Gods Terrible Voice in the City, Introduction · Section 3
SECT. III.
Why is it that the Lord doth speak unto a people 3. by such terrible things?
THe reason is, because people don't hearken unto him, speaking any other way, God speaketh once, yea twice, but men perceive it not, Iob 33. 14. Gods gentle voice is not heard or minded, therefore he speaks more loudly and terribly, that people might be awakened to hear. Particularly God speaks thus terribly,
1. Because People do not hearken to the voice of his word and messengers; God speaks audibly by Ministers, and when they are not regarded, he speaks more feelingly by judgments; he speaks first by threatnings, & when they are slighted, he speaks by executions. God first lifts up his voice and warns by his word, before he lifts up his arme and strikes with his Rod; when men grow thick of hearing the sweet calls of the Gospel, God is even forced to thunder, that he may peirce their ear; when God speaks to the ears and they are shut, God speaks to the eyes and other senses, that his mind may be known; especially when men obstinately refuse to hear, God is exceedingly provoked to execute his terrible judgments upon them, see Zach. 8. 11, 12. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear: yea they made their heart like an Adamant stone, least they should hear the Law, and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former Prophets: Therefore came there a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts. So also when God gave up Ierusalem to desolation and ruine, see the sin which provoked the Lord hereunto. 2 Chron. 36. 16. They mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
2. Because they do not hearken to the voice of his goodness and mercies. The goodness and forbearance of God doth speak unto men from him, and call upon them to forbear sin for shame, to repent and return to him, Rom. 1. 4. But when men despise the riches of his goodness, and deafen their ear unto the language of his mercies, and trample his patience under foot (though God hath appointed a day of wrath hereafter, wherein he will reckon with the whole ungodly World together, and give them the just demerit of their sin, yet) sometimes his patience is turned hereby into fury, and his anger doth break forth into a flame, and consumes them by the blow of dreadfull temporal judgments.
3. Because they will not hearken to the voice of lesser afflictions; when Gods word is not heard, he speaks by his Rod; when his Rod is not heard, he shoots with his arrowes & strikes with his sword; and if lesser afflictions be not minded, then God speaks by more dreadful awakening judgments: as the sins of men do precede the judgments of God: so usually lesser judgments do precede greater judgments; and as there are degrees and steps which men usually do make before they arrive to a great heighth in sin, Nemo repentè fit turpissimus: so there are degrees and steps which God usually doth take, in inflicting his judgments for sin. Look into one place for all, which shews how God doth proceed from less to greater judgments, Lev. 26. from the 15. v. to the 40th. when his statutes are despised and Covenant broken, first he threatneth to send upon them consumption, and a burning ague, then he threatneth that they shall fall before their enemies; and if they will not hearken to his voice in these judgments, he threatneth to punish them seven times more for their sins; and to make the Heavens as Iron; and the Earth as brass; and send a dearth amongst them. And if they will not yet hearken, he threatneth to send wild beasts, which should devour their children and Cattel. And if they would not be reformed by these things, but still would walk contrary unto him, he threatneth to walk contrary unto them, and to punish them yet seven times more for their sins: he threatneth to bring a sword upon them to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant; and when they should be gathered together in their Cities, to send the Pestilence amongst them; and hereunto to adde the Famine. And if they would not yet hearken unto God, but still walk contrary unto him, he threatneth that he will walk contrary unto them in fury▪ and make them eat the flesh of their Sons and their Daughters, and lay wast their Cities, and make their Sanctuaries a desolation; and upon them that are left alive he threatneth to send such faintness of heart, that they should flee at the sound of a shaken leaf, and fall when none pursued them; and that they should pine away in their iniquities in the Land of their enemies. Thus God proceeds by steps and degrees in the execution of his fierce anger upon a rebellious People, when God speaks by ordinary diseases and is not heard, then sometimes he sends a Plague; and if after a Plague, people will not return to him that smiteth them, nor seek to pacify Gods anger which is kindled against them; but walk so much the more contrary unto him, he may walk contrary to them in fury, and send fire into their Cities to devour their habitations. And if the voice of the Fire be not heard, he hath other judgments in readiness, Sword▪ Famine and the like. And if temporal judgments be n… heeded, he will bring upon them eternal judgments.
God is not heard any other way, therefore he doth speak by such terrible things.