An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Thy judgment is very great in this, for the less punishment thou hast now the more thou art like to have hereafter. The less punishment the more sin and so the more misery. Know that Justice will have somewhat and much too for the forbearance of her act, of her stroke, and certainly it were better for thee that art a wicked and ungodly man that thou shouldest beg thy bread from door to door. Perhaps now thou hast much coming in, thou liest soft and farest daintily, while others are put to miserable extremities and have scarce a rag to cover them, or a bit of bread to put in their bodies, and in cold weather have no fire to warm them, and yet thou art ungodly and wicked, know that it were better for thee, and thou wilt one day say it and wish it thy self, that thou hadst been in such a case as the poor beggar that hath begged a farthing at thy door, and it is Gods wrath upon thee that thou art not now as miserable as they. Let us therefore stop the troubles of our thoughts in this, we see the wicked how they prosper in the world and how vile men are exalted, and though they undertake causes that we know are abominable in the eyes of God, and we know their ways are loathsome ⟨p. 160⟩before God, and they provoke the God of Heaven in their wicked waie• and tempt him to his very face, yet they prosper. They are indeed ready to take this their prosperity as an argument that God approveth of their ways, and that God loves them. Oh let us not (I say) be troubled at their prosperity, for it is so far from Gods showing it as an argument of his approbation of their ways, that it is one of the greatest judgments that can possibly befall them in the world, when God shall say let them go on and fill up the measure of their s•ns, they shall have their hearts desire for a while and so shall be fattened up to their destruction. This few will conceive of but such who have spiritual eyes. Carnal hearts are ready to call the proud happy, and to think those to be in the best condition that are most prosperous in the world; but this text teacheth us the contrary. It follows.

Thy judgment is very great in this, for the less punishment thou hast now the more thou art like to have hereafter. The less punishment the more sin and so the more misery. Know that Justice will have somewhat and much too for the forbearance of her act, of her stroke, and certainly it were better for thee that art a wicked and ungodly man that thou shouldest beg thy bread from door to door. Perhaps now thou hast much coming in, thou liest soft and farest daintily, while others are put to miserable extremities and have scarce a rag to cover them, or a bit of bread to put in their bodies, and in cold weather have no fire to warm them, and yet thou art ungodly and wicked, know that it were better for thee, and thou wilt one day say it and wish it thy self, that thou hadst been in such a case as the poor beggar that hath begged a farthing at thy door, and it is Gods wrath upon thee that thou art not now as miserable as they. Let us therefore stop the troubles of our thoughts in this, we see the wicked how they prosper in the world and how vile men are exalted, and though they undertake causes that we know are abominable in the eyes of God, and we know their waies are loathsom