Gods Three Arrows, Section 45
§. 45. Of the ſinnes which moſt provoke Gods wrath.
3. IT is an eſpeciall point of wiſdome to take due notice of thoſe ſinnes which among others do moſt provoke Gods wrath: that we may know when to be moſt humbled, what to be moſt watchfull againſt, and againſt what moſt to pray. Gods word giveth us beſt direction herein. Out of it, I will endeavour to collect ſuch as heretofore have exceedingly incenſed him, and cauſed him in wrath to execute fearefull judgements. They are theſe.
1. Idolatry. The reaſon annexed to the ſecond Commandement Pergrave crimen eſt idololatria. Ambr. Com. ment in Col. 3. Hinc critur om nis impictas. Aug de ver… Relig cap. 37.giveth evidence againſt this ſinne, that it exceedingly provoketh Gods wrath. The reaſon is this, 1 the Lord thy God am a jealous God. aPro. 6 34. Idololatriā ſaepè ac propriè Scriptura ſornicationem vocat Aug. de Doct Chr. lib. 3. cap. 8.Iealouſie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not ſpare in the day of vengeance. It is a paſſion moſt properly incident to husbands, ſtirred up againſt their wives, and againſt ſuch as ſteale away their wives heart, and commit adultery with them. But bEzek. 23 37. Hoſ. 2. 2.idolatry is a ſpirituall adultery. For cIer. 31. 32. Hoſ. 2. 19.God is as an huſband to his people that profeſſe his name. As adultery therefore is the moſt capitall crime that a wife can commit againſt an husband (dMat 5 32. thereby the matrimoniall bond is broken) ſo idolatry againſt God. eIudg 5. 8.Idolaters chooſe other gods. So they fIſa 42. 8.give Gods higheſt honour to others. No marvell then that gDeut. 9. 19. Numb 25. 3. Iudg. 2. 13, 14.the fire of Gods jealouſie is inflamed againſt them. hDeut. 6. 14, 15.This motive againſt idolatry doth Moſes much preſſe.
2. Prophanation of ſacred things, and times. iEzek. 43. 8.The Prophet expreſly noteth this to be an eſpeciall cauſe that provoked God to conſume his people in his anger. kNeh. 13. 18.Ye bring (ſaith Nehemiah) more wrath upon Iſrael by prophaning the Sabboth. Sacred times, places, and ordinances are in ſpeciall manner for the honour of God. To prophane them is an high diſhonour to God. Iuſt cauſe there is therefore for God to be angry with ſuch.
3. Pollution of profeſſion: as when Profeſſours of the true Religion mixe themſelves with prophane perſons, and joyne themſelves with them in mariage, ſociety, amity, confederacy, &c. Yea, and every way faſhion themſelves like to them, in ſpeech, in geſture, in apparell, in paſtimes, &c. lGen. 6. 3.This ſo incenſed Gods wrath againſt the old world, as he ſwept them all away with a floud. m2 Chro. 19. 2Wrath is ſaid to come upon Iehoſaphat from the Lord, for this very thing. nDeut. 7 4. Rev. 14 9, 10.By feare of Gods wrath Gods people is oft deterred from all ſuch commixtion. Profeſſion of Gods name is a ſacred Rom. 2. 24.thing: it engageth God, and bringeth him to a part or a ſide. oEzek. 36. 20.By polluting it, his ſacred name is blaſphemed.
4. Ingratitude, or a diſ-reſpecting, deſpiſing, and vilifying of Gods mercies, favours, and bleſſings. Thus pNumb. 11, 6, 10.The anger of the Lord was kindled greatly againſt Iſrael for their light account of Manna. And qDeut 32. 18, 19.he abhorred them, becauſe they were unmindfull of the rocke that begat them: and had forgotten God that formed them. Ingratitude is a ſinne hatefull Ingratitudinem prorſus odit ani ma mea Peremp toria ſiquidem res eſt ingratitudo, hoſtis gratiae, inimica ſalutis, Nhilita d…ſplicet Deo, &c. Bern deEvang. 7. Panum Serm 2.to God and man. It makes God repent him of the kindneſſe he hath done: and thereupon to alter his mind, and to turne favour into fury. On this ground r1 Sam. 15. 11.it repented God that he had ſet up Saul to be King: And s—16. 14.The ſpirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evill ſpirit from the Lord troubled him. tPsal 95. 10, 11.By Iſraels ingratitude God was provoked in wrath to ſweare that they ſhould not enter into his reſt. u2 Chro. 32. 25.Hezekiah rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him: but his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, &c.
5. Magiſtrates abuſe of their authority. xHoſ 5. 10.The Princes of Iudah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will powre out my wrath upon them, ſaith the Lord. y2 King. 23. 26.The Lord turned not from the fierceneſſe of his great wrath wherewith his wrath was kindled against Iudah, becauſe of all the provocations that Manaſheh had provoked him withall. zPſal 82. 6. 2 Chro. 19. 6.Magiſtrates are on earth as Gods: they beare his image, ſtand in his roome, are to execute his judgements. By their abuſe of their authority God is highly diſhonored, and his image diſgraced: ſo as he can not but manifeſt his indignation againſt ſuch.
6. Ministers perverting their function: and that by encouraging and emboldening the wicked: and by diſcouraging and diſcountenancing the upright. aEzek. 13. 12, 13.The Prophet thus in the name of the Lord denounceth Gods wrath againſt ſuch Miniſters as build up their wall with untempered morter, Quia lae…ati eſtis in ruina ſervsrum meorum, cadem perſecutio contra vos quo que venict, &c. Hier. Comment. in Abd.I will even rent it with a ſtormy wind in my fury: and there ſhalbe an over-flowing ſhower in mine anger, and great hailestones in my fury to conſume it. Take inſtance of the fearefull effects of Gods wrath againſt b1 Sam. 2. 29, &c.—3. 12, &c.Elies houſe. c2 Cor. 5. 20.Miniſters alſo of Gods Word do in another kind beare Gods image, ſtand in his roome, and are inſtructed with his counſels. By their perverting therefore of their function God is much diſhonoured, and his wrath muſt needs be much incenſed.
7. Inhumanity, or trampling on ſuch as are caſt downe. dEzek. 35. 5, 11.Thus did Edom on Iſrael, they executed cruelty on them in the time of their calamity, Therefore as I live, ſaith the Lord, I will do even according to thine anger, &c. On ſuch a ground the Lord alſo thus in wrath menaceth the Heathen, eZac. 1. 15.I am ſore diſpleaſed at the Heathen that are at eaſe: for I was but a little diſpleaſed, and they helped forward the affliction. f2 Chro. 28. 6. 7, &c.Pekah a King of Iſrael having ſlaine many of the children of Iudah, the children of Iſrael tooke of all ſorts, even women and children 200000 to cary them away captives. But a Prophet of the Lord reſtrained their fury by this ſpeech, Deliver the captives againe: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Such inhumanity, as it is in it ſelf a moſt odious vice, ſo more then moſt odious in his ſight, who is a God of pitty and compaſſion. gPſal. 69. 21, 24.To them therfore, againſt ſuch as in thirſt gave vineger to drinke, he thus cryeth, Powre out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathfull anger take hold of them.
8. Conſpiracy, and joynt conſent of all ſorts in all manner of ſinnes. hIer. 32. 31, 32.This City (ſaith the Lord of Ieruſalem) hath beene to me a provocation of mine anger, and of my fury, &c. Becauſe of all the evill which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their Kings, their Princes, their Prieſts, and their Prophets, and the men of Iudah, and inhabitants of Ieruſalem. And in another Prophet to like purpoſe thus ſaith the Lord, iEzek. 22. 30, 31.I ſought for a man among them that ſhould make up the hedge, and ſtand in the gap before me for the land, that I ſhould not deſtory it: but I found none. Therfore have I powred out mine indignation upon them, I have conſumed them with the fire of my wrath. kGen. 18. 24, &c.The integrity of ſome (though but a few among many wicked) is a meanes to with-hold the wrath of him who will not ſlay the righteous with the wicked. But when there is none to ſtand in the gap, how ſhould his wrath be ſtayed?
9. Obſtinacy: when men will not be reclaimed, but hate to be reformed. This provoked God to ſay to his owne Sicut obdurata corpora & dura non obſequuntur manibus medicorum: ſic & animae obdurate non obſequuntur verbo Dei. Chryſ. in Heb. 3. Hom. 6.people, lEzek. 20. 21.I would powre out my fury upon them, to accompliſh mine anger againſt them. Obſtinacy mIſa. 5. 24, 25.after God hath given his Law and Word to his people, and given nNumb. 16. 32, 35.former evidences of his wrath againſt them, moſt incenſeth Divine fury. o2 Chr. 36. 16. Peccantes non dolere magis Deum indignari facit & iraſci, quam peccare. Chryſ. ad Pop. Hom. …6. Cui deeſt fiducia, januam ſibi reſt piſcendi ſemolobfirmavit, & ad curriculum aditum intercluſit. Chryſ. pri. par. ad Theod. lapſ.They mocked the meſſengers of God, and deſpiſed his words, and miſ-uſed his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord aroſe against his people, till there was no remedy. Not to be moved with ſinne, more incenſeth God, then to ſinne.
10. Infidelity. By this men put away the only means of quenching the fire of Gods wrath, Chriſt, his bloud, his interceſſion. pIoh 3. 36. See more of this ſinne in The whole armour of God, on Epheſ 6. 16. Treat. 2. Part 6. §. 34.He that believeth not the Son ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. This ſinne is directly againſt the Goſpell, againſt the mercy, truth, power, and other like attributes of God. qNumb. 20. 12 Deut 3 26. Mafignus nihil non tentat, quo nobis diſſidentem cogitationem inſerat. Chryſ prior. Par. ad Theod.For this was God angry even with Moſes, and ſuffered him not to enter into the land of promiſe. The evill one every way aſſayes to worke diſſidence in men. Thus dealt he with Adam, and prevailed, (Gen. 3. 1.) Thus dealt he with Chriſt, but nought availed, Mat. 4. 3, 4.
11. Impenitency. To ſuch an one ſaith the Apoſtle, rRom. 2. 5. De nulla re ſic iraſcitur Deus, quemodo ſi peccator ſuperbiat, & erectus ac rigidus non ſera. tur in ſletum, nec miſericordiam poſtulet pro delicto. Hier. Comment. l. 3. in Eph. 5.After thine hardneſſe and impenitent heart, thou treaſureſt up unto thy ſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath. Great is that mercy that by the Goſpell is offered to ſinners. That thereby God may not be thought to boulſter up ſinners, Repentance is required. Therefore he that came to ſave ſinners, ſaith, sMat. 9. 13. Impoenitentia eſt delietum maximum, & blaſphemia irremiſſibi lis Bern. ſuper Cant. Serm. 38.I am come to call ſinners to repentance. To live under the Goſpell of Chriſt, and to live in ſinne, is to pervert the end of Chriſts comming, to abuſe mercy, to ſcandalize the Word of grace. What then can be expected of ſuch, but wrath? Iuſtly may it be accounted the greateſt ſinne.
12. Apoſtaſie. By this men withdraw themſelves from God. tHeb. 10. 38.In them therefore God can have no pleaſure. They depart from the comfortable ſun-ſhine of his mercy, and caſt themſelves into the ſcalding heat of his wrath. Moſes foretelling the fearefull judgements which ſhould befall the Iſraelites, as evidences and effects of Gods wrath, ſheweth that every one could tell the cauſe thereof. For when all nations ſhould aske, uDeut. 29. 24, 25. Diſcedens a Domino ſalutem haberenon poteſt, Ambr. in Pſal. 118. Serm. 15.Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? What meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men ſhall ſay, becauſe they have forſaken the covenant of the Lord, &c. Apoſtates diſgrace the Religion and profeſſion whence they fall, offend the faithfull Profeſſours thereof, grieve the good Spirit of God, and open the mouthes of the enemies of the Goſpell againſt their Profeſſion, and ſo give great cauſe of wrath. Yea, departing away from God, who is the Lord of life, they cannot have ſalvation.