26 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
of his severity and holiness, in great and terrible judgments. All these, at least the most part of them, were also given out unto them in a marvellous and amazing manner. The end of all these dispen- sations was to teach them his will, to bring them to hearken to his voice, to obey his commands, that it might be well with them and theirs. In this state and condition sundry things are recorded of them; as,—(1.) That they were dull, stupid, and slow of heart in con- sidering the ways, kindness, and works of God. They set not their hearts to them to weigh and ponder them, Deut. xxxii, 28, 29. (2.) What they did observe and were moved at (as such was the astonishing greatness of some of the works of God amongst them, such the overpowering obligations of many of his dealings with them, that they could not but let in some present transient sense of them upon their minds), yet they soon forgot them and regarded them not, Ps. xxviii. 11,12. (3.) That their affections were so vio- lently set upon earthly, sensual, perishing things, that in comparison of them they despised all the promises and threatenings of God, re- solving to pursue their own hearts’ lusts whatever might become of them in this world and to eternity, Ps. xxviii. 18, 19. All which are manifest in the whole story of their ways and doings. By this means their minds and spirits were brought into such a frame and condi- tion, that as they did not, so they could not hearken to the voice of God, or yield obedience unto him: they became “a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God,” Ps. lxxviii. 8. For by these ways and degrees of sin, they contracted a habit of obsti- nacy, perverseness, and uncircumcision of heart,—neither did the Lord, in his sovereign pleasure, see good by his effectual grace to circumcise the hearts of the persons of that generation, that they might fear and serve him,—whereby they came to be hardened unto final unbelief and impenitency. It appears, then, that unto this sin- ful hardening of the heart, which the people in the wilderness were guilty of, and which the apostle here warns the Hebrews to avoid, there are three things that do concur:—(1.) The mind’s sinful in- advertency and neglect, in not taking due notice of the ways and means whereby God calls any unto faith and obedience. (2.) A sinful forgetfulness and casting out of the heart and mind such convictions as God, by his word and works, his mercies and judg- ments, deliverances and afilictions, at any time is pleased to cast into them and fasten upon them. (3.) An obstinate cleaving of the affections unto carnal and sensual objects, practically preferring them above the motives unto obedience that God proposeth to us. Where these things are, the hearts of men are so hardened that in an ordi- nary way they cannot hearken unto the voice of God. We may hence also take some observations for our instruction,
VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 27
Obs. VIII. Such is the nature, efficacy, and power of the voice or word of God, that men cannot withstand or resist it, without a sinful hardening of themselves against it.
There is a natural hardness in all men before they are dealt withal by the word, or this spiritual hardness is in them by nature. Hard- ness is an adjunct of that condition, or the corruption of nature, as is darkness, blindness, deadness, and the like; or it is a result or con- sequent of them. Men being dark and blind, and dead in trespasses and sins, have thence a natural hardness, an unfitness to receive im- pressions of a contrary kind, and a resistency thereunto. And this frame may be increased and corroborated in men by various vicious and prejudicate habits of mind, contracted by custom, example, education, and the practice of sin. All this may be in men antece- dent unto the dispensation or preaching of the word unto them. Now unto the removal or taking away of this hardness, is the voice or the word of God in the dispensation of it designed. It is the in- strument and means which God useth unto that end. It is not, I confess, of itself absolutely considered, without the influencing ope- ration of the Spirit of grace, able to produce this effect. But it is able to do it in its own kind and place; and is thence said to be “able to save our souls,” James i, 21; “able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among all them which are sanctified,’ Acts xx. 32; being also that “immortal seed” whereby we are begotten unto God, 1 Pet.i. 23. By this means doth God take away that na- tural darkness or blindness of men; “ opening the eyes of the blind, turning them from darkness to light,” Acts xxvi. 18; “shining in their hearts, to give them the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ,” 2 Cor.iv.6; as also “quickening them who were dead in trespasses and sins;” and thereby he removes that hardness which is a consequent of these things. And God doth not apply a means to any end which is unsuited to it or insufficient for it. There is there- fore usually such a concomitancy of the Spirit with every dispensa- tion of the word of God that is according to his mind and will, as is able and sufficient to remove that hardness which is naturally upon the hearts of men.