1. Positively, “ You have need of milk.” The whole word of God is, it may be, sometimes compared absolutely unto milk, be- cause of its purity and freedom from corrupt mixtures, whence it is fit for nourishment: ] Pet. ii. 2, “As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Nothing is of a more natural nourishment than milk; and it is never hurtful but where the body is prepossessed with obstructions. These in the mind, with respect to the word, the apostle in that place warns us to cast out. Verse 1,“ Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings, as new-born babes.” So James doth in like manner, chap. i. 21. In this place, I say, it is supposed that the whole gospel, the whole word of God, which is the food of our souls, is compared unto milk. But I rather judge that even here some especial parts or doctrines of the word, suited to the con- dition of them to whom the apostle speaks, are intended. He calls them “new-born babes;” that is, persons newly converted to Christ, and it may be but weak in the faith. These he adviseth to seek after suitable food in the word, for the nourishment of their souls, or the strengthening of them in faith and obedience; and that is those
Xpeiayv torres,
Téraxros. “4
582 AN EXPOSITION OF THE | CHAP. V.
plain doctrines of truth which were meet for them who as yet were not capable of higher mysteries. It is therefore some parts of the - word only, and some things taught therein, which are compared to milk, both with respect unto the nature and common use of it. It is a kind of food that is easy of digestion, needs no great strength of nature to turn it into nutriment; and is therefore the common nourishment of babes, and children, and sick persons, not sufficing to maintain the health and strength of persons of full age and a healthy constitution. So our apostle useth the same similitude, 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2, “ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” The same similitude, the same distribution of the parts of it, is used as in this place. The reason why babes are fed with milk is because they want strength of nature to digest stronger meat; so he says they were able to bear milk, but not strong meat spiritually. It is evident, therefore, what the apostle here understandeth by “milk,” namely, such doctrines of truth as he calls “the first principles of the oracles of God,”’—plain and fundamental truths; such in some measure they might be cap- able of, but not of the great and deep mysteries of the gospel. And he declares whom he intends by these “babes,” even such as are “carnal;” that is, such as, by reason of their indulgence unto their carnal affections, had kept their souls in a weak and distempered condition as unto spiritual things.
This condition of theirs, as it was a consequent of their own sin, so it was a grief and discouragement unto him who designed and earnestly desired to carry them on unto perfection, “ unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” And this being the great end of the ministry towards the church, Eph. iv. 12, 18, it is no small trouble unto all that are faithful in the dis- charge of their office, when they find their hearers not so to thrive as to be capable of receiving the highest mysteries of truth. It is grievous unto them, either always to dwell on the first rudiments of religion, or to treat of things which they fear to be above the capa- city of their auditors. Their delight and satisfaction is to be dis- persing the mysteries of the gospel and of the kingdom of God. Hereof we have a most eminent instance in our apostle. His writ- ing and his preaching to the churches were of the same kind, as in sundry places he doth declare. And we see that the greatest part of his epistles is taken up with the declaration of the deepest mys- teries of the will, wisdom, and counsel of God. And for this cause he is now by some reflected on, as a person whose writings are ob- scure, and hard to be understood; for men begin not to fear to cast the shame and guilt of their own ignorance on a pretended ob- scurity in his writings. Thus these Hebrews had need of milk, and
VER. 12-14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 583
that not through the tenderness of their constitution, but by having contracted an ill habit of mind.
2. Negatively, he says they had not need of “strong meat;” that - is, it was not expedient, in their present condition, to set it before them, unless they were first sufficiently excited out of their stupid negligence. Xreped rpop4 is “meat yielding solid nourish- ment.” Now, as in general all the principal mysteries of the gospel, that whole wisdom which he preached év ros reAssor, - 1 Cor. ii. 6,—“unto” (or “among”) “them that were perfect” or adult, and grown up unto some good measure in the stature of Christ,—are intended hereby ; so in especial he hath respect unto the things which belong unto the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ. These are solid meat unto the souls of sound believers) And hereby Christians may take a due measure of their spiritual health, strength, and growth. If the solid doctrines concerning the offices of Christ, espe- cially his priesthood and sacrifice, are suited to their minds and affections, if they find food and spiritual nourishment in them, it is a good evidence of their progress in the knowledge of Christ and the gospel. Butifsuch things have neither taste nor relish in them unto their spiritual appetite; if they do not readily digest them, nor find benefit by them, it is manifest they are but weak and feeble, as the apostle further proves in the following verses.