And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant. 189 SECT. XX. Heb. Above all, it is to be remembered, that ye are come to God, the supreme Judge of all, from whose sentence there can be no appeal; and to the spirits of the righteous, whose guilt being en- XII. 23 tirely expiated, they are made perfect', and complete both in holiness and happiness, so far as may consist with the separate state, in which they are joyfully waiting the appearance of their Lord. To this society you are related, and 24 covenant, and to the ye shall shortly arrive at that world where it blood of sprinkling, holds its supreme residence; since you have that speaketh better happily drawn near to Jesus, the Mediator of the hings than that of new and better covenant, far exceeding that Abel. 24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new 25 See that ye refuse For if they escaped established with Israel of old by the mediation And since this is the nature of the dispensa- 25 1 Just men made perfect.] Justified before God, sanctified in their natures, and holy in their lives. Dr. Watts thinks the apostle here uses the expression just, or righteous, to intimate that he included the patriarchs, or Jewish saints; and that there was a peculiar propriety in doing it as he is writing to the Hebrews. Watts's Death and Heaven, p. 72.-Mr.. Baxter urges this as a proof of the distinct existence of the soul in a separate state. m [Blood of ] Abel.] By this some understand the blood of sacrifices in general called the blood of Abel, because he is the first of whose animal sacrifices we read: But there is a harshness in that expression not easily paralleled; I should therefore rather understand it of the blood of Abel himself, as referring to the gentle and gracious character of Christ, and the blessings, instead of vengeance, drawn down by his blood. There is certainly some transposition of what one would have thought the most natural order here; but it must be ascribed to the rapturous manper in which St. Paul conceived of these A a 2 things, and his fulness of matter when he n Him that gave forth oracles on earth.] 11.) spoke to them from heaven, when he gave Shake 190 XX. Heb. And how can we escape in neglecting Him? SECT. the heavens? If all indignities done to Moses, a mortal man, when speaking by Divine authority, were so severely avenged; how much XII. 25. more those offered to the Lord Jesus, who coudescended to come down from heaven, and lay aside the glories in which he there dwelt, to undertake the office of our Law-giver, and our Mediator? 26 And indeed the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom God has now spoken to us, is the Person that presided in that great solemnity of giving the law to which we have been referring. It was he, whose voice then shook the earth, and whose spirit inspired the prophets: but now he hath promised, saying by one of them, (Hag. ii. 6.) Behold, yet once more I make so thorough a reformation, that I may be said to shake not the earth only, but also the heaven. For it is in such language that he hath chosen to represent the change of the Mosaic economy for that of the 27 gospel. And it is evident, that this [expres- 27 And this word, o Shake not the earth only, but also the heaven.] This shaking must refer to the alterations made in the constitution of religion, and be considered not as introductory to, but consequent upon, the coming of the Messiah. Many think this refers to the new heavens and earth, or the state of glory to be at length introduced. Grotius explains it of the extraordinary pha nomena in the heavens, and on the earth, at the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, and mission of the Spirit, as in part an accomplishment of this prophecy. But there would be great room to debate, how far these were more extraordinary, than the commotions on giving the Mosaic law. I therefore chose to adhere to the other, as the most probable interpreta tions. p Of the things shaken: σαλευομένων ] The original cord is very elegant and expressive; it being, as the learned Bos observes, (Exercitat. Philolog. p. 259,) a metaphor taken from ships at anchor, which though they are secured from being driven away, yet are in a fluctuating condition and tossed up and down, within a certain ed shaken, as of things cannot compass, by the force of the wind and waves. q As of things made and constituted only for a time.] Bos imagines that there is in the original a mistake of the transcribers, and for we wendinμever, as of things which were made, he would read wonμwy, as of things shattered and worn out, namely, by being tossed and shaken, and therefore wanting to be changed and repaired. And thus he supposes there is a continuation of the metaphor, which is mentioned in the note above. But conjectural emendations, supported by the authority of not a single manuscript, are not to be admitted, without evident necessity. Mr. Pierce justly remarks, that wOLELY is frequently used for appointing or constituting, as in chap. iii. 2; Mark iii. 14, and many other places; and that το εποιημένων being a participle of the preterperfect tense, ought not to have been translated, Things which are made, as in our English version, but Things which were or had been made, or constituted and appointed, for a time and I bave rendered and explained it accordingly. remain. Reflections on the privileges of the gospel-state. 191 XX. cannot be shaken may ed no more, that the things not to be shaken SECT. any more, might be set up, and remain fixed on a perpetual basis; basis; even that eternal Heb. kingdom of righteousness and peace, which XII. 27. God hath established by Christ Jesus his whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear : moved to make for 28 Wherefore we Son. As therefore we have received such 28 receiving a kingdom, an unshaken kingdom, which shall never be rewhich cannot be mov. ed, let us have grace, different establishway any ment, and which gives us the assurance of a reign in eternal glory, let us see to it, that we have grace whereby we may serve God, from whom we receive it, in an acceptable manner. As that grace is so freely offered to us', let us not be so wanting to ourselves as to fall short of it. And while we feel our hearts inspired with all that gratitude and confidence, which suits the genius of so merciful a dispensation, let them be attempered with a becoming mixture of reverence and pious fear; that we may not, by an unworthy abuse of the gospel, deprive ourselves of its invaluable blessings, and sin beyond all 29 For our God is possibility of farther remedy. For though our 29 a consuming fire. God manifests himself in the beams of such mild majesty, he [is] still possessed of that tremendous power, which was so awfully displayed at mount Sinai, and will break forth as a consuming fire against all those that presumptuously violate his laws, and despise his gospel. Deut. iv. 23, 24.) IMPROVEMENT. THE glories of the eternal Jehovah are indeed inconceivable and immutable. Still he is possessed of all that awful majesty which he displayed on mount Sinai, and able in a moment, as a Ver. devouring fire, to consume the transgressors of his law. But 29 though he kindly reminds us of this dreadful scene, he does not limit and confine our views to it: he appears to us, not on that mountain, which was involved in blackness, and darkness, in tem- 18 pest and fire: but calls us to the milder glories of mount Sion. Yet even there might our consciousness of guilt cause us to fear. How should we appear in the city of the living God, or presume 22 to mingle ourselves with the general assembly and church of the first r As grace is so freely offered.] This is strongly intimated in the words of the exhortation; else there could be no room for it. And this oblique intimation, in which it is, as it were, taken for granled 192 XX. The Apostle exhorts them to brotherly love. SECT. first-born? How should we hope for a place among myriads of angels, and the perfected spirits of the just, in the presence of 23 God, the Judge of all, if it were not for the refuge and support, 24 which we find in Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and in the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than the blood 26 of Abel? But being thus encouraged, let us draw near with humble boldness, though with reverence and godly fear; while we 28 hear the voice that once shook the carth, speaking to us in accents of love, and promising a kingdom that cannot be moved. That kingdom do we in some degree receive now, and we hope for the full possession hereafter. It shall indeed be obtained, if we learn so to value it, as in the expectation of it, to serve God acceptably, in the improvement of that grace, which awaits us, to make us equal to his service: only let us see to it, that we do not, by our own criminal negligence, fail of that grace; that we do not 15 profanely and foolishly follow the example of that wretched Esau, who stands recorded with so much infamy, as having for one sorry 16 meal sold his birth-right, with all his sacred privileges. How many sons of Abraham, having followed him, have found, as he did, the impossibility of retrieving so fatal a bargain; found, as he did, 17 that there was no place of repentance, though they may have sought it carefully with tears; with an anguish of heart, which none can conceive, but they who know what final and everlasting despair means. May God preserve all his churches from such roots of 15 bitterness, as, alas! have too often sprung up among them! And since there is so much danger, that many may be defiled by them, let those that have a real concern for their honour and safety, be looking round, with a proper solicitude to guard against the first appearance of what may be so fatal to their honour, their purity and their peace.. SECT. xxi. Heb. XIII. 1. SECT. XXI. The Apostle exhorts Christians to brotherly love, purity, compassion, dependence on the Divine care, stedfastness in the profession of the truth, and to a life of thankfulness to God, and benevolence to man; from a consideration of the inestimable privileges derived to us from Christ, which ought always to encourage us boldly to endure any infamy and suffering which we may meet in his cause. Heb. XIII. 1-16. I HEBREWS XIII. 1. HEBREWS XIII. 1. continue. SHALL conclude my present address to you, LET brotherly love with some practical exhortations. And one of 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have en tertained angels una wares. And not to forget hospitality, a 193 xxi. of the most comprehensive and important I can SECT. give you, is this: Let brotherly love always continue among you. And remember not only Heb. the common obligations of benevolence, by XIII. 1. which all human creatures are connected with each other, but those peculiar engagements, which the Christian profession lays you under, to study the good of those, who by faith in the gospel are all the children of one Father, and heirs of one glorious inheritance. This should 2 certainly engage you to relieve and accommodate such as are in necessity; and especially your christian brethren, in their travels from place to place, often undertaken for the service of their great Master. Be not, therefore, forgetful of hospitality; for some have, by the practice of it, entertained angels, as common strangers, without knowing it, and have found the hospitalities of many former years abundantly rewarded by one such favourable visit. And thus you know not, but they who come to you under a very mean appearance, may be as messengers from God to you, and the instruments of bestowing some extraordinary favours from 3 Remember them him. You see many of your brethren suffering 3 that are in bonds, as for conscience sake, and some thrown into prithem which suffer ad- son; remember them therefore especially, who versity, as being your are in such bonds, as if you were yourselves sclyes also in the body. bound with [them] and them that suffer any kind of ill-treatment in such a case, as being yourselves also in the same body with them, and so obliged to a tender sympathy; not now to insist on your sharing the same common infirmities of human nature with them all, which should engage you to carry your compassion to strangers, and even to enemies. bound with them; and I anity, Vol. II. p. 217. I can lay no stress c Marriage |