design and principle, God will bear with many failings, many, miscarriages. And when it is false and gone off from God, thousands of duties are of no esteem with him. We know little, yea directly nothing of the hearts of men. And a man would therefore think, that we should little concern ourselves in them, or not at all, but merely rest satisfied in outward acts and effects wherein our concernment lies. But yet even amongst us it is quite otherwise. If once a man begins justly to suspect that the hearts of them with whom he hath to do, are not upright with him, but false and guileful, let them pretend what they will, and act what they please, all is utterly disregarded and despised; so saith he,

Εχθος γαρ μοι κείνος όμως αίδαο πυλησιν,

Ὃς κι' ἕτερον μεν κευθεί ένα φρεσιν άλλο δε βαζει.

I hate him like the gates of hell, who, pretending fairly to me, reserves other things in his mind. And if it be thus with men who judge of the hearts of others only by effects, and that with a judgment liable to be inflamed by groundless suspicions and corrupt imaginations, how much more must it be so with God, before whose eyes all the hearts of men lie open and naked'; whose glory and property it is to be agdiyworks, the Judge, Searcher, Knower of all hearts. Again,

Obs. XXVIII. The error of the heart in the preferring the ways of sin, before obedience with its promises and rewards, is the root of all great provoking sins and rebellions against God.Many sins are the effects of men's impetuous lusts and corruptions. Many they are hurried into, by the power and efficacy of their temptations. Most are produced by both these in conjunction. But as for great provocations, such as carry in them apostasy or rebellion against God, they proceed from a deceiv ing and a deceived heart. There are many noisome and hurtful errors in the world; but this is the great soul-ruining error, when the heart is practically corrupted to prefer sin and its wages, before obedience and its reward. It seems indeed a hard and difficult thing to do this notionally, especially for such as admit of any sense of eternity. But yet the contrary hereunto, namely to prefer obedience with its promises and rewards, consisting in things future and invisible, unto sin and its present ways, is expressed as an act or fruit of faith, and which nothing else will enable us unto. This was the evidence of the faith of Moses, that "he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompence of reward," Heb. xi. 25, 26. And so the apostle expresseth the working of faith in this matter, 2 Cor. iv. 18. "Whilst we look not at the

things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal." It is the work of faith so to look into, so to see and discern invisible and eternal things, as on their account to prefer obedience to God, with afflictions, temptations and persecutions, to sin with all its present pleasures and wages. But practically this is frequently found amongst men. And how this is brought about, or effected; how the mind is prejudiced and obstructed as to its making a right judgment concerning its rules; how it is diverted from a due consideration of the things and reasons that should influence it and lead it thereunto; how it is entangled and seduced to a present approbation of appearing satisfactions; and how the will is thereby deceived into a consent to sin, I have declared in a particular discourse to that purpose. In brief, when the directive part of the mind is diverted from attending to the reason of things proposed to it; when it is corrupted by false. pretences imposed on it by the outrage of corrupt lusts and affections, which have possessed the imagination with their objects. and their present deceivableness; when the accusing judging faculty of it, is baffled, slighted, and at best partially silenced, as wearied with doing its work in vain, and accustomed to repulses ; when in its reflective acts, whereby it should receive impressions from its own self-accusations and reproofs, it is made obtuse, hard and senseless, not regarding what is spoken in it or to it; and when by these means carnal affections bear sway in the soul, impetuously inclining it to seek after their satisfaction, then is the heart under the power of the error we speak of, that error which is the principle of all great provocations and apostasies from God.

For, 1. This sets all the lusts of the soul at liberty to seek after their satisfaction in sin. 2. Makes it slight and contemn all the promises annexed to obedience: and 3. Disregard the threatenings that lie against sin, and so prepares it for the utmost rebellion.

And of all errors let us take heed of this practical error of the heart. It is not men's being orthodox or sound in their opinions that will relieve them if they are under the power of this great fundamental error. And it is a matter to be lamented to see how men will contend for their opinions under the name of TRUTH, and cast all manner of severe reflexions on those that oppose them, whilst themselves err in their hearts and know not the ways of God. And this is a frame which of all others God most abhorreth. For when men pretend to be for him, and are really against him, as all such are, shall not the Searcher of heart s find it out? Orthodox liars, swearers, drunkards, adulterers, oppressors, persecutors, are an unspeakable burden to the patience of God. Again,

Obs. XXIX. A constant persisting in a course of sin, is the

utmost, highest and last aggravation of sin.-They do err always, in every instance of obedience, and that continually. This filled. up their measure. For herein consists that "finishing of sin which brings forth death," Jam. i. 14. Sin may be conceived and brought forth, and yet death not ensue. But if it be finished, if men “err in their hearts always," inevitable destruction will be the consequent of it. This, as was said, is the highest and last aggravation of sin. For,

First, It includes a neglect and contempt of all times and seasons of amendment. God gives to men, especially to those who live under the dispensation of the word, many peculiar times or seasons for their recovery. They have their day, their especial day, wherein they ought in an especial manner to look after the things of their peace, as hath been declared. It may be this day,' is often revived to the persons spoken of, and often returned on them; but it is as often despised and neglected by them,

Secondly, It includes a rejection and disappointment of the means of repentance, which God is pleased graciously to afford to them. During the season of his patience towards sinners, God is pleased to grant to them, sundry means and advantages for their amendment, and that in great variety. But they are all rejected and rendered fruitless in an unchanged course of sinning.

Thirdly, It includes a contempt of the whole work of conscience from first to last. Many assistances conscience doth receive in its work. Convictions from the word, excitations by judgments, mercies, dangers, deliverances; but yet in this condition all its actings are baffled and despised. And what can be more done against God? what can add to the guilt of such sins and sinners?

And this may serve to justify God in his severity against persons that always err in their hearts, that continue in a course of sinning. In the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, and all transactions between God and the souls of men laid open, the holiness, righteousness and just severity of God against impenitent sinners, will on these and other accounts be gloriously displayed.

Obs. XXX. None despise or desert the ways of God, but those who know them not.-For, whatever they may profess, yet indeed profligate sinners know neither God nor his ways. "They err in their hearts and have not known my ways." Who would seem more fully to have known the ways of God than this people? The ways of his providence wherein he walked towards them; and the ways of his law wherein they were to walk towards him, were all before them. They saw the former themselves; and that appearance of the power, wisdom and greatness of God in them, as no generation of men from the foundation

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of the world ever had. And for the ways of his law and worship, who should know them if they did not? They heard God himself proclaiming his own law on Mount Sinai; and they had it afterwards written by him in tables of stone. And for the residue of his institutions, they received them by fresh revelation, seeing them all exemplified in the erection of the tabernacle and in the practice of the service of it. And yet all this while being unbelieving and obdurate, they knew not the ways of God; nay, though they professed that they knew them, and that they would observe them, yet in truth they knew them not. And such were their posterity and successors in unbelief and disobedience, of whom the apostle speaks, Titus i. 16. "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." So was it with this people: so it is with all that despise the ways of God. Whatever they profess, as some of them will be forward enough to profess much, yet indeed they know not God or his ways. So our Saviour tells the Pharisees, that notwithstanding all their boasting of their wisdom, skill and knowledge of the law, and of God himself, yet being as they were, proud, hypocritical self-justiciaries, that they had not indeed heard his voice at any time, 66 nor seen his shape," John v. 37. that is, that they had no real acquaintance with him or knowledge of him.

Whatever notion such persons have or may have of the ways of God, whatever skill in the outward letter of his laws and institutions, yet they know neither the righteousness, nor the holiness, nor the grace, nor the efficacy, nor the usefulness, nor the beauty of any of them. These things are spiritually discerned, and they are spiritually blind. These are spirit and life, and they are flesh and dead. And all this is evident from mens despising of the ways of God or their dereliction of them. This none can do but those that know them not. For they that "know the name of the Lord," that is, any of the ways whereby he reveals himself, "will put their trust in him," Psalm ix. 10. They will forsake neither him nor them. What Paul speaks in a way of extenuation as to some of the Jews; had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of life; we may apply by way of exprobration unto some; had they known the ways of God, as once they professed they did, they would not have forsaken them. And this may support us against the offences and scandals that are in the world upon the account of the apostasies of professors. Some that have professed religion in its power, turn sensual worldlings; some who have professed it in its truth, as Protestants, turn Papists and Idolaters. Shall any reflection be taken from hence, or be cast on the right ways of God, as though they were such as deserved to be deserted? Whatever men, such men have pretended or professed, the truth is they never

knew the ways of God in their light, power, efficacy or beauty. Julian, that infamous apostate, was wont to boast concerning the Scriptures, that he had read them, known them, and condemned them : unto whom it was truly replied, that if he had read them, yet he understood or knew them not, of which there needed no other evidence but that he condemned them.

"Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest."

This is the last thing that remaineth to be considered; and it is the issue or event of the sin before declared, what it came to, in the holiness and righteousness of God, and what was the punishment that was inflicted on the offenders. And in this decretory sentence of God concerning this people, after all their temptations and provocations, there is to be considered,

First, The irrevocableness of the sentence denounced against them. It is not any longer a mere threatening, but a sentence irreversibly past, and enrolled in the court of heaven, and committed for execution unto the honour, power and veracity of God, for he sware unto it or confirmed it by his oath. All mere promises or threatenings whatever about temporal things, have a tacit condition included in them. This, as occasion requires, is drawn forth so as to alter and change the event promised or threatened. But when God interposeth with his oath, it is to exclude all reserves on such tacit conditions; it is to shew that the time wherein they might take place or be of use, is elapsed. And the threatening so confirmed becomes an absolute sentence. And until it comes unto this, the state of sinners is not absolutely deplorable. But when the oath of God is gone out against them, all reserves for mercy, all former allowances of conditions are utterly cut off. And this is not the state only of them concerning whom it is recorded in an especial manner that he did so swear, but in such instances God shews what is the way of his holiness and severity with all sinners, who fall into the like provocations with them. For hereon doth the apostle ground his exhortation and caution, chap. iv. 11. "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." For if the tenor of God's dealings with such unbelievers were not absolutely the same, if the oath of God extended only unto that generation; though they fell, yet others might stand under the same guilt with them, which the apostle hence demonstrates to be otherwise.

Secondly, The greatness of their sin in the great offence that God took at it, and the provocation which as it were befel him thereon; he sware in his wrath, that is with great indignation. Let the place be read as before set down, where the frame of the heart of God towards them is expressed, and the greatness of his wrath and indignation will appear. Now whereas the holy nature. VOL. IV.

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