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The true heirs of promise, with whom God hath pawned His word and oath to do them good eternally, are such as have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them. In the description there are two parts, "flying for refuge," and "taking hold of the hope set before them." The one relates to their justification, or their first acceptation with God in Christ, "Flying for refuge"; the other relates to their carriage after justification, "To take hold of the hope set before them."

I. For the first branch — "Flying for refuge." It is an allusion to the cities of refuge spoken of under the law.

1. That Christ is a believer's city of refuge, or the alone sanctuary for distressed souls.

2. It is the property of believers to fly to Christ for refuge. This flying may be explained with analogy to the two terms of every motion, which are terminus a quo and ad quem, from what we fly, and to what; and so we have the perfect method which the Spirit observeth in bringing home souls to God. In this flying to Christ as a city of refuge there is a driving and a drawing work; the first belongs to the law, the second to the gospel. The law driveth us out of ourselves, and the gospel draweth us, and bringeth us home to God.

(1) Let us speak of thy terminus a quo, the term from which we come, or-the driving work; it is comprised in these two things — a sense of sin, and a sense of the wrath of God pursuing for sin.

(2) Let us come to the terminus ad quem, from what we c me to what; they run to Christ as their city of refuge.

(a) It implies earnestness, as in a case of life and death. A dilatory trifling spirit shows we are not touched at heart.

(b) Running to the city of refuge implieth avoiding all byways. A soul that is rightly affected cannot be satisfied with any other thing; another place would not secure the man, nothing but the city of refuge.

(c) This running implies an unwearied diligence. The man was running still till was gotten into the city of refuge, for it was for his life; so we are unwearied until we meet with Christ (Song of Solomon 3:2).

(d) When they are got into their city of refuge, they stay there; having once taken hold of Christ, they will not quit their holdfast for all the world.

II. For the second branch, "To lay hold upon the hope that is set before us," and you must repeat the word "flying" or "running" again.

1. What is this hope? Hope is put for the thing hoped for, heaven with all the glory thereof; for it is a hope "that lies within the veil (ver. 19), or a hope "laid up for us in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). Mark the double end of him that cometh unto Christ, refuge and salvation; for in Christ there is not only deliverance from pursuing wrath, but eternal life to be found; first we fly from deserved wrath, then we take hold of undeserved glory. This is more easy of the two (Romans 5:10, 11).

2. Why is this hope said to be set before us?

(1) To note the divine institution of this reward; it is not devised by ourselves, but appointed by God.

(2) It is proposed and set before us for our encouragement. As it is said of Christ (chap. 12:2).

(3) What is it to run to take hold of the hope set before us? Sometimes it implieth a challenging it as ours; as 1 Timothy 6:19: "That they may lay hold on eternal life." Here it signifies holding fast, never to let this hope go. It implieth diligence of pursuit, perseverance to the end, and all this upon Christian encouragement.

(a) Diligence in pursuit of eternal life in the heirs of promise. It is expressed by working out our salvation, making it our business (Philippians 2:12). When we will not be put off with anything else, but have heaven or nothing, this is to seek heaven in good earnest.

(b) This flying to take hold of the hope set before us imptorteth perseverance in well doing, notwithstanding the difficulties in the way to heaven.

(c) All this upon Christian encouragements, for the hope that is before them. A man may know much of his spirit by what bears him up, and what is the comfort and solace of his soul (Titus 2:13). Application —

1. Comfort to those that can apply it, even to those who are thus qualified, that are driven and drawn to Christ, and then go on cheerfully with the work of obedience, waiting for their inheritance in heaven.

2. Conviction. It showeth the hardness of their hearts who have neither felt the law work nor the gospel work, but remain like the smith's anvil, softened neither with hammer nor with oil; neither driven by the threatenings of the law, nor drawn with the glad tidings of salvation; neither John nor Jesus worketh on them. Of such Christ speaketh (Matthew 11:17).

3. To persuade you to this temper. Three sorts of people usually we speak to —

(1)  The carnal secure.

(2)  Those that are affected with their condition.

(3)  Those that esteem Christ, and embrace Him. that own Him as ready and willing to save sinners,

(T. Manton, D. D.)

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KJV: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

WEB: In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;