Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 1 · Chapter 6 · Section 1
Sect. 1. Of the cauſe.
Obſerv. 1. The great God of heauen and earth: and in earth, the God of gods: and ouer men, the onelyonly Lord, is become the reproouer of ſinne; and therefore a moſt fearefull hand ſhal fall vponupon the wicked. The finger vponupon the wal made an vnpeaceable houſe in Belſhazzars ſoule: what a iolly fellow was he vntill this came into his eye? the time of Gods ſilence hee regarded not; neither to his father, how God gaue him a kingdome, maieſtie, honour, and glorie, at which all nations trembled, and feared before him: he ſmote and put to death whom he would; ſet vp and put downe whom he would: neither to himſelfe, miſapplying what was done vntounto his father, both in iuſtice and merciemercy, but abuſed Gods veſſels, with his Princes, wiues, concubines; praiſed the gods of gold, ſiluer, of braſſe, yron, wood, and ſtone; which neither ſee, heare, nor vnderſtand: but the God in whoſe hand his breath was, and all his wayes, him would he not glorifie: therefore now ſee his Iudge, and tell mee if the power of his iuſtice make him not afraid. Hence it is plaine, that wicked men ſcant God in his mercies, as a niggard, or pinching giuer; when in their ſinnes they are both large and bold, and thinke Gods armes bound vp in a cloth; yet let them knowe, that this (I, will reprooue) will prooue no ſmall matter: for the very weaknes of God, is ſtronger then any thing in man, 1. Cor. 1. In man wee count that weaknes, which his little finger hardly can touch: now Gods little finger will make all ſmart. The Magicians of Egypt in the plague of lice, confeſſe it was Gods finger, becauſe that brought mightie things to paſſe: Iobs afflictions, loſſe of goods, cattell, children; the deuill makes it but the touch of Gods finger, and yet this ſpent all. Mans breath but a weake thing, Iſa. 40.17. yet the breath of the Lord, Pſal. 18.8. ſmoake went out of his noſtrhills, and a conſuming fire out of his mouth; coales were kindled thereat: great is the power of his very noſtrhills, and mightie is the verie weakenes, and infirmitie of his wrath: if his weakenes be this, what is his ſtrength, compared to a Gyant, or Lyon; to a Gyant, of all men the greateſt; to a Lyon, of all beaſts the ſtrongeſt? If ſo mightie when he toucheth but with his finger, how terrible if he ſtrike with his arme? but what will he be when he comes armed with his ſword, & his bow bent? if we be far off, his arrowe ſhall reach vsus; if neere, his ſword ſhall ſtrike vsus. But alas, what ſhall be done, when he ſhall come with whole armies of creatures againſt vsus; fire, haile, thunder: ſo if the ſword finde vsus not, the thunder ſhall meet with vsus; if the haile make not an end, the fire ſhall conſume vsus; if the fire can not burne, then his mallet ſhall bruiſe vsus. Furthermore, he hath his charets, euen a thouſand charets in the whirl-wind, and his pillars of fire to terrifie vsus; yea, his thouſand and tenne thouſand of Angels to make a ſpoile of all at his becke. Therefore we ſhall be ſooner wearie of ſuffering, then he of afflicting; of flying, then he of following. We are but potters veſſels: if he hit but one againſt another we breake; yea if he lay his iron rod vponupon vsus we ſhal be beaten all to powder. The lion when he roareth is terrible, and Behemoth is ſtrong: what canſt thou doe? yet the lion commeth before this God, Behemoth is taken by his ſword; Leuiathan can not ſtand before him: therefore a moſt fearefull thing to fall into the hands of this God: for he is a conſuming fire, and cannot touch, or be touched without burning. The wrath of a king is the meſſenger of death: what is then the wrath of the king of kings? if one man treſpas againſt another, there may a third be found to make vp the matter; but if one ſinne againſt God, ſaith old Eli to his ſonnes, who ſhal plead for him? Therfore do no more ſo ye ſonnes of men, tremble and ſin not; examine your owne hearts, and be ſtill; ſerue the Lord in feare, and reioyce in trembling: kiſſe the ſonne, leaſt he be angry, and ye periſh in the way: when his wrath ſhall ſuddenly burne, bleſſed are all that truſt in him. Neither is this all Gods reproouing: for this is but the paine of ſenſe; but they alſo ſhall hauehave a more fearefull plague, the plague of plagues, and the onelyonly thing that ſhall make them miſerable; and that the learned hauehave called, the puniſhment of the damned, as though it were all, and gaue the whole denomination: and that is Gods fare-well vntounto his creature: Oh my creature, I made thee in my owne image; but thou haſt found out many inuentions: therefore muſt I thy life, and length of dayes; the fountaine of liuing waters, he in whome thou liues, mooues, and haſt thy beeing, bid thee be gone: I muſt neuer looke on thee more, as I hauehave done: thy louing wife ſhall ſay, farewell my husband: thy children, friends, and all thy pleaſures, in which thou haſt ſong a long loath to depart, yet muſt yee needes depart: or if you goe together to hell, yet ſhall it but augement thy ſorrow, to remember what ſweet delight you once tooke together: and how now there can be no comfortable fellowſhip; but one ſtabbing another at the heart: Thou againe ſhalt ſay, farewell God, farewell wiſe, children, and all my pleaſures; I muſt ſhake hands with you for euer: Oh heart, that I could giuegive the ſome deadly ſtabbe, that thou mighteſt neuer ſtirre againe! Oh would to God that I had neuer been! you that paſſe by, will you take no pity on me? Oh God, I was thy child, and the deuill whippes mee, and hell fire ſcorcheth mee; yet if thou wouldeſt but looke vponupon me, how would that refreſh mee? Well, that I lie not, ſee both theſe put together: for I aſſure you, that hell fire is no painted fire; for the want of Gods preſence ſhall be no dreame, or idle obliuion of the departure of a kind friend; but the verie ſting of conſcience, and the worme that ſhall neuer leaue gnawing. See both puniſhment of ſenſe, and the damned: 2. Theſſ. 1.9. Which ſhall be puniſhed with euerlaſting perdition from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glorie of his power. And that the Lord will doe all this, it is plaine, Eccles. 12. laſt. Reu. 20.12. Daniel ſaw the antient of dayes vponupon his throne: he hath been dealing with men in particular from the beginning of the world: he reprooued our firſt parents, the olde world, Sodome and Gomorrha, Pharaoh, Saul, Iudas: and he will hauehave a generall concluſion of this whole tragedie. And therefore the point is cleare, that God will reprooue.
Reaſ. 1. From his iuſtice, that cannot goe vnſatisfied: for the Lord hath ſpoken, and will bee prooued true and righteous in all his wayes.
2 The glorie he muſt conſtraine out of wicked men: for wicked men would neuer glorifie God except it were becauſe God will reprooue them.
Reaſ. 3. The iniurie they doe vntounto God: for if God ſhould neuer reprooue, the wicked would boaſt and triumph notoriouſly.
4. The conſolation of the godly: when ſhould their heads be lift vp, if it were not to ſee their enemies trampled vnderunder their feete?
Vſe 1. reprehenſion. Firſt, confutation of the vngodly, that thinke the Lord will condemne no perſon; he that made all, will ſaue all; and a pitifull thing it is, to imagine that God ſhould hauehave made any man to damne him: well, they ſee God will reprooue. Secondly, correction of the godly, that they take heede of ſecuritie, and labour to pleaſe God with reuerence and feare: Rom. 12.29. For euen our God is a conſuming fire.
2. Vſe inſtruction: firſt admonition to the vngodly: Oh conſider this, ye that forget God, leaſt he teare you in pieces. Secondly, a direction to the godly, to walke before the Lord as he is their father and maſter: Mal. 1.6. A ſonne honoureth his father, and a ſeruant his maſter: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a maſter, where is my feare?
3. Vſe conſolation: firſt, in trouble to conſider God will reprooue. Iehoſhua ſtands before Chriſt Ieſus, Zach. 3. and Satan ſtands at his right hand to reſiſt him: but here is comfort, v. 2. for Chriſt ſaies vntounto Satan, The Lord reprooue thee, O Satan: euen the Lord that hath choſen Ieruſalem, reprooue thee. Secondly, in wel-doing; becauſe the Lord will neuer reprooue for that, but approoue it, and commend it for euer.