From the consideration hereof, with that of the threatening in- cluded in the severity of God towards unbelievers before insisted on, doth the apostle educe his monitory exhortation, “Let us fear, there- fore.’ He knew the concernment of the souls of men in such a condition, and the danger of their miscarriages therein. When Moses had of old declared the law unto the people, he assured them that he had set life and death before them, one whereof would be the unquestionable consequent of that proposal. Much more may this be said of the promises of the gospel. They are a “savour of life unto life,” or of “ death unto death,” unto all to whom they are re- vealed and proposed, In what sense the promise is or may be left unto any hath been declared before in general: That there is a pro-
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 221
mise of entering into the rest of God yet remaining; that this pro- mise be made known and proposed unto us in the dispensation of the word; that a day, time, or season of patience and grace be left unto us, are required hereunto. When these things are so, it isa trembling concern unto us to consider the issue; for,—
1. The matter of the promise is about the eternal concernments of the glory of God and the good or evil state of the souls of men. The matter of the promise of old was in part typical, and related immediately to things temporal and carnal,—a rest from bondage in the land of Canaan. But even this being neglected by them to whom it was left and proposed, exposed them to the high displea- sure and indignation of God. And what will be the event of the neglect of such a promise, whose matter is high above the other as heaven is above the earth, excelling it as things spiritual and eternal do things temporal and carnal? God will have a strict account of the entertainment that is given unto gospel promises amongst the sons ofmen. This is no slight matter, nor to be slighted over, as is the manner of the most that are dealt withal about it. An eter- nity in blessedness or misery depends singly on this treaty that God hath with us in the promises. Hence are those frequent intima- tions of eternal severity which are recorded in the Scripture against those who reject the promise that is left unto them; as Heb. ii. 3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” 1 Pet. iv. 17, “ What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” and the like everywhere.
2. The whole love, goodness, and grace of God towards mankind, the infinite wisdom of the counsel of his will about their salvation, are contained and exhibited unto us in the promise. This is the way that God from the beginning fixed on to propose and commu- nicate the effects of these things unto us. Hence the gospel, which is an explication of the promise in all the causes and effects of it, is termed émipdvesa cis ydpiros rig owrnpiov rod Ocod, Tit. ii. 11,—the “ijlustrious appearance of the saving grace of God;” and émpdvera ris xpnorérnros nal ris PiAawlpuriag rol Surhpos nudiv Oeoi, chap. iii. 4,— the “glorious manifestation of the goodness” (kindness, benignity) “and love of God our Saviour;” and elayyéniov ris b6En¢ rod waxapiou @cod, 1 Tim. i 11; as also ebayyérsov rijg d6Eng rod Xpsorod, 2 Cor. iv. 4;—that is, either, by a Hebraism, sdayyérsov evd0fov, the “ glorious gospel,” so called from the nature and effects of it; or the gospel which reveals, declares, makes known, the great and signal glory of God, that whereby he will be exalted upon the account of his good- ness, grace, love, and kindness.
Now, even amongst men it is a thing of some hazard and conse- quence for any to have an offer made them of the favour, love, and kindness of potentates or princes. For they do not take any thing
222 AN EXPOSITION OF THE A [CHAP. IV.
more unkindly, nor usually revenge more severely, than the neglect of their favours. They take themselves therein, in all that they esteem themselves for, to be neglected and despised; and this they do though their favour be of little worth or use, and not at all to be confided in, as Ps. cxlvi. 38, 4. And what shall we think of this tender of all that grace, love, and kindness of God? Surely we ought well to bethink ourselves of the event, when it is made unto us. When our Saviour sent his disciples to tender the promise unto the inhabitants of any city or house, he ordered them that upon its refusal they should “ shake off the dust of their feet,” Matt. x. 14, “ for a testimony against them,” Mark vi.11. [They were to} shake off the dust of their feet, as a token of God’s dereliction and indigna- tion,—a natural symbol to that purpose. So Nehemiah shook his lap against them that would not keep the oath of God, saying, “So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that per- formeth not this promise,” Neh. v.13. And it was the custom of the Romans, when they denounced war and desolation on any country, to throw a stone into their land. So Paul and Barnabas literally practised this order: Acts xiii. 51, “ They shook off the dust of their feet against them.” And what they intended thereby they declared in their words unto them that refused the promise, verse 46, “Seeing ye put the word from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of ever- lasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles;” that is, ‘ we leave you to perish everlastingly in your sins” And this they did “ for a testi- mony against them,’—a sign and witness, to be called over at the last day, that the promise had been tendered unto them, and was rejected by them. And that this is the meaning of that symbol, and not a mere declaration that they would accept of nothing from them, nor carry away aught of them, not so much as the dust of their feet, as some suppose, is evident from the interpretation of it, in the following words of our Saviour, Matt. x. 15, “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city;” that is, ‘By so doing you shall give them an infallible sign of that certain and sore destruction which shall befall them for their sins.’ Severe, therefore, will be the issue of so much love and kindness despised as is exhibited in the pro- mise. See more hereof on chap. ii. 2, 3.