HEB, VI. 4-6 EXPLAINED. 45
soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting,” Gal. vi. 7, 8. But I have elsewhere already showed the necessity there was of arming the gospel with threatenings, as well as confirming of it with promises, so as that it may not be here again at large in- sisted on.
From what hath been discoursed, it is evident how necessary and wholesome a warning or threatening is here expressed by the apostle. It is the open mistakes of men that have drawn undue en- tanglements out of it; in itself it is both plain and necessary. Shall we be afraid to say that God will not renew such sinners as those before described unto repentance? or to declare unto sinners that without repentance they cannot be saved? or shall we preach to men, that whatever light they have had, whatever gifts they have received, whatever privileges they have been made partakers of, whatever profession they have made, or for how long a season soever, if they fall totally and despitefully from the gospel into that which is most opposite both to its truth and holiness, yet there is no doubt but they may again repent and be saved? God forbid so great a wicked- ness should fall from our mouths! Nay, we are to warn all per- sons in danger of such apostasies that “if any one so draw back, God’s soul shall have no pleasure in him;” that “ it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;” that he will harden such sinners, and “give them up to strong delusions, that they may be damned ;” that he ,is not under the engagement of any promise to give them repentance, but hath rather given many severe threaten- ings to the contrary. He hath told us that such persons are as “trees twice dead, plucked up by the roots,” of which there is no hope; that “denying the Lord that bought them, they bring on themselves swift destruction,—whose damnation slumbereth not;” with the like declarations of severity against them innumerable. _
But what shall be said unto them who, having through great temp- tations, and it may be fears and surprisals, for a season renounced the gospel, or such as, by reason of great sins against light and back- sliding in profession, do apprehend themselves to be fallen into this condition, and yet are greatly desirous of a recovery, and do cry to God for repentance and acceptance? I answer as before, they are not at all concerned in this text. Here is nothing excluding them from acceptance with God and eternal salvation, be they who or what they will that seek it by repentance; only there are some who are ex- cluded by God, and do obstinately shut up themselves from all en- deavours after repentance itself, with whom we have not any thing to do.
It is true, those alone are here firstly and directly intended who in
46 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
those days had received. extraordinary or miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. But this, by just analogy, may be extended unto others, now those gifts are ceased in the church; for those gifts and privileges which are yet continued unto men do lay (in present circumstances) the same obligation upon them unto perseverance in profession, and give the same aggravation unto their apostasy, as did those extraor- dinary gifts formerly conferred upon profession. “ Let usnot, then, be high-minded, but fear.” It is not good approaching too near a precipice. Let unprofitable hearers and backsliders in heart and ways be awaked, lest they may be nearer falling under God’s seve- rity than they are aware of. But we must return unto our apostle, giving an account of the nature of this sin, which is attended with so sore a judgment. And this he doth in a double instance, ;
2. "Avacravpotvras tauro% riv Yidv rod Ocot. Beza affirms that aurois, “to themselves,” is absent from some copies, and then the words may admit of a sense diverse from that which is commonly received; for dvacravpovyras, “ crucifying again,” may refer unto r#é¢ included and supposed in dvaxcuviZe, that some or any should renew them. It is impossible that any should renew them to repentance; for this can- not be done without crucifying the Son of God again, since these apostates have utterly rejected all interest in and benefit by his death, as once undergone for sinners. This none can do. We ought not, we cannot, crucify Christ again, that they may be renewed and saved. Who can entertain a thought tending towards a desire that so it might be? And this sense, in the same or an alike case, the apostle plainly expresseth, chap. x. 26, 27, “If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Christ cannot be offered again, and so cru- cified again, without which the sins of such persons cannot be ex- piated; for the unbloody sacrificing of Christ every day in the mass was not as yet invented, and it is a relief fit only for them to trust unto who have no interest in that sacrifice which he offered once for all. But there is in that other place an allusion to the sacrifices under the law. Because they could legally expiate no sins but what were past before their offering, they were to be frequently repeated, upon reiterated sinning. So from time to time they sinned (as no man liveth and sinneth not), and had sacrifices renewed for their sins, applied unto the particular sins they had committed. This could now be so no more. Christ being once offered for sin, whoever loseth his interest in that one offering, and forfeiteth the benefit of it, there is no more sacrifice for him: “ Christ henceforth dieth no more.” It cannot be hence imagined that the grace of the gospel is restrained, as being all confined unto that one sacrifice, from what was represented in the multiplied sacrifices of the law; for,—