wood." Now it is certain that the apostle quoted this passage to shew these Hebrews, that they were in danger of the same kind of evil which their predecessors were in danger of in the days of Moses and the prophets. But that was the evil of APOSTASY, or turning away from the Lord their God. Therefore it was APOSTASY, or turning away from the Lord our GOD, that the apostle intended in this passage.

And so evident is the truth of this, that Calvinists and Arminians equally agree in asserting it. Dr. Hammond expounds the place, "Taking all care that ye walk like Christians, THAT YE FALL NOT OFF from the gospel state." Dr. Whitby tell us, that usspnxevas, is the same with aqısadar, to depart from the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, or, to depart from the faith, and, by so doing fall short of the promised rest, Heb. iv. 1. The words of the apostle, and

66

* Hammond on the place.

his scope, which is to prevent the Jews from BACKSLIDING from Christianity to Judaism, and the following exhortation, not to refuse him that speaketh now, ver. 25. and ExE TH Xapy, to RETAIN AND HOLD FAST the grace of God, ver. 28. sufficiently shew." So Mr. G. M. in his learned

and judicious comment, saith, "The author here alludes to the words of Moses, Deut. xxix. 18. wherein he likewise speaketh of APOSTATES. By roots of bitterness-he understands APOSTATES." Mr. Trapp's observation is, "Perseverance crowns all;" from whence it is evident that he understood the passage as speaking of perseverance. Dr. Doddridge's paraphrase is, "Look to it therefore, with the greatest attention and care, for yourselves and one another, lest any one, BY APOSTASY from the christian religion, fall short of the grace of GOD." In king Edward the Sixth's

*Whitby on the place. See on the place. Trapp's Comment on the place. ¡Dr.Doddridge on the place.

bible it is, "Take heed that no man FALL AWAY from the GRACE of God ;" and on these words, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you," &c. the Note is, "Of heresies, or APOSTASY."* The continuators of Pool render it fail of, or 66 FALL FROM" the GRACE of GOD.† Beza hath it, "Take heed that no man FALL FROM,"&c. and on those words, lest any root of bitterness, &c. the Note is, "That no heresy or BACKSLIDING be an offence." Dr. Heylin saith, "Superintend what passes among you, lest any one should FALL AWAY FROM The Dutch Annotators expound it, "Looking to it lest any one stay behind [that is,abide behind, TURN AWAY]from the grace of GOD." Mr. Henry saith, "Here the apostle enters a serious caveat against APOSTASY, and backs it with an awful example." It is therefore certain that

GRACE."

*King Edward's Bible on the place. †Pool's Comment. Beza in loc. ¡Heylin on the place. Dutch Annot. on the place. ry on the place.

Hen

falling away, or apostasy, was the evil spoken of in this place.

18. The next proof of the proposition we have in verse 25, of the same chapter. "See that ye refuse not him. that speaketh for if they escaped not, who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if WE TURN FROM HIM, αποτρεφόμενος, or turning away from him that speaketh from heaven. The evil here spoken of is, TURNING AWAY from him that speaketh from heaven; that is, from Christ. But the question is, What is meant by turning away from him? It cannot mean, to turn away so as never to give him a hearing : seeing that these Hebrews had already heard him in this sense, as we learn from chap. ii. verse 1, yca, and believed in him also, to the saving of the soul, chap. x. ver. 38. Therefore to turn away from him must signify, to discontinue their hearing of him or, to refuse to PERSEVERE in hearing him.--This is evident from hence, that the turning away with

M

which the apostle compared what he intended here, was of this sort. The Israelites of old had for some time hearkened to, and obeyed Moses when they were in Egypt; but when they were got through the Red Sea, into the wilderness, they turned away, they rebelled against him, and would not hearken unto him any longer: see Numb. xvi. Certain it is, then, that the turning away here spoken of by the apostle, was that of APOSTASY. And concerning the ancient Israelites, I would observe, that their turning away from him who spake on earth was TOTAL and FINAL: seeing they escaped not, as the apostle tells but died without mercy. therefore follows, that the turning away from Christ, which the apostle compares with that turning away from him who spake on earth, is TOTAL and FINAL also.

us;

It

19. The last evidence, of this sort, which I shall bring, we have, verses 28, 29. "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let