John Gill
(23 November 1697 – 14
October 1771)
An English Baptist pastor,
biblical scholar, and theologian, sadly not an Anglican, though no doubt he
would have been had the AOC been about then! – JLO
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hus saith the LORD,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths[1], where is the good
way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We
will not walk therein. (Jer
6:16)
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hus saith the Lord,
stand ye in the ways, and see,.... These are the words of the Lord to the
people, whom he would have judge for themselves, and not be blindly led by the
false prophets and priests; directing them to do what men should, when they are
in a place where two or more ways meet, and know not which way to take; they
should make a short stop, and look to the way mark or way post, which points
whither each path leads, and so accordingly proceed. Now, in religious things,
the Scriptures are the way mark to direct us which way we should take: if the
inquiry is about the way of salvation, look up to these, which are able to make
a man wise unto salvation; these show unto men that the way of salvation is not
works of righteousness done by them, but Christ only: if the question is about
any doctrine whatever, search the Scriptures, examine them, they are profitable
for doctrine; they tell us what is truth, and what is error: if the doubt is
about the matter or form of worship, and the ordinances of it, look into the
Scriptures, they are the best directory to us what we should observe and do:
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nd ask for the old
paths; of righteousness and holiness, which Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
and others, walked in, and follow them; and the way of salvation by Christ,
which, though called a new way, Hebrews 10:20, yet is not newly found out, for
it was contrived in eternity; nor newly revealed, for it was made known to Adam
and Eve immediately after the fall; nor newly made use of, for all the Old
Testament saints were saved by the same grace of Christ, and justified by his
righteousness, and their sins pardoned through his blood, and expiated by his
sacrifice, as New Testament saints; only of late, or in these last days, it has
been more clearly made known; otherwise there is but one way of salvation;
there never was any other, nor never will be; inquire therefore for this old
path, which all true believers have trodden in:
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here is the good way,
and walk therein; or, "the better or best way" {x}, and more
excellent way, which is Christ, John 14:6, he is the way of access to God, and
acceptance with him, and the way of conveyance of all the blessings of grace;
he is the way to the Father, and to eternal happiness; he is the living way
which always continues, and is ever the same; and is a plain, pleasant, and
safe way, and therefore a good one; there is no one better, nor any so good;
and therefore this must be the right way to walk in, and to which there is
great encouragement, as follows:
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nd ye shall find rest
for your souls; there is rest and peace enjoyed in the ways of God, and in the
ordinances of the Gospel; wisdom's ways are ways of peace, which are the lesser
paths; and in the doctrines of the Gospel, when the heart is established with
them, the mind is tranquil and serene, and at rest, which before was
fluctuating and wavering, and tossed to and fro with every wind; but the
principal rest is in Christ himself, in whom the true believer, that walks by
faith in him, has rest from the guilt and dominion of sin, from the curse and
bondage of the law, and from the wrath of God in his conscience; and enjoys a
spiritual peace, arising from the blood, sacrifice, and righteousness of
Christ, Matthew 11:28:
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ut they said, we will
not walk therein; in the old paths, and in the good way but in their own evil
ways, which they chose and delighted in; and therefore, as their destruction
was inevitable, it was just and righteous.
[1]
Just because something
is new does not make it better.
Never abandon the old way until you are certain the new is actually a
better way. Because it is new
makes it neither better nor worse, just different. Make certain the new is congruent with God’s Perfect Plan.
