fastly and courageously, even to the end, continue or persevere in hope of that joy which is set before us."* Dr. Owen, the great champion of the Calvinists in the last century, in his learned exposition, on the epistle to the Hebrews, saith, St. Paul "had a SPECIAL eye unto the APOSTASY of some of the Hebrews, accasioned by the persecutions which then began to grow high against them. Whatever argument or testimony in his passage gave him advantage to press an ex hortation unto CONSTANCY, and to deter them from BACKSLIDING, he lays hold upon it." Again, says the same author, "As it is likely from this epistle, many of them who had made profession of the gospel, rather than they would utterly forego their old way of worship, DESERTED THE FAITH, and cleaving to their unbelieving countrymen PERISHED IN THEIR APOSTASY, whom our apostle in an es *King Edward's Bible, † Dr. Owen's Exposition, page 38. pecial manner forwarns of their INEVITABLE DESTRUCTION, by the fire of God's indignation."* Again, “All the fears the apostle had of their APOSTASY into Judaism-arose from their adherence unto, and zeal for the law of Moses't Again, "HIS PRIN CIPAL END THEREFORE IN THIS WHOLE EPISTLE (AS HATH BEEN DECLARED) was to prevail with the Hebrews unto SLEADFASTNESS in the faith of the gos pel. + Echard saith that "the Hebrew converts" had "heavy persecu tions both from Jews and Gentiles-besides a train of plausible insinuations to reduce them to their ancient Mosaic institutions, to which many of them had turned of late, APOSTATIZING from the purity of the Christian faith. Wherefore, partly to warn and instruct them, and partly to encourage and support them, he [Paul] wrote this celebrated epistle."§ The Assembly of Divines in their argu * Dr. Owen's Exposition, page 43. tIbid page 353. lbid. Ecclesiastical History, page 229. ment to this epistle say, "The apostle observing, that the Hebrews (at least a great part of them) were ready to FALL FROM THE FAITH OF CHRIST into their former Judaism, by reason of the cruel persecutions which they suffered, HENCE TOOK OCCASION TO UNTO THEM; WRITE THIS EPISTLE wherein he laboureth to CONFIRM them in THAT FAITH which THEY HAD RECEIVED, and to stir them up to stand STEADFAST IN IT; and that by divers arguments: as first, from the excellency of Christ's nature," &c. "Secondly from the DANGER of aposTASY. "* Mr. Sam. Clarke saith, "The of it is this: the BELIEVING, or scope CHRISTIAN Hebrews suffered under two great evils, one inward, the other outward; the former was a great error, in joining Christ and Moses-the latter was their grievous persecution from their countrymen for turning Christians, whereupon many of THEM were in GREAT DANGER OF APOSTASY * Assembly's Annotations "Against the latter, their persecution, he endeavours to fortify them by laying down several motives to, and grounds of PERSEVERANCE in the FAITH and TRUTH."* Bishop Fell in his introduction to this epistle saith,"Some of them" (the converted Hebrews) "began to use great compliances and weariness in their religion, and to FORSAKE the Christian assemblies. See Hebrews x. 25. and some others to RELAPSE and FALL AWAY FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. He (the apostle) represents to them the great sin, and desperate condition of APOSTASY, and the fruitlessness of former endeavours and suffering, without PERSEVERANCE.' Mr. Henry saith, "The DESIGN of this epistle was to promote and press the BELIEVING Hebrews to a constant adherence to the Christian faith, and PERSEVERANCE in it."‡Dr. Gill says, "The OCCASION and DESIGN of it is,"" to exhort them *Clark's comment. Fell on the Hebrews: Argument to the epistle to the Hebrews. to PERSEVERANCE, and to strengthen them against APOSTASY."* Dr. Doddridge saith, "Now the MANIFEST DESIGN of St. Paul in this epistle is, "TO CONFIRM the Jewish Christians in the faith and practice of the gospel of Christ, which they might be in danger of DESERTING, either through the insinuation, or ill treatment of their persecutors." The great calvinian Diodati saith, the "Hebrews to whom it" (the epistle)" was directed, were Jews CONVERTED to Christ :" and that the apostle shews "them the DANGER of FALLING into APOSTASY to the IRREVOCABLE DAMNATION OF THEIR SOULS." The calvinian author of Critica Sacra saith, "The apostle writes to the Hebrews not to FALL AWAY from christianity to Judaism, "which," saith he, "is the FULL SCOPE OF THIS EPISTLE."§ Mr. Collyer in his Sacred Interpreter, gives the following account a little more at * Ecclesiastical History. + Preface to this epistle. Diodati's Preface to this epistle ¿See Leigh's Annotations. |