trust in God. So God tried the faith of Abraham in a duty wherein his glory was greatly concerned. For by his obedience in faith, it appeared to all the world that Abraham respected God, and valued a compliance with his will above all things in this world whatever. So God himself expresseth it, Gen. xxii. 12. "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." This was the tenth and last trial that befel Abraham. Nine times he had been tried before: 1. In his departure out of his country. 2. By the famine which drove him into Egypt. 3. In the taking away of his wife there by Pharaoh. 4. In his war with the four kings. 5. In his hopelessness of issue by Sarah, whence he took Hagar. 6. In the law of circumcision. 7. His wife being taken from him again by Abimelech. 8. His casting out of Hagar after she had conceived. 9. His expulsion of Ishmael. In some of these it is known how he failed, though in most of them he acquitted himself as became the father of the faithful. But now the fluctus decumanus came upon him; his last and utmost trial, wherein he was made a spectacle to men, angels and devils. The Jews tell us great stories, of the opposition made by Satan, in his arguing with Abraham and Isaac, about and against their obedience in this thing. And no doubt but he employed himself unto that purpose. And it is endless to shew how many eyes were upon him, all which gave a concernment of glory unto God. Here therefore Abraham in a most especial manner acquits himself, whence God gives him that testimony; "Now I know that thou fearest God," that is, now thou hast made it known beyond all exception; and this puts a blessed close unto all his signal trials. When therefore God calls men forth unto the performance and discharge of any duty, wherein his glory and honour in the world is concerned, then he makes it unto them a time of trial.

Secondly, Difficulties and opposition lying in the way of duty makes the season of it a time of trial. When men have wind and tide with them in their sailing, neither their strength nor their skill is tried at all. But when all is against them, then it is known what they are. When the sun shines and fair weather continues, the houses that are built on the sand, continue as well as those that are built on the rock. But when the rain, and the floods and the wind come, they make the trial. While men have outward advantages to encourage them in the ways of God, it is not known what principles they act from. But when their obedience and profession is attended with persecution, reproach, poverty, famine, nakedness, death; then it is tried what men build upon, and what they trust to; then it is to them a time of trial. Farther, To give light to our proposition we may inquire how, or by what means, men do, or may act, and manifest their upbelief at such a time or season. And this may be done several ways.

1. By dissatisfaction in, and discontent at that condition of difficulty, whereunto they are brought by the providence of God for their trial. Herein principally did the Israelites offend in the wilderness. Their condition pleased them not. This occasioned all their murmurings and complaints whereby God was provoked. It is true, they were brought into many straits and difficulties; but they were brought into them for their trial by God himself, against whom they had no reason to repine or complain. And this is no small fruit, effect, and evidence of unbelief in trials; namely, when we like not that condition we are brought into, of poverty, want, danger, persecution. If we like it not, it is from our unbelief. God expects other things from us. Our condition is the effect of his wisdom, his care and love; and as such by faith ought it to be acquiesced in.

2. By the omission of any duty that is incumbent on us, because of the difficulties that attend it, and the opposition that is made unto it. To be fearful and unbelieving, go together, Rev. xxi 9. Where our fear, or any other affection, influenced or moved by earthly things, prevails with us to forego our duty, either absolutely, or in the most special and eminent instances of its practices, there unbelief prevails in the time of our trials. And this way also, in particular, did the Israelites fail. When they heard of fenced cities and sons of Anak, they gave up all endeavours of going into the land of Canaan, and consulted of making a captain to lead them back again into Egypt. And no otherwise is it with them who forego their profession, because of the giant-like opposition which they find against it.

3. When men turn aside, and seek for unwarrantable assistances against their difficulties. So did this people: they made a calf to supply the absence of Moses, and were contriving a return into Egypt to deliver them out of their troubles. When men in any thing make flesh their arm, their hearts depart from the Lord, Jer. xvii. 5.

4. When men disbelieve plain and direct promises, merely on the account of the difficulties that lie against their accomplishment. This reflects unspeakable dishonour on the veracity and power of God; the common sin of this wilderness-people. They limited God, and said, Can he do this or that? Seldom it was that they believed beyond what they enjoyed. Here lay the main cause of their sin and ruin. They had a promise of entering into the land. They believed it not; and, as our apostle says, they could not enter in because of unbelief. The pronise was to their nation, the posterity of Abraham: the accomplishment of it in their persons depended on their faith. Here was their trial: they believed not, but provoked God, and so perished. Now the reasons of the greatness of this sin, and

its aggravations, are contained in the previous description of it. Every instance declaring its nature, manifests it also to be heinous. I shall take up, and only mention two of them.

First, There is, as was shewed, an especial concernment of the glory of God in this matter. He calls men forth in such a season, to make a trial of their obedience. He makes them therein, as the apostle speaks, a spectacle unto men and angels. And the hinge that the whole case turns upon, is their faith. This all other actings hold a conformity unto. If here they discharge themselves aright, the glory of God, the manifestation whereof is committed unto them, is preserved entire. If herein they fail, they have done what lies in them to expose it to contempt; see Num. xiv. 21. So was the case in the trial of Job. God permitted Satan to try to the uttermost whether he believed in him, and loved him sincerely or not. Had Job failed herein, how would Satan have vaunted and boasted, and that against God himself? And the same advantage do others put into his hands, when at any time they miscarry in point of faith in a time of trial.

Secondly, The good and welfare, the peace and prosperity of the church in this world, depend on the deportment of men belonging to it in their trials. They may, at least as unto God's outward dispensations towards them, sin at a cheaper rate at other times. A time of trial is the turn of a church's peace or ruin. We see what their unbelief cost this whole generation in the wilderness; and these Hebrews, their posterity, were now upon the like trial. And the apostle, by this instance, plainly insinuates unto them what would be the issue if they continued therein, which accordingly proved to be their utter rejection.

Thirdly, Add hereunto, that it is the design of God in such particular instances, to try our faith in general as to the promises of the covenant, and our interest therein. The promise that this people had principally to deal with God about, was that of the covenant made with Abraham, the which all pretended to believe. But God tried them by the particular instances mentioned; and failing therein, they failed as unto the whole covenant. And it is so still. Many pretend that they believe the promises of the covenant, as to life and salvation by it, firmly and immoveably. God tries them by particular instances of persecution, difficulty, straits, public or private. Here they abide not, but either complain and murmur, or desert their duty, or fall to sinful compliances, or are weary of God's dispensations. And this manifests their unsoundness in the general; nor can it be otherwise tried.

Again observe, that,

Obs. XVII. There is commonly a day, a time, wherein unbelief riseth to its height in provocation. We shewed before VOL. IV.

F

6

that there is a day, an especial season of God's dealing with the sons of men, by his word and other means of grace. The due observance and improvement hereof, is of the greatest importance unto them. "To-day, if you will hear his voice;" that is, the day wherein God's dispensations of grace and patience come to their axun, status rerum inter incrementum et decrementum, their height. After this, if not closed with, if not mixed with faith and obeyed, they either insensibly decline, in respect of their tender or efficacy, or are utterly removed and taken away. In like manner, there is a day, a season, wherein the unbelief of men in its provocation comes to its height, and uttermost issue, beyond which God will bear with them no longer, but will break off all gracious intercourse between himself and such provokers. This was the direct case with these Israelites. They had by their unbelief and murmuring provoked God ten times, as was declared before. But the day of their provocation, the season wherein it arrived to its height, came not until this trial, mentioned Num. xiv. upon the return of the spies that went to search the land. Before that time, God often reproved them, was angry with them, and variously punished them; but he still returned unto them in a way of mercy and compassion, and still proposed unto them an entrance into his rest according to the promise. But when that day once came, when the provocation of their unbelief was come to its height, then he would bear with them no longer, but swears in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. From that day, he took hold of all occasions to exercise severity against them, flooding them away, Psal. xc. 5. until that whole evil generation was consumed. And so it was with their posterity, as to their church and national state. God sent unto them, and dealt variously with them, by his prophets, in several generations. Some of them they persecuted, others they killed, and upon the matter rejected them all, as to the main end of their work and message. But yet all this while God spared them, and continued them a people and a church. Their provocation was not come unto its height, its last day was not yet come. At length, according to his promise, he sent his Son unto them. This gave them their last trial, this put them into the same condition with their forefathers in the wilderness, as our apostle plainly intimates in the use of this example. Again, they despised the promises, as their fathers had done in the type and shadow; so did they when the substance of all promises was tendered and exhibited unto them. This was the day of their last provocation, after which, God would bear with them no more in a way of patience, but enduring them for the space of near forty years, he utterly rejected them; sending forth his servants, he slew those murderers, and burnt their city. This is that which our

Saviour at large declares, in his parable of the householder and his husbandmen, Matt. xxi. 33-41.

And thus in God's dealing with the antichristian state, there is a season wherein the angel swears, that "there shall be time no longer," Rev. x. 6. That God would no longer bear with men, or forbear them in their provocations and idolatries, but would thenceforth give them up unto all sorts of judgments, spiritual and temporal, unto their utter confusion; "Yea, send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned, who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness," 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. And concerning this day two things may be observed. 1. That it is uncertain. 2. That it is unalterable.

First, It is uncertain: men know not when their provocations do come, or will come unto this height. Jerusalem knew not in the entrance of her day, that her sin and unbelief were coming to their issue, and so was not awakened to their prevention; no more than the men of Sodom knew when the sun arose, that there was a cloud of fire and brimstone hanging over their heads. Men in their sins think they will do as at other times, as Samson did when his locks were cut; and that things will be made up between God and them as formerly; that they shall yet have space and time for their work and duty. But ere they are aware, they have finished their course, and filled up the measure of their sins.“For man also knoweth not his time, as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them," Eccles. ix. 12. For the day of the Lord's indignation comes 66 as a snare on them that dwell on the face of the earth," Luke xxi. 35. And men are often crying "Peace, peace," when sudden destruction comes upon them, 1 Thess. v. 3. When Babylon shall say, she sits as a queen, and is no widow (her sons being again restored unto her) and shall see no sorrow; then shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire, Rev. xviii. 7, 8. Hence is Christ so often said to come as a thief, to manifest how men will be surprised by him in their sins and impenitency. And if the outward peace and the lives of men in this condition be respited for a while, as oft-times they are, yet they are no longer under a dispensation of patience. There is nothing between God and them but anger and wrath. If men knew when would be their last trial, and which were it, we think they would rouse up themselves to a deep consideration of it, and a serious compliance with the call of God. But this in the holy will and wisdom of God, is always hid from them, until it be too late to make use of it, until it can producé no effects but a few despairing wishes. God will have none of his