(13) For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, (14) Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. (15) And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (16) For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. (17) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: (18) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (20) Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
In this most blessed portion, we have the same glorious truths confirmed to us, as in the former. Indeed, as I before observed, it should seem that God the Holy Ghost intended this precious chapter to answer the double purpose, that while dashing to the ground all the presumptuous hopes of mere professors and hypocrites; he might teach the Church to rest their confidence, not in their attainments, but in the divine faithfulness. It is blessed to observe, how the Lord delights in reminding his people of his word and his oath to Abraham. For as Christ was sworn into his office by oath, before the world began; so Christ, when beginning to manifest himself in his priestly office, did it with an oath. Compare Psalms 110:4 with Genesis 22:16-17. That this was Christ, who made oath to Abraham, is unquestionable, for he is called the Angel of the Lord, or the Messenger of the Covenant, as Malachi 3:1. And it is further blessed to observe the sweetness of expression, because he could swear by no greater. Reader! what a proof is this, by the way, of the Godhead of Christ? So the Lord again speaks by his servant the Prophet: Isaiah 45:23 compared with Philippians 2:10-11. As Jehovah, in his threefold character of Person, can find no object of complacency and delight but in himself, in the image of the invisible God Christ Jesus: so none to swear by, to confirm his purposes and decrees concerning the Church, but the same. Compare Matthew 17:3 with 2 Peter 1:16-18
But we must not stop here. The fatherly love of God, in his most gracious designs towards his Church in Christ, is yet to be considered from this blessed Scripture. And, perhaps, there is not a portion in the word of God more in point, to assure to us this first, and eternal, and unchangeable purpose, will, and pleasure of Jehovah, in his love to the Church, than in what is here said. It is blessed, yea, very blessed, to ponder over it; and I pray the Reader to do it most attentively, looking for divine teaching to make it profitable.
First. Let us observe what is first said: Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsels, confirmed it by an oath. Pause, Reader! Think of God the Father's love, in this gracious, wonderful condescension. Was it not enough, in our God and Father, to choose the Church in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy, and without blame before him in love; to adopt the several members of Christ's body to himself, as children in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:4-6, to present them to Christ: John 7:2, to accept them in Christ: to redeem them by Christ: to regenerate them by his Holy Spirit; and to give them the assurance of eternal life. I say, was it not enough for, that God, who cannot lie, to manifest, by such rich, free, and unmerited promises, his love of the Church in Christ; but as if consulting the weakness, and infirmity of our faith, hath confirmed the whole by an oath? Well may we exclaim with the Apostle: Behold! what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us? 1 John 3:1. Reader! do not overlook this fatherly love of God. Here it is at this great bottom, on which the whole super-structure of the Church in Christ rests; faith begins her triumphs!
Secondly. In this precious view of the subject, observe the reason God the Father hath assigned, for this special act of grace, both in promising, and confirming that promise with an oath, namely, that the heirs of promise might see, and depend upon the immutability of his counsel; that there is nothing fickle, or inconstant, in the mind of God towards his people; but that he is of one mind, and none can change him: and, therefore, they might have a strong consolation, who have taken refuge in a Covenant God in Christ. Now, Reader! beg of God the Almighty Promiser of such precious things, that you may have always grace; to believe in Him also, as an Almighty Performer of such unspeakable mercy: and, as it is a mercy which is wholly founded in God, and hath nothing to make it sure, in the will or performance of man; you may give God the credit of God, and never for a moment disbelieve the record which he hath given of his Son, 1 John 5:10-12. And if these things are true, (as who will dare to question), what must those men be about, or how do they give us any testimonies of their being taught of God, who would insinuate that the everlasting safety of the Church in Christ is doubtful, and that the final perseverance of the saints is unscriptural, and highly dangerous? So then it appears, that God himself is willing, more abundantly, that the heirs of promise should be firmly established, in the blessed consolation of His sovereign, and unchangeable will, and which he hath for that purpose made sure by oath, for their eternal safety and happiness: and poor blind man is unwilling God's people, the heirs of promise, should depend upon a refuge so sure, and certain! How truly awful such a conduct.
Thirdly. One precious point more remains to be noticed in this very sweet portion, namely, the title by which the Lord our God and Father here calls his chosen the heirs of promise. The very thought of this peculiar mark of God's love, filled the heart of Paul with holy joy. Hence, when to the Church he was drawing the everlasting line of distinction between the children of the bond-woman, and the children of the free, he cried out, now we brethren, (said he) as Isaac was, are the children of promise, Galatians 4:28. And children of promise indeed they are. God himself is the Father, and the Almighty Promiser of all their being, and well being in Christ. This is their charter: I will be to them a God, and they shall be my people, Jeremiah 31:33. God the Son, is himself, in his Mediator-character, the first promise in the Bible, and all the promises are in Him, yea, and Amen, Gen 3:15; 2 Corinthians 1:20. And as Christ is the heir of all things, so they are heirs of God, by reason of their being chosen in Him, and having union with Him, and joint heirs with him, Hebrews 1:2; Galatians 4:7; Romans 8:17. God the Holy Ghost is himself the Almighty Spirit of promise, whereby believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, Ephesians 1:13-14. Hence, the children of Christ, whom God hath chosen in Him, and given to Him, are heirs of promise, being conceived in the womb of promise, before they were born of flesh, John 1:13; Psa 110:3; 2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:1; James 1:18. And, as to eternal life, they are all the sure heirs of this promise also, as in grace they are the sure possessors, when born again of the Holy Ghost, from the Adam-nature of sin and corruption. See a string of the richest promises to this amount, Isaiah 66:8-14
I must not enlarge. But, did I dare to swell the pages of this Poor Man's Commentary, what an endless subject is here proposed in God the Father's purposes; Christ, our refuge, anchor, and sure abiding place; and God the Spirit opening to our faith a view of Him, our forerunner, even Jesus, entered within the vail, having taken possession of the promised inheritance, in the name, and for the persons of all the heirs of promise. But I must shut up this Chapter. Views of Melchizedec will meet us, in the next. And the Lord pardon the defects in the Commentary on this, and bless what is offered, as far as agreeable to his truths, and the Reader's profit, in Jesus Christ, Amen.