3. This proposal of the promise of the gospel unto men is decre- tory and peremptory, as to God’s dealings with them about their salvation. “ He that believeth not shall be damned,” Mark xvi. 16. There is no other way for us to escape “the wrath to come.” God hath indispensably bound up mankind to this rule and law: here they must close, or perish for ever. From all which it appears what thoughts men ought to have of themselves and their condition, when the gospel in the providence of God is preached unto them. The
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 228
event, one way or other, will be very great. Everlasting blessedness or everlasting woe will be the issue of it, one way or the other. ‘ Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left unto us,” ete. Again,—
Obs. V. The failing of men through their unbelief doth no way cause the promises of God to fail or cease.
Those to whom the promise mentioned in this place was first pro- posed came short of it, believed it not, and so had no benefit by it. What then became of the promise itself? did that fail also, and become of none effect? God forbid; it remained still, and was left for others. This our apostle more fully declares, Rom ix. 4,5; for having showed that the promises of God were given unto the Is- raelites, the posterity of Abraham, he foresaw an objection that might be taken from thence against the truth and efficacy of the promises themselves. This he anticipates and answers, verse 6, “Not as though the word of God” (that is, the word of promise) “hath taken none effect;” and so proceedeth to show, that whoso- ever and how many soever reject the promise, yet they do it only to their own ruin; the promise shall have its effects in others, in those whom God hath graciously ordained unto a participation of it. And so also Rom. ii. 3, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.” The “faith of God” (that is, his glory in his veracity, as the apostle shows in the next words, “ Yea, let God be true, and every man a liar”) is engaged for the stability and accomplishment of his pro- mises. Men by their unbelief may disappoint themselves of their expectation, but cannot bereave God of his faithfulness) And the reason on the one hand is, that God doth not give his promises unto all men, to have their gracious effect upon them, whether they will or no, whether they believe them or reject them; and on the other, he can and will raise up them who shall, through his grace, “mix his promises with faith,” and enjoy the benefit of it. If the natural seed of Abraham prove obstinate, he can out of stones raise up children unto him, who shall be his heirs and inherit the pro- mises. And therefore, when the gospel is preached unto any na- tion, or city, or assembly, the glory and success of it do not depend upon the wills of them unto whom it is preached ; neither is it frus- trated by their unbeliet. The salvation that is contained in it shall be disposed of unto others, but they and their house shall be de- stroyed. This our Saviour often threatened unto the obstinate Jews; and accordingly it came to pass.) And God hath blessed ends in granting the owtward dispensation of the promises even unto them by whom they are rejected, not here to be insisted on. Hence our apostle tells us that those who preach the gospel are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, as well in them that perish as in them that are saved, 2 Cor. ii. 15. Christ is glorified, and God in and by hin,
224 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
in the dispensation of it, whether men receive it or no. Again it follows from these words, that,—
Obs. VI. The gospel state of believers is a state of assured rest and peace. :
It is the rest of God. But this will more properly fall under our consideration on verse 3, as to what is needful to be added to the preceding discourse.
The caution enforcing the exhortation insisted on remains to be opened, in the last words of the first verse, “ Lest any of you should seem to come short of it.”
Tis 2 busév—“ Any one of you,” “Any one from amongst you.” This expression the apostle used be- fore, chap. iii. 12, 2 rim duév, “in any of you.” He respected them all so in general, as that he had a regard to every one of them in particular. Some here read juév, “of us” And this seems more proper, for it both answers the preceding caution, “Let us fear,” namely, “lest any one of us,” and continues the same tenor of speech unto what ensues, “for unto us was the gospel preached.” If we read 7uév, the sense of the caution is that ‘every one of us should take heed to ourselves; if we retain twdv, with the most copies and translations, the intendment is that we all ought to take care of one another, or fear the dangers and temptations of one another, labouring to prevent their efficacy by mutual brotherly care and assistance. And this is most answerable unto the apostle’s treat- ing of them in sundry other places of this epistle, as chap. iii. 12, 13, x, 23, 24, xii, 15.