Divine Cordials, Sermons · Sermon 3
Sermon III.
EZRA 9.14 ver.
Should we return to break thy commandments, and joyne in affinity with the people of theſe abominations? wouldſt thou not bee angry with us till thou hadſt conſumed us, ſo that there ſhould be no remnant, nor eſcaping?
IN this verſe we may take knowledge how Ezra juſtifies Gods ſeverity, upon the precedency of mans ſinne; the verſe divides it ſelfe into two parts: Firſt, the ſin; Secondly, the puniſhement. The ſin is laid down: Firſt, generally, ſhall we return to break thy Commandements? Secondly, particularly, and joyn in affinity with the people of theſe abominations? Then followes the puniſhment; firſt, God will bee angry; ſecondly, there is the degree of his anger, he will not leave conſuming till all bee deſtroyed. We begin with the ſinne in generall, [Should we return to break thy Commandements?] in the Originall it is, ſhould we return againe to commit iniquities? which intimates to us, that when Gods hand was upon them, it wrought them to amendment: from whence I note thus much.
That is ſound repentance, when a man ſo ſorrowes for his ſinne, that hee forſakes it. In the three ſpeciall languages, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latine, the words which ſignifie repentance intimate as much: the Hebrew words are two, foreign and foreign, the one ſignifies grieving, the other turning: the Greeks have likewiſe two words, foreign and foreign, one is an after griefe when a thing is done, the other is an after wiſedome to flie from it for time to come: the Latines alſo ſet it out by two words, the one is poenitentia, which is a griefe for ſinne, the other is reſipiſcentia, which ſignifies a turning from that for which hee ſorrowes: and the phraſes in Scripture intimate as much, as in 2 Cor. 12.21. there the Apoſtle ſaith,2 Cor. 12.21. I feare leſt when I come againe my God will humble me among you, and that I ſhall bewaile many which have ſinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanneſſe and fornication and laſciviouſneſſe which they have committed. So in Rev. 9.21. they repented not of their murthers, ſorceries, fornication, Revel. 9.21.nor of their thefts: That is, they neither ſorrowed for, nor repented them of theſe horrible ſinnes: It is the counſell of Saint Peter to Simon Magus, Acts 8.22.Act. 8.22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedneſſe, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee: So in Heb. 6.1. the Apoſtle ſaith,Heb. 6.1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Chriſt, let us goe on unto perfection, not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God: The former of theſe is to grieve for their ignorance, the other is to turn from it: and yee ſhall finde the ſame in thoſe places where repentance is deſcribed: as in 2 Chro. 7.14. If my people which are called by my name ſhall humble themſelves and pray, 2 Chro. 7.14.and ſeek my face and turn from their wicked wayes: then will I heare from heaven, and will forgive their ſinne, and heale their land. Ioel 2.12.So in Ioel 2.12. Turn unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; there is compunction of ſoule, and amendment of life: And ſaith Saint Iames, Cleanſe your hands, you ſinners, and purifie your hearts yee double minded, Iames 4.8.Iam. 4.8.
Vſe 1 This lets us ſee the vanity of thoſe who ſay they have repented of, and yet have not turned from their evill wayes: it may be while Gods hand was on them they repented, and ſaid they would forſake all ſin, but no ſooner is the rod off their backs, but they renew their unſanctified Olims, turning with the dog to the vomit, and with the ſow that was waſhed, to wallow in the mire; what repentance doe men call this, when as they have neither cleanſed their hands, nor purged their hearts? dareſt thou ſay thou art cured of the lea proſie, when it appeares white in thy forehead? I know thou dareſt not; and dare any be ſo impudent as to ſay they have repented of their ſins, when as they daily renew them? this is ſo farre from deſerving the name of true repentance, that it is, poenitentia poenitenda, repentance to be repented of.
Vſe 2 Secondly, as wee ſay, wee repent of our ſins, ſo let us turne from them; this was the ſavoury counſell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, O King break off thy ſins by righteouſnes, and thine iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poore; it is poſſible for a man to turne from ſin and yet be never the better, if hee grieve not for it; and it is poſſible for a man to grieve for ſin, and yet far enough from true repentance, if hee turne not from it: if any of us ſhould have a ſervant that grieved for his offence, promiſing no more to commit the like, and yet as ſoon as our back is turned ſhould run into the ſame againe, wee would preſently conclude that hee did but diſſemble: what then ſhall wee think of our ſelves when wee ſay wee diſclaime ſin, and yet our lives teſtifie the quite contrary? let us in the feare of God ſorrow for ſin, and turne from it, elſe God ſhall be juſt in conſuming us. [Should we return to break thy Commandements?] The manner of Ezra his ſpeaking intimates to us, that it is poſſible for a man to be engaged in ſinne, when he hath had a taſte of Gods mercy; and if ſo, give me leave from hence to gather this Obſervation.
After the receit of great mercies, Gods children are apt to be engaged in great ſinnes: See it made good in ſome inſtances; was there ever a greater deliverance beſtowed on any then that which the Lord afforded Noah, when he out-rid that ſtorme of the Deluge in the Ark, when all the World beſides him and his were drowned? It is true, for the preſent, hee was ſo affected with it that hee built an Altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings on it; but ſoone after hee forgat this great favour, and was over-taken with intemperance: could there bee a greater deliverance then Lots? hee was ſnatcht by the Angell out of Sodom as a brand out of the fire, and in his flight God gave him his hearts deſire, and that was to eſcape to Zoar, yet after his going to live in the Mountaines, he made the Mountaine where he lived a Sodom, for there he committed inceſt with his two daughters: the like we ſee in wicked Pharaoh, he is very paſſionate with Moſes and Aaron to have the judgements of God removed, and when hee hath his deſire, hee is ſo farre from being better, that he is worſe then he was before; juſt like Iron, which is ſoft as long as it is in the fire, but being coole, returnes to its former hardneſſe: hee got ſtrength by his fall. So in the children of Iſrael, what a deliverance did God vouchſafe them when hee freed them from Egyptian bondage? while their necks were under the yoak of that oppreſſour, they were in as great diſtreſſe as ever people were; well, it pleaſed God to eaſe them of that ſervitude, and to give them a miraculous paſſage thorow the red Sea; would any man have thought that ever they would have forgotten this tranſcendent bleſſing, yet with in a few weeks, Moſes being but gone up to the Mount to receive the Law of God for them, they make a golden Calfe and worſhip it: how ſoone was this forgotten? So in the book of Iudges, we finde the ſame people often guilty of the ſame fault: they provoke God, and hee ſold them into the hands of their enemies, ſometimes for eight yeares, ſometimes for eighteene, ſometimes for fourty yeares; but no ſooner are they delivered, but they run their old bias, and are engaged in foule tranſgreſſions: as if they had beene redeemed to diſhonour their benefactour. The like wee ſee in Hezekiah, the Lord beſtowed upon him a ſtrange deliverance; for when Senacherib came againſt him with a puiſſant Army, thinking to deſtroy Ieruſalem, the Lord for his inſolence and blaſphemy, put a hook into his noſtrils, and ſlew of his Army in one night, an hundred fourſcore and five thouſand, and ſo delivered him out of his hands: after this the Lord ſmore him with the plague, (as moſt Interpreters think) and yet he recovered; no ſooner was this done, but the Babyloniſh Embaſſadours comming from their Maſter to congratulate his recovery; he was ſo taken with it, that he ſhewed them the houſe of his precious things, which was a baite to that King to come and deſtroy his Land; and it fell out accordingly: for when Iſaiah had asked him from whence thoſe men came, and that Hezekiah had told him, adding withall, that he had ſhewed them all his treaſures; he ſaith, the Lord of Hoſts ſaith, Behold the dayes come, that all that is in thine houſe, and that which thy Fathers have laid up in ſtore untill this day, ſhall be carried to Babylon: as if the Prophet had ſaid, thou haſt made thy will O Hezekiah, and the King of Babylon ſhall be thy Executour: and ſo it fell out afterwards, for the King of Babylon made warre againſt him, and took and carried away all the Treaſure which formerly had been ſhewed to his Embaſſadours. And when our bleſſed Saviour ſaith to the man whom hee had reſtored to his limbs, Sinne no more leſt a worſe thing come unto thee, Iob. 5.14. it intimates to us,Iohn 5.16. that men are apt to runne into ſinne, when they have had the ſweeteſt reliſh of Gods mercy. What may bee the reaſon of this?
Reaſon 1 Firſt, it is from the corruption of our nature ſince the fall of Adam, which is ſo depraved thereby, that we are apt to forget the mercy of God, even then, when wee have moſt cauſe to remember it.
Reaſon 2 Secondly, it proceeds from the malice of the Devill, for when hee ſees God to beſtow great mercies on men, hee then labours eſpecially to engage them in tranſgreſſion: and why ſo? that the mercies of God may be obſcured by their unthankfulneſſe, who but even now were the objects of his bounty: and not only ſo, but he doth it likewiſe to vex and afflict Gods children, for when God ſhall open their eyes, hee knowes it will grieve their ſpirits for ſleighting Gods mercy as they have done; therefore it is that he ſteps in then, when God hath been moſt gracious to men, and puts them on to commit ſinne, that thereby hee might draw black lines over the legible characters of Gods mercy.
Let me perſwade you,Vſe. that as yee bee ſenſible of Gods mercies, ſo to watch over your ſelves upon the receit of them, that yee may be thankfull for them: the Saints of God have been careleſſe this way, notwithſtanding God hath beſtowed abundant favours upon them; they have been wanting in payment of that tribute of prayſe which God expected and deſerved at their hands: when God looked for ſweet, they have brought forth wilde and ſoure grapes; like as it was with the Heathen of old, who comming to the Temples of their gods to give thanks for their health, went home drunk; and as the Devill doth labour then to ſtep in when God hath done men moſt good, ſo above all times labour at that time to be moſt thankfull and obedient, that God may have his glory, and you a ſweet reliſh of his mercy. [ſhall wee break thy Commandements?] How ſhall wee underſtand this? break his Commandements? how could it be otherwiſe? doth any man live and not ſinne? and yet ſhall they for this be expoſed to Gods judgements? who knowes not but as long as we live in this world, and ſpin out the thread of our life, that we cannot but break Gods Commandements? were we as faithfull as ever Abraham was, yet wee could not but wee muſt bee guilty ſometimes of breaking Gods Commandements: and doth not Saint Iames ſay, in many things we ſinne all? and what ſaith the Apoſtle Iohn? he that ſaith hee hath no ſinne, is a lyar, and there is no truth in him: As it is in the Fable which was told the mother of Achilles, that if ſhe dipped her Son into ſuch a River, ſo farre as the water wet him, ſo farre hee ſhould bee invulnerable, therefore ſhe drencht him over head and eares, and wet every part of him, ſave onelyonly the tip of his heele, by which ſhee held him, and in that part hee received his deaths wound: So let a man be never ſo much ſanctified, be hee as holy as ever any Saint was, I will not except the Virgin Mary, yet as long as he dwels here below, he will be guilty of breaking Gods Commandements: how then muſt wee underſtand what Ezra ſaith, when he ſaith, [ſhall we againe break thy Commandements?] His meaning is, that if after ſo great mercy, as God had vouchſafed them, they ſhould fall into groſſe ſinnes, then God ſhould be juſt in puniſhing them; for though a man cannot ſhun peccata quotidiana, ſins of infirmity, yet hee may refraine from committing foule and ſcandalous ſinnes.Luk. 1.6. In Luk. 1.6. it is ſaid of Zachary and Elizabeth, That they were righteous before God, walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameleſſe: and it is poſſible for a man to live ſine ſcandalo, without ſcandall, though not ſine querela, without being guilty of leſſer iniquities: or ſecondly, he may be underſtood thus, though they bee ſinnes which be leſſe, yet if men ſhall wilfully commit them, it ſhall bee juſt with God to puniſh them for the ſame; if they be of induſtry and not of infirmity, if they be leſſe then the firſt, and yet ſhall be runne into againſt knowledge and conſcience, they ſhall for theſe be expoſed to Gods judgements, as well as for greater ſins. From the words thus opened, note thus much in way of application.
Vſe 1 In the firſt place, let us deplore the miſrerable corruption of our nature ſince our fall; there is now a neceſſity of ſinning, waking, ſleeping, ſolitary, in company, at home and in Gods Temple: were it ſo that a man were living, yet if hee were alwayes ſick, we would ſay, it were a poore life; what is it then to be alwayes prone to ſinne? yet this is our unhappineſſe while we are cloathed with fleſh; have wee not cauſe then to be weary of this ſinfull life? and ought we not with Saint Paul, to ſigh while wee are burthened with this body of clay, deſiring to bee cloathed upon with immortality, that mortality might be ſwallowed of life? Is there not juſt cauſe for us to ſay, with the ſame Apoſtle in the ſorrow of our ſoules, Cupio diſſolvi, & eſſe cum Chriſto, I deſire to bee diſſolved, and to bee with Christ?
Vſe 2 Secondly, becauſe Ezra would have them avoid foule ſinnes; in the name of God let our care bee to abandon ſuch; Which bee they? Swearing, whoredome, oppreſſion, murder, drunkenneſſe, Sabbath — breaking; theſe doe vaſtare conſcientiam, wast the conſcience, and endanger the ſoule more then other ſinnes: a ſhip may live at Sea, that hath a leake ſprung, if the Mariners beſtirre themſelves in pumping; but when it is ſhot thorow and thorow by wind and water, it is hardly kept from ſinking: So a man that ſins of infirmity, if he repent, he ſhall obtaine pardon; but the ſoule that ſinnes wilfully is ſcarſe kept from ſinking.
Laſtly, hee would have them avoid ſmaller ſinnes; and ſo ought wee; for a little ſinne committed with purpoſe, is greater in Gods account, then a great ſinne committed againſt a mans will: as therefore a man ſhould avoid great ſinnes, ſo alſo all leſſer impieties: the heart of man ſhould bee againſt all ſinne, and he ſhould have reſpect to all Gods Commandements, that if hee chance to fall, it may not bee preſumptuouſly, but by infirmity, and then hee may expect mercy from God, who knowes whereof wee are made, and remembers that wee are but duſt. [Shall we joyne in affinity with the people of theſe abominations?] It is an Hebraiſme, the Spirit of God cals them people of ſuch abominations, in ſtead of abominable people: it is more to be called people of ſuch abominations, then abominable people; thus when Antichriſt is called the man of ſinne, it is more then if he were called a ſinfull man: Here I could obſerve how hatefull the Heathen and all their doings be unto God, as alſo how odious all groſſe ſinners are in his pure eyes; hee loathes and abhorres them: in the Scripture yee ſhall finde, if the godly be compared to gold, they are termed droſſe; if the godly be compared to wheat, the wicked to chaffe: Nay, the ungodly man is reſembled to the dirt in the ſtreet, which you know is filthy and noiſome: Again, if the godly be termed ſheep, the wicked are called goates; nay, in our Text, they be abominable: As it was ſaid of Naaman, hee was an honourable man and a brave ſouldier, but a leaper; So wee may ſay of the wicked man, be he never ſo rich and honourable, if he be a groſſe ſinner, hee is hatefull to God; yea, I will be bold to ſay, hee is more loathſome to him, in peccato, quamvis non perſona, in his ſinne, though not in his perſon; then a toad is or can be in our eyes: But I cannot ſtay here. [Shall wee joyne in affinity with the people of ſuch abominations?] The Holy Ghoſt makes it a foule ſinne to joyn in affinity with the Heathen; and indeed ſo it is, for God charges the contrary,Exod. 34.15.16. Exod. 34.15.16. And yee ſhall finde that God hath followed thoſe with puniſhments that have joyned themſelves to Heathens: Eſau married ſtrange Wives to the great griefe of his Father and Mother, and he was made the more prophane by it: The like we ſee in Solomon, he married the King of Egypts Daughter, and ſhee brought him to Idolatry, for which God plagued both him and his poſterity: it was ſo with Sampſon, hee would needs have the Daughter of a Philiſtim to wife; what followed upon it? ſhee proved his bane: ſo in Ahab, he took to wife Iezabel, the Daughter of the King of Zidonia, which was the filling up of his iniquity, and brought the curſe of God on him and his progeny: it is ſaid in 1 Cor. 7.39. A woman, 1 Cor. 7.39.if her Husband be dead, is at liberty to be married to whom ſhee will, onelyonly in the Lord: That is, ſaith Gregory, to a Chriſtian, and ſaith Augustine, ſhee muſt ſtill remaine a Chriſtian, though married to a Heathen: And the ſame Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 6.14. Bee not unequally yoaked with Infidels, 2 Cor. 6.14.for what fellowſhip hath righteouſneſſe with unrighteouſneſſe? and what communion hath light with darkneſſe? What is the meaning of that? Gregory ſaith, S. Paul meanes that Chriſtians ſhould marry with Chriſtians; and Chryſoſtome ſaith, To doe otherwiſe is to make the members of Chriſt, the members of a Harlot.
Let us take heed of intimate familiarity with Heathens;Vſe. and in this caſe I ſay to you as Sampſons Father ſaid to him, Is there never a daughter in Iſrael to pleaſe thee? Nay, I will ſpread it further, Shun not only familiarity with Heathens, but make no league with groſſe ſinners, for there is much danger in it: Firſt, the danger of ſuſpition; let a man bee never ſo good, yet if hee aſſociate himſelfe with thoſe that bee bad, hee will bee thought as bad as they; for what will men ſay? birds of a feather flie together. Secondly, he runnes the hazard of infection; all the Rivers in the World run into the Sea, but yet they cannot ſweeten it, but are made brakiſh by it: and a wicked man is tenne times more apt to corrupt a good man, then he is to be wrought on by the converſation of a good man. Thirdly, there is a danger of a curſe by conſorting with wicked men; for as many ill men fare the better for one good man; thus the houſhold of Potipher was bleſt for one Ioſeph, and all in the ſhip fared the better for Pauls preſence: ſo many good men may ſometimes fare the worſe for one wicked perſon: thus for one Achan, the whole Hoſt of Iſrael is diſcomfited: and this made Iohn the Evangeliſt to haſten out of the bath as ſoone as he ſaw Cerinthus there, for ſaith he, I feare leſt the houſe ſhould fall upon my head for being in company with ſuch a wicked heretick as thou art: This alſo was that which cauſed Moſes to command the Iſraelites to depart from the Tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram: and the Spirit of God ſaith, Come out of Babylon my people, leſt by partaking in her ſins, yee partake of her plagues: Beſides, when a good man maintaines inward familiarity with the wicked: Firſt, hee ſeemes to approve and applaud their wickedneſſe: Secondly, it is a ſcandal to Religion, and doth greatly prejudice weak Chriſtians: Thirdly, it is a great meanes to keep the wicked from repenting; for too much intimacy with them, hardens them in their ſinne: take heed therefore of intimate acquaintance with wicked men, and let our affection be to the Saints that be in the earth, and to thoſe that excell in vertue. We now come to the puniſhment: [wouldſt thou not be angry with us till thou hadſt conſumed us, ſo that there ſhould be no remnant nor eſcaping?] Firſt, here is Gods anger, in the firſt clauſe: [wouldſt thou not be angry with us?] Secondly, we have the degree of his anger, in the laſt words: [ſo that there ſhould bee no eſcaping.] Wee begin with Gods anger, [wouldſt thou not be angry with us?] We muſt know that anger is not a paſsion in God, as it is in man, but in ſpeaking thus, the Spirit of God ſtoops to us, to raiſe us up to him: as the Nurſe ſtammers to the child in its own dialect, ſo our weakneſſe makes God condeſcend unto us: certaine it is that anger is in God, as zeale, not as vice. Out of this firſt clauſe I note two things for our inſtruction: The firſt is this.
Great ſinnes, after the receit of great favours, are uſually inherited by great judgments. Cham was freed from being drowned with the old World, which was a great deliverance; if after this he ſhall not bee ſenſible of Gods mercy, and ſhall mock his Father, no marvell if he be made ſervus ſervorum, a ſervant of ſervants. Nay, Noah himſelfe, if hee ſhall no more remember the favour of God, then to bee exceſſive, it is no wonder if he be mocked by his own child, and this was no ſmall judgement. So for Lot, if after ſo great a deliverance vouchſafed him, he ſhall be guilty of Inceſt; no marvell if his two Sons begotten of his Daughters, prove the fatall enemies of Iſrael: So for Pharaoh, the deliverances which God gave him were admirable, but for the contempt of them, they are ſucceeded with great plagues: it was a notable mercy which God afforded Nineveh, in keeping off that judgement which Ionah had denounced againſt it: when Nineveh ſins againe, ſee what God ſaith, Nah. 1.9. I will make an utter end; Nah…m 1.9.affliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time: that is, hee will ſo ſet on the ſtroak, that hee need not ſmite twice: it is like that ſpeech of God to Samuel concerning Eli and his houſhold, When I begin, I will alſo make an end, 1 Sam. 3.12. and that caution of our bleſſed Saviour,1 Sam. 3 1…. to the man that was cured at the Poole of Betheſda, [Sinne no more leſt a worſe thing come unto thee,] What doth it intimate to us, but that great ſinnes after great favours, are inherited by great plagues? The Magdeburgenſes obſerve, that theſe three things goe together; great mercies have been beſtowed, great ſinnes have enſued, and great judgements have followed both: And wonder not at this, for it is a great diſhonour to God that his favours ſhould be ſleighted;Rom. 2.4. as in Rom. 2.4. Knoweſt not thou O man, that the goodneſſe of God leadeth thee to repentance? That is, it ſhould lead thee to repentance: Therefore beware of abuſing the mercies of God, elſe they ſhall bee ſeconded by fearefull judgements. The ſecond obſervation ariſing from that clauſe, [wouldſt thou not be angry with us till thou hadſt conſumed us?] is this:
There be degrees of Gods wrath, it riſes by little and little till it conſume: Levit. 26.This is proved in Levit. 26. there we finde that as mens ſins encreaſe, ſo Gods plagues ſhall encreaſe; and if they perſiſt to ſin, hee will plague them, ſeven times more, and ſeven times more: So in Pſal. 78.38. He, that is, the Lord,Pſal 78.38. being full of compaſsion, forgave their iniquity and deſtroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not ſtirre up all his wrath: So in Pſal. 2.12. if his wrath be kindled but a little, Pſal. 2.12.bleſſed are all they that put their truſt in him: If therefore the Lords wrath bee turned to fire, all the World will be conſumed: So in Revel. 6.17. The great day of his wrath is come, and who can ſtand? Revel. 6.17.The Prophet David makes it an imprecation againſt his enemies, That God would render ſeven times into their boſomes their reproach, Pſal. 9.12.Pſal. 79.12. as if he had ſaid, O Lord, I know thou doſt puniſh them now, but I am ſure, thou canſt puniſh them much more: It was ſo with Eli, one brings him word that Iſrael was diſcomfited, another that his Sons were ſlain, a third that the Arke of God was taken, the hearing whereof cauſed him to fall backwards, and it is a queſtion whether his neck or his heart brake firſt: So it was with Iob, one brings him word that his cattell were taken away by the Sabeans, another that his ſheep and ſervants were burnt with fire from heaven, a third that his ſonnes and daughters were ſlaine with the fall of a houſe, which was the moſt wofull newes of all: Thus the wrath of God riſe higher and higher. Could Rehoboam make his little ſinger as heavie as his Fathers loynes? and could Nebuchadnezzar make his Oven ſeven times hotter then it was before? and ſhall not God encreaſe his wrath? Yes hee can at pleaſure.
Vſe 1 It meets with a great number, who if they have been freed from an ague, of which they had foure or five fits, they preſently ſay, with Agag, the bitterneſſe is paſt, and they ſhall no more have it: What thinkeſt thou? is not God able to viſite thee againe? or thinkeſt thou that thou deſerveſt no more at Gods hand? Gods manner is, firſt to ſhake the 10d at his child, if that will not deterre him, then he gives him two or three ſtripes, if that will not work him to obedience, then he layes on more; and no wonder if new judgements ſucceed new ſinnes, and if great ſinnes be inherited by great judgements.
Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, whenſoever Gods hand is upon us, let us know, that hee could lay much more upon us if hee would; and though his hand lie heavie on us, yet there is ſomething beyond that, and that is to give us up to our own luſts, and that is as bad or worſe then to be given up to the Devill: when God gave David up to adultery and murther, it was much worſe, then that the ſword ſhould never depart from his houſe: ſpirituall judgements doe farre exceed corporall and temporall; Why? the one drives men to, the other drives men from God. Againe, there be ſome judgements beyond theſe, and they be troublers of ſoule; ſaith Solomon, A wounded ſpirit who can beare? theſe bee ſo great, that none can expreſſe them but thoſe who have felt them; thoſe laſhes of ſoule are inſupportable: and yet there is that which is beyond all this, if men repent not; and that is hell; Tophet is prepared of old; yea, for the King it is ordained, hee hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord like a ſtreame of brimſtone doth kindle it: Iſa 30.33.Iſa. 30.33. all the ſtrappadoes in the world are but flea-bitings to this: Nebuchadnezzars baniſhment, was but for ſeven yeares, but the paines of hell be eternall: when a man hath been puniſhed there tenne thouſand millions of yeares, he is never the nearer comming out of that Pit, for he muſt goe them over again and again, world without end. The miſeries of this preſent life be compared to waters, which ebbe and flow, but hell is called ſtagnum, a ſtanding peole; ſaith Iohn, Rev. 20.15.Revel. 20.15. Whoſoever was not found written in the book of life, was caſt into the lake of fire: There is nothing in that place but ſorrow, and that for ever: So that God can plague thee corporally, ſpiritually, and eternally. Hath he begun to fleece thee? hee could flea thee: hath he begun to bond thee? hee could break thee; doth hee puniſh thee in thy body? hee could plague thee in thy ſoule; nay, hee could ſend thee to Hell, and that is the dregs of the Viall: Therefore ſtand in awe and ſinne not: Hath hee begun to plague thee? Repent; if thou doſt not, hee can plague thee ten times more, and ten times more; And it is fearefull to fall into the hands of the living God.