V ER. I. Ep/1ieto the HEBREwS. 157 Gofpel. And the following particles, .1 yS, and if, inverfe 2. may teem to relate unto what was before fpoken, and fo toyield a reafonwhy the Unbelievers lhouldfoperifh as he had intimated ; which unlefs it be expreffed in this word, the Apofile had not beforeat all fpoken unto. And this fenfethe Caution here given is, That we fhould attend unto the word of the Gofpel, left by our negledl thereof, we bring upon our fives inevitable ruine, and perifh as water that isJ ilt on theground, which cannot be gathered upagain. But the truth is, that the word ..órdprefixed will not bewell reconciled unto this nesía fenfe and interpretation ; unlefs we fhould fuppofe it tobe redundant and infignifi- cative, and fo pñ morn aawaYaleer, lefd atany time wefhotildflow out, fhould be the fame with pa uotapéo t er abfolutely, that we fallnot. But there is no jellreafon to render that word fo ufelefs. Allow it therefore fignificative, and it may have a double fenfe i. Todenotean uncertain time ; quando, aliquando, at any time. 2: A conditional event ; forte, neforti; left it fhouldhappen. In neither of thefe fenfes will it allow the words to be expounded of thePunifhment that (hall befall Unbelievers, which is moll certain both as to the Time, and the Event. Neither doth the Apofll.e in the next Verfes threaten them that negledl the Gofpel; that at fame time or other they may perifh; but lets them know that their defdrueiion is certain, and that fromthe Lord. It is thenour finful lofing of theWord and thebenefits thereof which the Apoftle in- tendeth. And inthe next verfes he doth not proceed to prove what he had affected in theverje, but goes on to other Argumentsto thefame purpofe, taken from the un- quellionable event ofour ,negledl of the Word, and lofing the benefits thereof. The efpecial reafon therefore why the Apoftle that exprelfeth our lofing of the dot2rine of theGoffel by want of diligent attendance untoit, is tobe enquired after. Generally theexpreffon is looked on as an allufion unto leakingvrels, which fuffer the water That is poured into them one way, to runout many. Ashe fpeaks in the Comedian, who denied that he could keep fecret forme things if they were communicated un- to him. Plenas rimarumfilm, hac atqueilluc a lus : I amfullofchinks, andflow out on every fide. And the wordrelates unto the perfns, not to the things, becaufe it contains a crime. It is our duty to retain the word which we have heard ; and thereforeit is not faid that the Wordfloras out, but that weas it were pour it out. And this crime is de- notedby the additionof racy; to i3V A. For as the Pimple Verb denotes thepang away ofany thing as water, whether it deferve to beretained or no ; fo the, compound doth the lofing of that perverfly which we ought to haveretained. But we may yet enquire a little farther into the reafon and nature ofthe Allegory. The Word or Dolirini ofthe Scripture is compared toPowers and rain ; Dem. 32.2. Mydollrinefhall dropas the rain, myfeecbfball di(fil as the dew, as the /mall rain upon the tender herb, as the flowers upon thegrail. Hence the fame word `I1SB fignifies a Teacher, and Rain; fo that Tranflators do often doubt of its fpecial fenfe, as Pfal 84.7. n 1ö lul,' r11]í1, the rainflletb thepools,as in our Tranfiation ;' others,as Hierom and AriasMontanus render them, Renedifionibus operietur docens, The Teacher(ball be covered withble ngs ; both the words being ambiguous. So alfo Ifa. 30. 20. Tito, which we tranflate thyTeachers, is by others rendred thy/bowers or rain. So thofe words, Joel 2. 23. X7I154 711D7 nt t=75 fnr17, which our Tranflators render in the Text, He bath givenyouthe former rainmoderately in the Margin they render, a Teacher ofrighteoufneff. And the like ambiguity is in other places. And there is an elegant metaphor in theword. Forasthe drops ofrain fallingon the earth do waterit and make it fruitful, whilfi it takes no notice of it, fo doth the Dodlrine of the Word infenfibly make fruitful untoGod the fouls ofmen, upon whom it doth defcend. And in refpedl (into theWord ofthe Gofpel it is, that the Lord Chrift is Paid to come down as the flowers on the rnoraengrag,, Pfil, 72. So the Apoftle calls the preachingofthe Gofpel unto men, the watering ofthem, r Cor. 3. 6, 7. And compares them unto whom it is preached unto the earth that drinketh in the rain, Heb. 6.7. In purfuit of this Metaphor it is, that menare faid topour out the Word preached unto them, whenby their negli- gence they lofe all the benefits thereof. So when our Saviour had compared the fame Word unto fed, he fees out mens'falling from it by all the ways and means whereby feed cajiinto the earth may be loft, orbecome unprofitable, Matth. 53. And as he_fhews that thereare various ways andmeans whereby the feed that is fown may be loft andperilh; fo thereare many times and feafons, ways and means, wherein and whereby we may lofe and pour out the Water or Rain of the Word which we have- received. And thofe the Apoftle regards in that expreffion, left at any time. Qgq a We
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