Ver. 28, 29.—1. It is the contempt of God and his authority in his law thatis the gall and poison of sin. 2. When the God of mer- cies will have men show no mercy as to the temporal punishment, he can and will, upon repentance, show mercy as to eternal punish- ment. 3. Though there may be sometimes an appearance of great
512 SUMMARY OF DOCTRINAL AND [cHAP. X. 30.
severity in God’s judgments against sinners, yet when the nature of their sins and the aggravation of them shall be discovered, they will be manifested to have been righteous and within due measure. 4, We ought to take heed of every neglect of the person of Christ or of his authority, lest we enter into some degree or other of the guilt of this great offence. 5. The sins of men can really reach neither the person nor authority of Christ. 6. Every thing that takes off from a high and glorious esteem of the blood of Christ as the blood of the covenant, is a dangerous entrance into apostasy. 7. However men may esteem of any of the mediatory actings of Christ, yet are they in themselves glorious and excellent. 8. There are no such cursed pernicious ene- mies unto religion as apostates. 9. The inevitable certainty of the eternal punishment of gospel despisers depends on the essential holiness and righteousness of God, as the ruler and judge of all. 10. It is a righteous thing with God thus to deal with men. 11. God hath allotted different degrees of punishment unto the different degrees and aggravations of sin. 12, The apostasy from the gospel here described, being the absolute height of all sin and impiety that the nature of man is capable of, renders them unto eternity obnoxious unto all punishment that the same nature is capable of. 13. It is our duty diligently to inquire into the nature of sin, lest we be overtaken in the great offence. 14. Sinning against the testimony given by the Holy Ghost unto the truth and power of the gospel, whereof men have had experience, is the most dangerous symptom of a perishing condition. 15. Threatenings of future eternal judg- ments unto gospel despisers belong unto the preaching and declara- tion of the gospel. 16. The equity and righteousness of the most severe judgments of God, in eternal punishments against gospel de- spisers, is so evident that it may be referred to the judgment of men not obstinate in their blindness. 17. It is our duty to justify and bear witness unto God in the righteousness of his judgments against gospel despisers.
Ver. 30, 31.--1. There can be no right judgment made of the nature and demerit of sin, without a due consideration of the nature and holiness of God, against whom it is committed. 2. Nothing will state our thoughts aright concerning the guilt and demerit of sin, but a deep consideration of the infinite greatness, holiness, right- eousness, and power of God, against whom it is committed. 38. Under apprehensions of great severities of divine judgments, the consideration of God, the author of them, will both relieve our faith and quiet our hearts. 4, A due consideration of the nature of God, his office, that he is the Judge of all, especially of his people, and that enclosure he hath made of vengeance unto himself, under an ir- revocable purpose for its execution, gives indubitable assurance of
CHAP. X. 34.] PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 513
the certain, unavoidable destruction of all wilful apostates. 5. Al- though those who are the people of God do stand in many relations unto him that are full of refreshment and comfort, yet it is their duty constantly to remember that he is the holy and righteous Judge, even towards his own people. 6. The knowledge of God in some good measure, both what he is in himself and what he hath taken on him- self to do, is necessary, to render either his promises or threatenings effectual unto the minds of men. 7. The name of the living God is full of terror or comfort unto the souls of men. 8. There is an ap- prehension of the terror of the Lord in the final judgment, which is of great use to the souls of men. 9. When there is nothing left but judgment, nothing remains but the expectation of it, its fore-appre- hension will be filled with dread and terror. 10. The dread of the final judgment, where there shall be no mixture of ease, is altogether inexpressible. 11. That man is lost for ever who hath nothing in God that he can appeal unto. 12. Those properties of God which are the principal delight of believers, the chief object of their faith, hope, and trust, are an eternal spring of dread and terror unto all impenitent sinners. 13. The glory and horror of the future state of blessedness and misery are inconceivable, either to believers or sin- ners, 14, The fear and dread of God, in the description of his wrath, ought continually to be in the hearts of all who profess the gospel.
Ver. 32-34.—1. A wise management of former experiences is a great direction and encouragement unto future obedience. 2. All men by nature are darkness and in darkness. 3. Saving illumina- tion is the first-fruit of effectual vocation. 4. Spiritual light, in its first communication, puts the soul on the diligent exercise of all graces. 5. It is suited unto the wisdom and goodness of God to suffer persons, on their first conversion, to fall into manifold trials and temptations. 6. All temporary sufferings, in all their aggravating circumstances, in their most dreadful preparation, dress, and appear- ance, are but light things in comparison of the gospel and the pro- mises thereof. 7. There is not any thing in the whole nature of temporary sufferings, or any circumstance of them, that we can claim an exemption from, after we have undertaken the profession of the gospel. 8. It is reserved unto the sovereign pleasure of God to mea- sure out unto all professors of the gospel their especial lot and por- tion as unto trials and sufferings, so as that none ought to complain, none to envy one another. 9. Of what sort or kind the sufferings of any that God employs in the ministry of the gospel shall be, is in his sovereign disposal alone. 10. Faith, giving an experience of the excellency of the love of God in Christ, and the grace received thereby, with its incomparable preference above all outward, perish-