Forty-nine Sermons upon Colossians, Part 3 · Sermon 35
THE THIRTY FIFTH SERMON ON COLOSSIANS,
CHAP. III. VER. VI, VII.
Verſe VI. For which things, the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion.
VII In which you alſo walked other-while, when ye lived in them.
DEAR Brethren; If men had as great a meaſure of underſtanding, and generoſity, as vertue hath of beauty and attractiveneſs; there would need no more to induce them to love it, and embrace it; but a repreſenting to them the image of it. This admirable object would quickly raviſh their hearts, and in an inſtant kindle in them a ſweet, and an everlaſting flame of love, which would govern all the motions, and ſentiments of their lives, and conſuming in a ſhort time, the vices, and the fooliſh, or unjuſt paſſions of their nature, fill their deportment with piety, honeſty, and charity. One of thoſe ancient ſages of the world, whom they call Philoſophers, did rightly acknowledge this truth, notwithſtanding the darkneſſe of his Paganiſm; and ſaid, that if we could ſee vertue naked, that is, as it is in its ſelf, it would inflame our ſouls with a marvellous love to it. For indeed, what is there fairer, and more amiable than virtue? the true, and lively image of GOD, the ſupreme beauty of all beauties? the reſemblance of Angels, the faireſt of all creatures? the only jewel of reaſonable nature? the light of our ſouls? the ornament of our bodies? the advantage of our being above that of animals? the end, and utmoſt perfection of the world? it's juſt, and legitimate governeſſe? this vaſt univerſe having not been made, and formed, but that ſhe might happily poſſeſſe it, governing, and keeping it under her holy, and divine laws? She ſets all our affections in their true poſition, bowing them under the Creator, and raiſing them above the creature. She reduceth all the faculties of our nature to their juſt ſymmetrie, ſubjecting our paſſions to the will, and our will to reaſon. Reſting content with the love of GOD, and the hope of His glory, ſhe coveteth no unjuſt thing, and doth no perſon wrong, no, not in deſire and thought; but loveth, and obligeth all men as much as ſhe can, and ſheds abroad continually upon them, the ſweet and innocent rayes of her excellent light; remaining alwaies holy, and juſt, and honeſt without; alwaies calm; and peaceable, and happy within.
Who could look upon a thing ſo beautiful, without loving it? accordingly you may obſerve, that where there does appear at any heigth, for inſtance, upon the throne of a nation, ſome image of it, though not fully to the lire, nor compleat, and every way entire, but only groſly drawn, and in many reſpects imperfect, yet it fails not to attract the eyes and hearts of the world forthwith. It proves the love and joy of the preſent generation; and the admiration of all poſterity. Men bleſs it; heaven and earth delight in it; and the age that produced it, is glorious by it; one ſingle example of this nature being ſufficient to adorn a whole countrey, and render the time wherein it flouriſhed, for ever illuſtrious. What then would our raviſhments be, if we beheld the true and accompliſhed effigies of it? in all its lively colours, without defect, and without imperfection? It's true, GOD hath pourtray'd it indeed to the life, in the tables of His Scriptures; But the eyes of our ſouls are ſo bad, that we never comprehend it, but very weakly; and again, our fordidneſſe, and wretchleſneſſe is ſo extreme, that commonly we do not love things according to their inherent beauty, and honeſty; but according to the profit they afford us; and do likewiſe hate things, not ſo much for their deformity, and natural odiouſneſſe, as for the hurt that they may do us. This ignorance, and this mercenary humour, which is common to all men, is a cauſe that our Saviour contemeth not Himſelf with propoſing to us the beauty of holyneſſe, and the deformity and diſorder of ſin, which is the due manner of dealing with reaſonable creatures; but accommodating Himſelf to our infirmity, he inceſſantly ſets before our eyes, the good and the evil that will redound unto us from holyneſſe, and from ſin, as we ſhall be addicted to the one or the other. He repreſents to us on one hand, the happineſſe to which the Saints are advanced, who obey His will; and on the other hand, the dreadful torments into which vice doth aſſuredly precipitate all the wicked. And though His Spirit doth in part cure this ignorance, and this ſordid diſpoſition in as many as He doth regenerate; yet while we are on earth, there do abide ſome reliques of them in us. Whence it comes, that He forbears not to uſe this method, even with the faithful themſelves.
You have a notable inſtance of it in this leſſon of the Apoſtle, upon which we now are. For having exhorted us to mortifie our members which are upon the earth, that is, to renounce the defilements of luxury, and avarice; for the inclining of us to ſo juſt a duty, he repreſents unto us, in this Text, the judgements of GOD upon the obſtinate ſlaves of theſe vices; They are things (ſaith he) for which the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion. For he compriſeth, in theſe few words, the fearful and inevitable, but juſt judgement of Heaven upon all thoſe, who deſpiſing its goodneſſe, do abandon themſelves to the one, or the other of theſe vices. And then, in the following verſe, he ſets afreſh before our eyes, for the ſame purpoſe, the miſerableneſſe of our fore-paſs'd life, which even as the life of children of rebellion, was e're-while ſunk in the turpitude of theſe ſame ſins: and withal, the infinite kindneſs GOD hath done us, in drawing us out thence; in which things (ſaith he) ye alſo walked ſometimes, when ye lived in them. This he doth, to the end, that being ſeized with a juſt horrour at our former ſtate, and raviſh'd in the ſenſe of our preſent happineſs, we might heartily renounce the ſervice of our former maſters, and live henceforth in that purity, honeſty, and charity, which this new LORD calleth us unto, who hath vouchſafed to take us to Himſelf, and to ſhed into us a new life, and nature, as diſtant from our former one, as Heaven is from the earth. Now, as theſe are the two reaſons that St. Paul urgeth, for the withdrawing of us from thoſe two principal vices of the prophane; ſo ſhall they be (by the will of GOD) the two parts of this action. In the firſt, we will conſider the judgements of GOD upon obſtinate adulterers, and covetous perſons; and in the ſecond, the miſery of our former ſtate, when we lived in the ſame vices, and could expect nothing in the ſequel, but the ſame effects of the wrath of GOD upon us. The LORD JESUS pleaſe, ſo to accompany our words with the vertue of His bleſſing, that ſuch as the loathſomneſs, the injuſtice, and horror its ſelf of theſe vices, hath not been yet able to withdraw from them, may now at leaſt be pluck'd from them, by the fear and terror of thoſe dreadful judgements of Heaven, which are unavoidably prepared for all the children of rebellion.
The firſt part is expreſſed in theſe words, that the wrath of GOD cometh for theſe things upon the children of rebellion. I will not ſtand to tell you, that to ſpeak properly, wrath hath no place in the Divine nature. For who is there of you, but knoweth, that GOD is a Spirit moſt pure, moſt ſimple, and moſt bleſſed, enjoying an infinite calm, and tranquility? whoſe knowledge can never be ſurpriſed, nor felicity diſturbed, as we learn, both from Scripture, and from reaſon it ſelf? Now wrath, and ſuch other paſſions, do conſiſt in the agitation and emotion of the blood, and of the ſpirits that ſtir it; they being cauſed in us by our imagination, diverſly, as the objects which it doth conceive, are troubleſome, or contentful, preſent, or to come; the one producing in us ſorrow, others joy; ſome, fear; and others, hope; thoſe of one ſort, wrath; thoſe of another, contentment, or complacency. None of this as you ſee, can arrive, but where there is ſome mixture of humors, and ſpirits, which being not in GOD at all, whoſe eſſence is moſt ſimple, it is alſo impoſſible that any of theſe paſſions ſhould take place in Him; and leaſt of all, wrath, which is one of the moſt troubled, and moſt boyling of them. But the Scripture, which uſeth the dialect of children with us, as with children, doth often attribute theſe paſſions unto GOD, figuratively, to repreſent thus groſly the myſteries of Him, under the images of thoſe things that are familiar with us, becauſe they belong properly to our nature. It's thus we muſt underſtand that, which it calls the wrath of GOD. For it ſignifieth by this term, not the perturbation of a commoved Spirit, which cannot be in GOD, becauſe of the ſoveraign perfection of His nature; but a juſt and reaſonable will to puniſh the perſon that deſerves it. This it termeth wrath, by reaſon of ſome reſemblance that appears to be between theſe two things. For a man who is in wrath, doth eagerly deſire to avenge himſelf upon the perſon that troubles him; and he doth it, if it be in his power, cauſing him diſpleaſure, and afflicting him. So doth GOD treat thoſe who violate his laws; He makes them ſuffer evil, and puniſheth, or chaſtiſeth them, according to their deſerts. But He doth it without any perturbation, with a calm, and compoſed will; whereas a man in wrath doth it with emotion. And becauſe we are ſeldome wont to do otherwiſe, there being few that avenge themſelves without ſome trouble, and boyling of choler, it ſeems to us that it is ſo with the LORD too. Wherefore we ſay, He is angry, when He avengeth His laws, and puniſheth the crimes of His creatures; though at the bottom, and in very deed, there be nothing in His action, but the purpoſe, and effect of an avengement, and not the diſturbance of any paſſion. Thence it comes, that the Scripture alſo ſpeaketh in like manner, frequently attributing wrath, in this ſenſe, unto GOD. And if you narrowly heed it, you will find, that it gives this name either to the will that GOD hath to puniſh men, the arreſt and order He paſſeth for it; or to the effects themſelves, that follow thereupon, that is, the puniſhments He makes culpable perſons ſuffer by His order. And it's in this ſecond ſenſe, the Apoſtle intends it here, when He ſaith, that the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion. The wrath, that is, the avenges of GOD, His judgements, the evils, and executions, wherewith He puniſheth their rebellion, according to the decrees of His avenging juſtice. He ſpeaks in the ſame manner elſe-where, when he ſaith, that the wrath of GOD is openly re…ealed from Heaven, Rom. 1.18.upon all ungodlineſs, and unrighteouſneſs of men, for that they with hold the truth in unrighteouſneſs.
His ſaying, that the wrath of GOD cometh, ſome referr unto the judgements, which He doth not ſeldome execute upon the voluptuous, and covetous in this World; as if he had ſaid, that for theſe vices; GOD hath been wont to diſcharge his avenging ſtrokes upon men. Others underſtand it of the puniſhment He will inflict for them at the laſt day: and indeed, the Scripture doth frequently ſo ſpeak of that great judgement, and the things which ſhall be done in it, ſaying, that it cometh; elegantly ſignifying by that word, the certainty, and infallible coming to paſs of a thing, which, 'tis true, as yet is not, but will not fail to be; as if it were a perſon that travelled, and were already on the way to go to the place where he would arrive. But I conceive the Apoſtle doth encloſe within this word, the execution of both thoſe kinds of judgments, ſignifying by it, thoſe great and dreadful torments, into which God will plunge the wicked, on the day of His anger, which will be the laſt effect of His wrath againſt fin; and alſo all the chaſtenings wherewith He ſcourgeth them in this life, which are, as it were, the firſt-fruits of His wrath, and ſo many ſamples and fore-runners of His final vengeance. St. Paul compriſeth all this, in his ſaying, that the wrath of GOD cometh. But this form of ſpeech, even that the wrath of GOD cometh upon men, is graceful, and eximious, importing, that the evils which arrive on earth, do not happen at adventure, nor ſpring out of the earth it ſelf, and their inferiour cauſes ſimply, but do iſſue from another ſource, to wit, from Heaven, which pours them down here below, as a ſtorm, or deluge, for the inevitable enveloping, and overwhelming of thoſe for whom they are appointed. They ſet forth from Heaven; they travel towards us, and fall whom in the end upon the heads of evil-doers, by the order of the moſt High, who marks out the whole courſe they are to take, and diſpenſeth them with the ſame judgment, that He doth thunders, and tempeſts, and rains, which come upon us from on high, by the guidance of His providence. And as you ſee it is, for the moſt part, in the works of nature, that theſe meteors do not come on a ſudden, but after ſome ſigns that precede, and preſage their approach: in like manner is it ordinarily with the judgments of GOD. The thunder of His wrath, as well as that of nature, doth roar before it falls. GOD threatens the guilty before He ſtrikes them down, and well-nigh alwaies ſendeth men ſome advertiſements, that are as the van-coureurs, and harbingers of His wrath, to prepare us, that we may either divert it, by preventing it through our repentance, or take it to abide with us. Matt. …4.Thus you ſee in St. Matthew, our LORD and Saviour predicteth, that the laſt judgment ſhould be preceded by many great and terrible ſigns, for the daunting of the ferocity of ſinners, and the reducing them, if it might be, unto repentance; and in the ſame place, He deſcribeth the prognoſticks of that dreadful vengeance, which GOD was ſoon after to pour forth upon Jeruſalem, and the whole nation of the Jews: and which failed not to arrive in a little time, punctually as He had fore-told. He obſerves the ſame order ſtill in His chaſtiſing of families, and nations; ſcarce ever involving them in any calamity, but He ſignified to them the coming of it, before He executeth it; which may be noted, among others, in thoſe horrible ſcourges, which have made havock in Chriſtendome for theſe eight and twenty or thirty years.
But the Apoſtle addeth, who they are, upon whom the wrath of GOD doth come; upon the children (ſaith he) of rebellion. It's an Hebrew manner of ſpeech, familiar in the Scriptures of the one and the other Teſtament, to call that man, the child of a thing, who is addicted to it, and hath in him the impreſſion, and tincture of it; as they call Antichriſt, the Son of perdition, that is to ſay, a loſt man, one devoted, and abandoned to perdition, who deſtroys himſelf in deſtroying others. And the Grecians, whoſe language is extremely poliſht, and perfectly well formed, have not however diſdained this form of expreſſion, ſaying often the children of the Grecians, for to ſignifie, Greeks themſelves: and the children of Phyſicians, for Phyſicians. In like manner here, theſe children of rebellion, of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks, are the rebellious; ſuch as diſobey the will of GOD, and His advertiſements; fiercely deſpiſe His counſel: ſuch, who (as St. Peter ſaith) do ſtumble at the word; who, whatever care GOD takes to declare His holy will unto them, and to call them to repentance, will not hearken, but obſtinately ſettle, and harden themſelves in their ſins. Whereby they render themſelves guilty of two hainous faults, unbelief, and diſobedience. For they reject …e teſtimony of GOD, and hold it for a fable, ſometimes even openly mocking at it, which is an horrible outrage againſt the truth of GOD. Then next, they diſobey His voice, confirming themſelves in doing what He forbids them, and in neglecting what He doth command them. Such were thoſe profane ones before the Flood, who ſtubbornly deſpiſing the preaching of Noah, the herald of righteouſneſs continued impudently in the track of their corrupt waies: taking no heed to the advertiſements of GOD, and His ſervant. And St. Peter, by reaſon of this inſolent contempt, terms them unbelieving, or diſobedient. They did eat, (ſaith our Saviour) they drank, they married, and gave in marriage, 1 Pet. 3.20.and perceived not the flood, untill it came, and bore them all away. Afterward, Gen. 19.14.the people of Sodom and Gomorra did as much; who took the holy, and humble remonſtrance, which GOD's ſervant, Lot, made them, of thinking on themſelves, and the notice He gave them of the deſtruction of their Cities, for a rallerie, or a phr…nſie. They remained obſtinate in this profane ſecurity, untill a deluge of fire and brimſtone, pouring in a moment out of Heaven upon them, and upon their abominable Countrey, forced thoſe dreams of their incredulity out of their heads, and taught them, that there is nothing more true than the word of GOD, nor more falſe than an imagination of the ſecurity of ſinners. In fine, it is the crime of all thoſe, upon whom the wrath of GOD doth fall. They are children of rebellion, to whom may be applied (though to ſome more, to others leſs) what a Prophet ſometime ſaid unto the Jews, Zech. 7.11.They would not underſtand, but have pulled away the ſhoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they might not hear, and have hardned their hearts as an adamant, that they might not hearken to the law, and the words which the LORD of Hoſts ſent by His Spirit.
I acknowledge, that this is properly the crime, firſt, of thoſe who reject the Goſpel of the Son of GOD, the true word brought in by the Holy Spirit: and ſecondly, of them, that living under the Moſaique covenant, rebelled againſt the word of GOD preached to them by Moſes and the Prophets. But I affirm, that even they are not exempt of it, who have ſinned, or do ſin, in the darkneſſe of Paganiſm. For though theſe people do not reject the word either of the Goſpel, or the Law, which is neither the one nor the other, addreſſed to them; yet can they not be excuſed of contemning that other voice of GOD, which makes it ſelf be heard from Heaven throughout all the earth, and ſoundeth ſecretly in every man's heart, and privily calleth them to repentance for their ſins, to piety, to honeſty, to juſtice, and rectitude. They profanely reject this ſacred declaration of the Deity, without which GOD never left a man among the nations, no, not the moſt forlorn, or moſt deſperately plunged in idolatry and viciouſneſſe, as the Apoſtle teacheth us in the Acts. They deſpiſe thoſe admirable directions He gives them in the governing of the world, to ſeek Him, feel Him and find Him. Acts 14.17. & 17.26 27.They make light of the evidences He offers them in His adminiſtration of the univerſe of His eternal power and Godhead; and finally, do abuſe the riches of His mercy, of His patience, Rom. 1.20. & 2.4.and of His long-ſuffering, by which, His goodneſs inviteth, and ſolliciteth all men to repentance. Whence appears the wonderfulneſſe, not only of the juſtice, but even of the gentleneſs, and benignity of GOD, who having right to puniſh men upon the firſt ſin, they are ſound guilty of, yet doth it not; but calleth, and inviteth them to repentance, and waiteth for them, and cauſeth not His wrath to come upon them, untill to the crime of their ſin, they have added that of rebellion againſt that ſecond way of ſalvation, which He in His loving kindneſs offers them; to wit, the way of repentance. For that which the Apoſtle ſaith here of fornicators, and the avaricious in particular, is true of all vices in general; the wrath of Heaven cometh not upon them that are guilty, but when by their unbelieving, and obduration, they have made themſelves children of rebellion; and there is not a ſinner in the world, how great and enormous ſoever his crimes may be, but this good, and all-merciful Majeſty receives moſt readily to mercy, provid… only he repent; according to the Prophet's ſaying, that God willeth not the death of a ſinner, Ezek. 33.but that he be converted, and live; ſo as henceforth it is not ſimply ſin, that damneth men, but impenitency, and unbelief. And the goodneſſe of GOD doth ſo much the more gloriouſly appear in this procedure of His towards them, for that to have the liberty of treating thus with them, He bought it (if I may ſo ſpeak) at the price of the blood of His only Son, whom He (ſuch is His goodneſſe to us) deliver'd up to the death of the Croſs, to ſalve the intereſts of His juſtice, which oppoſed this way of mercy, that He inclined to open unto men after their falling into ſin. But this very thing ſhews us on the other hand, how great the corruption of men is, and how untractable the furiouſneſſe of the paſſion they have for vice; in that not content to be debauched from the ſervice of their Soveraign, (which is of it ſelf an horrible attentat, and worthy of a thouſand penalties) they are ſo deſperately in love with ſin, that to continue in it, they deſpiſe, and even reject, with an enraged inſolency, all this holy and ſacred myſterie of the kindneſſe of GOD; and are ſo inchanted, and beſtialized by the poiſons of ſin, that they preferr its ſhort, its vain, and wretched pleaſures, before Divine grace and ſalvation, and do leſs dread the wrath of their Soveraign, and the ſociety of Devils, and the torments of Hell, than the loſs of that unworthy and ſhameful delight, which the practiſe of ſin, and the fulfilling of its luſts, doth give them for a few daies.
But we may further obſerve here, the Apoſtle's holy art; who aiming to divert the Coloſſians from avarice, and the pollution of carnal pleaſures, doth not tell them, that GOD will puniſh them heavily, if they do not avoid them: (this language would have in ſome ſort offended them, as implying that they had ſome inclination or diſpoſition to ſuch a faultineſſe.) On the contrary, preſuppoſing, that this would not betide them; to give them horror at theſe crimes, he ſhews them the juſt puniſhments of them, in the perſon of the unbelieving, and rebellious; like a tender and a prudent father, who to imprint an hatred of vice and debauch in the heart of his child, chaſtiſeth the ſlaves in his preſence, that the example of thoſe vile and wretched perſons may teach him what puniſhments he will deſerve, if he come to fall into any ſuch diſorder, he, who is the ſon of his houſe, the heir of his freedom, and eſtate. For we muſt not fancy, that becauſe we have the honour to be of the alliance of GOD, we may therefore commit with impunity thoſe ſins, which the LORD puniſheth ſo ſeverely in thoſe that are without. Far from us be ſo fottiſh, and ſo pernicious a conceit; It's vice that GOD hateth, and not perſons; and whoever hardens himſelf therein, live he in any profeſſion, Pagan or Chriſtian, reformed or otherwiſe, he is a child of rebellion; and the advantage and excellency of the profeſſion he makes, is ſo far from exempting him from, that it will aggravate his puniſhment; it being moſt juſt, as our Saviour teacheth us, Luke 12.47.that he who knew the will of his Maſter, and doth it not, ſhould receive more ſtripes, than he that offends ignorantly. And when a true believer ſalleth, through infirmity, into ſome one of theſe diſorders, (as alas! happens but too often) GOD plainly ſhews, how much it doth diſpleaſe Him, never failing to rebuke and chaſten it, except a prompt repentance do prevent ſuch chaſtening of His. 1 Pet. 4.17. 1 Cor. 11.32.Judgment (ſaith St. Peter) beginneth at the houſe of GOD. And, He judgeth us (ſaith St. Paul,) and teacheth us, that we may not be condemned with the world, as we ſhall aſſuredly be, if we perſevere in ſin without repentance, and amendment. Hence the Apoſtle fearing, leſt ſome ſuch imagination ſhould abuſe the Epheſians, he gives them the ſame intimation, with expreſs advice, that they ſuffer not themſelves to be beguiled with a falſe hope of impunity. Eph. 5.6.Let none (ſaith he) deceive you with vain words. For for theſe things the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion.
But further, his threatning here particularly fornication, uncleanneſſe, inordinate appetite, evil concupiſcence, and covetouſneſſe, in ſaying, that it is for theſe things the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion, is not to ſignifie, that other exceſſes of ſuch rebellions ones, as their cruelties, their murthers, their ambitions, and the like exorbitances ſhould remain unpuniſhed, (on the contrary, Rom. 1.18. Rom. 2.9.he elſe-where expreſly declareth, that the wrath of GOD is revealed peremptorily upon all ungodlineſs and unrighteouſneſs; and again, that there ſhall be tribulation, and anguiſh, upon every ſoul of man, that doth evil.) But he hath denounced this wrath of GOD upon the luxurious, and avaricious by name; for that among all vices, theſe do particularly provoke the vengeance of GOD, by reaſon of their vileneſs and enormity, and alſo by reaſon of the diſturbance they occaſion in humane ſociety, the intereſt and conſervation whereof, doth often force the LORD to ſpeed the execution of His judgements upon theſe kind of ſinners, and puniſh them exemplarily in this world; that ſo by this ſeverity of His, He may cool the furiouſneſſe of thoſe, who giving up themſelves to the paſſions of theſe two accurſed peſts, would overthrow all order among mankind, if their rage were not repreſſed by ſome notable chaſtiſement.
As for the truth of this ſentence, that the wrath of GOD cometh for theſe ſins upon the children of rebellion; ſince it is the Apoſtle, that is, the mouth of Heaven, the oracle of JESUS CHRIST that pronounceth it, no Chriſtian may doubt of it. Firſt, though they ſhould go on altogether unpuniſhed in this world, yet ſure it is, that in the next, this burning wrath of the Almighty, which ſhall there manifeſt its ſelf once for all, at the great and terrible day of the LORD, ſhall ſeparate them for ever from the ſociety of the bleſſed, and ſtrike them down to Hell, there to ſuffer eternally with devils the juſt puniſhments of their rebellion. For beſides this Text, which is clear, 1 Cor. 6.10. Eph. 5.5. Gal. 5.21. Heb. 13.4. 1 Cor. 3.17.the Apoſtle doth in three other paſſages, expreſly enroll idolaters, fornicators, and adulterers, among thoſe that ſhall have no part in the Kingdom of Heaven. And elſe-where he ſaith particularly of whoremongers, and adulterers, that GOD will judge them; and elſe-where again, that GOD will deſtroy thoſe, who ſhall have, by ſuch pollutions, deſtroyed, or violated His Temple, that is, their bodies. In like manner, St. John aſſigneth them their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone, Rev. 21.8. 1 Cor. 6.9. 1 Tim. 6.9.which is the ſecond death. And as for the covetous, it's of them in particular St. Paul ſaies, that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the kingdom of GOD; and elſewhere, that covetous deſires do drown men in perdition.
But beſides this great and dreadful puniſhment, which theſe vices will infallibly draw down at the laſt day upon the children of rebellion, they involve them for the preſent, in ſo many divers evils, that if the worlds ſtupidity and paſſion did not blind it, it might eaſily perceive the truth of what the Apoſtle doth affirm. For firſt, is not that bruitiſhneſſe, and that horrible eclipſing of good ſenſe, and right reaſon, and that beſtial abandonedneſſe to the vileſt paſſions and actions, into which almoſt all the ſlaves of theſe vices are ſeen to fall, is not this, I ſay, an eminent and plain mark of the wrath of GOD upon them? The debauched, for their part, the life they lead is nought elſe, but a continual wandring out of the way. Conſider me Soloni…, the ſageſt Prince that ever was; in whom ſhone ſo glorious, and ſo ſplendid a light of knowledge, and of wiſdom, that he raviſhed his whole age, and attracted a great Queen from the ends of the earth to come behold his glory. After he yielded up himſelf to this infamous paſſion, he ſo loſt all that force of ſpirit and judgement, that he became extravagant to ſuch a degree, as to give up himſelf to idolatry, the utmoſt of all bruitalities, in complacency to his Miſtreſſes. And the Heathen Poets themſelves, to repreſent what the ordinary ſequel of this vice is, do make one of their Heroes aſſume, in their fables, the habit, and equipage of a woman, after he had once fallen into the ſnares of this wretched paſſion. It's an image of what doth ſtill betide thoſe that let themſelves be taken in the ſame: putting off by little and little, all vertue, and ſhame, they become effeminate, and ſo utterly loſe their ſenſes, that at length there is nothing ſo diſgraceful, nothing ſo contrary to order, honour, and decency, but they readily do, and ſuffer. The ſame is ſignified again by another fable of the ſame Author's, concerning ſome, whom the potion of a ſorcereſſe transformed into ſwine, and other beaſts. The fable is pregnant of truth, and under feigned names and perſons, containeth the hiſtory of the moſt part of thoſe miſerable men, whom fornication and adultery hath bewitched. They loſe heart, and judgement, and humane ſenſe, and commit ſo many follies and extravagancies, as it is very eaſie to perceive, that it's no longer the foul of a man, but of a meer animal, that guides them. Whence then comes ſo ſtrange a Metamorphoſis, even in a Solomon, and in perſons that otherwiſe ſeemed ſo advis'd, and prudent? Dear Brethren, doubt not, but that it comes from a ſecret judgement of GOD, who deprives them of that ſpirit and judgement which they made ſuch ill uſe of, and who, ſo to ſay, degrading them of the quality of men, whereof this vice hath rendred them unworthy, Rom. 1.20.drives them out among animals, delivering them up unto a mind disfurniſhed of judgement, as the Apoſtle doth elſe-where deſcribe this dreadful vengeance of GOD.
But beſides mind and reaſon, who ſees not, that it alſo uſually takes away their ſtrength, their beauty, their vigour, and health of body, bringing on them diſeaſes, which gnaw their very bones, diſeaſes which rot them, and incurvate them before the time, and which creating ſharpeſt pains in all the parts of their miſerable fleſh, do make it pay dear for the diſhoneſt pleaſures they have given it? Loſs of goods is alſo one of the puniſhments which GOD commonly inflicteth for this ſin, permitting its very ſelf to conſume, by the irregularity of its fooliſh expences, the means that are neceſſary for the ſupport of the life of man; and reduce thoſe that ſerve it, to an incommodious and ſhameful poverty. Whereto may be yet added infinite examples, which the lives of men are full of, of tragical miſeries, wherewith GOD doth viſibly ſtrike ſins of this ſort. It was for them, that He ſent the firſt deluge of water on the earth; and afterwards again, a ſecond of fire and brimſtone upon the coaſts of Sodom and Gomorrah. The debauches of Iſrael with Moah were the cauſe of the death of four and twenty thouſand men, whom GOD conſumed in His fury. And the tribe of Benjamin, ſo great and flouriſhing as it had been, was reduced to ſix hundred men, for the uncleanneſs of one of their Cities. Who knows not, that ſometimes one man's adultery hath cauſed long wars, and ruined great Eſtates? And among the inſtances of it, particularly lamentable is that of the Gothes Empire; which having flouriſhed in Spain a long time, was deſtroyed, and utterly overthrown, for a fault of this kind committed by one of their Kings. This occaſion brought in the Saracens upon their hands; who, beſides liberty, and goods, took Chriſtian religion away too, from the moſt part of thoſe people; introducing, and maintaining Mahometiſm in thoſe Countreys, during many ages. It is not to be doubted, but that the precipita…ed deaths and ruines of ſo many great ones, whom the world hath ſeen, and ſtill doth ſee periſh with aſtoniſhment, are for the moſt part from the ſame ſource, even the debauches they have been carried into. The accidents of particular houſes, and perſons infected with this leaprouſie, are leſs marked; yet are they nevertheleſs very remarkable. And he that ſhall look narrowly into them, ſhall find in them admirable examples of the juſtice of GOD upon theſe kind of ſins; and this in ſpecial, that He commonly takes away His covenant from houſes where ſuch diſorders reign. I might eaſily let you ſee like foot-ſteps of the wrath of GOD upon the covetous, whoſe unrighteouſneſſe He often puniſheth with loſs of ſenſes, of health, of honour, and of that very wealth which they love much better than their bodies, and their ſouls themſelves; not to ſpeak of the infamy which GOD ſometimes poureth out upon them; and the horrible miſeries into which He lets them fall, in their perſons, and in their poſterity.
But I muſt paſs to the other part of this Text, and ſpeak a few words of it, and conclude. For the Apoſtle, after this wrath of GOD, which he hath repreſented, as falling from Heaven upon the children of rebellion, becauſe of their pollutions, and avarices, reminds the Coloſſians, that themſelves had ſometime been in the ſame condition; in which (ſaith he) you alſo walked other-while, when ye lived in theſe things. To live in theſe ſins, is to have the principles of our life infected with the venome of them. To walk in them, is to produce the actions of them. The one is the power and faculty of life; the other is the exerciſe and function of it. For the having in ones ſelf the principles and faculties of life, this the Apoſtle termeth living, and by walking, he underſtands, a putting forth the actions of the ſame; as appears plainly by his ſaying elſewhere, If we live in the Spirit, let us alſo walk in the Spirit. For a man, that, Gal. 5.25.for inſtance, is aſleep, does nevertheleſs live, and hath life, though he performeth not the actions of it. As therefore to live in the Spirit, is no other thing, but to have the faculties and powers of our nature renewed, and as it were neweaſt, and regenerated by the vertue of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST; ſo on the contrary, to live in ſin, is in like manner, to have our underſtanding, and will, and the other powers of our nature, putrified, and corrupted, and, as it were, empoiſoned with Adam's ſin, by the contagion of his fleſh. And again, as thoſe do walk in the Spirit, who exerciſe piety, and ſanctity, and do conduct all the actions and motions of their lives, according to the will of the Spirit; ſo they, on the contrary, walk in ſin, who follow, and fulfill the luſts thereof, and employ themſelves in no other exerciſe, but the ſerving it, and doing thoſe evil works which naturally flow from the habitudes of it. But we have ſpoken largely heretofore, if you remember, of this firſt life of old Adam, which the grace of the LORD JESUS hath deſtroyed, and mortified in us. We have only to obſerve in our way, that ſince the exerciſe of man, in his ſtate of nature before grace, is, to walk in vices, and in groſſeſt pollutions; it muſt be an huge error to imagine, that he ſhould be able, in ſuch a ſtate, to produce works either meritorious, (as ſome ſay) or preparatory to grace, (as others do pretend.) All he doth for this time, if you believe the Apoſtle in the caſe, is not good, but to prepare for Hell, and merit the wrath of GOD; and to have any other opinion of it, will be a diminution of the greatneſſe of the grace of GOD towards us. Let us think then, Beloved Brethren, on that ſhameful and miſerable eſtate in which we naturally were, and ſhould have continued for ever with the children of rebellion, living, and walking in ſins, the wages, and fruit whereof, could be no other than eternal death, if the LORD, through His abundant grace, had not delivered us from ſuch a condemnation. And reſenting, as we ought, the greatneſs of the benefit He hath conferr'd upon us, let us inceſſantly bleſs His mercy and goodneſs; Thanks be ever rendred unto thee, O holy, and merciful LORD, for that we being ſervants of ſin, thou haſt made us free by Thy Son, and given us by thy Spirit, Rom. 6.17.to obey that expreſs form of doctrine, which hath been delivered us by thy ſervants.
But as heretofore the vices, in which we lived, did continually produce all kind of pollutions, and ſins; and henceforth, ſince the croſs, and grace of our LORD hath dried up this ſource of impurity, let there no more appear any track of them in our manners. Let the holyneſs of that new man, whoſe name and blood we boaſt of, ſhine forth in all the actions of our lives. Above all, let us baniſh thence, thoſe two capital and accurſed peſts of luxury and avarices for which, you have heard here before, all the mouths of Heaven opened, to fulminate againſt the rebellious, that ſerve them, the curſes of this world, and of that which is to come. And if the ignorance of ſuch as lived in error, withheld not the wrath of GOD heretofore from coming on them for theſe two kinds of ſins; what muſt thoſe expect now, who commit the ſame crimes in the light of JESUS CHRIST? Sure, as much as the diſobedience, and the rebellion of the one is more grievous, and more enormous than that of others; ſo much more terrible will be the wrath that ſhall pour from Heaven upon them, than all the judgements of GOD the world hath ſeen in time paſt. Your ingratitude, Chriſtian, who ſo ill brook your name, and your diſobedience, ſurpaſſeth in horridneſſe all the unbelief, both of the firſt world, and of ancient Iſrael: they rejected, but the preaching of Noah, and the miniſtry of M…ſes; whereas you outrage the Goſpel of the Son of GOD, and, as much is in you is, make Him a lyer. Yet you know how they were puniſhed; you know the deluges, which the fault of the one brought upon all the earth. You know, the abyſſe opened its mouth to ſwallow up the others alive; Heaven, and earth, and the elements were armed againſt them. If their puniſhment makes you tremble; why do you imitate their faults? yea, why commit you ſuch as are more hainous, and blacker than theirs? GOD is good, and merciful, I acknowledge, but to ſinners repenting. To thoſe that mock at His inſtruction, and make a jeſt of His menaces. He is ſevere, and inexorable: And if they amend not, they ſhall know ſooner or later, to their coſt, that it's a fearful thing to fall into His hands. But the LORD JESUS, whom we invocate, pleaſe to give us better things; ſo reforming this Church by the power of His Spirit, and of His voice, that henceforth theſe crying ſins be no more ſeen amongſt us; not the ordures of luxury, nor the vilinies of avarice, which are the infamy of His people, the reproach of our profeſſion, the ſcandal of ſuch as are without, the ſhame of thoſe that are within, the ruine and eternal miſery of thoſe that obſtinately continue in theſe vices. Rather let honeſty, chaſtity, purity of body and ſpirit, charity, and liberality, and all other Chriſtian vertues be ſeen to flouriſh and fructifie in the midſt of us, to the glory of GOD, the edification of all within and without, and our own ſalvation. Amen.