I say, unrepented, and continued in, make way for terror. They do not always immediately let in Gall and Wormwood into the Soul, presently after the acting of them; plagues are then in preparation, and only those over-bearing and dreadful Judgments which the Lord is devising against the ungodly, are then in the birth, and the Lord will not bring them forth until they be come to their full growth, as the fittest time for the execution of his vengeance. It fares with sinners, as it doth sometimes, and for the most part with Malefactors; ⟨p. 326⟩they make an escape from the hand of Justice, and they please themselves in the practice of their wickedness, and contenting their own lusts, until their destruction surprise them so, as they cannot avoid it, nor bear it. Had you but seen these scorners and despisers of our Saviour formerly, when they run riot in their out-rage and opposition, carried all before them, as if they had the world at will, Away with him, away with him; not Christ, but Barabbas. You would have conceived, nay, if thou hadst asked themselves, they would have concluded, they had been beyond all gun-shot, terrors and perplexities could not have touched, much less seized upon them. Yet see them here, and see how their condition is altered; they who scorned the Apostles, now come trembling to them; they who cared not what they did before, now are at their wits ends which way to turn themselves; and it's certain, the fire was then making, which now scorched; the sins were then committed, which now sunk their hearts with unsupportable horrors. There be pleasures of sin, but they are but1 for seasons, Heb. 11. 25. and those are but the Seed times of Sorrows and Judgments. Joy is sown for the Righteous, and sometimes in deep sorrows; the longer it is growing and ripening, the larger is the Harvest of Comforts. So troubles and horrors, hellish and heartbreaking amazements, are sown for the wicked, and that in their greatest delights; and the longer these are in growing and ripening, their Harvest of Horrors of Conscience will be out of measure dreadful. As the Prophet to those who carried all before them in their sinful contrivement, Jer. 5. last, The Prophets prophesy falsely, the Priests bear Rule by their means, and the People love to have it so; all well met: But what will you do in the end thereof? They might have answered, We do what we list:
I say, unrepented, and continued in, make way for terror. They do not alwaies immediately let in Gall and Wormwood into the Soul, presently after the acting of them; plagues are then in preparation, and only those over-bearing and dreadful Judgments which the Lord is devising against the ungodly, are then in the birth, and the Lord will not bring them forth until they be come to their full growth, as the fittest time for the execution of his vengeance. It fares with sinners, as it doth somtimes, and for the most part with Malefactors; ⟨p. 326⟩they make an escape from the hand of Justice, and they please themselves in the practice of their wickedness, and contenting their own lusts, until their destruction surprize them so, as they cannot avoid it, nor bear it. Had you but seen these scorners and despisers of our Savior formerly, when they run riot in their out-rage and opposition, carried all before them, as if they had the world at will, Away with him, away with him; not Christ, but Barrabbas. You would have conceived, nay, if thou had'st asked themselves, they would have concluded, they had been beyond all gun-shot, terrors and perplexities could not have touched, much less seized upon them. Yet see them here, and see how their condition is altered; they who scorned the Apostles, now come trembling to them; they who cared not what they did before, now are at their wits ends which way to turn themselves; and it's certain, the fire was then making, which now scorched; the sins were then committed, which now sunk their hearts with unsupportable horrors. There be pleasures of sin, but they are but1 for seasons, Heb. 11. 25. and those are but the Seed times of Sorrows and Judgments. Joy is sown for the Righteous, and somtimes in deep sorrows; the longer it is growing and ripening, the larger is the Harvest of Comforts. So troubles and horrors, hellish and heartbreaking amazements, are sown for the wicked, and that in their greatest delights; and the longer these are in growing and ripening, their Harvest of Horrors of Conscience will be out of measure dreadful. As the Prophet to those who carried al before them in their sinful contrivement, Jer. 5. last, The Prophets prophesie falsly, the Priests bear Rule by their means, and the People love to have it so; all wel met: But what will you do in the end thereof? They might have answered, We do what we list:
- 1Psal. 97. 11.
