Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews

the guilt of various provocations, they may justly fear that their next shall be their last. ‘ You have,’ saith God to the Israelites, ‘ provoked me these ten times,’ that is, frequently, as hath been declared; and now your day is come. You might have considered before, that I would not always thus bear with you. Hath God, then, borne with you in one and another provocation, temptation, backsliding, take heed lest the great sin lie at the door, and be ready to enter upon the next occasion. As God told Cain, Gen. iv. 7, if thou dost not do well, mnp> γΞ non, peccatum ad ostium cubat, ‘sin lies down at the door,’ as a beast ready to enter on the next occasion, the next opening of it. After former provocations, so lieth that which shall fill the ephah, and have the talent of lead laid upon it. Take heed, grey hairs are sprinkled upon you, though you perceive it not. Death is at the door. Beware lest your next provocation be your last. When your transgressions come to three and four, the punishment of your iniquities will not be turned away. When that is come, you may sin whilst you will or while you can, God will have no more to do with you, but ina way of judgment. _ Secondly. When repentance upon convictions of provocations lessens or decays, it is a sad symptom of an approaching day, wherein iniquity will be completed. Useful repentance, that is, that which is of any use in this world for the deferring or retarding of judgment, is commensurate unto God’s dispensations of patience. When the fixed bounds of it (as it hath fixed bounds) are arrived at, all springs of repentance are dried up. When, therefore, persons fall into the guilt of many provocations, and God giving in a conviction of them by his word or providence, they are humbled for them according to their light and principles; if they find their humiliations upon their renewed convictions, to grow weak, decay, and lessen in their effects, they do not so reflect upon themselves with self-displicency as formerly, nor so stir up themselves unto amendment, as they have done upon former warnings or convictions, nor have in such cases their accustomed sense of the displeasure and terror of the Lord; let them beware, evil is before them, and the fatal season of their utmost provoking is at hand, if not prevented.

Thirdly. When various dispensations of God towards men have been useless and fruitless; when mercies, judgments, dangers, deliverances, signally stamped with a respect unto the sins of men, but especially the warnings of the word, have been multiplied towards any persons, churches, or nations, and have passed over them without their reformation or recovery; no doubt but judgment is ready to enter, yea if it be into the house of God itself.

Is it thus with any, is this their estate and condition? let them please themselves while they please, they are like Jonah asleep in the ship, whilst it is ready to be cast away on their account. Awake and tremble; you know not how soon a great, vigorous, prevalent temptation may hurry you into your last provocation. And this is the first head of sin instanced in.

Secondly. They are said also to have tempted God. ‘In the temptation, when your fathers tempted me.’ Wherein their provocation did consist, and what was the sin which is so expressed, we have declared. We must now inquire what was their tempting of God, of what nature was their sin therein, and wherein it did consist. To tempt God is a thing frequently mentioned in the Scripture, and condemned as a provoking sin. And it is generally esteemed to consist in a venturing on or an engaging into any way, work, or duty, without sufficient call, warrant, or rule, upon the account of trusting God therein; or in the neglect of the use of ordinary means in any condition, desiring, expecting, or trusting unto any extraordinary assistances or supplies from God. So when men seem rashly to cast themselves into danger, out of a confidence in the presence and protection of God, it is said that-they tempt God. And sundry texts of Scripture seem to give countenance to this description of the sin of tempting God. So, Isaiah vii. 11, 12, when the prophet bid Ahaz ask a sion of the Lord in the depths or in the heights above, he replied, “1 will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.’ That is, I will rest in what thou hast said, and not tempt God by seeking any thing extraordinary. And so when Satan tempted our Saviour to show his power by casting himself down from a pinnacle of the temple, which was none of his ways, Matt. iv. 7, he answers him by that saying of Deut. vi. 16, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ To venture therefore on any thing unwarrantable, trusting unto God for protection, is to tempt him. And this is usually and generally allowed as the nature of this sin, and sense of this expression.

But yet I must needs say, that upon the consideration of all the places where mention is made of tempting the Lord, I am forced to embrace another sense of the meaning of this expression, which if it be not utterly exclusive of that already mentioned, yet it is doubtless more frequently intended, and doth more directly express the sin here condemned. Now this is, a distrust of God whilst we are in any of his ways, after we have received sufficient experiments and instances of his power and goodness, to confirm us in the stability and certainty of his promises. ‘Thus to do is to tempt God. And where this frame is found in any, they are said to tempt him; that is to provoke him by their unbelief. It is not barely and nakedly to disbelieve the promises, it is not unbelief in general, but it is to disbelieve them under some peculiar attestation and experience obtained of the power and goodness of God in their pursuit, and towards their accomplishment. When therefore men are engaged in any way of God according to their duty, and meeting with opposition and difficulty therein, if they give way to despondencies and unbelief, after they have received any signal pledges of his faithfulness in former effects of his wisdom, care, power, and goodness, they tempt God, and are guilty of the sin here branded and condemned. The most eminent instances of tempting God in the Scripture, and which are most frequently mentioned, are these of the Israelites in the wilderness. As they are here represented in the story, so they are called over again, both in the Old Testament and the New. Ps. Ixxvi. 41, ‘ Yea they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel’ And 1 Cor. x. 9, ‘they tempted Christ.’ And wherein did this temptation consist? It was in this and no other. They would not believe nor trust God when they were in his way, after they had received many experiences of his power and presence amongst them. And this is directly expressed, Exod. xvii. 7, “‘ They tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” They doubted of and questioned his presence, after all the pledges and tokens which he had given them of it, And this sin of theirs the Psalmist at large pursues, showing wherein it did consist, Ps. Ixxviii. 22, 23, ‘They believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation; though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven; ver. 32, for all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works: ver. 41, 42, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel; they remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from their enemies.’ Thus plain doth he make the nature of their sin in tempting of God. It was their distrust and disobeying of him, after they had received so many encouraging evidences of his power, goodness, and wisdom amongst them. This and this alone is in the Scripture called tempting of God. For that of our Saviour, Matt. iv. 7, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,’ it is taken, as was observed, from Deut. vi. 16, where the following words are, ‘as thou didst tempt him in Massah.’ Now this tempting of God at Massah, was that which we have declared; namely, the disbelieving of him after many evidences of his power and faithfulness. And this directly answers the end for which our Saviour made use of these words, which is to show, that he was so far satisfied of God’s presence with him, of his being the Son of God, that he would not tempt him, by desiring other experiments of it; as though what he had already were not sufficient. And the reason why Ahaz said he would not tempt the Lord in asking a sign, was no other but because he believed not, either that he would give him a sign, cr that he would deliver; and therefore he resolved to trust to himself, and with his money to hire the Assyrians to help him, which he did accordingly, 2 Kings xvi. 7—9.

And this sin is called tempting of God, from its effect, and not from its formal nature. They tempted God, that is, by their unbelief they provoked him and stirred him up to anger and indignation. And from the discovery of the nature of this sin, we may observe, that

Obs. XVIII. To distrust God, to disbelieve his promises, whilst a way of duty lies before us, after we have had experiences of his goodness, power, and wisdom in his dealing with us, is a tempting of God, and a greatly provoking sin.—And a truth this is, that hath yo. px, ‘meat in its mouth, or instruction ready for us, that we may know how to charge this aggravation of our unbelief upon our souls and consciences. Distrust of God, is asin that we are apt upon sundry perverse reasonings to indulge ourselves in, and yet is there nothing wherewith God is more provoked. Now, it appears in the proposition laid down, that sundry things are required that a person, a church, a people, may render themselves formally guilty of this sin: as,

1. That they be called unto, or engaged in some special way of God. And this is no extraordinary thing. All believers who attend unto their duty, will find it to be their state and condition. So were the Israelites in the wilderness. If we are out of the ways of God, our sin may be great, but it is asin of another nature. It is in his ways that we have his promises; and therefore it is in them, and with reference unto them, that we are bound to believe and trust in him; and on the same account in them alone can we tempt God by our un-

2. That in this way they meet with oppositions, difficulties, hardships, temptations; and this, while Satan and the world continue in their power, they shall be sure todo. Yea, God himself is pleased oft-times to exercise them with sundry things of that nature. Thus it befel the people in the wildemess. Sometimes they had no bread, and sometimes they had no water; sometimes enemies assaulted them, and sometimes serpents bit them. Those things which in God’s design are trials of faith, and means to stir it up unto a diligent exercise, in their own natures are grievous and troublesome, and in the management of Satan, tend to the producing of this sin, or tempting of God.

3. That they have received former experiences of the goodness, power, and wisdom of God, in his dealings with them. So had this people done; and this God chargeth them withal, when he reproacheth them with this sin of tempting him; and this also all believers are or may be made partakers of. He who hath no experience of the special goodness and power of Ged towards him, it hath been through his own negligence and want of observation, and not from any defect in God’s dispensations. As he leaveth not himself without witness towards the world, in that he doth them good, sending them rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, fillmg their hearts with food and gladness; no more is he wanting towards all believers, in giving them especial tokens of his love, care, and kindness, towards them; for he is the Saviour of all men, but especially of them that do believe, 1 Tim, iv. 10. But as the most in the world take no notice of the effects of his care and goodness towards them, so many believers are negligent in treasuring up experiences of his special care and love towards them. Yet this hinders not, but that the ways and dealings of God are indeed such as have been declared.

Now, where these things concur, the distrust of God is a high provocation of him. It is unbelief, the worst of sins, expressing itself to the greatest disadvantage of God’s glory, the height of aggravations. For what can God do more for us? and what can we do more against him? Surely when he hath revealed his ways unto us, and made known unto us our duty, when he hath given us pledges of his presence with us, and of his owning of us, so as to seal and ascertain his promises unto us; then for us, upon the opposition of creatures, or worldly difficulties, about outward temporary perishing things, for their power and efficacy extends no farther, to disbelieve and distrust him, it must needs be a high provocation of the eyes of his glory.

But, alas! how frequently do we contract the guilt of this sin, both in our personal, family, and more public concerns! A due consideration hereof, lays without doubt matter of deep humiliation before us.

And this is the second general head insisted on by the apostle in the example proposed, namely, the nature of the sin or sins which the people fell into, and which he intends to dehort his Hebrews from.

3. The third general head of this discourse, contains a triple aggravation of the sin of the people, in their provoking and tempting of God. 1. From the place wherein they so sinned—it was in the wilderness. 2. From the means they had to the contrary—They. saw the works of God. 3. From the continuance of the use of those means, and tNe duration of their sin under them: it was thus for forty years—they saw my works forty years. For these, as they are circumstances of the story, so they are aggravations of the sin mentioned in it.

First. They thus dealt with God in the wilderness: what wilderness is intended, we showed before in the exposition of the words. And although there may be a peculiar respect to that part of the wilderness, wherein the definitive sentence of their exclusion from the land of Canaan was given ont against them, which was in the wilderness of Paran, Num. xii. 16, at the very borders of the land that they were to possess, as appears, ch. xiv. 40, yet because the time of forty years is mentioned, which was the whole time of the people’s peregrination in the deserts of Arabia, I take the word to comprehend the whole. Here, in this wilderness, they provoked and tempted God; and this contains a great aggravation of their sin. For,

1. This was the place wherein they were brought into_liberty, after they and their forefathers had been in sore bondage to the Egyptians for sundry ages. This was a mercy promised to them, and which they cried out for in the day of their oppression, ‘They cried, and their cry came up unto God, by reason of their bondage,’ Exod. 11. 23. Now, to handsel their liberty, to make an entrance into it, by this rebellion against God, was a provoking circumstance.

2. It was a place wherein they lived solely and visibly upon God’s | daily extraordinary provision for them. Should he have withheld a continual working of miracles in their behalf, both they and theirs must have utterly perished. This could not but have affected them with love and fear, great preservatives of obedience, had they not been extremely stupid and obdurate.

3. They were ina place where they had none to tempt them, to provoke them, to entice them unto sin, unless they wilfully sought them out, unto that very end and purpose, as they did in the case of Midian. The people now dwelt alone, and were not reckoned amone the nations. Afterwards indeed, when they dwelt among other nations, they learned their manners; but as that was no excuse for their sin, so this was a great aggravation of it, that here it sprung merely from themselves, and their own evil heart of unbelief, continually prone to depart from the living God.

Secondly. It was a place wherein they continually saw the works of God, which is the second general head mentioned in the aggravation of their sin—They saw my works. And this did aggravate their sin on many accounts.

First. From the evidence that they had, that such works were wrought, and that they were wrought of God—They saw them. This Moses laid weight on, Deut. v. 3, 4, ‘The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us (ΤΌΝ wm nN) who are all of us alive this day: the Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of fire.’ Not with our fathers, that is, say some, our forefathers who died in Egypt, and heard not the voice of God in Horeb. Or, not with our fathers, that is only; their fathers were alive at the giving of the law: but the covenant was not made with them only, but with us also. So Rashi in the place, max nx Nd sada, ‘not with our fathers only.’ And then xx ‘> is as much as 32nN ὍΣ sD, as Aben Ezra observes, ‘ with us also.’ And he confirms this kind of speech, from that of God to Jacob, ‘Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel; that is, thou shalt not be called only so; for he was frequently called Jacob afterwards. Others suppose that by the fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, are intended, who were the especial fathers of the people: now they received the promise, and therein had the covenant of grace confirmed unto them, but had no share in the special covenant which was made in, by, and at the giving of the law. And in this sense, the emphasis is on the word ΓΝῚΤΤ: nNim ma, ‘this covenant;’ ‘this’ which is now made in the giving of the law. For my part, I am apt to think that God doth; in these words of Moses, show his indignation against all that provoking generation of their fathers in that wilderness; and affirms his covenant was not made with them because they despised it, and received no benefit by it, for it had a peculiar respect unto the land of Canaan, concerning which God sware that they should not enter into it. It was not with them, saith he, whom God despised and regarded not, but with you who are now ready to enter into the promised land, that this covenant was made; see Heb. vill. 9. The ground why I produced this place, is to show what weight is to be laid on immediate transactions with God, personal seeing of his works. Herein they had an advantage above those who could only say with the Psalmist, Ps. xliv. 1, ‘We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.’ They saw with their own eyes what was but told or reported unto others. And herein they had a double advantage.

1. In point of evidence.—They had the highest and most unquestionable evidence that the works mentioned were wrought, and wrought of God—they saw them. And this is clearly the most satisfactory evidence concerning miraculous works: Hence our Saviour chose those to be the witnesses of his miracles who had been avromrat, ‘spectators of them,’

2. In point of efficacy for their end.—Things seen and beheld, have naturally a more effectual influence on the minds of men, than those which they only hear of, or which are told them.

Seenius irritant animos demissa per aures, Quam que sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus,

This therefore greatly aggravates their sin, that they themselves saw these works of God, which were signal means of preserving them from it.

Secondly. From the nature of the works themselves which they saw. They were such as were eminent effects of the properties of God, and means of their demonstration, and therein of the revelation of God to them. Some of them were works of power, as his dividing of the sea whose waves roared. Some of majesty and terror, as the dreadful appearances in thunders, lightenings, fire, smoke, and earthquake at the giving of the law. Some of severity and indignation against sin, as his drowning the Egyptians, the opening of the earth to swallow up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram,and the plagues that befel themselves. Some of privilege, favour, love, and grace; as the giving of the law entrusting them with his oracles, and forming them into a church and state, Isa. li. 16. Some of care and providence for their continual supply in giving water from the rock, and bread from heaven, and preserving their garments from waxing old. Some of direction and protection, as in the cloud and pillar of fire to guide, direct, and refresh them night and day in that waste howling wilderness, Jn all which works God abundantly manifested his power, goodness, wisdom, grace, faithfulness, tendering them the highest security of his accomplishing his promises, if they rejected not their interest in them by their unbelief, And it is a matter well worthy of consideration, how excellently pathetically Moses pleads all these works of God with them in the book of Deuteronomy. And all these works of God were excellent means ~ to have wrought up the hearts of the people to faith and obedience; and to that end and purpose were they wrought all of them. This he frequently declared whilst they were under the accomplishment, and thereon afterwards reproacheth them with their unbelief. What could be more suited to beget in the minds of men a due apprehension of the greatness, goodness, and faithfulness of God, than they were? And what isa more effectual motive to obedience than such apprehensions? The neglect of them therefore carries along with it a great aggravation of sin. To tempt God to murmur against him, as though he could not, or would not provide for them, or make good his word to them whilst they saw, as it were, every day, those great and marvellous works which had such an impression of his glorious image on them, it made way for their irrecoverable destruction.

Thirdly. The third aggravation of the sin of this people is taken from the time of their continuance in it, under the use of the means to the contrary before insisted on, it was forty years. The patience of God was extended towards them, and his works were wrought before them, not for a week, or amonth, or a year, but for forty years together. And this increaseth the greatuess and strangeness of this dispensation, both on the part of God, and on their part also. On the part of God, ‘that he should bear with their manners so long, when they had so often deserved to be destroyed as one man, and which he had threatened often to do. And on their part, that so long a course of patience, accompanied with so many works of power and mercy, all of them for their instruction, most of them for their present benefit and advantage, should have no effect on them to prevent their continuance in their sin to their ruin.

And these are the aggravations of their sin, which the Psalmist collects from the circumstances of it, and which the apostle repeats for our warning and instruction; and this we shall draw out in the ensuing observations.

Obs. XIX. No place, no retiredness, no solitary wilderness will secure men from sin and suffering, provocation, or punishment.

These persons were in a wilderness, where they had many motives and encouragements to obedience, and no means of seduction and outward temptation from others, yet there they sinned and there they suffered. They sinned in the wilderness and their carcasses fell in the wilderness. ‘They filled that desert with sins and graves. And the reason hereof is, because no place as such can of itself exclude the principles and causes either of sin or punishment. Men have the principle of their sins in themselves, in their own hearts, which they cannot leave behind them, or yet get off by shifting of places, or changing their stations. And the justice of God which is the principal cause of punishment, is no less in the wilderness than in the most populous cities. The wilderness is no wilderness to him. He can find his path in all its intricacies. The Israelites came hither on necessity, and so they found it with them. And in after ages some have done so by choice, they have retired into wildernesses for the furtherance of their obedience and devotion. In this very wilderness on the top of Sinai, there is at this day a monastery of persons professing themselves to be religious, and they live there to increase religionin them. TI once for some days conversed with their chief, (they call him Archimandrite,) here in England. For aught I could perceive, he might have learned as much elsewhere. And indeed, what hath been the issue of that undertaking in general? For the most part to their old lusts men added new superstitions, until they made themselves an abomination to the Lord, and utterly useless in the world, yea burdensome to human society. Such persons are like the men of Succoth, whom Gideon taught with ‘ the thorns and briers of the wilderness, Judges vii. 16. Those learned nothing by it but the sharpness of the thorns, and the greatness of their own folly. No more did these at best learn any thing from their wilderness-retirements, but the sharpness of the place which was a part of the punishment of their sin, and by no means sanctified for the furtherance of their obedience. These two things then are evident.

1, That the principle of men’s unbelief and disobedience is in themselves, and in their own hearts, which leaves them not on any change of their outward condition.

2. That no outward state of things, whether we voluntarily choose ourselves, or we be brought into it by the providence of God, will either cure or conquer, or can restrain the inward principles of sin and unbelief. I remember old Jerome some where complains, that when he was in his horrid cave at Bethlehem, his mind was frequently among the delicacies of Rome. And this will teach us, hearts. We may expect great advantages from various conditions, but shall indeed meet with none of them, unless we fix and water the root of them in ourselves. One thinks he could serve God better in prosperity, if freed from the perplexities of poverty, sickness, or persecution. Others that they should serve him better if called to afflictions and trials. Some think it would be better with them if retired and solitary; others if they had more society and company. But the only way indeed to serve God better is to abide in our station or condition, and therein to get better hearts. It is Solomon’s advice, bn 72d 78> sw; Prov. iv. 23. ‘Above or before every watch or keeping, keep thy heart.’ It is good to keep the tongue, and it is good to keep the feet, and it is good to keep the way, as he farther declares in that place; but, saith he, ‘Above all keepings, keep thy heart;’ and he adds a great reason for his caution, for, saith he, ‘ out of it are the issues of life.’ Life and death, in the means and causes of them, do come out of the heart. So our Saviour instructs us, that in our hearts lie our treasures; what they are, that are we and nothing else. Thence are all our actions drawn forth, which not only smell of the cask, but receive thence principally their whole moral nature, whether they are good or bad.

Secondly. Look for all relief and for help against sin, merely from grace. A wilderness will not help you, nor a paradise. In the one Adam sinned, in whom we all sinned: in the other all Israel sinned, who were an example to us all. Men may to good purpose go into a wilderness to exercise grace, and principles of truth, when the acting of them is denied elsewhere. But it is to no purpose to go into a wilderness to seek for these things: their dwelling is in the love and favour of God, and nowhere else can they be found. See Job xxviii. 12—26. Do not expect that mercies of themselves will do you good, or that afflictions will do you good; that the city or the wilderness will do you good: it is grace alone that can do you good. And if you find inward benefits by outward things, it is merely from the grace that God is pleased to administer and dispense with them. And he can separate them when he pleaseth. He can give mercies that shall be so materially, but not eventually: like the quails which fed the bodies of the people whilst leanness possessed their souls. And he can send affliction that shall have nothing in it but affliction; present troubles leading on to future troubles. Learn then in all places, in every state and condition, to live in the freedom, riches, and efficacy of grace, for other helps, other advantages have we none.

Thirdly. Let us learn, that whithersoever sin can enter, punishment can follow. Culpam sequitur pcena pede claudo. Though vengeance seems to have a lame foot, yet it will hunt sin till it overtake the sinner. Psal. οχ]. 11, “ Evil shall hunt the violent man to overtake him.’ Go where he will, the fruits of his own evil and violence, the punishment due to them shall hunt him and follow him, and though it should sometimes appear to be out of sight, or off from the scent, yet it will recover its view and chase, till it hath brought him to destruction; nprnad, ‘ to thrustings down,’ till he be utterly thrust down; saith the Targum, ‘ The angel of death shall haunt him, until he thrust him down into hell.’ The heathen owned this;

Quo fugis, Encelade, quascunque accesseris oras, Sub Jove semper eris.

Punishment will follow sin into the wilderness, where they are separated from all the world, and climb up after it to the top of the tower of Babel, where all the world conspired to defend it. It will follow it into the dark, the dark corners of their hearts and lives, and overtake them in the light of the world. God hath exdiov oupa, an eye of revenge that nothing can escape. ‘ Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him, saith the Lord? Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord? Jer. xxiii. 24. God declares whence it is, that none can hide from his presence, or escape his justice. It is from his omnipresence; he is every-where, and all places are alike to him. Adam when he had sinned went behind a tree. And others, they would go under rocks and mountains, but all is one, vengeance will find them out. This is that dun which the barbarians thought would not let a murderer live, however he might escape for a season, Acts XXvill. 4.

Obs. XX. Great works of providence are a great means of iustruction; and a neglect of them as to their instructive end, is a great aggravation of the sin of those who live when and where they are performed.—They saw my works, saith God; works great and wonderful; and yet continued in their sin and disobedience. This heightened their sin, and hastened their punishment.

We shall take an instance in one of the works here intended, which will acquaint us with the design, end, and use of them all. And this shall be the appearance of the majesty of God on Mount Sinai at the giving of the law. The works accompanying it consisted much in things miraculous, strange, and unusual; as thunder, lightening, fire, smoke, earthquakes, the sound of a trumpet, and the like. The usual working of the minds of men, towards these unusual effects of the power of God, is to gaze on them with admiration and astonishment. This God forbids in them, Exod. xix. 21, ‘ Charge the people lest they break through unto.the Lord to gaze.’ This is not the end or design of God in these works of his power, in these appearances and evidences of his majesty, that men should gaze at them to satisfy their curiosity. What then was aimed at in and by them? It was to instruct them to a due fear and awful reverence of God, whose holiness and majesty was represented to them, that they might know him as a consuming fire. And this was declared in the issue. For the people coming up to a due fear of God for the present, and promising obedience thereon, God took it well of them, and approved it in them, as that which answered the design of his works, Deut. v. 23 —29, ‘ And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire) that ye came near unto me,” (they are the words of Moses to the people,) “ even all the heads of your tribes and your elders. And ye said, Behold the Lord our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we

have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; now therefore why should we die, for this great fire will consume us. Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say, and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it. ~ And the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spake unto me, and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken. Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them and their children for ever.’ God never casts bruta fulmina, all his works are vocal. They speak or rather he speaks in them. Now that they may be instructive to us, sundry things are required.

First. That we take notice of them, and notice of them to be his. Some are so stayed or so obstinate, or so full of self and other things, that they will take no notice at all of any of the works of God. His hand is lifted up, and they will not see, they will not behold it. He passeth by them in his works on the right hand and on the left, but they perceive it not. Others, though they take notice of the works themselves, yet they will not take notice of them to be his; like the Philistines, they knew not whether the strange plague that consumed them and destroyed their cities, were God’s hand or a chance. But till we seriously consider them and really own them to be the works of God, we can make no improvement of them.

Secondly. We are to inquire into the special meaning of them. This is wisdom, and that which God requireth at our hands. So Micah vi. 9, ‘ The voice of the Lord crieth unto the city, the man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.” mr dp: ¢ the voice of the Lord,’ is often taken for the power of

‘God manifesting itself in its effects and mighty works. In this sense it is repeated six or seven times in one psalm, Psal. xxix. 3—9. The voice of God here then is the works of God, and what do they do? they have a voice, they ‘ cry to the city.’ The voice of God in his rod doth so, that is his afflicting and correcting works, as in the end of the verse. It cries, yd, ‘ to the city,’ that is, the city of God, Jerusalem or the church. Though some think that yd is put for Ὑπὸ ad excitandum, it cries to excite or stir up men, that is, to repentance and amendment. And what is the issue? mn, ‘ the man of wisdom’ say we. It is wisdom, or rather substance, that is, ‘ the substantial wise man,’ who gives no place to vanity and lightness. He shall see the name of God, that is, he shall discern the power and wisdom of God in his works; and not only so, but the mind of God also in them, which is often signified by his name. See John xvii. 6. And so it follows, ‘ Hear ye the rod,’ they are works of the rod or correction that he speaks of. This he commands us to hear, that is, to understand. So yw frequently signifies. So speak the servants of Hezekiah to Rabshakeh, Isa. xxxvi. 11, ‘ Speak we pray thee unto thy servants in the Syrian language,’ ΤῸΝ Dynw δ5: ‘ for we hear it,’ that is, can understand it. So are we to ‘ hear the rod,’ that is, to learn and understand the mind of God in his works.

1. That we consider and be well acquainted with our own condition. If we are ignorant hereof we shall understand nothing of the mind of God in his dispensations. Security in sin will take away all understanding of judgments. Let God thunder from heaven in the revelation of his wrath against sin, yet such persons will be secure still. God doth not often utterly destroy men with great and tremendous destructions, before he hath given them previous warnings of his indignation. But yet men that are secure in sin, will know so little of the sense of them, that they will be crying peace and safety, when their final destruction is seizing on them, 1 ‘Thess. v. 8. God speaks out the curse of the law in his works of judgment. For thereby 1s the ‘ wrath of God revealed from heaven against the ungodliness of men,’ Rom. i. 18. But yet when men hear the voice of the curse so spoken out, if they are secure they will bless themselves and say, They shall have peace, though they ‘add drunkenness to thirst,’ Deut. xxix. 19. And this for the most part blinds the eyes of the wise men of this world. They neither see nor understand any of the works of God, though never so full of dread and terror; because, being secure in their sin, they know not that they have any concern in them. If they do at any time attend to them, it is as the people did to the voice that came from heaven to our Saviour; some said it thundered, others that an angel spake: one says one thing of them, another, another thing, but they endeavour not to come to any certainty about them. This is complained of Isa. xxvi. 11, ‘ Lord, when thy hand is lifted up they will not see.’ The lifting up of the hand in general is to work or to effect any thing; in particular to correct, to punish, it being the posture of one ready to strike, or redoubling his blows in striking, as God doth when his judgments are in the earth, ver. 9. In this state of things, saith the prophet, ‘they will not see,’ they will neither consider, nor endeavour to understand the mind of God in his works and judgments. And how doth God take this of them? Saith he, ‘ The fire of thine adversaries shall devour them.’ That is, either their own fiery envy at the people of God, mentioned in the foregoing words, shall consume themselves; they shall be eaten up and consumed with it, whilst they will not take notice of the mind of God in his judgments towards them. Or the fire wherewith at length thou wilt consume all thine adversaries shall fall on them; or lastly, thou wilt turn in on them a wicked furious people, who shall destroy them, as it befel the Jews, to whom he speaks in particular. One way or other God will severely revenge this security and neglect of his works thereon. But they who will wisely consider their own condition, how it is between God and them, wherein they have been faithful, wherein false or backsliding, what controversy God hath, or justly may have with them, what is the condition of the state, church, or nation whereunto they do belong, will discern the voice of God in his great works of providence. So is the matter stated, Dan. xii. 10, ‘ Many shall be purified, and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.’ And when shall this be? ‘ When there is a time of great trouble,’ ver. 1. When God’s judgments are greatly in the world. The end of these troubles is to purify men, to cleanse them by the removal of all filth of flesh and spirit that they may have contracted, as dross is taken away from silver in the furnace; and to make them white, by causing their sincerity, constancy, and perseverance in their holy profession to appear in their trials. But the wicked men, secure in their sins, shall yet continue in their wickedness, and thereby shall be so blinded, that none of them shall understand the mind of God in his great works and tremendous dispensations. But pS wn, they that have an understanding in their own state and condition, and in the state of things in the church of God, (as it is said of the men of Issachar, 2 Chron. xii. 32, that they were ΤΡ mn ‘yt, ‘ knowing in the seasons,’) they shall understand or come to the knowledge of the will of God and their duty in those things. And of a failure herein, see how God complains, Deut. xxxu. 28, 29.

2. That we consider what peculiar impressions of his will God puts on any of his works. Hereby we may know much of his mind and design in them. All the works of God if duly considered, will be found to bear his image and superseription. They are all like him, were sent by him, and are becoming of him. They have on them tokens and marks of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness. ‘Those of providence which he intends to be instructive, have a peculiar impression of the design of God on them, and a wise man may see the eye of God in them. So he speaks in the Psalmist, ‘1 will guide thee with mine eye,’ Ps. xxxii. 8. He would make him see the way and paths that he was to walk in, by that respect which he would have to them in the works of his providence. This then I say we should inquire after and wisely consider; because,

Obs. XXI. 1. The greater evidence that God gives of his power and goodness in any of his works, the louder is his voice in them, and the greater is the sin of them that neglect them; which alsois another proposition from the words.—God made then his works evident to them, so that they saw them, ‘ they saw my works,’ so they could not deny them to be his. And if men will shut their eyes against the lights, they justly perish in their darkness: God sometimes hides his power, Hab. iii. 4, ‘ that was the hiding of his power.’ That is, as the Targumist adds, was ‘laid open,’ his power that before was hid from the people was now manifested. But sometimes he causeth it to shine forth. As in the same place he had ‘horns coming out of his hand.’ > 9 op: Horns or shining beams, rays of glory arose from his hand, or his power in the manifestation of it in his works. He caused his wisdom and power to shine forth in them, as the sun gives out light in its full strength and beauty. Then for men not to take notice of them, will be a signal aggravation of their sin’ and hastening of their punishment. Now we can never know what appears of God in his works, unless by a due consideration of them we endeavour to understand them or his mind in them. Again, we should ponder the the works of God’s providence,

Obs. XXII. Because the end of all God’s works, of his mighty works of providence towards a person, a church, or nation, is to bring them to faith and dependence, which is also another observation that the words afford us.—-This end he still declared in all his dealings with this people. And it is the principal design of the book of Deuteronomy to improve the works of God which they had seen to this end. And ‘ who is wise, and he shall understand these things; prudent and he shall know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein,’ Hos. xiv. 9. And herein lies a great aggravation of the misery of the days wherein we live. The works, the great works of God are generally either despised or abused. Some account all that is spoken of them ὥσει Anooc, as ‘a mere fable,’ as some did of old the things concerning the resurrection of Christ on the first report of it, Luke xxiv. 11. And if they are not so in themselves, but that such things as are spoken of are done inthe world, yet as to their relation to God, they esteem it a fable. Chance, natural causes, vulgar errors, popular esteem, were the originals with such persons, of all those great works of God which our eyes have seen, or our ears heard, or which our fathers have reported to us: ‘ Brutish persons and unwise.’ There is scarce a leaf in the book of God, or a day in the course of his providence, that doth not judge and condemn the folly and stupidity of their pride. The very heathen of old, either by reason scorned, or by experience were made afraid, to give countenance to such atheism. Nor do I esteem such persons who live in open rebellion against all that is within them or without them, against all that God hath done or said, worthy any consideration. ‘ Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operations of his hands, he shall destroy them and not build them up,’ Ps. xxvii. 5. Others will not deny God to be in his works, but they make no use of them but to gaze, admire, and talk. There is somewhat less evil in this than in the former atheism, but no good at all. Yea, where God multiplies his calls by his works, men by this slight consideration of them, insensibly harden their hearts into security. Others abuse them, some by making them the rise of their vain and foolish prognostications; there is such a prodigy, such a strange work of God, such a blazing star or the lke—what then? such or such a thing shall follow this or that year, this or that menth. This is a specious way whereby atheism exalts itself. For nothing can give countenance to these presumptions, but a supposition of such a concatenation of causes and effects, as shall exclude the sovereign government of God over the world. Others contend about them; some whose lives are profligate, and whose ways are wicked, are afraid lest they should be looked on as pointed against them and their sins, and therefore they contend that they have no determinate language, no signification in them. Others are too forward to look on them, as sent or wrought to countenance them in their desires, ways, and aims. Amongst most, by these and the like means, the true design of God in all his great and strange works is utterly lost, to the great provocation of the eyes of his glory. This, as I have shown, is every man’s faith, repentance, and obedience, ἘΠῚ how they have been improved in us by them, we may do well to consider. Again, observe from the words, that

Obs. XXIII. God is pleased oft-times to grant great outward means to those, in whom he will not work effectually by his grace.— Who had more of the first than these Israelites in the wilderness? As the works of God amongst them were the greatest and most stupendous that ever he had wrought from the foundation of the world, so the law was first vocally given to them, and promulgated amongst them, and not only so, but they had the gospel also preached to their ears, as we; not so clearly indeed, but not less truly, Heb. iv. 1. See their privileges and advantages, as they are enumerated by our apostle, Rom. 111. 2, ix. 4, 5. God might well say of them, as he did afterwards of their posterity, ‘what could have been done more to my vineyard, that 1 have not done in it,” Isa. v. 8, for fencing, and planting, and stoning, nothing more could have been done. Outward means, ordinances, afflictions, mercies, they wanted not; and yet all this while, God did not ‘ circumcise their hearts to love him with all their heart, and all their soul, that they might live,’ as he promised at other times to do, Deut. xxx. 6, yea, it is said expressly that he gave them not ‘ eyes to see, or ears to hear, that they might know him and fear him. He did not put forth or exercise an effectual work of inward grace, during their enjoyment of the outward means before mentioned. And therefore when God promiseth to make the covenant of grace under the gospel, effectual to the elect, by writing his law in their hearts, and putting his fear into their inward parts: he says expressly and emphatically that he will not make it as he made that with the people in the wilderness, and that for this reason, because they, that is the generality of them, had only the outward administration of it, and did not enjoy this effectual communication of saving grace, which is there called a ‘ writing of the law in our hearts, and putting of the fear of God in our inward parts,’ Heb. viii. 8—10, from Jer. xxxi, 31—34, In like manner when our Lord Jesus Christ preached the gospel to all, yet it was to some only to whom ‘ it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God;’ Matt. xiii. 11— 16, I know some are displeased at this, but for the most part they are such as will be pleased with nothing that God either doth or saith, or can do or say, unless he would give them a law or a gospel to save them in and with their sins. They are ready to dispute that God is unjust, if he give not grace to every man to use or abuse it at his pleasure, whilst they themselves hate grace and despise it, and think it not worth acceptance if laid at their doors. But thus God dealt with this people in the wilderness. Yea they had means of obedience granted them, after he had sworn they should die for their disobedience. And who art thou, O man, that disputest against God” pe the righteousness of God in this matter is clear and conspicuous: or,

First. God is not obliged to grant any special privilege, even as to the outward means of grace, to any of the sons of men. And to show his sovereignty and absolute freedom herein, he always granted them with great variety in a distinguishing manner. So he did of old,

‘he showed his word’ (27, ‘his words,’ that is, his institutions) ‘unto Jacob, and his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not done so unto any nation, and as for his judgments they have not known them,’ Ps. exlvii. 19, 20. These outward means themselves were their peculiar privilege and enclosure. This was the advantage of the Jews, that to them, and to them alone, ‘ were committed the oracles of God,’ Rom. ii. 2, And God as he gave and granted these outward means of grace to them alone, so he might have justly denied them to them also, or he might have granted them to all others and withheld them from them. For he dealt not thus with them, because they were in and of themselves in any thing better than those who were excluded from their privileges, Deut. vii. 6—8, ix. And thus God dealeth still even to this day with the nations of the world: some he entrusteth with the gospel, and some have not the sound of it approaching to them. Man would not abide in the condition wherein God made him, Eccles. vii. 29. And God may justly leave him in the condition whereinto by sin he hath cast himself. That he will afford outward means to any is of mere grace, liberality, and bounty, and shall we say he is unjust if he give no more, when no rule or law ‘of justice obligeth him to do what he doth? Men may by such means and apprehensions sooner provoke God to take away what they have, than to add to them what they have not. A beggar’s murmuring as though he had not his due, when any thing is given him, is the worst way of getting his alms increased.

Secondly. Even outward means themselves, when singly dispensed, have many blessed ends which shall be effected by them, for they all tend variously to the glory of God. This I acknowledge is despised by men of profane and wicked principles, who have no concern therein. Men, whom nothing will satisfy but the making of all grace so common, as that it should be prostituted unto the corrupt wills of men, to be used or abused at their pleasure, as indeed they utterly evert all effectual grace, so they must find another Scripture to countenance them in their opinion. The book of God will not do it. They measure things merely by their own advantage. But to those that know God and love him, this is of great weight. That the wisdom, holiness, goodness, righteousness, and severity of God, be exalted and glorified, as they are in the dispensation of the outward means of grace, though, - eventually, not effectual to the salvation of some, is a matter of great rejoicing unto all that do believe. Again, they may redound unto the great advantage of men, and that both in this world, and unto eternity. So saith our Saviour, Matt. xi. 23, ‘And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day,’ The exaltation of Capernaum consisted in its enjoyment of the outward means of grace, in the preaching and miracles of our Saviour. And although the end of all was, that she was to be brought down to hell for her obstinacy, in unbelief, yet while she enjoyed these things she had a real privilege, and was much exalted thereby. And there might have been an use of these means, which although it would not have delivered Capernaum from hell at last, because not prevalent against final impent- tency, yet it might have delivered it from that hell of temporal destruction, which befel it not long after, as prevailing against their open and professed obstinacy. And so Sodom had she been intrusted with the like means of instruction, might have continued in her outward state and condition, by such an use of them, unto that or unto this day. For there may be such a conviction of sin, as may produce that repentance and humiliation which will avert temporal judgments, which will not produce repentance unto salvation and deliverance from judgments eternal. And this renders the gospel the greatest privilege and advantage of any kingdom or nation in the world, and their principal interest to maintain it. Whatever work God is pleased to do secretly and effectually on the hearts. of any, to bring them to the eternal enjoyment of himself; the very outward dispensation of the gospel itself, is suited to bring forth that profession and amendment of life in all, which shall secure unto them the enjoyment of peace and tranquillity in this world. Besides, the taking men off from their present sinful courses, will tend to the mitigation of their future punishment, or a diminution of their stripes. There are then many mercies in this one of the outward means of grace, considered absolutely and in itself. f

Thirdly. Where God grants the use of the outward means of grace to any, ordinarily, if not always, he hath a design to communicate by them especial saving grace unto some. These means granted unto the people in the wilderness, where they seem to have had as sad an event as ever they had any where in the world, yet were not lost as to their end and use of the conveyance of especial grace towards some; some, yea doubtless many were converted unto God by them, and made obedient. That they died in the wilderness, is no argument as unto individuals that they died in final unbelief; no, though we should conclude that they died all penally. For they did so as they were members and parts of that people, that provoking generation, which God dealt withal according to the demerit of the community. And so, many men may fall and be cut off penally in national desolations, as those desolations are’ just punishments for the sins of that nation, though they themselves were not personally guiity of them. So the daughters of Zelophehad state the matter, Num. xxvii. 3, ‘Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in tie company of them who gathered themselves against the Lord, but died in his own sins.’ He was a sinner, as all men are, and so on his own personal account there was no reason to complain of his dying in the wildernesss, but yet he had no hand in those especial provocations, for which God was so displeased, as that in his wrath he cut them off signally and finally. But he, it may be, and many others of them doubtless, had the spiritually efficacious benefit of the means of grace which they enjoyed. The matter is plain in Caleb, Joshua, and a great multitude of the new generation who believed and entered into rest. Now the saving of one soul is worth the preaching of the gospel to a whole nation, and that for many years. And whilst God carries on his work visibly, he will take care secretly that not one hidden grain of his Israel shall fall unto the ground.

fo sum up this whole matter, these outward means are granted unto men in a way of grace, favour, and bounty. Their ends, singly considered, are good, holy, and righteous. Moreover, they are all of them properly effectual, in that they always attain the end whereunto they are designed. And that men are not bettered by them, or more advantaged than they are, is merely from their own pravity and obstinacy. And those who approve not of this dispensation, seem to have a great mind to contend with him who is mightier than they.

Obs. XXIV. No privilege, no outward means of grace, no other advantage whatever, will secure men in a course of sinning, from the wrath and justice of God.—Who could be made partakers of more advantages than were this people at that time? Besides the great privilege derived unto them from their fathers, in that they were the posterity of Abraham, the friend of God, and had the token of his covenant in their flesh, they’ had newly erected amongst them a glorious church state, wherein they were entrusted with all the ordinances of God’s worship. These privileges the apostle sums up, Rom. ix. 4,5, ‘Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers.’ The adoption was theirs: God had no other children or family in the world but them: they were his family, when his curse was upon all other families of the earth. And the glory was theirs: it was unto them and amongst them, that God so manifested his glory, as that it became their glory, their glory above all the nations of the world. And the covenants were theirs; both the covenant that was made with Abraham in all the benefits of it, and the special covenant that God made with them at Sinai. There also was the law given unto them, and the solemn worship of God in all the law and ordinances thereof, made their peculiar. What works of providence God wrought amongst them, we have declared. Doubtless they bear themselves high on these things. So when they contended with Moses and Aaron, their plea was, that all the people was holy, so that they saw no reason for their peculiar preeminence. And who also amongst the sons of men is not ready on far less occasions so to do. Some cry, They are the church, and some boast of other things. But be men what they will, their privileges and advantages what they can desire, if they are secure and obstinate sinners, the wrath of God at one time or other will overtake them. And some will one day find to their sorrow what their boasting will cost them. Laodicea hath done so long ago; and so in due time will she, who says, “1 sit as a queen, and shall see no sorrow.’ For although the hand of church privilege should join in with the hand of secular advantage, yet the guilty shall not go unpunished. And one reason hereof lies in another proposition that ariseth from the words; namely, that,

Obs. XXV. There are determinate bounds fixed unto God’s patience and forbearance towards obstinate sinners.—So here he assigned the space of forty years, for the consumption of this provoking generation.

And as in the point of promise it is observed, that the very same night wherein the time limited was accomplished, the people were delivered out of Egypt; so, in the point of threatening it is remembered, that at the end of forty years, wherein the people wandered in the wilderness, there was not one remaining of those who were first numbered in Horeb. However men may flatter and please themselves, nothing can secure sinners from punishment in the appointed season; see 2 Pet. ni. 8, 9.

We shall now proceed to the last thing contained in the example insisted on by the apostle, and that is, the consequent of the sins of the people in their punishment. And this is expressed, first, in the procuring cause of it; that in the sense God had of their sin—it grieved him. ‘ Wherefore I was grieved with that generation.’ The meaning of the words, both in the Psalm and in this place, hath been before declared. It expresseth how God stood affected towards the people as to the inward frame of his heart. For these affections doth God take upon himself for our instruction. He says that he will rejoice over his people assuredly with his whole heart and his whole soul, Jer. xxxii. 41. And upon the account of their sin, it is said, that it grieved him at his heart that he had made man on the earth, Gen. vi. 6. And those expressions, wherever they are used, are signs of great and signal actions. So in the last case mentioned, God said it grieved him at his heart, because he was going to do that which could proceed from no principle that we can apprehend, but great trouble and molestation. That then which is here intended, is such a σχεσις, such a frame or habit of mind or heart in God, as had the people of that generation for its object. It is not then Aun, dolor, or ‘grief,’ properly so called, that is here: intended; neither do either of the words here used, the one by the Psalmist, the other by the apostle, express that passion. For although God ascribes it often unto himself, yet it is not here intended, but rather indignation and trouble. He was burdened, vexed, displeased, beyond what patience or forbearance could extend to. In brief, it includes these two things: 1. The judgment or mind of God concerning the greatness of their sin, with all its aggravations; and, 2. His determinate will of punishing them. Hence we may observe, that,

Obs. XXVI. The heart of God is greatly concerned in the sins of men, especially of those who on any account are his people, and so esteemed.—Men live, and act, and speak as if they thought God very little concerned in what they do, especially in their sins; that either he takes no notice of them, or if he do, that he is not much concerned in them. That he should be grieved at his heart, that is, have such a deep sense of men’s sinful provocations, they have no mind to think or believe. They think that as to thoughts about sin, God is altogether as themselves, Psal. 1. 21. But it is otherwise; for God hath,

1. A concernment of honour in what we do. He made us for his glory and honour; nothing whereof can we any way assign unto him, but by our obedience. And whatever is contrary hereunto tends directly to his dishonour. And this God cannot but be deeply sensible of. He cannot deny himself. If men lose the rent which they expect from their tenants, and have obliged them to pay, and which they refuse upon mere will and stubbornness, they will find themselves to have a concernment therein. And shall God lose all the revenue that is due unto him, without expressing an indignation against the guilt of men who deal so unjustly and fraudulently with him? Nay, he is deeply concerned in this matter, as he is our sovereign Lord.

2. He is concerned in point of justice also, as he is the supreme ruler and governor of all the works of his own hands. He is God, to whom vengeance doth belong; who hath said, ‘ Vengeance is mine, and I will recompense.’ And he needs no other reason to induce him to punish sin but himself, his holiness and his justice being his nature. And this he expresseth after the manner of men; affirming that he is grieved or vexed and provoked to indignation with the sins of men, How this provocation is heightened by this aggravation of sin, that it is committed by his own people, under unspeakable, peculiar obligations unto obedience, hath been declared before.

We now proceed with the exposition of the words. There is, secondly, in them the judgment that God made and gave concerning this people and their sin, which is expressed as the reason why he was grieved with them. He said, ‘They do always err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.’

And in this judgment which God passed on that sinful generation, he declares three things.

3. The consequent, or rather concomitant evil, unto, or with these: they knew not the ways of the Lord—and they have not known my ways.

First. God placeth the original of all their miscarriages in their error—the error of their hearts. An error of the heart in things moral, is a practical misjudging of what is good or evil unto men. So this people, through the power of their lusts and darkness, their temptations and obstinacy, did in many instances wherein they were tried, judge that sin and rebellion were better for them, than faith, submission, and obedience. They did not, in general, notionally and formally judge that sin, as sin was better than obedience, which no creature is capable of doing; but practically and particularly they judged, that it was better for them to do the things wherein their sin consisted, than to omit or forego them; so they erred in their hearts. There the seat of their error 15 fixed. Now, besides that the heart is here, as in sundry other places, taken for the practical understanding, or for the whole principle of all our moral actions, as it regards both the mind, will, and affections, the expression seems to intend a further discovery of the nature of their sin with a further aggravation of it. They sinned from and with their hearts. And God lets them know that he doth not so much insist on their outward actions, as that he took notice that their hearts were not right with him: that was the principle of all their rebellions for which he abhorred them. As he spake, in another place, of the same people, when their hearts went after their idols, he regarded them not.

Secondly. The adjunct of this their error, is their constancy unto it, or persisting in it—they did always err. Two things may be denoted hereby, 1. That in all instances, whenever it came to a trial, they practically chose the wrong side. It may be they did not so universally, but they did so generally, which warrants the denomination. Or, 2ndly. It denotes the continuance in their error: ag is, ‘not to cease or give over.’ Though God had exercised great patience and forbearance towards them for a long season, yet they would never change their minds or hearts at any time.

Thirdly. There is the consequent of this great principle of their sin; or rather another concomitant principle of their miscarriages, they knew not the ways of God—and they have not known my ways. This may be exegetical of the former, and declare wherein their error consisted, namely in this, that they knew not they judged not aright of the ways of God. But as I said, I shall rather look upon it as another principle of their miscarriages. As they erred in their hearts because they liked the ways of sin, so they disliked the ways of God: because they knew them not; and from both rushed into all manner of miscarriages and provocations. We are hence instructed, first, that,

Obs. XXVII. In all the sins of men, God principally regards the principle; that is the heart, or what is in it. ‘hey do err,’ saith he, ‘in their hearts.’ The heart he principally requires in our obedience, and this he principally regards in men’s disobedience. ‘My son,’

saith he, ‘give me thine heart; and, ‘O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me.’ When the heart is upright, as to its general frame, design, and principle, God will bear with many failings, many miscarriages. And when it is false and gone off from God, thousands of duties are of no esteem with him. We know little, yea directly nothing of the hearts of men. And a man would therefore think, that we should little concern ourselves in them, or not at all, but merely rest satisfied in outward acts and effects wherein our concernment lies. But yet even amongst us it is quite otherwise. If once a man begins justly to suspect that the hearts of them with whom he hath to do, are not upright with him, but false and guileful, let them pretend what they will, and act what they please, all is utterly disregarded and despised; so saith he,

“1 hate him like the gates of hell, who, pretending fairly to me, reserves other things in his mind.’ And if it be thus with men who judge of the hearts of others only by effects, and that with a judgment ble to be inflamed by groundless suspicions and corrupt imaginams, how much more must it be so with God, before whose eyes all - e hearts of men lie open and naked; whose glory and property it is | be καρδιογνωστης, the Judge, Searcher, Knower of all hearts, gain,

Obs. XXVIII. The error of the heart in the preferring the ways of in, before obedience with its promises and rewards, is the root of all great provoking sins and rebellions against God.—Many sins are the effects of men’s impetuous lusts and corruptions. Many they are hurried into, by the power and efficacy of their temptations. Most are produced by both these in conjunction. But as for great provocations, such as carry in them apostasy or rebellion against God, they proceed from a deceiving and a deceived heart. There are many noisome and hurtful errors in the world; but this is the great soulruining error, when the heart is practically corrupted to prefer sin and its wages, before obedience and its reward. It seems indeed a hard and difficult thing to do this notionally, especially for such as admit of any sense of eternity. But yet the contrary hereunto, namely, to prefer obedience with its promises and rewards, consisting in things future and invisible, unto sin and its present ways, is expressed as an act or fruit of faith, and which nothing else will enable us unto. This was the evidence of the faith of Moses, that ‘ he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of reward,’ Heb. xi. 25, 26. And so the apostle expresseth the working of faith in this matter, 2 Cor. iv. 18, ‘Whilst we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.’ It is the work of faith so to look into, so to see and discern invisible and eternal things, as on their account to prefer obedience to God, with afflictions, temptations, and persecutions, to sin with all its present pleasures and wages. But practically this is frequently found amongst men. And how this is brought about,: or effected; how the mind is prejudiced and obstructed as to its making a right judgment concerning its rules; how it is diverted from a due consideration of the things and reasons that should influence it and lead it thereunto; how it is entangled and seduced to a present approbation of appearing satisfactions; and how the will is thereby deceived into a consent to sin, I have declared in a particular discourse to that purpose. In brief, when the directive part of the mind is diverted from attending to the reason of things proposed to it; when it is corrupted by false pretences imposed on it by the outrage of corrupt lusts and affections, which have possessed the imagination with their objects and their present deceivableness; when the accusing judging faculty of it, is baffled, slighted, and at best partially silenced, as wearied. with doing its work in vain, and accustomed to repulses; when in its reflective acts, whereby it should receive impressions from its own self-accusations and reproofs, it is made obtuse, hard, and senseless, not regarding what is spoken in it or to it; and when by these means carnal affections bear sway in the soul, impetuously inclining it to seek after their satisfaction, then is the heart under the power of the error we speak of, that error which is the principle of all great provocations and apostasies from God.

For, 1. This sets all the lusts of the soul at liberty to seek after their satisfaction in sin. 2. Makes it slight and contemn all the promises annexed to obedience: and, 3. Disregard the threatenings that lie against sin, and so prepares it for the utmost rebellion.

And of all errors let us take heed of this practical error of the heart. It is not men’s being orthodox or sound in their opinions that will relieve them if they are under the power of this great fundamental error. And it is a matter to be lamented to see how men will contend for their opinions under the name of truth, and cast all manner of severe reflections on those that oppose them, whilst themselves err in their hearts and know not the ways of God. And this is a frame which of all others God most abhorreth. For when men pretend to be for him, and are really against him, as all such are, shall not the Searcher of hearts find it out? Orthodox liars, swearers, drunkards, adulterers, oppressors, persecutors, are an unspeakable burden to the patience of God. Again,

Obs. XXIX. A constant persisting in a course of sin, is the utmost, highest, and last aggravation of sin.—They do err always, in every instance of disobedience, and that continually. This filled up their measure. For herein consists that ‘ finishing of sin which brings forth death,’ Jam. i. 14. Sin may be conceived and brought forth, and yet death not ensue. But if it be finished, if men ‘err in their hearts always,’ inevitable destruction will be the consequent of it. This, as was said, is the highest and last aggravation of sin. For,

First. It includes a neglect and contempt of all times and seasons of amendment. God gives to men, especially to those who live under the dispensation of the word, many peculiar times or seasons for their recovery. They have their day, their especial day, wherein they ought in an-especial manner to look after the things of their peace, as hath been declared. It may be this ‘day,’ is often revived to the person spoken of, and often returned on them; but it is as often despised and neglected by them.

Secondly. It includes a rejection and disappointment of the means of repentance, which God is pleased graciously to afford to them. During the season of his patience towards sinners, God is pleased to grant to them sundry means and advantages for their amendment, and that in great variety. But they are all rejected and rendered fruitless in an unchanged course of sinning.

Thirdly. It includes a contempt of the whole work of conscience from first to last. Many assistances conscience doth receive in its work. Convictions from the word, excitations by judgments, mercies, dangers, deliverances; but yet in this condition all its actings are bafled and despised. And what can be more done against God? what can add to the guilt of such sins and sinners?

And this may serve to justify God in his severity against persons that always err in their hearts, that continue in a course of sinning. In the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, and all transactions between God and the souls of men laid open, the holiness righteousness, and just severity of God against impenitent sinners, will on these and other accounts be gloriously displayed.

Obs. XXX. None despise or desert the ways of God, but those who know them not.—For, whatever they may profess, yet indeed profligate sinners know neither God nor his ways. ‘They err in their hearts and have not known my ways.’ Who would seem more fully to have known the ways of God than this people? The ways of his providence wherein he walked towards them; and the ways of his law wherein they were to walk towards him, were all before them. They saw the former themselves; and that appearance of the power, wisdom, and greatness of God in them, as no generation of men from the foundation of the world ever had. And for the ways of his law and worship, who should know them if they did not? They heard God himself proclaiming -his own law on Mount Sinai; and they had it afterwards written by him in tables of stone. And for the residue of of his institutions, they received them by fresh revelation, seeine them all exemplified in the erection of the tabernacle and in the practice of the service of it. And yet all this while being unbelieving and obdurate, they knew not the ways of God; nay, though they professed that they knew them, and that they would observe them, yet in truth they knew them not. And such were their posterity and successors in unbelief and disobedience, of whom the apostle speaks, Titus i. 16, ‘They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.’ So was it with this people: so it is with all that despise the ways of God. Whatever they profess, as some of them will be forward enough to profess much, yet indeed they know not God or his ways. So our Saviour tells the Pharisees, that notwithstanding all their boasting of their wisdom, skill, and knowledge of the law, and of God himself, yet being as they were, proud, hypocritical self-justiciaries, that they had not indeed ‘heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape, John y. 37, that is, that they had no real acquaintance with him or knowledge of him.

Whatever notion such persons have or may have of the ways of God, whatever skill in the outward letter of his laws and institutions, yet they know neither the righteousness, nor the holiness, nor the grace, nor the efficacy, nor the usefulness, nor the beauty of any of them. These things are spiritually discerned, and they are spiritually blind. These are spirit and life, and they are flesh and dead. And all this is evident from men’s despising of the ways of

God or their dereliction of them. This none can do but those that know them not. For they that ‘ know the name of the Lord,’ that is, any of the ways whereby he reveals himself, ¢ will put their trust in him,’ Ps. ix. 10. They will forsake neither him nor them. What Paul speaks in a way of extenuation as to some of the Jews; had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of life; we may apply by way of exprobration unto some; had they known the ways of God, as once they professed they did, they would not have forsaken them. And this may support us against the offences and scandals that are in the world upon the account of the apostasies of professors. Some that have professed religion in its power, turn sensual worldlings; some who have professed it in its truth, as Protestants, turn Papists and Idolaters. Shall any reflection be taken from hence, or be cast on the right ways of God, as though they were such as deserved to be deserted? Whatever men, such men, have pretended or professed, the truth is they never knew the ways of God in their light, power, efficacy, or beauty. Julian, that infamous apostate, was wont to boast concerning the Scriptures, that he had read them, known them, and condemned them: unto whom it was truly replied, that if he had read them, yet he understood or knew them not, of which there needed no other evidence but that he condemned them.

‘Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.’

This is the last thing that remaineth to be considered; and it is the issue or event of the sin before declared, what it came to, in the holiness and righteousness of God, and what was the punishment that was inflicted on the offenders. And in this decretory sentence of God concerning this people, after all their temptations and provocations, there is to be considered,

First. The irrevocableness of the sentence denounced against them.— It is not any longer a mere threatening, but a sentence irreversibly past, and enrolled in the court of heaven, and committed for execution unto the honour, power, and veracity of God, for he sware unto it or confirmed it by his oath. All mere promises or threatenings whatever about temporal things, have a tacit condition included in them. This, as occasion requires, is drawn forth soas to alter and change the event promised or threatened. But when God interposeth with his oath, it is to exclude all reserves on such tacit conditions; it is to show that the time wherein they might take place, or be of use, is elapsed. And the threatening so confirmed becomes an absolute sentence. And until it comes unto this, the state of sinners is not absolutely deplorable. But when the oath of God is gone out against them, all reserves for mercy, all former allowances of conditions, are utterly cut off. And this is not the state only of them concerning whom it is recorded in an especial manner that he did so swear, but insuch instances God shows what is the way of his holiness and severity with all sinners, who fall into the like provocations with them. For hereon doth the apostle ground his exhortation and caution, chap. iv. 11, ‘Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief’ or if the tenor of God’s dealings with such unbelievers were not absolutely the same, if the oath of God extended only unto that generation; though they fell, yet others might stand under the same guilt with them, which the apostle hence demonstrates to be otherwise.

Secondly. The greatness of their sin in the great offence that God took at it, and the provocation which as it were befel him thereon; he sware in his wrath, that is with great indignation. Let the place be read as before set down, where the frame of the heart of God towards them is expressed, and the greatness of his wrath and indignation will appear. Now whereas the holy nature of God is not in itself capable of such commotions, of such smoking wrath and anger as are therein described and represented, the sole end of these expressions must needs be to show the heinousness of the sin that the people were guilty of. And herein lies an infinite condescension of God, in taking care to instruct some in and by his deserved wrath against others. For such weak and mean creatures are we, that we have need thus to be instructed in the holiness of God’s nature, and the severity of his justice against sin. For whatever we may ween concerning ourselves, we are not indeed capable of any perfect notions, or direct apprehensions of them; but stand in need to have them represented unto us by such effects, as we can take in the species of, into minds.

Thirdly. There is in the words, the punishment itself denounced against this provoking people; that they should not enter into the rest of God. And there is a double aggravation of the punishment in the manner of the expressing of it. '

1. In the act denied; they shall not enter; no not so much as enter into it. Doubtless many of the people during their wandering in the wilderness, had great desires that they might at least see the place promised for an habitation to their posterity, and wherein all their future interests were to be stated. So in particular had Moses. He prayed, saying, ‘I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon,’ Deut. ii. 25. So doubtless did many others of them pray and desire. But the sentence is past, they shall not now so much as enter into it, nor set one foot within its borders.

2. In the expression of the object denied there lieth another aggravation. He doth not say, that they shall not enter into the land of Canaan, no nor yet into the promised land; but he describes it by such an adjunct, as may let them see the greatness of their sin and their punishment, and of his displeasure. They shall not, saith he, enter into my rest. It is my rest, the place where 1 will dwell, where I will fix my worship and make myself known; you shall not enter into my rest.)

And so have we passed through this passage of this chapter, on which, though it may be we have seemed to dwell somewhat long, yet as I suppose not longer than the matter doth require; nor indeed so long as we should and would have done, but that sundry concerns of it will again occur to us, both in this and the next chapter. Some few observations from the last clause of the words we may yet touch on, as,

Obs. XXXI. When God expresseth great indignation in himself against sin, it is to teach men the greatness of sin in themselves.— For that end is he said here, ‘ to swear in his wrath.’ There are expressions in Scripture about God’s respect to the sins of men that are strangely emphatical. As sometimes he is said to be ‘pressed under them as a cart is pressed that is laden with sheaves:’ sometimes that he is ‘ made to serve with sin and wearied with iniquity;’ sometimes to be ‘broken’ with the whorish heart of a people, and ‘ grieved at the heart’ that he had ever made such a creature as man; sometimes that the sins of men are a ‘ fume in his nostrils,’ that which his soul loatheth; commonly to be angry, vexed, and grieved, to be wrathful, stirred up to fury, and the like. Now all these things taken properly do include such alteration, and consequently imperfections and weaknesses, as the pure, holy, perfect nature of God can by no means admit of. What is it then that God intends by all these expressions, by these ascriptions of that to himself which really is not in him, but might indeed justly befal that nature whereof we are partakers, on the supposition of the like occasions? ΑΒ was said, it is all to express what sin doth indeed deserve, and that a recompence of revenge is to be expected, or that it is of so great a demerit, as to excite all the perturbations mentioned in the nature of God, were it any way capable οὗ. them. So doth he make use of all ways and means to deter us from sin. And there is much of love, tenderness, and care in all these expressions of anger, wrath, and displeasure. So is he pleased to teach us, and such teachings do we stand in need of. Again,

Obs. XXXII. God gives the same firmitude and stability to his threatenings that he doth to his promises.—He swears to them also as he doth in this place. Men are apt secretly to harbour a ‘supposition of a difference in this matter. The promises of God they think indeed are firm and stable, but as for his threatenings they suppose one way or other they may be evaded. This deceit hath greatly prevailed in and inflamed the minds of men ever since the first entrance of sin. By this deceit sin came into the world, namely, that the threatenings of God either would not be accomplished, or that they were to be understood after another manner than was apprehended. ‘ Hath God said so, that you shall die if you eat?’ Mistake not, that is not the meaning of the threatening; or if it be, God doth not intend to execute it; it will be otherwise, and God knows it will be otherwise. This gave sin its first entrance into the world. And the same deceit still prevails in the minds of men. Hath God said that sinners shall die, shall be cursed, shall be cast into hell? Nay, but sure enough it will be otherwise, there will be one way or other of escape; it is good to affright men with these things, but God intends not so to deal with them. Whatever the threatening be, many things may intervene to τ prevent their execution. What God promiseth indeed that shall come to pass, we may expect it and look for it. But as for these threatenings, they depend on so many conditions, and may so easily at any time be evaded, as that there is no great fear of their execution. But what is the ground of this feigned difference between the promises and threatenings of God, as to their stability, certainty, and accomplishment? Where is the difference between the two clauses in that text, ‘He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shal] be damned?’ Is not the holiness of God and his faithfulness as much concerned in the comminatory part, as in the promissory part of his word? Would not a failure in the one, be as prejudicial to his glory as in the other? The principles from which his threatenings proceed, are no less essential properties of his nature, than those which are springs of his promises. His declaration of them, is no less accompanied with the engagement of his veracity and faithfulness, than that of the other. And the end aimed at in them is no less necessary to the demonstration of his glory, than that which he designeth in his promises. We see in this particular instance, that they are also confirmed with the oath of God, even as his promises are. And let none think that this was an extraordinary case, and concerned only the men of that generation. This oath of God is part of his law, it abides for ever; and all that fall into the like sin with them, attended with the like circumstances, do fall under the same oath of God; he swears concerning them, ‘that they shall not enter into his rest.? And we little know how many are even in this world overtaken in this condition - the oath of God lying against them for their punishment and that eternal. Let men take heed of this great self-deceiving; and let no men be mockers in this matter, lest their bonds be made stron for,

Obs. X XXIII. When men have provoked God by their impenitency, to decree their punishment irrevocably, they will find severity in the execution.—They shall not enter, no not so much as enter. ‘ Behold,’ saith our apostle, ‘ the severity of God; towards them that fell, severity,’ Rom. xi. 22. Men will find that there is a severity in the execution who despised the threatening; and that it is a ‘fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ When sinners shall see the whole creation on fire about them; hell open under them, and the glorious dreadful Judge of all over them, they will begin to have a due apprehension of his terror. But then cries, outcries, repentings, and wailings will be of no use. This is the time and place for such considerations, not when the sentence is executed, no not when it is irrevocably confirmed.

Obs. XXXIV. It is the presence of God alone that renders any place or condition good or desirable. ‘They shall not, saith God, ‘enter into my rest..—This makes heaven to be heaven, and the cburch to be the church; every thing answers the manner and measure of the presence of God. And without this, Moses expressly preferred the wilderness before Canaan.

Ver. 12—14.—In the close of this chapter, the apostle makes application of the example which he had produced out of the Psalmist unto his present purpose; namely, to dehort the Hebrews from that sin which in them would answer unto the unbelief and disobedience of their forefathers, from the pernicious and destructive event which befel them thereon. And it must be still remembered that he presseth on them the consideration of that season of trial which they were then under, and which directly answered unto that time of trial which their fathers had in the wilderness. And there are three parts of that discourse of the apostle which ensueth unto the end of this chapter.

First. An exhortation built upon what he had before laid down and given evidence of, with confirmation unto by the example produced out of the Psalmist, ver. 12—14.

Secondly. An especial consideration and improvement unto the end aimed at of sundry parts of the example insisted on, ver. 15—18,

Thirdly. A general conclusion is drawn out of his whole previous discourse, and laid down as the ground of his future proeress, ver. 19. aie

The first part of this discourse comes now under consideration in the ensuing words.

Mnrore; ποτε ῖβ omitted or neglected in many translations; as the Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic; ne sit, ‘ that there be not, let there not be.’ Vulg. Lat. ne forte, lest haply; with respect unto the uncertainty of the event; some, ne quando, ne ullo tempore, ‘lest at any time, that at no time;’ with respect unto the season of such events.

Ev τινι ὑμων 3 in aliquo vestrum. So the Vulg. Lat. An. in ullo vestrum, Beza; more properly: so we, ‘in any of you? 71227 W2N2 in homine ex vobis, ‘in a man,’ ‘in any man of you.’ Arab. in corde ullius vestrum; ‘in the heart of any of you;’ taking in the word HEART out of the next clause, which it there supplies by adding wickedness; the wickedness of unbelief.

Ἐν τῳ atoornva. An. in discedere. Vulg. Lat. discedendi; Beza, ut desciscatis: properly, descisco is to depart unlawfully, to withdraw wickedly; that is, to apostatize from an engagement of duty. Syr. }pram: and you should withdraw or draw back.

Παρακαλειτε ἑαυτους; Vulg. Lat. adhortamini vosmetipsos, ‘ exhort yourselves.’ Eras. vos invicem, to the same purpose. Beza, exhortamini alii alios, ‘exhort one another;’ as we also. Syr. yo wa Ν ΣΝ ywp2; sed postulate ab anima vestra; ‘ but ask or require it of your soul;’ that is of yourself. 'Tremel. sed examinate vos ipsos, ‘ but examine yourselves;’ that is by inquiry; this expresseth somewhat another duty as to the manner of its performance, but to the same purpose.

what day is intended by that translator. It seems to be the day of death; which answers the omnibus. diebus before; that is, hujus vite; all the days of this life.

_ Azarn; is rendered by some deceptio, by some seductio; a seducing deceit; Rhemist, ‘That none of you be obdurate with the fallacy of sin τ᾿ most darkly and corruptly.

Meroxyor yeyovauey του Χριστου; Christi participes facti, effecti sumus. Beza, consortes. Syr. jodmmx commixtisumus Christo. ‘We are immixt with Christ;’ that is, as I suppose, united unto him. Ethiop. ‘ we are as Christ.’

Aoxny tne ὑποστάσεως. ψα]ο. Lat. Initium substantiz ejus; adding ejus to the text and corrupting the sense. Beza. Principium illud quo sustentamur; ‘ that beginning,’ or the beginning of that, ‘ whereby we are supported.’ We, ‘the beginning ef our confidence.’ Rhemist, ‘Yet so, as if we keep the beginning of his substance firm.’ Castalio, Hoc argumentum ab initio ad finem usque, ‘this argument or evidence from the beginning unto the end.’ Syr. ‘If from the beginning unto the end we abide in this firm substance or foundation.’ Ethiop. ‘If we persevere to keep this New Testament.’ All to the same purpose.

Ver. 12—14.—Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing (wickedly) from the living God. But exhort one another (yourselves) daily (every day) whilst it is called to day, lest any of you (among you) be hardened through the (seducing) deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if so be we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.

In these three verses there are three things in general proposed by the apostle.

First. An exhortation unto the avoidance of an evil, even that which it is his principal design to caution them against, and to dissuade them from, ver. 12.

Secondly. A proposal of one useful means whereby they may be assisted in its avoidance, ver. 13.

Thirdly. An enforcement of the exhortation from that evil, and unto the use of that means, from sundry considerations, is added, ver. 14.

In the first of these we may consider; 1. What is included in it, namely the dependence of this exhortation on the discourse foregoing. 2. The compellation used by the apostle in this renovation of an especial address unto the Hebrews, ‘brethren.’ 3. The duty Ber them unto; and that, Ist. As to the act of it; ‘ take heed.’ 2nd. As to the persons concerned; ‘lest there be in any ofyou. 3rd. As to the object of it, or the evil dehorted from; * an evil heart of unbelief, which is further described by its effects,’ in departing from the living God.

Secondly. The means of preventing the evil dehorted from, 15 presented, ver. 13, and this in general is by exhortation against it, ‘exhort,’ which had a triple qualification; 1. As to the persons by whom it is to be performed, or the means used; § one another.’ 2. The season of its performance, which also includes the manner of it, ‘every day.’ 3. With a limitation of that season; ‘ whilst it is called to-day.’ (2) An especial enforcement of this preventive duty from the danger of their condition, which would be increased by a neglect thereof. And this is described, 1. From the cause of it; ‘the deceitfulness of sin.’ 2. From its tendency and effects; ‘lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.’

Thirdly. There is a general enforcement of the whole, both as to the evil to be avoided and the means to be used to that purpose; and this is taken from their state and condition, on supposition of the avoidance of the one and observance of the other, ver. 14. And this is (1.) expressed; for we are partakers of Christ, and (2.) declared as to its dependence on the preceding exhortation; ‘ if so be we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.’

First. There is included a dependence on the foregoing discourse. Some suppose an hyperbaton in the words, and that this ‘ take heed,’ depends immediately on the ‘ wherefore,’ which is in the beginning of ver, 7, as was intimated on that place. So the following words are introduced only as an instance, to enforce the exhortation. In this sense the reference here is to be taken immediately from the authority of Christ over his house, and the necessity of our perseverance to the securing of our interest in that house, as ver. 5, 6, ‘ Wherefore take heed brethren” But the truth is, the matter of this exhortation is educed so directly and immediately out of the foregoing example, that we must in it own a respect thereunto, for the words are a plain inference from that discourse, though the note of illation be omitted. As if the apostle had said; seeing it is thus, seeing our forefathers who were our types, and are proposed for an example unto us, did so miscarry under a dispensation of God, representing that which he exersero now towards us, let us take heed; this is the dependence of the

Secondly. The apostle returning unto the Hebrews with an especial address and exhortation, renews his former affectionate compellation; αδέλφοι, ‘brethren.’ This hath been spoken unto, ver. 3, of this chapter, where the reader may find the reason of it, and what is contained in it. Only the cause wherefore he repeats it again, seems to be, that it might appear that he had no commotion of spirit upon him, in his pressing the severe instance and example insisted on. A minister must be επίεικης, 1 Tim. ili. 3, meek, patient, not easily provoked, un οργιλος; Tit. i. 7, not ‘soon angry’ with his flock, or any of them. And tenderness, gentleness, demonstrations of love and care towards them with whom we have to do, secretly softens them, and opens their ears and hearts to let in a word of instruction and_ exhortation. O ἥλιος τὸν ἄνεμον ενικησε. Besides, he obviates any suspicion that might arise, as though he insinuated a fear of such an evil in them, as might make them think that he had hard thoughts of them. By this appellation he removes all such jealousies, and lets them know that the of saints had need to be cautioned sometimes against the worst of evils.

Obs. 1. There is need of great care, heedfulness, watchfulness, and circumspection for a due continuance in our profession to the glory of God and advantage of our own souls.—A careless profession will issue in apostasy, open or secret, or great distress, Matt. xii. 4; Cant. iil. 1,5. Our course is a warfare, and those who take not heed, who are not circumspect in war, will assuredly be a prey to their enemies. Be their strength never so great, one time or other they will not avoid a fatal surprisal.

And there is a necessity of this heedful attention in us, from the manifold duties that in all things and at all times, are incumbent on us. Our whole life is a life of duty and obedience. God is in every thing to be regarded by us. So that we are to be attentive unto our duty on all occasions, Ps. xvi. 8; Gen. xvii. 1. If we fail in matter or manner, what lies in us, we spoil the whole; for bonum oritur ex integris, malum ex quolibet defectu. ‘Any one defect is enough to denominate an action evil, but unto that which is good, there must be a concurrence of all necessary circumstances,’ See Eph. v. 15, 16. And who is sufficient for these things? God alone by his Spirit and grace can enable us hereunto. But he works these things by us as well as in us, and gives heedful diligence where he gives success.

But it is with especial reference unto difficulties, oppositions, dangers, temptations, that this caution is here given us to be cautious. And who can reckon up the number, or dispose into order these things? and that whether we consider those that constantly attend us, or those that are occasional. Among oppositions, snares, and dangers that we are constantly exposed unto, and which without heedfulness we cannot avoid, the apostle here instanceth in one, namely, that of an evil heart of unbelief, which must be spoken unto. And he giveth an instance in those that are occasional, Eph. v. 15, 16, ‘ Walk circumspectly because the days are evil.’ There is an especial evil in the days wherein we live, which we cannot avoid without great circumspection. Now this taking heed consisteth,