christianity and maketh a man of a Christian no Christian. Yet some may deny Christ or fall into some grievous Sin and yet verily believe in their hearts and retain the love of Christ as Peter and others have
his transcendent Gifts nor his heavenly Wisdom nor his Glorious Workâ— nor his rare Virtues nor his great work of Expiation nor his Glory and Power which he enjoyes at the right hand of God could any wayes move him but he vilifies him and debaseth him that was higher then the Heavens as low as the dust and dirt under his feet yet this debasement was only an act of his base mind but could not in the least degree diminish or obscure the Glory and Excellency of Christ This is the first aggravation of Apostacy 2. He counteth the Blood of the Covenant whereby he was sanctified an unholy thing Where we have 1. The Blood of the Covenant 2. The sanctifying Power of this Blood 3. The counting of it unholy 1. By the Blood understand the blooddy Sacrifice of Christ so much magnified in the former Chapter for it 's that Blood by which Christ entring the holy place of Heaven obtained eternal Redemption that Blood which purgeth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God that Blood which confirmed the everlasting Covenant in which respect it 's called the Blood of the Covenant This Covenant is called the Conant of Grace wherein for and in consideration of the unspotted Blood of Christ once shed God promiseth Remission of Sins and the eternal Inheritance of Glory upon condition of Repentance and Faith in Christ. And it 's called the Blood of this Covenant because upon it the Covenant was grounded and by virtue of it all the Promises thereof are made unalterable firm and effectual 2. This was the Blood by which this Apostate upon his receiving the knowledg of the Truth was sanctified For 1. This Blood as offered and accepted of God made his Sin remissible 2. Upon the profession of his Faith and his Baptism his Sin was at least conditionally pardoned and purged 3. So long as he continued in his profession and so far as he proceeded according to certain degrees in Faith and the profession of it so far he might be said to be in a state of Justification or at least in the way to Justification and not only to Justification but Sanctification as it 's made distinct from Justification though Sanctification be taken in this Epistle for Justification For this Blood of Christ is more beneficial to those which receive the Gospel are baptized believe with some degree of Faith than to others who either never heard the Gospel or if they heard did reject it And all the power against sin that any professing baptized Christian receives all the hope joy comfort which follows upon their profession are from the Blood of Christ. And how far some men may proceed in Christianity and what benefit they may receive by Christ and yet after fall away you have heard something in this sixth Chapter And such is the benefit which such do receive by the Blood of Christ that in a fair sense they may be said to be sanctified and have their sins purged by it Yet the meaning of the Apostle may be not only that they were some wayes sanctified by it but that it was the Blood and the Blood alone which could sanctify them and from which alone they could expect Sanctification 3. Yet this sanctifying Blood the Apostate counts unholy or common To be common Blood may be understood 1. Such as hath no expiating and purging power 2. Such as is no better then the Blood of Bulls and Goats sacrificed 3. Such as differs not from the Blood of other men 4. Such as is the Blood of a Malefactor guilty and vicious person and that is impure and unholy Blood So that the Apostate though he had received some kind and measure of Sanctification from it yet ascribed no more virtue and excellency to it then to common Blood denyed the sanctifying power of it nay did account it unholy and polluted Yet you must note that though it be so vile in his conceit and judgment yet it 's really in it self the onely sanctifying Blood and effectually sanctifying to all such as do sincerely believe This is the second aggravation 3. The Apostate doth despite unto the Spirit of Grace where we must enquire 1. What this Spirit is 2. Why he is called the Spirit of Grace 3. What it is to do despite unto this Spirit 1. This Spirit is not the spirit of Man neither is it any Angel nor any created Person or Substance but it 's an uncreated Spirit the Spirit of God so as that it is God therefore the perfections and operations of God are predicated of it It 's that Spirit which with the Father and the Son is the Supream object of our Faith that Spirit by which God made the World preserves and governs the same that Spirit whereby he regenerates and sanctifies his People and animates the whole Body of the Church 2. This Spirit is said to be the Spirit of Grace Thus he may be called in opposition to the Spirit of bondage and fear which is the Spirit proper to the Law For the Spirit by the Law which had no Expiation for Sin no Blood to purge the Conscience no promise of power to keep it nor of pardon if transgressed could work nothing but fear which was a continued slavery and bondage The Spirit of the Gospel which is the Spirit of Christ promised and given in the Gospel is a Spirit of comfort and confidence a Spirit of Adoption which manifests the special love of God in Christ our Justification Reconciliation and gives us power to keep the Covenant Some understand it to be called the Spirit of Grace because he is given out of Grace and free Mercy Others think that this Name is given to this Spirit because by it God gives us Grace For by Grace they understand those spiritual and supernatural Graces which sanctify the Soul and dispose it for communion with God and all those supernatural comforts which issue from that Communion And it 's very true that as God by this Spirit works all things so especially by him he produceth these heavenly Virtues which tend so much unto eternal life 3. They do despite unto this Spirit In this despight there are Injury Reproach Contempt and the greater the Person to whom the despite is done the more hainous it is This here meant is not done to Man but God because done to that Spirit which is so the Spirit of God that he is God This is committed 1. By resisting the sanctifying Power of God 2. By undoing all that God by his Spirit had done in him for his Salvation 3. By accounting the Gifts Notions Motions of this Spirit the Works Delusions and Impulses of the Devil and that not only in himself but in others sanctified by this Spirit and endued with his Gifts This is the more hainous because done not out of ignorance or infirmity but out of pure malignity of the Will with malice to Christ and deâ—estation of Christian Religion and all this after upon conviction
Sufferings shall speedily determine their Joys shall never end For when life is ended all these Conflicts and cruel Fights are ended and they are instantly at rest cease from all their Labours and are secured of their eternal full Glory 3. A thousand years with Man are but as one day with God and in this â—espect his stay till the last Saint shall be perfected and finally Victorious is not much 4. When the day appointed is once come he will not stay an hour no not a minute He will rend the Heavens and come down and do glorious things And is his coming so certain and so speedy and hath God said so why should we be impatient and complain of delay The Saints of God sometimes will cry out Oh when shall these Labours these Difficulties these Sufferings of ours have an end How long will my Saviour delay his Coming When will he come in the Clouds of Heaven with all his holy Angels Shall I never see an end of this Battel and obtain a final Victory and so triumph for ever And the Church is alwayes praying Come Lord Jesu come quickly To all this his answer is Surely I come quickly And Behold I come quickly and again Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to render to every one according to his Works Revel 22. 7 12 20. And if we will not be patient strive suffer and fight a little while and that for a great and glorious Reward which we shall receive certainly and without all doubt we shall render our selvs unworthy altogether of so blessed a Victory and so joyful a Triumph as God hath of his free and unspeakable mercy promised us § 39. Further to encourage them he proves the certainty of their Reward to such as persevere and his displeasure against all such as draw back out of the next words of the Prophet which he renders thus Ver. 38. Now the Just shall live by Faith but if â—â—y man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him IN the handling of these words we must consider 1. How they come in upon the former 2. To what end the Apostle doth alledge them 3. What the matter therein contained is 4. For particular and more distinct Explication reduce then to Propositions 1. They come in upon the former as agreeing with them in the matter which is the great Reward Yet they have more immediate Connexion with the words immediately aâ—tecedent 1. As being taking out of the same place of the Prophets 2. As signifying that when Christ shall come he will accept and reward those that persevere and reject the rest 2. The End Scope is to encourage them from God's own words and Promise for they are the words of God to persevere and not draw back 3. The material parts are two 1. The final Acceptation of such as persevere 2. The Rejection of such as do not but draw back The Propositions are two 1. The just shall live by Faith 2. If any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him In the first Proposition we have 1. Faith 2. Righteousness 3. Life These three are subordinate for by Faith we attain Righteousness by Righteousness Life and by what we are justified by that we live No Faith no Righteousness no Righteousness no Life these three go together In the words we have two Propositions at least implied 1. We are justified or just by Faith 2. We are glorified and live by Faith According to the former Proposition the Apostle made use of this Text in the Prophet Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. to prove Justification by Faith in Christ without Works For because Man is sinful and guilty his Justification is Remission of Sin which presupposing the party penitent and believing depends upon the Satisfaction Merits and Intercession of Christ and the Mercy of God expressed in the Promise As there he makes use of this Text to prove gratuitous Justification so here he takes it up again to assure them that if they continue in this justifying Faith to the End in the End they shall live and be glorified and that Faith which is first justifying shall be Faith glorifying 1. We have Faith which is a divine practical Assent unto the saving Truths of the Gospel and a reliance upon the Promises of God And here it 's taken for this Faith continued to the End even in the midst of all Persecutions and Afflictions and includes the former continued Boldness of Profession with Patience and other heavenly Vertues with which it hath an inseparable Connexion and is the foundation of all 2. Upon Faith followeth Righteousness for the just have Faith and are just and justified by Faith For by just are here meant the justified by Faith according to the Tenour of the new Covenant For Man being sinful and guilty cannot be justified by his own Innocency Purity inherent Righteousness and perfect Obedience He is condemnable by Reason of his Guilt and is freed from Condemnation by deprecating the Wrath of the Supream Judg and pleading Christ's Sacrifice and God's Promise according to his penitent Faith God in justifying is merciful because the Person justified is a Sinner yet just because Christ hath suffered God hath promised and Man guilty doth believe This Justification doth not leave a Man under the Power and Dominion of Sin but in freeing from Guilt he renews and sanctifies him by his Spirit so that he is inherently righteous So that he is justified and inherently just yet the place is to be understood of such as are finally just as they are finally believing For he that hath Faith is just he that continueth in Faith continueth just and he that is finally believing is finally just 3. As guilty Man is just by Faith so being just he shall live by Faith By Life in this place is meant a spiritual happy and eternal Life the Life of Glory which is the great Reward which will certainly follow upon final Faith For it 's Faith which by vertue of Christ's Merit and God's Promise gives a Right to Life and upon a finall Faith the Possession and full Enjoyment of this blessed Life doth certainly follow The Duty therefore which the Apostle urgeth is final Perseverance in Faith and the Motive whereby he seeks to stir them up to Performance is the certain full Possession of the great Rewards for which he alledgeth God's own Word and Promise recorded in the Prophet And if they will hearken unto God speaking by the Prophet and take his Word and Promise there is great Reason why they should persevere § 40. As the former Reason is taken from God's Promise of Life so the latter is drawn from the Punishment and Displeasure of God which if they fall away they must suffer as certainly threatned by God For if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him The Proposition is hypothetical or compound and connex the Nature whereof is to deduce a Consequent from an
are reckoned up jointly with others which are not mentioned by Name After the Catalogue of these Worthies is finished the Argument taken from their Example is applied In all this Discourse you must observe 1. That the end of the Apostle is to shew the Excellency of that Faith and Perseverance which was spoken of in the former Chapter 2. That the Argument or Suasive here used for to confirm them in the Faith is taken from Example of many of the most eminent Saints and Servants of God recorded in the Old Testament and of such as lived before the Exhibition of Christ. 3. That the force of the Argument is not only in this that they believed and persevered in the Faith but chiefly from this that all their rarest and most heroick Acts and Sufferings whereby they attained so many and great Blessings did issue from their Faith without which they could have done little or nothing § 2. But to enter upon the Chapter and the Text it self we read Ver. 1. Now Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen THis is said to be a Description of Divine Faith a perfect Definition it cannot be That Faith is such a vertue as here is described may easily be known from the former ter whence it may be and is deduced And the Apostle thought good to premise these words for the better understanding and application of the following Examples In the words which speak of Faith we have two Propositions 1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for 2. Faith is the Evidence of things not seen In both these we may note 1. The Object 2. The Act of Faith In the first Proposition things hoped for are in the Object and the Act is signified by the word Hypostasis here turned Substance The whole Verse may be understood either of Faith in general whether Moral or Divine yet here it 's principally meant of that Divine Faith whereby we obtain Salvation To define what Faith in general is belongs to Logick which is the Rule of Man's Understanding whereof Faith is an Act and that Act which we call Assent and so it differs from Dissent and Doubting Yet Assent may be imperfect and mixt with some degrees of Doubt and this is ordinarily called Opinion and it may be perfect and certain and that without Doubt Yet this Assent may be firm and given unto a false Proposition conceived to be true or to a Proposition true in it self either as clear in it's own Light or upon demonstration and evident Proof or at second hand and represented unto us by some extrinsecal Lights as by the Testimony of another of whose certain Knowledg and Integrity we make no doubt This Testimony is humane or divine The ground of this Faith and Assent here intended is the Testimony of God And here two things are required 1. That the thing testified be credible 2. That we have certain Knowledg that the thing to be believed be testified by God The Tradition of the Church being but an humane Testimony cannot fully satisfy us herein but we must have other artificial Arguments to prove that which the Church saith is the word of God indeed And so far only as we know the things to be believed to be testified by God so far only can we believe with a divine and an infallible Faith So that the Testimony of God known certainly to us to be his Testimony is the ground of this Faith here intended One Object of this Faith is things hoped for Things hoped for in this Text are 1. Things and Rewards promised by God as to come and not yet received 2. The principal of these is eternal life and that great and glorious Reward mentioned in the former Chapter and to be received upon final Perseverance in Faith Of these things or of their futurition we can by Nature and the Light of Reason have no intuitive or demonstrative Knowledg The Truths concerning them and their fruition are revealed from Heaven and as so revealed they are fit and proper Objects of our Faith which is here said to be the Hypostasis of these things This word is interpreted several wayes for some will have it to signify the Substance Ground Foundation of things hoped for Others a certain persuasion and expectation of them Others the Subsistance or Existence of this great Reward to come This variety of Opinions concerning the signification of the word in this place makes the Proposition doubtful unto many The Syriack Translator turns the words in this manner Faith is the Certainty or certain Persuasion of these things which are in hope as though they did actually exist or were in effect to them that do believe This Certainty or certain Persuasion is an act of the Soul of Man divinely enlightned whereby it doth as firmly believe that such as persevere in Faith shall as certainly receive the great Reward as though they did actually enjoy it This is that we call a firm Assent grounded upon the Word and Promise of God for this Word and Promise is the Hypostasis Ground Foundation Basis of this Assent in respect of things hoped for upon which the Soul is firmly fixed and this Assent is the Principle of all other heavenly vertues and in particular and more immediately of our Hope So that by this Assent these things hoped for though in themselvs yet to come have a kind of mental ideal intellectual Existence as present by Faith unto him that hath Faith and this is a mighty motive to perseverance And here is to be noted 1. That though things future as hoped for are here only mentioned as the object of Faith yet it 's not the adequate object for Faith extends further and moves in a larger Sphear 2. That this Faith is not only a certain assent perswasion and belief of the Truths and Revelations of God concerning these things but also a certain expectation of the things promised and a firm confidence and reliance upon God promising concerning the performance of the promise Yet neither this expectation nor this confidence can be Faith strictly taken though it 's certain that in respect of things hoped for as such it 's often taken in this large sense The firm assent is indeed alwayes presupposed as the ground of both § 3. The second Proposition which is That Faith is the evidence of things not sin Where 1. The Object is things unseen 2. The Act is evidence of those things 1. The Object is something not seen Things unseen are not only such things as are invisible and such as cannot be received by the eye but also such as are not perceivable by any of our senses Neither are things insensible meant but such as are above the reach of reason Most of our knowledg is acquired by our senses especially of hearing and seeing according to that Maxim Nihil est in intellect is quod non prius fuer at in sensu Though this be true only
of things sensible for no sensible thing can be received into the under standing but by virtue of our outward and inward senses yet we have an intuitive knowledg of many things as of the inward intellectual and moral acts of the Soul without any act or operation of the senses So that things unseen are such as are neither perceivables by the sense nor reason so as to have either an intuitive or demonstrative knowledg of them These are such as are conveyed to the Soul by divine Revelation without which man could not have known them and such propositions as the connexion of the terms depend upon the Will of God 2. Faith is the evidence of these things unseen because we having a certain knowledg of God's veracity and his testimony and revelation of these things are as certainly perswaded of the truth of them and give as firm assent unto them as if they were seen and intuitively and demonstratively known unto us Yet here you must consider 1. That though the things and proposition be above reason yet this perswasion or firm assent and this certain knowledg of the divine Revelation are acts of reason and in the Book of Reason are they written 2. That this object is of greater latitude then the former For things hoped for which are to come are not seen and not only they but many things past and present 3. That the things not seen in this place are not all things not seen but such as God hath revealed to be the matter and object of our Divine Faith 4. That though substance and evidence may differ yet both are a firm assent but Hypostasis in respect of the things hoped for may include a firm confidence and a certain expectation for in respect of that object that assent is more practical then this evidence which respects things unseen So that here wants but little of a perfect definition 5. The Faith here defined is divine Faith in general not that which is called justifying as justifying for that is but a particular branch of this general looking at a particular object which is Christ's Sacrifice and his Intercession Lushington's Exposition of these words as it 's singular so it 's gross and not worthy taking notice of § 4. This foundation being laid the Apostle proceeds not only to prove it to be true by many instances but also that this Faith thus described is excellent and that by divers Acts and Effects thereof And that it 's excellent it appears for Ver. 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good Report THE meaning of this in brief is That by-Faith the Elders became famous and men of renown so far as to be commended by God himself But for the more particular and distinct understanding hereof I will devide the whole into two propositions 1. The Elders obtained a good Report 2. They obtained this good Report by Faith Both these joyntly taken prove the excellency of Faith For that vertue whereby the Elders became so famous and were so highly honoured both by God and Men must needs be rare and excellent But let 's handle them severally 1. The Elders obtained a good Report In the Original were Witnessed Where we may observe 1. The Elders 2. The Testimony concerning these Elders These Elders were the Saints of God in former times called so in respect of these Hebrews their Posterity and those who succeeded them in the times of the Gospel Yet principally we must understand such as are mentioned afterwards and such as were upon record in Scripture as Abel Eâ—och Noah Abraham and the rest The testimony concerning these Elders is expressed in the general They were witnessed Now a Testimony concerning a person is good or bad and this concerning them is good and thus the word in Greek and Latine is often taken by a Synechdoche and here it s taken for the good Testimony which God gave of them for their rare and excellent virtuous acts which were such as that they were not only famous amongst the Saints of their times but also commended by God And many of them and their works he caused to be Chronicled and written in his own Book of the Sacred Scripture so that their names are upon divine Record And this was a rare priviledg and granted unto few eminent persons so that their Fame and Glory is of perpetual continuance and their names shall never be blotted out or their virtues ever buried in the grave of Oblivion 2. They became thus famous by their Faith without which their remembrance could not have been so precious and honourable to succeeding Generations That which is matter of praise and honour is some virtue shining forth in some excellent deeds Their excellent deeds are many and recorded in the Scripture and recited in this Chapter Yet all these rare Gifts and Acts issued from one Fountain and one particular Faith without which they could not have done so glorious things so worthy of praise and honour For as the Apostle shews afterward By Faith Abel offered so excellent a Sacrifice Enoch pleased God Noah prepared the Ark and so of the rest From all which he intimates 1. That without Faith they could not have performed what they did perform 2. That it was the Foundation of all their other virtues and all their vertuous acts 3. By Faith is understood that Faith which was formerly described 4. This Verse is an abridgment of the whole Chapter and of the Old Testament and signifies the harmony and agreement thereof with the New 5. By those words the Apostle doth tacitely exhort them to Faith and Perseverance therein because as the Elders so they should obtain a good Report § 5. The Apostle in the former words made mention of Elders in general and because he intended to descend unto particulars and to inform us who they were and some of them lived near the time of the Creation of the World he thought good to premise an act of Faith about an object necessarily presupposed before the particular instances For seeing he was to begin his enumeration with some of the Elders who lived near the beginning he must say something of the beginning of the World which could not be known by sense or reason but by Faith For Ver. 3. Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that the things that are seen were not made of things that did appear THis act of Faith in respect of this object is not proper to any particular Elder or ancient Worthy but a common act of all and therefore prefixed before the Examples and Instances following and proves in part That Faith is the evidence of things not seen which are hoped for These words inform us Of an Object Act. 1. The Object is the Creation of the World 2. The Act is the understanding of this by Faith which usually is reduced under the first article of our Creed The Proposions are these 1. The things that are seen were
of his Faith so the preparation of the Ark was an Effect of his Fear And here we have 1. A preparation of the Ark. 2. The end of this preparation 1. This Ark was a kind of Ship a Building and Vessel of great receipt and capacity sit to store upon and be carried up by the Water the materials with the form thereof are described Gen. 6. He prepared and built it so as to be finished and ready against the time of the Flood The direction for the materials and the fashion and dimensions he received from God and it was as some collect out of Moses 120 years in Building And Noah believing that God as he had said intended to drown the World made this Ark according to God's prescription as a means to preserve him This implies that he was a man of a great estate 2. Therefore the end of this preparation was to save his House By House is meant his Family as his Wife and his three Sons with their Wives These must have perished with the rest of the World if they had not been preserved in this Ark. And because God intended not to create Mankind a new he thought good to save those that they might be a seminary for the propagation of Mankind to people the Earth Yet not only they but some of all living Creatures breathing and living upon the Earth were preserved with them that they also might multiply and replenish the World and that some of them might be Sacrificed after the Waters were dryed up With these he also laid up in this great Vessel Food for his House and other Creatures lest they should perish for want For the Ark could save them only from the deluge yet this it could not do except God had stored it and had a special care of it And it 's strange that by Virtue of this Ark that Water which destroyed others saved them which were in it This is the reason why the Apostle comparing the Flood to the Water of Baptism saith The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us 1 Pet. 3. 21. As God threatned a fearful Judgment so he made a gracious promise of deliverance to Noah and revealed the means of his safety and gave him a Command to use it And it was Faith which caused him to fear the Judgment and to rely upon the Promise which he believed as certainly as he did the Commination 3. The issue and consequent of this Faith and Obedience was two-fold 1. He condemned the World 2. Became the Heir of that Righteousness which is by Faith For the third Proposition is That by this he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith 1. By it he condemned the World By World is meant the whole body of Mankind besides his Family The persons were many thousands and millions dispersed over the face of the Earth for it 's probable the World at that time was very populous yet very corrupt and wicked and besides that impenitent and hardned though they had sufficient warning and time to repent For God had given them an 120 years by Repentance to provide for their safety and prevent their ruine This World is said to be condemned by it that is by the Ark or as some say by his Faith the truth is he condemned them by both For by Faith he made the Ark and by making the Ark out of Faith he wamed the World and exhorted them to repent To understand this we must consider that Noah was a kind of Prince and Prophet in those dayes and very famous and his Name known far and near A private man of mean and poor estate was neither fit to make the Ark a Building of so vast Charge nor to give a general warning to the World And perhaps as he was a Preacher of Righteousness so he sent many into several parts of the World to signify the great danger and to exhort them to Repentance And as by his Doctrine and Words so also visibly by building the Ark he signified to the World the Will of God requiring Repentance or resolving to drown and destroy the World And they not believing his Doctrine not his design in making the Ark as God had commanded him not repenting of their Sins were condemned For he testified his Faith by making that great Vessel and confirmed his Doctrine by his Example and Righteousness of Life and did what in him lay to perswade all others to repent and by repentance provide for safety But they not hearkening unto him aggravated their sin so high as that they made themselves liable to Condemnation unavoidable There is a three-fold Condemnation 1. By Law 2. By Witness 3. By Judgment The condemnation by Law and Witness are not properly condemnation For that is in strict and proper sense a judicial act of the Judge yet so that if a man be not condemnable by Law and proved to be so by Witness or some other way he cannot justly be condemned Jonah preached to Nineveh Forty dayes and Nineve shall be destroyed So Noah preached to the Old World An hundred and twenty years and the Word shall be destroyed Nineveh repented and by repentance prevented destruction The Old Word at the preaching of Noah repented not and so were condemned The Doctrine and Word of God did virtually and conditionally condemn them God's Sentence did absolutely condemn them because they repented not So that Noah by his Faith and the Ark was not only a Witness against them but a Judge and God by him might be said to give the Sentence Again whosoever or whatsoever actively concurrs to Judgment by a Metonymy may be said to judge in this sense both Law and Witness may be said to Condemn and not only rational but irrational Creatures may be said to be Witnesses and rise up in Judgment against Offenders 2. The latter Consequent of this Faith and preparation of the Ark is that by it that is his Faith preparing the Ark He became Heir of that Righteousness which is by Faith To understand this we must consider that the saving of Noah by the Ark from the Flood was but a Type and Shadow of eternal Salvation by Christ and God by saving him from the Flood which drowned and destroyed the impenitent World did justify Noah and declare Righteousness by Christ and his deliverance from eternal Death And because the Ark wherein he was saved was made and prepared by Faith therefore be obtained this Righteousness and became Heir of eternal Salvation by Faith For though Noah was a righteous man and testified so to be and that by God himself yet that righteousness was but the evidence of the sincerity of his Faith For without Faith that Faith whereby he prepared the Ark he could not have been saved either from temporal or eternal destruction Not so as though he had not had faith formerly before he was warned by God for that he had many years before but this was one
ridiculous and a matter of laughter rather then of fears except they did suspect some magick Spells and diâ—belical power might be used in that formal procession 4. The Event was the fall of the Walls of Jericho and the ruine of that City and the Inhabitants Some think this fall to be the sinking of the Wall whole and entire into the ground so that the highest parts of them lay level with the surface of the Earth yet there is no certainty of this But this is certain that they so fell as that Israel might easily enter This was a work of almighty power and by this example we easily understand that when out of Faith we obey God's Commands that which God hath promised will be effected Therefore when any business is difficult to be done we must not so much look at the impotency of natural and secondary Causes as at the promise of God and the performance of our Duty And though it 's true that the principal if not the sole effective cause be the Power of God yet without the Faith and Obedience of man the fulfilling of the Promise cannot be expected This manner of giving Jericho into Israel's hand to humane reason not acquainted with the Counsel of God might seem strange Yet it was an excellent way to animate Israel and terrify the Canaanites For by this miraculous Event Israel might understand how easily without blow or blood of any man the strongest City might be taken and delivered into their hands and the Enemy might know that neither the strongest and highest Walls nor the power of the most warlike Souldiers could be able to stand out The principal thing here to be observed is the excellency of Faith grounded upon the Word and Promise of God § 30. In this strange and fearful destruction of Jericho God remembred mercy and saved Rahab and her Family so that they perished not with the rest For Ver. 31. By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the Spies with peace THis is the last Example of those whereupon the Apostle severally and more distinctly insists In it we may observe 1. The Party named and proposed for an Example which was Rahab the Harlot 2. The Work of her Faith She received the Spies in peace 3. Her Preservation in the general ruine of that City 4. Her Faith whereby she obtained that Reward 1. The Party was a Woman her Name Rahab a Gentile a Canaanite an Inhabitant and Native of Jericho an Inn-Keeper and an Harlot for she seems to be both Yet this is so far true that though she had formerly been guilty yet now she was a Penitent and upon her Faith if not before reformed God had prepared her for his own Design and made her a sit Instrument to save the Spies and the Spies fit Agents to inform Joshua of the Truth and to encourage all Israel to go on boldly in the Conquest of all Canaan 2. Her Work of Faith was that she received the Spies in peace These Spies were Agents sent by Joshua to discover the Country on the West-side of Jordan according to his Directions and his End in sending them was to receive Information from them of such things as were convenient to be known as Preparative for the future Conquest As Stratagems so Spies were useful as other Intelligencers are in a well-ordered State that hath to deal with Enemies and if the Cause be just and the Enemies unjust they are certainly lawful These she received though Enemies to her Country not only as Guests but Friends and as she received so she dismissed them in peace that is in safety and as Friends and not as Enemies This she did with so great Care Prudence and Fidelity that their best Friends in that Case could not have done more and better for them The manner how she entertained them the Conference she had with them the Contract made between them the Act how she concealed them the Counsel she gave them and the Contrivance of their safety you may read more at large in the Book of Joshua Her officious Lie which she made in their behalf cannot in strict Justice be excused though in mercy it may be pardoned And in this Act and Work of Charity towards them she was not guilty of persidious Treachery to her own Country which she knew to be wicked and destined by God himself unto Destruction and she was bound to love God more than her Country and his People more than his Enemies By her Faith she had renounced all to serve the true God and in her heart was become already one of God's Saints and Servants Treachery indeed is unjust and contrary to the Laws of God which require fidelity to God first and then to our Country so far as it shall be consistent with Fidelity to the Supream Lord and not one â—ote further 3. Her Reward followed upon this For she perished not with them that believed not Where we have 1. The Destruction of Unbelievers 2. Her Preservation The first implies that her Neighbours and Fellow-Citizens were grievous Sinners and so hardned in their Sins that they did not believe and so were Vessels of Wrath and fitted for Destruction These being such did perish and suffered Punishment due unto their Sins which was a total and final ruine But she perished not but was preserved and the manner of her Preservation we find related in the History For both the Spies and Joshua were faithful to her and performed the Promise and the Oath made unto her By this we learn how easily God can save us even in the midst of general Calamities 4. This her Preservation was a Reward of her Faith not that Faith did merit it but made her capable of God's Mercy This here Faith was wrought in her by the Fame of God's glorious Works and Counsels which she had heard and by the Power of the Holy Ghost and it was manifested much and very much both by her Words and Deeds when she received the Spies and preserved them from Death It was so much the more to be admited seeing she was an Alien a Gentile a Canaaâ—ute and dwelt amongst a cursed People amongst whom she had been a grievous Sinner Surely she will rise up in Judgment against the Unbelievers of our times § 31. The Apostle forbears to insist largely and particularly upon the Faith of any more of the ancient Worthies either Men or Women and draws towards a Conclusion by Contraction of his Discourse and in this manner Ver. 32. And what shall I more say For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barac and of Samson and of Jeptha of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets IN these words and those that follow in this Chapter we must consider 1. The manner how the following Discourse is brought in 2. The matter of it 1. The manner is by a Rhetorical Paraleipsis signifying 1. There was no necessity of any more
God with a profane and wicked heart some serve him ignorantly or negligently without servency and due affection The Pharisee could give Alms Fast Pray pay Tythe of Mint Anniseed Cumin and neglect the weighty things of the Law as Justice Judgment Mercy they could and did draw near to God with their Lips and yet be far from God with their hearts they served God but according to the Traditions of men The Jews were zealous and devout in Ceremonials yet their hearts were polluted and their hands full of Blood Therefore we must know that no profane man or hypocrite or indisposed person can serve God acceptably To do this doth presuppose man in the state of Grace and an heart prepared and rightly disposed the person must first be accepted before the work can please God And as the Person so the Service must be rightly qualified and so it is when it proceeds from Faith in Christ is conformable to the Word of God and tends unto his Glory And if We and our Service be thus qualified though our infirmities be many yet so great is God's mercy that for Christ's sake he will accept both us and it we must not presume upon his mercy but yet we must rely upon him when we have a special care to shun that which offends him and do that which is just and holy and when we have done our best humbly in the Name of Christ pray for pardon of defects and acceptance of our sincere endeavours Yet we cannot serve God thus acceptably without reverence and godly feat Reverence in God's Service looks at his excellency and glorious Majesty and at our own unworthiness and the infinite distance between Him and Us and therefore we must adore God's excellent Majesty with deep humility abasing our selves very low being afraid and ashamed out of a sense of our own vileness to come near him except in his great mercy and free grace he vouchsafe access Signs of this reverence is cut kneeling bowing covering our faces prostration and such like gestures And if we were either apprehensive and sensible of our own vileness or God's excellency how could we possibly be so profane and unreverent in his Worship Godly fear may be the same with Reverence or distinct from it The word in the Greek signifies sometimes caution sometimes devotion sometimes fear and that in the Service of God which is a religious fear and care not to offend but to please him Both reverence and fear in this place may farther be a more then ordinary care and diligence in the Service of God that we may please him and be accepted of him For as the greatest honour with the greatest humility is due to God that Supreme Lord whose Majesty is infinite and eternal so the greatest caution must be used in his Worship for he will be sanctified in all them that draw near unto him 3. This is the manner how he will be served by all such as are admitted Subjects of this unmoveable and unchangeable Kingdom The reason is He is a consuming Fire These words are improper and metaphorical and a Metaphor is a contract Similitude which here we find In such Comparisons we may observe 1. The things compared as like and agreeing 2. The thing wherein they do agree The things here compared are God and Fire God is like to Fire The thing wherein they agree is this that they are consuming So that the meaning is That God is like unto Fire and he is like to it in this that as That so He hath a consuming force Many are the qualities and effects of Fire but this one is singled to represent the terrour of God For though that flery Law which God gave out of the midst of fire burning up to Heaven be removed yet in the Gospel of sweetest mercy and freest grace there are threatnings of unquenchable Fire and eternal Flames Therefore this expression signifies his punishing and vindictive Justice the Subjects whereof are profane impenitent and unbelieving persons who are disobedient to the Law of Grace and refuse the tender of saving mercy The effect of this Justice upon these Offenders are severe and everlasting punishments which cannot be expressed or conceived but are represented by the raging flames and â—â—erce burning of the most violent Fire which cannot be quenched And as the torment of violent hottest flames is the most grievous so these punishments are and if the Sufferers be immortal and immortally sensible the Torment will be not only grievous but perpetual The sum is that the punishment of delinquent and disloyal Subjects which the Judge shall execute and they suffer is extreme and everlasting The force of the Reason is great for as men tremble to think of everlasting tormenting and consuming Flames so let them have a special care to serve God unto the end in due manner This implies that there is a glorious Reward of eternal Light and delight to all such as shall like loyal Subjects continue constant unto the end in the profession of the Truth and the acceptable Service of this glorious and eternal Soveraign CHAP. XIII § 1. PRofession without Practise Faith without good works cannot attain the fruition of that eternal Life which Christ hath merited and God hath promised therefore the Apostle in this Chapter exhorts to Love good Works constancy in the Truth and other Duties He begins with Love Ver. 1. Let brotherly Love continue THe Analysis of this Chapter is easy for we have 1. The hortatory part thereof 2. The conclusion of the whole The Duties exhorted unto with several Motives are reduced to a kind of order by divers Expositors Yet as this is not exactly done so it 's needless to do it We may indeed enumerate the Duties and reduce them to their proper places and heads in the Body of Divine Wisdom and that is very easie to be done Yet the Wisdom of the Apostle was this that he doth not mention all Duties but such as were most requisite at that time to be performed by those persons and doth not strictly follow the method of the moral Law but takes liberty to place them in that order which he thought most convenient For he knew the performance of them to be the principal thing and it was sufficient for him to press them and then to know them The first Exhortation is to brotherly Love The Duty is 1. Brotherly love 2. Continuance in it Brotherly love is love of the Brethren For there are Brethren and these must be loved To love our Neighbour as our selves is the substance of the second Table of the moral Law And as there are several degrees of Neighbours so there is of Love Neighbours in full extent include Strangers Enemies and all such as are capable of our Love Of these some are more nearly linckt unto us as Brethren Yet these are either natural political or spiritual here spiritual Brethren are meant who have God to be their Father Jerusalem above to be their
prescribed in his Word Of this Sin there are many kinds and degrees For some cover superfluity and abundance and will not be content with Necessaries that they may maintain their pride and pleasure for both are costly In these Covetousnes is a grievous Sin yet not predominant but subservient to their love of other things which they more affect Others highly esteem and admire Wealth as some excellent thing as though it could make them happy These not considering the baseness uncertainty and emptiness of this worldly trash do insatiably thirst after it as the chiefest good man is capable of or can attain and these are flat Idolaters and Mammon is their God and him they serve with as great devotion as Saints do the true and living God Others fearing want for time to come and judging their estates poor and insufficient do distract themselves with fruitless cares and thoughts for the things of this Life These being weak in Faith do not consider that their heavenly Father knows they have need of these things and will certainly provide Bread for his Children and that if they first seek his Kingdom and the Righte câ—sness thereof these things shall be added unto them they must needs be guilty of this Sin And this is the Covetousness that seems to be here intended as the words following do imply Some of God's own Children in this particular can hardly be excused For whosoever loves and desires these earthly Necessaries more then God allows and dare not trust in their heavenly Father for daily Bread are certainly covetous though not in so high degree as others Therefore we must remember both the advice which Christ gives us when he saith unto us Take â—â— thought saying What shall we ent or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed and also the gracious promises wherewith he seeks to strengthen out hearts against these cares and thoughts of the World We can see and censure this Sin in others but not in our selves for it steals insensibly into the hearts of men and at the first doth not appear to be what it is Therefore some have taken very good pains in discovering of it by certain proper Marks and Characters But to speak of these and of the Causes and Effects of this Sin in general in this place is not so pertinent and therefore I refer the Reader to other Texts of Scriptures and to other Authours who have treated more at large upon it The exhortation follows in these words But be content with such things as ye have This discretive particle but implie that Coveâ—ousness and contentment are Contrary and inconsistent in one and the same heart This presupposeth 1. They had something for the present 2. Perswadeth to contentment with that they had What they had for the present is not here expressed yet some had more some had less and some very little yet he that had the least had Food and Raiment and did live and so live that he had time to serve his God seek his Kingdom and the Salvation of his Soul Such as had less might be perplexed with fear and doubt of want for time to come and out of a desire to prevent it resolve upon a course to supply their wants and to distract themselves Lest any should do thus or be thus perplexed he exhorts every one even him that had the least to be contented with what he had This contentment is opposed to murnuring against God to distrusting and distracting cares to covetous desires to all disquiet of mind about these earthly things It 's a quiet temper of the mind relying upon God's merciful providence and gracious promises for support and necessaries This Faith and Reliance is grounded upon certain principles of Divine Truth As 1. That we brought nothing into this World neither must we carry any thing out 2. That this Life was given us to seek a better 3. That these earthly necessaries are given us to preserve this Life 4. That all besides Food and Raiment which maintain this life are not necessary 5. That God careth for his People as knowing that we have need of these things 6. That if we be godly and first seek his Kingdom he hath bound himself to give us these things For godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come Upon these and the like the heart quieteth it self in God is content with little mind the greatest business of Salvation and for these earthly necessaries casteth all care â—on God For he knows he is but a Pilgrim and Stranger here seeking after a better Conntry and cares not much for earthly Treasure if he can lay up Treasure in Heaven and knows for certain That godliness with contentment is great gain 2. After the Duty follows the Reason or Motive where we must consider 1. What God doth promise 2. What Man may expect For we have 1. God's Engagement unto Man 2. Man's Confidence and Security upon this Engagement The promise we find in several places of the Old Testament as 1. Deut. 31. 6. 2. Ibid. v. 8. 3. Joshua 1. 5 11. 4. 1 Chron. 28. 20. But these very words with the five Negative Particles yet in the third person are found no where but in the first Deut. 31. 9. The words according to the Septuagint and the Apostle turned verbatins word by word run thus I will not not leave I will not not not forsake thee As they are the words of God related by Moses the Verbs are of the third person as spoken by God himself to Joshua they are of the first In Hebrew in all the places the Verbs are the same For the better understanding of them we must observe 1. That the words are a Promise 2. That they are a Promise of God 3. The matter Promised is God's special presence and providence according to their Condition and Necessity 4. To assure us of both He 1. Useth the Negatives not leave not forsake which implies the affirmative without the least failing and this manner of expression is more full and peremptory and in a Promise more strongly obliging 2. He was not content to say I will not leave thee but adds further I will not forsake thee 3. He prefixeth two Negatives before the first Verb and three before the second 4. Though in the Hebrew the Negatives be simple yet the Septuagint and much more the Apostle knew that the fives Negatives were included in the Verbs 5. The sum of the Promise is That God would in no wise not in the least measure neglect or desert his People or withdraw his Wisdom his Mercy his Power or any wayes in the least degree remit them but he would most certainly and effectually be with them provide for them and help them in all things so far as their necessity required 6. Though this Promise doth extend to God's presence and providence in all things wherein they were requisite and necessary yet here it seems to be more
to be Overseers which have a Charge of men's Souls committed unto them for Direction unto eternal Bliss and also Rulers because of their Power and Authority whereby they may in the Name of Christ command them to obey his Laws and in this respect the People are subject unto them in that manner that if they hear and receive them they receive Christ who sent them and God who sent Christ And whosoever receiveth not but despiseth them desplseth Christ and God who sent them 2. These Guides lest they should be ignorant who they were were such as had spoken the Word of God unto them The Word of God is that part of the Word of God which we call The Gospel which is concerning Christ exhibited humbled exalted and reigning at the right hand of God contained in that part of the Scripture we call The New Testament This Doctrine is the Word of God not only because it speaks of God but also because it was revealed by God and that by his own Son in the last dayes This Word they had spoken and declared both by Word and Writing and that infallibly according as by Inspiration they had received an immediate Knowledg of it and this their infallible Doctrine was the Rule of inferiour Teachers 3. These they must remember Some of these might be living some of them dead both must be remembred To remember in this place is to call to mind which presupposeth a former Act of Understanding and is a Reiteration of the same Act upon the same Object These must be remembred not only as Men but as Guides and as such as had spoken the Word of God even unto them so as that they had heard them and learned from them the Mystery of the Gospel so as to believe in Christ Yet amongst these they must principally remember the most eminent and in particular those by whom they had believed For if men begin once to forget their Teachers they will soon forget their Doctrine The second part of their Duty to which their former Remembrance was subservient is the Consideration of the end of their Conversation Their Conversation and Course of life no doubt was agreeable to their Doctrine and the Word of God they taught their Preaching and their Practice were suitable and as their Conversation was good so the End was answerable In that Faith they lived in the same they dyed and as their Life was holy so their Death was happy In these words some observe two things 1. That these were dead and some of them at least had sealed the Truth of the Gospel with their Blood and dyed Martyrs 2. That they had been constant in the Profession and Practice of that heavenly Truth which they had preached and taught to others This Constancy and blessed Issue of their Conversation they are exhorted to consider and seriously review with the Eyes of their Souls as a rare and excellent Pattern worthy their Imitation 3. And if they were so worthy Imitation it was their Duty in the third place to follow their Faith that is their Doctrine which they preached believed professed practised unto Death and which they confirmed by their Suffering This is the true End of hearing Word of God and the true Use of all good Examples which are given us and set before our Eyes for this very End that we may do as they did and as they taught us both by their Words and Works their Doctrine and Practice We must follow the Example of all good men and above others of such Guides as these were amongst these Guides the most eminent in Truth Piety and Perseverance because their Doctrine and Life did agree and contiued suitable to the End § 8. It followeth Jesus Christ the same c. These words seem to stand absolute in themselvs without any dependance upon or Connexion with the Context antecedent or consequent and this hath given occasion to many several and different Expositions Some of the Ancients consider them in themselvs and understand them of Christ as God and from them prove his God-head by his perpetual Existence because he was is and shall be for ever and by his immutability because he alwayes is the same Some understand this of Christ as Redeemer whose Power and Efficacy in redeeming and saving all such as believe in him was from the first time that he was promised unto the World's End for he saved all those who believed in him for to come and all such who believe in him already come and exhibited Both these senses are true but whether intended here or no may be a Question But most Expositors consider the words in Coherence either with that which goes before or that which follows 1. With that which goes before and that two wayes 1. That as Christ the Word not incarnate or made Flesh spake to Joshua and promised not to leave him and forsake him so if they follow the Faith of their Guides and Teachers and persevere in the same to the End Christ will be with them and not leave them nor forsake them 2. That the Faith of their Guides was Faith in Christ according to their Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ an eternal unchangeable and never-failing Saviour and this their Faith in Christ they must follow and then Christ will be to them the same he was to their Guides and will certainly save them In this sense the words not only signify what kind of Faith that of their Teachers was and what was the Object and Foundation of it but also contain a Reason why they should follow it For their Faith was Faith in Christ which is the only saving Faith for ever as he Himself is the same for ever The Aethiopick Version favours this sense in part for thus they translate the words Follow me in the Faith of Christ c. So that according to this Christ is Faith in Christ. But others understand by Jesus Christ the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is the same as Christ is and that for ever and never shall be changed Therefore they must follow it and never turn from it Christ may by a Metonymy signify Faith in Christ and the Doctrine of Christ because he was the Object of their Faith and the Subject of their Doctrine This Vatablus terms an Enallage This seems to be confirmed by the Exhortation following To apply this to our selves as it is our Duty so we must have a care often to remember the Apostles and their Successours who have taught us the Word of God and considering their happy Departure out of this World with the Joy and Comfort which they found in their Saviour let us follow their Doctrine and their Faith in Christ which if we do we shall have the same End and find the same Comfort in Christ who will be the same to us which he was to them for as He so his Doctrine is unchangeable for ever and whosoever shall follow his Doctrine and believe in him shall