Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

O what an aggravation will this be against the sins of men at the Last day! that they have been committed against the Mercy and Patience, against the Bounty and Purchase, nay, against the very Consanguinity of God himself! He died for us when we were Enemies, and we will continue Enemies against him that died for us! And yet the folly is as great as the impiety. Consider what God is? The Judge of all the World, All Eye to¹ see, All Ear to hear, All Hand to find out and punish the sins and provocations that are done unto him! A Jealous God, and jealousy is most impatient of disaffection! A consuming fire! and who amongst us can dwell with ²devouring fire, who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings? Do we provoke the Lord to Jealousy, are we stronger then he? Saint Paul hath resolved his own question before, as long as we are Enemies we are without strength. And now for the Clay to contend with the Potter, for the Potsherd to smite the Rock, for impotency to stand up against Omnipotency, what a madness is it? Let us learn wisdom from our Saviours parable, Consider whether we with our ten thousand ³are able to go out against him that meeteth us with twenty thousand? whether we with our ten thousand flies and lusts are able to meet him with twenty thousand Angels and Judgements? And when we are indeed convinced, that in his presence no flesh living shall be justified; that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God; that our hands will not be strong, nor our hearts endure in the day when he will have to do with us; How can we choose but send forth an Embassage, especially since he is not a great way off (as it is ⟨p. 258⟩in the Parable) but standeth before the door, and is nigh at hand, and will not carry; an embassage of repentance, to give up our armour, to strip and judge our selves, to meet him in the way of his judgements, to make our selves vile before him, and be humbled under his mighty hand, and sue forth conditions of peace, to meet him as the Gibeonites did Joshua, and resolve rather to be his servants, then to stand out against him. This is certain, God is coming against his Enemies, his attendants Angels, and his weapons fire: And if his patience and forbearance make him yet keep a great way off, that he may give us time to make our peace;