[8.] God may leave unto such persons the outward dispensation of the means of grace, and yet withhold that efficacy of his Spirit which alone can render them useful to the souls of men. Hence the word comes to have a quite contrary effect unto what it hath under the influences of God’s especial grace. God in it then speaks unto a people as is expressed Isa. vi. 9, 10: “ Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the
46 AN EXPOSITION OF THE ) [CHAP, IIT.
heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” ‘I have now done with them,’ saith God; ‘I have no design or purpose any more to deal with them about their conversion and healing. And therefore, although I will have the preaching of the word as yet continued unto them, yet it shall have no effect upon them, but, through their own unbelief, to blind them and harden them to their destruction.’ And for these reasons, amongst others, ought such a day as we have described carefully to be attended unto.
This duty being of so great importance, it may be justly inquired, How may a man, how may a church know that it is such day, such a season of the gospel with them, so as to be suitably stirred up unto the performance of their duty? I answer, They may do so two ways :—
1. From the outward signs of it, as the day is known by the light and heat of the sun, which is the cause thereof. What con- curs to such a day was before declared. And in all those things there are signs whereby it may be known. Neglect and ignorance hereof were charged by our Saviour on the Jews, and that fre- quently; so Matt. xvi. 3: “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” How they discerned “the face of the sky” he shows in verses 2, 8; namely, they judged by usual known prognostics what the weather would be in the evening or morning, that so they might accordingly apply themselves unto their occasions, ‘ But,’ saith he, ‘as God hath planted such signs in things natural, hath so ordered them that one should be a sign and discovery of another, so he hath ap- pointed signs of this day of grace, of the coming of the Messiah, whereby it also may be known. But these, saith he, ‘ ye cannot discern.’ Od divacds, “Ye cannot.” But withal he lets them know why they could not. That was because they were hypocrites, and either grossly neglected or despised the means and advantages they had to that purpose. The signs we have before mentioned are such, as being brought at any time to the rule of the word, they will reveal the season that they belong unto. And herein consisted the wisdom of those children of Issachar, who had “ understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,” 1 Chron. xii. 32.
2. Such a day or season will manifest itself by its efficacy. When God applies such a concurrence of means, he will make men one way or other sensible of his design and.end. The word in such a day will either refine and reform men, or provoke and enrage them. Thus when the witnesses preach,—which is 4 signal season of light and truth,—they “ torment them that dwell on the earth,” Rev. xi. 10. If they are not healed, they will be tormented. So it was at the first preaching of the gospel,—some were converted, and
VER. 7-11] —_—«sEPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 47
the rest were hardened: a signal work passed on them all, and those who dispensed the word became a “sweet savour in them that are saved, and in them that perish.” The consciences of men will dis- cover their times. God will one way or other leave his witness within them. An especial day will make an especial approach unto their hearts. If it make them not better, they will be worse; and this they may find by the search of themselves. God in this dis- pensation effectually speaks these words unto an evident experience in the minds of men: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still ; and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” Rey. xxii. 11.
The especial duty incumbent on men in such a day, is in all things to hearken to the voice of God.
We now proceed unto the SECOND part of the words under consid- eration, comprising the example itself insisted on, and whereon the exhortation itself is founded. And this consists of two general parts: first the sin, and secondly the punishment of the people of old.
First, The sin is contained in these words: “ As in the provoca- tion, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works, forty years.”
1. The first thing occurring in the words according unto our for- mer distribution of them, relating to the sin mentioned, is the persons of the sinners. They were their “ fathers,” the progenitors of them to whom the apostle wrote. And they are in the next verse further described by their multitude,—they were a whole generation, “I was grieved with that generation.”