I. That the whole work of saving the sons of God, from first
VER. 10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 385
to last, their guidance and conduct through sins and sufferings unto glory, is committed unto the Lord Jesus; whence he is constantly to be eyed by believers in all the concernments of their faith, obedi- ence, and consolation. “ Behold,” saith the Lord, “I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people,” Isa. lv. 4;—a witness, to testify the truth, in revealing the mind and will of God; a leader, going before them as a prince and captain, as the word signifies; and a commander, that gives out laws and rules for their obedience. God hath set him as a lord over his whole house, Heb. iii. 6, and committed all the management of all its concernments unto him. There is no person that belongs unto God’s design of bringing many sons to glory, but he is under his rule and inspection; neither is there any thing that concerns any of them in their passage towards glory, whereby they may be furthered or hindered in their way, but the care is committed unto him, as the care of the whole army lies on the general or prince of the host. This the prophet sets out in his type, Eliakim, Isa. xxii, 21-24. He is fastened as a nail in a sure place; and all the glory of the house, and every vessel of it, from the greatest unto the least, is hanged on him. The weight of all, the care of all, is upon him, committed unto him. When the people came out of Egypt with Moses they were numbered unto him, he being the administrator of the law, and they died all in the wildernéss; but they were delivered again by tale and number unto Joshua, the type of Christ, and none of them, not one, failed of entering into Canaan. And, first, he dis- char eth this trust as a faithful captain,—
(1) With care and watchfulness: Ps. cxxi. 4, “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” There is no time nor season wherein the sons committed unto his care may be sur- prised through any neglect or regardlessness in him; his eyes are always open upon them; they are never out of his heart nor thoughts; they are engraven on the palms of his hands, and their walls are con- tinually before him; or, as he expresseth it, Isa. xxvii. 3, “I the Lorp do keep my vineyard; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Greater care and watchfulness cannot be expressed; “night and day,” and “every moment” in them, he is intent about this work. Oh how great an encouragement is this to adhere unto him, to follow him in the whole course of obedi- ence that he calls unto! This puts life into soldiers, and gives them security, when they know that their commander is continually care- ful for them.
(2.) He dischargeth this great trust with tenderness and love: Isa. xl. 11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” These sons are of various
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386 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IT.
sorts and degrees; the best and strongest of them are but sheep,— poor, infirm, and helpless creatures; and amongst them some are young and tender, as lambs; some heavy and burdened with sins and afflictions, like*those that are with young. In tender compas~ sion he condescends unto all their conditions; feeds and preserves the whole flock as a shepherd; gathers in his arm and bears in his bosom those that otherwise, by their infirmity, would be east behind and left unto danger. Compassion he hath for them that err and are out of the way; he seeks for them that wander, heals the diseased, feeds them when they are even a flock of slaughter. And where these two concur, care and compassion, there can be no want of any thing, Ps. xxiii. 1. Indeed, Zion is ready sometimes to complain that she is forgotten. The sons in great distresses, afflictions, per- secutions, temptations, that may befall them in their way to glory, are apt to think they are forgotten and disregarded,—that they are left as it were to shift for themselves, and to wrestle with their diffi- culties by their own strength and wisdom, which they know to be as a thing of nought. But this fear is vain and ungrateful, Whilst they are found in the way, following the captain of their salvation, it is utterly impossible that this watchfulness, care, love, and tender- ness, should in any thing be wanting unto them,
(3,) He leads them with power, author ity, and majesty : Mic. v. 4, “ He shall stand and rule in the strength of the Lorp, in the ma- jesty of the name of the Lorp his God; and they shall abide.” The “name of God” is in him, accompanied with his power and majesty, which he puts forth in the feeding and ruling of his people; whereon their safety doth depend. “'They shall abide,” or dwell in safety ; because in this his glory and majesty he shall be great, or be magni- fied unto the ends of the earth. So also is he described in his rule: Zech. vi. 13, “ Kven he shall build the temple of the Lorp; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne.” Having built the temple, raised a house and family to God, he shall be the ruler or captain of it, to preserve it unto glory ; and this in a glorious manner,—bearing the glory of God, sitting upon a throne, in the whole discharge of his office both as a king and priest. Unto this end is he intrusted with all the power and authority which we have before described, God. having given him to be “head over all things unto his church.” There is nothing so high, so great, so mighty, that lies in the way of his sons to glory, but it must stoop to his authority and give place to his power. The whole kingdom of Satan, the strongholds of sin, the high imaginations of unbelief, the strength and malice of the world, all sink before him. And thence are they described as so glorious and successful in their way: Mic. ii. 13, “'The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and