Verse 33

Partly while you were made a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while you became companions of them that were so used.

Having mentioned their sufferings, and their deportment under them in general, he distributes them into two heads in this verse: The first is what immediately concerned their own persons; and the second, their concernment in the sufferings of others, and their participations of them. This distribution is expressed by [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], and [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], on this hand and that. The whole of their sufferings was made up of various parts, many things concurred thereunto; they did not consist in any one trouble or affliction, but a confluence of many, of various sorts did meet in them. And this indeed is for the most part the greatest difficulty in sufferings: many of them come at once upon us, so that we shall have no rest from their assaults. For it is the design of Satan and the world on these occasions to destroy both soul and body, and to that end he will assault us inwardly by temptations and fears, outwardly in our names and reputations, and all that we are or have. But he that knows how to account all such things but loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, is prepared for them all.

What refers to the first part is their suffering in their own persons; and herein he declares both what they suffered, and the manner how. That which they suffered was reproaches and afflictions, and for the manner of it, they were made a gazing-stock to other men.

The first thing wherein they suffered was reproaches, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], a great aggravation of sufferings to ingenuous minds. The Psalmist in the person of the Lord Christ himself complains that reproaches had broken his heart (Psalm 69:20). And elsewhere, frequently he complains of it as one of the greatest evils he had to conflict withal. It is that kind of reproach which proceeds from malicious hatred, and is accompanied with contempt and scorn, and vents itself in all manner of obloquies, or hard speeches, such as those mentioned (Jude v. 15). And the nature of it is fully declared by the Prophet (Jeremiah 10:8, 9, 10). And there are two branches of reproaches: (1.) False accusations, or charging of men with things vile and contemptible, such as will expose them to public scorn and rage; they shall speak all manner of evil of you falsely; wherein you are evil spoken of as evil doers. So they reproached the person of Jesus Christ himself, they said he was a malefactor, an evil doer, a seditious person, a glutton, a wine-bibber, a seducer, one that had a devil, and thereby stirred up the rage, hatred, and contempt of the people against him. So they reproached the primitive Christians among the Pagans, namely, that they were atheists, confederating themselves for adulteries, incest, murder, and sedition, under which notion they slaughtered them as beasts of the field. And the like reproaches have been cast on the professors of the Gospel in all ages. (2.) Those reproaches consist in the contempt that is cast upon what is true, and what in itself is holy, just, good, and praise-worthy. They reproached them with their faith in Christ, with their worship of him, in owning his authority. This in itself was their honor and their crown. But as it was managed with hatred and blasphemy, as it was confirmed by the common consent of all, as it received strength and countenance from their sufferings, wherein they esteemed them punished for their sins and impieties, it added to their distress. For men thus to be traduced, aspersed, and charged, partly with things infamous, base, vile, partly by contempt and scorn cast on what they do own and profess, by their friends, neighbours, relations, and the multitude of the people, in order to their further hurt and ruin, that they may be looked on and judged as persons meet to be destroyed, not suffered to live on the face of the earth, it is a great suffering, and difficulty to be endured and undergone. Therefore all those that make profession of the name of Christ and the Gospel ought to look and provide for such things.

1. Take heed of so much softness and tenderness of nature, that may give too deep a sense of reproach, scorn, and shame; which may give too deep an entrance to these things into your minds, being such as will weaken them in their duties. This ordinarily is a frame and disposition of mind that lies at the next door to virtue, to modesty, to humility, and the like; but in this case it lies at the next door to diffidence, despondency, and carnal fears.

We are in this case to harden our countenances, and to set our faces as a flint and adamant, so as to despise all reproaches and scorns on the account of our profession.

2. It is required, that we do not put too much value on our names and reputations in the world. A good name is a precious ointment, it yields a good savor, but it is so only with these two limitations. (1.) That it is obtained by things that are really good and praise-worthy; for some have made their names famous and acceptable to the multitude by ways and actions that have really nothing praise-worthy in them. And, (2.) that they be good men who esteem their name to be good. Laudari volo, said one, sed à viro Laudato. To have a good report among an evil multitude, is of no advantage. Yet are some men very tender herein, they would be praised, and spoken well of by the many; at least they would not be spoken evilly or contemptuously of. But if we have not an under-valuation of our names and reputations universally in respect to Christ and the Gospel, if we are not contented to be made as the filth and [〈…〉]scouring of all things, it will greatly disadvantage us in the time of sufferings. And therefore in the providence of God frequently it falls out, that if there be any thing that is to us as the apple of our eye, that of all we should be tender of our names and reputations in, this shall be peculiarly attempted and reproached.

3. That they do not think that any new thing befalls them when they are reproached. No, not when the reproaches are new, and such as never were cast on any that went before them. For the stores of reproach, and false accusations in the treasury of Satan, and hearts of wicked men, will never be exhausted.

4. Know that where reproach goes before, persecution will follow after, in the course of the world. It thunders in reproaches, and fails in a storm of persecution. These sufferings consisted in afflictions; these afflictions did partly [illegible] sue upon, and partly accompany these reproaches. For those who endeavour to bring men under contempt by reproaches, will not fail to reproach them under their sufferings. Therefore do we render the particle [in non-Latin alphabet] by both, referring both the reproaches and afflictions to their being made a gazing-stock. And the word is of a large signification, denoting every thing that is evil and grievous to us in any kind. But as it is distinguished from reproaches, it denotes suffering in their persons or enjoyments; an instance whereof he gives in the next verse, in the spoiling of their goods.

3. The manner of their suffering of these things, it is said they were made a gazing-stock, [in non-Latin alphabet]. 'Tis properly spoken of them who were brought on the public stage or theater in any city, and there exposed to all sorts of evils and punishments. And it was the way of the highest and most capital punishment. For when guilty persons were cast to beasts to be devoured, it was in the theater, where they were made a spectacle to the people, or a gazing-stock. But the Apostle limits the suffering of the Hebrews to reproaches and afflictions; they had not yet resisted to blood. So at Ephesus they drew Gaius and Aristarchus into the theater, with an intention to destroy them (Acts 19:29).

But yet neither does it necessarily follow, that those spoken of were actually or solemnly carried into any theater, there to be reproached, then destroyed. But because the theater was the place where persons were publicly exposed to be looked upon with scorn and contempt, the word [in non-Latin alphabet] is used to signify men's being so exposed, and made a spectacle, in any place, on any occasion. And this is the meaning of the phrase used by the Apostle (1 Corinthians 4:9). No more is required hereunto, but that they were publicly, and in the sight of all that had occasion or opportunity to behold them, exposed to these things. So was it with them, when they haled men and women out of their meetings, who being dragged, or driven in the streets, were committed some of them into prisons (Acts 8:3). Then were they laden with all manner of reproaches, and made a gazing-stock to all that were about them. This way and manner of their suffering was a great addition to it, and an aggravation of it. It requires excellent actings of faith, and spiritual courage, to carry ingenuous persons above this public contest. But their cause and their example were sufficient to support them, and enable them to this duty.

1. All temporary sufferings in all their aggravating circumstances, in their most dreadful preparation, dress, and appearance, are but light things in comparison of the Gospel and the promises thereof.

2. There is not any thing in the whole nature of temporary sufferings, or any circumstance of them, that we can claim an exemption from, after we have undertaken the profession of the Gospel. This was the first part of the contention with sufferings, which those Hebrews had undergone.

The other part of their sufferings was, that they became the companions of them that were so used. They not only suffered in themselves, on what they gave occasion to, by their own profession of the Gospel, and practice of its worship; but also came into a fellowship of sufferings with them that were so used as they were.

And we may consider, (1.) who those are that were so used. (2.) How they became their companions in that condition.

(1.) [in non-Latin alphabet]: the word signifies the way, manner, and course of our conversation in the world. And in that sense the sufferings of these persons is included as the effect in the cause. They so walked in the world as to be exposed to sufferings. We take the word in a passive sense, and render it so used, used after the same manner which you were. It is also used for to be tossed, overturned, oppressed; which is the sense of it in this place. But the Apostle writing to the whole Church of the Hebrews, we may enquire who they were who were used in this manner with them, for they seem to be distinguished from them to whom he wrote. And, (1.) it is not impossible but the Apostle might have respect to those that were sober and moderate among the Jews themselves. For things were now come to that confusion in Jerusalem and in all Judea, that all such persons were continually exposed to the violence and rage of robbers, oppressors, and seditious villains. The Christians, being of the same conversation with them, were not known by the multitude, nor distinguished from them. It is not therefore unlikely that they might suffer with them in those public violences, which being not immediately for the profession of the Gospel, they are said in what they so underwent, to be made the companions of others. Or, (2.) respect may be had to the sufferings of Christians in other places up and down the world, which they heard of, and were in no small measure affected with. But this was not peculiar to the Church of the Hebrews; and so not likely to be peculiarly ascribed to them. Or (3.) it may be respect is had to some that had suffered among themselves at Jerusalem, or in other places of Judea, who were their countrymen, yet belonged not to the stated Church of Christ in the place to which he wrote at present. And this has countenance given it from the next verse; where it seems to be given as an instance of their being made companions of them that suffered, in that they had compassion of the Apostle himself in his bonds, and such was the condition of others.

But I am rather inclined to a double distribution of things and persons in the Text, both included in the [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩], and the [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]. That of things is actual suffering, and a participation of the suffering of others. That of persons is this, that all those to whom he wrote, did not actually in their own persons suffer the things which he speaks of, but some of them did so suffer, and the rest of them were companions with them that did so suffer. And for the most part it so falls out in the fiercest persecution of the Gospel. All individual persons are not called forth to the same actual sufferings; some in the Providence of God, and through the rage of men are singled out for trials; some are hid, or do escape, at least for a season, and it may be are reserved for the same trials at another time. So it may be said of the whole Church, that they endured a great fight of afflictions, while some of them were a gazing-stock, &c. and others of them were companions of them who were so used.

It is reserved to the sovereign pleasure of God to measure out to all professors of the Gospel their especial lot and portion as to trials and sufferings, so as that none ought to complain, none to envy one another.

Hence it appears in what sense those who suffered not in their own persons, were made companions of them who did so, whereby the whole Church partook of the same troubles.

[⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]. (1.) They were made so by their common interest in the same cause for which they suffered. (2.) By their apprehension that the same sufferings would reach to themselves, seeing there was the same cause in them as in others. (3.) By their sorrow, trouble, and compassion for the suffering of the members of the same Head and Body with them. (4.) By all duties of love and affections which they discharged in owning and visiting of them. (5.) By the communication of their goods, and outward enjoyments to them, who had suffered the loss of their own, so were they made their companions.