1I come to the second demonstration of Gods anger to believers when sinning, and that is in spiritual and internal things; now they are of two sorts; first, the consolations of the holy Ghost, with the light of Gods favour; secondly, the flourishing and sprouting of the graces of sanctification; In both these you shall find the godly man after sin much withered. What anger in the first sense, after sin, the godly may feel, David will abundantly tell you, Ps. 11. he calls it the breaking of his bones; you know how terrible and grievous that is, and in the godly this must be the more terrible, because they are of a more tender apprehension: As they say, Christs bodily pain was more then other mens could be, because of the excellent temper and tender constitution of his body; so it is with the godly, every expression of Gods anger, falls like a drop of scalding lead into a mans eye; the conscience of the believer, when once awakened, feels every frown of God like an hell. Thus after the committing of gross sin, God hides his face, and then for the while, they are like so many Cains and Judas's, crying out, Their sin is greater then they can bear; and truly this worm would never die, this fire would never be quenched in them, did not God again take them into favour; there is no difference between a man damned in hell, and a godly man troubled in conscience, but the adjunct of time, one is perpetual, and the other is not. Now our Divines say, That eternity is not essential to the punishment of hell (for Christ suffered the torments of hell for us, which yet were not in time eternal) but accidental, because those in hell are not able to satisfy Gods justice, therefore they must continue there till they have paid the last farthing, which because they cannot do to all eternity, therefore they are tormented for ever. Look upon David again in ⟨p. 83⟩Psal. 32.3, 4. How it fared with him, because of his sins; My bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long, my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer; Did David speak these things hyperbolically and rhetorically only? Did he not find such anguish, and consumption in his soul, that he thought no words could express it? and all this he saith, was because of sin; O then believe this and tremble, lest such a whale of sorrow and grief should swallow thee up, as did David.
1I come to the second demonstration of Gods anger to believers when sinning, and that is in spiritual and internal things; now they are of two sorts; first, the consolations of the holy Ghost, with the light of Gods favour; secondly, the flourishing and sprouting of the graces of sanctification; In both these you shall finde the godly man after sin much withered. What anger in the first sense, after sin, the godly may feel, David will abundantly tell you, Ps. 11. he cals it the breaking of his bones; you know how terrible and grievous that is, and in the godly this must be the more terrible, because they are of a more tender apprehension: As they say, Christs bodily pain was more then other mens could be, because of the excellent temper and tender constitution of his body; so it is with the godly, every expression of Gods anger, fals like a drop of scalding lead into a mans eye; the conscience of the believer, when once awakened, feels every frown of God like an hell. Thus after the committing of gross sin, God hides his face, and then for the while, they are like so many Cains and Judas's, crying out, Their sin is greater then they can bear; and truly this worm would never die, this fire would never be quenched in them, did not God again take them into favor; there is no difference between a man damned in hell, and a godly man troubled in conscience, but the adjunct of time, one is perpetual, and the other is not. Now our Divines say, That eternity is not essential to the punishment of hell (for Christ suffered the torments of hell for us, which yet were not in time eternal) but accidental, because those in hell are not able to satisfie Gods justice, therefore they must continue there till they have paid the last farthing, which because they cannot do to all eternity, therfore they are tormented for ever. Look upon David again in ⟨p. 83⟩Psal. 32.3, 4. How it fared with him, because of his sins; My bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long, my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer; Did David speak these things hyperbolically and rhetorically only? Did he not finde such anguish, and consumption in his soul, that he thought no words could express it? and all this he saith, was because of sin; O then believe this and tremble, lest such a whale of sorrow and grief should swallow thee up, as did David.
- 1Manifestation of Gods anger to believers sinning in spiritual and internal things. 1. In matter of consolation.Manifes•ation of Gods anger to believers sinning in spiritual and internal things. 1. In matter of consol•tion.
