This may have respect to his work and effect, they are heavenly as opposed to carnal and earthly. But principally it regards his mission by Christ after his ascension into heaven, Acts ii. 33. "Being exalted, and having received the promise of the Father, he sent the Spirit." The promise of him was, that he should be sent from heaven, or from above, as God is said to be above, which is the same with heavenly, Deut. iv. 39. 2 Chron vi. 21. Job xxxi. 2. 28. Isa. ii. 2. and chap. xlv. 8. When he came upon the Lord Christ to anoint him for his work, the heavens were opened, and he came from above, Mat. iii. 16. so Acts ii. 2. At his first coming on the apostles, there came a sound from heaven. Hence he is said to be as a year, that is, to be i daga TE Air, nenugarios, sent from heaven,' 1 Pet. i. 12. Wherefore, although he may be said to be heavenly on other accounts also, which therefore are not absolutely to be excluded, yet his being sent from heaven by Christ, after his ascension thither, and exaltation there, is principally here regarded. He therefore is this i daginn sugarios, the heavenly gift here intended, though not absolutely, but with respect to an especial work.

That which riseth up against this interpretation, is, that the Holy Ghost is expressly mentioned in the next clause," and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost." It is not therefore probable that he should be here also intended.

Answ. 1. It is ordinary to have the same thing twice expressed in various words, to quicken the sense of them; and it is necessary it should be so, when there are divers respects to the same thing, as there are in this place.

2. The following clause may be exegetical of this, declaring more fully and plainly what is here intended, which is usual also in the Scriptures; so that nothing is cogent from this consideration, to disprove an interpretation so suited to the sense of the place, and which the constant use of the word makes necessary to be embraced. But,

3. The Holy Ghost is here mentioned as the great gift of the gospel times, as coming down from heaven, not absolutely, not as to his person, but with respect to an especial work, namely, the change of the whole state of religious worship in the church of God, whereas we shall see in the next words, he is spoken of only with respect to external actual operations. But he was the great, the promised heavenly gift, to be bestowed under the New Testament, by whom God would institute and ordain a new way, and new rites of worship, on the revelation of himself and will in Christ. To him was committed the reformation of all things in the church, whose time was now come, Heb. ix. 19. Te Lord Christ when he ascended into heaven, left all things st nding and continuing in religious worship, as they had done from the days of Moses, though he had virtually put an end to

it. And he commanded his disciples that they should attempt no alteration therein, until " the Holy Ghost were sent from heaven" to enable them thereunto, Acts i. 4, 5. But when he came as the great gift of God, promised under the new Testament, he removes all the carnal worship and ordinances of Moses, and that by the full revelation of the accomplishment of all that was signified by them, and appoints the new, holy, spiritual worship of the gospel, that was to succeed in their room. The Spirit of God therefore, as bestowed for the introduction of the New gospel state, in truth and worship, is the heavenly gift here intended. Thus our apostle warneth these Hebrews, that they "turn_not away from him who speaketh from heaven," chap. xii. 25. that is, Jesus Christ speaking in the dispensation of the gospel by the Holy Ghost sent from heaven. And there is an antithesis included herein, between the law and the gospel, the former being given on earth, the latter being immediately from heaven. God in the giving of the law made use of the ministry of angels, and that on the earth; but he gave the gospel church state, by that Spirit, which although he worketh on men in earth, and is said in every act or work to be sent from heaven, yet is he still in heaven, and always speaking from thence; as our Saviour said of himself with respect to his divine nature, John iii. 13.

eat.

Secondly, We may inquire what it is to "taste" of this heavenly gift. The expression of tasting is metaphorical, and signifies no more but to make a trial or experiment, for so we do by tasting, naturally and properly of that which is tendered to us to We taste such things by the sense given us naturally to discern our food, and then either receive or refuse them as we find occasion. It doth not therefore include eating, much less digestion and turning into nourishment of what is so tasted. For its nature being only thereby discerned, it may be refused, yea, though we like its relish and savour on some other consideration. Some have observed that to taste is as much as to eat, as 2 Sam. iii. 35. "I will not taste bread or ought else." But the meaning is, I will not so much as taste it, whence it was impossible he should eat it. And when Jonathan says he only tasted a little of the honey, 1 Sam. xiv. 29. it was an excuse and extenuation of what he had done. But it is unquestionably used for some kind of experience of the nature of things, Prov. xxxi. 18. She tasteth that her merchandize is good," or hath experience of it from its increase. Psal. xxxiv. 8. “O taste and see that the Lord is good," which Peter respects, 1 Pet. ii. 3. "If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious," or found it so by experience. It is therefore properly to make an experiment or trial of any thing, whether it be received or refused; and is sometimes opposed to eating and digestion, as Mat. xxvii. 34. That therefore which is ascribed to these persons, is, that they

had an experience of the power of the Holy Ghost, that gift of God in the dispensation of the gospel, the revelation of the truth, and institution of the spiritual worship of it; of this state and of the excellency of it, they had made some trial, and had some experience, a privilege which all men were not made partakers of. And by this taste they were convinced, that it was far more excellent than what they had been before accustomed to, although now they had a mind to leave the finest wheat for their old acorns. Wherefore, although tasting contain a diminution in it, if compared with that spiritual eating and drinking, with that digestion of gospel truths, turning them into nourishment, which are in true believers; yet absolutely considered, it denotes that apprehension and experience of the excellency of the gospel, as administered by the Spirit, which is a great privilege and spiritual advantage, the contempt whereof will prove an unspeakable aggravation of the sin, and the remediless ruin of apostates. The meaning then of this character given concerning these apostates is, that they had some experience of the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit from heaven, in gospel administrations and worship. For what some say of faith it hath here no place; and what others affirm of Christ, and his being the gift of God, comes in the issue to what we have proposed. And we may observe farther, to clear the design of the apostle in this commination,

Obs. IV. That all the gifts of God under the gospel are peculiarly heavenly, John iii. 12. Eph. i. 3.—and that in opposition, 1. To earthly things, Col. iii. 11, 12. 2 To carnal ordinances, Heb. ix. 23. Let them beware by whom they are despised.

Obs. V. The Holy Ghost, for the revelation of the mysteries of the gospel, and the institution of the ordinances of spiritual worship, is the great gift of God under the New Testament.

Obs. VI. There is a goodness and excellency in this heavenly gift, which may be tasted or experienced in some measure by such as never receive him, in their life, power and efficacy.They may taste, 1. Of the word in its truth, not its power. 2. Of the worship of the church in its outward order, not its inward beauty. 3. Of the gifts of the church, not its graces.

Obs. VII. A rejection of the gospel, its truth and worship, after some experience had of their worth and excellency, is a high aggravation of sin, and a certain presage of destruction.

The third property whereby these persons are described is added in those words, και μετοχές γενηθέντας Πνεύματος άγιε, 6 and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.' This is placed in the middle or centre of the privileges enumerated, two preceding it, and two following after, as that which is the root and animating principle of them all. They all are effects of the Holy Ghost, in his gifts or his graces, and so do depend on the participation of him.

Now men do so partake of the Holy Ghost, as they do receive him. And he may be received either as to personal inhabitation, or as to spiritual operations. In the first way the world cannot receive him, John xiv. 17. where the world is opposed to true believers, and therefore these here intended were not in that sense partakers of him. His operations respect his gifts. So to partake of him is to have a share, part or portion in what he distributes by way of spiritual gifts; in answer to that expression, "all these worketh that one and self-same Spirit, dividing unto every one severally as he will," 1 Cor. xii. 11. So Peter told Simon the magician, that he had no part in spiritual gifts, he was not partaker of the Holy Ghost, Acts viii. 21. Wherefore to be partaker of the Holy Ghost, is to have a share in and benefit of his spiritual operations.

But whereas the other things mentioned are also gifts or oper ations of the Holy Ghost, on what ground, or for what reason, is this mentioned here in particular, that they were made partakers of him, which, if his operations only be intended, seems to be expressed in the other instances?

Answ. 1. It is, as we observed before, no unusual thing in the Scripture, to express the same thing under various notions, the more effectually to impress a consideration and sense of it in our mind; especially where an expression hath a singular emphasis in it, as this hath here used. For it is an exceeding aggravation of the sins of these apostates, that in these things they were partakers of the Holy Ghost.

2. As was before intimated also, this participation of the Holy Ghost, is placed, it may be, in the midst of the several parts of this description, as that whereon they do all depend, and they are all but instances of it. They were partakers of the Holy Ghost, in that they were once enlightened, and so of the rest.

3. It expresseth their own personal interest in these things. They had an interest in the things mentioned, not only objectively, as they were proposed and presented to them in the church, but subjectively, they themselves in their own persons were made partakers of them. It is one thing for a man to have a share in, and benefit by the gifts of the church, another to be personally himself endowed with them.

4. To remind them in an especial manner of the privileges they enjoyed under the gospel, above what they had in their Judaism. For, whereas then they had not so much as heard that there was a Holy Ghost, that is a blessed dispensation of him in spiritual gifts, Acts xix. 2. now they themselves in their own persons were made partakers of him, than which there could be no greater aggravation of their apostasy. And we may observe in our way, that

Obs. VIII. The Holy Ghost is present with many as to power

ful operations, with whom he is not present as to gracious inhabitation. Or, many are made partakers of him in his spiritual gifts, who are never made partakers of him in his saving graces, Mat. vii. 22, 23.

Fourthly, It is added in the description, that they had tasted καλον Θεό ρημα, 'the good word of God.' And we must inquire, 1. What is meant by the word of God.' 2. How it is said to be good.' And 3. In what sense they taste' of it.

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1. Pau, is properly, verbum dictum, a word spoken ;' and although it be sometimes used in another sense by our apostle, and by him alone, chap. i. 3. xi. 3. where it denotes the effectual active power of God; yet both the signification of the word, and its principal use elsewhere, denotes words spoken, and when applied to God, his word as preached and declared. See Rom. x. 17. John vi. 68. "The word of God," that is, the word of the gospel as preached, is that which they thus tasted of. But it may be said, that they enjoyed the word of God in their state of Judaism. They did so, as to the written word; for to them were committed the oracles of God, Rom. iii. 2. But it is the word of God as preached in the dispensation of the gospel that is eminently thus called, and concerning which such excellent things are spoken, Rom. i. 16. Acts xx. 32. Jam. i. 21.

2. The word is said to be xaλor, good,' desirable, amiable, as the word here used signifieth. Wherein it is so, we shall see immediately. But whereas the word of God preached under the dispensation of the gospel may be considered two ways, 1. In general, as to the whole system of truths contained therein; and 2. In especial for the declaration made of the accomplishment of the promise, in sending Jesus Christ for the redemption of the church; it is here especially intended in this latter sense. This is emphatically called inua Kugi, 1 Pet i. 25. So the pro-. mise of God in particular is called his good word, Jer. xxix. 10. "After seventy years I will visit you and perform my good word towards you," as he calls it, the good thing that he had promised, chap. xxxiii. 14. The gospel is the good tidings of peace and salvation by Jesus Christ, Isa. lii. 7.

3. Hereof they are said to taste,' as they were before of the heavenly gift. The apostle as it were studiously keeps himself to this expression, on purpose to manifest that he intendeth not those, who by faith do readily receive food, and live on Jesus. Christ, as tendered in the word of the gospel, John'vi. 35. 49, 50, 51. 54, 55. It is, as if he had said, I speak not of those who have received and digested the spiritual food of their souls, and turned it to spiritual nourishment, but of such as have so far tasted of it, as that they ought to have desired it as sincere milk, to have grown thereby; but they had received such an experiment of its divine truth and power, as that it had various effects