Secondly, God hath forsaken them, and they have lost God, Ephes. 2. 12. It's said, that in the grievous famine of Samaria,1 Doves dung was sold at a large price, because they wanted bread. Oh! men live and pine away without GOD, without bread, and therefore the dung of worldly contentments are esteemed so much of. Thou hast lost the sight of God, and the favour of God, and the special protection of God, and the government of God. Cain's punishment lies upon thee in thy natural estate, thou art a Runagate from the ⟨p. 65⟩face of God, and from his face thou art hid. Many have grown mad to see their houses burnt, and all their goods lost. Oh, but God the greatest good is lost: This loss made Saul cry out in distress of conscience, 1. Sam. 28. 15. The Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me; the loss of the sweetness of whose presence, for a little while only, made the Lord Jesus himself cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? whereas thou hast lost God all thy life time. Oh, thou hast an heart of brass that canst not mourn for his absence so long. The damned in hell have lost God, and know it, and so the plague of desperate horror lieth upon them; thou hast lost God here, but knowest it not, and the plague of an hard heart lieth upon thee, that thou canst not mourn for this loss.
Secondly, God hath forsaken them, and they have lost God, Ephes. 2. 12. It's said, that in the grievous famine of Samaria,1 Doves dung was sold at a large price, because they wanted bread. Oh! men live and pine away without GOD, without bread, and therefore the dung of worldly contentments are efteemed so much of. Thou hast lost the sight of God, and the favour of God, and the speciall protection of God, and the government of God. Caines punishment lyes upon thee in thy naturall estate, thou art a Runagate from the ⟨p. 65⟩face of God, and from his face thou art hid. Many have growne madde to see their houses burnt, and all their goods lost. Oh, but God the greatest good is lost: This losse made Saul cry out in distresse of conscience, 1. Sam. 28. 15. The Philistians make warre against me, and God is departed from me; the losse of the sweetnesse of whose presence, for a little while onely, made the Lord Jesus himselfe cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? whereas thou hast lost God all thy life time. Oh, thou hast an heart of brasse that canst not mourne for his absence so long. The damned in hell have lost God, and know it, and so the plague of desperate horrour lyeth upon them; thou hast lost God here, but knowest it not, and the plague of an hard heart lyeth upon thee, that thou canst not mourne for this losse.
- 1Isai. 55. 6.
