of due attention to the scope of the apostle, the argument he had in hand, the circumstances of the people to whom he wrote, and the then present state of God's providence towards them. I shall not trouble the reader with their various conjectures, but evince the mind of the Holy Ghost in them; "If we sin wilfully;" he puts himself among them, as his manner is in comminations, to shew that there is no respect of persons in this matter, but that those who have equally sinned shall be equally punished. (E84) wilfully, say we; that is, obstinately, maliciously; but the word doth not require, nor will scarce bear, that sense; willingly, of choice, without surprisal, compulsion, or fear, is all that the world will justly bear. "After we have received the knowledge of the truth;" there is no question but that by "the truth" the apostle intends the doctrine of the gospel; and the "receiving" of it is, upon conviction of its being truth, to take on us the outward profession of it.

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Hence it is evident what sin is here intended, against which this heavy doom is denounced; a relinquishment and renunciation of the truth of the gospel and its precious promises, with all duties thereunto belonging after we have been convinced of its truth, and avowed its power and excellency; and this willingly; not upon a sudden surprisal and temptation, as Peter denied Christ not on those compulsions and fears which may work a transient dissimulation, without an internal rejection of the gospel, not through darkness, ignorance, making an impression for a season on the minds and reasonings of men; which things, though exccedingly evil and dangerous, may befal them who yet contract not the guilt of this crime; but by choice, of their own accord, from the internal pravity of their own minds, and an evil heart of unbelief departing

from the living God; and it is farther implied, that they do it with the preference of another way of religion, and a resting therein, before the gospel; whereas there were two things which were the foundation of the profession of the gospel; the blood of the covenant, or the blood of the sacrifice of Christ, with the atonement made thereby; and, the dispensation of the Spirit of grace; these they openly renounced, and declared that there was nothing of God in them, see on ver. 29.

§2. The first thing which the apostle chargeth as an aggravation of this sin is, that it cannot be expiated; "there remains no more sacrifice for sin." Words not unlike those of God concerning the house of Eli, 1 Sam. iii, 14. "I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever;" as according to the law, there were certain sins which, from their nature, as murder, adultery, blasphemy, or from the manner of their commission with obstinacy and an high hand, that had no sacrifice allowed for them, but those that were guilty of them were to be cut off from the people of God, and to "die without mercy," ver. 28; so is it with them that thus sin willingly, under the gospel; there is no relief appointed for them, no means for the expiation of their sin; and there is an especial reason of this severity under the gospel, which the apostle hath a principal respect to, viz. that there is now no repetition of sacrifices for sin. That of Christ our High Priest was offered once for all, henceforth he dieth no more, he is offered no more, nor can there be any other sacrifice offered for ever; (en el añoλeitEĴαI) there remains not, there is not in the counsel. purpose, or institution of God any other (via) sacrifice, whereby sin might be expiated, yet left to be offered in this or any other case.

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§3. "But a certain fearful looking for of judgment," when a man under the law had contracted the guilt of any sin, as was indispensably capital in its punish-→ ment, for the legal expiation of which no sacrifice was appointed or allowed; as murder, adultery, blasphemy, &c. he had nothing remaining but a fearful expectation of the execution of the legal entrance against him; and it is evident that in this context the apostle argues from the less to the greater; if it was so, that this was the case of him who so sinned against the law of Moses, how much more must it be so with them who sin against the gospel; whose sin is incomparably greater and the punishment more severe?

There are two things in these words;—the punishment due to the sins of apostates, "judgment," fiery indignation, which devours the adversary; and the certain approach of this judgment, "there remains a fearful expectation;" (oßepa de Tis exdoxn) a kind of fearful expectation; nor is this spoken by way of diminution, but to intimate something that is inexpressible, such as no heart can conceive or tongue express; 1. Pet. iv, 17, 18. "What shall be the end of them who obey not the gospel? Where shall the sinners and ungodly appear?" (Endoxn) expectation, is that frame of mind, with respect to any thing future, good or bad, wherein we are concerned; and is here said to be (oßepa) fearful, tremendous, that which men can neither conflict with, nor avoid; it fills the mind with dread and horror, depriving it of all comfort and relief; if they did set themselves to consider the event of their apostasy, nothing else could befal their minds. I am persuaded it is probable, that God very seldom lets them pass without tormenting fear, and a dread of approaching judgment, in this world, which is a broad entrance into hell; (xpiois) judgment,

a just and righteous sentence denouncing punishment proportionate to their sins and crimes, and punishment itself which ensues thereon, as immediately described; and although respect be had herein principally to the judgment of the great day; yet it is not exclusive of any judgments that are preparatory to it, and pledges of it; as that which was then impending over the apostate Hebrew church.

$4. The punishment and destruction of those sinners is (Tupos hos) a fiery indignation; which words. do not relate to (endoxn) expectation, as (np11) judgment doth; it is not the expectation of fiery indignation, but they refer immediately to (TOMETEα) there remaineth; as there remains an expectation of judgment, so there remains a fiery indignation; and so afterwards (μɛλhovlos) which shall, refers to (Tupos) fire, and not to (λos) indignation; this indignation, or fervor of fire, hath respect to three things;-The holiness of God's nature, from whence originally this judgment proceeds; the righteous act of the will of God; sometimes called his wrath and anger from the effects of it; and the dreadful severity of the judgment in itself, its nature and effects, as in the next words: I doubt not but respect is had to the final judgment, and the eternal destruction of apostates; but yet also it evidently includeth that sore and fiery judgment which God was bringing upon the obstinate and apostate Jews, in the total destruction of them and their church state by fire and sword; which, (as the event proves) might well be called a fiery indignation, or fervor of fire; see Matt. xxiv, 29–31; 2 Pet. iii, 10-12, "fire that shall devour, or eat up adversaries;" the expression is taken from Isaiah xxvi 11, for the fire of thine enemies," is that wherewith they shall be burned.

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§5. (Mexλovlos) “it shall devour," it is (in procinctu) in readiness to come; though future, it is ready to make its entrance, and whatever appearances there are of its turning aside, and men's avoiding it, it will come in its proper season; Heb. ii, 3, the foundation of it is the irreversible decree of God, accompanied with righteousness and the measure which infinite wisdom gave to his patience. This was the unavoidable season that was approaching, when the adversaries had filled up the measure of their sin, and God's providence had saved the elect. (T8 UTEVAVTI8) the adversaries; he doth not say those that believe not, and obey not the gospel, as elsewhere when he treats absolutely of the day of judgment, 2 Thes. i, 8, 9; but intends those who, from a contrary principle, set themselves against the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel; and which is a peculiar description of the unbelieving Jews at that time; they did not only refuse the gospel through unbelief, but were acted by a principle of opposition to it, not only as to themselves, but as to others, 1 Thes. ii, 15, 16, "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 sins alway, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost;" see also Acts xiii, 45; xxii, 22, 23.

What is the effect of this fiery indignation against those adversaries? It shall (EOE) eat them up; fire eats, and as it were, devours, swallows up all combustible matter to which it is applied; it shall "devour" them as to all happiness, all blessedness, all hopes, comforts, and reliefs, but not their being; on their being this fire shall eternally prey, and shall never utterly consume it. And if we apply it to their temporal