William Gouge in his commentary on Hebrews warns of how a careless handling of the scripture can actually lead to a refusing to "hear" Him who speaks...
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What do you think of this list?
1. This may inform us of the many ways of refusing Christ's speaking, as,
(1.) They that lived in Christ's time, and would not hear him. Nicodemus coming by night, John iii. 2, shews that many were afraid or ashamed to come unto him.
(2.) They that came to hear, but believed not what they heard, John xii. 37, 38.
(3.) They that took offence at what he spake, Mat. xv. 12.
(4.) They who perverted his words, John vi. 52.
(5.) They who for a while heard him, but afterwards left him, John vi. 66.
(6.) They who desired him to depart from them, Mark v. 17.
(7.) They who cunningly sought to ensnare him, Luke xx. 20.
(8.) They who openly spake against that he uttered and preached, John vii. 12.
(9.) They who blasphemed his word and works, Mark iii 30.
(10.) They who persecuted him for his doctrine, John viii . 40.
Now that Christ is taken from us, he is refused by such as,
(1.) Bead not what he hath caused to be written, as 1 Tim. iv. 13.
(2.) Come not to the church, Mat. xxiii. 37.
(3.) Believe nothing that they hear, Acts xxviii. 24.
(4.) Come to catch, as Jer. xx. 10.
(5.) Come to mock, as Acts xvii. 32.
(6.) Seek to silence the preachers of the gospel, as Acts iv. 18, 1 Thes. ii . 16.
(7.) Persecute them, as 1 Thes. ii . 15.
2. How doth this aggravate that light esteem which many have of the'gospel of Jesus Christ! The occasions thereof are these :
(1.) Some on mere ignorance, not knowing the need and worth of the gospel, as the cock in the fable refused the pearl on the dunghill . See Jer. v. 3, 4.
(2.) Or self-conceit, thinking that they have enough of themselves, and that they need not the gospel . Christ styles such whole, righteous, Mat. ix. 12, 13. Such a one was the angel of the church of Laodicea, Rev. iii. 17.
(3.) Misconceit of the over-strictness of the gospel, terming it cords, bonds, as Ps. ii . 3 ; or misinterpreting or misapplying it, as John vi. 60, 66.
(4.) Or a too high esteem of the world, and the things thereof, as Mark v. 17, Luke xiv. 18, &c., 2 Tim. iv. 10.
(5.) Or fear of danger and damage for the profession thereof, John xii. 42, 2 Tim. iv. 16.
(6.) Or a prepossessed mind with other doctrines contrary to the gospel, Gal. i . 6, and iii. 1. Or a mind infected with idolatry and superstition, as Jer. xliv. 16, 17. Such are papists.
(7.) Or an impious profane mind, caring for no religion, but wholly given to satisfy their carnal appetite. These are the swine intended, Mat. vii. 6.
(8.) Or hatred of the ministers of the word, 1 Kings xxii. 8, John xv. 18, 19.
(9.) Or hatred of God himself, because they know he will judge them, John xv. 18, Luke xix. 14.
(10.) Or a malicious spite against the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29, Acts vii. 51. This is the highest pitch of impiety that can be; this is that unpardonable sin, Mark iii. 29, 30.
3. To admonish us to take heed of all means and occasions that may any way alienate our hearts from the gospel, and bring us to refuse the same.
(1.) Take heed of winking, or any way closing our eyes against the gospel; thence will the devil take occasion to blind our minds. Note 2 Cor. iv. 4.
(2.) Be not over-conceited of thine own sufficiency and fulness ; this provokes God to send men empty away, Luke i. 53. Rather acquaint thyself with thine own emptiness and insufficiency. Note 1 Cor. iv. 7, and 2 Cor. iii. 5.
(3.) Be well informed in the liberty of the gospel. Never any word nor profession brought men to more sweet and comfortable liberty, than the gospel of Jesus Christ, Luke iv. 18. The apostle styles it ' the glorious liberty of the sons of God,' Rom. viii. 21. Note John viii. 3G. They that know and believe this will not count the gospel a bond.
(4.) Take off thine heart from the world, and all the vanities thereof; it is of a bewitching nature. It intoxicated Judas and Demas, and so it doth many thousands. Note Mat. xiii. 22. Such a contrariety there is betwixt the gospel and the world, as James iv. 4.
(5.) Purge all base, slavish fear out of thine heart. Fear not men, nor anything that man can do, Mat . x. 26, 28, 31. Place thy fear upon a more excellent and powerful object, even God himself. Note Luke xii. 4, 5.
Withal cast off the cloak of shame ; be not ashamed of Christ, or of his gospel. Note Rom. i . 16, Heb. xii. 2.
Fear and shame turn many from a holy, zealous profession of the gospel .
(6.) Be well instructed in the mysteries of the gospel, and thoroughly informed and persuaded of the orthodox truth thereof, Col . ii. 7, Heb. xiii. 9. Thus shalt thou be kept from all false doctrines; yea, from heresy, idolatry, superstition, and all error.
(7.) Cast off the old man, which is corrupt through deceivable lusts, Eph. iv. 22; and mortify all the members of the flesh, Col. iii. 5. So long as they bear sway in us they will make us incapable of receiving benefit by the word. Noisome weeds must be weeded out of a field, or else the seed sown therein can bring forth no good crop.
(8.) Know God's ministers, such as are set over you, 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. If they ' labour in the word, count them worthy of double honour,' 1 Tim. v. 17. Due esteem of the ministers of the gospel is a means to have the gospel itself in higher account.
(9.) Acquaint thyself with God's love to man, as in giving his Son, so in affording his gospel, whereby the evidences of his love in Christ are clearly and distinctly made known. This will raise up thine heart aloft, to work in thee a high esteem of him and of his gospel.
(10.) Entertain every good motion of the divine
Spirit, especially when it is wrought in thee, at and by the ministry of the word, as Acts ii. 37. Be so far from resisting and spiting the Spirit of grace, as no way to grieve him, Eph. iv. 30.
Sec. 126. Of Christ's speaking from heaven.
Hitherto of the duty; the motive follows, which is set down under a comparison of unequals, urged from the less to the greater, in these words : For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.
The causal particle, yaj, for, sheweth that this is added as a motive to keep them from refusing to hear Christ . The motive is drawn from the danger and damage which is like to ensue upon such refusal.
Which danger is set down negatively, they shall not escape; i.e., they shall assuredly pay for it.
This is ratified by God's former dealing with such as refused Moses's law : tliey escaped not.
The argument is enforced by the less to the greater. If they who refused him who spake on earth escaped not, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him tliat speaketh from heaven.
This phrase, rhi M rij; yij; ^i^arl^ovra, him that spake on earth, is meant of Moses, who is said, yvii-u.aW£i/i, to speak by divine inspiration, or to declare what is revealed by God. So did Moses, as Heb. viii. 5. In this sense the word is used several times, as Mat. ii. 12, 22, Luke ii. 26, Acts x. 22,«Heb. viii. 5, xi. 7, and xii. 25.
This, therefore, commends the ministry of Moses; yet hereof it is here said he was, iir! rn; yh;, on earth. Moses himself, as all other mere men, coming of the first Adam, was, as 1 Cor. xv. 47, 'of the earth earthy.'
