b The Apoſtle returns 1n this Verfe to the Propofition laid down in the ſecond Veric, winch he had been proving by all theſe Exam- pics, and with it ſhuts. up the Hiſtory of them; al! theſe Elders mentioned from tc, 2. fo this Verſe, c Maprogndz:7e ftriftly 1s kaving been marty;:d, or made Maityrs, ſpecially witneffing to the Death for Chriſt, have a Tejlimony given to them, by way of Emi- nency, by God tnmielt in his Scripture-Record, that through Faith tney pleaſed him in their glorious Atchievements and Sufferings, and vere God's faithful Witneifſes to the World, glorifying him 1n it, though ceproachcd and ruined by the World, yet they were too good to live 111t, and were fit to live with him 1n Heaven, as v. 2, 5, 15,25. d< Yet thelc Worthies, as Abraham, and his believing Secd, did not policſs the Land of Canaan, though they had the Promife of it in their time, v. 13. others did obtain the Grace and g00d things promiſed for their time, v. 33. but none of theſe had fulfilled to them in their Day, the maniteſtation of the Meſſiah in the Fleſh ; though they ſaw his Day and Coming by Faith, and did rejoice i11 it, yet none ſaw him ſo come as Szmeon did, Luke 2, 25, 29. though as to the Eternal Benefits by Chriſt, they did as a'/tually 1ccetve them, as thoſe fince his perfe&ting the Work of Redemption have received them, even Eternal Blefledneſs and Glo- ry by him, As 15. II.
ao God c having || provided ſome berter thing for us, that they- / without us ſhould not be made perfect g.
e The cauſes of their not receiving the Promiſe, are ſummed up in this Verſe; the efficient of it is God's Providence unto Believers before and after the Incarnation of the Meſſiah, God having from Eternity fore-knjwledge of thoſe who would believe in God the Son ncarnate, Rom. 8. 29. predeſtinated them to be called to the Faith in him, and provided better for New-Teſtament-Bclievers than for the Old ones, that what they had of Chriſt in Types and Vails, theſe ſhould have in Truth; what theſe had in Promiſe, they ſhould have in Sight and Poflefſſion ; what theſe had in Hope, as tohis firſt co- ming, they ſhould have it paſt, and it 1s as an earneſt of his ſecond Coming ; what they had by meaſure of his Spirit and Grace, theſe ſhould have in fulneſs, Luke 15. 23, 24. Fohn 1. 14, 16. and 7. 39. 2 Cor. 3. 8. Epheſ. 3. 8, 9, 10, 11. Titus 2. 13. T1 Pet. I. 12.
f The final cauſe of this Gracious Providence was, that the former and later Believers mizht be c:mpleared together, they ſball not reach that perfett ſtate of Grace and Glory by a re-umon of their Bodies and Souls unto the General Reſurre&ion, when they ſhall not pre- vent us, nor we them ; but as foon as the Trumpet alarms the Dead to riſe, in the ſame moment, and twinkling 9; an Eye, ſhall the Living be changcd, and all be cauznt up together in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air, and fo - ſhall be ever with the Lord, i Theſſ. 4. 15, to 18. The ground of ihich Perfe&ion of all Be- lievers in all Apes being in the laſt time, is from his chuſing them all to he but one Body of Chrift, and him their Head ; fo as one Member cannot be perfeted but in the perfe&ion of the whole, Blatth, 8. 11. Epheſ. 4. 44 In which perfettion of it, God 15 re- ſolved to be all in all; not in one, or in ſome, but when Chriſt hath ſubdued all his Enemies, and gathered all his Members, then ſhall his Body and Kingdom be perfected, and God be all in all, CEP Fy. 23% |
CHAF XL
1he Examples of the former Chapter provokes us to conſtaucyin the Chri- tian Hope, and to Patience in Affiifions ; to thoſe he ad1s the Ex- ample of Chriſt, who through Sufferings entred into Glory, 1——4. Sufferings ave Fatherly Corrections, and have bleſſed Fruits, $——11. He exhorts them to quicken one another to Peace and Holineſs, againſt Apoſtacy, Whnwedom, and Prophaneneſs, by the Example of Eſau, I 2:——17. The terror of Mount Sinai, and the giving of the Law, 12---—21. The dignity of the Aſſembly ir Heaven and Earth whe, eunt? Be/i-vers come, 22=—24. None muſt dare to reject our Lord now {peaking fiom Iteuven, but muſt hold faſt to the Grace of
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HEBREW S. Chas. : | | : L fo eafily beſer ts, and & let us run 7 with patience the race thatis ſet betore us: a The Spirit in this Chapter proceeds 1n his Exhortation or Coun» ſe], unto Duties worthy of the former Dodrine of Chriſt, and tuit- able to the foregoing Examples, enumerated chap. 11. He intro:
duceth it with an !llative Particle, 7434241, jpving all thoſe Worthies finiſhed their courſe through Faith, and received not the Promite fince made good to us, Therefore is there ſomething to be inferred. b We, I Paul, and you Het;ews, having cnjoyed the better thin«* provided by God tor us, we are fo much the more obitye&l ; as 4:to having ſuch a multitude of Witneſſes of fo vatt worth and diznity, as all the Old-Teſtament-Believers were, diltilling, like a C!/oud, a- bundant iniJuences, from their Example, 1 doing and ſuffering for God, through Faith, on our Souls, to make us perfeverins in thi Faith to the end, das they d1d ; and 19 empaſſtne us 4Haut, Qt We ct! not want ether direction or encouragement tt it, whenever we look into their Hiltories- for it. c Like the Grecian and Romun 2
cers, who Iud afide their cumberſome Garments, fo 25 they mio! mere eaſily and lizhtly run their Race; in alluſion to which, 1t is ti concern of every Chriſtian to /ay afide, _ or put away all its worldly cumbrances, which would clog it in its Race, its erupt (elf), rhe World, Sc. Matth. 16. 24. Luke 21. 34. 1Tim.s. g, io, 1. 2 Tim. 2. 4. d The evil weight inward 1s the 01d Ian, ths & 1 rump? Niture, which remaineth in every Chriſtian, ſtiled by Paw, t+
dy of Death, Rom. 7. 24. but eſpecially each Chriſtian's 071; //e;
ſonal mmiquity, which ſticks and cleaves nearer to him than his Ga: