A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 18
Verſe 18. For the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen againſt all vngodlineſſe, and vnrighteouſneſſe of men, which withhold the truth, in vnrighteouſnes.
NOw followes an other reaſon, prouing the ſame concluſion: the ſumme wherof ſeemes to be this. No tranſgreſſour of the law can be iuſtified by the works of the law, but if he will be iuſtified hee muſt be iuſtified by faith: but eueryevery man is a tranſgreſſour of the law: therefore no man can be iuſtified by the law, and ſo muſt needs righteouſneſſe be by faith.
The propoſition is not here ſet downe, but eaſily gathered out of the Text: and the truth of it eaſily euinced: becauſe the law requires to our iuſtification a perfect and continuall performance of the whole law, and eueryevery part thereof by our ſelues. See Gal. 3.9.10. apparant therefore, that the leaſt tranſgreſſion excludes from all iuſtification by the law.
Now the minor, or ſecond propoſition, namely, that eueryevery man is a tranſgreſſour of the law, he proues at large by a generall diſtribution of all mankinde; according to the phraſe of the holy Ghoſt: all Iewes & Gentiles are tranſgreſſors; but vnderunder one of theſe two differences comes all mankinde; therefore: and for the Gentils tranſgreſſion, he proues it at large from this 18. verſe, to verſe 17. Cap. 2. ſorting them alſo into two rankes: for they were eyther more notoriouſly wicked, or elſe Hypothetically onelyonly iuſt: of the firſt ſort hee ſhewes it, Cap. 1. Of the ſecond, cap. 2. After hee proues the ſame of the Iewes, from ver. 17. cap. 2. to the end of cap. 3. This the diſpoſition and generall ſumme of theſe three chapters.
As for the firſt ſort of the Gentiles, he proues that they were tranſgreſſours, by a reaſon drawne from the effect, as a ſigne of tranſgreſſion, (viz.) Gods wrath, metonymically his vengeance or iudgement inflicted on them. Where the reaſon lies thus in forme; vponupon whom the Lord poures downe his vengeance they are tranſgreſſours: but on the Gentiles God powred downe his wrath; Ergo, they were tranſgreſſors.
In handling of which reaſon this ſhall be the order: firſt to giuegive the ſenſe of the words; then to ſhew the force of the conſequence, and then the obſeruations.
The wrath of God.] It is a queſtion amongſt the learned, whether anger may properly be giuen to God; and many things are ſpoken both wayes: the truth is, that anger as it is in vsus, eyther for the materiall, or formall part of it, cannot be giuen to God that is free from all ſuch paſſions and perturbations: yet in a ſenſe it is true that anger is in God: that is, an inclination and will to puniſh ſinne, ariſing from his deteſtation of ſin: and ſo here it is to be vnderſtoode for the diſpleaſure of God conceiued againſt ſinne, teſtified by the puniſhments he inflicts on the tranſgreſſours.
Is reuealed from heauen.] (viz.) By thoſe puniſhments which out of that his throne of maieſtie, and imperiall ſeate, he executes vponupon them that prouoke him.
Now the conſequence is eaſily euinced: if there be wrath, there is ſure tranſgreſſion: both from the nature of GOD that abhorres nothing that he hath made, nor is diſpleaſed at any thing whereof himſelfe is authour, as hee is of all things in the world, except ſinne: if therefore hee be angry with man ſure it is becauſe man hath ſinned: ſecondly, his iuſtice permits not to puniſh the guiltleſſe. Gen. 18.25. Iob. 4.7.8.
Obſer. Hence therefore the concluſion is naturall, that Gods wrath preſuppoſeth mans tranſgreſſion: and therefore may we ſafely reaſon from a iudgement, to a ſin: God puniſheth, therfore ſurely ſomething is amiſſe. See Lament. 3.38.39. Neither doe eyther the ſufferings of Chriſt, or the chaſtiſements of Gods children, that in Chriſt are accepted as righteous, any whit impeach this truth: for howſoeuer Chriſt was in himſelfe a Lambe vndefiled and without ſpotf1 Pet. 1.19., yet was he by imputation a ſinnerg2 Cor. 5.21., and Gods children though they hauehave no ſinnes to be ſatisfied for by their owne puniſhments, yet hauehave they ſinne to be aboliſhed, chaſtiſed, preuented.
Vſe 1 And this if there were none other argument, would eaſily confute that dotage of the Pelagians, (viz.) that imitation onelyonly makes vsus partakers of Adams ſinne: for ſee wee not that infants alſo dye before they come to vſe of reaſon and vnderſtanding: dye they, and yet are guiltleſſe, and free from all ſinne? farre be it that the iudge of all the world ſhould not doe right, or inflict death the wages of ſinne, where is no tranſgreſſion.
Vſe 2 Secondly, ſee we to what cauſe we may impute all theſe iudgements of God, whether ordinarie or extraordinarie, common or perſonall that hauehave ſeized on vsus: all that diſorder in the creatures, in creation deſtined to mans comfort, now through tranſgreſſion become inſtruments of his annoyance: all the diſeaſes and aches of the body: alſo loſſes of children, goods, &c. The faſhion of moſt men in ſuch iudgements is to cry out of ill tongues that hauehave fore-ſpoken them, and ſurely they are bewitched: beloued in Chriſt, conſider it well, and we ſhall finde the witch in our owne boſome; the grand witches are our ſinnes, they hinder the good things from vsus, they bring downe all this wrath of God vponupon vsus: ſo for common calamities wherewith whole Kingdomes and States are viſited: as how long hath the Lord followed vsus in this Kingdome, with varietie of his iudgements; once and twice by famine and ſcarcitie of bread, and cleanneſſe of teeth, with peſtilence after the manner of Egypt; with vnſeaſonable weather, fearfull inundations; and yet behold the wrath of the Lord is not ceaſed, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill. Wonder wee at this? O Lord, ſaith Ioſuah, in like caſe, what ſhall I ſay when Iſraell turne their backes before their enemieshIoſhua 7.8.: marke the Lords anſwere; get thee vp Ioſuah, get thee vp; Iſraell hath ſinned and tranſgreſſed my couenant, &c. for they hauehave taken of the excommunicate thing, and ſtolne, and diſſembled, and hauehave put it euen with their owne ſtuffe: and this is the cauſe that Iſrael cannot ſtand before their enemies, becauſe they are execrable: and ſurely, beloued, the ſame anſwere may wee giuegive to the like demaund: What ſhould wee ſay when England, the people of GOD, are thus loden with the iudgements of God? What, but that we hauehave ſinned, and broken the Lords Couenant? ſhall I ſay and diſſembled and hidden our ſinnes? that modeſtie were yet tolerable, but they hauehave declared their ſinnes as Sodome, and hauehave not hidden themiIſay 3.9.: the ſtreets ring againe with othes, for which the land mournes; the tables and tauernes ſwimme with filthy vomitings; the ſabbath polluted, iudgement peruerted; the rulers ſell ſinnes, and ſay with ſhame enough (O ſhameleſſe ſhame) bring giftslHoſea 4.18.: and can we wonder at this wrath of the Lord? Nay, O Lord it is thy mercy, thine vnſpeakeable mercy, that we are not conſumed.
Vſe 3 Now thirdly, I could wiſh that the third vſe, which Ieremie infers Lament. 3.40. might take place amongſt vsus; that in all theſe iudgements of GOD wee would ſearch and try our wayes, and turne vntounto the Lord. Iſraell had neuer reſt, till the execrable thing was remoued; nor let England euer thinke to hauehave reſt from Gods wrath, till theſe execrable ſinnes are ſome wayes expiated amongſt vsus: the Lord giuegive vsus eyes to ſee eueryevery man his own perſonall ſinnes, and to turne from them: and moue the heart of our Ioſuah, to ſearch out the execrable things amongſt vsus, and to conſume them, that the Lord may returne and hauehave merciemercy on vsus, before his wrath hauehave vtterly conſumed vsus. Amen.
Let vsus now proceed to that that followes. It may be demanded how the Lord manifeſted his wrath vponupon theſe Gentiles: Anſ. Read the proceſſe of the chapter, and you ſhall finde it was by inflicting ſpirituall plagues vponupon them, and permitting them to thoſe groſſe and brutiſh ſinnes, wherein they wallowed.
Obſer. Whence may be obſerued, that it is not the leaſt euidence of Gods anger, to giuegive a people or perſon the raynes in iniquitie: when the Lord ſuffers ſin to grow in a man to a height, without reſtraint, thats a token of his heauy diſpleaſure. Firſt, for argues it not a deniall, or depriuall of grace? and is not this a token of wrath? Secondly, ſhewes it not that God hath reiected them from his care? Thirdly, is it not a plaine euidence that he meanes to glorifie himſelfe in ſuch a mans vtter deſtruction? therefore he neuer deales ſo with his owne ſeruants. Pſal. 89.31.32. but onelyonly with the deſperate wicked. Hoſea 4.14.
Ʋſe. So that hereby againe, wee may iuſtly gather Gods heauy diſpleaſure againſt the people of this kingdome; becauſe the Lord ſuffers the generalitie to grow to ſuch an height, and ripeneſſe of helliſh prophaneneſſe. I could be content to promiſe my ſelfe any good thing of my mother the Church of England; and to hope for all gracious bleſſings from God vponupon her, were it not that I ſee the Lord dayly making way for an extreame vengeance, and by ſo euident tokens manifeſting his wrath againſt her. And when I ſee ſuch open aſſembly of Adulterers, by companies in harlots houſesmIer. 5.7., ſuch defiling of the land with bloud, ſuch peruerting of iuſtice, ſuch ſtopping of the eare to the cry of the poore, ſuch open prophanation of Sabbaths, deſperate contempt of the word, ſcoffing at religion, &c. I then begin to ſay with the Lord, Ier. 5.7. How ſhould he ſpare vsus for this? ſhall not the Lord viſit for theſe things: and ſhall not his ſoule be auenged on ſuch a Nation as this: verſe 9. Surely if the Lord would continue his mercies towards England, hee would neuer ſuffer ſo groſſe impieties to be ſo ſhameleſly committed: if his wrath were not too much incenſed againſt vsus, ſome meanes or other hee would vſe of our reſtraint: but permitting ſuch ſinnes to ſuch an height, he plainely teſtifyeth the fierceneſſe of his wrath againſt vsus. Conſider what is ſaid, and the Lord giuegive vsus vnderſtanding in all things: great is the ſecuritie of our people in this kinde, eueryevery man bleſſing himſelfe in his wickedneſſe, and promiſing himſelfe peace, though hee walke after the ſtubbornneſſe of his owne heart, adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt. Deut. 29 18.
And would God our Prophets had not their ſhare in this, ſaying we ſhall hauehave peace, when alas, if wee may iudge by ſignes, there is no peace: what though the Lord hauehave multiplied our people, enlarged our kingdomes, ſtabliſhed our peace with forraine Nations, and yet permits ſinne to ſuch height amongſt vsus: are we better thennNahu. 3.8.9.10. No, better repleniſhed, better fenced, better friended? yet was ſhee carried away; no brethren, neuer looke for peace whiles our ſinnes, our abhominable ſinnes, are in ſo great number and high meaſure amongſt vsuso1 Reg. 9.22.: and the Lord grant theſe things may worke in vsus truely turning from our ſinnes, that the Lord may repent him of his great wrath, that hee is preparing for vsus. Amen, Amen.
Come wee now to view the cauſe of this wrath, whereby the equitie of Gods proceeding is ſhewed: this wrath was reuealed from heauen: if any aske why: it was becauſe they withheld or detayned the truth in vnrighteouſneſſe; for ſo I take it, this deſcription of the Gentiles by their behauiour, imports the cauſe of Gods wrath vponupon them. See we the meaning of the words.
By the truth wee are here to vnderſtand, thoſe foreign, true principles and notices that the Gentiles had in their vnderſtanding, theſe and the like; that there is a God, that this God is the maker and gouernour of the world, of infinite power, wiſedome, iuſtice, goodneſſe, &c. and therefore to be worſhipped: and thoſe alſo of iuſtice, equitie and charitie to be practiſed towards men; as that what wee would not another ſhould doe to vsus, that wee ſhould not doe to him, &c. This truth they detayned or kept downe in vnrighteouſneſſe; that whereas the conſcience, from that light that was in the vnderſtanding, ſuggeſted often, and vrged on to the practiſe of thoſe things knowne, they wickedly ſuppreſſed all ſuch motions, and hindered them from that effect they would hauehave had in their hearts: This the Senſe.
Obſer. And comparing this ſinne with the puniſhment, it ſhewes vsus, how fearefull a thing it is, to hinder the effect of the knowne truth in the heart; and to ſuppreſſe the good motions ſuggeſted by conſcience, out of principles in the vnderſtanding: for firſt, what is this but to be wilfully wicked? Secondly, ſee the haynouſneſſe of it in the dangerous conſequent: for hereby it comes to paſſe by little and little, that conſcience is quite killed, and the truth vtterly extinguiſhed, ſo that the groſſeſt ſinnes are practiſed without any checke or remorſe of conſcience. See Epheſ. 4.18.19. Rom. 1.21.26.27.
And let it be our admonition to take heede how wee ſuppreſſe the truth, Ʋſe. or by violence hinder the worke of it in our hearts. S. Paul would hauehave the word of God to dwell plentifully in our heartspCol. 3 16.: to hauehave full ſcope and the whole ſway in the heart of a Chriſtian. Now brethren how far engaged our people are in this ſinne of ſuppreſſing, and ſuffocating the knowne truth, too lamentable experience ſhewes: the checks of conſcience, cauſed eyther by word, or workes of God, they are commonly accounted fits of melancholy, and when ſuch quames come ouer their hearts, a paire of tables or cardes, or merry company, is ſought to driue them away: fearfull is this ſinne, and ſuch as is the forerunner of a reprobate minde, &c.