ther without the Son, nor is he a God unto us but in and by

him.

Secondly, It may be he would mind them of the person and nature of him from whom he would prevent their departure; namely, that however in respect of his office, and as he was incarnate, he was our Mediator, our Apostle and High-priest, yet in his own divine person he was one with his Father and the blessed Spirit, the living God.

Thirdly, (which either alone, or in concurrence with these other reasons, is certainly in the words), That he might deter them from the sin he cautions them against, by the pernicious event and consequent of it. And this is, that therein they would depart from him who is the great, terrible, and dreadful God, the living God who is able to punish and revenge their sin, and that to all eternity. And this appears to be in the words, in that he again insists on the same argument afterwards. For, to the same purpose, he tells them that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, ch. x. 31. And as this property of life, as it is in God essentially and causally, whence he is called the living God, is exceedingly and eminently accommodated to encourage us unto faith, trust, confidence and affiance in him, in all straits and difficulties, whilst we are in the way of our duty, as our apostle declares, 1 Tim. iv. 10. "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God;" or, this is that which encourageth us unto, and supporteth us in all our labourings and sufferings, namely, because he whom we trust in, from whom we expect assistance here, and a reward hereafter, is the living God; so it is that which deservedly casts the greatest awe and terror upon the minds of men in their sins and rebellion against him. For as this life of God includes in it the notions and considerations of all those properties which hold out encouragements unto us in things present and to come; so it doth also that of those dreadful attributes of his power, holiness and eternity, which sinners have reason to bethink themselves of, in their provocations of him. Thus he frequently prefaceth expressions of his severity against stubborn sinners, with "", "I live, saith the Lord;" as it were bidding of them to consider what thence they were to expect. And this seems to me the principal reason why the apostle thus states the sin of their apostasy, that it is a departure from the living God.

Fourthly, He may also so express it, at once to intimate unto them the greatness and folly of their sin. They thought, it may be, it was but the leaving of these or those observances of the gospel; but, saith he, it is a departure, a flagitious de fection and revolt from the living God. And who knows not this to be the greatest sin and highest folly imaginable? To de

part from him who will be so great a reward unto them that obey him, and so severe a judge of them that forsake him : what greater guilt or folly is the nature of man capable of?

And this is the evil which the apostle here cautions professors against, which I have insisted on the longer, because it is directly opposite unto that great duty which it is the general design of the Epistle to press them unto. And we shall take such observations from this last clause of the verse, as the words and the reasons of using them do present unto us. the first is, that,

And

Obs. V. The malignity and venom of sin, is apt to hide itself under many, under any shades and pretences.-I speak not of the evasions and pretexts wherewith men endeavour to cover or countenance themselves in their miscarriages in the world, and unto others, but of those pleas and pretences which they will admit of in their own minds; partly to induce their wills and affections unto sin, and partly to relieve and countenance their consciences under sin. Amongst those reasonings which these Hebrews had in themselves about a relinquishment of the gospel and its institutions, they never considered it as an apostasy from the living God. They looked upon it, as a peculiar way of worship, attended with difficulties and persecutions, in the emission of which, perhaps, they might please God as well. By this means did they hide from themselves that mortal malignity and poison that was in their sin. And so it is in every sin. The subtilty and deceit of lust, doth still strive to conceal the true and proper nature of sin whereunto it enticeth, or is enticed. When Naaman, the Syrian, would, notwithstanding his conviction, abide in his idol worship, because of his secular advantage, it is but a going with his master into the house of Rimmon, and bowing there; not that he intended to have any other God but the God of Israel, 2 Kings v. 18. So long ago had he practically learned that principle which men had not, until of late, the impudence doctrinally to advance in the world; namely, that an arbitrary rectifying of men's intentions alters the nature of their moral and spiritual actions. Hence they say, that if one man kill another, not with an intention to kill him, but to vindicate his own honour by his so doing, it is no sin, or at least no great sin, or much to be regarded. And what is this but directly to comply with the deceitfulness of sin, which we have laid down. For none surely is so flagitiously wicked, as to make the formal nature of sin their object and end. Nor, it may be, is human nature capable of such an excess and exorbitancy from itself, and its concreated principles. But still some other end is proposed by a corrupt design and incitation of the mind, which is a blind unto its wickedness. But of this deceit of sin, I have treated at large in another discourse. Therefor

Obs. VI. The best way to antidote the soul against sin, is to represent it unto the mind in its true nature and tendency.The hiding of these was the way and means whereby sin first entered into the world. Thereby did Satan draw our first parents into their transgression. Hiding from them the nature and end of their sin, he ensnared and seduced them. In the same way and method doth he still proceed. This caused our apostle here to rend off the covering and vain pretences, which the Hebrews were ready to put upon their relinquishment of the gospel. He presents it here naked unto them, as a fatal defection and apostasy from the living God; and therein gives them also to understand its end, which was no other but the casting of themselves into his revenging hand unto eternity. So dealt Samuel with Saul, in the matter of Amalek. Saul pretended that he had only brought fat cattle for sacrifice; but Samuel lets him know, that there was rebellion in his disobedience, abhorred of God like the sin of witchcraft. Indeed, if not all, yet the principal efficacy of temptation consists in hiding the nature and tendency of sin, whilst the mind is exercised with it. And therefore the discovery and due consideration of these must needs be an effectual means to counter-work it, and to obviate its prevalency. And this is the principal design of the Scripture in all that it treats about sin. It establisheth the command against it, by shewing what it is, the iniquity, folly, and perversity of it; as also what is its end, or what in the righteousness of God it will bring the sinner unto. Hence the great contest that is in the mind, when it is hurried up and down with any temptation, is whether it shall fix itself on these right considerations of sin, or suffer itself at the present to be carried away with the vain pleas of its temptation in its attempt to palliate and cover it.

And on this contest depends the final issue of the matter. If the mind keep up itself unto the true notion of the nature and end of sin, through the strength of grace its temptation will probably be evaded and disappointed. So it was with Joseph. Various suggestions he had made to him, but he keeps his mind fixed on that," How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"-which preserved him and delivered him, Gen. xxxix. 9. But if the mind be prevailed with to admit of those representations of sin, which are made unto it in its temptations, sin in the perpetration of it will ensue. And this is the principal part of our wisdom about sin and temptations; namely, that we always keep our minds possessed with that notion and sense of the nature and end of sin, which God in his word represents unto us, with a complete watchfulness against that which the deceit of lust and the crafts of Satan would suggest. Again,

Obs. VII. Whoever departs from the observance of the gospel and the institutions thereof, doth in so doing depart from the living God; or, an apostate from the gospel, is an absolute apostate from God. This the apostle expressly teacheth the Hebrews in this place. Men think it almost a matter of nothing to play with gospel institutions at their pleasure. They can observe them, or omit them as seems good unto themselves; nay, some suppose they may utterly relinquish any regard unto them, without the least forfeiture of the favour of God. But this will appear to be otherwise. For,

First, In their so doing, the authority of God over their souls and consciences is utterly rejected, and so consequently is God himself. For where his authority is not owned, his Being is despised. Now there are various ways whereby God puts forth and manifests his authority over men. He doth it in and by his works, by his law, by the consciences, or inbred notions of the minds of men. Every way whereby he reveals himself, he also makes known his sovereign authority over us. For sovereign power or authority is the very first notion that a creature can have of its Creator. Now all these ways of revealing the authority of God, are recapitulated in the gospel; God having brought "all things unto an head in Christ Jesus," Eph. i. 10. « All power in heaven and earth," that is, as to the actual administration of it, is given into his hand, Mat. xxviii. 18. And he is given or appointed to be head over all things, Eph. i. 20—22. ; as we have at large declared on the third verse of the first chapGod therefore doth not put forth, nor exercise the least of his power, but in and by Christ. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," John v. 22. Now the Lord Christ exerciseth this power and authority principally by the gospel, which is the rud of his power, Psal. cx. 2. Hereunto then are reduced all other ways whatever, whereby the authority of God is exerted over the souls and consciences of

ter.

And if this be rejected, the whole authority of God is utterly cast off. This therefore is done by all who reject, relinquish, or despise the gospel; they forsake God himself, the liv ing God, and that absolutely and utterly. God is not owned where his monarchy is not owned. Let men deal so with their rulers, and try how it will be interpreted. Let them pretend they acknowledge them, but reject the only way, all the ways they have for the exercise of their authority, and it will doubtless be esteemed a revolt from them.

Secondly, There is no other way or means whereby men may yield any obedience or worship unto God, but only by the gospel; and so no other way whereby men may express their subJection unto him, or dependance upon him. And where this is not done, he is necessarily forsaken. Whatever men may say or

do, or pretend as to the worship of God, if it be not in and by the name of Christ, if it be not appointed and revealed in the gospel, it is not performed unto the living God, but to an idol of their own hearts; for the only true God, is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore by what act or acts soever men may design to give honour unto God, and to own their dependance on him, if it be not done in Christ according to the gospel, it is all an abomination unto him. He says of all such worship, as he did of the sacrifices of the Israelites, when their hearts went after their idols, Amos v. 26. It is all to Moloch and Chiun, and not to him.' Such, I say, is all the worship that men design to offer unto the living God, but not according to the gospel. Such was the worship of the Samaritans of old, as our Saviour testified; and such is the worship of the Jews and Mahometans at present. Their pretence of owning one God, will not free them from offering their sacred services to Moloch and Chiun, images and stars of gods which they have framed unto themselves. When therefore any depart from the gospel, they depart from the living God, because they have no way left unto them whereby they may glorify him as God, and he that doth not so, renounceth him. And therefore our apostle speaking of those Heathens who had those notions of one God, which some boast of at this day, and choose to rest in, affirms plainly that they were, altos sv Ta xorμw, Eph. ii. 12. Atheists whilst they were in the world.' They knew not how to glorify God by any acceptable worship; and as good not to own God at all, as not to glorify him as God. For after God in the first precept hath required that we should have him for our God, and none else; that we may do so, and know how to do so, he required in the second, with the same authority, that we worship and glorify him according to his own mind and prescription.

Thirdly, There is no other way whereby we may obtain the least encouraging intimation of the favour or good will of God towards us; no way whereby his grace or his acceptance of us may be firmed and assured unto us, but this only. And where there is not a sufficient ground hereof, no man can abide with God in a due manner. If men have not a stable foundation to apprehend God to be good and gracious and willing to receive them, they will no otherwise respect or esteem him, but as the poor Indians do the Devil, whom they worship that he may do them no harm. I do know that men have strange presumptions concerning the goodness and inclination of God to sinners, and according unto them they pretend highly to love God, and delight in him, without respect unto the Lord Christ or the gospel. But it were an easy thing, to divest their notions of all those swelling words of vanity wherewith they dress them, and manifest them to be mere presumptions, inconsistent with the nature