Secondly, God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the §2Sons of men, that the world may stand in awe of him, and that they may learn to fear and tremble before him: when he 1appears as a consuming fire, he expects that the Nation should tremble, and that the Inhabitants should fear before him. 1 Sam. 16. 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem, and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming, and said, comest thou peaceable? Shall the Elders of Bethlehem tremble for fear that Samuel came to denounce some grievous Judgment against them? and shall not we tremble when God has executed his terrible Judgments 2upon us? Shall Ahab tremble and humble himself, and fast and lye in sackcloth, when Judgments are but threatened? and shall not we tremble and fear before the great God, who has actually inflicted upon us his three great Judgments, Pestilence, Sword, and Fire? Shall the Ninevites, both Princes, 3Nobles, and people tremble and humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes, when God doth but threaten to over-throw their great, their rich, their populous City? and shall not we tremble and lye low before the Lord, when we see great London, rich and populous London laid in ashes before our eyes? When the hand of the Lord was stretched out 4against the Egyptians, the Dukes of Edom were amazed, and the mighty men of Moab trembled. Ah, how severely has the hand of the Lord been stretched out against London and all her Inhabitants! and therefore what cause have we to be amazed, and to tremble before that God who has appeared in flames of fire against us! Lam. 2. 3, 4. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel, he hath drawn back his right hand before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He bent his bow like an enemy, and poured out his fury like fire. ⟨p. 16⟩God burnt down their City, their Temple, their Gates, their Princely Habitations, their glorious Structures in the fierceness of his anger, and in the greatness of his wrath O, Sirs, when God falls upon burning work, when he pours out his fury like fire, when like a flaming fire he devours all our pleasant things, and lays all our glory in dust and ashes, we may safely conclude, that his anger is fierce, and that his wrath is great against us; and therefore what eminent cause have we to fear and tremble before him!
Secondly, God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the §2Sons of men, that the world may stand in awe of him, and that they may learn to fear and tremble before him: when he 1appears as a consuming fire, he expects that the Nation should tremble, and that the Inhabitants should fear before him. 1 Sam. 16. 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem, and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming, and said, comest thou peaceable? Shall the Elders of Bethlehem tremble for fear that Samuel came to denounce some grievous Judgment against them? and shall not we tremble when God has executed his terrible Judgments 2upon us? Shall Ahab tremble and humble himself, and fast and lye in sackcloth, when Judgments are but threatned? and shall not we tremble and fear before the great God, who has actually inflicted upon us his three great Judgments, Pestilence, Sword, and Fire? Shall the Ninevites, both Princes, 3Nobles, and people tremble and humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes, when God doth but threaten to over-throw their great, their rich, their populous City? and shall not we tremble and lye low before the Lord, when we see great London, rich and populous London laid in ashes before our eyes? When the hand of the Lord was stretched out 4against the Egyptians, the Dukes of Edom were amazed, and the mighty men of Moab trembled. Ah, how severely has the hand of the Lord been stretched out against London and all her Inhabitants! and therefore what cause have we to be amazed, and to tremble before that God who has appeared in flames of fire against us! Lam. 2. 3, 4. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel, he hath drawn back his right hand before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He bent his bow like an enemy, and poured out his fury like fire. ⟨p. 16⟩God burnt down their City, their Temple, their Gates, their Princely Habitations, their glorious Structures in the fierceness of his anger, and in the greatness of his wrath O, Sirs, when God falls upon burning work, when he pours out his fury like fire, when like a flaming fire he devours all our pleasant things, and lays all our glory in dust and ashes, we may safely conclude, that his anger is fierce, and that his wrath is great against us; and therefore what eminent cause have we to fear and tremble before him!
- 1Consult these Scriptures, Exod. 15. 14, 15, 16. Josh. 2. 10, 11. Rev. 15. 4.
- 21 Kings 21. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 27, 28, 29.
- 3Jonah 3. 3, 4. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
- 4Exod. 15. 15, 16. See 2 Kings 6. 30. and Chap. 7. 6, 7. 15. Jer. 4. 7, 8, 9.
