personal obedience, they have found their locks cut, and they have become weak and unstable as water; God for their sins justly with-holding the assistances of his Spirit, they have become a prey to every temptation. 4. What is it that we intend and aim at in our profession and our constancy in it; is it not that therein and thereby we may give glory unto God, and to honour the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel? If this be not our aim, all our religion is in vain? If it be so, we may easily see that without personal universal holiness, we do on many accounts dishonour God, Christ and the gospel, by our profession, be it what it will. Here therefore let us fix our principal diligence that there be no appearance of any failure, lest we should seem to come short of the promise.

Secondly, The other part of our profession consists in our adherence unto a due observance of all gospel-institutions and commands, according to the charge of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mat. xxviii. 20. The necessity hereof depends on the importance of it, the danger of its omission unto our own souls, the dependance of the visible kingdom of Christ in this world upon it, which things may not here be insisted on.

Obs. IX. They who mix not the promises of the gospel with faith, shall utterly come short of entering into the rest of God. -And this the apostle further demonstrates in the next verse which follows.

VER. 2.—Fer unto us was the gospel preached, even as unto them, (we were evangelized even as they); but the word of hearing (the word which they heard) did not profit them, being not mixed with faith in them that heard.

The signification of the original words, as rendered by translators, hath been already considered.

In this verse the apostle confirms the reasonableness of the exhortation drawn from the instance before insisted on. And this he doth on two grounds or principles. First, The parity of condition that was between them of old represented in the example, as to privilege and duty, and those to whom now he wrote in the first words of the verse; " for we were evangelized, even as they." Secondly, The event of that privilege and call to duty which befel them of old, which he would dehort the present Hebrews from; the "word which they heard, profited them not, because," &c.

His first ground must, in the first place, be opened and improved.

Και

Kai yag, etenim. The conjunction of these particles, manifests a relation unto what went before, and the introduction of a new reason for its confirmation. And xa, in this place, is not so much a copulative, as usually it is, as an illative particle. So is it used,

Mark x. 26. nai tis duratai owInva," and who can be saved ?" which we render rightly, "who then can be saved?" for an inference is intended from the former words, expressed by way of interrogation. And the same particle is sometimes causal; not respecting a conjunction with what went before, nor an inference from it, but is introductory of an ensuing reason. See Luke i. 42. and John vi. 54. Here as having yag, for or because, joined unto it, it signifies the induction of a reason for the confirmation of what was spoken before.

του λαού,

to

Εσμεν ευηγγελισμένοι. Ευαγγελίζομαι is of a various construction in the New Testament. It is mostly used in an active sense, and when spoken with respect unto persons, it hath a dative case, signifying them, annexed unto it. Luke iv. 18. svayyshodai πowXois, preach the gospel to the poor." Rom. i. 15. Tois v Paun svayysAicadas, “to preach the gospel to them at Rome"; so frequently. Sometimes it hath the subject of it joined unto it in the accusative case, Acts v. 42. "They ceased not preaching from house to house,” και ευαγγελιζομενοι Ιησουν τον Χριστον, « and preaching Jesus to be the Christ." So also chap. viii. 4. Eph. ii. 17. And sometimes the object is expressed by the same case. EunysherO Ευηγγελίζετο Toy λao," he evangelized the people," preached unto them; So Acts viii. 25. And commonly it is used neutrally or absolutely, to preach the gospel, without the addition either of subject or object. Sometimes it is used passively; and that either absolutely, as 1 Pet. iv. 6. or with the nominative case of those that are the object of it; Mat. xi. 5. #тwɣɑ tvayyihiÇorral, “ the poor are evangelized," or have the gospel preached unto them. And in this sense and construction is it here used. For the nominative case, us, is included in the verb substantive are evangelized," we have the gospel preached unto us. what way or sense soever the word is used, it doth no where denote the receiving of the gospel in the power of it, by them who are evangelized; that is, it includes not the faith of the hearers, but only expresseth the act of preaching, and the outward enjoyment of it. The gospel, and therein the promise of entering into the rest of God, is preached unto us.

εσμεν, we

And in

Kadawię xa'xsivos, "even as they." It is plain from the context who are those whom this relative x'x directs unto; namely the fathers in the wilderness, who were before treated of. Those who had, those who disbelieved, and rejected the promise of God, and came short of entering into his rest. And three things are to be inquired into for the opening of these words.

1. Wherein consists the comparison expressed in the word xxTig," even as."

2. How was the gospel preached unto them.

3. How unto us.

First, The comparison is not between the subject of the preach

ing mentioned, as though they had one gospel preached unto them and we another; as if he had said, we have a gospel preached unto us, as they had one before us. For the gospel is one and the same unto all, and ever was so from the giving out of the first promise. Nor, Secondly, is the comparison between two several ways, modes or manners of preaching the gospel. For if so, the preaching of the gospel to them hath the pre-eminence above the preaching of it unto us; inasmuch as in the comparison it should be made the rule and pattern of ours: "the gospel was preached unto us as unto them." But the preaching of the gospel by the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles, which the Hebrews now enjoyed, (if that be here understood) was far more excellent, as to the manner of it, than that which their forefathers were made. partakers of. The comparison therefore intended, is merely between the persons, THEY and wẸ. As they enjoyed the gospel, so do we; as it was preached to them, so to us.

That it is in a

far more excellent and eminent manner declared unto us, than unto them, he farther declares afterwards; yet, as I shall shew, though this be true, yet probably it is not the sense of this place.

Secondly, It is supposed and granted that the gospel was preached to the people in the wilderness. The apostle doth not here directly assert it, it is not his intention to prove it, it was not the design or subject-matter that he had in hand, nor would the confirmation of it have been subservient to his present purpose. It is our privilege and duty, and not theirs, which he is in the immediate consideration of. But the matter being so indeed, a supposition of it, namely that the gospel was preached to them, was necessary to his purpose. How this was done we must now inquire, and concerning it. observe,

1. That the promise made to Abraham did contain the substance of the gospel. It had in it the covenant of God in Christ, and was the confirmation of it, as our apostle disputes expressly, Gal. iii. 16, 17. He says that the promise to Abraham and his seed, did principally intend CHRIST the promised seed and that therein the covenant was confirmed of God in Christ, And thence it was attended with blessedness and justification in the pardon of sin, Rom. iy. Gal. iii. 14, 15. So that it had in it the substance of the gospel, as hath been proved elsewhere.

2. This covenant or promise made to Abraham, was confirmed and established to his seed, his posterity, as the Scripture every where testifieth. And hereby had they the substance of the gospel communicated to them. Therein were they evangelized.

3. All the typical institutions of the law that were afterwards introduced, had in themselves no other end but to instruct the people in the nature, meaning and manner of the accomplishment of the promise. To this purpose they served until the

time of reformation. They were indeed by the unbelief of some abused to a contrary end. For men cleaving to them as in themselves the means of righteousness, life and salvation, were thereby in their minds diverted from the promise, and the gospel therein contained, Rom. ix. 31, 32. x 3. But this was but an accidental abuse of them, properly and directly they had not other end but that expressed. Nor had the whole law itself, in its Mosaic administration, any other end, but to instruct the people in the nature; meaning and manner of the accomplishment' of the promise, to lead them to the enjoyment' of it, Rom. x. 4. and to compel them to betake themselves to it for life and rest, Gal. iii. 18-20.

4. With the spiritual part of the promise made to Abraham there was mixed or annexed to it a promise of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, Gen: xii. 3, 7. And this, First, That it might instruct him and his seed in the nature of faith, to live in the expectation of that which is not theirs in possession, eb. xi. 8,9. Secondly, That it might be a visible pledge of the love, power and faithfulness ef God in performing and accomplishing the spiritual and invisible part of the promise; or the gospel int sending the blessing and blessed seed to save and deliver from sin and death, and to give rest to the souls of them that do believe, Luke i. 72-74. Thirdly, That it might be a place of rest for the church, wherein it might attend solemnly to the observance of all those institutions of worship which were granted to it, or imposed on it, to direct them to the promise. Hence,

5. The declaration of the promise of entering into Canaan, and the rest of God therein, became in an especial manner, the preaching of the gospel to them, namely, 1. Because it was appointed to be the great visible pledge of the performance of the whole promise or covenant made with Abraham. The land itself, and their possession of it, was sacramental. For 2. It had in itself also a representation of that blessed spiritual rest, which in the accomplishment of the promise was to be asserted. 3. Because by the land of Canaan, and the rest of God therein, not so much the place, country or soil was intended or considered, as the worship of God in his ordinances and institutions therein solemnly to be observed. And by these ordinances, or through faith in the use of them, they were led into a participation of the benefits of the promise of the gospel.

From what hath been spoken it appears how the gospel was preached to the fathers in the wilderness, or how they were evangelized. It is not a typical gospel, as some speak, that the apostle intends, nor yet a mere institution of types, but the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was in the substance of it, proposed to them in the promise, the entering into the land of Canaan, being' the special instance wherein their faith was to be tried.

VOL. IV.

R

Thirdly, We may inquire how the gospel is said to be " preached unto us," which is the thing that is directly asserted. And First, by us, in the first place, the Hebrews of that time were principally intended. But this by due analogy may in the application and use of it, be extended to all others who hear the word. Secondly, The apostle had before declared, that the gospel, in the full, free, open and clear dispensation of it, had been preached to them and confirmed with signs and wonders amongst them, so that no doubt can be made of the gospel's being preached to them. And with respect to this sense and interpretation of the words, were the cautions given, at the entrance, about the terms of comparison which seem to be in them. Notwithstanding this, I do at least doubt whether that were the preaching intended by the apostle. The same declaration of it to them of old, and these present Hebrews their posterity, seems rather to be intended. The words for unto us was the gospel preached, even as unto them," seem to be of this import, that we are no less concerned in the declaration of the gospel made to them, and the promise proposed to them, than they were. Otherwise the apostle would have rather said, The gospel was preached to them, even as to us,' seeing of its preaching to the present Hebrews. there could be no doubt or question; and as we have now often declared, he is pressing on these Hebrews the example of their progenitors. Therein he minds them that they had a promise given to them of entering into the rest of God, which, because of unbelief, they came short of, and perished under his displeasure. Now, whereas they might reply, What is that to us? wherein are we concerned in it? can we reject that promise which doth not belong to us? the apostle seems in these words to obviate or remove that objection. To this purpose he lets them know, that even unto us, that is to themselves, to all the posterity of Abraham in all generations, the gospel was preached in the promise of entering into the rest of God, and may no less be sinned against at any time by unbelief, than it was by them to whom it was at first granted. This sense the words, as was said, seem to require, "To us was the gospel preached, even as unto them;" that is, wherein and when it was preached to them, therein and then it was preached to us also. But it may be said, that these Hebrews could not be concerned in the promise of entering into the land of Canaan, whereof they had been now possessed for so many generations? I answer, they could not be so indeed, had no more been intended in that promise, but merely the possession of that land. But I have shewed before, that the covenant rest of God in Christ was in that promise. Again, it might concern them as much as it did those in the time of David, who were exhorted and pressed, as he manifests out of the psalm, to close with that promise, and to enter into the