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VER, 15-19.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 183
relation that is between them. Such were the sins of the old world and the flood, of Sodom and the fire, of Dathan and the earth open- ing its mouth to receive him, with the rest of the instances fre- quently enumerated in the Scripture. Such are all stories and reports of time in the world filled withal; and our own days have abounded with pregnant instances to the same purpose. And God will do thus,—
First, To bear witness to his own holiness and severity. In the ordinary course of the dispensation of his providence, God gives con- stant testimony unto his goodness and patience. ‘“ He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and.on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust,” Matt. v.45. He “never left himself with- out witness, in that he did men good, and gave them rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and glad- ness, Acts xiv. 17. This constant testimony doth God give unto his goodness and patience amongst men; and his design therein is to bring them to an acknowledgment of him, or to leave them in their wickedness utterly without excuse. For under the enjoyment of these things he leaves the generality of mankind; by whom for the most part they are abused, and God in them is despised. But things will not end so. He hath appointed a day wherein he will call them over again; and will require his corn, and wine, and oil, his health, his peace, his plenty, his prosperity, at the hands of men. Yet, though this be his ordinary way of proceeding, he doth not absolutely commit over his severity and indignation against sin to be manifested and asserted by his written threatenings and commi- nations of things future. He will sometimes “rise up to his work, his strange work; his act, his strange act,” Isa. xxviii. 21;—that is, to execute great and fearful present judgments on sinners; which though it be and seem a “ strange work,” seldom coming to pass or effected, yet it is “his work,” a work that becomes him, and where- by he will manifest his holiness and severity. He reveals his judg- ments from heaven against the ungodliness of men, Rom. i. 18; and this he doth by exemplary punishments on exemplary sinners.
Secondly, God doth thus to check and control the atheism that is in the hearts of men. Many, whilst they see wicked men, espe- cially open and profligate sinners, prospering in a constant course, are ready to say in their hearts that there is no God, or that he hath forsaken the earth; or with Job, chap. ix. 24, “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: ..... if not, where, and who is he?” —‘ Where is he, or who is he, that should punish them in or for all their enormous provocations?’ or, as they, Mal. ii. 17, “ Where is the God of judgment?” And this encourageth men in their wickedness, as the wise man expressly tells us: “ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart
184 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil,” Eccles. viii. 11. The consideration hereof makes them cast off all regard of God, and to pursue the lusts of their hearts according to the power of their hand, To stay men in this course, God sometimes hurls a thunder- bolt amongst them,—casts out an amazing judgment in a way of vengeance on some notable transgressors. When men have long travelled, or have been long upon a voyage at sea, if they meet with nothing but smiles of sun and wind, they are apt to grow careless and negligent, as though all must needs be smooth to their journey’s end. But if at any time they are surprised with an unexpected clap of thunder, they begin to fear lest there be a storm yet behind. The language of nature upon such judgments as we speak of is, “ Est profecto Deus, qui hee videt et gubernat;” or as the psalmist expresseth it, “ Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.” And were it not that God doth sometimes awe the world with his “strange work” of ven- geance, which he executes at his pleasure, so that great sinners can never be secure one moment from them, it is to be feared that the atheism that is in the hearts of men would bring them everywhere to the condition of things before the flood, when the “ whole earth was filled with violence,” and “all flesh had corrupted its ways.” But these judgments do secretly influence them with that dread and terror which prescribe some bounds to the lusts of the worst of men.
Thirdly, God will do thus for the encouragement of them whom he hath designed to bear witness to himself in the world against the wickedness of men. The principal work of the servants of God in the world is to bear witness unto God, his being, his holiness, his righteousness, his goodness, his hatred of sin. For this’ cause are they for the most part mocked, despised, and persecuted in the world, So saith our apostle: “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God,” 1 Tim. iv. 10. And sometimes they are ready to faint in their trials. It is unto them like “a sword in their bones,” while their enemies say unto them, “ Where is your God?” Ps, xlii. 10. They have, indeed, a sure word of promise to trust unto and to rest upon, and that which is able to carry them safely and quietly through all temptations and oppositions; but yet God is pleased sometimes to relieve and re- fresh their spirits by confirming their testimony from heaven, bear- ing witness to himself and his holiness by his visible, tremendous judgments upon openly notorious provokers. So saith the psalmist: “ God shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath ;’—in the midst of their days he shall bring judgment and destruction upon them, fearfully, suddenly, unexpectedly, un- avoidably, like a whirlwind. And what then? “The righteous