First, That sin in the general brings the dreadful Judgment of Fire upon a people; marks, personal afflictions, and §1•yals may come upon the people of God for trial, and to show the Sovereignty of God, as in the case of Job, whose 1afflictions were for trial, and not for sin: the same may be said of the man that was born blind. But general Judgments, such as this fiery Dispensation was, never comes upon a people, but upon the account of sin. This is evident in my Text, Isa. 42. 24, 25. God set Jacob and Israel on fire, and burnt them round about, but 'twas because they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his Law. Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skin of your heart, ye men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn, that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. So Psal. 107. 33, 34. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground, a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. The very Country of Jury, as Travellers report, which flowed once with milk and honey, is now for fifteen miles about Jerusalem, like a Desert, without grass, tree, or shrub. Ah, what ruins •oth sin bring upon the most renowned Countries and Cities that have been in the world! such is the destructive nature of sin, that it will first or last level the richest, the strongest, and the most glorious Cities in the world. So the Prophet Amos tells us, that 'tis sin that brings Gods ⟨p. 65⟩sorest punishments upon his people, Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus (by which we are to understand the greatness of their iniquities) and for four (by which we are to understand the multitude of their transgressions) I will not turn away the punishment thereof: the same is said of Gaza, verse 6. and of Tyre, verse 9. and of Edom, verse 11. and of Ammon, verse 13. and of Moab, Chap. 2. 1. and of Judah, verse 4. and of Israel, verse 6. Now 'tis very observable of every one of these, that when God threatens to punish them for the greatness of their iniquities, and for the multitude of their transgressions, he doth particularly threaten to send a fire among them, to consume the houses and the Palaces of their Cities; so he doth to Damascus, Amos 1. 4.
First, That sin in the general brings the dreadful Judgment of Fire upon a people; marks, personal afflictions, and §1•yals may come upon the people of God for tryal, and to shew the Soveraignty of God, as in the case of Job, whose 1afflictions were for tryal, and not for sin: the same may be said of the man that was born blind. But general Judgments, such as this fiery Dispensation was, never comes upon a people, but upon the account of sin. This is evident in my Text, Isa. 42. 24, 25. God set Jacob and Israel on fire, and burnt them round about, but 'twas because they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his Law. Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skin of your heart, ye men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn, that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. So Psal. 107. 33, 34. He turneth rivers into a wi•derness, and the water-springs into dry ground, a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. The very Country of Jury, as Travellers report, which flowed once with milk and honey, is now for fifteen miles about Jerusalem, like a Desart, without grass, tree, or shrub. Ah, what ruines •oth sin bring upon the most renowned Countries and Ci•ies that have been in the world! such is the destructive nature of sin, that it will first or last level the richest, the strongest, and the most glorious Cities in the world. So the Prophet Amos tells us, that 'tis sin that brings Gods ⟨p. 65⟩sorest punishments upon his people, Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus (by which we are to understand the greatness of their iniquities) and for four (by which we are to understand the multitude of their transgressions) I will not turn away the punishment thereof: the same is said of Gaza, verse 6. and of Tyrus, verse 9. and of Edom, verse 11. and of Ammon, verse 13. and of Moab, Chap. 2. 1. and of Judah, verse 4. and of Israel, verse 6. Now 'tis very observable of every one of these, that when God threatens to punish them for the greatness of their iniquities, and for the multitude of their transgressions, he doth particularly threaten to send a fire among them, to consume the houses and the Palaces of their Cities; so he doth to Damascus,
- 1Job 1. John 9.
