Hebrews 6

Notes

Ver. 1, 2. But since it is unworthy of Christians to be always babes in knowledge, let us, for the present, forbear insisting on the fundamental principles of Christianity—such as an evangelical grief for and turning from sinful courses, which mark men spiritually dead and prepare them for eternal death; and of a cordial belief of God's being and perfections, and humble trust in him for the accomplishment of all his promises (which two points were figured out by the ancient ceremonial washings, and the laying on of hands on the heads of the sacrifices); and of the resurrection of both righteous and wicked at the last day, to receive their everlasting reward; and of the general judgment consequent thereupon, in which men's eternal happiness and misery shall be finally and irreversibly determined by Christ: and let us discourse of, and embrace with holy care and diligence, those great mysteries of the gospel relative to the person and offices, particularly the High-priesthood of our Redeemer. 3. And this, by the direction and assistance of God, I shall quickly proceed to, in order to prevent your apostasy from him. 4-6. For if professed Christians, who have been once remarkably enlightened in the knowledge of gospel truths by his Word and Spirit, in his common and miraculous operations, and have had a remarkable inward experience of the powerful virtue and sweetness of God's word, and of the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, peculiar to the New Testament church, wilfully apostatize from the profession of the gospel to judaism or heathenism, they absolutely reject the only remedy which God has appointed for their recovery, and provoke him to abandon them to a desperate voluntary blindness of mind and hardness of heart, leaving no room for an effectual renovation and recovery to any true and saving repentance—because they practically approve the wickedness of those who crucified the eternal Son of God, and persecute him in his members; yea, manifest that they would again crucify him as a noted impostor, if they had opportunity; and after distinguishing trials of the power, excellency, and sweetness of his truths, openly renounce them, and him in them, as if they had found him as infamous and deceiving as ever his enemies pretended. 7, 8. For, to compare professed Christians to fruitful and barren soils, those who, being inwardly renewed by God's grace, bring forth fruits of righteousness, which are, by Jesus Christ, acceptable to God, and for the praise of his glory, shall be further owned and blessed of him with his spiritual favours and influences, that they may still more abundantly increase in faith, love, and holy obedience, and become more and more meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; but they who partake only of the forementioned illuminations, external means and advantages, without a habit of true grace in their soul, and produce nothing but unbelief, impenitence, hardness of heart, and the entangling, hurtful, and self-ruining fruits of wickedness proceeding therefrom, are on the very point of falling under the immediate execution of God's curse upon them, and of being in time and eternity left to their own doings. 9. But as to most of you, whom I look upon and love as sincere believers, beloved of God, I am confident that ye have experienced better things than the above-mentioned privileges, attainable by reprobates—even the special and saving blessings of repentance, faith, justification, and others, which flow from vital union with Christ, and really secure and issue in eternal salvation; though, for your warning and the awakening of false professors, I have suggested to you what terrible apostasy and ruin men may fall into after distinguished appearances of grace. 10. And my persuasion of your perseverance and eternal happiness is founded on the stability of the promise of grace; for God, who is equity and truth itself, never did, nor will, unfaithfully violate his promises of gracious rewards, to be conferred through the faith of men; nor will he be unmindful of those acts of holiness and righteousness by which ye have manifested your faith in, love to, and regard of his person, honour, and authority; and particularly of that compassion, tenderness, and liberal assistance which ye have and still do manifest to his despised and afflicted saints, in these days of poverty, peril, and reproach. 11. But knowing that the end and means are related in his gracious purposes and promises, I earnestly beg of him, and beseech you to labour in his strength, that every one of you may constantly persevere, and more and more abound in such diligent care and endeavours to bring forth the genuine fruits of faith and love, till, by the blessing of God thereon, ye have a full and fixed assurance of your blessed interest in Christ and the promises of eternal life; 12. That to obtain it, and under the influence of it, ye may be excited to the utmost diligence in using the means of grace, and fulfilling the duties of your station, in imitation of and following after those believers in former ages who, notwithstanding manifold tribulations, have, through a fixed faith in God's promises, and patient waiting for the accomplishment thereof, got beyond all their sins and troubles, and entered into the possession of the heavenly inheritance. 13, 14. And to encourage your hope and perseverance in faith and patience, consider how God has condescended to give us the utmost assurance of his punctual and faithful accomplishment of his promises: for, to instance in one leading promise, upon which all the rest depend, when God promised to Abraham a seed from which the Messiah should descend, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, he confirmed it by an oath, as the strongest security for the fulfilment of it; and because he could not, like us in our oaths, appeal to a greater, he appealed to his own being and perfections, and, as it were, solemnly pledged them for the truth and performance of his promises—in which he engaged himself abundantly and certainly to bless Abraham with all the blessings of time and eternity, and to give him innumerable multitudes of descendants, temporal and spiritual. 15. And accordingly, after he had long waited with patience and hope, under manifold trials of his faith, God fulfilled his promise in blessing him with greater worldly prosperity, and in multiplying his children during his life, as an earnest of his divine and spiritual seed, and in admitting him at death, through faith in the Messiah, who was to spring from his loins, into the full possession of eternal life. 16. And herein God gave him the fullest assurance possible of his veracity, according to the most valid and approved method which men use for the satisfaction of their fellow-creatures as to the truth of what they affirm or promise; for, on important occasions, it is their custom to ascertain and fix their declarations and promises with an oath, in which they call the infinitely great God to attest their sincerity, and to punish them if they falsify their affirmation or engagement; and such an appeal is reckoned the most strong and decisive evidence that can be given of the truth of what they say, to the satisfying of all doubts, determining of all debates, and silencing of all contradictory testimonies. 17. In this strongest form of assurance, to put an end to all the doubts, fears, and disputes of his people, who are the heirs of the promised blessings, with respect to his promises of grace and salvation, and to give superabundant evidence that his free and eternal mind of love manifested in his promises, are unchangeably the same, and shall never be repealed, defeated, or falsified, if only his people are faithful to Christ; 18. That, by the unchangeable word and oath of the unalterably true and faithful God, we might have the firmest ground possible for the most abundant, prevailing, and solid comfort, to overcome all doubts and fears, and support us under all our afflictions and temptations, who have willingly, under a sense of guilt and danger, fled, with the utmost eagerness and speed, concern and vigour, for deliverance and safety to Christ, the promised seed, and to lay hold on him, and on all the blessings of salvation in him, as proposed to our faith and hope in the declarations and promises of the gospel: 19. Which object of hope, as laid hold on and trusted in by faith, secures our souls from destruction, and holds them fast and steady amidst all the dangers and troubles of this present life, since he hath passed into the highest heaven, and our hope in him penetrates through the visible heavens, and fastens upon him, and his Father through him, as exhibited in his promises; 20. Into which heavenly, blessed, and glorious state, Jesus, our exalted Head and Saviour, is entered, not alone, as the Aaronic high-priest, into the holy of holies, but as our Forerunner, to open for us an abundant entrance, notify our coming, and prepare mansions for us; and as our everlasting High-priest, after the order of Melchisedec, to make continual intercession for us, upon the footing of his righteousness, fulfilled in our stead.

Ver. 4. Tasted of the heavenly gift. Who have found that God's gift of his Son for the salvation of believers (Jn. 3. 16) is sweeter to the hungry soul than honey or the honey-comb to the bodily taste.—Partakers of the Holy Ghost, in his miraculous evidences by tongues and other miracles. C.

Ver. 5. Have tasted the good word. Felt and acknowledged their need of a Saviour, and of pardon through his blood.—The powers of the world to come. The terrors of the Lord in judgment, and the hopes of rest and glory. C.

Ver. 6. If they fall away. Rather, 'and having fallen away;' that is, having apostatized from the profession, and renounced the principles of Christianity.—To themselves. Rather, 'within themselves,' in their hearts, in which they have 'crucified the Lord' in purpose, as the Jews and Romans did in reality. C.

Reflections.—With great care we ought to learn the fundamental principles of the Christian religion. But not content with this, we should make daily progress in knowledge, for our spiritual edification, and establishment in faith, comfort, and holiness. Men may go great lengths even in a kind of experimental religion, and nevertheless remain destitute of the grace of God. But inexpressibly dangerous is apostasy from the truths of Christ after such high attainments. And hardened and loose professors terribly expose themselves to redoubled ruin in hell, if not also fearful miseries in this life. With great care and prudence should ministers faithfully awaken the secure, so as not to distress the weakest believer. Love to God, appearing in kindness to his poor saints, and in a holy conversation, is a certain mark of true grace in the heart; and diligence in religion is the way to thrive in it. And if we have any good hope of eternal salvation, we ought to labour after a full assurance in it. Faith and patience, exercised in our heart, will produce perseverance in our life. And the example of former saints should quicken us to it, while the promise and oath of God, and the exaltation of our Redeemer, give us the fullest and surest ground of encouragement in it. Rich, numerous, and suitable are the blessings which God has prepared for them that fear him; and marvellous is his condescension in giving such abundant security for the accomplishment of his kind purposes, and gracious promises of eternal life. Happy are they who, deeply convinced of guilt, and pursued by storms, have fled to Jesus Christ for refuge, and who, amidst all their troubles, have anchored their souls by faith and hope on him, as exalted to his Father's right hand to prepare a place for them. Storms of every kind can but drive them home to their High-priest and Saviour.