A commentary on the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. By M. John Calvin. Translated…A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated…

And said, they err always, &c.] Ver. 10 It is the sentence of God by which he pronounceth that they were of a reprobate mind: and he adds the reason; to wit, because they knew not his ways. In a word, he holds them for a desperate people, because they had lost both understanding, & heart: and he here takes to him the person of a man, who having a long space made trial of his servants, finds them at the last to be no better than obstinately rebellious. For he saith, they err always, because he saw no hope at all of amendment.

And said, they erre alwaies, &c.] Ver. 10 It is the sentence of God by which he pronounceth that they were of a reprobate minde: and he addes the reason; to wit, because they knewe not his waies. In a word, he holds them for a desperate people, because they had lost both vnderstanding, & heart: and he here takes to him the person of a man, who hauing a long space made triall of his seruants, findes them at the last to be no better than obstinately rebellious. For he saith, they erre alwaies, because he saw no hope at all of amendment.

Therefore I sware in my wrath.] Verse 11 This is the punishment of their folly and rage, to wit, to be deprived of their promised rest. Moreover the Lord calls that land his rest, in the which they should have rested. For they had been strangers and pilgrims in the land of Egypt, they wandered through the desert: but the land of Canaan, should have been their perpetual inheritance, according to the promise. And God calls it his rest, in respect of the promise: because we never find a firm and stable rest, till we come where we are gathered by the hand of God. Now the right of the sure possession was grounded upon this that God had said to Abraham, I will give this land to thy seed, Gen. 12.7. In that God sweareth; the heinousness of their sin is so much the more aggravated with the greater vehemency. For it is a sign that the wrath of God is the more inflamed. They shall never enter, this is a kind of oath, in which somewhat must be supplied, as an Imprecation, or some such like thing when men speak: but when God himself speaketh, it is as much as if he should say, let me not be taken to be true of my word, or let me not hence forth be believed if it be not so. Notwithstanding these manners of speaking, wherein somewhat is wanting, admonisheth us to fear, and tremble;