1The cause therefore of Gods severity in executing vengeance, rests in mans obstinacy. For pWith the froward God will show himself froward. Man persists obstinately in sin: and God persists resolutely in punishing sin. I have heard of a General, that was wont to carry with him in his Camp three sorts of flags, a white, red, and black one. And when he first came against a City, he displayed his white flag, to show, that if without resistance they would yield, they should upon acknowledging fealty to him, enjoy their lives, livings, and liberty. If they refused this offer, he then displayed a red flag, to intimate, that he intended a bloody ⟨p. 51⟩battle against them. If notwithstanding this menacing of blood they obstinately stood out against him, he lastly displayed a black flag, giving them to wit thereby that now nothing was to be expected but utter ruin and desolation. That practice was somewhat answerable to a Law that God made for his people, that swhen they went to fight against a City, they should first proclaim peace: whereof if they would not accept, they should destroy them all. To apply this; The preaching of the Gospel is Gods white flag. The seasonable and just threatenings of his Ministers, his red flag. Execution of judgement by Plague, famine, sword, or any other like kinds, his black flag. How foolish, how sottish, how rebellious against God, how injurious to their own souls are they that not only despise the offer of mercy in the Gospel, but also carry themselves contumeliously against the threatenings of Gods Ministers grounded on his Word, and justly deduced from it. Even this is our case: so have we dealt with God: and thereby provoked him to hang out this black and deadly flag of Pestilence, whereby so many hundreds are week after week destroyed among us. This by speedy humiliation and conversion might have been prevented.
1The cause therefore of Gods severity in executing vengeance, rests in mans obstinacy. For pWith the froward God will shew himselfe froward. Man persists obstinately in sinne: and God persists resolutely in punishing sinne. I have heard of a Generall, that was wont to carie with him in his Camp three sorts of flaggs, a white, red, and black one. And when he first came against a City, he displayed his white flag, to shew, that if without resistance they would yeeld, they should upon acknowledging fealty to him, enjoy their lives, livings, and liberty. If they refused this offer, he then displayed a red flag, to intimate, that he intended a bloudy ⟨p. 51⟩battell against them. If notwithstanding this menacing of bloud they obstinately stood out against him, he lastly displayed a blacke flag, giving them to wit thereby that now nothing was to be expected but utter ruine and desolation. That practice was somewhat answerable to a Law that God made for his people, that swhen they went to fight against a City, they should first proclaime peace: whereof if they would not accept, they should destroy them all. To apply this; The preaching of the Gospell is Gods white flag. The seasonable and just threatnings of his Ministers, his red flag. Execution of judgement by Plague, famine, sword, or any other like kinds, his blacke flag. How foolish, how sottish, how rebellious against God, how injurious to their owne soules are they that not only despise the offer of mercy in the Gospell, but also cary themselves contumeliously against the threatnings of Gods Ministers grounded on his Word, and justly deduced from it. Even this is our case: so have we dealt with God: and thereby provoked him to hang out this black and deadly flag of Pestilence, whereby so many hundreds are weeke after weeke destroyed among us. This by speedy humiliation and conversion might have been prevented.
- 1Deferring repentance, a cause of much mischief.Deferring repentance, a cause of much mischiefe.
- pPsal. 18. 26. Tamberlane ut Stephan. in Apolog pro Herodoto.
- sDeut, 20. 10, 11.
