Chap. 22 The Eight Corollary. If sin does so much against God, hence see why God manifest such sore
It will be so between man and man, if one have wronged you, and you have pardoned him, you expect he should do, what he can for you: Thus it should be with God and you, you have wronged God, others have sinned as well as you, and others sins have been furthered by you; this now should inflame your hearts, I have sin enough in my self, and I have been the cause of it in thousand thousand sins in others, my sins strike against God, yea, and I have caused others to sin and strike against God: now if I could draw some from sin, I should think it the happiest thing in the world; I would creep upon my hands and knees to draw others from sin to God, to be in love with the ways of God, and of religion.
Oh you that have been forward in sin, don't think it enough that now you be troubled for your sins and leave them; but know, you must do for God now as much as you have done against him; he requires it of you: Oh go to your friends, and acquaintance, and kindred, and labor to draw them off from sin; tell your kindred, and friends, and acquaintance, Oh Brother, that you did but know what sin means; Oh Sister, that you did but understand what it is to sin against God: God has shewed me in some measure; yea, I that went on in such and such sins; Oh I see how I struck at God, and what an evil this is; Oh that God would enlighten your eyes: Come and hear the Word, I thought lightly of sin before, now I have gone and heard, and God has shewed me what it was; Oh that God would make you see.
Pray for them, and take no nay, but to them again and again, that so you may do somewhat for God as you have done abundance of wrong against God.
CHAP. XXII.
The Eight Corollary
If sin does so much against God, hence see why God manifest such sore displeasure against sin as he does: 1 Against the Angels that sinned. 2 Against all Adams Posterity. 3 See it in God's giving the Law against sin. 4 See it in God's punishing sins that are accounted small. 5 See it in God's destroying all the world for sin. 6 See his displeasure in punishing sin eternally.
Eighthly, This is one Consequence follows, If sin be so great an evil as you have heard, so much against God, wrongs God so much as it does, and strikes at God; Hence then we see the reason why God manifests such sore displeasure against sin. We find (Brethren) most dreadful manifestations of God's displeasure against sin, and the ground and bottom of them is in these things which you have heard opened unto you. And indeed did you understand and believe what has been opened unto you concerning sins opposition of God, you could not then wonder at God's manifestation of his displeasure against sin. There are manifold Manifestations of God's displeasure against sin, which when they be spoken of, and opened unto people that do not understand the dreadful evil that is in sin, they stand and wonder at it, and think, Oh they be hard and severe things.
When Ministers reveal the threatnings of God against sin, Oh say they, God forbid, we hope God is more merciful than so; and all because they apprehend not what dreadful evil there is in sin. That soul that apprehends and believes these particulars that have been opened unto you, cannot but justify God when they hear the revelation, and the manifestation of the displeasure of God against sin. As now in these Particulars: That which has been delivered is the bottom and ground of these that we shall mention, and we see the reason of all these. As First, That dreadful manifestation of the displeasure of God against the Angels that sinned against him: there is that revelation of the displeasure of God against the Angels, that might cause all our hearts to tremble before the Lord at the very thought and hearing of it. I beseech you consider, you who think that God is only a God of Mercy, and God is not so severe against sin as many Ministers
would make him; do but attend to what I shall say unto you, how God has manifested his displeasure against sin in the Angels:
Consider of these five or six Particulars, I will but only mention them.
1 That God should cast so many glorious creatures as the Angels are, for ever from himself, considering the Excellency of their Nature.
2 Consider their Multitude.
3 Consider, That the Chains of darkness that they be cast into, are eternal Miseries.
4 Consider, That this was but for one sin.
5 And consider, That this was but the first sin that ever they committed.
6 Lastly, consider, That God should not now enter so much as into any parley with them about any terms of peace; nor never would, nor never will: This is the sore displeasure of God against them, that God (I say) should not look upon the Angels that he has made glorious creatures, the most excellent of all the work of his hands:
And when there were many thousand millions of them, for so the Scripture speaks of Legions, even in one man Legions of Devils: though there were thousands and millions of such glorious creatures that God made; and these were in Heaven about his
Throne, beholding his glory, and when these committed but one sin against him, never but one before their Fall, and the first that ever was committed; they had no example before them of God's wrath, but upon the very first sin, though it were but one that all these glorious creatures committed, they were presently cast down from Heaven, and of Angels made Devils, and reserved in Chains of eternal darkness.
And so is God set against them all for that one first sin, that he would never enter into any parley with them, to be reconciled upon
any terms; never to consider of any terms of peace, but cast them away from him unto eternal torments without any recovery; this is the dreadful displeasure of God against sin.
Now Brethren, this I speak of, is that which there is no doubting or controversy about; any one that knows the Scripture knows this. In some things there may be controversies about them; but no Divine that has knowledge of any thing of Scripture, but will confess this that I speak of; and if you know not this, certainly you were never acquainted with the Scripture: Though other Points be controverted, yet none that know God's Word make question of this, this is clearly granted of all.
And the consideration of this might strike abundance of fear & terror into the hearts of wicked and ungodly men and women, to think, Lord, how have I thought of thee al this while, and have looked upon God as a merciful God, that though I have sinned, I have thought things would not be with me as I have heard by such and such Ministers; but this day I have heard, such was the sore displeasure of the infinite God against sin, that when he had to deal with those glorious Angels for one sin, he cast thousands of them into eternal Misery, and upon no terms will be reconciled, nor never will.
You think if you sin against God, you will cry God mercy, and so hope God will pardon: true, there is a difference between Man-kind and the Angels, because we have a Mediator, and they have not; but most people that speak of crying to God for mercy, they look upon God, as God's Nature merely being merciful, and not through a Mediator; they do not understand the necessity of a Mediator between God and them, but they apprehend that that God that made them will hear their cry.
Now God made the Angels and they were more noble creatures than you abundantly; now the Angels that sinned but once, for that one sin are cast for ever, and God resolves, though they should cry and
shriek, and shed thousands of tears for sin, God will never hear them; God's displeasure against sin is so great: certainly then sin is a dreadful evil.
Suppose a Prince were so wrath with a great company of his nobles, that he casts a great multitude of them into a dungeon, and there they endure torment, and the King would not vouchsafe so much as to enter into a parley, to be reconciled upon any terms; every one would say, surely 'tis some great matter that has provoked the King. if they understand this Prince is very Just, and withal very merciful; to be sure he would do none any wrong, but were very merciful above al men in the world; and yet for but one offence he should cast these his nobles down into a dungeon to be tormented, and would by no means be reconciled: every one would conclude, certainly there was much evil in that offence if it deserved thus much; and certainly for the Prince to deal thus with them there was much in it: Would you not make such a conclusion from thence?
Then learn to make such a conclusion from God's dealing with the Angels; That seeing God is Just, and can do no creature wrong; yea,
God is infinitely merciful, and yet he does cast his noble creatures, those creatures that were the highest that ever he made any creature, for one sin without any means of Reconciliation: Certainly sin has more evil in it than men are aware of, for though God has not dealt thus with Man-kind, yet he might; there is so much evil in sin that God might have done thus with any of us; and had it not been for the Mediation of his Son, we had been thus irrecoverably miserable to all eternity.
Secondly, Consider, That for one sin in our first Parents (and not in our own persons) that all the Children of men by Nature are put in such an estate to be Children of wrath, and liable to eternal misery, and that for the sin of our Parents: that will shew the wonderful
Justice of God: How unsearchable are his Judgments, and his ways past finding out! Certainly God is infinitely displeased with sin, that
when the first Parents of Man-kind did offend, then upon that all their Posterity to the end of the world are put into a damnable condition, all of them are children of wrath, and heirs of eternal perdition as in themselves. Certainly my Brethren, this is a truth, and none can deny it that understand Scripture, and if you do not understand this, you have not understood a great and necessary
Truth of the Word of God, that is necessary to eternal life, That all Man-kind are by the sin of their first Parents put into a condemned estate, so as they are all the children of wrath by nature as the Scripture said: so that we are not only in danger of God's eternal wrath through the sin that we in our own persons do actually commit, but though we had never committed any actual sin in our own persons, yet the sin of our first Parents is enough to make us children of wrath, and be our eternal ruin. Certainly there is a great deal of evil in sin more than the world thinks of, when it shall so provoke God as that he shall have such displeasure to put all Mankind to be in the state of Children of wrath for the sin of our first
Parents. This is a second Manifestation of God's displeasure against sin.
Thirdly, A third Manifestation of God's displeasure against sin is in that fiery Law (as the Scripture calls it) that God has given for forbidding and threatening of sin. Consider the dreadful manner of God's giving the Law, that it was with Fire, Lightning, Thunderings, and Earthquakes, and Smoke, so as the Scripture said Moses did shake and tremble at the very sight of the dreadfulness of the Law when it was first given. That was only to set forth thus much to us,
That if the Law that God gave be broken, that then God will be very dreadful to those that break it; therefore he gives it at first in such a dreadful manner. It may be many bold presumptuous sinners think it nothing to break the Law of the infinite eternal God; but in that God gives the Law in such a dreadful manner as you may read in the 19. of Exodus, how dreadfully God gave the Law; God does thereby declare to all the world, how dreadful sinners are to expect him to be, if they do break the Law. But especially consider that dreadful
Curse annexed to the Law, Cursed is every one that abides not in
every thing that is written in the Law; to do that which the Law of God pronounces to be done: a curse to every one that does any thing at any time that shall break it. That there should be such a dreadful
Curse annexed; this manifests the sore displeasure of God against sin.
Fourthly, A fourth Manifestation of the sore displeasure of God against sin (all this but to shew you further how sin is a greater evil than affliction) the Manifestation I say of God's displeasure against sin is seen, in that we find in God's word God has so severely punished some sins that do appear to us to be very small, little sins: and yet God has been exceedingly severe against those sins which appear to us to be exceeding small: To instance in three.
1 In 1 Sam. 6. 19. there you have this example, that the men of Bethsheresh, when the Ark came to them they did but look into the Ark out of curiosity, for ought we know for no other end but merely out of curiosity: Now because the Ark was a holy thing, and none but the Priests of God were to meddle with it, God did presently at an instant slay fifty thousand, and three score and ten men of them:
Upon this the text said, these men beholding this severity of God for this offence, they all said, Oh! who shall stand before the holy God!
If God be so holy that he cannot bear so small a sin as this did appear to men, that but for looking into the Ark so many thousands shall be slain presently: who can stand before the holy Lord! Many of you have slight thoughts of the Lord and his Holiness, and think you may be bold and presumptuous, you venture upon greater offences than this was; but these men upon the venturing upon this one thing, above fifty thousand are slain presently: This is the displeasure of God against sin, though very small to our thoughts.
2 Again, A second example you have in Uzzah that did but touch the Ark out of a good intention, as being ready to fall, yet that not being according to the Law, God struck him with death presently; it cost him his life, he was struck with sudden death. We are terrified when we see one fall down suddenly: now upon that offence, though he
had a good meaning, and good intention, yet God brake in upon him with his wrath, and struck him dead presently. Consider this you that think you have good meanings, and good intentions, yet not doing according to the Law; the least breach of the Law, though we have a good meaning, does provoke the wrath of God, and God when he pleaseth lets out this his wrath.
3 A third example you have in that poor man that we read of, who did but gather sticks upon the Lords day, and by the Command of God from Heaven this man must be stoned to death: You would think these things little matters. Alas poor man, he might have need of them: How many of you venture upon other manner of things upon the Lords Day, profaning of it? and yet God speaks from Heaven, and gives command to have this man stoned to death. Now
Brethren, though it be true, that God does not always come upon men for such little sins, it may be to make known his Patience and long-suffering. Perhaps the Lord does let others go on for a long time in greater sins: but yet God by a few such examples does declare to all the world what the evil of the least sin is, and how his displeasure is out against the least sin. If he do forbear, that is to be attributed to his patience and long-suffering, but not to the littleness of the sin, or the littleness of the evil that is in that sin.
This is a Fourth.
Fifthly, A fifth thing wherein God manifests his displeasure against sin, is in those dreadful and hideous Judgments that the Lord executes abroad in the world that we have the stories of in the Scripture, and all Ages: As that God should come and drown a whole world except eight persons, all the whole world swept away and drowned. And so that God should command fire and Brimstone to come down from Heaven, and burn and consume whole Cities,
Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities adjoining; yea, and all the men, women, and children, but only Lot, and those few with him.
And so the fire to come down upon those Captains and their Fifties, 2 Kings, 1. And the Earth swallowing up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram.
There is no Age but has some one or other dreadful example of His