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I. GOD IS PLEASED OFTENTIMES IN HIS INFINITE WISDOM TO SEND THE PREACHING OF THE WORD UNTO SOME PLACES WHEREIN IT SHALL NOT PUT FORTH ITS QUICKENING AND SANCTIFYING POWER AND VIRTUE UPON THE SOULS OF THEM THAT HEAR IT.

1. He doth it principally because in those places where the Word is rejected by the generality of the people, yet there may be some secret poor souls belonging to the election of grace, whom God will have gathered, and called home to Himself.

2. God doth it for a testimony against them that receive it not, and to leave them inexcusable at the last day (Mark 6:11). Let not men boast themselves in the outward enjoyment of the Word, nor rest themselves in it.

II. THE SOULS OF ALL MEN ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD, AND FULL OF WOEFUL DISTEMPERS, UNTIL THEY ARE QUICKENED AND HEALED BY THE DISPENSATION OF THE GOSPEL. I shall not stay to mention all the particular distempers that rage in some, and that rule and reign in all, before the coming of the Gospel — as darkness, blindness, ignorance, worldly-mindedness, sensuality, hatred of God, envy and malice — which are fixed in the souls of men by presumption and self-righteousness. There is nothing in them of spiritual life or holiness, of purity or zeal, nothing that is acceptable or pleasing unto God.

III. THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL IS, IN ITS OWN NATURE, A QUICKENING, HEALING, SANCTIFYING, SAVING WORD TO THEM WHO RECEIVE IT. They bring Christ along with them, the Great Physician of souls, who alone is able to cure a sin-sick soul. They bring mercy with them to pardon sinners. They bring grace with them to cure all the distempers of lusts (Isaiah 11:5-7; Titus 2:11, 19).

IV. WHERE THE WATERS OF THE SANCTUARY COME, AND THE LAND IS NOT HEALED, THAT LAND IS GIVEN UP OF THE LORD, TO SALT AND BARRENNESS FOREVER.

1. By the coming of the healing waters of the sanctuary, I intend not the occasional preaching of a sermon, although this be sufficient to justify God in the rejection of any person or people. In the first preaching of the Gospel, the refusal of one sermon lost many their souls unto all eternity (Matthew 10:12-15; Luke 10:8). But oh, the unspeakable patience of Christ to many in the world, where the Word is continued ofttimes for a very long season, and the salvation tendered therein despised! But this is that which I intend, as the rule of the dispensation mentioned: namely, when God by His providence doth cause the Word to be preached for some continuance, and to the revelation of His whole counsel — as (Acts 20:27). Nor do I mean any waters, but the waters of the sanctuary; not any preaching but the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which Paul affirms to be his work (Ephesians 3:8).

2. What is meant by their sinful distempers not being healed?

(1) Men are not quickened; they receive not a new spiritual life; they are not so brought to the knowledge of God.

(2) The healing of these quickened souls consists in the curing and mortifying of their sinful distempers. If men are proud, worldly, sensual, they are dead also; there is no effect of the waters of the sanctuary upon them.

3. What is the lot and portion of such persons? Why, "they shall be given to salt"; that is, to barrenness, fruitlessness, unprofitableness, and eternal ruin.

(1) For other Scriptures which assert the same truth, take (Proverbs 1:25-31; Proverbs 29:1; Luke 13:6; Hebrews 10:28-30; 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16).

(2) For the degrees of rejection (Ezekiel 10:18; Ezekiel 11:23; Hebrews 6:8).

(3) The ways whereby God doth usually proceed in giving up such persons to barrenness, and so to everlasting ruin. He casts them out of His care; He will be at no more charge nor cost with them, nor about them (Hebrews 6:8; Ezekiel 24:13; Jeremiah 6:29, 30). He will sometimes utterly remove the Gospel from them; turn the stream of the waters of the sanctuary, that they shall come to them no more. So He threatened the Church at Ephesus of old (Revelation 2:5).

4. God doth this sometimes, though He causeth the Word to be continued unto them, by restraining the efficacy of it, that it shall not profit them. The second thing that God doth, in giving up an unhealed land unto barrenness, is His judicial hardening of them, or leaving them to hardness and impenitency, that so they may fill up the measure of their sins (Hebrews 6:8).

(1) Their natural blindness and ignorance shall be increased and confirmed; and that by two ways. God will send them "a spirit of slumber" (Romans 11:8) — that is, a great inadvertency and negligence as to the things of the Gospel that are spoken of, or preached unto them. God sends them a spirit of giddiness, causing them to err in their ways! (Isaiah 19:14). We have a notable instance of this judgment of God (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

(2) Obstinacy in the will, or hardness of heart, properly so called, is in this judgment of God also (Isaiah 6:10; Romans 1:28).

(3) Sensuality of affections is in this judgment also (Romans 1:26).

(4) Searedness of conscience (1 Timothy 4:2; Ephesians 4:19).Use.

1. Of exhortation. Make use of your season, that you fall not under this sore and inexpressible judgment.

(1) If you are not healed during your season, you can never be healed. If the Gospel cure you not, you must die in your sins.

(2) You know not how your day is going away, nor when it will be over.

2. To discover the miserable condition of poor creatures, that having not in their season been healed by the waters of the sanctuary, are given up of the Lord to salt and barrenness.

(1) They know not that they are so miserable.

(2) They are pleased with the condition in which they are.

(3) No man can help or relieve them. All the world cannot pull a poor creature out from under the curse of the great God.

(4) Their eternal ruin is certain, as before proved.

(5) This ruin is very sore on Gospel despisers.

( J. Owen, D. D.)

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KJV: But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

WEB: But the miry places of it, and its marshes, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.