The Sin Against the Holy Ghost, Sermons · Sermon 10
THE TENTH SERMON.
HEBR. 10. VER. 30.
30 For we know him that hath ſaid, Vengeance (belongeth) vntounto me: I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD. And againe, The LORD ſhall iudge his people.
THis 30 verſe yealdeth three notes.
The firſt, that God is true in all his promiſes, in all his threatnings, in all his ſayings, & is acknowledged to be ſuch by all the fathfull: which I gathered out of the preface to the teſtimonies, theſe words: We know him that hath ſaid.
The ſecond, that God will revenge all wronges done vntounto himſelfe and his people: which ariſeth out of the firſt teſtimonie, theſe words: Vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD.
The third, that God will ſeverely puniſh his owne people alſo: which is plaine by the ſecond teſtimonie, theſe wordes: The LORD ſhall iudge his people.
Of the firſt of theſe three notes, I ſpake in my laſt exerciſe.
I proceed.
Ʋengeance belongeth vntounto mee, I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD.
THeſe words in ſo many ſyllables are cited by St Paule, Rom. 12.19. in a ſenſe ſomewhat different from that, they beare in this place. There the Apoſtle following the naturall meaning of the words, as they are vſed in the ſong of Moſes, by way of exhortation vntounto patience adviſeth vsus to giuegive place vntounto God in all matters of revenge, it being a thing onelyonly and properly belonging vntounto him. If it be poſſible (ſaith hee) as much as in you lyeth hauehave peace with all men. Avenge not your ſelues, but giuegive place vntounto wrath; for it is written: vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD.
It is writtē Deut. 32. where Moſes, after that he had gathered together the elders and officers of Iſrael, to ſpeake in their audience; & had foretold them, that after his death they would vtterly be corrupt, and turne from the way of the LORD, and that therfore evill ſhould come vponupon them: at the length, he ſets downe that his moſt excellent and ſpirituall ſonge; wherin his doctrine drops as the raine, and his ſpeech ſtills like the ſweeteſt ſhewers vpō the hearbs. In which his ſong he firſt makes reherſal of the ineſtimable benefits powred downe in great abundāce vponupon that people; then he ſpeaks of their ingratitude. Laden with fatnes they spurned with their heeles, and regarded not the ſtronge God of their ſalvation. After which he brings in God himſelfe moued to ielouſie, and angrie with their provocatiō, breathing forth threatning vponupon threatning of plague vponupon plague to light vponupon ſo froward a generation. The fire was kindled in his wrath: he threatned that hee would make his arrowes drunke with the blood, and his ſword to eate the fleſh of rebellious ISRAEL. Were it not for the furie of his enimies, who ſeeing the deſolatiō & deſtructiō of his people, would ſay: our high hand, & not the LORD hath done all this. Wherevpon the LORD proteſteth, that he reſerueth revengement vntounto himſelfe, and that aſſuredly in due time, he wil break in peeces every veſſell of diſhonour, & will be a tower of defence, vntounto al that truſt in him. This his proteſtation we read verſ. 35, 36. of that ſong: Vengeance and recompence are mine: their feete ſhall ſlide in due time: for the day of their deſtruction is at hand, & the things that ſhall come vponupon them make haſt. For the LORD ſhall iudge his people, and repent towards his ſervantes.
Wordes of a double vſe: they yeeld matter of comfort to all the faithfull, God will revenge all wrongs done vntounto them, for the LORD ſhall iudge his people, & repent towards his ſervants. They yeeld alſo matter of fearefulneſſe and horrour to al the wicked, who muſt know, that God is a revengefull iudge: the day of their deſtruction is at hand; the thing, that ſhall come vponupon them, make haſt; their feet ſhall ſlide in due time. For the LORD hath ſaid, and his ſayings are immutable; Vengeance and recompenſe are mine.
Now wee ſee the naturall meaning of theſe wordes, as they are vſed, Deut 32. and alleaged, Rom. 12. They confirme that conſtant and eternall rule of right and wrong, well knowne to the wiſer of the Heathen by the light of nature. Homer in the fourth of his Iliads, Theocritus in his tenth Idyllium, Pindarus in his Pythia, and generally the reſidue of prophane writers, all doe giuegive their aſſent to this, that God finds out the wicked man whereſoever, to be avenged on him.
I will not hold you with any recitall of their ſayings; for it is not the deliverie of a Latine or Greeke ſentence out of ſuch authors, that will much edifie. The word of God I knowe, is liuely, and mightie in operation; in it, is this eternall rule of right and wrong ſtabliſhed: mention whereof is made by Iunius Paral. 24. lib. 2. to this ſence: There is no cauſe, why men ſhould be carefull to procure revenge againſt, or to take revenge vponupon ſuch as hauehave wronged them; it's their part rather, to reſt in God, and to commit all their iniuries vntounto him, that hee, to whom alone vengeance belongeth, may at length ſhew himſelfe.
It is an axiome among Schoole-divines. Nihil obſtat quo minùs ſpeciales ſententias transferamus ad doctrinam vniverſalem. A particular and speciall ſentence may bee a good ground to an vniverſall doctrine. Albeit therefore it was MOSES his purpoſe in vſing theſe words, and Pauls in citing them, to diſſwade, the godly from all private revenge, by aſſuring thē that God will be the avenger of all their iniuries and wrongs; yet may they, well ſuting the analogie of faith afforde this doctrine more vniverſall, that it is proper vntounto God to take vengeance vponupon all the wicked. Wherevpon wil follow that which the Apoſtle driues at in this place: namely, that the impietie of ſuch, as doe deſpite, and make a mocke of God, ſhall not for ever eſcape vnpuniſhed.
Whoſoever, hauing receaued the knowledge of the truth, ſhall ſinne willingly; only becauſe he will ſinne, wilfully, spitefully, & malitiouſly; and ſo ſhall crucifie againe the ſonne of God, ſhall count his blood prophane, ſhall tread him vnderunder foot, ſhall make a mocke of him, and ſhall despite the spirit of grace; that is, whoſoever, hauing receaued the knowledge of God and his Chriſt, ſhall fall away from God and godlineſſe, from Chriſt & Chriſtianitie, his root ſhall be rottenneſſe, and his bud ſhall riſe vp like the duſt, for the mightie one of Iſrael, having put on the garment of vengeance for clothing, and being clad with zeale, as with a cloake, will come neere to them in iudgement, and will bee a ſwift witneſſe againſt them. For as the Prophet Ieremie, chap. 51.56. ſpeaketh to the confuſion of idolatrous Babel; The LORD God that recompenſeth, ſhall ſurely recompenſe; ſo ſpeaketh our Apoſtle to the aſtoniſhment of all back-ſliders, VVee knowe him that hath ſaid, vengeance belongeth vntounto mee, I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD.
Ʋengeance belongeth vntounto me] In ſpeaking of the vengeance of God our firſt care muſt bee, not to derogate any thing from his proclivitie and propenſneſſe vntounto mercy. Wee muſt breake out into the mention of his great goodneſſe, and ſing aloud of his mercies; ſaith DAVID, Pſal. 145.7. For the LORD is loving & good to all, and his mercies are over all his workes. The LORD ſtrong and mightie, bleſſed aboue all, yea being bleſſedneſſe it ſelfe, and therefore hauing no need of any man, is loving and good vntounto every man. Our ſinnes hauehave provoked his vengeance againſt vsus; yet he, ſlow to anger, and of great goodneſſe, reſerueth mercy for thouſands, for all the elect, and forgiueth all their iniquities, tranſgreſſions, and ſinnes. His goodneſſe here reſteth not, it reacheth alſo vntounto the reprobate, though they cannot feele the ſweet comfort of it. For he maketh his Sunne to riſe on the evil and the good, and ſendeth raine, on the iuſt & vniuſt, yea, many times the Sunne and raine, and all outward & temporarie bleſſings are wanting to the iuſt and good, when the vniuſt and evill doe flouriſh, & are in great proſperitie. Thus is Gods gratiouſneſſe and great bountie extended vntounto every man, whether he be a bleſſed Abel, or a curſed Cain; a loued Iacob, or an hated Eſau; an elected David, or a reiected Saul. GOD is louing and good vntounto every man.
The Pſalmiſt addeth; and his mercies are over all his workes. There is not any one of Gods workes, but it ſheweth vntounto others, and findeth in it ſelfe, very large teſtimonies of Gods mercies and goodneſſe. I except not the damnation of the wicked, much leſſe the chaſtiſemēts of the godly. Gods mercies are over all his workes. DAVID knew it well, and ſang accordingly, Pſal. 145.8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull, long ſuffering, & of great goodneſſe. IONAS knewe it well, and confeſſed accordingly, chap. 4.2. Thou art a gracious God, and mercifull, ſlow to anger and of great kindneſſe, and repenteſt thee of evill. The CHVRCH knowes it wel, and prayes accordingly; O God, whoſe nature and property is ever to hauehave mercy and to forgiue, receaue our humble petitions. DAVID, IONAS, and the CHVRCH, all hauehave learned it at Gods owne mouth, who hauing deſcended in a cloud to mount Sinai, paſſed before the face of Moſes, & cryed, as is recorded, Exod. 34.6. The LORD, the LORD, ſtrong, mercifull, and gratious, ſlow to anger, and abundant in goodneſſe, and truth; reſeruing mercy for thouſands, forgiuing iniquitie, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne.
In which place of Scripture, although afterward there follow a little of his iuſtice, which he may not forget, yet wee ſee the maine ſtreame runneth concerning mildneſſe, and kindneſſe, & compaſſion. Whereby wee may perceaue, what it is wherein the Lord delighteth; his delight is to be a Saviour, a deliuerer, a preſerver, a redeemer, and a pardoner. As for the execution of his iudgements, his vengeance, and his furie, he comes vntounto it with heavy and leaden feet.
To which purpoſe learned Zanchius alleageth that of the Prophet Eſay chap. 28.21. The LORD ſhall ſtand as (once hee did) in mount Perazim (when David overcame the Philiſtines) he will be angry as (once hee was) in the valley of Gibeon, when Ioſhuah diſcomfited the fiue Kings of the Amorites; hee ſhall ſtand, hee ſhall be angry, that hee may doe his worke, his ſtrange worke, and bring to paſſe his act, his ſtrange act. Out of which words of the Prophet hee notes, that Gods workes are of two ſorts, either proper vntounto him and naturall, as to hauehave mercy, and to forgiue; or elſe ſtrange & ſomewhat diverſe from his nature, as to be angry, and to puniſh.
I knowe ſome doe expound theſe words otherwiſe, vnderſtanding by foreign and foreign that ſtrange worke, and ſtrange act of God there mentioned, opus aliquod inſolens & admirabile, ſome ſuch worke, as God ſeldome worketh, ſome great wonder.
Notwithſtanding this naturall expoſition of that place, the former may well be admitted alſo; for it is not altogether vnnaturall, being grounded vponupon ſuch places of Scripture, as doe make for the preheminence of mercy aboue iuſtice. Its true, God hath one skale of iuſtice, but the other proues the heavier, mercy doth overway. Hee who is ever iuſt, is mercifull more then ever, if it may be poſſible. Hee may forget our iniquities; but his tender mercies, they ſhall not for ever be ſhut vp in diſpleaſure; he ſhall never forget to be mercifull.
This our Lord, good, mercifull, gracious, long ſuffering, hath yet ſaid; vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe. The LORD hath ſaid it; & is thea1. Sam. 15.29 ſtrength of ISRAEL, as man that he bNum 23.19.ſhould lie? or as the ſonne of man that he ſhould repent? is he notcHeb. 13 8. yeſterday, and to day, and for ever the ſame? that dRev. 1.4. See Sermon 5. on Iames 4. p. 136was, that is, and that is to come. I meane not in ſubſtance only, but in will and in intention is the LORD variable? are his words yea, and nay? are his words as our words? No: all his promiſes, all his threatnings, all his mercies, all his iudgements, all his words, yea all the titles of all his words, are yea and amen, ſo firmely ratified that they cannot be broken, ſo ſtanding immutable that they may not bee changed. He hath ſaid vengeance is mine; and vengeance ſhall be his: he hath ſaid, I will recompenſe, and he ſhall ſurely recompenſe. Ʋengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe, ſaith the LORD.
Vengeance, an effect of anger, belongeth vntounto God as anger doth. Some would hauehave God to be ſaid to bee angry, as hee is ſaid to be iealous and to repent, giuing this note; that theſe attributes, and all other like theſe muſt bee taken foreign, as being vſed by the holy Ghoſt onelyonly for our eaſier vnderſtanding.
It is, I grant, a common thing, for God in his holy word to apply himſelfe to our capacities, and to attribute to himſelfe ſuch things, as are vſual in the courſe of our liues. For inſtance. Becauſe men, for the exceeding care they hauehave to keepe their wiues chast, doe get to be called iealous; therefore God caring in like ſort to keep his spouſe chaſt, to preſerue his Church ſpotleſſe, is called alſo iealous. Againe, becauſe men vſe not to change their former purpoſes and intents, except it repenteth them, that they had before ſo purpoſed and intended: therefore God alſo is ſaid to repent, when he altereth, not his WILL, for that is vnchangeable, nor his DECREE, for that cannot be altered, but the thing which he promiſed, or threatned. So is it here; becauſe men vſe not to bee revenged on others, except they be angry, therefore when God revengeth our wickednes, he is alſo ſaid to be angry.
To the truth of all this I willingly ſubſcribe. Yet for further explication of my text I adde; that not only foreign, but alſo foreign and foreign, anger, & vengeance the effect of anger, are aſcribed vntounto God. The holy Ghoſt, ſpeaking, not only to our vnderſtanding, but alſo as things indeed are, aſcribeth anger vntounto God in a proper, peculiar, and true meaning. I note therefore three ſignifications of the anger of God, often mentioned in holy Scriptures.
Firſt it ſignifieth the eternall decree, whereby God hath purpoſed in himſelfe, to take vengeance vponupon all evill doers, ſuch eſpecially as ſhal do wrōg vntounto God himſelfe, or to his Church: in which ſenſe Iohn Baptiſt vſeth it in his doctrine deliuered vntounto the Iews, Ioh. 3.36. HE that obeyeth not the Son, ſhall not ſee life, but foreign, the anger and wrath of God abideth on him, that is, he ſhall aſſuredly feele that iuſt vengeance decreed againſt him from all eternitie. To like purpoſe is it vſed by St Paul, Rom. 1.18. foreign: the anger and wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, againſt al vngodlineſſe, and vnrighteouſneſſe of men. The meaning is plaine: By Gods iudgements wrought vponupon vsus, the ſonnes of men, its evident, that his everlaſting decree is againſt all iniquitie.
Againe the anger or wrath of God, betokeneth his menacings or threatnings. Examples hereof are frequent. David praieth, Pſal. 6.1. O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chaſtize me in thy wrath; as if he had praied; O LORD, let not thy vengeance overtake my ſinnes, according as thou haſt threatned. Ionas aſketh chap. 3.9. Who can tell, whether God will turne and repent, & turne away from the fiereneſſe of his wrath, that we periſh not? as if he had aſked, who knoweth, whether God may bee intreated not to doe accordingly, as hee hath threatned. The LORD himſelfe promiſeth, Hoſ. 11.9. I will not execute the fierceneſſe of my wrath againſt Ephraim, as if he had promiſed: I, being a God, and not man, the holy one in the middeſt of thee, hauing my heart turned within mee, and my repentings rouled together I, even I, will not doe accordingly as I hauehave threatned. I will not hold you with more examples in ſo plaine a matter.
Laſt of all the anger of God, is put for the effects of his anger, for puniſhment, and revenge. To ſuch as deſpiſe the riches of Gods boūtifulneſſe, patience, and long ſufferance, Paule ſaith, Rom. 2.5. After thine hardneſſe, and heart that cannot repent, thou heapeſt vntounto thy ſelfe wrath against the day of wrath. Thou heapeſt vntounto thy ſelfe wrath; that is, thou layeſt vp, as treaſure, for thy ſelfe puniſhment againſt the day of the declaration of Gods iuſt iudgmēt. To the Phariſees & Sadducees, which came to the baptiſme of Iohn, Iohn ſaid, Matth. 3.7. O generation of Vipers, who hath forwarned you to flee from the anger to come? frō the anger, that is, from the puniſhments hanging over your heads becauſe of Gods anger. One example more in ſoe great variety, and no more. To the childrē of diſobedience it is warranted by Paule, Epheſ. 5.6. that the anger of God ſhall come vpō them. The anger of God, that is, his vengeance, the effectes of his anger ſhall aſſuredly light vponupon the children of diſobedience, ſuch as excuſe themſelues, and ſet light by the menacies and iudgments of their God.
We ſee now that Gods eternall decree is, to be avenged on the wicked; that he threatneth as much in his holy word, and dayly practiſeth the ſame by puniſhing of ſinners; what remaineth but that we acknowledge & confeſſe with feare & humbleneſſe, that vengeance truly & properly belongeth vntounto God, and that he ſhall ſurely recompenſe.
The conſideration hereof may moue our hearts to wiſdome.
It may moue vsus to beware of thoſe crying ſinnes, vſually cō mitted againſt the firſt table: that we provoke not Gods vengeance againſt vsus, by Idolatrie, in worſhipping the creature aboue the Creator, bleſſed for ever; by tempting God, in making tryall, wh…ther his word be true or not; by murmuring againſt him, in laying iniuſtice to his charge, quod bonis male ſit, & malis benè, for afflicting the godly, when the wicked liue at eaſe; by rebellion & contumacie, in taking counſell together againſt the LORD, and againſt his Christ; by blaſphemie, in doing deſpite to the ſpirite of Grace.
It may moue vsus alſo to beware of thoſe other ſinnes, crying ſinnes too, vſually committed againſt the ſecond table, that we provoke not Gods vengeance againſt vsus; by diſhonoring our parents, and ſuch as God hath put in place of government aboue vsus; by greiuing our children, and ſuch as are by vsus to be governed; by oppreſſing the fatherleſſe, and the poore; by giuing our ſelues over vntounto filthy luſts. For the Holy one, that is in the middeſt of vsus, the LORD of Heauen and earth, whoſe ſayings muſt come to paſſe; he hath ſaid; Vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe.
I might here take iuſt occaſion in many words to dehorte you from private revenge, the ſinne that eates and conſumes vsus in Colleges. But dictum ſapienti. You are wiſe; and touching this ſore, which much moleſteth vsus, you will cōmune with your owne hearts in your chambers. Only I beſeech you, attend vntounto the words of the Apoſtle, Rom. 12.18, 19. GiueGive me leaue to vſe them, as mine owne; Dearely beloued, if it be poſſible, as much as in you lieth, hauehave peace with al men. Avenge not your ſelues, but giuegive place vntounto wrath; for it is written; Vengeance belongeth vntounto mee, I will recompen…, ſaith the LORD.
Gracious Father, let thy word abide plentifully among vsus in all wiſdome; make vsus walke worthy the ſame, as it becommeth the ſonnes of ſo high a God. GiueGive vsus thy grace, good Lord, that thy word in vsus may multiply as ſeed ſowne in good ground, and we may ever vſe it to the edifying of our conſciences, to the comfort of our ſoules, and to the kindling of good motions within vsus, through Ieſus Christ our Lord.