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time and season for the execution of deserved vengeance. Hence he calls it, the year of vengeance,' and 'the day of recompence;' so here, 'I will repay it, saith the Lord.'

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This being so, God having said that, euol Ekdiкnois, vengeance belongeth unto him,' and that it is due unto provoking sins and sinners; that it is in his power, and his alone, to inflict it when and how he pleaseth, and that he will certainly do so; in the assurance whereof the apostle adds that word, saith the Lord, he will repay it;' it evidently follows, that in his appointed season, the day and year of vengeance, such horrible provoking sinners as were those treated of, must fall under the most severe punishment, and that for evermore.

The second testimony taken from the same place, is of the same importance with this, Κυριος κρίνει τον λαον αύτου, ‘the Lord shall judge his people.' In Deuteronomy, it is applied unto such a judgment of them as tends unto their deliverance. But the general truth of the words is, that God is the supreme Judge, he is Judge himself, Ps. 1. 6. This the apostle makes use of, concluding, that the righteousness of God, as the supreme Judge of all, obligeth him unto this severe destruction of apostates, 'For shall not the Judge of all the world do right?' Shall not he who is Judge in a peculiar manner of those that profess themselves to be his people, punish them for their iniquities, especially such as break off all covenant-relation between him and them?

Obs. IV. A due consideration of the nature of God, his office, that he is the Judge of all, especially of his people, and that inclosure he hath made of vengeance unto himself, under an irrevocable purpose for its execution, gives indubitable assurance of the certain unavoidable destruction of all wilful apostates.-All their security, all their presumptions, all their hopes will vanish before this consideration, as darkness before the light of the sun.

Obs. V. Although those who are the peculiar people of God, do stand in many relations unto him, that are full of refreshment and comfort; yet is it their duty constantly to remember that he is the holy and righteous Judge, even towards his own people.

Thirdly. The ground of the application of these testimonies unto the present case, is that knowledge of God, which they had unto whom he spoke, oidaμev, 'for we know him.' You have the same sense of God, his holiness and truth, as I have, and therefore it cannot be strange unto you, that he will deal thus severely with apostates; you know who he is, how infinite in holiness, righteousness, and power; you know what he hath said in cases like unto this, namely, that vengeance is his, and he will repay it; wherefore it must be evident unto you, that these things will be as they are now declared.

Obs. VI. The knowledge of God, in some good measure, both what he is in himself, and what he hath taken on himself to do, is necessary to render either his promises or threatenings effectual unto the minds of men.

VER. 31.-It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The apostle, in these words, winds up his whole argument against the wilful despisers of the gospel, taken from the nature and aggravations of that sin, with the severity of the punishment that would certainly befal them that are guilty thereof. And these words are, as an inference from them that go immediately before, so they are a recapitulation of all that he had spoken to this purpose. Let men look to it, look to themselves, consider what they do, for it is a fearful thing,' &c.

There are three things in the words. 1. The description given of God with respect unto the present case, he is the living God.' 2. The event of their sin with respect unto him: it is a falling into his hands.' 3. The nature hereof in general: it is a fearful thing.'

1. In what sense God is called the Oɛov SwvToç, 'living God,' and with respect unto what ends, hath been declared on ch. iii. 12, ix. 14. In brief, this title is ascribed unto God principally on two accounts. 1. By way of opposition unto all dead and dumb idols, those whom the heathen worshipped; and which are graphically described by the Psalmist, Ps. cxv. 4-8, as also by the prophet, İsa. xliv. 9-11, &c. And this is to impress upon our minds a due sense of his glory, and eternal power, according as we are called to trust in him or to fear him. Life is the foundation of power. He who hath life in himself, who is the cause of all life in all other things that are partakers of it, must be the only spring of infinite power. But God is here called the living God,' with respect unto his eternal power, whereby he is able to avenge the sins of men. Indeed it calls to mind all the other holy properties of his nature, which are suited to impress dread or terror on the minds of presumptuous sinners, whose punishment is thence demonstrated to be unavoidable. He sees, and knows all the evil and malice that is in their sin, and the circumstances of it. He is the God that liveth and seeth, Gen. xvi. 13. And as he seeth, so he judgeth, because he is the living God, which also is the ground of holy trust in him. 1 Tim. iv. 10.

Obs. VII. This name of the living God,' is full of terror or comfort unto the souls of men.

2. The event of the sin spoken against, as unto its demerit, with respect unto God, is called 'falling into his hands,' eutteσeiv eis xelpas. The assertion is general, but particularly applied unto this case by the apostle. To 'fall into the hands' is a common expression with reference unto any one falling into and under the power of his enemies. None can be said to fall into the hands of God,' as though they were not before in his power. But to fall into the hands of God absolutely, as it is here intended, is to be obnoxious to the power and judgment of God, when and where there is nothing in God himself, nothing in his word, promises, laws, institutions, that should oblige him to mercy, or a mitigation of punishment. So when a man falls into the hands of his enemies, between whom and him there is no law, no love, he can expect nothing but death. Such is this falling into the hands of the living God; there is nothing in the law, nothing in the gospel, that can be pleaded for the least abatement of punishment. There is no property of God that can be implored: it is the destruction of the sinner alone, whereby they will all be glorified.

There is a falling into the hands of God that respects temporal things only, and that is spoken of comparatively. When David knew that an affliction or temporal punishment was unavoidable, he chose rather to fall into the hands of God, as unto the immediate infliction of it, than to have the wrath of men used as the instruments thereof, 2 Sam. xxiy. 17. But this appertains not unto our present purpose.

3. Hereof the apostle affirms in general, that it is pobɛpov, " a fearful, dreadful thing,' that which no heart can conceive, nor tongue express. Men are apt to put off thoughts of it, to have slight thoughts about it; but it is, and will be dreadful, terrible, and eternally destructive of every thing that is good, and inflictive of every thing that is evil, or that our nature is capable of.

Obs VIII. There is an apprehension of the terror of the Lord in the final judgment, which is of great use unto the souls of men, 2 Cor. v. 11. It is so to them who are not yet irrecoverably engaged into the effects of it.

Obs. IX. When there is nothing left of judgment, nothing remains but the expectation of it, its fore-apprehension will be filled with dread and terror.

Obs. X. The dread of the final judgment, where there shall be no mixture of ease, is altogether inexpressible.

Obs. XI. That man is lost for ever, who hath nothing in God that he can appeal unto; nothing in the law or gospel which he can plead for himself; which is the state of all wilful apostates.

Obs. XII. Those properties of God which are the principal delight of believers, the chief object of their faith, hope, and trust, are an eternal spring of dread and terror unto all impenitent sinners: the living God.'

Obs. XIII. The glory and honour of the future state of blessedness and misery, are inconceivable either to believers or sinners.

Obs. XIV. The fear and dread of God, in the description of his wrath, ought continually to be on the hearts of all who profess the gospel.

Herein, by this general assertion, the apostle sums up and closeth his blessed discourse concerning the greatest sin that men can make themselves guilty of, and the greatest punishment that the righteousness of God will inflict on any sinners. Nor is there any reaching of either part of this divine discourse unto the utmost. When he treats of this sin, and its aggravations, no mind is able to search into, no heart is able truly to apprehend the evil and guilt which he chargeth it withal. No one can express or declare the least part of the evil which is comprised in every aggravation which he gives us of this sin. And in like manner, concerning the punishment of it, he plainly intimates, it shall be accompanied with an incomprehensible severity, dread, and terror. This therefore is a passage of holy writ which is much to be considered, especially in these days wherein we live, wherein men are apt to grow cold and careless in their profession, and to decline gradually from what they had attained unto. To be useful in such a season, it was first written; and belongs unto us, no less than unto them unto whom it was first originally sent. And we live in days wherein the security

and contempt of God, the despite of the Lord Christ and his Spirit, are come to the full, so as to justify the truth that we have insisted on.

VER. 32-34. Αναμιμνήσκεσθε δε τας προτερον ἡμερας, εν αἷς φωτιστ θεντες, πολλην άθλησιν ὑπεμεινατε παθηματων· Τουτο μεν, ονειδισμοις τε και θλιψεσι θεατριζομενοι Τουτο δε, κοινωνοι των οὕτως αναστρεφομένων γενηθέντες. Και γαρ τοις δεσμοις μου συνεπαθητ σατε, και την ἁρπαγην των ὑπαρχοντων ύμων μετα χαρας προσεδεξασθε, γινωσκοντες εχειν εν ἑαυτοῖς κρείττονα ὑπαρξιν εν ουρανοις,

και μένουσαν.

VER. 32-34. But call to remembrance the former days, in which after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions: partly whilst ye were made a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves, that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

The words in their coherence, intimated in the adversative de, 'but,' have respect unto the exhortation laid down, ver. 25. All the verses interposed contain a dehortation from the evil which they are warned of. Hence the apostle returns unto his former exhortation unto the duties recommended unto them, and perseverance therein against all the difficulties which they might meet withal, wherewith others were turned into destruction. And the present argument which he makes use of unto this purpose is this now mentioned. And there are in the words, First. A direction unto a means useful unto the end of his exhortation:-'call to mind the former days.'

Secondly. A description of those days which he would have them to call to mind. 1. From the season of them, and their state therein: 'after they were enlightened.' 2. From what they suffered in them : 'a great fight of afflictions,' which are enumerated in sundry instances, ver. 33. 3. From what they did in them, ver. 34, with respect unto themselves and others. 4. From the ground and reason whereon they were carried cheerfully through what they suffered and did: 'knowing in yourselves.'

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First. There is the prescription of the means of this duty, avau OKEOε, which we have well rendered, call to mind.' It is not a bare remembrance he intends, for it is impossible men should absolutely forget such a season. Men are apt enough to remember the times of their sufferings, especially such as are here mentioned, accompanied with all sorts of injurious treatments from men. them so call to mind, as to consider withal what support they had under But the apostle would have their sufferings, what satisfaction in them, what deliverance from them, that they might not despond upon the approach of the like evils and trials on the same account. If we remember our sufferings only as unto what is evil and afflictive in them, what we lose, what we endure and undergo; such a remembrance will weaken and dispirit us as unto our future trials. Hereon many cast about to deliver themselves for

the future, by undue means and sinful compliances, in a desertion of their profession; the thing the apostle was jealous of concerning these Hebrews. But if, withal, we call to mind what was the cause for which we suffered; the honour that is in such sufferings, out-balancing all the contempt and reproaches of the world; the presence of God enjoyed in them, and the reward proposed unto us; the calling these things to mind will greatly strengthen us against future trials, provided we retain the same love unto, and valuation of the things for which we suffered, as we had in those former days. And these various events we find exemplified every day. Some who have endured trials, and came off from them, do grow immediately more wary, as they suppose, and more cold really as unto the causes of their sufferings. The remembrance of what was afflictive in their trials, fills them with fear of the like exercise again. Hence they grow timorous and cautious as to all duties of religion, and the worship of God, which may expose them unto new sufferings; and then some of them by degrees fall absolutely off from attendance unto them, as it was with some of these Hebrews. Such as these call to mind only that which is evil and afflictive in their sufferings; and taking the measure thereof in the counsel or representatation made of it by flesh and blood, it proves unto their damage, and ofttimes unto their eternal ruin. Others who call to mind with their sufferings the causes of them, and the presence of God with them therein, are encouraged, emboldened, and strengthened unto duty with zeal and constancy.

Obs. I. A wise management of former experience is a great direction and encouragement unto future obedience.

Secondly. As to the object of this duty, the apostle so expresseth it, 'call to mind, rаÇ Tρотερоν ημερas, the former days.' It is uncertain what times or seasons the apostle doth peculiarly intend. Besides those continual hazards they were in from their adversaries, and the occasional sufferings that they were exposed unto, they seem to have had some special seasons of persecution before the writing of this Epistle. The first was in the stoning of Stephen, when great persecution rose against all the church, and extended itself unto all the churches of Christ in that nation, wherein our holy apostle himself was highly concerned, Acts viii. 1, ix. 1, xxii. 19, xxvi. 10, 11. And the other was on the occasion of this apostle himself; for upon his last coming to Jerusalem, after his great successes in preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, the whole body of the people was filled with rage and madness against him and all the other disciples. It is no doubt, although express mention be not made of it, but that at that time, the rage and cruelty of the priests and the multitude did put forth themselves unto a general persecution of the church. And this season he seems to reflect upon in particular, because he mentions his own bonds at that time, and their compassion with him. However, certain it is, that all the churches of Judea had suffered those things here mentioned from their countrymen, as the apostle himself declares, 1 Thess. ii. 14. At this present time they seemed to have had some outward peace. The occasion whereof, were the tumults and disorders which were then growing in their whole nation. Their own intestine discords, and the fear of outward enemies,

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