comfort under difficulties, is a sinful forgetfulness, and is of dangerous consequence to our souls. We shall be left to fainting; for whatsoever things were written aforehand, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, Rom. xv. 4.

Again, in their trials, and to prevent their fainting, the apostle sends these Hebrews to the Scripture, which, as it proves that they ought to be conversant in it, so it demonstrates the springs of all spiritual strength, direction, and consolation to be contained in them. And if this be the mind of Christ, then he that would deprive the people of the constant daily use of the Scripture, is antichrist.

Fourthly. In the manner of the exhortation, ήτις ὑμῖν ὡς υἱοις Siadeyera, which speaketh unto you as unto children,' there are sundry things very remarkable.

1. It is said to speak. The Scripture is not a dumb and silent letter, as some have blasphemed. It hath a voice in it, the voice of God himself. And speaking is frequently ascribed to it, John vii. 42, xix. 37; Rom. iv. 3, ix. 17, x. 11; Gal. iv. 30; Jam. iv. 5. And if we hear not the voice of God in it continually, it is because of our unbelief, Heb. iii. 7, 15.

2. The word which was spoken so long before by Solomon to the church in that generation, is said to be spoken to these Hebrews. For the Holy Ghost is always present in the word of the Scripture, and speaks in it equally and alike to the church in all ages. He doth in it speak as immediately to us, as if we were the first and only persons to whom he spake. And this should teach us with what reverence we ought to attend to the Scripture, namely, as to the way and means whereby God himself speaks directly to us.

3. The word here used is peculiar, and in this place only is applied to the speaking of the Scripture. Atadeyeral, it argues,' 'it pleads,' it maintains a holy conference with us. It presseth the mind and will of God on us. And we shall find the force of its arguing, if we keep it

not off by our unbelief.

4. There is the infinite condescension of God in it that he speaks to us as sons, which is proved by the application of the text, My son.' The words are originally the words of Solomon, not as a natural father, speaking to his own son after the flesh; but as a prophet and teacher of the church in the name of God, or of the Holy Ghost which speaks in him and by him. It is a representation of the authority and love of God as a father. For whereas these words have a respect to a time of trouble, affliction, and chastisement, it is of unspeakable concernment to us, to consider God under the relation of a father, and that in them he speaks to us as sons. The words spoken by Solomon were spoken by God himself. Although the words 'my son,' are used only to denote the persons to whom the exhortation is given, yet the apostle looks in the first place into the grace contained in them. He speaks to us as to This he puts a remark on, because our gratuitous adoption is the foundation of God's gracious dealings with us. And this, if any thing, is meet to bind our minds to a diligent compliance with this divine ex

sons.

hortation, namely, the infinite condescension and love of God, in owning of us as sons in all our trials and afflictions. And,

Obs. VI. Usually God gives to believers the most evident pledges of their adoption, when they are in their sufferings and under their afflictions. Then do they most stand in need of them, then do they most set off the love and care of God towards us.

'My son,' is an appellation that a wise and tender father would make use of, to reduce his child to consideration and composure of mind, when he sees him nigh to disorder or despondency, under pain, sickness, trouble, or the like. My son, let it not be thus with thee.' God sees us under our afflictions and sufferings, ready to fall into discomposures, with excesses of one kind or another; and thereon applies himself to us with this endearing expression, My children.'

But if God have this kindness for believers, and no affliction or suffering can befal them, but by his ordering and disposition, why doth he not prevent them, and preserve them in a better state and condition? I answer, that the wisdom, the love, the necessity of this divine dispensation, is that which the apostle declares in the following verses, as we shall see.

Fifthly. The exhortation itself consisteth of two parts. 1. Not to despise the chastening of the Lord. 2. Not to faint when we are rebuked of him.

Although it be God himself principally that speaks the words in the first person, yet here he is spoken of in the third; of the Lord,' and of him,' formy,' and 'by me,' which is usual in Scripture, and justifieth our speaking to God in prayer, sometimes in the second, sometimes in the third person.

All our miscarriages under our sufferings and afflictions may be reduced to these two heads. And we are apt to fall into one of these extremes, namely, either to despise chastisements, or to faint under them.

Against the first we are cautioned in the first place, and the word of caution being in the singular number, we have well rendered it, ‘despise not thou,' that every individual person may conceive himself spoken to in particular, and hear God speaking these words to him. And we may consider, 1. What is this rηs Taideias, chastening' of the Lord. 2. What it is to despise it. The word is variously rendered,' doctrine.' 'institution,'' correction,' chastisement,'' discipline.' And it is such correction as is used in the liberal, ingenuous education of children by their parents, as is afterwards declared. We render it' nurture,' Eph. vi. 4, where it is joined with vovɛσia, that is, 'instruction,' and 2 Tim. iii. 16. It is distinguished both from 'reproof,' and correction,' whence we render it instruction.' And raidevw, the verb, is used in both these senses, sometimes to teach, or to be taught, learned, instructed, Acts vii. 22, xxii. 3; 1 Tim. i. 20; 2 Tim. ii. 25; sometimes to correct or chastise, Luke xxiii. 16, 22; 1 Cor. xi. 32; Rev. iii. 19. Wherefore it is a correction for instruction. So it is expressed by the psalmist, Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law,' Ps. xciv. 12. So doth God deal with his children, so is it necessary that he should do. It is needful that divine

institution or instruction should be accompanied with correction. We stand in need of it in this world.

But that which I would principally look on in the words, is the application of this exhortation unto us under sufferings, troubles, and persecutions for the gospel, which is here used by the apostle. For whereas we can see nothing in them but the wrath and rage of men, thinking them causeless, and perhaps needless; they are indeed rov Kupiov, God's chastisements of us, for our education and instruction in his family. And if we duly considered them as such, applying ourselves to learn what we are taught, we shall pass through them more to our advantage than usually we do. Let us bend our minds unto that, which is the proper work that in our persons we are called unto, and we shall find the benefit of them all.

First. That which we are cautioned against, with respect unto chastening for this end, is, that we 'despise it not,' un odiywpet. The word is nowhere used in the Scripture, but in this place only. It signifies to 'set lightly by,' to have little esteem of, not to value any thing according to its worth and use. The Hebrew word, which the apostle renders hereby, is on, which is commonly rendered by aπodokiμalεiv, 'to reprobate, to reject, to despise ;' sometimes by Covĺεvev, pro nihilo reputare, to have no esteem of." We render the apostle's word by 'despise,' which yet doth not intend a despising that is so formally, but only interpretatively. Directly to despise and contemn, or reject the chastisements of the Lord, is a sin that perhaps none of his sons or children do fall into. But not to esteem of them as we ought, not to improve them unto their proper end, not to comply with the will of God in them, is interpretatively to despise them. Wherefore the evil cautioned against is, First. Want of a due regard unto divine admonitions and instructions in all our troubles and afflictions; and that ariseth either from, 1. Inadvertency: we look on them, it may be, as common accidents of life, wherein God hath no especial hand or design; or, 2. Stout-heartedness: it may be they are but in smaller things, as we esteem them, such as we may bear with the resolution of men, without any especial application unto the will of God in them. Secondly. In the want of the exercise of the wisdom of faith, to discern what is of God in them. As, 1. Love to our persons. 2. His displeasure against our sins. 3. The end which he aims at, which is our instruction and sanctification. Thirdly, In the want of a sedulous application of our souls unto his call and mind in them. 1. In a holy submission unto his will. 2. In a due reformation of all things wherewith he is displeased. 3. In the exercise of faith for support under them, &c. Where there is a want of these things, we are said interpretatively to despise the chastening of the Lord, because we defeat the end, and lose the benefit of them, no less than if we did despise them.

Obs. VII. It is a tender case to be under troubles and afflictions, which requires our utmost diligence, watchfulness, and care about it.— God is in it, acting as a father and a teacher: if he be not duly attended unto, our loss by them will be inexpressible.

Secondly. The second caution is, that we faint not, λeyxoμevol, 'when we are reproved.' For this is the second evil which we are

liable unto under troubles and afflictions. The word, both in the Hebrew and in the Greek, signifies a reproof by rational conviction.' The same thing materially with that of chastisement is intended; but under this formal consideration, that there is in that chastisement a convincing reproof. God, by the discovery unto ourselves of our hearts and ways, it may be, in things which we before took no notice of, convinceth us of the necessity of our troubles and afflictions. He makes us understand wherefore it is that he is displeased with us; and what is our duty hereon, is declared, Hab. ii. 1—4, namely, to accept of his reproof, to humble ourselves before him, and to betake ourselves unto the righteousness of faith for relief.

That which we are subject unto, when God makes his chastisements to be reproofs also, (which is not always, but when we are uncompliant with his will, in a peculiar manner, for which we are reproved,) is 'to faint.' The word hath been opened on ver. 3.

And this fainting under God's reproofs consists in four things. 1. Despondency, and heartless dejection in our own minds, which David encourageth himself against, Ps. xlii. 5, 6, xliii. 5. 2. Heartless complaints, to the discouragement of others; see ver. 12, 13. 3. Omission, or giving over our necessary duty, which befals many in times of persecution, ch. x. 25, 26. 4. In judging amiss of the dealings of God, either as unto the greatness or length of our trials, or as unto his design in them, Isa. xl. 27-31. And we may learn,

Obs. VIII. That when God's chastisements in our troubles and afflictions are reproofs also, when he gives us a sense in them of his displeasure against our sins, and we are reproved by him; yet even then he requires of us that we should not faint nor despond, but cheerfully apply ourselves unto his mind and calls.—This is the hardest case a believer can be exercised withal; namely, when his troubles and afflictions are also in his own conscience reproofs for sin.

Obs. IX. A sense of God's displeasure against our sins, and of his reproving us for them, is consistent with an evidence of our adoption, yea, may be an evidence of it, as the apostle proves in the next verses. The sum of the instruction in this verse, is, that,

Obs. X. A due consideration of this sacred truth, namely, that all our troubles, persecutions, and afflictions, are divine chastisements and reproofs, whereby God evidenceth unto us our adoption, and that he instructs us for our advantage, is an effectual means to preserve us in patience and perseverance unto the end of our trials. They who have no experience of it have no knowledge of these things.

VER. 6. Ον γαρ αγαπα Κυριος παιδευει· μαστιγοι δε παντα υἱον όν παραδέχεται.

The apostle, proceeding with the divine testimony unto his purpose recorded by Solomon, retaining the sense of the whole exactly, changeth the words in the latter clause. For instead of and as a father the son in whom he delighteth,' with whom he is pleased, he supplies μαστιγοι δε παντα υἱον ὁν παραδέχεται, “ and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.' In the Proverbs, the words are exegetical of

these foregoing, by an allusion unto an earthly parent: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. In the apostle, they are farther explanatory of what was before affirmed: but the sense is the same. And the reason of the change seems to be, because the apostle would apply the name of 'son,' from whence he argues unto them principally intended, namely, the children of God; and not unto them who are occasionally mentioned in the allusion, which are the children of earthly parents. Or we may say, that the apostle makes this addition, confirming what was before spoken; seeing he fully explains the similitude of the latter clause in the original, in the following verses. However, the sense in both places is absolutely the same.

The Syriac, in the latter clause, reads, in the plural number, 'the sons,' and in the last words retains the Hebraism, 1 3 1777, ′ in whom he willeth,' from ; that is, is well pleased.'

There may be a double distinction in reading of the last clause. Some place the incisum, or note of distinction, at wavra, and then the sense is,' He scourgeth every one whom he receiveth or acknowledgeth as a son;' some at viov, as we render it, 'every son whom he receiveth', which is the better reading.

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VER. 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

There is a reason given us in these words, why we should not faint under divine chastisements, as the redditive conjunction 'for,' signifies. And this reason consists in a general rule, whereby what is spoken before is confirmed as highly reasonable, and way is made for what ensues. And this rule is of that nature, as is suited to answer all objections against the doctrine of afflictions, and God's dealing with us in them; which, when we come to the trial, we shall find to be many. And this rule is, that all these things are to be referred unto the sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness of God. This, saith he, is the way of God; thus it seems good to him to deal with his children; thus he may do, because of his sovereign dominion over all; may not he do what he will with his own? This he doth in infinite wisdom, for their good and advantage; as also to evidence his love unto them and care of them. And this is that which we are principally taught in these words; namely,

Obs. I. That in all our afflictions, the resignation of ourselves unto the sovereign pleasure, infinite wisdom, and goodness of God, is the only means or way of preserving us from fainting, weariness, or neglect of duty. After all our arguings, desires, and pleas, this is that which we must come unto, whereof we have an illustrious instance and example in Job; see ch. xxxiii. 12, 13, xxxiv. 18, 19, 23, 31-33, xlii. 4-6.

First. In the first part of the testimony given unto the sovereignty and wisdom of God, in the ways and methods of his dealing with his children, we are instructed,

Obs. II. That love is antecedent unto chastening: He chastens

VOL. IV.

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