The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. If God be incomparable, how great is the madneſs and miſery of impenitent Sinners?
SEcondly, if God be ſuch an incompararable God, it informeth us of the madneſs and miſery of Sinners.
1. Of their madneſs in daring to offend him, and to contend with him. 2. In wilfully loſing this incomparable God.
1. How great is their madneſs in daring to offend him? yea, in daring him to his face? Reader, if thou ſhouldſt ſee a man without any cauſe ſtriving with an whole Army, hacking and hewing, and provoking them to kill him, you would think ſurely the man is mad, otherwiſe he would never thus wilfully run himſelf into a certain ruine. I tell thee every time thou wilfully breakeſt his Laws, thou acteſt more like a diſtracted man; for thou fighteſt againſt that God who is ſtronger than millions of Armies, who is Almighty; and thou provokeſt him to deſtroy thee who can wink thee into the other world, and look thee into the eternal Lake, and hiſs thee into Hell flames. Man, art thou Gods match, that thou offereſt to enter the Liſt with him? Do ye (ſaith the Apoſtle) provoke the Lord to anger? Are ye ſtronger than he? 1 Cor. 10.22. It's one thing to provoke men to anger, and another thing to provoke the Lord to anger. Man hath but a little heart, and a ſmall hand; his anger and power cannot at utmoſt exceed finite; but Gods heart and hand, his anger and power are both infinite. If the wrath of a King be a Meſſenger of Death, what thinkeſt thou is the wrath of immenſity, and the ſtroak of Omnipotency? What then is the wrath of a God? Sinner doſt thou know what thou doſt when thou breakeſt his Laws, ſlighteſt his Love, diſhonoureſt his Name, grieveſt his Spirit? I tell thee thou provokeſt a God who is incomparable in holineſs, and hath threatned thy deſtruction; who is incomparable in power, and can accompliſh what he hath threatned; and who is incomparable in truth, and cannot but make good with his arm, what he hath ſpoken with his mouth: Wo be to him that ſtriveth with his Maker: let the Potſherds ſtrive with the Potſherds of the earth, Iſa. 45.1. God is a God of Peace, he hates ſtrife; but if men will be ſtriving, he wiſheth them rather to meddle with thoſe that are their matches, poor ſilly worms like themſelves, and not to ſtrive with their Maker, who is infinitely their Superiour in authority and power, and every perfection. Here is ſawcineſs indeed, for a pitiful nothing to challenge Almightineſs to Battel. Who (in his wits, in his ſenſes, that were not quite diſtracted) would ſet Briars and Thorns againſt me in Battel? I would go through them, I would burn them up all together, Iſa. 27.4. Briars and Thorns are not match to a fire; how eaſily, how ſpeedily, how certainly doth the fire conſume them as ſoon as it layeth hold of them? how much leſs is weak man a match for God, who is a conſuming fire? When the Roman Poet was deſired to make Verſes againſt his Emperour, he anſwered, Nolo in eum ſcribere qui poteſt proſcribere, I'le not jeer and jeſt with him that can kill me in earneſt. Our Saviour tells us, What King going to war againſt another, ſitteth not down firſt, and conſulteth, whether he be able with 10000 to meet him that cometh againſt him with 20000? or elſe while the other is a great way off ſendeth to his Ambaſſadours, and deſireth conditions of Peace, Luk. 14.31, 32. O that when the Devil and fleſh entice the Sinner to ſport with and make a mock of Sin, Prov. 10.23. he would but conſider, it's ill jeſting with edged tools, it's ill jeſting with unquenchable Burnings; for how can his heart endure, or his hands be ſtrong in the day that the great God ſhall deal with him? Ezek. 22.14.
2. Again, How great is their madneſs, who will venture the eternal loſs of this God, this incomparable God, for every baſe luſt? what a mad man is he, who will ſtake a Million againſt a Mite, a Crown againſt a Crum, Subſtance againſt Shadows, all things againſt nothing, the bleſſed boundleſs God againſt a moments ſenſual delight. Was not Shimei bereft of his wits, to hazard his life for a little uncertain worldly profit by his Servant? The Lord Jeſus doth moſt fitly call him a fool, who would hazard and loſe the incomparable God for a little corruptible Gold, Luke 12.20. The Spirit of God ſpeaks the Prodigal to be beſide himſelf, when he left bread, bread enough, bread enough in his Fathers houſe, for husks, and not a Belly full neither, and among Swine, Luke 15.18, 19, 20. and when he came to himſelf, he conſidered what a mad man he was, to wallow among Swine, and feed on ſuch bruitiſh fare, which could never fill his belly, when he might have been feaſting among the Children of God in his Fathers houſe, with plenty of what is bread indeed, able to ſatisfie a capacious Heaven-born Soul. Friend, think of it ſeriouſly, the next time thou art tempted to Sin, will this Oath, or this Cup, or this Theft, or this Wantonneſs, or this neglect of Duty ballance the everlaſting loſs of the incomparable God? will this luſt, this moments pleaſure make amends for the loſs of him who is eternal life, and a River of unconceivable and unchangeable pleaſures? ſhall I be ſo beſotted, bewitched, diſtracted, as to loſe real mercies for lying vanities, the fountain of living waters for Broken Ciſterns, the food of Angels for the worlds ſcraps; a precious Soul, an ineſtimable Saviour, an incomparable God, for a toy, a trifle, a poor empty guilded nothing? Did ever any in Bedlam buy ſo dear, or ſell ſo cheap, or manifeſt the like madneſs?
2. Of the miſery of Sinners. They ſhall loſe this incomparable God for ever; nay, they muſt have him for their everlaſting enemy.
1. Their miſery conſiſteth partly in this, that they muſt depart for ever from this incomparable God, Math. 7.23. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Math. 25.41. Depart from me ye curſed. O how dreadful a ſound will the word Depart make in the Sinners ears? yea, what a deep wound will it make in his heart? Depart from me; Ah! whether do they go, that go from God? To depart from riches and honours, and carnal comforts for ever, will affect and afflict him to purpoſe who placeth his happineſs in them; to loſe health, and liberty, and friends, and relations for ever, is no inconſiderable loſs to him that knoweth not where to have them made up. To loſe the Ordinances of God, ſeaſons of Grace, the tenders, intreaties, invitations of the Goſpel for ever, is ſuch a loſs that a ſenſualliſt is uncapable of conceiving the greatneſs of. To loſe the Communion of perfect Spirits, the company of glorious Angels, the bleſſed exerciſes of the Heavenly Hoſt for ever, will not a little affright and amaze, and vex and terrifie the wicked, when they once come to have their eyes opened, and their Conſciences awakened in the other world: But to depart from the incomparable God for ever, to loſe the only Paradice of pleaſures, the only fountain of living Waters, the only author of true felicity; to loſe the unſearchable Mine of Riches, the inexhauſtable well of Salvation, the ineſtimable Sun of Righteouſneſs; to loſe the deareſt Father, the wiſeſt Guide, the ſtrongeſt Shield, the ſweeteſt Love, the cloſeſt Friend, the tendereſt Mercy, the richeſt Grace, the higheſt Honour, the only happineſs; to loſe the Lord of Life, the Lord of Glory, the Lord of Lords; to loſe the God of Hope, the God of all Grace, the God of all Conſolation, the God of Peace, the God of Gods, the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the incomparable God; and to loſe him totally and for ever, is the loſs of all loſſes, is ſuch a loſs as no tongue can declare, no mind can conceive, is ſuch a loſs as never was the like before it, nor ſhall, nor can be the like after it. He that hath loſt God, hath nothing left that is good, he hath loſt all that was worth having or ſaving. Lord whether ſhall we go, if we go from thee? thou haſt the words of eternal life, Joh. 6.68.
Reader, how great is the Sinners loſs in the other world, how great ſoever his gain is in this? Ah where is his hope though he hath gained, when God ſhall take away his Soul? Job 27.8. Can the greateſt gain Counter-ballance the loſs of him to whom the whole world, yea, millions of worlds are traſh and trifles?
The greatneſs of any loſs is to be meaſured by the excellency and value of that which we loſe; therefore if God be ſo incomparable in all perfections, the loſs of Sinners, who loſe this God totally and eternally, muſt be an incomparable loſs. As there is no gain equal to the gain of a God, all other gains are but painted Babies or Butterflies to this; ſo there is no loſs equal to the loſs of a God, all other loſſes are but Bug-bears to fright Children with to this; this is a loſs with a witneſs, a loſs which nothing can countervail, ſupply, or make up, in which all that is good is gone for ever. As Micah ſaid to the Iſraelites, when they asked him what he ayled to cry out ſo, Ye have taken away my God, and what have I more? Judg. 18.22. So will the Sinner in the other world, ſcreech horribly, and complain heavily of his deceitful Fleſh (which now he makes ſuch proviſion for) Thou haſt taken away my God, and what have I more? I am poor, a beggar, nothing worth, worſe than naught, wholly ruined, utterly undone by thee, I have loſt my God, and with him all that is good.
Reader, if thou liveſt without God, ponder, O ponder in the midſt of all thy gettings what thou art looſing; yea, what thou ſhalt looſe (if thou doſt not return) for ever and ever. Did the Diſciples weep and wail, that they ſhould ſee the face of a good man no more on earth, Sorrowing moſt of all, for the words that he ſpake unto them, that they ſhould ſee his face no more, Acts 20.38. And doſt thou think it will not fill thy heart with ſorrow, and cut it with anguiſh, to hear the bleſſed God, the incomparable God ſay to thee, Sinner, farewel, farewel for ever, thou ſhalt ſee my face no more for ever? Believe it, thoſe words will ſound more dolefully in thine ears, than thou art now aware of; they will be a Paſſing Bell to all thy hopes, and joyes, and comforts, and delights; they will be a knell to Toll the Death and Burial of whatſoever may be refreſhing and reviving to thee, of all thine eaſe, and reſt, and liberty, and peace, and health, and ſtrength, and friends, and relations, and all that may in the leaſt conduce to thy comfort or happineſs. Now poſſibly thou canſt be merry enough without God, thou hadſt rather have his room than his company, preferreſt a life without him, before a life with him; and ſayeſt unto him, Depart from me, I deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes, Job 21.14. And the reaſon of this Atheiſm and Prophaneneſs, is thine ignorance; thou knoweſt not what a fountain of life, what bowels of love, what an hive of ſweetneſs, what an ocean of happineſs the bleſſed incomparable God is, neither believeſt what Scripture ſpeaks hereof: but when once thou entereſt into the other world, and haſt loſt this God irrecoverably, thou ſhalt know what thou haſt loſt; but then, if ever, that ſaying of the wiſe man will be verified, He that encreaſeth knowledge, encreaſeth ſorrow, Eccleſ. 1.18. And then thou ſhalt believe the truth of the glaſs of Scripture in its repreſentations of the beautiful face of God, though thy faith will be the faith of a Devil, to thy terror, and torment. Ah Sinner, when thou ſhalt know and believe what a vaſt treaſure, what a River of pleaſure, what a perfect good, what fulneſs of joy, what ſolid comfort, what real ſatisfaction, what a weight of glory thou haſt loſt for ever, without the leaſt hopes and poſſibility of regaining, and loſt for baſe, vile, ſordid luſts, for a little fooliſh brutiſh momentany pleaſure; what thoughts (thinkeſt thou) will then ſeize thee? what anguiſh and remorſe ſurprize thee? Ah how wilt thou loath, and hate, and curſe thy ſelf for thy folly and madneſs? thou wilt gnaſh thy teeth for envy at them that ſit at Heavens Table, feaſting with the fruit of the tree of life, and drinking of the pure Rivers of water which flow from the throne of God, and the Lamb; and thou wilt weep and wail for thy own diſtraction, that thou ſhouldſt refuſe the offers of all thoſe dainties, and delicates, and delights, when they were made to thee in the day of thy life; that thou ſhouldſt ſhut thy own mouth, and wilfully refuſe all thoſe rich and coſtly Cordials, and ſhut the door of heaven and happineſs againſt thee with thine own hands. Ah Sinner, little, little doſt thou know at the preſent what it is to loſe this God. Other loſſes may be corrective, but this is deſtructive; God whips in others, but he Executes in this; Other loſſes may be the part of his Children, but this is the Portion of Devils. All joy, all comfort is ſtab'd to the heart, pierced through, the heart blood of it is let out with this one word (ſharper than any two-edged Sword) Depart. Write this man comfortleſs (as it was ſaid of one Jer. 22.) ult. a man that ſhall not proſper all his dayes. Write this poor Soul comfortleſs, a Soul that ſhall not have a bit of bread, a drop of water, a glimpſe of light, a moments eaſe, or crum of comfort, all the long day of eternity. Ah Friend, think of it betimes, Woe be to thee if God depart from thee, Hoſ. 9.12.
2. Their miſery conſiſteth in this alſo, that they ſhall have this incomparable God for their enemy. As there is no friend like God, and therefore their privative miſery muſt be great, exceeding great, unconceivably great; ſo there is no enemy like God, and therefore the poſitive miſery of Sinners muſt be matchleſs and beyond all compariſons. The greater any ones power and anger are, the greater their miſery is who fall under the ſtroak of that power, and the force of that anger. God is incomparable in power, he worketh arbitrarily, irreſiſtably, omnipotently; he hath a mighty and an almighty arm: God is incomparable in anger, his anger roots up, pulls down, kills, makes horrid ſlaughters, removeth the mountains, ſhaketh the foundations of the earth, is a conſuming fire, burning and waſting all that comes near it. Thou, even thou art to be feared, Pſal. 90.for none may ſtand when thou art angry. Woe therefore to them that have this God for their Enemy; it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 12.23. David choſe rather to fall into the hands of God than men, 2 Sam. 24.14. becauſe he was a child of God (though afflicted ſharply by him; for love can conſiſt with anger, though not with hatred) and therefore deſired, ſince he muſt be ſcourged, to be whipt by a loving Father (who would conſider his ſtrength (what he could bear) as well as his fault and offence, and accordingly uſe his rod) rather than by a cruel enemy, who hated him, and had not the leaſt mercy or pity for him. Beſide, this world is the Stage whereon the mercy of God acteth its part (Juſtice muſt have its courſe and ſolemn triumph in the other world.) He is here good to all, his Sun ſhineth, and Rain falleth upon the juſt and unjuſt, Pſ. 145.9. Math. 5.45. Therefore it's better for any man upon earth to fall into the hands of God, than the beſt Friend or neareſt Relation in the world. But the Sinner is the object only of Gods wrath, of his hatred, of his abhorrency, after death; God then puts off all pity, all tenderneſs, all bowels towards him; and the other world is the place wherein his Juſtice (that is now clouded and eclipſed) ſhall ſhine forth in its full force and ſtrength, and appear in all its beauty and brightneſs. And therefore it muſt of neceſſity be a fearful thing for a poor creature to fall into the hands of the living God; to have nothing but his naked fleſh, his own weak Soul, to bear the ſtroak of infinite power, ſet on and urged to ſtrike home, by infinite anger, and that for ever.
All the wrackings and torturings, the extream pains and aches, the violent Convulſions and conſternations, the dreadful horror and anguiſh, the everlaſting chains of darkneſs, the never dying worm, and the fire that never goeth out of the Devils and damned, are but the expreſſions and fruits of the matchleſs power and anger of this incomparable God. Therefore they are called Wrath, Rom. 2.4. the wrath of God, John 3. ult. and wrath to come, 1 Theſſ. 1. ult. Reader, think of it; if the wrath of a King, (a man like thy ſelf, though cloathed with more civil power and ſtrength) be as the roaring of a Lyon (which makes all the Beaſts of the Forreſt to quake and tremble, Amos 3.6.Prov. 10.12.) what then is the wrath of an Almighty infinite God? If he wound his friends, the objects of his eternal choice, the travail of his Beloved Sons Soul, thoſe on whom he intendeth to glorifie the riches of his love and grace for ever (in the day of his anger, for their diſobedience) with the wound of an enemy, yea, with the wounds of a cruel one, Jer. 30.14. if he break their bones, and cauſe the Arrow of his Quiver to enter into their Reins; if he fill their Souls with bitterneſs, and make them drunk with wormwood; if he makes them water their Couches with Tears, and go mourning all the day long; if his anger cauſeth them to roar unceſſantly, and his terrors make them diſtracted; if he be to them as a Bear lying in wait, and as a Lyon in ſecret places; How will he wound thee his enemy? how will he deal with thee whom he infinitely hateth? what a Bear, what a Lyon, what a Fire will he be to thee? how unable wilt thou be to ſtand under, and yet how impoſſible to avoid the weight of his Omnipotent arm and infinite anger? Lay it to heart timely, and make thy peace with him through his Son, that thou mayeſt prevent it. Sure I am thou wouldſt not fry in flames, or boyl alive in a Furnace of ſcalding Lead a thouſand years, for this whole worlds command 10000 years: Ah why then ſhouldſt thou for a little profit, a little pleaſure, a little honour for a few dayes, (for thy life is but a vapour) bring thy ſelf under a neceſſity of frying in the flames, and boyling in the Furnace of the Almighty Gods anger for ever and ever? O friend be wiſe on this ſide the other world.