(2.) Diligent study of the word, wherein this mystery of God is declared and proposed unto our faith and holy contemplation; but this hath been spoken unto in part already, and must again. be considered, and so need not here be insisted on.
(3.) Sincere love unto and delight in the things that are by the Spirit of God revealed unto us, is another part of this duty. Herein our apostle declares what was his frame of heart, Phil. iii. 8. How doth his heart triumph in and rejoice over the knowledge he had obtained of Jesus Christ! and then, indeed, do we know any
318 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
thing of the grace of God aright, when our hearts are affected with what we know. Peter tells us that the saints of old, in their be- lieving, “rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory,” 1 Epist. i. 8. They discovered that in Christ which made their hearts leap within them, and all their affections to overflow with delight and joy. And this is an essential part of this holy admiration, which distinguisheth it from that barren, fruitless, notional speculation of it, which some are contented withal. This are we to stir up our hearts unto in all our meditations of the grace of God, and not to rest until we find them affected, satisfied, and filled with a holy complacency ; which is the most eminent evidence of our interest in and union unto the things that are made known unto us.
(4.) All these things are to be attended with thankfulness and praise. This the apostle was full of, and broke forth into, when he entered upon the description of this grace, Eph. i. 3, 4; and this will be the frame of his heart who is exercised unto a holy admira- tion of it. When our Lord Jesus Christ considered the grace of God in revealing the mysteries of this salvation unto his disciples, it is said of him that he “ rejoiced in spirit,” 7yarrrdéouro, Luke x. 21, “his spirit leaped in him;” and he breaks forth into a solemn doxo- logy, giving praise and glory unto God. And is it not their duty to whom they are revealed to do that which, out of love unto them, our Lord Jesus Christ did on their behalf? Thankfulness for the things themselves, thankfulness for the revelation of them, thank- fulness for the love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ in the one and the other, is a great part of this duty.
2. This will teach us what esteem we ought to have of the word of the gospel, by which alone this great salvation is revealed and exhibited unto us, the great means and instrument which God is pleased to use in bringing us unto a participation of it. This one con- sideration is enough to instruct us as to what valuation we ought to make of it, what price we should set upon it, seeing we cannot have the “treasure” without the purchase of this “field.” Some neglect it, some despise it, some persecute it, some look upon it as foolishness, some as weakness; but unto them that believe, it is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” To further us in this duty, I shall take up some of those considerations which the words we insist upon do offer unto us, and thereby also pass through what yet remains for our instruction in them. And we may consider,—(1.) The ex- cellency and pre-eminence of the gospel, which ariseth from the first revealer, that is, the Lord Christ, the Son of God. It was “ begun to be spoken unto us by the Lord.” Herein the apostle prefers it before the law. It is that word which the Son came to reveal and declare from the bosom of the Father; and surely he deserves to be attended unto, Hence it is so often called “the word of Christ” and “the
VER. 5-9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 319
gospel of Christ ;” not only because it treateth of him, but because it proceedeth from him, and on that account is “worthy of all accep- tation.” And, (2.) To neglect the gospel is to neglect and despise the Son of God, who is the author of it, and consequently the love and grace of God in sending him. So the Lord Christ tells them that preach the gospel, “He that despiseth you despiseth me, and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.” Neglect of the gospel reflects immediately upon the Lord Christ and the Father; and therefore our apostle bids us take heed that we despise not him who spake from heaven; which can be no otherwise done but by neglect of his word. Some pretend to honour Christ, but they have no regard for his word; yea, they may say of it as Ahab of Micaiah, that they hate it, and have therefore some of them endea- voured to extirpate the preaching of it out of the world, as the Papists have done,—at least, have looked on it as a useless thing, that the church might be well enough without. But such men will find themselves mistaken when it is too late to seek after a remedy. The true cause of their hatred unto the word, is because they can find no other way to express their hatred unto Christ himself; neither did ever any man hate or loathe the gospel, but he that first hated and loathed Jesus Christ. But against the word they have many pretences, against the person of Christ none, that are as yet passable in the world. This makes the word to bear that which is intended against Christ himself; and so will he interpret it at the last day. (8.) Consider that this word was confirmed and witnessed unto from heaven, by the mighty works and miracles which attended the dispensation thereof. So our apostle here informs us. And though we saw not those miracles, yet we have them left on infallible record for our use, that by them we might be yet stirred up to value and attend unto the word in a due manner. God hath so ordered things in his holy providence, that none can neglect the word with- out shutting his eyes against such light and evidence of conviction as will leave him abundantly inexcusable at the last day. Now, from these and the like considerations the duty proposed may be enforced.