VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 81
security. Others abuse them,—some by making them the rise of their vain and foolish prognostications: ‘There is such a prodigy, such a strange work of God, such a blazing star,’ or the like. What then? ‘Such or such a thing shall follow this or that year, this or that month,’ This is a specious way whereby atheism exalts itself; for nothing can give countenance to these presumptions but a supposi- tion of such a concatenation of causes and effects as shall exclude the sovereign government of God over the world. Others contend about them; some whose lives are profligate, and whose ways are wicked, are afraid lest they should be looked on as pointed against them and their sins, and therefore they contend that they have no determinate language, no signification in them. Others are too forward to look upon them as sent or wrought to countenance them in their desires, ways, and aims. Amongst most, by these and the like means, the true design of God in all his great and strange works is utterly lost, to the great provocation of the eyes of his glory. This, as I have showed, is every man’s faith, repentance, and obedience; which how they have been improved in us by them we may do well to consider. Again, observe from the words that,—
Obs. XXIII. God is pleased ofttimes to grant great outward means unto those in whom he will not work effectually by his
ce.
Who had more of the first than these Israelites in the wilder- ness? As the works of God amongst them were the greatest and most stupendous that ever he had wrought from the foundation of the world, so the law was first vocally given unto them and pro- mulgated amongst them; and not only so, but they had the gospel also preached unto their ears as we,—not so clearly, indeed, but no less truly, Heb. iv. 1,2. See their privileges and advantages as they are enumerated by our apostle, Rom. iii. 2, ix. 4, 5. God might well say of them as he did afterwards of their posterity, “ What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” Isa. v. 4;—for fencing, and planting, and stoning, nothing more could have been done. Outward means, ordinances, afflic- tions, mercies, they wanted not; and yet all this while God did not circumcise their hearts to love him with all their heart, and all their soul, that they might live, as he promiseth at other times to do, Deut. xxx. 6: yea, it is said expressly that he gave them not eyes to see, or ears to hear, that they might know him and fear him. He did not put forth or exercise an effectual work of inward grace during their enjoyment of the outward means before men- tioned. And therefore, when God promiseth to make the covenant of grace under the gospel effectual unto the elect, by writing his law in their hearts, and putting his fear into their inward parts, he says expressly and emphatically that he will not make it as he
VOL. XXI. 6
82 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHapP. III.
made that with the people in the wilderness; and that for this reason, because they (that is, the generality of them) had only the outward administration of it, and did not enjoy this effectual com- munication of saving grace, which is there called a writing of the law in our hearts, and putting of the fear of God in our inward parts, Heb. viii. 8-12, from Jer. xxxi. 31-34. In like manner, when our Lord Jesus Christ preached the gospel unto all, yet it was to some only to whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, Matt. xiii. 11-16. I know some are displeased at this; but for the most part they are such as will be pleased with nothing that God either doeth or saith, or can do or say, unless he would give them a law or a gospel to save them in and with their sins. They are ready to dispute that God is unjust if he give not grace to every man, to use or abuse at his pleasure, whilst them- selves hate grace and despise it, and think it not worth acceptance if laid at their doors. But thus God dealt with this people in the wilderness; yea, they had means of obedience granted them after he had sworn they should die for their disobedience. And who art thou, O man, that disputest against God? Nay, the righteousness of God in this matter is clear and conspicuous; for,—
[1.] God is not obliged to grant any especial privilege, even as unto the outward means of grace, unto any of the sons of men. And to show his sovereignty and absolute freedom herein, he always granted them with great variety in a distinguishing manner. So he did of old: “ He shewed his word” (1"124, “his words,” that is, his institutions) “unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judg- ments, they have not known them,” Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20. These out- ward means themselves were their peculiar privilege and enclosure. This was the advantage of the Jews, that “ unto them,” and unto them alone, “ were committed the oracles of God,” Rom. iii. 2, And God, as he gave and granted these outward means of grace to them alone, so he might have justly denied them unto them also; or else he might have granted them unto all others and withheld them from them. For he dealt not thus with them because they were in and of themselves in any thing better than those who were excluded from their privileges, Deut. vii. 6-9. And thus God dealeth still, even unto this day, with the nations of the world; some he intrust- eth with the gospel, and some have not the sound of it approaching unto them. Man would not abide in the condition wherein God made him, Eccles, vii. 29; and God may justly leave him in the condition wherein by sin he hath cast himself. That he will afford outward means unto any is of mere grace, liberality, and bounty. And shall we say he is unjust if he give no more, when no rule or law of justice obligeth him unto what he doth? Men may by such