The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…

4. Let the Judgments of God that are upon us, rouse you to seek him. God afflicts us, it may be to prevent his destroying of us: and he is certainly near his people, as long as he is using his rod upon them; there is a gracious design in some fore afflictions, Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged, &c. And he would have his people prepare to meet him, Amos 4. 12. And to move you, Consider,

1. What danger you are now in, who are strangers to God. True, a Christless condition is a miserable condition at all times, the man that is in it is never safe, having God for his enemy; but when God brings his wasting Judgments on a Land, to plead the quarrel of his neglected Covenant, there is reason for all to be afraid; Gods own Children will feel the smart of the rod; David saith, Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments; but yet they that fear God have something to support them; God is their Father; and though he chastise, he will ⟨p. 354⟩not cast them off. But as for them that are strangers to God at such a time, what can they expect, when they see the arrows of his anger flying about, but to be slain by them? You may tremblingly look every moment, not only to be cut off from the earth, but sent down to the place of endless miseries: as you have no security for this life, so no ground to expect a well being in another.

1. What danger you are now in, who are strangers to God. True, a Christless condition is a milerable condition at all times, the man that is in it is never safe, having God for his enemy; but when God brings his wasting Judgments on a Land, to plead the quarrel of his neglected Covenant, there is reason for all to be afraid; Gods own Children will feel the smart of the rod; David saith,