lief." They provoked him by their unbelief, and therefore were so severely destroyed, as he had declared.

And besides, his principal intention is to manifest, that those who follow them in the same sin, now under the gospel, should in like manner perish-eternally perish by which God will glorify himself. His design in the gospel, and by the objects proposed to our faith, is to glorify himself, and all the holy attributes of his nature; and it is that which becomes him, be cause it is natural and necessary to him in all things to will his own glory. Now unbelief is nothing but the attempt of sin and Satan to frustrate the whole design of God, to make him a liar, 1 John v, 10; to keep him from being known and worshipped, as God only wise, infinitely righteous, holy, faithful, gracious, and bountiful. And where then is the glory of God? Or what is left him for which he should be glorified or worshipped? And can this atheistical, rebellious attempt be too severely revenged? Is not God not only justified in that decretory sentence, "He that believeth not shall be damned?" but doth it not, even in the hearts of all the creation, call aloud for the vindication of his glory, from this attempt cast upon it, an horrible attempt to frustrate his design for the advancement of it? As sure as God is God, unbelief shall not go unpunished. Yes, from the gracious salvation of believers, and righteous condemnation of them who will not believe doth arise that great and triumphant glory, wherein God will be admired and adored by the whole rational creation to eternity.

$19. Obs. 9. The oath of God is engaged against no sin but unbelief. As God hath given his oath for the confirmation and consolation of believers, both as to the things themselves which they are to believe, and as to their assured safety on their believing, and to

nothing else directly in a way of grace; so he hath, in a way of justice, engaged his oath against no sin but that of unbelief. and for the exclusion of unbelievers from eternal rest. "To whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believ ed not?" Other sins there are that have great provoca tions in them; so had the murmurings of the people in the wilderness. But it is their relation to unbelief, their growing upon that stock, that gives them such an height of provocation, as that God at any time enters a caveat against them by his oath. And in this sense it is not said amiss, that "unbelief is the only damning sin;" because as there is no other sin but may be, but shall be remitted to men upon believing; so the formal consideration, on which other sins, in gospel hearers, fall under judgment, is unbelief.

$20. Some doubt whether they should believe or no; not notionally and indefinitely, but practically and in particular; which causeth them to fluctuate all their days. But what is it they doubt of in this matter? Is it whether it be their duty to believe or no? It is indis pensably required of them by the command of God; so that not to do so, is the greatest height of disobedience that they can make themselves guilty of. Is it whether they may do so, and whether they shall find acceptance with God in their so doing? This calls his righteousness and faithfulness in question. Is it because of the many objections which they find arising against themselves, which leave them no hope of a personal participation of the good things promised? But what are all their objections before those evidences that are rendered in the gospel to the contrary? The truth is, if men will not believe, it is out of love to sin, and a dislike of the design of God to glorify himself by Jesus Christ; if then it be a question with

you whether you should believe or not, consider if you do not, what will be the event. The demerit of your sin is such, as that it will justify, yea, and glorify God in his greatest severity against you; and his oath is engaged that you shall never enter his rest. What like this can you fear on the other hand; and why do you doubt what course to take?

$21. To the foregoing observations let the following be added:

- 1. Whatever we consider in sin, God principally considers the spring of it in unbelief, as that which maketh the most direct and immediate opposition to himself.

12. Unbelief is the immediate root and cause of all provoking sins. As faith is the spring of all obedience, 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 neglect him as they do. And as this is so with respect to the total prevalency of unbelief; so it is as to its partial efficacy. As our disobedience follows in proportion to the operation of our faith; so do all our sins and irregularities answer the working and prevalency of unbelief in us.

3. To disbelieve God; with respect to any special design of glorifying himself, is the greatest and highest provocation. Unbelief deprives men of all interest in or right to the promises of God for no unbeliever shall ever enter into the rest of God.

CHAPTER IV.

VERSE 1, 2.

Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

§1. Introduction. §2. (I.) The kind of fear intended. 3. What is meant by the promise being left. $4. What the rest here meant. $5. Its nature described. $6-9. The remaining clauses explained. $10-15. (II.) Observations. $16-18. The great mystery of profitable believing consists in the proper mixing of truth and faith.

§1. THIS chapter is of the same nature, and carrieth on the same design with that foregoing. That contained an exhortation to faith, obedience, and perseverance, enforced by a most apposite and striking instance in the punishment which befell some ancient professors who were guilty of sins contrary to those duties. And this was done by the exposition and application of a prophetical testimony, suggesting an example of God's dealing with former unbelievers. Now whereas in the words of the psalmist there is not only, a moral example proposed, but a prophecy also interwoven 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 and word of that prophecy. They might be apt. to say, what have we to do with the people in the wilderness, with the promise of entering into Canaan; or with what the psalmist from thence exhorted our fathers to? Nay, these things, saith the apostle, belong to you in an especial manr: for, besides that, you may in the example proposed see evidently what you are, to expect if you fall into the same sins; the things treat

ed of in the psalm are a prophetical direction designed for your special use in your present condition.

§2. (I.) (Poßylwuev.) "Let us fear," The noun (OoBOS,) and the verb (oßɛopai,) are used in the New Testament to express all sorts of fears; natural, civil, sinful, and religious fear. The fear here intended is religious, relating to God, his worship, and our obedience; and this is fourfold, (1.) of terror, (2.) of diffidence, (3.) of reverence, (4.) of care, solicitousness, and watchfulness. Let us inquire which of them it is that is intended.

In this example of God's dealing with their progenitors in the wilderness, he declares also that there is included a commination of similar dealing with all others who shall fall into the same sin of unbelief; none may flatter themselves with vain hopes of any exemption in this matter; for unbelievers shall never enter into the rest of God, which he farther confirms in these two verses, though his present exhortation be an immediate inference from what went before; "Wherefore let us fear." How must we do this? With what kind of fear? Not with a fear of diffidence, of doubting, of wavering, of uncertainty as to the event of our obedience; this is enjoined to none, but is evidently a fruit of unbelief, and therefore cannot be our duty. Neither can it be a dismayedness of mind upon a prospect of difficulties and dangers in the way; for this is the sluggard's fear, who cries, "there is a lion in the streets, I shall be slain." Nor is it that general fear of reverence with which we ought to be possessed in all our concerns with God; for that is not particularly influenced by threatenings and the severity of God; seeing we are bound always, in that sense to "fear the Lord and his goodness." It remains, therefore, that the fear here intended, is compounded of an awful apprehension of the holiness and greatness of God, with