ページの画像
PDF
ePub

of turning us away from our iniquities, making us partakers of holiness, and causing us to enjoy the peaceable fruit of righteousness. So that, although the divine judgments seem fearful, when viewed alone, yet, when considered in connexion with the effect they are designed to produce, they lose much of their dreadfulness, and appear to be displays of mercy instead of anger and wrath. Let us, therefore, neither despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when we are rebuked by him. Heb. xii. 5-11.

LXXX. "Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection." Hebrews xi. 35.

That they might obtain a better resurrection, — better than what? Does it mean, that there are two kinds of resurrection into the future state, the one better than the other? We think not; we think the comparison was between the resurrection into the future, and a return to the present life, the former being declared to be better than the latter. We think the natural sense of the passage leads to this interpretation. Mark, 1st. "Women received their dead raised to life again.” Here was one resurrection. Adam Clarke, the Methodist, supposes the writer in Hebrews to refer to the case of the woman of Zarephath, (1 Kings xvii. 21,) whose son Elijah raised to life; and to that of the Shunamite, (2 Kings iv. 34.) These women received. their dead children raised to life again, that is, the dead children were called back again into this state of existence. 2d. Immediately in connexion with this circumstance, the writer in Hebrews adds, that "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." Better than what? Better than calling the dead back again into this world The unavoidable inference is, that a resurrection of the dead into the immortal existence is better than to bring them back again into this world; a fact which is well established by Scripture, but which is not very favor

Ans.

able to the doctrine of punishment after the resurrection.

. Dr. Doddridge's note on this subject is worthy of a place. He says; "Dr. Owen understands this, as if the apostle had meant the better resurrection; that is, the resurrection which is better than the resurrection of the wicked. But it is observed by Jacobus Capellus, that most probably in that case, the article would have been prefixed, τῆς κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως. The opinion of Crellius and Dr. Hammond is, that the word better is to be understood as opposed to a present remission of their torments; and this sense I have adopted in the paraphrase, supposing it bears a respect to the deliverance they would not accept, mentioned in the words immediately preceding. Mr. Hallett is exceedingly clear, that the opposition lies between the resurrection to eternal life, which these martyrs expected, and the resurrection of the dead children to life in this world, mentioned in the first clause of the verse." Other quotations might be made from eminent orthodox commentators, confirming the view taken by Dr. Doddridge, Crellius, Dr. Hammond, and Mr. Hallett; but we believe, that the passage is itself so clear, and the authority already adduced so respectable, no further confirmation can be desired.

LXXXI. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii. 14.

To see the Lord is, by some, supposed to signify being in his immediate presence, in the immortal world; and it is thought the passage intimates, that some will never thus see him. But, however true it is, that all men must be perfectly holy before they can be perfectly happy in the future life, still the phrase to see God is used, by the Hebrew writers, to denote a state of spiritual honor and enjoyment in the present life. The expression arose from the customs of the eastern kings. "To behold the king's face, was considered an honor and happiness; much more to see it habitually, that is,

to be employed in his immediate service, and to enjoy his favor. Thus also the expression to see God, signifies to experience his friendship, and to be admitted to the greatest happiness in his presence; whereas, not to see him, is to be shut out from his favor, and to be under his awful displeasure. Christ says of his humblest followers, that in heaveh their angels do always behold the face of his heavenly Father; referring to the usage of earthly courts, where such as always behold the monarch's face were highest in office and regard. By this he signified, that these little ones had a powerful interest in heaven, and were peculiarly dear to God himself; so that it became men to take heed how they despised them (Matt. xviii. 10). To sit next the king, especially on his right hand, was a mark of the highest honor and dignity (1 Kings ii. 19; Matt. xx. 20-23; Heb. i. 3)." Nevin's "Biblical Antiquities," i. 247.

LXXXII. "For our God is a consuming fire." Heb. xii. 29.

This passage is often used to give force to the doctrine of endless misery, and thus to frighten the weak and timid Let us look for the true sense.

The passage is a quotation from Deut. iv. 24; "For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire." If the reader will peruse the twenth-fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, he will perceive, that it is part of an exhortation which Moses delivered to the children of Israel. He was drawing near the end of life, and must soon take leave of the people, who were about entering into the promised land. Many of them had not been eyewitnesses of the remarkable dealings of God with the Jews, while they were on their journey to Canaan, and Moses seems to have judged it necessary to recite, in brief, the history of those transactions. He exhorts the people to obey God's law; and, having reverted to the danger of their being led into idolatry, and to the signal judgments with which God had consumed the idolatrous nations around them, he tells them to take heed, and to re

[ocr errors]

member the judgments with which God had consumed others, adding; "For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, and a jealous God." In the twelfth of Hebrews, Paul was exhorting the Jews to give due attention, to the voice of God in the new covenant of his mercy. He tells them, they had come to Mount Zion, &c. &c., " and to Jesus; the mediator of the new cov-. enant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." He then adds, "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, [that is, those Jews who were regardless of the word God spake unto them,] much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." He then proposes the same incentive to obedience, which Moses had done;"For our God is a consuming fire."

In view of these circumstances, I think we come plainly to the following conclusion; God was said to be "a consuming fire," because he was the source of those judgments which he sent upon the Jews for their sins, and by which they were consumed. Hence, when the children of Israel were about to cross Jordan, to relieve them of all fear of their enemies, Moses said to them, "Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them; and he shall bring them down before thy face; so shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.".

There are abundant evidences in Scripture, that "God is a consuming fire." We read, 2 Thess. ii. 8," then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." See Exodus xxxii. 10; xxxiii. 3. See also Jer. ix. 16; "I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them." xiv. 12; "I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence." Ezek. xliii. 8; I have consumed them in mine anger."

Thus we see, that the passage we are considering gives no hint of endless punishment, or of any punishment, out of this state of being. And it should be always remembered, that all God's judgments are 'rendered in mercy: "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." And, although these judgments are sometimes terrible, and often involved in deep mystery to human wisdom, still, from the clear knowledge we have of the principles of the divine government, we believe that all have a benevolent tendency, and that they shall result in good, even to those who are exercised thereby.

[ocr errors]

LXXXIII. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." 1 Peter jv.-17, 18.

The comment of Dr. Adam Clarke on this text is so agreeable to my own views, that I offer it without-further remark..

"Judgment must begin at the house of God.] Our Lord had predicted, that, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, his own followers would have to endure various calamities. See Matt. xxiv. 9, 21, 22; Mark xiii. 12, 13; John xvi. 2, &c. Here his true disciples are called the house or family of God. That the converted Jews suffered much from their brethren, the zealots or factions into which the Jews were then divided, needs little proof; and some interpreters think that this was in conformity to the purpose of God. Matt. xxiii. 35. (That on you may come all the righteous blood shed from the foundation of the world,) ·

That the Jewish Christians were to be involved in the general punishment; and that it was proper to begin at them, as a part of the devoted Jewish nation, notwithstanding they were now become the house of God; because the justice of God would, thereby, be more illustriously displayed.' See Macknight. But, probably, the word xoiua, which we here translate judgment,

« 前へ次へ »