VER. 12, 13.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 371
his eye upon them. For this cause is he said to be “of quick un- derstanding in the fear of the LorD,” so as “ not to judge after the sight of his eyes, nor approve after the hearing of his ears;” that is, according to the outward appearance and representation of things, or the profession that men make, which is seen and heard: but “he judgeth with righteousness, and reproveth with equity,” according to the true nature of things, which lieth hidden from the eyes of men, Isa. xi. 3, 4. He knows to judge, and he judgeth in and by his know- ledge; and the most secret things are the especial objects of his know- ledge and judgment. Let not men please themselves in their secret reserves. There is not a thought in their hearts, though but transient, never arising to the consistency of a purpose, not a pleasing or seem- ing desirable imagination in their minds, but it lies continually under the eye of Christ, and at the same instant that very judg- ment is by him passed on them which shall be given out concerning them at the last day. O that we could always consider with what awe and reverence, with what care and diligence, we ought con- tinually to walk before this holy, all-seeing One! In the description that is given of him when he came to deal with his churches, to “judge them with righteousness, and reprove them with equity,” “not according to the sight of his eyes or the hearing of his ears,’— that is, the outward profession that they made,—it is said that “his eyes were as a flame of fire,” Rev. i. 14; answerable unto that of Job to God, “ Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?” chap. x. 4. He doth not look on things through such weak and fail- ing mediums as poor frail creatures do, but sees all things clearly and perfectly according as they are in themselves, by the light of his own eyes, which are “as a flame of fire.” And when he comes actually to deal with his churches, he prefaceth it with this, “I know thy works,” which Jeads the way; and his judgment on them upon the account of those works immediately followeth after, Rev. it, iii. And it may be observed, that the judgment that he made concern- ing them was not only wholly independent of their outward pro- fession, and ofttimes quite contrary unto it, but also that he judged otherwise of them, yea, contrary to that which in the secret of their hearts they judged of themselves. See chap. iii 17. So when Judas was in the height of his profession, he judged him a devil, John vi. 70, 71; and when Peter was in the worst of his de- fection he judged him a saint, as having prayed for him that his faith might not fail. So doth he know that he may judge, and so doth he judge together with his knowledge; and this easily and perfectly, for “all things are naked and opened before him;” so
Obs. VI. It is no trouble or labour to the Word of God to discern all creatures, and all that is of them and in them, seeing there is
372 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
nothing but is evidently apparent, open, and naked, under his all- seeing eye.
It would be necessary here to open the nature of the knowledge or omniscience of God, but that I have done it at large in another treatise, whereunto I refer the reader.’ Now, after the consideration of all the particulars, we may subjoin an observation that naturally ariseth from the multiplying of the instances here given by the apostle, and it is that,—
Obs. VII. It is a great and difficult matter really and practically to convince professors of the practical judging omnisciency of Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
On the account hereof, added to the great importance of the thing itself unto our faith and obedience, doth the apostle here so multi- ply his expressions and instances of it. It is not for nothing that what might have been expressed in one single plain assertion is here set out in so many, and with such variety of allusions, suited to con- vey a practical sense of it unto our minds and consciences. All pro- fessors are ready enough to close with Peter in the first part of his confession, “ Lord, thou knowest all things;” but when they come to the other, ‘Thou knowest that I love thee,’—that is, to make a practical consideration of it with respect unto their own hearts and ways, as designing in all things to approve themselves unto him as those who are continually under his eye and judgment,—this they fail in and are hardly brought unto. If their minds were fully pos- sessed with the persuasion hereof, were they continually under the ~ power thereof, it would certainly influence them unto that care, dili- gence, and watchfulness, which are evidently wanting in many, in the most of them. But love of present things, the deceitfulness of sin, the power of temptations, cares, and businesses of life, vain and uncertain hopes, do effectually divert their minds from a due consi- deration of it. And we find by experience how difficult it is to leave a lasting impression of it on the souls of men. Yet would nothing be of more use unto them in the whole course of their walking be- fore God. And this will further appear, if, after the precedent ex- position of the several particular parts of these verses, and brief ob- servations from them, we duly consider the general design of the apostle in the words, and what we are instructed in thereby.