in that place, 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, now mentioned ; but it confines them
unto those that are adversaries, who from a contrary principle set them-
selves against the Lord Christ and the gospel. This is the peculiar
description of the unbelieving Jews at that time : they did not only re-
fuse the gospel through unbelief, but were actuated by a principle of
opposition thereunto ; not only as unto themselves, but as unto others,
even the whole world : so is their state described, 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16,
v Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have
persecuted us, and they please not God, and are contrary unto all men,
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill
up their sin alway, for the wrath is come upon them unto the utter-
most.' They laid the foundation of this enmity in killing the Lord
Jesus, but they rested not therein, they continued in their unbelief,
adhering to their old Judaism, and their sins therein. Nor did they
rest there, but persecuted the apostles, drove them out from amongst
them, and all that preached the gospel ; and this not only with respect
unto themselves alone, and those of their own nation, but they set them-
selves with fury all the world over, against the preaching of the gospel
unto the Gentiles, and that of cursed malice, that they might not be
saved. See instances of this rage, Acts xiii. 45, xxii. 22, 23. They
were properly the adversaries whom the apostle intends, and therefore
the judgment, which was peculiar unto them and their sins, in that fear-
ful temporal destruction which did then approach, is intended herein, as
well as the equity of the sentence is extended to the general destruc-
tion of all unbelievers at the last day.
Obs. XII. The highest aggravations for the greatest sins, is, when
men out of a contrary principle of superstition and error, do set them-
selves maliciously to oppose the doctrine and truth of the gospel, with
respect unto themselves and others.
Obs. XIII. There is a time when God will make demonstrations of
his wrath and displeasure, against all such adversaries of the gospel, as
shall be pledges of his eternal indignation. He will one day deal so
with the antichristian persecuting world.
4. What is the effect of this fiery indignation against those adversa-
ries? It shall eat them up, or devour them, saSistv. The expression is
metaphorical, taken from the nature and efficacious operation of fire ; it
310 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. X.
eats, devours, swallows up, and consumes all combustible matter that is
applied to, or is put into it. That intended, is destruction inevitable,
unavoidable, and terrible in the manner of it. See Mai. iv. 1, whence
those expressions are taken. Only the similitude is not to be extended
beyond the proper intention of it ; for fire doth so consume and devour
what is put into it, as that it destroys the substance and being thereof,
that it shall be no more : it is not so with the fiery indignation that
shall consume or devour the adversaries at the last day ; it shall devour
them as to all happiness, all blessedness, all hopes, comforts, and relief,
at once ; but it shall not at once utterly consume their being. This is
that which this fire shall eternally prey upon, and never utterly con-
sume. But if we make the application of it unto the temporal destruc-
tion that came upon them, the similitude holds throughout, for it utterly
consumed them, and devoured them, and all that belonged unto them
in this world ; they were devoured by it.
Obs. XIV. The dread and terror of God's final judgments against the
enemies of the gospel, is in itself inconceivable, and only shadowed out
by things of the greatest dread and terror in the world. Whence it is
so, I shall now declare.
Ver. 28, 29. — A^feTi}(Tag Tig vofiov Mwaawcj X W P'£ oiKTipficov eiri
Svcriv Y) rpiai fiapTvaiv a.Tro%vr\GKU. Tloao), Soicarf, ^eipovog a^ihi-
%r}
Tijg Sta3r]ic?]c koivov i)yr\(jajxi.vog tv w i]yia
\apiTog evvfipiaag.
Ver. 28, 29. — He that despised Moses 1 laiv died without mercy,
under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, where-
zvith he ivas sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of grace ?
The apostle confirms what he had spoken of the sore and certain
destruction of apostates from the gospel, by an argument a comparatis,
and a minori ad majus ; that is, by the consideration of the two states
of the church, which he had all along compared and expressed.
Wherefore, to convince the Hebrews, not only of the certainty and
severity of the judgment declared, but also of the equity and righteous-
ness of it, he proposeth unto them the consideration of God's constitu-
tion of punishment under the Old Testament, with respect unto the law
of Moses, which they could not deny to be just and equal
In ver. 28, he lays down the matter of fact as it was stated under
the law; wherein there are three things. 1. The sin whereunto that
of apostasy from the gospel is compared ; ' he that despised Moses'
law.' 2. The punishment of that sin according to the law ; he that
was guilty of it ' died without mercy.' 3. The way whereby according
unto the law his sin was to be charged on him ; it was ' under two or
three witnesses.'
First. Unto the first, two things did concur.
1. It was such a sin as by the law was capital; as murder, adultery,
VER. 28, 29.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 311
incest, idolatry, blasphemy, and some others. Concerning them it was
provided in the law, that those who were guilty of them should be put
to death. God alone by virtue of his sovereignty, could dispense with
the execution of this sentence of the law, as he did in the case of David,
2 Sam. xii. 13 ; but as unto the people, they were prohibited on any
account to dispense with it, or forbear the execution of it, Num. xxxv.
31.
2. It was required that he did it presumptuously, or with a high
hand, Exod. xxi. 14; Num. xv. 30, 31 ; Deut. xvii. \2.
He that was thus guilty of sin, in sinning is said to despise Moses'
law, aSerriaag, aOereiv, to abolish it, to render it useless, that is, in him-
self, by contempt of the authority of it, or the authority of God in it.
And it is called a contempt, and abolishing of the law, as the word
signifies,
1st. Because of God's indulgence unto them therein. For although
the general sentence of the law was a curse, wherein death was con-
tained against every transgression thereof, Deut. xxix., yet God had
ordained and appointed, that for all their sins of ignorance, infirmity,
or surprisal by temptations, an atonement should be made by sacrifice,
whereon the guilty were freed as unto the terms of the covenant, and
restored to a right unto all the promises of it. Wherein they would not
abide in those terms and conditions of the covenant, but transgress the
bounds annexed to them, it was a contempt of the whole law, with the
wisdom, goodness, and authority of God therein.
2dly. They rejected all the promises of it which were given exclu-
sively unto such sins, nor was there any way appointed of God for their
recovery unto an interest in them. Hereby they made themselves law-
less persons, contemning the threatenings, and despising the promises of
the law, which God would not bear in any of them, Deut. xxix. 18 — 21.
Obs. I. It is the contempt of God and his authority in his law, that
is the gall and poison of sin. — This may be said in some measure of all
voluntary sins, and the more there is of it in any sin, the greater is
their guilt, and the higher is their aggravation who have contracted it.
But there is a degree hereof which God will not bear with; namely,
when this presumptuous contempt hath such an influence into any sin,
as that no ignorance, no infirmity, no special temptation can be pleaded,
unto the extenuation of it. ' I obtained mercy because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief.' And sundry things are required hereunto. 1.
That it be known unto the sinner, both in point of right and fact, to be
such a sin as whereunto the penalty of death without dispensation was
annexed. 2. That therefore the sense of God in the law be suggested
unto the soul, in and by the ordinary means of it. 3. That the resolu-
tion of continuing in it, and the perpetration of it, doth prevail against
all convictions and fear of punishment. 4. That motives unto the con-
trary, with reluctancies of conscience, be stifled or overcome. These
things rendered a sinner presumptuous, or caused him to sin with a high
hand under the law ; whereunto the apostle adds in the next verse, the
peculiar aggravations of sin against the gospel. This it is to despise
the law of Moses, as it is explained, Num. xv. 30, 31.
Secondly. The punishment of this sin, or of him that was guilty of
it, was, that airotivwKu, ' he died without mercy.' He died, that is, he
312 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. X.
was put to death, not always it may be de facto ; but such was the con-
stitution of the law, he was to be put to death without mercy. There
were several ways of inflicting capital punishments appointed by the
law, as hanging on a tree, burning, and stoning. Of all which, and the
application of them unto particular cases, I have given a description in
the exercitations unto the first volume of these commentaries. And it
is said, that he died % w j°'C oiktiq/uhov, ' without mercy/ not only because
there was no allowance for any such mercy as should save and deliver
him, but God had expressly forbidden that either mercy or compassion
should be shown in such cases, Deut. xiii. 6 — 9, xix. 13.
This is expressly added unto the highest instance of despising the
law ; namely, the decalogue in the foundation of it, whereon all other
precepts of the law were built ; and that which comprised a total apos-
tasy from the whole law. Wherefore, I doubt not but the apostle had
an especial respect unto that sin in its punishment, which had a com-
plete parallel with that whose heinousness he would represent. How-
ever,
Obs. II. When the God of mercies will have men show no mercy,
as in the temporal punishment ; he can and will, upon repentance show
mercy as to eternal punishment. — For we dare not condemn all unto
hell, whom the law condemned as unto temporal punishment.
Thirdly. The way of execution of this judgment : it was not to be
done without, bttl cWiv rj Tpiai fiaprvatv, 'two or three witnesses,' that
is, that were so of the fact and crime. The law is express in this case,
Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15 ; Num. xxxv. 30. Although God was very severe
in the prescription of these judgments, yet he would give no advantage
thereby unto wicked and malicious persons, to take away the lives of
innocent men. He rather chose that those who were guilty should,
through our weakness, go free for want of evidence against them, than
that innocence should be exposed unto the malice of one single testi-
mony or witness. And such abhorrence God had of false witnesses in
criminal causes, as that which is most contrary unto his righteousness
in the government of the world, as that he established a lex talionis in
this case alone ; that a false witness should suffer the utmost of what
he thought and contrived to bring on one another. The equity of
which law is still continued in force, as suitable to the law of nature,
and ought to be more observed than it is, Deut. xix. 16 — 21.
On this proposition of the state of things under the law by God's
appointment as to sin and punishment, the apostle makes his inference
unto the certainty and equity of the punishment he had declared with
respect unto sins against the gospel, ver. 29, ttogq \eipovog a^HodiiasTai,
&c, ' Of how much sorer punishment,' &c. And there is in these words
three things : 1. The nature of the sin unto which the punishment is
annexed. 2. The punishment itself expressed comparatively with and
unto that of the transgression of Moses' law. 3. The evidence of the
inference which he makes ; for this is such as he refers it unto them-
selves to judge upon, ' Suppose ye shall be thought worthy ?'
The sin itself is described by a threefold aggravation of it, each in-
stance having its especial aggravation: 1. From' the object sinned
against. 2. From the act of the minds of men in sinning against it.
VER. 28, 29.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 313
1. The first aggravation of the sin intended is from the object of it
the person of Christ the Son of God ; and that included in it, is the
act of their minds towards him, ' they trod, or trampled upon him.'
2. The second against the office of Christ, especially his sacerdotal
office, and the sacrifice of his blood which he offered therein, ' the
blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified;' and the aggrava-
tion included therein from the act of their minds towards it, ' that they
accounted it an unholy thing.'
3. A third aggravation as unto the object, is the Spirit of Christ, or
the Spirit of grace ; and the aggravation included therein is, ' that they
do despite unto him.'
In general, the nature and aggravation of the sin intended, may be
reduced unto these heads,
1. The object of it, which is the sum and substance, a divine con-
stellation of all the blessed effects of infinite wisdom, goodness, and
grace, yea the whole divine wisdom, goodness, and grace of God, in
the most glorious manifestation of them. All these things are com-
prised in the person, office, and glory of the Son of God, as the Saviour
and Redeemer of the church.
2. The actings of the minds of men towards this object, which is in
and by all the vilest affections that human nature is capable of. Con-
tempt, scorn, and malice, are ascribed unto such sins : Kara-rraTrj^ag,
1 they trample on, they despise, and do despite.' Wherefore, if it be
possible that any thing, any sins of men, can provoke the heat of divine
indignation; if any can contract such a guilt, as that the holiness,
righteousness, truth, and faithfulness of God, shall be engaged unto its
eternal punishment, the sin here intended must do it. We shall there-
fore consider it in its nature, and distinct aggravations,
First. The sin in general is, that which we have spoken to before,
namely, sinning wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, and is an absolute total relinquishment and rejection of the gospel.
First. In tlTe description of the special object of this sin, that which
is first expressed is the person of Christ, the Son -of God. I have on
sundry occasions before shown, how the apostle doth vary in his ex-
pression of Christ : here he calls him, tov vlov tov Qsov, ' the Son of
God,' and he maketh use of this name to give a sense of the glorious
greatness of the person with whom they had to do, against whom this
sin was committed. For although he were a man also, who had blood
to shed, and did shed it in the sacrifice of himself; and notwithstanding
what cursed blasphemous thoughts they might have of him, yet indeed
he is, and will appear to be, the eternal Son of the living God.
But how comes this Son of God to be concerned herein ? What
injury is done him by apostates from the gospel ? I answer, that as the
Lord Christ in his own person was the special author of the gospel ;
as his authority is the special object of our faith in it ; as his office,
with all the fruits of it, is the subject, sum, and substance of the gospel;
so there is no reception of it in a due manner unto salvation, no rejec-
tion of it unto final condemnation, but what is all of it originally,
fundamentally, and virtually contained in the reception, or rejection of
the person of Christ. This is the life, the soul, and foundation of all
314 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. X.
gospel truth, without which it is of no power or efficacy unto the souls
of men. But I have treated at large of these things elsewhere. I
cannot but observe, that, as whosoever rejects, refuses, forsakes the
gospel, rejecteth and forsaketh the person of Christ, so on what account
soever men take up the profession of it, and perform the duties of it,
if the foundation be not laid in a reception of Christ himself, of the
person of Christ, all their profession will be in vain. This is the first
aggravation of this sin : it is committed immediately against the person
of the Son of God, and therein his authority, goodness, and love.
But it may be thought, if the person of Christ be concerned herein,
yet it is indirectly or consequentially only, and in some small degree.
No, saith the apostle : but he that is guilty of this sin, doth trample on
the Son of God, or tread him under foot, KarcnrctTriaaQ. The word is
rendered with great variety, but that of our translation is proper, and
it is the highest expression of scorn, contempt, and malice amongst
men. To 'tread under foot,' is to despise and insult over, as is plain in
the metaphor. And this contempt respects both the person of Christ
and his authority. He is proposed in the gospel, was professed by this
sort of sinners for a while to be the Son of God, the true Messiah, the
Saviour of the world. Hereon faith in him, and all holy reverence
unto him, are required of us, as on him whom God had exalted above
principalities and powers, and whom therefore we ought to exalt and
adore in our souls. But now by this sort of persons he was esteemed an
evil-doer, a seducer, one not at all sent of God, but one that justly
suffered for his crimes. Herein they trod under foot the Son of God,
with all contempt and scorn.
Again, it respects his authority. This the gospel declared, and those
who had made any profession of it, as all must have done who contract
the guilt of apostasy, did avow and submit themselves unto. The pro-
fession they made, was to observe and do all that he had commanded
them, because all power was given unto him in heaven and earth. This
they now utterly rejected and despised, as unto the outward observance
of his commands, ordinances, and institutions of divine worship ; they
openly rejected them, betaking themselves unto other modes and rites
of divine service, in opposition and contradiction to them, even those of
the law. Neither did they retain any regard in their minds unto his
authority.
Obs. III. Though there may be sometimes an appearance of great
severity in God's judgments against sinners, yet when the nature of
their sins, and the aggravation of them, shall be discovered, they will
be manifest to have been righteous and within due measure.
Obs. IV. We ought to take heed of every neglect of the person of
Christ, or of his authority, lest we enter into some degree or other of
the guilt of this great offence.
Obs. V. The sins of men can really reach neither the person nor au-
thority of Christ ; they only do that in desire which, in effect, they can-
not accomplish. This doth not take off or extenuate their sin, the
guilt of it is no less than if they did actually trample upon the Son of
God.
Secondly. The second aggravation of the sin spoken of is its oppo-
VER. 28, 21).] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 315
sition to the office of Christ, especially his priestly office, and the sa-
crifice that he offered thereby, called here to alfxa rrjc cuu^jkjjc, ' the
blood of the covenant.' And that included in it is the frame of their
minds in that opposition, koivov r\yr}
thing ;' both which have a third aggravation from the use and efficacy
of that blood, tv <>} vyiaaSri, ' it is that wherein he was sanctified.'
For the first. In what sense the blood of Christ was the blood of the
covenant, hath been fully declared on ch. ix. That whereby the new
covenant was ratified, confirmed, and made effectual as unto all the
grace of it, unto them that do believe ; and it was the foundation of all
the following actings of God towards him in his exaltation and of his
intercession ; see ch. xiii. 20. The blood of the covenant was the great
expression of the grace of God and of the love of Christ himself, as
well as the cause of all good unto us ; the centre of divine wisdom in all
the mediatory actings of Christ, the life and soul of the gospel. Of
this blood of the covenant it is said, that they who are guilty of the sin
intended, accounted it an unholy thing, they judged it so, and dealt
with it accordingly. Both the judgment of the mind and practice
thereupon are intended.
Koivov is 'common,' and opposed unto any thing that is dedicated
and consecrated unto God, and made sacred. Hence it is used for pro-
fane and unholy, that which no way belongs unto divine worship. They
did no longer esteem it as that blood wherewith the new covenant was
sealed, confirmed, established, but as the blood of an ordinary man shed
for his crimes, which is common and unholy, not sacred ; not of so
much use unto the glory of God as the blood of bulls and beasts in le-
gal sacrifices, which is the height of impiety. And there are many de-
grees of this sin, some doctrinal, some practical ; which, though they
arise 1 not unto the degree here intended, yet are they perilous unto the
souls of men. Those by whom the efficacy of his blood unto the ex-
piation of sin, by making satisfaction and atonement, is denied, as it
is by the Socinians, will never be able to free themselves from making
this blood, in some sense, a common thing. Yea, the contempt which
hath been cast on the blood of Christ by that sort of men, will not be
expiated with any other sacrifices for ever. Others do manifest what
slight thoughts they have of it, in that they place the whole of their
religion within themselves, and value their own light as unto spiritual
advantages above the blood of Christ. And practically there are but
few who trust unto it for their justification, for pardon, righteousness,
and acceptance with God ; which is in a great measure to account it a
common thing, not absolutely, but in comparison of that life, excel-
lency, and efficacy, that is in it indeed. But as Christ is precious unto
them that believe, 1 Pet. ii. 7, so is his blood also wherewith they are
redeemed, 1 Pet. i. 19.
Obs. VI. Every thing that takes off from a high and glorious esteem
of the blood of Christ, as the blood of the covenant, is a dangerous
entrance into apostasy. Such is the pretended sacrifice of the mass,
with all things of the like nature.
The last aggravation of this sin, with respect unto the blood of Christ,
is the nature, use, and efficacy of it : it is tv <{> nyiaoSr], ' that where-
316 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. X.
with he was sanctified.' It is not real or internal sanctiflcation that is
here intended, but it is a separation and dedication unto God, in which
sense the word is often used. And all the disputes concerning the total
and final apostasy from the faith, of them who have been really and
internally sanctified from this place, are altogether vain ; though that
which a man professeth concerning himself, may be said of him in ag-
gravation of his sin. But the difficulty of this text is, concerning whom
these words are spoken ; for they may be referred unto the person that
is guilty of the sin insisted on. He counts the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he himself was sanctified, an unholy thing. For as at the
giving of the law, or the establishing of the covenant at Sinai, the peo-
ple being sprinkled with the blood of the beasts that were offered in sa-
crifice, were sanctified or dedicated unto God in a peculiar manner ; so
those who, by baptism and confession of faith in the church of Christ,
were separated from all others, were peculiarly dedicated to God thereby.
And therefore, in this case, apostates are said to deny the Lord that
bought them, or vindicated them from their slavery unto the law by his
word and truth for a season, 2 Pet. ii. 1. But the design of the apostle
in the context leads plainly to another application of these words. It
is Christ himself that is spoken of, who was sanctified and dedicated
unto God, to be an eternal high priest, by the blood of the covenant
which he offered unto God, as I have shown before. The priests of
old were dedicated and sanctified unto their office by another person,
and by the sacrifices which he offered for them ; they could not sanctify
themselves ; so were Aaron and his sons sanctified by Moses, antece-
dently unto their offering any sacrifice themselves. But no outward act
of men or angels could unto this purpose pass on the Son of God. He
was to be the priest himself, the sacrificer himself, to dedicate, conse-