of God, and all the revelation that he hath made of himself. Whatever may be apprehended in God of this nature, or to this purpose, is either his xenerar, his natural goodness, kindness, benignity, and love; or his parte, which includes all the free acts of his will towards mankind for good. And our apostle affirms that the pars, the revelation, declaration and appearance of both these, is merely from and by the gospel, or the grace of God by Jesus Christ, Tit. iii. 4-7. And without this it is impossible, but that men will abide in their apostasy from God, or return unto it.

Fourthly, There is no other way wherein we may look for a reward from God, or hope to come unto the enjoyment of him, but only by the gospel. And this also is necessary that we may honour him as God, as the living God. This is the end whereunto we were made; and if we leave the pursuit hereof, we cast off all regard unto God. For if God be not considered as a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, as in himself an exceeding great reward; he is not considered as God. And whoever doth not pursue a design of coming to the enjoyment of God, he hath forsaken him. Now there is no direction herein, or hereunto, but the gospel, as Acts iv. 12.

And this will discover the great multitude of practical Atheists that are in the world. Many there are who have been educated in some observance of the gospel, and some who have been brought under great conviction by the word of it; who do yet by the power of their lusts and temptations in the world, come to renounce and despise all the institutions, ordinances, and worship of the gospel; and consequently the author of it himself. For it is a vain thing to pretend love or honour unto Christ, and not to keep his commandments. However they would not be reckoned among Atheists, for they still acknowledge One, or the one God. But they do herein but industriously deceive their own souls. Then they forsake the living God, when they forsake the gospel of his Son.

And let us all know what care and reverence becomes us in the things of the gospel. God is in them, even the living God. Otherwise he will be neither known nor worshipped. His name, his authority, his grace is enstamped on them all.

Obs. VIII. When a heart is made evil by unbelief, it is engaged in a course of sinful defection or revolt from the living God. So that word imports, to a; the sense whereof was explained before.

VER. 13-But exhort one another (every day) daily, whilst it is called to-day, lest any (among you) of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Here lies one means of preventing the evil mentioned in the

verse foregoing. And we have in it, as was shewed, the duty itself, and the persons concerned in it, the manner and season of its performance, with a limitation of that season, and an especial enforcement from the danger of its neglect, as we shall see in our opening of the words.

First, the duty intended is expressed in the first word magazaABITI Пagangλem is to exhort, intreat, beseech, and also to comfort, to refresh, to relieve; and ages, is constantly to receive comfort or consolation, to be comforted: magazλncıg is used in the same variety, sometimes for comfort or consolation; as Luke ii. 25. Acts ix. 31. xv. 31. Rom. xv. 5. 2 Cor. i. 3—5. Sometimes for exhortation, Acts xiii. 15. Rom. xii. 8. 1 Tim. iv. 13. 2 Cor. viii. 17. Sometimes interpreters are at doubt whether to render it by exhortation or consolation, as Acts xv. 31. 1 Thess. iv, 18. In this very epistle it is used in both these senses; for consolation, chap. vi. 18. for exhortation, chap. xii. 5. xiii. 22. Hence the Holy Ghost, in the writings of John the apostle, is called Пgantos in the gospel, John xiv. 16. 26. xv. 26. xvi. 7. And the Lord Christ himself, 1 John ii. 1. And this from the ambiguity of the application of the word, we render in the first place a comforter, in the latter an advocate.

The first and principal signification of age, is to exhort,' to desire,' to call in,' and so it is constantly used in Greek authors, and scarce otherwise; and it is secondarily only to comfort.' But there is a near affinity between these things. For the way of administering consolation is by exhortation; 1 Thess. iv. 18. « Comfort one another with these words,” παρακαλείτε αλληλης, that is, exhorting and persuading one another, by these words administer unto each other mutual consolation. And all exhortation ought to be only by consolatory words and ways, to render it acceptable, and so effectual. So it is observed of Barnabas, who was a son of consolation, that he had a great excellency in exhorting men also. Acts xi: 23, 24. «When Barnabas came, and had seen the grace of God, he exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord; for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." The word intimates a very prevalent way of exhorting in Barnabas; and that because he was amg ayados, a good man; not in the ordinary sense, a holy just man; but one that was benign, kind, condescending, apt to comfort and refresh them with whom he had to do. In this sense is amg ayados used, Rom. v. 7. ; waganadɛy therefore, to exhort,' is to persuade with good, meek and comfortable words upon grounds of consolation, and unto that end that men may be comforted. This is incumbent on some by virtue of office, Rom. xii. 3. « He that exhorteth, on exhortation ;" and on all believers as occasion doth require as the

next word manifests, declaring the persons concerned in this duty.

'Eavras vosmetipsos; Vulg. Lat. and the Rhemist, yourselves;' improperly for the apostle doth not require of every one to exhort himself, nor will the word bear that sense. But ivres, yourselves, is put for aλanas, that is, one another; as also it is Col. iii. 16. Eph. iv. 32. 1 Thess. v. 13. Vos invicem; alii alios. This is incumbent on all believers, mutually to exhort, and to bear the word of exhortation.

The season of the performance of this duty is adjoined, which includeth also the manner of it, xad' ix«orny nμegav, 'daily,' say we, or every day. A day is often taken for a season. So that to do a thing daily, is to do it in its season. To do it sedulously, heedfully, in every proper season, is to do it daily. For although the expression denote every day distinctly and separately, yet the sense is not, that no natural day be omitted wherein we do not actually discharge this duty towards one another. But plainly two things are intended: First, a constant readiness of mind inclining, inducing and preparing any one for the discharge of this duty. Secondly, An actual discharge of it, on all just occasions, which are to be watched for and willingly embraced. So we are commanded to pray, adiaλuwτws, 1 Thess. v. 17. indesinenter; that is, without remitting the habitual inclination of the mind. unto prayer; or omitting any meet occasion or opportunity for it. So also it is said that we ought TavTOTE Teoria, Luke xviii. 1. to pray always; which is interpreted, Col. iv. 1. by r προσευχη προσκαρτερειτε, abide or persevere in prayer against all opposition. In Hebrew OT: as Isa. li. 13. continually, every day. Kad' ixæotnv husgav, is sedulously and constantly, both as to the frame of our hearts, and opportunities of actual performance of this duty. And this these Hebrews now stood in an especial need of, because of the manifold temptations and seductions wherewith they were exercised.

Hereunto is added a limitation of the season of this duty as to its continuance, axgis & so onuegov naα, whilst it is called today: that is, be sedulous in the discharge of this duty whilst the season of it doth continue. The occasion of this expression is taken from what was before discoursed of. There was a day proposed unto the people of old; a season that was called on, or nugor, to-day.' And two things are included in it. 1. An opportunity as to advantage. 2. A limitation of that opportunity as to duration or continuance. First, a day of opportunity is intended the word in the psalm, O, had, as was judged on good ground, respect unto some solemn feast wherein the people assembled themselves to celebrate the worship of God; it may be the feast of tabernacles, which was a great representation of the dwelling of the Lord Christ amongst us, John i. 14. This

was a season which they were to improve, whilst they did enjoy it. But it was typical only. The apostle now declares to these Hebrews, that the great day, the great season of old shadowed out unto their forefathers, was now really and actually come upon them. It was justly called to-day with them whilst they enjoyed the gospel. Secondly, There is a limitation of this day of opportunity included in the words, "whilst it is called to-day :" whilst the time wherein you live is such a season as to be called a day, that is a day of grace, whilst that season was continued unto them which was prefigured in the day before mentioned. The apostle saw that the day or season of these Hebrews was almost ready to expire. It continued but a few years after the writing of this epistle. This he secretly reminds them of; and withal exhorts them to improve their present advantages, and that especially in and unto the discharge of the great duty of mutual exhortation, that so they might prevent among them the great evil of departing from the living God, and that which tends thereunto in the hardening of their hearts through the deceitfulness of sin. For herein lies the enforcement of the exhortation unto the duty insisted on, namely, from the pernicious consequent of its neglect; wherein occurs,

First, The persons concerned, Tissue, any of you,' any among you; any one that is of your society, that is engaged in the same profession with you, and partaker of the same privileges; any of you believing Hebrews. And herein the apostle extends his direction unto mutual watchfulness and exhortation unto all, even the meanest of the church.

Secondly, The spring or cause of the evil that is to be feared. in the neglect intimated, and that is sin, pagra, NOT a general name for all or any sin. Our apostle constantly useth it to express original sin, the sin of our nature, the root on which all other sins do grow. And this is the sin here intended; the sin that by nature dwelleth in us, that is present with us, when we would do good, to hinder us; and is continually working to put forth its venomous nature in actual sins or transgressions. This he calls elsewhere a root of bitterness, which springs up unto defilement, chap. xii. 15.

Thirdly, There is the way or means, whereby this sin worketh to produce the effect expressed, and that is by deceit. Tn axan Tas aμagrins. Vulg. Lat. fallacia peccati; and the Rhemists thence, the fallacy of sin; somewhat improperly, considering the ordinary use of that word, being taken only for a caption or deceit in words. But yet there is a fallacy in every sin; it imposeth paralogisms, or false arguings on the mind to seduce it. Anar is deceit, and signifies both the faculty of deceiving, the artifice used in deceiving, and actual deceit, or deceiving itself. The derivation of the word, gives some light unto the nature

of the thing itself. Amaraw is from a, privative, and wares, as Eustachius and the etymologist agree; aros is via trita, a beatenway, a path. So that axaraw, is to draw any one out of the right way, the proper beaten path. And it is well rendered by seduco, that is seorsum duco, to lead aside, to seduce. But it is of a larger sense, or by any ways or means to deceive. And ara principally denotes an innate faculty of deceiving, rather than deceit itself, axara të xλ8ts, Mat. xiii. 22. the "deceitfulness of riches ;" and axára täs adixias, 2 Thess. ii. 10. the « deceitfulness of unrighteousness," is that aptitude that is in riches and unrighteousness, considering the state and condition of men in this world, and their temptations, to deceive them with vain hopes and to seduce them into crooked paths. Once it is put for sin itself, Eph. iv. 22. xata tas stridurias tas aтns, according to the lusts of deceit ;' that is, of sin which is deceitful; unless it may be rendered by the adjective, απατηλος or απατήλιους, as it is done by ours,deceiving or deceitful lusts.' See 2 Pet. ii. 13. Here, as it is joined with sin, as an adjunct of it, it denotes not its acting primarily, but that habitual deceit that is in indwelling sin, whereby it seduceth men and draweth them off from God.

Lastly, The evil itself particularly cautioned against, is expressed in that word examguven, should be hardened;' of the sense and importance whereof, we have spoken fully on the foregoing verses. The design then of this verse, is to prescribe a duty unto the Hebrews, with the manner of its performance, and the season they had for it; which might prevent their departure from God, through an evil heart of unbelief, by preserving it from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Our concernment wherein will be manifest in the ensuing deductions from it.

Obs. 1. Sedulous mutual exhortation, is an eminent means to obviate and prevent the design of the deceitfulness of sin.-The apostle having declared the pernicious consequence of departing from God, through the deceitfulness of sin, and the danger that professors are in of so doing, singles out this duty as a signal means of its prevention. And hereby, as great weight is laid upon it, so great honour is done unto it. We may therefore do well to consider both the nature of it, and the manner of its performance; for its efficacy unto the end proposed depends merely on its institution. There are many practical duties that are neglected because they are not understood, and they are not understood, because they are supposed to have no difficulty in them, but to lie open to every lazy and careless inquiry. High notions, curious speculations, with knotty controversies, are thought to deserve mens utmost diligence in their search and examination. But for thèse practical duties, it is generally supposed that they are known sufficiently at a word's speaking, if they were but prac tised accordingly. Yet it will be found that the great wisdom