And God gave herein a type and representation of the great judgment at the last day. The terror of it consists much in this, that sinners shall be able to see nothing but God and the tokens of his wrath. Nor doth the law represent any thing else to us. 2. It was a barren and fruitless desert, where there was neither water nor food; and, answerably thereunto, the law in a state of sin, would bring forth no fruit, nothing acceptable to God, nor useful to the souls of men. For there was nothing on Sinai but bushes and brambles, whence it had its name. These made an appearance at a distance of some fruitfulness in the place. But when it came to be tried, there was nothing but what was fit for the fire. And so is it with all that are under the law. They may seem to perform many duties of obedience; yea, such as they may trust to and make their boast of. But when they are brought to the trial, they are no other but such as God speaks of, Isa. xxvii. 4,' Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle, I would go through them, I would burn them together.' Other fruit the law will not bring forth. Nor was there any water in that desert of Horeb, to make it fruitful. That which the people lived on was brought out of the rock, ' and that rock was Christ.' From him alone are all refreshments to them that are under the law. 3. No place in the habitable world hath been ever since more desolate and forsaken, and such it continueth to this day. And thereby we are taught, First. That although there were a necessity of the renovation of the law at that season, to give bounds to sin, yet that that dispensation should not be continued, but be left for ever as it is under the gospel. Secondly. That those who will abide under the law shall never have any token of God's presence with them, but shall be left to desolation and horror. God dwells no more on Sinai. Those who abide under the law shall neither have his presence nor any gracious pledge of it. And all these things are spoken to stir us up to seek for an interest in that blessed gospel state which is here proposed to us. And thus much we have seen already, that without it there is neither relief from the curse of the law, nor acceptable fruit of obedience, nor pledge of divine favour to be obtained. Thirdly. It manifests that the holiness of things and places is confined to their use, which when it ceaseth, they become common. What more holy place than Sinai during the presence of God in it? What now more desolate, forlorn, and despised? For although the superstition of latter ages hath built a house or monastery on the top of this hill, for a more superstitious devotion, yet God in his providence hath sufficiently manifested his regardlessness of it, and the casting it out of his care. And he denounceth sentence herein on all that superstition and idolatry which is in the church of Rome, in their veneration of relics, and pilgrimages to places of a supposed holiness, though utterly forsaken of all pledges of the divine presence.

Secondly. The second thing they came unto, was the 'fire that burned;' for so I rather read the words, than the mount that burned with fire.' For the fire was of itself a distinct token of God's presence, and a distinct means of filling the people with dread and fear. This fire is mentioned, Exod. xix. 18, The Lord descended on the mount in fire.' And Deut. iv. 12, 'God spake out of the midst of the fire.'

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It is said indeed that the mountain burned with fire; that is, fire burned on the mountain. And this fire had a double appearance. 1. That which represented the descent of God on the mount; the Lord came down in fire.' The people saw the token of God's presence in the descent of fire on the mount. 2. Of the continuance of his presence there, for it continued burning all the while God spake; he spake out of the fire. And it was a flaming fire, which raised a smoke, like the smoke of a furnace, Exod. xix. 18, which our apostle seems to express by blackness, in the next word. Yea, this fire flamed, and burned up unto the midst of heaven,' Deut. iv. 11. This fire was an emblem of the presence of God; and in all the appearances on the mount, it was of the greatest terror unto the people. And therefore

in their request to be freed from the dread of the presence of God, they three times mention this fire as the cause of their fear, Deut. v. 24-26. And God is often in the Scripture represented by fire, Deut. iv. 24 ; Isa. xxx. 33, xxxiii. 14. And his severity in the execution of his judgment is so called, Isa. lxvi. 15; Amos vii. 4; Ezek. i. 4. Although here the light, purity, and holiness of the nature of God may also be represented by it, yet we shall confine it to the interpretation given of it in the Scripture itself. And first, as unto God himself, it signified his jealousy. So Moses expounds it, Deut. iv. 24. For he closeth his discourse hereof with those words, 'for the Lord your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.' And the jealousy of God is his holy severity against sin, not to leave it unpunished. And with respect unto the law which he then gave, from his right hand went a fiery law for them, Deut. xxxiii. 2. It signified its inexorable severity and efficacy to destroy its transgressors. And we may add hereunto, that it declared the terror of his majesty, as the great legislator. Hence, in the Scripture, he is often said to be accompanied with fire; see Ps. xviii. 9—12, 1. 3. A fire shall devour before him,' Ps. xcvii. 3. ́A fire goeth before him. A fiery stream came forth from before him,' Dan. vii. 10. For there is nothing more apt to fill the hearts of men with a majestic awe, than a fire, absolutely prevalent above the power of all creatures.

This is the first thing which the people beheld when they came to the mount. And when men under the law have to deal with God, their first apprehensions of him are his holiness and severity against sinners, with his anger and displeasure against sin. There the law leaves them, and thence they must be consumed, without relief by Jesus Christ. These things are hid from sinners until they are brought to the law, or the law to them. They have no views, no notices of them in a due manner. Hence, until the law come they are alive, that is, at peace and in security, well satisfied with their own condition. They see not, they think not of the fire that is ready to consume them; yea, for the most part, they have quite other notions of God, Ps. 1. 21, or none at all. But this is the second work of the law, when it hath by its convictions brought the sinner into a condition of a sense of guilt which he cannot avoid, nor will any thing tender him relief, which way soever he looks, for he is in a desert; it represents unto him the holiness and severity of God, with his indignation and wrath against sin,

which have a resemblance of a consuming fire. This fills his heart with dread and terror, and makes him see his miserable undone condition. Infinite holiness, inexorable justice, and fiery indignation, are all in this representation of God. Hence the cry of those who find not the way of relief will one day be, who among us shall dwell with that devouring fire? who shall inhabit with those everlasting burnings?'

This is the way and progress of the work of the law on the consciences of sinners. First. When they are brought unto it, it stops their mouths, makes them guilty before God, or subject to his judgment, Rom. iii. 19. It'shuts them up all in unbelief,' ch. xi. 32. It 'concludes,' or shuts them up under sin,' Gal. iii. 22; gives them to see their lost condition without help, without relief: they are in a wilderness, where is none but God and themselves. And secondly, in this condition they see the fire; God is represented unto them therein, in his jealousy and severity against sin, which fills their hearts with dread and terror. Oh this fire will consume them! If they continue to hear the voice out of the fire, they shall die. Somewhat hereof in some degree is found in all, on whom the law hath its proper and effectual work, in order unto the bringing of them unto Christ the deliverer. And all others shall find it in the highest degree, when it will be too late to think of a remedy.

Thirdly. Unto fire the apostle adds, kai yvope, 'blackness,' as we render the word, whereto follow 'darkness and tempest.' Before we speak unto the words and things signified in particular, we must consider the consistency of the things that are spoken. For, whereas fire is light in itself, and giveth light, how is it said, that together with it there was blackness and darkness? Some distinguish the times, and say, there was an appearance of fire at first, and afterwards of blackness and darkness. But this is directly contrary to the text, which frequently assigns the continuance of the fire, unto the end of God's speaking unto the people. Others would have respect to be had unto several distinct parts of the mountain; so as that the fire appeared in one part and the darkness in another. But it is evident, in the description given by Moses, that they were mingled altogether. For he affirms sometimes, that God spake in and out of the fire; sometimes out of the thick darkness, Deut. v. 22-24. God spake unto you out of the midst of the fire, and the cloud, and the thick darkness,' ver. 22. The voice out of the thick darkness,' ver. 23. 'The voice out of the midst of the fire,' ver. 24. And the same is fully expressed, ch. iv. 11, 12. So that it is evident there was a mixture of them all together. So it is described by David, Ps. xviii. 8, 9, 11-13; and nothing can be conceived of greater dread and terror, than such a mixture of fire and darkness, and tempest, which left nothing of light unto the fire but its dread and terror. For by reason of this blackness and darkness, the people had no useful light by the fire. This filled them with confusion and perplexity.

apostle, is intended by some but that is okоTоç, the word The apostle by these words

The word yvopos, here used by the turbo; Syr. No, tenebræ, darkness; following. Turbo is a storm or tempest. expresseth those of Moses, y 3y, Deut. iv. 11, which we ren

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derdarkness, clouds, and thick darkness;' the LXX. using the same words with the apostle, but not in the same order. Tvopos, saith Eustathius, is from vepoç; vopoç, 'a cloud,' in the Æolick Dialect. Wherefore, the apostle in this word might have respect unto that blackness, which was caused by the thick cloud wherein God descended, Exod. xix. 9, I will come unto thee in a thick cloud;' which cloud abode upon the mount, ver. 16, the blackness of it being not taken away by the fire that was in it, every part of the appearance reserving its own terror. Or he might have respect unto the smoke caused by the fire, which was like the smoke of a furnace,' ver. 18. For he doth not mention it in particular. But the Syriac and Arabic, with other translations, put the words in construction, and render them, the blackness or obscurity of the cloud;' which probably is intended in this word, and that following. But this yvopos, 'blackness or obscurity,' had evidently three things in it. 1. As it was mixed with fire, it increased the dread of the appearance. 2. It hindered the people from clear views of the glory of God in this dispensation; with respect hereunto it is often said, 'that clouds and darkness are round about him,' Ps. xcvii. 2. 3. It declared the dread of the sentence of the law in fire and utter darkness.

And this is a third thing in the progress of the work of the law on the consciences of sinners. When they are shut up under guilt, and begin to be terrified with the representation of God's severity against sin, they cannot but look to see, if there be any thing in the manifestation of God and his will by the law, that will yield them relief. But here they find all things covered with blackness or obscurity. The glory of God, and his design in bringing them to the law, or the law to them, is hid, and covered under the veil of this blackness. The design of God herein is not death, though the law in itself be the ministration of death. But he deals thus with them to drive them to Christ, to constrain them to flee for refuge unto him. But this design, as unto the law, is covered with blackness; the sinner can see nothing of it, and so knows not how to order his speech towards God by reason of darkness,' Job xxxvii. 19. It is the gospel alone that reveals this design of God in the law. But instead hereof, this blackness insinuates into the mind, a dread of worse things than yet it can discern. When men see blackness in a cloud, they are apt to expect that thunder will break out of it every moment. So is it with sinners; finding all things covered with blackness, in the view they would take of God by the law, it increaseth their dread, and lets them into the things that follow. Wherefore,

Obs. I. A view of God as a judge, represented in fire and blackness, will fill the souls of convinced sinners with dread and terror. How secure soever they may be at present, when God calls them forth unto the mount, their hearts cannot endure, nor can their hands be strong.

Fourthly. Unto this blackness, the apostle adds Kaι σKOT, και σκοτῳ, 'darkness.' Blackness is a property of a thing itself; darkness is its effect toward others. This blackness was such as withal caused darkness, with respect unto them unto whom it was presented. So we may distinguish

between the blackness and darkness of a thunder-cloud. It is black in itself, and causeth darkness unto us. But this darkness is mentioned distinctly, as a part of the appearance, Exod. xx. 21, 'Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was;' and Deut. iv. 11, 'Darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.' What this darkness was, we cannot well apprehend. But this it teacheth us, that notwithstanding the revelation that God made of himself in this dispensation of the law, he was as unto his glory in the purposes of his grace and mercy, in thick darkness unto the people; they could not see him nor discern him. Sinners can see nothing thereof, in or by the law. How this darkness was removed by the ministry of Christ and the gospel; how this cloud of darkness was scattered, and the face of God as a Father, as a reconciled God, is uncovered, revealed, and made known, is the subject of the writings of the New Testament. Hence the execution of the law is called blackness of darkness,' Jude 13.

Fifthly. Hereunto the apostle adds, kaι OvɛλAŋ, and tempest.' And in this word he compriseth the thundering, lightning, and earthquake, that were then on and in the mount, Exod. xix. 16, xx. 18. These increased the terror of the darkness, and made it by, a thick darkness,' as it is in Moses.

As it was without in the giving of the law, so it is within in the work of the law; it fills the minds of men with a storm, accompanied with darkness and perplexity. This is the issue that the law brings things unto, in the minds and consciences of sinners. Its work ends in darkness and tempest. It hath these two effects. First. It brings the soul into darkness, that it knows not what to do, nor how to take one step towards its own relief. It can see no light, either for its direction or consolation. And hereon it either tires and wearies itself, with vain endeavours for relief, by its own works and duties; or else sinks into heartless despondency and complaints, as is the manner of men in darkness. And Secondly. It raiseth a tempest in the mind, of disquieting perplexing thoughts; ofttimes accompanied with dread and terror. In this state the law leaves poor sinners, it will not accompany them one step towards deliverance; it will neither reveal nor encourage them to look after any relief. Yea it declares that here the sinner must die and perish, for any thing that the law knows, or can do. This therefore is the place and season wherein Christ interposeth, and cries unto sinners, 'Behold me, behold me!'

Now, though all these things tend unto death, yet God was, and God is, exceedingly glorious in them. Yea this administration of them was so; 'the administration of death and condemnation was glorious,' 2 Cor. iii. 7, 10, 11. Though it had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth, namely, in the dispensation of the gospel; howbeit in itself, it did and it doth manifest the glory of the holiness, justice, and severity of God, wherein he will be glorified, and that unto eternity.

These things, with all their dreadful effects, the apostle reminds the Hebrews of their deliverance from, by Jesus Christ and his gospel; to oblige them unto constancy and perseverance in the profession of the faith; which we shall speak somewhat unto afterwards.