Whatever desolations and destructions may be approaching, our best and wisest frame will be to trust to God, in the discharge of our duty; all other contrivances will prove not only vain, and foolish, but destructive to our souls; they who will in any degree partake of men's sins, must in some degree or other partake of their plagues;—again, It is impossible that men should go through a day of public calamity, a destructive day, comfortably and cheerfully, without a diligent attendance to those known duties of the gospel; for the guilt of this neglect will seize upon them when their trial shall come, and they will wish, when it is too late, that they had acted a different part. Let men pretend what they will, their decay in those duties evidenceth a decay in all graces, which they will find weak, and unfit to carry them through their trials; besides, the duties prescribed, rightly discharged, are the great means for strengthening and supporting our souls in that part of the trial which we are to undergo.

§7. How did this day approach? It was approaching, (in procinctu) gradually coming upon them, warnings of it, dispositions towards it, intimations of its coming, were given them every day; and these things were so plain, as that the apostle takes it for granted, that they themselves did see evidently the approaching day in the accomplishment of the signs of its coming, foretold by our Savior, compare ver. 32-34, with Matt. xxiv, 9, &c, and particularly in that things were at a great stand as to the progress of the gospel among the Hebrews. To which we may add, that believers saw it approaching in the various powerful causes of it; and especially the body of the people having now refused the gospel, were given up to all wickedness, and hatred to Christ. Moreover, the time and season, in the analogy of divine dispensensa

tions, manifested the same awful truth to them; as types of his dealing with the unbelieving Jews, God had warned the old world by Noah, and Sodom by Lot, before the one was destroyed by nature, and the other by fire. Now he would give them also their day, and make them a sufficient tender of mercy, which he had now done towards forty years. In this space, through the ministry of the apostles, and other faithful dispensers of the word, the gospel had been proposed to all the Jews throughout the world. Rom. x, 16-20. This being now accomplished, they might evidently see that the "day was approaching;" besides, at this time all things began to be filled with confusions, disorders, tumults, seditions, and slaughters in the whole nation, as awful presages and introductions of that exemplary day which they were given to expect. $8. II. From these words and this account we ob

serve,

1. Great diligence is required of us in a due attendance to the assemblies of the church, as instituted by Jesus Christ.

2. The neglect of the authority and love of Christ in the appointment of the means of our edification, will always tend to great and ruinous evils.

3. No church order, no outward profession, can secure men from apostasy; persons were guilty of it in the first, the best, the purest churches.

4. Perfection, and particular freedom from offence, and ruinous evils, is not to be expected in any church in this world.

5. Men that begin to decline their duty in church relations, ought to be marked, and their ways avoided.

6. Forsaking of church assemblies is usually an entrance into apostasy.

$9. 1. When special warnings do not excite us to

renewed diligence in known duties, our condition is dangerous as to the continuance of the presence of Christ among us.

2. Approaching judgments ought to influence to special diligence in all evangelical duties.

3. If men will shut their eyes against evident signs and tokens of approaching judgments, they will never stir up themselves to the due performance of present duties.

4. In the approach of great and final judgments, God by his word and providence giveth such intimations of their coming, as that wise men may discern them; he who is wise, will consider these things, and shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. The prudent foreseeth the evil and hideth himself; how is it that you discern not the signs of the times?

5. To see evidently such a day approaching, and not to be sedulous and diligent in the duties of divine worship, is a token, of a backsliding frame tending to final apostasy.

VERSES 26, 27.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

§1 The scope and general import of the words. $2. (1.) More particular exposition. The aggravation of the sin mentioned is, that it cannot be expiated. §3. The dread attending it. §4, 5. Its punishment. §6—8. (II,) Observations.

§1. IN these verses the apostle gives a vehement enforcement of his preceding exhortation, from the dreadful consequences of a total neglect of it.

Interpreters have greatly perplexed themselves and others in the interpretation and exposition of these verses, and those that follow. Their conjectures in great variety have proceeded principally from a want

of due attention to the scope of the apostle, the argument he had in hand, the circumstances of the people to whom he wrote, and the then present state of God's providence towards them. I shall not trouble the reader with their various conjectures, but evince the mind of the Holy Ghost in them; "If we sin wilfully;" he puts himself among them, as his manner is in comminations, to shew that there is no respect of persons in this matter, but that those who have equally sinned shall be equally punished. (E81ws) wilfully, say we; that is, obstinately, maliciously; but the word doth not require, nor will scarce bear, that sense; willingly, of choice, without surprisal, compulsion, or fear, is all that the world will justly bear. "After we have received the knowledge of the truth;" there is no question but that by "the truth" the apostle intends the doctrine of the gospel; and the "receiving" of it is, upon conviction of its being truth, to take on us the outward profession of it.

Hence it is evident what sin is here intended, against which this heavy doom is denounced; a relinquishment and renunciation of the truth of the gospel and its precious promises, with all duties thereunto belonging after we have been convinced of its truth, and avowed its power and excellency; and this willingly; not upon a sudden surprisal and temptation, as Peter denied Christ not on those compulsions and fears which may work a transient dissimulation, without an internal rejection of the gospel, not through darkness, ignorance, making an impression for a season on the minds and reasonings of men; which things, though exceedingly evil and dangerous, may befal them who yet contract not the guilt of this crime; but by choice, of their own accord, from the internal pravity of their own minds, and an evil heart of unbelief departing

from the living God; and it is farther implied, that they do it with the preference of another way of religion, and a resting therein, before the gospel; whereas there were two things which were the foundation of the profession of the gospel; the blood of the covenant, or the blood of the sacrifice of Christ, with the atonement made thereby; and, the dispensation of the Spirit of grace; these they openly renounced, and declared that there was nothing of God in them, see on ver. 29.

§2. The first thing which the apostle chargeth as an aggravation of this sin is, that it cannot be expiated; "there remains no more sacrifice for sin." Words not unlike those of God concerning the house of Eli, 1 Sam. iii, 14. "I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever;" as according to the law, there were certain sins which, from their nature, as murder, adultery, blasphemy, or from the manner of their commission with obstinacy and an high hand, that had no sacrifice allowed for them, but those that were guilty of them were to be cut off from the people of God, and to "die without mercy," ver. 28; so is it with them that thus sin willingly, under the gospel; there is no relief appointed for them, no means for the expiation of their sin; and there is an especial reason of this severity under the gospel, which the apostle hath a principal respect to, viz. that there is now no repetition of sacrifices for sin. That of Christ our High Priest was offered once for all, henceforth he dieth no more, he is offered no more, nor can there be any other sacrifice offered for ever; (en el añoheitelα1) there remains not, there is not in the counsel, purpose, or institution of God any other (Bugia) sacrifice, whereby sin might be expiated, yet left to be offered in this or any other case.