[1.] His goodness and love, and that in his great undertaking to be a Saviour; being "made like unto his brethren in all things, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest . in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people," chap. ii. 1 7. And of this there is a sweet and choice line nmning through the whole discourse, making the sin of backsliding against so much love and condescension appear exceeding sinful.
[2.] His greatness or power; which he sets out two ways.
Is^. Absolutely, as he is God, to be " blessed for ever," chap. i. ; and, " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," chap. X. 31.
2dly. Comparatively, as he is the mediator of the new covenant in reference to Moses. And this he setteth forth, as by many and sun- dry reasonings in other places of the epistle, so by a double testimony in this 12th chapter, making that inference from them both which you have, verse 25, "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaketh from heaven."
Now, the first testimony of his power is taken from a record of what he did heretofore; — the other from a prediction of what he will do hereafter.
The first you have, verse 26, in the first part of it, " His voice then shook the earth j" then, — that is, when the law was delivered by him, as it is described, verses 18-21, foregoing; when the mountain upon which it was delivered, the mediator Moses, into whose hand it was delivered, and the people for Avhose use it was delivered, did all shake and tnnnble at the voice, power, and presence of Christ,^ — who, as it hence appears, is that Jehovah who gave the law, Exod. xx. 2.
The other, in the same verse, is taken from a prediction out of Hag- gai ii. 6, of what he Avill do hereafter, — even demonstrate and make evident his power, beyond whatever he before effected : He hath promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not the eartli only, but also heaven."
' Exod. xix. IS, IJ), XX. 18.
OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 251
And if any one shall ask, wherein this effect of the mighty power of the Lord Jesus consisteth, and how from thence professors may be prevailed upon to keep close to the obedience of him in his kingdom, — the apostle answers, verse 27, " And this word. Yet once more, sig- nifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain/' And thus am I stepped down upon the words of my text, finding them in the close of the arguments drawn from the power of Christ to persuade professors to constancy in the paths of the gospel; and having passed through their coherence, and held out their aim and tendence, their opening and application come now to be considered.
And herein these three things : — I. The apostle's assertion : " The things that are shaken shall be removed, as things that are made;'' II. The proof of this assertion : " This word. Yet once more, signi- fieth no less ;" III. His inference from this assertion thus proved : " The things that cannot be shaken must remain."
I. In the first I shall consider, — 1. What are the things that are shaken; 2. What is their shaking; 8. What their removal, being shaken.
1. For the first, there is a great variety of judgment amongst in- terpreters.^ The foregoing verse tells us it is not only the earth, but the heaven also ; but now what heaven and earth this should be is dubious, — is not apparent. So many different apprehensions of the mind of God in these words as have any likeness of truth I must needs recount and remove, that no prejudice may remain from other conceptions against that which from them we shall assert.
(1.) The earth, say some, is the men of the earth, living thereon; and the heavens are the angels, their blessed inhabitants : both shaken or stricken with amazement upon the nativity of Christ and preach- ing of the gospel. The heavens were shaken, when so great things were accomplished as that "the angels themselves desired to look into them," 1 Pet. i. 12; and the earth was filled with amazement, when, the Holy Ghost being poured out upon the apostles for the preaching of the gospel, men of every nation under heaven were amazed and marvelled at it, Acts ii. 5-7. Thus Rollocus, Piscator, and sundry other famous divines. But, —
[1.] The shaking here intimated by the apostle was then, when he wrote, under the promise, not actually accomplished, as were the things by them recounted ; for he holds it forth as an issue of that great power of Christ which he would one day exercise for the farther establishment of his kingdom.
[2.] This that now is to be done must excel that which formerly
1 "Nescio an facilior hie locus fuisset, si nemo eum exposuisset." — Maid, ad Luc, ii. 34.