All this is to be understood with this caution, that sin when it is perfected, brings forth death, 1and not till then. God stayed till Ahab had oppressed Naboth, and gotten possession, and then when he was seen, God sends the message of death to him, What, hast thou killed, and also taken possession? Thus Judas, he was a thief whilst he kept the bag, and went on in many sins in Christs family, and Chri stlets him alone, and he goes on till he had betrayed his Master; and then when his sin was perfected, and come to its full ripeness, then at last CHRIST comes with judgement upon him. There is a certain period of judgement, and if the Lord stay execution till then, thou hast little cause to comfort thy self, Eccles. 8. 11, 12. Because sentence 2against an evil work is not speedily executed, therefore the hearts of men are set to do evil: As if the wise man should have said, Go to you, you that have peace, and comfort your selves in this, that whatsoever the Word and the Ministers threaten, yet you feel nothing; yet remember that as soon as the sin is committed, the sentence goeth forth, (& therefore he useth the word sentence to express this) though it be not so speedily executed, yet it goes forth at the same time with the commission of the sin. The sentence, you know, is one thing, the execution another; and many times there is (and so may be here) a long distance betwixt the sentence of the Judge, and the execution ⟨p. 286⟩of it: So as his meaning is, that execution is deferred. Therefore flatter not your selves; sentence is gone forth, and execution will follow. For the amplification of this, that vision of Zechariah seems to make it good, Zach. 5. When swearing 3and theft had been committed, Verse 3. He saw a flying roll, Verse 2. Which Verse the 3. is interpreted to be the curse that goeth over all the earth, for him that stealeth and sweareth, Verse 3. which curse may be upon the wing long ere it seizeth on the prey: but it goes forth as soon as those sins were committed, that is, the execution may be deferred: which is there further showed in the parable of the Ephah, which sets out (as there) the measure of the peoples iniquities, for so, Verse 8.
All this is to bee understood with this caution, that sinne when it is perfected, brings forth death, 1and not till then. God stayed till Ahab had oppressed Naboth, and gotten possession, and then when he was seene, God sends the message of death to him, What, hast thou killed, and also taken possession? Thus Iudas, he was a thiefe whilst he kept the bag, and went on in many sinnes in Christs family, and Chri stlets him alone, and he goes on till hee had betrayed his Master; and then when his sinne was perfected, and come to its full ripenesse, then at last CHRIST comes with judgement upon him. There is a certaine period of judgement, and if the Lord stay execution till then, thou hast little cause to comfort thy selfe, Eccles. 8. 11, 12. Because sentence 2against an evill worke is not speedily executed, therefore the hearts of men are set to doe evill: As if the wise man should have said, Goe to you, you that have peace, and comfort your selves in this, that whatsoever the Word and the Ministers threatten, yet you feel nothing; yet remember that as soon as the sin is committed, the sentence goeth forth, (& therefore he useth the word sentence to expresse this) though it bee not so speedily executed, yet it goes forth at the same time with the commission of the sinne. The sentence, you know, is one thing, the execution another; and many times there is (and so may be here) a long distance betwixt the sentence of the Iudge, and the execution ⟨p. 286⟩of it: So as his meaning is, that execution is deferred. Therefore flatter not your selves; sentence is gone forth, and execution will follow. For the amplification of this, that vision of Zachary seemes to make it good, Zach. 5. When swearing 3and theft had beene committed, Verse 3. Hee saw a flying roule, Verse 2. Which Verse the 3. is interpreted to be the curse that goeth over all the earth, for him that stealeth and sweareth, Verse 3. which curse may bee upon the wing long ere it seizeth on the prey: but it goes forth as soone as those sinnes were committed, that is, the execution may be deferred: which is there further shewed in the parable of the Ephah, which sets out (as there) the measure of the peoples iniquities, for so, Verse 8.
- 1Resp.
- 2Eccl. 8. 11, 12
- 3Zach. 5. 2, 3
