let this great salvation slip; that you cannot possibly let go the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope; that you cannot harden your hearts as in the provocation; that you are incapable of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; that you cannot be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, or fall through unbelief. Had this been his meaning, how came he to suppose that they were in danger of these evils, and to write a whole epistle to prevent their falling into them? What! did an inspired apostle caution them against letting the great salvation slip, while he was absolutely persuaded that they could not do it! Did he, in the most solemn manner, warn them not to depart from the living God, while he had an absolute persuasion that it was impossible? 'Tis absurd and impious once to imagine it. No: if the apostle (I will not say was inspired: but if he) was in his senses, he did not write this verse on purpose to contradict all the rest of his epistle.

But what then did he mean? I an

swer, that he was persuaded, first, that these Hebrews were not THEN of the number abovementioned; that is, that they were not apostates AT THAT TIME; and, secondly, that he hoped, or believed, IN A JUDGMENT OF charITY, that they never would.

That this matter may be set in a clear light, let it be observed, 1. That before the writing of this epistle, great numbers of the converted Hebrews had already totally apostatized from Christ and his gospel: and 2. that many of those who were not yet thus fallen, began to abate in their attachment to Christ, and were in danger of imitating their brethren, by a like total apostasy.

Now, as the awful threatnings made use of in the preceding verses were intended to alarm their fears, and thereby to prevent their ruin, the apostle was apprehensive that some of them might make a wrong use thereof, by concluding that he thought their case already desperate and that, because they had begun to decline, he thought, that by so doing,

they had crucified unto themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame: and that, therefore, he thought they were the persons who were incapable of repentance, and who resembled the earth which was rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end was to be burned.

To prevent, or to remove this mistake, the apostle added these words, "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things which accompany salvation, though we speak thus." As if he had said, Though we speak with such seeming severity, and lay before you such dreadful considerations ; you must not hence conclude that we look upon you AS ALREADY in that dreadful condition. For we are persuaded better things of you; namely, that, AT PRESENT you are in a state of salvation, and in the way to the full and eternal enjoyment of it and the great love we have for you gives us a charitable persuasion or hope, that you will continue therein. Nevertheless, as we

H

see you exposed to great dangers, we think it our duty to warn you in the most solemn manner.

An excellent commentator who wrote on this epistle about the year 1646, and who is strongly recommended by Mr. John Downame, expounds this passage thus ; "I am persuaded -that you are YET in that state that ye may be saved, if ye have a will to it." Mr. Wesley's exposition is, We are persuaded you are Now saved from your sins and that ye have that faith, love, and holiness which leads to final salvation, though we speak thus to warn you, lest you should fall from your present steadfastness.""* Professor Dickson tells us that the aposNe "MITAGATETH HIS THREATNING, for fear of hurting their faith." The learned Beza saith, He [the apostle] MITIGATETH and ASSUAGETH all that sharpness, HOPING better of them to whom he writeth. Dr. Doddridge's paraphrase is, "We have this cheerful *See Wesley on the place. † Dickson on the place. Beza in loc..

expectation concerning you, though we think ourselves obliged thus to speak; that nothing may be wanting to guard you against the greatest danger." The Calvinian Assembly expound the passage thus: "But beloved -To moderate and sweeten his former harshness, here he shews his good opinion which he had of the Hebrews, and to comfort them, by giving them assurance of God's mercy in rewarding them, if they continue steadfast in their profession. See chap. x.39."t "Temperat austeritatum præcedentium verborum," says Erasmus: the apostle tempers here the severity of the preceding expressions. Mr. Henry saith, "The apostle having applied himself to the fears of these Hebrews, for the exciting their diligence, and preventing their APOSTASY, now proceeds to apply himself to their hopes and candidly declares the good hope," (not the absolute persuasion)

Family Expositor.

+Assembly's Annot,

Erasm. in loc.