Next Part 9 The PREFACE to the Commandments
Next Part 10 The PREFACE to the Commandments
Back to The PREFACE to the Commandments
[2] These words are to be understood MYSTICALLY and SPIRITUALLY. "I brought you out of the house of bondage," out of great misery and slavery in the iron furnace. By Israel's deliverance from the house of bondage, is typified their spiritual deliverance from sin, Satan, and hell.
(1) The bringing of Israel out of the house of bondage, is a type of our being delivered from SIN. Sin is the true bondage, it enslaves the soul. Cicero. "Of all conditions, servitude is the worst." "I was held captive, before conversion," says Augustine, "not with an iron chain—but with the obstinacy of my own will." Sin is the enslaver; it is called a law—because it has a binding power over a man (Rom 7:23). It is said to reign—because it exercises a tyrannical power (Rom 6:12). And men are said to be the servants of sin, because they are so enslaved by it. Rom 6:17. Thus sin is the house of bondage. Israel was not so enslaved in the iron furnace—as the sinner is by sin. They are worse slaves and vassals who are under the power of sin, than they are who are under the power of earthly tyrants.
Other slaves have only tyrants ruling over their bodies; but the sinner has his soul tyrannized over. That princely part, the soul, which sways the sceptre of reason, and was once crowned with perfect knowledge and holiness, now is enslaved, and made a lackey to every base lust.
Other slaves have some pity shown them: the tyrant gives them food, and lets them have hours for their rest. But sin is a merciless tyrant, it will let men have no rest. Judas had no rest until he had betrayed Christ, and after that, he had less rest than before. How does a man wear himself out in the service of sin—waste his body, break his sleep, distract his mind! A wicked man is every day doing sin's drudgery-work.
Other slaves have servile work; but it is lawful. It is lawful to work in the galley, and tug at the oar; but all the laws and commands of sin are unlawful. Sin says to one man, "defraud;" to another, "be unchaste"; to another "take revenge;" to another, "take a false oath." Thus all sin's commands are unlawful; we cannot obey sin's law—but by breaking God's law.
Other slaves are forced against their will. Israel groaned under slavery (Exod 2:23); but sinners are content to be under the command of sin; they are willing to be slaves; they love their chains! They will not take their freedom; they "glory in their shame." Phil 3:19. They wear their sins, not as their fetters—but their ornaments! They rejoice in iniquity. Jer 11:15.
Other slaves are brought to correction—but sin's slaves are without repentance, and are brought to damnation. Other slaves lie in the iron furnace: sin's slaves lie in the fiery furnace. What freedom of will has a sinner—when he can do nothing but what sin commands him? He is enslaved. Thus sinners are in the house of bondage; but God takes his elect out of the house of bondage, he beats off the chains and fetters of sin; he rescues them from their slavery; he makes them free, by bringing them into "the glorious liberty of the children of God." Rom 8:21. The law of love now rules, not the law of sin. Though the life of sin is prolonged—yet not the dominion of sin; as those beasts in Daniel had their lives prolonged for a season—but their dominion was taken away. Dan 7:12. The saints are made spiritual kings, to rule and conquer their corruptions, to "bind these kings in chains." It is matter of the highest praise and thanksgiving, to be taken out of the house of bondage, to be freed from enslaving lusts, and made kings to reign in glory forever!
(2) The bringing of Israel out of the house of bondage, is a type of our being delivered from SATAN. Men naturally are in the house of bondage, they are enslaved to Satan. Satan is called the prince of this world (John 14:30); and the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4); because he has power to command and enslave his dupes. Though he shall one day be a fellow prisoner in chains—yet now he insults and tyrannizes over the souls of men. Sinners are under his rule, he exercises a jurisdiction over them. He fills men's heads with error, and their hearts with malice. "Why has Satan filled your heart?" Act 5:3. A sinner's heart is the devil's mansion house. "I will return into my house." Matt. 12:44. And surely, that must needs be a house of bondage, which is the devil's mansion-house.
Satan is a comprehensive tyrant. He rules men's minds, he blinds them with ignorance. "The God of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not." 2 Cor 4:4. He rules their memories. They remember that which is evil, and forget that which is good. Their memories are like a strainer, that lets go all the pure—and retains only the dregs. He rules their wills. Though he cannot force the will, he draws it. "The lusts of your father—you will do." John 8:44. He has control over their hearts, and they willingly obey him. His strong temptations draw men to evil—more than all the promises of God can draw them to good. This is the state of every man by nature; he is in the house of bondage; the devil has him in his power. A sinner grinds in the devil's mill; he is at the command of Satan, as the donkey is at the command of the driver.
No wonder to see men oppress and persecute the godly. As slaves, they must do what the god of this world will have them. How did those swine run—when the devil entered into them! "They entered the swine. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water!" Matthew 8:32. When the devil tempted Ananias to tell a lie, he could not but speak what Satan had put in his heart. Acts 5:3. When the devil entered into Judas, and bade him betray Christ, he would do it, though he hanged himself. It is a dreadful and dismal case, to be in the house of bondage, under the power and tyranny of Satan.
Is it not a case to be bewailed, to see men taken captive by Satan at his will? "Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:26. He leads sinners as slaves before him in triumph; he wholly possesses them. If people should see their pets bewitched and possessed by the devil, they would be much troubled; and yet, though their souls are possessed by Satan, they are not sensible of it! What can be worse than for men to be in the house of bondage, and to have the devil hurry them on in their lusts to perdition! Sinners are willingly enslaved to Satan; they love their gawler; are content to sit quietly under Satan's jurisdiction; they choose this bramble to rule over them, though after a while, fire will come out of the bramble to devour them. Judges 9:15.
What an infinite mercy is it when God brings poor souls out of this house of bondage, when he gives them a deliverance from the prince of darkness! Jesus Christ redeems captives, he ransoms sinners by price, and rescues them by force. As David rescued a lamb out of the lion's mouth--so Christ rescues souls out of the mouth of the roaring lion! Oh, what a mercy it is--to be brought out of the house of bondage, from being Satan's captives--to be made subjects of the Prince of Peace! This is done by the preaching of the Word. "To turn them from the power of Satan unto God." Acts 26:18.
(3) The bringing of Israel out of the house of bondage, is a type of our being delivered from HELL. Hell is a house of bondage; a house built on purpose, for sinners to lie in.
There is such a house of bondage where the damned lie. "The wicked shall be turned into hell." Psalm 9:17. "How can you escape the damnation of hell?" Matt 23:33. If anyone should ask where this house of bondage is, where is the place of hell? I wish he may never know experimentally. "Let us not so much," says Chrysostom, "labour to know where hell is, as how to escape it." Yet to satisfy curiosity, it may be observed that hell is some place beneath. "Hell beneath." Prov 15:24. Hesiod says, "Hell is as far under the earth, as heaven is above it." The devils besought Christ "that he would not command them to go out into the deep." Luke 8:31. Hell is in the deep.
Why must there be this house of bondage? Why a hell? Because there must be a place for the execution of divine justice. Earthly monarchs have their prison for criminals—and shall not God have his? Sinners are criminals, they have offended God; and it would not be consistent with his holiness and justice—to have his laws infringed, and not inflict penalties.
See the dreadfulness of that place! Could you but hear the groans and shrieks of the damned for one hour—it would confirm you in the truth, that hell is a house of bondage. Hell is the epitome of misery! Besides "the punishment of loss," which is the exclusion of the soul from the gloried sight of God, which some think is the worst part of hell—there will be "the punishment of sense." If, when God's wrath is kindled but a little, and a spark of it flies into a man's conscience in this life, it is so terrible (as in the case of Spira), what will hell itself be?
In hell there will be a plurality of torments:
"Chains of darkness." 2 Pet 2:4.
There will be the "never-dying worm." Mark 9:48; This is the worm of conscience.
There will be the "lake of fire." Rev 20:15. Other fire is but painted fire—compared to this.
This house of hell is haunted with devils! Matt 25:41. Anselm says, "I had rather endure all torments, than see the devil with bodily eyes." Such as go to hell must not only be forced to behold the devil—but must be shut up with this lion in his den! They must keep the devil company! This red dragon is full of spite—and will spit fire in men's faces!
The torments of hell abide forever! "The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever." Rev 14:2. Time cannot finish hell. Tears cannot quench hell. Mark 9:44. The wicked will always live in the fire of hell—but never be consumed. After they have lain millions of years in hell, their punishment is as far from ending, as it was at the beginning! If all the earth and sea were sand, and every thousandth year a bird should come, and take away one grain—it would be a long time before that vast heap would be removed! Yet, if after all that time the damned might come out of hell—there would be some hope; but this word FOREVER breaks the heart!
How does it seem to comport with God's justice—to punish a sin committed in a moment, with eternal torment?
1. Because there is an eternity of sin in man's nature. They will continue to sin in hell. "Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done." Revelation 16:10-11
2. Because sin is "committed against an infinite majesty," and therefore the sin itself is infinite, and proportionally the punishment must be infinite.
3. Because a finite creature cannot satisfy infinite wrath, he must be eternally paying what he can never pay.
If hell be such a house of bondage, what infinite cause have they to bless God—who are delivered from it! "Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!" 1 Thess 1:10. Jesus Christ suffered the torments of hell in his soul—that believers should not suffer them. If we are thankful, when we are ransomed out of prison, or delivered from fire, oh, how should we bless God to be preserved from the wrath to come! It may cause more thankfulness in us, seeing that most people go into the house of bondage, even to hell. To be of the number of those few who are delivered from it—is matter of infinite thankfulness. Most, I say, go to that house of bondage when they die; most go to hell. "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14. The greatest part of the world lies in wickedness. 1 John 5:19.
Divide the world, says one, into thirty-one parts: nineteen parts of it are possessed by Jews and Turks, and seven parts by heathen; so that there are but five parts of professing Christians, and among these—so many deceived Papists on the one hand, and so many formal Protestants on the other--that we may conclude that the major part of the world goes to hell.
Scripture compares the wicked to briers. Isa 10:17. There are but few lilies in your fields—but many thorns and briers. Scripture compares them to "the mire in the streets." Isa 10:6. Few jewels or precious stones are in the street—but you cannot go a step without meeting with mire. The wicked are as common as the dirt in the street! Look at the generality of people. How many drunkards are there, for one who is sober! How many adulterers are there, for one who is chaste! How many hypocrites are there, for one who is sincere! The devil has most of the harvest, and God has only a few gleanings. Oh, then, such as are delivered from the house of bondage, in hell, have infinite cause to admire and bless God. How should the vessels of mercy run over with thankfulness! When most others are carried as prisoners to hell, they are delivered from the wrath to come!
Next Part 10 The PREFACE to the Commandments
Back to The PREFACE to the Commandments