An Exposition of Pauls Epistles, Letter 14 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
THe excellency of the Prophetical Office and person of Christ being vindicated in the fore-going discourse, even under all his sufferings in the flesh; Hee exhorts them now to a consideration of this excellency, that they may hold fast the profession of the Christian Faith, and not apostatize from it, to this end producing fifteen Arguments.
Vers. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle, and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus.
The Proposition concerning the holding fast their Profession of the Faith is contained in an Exhortation to a serious consideration of Christ, the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession.
Argum. 1. Yee are sanctified, and by Faith made partakers of an effectual calling to heavenly things: Therefore you ought to hold fast the Profession of this Faith.
Apostle] Argum. 2. Yee have Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Apostle, or Teacher of your Faith, sent from God, and our High Priest, who hath expiated our sins by his blood; You have him, I say, the Author of this Profession: Therefore it is to bee held fast.
Vers. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Argum. 3. Christ in the administration of his Apostleship, and Priesthood committed to him, is not less faithful than Moses, who obtained testimony from God, that hee was faithful in all his house: Therefore ought yee to hold fast your Christian Profession, Because the Hebrews ascribed too much to Moses, and could hardly bee drawn away from Mosaical Ceremonies, that they might bee brought to Christ: Therefore here on set purpose hee compares Christ with Moses.
Vers. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as hee who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house.
Argum. 4. Christ is so much more excellent than Moses, and the whole Church also, by how much the builder of the house is more excellent than the house it self, or any part of it: Moses also is but a member of that Church, and a part onelyonly of that house: Therefore the Profession of your Faith is to bee held fast.
Vers. 4. For every house is builded by some man, but hee that built all things is God.
Argum. 5. Confirming the former under the same comparison, As no house, not part of an house is built by it self, but by another man, so neither the Church, nor Moses, who is a member of the Church, is built by himself, but owes his building to some higher Architect: But Christ who is proved God, is the builder of the Church, and of every member of it, and also of all things: Therefore hee is more excellent than Moses, and the Faith and Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast.
Vers. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to bee spoken after.
6. But Christ as a Son over his own house, whose house are wee, if wee hold fast the confidence, and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end.
Argum. 6. Moses was faithful as a servant in anothers family, to testifie, and that indeed darkly, which afterwards more fully and openly was to bee spoken of Christ, and his dominion: But Christ is faithful, as Son and Heir, who is over his house, and speaks from his own authority: Therefore Christ is more excellent than Moses, and the Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast.
Whose house] Argum. 7. If wee firmly hold fast the confidence and hope of eternal life, procured for us by Christ, and to bee communicated (in which hope wee now make our boast) wee shall declare our selves to bee his house, or his true Church, in which the Lord will dwell: Therefore the Profession of our Faith is to bee held fast.
Vers. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if yee will hear his voice,
8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9. When your Fathers tempted mee, proved mee, and saw my works, forty years.
Argum. 8. From Psal. 95.8, 9, &c. unless you hold fast the Faith of Christ, you will disobey the Holy Ghost, who in the Scripture forbids you to harden your hearts, when you hear the Word of God: Or, Reject not God speaking, or, Refuse not to subject your selves to his word: Therefore the Profession of the Christian Faith is to bee held fast.
As in] Argum. 9. From Exod. 17. You ought to attend to the evil example of your Fathers, who out of unbeleef tempted God in the desert, who in their sight, had made proof of his power and goodness, as his works testified, for forty years: Therefore you ought to hold fast the Profession of your Faith.
Vers. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do alway erre in their hearts, and they have not known my waies.
Argum. 10. From Psal. 95. Except you continue stedfast in the Faith, yee will bee Heirs of the wrath of God, denounced against an unbeleeving Nation, and you will fall under the same condemnation with your Fathers, who affected errour in their hearts, no… would they learn the waies of God: Therefore, &c.
Vers. 11. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.
Argum. 11. Our of the same Psalm, unless you continue stedfast in the Faith, yee are in danger to bee shut out of the Kingdome of Heaven, or from Gods rest, by his oath being provoked to anger: Therefore, &c.
Vers. 12. Take heed Brethren, lest there bee in any of you an evil heart of unbeleef in departing from the Living God.
Argum. 12. From the application of the fore-mentioned example, propounded by way of Exhortation; unless every one of you take heed to your selves diligently, of that inbred wickedness and incredulity of heart, yee will without doubt fall from the Living God: Therefore yee ought with all watchfulness to hold fast the Faith.
Vers. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, le…t any of you bee hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Argum. 13. It lyes upon every one of you, not onelyonly to take heed to your selves lest yee faint, but also by mutual Exhortations, while yee have opportunity, to do your indeavour, that none of you harden his heart by the deceitfulness of sin, in any wickedness, lest a defection in the business of Religion insue, upon a corrupt conversation: Therefore yee ought to endeavour that all and every one of you bee stedfast in the Faith.
Vers. 14. For wee are made partakers of Christ, if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.
Argum. 14. No man is truly a partaker of Christ for the present, who holds not fast to the end that principle by which wee are supported, i. e. Faith, by which wee subsist in our spiritual life: Therefore ought, &c.
Vers. 15. While it is said, To day if yee will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16. For some when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17. But with whom was hee grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carkasses fell in the wilderness?
18. And to whom sware hee that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that beleeved not?
19. So wee see that they could not enter in, because of unbeleef.
Argum. 15. Upon consideration of the circumstances of the Text in the fore-cited Psalm, to this purpose; From the words of the fore-quoted Psalm, vers. 15. wee may gather, that not all but some provoked God (for some persevered in the Faith of the Promises, vers. 16.) but they who provoked God, were onelyonly those, who from their comming out of Egypt continued in their unbeleef to their lives end: and they which thus provoked God, hee flew them in his wrath in the wilderness, vers. 17. And being now condemned of unbeleef, hee shut them out from his rest with an oath, vers. 18. Who, seeing from the history wee understand, they could not enter into his rest, because of unbeleef, vers. 19. It necessarily follows, that you, as many of you (who are exempted from the wrath of God, and exclusion from his rest) as desire to bee saved with those that beleeve, and would not bee driven from Gods rest, with unbeleevers that are excluded, it behoves you to hold fast the Profession of your Faith.