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men are guided by in their actings, according to which they frame their actual purposes and intentions. Upon the whole matter, the design of the apostle in these words, is to declare the intimate and absolute acquaintance that the word of God hath with the inmost frames, purposes, desires, resolutions, and actings of the minds of professors, and the sure unerring judgment which he makes of them thereby.

VER. 13. THE thirteenth verse contains a confirmation of what is asserted in that foregoing. There the apostle declared how the word of God pierceth into the hearts, minds and souls of men, to discern and judge them. That they to whom he wrote, might not doubt hereof, he confirms it by shewing the ground of his assertion, which is the natural omniscience of this word of God. It cannot be otherwise than as I have declared, seeing He of whom we speak, with whom we have to do, to whom we must give an account, this Word of God, seeth and knoweth all things, nor can any thing possibly be hid from him. This is the natural coherence of the words; and upon a supposition of a different subject to be spoken of in this and the foregoing verse, no man can frame a tolerable transition in this contexture of words from the one unto the other. I shall therefore proceed in the explication of them, as words of the same design, and used to the same purpose.

Και εκ εστι κτίσις αφανής ενωπιον αυτου. The manner of the expression is by a double negation; the one expressed, xx T, there is not; the other included in the privative a in apavas. And these expressions do emphatically assert the contrary to what is denied. "There is not a creature that is not manifest ;" that is, every creature is eminently, illustriously manifest.

Ουκ εστι κτίσις,

'there is not a creature,' any thing created. That is, every creature whatever, whether they be persons or things; angels, men, devils, professors, persecutors, all men of all sorts, and all things concerning them; their inward frames of mind and heart, their affections and temptations, their state and condition, their secret actings, their thoughts and inclinations. This confirms and carries on the foregoing attributions to the word of God.

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Aparns Paive is to appear,' to shine forth;' and aparns is opposed to pains, illustrious,' perspicuous,' eminently manifest.' So it is hid, obscure, not openly or evidently appearing. It is more than aqarros, which is merely one out of sight,' Luke xxiv. 31. This negation includes a plain, clear, illustrious appearance, nothing shrowding, hiding, or interposing itself to ob

scure it.

Evo aute, before him;' in conspectu ejus, in his sight.' Every creature is continually under his view. Aure, must refer

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to λoyos TOU OU, the word of God,' in the beginning of 'ver. 12.; and cannot respect gos, in the end of this verse. the interposition of the adversative particle, d, but,' and the introduction of the relative aurs, again, do necessarily refer this αυτ8 to ὁ λόγος, and proves the same person to be all along in

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Παντα δε γυμνα και τετραχηλισμένα. The unusual application of the word renouas in this place, hath made work more than enough for critics. But the design of the apostle is open and plain, however the use of the word be rare, with some special allusion. All agree that τετραχηλισμένα is as much as πεφανερώμενα, ⚫ absolutely open or manifest." Only Oecumenius hath a peculiar conceit about it. It is, saith he, xaτw xUTOVтa, XaI TOV TęαXnλον επικλίνοντα, δια το μη ισχύειν ατενίσαι τη δοξη εκείνη το κριτες και Θεού near Inσov; bowing down, and declining or turning aside the neck, as not being able to behold the glory of Jesus Christ our Judge and God.' But he gives us another signification of the word himself. Texnλos, the neck,' is a word commonly used in Scripture, and in all authors. Thence renoua, in the τραχηλιζομαι, sense here used, to be manifest,' must receive its signification from some posture of the neck; and as joined here with youves, naked,' it may have respect unto a double allusion. First, unto wrestlers and contenders in games. First, they were made naked, or stript of their clothes; whence, as it is known, comes γυμνάζω and γυμνασιον, vigorously to exercise, and a place of such exercise.' Then in their contending when one was thrown on his back, when he was resupinatus, he was reaxCoμevos, laid open with his throat and neck upwards.' Hence the word comes to signify things that are open, naked, evident, manifest. The face and neck of a naked person being turned upwards, it is manifest who he is. This is to have os resupinatum; and, as he speaks, aulam resupinat amici, of him who sees what is in it to the bottom. There is yet another allusion that may be intended, and this is taken from beasts that are slain, and being stripped of their skins, are hanged by the neck, that all may see and discern them. This is also mentioned by Oecumenius. And Varinus gives us a farther sense, and says that reaxnλığır is as much as διχοτομεν, ' to divide into parts, or δια της ράχεως σχίζειν, to cut, cleave or divide through the back-bone, that all may be discovered.' And from these two significations, I suppose, the design of the apostle in this allusion, may most probably be collected. It is evident that he hath great regard unto, and doth much instruct the Hebrews, by and from the customs in use amongst themselves. Unto one of them doth he here seem to have respect; namely, the beasts that were sacrificed. The first thing that was done with the body of it, after it was slain, was its being flayed. This work was done by the priests

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Hereby the carcase of the beast was made youvov, naked,' laid open to the view of all. Then were all its entrails opened, from the neck down to the belly; after which the body was cut into its pieces through the chin-bone, whereby in both the senses mentioned, both of opening and division, it became virgμvoy, opened and divided,' that every part of it was exposed to view. Hence the apostle, having compared the word of God before, in its operations, to a two-edged sword, that pierceth to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, as did the sharp knife or instrument of the sacrificer; here affirms, that all things whatever, and so consequently the hearts and ways of professors, were evident, open, and naked before him, as the body of the sacrificed beast was to the priests, when flayed, opened, and cut to pieces. This is the most probable account. of those expressions, in particular, whose general design is plain and evident. And this appears yet farther from the next words.

Tois offahμois aute, to the eyes of him.' He followeth on his former allusion; and having ascribed the evidence of all things unto the omniscience of the Word, by the similitude before opened; in answer thereunto, he mentions his eyes wherewith he beholds the things so naked and opened before him. Both expressions are metaphorical, containing a declaration of the omniscience of Christ; whom he farther describes in the last words, by our respect unto him in all these things.

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Пlgos ou ser o xayos. How variously these words are rendered, and thereby what various senses are put upon them, hath been declared. But both the proper signification of them, and the design of the place, direct us to one certain sense, namely, "to whom we must give an account." Aoyos is, an account: there is no other word used in the New Testament to express it. ligos i is properly unto whom,' and not of whom,' or 'concerning whom; that is, it expresseth the object of the action here mentioned, and not the subject of the proposition. And the whole is rightly rendered, to whom we must give an account,' or before whom our account is to be made." And this answers the design of the apostle in the place; for, evidencing unto them the efficacy and omniscience of the Word of God, trying all things, and discerning all things, he minds them of their near concern in these matters, in that he and they must all give up their final accounts unto and before him, who is so intimately acquainted with what they are, and with whatsoever they shall do in this world.

There are many things remaining to be observed from these words, which are both of great importance in themselves, and do all serve to the farther explanation of the mind of the Holy Ghost in these words, as to what of our instruction is particu

larly intended in them. And from the properties that are assigned to the word of God, ver. 12. we may observe, that,

Obs. I. It is the way of the Spirit of God, to excite us unto especial duties, by proposing unto us, and reminding us of such properties of God, as the consideration whereof may in an especial manner incline us unto them.-Here the Hebrews are minded, that the Word of God is living; to give unto their hearts that awe and reverence of him, which might deter them from backsliding or falling away from him. Our whole duty in general respects the nature of God: it is our giving glory to him because he is God, and as he is God, glorifying him as God, Exod. xx. 2. Isa. xlii. 8. Deut. xxviii. 58. Rom. i. 21. It is our giving him the honour which is due to his being. That is the formal reason of all divine worship and obedience. And as this duty in general brancheth itself into many particular duties in the kinds of them, all which in various instances are continually to be attended unto, so God hath not only revealed his being unto us in general, but he hath done it by many distinct properties, all of them suited to promote in our minds our whole duty towards God, and this or that duty in particular. And he often distinctly presseth upon us the consideration of those properties, to stir us up unto those distinct duties which they direct unto. God in his nature exists in one simple essence or being; nor are there any things really different or distinct therein. His nature is all his properties; and every one of his properties are his whole nature. But in the revelation of himself unto us, he proposeth his nature, under the notion of these distinct properties, that we may the better know the nature of the duty which we owe unto him, Hos. iii. 5. "Fear the Lord and his goodness." So in places innumerable doth he remind us of his power and greatness, that upon our thoughts and apprehensions of them, we might be stirred up to fear him, to trust in him, to get our hearts filled with a due awe and reverence of him, with many other duties of the like nature with them, or evidently proceeding from them. To" trust," Isa. xxvi. 4. "fear," Jer. x. 6, 7. "his goodness, grace, bounty, patience," are all of them distinctly proposed unto us; and they all lead us unto especial duties, as the apostle speaks, Rom. ii. 4. "The goodness of God leadeth to repentance." From these, or the efficacy of the consideration of them upon our souls, ought to proceed our love, our gratitude, our delight in God, our praise and thankfulness; and by them ought they to be influenced. So his holiness engenerates terror in the wicked, Psal. xxxiii. 14. and holy reverence in others, Heb. xii. 27, 28. The like may be spoken of the rest of the properties of God, with respect unto the remainder of our duties. In like manner, and to the same purpose, did God of old reveal himself by his

name. He still ascribed such a name to himself, as might be prevalent on the minds of men unto their present duties. So when he called Abraham to walk before him, in the midst of many difficulties, temptations, hardships and dangers, he revealed himself unto him by the name of God Almighty, thereby to encourage him to sincerity and perseverance, Gen. xvii. 1. Hence, in his greatest distress, he peculiarly acted his faith on the power of God, Heb. xi. 19. And when he called his pos terity to comply in their faith and obedience, with his faithfulness in the accomplishment of his promises, he revealed himself unto them by his name Jehovah, which was suited to their especial encouragement and direction, Exod. vi. 3. To the same end are the properties of the word of God here distinctly pro posed unto us. We are called to the faith and profession of the gospel. Herein we meet with many difficulties without, and are oft-times ready to faint in ourselves, or otherwise to fail and miscarry. In this matter, we have to do with the Lord Christ to him we must one day give an account. Wherefore, to stir us up to carefulness, diligence and spiritual watchfulness, that we give not place to any decays or declensions in our pro fession, we are especially minded that he is the living One, and one that continually exerciseth acts of life towards us. And in all duties of obedience, it will be our wisdom always to mind that respect which the properties of God, or of Christ, have unto them. Again, the Word of God is so living, as that also it is powerful, or actually always exercising itself in power, actually efficacious toward the ends mentioned, evegyns. So that,

Obs. II. The life and power of Christ, are continually exercised about the concerns of the souls of professors, are always actually efficacious in them and upon them. And this power he putteth forth by his word and Spirit. For we declared in the opening of the words, that the effects here ascribed unto the essential Word, are such as he exerciseth by the word preached, which is accompanied with, and made effectual by the dispensation of the Spirit, Isa. lix. 21. And the power here intended is wholly cloathed with the word, thereby it is conveyed to the souls of men, therein is the hiding of this power, Hab. iii. 4. Though it seem weak, and is despised, yet it is accompanied with the hidden power of Christ, which will not fail of its end, 1 Cor. i. 18. And the word preached is not otherwise to be considered, but as that which is the conveyance of divine power to the souls of men. And every impression that it makes on the heart, is an effect of the power of Christ; and this will teach us how to value it and esteem it, seeing it is the only way and means whereby the Lord Christ exerciseth his mediatory power towards us, on the behalf of God,

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