A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

2. The description of the Persons that are the subject spoken of, is given in five Instances of the Evangelical Privileges whereof they were made partakers, notwithstanding all which, and against their obliging efficacy to the contrary, it is supposed that they may wholly desert the Gospel it self. And some things we may observe concerning this description of them in general. As (1) The Apostle designing to express the fearful state and judgement of these Persons, describes them by such things as may fully evidence them to be, as unavoidable, so righteous and equal. Those things must be some evident Privileges and Advantages, whereof they were made partakers by the Gospel. These being despised in their Apostasy, do proclaim their destruction from God to be rightly deserved. (2) That all these Privileges do consist in certain especial operations of the Holy Ghost, which were peculiar unto the Dispensation of the Gospel, such as they neither were, nor could be made partakers of in their Judaism. For the Spirit in this sense, was not received by the works of the Law, but by the hearing of Faith, Gal. 3. 2. And this was a Testimony unto them, that they were delivered from the bondage of the Law, namely, by a participation of that Spirit which was the great Privilege of the Gospel. (3) Here is no express mention of any Covenant Grace or Mercy, in them or towards them, nor of any Duty of Faith or Obedience which they had performed. Nothing of Justification, Sanctification, or Adoption, is expressly assigned unto them. Afterwards when he comes to declare his hopes and persuasion concerning these Hebrews, that they were not such as those whom he had before described, nor such as would so fall away unto perdition, He doth it upon three grounds, whereon they were differenced from them. As (1) That they had such things as did accompany Salvation, that is, such as Salvation is inseparable from. None of these things therefore had he ascribed unto those whom he describeth in this place; for if he had so done, they would not have been unto him an Argument and Evidence of a contrary end, that these should not fall away and perish as well as those. Wherefore he ascribes nothing to these here in the Text, that doth peculiarly accompany Salvation, ver. 9. (2) He describes them by their Duties of Obedience and fruits of Faith.

2. The description of the Persons that are the subject spoken of, is given in five Instances of the Evangelical Priviledges whereof they were made partakers, notwithstanding all which, and against their obliging efficacy to the contrary, it is supposed that they may wholly desert the Gospel it self. And some things we may observe concerning this description of them in general. As (1) The Apostle designing to express the fearful state and judgement of these Persons, describes them by such things as may fully evidence them to be, as unavoidable, so righteous and equal. Those things must be some evident Priviledges and Advantages, whereof they were made partakers by the Gospel. These being despised in their Apostasie, do proclaim their destruction from God to be rightly deserved. (2) That all these Priviledges do consist in certain especial operations of the Holy Ghost, which were peculiar unto the Dispensation of the Gospel, such as they neither were, nor could be made partakers of in their Judaisme. For the Spirit in this sense, was not received by the works of the Law, but by the hearing of Faith,