Gods Call to England, Proposition 4
PROPOSITION 4.
Sins after deliverance have a peculiar influence to procure and hasten destruction. Our present safety is no security against future Judgments: destruction deferred by Gods deliverances, will be hastned by our sinning after them: those whom undeserved mercies can't reclaim, incensed justice will speedily ruine. The Monuments of greatest mercies, have been made examples to declare the severity of Justice for the abuses of them. Such have experienced the most direful suffering, to whom the Almighty hath been most long-suffering. VVitness the deplorable state of the hardned Iews, to whom the most singular favour was extended of any people on earth; yet now who more miserable than those rejected wretches, for their abusing favours? Justice will frown most sharply upon the disdainful affronters of mercy. No people are nearer an utter desolation, than those who heap up sin, when God is heaping up mercies. Although the Lord be most willing to smite, yet he knows not how to spare when provoked in this manner. Ier. 5.7. How shall I pardon thee for this.—When I had fed them to the full, then they committed Adultery, v. 9. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? shall I not be avenged on such a Nation as this? These sins put God to a stand; he knows not how to go about a pardoning act, although he delights so greatly in it: how shall I pardon, Heb. foreign parcam: how shall I spare thee any longer? I can't withhold the hands of my justice, I can't defer the punishment of these transgressions. Thence, v. 10. God gives a Commission to enemies, Go upon the Walls and destroy, &c. delay no longer: let those feel the smarting impressions of Justice, that despise the sweetest expressions of mercy.
This wrath of God against despisers of goodness, appears, 1 Sam. 12.24, 25. Consider how great things the Lord hath done: but if ye still continue to do wickedly, ye shall be consumed both ye and your King. When once a people rise to that height of Impiety, that the most obliging kindness Heaven can show, can't win their hearts to obedience; what can be expected from Heaven, but the severest vengeance an Almighty arm can bring upon them? Will not the Lord soon rush out upon a people with wonderful plagues, when they are knocking at the door of justice by such impenitent courses? The most gracious Prince would dispatch that man, who should impudently persist in traiterous designs against him, after a deliverance from death by his pardoning of him. Thus will the King of Heaven miserably destroy delivered sinners rebelling against him. Divine patience sheathing the sword of Justice, will at last desist its pleading for the abusers of it; and impatient justice by its revengeful arm will avenge the quarrel of despised mercy: Ezek. 16.43. Because thou hast not remembred the days of thy youth: q. d. the kindness and favour I then extended to thee; the deliverances thou hadst from me: Behold, I will recompence thy ways upon thy …ead. Thou hast grieved me with sin, I will grind thee to pieces with judgments; thou hast recompensed me with hatred for …ove, I will recompense hatred for your …atred. Thus will God deprive those of mercies, that deprive him of the glory of …hem. 2 Kings 21.13. God there threa…ens to wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a …ish, q. d. He would take away all their …elicate enjoyments, as meat is thrown …ut of a dish. They shall feed on judgments, who were wanton when fed with …ercies: but the Hebrew signifies, Delebo Ierusalem sicut deleri solent tabulae. As impressions on tables are wont to be wiped out, so shall my impressions of goodness upon them: the former inscriptions of honour and prosperity shall no more be seen, but the prints of destroying judgments shall be found upon them. It shall no more be written, These are a people delivered, but, These are a people destroyed for abusing deliverance. This fatal consequence of despising favours, may be illustrated from the words of God, Hos. 6.4. Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away. Many interpret your goodness, the goodness bestowed on you, or your mercies. So the sence is, My goodness that I bestow upon you, is but like a morning cloud, that is dissipated and scattered, and doth no good to you, you are not the better for it. And as the early dew it passeth away, i. e. Gratiam & misericordiam meam malitia vestra absorbetis: You soon wear off the impressions of my mercy, as the moistnings of the early dew are soon dryed up by the earth; therefore v. 7. I have hewed them by the Prophets, my judgments are broken out upon them: or otherwise, The tokens of my mercy make but short impression on you; your goodness fades away, you soon return to sin: what now shall I do to you? I am resolved to try no more mercies; I have made you grow with my kindness like flourishing Trees, now will I hew you down; because you are so unprofitable, I will be unmerciful to you.
Here it will not be amiss to consider, how this persistence in sin after deliverance, promotes and hastens the destruction of a people.
1. Hereby that peculiar respect that God hath for one people above another, is made to cease; and they are lookt upon no otherwise, than the vilest of people in the world. In Gods providen…ial dispensations, he bears some singular favour to some, beyond what he doth to others, although these may be nothing more deserving than other Nations; and from this favour he confers singular Temporal Blessings upon them; and these he …alls his people, as especially cared for, …reserved and provided for by him. But … these despise his kindness, and con…mn his goodness, he then un-peoples …em, and casts them out of his favour; …nd then they become as liable to judg…ents, as the greatest abjects in the world. Thus was it with the people of the Iews, the Lord separated them from all the world for his care and charge: hence he did mighty things for them; but continuing long in their sins, notwithstanding his mercies, Hos. 2.9. he bids the Prophet tell them, Ye are not my people, I will not be your God; and this rejection made way for that ruine now upon them. In the 9th of Amos, the Prophet is threatning judgment against that sinful people, against which they fortified themselves with presumptuous boastings of their being Gods people, chosen by him, & so often owned by deliverances; but for their abusing mercies, God tells them, v. 7. Are ye not as the children of the AEthiopians unto me? saith the Lord, i.e. Non pluri… vos facio quam AEthiopes, Grot. You are now no more to me than the vilest people.
You have been under my care, and now ye are under my curse: ye remain unchangeable in your sins, as the AEthiopians in their colour, and therefore ye shall b… of no more account with me than they… VVhat though we have been more to God than any people on earth, and received more blessings then any Nation… near us, insomuch that we might be called his chosen people for his care over us? VVill not despising mercies, sinning after deliverances, make him say, as Hos. 9.15. I will love you no more? VVhat shall we be more to him than the AEthiopians, if we be like them in sin? Ezek. 15.2. What is the Vine-tree more than another? i.e. If the Vine bring forth no fruit, what is it more than another tree? why should it not be burnt? VVhatever we have been, if we be fruitless and ungrateful, why should we not be punisht? If we be not bearing trees, may not God make us burning trees? If we be not bettered by deliverance, why may we not be destroyed?
2. Hereby the Lord is made in a manner to repent of delivering a people: when men have gratified their fellow-creatures with signal favours, and after such expressions of respect have nothing but ungrateful returns; it makes them wish they had never bestowed their love on such unworthy persons. Thus the Almighty God, unjustly requited for mercies, is said to repent him of his conferring kindness on a people. But we must observe that golden rule; Quae foreign Deo tribuuntur, foreign debent intelligi: Those things which are attributed to God after the manner of men, must be understood as become the Majesty of God. So Gods repenting is an improper allusive term, expressing not a change in Gods mind, but in his action: not implying such an affection in God as repentance, but alluding to the effect of such an affection in man, Gen. 6.6. It repented God that he made man, and it grieved him to the heart. This implies Gods wrathful indignation at mans miscarriage, but no disturbing alteration in the mind of God, who is ever the same. But to speak after the manner of Men, when a people continue in sins after deliverance, God may say, Oh! it repents me that I have delivered a people thus to dishonour me; it repents me to do so much for a people, to do thus much against me. Oh! how near are such a people to destruction, of whose deliverance God repents him! How soon will they be involved in ruine, of whom God may be provoked to say, as David of Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.21. In vain have I kept all this man hath in the wilderness; In vain have I preserved the lives and liberties of this people, since the fruit of all is onelyonly to be rebelled against and dishonoured by them. If we thus make the Lord griev'd at the heart for bestowing mercies, God will grieve us to the heart by destroying judgments.
3. Hereby God is provoked to stop all proceedings in way of deliverance, and leave a people to successless shiftings for themselves: Iudges 10.12, 13. Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites? yet ye have forsaken me; I will deliver you no more. Sinning after deliverance, dis-engages God from appearing any more for us. And what can be more dreadful, than to hear God say in his wrath, Oh ye ingrateful people! I have once and again improved my wisdom and power on your behalf, to prevent your ruine; but since ye go on still to provoke me, whatever your condition is hereafter, you must never look for help from me; whoever be your enemy, you must not look for me to be your friend: I will never stand up for such Rebels, nor dishonour my Name in delivering you to sin against me. We cannot want comfort whilst under promises of Divine assistance, and help from Heaven in our dangers; but if God stands off, we must inevitably fall into the hands of our enemies, and become preys to their greedy lusts. If God says I will add no more deliverance, there is none can promise deliverance to us. Oh miserable people, whom God thus forsakes in anger! we shall never see another deliverance, if the Lord should resolve I will add no more. We shall never out-live the dangers we daily live in, if God should determine to leave us to them.
Corruption in our ways under mercies, will cause a cessation of them. So it was with the people of the Iews, Hos. 1.6. Call her name Lo-ruchamah, for I will not add any more to the house of Israel, but I will utterly take away. I will add no more days of prosperity, years of plenty; no more gracious deliverances, or pledges of mercy, but I will utterly take away: I have been filling, but now will I empty you; the Hebr. foreign signifies obliviscendo, obliviscor, in forgetting I will forget them. I will no more be favourable to them, but forgetful of them; though they perish, I wo'nt remember them; they have not minded my mercies, I will not mind their miseries. Thus God puts a stop to the streams of mercy, locks up the storehouse of blessings, and adds no more. David prays, Psal. 36.10. Oh continue thy loving kindness, &c. Hebr. signifies, Pertraha, draw out, lengthen out the tokens of thy love; but this will be onelyonly to those that are drawn to God by them. They may call every mercy a Ios…ph, which signifies, God will add more. But 'tis not so with ungrateful sinners, God will make an end of bestowing mercies, unless they make an end of abusing of them: God will cease deliverances, unless we cease dishonouring him with them.
Yea, although a deliverance may be begun to a people, whereby they appear in a happy way to escape; yet persisting in sin, God will carry on the work no farther, but leave them to ruine. Hence then, what especial care should be used to reform our lives, and renew our repentance, lest our deliverance should be left unperfected? we are in no better capacity to finish it now begun, than we were to begin it, if God stands off. Our proceeding in sin, will hinder our God from proceeding in mercy. Indulging our provoking lusts, will endanger our precious lives. These merciful buddings of Providence may easily be knipt. This small glimmering light may soon be over-clouded; our door of hope may soon be shut. Shall we provoke a gracious God to say, I will add no more? Shall we make him complain of being weary of delivering? What makes a stop to our deliverance, but our continuance in sin? This makes God in the posture we read of, Ier. 14.9. As a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save. Hebr. foreign Pavidus, as one afraid of us, astonish'd at our iniquities. A man astonisht doth walk up and down this way and that way, knows not what course to take; so our sinning whilst God is delivering, makes God at a loss what to do. Sometimes he goes forward with deliverance, sometimes it seems to stand still, another while it looks as if it were set back; and all this, because we amaze God with our daring sins. God told the people of Israel, admiring he went not on with deliverance, Isa. 59.1, 2. My hand is not shortned that it cannot save, nor my ear deafned that it cannot hear; but your iniquities separate between you and your God, &c. We drive God from us by our sins; and how then can our Salvation be carryed on? Shall we make God go back and repent of the good he hath seemed to design for us? our sinning will do it: Ier. 18.10. If it doth evil in my sight, I will repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit it. Shall we not repent of sinning, rather than provoke God thus to repent of his purpose to deliver? Why will you blast all your hopes of escape, and wither that flower that's springing up? Oh then, if you desire a farther deliverance, desert your former sins! or else God will resolve to add no more. By this most abominable persistence in sin, the Lord is provoked not onelyonly to stop deliverances, but to step into ways of judgments, and that with unalterable resolutions to destroy. Instead of enabling people against enemies, he enables enemies against them. Instead of delivering from cruel adversaries, he justly delivers them up unto them. Hereby his saving arm becomes a smiting hand, and mercy it s…lf is made an enemy. Hereby our greatest friend becomes an implacable foe; and whereas oftentimes before he had graciously sent Commissions from Heaven for deliverance, now in his wrath he dispenseth commands, and issues out Writs to destroy.
This severity to a sinful people you may see, Isa. 63.9, 10. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; but they rebelled and vext his holy Spirit, therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and fought against them. Now how can they hope to escape, that have a victorious God to oppose them! How miserably will those be ruin'd, that by despising Gods helping pitty, convert it to destroying enmity? Oh, that the terrour of Divine displeasure for such transgressions, thus exemplified in others, might have that sutable influence on our hearts, as to prevent them in us! let others corrections be our admonitions; let Gods vindictive judgments on others, be instructive warnings to us: Rev. 15.4. Who will not fear thee, thy judgments are made manifest! Let others confusion be a subject of our consideration; and know, if we continue Enemies to God, after his friendly, fatherly dealings, he will soon become our enemy, and fight against us; then the deepest policy, the highest power can be no security to us.
But that which is the most direful consequence of this horrid sinning, is, that it brings the Eternal God to unmoveable resolutions, to accomplish the destruction of such a people. He will not be prevailed with to deliver those, whom his mercies could not prevail with to desist from sin. If we grow incorrigible under mercies, God will grow inexorable when under judgments. If a deaf ear be turned to God, when by mercies he calls for duty; he will turn a deaf ear to us, when we in misery invocate his mercy: whatever hopes we may flatter our selves withal, we shall meet with no help from God, when thus provoked. Although such is the goodness of God, that he often repents before he destroys; yet such provocations will make him weary of repenting, and resolve to ruine: Ier. 15.6, 7. Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou hast gone away backward; therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, I am weary of repenting. I have long indulged you, but I will now spare no longer, but avenge your sins: Some render it, Laboravi rogans, &c. I have taken pains intreating you to repent, till I am weary; but now ye that have wearyed me with your sins, shall be wearied with judgments: So v. 7. I will fan them with a fan in the gates: that is, I will scatter them about as the chaff is scattered with a fan; I will bereave them of children, and destroy my people, sith they return not from their ways. Thus impenitent sinning brings unavoidable judgments: and Divine vengeance will infallibly pursue such as persist in these hainous sins. No Sanctuary shall shelter these ungrateful wretches from the hands of justice; nor shall flattering intreaties prevent the ruine of such unrepenting sinners.
The deserved judgments that belong to these inhumane offenders of mercy, will be threatned with unalterable certainty. Thus you may see them denounced against an incorrigible people, Ezech. 24.13, 14. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged till I have caused my fury to rest upon you. Because I have purged thee, q. d. I have endeavoured to perswade thee, and oblige thee to leave thy filthy sins: Verba quae effectum notant, saepe de conatu intelliguntur: Estius. So God is said to do what he requires, desires, permits, or perswades to be done. Thus God had been inducing of them to obedience, reducing of them from sin; but under all, they were unspeakably obstinate; which caused these desperate resolutions in God against them. He would make his fury rest upon them: and their doom is confirmed with the highest asseverations conceivable, v. 14. I the Lord have spoken, i. e. I that am of undoubted faithfulness, and cannot lye; of infinite power, and can execute my pleasure; I have spoken it, and it shall come to pass; whatever evasions you think to make, however secure and careless you are, it shall come to pass, and I will do it. I will undertake the ruine of such as rebel against my mercies, and abuse the greatest instrument of raising my honour, viz. my patience; I will not go back, neither will I spare or repent. When I begin, I will carry on my work; I will not break off my judgments, since ye will not break off your sins; the sentence is irrevocable, you must expect no reversion of it, nor deliverance from it. Now surely vengeance threatned with thus much certainty, will fall upon a people with intolerable severity. When judgments are thus punctually determined, it cannot be expected they should be a long while delay'd. What hopes now can we have, if persisting in sin after our many merciful escapes? Will not this grave-stone be laid upon us? Will not a consumption be decreed from the Lord of Hosts against us? What though we are spared this once, after all our former evasions? Are we now out of danger? Are there no instances to be found of a people preserved, delivered, as often as we, and at last the Writs of destruction were issued forth? What think you of that example, Amos 7. In the vision of the Prophet, the judgments of God on that people were shadowed by various destructive things: v. 1. by Grass-hoppers, meaning the Army of the Assyrians, which were ready to invade them; but God from his infinite clemency prevented their ruine by them: v. 3. The Lord repented for this, and said, It shall not be: V. 4. this people are threatned with another consuming judgment exprest by fire: whereby was signified either a drought, or the devastations of their Cities, by that unmerciful enemy and Element; or the ruining calamities which they were near involved in by Teglathphalasar; yet now again he delivers them: v. 6. This also shall not be. But this Language is too good to hold always to unbettered sinners: now therefore, v. 7. God will wink no longer at their ungrateful sinning, he now is weary of repenting. The Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb-line in his hand: A Metaphor from those that build walls, they use a line to proceed exactly. Thus the Lord declares he would no longer tolerate their abuses, nor use his clemency to deliver, but would exercise strictest justice till they were ruined: Hence v. 8, 9. a miserable destruction is threatned, I will pass by them no more, &c. Enemies shall now prevail, judgments shall effectually take place; I will use nothing but strictness and severity. Now this leads me to the fifth Proposition.