best spent time When once you come to know the terrors of the Lord you will not think any labour too great to get news of a crucified Christ Galeacius nor all the wealth in the world to be compared to one Minutes Society with Jesus Christ O my mouth is opened my heart is enlarged O what would a damned Soul in Hell give to come out of his condition I am the more earnest upon mine indignation at the abominable boldness of earthly-minded People T is well t was Christ himself spake and that it was to Martha If we should say but half so much to Christs pretended Disciples now we should hear of it again hot and wholy as our country folks phrase it and they would tell us that if all should be of our minde we should all quickly go a begging and our hair would grow through our hood We should have as good as we bring Such is the boldness of covetous persons Such is the conceit that People have of the harmlesness yea or rather of the commendableness of worldliness whereas indeed it is a vice full of deadly poyson full of ignorance of God of Atheisme of Idolatry Injustjce Oppression and indeed of all iniquity as will be more at large shewed in the uses of the Point which now I come unto Vse 1 And first It serveth for information that there is great danger in affecting worldly things It is saith the Doctine a great occasion to make People set light by the means of Grace holy religious employments and therefore it must needs be a very dangerous thing for a man or woman to let his or her affections to run out after the world 1 Tim. 6.9.10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and peirced themselves thorrow with many sorows It is the ready way to restrain and keep back our affections from God and good excercises and a sign that men do not savor of religion to let them runn out after the things of the World Now the things of the World are as John saith 1 John 2.16 the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that is Voluptuousness Covetousness Ambition Let me single out this Goliah to encounter it and draw out the sword of the spirit out of that sheath Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath And Ezekiel 7.19 They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be removed their Silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath they shall not satisfie their Souls neither fill their bowels because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity And so we might say of all the pomp of this World Psal 49 6.17 When men die they shall carry nothing away their glory shall not descend after them And the forenamed Ezekiel 7. ver 10.11 Behold the day behold it is come the morning is gone forth the rod hath blossomed Pride hath budded Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness none of them shall remain nor of their multitude nor of any of theirs neither shall there be wailing for them You have seen the danger both of Soul and body too Vse 2 Come we to a second information of the sinfullness of their sin the greatness of their abomination that let their spirits run out after the world They go quite contrary to God that neglect his Sabbaths and Sanctuary Exod. 31 15. Six dayes may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord whosoever doth any work in the Sabbath day he shall surely be put to death And so Jer. 17.27 But God threatens to kindle a fire not to be quenched to devour the places of such as will not hearken to hallow the Sabbath day If men will not hallow Gods Sabbaths nor reverence his Sanctuaries but will be cross to God God will be cross to them They that cannot allow him his own day because they are so drownd in the world that they cannot remember it before it comes much less observ it when it is come God will lay great sin to their charge because it proceeds from undervaluing of him through ignorance this hath much sinfullness in it Therefore Mat. 6.33 Christ wils to seek first the kingdom of God because it is a very sinfull thing to prefer the world before God the things of his Kingdom God and the very quintessence of the world stand in opposition ex diametro The very wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God Rom. 8.7 And thence is it that there is so much sinfulness in the love of the World because the spirit and the soul do runn out excessively after the World and do take great delight in these carnal things And when the Soul and affection runs out to take pleasure and delight in any thing more then in God there is there much sinfullness There is in sin three thing considerable The baseness of it the viciousness of it and the sinfullness of it Now t is true there is not so much baseness in this sin as there is in some others As to instance in Adultery it is a sin that hath much baseness in it it carrieth with it a stain and a blot that shal never be blotted out Yet this sin of worldliness is a far greater sin though it be not majoris infamiae of greater infamie yet it is Majoris culpae of greater fault there is far more irregularity in it Quest Why then is it not so esteemed among men Answ I answer Men do not use to judge of sin according to the rules of the Word but according to the customes of men And among men it is meet that sometimes sins though of lesser fault in themselves yet of more mischievous consequence and more destructive to the peace and comfort of humane society should be more severely punished and so consequently the committers of it more hooted at and had in dishonour And this is the cause that Covetousness passeth so orderly and quietly through the judgements of men untill it come to break out into Robberies and violencies which are prejudicial to the peace of men living together in humane Society Secondly There is in some sins more vitiousness then in othersome Sins that are against Moral Vertues and Natural Conscience do stare more Gastly someties then greater sins against God do Because a man that hath no Grace hath yet a Conscience which is a true rule according to its proportion but is too short to measure sins by that are more immediately committed against God So Paul when he was Saul lived in all good Conscience Acts 23.1 He saw not the greatness of the sin of persecuting the Saints He thought
be damned though he were a man of wax in the eyes of the World Thirdly Methinks we might say something of the blessed and Gracious opportunities God hath given unto you to move you to ply God day and night and to cry Christ Christ Bread bread for the Lords sake bread Object But I said but now Prayers must proceed from the spirit and that is that I need make it plain will some say Sol. Brethren our work is to bid you ask Gods work is to enable you to ask The work of Christs mouth to Lazarus was to bid him to come forth of the Grave It was the secret work of his Allmighty Power to make him alive that he might hear and obey that command Quest How should a man seek Grace at Gods hands aright Answ I answer He must be willing to take all that God hath promised to give to them that ask upon Gods own terms and conditions and limitations too in regard of desired temporal blessings Ye that say ye believe ye must repent c. Acts 2 38. Nay ye shall Rom. 6.1 2 3. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death And so for outward things we are taught by Christs example in his Agony to say not my will but thy will be done In a word to take pleasure in the lovely wayes of holiness and to referr our selves to Gods Love Care Wisdom Power Truth and Faithfulness for outward things But the main thing in hand is to stir you up to keep begging of this Grace that is of the discovery of Gods love to thy poor Soul and that God would lift up upon thee the light of his Countenance So much of the first particular We come to the second to wit to shew you what is meant by the Marriage of the Kings Son Even no other thing no less priviledge then a most neer Union between Christ and the Elect. For even as a man and a woman by the bond of Marriage become one Gen. 2.24 Therefore shall a man leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave unto his Wife and they twain shall be one flesh and so Mat. 19.4 5 6. it is confirmed by Christ and said to be a Union and a joyning together by God So is it between Christ and his Church Ephes 5. ver 23. and 31. And therefore it is said in my text The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that was a King that made a Marriage for his Son Where first God is signified with his free Grace as before And secondly This thing that I have now in hand viz. That it was his pleasure that his Son so fitted to be a husband to lost mankind by his incarnation as it is said A body hast thou given me and by his Death and Passion and glorious Resurrection and Ascension should be offered to all the world of the Jews and Gentiles and that there should be a General invitation to the end that as many as come should be not only Guests but the very Spouse and be married to Christ and assured thereof by the spirit of faith and sanctification So That the Doctrine shall be Doct. That there is a Marriage made and agreed upon for the Son of God by God the King of Kings with every gracious Soul T is ended as we use to say between them This is that which is here called the Kingdom of Heaven the work of Grace and it is therefore compared to a Marriage because there is such a neer union between all the Children of the Kingdom and Christ as there is between the Husband and the Wife I will for your better profiting by this so admirable point go upon some Particulars some Analogies and Resemblances between Marriages among men and this work of Union and Conjunction with Christ And first you know men use to go a woing as we call it they do either by themselves or their spokesmen make motions of Marriage and declare their love to the yong women they are willing to make their wives And this you know is first before there is an actual possessing and uniting Even so we read 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs steed that ye be reconciled to God Now when Christ was in the flesh he went a woing himself in his own person John 3.19 Light is come into the world end men love darkness c. But ver 29. of that chap. he hath a spokesman he goes a woing by his friend He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom as you shall find there but the friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice That spokesman there meant was John Baptist And the Bridegroom there meant is Christ now incarnate though the son of God from everlasting He was afterward crucified dead and buried and rose again the third day this is the Husband of the Church this is the yong man that is to be married as we use to say Cursed be they that destroy the History under a pretence of embracing the Mystery as some absurd men have in my hearing whom I therefore questioned but it was not in a time succesfull But I say this Christ went a woing himself but now by his messengers he doth it in Gospel-Preaching Secondly There is a mutual consent after the time of woing This is called a receiving 1 John 12. Vnio animarum est essentia matrimonii But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name And indeed this is the very union and essence of the Marriage For such are regenerated as it followeth ver 13. Which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God T is a match My beloved is mine and I am his saith the Spouse Canticles 2.16 Thirdly There is an enjoying each other in the Married condition Can. 1. ver 2.3.4 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then Wine Because of the savour of thy good Ointment thy name is as Ointment poured forth therefore the Virgines love thee Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers We will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then Wine the upright love thee O who can imagine what this secret enjoying of Christ is that hath not felt it There is a kind of spiritual copulation between Christ and every true believer Yea also between Christ and Congregations which are so many Mothers to bring forth And this puts me upon a fourth likeness Wives blessed of God are like
And this was implicitely foretold Matth 10.28 And fear not them which kill the body And we see their spirit Acts 22.22 Away with them cried those Jews of Paul for it is not fit that he should live I shall out of this verse from all these particulars handle but one Point of Doctrine Doct. That the grace of God offered unto men in the preaching of the Gospel hath not only such enemies as contemn it but also such as carry themselves with all possible baseness and cruelty against the Messengers thereof This appears out of the 21 of Matth ver 35 to the 39. likewise cap. 23. ver 34. to the 38. cap. 26 4. Acts 7.52 to the 59. It is very evident that such was the usage of the Servants of Christ in the time of the Jewish Church and Common wealth Peter and the other Apostles whipt Acts 5. Steven stoned Acts 7. James slain with the sword Acts 12. John banished into Patmos Rev. 1. And the stories of the Church do shew what usage they have had since But what may be the reason hereof Christ who sends is the Prince of peace the Gospel is the Gospel of Peace and the end eternal peace What therefore should be the reason Christ should have no better entertainment in the world The son of man came not to destroy but to save t is true but yet men do either think that such as pretend to be Messengers sent of God are not but are wicked men as the Jews did not stick to say of Christ himself Joh 8.48 and they thought they said well and ver 52. they are very confident that he had a Divel And Joh. 10.53 they pretend they did not find fault with him for any thing but blasphemy or else they think that they are their enemies because in declaring the grace of God they declare their duties or rather their properties that are partakers of it Tit. 2.11.12 For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil world But this wicked men cannot abide to be told because they cannot choose but know that they are not such as they are to whom Christ appeareth in power And because their sins and they are one like Hippocrates Twins born together live together and die together he that toucheth their sin toucheth the apple of their eye They and their sins do mean to run their fortunes together Now we tell you as the truth is that they that take Christ to be their Priest must and shall take him to be their King to rule them and their Prophet to instruct them Now men think we are too strict unreasonable that we abuse them and they will not be so used by us But Friends we must tell you the truth and we have the best Preacher that ever was for our example John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil c. VVe must be plain if you will not love the children of God if you will not make much of them that fear the Lord if vile persons in your eyes be not contemned if you do not hate the congregation of the wicked if you love to sit with vain persons if you set not up God in your families if you be cozeners oppressors prophane if you neglect the Kingdom of God and the ways of the Lord Jesus and the Ordinances which are prescribed by the Lord to wit Sacraments and the ways of worship c. you must know that it is not we that make the breach but your selves because ye are in the Gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity as Peter told Simon Magus Acts 8.23 Vse 1 And therefore for the first Vse they are deceived that think otherwise John Baptist was a famous Preacher he spake plainly he calls them a generation of vipers he plainly rebukes Herod Mark 6.16 to the 20 verse Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him as after she prevailed to have it done Yet mans deceitfull heart makes himself stark blind it is deceitfull above all things O if the Jews had lived when their Fathers did they would have been loth to have killed the Prophets but yet they thought it no sin to put Christ to death Ye cannot think what hearts ye have if God do but leave you to your selves You have all of you the seeds of all sin even of the vilest abominations Christ only hath this priviledge that the Prince of this World coming found nought in him both because of his freedom from Original corruption and that special supportation that he had from God But secondly It sheweth the greatness of their sin that are come to this height to abuse them that intreat them to be reconciled unto God This is our work 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And what your work hath been the Sun can witness But yet it is though to you a sign of perdition to us a token that we are right and do our duty because we finde such entertainment from ungodly men among us as I profess I know not one man that hath the least testimony or signe of grace that hath opposed us But these dirty ways you make us to trot through though they be somewhat irksom to us as we are men yet are they comfortable because we know by the dirtiness of them that we are in our way for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Vse 3 Yet God forbid that I should cease praying for you or give over advising you I will sow the precious seed of councell once more who can tell whether the Lord will leave a blessing behind O take heed ye be not in the number of them that deal cruelly with the Messengers of Gods grace that deal despightfully with those that bring the gospel of salvation For our parts we live in the upper region we are above ye we are upon such an high Tower as makes ye all look like crows in our eyes though ye were bigger then ye be For he that can make his calling and election sure if he have to do with the greatest Nimrods in the world he need not fear his strength shall be the munition of rocks c. But I advise you for your own sakes and your poor families whom you would be loth should be Vagabonds and beg their bread as I have known the children of some opposers and persecutors to do that had as big sooks one day as any of you as I say you would be loth the curse of God should light on you and yours take heed of touching these apples of Gods eye I say as Pilates wife said to her husband Matth. 27. Have nothing to do with these men Ye were better anger all the Witches in the World O take heed how ye force the Church to fall to their desperate prayers and to set God upon some notable Work for his great
your fitting your tickets and libells of contentioâ—… and strife to be read on Lords days and usually on such of them as the Church use to receive the Lords supper upon that you may fill up the measure of your sin and God pour on you and yours the Vials of his wrath which most certainly he will do if repentance prevent not Vse 2 Here is in the next place a comfort to Gospel-Preachers God who is able to right them takes notice of their wrongs And this should keep up their Spirits in the middest of all their barbarous usages Vse 3 O take heed all of you that hear me this day and this shall be my last use of this point take heed I say of this sin be not injurious to the Ministers of the Gospel God takes notice of it and will severely punish it which is the second thing in the vers and comes next to be handled The 2. particular He was wroth And without any more ado it affords us this Doctrine Doct. That base usage of the Messengers of God c. is a sin that greatly provokes Gods wrath Read the chap. before this the one and twentieth ver 35. to the 42. You have their sin in all the verses except the last which is the one and fortieth and in that the miserable effects of Gods wrath are foretold He will miserably destroy those wicked men Which came to pass sure enough not long after Reason Now the Reason hereof is because God favours no sin All sin is contrary to his holy nature and righteous Laws and tends to the destruction of his creature but this above any other sin whatsoever is displeasing to God for First It is a crushing of Gods grace so far as a man can It is a God-killing sin And if it be a sin to kill a man what is it to go about to kill God The grace of God is the most glorious thing in the world Was there ever such love heard of That God should not spare his own son but give him to death for us admirable love And here is unparalleld justice too the Son though the Son must die that justice may be satisfied And wisdom able to make all the wise men of the World quite mad so much as once to look upon it And much might be said of the glory of the Gospel the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And therefore to go about to hinder this design of God for his glory is a provoking sin and brings down great wrath And then Secondly Opposing Gospel-Preachers tends to the destruction of thousands eternally If we call them bloody men which spoyl and kill and have no mercy which cast into Prison as many of our poor neighbours were by cursed Cavaliers into Lidford Castle and the Town hall here where they starved divers of them I say how much more are they bloody butchers among you that go about to hinder your Salvation and to keep you in such a condition as will be for the everlasting destruction both of body and soul Friends I fear the blood of those that starv'd in this Town in the late troubles will be laid to the charge of some of you that did not pitty them nor relieve them but rather rejoyced in their misery as many of you did and helped to make it greater O do not add to body-killing soul-killing do not add to man-killing God-killing Christ-killing Vse 1 But be informed that though a few vain men among you are such Grace-enemies and are countenanced by such of you as should have more wit and should improve your eminencies to better purpose and will when ye have tasted the Lord is gracious yet the righteous God likes it not Vse 2 And secondly wo to the guilty It were better to provoke all the men in the World then God to wrath as all abusers of Ministers do Vse 3 And that I may end this point also let me perswade you do so no more good people you provoke the heavenly King to wrath and this will turn to the shame and confusion of your own faces yea to your utter destruction if you go on O if God should once say and swear forasmuch as I have been stifled and strangled by you so long and my rich offer so trampled on in the dirt of your pride and prophaness passion and worldliness you shall be troubled no more it would be sad news And so I come to the severe punishment of this sin and therein first of the instrument which God makes use of and the means whereby he punisheth ungodly men He sent forth his Armies The nature and quality of the offence and the severity of the punishment it self shall be spoken of God willing afterward But first I say of the Instrument or means I am almost out of doubt that thâ— holy-Ghost here hath an eye to the Roman Armies which came and besieged Jerusalem by Gods appointment and sending even to the utter destruction of that City but yet I will enlarge somewhat upon this Doctrine Doct. That God hath armies to execute vengeance upon his ungodly adversaries that set themselves against his Ordinances and the Ministers and observers of them I add that the observers of them because usually wicked men joyn them together in their opposing them as Saul made havock of the Church Acts 8.2 and haled not only Preachers but other men yea and women to Prison I confess through the mighty power of God Curst Kine have short horns among us but yet what may be done and what the times will permit to be done is extended to the very utmost even against all that are of this way both old and young Now seeing it is â—o let us muster up the Lords Forces that they may be terrible to you that by repentance the coming of them may be prevented Reason That God hath many Armies we may easily demonstrate from the variety of his creatures which are many hosts and from whence it cometh to pass that he is sometimes called the Lord of hosts as Psal 84.1 8 â—2 In all which verses he is so called The several sorts of Hosts or Armies we will shew you First Angels some whereof are good some are bad 2 Sam. 24.16 An Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it to wit by the plague 2 Kings 19.35 An Angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand These are called a heavenly host Luke 2.13 And suddenly there was with the or that Angel that brought to the shepherds the news of Christs birth a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying c. Acts 12.23 And immediatly the Angel of the Lord smote him that is King Herod because he gave not God the Glory and he was eaten of worms and gave up the Ghost 2. Sometimes the Lord makes use of the Sun Moon and Stars and this is another sort of Army the Lord makes use
the blood of the Lord Christ they do in effect shed it again that do refuse this crucified Christ offered in the Preaching of the Gospel Lastly Godmurther Such as oppose Gospel-Ordinances fight against God the Author of this rich vouchsafement and resist the life of God what in them lieth We have an expression from the mouth of Gamaliel recorded Acts 5.39 of fighters against God But I lay to the charge of all that do not readily and thankfully accept of Gods offer but oppose his Ordinaces no less crime then murthering of God Such as are strangers from the life of God as stifle the life of God which is his truth O that they would consider God speaketh to us yea intreateth us that we would besaved but we withstand God we resist the Holy Ghost Act. 7.51 Learn therefore Doct. That Cruelty yea though but neglect against or of the means of Grace is in Gods account and in Scripture language Murther Vse 1 And thereforefore great is their sin that are any way guilty hereof Murder is a haynous sin Surely there be many Murderers in all the sorementioned particulars that to the utmost of their power indeavour Minister murder Soul murder Self-murther Christ murder and God-murther Vse 2 And let such know that they have a fearfull account to make before God for Murther is a hainous sin Vse 3 Tak ye all heed how ye oppose or but slight preaching under any pretence whatsoever Ye are guilty of Murther if ye do and must dy for it The severity of the punishment it self is the last particular He destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City This is the Doctrine Doct. 3 That the base usage of faithfull Preachers and despising Ordinances shall be severely punished I shall referr you to what hath been said and proved and especially to Luk. 19.43.44 also to Mat. 10 14.15 where the Lord Christ threatneth to such as shall refuse to hear the words of his Messengers that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrâ—â— in the day of judgement then for that City â—…nd also you may read Mat. 23.34.35.36 You have the practice of evil men ver 34. to kill scourge persecute those Prophets wise men and Scribes which God sends And after the threatned accusation or enditement forerunning the severity of Gods justice most certainly to be executed Reason It must needs be so for it is the very hight of rebellion the highest treason against God Vse 1 O how hath the Divel bewitched men to make them think that they shall not smart for this sin Woe to all those that are guilty the curse of God hangs over their heads the sentence of Gods judgement is gone out against them Lastly Would ye escape this severe vengeance of Allmighty God O take heed that ye be not cruel against the Ministers of the Gospel nor careless of the Means of grace Take a Motive Severe punishment from man is terrible what then think ye will the severity of God be when a fire shall be kindled in his anger and shall burn unto the lowest hell and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains I will conclude with Heb. 12.29 For our God is a consuming fire So much for the offer of Christ to the Jews And so much for this time Let us pray The seventh Sermon Matth. 22. ver 8. unto the 15. Then saith he to his servants The Wedding is ready but they which were hidden were not worthy Go ye therefore into the high wars and as many as ye shall finde bid to the Marriage So these servants went out c. HItherto of the Invitation of the Jews c. Now followeth to be considered the Calling of the Gentiles In which we may consider 1. The Kings Commission ver 8 9. 2. The servants diligence in the execution thereof v. 10. 3. The Trial Proof and Punishment of unworthy Guests ver 11 c. 1. As touching the Kings Commission we have 1. The occasion ver 8. 2. The matter of the Commission ver 9. The occasion was the readiness of that admirable Wedding Supper and the unworthiness of the invited Jews to taste thereof from boâ—â— which I collect this Doctrine Doct. Not any defect in God or his Son Christ but mans own unworthiness deprives him of good There is here no defect in God Christ is given to death the Fathers Justice is satisfied he hath by his one oblation of himself once offered made a full perfect and sufficient oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world The Wedding truly is ready Though your sins be as crimson saith God I will make them as white as snow If there were ten thousand times more sins and wicked persons then there be yet the Wedding is ready nothing can hinder from mercy such as are willing to accept of it O Judas thou didst commit a very great sin in betraying thy Master but a far greater in running from him and hanging thy self The former was to make his Manhood cease to be the latter was as it were a nulling of his Godhead a very murder as it were of Christs Deity Mary Magdalen was a woman out of whom went seven Devils a sinner in the worst sense yet there was not a more holy woman living afterward She came to Christ much was forgiven her there 's enough in God enough in Christ Not any want of will in God As I live saith the Lord I do not desire the death of a sinner Not any want in Christ for he paid enough for a thousand worlds But they which were bidden were not worthy Mans unworthiness deprives him of good Why did the Apostle turn from the Jews to the Gentiles but because they did put the Gospel from them and did judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 they were wanting to themselves the Supper was ready they were sent for they would not come What was that which turned Adam out of Paradise His own unworthiness He had one easie Commandment given him but he hearkened to the Serpent and forgot God his Creator Gen. 3. What was that drowned the old world but sin disobedience they hearkened not to Noah sent for their good Gods long-suffering waited in his Ministry and preaching they were unworthy they are now prisoners in Hell for their labour Read 1 Pet. 3.19 20. This unworthiness made the earth to swallow up Corah Dathan and Abiram they rose up against Moses and Aaron which were Gods Servants they wanted for nothing as we use to say but they would not be ruled Numb 16. there you have their story This unworthiness in King Saul lost him his Kingdom Samuel was sent to him with a Message from God he did not punctually observe it See 1 Sam. 15.23 what is there said Rebellion is the sin of witchcraft and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected
the burning of Sodom and the other Cities of the Plain the killing of so many thousands at several times of his people in the wilderness insomuch that of six hundred thousand only Joshua and Caleb were left alive to go over Jordan the drowning of that glorious Army of six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them Exod. 14.7 What do I talk time would fail me to relate the terribleness of God in punishing sinners the examples are so many in Scripture have been in all Ages and yet all this is nothing in comparison of that day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Here God maketh use of some particular judgements but there the full vials of his wrath shall be poured out Thirdly that torment must needs be great where there is no ease no intermission and of which there shall be no end Not so much as one drop of water to cool the burning tongue of the rich man in hell c. Luk. 16.24 25. he is tormented and there is a gulf sixed out of hell there is no redemption Matth. 25.46 And these shall go their way into everlasting punishment Mark 9.43 44. The fire shal never be quenched the worm dieth not Here men are partakers of many of Gods gracious Vouchsafements even such as are his enemies God causeth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good Matth. 5.45 Psal 103. v. 9. and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Though his Plagues upon Pharaoh were many and grievous yet they were numbred and ended and there were intervals and respits Here God doth not always chide neither keepeth he his anger for ever But then God will always chide and will keep his anger unto all eternitie Fourthly it must needs be that the torment of ungodly men must be inconceivably great because there must be a perfection or rather a finishing and consummating of all things All irregularities are ordered by the God of wisdom and justice to such ends as shall be in the utmost end for his greater glory Every thing keeps crying and moving and seeking to be perfected As trees and plants though they move not out of their places as men and beasts do yet they spred their Roots to get nourishment And gratious men run to and fro that their knowledge may be increased and they are always thirsting for God even for the living God because he is their life and their perfection Psal 42. ver 2. Psal 16. v. 11. and untill they come to his right hand where there is fulness of joy c. they will not be quiet And so the ambitious man hath never honour enough nor the covetous man wealth enough So neither sin punishment enough untill these times of wrath and revelation of Gods justice and the perfection of sin I know it is a harsh expression but this is true of all things that they strive to and cry after their compleating And this proves perfection in God because in him there is no motion in regard of his glorious essence Prov. 16. v. 4. But yet he made all things for himself even the wicked to perish in the evil day and therefore it must be so the fulness of Gods wrath must be poured out in hellish torments else sin shall not attain its end beloved there is an end of the Work Finis operis operantis and of the Worker though sinners intend not their damnation yet the wages of sin is death Rom. 6 23. And now we come unto the application of this point of the greatness and intolerableness of Hell fire Vse 1 And first it shall be to inform us and that in a checking manner for according to the homely proverb It is better fear a Knave then kill a Knave I shall endeavour to fire ye out of your strong holds of sin as Jude adviseth 23. ver of his Epistle Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire I say this is to teach us that ungodly men have no cause to be so jocund as they be O they that tear it out in whole cloth as we use to say in the ale bench corner and are ready to throw the house out at window Psalm 50. and let their tongue walk through the earth little do they think what is a brewing for them O consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you All that befalls wicked men in this life are but Gods warning peices but in this day of weeping and gnashing of teeth ye shall know what belongs to Gods murthering peices It would do ye no harm O ye wicked great ones to read Amos 6. from the 1. ver to the 8. There is a woe in that place pronounced to them that are at ease in Sion and trust in the mountain of Samaria and so did put farr away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come neer c. And yet all that is there threatned is but their going into Captivity with the first that is speedily and the removal of their banquet though they had stretched themselves for it ver 7. But Alas What comparison is there between the punishment of a temporal captivity and the torments of Hell where most assuredly the Sparks and the Brutes of our times shall be brought Even no more then between painted fire and fire indeed Ye will not come neer Gods People now the time shall come Luk. 16. ver 23. when ye shall see them afar of as Dives saw Abraham afar of and Lazarus in his bosome and shall wish with all your heart that ye might come among them and might be no longer tormented in that hellish flame And let such as laugh at Gods word now know they shall weep out of his presence then Woe be to you that laught now for ye shall mourn and weep Luk. 6.25 Vse 2 The Second use is of exhortation Take heed that ye come not into this place of torment Mot. I say take heed and provide a hiding place from this storm Consider we desire to avoid bodily griefs and pain Headaches Toothaches Agues c. If we be wise for the lesser shall we be fools for the greater There is reason one would think that we should be wise for our souls and the things that do concern eternity Quest But how shall we do to avoid these torments and this place of weeping and gnashing of teeth Answ I answer Take heed of unbelief and disobedience Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Cleave to God by faith labour to be obedient for these practices shew that thou art escaped and also love of the brethren The thing that I shall chiefly press is that ye would accept of the gratious offers of Christ while they are going Take heed that ye be not hardned