Thus much for the heinousness of unbelief in the general. Secondly, Let me tell you that all unbelief is not alike heinous, as will appear by these considerations.
[1.] Total reigning unbelief is a black mark ; such as lie under it are in the high way to hell : John iii. 18, ' He that believeth not is condemned already ; ' the law hath condemned him, and whilst he re- maineth in that estate, the gospel yieldeth him no hope : John iii. 36, ' The wrath of God abideth on him ; ' and if he die in it, he is miserable for ever. Eev. xxi. 8, ' Fearful and unbelievers ' are reckoned among the inhabitants of hell. First he is condemned by that ancient sentence, that ' whosoever sinneth shall die ; ' which is not reversed, but standeth in full force till faith in Christ : John viii. 24, ' If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.' And if we con- tinue refusing the counsels of the gospel, to the condemnation that is already, to the condemnation of the law, there is added a new con- demnation for despising the gospel. But now partial unbelief, where faith prevaileth, though there be many doubts and fears, leaveth a man obnoxious to temporal judgments, but not to eternal ruin.
[2.] All unbelief is the more heinous the more means 5'ou have to the contrary, as counsels, warnings, promises clearly held forth : see John XV. 22, ' If I had not spoken to them,' &c., and John iii. 19, ' Light is come into the world,' &c. The word is preached et? ^ap- rvpiov, for a witness, Mat. xxiv. 14, with Mark xiii. 9 ; first to them.
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and if not received, then against them. ' Did not I warn you ? ' saith Reuben to his brethren. Every offer and warning will be as so many swords in your consciences. One observe th welV that twice Christ marvelled, once at the unbelief of his countrymen the Galileans, that had so much means, Mark vi. 8, and another time at the faith of the centurion, a stranger, Mat. viii. 10, who had so little means. It is a thing to be marvelled at, that a people should have so much means and profit but little. Wonder is a thing that proceedeth from ignor- ance, and Christ, though not ignorant, yet would express all human aftections ; and the rather that we might look upon it as a strange and uncomely thing not to believe after so many helps vouchsafed to us.
[3.] The more experiences, comforts, evidences, and manifestations of God's power and presence we have had, the greater the unbelief. This was that which provoked the Lord against Israel to destroy them in the wilderness: Num. xiv. 11, ' How long will it be ere ye believe in me, for all the signs that I have showed ? ' God traineth up his people by experience, that they may know what he can or will do for them ; and therefore by every experience we should grow up into a greater courage and strength of faith, and as David, draw inferences of hope against the present danger from the lion and the bear, 1 Sam. xvii. 36, or as Paul, he hath, and doth, and therefore will, 2 Cor. i. 10, other- wise these experiences are given in vain. Christ was angry with his disciples for not remembering the miracle of the loaves. Mat. xvi. 9, when they were in a like strait again. When we show a child a letter here, and the same letter again in another word, and the same again in a third, if he should be to seek when we show him again the same letter in the next word, we are angry, and think our teaching lost. So when God giveth an evidence of his power and care in this strait, and, in a condescension to our weakness, giveth us a like evidence again, and in a third strait he teacheth us how to read and apply a promise, and yet upon the next difficulty we are to seek again, God is angry with us, because his condescensions are lost. And in this sense God is more angry with the unbelief of his children than of others, because they have more experiences, and are so ready to distrust him that never failed them.
[4.] The more deliberate our unbelief is, the worse. In times of inconsiderate passion, and in a fit of temptation, it may break out from God's children. David, when he spake in haste, was fain to eat his words : Ps. cxvi. 11, ' I said in my haste all men are liars ;' Samuel, and all who had told him of the kingdom ; I shall never live to see the promise fulfilled: so Ps. xxxi. 22, ' I said in my haste, I am cut off; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications.' In a fit, discontent may break out, but it is presently opposed and checked ; but when it groweth into a settled distemper, then it is worse : as that in Ps. Ixxiii. was a more lasting temj)tation ; therefore David calleth himself beast, ver. 22, for his foolish and brutish thoughts of provi- dence.