118 vi. If they fell away, after having been enlightened, made partakers of the And have 5 And have tasted the good word of God, world to come: and the powers of the 6 If they shall fall SECT. ened with the knowledge of such glorious truths have tasted of the as are essential to Christianity, and have tasted heavenly gift, and were of the heavenly gift which our exalted Redeemer Holy Ghost, VI. 4. hath shed down upon us, and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, in his miraculous 5 and amazing communications. tasted by some affectionate impressions on their minds, the efficacy of the good word of God, and felt something of the powers of the world to comef, awakening in them a conviction of sin, and some desires after holiness, and resolutions 6 in favour of it: I say, that as for such persons, if, after all this, they totally fall aways from Christianity, their case is in a manner des perate, and it is impossible again to renew the good impressions made on them, so as to bring them back to repentance, and to recover them to a sense of duty; since they reject the strongest evidence that can be conceived, and do, as it were, by this apostacy and blasphemy of theirs,so far as in them lies, crucify to themselves the son of God again, and make an open example [of him :] by renouncing that Divine doctrine which hath been e Heavenly gift-partakers of the Holy Ghost.] Though by heavenly gift, Archbishop Tillotson (Vol. II. p. 485,) understands remission of sin, urging Rom. v. 15 -18, in proof of it; and distinguishes it from the communication of the Holy Ghost, and this too, as he ventures to assert, in its sanctifying power and influence; I see no necessity for making such a distinction, or extending in this place the energy of the Spirit beyond his extraordinary gifts. Bishop Hopkins quotes Acts viii. 15, (which he thinks must include Simon Magus,) as a proof, that unregenerate men might receive the Holy Ghost. Hopkin's Works, p. 520. f The powers of the world to come.] This phrase is ambiguous. Some understand it of those miraculous powers with which the gospel-age, (called the world to come elsewhere, and particularly chap. ii. 5,) should he attended. But if the preceding clause be explained as above, it will diversify the sense more, to understand this of impressions made relating to the importance of a future state. And as we so often read of this world and the present world; the invisible state into which we pass by death, may certainly with great propriety be express ed by the phrase of the world to come; as indeed that is its common signification. But if any on the whole think it is more reasonable to interpret this clause in the for away, to renew them seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of him to an open shame. again unto repentance: God afresh, and put mer sense, and so will understand the other clauses, as explained in the former part of note e, it must be observed that the apostle, in thus giving judgment upon the case, if it should happen, does not declare that it actually does. gif they totally fall away.] It is certain the words, fall away, must be understood thus: or it would prove, contrary to the plainest fact, that it is impossible to re. Cover Christians who have fallen into great and wilful sins. h Crucify to themselves, &c.] Some would interpret it, so far as in them lies they do it, that is they pour all the contempt upon Christ in their power, and offer all the injury to him they can; and were he upon earth, and subject to the violence he once suffered, they would treat him as his worst enemies did.-It seems to me that the apostle here gives up apostates, as hopeless in the general, in order to fortify Christians against the great danger to which they were exposed. But I think it cannot be inferred from hence, that, in ages where the evidence of Christianity might be less plainly demonstrative, those who had fallen into this crime with circumstances less aggravated, and professed repentance, were never to be received to the peace of the church any more; as the Donatists supposed, and on this text founded their inexorably rigorous discipline. Their case would be deplorable and desperate. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth dressed, receiveth blessing from God: ers is rejected, and is burned. vi. 119 so gloriously demonstrated to them, they do in SECT. effect declare they look on Jesus as an impostor, who deserved what he met with; and they seem Heb. to ascribe the miraculous energy of the Spirit to VI. 6. some diabolical agency: which Christ himself represented as the sin that should never be forgiven. (Compare Mat. xii. 30, 31.) upon We will therefore, without any farther efforts 7 for the recovery of such, leave them to the awful sentence which he hath pronounced forth herbs meet for them. For whereas the earth that drinketh in them by whom it is the rain, which often cometh upon it, and produceth herbage fit for them by whom it is culti vated, partaketh of the Divine blessing, and wears a pleasant and delightful face; so shall those souls, who improve gospel-ordinances and Christian knowledge, so as to produce the fruits of holiness, be favourably accepted of God, and 8 But that which feel a Divine joy in themselves. But as that g beareth thorns and bri- ground which bringeth forth only thorns and nigh unto cursing; briars, under the same cultivation, and the same whose fend is to be refreshing showers, [is] rejected as utterly useless; so likewise shall the unfruitful soul be deserted by God in righteous displeasure, and is near to that dreadful hour, when a curse shall come upon it never to be revoked. And as such a barren soil, whose case we have been describing, is at last burnt up by the violent heat of the sun, and becomes dry heath; so the end of such an unhappy creature [shall be] everlasting burning, in that miserable world, where all the means of grace and influences of the Spirit of God shall be for ever withdrawn, and the soul shall be given up to incurable wickedness, and eternal But, beloved, we anguish. Such is the case of these wretched 9 are persuaded better apostates; but I will enlarge no farther on this things of you, and things that accompany awful subject; for we are persuaded there is salvation, though we room to hope much better things of you, my bethus speak. loved brethren, even things that accompany salvation, and do, as it were, bring it along with them we have this chearful expectation concerning you, though we think ourselves obliged thus to speak; that nothing in our power may be wanting to guard you against the greatest danger. IMPROVE. i. Dry Leath.] Heath is the emblem of the cursed man. Jerem. xvii. 5, 6. See Dr. Whitby in loc. 120 Reflections on the danger of apostacy. SECT. IMPROVEMENT. vi. In every respect, both with regard to knowledge and practice, let us go on to perfection: and if we cannot attain to it, let us Ver. rise as near it as we can! For this purpose, as Christians, let us 1, 2 remember what foundation has been already laid, of repentance and faith, of baptism, of a resurrection, and a future judgment; a judgment, eternal in its consequences, and therefore infinitely important. And let us remember, that as the building, in its highest advances, rests upon the foundation, and owes its stability to its union with it, so in like manner does our progress and advance in Christian piety stand in a near connection with our retaining these truths, though we by no means confine ourselves to them. 4 It is by a continual care to improve in them, that we shall most happily escape the danger, the dreadful danger of apostacy, to which we may otherwise be exposed. And O! let the awful passage before us be duly attended to in this view! Let us not 5 rest in any enlightening we may have received, in any taste we may have had of the heavenly gift, of the good word of God, or the powers the world to come; nor in any operation of the Spirit of God upon our minds, to form them to the most splendid talents, and qualify us for the most pompous external services. Men may have all these, and yet fall away, and their guilt be6 come more aggravated: they may injure the Redeemer so much the more in proportion to all they have known of him; and indeed will be capable of wounding him the deeper by their apos tacy, and of exposing him to greater infamy. Let us daily pray to be delivered from so great an evil! We are not left to be like a 7 barren wilderness; the rain from on high comes often upon us; and we enjoy the choicest cultivation may we bring forth fruits meet for him by whom we are dressed, the genuine fruits of practical, vital religion. So shall we receive a blessing from God, and flourish more and more, till we are transplanted to the paradise above. 8 But as for those unhappy creatures who still continue to bring forth briars and thorns, let them dread that final rejection which will be the portion of those who persist in abusing the Divine goodness; let them dread the curse, the awful, the irrevocable curse, to be pronounced on such; let them dread the everlasting dearth with which their souls shall be parched, when ordinances, when the workings of the Spirit of God, when the common comforts and supports of this mortal animal life, shall be no more. Gladly God would never forget the labours of his Saints: Gladly do the ministers of Christ entertain better hopes concerning those committed to their care, while yet there is room for hope, though faithfulness to God, and to the souls of men, 9 obliges them to speak in the language of such cautions as these. May Divine grace apply it to those who are particularly concerned in it, and plant what hath hitherto been a barren and abandoned desart, with such fruits of holiness, as may transform it into the garden of the Lord. 121 SECT. vi. SECT. VII. Addressing himself to sincere believers, the Apostle comforts them with a view of the goodness of God, and his fidelity to those sacred engagements into which he hath condescended to enter; the performance of which is farther sealed by the entrance of Christ into heaven as our forerunner. Heb. VI. 10, to the end. HEBREWS VI. 10. FOR God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, shewed towards his and do minister. HEBREWS VI. 10. SECT. vii. Heb. JUST now mentioned my hopes of your complete salvation; and I have reason to entertain such hopes, as well knowing the benevolent and VI. 10. pious dispositions which many of you have expressed. For God [is] not unrighteous, or unmindful of his gracious promises, so as to forget your diligent work and labour in his service, animated by a principle of unfeigned love, which you have manifested, not only to your brethren, but to his name also, in having ministered, and in still ministring, as his Providence gives you opportunity, to the necessities of the saints. And we heartily wish that this temper were as universal as it is commendable where it prevails; so that every one of you, into whose hands this epistle may come, might shew the same diligence and exert the same studious care, in order to establish the full assurance of your hope, even unto the end of your Christian course; by which hope you must still be supported, while in this 12 That ye be not world: That so on the whole you may not be 12 slothful, but followers sluggish and indolent, but imitators of those, faith and patience in- who, through the exercise of faith and long-suf herit the promises. fering, do now reap the blessed fruit of these graces, and inherit the promises which God 11 And we desire, that every one of you gence, to the full assurance of hope unto the do shew the same dili end: of them who through a Through faith and long-suffering inhe rit the promises.] Mr. Pierce explains this of the Gentiles who were converted to hath Christianity. If it be intended as a hint for 122 When God could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. SECT. hath made to support and cherish them in the hearts of his people through every age. vii. Heb. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless And a glorious confirmation you will find VI. 13. these promises to be, when you come to compare one spiritual object with another, and are swear by no greater, better skilled in the method of interpreting the he sware by himself. sacred oracles, on principles which I am going to lay down. For I may in the first place lead you to observe, that when God made the great and comprehensive promise to Abraham, (Gen. xii. 2, 3, and xvii. 1-6,) on which so much of our hope as Christians doth also depend, the promise that he would be a God to him, and that all nations should be blessed in his seed; seeing he had no greater [a person] to swear by, he swore by himself,even by the honours of his 14 own sacred and Divine name; Saying, by an audible voice from heaven when he repeated the thee, and multiplying, promise, while Abraham stood with Isaac before I will multiply thee. that altar on which with humble submission to the Divine appointment he had just before laid him, (Gen. xxii. 16, 17,)" By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that blessing I will assuredly bless thee, and multiplying I will assuredly multiply thee; I will bless and multiply thee remarkably, so as to make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the 15 sea-shore." And thus having waited long in humble faith and patience, he obtained in due he obtained the protime the accomplishment of the promise, first mise. in the birth of Isaac, and then, after a much longer attendance, the comsummation of a better hope. And we whose circumstances so happily resemble his in this respect, may well follow the example of his faith, when we survey 16 the foundation of it. For men truly swear by a [being] greater than themselves, to whom they for comparatively it is a low sense, in ↳ Multiplying, I will multiply thee 】 ascribe 15 And so after he had patiently endured, 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and That part of the promise to Abraham which immediately follows the clause here quoted, in Gen. xxii. 17, most certainly relates to the Gentiles; and there. fore had the apostle intended ver. 12. of this chapter in the sense in which Mr. Pierce explains it, of the Gentiles converted to Christianity, I caunot think he would have stopped short at multiplying, I will multiply thee, and omitted what follows, of making his seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand on the sea-shore, and—in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, |