Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Motiues from the euils of impenitency.
THe ſecond ſort of motiues is from the euils of 2. Motiue from the euils of Impenitency. Which are 2. Chro. 36. 13 14. 15. 16.impenitency. Impenitency it ſelfe is of it ſelfe a greeuous and a fearfull euill. An impiety aboue heatheniſh abominations. Zedekiah hardned his neck, and made his heart obſtinate that he might not returne to the Lord God of Iſrael, And as he ſo the people and the Prieſts treſpaſſed wonderfully according to all the abominations of the Heathen. Nay, they did not only treſpaſſe according to the abominations, but aboue their abominations, for though the Lord ſent his meſſengers riſing, and ſending to call them to Repentance, yet they mocked his meſſengers, and deſpiſed his words, till there was no remedie. Heereupon it is that our Sauiour vpbraides the cities wherein he had done Matth. 11. 20.moſt of his great workes, euen for their very impenitency, becauſe they repented not. This is the maine ſinne for which he girds them. And for the ſame ſinne he ſpares not to vpbraid the eleuen after his reſurrection, he reprooued them of their vnbeliefe and Marc. 16. 14.hardneſſe of heart. Indeede God giueth as grace, ſo the meanes, and reproacheth and vpbraideth no man, Iam. 1. 5.that is, he vpbraideth no man with leſſer infirmities, but where impenitency is vnderunder the meanes there he vpbraideth, and threatens it both. This is a greater ſinne then all other ſinnes; other ſinnes are rebellious againſt God, but yet this is a perpetuall rebellion againſt him. This is that whereby that Ierem: 8: 5.Apocalypticall Iezabels ſinne is aggrauated, not ſo Reu. 2. 20. 21.much in this did ſhe ſinne, that ſhee called her ſelfe a Propheteſſe, that ſhe deceiued Gods ſeruants, and made them commit fornication, and eat meat ſacrificed to idols. But this was her heauy and hainous traſgreſſion, I gaue her ſpace to repent of her fornication, and ſhe repented not. Her great ſinne was, that ſhe repented not for ſinne. This indeede is the damning ſinne. It is not ſimply ſinne that now damnes, but continuance in, and impenitency for ſinne. It is not the falling into the water, but the lying vnderunder the water that drownes. It is not falling into ſinne, but lying in it by impenitency, that drownes a mans ſoule in perdition. There is but one ſinne that ſhall neuer be forgiuen, the blaſphemy againſt the holy Ghoſt, and euen this ſinne is not ſimply irremiſſible and vnpardonable, but only becauſe that ſinne hath alwayes annexed vntounto it finall impenitency: euen that ſinner, but that he is an impenitent ſinner might be pardoned.
But let vsus a little more particularly ſee what the euill of this ſinne is. Salomon telleth vsus in one word what it is: He that hardeneth his heart, to wit, by impenitency, ſhall fall into euill. Now this euill that Prou. 28. 14.ſhall follow impenitency is two fold: Temporall euils, and Spirituall euils.
1. Impenitency brings Temporall euils. They are theſe.1. Temporall, they are 1. Iudgments of note.
1. Fearefull, exemplary, and remedileſſe puniſhments, God whips not this ſinne with ordinary rods, but he laſhes it with ſcorpions, plagues it with remarkeable vengeance and iudgements of more eminent note. The patience of God is that which keepes backe Gods iudgements. Now impenitency ſinnes againſt Gods patience, and abuſes it. Mans impenitency cauſes Gods impatience. And whereas Repentance ſtands in the gappe, and keeps out iudgement, Impenitency breakes down not a gappe, but the whole fence, and not onelyonly lets in, but as with cart-ropes, hales in Gods iudgments. The wiſe man ſeeth a plague, and hideth himſelfe Prou. 22. 3.but the fooliſh goe on ſtill, and are puniſhed. The wiſe man hides himſelfe by Repentance, by it turning backe from his ſinne, and ſo turning back the iudgement; but the foole, the impenitent ſinner, he goes on ſtill till he meete with the iudgement. Repentance is a meeting with God, Becauſe I will doe this Am. 4. 12.vntounto thee, prepare to meet thy God ô Iſrael: Then wee meet God when we ſeek to him by Repentance, & ſendforth our tears & prayers, as our Ambaſſadors to plead for a peace, and ſue for mercy to God, in turning his fierce wrath from vsus. But Impenitency makes a man ſit ſtill, and lets the iudgement come, and ſo becauſe it will not come to meet with God, it meetes with his wrath and iudgements. So it is noted of the old world, They were eating and drinking, and marrying, and giuing in marriage, and knew Mat. 24. 38. 39.nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away. They were waſht away with the waters of Gods iudgement, who would not waſh themſelues in the tears and waters of Repentance. Therefore it is that when the Lord comes to threaten this ſinne, hee heapes ſo many threatnings one vponupon another againſt this ſin of impenitency, as if ſo be he could not ſatisfie himſelfe in threatning it, as if ſo be the naming of it had enraged his iealouſie: If any man Deut. 29. 19. 20. 21. &c.ſhall bleſſe himſelfe in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall hauehave peace though I walke according to the ſtubbornneſſe of mine owne heart, &c. The Lord will not bee mercifull vntounto him, but then the wrath of the Lord, and his iealouſie ſhall ſmoake againſt that man, and eueryevery curſe that is written in this booke ſhall light vponupon him, and the Lord ſhall put out his name from vnderunder heauen, and ſo goes on ſtill in that heauy manner threatning impenitent perſons to the end of the chapter. And wheras the Lord in threatning other ſins vſes to come in with ſome qualifications vponupon hope of Repentance, yet when he threatens this ſinne, he is abſolute in his threatnings, to ſhew that he will be reſolute in his iudgements. The Lord called to weeping Iſ. 22. 12. 13. 14and mourning, to baldneſſe and girding with ſack-cloath, that is, to the exerciſes of Repentance and Humiliation, And behold ioy and gladneſſe, ſlaying oxen, and killing ſheepe, eating fleſh, and drinking wine, eating and drinking, that is, hardening their hearts by impenitency and going on in their ſinnes without Repentance. Well, but how did the Lord take this, Surely, ſaith he, this iniquity, this iniquity of their horrible impenitency, ſhall not bee purged from you, till ye die. Heere is no qualification of the threatnings, but God abſolutely threatens that he will neuer pardon this ſin of theirs, that with ſo high an hand, went on in their ſinnes.
Secure ſinning and hardneſſe of heart, is an vndoubted fore-runner of ſeuere deſtruction. And when God will giuegive ouer men to his iudgements, he firſt giues them ouer to this iudgement of an impenitent heart. So vponupon the iudgement of hardneſſe of heart threatned by Iſaiah, In making their Iſ. 6. 10. 11.hearts fat, and their eares heauy, &c. followes the fearefull threatning, of waſhing the cities till they bee without inhabitant, and the houſes till they bee without man, and the vtter deſolation of the Land. Thus is hardneſſe of heart and impenitency, alwayes the harbinger to ſome fearefull plague. As on the contrary, when God intends mercy to a nation, he firſt giues them the grace of Repentance. In that day (ſaith the Lord by Zachary) will I ſeeke to destroy all nations that come againſt Ieruſalem, And I will powre Zich. 12 9. 10.vponupon the houſe of Dauid, and vponupon the inhabitants of Ieruſalem the ſpirit of grace and compaſsion, and they looke vponupon me whom they hauehave pierced, and they ſhall lament, &c. as if had ſayd. Though I meane to deſtroy other nations yet will I not deſtroy Ieruſalem, but will giuegive them the grace of Repentance, that they may preuent and auoyd deſtruction. But on the other ſide, when our hearts are hardened in ſinning, Diluvium fuit circa finem Aprilis cum orbis quaſi reuiuiſcit, cum aues cantillant, & ex ultant pecudes, &c. Luther in Geneſ. 7.Gods heart is hardened in puniſhing. Yea, euen then when men are moſt ſecurely hardened, is Gods hand neereſt vntounto them to fall heauy vponupon them. The old world was deſtroyed in the end of Aprill, which is the moſt pleaſant time of all the yeere: And the ſunne ſhone vponupon Sodome that morning it was deſtroyed: who would hauehave looked for ſuch a flood now the winrer was paſt, and the yeere now in her prime and pride? who after ſuch a faire ſunne-ſhining morning would hauehave looked for ſuch a diſmall day? Such diſmall euents doth mens impenitency portend, and then moſt of all, when they are in their greateſt ſecurity. Ariſe (ſaith the Lord to Nebuchadnezzer) and get you Ier. 29. 31. 32.vp to the wealthy nation that dwels without care, which hauehave neither gates nor barres, but dwell alone, And their camels ſhall be a booty, &c. Men are neuer ſo fit a booty for Gods iudgements, as when they are without care.
As generall hardneſſe fore-runnes generall iudgments, ſo in particular men, their hardneſſe goes before deſtruction. See Ieroboams example. Hee was reprooued by the Prophet for his idolatry, the Altar cleft, his hand dried vp, and healed againe. Any of theſe might hauehave cleft his heart, and had wrought him to Repentance, But yet after this Ieroboam conuerted not, but turned againe to his idolatrous 1. King. 13. 33 34.courſes, and continued in his impenitency: and what was the iſſue of all this? And this thing turned vntounto ſinne vntounto the houſe of Ieroboam, as who ſhould ſay, all that hee had done before had not turned to ſinne, had it not beene for this ſin of his impenitency, But this turned to ſinne to his houſe, euen to root it out, and deſtroy it from the face of the earth. Balaam hardening his heart againſt Gods command, the Aſſes rebuke, and the Angels ſword, returnes home by weeping croſſe, and he that would not returne for the Angels ſword, was afterward ſlaine by the ſword of the Iſraelites. So was Pharaohs Num. 31. 8. Exod 14.heart hardened to his deſtruicton in the ſea. So of the cities of Canaan it is ſayd, That it came of the Ioſh. 11. 20Lord to harden their hearts, that they ſhould come against Iſrael in battle, to the iutent they ſhould deſtroy them vtterly, and ſhew them no mercy, but that they ſhould bring them to nought. This is made the cauſe of Gods iudgements vponupon Saul. Saul died for his tranſgreſſion againſt the Lord. Now what was his tranſgreſſion, firſt hee brake the commandement 1. Chron. 10. 13. 14.of God, then he ſought and asked counſell of a familiar ſpirit, and laſt of all, which was his ſinning ſinne, after all this, hee ſought not to the Lord, by Repentance, therefore the Lord ſlue him.
2. If any impenitent ſinner doe eſcape ſome 2. Reſeruation to worſe iudgements.temporal iudgements, as often he may, & doth, yet his impenitency turnes all his deliuerances but into further curſes and iudgements, and his deliuerance is a worſe iudgement then the iudgements from which he is deliuered; for it argues either Gods vtter forſaking of them, as deſperate patients are giuen ouer by the Phyſician, Why ſhould ye bee ſmitten any more? for yee fall away more and more. Or elſe it Iſay 1. 5.argues a reſeruation of them for ſome more fearefull plague. If by theſe former iudgements before ſpecified, yee will not be reformed by me, but walke ſtubbornely againſt me, then I will walke ſtubbornely againſt you, and ſmite you yet ſeauen times for your ſins. So that an impenitent mans preſeruation out of one iudgement, is but a further reſeruation of him to ſeauen iudgements. What mercy or fauour is this? nay the mercy is ſeauen times a greater iudgement. Cham was ſaued from the flood in the Arke, but it Gen 9.was for a greater iudgement, for his fathers, and for Gods curſe: as good to be drowned as to bee curſed, as good to die vnderunder the waters, as to liue vnderunder a curſe. Pharaoh eſcaped many of the former Exod. 14.plagues vnderunder which the reſt of the Aegyptians ſmarted, he was but kept for the ſea, to be made a prey to the waters. Lots wife eſcaped from Sodom, but Gen. 19. Gen. 14.was turned into a pillar of ſalt. The Sodomites were reſcued out of the hand of Chedor-laomer, but were Gen. 19.after conſumed with fire and brimſtone from heauen. It had beene happy for them if they had bin ſtill captiued ſlaues vnderunder Chedor-laomer. So true is that of Amos, that it is with wicked impenitent Amos 5. 19.ſinners, as if a man did flie from a Lyon, and met with a Beare, or went into the houſe, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a ſerpent bit him. As alſo that of Iſaiah repeated Iſay 24. 18. Ierem. 48 44.by Ieremy, He that flyeth from the noyſe of the feare ſhall fall into the pit, and hee that comes vp out of the pit, ſhall be taken in the ſnare. Euen as good be in the pit ſtill. This is but out of the frying pan into the fire, or as Ezekiel ſpeakes, out of one fire into Ezek. 15. 7.another fire, and the laſt fire happily like Nebuchadnezzars furnace, ſeauen times hotter then ordinary.
3. Thirdly, God will euen take pleaſure in inflicting Gods delight in iudgement.iudgement, God indeed delights in mercy, but mans impenitency will make him delight in iudgement. Heereupon he threatens Loadicea, Reuel. 3. to vomit her foorth of his mouth, if ſhee ſtill went on impenitently in her luke-warmneſſe. God ſignifies by that phraſe, that hee would take pleaſure and delight in their deſtruction, as it giues great eaſe to the ouer-preſſed ſtomacke to bee diſburdened and eaſed by vomiting. Such is that threatning Prou. 1. 24. 25. 26. Becauſe I baue called, and yee hauehave refuſed, I hauehave ſtretched out mine hand, and none would regard, but yee hauehave deſpiſed my counſell, and would none of my correction, I will alſo laugh at Riſus Dei longa graui…r eſt ira Dei. Quid Deus loquitur cum riſu, in legas cum luctu. Auguſtin.your deſtruction, and mocke when your feare cammeth. God is neuer more angry then when hee laughes. Gods laughter is an heauier iudgement then his anger, for when once hee comes to delight in his anger, it is a ſigne his anger is implacable. Wee hauehave moſt cauſe to weepe, when God laughes.
2. Spirituall euils procured by impenitency 2. Spirituall which areare theſe.
1. Spirituall blindneſſe, and blockiſh ſenſleſneſſe, 1. Spirituall blindneſſe.further hardneſſe, and obduration, My people would not heare my voyce, and Iſrael would none of mee. See what was the puniſhment that followed vponupon it, So I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their harts, Pſal. 81. 11. 12& they walked in their own counſels. As if he had ſaid, Since they will harden their hearts, their hearts ſhall be hardened: ſince they will harden them againſt my mercy, I will harden them in my iuſtice. Thus was Balaam beſotted thorough the hardneſſe of his heart, that hee could not ſee ſo much as the Aſſe did hee rode vponupon. And the Sodomites were ſmitten as well with a ſpirituall, as a temporal iudgment of blindneſſe. So Pharaoh hardening his hart againſt each plague was alſo giuen vp to further hardneſſe. Thus the Apoſtle ſeemes to make this the cauſe of the Gentiles hardneſſe of heart, becauſe Eph. 4. 18. 19.they being paſt feeling gaue vp themſelues to wantonneſſe, to worke all vncleanneſſe with greedineſſe, So God puniſhed their former hardneſſe with further obduration. So elſewhere he makes this the cauſe why they were giuen vp to a reprobate ſenſe; and a cauterized conſcience becauſe, they went on impenitently Rom. 1.in their ſinnes with greedineſſe. This is an heauy and a fearefull iudgement to be giuen vp to the hardneſſe of our owne heart. Dauid had his choyce of three plagues, whether hee would take, 2. Sam. 24.but all thoſe three ioyntly, are three times eaſier then this one, famine, ſword and pestilence, are mercies to this iudgement. Better to bee deliuered vp to the ſword, famine and peſtilence then to an hard heart, nay, better be deliuered vp to Sathan himſelfe, then to hardneſſe of heart: we finde a man deliuered 1. Cor. 5. 5. 1. Cor 2.vp to Sathan, and yet he repented and was ſaued, we finde none deliuered or ſaued that hath beene deliuered vp to the hardneſſe of heart. Deliuering vp to Sathan is for the deſtruction of the fleſh, that the ſpirit 1 Cor. 5. 5.may be ſaued: but deliuering vp to the hardneſſe of heart is for the deſtruction both of fleſh and ſpirit, both of ſoule and body. It is a deſperate euill to be deliuered vp to ones owne heart. Adulterers by Gods Law ſhould be ſtoned to death: though now mans Law be more fauorable, yet God ſecretly executes his Law vponupon impenitent adulterers, for he ſtones them with the heauieſt and hardeſt ſtone that is, euen with a ſtony heart, to which he deliuers all ſuch impure beaſts.
2. Deſperation. They that thinke Repentance 2. Deſperation.is a bitter cup, to the which they will not lay their lips, ſhall drinke a cup of Satans owne tempering, and ſhall ſucke vp the very lees of it. If thou refuſe heauenly repentance, though ſhalt with Iudas be forced to a deſperate helliſh repentance. Though ſinne may lie a ſleepe a while before the doore, as with Caine, like a drowſie ſluggiſh cur, yet at the length it will awaken and barke ſo hideouſly, and grinne ſo fearefully in thy face, that though thou bee not driuen with Saul to murder thy ſelfe, or with Iudas and Achitophel to hang thy ſelfe, yet ſhall thy conſcience bee no leſſe diſmayd with deſperate feares then theirs were.
3. Eternall condemnation: The impenitent 3. Eternall damnation. Iſ. 4. 4.perſon ſhall fall into that bottomeleſſe pit of fire and brimſtone. Repentance is called the ſpirit of burning. It is a burning fire that conſumes our ſinnes; if this fire burne not our ſinnes, Hell fire will burne our ſoules. If our Goſpell be hid, it is hid to them 2. Cor. 4. 3.that periſh, ſaith the Apoſtle. Heereupon our Sauiour threatens thoſe Iewes, that they ſhould die in their Ioh. 8. 24.ſinnes. If they ſhould die in them, they ſhould riſe in them, and if they ſhould riſe in them, then ſhold their ſinnes riſe vp againſt them, and fall heauy vponupon them to preſſe them downe into the lowermoſt hell. This is the ſinne which of all others, encreaſes a mans damnation. Therefore impenitent ſinners are ſayd to heape vp wrath againſt the day of wrath; Rom. 2. 5.euen the whole heape of all their ſinnes, and the whole heap of Gods wrath ſhall be laid vponupon them. So our Sauiour pronounces an heauy ſentence vponupon thoſe impenitent cities where he had preached, That it ſhould bee eaſier for Sodom and Gommorrha Matth 11 21. 22. 23. 24.in the day of iudgement then for them. Surely, they that hauehave the leaſt paine in hell, ſhall hauehave but litle cauſe to bragge of their eaſe. Euen the leaſt ſinnes ſhall hauehave ſmart enough, what then ſhall the crying ſinnes of the Sodomites hauehave? Sodomy was a monſtrous ſinne, ſuch a ſinne that, as Chryſoſtome ſaies, Cogitato quam graue illud ſit peccatum, et quod ipſam Gehennam etiam ante tempus apparere coegerit. Chryſ. ad Rom. 1. hom. 4.it made hell to appeare before the time, ſuch a ſin as made an hell on earth. Such a ſinne then as had an hell on earth, muſt needes hauehave an hell with a witneſſe, in hell. Needes muſt their damnation be fearefull and eaſeleſſe that began ſo earely. And yet the accurſed Sodomites ſhall hauehave an eaſier hel then ſuch impenitent perſons as reiect Gods mercy in the Goſpell. Sodom and Gomorrhaes hell, ſhall be an heauen to Bethſaida and Chorazins hell. An impenitent perſon ſhall thinke himſelfe to hauehave beene an happy man, if he had beene one of thoſe accurſed Sodomites that once periſhed with fire and brimſtone from heauen, and now lie yelling and howling in the lake that burnes with fire and brimſtone in hell. Oh how heauie ſhall his condition be, how vnconceiueable his woe and torment, that ſhall enuy, and grinde, and gnaſh his teeth at a curſed and damned Sodomite for his happineſſe. Oh conſider this all yee that forget God, leſt he teare you in Pſal. 50. 22.peeces, and there be none that can deliuer you. Repent, and the Kingdome of God is at hand to receiue thee: Repent not, and the Kingdome of hell is at hand to double-damne and deuoure thee.
Gratias tibi Domine Ieſu.
MICHAEL and the DRAGON, OR CHRIST tempted AND Sathan foyled. Penned by the late faithfull Miniſter of God, DANIELL DYKE Bachelour in Diuinitie. Publiſhed ſince his death by his Brother I. D. Miniſter of Gods word.
HEB. 2. 18. For in that he ſuffered, and was tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted.
LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab, and are to be ſold in Paules Church-yard at the ſigne of the Greyhound. 1616.