2 priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as was also * Moses in all his 3 house. For this person was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he that hath builded it hath 4 more honour than the house. Now every house is built 5 by some one; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of the things, which were to be afterwards 6 spoken: But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the 7 glorying of hope, firm to the end. Wherefore, (as the Holy Ghost saith,) + To-day, if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the 9 day of temptation in the wilderness, Where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Therefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They always err in their hearts, and they have not known 11 my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter *Numb. xii. 7. + Ps. xcv. 7, &c. + Exod. xvii. 7. pleads the cause of God with us; and high-priest-Who pleads our cause with God. Both are 'contained in the one word Mediator. He compares Christ, as an apostle, with Moses; as a priest, with Aaron. Both these offices, which Moses and Aaron severally bore, he bears together, and far more eminently: of our profession-The religion we profess. V. 2. His house-The church of Israel, then the peculiar family of God. V. 3. He that hath builded it hath more glory than the house-Than the family itself, or any member of it. V. 4. Now Christ, he that built not only this house, but all things, is God— And so infinitely greater than Moses or any creature. V. 5. And Moses verily Another proof of the pre-eminence of Christ above Moses; was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of the things which were afterwards to be spoken-That is, which was a full confirmation of the things which he afterwards spake concerning Christ. V. 6. But Christ was faithful as a Son, whose house we are, while we hold fast, and shall be unto the end, if we hold fast our confidence in God, and glorying in his promises, our faith and hope. V.7. Wherefore-Seeing he is faithful, be not ye unfaithful. V. 8. As in the provocation-When Israel provoked me by their strife and murmurings; in the day of temptation-When, at the same time, they tempted me, by distrusting my power and goodness. V. 9. Where your fathers That hard-hearted and stiff-necked generation. So little cause had their descendants to glory in them: tempted me-Whether I could and would help them: proved me-Put my patience to the proof, even while they saw my glorious works, both of judgment and mercy, and that for forty years. V. 10. Wherefore-To speak after the manner of men: I was grieved Displeased, offended, with that generation: and said, They always err in their hearts-They are led astray by their stubborn will and vile affections. AndFor this reason, because wickedness has blinded their understanding: they have not known my ways-By which I would have led them like a fock: inte my rest-In the promised land. 12 into my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the 13 living God: But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the 14 deceitfulness of sin: (For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the 15 end.) While it is said, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, 16 harden not your hearts as in the provocation. For who, when they had heard, provoked God? Were they not 17 all that came out of Egypt by Moses? And with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them who had sinned? Whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he, that they should not enter into 19 his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see, they IV. could not enter in, because of unbelief. 1. Let us, therefore, fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should altogether come short of it. 2 For unto us have the good tidings been declared, as well as unto them; but the word heard did not profit them, 3 not being mixt with faith in those that heard it. For we that have believed, do enter into the rest; as he said, V. 12. Take heed, lest there be in any of you-As there was in them: an evil heart of unbelief-Unbelief is the parent of all evil, and the very essence of unbelief lies, in departing from God, as the living God-The fountain of all our life, holiness, happiness. V. 13. But To prevent it, exhort one another, while it is called to-dayThis to-day will not last for ever. The day of life will end soon, and perhaps the day of grace yet sooner. V. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ-And we shall still partake of him, and all his benefits, if we hold fast our faith unto the end. If-But not else: and a supposition made by the Holy Ghost, is equal to the strongest assertion. Both the sentiment and the manner of expression, are the same as ver. 6. V. 16. Were they not all that came out of Egypt-An awful consideration! The whole elect people of God, (a very few excepted,) provoked God presently after their great deliverance; continued to grieve his Spirit for forty years; and perished in their sin! V. 19. So we see, they could not enter in―Though afterward they desired it. CHAP. IV. Ver..2. But the word-Which they heard, did not profit themSo far from it, that it increased their damnation. It is, then, only when it is mixed with faith, that it exerts its saving power. V. 3. For we only that have believed, enter into the rest-The proposition is, there remains a rest for us. This is proved, ver. 3-11, thus: that Psalm mentions a rest: yet it does not mean, 1. God's rest from creating; for this was long before the time of Moses. Therefore in his time another rest was expected, of which they who then heard fell short. Nor is it, 2. The rest which Israel obtained through Joshua: for the Psalmist wrote after him. Therefore it is, 3. The eternal rest in heaven. As he said-Clearly shewing, that there is a farther rest than that which followed the finishing of the creation: though the works were finished-Before: whence, it is plain, God did not speak of resting from them. I have sworn in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest, though the works were finished from the foundation 4 of the world. For he said thus, in a certain place, of the seventh day,* And God rested on the seventh day from 5 all his works: And in this again, They shall not enter 6 into my rest. Seeing then it remaineth that some enter into it, and they to whom the good tidings were declared 7 before, entered not in because of unbelief. He again, after so long a time, fixeth a certain day, saying by David, To-day; as it was said before, To-day, if ye will hear his 8 voice, harden not your hearts. For if Joshua had given them the rest, he would not have afterward spoken of 9 another day: There remaineth therefore a rest for the 10 people of God. For he that hath entered into his rest, hath himself also ceased from his works, as God did from 11 his. Let us labour, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any one should fall, after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder both of the soul and spirit, both of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions 13 of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. * Gen. ii. 2. V. 4. For-Long after he had rested from his works-He speaks again. V.7. After so long a time—It was above four hundred years from the time of Moses and Joshua to David: as it was said before-St. Paul here refers to the text he had just cited. V. s. The rest-All the rest which God had promised. ' V. 9. Therefore-Since he still speaks of another day, there must remain a farther, even an eternal rest for the people of God. V. 10. For they do not yet so rest. Therefore a fuller rest remains for them. V. 11. Lest any should fall-Into perdition. V. 12. For the word of God-Preached, ver. 2, and armed with threatnings, ver. 3, is living and powerful-Attended with the power of the living God, and conveying either life or death to the hearers; sharper than any two-edged sword-Penetrating the heart more than this does the body: piercing-Quite through, and laying open, the soul and spirits, joints and marrow-The inmost recesses of the mind, which the apostle beautifully and strongly expresses by this heap of figurative words: and is a discerner-Not only of the thoughtsBut also of the intentions. V. 13. In his sight-It is God, whose word is thus powerful; it is God, in whose sight every creature is manifest, and of this his word, working on the conscience, gives the fullest conviction: but all things are naked and openedPlainly alluding to the sacrifices under the law, which were first flayed, and then, (as the Greek word literally means,) cleft asunder through the neck and back-bone; so that every thing, both without and within, was exposed to open view. 14 Having, therefore, a great high-priest, that is passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold 15 fast our profession. For we have not an high-priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities, but one who was in all points tempted like as we are: yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of V. need. 1. For every high-priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, Who can have compassion on the ignorant and the wandering, 3 seeing he himself also is compassed with infirmity, And because hereof it behoveth him, as for the people, so also 4 for himself, to offer for sins. And no one taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as was 5 Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high-priest, but he that said to him, *Thou art my * Psalm ii. 7. V. 14. Having therefore a great high-priest-Great indeed, being the eternak Son of God, that is passed through the heavens-As the Jewish high-priest passed through the veil into the holy of holies, carrying with him the blood of the sacrifices, on the yearly day of atonement: so our great High-Priest went once for all through the visible heavens, with the virtue of his own blood, into the immediate presence of God. V. 15. He sympathizes with us, even in our innocent infirmities, wants, weaknesses, miseries, dangers; yet without sin-And therefore is indisputably able to preserve us from it in all our temptations. V. 16. Let us therefore come boldly-Without any doubt or fear, unto the throne of God, our reconciled Father, even his throne of grace-Grace erected it, and reigns there, and dispenses all blessings, in a way of mere, unmerited favour. CHAP. V. Ver. 1. For every high-priest, being taken from among men—Is, till he is taken, of the same rank with them and is appointed-That is, is wont to be appointed: in things pertaining to God-To bring God near to men, and men to God: that he may offer both gifts-Out of things inanimate, and animal sacrifices. V. 2. Who can have compassion-In proportion to the offence: so the Greek word signifies: on the ignorant-Them that are in error: and the wandering Them that are in sin: seeing himself also is compassed with infirmity Even with sinful infirmity, and so needs the compassion which he shews to others. V. 4. The apostle begins here to treat of the priesthood of Christ. The sum of what he observes. concerning it is, Whatever is excellent in the Levitical priesthood, is in Christ, and in a more eminent manner. And whatever is wanting in those priests, is in him: and no one taketh this honour-The priesthood, to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron-And his posterity, who were, all of them, called at one and the same time. But it is observable, Aaron did not preach at all; preaching being no part of the priestly office. V. 5. So also Christ glorified not himself to be an high-priest-That is, did not take this honour to himself; but received it from him, who said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten theeNot, indeed, at the same time; for his generation was from eternity. 6 son, this day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever, after the 7 order of Melchisedeck; Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from 8 death, and being heard in that he feared; Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he 9 suffered, And being perfected, became the author of 10 eternal salvation to all that obey him, Called of God an high-priest, after the order of Melchisedeck. 11 Concerning whom we have many things to say, and * Psalm cx. 1. V. 7. The sum of the things treated of in the 7th and following chapters, is contained, ver. 7-10; and in this sum is admirably comprised the process of his passion, with its inmost causes, in the very terms used by the evangelists: Who in the days of his flesh-Those two days in particular, wherein his sufferings were at the height, having offered up prayers and supplicationsThrice, with strong crying and tears-In the garden, to him that was able to save him from death-Which yet he endured, in obedience to the will of his Father, and being heard in that which he particularly feared-When the cup was offered him first, there was set before him that horrible image of a painful, shameful, accursed death, which moved him to pray conditionally against it; for if he had desired it, his heavenly Father would have sent him more than twelve legions of angels to have delivered him. But what he most exceedingly feared was, the weight of infinite justice; the being bruised and put to grief by the hand of God himself. Compared with this, every thing else was a mere nothing. And yet, so greatly did he even thirst to be obedient to the righteous will of his Father, and to lay down even his life for the sheep, that he veheIndeed his mently longed to be baptized with this baptism, Luke xii. 50. human nature needed the support of Omnipotence, and for this he sent up strong crying and tears; but throughout his whole life, he shewed that it was not the sufferings he was to undergo, but the dishonour that sin had done to so holy a God, that grieved his spotless soul. The consideration of its being the will of God, tempered his fear, and afterwards swallowed it up. And he was heard, not so that the cup should pass away, but so that he drank it without any fear. V. 8. Though he was a son-This is interposed, lest any should be offended at all these instances of human weakness. In the garden, how frequently did be call God his Father! Matt. xxvi. 39, &c. And hence it most evidently ppears, that his being the Son of God, did not arise merely from his resurrection; get learned he-The word learned, premised to the word suffered, elegantly shews how willingly he learned. He learned obedience, when he began to suffer: when he applied himself to drink that cup, obedience in suffering and dying. V. 9. And being perfected-By sufferings, chap. ii. 10, brought through all to glory, he became the author-The procuring and efficient cause, of eternal salvation to all that obey him-By doing and suffering his whole will. V. 10. Called The Greek word here properly signifies, surnamed. His name is, The Son of God. The Holy Ghost seems to have concealed who Melchisedek was on purpose, that he might be the more eminent type of Christ. This only we know, that he was a priest, and king of Salem, or Jerusalem. V.11. Concerning whom-The apostle here begins an important digression, wherein he reproves, admonishes, and exhorts the Hebrews. We-Preachers R4 |