(4) Unto whom such a day is lost, they also themselves are
44 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
lost. It is God’s last dealing with them. If this be neglected, if this be despised, he hath done with them. He says unto them in it, “This is the acceptable time, this is the day of salvation.” If this day pass over, night will come wherein men cannot work. So speaks our Saviour concerning Jerusalem, which then enjoyed that day, and was utterly losing it: Luke xix. 41, 42, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Both the things, and words, and manner of expression declare the greatness of the matter in hand. So doth the action of our Saviour, —“he wept;” which is but once more recorded of him in the gospel, John xi. 35. And the word here used, zxAuvee, denotes a weeping with lamentation. The consideration of what he was speaking unto moved his holy, tender, merciful heart unto the deepest commisera- tion. He did it also for our example and imitation, that we might know how deplorable and miserable a thing it is for a people, a city, a person, to withstand or lose their day of grace. And the words here used also are of the like importance: “ If thou hadst known, even thou.” The reduplication is very emphatical, “Thou, even thou,” —‘thou ancient city, thou city of David, thou seat of the temple and all the worship of God, thou ancient habitation of the church; “if thou hadst known.” And there is a wish or a desire included in the supposition, which otherwise is elliptical, “If thou hadst known,” —‘O that thou hadst known!’ E/ is sometimes well rendered by “utinam.” And again it is added, “ At least in this thy day.” They had enjoyed many lesser days of grace, and many before in the mes- sages and dealings of the prophets, as our Saviour minds them in that great parable, Matt. xxi. 33-36. These they despised, perse- cuted, and rejected, and so lost the season of their preaching; but they were lesser days, and not decretory of their state and condition. Another day they were to have, which he calls “This their day;” the day so long foretold, and determined by Daniel the prophet, wherein the Son of God was to come, who was now come amongst them. And what did he treat with them about? “ The things which belonged unto their peace,’—of repentance and reconciliation unto God, the things which might have given them peace with God, and continued their peace in the world; but they refused these things, neglected their day, and suffered it to pass over them unimproved. What was the issue thereof? God would deal no more with them, the things of their peace shall now be hid from them, and them- selves be left unto destruction. For when such a dispensation is lost, when the evening of such a day is come, and the work of it not accomplished,—
[1.] It may be God will bring a wasting destruction upon the per-
VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 45
sons, church, or people that have despised it, So he dealt with Jerusalem, as it was foretold by our Saviour in the place before insisted on, Luke xix. 43, 44: ‘The things of thy peace are now over and hid from thee.’ What then will follow or ensue? Why, “The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation ;”—‘ Because thou hast not discerned thy day, nor regarded it, hast not answered the mind of God in it, all this shall speedily befall thee,—as it did accordingly. The same hath been the issue of many famous Chris- tian churches, The very places where they were planted are utterly consumed. Temporal judgments are ofttimes the issue of despised spiritual mercies. This is the language of those providential warn- ings by signs and prodigies, which ofttimes such a season is accom- panied withal. They all proclaim the impendent wrath of God upon the neglect of his gracious call. And with examples hereof are all records, sacred and ecclesiastical, filled.
[2.] God may, and sometimes doth, leave such a people, church, or persons, as have withstood his dealings in a day of grace, in and unto their outward station in the world, and yet hide the things of their peace utterly from them, by a removal of the means of grace. He can leave unto men their kingdoms in this world, and yet take away the kingdom of heaven, and give that unto others. They may dwell still in their houses, but be in the dark, their candlestick and the light of it being consumed. And this hath been the most com- mon issue of such dispensations, which the world groans under at this day. It is that which God threateneth, 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. Because men would not receive the truth in the love thereof,—that is, because they would not improve the day of the gospel which they enjoyed,—“God sent them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” And how came it to pass? By removing the sound and sincere preaching of the word, he gave advantage to seducers and - false teachers to impose their superstition, idolatry, and heresies upon their credulity. So God punished the neglect and disobedience of the churches of Europe under the papal apostasy. And let us take heed lest this vial of wrath be not yet wholly emptied ; or,—