In the foregoing verses, having greatly cautioned the Hebrews against backsliding and declension in their profession, acquainting them with the nature and danger of unbelief and the deceitfulness of sin whereby that cursed effect is produced, the apostle in these verses gives an account of the reason of his earnestness with them in this matter. For although they might pretend that in their profession they gave him no cause to suspect their stability, or
! See vol. x. p. 23, of the author’s works,—Ep.
VER. 12, 18.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 373
to be jealous of them, yet he lets them know that this is not abso- lutely satisfactory, seeing that not only others may be deceived in the profession of men, and give them “a name to live” who are really “dead,” but they also may please themselves in an apprehen- sion of their own stability, when they are under manifold decays and declensions. The principles and causes of this evil are so close, subtile, and deceitful, that none is able to discern them but the all- seeing eye of Jesus Christ. On the account whereof he minds them fully and largely of his power and omniscience, whereunto they ought to have a continual regard, in their faith, obedience, and pro- fession. Hence we are instructed,—
First, That the beginuings or entrances into declensions in pro- fession, or backslidings from Christ and the ways of the gospel, are secret, deep, and hardly discoverable, being open and naked only to the all-discerning eye of Christ.
Secondly, That the consideration of the omniscience of Christ, his all-searching and all-seeing eye, is an effectual means to preserve the souls of professors from destructive entrances into backslidings from the gospel.
Thirdly, The same consideration, duly improved, is a great relief and encouragement unto those who are sincere and upright in their obedience. For the apostle intends not merely to terrify those who are under the guilt of the evil cautioned against, but to encourage the meanest and weakest sincere believer, who desireth to commend his conscience to the Lord Jesus in his walking before him. And these things being comprehensive of the design of the apostle in these weighty words of truth and wisdom, and being greatly our concernment duly to consider, must be distinctly handled and spoken unto.
Obs. VIII. For the first of the propositions laid down, it is the de- sign of the apostle to teach it in all those cautions which he gives to these professing Hebrews against this evil, and concerning the sub- tilties and surprisals wherewith it is attended. See chapters iii. 18, xii. 15. Everywhere he requires more than ordinary watchfulness and diligence in this matter; and plainly intimates unto them, that, such is the deceitfulness of sin, so various and powerful are the temp- tations that professors are to be exercised withal, unless they are ex- ceeding heedful, there will be no preventing of a surprisal or seduc- tion into some degrees at least of declension and backsliding from the gospel. There will be some loss or decay, in faith, or love, or works, one way or other.
The Asian churches are a sad exemplification of this truth. Ina short time the most of them were greatly fallen off from their first gospel engagements; yea, so far as that some of them are threatened with excision and casting off from Christ. And yet no one of those churches seems to have had the least sense of their own decays;
374 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. Iv.
and those in especial who had made the greatest progress in falling away were yet justified by others with whom they conversed, having amongst them “a name to live,” and applauded themselves in their condition, as that which was good and in nothing blamable. In this state the Lord Christ comes to make a judgment concerning them, as all things lay open and naked under his eye. In the description that is given of him upon his entrance into this work, it is said, as was observed before, that “ his eyes were as a flame of fire,” Rev. 1 14,—seeing all things, discerning all things, piercing at one view from the beginning unto the end of all. And he declares that he will so deal with them that “all the churches shall know that he searcheth the reins and hearts” of men, chap. 1. 23. And what work doth he make amongst these secure churches! One is charged with loss of love and faith; another of works; a third with luke- warmness and carnal pride; a fourth with spiritual death as to the generality of them, and most of them with various decays and mis- carriages, and those such as themselves took no notice of. But his eye, which stays not upon the outside of things, be they never so gay or glorious, but pierceth to the secret embryos and first conceptions of sin and declensions, found them out, and passed judgment on them in righteousness and equity.
1. Now, one great reason hereof is taken from the subtilty of the principal causes of backsliding, and of the means or false reason- ings whereby it is brought about. That which is wrought sub- tilely and deceitfully is wrought closely, and is therefore secret and hidden. And the first impressions that these subtile and deceitful causes make upon the minds of professors, the first entanglements which these deceitful reasonings cast upon their affections, if they are not merely transient, but abide upon their souls, there is in them an entrance begun into a defection from the gospel. And for these causes of declensions, they are everywhere expressed in the Scripture, and everywhere expressly declared to be subtile and deceitful; as,—