But this is the special Note from hence,1 That God takes it very ill that those men, or the posterity of those men whom he doth use as instruments to punish sin in others, and to reform others, yet should be guilty of the same sin themselves, or greater. Oh! (saith the Prophet) you may justly expect to have the Mountains to fall upon you, and the Hills to cover you, for you are more wicked than in the days of Gibeah, though I did use ⟨p. 420⟩your forefathers to punish that great sin, yet you continue to be viler and worse than they were that were punished by your forefathers. Oh my brethren, God cannot endure to see that wickedness continued in men, that they shall be made use of to punish in others: What shall we be used, or any in this generation be used for to execute the anger of God, the displeasure of God upon superstitious people, and shall we continue in the sin of Superstition? shall we be used to cast out mens inventions, and shall we bring in mens inventions? yea, shall we be used to punish Oppression and Tyranny, and Injustice, and shall we continue in Oppression, Tyranny, and Injustice? Oh! this cries to Heaven when it shall be said, Well, God stirred up you to make you an instrument to cast out such Oppressing Courts, such Tyranny, and such and men that were so cruel to godly people, you were used to cast out them, and you come and succeed them in such Oppressions and Tyranny, and Injustice, and you make my Saints cry to Heaven for the burdens that you lay upon them. Oh! this would be very heavy. Take we heed that when God uses us, or our forefathers to reform any evil, take heed that it be never said, that those evils continue in their Children after them.
But this is the special Note from hence,1 That God takes it very ill that those men, or the posterity of those men whom he doth use as instruments to punish sin in others, and to reform others, yet should be guilty of the same sin themselves, or greater. Oh! (saith the Prophet) you may justly expect to have the Mountains to fall upon you, and the Hills to cover you, for you are more wicked than in the daies of Gibeah, though I did use ⟨p. 420⟩your forfathers to punish that great sin, yet you continue to be viler and worse than they were that were punished by your forfathers. Oh my brethren, God cannot endure to see that wickedness continued in men, that they shall be made use of to punish in others: What shall we be used, or any in this generation be used for to execute the anger of God, the displeasure of God upon superstitious people, and shall we continue in the sin of Superstition? shall we be used to cast out mens inventions, and shall we bring in mens inventions? yea, shall we be used to punish Oppression and Tyranny, and Injustice, and shall we continue in Oppression, Tyranny, and Injustice? Oh! this cries to Heaven when it shall be said, Well, God stirred up you to make you an instrument to cast out such Oppressing Courts, such Tyranny, and such and men that were so cruel to godly people, you were used to cast out them, and you come and succeed them in such Oppressions and Tyranny, and Injustice, and you make my Saints cry to Heaven for the burdens that you lay upon them. Oh! this would be very heavie. Take we heed that when God uses us, or our forfathers to reform any evil, take heed that it be never said, that those evils continue in their Children after them.
- 1Obs. 2.
