Obs. 1X. If men will shut their eyes against evident signs and — tokens of approaching judgments, they will never stir up themselves nor engage into the due performance of present duties. .
Obs. X. In the approach of great and final judgments, God by his — word and providence gives such intimations of their coming as that wise men may discern them. “ Whoso is wise, he will consider
VER. 26, 27.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. : 529
these. things,” and “they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lorn.” “The prudent foreseeth the evil, and hideth himselt.” | “ How is it that ye discern not the signs of the times?”
Obs. XI. To see evidently such a day approaching, and not to be sedulous and diligent in the duties of divine worship, is a token of a backsliding frame tending unto final apostasy.
VERSES 26, 27.
‘Ramala Yap amwapravovrav huwcv were rd AaGEl sv Exiyywow THs aAn- Jelas, ob ers epi cwupriay cerodelreras Svoia, poCepe O& rig exdoyy xplosws, nol aupds CHAog éodiev mEdAovTos rods baevavrious.
Ver. 26, 27.—For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall de- vour the adversaries.
In these verses the apostle gives a vehement enforcement of his preceding exhortation, from the dreadful consequences of a total neglect of it, or uncompliance with it., And this he doth, 1. By expressing the nature of the sin which lies therein. 2. By an im- possibility of deliverance from the guilt of it. 3. The punishment that would unavoidably follow upon it.
Interpreters have greatly perplexed themselves and others in the interpretation and exposition of these verses, and those that follow. Their conjectures in great variety have proceeded principally from a want of a due attendance unto, the scope of the apostle, the argu- ment he had in hand, the circumstances of the people unto whom he wrote, and the present state of God’s providence towards them. I shall not trouble; the reader with their various conjectures, and censures of them; but I shall give such an evident sense of the words as themselves and the context do evince to be the mind of the Holy Ghost in them. :
1. As unto the words wherein the sin and state of such men is expressed, “If we sin wilfully,’ he puts himself among: them, as is his manner in comminations: both to show that there is no respect of persons in this matter, but those who have equally sinned shall be equally punished; and to take off all appearance of severity to- wards them, seeing he speaks nothing of this nature but on such suppositions as wherein, if he himself were concerned, he pronounceth it against himself also. “ We sinning,” or, “if we sin exovoiws, “ wilfully,” say we: our former translations, “ willingly ;” which we have now avoided, lest we should give coun- tenance unto a supposition that there is no recovery after any volun- tary sin. “If we sin wilfully ;” that is, obstinately, maliciously, and
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“Exoveiws.
530 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. X.
with despite; which is the nature of the sin itself, as is declared verse 29: but the word doth not require, nor will scarce bear any such sense, “ Willingly,” is of choice, without surprisal, compulsion, or fear; and this is all that the word will bear.
The season and circumstance which state the sin intended is, “after we have received the knowledge of the truth.” There is no question but that by “ the truth,” the apostle intends the doctrine of the gospel; and the “receiving” of it is, upon the conviction of its being truth, to take on us the outward profession of it. Only there is an emphasis in that word, rAy ér/yywow. This word is not used anywhere to express the mere conceptions or notions of the
mind about truth, but such an acknowledgment of it as ariseth from —
some sense of its power and excellency. This, therefore, is the de- scription of the persons concerning whom this sin is supposed: They were such as unto whom the gospel had been preached; who, upon conviction of its truth, and sense of its power, had taken upon them the public profession of it. And this is all that is required to the constitution of this state. And what is so required may be reduced to one of these two heads: (1.) The solemn dedication of themselves unto Christ in and by their baptism. (2.) Their solemn
joining themselves unto the church, and continuance in the duties ©
of its worship, Acts.i. 41, 42.
On this opening of the words, it is evident what sin it is that is intended, against which this heavy doom is denounced; and that on these two considerations: (1.) That the head of the precedent ex- hortation is, that we should “hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering,” verse 23; and the means of continuing in that — profession, verses 24, 25. Wherefore the sin against this exhorta-—
tion is, the relinquishment and renouncing of the profession of the faith, with all acts and duties thereunto belonging. . (2.) The state opposite unto this sin, that which is contrary unto it, is “ re- ceiving the knowledge of the truth;” which what is required there- unto we have now declared. Wherefore the sin here intended, is plainly a relinquishment and renunciation of the truth of the gospel and the promises thereof, with all duties thereunto belonging, after we have been convinced of its truth, and avowed its power and ex- cellency. There is no more required but that this be