VER. 12-14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 109
that are given unto the truth proposed, or the goodness and excel- lency of the things themselves contained in the propositions of truth ; nor without signal effects of hardness of heart, love of sin and plea- sure, keeping men off from the obedience required. Some instances may clear these particulars:—
[1st.] The root of this unbelief is in the original depravation of our natures, with that spiritual impotency and enmity to God wherein it doth consist. There is such an impotency in us by na- ture, that no man of himself, by his own strength, can believe, can come to Christ. So himself informs us, John vi. 44: “No man,” saith he, “can come to me, except the Father draw him;”—that is, none can believe unless they are in an especial manner “ taught of God,” as he explains himself, verse 45, Again, by nature that “carnal mind” is in all men, which is “ enmity against God,” which is “not subject unto his law, neither indeed can be,” Rom. viii. 7. Hereunto may be referred all that is spoken about the death of men in sin, their blindness and distrust, their alienation from God and obstinacy therein. This is the root and remote cause of all unbelief. Men in the state of nature neither can nor will believe the gospel; but,—
[2dly.] Besides this general cause of unbelief, when it comes unto particular instances, and the gospel is proposed unto this or that man for his assent and submission unto it, there is always some especial corruption of mind or will, voluntarily acted, if the soul be kept off from believing; and on the account thereof principally and not merely of original impotency and enmity against God, is the guilt of unbelief reflected upon the souls of the sinners. There is the same fundamental remote cause of unbelief in all that refuse the gospel; but the next immediate proper cause of it is peculiar to every individual unbeliever:—
First, Some are kept off from believing the gospel by inveterate prejudices in their minds, which they have taken in upon corrupt principles and interests. This shut up of old most of the Jews under their unbelief. They had received many prejudices against the per- son of Christ, which on all occasions they expressed; and so were offended at him and believed not. That he was poor, that he came out of Galilee, that the rulers and teachers of the church rejected him, were their pleas against him. So also they had against his doctrine, and that principally on two false principles;—one of justi- fication by the works of the law, as our apostle directly declares, Rom. ix. 31, 32, x. 3; the other, of the perpetuity or unchangeable- ness of the institutions of Moses, with which the apostle deals in this epistle. And these prejudices arose partly from their pride in seek- ing after righteousness by the works of the law, and partly from a corrupt desire of earthly things, riches, dominion, and wealth, which they expected with and by their Messiah, whereof I have treated
110 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. IIL.
elsewhere at large. These were in many the immediate causes of their unbelief, as is everywhere manifest in the gospel. And so is it with many at all times. Prejudices against the preachers of the gospel on sundry accounts, and against their doctrine, as either use- less, or false, or unintelligible, or somewhat they know not what, which they do not like, keep them off from attending to the word and believing. See John v. 44,
Secondly, An especial obstinacy of will from those prejudices offereth itself in this matter. So our Saviour tells the Pharisees, John v. 40, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” It is not the perverseness and obstinacy that is in the wills of all men by nature that our Saviour here intendeth, but an especial perverseness in them, arising out of an especial envy unto and hatred of him and his doctrine. Hence they did not only not receive him,—which might be charged on their natural impotency,—but they put forth a positive act of their wills in refusing and rejecting him. And on this account the guilt of men’s unbelief is absolutely resolved into their own wills. And whether it be discovered or no, this is the con- dition with many in all times and seasons.
Thirdly, Love of sin is with some the immediate cause of their actual unbelief: John iii. 19, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, be- cause their deeds were evil.” The light of the gospel is brought unto a place or people; they come so near it as to discover its end and tendency; but so soon as they find that it aims to part them and their sins, they will have no more to do with it. And on this ac- count doth condemnation follow the preaching of the gospel, though. its own proper end be salvation and that only. And this is the common way of the ruin of souls: they like not the terms of the gospel, because of their love of sin; and so perish in and for their iniquities.
Fourthly, Stupid ignorance, arising from the possessing of the minds of men with other things, inconsistent with the faith and obedi- ence of the gospel, through the craft and subtilty of Satan, is another cause hereof. So our apostle tells us, 2 Cor. iv. 4, that “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” It is when the minds of men are beamed into with the light of the gospel that they do believe; for by that light is faith produced. How is this hindered, how is it obstructed? It is by the darkness and blindness of their minds. What darkness is this,—that which is natural and common unto all? No, but that which is in a peculiar manner brought and reflected on the minds of some men by the craft and deceits of the god of this world; that is, through his temptations and suggestions, he so fills and pos-