2 Thessalonians - 2:10 - William Odling

"Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thess 2:10) Here is, doubtless, mystical Babylon spoken of; and the awful ruin which is to befall her for rejecting God's truth. And is it not evident God has given them up to "Strong delusions to believe a lie, that they all may be damned who believe not the truth; " Verse 12; or condemned, as a body of people, to temporal calamity and destruction; and were it not for their obstinacy and blindness, they might be saved from it. So that we say, it was on account of their obstinacy, unbelief, and rejection of their Messiah, and his gospel; and they, as a nation, being cut off from all its privileges; and the dreadful destruction and dispersion coming upon them, (though unknown to him when it should take place. Matt. xxiv. 36;) which caused the great heaviness, and continued sorrow of heart which Paul felt: and he had such affection for his Jewish brethren after the flesh, who had been such a privileged people, being God's adopted as a nation, and he one of them; and he gave the highest instance of his love towards them, when he said, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:" or in other words, I could be content to die the most accursed death, and be treated in the most ignominious manner, if so be they might be saved, and not be cut off from being a nation, and become dispersed and outcasts. Rom. ix. 1—5. But he was aware, that their ruin was hastening upon them, except they repented: for they had rejected Christ their Messiah, and his gospel, and put it from them, and Paul had turned to the Gentiles on that account, (fifteen years before he wrote the above:) and said to them, " Beware lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets, " Behold, ye despisers and wonder and perish." See Acts xiii. 40—46. Perish by the Romans, and be lost eternally.

Acts 3:19 - William Odling

"Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out;" Acts iii. 19; that is, repent of the sin of crucifying Christ, which is what Peter had been charging them with, and acknowledge Christ as the Messiah, and externally reform, " that your sins may be blotted out ;" which " blotting out," intends no other than the removing or averting the threatened and impending judgments, or deliverance from national ruin; and general calamity, which would be terrible times to the unbelieving, and impenitent Jews. See Matt. xxiv. 21; Dan. ix. 26. And previous to this, Judas had repented himself of his perfidious transgression, and in remorse, shame, and despair, went and hanged himself; and went to his own place. Matt xxvii. 35. Acts. i. 25. Christ said to Pilate, " He that delivered me unto thee, hath the greater sin." John xix. 11. Judas's sin was the vilest of all; therefore he was the first who fell a prey to divine justice, and the power of satan, and his own inbred corruptions, and violent hands. Oh, how awful to think, that when man for his wickedness, is given up of God, and left to himself and satan, how soon he falls a prey even to his own wicked hands, or the judgments of God. The Jews, as a nation, had forty years allowed them, wherein they might repent of their crucifying Christ, and believe in him, by the miracles and preaching of the apostles; but they would not believe, though one should rise from the dead, Luke xvi. 31, which Christ did, but they were still impenitent and unbelieving. Therefore, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Psa. ii. 9. Oh, how awfully true and certain! "The wicked shall be driven away in his wickedness." Pro v. iv. 32. Oh, to be delivered from satan, depraved self, sin, and sinners! How needful the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." "If sinners entice thee consent thou not." Prov. i. 10. "For the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." Prov. ii. 22. “To me belongeth vengance, and recompence; for the day of calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Deut. xxii. 35.

" Thus God beheld, and from his throne,

Marks out the men that hate his Son ;

The hand that raised him from the dead,

Shall pour due vengance on the-r head."

John 6:27 - William Odling

"...meat which endureth unto everlasting life." - John 6:27

Christ invited them to the marriage feast or gospel dispensation, to attend his preaching and ordinances, and listen to, and believe in, the way of salvation which he taught; and wait upon God in the means which he had appointed, and legally believe in him, as being the "meat which endureth unto everlasting life." Not that he called upon them to make their spiritual peace with God; a thing impossible to be done by them, and contrary to the gospel, and dishonourable to Christ, the peacemaker; but an external invitation, and call, to believe in him legally, and mentally feed on him, and not deceive themselves. And as they were mentally living upon perishing food, (or errors) as before described; so they might have fed on Christ, and his doctrine, in the same way ; by having as strong a natural belief, or legal faith in Christ, (which was their duty) as they had in their erroneous traditions and precepts of men, and self-righteousness; whereby they transgressed the commandments of God. Therefore Christ advised them to "labour," to get consistent and scriptural views of him, whereby they might be persuaded that he, and his doctrine, was the only meat worth feeding their minds with; even that " meat which endureth unto everlasting life ;" " which (said he) the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."

Romans 10:1 - William Odling

...Paul likewise, was well acquainted, by the prophecies, and by inspiration, with the destruction of this generation, when he said, "My heart's desire and prayer to God, for Israel, is, that they Might Be Saved." Rom. x. 1. Paul's " might be saved " here, and Christ's "might be saved," and "might have life" (John v. 34, 40,) are the same things intended; which does not mean eternal life and soul salvation, as is evident from the contexts; but temporal safety from the judgments of God, as that which belonged to their old covenant ; for he is speaking of them as a nation, and of their stumbling at Christ, and their illegal disbelief of him; (see Rom. ix. 32, 33) though numbers make this Paul's might be, a pattern for general prayer for spiritual things to all, without distinction, while they do not like to be so inconsistent, as to be general in their preaching invitations to all men. But Christ has decided for us, and given a pattern for prayer in other places, especially in John xvii. 9. But Paul has in view especially, the temporal and national destruction of the Jews, which was coming upon them, and came to pass about ten years after Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans. In chap. viii. Paul had been setting forth the discriminating doctrines of grace in the most sublime and profound manner: he had set forth predestination, effectual calling, and final perseverance, in the clearest terms; and declared there was no condemnation, nor any separating God's elect from their final safety in Christ Jesus. And Paul did not preach absolute grace in the morning, and might-be grace on conditions, in the afternoon or evening; no! But in chapter ix. gives vent to his natural feelings, and laments over his brethren according to the flesh. (Mark! not his brethren according to the Spirit!) And throughout the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters precisely the same as Christ speaking in the chapter where our text is found; shewing that their unbelief, rejection of Christ, despising his righteousness, (which was " the end of the law,") stumbling and offence at the stone laid in Zion, and their gainsaying, &c, should not prevent the elect remnant from believing and obtaining mercy; " for (says he) the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded; (or " hardened," as the margin reads.) Hence Paul's "heart's desire, and prayer to God;" and what we have yet to notice, namely, "his great heaviness and continual sorrow of heart." And Christ's "weeping over Jerusalem and the Jews, as a nation; and oft would have gathered them;" are synonimous portions, referring to the same things, even temporal, and not spiritual, and were conditional—and where there are conditions, there are might be's—but where all are positive and absolute, there are no conditions nor might be's.

John 5:34 - William Odling

"These things I say unto you that ye might be saved." - John 5:34

...Christ said, "These things I say unto you that ye might be saved." John v. 34; (not eternal salvation ; there is no might be in it) ; but from temporal ruin and destruction as a nation. "And ye will not come unto me that ye might have life" Verse 40. Temporal and corporeal life, and safety from the death that was coming upon them, even the dreadful death, massacre, and awful ruin which came upon this wicked generation, (See Matt, xxiii. 36—38,) for their disbelief and contempt of Christ as the Messiah. Thus the safety and life here spoken of, which was temporal, they might have had, (according to the conditions of their legal covenant of works, which they were still under,) had they repented of their errors, abandoned their traditions, and reformed their manners, conformed to their Scriptures, and nominally and legally believed in Christ, and received him as the Messiah, taken his counsel and advice, and believed that he was the " Meat which endureth unto everlasting life."

But being still rebellious and determined to take their own wicked course, even against the clearest evidence; and thirsting for his innocent blood, and if possible, to have it, by employing even deceitful witnesses, they forfeited their lives to the judgments of God, in the destruction of their city, temple, and nation. And this confirms the truth of David's statement, that " Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." Psa. lv. 23. And Solomon says, " The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked are shortened;" Prov. x. 27, " The wicked shall be cut off from the earth." Prov. xi. 22; " The wicked shall be driven away in his wickedness; Prov. xiv. 32. So it was with this rebellious generation—" Their heart was not right with God, neither were they steadfast in his covenant; Psa. lxxviii. 37; the legal covenant, made at Sinai, Exodus xxiv. 7; called in Heb. viii. 13, the old covenant, which was decaying, and ready to vanish away ; and which was entirely conditional; " This do, and thou shalt live;" Deut. xxx. 19; Luke x. 28; or

" Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant." Jer. xi. 3.

Matthew 19:16, Mark 10:17, Luke 18:18 - William Odling

"What good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Matthew 19:16, Mark 10:17, Luke 18:18

...Hence the young rich ruler, on another occasion, who anxiously came to him for advice; Christ perfectly knew his pride and vanity, and his covetous disposition, and where his heart was, even on his earthly treasures; (and like multitudes in our day, who would take the world and their riches in one hand, and heaven in the other;) and he addressed Christ as " Good Master," believing he could give him further instructions, "What good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Matt. xix.; 16. Mark x 17. Luke xviii. 18. As he had been perfect, (as he thought, hitherto,) and still depending on his own works, he wished to know what he yet lacked. Christ immediately laid the axe to the root of the tree, and cut down all his pride and vanity, his self-confidence, and glorying in his own righteousness, holiness, and carnal wisdom; he told him what to do; that if he would enter into life, to keep the commandments ; he asked him which; Christ told him ; and he said, " All these things have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet ?" And Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, (that is, according to his own legal system,) " Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and take up thy cross and follow me."

Now, as he had no idea of eternal life, but by the works of the law, Christ still set him to work to fulfill the law; and as he had boasted of his fulfilment of the law, Christ soon convinced him of his error; that he loved his riches more than he loved God, and himself more than his neighbour. This was a breach of the two great commandments, on which hung all the law and the prophets; (see Matt. xxii. 40) ; so that he set him to parting from his god (mammon) and loving his neighbour as himself, by dispensing his property to the poor, and thus fulfilling the law : this no man ever could or did do, but Christ himself. But it was a notion of the pharisees (and Christ was well acquainted with them, and this young man was one of the best of them, and held the same notions,) that they were to be saved by the deeds of the law, and that almsgiving was meritorious of eternal life; arid thus Christ put him to the utmost stretch of his own plan for perfection, and convinces him of his own insufficiency to perform it, in a way he knew would not be pleasing to him ; and yet he would not be able to disprove of the method, on the ground of his own tenets. And as he came to Christ for instruction, Christ likewise put him to the test as regarded his belief in him, as the Messiah, by telling him to take up his cross and follow him. " And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved ; for he had great possessions." Thus he went away in silent sorrow, having his affections fixed on his riches, and no heart to part with them; as those had who believed in Christ. Acts xiii. 44,45. One thing he lacked, namely a new heart of charity, so that he was like the man without a wedding garment, speechless. Thus Christ put this young man to sadness, sorrow and silence ; the same as he put to silence the Sadducees, and the Pharisees, with their clever lawyer. And no man was able to answer him a word. See Matt. xxii. 15-46.

But this young man came to Christ different to the generality who addressed him; he came in earnest, not tempting him; but courteously, and for instruction, and was thoughtful of the world to come : though it is evident he did not believe that Christ was the promised Messiah; yet it appears there was much about him amiable, and praiseworthy ; for Jesus looked upon him, with natural affection, and concern for his ignorance of the law, its spirituality, and large extent, requiring perfection in thought, and word, as well as deed; but he only looked at his deeds, or doings; and his coming to Christ, was only from natural and fleshly earnestness, and upon a legal bottom, the same as the rest of the Pharisees, not under spiritual conviction of sin ; that is a very different coming to Christ; and the flesh can never brook any thing but that which is congenial to itself; and is always enmity to God's way of salvation. Rom. viii. 7. Salvation being the bequest of God to his children, or those who were given to Christ, John x. 29, and is a free grace gift, not by the works of the law, Rom. iv. 14; for they that are under the law, are under the curse; and are not led by the Spirit of God. Gal. iii. 10—18. And Christ (as it is stated throughout the four Gospels) dealt with- such accordingly; and exhorted them to legal and moral duties, and not to Evangelical obedience; for he always knew the goats from the sheep, and the sheep from the goats; his own sheep heard, and knew his voice, and followed him, with joy and rejoicing. (Read attentively John x.) But this rich young man went away sorrowful.

Luke 13:24 - William Odling

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Luke 13:24.

...when Christ had been speaking of the few who entered into the kingdom; and that in its first introduction, it was so small, only like a grain of mustard seed, and like leaven hid in meal; one came unto him, (not so sincere as the young man above named, but from mere curiosity,) and said unto him, " Lord are there few that be saved?" Christ did not, (as in many other instances,) give him a direct answer; but said to those around, as well as unto him, which no doubt were as curious as himself; "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Luke xiii. 24. Now Christ himself is intended by the "Strait Gate." And to repent of, and change their erroneous notions, principles, and practices, and legally believe in Christ, and own him as the Messiah; the doctrines which he taught, and that his kingdom was at hand; thus to believe in Christ, was entering in at the "Strait Gate," and become legal subjects of his kingly authority. But to be made or become spiritual subjects, is God's prerogative; and there is no command to strive in this matter; for it is said to them," Enter ye in at the strait gate." Matt. vii. 13. (These two passages are not parallels, as many take them to be, for the latter was addressed to Christ's disciples, and the former to the unregenerate multitude. See the context of each.) And there was a natural belief or faith in Christ as their promised Messiah, which devolved on the Jews as a nation, especially so; (as well as upon all Gentiles now where the gospel is sent; and this is what I call duty-faith.) And they had the advantage of all other nations, for they had the Divine Oracles, Rom. iii. 12, from the very commencement of their being a separate people and nation,, and they boasted of their advantages. So that Christ had an undoubted right to exhort them to "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," or to believe in him.