"exhorts them-to be STEADFAST IN the Faith representing to them the horrible danger of RELAPSING, after they had tasted of the gift of the Spirit." Mr. G. M. whose comment is so strongly recommended by Mr. J. Downham, saith, "The principal end of it [this epistle] is to exhort to coNSTANCY and PERSISTANCE in the Christian religion."t The learned Dr. Sykes, in his paraphrase and notes. saith, "It was wrote to Hebrew Christians--to keep them steady to their professions, and to guard them from RELAPSING into Judaism." Dr. Lightfoot saith, that The apostle's "intention is, if he can, to argue them into an establishment against that grievous APOSTASY that was then on foot." Dr. Hammond saith, that The Hebrews-"began to forsake the Christian assemblies, and to fall off from the profession of their faith:

*See pege 301. See the Argument to his Comment. Introduction. Harmony of the

New Testament, p.141.

*

which being" (observe it well)-"THE OCCASION of this monitory epistle THE SUBJECT Consequently is, to confirm them in the truth," and to represent the great danger and sin of FALLING OFF. Dr. Whitby saith, that this epistle was written to persons now relapsing from Christ to Moses." Again, in his discourse on the Five Points, he saith, "Now to prevent this apostacy of the believing Jews, the epistle to the Hebrews was manifestly written! and as the excellent Dr. Barrow used to say, that it was written" (observe well:) "AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF PERSEVERANCE.‡ In the Argument to the epistle to the Hebrews, in Edward the Sixth's Bible, we have these words, "Wherefore according to the example of the old fathers we must CONSTANTLY believe in him, that being sanctified by his justice, taught by his wisdom, and governed by his power, we may stead

*Preface to this Epistle. Preface to this Epistle. See Discourse on the Five Points page 414.

fastly and courageously, even to the = end, continue or persevere in hope of that joy which is set before us."** Dr. Owen, the great champion of the Calvinists in the last century, in his learned exposition, on the epistle to the Hebrews, saith, St. Paul "had a SPECIAL eye unto the APOSTASY Of some of the Hebrews, accasioned by the persecutions which then began to grow high against them. Whatever argument or testimony in his passage gave him advantage to press an exhortation unto CONSTANCY, and to deter them from BACKSLIDING, he lays I hold upon it." Again, says the same =author, "As it is likely from this - epistle, many of them who had made profession of the gospel, rather than they would utterly forego their old way of worship, DESERTED THE FAITH, and cleaving to their unbelieving countrymen PERISHED IN THEIR APOSTASY, whom our apostle in an es

+ Dr. Owen's

* King Edward's Bible,
Exposition, page 38.

pecial manner forwarns of their INEVITABLE DESTRUCTION, by the fire of God's indignation."* Again, "All the fears the apostle had of their APOSTASY into Judaism-arose from their adherence unto, and zeal for thé law of Moses' Again, "His PRIN

CIPAL END THEREFORE IN THIS WHOLE

EPISTLE (AS HATH BEEN DECLARED) was to prevail with the Hebrews unto SLEADFASTNESS in the faith of the gos pel. Echard saith that "the He brew converts" had "heavy persecutions both from Jews and Gentilesbesides a train of plausible insinua. tions to reduce them to their ancient Mosaic institutions, to which many of them had turned of late, APOSTATIZING from the purity of the Christian faith. Wherefore, partly to warn and instruct them, and partly to encourage and support them, he [Paul] wrote this celebrated epistle."§ The Assembly of Divines in their argu

* Dr. Owen's Exposition, page 43. +Ibid page 353. Ibid. Ecclesiastical History, page 229.

ment to this epistle say, "The apostle observing, that the Hebrews (at least a great part of them) were ready to FALL FROM THE FAITH OF CHRIST into their former Judaism, by reason of the cruel persecutions which they suffered, HENCE TOOK OCCASION TO WRITE THIS EPISTLE UNTO THEM; wherein he laboureth to CONFIRM them in THAT FAITH which THEY HAD RECEIVED, and to stir them up to stand STEADFAST IN IT; and that by divers arguments: as first, from the excellency of Christ's nature," &c. "Secondly from the DANGER OF APOSTASY."* Mr. Sam. Clarke saith. "The of it is this: the BELIEVING, or scope CHRISTIAN Hebrews suffered under two great evils, one inward, the other outward; the former was a great error, in joining Christ and Moses-the latter was their grievous persecution from their countrymen for turning Christians, whereupon many of THEM were in GREAT DANGER OF APOSTASY"

* Assembly's Annotations?