The Evil of Evils

We hope now, we that endured so much shall endure no more; mark what he saith next, For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still: So though God have manifested some displeasure, or brought woeful misery upon thy Body, Estate, or Name, and yet thy heart not brought to the true work of Repentance; for all this, the hand of God is stretched out still, and Eternally against thee, if so be thou return not from sin. For thee to think there will be an end at last, because thou hast endured hard things, is just like the Fool I have read of, one that sate by a running stream, a river, and he would have gone over, but he thought he could not yet; but there had a great deal of water run away, and he saw it still running apace, and so sate still, hoping it would have done running before ⟨p. 511⟩night, nay saith he, it hath run a great deal, at last I hope it will be dry, and never considered it was fed by the Fountain, and was a running stream: Such is the folly of many people that think because that they suffer somewhat now, ere long they shall suffer no more: Doest thou not know Gods wrath is a continual stream, fed from an Eternal Fountain? Some reason thus, Because I prosper, therefore I hope God loves me: And others reason thus, Because I am afflicted, I hope He loves me: but both these Reasons will certainly deceive thee. Oh that I had here many of these people to speak to, I would enlarge my self much to them, for my soul even bleeds over them: Oh consider, thou that art under great afflictions (if God have brought any such poor Creature to this Exercise) consider you are under great and sore afflictions, and sensible of them; Oh if thou wert but delivered from sin and wickedness, the greater part of thy misery by far, were gone and over: What wouldest thou do to deliver thy self from misery? thou art in woeful poverty, and in painful diseases, and grievous extremities; Oh if one should come to help thee, he would be a good Master that could but deliver thee from thy woeful pain, and thy miserable poverty and extremity. We know, if God do but give a heart to turn from sin, the greatest of thy misery were gone, and thou wilt presently be in a better condition than the greatest Emperor, or Monarch, or Prince in the world, in a sinful condition.

We hope now, we that endured so much shall endure no more; mark what he saith next, For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still: So though God have manifested some displeasure, or brought woful miserie upon thy Body, Estate, or Name, and yet thy heart not brought to the true work of Repentance; for all this, the hand of God is stretched out still, and Eternally against thee, if so be thou return not from sin. For thee to think there will be an end at last, because thou hast endured hard things, is just like the Fool I have read of, one that sate by a running stream, a river, and he would have gone over, but he thought he could not yet; but there had a great deel of water run away, and he saw it still running apace, and so sate still, hoping it would have done running before