A Christian Library, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
§ 1. WHat believe the former Scriptures? and nothing appear in mens lives in the whole Land almost, but pride, covetousness, cruelty, damnable Hypocrisie, prophaning of the Sabbath, cursed swearing and cursing, abominable, and worse then beast-like drunkenness, adultery, lying, slandering, persecuting, contempt of Religion and all goodness: grinding of faces like edged tools, spilling of blood like water, racking of Rents, detension of Wages, and workmens hire; incredible cruelty to Servants, inclosing of Commons, ingrossing of Commodities, griping exactions, with straining the advantages of greatness: unequal levies of legal payments, spiteful suits, biting usury, bribery, perjury, partiality, sacriledge, simoniacal contracts, and soul-murder; scurrility and prophaneness, cozening in bargains, breaking of promises, persidious underminings, Luxury, wantonness, contempt of Gods Messengers, neglect of his Ordinances, violation of his days, and the like: as if these were fruits of faith, & not of Atheism rather.
§ 2. Yea, as if we had contracted with the Devil, that we would abuse all Gods gifts so fast as they come: his blessings make us proud, his riches covetous, his peace wanton, his meats intemperate, his mercy secure; And all his benefits serve us but as weapons to rebel against him: so that we turn his grace into wantonness, and make a trade of sin: yea, it is our least ill to do evil: for behold we speak for it, joy in it, boast of it, tempt, and inforce to it, yea, mock them that dislike it, as if we would send challenges into heaven, and make love to destruction.
§ 3. And yet we are Christians forsooth: I am even ashamed to think that men, that rational men, should be such Sots, or suffer Satan so to gull and beguile them! Certainly men are stark mad; for otherwise, how could it be? how were it possible? that our eares should be alwayes open to the Temp…er, shut to our Maker and Redeemer? That we should do nothing else but sin, and make others sin too? That all our thoughts, words and works, should be the services of the world, the flesh, and the Devil? Yea, that we should be even mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Devil? And yet fancie our selves the servants of God, and followers of Christ. Will God be thus mockt? O abominable blindness! for I dare refer my self to the worst of men that have reasonable souls. As let a very Heathen read the Gospel, & compare the rules thereof with our lives; he must needs conclude, that either it is not Christs Gospel, or we are not Christians.
§ 4. O that men would come to themselves! as it is said of the repenting Prodigal, Luke 15.17. And recover their wit… again, that they have lost by the fall, and the long custome of sin. And then they would clearly see and confess, (as all that truly fear God know) that whatsoever they say, or think of themselves; they do not in deed, and in truth believe a Deity: for if they did, how durst they exercise their saucy wits, in prophane scoffs at Religion? and disgrace that blood, whereof hereafter they would give a thousand worlds for one drop: How durst they tear Heaven with their blasphemies? and bandy the dreadful Name of God, in their impure and polluted mouthes, by their bloody oaths and execrations? How could they be such witless, graceless, and shameless miscreants, as to swear and curse, even as Dogs bark? yea, they have so sworn away all grace, that they count it a grace to swear! And are so far from believing, that the curse of God shall never depart from the house of the swearer: And that himself will be a swift witness against swearers: That the Lord hath a great controversie with the inhabitants of the Land, because of swearing; and that of all other sinners, they shall not be found guiltless, that take his Name in vain: And that the Land mourns because of Oaths, as the Scripture speaks, Zach. 5.1, to 5. Exod. 20.7. Hos. 4.1, 2. Ier. 23.10. that (as I said before) they think to be saved by the same wounds, and blood which they swear by, and so often swear away.
And lest they should not themselves soon enough, fill up the measure of their wickedness, even Boyes in the streets, have learn'd of them to wrap out oaths, as frequently as they, and no man so much as reprove, or finde fault with them: yea, through the Parents accustomary swearing, their children have learn'd to speak English and oaths together, & so to blaspheme God, almost as soon as he hath made them. So that we may well wonder, that the Land sinketh not under us, because of Oathes▪ As, ô the numberless number of Oaths & Blasphemies, that this Land groans under! which are spit out, as it were, in defiance of God; and al his prohibitions to the contrary.
§ 5. But the case is so clear, that I dare refer it to themselves, in their sober fits: for their consciences cannot chuse but tell them at one time or other, when they are alone, and at leasure to hear it: that either they believe there is no God at all, or else that God is not just & true; nor speaks as he means in his Word, which is worse: Or if they do believe that he is a just and true God, they believe also that they shall be punished as he threatens for their impenitency and provoking of him; and they provoke him, that they may be punished, which is worst of all. But behold the just judgement of God, (upon the wilfully blinded, and obstinate,) who payes them in their own coin… they will not see, nor hear, nor understand, nor be converted, nor saved; but wink with their eyes, stop their eares, stifle their consciences, harden their hearts, and believe Satan rather then God, & walk in their own counsels: Therefore, saith God, they shall not see, nor hear, nor understand, nor apply any wholesome truth to themselves, nor be converted, nor saved, as may plainly be seen by these ensuing Scriptures, Prov. 28.14. Exod. 7.3, 22. & 10.20. & 14.8. Isa. 6.9, 10. Psal. 69.23. Ier. 51.9. Mat. 13.15. Ioh. 12.37, 39, 40. Rom. 1.21, to 33. & 11.8. Acts ….27. 2 Thess. 2.10, 11, 12. 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. Heb. 3.8.
It is exceeding remarkable, how God for this cause inflicteth more spiritual judgem…nts upon this Age and Nation, then ever we read of. I fear few consider it, as they ought: Wicked men will needs harden themselves without cause; therefore they shall have cause enough. As, had they ever since the world began, such cause to speak evil of the way of Truth, (if I may so speak) and the Professors thereof, as now they have, by reason of the many and abominable errours broached, and maintained? The bitter enmity that is between the very people of God, about things not fundamental: The foul mouths of many, whose Religion and zeal is to rail upon the most godly, able, and Orthodox Ministers; but especially the vicious & lewd practices of many that pretend for Religion; and the notorious cheating, & cozening of those in places of trust, who at first were made choice of, for their pretended piety. All which God permits for the further hardening of his obstinate and malicious enemies. And let wicked men look to it: For as the Devil first puts out their eyes, & then lays blocks in their way, to make them stumble and fall, that so they may dash themselves in pieces: so God himself in justice suffers these scandals to be given, or these stumbling-blocks to be laid, that they may stumble at them to their destruction, and break their souls necks, as it is Ezek. 3.20. See more, 1 King 22.20, 21, 22. Mat. 18.7. 2 Pet. 2.12. Isa. 8.14, 15. 2 Sam. 24.1. 1 Chron. 21.1 And this is a sure rule, that none thus stumble at scandals, but wicked men & Gods enemies; as in the case of David, 2 Sam. 12.14. If you would see more, read Mr. Dyke, of Scandals.
And herein the sin and punishment answer each other in their trancendency, for as of all other judgements, none like this; so likewise of the sin: For this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darknesse rather then light, because their deeds are evil, John 3.19, 20.
§ 6. Nor is this all, the worst is reserved for the Upshot: As hear what will be the issue of mens horrible prophanenesse, & abominable wickedness, if they continue therein, without hearty contrition, and amendment, Men may think it an argument of Gods favour, or dispensation, that they prosper in their wickednesse; that some eminent judgement is not executed speedily upon them: But there cannot be a greater unhappinesse, a heavier curse, then to prosper in ill designes, and ungracions courses; to go on in sin uncontrouled; for he that useth to do evil, and speeds well, seldome rests until he come to that evil from which there is no redemption.
Besides, Forbearance is no acquittance; the wickedness of the Old World is as abundant in the New World; yet is not the World drowned with water. But why? because God hath ordained for it a deluge of fire. The sins of Sodome are practised every where in our City and Kingdome, yet do the committters escape fire and brimstone on earth, because they are reserved to fire and brimstone in Hell. Do not many persecute the Church as violently as Pharaoh, with Chariots and Armies? who yet escape drowning; there is a reservation of a deeper and bottomless Sea for them; divers murmur at the passages of Gods providence in these times of retribution and Reformation, who are not stung with fiery Serpents, as the Israelites, because they are reserved to a fiery serpent in Hell: Many, yea the most that can come by them take Bribes like Gehazi, without a Leprosie, because of that eternal Leprosie which waits for them. How many a deceitful Executor and Trustee sayes and swears with a little inversion of Ananias his lie, I received but so much, I disbursed so much; yet are not stricken with death temporal, because they are reserved to death eternal. Have not many Monopolists with us, done as bad as those Philippians? Act. 16.16.19. who compounded with the Devil for a Pattent, to bring them in gain, and yet grow rich, and prosper, and leave a great deal of substance to their heires, whose gain will be found losse, when Satan shall seize upon their bodies and soules, and hurry them to Hell. And so of other Sinners; for the like is appliable to the whole Nation, except some few despised ones, and he is a rare man, that does not either mis-believe, or grosly mislive, that is not a worshipper of one of these three, the lust of the flesh, voluptuousness; the lust of the eyes, covetousness; or the pride of life, ambition; which is all the Trinity the world worships.
But of all the rest, let all envious Cains, scoffing Ishmaels, reviling Goliahs, bloody-minded Hamans and Doegs, cursing Shimeis, railing Rabshake's, flouting Tobiahs and Sanballats, cruel Herods, & all the like God-…aters, (that carry an aking tooth against every good man they know, and will even hate one, for his being holy, though poor ignorant souls they know it not) look for a whole volume of plagues in the next life, though they escape in this, if they repent not. For it hell-fire shall be their portion that obey not the Gospel, how can they look to escape that oppose it? Or if at the great day men shall be bid, Depart into everlasting torments, for not feeding, clothing, visiting; what shall become of those that maliciously scoffe at Religion, and persecute Christ in his members? which is the depth of sin: For he that despiseth, traduceth, or any way wrongs one that believes in Christ, (especially one of his Ambassadors of the Ministery) strikes at the Image of God in him, by whose Spirit he both speak… and acts: And God takes it as if it were done to himself, for proof of both, se… Psal. 44.22. & 74.4, 10, 18, 22, 23. & 83.2, 5, 6. & 89.50, 51. & 139.20. Prov. 19.…. Rom. 1.30. & 9.20. Matth. 10.22. & 25.45. … Sam. 17.45. Isai. 37.4, 22, 23, 28. & 54.17. Acts 5.39. & 9.4, 5. Iob 9.4. 1 Thes. 4.8. Iohn 15.20. to 26. Numb. 16.11. 1 Sam. 8.7. Mark 9.42. Ier. 17.18. Psal. 79.12. 2 Kings 2.24. O that my old acquaintance, the Formal Hypocrite, and my feigned friend the Civil Iusticiary, and my well-meaning neighbour the Loose Libertine, with millions more, would but seriously consider these Scriptures, and he warned by them, before the Draw-bridge be taken up: For if the bountifulness, and long-suffering of God, do not lead us to repentance, it will increase our condemnation: Besides, God owes that man a grievous payment, whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned; and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together.