Here are three propositions —
[1.] Whether the tyrant would or no, God's people should be pre- served.
[2.] Out of the male children a deliverer should arise.
[3.] In all probability this child might be he ; by special instinct, seeing the beauty of the child, they might conceive hopes of liim. Faith spieth light at a little hole. The patriarchs had dark presigni- fications of the Messiah, yet they saw his day : John viii. 6Q, ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad.' They regard the word ; every dust of it is precious : Ps. xii. 6, ' The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth,
VeR. 23.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 421
purified seven times.' Not a dust of them shall fall to the ground ; they make much of what others pass over carelessly, they pry into it — 'Of which salvation the prophets inquired and searched diligently,' 1 Peter i. 10. They have a deeper insight than others — ' The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him/ Ps. xxv. 14. None have such a quick, eagle eye, as they that have most communion with God, they pierce deeper into a promise than others do.
Use. It reproveth us that are so slow of heart to believe what is more clear and open. AVe must have line upon line ; such is our dul- ness in believing and apprehending spiritual things. The disciples at first understood not Christ's saymgs till they received the Spirit. Let us make much use of the word, and wait for more of the Spirit. A dull servant must be told his work over and over again.
' Secondly, Who are commended — vtto roiv irarepwy avjov, ' By his ]iarents.' Moses ascribeth it to his mother :. Exod. ii. 2, ' And when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months ; ' Stephen, to his ftither, ' He was nourished up in his father's house three months/ Acts vii. 20. The apostle here ascribeth it to both. So the Septuagint — ea-Keiraaev avrbv [xrjva^; Tpel<; ; but Moses ascribeth it to his mother, either because she was the author of this counsel, or took the care of managing the business upon herself. I would observe here the concurrence that should be between husband and wife in promoting that which is good : the father did it, the mother did it, both joined together. When there is strife, it is like the jostling of two persons in a boat, which may overset it. Husband and wife should go hand in hand to the throne of grace, and join together in every good thing ; they should agree together in the worship of God, and promoting the good of their children. When the will of the wife and the will of the husband fall in, like the tenon and the mortise, the building goes on ; but when one draws one way, and another the other way, like untamed lieifers in the yoke, all cometli to ruin. The prophet observes with what a ready diligence idolatry is promoted in a family when all set their hands to it : Jer. vii. 18, ' The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven.' They all hang in a string.
Tldrdly, The commendation itself ; and there we have the action, and the considerations on which it was done.
1. The action, where —
[1.] The time — 'When he was born.'
[2.] The action itself — ' He was hid/
[3.] The duration — ' Three months.'
[1.] The time — ' Moses, when he was born ; ' that is, as soon as he was born, for then he was in danger. So Kev. xii. 4, ' The dragon stood before the woman that was ready to be delivered, for to devour the child as soon as it was born.' The early buds are soon nipt. Jesus Christ was sought to be destroyed by Herod as soon as he was born. So it hath been with all the people of God : Ps. cxxix. 1, ' Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say.' Satan is a murderer from the beginning ; and it is no wonder, for iu destroy- ing of Abel he thought to have cut off all the church at once. It is no wonder to see Satan so busy ; as soon as a man beginneth to look
422 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. LVII.
towards God, some frown him out, some flatter him out of his religion : Heb. X. 32, ' After ye were iUuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.' At first conversion they meet wirh scoffs, frowns, and mocks, because they are called to give a proof of their faith and love to Christ. But rather observe here the wisdom and power of Grod in pre- serving his church, which Satan seeketh to crush in the egg. I do the rather note it because this was Pharaoh's design at this time, but God's counsel standeth : he made Egypt and Pharaoh's court nourish their own destroyer. Herod kills all the children at Bethlehem, and some say, to make sure work, his own also. Thus can God outwork the counsels of men, and overshoot the devil in his own bow.