have their sin forgiven, but remain in the guilt of them, and so are lyable to all Judgments of God: Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not in the Son, shall not see Life; but the Wrath of God abideth on him: Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not, shall be damned. And Revel. 21. 8. Ʋnbelievers shall have part in the Lake, &c.
Now there are two kinds or degrees of Unbelief. 1. That which is in the wicked and unregenerate, who are wholly destitute of Faith; and in whose hearts unbelief reigneth and beareth sway, excluding all true Faith. Such was the unbelief of the Scribes and Pharisees, and other wicked Jews here reproved so sharply by our Saviour. 2. That which is in the Saints and Children of God after their Calling and Re∣generation, who though they have some measure of Faith; yet it is mingled with the contrary sin of unbelief, which they resist and strive against; and so it is no reigning sin, but a sin of infirmity in them: A weakness of Faith rather then a want of it. Such was the unbelief of the father of this possessed child, and of Christ's own Disciples at this time, for which our Saviour also taxeth them in this Reproof.
Now although both these kinds of unbelief are in themselves great and grievous sins; yet the first kind is the most grievous and dangerous, and therefore of that I speak principally in this place.
[Ʋse 1] Ʋse 1. Terrour to such as are guilty of this sin of unbelief, and do live in it; suffering it to reign and bear sway in their hearts, being void of all true Faith in Christ, and in his Word: having no Faith at all whereby either to believe in Christ, and to rest on him for Salvation, or to believe and apply unto themselves his Word and Doctrine. Many such there be: As, 1. Ignorant persons, having no sound knowledge of Christ, or of his Word and Doctrine; but, being grosly ignorant, and to seek in the very first grounds of Christian Religion, impossible it is that these should have any true Faith in Christ, or in his Word; for knowledge is the ground of Faith. So long therefore as ignorance reigns in them, Unbelieving must needs reign in them. 2. All profane and wicked persons, who live in gross and notorious sins unrepented of; as swearing, profana∣tion of the Sabbath, contempt of God's Worship and Ordinances; Drunkenness, Covetousness, &c. where such sins reign, there unbelief must needs reign; for Faith and wicked Life cannot stand together. There∣fore although such persons do profess never so much that they know God, and believe in Christ and his Word; yet in their works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, &c. Tit. 1. 16. 3. All close and for∣mall Hypocrites, who have a kind of temporary Faith, whereby they do in some sort believe and perswade themselves, That Christ is their Saviour, that the Word of Christ is true, and that the Promises of the Gos∣pel do belong to them, that they shall be partakers of eternal Life, &c. But this is not rue or sound Faith grounded on the Word of God, or wrought in them by the Ministery of the same: but a carnall presumpti∣on or vain imagination taken up of themselves, with which they delude their own Souls. So that these also are to be reckoned in the number of Unbelievers.
Now fearfull is the state and condition of all these sorts of Unbelievers; for they live in a most hainous and grievous sin, highly dishonourable to God, and most hurtful and dangerous to themselves; hindring and depriving them of those blessings both Spirituall and Temporall, which the Lord hath promised to his Chil∣dren, and laying them open to the Wrath and Judgments of God, both in this Life, and after this Life. Let all such think of this, who have hitherto lived in this fearfull and damnable sin of Unbelief; and let it move them speedily to repent of this hainous and grievous sin, labouring to come out of it, and using all means to have the Grace of true Faith wrought in them; especially to come duly to the publike Ministery of the Word, &c.
[Ʋse 2] Use 2. See how much they are bound to be thankfull unto God, in whose hearts he hath begun the work of Faith. The more fearfull and dangerous the sin of Unblief is, the more excellent and pretious is the Grace of Faith. Therefore called precious Faith, 2 Pet. 1. 1. yea, said to be much more precious then Gold, 1 Pet. 1. 7. Let this stirr up those to bless God, and to be in great measure thankfull unto him, who do feel this work of Faith begun in them; the rather, because it is not a common Work or common Grace. For all men have not Faith, 2 Thess. 3. 2. Neither is it a Grace which we could ever attain to of our selves, if the Lord did not work it in us, Matth. 16. 17. Christ tells Peter, That Flesh and Blood had not revealed it unto him, but his Father which is in Heaven.
[Observ. 2] Observ. 2. In that our Saviour reproveth them for this particular sin of Unbelief, because it was a hin∣drance to the Disciples in casting the Devil out of the possessed child: Hence we learn, That Unbelief is such a sin as is an enemy and hindrance to the works of God which he is about to work for the good of men. As here, the Unbelief of Christ's Disciples, and of the father of the child, and chiefly of the Scribes and Pha∣risees, was a hinderance and stop to this miraculous work of mercy which was to be performed to the possessed child, in casting the Devil out of him. So at other times the unbelief of the People did hinder the Miracles of Christ, especially upon whom the Miracles should have been wrought: Matth. 13. 58. He did not many mighty works there (that is, at Nazareth) because of their unbelief. See Numb. 20.
[Caution.] Caution. This is not so to be understood, as if unbelief or any other sin could absolutely hinder the Power of god in working such works of mercy as he is about to work for the good of men: but, because by unbelief Men do dishonour God, and so become unworthy to be partakers of such works of mercy, and unfit also to profit by them.
[Use.] Use. See then, that if we would not hinder the Lord in working works of mercy for us, or for the good of his whole Church; we must take heed of provoking and dishonouring him by our unbelief, &c.
Now followeth the amplification of their sin of unbelief (by way of expostulating with them):
- 1. By the means which had been used to reform it in them; in that he had so long time been with them, and exercised his publike Ministery in preaching and working Miracles amongst them; How long shall I be with you?
- 2. By his patience and long-suffering towards them, in bearing with their incredulity and other sins so long a time, though it was tedious and grievous to him; How long shall I suffer you?
Withall, by these words he seemeth to threaten his departure from them ere it were long, and that he would not alwayes suffer or bear with them as he had hitherto done; and in the mean time he shews how much he was grieved and offended at their untowardness and perversness.
Of the first. How long shall I be with you?]