1. God made this covenant with the people on Sinai, in the authoritative proposition of it unto them; and thereon the people solemnly accepted of it, and took it upon themselves to observe, do,
and fulfil the terms and conditions of it, Exod. xix. 8, especially
4 Obx ivéwesvecy,
128 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP, VIIT. |
chap. xxiv. 3, 7, “The people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LorD hath said, will we do.” And, “ All that the Lorp hath said, will we do, and be obedient.” So Deut. v. 27. Hereupon the covenant was ratified and confirmed between God and them, and thereon the blood of the covenant was sprinkled on them, Exod. xxiv. 8. This gave that covenant its solemn rati- fication.
2, Having thus accepted of God’s covenant, and the terms of it, Moses ascending again into the mount, the people made the golden calf. And this fell out so suddenly after the making of the cove- nant, that the apostle expresseth it by, “They continued not in it,” —‘they made haste to break it.’ He expresseth the sense of the words of God hereon, Exod. xxxii. 7, 8, “ Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have cor- rupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, - These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” For therein they brake the covenant wherein God had in a peculiar manner assumed the glory of that deliverance unto himself.
3. Wherefore the breaking of the covenant, or their not con- tinuing in it, was firstly and principally the making of the molten calf. After this, indeed, that generation added many other sins and provocations, before all things proceeded so far that “God sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest.” This fell out on their professed unbelief and murmuring on the return of the spies, Num. xiv., whereof we have treated at large on chap. iii Wherefore this expression is not to be extended unto the sins of the following generations, neither in the kingdom of Israel nor in that of Judah, although they variously transgressed against the covenant, disannulling it so far as lay in them. But it is their sin who personally first entered into covenant with God that is reflected on. That generation with whom God made that first covenant imme- diately brake it, continued not in it. And therefore let that gene- ration look well to themselves unto whom this new covenant shall be first proposed. And it so fell out, that the unbelief of that first generation who lived in the first days of the promulgation of the new covenant, hath proved an occasion of the ruin of their posterity unto this day. And we may observe,—
Obs. V. That sins have their aggravations from mercies received, —This was that which rendered this first sin of that people of such a flagitious nature in itself, and so provoking unto God, namely, that they who contracted personally the guilt of it had newly re- ceived the honour, mercy and privilege, of being taken into covenant
VER. 9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 129
with God. Hence is that threatening of God with respect hereunto, “ Nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them,” Exod. xxxii. 34. He would have a remembrance of this provoking sin in all their following visitations. Let us therefore take heed how we sin against received mercies, especially spiritual privileges, such as we enjoy by the gospel.
Obs. VI. Nothing but effectual grace will secure our covenant obe- dience one moment.—Greater motives unto obedience, or stronger outward obligation thereunto, no people under heaven could have than this people had newly received; and they had publicly and solemnly engaged themselves thereunto. But they “quickly turned out of the way.’ And therefore in the new covenant is this grace promised in a peculiar manner, as we shall see on the next verse.
Secondly, The acting of God towards them hereon is also expressed : “And I regarded them not.” There seems to be a great difference between the translation of the words of the Eye Hie prophet and these of the apostle taken from them. In i Gees the former place we read, “ Although I was an husband unto them ;” in this, “I regarded them not.” And hereby the utmost difference that can be objected against the rendering of these words by the apostle is represented. But there was no need of rendering the words in the prophet, 02 ‘neya 238), “ Although I was an husband unto them,” as we shall see. Howbeit many learned men have exceedingly perplexed themselves and others in attempting a recon- ciliation between these passages or expressions, because they seem to be of a direct contrary sense and importance. I shall therefore premise some things which abate and take off from the weight of this difficulty, and then give the true solution of it. And unto the first end we may observe,—
1. That nothing of the main controversy, nothing of the sub- stance of the truth which the apostle proves and confirms by this _ testimony, doth any way depend on the precise signification of these words. They are but occasional, as to the principal design of the whole promise; and therefore the sense of it doth not depend on their signification. And in such cases liberty in the variety of ex- positions may be safely used.