isfaction and atonement, is denied, will never be able to free themselves from making it in some sense a common thing; yea, the contempt which has been cast on the blood of Christ by that sort of men, will not be expiated with any other sacrifice for ever. But as Christ is precious to them who believe, 1 Pet. i, 19, so is his blood also, wherewith they are redeemed. (Ev nyase) wherewith he was sanctified; it is not real or internal sanctification that is here intended, but a separation and dedication to God, in which sense the word is often used, and all the disputes concerning the total and final apostasy from faith and real satisfaction, from this place are altogether vain. The chief difficulty of this text is, concerning whom these words are spoken? The design of the apostle in the context leads plainly to Christ himself, who was dedicated to God, to be an eternal High Priest, by the blood of the covenant. This these daring apostates esteemed an unholy thing, such as would have no effect to consecrate him unto God and his mediatorial office.

§6. A farther aggravation of this sin is taken from its opposition to the spirit of Christ; (και το πνεύμα της χαριτος ενυβρισας) and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. There are two parts of this aggravation; the first, taken from the object of their sins, the Spirit of grace; the second, taken from the manner of their opposition to him, they do him despise. This divine. person, the Holy Spirit, who is God himself, and his communication of grace and mercy, was HE whom these apostates renounced under this peculiar notion or consideration, that he was peculiarly sent, given, and bestowed, to bear witness to the person, doctrine, death, and sacrifice of Christ, with the consequent glory, John xvi, 4; 1 Pet. i, 12. But now being wholly

fallen off from Christ and the gospel, they openly declared, that there was no testimony in them to the truth, but that all these things were either diabolical delusions or fanatical misapprehensions. Now this proceeding from them who had once themselves made the same profession with others of their truth and re ality, gave the deepest wound that could be given to the gospel; for all the adversaries of it who had been silenced with the public miraculous testimonies of the Holy Spirit, now strengthened themselves by the confession of these apostates, that there was nothing in it but pretence; and who should better know than those who had been of that society? Hence are they said to "do despite to the Spirit of grace:" they injure him as far as they are able. The word includes wrong with contempt. And what greater despite could be done to him, than to question his truth and the veracity of his testimony? And if lying to the Holy Ghost is so great a sin, what is it to make the Holy Ghost a liar?

§7. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye?" which includes that such a sinner shall be punished, that this shall be a sore punishment, a far greater punishment, that what was inflicted according to the law, such as men shall be able neither to abide nor to avoid. "Of how much sorer?" None can declare, none can conceive it, 1 Pet. iv, 17, 18. But whereas that punishment was death without mercy, wherein could this exceed it? I answer, because that was a temporal death only; for though such sinners under the law might perish eternally, yet that was not by virtue of the constitution of the Mosaic law, which reached only to temporal punishments; but this punishment is eternal. See 2 Thes. i, 6-8; Mark xvi, 16. The way whereby they are made obnoxious to it is, that they are (awbeσETa) counted worthy of it; they shall receive

neither more nor less than their due: the judge in this case is God himself, as the apostle declares in the next verse; he alone knows, he alone can justly determine what such apostates are worthy of; but, in general, that this shall unspeakably exceed that annexed to the transgression of the law, is left to themselves to judge, "suppose ye." What do ye think in your own hearts will be the judgment of God concerning these sinners? This argument the apostle frequently insists upon, (as chap. ii, 2—4, and xii, 25,) and it had a peculiar cogency towards the Hebrews, who had lived under the terror of those legal punishments all their days.

§8. (II.) From the whole we proceed to observe, 1. The contempt of God and his authority in his law, is the gall and poison of sin.

2. When the God of mercies will have men shew no mercy, as in temporal punishments; he can and will, upon repentance, shew mercy as to eternal punishment; for we dare not condemn all into hell when the law condemned as to temporal punishment.

3. Though there may be sometimes an appearance of great severity in God's judgments against sinners, yet when the nature of their sins and their aggravation shall be discovered, they will be manifest to have been righteous and within due measures.

4. Let us take heed of every neglect of the person of Christ, and his authority, lest we enter into some degree or other of the guilt of this great offence.

5. The sins of men can really and actually reach neither the person nor authority of Christ; they only do that in desire, which in effect they cannot accomplish. This doth not extenuate their sin; the guilt of it is no less than if they did actually trample upon the Son of God.

6. Every thing that takes off from an high and

glorious esteem of the blood of Christ, as the blood of the covenant, is a dangerous entrance into apostasy.

7. There are no such cursed pernicious enemies to religion as apostates.

§9. 1. The inevitable certainty of the eternal punishment of gospel despisers depends on the essential holiness and righteousness of God, as the ruler and judge of all; it is nothing but what he in his just judgment, which is according to truth, accounteth them worthy of, Rom. i. 32.

2. It is a righteous thing with God to deal thus with men; wherefore all hopes of mercy, or the least relaxation of punishment to all eternity, are vain as to apostates; they shall have judgment without mercy.

3. God hath allotted different degrees of punishment to the different degrees and aggravations of sin.

4. The apostasy from the gospel here described, being the absolute height of all sin and impiety that the nature of man is capable of, renders them eternally obnoxious to punishment, and the greatest sin must have the greatest judgment.

5. It is our duty diligently to inquire into the nature of sin, lest we be overtaken in the great offence.

6. Sinning against the testimony given by the Holy Ghost to the truth and power of the gospel, of which men have had experience, is the most dangerous symptom of a perishing condition.

7. Threatenings of future eternal judgments on gospel despisers belong to the preaching of the gospel.

8. The equity and righteousness of the most severe judgments of God against gospel despisers is so evident, that it may be referred to the judgment of men themselves if not totally obstinate in their blindness.

9. It is our duty to jutify God and to bear him witness with respect to the righteousness of his judg ments against gospel despisers.

VERSES S0, 31.

For we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God.

$1. (I.) Exposition. The severity before mentioned supported by zacred testimonies. $2. Vengeance belongs to God. 3. God the supreme judge $4 Hence the awful danger of falling under this displeasure. §5, 6. (11) Observations.

§1. As if the apostle had said, in the severe sentence we have denounced against apostates, we have spoken nothing but what is suitable to the holiness of God, and what indeed in such cases he hath declared he will do. The conjunction (yup) for, denotes the introduction of a reason of what was spoken before, but more particularly the reference he had made to their own judgments of what sore punishment was due to apostates; if you would be fully convinced of the righteousness and certainty of this dreadful destruc. tion of apostates, consider, in the first place, the au thor of it, the only judge in the case; "we know him that hath said," what God speaks Deut. xxxii, 35, 36. concerning his enemies, and the enemies of his people in covenant with him, is applicable to that people itself, when they absolutely break and reject the covenant; for these, upon their apostasy come into the place of the most cursed enemies of God and his faithful people; and therefore God will be to them, what he was to the worst of his adversaries; for shall he not act in the like manner towards them who murdered the Lord. Jesus, and persecuted all his followers?

§2. This first testimony in the original is (wopa➜) to me vengeance and recompence, which the apostle renders by (ενδικος μισθαποδοσία) α just recommence, to the same purpose. Recompence is the actual exercise