A Discourse of the Judgments of God, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the more direct operations of Judgments towards Reformation; wherein firſt of the efficacy they have in confining Senſuality, and ſetting free Conſcience, and its proper Motions.
LEt us now approach the conſiderations of the more immediate powers of Judgment.
1. They give a notable rebuke and abatement to ſenſe, and the ſenſual temper; Judgments trouble all the air ſenſuality hath to breathe in, and make it dark; they pour out their vial upon its Sun, and a night enſues, ſo that it every where meets terrour and diſappointment, which bring it low, and enfeeble it. Now this is that ſenſuality that over-grows at once the proper motions of a Soul and Conſcience, and that ſpiritual world, with which the converſes of a ſpirit moſt properly lye. When this is wind-bound, and brought to an ebb, either through the hand of God upon the body, the primary ſeat of it, or thoſe external objects that feed and miniſter to it, immediately the mind that lay in a ſwoon, and oppreſſed, emerges, and riſes up. It hath its opportunity, and uſes its freedom; through the great clefts and rents the ſtrokes of God make in this vail and cloud, the Soul eſpies the ſpiritual world, the ſhadow of the material one removing off by reaſon of theſe commotions cauſed by Judgments.
The great accounts of mans ſin and impenitency lye in the deep plunges and immerſions of his Soul into ſenſe, and ſenſual things, wherein he grows immoderate above the beaſts, through the vigours of an immaterial and immortal Spirit diſſevered from its true objects and natural motions, and carried down this ſtream: From whence retaining all its own force, but miſguided, it grows extreamly foul, while it at once neglects heavenly and ſpiritual things for which it was made, boldly tranſgreſſes all rules of goodneſs, and cuts its way through every thing to its impure ſatisfactions.
The light that is true and pure, is kept from all approach to it, and its own native exerciſe is ſuppreſſed; whence it comes to paſs, that God and Eternal things are covered from it, and as it were wholly blotted out, it lives in the unclean pleaſures of the body, which have all the influence and ſway upon it.
But awakened by the Judgments of God, the Soul inquires after its own world, and meets it every where; God having graciouſly diſſeminated it into every thing within it, and without it, even as the open eye in the day time, greets the light where ever it goes.
That great deal of ſenſual noiſe and buſineſs, being made to ceaſe, the falſe light being put out, and the windows, out of which luſt looks, dammed up, the Soul hath nothing elſe to do; it finds leiſure then to do like it ſelf, and is even provoked to it by its own force, carrying it always upon action, and when it is taken off from that to which it is only inclaved, it returns upon its proper motion; when the noiſes of Chariots and their jumping wheels, the ſounds of muſick, the light of candles, as in the overthrow of Cities, are removed, in that ſtilneſs Conſcience is heard; in that ſilence of fooliſh fires, purer rays ſhine upon the Soul: For the beams of truth, and the diſtinct voice of it fall every where, were there but an eye and ear to receive and take them in. On the other ſide, the capacities of the Soul are always fitted to them, and were they not importuned, and incumbred by other things, they would be continually opening to, and earneſtly expecting them. Heavenly light and knowledge, like God and his Providence, is both within by its intimate diffuſion of it ſelf, and without every thing in the world by its own unmeaſurableneſs, and ſo cannot be covered; but becauſe thoſe organs that are to obſerve, and work by it, are diſabled, and turned another way, and becauſe men uſe every art, and make all kind of vails and ſhuts between themſelves and this ſpiritual light, the Judgments of God make a colliſion upon the faculties of the Soul, upon which the ſparks hid within flye out, and there is a forced kind of light, in order to that which is more natural and continuing; a great flame oft ariſing out of this little fire.
Although if the heart of man were not ſo thick in its inſenſibleneſs of God, and the powers of it that ſhould tend towards him, afar off from him, there were no ſuch violence neceſſary in the caſe: But things being as they are, there can be no fairer opportunity preſented to man to recover himſelf out of the ſnare of ſenſual things, or the profound launches of his Soul into them, then theſe ſeverities of affliction, which bridle the appetite in himſelf, and render ungrateful, or remove out of his reach the very things he luſts after; for if the pain be in the body, the Soul is filled with ſo dolorous a reſentment from it, that nothing appears fair to it; when man is chaſtened with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with ſtrong pain, his Soul abhorreth bread, and his life dainty meats. If the Judgment of God lyes on the pleaſures of ſenſe without, it immediately enters within, through the famine that preſſes, or through the very anguiſh inflicted upon it by the contrariety of natural cauſes; ſo that either way, it is made to ſit alone and keep ſilence. In which interval ruſh in the thoughts of God, and the obedience we owe to him; a ſenſe that we are made for greater things; the excellency of peace with God, and likeneſs to him; our relation to Eternity: in all which lye the moſt potent arguments to goodneſs, which when they meet upon an irregular and unreformed eſtate, fill the Soul with the ſorrow that works into repentance, and a zeal of recovering it ſelf to a better condition.
For the inconvenience that ſenſe feels in theſe preſſures, when the goodneſs of God is retreated, and the hand of his diſpleaſure ſtretched out, is ſo great, that it enters into the very reaſon, and provokes that to inquire the cauſe; even as the delights of ſenſe diſtil upon the mind, and cloſe it up in a ſoft ſlumber, and in apprehenſiveneſs of it ſelf, and what is truly its intereſt, faſcinated with other pleaſures: In the mean time it exacts of it, all its ſagacity and vigour to be imployed in continuing and inlarging thoſe fruitions: So the diſcontents of the ſame ſenſe pierce into the Soul, and putting it into an agony, call it up to another kind of exerciſe, the conſideration of the complaints it offers.
Now though while the bed was eaſie, it was content to lye down, and forget every thing; yet when it miſſes of this, and grows full of loſſes, and is ſet to examine how this comes to paſs, by degrees it returns like the Prodigal in want to it ſelf. Its firſt inquiries and determinations ſtay as long as they can upon natural cauſes; it undertakes and endeavours to ſolve things upon thoſe Principles: but being urged by the caſe it ſelf, and its own temper to ſearch further, it is ſent from one thing to another, till within the inmoſt fold of things, it finds a divine Juſtice, and upon it is reſolved into a conſcience, and lays together the great obligations of repentance and humiliation.
By this light a man hath quite another ſenſe of ſin, and the evil of it; thoſe actions he paſſed ſo favourably or careleſly upon, have much a more ghaſtly and dreadful appearance. Thus God excites a man to take a juſt account, and make a righteous judgment of his own actions, and to call that into ſuſpition he never queſtioned before. It is meet to be ſaid unto God under chaſtiſement, I have done iniquity, but will offend no more. That which I ſee not, teach thou me. He ſearches and tryes his ways, that he may turn to God.
For Judgments carrying with them the moſt cloſe and ſenſible inſtructions of the diſpleaſure of God, convey alſo the quickeſt reaſons of ſelf-examination, of repentance, and change of a mans courſe, to thoſe who are neither ſunk down to a brutiſh or Pharaoh-like impenitency, nor riſen up to the more heroick ſtate of one chuſing Holineſs for it ſelf, and not of love. For man having an affection of fear, it is impoſſible he ſhould not turn it upon that which is moſt dreadful, when it appears to him; or that that fear ſhould not excite him to the removal of the danger; the firſt of which is founded in that Law of Nature, that every affection turns to the ſupreme object underſtood with greateſt intention; the ſecond in that of ſelf-preſervation: For the firſt, it is certain the wrath of God is moſt terrible, it being moſt commanding, and purſues a man beyond the moſt formidable of evils, death, which is therefore ſo, becauſe in the opinion of Nature it ſwallows all ſenſe of Being; now ſenſe of Being is the foundation of pleaſure and delight: but this keeps a man in the jaws of that ſecond death, which eternally ruminates upon him. Our Saviour ſpoke higheſt reaſon; Fear not them that kill the body, and have no more that they can do; but I will forewarn you whom ye ſhall fear, Fear him, that after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into hell: I ſay unto you, Fear him. For the removal of this danger, there is nothing conſcience is more authoritative in then this, There can be no firm at onement with God, nor ſo much as expectation of good from him without repentance or reformation; it ever appearing moſt unreaſonable to it, that God ſhould give any ear to him that regards iniquity in his heart.
To conclude this; conſcience that is the moſt vigorous of all a mans powers, being collected and congregated of the ſtrength of all, and acting upon thoſe Principles that every man knows to be the moſt concerning, if true; and inſtead of demonſtration for the truth of its grounds, hath this advantage, that they are deeply rivetted into the heart, ſo that though there may be a ſtupefaction, yet there can be no obliteration. Againſt this ſtupefaction Judgments come, making legible thoſe Characters which at other times we diſſemble, and are as the fire to ſome ſort of writing, that makes apparent what was not before diſcerned.