Saul Ierobeam Achaz of whom it is said that in the time of his tribulation hee did yet trespasse more against the Lord. But whensoever afflictions doe drive a man to repentance it is not properly of themselves that they produce so good an effect but by accident as they are so disposed by the infinite wisedome power and goodnesse of God to whom onely it is proper to worke by contraries hee brings light out of darkenesse good out of evill by sinne hee condemned sinne by death hee destroyed death by the foolishnesse of preaching hee makes us wise hee casts us downe that hee may rayse us up hee workes joy out of feare heaven out of hell and by the Crosse which naturally doth banish a man from God hee makes us returne to him hee causeth this birth and fruite of sinne to kill the mother that brought it forth this temporarie punishment to become a fatherly chastisment whereby wee are preserved from the everlasting punishment of hels fire these testimonies of his wrath to become signes of his love and seales of his adoption and these curses of the Law and flashes of hell to become Evangelicall blessings and an ordinarie way whereby wee may travell toward his heavenly kingdome And therefore afflictions are fitly compared to the fire which purifieth the gold and consumeth the straw and to the winde which purgeth the Wheate and bloweth away the Chaffe and finally to the red Sea which was to the Israelites a way to the Egiptians a grave Now since afflictions produce so divers effects wee must labour to have our afflictions so sanctified as that wee may bee bettered by them To this effect First when wee are under anie Crosse wee must labour after tender hearts that wee may bee affected with griefe and paine for there is not a greater enemie to our profitting by afflictions then that senselesse indolencie Ierem. 5 â— whereby men are not affected with Gods judgements like those Israelites of whom the Prophet saith Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed For when afflictions being added to our sinnes as a double waight cannot bruse our hearts and presse out of them sighes and groanes it is not likely that sinne alone will worke in them sorrow and remorse but on the other part if wee bee sensible of our afflictions then this worldly sorrow will make way for godly sorrow as a Needle doth for the threade Secondly let us remember that all the afflictions which doe befall us come from God This is another lett that hindereth many from profitting by afflictions even their blindnesse whereby they ascribe all their calamities wholy to secondarie causes and inferior meanes Amos 3 6 and never looke up to the hand of God striking them which is the chiefe cause for there is no evill in the Citie which the Lord hath not done Thirdly let us looke backe into our former courses and see what wee have done against God for hee would not strike us without a cause by this examination wee will come to a sight and sense of our sinnes wee will finde that wee have gone astray from God and have fallen because of our iniquitie Finally with the sense of our sinnes let us strive to get a sight of Gods mercie revealed in the Gospell remembring that hee is our God so will we desire to returne to him But the Prophet would not onely make them sensible of their fall but also of their sinne therefore he illustrates this argument from the cause Thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie or because of thine iniquity Here observe That iniquitie procures a fall so that if wee have fallen then we have committed iniquitie if we commit iniquitie wee shall assuredly fall I say If wee have fallen we may accuse our iniquities which is the deserving cause of all our afflictions The Apostle tels us Rom 5 12 that by sinne death entred into the world and if it had not beene for sinne death whereby wee are to understand every thing that is penall and huttfull to the creature could never have found an entrie Rom 3 39 So the Church in the Lamentations Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull Psalm 107 17 Man suffereth for his sinne And the Psalmist Fooles by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Prouerb 13 21 Salomon maketh affliction to bee as it were the shadow of sinne which doth alway attend it Affliction followeth sinners Proverb 22 8 and as our fals convince us to have committed iniquitie so our iniquities forewarne us of a fall For he that soweth iniquitie shall reape affliction This doctrine is sufficiently proved by Scripture reason and experience God threatened Adam that at what time hee did eate of the forbidden Tree hee should die Everie sinne unto man is the forbidden Tree if wee meddle with it wee shall finde no better fruite upon it then Adam found the bitter fruite of death growes upon the pleasant Tree of sinne It is the sentence of the law Rom 6 23 Cursed is everie man that abideth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law Iam 1 18. This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul saying The reward of sinne is death And Iames Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Hee saith not that every sinne bringeth foorth death but onely sinne when it is finished or perfected that is come to an height for God in his mercie forgiveth sinnes not finished or at least hee tolerateth them till they come to perfection that the sinner may bee without all excuse but in his justice hee judgeth and condemneth sinnes consummate by hardnesse of heart and impenitencie as hee sheweth himselfe Amos 1.3 For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof c. As if hee had said if Damascus had sinned onely once in persecuting of my Church I would turne away my judgments but they have sinned often To three bee sensible of our afflictions then this worldly sorrow will make way for godly sorrow as a Needle doth for the threade Secondly let us remember that all the afflictions which doe befall us come from God This is another lett that hindereth many from profitting by afflictions even their blindnesse whereby they ascribe all their calamities wholy to secondarie causes and inferior meanes Amos. 3 6 and never looke up to the hand of God striking them which is the chiefe cause for there is no evill in the Citie which the Lord hath not done Thirdly let us looke backe into our former courses and see what wee have done against God for hee would not strike us without a cause by this examination wee will come to a sight and sense of our sinnes wee will finde that wee have gone astray from God and have fallen because of our iniquitie Finally with the sense of our sinnes let us strive to get a fight of Gods mercie revealed in the Gospell
remembring that hee is our God so will we desire to returne to him But the Prophet would not onely make them sensible of their fall but also of their sinne therefore he illustrates this argument from the cause Thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie or because of thine iniquity Here observe That iniquitie procures a fall so that if wee have fallen then we have committed iniquitie if we commit iniquitie wee shall assuredly fall I say If wee have fallen we may accuse our iniquities which is the deserving cause of all our afflictionss The Apostle tels us Rom 5 12 that by sinne death entred into the world and if it had not beene for sinne death whereby wee are to understand every thing that is penall and huttfull to the creature could never have found an entrie Lam 1 39 So the Church in the Lamentations Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull Psalm 107 17 Man suffereth for his sinne And the Psalmist Fooles by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Prouerb 13 21 Salomon maketh affliction to bee as it were the shadow of sinne which doth alway attend it Affliction followeth sinners Proverb 22 8 and as our fals convince us to have committed iniquitie so our iniquities forewarne us of a fall For he that soweth iniquitie shall reape affliction This doctrine is sufficiently proved by Scripture reason and experience God threatened Adam that at what time hee did eate of the forbidden Tree hee should die Everie sinne unto man is the forbidden Tree if wee meddle with it wee shall finde no better fruite upon it then Adam found the bitter fruite of death growes upon the pleasant Tree of sinne It is the sentence of the law Rom 6 23. Cursed is everie man that abideth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law Iam 1 1◠This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul saying The reward of sinne is death And Iames Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Hee saith not that every sinne bringeth foorth death but onely sinne when it is finished or perfected that is come to an height for God in his mercie forgiveth sinnes not finished or at least hee tolerateth them till they come to perfection that the sinner may bee without all excuse but in his justice hee judgeth and condemneth sinnes consummate by hardnesse of heart and impenitencie as hee sheweth himselfe Amos 1.3 For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof c. As if hee had said if Damascus had sinned onely once in persecuting of my Church I would turne away my judgments 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 turne away their punishment Againe of sinne finished it is not said that it deserveth death which is common to all sinne but that it bringeth forth death where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to bee delivered of that which hath beene conceived So that sinne when once it commeth to perfection is with childe of death and must needes bee delivered When Gods patience is abused it will become futie when the cup of Gods wrath is full it must of necessitie runne over when the measure of our iniquities is fulfilled then must God powre forth the vials of his wrath Psalm 5 5 And great reason there is why it must bee so if wee consider the justice of God the nature of sinne and the trueth of Gods threatning The justice of God is such that hee hateth sinne 2 Thes 2 6 and therefore will hee punish it The foolish shall not stand in thy sight saith David for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie reasoning from the nature of God Rom 2 32 God hateth iniquitie therefore hee will punish it And the Apostle It is a just thing with God Genes 18 20 to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you This is the justice of God which even the Gentils knew that they who commit such things are worthie of death Againe the nature of sinne is to crie The cry of Sodome is great It crieth citing us before the Tribunall of God as guiltie of lease Majestie it cryeth unto the heavens for vengeance provoking God to revenge and not suffering him to rest in heaven till hee hath inflicted punishment Finally Gods truth is such that none of his threatenings can fall to the ground but hee hath threatened a fall to iniquitie and according to his threatening hath hee executed his wrath upon impenitent sinners When the earth was filled with violence Genes 6 13 then God sent the floud upon the olde world When the crie of Sodome waxed great before God then sent hee Angels to destroy it Genes 19 15. Gen. 15.16 1. King 21 20. When the iniquitie of the Amorites was full then were they cast forth When Achab sold himselfe to worke evill in the sight of the Lord then did the Lord bring evill upon him When Ierusalem filled up the measure of their fathers Math 23 32 then they could not escape the damnation of hell When the sinnes of Babell are come to that height Revel 18 5. that they reach unto the heaven then will the Lord remember her iniquities Goe and enquire what is become of those famous Churches planted by the Apostles of Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. Are they not fallen by their iniquitie What is become of Gods owne people the Iewes They are fallen and that by their iniquitie as the Lord himselfe declareth Isaiah 50.1 Jerem. 49. 12. Behold for your iniquities are yee sold and because of your transgressions is your Mother forsaken Now if God spared not them How will hee spare us I may say unto you as the Lord doth to Idumea Behold they whose judgement was not to drinke of the cup that is they that were mine owne people and had not so much deserved punishment as thou have assuredly drunken and art thou hee that shall goe unpunished thou shalt not goe unpunished but thou shalt surely drinke of it If once our iniquities are come to the height then wee shall fall as they have fallen Now sinnes of a Nation are finished and come to the height when they are generall when they are not punished and when they are persevered in men continuing in their sinnes without repentance First I say when they are generall for so long as there bee onely some wicked men in a kingdome their sinnes are personall and cannot bring the judgements of God upon the whole land for tenne righteous men God would have spared Sodome Genes 6.12 but if sinne become generall That all flesh hath corrupted his way upon the earth Genes 19.4 then will the deluge bee universall likewise If all the men of Sodome from the young to the old even all the people from all quarters
be inflamed with the sense of Gods love towards us Oh then the working of our bowels the stirring of our affections the melting and relenting of our repenting hearts then will wee lament after the Lord 1 Sam 7 2 and grieve that ever wee have so grieved so good and gracious a God Therefore you see the wicked that get a sight of their sinnes because they have not a sight of Gods mercie they runne away from God as Adam they are swallowed up of dispaire as Cain and never seeke after that mercie which they know not But the Godly with the sight of their sinnes having a sense of Gods mercie and a sight of Gods face reconciled to them in IESVS CHRIST How doe they seeke after that mercie with a longing desire Out of the deepes with David and out of the belly of Hell with Ionas they call upon God Even when wounded by God they goe to him to bee healed as the repenting Israelites Hos 6 â— Come let us returne unto the Lord for hee hath wounded and hee will heale us and these converts that sought for ease of him that pricked them Men and brethren what shall wee doe Act 2 37. So that there is nothing in God so forceable to drive a man to repentace as the consideration of Gods mercie As Tully said when hee pleaded before Caesar for the life and libertie of Ligarius O Caesar none of thy vertues is more gracious or more admirable then thy mercie Men come neare to God in nothing so much as in saving the afflicted Thy fortune hath nothing greater then that thou hast power thy nature nothing better then that thou hast will to shew mercie and to save others So may I say among all the properties of the divine nature there is none more admirable or more gracious then his mercie It is not his power it is not his wisedome it is not his justice wherein wee rejoyce but it is his mercie If there were not mercie in God I should dispaire there is so much miserie in mee Rom 12 1 therefore I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God I will not adjure you by the threatnings but I beseech you by the mercies of God Knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth you to repentance Rom 2 4 hee is thy God and therefore O Israel returne unto him The other argument is taken from their sense of miserie Thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie Our fals in Scripture Iam 3 2 doe sometimes signifie our sinnes In many things wee fall all saith the Apostle Iames and sometimes our afflictions as in that place of Salomon The just man falleth seven times a day Prunb 24 16 so heere it signifieth affliction Thou hast fallen namely into danger and destruction thou art afflicted therefore returne Where wee may observe That our fals are many times an occasion of our risings and afflictions are of excellent use to turne us to God for this is the motive which the Prophet useth Thou art fallen therefore returne And hardly could hee use a better for affliction is a most effectuall meanes to make our hearts relent and resolve into the teares of unsayned repentance Iob 33.16 according to that of Elihu God openeth the eares of men by their corrections which hee had sealed that hee might cause man to turne away from his purpose So the Lord taught Miriam by leprosie to forgoe her murmuring Hee awakened Ionas out of his securitie by casting him into the Sea Hee cured Zachary of infidelitie by striking him with dumbenesse Hee diverted Saul from his evill course by blindnesse Thus Manasses who forgat God in his prosperitie did seeke unto him in adversitie the Heathen Marriners did pray unto God in a storme and the Ninevits did humble themselves by fasting and prayer when destruction was threatened against them Gen 42 21 when the brethren of Ioseph were distressed in Egipt they did remember the injurie they had done to their brother when the prodigall sonne was pinched with want Luk 15 18 then did hee resolve to returne to his father but especially this may bee seene in the Iewish Church For though in their prosperitie as the Lord himselfe observeth They turned their backe yet in their trouble Ierem 2 27 they said Arise and helpe us Isai 26 16 This is observed also by the Prophet Isaiah Psalm 78 34. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastisment was upon them And David to the same purpose When hee slew them they sought him Yea speaking of the manifold kindes of miserie wherewith the faithfull are exercised hee maketh this the foote of his song Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble Psalm 81 7 Psalm 107 6 and hee delivered them Apollonius writes of certaine people that could see nothing in the day but all in the night In like manner wee are so blinded with the bright sunne-shine of prosperitie that wee cannot see those things which concerne our peace but when the winter night of miserie comes then schola Crucis schola lucis Wee are all branches of the Vine and therefore wee must bee pruned and cut with the knife of affliction that wee may bring forth fruite and this is the last meanes which God ordinarily useth to convert obstinate sinners when nothing can prevaile with us then doth hee visite our iniquities with the rod and our sinnes with scourges and hee is so confident that this will drive vs to repentance that in the fift Chapter of this prophesie vers 15. having threatened to withdraw all the testimonies of his love and favour from his people I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face Hee addes In their affliction they will seeke me carely which was accordingly verified in the event for in the next words they call one another after this manner Come let us returne unto the Lord for he hath vvounded us c. And surely this is a strange thing that affliction should make men turne to him that smiteth them it would seeme that such dealing should rather terrific them and make them runne away from God Adam when hee saw God to bee angrie fled from his presence and this is naturall to everie creature to love it selfe and to flie from that which is hurtfull unto it strike a dogge and hee will flic from you Iudg 14 14 Therefore that yee may conceive this riddle how sweere comes out of sower yee shall understand that afflictions being considered in their owne nature are the fruites of sinne the evils of punishment the testimonies of Gods wrath the curses of the Law and the first flashes of hels fire Therefore when afflictions follow their kinde they bring forth nothing but evill fruite such as impatiencie malice against the instruments murmuring against God the use of unlawfull meanes 2 Chron 2â— 22 and finally dispaire as in Pharao