And now when thou hast considered all, bethink thy self withal a little of thy dealings towards him: what have been the effects and fruits of all this goodness? hold up thy head man, look God in the face. It is well yet, that shame begins to cover thee. How hath that his patience and long suffering, vouchsafing thee space to repent, wrought with thee? how nigh to repentance hath it brought thee? Such is the perverseness of mans nature, as Solomon tells us, Eccles. 8. 11.1 that because sentence against an evil work is not presently executed, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil: Because God defers punishing, they defer repenting; thou thinkest to spend the most precious of thy time and strength in sinning, and give God the dregs, the bottom, the last sands, thy dotage, which thy very self and friends are weary of, and all these blessings and comforts which God hath vouchsafed thee, how hast thou used them against him? This oil which should have been fuel to thy thankfulness, hath increased the fire of thy lusts, and thy lusts have consumed them all, James 4. The riches he hath given, thou hast made Idols of, and sacrificed ⟨p. 37⟩thy dearest, morning, daily thoughts and affections unto, as God complains, Ezek. 16. from the 15. and so on: [His meat] (as at the 29. ver. he calls it) thou sacrificedst to thy belly, which thou hast made thy God; thy strength to women; the wealth he hath given you, you have made use of, but to live at a high rate of sinning, and to procure the sweetest bits, the daintiest and most costly sins; The edge of that sword of power God hath put into thy hand, thou hast turned against him and his, haply both his Children and Ministers; so that God, by giving thee all these, hath but made thee more able to offend him, and hath strengthened an enemy, and by sparing thee thus long, hath but made thee more bold to do it; all his mercies have but fortified thy heart against him; Do ye requite the Lord thus, ye foolish people and unkind? as Moses expostulates the case,2 Deut. 32. 6. as Christ said to the Jews, For which of all my good works do ye stone me? So say I to you, for which of all his mercies is it, ye sin against him? what, to fight against him with his own weapons? to betray all he gives you into the devils, his enemies hands?
And now when thou hast considered all, bethinke thy selfe withall a little of thy dealings towards him: what have beene the effects and fruits of all this goodnesse? hold up thy head man, looke God in the face. It is well yet, that shame begins to cover thee. How hath that his patience and long suffering, vouchsafing thee space to repent, wrought with thee? how nigh to repentance hath it brought thee? Such is the perversenesse of mans nature, as Solomon tells us, Eccles. 8. 11.1 that because sentence against an evill worke is not presently executed, therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men are fully set to doe evill: Because God defers punishing, they defer repenting; thou thinkest to spend the most precious of thy time and strength in sinning, and give God the dreggs, the bottome, the last sands, thy dotage, which thy very selfe and friends are weary of, and all these blessings and comforts which God hath vouchsafed thee, how hast thou used them against him? This oyle which should have beene fuell to thy thankfulnesse, hath encreased the fire of thy lusts, and thy lusts have consumed them all, Iames 4. The riches hee hath given, thou hast made Idols of, and sacrificed ⟨p. 37⟩thy dearest, morning, daily thoughts and affections unto, as God complaines, Ezek. 16. from the 15. and so on: [His meat] (as at the 29. ver. he calls it) thou sacrificedst to thy belly, which thou hast made thy God; thy strength to women; the wealth hee hath given you, you have made use of, but to live at a high rate of sinning, and to procure the sweetest bits, the daintiest and most costly sinnes; The edge of that sword of power God hath put into thy hand, thou hast turned against him and his, haply both his Children and Ministers; so that God, by giving thee all these, hath but made thee more able to offend him, and hath strengthned an enemy, and by sparing thee thus long, hath but made thee more bold to doe it; all his mercyes have but fortifyed thy heart against him; Doe ye requite the Lord thus, ye foolish people and unkind? as Moses expostulates the case,2 Deut. 32. 6. as Christ said to the Jewes, For which of all my good workes doe yee stone me? So say I to you, for which of all his mercies is it, ye sinne against him? what, to fight against him with his owne weapons? to betray all he gives you into the devills, his enemies hands?
- 1Eccles. 8. 11.
- 2Deut. 32. 6.
