First, they are freed from Gods wrath. 1Which ⟨p. 6⟩the more heavy and dreadful it is, the greater joy it must needs be for a man to be freed from it, that was before obnoxious, as we are all naturally, unto it.f The wrath of a King, saith Solomon, is as the roaring of a Lion:(g who when he roareth, who trembleth not?) andh as the messengers of death. And what is the wrath then ofi the King of Kings, the sovereign Lord, not of mens bodies only, but of their souls too, able ask he made both, sol to destroy both in hell fire, mwhere the worm never dieth, and the fire never decayeth, andn the torment consequently is never at an end? Now what greater joy can there be to a poor Prisoner, a condemned person, that lieth in hourly expectation of being drawn forth to execution, That through daily fear of death, odeath daily before he die, andp leadeth by means thereof an anxious life, little better, if notq more bitter, than death; What greater Joy, I say, can there be to such an one, than to have tidings brought him that his Pardon is procured? We read in our own Chronicles, ofr some who have been so surcharged and transported with joy thereupon, that they have even surfeited of it, (as persons that have been long famished, feeding over greedily upon good victuals, when they ⟨p. 7⟩come at first again to them) and have died with it: Their joy hath been more than they were ables to digest. And what greater joy then can there be to a poor distressed soul, especially having lien some space of time under the heavy apprehension of Gods wrath, and so having had some kind of* Hell here out of hell; than to havet the pardon of his sins sealed unto him by God, to haveu tidings hereof brought him by the Ministry of Gods word, and some “assurance of it given him by the testimony of Gods Spirit? To which purpose David having upon his experience both of the one estate and the other, pronounced them to be in a most happy andx blessed estate, that have their iniquities forgiven, and are eased of their sins; concludeth his discourse with an incitement of all such toy joy and to great joy; as none having better or greater cause than suchz to rejoice.22
First, they are freed from Gods wrath. 1Which ⟨p. 6⟩the more heauy and dreadfull it is, the greater ioy it must needs be for a man to befreed from it, that was before obnoxious, as wee are all naturally, vnto it.f The wrath of a King, saith Salomon, is as the roaring of a Lion:(g who when hee roareth, who trembleth not?) andh as the messengers of death. And what is the wrath then ofi the King of Kings, the soueraigne Lord, not of mens bodies onely, but of their soules too, able ask hee made both, sol to destroy both in hell fire, mwhere the worme neuer dieth, and the fire neuer decayeth, andn the torment consequently is neuer at an end? Now what greater ioy can there be to a poore Prisoner, a condemned person, that lieth in hourely expectation of being drawne forth to execution, That through daily feare of death, odeath daily before he die, andp leadeth by meanes thereof an anxious life, little better, if notq more bitter, than death; What greater Ioy, I say, can there be to such an one, than to haue tidings brought him that his Pardon is procured? Wee reade in our owne Chronicles, ofr some who haue beene so surcharged and transported with ioy thereupon, that they haue euen surfetted of it, (as persons that haue beene long famished, feeding ouer greedily vpon good victuals, when they
- 1Branch 1.
- fProv. 20. 2. & 19. 12.
- gAmos 3. 8.
- hProv. 16. 14.
- i1 Tim. 6. 15. Apoc. 19. 16.
- kGenes. 2. 7.
- lJam. 4. 12. Matth. 10. 28.Iam. 4. 12. Matth. 10. 28.
- mIsaiah. 66. 24.Esai. 66. 24.
- nApoc. 14. 10, 11. Ubimors sine morte, finis sine fine, defectus sine defectu: quia & mors semper vivit, & finis semper incipit, & defect desicere nescit. Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 47.Apoc. 14. 10, 11. Vbimors sine morte, finis sine fine, defectus sine defectu: quia & mors semper vivit, & finis semper incipit, & defect desicere nescit. Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 47.
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