duty in them, and a neglect of the same kind of duty in them unto
whom the law was given. The inference from the comparison is ex-
pressed in the conjunctive particles, ei yap, 'for if.' Consider with
yourselves, how it was with them on their disobedience ; ' for if they
escaped not,' &c. For the opening of this verse, we must inquire, 1.
Who it is that spake on earth. 1. How the people did refuse him. 3.
How they did not escape thereon. 4. Who it is that is, or speaks
from heaven. 5. How he may be turned away from. 6. How they'
who do so turn from him shall not escape.

First. Who is, tov eirt ttjc y*]C Xi > ^f xaTl ^° VTa > ' mm that spake on
earth.' Most expositors say it was Moses, and that the opposition is
here made between him and Christ. But all things in the text, and
the circumstances in matter of fact, lie against this exposition. For, 1.
Respect is had unto the giving of the law, which is unquestionable ;
but herein Moses was not 6 xmifiaT&ov, he that spake divine oracles
unto the people, but God himself. 2. The people thereon did not
refuse Moses, but expressly chose him for a mediator between God
and them, promising to hear him, Exod. xx ; Deut. v. 3. Xprj/uart-
%ziv, though it sometimes signifies the answers that are given authori-
tatively by princes ; yet in the Scripture it is applied unto God alone,
though he may use the ministry of angels therein; see ch. xi. ver. 7,
with the Exposition. 4. He who spake on the earth : ' his voice then
shook the earth ;' which was not the voice of Moses.

Some therefore say, that it is an angel that is intended, who delivered
all those oracles on Mount Sinai in the name of God. This pretence I
have at large elsewhere discarded, nor can it be reconciled unto the

v u2



660 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XII.

principles of religion. For if, notwithstanding all the dreadful prepa-
ration that was made for the descent of God on Mount Sinai, and
although it be expressly affirmed that he was there in the midst of the
thousands of his angels, Ps. lxviii. 17, and that he came with ten
thousands of his holy ones to give the fiery law, Deut. xxxiii. 2, and
that in giving the law he lays the whole weight of its authority on the
person of the speaker, saying, ' I am the Lord thy God ;' if all this may
be ascribed unto an angel, then there is one who is an angel by office,
and God by nature, or we are bound to take a created angel to be our
God ; nor can it be pretended that God ever spake himself unto man-
kind, seeing this was the most likely way of his so doing under the Old
Testament.

Wherefore he that then spake on earth, who gave these divine oracles,
was none other but the Son of God himself, or the Divine nature acting
itself in a peculiar manner in the person of the Son ; and unto him all
things do agree. What is purely divine was proper to his person, and
what was of condescension belonged unto him in a way of office, as he
was the angel of the covenant, in whom was the naine of God.

But it will be said, there is an opposition between him that spake on
earth, and him that is from heaven ; now, whereas that was Christ the
Son of God, this cannot be so. I answer, there is indeed no such op-
position. For the opposition expressed is not between the persons
speaking, but between earth and heaven, as the next verse sufficiently
shows. And that verse declares positively, that it was one and the same
person whose voice then shook the earth, and under the gospel shaketh
the heaven also. It is therefore God himself, or the Son of God, who
gave those oracles on Mount Sinai. And it must be inquired,

Secondly. How the people, irapaiTyiGafitvoi, ' refused them.' The
word here used by the apostle is the same with that which, ver, 19, we
render by ' entreated to hear no more ;' that is, deprecated the hearing
of the voice of God. And that intended thereby, was the request of
the people that God would not speak immediately unto them any more
because they could not bear the terror of it. This request of theirs
God expressly approveth of. ' They have well said all that they have
spoken,' Deut. v. 28, 29. Wherefore, although the apostle did plainly
demonstrate hereby the terror of the giving of the law, and the dread of
the people, which was all he aimed at in that place, yet it doth not
appear how they escaped not on that refusal, seeing God approved of
what they said and did.

I answer, 1. That although the word be the same, yet different things
are intended by it. Both that of ver. 19, and this here, agree in the
general nature of a refusal, and so may be expressed by the same word,
but the especial nature of the acts intended is diverse, or- the word beino-
in itself of a middle signification, including neither evil nor good, may
have, as it here hath, a various application. 2. In that former refusal
or entreaty not to hear the voice of God any more, there was this good
which was approved of God; namely, that it expressed that frame of
fear and dread which he designed to bring them unto by giving of the
law. But though their words were so good and so well suited unto
their present condition, yet it discovered a want of that faith and bold-



VER. 25—27.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. G61

ness of children, which were necessary to enable them to abide with
God. With respect hereunto, the apostle might justly date the begin-
ning of their departure from God, and refusal of obedience, which im-
mediately ensued on this discovery that they liked not the presence and
voice of God.

But the people's actual refusal of obedience unto him that gave them
the law, began in that which fell out not long after, namely, in their
making the golden calf while Moses was in the mount, Exod. xxxii,from
which they did not escape ; for besides that three thousand of them on
that occasion were slain by the sword, and God made it a record con-
cerning that sin, ' In the day wherein I visit, I will visit their sin upon
them ; and the Lord plagued the people,' Exod. xxxii. 34, 35. After
this ensued sundry other rebellions of the people, in all which they re-
fused him who spake on earth.

Thirdly. How, ouk t(j>vyov, * did they not escape' hereon, or what
did they not escape ? They did not evade, they could not escape or go
free, but divine wrath and vengeance overtook them. This is so fully
manifested by an induction of instances, 1 Cor. x. 5 — 10, that it needs
no farther illustration. And we may see,

Obs. II. That there is in all sins and disobedience, a rejection of the
authority of God in giving of the law.

Obs. III. No sinner can escape divine vengeance if he be tried and
judged according to the law ; see Ps. cxxx. 2, 3.

Fourthly. Who is it, or how is he to be considered, whom we are
now to hear, not to turn away from ? rioXXai fxaWov r/juac, ' much more
shall not we,' if we turn away from him that is, or speaketh from heaven.
There are two words defective, and only implied in the original. The
first we supply by 'escape:' 'How shall we escape?' and herein all
agree ; the repetition of the sense of that word before used is necessary
unto the comparison, and hath in it the enforcement of the exhortation,
which is taken from the penalty of disobedience. The second is in the
last clause, top an ovpuvtov, ' him from heaven.' This some supply
by XaXovvra, 'speaketh,' as we do; some by ovra, c is,' ' who is from
heaven.' And the defect of the verb substantive is so frequent, that it
is naturally to be supplied when the sense will bear it, as it will do in
this place, as we shall see immediately.

We may observe farther, that the apostle useth another word to ex-
press the refusal of hearing him who is from heaven, namely, (nrooTps-
tyojiivoi, than he did with respect unto them who refused him who
spake on the earth, ' turning away.' ' How much more we turning
away !' that is, if we do so ; and it is more extensive than the other
word, including that infidelity and disobedience which is purely nega-
tive, without any positive refusal or rejection of the word.

These things being premised, it is evident who it is that is here in-
tended, and in what sense he is spoken of. And this is fully declared
b\ himself, John iii. 12, 13, ' If I have told you earthly things, and ye
believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things ? .And
no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from hea-
ven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven.' Add hereunto, ver. 31,
1 He that Cometh from above, is above all ; he thai is of (he earth, is



662 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [dl. XII.

earthly, and speaketh of the earth ; lie that cometh from heaven is above
all ;' see ch. vi. 33, 38. These places treat of the same matter with
that intended in the text ; namely, the revelation of heavenly things, or
the mysteries of the will of God by Jesus Christ. In each place it is
affirmed, that to make this revelation he came from heaven, so that he
was from heaven ; but withal, whilst he did so he was still in heaven,
' the Son of man who is in heaven.' He was so from heaven, in his
descent to declare the will of God,- as that he was in his divine person
still in heaven. Wherefore, as unto the promulgation of the gospel, lie
is said to be from heaven on many accounts. 1. Of his full compre-
hension of all heavenly mysteries : for he came from the bosom of the
Father, and thence declared him, with the mystery that was hid in him
from the foundation of the world, John i. 18; Matt. xi. 21. 2. Of his
infinite condescension in his incarnation and susception of the office of
mediation, to declare the will of God, which in the Scripture is called
most frequently his coming down from heaven ; thereby he was the
Lord from heaven. 3. Of his sovereign heavenly authority in the dis-
charge of his office. God was with him and in him ; the fulness of the
Godhead dwelt in him bodily ; and he had all power in heaven and
earth committed unto him. 4. Of his glorious ascension into heaven
when he had accomplished his work in this world, represented by his
ascent from Mount Sinai, as the apostle declares, Eph. iv. 8 — 10. 5.
Of his sending the Holy Ghost from heaven to confirm his doctrine,
1 Pet. i. 12. 6. Of his opening heaven, and all the treasures of it,
bringing life and immortality to light by the gospel, in comparison
whereof the things of the law are called earthly things. Thus was the
Lord Christ the Son of God from heaven, in the declaration of the gos-
pel ; and,

Fifthly. We must inquire in the next place, what it is to turn away
from him. And sundry tilings are included in this expression.

1. That in the declaration of the gospel by Jesus Christ from hea-
ven, there is a call, an invitation of sinners, to draw nigh, to come unto
him, to be made partakers of the good things contained therein. This
way of the proposal of the gospel was foretold by the prophets, as Isa.
Iv. 1 — 3. So it was constantly insisted on by him, Matt. xi. 28; John
vii. 37, 38, ' Come unto me,' was the life and grace of the gospel. And
what could be more, seeing they were the words of him who was from
heaven, fully possessed of all the bosom counsels of the Father. And
herein it differed sufficiently from the law in the giving of it. For that
was so far from being proposed with an encouraging invitation to come
to God thereby, as that it was only a terrible denunciation of duties and
penalties, which they that heard could not endure, and removed as far
as they could from it. With respect unto this invitation, unbelievers
are said to turn away from him, which is the posture and action of
them that refuse an invitation.

2. There is in it a dislike of the terms of the gospel proposed unto
them. The terms of the gospel are of two sorts. 1. Such as are pro-
posed unto us. 2. Such as thereon are required of us. Those pro-
posed unto us, include the whole mystery of the salvation of sinners by
Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God. Those of the latter



VER. 85 — 27.] EPfSTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 663

sort, are faith, repentance, and new obedience. The only motive unto
those of the latter being the former, they cannot be taken into serious
consideration, until the first are duly pondered. Unless we see that
which is good and excellent in the former terms, we cannot think it
worth while to endeavour after the other. Herein then consists the
beginning of the turning away from Christ, in the preaching of the gos-
pel. Men like not the terms of it. They really account them foolish,
and weak, unbecoming the wisdom of God, and no way answering what
they design in religion. This the apostle declares at large, 1 Cor. i.
17 — 25. And there is no man who, upon the call of Christ, refuseth to
believe and repent, but he doth it on this ground, that there is no such
excellency in the terms of the gospel, no such necessity of a compliance
with them, no such advantage to be obtained by them, as that it is
either his wisdom, or his duty, to believe or repent that he may attain
them. Herein do men turn away from him, that is, from heaven. They
like not the terms of the gospel, whereon he invites them unto himself ;
and therein despise the wisdom, grace, and faithfulness of God, unto
the utmost. This is unbelief.

3. There is in this turning away, a rejection of the authority of
Christ. For besides the matter which he declared and preached, his
personal authority had its peculiar power and efficacy to require obedi-
ence. This the apostle had here an especial respect unto. It was
he that was from heaven, being sealed unto this office thereby, God
commanding all to hear him : he spake in the name of him that sent
him, even in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the
Lord his God ; so as that all authority in heaven and earth was in him,
and present with him. Wherefore a rejection and contempt of this so-
vereign divine authority, is contained in this turning away from him ;
that is, either in not receiving the gospel, or in the relinquishment of
it after it hath been professed. And all these things have an influence
into the, ' How much more,' with respect unto punishment, here in-
sisted on by the apostle. For put these things together, namely, infi-
nite condescension in the declaration of the gospel, by the way of a
gracious encouraging invitation, the glory of the terms proposed therein,
being the highest effect of infinite wisdom and grace, with the divine
authority of him by whom the invitation and proposal are made; and
we need seek no farther, to justify the apostle's ' how much more,' in
the aggravation of the sin of unbelief, as unto guilt and punishment,
above any, above all sins whatever against the law. It is evident on
these considerations, that human nature cannot more highly despise and
provoke God, than by this sin of unbelief. But

4. An obstinacy in the refusal of him, is also included herein. It
is a turning away that is final and incurable.

This therefore is the sin which the apostle thus expresseth, declaring
the equity of its exposing men to greater punishment, or of making
them more obnoxious unto eternal vengeance, than the rejection of the
la,', ; namely, a refusal of the authority of Christ, proposing the terms
of the gospel, and inviting unto the acceptance of them, which is unbe-
lief.

Sixthly. The last thing in the words is the inference and judgment



664 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XII.

that the apostle makes, on a suppositon of this sin and evil in any; and
this is, that they shall not escape. And this he proposeth in a com-
parison with the sin of them that refused the obedience required by the
law, with the event thereof. But the meaning hereof is so fully de-
clared in the exposition of ch. x. 28, 29, as also of ch. ii. 2, 3, where
the same thing is spoken to, as that I shall not here again insist on it.
And we may hence learn,

Obs. IV. That it is the duty of the ministers of the gospel, diligently
and effectually to declare the nature of unbelief, with the heinousness
of its guilt, above all other sins whatsoever. It is here laid in the ba-
lance with the rejection of the law, which contains in it the guilt of all
other sins, and is declared to have a weight of guilt incomparably
above it. 'How much more;' none can justly conceive or express it.
By most it is despised ; they have no sense of it, nor can have, without
a powerful conviction of the Holy Ghost, John xvi. 8, 9. Sins against
the light of nature, or express commands of the law, most men are sen-
sible of; but as to unbelief, and all the consequents of it, they regard
it not. But it is not more the duty of the ministers of the gospel to
declare the nature of faith, and to invite men to Christ in the gospel,
than it is to make known the nature of unbelief, and to evidence the
woeful aggravation of it, Mark xvi. 16.

Obs. V. It is the duty of ministers, to declare the nature of unbe-
lief, not only with respect to them who are open and avowed unbe-
lievers, to convince them of the danger wherein they are, but also to
all professors whatever; and to maintain an especial sense of it on
their own minds and consciences. Thus the apostle placeth himself
among them who ought always to weigh and consider this matter ;
'much more shall not we escape if we turn away.' There is a turning
away after profession, as well as on the first proposal of the gospel.
The nature and danger thereof ought they diligently to press on their
own consciences, and on them that hear them. For this is an ordi-
nance of God for their good. By the declaration of its nature, they
may be helped in the examination of themselves, whether they be in
the faith or not, which they are obliged to, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. And by the
evidence of its danger, from its aggravations, they may be excited con-
tinually to watch against it.

Obs. VI. This is the issue whereunto things are brought between
God and sinners, wherever the gospel is preached, namely, whether
they will hear the Lord Christ, or turn away from him. On this one
point alone depends their eternal safety or misery. If they hear him,
God puts an end to the whole claim of the law against them, on the ac-
count of all other sins : if they refuse so to do, they are left under the
guilt of all their sins against the law, with the unspeakable aggravation
of the contempt of Christ speaking to them from heaven, for their
relief.

Obs. VII. The grace, goodness, and mercy of God, will not be
more illustrious and glorious to all eternity, in the salvation of believers
by Jesus Christ, than his justice, holiness, and severity will be in the
condemnation of unbelievers. Some light may be given hereinto, from
the consideration of what is included in this turning away from Christ,
as was before declared.



VER. 25 — 27.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. f)G5

Ver. 26, 27. — The two next verses contain an illustration of the en-
forcement of the exhortation in the foregoing verse. And it is taken,
1. From the mighty power of the person from whom they would turn
away by unbelief, instanced in what he had done of old. ' Whose voice
then shook the earth.' 2. From the work which by the same mighty
power he would yet effect, as it was foretold by the prophet, ' but now
hath he promised, saying, yet once more,' &c. 3. From the nature
and end of that promised work, which he declares, ver. 27.

1. The thing spoken of, is the voice of the person intended. Ov r)
rjxovt}, 'whose voice,' that is, the voice of him of whom he speaks; the
voice of him who is from heaven, that is, of Jesus Christ the Son of
God, the Author of the gospel, for reference is had to him, who was
last spoken of. Nor is there any other in the context to whom the re-
lative ov, ' whose,' should refer.

1. The voice of Christ absolutely, is his great power in exercise. So
all the mighty effects of Providence are ascribed to the voice of God,
Ps. xxix. 3 — 9. In particular, the declaration and exerting of his
power in giving of the law, is here intended.

2. The time wherein he put forth this mighty power was rort, ' then,'
that is, at the time of the giving of the law ; opposed to what he would
do now.

3. That which is ascribed to it then, is that tcraXsvot rr/v yr\v, ' it
shook the earth.' The great commotion in the creation that was at
mount Sinai, at the giving of the law, which he had before described,
ver. 18 — 21, is intended. In particular, the earth or the mount did
'quake greatly,' or was greatly shaken, Exod. xix. 18. But that alone
is not comprised in this expression ; the whole commotion that was in
all the particulars which we have considered, is comprehended therein.
And the shaking is said to be of the earth, because it was all on the
earth, and of earthly things; part of the earth by a synecdoche.

First. We have here an illustrious evidence given to the divine nature
of Christ. For it is unavoidable, that he whose voice this was, is no
other but he that speaks from heaven in the promulgation of the gospel,
which to deny, is not only far from truth, but from all pretence of mo-
desty. Apparently it was one and the same person who spake from
heaven in the promulgation of the gospel, whose voice shook the earth
in giving of the law, and who promised in the prophet to shake heaven
also. Unless this be granted, there is no sense nor coherence in the
apostle's discourse. The Socinian expositor turns himself to many in-
ventions to evade the force of this testimony. 1. He says that he who
gave the law and then shook the earth, was a created angel. This pre-
sumption we have elsewhere discarded. But no place is more effectual
to that purpose than this text itself is. For he whose voice then shook
the earth, is the same, as the apostle affirms, with him who in the pro-
phet promiseth to shake the heaven also, which is God, and not any
creature- 2. He says there is a difference between God sending an
angel from heaven to give the law, and his sending Christ to declare
the gospel ; so as that he may be said to do the one from heaven, the
Other on the earth. For Christ did always declare himself one diverse
from God, and only the legate of God ; but the angel that came from



666 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XII.

heaven bare the person and name of God, and spake as if he were God
himself. But, First. This plainly casts the advantage of honour and
glory on the side of giving the law, above that of the promulgation of
the gospel. For he who bears the person and name of God, and speaks
as if he were God, must needs be more honourable than he who could
do no such thing, but professed himself one diverse from God ; and so
Slichtingius hath fairly confuted the apostle, if you will believe him.
Secondly. The Lord Christ did always profess himself and bear him-
self as one distinct from the person of the Father ; but that he did so
as one diverse from God, as one that was not God, is most false. See
John viii. 58, x. 33, &c. And in like manner in his following discourse
he doth plainly confess, that Christ was inferior in glory to the angel
that gave the law, and is only preferred above Moses, if he be spoken
of at all. But this is to wrest and pervert, and not interpret the
Scriptures.

Secondly. The apostle adds another demonstration of the great
power of Christ, in what he hath now promised to do ; ' But now he
hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but
also heaven.' The words are taken from Haggai, ch. ii. 6, 7. But the
apostle quotes only part of the words there recorded, which were suffi-
cient to his purpose. The whole passage in the prophet I have at large
explained, opened, and vindicated from the exceptions of the Jews, in
the thirteenth Exercitation of the first volume of this work. I shall
therefore here speak to them only so far as the argument of the apostle
is concerned in them.

First. There is in the words the notes of an opposition to what was
spoken before as to time ; vvv Be, ' but now,' And this ' now,' is not to
be referred to the time of the promise, ' he hath now promised,' but it
denotes the time when that which was promised in the days of Haggai
was to be accomplished. Then, or of old, he shook the earth ; but
'now' he will shake heaven also, according to the promise.

Secondly. The prophet affirming that he would shake the heaven
and the earth ; the apostle, in an accommodation to his present purpose,
expresseth by ov fiovov rrjv y»jv, ' not only the earth,' namely, as of old,
'but the heavens also.' Wherefore in this new shaking, a shaking of
the earth also is comprised.

Thirdly. The principal inquiry is, what is the shaking of the heavens
and earth intended, and at what season it was to be done. And for the