4. The constant consideration of Christ in his sufferings is the best means to keep up faith to its due

exercise in all times of trial.

VERSE 4.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.

§1. Connexion of the words. $2. The party to be opposed, sin, §3. The way by resisting and striving. $4, 5. Observations.

$1. HAVING

LAVING proposed the great example of Jesus Christ, and given directions to the improvement of it, the apostle proceeds to more general arguments for the confirmation of his exhortation to patience and perseverance in times of suffering. "You have not yet resisted unto blood." He grants that they had met with many sufferings already; but they had been so restrained, as not to proceed to life and blood. And he hath respect to what he had affirmed of their past and present sufferings, chap. x, 32-34. (See the Exposition of the place.)

He intimates that they might yet expect "blood." Two things are included; first, that those who are engaged in the profession of the gospel, have no security, but that they may be called to the utmost and last sufferings by blood on account of it; and, secondly, that whatever befalls us on this side, blood is to be looked on as a fruit of divine tenderness and mercy.

§2. The party with whom their contest was in what they suffered, was-"sin." The apostle still abides in his allusion to strife for victory in public games; therein every one had an adversary whom he was to contend with; so have believers; and it was not their persecutors directly, but sin in them, that the apostle alludes to. But whereas sin is but an accident or quality, it cannot act itself, but only in the subjects

wherein it is. When men persecute the church, it is sin acting itself in malice, hatred of the truth, blind zeal, envy, and bloody cruelty, that engageth and ruleth them in all they do. With all these effects and fruits of sin in them believers contend.

Again, they have a contest with sin in themselves.

So the apostle Peter tells us, that fleshly lusts war against the soul, 1Epist. ii, 11. They violently endeavor the overthrow of our faith and obedience.

§3. The way or manner of the opposition to be made to sin, is by resisting and striving. They are both military terms, expressing fortitude of mind in resolving and executing. There is included a supposition of a vigorous and violent assault, such as enemies make in battle. It is not a ludicrous contest that we are called to, but it is for our lives and souls; and our adversary will spare neither pains nor hazard to win them. Hence we are to arm ourselves, to take to ourselves the whole armor of God, to watch, to be strong, to quit ourselves like men. They are all included in the sense of these two words.

$4. And we may observe,

1. That the proportioning of the degrees of sufferings, and the disposal of them as to times and seasons, is in the hand of God. Some shall suffer in their goods and liberties, some in their lives, some at one time, some at another, as it seems good to him. Let us therefore every one be contented with our present lot and portion in these things.

2. It is highly dishonorable to faint in the cause of Christ and the gospel, under lesser sufferings, when we know there are greater to be undergone by ourselves and others on the same account.

3. That signal diligence and watchfulness is required to our profession of the gospel, considering what en

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emy we have to conflict with. This is sin in all the ways whereby it acts its power and subtilty, which are unspeakable.

4. It is an honorable warfare to be engaged against such an enemy as sin is. This being only the contrariety that is to the nature and will of God himself, it is highly honorable to be engaged against it.

5. Though the world cannot, or will not, yet Christians can distinguish between resisting the authority of men, and the resistance of sin lurking under the cloak of that authority.

§5. 1. There is no room for negligence or sloth in this conflict.

2. They do but deceive themselves, who hope to preserve their faith in times of trial, without the utmost watchful diligence against the assaults and impressions of sin. Yea,

3. The vigor of our minds in the constant exercise of spiritual strength is to this end required.

4. Without this we shall be surprised, wounded, and at last destroyed by our enemy.

5. They that would abide faithful in their profession in times of trial, ought constantly to bear in mind, and be armed against the worst of evils. This will preserve them from being skaken or surprised with those lesser evils which may befall them, when things come not to an extremity.

VERSE 5,

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

$1. The apostle proceeds to a new argument, that the afflictions of the faithful are chastisements, $2. (J.) Explanation of the words. Ye have forgotten the exhortation. $3. Which speaketh as to children. $4, 5. The exhortation itself. 6, 7. (II.) Observations.

§1. THE apostle in these words proceeds to a new argument, whereby to press his exhortation to patience and perseverance under sufferings, from the nature and end, on the part of God, of all those sufferings; for they are not only necessary as testimonies to the truth, but they are chastisements wherein God hath a blessed design towards us. And this arguhe enforceth with sundry considerations, to the end of ver. 13.

This multitudes have found by experience, that their outward pressing sufferings from the world have been purifying chastisements from God to their souls; by them have they been awakened, revived, mortified to the world, and, as the apostle expresseth it, made par takers of the holiness of God, to their inexpressible advantage and consolation. And,

Thereby doth God defeat the counsels and expectations of the world, having a design to accomplish by their agency which they know nothing of; for those very reproaches, imprisonments, and stripes, with the loss of goods, and danger of their lives, which the world applies to their ruin, God at the same time makes use of for their refining, consolation, and joy. In all these things is the divine wisdom and goodness for ever to be admired.

§2. (I.) "And ye have forgotten the exhortation." There is in the foregoing words a tacit rebuke, that they were ready to faint under their lesser trials; the reason, saith he, why you are so ready to faint, is because you have not attended to the direction and encouragement provided for you. This indeed is the rise of all our miscarriages, and it is the height of pride and ingratitude not to comply with God's entreaties.

"You have forgotten;" a thing we mind not when we ought, and as we ought, we may be justly said to have forgotten it; whether by the exhortation we understand the divine words themselves, as recorded in scripture, or the things exhorted to.-Note, The want of a diligent consideration of the provision God hath made in scripture for our encouragement to duty, and comfort under difficulties, is a sinful forgetfulness, and of dangerous consequence to our souls.

For "whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope," Rom. XV, 4.

§3. "Which speaketh unto you, as unto children." The scripture is not a dumb and silent letter; it hath a voice in it, the voice of God himself; and speaking is frequently ascribed to it, John vii, 42, &c. And if we hear not the voice of God in it continually, it is because of our unbelief, Heb. iii, 7—15. The word which was spoken so long before by Solomon to the church in that generation, is said to be spoken to these Hebrews; for the Holy Ghost is always present in the word, and speaks in it equally and alike to the church in all ages. He speaks as immediately to us as if we were the first and only persons to whom he spake. It argues, it pleads, it maintains a holy conference with us; it presseth the mind and will of God upon us; and we shall find the force of its arguing if we keep it not off by our unbelief.

What infinite condescension is it in God, that he speaks unto us as unto sons! for whereas these words have respect to a time of trouble and chastisement, it is of unspeakable concernment to us, to consider God under the relation of a Father, and that in them he speaks to us as unto sons. The words originally spo