which belonged unto their peace;" of repentance and reconciliation unto God; the things which might have given them peace with God, and continued their peace in the world; but they refused these things, neglected their day, and suffered it to pass over them unimproved. What was the issue thereof? God would deal no more with them; the things of their peace shall now be hid from them, and themselves be left unto destruction. For when such a dispensation is lost, when the evening of such a day is come, and the work of it not accomplished,

1. It may be, God will bring a wasting destruction upon the persons, church or people that have despised it. So he dealt with Jerusalem, as it was foretold by our Saviour in the place before insisted on, Luke xix. 43, 44. The "things of thy peace" are now over and hid from thee. What then will follow or ensue? Why, "the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." Because thou hast not discerned thy day, nor regarded it, hast not answered the mind of God in it, all this shall speedily befal thee, as it did accordingly. The same hath been the issue of many fanious Christian church

The very places where they were planted are utterly consumed. Temporal judgments are oft-times the issue of despised spiritual mercies. This is the language of those providential warnings by signs and prodigies, which oft-times such a season is accompanied withal. They all proclaim the impendent wrath of God upon the neglect of his gracious call. And with examples hereof are all records, sacred and ecclesiastical, filled.

2. God may, and sometimes doth leave such a people, church or persons, as have withstood his dealings in a way of grace, in and unto their outward station in the world, and yet hide the things of their peace utterly from them, by a removal of the means of grace. He can leave unto men their kingdoms in this world, and yet take away the kingdom of heaven, and give that unto others. They may dwell still in their houses, but be in the dark, their candlestick and the light of it being consumed. And this hath been the most common issue of such dispensations, which the world groans under at this day. It is that which God threateneth. 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. Because men would not receive the truth in the love thereof; that is, because they would not improve the day of the gospel which they enjoyed, God sent them "strong delusions, that they should believe a lie;" and how came it to pass? by removing the sound and sincere preaching of the word, he gave advan

tage to seducers and false teachers, to impose their superstition, idolatry and heresies upon their credulity. So God punished the neglect and disobedience of the churches of Europe, under the papal apostasy. And let us take heed lest this vial of wrath be not yet wholly emptied. Or,

3. God may leave unto such persons the outward dispensation of the means of grace, and yet with-hold that efficacy of his Spirit, which alone can render them useful to the souls of men. Hence the word comes to have a quite contrary effect, unto what it hath under the influences of God's especial grace. God in it then speaks unto a people, as is expressed, Isa. vi. 9, 10. "Hear you indeed, but understand not; and sce you indeed, but perceive not: make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." I have now done with them, saith God; I have no design or purpose any more to deal with them about their conversion and healing; and therefore, although I will have the preaching of the word as yet continued unto them, yet it shall have no effect upon them, but through their own unbelief, to blind them and harden them to their destruction. And for these reasons amongst others, ought such a day as we have described, carefully to be attended unto.

This duty being of so great importance, it may be justly inquired, how may a man, how may a church know that it is such a day, such a season of the gospel with them, so as to be suitably stirred up unto the performance of their duty? I answer, they may do so two ways.

First, From the outward signs of it, as the day is known by the light and heat of the sun, which is the cause thereof. What concurs to such a day was before declared. And in all those things there are signs whereby it may be known. Neglect and ignorance hereof was charged by our Saviour on the Jews, and that frequently; so Matt. xvi. 3. "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but ye cannot discern the signs of the times." How they discerned the face of the sky, he shews in the foregoing verses; namely, they judged by usual known prognostics what the weather would be in the evening or morning, that so they might accordingly apply themselves unto their occasions. But, saith he, as God hath planted such signs in things natural, hath so ordered them that one should be a sign and discovery of another, so he hath appointed signs of this day of grace, of the coming of the Messiah, whereby it also may be known. But these, saith he, you cannot discern. O duarde, 'you cannot;' but withal he lets them know why they could not; that was because they were hypocrites, and either grossly neglected or despised the means and advantages VOL. IV.

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they had to that purpose. The signs we have before mentioned are such, as being brought at any time to the rule of the word, they will reveal the season that they belong unto. And herein consisted the wisdom of those children of Issachar, "who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do," 1 Chron. xii. 32.

Secondly, Such a day or season will manifest itself by its efficacy. When God applies such a concurrence of means, he will make men one way or other sensible of his design and end. The word in such a day will either refine and reform men, or provoke and enrage them. Thus when the witnesses preach, which is a signal season of light and truth, they "torment them that dwell on the earth," Rev. xi. 10. If they are not healed, they will be tormented. So it was at the first. preaching of the gospel; some were converted and the rest were hardened. A signal work passed on them all; and those who dispensed the word, became a "good savour in them that are saved, and in them that perish." The consciences of men will discover their times. God will one way or other leave his witness within them. An especial day will make an especial approach unto their hearts. If it make not them better, they will be worse; and this they may find by the search of themselves. God in this dispensation, effectually speaks these words unto an evident experience in the minds of men; "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still," Rev. xxii. 11.

The especial duty incumbent on men in such a day, is in all things to hearken to the voice of God.

We now proceed unto the second part of the words under consideration, comprizing the example itself insisted on, and whereon the exhortation itself is founded. And this consists of two general parts. First, the sin, and secondly the punishment of the people of old.

The sin is contained in these words, "As in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years."

The first thing occurring in the words according to our former distribution of them, relating to the sin mentioned, is the persons of the sinners; they were their fathers, the progenitors of them to whom the apostle wrote. And they are in the next verse further described by their multitude; they were a whole generation; "I was grieved with that generation."

Who these were, was declared before in the exposition of the words, and it is plain from the story, who are intended. It was the people that came up out of Egypt with Moses, all of whom that were above twenty years of age, at their coming

into the wilderness, because of their manifold sins and provocations, died there, Caleb and Joshua only excepted. So the Lord threatened, Num. xiv. 26-30." And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying; How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As surely as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in mine ears, so will I do unto you; your carcases shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me; doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun." And so it came to pass; for when the people were numbered again in the plains of Moab, it is said, "Among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai ;" that is, besides those two who were excepted by name, Num. xxvi. 65. These were the fathers of the present Hebrews; that is, as it is expressed, Jer. xi. 10. 28, their forefathers,' as we render the words, rather their first fathers; those whom God first took into the express covenant with himself. For the place hath respect unto that very sin which is here reported. "They are turned back unto the iniquity of their first fathers, who refused to hear my words;" who hearkened not unto the voice of God. And this limits the term to those in the wilderness, seeing the former patriarchs did not refuse to hear the word of God. But they are generally called indefinitely, rigs, the fathers;' as others also that followed in succeeding generations: once by our apostle they are termed, goyo,progenitors,' 2 Tim. i. 3. Now the psalmist men, tioning (and our apostle from him) the sin of the people in the wilderness, and proposing it with its consequences unto the present Hebrews, calls them their fathers.

First, Because that people were exceedingly apt to boast of their fathers, and to raise a confidence in themselves that they must needs receive mercy from God on their account. And they had indeed no small privilege in being the posterity of some of those fathers. Our apostle reckons it as one of their chief advantages, Rom. ix. 4, 5. "Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promis, es, whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh Christ came." It hath a place in the great series of the privileges of that church. And when the church-state is made over to the Gentiles, it is promised her, that instead of these

fathers, she should have her children, Psal. xlv. 16. Those that should succeed unto them in holiness and the favour of God. But this people run into a woful mistake, which their posterity are hardened in at this day. Their only privilege in this matter, was because God had freely and graciously given his promises unto their fathers, and taken them into covenant with himself. And the due consideration hereof, tended only to the exaltation of the rich and free grace of God. So Moses expressly declares, Deut. vii. 7, 8. and elsewhere. But forgetting or despising this, they rested on the honour and righteousness of their fathers, and expected I know not what as due unto them on that account. This vain confidence our Saviour frequently rebuked in them, and so did the apostle. And for this reason, the psalmist and the apostle having occasion to mention the sins of the people of old, calls them their fathers, minding them, that many of them in whom they gloried were sinful provokers of God.

Secondly, It is done to mind them of their near concernment in the example proposed unto them. It is not taken from amongst strangers, but it is what fell out amongst their own progenitors.

Thirdly, To warn them of their danger. There is a propensity in children to follow the sin of their fathers. Hence some sins prove eminently national in some countries, for many generations. The example of parents is apt to infect their children. The Holy Ghost then here intimates unto them their proneness to fall into disobedience, by minding them of the miscarriage of their fathers in the same kind. This intimates unto them both their duty and their danger. Again, these fathers are further described by their number. They were a whole generation; that is, all the people of that age, wherein they were in the wilderness. And this contains a secret aggravation of the sin mentioned, because there was in it a joint conspiracy as it were of all the persons of that age. These are they who were guilty of the sin here reported. And we may observe from this expression and remembrance of them,

Obs. XII. That the examples of our forefathers are of use and concernment unto us, and objects of our deepest consideration. God in his dealings with them, lays in instruction for their posterity. And when parents do well, when they walk with God, they beat the path of obedience plain for their children: and when they miscarry, God sets their sins as buoys to warn them who come after them of the shelves that they split upon. "Be not as your fathers, a stiff-necked generation," is a warning that he oft repeats. And it is in the Scripture an eminent part of the commendation or discommendation of any, that they walked in the way of their progenitors. Where any of the