A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Hebrews · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
1. LEt brotherly love continue. 2. Be not forgetful to entertain ſtrangers, for thereby ſome have entertained angels unawares.
1, 2. And as to to your particular Duties, I ſubjoyn theſe brief Precepts of Chriſtian Morality. 1. Be ſure to keep up that Special Love which Chriſtians owe to one another (notwithſtanding tolerable Infirmities and Differences) above the common Love which they owe to all men: and avoid all that would deſtroy this Love.
2. Shew this, among other means, by your Hoſpitality, entertaining Travellers that need Entertainment: For ſo Abraham, Lot and others, have entertained Angels, thinking that they were men: (And Chriſt, at Judgment, will ſay, I was a ſtranger, and ye took me in.)
Note; That in thoſe Countries, Inns were not ſo ready as with us; and Chriſtians were moſt poor men, not able to bear their own Charges in their Travel.
3. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which ſuffer adverſity, as being your ſelves alſo in the body.
3. Seeing all the Members of Chriſt's Body muſt ſuffer if one ſuffer, think of thoſe that are Priſoners, eſpecially for Chriſt or Righteouſneſs, with ſuch Compaſſion, as if their Caſe were your own; and ſo in all other Caſes of Adverſity, remembring alſo, that you are yet in a Body liable to as great Affliction.
4. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
4. Account and uſe Marriage as God's Inſtitution, honourably, and keep the Marriage-bed undefiled: But Fornicators and Adulterers God hateth, and will judge.
5. Let your converſation be without covetouſneſs, and be content with ſuch things as ye have. For he hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee.
5. Let your hearts be kept free from the love of Money, and the ſinful deſires, cares, and fears and troubles which thence ariſe; and be content with God's Allowance, be it leſs or more: for his Promiſe to Joſhua is applicable to all the Faithful; [I will never fail thee, nor forſake thee.]
6. So that we may boldly ſay, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man ſhall do unto me.
6. And as to our Dangers or Sufferings from men, on the ſame account we may ſay as David did, having the ſame Relation to God, and the ſame Promiſes, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear man, &c. (further, my ſin giveth me cauſe to fear, that God may uſe them as the chaſtiſing Inſtruments of his Diſpleaſure.)
7. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have ſpoken unto you the word of God, whoſe faith follow, conſidering the end of their converſation. 8. Jeſus Chriſt the ſame yeſterday, and to day, and for ever.
7, 8. Remember your Biſhops, or Guides (both the Dead and Living) who have ſpoken to you the Word of God: Remember what Doctrine they taught you, and how faithfully they preached, and owned it in ſuffering: and conſider what was the main end of all their Doctrine and Life; even Jeſus Chriſt, who is and will be ſtill the ſame, and no new Goſpel, or Doctrine, which Corrupters do cry up.
9. Be not carried about with divers and ſtrange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be eſtabliſhed with grace, not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
9. Be not carried about (as Children in a ſtrong Wind, Epheſ. 4.14.) with various Doctrines, or ſuch as are new and ſtrange to the Church of God: for Chriſt and his Goſpel being but one and the ſame ſtill, your duty and intereſt lyeth in eſtabliſhing your hearts in the Doctrine and Covenant of Grace through Chriſt, which is your Strength, and the Bread of Life; and not to Judaize and turn back to the ſhadowy, aboliſhed Ceremonies, in Sacrifices and difference of Meats, which did not truly purifie, ſave and profit thoſe that uſed them.
10. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat, which ſerve the tabernacle.
10. We are not without a more holy and profitable Sacrifice and ſacred Food than theirs, even Chriſt (who is The Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins of the World) whoſe ſaving Sacrifice we feed on by Faith, and commemorate in our Communion; whoſe broken Body, and his ſhed Blood they did not partake of, who offered Beaſts in Sacrifice, in the Service of the Tabernacle, as we now do; but were employed about the ſhadows of it: And thoſe that ſtick ſtill in theſe abrogated Rites, have no Right to our Altar.
11. For the bodies of thoſe beaſts, whoſe blood is brought into the ſanctuary by the high prieſt for ſin, are burnt without the camp. 12. Wherefore Jeſus alſo, that he might ſanctifie the people with his own blood, ſuffered without the Gate.
11, 12. For as the Beaſts ſlain for Atonement, whoſe Blood was brought into the Sanctuary▪ was not to be eaten by the Prieſt, but burnt without the Bounds of the Camp of Iſrael: So Chriſt, when he was to be offered, to ſanctifie the People with his Blood, went without the Gates of Jeruſalem to ſuffer, ſignifying that (as they rejected him, as unworthy to live with them, ſo) he departed from them, and their Political and Legal State.
13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. 14. For here have we no continuing city, but we ſeek one to come.
13, 14. So let us go out to him, from the Jewiſh State, and Ceremonial Law (and alſo from the Heathen World) and ſubmit to the Reproach of the Croſs, which muſt be expected: We muſt forſake both the Jewiſh Policy, and the World▪ or elſe we cannot follow Chriſt; for the Chriſtian Church is not fixed, as the Jewiſh was to Jeruſalem, to one City; nor have we any fixed ſtate on Earth, in which we may glory, as our Home or abiding place; but by faith in God's Promiſes, through Chriſt, we hope and ſeek for one to come, even the new and heavenly Jeruſalem.
15. By him therefore let us offer the ſacrifice of praiſe to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name.
15. Therefore, inſtead of Jewiſh Sacrifices, let us by Chriſt, our great interceding High Prieſt, offer daily to God the Sacrifice of Praiſe from a believing, thankful heart, and give thanks to him for Chriſt and all his Gifts; and this hearty, ſincere Fruit of our Lips will be more acceptable than the Fruits of the Earth, or any bloody Sacrifice of Beaſts.
16. But to do good, and to communicate forget not, for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed.
16. But there is another ſort of Sacrifice very pleaſing to God alſo, which you muſt not forget, even Beneficence and Bounty; doing all the good you can, and communicating to the relief of thoſe that need.
Note; The name of Sacrifice and Altar, as well as Prieſts uſed, as here, by alluſion or ſimilitude to thoſe of old, may lawfully be uſed, as here they are, and were by the primitive Chriſtians, even as the Lord's Day was called the Chriſtian Sabbath. It is no diſhonour to Chriſt, to ſay that we may offer Sacrifices acceptable unto God, ſo it be but in ſubordination to his Sacrifice, as our Goſpel-worthineſs is but ſubordinate to his Meritorious Righteouſneſs.
17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves, for they watch for your ſouls as they that muſt give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
17. God that hath made the Biſhops or Paſtors to be your guiding Rulers in Church-Affairs, obligeth you to obey them, and to ſubmit your ſelves to their Government, and not to live as unruly, or in confuſion: for the charge of watching for your Souls is committed to them, ſo far as belongeth to their Office, by teaching, publickly and privately, and perſonally watching over the State and Converſation of every ſingle Perſon to their power, and inſtructing, exhorting, reproving, comforting; entruſted with the Adminiſtration of the Seals of God's Covenant, and with your publick Church-Communion, by judging of men's capacity, and receiving or excluding, binding or looſing, by the power of the Keys. And of all this they muſt give account to God; which, as it will be terrible to them if they be unfaithful, ſo it will be to you, if their faithfulneſs be without ſucceſs; which elſe, will be to the joy of them and you. And they have not any conſtraining power of the Sword and can govern and profit you only as voluntary, by your own conſent: and therefore, as you love your comfort, and regard them, and their Labours and Comfort, obey them, by obeying God's Word, which they preach.
Note, 1. That thoſe Biſhops which God commandeth men to obey, are thoſe that watch for the Souls of all the Flocks, as men that muſt give account of all; and not thoſe that have many hundred, or ſcore of Churches, without any other Biſhop, ſave one, and never ſee, or know, or once hear the names of one of many hundred, called their Flock; much leſs ever taught them, or gave them the Sacrament.
2. That God having truſted the Paſtors, by Office, with Church-Government by the Keys, it is very falſe that the people ſhould govern it by Vote: Though it is true, that being governed but as Volunteers by the Paſtors, their Conſent is needful to their Subjection, and to their Profit and Salvation.
18. Pray for us: for we truſt we have a good conſcience in all things, willing to live honeſtly.
18. Our Work and Charge being ſo great, and of ſuch importance to your ſelves, while ſome revile and perſecute us, and ſome turn from us, and diſobey our Doctrine, do you pray for us, that God will guide, ſtrengthen, ſupport and proſper us: For our Conſcience is our Witneſs, that we are faithful in our Miniſtry and our Lives.
19. But I beſeech you the rather to do this, that I may be reſtored to you the ſooner.
19. And put up this one Requeſt alſo for me, that I may the ſooner be reſtored to the comfort of your Service.
20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jeſus, that great Shepherd of the ſheep, through the blood of the everlaſting covenant, 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
20, 21. My chief Benediction and Prayer for you is, that God, who will be called, The God of Peace, as being the Giver, the Lover, and the Objective End of Love and Peace, who raiſed our Lord and Saviour from Death, whoſe Reſurrection is the great Encouragement of our Hope, even him who is the chief Paſtor of all his holy Flock, by the Purchaſe of the Blood of the Everlaſting Covenant; compact, frame and fit you, by Holineſs and Union, for every good Work, to do his Will, and work in you (by his Spirit, as he commandeth you in his Word) that which is well pleaſing in his ſight: (To pleaſe him being the ultimate End of the whole Creation, and as here begun, the way thereto.) To whom be Glory in this perfect fulfilling of his Will, for ever and ever. Amen.
22. And I beſeech you, brethren, ſuffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words. 23. Know ye that our brother Timothy is ſet at liberty, with whom, if he come ſhortly, I will ſee you. 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the Saints. They of Italy ſalute you. 25. Grace be with you all. Amen.
22, 23, 24, 25. Note, 1. So bad is Man, even Chriſtians, through the Relicts of their Corruption, that when the moſt important, comfortable Doctrine is delivered to them, for their own good, and that with the moſt convincing Evidence, there is need of earneſt Intreaty and Exhortation that they would bear it, and not fall out with it, neglect it, or reject it.
2. For people to know and regard their faithful Paſtors, or Church-Guides, or Rulers, is of ſo great importance to their Salvation, and the Churches Union, Strength and Safety, againſt Ignorance, Unbelief, Error and Unrulineſs, that they are three times minded of it in this one Chapter.