Hebrews 6

3. Such as are not settled in the faith, can never suffer for it: skeptics in religion will hardly ever prove martyrs; they that are not settled do hang in aequilibrio, in suspense; when they think of the joys of heaven, then they will espouse the Gospel; but when they think of…

Second Benefit: If we are adopted, then we have an interest in all the promises: the promises are children's bread. Believers are heirs of the promise (Hebrews 6:17). The promises are sure; God's truth which is the brightest pearl in his crown is laid to pawn in a promise.

Faith sets love to work (Galatians 5:6): faith which works by love; believing the mercy and merit of Christ causes a flame of love to ascend. Faith sets patience to work (Hebrews 6:12): be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Faith believes the…

1. In rewarding the virtuous; (Psalm 58:11) Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous. The Saints shall not serve him for nothing, he will reward praeces & lachrymas, [illegible], though they may be losers for him, they shall not be losers by him, (Hebrews 6:10) God is not u…

There is as much difference between spiritual joys and earthly, as between a banquet that is eaten, and one that is painted on the wall. 6. These are stronger joys than worldly (Hebrews 6:18). Strong consolation.

His exhorting them was not in the least to question their abiding in him, but to awaken their diligence, and make them pray the harder that they might abide in him. 2. The second objection is (Hebrews 6:4): it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of…

Abel by faith offered up [illegible], a better sacrifice than Cain (Hebrews 11:4). Faith is a vital principle, without it all our services are Opera Mortua, dead works (Hebrews 6:1). Faith does meliorate and sweeten our obedience, and make it come off with a better relish.

Swear not at all; that is, rashly and sinfully, so as to take God's name in vain; not but that in some cases it is lawful to take an oath before a magistrate (Deuteronomy 6:13). You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him, and swear by his name (Hebrews 6:16). An oath for co…

11. The evil tongue is the swearing tongue (Matthew 5:34). Swear not at all. The Scripture allows an oath for the ending of a controversy, and to clear the truth (Hebrews 6:16). But in ordinary discourse to use an oath, and so to take God's name in vain, is sinful. Swearing may…

1. The bodies of believers shall be raised up to glory. The doctrine of the resurrection is a fundamental article of our faith; the Apostle puts it among the principles of the doctrine of Christ (Hebrews 6:2). The body shall rise again; we are not so sure to rise out of our beds…

God's truth is one of the richest jewels of his crown, and he has pawned this jewel in a promise; (2 Samuel 23:5) Although my house be not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. Although my house be not so] That is, though…

If God sees it is good for them to have more of the world they shall have it; God will not let them want any good thing. 13. If God be our Father all the promises of the Bible belong to us: God's children are called heirs of the promise; (Hebrews 6:17). A wicked man can lay clai…

And that which may increase our lamentation is, that not only man's blood is shed among us, but Christ's blood. Such as are profane flagitious sinners are said to crucify the Son of God afresh (Hebrews 6:6). (1.) They swear by his blood, and so do as it were make his wounds blee…

Fourthly, in this we resemble God, to be doing good to others. 'Tis our excellence to be like God. Godliness is God-likeness. And in what are we more like him than in acts of bounty and munificence? Psalm 119:68. You are good, and do good. You are good, there is God's essential…

The apostate (says Tertullian) seems to put God and Satan in the balance, and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil's services, and proclaims him to be the best master. In which respect the apostate is said to put Christ to open shame (Hebrews 6:6). This dyes a s…

16. If you would not fall short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of falling off; beware of apostasy; he misses of the prize who does not hold out in the race; he who makes shipwreck of the faith cannot come to the haven of glory. We live in the fall of the leaf; men fall from…

7th Counterfeit. A man may have the Spirit, yet not be a New Creature. The apostle supposes a case, that one might be made partaker of the Holy Ghost, yet fall away (Hebrews 6:4). A man may have some slight transient work of the Spirit, but it does not go to the root; he may hav…

Thus he worked upon the stony ground, and in the Jews by John's ministry (John 5:35), which light and taste and revelation of this conditional offer, tending in a way to salvation by alluring their hearts to seek it, they often, through Satan's abuse of this good work and the se…

And Satan deceives with both: as the one sort of profane men to flatter themselves to be in a good condition when they are not, so the other of weak and tender consciences that they are not in a good estate when they are. And in like manner, places of Scripture misunderstood do…

Sometimes from a passage of Scripture misunderstood and misapplied: some who are annoyed with blasphemous thoughts against God and Christ and his Spirit — thoughts which are their greatest affliction — have thought they have sinned against the Holy Spirit, misapplying Matthew 12…

God remembers them to have mercy on you; why should you not remember them to comfort you? Therefore in Hebrews 6:9-10: 'We hope better things of you, for God is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love, to reward you.' And therefore he calls upon them likewise in Hebrews 10:…

Now what is the purpose and use of a tower in a city but that when all outworks are taken, the walls scaled, all fortifications forsaken and houses left, then a tower holds out last and is a refuge to flee to? So also when the devil and God's wrath beleaguer you on all sides and…

A gracious soul has sweet intercourse with heaven; he goes to God by prayer, and God comes to him by his Spirit; How happy is that person who has the angels to guard him, and God to keep him company! 3. A righteous man has more excellent promises belong to him; what a sinner has…

1. You would not take up our meaning in it so, as if we made every common work that lively means may have on the hearers of the Gospel, to be conversion; the preaching of the Word will sometimes make folks tremble, as we see in Felix, and will waken convictions and terrors in th…

But that he might come under the curse, in the several degrees of it, for the satisfying of justice for our sins; and see in every piece of Christ's suffering a reality of the grace and love of God; a reality in the covenant and bargain of redemption; a reality in Christ's satis…

The 4th use of it is, to commend the practice of this to the believer that has indeed fled to Jesus Christ; and to show the great privilege that they have who are such. The practice of it is, that believers should seek to be established and confirmed in the particular applicatio…

If this were seriously considered and laid to heart, O but folk would be humble, nothing would affect the soul more, and sting to the very heart, than to think that Christ suffered for me, through grace an elect and a believer, and that yet notwithstanding I should have so despi…

And suppose one should say, I cannot believe, it is as if such a man should say, I cannot, I dare not run to the City; or rather, though he had been feeble, yet he would have creeped, [reconstructed: crawled and limped] to it as he might: Even so here, in a word, a man should no…

1. From the nature of the Gospel, it's the Word of God, as really inviting to do that which it calls for, as if God were speaking from Heaven; it's the Word of God, and not the word of man, and has as real authority to call for obedience, as if God spoke it immediately from Heav…

Come and receive a Savior; and the act of faith is a gripping to that offer, a receiving and embracing of it, a being well content to take a free discharge through His blood. A third expression is, Philippians 3:12, where faith is set out as an apprehending of Christ, and Hebrew…

Does not this say, that there is need, that we should look well what fruit there is of His sufferings, that there may be more then if He had not suffered at all. 9. Consider the great weight that will be laid on this sin, of refusing to believe, and to satisfy Him in this, to wi…

If Jehovah performs the promises made to the Mediator, and if the Mediator performs His engagement to Jehovah, and raises up believers at the last day, then it must follow, that their salvation is sure. This is the main ground on which believers' peace is founded; and here we ma…

Thirdly, look further, to the greatness of this sin, in the strange names that the Lord puts upon it (1 John 5:11), "He that believes not, has made God a liar;" and is there any sin that has a grosser name or effect than this? For it receives not the report which He has given of…

Sometimes He complains, as (John 5:40), "You will not come to me that you might have life," and sometimes weeps and mourns because sinners will not be gathered, as (Luke 19:41-42) and (Matthew 23:37) — can there be any greater evidences of reality in any offer? A third warrant i…

Indeed, the law was a severer teacher to awe the saints, in regard of the outward dispensation of ceremonies and legal strictness, keeping men as criminals in close prison until Christ should come. But imputation of Christ's righteousness, and blessedness in the pardon of sin, a…

Indeed, but a kingdom may be too little; therefore it is a world (Luke 20:35). It is a world, and for eminence, a world to come (Hebrews 6:5) — the world of ages. 2. The lowest stones of it are not earth, as our cities here, but twelve manner of precious stones are the foundatio…

So (Genesis 12:3) In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 22:18) If the meaning be that, without any figure or exception, all and every family be blessed in Christ, then shall I infer that, all the families of the earth, without exception, are justified b…

2. He entered into heaven in our very names and so is to be considered in that act as a common person (as well as in his death and resurrection) representing us and also taking possession in our right, and we in him, as a guardian takes possession for heirs under age. Hebrews 6:…

3. That our joy and contentment is so infinitely above our sorrow, and trouble (2 Corinthians 4:7), so that in all the troubles and sorrows of this life, we may look beyond them and through them, to the joy and comfort of the life to come. This joy is set before us in the promis…

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. It is such an evidence of the worth and reality of the unseen glory, as draws off the heart from things seen, which are so pleasing to the flesh; faith sets it before the eye of the soul in the prom…

Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever. A comforting power, giving the heirs of promise strong consolation (Hebrews 6:18). Do you find anything of this in your hearts, is it ingrafted in your souls (James…

There is a sin to death, for which I say you should not pray (1 John 5). And again: It is impossible that they which were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted of the good word of God, and of the power…

By oath. Heb 6:17. Againe, it may be demanded, to whome it was confirmed?

The sinne against the holy Ghost, is indeede a voluntarie sinne: but that is by reason of the obstinacie and malice of the will: and this offence in the Galatians was voluntate onely by infirmitie. Againe, the sinne against the holy Ghost is an universall Apostasie, in respect o…

It may be saide, that it is impossible, that they which once have been inlightned, and tasted of the heauenly gift, &c. if they fall away, should be renued againe by repentance. Heb 6:4, 5, 6. Ans.

Both which are necessary in the church of God. Catechisms have a necessary use, both in regard of the simple, who are to be fed with milk, being but babes in Christ; and of the learned who are strong men in Christ, that they may have some rule, whereby to try the spirits, conson…

Now God swears by himself, because there is none more sufficient to be a witness of his truth: for he is the truth itself. Men swear by greater than themselves, as the Apostle says (Hebrews 6:16), but God having no superior, swears here by himself. We must note the cause of this…

But in regard our perversity is such, that we cannot believe in God, though he makes us never so large and liberal promises; therefore Isaiah brings in the Lord binding himself with an oath: for the Lord stoops so low to us, as to swear, the more to reprove our distrust and obst…

This honor cannot be transferred to another, without committing an outrage on the divine majesty. For the same reason the Apostle says, that we do not swear in a right manner, unless we swear by the greater, and that it belongs to God alone to swear by himself, (Hebrews 6:13.) T…

1 Thessalonians 5. 8. And for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation; and the sure and steadfast Anchor of the Soul, which preserves it from being cast away by the Storms of the evil World, Hebrews 6. 19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul, Benefit which true Saints receive b…