The essential holiness and righteousness of God, whereby he cannot bear with the iniquities and provocations of men who betake not themselves unto the only atonement, and that he will by no means acquit the guilty, is intended in this metaphorical expression.

The judgment of God concerning the punishment of sin as an effect of his will, in a way consonant unto the holiness of his nature, and the exigence of his righteousness, is called fire, 1 Cor. iii. 13. But that is not the fire that is here intended. It is devouring, consuming, destroying, such as answereth the severity of God's justice unto the utmost, as Isa. ix. 5, xxx. 33, lxvi. 25; Amos vii. 4; Matt. xviii. 8; 2 Thess. i. 8; Ps. xcvii. 3; Deut. xxxii. 22. Therefore this indignation, or fervour of fire, hath respect unto three things. 1. The holiness of the nature of God; from whence originally this judgment doth proceed, as that which is most suitable thereunto. 2. The righteous act of the will of God; sometimes called his wrath and anger, from the effects of it being suitable unto the holiness of his nature. 3. The dreadful severity of the judgment itself, in its nature and effects, as it is declared in the next words.

I doubt not but respect is had unto the final judgment at the last day, and the eternal destruction of apostates. But yet also it evidently includeth that sore and fiery judgment which God was bringing on the obstinate apostate Jews, in the total destruction of them and their church state by fire and sword. For as such judgments are compared to, and called fire in the Scripture, so this was so singular, so unparalleled in any people of the world, as that it might well be called fiery indignation, or fervour of fire. Besides, it was an eminent pledge and token of the future judgment, and the severity of God therein. Wherefore, it is foretold in expressions that are applicable unto the last judgment. See Matt. xxiv. 29-31; 2 Pet. iii. 10-12.

This indignation, to be executed by fire, is described in the last place by its efficacy and effects: it is the fire that shall devour or eat up the adversaries. The expression is taken from Isa. xxvi. 11. For the fire of thine enemies,' is there, not that which the enemies burn with, but wherewith they shall be burned. Concerning the efficacy and effect of this fire, we may consider, 1. The seasons of its application unto this effect:-μEAλOVTOÇ. 2. The object of it: the adversaries.' 3. The way of its operation:- it shall devour them.'

1. It shall do so, it is not yet come to the effect, it is μeλovros, 'future.' Hence many of them despised it, as that which would never be, 2 Pet. iii. 3-6. But there are three things intimated in this word. 1. That it was in procinctu, in readiness,' not yet come, but ready to come; so is the word used to express that which is future, but ready to make its entrance. 2. That it is certain, it shall and will be: whatever appearances there are of its turning aside, and men's avoiding of it, it will come in its proper season; so speaks the prophet in a like case, Hab. ii. 3. 3. The foundation of the certainty of the coming of this fiery indignation is the irreversible decree of God, accompanied with righteousness, and the measures which infinite wisdom gave unto his patience. This was the unavoidable season that was approaching, when the adversaries had filled up the measure of their sin, and God's providence had saved the elect from this day to come.

Obs. X. There is a determinate time for the accomplishment of all divine threatenings, and the infliction of the severest judgments, which no man can abide or avoid. 'He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world.' So at present there is a sort of men whose damnation sleepeth not, concerning whom he hath sworn that time shall be no more, which is the present state of the antichristian world.

Obs. XI. The certain determination of divine vengeance on the enemies of the gospel, is a motive unto holiness, a supportment under sufferings, in them that believe. Lift up your heads, know your salvation is nigh at hand; what manner of persons ought we to be? See 2 Thess. i. 7-10,

3. There is a description of those on whom this fiery indignation shall have its effects, and it is 'the adversaries,' Tоvç vπεvaνTIOUS. He doth not say, those that believe not, and obey not the gospel, as he doth elsewhere, when he treats absolutely of the day of judgment: as in that place, 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, now mentioned; but it confines them unto those that are adversaries, who from a contrary principle set themselves against the Lord Christ and the gospel. This is the peculiar description of the unbelieving Jews at that time: they did not only refuse the gospel through unbelief, but were actuated by a principle of opposition thereunto; not only as unto themselves, but as unto others, even the whole world: so is their state described, 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16, 'Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they please not God, and are contrary unto all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sin alway, for the wrath is come upon them unto the uttermost.' They laid the foundation of this enmity in killing the Lord Jesus, but they rested not therein, they continued in their unbelief, adhering to their old Judaism, and their sins therein. Nor did they rest there, but persecuted the apostles, drove them out from amongst them, and all that preached the gospel; and this not only with respect unto themselves alone, and those of their own nation, but they set themselves with fury all the world over, against the preaching of the gospel unto the Gentiles, and that of cursed malice, that they might not be saved. See instances of this rage, Acts xiii. 45, xxii. 22, 23. They were properly the adversaries whom the apostle intends, and therefore the judgment, which was peculiar unto them and their sins, in that fearful temporal destruction which did then approach, is intended herein, as well as the equity of the sentence is extended to the general destruction of all unbelievers at the last day.

Obs. XII. The highest aggravations for the greatest sins, is, when men out of a contrary principle of superstition and error, do set themselves maliciously to oppose the doctrine and truth of the gospel, with respect unto themselves and others.

Obs. XIII. There is a time when God will make demonstrations of his wrath and displeasure, against all such adversaries of the gospel, as shall be pledges of his eternal indignation. He will one day deal so with the antichristian persecuting world.

4. What is the effect of this fiery indignation against those adversaries? It shall eat them up, or devour them, EELV. The expression is metaphorical, taken from the nature and efficacious operation of fire; it

eats, devours, swallows up, and consumes all combustible matter that is applied to, or is put into it. That intended, is destruction inevitable, unavoidable, and terrible in the manner of it. See Mal. iv. 1, whence those expressions are taken. Only the similitude is not to be extended beyond the proper intention of it; for fire doth so consume and devour what is put into it, as that it destroys the substance and being thereof, that it shall be no more: it is not so with the fiery indignation that shall consume or devour the adversaries at the last day; it shall devour them as to all happiness, all blessedness, all hopes, comforts, and relief, at once; but it shall not at once utterly consume their being. This is that which this fire shall eternally prey upon, and never utterly consume. But if we make the application of it unto the temporal destruction that came upon them, the similitude holds throughout, for it utterly consumed them, and devoured them, and all that belonged unto them in this world; they were devoured by it.

Obs. XIV. The dread and terror of God's final judgments against the enemies of the gospel, is in itself inconceivable, and only shadowed out by things of the greatest dread and terror in the world. Whence it is so, I shall now declare.

VER. 28, 29.-Αθετησας τις νομον Μωσεως, χωρις οικτίρμων επι δυσιν η τρισι μαρτυσιν αποθνήσκει. Ποσῳ, δοκεῖτε, χειρονος αξιωΘησεται τιμωρίας ὁ τον υἱον του Θεου καταπατησας, και το αἷμα της διαθήκης κοινον ἡγησάμενος εν ᾧ ἡγιασθη, και το Πνεύμα της χαριτος ενυβρισας.

VER. 28, 29.-He that despised Moses' law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

THE apostle confirms what he had spoken of the sore and certain destruction of apostates from the gospel, by an argument à comparatis, and à minori ad majus; that is, by the consideration of the two states of the church, which he had all along compared and expressed. Wherefore, to convince the Hebrews, not only of the certainty and severity of the judgment declared, but also of the equity and righteousness of it, he proposeth unto them the consideration of God's constitution of punishment under the Old Testament, with respect unto the law of Moses, which they could not deny to be just and equal

In ver. 28, he lays down the matter of fact as it was stated under the law; wherein there are three things. 1. The sin whereunto that of apostasy from the gospel is compared; he that despised Moses' law. 2. The punishment of that sin according to the law; he that was guilty of it died without mercy.' 3. The way whereby according unto the law his sin was to be charged on him; it was under two or three witnesses.'

First. Unto the first, two things did concur.

1. It was such a sin as by the law was capital; as murder, adultery,

incest, idolatry, blasphemy, and some others. Concerning them it was provided in the law, that those who were guilty of them should be put to death. God alone by virtue of his sovereignty, could dispense with the execution of this sentence of the law, as he did in the case of David, 2 Sam. xii. 13; but as unto the people, they were prohibited on any account to dispense with it, or forbear the execution of it, Num. xxxv. 31.

2. It was required that he did it presumptuously, or with a high hand, Exod. xxi. 14; Num. xv. 30, 31; Deut. xvii. 12.

He that was thus guilty of sin, in sinning is said to despise Moses' law, adernoaç, alerev, to abolish it, to render it useless, that is, in himself, by contempt of the authority of it, or the authority of God in it. And it is called a contempt, and abolishing of the law, as the word signifies,

1st. Because of God's indulgence unto them therein. For although the general sentence of the law was a curse, wherein death was contained against every transgression thereof, Deut. xxix., yet God had ordained and appointed, that for all their sins of ignorance, infirmity, or surprisal by temptations, an atonement should be made by sacrifice, whereon the guilty were freed as unto the terms of the covenant, and restored to a right unto all the promises of it. Wherein they would not abide in those terms and conditions of the covenant, but transgress the bounds annexed to them, it was a contempt of the whole law, with the wisdom, goodness, and authority of God therein.

2dly. They rejected all the promises of it which were given exclusively unto such sins, nor was there any way appointed of God for their recovery unto an interest in them. Hereby they made themselves lawless persons, contemning the threatenings, and despising the promises of the law, which God would not bear in any of them, Deut. xxix. 18–21.

Obs. I. It is the contempt of God and his authority in his law, that is the gall and poison of sin.-This may be said in some measure of all voluntary sins, and the more there is of it in any sin, the greater is their guilt, and the higher is their aggravation who have contracted it. But there is a degree hereof which God will not bear with; namely, when this presumptuous contempt hath such an influence into any sin, as that no ignorance, no infirmity, no special temptation can be pleaded, unto the extenuation of it. I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.' And sundry things are required hereunto. 1. That it be known unto the sinner, both in point of right and fact, to be such a sin as whereunto the penalty of death without dispensation was annexed. 2. That therefore the sense of God in the law be suggested unto the soul, in and by the ordinary means of it. 3. That the resolution of continuing in it, and the perpetration of it, doth prevail against all convictions and fear of punishment. 4. That motives unto the contrary, with reluctancies of conscience, be stifled or overcome. These things rendered a sinner presumptuous, or caused him to sin with a high hand under the law; whereunto the apostle adds in the next verse, the peculiar aggravations of sin against the gospel. This it is to despise the law of Moses, as it is explained, Num. xv. 30, 31.

Secondly. The punishment of this sin, or of him that was guilty of it, was, that arо0vηoкεt, he died without mercy.' He died, that is, he

was put to death, not always it may be de facto; but such was the constitution of the law, he was to be put to death without mercy. There were several ways of inflicting capital punishments appointed by the law, as hanging on a tree, burning, and stoning. Of all which, and the application of them unto particular cases, I have given a description in the exercitations unto the first volume of these commentaries. And it is said, that he died xwpic oikтipuwv, 'without mercy,' not only because there was no allowance for any such mercy as should save and deliver him, but God had expressly forbidden that either mercy or compassion should be shown in such cases, Deut. xiii. 6-9, xix. 13.

This is expressly added unto the highest instance of despising the law; namely, the decalogue in the foundation of it, whereon all other precepts of the law were built; and that which comprised a total apostasy from the whole law. Wherefore, I doubt not but the apostle had an especial respect unto that sin in its punishment, which had a complete parallel with that whose heinousness he would represent. How

ever,

Obs. II. When the God of mercies will have men show no mercy, as in the temporal punishment; he can and will, upon repentance show mercy as to eternal punishment.-For we dare not condemn all unto hell, whom the law condemned as unto temporal punishment.

Thirdly. The way of execution of this judgment: it was not to be done without, i dvou n rooi paorvou, 'two or three witnesses,' that is, that were so of the fact and crime. The law is express in this case, Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15; Num. xxxv. 30. Although God was very severe in the prescription of these judgments, yet he would give no advantage thereby unto wicked and malicious persons, to take away the lives of innocent men. He rather chose that those who were guilty should, through our weakness, go free for want of evidence against them, than that innocence should be exposed unto the malice of one single testimony or witness. And such abhorrence God had of false witnesses in criminal causes, as that which is most contrary unto his righteousness in the government of the world, as that he established a lex talionis in this case alone; that a false witness should suffer the utmost of what he thought and contrived to bring on one another. The equity of which law is still continued in force, as suitable to the law of nature, and ought to be more observed than it is, Deut. xix. 16-21.

On this proposition of the state of things under the law by God's appointment as to sin and punishment, the apostle makes his inference unto the certainty and equity of the punishment he had declared with respect unto sins against the gospel, ver. 29, ποσῳ χειρονος αξιωθήσεται, &c,' Of how much sorer punishment,' &c. And there is in these words three things: 1. The nature of the sin unto which the punishment is annexed. 2. The punishment itself expressed comparatively with and unto that of the transgression of Moses' law. 3. The evidence of the inference which he makes; for this is such as he refers it unto themselves to judge upon, 'Suppose ye shall be thought worthy?'

The sin itself is described by a threefold aggravation of it, each instance having its especial aggravation: 1. From the object sinned against. 2. From the act of the minds of men in sinning against it.