Obs. II. Unbelief is the immediate root and cause of all provoking sins.
As faith is the spring and cause of all obedience (for “ without faith it is impossible to please God,” and the obedience that is ac- cepted with him is “the obedience of faith”), so is unbelief of all sin. All sins of flesh and spirit have no other root. Did men believe either the promises or threatenings of God, they would not by their sins so despise him and neglect him as they do. And as this is so with respect unto the total prevalency of unbelief, so it is as to its partial efficacy. As our obedience follows in proportion to the ope- ration of our faith, so do all our sins and irregularities answer the working and prevalency of unbelief in us.
Obs. ITI. To disbelieve God with respect unto any especial design of glorifying himself, is the greatest and highest provocation.
Thus was it with this wilderness generation. God in his dealings with them had a great design in hand. He was now about to glorify himself, by his faithfulness in his promise and oath unto Abraham, his power in the deliverance of the people, and his grace in bringing of them into a typical rest. This design of God did they, as much as lay in them, endeavour to frustrate by their unbelief. This, therefore, God will not bear withal in them. The especial design of God under the gospel, is to glorify himself in Jesus Christ, by the deliverance of his elect, according to his promise and covenant, from death and hell, and the bringing of them unto eter-
VER. 15-19.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, 197
nal rest. Unbelief in this matter lies against this great and glorious design of God; and it is evident what will be the end thereof: for,—
Obs. IV. Unbelief deprives men of all interest in or right unto the promises of God.
There was a promise given unto this people of their being brought into the land of Canaan; but yet they entered not into it,—they died in the wilderness. How came this to pass? The apostle here declares that they disinherited themselves, and lost all their interest in the promise, by their unbelief. And let not others entertain better hopes of their condition hereafter, whilst here they follow their example; for,—
Obs. V. No unbeliever shall ever enter into the rest of God; which, av 6 Kipiog SeArjon, xa! C4 owmev, shall be confirmed in our con- siderations on the next chapter.
Mévy rw Oey d6F a.
CHAPTER IV.
Tuis chapter is of the same nature and carrieth on the same design with that foregoing. That contained an exhortation unto faith, obedience, and perseverance, enforced by an instance in the pernicious event or punishment which befell them who were guilty of sin contrary unto those duties. And this was done by the expo- sition and application of a prophetical testimony, suggesting an example of God’s dealing with unbelievers formerly. Now, whereas in the words of the psalmist there is not only a moral example pro- posed unto us, but a prophecy also is interwoven therein concerning the rest of God in Christ by the gospel, and our duty thereon, the apostle proceeds to expound, improve, and confirm his exhortation from the scope, design, and words of that prophecy. Wherefore, in the beginning of this chapter he resumes his exhortation, in an immediate coherence with and dependence upon what he had before discoursed. Hence some think that the first verse of this chapter is unduly cut off and separated from that foregoing, whereunto it doth belong; yea, some, as we intimated before, that this discourse of the apostle doth immediately succeed unto the 14th verse of the preceding chapter, that which ensueth being a digression to be included in a parenthesis. But, as was said, the words of the psalm- ist containing a representation of a moral example from things past in the church, and a prophetical description of the future state and condition of the church, the apostle having made use of the former or moral example, in the preceding discourses, arguings, expostula-
198 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
tions, and exhortations, here entereth upon the exposition and im- provement of the latter, or the words of the psalmist, with reference unto their prophetical prospect towards the times of the gospel, and the instruction which was laid up for the use of those times in the example that he had insisted on. -Herein,—
1. He proposeth the duty which he aimeth to press upon those Hebrews, as that which is required in the words of the psalmist, from the example represented in them; with an especial enforce- ment of it, from the consideration of the sin and punishment of them whose example is proposed, which followeth thereon, verses 1, 2.
2. He vindicates the foundation of his exhortation, by showing that the “rest” which the psalmist speaks of, and which he per- suades them to endeavour an entrance into, and to take heed that they fail not, or come not short of, was yet remaining to be enjoyed, verse 3; as being neither the rest of God from the works of creation, with the sabbatical rest which ensued thereon, verses 4-6; nor yet the rest of Canaan, which Joshua brought the people into, verses 7, 8; but a spiritual rest, which remained for believers to enjoy, verses 8-10.