ward sincerity. He sought it not of God, but only of him who was the minister of it. There are no bounds put to the infinite treasures of divine goodness, if ap plication be made in a due manner. But he sought the end without the means; he would have the blessing, but used not the means for attaining it,-faith and repentance. For, notwithstanding all his sorrow and trouble, upon his disappointment he immediately resolved, as Cain in the like case, to kill his brother.

§8. From the premises observe the ensuing particulars:

1. That church which tolerates in its communion men living in such gross sins, as fornication, &c. is utterly departed from the rule of the gospel. And it is also hence evident,

2. That apostatising professors are prone to sins of uncleanness; for being overcome of the flesh, and brought into bondage, as 2 Pet. ii, 19; they are slaves and debtors to it, to serve it in the lusts of uncleanness.

3. Evil examples proposed in scripture light, laid open in their roots and courses, are efficacious warnings to believers to abstain from all occasions leading to the like evils. Take warning from Esau.

4. When there is in any a latent predominant principle of profaneness, a sudden temptation or trial will let it out to the greatest evils. Thus it was with Esau; and we see it daily verified to amazement.

5. This principle of profaneness, in preferring the morsels of the world before the birthright privileges of the church, is what at this day threatens the present ruin of religion.

Let men pretend what they please, it is from a spirit of profaneness that they forsake the privileges and assemblies of the church for any outward advantages; and what will be their success, we shall see in the next verse.

§9. Again observe;

1. This example of Esau cuts off all hopes by outward privileges, when there is an inward profaneness of heart. He had as much to plead for the blessing, and as fair a probability for attaining it, as ever any profane hypocrite can have in this world. And,

2. Profane apostates have a limited season only, wherein the recovery of the blessing is possible. For although here be no intimation of a man sseking repentence from God in a due manner and being rejected, which is contrary to the revealed nature of God, who is a rewarder of all who diligently seek him; yet here is an indication of severity, in leaving men, guilty of such provocations, in an irrecoverable condition, even in this life.

3. The severity of God in dealing with apostates is a blessed ordinance for the preservation of believers, and the edification of the whole church, Rom. xi, 22,

4. Sin may be the occasion of great sorrow, where there is no sorrow for sin; as with Esau. Men may rue that in its consequences which yet they like well enough in its causes.

5. No man knows to what event a deliberate sin may lead him. Esau little thought, when he sold his birthright, that he had utterly forfeited the eternal blessing.

6. Profaneness, the despising of spiritual privileges, is a sin that God will, at one time or other, testify his severity against; yea, this, on many accounts, is the proper object of God's severity. It shall not be spared in the eldest son, and most dearly beloved of an Isaac.

7. Steadfastness in faith, with submission to the will of God, will establish the soul in those duties which are most irksome to flesh and blood. Nothing could

prevail with Isaac to change his mind, when he knew what was the will of God.

VERSES 18, 19.

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and temptest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more.

§1. Some general considerations premised. $2, 3. (I.) Exposition. Not come to the mount that might be touched 4. The fire that burned. §5. Blackness. $6. Darkness and tempest, 7 The sound of a trumpet. $8. The voice of words. $9. The request of the hearers, $10, 11. (II.) Observations.

§1.THIS discourse, from hence to the end of the chapter, is of great weight, and accompanied with sundry difficulties; which expositors do scarcely so much as notice. I shall, therefore, premise those general considerations which will direct us in its exposition, taken from the scope of the words, and nature of the argument in hand. And,

1. The whole epistle, as we have often observed, is as to the kind of writing, parenetic; intended as a persuasive to constancy and perseverance in the profession of the gospel.

2. The main argument which he insists on in general to this end, and wherein the didactical part of the epistle doth consist, is the excellency, glory, and advantage of that gospel state to which they were called.

3. Having insisted particularly and distinctly on these things, and brought his argument from them to an issue, he makes, in the discourse before us, a recapitulation of the whole; for he makes a brief scheme of the two states of the law and gospel which he had compared, balancing the one against the other, and thereby demonstrates the force of his argument and exhortation.

4. It must be observed, that the great honor and privilege of the Judaical church state, and whereon all particular advantages depended, was their coming to mount Sinai at the giving of the law. There were they taken into covenant with God, to be his peculiar people above all the world; there were they formed into a national church; and there had they all the privileges of divine worship committed to them.

5. Wherefore the apostle, allowing all this, observes, that it was done in such a way of dread and terror, as that there was no evidence in all that was done of God's being reconciled to them by those things. The whole representation of him was as an obsolute sovereign, and a severe judge. Thunders,voices,earthquakes, and fire, give no signification of grace and mercy; but rather bespeak a "glorious ministration of death," 2 Cor. iii, 7; whence the consciences of sinners were forced to subscribe to their own condemnation as just and equal. God was here represented in all outward demonstations of infinite holiness, justice, severity, and terrible majesty, on the one hand; and, on the other, men in their lowest condition of sin, misery, guilt, and death. If there be not therefore something else to interpose between God and men, somewhat to fill up the space between infinite severity and inexpressible guilt; all this glorious preparation was but a theatre set up for pronouncing judgment, and the sentence of eternal condemnation against sinners. On this consideration depends the force of the apostle's argument, and the due apprehension and consideration of it is a better exposition of verses 18-21, than the mere opening of the particular expressions will amount to; yet they also must be explained.

§2. (I.) "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched." Ye are not come; two things are

included in this negative expression: what their fathers did, they came to the things here mentioned; and-what they were delivered from, by their call to the gospel. They were no more concerned in all that dread and terror.

The apostle in this comparison between their "coming" of old into the legal church state, and our admission into the gospel state, includes a supposition of the way and manner whereby they approached to God in the giving of the law, viz. by the sanctification of themselves, the washing of their clothes, as an outward sign thereof, with other reverential preparations, Exod. xix, 10, 11. Whence it will follow, that, the gospel church state being so much more excellent than that of old, God himself being in it in a more glorious and excellent manner; we ought to endeavor a more eminent sanctification and preparation, in all our approaches to God therein, ver. 28. We may also observe some things in general concerning the appearance of the divine Majesty, which intimates the glory and terror of it." As,

1. It was on the top of an high mountain, not on a plain. As this had a great appearance of the throne of majesty, so, it being above the people, as it were over them, it was meet to fill them with dread and fear; they looked up and saw the mountain above them full of fire and smoke; the whole mount quaking greatly, thunders and terrible voices being heard in the air, Exod. xix, 18; and xx, 18: Deut. iv, 11; they could have no other thoughts hereon, but that it was a fearful thing to come to judgment before the holy Lord God. And one view of that terror of the Lord's holiness and severity here represented, is enough to make the stoutest sinner quake and tremble.

2. To increase the reverence due to this appearance,