The general assertion confirmed with testimonies of the Scripture — Ps. cxix. 18 opened at large — Objections answered — 2 Cor. iii. 13–18, Isa. xxv. 7, explained — Luke xxiv. 44, 45, opened — Eph. i. 17–19 explained and pleaded in confirmation of the truth — Hos. xiv. 9.
The whole of our assertion is comprised in the prayer of the psalmist, Ps. cxix. 18, גַּל־עֵינַי וְאַבּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ, — “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” The same request, for the substance of it, is repeated sundry times in the same psalm, verses 33, 34, etc. Thus he prayed. That it may be esteemed our duty to pray in like manner is the substance of what we plead for. What we pray for from God, that we have not in and of ourselves, as the ancient church constantly pleaded against the Pelagians; and what we pray for according to the mind of God, that we do receive. Wherefore, our discerning, our understanding, of the wonderful things of the law, is not of ourselves; it is that which is given us, that which we receive from God.
But that the force of our argument from this testimony may be the more evident, the words or terms of it must be explained, that we may see whether they be equivalent unto, or of the same signification with, those laid down in our assertion:—
1. That which is the object of the understanding prayed for, that in the knowledge whereof the psalmist would be illuminated, is תּוֹרָה. The word signifies instruction; and being referred unto God, it is his teaching or instruction of us by the revelation of himself, — the same which we intend by the Scripture. When the books of the Old Testament were completed, they were, for distinction’s sake, distributed into תּוֹרָה, כְּתוּבִים, and נְבִאִים, or, the “Law,” the “Psalms,” and the “Prophets,” Luke xxiv. 44. Under that distribution Torah signifies the five books of Moses. But whereas these books of Moses were, as it were, the foundation of all future revelations under the Old Testament, which were given in the explication thereof, all the writings of it are usually called “the Law,” Isa. viii. 20. By the law, therefore, in this place, the psalmist understands all the books that were then given unto the church by revelation for the rule of its faith and obedience. And that by the law, in the psalms, the written law is intended, is evident from the first of them, wherein he is declared blessed who “meditateth therein day and night,” Ps. i. 2; which hath respect unto the command of reading and meditating on the books thereof in that manner, Josh. i. 8. That, therefore, which is intended by this word is the entire revelation of the will of God, given unto the church for the rule of its faith and obedience, — that is, the holy Scripture.
2. In this law there are נִפְלָאוֹת, “wonderful things.” פָּלָא signifies to be “wonderful,” to be “hidden,” to be “great” and “high;” that which men by the use of reason cannot attain unto or understand (hence נִפְלָאוֹת, are things that have such an impression of divine wisdom and power upon them as that they are justly the object of our admiration); that which is too hard for us; as Deut. xvii. 8. כִי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר — “If a matter be too hard for thee,” hid from thee. And it is the name whereby the miraculous works of God are expressed, Ps. lxxvii. 11, lxxviii. 11. Wherefore, these “wonderful things of the law” are those expressions and effects of divine wisdom in the Scripture which are above the natural reason and understandings of men to find out and comprehend. Such are the mysteries of divine truth in the Scripture, especially because Christ is in them, whose name is פֶּלֶא, or “Wonderful,” Isa. ix. 6; for all the great and marvellous effects of infinite wisdom meet in him. These things and doctrines God calls רֻבֵּו תּוֹרָתִו, Hos. viii. 12: “I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted כְּמוֹ זָר, as a strange thing.” Because they were “wonderful” in themselves, they neglected and despised them, as that which was foreign and alien from them, which belonged not unto them. So deal many with the mysteries of the gospel at this day; because they are heavenly, spiritual, in themselves marvellous, hidden, and above the understanding of the natural reason of men, — that is, they are נִפְלָאוֹת, wonderful,” — they reject and despise them as things alien and foreign unto their religion. Wherefore, the “wonderful things” of the Scripture are those mysteries of divine truth, wisdom, and grace, that are revealed and contained therein, with their especial respect unto Jesus Christ.
3. Three things are supposed in the words concerning these “wonderful things:” —
(1.) That they are recorded, laid up, or treasured, in the law or Scripture, and nowhere else, so as that from thence alone are they to be learned and received: “Behold wondrous things out of thy law.” That alone is the sacred παρακαταθήκη, or “repository” of them. There are wondrous things in the works of nature and providence, and much of them is contained in the treasury of reason, wherein it may be discerned; but these are stored in the law only, and nowhere else.