salvation, though we thus speake. So as Ministers must testifie the good opinion they have of their people, and the good respect which they bear to them, See Chap. 6. v. 9. §. 53, 54, 55, 56.
As by the former minatory arguments he disswaded them from Apostacy, so by his exhortatory arguments which follow, he perswades them unto perseverance. For this particle of connexion, or rather opposition, but, sheweth that they are arguments of differing sorts.
His arguments tending hereunto are of two sorts.
One taken from their former course of life, v. 32, &c.
The other from their future reward, v. 35.
That which concerneth their former course of life, is their holy and zealous pro∣fession of the faith, and that unto suffering for the same. This he would have them call to remembrance.
The Greek word translated call to remembrance, is a compound. Of the com∣position and emphasis thereof, See v. 3. §. 6.
In Generall, this sheweth that a Christians thinking upon his former good professi∣on is an especiall means of perseverance. Nehemiah by calling to mind such a matter, was moved couragiously to hold out in his cause: for saith he, should such a man as I flee? Neh. 6. 11.
To revolt after an holy profession is both most disgracefull for the time present, and also most dangerous to soul and body for the future.
Consider this all ye that hear me this day: for this your assembling together giveth evidence of your holy profession. Call that therefore to remembrance, and let that be one means of preventing revolt.
That which he would have them call to remembrance, is thus in generall set down, The former daies.
In this word daies, there is a double trope.
- 1. A Metonymie: daies put for those things that were don or endured in those daies.
- 2. A Synecdoche, a particular time of daies put in generall for time. This Synecdoche is frequent in Scripture, as Gen. 47. 9. Psal. 90. 10, 12.
The reason of this trope is, the swiftnesse of time which passeth away as a day, and the brevity of mans time which is but as a day; yea man hath not assurance of one day; in which respect the Psalmist prayeth, that God would teach us to num∣ber our daies, Psal. 90. 12.
The word translated former, is a kind of adjective, which useth to be applyed to both numbers, to all persons, and genders, Chap. 4. v. 6. §. 1 Pet. 1. 14.
By former daies he meaneth that time which was past from their first conversion, and profession of the Gospel of Christ, to that present.
In generall this sheweth, that our former course of life is oft to be thought on. This is true of daies ill spent, concerning which, sayeth the Apostle, Remember that ye being in time passed Gentiles, &c. Eph. 2. 11. Yea of himself he sayeth, I was before a Blasphemer, &c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. But especially this is to be done, in regard of that ability which God hath given us to do his will, or to suffer for his truth. This is the end why the Apostle here willeth them to call to remembrance their former daies. This is further manifest by his description of those former daies, in this phrase, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured, &c.