For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened,
&c.] The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "baptized";
and the word is thought to be so used in ( Hebrews
10:32 ) . And indeed baptism was called very early
"illumination" by the ancients, as by Justin Martyr F9, and
Clemens Alexandrinus F11, because only enlightened persons
were the proper subjects of it; and the word once here used seems
to confirm this sense, since baptism, when rightly administered,
was not repeated; but then this sense depends upon an use of a
word, which it is not certain did as yet obtain; nor does the
apostle take notice of baptism in a parallel place, ( Hebrews
10:26 Hebrews
10:27 ) . This gave rise to, and seems to favour the error of
Novatus, that those who fall into sin after baptism are to be cut
off from the communion of the church, and never more to be
restored unto it; contrary to the promises of God to returning
backsliders, and contrary to facts, as well as to the directions
of Christ, and his apostles, to receive and restore such persons;
and such a notion tends to set aside the intercession of Christ
for fallen believers, and to plunge them into despair: it is
better therefore to retain the word "enlightened", in its proper
sense, and to understand it of persons enlightened with Gospel
knowledge; there are some who are savingly enlightened by the
Spirit of God, to see the impurity of their hearts and actions,
and their impotency to perform that which is good, the
imperfection of their own righteousness to justify them, their
lost state and condition by nature, and to see Christ and
salvation by him, and their interest in it; and these being
"once" enlightened, never become darkness, or ever so fall as to
perish; for if God had a mind to destroy them, he would never
have shown them these things, and therefore cannot be the persons
designed here; unless we render the words, as the Syriac version
does, "it is impossible"----(Nwjxy bwtd) , "that they should sin again"; so as to
die spiritually, lose the grace of God, and stand in need of a
new work upon them, which would be impossible to be done: but
rather such are meant, who are so enlightened as to see the evil
effects of sin, but not the evil that is in sin; to see the good
things which come by Christ, but not the goodness that is in
Christ; so as to reform externally, but not to be sanctified
internally; to have knowledge of the Gospel doctrinally, but not
experimentally; yea, to have such light into it, as to be able to
preach it to others, and yet be destitute of the grace of God:
and have tasted of the heavenly gift;
either faith, or a justifying righteousness, or the pardon of
sin, or eternal life; which are all spiritual and heavenly gifts
of grace, and which true believers have real tastes of; and
hypocrites please themselves with, having some speculative
notions about them, and some desires after them, arising from a
natural principle of self-love. Some think the Holy Ghost is
intended; but rather Christ himself, the unspeakable gift of
God's love, given from heaven, as the bread of life. Now there
are some who have a saving spiritual taste of this gift; for
though God's people, while unregenerate, have no such taste;
their taste is vitiated by sin, and it is not changed; sin is the
food they live upon, in which they take an imaginary pleasure,
and disrelish every thing else; but when regenerated, their taste
is changed, sin is rendered loathsome to them; and they have a
real gust of spiritual things, and especially of Christ, and find
a real delight and pleasure in feeding by faith upon him; whereby
they live upon him, and are nourished up unto eternal life, and
therefore cannot be the persons here spoken of: but there are
others who taste, but dislike what they taste; have no true love
to Christ, and faith in him; or have only a carnal taste of him,
know him only after the flesh, or externally, not inwardly and
experimentally; or they have only a superficial taste, such as is
opposed to eating the flesh, and drinking the blood of Christ, by
faith, which is proper to true believers; the gust they have is
but temporary, and arises from selfish principles. And were
made partakers of the Holy Ghost;
not his person, nor his special grace; there are some who so
partake of him, as to be united to him, in whom he becomes the
principle of spiritual life, and motion: such have the fruits of
the Spirit, and communion with him; they enjoy his personal
presence and inhabitation in them; they have received him as a
spirit of illumination and conviction, of regeneration and
sanctification, as the spirit of faith, and as a comforter; and
as a spirit of adoption, and the earnest and seal of future
glory; but then such can never so fall away as to perish: a
believer indeed may be without the sensible presence of the
Spirit; the graces of the Spirit may be very low, as to their
exercise; and they may not enjoy his comforts, gracious
influences, and divine assistance; but the Spirit of God never
is, in the above sense, in a castaway; where he takes up his
dwelling, he never quits it; if such could perish, not only his
own glory, but the glory of the Father, and of the Son, would be
lost likewise: but by the Holy Ghost is sometimes meant the gifts
of the Spirit, ordinary or extraordinary, (
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ) and so here; and men may be said to
be partakers of the Holy Ghost, to whom he gives wisdom and
prudence in things natural and civil; the knowledge of things
divine and evangelical, in an external way; the power of working
miracles, of prophesying, of speaking with tongues, and of the
interpretation of tongues; for the extraordinary gifts of the
Holy Ghost seem chiefly designed, which some, in the first times
of the Gospel, were partakers of, who had no share in special
grace, ( Matthew 7:22
Matthew
7:23 ) ( 1
Corinthians 13:2 1
Corinthians 13:3 ) .