308 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IL
whom at present it is despised, when they shall fall and perish under the want of it, and that to eternity.
2. This salvation is great upon the account of the end of it, or that which it brings believers unto. The deliverance of the people of Israel of old out of Egypt was great salvation; so doth God everywhere set it forth, and so did the people esteem it, and that justly. They who murmured under it, they who despised the pleasant land, fell all of them under the sore displeasure of God. But yet as this deliverance was but from a temporal, outward bond- age, so that which it brought them unto was but outward rest for a few days, in a plentiful country,—it gave them an inheritance of houses, and lands, and vineyards, in the land of Canaan; but yet there also they quickly died, and many of them perished in their sins. But as we have seen what we are delivered from by this salvation, so the excellency of the inheritance which we obtain thereby is such as no heart can conceive, no tongue can express. It brings us into the favour and love of God, unto the adoption of children, unto durable rest and peace; in a word, unto the enjoyment of God in glory eternal. Oh the blessedness of this rest, the glory of this in- heritance, the excellency of this crown, the eternity and unchange- ableness of this condition, the greatness of this salvation! How mean, how weak, how low, how unworthy, are our apprehensions of it! Yet surely, through the blessed revelation of the Spirit of grace by the word of the gospel, we see, we feel, we experience so much of it as is sufficient to keep us up unto a holy admira- tion and longing after it all the days of our pilgrimage here on earth.
It remaineth now, THIRDLY, that we declare the wnavoidableness of their destruction who neglect this so great salvation. There are three things that make the punishment or destruction of any person to be unavoidable:—1. That it be just and equal; 2. That there be no relief nor remedy provided for him; and, 3. That he to whom it belongs to inflict punishment be able and resolved so todo. And they all concur to the height in this case; for,—
First, It is just and equal that such persons should be destroyed ; whence the sentence concerning them is so decretory and absolute : “He that believeth not shall be damned,” Mark xvi. 16. And the Holy Ghost supposeth this case so clear, evident, and undeniable, that he refers the proceedings of God herein unto the judgment of sinners themselves, Heb. x. 29. And they who are judged on this account at the last day will be speechless, have nothing to» reply, nothing to complain of. And the sentence denounced against them will appear unto all to be righteous,—
1. Because they despise an overture of a treaty about peace and reconciliation between God and their souls. There is by nature an
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VER. 2-4.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 309
enmity between God and them, a state and condition whereby them- selves alone would be losers, and that for ever. God, who hath no need of them, nor their obedience or friendship, tenders them a treaty upon terms of peace. What greater condescension, love, or grace could be conceived or desired? This is tendered in the gos- pel, 2 Cor. v.19. Now, what greater indignity can be offered unto him than to reject his tenders, without so much as an inquiry after what his terms are, as the most do to whom the gospel is preached? Is not this plainly to tell him that they despise his love, scorn his offers of reconciliation, and fear not in the least what he can do unto them? And is it not just that such persons should be filled with the fruit of their own ways? Let men deal thus with their rulers whom they have provoked, that have power over them, and see how it will fare with them. Neither will God be mocked, nor shall his grace always be despised. When men shall see and learn by woful experience what pitiful poor worms they are, and have some beams of the greatness, majesty, and glory of God shining upon them, how will they be filled with shame, and forced to subscribe to the right- eousness of their own condemnation for refusing his treaty and terms of peace!
2. These terms contain salvation. Men in the neglect of them neglect and refuse their own salvation;—and can any man perish tore justly than they who refuse to be saved? If God’s terms had
_ been great, hard, and difficult, yet considering by whom they were ' proposed, and to whom, there was all the reason in the world why they should be accepted; and their destruction would be just that _ should not endeavour to observe them unto the utmost. But now it is life and salvation that he tenders, on whose neglect he complains that men will not come unto him that they might have life. Cer- _ tainly there can be no want of righteousness in the ruin of such — Bat— . 8. That which the apostle principally builds the righteousness and imevitableness of the destruction of gospel neglecters upon, is the greatness of the salvation tendered unto them: “ How shall we _ eseape if we neglect so great salvation?” How it isso, and wherein the reatness and excellency of it doth consist, have been before de- . Such and so great it is, that there is nothing which a sinner can fear or suffer but it will deliver him from it; nothing that a _ ereatare can desire but it will bring him to the possession of it. _ And if this be despised, is it not righteous that men should perish 7 If we know not, yet God knows how to set a value upon this great effect of his love, wisdom, and grace, and how to proportion punish- Wy ment unto its contempt. The truth is, God alone is able sufficiently _ to revenge the greatness of this sin and indignity done unto him. Je have betore showed how meet it was that the transgression of -"" :