both which are in heaven, and which are on earth ;' which is the sole
foundation of their mutual communion among themselves. Whereas
therefore we have here an association in the communion of men and
angels, and the souls of them that are departed, in a middle state be-
tween them both, we ought to consider always their recapitulation in
Christ, as the cause thereof. And whereas not only were all things so
gathered into one by him, but by him also ' God reconciled all things
unto himself, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven,'
Col. i. 20. God himself is here represented as the supreme sovereign
head of this catholic church, the whole of it being reconciled unto
him.
4. The method which the apostle seems to observe in this descrip-
tion of the church catholic in both the parts of it, is first to express
that part of it which is militant, then that which is triumphant, issuing
the whole in the relation of God and Christ thereunto, as we shall see
in the exposition.
5. That which we must respect as our rule in the exposition of the
whole, is, that the apostle intends a description of that state whereunto
believers are called by the gospel. For it is that alone which he oppo-
seth to the state of the church under the Old Testament. And to
suppose that it is the heavenly future state which he intends, is utterly
to destroy the force of his argument and exhortation. For they are built
solely on the pre-eminence ^of the gospel state, above that under the
law, and not of heaven itself, which none could question.
0. We must -consider then, 1. What believers are said to come unto;
638 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cH. XII.
and, 2. How they do so come unto it, or wherein their coming unto
it doth consist.
First. And, first, we are said to come unto Mount Sion, and unto
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. The two last are
not distinct expressions of divers things, but different names of the
same thing : the city of the living God, namely, the new Jerusalem.
Nor is it necessary that we should appropriate these two expressions
of Mount Sion, and the city of the living God, unto distinct or different
things in the gospel state, but only consider them as different expres-
sions of the same thing. The sum of the whole is, that by the gospel
we are called unto a participation of all the glory which was ascribed or
promised unto the church under those names, in opposition unto what
the people received in and by the law at Mount Sinai.
First. We are said to come Stwv opei, ' to mount Sion.' Sion was
a mount in Jerusalem which had two heads, the one whereof was called
Moriah, whereon the temple was built, whereby it became the seat of
all the solemn worship of God ; and on the other was the palace and
habitation of the kings of the house of David, both of them typical of
Christ, the one in his priestly, the other in his kingly office.
The apostle doth not consider it naturally or materially, but in oppo-
sition to Mount Sinai, where the law was given. So he describeth the
same opposition between the same Sinai and the heavenly Jerusalem,
to the same end, Gal. iv. 25, 26. Where it is apparent, that by Mount
Sion and the heavenly Jerusalem, the same state of the church is in-
tended. And the opposition between these two mounts was eminent.
For, 1. God came down for a season only on Mount Sinai, but in Sion
he is said to dwell, and to make it his habitation for ever. 2. He ap-
peared in terror on Mount Sinai, as we have seen. Sion was in Jeru-
salem, which is ' a vision of peace.' 3. He gave the law on Mount
Sinai ; the gospel went forth from Sion, Isa. ii. 2, 3. 4. He utterly
forsook Sinai and left it under bondage, but Sion is free for ever, Gal.
iv. 5. The people were burdened with the law at Mount Sinai, and
were led with it to Sion, where they waited for deliverance from it, in
the observance of those institutions of divine worship which were typical
and significant thereof.
The Socinian expositor, who affects subtilty and curiosity, affirms
that by Mount Sion either heaven itself, or rather a spiritual mountain,
whose roots are on the earth, and whose top reacheth to heaven, from
whence we may easily enter into heaven itself, is intended ; wherein he
understood nothing himself of what he wrote, for it is not sense nor to
be understood. And the reason he gives, namely, that Sion, in the
Scripture, is more frequently taken for heaven than the church, is so far
from truth, that he cannot give any one instance where it is so taken.
But to know the true reason why the apostle calls the state of believers
under the new testament by the name of Sion, we may consider some
of the things that are spoken of Sion in the Scripture. And I shall
instance in a few only, because they are multiplied throughout the
whole book of God. As. 1. It is the place of God's habitation, where
he dwells for ever, Ps. ix. 11, lxxvi. 2; Joel Hi. 21, &c. 2. It is the
seat of the throne, reign, and kingdom of Christ, Ps. ii. 6; Isa. xxiv.
VER. 22 — 24.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 639
23 ; Micah iv. 7. 3. It is the object of divine promises innumerable,
Ps. lxix. 35 ; Isa. i. 21 ; of Christ himself, Isa. lix. 20. Thence did
the gospel proceed, and the law of Christ come forth, Isa. xl. 9 ; Micah
iv. 2. 5. It was the object of God's especial love, and the place of the
birth of the elect, Ps. lxxxvii. 2, 5. 6. The joy of the whole "earth,
Ps. xlviii. 2. 7. Salvation and all blessings came forth out of Sion,
Ps. xiv. 7, ex. 2, exxviii. 5 ; with sundry other things alike glorious.
Now these things were not spoken of nor accomplished towards that
Mount Sion which was in Jerusalem absolutely, but only as it was
typical of believers under the gospel ; so the meaning of the apostle is,
that by the gospel believers do come to that state wherein they have an
interest in and a right to all the blessed and glorious things that are
spoken in the Scriptures concerning and to Sion. All the privileges
ascribed, all the promises made to it, are theirs. Sion is the place of
God's especial gracious residence, of the throne of Christ in his reign,
the subject of all graces, the object of all promises, as the Scripture
abundantly testifies. This is the first privilege of believers under the
gospel. They come to Mount Sion, that is, they are interested in all
the promises of God recorded in the Scripture, made to Sion ; in all
the love and care of God expressed towards it ; in all the spiritual
glories assigned to it. The things spoken of it were never accomplished
in the earthly Sion, but only typically ; spiritually and in their reality,
they belong to believers under the new testament.
Some look on all those promises and privileges wherewith the Scrip-
ture is replenished with respect to Sion, to be now as things dead and
useless. They esteem it a presumption for any to plead and claim an
interest in them, or to expect the accomplishment of them in or toward
themselves. But this is expressly to contradict the apostle in this
place, who affirms that we are come to mount Sion then, when the
earthly mount Sion was utterly forsaken. All those promises therefore
which were made of old to Sion, do belong to the present church of
believers. These in every condition they may plead with God ; they
have the grace, and shall have the comfort contained in them. There
is the security and assurance of their safety, preservation, and eternal
'oalvation. Thereon depends their final deliverance from all their op-
pressions.
Be their outward condition ever so mean and destitute, be they
afflicted, persecuted, and despised ; yet all the glorious things that are
spoken of Sion are theirs, and accomplished in them in the sight of
God. But the excellent things whereof, under this notion of Sion,
they are made partakers, are innumerable.
Let this be compared with the people's coming to mount Sinai, as
we have before declared it, and the glory of it will be conspicuous.
And believers are to be admonished, 1. To walk worthy of this privi-
lege, as Ps. xv. 2. To be thankful for it. 3. To rejoice in it. 4.
To make it an effectual motive to obedience and perseverance, as it is
here done by the apostle. And,
Obs. I. All pleas about church order, power, rights, and privileges,
are useless, where men are not interested in this Sion state.
Secondly. They are said to come ' unto the city of the living God,'
640 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XII.
' the heavenly Jerusalem.' Both these are the same. So Jerusalem is
called 'the city of God,' Ps. xlvi. 4, xlviii. J, 8, lxxxvii. 3. But in
every place with respect to Sion.
1. They came to /cat iroXet, 'a city.' They received the law in the
wilderness, where they had neither rest nor refuge. But in a city there
is order, defence, and safety, it is the name of a quiet habitation.
2. This was the city tov Qsov, ' of God.' The state of the church
under the new testament is so. As it hath the safety, beauty, and order
of a city, so it is the city of God, the only city which he takes pecu-
liarly to be his own in this world. It is his, 1. On the account of pro-
priety. He framed it, he built it, it is his own ; no creature can lay
claim to it, or to any part of it. And those who usurp on it shall an-
swer to him for their usurpation. 2. On account of inhabitation. It
is God's city ; for he dwells in it, and in it alone, by his gracious pre-
sence. 3. It is under God's rule as its only sovereign. 4. Therein he
disposeth all his children into a spiritual society. So Paul tells the
Ephesians, that by grace they were delivered from being strangers and
foreigners, and made ' fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the house-
hold of God,' Eph. ii. 19. 5. It hath its charter of liberty, with all im-
munities and privileges from God alone. And with respect to these
things, the church is called the city of God.
. 3. The apostle adds a property of God, of great consideration in
this matter. It is the city of the %wvtoq, 'living' God; that is, 1.
Of the true and only God. 2. Of him who is omnipotent, able to keep
and preserve his own city, as having all life, and consequently all power
in himself. 3. Of him who lives eternally, with whom we shall live,
when we shall be here no more.
4. This city of the living God is the 'lepovaaXij/ji eTrovpavuo, ' hea-
venly Jerusalem.' And the apostle herein prefers the privileges of the
gospel, not only above what the people were made partakers of at
Sinai in the wilderness, but also above all that they afterwards enjoyed
in Jerusalem in the land of Canaan. For in the glory and privileges
of that city the Hebrews greatly boasted. But the apostle casts that
city in the state wherein it then was, into the same condition with
mount Sinai in Arabia, that is, under bondage, as indeed then it was,
Gal. iv. 25. And he opposeth thereunto that ' Jerusalem which is
above;' that is, this heavenly Jerusalem. And it is called heavenly, 1.
Because as to all its concerns as a city, it is not of this world. 2. Be-
cause no small part of its inhabitants are already actually instated in
heaven. 3. As to its state on earth, it comes down from heaven, Rev.
xxi. 2, 3 ; that is, hath its original from divine authority and institu-
tion. 4. Because the estate, portion, and inheritance of all its inhabi-
tants lie in heaven. 5. Because the spiritual life of all that belong to
it, and the graces which they act therein, are heavenly. 6. Their
7ro\iT£vina, or ' city conversation,' is in heaven, Phil. iii. 20.
This is the second privilege of the gospel state, wherein all the re-
maining promises of the Old Testament are transferred and made over
to believers. Whatever is spoken of the city of God, or of Jerusalem
that is spiritual, that contains in it the love, or grace, or favour of God,
it is all made theirs ; faith can lav a claim to it all. Believers are so
VEH. 22 — 24.] EFISTLB TO THE HEBREWS, <>M
come to this city, as to be inhabitants, free denizens, possessors of it, to
whom all the rights, privileges, and immunities of it do belong. And
what is spoken of it in the Scripture, is a ground of faith to them, and a
spring of consolation. For they may with confidence make application
of what is so spoken of to themselves in every condition, and they do
so accordingly. And we may yet a little farther represent the glory of
this privilege in the ensuing observations.
1. A city is the only place of rest, peace, safety, and honour, among
men in this world. To all these in the spiritual sense we are brought
by the gospel. Whilst men are under the law they are at Sinai, in a
wilderness where is none of these things. The souls of sinners can
find no place of rest or safety under the law. But we have all these
things by the gospel. Rest in Christ, peace with God, order in the.
communion of faith, safety in divine protection, and honour in our rela-
tion to God in Christ.
2. The greatest and most glorious city which is, or ever was in the
world, is the city of this or that man who hath power or dominion in it.
So spake Nebuchadnezzar of his city, ' Is not this great Babylon that
I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power,
and for the honour of my majesty V Dan. iv. 30. We know what was
the end of him and his city. The gospel church is the city of the living-
God, and it is ten thousand times more glorious to be a citizen thereof,
than of the greatest city in the world. To be a citizen of the city of
God, is to be free, to be honourable, to be safe, to have a certain habi-
tation, and a blessed inheritance.
3. God dwells in the church of believers. The great King inhabit-
eth his own city. Herein is the especial residence of his glory and ma-
jesty. He built it, framed it for himself, and says concerning it, ' Here
will I dwell, and this shall be my habitation for ever.' And it is no
small privilege to dwell with God in his own city. The name of this
city is Jehovah Shammah, ' The Lord is there,' Ezek. xlviii. 35.
4. The privileges of this city of God are heavenly, it is the ' hea-
venly Jerusalem.' Thence it is that the world sees them not, knows
them not, values them not. They are above them, and their glory is
imperceptible to them.
5. All the powers of the world, in conjunction with those of hell,
cannot dispossess believers of their interest and habitation in this hea-
venly city.
G. There is a spiritual order and beauty in the communion of the ca-
tholic church such as becomes the city of the living God, and such
wherein the order framed by the constitutions of men hath no concern-
ment.
And in many other things .we might declare the glory of this privi-
lege. And,
Obs. II. It is our duty well to consider what sort of persons they
ought to be, who are meet to be denizens of this city of God. The
greater number of those who pretend highly to the church and its
privileges, are most unfit for this society. They are citizens of the
world.
Secondly. In the next place the apostle affirms, that believers arc
VOL. IV. t I
042 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XII.
come jiivptacnv ayyeAJv, ' to an innumerable company of angels.' For
having declared that they are come to the city of God, he shows in the
next place, who are the inhabitants of that city beside themselves.
And these he distributes into several sorts, (as we shall see) whereof
the first are 'angels.' We are come to them as our fellow-citizens.
To myriads of angels. Mvpiag, is ' ten thousand,' and when it is used
in the plural number, it signifies { an innumerable company,' as we
here render it. Possibly he hath respect to the angels that attended
the presence of God in the giving of the law, whereof the Psalmist
says, ' The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of
angels ; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place,' Ps.
lxviii. 17; or the account of them given by Daniel, 'Thousand] thou-
sands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him,' Dan. vii. 10, that is, 'an innumerable company.
This access to angels is spiritual. The access of the people to their
ministry in Sinai was corporeal only, nor had they any communion with
them thereby. But ours is spiritual, which needs no local access to it.
We come thereby to them whilst we are on the earth, and they in hea-
ven. We do not so with our prayers, which is the doting superstition
of the church of Rome, utterly destructive of the communion here as-
serted. For although there be a difference and distance between their
persons and ours, as to dignity and power, yet as to this communion
we are equal in it with them, as one of them directly declares, saying to
John, ' Worship me not, I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus,' Rev. xix. 10, xxii. 9. Nothing can
be more groundless, than that fellow-servants should worship one
another. But we have an access to them all ; not to this or that tutelar
angel, but to the whole innumerable company of them. And this we
have, 1. By the recapitulation of them and us in Christ, Eph. i. 10.
They and we are brought into one mystical body, whereof Christ is
head ; one family which is in heaven and earth, called after his name,
Eph. hi. 14, 15. We are brought together into one society. The na-
ture of which effect of infinite wisdom I have elsewhere declared. 2. In
that they and we are constantly engaged in the same worship of Jesus
Christ. Hence they call themselves our fellow-servants. This God
hath given in command to them, as well as to us. For he saith, ' Let
all the angels of God worship him,' ch. i. 6, which they do accordingly,
Rev. v. 11, 12. 3. We have so on the account of the ministry com-
mitted to them for the service of the church, ch. i. 14. See the expo-
sition of that place. 4. In that the fear and dread of their ministry is
now taken from us ; which was so great under the old testament, that
those to whom they appeared, thought they must die immediately.
There is a perfect reconciliation between the church on the earth and
the angels above. The distance and enmity that was between them and
us by reason of sin, is taken away, Col. i. 20. There is a oneness in
design and communion in service between them and us ; as we rejoice in
their happiness and glory, so they seek ours continually; their ascrip-
tion of praise and glory to God, is mingled with the praises of the
church, so as to compose an entire worship, Rev. v. 9 — 12.
Wherefore by Jesus Christ we have a blessed access to this innume-
VEB.S32 — £4] ElPISTLE i<> Till-. HEBREWS* C>[3
rable company of angels : to those who, by reason of our fall from God,
and the first entrance of sin, had no regard to us but to execute the
vengeance of God against us, represented by the cherubim with the
flaming sword (for he maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a
flame of fire) to keep man when he had sinned, out of Eden and from
the tree of life, Gen. iii. 24: to those whose ministry God made use of,
in giving of the law, to fill the people with dread and terror ; they are
now in Christ become one mystical body with the church, and our asso-
ciates in design and service. And this may well be esteemed as an emi-
nent privilege which we receive by the gospel. And if this be so,
then,
Obs. III. The church is the safest society in the world. A kingdom
it is, a city, a family, a house, which the power of hell and the world
can never prevail against. Nor are these boasting words, in whatever
distressed condition it may be in this world, but the faithful sayings of
God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the head of this society, when he was
entering into his sufferings, to manifest that he did it by his own will
and choice, and was not necessitated to it by the power of men, affirms,
that on one request, his Father would send ' more than twelve legions
of angels,' Matt. xxvi. 53. More angels than there were soldiers in the
whole Roman empire, whereof every one could destroy an army in an
hour, as one did that of Sennacherib ; and when all these belong to the
communion of the church, if the least evil be attempted against it, be-
yond or besides the will of God, they are all in readiness to prevent it
and revenge it. They continually watch against Satan and the world,
to keep all the concerns of the church within the bounds and limits of
the divine will and pleasure. They have a charge over all their fellow-
servants in the blessed family, to take care of them in all their ways.
Let us not fear the ruin of the church, whilst there is an innumerable
company of angels belonging to it.
Obs. IV. The church is the most honourable society in the world ;
for all the angels in heaven belong to it. This poor, despicable, perse*
cuted church, consisting for the most part of such as are contemned in
the world, yet are admitted into the society of all the holy angels in hea-
ven, in the worship and service of Christ.
Obs. V. We may hence see the folly of that ' voluntary humility in
worshipping of angels,' which the apostle condemns, and which is openly
practised in the church of Rome. And the apostle placeth the rise of
this superstition in the church, in a voluntary, uncommanded humility.
For therein men debase themselves to the religious worship of those
who would be only their fellow-servants, in case they were real par-
takers of the benefits and privileges of the gospel.
Obs. VI. It is the highest madness for any one to pretend himself to
be the head of the church, as the pope doth, unless he assume also to
himself to be the head of all the angels in heaven ; for they all belong
to the same church with the saints here below. And therefore, where
mention is made of the Headship of Christ, they are expressly placed
in the same subjection to him, Eph. i. 20 — 23.
Thirdly. Another instance of the glory of this state is, that therein
T T 2 .
644 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cH. XII.
believers come Travnyvpei nai fxicAijcrta ttqwtotokiov, ' to the general as-
sembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven.'
Both the words here used, Travny vpig and ticicArjcna, are borrowed
from the customs of those cities, whose government was democratical ;
especially that of Athens, whose speech was the rule of the Greek lan-
guage. TlamiyvpiQ, was the solemn assembly of all persons of all sorts
belonging to the city, where they were entertained with spectacles, sa-
crifices, festival solemnities, and laudatory orations. Aoyog Traviiyvpucog,
is ' a commendatory oration.' Hence is the word used for any great
general assembly, as we. here translate it, with respect to praise and
joy. In these assemblies no business of the state was transacted. But
tKicXrjarta, was ' a meeting of the citizens,' to determine of things and
affairs which had a previous deliberation in the senate. Hence it is ap-
plied to signify that which we call the church ; or bnp, ' the congrega-
tion.' For that is an assembly for all the spiritual ends of the society,
or all that belong to it.
Herein there maybe an allusion to the assemblies of such cities. But
I rather think the apostle hath respect to the great assembly of all the
males of the church of the Old Testament. This was a divine institution
to be observed three times a-year, at the solemn feasts of the church,
Exod. xxxiv. 23; Deut. xvi. 16. And the assembly of them was called
the great congregation, Ps. xxii. 25, xxxv. 18, xl. 9, 10, being the great-
est solemnities, and the most glorious in the whole church, a matter of
triumph to them all. Or it may be, regard is had to the general assem-
bly of the whole people at Sinai, in receiving of the law. But there is
also a great difference between those assemblies and this. For to those
civil and political assemblies, as also that of the church, it was necessary
that there should be a local meeting of all that belonged to them ; but
the assembly and church here intended are spiritual, and so is their
meeting or convention. There never was, nor ever shall be, a local
meeting of them all, till the last day. At present, such as is the nature
of their society, such is their convention, that is, spiritual. But yet all
that belong to the general assembly intended, which is the seat of
praise and joy, are obliged, by virtue of especial institution, whilst they
are in this world, to assemble in particular church-societies, as I have
elsewhere declared. But we shall understand more of the nature of this
assembly and church, when we have considered who they are of whom
it doth consist.
They are ' the first-born which are written in heaven.' Some late
expositors, as Slichtingius, Grotius, and his follower, confine this to