tably follow:—(1.) That if men should neglect their duty in giving testimony unto the word, as they may do, because they are but men, then God cannot justly condemn any man in the world for the neglect of his word, or not believing it, or not yielding obedience unto it. And the reason is evident, because if they have not suffi- cient ground to believe it to be his without such testimonies as are not given unto it, it is the highest injustice to condemn them for not believing it, and they should perish without a cause: for what can be more unjust than to punish a man, especially eternally, for not doing that which he had nojust or sufficient reason to do? This be far from God, to destroy the innocent with the wicked. (2.) Sup- pose all men aright to discharge their duty, and that there be a full tradition concerning the word of God, that the church give testi- mony unto it, and learned men produce their arguments for it;—if this, all or any part hereof, be esteemed as the sufficient proposition of the Scripture to be the word of God, then is the execution of infinite divine justice built upon the testimony of men, which is not ‘divine or infallible, but such as might deceive: and God, on this supposal, must condemn men for not believing with faith divine and
VER. 2-4. | EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 295 -
infallible that which is proposed unto them by testimonies and arguments human and fallible ;—“ quod absit.”
It remaineth, then, that the righteousness of the act of God in condemning unbelievers is built upon the evidence that the object of faith or word to be believed is from him.
And this he gives unto it, both by the impression of his majesty — and authority upon it, and by the power and efficacy wherewith by his Spirit it is accompanied. Thus is every word of God steadfast as a declaration of his will unto us, by what means soever it is made known unto us.
V. Every transaction between God and man is always confirmed and ratified by promises and threatenings, rewards and punishments: “ Every trespass.”
VI. The most glorious administrators of the law do stoop to look into the mysteries of the gospel. See 1 Pet. i. 12.
VII. Covenant transgressions are attended with unavoidable penal- ties: “ Every transgression,’—that is of the covenant, disannulling of it,—“ received a meet recompence of reward.”
VIII. The gospel is a word of salvation to them that do be- lieve.
IX. The salvation tendered in the gospel is “ great salvation.”
X. Men are apt to entertain thoughts of escaping the wrath of God, though they live in a neglect of the gospel. This the apostle insinuates in that interrogation, “ How shall we escape ?”
XI. The neglecters of the gospel shall unavoidably perish under the wrath of God: “Howshall we escape if we neglect so greatsalvation?”
These three last observations may be cast into one proposition, and so be considered together, namely, “That the gospel is great sal- vation, which whoso neglecteth shall therefore unavoidably perish without remedy.” We shall first inquire how the gospel is said to be salvation, and that great salvation; and then show the equity and unavoidableness of their destruction by whom it is neglected, and therein the vanity of their hopes who look for an escaping in the contempt of it.
By the gospel, we understand with the apostle the word preached or spoken by Christ and his apostles, and now recorded for our use in the books of the New Testament, but not exclusively unto what was declared of it in the types and promises of the Old Testament. But, by the way of eminency, we appropriate the whole name and nature of the gospel unto that delivery of the mind and will of God by Jesus Christ, which included and perfected all that had preceded unto that purpose.
Now, First, the gospel is-salvation upon a double account :—
First, Declaratively, in that the salvation of God by Christ is declared, taught, and revealed thereby. So the apostle informs us,
296 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
Rom. i. 16, 17, “It is the power of God unto salvation,..... For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith ;” that is, the righteousness of God in Christ, whereby believers shall be saved. And theréfore it is called 7 yapig rod @eod 4 owrgpros, Tit. ii, 11, “the saving,” or salvation-bringing, “ grace of God;”—the grace of God, as that which teacheth and revealeth his grace. And thence they that abuse it to their lusts are said to “turn the grace of God into lasciviousness,” Jude 4; that is, the doctrine of it, which is the gospel. And therefore under the old testament it is called the preaching or declaring of glad tidings, tidings of peace and sal- vation, Nahum i. 15, Isa. lii. 7; and is described as a proclamation of mercy, peace, pardon, and salvation unto sinners, Isa. lxi. 1-3: and “life and immortality” are said to be “brought to light” thereby, 2 Tim.i. 10. It is true, God had from all eternity, in his infinite grace, contrived the salvation of sinners; but this contrivance, and the purpose of it, lay hid in his own will and wisdom, as in an in- finite abyss of darkness, utterly imperceptible unto angels and men, until it was brought to light, or manifested and declared, by the gospel, Eph. iii. 9, 10; Col. i. 25-27. There is nothing more vain than the supposal of some, that there are other ways whereby this salvation might be discovered and made known. The works of nature, or creation and providence, the sun, moon, and stars, showers from heaven, with fruitful seasons, are in their judgment preachers of the salvation of sinners. I know not what else they say,—that the reason of man, by the contemplation of these things, may find out of I know not what placability in God, that may incite sinners to go unto him, and enable them to find acceptance with him. But we see what success all the world, and all the wise men of it, had in the use and improvement of these means of the salvation of sin- ners, The apostle tells us not only that “by their wisdom they knew not God,” 1 Cor. i, 21, but also, that the more they searched, the greater loss they were at, until they “waxed vain in their imagina- tions, and their foolish hearts were darkened,” Rom. i. 21. And, indeed, whatever they had amongst them, which had any semblance of an obscure apprehension of some way of salvation by atonement and intercession, as in their sacrifices, and mediations of inferior deities (which the apostle alludes unto, 1 Cor. vill. 5, 6), as they had it by tradition from those who were somewhat instructed in the will of God by revelation, so they turned it into horrible idolatries and the utmost contempt of Ged. And this was the issue of their dis- quisitions, who were no less wise in the principles of inbred reason and the knowledge of the works of nature than those who now con- tend for their ability to have done better. Besides, the salvation of sinners is.a mystery, as the Scripture everywhere declareth, a blessed, a glorious “mystery,” Rom. xvi. 25: “The wisdom of God in a