Page images
PDF
EPUB

good kings of Judah are testified unto for their integrity, this is still one part of the testimony given unto them, that they "walked in the way of David their father," in the paths that he had trod before them. And on the other side, it is a brand on many of the wicked kings of Israel, that they walked in the ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat." Their examples, therefore, are of concernment unto us.

First, Because oft-times the same kind of temptations are continued unto the children, that the fathers were exercised withal. Thus we find in experience, that some temptations are peculiar to a nation, some to a family for sundry generations, which produce peculiar national sins, and family sins, so that at least they are prevalent in them. Hence the apostle chargeth na-tional sins on the Cretians, from the testimony of Epimenides, who had observed them amongst them;

Κρήτες αεί ψευσται, κακα θηρία, γαστέρες αρχαι.

Tit. i. 12. The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.' Lying, dissimulation, cruelty and sloth were the sins of that nation from one generation to another; children learning them from the example of their parents. So many families for a long season have been infamous for cruelty or deceit or the like. And these hereditary sins have proceeded in part from hereditary temptations: some are in-laid in their natural constitutions, and some are inseparably annexed unto some special course of life and conversation, wherein persons of the same families succeed one another. Now it is a great warning unto men, to consider what sad events have befallen them that went before them, by yielding unto those temptations, which they themselves are exercised withal.

Again, There is a blessing or a curse that lies secretly hid in the ways of progenitors. There is a revenge for the children. of the disobedient unto the third and fourth generation, and a blessing on the posterity of the obedient for a longer continuance. The very heathen acknowledged this by the light of nature. Plato says expressly, εις τεταρτην γενεαν διαβιβάζει την τιμω giz, punishment falls on the fourth generation.' And they had the substance of it from their oracle.

[ocr errors]

Αλλα κακως ῥεξασι δικας τέλος οχι χρονιστον
Hoe απαραίτατον ; ει και διος εκγονοι ειεν

Και αυτων κεφαλησι, και εν σφετέροισι τεκεσσιν
Ειλειται ; και πημα δομοῖς, ἐπι πημασι, βαινει,

So is that saying common in the same case,

Και παίδες παιδων ; και τοι μετοπισθε γενωνται.

The design is, what we have asserted of the traduction of pu

nishment, from wicked parents to their posterity. But there are conditions of the avoidance of the curse, and enjoyment of the blessing. When fathers have made themselves obnoxious to the displeasure of God by their sins, let their posterity know, that there is an addition of punishment coming upon them, beyond what in an ordinary course of providence, is due to themselves, if they continue in the same sins. So God tells Moses, in the matter of the golden calf which Aaron had made, when he had prevailed with him not immediately to destroy the whole people: "Nevertheless," saith he, " in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them," Exod. xxxii. 34. That is, If by their future sins and idolatry, they shall provoke me to visit and punish them, I will add unto their punishment, somewhat from the desert of this sin of their forefathers. Whence is that proverb among the Jews, that there is no evil befals them, but it hath in it some grain of the golden calf."

[ocr errors]

saith ופקדתי עליהם מעט מן העון הזה עם שאר העורות

Rashi, He will mix a little somewhat of the guilt of this sin, with the rest of their sins.' And therefore the same word of visiting is here used, as in the threatening in the commandment, Exod. xx. 5. And when one generation after another shall persist in the same provoking sins, the weight of God's indignation grows so heavy, that ordinarily in one part or other, it begins to fall within the third or fourth generation. And doth it not concern men to consider what have been the ways of their forefathers, lest there lie a secret consuming curse against them in the guilt of their sins? Repentance, and forsaking their ways, wholly intercepts the progress of the curse, and sets a family at liberty from a great and ancient debt to the justice of God. So God stateth this matter at large, Ezek. xviii. Men know not

what arrears may by this means be chargeable on their inheritances, much more, it may be, than all they are worth is able to answer. There is no avoidance of the writ for satisfaction that is gone out against them, but by turning out of the way wherein they are pursued. The same is the case of the blessing that is stored for the posterity of the obedient, provided they are found in the way of their forefathers. These things render them and their ways objects of our considerations. For, more

over,

Obs. XIII. It is a dangerous condition for children to boast of the privilege of their fathers, and to imitate their sins.-This was almost continually the state of the Jews. They were still boasting of their progenitors, and constantly walking in their sins. This they are every where in the Scripture charged withal; see Num. xxxii. 14. This, the Baptist reflected on in his first dealing with them: "Bring forth," saith he, "fruits meet for repentance, and think not to say within yourselves,

We have Abraham to our father," Matt. iii. 8, 9. On every occasion they still cried out, "We have Abraham to our father" he who was so highly favoured of God, and first received the promises. For his sake, and by his means, they expected to be saved temporally and eternally. Hence they have

שאברהם יושב על פתחי של a saying in their Talmud Abraham sits • : גיהנם שלא להניה ליירן פישעי ישראל בניהנם

at the gates of hell, and will not permit that any transgressors of Israel shall go in thither. A great reserve against all their sins, but that it will deceive them when they are past relief. It is true, they had on this account many privileges, as our apostle testifies in sundry places, Rom. iii. 1, 2. ch. ix. 4. and so he esteemed them to be as to his own personal interest in them, Phil. iii. 4, 5. But whilst they trusted unto them, and contiuued in the sins of them who had abused them, it turned to their farther ruin; see Matt. xxiii. 29-32. And let their example deter others from countenancing themselves in privileges of any kind, whilst they come short of personal faith and obedience. Again,

Obs. XIV. A multitude joining in any sin, gives it thereby a great aggravation.-Those here that sinned were all the persons of one entire generation. This made it a formal open rebellion, a conspiracy against God, a design as it were to destroy his kingdom, and to leave him no subjects in the world. When many conspire in the same sin, it is a great inducement unto others to follow. Hence is that caution in the law, Exod. xxiii. 2. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." The law indeed hath an especial respect unto judgment and causes of differences among men. But there is a general direction in the law for

Thou shalt : לא תהיה אחרי רבים לרעת .our whole course

not be after many (or great men) unto evils.' Take heed of the inclination of a multitude unto evil, lest thou art also carried away with their errors and sin; and this aggravates the sin of many. It doth so also, that the opposition unto God therein is open and notorious, which tends greatly to his dishonour in the world. And what resentment God hath of the provocation that lies herein, is fully expressed in Numbers, chap. xiv. 20—36. speaking of the sin of the congregation, in their unbelief and murmuring against him. In the first place, he engageth himself by his oath to vindicate his glory from the reproach which they had cast upon it, ver. 21. "As truly as I live," saith he, "all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Some take these words to be only an asseveration of that which follows; as if God had said that, As truly as I live, and as the earth is filled with my glory, all these men shall perish;' but the words rather contain the principal matter of the oath of God. He swears, that as they, by their conjunct sin and re

[CHAP. III. bellion, had dishonoured him in the world, so he, by his works of power and vengeance on them, would fill the earth again with his glory. And there is in the following words a representation of a great ads, or commotion with great indignation. "They have," saith he, seen my miracles, and have tempted me now these ten times," ver. 22. The Hebrew doctors do scrupulously reckon up these ten temptations. The first, they say, is in Exod. xiv. 11. when they said, "Because there were no graves in Egypt." The second in Marah, Exod. xv. 24. "The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink ?" The third in the desert of Sin, Exod. xvi. 2, 3. "The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and said, Would God we had died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots." The fourth when they left manna until the morning, Exod. xvi. 19, 20. "And Moses said, Let no man leave of it until the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank." The fifth was, when some of them went out to gather manna on the Sabbath-day, Exod. xvi. 27, 28. which God called a refusing to keep his commandments and his laws. The sixth was in Rephidim, at the waters of Meribah, Num. xx. 3. The seventh in Horeb, when they made the calf, Exod. xxxii. The eighth at Tabera, Num. xi. 4, 5. The ninth at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Num. xi. 32. The tenth upon the return of the spies, Num. xiv. Thus are the ten temptations reckoned up by some of the Jews; and by others of them they are enumerated with some little alteration. But whether the exact number of ten be intended in the expression, is very uncertain; it seems rather to intend multiplied temptations, expressed with much indignation. So Jacob, when he chode with Laban, told him, "Thou hast changed my wages ten times," Gen. xxxi. 41. that is, frequently, which he so expressed in his anger and provocation. So doth God here, You have tempted ine these ten times; that is, so often, so far, that I neither can nor will bear with you any longer. In the whole discourse, which sinners ought to read and tremble at, there is represented, as it were, such a rising of anger and indignation in the face of God, such a commotion of soul in displeasure, both made use of to declare an unchangeable will of punishing, as scarce appears again in the Scripture. Thus it is for a multitude to transgress against God, as it were, by a joint conspiracy. Such issues will all national apostasies and provocations receive. And this is the first general part of the example proposed to consideration, namely, the persons sinning, with the observations that arise from thence. The second is, the matter or quality of their sin, which is referred unto two heads:

First, Their provocation.-In the provocation, in the day of temptation.

Secondly, Their tempting of him.-They tempted me and proved me.

First, Their sin consisted in their provoking. It seems not to be any one particular sin, but the whole carriage of the people in the action reflected on, that is intended; and that not at any one time, but in their whole course. The word in the original, as was declared, signifies to chide, to strive, to contend, and that in words, Isa. xlv. 9. 13 në 21 ", "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker," and how doth, or may he do it? Shall "the clay say to him that made it ?" It is by saying, by speaking against him, that he may so strive with him. But the apostle hath expressed it by a word denoting the effect of that chiding, that is, exacerbation or provocation. The expression of the actions here intended, in the places before mentioned, Exod. xvii. Num. xx. 13. the chiding of the people, as we observed before, is directly said to be with Moses, as their tempting afterwards is of the Lord. Thus Moses saith unto them, "Why' chide you with me, and why tempt you the Lord ?" Exod. xvii. 2. But it is also said expressly, "they strove (the same word) with the Lord," Num. xx. 13. The meaning is, that striving or chiding (2 from 217) being properly an altercation with, or in words,' Moses, and not God, was the immediate object of their chiding. But because it was about and concerning the works of God, which Moses had no relation unto, but as he was his minister, servant, and employed by him, the principal object of their chiding, as formally a sin, was also God himself. In striving with Moses, they strove with him; and in chiding with Moses, they chode with him. This expression then, in general, compriseth all the sinful actions of that people against God, under the ministry of Moses. There are two things to be considered in this matter of provocation.

First, The sin that is included in it.

Secondly, The event or consequent of it-God was provoked. The former seems first intended in the Hebrew word, the latter in the Greek.

For the sin intended, it is evident from the story, that it was unbelief acting itself by murmuring and complaints, the same for the substance of it, by which also they tempted God. This the apostle declares to have been the great provoking sin, ver. 19. So we see that they could not enter in by reason of unbelief." That was the sin which so provoked God, as that he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. Yet it is not their unbelief, absolutely considered, that is intended; but as it brought forth the effects of chiding with Moses, and

« PreviousContinue »