Two Discourses, Section 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The firſt ſort of Proofs from Scriptures: Firſt, thoſe three prefixed as the Texts.
LEt us firſt ſee what the Scriptures ſpeak more directly to this great Point.
I.
Heb. 10. 28, 29, 30, 31.
In order to the Proofs, from hence, obſerve the occaſion of the Apoſtle's mention of this Puniſhment, here, to be his having treated of the higheſt Sin and kind of Sinners, the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt. By the occaſion of which he gives us to underſtand what for the Subſtance is indeed the recompence of all manner of other actual Sins ſmall and great: the Puniſhment being in ſolido, one and the ſame to all; though with a vaſt difference of Degrees. And therefore it is ſaid unto all that are found wicked at that day, whether of greater or leſſer Proportions and Sizes of Wickedneſs, Go into Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. The Devil is the greateſt of Sinners, yet all go with him into the ſame Torment, that is, for Subſtance the ſame. And upon the like ground, what is here ſpoken by way of eminency concerning the Puniſhment of theſe the higheſt ſort of Sinners of the Sons of Men, is true of all others; there being but one common Fire or Puniſhment, in the Subſtance of it, for all.
2. Obſerve, the manner of his ſetting forth the dreadfulneſs of that Puniſhment to us. It is only by way of inſinuation. For ſeeing he could not expreſs the ſoreneſs of it; he thought fit to ſuggeſt only, who is the immediate Author and Inflicter of it: And ſo leaves it to our thoughts to infer, how dreadful it is! This in General.
To argue the Point in Hand out of this Text, let us take theſe things along with us.
1. You ſee he here brings in the great God, as an enraged Enemy, challenging the execution hereof to himſelf. This Vengeance belongeth to me, or, as Rom. 12. 19. Vengeance is mine, I will recompence; as if he had ſaid, Let me alone with it.
2. In that when he would ſet out the ſevereneſs of this Puniſhment (which is his profeſſed aim, ver. 29.) as infinitely exceeding all thoſe kinds of Corporal deaths in Moſes Law, he inferreth the ſoreneſs of this from God himſelf as the Avenger: We [know him] that hath thus ſaid, Vengeance is mine; that is, what a great and powerful God he is. The Saints only know God by Faith in Himſelf, and his Greatneſs, as Heb. 11. and that ſo as no other Men in this Life do. And by what we know of him, and the apprehenſions we have of Him, we cannot but forwarn what that Puniſhment muſt needs be, when God himſelf ſhall thus ſolemnly profeſs himſelf to be the Avenger. 'Tis argued you ſee both from what this God is, and from that knowledg the Saints have of Him. They, and they alone know Him in his Love, and have taſted and found that his immediate Loving-kindneſs is better than Life: and from the Law of Contraries, they know that his Wrath muſt be more bitter than Death. They are able to meaſure what he is in his Wrath, by what he is in his Love. And ſome of the Primitive Saints, eſpecially the Apoſtles, who had the firſt fruits of the Spirit, knew and had taſted how good the Lord is in his Love, by immediate Impreſſions of it on their Souls, in Communion with Himſelf. The like tenour of ſpeech has that in 2 Cor. 5. 11. We knowing the Terror of the Lord: It is termed, [His Terror] as noting out that which is proper to Him and his Greatneſs, in his being able to puniſh and deſtroy Sinners.
Moſes, who in the Old Teſtament had ſeen the Glory of God the moſt immediately of any Man (and was therein a Type of Chriſt) was thereby made ſenſible of this very thing, as touching this Puniſhment; and therefore complains in the very like Language, Pſal. 90. Who knows the Power of thine Anger? Lamenting how the generality of Men did not know it, becauſe indeed they knew not God. But We (ſays the Apoſtle) have known him, &c.
And 3. Thereupon he further calls this Puniſhment, [a falling into God's Hands.] That very Phraſe often notes out immediate Execution: as in ordinary Speech it doth. When a Father or a Maſter threaten a Child, or a young Servant, already corrected by other Hands at their appointment, yet when either would threaten more ſeverely, they'l ſay, Take heed how you fall into my hands, or come under my fingers, when they mean to correct them themſelves.
And then 4. That the Apoſtle thereupon, infers from this the dreadfulneſs thereof, even from this, It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of God. Reaſon tells us that the ſoreneſs of any Torment, the fearfulneſs of any Death, ariſeth from the Power, Force, Violence, or Efficacy of that which is the immediate Agent or Cauſe inflicting it. As why do we argue burning or dying by Fire, a more terrible Death, in reſpect of Torment, than drowning in Water? But that Fire, being the immediate Agent or Inſtrument applyed to that Execution, hath a more fierce and violent working than Water hath; which diſpatcheth a Man more eaſily. Now therefore the fearfulneſs and ſoreneſs of this Puniſhment (and that with difference from that by Creatures, compare for this ver. 28, 29.) being here argued, that it is a falling into God's Hands; and we knowing this withal, that he is in himſelf able to work by his fierce Wrath, more powerfully and exquiſitely upon the reaſonable Soul of Man Sinful, than all created Agents whatever; and the Soul it ſelf being alſo capable of ſuch a working upon by him. This doth ſtrongly argue his own immediate Execution by his own Hands to have been intended.
5. In ver. 27. he termeth the immediate Cauſe inflicting this Puniſhment, A fiery indignation devouring the Adverſaries. Indignation or Wrath is of ſome intelligent Nature provoked. And whom ſhould this refer to? or whoſe Indignation can it be ſuppoſed, but of this God, who himſelf (as the Apoſtle expounds and comments upon it) hath ſaid, Vengeance is mine, ſaith the Lord? And this Indignation is called fiery, becauſe it works as Fire; is in tormenting like to Fire; or as a Flaming Sword, red hot, when it is made the Inſtrument of ones Death, which wounds and kills; and doth torment with a ſuperadded anguiſh. For the further opening of which, I ſhall, at preſent, only ſay two things.
(1.) That God compares himſelf in this reſpect unto a devouring or conſuming Fire in this very Epiſtle, Heb. 12. laſt, Our God is a conſuming Fire. There are two Creatures which God aſſimulates himſelf unto, in contrary reſpects. 1. To Light, as often. And God is Love, 1 John 4. and both theſe are ſpoken of him in reſpect of what he is to the Saints in Glory. Light is of all Creatures the moſt comfortable: And in his Light it is we ſee Light. And the State of Glory is therefore termed the Inheritance of the Saints [in Light] Col. 1. The ſecond is to Fire: and this on the contrary, in relation to what he is to Men in Hell. And the Parallel runs upon what he is immediately unto both, by Analogy of Reaſon. Of all Creatures Fire is the moſt dreadful, the moſt raging, ſubtile, and piercing in its Operation; and ſo God in his Wrath muſt be underſtood under that Similitude to be: and therefore it is his Wrath is termed fiery Indignation.
(2.) Thoſe words in their coherence, are an alluſion to thoſe extraordinary Puniſhments executed under the old Law. For in ver. 28. he inforceth his Argument (the ſcope of which was to aggravate this Puniſhment as à minori) from the inſtances of thoſe Puniſhments that did befal Men that died for deſpiſing Moſes Law; ſome of them we read were deſtroy'd by Fire, and therein he more eſpecially refers us to thoſe examples of Nadab and Abihu, who periſhed through Fire, Lev. 10. 1, 2. where the very words the Apoſtle here uſed to ſet out this Puniſhment by, are uſed by Moſes, and ſo more evidently ſhew the alluſion to be made thereunto. There went out Fire from the Lord, and devoured them, ſays that Text; and yet he argues from thence the ſurpaſſing ſoreneſs of this Puniſhment above that, from that Fire, though it were a Fire even from Heaven it ſelf that kill'd them. But more of this hereafter.
II.
2 Theſſ. 1. 8, 9.
I come Secondly to that other Scripture, 2 Theſſ. 1. 8, 9. In flaming Fire, taking Vengeance of them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt: [Who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power.] Where it is to be obſerved, that though he mentions [flaming Fire] and the Miniſtry of his mighty Angels which accompany Chriſt's appearing, yet he clearly reſolves the ultimate and immediate Cauſe of Wicked Mens Deſtruction, into the immediate Preſence and Glory of Chriſt's Power, ver. 9. Who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction [from the Preſence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power.] So as herein is ſet forth,
1. The Puniſhment.
2. The Cauſes of that Puniſhment.
Firſt, For the Puniſhment, there is, 1. The Nature of it, it is termed Deſtruction. 2. The duration of it, [everlaſting] Deſtruction.
Secondly, The Cauſes of it: From or by the Preſence of the Lord, and the Glory of his Power. That Particle foreign, which we tranſlate [From] is cauſal, imports the efficient Cauſe, as in all thoſe Salutations, Grace and Peace [From] the Father, and [From] Jeſus Chriſt, it doth, Rom. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 2. that is, as from the Fountain, the principal and ſole Authors and Efficients of Grace and Peace. And thus the word is uſed in multitudes of places elſe. And accordingly we find in other Scriptures alſo, that God and Chriſt are the immediate Cauſes of Peace. Thus 2 Theſſ. 3. 16. Now the Lord of Peace [Himſelf] give you Peace, &c. and Chap. 2. 16, 17. The Lord Jeſus [Himſelf] comfort your Hearts. Now on the contrary, when in like manner he ſays, everlaſting Deſtruction [from] his Face, Preſence, and the Glory of his Power, it may, and is to be underſtood the Lord Himſelf, perſonally by his own meer Preſence, and by the Strength of his own Power, inflicteth their Deſtruction for ever: they dye by no other Hand. This Particle [From] (as in Speech we often uſe it) hath led ſome from the true intent of the Apoſtle. They thereupon ſuppoſing this the meaning, that they are puniſhed with Deſtruction [From the Preſence] that is, out of the Preſence of Chriſt; as if this were the fufilling that Speech of Chriſt, Depart [from me] into everlaſting Torment. This, though it be true of this Deſtruction ſpoken of here, in reſpect of Chriſt's local Preſence, conſider him as he is Man, yet, as Slater upon the place well ſays; To him that attentively conſiders the Words, the Cauſes of Deſtruction are held forth herein. For, 1. he ſays not ſimply or alone that they are puniſh'd from his Preſence, but further adds [from the Glory of his Power] the ſame Particle foreign or [from] being therefore in common to be applyed to the one as well as the other. Now the intent of the latter, from his glorious Power, cannot note forth that they were puniſhed out of, or from without his glorious Power, as in reſpect of Abſence; but the contrary, that the Preſence and Efficacy of it is to be that which is the Author of their Puniſhment, ſo that it imports nothing leſs than abſence, or a withdrawment by God, or a throwing them out of his Preſence; but poſitively an efficiency or energy put forth by him; and ſo carries with it the relation and influence of an efficient Cauſe: If indeed he had added inſtead hereof, either [from his Glory] or [from his Bleſſedneſs] unto that other [from his Preſence] it might have carried both unto poena Damni, the puniſhment of Loſs; that is, to note out what they had loſt and wanted the Communication of, and ſo their excluſion from the Participation of God's Face and Bleſſedneſs, (which is more ordinarily termed his Preſence) and together therewith had noted out an excluſion alſo of this ſenſe which I argue for; but his ſaying alſo [from the Glory of his Power] manifeſtly notes Power put forth in Execution, and inflicting that Deſtruction, and glorifying Himſelf, on them thereby.
And Secondly, Further know that the Word here uſed is not poteſtas, as of a Judg, that is, Authority, whereof John 5. 27. The Father hath given the Son of Man Authority to execute Judgment: And in relation unto which in ver. 5. of this Chapter, he had termed it, The righteous Judgment of God. But the Word is foreign, which ſignifies inward perſonal Strength, Vigor, Robur, ſuch as a Giant hath in his own *Ipſa vi… naturae per ſe conſiderata. Illyricus.Limbs. And therefore when their Deſtruction is ſaid to be from his Power, as thus denoting perſonal Strength, the intendment muſt needs be to denote a putting forth of that Strength which is in himſelf to deſtory them. Parallel with that in Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to ſhew his Wrath, and make his [Power] known on the Veſſels of Wrath fitted to Deſtruction, of which anon.
Yea, and Thirdly, even this other Phraſe, [deſtroyed from his Preſence,] doth likewiſe as fully cloſe with this ſenſe, to note the efficient Cauſe of their Deſtruction. The Word in the Original is, [from his Face] foreign, now God's Anger or Wrath is as well, and very frequently expreſſed by his Face in Scripture, as his Favour uſeth to be. For the Face as well holds forth Anger and Wrath, as Favour and Grace. Thus Lev. 20. 6. I will [ſet my Face against] that Soul, and will [cut him off] that is, I will put forth mine Anger to deſtroy him. And Lament. 4. 26. where it is tranſlated the Anger of the Lord, in the Hebrew, and in your Margents, it is, The Face of the Lord. As there is the Light of God's Countenance, in which is Life; ſo the rebuke of God's Countenance, at which we periſh, Pſal. 80. 16. Even as the Wax is ſaid to melt at the [Preſence] of the Fire, Pſal. 68. 2. and often elſewhere.
So then to be deſtroyed [from his Face and Preſence,] is all one as to ſay, from his Anger and Wrath. And we have both exegetically met in one Scripture, Rev. 6. laſt. They ſaid to the Mountains, Fall on us, to hide us [from the Face of him] that ſitteth on the Throne, and [from the Wrath] of the Lamb; and ſuitably this Deſtruction here in 2 Theſſ. 1. is ſaid to be both from God and Chriſt. Even as the Happineſs of Heaven is immediately from the Preſence of God and Chriſt, Rev. 21. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to ſhine in it: For the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. Thus on the contrary is it in Hell, and ſo at the day of Judgment it is the Face of God, and the Face of the Lamb, that the Wicked moſt of all do dread, as that which is the Inflicter of their Torment.
As for any Objection from thoſe words, in flaming Fire, &c. I ſhall anſwer it afterwards.