H E B. X. ceived the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins, 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which fhall de vour the adverfaries. 28. He that defpifed Mofes law, died without mercy, under two or three witneffes: 29. Of how much forer punishment, fuppofe ye, fhall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted them blood of the covenant wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done defpite unto the Spirit of grace? 30. For we know him that hath faid, " Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will n be fuller to this purpose, than those of St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 21. Where he tells them, that he fhould bewail many who had finned already, and had t repented of the Uncleanness, and Fornication, and Lafcivioufnefs they had committed? There was therefore room for Repentance to those who had wilfully committed thefe abominable and crying Sins. And in the Cafe of the incestuous Corinthian, when the Apostle directed that Church to proceed to Excommunication, was not the End propofed thereby, 1 Cor. 5 5. that his Spirit might be faved in the Day of the Lord Jesus? Now how could this be, but by his Repentance? Repentance therefore was not impoffible to him. The fame thing is evident from Jam. 5. Verfes 15, 19, 20. and from Gal 5. 1. Are not the Churches, in the Revelations called upon to Repent, and do their firft Works? Rev. 2. 5, 19, 21. To mention no more, Did not St. Peter wilfully deny, his Lord and Mafter? And was not his Repentance notwithstanding accepted of, and he ad mitted to Pardon? If any fhall abuse this comfortable Doctrine, fo neceflary to heal a troubled Confcience, and take Encouragement from thence to commit Sin, let them know that they do it at the Peril of their Souls We can never conceive too highly of the Mercy of God in and through Jefus Chrift, provided we are penitent and humble; the Danger lies in promifing our felves Peace, and Reconciliation, and Par don, even while we continue to live in our Sins, and, neglect to do Works meet for Repentance. If we feriously endeavour to make our felves ft Ob jects of Divine Mercy; if we confefs, and hate, and forfake our Sins; if we become new Creatures, and are careful to know and do the Will of God, we are affured that all our. Sins fhall be washed away and pardoned. b r 931 recompenfe, faith the Lord. And again, The Lord, fhall judge his people. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32. But call to remembrance the former days, in which after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions: 33. Parely whilft ye were made a "gazing-ftock, both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly whilft ye became companious of them that were fo ufed. 34. For ye had compaffion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the poiling of your goods, knowing (1) in your felves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance, 35. Caft not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36. For ye have f need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promife. 37. For yet a little while and he that fhall come will come, and will not tarry. 38. Now, the juft fhall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my foul shall have no pleasure in him. 39. But we Y 4 e 0 a LUCI 31. P. See on 2 Cor. 5.41. Gal, 3.4 r.. 2 Heb. 6. 4. It is impoffible for those who were once enlightned. е k are 35. Mat. 10. 32. Whofoever therefore fhall confefs me before Men, him will I confefs alfo before my Father which is in Heaven. Mar. 55. 12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your Reward in Heaven. Heb. 11. 6, 26. [God] is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. [Mofes] had re fpe&t unto the Recompence of Remard. I Cor. 4. 9. We are 15 made a Spectacle unto the World, and to Angels, and to Men. a 1. 7. 34. 5.4 Phil. 4. 14. See on Phil. b See on Acts 9. 16. 20 25 g 36. f See on Rom. 12. 12. 37. Luk. 18. 8. † 2 Pet. 3. 9. See on 1 Cor. 7. 29, h Hab. 2. 3. The Vifion is yet for an appointed Time, but at the end it fhall fpeak, and not lie: though it tarry,wait for it,because it will furely come, it will not tarry. 38. Gal. 3. 11. See on Rom. 1. 17. k 29. I. Thef. 5.9. God hath not appointed us to wrath; but to ob tain Salvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift. 2 Thef. 2. 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gofpel' to the obtaining of the Glory of our તે Mat. 19. 21. If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the Poor, and thou halt have Treasure in Heaven.+ Luk. 12.33, †1 Tim. 6. 19. See on Mat, 6. 20. (1) ‡ Or, That ye have in your felves, or, for your felves. Lord are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe, to the faving of the foul. Now CHA P. XI. faith is the substance [Or, ground, or, confi dence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen. 2. For by it the elders obtained a good re port. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are feen were not made of things which do appear. 4. By faith d Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts: and by it he be ing dead, yet fpeaketh [Or, is yet fpoken of]. 5. By faith Enoch was tranflated that he fhould not fee death; and was not found, becaufe God had tranflated him: for before his tranflation he had this teftimony, that he pleafed God. 6. But without faith it is impoffible to please kim: for he that cometh to God, muft believe that 5. 7. See on Joh. 20. 29. from the Ground: Mat. 23.35. 5. Gen. 5. 24. Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him. Wifd. 4. 10. He pleaf4. dt Gen. 4. 4. Abel, he alfo ed God, and was beloved of him: brought of the Firftlings of his fo that living amongst Sinners he Flock, and of the Fat thereof. 15 was tranflated. † Ecclefiafticus 44 And the Lord had refpect unto A- 16. Enoch pleafed the Lord, and bel, and to his Offering. was tranflated, being an Example of Repentance to all Generations. + Ecclefiafticus 49. 14. Upon the Earth was no Man created like E noch; for he was taken from the Earth. Lev. 9 24 There came a Fire out from before the Lord, and confu med upon the Altar the Burnt-of-20 fering, and the Fat: which when the People faw, they fhouted, and fell on their Faces. The like Teftimony of God's acceptance we read of, Judg. 6, 21.25 I King. 18. 38. 1 Chron. 21 26. 2 Chron. 7. 1. 'f + Gen. 4. 10. The Voice of thy Brothers Blood crieth unto me. 6. h Deut. 4. 29. If from thence thou fhalt feek the Lord thy God, thou fhalt find him, if thou feek him with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul. Zech. 8. 21. The Inha bitants of one City fhall go to a nother, * ונן he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him. 7. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not feen as yet, moved with fear, [Or, being wary] prepared an ark to the faving of his houfe; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteoufnefs which is by faith. 8. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he fhould after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. whither he went. 9. By faith he fojourned in the land of promife, as in a ftrange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the fame promife. 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whofe builder and maker is God. 11. Through faith alfo P Sara her felf received ftrength to conceive feed, and was delivered of a child when he was paft age, becaufe fhe judged him faithful who had promifed. 12. Therefore fprang there even of one, and r him as good as dead, n nother, faying, Let us go fpeedily to pray before the Lord, and to feek the Lord of Hofts: I will go alfo. Heb. 7. 25. He is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him. Heb. 10. 22, 35. Let us draw near with a true Heart, in full affurance of Faith. Caft not away therefore your Confidence. 4 Jo kti Pet. 3. 20. When once the Long-fuffering of God waited in the Days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing. Rom. 3. 22. + Rom. 4. 13. Phil, 3. 9. See on Rom. 1. 17. 8. Gen. 12. 1,4. See on A&s 7.3, 4. n' IO. Heb. 12. 22. † Heb. 13. Jo 14. † Rev. 21.,2. 15 7. Gen. 6. 13, 14, 22. God' faid unto Noah, The End of all Flesh is come before me; for the Earth is filled with Violence thro' them: and behold, I will deftroy them with the Earth. Make thee an Ark of Gopher-wood. Thus did Noab; according to all that God commanded him, fo did he. tEcclefiafticus 44. 17. Noah was 20 found perfect and righteous in time of Wrath, therefore was he left as a Remnant unto the Earth, when the Flood came. 2 Pet. 2. 5. [God] fpared not the old World, but fa. ved Noah the eighth Perfon, a Preacher of Righteousness, bringing in the Flood upon the World of the Ungodly. 25 4. 26. † Heb.. 3. 4. all things is God. See on Gal. He that built II. Gen. 17. 19. And God faid, Sara thy Wife fhall bear thee a Son indeed.- + Gen. 21. 2. Sara conceived and bare Abraham Son in his old Age. a at See Luk. I. 36. Behold thy Coufin Elizabeth, fhe hath alfo conceived a Son in her old Age. 12. Gen. 18. 11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well fricken in Age: and it ceafed to be with Sarah after the manner of Women. Rom 4. 19. And being not weak in Faith, he confidered not his own Body new dead, when a b HEB. XI. fo many as the ftars of the sky in multitude, and as the fand which is by the fea-fhore innumerable. 13. Thele all died in [Gr. according to] faith, not having received the promifes, but having "feen them afar of, and were perfwaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they were ftrangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14. For they that fay fuch things, declare plainly that they feek a country. 15. And truly if they had been mindful of that country, from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned: 16. But now they defire wherefore God is for he hath preAbraham when he he that had received a better country, that is, an heavenly: not afhamed to be called their God: pared for them a city. 17. By faith was tried (1) f offered up Ifaac: when he was about an hundred and 3.6. the 16. c + Exod. 3. 6. As 7. See on Mat. 22. 32. Years old, neither the Deadness of 32. Phil. 3. 20. Our Converfati Sara's Womb. st Gen. 22. 17. In Bleffing, I will bless thee, and in Multiplying, I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the Sand which is upon the Sea fhore. Deut. 10, 22. Thy Fathers went down into Egypt with threefcore 10 and ten Perfons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude. Rom 4. 18 Who against Hope, believed in Hope, that he might 15 become the Father of many Nations; according to that which was fpoken, So fhall thy Seed be d on is in Heaven, from whence we 5 look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift. Heb. 13. 14. The Words under Ver. 14. 13 Joh. 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoiced to fee my Day: 20 and he faw it, and was glad. † Ver. 27. af Gen. 23. 4. + Gen. 47. 9. Chron. 29. 15. † Pfal 39. 12.↑ Pfal. 119. 19. Pet. 17.25 Pet. 2. 11. See on 2 Cor. b.. 14. Heb. 13. 14. Here we have no continuing City, but we feek one to come. of and get 17. Gen. 22. 1, 2, 9, 12. It came to pafs after thefe things, that God did tempt Abraham. — And he faid, Take now thy Son, thine only Son Ifaac, whom thou loveft, thee into the Land of Moriah; and offer him there for a Burnt-offering- And they came to the Place which God had told him of, and Abraham buil an Altar there, and laid the Wood in order, and bound Ifaac his Son, and laid him on the Altar upon the Wood. Lay not thy Hand upon the Lad, neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know that thou feareft, God, feeing thou hat not withheld thy Son, thine only Stu from me. 'f Jam. 2, 21. Was not Abra ham our Father juftified by Works, when he had offered Ifaac his Sex 30 upon the Altar ? (1) Abraham having at the Command of God fully determined to Ifaac as a Sacrifice, the Apoftle here fpeaks of it as a thing really done And |