aa. z,;,g,. EpOle to the HEBREWS. toaccomplish the other. And he is glorious unto them therein, Ifa. 63. II, I2, t3. 3. They give them conflant matter of praise and thankfulnefl, when they fee inthem, as in aGlaßthat will neither flatter nor caufelelly terrifie, a Repro_ fentation of that wrathwhich they are delivered from by JefasChrift, r Thefj. a. to. For in this way every Threatning of the Gofpel proclaims the Grace ofChrift unto their fouls. And when they hear them explained in all their terrour, they can rejoyce in the hope'ofthe glory that (hail be re- vealed. And, .l. They are needful unto them to ingenerate that fear which may give check unto theremainder of their lußt and corruptions; with that fecurity and negli- gencein attending to the Gofpel which by theirmeans is apt to grow upon them. To thispurpofe is thepunifhment of defifers and backflider: here made ufe of, and urged by our Apoltle. Thehearts of Believers are like Gardens, wherein there are not only flower., butweedsalfo; and as the former mutt be watered and cherifhed, fo the latter mull be curbedand nipped. If nothing but dews and fhowers of Promifes should fall upon the heart, though they Item to tend to the cherishing of their Graces, yet the weeds of corruption will beapt to grow upwith them, and in the end to choak thgm, unlefs they are nipped and blafled by thefeverity of threatnings. Andalthough their Per- font in the ufe of means (hall be feéured'froth falling under the final execu- tion ofComminations, yet they know there is an infallible connexion figniued in them betweenfin anddeffrutïion, t Cor. 6. 9. and that they mull avoidthe . one, if they will efcape the other. 5. Hence they have in a readinefs wherewith to batance Temptations, efpecially Inch as accompany fufferings for Chrift and the Gofpel. Great reafinings are apt to rife in the hearts ofBelievers themfelves in fucha feafon : and they are byaffed by their infirmities toattend unto them. Liberty would be (pared, Life wouldbe (pared ; it is hard topeer, and to.dio: How many have been betrayed by their fears at fuch a feafon to forfake the Lord Chrift and the Gofpel ? But now in theft Gofßel threatnings we have.that in a readinefl, which we may oppofe unto all thefe reafonings. and the efficacy of them. Arewe afraid of a man that/hall die? Have we notmuch more reafon tobe afraid of the LivingGod ? Shall we, to avoid the anger ofa Worm, cart our felves into his wrath who is a confuming fire ? Shall we, to avoid a little momentary troulle, topreferve a perishing life, which ajckneff may rake away the next day, run our felves into eternal ruine? Min threatens me if I forfake not the Gofpel, but God threatens ifIdo. Man threatens death temporal, which yet it may behe (hall not have power to infli6 ; God threatens death eternal, which no back-flider in heart (hall avoid. . On theft and the likeaccounts are Corn= minations ufeful unto Believers themfelves. 3. Theft declarations of eternalpuüifhment unto Go#el mgletlers, do become theGO; fyel with refpelunto them that are the Preachers and difpenfers of it, that their mef- fage benotflighted, nor their perfons defpifed. God wouldhaveeven them ro have. in a readinefs wherewithto revenge the difobedience of men, u Cor. so.6. not with carnal weapons, killing and destroying the bodies ofmen ; but by fuch a denunciation ofthe vengeance that will enfue on their difobedience, as (hall undoubtedly take hold upon them, and end in their everlating ruine. Thus are they armed for thewarfare, whereinby the Lord Chriftthey are engaged that no man maybe en- couraged to defßifé them, or contend with them. They are authorized to denounce the eternal wrath ofGod againft difobedient (inners; and whomfoever they bind under the fentence of it on earth, they are bound in heaven unto the judgment of the Great Day. Onthefe grounds it is that we fay. that the threatnings and denunciations of future punifhments unto all forts of perfons are becoming ofthe Gofpel ; and therefore the ufingof them as motives unto the end for which they are defigned is Evangelical. And this will farther appear if we (hall yet confider, r. That threatnings of future Penalties on thedifobedient, are far more clear and exprefs in the Gofpel than in the Law. The Curfe indeed was "threatned and de- Trounced under the Law ; and a pledge and inflance of itsexecution were, given in S f the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=