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loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings, They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures, xxxvi. 7, 8. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust, xçi. 2. For the LORD God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together; who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the LORD God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up, Isa. 1. 7 -9. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God, Matt. xxvii. 43. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Heb. xii. 2.

A. D. 64.

d

himself likewise took part of the same; c that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ;

Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel, from the LORD of hosts which dwelleth in mount Zion, Isa. viii. 18.

c And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant, Gen. xxxiii. 5. And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them, xlviii. 9. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward, Psal. cxxvii. 3.

VER. 14.

Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκε σαρκός καὶ αἵματος, καὶ αὐτὸς, παραπλησίως με τέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου και ταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τουτέστι, τὸν διάβολον,

• Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also

a Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. xv. 50.

b For in that he himself bath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted, ver. 18. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, iv. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. iii. 15. Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, Isa. vii. 14. And the Word was made flesh,and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth, John i. 14. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, Rom. viii. 3. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Gal. iv. 4. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, Phil. ii. 7, 8. And without controversy, great is the mys tery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

And for this cause he is the medi

ator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance, Heb. ix. 15. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the

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A. D. 64.

HEB. 11. 14, 15.

spoil with the strong, because he hath
poured out his soul unto death and
he was numbered with the transgres-
sors; and bare the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgres-
sors, Isa. liii. 12. Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall in the ground and die, it abideth
alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit, John xii. 24. Now is the
judgment of this world; now shall the
prince of this world be cast out. And
1, if I be lifted up from the earth, will
draw all men unto me: This he said,
signifying what death he should die,
31-33. For to this end Christ
both died, and rose, and revived, that
he might be Lord both of the dead
and living, Rom. xiv. 9. And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he
made a shew of them openly, triumph-
ing over them in it, Col. ii. 15. I am
he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore,
Amen; and have the keys of hell and
of death, Rev. i. 18.

He will swallow up death in vic-
tory ; and the Lonp God will wipe
away tears from off all faces; and the
rebuke of his people shall he take away
from off all the earth; for the LORD
hath spoken it, Isa. xxv. 8. I will
ransom them from the power of the
grave, I will redeem them from death:
O death, I will be thy plagues; O
grave, I will be thy destruction: re-
pentance shall be hid from mine eyes,
Hos. xiii. 14. So when this corrupti-
ble shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immor-
tality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory? 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55. But
is now made manifest, by the appear-
ing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, and hath brought
life and immortality to light through
the Gospel, 2 Tim. i. 10.

eThen shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, Matt. xxv. 41. He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

A. D. 64.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousnes is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother, 1 John iii. 8-10.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life, Rev. ii. 10. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him, xii. 9. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, xx. 2.

VER. 15.

Καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους, ὅσοι φόβω θα νάτου διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν ἔνοχα ἦσαν δου λelaç.

And a deliver them who b through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

a His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that Yea, his were not seen stick out. soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom, His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy; for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light, Job xxxiii. 21-28. To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine, Psal. xxxiii. 19. For thou hast delivered my soul from

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death; wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? lvi. 13. What man is he that liveth, and shall | not see death ? shall he deliver his | soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. lxxxix. 48. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life, Luke i. 74, 75. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us, 2 Cor. i. 10.

b Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet, Job xviii. 11. His confidence shall be rooted out of the tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors, 14. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death, xxiv. 17. My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me, Psal. lv. 4. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment; they are utterly consumed with terrors, Ixxiii. 19. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 56, 57.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, 21. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Gal. iv. 21. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. i. 7.

VER. 16.

Οὐ γὰρ δήπου ἀγγέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Αβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται·

For verily, he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him a the seed of Abraham.

*Gr. he taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. See on Matt. i. ver. 1. clause 3. VOL. III.

VER. 17.

A. D. 64.

Οθεν ὤφειλε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελ φοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς, ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ.

him to be made like unto his brethren ; Wherefore in all things it behoved that he might be ba merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

a But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, Phil. ii. 7, 8.

b Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house, Heb. iii. 2. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after, 5. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, iv. 15. For every High Priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity, v. 1, 2. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins, Isa. xi. 5.

And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten; it shall be burnt in the fire, Lev. vi. 30.

And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns οf the altar round about with his fnger, and purifed the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it, viii. 15. And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burntoffering and the sin-offering should be

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made for all Israel, 2 Chron. xxix. 24.
And one lamb out of the flock, out of
two hundred, out of the fat pastures
of Israel, for a meat-offering, and for
a burnt-offering, and for peace-offer-
ings, to make reconciliation for them,
saith the LORD GOD, Ezek. xlv. 15.
And it shall be the prince's part
to give burnt-offerings, and meat-
offerings, and drink-offerings in the
feasts, and in the new moons, and
in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of
the house of Israel; he shall prepare
the sin offering, and the meat-offer-
ing, and the burnt-offering, and the
peace offerings, to make reconcilia-
tion for the house of Israel, 17. And
so shalt thou do the seventh day of
the month, for every one that erreth,
and for him that is simple; so shall
ye reconcile the house, 20. Seventy
weeks are determined upon thy peo-
ple and upon thy holy city, to finish the
transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vi-
sion and prophecy, and to anoint the
most holy, Dan. ix. 24. For if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his Son, much
more being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life, Rom. v. 10.
And
all things are of God, who hath recon-
ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the minstry of re-
conciliation; To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them; and hath committed unto
us the word of reconciliation. Now

then we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us,
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye
reconciled to God. For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,

that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 18-21. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, Eph. ii. 16. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, Col. i. 21.

VER. 18.

A. D. 64.

For in that he himself a hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρασθεὶς, δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι.

a For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 15, 16. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him, v. 7-9. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil, Matt. iv. 1. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry 'ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt, xxvi. 37-59. When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me, but this is your hour and the power of darkness,

Luke xxii. 53.

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and am persuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, Tim. i. 12. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jude 24.

C

There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it, 1 Cor. x. 13. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then am I strong, 2 Cor. xii. 7-10. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Pet. ii. 9. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth, Rev. iii. 10.

CHAP. III.-VER. 1.

A. D. 64.

iii. 12. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren, 1 Thess. v. 27. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. ii. 9. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands, iii. 5. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, 2 Pet. i. 3-10. Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and for God hath avenged you prophets; d on her, Rev. xviii. 20.

Όθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως έπουςανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον | καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Χριστόν Ἰησοῦν·

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b

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, sider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

con

a In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight, Col. i. 22. Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering,

b For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end, ver. 14. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, Rom. xi. 17. It hath

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