The Dreadful Effects of Sin on Individuals and Upon Nations
Sn? HUETETH MEN'S BODIES.
ousness, hard-heartedness, an evil conscience, the devil.
Thil. Let us hear ako the remedies.
Theol. The remedies are these: pity, contentment, tender affections, a good conscience, much prayer.
THE DREADFUL EFFECTS OF Sm ON
INDIVIDUALS AND UPON NATIONS.
Phil. Now, sir, as you have at large uttered your mind, concerning these gross corruptions of the world, and have plainly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poison of the soul, so also, I pray you, satisfy us in this, whether they be not hurtful also to the body, goods, and name.
Theol.
I have dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world, because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them; and therefore they can never be enough spoken
" For the whole world lieth in them," as St. John testifieth,
Epis. v.
19.
If men against. therefore, could be recovered of these diseases, no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace; and we should have a most flourishing church and commonwealth; but as long as these do he in the way, there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be poured upon us; or that ever we shall come to have an inward conversation with God.
For these vices bhnd our eyes, burden our hearts, and as the prophet Jeremiah saith, v.
25, " hinder many things from us."
But touching
SIN HUETETH MEN,
your petition, I must needs grant, that as these vices are the very bane of the soul, and most certain signs of condemnation, so are they very dangerous to the body, goods, and name ; yea, and to the whole land, both church and commonwealth.
Phil. Shew us out of the scriptures what danger thev bring to the body?
" That if we Theol. The Lord our God saith, will not obey him nor keep his commandments, but break his covenant, he will appoint over us hasty plagues, consumptions, and the burning ague, to consume the eyes, and to make the heart heavy,"
Lev. xxvi.
So also he saith, " That if we will not obey his voice, to observe all his commandments and ordinances, that then he will make the pestilence cleave to us, until he have consumed us ; that he will smite us with fever, with the botch of Egypt, with the emerods, with the scab, and with the itch, that also he will smite us with madness, and with bhndness, and with astonishment of heart," Deut. xxviii.
So then, you see what great evils the Lord threateneth to inflict upon our bodies in this life, for these and such like sins.
But on the contrary the Holy Ghost saith, " Fear God, and depart from evil: so health shall be unto thy navel, and moisture unto thy bones,"
Prov. iii.
7, 8.
Phil. What evil do these fore-named sins brmg upon us in our goods and outward estate?
Theol. They cause God to curse us all in that we set our hand unto, as plentifully appeareth in the fore-named chapters, where the Lord saith " If thou wilt not obey the commandments thus, of the Lord thy God, cursed shalt thou be in the
GOODS,
A.>'D GOOD KAME.
town, cursed also in the field, cursed shall be thy basket and thy store, cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep; cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed also when thou goest out.
The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, trouble, and shame, in all that thou settest thy hand unto; and further he saith, "That he will break the staff of their bread; that ten women shall bake their bread in one oven, and they shall deliver their bread again by weight; and shall eat and not be satisfied."
You do, therefore, apparently see that these sins will draw down G-od's wrath upon us and all that we have.
Phil. What hurt do these sins to our good name ?
Theol. They bring reproach, shame, and infamy upon us, and cause us to be abhorred and contemned of all good men; they do utterly blot out our good name.
For as virtue maketh men honourable and reverend, so iace maketh men vile and contemptible.
This is set down where the Lord threateneth Israel, that for their sins and disobedience he will make them a proverb and. common talk; yea, a reproach and astonishment amongst all people.
In sundry other places of the prophets, he threateneth for their sins to make them a reproach, a shame, an hissing, and nodding of the head to all nations.
Phil.
I do verily thus think, that as sin generally doth stain every man's good name, which all are chary and tender of, so especially it doth blot those which are in high places, and of special note, for learning, wisdom, and godliness.
Theol. You have spoken most truly, and M
SIN IKJUEETH MEN
agreeable to the scriptures ; for the scriptures saith, "As a dead fly causeth the apothecary's ointment to stink, so doth a Httle folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." Whei'e
Solomon sheweth, that if a fly get into the apothecary's box of ointment, and die, and putrify in it, she marreth it, though it be never so precious ; even so, if a Httle sin get into the heart, and break out in the forehead of a man of great fame for some singular gifts, it will blear him, though he be never so excellent.
Phil. Shew this, I pray you, more plainly, Theol. We observe this in all experience, that if a nobleman be a good man, and have many excellent parts in him of courtesy, patience, humility, and love of religion ; yet if he be covetous, the common people will have their eye altogether upon that; and they will say, such a nobleman is a very good man, but for one thing: he is exceedingly covetous, oppresseth the poor men, and dealeth hardly with his tenants, keepeth no house, doth little good in the country where he dwelleth ; and this is it that marreth all.
Moreover, let a judge, a justice, or a magistrate, be endued with excellent gifts of prudence, policy, temperance, liberality, and knowledge in the law, yet if they be given to anger, or taking of bribes, oh, how it will grieve them amongst the people! for they will say, he is a worthy man indeed, but there is one thing in him that marreth all: he is an exceedingly angry and furious man; he is as angry as a wasp; he will be in a pelting chafe* for every trifle ; he will fret and fume if you do but blow upon him;
* A raging passion, so as to puisue and pelt you.
IN THEIE GOOD XA.ME.
1G3 and beside this, he is a very corrupt man : lie is a great taker of bribes; he loveth well to be bribed; he will do any thing for bribes.
Furthermore, if any preacher be a man of great gifts, the common people will say of him, oh! he is a worthy man indeed, an excellent scholar, a profound divine, a singular man in a pulpit ; but yet for all that he hath a shrewd touch whieii marreth all; he is an exceedingly proud man; he is as proud as Lucifer; he hath very great gifts indeed, but I warrant you he knoweth it well enough ; for he carrieth his crest very high, and looketh very sternly and disdainfully upon all other men.
He is unmeasurably puffed up with overweening,* and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head.
Thus, therefore, we see how the dead flies mar all, and how some one sin doth disgrace a man that otherwise doth excel.
Phil. What is the cause why some one sin doth so blot and smite the most excellent men?
Theol. The reason hereof is, because such men are a candle, set upon a candlestick, or rather upon a scaffold or mountain, for all men to behold and look upon ; and sure it is, they have a thousand eyes upon them every day ; and that not only gazing upon them, but also prying very narrowly into them, to spy out the least mote that they may make a mountain of it.
For, as in a clean white paper, one little spot is soon espied, but in a piece of brown paper twenty great blurs scarce discerned ; even so in noblemen, judges, magistrates, justices, preachers, and professors, the least spot or speck is soon seen into ;
* High conceits of himself.
SIN lyJURETH NATIOKS
but amongst the baser sort, and most gross livers, almost nothing is espied or regarded.
Phil.
Since the eyes of all men are bent and ffxed upon men as are of some note, therefore, they had need very heedfully to look to their steps, that they may take avray all advantage from them that secth advantage.
TheoJ.
Yes, verily.
And furthermore, they had need to pray with David always, " Direct my steps, O Lord, in thy word; and let none iniquity l.ave dominion over me;" and again, "Order my doings, that my footsteps slip not: uphold me in mine integrity;" for if such be never so little given to swearing, to lying, to drink, or to women, it is espied by and by ; and therewith their credit is cracked, their fame overcast, their glory eclipsed, and the date of their good name presently expired.
FMl. Now as you have shewed what great hurt these sins do bring upon our souls, bodies, goods, and names; so also, I pray you, shew what danger they do bring upon the whole land.
Theol.
Questionless they do pull down the wrath of God upon us all, and give him just cause to break all in pieces, and utterly to subvert and overthrow the good estate both of church and commonwealth; yea, to make a final consumption and desolation of all; for they be the very firebrands of God's wrath, and as it were touchw^ood, to kindle his anger and indignation upon us.
For the apostle saith, " For such things Cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience," Col. ili. 6.
Pliil.
Declare unto us, out of the scriptures, how the Lord in former times hath punished whole nations and kinsjdoms for these and such like sins.
rJT THEin GOODS AKD >'AME.
Theol. In the fourth of Hosea, the Lord t^Ueth his people, that he hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, and the reason is added, because there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and whoring, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
Therefore shall the land mourn ; and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut oflf".
Here then we see what it is will incense God against us, and cause us all to mourn.
So likewise the Lord threateneth, by his prophet Amos, viii. 4-8, " That for cruelty and oppression of the poor, he would plague the whole land.
Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein?"
Again, the Lord saith by his prophet Jeremiah, vii. 19, 20, '"Do they provoke me to anger, and not themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?
Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold mine anger and my wrath shall be poured upon this place, upon man, and beast, upon the tree of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall bum, and not be
" If ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the quenched."
Again the Lord saith, Lord, that this house shall be waste, and I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons, and they shall cut down thy chief cedar trees, and cast them in the fire."
Likewise the Lord threateneth, by his prophet Ezekiel, v.
7, " Because ye have not walked in my statutes, nor kept my judgments; therefore behold, I, even I, come against thee, and will execute judgment in the midst of thee, even in the sight of nations; and I will do in thee that I never did before, neither will I do any more the like because of all thine abominations.
For, in the midst of
SIN BRINGETH DESOLATOa
thee, the fathers shall eat their sons, and the sons shall eat then" fathers."
Again, by the same prophet, the Lord saith, vii. 23-27, " The land is full of the.judgment of blood, and the city full of cruelty.
Wherefore, I will bring the most wicked of the heathen, and they will possess their houses.
I will also make the pomp of the mighty to cease, and the holy places shall be defiled.
When destruction Cometh, they shall seek peace, and not have it.
Calamity shall come upon calamity, and rumour upon rumour.
Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet, but the law shall perish from the priests, and counsel from the ancient.
The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people in the land shall be troubled.
I will do unto them according to their ways, and according to their judgments will I judge them ; and they shall know that I am the Lord."
Last of all, the Lord saith by his prophet, "Hear, earth! behold, I will cause a plague to come upon this people, even the fruit of their own imaginations, because they have not taken heed to my words, n or to my law ' '
Almost innumer- ; but cast it off. able places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the prophets ; but these may suffice to prove the main point: to wit, that the just God doth punish whole nations and kingdoms for the sins and rebellions thereof.
Phil.
Since all these sins (for the which the Lord did execute such universal punishments upon his own people) do abound and overflow in this land, may we not justly fear some great plague to fall upon us? and the rather, because our transgressions do increase daily, and grow to a full height and ripeness; so as it seemeth the
JUDGMENTS UPON NATIONS.
harvest of God's vengeance draweth near, and approacheth.
Theol. We may indeed justly fear and tremble.
For if Grod spared not the angels that sinned, how shall he spare us?
If he spared not his own people, what can we look for?
If he spared not the natural branches, how shall he spare us which are wild by nature?
Are we better than they?
Can we look to be spared, when they were punished?
Are not our sins as many and as great as theirs?
Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect?
Is the arm of the Lord shortened ? or is not God the same just God, to punish sin now, that he was then?
Yes, yes, assuredly.
And therefore we have great cause to mourn and lament, to quake and tremble; because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging over our heads.
Thus did Jeremiah, iv. 19, thus did Amos, v. 6, thus did Habakkuk, rii.
16, when they plainly saw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of Israel and Judah.
Phil. I think we may the rather doubt and fear because the punishment of these forenamed vices is neglected by the magistate.
For commonly, when they that bear the sword of justice, do not draw it out to punish notorious offenders and malefactors, the Lord himself will take the matter into his own hands, and be revenged in his own person, which is most dreadful and dangerous; "for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. x. 31.
Theol. You have spoken a truth: for if those which are God's deputies and vicegerents in the earth, do their duties faithfully in punishiug vice and maintaining virtue, in smiting the wicked and favouring the godly, then assuredly evil shall
SIN BEINGETH DESOLATING
be taken out of Israel, God's wrath prevented, and his judgments intei'cepted; as it is written, Ps. cvi. 30, " Phineas stood up and executed judgment, and the plague was stayed."
But if they (for fear, favour, affection, gain, flattery, bribery, or any other sinister respect) will be too sparing and remiss in punishing of gross offenders, and be rather ready to smite the righteous ; then do they exceedingly provoke God's wrath against the land, and against themselves.
Phil. One thing I do greatly lament, that there be either none at all, or very slender censures, either by the civil or ecclesiastical authority, for divers of these forenamed vices: as pride, eovetousness, oppression, lying, idleness, swearing, &c.
Theol.
It is a thing to be lamented indeed.
For where do we see a proud man punished, a covetous man punished, an oppressor punished, a swearer punished, a liar punished, an idle person punished? Now, because they know they cannot or shall not be punished, therefore they are altogether hardened, and emboldened in their sins; as the wise man saith, Eccl. viii. 11, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil."
Phil. One thing I do much muse at, wherein also I desire to be further satisfied, to wit what is the cause that under so godly a prince, so many good laws, and so much good preaching and teaching, there should notwithstanding be such an excess and overflowing of sin, in all estates.
Theol. The causes hereof are divers and manifold.
But I will nominate four especial ones in my judgment:—The first is man's natural corruption, which is so strong as almost nothing can
JUDGMENTS UPON NATIONS.
bridle it; the second is ill-precedents and external provocations to evil ; the third is the want of teaching in many congregations of the land, by reason whereof many know not sin to be sin; the last reason is the corruption and negligence of some such as are in authority.
Phil. Doth not this inundation and overflowing of sin, with the impunity of the same, prognosticate great wrath against us?
Theol.
Yes, undoubtedly, as hath in part been shewed before.
And there be divers other presages of wrath, though not of the same kind, which are these:— Unthankfulness for the gospel—the abuse of our long peace— our general security— our secret idolatries—our ripeness in all sin—our abuse of all God's mercies—our abuse of his long patience—the coldness of professors—our not profiting by former judgments; as pestilence, famine, death, and the shaking of the sword.
Phil. This last I take to be a special token of approaching vengeance, that we have not profited by former waniings.
Theol. True indeed: for it is an ordinary thing with God, when men will not profit by mild corrections, and common punishments, then to lay greater upon them; and when a former trouble doth us no good, we are to fear a final consuming trouble.
For so we read in the prophecy of Hosea, v. 12, 14; that at the first, God was to Ephraim as a moth, and to Judah as rottenness, but afterwards, when as they profited not by it, he was to Ephraim as a lion, and to Judah as a lion's whelp.
So the Lord saith, in another place, that if they will not come in and yield obedience at the first call of his wrath, then he will punish them seven times more. Lev. xxvi. 18.
But if
SIN BEINGETH DESOLATING
they continue in their stubbornness, then he threateneth to bring seven times more plagues upon them, according to their sins.
If by all these they would not be reformed, but walk stubbornly against him, then he threateneth yet seven times more for their sins; and the fourth time, yet seven times more, ver. 21, 24, 28.
The proof hereof we have in the book of the Judges, where we read, how the people of Israel, for their sins, were in subjection to the king of Aram, Naharim, eight years ; afterward, because they profited nothing by it, but returned to their old sins, therefore they served Eglon, king of Moab, eighteen years.
After that again, for their new sins and provocations, the Lord gave them up into the hands of Midian seven years.
After all this, for the renewing of their sins, the Lord sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, which did grievously vex and oppress them, for the space of eighteen years.
Last of all, we read that when neither famine nor pestilence could cause them to return unto him, then he delivered them up to the sword of their enemies, and held them in bondage and captivity threescore and ten years.
After all this, when they were delivered out of captivity and returned home safely to their own nation, and enjoyed some good time of peace and rest, yet at last they fell to renewingof their sins,and thereforethe Lord plagued them most grievously by the divided Greek empire, even by Magog, and Egypt, Seleucidae, and Lagidse,* and that by the space almost of three hundred years.
And this is it that the prophet Hosea did foretell, iii. 4, "That the children of * Names of the enemies of Israel.
See 1st Maccabees.
JUDGMENTS UPON NATIONS.
Israel should remain many days without a king, and without a prince, without an offering, and without an image, without an ephod, and without teraphim."
Phil. You have very largely laid open this last token of vengeance ; to wit, that God at the first doth but heat us upon the coat, but if we continue in sin he will whip us on the bare skin, and if men will not yield at the first gentle stroke, then he will strike harder and harder, till he have broken our stout stomachs and made our great hearts come down.
Therefore it is good yielding at the first, for we shall get nothing by our sturdiness against him.
We do but cause him to double his strokes, and strike us both sidehngs and overthwart: for he cannot endure that we should gruntle* against him with stubborn suUenness.
But now to the point: since there are so many presages and foresigns of God's wTath, I pray you show what it is that stayeth the execution and very downfall of the same.
Theol. The prayers and tears of the faithful are the special mean that stay the hand of God from striking of us ; for the prayers of the righteous are of great force with him, even able to do all things.
St. James saith, v.
16, " The prayer of a righteous man availeth much, if it be fervent," and bringeth the example of Elias to " Though Elias was a man prove it; for, saith he, subject to the like passions that we be, yet was he able by his prayers both to open and shut the heavens."
Abraham, likewise, prevails so far with God, by his prayers for Sodom, tliat if there had been but ten just men found in it, it had been
* Murmur and grudge.
THE PEA.TEHS OF THE TAITHFUL
spared.
The Almighty God saith, in the 15th " Though Moses and Samuel chap, of Jeremiah, stood before me, yet mine affection could not be towards this people;" which doth plainly showthat Moses and Samuel might have done much with him, had he not been so fully bent against his people for their sins, as he was.
So likewise he saith in the prophecy of Ezekiel, xiv.
14, " Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were amongst them, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness;" which also sheweth, that if there had been any possible entreating of him for the land, these three men might have done it; but now he was resolutely determined to the contrary.
In respect therefore, that the zealous preachers, and true professors of the gospel do so much prevail with God by their prayers, they are said to be the defence and strength of kingdoms and countries, of churches and commonwealths; as it is said of Elijah, that he was the chariot of Israel and the horseman thereof.
Elisha also was environed with a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire.
And sure it is that Elijah and Elisha are not only the chariots and horsemen of Israel, but also by their prayers they do cause God himself to be a wall of fire round about it ; as the prophet saith, Ezekiel xx. 30, " The Lord God saith, I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land; that I might not destroy it, but I found none."
Which sheweth that if there had been but some few to have stood in the breach, he would have spared the whole land.
This also appeareth more plainly in the prophecy of Jere- " Run to and miah, V.
1, where the Lord saith,
A GREAT BLESSIXG TO KATIOyS.
Iro by the streets of Jerusalem, behold and enquire in the open places thereof, if ye can find a man, or if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the tiuth, and I will spare it."
Oh then, mark and consider what a man may do; yea, what one man may do, what an Abraham may do, what a Moses may do, what an EHjah may do, what a Daniel, what a Samuel, what a Job, what a Noah may do.
Some one man, by reason of his high favour with the Eternal, is able sometimes to do more for a land, by his prayers and tears, than many prudent men by their counsel, or valiant men by their swords.
Tea, it doth evidently appear, in the sacred volume of the Holv Ghost, that some one poor preacher, being full of the spirit and power of Elijah, doth more in his study (either for oifence or defence; either for the turning away of wrath, or the procuring for mercy) than a camp-royal, even forty thousand strong; or as the Spirit speaketh. Cant. iii.
7, " Though they all have their swords girded to their thighs, and be of the most vahant men in Israel."
All this is clearly proved in one verse of the book of the Psalms, cvi. 23, where the prophet, having reckoned up the sins of the people, addeth,
" Therefore the Lord minded to destroy them, had not Moses (his chosen) stood in the breach to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them."
See, therefore, what one man may do with God.
Some one man doth so bind the hands of God, that when he should strike, he hath uo power to do it, as it is said of Lot, Gen. xix.
22, " I can do nothing till thou be come out."
See how the Lord saith he can do nothing, because he will do nothing.
He doth wittingly and wUlingly suffer his hands to be manacled and
THE PEATEES OF THE FAITHFUL
bound behind him, for some few's sake, which he doth make more account of than all the world besides; so precious and dear are they in his sight.
Likewise it is written, that the Lord was exceedingly incensed against the Israelites for their idolatrous calf, which they made in Horeb; yet he could do nothing because Moses would not let him ; and therefore he falleth to entreating of Moses, Esod. xxvii. that Moses would let him alone, and entreat no more for them.
Oh, " Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against this people, and (saith the Lord to Moses) that I may consume them."
Thus Ave see that except Lot go out of the city, and Moses let hun alone, he can do nothing.
Oh the profoundness and altitude of Grod's mercy towards mankind!
Oh the heighth and depth, length and breadth of his love towards some! Oh that the most glorious and invisible Grod should so greatly respect the sons of men!
" For what is man, that he should be mindful of him ?
Or the son of man that he should regard him?"
Let us, therefore, that are the Lord's remembrancers, give him no rest, nor let him alone until we have some security, and good assurance from him, that he will turn away from us the wrath which we most justly have deserved; that he will spare us and be merciful unto us.
Yea, and as the prophet saith, Isa. Ixii.
7, "Let us never leave him, nor give him over, till he repair and set up Jerusalem, the praise of the world:" lest for default hereof, that be charged upon us, which was charged upon the head of some of the prophets in Israel, that they were like the foxes in the waste places, that they had not risen up in the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel.
For novv-a-days,
A GBEAT BLESSING TO KATIONS.
alas! we have many hedge-breakers—few hedgemakers ; many openers of gaps—few stoppers ; many breakei*s of breaches to let in the floods of God's wrath upon us; but very few that, by true repentance, go about to make up the breach, and to let down the sluices, that the gushing streams of God's vengeance may be stopped and stayed.
Phil.
I do now plainly see that there be some in high favour with God, and, as we say, greatly in his books; since his love is so great unto them, that for their sakes he spareth thousands.
Theol.
It is written in the Proverbs of Solomon, that the righteous in a land are the establishment of the king's throne; and the wicked the overthrowing of the same.
The words are these, XXV. 4, " Take away the dross from the silver, and there will proceed a vessel for the finer.
Take away the wicked from the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness."
Likewise, in another place the wise man affirmeth, that the righteous are the strength and bulwark of cities, towns, and corporations, but the wicked are the weakening and undoing of all, xxix. 8, " Scornful men," saith he, " set a city on fire, but the wise turn away wrath."
To this purpose, most excellent is that saying of Eliphaz, in Job xxii.
30, " The innocent shall deliver the land, and it shall be preserved by the pureness of their hands."
We read in the book of Chronicles, that when the Levites and the priests were cast out by Jeroboam, they came to Jerusalem, and all such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came with them.
And then, afterward, it is said, they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon mighty.
By all these testimonies, it is evident that princes,
THE PEATEES Or THE FAITHFUL
kingdoms, cities, towns, and villages, are fortified by the righteous therein; and for their sakes also great plagues are kept back.
Which thing one of the heathen did well see into, as appeareth by his words, which are these: "When God meaneth well unto a city, and will do good unto it, then he raiseth up good men; but when he meaneth to punish a city or country, and do ill unto it, then he taketh away the good men from it."
Theol.
It is very manifest by all that you have alleged, that the wicked fare the better every day in the year, for the righteous that dwell amongst them.
Theol.
All experience doth teach it, and the scriptures do plentifully avouch it ; for did not churlish Laban fare the better for Jacob his kinsman ?
Doth he not acknowledge that the Lord had blessed him for his sake?
Did not Potiphar fare the better for godly Joseph ?
Doth not the scripture say, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph his sake ?
And that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hands?
Did not Obededom fare the better for the ark ?
Did not the seventy-and-six souls that were in the ship with Paul, speed all the better for his sake?
Did not the angel of God tell him in the night that God had given unto him all that sailed with him ? for, otherwise, a thousand to one, they had been all drowned.
Therefore, the children of God may very fitly be compared to a great piece of cork, which, though it be cast into the sea, having many nails fastened in it, yet it beareth them all vip from sinking, which otherwise, would sink of themselves.
What shall we say then, or what shall we conclude, but that the
A 6BEAT BLESSniG TO
JTATIOirS.
ungodly are more beholden to the righteous than they are aware of?
Phil.
1 do thmk if it were not for God's children, it would go hard with the wicked.
For, if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them, and placed by themselves, what could thej' look for, but wrath upon wrath, and plague upon plague—till the Lord had made a final consumption of them, and swept them like dung from the face of the earth.
Theol. Sure it is, all creatures would frown upon them.
The sun would unwillingly shine upon them, or the moon give them any light.
The stars would not be seen of them, and the planets would hide themselves.
The beasts would devour them, the fowls would pick out their eyes.
The fishes would make war against them, and all creatures in heaven and earth would rise up in arms against them.
Yea, the Lord himself from heaven would rain down fire and brimstone upon them.
Phil. Tet for all this, it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous, and almost iu every thing oppose themselves against them, and that in most virulent and spiteful manner.
They rail and slander, scoff and scorn, mock and mow at them, as though they were not worthy to hve upon the earth.
They esteem every pelting rascal, and prefer every vile varlet before them.
And though they have their lives and hberty, their breath and safety, and all that they have else by them, yet, for all that, they could be content to eat their hearts with garlic ; so great, so fiery, so burning and hissing hot is their fury and mahce against them.
Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth
THE PEATEES OF THE rAITHrUL
wherein she is bred; or to a certain worm or canker, that corrodeth and eateth through the heart of the tree that nourisheth her; or unto a man that standeth upon a bough in the top of a tree where there is no more, and yet, with an axe choppeth it off, and there withal falieth down with it and breaketh his neck.
Even so the fools of this world do what they can to chop asunder the bough that upholds them, but they may easily know what will follow.
Phil.
I see plainly they be much their own foes, and stand in their own light, and indeed know not what they do.
For the benefit which they receive by such is exceeding great, and therefore by their mangling of them, they do but hold the stirrup to their own destruction.
TTieol. Now to apply these things to ourselves, and to return to the first question of this argument, may we not marvel that our nation is so long spared, considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outrageous as they be?
Phil. We may justly marvel at the wonderful patience of Grod.
And we may well think that there be some in the land which stand in the breach, being in no small favour with his Highness, since they do so much prevail.
Theol. The merciful preservation of our most gracious king, who is the breath of our nostrils— the long continuance of our peace, and of the gospel—the keeping back of the sword out of the land, which our sins pull upon us—the frustrating of many plots and subtle devices which have been often intended against our state—yea, and the life of his Majesty's most royal person—make me to think that there be some strong pleaders with God, for the public good of us all.
A GBEAT BLES3IN0 TO SATIOXS.
Fhil. You may well think so, indeed; for, by our sins, we have forfeited, and daily do forfeit, into God's hands, both our king, our country, our peace, our gospel, our lives, our goods, our lands, our livings, our wives, our children, and all that we have: but only the righteous (which are so near about the king, and in so high favour) do step in, and earnestly entreat for us, that the forfeitures may be released, and that we may have a lease, in parley, of them all again; or at least a grant of further time.
But I pray you, sir, are not we to attribute something, concerning our good estate, to the policy of the land, the laws established, and the wisdom and counsel of our prudent governors ?
Theol.
Yes, assuredly, very much; as the ordinary and outward means, which God useth for our safety.
For though the apostle Paul had a grant from God for the safety of his own life, and all that were with him in the ship, yet he said, Acts xxvii. 31, "Except the mariners abide in the ship, we cannot be safe;" shewing thereby, that unto faith, and prayers, the best and wisest means must be joined. We are therefore, upon our knees every day, to give thanks unto God for such good means of our safety, as he hath given us.
Phil. Well then, as the prayers of the righteous have been hitherto great means, both for the averting and turning away of wrath and the continuance of favour; so shew, I pray you, what is the best course to be taken, and what in sound wisdom is to be done, both to prevent future dangers, and to continue God's favours and mercies still upon us.
Theol. The best and surest course, that I can consider or conceive of, is, to repent heartily for
THE WAT TO WAED OTT
sins past, and to reform our lives in time to come, to seek tlie Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near: to forsake our own ways, and our own imaginations, and to turn unto him with all our hearts, with weeping, with fasting, and with mourning; as the prophet Joel adviseth, "For our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."
All the prophets do counsel us to follow this course, and do plainly teach, that if we all (from the highest to the lowest) do meet the Lord with unfeigned repentance, and offer him the sacrifice of a contrite spirit, undoubtedly he will be pacified towards us, and be merciful to our transgressions.
This is most plainly set down in the 7th of Jeremiah, where the Lord saith thus to his people, "If you amend and redress your ways, and your works: if you execute judgment betwixt a man and his neighbour, and oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed no innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your destruction; then will I let you dwell in this place ; even in the land which I gave unto your fathers, for ever and ever."
So likewise he saith by the same prophet, xxii. 3, "Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, and vex not the fatherless, the widow or the strangers; do no violence, nor shed innocent blood in this place: for if you do this thing, then shall the kings sitting upon the tin-one of David, enter in by the gates of this house, and ride upon chariots and upon horses, both he, and his servants, and his people;" and again, iii.
22, "O ye disobedient children, return, and I will heal your rebellion."
god's JUDGilESTS.
The Lord also saith by his prophet, Isaiah i. 19, " If ye consent and obey ye shall eat the good things of the land; but if ye refuse and be rebellious, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
The prophet Hosea, vi. 1, saith, " Come, let us return to the Lord, for he hath spoiled, and he will heal us; he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up ; and again, xiv.
1, " O Israel, return unto the Lord, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity, and I will heal thy rebellion, and will love thee freely ; for mine anger is turned away from thee :
I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the Hly, and fasten his root as the tree of Lebanon ; his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree ; and his smell as Lebanon."
The prophet Mieah, vi. 8, telleth us what is good for us, and what is our best course, and what the Lord requireth at our hands ; namely, these four things: to do justly, to love mercy, to humble ourselves, and to walk with our God.
The prophet Amos, v. 14, giveth the same coun- " Seek the Lord, and ye shall live ; seek good, and not evil ; hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate ; sel, saying, it may be, that the Lord of Hosts will be merciful unto the remnant of Joseph ;" also, the Lord himself saith, " If this nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their wickedness, I will repent of the plague I thought to bring upon them," Jeremiah xviii.
Thus we do plainly see what advice and counsel the prophets and holy men of God do give unto us.
The sum of all is this, that if we do truly repent and turn unto him with all our hearts, studying to obey him, and walk in his ways,^en he wiU grant us any
THE WAT TO WAED Orr
favour that we will require at his hands; for, even as woolpacks, and other soft matter beateth back, and dampeth the force of all shot; so penitent, melting, and soft hearts, do beat back the shot of Grod's wrath, and turn away his vengeance from us.
Moreover, we may observe in all experience, that when potentates are offended, or any great man hath conceived a displeasure against a poor man, that then he must run and ride, send presents, use his friends, break his sleeps, and never be quiet till he have pacified him.
Even so must we deal with our God, seeing he hath taken a displeasure against us.
Oh, therefore, that we would speedily use all possible means to pacify his wrath!
Oh that we would, with one heart and voice, every one of us, from the highest to the lowest, humble ourselves before our God, forsake our former evil ways, be grieved for that we have done, and purpose never to do the like
Oh that it might go to the hearts of us, that we have so often and so grievously offended again so loving a God, and so merciful a Father
Oh that we would awake once at last, and rouse up our drowsy hearts, and ransack our sleepy consciences, crying out against our sins, that our sins might never cry out against us !
Oh that we would judge ourselves, accuse ourselves, indict oiu-selves, and condemn ourselves ; so should we never be adjudged, accused, indicted, or condemned of the Lord!
Oh that all hearts might sob, all souls might sigh, all loins might be smitten with sorrow, all faces gather blackness, and every man smite himself on the thigh, saying, what have I done ?
Oh that both magistracy, ministery, and commonalty, \^uld purpose and vow, and even take a bond olkhemselves, that from
god's JrDGMElfTS.
henceforth, and from this day forward, thev would set their hearts to seek the Lord ; and that they would wholly give up themselves to his obedience!
Oh that all men, women, and children, would fear God and keep his commandments ; would eschew evil, and do good ; would study to please God in all things, and to be fruitful in all good works ; making conscience to perform the duties of their general callings, and duties of their special callings; duties of the first table, and duties of the second table; that so God might be sincerely worshipped, his name truly reverenced, his Sabbaths religiously observed ; and that every man would deal kindly, mercifully, justly, and uprightly with his neighbour ; that there might be no complaining, no crying in our streets
Oh ! I say again and again, that if all of us, of what estate, degree, or condition soever, would walk in the paths of' our God, then doubtless we should live and see good days; all future dangers should be prevented, our peace prolonged, our state estabhshed, our king preserved, and the gospel continued.
Then should we still enjoy our lives, our goods, our lands, our livings, our wives, our children, our houses and tenements, our orchards and gardens; yea, as the prophet saith, we should eat the good things of the land, spending our days in much comfort, peace, and tranquility; and leave great blessings unto our children and posterity, from age to age, from generation to generation.
Phil. You have fully answered my question, and well satisfied me therein, out of the scriptures
: yet I pray you give me leave to add one thing unto that, which you have at large set down.
The Lord saith by the prophet Amos, iv. 6-11,
JUDGMENTS AKD BLESSINGS
that for their sins and rebellions, he hath given them cleanness of teeth: that is, dearth and scarcity; and yet they did not turn unto him. Also he withheld the rain from them, and punished them with drought, and yet they did not turn unto him.
Moreover he smote their corn, their great gardens, their orchards, vineyards, fig-trees, and olive-trees, with blasting and mildew, and the palmer-worm did devour them; and yet they did not return unto him.
Last of all, he smote them with pestilence, and with the sword, and overthrew them, as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and they were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet, for all this, they did not turn unto him.
" Ye have not turned unto me, saith the Lord."
But now to come to the point.
Out of this I gather, that if we multiply our transgressions, God will multiply his plagues upon us; but on the contrary, if we would unfeignedly turn unto the Lord our God with all our hearts, all plagues should be stayed, all dangers prevented: and no evil should fall upon us.
For because they would not turn, therefore he smote them.
If therefore they had turned, he would not have smote them, But now I pray you briefly conclude this point, and declare in few words, what it is that doth most materially concern our peace, and public good.
Theol.
These few then briefly 1 take to be things which belong to our peace:
Let Solomon execute Joab and Shimei.
Let John and Elijah slay the priests and prophets of Baal.
Let Aaron and Eleazar minister before the Lord faithfully.
Let Jonas be cast out of the ship.
Let Moses stand fast in the gap, and not let down his hands.
Let Joshua succeed him.
Let Cornelius fear