The last expression, xpirinds évduujocon nai évvordv xopdiag,—is a dis- cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,”—is plainly declarative of what is elsewhere ascribed unto him, namely, that he is xapdsyvsorns,—he that “ knoweth and searcheth the hearts of men.” This is a peculiar property of God, and is often affirmed so to be, Jer. xvii. 10; 1 Sam. xvi. 7; Ps, vii. 9; and this in an especial manner is ascribed to the Lord Christ, John ii. 24, 25, xxi. 17; Rev. ii. 23. This is eminently expressed in that confession of Peter, “ Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee ;/—‘ By virtue of thine omniscience, whereby thou knowest all things, thou knowest my heart, and the love which I have therein unto thee.’ Kpirixés, “judex,” “discretor;’ one that, upon accurate inspection and consideration, judgeth and giveth sentence concerning persons and things. It differs from xpirjs, a “ judge,” as adding the act of judging unto the right and power ofjudgment. And this word alone, as it is here used, is sufficient to evince that the per- son of Christ is here principally intended, seeing it cannot be accom- modated to the word as written or preached, in any tolerable manner,
_ Kapd/as. By the “heart,” as I have showed before, the whole soul and all the faculties of it, as constitut- ing one rational principle of moral actions, is intended, and so in- eludes the “soul and spirit” before mentioned. Here two things are ascribed unto it:—
[1.] "Evbowjosis, “ thoughts,” “cogitations,” whatever is inwardly conceived, év r@ Suu, “in the mind;” with a peculiar respect unto the irascible appetite called 22 N3VN2 W.,,
Kpirines.
Kapoias.
*"Evbupiotwy.
362 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. Iv.
Gen. vi. 5, “the figment of the cogitations of the heart,’—the thoughts which are suggested by the inclinations of the affections, with their commotions and stirrings in the heart or mind.
[2.] “Evo, “designs” or “ purposes,” inwardly framed év ro véw, “in the understanding.” Sometimes this word signi- fies the moral principles of the mind, by which it is guided in its actings. Hence are the xowa) worms, or “common principles” that men are directed by in what they do. And here it denotes the principles that men are guided by in their actings, according to which they frame their actual purposes and inten- tions. 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, resolu- tions, and actings of the minds of professors; and the sure, unerring judgment which he makes of them thereby.
*Eyyoiwy.
Ver. 13—The 13th 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 showing the ground of his asser- tion, which is the natural omniscience of the 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 co- herence of the words, and upon a supposition of a different sub- ject to be spoken of in this from 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 pur- pose. .
Kal obn tors xrioig dQuvis eviaioy adrod, The manner of the expres- sion is by a double negation: the one expressed, odx zor,“ there is not;” the other included in the privative a in &pavys. And these expressions do emphatically assert the con- trary to what is denied: “There is not a creature that is not manifest ;” that is, every creature is eminently, illustriously mani- fest.
Oix tor xriorg, “there is not a creature,” any thing created: that is, every creature whatever, whether they be per- sons or things,—angels, men, devils, professors, perse- cutors, 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
Obx tect.
"Erri xvicts.
VER. 12, 13.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 863
inclinations. This confirms and carries on the foregoing attributions to the Word of God.
"Agaric. Palvw is “to appear,” “to shine forth;” and dgavfe is opposed to éripavjs, “illustrious,” “ perspicuous,” “ emi- nently manifest ;’—so it is “ hid,” “ obscure,” not openly or evidently appearing. It is more than é&puvros, which is ’ merely “one out of sight,’ Luke xxiv. 31. This negation includes a plain, clear, illustrious appearance, nothing shrouding, hiding, in- terposing itself to obscure it.
*Evéry abrod, “before him,” “in conspectu ejus,” “in his sight.” Every creature is continually under his view. Adrod must refer to 6 Adyog rod @e0d, “the Word of God,” in the beginning of verse 12; and cannot respect zpis 3v, in the end of this verse. For the interposition of the adversative particle 62, “but,” and the introduction of the relative a¢roi again, do necessarily refer this airof to 6 Aéyos, and proves the same person to be all along in- tended.