t ftrong defire to serve him, we feel a failing in the act of obedience, and as the Apostle complaineth, when we delight in the Law of God concerning the inner man: We finde another law in our Rom.7.22. members rebelling against the law of our minds, and leading us captive to the law of fin, which is in our members: for, Sometimes, when we fet and difpofe our felves to the worfhip of God in prayer and thanksgiving, or to the hearing of the Word, either a covetous or a wanton, or an envious, or an ambitious thought thwarts us, and carries us quite away for a time, and we have much a doeto redeeme our felves from it. 4 Sometimes we do feel fuch want of the Spirit of God in us, that Satan takes advantage thereat, perfwadeth that God thath forfaken us and thus many of Gods deare children feel the bitterneffe of defpaire for a time, in which agony, Job cries, For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poifon where- Job. 6. 4. of drinketh up my fpirit, the terrour of God do fet themselves in array against mee. In this fit of deep agony fome have died defpairing and blafpheming the name of God: fome have done violence to them felves, and have died of their own hand, of whom let chriftian charity hope the beft, feeing, that God hideth the horne of his falvation out of fight. Therefore David prayeth, O forfake not me utterly, the word Pr119.8. is NT, ufque valde, as our English over-long, for the word utorly, is fomewhat too full of fear, and the hiding of this power, giveth hope to the diftreffed, the light will reft in darkneffe. 3 Doftr. God is armed with inftruments of vengeance to punish fin, peftilence, and burning coals. The 10 plagues of Egypt do prove this and the deftruction of urge I Cor.10.5 Verf.8. Num.25.9 Verse 9. Num.21.6 Num.14. 37. PL.106.18. urge and preffe to the Corinthians, and giveth them warning of the wrath to come. For he faith,firft in generall termes, that with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. And in perticular, he nameth fome sharp judgment, For fornication, there fell in one day twentie three thousand. That was the plague, and St. Paul speaks within compaffe, for we read 24C00. : For tempting of God, they were deftroyed with ferpents: these were the fiery ferpents. For murmuring they were destroyed of the destroyer, which I understand the plague. Thofe men which did bring up the evill report ef the Land, died by the Plague before the Lord. David defcribing the judgments of God in thofe dayes, Num 16. faith; A fire was kindled in their company, and burnt up the wicked: meaning the 250 that offered incenfe, who murmured against Mofes and Aaron. 31. I Reaf. Ka.26.6. Thus you fee, how the peftilence ftill walked before him, and burning coals at his feet. Not onely without the pale amongst the enemies of his Church, but within foul amongst fuch, as were reckoned with the Church. In which courfe of powerfull justice, he hath still gone forward to put the fonnes of men in fear, that they may know they are but men, and that they may not dare to refift the right hand of the moft High. For Satan doth ftill fuggeft that God is mercifull, and fo animates finners to do evill, by feeding their prefumption. Therefore the children of God, who fet God always before their eyes, do not only behold him as he is togatus in peace, or as he is rogatus eafily entreated, but as he is oculatus to behold, and aculeatus to fting finners, it is the voice of the Church In the way of thy judgments have we waited for thee, this keepeth children in awe, this fhewing of the rod faves them ma y ny a fwinging, and for the ungodly of the earth, it filleth them with the terrour of the Lord, they dare not do all that they would, for fear of the peftilence that deftroyeth at the noon day, and for fear of ftirring these coals at the feet of God, which can fo foon overtake them. So God hath these judgments at hand, to put men out of hope of impunity,which is the greatest flattery to footh up fin,that is; The falfe Prophets feduced the people of God, Jaying, peace, peace: Ezek.13. and thereby, They strengthened the bands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life. It is faid of the Magiftrates of the earth, That they do not bear the Sword in vain, and can we think that this fupream Lord of all doth carry thefe rods of vengeance fo near him; the Peftilence before his face, and these burning coals at his feet for nothing 10. Vele 22. 2 Hee nameth these two judgments for all, because they 2 Reas. be of fudden dispatch, and of quick execution: the plague we do know how speedy it is in a work of deftruction, three days peftilence swept away threefcore and 10000 in Davids time. We cannot forget what defolations it hath made in this our great City, and what terrour it made all the Land over. Fire is a merciless Element, fudden and cruel in confumption of all combustible matter, the Apostle chofe that refemblance, to exprefs God in a fury,Deus nofter ignis confumens, Qur God is a confuming fire. Here is not onely the violence of wrath, but the fuddainefs 1 Theff.s. alfo expreffed, the last fire that shall destroy the world, shall come as a Thief in the night, as that fhovver of fire and Brimftone fell upon Sodom. This teacheth the man of earth, vvho is but man to feare I Use. vvhen the plague commeth, to confider that he is but ftubble; and therefore not fit to encounter this fire, he is but man, and not fit to meet this devouring peftilence; therefore let him not provoke the God of this povver, let him not ftir up these coals, nor avvake judgement, rather let him quench this fire with the tears of true repentance. Hhh 2 As As Chrift faid to the Church of Sardis, Remember how thou Rev.3.3. haft received and heard, holdfaft and repent, if thou wilt not watch, Amos 6.3. I will come to thee as a thief. It is not the vvay of peace to put avvay the evill day, rather let us put avvay the evil, and break off our fins by repentance, that vve may obte in mercy in the time of need. He that hath fuch ready inftruments of vvrath to punish fin, is not to be dallied vvith, he may furprise us on the bed vvhereon vve study mifchief; he may meet us at the doore vvhen vve are going forth to act it, he may overtake us vvhen we are upon the vvay, he may cut us off in the act of fin, and bring us from the fact to judgement. Andhowfoever his mercy hath the name above his other works, and his patience and long fuffering be the fruits of his mercy, yet he never had mercy enough to fwallow, or confume either his juftice or his truth. He hath diverted his plague often, he hath fometimes called it in, and long he keepeth it in, for that he expecteth repentance, but he hath never turned it out of his fervice, but hath it always before him, he hath alfo turned his fire another way, that it might not come neer the Tabernacles of the righteous; but he hath never quenched it, it is always at his feet, if he moveth that moveth with him, the Rain-bow about his head is the joy of his Church, the coals of terrour at his fire, are the terrour of the wicked. Vse 2. 2. We have alfo our leffon herein, for the Apoftle faith; 2 Cor.5.11 Knowing therfore the terror of the Lord we perfwade men,but we are made manifeft unto God, and I truft are made manifeft alfo in your confciences. We find this danger in fin, and this severity in judgement; thereupon we perfwade men to a confcionable courfe of life, fuch as may keep them unfpotted of the world. If we do not acquaint you with the terrour of the Lord, and fhew you the peftilence that walketh, before him, and the burning coals at his feet, God will right! himself upon us, as he told his Prophet Ezekiel, fo he will deal with us. for Son Son of man I have made thee a watchman to the houfe of Itrael, therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me, may, When I fay to the wicked, thou shalt furely dye, and thou giveft him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his evill to fave his life, the fame wicked man shall dye in his iniquity, but his bloud will I require at thy hand. This excufeth us to you, when we preach the rod of God, even peftilence and coales of fire,that this is not our furie and railing, as fome call it, but it is the wrath of the Lord against fin, and if we temper a bitter potion for you to drink, it is not poifon but medicine, and it is miniftred to you, as God himfelf faith,to fave your lives, that you may not dye in your fins, it is the therapentique phyfick to heal your fouls, it is prophilactique to us,to prevent disease, that we perish not for your unreproved fins. The arrows of vengeance are aimed at your fins, that you may kill fin and fave the finner alive, Cry therefore, Spare us good Lord. 4 Doct. God is glorious in heaven and in earth for this: Heaven is covered with his glory, and the Earth is full of his praise. This is the confeffion of David; Eze.3.17. 18. O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Earth, who haft fet Pla.8.1 thy glory above the heavens. What need we any more reason to think this his due, then Reaf1. these two; I His name onely is excellent, his glory is above the Earth and Heaven. Here we are fure we cannot over-doe in matter of praise and glory the Angels and Saints do him that service, and cover the heaven with the praifes of God, for his love Pfa.148. fhineth to his Church; and we pray Sicut in Colo,as in hea- 13. ven.. He also exalteth the borne of his people, the praise of all his Pla.14.3. ~ Samts. |