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THE reason is deduced from a gracious benefit bestowed on us, as well as on them, which if it be rejected by us, as it was by them, will shut us out of heaven. It hath two parts, a par, and an impar. If they for not believing the Gospell were ba∣nished out of his rest, then the like may happen to us: for we are partakers of the Gospell as well as they: and for that cause let us feare.
1 That is to be unfolded wherein they and we are alike. We
are Gospelled as well as they: nay in that wee are advanced above them. Adam, Abraham, Iacob, had the Gospell velatum: to us it is revelatum. To them CHRIST was preached afarre off, to come, to us already come, a Virgin hath conceived. They had the Gospell by a servant which was Moses: we have it by the Sonne of God: they had it darkely and obscurely: we have it cleerely and plainely. They had the Moone light, and we the Sun light. Bles∣sed are the eyes that see that which we see. It was one and the same Gospell in the Old and New Testament: Iohn 5.46. and 39. here is the imparity; the Word preached did not profite them, as it did us that believe.
The word of hearing. That word, which indeede above all o∣ther words is to be heard, by the which faith commeth. Rom. 10.17 Plato, Aristot. Seneca, Tullie, Augustine, Hieron. Irenaeus, Tertul. &c. in time and place are to bee heard: but this word above all. This is a word meet to sound in our eares continually.
He doth not say, which came not unto them, for it was preached to them: as we heard before.
Profited them not, did them no good. The Gospell is a precious pearle, an unspeakeable blessing of God, yet all that are partakers of it are not saved. Iudas had the Gospell, yet it profited him not. Simon Magus, Hierusalem, &c. The Sun is not comfortable to all. The most delicate fare doth not make all bodies fat. The raine doth not make all grounds fruitfull, neither doth the Word of God, though it be mighty in operation, profite all that partake of it. Luke 13.26. Mat. 8.12. nay, it is the heaping up of a greater measure of condemnation to some through their own default: Ioh. 15.22. Ioh. 9. ult. Therefore let us not trust to lying words, as they did, crying, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord: neither let us cry, the Go∣spell, the Gospell,* 1.1 and thrust our selves under the figge leaves of a bare profession of it, but bring forth fruits worthy of the Gospell, that it be not taken from us and given to another nation.
Why did the Gospell doe them no good?
Because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. It is a metaphor borrowed from liquid things. A physician prescribes to a man a cup of strong wine, but he wills him to mingle it with Su∣gar, lest it fume into his braine and make him sicke: if he mingle it not, and temper it wel with Sugar, he hurts himself. So because they mingled not the wine of the word with the sweet Sugar of faith; it was their destruction, it turned them over even into hell.
It is fayth that makes the word profitable. For the procuring of an harvest, it is not enough to have ground, and seede cast into the ground, but raine must fall from heaven and bee mingled with the ground: So it is not sufficient to bring our selves as the ground to a Sermon, to have, the immortall seede of the word sowen in our hearts by GODS husbandmen, but there must be the drops of faith mingled with this seede to make it fruitfull.* 1.2 Noah preached to the old world, yet they did not believe; Lot to his Sonnes in Law, but
hee seemed to them as a mocker: CHRIST to the Pharisees, but they derided him, Luk. 16.14. Let not us doe so: but rather tremble at the threatnings, believe the promises, and practise that which wee heare. And this faith will appeare by working, 1 Thes. 2.13. it will worke a change and alteration in your whole man.
Ier. 7.4.
Gen. 19.14.