Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 1 · Chapter 6 · Section 2
2. Sect. Of the forme of this Iuſtice.
Reprooue] Reproofe is a ſecond argument, to ſet forth the inſtice of God. Vindicatiue iuſtice is more violent, then correction; for that is alwaies in merciemercy, and the ende of it is the quiet fruit of righteouſneſſe: but the nature of this is to be a curſe, and the ende therof, the death and deſtruction of the creature. Alſo it is more forcibly felt of the creature, then Gods remuncratiue iuſtice; becauſe this ſtrikes at the verie heart, touches his verie conſcience, with the extremitie of horror and feare, and leaues neither bodie nor ſoule without moſt exquiſite torments, ſuch as were neuer inuented of men: the racke in England, the Strappado in Spaine, nor any torture inuented by the wit of man, ſhall euer come neere this; no not the ſtrange torments of Tyrants. Children are ſcared with harmleſſe bul-begger, but dread leſſe the fire, & water: ſo men in this world, feare them that can kil the bodie, but neuer feare at all, for him that can kil both bodie and ſoule: we tremble to heare a great man ſpeake, and the young men hide themſelues at the voyce of Iob; and yet alas, who trembles at a verball reproofe of the Lord? they thinke him a ſimple perſon, that can not indure a word. And therefore Chriſtians that are ſo much caſt downe, at the threatnings of the Lord, are with the wicked but fooles and faint hearted perſons: nay, more then this, let the hand of the Lord light vponupon their fellow-companions, and that ſhall be no prognoſtication to them. When diuination was by lightnings, thoſe lightnings which fell in the ſea, or toppes of mountaines, were neuer brought into obſeruation, but were called bruta fulmina; ſo the indgments of God that light vponupon others, are farre enough remooued from them, and therefore they neuer call them into queſtion: nay, alas they make lighter account of them, as long as they are threatned in Gods word, or executed vponupon others, then Morbizan the Turke, did of the Bull of Pius the ſecond, or of his indulgences to the people to take armes againſt him, that by a letter to the Pope, he required that he would call in his Epigrammes againe: ſo men thinke, that when the Lord threatneth the ſeiſure both of ſoule and bodie, the attaching of our ſpirits, the confiſcation of our conſciences, the baniſhing of vsus from heauen, the hanging of vsus in hell, the ſuspending of our ſaluation, the adiudging of vsus to condemnation, to be nothing but wittie Epigrammes, inuented of men, to exerciſe men withall. One calls the excommunication of Paulus quintus againſt the Venetians, dirum carmen; and Bellarmine ſaies of Prudentius, when he appoints certaine holy-daies in hell, Paenarum celebres, ſub ſtyge feriae. Euen ſo the world deales with God: his threatning are but idle Tragedies, and the puniſhments in hell may hauehave their holy-daies, wherein men may take their recreations. So that now God ſhall be as well beholding to ieſting Lucian, or any inuenter of fables, or tragedies of hell, to make one old woman weepe, or tremble, as to his owne Prophets, or Apoſtles: but let them be aſſured, that hell is no painted fire, for they ſhall finde that God hath fire and ſagot, ſword and bow, ſpeare and yron rods, to daſh in pieces eueryevery one, although as hard hearted as Pharaoh himſelfe: then ſhall they tremble moſt, that feared leaſt, when Gods iudgements were threatned.
Obſerv. The Iuſtice of God ſhall be manifeſted, as well in plagues and curſes, as in promiſes and mercies: Doe this, and thou ſhalt liue; there is rewarding iuſtice: but the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt die the death; there is iuſtice puniſhing, which a long time is kept vnderunder the cloud of Gods ſilence, but at length breaketh forth, and by that meanes is made to ſhine the brighter. Euen as in a darke night, one ſtarre breaking out of a thicke cloud, deliuereth a farre more ſplendent and glorious light, then if it ſhone with many in a cleare euening: ſo this iuſtice hath the more grace and beautie from the Lord in the wicked, inſomuch as almoſt all other planets had a long time beene eclipſed, or quite fallen out of their ſpheres, to the great diſcomfort of all ſuch as trauailed with the wicked (though not in their waies) yet in the ſelfe ſame night, and buſied themſelues at the lamps of Gods word, beeing carefull to vphold the ſocietie of mankind by learning and inſtruction. Ionah the Prophet, was content to enter into the citie a daies iourney, and preached, and ſo continued walking with the men in the citie, vntill they put on ſackcloth, faſted, and humbled themſelues: this might exceedingly hauehave comforted Ionah, to ſee ſo chearefull and comfortable a light breake forth as repentance: but alas Ionah is diſpleaſed, and that exceedingly, that he ſhould prognoſticate of a flaming fire from heauen within fourtie daies to deſtroy Nineueh, and yet nothing appeare according to his word; this made him angrie, impudent with God: now againe to defend his fleeing into Tarſhiſh, although the Lord had appeared vntounto him in the fearefull tempeſt, prepared a fiſh, heard his prayer, brought him to drie land; yet now becauſe God will not come from heauen according to his word, he wiſheth that he might die, and that God would ſhew his iuſtice on him. One would hauehave thought Ionah might hauehave bin well cooled in the ſea, from raging ſo hotly againſt God. Well Ionah, get thee vnderunder the Lords gourd, that it may be a ſhadow for thy head, and deliuer thee from thy griefe, and make thee exceeding glad; and expect patiently, and doubt not but thy words ſhall come to paſſe. For firſt, thou propheſied to Iſrael a long time, and they hauehave profited nothing; this could not but vexe thee exceedingly: now I hauehave but ſent thee three daies into the citie of Nineueh, the chiefe citie of the Aſſyrians, all of them are the heathen, that neuer heard tell of my name, without my Chriſt, aliens from the common-wealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the couenants of promiſe, and had no hope, and were without God in the world: yet thou ſees what a wonderfull effect it hath wrought in Nineueh; the King is off his throne, hath laide his robe from him, couered himſelfe with ſackcloth, and ſits in the aſhes: further, he makes proclamation for a generall faſt of man and beaſt, all to crie mightily vntounto God; turne from their wickednes with this perſwaſion, that the Lord would repent & turne from his fierce wrath, that ſo they might not periſh: Oh happie Ionah, that it pleaſed God to let thee ſee this glorious worke of thy miniſterie: ſurely thou may well be glad, vnderunder the gourd to ſing Pſalmes vntounto the Lord for ſuch a deliuerance: and if the Angels in heauen be ſo ioyfull for one ſinner, how mighteſt thou triumph for ſuch a multitude, as the whole citie of Niniueh, wherein were ſixeſcore thouſandinfants, that could not diſcerne betwixt the right hand, or the left: Or if thou had been mooued toward thine owne countri-men, hauehave made as much haſt, as the woman of Samaria did vntounto her neighbours, to tell them ſhe had found the Meſſias: ſo might thou hauehave done vntounto Iſrael: O Iſrael, I pray you runne with me to Nineuch, and ſee the ſtrāgeſt wonder that euer was done; a whole city for three dayes preaching, repenting in ſackcloth and aſhes. But alas Ionah, thou art of an other temper; thou haſt made thee a booth, and art ſet vnderunder the ſhadow of it, to ſee what may be done to the city: Alas, wouldſt thou with Nero, laugh to ſee all the city on fire? haſt thou neuer a ſparke of old father Abrahams ſpirit in thee? this citie is farre better then Sodome and Gomorrha, & yet thou knoweſt how vehemently Abraham pleaded for them. Nay alas, thou ſhould hauehave been like good Samuel, 1. Sam. 12. Oh Nineueh, whoſe oxe hauehave I taken, or whoſe aſſe hauehave I taken? or whom hauehave I hurt? or of whoſe hand hauehave I recieued any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? Surely, I hauehave pleaded againſt you as the embaſſador of the Lord, and his whole counſell hauehave I reuealed: If yee will therefore feare the Lord, and ſerue him, and heare his voice, and not diſobey the word of the Lord; both you, and the King that raigneth ouer you, ſhall follow the Lord your God: but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but diſobey the Lords mouth, then ſhall the hand of the Lord bee vponupon you, and on your fathers. Moreouer. God forbid, that I ſhould ſinne againſt the Lord, and ceaſe praying for you; but I will ſhew you the good & right way: Feare the Lord, ſerue him in the truth with all your hearts, & conſider how great things he hath done for you: but if ye doe wickedly, ye ſhall periſh, both yee and your king. Surely Ionah, if this had beene thy concluſion, thou ſhouldſt hauehave ſeene the Lord fully hauehave ſatisfied thy prophecy: for this was but a formall humiliation, and therefore fortie yeares after, the Lord deſtroyed them, according to thy word: therefore Ionah, obſerue, that God hath as well prepared a worme to ſmite thy gourd, and make it wither by the ſunne, as hee made it growe by the ſame; and by the ſame ſunne, and a feruent Eaſt-wind, make thee faint, and wiſh to die: neither haſt thou any cauſe to bee angry, for thou neuer labouredſt for theſe mercies; and therefore what haſt thou to doe, to grieue at my mercies vntounto Nineueh? I bad thee reprooue them, and ſurely, what I commanded ſhall be done: for Nineueh ſhall be reprooued. And therefore all faithfull labourers of the Lord, ſticke to your callings, and let the Lord bleſſe and curſe, when it ſhall pleaſe him.
Reaſ. 1. From the perfection of Gods nature, that can no way runne into any exceſſe, or come ſhort in any defect; therefore die and liue, ſhal be ſure to follow the breaking or keeping of his lawe: therefore vindicatiue iuſtice is as neceſſarie, as remuneratiue.
Reaſ. 2. From the nature of diſtributiue iuſtice, which is, ſuum cui que tribuere, giuegive euerie man his owne. How ſhould wicked men be rewarded for their euil deeds, if the Lord were not a God of vengeance? Plato could diſpute thus for God; bonis malè, malis benè: if it fall well with the wicked, and euill with the good, then ſurely there muſt bee another world for torment. For there is a God; and if a God, then he is iuſt; if he be iuſt, then muſt he needs doe iuſtly; if iuſtly, then ſhal not the wicked goe vnpuniſhed, or the iuſt vnrewarded. Therefore that iuſtice may ſtand in his proportion; if the wicked hauehave the beſt, where the beſt is not; and the iuſt hauehave the worſt where the worſt is not; then ſhal the wicked to anſwer iuſtice, hauehave the worſt where the beſt is not; nay, no good thing at all: and the iuſt hauehave againe the beſt, where the worſt is not; nay, no miſery at all, but perfect happineſſe. Hence naturall men hauehave dreamed of the Elyſian fields, and of the fire of hell.
Reaſ. 3. The manifeſtation of Gods perfection, hee made man for his glorie, and his glorie is the concurrence of all his glorious attributes; therefore ſhall vindicatiue iuſtice ſee the face of the ſunne, as wel as remuneratiue; God wil hauehave the praiſe of both.
1. Vſe reprehenſion. Firſt, confutation of the wicked, that thinke the Lord is all leade, heauie footed to iudgement; and that his hands ſhall alway be in a clout: or if he pull them out, he is ſo tender of them, that hee may not endure to lay them vponupon their hard hearts, leaſt by the blow, he ſhould complaine of the ſtiffe reſiſtance of the ſtroke. Well, they ſhall knowe, that he hath hands of braſſe, and rods of yron in them, to cruſh them in peices. Secondly, correction of the godly, that think the Lord is too tender ouer the wicked: Ionah was too blame in this, therefore lay it aſide: for it is Gods truth, that he will reprooue with ſmall tendernes.
2. Vſe inſtruction. Firſt, an admonition of the wicked, that they beware: for the arrowes of the Lord flie among them. If a ſtrong archer miſſing his aime, let his arrow flie among them that are beholding his ſhooting, will he not crie aloud, looke to your ſelues? and the cryer of aime ſhout with a mighty voice, to the right hand or to the left, take heede the arrow is among you: But alas, the people are ſo amazed, that they may as wel runne vnderunder it, as eſcape it, ſo that all are in danger, but it lights but vponupon the pate of one of them, and he falls to the ground wounded, and yeelds vp the ghoſt; all the reſt quake, and tremble at the ſight, and are ſpeechleſſe: So the Lord is daily ſhooting forth his arrowes, he neuer miſſeth his aime; the watchmen of the citie tell the people, the arrowe of God is among them, and for all this no man is afraid; it ſtrikes downe ſome of the ſtouteſt of them: but alas, all is giuen to ſome ſurfet or weakeneſſe in the man, which they finding themſelues free from, thinke it is impoſſible for them to die as he did, becauſe they hauehave not his diſeaſe; as though there were no more diſeaſes to cut off life, then that one. If a meſſenger knocke at the doore, and anſwer be giuen him preſently, hee is gone without delay: ſo beloued, Gods plagues would not ſtill rage at our doores, if we gaue God his anſwer; yet ſtill the Lord rings the bel at our doore.
Secondly, a direction to the godly, to watch continually, that ſo they may eſcape the iudgements of the Lord, and mourne for his iudgements vponupon others; for theſe April dewes, will bring forth in them the May flowers of Gods ſpirit: and in weeping, ſtil reſpect our ſelues more thē other: for that alone makes God carie handkerchifes to wipe away our teares: and this ſowing in teares, will bring vsus a ſpeedie harueſt: and when the rod is vponupon others, let vsus take it to our ſelues: for is it not better to take the rod into our owne hands, and beate our ſelues gently, then the Lord, who is a conſuming fire, ſhould waſt vsus with it? Bones out of ioynt, the longer they goe, they prooue more painfull, betimes they are ſet more eaſily: therefore let vsus betimes ſet our ſelues in the waies of the Lord, leaſt he rebuke vsus ſharply. We phyſicke, purge, ſweate, and all for the bodie: can we indure nothing for the ſoule? the vomite of the ſoule is the greife of repentance: and tell me I pray you, who euer repented him of repentant ſorrow? In theſe reproofes we are worſe afraid then hurt: riſing out of a ſoft bed is exceeding tedious to a ſluggard; yet our vp, doth not dare vsus at all: ſo is the awaking from the ſleepe of ſinne, and ſlumbering in the reliques of ſinne, which ſtill hauehave dwelling in the beſt of vsus. To ſee a ſouldier wounded is no newes, but to goe with it, is deſperate follie: ſo our ſighting in this world, is no newes if it bring knocks and maimes vntounto vsus: yet to let them goe and ranckle, and feſter, is forlorne negligence; therefore let this direction take his impreſſion in our ſoules, that we may make excellent vſe of all Gods reproofes.
Vſe 3. Conſolation in trouble, becauſe the Lord will reward vsus, but puniſh them that cauſe vsus affliction: 2. Theſſ. 1.6, 7. For it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you which are troubled, reſt with vsus. Secondly in proſperitie, to reioice that we can ſorrow that the Lord reprooues any of our brethren; to be grieued for the afflictions of Ioſeph. Daniel could find no comfort in his priuate proſperitie and great authoritie, becauſe he knew that the Church of God was in great miſerie: the like affection was in good Nehemiah: ſo likewiſe on the contrarie, to reioyce when we be reprooued to ſee Gods church to flouriſh: ſo Paul beeing in priſon, was not ſo much grieued at his own bonds, as he reioyced at the libertie of the Goſpel of Chriſt.