vet after the fight of ſo' many Miracles; when they cried 'out, Is the Lord among us ? Fſal.c5.8, It may alſo refer to the whole |
derneſs. | |
9 When your Fathers tempted me x, proved me » and ſaw my works forty years's. | ”
x In the time and place forementioned, the Fathers from wh you derive your Being and Corruption, yet glory 'in them a their Traditions, whole ſtate is aggravated from your Line of "og ceſſive Rebellion, As 7. 61, 52, 53. They have imbittered _ Spirit by their Unbelief : For upon the want of Water, they i ſtioned his Power, Wiſdom, Truth and Providence, to the deniat of all, and ſometimes multiplied it, Numb. 15, G&c. y A difoon- tented quarrel with, and ſcrutiny of Chriſt the Redeemer, that :: He would not ferye their Luft, they would deny Him, and Apoſts- tize from Him, and return to Fgypr, notwithſtanding their havin ſuthicient proof of Him, yet they would contend with Him, 1 "— Io. 9. X\ All the Redeemers Miracles, which he wrought tor them in Egypt, and the -Wilderneſfs, they ſaw them plainly and preſently on their tempting Him ; Miracles of Mercy and of Puniſhments, þ\ Fire, by the Earth opening, by Fiery Serpents, by the Sword. ty conſuming 600000 of them; all which were Evidences ſufficicns +; convince any of the wickedneſs of miſtruſting Him, Dent. 29. : 2 4. This hardening of. their Hearts yet continued Forty Tears. "til all but two of them, 7oſhua and Caleb were conſumed : God by their Sin was ſo grieved with them, after ſuch experience of His Power for ſo long a time, See Fxod. 32. 19, Nump. I4. 22.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that gene ration o, and ſaid, They do alway err in their hearts 6, and they have not known my ways c.
a Becauſe they thvs tempted and proved him by hardening their Hearts in Unbelicf Forty Years, God the Redeemer, 1(aiah 63. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 9. was grieved, is attributed to him improperly, who iz not ſubje& to Paſſions, but as Men grown impatient with grievous and opprethve Burdens ; fo He exprefleth his diflike, diſdain cf them; and reſolution fo bear no longer, as Amvs 2. 13. They ſplit on Him,
as a Ship on a ſharp point of a Rock, ſo as God hath loſs, offence,
and trouble by it ; and all of them did fo carry it to Him, the whole Age of them, but Caleb and 7oſhua, Pſal. 95. 10. b They follow Deceit and Lying in their Dofrine and Worſkip with all their heart, ſo that it 1s diffuſed through their Perſons, and that ſeat of Truth is made a depth of Err, to the ſtupifving of their hearts, even to ve- ry madneſs, and this :vas their ſtate all their time.” c Notwithſtand- ins God's Works were among them and his Word, yet they would not know his Mind, ſo as to approve, love, and walk in God's wazy:, His Law, Doftrine, revcaled Truth and Commands were all caſt he- hind their Back, Ezehk. 23. 35.
Chap. ]
Forty Years time of their Murmuring and*FTewpting him in thew;!
ll
11 50 I ſware in my wrath d- + They ſhall not en. TITR
tcr into my reſt e,
d Such was their Provocations and Temptations of their Redeen- cr, that he determined their Puniſhment ; the certainty of which he axt by an irreverſible Oath, which is the higheſt confirmation of Ven- geance when 1t cometh from Wrath ; as of his Promiſe when it ifſu- cth from Grace, Numb. 14. 27, 28, to 35, Pſal. 95. 11, compard Chap. 6. 17, 18. And the Spring of it here is Wrath, inraged by their Murmurings and Unbelief. e The Puniſhment is expreſt in an expoſtulatory form, which 1s vehemently afferting the negative of the Queſtion ; They ſhall never enter into my Reſt. If they enter in, then [ am neither True nor God. The Reſt litera] was the Land of Cara- an, Deut. 12. 9. inthe Truth of that Type, Heaven. It is the Re- deemer who ſpeaks this, whoſe Reſt it 1s by way of Efficiency, Pur- chaſe, and Donation ; he gives entrance into it, and ſhuts out of it, Matth. 7.21, 22, 23. This is a ſhutting them out of all Peace, in- to Eternal Sorrow, Anguiſh, Diſtreſs and Trouble, and every other Evil contrary unto this Reſt.
12 Take heed Brethren, leſt there he in any of you an evil heart of unbeliet- g in departing from the liv- ing God þ,
f Here the Spirit applieth the former dreadful example of Sin and Judgment to the Hebrews, to forewarn them hoyw they ſinned as theſe did, leſt they partake of the like Vengeance, and ſo enters his Caution againſt Unbelief, Bxim: ſignifies not an a& of Sizht, but of the Mind, Circumſpedion, Watchfulneſs, and Heed, taking cxaQeſt caution of the Evil forbidden, Chap. 12. 15, 25. 1 Cor. 8.9. Brethren they were to Paul in the Fleſh, and more ſo as Trae Believers in Chriſt, he cautions them particularly, one by one, leſt any Root of Bitterneſs ſhould be amongſt them, Chap. 12. 1 5« g The Heart 1s the firſt, and proper, and chiefeſt Subje& wherein all Sin riſeth, and from thence iflueth into Words and Works, Matth. 15. 18, 19. compare fames 1.14, 15. This comprehend- cth the Mind, Will, Affedtions, the whole inward Man ; and this Heart in every Man 1s naturally and habitually Evil, continually forging and framing of it, Gen. 6, 5. fcompare Jerem. 17. 9. Al- mighty Grace only can change this Heart, yet it works by Counſel, and makes the Soul willing to uſe the means appointed to? effet it. UNBELIEF, though but in it ſelf, is but a denial to aflent to, or rely on the Will of God revealed to it, yet is the Spring and Fountain of all other Sin, the teeming Womb from whence all iſlu« eth, as. Uncleanneſs, Idolatry, Unrighteouſneſs, Superſtition, doc. It was the hardening Sin of their Fore-fathers, they would not ie- lieve, and then did Murmur and Rebel : It is the Root of Apoſtacy, Men breaking their Covenant. with God in Chriſt, do then deſert
Him : Againſt this Perfidious, Impious, perverted Temper doth he
caution them to watch, that neither for meaſure nor ſeaſon they ever do admit or allow it ; that there be not at all in the leaſt degree, or at any time ſucha baſe, malignant quality in their Hearts, Rom. 11s 20,21. :.h, Turning away, ſtanding off, and ſeparating the Heart, 1t implies in it a real, total, final defe&ion ; aRual and formal Apo-
ſtacy from him whom they had owned and received, and is atual
Rebellion againſt their Lawful Soveraign, by turning either Jews or Heathens, and renouncing the Chriſlian Religion and its Author, who is the Living God, not only formally as oppoſed, to dead Idols,
but efficiently the Author and Fountain of all ſorts of Life, but cſpe-.
cally
4 {l 4 ſha! "ror.
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