Fifthly, This also may be added,— Whatever profession hath by any been made, whatever fruits of it have been brought forth, whatever continuance in it there hath been, if it fail totally, it is a sufficient evidence that those who have made it were never “partakers of Christ.” So our apostle, having declared that some of great name and note were apostatized and fallen off from the gospel, adds that yet “the foundation of God standeth sure,” that “the Lord knoweth them that are his,” 2 Tim. ii. 17-19; manifesting that those who did so, notwithstanding their profession and eminency therein, were never yet owned of God as his in Christ. And another apostle tells us, that those who went out from them, by a defection from the faith, were in truth none of them, or really united unto Christ with them, 1 John ii. 19. And where there are partial decays in faith and pro- fession, it gives great ground of suspicion and jealousy that the “root of bitterness” is yet remaining in the heart, and that Christ
VER. 12-14. ] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 157
was never formed in it. Let not men, therefore, please themselves in their present attainments and condition, unless they find that they are thriving, growing, passing on towards perfection; which is the best evidence of their union with Christ. Obs. III. Persistency in our subsistence in Christ unto the end isa matter of great endeavour and diligence, and that unto all believers. This is plainly included in the expression here used by the apostle, "Edvarsp chy diaboracw BeCalay nxardexwuev. The words denote our ut- most endeavour to hold it fast, and to keep it firm and steadfast. Shaken it will be, opposed it will be; kept it will not, it cannot be, without our utmost diligence and endeavour. It is true our persist- ency in Christ doth not, as to the issue and event, depend absolutely on our own diligence. The wnalterableness of our union with Christ, on the account of the faithfulness of the covenant of grace, is that which doth and shall eventually secure it. But yet our own dili- gent endeavour is such an indispensable means for that end, as that without it it will not be brought about; for it is necessary to the continuance of our subsistency in Christ, both “ necessitate pra- cepti,” as that which God hath commanded us to make use of for that end, and “ necessitate medii,” as it is in the order and relation of spiritual things one to another ordained of God to effect it. For our persistence in our subsistence in Christ is the emergency and effect of our acting grace unto that purpose. Diligence and endea- vours in this matter are like Paul’s mariners, when he was ship- wrecked at Melita. God had beforehand given him the lives of all that sailed with him in the ship, Acts xxvii. 24; and he believed that it should be even as God had told him, verse 25. So now the preservation of their lives depended absolutely on the faithfulness and power of God. But yet when the mariners began to flee out of the ship, Paul tells the centurion and the soldiers that unless those men stayed they could not be saved, verse 31. But what need he think of shipmen, when God had promised and taken upon himself the preservation of them all? He knew full well that he would pre- serve them, but yet that he would do so in and by the use of means. If we are in Christ, God hath given us the lives of our souls, and hath taken upon himself in his covenant the preservation of them; but yet we may say with reference unto the means that he hath ap- pointed, when storms and trials arise, unless we use our own diligent endeavours, “we cannot be saved.” Hence are the many cautions that are given us, not only in this epistle wherein they abound, but in other places of Scripture also, that we should take heed of apos- and falling away; as, “ Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall;” and, “Take heed that we lose not those things which we have wrought ;” and, “Hold fast that thou hast, lest another take thy crown,” with the like innumerable.
158 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. IIT.
These warnings are not given merely to professors in general, whose condition is dubious whether they are true believers or no; nor unto those that are entering only on the ways of Christ, lest they should recoil and desert them; but they are given unto all true be- lievers, those of the greatest growth and attainments, Phil. iii, 11-13, that they may know how indispensably necessary, from the appoint- ment of God and the nature of the thing itself, our watchful dili- gence and endeavours are unto our abiding in Christ. And they are thus necessary,—
First, Upon the account of the opposition that is made there- unto. In this one thing, namely, to separate us from Christ, is laid out all the skill, power, and craft of our spiritual adversaries. For this end are the “ gates of hell”—that is, the power, counsel, and strength of Satan—peculiarly engaged. His great design is to cast them down and prevail against them who are built upon the Rock; that is, who are united unto Christ. Our Saviour, indeed, hath promised that he shall not prosper, Matt. xvi. 18; but it is that he shall not “ prevail;” which argues a disappointment in a fight or contest. So the “gates of hell shall not prevail ;” but we are to watch and contend that they may not. This also is the principal design of the world upon us and against us. It sets all its engines on work to separate us from Christ. Our apostle reckons them up, or at least gives a catalogue of the principal of them, Rom. viii. 35, 36; and gives us assurance that they shall never be able to attain their end, or to dissolve the union between Christ and us. But yet he lets us know that our success is a conquest, a victory, which is not to be won without great care and watchfulness, undergoing many difficulties, and going through many hazards, verse 37. And, which is worst of all, we fight against ourselves; we have lusts in us that “fight against our souls,’ 1 Pet. ii, 11, and that in good earnest. Yea, these are the worst enemies we have, and the most dangerous, as I have else- where declared. This opposition to our persistency in Christ makes our diligence for the continuance and preservation of it necessary.