Exercitation on Hebrews, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Exposition of verse 15
Verse VIII.
THe Apostle having recited the Testimony which he intends to make use of, proceeds in the eighth Verse unto some such Explications of it, as may make it appear to be proper and suited unto the End for which it is produced by him. And they are two; the first whereof respects the sense of the words which express the Extent of this Dominion; the latter an instance of some Person or Persons, unto whom this Testimony as thus explained, cannot be applied.
For the Explication of the Objective Extent of the Rule and Dominion mentioned, he adds, For in that he hath made all subject unto him, he hath left nothing that is not put under him. For whereas it might be objected, that there is no mention in the Psalm of the World to come whereof he treats; he lets them know, that that cannot be excepted; seeing the Assertion is universal and unlimited, that all things whatsoever are put under him. It is true, our Apostle making use of this very Testimony in another place, 1 Cor. 15.27. adds there, that there is a manifest Exception in reference unto him who so put all things under him; and it is evident that it is so indeed; for the Psalmist treats not of God himself, but of the works of God; and among them, saith the Apostle here; there lyes no Exception; they are all brought into Order under this Rule. And so by this Testimony, thus explained, as necessity requires it should be, he hath fully confirmed, that the World to come being one of the especial works of God, and not put in subjection unto Angels, is made subject unto man; which was that he undertook to demonstrate.
Secondly, To direct this Testimony unto its proper End, and to make way for its Application unto him, who is especially intended therein; he declares negatively unto whom it is not applicable; but now we see not yet all things put under him. Man it was, concerning whom the words are spoken; What is man? This must denote the nature of man; and that either as it is in all mankind in general and every individual, or in some especial and peculiar instance, in one partaker of that nature. For the First, He denyes that this can belong unto man in general, all, or any of them on that general account of being men; And in this Negation; there are two Circumstances considerable: First, The manner of his asserting it by an appeal to common Experience; we see; this is a matter whereof every one may judge: We, all of us know by experience, that it is otherwise; we need neither Testimony nor Argument to instruct us herein. Our own condition, and that which we behold other men in, is sufficient to inform us. And this is a way whereby an appeal is made as it were to common sense and Experience, as we do in things that are most plain and unquestionable. Secondly, There is a limitation of this Experience, in the word yet; wee see not as yet. And this doth not intimate a contrary state of things for the future, but denyes, as to all the time that is past. A long space of time there hath been since the giving out of this Testimony, much longer since the Creation of man, and all other things, and yet all this while, we see that all things are far enough from being put under the feet of man; or if there be in the word a reserve for some season, wherein this word shall in some sense be fulfilled in meer man also, it is for that time wherein they shall be perfectly glorified with him, who is principally intended, and so to be admitted as it were to be sharers with him in his Dominion, Revel. 3.21. These things make plain what is here denyed, and in what sense. All mankind in conjunction are very remote from being invested with the Dominion here described; from having the whole Creation of God cast in subjection under their feet. It is true, there was given unto man at first in his Original condition, a Rule over those creatures here below, that were made for the use and sustentation of his natural life, and no other. And this also is in some measure continued unto his Posterity; though against the present bent and inclination of the creatures, who groan because of the bondage that they are put unto, in serving of their use and necessity. But all this at first was but an obscure Type and shadow of the Dominion here intended, which is absolute, universal, and such as the creatures have no reason to complain of, their proper condition being allotted unto them therein. Hence we our selves by our own Observation, may easily discern that this word respects not principally, either the first man or his posterity; for we see not as yet after this long space of time since the creation, that all things are put into subjection unto him.
Having thus unfolded the Testimony insisted on before we proceed unto the Apostolical Application of it unto the Person to whom it doth belong, we may stay here a little, and gather something from it for our instruction. And it is in general, that,
The consideration of the Infinitely Glorious Excellencies of the nature of God, maninifesting themselves in his Works, doth greatly set out his Condescension and Grace, in his regard and respect unto mankind. This the occasion of the Words, and the Words themselves do teach us.
1. This the method of the Psalmist, I say, leads us unto. He begins and ends his consideration of the works of God, with an Admiration of his Glorious Excellency by whom they were made, v. 1.9. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name: how glorious art thou, and thou manifestest thy self so to be; and from thence doth he proceed to the consideration of his condescension in his regard and love to man, v. 4. And to direct us in this duty with the Psalmist we may observe:
First, That the Works of God, those especially which were the peculiar subject of his Meditation, the heavenly bodies which we behold, are indeed in themselves exceedingly glorious. Their Frame, Greatness, Beauty, Order, Course, Usefulness, all speak them admirable and glorious. The naked view of them is enough to fill the mind of man with Admiration and Astonishment. And the more we contemplate on them, the more skilful are we in the consideration of their Nature, Order and Use, the more excellent do they appear unto us; and yet it is the least part of their Greatness, and beautiful disposition that we can attain a certain knowledge of; So that still they remain more the objects of our Admiration and wonder, than of our Science. Hence the wisest among the Heathen who were destitute of the teachings of the Word and Spirit of God, did with one consent ascribe of old a Deity unto them, and worshipped them as Gods; yea, the very name of God in the Greek Language foreign, is taken from foreign, to run, which they derived from the constant course of the heavenly bodies. They saw with their Eyes how glorious they were: they found out by Reason their Greatness and dreadful motion. Experience taught them their Use, as the immediate fountains of Light, Warmth, Heat, Moysture, and so consequently of Life, Growth, and all useful things; It may be they had some Tradition of that Rule and Dominion, which was at first allotted unto the Sun and Moon over day and night, Gen. 1.16. On these and the like accounts, having lost the knowledge of the true and only God, they knew not so well whither to turn themselves for a Deity, as to those things which they saw so full of Glory, and which they found to be of so universal a communicative Goodness and usefulness. And in them did all Idolatry in the world begin. And it was betimes in the world; as we see in Job, where it is mentioned and condemned, Chap. 31.26, 27. If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or the Moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand; he condemns the Idolatry, but yet withall shews, that the Lustre, Brightness and Glory of those heavenly lights had a great influence on the hearts of men, to entice them unto a secret Adoration, which would break out into outward Worship, whereof salutation by kissing the hand was one part and act. And therefore God cautions his people against this Temptation; Deut. 4.19. Lest thou lift up thine eyes up unto Heaven, and where thou seest the Sun and the Moon, and the Stars, even all the Host of Heaven shouldst be driven to worship them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all Nations under the whole Heaven; If men forget the true God, and then lift up their eyes unto, or fall into the contemplation of the Heavenly Bodies, such is their Glory, Majesty and Excellency, that they will be driven and hurried unto the Adoration and Worship of them. And so universal was this folly of old, that from those latter words, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all Nations: the Jews affirm, that God hath given the Sun, Moon and Stars, to be the Deities of the Gentiles, for them to worship. But the distribution there mentioned is, as unto their common use unto all Nations, and not as to their Veneration; nor is God the Author of Idolatry, as they blasphemously imagine. But this their Glory and Excellency lead them unto. And when any of them ascended higher, to apprehend living intelligent Spirits for their Deities; they yet conceived at least that they had their glorious Habitation in the Heavenly Bodies. Yea, and some Christians have fallen into vain imaginations, from a false Translation of the latter end of the fourth Verse of Psalm 19. by the LXX. and the Vulgar Latin; who read the words, he hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sun; instead of, he hath set in them; that is, in the Heavens, a Tabernacle for the Sun, as the words are plain in the Original. What should I mention the madness of the Manichees, who affirmed that Christ himself was gone into, if not turned into the Sun. I name these things only to shew what Influence upon the minds of men destitute of the Word, the Glory and Excellency of these heavenly bodies hath had. And what inestimable Grace God sheweth unto us in the benefit of his Word; for we are the posterity of them, and by nature not one jot wiser than they, who worshipped these things which are not God. But exceeding glorious works of God they are; and the more we consider them, the more will their Glory and Greatness appear unto us. And as the children of Israel said of the Sons of Anah, we were before them in our own sight as Grashoppers, and so we were in their sight: May we not much more say concerning our selves, compared with these Glorious Works of the hands of God, we are all but as Grashoppers in comparison of them; and whence is it, that God should set his heart upon us.
Secondly, These glorious works of God do indeed shew the infinite Glory of him that made them. This is the use that men should have made of their Contemplation of them, and not have chosen them for their Gods, as they did when their foolish hearts were darkened, and they waxed vain in their imaginations. This use the Psalmist here makes of them, and this the Scripture every where directs us unto. This David brings them in Preaching unto all the world, Psal. 19.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. They have a Voice, they speak aloud unto all the world; and by their Beauty, Greatness, Order, Usefulness, they make known the incomprehensible glory of him that made them. The foreign, that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, saith Paul, Rom. 1.19. And what is that; even his Eternal Power and Godhead, v. 20. That is, his infinite Power, Alsufficiency, and self-subsistence. These things are clearly seen in them. Being all made and created by him in their season, doth it not manifest, that he was before them from Eternity, and that existing without them, in perfect blessedness: And that he hath made them; so beautiful, so glorious, so excellent, and that out of nothing, doth it not declare his infinite Power, Wisdom and Goodness? Do they not all lead us to the contemplation of his Infinite Excellencies? And whence is it, that he who made all these things of nothing, should have such regard to the weak, frail nature of man? But that this consideration may be the more effectual, let us take a little weak view of some of those Excellencies of the Nature of God, which his works declare, and which set an especial lustre on his condescention unto us; As,
First, His Greatness. His Greatness is unsearchable, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 145.3. That is, it is Infinite. The Immensity of his nature, is his Greatness. The Heaven of Heavens, saith Solomon, cannot contain him, 1 Kings 8.27. The Infiniteness and Ubiquity of his Essence, is beyond all that the Understanding and Imagination of man can reach unto. If men would set themselves to think and imagine a Greatness, they can reach no higher than Heavens above Heavens, and that as far as they can fancy; but this expresseth not Immensity. Those Heavens of Heavens cannot contain him. Our Thoughts of Greatness are apt to consist in adding one thing unto another, until that which we think on, be extended unto the utmost of our Imagination. But this hath no Relation unto the Immensity of God; which is not his filling of all imaginary Place or Space, but an Infinite Existence in an Infinite Being; so that as he is present with, indistant from the whole Creation, for saith he, Do not I fill Heaven and Earth? Jer. 23.24. So is he no less present, where there is no part of the Creation. And if he should produce thousands of Worlds, which he can do by▪ his Power, he would be no less present in them all, indistant from every thing in them, than he is in and unto this which he hath already created. And this not by the extending of his Essence and Greatness, but by the infiniteness of his Being. Neither are there Parts in this Immensity; for that which hath Parts cannot be Infinite or Immense. Somewhat of God is not present in Heaven, and somewhat in earth; but God is wholly present in his whole Being every where. This leaves no place for the imagination of men, but calls us for pure Acts of Understanding, and Faith to assent unto it. And thus far Reason will go; that it will assent unto the truth of that which it cannot comprehend, because it is convinced that it cannot be otherwise. What remains, it leaves to Faith, and Reverential Adoration. Reason having by the help of Divine Revelation lead the mind and soul thus far; that God is immense, not only present unto the whole Creation, but existing in his infinite being, where no creature is, and that in his whole Essence equally, there it gives them up to Admiration, Reverence, Adoration, and the Improvement by faith of this Excellency of God, where ever they are: so doth the Psalmist, Psal. 139.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Thoughts of Gods Omnipresence are of singular use to the soul in every condition. And who can sufficiently admire this Excellency of the Nature of God? How astonishable is this his Greatness? How are all the Nations of the world, as the drop of a bucket, as the dust of the ballance, as Vanity, as Nothing before him? What is a little dust to an Immensity of Being? To that whose Greatness we cannot measure, whose Nature we cannot comprehend, whose Glory we can only stand afar off and adore? What is a poor worm unto him who is every where, and who is every where filled with his own Excellencies and Blessedness? The issue of all our thoughts on this Property of Gods Nature, is Admiration and holy Astonishment. And whence is it, that he should take thought of us, or set his heart upon us? And this Greatness of God doth he set forth by shewing what a mean thing the whole Creation which we behold is unto him. Who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the Heavens with a span, and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure, and weighed the Mountains in scales, and the Hills in a ballance: Behold, the Nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the ballance: behold, he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing; all Nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted unto him less than nothing and vanity, Isa. 40.12, 15, 17.
Secondly, His Infinite Self-sufficiency doth manifest it self in his works; for all these things are the absolute product of his Power and Wisdom and Goodness. From the infinite stores and Treasures of them did he bring them all forth. They had no previous matter whereof they were made, no Reason, cause, or end was there, why they should be made, but only what was in himself, and from himself, Rom. 11.36. Rev. 4.11. Now this could not have been without an Infinite Self-sufficiency in himself; from whence it is, that all things begin and end in him. And had he not been every way self-sufficient, before the Existence of all other things out of nothing, nothing could have been produced. And this ariseth from his Fulness of Being, which he declareth by his names foreign, and foreign; which denote his self-Being, his self-existence, his self-sufficiency. All the Propertyes of his Nature being infinite, have that which satisfies them and fills them. His Ʋnderstanding is infinite: And as nothing could comprehend the Infinite Nature of God, but an Infinite Understanding, God could not know himself, if his Understanding were not infinite; so nothing could satisfie an Infinite Understanding but an Infinite Object; the Understanding of God could not be blessed and in rest, if the Object of it, the Nature of God were not infinite. God by his Understanding knows the extent of his Infinite Power, and so knows not only what he hath wrought by his Power, but also, what ever he can so do. And this suitableness of the Properties of God one to another, as it makes them because infinite, not really to differ from one another, or from his Nature it self; so it gives them all Rest, Blessedness, Satisfaction and self-sufficiency. As to continue in our former instance; the Blessedness of the Ʋnderstanding of God consists in its Comprehension of the whole Nature of God; nor is it capable of more, because it can comprehend no more. Hence is God Alsufficient, and eternally blessed in the contemplation and enjoyment of his own Excellencies. For Self-sufficiency is the fountain of Blessedness. Where any thing is wanting, there is no absolute Blessedness. And hence is the Blessedness of God absolute, eternal, and essential unto him, because it hath its rise and spring absolutely in himself, his own fulness of Being, his own sufficiency unto, and for himself. All the Blessedness of the creatures, that we shall or may ever attain unto, is but dependent, derivative, and communicated; because though nothing shall be wanting unto us, yet the spring of our supplies shall never be in our selves, but in God. His Blessedness is absolute, because it is from himself, and in himself; in his Being every way self-sufficient. This it is to be absolutely blessed. Hence God made not these things because he had need of them; for if he had had need of them, he could not have made them: or that they should add any thing unto him; for that is not infinite unto which any thing can be added: nor that he might settle that Rest and Satisfaction in them, which he had not in himself before: for that which is Infinite must necessarily and unavoidably give eternal satisfaction unto that which is Infinite; but only by a most free Act of his Will, he chose by the Creation of all things, to express somewhat of his Power, Wisdom and Goodness; in something without himself. Absolutely he was self-sufficient from all Eternity; and that both as to Rest, Satisfaction and Blessedness in himself; as also in respect of any Operation, as to outward Works which his Will and Wisdom should encline him unto; being every way able and powerful in, and from himself, to do what ever he pleaseth. And this infinite satisfaction and complacency of God in himself, arising from that fulness of Divine Being which is in all the Properties of his Nature, is another Object of our holy Admiration and Adoration. This God was, this God did, before the world was created. Now what is man, that this every way all-sufficient God should mind, regard and visit him? Hath he any need of him, or his services? Doth his Goodness extend to him? Can he profit God as a man profiteth his neighbour? If he sin what doth he against him? Or if his transgressions be multiplied what doth he against him? That is to his disadvantage: If he be righteous what giveth he unto him, or what receiveth he at his hand? Job 35.6, 7. Nothing but Infinite Condescension and Grace is the fountain of all Gods regard unto us.
Thirdly, His Infinite and Eternal Power is by the same means manifested. This the Apostle expresly affirms, Rom. 1.20. He that made all these things of nothing, and therefore can also make and create in like manner what ever else besides he pleaseth, must needs be infinite in power; or as he is called, the Lord God Omnipotent Rev. 19.6. This himself sets forth in general, Isa. 40.28. And to convince Job hereof, he treats with him in particular instances about some few of his fellow creatures here below; in the Earth and in the Waters, Chap. 38.39. And if the Power of God in making this or that creature which we see and behold, be so admirable, declaring his Soveraignty and the infinite distance of man from him in his best condition, how glorious is it in the whole Ʋniverse; and in the creation of all things visible and invisible, and that by a secret Emanation of Omnipotency in a Word of Command? The Art of man will go far in the framing, fashioning and ordering of things; but there are two things in the least of the creatures of God, that make the creating Energie that is seen in them, infinitely to differ from all limited and finite power; First, That they are brought out of nothing; now let all Creatures combine their Strength and Wisdom together, unless they have some praeexistent matter to work upon, they can produce nothing, effect nothing. Secondly, To many of his creatures, of the least of them, God hath given life and spontaneous motions; to all of them an especial inclination and operation following inseparably the Principles of their Nature. But as all created Power can give neither life, nor spontaneous motion, nor growth to any thing; no more can it plant in any thing a new natural principle, that should encline it unto a new kind of Operation, which was not originally connatural unto it. There is a peculiar impress of Omnipotency upon all the works of God; as he declares at large in that Discourse with Job, Chap. 38.39. And this Power is no less effectual, nor less evident in his sustentation and preservation of all things, than in his creation of them. Things do no more subsist by themselves, than they were made by themselves. He sustaineth all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1.3. And by him all things consist, Col. 1.17. He hath not made the World, and then turned it off his hand, to stand on its own bottom, and shift for it self. But there is continually, every moment, an emanation of Power from God, unto every creature, the greatest, the least, the meanest, to preserve them in their Being and Order; which if it were suspended but for one moment, they would all lose their station and being, and by confusion be reduced into nothing. In him we live, and move, and have our being, Acts 7.28. and, He giveth unto all life and breath and all things, verse 25. God needs not put forth any act of his Power to destroy the Creation; the very suspension of that constant emanation of Omnipotency which is necessary unto its subsistence, would be sufficient for that end and purpose. And who can admire as he ought this Power of God, which is greater in every particular grass of the field than we are able to search into, or comprehend. And what is man that he should be mindful of him.
Fourthly, His Wisdom also shines forth in these works of his hands. In wisdom hath he made them all, Psal. 104.24. So also, 136.5. his Power was that which gave all things their Being, but his Wisdom gave them their Order beauty and use. How admirable this is, how incomprehensible it is unto us, Zophar declares in Job, chap. 11. verse 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. The secrets of this Wisdom are double unto what may be known of it, infinitely more than we can attain to the knowledge of. Searching will not do it, it is absolutely incomprehensible. He that can take but a little weak faint consideration of the glorious Disposition of the Heavenly Bodies, their Order, Course, Respect to each other, their usefulness and influences, their disposition and connexion of Causes and Effects here below, the orderly concurrence and subserviency of every thing in its place and operation, to the consistency use and beauty of the Ʋniverse, will be forced to cry out with the Psalmist, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches. But alas, what can the best and wisest of men attain unto in the investigation of the Wisdom of God? There is not the least creature, but considered apart by it self, hath somewhat belonging unto it, that will bring them unto wonder and astonishment. And what shall we say concerning the most glorious, concerning the Order of them all unto one another, and the whole? there must all mens considerations end, and among them this of ours.
Fifthly, His Goodness is in like manner manifest in these things. There is in the whole and every part of God's Creation a four-fold goodness. 1. A goodness of being and subsistence. That which is, so far forth as it is, is good. So God saw all things, as he made them, that they were good. The very being of every thing is its first goodness, on which all other concernments of it do depend. And this ariseth from hence, because thereby and therein it participates of the first absolute Goodness, which is Being; whereunto a nothingness, if I may so speak, is negatively opposed ad infinitum. 2. A Goodness of Order. This gives them their Beauty, which is the first principle properly of Goodness, and convertible with it. Every thing that is good is beautiful, and every thing that is beautiful is good. Now the pulchritude or beauty of the whole Creation, and of every part of it, consists in the Order that is given unto it by the Wisdom of God, whereof we spake before. This is that foreign of all things, which of old by the light of nature was so much admired. Beautiful goodness, or goodly beauty, whereby every thing becomes comely and desirable, both in it self and its own parts, and in that respect which it hath unto all other things. 3. A Goodness of usefulness, nothing is made in vain. Every thing hath its work service and operation allotted unto it. If the whole Creation had been uniform, if it had been only one thing, it would have wanted this goodness, and been but a dead lump, or mass of being. But in this great variety and diversity of things which we behold, every one hath its proper place and service, and nothing is useless. As the Apostle says, that it is in the several parts and members of the lesser world, Man, that though some of them seem more worthy and comely than other, yet all have their proper use, so that they cannot say unto one another, I have no need of thee: So is it in the Ʋniverse, though some parts of it seem to be very glorious, and others mean and to be trampled on, yet they cannot say one to another, I have no need of thee, each having its proper use. The Eye is a most noble part of the body, but, saith the Apostle, If the whole body were an eye, the beauty of the whole were lost, and the very use of the eye. How glorious is the Sun in the firmament in comparison of a poor worm in the earth? yet if the whole Creation were one Sun, it would have neither beauty nor use, nor indeed be a Sun, as having nothing to communicate light or heat unto. But God hath brought forth his works in unspeakable variety, that they might all have this goodness of usefulness accompanying of them. 4. A goodness of an orderly tendency unto the utmost and last end; which is the glory of him by whom they were made. This also is implanted upon the whole Creation of God; and hence the Psalmist calls upon all the inanimate creatures to give praise and glory unto God; that is, he calls upon himself and others to consider how they do so. This is the point, the centre where all these lines do meet, without which there could be neither beauty nor order nor use in them: for that which errs from its end, is crooked, perverse, and not good. On all these considerations it is said, that God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good, Gen. 1.31. Now what an infinite eternal Ocean of Goodness must that be, which by the word of his mouth communicated all this goodness at once unto the whole Creation? How deep, how unfathomable is this fountain? how unsearchable are these springs? This the holy men in the Scripture often express by way of admiration, How great is his goodness! how great is his beauty! The first goodness, the fountain of all goodness must needs be absolutely and infinitely so; in which sense there is none good but one, that is God.
In these things consist somewhat of the Glory Excellency and Honour of God, which the Psalmist falls into an admiration of upon the contemplation of the works of his hands, and which made him so astonished at his condescention in the regard that he is pleased to bear unto the nature of man. But besides this consideration, he addes also an intimation, as we have shewed, of the mean condition of man unto whom this respect is shewed, and that both in the manner of his expression, What is man; and in the words or names whereby he expresseth him, Enosh and Adam; which we shall also briefly adde unto our former considerations of the glory of God.
First, What is man as to his extract? a little dust, made of the dust of the ground: one that may say to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister, Job 17.14. His fabrick was not one jot of any better materials than theirs. That God put this honour upon him to breath into the dust whereof he was made, that he should become a living soul, is part of that goodness wherein he is to be admired. Otherwise we are what God said to Adam, Dust thou art; poor creature that wouldest be like unto God, thou art dust and no more. And in the sense of this extraction did holy men of old abase themselves in the presence of God, as Abraham, Gen. 18.27. How shall I speak unto the Lord that am but dust and ashes. Poor proud man, which scornest to touch that which thou art made of, and thinkest thy self I know not what, whilst the remainder of thee, that which was left in the making of thee, lies under the feet of all the creatures which thou despisest: what is this handful of dust that God should regard it? But yet,
Secondly, This fabrick being erected, perhaps is durable strong and abiding, and so may be considerable on that account. But alas, his frailty is inexpressible. It is true, that before the Floud the life of man was prolonged unto a great continuance; but as that was not in the least any advantage unto the most of them, giving them only an opportunity to increase their sin and misery; nor to the whole society of mankind, seeing by that means the earth was filled with violence, and became a woful habitation of distress, so they also came to their end, and nothing long since remaineth of their memory but that they lived so many years and then they died, which is the common end of man. But since that, in which our concernment lies, how do the holy men of God set forth, and as it were complain of the woful frailty of our condition! So doth Moses, Psal. 90.5, 6. Thou carriest them away with a floud; which he spake in contemplation of those thousands which he saw die before his eyes in the Wilderness: In the morning they are like grass which groweth up, in the morning it flourisheth and groweth up, in the evening it is cut down and withereth. The like also pleadeth Job, chap. 14.1, 2. and then turning unto God he saith, And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, regard such a poor frail perishing creature? And David doth the like, Psal. 102.24. And indeed no tongue can express the miserable frail condition of this poor creature; from within, from without, from himself, from all other creatures, and principally from the rage and cruelty of those of the same nature with himself, his misery is great, and his life of short continuance. And God abundantly shews that little weight also is to be laid on that duration which he hath here in this world, in that he takes many from the very womb, who scarce ever beheld the light, into the participation of his own eternal Glory.
Thirdly, This earthly frail man hath made himself yet more unspeakably vile by sin; this sets him at the utmost distance from the glory of God, and utterly foils every thing that is in him, which of it self is worthy of consideration.
All these things being put together, they make the Condescension of God in remembring man, and setting his heart upon him, exceedingly to be admired and adored. And this also will farther appear, if we might consider what are the blessed effects of this mindfulness of him; but these the Apostle insists upon in the next verses, whether we may refer our meditations on them. Only the Duty it self arising from hence may be here pressed upon us. And this is, that upon the accounts mentioned we would live constantly in an holy adoration of this infinite condescension and grace of God. To this end,
First, let us exercise our selves unto holy thoughts of Gods infinite Excellencies. Meditation accompanied with holy adoration is the fountain of this duty. Some men have over-busily and curiously enquired into the Nature and Properties of God, and have foolishly endeavoured to measure infinite things by the miserable short line of their own reason, and to suit the deep things of God unto their own narrow apprehensions. Such are many of the Disputations of the School-men on this subject, wherein though they have seemed wise to themselves and others, yet indeed for the most part they have waxed vain in their imaginations. Our duty lies in studying what God hath revealed of himself in his Word, and what is evidently suitable thereunto; and that not with curious searchings and speculations, but with holy admiration reverence and fear. This the Apostle adviseth us unto, Heb. 12.28, 29. In this way serious thoughts of God's Excellencies and Properties, his Greatness, Immensity, Self-sufficiency, Power and Wisdom are exceeding useful unto our souls. When these have filled us with wonder, when they have prostrated our spirits before him, and laid our mouthes in the dust, and our persons on the ground, when the glory of them shines round about us, and our whole souls are filled with an holy astonishment; then,
Secondly, Let us take a view of our selves, our extract, our frailty, our vileness on every account. How poor, how undeservable are we? What is a little sinful dust and ashes, before or in the sight of this God of glory? What is there in us, what is there belonging unto us, that is not suited to abase us? alive one day, dead another; quiet one moment, troubled another; fearing, caring, rejoycing causelesly, sinning always: in our best condition altogether vanity. Though much may be said unto this purpose, yet it must be said after all, that in our selves we are inexpressibly miserable, and as the Prophet speaks, less than vanity and nothing. Would we be wise, we are like the wild Asses colt; would we be honourable, we have no understanding, but are like the beasts that perish; would we be strong, we are as a reed shaken with the wind. And,
Thirdly, Let the result of these thoughts be, an holy admiration of Gods infinite Love, Care, Grace, and Condescension, in having any regard unto us. So doth the Psalmist teach us to do; hence will Praise, hence will Thankfulness, hence will Self-abasement ensue. And this will be a good foundation, as of obedience, so of comfort and supportment in every condition.