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THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD
IN the verse immediately preceding our text, which is a citation from the Prophet Isaiah, there is a remarkable difference between the words, as uttered by the Prophet, and as cited by the Apostle. The Apostle quotes only so much as was sufficient to shew that the great mystery of redemption was never conceived by man before it was revealed to us by God. But the prophet excludes all the bright intelligences of heaven, no less than men; and intimates that none but God was privy to the Divine counsels: “Neither hath eye seen, O God, besides thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for him [Note: Isa_64:4.].” This omission we should not have particularly noticed, if the Apostle had not, by his subsequent observations, drawn our attention to it more particularly, by shewing, that though there was no finite intelligence privy to these counsels, there was One, who, though God, was in some respects to be distinguished from Him, whose counsels they were, and who did “search,” and behold with perfect accuracy, the very utmost depths of that mystery, and who also had revealed them to the Apostle:—“God,” says the Apostle, “hath revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Now, throughout this whole passage, there is repeated mention made of God, as the source and fountain from whence this mysterious plan emanated; and of the Spirit of God, as a distinct Agent discovering these depths to us. From hence we have an insight into the doctrine of the Trinity of persons in the Godhead; a doctrine obscurely intimated in the words of the prophet, but plainly declared in the Apostle’s fuller explanation of them. The personality of the Holy Spirit, and his divinity, are here repeatedly asserted: and a beautiful light is thrown upon those words of the prophet; “No eye hath seen, O God, besides thee:” for though no created being hath seen, the Holy Ghost hath: for “the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
In these words we are led to contemplate the province of the Holy Spirit in relation to the great mystery of redemption; to contemplate it, I say,
I. As exercised by him in reference to God—
He “searcheth the deep things of God:” he searcheth,
1. The eternal purposes of his grace—
[From all eternity did God determine to suffer the fall of man, and to provide means for his recovery. The means ordained by him were, the incarnation and death of his only dear Son, whom he would send into the world to be a propitiation for sin, and to work out a righteousness whereby the believing penitent might be justified. Every particular relative to this mysterious plan was foreseen and fore-ordained. The person of whom the Son of God should take our flesh; the time at which he should come into the world; the various incidents of his life; the minutest circumstances of his death; the agents that should effect it, and the precise part which every one of them should bear in effecting it, whether Judas in betraying him, or Pilate in condemning, or the Romans in crucifying, or Joseph and Nicodemus in burying him: every thing also relating to his resurrection and ascension, and the sending of his Holy Spirit, and the consequent establishment of his kingdom in the world; all was ordained of God the Father: but all was searched out by God the Holy Ghost. He had the same perfect knowledge of it as the Father himself; and not the smallest incident that occurred in any part of it was hid from his all-seeing eye. “No eye saw it, besides his:” but he saw it in all its parts, and in all its bearings: not the slightest thing connected with it was hid from him.]
2. His particular dealings with every individual of mankind—
[The salvation of all was to be of grace, from beginning to end. Yet was man to be dealt with as a rational and responsible being; every man being left to the freest exercise of his own will, yet subject to an agency within, which, in all that should be saved, should be effectual for the overcoming of all the evil propensities of his nature. It was not ordained that all should ultimately be saved: but it was ordained, that those who were saved should have nothing to boast of; and that those who perished should have nothing to complain of: the saved should owe their salvation to him alone; the lost should owe their condemnation wholly to themselves. But who could fathom such depths as these? Who could tell how God should ordain all, and yet not interfere with the free agency of any; and how he should reserve to himself the praise from all that were saved, and leave all the blame of condemnation to rest on those who should bring that doom upon themselves? But the Spirit of God searched out all these unfathomable depths. He saw how the whole should be carried into effect, in every individual of the human race: at what time, in what manner, and by what means, the elect should be converted, preserved, perfected; and, at the same time, how the rest should be left to reject the mercies offered them, and to perish under an accumulated weight of misery. If St. Paul, in relation to the calling of the Gentiles and the restoration of the Jews, exclaimed, “O the depths!” much more must we, in the contemplation of such mysterious works as these.]
3. The glorious issue of all his dispensations—
[The result of all will be the glory of God, both “in them that are saved, and in them that perish.” “Though Israel be not gathered, yet will He be glorious [Note: Isa_49:5.].” God declared that he would get himself glory on Pharaoh and all his hosts [Note: Exo_14:17.]: and, on his destruction of them all, Moses said, “Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy [Note: Exo_15:6.].” In the judgments also that were executed on Nadab and Abihu, God was “glorified [Note: Lev_10:2.].” In like manner, even in the torments of the damned, will God be glorified: for all who behold the infliction of his wrath will be constrained to say, “Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments [Note: Rev_16:5-7; Rev_19:2.].” It is indeed a tremendous thought, and to our weak apprehensions it appears incredible, that God should be glorified in the eternal condemnation of any of his creatures. But so it will be: and at the last day, when Jesus “shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe [Note: 2Th_1:10.],” will the objects of his wrath be confounded before him, and never have one word to utter in arrest of his judgments [Note: Mat_22:12.]. Now all this the Holy Spirit saw from the beginning. He saws that if mercy was glorified in the salvation of some, justice would be glorified in the condemnation of others: and that the whole issue of this stupendous mystery would be worthy of the Most High God; of the Father, who had planned it; of the Son, who had executed it; and of the Spirit, who had carried it into full effect.]
But as the Holy Spirit, in the exercise of this office, has respect to us, it will be proper for us to contemplate it,
II. As exercised by him in reference to us—
“He searcheth all things,” as the Apostle intimates, on purpose to reveal them to us. He searcheth them,
1. As a Teacher, to reveal them to us—
[It is the Holy Spirit who revealed this hidden mystery to prophets first [Note: 2Pe_1:21.], and then to the Apostles of our Lord [Note: Joh_16:13-14.]: and the whole of the written word was penned by inspiration from him — — — But in the sacred volume there is much that is beyond our comprehension: indeed, if it were all level with our capacity, we should have reason to doubt whether it were really from God; seeing that it would be totally unlike to his other works of creation and providence, in which there is confessedly much that no human being can explain. But the Spirit having searched the deep things of God, is perfectly acquainted with them all, and has revealed to us nothing but what he knows to be true. We, therefore, must receive by faith all that he has declared. Our only concern is, to know what the Holy Spirit has spoken in his word: and that once ascertained, we must receive it with childlike simplicity; saying, ‘What I know not now, I shall know hereafter.’ That we cannot comprehend it, should be no objection to us: for, if God had explained the whole ever so clearly, there must be many things which we could not comprehend. Let a philosopher declare to an uninstructed peasant some of the more hidden depths of astronomy, could the peasant comprehend them? or could the philosopher, by all the clearest demonstrations, enable him to comprehend them? And if such a distance exist between men, may we not well suppose that an infinitely greater distance will be found between God and man? I say, it is our wisdom to submit our understandings to the word of God: and there is no juster lesson afforded us in all the Scriptures, than that of the Apostle, “If any man will be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise [Note: 1Co_3:18.].”]
2. As an Instructor, to reveal them in us—
[To Him we are directed to look for that spiritual discernment, whereby alone we can comprehend the truths of God [Note: ver. 14.]. The Apostles themselves, after they had heard our Lord’s instructions for nearly four years, were unable to understand the Scriptures, till “he opened their understandings to understand them [Note: Luk_24:45.].” So it is with us: we must have a “spirit of wisdom and revelation given to us,” before we can attain “the knowledge of Christ [Note: Eph_1:17-18,];” and must “all be taught of God [Note: Joh_6:45.],” before we can “know the things that have been freely given to us of God [Note: ver. 12.].” Let me then recommend, that, whenever you open the inspired volume, you lift up your hearts to him, and say, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
Shall this be thought unnecessary? Shall it be supposed, that, because we have the words and sentences plainly written, we can necessarily discern the mind of God in them? Were this the case, every student of the Scriptures would, in all their principal and fundamental points at least, have a clear understanding of them. But experience proves, that, like the Scribes and Pharisees of old, we may have an accurate knowledge of the letter, and yet have no conception of the spirit of them. They are a sealed book to us at this time, as they were to those of former days. Like a dial, which has the figures accurately marked, and the gnomon rightly fixed; but yet you look at it in vain, till the light of the sun shine upon it: so in vain do you read or study the Holy Scriptures, till a light shine upon them from above, or till God “shine into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [Note: 2Co_4:6.].”]
3. As a Governor, to bring us into subjection to them—
[If the Spirit of God have searched out for us the deep things of God, and have made them known to us, it is not that we should speculate upon them, but that we should, as far as possible, be conformed to them. We must be as ready to obey him in what he commands, as to believe him in what he reveals. We must complain of nothing as an hard saying; but must give up ourselves as willing servants to fulfil his will, or rather must be like metal that is ready to be poured into the mould which God has prepared for us. This is the very idea suggested by the Apostle Paul, when he says of all true Christians, “Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you:” his expression rather is, “Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, into which, as into a mould, ye were delivered [Note: Rom_6:17. See the Greek.].” If this be not attained, the manifestation of God’s will in the written word will be of no use: indeed, it will only occasion our heavier condemnation.
If any reply, that there are commands which appear unreasonable, and that we cannot be required to obey them; I answer, We are not to sit in judgment upon God, and to determine whether his commands be reasonable or not. We expect to be obeyed by our children and our servants, though they do not know all the objects we have in view when we issue our commands. We expect them to give us credit for ordering only what is wise and good; and to take for granted, rather than deliberate upon, the wisdom of our commands. And what we expect of others, we may well be required to render unto him.]
4. As a Witness, to testify of our conformity to them—
[It is said of him, that “He searcheth all things:” and if he search “the deep things of God,” does he not also search the deep things that are in our hearts? Yes, “He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins,” and discerneth the inmost thoughts and intents of our hearts. “I know,” says he, “the things that come into your minds, every one of them.” Yes, “He weigheth the spirits,” and ascertaineth precisely the measure of good and evil that there is in the heart of every one amongst us. We must not suppose that he has fully executed his office when he has revealed to us the deep things of God. No: he searches how we receive them; how we improve them; how we answer the end of God in them. And this he does with a view to a future judgment, that we may all “receive according to what we have done in the body, whether it be good or evil.” Let us, then, bear this in mind: let us remember, that he is conversant with every inclination, every affection, every appetite of our souls. The darkness is no darkness with him, but the night is as clear as the day: and as his testimony respecting God is true, so will his testimony respecting us be true. Attend then to the way in which every day and every hour is spent. Mark in what frame your mind is, in all your public or private addresses to the Most High. Call yourselves to a severe account respecting every duty and every defect. After all, you will never weigh yourselves so accurately as he weighs you: and “if your heart condemn you, God is greater than your hearts, and knoweth all things: but if your heart condemn you not, then have you confidence towards God [Note: 1Jn_3:20-21.].”]