And let us all know what care and reverence becomes us in the things of the gospel. God is in them, even the living God. Other- wise he will be neither known nor worshipped. His name, his authority, his grace, are enstamped on them all.
Obs. VIII. When a heart is made evil by unbelief, it is engaged in a course of sinful defection or revolt from the living God. So that word imports, év rg droor7vas, the sense whereof was explained before.
_ Ver. 13.—* But exhort one another daily [every day], whilst it is called To-day, lest any of you [among you] be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Here lies one means of preventing the evil mentioned in the verse foregoing. And we have in it, as was showed, the duty itself, and the persons concerned in it, the manner and season of its per- formance, with a limitation of that season, and an especial enforce- ment from the danger of its neglect, as we shall see in our opening of the words.
First, the duty intended is expressed im the first word, capa-
134 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
xareire, Tlapaxnréw is “to exhort,’ “entreat,”’ “beseech ;” and also “to comfort,” “to refresh,” “to relieve :” and rapaxuAéowas is constantly “to receive comfort” or “consolation,” “to be comforted.” TMapéuanors is used in the same variety, sometimes for “comfort” or “consolation,” as Luke ii. 25; Acts ix. 31, xv. 31; Rom. xv. 5; 2 Cor. i. 3-5 ;—some- times for “ exhortation,” Acts xiii, 15; Rom. xii 8; 1 Tim. iv. 13; 2 Cor. viii. 4, 17. Sometimes interpreters are in doubt whether to render it by “exhortation” or “consolation,” as Acts xv. 31; 1 Thess. iv. 18. In this very epistle it is used in both these senses: for “consolation,” chap. vi.18; for “exhortation,” chap xii. 5, xiii. 22. Hence the Holy Ghost, in the writings of John the apostle, is called 6 xapéxanrog in the Gospel, chap. xiv. 16, 26, xv. 26, xvi. 7; and the Lord Christ himself, 1 John i. 1; and this, from the ambi- guity of the application of the word, we render in the first place “a comforter,” in the latter “an advocate.”
The first and principal signification of raupaxaréw is “to exhort,” “to desire,” “to call in,’ and so it is constantly used in Greek authors, and scarce otherwise; and it is secondarily only “to comfort.” But there is a near affinity between these things; for the way of administering consolation is by exhortation: 1 Thess. iv. 18, “Com- fort one another with these words,”—apaxaArcire &AAnAovs. That is, ‘Exhorting and persuading with one another, by these words administer unto each other mutual consolation. And all exhorta- tion ought to be only by consolatory words and ways, to render it acceptable, and so effectual. So it is observed of Barnabas, who was “a son of consolation,” that he had a great excellency in exhorting men also: Acts xi. 23, 24, “When Barnabas came, and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.” The word intimates a very prevalent way of exhorting in Barnabas: and that because he was dvip dyads, “a good man;” not in the ordinary sense, a holy, just man; but one that was benign, kind, condescending, apt to comfort and refresh them with whom he had to do. In this sense is dvjp dyades used, Rom. v. 7. Iapaxwdsi, therefore, “to exhort,” is to persuade with good, meek, and comfortable words, upon grounds of consolation, and unto that end that men may be comforted. This is incumbent on some by virtue of office, Rom. xii. 8, “He that exhorteth, on exhortation;” and on all believers as occasion doth require, as the next words manifest, declaring the persons concerned in this duty.
‘Eavrots, “vosmetipsos,” Vulg. Lat., and the Rhemists,—“your- - selves;” improperly, for the apostle doth not require of every one to exhort himself, nor will the word bear that sense. But gavrote “yourselves,” is put for éAA7Aous, that is, “one another,” as also it is
VER. 12-14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 185
Col. iii. 16; Eph. iv. 32; 1 Thess. v. 18;—“vos invicem,” “alii alios.” This is incumbent on all believers, mutually to exhort, and to bear the word of exhortation.
The season of the performance of this duty is adjoined, which includeth also the manner of it: Kad’ ixdorgy juépar. “Daily,” say we, or “every day.” A day is often taken for a season; so that to do a thing daily is to do it in its season. To do it sedulously, heed- fully, in every proper season, is to do it daily; for although the expression denotes every day distinctly and separately, yet the sense is not that no natural day be omitted wherein we do not actually discharge this duty towards one another. But plainly two things are intended ;—1. A constant readiness of mind, inclining, inducing, and preparing any one for the discharge of this duty; 2. An ac- tual discharge of it on all just occasions, which are to be watched for and willingly embraced. So we are commanded to “pray dd:a- Aeirrm¢,” 1 Thess. v. 17, “indesinenter;” that is, without remitting the habitual inclination of the mind unto prayer, or omitting any meet occasion or opportunity forit. So also it is said that we ought rdévrore rpooevyecbour, Luke xviil. 1,—“to pray always;” which is interpreted, Col. iv. 2, by +4 xpoceuy7 xpoonuprepe?re,— abide” (or “persevere”) “in prayer against all opposition.” In Hebrew, DiN-D TDA, as Isa. li. 18,—* continually every day.” Kad’ ixcorgv juépay, is “ sedulously and constantly,” both as to the frame of our hearts and opportunities of actual performance of this duty. And this these Hebrews now stood in an especial need of, because of the manifold temptations and seductions wherewith they were exercised.