murmuring against God, which on all occasions they fell into. Though unbelief itself, especially in such a season, be a provoking sin, yet this murmuring and chiding so added unto its provocation, that it is directly laid on their accounts; but they also, as the apostle says, are to be resolved into their spring or cause, that is unbelief. They are but an especial sign, circumstance or effect of their unbelief.

παραπικρασμός,

The effect of this sin was the provocation or exacerbation of God. The Hebrew word which the apostle here expresseth by Taganingnσμos, is Dy, which sometimes is taken actively, for provoking, inciting, stimulating, imbittering; sometimes passively, for indignation, perturbation, sorrow, grief, trouble. In the whole, it includes the imbittering of the mind of its object, with an excitation unto anger, displeasure, and wrath. Now these things are ascribed unto God, only by an anthropopathy. Such effects being usually wrought in the minds of the best men, when they are unjustly and ungratefully dealt withal, God to shew men the nature of their sins ascribes them unto himself. His mind is not imbittered, moved or changed; but men have deserved to be dealt withal as if it were so. See Jer. viii. 19. 2 Kings xxi. 15. Isa. lxv. 3. Jer. xxv. 7. xxxii. 29. 2 Chron. xxviii. 25.

Now this provocation of God by their unbelief, acting itself in murmuring, chiding and complaining, is further expressed from the season of it; it was in the day of temptation, the day of Massah. The denomination is taken from the name of the place, where they first murmured for water, and tempted God by the discovery of their unbelief. As it was called Meribah from the contention, chiding and provoking; so it was called Massah from the tempting of God there; the day of temptation. In this expression, not the addition of a new sin to that of provocation is intended; but only a description of the sin, and of the season of that sin. It was in the day of temptation that God was so provoked by them. How also they tempted him, we shall see afterwards. Now as this day signally began upon the temptation at Meribah, yet it continued the whole course of the people's peregrination in the wilderness, their multiplied tempting of God made this whole time a day of temptation.

Now let us consider hence some further observations.

Obs. XV. The sinful actings of men against those who deal with them in the name of God, and about the works or will of God, are principally against God himself. The people chode with Moses; but when God came to call it to an account, he says, They strove with him and provoked him. So Moses told the people, to take them off from their vain pretences and coverings of their unbelief. Exod. xvi. 2. "The whole congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron; but," saith he, ver. 8. "The Lord heareth your murmurings against the Lord; and

what are we that you murmur against us?" as if he had said, Mistake not yourselves; it is God, and not us, that you have to do withal in this matter. What you suppose you speak only against us, is indeed directly, though not immediately, spoken against God. So God himself informs Samuel upon the repining of the people against him; "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them," because he ruled them immediately in the name of God, 1 Sam. viii. 7. They pretended weariness of the government of Samuel, but they were indeed weary of God, and of his rule. And so what was done against him, God took as done against himself. And under the New Testament, our Saviour in particular applies this rule unto the dispensers of the gospel, Luke x. 16. Saith he, "He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me." The preachers of the gospel are sent by Christ, and therefore their opposition and contempt doth first reflect dishonour upon him; and through him upon God himself.

And the reason hereof is, because in their work they are representatives of God himself; they act in his name, and in his stead, as his ambassadors; 2 Cor. v. 20. "Now then," saith the apostle, " we are ambassadors for Christ; as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God." They treat with men as sent of God, in his name, about the affairs of Christ. The violation of an ambassador amongst men is always esteemed to redound unto the dishonour of him by whom he is employed; for it is he unto whom the injury and affront is principally intended, especially if it be done unto him in discharge of his office. Nor are kings or states ever more highly provoked, than when an injury is offered or an affront done unto their ambassadors. The Romans of old utterly destroyed Tarentum in Italy, and Corinth in Greece, on that account. And occasions of the same nature have of late been like to fill the world with blood and tumult. And the reason is, because, according to the light of nature, what is done immediately against a representative as such, is done directly and intentionally against the person represented. So it is in this case. The enmity of men is against God himself, against his way, his works, his will, which his ambassadors do but declare. But these things absolutely are out of their reach. They cannot reach them nor hurt them, nor will they own directly an opposition unto them. Therefore are pretences invented by men against those who are employed by God, that under their covert they may execute their rage against God himself. So Amaziah priest of Bethel complained to Jeroboam the king, saying, "Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel, the land is not able to bear all his words." It is not because he preached

against his idolatry, or denounced the judgments of God against the sins of men, that Amaziah opposeth him; no, it is merely on the account of his sedition and the danger of the king thereby, Amos vii. 10. And when, as it is likely, he could not prévail with the king for his destruction, he deals with him personally himself, to flee away and so to render himself suspected, ver. 12, 13. He had used an invidious expression concerning him to the king; Thy wp," he hath conspired against thee;" that is, to take away thy life. The word is used concerning two kings of Judah one after another, and the matter ended in their death, 2 Chron. xxiv. 25. xxv. 27. And it is mostly used for a conspiracy ending in death. And yet all this was from enmity against God, and no affection to the king. Under the shade of such pretences do men act their opposition unto God, upon his messengers. God sees that they are all but coverts for their lusts and obstinacy; that himself is intended, and he esteems it so, accordingly.

Instruction lies plain herein for them, who by vainly invented pleas and pretences, do endeavour to give countenance to their own consciences, in opposition unto those who speak in the name and treat about the things of God. Let them look to it, though they may so satisfy themselves in and by their own prejudices, as to think they do God good service when they kill them; yet they will find things in the issue brought unto another account. This lies so clear from what hath been spoken, that I shall not further insist on it. But let them principaily consider this, and thence what is incumbent on them, who are called to deal with others in the name of God. And

First, Let them take heed, that they neither do, nor act nor speak any thing, but what they have sufficient warrant from him for. It is a dangerous thing, to entitle God or his name unto our own imaginations. God will not set his seal of approbation, he will not own a concernment in our lie, though we should think that it tends to his glory, Rom. iii. 7. Neither will he own what is done against us as done against himself, unless we stand in his counsels, and be found in the ways of his will. There is no object of a more sad consideration, than to see some men persecuting others for their errors. They that persecute (suppose them in the right, as to the matter in difference between them and those whom they do oppress, yet) do certainly act against God in what they pretend to act for him. For they usurp his authority, over the souls and consciences of men. And they that are persecuted, do sacrifice their concernments to the darkness of their own minds. God may concern himself in general to own their integrity towards himself, even in their mistakes. But in the particular wherein they suffer, he will not own them. Whether therefore we are to do, or to suffer any thing for God, it is

of great concern unto us to look well to our call or warrant. And then, Secondly, when men are secured by the word and Spirit of God, that their message is not their own, but his that sent them, that they seek not their own glory but his, they may have hence all desirable grounds of encouragement, support and consolation in all the straits and temptations they meet withal in this world. They can be no more utterly prevailed against, that is, their testimony cannot, than can God himself. So he speaks to Jeremiah; "I will make thee a fenced brazen wall, they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee to save thee, and deliver thee, saith the Lord," Jer. xv. 20. And in what they suffer, God is so far concerned, as to account all that is done against them, to be done against himself. Christ is hungry with them, and thirsty with them, and in prison with them, Mat. xxv. 35-37. Again,

Obs. XVI. Unbelief manifesting itself in a time of trial, is a most provoking sin. This, as we have shewed, was the sin of the people in their provocation of God. And it is a great sin; the great sin, the spring of all sins at all times. But it hath many aggravations, attending it in a time of trial. And this com priseth the first sense of the limitation of time in that word, this day, before intimated; namely, an especial time and season wherein the guilt of this sin may be eminently contracted. For I speak not of unbelief in general with respect unto the covenant and the promises thereof, but of unbelief as working in a distrust of God with respect unto the dispensations of his providence. It is a disbelieving of God as to any concern of our own, when we have a sufficient warrant to believe and put our trust in him, when it is our duty so to do. And two things we may make a brief inquiry into.

First, What is required, that men may be in a condition to contract the guilt of this sin? and hereunto three things do be long;

First, That, in general, they be found in the way of God. God's promises of his presence, and of his protection unto men, are confined unto his own ways; which alone are theirs, or ought so to be. "He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways," Psalm xci. 11. that is, the ways that he hath appointed thee to walk in. The benefit of which promise the devil vainly attempted to deprive our Saviour of, by seducing him to ways that were not his; ways that God hath not appointed. Men in ways of their own, that is, in the crooked paths of sin, are not obliged to trust in God for mercy and protection in them. So to do, or to pretend so to do, is to entitle God to their lusts. For men to say, they trust in God, in the pursuit of their covetousness, injustice, oppression, sensuality, or in ways wherein these things have a prevailing mixture; or to pray for the pra

tecting, the blessing presence of God in them, is a high provocation. Every difficulty, every opposition that such men meet withal, is raised by God to turn them out of their way. And to expect their removal by him, or strength and assistance against them, is to desire the greatest evil unto their own souls that in this world they are obnoxious unto. The Israelites here blamed, were in the way of God, and no opposition ought to have discouraged them therein.

Secondly, That in particular, they have a warrantable call to engage in that way wherein they are. A way may be good and lawful in itself, but not lawful to a man that enters upon it without a sufficient call. And this deprives men also of the grounds of expectation of God's presence, so as to that particular way wherein they cannot contract the guilt of this sin; though commonly it is distrust of God, that casts men into such ways. It was the way and work of God, that the Israelites should destroy the Amorites and possess their land. But when they would in an heat without a sufficient warrant go up into the hill and fight with them, Moses says unto them, "Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, and they were discomfited to Hormah," Numb. xiv. 42-45. Unto a lawful way then in general, a lawful call in particular must be added, or we have not a sufficient foundation for the discharge of that duty, whose defect is now charged by us.

Thirdly, They must have a sufficient warrant of the presence and protection of God. This is that which makes faith and trust a duty. And God gives it two ways. 1. In general, in the promise of the covenant, wherein he hath undertaken to be with us, to bless us, and to carry us through the course of our duty, Heb. xiii. 5. He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." This alone is a sufficient ground and foundation for faith and trust in every condition. And this the Israelites had in the promise made unto Abraham and others of their forefathers. 2. By giving some signal instances of his power, wisdom and care in his presence with us, by protection, direction, preservation or deliverance in those ways of his wherein we are engaged. When by this means he hath given us experience of his goodness, faithfulness, and approbation of the ways wherein we are, this adds a speciality unto the general warrant for faith in the word of promise. And this they also had in all those works of God which they saw for forty years.

Secondly, It must be inquired, what it is that makes any time or season to be a day of trial; seeing the miscarriage of men in such a season is expressed as a great aggravation of their sin. And they are the things that follow.

First, That there be a concernment of the glory of God in the performance of that duty wherein we are to act faith, or to