Hebrews 6:4-6

Heb. 6:4-6. For (it is) impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put (him) to an open shame.

In the Blank Bible:

4.5.6. What is meant by their being enlightened etc. - vid (?) and here they were guilty of sin against the Holy Ghost. Vid No. 227 see last ver. p. 6. # see 299.B.2 See note on v. 8 infra that those persons here spoken of were such as never were regenerated see S.S. B.9 p. 4 See p. 848.

In addition to the above direct statement the Blank Bible refers to a note on p. 848 which is as follows: "Notes on the Bible number 165, 227, 299."

Though Edwards does not cite them here Numbers 74 and 501 also refer to Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 6:5; Hebrews 6:6 and we will reproduce them also.

The Blank Bible also refers to Notes on the Bible 165, 227, 299. Number 165 has no relevance to our texts but number 227 is as follows:

[227] Hebrews 6:4-6. "For it is impossible," etc. Those that the apostle here has respect to, must be such as were guilty of the unpardonable sin. The falling away that he speaks of is an apostasy from Christianity. It could not be otherwise but that those who in those days had been Christians, and then openly renounced Christianity, must openly reproach that spirit that Christians were then so generally endued with in his miraculous gifts, which was so notorious, and was so great a thing, and the principal thing in them that drew the eyes of the world upon them, and was the greatest seal that God gave them to evidence in the sight of the world that they were his people, and which was the argument that was principally effectual for the the gaining others to them. When they openly renounced Christianity, that they once had appeared to embrace, their renunciation contained a great and open reproach, for it was an avowed casting away and rejecting a thing that has been received, as having found it naught and vile. He that admits and receives another in the capacity of a wife, or husband, or lord, or other relation and then afterwards on trial rejects them and turns them out of doors, casts a vastly greater reproach on them than those that never received them: much more those that received any one for their God. So these apostates here spoken of, in renouncing Christianity, did openly cast the greatest reproach on Christianity; and therefore the apostle says, Hebrews 6:6, they put him to an open shame. And indeed an open, declared renunciation of Christianity after it had been embraced, is itself an open reproaching, and blaspheming of it in words; and they that apostatized and openly renounced Christianity in those days, and the church being in those circumstances that have already been mentioned, must openly renounce and reproach that Spirit that the Christians were endued with, and confirmed in; for that Spirit was the principal and most obvious thing in that Christianity that they renounced and reproached. And especially must it be so, when those openly renounced Christianity that had themselves been endued with the Holy Ghost, as those here spoken of had been. In renouncing Christianity, they must renounce the Spirit, that great seal of Christianity that they had had. And those that had such experience of the evidences of the truth of Christianity that those had, as has been explained, No. 165, must do it against light and the conviction of their own consciences, and so what they did amounts to the sin against the Holy Ghost. And those that apostatized from Christianity under these circumstances, would naturally be abundant in their reproaches of the religion they had renounced, and the Spirit that confirmed it, that they might justify themselves, and that they might not appear inconsistent with themselves in the eye of the world. The same apostates are evidently spoken of in Hebrews 10:25, etc. where the apostle speaks of their forsaking the assemblies of Christians, and sinning willfully after they had received the knowledge of the truth, and treading under-foot the Son of God, and renouncing the blood of the covenant, wherewith they had been sanctified, and doing despite to the Spirit of grace.

Hebrews 6:4-6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, etc.] It may be observed that those of the Jews or Hebrews who were unbelievers were wont to ascribe the miraculous operations of Christ and his followers, which were the extraordinary influence of the Holy Ghost, to the Devil. They had no other way to account for them on their principles. And therefore we may well suppose that those of the Christian Hebrews who themselves had partook of those extraordinary gifts and operations of the Spirit that apostatised [sic] and renounced Christianity and again joined with the unbelieving persecuting Jews (for such are especially spoken of here) I say that we may well suppose that they ascribed those miraculous gifts and powers which they themselves had while professing Christians to the devil as other unbelieving Jews did who were generally most malignant spiteful enemies to Christ and all Christians. And therefore they were guilty of the very same things with those scribes and Pharisees who ascribed Christ's miracles to Beelzebub who were guilty of unpardonable blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

Commenting on 6:6 directly the Blank Bible has this:

They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame] Those that crucified Christ would have committed the unpardonable sin had they crucified him and openly reproached him and the spirit he taught and acted by against light (?) as those the apostle speaks of do. Probably the (?) in these words may have some respect to those words of Christ when they were crucifying him Father forgive them for they do not know what they do intimating that if they had known there would be no forgiveness for them.

Bible note number 299 focuses on the supernatural gifts.

[299] Hebrews 6:4-6. If any think that the apostle here used expressions too high to denote any gifts of the Spirit common to good and bad men, though miraculous gifts, I answer, that the drift of the apostle, and his argument in those words, led him to set forth the greatness of the privilege that such persons had received, that he might the better show the exceeding aggravations of their apostasy, whence what the apostle says might be the more easily believed, viz. that it was impossible to renew them again to repentance. For it is certain that he intends the aggravatedness of their crime, as a reason of it, because he himself gives it as a reason of it, ver. 6. in those words, "Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

The Blank Bible also says "see v. 8 infra that those persons here spoken of were such as never were regenerated." (Please see this reference below at verse 8.) "See 299.B.2" (which is above).

In addition to the Blank Bible citations of Notes on the Bible which we have entered, the Bible note #74 and 501, though uncited are important:

[74] Hebrews 6:4-6. "For it is impossible for those that were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift," etc. What is meant by those things here mentioned, may be gathered from the foregoing verses. The apostle exhorts us, when we have begun in Christianity, to go on, and make progress to higher attainments, and not to have all to begin again; that whenever we had laid the foundation, we should go on and build the superstructure, and not to keep always laying the foundation, or have occasion to lay it the second time, which foundation, or beginning, or first setting out in Christianity, consists in these things, in repentance from dead works, and in faith towards God; which foundation was laid when they first turned from their erroneous and wicked ways, and embraced Christianity, and believed the gospel. And nextly, in the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, because when they first entered upon a profession of the gospel, they were baptized, and had hands laid on them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. By the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands, the apostle means those plain instructions that were given them, to prepare them for baptism, and laying on hands; and lastly, as to the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, the doctrines of the resurrection and the future state, or world to come, were the first principles of religion, that they first began with.

Now, by those who were once enlightened, the apostle means those that were once indoctrinated in Christianity, and brought so far to understand and believe it, as to make them forsake their former errors and vicious courses in their unbelief, as is evidently understood, Hebrews 10:32. Tasting of the heavenly gifts, and being made partakers of the Holy Ghost, are the same, and mean their receiving the Holy Ghost, as they did by the laying on of hands; and lastly, in tasting of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, though it is probable those were everywhere made partakers of the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands, that were true saints; yet I believe that when it was not accompanied with great common illuminations and affections. It is not probable that they should have the Holy Ghost dwelling in them with respect to his miraculous influences, and not feel any thing of the power of it in their souls. When the Holy Ghost was given them, they felt his influence, not only outwardly, but inwardly; not only in their understandings, but affections. I believe never any had the Holy Ghost, with respect to his extraordinary operations (see Numbers 23:10; Numbers 24:5; Numbers 24:6; 1 Samuel 10:6) more than Balaam and Saul. They were unconverted men, but yet they felt his influence in this way. Thus they tasted of the good word of God, and the power of the world to come. They tasted of the good word of God as they stony-ground hearers, who anon with joy receive the word, and as the Galatians did who thought it such a blessedness to hear the word of God, and would have plucked out their eyes and given them to the apostle. They experienced in themselves the power of the world to come, that is, of the invisible world; see Ephesians 1:21, and Hebrews 2:5, and felt the powers of the invisible agent of that world upon their minds. It is certain none exercised miraculous gifts without extraordinary influence of the Spirit of God to convince the judgment. 1 Corinthians 13:2, "Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing;" and doubtless there was commonly an answerable or proportional effect on the affections, as there was on the judgment. As that faith there mentioned is there distinguished from true grace or charity, and therefore differed in kind from saving faith, so do these things here mentioned from saving grace.

Bible note number 501:

[501] Hebrews 6:4-6. Concerning those who were once enlightened, etc. It is an argument, that those here spoken of are such as were never regenerated, that they are compared to the thorny ground, which, however it may seem to receive the seed and to nourish it, so that it may spring up, and appear flourishing awhile, yet never brings forth any good fruit, but the fruit finally produced always is briers and thorns, because the ground is thorny, full of seeds and roots of thorns, which were never purged out to prepare the ground for the good seed; so that whatever showers descend upon it, how benign soever they are, yet they only go to nourish the thorns, and make them grow the faster, Hebrews 6:8, which representation certainly implies that the ground is nought, it was never so changed as to prepare it to bring forth good fruit. It is a good rule in our endeavours [sic] to understand the mind of the Spirit of God, to compare spiritual things with spiritual, and to interpret scripture by scripture. Now it is manifest that Christ represents the thorny ground as different from the good ground. The ground itself is naught, and not fitted as to receive and nourish the seed, as to bring good fruit to perfection; and they that are represented by the thorny ground are, in Christ's explanation of the parable, distinguished from those that have good and honest hearts. The fault of the way-side, of the stony ground, and of the thorny ground, was, in each, the nature of the ground; and the good fruit in the good ground is ascribed to the better nature of the ground; and therefore, they that are here represented as ground, which, though often receiving refreshing benign showers, always brings forth briers and thorns, are ground that never has been purged, and changed, and made good, but is inveterately evil, and therefore fit for nothing but to be burnt. It is not impossible that thorny ground may be brought to bring forth good fruit, but then it must be changed, the very roots of the thorns must be killed or rooted up. If this is not done, let good seed by sown in it, and good and kindly showers of rain descend upon it never so often, it will bring forth briers and thorns. This killing or rooting up of the lusts of the heart, compared to thorns, is done by a work of regeneration, or circumcising the heart, as is represented, Jeremiah 4:3-4. "Break up your fallow ground, sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it." There the end of the ground that bears briers and thorns, is represented as being to be burned, as here in the 6th chapter of Hebrews. This is the end of those whose hearts do as it were bring forth briers and thorns, and that because their hearts were never circumcised, i.e. never regenerated.

In Luke 8:18, when Christ had ended the parable of the sower, he concludes, Take heed how you hear; (i.e. that you in hearing the word are not like the way-side, or the stony or thorny ground, on which the good seed fell;) for says Christ, "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have;" referring still to the parable, and the taking away, or the withering and perishing, of the seed from the evil sorts of ground; implying that such have no true spiritual life, no real goodness, and that the seeming good they have, they shall lose.

In addition to the cross references cited by Edwards in his Blank Bible, this passage from Religious Affections helps make plain his interpretation of the text:

And besides, it is to be considered, that persons may have those impressions on their minds, which may not be of their own producing, nor from an evil spirit, but from the Spirit of God, and yet not be from any saving, but a common influence of the Spirit of God: and the subjects of such impressions, may be of the number of those we read of, "That are once enlightened, and taste of the heavenly gift, and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and taste the good Word of God, and the power of the world to come" (Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 6:5); and yet may be wholly unacquainted with those "better things that accompany salvation." spoken of Hebrews 6:9.

So that although natural men may be the subjects of many influences of the Spirit of God, as is evident by many Scriptures, as Numbers 24:2; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 11:6; 1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Hebrews 6:4-6 and many others; yet they are not in the sense of the Scripture, spiritual persons; either are any of those effects, common gifts, qualities or affections, that are from the influence of the Spirit of God upon them, called spiritual things.

Also, in Miscellaneous Observations "Concerning the Endless Punishment of those who Die Impenitent" Edwards argues from Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 6:5; Hebrews 6:6:

§17. The apostle, in Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 6:5; Hebrews 6:6, says, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, etc., if they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame," etc. The apostle speaks of their renovation to repentance, as (at least) never likely to happen; for this reason, that they have proved irreclaimable under such great means to bring them to repentance, and have thereby so desperately hardened their hearts, and contracted such great guilt by sinning against such great light, and trampling on such great privileges. But if so, how much more unlikely still will it be, that they should ever be renewed to repentance, after they have gone on still more and more to harden their hearts by an obstinate, willful continuance in sin, many thousand years longer, under much greater means; and have therefore done immensely more to establish the habit of sin, and increase the hardness of their hearts; and after their guilt is so vastly increased, instead of being diminished?

We see here that Edwards has canvassed virtually every aspect of Hebrews 6:1-8 in his various writings. Strangely, there is no allusion to his many Miscellanies on "Unpardonable Sin (297, 355, 380, 406, 475, 703, 706, 707, 872, note on Luke 11:24 f.) which include many allusions to Hebrews 6. I discuss these in the chapter on that subject below.