VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 77
of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken. Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!” God never casts “ bruta fulmina;” all his works are vocal. They speak, or rather he speaks in them. Now, that they may be instructive unto us, sundry things are required :—
[1.] That we tuke notice of them, and notice of them to be his. Some are so stayed, or so obstinate, or so full of self and other things, that they will take no notice at all of any of the works of God. His hand is lifted up, and they will not see, they will not behold it. He passeth by them in his works on the right band and on the left, but they perceive it not. Others, though they take notice of the works themselves, yet they will not take notice of them to be his; like the Philistines, they knew not whether the strange plague that consumed them and destroyed their cities were God’s hand or a chance. But until we seriously consider them, and really own them to be the works of God, we can make no im- provement of them.
[2.] We are to inquire into the especial meaning of them. This is wisdom, and that which God requireth at our hands: so Mic. vi. 9, “The voice of the Lorp crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath ap- pointed it.” im ip, “The voice of the LorD,” is often taken for the power of God manifesting itself in its effects and mighty works. In this sense it is repeated six or seven times in one psalm, Ps. xxix. 8-9. The voice of God here, then, is the works of God. And what do they do? They have a voice, they “cry to the city.” The voice of God in his rod doth so; that is, his afflicting and correcting works, as in the end of the verse. It cries "Y?, “to the city;” that is, the city of God, Jerusalem, or the church: though some think that V2 is put for VY? “ad excitandum;” it cries to excite or stir up men,—that is, to repentance and amendment. And what is the issue? mvan, “The man of wisdom,” say we,—it is wisdom, or rather sub- stance, that is, the substantial wise man, who gives no place to vanity and lightness,—he “shall see the name of God:” that is, he shall discern the power and wisdom of God in his works; and not only so, but the mind of God also in them, which is often signified by his “name.” See John xvii. 6. And so it follows, “ Hear ye the rod;” they are works of the rod, or correction, that he speaks of. This he com’mands us to “hear ;’ that is, to understand. So YOY fre- quently signifies. So speak the servants of Hezekiah to Rabshakeh, Isa. xxxvi. 11, “Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language, VIS DYRY *3 ,’—“ for we hear it;” that is, can un- derstand it. So are we to “hear the rod;” that is, to learn and under-
78 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
stand the mind of God in his works. This is required of us. And that we may do so, two things are necessary :—
Ist. That we consider and be well acquainted with owr own condi- tion. If we are ignorant hereof we shall understand nothing of the mind of God in his dispensations. Security in sin will take away all understanding of judgments. Let God thunder from heaven in the revelation of his wrath against sin, yet such persons will be se- cure still. God doth not often utterly destroy men with great and tremendous destructions before he hath given them previous warn- ings of his indignation. But yet men that are secure in sin will know so little of the sense of them, that they will be erying “ Peace and safety,” when their final destruction is seizing upon them, 1 Thess, v.83. God speaks out the curse of the law in his works of judgment; for thereby is “ the wrath of God revealed from heaven against the ungodliness of men,’ Rom.i.18. But yet when men hear the voice of the curse so spoken out, if they are secure, they will bless them- selves, and say they shall have peace, though they add drunkenness to thirst, Deut. xxix.19. And this for the most part blinds the eyes of the wise men of this world. They neither see nor understand any of the works of God, though never so full of dread or terror, because being secure in their sin, they know not that they have any con- cernment in them. If they do at any time attend unto them, it is as the people did to the voice that came from heaven unto our Saviour;—some said it thundered, others, that an angel spake. One says one thing of them, another, another thing, but they endeavour not to come unto any certainty about them. This is complained of, Isa. xxvi. 11, “ Lorp, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see.” The lifting up of the hand in general is to work or to effect any thing; in particular, to correct, to punish, it being the posture of one ready to strike, or redoubling his blows in striking; as God doth when his “judgments are in the earth,” verse 9. In this state of things, saith the prophet, “They will not see;” they will neither consider nor en- deavour to understand the mind of God in his works and judgments. And how doth God take this of them? Saith he, “ The fire of thine enemies shall devour them;” that is, either their own fiery envy at the people of God, mentioned in the foregoing words, shail consume themselves,—they shall be eaten up and consumed with it, whilst they will not take notice of the mind of God in his judgments towards them; or, ‘the fire wherewith at length thou wilt consume all thine adversaries shall fall upon them;’ or, lastly, ‘ thou wilt turn in upon them a wicked, furious people, who shall destroy them, —as it befell the Jews, to whom he speaks in particular. One way or other God will severely revenge this security, and neglect of his works thereon. But they who will wisely consider their own condition,—how it is be- tween God and them,—wherein they have been faithful, wherein false