[2.] God will actually punish them with, or inflict on them, hard- ness of heart and blindness of mind, that they never shall repent or believe: John xii. 39, 40, “ Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” God
HEB. VI. 4-6 EXPLAINED. 43
will now judicially blind them and harden them, and, by one means or other, every thing that befalls them shall promote their induration. So it was with these Jews; the doctrine of Christ filled them with envy, his holiness with malice, and his miracles with rage and mad- ness. Their table was a snare to them, and that which should have been for their good turned to their hurt. So is it with all them whom God in his severity hardeneth. Whether the outward means be continued ‘unto them or no, all is one; every thing shall drive them farther from God, and increase their obstinacy against him. From hence they become scoffers and persecutors, avowedly scotfning and hating the truth; and herein, it may be, they shall please themselves until they are swallowed up in despair or the grave.
[8.] God usually in his severity gives them up unto sensual lusts. So he dealt with the idolaters of old: he “gave them up unto vile affections,” Rom. i. 26, such as those there described by the apostle; -
_ and in the pursuit of them “gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do
those things which are not convenient,” verse 28; whence they were “filled with all unrighteousness,” verse 29. So doth God frequently deal with apostates from the gospel, or from the principal truths of it, unto idolatry and superstition. And when they are engaged in the pursuit of these lusts, especially when they are judicially given up unto them, they are held assuredly, as under cords and chains, unto final impenitency.
_[4.] God gave such persons up unto Satan, to be blinded, and led by him into pernicious delusions: “ Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might
_ be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unright-
eousness,” 2 Thess. 11. 10-12. This was the state and condition of the persons here prophesied of. The truth of the gospel was preached unto them, and for some time professed by them. They received the truth; but they received not the love of it, so as to comply with it and improve it unto its proper end. This kept them barren and unfruitful under their profession; for where the truth is not loved, as well as believed or assented unto, it will bring forth no fruit. But this was not all; they had pleasure in their sins, lusts, and
unrighteousnesses, resolving not to part with them on any terms.
Whereas, therefore, these are all of them absolutely and without limitation judged and condemned by the truth of the gospel, they began to dislike and secretly to hate the truth itself, But whereas, together with their lusts and unrighteousnesses, wherein they had pleasure, they found a necessity of a religion, one or other, or the pre- tence of some religion or other, to give them countenance against the truth which they rejected, they were in a readiness to any thing that
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AA THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
should offer itself unto them. In this condition, in the way of punish- ment, and as a revenge of their horrible ingratitude and contempt of his gospel, God gives them up to the power of Satan, who blinds, deludes, and deceives them with such efficacy as that they shall not only readily embrace, but obstinately believe and adhere to, the lies, errors, and falashoods that he shall suggest unto them. And this is the way and course whereby so many carnal gospellers are turned off unto Romish idolatry every day.
Other instances of the severity of God on this occasion might be given, bat these are fully sufficient to declare the manner of his dealing with such as those described in the text: whence it follows that their renovation unto repentance is impossible; for what hopes or expectations should we have concerning such as God hath utterly forsaken, whom he hath judicially smitten with blindness and hard- ness of heart, whom he hath given up not only to the power and efficacy of their own lusts and vile affections, but also immediately unto Satan, to be deluded and led captive at his pleasure? In vain shall the repentance of such persons be either expected or endea- voured,
And this severity of God ought to be preached and insisted on in the declaration of the gospel. Let the reader consult what hath been already offered concerning the use of gospel threatenings and
comminations on the third and fourth chapters. There is a prone- ness in corrupted nature to “ despise the riches of the goodness, for- bearance, and long-suffering of God, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance;” and thereon, “after their hardness and impenitent heart, they treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath,” as our apostle speaks, Rom. i. 4,5. Considering nothing in God but mercy and long-suffering, and nothing in the gospel but grace and pardon, they are ready to despise and turn them into lasciviousness, or from them both to countenance them- selves in their sins) By this means, on such mistaken apprehen- sions, suited to their lusts and corrupt inclinations, heightened by the craft of Satan, do multitudes under the preaching of the gospel harden themselves daily to destruction. And others there are who, although they will not on such wicked pretences give up themselves to their lusts and carnal affections, yet, for want of constant vigi- lancy and watchfulness, are apt to have sloth and negligence, with many ill frames of spirit, to increase and grow upon them. Both sorts are to be stirred up by being put in mind of this severity of God. They are tobe taught that there are secret powers, accom- panying the dispensation of the gospel, continually “ in a readiness to revenge all disobedience,” 2 Cor. x. 6;—that “God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: for he that