Of some of those I shall farther treat, according as the handling of them couducoth to the purpose in hand.
That which I shall begin Avithal is that which was first laid down, about the effects of serious thoughts concerning God's marking sin according to the tenor of the law; which, as I said, is tlie hrst thing that presents itself unto a sin-entangled soul in its addresses unto God.
Ver.S.] TERROR FROM A SENSE OF GUILT, S63
But tliis shall not pass alone. I shall draw the two first observa- tions into one, and make use of the first only in the confirmation of the other; which will express the sense of the Avords absolutely con- sidered. The third and fourth will lead us on in the progress of the soul towards the relief sought after and proposed. That, therefore, which is to be first insisted on comes up to this proposition : —
In a sin-perplexed soul's addresses unto God, the first thing that jiresents itself unto him is God's marking of sin according to the tenor of the law; which of itself is apt to fill the soid tuith dread and terror.
I shall first somewhat speak unto it in this, as considered in itself, and then inquire into the concernment of the soul in it, whose con- dition is here described.
The Lord speaks of some who, Avhen they hear the word of the curse, yet " bless themselves," and say they shall have " peace," Deut. xxix. 19. Let men preach and say what they will of the terror of the Lord, they will despise it; Avhich God threatens with utter ex- termination. And he notes it again as an amazing wickedness, and the height of obdurateness, Jer. xxxvi. 24. Generally it is Avith sin- ners as it was with Gaal the son. of Ebed, Judges ix., when he was fortifying of Sichem against Abimelech. Zebul tells him that Abi- melech will come and destroy him. " Let him come," saith Gaal, " I shall deal well enough with him. Let him bring forth his army; I fear him not." But upon the very first appearance of Abimelech 's army he trembled for fear, verse 36, Tell obdurate sinners of the wrath of God, and that he will come to plead his cause against them ; for the most part they take no notice of what you say, nor have any serious thoughts about it, but go on as if they were resolved they should deal well enough with him. Notwithstanding all their stout- ness, a day is coming wherein fearfalness shall surprise them, and make them ciy out, " Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Yea, if the Lord be pleased in this life, in an especial manner, to draw nigh to any of them, they quickly see that their " hearts cannot endure, nor can their hands be strong," Ezek. xxii. 14. Their hands hansr down, and their stout hearts tremble like an aspen leaf
He who first sinned, and had first occasion to have serious thoughts about God's marking of sin, gives us a notable instance of what we have affirmed; and the first in every kind is the measure of all that follows in the same kind. Gen. iii, 8, "He heard the voice of the LoRD God ;" so he had done before without the least trouble or consternation of spirit. He was made for communion with God; and that he might hear his voice was part of his blessedness. But now saith he, " I heard
364 AN EXPOSITION UPON rSALM cxxx. [Ver.3.
thy voice and was afi-aid, and hid myself." He knew that God was coming on tlie inquest of sin, and he was not able to bear the thoughts of meeting him. Could he have gone into the bowels of the earth from whence he was taken, and have been there hid from God, he would not have failed to have attempted it. Things are now altered with him. In that God whom he loved before as a good, holy, power- ful, righteous Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and Rewarder, he saw nothing now but wrath, indignation, vengeance, and terror. This makes him tremble out those dreadful Avords, " I heard thy voice and was afraid, and hid myself."
The giving out of the law afterwards evinces what effects the con- sideration of God's proceeding with sinners according to the tenor of it must needs produce: Exod. xx. 18, 19, " All the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking;" as the apostle also desci-ibes it, Heb. xii. 18. In this manner came forth from the Lord that " fiery law," Deut. xxxiii. 2 ; so that all who are concerned in it " did exceedingly quake and trdmble." And yet all this respects but the severity of the law in general, without the application of it unto any soul in particular. There is a solemnity that carrieth an awe with it in the preparation of an assize to be kept and held by poor worms like ourselves; but the dread of it is peculiar to the malefactors for whose trial and exe- cution all this preparation is made. When a soul comes to think that all this dreadful preparation, this appearance of terrible majesty, these streams of the fiery law, are all pointed towards him, it will make him cry out, " Lord, who can stand?" And this law is still in force towards sinners, even as it was on the day wherein it was given on mount Sinai. Though Moses grew old, yet his strength never failed; nor hath his law, the law given by him, lost any thing of its strength, power, or authority towards sinners. It is still accom- panied with thunderiugs and lightnings, as of old ; and it will not fail to represent the terror of the Lord to a guilty soul.