Thirdly, Consider this, what a fearful thing it will be if God should cut off such Men in the very act of some presumptuous sin, without affording them any time and space of repentance; and have they any security that God will not, what promise have they that God will forbear them one moment longer? nay they have been often told, that God will make a speedy end with them, that he will take them away as with a Whirlwind ⟨p. 203⟩living, and in his wrath, as it is in Psalm. 57.9. and therefore he strikes not without giving them warning enough though he strikes suddenly. God hath two chief Attributes, that he, especially •ims to glorify in all his transactions with Men, his Mercy and his Justice, these are the two great hinges, upon which all the frame of his Providence moves, the mighty affairs of Eternal Election, and Reprobation were first agitated out of design to magnify Mercy and Justice; and all temporal concernments are governed in such a way as may most advance these two Attributes of Mercy and Justice; why now Mercy hath already had a large share of glory in forbearing after so many provocations, in waiting so long to be gracious, staying year after year expecting your Repentance; and if you contemn the Riches of God's Grace and Mercy still, have you not Reason to fear it will be the Turn of Justice to deal with you next. And believe it, the commission of presumptuous Sins gives God a fair Opportunity to glorify his Justice upon you to the utmost; and why should you think God will lose such an Advantage? All the World must ⟨p. 204⟩needs fall down, and with trembling, adore the just severity of God, when they see a notorious Sinner cut off in the very act of some notorious and presumptuous wickedness, in Deuteron. 17.12, 13 when a presumptuous Sinner is punished, says God, all the People shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously; and if so much glory will accrue to God by destroying you, why then should he spare you one moment longer than your next sin? this is the best use he can make of presumptuous Sinners, even to set them up as examples and monuments of his wrath and vengeance to terrify others; and why should you think then, since his Mercy hath been glorified already to you in waiting and forbearing so long, that he will not upon the next sin you commit glorify his Justice also?
Thirdly, Consider this, what a fearful thing it will be if God should cut off such Men in the very act of some presumptuous sin, without affording them any time and space of repentance; and have they any security that God will not, what promise have they that God will forbear them one moment longer? nay they have been often told, that God will make a speedy end with them, that he will take them away as with a Whirlwind ⟨p. 203⟩living, and in his wrath, as it is in Psalm. 57.9. and therefore he strikes not without giving them warning enough though he strikes suddenly. God hath two chief Attributes, that he, especially •ims to glorifie in all his transactions with Men, his Mercy and his Justice, these are the two great hinges, upon which all the frame of his Providence moves, the mighty affairs of Eternal Election, and Reprobation were first agitated out of design to magnifie Mercy and Justice; and all temporal concernments are governed in such a way as may most advance these two Attributes of Mercy and Justice; why now Mercy hath already had a large share of glory in forbearing after so many provocations, in waiting so long to be gracious, staying year after year expecting your Repentance; and if you contemn the Riches of God's Grace and Mercy still, have you not Reason to fear it will be the Turn of Justice to deal with you next. And believe it, the commission of presumptuous Sins gives God a fair Opportunity to glorifie his Justice upon you to the utmost; and why should you think God will lose such an Advantage? All the World must ⟨p. 204⟩needs fall down, and with trembling, adore the just severity of God, when they see a notorious Sinner cut off in the very act of some notorious and presumptuous wickedness, in Deuteron. 17.12, 13 when a presumptuous Sinner is punished, says God, all the People shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously; and if so much glory will accrew to God by destroying you, why then should he spare you one moment longer than your next sin? this is the best use he can make of presumptuous Sinners, even to set them up as examples and monuments of his wrath and vengeance to terrifie others; and why should you think then, since his Mercy hath been glorified already to you in waiting and forbearing so long, that he will not upon the next sin you commit glorifie his Justice also?
