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
mind to satisfy himselfe may read Mr Prin's Histrio-Mastix where there are many Pages to this purpose There is one instance so neere a kin to that of Witny that it may not be omitted Vpon the 13 of January Anno 1583. being the Lords day an infinite number of people men women and children resorted unto Paris garden to see Beare-baiting playes other pas-times and being all together mounted aloft upon their scaffolds and galleries and in the midst of all their jollity and pastime all the whole building not so much as one stick standing fell down miraculously to the ground with much terror and confusion in the fall of it five men and two women were slaine out right and above one hundred and fifty persons more sore wounded and bruised whereof many dyed shortly after some of them having their braines dashed out some their heads all to quasht some their leggs broken some their armes some their backs some one hurt some another there being nothing heard there but woefull screekes cries wch did even pieree the skies children there bewailng the death and hurts of their parents Parents of their children wives of their Husbands and Husbands of their Wives so that every way from foure of the Clock in the afternoone till nine at night especially over London bridge many were carried in and led betwixt their friends and so brought home to their houses with sorrowfull heavy hearts like lame cripples 4. Much more might be said to proove the abominablenesse of these playes from the rise and originall of them they being the inventions of the Heathens devised and framed on purpose to honour their l Graeci omnium suâ—rum â—udorum â—â—lennitaâ—um atque adeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods withall especially Bacchus their Drunken God from whence stage players were called Bacchus his handy-crafts-men FroÌ„ the maine ends lookt at in them m aiâ— Athâ—nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed cum veri Dei notitiam aâ—â—â—serunt idâ— Bacchum festivitatis authorem dixerunt haue scenicos ludos consecrarunt huic dramaticam poeâ—m universam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicarunt quaÌ„ antiquiâ—mi hoâ—â—nâ— cam ob caâ—sam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellarunt sâ—enicâ— hiâ—â—ienes ideo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seâ— per dicti IIs aa Casaub de Satvr Grae. Poâ—s Rom. Satyâ—a m Equidem Comaediae smis non fere alius crat Gracis quam latitia hilaritus Cael Rhod. lib 6. at quae sequuntur ne referam vetat pudor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinfull mirth and jollity From the ordinary concomitants effects and fruits of them But these have been so largely handed by Dr. Reynolds Mr. Prinne and others that it would be needlesse to repeat them There hath been said enough already to prove stage playes to be sinfull And if so that we may returne to that where we left Is it not a judgment if a man be taken in the midst of his sinnes When Nadab Abihu were smitten by the Lord in the midst of their sinnes was it not a judgment a sore judgment The story you have Levit. 10.1.2 Oh cease to speake against the God of heaven any more in this sort Certainly it was a judgment and a manifest judgment it was wrath from heaven yea it was wrath from heaven against you in this place Suffer me to give you this observation All that were killed were the people of Witny they were your children your sonnes and your daughters that were slaine Why should five of Witny be slaine outright and not any one of other places This CoÌ„edy was acted in other places but it was in Witny only that it proved a Tragedy O Witny Witny the Lord is angry with thee and there are severall sins among you that the Lord points out by this judgment 1. There is the sin of Prophanenesse amongst you how many are there in this place that are given only to drinking sporting merriments and pas-times I have too sadly observed it in passing the streets people will sit drinking in an Ale-house making themselves merry with a Fiddle whereas they will not step over their threshold to heare a Sermon Oh this is the very depth of prophanenesse when men care not for God they care not for his word they care not for his ordinances they care not for the great things of salvation but are still calling for their sports and merriments they will be jovall and merry that they will Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any prophane person as Esau that is an unhallowed and unsanctifyed person one that still lyes in his naturall filth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why what is the Character of such a one it is added who for one morsell of meat sold his birthright You of this place have had the Gospell amongst you Christ and salvation is offered heaven and happinesse stand waiting on men few men care for this few men bid Christ and salvation welcome are not many apt to say what need of all this preaching was it not better with us when we had lesse Many think it much to afford one houre in a week to heare a Sermon but they say come let us eat and drink and make our selves merry let us dance it and card it and be joviall whilst we may and I would to God there may be none such found among you that will sit up whole nights at Cards and Dice that can sit day after day many houres together in an Asehouse that grudge a few minnutes to be spent in the service of God Oh! desperate prophanenesse abominable wickednesse the God of heaven hath revenged this prophanenesse this day Do but thinke with your selves what the place was where the hand of the Lord was seen was it not in such a Kind of place where such meetings use to bee I speake not of that Particular house but that it should be in an Inne Taverne or Ale-house such a Kind of place to which the people of this place are so much adicted which they haunt so much spend so much time in Is there nothing to be learn't from this Doth the Lord point out nothing of the sin of this place herein The sinne of drunkennes is to rife common amongst you the drunkards are reeling in your streets they are open and obvious to the view of all I my selfe have been too sad an eye-witnesse 2. Another sin that may be feared to be amongst you is the sin of uncleannesse Is there no fornication no adultery in secret corners no such things as chambering and wantonesse to be found amongst you Examine well what all your songs carolls are which are so often sung at your dores in your houses are there none of them base filthy obscene It argues too too light and wanton a spirit that so many scores yea some hundreds should be at a lascivious play Oh this is a fearful sin the sin of uncleannesse fornication adultery and those things that border on it These sins
breath and had it not been for Bremo his fellow Actor he had been stifled but Bremo having recovered himselfe a little bare up the others head with his arme whereby he got some breath and so was preserved but both the one and the other were hurt Bremo being so sorely bruised as that he was fain to keep his bed for two dayes after and the Lady had her beuty mar'd her face being swoln by the hurt taken in the fall Some had their mouths so stuf'd with dust that they could hardly speak the people that came from the house made a pittifull moane some going in the streets and complaining here is a Play a sad Play indeed others crying out to them that met them as they are wont that have received some deadly wound oh I am kil'd Some cryed out that their Armes were broken others that their Leggs were broken some cursed the Players that ever they came to Witny and the players themselves wished that they had never came thither They that received no hurt were exceedingly affrighted insomuch that one of them that were present as I am credibly informed did say that he would not for as much as Witny was worth be in the like affright again though he were sure he should have no hurt Others said they would never goe to a play more and that it was a judgment Others have been so prophane as we hear to make a laughing-stock of it and some so desperate as to say they would go againe if it were to morrow next and too many apt to say it was but a chance a misfortune the beame was weak there were so many load of people there and the like But how sleight so ever the matter was made afterwards sure enough it is it was sad enough then It was one of the saddest and blackest nights that ever came on Witny Sad it was to see Parents carry home their Children dead in their armes sad it was to see so many bruised hurt and maimed and some as it were halfe dead that were not able to help themselves but were fain to be carryed away by their friends some on their backs some on chaires sad it was to hear the pitteous cryes of those that were not there bemoaning their distressed friends This was the sad end of this ungodly play And what was spoken in jest in the beginning of it by the just hand of God was made good in earnest The Comedy being turned into a Tragedy it had a sad Catastrophe ending with the deaths of some and hurts of many And as it was said before And make thee mourn where most thou joy'st So by the just hand of God came it to passe For in the midst of their mirth and jollity did this fall out in the middest of these amorous passages between Bremo and his Lady was this stroke given yea immediately before they expected the greatest pleasure and contentment For the Actors said the best of the play was still behind and a little after the hearts and fancyes of the Spectators were to be filled with the love-complements between Mucedorus and his Amadine So true was that Turning thy mirth into a deadly Dole The Lord from heaven having given a check to such wanton sports teaching men what they must look for and that he will not bear with such grosse open profanenesse in such an age of light as this is That he will so farre take notice of the Atheisme and profanenesse of men in this world as shall keep the world in order though he hath reserved the great and full recompence for another day and place ROM I. XVIII For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse IT may seeme strange to some of you to heare such a text read The Preface What is love so soone turned into wrath The last time I was called to speak unto you upon a Lords day the first words of the text were God is love 1 Joh 4.8.9 pure love goodnesse and sweetnesse all love as it were made up of love Now the text beginnes with the wrath of God heavy wrath dreadfull astonishing wrath enough to break in pieces the hardest heart to heare it but so much as mention'd It s the wrath of God Its wrath from heaven its revealed wrath 't is manifested and declared in open sight This is a great change indeed may some one say to passe from the sweetest Love to the most terrible and dismall wrath But the Lord himselfe hath changed the text and it is he that hath given it by that which he hath wrought in the midst of you and done in the face of the whole Towne Can you look back upon that late sad and astonishing Providence of which as many as heare their eares tingle at it their hearts shake and tremble at it can you I say look upon this strange wonderfull Providence and not see this written in Broad and Capitall letters and even laid before you in what is come to passe That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Be not prejudiced my Brethren doe not mistake me I am not come to grate upon your soares neither to make wider your yet bleeding wounds God foribd no I pitty and pray for those among you that are yet weake and infirme beseeching the Lord to heale them and restore them that they may live to testify their thankfulnesse and Repentance My work is as a poor unworthy Embassadour and servāt of the Lord to help you to understand what the meaning of the Lord is for certainly so great a thing could not be in vaine The Lords voice crieth unto the citie saith the Prophet Micah 6.95 And the man of wisdome shall see thy Name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it There is a voice gone out to you of this place and it is the Lords voice his Name is written upon what was done but the other week this name of his is wrirten with faire and legible characters that he which runnes may read this voice of his it doth not whisper it doth not mutter no it cries it speakes aloud it will be your wisdome to heare this voice Every rod hath a voice in it the meanest and most petty afflictions speak something from God Great and mighty strokes eminent and remarkable Judgments from heaven they have a loud voice and if such be not heard they bring speedy ruine Let not any among you say the Preacher is come to vent himselfe and his own Passions and we expected some thundering sermon after this No no I am not come to that purpose but in all humility and seriousnesse to beseech you to consider what the mind of the Lord is and I have beg'd from the Lord as well as I could wisedome and direction to know what I should speak be not such enemies to your selves and to that good the
yea or no whether the wrath of God be a rediculous thing yea or no. Oh feare and tremble at the thoughts of these things that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake and his joynts to tremble This is the first use The second use and all the use in the generall that shall be made of the point in hand Usâ— 2. is an exhortation to Repentance Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Oh Repent Repent betimes ere this wrath come upon you I have lately exhorted you to repentance by the mercies of God by his love and goodnesse and the sweet provision that he hath made he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you You need not say the work is too hard it is a thing impossible for us to repent You have heard where your strength lies I must now goe another way to worke and exhort you to repentance by the Judgments of the Lord the text which I am handling calls for it and the providences of the Lord they call for it also Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men saith the Apostle so must we do likewise Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place be thy rank or condition whatsoever it bee be thou in higher or meaner place Repent and that speedily before the indignation of the Lord come upon you to the uttermost I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to his baptisme it may bee looked upon as a kind of argument to presse the doctrine of repentance more closely on them Math. 3.7 who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come I may say concerning you of this place the wrath of God is already come it hath already appeared it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun that all that passe by you cannot but take notice of it Oh repent repent lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost Luke 13 4.5 Suppose yee those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloam fell slew them thinke yee that they were sinners aboue all men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all or that they were little sinners but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the businesse from themselves as if so be they that were slaine and made the immediate examples of Gods displeasure were the onely sinners in Jerusalem no he tels them their sins might be as great as any of the rest and therefore he advises them to look about themselves for unlesse they repented they likewise should perish Do not thinke my bretheren that the poore children that were crushed to death the men and women that had their armes and legs broken or disioynted their bodyes sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney or that there are no other sinners but theÌ„ amongst you Nay I tell you all except yee repent ye shall all likewise perish Vnlesse thou ô man or woman who ever thou art repent of thy drunkennesse lying covetuousnesse of thy coldnesse and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish the word saies it conscience tels thee so the damned in Hell they feele it to be so Oh what a strange passe are men come unto the wrath of God is revealed from heaven and yet they will not believe God hath testifyed it from heaven that every drunkard and swearer and prophane person shall certainly be damned and yet men will not believe 1. Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous c. why This is a plaine thing an evident a manifest thing a man may say it is dark at noone day if he will but this is cleare and beyond all doubt it selfe Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any unrighteous soule no uncleane thing shall ever enter there No if the holy and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrighteous soul shalt never get there and if the Saints and Angells stay in heaven thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there Oh think on this for the Lords sake From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction all the leaves in the Bible make against thee all the Judgments that ever God hath executed are cleare and plaine before thine eyes and yet men will not believe What will become of this Atheisticall generation There is no man feares there is no man considers his way Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodlinesse unrighteousnes doth bring his wrath upon them wil damne theÌ„ in the end they wil not believe it they will not lay it to heart The word that threatneth wrath the JudgmeÌ„ts of God they reveale make known this wrath the devils in hell they believe tremble at it the damn'd they feel it yet the stout hearted sonnes of men they care not for it 1. Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger then he Do we incense p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pha. exasperate and put the Lord himselfe to it to shew what he can do are we content the Lord should doe his worst doe we q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesâ—ch equall and compare our selves with him dare we justle and contend with him for mastery Oh fearefull are you come to this point let the Lord do his worst we shall deale with him and his wrath well enough Oh desperate forlorn man It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh repent repent Heb. 10.1 It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr Repent O England repent repent so say I to you O Witney repent repent otherwise I feare some more dreadfull plagues will befall you You that have ungodly neighbours servants or friends go to theÌ„ ask them what meane you to lie in your ignorance prophanenesse neglect of God and holy things still What do you love to be damned and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soone as you dye For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily if you do not I feare some worse thing will come next Certainely my Brethren the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy for so it should be called it was not a Comedy no no it was a Tragedy a dolefull Play it had a dolefull end a bloudy a sad end Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints the fearfull heart-piercing cries that saw the broken bones the disioynted armes the dead carcasses of so many children will say it was a Tragedy indeed a dolefull play and the wrath of God hath been