they stirred up the Heathen, who were round about, to do it. By these. means the believing Hebrews had a great fight of afflictions, chap. x. ver. 32, and were made gazing-stocks, both by reproaches and afflictions, verse 33, and experienced the spoiling of ther goods, which for a while they took joyfully, verse 34.

But this was not at all: for as the Christian religion was then a new thing in the world, it is natural to suppose that the new converts had many scruples, and reasonings in themselves concerning the lawfulness of what they had done in embracing it. And what added to these scruples was, the constant endeavour of the judaizing teachers to lay stumblingblocks in the way of these Hebrews, which they too often effected by means of their diverse and strange doctrines, mentioned chap. xiii. verse 9. The consequence of this opposition, both from within and without, was, that great numbers of the Hebrews apostatized from Christ and his

gospel, and went back to the law of Moses, while the fluctuating state of the rest, gave the apostle too much reason to fear a general, if not an universal apostasy. Now this apparent danger was the OCCASION of this epistle, and the DESIGN of it was, to prevent the threatened evil if possible.

And that I am not alone in this opinion, the following testimonies abundantly declare. Clemens Alexandrinus saith, Επει και Παυγος τους Εβραι οις γράφων τοις επανακάμπτεσιν εἰς νόμον εκ ss, that is, Paul also writing to the Hebrews, RELAPSING from the faith unto the Law, saith,* &c. Now if the other Fathers, so often quoted in the preceding pages, such as Ignatius, Chrysostom, Oecumenius, Ambrose, Cyprian, Phavorinus, Theophylact, Greg, Nazianzen, Damascenus, &c. expounded the particular passages above cited, according to their view of the scope of the whole epistle (which would be absurd to suppose they did not) they must be supposed

*Strom. lib. vi. fol. 645, Colon. edit.

to agree with Clemens Alexandrinus, that it was intended as a CAVEAT AGAINST APOSTASY. And the same must be said of those of later date, which I have so often cited: such as Grotius, Erasmus, Camero, Ribera, Calvin, Junius, Gomarus Gerhardus, Capellus, Menochius, Aretius, Piscator, Suicerus, Beza, &c. For we cannot suppose that such profound Commentators and Critics would give one uniform exposition of so many partic ular passages, in this, or any other epistle, which they thought was unconnected with the occasion and design of the whole,

To what has been said, I shall add the express testimony of a great number of other writers, many of whom are of a more modern date.

“Utrâ

The learned Marlorat says, que parte epistolæ eos hortatur; illic ne Christum rejiciant, hic autem ut Christo fidant, et per patientiam in veritate persistant:" that is, In both parts of the epistle, he (the apostle) earnestly exhorts them on the one hand, that

they would not reject Christ; but wholly trust in Him by Faith, and PATIENTLY PERSEVERE in the Truth.* So Ostervald," Il exhorte les Hebreux a la perseverance dans la foi:" He exhorts the Hebrews to PERSEVERANCE in the Faith. Le Clerc says, "Ut animus Christianis addatur, quo constantes ac perseverantes sint," &c. the apostle wrote this epistle, To animate the Christians, that they might be CONSTANT and PERSEVERING in the Faith. The great Bengelius says, "Totus in id incumbit, ut fratrem fidem in Jesum Christum confirmet:" that is, The apostle employs ALL HIS STRENGTH ON THIS SINGLE POINT, that he might confirm the faith of the brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ.§ So Michalis," He (the apostle) writes this epistle to the Christians in Palestine. A severe persecution not only deprived them of the apostle James; but rendered almost the whole church

* See comment, page 965. † Ostervald in loc. Le Clere's preface on the place, See his preface on this Epistle.

WAVERING in the faith."* The learned Hallett says, "The Christians were continually persecuted by the unbelieving Jews-Heb. x. 32-36. chap. xii. 4, 5. By these persecutions they were tempted to APOSTATIZE from Christianity." Dr. Roberts, in his Clavis Bibliorum saith, "The apostle's SCOPE is-To exhort the Hebrews to CONSTANCY in the Faithfrom the peril of APOSTASY." Again he saith, "The apostle exhorts the Hebrews faithfully to hearken to and obey Christ's doctrine, and constantly TO PERSEVERE in the Faith of the Gospel; and that against all grounds and occasions of APOSTASY."§ Cal met saith, The apostle "addresses himself to the BELIEVERS in Palestine, to CONFIRM them against those evils which they were about to suffer from the unbelieving Jews." Cradock, in his apostolic History, says, St. Paul

*See Lectures, page 360. + Hallett's Synop. as quoted by Dr. Lardner in his history of the apostles, page 383. See page 542. Ibid. 543. || Calmet's Dictionary, page 529,