_ SxEconpiy, Hence, therefore, the apostle proposeth it unto the judgment of the Hebrews, “of how much sorer punish- ment ” they suppose a sinner guilty of this sin shall be judged worthy, above what was inflicted on the wilful transgressor of the law. And there is included herein, 1. That such a sinner shall be punished. Apostates may flatter themselves with impunity, but in due time punishment will overtake them. How shall they escape who neglect so great salvation? Much less shall they not do so by whom it is thus de-
_ spised in all the causes of it, 2. That this shall be a sore, a great.
*Evubpious.
Tloow.
Xsipovos i= pupias.
548 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. X.
and an evil punishment; which is included in the note of compari- son, “far greater punishment,”—such as men shall be able neither to abide nor to avoid. 3, Comparatively, it shall be a sorer punish- ment than that which was appointed for wilful transgressors of the law, which was death without mercy. 4. That the degree of its exceeding that punishment is inexpressible: “ Of how much sorer ?” None can declare it, as the Holy Ghost expresseth himself when he would intimate unto our minds that which we cannot absolutely conceive and apprehend, 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18. ‘But whereas that punishment was death without mercy, wherein could this exceed it?’ I answer, Because that was a temporal death only; for though such sinners under the law might and did many of them perish eternally, yet they did not so by virtue of the constitution of the law of Moses, which reached only unto temporal punishments: but this punish- ment is eternal (that is constantly proposed in the first place unto all impenitent unbelievers and despisers of the gospel, see 2 Thess. i. 6-9, Mark xvi. 16, etc.); yet so as not to exclude any other tem- poral judgments, in spirituals or naturals, that may precede it;— such was that whereunto the temporal destruction that was ready to come on these despisers did belong.
THIRDLY, The way whereby they are made obnoxious unto it is, that they are “counted worthy of it,’ —aE:méjosraus, They shall receive neither more nor less than their due. The judge in this case is God himself, as the apostle declares in the next verse. He alone knows, he alone can justly determine, what such apostates are worthy of. But in general, that this shall unspeakably exceed that annexed unto the transgression of the law is left unto themselves to judge,—“Suppose ye.” ‘Ye know and take it for granted, that the punishments under the law to be inflicted on its transgressors, by the constitution and sanction of it, were all of them righteous, for God was the judge of this in them all. Consider now what aggravations this sin is accompanied withal above all sins whatever against the law, and be yourselves judges of what will follow hereon. What do you think in your own hearts will be the judgment of God concerning these sinners 2?’ This argument the apostle doth frequently insist upon, as Heb, ii. 2-4, xii. 25; and it had a peculiar cogency towards the Hebrews, who had lived under the terror of those legal punishments all their days.
Obs. IX. The inevitable certainty of the eternal punishment of gospel-despisers depends on the essential holiness and righteousness of God, as the ruler and judge of all. It is nothing but what he in his just judgment, which is “according unto truth,” accounteth them worthy of, Rom. i. 32. :
Obs. X. It is a righteous thing with God thus to deal with men,
*"ALiadicsras.
Aoxsirs.
VER. 30, 31.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 549,
Wherefore all hopes of mercy, or the least relaxation of punishment unto all eternity, are vain and false unto apostates: “they shall have judgment without mercy.”
Obs. XI. God hath allotted different degrees of punishment unto the different degrees and aggravations of sin. “The wages,” indeed, of every “sin is death;’ but there is unto such persons as these “a savour of death unto death,” and there shall be different degrees of eternal punishment.
Obs. XII. The apostasy from the gospel, here described, being the absolute height of all sin and impiety that the nature of man is capable of, it renders them unto eternity obnoxious unto all punishment that the same nature is capable of. The greatest sin must have the greatest judgment.
Obs. XIII. It is our duty diligently to inquire into the nature of sin, lest we be overtaken in the great offence. Such persons as they in the text, it may be, little thought what it was that they should principally be charged withal, namely, for their apostasy ; and how dreadful was it when it came upon them in an evident conviction !
Obs. XIV. Sinning against the testimony given by the Holy Ghost unto the truth and power of the gospel, whereof men have had experience, is the most dangerous symptom of a perishing con- dition.
Obs. XV. Threatenings of future eternal judgments unto gospel- despisers belong unto, the preaching and declaration of the gospel.
Obs. XVI. The equity and righteousness of the most severe judg- ments of God, in eternal punishments against gospel-despisers, is so - evident, that it may be referred to the judgment of men not obsti- nate in their blindness.