(2.) The irremediless punishment which attends that sin. ' There remains no more sacrifice for it, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation that shall con- sume the adversaries ;' chap. x. 26, 27.
(3.) The person against whom peculiarly it is com- mitted, and that is he who is the author, subject, and Mediator of the gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ : concerning whom for the aggravation of this sin, he proposeth two things.
[1.] His goodness and love, and that in his great under- taking 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. 17. And of this there is a sweet and choice line running through the whole discourse, making the sin of backsliding against so much love and con- descension appear exceeding sinful.
[2.] His greatness or power, which he sets out two ways,
1st. 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.
344 THi: SHAKING AND TRANSLATING
as by many and sundry reasonings in other places of the epistle, so by a double testimony in this twelfth chapter, making that inference from them both, which you have ver. 25. * See that you refuse not him that speaketh : for if they escaped not who refused him who 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 re- cord of what he did heretofore ; the other from a prediction of what he will do hereafter.
The first you have, ver. 26. in the first part of it: ' His voice then shook the earth :' then, that is, when the law was delivered by him, as it is described, ver. 18 — 20. foregoing. When the mountain upon which it was delivered, the me- diator Moses, into whose hand it was delivered, and the people for whose use it was delivered, did all shake and tremble 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 Haggai ii. 16. of what he will do hereafter ; even demonstrate and make evident his power, beyond what- ever he before effected : ' He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also the heavens.'
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, ver. 27. 'And this word yet once more, signifies the re- moving 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 cohe- rence, and held out their aim and tendance, their opening and application comes now to be considered.
And herein these three things:
« Exod. xix 18, 19. xx. 18.
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OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 345
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, once more, signifieth no less.'
III. His inference from this assertion thus proved: 'The thinos 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.
3. What their removal being shaken.
1. For the first, there is a great variety of judgment amongst interpreters.^ 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 con- ceptions, 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 in- habitants : both shaken, or stricken with amazement upon the nativity of Christ, and preaching of the gospel. The heavens were shaken, when so great things were accom- plished, as that ' the angels themselves desired to look into them;' I Pet. i. 12. And the earth was filled with amaze- ment when the Holy Ghost being poured out upon the apo- stles 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,