Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 139
§ 139.
ANd thus you ſee, Their ingratitude and great folly.that the righteous man keepeth off judgements, and procureth bleſſings, not only to himſelfe, but others, his family, friends, enemies, to the whole City, and Nation wherein he lives, yea, his poſterity for many ages fare the better for him; as God promiſeth to eſtabliſh David's houſe, for his ſake, and bleſſe it for ever, 2 Sam. 7.12.13.15.16. And promiſeth to Phineas the ſonne of Eleazar, who turned away the Lords anger from the children of Iſrael, and ſaved them from being conſumed, that hee would give unto him his covenant of peace, and to his ſeede after him, together with the Priests office for ever, Numb. 25.11.12.13. Thus Iſrael, from time to time, were bleſt and fared the better for Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob's ſake, even many yeares after they were dead, De. 4.37. 1 Kin. 11.12. as Abraham, Iſaack, and Iacob, yea all the poſterity of Adam, are bleſſed, for Ieſus ſake, for elſe all, even the beſt, ſhould have periſhed, all were apoſtates, Adam did forfeit his Patent, and none but a Saviour could renew it; but ſee the different natures of the godly and the wicked.
God forbeareth the wicked for the godlies ſake. As when Auguſtus had conquered Anthony, and taken Alexandria, the Citizens expecting nothing but preſent maſſacre, the Emperor proclaimed a generall pardon, for Arrius his ſake, a Philoſopher of that City, and his familiar friend. Whereas the wicked, in requitall, perſecute the godly, for whoſe ſake they are forborne; and contemne thoſe, to whom they owe their very lives: like as Brutus, Casſius, Domitius, Trebonius, Cimber Tullius, and many others, ſlew Iulius Caeſar, with 23. wounds, in the Senate houſe; albeit hee had lately pardoned them for fighting againſt him on Pompie's ſide: or as they, whom William the conqueror moſt advanced, had the ſpeciall hand in his deſtruction; or as Pompilius Laena, whom Marcus Tullius Cicero, ſaved from the Gallowes, by pleading his cauſe before the judges, when he was accuſed for murthering his Father, was the prime man, that puld his head out of the Litter, and cut it off.
But, O fooliſh and unwiſe! is this any other peece of policy, then if the Sodomites ſhould make haſt to turne out Lot, and his familie, that fire and brimſtone may make haſt to deſtroy them? for as when the Prophets went from Hieruſalem, then Sword, and Famine, and Peſtilence, and all plagues rained upon them; even as fire came downe upon Sodome, ſo ſoone as Lot was gone out. Or as when Noah, and his family, were once entred the Arke, the Flood came, and deſtroyed the firſt world, Gen. 7.11.13. ſo the number of Chriſts Church being accompliſhed, fire ſhall come down to deſtroy the ſecond world; yea, the raine ſhould not fall, nor the earth ſtand, but for the elects ſake, the earth ſhould burne, the elements melt, the heavens flame, the divels, and all reprobates bee laid up in hell, the elect men and Angels imparadiſed in heaven all, but for this, Gods number is not yet full; till this be done, Sathan may range abroad, the wicked domineere, the righteous ſuffer miſery, and ſinne walke their round, the heavens move, the Seas ebb and flowe, the world ſtand, and the Lord ſuffers all.
Wherefore ceaſe yee malicious ſinners, to vex the religious; you are beholding to them for your very breath: if they were taken away, you ſhould be tormented before your time: yea, make you friends of ſuch as feare God, for it is no ſmal happineſſe to be interreſted in them, who are favourites in the Court of Heaven; one faithfull man on theſe occaſions, is more worth, then millions of the wavering and uncertaine.
Indeed, you may ſo long provoke the Lord, that he will not ſuffer his people to pray nor intreat for you, as is well ſet forth, Ier. 7.13. to 17. and then can you expect nothing but death and hell. Yea, the time will come, when all Chriſts enemies ſhall be dragged out of the priſon of their graves, to behold him whom they have pierced, Revelation 1.7. at what time, there ſhall be no Moſes to stand in the gap for them; no Aaron, to ſtand betweene the living and the dead; no, Noah, Daniel, or Iob to pity, or pray for them; yea, when there ſhall bee no more mercy, no more patience, no more repentings in God towards them, but judgement without mercy or mitigation, but God laughing at their deſtruction, and the Saints, which ſhall judge the world, 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. rejoycing to ſee the vengeance, that they may at length waſh their feet in the blood of the wicked, Prov. 1.26. Pſal. 58.10. when there ſhall be no Rocks, nor Mountaines to fall upon them, when the earth ſhall melt with heate, when the day of the Lord ſhall burn as an oven, and eat their fleſh as it were fire, Revel. 6.16. 2 Pet. 3.10 Mal. 4.1.2, 3. Iam. 5.3.