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And these are varied, according as the proposal of the persuasion which they respect hath been. For it may sometimes be by an exhortation in general, and sometimes it may be attended with commands, promises and threatenings, which vary if not the kind, yet the degree of the sin intended. A is usually inobedientia, contumacia and sometimes rebellio, disobedience, stubbornness' or rebellion.' But the same words are often in the New Testament rendered by unbelief, infidelity, incredulity, not to believe. As indeed the words itself, or 'faith,' is from us, to persuade.' And in other authors it is nothing but that persuasion of mind which is begotten in any man by the arguments and reasons that are proposed unto him for that purpose. But the promiscuous rendering of that word by disobedience or unbelief, seeing these things formally differ, is not so safe, and ought to be reduced unto some certain rule. This, for aught I can perceive, interpreters have not done, but have indifferently rendered it by the one word or the other. And, we render unbelief,' Rom. xi. 30. 32. Heb. iv. 11. and by disobedience,' Eph. ii. 2. and v. 6. Col. iii. 6. but for the most part, we place the other word in the margin. And, we render commonly by, believe not,' Rom. xi. 30, 31. xv. 31. Acts xiv. 2. xvii. 5. xix. 9. sometimes by obey not,' Rom. ii. 8. x. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8. iii. 20. iv. 17. And ans every where by disobedient,' Luke i. 17. Acts xxvi. 19. Rom. i. 30. 2 Tim. iii. 2. Tit. i. 16. iii. 3. And the like variety may be observed in other interpreters. I suppose, as was said, that the translation of this word may be reduced unto some certain rule. Axuda and it do certainly denote a denial of the proper effect of w; the effect of persuasion is not produced. Now this persuasion is not merely and solely an exhortation by words, but whatever it is that hath, or ought to have a moral power to prevail with the mind of a man to do or not to do any thing, it hath the virtue of a persuasion. Thus in commands, in promises, in threatenings, there is a persuasion. This is common to them all, that they are fitted and suited to prevail with the minds of men, to do or not to do the things which they do respect. But there is some peculiar adjunct, whereby they are distinguished as to their persuasive efficacy; as authority in commands, faithfulness in promises, severity in threatenings, power and holiness in all. That which is persuasive in commands, as formally such, is authority and power. That which is so in promises, is faithfulness and power; and so of threatenings. Look then in any place, what is the formal reason of the persuasion, whose disappointment is expressed by awu and axia, and we shall understand what. it is that first and directly is intended by them. That whereby we answer a command is obedience, because of the authoriVOL. IV.

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ty wherewith it is attended, and our not being persuaded or prevailed on thereby is disobedience; that whereby we answer a promise is faith, or trust, or believing; and our failing herein is unbelief. Not that these things can be separated one from another, as though we could obey and not believe, or believe and not obey; but that they are thus distinguished one from another. Wherever then these expressions occur, we must consider whether they directly express the neglect of the command of God or of his promise. If it be of the former, they are duly rendered by disobeying and disobedience; if the latter, by unbelief, incredulity and the like. Now, because these things are of a near alliance and cannot be separated, wherever one is expressed, the conjunction of the other is also understood. As in this place their abu did principally respect the promise of God to give them the land of Canaan, and his power to effect it; so that unbelief is first and principally intended. They would not believe that he would or could bring them into that land. But yet because they were also under the command of God to go up and possess it, their unbelief was accompanied with disobedience and rebellion. This then is the meaning of these words in this place. "To whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest.” 'It was unto them to whom the promise of it being made, and a command given that they should be ready to go up and possess it, they would not, they did not acquiesce in the faithfulness and power of God, believed not his word, and thereupon yielded not obedience unto his commands; and this was sufficient both to provoke and justify the severity of God against them, in his oath, and the execution of it.

Obs. I. All unbelief is accompanied with contumacy and rebellion; it is ana; and those in whom it is, are not persuaded to comply with the mind and will of God. I intend that privative unbelief which hath been before explained. When the object or thing to be believed is sufficiently proposed and made known unto any person, which renders it his duty actually to believe, especially when it is proposed in the way and manner prescribed by God in the gospel, that is, with the highest reasons, motives and persuasive inducements conceivable, if such a person mix not the word spoken with faith, his unbelief is privative and ruinous to his soul; and that because it hath contumacy and rebellion accompanying of it. Now two things concur in disobedience, contumacy and rebellion; for I use them in the same general sense, as those which agree in the same general nature, for they denote only distinct aggravations of the same sin.

First, An unpersuadableness of mind, and that against evident convincing reasons. When a man is persuaded by such.

as have right, or whose duty it is so to deal with him, unto the doing of any thing, or the belief of any truth, with and by the use of such arguments as are suited in such cases to work and prevail with the minds of men, and he have nothing to object to what is proposed unto him, and yet complieth not in a way of obedience or assent, we say such a one is obstinate and perverse; one not persuaded by reason; he is contumax. See Prov. i. 23-25.

Secondly, A positive act of the will in opposition unto, and in rejection of the things proposed unto it as those which it likes not, it approves not of, but rather despiseth, Isa. xxx. 15, 16. Now if among the arguments used to prevail with the mind, that of supreme authority be one, then rebellion is added unto disobedience and stubbornness, Rom. x. 21. both these concur in unbelief. Unbelievers may pretend, may plead other things, why they do not believe; or they may profess that they do believe when they are utter strangers to it; but the true reason of this abode in their state and condition is the unpersuadableness of their minds, and the disobedience of their wills, both attended with contumacy and rebellion against God. To evince this we may consider;

First, That the gospel requiring faith in the promises, doth obviate or take away all objections that can be made against it, on any account whatever. Objections against believing may arise either, First, On the part of him who is the author of the things proposed to be believed; and that either, 1. As unto his power and faithfulness, or, 2. As unto his will, goodness and grace. Or, Secondly, They may arise on the part of the things themselves proposed to be believed; as that they are not, 1. either good and desireable in themselves; or, 2. not needful; or 3. not adequate or suited unto the end for which they are proposed. Or, Thirdly, On the part of the persons themselves required to believe; as that they are not things for them; but that they are either, 1. too hard and difficult for them to attain ; or, 2. too good for them to expect; or 3. too far above them to understand. But now all these objections are obviated and prevented in the gospel. And no ground is left to any sinner whereon he may manage any of them against the exhortations and commands of it to believe. This hath been so well evidenced in particular by sundry holy and learned persons, as I

shall not need to insist thereon.

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Secondly, The gospel makes it appear that its commands and exhortations to believe are most reasonable in themselves, and most reasonably to be accepted by sinners; and that on all accounts of reason whatever. As, 1. Upon the account of righteousness in him that requires faith or belief of men. He that doth so, may do so, and that justly. He requires no more but

what is due unto him; and which cannot be denied him without the highest sin, folly, and disorder. This the gospel fully declares. It is God who requires faith in us; and it is so far from being unrighteous that he should so do, that it is of infinite grace, and love that he will. 2. On the account of necessity, on the part of them who are required to believe. This also the gospel lays open and naked before the eyes of men. It doth not leave them to flatter themselves with vain hopes, as though they might do well enough without answering the command of God in this matter, or might find out some way for their help and relief; but it plainly and frequently declares that without the due performance of this duty, they must perish and lie under the wrath of God to eternity. 3. On the account of the goodness, grace, and condescension, that is in the proposal of the object of faith, and the command of believing. The things themselves are excellent and precious, and our advantage by an interest in them so great and unspeakable, as that they are every where in the gospel manifested to be the effects of infinite grace and love. 4. On the account of safety. An end is proposed to be aimed at; and that deliverance from sin, death, hell, and vengeance everlasting; with the attainment of rest, peace, and blessedness in the enjoyment of God. This end all convinced persons aim at; and there is a secret preparation in the seeds of natural light to incline the minds of men to seek after this end. Now the gospel proposeth the things which it requires to be believed, as the only way and means for the attaining of this end. And that this way is safe, and secure, that never any one miscarried in it, or shall so do for ever, it gives all the assurance that the word, promise, covenant and oath of God, can yield or afford. On all which it follows, that it is a reasonable thing that we should believe.

Thirdly, Consider the manner how the gospel proposeth unto us the object of faith, or the things which it requireth us to believe. It doth not do this by a mere naked revelation or declation of them unto us, attended with a severe command. It adds intreaties, exhortations, reasonings, encouragements, promises, threatenings; every way it proceedeth, that is meet and suited to prevail on the minds of rational creatures. All the things of our own eternal concernment are proposed unto us, with that gentleness, tenderness, condescension, that love, that earnestness, that evidence of a high concern in us, and our good, that patheticalness and compassionate affection, as will assuredly aggravate the guilt of rejecting the tender which it makes.

Fourthly, All these things the gospel proposeth, urgeth, presseth upon us in the name and authority of God. It requireth, exacteth, and commandeth faith in men, in a way of obedience unto the supreme authority of God.

Now if these things, and sundry others of the like consideration, do concur in the proposals and commands of the gospel, it is evident that the unbelief of sinners must have disobedience, contumacy, and rebellion accompanying it. For can a man refuse that which is so proposed unto him, upon such reasons and considerations, in the way and manner intimated, all enforced with the authority of God, without contracting the guilt of the highest rebellion against him? And hence it is that the Scripture every where layeth the cause of mens unbelief on their wills, their love of sin, their obstinacy and hardness of heart, as hath been before declared. And hence it will follow, that,

Obs. II. Unbelief not only justifies, but glorifies the greatest severities of God against them in whom it prevails.-The apostle having declared the severity of God towards the people in the wilderness, adds this as the reason of it, "It was because of their unbelief." 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, and that eternally, and that in their destruction God will glorify himself. The truth of this proposition is sufficiently evinced, from what hath been discoursed on that foregoing. For if there be that contumacy and rebellion attending unbelief which we have manifested, it will undeniably follow that God is exceedingly righteous and glorious in his greatest severities against them who abide in the guilt of it: in this, that "he who believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him," John iii. 36. I shall add only one consideration more for the further evidencing of this truth. The design of God in the gospel, in and by the things proposed unto our faith, is to glorify himself, and all the holy attributes of his nature. And this is the effect of his counsel and wisdom, after that many of them were, as it were, obscured by sin, unto the eternal ruin of sinners: God, I say, in the gospel, through the mediation of Christ, the principal subject of all the promises, and immediate object of our faith, designeth to manifest and glorify his righteousness and holiness, Rom. iii. 24-26.; his power and wisdom, 1 Cor. i. 18. 23, 24.; his mercy, grace and goodness, Eph. i. 6.; his patience and forbearance, 2 Pet. iii. 9.; his faithfulness and bounty, in rewarding believers with eternal life, Rom. vi. 23. In sum, by this way and means he hath designed that manifestation of himself, his nature, his will, his goodness, his wisdom and counsel, wherein he will be admired, adored, and glorified by angels and men, unto eternity, 2 Thess. i. 10. This is the design of God in and by the gospel. And it is that which "becomes him," because it is natural and

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