All these things God worketh twice and thrice, to keep our souls from the pit; man left to himself would run head-long upon mischief in this world, & upon eternal misery in the world to come. Nothing but the hand of God can hold man from ruining himself. The heart of man is so set upon sin, that he will rather loose his soul, then leave his lust; and will rather dye then that shall. 'Tis as easy to stay the motion of the Sun, or to turn ⟨p. 473⟩back the course of nature, as to stay or turn back the natural motion or course of the heart in sinning. An almighty power must do the latter as well as the former. So that if the Lord did not put forth more then mercy, even mercy clothed with power, no man could be saved; should God wish us never so well, and tell us what good he hath laid up for us, if we will but believe and obey him; should he tell us he hath riches of mercy, and that every one who will come shall have his share, yet we should never have any, if left to our own choosing. 'Tis a work therefore both of mercy and power which keeps us from the pit. God had much ado to keep Lot from being consumed in Sodom. He had warning to be gone, yet he was loth to go; The text saith (Gen: 19.16.) While Lot lingered the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him forth, and set him without the City; else probably he had lingered, till he had perished. Surely if God did not thrust sinners out of the Sodom of this world (as we say) by head and shoulders, they would perish in it and with it. How wonderful is the goodness of God who doth all these things, not only to keep poor creatures from going down to the pit, both temporally, and eternally, but also that they may be enlightened with the light of the living.
All these things God worketh twice and thrice, to keep our soules from the pit; man left to himselfe would run head-long upon mischiefe in this world, & upon eternall misery in the world to come. Nothing but the hand of God can hold man from ruining himselfe. The heart of man is so set upon sin, that he will rather loose his soule, then leave his lust; and will rather dye then that shall. 'Tis as easie to stay the motion of the Sun, or to turne ⟨p. 473⟩back the course of nature, as to stay or turne back the naturall motion or course of the heart in sinning. An almighty power must doe the latter as well as the former. So that if the Lord did not put forth more then mercy, even mercy clothed with power, no man could be saved; should God wish us never so well, and tell us what good he hath layd up for us, if we will but believe and obey him; should he tell us he hath riches of mercy, and that every one who will come shall have his share, yet we should never have any, if left to our owne chusing. 'Tis a worke therefore both of mercy and power which keepes us from the pit. God had much adoe to keepe Lot from being consumed in Sodome. He had warning to be gone, yet he was loth to goe; The text saith (Gen: 19.16.) While Lot lingred the men layd hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being mercifull to him, and they brought him forth, and set him without the City; else probably he had lingred, till he had perished. Surely if God did not thrust sinners out of the Sodome of this world (as we say) by head and shoulders, they would perish in it and with it. How wonderfull is the goodnesse of God who doth all these things, not only to keep poore creatures from going downe to the pit, both temporally, and eternally, but also that they may be enlightned with the light of the living.
