In general, the nature and aggravation of the sin intended, may be reduced unto these heads.

1. The object of it, which is the sum and substance, a divine constellation of all the blessed effects of infinite wisdom, goodness and grace, yea the whole divine wisdom, goodness and grace of God, in the most glorious manifestation of them. All these things are comprised in the person, office and glory of the Son of God, as the Saviour and Redeemer of the church.

2. The actings of the minds of men towards this object, which is in and by all the vilest affections that human nature is capable of. Contempt, scorn and malice, are ascribed unto such sins: xαταжατnas, they trample on, they despise, and do despight.' Wherefore, if it be possible that any thing, any sins of men, can provoke the heat of divine indignation; if any can contract such a guilt, as that the holiness, righteousness, truth and faithfulness of God, shall be engaged unto its eternal punishment, the sin here intended must do it. We shall therefore consider it in its nature, and distinct aggravations.

First, The sin in general is, that which we have spoken to before, namely, sinning wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, and is an absolute total relinquishment and rejection of the gospel.

First, In the description of the special object of this sin, that which is first expressed is the person of Christ, the Son of God. I have on sundry occasions before shewed, how the apostle doth vary in his expression of Christ: here he calls him, Tov VOTO, the Son of God,' and he maketh use of this name to give a sense of the glorious greatness of the person with whom they had to do, against whom this sin was committed. For although he were a man also, who had blood to shed, and did shed it in the sacrifice of himself; and notwithstanding what cursed blasphemous thoughts, they might have of him, yet indeed he is, and will appear to be, the eternal Son of the living God.

But how comes this Son of God to be concerned herein ? What injury is done him by apostates from the gospel? I answer, that as the Lord Christ in his own person was the special author of the gospel; as his authority is the special object of our faith in it; as his office, with all the fruits of it, is the subject, sum, and substance of the gospel; so there is no reception of it in a due manner unto salvation, no rejection of it unto final condemnation, but what is all of it originally, fundamentally, and virtually contained in the reception, or rejection of the person of Christ. This is the life, the soul, and foundation of all gospel truth, without which it is of no power or efficacy unto the souls of men. But I have treated at large of these things elsewhere. I cannot but observe, that, as whosoever rejects, refuses, forsakes the gospel, rejecteth and forsaketh the

person of Christ, so on what account soever men take up the profession of it, and perform the duties of it, if the foundation be not laid in a reception of Christ himself, of the person of Christ, all their profession will be in vain. This is the first aggravation of this sin: it is committed immediately against the person of the Son of God, and therein his authority, goodness, and love.

But it may be thought, if the person of Christ be concerned. herein, yet it is indirectly or consequentially only, and in some small degree. No, saith the apostle; but he that is guilty of this sin, doth trample on the Son of God, or tread him under foot, xatαzatas. The word is rendered with great variety, but that of our translation is proper, and it is the highest expression of scorn, contempt and malice amongst men. To tread under foot,' is to despise and insult over, as is plain in the metaphor. And this contempt respects both the person of Christ and his authority. He is proposed in the gospel, was professed by this sort of sinners for a while to be the Son of God, the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Hereon faith in him, and all holy reverence unto him, are required of us, as on him whom God had exalted above principalities and powers, and whom therefore we ought to exalt and adore in our souls. But now by this sort of persons he was esteemed an evil-doer, a seducer, one not at all sent of God, but one that justly suffered for his crimes. Herein they trod under foot the Son of God with all contempt and scorn.

Again, it respects his authority. This the gospel declared, and those who had made any profession of it, as all must have done who contract the guilt of apostasy, did avow, and submit themselves unto. The profession they made, was to observe and do all that he had commanded them, because all power was given unto him in heaven and earth. This they now utterly rejected and despised, as unto the outward observance of his commands, ordinances, and institutions of divine worship; they openly rejected them, betaking themselves unto other modes, and rites of divine service, in opposition and contradiction to them, even those of the law. Neither did they retain any regard in their minds unto his authority.

Obs. III. Though there may be sometimes an appearance of great severity in God's judgments against sinners, yet when the nature of their sins, and the aggravation of them, shall be discovered, they will be manifest to have been righteous, and within due measure.

Obs. IV. We ought to take heed of every neglect of the person of Christ, or of his authority, lest we enter into some degree or other of the guilt of this great offence.

Obs. V. The sins of men can really reach neither the person nor authority of Christ: they only do that in desire, which in

effect they cannot accomplish-This doth not take off, or extenuate their sin, the guilt of it is no less than if they did actually trample upon the Son of God.

Secondly, The second aggravation of the sin spoken of, is its opposition to the office of Christ, especially his priestly office, and the sacrifice that he offered thereby, called here, to a tas diates, the blood of the covenant.' And that included in it, is the frame of their minds in that opposition,

⚫ they counted it an unholy thing;' both which have a third aggravation from the use and efficacy of that blood, it is that wherein he was sanctified.'

yn,

For the first, In what sense the blood of Christ was the blood of the covenant, hath been fully declared on ch. ix. That whereby the new covenant was ratified, confirmed, and made effectual as unto all the grace of it unto them that do believe; and it was the foundation of all the following actings of God towards him in his exaltation, and of his intercession; see ch. xiii. 20. The blood of the covenant was the great expression of the grace of God, and of the love of Christ himself, as well as the cause of all good unto us; the centre of divine wisdom in all the mediatory actings of Christ, the life and soul of the gospel. Of this blood of the covenant it is said, that they who are guilty of the sin intended, accounted it an unholy thing, they judged it so, and dealt with it accordingly. Both the judgment of the mind, and practice thereupon, are intended.

Kovov is common,' and opposed unto any thing that is dedicated, and consecrated unto God, and made sacred. Hence it is used for profane and unholy, that which no way belongs unto divine worship. They did no longer esteem it as that blood wherewith the new covenant was sealed, confirmed, established, but as the blood of an ordinary man shed for his crimes, which is common and unholy, not sacred; not of so much use unto the glory of God as the blood of bulls and beasts in legal sacrifices, which is the height of impiety. And there are many degrees of this sin, some doctrinal, some practical; which, though they arise not unto the degree here intended, yet are they perilous unto the souls of men. Those by whom the efficacy of his blood unto the expiation of sin, by making satisfaction and atonement, is denied, as it is by the Socinians, will never be able to free themselves from making this blood, in some sense, a common thing. Yea, the contempt which hath been cast on the blood of Christ by that sort of men, will not be expiated with any other sacrifices for ever. Others do manifest what slight thoughts they have of it, in that they place the whole of their religion within themselves, and value their own light as unto spiritual advantages above the blood of Christ. practically there are but few who trust unto it for their justification, for pardon, righteousness, and acceptance with God;

And

which is in a great measure to account it a common thing, not absolutely, but in comparison of that life, excellency and efficacy, that is in it indeed. But as Christ is precious unto them. that believe, 1 Pet. ii. 7. so is his blood also wherewith they are redeemed, 1 Pet. i. 19.

Obs. VI. Every thing that takes off from a high and glorious esteem of the blood of Christ, as the blood of the covenant, is a dangerous entrance into apostasy. Such is the pretended sacrifice of the mass, with all things of the like nature.

The last aggravation of this sin, with respect unto the blood of Christ, is the nature, use and efficacy of it: it is,

ac, that wherewith he was sanctified.' It is not real or internal. sanctification that is here intended, but it is a separation and dedication unto God, in which sense the word is often used. And all the disputes concerning the total and final apostasy from the faith, of them who have been really and internally sanctified, from this place, are altogether vain; though that which a man professeth concerning himself, may be said of him in aggravation of his sin. But the difficulty of this text is, concerning whom these words are spoken; for they may be referred unto the person that is guilty of the sin insisted on. He counts the blood of the covenant, wherewith he himself was sanctified, an unholy thing. For as at the giving of the law, or the establishing of the covenant at Sinai, the people being sprinkled with the blood of the beasts that were offered in sacrifice, were sanctified, or dedicated unto God in a peculiar manner; so those who, by baptism and confession of faith in the church of Christ, were separated from all others, were peculiarly dedicated to God thereby. And therefore, in this case, apostates are said to deny the Lord that bought them, or vindicated them from their slavery unto the law by his word and truth for a season, 2 Pet. ii. 1. But the design of the apostle in the context leads plainly to another application of these words. It is Christ himself that is spoken of, who was sanctified and dedicated unto God, to be an eternal high priest, by the blood of the covenant which he offered unto God, as I have shewed before. The priests of old were dedicated and sanctified unto their office by another person, and by the sacrifices which he offered for them; they could not sanctify themselves: so were Aaron and his sons sanctified by Moses, antecedently unto their offering any sacrifice themselves. But no outward act of men or angels could unto this purpose pass on the Son of God. He was to be the priest himself, the sacrificer himself, to dedicate, consecrate, and sanctify himself by his own sacrifice, in concurrence with the actings of God the Father in his suffering; see John xvii. 19. Heb. ii. 10. ch. v. 7. 9. ch. ix. 11, 12. That precious blood of Christ, wherein, or whereby he was sanctified, and dedicated unto God as the eternal high priest of the church, this they esteemed an

unholy thing; that is, such as would have no such effect as to consecrate him unto God and his office.

Obs. VII. However men may esteem of any of the mediatory actings of Christ, yet are they in themselves glorious and excellent. So was the sacrifice of his own blood, even that whereby not only the church was sanctified, but himself also was dedicated as our high priest for ever.

Thirdly, The third aggravation of this sin is taken from its opposition unto the Spirit of Christ, xas το Πνεύμα της χαρίτες gs, he hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.' And as in the former instances, so it is here, there are two parts of this aggravation. The first taken from the object of their sin, the Spirit of grace.' The second taken from the manner of their opposition unto him, they do him despite.' The Holy Spirit of God, promised and communicated under the gospel by Jesus Christ from the Father, as the author and cause, actually communicating and applying all grace unto the souls of them that believe, is this Spirit of grace. And this carries in it innumerable aggravations of this sin. This person, the Holy Spirit of God, God himself, his communication of grace and mercy, in the accomplishment of the most glorious promises of the old testament, was he whom these apostates renounced. But there is a peculiar notion or consideration of the Spirit, with respect whereunto he is sinned against, and that is this, that he was peculiarly sent, given, and bestowed to bear witness unto the person, doctrine, death and sacrifice of Christ, with the glory that ensued thereon, John xvi. 14. 1 Pet. i. 12. And this he did in various ways. For by him the souls of multitudes were converted unto God, their eyes enlightened, their minds sanctified, their lives changed. By him did those who believed, come to understand the Scriptures, which before were as a sealed book unto them; by him they were directed, encouraged, supported and comforted, in all that they had to do and suffer for the name of Christ. By him were all those mighty works, wonders, signs and miracles, wrought, which accompanied the apostles, and other preachers of the gospel at the beginning. Now all these things, and the like effects of his grace and power on all who made profession of the gospel, were owned, believed, and avowed to be the works of the Holy Spirit, as promised in the days of the Messiah; and they pleaded the evidence of them unto the confusion of all their adversaries. This therefore was done also by these apostates, before their apostasy. But now being fully fallen off from Christ and the gospel, they openly declared that there was no testimony in them unto the truth, but all these things were either diabolical delusions, or fanatical misapprehensions; that indeed there was nothing of truth, reality, or power in them, and therefore no argument to be taken from them, unto the confirmation of the