And to have heard the thunder of such a voice, I lift my hand to heaven, and swear I live for ever, if I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on vengeance, I will recompense fury to mine adversaries, vengeance to mine enemies.— Do you not know what the case is like to be, when potsherds, that shou•• strive but with ⟨p. 109⟩the potsherds of the earth, venture to oppose themselves as antagonists to omnipotency? And when briars and thorns set themselves in battle array against a consuming fire, how easily it can pass through, and devour, and burn them up together? And how much more fearful is their condition that know it not! but are ready to rush like the horse into the battle! Do you owe no duty, no pity to them that have the same nature with you, and with whom your case was once the same? If you do indeed know the things of your peace Godward, so as to have made your peace, to have come to an agreement, and struck a Covenant with him; you have now taken his side, are of his confederates (not as equals but subjects.) You have sworn allegiance to him, and associated your self with all them that have done so. There can hereupon be but one common Interest to him and you. Hence therefore you are most strictly obliged to wish well •o that interest, and promote it to your uttermost, in his own way, i. e. according to his openly avowed inclination, and design, and the genuine constitution ⟨p. 110⟩of that Kingdom which he hath erected, and is intent to enlarge and extend further in the world. That you do well know, is a Kingdom of grace; for his natural Kingdom already confines with the universe, and can have no enlargement, without enlarging the creation. Whosoever they are that contend against him, are not merely enemies, therefore, but rebels. And you see he aims to conquer them by love and goodness; and therefore treats with them, and seeks to establish a Kingdom over them, in and by a Mediator, who, if he were not intent upon the same design, had never lamented the destruction of any of them, and wept over their ruin, as here you find. So therefore, should you long for the conversion of souls, and the enlargement of his Kingdom this way, both out of loyalty to him, and compassion towards them.
And to have heard the thunder of such a voice, I lift my hand to heaven, and swear I live for ever, if I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on vengeance, I will recompence fury to mine adversaries, vengeance to mine enemies.— Do you not know what the case is like to be, when potsherds, that shou•• strive but with ⟨p. 109⟩the potsherds of the earth, venture to oppose themselves as antagonists to omnipotency? And when briars and thorns set themselves in battel array against a consuming fire, how easily it can passe through, and devour, and burn them up together? And how much more fearful is their condition that know it not! but are ready to rush like the horse into the battel! Do you owe no duty, no pity to them that have the same nature with you, and with whom your case was once the same? If you do indeed know the things of your peace Godward, so as to have made your peace, to have come to an agreement, and struck a Covenant with him; you have now taken his side, are of his confederates (not as equals but subjects.) You have sworn allegiance to him, and associated your self with all them that have done so. There can hereupon be but one common Interest to him and you. Hence therefore you are most strictly obliged to wish well •o that interest, and promote it to your uttermost, in his own way, i. e. according to his openly avowed inclination, and design, and the genuine constitution ⟨p. 110⟩of that Kingdom which he hath erected, and is intent to enlarge and extend further in the world. That you do well know, is a Kingdom of grace; for his natural Kingdom already confines with the universe, and can have no enlargement, without enlarging the creation. Whosoever they are that contend against him, are not meerly enemies, therefore, but rebels. And you see he aims to conquer them by love and goodnes; and therefore treats with them, and seeks to establish a Kingdom over them, in and by a Mediatour, who, if he were not intent upon the same design, had never lamented the destruction of any of them, and wept over their ruine, as here you find. So therefore, should you long for the conversion of souls, and the enlargement of his Kingdom this way, both out of loyalty to him, and compassion towards them.
