Gods Three Arrows, Section 20 – Section 23
§. 20. Of the ſtay of judgement by reaſon of the godly mixed with the wicked.
IIII. *See §. 11.MIxture of the godly with the wicked is a ſtay of judgement. When God was about to deſtroy Gen. 19. 22.Sodom, he ſaith to Lot, Haste thee: I can do nothing till thou be gone. b2 King. 22. 19.—23. 26.—24. 3.Good Ioſiah was a ſtay of thoſe judgements which God had threatned to bring upon Ieruſalem for the ſinnes of Manaſſeh. cGen. 18. 32.Had there beene but ten righteous men in Sodom, ſurely it had not bin then deſtroyed when it was.Gods reſpect to his Saints.
Abraham intimates the reaſon hereof in this Rhetoricall communication with God, Wilt thou alſo deſtroy therighteous with the wicked? That be farre from thee. Shall not the Iudge Gen. 18. 24, 35.of all the world do right? The ſupreme Lord of all hath ſuch reſpect to his faithfull ones, as he will rather ſpare many wicked ones for a few righteous ones, then deſtroy a few righteous ones with many wicked ones.
Behold here a meanes of Gods patience and long ſuffering Cum merita noſtra nos gravant ne diligamur a Deo, relevori apud eum illo, um meritis poſſmus quos Deus diligit. Aug Queſt ſu per Exod. l. 2, c. 49.in the world: which is that mixture of holy ones with the wicked that are in the world. Were the number of Gods Elect accompliſhed, and ſuch as are ſanctified taken out of the world, ſoone would there be an end of all. Many Nations, Cities, Townes, and other Societies are ſpared, for ſome faithfull Saints therein. This ſurely is the reaſon of Gods much forbearance towards this Land, this City of London, and other places in this kingdome. There is a remnant of righteous perſons. Theſe hold up their hands to God ordinarily and extraordinarily: to their perſons, to their praiers hath the Lord ſuch reſpect, as they do in a maner hold Exo 32. 10.him, as Moſes held God when it was in his mind utterly to deſtroy all the children of Iſrael that came out of Egypt. Act. 27. 24.God gave to Paul all them that failed with him. It is ſaid that a little before Heidelberg in the Vpper-Palatinate was taken, their faithfull Miniſters were all taken away.The world enjoy all they have by Saints.
O the ungratefulneſſe of the wicked in the world! Thorow Gods favour to the Saints here and there diſperſed in the world, they that live and enjoy any comforts in the world are beholding to thoſe Saints, for their peace, plenty, ſafety, honours, wealth, liberty, livings, and life it ſelfe. Yet in the world who more hated, ſcorned, reproched, evilly entreated and perſecuted in the world. Is not this more then monſtrous ingratitude?
But how beholding to God are theſe Saints, to whom the Lord (who is beholding to none) beareth ſuch reſpect, as not onelyonly to ſpare them, but, for their ſakes, thoſe among whom they live?
§. 21. Of Gods revenging the rebellious.
V. *See §. 11. See more of this point in the Churches Conqueſt on Exo 17. 14. §. 68. Divina juſtitia punit eos qui cor rigi nolant Aug cont. Adimant. cap. 7.THe Lord revengeth the rebellious. This is true both of ſuch as band themſelves in open hoſtility againſt his Saints, and raiſe armies againſt his Church, and alſo of ſuch as more privately oppoſe againſt them that beare his image, and contumeliouſly sinne againſt him: as theſe Conſpirators here did. aLev. 10. 2.A fire went out from the Lord and devoured Nadab and Abihu. bNum. 11. 1.The fire of the Lord burnt among them that complained againſt him. c—33.The Lord ſmote the people that luſted with a very great Plague. dRom. 13. 4.I will performe (ſaith the Lord) againſt Elie, all things which I have ſpoken concerning his houſe. Where men are inſtruments of puniſhing ſuch, the Lord is the principall Author. They are Gods dRom. 13. 4.Miniſters, or rather Gods eIſa. 10. 5.rod, ſtaffe, and f—34 6.ſword to ſmite his people withall.
The Lord takes upon him to revenge, that he may order vengeance as he ſeeth juſt cauſe: either to aggravate or mitigate Lege Tertullianum. lib. 1. cont. Marcion Qui dixit Deum non ulciſci malos.it: to continue or to ceaſe puniſhing: which queſtionleſſe was the reaſon that moved David to ſay, g2 Sam. 24. 14.Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord.
As all hope of impunity is hereby taken away, ſo good ground of penitency is given. How can any thinke to eſcape ſeeing the every-where preſent, all-ſeeing, impartiall God undertaketh to puniſh him. hHeb. 10. 30.Vengeance belongeth unto me, ſaith the Lord: where upon he inferreth, I will recompence. Feare therefore to provoke this avenger. Do not vainely hope to eſcape his revenge though thou perſiſt in ſinne.
Yet if after thou haſt ſinned thy heart ſmite thee, and thereupon true repentance be wrought in thee, prepare to meet thy God. Thus maiſt thou either prevent and keepe off all vengeance, as iIon. 3. 10.the Ninevites did. Or if he have begun to ſtrike, thou maiſt make him k2 Sam 24. 16, 17.repent of the evill, and cauſe him to ſtay his hand, as David did. It is God that ſmiteth. To him therefore muſt we looke. It was the aggravation of Iſraels obſtinacy, that lIſa. 9. 13.They turned not to him that ſmote them.
§. 22. Of the utter deſtruction which ſtubborneneſſe brings to men.
VI. *See §. 11.STubborneneſſe after ſome ſtroakes cauſeth utter deſtruction. aLev. 26, 18, &c.So much is threatned in the Law: and bIſa. 1. 5 &c.—9. 13, 14. Am. 4 6, &cby the Prophets declared to be accompliſhed. Many particular remarkable inſtances hereof are recorded in Scripture, Deu. 29 19, &cthat ſucceeding ages might be the better warned thereby. cGen. 14. 10, 11Sodom and the Cities that tooke part with her, were overcome and ſacked by the foure Kings that came againſt them. This was no light ſtroake: yet it wrought no amendment. Wherfore not long after dGen. 19. 24.they were utterly deſtroyed with fire and brimſtone from heaven. Pharaoh and his ſubjects were ſo ſmitten with eExo. 7. 20. &cten ſeverall plagues, as gave ſufficient demonſtration of their folly in ſtanding out againſt the great Lord of heaven: yet ſtill continued they to harden their hearts againſt God: therefore at length fExo. 14. 28.he and his whole hoſt was drowned in the Red Sea. The Iſraelites were oft and ſorely puniſhed by many judgements, but no whit bettered by any of them: ſo as the Lord was provoked at length to make their land deſolate. gLam. 1. 1, &cThis hMat. 3. 10.phraſe which Iohn the Baptiſt uſeth (The axe is put to the root of the tree) importeth as much. By the axe he meaneth Gods judgement: by the tree the nation of the Iewes: by putting to the root, an utter extirpation. A tree may be lopt, and yet ſtand, and grow and flouriſh againe. But if it be cut at the root, downe falls body, boughs and all. He implies therfore, that whereas God had formerly by Plague, famine, ſword, captivity, and other like judgements lopt them, and oft times made them bare, now he intends to cut their root, utterly to cut them downe, and caſt them off.
Gods juſtice and wiſdome, yea and the glory of all his See the Churches Conqueſt on Exo. 17. 14. § 69.properties provoke him ſo to do. If the ſtubborneneſſe of ſinners againſt lighter judgements might carry it away, man would ſeeme ſtronger then God, Gods wiſdome and juſtice would be much impeached: His corrections would be deſpiſed: his Word not regarded. Beſides others would be emboldened by the ſtubborneneſſe of ſome to carrie themſelves ſtoutly againſt God. Mortall Kings, and other Governours, Parents and Maſters will not ſuffer their inferiours to carrie away the maſterie by ſtoutneſſe. Can we then imagine that the immortall God will ſuffer it. He can and will beat downe the ſtubborneneſſe of the ſtouteſt.
Humble your ſelves (brethren) under the mighty hand of 1 Pet. 5. 6.God. If he threaten, fall downe before him, repent, go not on to provoke him further. If we go on to provoke him more and more, his rod will be turned to a ſtaffe; his ſtaffe to a ſword, cleane to cut us off.
§. 23. Of ſudden judgements.
VII. *See §. 11.SVddenneſſe adds much to the ſeverity of a judgement. In way of terrour ſuddenneſſe is oft threatned, as where the Lord ſaith, aExo. 33. 5.I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and conſume thee. bPſal. 73. 19.How are they brought into deſolation as in a moment? cPro. 1 27.Their deſtruction commeth as a whirle-wind. dDeut. 7. 4.The anger of the Lord wil destroy thee ſuddenly. ePro. 6. 15.His calamity ſhall come ſuddenly: ſuddenly ſhall he be broken without remedy. fIſa, 29. 5.z—30. 13.—47. 11.It ſhalbe at an inſtant, ſuddenly. gIer. 6. 26.The ſpoiler ſhall ſuddenly come. The terrour of Babylons deſtruction is hereby aggravated, in that it was h—51. 8.ſuddenly fallen: yea and of Sodom, which is thus expreſſed, iLam. 4. 6.The puniſhment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater then the puniſhment of the ſinne of Sodom that was overthrowne as in a moment. It is noted that kGen. 19. 23.the Sun was riſen upon the earth a little before the fire and brimſtone fell from heaven. That riſing of the Sun made ſhew, and gave hope of a faire day. Yet then, even on a ſudden was that faire skie turned into a ſulphurious and moſt diſmall skie.
Miſchiefes of ſudden judgements.1. Sudden judgements ſtrike men into amazement. So ſaith Eliphaz, lIob. 22. 10.Sudden feare troubleth thee. It makes men at their wits end, as we ſpeake. Inſtance a ſudden and unexpected ſurpriſall by an enemy.
2. Sudden evils not onelyonly confound a mans wit and underſtanding, but they bereave him of the uſe of ſuch meanes as are uſefull for his ſuccour. For there muſt be time for providing ſufficient meanes.
3. They are a great hinderance to true repentance, to faithfull prayer, and ſuch like ſpirituall meanes, whereby the wrath of God might be pacified, and judgements prevented, or removed.
4. They are evidences of Gods incenſed and implacable wrath. As a man that is fully reſolved to puniſh, and not to ſpare, will ſuddenly do what he intends to do.
This affords matter of inſtruction and direction.
Inſtruction in Gods tender reſpect to us: For though by our ſinnes we have long and much provoked him ſuddenly and utterly to deſtroy us, yet hath he given us many warnings before hand by his Miniſters: and *Ian. 13. 1624 only one died. Feb. 3 three. Feb. 10. five. Feb. 17. three, Feb. 24. one, Mar. 17. two. Mar. 24. eight. 1625 Mar. 31 ſix. Apr 7. eight. Apr. 14. eighteene. Apr. 31. eighteene. And after that it increaſed every weeke more and more till Aug 18. when there died in one weeke 4463 of the Plague. And of all diſeaſes 5205 in London and in the nine out pariſhes. Luk. 21. 34.begun this judgement of the Plague by degrees, that ſo like wiſe-men we might fore-ſee the uttermoſt perill, and anſwerably prepare our ſelves.
Direction, to be ſo watchfull over our ſelves, ſo well furniſhed and prepared, by that ſpirituall furniture which in the Word is preſcribed unto us, that no evill may ſuddenly ſurprize us, nor ordinary nor extraordinary evils, not death it ſelfe, nor the laſt judgement. Take heed (ſaith the Iudge himſelfe) to your ſelves, leſt at any time your hearts be overchanged, and ſo that day come upon you unawares.