2. The ways and means also whereby this wretched effect is pro- duced are various, yea, innumerable. Some of them only I shall mention, whereunto-the rest may be reduced; as, (1.) Love of this present world. This made Demas a leaking vessel, 2 Tim. iv. 10, and chokes one fourth part of the seed of the parable, Matt. xiii. Many might have been rich in grace, had they not made it their end and business to be rich in this world, 1 Tim. vi. 9. But this is too well known, as well as too little regarded. (2.) Love of sin. A secret lust cherished in the heart will make it “plenum rimarum,” “ full of chinks,” that it will never retain the showers of the word; and it will assuredly open them as fast as convictions stop them. (3.) False doctrines, errors, heresies, false worship, superstition, and idolatries, will do the same. I place these things together, as those which work in the same kind upon the curiosity, vanity, and dark- ness of the minds of men. These break the vessel, and at once pour out all the benefits of the word that ever were received. And many the like instances might be given.
And this gives us the reason of the necessity of that heeding of the word which we before insisted on. Without it, at one time or other, by one means or other, we shall lose all the design of the word upon our souls. That alone will preserve us, and carry us through the course and difficulties of our profession. The duty mentioned, then, is of no less concernment unto us than our souls, for without it we shall perish. Let us not deceive ourselves; a slothful, negligent hearing of the word will bring no man to life. The commands we have to “ watch, pray, strive, labour, and fight,” are not in vain. The warn- ings given us of the opposition that is made to our faith, by indwell- ing sin, Satan, and the world, are not left on record for nothing; no more are the sad examples which we have of many, who beginning a good profession have utterly turned aside to sin and folly.
All these things, I say, teach us the necessity of the duty which the apostle enjoineth, and which we have explained.
III. The word heard is not lost without the great sin as well as the inevitable ruin of the souls of men. Lost it is when itis not mixed with faith, when we receive it not in good and honest hearts, when the end of it is not accom-
plished in us and towards us. And this befalls us not without our sin, and woful neglect of duty. The word of its own nature is apt to abide, to incorporate itself with us, and to take root; but we cast it out, we pour it forth from us. And they have a woful account to make on whose souls the guilt thereof shall be found at the last day. IV. It is in the nature of the word of the gospel to water barren hearts, and to make them fruitful unto God. Hence, as was showed, is it compared to water, dew, and rain; which is the foundation - of the metaphorical expression here used. Where this word comes,
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VER. 1.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 269
it makes “the parched ground a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water,’ Isa, xxxv.7. These are the waters of the sanctuary, that heal the barren places of the earth, and make them fruitful, Ezek. xlvii.; the river that maketh glad the city of God, Ps. xlvi. 4; that river of living water that comes forth from the throne of God, Rev. xxil. 1. And the places and persons which are not healed or benefited by these waters are left to barrenness and burning for evermore, Ezek. xlvii. 11; Heb. vi. 8. With the dew hereof doth God water his church every moment, Isa. xxvii. 3; and then doth it “ grow asa lily, and cast forth its roots as Lebanon,” Hos. xiv. 5-7. Abundant fruit- fulness unto God follows a gracious receiving of this dew from him. Blessed are they who have this dew distilling on them every morning, who are watered as the garden of God, as a land that God careth for.
V. The consideration of the revelation of the gospel by the Son of God is a powerful motive unto that diligent attend- ance unto it which we have before described. This is the inference that the apostle makes from the proposition that he had made of the excellency of the Son of God: “ Therefore.”
And this is that which in the greatest part of the ensuing chapter he doth pursue. This is that which God declares that he might so justly expect and look for, namely, that when he sent his Son to the vineyard, he should be regarded and attended unto.
And this is most reasonable upon many accounts:—
1. Because of the authority wherewith he spake the word. Others spake and delivered their message as servants; he as the Lord over his own house, Heb. i. 6. The Father himself gave him all his authority for the revealing of his mind, and therefore proclaimed from heaven that if any one would have any thing to do with God, they were to “hear him,” Matt. xvii. 5; 2 Pet. 1.17. The whole authority of God was with him; for him did God the Father seal, or he put the stamp of all his authority upon him; and he spake ac- cordingly, Matt. vii. 29. And therefore he spake both in his own name and the name of his Father: so that this authority sprung partly from the dignity of his person,—for being God and man, _ though he spake on the earth, yet he who was the Son of man was in heaven still, John iii. 13, and therefore is said to speak from heaven, Heb. xii. 25, and coming from heaven was still above all, John iii. 31, having power and authority over all,—and partly from the commission that he had from his Father, which, as we said be- fore, gave all authority into his hand, John v. 27. Being then in himself the Son of God, and being peculiarly designed to reveal the mind and will of the Father (which the prophet calls his “ standing and feeding in the strength of the Lorp, in the majesty of the name of the Lorp his God,” Mic. v. 4), all the authority of God over the souls and consciences of men is exerted in this revelation of the