3. Consider Gods afflictive providences,1 and see if our limbeck will not drop when the fire is put under. God hath sent us of late years to the school of the cross; he hath twisted his judgements together; he hath made good upon us those two threatenings, Hos. 5. 12. I will be to Ephraim as a moth. Hath not God been so to England in decay of trading? And ver. 14. I will be to Ephraim as a Lion. Hath he not been to England in the devouring Plague*? Well, all this while God waited for our Repentance; but we went on in sin, Jer. 8. 6. I hearkened and heard, but ⟨p. 166⟩no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? And of late God hath been whipping us with a fiery Rod*, in those tremendous flames in this City, which did hierogly phically resemble the great Conflagration at the last day, when the Elements shall melt with fervent heat*. When Joabs corn was on fire, then he went running to Absalom, 2 Sam. 14. 31. God hath set our houses on fire, that we may run to him by Repentance, Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice cries unto the City, Hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it. This is the language of the Rod, that we should humble our selves under Gods mighty hand, and break off our iniquities by righteousness, Dan. 4. 27. Manassehs affliction ushered in Repentance, 2 Chron. 33. 12. This God useth as the proper medicine for security, Hos. 2. 5. Her Mother hath played the Harlot; that is, by idolatry. What course now will God take with her? vers. 6. Therefore I will hedge up thy way with thorns*. This is Gods method, to set a thorn-hedge of affliction in the way. Thus to a proud man contempt is a thorn; to a lustful man sickness is a thorn, both to stop him in his sin, and to prick him for ward in Repentance.
3. Consider Gods afflictive providences,1 and see if our limbeck will not drop when the fire is put under. God hath sent us of late years to the school of the cross; he hath twisted his judgements together; he hath made good upon us those two threatnings, Hos. 5. 12. I will be to Ephraim as a moth. Hath not God been so to England in decay of trading? And ver. 14. I will be to Ephraim as a Lion. Hath he not been to England in the devouring Plague*? Well, all this while God waited for our Repentance; but we went on in sin, Ier. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard, but ⟨p. 166⟩no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? And of late God hath been whipping us with a fiery Rod*, in those tremendous flames in this City, which did hierogly phically resemble the great Conflagration at the last day, when the Elements shall melt with fervent heat*. When Ioabs corn was on fire, then he went running to Absalom, 2 Sam. 14. 31. God hath set our houses on fire, that we may run to him by Repentance, Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice cries unto the City, Hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it. This is the language of the Rod, that we should humble our selves under Gods mighty hand, and break off our iniquities by righteousness, Dan. 4. 27. Manassehs affliction ushered in Repentance, 2 Chron. 33. 12. This God useth as the proper medicine for security, Hos. 2. 5. Her Mother hath played the Harlot; that is, by idolatry. What course now will God take with her? vers. 6. Therefore I will hedge up thy way with thorns*. This is Gods method, to set a thorn-hedge of affliction in the way. Thus to a proud man contempt is a thorn; to a lustful man sickness is a thorn, both to stop him in his sin, and to prick him for ward in Repentance.
- 13 Consid.
- *1665.
- *1666.
- *2 Pet. 3. 10.
- *Deus spi•is sepit, cum homines variis circumcingit aerunin is, ut ad peccata tanquam amasios • gredi non […].Deus spi•is sepit, cum homines variis circumcingit aerunin is, ut ad peccata tanquam amasios • gredi non 〈…〉.
