punished for refusing to hear John, when he did hear him or for
refusing to do, what he did do, in compliance with his counsel: Though
he will be condemned as, eventually the murderer of that holy man. His
partial obedience might be extorted by fear; but this is preferable to
disobedience; otherwise fear would not be urged as a motive to
obedience. "Fear him who is able to destroy soul and body in hell."
If preferable to disobedience, a difference will be made between those
who obey from no higher principle, and those who disobey.

Here God certainly makes a difference between them. When Rehoboam
humbled himself in the time of his affliction, "the wrath of the Lord
turned from him that he would not destroy him: And also in Judah
things went well." But his repentance was not unto life. The character
given him at his death is that of a wicked man.

When Ahab, affrighted by the preaching of Elijah, as he was going to
take possession of the vineyard of murdered Naboth, "humbled himself
and walked softly:" God signified his approbation of his legal
repentance and partial amendment, in preference to his former course;
though he afterwards cut him off in his sins.

These are unequivocal evidences that partial obedience, though
dictated by the servile principle of fear, is preferable, in divine
estimation, to allowed disobedience. God makes a difference in his
treatment of people here, on this account: suspends his judgments, and
mitigates somewhat of their severity, where he sees this kind of
relenting in sinners. If God doth this here, is there not reason to
believe that he will do it hereafter: The rules of divine
administration are doubtless uniform in time and eternity. Where he
gives a comparative preference here, he will do the same hereafter.