remission of sins, and a partial justification from them, or a full remission of all their sins, and a plenary discharge from them, not a partial one; for when God forgives for Christ's sake, he forgives all trespasses, and justifies from all sin: if then these persons had received the forgiveness of all their sins, and were justified from all their iniquities, they would have stood in no need of any more sacrifice for sin; see Heb. x. 18, nor would there be any foundation for punishment of any kind, much less for one so severe as is here represented; see Rom. viii. 1, 30, 33. If then these words are to be considered as spoken of these apostates, the meaning of them is, either that they were sanctified, or separated from others, by a visible profession of religion, had given themselves up to a church, to walk with them in the ordinances of the gospel, had submitted to baptism, and partook of the Lord's supper, and drank of the cup, the blood of the new testament, or covenant; though they did not spiritually discern the body and blood of Christ in that ordinance; but counted the bread and wine, the symbols thereof, as common things; or that they professed themselves, and were looked upon by others, to be truly sanctified by the Spirit, and justified by the blood of Christ. Persons are often described, not by what they really are, but by what they are thought to be. Thus the apostle writing to the Corinthians, says of them all, that they were sanctified in Christ Jesus, and by his Spirit, because they professed themselves to be so, and in the opinion of others, were so; though it cannot be thought that they were all of them really so. But after all, it seems most probable, that not he that trod the Son of God under foot, but the Son of God himself, is said here to be sanctified by the blood of the covenant: which is mentioned as an aggravation of the wickedness of such that count that blood unholy, by which the Son of God himself was sanctified, that is, set apart, hallowed, and consecrated; as Aaron and his sons were by the sacrifices of slain beasts, to minister in the priest's office: Christ, when he had offered himself, and shed his precious blood, whereby the covenant of grace was ratified and confirmed, was, through the blood of that covenant, brought again from the dead, and declared to be the Son of God with power; and being set down at God's right hand, ever lives to make intercession for us: which is the other part of his priestly office he is sanctified by his own blood to accomplish.

2. The crimes which are supposed of these persons, or they are charged with, such as sinning wilfully; which is not to be understood of the common infirmities of life, or even grosser acts of sin, which may be voluntarily committed by the saints after regeneration, as were by David, Peter, and others; but of a denial of the truth of the gospel, that salvation is by Christ, against all the evidence of it, and convictions of their own minds: treading under foot the Son of God, as much as in them lay, pulling him from his throne, and trampling on him, stripping him of the glory of his person and sacrifice, denying him to be the eternal Son of God; counting the blood of the covenant an unholy or common thing, putting it upon a level with the blood of a bullock, or at most, counting it, wa T, according to the Syriac

version, as the blood of any other man, yea, reckoning it as unclean and abominable; and doing despite to the Spirit of grace, rejecting him as a lying spirit, and his gifts, and miracles, as illusions, as Dr. Whitby observes; I say such crimes as these, are what can never be thought to have been committed, or capable of being committed, by such who have truly tasted that the Lord is gracious.

3. The declaration made to these persons, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; no more typical sacrifices at Jerusalem, nor any more real sacrifice of the same kind, that has been offered up by Christ, who will not come and die again, and repeat his sacrifice; and therefore, they having denied salvation by him, and the virtue of his former saerifice, can never expect another; but that when he appears a second time, he will bring on an awful judgment, which will issue in the devouring flames of his wrath and indignation, and be a sorer punishment than the transgressors of Moses's law endured; which was but a temporal, this an eternal death; such a declaration of wrath and vengeance, I say, proves indeed that these persons fell finally and totally; but inasmuch as they cannot be proved to be true believers, it will not be evident from hence, either that Christ died for such as perish; or that those who have truly believed may totally and finally fall away.

SECTION LII.

Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.-HEB. x. 38.

THE doctrine of the possibility of the final departure of true believers from the faith, is said† to be still farther evident from these words: Wherefore,

1. For the right understanding of this passage it will be proper to consult the original text in Hab. ii. 4, from whence it is taken. The word by, which the Septuagint have rendered by vпоσтεíληται, here used by the apostle, and in our version translated draw back, is, according to R. David Kimchi‡, pay an ab na, expressive of pride and haughtiness of heart; and according to Jarchi§ is my pub, a word that has the signification of impudence in it; R. Moses Kimchi § takes it to be the same with boy, which signifies a tower or fortified place; and thinks it designs one that betakes himself to such a place for shelter from the enemy, and seeks not to God for deliverance; from all which senses of the word we may conclude that such an one is intended who is proud, haughty, vain and conceited, lifted up with his own righteousness, in which he trusts, and in which he imagines himself to be safe from all evil; and so stands opposed to the just man who lives by faith, walks humbly with God, in a dependence, not on his own, but Christ's righteousness, in which he is safe from all wrath * Page 141, 406; ed. 2. 138, 396. Whitby, p. 407; ed. 2. 397. In loc. § Ibid.

§ In R. David Kimchi in loc., and in lib. Shorash. rad. y. So Philip Aquinas in Lex. rad.

עפל

and condemnation, and secure of the divine favour; while the other will be so far from being the object of God's delight and pleasure, that he will lie under his sad displeasure, and feel his keen and just resentment. The Greek word inоσTeiλntai, used by the Septuagint and the apostle, signifies a withdrawing through fear, as Peter withdrew because of the circumcision, Gal. ii. 12, and may here intend a forsaking the assemblies of the saints (ver. 25, which was the manner of some), and all the ordinances of public worship, through fear of reproach, scandal, and persecution, withholding truth, shunning to declare it, or to maintain a profession of it, contrary to what the apostle Paul says of himself, Acts xx. 20, 27, where this word is twice used, and may design one who UTOKρíveтα, doλieveтai, plays the hypocrite, and deals deceitfully, as a late writer observes, the word is rendered by Hesychius and Suidas; than which, to do in religious affairs especially, nothing is more abominable to God; and, in short, may be expressive of an entire departure and total apostacy from the faith, not from true saving faith, but from a mere profession of the grace and doctrine of faith. But then,

2. It must be observed, that èàv iñоσтεíληται, if he or any one draws back, does not refer plainly, as it is said t, to the just man who lives by his faith; for as the drawer back, in ver. 39, stands opposed to him that believes to the saving of his soul; so the drawer back, in ver. 38, stands opposed to the just that lives by faith, which is owned by the author I refer to, and consequently cannot be the same person; this will still more fully appear from the order of the words in Hab. ii. 4, he that is lifted up, or withdraws himself, or fails, his soul, that is, God's, shall have no pleasure in him; but the just shall live by his faith; therefore the words do not plainly suppose, as is asserted §, that the just man who lives by that faith, in which, if he persisted, he would save his soul, may draw back to perdition; nor is this evident from the ensuing words, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, for they do not plainly intimate, as is affirmed, that God took pleasure in him before his drawing back; since it is not said, my soul shall have no more, or no further pleasure in him, but shall have no pleasure in him; which does not necessarily suppose that he had any pleasure in him before, but that he should have none in him hereafter. Besides, such who are the objects of God's delight and pleasure are always so; nothing can separate from the love of God, which is always joined with delight in his people.

3. Admitting that the words do plainly refer to the just man that lives by faith, such a one cannot draw back to perdition; for that is denied in the following verse; is contrary to an express declaration, a just man fulleth seven times a day, and riseth up again ||; and inconsistent with a divine promise, the righteous shall hold on his way ¶; and even with this in the text, the just shall live by faith; and therefore shall not die the second death, or so draw back as to be eternally lost; though his zeal may abate, his love grow cold, and he fall from some Whitby, p. 408; ed. 2. 397. Ibid.

§ Whitby, p. 408; ed. 2. 397.

Vide Pocock Not. Misc. in Port. Mosis, p. 43, 44. ¶ Job xvii. 9.

Prov. xxiv. 16.

degree of steadfastness in faith; but allowing that drawing back to perdition is here supposed of the just man, it is no more than an hypothetical proposition, which proves not that ever any just man did, could, or should so draw back. The nature and use of such conditional propositions, in which the condition, or thing supposed is impossible, has been shown under the foregoing section. But it is observed, that kal làv, may be rendered not hypothetically, and if, but and when he draweth back: be it so, it is well known that a condition is as well and as frequently expressed by when, the adverb of time, as by the conjunction if, of which numerous instances might be given. The objection from the impossibility of the condition, and the uselessness of threats founded thereon, is answered in the preceding section.

4. I see not why the supplement any man, should not stand, made by our translators, which the grammatical construction of the words seems to require. Grotius owns the justness of it. Now this carries off the sense from the just man that lives by faith, to any of those who had made an external profession of religion, but were withdrawing themselves from the communion of the saints, through fear of persecution, who are threatened with the just resentment and displeasure of the Almighty; but lest this should be startling and surprising to true believers, the apostle adds, but we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. So far is this from proving the final and total apostacy of real saints, that it establishes the doctrine of their final perseverance; for he that is just or righteous by the everlasting righteousness of Christ, will ever remain so; who will live spiritually, and that by that faith which will never fail, and is inseparably connected with salvation, and so he shall never die.

SECTION LIII.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.-2 PET. i. 10. It is said, "That the election mentioned in the Holy Scriptures is not that of particular persons, but only of churches and nations; that it is to the enjoyment of the means of grace which puts them in a capacity of having all the privileges and blessings which God hath promised to his church and people, and is only a conditional one, upon our perseverance in a life of holiness, and is to be made sure unto us by good works, according to this exhortation." But,

I. Though it will be granted that there was a national election of the Jews, who enjoyed the means of grace, the word and ordinances of God, and had peculiar blessings and privileges in consequence of this special choice of them as a nation; yet this was not an election to salvation elsewhere spoken of, and about which our controversy is, and therefore in vain are so many passages produced by Dr. Whitby+, out of the Old Testament, to prove what nobody denies. And though *Whitby, p. 409; ed. 2. 398. † Ibid. P. 36;

ed. 2. 35. Pages 37-10; ed. 2. 36-39.

sometimes whole communities or churches are by the apostles styled the elect of God, as the churches of Colosse, Thessalonica, Babylon *, and others, yet they were not chosen as such; nor is it to be thought that all of them were ordained to eternal life, though the apostles speak of them in the bulk as the elect of God, being under a visible profession of religion; just as they call them all saints, the sanctified, and faithful in Christ Jesus; though it is not to be supposed that all the individual members of these churches were real saints. However, it does not appear that the persons the apostle Peter wrote his epistles to were either a nation or a church, being the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia +; they are indeed called a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; but that is only in allusion to typical Israel, and the shadowy election of that people as a nation. It is certain that these persons were chosen not merely to external means and outward blessings and privileges, but to grace here, and glory hereafter; for they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus; and in consequence of this were begotten again to a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven, and were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation §. They were a set of particular persons, who had obtained like precious faith with the apostles ||, and were every one to use diligence to make sure their own, and not another's calling and election ; and so not a national or church-election, but a personal one.

2. This election is not a conditional one, depending on perseverance in a life of holiness. The text does not say, if ye do these things ye shall be elected, or your election shall remain firm and sure, but ye shall never fall; meaning, not into lesser sins and infirmities of life, for in many things we offend all, πтαιóμev åñaνтes, we all full; but into the great evil of a final and total apostacy; or ye shall never fall ¶, so as to be lost and perish. The final perseverance of the saints is secured by electing grace; that is not the cause, but the fruit of election; election does not depend upon that, but that upon election.

3. Election and calling here mentioned with it, are to be made sure : not that they can be made surer in themselves, nor with respect to God, than they are, being both not according to our works, but according to the purpose and grace of God, which cannot be frustrated; and so stand upon a sure foundation, which can never fail, and are insepably connected with glorification, Rom. viii. 30. Nor are these to be made sure by the saints to themselves, for, though they may have some doubts and scruples in their minds about their interest in these things, and an assurance of which may be attained; yet it is not their work, but the work of the Spirit of God, to certify or assure them of their vocation and election of God. But diligence is to be used by the saints, to make sure their calling and election to others; either to their fellow-Christians, which they may do by conversing with them about Col. iii. 12; 1 Thess. i. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 13; 1 Pet. v. 13. §1 Pet. i. 2-5. || 2 Pet. i, 1.

+1 Pet. i. 1.

James iii. 2.

Ch. ii. 9.