Ear, si, ‘if,’ a mere conditional, as commonly used. But it is otherwise applied in the New Testament, as Matt. vii. 19, ‘I will follow thee ὅπου cav ἀπερχῃ, whithersoever thou shalt go.’ And ch, xu. 36, ‘every idle word, 6 cav λαλησωσιν οἱ ανϑρωποι; which men shall speak.’ There is no condition or supposition included in these places; but the signification is indefinite; ‘ whosoever, whatsoever, whensoever.’ Such may be the sense of it in this place, which would, as some suppose, remove a difficulty which is cast on the text. For make it to be merely a conditional, and this and the following clause seem to be coincident. If you will hear, that is, obey his voice, harden not your hearts. For to hear the voice of God, and the not hardening of our hearts, are the same. But there is no necessity, as we shall see, to betake ourselves unto this unusual sense of the word.
Tne φωνης αὐτου ἀκουσατε. ‘You will hear bis voice.’ ἽΝ yp2. Wherever this construction of the words doth occur in the Hebrew, that yaw is joined with d:pa, whether it be spoken of God in reference unto the voice of man, or of man in reference unto the voice of God; the effectual doing and accomplishment of the thing spoken of is intended. So Num, xiv. 22. ‘They have tempted me these ten times, ‘Sopa Ἵν xd and have not heard my voice;’ that is, have not yielded obedience to my command. So of God, with reference unto men, Josh. x. 14, ‘There was no day like unto that, before nor after it, we dpa mr ynwd, that the Lord should hearken to the voice of a man;’ that is, effectually to do so great a thing, as to cause the sun and moon to stand still in heaven. So between man and man, Deut. xxi. 18—20; see Matt. xviii. 18, 19. It is frequently observed, that to hear, to hearken, in the Scripture signifies to obey, or to yield obedience to the things heard; as to see doth to understand or believe; and to taste denotes spiritual experience. Words of outward sense being used to express the inward spiritual acts of the mind. Sometimes 1 say it is so, but this phrase is always so used. The Holy Ghost, therefore, herein lays down the duty which: we owe to the word, to the voice of God when we hear it in the way of his appointment; that is, to yield sincere obedience unto it; and the hinderance thereof is expressed in the next words. Now, as this command is translated over into the gospel, as it is by our apostle in the next chapter, it hath respect unto the great precept of hearing and obeying the voice of Christ as the great prophet of the church, given originally, Deut. xviii. 19. “Whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name; (for the Father speaketh in the Son, Heb. i. 1.) I will require it of him,’ Acts ii. 22, which was solemnly again renewed upon his actual exhibition, Matt. xvi. 5, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom 1 am well pleased, hear ye him,’ see 2 Pet.i.17. And he is thereon, as we have seen, compared with Moses in his prophetical office, and preferred above him, John 1. 17, 18.
spa tne φωνης αὐτου᾽ TT dyp, ‘the voice of the Lord,’ is sometimes taken for his power; inasmuch as by his word, as an intimation and signification of the power which he puts forth therein, he created and disposeth of all things. See Ps. xxix. 3, 4, 5, 7,8, 9, where the mighty acts of God’s power and providence are assigned unto his voice. Also, see Mic. vi. 9. Sometimes it is used for the revelation of his will in his commands and promises. This is the Aoyoe προφορικος of God, the word of his will and pleasure. But it is withal certain that dyp and φωνὴ are used principally, if not solely, for a sudden transient voice or speaking. For the word of God as delivered in the Scripture, is ἼΞτ and λογος, sometimes pnua, not dp or φωνη. So the lifting up of the voice amongst men, is to make some sudden outcry, as, ‘They lifted up their voice and wept.’ These words, then, do ordinarily signify a sudden, marvellous speaking of God from heaven, testifying unto any thing. So doth φωνη, Mark i. 11, καὶ φωνὴ eyevero εκ των ουρα- νων, ‘and there was a voice from heaven.’ So Matt. xvit. 5; Luke ii. 22; John xi. 28. HASev ovy φωνη εκ του ουρανου, ‘there came therefore a voice from heaven;? which when the multitude heard, they said, Bpovrny yeyoveva, ‘that it thundered;’ for thunder was called ΣῚΡ ory, ‘the voice of God.’ So the md, ‘the voices,’ Exod. xix. 16, that accompanied the oyna, or ‘ lightenings,’ that is, the thunders that were at the giving of the law, are rendered by our apostle, φωνη ῥη- ματων, Heb. xii. 19; that is, the thunders from heaven which accompanied the words that were spoken; so is φωνη used, Acts x. 13, 15; xxvi. 14, Hence came the ΣῚΡ na Bath kol among the ancient Jews; or, as in the Chaldee xd>p ma, Gen. xxxviii. 26. There came filia vocis, the ‘daughter of the voice’ from heaven. And so the Syriac version in this place, yawn dp ma js, ‘if you will hear the daughter of the voice.’ They called it so, as being an effect or product of the power of God, to cause his mind and will to be heard and understood by it. They thought it was not the voice of God himself immediately, but as it were the echo of it; a secondary voice, the offspring of another, And whereas they acknowledge that after the building of the second temple, the ΣΝ Ὶ2 7M or WPT TM, ‘the spirit of prophecy and of inspiration,’ ceased in their church; they contend that revelations were made by the 510 na, or immediate voice from heaven; though they can instance in none but those which concerned our Saviour, which the apostles declared and made famous, 2 Pet.i. 17. But it may be there 15 that in this tradition which-they understand not. Elias, in his Tishbi, tells us, ΝῪΤ yo Sonn Dp nN pa nn 7 bw Sop ΝΎΤΩ wa map sya, ‘ The Cabalists say, that it is the voice of a property in God, which is called kot, and it may be it is 50.᾽ ‘They have no other way: to express a person in the divine nature, but by ms, a special property. And one of these, they say, is called Kou; that is, ‘the Word,’ the eternal Word or Son of God. His especial speaking is intended in this expression, which is true. So his speaking is called, his speaking from heaven, Heb. xii. 26. Although I deny not but that the immediate speaking of the Father, in reference unto the Son, is sometimes so expressed, Matt. xvii. 5; 2 Pet.i. 17. But an especial extraordinary word is usually intended. So our Saviour tells the Pharisees, that they had not heard την φωνην, the voice of God at any time, nor seen his «doc, ‘ his shape,’ John v. 87. They had heard the voice of God in the reading and preaching of the word; but that was ὁ λογος; ‘his word;’ his φωνην they had not heard. Notwithstanding all their pretences and boastings, they had not at any time extraordinary revelations of God made unto them. For there is an allusion to the revelation of the will of God at Horeb, when his 510 or φωνὴ or voice was heard, and his nx or «doce, his shape appeared, or a miraculous appearance of his presence was made, both now being accomplished in himself in a more eminent manner, as the apostle declares, John 1 16 —18. It is true the Lord Christ calls his ordinary preaching, as we say, viva voce, τὴν φωνην; ‘his voice,’ John x. 5,16, 17. But this he doth because it was extraordinary; his person, work, and call being so. Wherefore the Psalmist in these words, as to the historical and typical intendment of them, recalls the people unto the remembrance and consideration of God’s speaking unto them in the giving of the law at Horeb, and exhorts them unto obedience unto it, formally upon that consideration, namely, that the will of God was uttered unto them in a marvellous and extraordinary manner. And as to the prophetical intendment of it, he intimates another extraordinary revelation of it, to be made by the Messiah, the Son of God. ι ᾿ in this chapter,—every where by Paul, so that it is a word peculiar unto him. Σκληρυνειν τὴν καρδιαν, therefore, ‘to harden the heart,’ in a moral sense, is peculiar to holy writ; and it is ascribed both to God and man, but in different senses, as we shall see afterwards. By this word the apostle expresseth mp, out of the original; that is to be hard, heavy, and also difficult. In Hiphil, it is ‘to harden and make obdurate,’ and is used only in a moral sense. The LXX. render it constantly by oxAnovvw, induro; or βαρυνω, gravo, 1 Kings xu. 4, ‘to harden, or to burden.’ Sometimes it is used absolutely, Job ix. 4, »>x mupr, ‘hardened against him,’ that is, himself, ‘hardened himself against him.’ Oft-times it hath spy, ‘the neck,’ added unto it; mvp soy, Prov. xxix. 1, ‘that stiffeneth or hardeneth his neck.’ As one that goes on resolvedly, as will not so much as turn aside or look back towards any one that calls him. Sometimes it hath rm, ‘the spirit,’ joined to it, Deut. 11. 32, 17> nN mpm, ‘he hardened his spirit.’ But most commonly it hath 125, ‘the heart,’ as here. And it still in man denotes a voluntary perverseness of mind, in not taking notice of, or not applying the soul unto the will of God, as revealed, to do and observe it.
‘Qe ev τῳ παραπικρασμῳ" ‘as in the provocation,’ mamas. The LXX. render this word where it is first used, by λοιδορησις, convitium, ‘a reproaching,’ Exod. xvii. 7; afterwards constantly by avze- λογια, ‘contradiction or contention by words;’ as Num. xx. 13, xxvii. 14; Deut. xxxiii. 8; and no where by παραπίικρασμος, as in this place of the Psalm. Hence, some suppose, it is evident, that the present Greek translation is not the work or endeavour of the same persons, but a Sriram many essays. I rather think, that we have hence a new evidence of the insertion of the apostle’s words into that version. For, as I will not deny, but that the writers of the New Testament might make use of that Greek version of the Old, which was then extant, so that many words and expressions are taken from them, and inserted in tbat which we now enjoy, is too evident for any man of modesty or sobriety to deny. And this word, as here compounded, is scarce used in any other author. Πικρος is ‘ bitter,’ in opposition to γλυκυς, ‘sweet, pleasant;’ that is the proper natural sense of the word. So also of m- κροω and πικραιίνω, ‘to make bitter to the taste or sense;’ but the metaphorical use of these words in a moral sense, is frequent for exacerbo, provoco. The Hebrew bys, is ‘ to stir up to anger, to vex, imbitter, provoke,’ as 1 Sam. i. 6. So παραπίκρασμος must be exacerbatio, provocatio, ‘an imbittering, a provocation to anger by contention.’ mam which here is so rendered, is jurgium, ‘a strife agitated in words;— we render it ‘chiding.’ The story which this principally refers unto, is recorded Exod. xvii. 2—7. ‘And they pitched in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink; wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide you with me, wherefore do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us Ὁ out οἵ Egypt, to kill us and our children, and our cattle, with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people, for they be almost ready to stone me? And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shal] come water out of it that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” Another story to the like purpose we have, of what befel the people in the wilderness of Zin, near forty years afterwards, when in their murmuring for water, another rock was smitten to bring it forth; whereon is added, ‘This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the Lord,’ Num. xx. 13. It is also said on the same occasion, that they chode with Moses, ver. 3.
Kara την ἡμεραν του πειρασμοῦ, TOD DPD, ‘as in the day of Massah, or temptation.’ om from mp3, ‘ to tempt,’ the other name given to the place before mentioned in Exodus; for thence it is that the apostle takes his example, where both the names are mentioned, and where the place is said to be called Meribah and Massah; whereas, in that of Numbers, it is only said, This is the water of Meribah, or strife. And yet it may be not without respect to the latter also. The first instance was at the beginning, the latter at the close of their provocations. As they began, so they ended. This was a remarkable passage between God and that people. For, first, a double name is given to the place where it fell out, ‘ He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,’ Exod. xvii. 7. Meribah, which the apostle renderggrafamtoao- μος, seems principally or first to respect Moses, as the object of it, ver. 2. mn dy Dy aM, ‘and the people chode with Moses.’ Thence had the place the name of chiding; Meribah, from jareb. And God was the immediate object of their temptation. So in the text there is made a distribution of these things distinctly, whence these several names arose. ‘And Moses said unto the people, nx pon ma “tay Pann mn mim, why do you chide with me, (Meribah,) and why do you tempt the Lord, (Massah)?’? For in the same things and words wherein they chode with Moses, they tempted the Lord. And thence the same word of chiding, striving, contending, or provoking, is used in this matter towards the Lord also, Num. xx. 19, mm nx 105, ‘they strove or chode with the Lord.’
Secondly. This matter as a thing exceedingly remarkable, is often called over and remembered again in the Scripture. Sometimes on the part of the people; and that, 1. “Ὁ reproach and burden them with their sins;,as Deut. ix. 22,“ And at Massah ye provoked the Lord to wrath:᾿ and sometimes, 2. To warn them of the like miscarriages, ch. vi. 16, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your pe te you tempted him at Massa.’ So also in the xcvth Psalm, from-whence the apostle takes these words. Again, it is remembered-as an instance of the faithfulness of Levi, who clave to God in those trials, Deut. xxxii. 8, ‘ And of Levi he said, Let thy Thymmim and. thy Urim be with thy
holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah.’
The mercy likewise that ensued, in giving them waters from the rock, is frequently celebrated, Deut. viii. 15; Ps. Ixxviil. 15, 16, ev. 41; Neh. ix. 15. Moreover in this rock of Horeb, lay hid a spiritual rock, as our apostle tells us, 1 Cor. x. 4, even Christ the Son of God, who being smitten with the rod of Moses, or the stroke and curse of the law administered by him, gave out waters of life freely to all that thirst and come unto him. In this matter therefore is comprehended a great instance of providence, and a great mystery of grace. But yet notwithstanding all this, although the special denomination of the sin of the people be taken from that instance of Exodus xvii., yet the expressions are not to be confined or appropriated only thereunto, For the particular provocation, on which God sware against them that they should not enter into his rest, fell out afterwards, Num. xiv., as we shall see in our progress. But this is eminently referred unto, 1. Because it was upon the very entrance of that course of provoking, which they constantly persisted in until they were consumed. 2. Because of the signal and significant miracles and works which God wrought thereon.
Ἐν ἐρημῳ, 12722, ‘in the desert or wilderness,’ namely of Midian, whereinto that people entered upon their coming through the sea. In their way towards Horeb, their fourth station was at Rephidim, where the things fell out before recounted. So they received refreshment in a type from the spiritual rock, some days before the giving of the fiery law.
Οὗ επειρασαν pe, 82102 TWN. WS is referred both to time and _ place, as well as persons. We render it ov here, ‘ when your fathers tempted me:’ and so wx in the Psalm; referring what is spoken to the time mentioned, or the day of temptation. So the Syriac, ‘in which day.’ The Vul. Lat. ubi, ‘ where,’ that is, in the desert, at Meribah or Massa. And this is the proper signification of the word. Nor is either οὗ or που, the interrogative, ever used in any good authors to denote time, but place only. ‘ Where; that is, 727702, “ in the wilderness,’ where they tempted God, and saw his works forty years.
Οἱ πατερες Yuwy, DINAN, ‘ your fathers, or forefathers,’ rpoyovor, ‘ progenitors,’ 2 Tim. i. 3. So is πατερες often used, and max most frequently; although in one place ΘΝ be added, D2wN7 Bmax, Jer. xi. 10, ‘the first springs and heads of any nation or family;’ the whole congregation in the wilderness whose posterity they were.
Εδοκίμασαν με; “2272, ‘ proved me.’ This word is seldom used in an ill sense, as the former is almost continually. ὙΠ, is to have experience, upon search, investigation, and trial, Psal. cexxxix. 23. The experience therefore that they had of the power of God upon their temptations, is that which by this word is intended: ‘ They proved me,’ and found by trial that I was in the midst of them.;
etiamsi, ‘ although;’ ‘ they tempted me, and proved me, although they saw my works.’ And so these words are placed as an aggravation of their sin in tempting of God, distrusting of him after they had had such experience of his power and goodness, in those mighty works of his which they saw. But the order of things also seems to be intended. First. They tempted God—‘they tempted me.’ Then they had an experience of his power— they proved me,’ and that by the production of his mighty works which they saw. For generally all the works of God in the wilderness, whether of mercy or judgment, were consequents of, or ensued upon the people’s tempting of him. Such was his bringing water out of the rock, sending of quails and manna. The people murmured, chode, strove, tempted; then the power of God was manifested, and the works wrought which they saw. So were the judgments that he wrought and executed on Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; on the spies that brought up an evil report on the land, with those that adhered unto them; this order and method of things is here expressed. They tempted God by their complaints, repinings, murmurings, seditions, unbelief, weariness of their condition, with impatient desires and wishings after other things. Hereupon they had frequent trials of the power, care, and faithfulness of God, as also of his holiness, and indignation against their sins. All these were made manifest in the mighty works of providence, in mercies, and in judgments which he wrought amongst them, and which they saw. They had them not by report or tradition, but saw them with their own eyes, which was a great aggravation of their unbelief. Jarchi refers this to the works of God in Egypt only; but this is contrary to our apostle, although they are not to be excluded. Num. xiv. 22, ‘They have seen my glory, and my miracles, (my glorious works,) which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness.’
Τεσσαρακοντα ern, ‘forty years.’ Here the apostle finisheth the sense of the words, referring them to what goes before. ‘They saw my works forty years.’ The Psalmist, as was before observed, placeth these words in the beginning of the next verse, and makes them to respect the season of God’s indignation against them for their sins; TW Dyann, ‘ forty years was I grieved.’ By the apostle, the space of time mentioned is applied unto the people’s seeing of the works of God; by the Psalmist, to God’s indignation against them. - And these things being absolutely commensurate in their duration, it is altogether indifferent to which of them the limitation of time specified, 1s formally applied. And the apostle shows it to be indifferent, in that in the 17th verse of this chapter, he applies the space of time unto God’s being grieved with them; as here, unto the people’s sin. With whom was he grieved forty years? Only it may be the apostle made this distinction of the words, to intimate that the wrath of God against the entering of that people into his rest, was not made after the end of forty years, as the order of the words in the Psalm seems to import. ‘ Forty years was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways; ‘unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.’ They seem to intimate, that God thus sware in his wrath,-after he had been grieved with them forty years. But they do but seem so; really they only declare, that it was the same people with whom he was grieved, concerning whom he sware. For the oath of God here intended, is that mentioned, Num. xiv.20—23. The people falling into a high sedition, and murmuring upon the report of the spies that were sent to search the land, the Lord sware by himself, that that whole generation should wander forty years in that wilderness, until they were all consumed. Now this was upon the next year after their coming up out of Egypt, and after which the forty years of their provocation and God’s indignation ensued. But these things as to time, were of the same duration. The people came out of Egypt, and entered into the wilderness in the first month of the year. At the end of the fortieth year, from their coming out of Egypt, the eleventh month of it, is issued the history of three of the books of Moses, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. In the last month of that year, Moses reviewed and repeated the whole law, the dealing of God, and sins of the people, as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy. About the end of that month, as is probable, he died, and was lamented thirty days, or all the first month of the forty-first year. After which, about three or four days,-the people prepared to pass over Jordan, under the conduct of Joshua, Josh. 1. 11. This was the space of time mentioned, containing as wonderful issues, and successes of things, as ever befel the church of God in the like space of time. Every year in the whole forty, was full of instances of the people’s sins, provocations, temptations, and unbelief; and every year also was filled with tokens of God’s displeasure and indignation, until the close of the whole dispensation came, wherein that generation that came out of Egypt under Moses was consumed, and the indignation of God rested in their consumption. And it is not unlikely but that the apostle reminds the Hebrews of this space of time, granted unto their forefathers in the wilderness, after their coming up out of Egypt, with their abuse of it; because a like space of time was now in the patience of God allotted unto the whole church and people of the Jews, between the preaching of Christ, and that wasting destruction that was to come upon them, And according to this type it fell out with them. For, as after their forefathers who came up under Moses out of Egypt, were consumed in forty years in the wilderness, a new church, a new generation, under the conduct of Joshua, entered into the rest of God; so within forty years after the preaching of spiritual deliverance unto them, which was rejected by them, that whole generation was cut off in the wrath of God, and a new church of Jews and Gentiles, under the conduct of the true Joshua, enters into the rest of God,
Διο rp0aw Sica, ‘ wherefore I was grieved,’ The apostle here alters the tenor of the discoursejin the psalmist, by interposing a reference unto the cause of Gad’s being grieved with the people, in the word διο, ‘ wherefore;’ that is, because of their manifold temptations and provocations, not cured, not healed, although for so long a season they beheld his works. They continued in the same kind of sins, on the account whereof God was first provoked, and sware against their entering into the land. For as we have before observed, the oath of God passed against them at the beginning of the forty years. But they abiding obstinately in the same sins, the execution of that oath had respect unto all their provocations during the whole forty years. Ilpocwy Sica, “1 was grieved.’ This word is supposed peculiar to the Hellenistical Jews, nor doth it occur in any other author, but only in the Greek version of the Old Testament. Nor is it used by the LXX. in any place to express uyp, the word here used in the original, but they render it by cauvw, exrnw, and κοτεω. In the New Testament, it is used only in this place, and thence transferred into the psalm, It is generally thought to be derived from oxSn or οχϑος, ‘the bank of a river, a rising hill or ridge by the water’s side.” Thence is oySew, to be ‘ offended,’ to bear a thing difficultly, with tediousness, and vexation, so as to rise up with indignation against it, like the ground that riseth against the waters: προσοχϑιζω 15 the same, with an addition of sense, ‘ to be greatly grieved.’ And this word, to be ‘ grieved,’ is ambiguous even in our language: for it either is as much as dolore affici, to be affected with sorrow and grief, or a being wearied accompanied with indignation; as we say, such or such a thing is grievous, that is, grave, molestum, or ‘ troublesome.’ And so is the word here used, ‘ grieved,’ that is burdened and provoked, offended. So Hierome, Displicuit mihi generatio ista, ‘ displeased me;’ Pertuli eam, sed non sine teedio, ‘I bare them, but not without wearisomeness.’ Symmachus and Aquila render the original word by δυσαρεστεω to be displeased.
wIpN: wp is a word often used and of an ambiguous signification, ‘to cut off, to contend, to abominate, (hence by the Arabic it is rendered ‘cursed them,’) to be divided with trouble, offence, weariness, and grief.’ It is commonly in the feminine gender, and joined with ‘wpa, ‘my soul,’ or Ὅτ, ‘my life.” This is the intendment of it; the appointed time of God’s patience was worn out with their continued provocations, so that he was wearied with them, and weary of them he could bear them no longer. *
The Vulgar Latin, in some copies, reads, Proximus fui huic generationi, ‘ I was near to this generation.’ And so are the words still in some of the Roman offices. Some think that countenance is given hereto by the sense of the word zpocw Sioa, which may signify, accedere or proximare ad ripam animo hostili, ‘to draw near toa shore, a bank, with a hostile mind.’
Now, it doth not denote only that particular provocation, when God in an especial manner entered his caveat against them, that they should not enter into his rest, seeing not only the psalmist in this place, but also our apostle, ver. 17, directly refers it to the frame of his mind towards them, during the whole forty years. He was wearied by them, and grew weary of them.
'Γῃ yeveg exervy, ‘that generation,’ 12, ‘in the generation,’ that is, ‘with that generation.’ 7, is an age of man, or rather the men of one age; Eccl. i. 4, ‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh;’ that is, the men of one age. See Deut. xxxil. 7. So is yeven; as in Homer’s Iliad, γ΄.
And when it is taken for etas or seculum, it doth not primarily intend a duration of time, but the persons living at that time. Herodotus in Euterpe, reckons thirty years to a yevea, a generation. So doth Plutarch also in De Defect. Oraculorum. The generation here denotes no limited season, but compriseth all the persons that came up out of Egypt above twenty years of age, who all died within the space of forty years afterwards.
Act πλανωνται τῇ καρδίᾳ; “ They always err in heart;’ om 2a5 ‘yn by, ‘They are a people erring in heart.’, The words of the psalmist are somewhat changed by the apostle, but the sense is absolutely the same; for taking the people to be sufficiently signified, he adds a word to denote the constant course of their provocations; always, on all occasions, in every trial, not in any one condition did they give glory to God, neither in their straits nor in their deliverances, neither in their wants nor in their fulness, but continually tempted and provoked him with their murmurings and unbelief. ὉΠ aa5 ‘yn by, Populus errantes corde, or errantium corde, that is, populus vecors, ‘a foolish, unteachable people.’ yn, is most usually so to err, as to wander out of the way, Isa, liii.6; Gen. xxxvii. 15; Prov. viil.25, And in Hiphel, it is to cause to err or wander, to seduce, to draw aside, Hos. iv. 12; Isa. xix. 13. It is properly rendered by wAavaw and πλαναομαι, which have both a neuter and an active signification, ‘to err, to wander,’ and ‘to seduce, or draw aside;? whence zAavoe is erro, vagabundus, ‘a wanderer, a vagabond;’ and also deceptor, seductor, impostor, ‘a se~ ducer, a deceiver, or impostor.’ In both which senses the Jews blasphemously applied it unto our Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. xxvii. 63. The words then denote not a speculative error of the mind, a mistake or misapprehension of what was proposed unto them, in which sense the terms of error and erring are most commonly used; but a practical aberration or wandering by choice from the way of obedience made known unto them; and therefore are they said ‘to err in their heart,’ 7 καρδίᾳ. For though that be commonly taken in the Scripture for the entire principle of moral operations, and so compriseth the mind and understanding, yet when an immediate respect is had unto duties and sins, it hath an especial regard to the affections and desires of the heart; so that to err in heart, is through the seductions and impulsions of corrupt affections, to have the mind and judgment corrupted, and then to depart from the ways of obedience,
Aurot δὲ οὐκ eyvwoav τας ὅδους pov, ‘And they have not known my ways τ᾿ ‘saTwrxdom. The apostle renders 1 by δὲ, an adversative, ‘but, which is frequently used for καὶ, ‘and,’ as it is rendered by ours. Yet an opposition may also be intimated, ‘They have not known.’ It is said before that they saw the works of God, which were parts of his ways; and his laws were made known unto them. Of these two parts do his ways consist. ‘The ways of his providence, and the ways of his commands; or the ways wherein he walketh towards us, and the ways wherein he would have us walk towards him. And yet it is said of this people, that they knew not his ways. As we said therefore before concerning their error, so must we now say concerning their ignorance, that it is not a simple nescience that is intended, but rather an affected dislike of what they did see and know. It seems to be made up of two parts. First. They did not so spiritually and practically know the mind, will, and intention of God in them, as thereon to believe in him, to trust him, and to honour him. This is the knowledge of God, which is required in the law, and promised in the covenant. Secondly. In that light and knowledge which they had of the ways of God, they liked them not, they approved them not, they delighted not in them. And this is the constant intention of that word ‘to know,’ where the object of it is God, his ways, or his will.
‘Qe wuoca ev τῇ opyy pov’ ‘So I sware in my wrath:’ ΡΞ ἭΝ. The use of the word ἭΝ is so various, as that it may denote either the persons spoken unto, or the reason of the things spoken. The Vulgar Latin, in some copies, reads in this place, quibus, ‘to whom, as though it had taken we for οἷς, but commonly sicut; we is often put for wore, quapropter, ‘so that.” So Beza, ‘ whereupon, for which cause or reason;’ the consideration of the state, condition, and multiplied miscarriages of that people that came out of Egypt.
“1 sware. Of the oath of God, and his swearing, we must deal afterwards expressly. The declared unalterable purpose of God, about the dying of that people in the wilderness, expressed in the way of an oath, is that which is intended. And God is said to swear in his wrath, because he declared that purpose of his under a particular provocation. ‘The whole matter is recorded, Numb. xiv. 21—23, and ver. 28—35. ‘ But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men which have seen m glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will | do to you: your carcases shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I| sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander im the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, (each day for a year,) shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, [ will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’
We have here the special occasion of this swearing of God. The whole fabric of the ark and tabernacle being finished, the worship of God established, the law and rules of their polity being given unto them, and a blessed frame of government in things sacred and civil set up amongst them, their military camp, charge, and order in marching, to avoid emulation and confusion, being disposed, all things seemed to be ina great readiness for the entrance of the people into the promised land. Whereas they were but a confused multitude when they came out of Egypt, God had now formed them into a beautiful order both in church and state; this he insists on in his dealings with them, Ezek. xvi. Why should they now stay any longer in that wilderness, which was neither meet to entertain them, nor designed for their habitation? Wherefore, to prepare a way for their entrance into Canaan, spies are sent by God’s direction, with excellent instructions, to search out the land, Numb. xiii. 17—20. Upon their return, the peevish, cowardly, unbelieving multitude, terrified with a false report which they made, fall into an outrageous repining against God, and sedition against their ruler.
Hereupon the Lord, wearied as it were with their continued provocations, and especially displeased with their last, whereby they had, as far as lay in them, frustrated his intentions towards them, threatened to consume the people as one man, ver. 12, But Moses pleading with him the interest of his own name and glory, prevailed to divert the execution of that commination. And yet so great was this provocation, and so absolutely had the people of that generation discovered themselves to be every way unfit to follow the Lord in that great work; that to show the greatness of their sin, and the irrevocableness of his purpose, he sware with great indignation concerning them, in manner and form above declared.
Ex εἰσελευσονται, ‘If they shall enter;’ so in the Hebrew PND ON: ‘If they shall enter’ So frequently in the place of Numbers from whence the story is taken. The expression 1s imperfect, and _ relates to the oath of God wherein he sware by himself. As if he had said, ‘Let me not live, or not be God, if they enter,’ which is the greatest and highest asseveration that they should not enter. And the concealment of the engagement is not, as some suppose, from a zaSoc causing an abruptness of speech, but from the reverence of the person spoken of. The expression is perfectly and absolutely negative. So Mark viii. 12, with Matt. xvi, 4; I Sam. xiv. 44; 1 Kings xx. 10.
Εἰς την καταπαυσιν pov, “ Into my rest.’ The pronoun my is taken either efficiently or subjectively. If in the first way, the rest that God would give this people is intended; they shall not enter into the Jand which 1 promised to give unto Abraham and his seed, as a state of rest, after all their wanderings and peregrinations upon my call and command, Or it may be expounded subjectively, for the rest of God himself, that is, the place wherein he would fix his worship and therem rest. And this seems to be the proper meaning of the word ‘ my rest;’ that is the place where I will rest, by establishing my worship therein. Hence this was the solemn word of blessing at the moving of the Ark of God. ‘Arise, O Lord, into thy rest,’ so Psalm exxxil. 8; 2 Chron. vi. 41. ‘A place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob,’ Ps. exxxii. 5. So he calls his worship his rest, and the place of his rest, Isa. xi. 10, Ixvi. 1.
And the Targumist renders these words, ‘ Into the rest of the house of my sanctuary,’ as he speaks elsewhere. ‘ This is my rest for ever,’ which place is cited by Rashi on these words.
Ver. 7—11.— Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their hearts: but my ways they have not known. So I sware in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest.;
Tue exhortation is here pursued which was engaged into at the beginning of the chapter, and which after some diversion is returned to at the close of the sixth verse. The argument whereby it is confirmed and carried on in these words, is taken ab eventu pernicioso, ‘from the pernicious event’ of similar disobedience in others, which the Hebrews are dehorted from. And this the apostle shows by an eminent instance, or the induction of an example to that purpose. And this was such, as those to whom he wrote knew to be so as it was by him reported; which they had special reason to attend to and consider; which had formerly been recommended to them; and which was purposely designed to be monitory to them in their present condition: which things render an example cogent and effectual. Known it was to them, as being recorded in the Scripture, wherewith they were acquainted; and it was likewise of near concernment to them, so deserving their consideration, inasmuch as it was their own progenitors or forefathers who so miscarried, as to be therein proposed to them for an example of an evil to be avoided. It had also, after the first recording of it in the history of the times wherein it fell out, Numb. xiv., been resumed and recommended to their most diligent consideration, Ps. xcv. And as he afterwards informs them, there was a prophecy infolded, or a typical representation made of their present state and condition, with directions for their wise and safe deportment under it. All these things render the example proper, and the exhortation from it cogent.
Now whereas the example had been twice recorded, once materially where the fact is first expressed, and then formally as an example, where it is resumed and improved by the Psalmist; our apostle takes it together with its improvement, out of the latter place. It lies, therefore, before us under both considerations, as a fact recorded by Moses, as an example pressed by the Psalmist.
First. The note of inference, wherein the apostle engageth the whole to his purpose, ‘ wherefore.’:
Secondly. The manner in which he introduces this persuasive example, both as to the fact and as to its former improvement, “as the Holy Ghost saith.’
First. The general matter of it, which is obedience to God; expressed,
lst. By a supposition, including a positive assertion of the duty especially intended, ‘If you will hear his voice.’
Secondly. There is in the words, the example itself on which the exhortation is built or founded, and this consists of these two parts or branches,
1. The persons sinning: they were the fathers. The fathers or progenitors of them to whom he wrote, ‘ your fathers,’ illustrated by their multitude; they were a whole generation.
(2.) Temptation of God, ‘ And in the day of temptation they tempted me and proved me.’
(2.) From the means of the contrary which they had to have preserved them from it. They saw the works of God, ‘and saw my works.’
(9.) From the duration and continuance of their sinning, and the means of the contrary, ‘ forty years.’
Secondly. The punishment of this sin is expressed in the pernicious event that ensued; whence the exhortation is taken, and therein expressed.
I. The causa procatarctica, or ‘ procuring cause,’ in the sense that God had of their sin; it grieved him, ‘ wherefore I was grieved with that generation.’
II. In the expression that he made of it, containing a double aggravation of their sin,;
2. In their continuance in it; they did so always, ‘ And said, They do always err in their hearts.’
ΠῚ. There is the causa proegoumena, or ‘producing cause, of the punishment mentioned, in the resolution that God took and expressed concerning the persons sinning, which also hath a double aggravation,
1. From the manner of his declaring this resolution, he did it by an oath, ‘unto whom I sware.’
2. From the frame of his spirit, it was in his wrath, ‘ Unto whom I sware in my wrath.’
The punishment of the sin itself is expressed negatively, ‘If they shall enter into my rest,’ that is, they shall not do so.
2. From the object, that was the rest of God, ‘they shall not enter into my rest.’
We have so particularly insisted on the opening of the words of this paragraph, that we may be the more brief in the ensuing exposition of the design and sense of them, wherein also we shall interpose the observations that are to be improved in our own practice.
First. The illative wherefore, as was observed, denotes both the deduction of the ensuing exhortation from the preceding discourse, and the application of it unto the particular duty which he enters upon ver. 12. Wherefore, that is, seeing the Lord Christ who is the author of the gospel is in his legatine or prophetical office, preferred far above Moses in the work of the house of God, as being the Son and Lord over that house as his own, wherein Moses was a servant only; let us consider what duty is incumbent on us, especially how careful and watchful weought to be, that we be not by any means diverted or turned aside from that obedience which he requires, and which on all accounts is due unto him. This he pursues ver. 11, where the hyperbaton that is in these words is issued.—Hence observe, that
Obs. I. No divine truth, when it is delivered, ought to be passed by, without manifesting its use, and endeavouring its improvement unto holiness and obedience.
So soon as the apostle had evinced his proposition concerning the excellency of Christ in his prophetical office, he turns himself unto the application of it unto them that are concerned in it. Divine knowledge is like a practical science; the end of all whose principles and theorems is in their practice; take that away and it is of nouse. It is our wisdom and understanding how to live unto God. To that purpose are all the principles, truths, and doctrines of it to be improved. If this be not done in the teaching and learning of it, we fight uncertainly as men beating the air.
Obs. IT. Secondly, in times of temptations and trials, arguments, and exhortations unto watchfulness against sin, and constancy in obedience, are to be multiplied in number, and pressed with wisdom, earnestness, and diligence.—Such was the season now with these Hebrews. They were exposed to great trials and temptations. Seduction on the one hand by false teachers, and persecution on the other hand by wrathful adversaries, closely beset them. The apostle, there- - fore, in his dealing with them adds one argument unto another, and pursues them all with pathetical exhortations. Men are often almost unwilling to be under this advantage, or they quickly grow weary of it. Hence our apostle closeth this hortatory epistle with that entreaty, chap. xii. 22, ‘ Suffer the word of exhortation.’ He was afraid they « might have bethought themselves over-burdened with exhortations. And this befals men on three accounts.
1. When they are grieved by their multiplication, as if they proceeded from a jealousy concerning their sincerity and integrity; so was it it with Peter, John xxii. 17.
2. On a confidence of their own strength which they would not have suspected; as with the same Peter, Matt. xxvi. 33.
3. From a secret inclination lying against the thing exhorted unto, or to the thing exhorted from.
But these are the ordinances of God for our preservation in such a condition. And these our necessities in it do call for. And pregnant instances hereof are given by our apostle, especially in this epistle and in that unto the Galatians, whose condition was the same with that of these Hebrews. Both of them were in danger of being seduced from the simplicity of the gospel, by inveterate prejudices, and the subtilty of false teachers. Both of them were encompassed with dangers, and exposed unto persecutions. He understood their temptations and saw their dangers. And with what wisdom, variety of arguments, expostulations, exhortations, and awakening reproofs, doth he deal with them! what care, tenderness, compassion, and love do appear in them all! In nothing did the excellency of his spirit more evidence itself, than in his jealousy concerning, and tender care for, them that were in such ἃ condition. And herein the Lord Christ set him forth for an example, unto all those to whom the work of the ministry and dispensation of the gospel should afterwards be committed. In this care and watchfulness lies the very life and soul of their ministry. Where this is wanting, whatever else be done, there is but the carcass, the shadow of it.
This then is of excellent use; provided, 1. That the arguments on which it proceeds be solid and firm, (such asin this case are everywhere laid down by our apostle,) that our foundation fail us not in our work, Earnest exhortations on feeble principles, have more of noise than weight. When there is an aim of reaching men’s affections, without possessing their minds with the due reasons of the things treated about, it proves mostly evanid, and that justly.
2. That the exhortation itself be grave and weighty. Duty ought to be clothed with words of wisdom, such as may not by their weakhess, unfitness, uncomeliness, betray the matter intended, and expose it to contempt or scorn. Hence the apostle requires a singular ability unto the duty of admonition, Rom. xy. 14. “ Filled withall knowledge, and able to admonish one another.’
3. That the love, care and compassion of them who manage such exhortations and admonitions be in them made to appear. Prejudices are the bane and ruin of mutual warnings. And these nothing can remove but a demonstration of love, tenderness, and compassion, acting themselves in them. Morose,:peevish, wrathful admonitions, as they bring guilt upon the admonisher, so they seldom free the admonished from any. This course therefore, the condition of them that are tempted, who are never in more danger, than when they find not a necessity of frequent warnings and exhortations, and the duty of those who watch for the good of the souls of men, require to be diligently attended unto.
Secondly. The manner of the introduction of the persuasive example proposed, is to be considered, ‘As saith the Goly Ghost.’ The words are the words of the Psalmist, but are here ascribed unto the
Holy Ghost. Our apostle, as other divine writers of the New Testament, useth his liberty in this matter; sometimes they ascribe the words they cite out of the Old Testament unto the penmen of them; as to Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the like, Luke xxiv. 27; Matt. ii. 17, iv. 14; John xii. 41; Actsii. 25. Sometimes tothe books wherein they are written, ‘ As it is written in the book of the Psalms,’ Acts i. 20. And sometimes they ascribe them unto the principal author, namely the Holy Ghost, as in this place. Now as they used their liberty herein, so it is not to be supposed that they fixed on any particular expression, without some especial reason for it. And the ascribing of the words of the Psalmist in this place immediately unto the Holy Ghost, by whom he was inspired and acted, seems to have been to remind the Hebrews directly of his authority. His intention from the words was, to press a practical duty upoh them. In reference unto such duties the mind ought to be immediately inflamed by the authority of him that requires it. Consider, saith he, that these are the words of the Holy Ghost; that is, of God himself,so that you may submit yourselves to his authority. Besides, the apostle intends to manifest that those words have respect unto the times of the gospel and in an especial manner unto that season of it which was then passing over the Hebrews. He therefore minds them that they were given out by the spirit of prophecy, so that the concernments of the church in all ages must lie in them. The Holy Ghost saith, that is, as he spake to them of old inand by David, as it is expressed ch.iv.7. So he continues to speak them unto us in the Scripture, which is not only his word, but his voice, his speaking, living, and powerful voice; for so we may comprise both senses before mentioned.
Obs. III. Exhortations unto duty ought to be well-founded, to be built on a stable foundation, and to be resolved into an authority, which may influence the consciences of them to whom they do belong.— Without this, they will be weak and enervous; especiaily if the duties exhorted unto be difficult, burdensome, or any way grievous. Authority is the formal reason of duty. When God gave out his law of commandments, he prefaced it witha signification of his sovereign authority over the people: ‘Iam the Lord thy God,’ And this is our duty in giving out exhortations and commands from him. The engagement of his authority in them, is to be manifested. ‘Teach men, saith our Saviour, ‘ to do and observe whatsoever I command,’ Matt. xxviii. 20. His commands are to be proposed to them, and his authority in them to be applied unto their souls and consciences. To exhort men in the tiings of God, and to say this or that man saith so, be he the pope or who he will, is of no use or efficacy. That which you are to*attend unto, is what the Holy Ghost saith, whose authority the souls of men are every way bound to obey.
Obs. IV. Whatever was given by inspiration from the Holy Ghost and is recorded in the Scripture for the use of the church, he continues therein to speak it to us, unto this day. As he lives for ever, so he continues to speak for ever; that is, whilst his voice or word shall be of use to the church. As the Holy Ghost says, that is, speaks now unto us; and where doth he speak it? in the ninety-fifth Psalm: there he says it, or speaks it unto us. Many men have invented several ways to lessen the authority of the Scripture; and few are willing to acknowledge an immediate speaking of God unto them therein. Various pretences are used to subduct the consciences of men from a sense of his authority in it. Butwhatever authority, efficacy, or power the word of God was accompanied withal, whether to evidence itself so to be, or otherwise to affect the minds of men unto obed lence, when it was first spoken by the Holy Ghost, the same it retains now it is recorded in Scripture, seeing the same Holy Ghost yet continues to speak therein. hae
Thirdly. There is in the word the matter of the exhortation intended; that which it aims atand intends. This in general is obedience unto God, answerable unto the revelation which he makes of himself and his will unto us. And this is, nt;
First. Expressed in a supposition including a positive assertion of it, ‘If you will hear his voice.’ It is your duty so to do, and this is that which you are exhorted unto.
The voice of God is ordinarily the word of his command, the voice or signification of his will, which is the rule of all our duty and obedience. 2. In this place, as commonly elsewhere, not the word of command in general is intended, but an especial call or voice of God in reference unto some especial duty, at some especial season. Such was the voice cf God to the people in the wilderness at the giving of the law, which the people heard and saw the effects of. Hence is the command translated to the voice of God, in giving out the gospel by the ministry of his Son Jesus Christ. From the former is the occasion of the words taken in the Psalm, and to the latter isthe application of it made by the apostle. 3. The Psalmist speaks to the people, as if the voice of God were then sounding in their ears. For that which was once the voice of God unto the church, being recorded in the Scripture, continues still to be so. That is, it is not only materially his revealed will and command, but it is accompanied with that special impression of his authority which it was at first attested withal. And on this ground all the miracles wherewith the word of old was confirmed, are of the same validity and efficacy towards us, as they were towards them that saw them; namely, because of the sacredness of the means whereby they are communicated to us.
This then is the object of the duty exhorted unto, the voice of God, which, as it is used by the apostle, is extended virtually and consequentially to the whole doctrine of the gospel, but with especial respect to the revelation of it by Christ Jesus. As in the Psalm it regards the whole doctrine of the law, but with especial regard unto the delivery of it to Moses on Mount Sinai. The act exerciséd about it is hearing, ‘If you will hear his voice.’ The meaning of this word hath been before explained: it is an act of the whole soul, in understanding, choosing, and resolving to do the will of God declared by his voice, that is intended. And this further appears from the ensuing charge, ‘If you will hear, harden not your hearts;’ that is, If you think meet to obey the voice of God, if you will choose so to do, take heed of that which would certainly be an hindrance thereof.
Obs. V. The formal reason of all, our obedience consists in its relation to the voice or authority of God. So therefore doth the apostle _ express it, so is it declared in the whole Scripture. If we do the things that are commanded, but not with respect to the authority of God, by whom they are commanded, what we so do is not obedience, properly so called. It hath the matter of obedience in it, but the formal reason of it, that which should render it properly so, which is the life and soul of it, it hath not. What is so done is but the carcass of duty no way acceptable unto God. God is to be regarded as our sovereign Lord and only Lawgiver in all that we have to do with him. Hereby are our souls to be influenced unto duty in general, and unto every especial duty in particular. This reason are we tu render to ourselves and others, of all the acts of our obedience. If it be asked, why we do such or such a thing: we answer, Because we must obey the voice of God. And many advantages we have by a constant attendance unto the authority of God in all that we do in his worship ~ and service. For, 1. This will keep us unto the due rule and compass of duty, whilst we are steered in that we do hereby. We cannot undertake or perform any thing as a duty towards God which is not so, and which therefore is rejected by him, where he saith, ‘ Who hath required these things at your hands.’ This is no small advantage in the course of our obedience. We see many taking a great deal of pains in the performances of such duties, as being not appointed of God, are neither accepted with him, nor will ever turn unto any good account unto their own souls. Had they kept upon their consciences a due sense of the authority of God, so as to do nothing but with respect thereunto, they might have been freed from their labouring in the fire, where all must perish, Mic. vi. 7—9. Such are most of the works wherein the Papists boast. 2. This also will not suffer us to omit any thing that God requires of us. Men are apt to divide and choose in the commands of God, to take and leave as it seems good unto them, or as serves their present occasion and condition. But this also is inconsistent with the nature of obedience, allowing the formal reason of it to consist in a due respect unto the voice of God. For this extends to all that is so, and only to what is so. So James informs us, that all our obedience respects the authority of the Lawgiver, whence an universality of obedience to all his commands doth necessarily ensue. Nor doth the nature of any particular sin consist so much in respect to this or that particular precept of the law, which is transgressed or violated by it, as in a contempt of the Lawgiver himself; whence every sin becomes a transgression of the whole law, James ii. 9—11. 3. This will strengthen and fortify the soul against all dangers, difficulties, and temptations that oppose it in the way of its obedience. The mind that is duly affected with a sense of the authority of God in what it is to do, will not be territa monstris. It will not be frightened or deterred by any thing that lies in its way. It will have a readiness wherewith to answer all objections, and oppose all contradictions. And this sense of the authority of God, requiring our obedience, is no less a gracious effect of the Spirit, than is that freedom, and cheerfulness, and alacrity of mind, which in these things we receive from him.
Obs. VI. Every thing in the commands of God, relating to the manner of giving them out, and communicating them unto us, is to be retained in our minds, and considered as present unto us. The Psalmist, after so long a season as the apostle speaks, calls the people to hear the voice of God, as it sounded on Mount Sinai, at the giving of the law. Not only the law itself, and the authority of God therein, but the manner also of its delivery by the great and terrible voice of God, is to be regarded, as if God did still continue so to speak unto us. So also is it in respect of the gospel. In the first revelation of it, God spake immediately in the Son; and a reverence of that speaking of God in Christ, of his voice in and by him, are we continually to maintain in our hearts. So in the dispensation of the gospel, he continues yet to speak from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. It is his voice and word unto us, no less than it was when in his own person he spake on the earth. And God being thus both in his commands, and in the manner of his giving them out, rendered present unto us by faith, we shall receive a great incitation unto obedience thereby.
Obs. VII. Consideration and choice are a stable and permanent foundation of obedience. The command of God is here proposed unto the people, to their understanding to consider it, to their wills to choose and embrace it: ‘If you will hear his voice.’ Consider all things, all concerns of this matter, whose command it is, in what manner given, what is the matter of it, and what are its ends, and what is our own concern in all this. Men that are engaged into some course of obedience or profession, as it were by chance, or by their minds being merely pre-occupied by education or custom, will leave it by chance, or a powerful diversion at any time. Those who are only compelled unto it by some pungent galling convictions, so that they yield obedience, not because they like it, or choose it, but because they dare not do otherwise, do assuredly lose all respect unto it, as their convictions do by any means wear off or decay.
A deliberate choice of the ways of God upon a due consideration of all their concerns, is that which unchangeably fixeth the soul unto obedience. For the strongest obligations that are unto it, ought to be in our own wills. And it is the most eminent effect of the grace of Christ, to make his people willing in the day of his power, nor is any other obedience acceptable with God, Rom. xu. 1.
Secondly. The apostle carries on, and enforceth his exhortation unto obedience, in the words of the Psalmist, by a caution against, or prohibition of the contrary, or that which would utterly prevent it, as haying done so formerly in others: ‘Harden not your hearts.’ To clear his intention herein, we must inquire, 1. What is intended by heart; and, 2. What by the hardening of it. The heart in the Scripture, spoken of in reference unto moral obedience, doth not constantly denote any one especial faculty of the soul, but sometimes one, sometimes another, is intended and expressed thereby. What is peculiarly designed, the subject-matter treated of, and the adjuncts of of the word, will discover. Thus sometimes the heart is said to be wise, understanding, to devise, to be filled with counsel; and on the other side, to be ignorant, dark, foolish, and the like; in all which places, it is evident that the mind, the ro ἡγεμονικον, the guiding, conducting, reasoning faculty, is intended. Sometimes it is said to be soft, tender, humble, melting, and on the other side, hard, stubborn, obstinate, and the like; wherein principal regard is had to the will and affections, The word therefore is that whereby the principle of all our moral actions, and the respective influence of all the faculties of our souls into them, are expressed.
Secondly. By the sense of the object, is the meaning of the act prohibited to be regulated, ‘ Harden not.’ The expression is metaphorical, and it signifies the unfitness and resistancy of any thing to receive a due impression from that which is applied unto it, as wax, when it is hard, will not receive an impression from the seal that is set unto it, nor mortar from the trowel. The application that is made in the matter of obedience unto the souls of men, is by the Spirit of God in his commands, promises, and threatenings; that is, his voice, the whole revelation of his mind and will. And where a due impression is not made hereby on the soul, to work it to an answerableness in its principles and operations thereunto, men are said to resist the Spirit, Acts vii. 51, that is, to disappoint the end of those means which he makes use of in his applications to them ΒΥ what ways or means soever this is done, men are thereby said to harden their hearts. Prejudices, false principles, ignorance, darkness, and deceit in the mind, obstinacy and stubbornness in the will, corruption and cleaving unto earthly and sensual objects in the affections, all concur in this evil. Hence, in the application of this example, ver. 12, the apostle exhorts the Hebrews to take heed that they be not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now deceit first and principally respects the mind; and therein consists the beginning and entrance into the sin of hardening the heart. A brief consideration of the condition of the people in the wilderness upon whom this evil is charged, will give much light into the nature of the sin that here comes under prohibition. What the dealings of God with them were, is generally known, and we have elsewhere declared. As he gave them instruction from heaven in the revelation and delivery of the law, and instructed them with the singular benefit of the erection of his worship amongst them; so he afforded them all sorts of mercies, protections, deliverances, provisions, and guidance; so also made them sensible of his severity and holiness in great and terrible judgments. All these, at least the most part of them, were also given out unto them in a marvellous and amazing manner. The end of all these dispensations was to teach them his will; to bring them to hearken to his voice; to obey his commands, that it might be well with them and theirs. In this state and condition sundry things are recorded of them.
As first. That they were dull, stupid, and slow of heart in considering the ways, kindness, and works of God. They set not their hearts to them to weigh and ponder them, Deut. xxxii, 28, 29. 2. What they did observe and were moved at, (as such was the eae -". MM greatness of some of the works of God amongst them, such the overpowering obligations of many of his dealings with them, that they could not but let in some present transient sense of them upon their minds,) yet they soon forgot them and regarded them not, Ps. Ixxviii. 11,12. 3. That their affections were so violently set upon earthly, sensual, perishing things, that in comparison of them they despised all the promises and threatenings of God, resolving to pursue their own hearts’ lusts, whatever might become of them in this world and to eternity, Ps. Ixxvii. 18, 19, ΑἹ] which are manifest in the whole story of their ways and doings. By this means their minds and spirits were brought into such a frame and condition, that as they did not, so they could not hearken to the voice of God, or yield obedience unto him. ‘They became a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright, and, whose spirit was not steadfast with God,’ Ps. Ixxviii. 8. For by these ways and degrees of sin, they contracted a habit of obstinacy, perverseness, and uncircumcision of heart; neither did the Lord in his sovereign pleasure see good by his effectual grace to circumcise the hearts of the persons of that generation that they might fear and serve him, whereby they came to be hardened unto final unbelief and impenitency. It appears then, that unto this sinful hardening of the heart which the people in the wilderness were guilty of, and which the apostle here warns the Hebrews to avoid, there are three things that do concur. First. The mind’s sinful inadvertency and neglect, in not taking due notice of the ways and means whereby God calls any unto faith and obedience. Secondly. A sinful forgetfulness and casting out of the heart and mind such convictions as God by his word and works, his mercies and judgments, deliverances or afflictions, at any time is pleased to cast into them and fasten upon them. Thirdly. An obstinate cleaving in the affections unto carnal and sensual objects, practically preferring them above the motives unto obedience that God proposeth to us. Where these things are, the hearts of men are so hardened, that in an ordinary way they cannot hearken unto the voice of God. We may hence also take some observations for our instruction.
Obs. VIII. Such is the nature, efficacy, and power of the voice or word of God, that men cannot withstand or resist it, without a sinful hardening of themselves against it.—There is a natural hardness in all men before they are dealt withal by the word: or, this spiritual hardness is in them by nature. Hardness is an adjunct of that condition, or the corruption of nature, as is darkness, blindness, deadness, and the like; or it is a result or consequent of them. Men being dark and blind and dead in trespasses and sins, have thence a natural hardness, an unfitness to receive impressions of a contrary kind, and a resistency thereunto. And this frame may be increased and corroborated in men by various vicious and prejudicate habits of mind, contracted by custom, example, education, and the practice of sin. All this may be in men antecedent unto the dispensation or preaching of the word unto them. Now unto the removal or taking away of this hardness, is the voice or the word of God in the dispensation of it designed. It is the instrument and means, which God useth unto that end. It is not (I confess) of itself absolutely considered, without the influencing operation of the Spirit of grace, able te produce this effect. But it is able to do it in its own kind and place; and is thence said to be ‘ able to save our souls,’ Jam. 1. 21, ‘ able to build us up, and give us an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified,’ Acts xx. 32, ‘being also that immortal seed whereby we are begotten unto God,’ 1 Pet. 1. 23. By this means doth God take away that natural darkness or blindness of men; ‘ opening the eyes of the blind,’ Acts xxvi. 18, ‘turning them from darkness to light; shining into their hearts, to give them the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ,’ 2 Cor. iv. 6, as also ‘ quickening them who were dead in trespasses and sins;’ and thereby he removes that hardness which is a consequent of these things: and God doth not apply a means to any end, which is unsuited to it or insufficient for it. There is therefore usually such a concomitancy of the Spirit, with every dispensation of the word of God, that is according to his mind and will, as is able and sufficient to remove that hardness which is naturally upon the hearts of men. Every one therefore to whom the word is duly revealed, who is not converted unto God, doth voluntarily oppose his own obstinacy unto its efficacy and operation. Here lies the stop to the progress of the word in its work upon the souls of men. It stays not unless it meet with an actual obstinacy in their wills, refusing, rejecting, and resisting ofit. And God in sending of it, doth accompany his word with that power, which is meet to help and save them in the state and condition wherein it finds them. If they will add new obstinacy and hardness to their minds and hearts; if they will fortify themselves against the word with prejudices and dislike; if they will resist ‘ts work through a love to their lusts and corrupt affections, God may justly leave them to perish and to be filled with the fruit of their own ways. And this state of things is variously expressed in the Scripture. As 1. By God’s willingness for the salvation of those unto whom he grants his word as the means of their conversion, Ezek. xviii. 23, 32; Jer. xii. 11; 2 Pet. iii. 9; 1 Tim. ii. 4. 2. By his expostulations with them that reject his word, casting all the cause of their destruction upon themselves, Matt. xxiii. 37. Now as these things cannot denote an intention in God for their conversion, which should be frustrate, for this were to ascribe weakness and changeableness unto him; nor can they signify an exercise towards them of that effectual grace whereby the elect are really converted unto God, which would evert the whole nature of effectual grace, and subject it to the corrupt wills of men: so they express more than a mere proposal of the outward means, which men are not able savingly to receive and improve. There is this also in them, that God gives such an efficacy unto these means, as that their operation doth proceed on the minds and souls of men in their natural condition, until by some new acts of their wills, they harden themselves against them. And 3. So the gospel is proposed to the wills of men, Isa. lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 14. Hence it is that the miscarriage of men under the dispensation of the word, is still charged upon some positive actings of their wills in opposition unto it, Isa. xxx. 15; Matt. xxiii. 37; John iti. 19, v. 40.
They perish not, they defeat not the end of the word towards themselves, by a mere abode and continuance in the state wherein the word finds them, but by rejecting the counsel of God made known to them for their healing and recovery, Luke vii. 30.
Obs. IX. Many previous sins make way for the great sin of finally rejecting the voice or word of God. The not hearing the voice of God which is here reproved, is that which is final, which absolutely cuts men off from entering into the rest of God. Unto this men come not without having their hearts hardened by depraved lusts and affections, and that it is their nature so to do, shall be afterwards declared. Here we only respect the connexion of the things spoken of. Hardening of the heart goes before final impenitence and infidelity, as the means and cause of it. Things do not ordinarily come to an immediate issue between God and them to whom the word is preached. I say ordinarily, because God may immediately cut off any person, upon the first refused tender of the gospel. And it may be he deals so with many, but ordinarily he exerciseth much patience towards men in this condition. He finds them in a state of nature, that is, of enmity against him. In this state he offers them terms of peace, and waits thereon during the season of his good pleasure to see what the event will be. Many in the meantime attend to their lusts and temptations, and so contract an obdurate senselessness upon their hearts and minds, which fortifying them against the calls of God, prepares them for final impenitency. And this is the first thing that is considerable, in the general matter of the exhortation in hand.
Thirdly. The time and season for the performance of the duty exhorted unto is expressed: ‘'To-day.’-—‘ To-day if you will hear his voice.’ The various respects of the limitation of the season of this duty, have been spoken to in the opening of the words. The moral sense of it is no more, but the present and proper season of any duty, which what is required unto, in this case of yielding obedience to the voice of God, shall be afterwards declared. And im this sense the word is generally used in all authors and languages. So is nym frequently in the Hebrew in other places, as in this. And a proper season they called Ξ or a good day, a meet season, 1 Sam. xxv. 8. It may be only a day of feast is there intended, which they called a. oy a good day; a day of mirth and refreshment, Ley. xxiii. And soit is commonly used by the Rabbins; especially for the feast which the high priest made for his brethren after the day of expiation. For on that day they were obliged to many observances under the penalty of excision. This begat fear and terror in them, and was part of their yoke and bondage. Wherefore when that service was over, and they found themselves safe, not smitten by the hand of God, they kept aw vy a good day, wherein they invited all the priests that ministered, unto a feast. But most frequently they so express a present opportunity or season, So the Greeks use σήμερον, as in Anacreon,
‘My care is for to-day, (the present season,) who knows to morrow,’ or the time to';come. To the same purpose are ἥμερα and avprov used
Sera nimis vita est crastina, viv’ hodie:—and Qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit.
With many other sayings of the like import. This, then, is the sense and meaning of the word absolutely considered. The apostle exhorts the Hebrews in the words of the Psalmist, to make use of the present season by the use of means for the furtherance of their faith and obedience, that they may be preserved from hardness of heart and final unbelief. And what arguments unto duty are suggested from a_present season shall afterwards be considered. To enforce this exhortation the apostle reminds them, that there is in the words of the Psalmist, 1. A retrospect unto a monitory example. For others there were who had their day also,—their season. This they improved not, they answered it not, nor filled it up with the duty that it was designed unto, and therefore the sad event befel them mentioned in the text. Hence doth he enforce his exhortation. It is now to-day with you, it was to-day with them of old. But you see what a dark sad evening befel them in the close of their day. Take heed lest it be so with you also. 2. A respect unto the day enjoyed in the time of the Psalmist, which completed the type,—of which before. And yet further; there was, 3. more than a mere example intended by the Psalmist. <A prophecy also of the times of the gospel was included in the words, as our apostle declares in the next chapter. Such a season as befel the Jews at the giving of the law, is prefigured to happen to them at the giving of the gospel. The law being given on mount Sinai, the church of the Hebrews who came out of Egypt had their day, their time, and season for the expressing of their obedience thereunto, whereon their entrance into Canaan did depend. This was their day, wherein they were tried whether they would hearken to the voice of God or not; namely, the space of thirty-eight or forty years in the wilderness. The gospel was now delivered from Mount Sion. And the church of the Hebrews to whom the word of it first came, had their peculiar day, prefigured in the day after the giving of the law, enjoyed by their forefathers. And ’ it was to be but a day, but one especial season, as their’s was. And a trying season it was to be; whether in the limited space of it they would obey the voice of God or not. And this especial day continued for the space of thirty-eight or forty years, from the preaching of the gospel by our Lord Jesus Christ and his death, to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus; wherein the greatest part of the people fell after the same example of unbelief with their forefathers, and entered not into the rest of God. This was the day and the season that was on the Hebrews at this time, which the apostle exhorts them to the use and improvement of. | Snpepov, then, or ‘ to-day,’ signifies in general, a present season, which men are not long to be intrusted with; and it hath a triple respect, limitation, or application. 1. To the season enjoyed by the people in the wilderness, who neglected it. 2. To the persons spoken to in the Psalmist typically, who were exhorted to use it. 3. To the present Hebrews, whose gospel day was therein foretold and prefigured. In all which we are instructed unto the due use of a present season. t Obs. X. Old Testament examples are New Testament instructions. —Our apostle elsewhere, reckoning sundry instances of things that fell out amongst the people of old, affirms of them ravta παντα τυποι συν- eBawov εκεινοις, 1 Cor. x. 11. * All these things befel them as types.’ The Jews have asaying, D225 pad Max yaw ΠῚ 55, ‘That which happeneth to the father, is a sign or example unto the children.’ In general, and in the order of all things, discipulus est prioris posterior dies: ‘the following day is to learn of the former.’ Experience is of the greatest advantage for wisdom. But there is more in this matter. The will and appointment of God is in it. From thence, that all the times of the Old Testament, and what fell out in them, are instructive of the times and days of the New; not only the words, doctrines, and prophecies that were then given out, but the actions, doings, and sutferings of the people which then fell out, are to the same purpose. There is more in it than the general use of old records and histories of times past, which yet are of excellent use unto a wise consideration in things moral and political. This many have made it their work to manifest and demonstrate. The sum of all is comprised in those excellent words of the great Roman historian concerning his own work. Ad illa mihi
acriter pro se quisque intendat animum, que vita, qui mores fuerint; per quos viros, quibusque artibus domi militizque, et partum et auctum imperium sit. Labente deinde paulatim disciplina, velut dissidentes primo mores sequatur animo, deinde ut magis magisque lapsi sint, tum ire czperint preecipites, donec ad hec tempora quibus nec vitia nostra, nec remedia pati possumus, perventum est. Hoc illud est pracipue in cognitione rerum salubre et frugiferum; omnis te exempli documenta in illustri posita monumento intueri. Inde tibi quod imitere capias; inde fcedum inceptu, foedum exitu, quod vites. ‘ Hereunto,’ in reading this history, ‘ let every one diligently attend, to con— sider who were the men, what was their life and manners, by what means and arts this empire was both erected and increased. And then moreover how good discipline insensibly decaying, was attended with manners also differing from.the former; which in process of time increasing, hurried all things at length headlong into these times of ours, wherein we can endure neither our voices nor their remedies. This is that which in the knowledge of past affairs is both wholesome and fruitful; that we have an illustrious monument of all sorts of examples, from whence you may take what you ought to imitate, and know also by the consideration of actions dishonest in their undertaking, and miserable in the event, what you ought to avoid.’ And if this use
may be made of human stories, written by men wise and prudent, though in many things ignorant, partial, factious, as most historians have been, unable in many things to judge of actions whether they are’
really good or evil, praiseworthy or to be condemned, and in all things unable to judge of the intentions with which, and the ends for which they were done; how much more benefit may be obtained from the consideration of those records of times past, which as they are delivered to us by persons divinely preserved from all error and mistake in their writings, so they deliver the judgment of God himself, to whom all intentions and ends are open and naked, concerning the actions which they do report. Besides, the design of human story, is but to direct the minds of men in things just and honest with reference unto political society, and the good of community in this world; with respect whereunto alone it judgeth of the actions of men and their events. But all things in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, are directed unto a higher end, even the pleasing of God, and the eternal fruition of him. They are therefore, with the examples recorded in them, of singular and peculiar use as materially considered. But this is not all. The things contained in them were all of them designed of God for our instruction, and yet do continue as an especial way of teaching. The things done of old, were, as Justin Martyr speaks, προκηρυγματα των κατα Χριστου, ‘fore-declarations of the things of Christ.’ And Tertullian, to the same purpose, Scimus ut vocibus, ita rebus prophetatum, ‘prophecy or prediction consisted in things as well as words.’ And Chrysostome, serm. IT. de Jejun., distinguisheth between prophecy by speech or words, and prophecy by examples or actions.
Our apostle expressly treateth of this subject, 1 Cor. x. Considering the state of the people in their deliverance from Egypt, and abode in the wilderness, he refers the things relating unto them to two heads. First. God’s miraculous works towards them, and marvellous dealings with them. Secondly. Their sins and miscarriages, with the punishments that befel them. Having mentioned those of the first sort, he adds, ravra de tumor Huw εἐγενηϑησαν, ‘now these were all our examples,’ ver. 6, types representing God’s spiritual dealings with us. And having reckoned up the other, he closeth his report of them with, rav- Ta δὲ παντα τυποι Guvebatvoy εκεινοις, they befel them, that God in them might represent unto us, what we are to expect if we sin and transgress in like manner. They and their actions were our types. Τυπος, a type, hath many significations; in this use of it, it signifies a rude and imperfect expression of any thing in order to a full, clear, and exact declaration of it. So Aristotle useth παχυλως καὶ we ev Tum), IN Opposition to ἀκριβως διοριζειν, a general and imperfect description, to an exact distinction. Thus they were our types, in that the matter of our faith, obedience, rewards, and punishments, were delineated aforehand in them.
First. Such as were directly instituted and appointed for this end, that they should signify and represent something in particular in the Lord Christ and his kingdom. It is true, that God did not institute any thing among the people of old, but what had its present use and service amongst them. But their present use did not comprehend their principal end. And herein do types and sacraments differ. Our sacraments have no use but that with respect unto their spiritual end and signification. We do not baptize any to wash the body, nor give them the supper of the Lord to nourish it. But types had their use in temporal things, as well as their signification of things spiritual. So the sacrifices served for the freeing of the people from the sentence of the law, as it was the rule of their polity or civil government, as well as to prefigure the sacrifice of the body of Christ.
Now, these types, which had a solemn, direct, stated institution, were materially either persons as vested with some certain offices in the church, or things,
1. Persons.—So the Lord raised up, designed, and appointed Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon, and others, to typify and represent the Lord Christ unto the church. And they are to be considered ina threefold capacity. Ist. Merely personal, as those individual men, unto which concernment all their moral good and evil did belong. In this sense, what they did or acted had no respect unto Christ, nor is otherwise to be considered, but as the examples of all other men recorded in the Scriptures. 2dly. As to the offices they bare in the church and among the people, as they were prophets, captains, kings, or priests. In this respect, they had their present use in the worship of God, and government of that people according to the law. But herein, 3dly. In the discharge of their offices and present duties, they were designed of God to represent, in a way of prefiguration, the Lord Christ and his offices, who was to come. They were a transcript out of the divine idea in the mind and will of God, concerning the all-fulness of power and grace that was to be in Christ, expressed by parcels, and obscurely in them, so as by reason of their imperfection they were capable.
2. These types consisted in things, such as were the sacrifices, and other institutions of worship among the people. That this was the design and end of the whole Mosaic divine service, we shall manifest in our progress. This, therefore, is not the place to insist particularly upon them.
Secondly. There were such things and actions as had only a providential ordination to that purpose. Things that occasionally fell out, and so were not capable of a solemn institution, but were, as to their events, so guided by the providence of God, as that they might prefigure and represent somewhat that was afterwards to come to pass.— For instance, Jeremiah ch. xxxi. 15, sets out the lamentation of Rachel, that is, the women of the tribe of Benjamin, upon the captivity of the land. ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.’ It is evident from ch. xl. 1, that after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Nebuzaradan gathered the people together that were to go into captivity at-Ramah. There the women considering how many of their children were slain, and the rest now to be carried away, brake out into woeful and unspeakable lamentation. And this was ordered in the providence of God, to prefigure the sorrow of the women of Bethlehem upon the destruction of their children by Herod, when he sought the life of our Saviour, as the words are applied, Matt. ii. 8. And we may distinguish things of this kind into two sorts.
1. Such as have received a particular application unto the things of the New Testament, or unto spiritual things belonging to the grace and kingdom of Christ, by the Holy Ghost himself in the writings of the gospel. Thus the whole business of Rebekah’s conceiving Jacob and Esau, their birth, the oracle of God concerning them, the preference of one above the other, is declared by our apostle to have been ordained in the providence of God to teach his sovereignty in choosing and rejecting whom he pleaseth, Rom. ix. So he treateth at large concerning what befel that people in the wilderness, making application of it to the churches of the gospel, 1 Cor. x.; and other instances of the like kind may be insisted on, almost innumerable.
2. This infallible application of one thing and season unto another, extends not (but) unto the least part of those teaching examples, which are recorded in the Old Testament. Many other things were ordained in the providence of God to be instructive unto us, and may by the example of the.apostles be in like manner applied. For concerning them all, we have this general rule, that they were ordained and ordered in the providence of God for this end, that they might be examples, documents, and means of instruction unto us. Again, we have succeeded into the same place in the covenant, unto them who were originally concerned in them, and so may expect answerable dispensations of God towards ourselves. And they are all written for our sakes.
3. There are things that fell out of old, which are meet to illustrate present things, from a proportion of similitude between them. And thus where a place of Scripture directly treats of one thing, it may, in the interpretation of it, be applied to illustrate another, which hath some likeness to it. These expositions the Jews call pw; and say, they are made Sw 7772, ‘ parabolical or mystical,’ wherein their masters abound. We call them allegories: so doth our apostle expressly, Gal. iv. 21—26. Having declared how the two covenants, the legal and evangelical, were represented by the two wives of Abraham, Hagar and Sarah; and the two sorts of people, even those that sought for righteousness by the law, and believers, by their children, Ishmael and Isaac; he adds, that these things are an allegory. Chrysostome supposeth that Paul useth that expression of an allegory in a large sense, for any type or figure, seeing the things he mentioneth were express types, the one of the other. But the truth is, he doth not call the things themselves an allegory, for they had a reality; the story of them was true, but the exposition and application which he makes of the Scripture in that place is allegorical; that is, what was spoken of one thing he expounds of another, because of their proportion one to another, or the similitude between them. Now this doth not arise hence, that the same place of Scripture, or the same words in any place, have a diverse sense, a literal sense, and that which is mystical or allegorical; for the words which have not one determinate sense, have no sense at all. But the things mentioned in any place, holding a proportion unto other things, there being a likeness between them, the words whereby the one are expressed, are applied unto the other.
Now, in the using of these allegorical expositions or applications of things in one place unto another, sundry things are wisely and diligently to be considered. As,
First. That there be a due proportion in general between the things that are one of them, as it were, substituted in the room of another. Forced, strained allegories from the Scripture, are a great abuse of the word. We have had some who have wrested the Scripture unto monstrous allegories, corrupting the whole truth of the literal sense. This was the way of Origen of old, in many of his expositions, and some of late have taken much liberty in the like proceeding. Take an instance in that of the prophet Hosea, xi. 1, ‘ Out of Egypt have I called my son. The words are directly spoken of the people of Israel, as the passage foregoing evinceth: ‘ When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.’ But these words are applied by the evangelist unto the Lord Christ, Matt. 11. 15, and that because of the just proportion that was between God’s dealing with that people and with him, after he was carried into Egypt.
Secondly. That there be a designed signification in them; that is, although the words are first and principally spoken of one thing, yet the Holy Ghost intended to signify and teach that whereunto they are applied. An intention of the application is included in them. Thus, those words of the prophet, ‘ Out of Egypt have I called my son,’ did first and properly express God’s dealing with the people of Israel; but there was also an intention included in them of shadowing out his future dealing with his only Son, Christ Jesus. The discovery hereof, is a matter of great skill and wisdom; and great sobriety ts to be used in such applications and allusions.
Thirdly. That the first original sense of the words be sacredly observed. Some will not allow the words of Scripture their first natural sense, but pretend that their allegories are directly intended in them, which is to make their expositions poisonous and wicked.
I have added these things, because I find many very ready to allegorize upon the Scripture, without any due consideration of the analogy of faith, or the proportion of things compared one to another, or any regard to the first genuine sense of the words which they make use of. This is plainly to corrupt the word of God; and however they who make use of such perverted allusions of things may please the fancies of some persons, they render themselves contemptible to the judicious.
But in general these things are so. All things in the Old Testament, both what was spoken and what was done, have an especial intention towards the Lord Christ and the gospel; and therefore in several ways we may receive instruction from them. As their institutions are our instructions more than theirs, we see more of the mind of God in them than they did; so their mercies are our encouragements, and their punishments our examples.
First. From the way that God, in infinite wisdom, had allotted unto the opening and unfolding of the mystery of his love, and the dispensation of the covenant of grace. The way we know whereby
God was pleased to manifest the counsels of his will in this matter, was gradual. The principal degrees- and steps of his procedure herein, we have declared on the first verse of this Epistle. The light of it still increased from its dawning in the first promise, through all new revelations, prophecies, promises, institutions of worship, until the fulness of time came, and all things were completed in Christ. For God had, from of old, designed the perfection of all his works towards his church to be in him. In him, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were to be laid up, Col. i. 3, and all things were to be gathered into an head in him, Eph. 1. 10. In him God designed to give out the express image of his wisdom, love, and grace, yea of all the glorious properties of his nature. For as he is in himself, or his divine person, the image of the invisible God, Col. i. 15, the brightness of glory, and express image of his Person, Heb. i. 2; so he was to represent him unto the church; for we have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 6. In him, that is his person, his office, his work, his church, God perfectly expressed the eternal idea of his mind, concerning the whole effect of his love and grace. From hence he copied out, in various parcels, by prophecies, promises, institutions of worship, actions, miracles, judgments, some partial and obscure representations of what should afterwards be accomplished in the person and kingdom of Christ. Hence these things became types; that is, transcripts from the great idea in the mind of God about Christ and his church, to be at several seasons, in divers instances, accomplished among the people of old, to represent what was afterwards to be completed in him. This the apostle Peter declares fully, 1 Pet. 1. 9—12, ‘ Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel.’ The prophets were those who revealed the mind and will of God to the church of old; but the things which they declared, although they had a present use in the church, yet principally they respected the Lord Christ, and the things that afterwards were to come to pass. And herein were they instructed by that Spirit of Christ wherewith they were inspired, namely, that the things they declared, and so the whole work of their prophecy wherein they ministered, did principally belong to the times of the gospel. And therefore are they all for our instruction.
Secondly. This is part of that privilege which God had reserved for that church, which was to be planted and erected immediately by his Son. Having reckoned up the faith of the saints under the Old Testament, what it effected, and what they obtained thereby, the apostle adds, that yet ‘ God had provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect,’ Heb. xi. 40. Neither themselves, nor any thing that befel them, was perfect without us. It had not in them its full end, nor its full use, being ordained in the counsel of God for our benefit. This privilege did God reserve for the church of the New Testament, that as it should enjoy that perfect revelation of his will in Christ, which the church of the Old Testament received not, so what was then revealed had not its perfect end and use, until it was brought over to this also.
See hence what use we are to make of the Scriptures of the Old Testament. They are all ours, with all things contained in them. The sins of the people are recorded in them for our warning, their obedience for our example, and God’s dealing with them on the account of the one and the other, for our direction and encouragement in believing. We are not to look on any parts of them barely as stories of things that are past; but as things directly and peculiarly ordered in the wise and holy counsel of God, for our use and advantage. Especial instances we shall meet with, many toward the end of the Epistle.
Consider also what is expected from us above them that lived under the Old Testament. Where much is given, much is required. Now we have not only the superadded helps of gospel light, which they were not intrusted with, but also whatever means or advantages they had, they are made over unto us, yea their very sins and punishments are our instructions. As God in his grace and wisdom hath granted unto us more light and advantage than unto them, so in his righteousness he expects from-us more fruits of holiness, unto his praise and glory.
There is yet another observation which the words opened will afford unto us, arising from the season which the apostle presseth upon their consideration in that word to-day. And it is, that,
Obs. XI. Especial seasons of grace and obedience are in an especial manner to be observed and improved.—For this end are they given, and are made special, that they may be peculiarly improved. God doth nothing in vain; least of all in the things of grace, of the gospel of the kingdom of his Son. When he gives an especial day to the husbandman and vineyard, it is for especial work. ‘To-day, if you will hear his voice.’ We may therefore inquire, first, what is necessary unto such an especial season; and then, what is required unto a due observance and improvement of it. And I shall refer all by a due analogy unto those especial days respected in the text.
I. In a peculiar dispensation of the means of grace; and hereunto two things are required.
First. Some especial efforts of providence, of divine wisdom and power making way for it, bringing of it in, or preserving of it in the world, ‘There is, there ever was, a strong opposition at all times against the preaching and dispensation of the gospel. It is that which the gates of hell engage themselves in, although in a work wherein they shall never absolutely prevail, Matt. xvi. 18. As it was with Christ, so it is with his word. The world combined to keep him from it, or to expel him out of it, Acts iv. 25—27. So it dealeth with his gospel, and all the concernments of it. By what ways and means, on what various pretences this is done, I need not here declare, and it is generally known. Now when God, by some especial and remarkable acts of his providence, shall powerfully remove, overcome, or any way divert that opposition, and thereby make way for the preaching or dispensation of it, he puts a speciality upon that season. And without this, the gospel had never made an entrance upon the kingdom of Satan, nor been entertained in any nation of the world. The case before us gives us an instance. The day mentioned in the text, was that which the people enjoyed in the wilderness; when the worship of God was first revealed unto them, and established amongst them. By what means this was brought about, is summed up in the prophet Isaiah, ch. li. 15, 16. ‘1am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the Lord of hosts is his name. And 1 have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundation of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.’ The work which God wrought when he brought the people out of Egypt was so great, that it seemed to be the creation of a new world, wherein the heavens were planted, and the foundation of the earth was laid. And what was the end of it, what was the design of God init? It was all to put his word into the mouths of his people, to erect Zion, or a church state, amongst them, to take them into a covenant relation with himself for his worship. This made that time their special day and season. The hke works, for the like purpose, at any time will constitute the like season. When God is pleased to make his arm bare in behalf of the gospel, when his power and wisdom are made conspicuous in various instances for the bringing it in unto any place, or the continuance of its preaching against oppositions, contrivances, and attempts for its expulsion, or oppression, then doth he give a special day, a season unto them who do enjoy it.