[2.] Faith sets love at work upon the objects proposed to be be- lieved. There is in the gospel, and the promises of it, not only the truth to be considered which we are to believe and assent unto, but also the goodness, excellency, desirableness, and suitableness unto our condition, of the things themselves which are comprised in them. Under this consideration of them, they are proper objects for love to fix on, and to be exercised about. And “ faith worketh by love,” not only in acts and duties of mercy, righteousness, and charity to- wards men, but also in adhesion unto and delight in the things of God which are revealed to be lovely. Faith makes the soul in love with spiritual things. Love engages all other affections into their proper exercise about them, and fills the mind continually with thoughtfulness about them and desires after them; and this mightily helps on the spiritual mixture of faith and the word. It is known that love is greatly effectual to work an assimilation between the mind and its proper object. It will introduce its idea into the mind, which will never depart from it. So will carnal love, or the impe- tuous working of men’s lusts by that affection. Hence Peter tells
VER. 1, 2. EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 253)
us that some men have égdurwods wsorods moryarsdos xual dxararavorous amapriac, 2 Epist. chap. i. 14,—“ eyes full of an adulteress.” Their lust hath so wrought by their imagination as to introduce a constant idea of the object into their minds, as if there were an image of a thing in their eye, which continually represented itself unto them as seen, whatever they looked on: therefore are they constantly un- quiet, and “cannot cease to sin.” There is such a mixture of lust and its object in their minds, that they continually commit lewd- ness in themselves. Spiritual love, set on work by faith, will produce the like effect. It will bring in that idea of the beloved object into the mind, until the eye be full of it, and the soul is con- tinually conversant with it. Our apostle, expressing his great love unto Christ, above himself and all the world, as a fruit of his faith in him, Phil. iii. 8, 9, professeth that this was that which he aimed at, namely, that he “ might know him, and the power of his resur- rection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death,’ verse 10. The resurrection, with the sufferings and death of Christ which preceded it, he knew before and believed: but he aims at more, he would have a further inward experience of “the power of his resurrection;” that is, he would so mix it with faith working by love to Christ, as that it might produce in him its proper effects, in an increase of his spiritual life, and the quickening of him unto all holiness and obedience. He would also be yet further acquainted with “the fellowship of his sufferings,’ or obtain com- munion with him in them; that the sufferings of Christ subsisting in his spirit by faith, might cause sin to suffer in him, and crucify the world unto him, and him unto the world. By all which he aimed to be made completely “conformable unto his death ;” that is, that whole Christ, with his life, sufferings, and death, might so abide in him that his whole soul might be cast into his image and like- ness. J shall add no more concerning this truth, but only that it is best manifested, declared, and confirmed, in the minds and con- sciences of them who know what it is really to believe and to walk with God thereon.
VERSE 3.
- Many have variously reasoned and conjectured about the cohe- rence of this part of the apostle’s discourse with that which imme- diately goeth before. It is not my way to propose the interpretations or analyses of others, much less to contend about them, unless neces- sity for the vindication of some important truth do require it of me. That, therefore, which in the words and design of the apostle seems to be most natural and genuine, as to the coherence of his discourse, I shall alone explain and confirm.
The work here engaged in is evidently to explain and improve
254 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Iv.
the testimony cited out of David in the foregoing chapter. His pur- pose, also, is to draw out of it whatever was enwrapped in it by the wisdom of the Holy Ghost for the instruction of these Hebrews; which could not be clearly understood by them under the old testa- ment, as designed for their peculiar use and direction now under the dispensation of the’gospel. Having, therefore, declared unto them the danger of unbelief, by laying down graphically before them the sin and punishment of others, in and from the words of the psalm, he proceeds from the same words and example to give them encou- ragements unto faith and obedience; but withal foreseeing that an objection might be raised against the very foundation of his argu- ments and exhortations, he diverts to the removal of it, and therein wonderfully strengthens, carrieth on, and confirmeth his whole pur- pose and design.
The foundation of the whole ensuing discourse lies in this, that there is a promise left unto us of entering into the rest of God, verse 1. This, therefore, we ought to take heed that we come not short of by unbelief. Hereunto the Hebrews might object (as was before observed) that they were not now any way concerned in that promise; for consider whatever is said of the rest of God in the Scripture, and it will appear that it doth not belong unto us, espe- cially not what is said of it in the psalm insisted on. The rest of the land of Canaan, and the rest of the Sabbath, are so called; but these are already past, or we are in the present enjoyment of them, so that it is to no purpose to press us to enter into rest.’ The re- moval of this objection the apostle here designs from the words of David, and therein. the establishment of his present exhortation. He manifests, therefore, that besides those mentioned there was yet another rest remaining for the people of God, and that directed unto in the words of the psalmist. This he proves and evinceth at large, — namely, that there was a spiritual rest yet abiding for believers, which we are called and obliged to seek an entrance into. This, in general, is the design and method of the apostle’s discourse in this place.