Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:26-31

1. Draw over to God in every act of worship, and in the most endeared communion; with a true heart, in all simplicity and godly sincerity; and in full assurance of faith in the all-sufficiency of our Redeemer, and our reconciliation with God through him; having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, with his atoning blood, which speaks peace from all guilt and condemnation; and our bodies washed with pure water, cleansed by the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, which the Jewish writings prefigured.

2. Let us hold full the profession of our faith without wavering; not seduced by temptation, dismayed with opposition, or disturbing the grace engaged for our support; for he is faithful that promised, and we may falsely repuls on his word our everlasting all.

And, 3. Let us consider one another, our respective trials, dangers, wants, and weakness, in order to provide each other unto love towards Jesus and the brethren, and to good works, such as may adorn our high profession.

1. Let us be united in heart and worship, not forfeiting the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, who, on weak and frivolous pretences, absent from the congregation of the faithful and the communion of the Lord; a sad symptom of declension, and often the prelude to apostasy.

2. Let us never be slack and remiss in holy jealousy over ourselves and our brethren; but be exhorting one another to give all diligence to make our walking, and election furs, in the old of every appointed means of grace: and to much the more as ye for the day approaching, when the whole Jewish polity and nation shall be destroyed; or when death must place you before the judgment-feat of Christ. An awful consideration! which, the more deeply it dwells upon our minds, will excite our most awakened solicitude to be always ready for our great change.

3. For ‘if we sin wilfully’ after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remained no more sacrifice for sins, 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and ‘fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28. ‘He that despised Moses law died without mercy,’ under two or three witnesses: 29. ‘Of how much force punishment, forpofe ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, as unholy thing, and ‘hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace’ 30. For we know him that hath said, ‘Vengeance belonging unto me, I will recompense, faith the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord shall judge his people. 31. ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

To awaken their more abundant concern, the apolite lets before them the dreadful evil and danger of apostasy.

For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, which doth not mean every sin that through infirmity or temptation we may be drawn into, nor even deliberate or repeated acts of sin; but such a course of iniquity, embraced with full consent of the mind, as leads to an utter rejection of the gospel, and denial of Jesus Christ: in which case, the only remedy being rejected, there remained no more sacrifice for sins, nor any possibility of pardon, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, such as shortly must seize the infidel Jews, when they shall be buried in the ruins of their city, and awaits the finally impenitent in the great day of God’s wrath, when the wicked shall be cast into hell, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Even he that despised Moses’s law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses, and no sacrifice was appointed for pretempionate sins: of how much force punishment then, forpofe ye, shall he be thought worthy, whose offence is so infinitely more aggravated, who hath traitor under foot the Son of God, treating him with the direct insolence and contempt as an impostor, denying his Deity, despising his atonement and righteousness, and mocking at his grace; and hath enacted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, of less efficacy than the blood of hail’s and goats, yea, as the Jews intimated at his crucifixion, viler than that of the greatest miscreants; and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace, imputing his miracles to diabolical power, and calling his operations upon the hearts of men delusion and enthusiasm. Such blasphemy is unpardonable, and must bring down the heaviest wrath of an offended God. For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belonging unto me, I will recompense, faith the Lord, and punish incorrigible offenders according to their wickedness. And again, The Lord shall judge his people, will detest the hypocrites, and as surely destroy the apostate as he will fare the faithful. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, whose wrath, if it be kindled, yea but a moment, who may abide it! Let us hear and tremble, and watch and pray, that we come not into this condemnation, and perish with these despisers.

32. But call to remembrance the former days, in which ‘after ye were illuminated, ye endured ‘a great fight of afflictions: 33. Partly whilst ye were made ‘a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ‘ye became companions of them that were so used. 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing ‘in yourselves that ‘ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35. ‘Call not away therefore your confidence, ‘which hath great recompense of reward. 36. For ‘ye have need of patience; that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37. For ‘yet a little while, and he that shall come with come, and will not tarry. 38. Now ’the just shall live

by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39. But ’ we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them ’ that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 4:32-39

To excite the faithful fendily to persevere,

1. He reminds them of the past sufferings which they had so nobly undergone. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, and brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, and quitted yourselves manfully, as became those who were lifted under the banner of the cross; partly wholly ye were made a penny-fast, both by reproaches and afflictions, pointed at, treated as despicable and ridiculous, and as criticised rejected in the absence to wild beasts, worried with the unrelenting malice and tummy of the wicked world; and partly wholly ye became complacent of them that were in need, nobly warning them in their sufferings for righteousness (sic), sympathising with them, and affording them every assistance. For ye had impossible of me to say hands, tendently affected for me, and supporting me to the utmost of your ability; and tend joyfully the spotting of your good, content, yea glorying in your sufferings and habits, knowing in yourselves, from the fullest assurance of God’s promises and the experience of his grace, that ye have in honor a better and an enduring gallance, which none can take from you. Note, (1.) Every Christian must expect and welcome the cross. (2.) Though we may be thrashed by Divine Providence and human laws from greater violations of our property, the lails of flander, the bitterness of reproach, and the trial of cruel mockings, these we shall assuredly meet if we belong to Christ. (3.) God can make his people joyful under all these trials, and neither ashamed nor afraid to suffer for his sake. (4.) If we are of the body of Christ, none of his members suffer with whom we do not sympathise, and we shall own and honour them under their own preaches for his name’s sake. (5.) If we gain heaven at last, we need be little concerned what we may lack by the way.

2. He exhorte them to stand fast in the prospect of the glory which was before them. Call not many therefore your confidence, butlness and holy resolution, which hath great remembrance of reward, and will secure for you a crown of glory which fades not away, and that will infinitely overbalance all your trifle and sufferings. For ye have none of parishes, whilst the conflict continues, that ye may not be weary and faint in your mind; and that after ye have done the will of God, faithfully obedient to his word, and resigned to his providence, ye might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For yet a little while, a very short moment, and he that shall come will come, and will not terry, to execute vengeance upon his enemies, to vindicate the injuries of his people, and save them with his untermed salvation. Note, (1.) Faith and patience, held fast, secure our perseverance. (2.) Whatever trials oppress us, it is our comfort that the Judge wanders at the door, and that death shall quickly release us from every burden.

3. He encourages and warns them alternately. Now the just shall live by faith, or the just by faith shall live, in spite of every effort of sin, the world, and Satan, or destroy the life of God in their souls; yea, they shall live with him to eternity: but if any man draws back from Christ and his gospel as apostates, my God, faith God, shall have no pleasure in him, but, contrarrarise, he will be the object of my abhorrence, and suffer all my furious indignation. But we are not of them who draws back unto perdition, such confidence have I towards you; but of them that truly believe to the saving of the soul, faithful unto death, that we may receive the crown of life. Note, (1.) Many go far in profession, who after all prove apostates. (2.) They who have true faith will never draw back unto perdition. (3.) Full experience of God’s keeping us should encourage our increasing confidence in his grace. He will never leave nor forsake us, and then shall we never leave nor forsake him.