so be they venture on it 2. The second way whereby the wrath of God is manifested is the light of the word Now this is twofold 1. The light of the Law 2. The light of the Gospell 1. It is manifested by the light of the Law the Law threatning nothing but death curses plagues and vengeance to all sin and ungodlinesse whatsoever Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 wouldst thou know whether the wrath of God hangs over men by reason of sin doe but read the 28. Chap. of Deuteron There you shall find curse upon curse In the 15. verse it is said all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed in the field cursed shall be thy basket and cursed in thy store v. 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to doe untill thou be destroyed and untill thou perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me The Law threatneth nothing but wrath it worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 It causes a sense of wrath by threatning wrath to all the transgressors of it 2. Is it otherwise in the gospell no the gospel that reveals wrath too The wrath of God is revealed from heaven As much as if the Apostle should say we the Apostles and Embassadours of God do bring this message from heaven and publish it in our gospell to the world that the wrath of God is due to men by reason of sin all men by nature are under wrath already they are children of wrath Eph. 2. and there is a day which is comming when this wrath shall come upon them to the utmost if they doe not believe and repent Obj. Yea but the gospell reveales Christ salvation pardon of sin An. True this is the first intention of the gospell Heb 2.3 and the first offer which it makes but if men neglect so great salvation if they will not stoop to gospell tearms and submit to what it commands if they will not repent and believe then there is so much the more wrath Mark 1.14.15 and the heavyer vengeance Heb. 10.28.29 He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the sonne of God Besides the gospell teacheth that God will judge the secrets of mens hearts Rom. 2.16 In the day when God shall judge the hearts of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospell Thy secret pride covetousnesse ambition thy secret thefts adulteries thy secret scorning of the word and ordinances these must be all judged the Gospell that hath said so much in effect It is according to the Doctrine of the gospell that there must a generall judgment passe on all a mans sinnes and therefore on the secrets of their hearts his inward and most secret sins It is according to my gospell saith the Apostle that men must be judged why where had Paul said so In that samous sermon of his Acts 17.30.31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him frō the Dead Or else he saies according to his gospell because this was the tenor of the gospell a part and portion of the gospell one of the most ordinary and usuall Doctrines therein revealed he and the rest of the Apostles going up and down and preaching the day of judgment unto men bringing that as a maine argument why they should repent and believe because that there was a day a comming when they must be called to a reckoning for all their sinnes So likewise it is the gospell that saies 2. Thes 1.7.8.9 The Lord Jesus shal be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire takeing vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 4. 4. Part. The fourth thing for the prosecution of the Doctrine was to make proof that this wrath of God towards sin and sinners hath been confirmed and made good by sundry judgments inflicted upon sinners from time to time Now here we need not stand long the whole Book of God is full of cleare and pregnant examples to this purpose You all know the story of the old world it is said expressly God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly 2. Peter 2.5 You have all read or heard the judgment that befell Sodom and Gomorrah It is recorded with a speciall note Gen. 19 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven The name of the Lord is used twice here to shew that it was a speciall hand from heaven that brought this e Hebraismus est pluit Dominus a Domino de coelo pro Dominus pluit a se de coelo Vatab. The Lord did this by himselfe as it were it was not a chance or accident as some call the most fearfull judgments that ever have been executed it was not the ill Crasis and disposition of second causes no it was an immediate hand from heaven it was Jehovah that did it We might instance in the examples of f Exod. 14. Pharaoh and his Host which were drowned in the red sea in the examples of g Numb 16. Korah Dathan Abiram of h Isai 37. Senacherib and diverse others From the old Testament we might passe to the New and speak of the ends of Judas Ananias and Saphira Herod These things you all know much also might be fetched from Histories sacred prophane to consirme this Ecclesiasticall Histories are full of examples in this kind M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath a speciall tract to shew the fearfull ends of severall of the most Eminent persecutors of the Church and people of God 5. 5 Partic. The Last thing for the clearing of the Doctrine is to shew the grounds and reasons of this why God takes this course many times in this world to inflict upon notorious sinners some remarkable judgments might it not be thought sufficient that there are eternall punishments reserved for them The reasons therefore why God doth this are these 1. Reason 1. He doth it to put a stop to the Atheisme that is in the world The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 The Atheist sayes we may doe as we list the Lord sees
punishments that are ever now and then lighting upon men to chance or second causes the position of the starres the malignity of the elements the mutability of the matter whereas the Apostle shewes clearly that this wrath descēds from heaven and is even the scourge and whip of God whereby he revengeth the impiety and injustice of the world Against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men by ungodlinesse we are to understand sinnes against the first Table all contempt of God of religion of the worship of God of the waies and ordinances of God the wrong and injury that is done to God himself more immediately or to any part of his worship d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav By unrighteousnesse is mean't sins against the second Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Scho l. in Rō 1. all oppression injustice riot excesse and the like Against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse because there are severall sins comprehended under either head Here also ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse is put for persons committing such things the Abstract being put for the Concrete Who hold the truth c. This is added as an aggravation of the sinne of men that men sin against light and knowledge and therefore doe more abundantly deserve that wrath which is reveal'd from heaven against them The doctrine arising hence is this The Blessed Doctrine and most holy God hath all along manifested and declared his utter hatred abhorrence and detestation of all ungodly and unrighteous persons and of all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse which they commit and at sundry times hath confirm'd and made good that displeasure of his by fearfull and terrible Judgments inflicted on men in this world Or more briefly that you may all remember it God is certainly angry with sin and sinners and doth oftentimes in this world shew his displeasure against them by remarkable Judgments In the prosecution of this we must shew 1. what this hatred or wrath of God meaneth 2. Prove in a scripture or two that this wrath of God so opened and unfolded hath been manifested to have been in God 3. how or by what wayes and meanes it hath been manifested 4. Give proof that it hath been confirm'd by Judgments inflicted on men from time to time 5. Why God takes this course to manifest his wrath by plagues and judgments in this world 1. What is this wrath of God It implyeth two things the Holinesse of his will the Justice of his will 1. The Holinesse of his will the will of God is absolutely universally set against all sin he dislikes it he abhorres it he hates it to the very death it is that which goes against him he cannot endure it neither will he it strikes at his own blessednesse therefore he must needs hate it f Omne impediens à beatitudine debet odiri Aquin. Heb. 1.9 Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity That which a man hateth he wisheth the death of God hath taken up an irreconcileable and eternall hatred against sin it never stood with his holinesse to like it neither ever will it Nay he is so holy he cannot but hate it The wrath of God therefore is the displeasure which he hath conceived in his heart against sin the secret grudge and quarrell which he beares to every man that is a sinner and cannot but beare to him considered as such and remaining in that estate g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Wrath as the Philosophers define it is a desire of revenge for some seeming sleight or disrespect shewen to a man As a Prince when he is disgraced reviled reproched or any way struck at by one of his subjects h Sola parvipensio causat iram omne provocans iram est aliquid sub ratione injusti Aquin. he is presently inflamed his blood is up i Ira est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustratius referent Grot. he resolves to right himselfe and to revenge the quarrell of his honour on such a man But God hath no such passions only so far we may say the blessed God looks upon sin as a slight as a disrespect shewen unto him he looks upō and sinners as contemning his holy majesty as scorning him and setting him at nought and this he hates and cannot but hate 2. The k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor wrath of God implyes the justice of his will the will of God hates sin and it is resolved to punish sin the will of God is carried with utter dislike of sin and it will be reveng'd for sin it will inflict punishment for sin Wrath in our sense is a desire of revenge when there is some evill inflicted proportionable to the wrong a man suffers and this is properly called punishment * Est autem paena generali significatu malum passionis quod instigitur ob malum actionis Grotins de jure belli pacis Now there are no passions in God as was said before but thus we must conceive it God resolves to lay a meet recompence a just reward upon men for sin sin in its own nature deserves the heaviest curses and therefore these are measured out by the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus Dei and upright will of God as the fittest recompence thereunto This is the judgment of God that they which commit such things are k Ad jus autem pertinet aptitudo quam Aristoreles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est dignitatem vocat Michael Ephesius id quod secundum eam aequale dicitur interpretatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod convenit Grotius de jure belli pacis worthy of death Rom. 1.32 God will render to every man according to his workes Chap. 2.6 This is another thing that must be understood by the wrath of God the distributive justice of God whereby he lay's actuall plagues and punishments on men according to their deserts Psalm 2.5 Then shall he speak unto unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Here is wrath and the fruit of wrath the Lord is angry and he makes it known that he is so his anger is a vexing troubling anger it leaves not men at ease in their sinnes but it quickly disquiets them 2. The Second particular for the prosecuting of the doctrine was to instance in a Scripture or two whereby it apeares that there is such anger in God towards sin and sinners and to proove that there is such wrath indeed which hath been manifested as hanging over men by reason of sin One or two places will be enough for this Ezra 8.22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Nahum 1.2 God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies The Prophet is here describing the nature
not neither doth he consider good and evill are all one to him and he regards it not or as they which are described in Job chap. 21. v. 14.15 They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Now when men are come to this passe he will make them acknowledge him whether they will or no. The Lord is marvelous patient and long-suffering he knowes how to right himselfe and to be even with the sinner in the end but if men will breake all bounds if they will deny the majesty above if they will soff at his word and make a mock of sin if they will pluck up all religion by the very roots he will not he cannot any longer endure it it stands him upon to keep up his authority in the world he will be own'd and acknowledged as God among his creatures If nothing else will make the proud sturdy hearts of men to stoop and yeeld to him his Judgments shall Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God It is the voice of the Lord to the proud ones of the world It seems they would not know that there was a God or at least that the God of Israel was he that was the true God therefore was it that they were so mad against his people v. 6. the Heathen raged but what is the next newes that we heare He uttered his voice the earth melted As proud and as stout as they are no sooner doth He speak but their spirits flag faint those great and mighty ones who feared none and car'd for none they became as dead men he uttered his voice or as some read it he gave his voice Who is this He look back upon the former verse and you will quickly see 't is God that utters his voice No sooner doth God speak a word but their hearts faile them Let him but shew himselfe of whom they made a mock but a little before and question'd whether there was any such one and then they feare and tremble they shrinke and dare not hold up their heads And why doth the Lord doe all this Why doth he drive them to such a stand The end is set down at the 11. verse He will be known as God amongst the worst of men Be still and know that I am God and then it followes I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth That wicked Pharaoh one of the worst of mē who blasphēed against heavē said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither wil I let Israel goe Exod. 5.2 This bold this proud wretch after he had seene the hand of the Lord lifted up and felt his plagues he is forced to know who the Lord was and to let Israel goe 2. 2 Reason The Lord doth this to render men in excusable Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest Judgest how is that that judgest men worthy of death by sin that was Gods verdict and sentence touching sinners and this all men knew by the light of nature and had the same judgement and apprehention of it in themseves as it is c. 1. v. 32 when as a man knowes by the light and checks of his own conscience that the wrath of God is due unto him by reason of sin when he sees all the curses that are revealed in the Law and the fearfull vengeance denounced in the gospell against all unbelieving and unrepenting sinners this makes him greatly inexcusable but when he shall see the judgments of God executed before his eyes and many of the same ranck and kind of sinners struck dead in the midst of their abominations if yet he goe on in the same sins this makes him beyond measure inexcusable If a man should see an hundred theeves or robbers hung up one after another at severall assises and yet after this this man himselfe should play the theefe who would pity that man if he came to the same end he knowes thee very to be an unwarrantable dangerous thing the law if against it and many have been punished for it from time to time before his eyes this makes him inexcusable so it is in this case If God take other men in the midst of their sins if he take them in the midst of their drinking quaffing and carousing as he did Belshazzar in the midst of his cups or strike them with some secret and sudden blow in the midst of their chambering and wantonesse as he did the young man in the proverbs who when he went to the harlots house had a dart struck through his liver Chap. 7.23 or by an immediate hand from heaven and an Angell sent to that purpose shall punish them in the midst of their pride tyranny and persecution as he dealt with Herod If after all this when a man hath seen such cleare and manifest Judgments from heaven on the persons of others he shall live in the same or worse sins if he shall continue a drunkard an adulterer a persecutor and opposer of the saints and of religion after all this who can say this man is not justly punished The word is plaine and expresse against such and such sinnes the end and issue of them is there revealed and the judgments of God have ratifyed it and confirmed it this man is left without all excuse Now God will have every mouth to be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 3. Reas 3. The Lord inflicts judgments upon some that they might be for examples unto others 2. Peter 2.6 Turning the citties of sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow makeing them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly Here is both the judgment and the reason of it expressed He turned them into ashes and he condemned them with an overthrow he had condemned their wickednesse before in his owne thoughs and adjudg'd them worthy of some severe plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav and that plague must be nothing lesse then a totall destruction a totall overthrow he would so destroy them as to make an utter end of them for that is the meaning of the word And why would he do so it was to make thē an example he set them up as an example he had prepar'd thē for an example in his own thoughts before he had fitted and designed them for it now this is the edition and setting forth as it were of what he had fram'd and contriv'd before Saint Peter had mentioned two great editions of the wrath of God before one was in the Angels that fell He cast them down to hell v. 4. Here was wrath indeed Another was in the old world He brought in the floud upon a whole world v. 5. here was
great mourning there shall be a fountaine opened for sin Zach. 13.1 and for uncleannesle Mourne you must mourne greatly mourne bitterly yea but it is the fountaine that must wash away sin it must be the fountaine of the Lord Christs blood that must wash away the fowle and horrible sins of Witney Come then wash in this fountaine wash and you shall be cleane In the 16 of Numbers we read of great wrath no sooner had God executed that fearfull judgment upon Korah and his rebellious compāy but the people fell to murmering immediately v. 41. But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmered against Moses and against Aaron saying ye have killed the people of the Lord. Oh desperate and adventrous sinners that when they saw the judgment of God executed the very day before yet they fell into the same sins which they were guilty of which had been so plagued How angry is the Lord for this v 44 45. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them as in a moment But what doth Moses do in this case v 46. And Moses said unto Aaron Take a censer and put fire therein from off the Alter and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun This represented the mediation of Jesus Christ Isa 53.12 who is said to make intercession for the transgressors He is that Angell in the Revelation that stands at the Alter having a golden censer and much incense given to him that he should offer it with the prayers of thee Saints chapt 8.3 Now Moses saies to Aaron go quickly or as it may be read make to go with speed that is as the Chaldee and Greeke translateth it carry quickly or in haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make haste to the Lord Jesus away to him every soule of you all you that have not known what the worth of the Lord Jesus is till this houre know now how to prize him it is he that must pacify the wrath of God that is gone out against thee for thy prophanenesse and thine uncleannesse and thy neglect of the word and thine Atheisme Oh fall in love with the incomperably pretious Lord Jesus this day as soon as ever thou commest home fall upon thy knees beg thou mayest have a Christ given to thee the wrath of the Almighty is gone out against thee and will otherwise certainly consume thee There is no dealing with a sin-revenging Majesty but only in by a Mediator As for you that have interest in this pretions Name O make use of it present the righteousnesse and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the father It is he that must stand betweene the dead and the living some are cut off already and the wrath of the Lord is not yet appeased If you interpose not the Lord Jesus you may expect more wrath and more plagues This I commend to you as the chiefe and maine direction of all the rest it is not all thy carelesnesse and security it is not all thy sleighting and despising the judgments of God that will be able to keep off the wrath of the Lord in the end No this will bring on thee so much the more wrath and heavyer vengeance Get into the Lord Jesus hide your selves in the clefts of that rock till this indignation be over past If ever Christ be worth having now is the time You that cared not for Christ when you were at ease and when you lived in pleasure my thinkes you should long after Christ and be restlesse till you have gotten him now judgment is come upon you Oh Brethren if the Judgments of God in this world be so terrible that they are enough to abash and appale the stoutest sinners how terrible and how dreadfull will that last and great day of judgment bee If thou canst not stand before an angry God now without a Saviour without an advocate to plead thy cause when he doth but manifest a little of his displeasure and gives but a gentle touch of his finger how wilt thou stand before him without a Saviour and an advocate when he shall come with millions of Saints and Angells when the Bookes must be opened and every mans life ripped open and it shall be said There wast thou drunk in such a corner there hadst thou thy wanton dalliances upon such a bed at such a time didst thou revile at the Ministers of God and mock at his waies and the professors of them so many yeares thou livedst in the world and yet never didst study how thou mightest come to the knowledge of God or the way to life and happinesse when all this and much more shall be said and then the Lord shall not come to let in a veine of his wrath only but he will pluck up all the sluces open all the floud-gates of his wrath and vengeance when that dismall place of torment shall be set before thee where those unquencheable flames are where thou shalt heare the devills roaring the damned yelling and see all this prepared for thee how wilt thou be able to hold up thy head at such a day Make sure of Christ betimes They were the last and dying words of one who in his life time was the Jewell and Paragon of Religion and piety in the country where he lived Make sure of Christ He is better then all the gold and treasures in the world better then the Rubies or the Onyx stone Thou art eternally happy if thou get him and Eternally miserable if thou come short of him 3. The next thing that is to be studied and endeavoured after is Reformation It is Reformation that the Lord looketh after Do you think that the Lord delighteth in the death of your children that he taketh pleasure in the breaking bruising of your bones is it matter of joy to him to see the hurts and heare the dolefull complaints of your wives servants and neere relations No no God is love as you have many times heard had not your sinnes put him upon it there had not been so sad a spectacle found amongst you Put away therefore that evill thing which is in the middest of you When the children of Israel had fallen before their enemies Achan who had taken the accursed thing and been the occasion of the misery and distresse that fell upon them must be found out and stoned You have seene already some of the Achans that have troubled your peace stone them now and put them to death You have heard it was the prophanenesse the ūcleannesse the contempt of the Gospell the Atheisme and irreligion that is among you that hath caused all your trouble put away these accursed things And here let me speake more fully to you under these foure heads 1. To the looser and prophaner sort 2. To them
wisedōe and all my power I will put forth all my glory and excellency to destroy you If temporall judgments will not prevaile God hath eternall punishents in a readinesse for obstinate and incorrigible sinners Tophet is prepared c. Hell is in readinesse eternall flames everlasting burnings are prepared and those that would not be tamed and brought into order by the judgments of God in this world will be still and calme enough when they are thrown there Then thy pride and stoutnesse of heart against the Lord thy stubbornnesse and incorrigiblenesse will do thee little good This hath God prepared Ps 7.11 12 13. God is angry with the wicked every day if he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death Are not the judgments of God in this world terrible enough do they not strike deep enough do men beare up themselves against the Almighty and wax proud against him notwithstanding these Oh! he hath yet a deadly instrument left behind he can strike them into hell and then they are struck to purpose Art thou not afraid of the first death the worst as thou supposest of temporall evills because that is but a short passage But there is the second death when thou shalt be ever dying and yet never dye thou shalt be alwayes in the pangs and agonyes of death and yet never past death it selfe The judgments of God in this world they are but as the Alphabet as the A.B.C. to that great O quantum erit istud Consistorium quod Majestate divina apparente to millibus Angelorum celebrabitur quanto majoris Majestatis tanto majoris terroris horror is erit impi is Luth. and last judgment It was Luthers expression Oh how great sayes he againe shall that consistory be When the Divine majesty shall appeare and so many thousand Angels and by how much the greater the Majesty of that court shall be so much greater will the dread and horror be that will fall upon wicked men 2. If you be a reformed people the Lord will delight in this place as much as ever he hath loathed it The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men No Judgment is his strange work had you not put him to it he had never done that which he hath Returne now unto the Lord make a covenant with him this day to serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind Choose the Lord for your God and give up your selves in Christ Jesus to him to walk with him unto all well pleasing then will he rejoyce over you to do you good he will set himselfe to blesse you with his whole heart and with his whole soule Blessed shall you be in the towne blessed in the field blessed in your basket and blessed in your store Blessed when you rise up and blessed when you lye down All the people that passe by you shall say Behold Witny the Place which the Lord hath blessed The Lord shal take away your reproach and it shall no more be said this is Witny whom the the Lord hath plagued but this is Witny whom the Lord hath loved whom the Lord delighteth in Yea the Lord himselfe shall Blesse you out of Lion You shall have all the Gospell mercyes knowledge shall increase and the feare of the Lord abound amongst you others shall bee provoked by your zeale they shall come and see the religion that is in Witny and say Behold the place that was eminent for sin and judgment is now become eminent for Holinesse and mercy And now I may say as Moses did after he had thundered out all the curses and sweetly laid forth all the blessings of the Lord upon their obedience or disobedience to the Law I have set life and death before you this day Oh chuse the way of life and you are blessed blessed shall you here and blessed for evermore FINIS