h The Spirit proves theſe Hebrews ſuch Infants by deſcribing the ſtate of them, and of their contrary, and tacitely applying it to them under a Metaphor or Allegory ſtarted by him before. For, ſaith he, every one of you, who take in nothing but the Elements and weakeſt kind of Dofrines, and can bear no other, have not di- geſted the firſt Principles of the Oracles of God. 7 Are 4aggtz not truly knowing, not proving nor experiencing, never exercifed or praRtiſ- e&d in the Word of Righteouſneſ?, the Goſpe!-DoFrine, which 1s 1n it ſelf an eternal certain Truth, the Revelation of the Righteouſneſs of God to Faith, Rm. 1.15, 17. And the inſtrumental conveyer of 1t to Faith, a perfe& Rule of Righteouſneſs, making Chriſtians con- form exatly to the Mind and Will of God, and ſo reaching the ſtate of ſtrong and perfe&t ones, Col. 1. 25, to29. k He 1s but a »ew-born Chriſtian, a Child in Chriſt's School, one that cannot be experienced in the PerteQions of God's Word, becauſe he 1s weak in Knowled;,c, ignorant and unconſtant like an Infant, 1 Cor. 14. 20, compare Fe, 4. 14.
14 But itrong meat belongeth to them that are of * full age/. even thoſe who by reaſon of uſe t have exerciſed o to diſcern both good and
evil f.
HEBREWS.
1 But thoſe great deep and high Myſteries of th ; Chriſt's Natures, their nn nee eg = " His cn8 fulfilling all His Types in the Old Teſtament, both Perſona] _ M 8 ſtical, with the Propheſies of His Goſpel-Church. State, ang Hi: Me diatory Kingdom, @rc. theſe are the ftrong Meat and Food y grown Chriſtians, who have reached me Maturity in the knowled _ of theſe Goſpel-Myſteries, and are of a full Age in Underſtandir I Cor. 2.6. and 14. 20. and Phil. 3.15, Reaching on to the m2. ſure of the Stature of the fulneſs of Chriſt in Knowledse ſn Grace, Epheſ. 4.13. m Even theſe who 94 » {5, by a gracious habit of Wiſdom and Knowledge infuſed and perteRed by lon Stu. dy, Practiſe and Exercite of themſelves in the Word of Righteouſ. nels, by which they are able to apprehend and improve the hioheſt Doftrines of the Myſtery of Chrift. = T« euN.mowu Are ſtrictly Or. gans, or Inſtruments of Senſe, as the Eye, the Tongue, and the Hang by a Metonomy expreſs, Seeing, Taſting, and Feeling, and fo is hy Analogy applied to the inward Senfes and Faculties of the Squj whereby they diſcern and reliſh Goſpel-Doftrines. » re,ne-.;,. ſtritly notes ſuch an exerciſe as Wreſtlers uſe for a Viftory with all their Might and Strength, being trained up to it by long Exerciſe. The Spiritual Organs or Faculties of Chriſtians are well inſtruded, Pt2- Qiſed, made apt and ready, as the external ones are, for thei; pro- per work. Þ Ilege Narxemy for the diſcerning and differencing things ſo as the Mind difcerns what Dotrine is true, and what is falſe a4 the Word of Righteouſneſs, and the Will chooſeth what is Good and refuſeth what is Evil ; the Afffettions love Good, and hate Evil - as the Senſes external can by Exerciſe diſcern what Food is puſtfu] pleaſing and wholeſome ſor the Perſon, and what is nauſeous and unwholefome, So the grown Chriſtian is improved by the exerciſe of his Spiritual Senſes, that he can by his enlightned Mind diſcern higher Goſpel-Doftrines, and by his renewed Will reliſh the ſublimer Myſteries of Chriſt as they are reyealed to him ; ſuch the Chriſtian Hebrews ought to have been, ſo able Proficients in the School of
Chriſt. CHAT. YL
An Exhortation to a full Knowledge of the Chriftian Doftrine, i=, Fr that from neglef and contempt they might fall into the unpardana- ble Sim, and a total Apoſtacy, 4——6. This iUluſlrated by a fimil:- tude of Fruitful and Barren Ground ; He has a better Opinion of them, and the reafon of it, 7=——10, But ths heeſpeaks to ſtir them up to Diligence and firmer Hope in God's Promiſes, which were confirmed by Oath ta Abraham and his Seed, 11 18, FHhpe faſtens on the thing promiſed, of which our High-Prieff #4 poſſeſſed for ©, I9, 20,
Herefore leaving the Þ principles of the DoArine
works d, and of faith towards God e,