righteousness: that is, justification, or the remission of sins. Accordingly Paraus mentions Erasmus, and several other eminent divines, who say, the heavenly gift is, "Fidem, quæ cœhitusdatur illuminatis;" faith which is given from above to those who are enlightened.* And to taste of this does not mean a slight or superficial participation thereof: but rather a full and perfect one. In this sense we must understand the same word, as it is used, chap, ii. ver. 9. where it is said. that Christ tasted death for every man certainly he partook of it in the most full and ample manner.

3. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost: that is, they partook

of the witness and fruit thereof. Pool tells us that Grotius understands it,-"Donorum et charismatum Spiritus sancti, &c. quæ non contingebant eo tempore nisi justificatis," of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, &c.

Syn. Crit. in loc.`

which at that time were given to none but the justified.*

4. They had tasted as truly and fully as Christ tasted death, the good word of God; that is, they had experienced the nourishment and sweetness thereof, as truly as Christ experienced the bitterness of death. Grotius, "Gustare, hic et infra est experiendo cognoscere: that is, to taste here, and in the next clause, means to

KNOW BY EXPERIENCE.

So

5. They had, in the same manner, tasted the powers of the world to come; that is, they had not only been partakers of the gospel and its present benefits, which some understand by the world to come (rendering MEXλOVTOS avos, the future age; that is the gospel age, to which the Mosaic was prior ;) but also of the powers, the enlivening and strengthening joys of eternity; in other words, they had a foretaste of the joys of heaven. Estius, Menochius and Ribera, ac

cording to Pool, say that the powers of the world to come mean, "İmmortalitatum et gloriam, vitamque beatam, et eternam Dei visionem in cœlis electis promissam in regno Christi :" that is, immortality, glory, the beatific life, and eternal vision promised in heaven to the elect in the kingdom of Christ. And they add, that the Hebrews, "dicunter gustasse, quia eas fide amore, vel magno desiderio perceperunt, earumque spe delectabantur"

are said to have tasted those powers, because they had a perception of them by faith, love, and a great desire, and were delighted by the hope of them: [the things they had tasted.]

Thus, by considering these five, particulars separately, we find each of them so expressive of the spiritual nature, or properties of our holy religion, that it is absurd to affirm either of them of any but true believers.But if we consider them in connexion with each other, and as so many links of one chain, and suppose them all to be found in any but a real believers

the absurdity is much greater. But if we consider them altogether, and in connexion with their context, the absurdity is greater still by many degrees: seeing that, by such an interpretation the coherence is entirely destroyed, and the whole passage turned into absolute nonsense.

To make this appear, let it be ob served, that in the two first verses of this chapter, there is an exhortation for the Hebrew converts to go on unto perfection. That, verse 3, the apostle adds, "And this will we do, if GoD permit :" that is, we will go on unto perfection. Then, verse 4, that (as the calvinian Diodati tells us) the apostle "gives a reason of the exhortation of verse one." Well, then, let us see what sort of a reason it is, according to the calvinian interpretation. True believers are to go on unto perfection; because it is impossible to renew hypocrites and false professors again unto repentance, if they fall away from common unsaving grace! Wonderful reason indeed!

and well worthy of the cause it is brought to support. Let us next see what sort of reason it is, on supposition that the persons mentioned in the 1st, 2d, and 3d verses, are the same with those mentioned in the 4th and 5th. Let us, Christian believers, go on unto perfection; because, if we do not, we shall do the reverse: that is, we shall forfeit and lose the grace we have. And when once this is lost, we shall find it morally impossible, that is, very difficult, to recover it again. Now, according to this interpretation, the coherence is clear, and the argument strictly conclusive. It is therefore certain, that the persons mentioned in the passage under consideration, were not false professors, or hypocrites; but real children. of God.

Again, verse 10. They had works. and labour of love. 1. They had love, the love of GoD and of their neighbour. 2. They had works, good works proceeding from that love. 3.