party be guilty or not this is properly to visit 2. after he is found guilty punishment is inflicted upon him Such is the proceeding of every just Iudge and after this manner doth God himselfe proceed and the second act which is punishment is called by the name of the first act a visitation or an enquiry and that for two reasons 1. To shew that God doth never punish but after an enquiry made and examination of the fact he is that Lord who in the Parable Luk. 16.12 calls his Steward to an accompt He called him and said unto him how is it that I heare this of thee give an accompt of thy Stewardship There is the visitation or inquiry and then followeth the punishment for thou mayest be no longer Steward That this is the order of Gods proceedings he sheweth clearly Gen. 18.2 Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is very grievous I will go downe now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come vnto me and if not I will know 2. To shew that if God come to visit that is to make a search for sinne we cannot possibly escape punishment for we are all guilty in his sight not able as Iob saith To answer him one of a thousand so that the best of us had need to pray with the holy Prophet enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 Now to make some use of this in a word if punishments be a visitation then whensoever we are under the crosse let us remember it is God that visiteth us and then in like manner let us visit God visit him by prayer for to pray unto God is to visit him according unto that Isa 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Visit him by repentance for as by sinne we turne our backs upon God and depart from our heavenly Father so by repentance we come home againe and set our faces towards God walking in the wayes of his Commandements Finally visit him by faith faith is the eye of the soule by faith we look upon him whom we by our sinnes have pierced by faith wee who were far off are made neare by faith we have boldnesse and accesse unto him The second conclusion is that all punishments are from God Shall not I visit he saith not shall not the Assyrians visit but shall not I for punishment is an act of Iustice so most proper to God who is the Iudge of the world as is expressed Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Certainly whatsoever calamities doe befall us they come not by chance or any blind fortune or the malice of men or Divells but by the determined Councell and foreknowledge of God If the pestilence come amongst us consume us it is the Lord that sends it or if famine come and pine us away it is from the Lord or if the sword be unsheathed to kill and destroy it is the sword of the Lord. I will send saith the Lord Chap. 25.9 and take all the families of the North and Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my servant and will bring them against this land and make them an astonishment and an hissing and perpetuall desolation It was God that delivered Iehojakim King of Iudah into the hands of the King of Babel Dan. 1.2 It was not Nebuchadnezzars doing but the Lords It is plain in the History of Job that the Divell for all his malice could not touch Iob nor any thing that was his untill first the Lord had said unto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thy power Job 1.12 Insomuch that Job being spoiled of all his goods cryed out The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken He saith not the Sabaeans have taken away but the Lord hath So the repenting Israelites in all their extremities cryed out He hath wounded us he hath torne us Hos 6.1 all the wounds which they felt they acknowledge to come from God and therefore they have recourse unto him for remedy knowing that Gods hand is like unto Achilles his speare which onely can heale the wound that it hath made The consideration hereof should teach us patience under the crosse even with all meeknesse and humility to submit our selves unto the hand of God So did David I was dumbe saith he and opened not my mouth because thou didst it When Shimei did curse and revile him he did not so much as look upon the instrument but upon God whom he had offended saying Let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David 2. Sam. 16.10 So should we in all our sufferings not so much look unto the instruments as unto God from whom our afflictions doe come Verily there is not a greater let that hindereth men from profiting by their afflictions then their blindnesse whereby they ascribe all their calamities to secondary causes and inferiour means to fortune or chance and never look up unto the hand of God that striketh them like a Dog that snatcheth the stone and observeth not the hand that flung it Such was the blindnesse of the Israelites Hos 5.13 when Ephraim saw his sicknesse and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heale you nor cure you of your wonnd And there be many such and some worse who in their troubles will not only goe unto Ashur but even to a Witch at Endor as though there was not a God in Israel Oh wretched people doe they think it is the Divell that hurteth them or that he can heale them No it is only God that woundeth us and he only can heale us He killeth and maketh alive 1 Sam. 2.6 bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up Therefore let us in all our extremities have recourse unto him saying with Iehosaphat O Lord we know not what to doe but our eyes are unto thee 2 Chron. 20.12 As all punishments are from God so the cause that procureth them is alwayes in our selves for sinne is the cause of all punishment as it followeth in the third place shall I not visit for these things that is for these sinnes Almighty God who is goodnesse it selfe and hateth nothing of that which he hath made doth never strike without a cause nor for every light cause either as he hath expressed Lam. 3.39 wherefore is the living man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne And a little before vers 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men It is not willingly but with much reluctation as he expresseth Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together
new Rebellion such as was not knowne unto Gods people and cannot be parallel'd amongst the heathen we have got a new Covenant to strengthen that Rebellion two new Idols set up like Ieroboams Calues to draw away the people from the house of David but that the one is inconsistent with the other the Presbytery of Geneva and the independencie of New-England and we haue almost as many new Religions as there were gods amongst the heathen Now shall not God visit for these things and shall not his soule be avenged on such a Nation as this But besides the number and quality of sinnes other things concurre to the finishing of sinne in a Nation as their extent if they be generall their freedome if they be not punished their continuance if they be persevered in without repentance and if we take a true view of our Nation we shall find that none of these are wanting Sin is so generall that Almighty God now might cal for a search as he doth in the first verse of this Chap. Runne ye to and fro through the streets of Ierusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement and seeketh the truth If God should call for such a search to be made in our Land I beleeve that but few such should be found And for further tryall hereof following the example of our Prophet in the fifth verse First I will get we unto the great men of the Land to see if they have knowne the way of the Lord and the judgement of their God but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Their houses are full of bribes their hands are full of violence they build unto themselves houses with the blood of the poore if they doe not turne justice into wormwood by a wrongful sentence yet I dare say that they turne justice into vinegar by their delayes From the Rulers of the Land I will passe unto the house of Levi to see yet if the Priests lips doe preserve knowledge and their hearts holinesse Alas nothing lesse but as the Princes of Jerusalem are as roaring Lyons and their Iudges as Wolves so her Prophets are light and treacherous persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have wrested the Law Zeph. 3.3.4 The Lord may complaine now as he doeth by our Prophet Chap. 23.11 both Priest and Prophet are prophane yea in my house haue I found their wickednesse saith the Lord. But I shall not need to accuse the Clergy for every mans mouth is open against them and your sacrilegious abuse of them is not the least of these sinnes which God now cals to remembrance yet it cannot be denyed but as it is said Mal. 2.8 We have broken the Covenant of Levi and therefore hath God made us contemptible and base before all the people It were easie to goe through all Estates and conditions of men and shew that sinne like an Epidemicall disease possesseth the whole body of the Land so that from the soale of the Foot even unto the head there is no foundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores as is said of Judah Isa 1.6 And as our sinnes are generall so are they committed with great freedome men are not restrained either with shame or feare of punishment which maketh our case yet more desperate When Phinces drew the sword and smote the adulterous persons he turned away Gods wrath and caused the plague to cease but where there is not a Phinces to draw the sword for the punishment of vice there the guilt of these finnes lyes upon the Land and draws downe the judgements of God upon the Nation And it is not so with us now for judgement is not executed all sinnes are either veniall or venall even the blood of many thousand Innocents shed by Rebells cryeth unto the heavens for a vengeance because there is none in earth to revenge it And finally doe we not continue in our sinnes without repentance hardening our hearts against all Gods admonitions So that it may be said of us as was said of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 That in the time of our distresse wee trespasse yet more against the Lord. Now shall I not visit for these thing saith the Lord shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this Yes Almighty God hath already begun to visit he is come downe to execute vengeance upon our sinfull Nation In Ireland there is nothing but ruine desolation and woe dii multa neglecti dederunt besperiae male luctuosae we of that sinnefull Land did provoke God and he hath stretched over us the line of Sodome the Plummet of Samariae And as he hath done to Ireland so is he like to doe to England for he hath kindled a fire in your bosomes he hath sent such an evill spirit between the King and His People Iudg. 9.25 as he did betweene Abimelech and the men of Sechem This Kingdome which is secured by Seas from Forraigne Invasion is now like to destroy it selfe for there is such a bloody cruell and unnaturall Rebellion in it as may minister matter and occasion to a new booke of Lamentations This Kingdome was once like Israel Lam. â— â— c. 2.15 great among the Nations and Princesse among the Provinces the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth a refuge and shelter to strangers in distresse But now the Lord hath cast downe her beauty from heaven unto the earth v. 1.2 he hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob and hath not pitied he hath slaine all that were pleasant to the eye v. 41. he hath powred out his fury like sire the Lord hath cast off his Altar v. 7. he hath abborred his Sanctuary he hath taken away his Taberracle he hath destroyed his places of the assembly 2.6 the Lord hath caâ—sed the solemne feasts to be forgotten and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the King and the Priest In a word God hath brought so many calamities upon this Land that I could say with our Prophet Chap. 9.1 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people God hath sent amongst us his three great plagues famine pestilence the sword The greatest of these is the sword as may appeare by Davids choyce and now the Lord hath put the sword in Commission he hath sent it to ride Circuit from one County to another as is expressed Cha. 47.6 O thou Sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet Put up thy selfe into thy scabberd rest and be still Whereunto answer is made in the next words how can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Asâ—kelon and against the Sea shore there hath he appoynted it Such a charge hath he given unto his sword at
this time It is a sword like that which is described Ezek. 21. A sword a sword sharpned and also fouâ—bished ver 9. It is the sword of the great men that were slain entring into the privy Chambers ver 14. It contemneth the rod of my sonne ver 10 that is it regardeth not the Kings Scepter where even the Geneva note in the Margine tells us that the King is called the Sonne of God because that all men should reverence Him as being in Gods place But this is a desperate sword as is expressed verse 13. And what shall this be if the sword contemne even the rod Such is the sword which God hath sent against our Land It contemneth the rod despiseth the Scepter spareth not the person of the King himselfe so that the breath of our nostrills the anoynted of the Lord was almost taken in their pits Lam. 4.20 This sword is so desperate that it devoureth without respect of sex age or conditions of men and there is no end of destroying We may now with sad hearts and wet eyes behold the whole Kingdome like a sorrowfull Widow not onely as Rebecca pained with the strugling of her children in her wombe but as Rachel weeping for her children who will not be comforted because they are not It is repotted of Judas Macchabaeus 2. Mac. 12. that after a shaughter of the People he caused to offer up Sacrifice for the dead Now howsoever that author hath related this story yet I cannot believe that Judas offered any Sacrifice for the benefit of the dead for certainly that error is not so ancient but it may wel be that he caused to offer up Sacrifice because of the dead that is to say by the slaughter of those men that fell he perceived that Gods wrath was kindled against all the People and so he offered Sacrifice to make an atonement for themselves So we shall doe well now to offer up sacrifice because of the Slain to turn away Gods wrath from us lest we all likewise perish I know there is a sacrifice intended but it is such as will make no atonement Many divelish polititians would now make a sacrifice of the Church they call it a Reformation of Religion but it would prove the destruction of it This hath bin often attempted before and it was observed by M. Cartwright the author of the Ecclesiasticall discipline that it was covetousnesses which set on worktheir Lay-followers to bring in their discipline Whilest they heare us speake against Bishops and Cathedrall Churches saith the author of the Ecclesiasticall discipline it tickleth their eares looking for the like prey they had before of Monasteries Yea they have in their hearts devoured already the Churches inheritance They care not for Religion so they may get the spoyle They could be content to crucifie Christ so they might have his garments Our age is full of spoyling souldiers and of wicked Dionysians who will robbe Christ of his golden Coate as neither fit for him in Winter nor in Summer And saith M. Cartwright They are Cormorants and seeke to fil the bottomlesse sacks of their greedy appetites They doe yawne after a prey and would thereby to their perpetuall shame purchase to themselves a field of blood So that even in the judgement of these men who were the founders of this Rebellious Sect it is no acceptablesacrifice to God for men to appropriate to themselves the maintenance of the Church and such things as have been dedicated to Gods service This is not to offer up a Sacrifice to God but to sacrifice the things that are Gods unto wicked and Sacrilegious men Such a Sacrifice will be so farre from pacifying Gods wrath that it will incense it the more against us and against the whole Land such a Sacrifice will be as abominable unto God as was under the Law the cutting off a Dogs neck and the offering of Swines blood Isa 68.3 It is another Sacrifice wherewith we must make an atonement even that Sacrifice which David repenting of his sin vowed unto God Ps 51.17 The sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which God will not despise Wee must humble our selves in the sense of our sins and cry mightily unto God that the fiercenesse of his wrath may be turned away By this humiliation Gods wrath hath beene often pacifyed Ahab by an outward humiliation procured the adjourning of a temporall judgement So did the Ninevites when their destruction was within fortie dayes they humbled themselves and fasted whereupon the Lord repealed his sentence and they were not destroyed In the second of Ioel I find that even when the day of the Lord was nigh at hand ver 1. that is destruction readie to fall upon them presently yet God was willing to stay his hand and that his people should make his threatnings voyd for in the 12. verse he exhorts them unto repentance saying Therefore also now saith the Lord turne you unto me also now that is even now when the sentence is gone forth when the judgement is at hand now when I have whet my Sword bent my Bow and prepared the instruments of death yet Turne ye unto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning rent your hearts and turne unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him Therefore blow the Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a Fast câ—ll a solemne Assembly Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the Porch and the Altar and say Spare thy People O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach When Shishak King of Egypt came up against Ierusalem in the dayes of Rehoboam and tooke in the fenced Cities of Iudah the Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves And when the Lord saw they humbled themselves the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Ierusalem by the hand of Shâ—shak 2 Chron. 12.7 So powerfull is true humiliation to asswage the flames of Gods wrath But for want of this humiliation many times Gods people maintaining a good Cause by lawfull authoritie yet are foyled as were the Israelites before Ai who could not prevaile untill such time as Ioshua fell on his face and mourned and cried unto the Lord. Jos 7.6 The Israelites going against the Tribe of Benjamin were Gods people they had a good Cause and a speciall Commission from God yet were they twice foyled because they did neglect to seek God by repentance and humiliation as doth appeare by the event for being beaten unto it they went up to the Lord and wept and fasted and offered burnt offerings and Peace-offerings before the Lord. Iudg. 20.26 Whereupon they overcame the Benjamites In the first of Sam. 7.6 it is said that the people drew water and powred it
Therefore is the execution of justice called Opus alienum Isa 28.21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he might doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act It is called a strange work because he hath no delight in it as he professeth Ezech. 18.32 I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth God hath no pleasure in death and in destruction but is in a manner constrained by our finnes to inflict them for sin crieth unto the heaven for vengeance and suffereth not God to rest till he have poured it out sin is so contrary to Gods nature that he cannot but punish it according to that Psal 5. 5. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all workers of iniquity He reasons from the nature of God after this manner God hateth sin and therefore he will punish it It is not without cause that the same word in the Hebrew doth signify both sin and punishment for these two are inseparable if impiety there can be no impunity It was Gods threatning unto Adam in the day that thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 This is the sentence of the Law Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things that are written in this book Deut. 27.26 This is repeated by the Prophet Ezech. 18.4 The soule that sinneth it shall dye the same is confirmed by the Apostle in many places Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Rom. 5.12 By sinne death entred into the world So that if it had not been for sin death could not have found a door to enter in at But when by one man sin entred into the world death entred by sinne and passed upon all men Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye And S. Iames saith chap. 1.15 Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death He saith not of every sin that it bringeth forth death but only of sin when it is finished or come to a full height for God in his mercy forgiveth sins not finished or at least he tolerateth them till they come to perfection that the sinner may be without all excuse but in his justice he judgeth and condemneth sinnes consummate by frequent iteration hardnesse of heart and impenitencie as he she weth Amos 1.3 For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof c. as if he had said if Damascus had sinned onely once in persecuting of my Church I might have turned away my judgements but they have sinned often to three transgressions they have added foure they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron And for so many transgressions I will not turn away their punishment Such a continued course in sinne doth not only deserve death which is common to all sinnes but it assuredly bringeth it forth and moveth God to inflict it upon the sinner The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used by the Apostle signifieth to be delivered of that which hath been conceived so that the Apostle will give us to understand so much that sin when once it commeth to perfection is with child of death and must needs be delivered If it be so that sin bringeth punishment and that there is no suffering but only for sin then whensoever any evill is upon us let us look back into our former courses examine our by past lives and see what we have done to provoke Gods wrath and indignation against us for certain it is that all afflictions are from God and as certain it is that all afflictions are from God and as certain it is that God never strikes but where he findes a cause in the party Oh happy were we if the sense of our sufferings might thus lead us into the sight and sense of our sins that so we might have recourse unto the Physition of our soules But alas we all perish for want of consideration for we goe on walking rashly and mind not what we do or in what case we stand to God-ward No man repented saith our Prophet cap. 8.6 but why No man said what have I done Every one turned to his course as a horse rusheth â—nto the battle There can be no repentance till first there be a looking back I. am 3.40 to see what we have done amisse therefore let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. First we must search and try our wayes to find out our own wandrings before we can returne unto the Lord. The fourth poynt followeth that great sinnes such as were among the Iewes and doubtlesse are amongst us do procure not only a visitation but a Vengeance which is an act of Gods wrath and so a terrible punishment in some sort proportionable to the offence committed which God inflicts upon men not so much for their correction as for the satisfying of his owne justice First I say it is an act of Gods wrath according to that Micah 5.15 I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the Heathen Again I say that God inflicteth vengeance upon men not so much for their correction as for the satisfying of his own justice For this difference Aristotle puts between punishment and revenge Lib. 1. Rhetori c. 10. that punishment is for their sakes that suffer it and revenge for his sake that takes it So long as our sinnes are any way tolerable God doth only punish intending our amendment but if our sinnes become great and grievous such as cry unto the heaven God will proceed to revenge then he will not looke so much unto us as unto himselfe for his honour is ingaged and must be relieved by executing vengeance upon the wicked Gods Justice calls for revenge for by sinne God is wronged and he must be righted and get himselfe honour upon those sinners who have dishonoured him Thus being to execute judgement upon Pharaoh he saith I will get mee honour upon Pharaoh Exodus 14.17 God got himselfe honour by magnifying his Justice in the destruction of that Rebellious Tyrant This is a thing so agreeable to the Divine nature that thereby God is known to be God according to that of the Psalmist God is known by executing of judgement Hereby was he made knowen unto the Egyptians as he saith Exod. 7.5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt Yea vengeance is so proper unto God that he doth challenge it as his owne peculiar Deut. 32.35 Vengeance is mine I will repay Which place is twice quoted by the Apostle once Rom. 12 19. to diswade us from private revenge and againe Heb. 10 30. to deterre us from wilfull sinning Besides he is styled the Lord God of Vengeance twice Ps 94.1