That God is the Author or Efficient cause of this dreadful Judgment of Fire that is at any time inflicted upon Cities and Countries, will sufficiently appear in these following Scriptures, Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? This is to be understood of the evil of punishment, and not of the evil of sin. Amos 4. 11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthr•w Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a fire-brand plucked out of the burnings, yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Here (I) is emphatical and exclusive, as if he should say, I, and I alone. Amos 1. 14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah. (that is, in the Metropolis or chief City of the Ammonites) and it shall devour the Palaces thereof. Rabbah their head-City, was a cruel, bloody, covetous, and ambitious City, vers. 13. And therefore, rather than it should escape divine vengeance, God will kindle a fire in the wall of it, and burn it with his own hands. Ezek. 20. 47. And say to the forrest of the South, (that is to Jerusalem, that did lye South-wards from Chaldea) hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the 1Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree, the flaming flames shall not be quenched, and all fuel from the South to the North shall be burnt therein, verse 48. And all ⟨p. 6⟩flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it, it shall not be quenched. Men shall see that 'twas God that kindled the fire, and not man, and therefore 'twas beyond mans skill or power to quench it, or to over-master it. Jer. 7. 20. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. The Point being thus proved for the further opening of it, premise with me these things.
That God is the Author or Efficient cause of this dreadful Judgment of Fire that is at any time inflicted upon Cities and Countries, will sufficiently appear in these following Scriptures, Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? This is to be understood of the evil of punishment, and not of the evil of sin. Amos 4. 11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthr•w Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burnings, yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Here (I) is emphatical and exclusive, as if he should say, I, and I alone. Amos 1. 14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah. (that is, in the Metropolis or chief City of the Ammonites) and it shall devour the Palaces thereof. Rabbah their head-City, was a cruel, bloody, covetous, and ambitious City, vers. 13. And therefore, rather than it should escape divine vengeance, God will kindle a fire in the wall of it, and burn it with his own hands. Ezek. 20. 47. And say to the forrest of the South, (that is to Jerusalem, that did lye South-wards from Chaldea) hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the 1Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree, the flaming flames shall not be quenched, and all fuel from the South to the North shall be burnt therein, verse 48. And all ⟨p. 6⟩flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it, it shall not be quenched. Men shall see that 'twas God that kindled the fire, and not man, and therefore 'twas beyond mans skill or power to quench it, or to over-master it. Jer. 7. 20. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. The Point being thus proved for the further opening of it, premise with me these things.
- 1You will find this Scripture fully opened in the following Discourse.