A Golden Chain

Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his own Church and people. Now followeth the second point, namely his dealing toward his enemies; and here by enemies I understand all creatures, but especially men, which, as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdom, so they persevere in the same enmity unto the end. Now his dealing towards them is, in his good time to work their confusion, as he himself saith,¹ Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me. And David saith,² The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potters vessel. And again,³ I will make thine enemies thy footstool, As Joshua dealt with the five Kings that were hid in the cave;⁴ he first makes a slaughter of their armies; then he brings them forth and makes the people to set their feet on their necks, and to hang them on five trees. So Christ deals with his enemies: he treads them under his feet, and maketh a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their souls. And this the Church of God finds to be true by experience, as well as it finds the love of Christ towards it self. Now he confounds his enemies two ways. The first is by hardness of heart, which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man, and leaveth him to himself, so as he goeth on forward from sin to sin, and never repenteth to the last gasp. And we must esteem of it as a most fearful and terrible judgement of God: for when the heart is possessed therewith, it becomes so flinty and rebellious, that a man will never relent or turn to god. This is manifest in Pharaoh, for though God sent most grievous plagues both upon him and all the land of Egypt, yet would he not submit himself, save only for a fit, while the hand of God was upon him: for after, he returned to the former obstinacy in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea. And this judgement of God is the more fearful; because when a man is in the midst of all his misery, he feels no misery. And as in some kind of sickness a man may die languishing; so where hardness of heart reigns wholly & finally, a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing & rejoicing. And to come near to our selves, it is to be feared least this judgement of all judgements be among us in these our days.