For the Am. Bap. Mag. A DISSERTATION ON HEB. vi. 4, 5, 6. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come; if they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." This passage of scripture has appeared to many christians a difficult passage; and has been differently explained by theolog the responsible character of christian ministers, to bestow in its cultivation and maintenance? Some may conceive that the studies of ministers are calculated to produce this effect. Doubtless some studies are; but all are not so, however important they may be in their places. As ministers have to consider religious truths with a view to the instruction of other men, they are in danger without watchfulness and care of considering it chiefly in relation to their professional duties; and hereby of neglecting a personal application of it to their own characters: of ical writers; an attempt, therekeeping it in the understanding, without allowing it to descend into the heart. It is that reading which we accompany with prayer, and meditations suited to advance godliness, that promotes spirituality of mind. Can we hope to awaken the dormant feelings of the believer, when our own pow. ers are unmoved with the momentous truths of the gospel? Can we expect to arouse the secure sinner, when we have little feeling of their guilty state and instant danger of sinking in the shades of endless death? How will that servant of Christ bear to meet those souls, naked before God, whom it was his duty to have warned, but towards whom, for want of a just sense and exercise of religion in his own heart, he had been unfaithful? Let such as sustain this sacred office, often reflect upon those solemn words of Jehovah by Ezekiel: "O son of man, I have set thee to be a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." fore, to reflect light upon it, should that attempt prove in any measure successful, would subserve the cause of truth, and promote the comfort of the children of God. Without spending time. to investigate the several contradictory comments which have been given of this passage, and to weigh their respective merits, it will be proper to take a view of the scope of the Apostle's argument in this chapter, and the design which he had particularly in view. He manifestly considered the persons to whom he was writing, not as destitute of grace, but as being weak in the faith; not as wholly void of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but as being babes in knowledge: Thus he says, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk, is unskilful in the word of rightcousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."* Here we see what it is for which the Apostle *Heb. v. 12, 13, 14. blames them, and what it is to which he would excite them: He blames them for having lived below their privileges, and for not having improved those means of information which God had afforded them they had been dull and negligent scholars; they who when for the length of time they had been in the school of Christ, ought to have been capable of teaching others, had but just learned the elementary principles of christianity, and even these, they had learned so poorly as to need some one to teach them to them again. He would excite them to greater diligence, more strenuous and persevering exertions in the acquisition of Christian knowledge, to labour to become skilful in the word of righteousness. A deep, intimate, and systematick knowledge of divine truth is highly important to christians, as it promotes their comfort, gives them establishnent, and qualifies them to honour God in the world. For a christian to be contented to live comparatively ignorant of his bible, shews plainly enough that he has no great love to it; and if he has no great love to his bible, he has no great love to God whose word it is, whose character it illustrates, and whose glory it inanifests. For the purpose of stimulating his christian brethren to proper exertions for the attainment of those more eminent degrees of divine knowledge to which he exhorted them to aspire, thus the Apostle writes: "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit."* The principles here enumerated, are the first elements, the fundamental rudiments of christianity, without the belief, experimental knowledge, and cordial acknowledgment of which, a man cannot be a christian. The word here rendered principles is exs and is rendered by Beza, inchoat, beginnings; the same word in Chap. v. 12, is rendered by him, elementa, and by our translators, first principles; so that the Apostle here exhorts us to leave the elements, the beginnings, the first principles, of the doctrine of Christ, and to go on to perfection. Itmaybe asked, in what sense are we to leave those principles? Certainly not by an abandonment of them as useless, nor a relinquishment of them as untrue; but as the scholar leaves his alphabet, when he advances in literature, or as an architect leaves the foundation when he rears up the superstructure. If a scholar should be all his life poring upon his alphabet, he would never become learned, or if the architect was perpetually busied in laying the foundation, the stately walls, the lofty pillars, the beautiful cornice, and the super capitals, would never appear; so if the christian never advances beyond the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, he never will rise to that eminence in christian knowledge, to that usefulness in the church of God, to which it is our duty to aspire in a word, we should consider those elementary principles as settled, as no longer subjects of inquiry; but urge forward our research to the more sublime mysteries of christian doctrine. Here let it be remarked, that it is not supposed, that the knowledge here so warmly recommended by the Apostle, is merely theoretick knowledge in * Heb. vi. 1, 2, 3. theology; indeed, the Apostles seem to have no notion of any other kind of christian knowledge, only that which is, properly speaking, experimental, that is, they describe christian experience, as consisting in those exercises and affections which correspond with that system of divine truth which is revealed in the word of God. The way is now prepared to enter into a more particular investigation of the passage more immediately under consideration. The great question is, whether the apostle by those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, meant to describe regenerated persons or real saints, or whether he was describing persons, whose moral characters were radically distinct from that of real saints. In the solution of this question, we ought to be governed by the known and established laws of exegesis; to whatever conclusion those laws may lead us. We are never in greater danger of violating those laws, than when we fancy a favorite tenet is in danger, and we feel ourselves pinched by a difficulty; in such circumstances we are apt to invent a plausible hypothesis, rather than be at the pains of removing the difficulty, by a patient and thorough investigation of the subject. Such, it is apprehended, is the hypothesis which supposes the Apostle to be here speaking of certain attainments, which men may possess, and yet not be real christians. The Apostle was here, most manifestly, exhorting christians to perseverance, to advance forward in the divine life. To introduce a des 1 John, ii. 7, 8, 9, 10. † John i. 4. cription of their attainments, and to tell what might or might not happen to men, whose moral state and characters were radically distinct from that of the persons whom he was exhorting, seems to be totally irrelevant to his argument, and has no connexion with, nor bearing upon, his subject. The Greek word which is here rendered enlightened, is palotilas, the apostle uses the same word in chapter x. 32-35, in an exhortation addressed to the same Hebrew christians, where he directs them to call to remembrance the former days, in which after they were illuminated, they endured a great sight of afflictions, &c. in a manner which shews unquestionably, that he meant by it a gracious and saving illumination: and it would be hard to suppose that the Apostle used this word twice in this epistle on occasions and with intentions apparently similar; and yet that he attached to it, distinct and even opposite ideas. It is indisputably true that light and darkness, as these terms are abundantly used in the scripture, are expressive of saving grace, and its opposite: So St. John uses them; Again, a new commandment, I write unto you; which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.* In him was life; and the life was the light of men.f So St. Paul used them: For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of the light. Christians are spoken of, as having the eyes of their understandings enlightened.§ And they who be§ Epb. i. 18. + Eph. v. 8. lieve not are spoken of as having their minds blinded by the god of this world, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.* Now, by what correct laws of exegesis are we authorised to conclude, that they who in the passage under consideration, are said to MINISTERIAL ZEAL. lightened, are yet the same, that in other passages, dictated by the same spirit, are said to be in darkness? What authority have we to understand the term enlightened in such a sense, as leaves the subjects of that enlightening, wholly under the powbe en- er of darkness? [To be continued.] Review. A Sermon, delivered at Waterville, Aug. 15th, 1820, before the Maine Baptist Education Society. By Stephen Chapin, Pastor of the Baptist Church in North-Yarmouth...... Portland, 1820. WE think the Sermon before us is calculated to be eminently useful, especially to those readers who are set for the defence of the gospel. The design of the preacher is to explain the nature of christian zeal, to illustrate its excellencies, and to exhibit a series of truths eminently tending, with the divine blessing, to raise to a vigorous and constant flame, the zeal of the minister of Christ. This discourse was delivered before the Trustees of the Maine Baptist Education Society at their annual meeting. The preacher availed himself of the opportunity to impress on his brethren in the ministry who were present, an important subject.-And we take the liberty here to suggest the expediency and utility of having the sermons preached at Ministers' meetings, and Associations, and the meeting of Mission Boards, more particularly, though not exclusively, addressed to those who labour in word and doctrine. Surely there is no minister of the gospel who would consider it unnecessary for him to have his mind stirred up by way of remembrance. the Sermon. from Col. iv: 13. him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis." But to return to The text is taken "For I bear It is a part of the testimony of Paul in favour of Epaphras. After a suitable introduction, the author deduces from the text the following doctrine: Great zeal in the ministers of Christ, for the prosperity of the churches, is highly commendable. He defines and characterizes zeal, gives the reason of this commendation, and mentions some of the most prominent incentives to it. pleased with his definition of zeal. We are "Zeal is a mixed passion, comprising love, faith, courage and great sensibility. The word is of Greek origin, and comes from one which signifies to be hot. It is a vigorous, earnest and vehement affection of the mind, and is either good or bad, according to the cause, by which it is produced, and the object which it pursues. Christian zeal may be called a sacred fire, infused into the soul by the spirit of God, producing a strong pulse, and great activity in the moral system." This zeal must be under the control of knowledge, should be constant, and ought ever to be consistent. Under each of these * 2 Cor. iv. 4. particulars, appropriate remarks are introduced. Our limits permit the following extract only, from this part of the discourse. "Great zeal and great tenderness and compassion, may and ought to exist in the same character. Of this truth we have some lustrious specimens. Nehemiah, when he entered the polluted camp of Israel, and attempted to reform those, who had grown hoary in sin, seemed to have a heart and nerves of brass and steel. He well knew, that the disease was too obstinate to yield to mild applications. He therefore laid about him with much boldness, contending with some, smiting some, and shaking others by the hair of their head. The fire of his eye, the terror of his voice, the severity of his measures, alarmed the guil ty, as by the shock of a sudden and angry storm But this same man, before he began this work of reform, seemed to be an assemblage of ten derness. When he heard of the afflictions and desolations of Zion, he sat down in Babylon and wept, and mourned, certain days, and fasted and prayed, pleading in the most pathetic strains the ancient covenant promises, respecting his beloved people.” Under the second head some of the valuable fruits of this zeal are mentioned. "This zeal imparts a value to all other endowments. A christian minister may have strong powers, a mind highly enriched and embellished by all the science and literature of his day he may possess wealth and connexions, which may give him weight of character; yet if he possess litthe zeal for God and his cause, these rare talents will be of small service to the Church. They will be permitted to crumble away under the rust of sloth. But let this man have a great share of heavenly zeal, and he will rise to action, and his strength of mind, his learning, his property, his influence, and every other help within his reach, will all be laid under trib. ute, and all must bring him aid in advancing his Master's cause." We must refrain from making any more selections from this part of the discourse, in which the VOL. III. preacher shews that this zeal will impart a holy courage, will convict and intimidate the ungodly, and will exert a happy influence on the spiritual flock. centives to ministerial zeal which Among the most prominent inMr. C. dwells upon, are the immense value of the soul, the value of the church, and the design of her existence-that the cause in which ministers are engaged, is the cause of God--that in this cause there is an assurance of success-and the necessity of zeal in order to be successful. The following remarks on the worth of the soul appear to us peculiarly forcible. "What language then shall I em. ploy? what comparisons shall I make, to give some faint impressions of the worth of the soul? Suppose you have that strength of vision, which will bring within your inspection all the worlds, that God hath scattered throughout the immensity of space; suppose you can count their number, and learn that all these worlds are fill. ed with the highest order of intellikept in a state of perfect and progres. gent creatures, all of whom have been sive enjoyment, from the dawn of creation to this very hour; suppose that you can tell all their inhabitants, and make a full estimate of their united happiness! How immense this concentrated, this aggregate worth! Should God by one word annihilate the whole, leaving no other intelligent being in the universe but himself, how great, how boundless the void! how infinite the loss! But one soul, if brought to the knowledge of God, will enjoy an a mount of happiness in eternity, greater than all the created bliss, that has as yet been felt in earth and heaven!" We forbear making more than one further extract, hoping that our readers will avail themselves of the privilege of reading the whole discourse. We are persuaded that a perusal of it will impart both pleasure and profit. It is from the concluding address to the ministers present. |