(4.) There is the Punishment. Now we must deprecate Eternal Punishment, and bless God for Jesus Christ, who hath delivered us from Wrath to come. But as to temporal Evils, God hath reserved a Liberty in the Covenant to his Wisdom and fatherly Justice, to inflict temporal Punishments as he shall see good. If they break his Statutes, and keep not his Commandments; then will he visit their Transgression with the Rod, and their Iniquity with Stripes. (Psal. 89. 32, 33.) Nevertheless my loving-kindness I will not utterly take from them, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail. If Judgment begin at the House of God, what shall become of the Sinner and Ungodly? The Righteous are recompensed upon Earth, partly to increase their Repentance, that when they smart under the Fruit of Sin, they may best judge of the Evil of it. God doth in effect say, Now know it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against me. God doth not do it to complete their Justification, but to promote their Sanctification, and to make us Warnings to others, that they may not displease God as we do. Now for these Reasons the Lord, though he doth forgive the Sin and release the Eternal Punishment, yet he reserves a Liberty to chastise us in our Persons, Families, and Relations. Therefore what is our business? humbly deprecate this temporal Judgment; Lord, correct me not in thine Anger, nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure. We should be instant with God to get it stopped or mitigated; but if the Lord see it fit it shall come, patiently submit to him, and say as the Church, I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. These afflictive Evils, some of them belong to God's ⟨p. 43⟩External Government, and some to his Internal. Some to his External Government, as when many are sick, and weak, and fallen asleep. When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the World. A Rod dipped in Guilt may smart sore upon the Back of God's Children, if they will play the Wantons and Rebels with God. Eli broke his Neck, his Sons were killed in Battle, the Ark taken. But then there are some other things belong to his Internal Government, as the withdrawing the Comforts of his Spirit, or the lively Influences of his Grace; for this was the Evil David feared, when he had gone into wilful Sins; Psal. 51. 11, 12.
(4.) There is the Punishment. Now we must deprecate Eternal Punishment, and bless God for Jesus Christ, who hath delivered us from Wrath to come. But as to temporal Evils, God hath reserved a Liberty in the Covenant to his Wisdom and fatherly Justice, to inflict temporal Punishments as he shall see good. If they break his Statutes, and keep not his Commandments; then will he visit their Transgression with the Rod, and their Iniquity with Stripes. (Psal. 89. 32, 33.) Nevertheless my loving-kindness I will not utterly take from them, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail. If Iudgment begin at the House of God, what shall become of the Sinner and Ungodly? The Righteous are recompensed upon Earth, partly to increase their Repentance, that when they smart under the Fruit of Sin, they may best judge of the Evil of it. God doth in effect say, Now know it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against me. God doth not do it to compleat their Justification, but to promote their Sanctification, and to make us Warnings to others, that they may not displease God as we do. Now for these Reasons the Lord, though he doth forgive the Sin and release the Eternal Punishment, yet he reserves a Liberty to chastise us in our Persons, Families, and Relations. Therefore what is our business? humbly deprecate this temporal Judgment; Lord, correct me not in thine Anger, nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure. We should be instant with God to get it stopt or mitigated; but if the Lord see it fit it shall come, patiently submit to him, and say as the Church, I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. These afflictive Evils, some of them belong to God's ⟨p. 43⟩External Government, and some to his Internal. Some to his External Government, as when many are sick, and weak, and fallen asleep. When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the World. A Rod dipt in Guilt may smart sore upon the Back of God's Children, if they will play the Wantons and Rebels with God. Eli broke his Neck, his Sons were killed in Battel, the Ark taken. But then there are some other things belong to his Internal Government, as the withdrawing the Comforts of his Spirit, or the lively Influences of his Grace; for this was the Evil David feared, when he had gone into wilful Sins; Psal. 51. 11, 12.
