[2.] By the omission of any duty that is incumbent on us, be- cause of the difficulties that attend it, and the opposition that is made unto vt. The “fearful” and “unbelieving” go together, Rev. xxi. 8. When our fear or any other affection, influenced or moved by earthly things, prevails with us to forego our duty, either absolutely or in the most special and eminent instances of its practice, then unbelief prevails in the time of our trials. And this way also in particular did the Israelites fail, When they heard of fenced cities and sons of Anak, they gave up all endeavours of going into the land of Canaan, and consulted of making a captain to lead them
VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 61
back again into Egypt. And no otherwise is it with them who forego their profession because of the giant-like opposition which they find against it.
_ [3.] When men turn aside and seek for unwarrantable assist- ances against their difficulties. So did this people,—they made a calf to supply the absence of Moses; and were contriving a return into Egypt to deliver them out of their troubles. When men in any thing make flesh their arm, their hearts depart from the Lord, Jer. xvii. 5,
[4.] When men disbelieve plain and direct promises merely on the account of the difficulties that lie against their accomplish- _ ment. This reflects unspeakable dishonour on the veracity and power of God;—the common sin of this wilderness people, they limited God, and said, Can he do this or that? Seldom it was that they believed beyond what they enjoyed. Here lay the main cause of their sin and ruin. They had a promise of entering into the land. They believed it not; and, as our apostle says, they “ could not enter in because of unbelief.” The promise.was to their nation, the pos- terity of Abraham; the accomplishment of it in their persons de- pended on their faith. Here was their trial. They believed not, but provoked God; and so perished.
Now, the reasons of the greatness of this sin, and its aggravations, are contained in the previous description of it. Every instance de- claring its nature manifests it also to be heinous. I shall take up and only mention three of them:—
[1.] There is, as was showed, an especial concernment of the glory of God in this matter. He calls men forth in such a season to make a trial of their obedience. He makes them therein, as the apostle speaks, a spectacle unto men and angels. And the hinge that the whole case turns upon is their faith. This all other actings hold a conformity unto. If here they discharge themselves aright, the glory of God, the manifestation whereof is committed unto them, is preserved entire. If herein they fail, they have done what lies in them to expose it to contempt. See Num. xiv. 21. So was the case in the trial of Job. God permitted Satan to try to the utter- most whether he believed in him and loved him sincerely or no. Had Job failed herein, how would Satan have vaunted and boasted, and that against God himself! And the same advantage do others put into his hands, when at any time they miscarry in point of faith in a time of trial.
[2.] The good and welfare, the peace and prosperity of the church in this world, depend on the deportment of men belonging to it in their trials; they may, at least as unto God’s outward dispensations to- wards them, sin at a cheaper rate at other times. A time of trial is the turn of achurch’s peace or ruin, We see what their unbelief cost
62 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ouap. 111.
this whole generation in the wilderness; and these Hebrews, their posterity, were now upon the like trial. And the apostle by this in- stance plainly intimates unto them what would be the issue if they con- tinued therein; which accordingly proved to be their utter rejection.
[3.j Add hereunto, that it is the design of God in such parti- cular instances to try our faith in general as to the promises of the covenant and our interest therein. The promise that this people had principally to deal with God about, was that of the covenant made with Abraham, the which all pretended to believe. But God tried them by the particular instances mentioned ; and failing therein, they failed as unto the whole covenant. And it is so still. Many pretend that they believe the promises of the covenant as to life and salvation by it firmly and immovably. God tries them by par- ticular instances, of persecution, difficulty, straits, public or private. Here they abide not, but either complain and murmur, or desert their duty, or fall to sinful compliances, or are weary of God’s dis- pensations, And this manifests their unsoundness in the general ; nor can it be otherwise tried.
Again, observe that,—
Obs. XVII. There is commonly a day, a time, wherein unbelief ariseth to its height in provocation.
We showed before that there is a day, an especial season of God’s dealing with the sons of men, by his word and other means of grace. The due observance and improvement hereof is of the greatest im- portance unto them. “ To-day, if ye will hear his voice ;”—that is, the day wherein God’s dispensations of grace and patience come to their dazu, “status rerum inter incrementum et decrementum,’— their height. After this, if not closed with, if not mixed with faith and obeyed, they either insensibly decline, in respect of their tender or efficacy, or are utterly removed and taken away. In like manner there is a day, a season wherein the unbelief of men in its provoca- tion comes to its height and uttermost issue, beyond which God will bear with them no longer, but will break off all gracious inter- course between himself and such provokers. This was the direct case with these Israelites. They had by their unbelief and mur- muring provoked God ten times, as was declared before; but the day of their provocation, the season wherein it arrived to its height, came not until this trial mentioned, Num. xiv., upon the return of the spies that went to search the land. Before that time God often reproved them, was angry with them, and variously punished them, but he still returned unto them in a way of mercy and compassion, and still proposed unto them an entrance into his rest, according to the promise; but when that day once came, when the provocation of their unbelief was come to its height, then he would bear with them no longer, but swears in his wrath that they should not enter