people? What nick-names have been cast upon them!-the sect of the Nazarenes, Lollards, and Puritans, Round-heads, Fanatics; see 2 Kings ii.

There is a despising, likewise, in deed and behaviour; having low thoughts of them, men have used them accordingly. They have cast them out, nay, killed them, and then thought they have done God service; see 1 Cor. iv. 9; Heb. xi. 36. Thus it hath been in all ages.

But what do men of the world see in God's people, that they thus despise them? The following five things are the pretended causes of their being despised. The true original cause, however, is the old enmity; Gen. iii. 15, that between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Thus hate them, therefore, despise them.

1. Their paucity and fewness.-They are but a remnant, a handful in comparison; like the grape gleanings. And is this a reason? Then despise kings, princes, lords, ladies, rich men, learned men, jewels, precious stones; for there are only a few of them ; but see Rev. vii. 9 ; when they come together they will be a great many. When you are tempted to despise them for their fewness, cast an eye to that great meeting.

2. Their poverty and meanness.-Pro. xiv. 20. Had it pleased God to have confined worldly wealth and riches to religious people, then such would have been honoured; but he hath ordered it otherwise.

The best, for the most part, are the poorest, and, because they are so, they are slighted and despised. And should they be so? Was not Christ himself poor, yet the Son of God, and the Lord of glory? Do not you despise them that are poor for their poverty, Prov. xviii. 6. 3. Their principles.-Because of some of these they are hated. For instance. They choose to suffer rather than sin. It cannot be, says carnal reason, that better is a little with, than great revenues without righteousness; a small estate well gotten, better than great revenues unjustly come by. No, no, says the worldly-wise-man, those who say 80, are a company of nice and squeamish precisians. They are disbelieved when they say that God is a jealous God in the things of his worship, and that, therefore, a small matter there causes much guilt, as in the case of Nadab and of Uzzah, though what he did was with a good intention. Because we adhere to this principle, we are despised. 4. Their practices.—I do not mean their sinful practices (for those they would be deservedly despised) but their pious, religious practices; their denying themselves, and quitting their right for peace' sake, as Abraham, Genesis, xiii; their foregoing their worldly gain for an opportunity to hear a sermon, as Mary-for leaving your employments to come here to worship God, their strictness in sanctifying Sabbaths, not thinking their own thoughts nor speaking their own words.

Their singularity in these things, and such like, opens the mouths of people against them.

5. Their preachers.-Divers of them, whom they own as guides, are

of mean extraction, 1 Cor. i. 26; for this our Lord himself was despised. Is not this the carpenter's son? 1 Tim. iv. 12. They want university education. But not all. I was myself there, when religion was uppermost; but now they have shut our children out by impositions at the entrance, and then reproach us for not being there. The door is shut by unwarrantable impositions.

They creep into houses.-Not of choice, but upon constraint, because the church doors are shut against them.

They are enemies to government. I know not one of them that is so, but of their despisers there are not a few.

Now, What is our duty in reference to these despisers, and despisings?

We must not wonder, nor think it strange, that it is so. 1 John, iii. 13. We must not, therefore, think the worse of the ways of God, nor of the people that walk in them; a jewel is a jewel though it lie in the dirt. Much less must we make it a reason of our being shy of them and of our joining ourselves with them. Moses was of another mind. Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26. Afflicted godliness is rather to be chosen than prosperous wickedness.

Much less, yet, must we join with these despisers and say as they say, and do as they do.

There is a great deal of danger as to this, considering that many of them are great men, gentlemen, landlords; who have opportunity of doing us either a kindness, or a mischief; ministers, who make it their business, even in the pulpit, to despise, and, from the press, to expose; schoolmasters who teach your children, and they are apt enough to learn this. There are four things we must take heed of doing. We must not make a mock at sin, Prov. xiv. 9; people's natural infirmities; the word of God, Isa. xxviii. 22; and good people.

If at any time you are despised, do not only take it patiently, but joyfully; fret not at it, neither be troubled in your minds; but rather rejoice, Mat. v. 11, 12-1 Peter, iv. 12, 14.-Heb. xii. 2, because we are blessed. Every sneer, scoff and scorn that you meet with will be a pearl in your crown. You are not alone in it, for so persecuted they the prophets.

Be sure you render not railing for railing, nor bitterness for bitterness, 1 Peter, ii. 23-39. It does them no good, it doth yourself hurt; it brings guilt, it provokes God. When you are your own avengers, it is like casting golden balls at those who cast dirt. Read 2 Sam. xvi.

See that you do nothing justly to deserve to be despised, especially that practice does not deny profession. Do nothing to make yourself contemptible, which we do when we profess one thing, and practise another. 1 Tim. iv. 12.

We little think how the miscarriage of one professor hardens against all. 2. Peter, ii. 2-Titus, ii. 9, 10-1 Tim. vi. 1-Eccle. ix. 15, 16, x. l.

So

When at any time you are despised, set yourself to pray. Nehemiah, "Hear, O our God." When we are despised it should bring us upon our knees.

Ps. cix. 4.

Hear, O our God-Note how he pleads covenant interest, and relation, our God. This is very comfortable in all our addresses to the throne of grace, but, especially, when it is for our God's sake that we are despised. He is then especially concerned. Rom. viii. 36.

See what he begs, hear, God does hear, we need not ask it. But the prayer is hear, that is, so as to heed and observe. Thus we are to hear him. Mat. xvii. 5.

Hear, that is, the adversaries despising, and heed them. So he certainly will. Therefore, we should be as if we heard not. Psalm Xxxviii. 13, 15.

Hear, that is, thy people's prayer; and so he will.

Pray for those that despise.-Matt. v. 44-that God would give them repentance, that he would turn their hearts, and enable you to profit by their despisings.

It should make you examine whether you have not been guilty of despising others. It should make yon give no just occasion for any to despise you. Eccles. ix. 18. "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroyeth much good."

Observe what follows in the first verse of the next chapter. "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour, so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and . honour." A small miscarriage in one that is a professor of religion, is a great blemish to religion.

CRITICAL EXPOSITION OF HEBREWS VI. 4, 5, 6.

(Resumed from page 398.)

It

We now proceed to examine καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα. Here the verb yevoμai is construed with the accusative, whereas above it is followed by the genitive. The same usage is found in classical Greek. It appears to be a matter of indifference, whether it be joined to the one case or the other. It does not affect the sense. would be an over-refinement to affirm, that, with the genitive, it denotes a less degree of participation than it does with the accusative. The advocates of the idea slight experience, as implied in yevoμa with the genitive, attach the very same notion to it when followed by the accusative. By pîpa Ocov, I understand, with Chrysostom, Theophylact, Ecumenius, Ambrose, and others, the gospel. Kadov pnpa corresponds with the Hebrew 7, Jeremiah xxix. 10, xxxiii. 14; where "promise" would have been a more appropriate rendering. The adjective kaλòv joined with pua coû seems to point

especially to that part of the word of God which contains the promises; so that by the good word of God we are to understand the promises relating to blessings temporal and spiritual. That pua elsewhere signifies "promise," is evident from Luke ii. 29, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy pñμa, i. e. promise." But how did the persons described by the sacred writer taste the good promises of God? In the absence of exact information on this point, it is unreasonable to expect a satisfactory answer. The consolation administered by the promises, appears to be the chief idea contained in the clause. Their excellency and value gave joy and support to those that believed in the truth. It is almost superfluous to state, that this is applicable either to believers or to the unregenerate. In regard to the former, it will be denied by none, that the gracious promises of Jehovah constitute the principal source of their consolation and joy. But it is equally certain from the Scriptures, that the unrenewed may have transient pleasures from a belief in the word of God. Their minds may receive salutary impressions. There are some movements of the Spirit on the heart, which lead it to the very entrance of the kingdom of God; whilst they are too slight and gentle to bend its stubborn desires to his supreme authority. Our Lord, in the parable of the sower, shows, that hearers may receive the word with joy, and for awhile believe, who in time of temptation fall away. Luke viii. 13. Herod is said to have heard John gladly, and to have done many things. Men may not only know the truth, but so believe it as to have some joy; and yet they afterwards sin, and fall into irrecoverable apostacy. According to this interpretation, the clause differs from the enlightenment first mentioned. It involves something higher. It shows a greater advancement than simple instruction in the doctrines of Christianity. The individuals described had proceeded so far as to experience comfort in the good and gracious promises of the Lord. But, as even the unconverted may be thus affected, it does not necessarily follow, that regeneration had preceded this joyful frame of the inner man. By meditation on the precious promises, the hearts and hopes of the unregenerate are occasionally impressed and elevated. But such emotions are not permanent; they pass away, leaving the mind to the doubt and darkness of its unrenewed condition.

Δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. The interpretation of this clause is not without great difficulty, a circumstance calculated to lessen our confidence in the truth of any exposition that may be given.* Instead of the rendering of the authorised version many translate it, the mighty works of the succeeding age, or in other words, the miracles of the Gospel dispensation. Others, as Stuart, prefer, the influences of the Gospel age.

* Tertullian's translation occidente jam ævo has puzzled many; among others,

Griesbach and Matthaei.

I shall first inquire into the true import of the phrase μέλλων αἰὼν. There are two modes of interpreting it, each of which has its advocates. According to some, it denotes the Gospel dispensation or age of the Messiah. So Kuinoel, Bretschneider, Stuart, Robinson, and others.

עוֹלָם and עוֹלָם הַזֶה The Rabbins divided time into two great periods

*, to which aidv Evros and aiòv ó μév are thought to correspond. It would appear, however, from Buxtorf, that Jewish writers themselves were not agreed respecting the meaning of “Mundum futurum, sive 8, quidam intelligunt mundum, qui futurus est post destructum hunc mundum inferiorem, et post resurrectionem hominum mortuorum, quando animæ cum corporibus suis rursum conjungentur. Quidam per 2 intelligunt, dies Messia, quibus scilicet venturus Messias, quem Judaei adhuc expectant, quod in hoc mundo temporaliter regnaturus sit. Vide Abarbanel in Pirke Aboth c. 4."* Schleusner strongly denies that the phrase in question has ever the meaning, Gospel age. The New Testament, in his view, presents no example of its occurrence in that sense.

In the Gospel by Matthew we read, xii. 32, "But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come,” οὔτε ἐν τούτῳ τῳ αἰῶνι, οὔτε ἐν τῷ pov, i. e. neither in this nor in a future life, or never. To explain these two formularies with Bretschneidert and the Bereans, neither in the Jewish, or Christian dispensation, is too unnatural and forced an interpretation to be adopted. Again, in Mark x. 30, it is written, kai ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ, ζωὴν αἰώνιον, “ and in the world to come, eternal life." The 30th verse of the 18th chapter of Luke's Gospel is similar, "Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, év re dô tô éρxoμéve, life everlasting." In Ephes. i. 21, we also find, "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come :” δν μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν TμOT. Ephes. ii. 7 is somewhat similar, but not exactly the same, "That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus," év Toîs ài rois étreрxoμévois. Here the plural is used, evidently including a wider period than the Gospel dispensation. Luke xx. 35, "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:" oi δὲ κατξιωθέντες τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου τυχεῖν. Here τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου is equivalent to, future happiness, the future world of bliss; for it is contrasted with τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, in the preceding verse.

* Buxtorf. Lex. Chal. Talm. Rab. 1620.

+ See his "Die historisch-dogmatische Auslegung des Neuen Testamentes," p. 21.