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562 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Vv.
otherwise with them who are partial in their obedience. Such are persons who will do as much as consists in their own judgment with their interests, societies, inclinations, and the liberty they have fancied unto themselves. For we are fallen into such days wherein some professors do judge it a great freedom and liberty to be exempted from obedience unto sundry commands of Christ, and those such as they cannot but know to be so. Alas for the pride and folly of the heart of man !—to serve sin, to serve vanity and unbelief, which are the things alone that keep us off from a universal compliance with all the commands of the gospel, and submission unto all the institutions of Christ, shall be accounted liberty and freedom, when it is a part of the vilest bondage in the world. What are such persons afraid of? Is it that they shall engage themselves too far in a way towards heaven, so as that they cannot retreat when they would? Is it that they shall have too many helps against their corruptions and temptations, and for the furtherance of their faith and obedience? Or is it lest they should give over themselves wholly to Christ, and not be at liberty, when a better master comes, to lay a claim to a share in him? How great is the misery of such poor souls! This is the generation of perishing professors in our days. Out of them proceed Quakers, worldlings, and at last scoffers. This is the field wherein all apostasy visibly grows. Those that are openly profane cannot apostatize or fall away. What should they fall from? Christ is pleased to secure his churches in some good measure, so as that we have not frequent instances in them of this fatal miscarriage; but from among the number of professors who will walk at large, and are partial in their obedience, we have multitudes of examples continually. Let not such persons think they shall profit under the dispensation of the word ; for they will at last be found to have been “slothful in hear- ing,’ and that in one of the worst instances of that sin.
“Where there is a neglect of these things,—which are all neosasary and required unto profitable hearing,—it cannot be but that men will be vwtpo? rats &xoutc, and fall deservedly under the rebuke here given by the apostle unto the Hebrews, as we see multitudes to do every day. And whereas all this proceedeth from the sinful and wilful carelessness of men about their own eternal concernments, it is evi- dent that all want of a due progress and improvement under the means of grace must be resolved into their own sloth and depraved affections.
Obs. VI. It is a grievous matter to the dispensers of the gospel, to find their hearers unapt to learn and thrive under their ministry, through their negligence and sloth. The apostle complaineth of it here as that which was a cause of sorrow and trouble unto him. And so is it unto all faithful ministers whose lot it is to have such
VER, 12-14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 563
hearers. As for others, who are themselves negligent or slothful in their own work, it cannot be but that they will be regardless of the state of their flock.
VERSES 12-14,
The three ensuing verses, as they all treat of the same matter with that foregoing, so they have all the same design in themselves, and cannot be severed in their exposition. The reasons of the reproof entered on in the 11th verse are here expressed, and the crime re- proved is laden with sundry aggravations. And these aggravations are taken from such circumstances of the persons, and such conse- quents and effects of their fault, as make it evident that the reproof given was both just and necessary.
Ver. 12-14.—Kui yap iperrovres civas diddonadror did bv “pivov, ThAWw x pelayv exyere rou Oodoxenv butts, rive Th Orolyeie TIS apxAs THY Aoylwy rod ©cot, zal ee xpelay Sa 6 yhAaxroc, xu 0b oTepetis Tpop7s. Iles yap 6 Meréray YaRanrO0s, Grespos Adyou Oimasoourns? vATi0s yap éort. Te- Asinv 02 Eorw 7 orepec: rpody, Trav dick rHy Zou rd aicdarh pia yeyuuvacuere exbvray aps Oiknpiow narod re nal nxaxod.
Kel yap 6Qeinovres sivas, “ etenim debentes esse,” Arias ; “ etenim cum debe- retis esse,” Vulg.; “ etenim cum debeatis,” Eras.; “vos enim quos oportuit,” Beza, All to the same purpose. “ For when you ought,” or rather, “ for when as you ought to be.” 3 PT Pst, Syr., “debitores estis enim.” The word denotes a debt of any kind, in things real or moral; whatever is due from us, or justly required of us, is so expressed. Lorde bres: Ms Lat., Rhem., “ ma- gistri,’” “ masters.” LEras., Bez., “ doctores.”’ Syr., 857?, “ teachiors,? ie ye tors of others.
Aid rev yxpcvov. Vulg. Lat., “ propter tempus.” Rhem., “for your time;” supplying “ your ” needlessly. Pro temporis ratione,” Bez., Evas.; “ consider- ing the time.” “For the time,” is proper in our language. The Syriac para- phraseth this expression, *? aoa p>? SI3TT 72, “ seeing you have had time in,” or * under institution,” discipline, instruction, Wbcetne? ;—‘ for the time wherein you have been taught and instructed.’ Arab., “for the length of the time;” which is intended, but not expressed. One of late, * jamdudam,” “ now long ago ;”— * you have been so long since taught, that you might have been teachers long ago.’