And Nob the City of the Priests smote he with the Edge of the Sword, both men and women, children and suckling, 1 Sam. 22. 18, 19. Thus did God perform against Eli the thing which He had spoken concerning his Family: And doubtless when this was first done, it made the Ears of them that heard of it to tingle. Again, there are personal Judgments, which sin is wont to bring with it. Men are exposed unto sufferings in Bodies, Names, Estates, none of which would ever have been, if they had not sinned. Isa 42. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers, did not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned. Though Afflictions are sent for other causes, and ⟨p. 81⟩not for sin only, as we see in that instance of the man that was born blind, Job. 9 3. Nevertheless, it is certain, that Sin is the Parent of all Sorrow: If men had never sinned, they would never have known Sorrow: Nor did ever any man in the World suffer any thing, but either his own on other mens sins were the procuring cause of it. Temporal death is also the bitter fruit o• sin. Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Sin ha's opened the door to let in death upon all the World Men hate Death, but they have more reason to hate Sin. There are moreover Spiritual Judgments, which Sin is the woeful cause of; Judgments that light immediately on the Souls of men, and which are indeed the most fearful; though sinners themselves are for the present the least sensible of them: A blind mind is a dreadful Judgment. Joh. 9. 39. Jesus said, for Judgment am I come into this world, that they which see might be made blind. Natural blindness is a sore Calamity, but Spiritual blindness is incomparably a greater evil. As sight is a great mercy, but spiritual eye sight a far greater blessing. One of the Martyrs said to a pious blind Youth, that ⟨p. 82⟩was cast into Prison for the Gospel sake, Alas! poor child, God ha's taken from thee thy bodily eye sight, Himself knoweth best why He ha's done it. But He ha's given thee a far better sight, He ha's given thee an eye of Faith to behold the Lord Jesus Christ. So Spiritual blindness is a thousand times worse than that which is of the body only. Yet this misery ha's sin brought upon us: Every man in his natural estate, ha's a Soul within him as dark as Hell, 2 Pet. 1. 9.
And Nob the City of the Priests smote he with the Edge of the Sword, both men and women, children and suckling, 1 Sam. 22. 18, 19. Thus did God perform against Eli the thing which He had spoken concerning his Family: And doubtless when this was first done, it made the Ears of them that heard of it to tingle. Again, there are personal Judgments, which sin is wont to bring with it. Men are exposed unto sufferings in Bodies, Names, Estates, none of which would ever have been, if they had not sinned. Isa 42. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers, did not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned. Though Afflictions are sent for other causes, and ⟨p. 81⟩not for sin only, as we see in that instance of the man that was born blind, Job. 9 3. Nevertheless, it is certain, that Sin is the Parent of all Sorrow: If men had never sinned, they would never have known Sorrow: Nor did ever any man in the World suffer any thing, but either his own on other mens sins were the procuring cause of it. Temporal death is also the bitter fruit o• sin. Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Sin ha's opened the door to let in death upon all the World Men hate Death, but they have more reason to hate Sin. There are moreover Spiritual Judgments, which Sin is the wofull cause of; Judgments that light immediately on the Souls of men, and which are indeed the most fearfull; though sinners themselves are for the present the least sensible of them: A blind mind is a dreadfull Judgment. Joh. 9. 39. Jesus said, for Judgment am I come into this world, that they which see might be made blind. Natural blindness is a sore Calamity, but Spiritual blindness is incomparably a greater evil. As sight is a great mercy, but spiritual eye sight a far greater blessing. One of the Martyrs said to a pious blind Youth, that ⟨p. 82⟩was cast into Prison for the Gospel sake, Alas! poor child, God ha's taken from thee thy bodily eye sight, Himself knoweth best why He ha's done it. But He ha's given thee a far better sight, He ha's given thee an eye of Faith to behold the Lord Jesus Christ. So Spiritual blindness is a thousand times worse than that which is of the body onely. Yet this misery ha's sin brought upon us: Every man in his natural estate, ha's a Soul within him as dark as Hell,
