The Pattern of Wholesome Words, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the punishment of sinne.
Rom. 5.12.
Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sin: and so death went ouer all men, for as much as all men hauehave sinned.
HItherto of the principles concerning sinne: Now concerning the punishment of sin, followeth this principle, viz.
That all men in their naturall estate are extremely miserable, in respect of the punishment, vntounto which they are liable for their sinnes.
Nahum. 1.2.3.6. God is ielous, and the Lord reuengeth, euen the Lord of anger, the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries, and he reserueth wrath for his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger: but he is great in power, and will not surely cleare the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlewind, and in the storme, and the clouds are the dust of his feete.
Who can stand before his wrath, or who can abide in the fiercenes of his wrath? his wrath is poured out like fier, & the rocks are brokē by him, &c.
Rom. 5.12. Iob 10.17. Thou renewest thy plagues against me, and thou increasest thy wrath against me: changes and armies of sorrowes are against me.
Iob. 31.3. Is not destruction to the wicked, and strange punishments to the workers of iniquitie?
2. Thes. 1.9. Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
Ephes. 2.3. Among whom we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind, and weare by nature the children of wrath, as well as others.
That this principle may be explicated, I will reckon vp the seuerall sorts of punishments, which hauehave been inflicted for mans sinne.
17. sorts of punishments inflicted on man for his sinne.1. The losse of Paradise, from which we are all exiled, so as we liue as banished men, while wee are in this world, Genes. 3.24. Thus hee cast out man, and at the East side of the Garden of Eden hee set the Cherubines, and the blade of a sword shaken, to keep the way of the tree of life.
2. The curse of the creatures: the creatures are subiect to vanitie, and subdued vntounto bondage, vnderunder which they groane for mans sinne, Rom. 8.20.21. Because the creature is subiect to vanity, not of it owne will, but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnderunder hope, &c. the earth was cursed for our sakes, Genes. 3.17.18. Cursed is the earth for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life.
Thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth vntounto thee, and thou shalt eate the hearbe of the field.
3. An impure and painefull birth, Genes. 3.16. VntoUnto the woman he said, I will greatly increase thy sorrowes, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; and thy desiers shall be subiect to thy husband, and he shall rule ouer thee.
4. The displeasure of God, and his feareful anger conceiued against vsus, Iohn 3.36. He that obeieth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Nah. 3.6. And I will cast filth vponupon thee, and make thee vilde, and will set thee as a gasing stock.
5. A priuation of that admirable knowledge of God, and the nature of the creatures, vntounto which we were created; so as we are all for horrible ignorance almost like the beasts, in comparison of what once we might hauehave had, Prou. 30.2. Surely I am more foolish then any man, and hauehave not the vnderstanding of a man in me: and this light is wanting both to the mind, and the conscience.
6. Bondage to Satan, who hath naturally strong holds in eueryevery mans heart, and such spirituall possession, that hauing men in his snare, he leadeth them at his pleasure, and worketh effectually both in them, and by them, Eph. 2.2. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire, euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
2. Tim. 2.26. And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell, which are taken of him at his will.
2. Cor. 10.5. Casting downe the imaginations, and eueryevery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, &c.
7. Spiritual death, which comprehendeth in it the losse of communion with God (the life of our liues), and all the ioyes of his fauour and presence, together with the obduratiō of our harts, which are become as a stone within vsus; so as we are altogether insensible of the things that concerne euerlasting happines. Eph. 2.1. And you hath he quickned, that were dead in trespasses and sinnes.
Ephes. 4.18. Hauing their cogitation darkned, and being strangers from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardnesse of their heart.
Ezech. 36.26. I will take away the stony heart out of your body, and I will giuegive you a heart of flesh.
8. Miserable bodies. Our bodies are become miserable, both in respect of deformity, and in respect of imbecillitie; as also in respect of the many paines befalles them, both from labour, and from diseases of all sorts, Genes. 3.13. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou returne to the earth: for out of it wast thou taken, because thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou returne, &c.
Deut. 28.21.22. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleaue vntounto thee, vntill he hath consumed thee from the land, whether thou goest to possesse it.
The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with the feuer, and with a burning ague, and with seruent heat, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with the mildew, and they shall pursue thee, vntil thou perish, &c.
9. Iudgements in our outward estates in temporall things by warres, famine, fier, earthquakes, in-undations, ignominy, pouerty, and such like of many sorts, Deut. 28.16.17.18. &c. Cursed shalt thou be in the towne, and cursed also in the field:
Cursed shall thy basket be, and thy dough:
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy bodie, and the fruit of thy land, the encrease of thy kine, and the flockes of thy sheepe:
Cursed shalt thou be when thou commest in, and cursed also when thou goest out, &c.
10. The restraining of good things from vsus, euen blessings of al sorts; and that somtimes when they are by the free mercy of God bestowed vponupon others: Isai. 59.2, But your iniquities hauehave separated betweene you and your God, and your sinnes hauehave hid his face from you, that he will not heare. Iob 31.2, for what portion should I hauehave of God from aboue? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on high?
Act. 17.30. And the time of this ignorance God regarded not.
Ier. 5.25. Yet your iniquities hauehave turned away these things, and your sinnes hauehave hindred good things from you, &c.
11. The cursing of blessings, when God blasts the good gifts he bestowed, or suffers prosperity to become a snare, or trap, or ruine vntounto man, Mal. 2.2. I will curse your blessings,
Ierem. 12.13. They hauehave sowne wheat, and reaped thornes, they hauehave put themselues to much paine, and had no profit: and they shall be ashamed of their reuenues, because of the fierce wrath of the Lord.
Psal. 69.22. Let their table be a snare before them, and their prosperity their ruine.
Prou. 1.26. I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke when your feare commeth &c.
12. Scourging of sinne with sinne, which is one of the most grieuous punishments; when God leaues a man so, as hee suffers him to fall into flagitious courses, and to commit sin with greedinesse; or deliuers man vp to a reprobate mind, Rom. 1.26.28. For this cause God gaue them vp vntounto vile affections; for euen their women did change the naturall vse, into that, which is against nature.
For as they regarded not to know God, euen so God deliuered them vp vntounto a reprobate minde, to doe those things which are not conuenient.
13. Hellish terrours, which wound the soule with insupportable tormēts, many times God softening the heart to feele inward smart, or suffering Satan to torment the soule with vnspeakable feares and horrours, Hebr. 10.27. But a fearfull looking-for of iudgement and violent fier, which shall deuoure the aduersaries.
Esa. 33.14. The sinners in Sion are afraid, a feare is come vponupon the hypocrites, who among vsus shall dwell with the deuouring fire? who among vsus shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings?
Esa. 65.13.14. Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold my seruants shall eate, and ye shall be hungry; behold my seruants shall drinke, and ye shall bee thirsty; behold my seruants shall reioyce, and ye shall be ashamed.
Behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart, and ye shall cry for sorrow of hart, and shall howle for vexation of mind.
14. Feare of death, which in some measure is in all, though the former be not; eueryevery man being in that respect like a prisoner that is condemned, and lookes eueryevery day when hee shall goe to execution, Heb. 2.15. And that he might deliuer al…hem, which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage.
15. A terrible generall iudgement, when all mens sinnes shall bee ripped vp before the whole world, to their eternall shame; and an order giuen for vnauoidable execution of the sentence, Act. 17.31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse, by that man, whom he hath appointed. &c.
16. A miserable departure, and losse of life, the soule and body being rent asunder, and both losing for euer all the pleasures, or felicities of this life; Rom. 5.12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne; and so death went ouer al men, for as much as all men hauehave sinned, &c.
Rom. 6.23. For the wages of sin is death.
17. Lastly, eternall paine: Now this eternall misery is lamentable, if wee consider, 1. either the degrees of it: 2. or the place: 3. or the continuance.
The degrees of damnation are;
1. First, they hauehave no communion with God, nor participation in any of the blessings of God, 2. Thessal. 1.9. Which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power▪ &c.
2. Secondly, they are vnited to the diuell, with whom they hauehave an eternall fearfull fellowship, Matth. 25.41. Then shall hee say vntounto them on the left hand; depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the diuell and all his angels.
3. They endure an vnspeakable confusion, and most bitter ignominie, vponupon the consideration of the discouery of their many shamefull offences.
4. They are inwardly affected with incredible horror, and torment of conscience, arising from the sense of Gods anger for their sinnes, Esa. 30.33. For Tophet is prepared of old; it is euen prepared for the King; hee hath made it deepe and large; the burning thereof is fier and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it.
Rom. 2.8.9. But vntounto them that are contentious & disobey the truth, and obey vnrighteousnesse, shall bee indignation and wrath.
Tribulation and anguish shall be vponupon the soule of eueryevery man that doth euill: of the Iew first, and also of the Grecian.
5. The bodies of the damned shall suffer vnexpressable torments, which is set out in Scriptures by their lying in fier and brimstone, Esa. 30.33. as immediately before.
Luk. 16.23. And being in hell torments, he lift vp his eyes, and saw Abraham a farre off, and Lazarus in his bosome, &c.
Reuel. 21.8. But the fearfull and vnbeleeuing, and the abominable, and murtherers, & whoremongers, and sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all liars, shall hauehave their part in the lake which burneth with fier and brimstone, which is the second death.
Matth. 25.41. Then shall he say vntounto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fier, which is prepared for the diuell and his angels.
This misery is encreased by the fearfulnes of the place where it is to bee suffered, to which in diuers Scriptures, diuers names are giuen to intimate the horror of it, as Hell, the pit, the great deep, or bottomlesse gulph, Prison, Darknesse, vtter darknesse, and many other terrible titles.
Matth. 22.13. Then said the King to his seruants, bind him hand and foot; take him away, and cast him into vtter darknesse, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Reuel. 20.1. And I saw an Angel come downe from heauen, hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit, and a great chaine in his hand, &c.
And all this the more miserable, because it shall be both eternall, and without intermission, or ease, Reuel. 14.11. And the smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore, and they shall hauehave no rest day nor night, &c.
Now followeth the Vses.
The vse may bee first for singular reproofe of the maruellous security of multitudes of people, that can liue quietly in so miserable a condition; were not man sunke deepe into rebellion, and besotted with vnspeakable senselesnesse, one would thinke it were impossible for him to eate, or sleepe, or euer to hold vp his head. If wee heard a story of the one halfe of these distresses that were befallen another man, and did lay our hearts to it to thinke tenderly of it, we could not but wonder, that that man could so forget his owne safety, as to neglect any meanes for his owne release? but this very obseruation shewes two things, viz. that men are guilty of vile Atheisme, and vnbeleefe, and of incredible Apathy, or insensiblenesse. Oh that men would but think of these particulars, & ponder them seriously! but alas, a deceiued heart hath seduced them, that they cannot say, here is my perdition, if I repent not. And this reproofe is aggrauated against some men in this, that they are angry at any that shewes them their danger, as we see by experience of men, that liue in grosse sinnes: yet let the curses due to those sinnes be applied to them, how do they rage? how are they like the very horse and mule, and much worse?
Secondly, heere is matter of instruction, and that first to wicked men, that (if it be possible) they would awake from this heauie sleepe in sinne, Eph. 5.14.and learne to liue righteously.1. Cor. 15. Act. 17.31. These Iudgements may warne all men eueryevery where to repent: and seeing they are thus vndone by the first Adam, Rom. 5.…2. &c.to seeke release from this dreadfull misery by the second Adam;and ….1. Mat. 11.29. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus; and there can bee no accesse to Christ without repentance from dead workes,1. Ioh. 2.1. Gal. 3.13, 2. Cor. 5.17. and faith in him. Oh how were men sure to be freed by Christ, if they were once wearie and heauie laden! There is a full propitiation for al sinne in him; hee hath borne all that curse of the law, onelyonly if any man will be in Christ he must be a new Creature.
This may instruct the godly, and so,
1. The weak Christian should labour by all meanes to be established in the faith, that as Christ hath freed him from all these miseries (as curses), so faith may free him from the feare of them; and to this end hee should earnestly and constantly pray, that God would make him worthy of his calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse, and the worke of faith with power, 2. Th. 1.11.12.
2. All Christians should forcibly compell vponupon themselues a carefull practice of 6. duties:
1. All ages should admire the exceeding riches of the tender kindnesse and mercy of God, and the great louelove wherewith hee hath loued vsus, that hath forgiuen vsus so great a debt, and freed vsus from so vnspeakable confusion, Ephes. 2.4.7.
2. Wee should often looke vponupon Christ, that hath borne all the malediction of the law for vsus, and that both to moue vsus to compassion, and mourning for our sinnes, that so pierced him, Zach. 12.10. And also to settle our selues against the feare of any of these miseries, seeing Christ hath fully paid our debts, and suffered the vttermost in our roomes: and further, if wee did often set before vsus that maruellous passion of our Lord and Sauiour, it might rauish our hearts to a greater louelove towards him, and desire to bee with him to giuegive him eternall thankes.
3. HaueHave we escaped so much danger, which sinne brought vsus into? Then let vsus for euer be warned, and goe our wayes, and sin no more. Let vsus watch ouer our selues, that we be not bewitched by the deceitfulnes of sinne. For heere wee may learne, that God can make sinne extreamly bitter vntounto vsus, but especially let vsus leaue sinne, euen because God hath dealt so graciously with vsus.
4. It should teach vsus with all compassion to pitie others with whom we conuerse, that yet liue in this misery, wee should striue with all effectualnesse of perswasion to draw them out of such an estate, and vse our vttermost power to pull them out of this fier, prouoking them to holinesse, and good workes, and exhorting and rebuking them with all instance, that they may not perish in so great condemnation, Heb. 10.25.
5. It should teach vsus to endure all sorts of afflictions, yt God shal please to try vsus withall, and that because they are no way comparable to the punishments we are escaped from: and besides, God is pleased to cause them to work our good: they try and encrease our faith in Christs merits: they make vsus know our selues more throughly: they mollifie and soften our hearts: they tame our flesh: they scoure our gifts from rust: they weane vsus from the world, and excite the desire after, and care to prouide for the world to come.
6. It should teach vsus with all gladnesse of heart to remember our miseries, as waters that are past, and establish our selues in a daily solace, especially in the expectation of the full and finall deliuerance from all the remnants of distresse in the day of Christ, when God shall bee made maruellous in them that beleeue, 2. Thes. 1.11. And the more we should lift vp our heads, vponupon whom the ends of the world are come, because the day of that redemption draweth neere. Let vsus euer say with Dauid, Psal. 16.6. The lines are fallen vponupon mee in pleasant places: yea I hauehave a faire heritage: Psa. 22.24.and The Lord hath drawn vsus out of many waters: let vsus therefore louelove the Lord dearly, and reioyce alwaies in the Lord, Phil. 4.4.