Gods Judgments Upon Drunkards Swearers and Sabbath Breakers, Manuscript notes – To the Christian reader
Written by Wm London a bookseller in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Local Cases.
Houghton le Spring p 42
Carlisle pp 44, 45, 77
Stanhopep 76
Dalston &c. p 44, 78
Cockermouth p 44
Callerton p 85
GODS JUDGEMENTS Upon DRUNKARDS, SWEARERS, And SABBATH-BREAKERS. In a collection of the moſt remarkable Examples of Gods revealed wrath upon theſe ſins: with their Aggravations, as well from Scripture, as Reaſon. And a Caution to Authority, leſt the Impunity of theſe evils bring a ſcourge upon the whole Nation.
By W. L.
1 Cor. 10.11.
Now all theſe things happened unto them for Examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Luke 13.3.
Jeſus ſaid, Suppoſe ye that theſe Galileans were ſinners above all Galileans, becauſe they ſuffered ſuch things? I tell you, Nay, &c.
Printed for William London, 1659.
TO THE Right Worſhipfull, The Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, Sheriffe, and Common-Councell; TOGETHER With the moſt Ingenuous Inhabitants of the Famous and Flouriſhing Town of New-Caſtle upon TINE:
THe Authour in Teſtimony of his ſincere deſires for the Peace and Proſperity of the Town in general, and every perſon in particular, Dedicates this his labour to their kind acceptance.
Chriſtian Reader,
WHen I conſider how the great Moderator of the World, the holy and juſt God is concerned in the Regular or Irregular converſations of men, and how much he hath intereſted himſelf in the providential notice he hath taken of them, I cannot but judge that the brandiſhing of his ſword, the recording of the ſignal Judgments of God; may be both acceptable to the Lord, and uſeful to many an habituated rebellious ſinner, for the allaruming his drowſie conſcience.
Shall a Trumpet be blowne in the City, and the people not be afraid? Amos 3.6.the Lord is known by his judgment which he executeth. Pſal. 9.16.God will not ſuffer the worſt part of the world to ſink into Atheiſme: the wretched Emperour ſhall have claps of Thunder to fright him into ſuſpitions of a deity. Julian the Apoſtate ſhall be made to throw his blood into the ayre with a foreign. Judgments have been one of the uſuall wayes of Gods aſſerting his Authority in the world: and that the uſefulneſſe of the following Treatiſe may be the more diſcovered, I have a few things to intimate about the number of the judgements of God.
1. That Gods judgments are not not like arrows ſhot into the Aire at randome, he does not foreign, God hath bleſſed ends, either to reclaim the party ſmitten, i… judgements ſhort of death ſeize on them, or to be … Pillar of ſalt to others, that they may hear, fear, and do n… more ſo: thoſe Jews that exemplarily fell in the wilderneſſe; they are ſaid 1 Cor. 10.6. to be foreign, types to future generations; they are engraven characters of divine vengeance, that we ſhould read their puniſhment, and avoid their ſin.
2. Conſider the principles that judgements have to work upon. Bondage, Fear, and Self-love; the one like the Spaniel, forbearing to offend for the Cudgel over it, the other from a principle of ſelf-preſervation, had rather want the bait, then ſwallow the hook; God having left ſome reliques of theſe in the moſt debaucht conſciences, that he might have ſomewhat to treat with in the vileſt ſinners, when his judgements were abroad.
3. Weigh the convictions they leave of an over-ruling Deity; Atheiſm is one of the natural fruits of the firſt Apoſtaſy, and as it is heightned by impenitency, ſo it is ſtrengthned by impunity; now God by his judgements gives ſome evidences of his Being and Soveraignty; he hath, his coecum in mente flagellum, he hath his fulmen in orbe, and fulgur in animo Pharaohs bold challenge of Who is the Lord, ſhall ſhrink into a, Moſes, pray for me when the Lord is in the way of his judgements.
4. He will convince the world that Scripture-threatnings are not only a voyce of words, but when and where the Lord pleaſes, they are foreign, they are fiery darts, the breakings forth of fiery indignation againſt impenitent ſinners, eſpecially when they meet with ſinnes that do devaſtate conſcience, ſuch as the ſins here witneſſed againſt; Sins that provoke the eyes of Gods glory, which in no Nation, if raigning, he will ſuffer to go unpuniſhed: he is a jealous God, & where his honour is ſo eminently concerned, he will unſheath his wrath, the firſt of theſe in a beſtial Metamorphoſis, ſtrives to raze out his Image, the ſecond to tear his Name, the third to deprive him of his Worſhip; and I cannot but approve and encourage the deſign of the ingenuous Author; who, whilſt theſe crying ſins dare with an open and brazen face, ſo frequently ſhew themſelves, will ſet a brand upon their foreheads, of the notable Judgements of God againſt them▪ and for my own part, I would not be wanting to countenance ſuch publick deſignes for God, for the diſcovering of the eminent judgments of God againſt theſe ſins, may like the Angell to Balaam, ſtop the Career of ſome ſinner, provoke the zeale of thoſe Magiſtrates, and under officers, upon whom God and man, ſo loudly call for a ſevere proceeding againſt theſe ſins, and draw forth from the people of God that glorious confeſſion, Pſal. 58.11. Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Books of this nature may do much good, where Sermons cannot reach through the prophane abſence of many of thoſe that are moſt guilty of theſe ſins.
I ſhall ſay no more, but recommend the enſuing Treatiſe to thy ſerious peruſall, and ſubſcribe my ſelf one willing to be
A Servant to any deſign for God, J. HAMMOND.