First, It acts itself in dislike against the purity, simplicity, and spirituality of its worship. This was that wherein our apostle had principally to do with the Jews. They were apt, all of them, to admire the old, glorious, pompous worship of the temple, and so to dislike the naked simplicity of gospel institutions. And in like manner was he jealous over the Corinthians, “lest they should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,’ 2 Cor. xi. 8; that is, in the worship of God as instituted and appointed by him. This was always a great offence unto all unbelievers. Hence the Pagans of old objected unto the Christians, that they had a religion, or a worship of God, without temples, altars, images, or pompous cere- monies; whence they looked on them as mere atheists. And this dislike of the purity and simplicity of the gospel worship is that which was the rise of, and gave increase or progress unto the whole Roman apostasy. And this is that which, through the unbelief of
VER. 12-14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 115
men, keeps the gospel in other nations under so much reproach, contempt, and persecution at this day. Men like not the plain, unspotted institutions of Christ, but are pleased with the meretrici- ous Roman paint, wherewith so great a part of the world hath been beguiled and infatuated.
Secondly, The severity and universality of obedience which it re- quireth is another thing that unbelief prevails to put forth dislike against. It makes use of the flesh to this purpose. Something or other it would be gratified in, within doors or without, or at least be spared, and not in all things pursued as the gospel requires. To be always, and in all thangs, private and public, personal and in all re- lations, mortified, crucified, and denied, to have no rest given unto it, the flesh likes it not; and unbelief makes use of its aversation to bring the whole soul into a dislike of that doctrine whereby all this is required. Thus Peter tells us of some that “turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them,” 2 Epist. ii. 21. He gives us not only the nature of the sin of them whom he blames,—that they turn away from the commands of Christ in the gospel; but he gives us also the reason why they do so,—it is because of their holiness. They turn aside from the “ holy commandment.” Many professors have been wearied out with an observance of that holiness which this profession doth require. Hence commonly there are most apostates from the strictest ways of profession. The more universally holiness is pressed, the more weary will prevailing unbelief make men of their ways.
Thirdly, It worketh accordingly with respect unto the grace and mystery of the gospel. Of old time it prevailed with many to look upon the whole of it as folly. The “preaching of the cross” was “foolishness” unto them that believed not; that is, the saving of sinners by the substitution of Christ in their room, and the atone- ment he made by his death and blood-shedding, was so. Now, this being a matter of great importance, I shall crave a little to digress from our immediate work and design, whilst I demonstrate that a secret dislike of the principal mysteries of the gospel is the original and cause of most of the degeneracies, backslidings, and apostasies that are found amongst professors in these latter days.
Our apostle tells us that the “ preaching of the cross” was “ fool- ishness to them that perished,” 1 Cor. i. 18; and they perished merely on that account,—it was foolishness unto them, they liked not the mystery of it, they saw no wisdom in it. And this he said with respect unto Jews and Gentiles, as is manifest in that place. To confirm this, I shall instance in some of the principal heads of the doctrine of the gospel, and show how unbelief prevails with men to dislike them, to reject them, and to look on them as folly.
(First,) And the first is this~—That Jesus of Nazareth, poor and
116 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
contemptible as he was in the world, generally esteemed by the men of those days wherein he lived to be a seducer, a glutton, a blas- phemer, a turbulent person, hated of God and man, being taken as a thief, and hanged upon a tree, and so slain by the consent of the world, Jews and Gentiles, as a malefactor, was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and is both Lord and Christ.
This is the beginning of the gospel, which the apostle preached to the Jews and Gentiles, Acts ii. 22-24, “ Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up.” That is, ‘This Jesus of Nazareth which we preach,— him whom you remember well enough, he was among you but the other day, and preached unto you, and wrought signs and miracles among you; and you may further remember him by an infallible token, for with wicked hands you crucified and slew him.’ ‘ Well, and what of this Jesus whom we slew and crucified? ‘ Why,’ saith the apostle, ‘doparaig ywwoxerw, “ Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made him both Lord and Christ,”’ verse 36. ‘Him! who is that? an appearance of the eternal Word? a dispensation of grace appearing in him? the Light of God in man ?’ ‘No, no; but rodroy viv’ Inoody, ov duets éoravpwoure,— that same Jesus whom ye crucified.” That same man whom about eight weeks ago you crucified, him hath he made “both Lord and Christ;” or in his resurrection and exaltation declared so to be.’ And this the Holy Ghost lays a sure foundation of in his expression of his incarnation and birth. The angel tells Mary his mother, svAajwWy év yaorpl, nal ré&n vidv, Luke i. 31, “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,”—conceive him by the power of the Most High, and bear him after the manner of women. And then, verse 35, Td yevé- uevoy dysov, ete, “That holy thing, that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.” That “holy thing” was the child which she conceived, afterwards called Jesus of Nazareth. And it was termed a “holy thing,” because it was dvuréorwrov, not a person of itself, as conceived by her, had not a personal subsistence in, by, and of itself, but subsisted in the person of the Son of God; on which account it was called “The Son of God.” And when he was born, the angel tells the shepherds, that that day was born “a Saviour, Christ the Lord,” Luke ii. 11; who, he tells them in the next verse, Was Brides sorapyavapévoy, xeiwevoy ev rm Oden, “the infant that was wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and placed in the manger.” To this purpose do the apostles declare themselves again: Acts iii. 13-15, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; the God