Hebrews 12:18

For showeth, Hebrews 12:18, the apostle enforcing on these Hebrews, and with them on all Christians, the pursuit of holiness and peace, by subjoining the great helps they have for it, beyond what the Old Testament church had, they being freed from the legal dispensation, which was less helpful to it, and admitted to that of the gospel, most promoting it. The first he layeth down, Hebrews 12:18; and the other, Hebrews 12:22. They are freed from the covenant dispensation at Mount Sinai. Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched; you have not been called, as to your body, to journey it to Sinai, or as to your faith to close with that covenant administration, to depend on, or have any expectation from it, as delivered by Moses at Mount Sinai in Arabia; a mountain visible, tactible, sensible, on earth, signifying the covenant dispensation from this mount to be low and earthy, occasioning earthy thoughts of God and carriage to him, sticking in an earthy altar sacrifice, and carnal and sensual religion; to the law written in stones, without minding the spirituality of it, or having it in their hearts; walking wisely in this wilderness state, yet, by the charge of God, not touchable by Israel at that time, though they came near to it in the third month after their coming out of Egypt, Exodus 19:1,12,13,23. And that burned with fire; to the fire, in the which the Lord descended on the mount, Exodus 19:18; which burnt unto the midst of heaven, Deuteronomy 4:11, Deuteronomy 5:23,24, and would consume them that broke that law which he spake to them out of it, Deuteronomy 33:2. Nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest; to the black, thick smoke that ascended as the smoke of a furnace, Exodus 19:18; to darkness, occasioned by the thick clouds enveloping the mount, Deuteronomy 4:11, Deuteronomy 5:23; to tempest, the storm of thundering, and lightnings, and earthquake, the terrible attendants of this solemnity, Exodus 19:16,18 Exodus 20:18. All these shadowing forth the fiery and terrible storms of wrath and indignation, which should pursue the breakers of this covenant to the lowest hell; giving them, in this delivery of the law, a visible type of what should be the issue of their breaking it, Exodus 19:22,24. These terrors of the Almighty did so fright them, that they ran from God, and set not themselves to the serious pursuit of holiness, Isaiah 33:14.