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VERSES 7-11.

Wherefore, (as the Holy Ghost saith, to-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts 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. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in

my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.)

$1 Introduction. $2. 2-11. (I.) The several clauses of the words explained. $12--22 (11.) Observations $23--26. Special seasons of grace and obedience are in an especial manner to be observed and improved. $27-32. Other observations. $33---35. There is commonly a time when unbelief riseth to its height of provocation. §36---51. Remaining observations.

§1. HAVING demonstrated the pre-eminence of Christ before Moses in their respective ministries, the apostle, according to his design and usual method, proceeds to the application of the truth he had evinced, in an exhortation to stability and constancy in faith and obedience. And this he doth in a way that adds double force to his exhortation; in that he first presseth them with the words, testimonies, and examples recorded in the Old Testament, to which they professed a special deference and subjection; and then the nature of the example which he insists upon is such, as supplies him with a new argument for his purpose. Now this is taken from the dealing of God with them, who were disobedient under the ministry and rule of Moses; which he farther explains, verse 15-19. For if God dealt in severity with them, who were unbelieving and disobedient, with respect to him who was but a servant in the house; they might easily understand what his displeasure towards us would be, who should behave so with respect to the Son and his work, who is Lord over the whole house, and whose house we are. Let us,

I. Attend to the exposition of the words in their several parts, and then,

II. We shall deduce such observations as appear most profitable and important.

§2. (I.) "Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, Today," &c. (A10) Wherefore, expresseth an inference from what was spoken before, manifesting the ensuing exhortation to be deduced from it, which exhortation itself the apostle directly enters upon, ver. 12. There is therefore, an hyperbaton, or transposition, in the discourse; the words that agree in sense being separated by an interposing digression (contained in a parenthesis) for the better enforcement of the exhortation itself. "As the Holy Ghost saith," or, that I may respect the words of the Holy Ghost. There is an emphasis in the manner of expression, (TO тvεuμa тo ayιov) “That holy Spirit," so called (a' εox) by way of eminency; the third person in the trinity, who in an especial manner spake in the penmen of the sacred scriptures, 2 Pet. i, 21. As he saith; this may intend either his first immediate speaking in his inspiration of the psalmist, as expressed chap. iv, 7, (λɛywv Ev Aaßid) "saying in David," where these words are again repeated; or, his continuing still to speak those words to us all, in the Divine records; for being given out by his inspiration, and his authority always accompanying them, he still speaketh them. The words are taken from Psalm xcv, 7-11. He mentions not the place, as speaking to those who either were, or were supposed to be exercised in the word. The leaving therefore of an uncertainty, whence particular quotations are taken, is useful to make us more sedulous in our inquiries. A certain day or space of time is limited or determined, as the apostle speaks in the next chapter; limited, because a day; present, became to-day. And this space may denote in general the continuance of men's lives in this world; but yet, this depending on the Divine

pleasure, it is God's day that is intended, not ours, which we may outlive, and lose the benefit of, as will afterwards appear; verse 13, "exhort one another daily, whilst it is called ( onpepov) to-day;" that is, whilst

the season of the duty is continued to you. So was it also originally used by the psalmist, and applied to the duties of the feast of tabernacles, or some other season of the performance of God's solemn worship.

§3. "If ye will hear his voice;" (sav) if, a mere conditional term, as commonly used; (Tys Owns aule ansσale) "Ye will hear his voice;" the effectual doing of the thing spoken of is intended. So Numb. xiv, 22, "They have tempted me these ten times, and have not heard my voice;" that is, have not yielded obedience to my command. It is frequently observed, that "to hear" or "to hearken," signifies in scripture, to "obey," or to yield obedience to the things heard; as, "to see," doth "to understand," or believe; and to "taste" denotes "spiritual experience." Words of sense being used to express the spiritual acts of the mind, His voice; the "voice" of the Lord is sometimes taken for his "power;" inasmuch as by his word, as an intimation and signification of the power which he puts forth therein, he created and disposeth of all things, See Psalm xxix, 3-9, where the mighty works of God's power and providence are assigned to his voice. See also Mic. vi, 9. Sometimes it is used for the revelation of his will in his commands and promises; but it is withal certain that the Hebrew and Greek words (and own) are used principally if not solely for a sudden transient voice or speaking, Wherefore the psalmist in these words, as to their historical and typical intendment, recalls the people to the remembrance and consideration of God's speaking to them in the giving of the law at Horeb; and exhorts them to obe

dience, from the solemn circumstance that the will of God was uttered to them in a marvellous manner. And as to their prophetical design, he intimates another extraordinary revelation of the Divine will to be made. by the Messiah.

§4. "Harden not your hearts as in the provocation," (Μη σκληρυναίς τας καρδίας υμων) harden not your hearts; this expression occurs not in other writers, and therefore may be termed sacred. To "harden the heart" has a peculiar reference to the obedience which God requires of us. The single term (σuλupolus) hardness, is indeed sometimes used in heathen writers for stubbornness of mind and manners; but the verb (axλnρuvw) to harden, is scarcely ever used except in the Septuagint and the New Testament, Acts xix, 9; Rom. ix, 18, and in each of the latter only by Paul. Therefore, to "harden the heart," in a moral sense, is peculiar to holy writ, and, with respect to the New Testament, peculiar to Paul; and it ever denotes a voluntary perverseness of mind, in not taking notice of, or not applying the soul to the revealed will of God, in order to do and observe it.

(Ev тy пapatinраouw) "As in the provocation." The simple term (pos) from which the compound is derived, signifies properly, bitter, in opposition to another, (yλuxus) signifying sweet, pleasant. So also these two verbs (πικροw and πικραίνω) signify to make bitter to the taste or sense: but their metaphorical use in a moral sense is frequent for exacerbo provoco. The story which this principally refers to is recorded Exod. xvii, 2-7; and another story to the like purpose we have, of what befell the people in the wilderness of sin near forty years afterwards, when, in their murmuring for water, another rock was smitten to bring it forth; on which is added, "This is the water of Merihah, be

cause the children of Israel strove with the Lord," Numb. xx, 13. It is also said on the same occasion, that the people did chide with Moses," ver. 2.

$5. "As in the day (T8 Tεpaσus) of temptation in the wilderness;" the other name given to the place before mentioned in Exodus, from thence it seems the apostle takes his example, where both the names are mentioned; and where the place is said to be called Meriba and Massa, Exod. xvii, 7; whereas in that of Numbers, chap. xx, 13, it is only said, "This is the water of Meviba," or strife; and yet it may not be without respect to the latter also. The first instance was at the beginning, the latter at the close of their provocation: as they began, so they ended. "And Moses said unto the people, why do you chide with me; and why do you tempt the Lord?" This matter, as a thing exceedingly remarkable, is often called over in scripture, sometimes to reproach the people and to burden them with their sins, Deut. ix, 22, "And at Massa ye tempted the Lord to wrath;" and sometimes to warn them of the like miscarriages; chap. vi, 16, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted him at Massa." So also in the xcvth Psalm, from whence the apostle takes these words; "In the wilderness," or desert of Midian, whereinto that people entered upon their coming through the Red Sea. In their way towards Horeb, their fourth station was at Rephidim, where the above things happened, and where they received refreshment in a type, the spiritual rock, some days before the giving of the fiery law.

§6. "Where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works." Your fathers; the whole congregation in the wilderness, whose posterity they were, (εdonipacar pε) proved me; this word is seldom used in an ill sense, as the former (ETEIpaσav) is almost con

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