punishment with respect to the law of Moses, which they could not deny to be just and equal. "He that despised Moses's law;" that is, by such a sin as the law deemed capital, as murder, adultery, incest, idolatry, blasphemy, and some others, being committed with an high hand or presumptuously, Exod. xxi, 14; Numb. xv, 30, 31; Deut. xvii, 12. He who was thus guilty is said (abETEI) to despise Moses's law, to abolish it, as the word signifies.

§2. The punishment was, "he died without mercy;" he died; he was put to death (not always, it may be, de facto, but) such was the constitution of the law, that he was to be put to death without mercy. There were several ways of inflicting capital punishments appointed by the law, as hanging on a tree, burning and stoning: and it is said, that he died (xwgis ointipμov) without mercy, not only because there was no allowance for any such mercy as should save and deliver him, but God had expressly forbidden that either mercy or compassion should be shewed in such cases, Deut. xiii, 6-9; xix, 33. The execution of this judgment was not to be done except (επι δυσιν ή πρισι μαρTUG) under two or three witnesses of the fact and crime; for the law in that case was very express: Deut. xvii, 6; xix, 13; Numb. xxxv, 30. Although God was very severe in the prescription of these judgments, yet he would give no advantage thereby to wicked and malicious persons to take away the lives of innocent men; and such abhorrency God had of false witnesses in criminal causes, as he established a lex talionis in this cause alone, that a false witness should suffer the utmost of what he thought and contrived to bring on another. The equity of which is still in force, as suitable to the law of nature, and ought to be more observed than what it is: Deut. xix, 16-21.

§3. On this account of sin and punishment under the law, the apostle makes his inference to the certainty and equity of the punishment he had declared with respect to sins against the gospel, ver. 29, "Of how much sorer punishment, &c." The first aggravation of the sin intended is from the object of it, the person of Christ, the Son of God; which contains a divine constellation of all the blessed effects of infinite wisdom, goodness, and grace. In them we have the most glorious manifestations of these perfections. But how comes the Son of God to be concerned in this matter? What injury is done him by apostates from the gospel? I answer, that as the Lord Christ in his own person was the special author of the gospel; as his authority is the special object of our faith in it; as his office, with all the fruits of it, is the subject, sum, and substance of the gospel-so there is no reception of it in a due manner to salvation, no rejection of it to final condemnation, but what is all originally, fundamentally, and virtually contained in the reception or rejection of the person of Christ. This is the life, the soul, and foundation of all gospel truth; without which it is of no power or efficacy to the souls of men. cannot but observe, that, as whosoever rejects the gospel, rejecteth and forsaketh the person of Christ; so, on whatever account men take up the profession and perform the duties of it, if the foundation be not laid in a reception of Christ himself, all their professions will be in vain.

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§4. But it may be thought, if the person of Christ be concerned herein, yet it is indirectly, or consequentially only, and in some small degree; no, saith the apostle, but he that is guilty of this sin doth (TUTUTous) trample on the Son of God, or tread him under foot, which is the highest expression of scorn, con

tempt, and malice; conveying also the idea of insulting over, as is plain in the metaphor. Christ proposed in the gospel, was professed by these persons for a while to be the Son of God, the true Messiah, the Savior of the world; him whom God had exalted above principalities and powers, and whom therefore we all ought to exalt and adore in our souls: but now by this sort of persons, he was esteemed an evil doer, a seducer, one not at all sent of God, but one that justly suffered for his crimes; herein they trod under foot the Son of God with all contempt and scorn. Again; the profession they made was, to observe and do all that he had commanded them, because all power was given him in heaven and earth; this they now utterly rejected and despised, betaking themselves to other modes of divine service in opposition to them.

$5. Another aggravation of the sin spoken of is its opposition to the priestly office and sacrifice of Christ, here called (to a тns dialynns) the blood of the covenant. This was not only the great expression of the grace of God, and of the love of Christ, but also to sinners, the cause of all good, the centre of divine wisdom in all the mediatory actings of Christ, the life and soul of the gospel. (Kovov) common, as opposed to any thing that is consecrated to God, and thereby made sacred: hence it is used for profane and unholy, as not belonging to divine worship. They no longer esteemed it as that blood wherewith the new covenant was sealed, confirmed, and established, but as the blood of an ordinary man shed for his crimes, which is not sacred, but common and unholy; nay, in their estimation, not of so much use to the glory of God as the blood of beasts in legal sacrifices, which is the height of impiety. Those by whom the efficacy of his blood for the expiation of sin, by making sat

isfaction and atonement, is denied, will never be able to free themselves from making it in some sense a common thing; yea, the contempt which has been cast on the blood of Christ by that sort of men, will not be expiated with any other sacrifice for ever. But as Christ is precious to them who believe, 1 Pet. i, 19, so is his blood also, wherewith they are redeemed. (Ev w ny1aobɛ) wherewith he was sanctified; it is not real or internal sanctification that is here intended, but a separation and dedication to God, in which sense the word is often used, and all the disputes concerning the total and final apostasy from faith and real satisfaction, from this place are altogether vain. The chief difficulty of this text is, concerning whom these words are spoken? The design of the apostle in the context leads plainly to Christ him self, who was dedicated to God, to be an eternal High Priest, by the blood of the covenant. This these daring apostates esteemed an unholy thing, such as would have no effect to consecrate him unto God and his mediatorial office.

§6. A farther aggravation of this sin is taken from its opposition to the spirit of Christ; (και το πνεύμα της Xapitos εvußpions) and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. There are two parts of this aggravation; the first, taken from the object of their sins, the Spirit of grace; the second, taken from the manner of their opposition to him, they do him despise. This divine person, the Holy Spirit, who is God himself, and his communication of grace and mercy, was HE whom these apostates renounced under this peculiar notion or consideration, that he was peculiarly sent, given, and bestowed, to bear witness to the person, doctrine, death, and sacrifice of Christ, with the consequent glory, John xvi, 4; 1 Pet, i, 12. But now being wholly ́

fallen off from Christ and the gospel, they openly declared, that there was no testimony in them to the truth, but that all these things were either diabolical delusions or fanatical misapprehensions. Now this proceeding from them who had once themselves made the same profession with others of their truth and reality, gave the deepest wound that could be given to the gospel; for all the adversaries of it who had been silenced with the public miraculous testimonies of the Holy Spirit, now strengthened themselves by the confession of these apostates, that there was nothing in it but pretence; and who should better know than those who had been of that society? Hence are they said to "do despite to the Spirit of grace:" they injure him as far as they are able. The word includes wrong with contempt. And what greater despite could be done to him, than to question his truth and the veracity of his testimony? And if lying to the Holy Ghost is so great a sin, what is it to make the Holy Ghost a liar?

§7. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye?" which includes that such a sinner shall be punished, that this shall be a sore punishment, a far greater punishment, that what was inflicted according to the law, such as men shall be able neither to abide nor to avoid. "Of how much sorer?" None can declare, none can conceive it, 1 Pet. iv, 17, 18. But whereas that punishment was death without mercy, wherein could this exceed it? I answer, because that was a temporal death only; for though such sinners under the law might perish eternally, yet that was not by virtue of the constitution of the Mosaic law, which reached only to temporal punishments; but this punishment is eternal. See 2 Thes. i, 6-8; Mark xvi, 16. The way whereby they are made obnoxious to it is, that they are (džiwbeσetai) counted worthy of it; they shall receive