words is not so much to be taken from the precise signification of them, as from the matter plainly intended in them.

I

§2. (I.) I shall open the words in the order wherein they lie in the text. The first thing is, the motive and encouragement given to our diligence in the duty exhorted to. "Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses;" we having so great a cloud of witnesses placed about us; we, we also, or even we. The apostle joins himself with these He brews, not only the better to insinuate the exhortation into their minds, by engaging himself with them, but also to intimate that the greatest and strongest be.. lievers stand in need of this encouragement. Witnesses are of two sorts:

1. Such as behold the doing of any thing, and give their testimony to it when it is done. For in the striving and contest in these public games which are alluded to, there were multitudes, clouds of spectators, that looked on to encourage those that contended by their applauses, and to testify of their success.

So is it with us in our patient perseverance; all the saints of the Old Testament do, as it were, stand looking on us in our striving, encouraging us to our duty, and ready to testify to our success with their applauses. They are all placed about us to this end; and thus we are encompassed with them. And they are so in the scripture, wherein they being dead, yet see, and speak, and bear testimony. The scripture hath encompassed us with them, so that when we are in our trials, whatever way we look in it, we may behold the faces of some or other of these worthies looking on, and encouraging us.

2. But the intention of the apostle may be better taken from his general scope, which requireth that

the witnesses be such as testify to what is to be done, and the grounds of truth whereon it ought to be done. For he intends, especially the persons whom he had before enumerated; and that which they testify to is this, that faith will carry believers safely through all that they may be called to do or suffer in the profession of the gospel. They all jointly testify to these things, that it is best for us to believe and obey God, whatever may befall us in our so doing. Faith, where it is true and sincere, will engage those in whom it is, to venture on the greatest hazards, dangers, and miseries in the world, rather than to forego their profession, and it will safely carry us through them all. Those who testify these things are important witnesses in this cause. Testifying to the folly of our fears, the falseness of all the suggestions of unbelief, and the fraud of Satan's temptations; as also to the excellency of the duties whereto we are called, and the certainty of our success in them through believing.

And in this sense do I take the witnesses here intended, both because of the scope of the place, and that we know by experience of what kind of use this testimony is. But if any think better of the former sense, I shall not oppose it. For in the whole verse the apostle doth, as it were, represent believers in their profession, as striving for victory, as upon a theatre. Christ sits at the head of it, as the great Agonothetes, the judge and rewarder of those that strive lawfully, and acquit themselves by perseverance to the end. All the saints departed divinely testified unto, stand on every side, looking on, and encouraging us in our course; which was wont to be a mighty provocation to men, to put forth the utmost of their strength in the public contests for victory. Both these senses are con

sistent...

§3. Of these witnesses, there is said to be a cloud, "so great a cloud." A cloud in Hebrew is (y) a thick, perplexed, or condensed thing. God compares the sins of his people to a cloud, and a thick cloud, because of their multitude, the vapor of them being condensed like a cloud, Isa. xliv, 22. And in all authors, a thick body of men or soldiers compacted together, is usually called a cloud of them. So Homer, Iliad iv, (Αμα δε νεφος ειπειοπεξῶν, with him followed a cloud of footmen. So Livy, (Peditum equitumque nubes;) a cloud of horse and foot. Wherefore, "so great a cloud," is, so great a number, or multitude at once appearing together to witness in this cause. What is done in the scripture for our use, is immediately done to us; and what is spoken in it, is spoken to us, see ver. 5.

$4 "Let us lay aside every weight." Those who were to run in a race, freed themselves from all weight or burden; and such things as might entangle them, as long garments, which, cleaving to them, should be their continual hinderance. "Laying aside,” or as others render the word (añobeμevoi) casting away. The word is once used in the New Testament with respect to a natural action; Acts vii, 58, "The witnesses (27εbevlo) laid down-that is, put off and laid downtheir clothes;" which gives light into the metaphor. In all other places it is used with respect to vicious habits, or causes of sin, which we are to part with, or cast away as hinderances, see Ephes. iv, 22-25, Col. iii, 8; James i, 21; 1Pet. ii, 1. Let no man be confident in himself; he hath nothing of his own but will obstruct him in the way of holy ordinances. Unless these things are deposed, we cannot run the race with

success.

That which we are first to lay aside, is (oynov avia) "every weight." The expresson will scarce allow,

'that this should be confined to any one thing, or to things of one kind. No more seems to be intended, but that we part with every thing, of what kind soeyer it be, which would hinder us in our race. And so it is of the same import with the great command of self-denial, which our Savior gives in so strict charge to all who take on them the profession of the gospel, as that without which they would not persevere therein, Matt. xvi, 33, 34.

But because there is another great gospel-rule in the same case, which restrains this self denial to one sort of things, which the words seem to point to, and which also falls in with constant experience, it may have here an especial regard. And this rule we may learn from the words of our Savior also; Matt. xix, 23, 24, "Jesus said to his disciples, verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven;" and again, "I say unto you, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Nothing but the exceeding greatness of the power of God, and his grace, can carry a rich man safely, in a time of suffering, to heaven and glory. And it is confirmed by the apostle, 1Tim. vi, 9, 10, "They will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition," &c. The riches of this world, and the love of them, are a peculiar obstruction to constancy in the profession of the gospel, on many accounts. These, therefore, seem to be a burden hindering us in our race in an especial manner.

And these things may be called "a weight," not from their own nature, for they are as light as vanity; but from the consequence of our setting our hearts and -affections upon them. A man may burden himself

with feathers or chaff, as well as with things in themselves more ponderous.

$5. How is this weight to be laid aside? Suppose the weight to be the good things of this life, with the engagement of our affections to them; then this laying them aside includes,

1. A willingness, a readiness, a resolution, if called thereto, to part with them cheerfully for the sake of Christ and the gospel; so was it with them who took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. When this resolu tion is prevalent in the mind, the soul will be much eased of the weight of those things, which would hinder it in its race. But whilst our hearts cleave to them with an undue valuation, whilst we cannot attain to a cheerful willingness to have them taken from us, or to be taken ourselves from them, for the sake of the gospel, they will be an intolerable burden to us in our course. For hence will the mind dispute every dangerous duty; hearken to every sinful contrivance for safety; be surprised out of its own power by every appearing danger; and to be discomposed in its frame on all oc- : casions. Such a burden can no man carry in a race.

2. Sedulous and daily mortification of our hearts and affections with respect to all things of this nature, is principally prescribed to us in this command of "laying them aside as a weight;" this will take out of them whatever is really burdensome to us. Mortifi cation is the dissolution of the conjunction, or league, that is between our affections and earthly things, : which alone gives them their weight and cumbrance, see Col. iii, 1-5. Where this grace and duty are in their due exercise, these things cannot influence the mind into any disorder, nor make it unready for its race, or unwieldy in it.