appeared such flames such Thunderings and Tempests as there were at the giving of the Law what flames and blackness will there appear at the execution thereof and if at the giving of the Law there appeared so much Holiness and Justice that it made all Israel flie yea holy Moses exceedingly fear and quake what will become of these that God shall judge by the rigour of this Law in the day of Judgement Exod. 19. 16. Heb. 11. 21. O what Thunderings and Lightnings what Earthquakes and Tempests will there be in every damned Soul at the opening of this Book then indeed will God visit them with Thunder and Earthquake and great noyse with Storm and Tempest and the flame of a devouring fire For behold saith the Prophet the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a Whirl-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Isa. 29. 6. Isa. 66. 15. The Lord will come with fire that is in the flaming heat of his Justice and Holiness against sin and sinners to execute the rigour of his threatnings upon their perishing Souls Secondly The second general Head that is contained in this Law to be opened at this day is its exactness and purity and strictness as to all acts of good that any poor Creature hath done in this life whereby he in the Judgement will think to shelter or secure himself from the wrath of God This is the Rule and Line and Plummet whereby every act of every man shall be measured and he whose righteousness is not found every way answerable to this Law which all will fall short of but they that have the Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ he must perish as he saith Rom. 3. 21. 22. Judgement also will I lay to the line and Righteousness will I lay to the Plummet and the Haâ—l shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the water shall overflow the hiding places Isa. 28. 17 18. That is though men may now shelter themselves under legall Repentance cold profession good meaning thinkings and doings yet all these things must be measured and weighed in the ballance of Gods most righteous Law and as I said whatever in that day is not found the Righteousness of God it will be found a reâ—uge of lies and will be drowned by the over-flowing of the wrath of God as the waters of Noah over-flowed the World Mal. 4. 1. And hence it is that all the ungodly will at this day be found as stubble and the Law as fire As it saith From his Right hand went a fiery Law And again his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire Deut. 33 2 Isa. 30. 27. For as fire where it seâ—zeth doth burn eat destroy devoure and consume so will the Law all those that at this day shall be found under the transgressioâ— of the least tittle of it It will be with theâ—â— Souls at the day of Judgement as it is witâ— those Countries that are over-run with moâ—â— merciless Conquerours who leave not any thing behind them but swallow up all with fire and sword For by fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Isa. 66. 16. There are two things at the day of Judgement will meet in their height and utmost strength and they are sin and the Law for the Judgement will not be till the iniquity of the World be full ripe Joel 3. 13. Rev. 14. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now then when sin is come to its full having plaid all its pranks and done all the mischief it can against the Lord of Glory then God brings forth the Law his holy and righteous Law one of which will now reign for ever that is either the Law or sin Wherefore sin and sinners they must tremble with all that help and hold them up for God will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Isa. 42. 21. That is will give it the Victory over the World for ever for that is holy just and good they are unholy unjust and bad Therefore by this Law will the Lord rain snares fire and Brimstone and a horrible Tempest this shall be the potion of their Cup. Psal. 11. 5 6. Let no man say then that because God is so famous in his mercy and patience in this day of his Grace that therefore he will not be fierce and dreadful in his Justice in the day of Judgement for Judgement and Justice is the last thing that God intends to bring upon the stage which will then be to the full as terrible as now his goodness and patience and long sufferance is admirable Lord who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Psal. 90. 11. You may see if you will a few of the sparks of the Justice of God against sin and sinners by his casting off Angels for sin from Heaven to Hell by his drowning the old World by his burning of Sodom and Gomorah to ashes condemning them with an overthrow making them an example to those that after should live ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. Jude 6. 7. For whatsoever the Law saith it saith it to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. Moses seems to wonder that the Children of Israel could continue to live when they did but hear the Law delivered on the Mountain Did ever People saith he hear the Lord speak out of the midst of the fire as thou hast done and live Deut. 4. 73. O that ye did but know the Law and the wonderous things that are written therein before the Lord cause that fearful Voyce to be heard Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do them which curse must fall on all that walk not in all the Commandements of God without iniquity which none do I say but they that walk in Christ who hath alone fulfilled them all Gal. 3. 10. Ezek. 33. 15. Col. 2. 10. The Law is that which standeth at the entrance of the Paradice of God as a flaming Sword turning every way to keep out those that are not righteous with the righteousness of God that have not skill to come to the throne of Grace by that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Gen. 3. 24. Heb. 1. 19 20. for though this Law I say be taken away by Christ Jesus for all that truly and savingly believe yet it remains in full force and power in every tittle of it against every Soul of man that now shall be found in his Tabernacle that is in himself and out of the Lord Jesus Col. 2. 14. Rom. 3. 19. Job 18. 14. it lyeth I say like a Lyon rampant at the gates of Heaven and will roar
have indeed well done So truly will he at this day distinguish their good and bad and when both are manifest by the righteous Judgment of Christ he will burn up their bad with all their labour travail and paints in it for ever He can tell how to save his people and yet take vengeance on their Inventions Psal. 99. 8. That is an observable place in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and the third Chapter If any man build saith he upon this foundation Christ Gold Silver Pretious Stones Wood Hay Stubble every mans work shall be manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work shall abide that he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans work shall be burnt that man shall suffer losse but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. Now observe first as I said before the Foundation is Christ Vers. 11. 2. The Gold Silver and Pretious Stones that here are said to be built upon him are all the actings in Faith and Love according to the Word that the Saints are found doing for his sake in the World 1 Pet. 1. 7. Rev. 3. 18. 3. To build on him Wood Hay and Stubble it is to build together with what is right in it self humane Inventions and carnall Ordinances fathering them still on God and his allowance 4. The Fire that here you read of it is the pure Word and Law of God Jer. 23. 29. Joh. 12. 48. 5. The day that here you read of it is the day of Christ's coming to Judgment to reveal the hidden things of darkness and to make manifest the Counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. 6. At this day the Gold Silver pretious Stones Wood Hay and Stubble and that of every man shall be tryed by this fire that it may be manifest of what sort it is the Wind the Rain and Flouds beat now as vehemently against the house upon the Rock as against that on the Sand Luke 6. 48 49. Observe again 1. That the Apostle speaks here of the saved not of the reprobate He himself shall be saved 2. That this saved man may have Wood Hay and Stubble that is things that will not abide the tryal 3. That neither this mans goodness not yet Gods love to him shall hinder all his Wood Hay or stubble for coming on the stage Every mans work shall be manifest the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is 4. Thus a good man shall see all his Wood Hay and stubble burnt up in the tryal before his face 5. That good man then shall suffer loss or the loss of all things that are not then according to the Word of God If any mans works shall be burnt or any of them he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire that is yet so as that all that ever he hath done shall be tryed and squared by the Word of God From all which it must be unavoidably concluded that the whole Body of the Elect must count with their Lord for all things they have done whether good or bad and that he will destroy all their bad with the purity of his word yea and all their pains travel and labour that they have spent about it I am perswaded that there are now many things done by the best of Saints that then they will gladly disown and be ashamed of yea which they have and do still do with great devotion Alas what gross things do some of the Saints in their devotion father upon God and do reckon him the Authour thereof and so he also prompts them forward to the doing thereof and doth give them his presence in the performance of them yea and as they father many superstitions and Scriptureless things upon him so they die in the same Opinion and never come in this World to the sight of their evill and ignorance herein But now the Judgment day is the principall time wherein every thing shall be fet in its proper place that which is of God in its place and that which is not shall now be discovered and made manifest In many things now we offend all and then we shall see the many offences we have committed and shall our selves judge them as they are The Christian is in this World so candid a Creature that take him when he is not under some great temptation and he will ingeniously confess to his God before all men how he hath sinned and transgressed against his Father and will fall down at the feet of God and cry Thou art righteous for I have sinned and thou art gracious that notwithstanding my sin thou shouldest save me now I say if the Christian is so simple and plain-hearted with God in the days of his imperfection when he is accompanied with many infirmities and temptations how freely will he confess and acknowledge his miscarriages when he comes before his Lord and Saviour absolutely stript of all temptation and imperfection Rom. 14. 11. Phil. 2. 10 11. As I live saith the Lord every knee shall how to me and every Tongue shall confess to God Every knee shall bow and reverence God the Creator and Christ the Redeemer of the World and every Tongue shall confess that his will alone ought by them to have bin obeyed in all things and shall confess also and that most naturally and freely I mean the Saints shall in how many things they were deceived mistaken deluded and drawn aside in their intended devotion and honour to God But yet take notice that in this day when the Saints are thus counting for their evill before their Saviour and Judg they shall not then as now at the remembrance and confession of sin be filled with that guilt confusion and shame that now through the weakness of Faith attendeth their Souls neither shall they in the least be grieved or offended that God hath before the Angels and the rest of their holy Brethren laid open to a tittle their infirmities from the least and first to the biggest and last For first the God to whom they confess all they will now more perfectly then ever see he doth love them and free them from all even when and before they confess and acknowledg them to him and they shall I say have their Soul so full of the ravishing raptures of the life and glory that now they are in that they shall be of it swallowed up in that measure and manner that neither fear nor guilt nor confusion can come near them or touch them Their Judge is their Saviour their Husband and Head who though he will bring every one of them for all things to Judgment yet he will keep them for ever out of condemnation and any thing that tendeth that way Perfect love casts out fear even while we are
and Image of the Devil Man by Creation was made upright and sinless but man by sin hath made himself crooked and sinful Eccless 7. 29. Man by Creation had all the faculties of his Soul at liberty to study God his Creator and his glorious Attributes and Being but man by sin hath so bound up his own senses and reason and hath given way for blindness and ignorance of God so to reign in his Soul that now he is Captivated and held bound in alienation and estrangedness both from God and all things truly spiritually good Because saith he That when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish he arts were darkened And again having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them through the blindness of their hearts Rom. 1. 21. Ephef 4. 18. Now for this abuse of the Workmanship of God shall man be brought forth to the Judgement shall be convicted cast and condemned as a Rebel against both God and his own Soul as Paul affirmeth and that when he reasoned but as a man Rom. 3. 5 6. When this part of the Book touching mans nature is opened and man convicted and caft by it by reason of his sinning against the three general principles thereof then forthwith is the second part of the Book opened which is the mystery of the Creatures for the whole Creation that is before thee are not onely made to shew the power of God in themselves but also to teach thee and to preach unto thee both much of God and thy self as also the Righteousness and Justice of God against sin For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternall Power and God-head so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 18. 19 20. The Creation then of the World namely of the Heavens Earth Sun Moon Stars with all other the Creatures of God they preach aloud to all men the Eternal Power and Godhead of their Creator Psal. 8. 3. In Wisdom he hath made them all to be teachable and carrying instruction in them and he that is wise and will understand these things even he shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord for the Works of the Lord are great and sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal. 104. 24. Psal. 107. Psal. 111. 2. Secondly As the Creation in generall preacheth to every man something of God so they do hold forth how man should behave himself both to God and one to another and will assuredly come in in the Judgement against all those that shall be found crossers and to thwarters of what God by the Creatures doth hold foâ—th to us As first The obedience of the Creatures both to God and thee first to God they are all in subjection set Devils and men aside even the very Dragons and all Deeps Fire Hail Snow and Vapours fulfilling his Word Yea the Winds and Seas obey him Psal. 148. 7 8. Psal. 147. 15 16 17 18. Mark 4. 41. Thus I say by their obedience to God they teach the obedience and by their obedience shall thy disobedience be condemned in the Judgement 2. Their obedience to thee also teacheth thee obedience to all Superiours For every kind of Beasts and of Birds and Serpents and things in the Sea is tamed and hath been tamed and brought into obedience by mankind Man onely remains untamed and untruly and therefore by these are condemned Jam. 3. 7 8. Secondly The fruitfulness of all the Creatures in their kind doth teach and admonish thee to a fruitful life to Godward and in the things of his holy Word God did but say in the beginning Let the Earth bring forth fruit Grass Herbs Trees Beasts creeping things and Cattell after their kind and it was so Gen. 115. 24. But to man he hath sent his Prophets rising early and sending them saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate but they will not obey Jer. 44. 4 5. For if the Gentiles which have not the Law do by some acts of obedience condemn the wickedness of those who do by the Letter and Circumcision break the Law how much more shall the fruitfulness of all the Creatures come in in the Judgement against the whole World As Job saith By the obedience and fruitfulness of the Creatures he judgeth and so will judge the people Job 36. 27 28 29 30 31. Thirdly The knowledge and wisdom of the Creatures do with a check command thee to be wise and do teach thee wisdom 1. The Stork in the Heaven the Swallow and the Crane by observing the time and season of their coming do admonish thee to learn the time of grace and of the mercy of God Jer. 8 7. 2. The Ox and the Ass by the knowledge they have of their Masters Crib do admonish thee to know the Bread and Table of God and both do and shall condemn thy ignorance of the food of Heaven Isa. 1. 3. Fourthly The labour and coyl of the Creatures doth convict thee of sloath and idleness Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise for she provideth her food in the Summer and layeth up against the day of tryall Prov. 6. 6 7. But thou spendest the whole Summer of thy life in wasting both time and Soul All things are full of labour saith Solomon onely man spendeth all the day idle and his years like a tale that is told Eccles. 1. 8. Mat. 20. 6. Psal. 90. 9. Rom. 10. 21. The Cony is but a feeble folk yet laboureth for a House in the Rock to be safe from the rage of the Hunter The Spider also taketh hold with her hands and is in Kings Palaces 'T is man onely that turneth himself upon the bed of sloath as the door doth it self upon the hinges 't is man I say that will neither lay hold on the Rock Christ as the Coney doth teach nor lay hold on the Kingdom of Heaven as the Spider doth bid him Prov. 30. 26. 28. Joh. 5. 40. Fifthly The fear that is in all Creatures when they perceive that danger is near it teacheth men to fly from the wrath to come in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any Bird Prov. 1. 17 18. but man man onely is the fool-hardy Creature that layeth wait for his own blood and that lurketh privily for his own life How I say will every Creature flie run strive and struggle to escape the danger it is sensible of 't is man onely that delighteth to dance about the mouth of Hell and to be knowingly smitted with Satans snare Rom. 1. 33.