The Fourth Rule.

The Fourth Rule.

The Judgments of God, seizing upon a Few persons only, before our Eyes, They should make us Afraid, Lest we be the Next, that those Judgments do seize upon. When One Malefactor dyed it was said, All the People shall Hear and Fear. Thus, if the Judgments of God single out one Malefactor, to punish him, His voice is, Let all be Afraid! It is noted of a miserable Minister, who falling into a Scandal, was presently overwhelmed by the Judgments of God, in Act. 5.5. Great Fear came upon all them that Heard these things. When the ⟨p. 20⟩Judgments of God, had signalized themselves upon any Scandalous Wretches, we should all be struck, with a Great Fear, Lest our Sins Expose us also to the Signal Rebukes of Heaven. As, if one Drunkard in a Town be Drowned, it is a Loud Sermon to all the Brutes about the Town, to be Afraid, of being so cut off in their Brutish Follies: Thus, in all the Special Judgments of God upon any Offenders whatsoever, there is that voice from Heaven to all such Offenders, Tremble, and Repent, Lest all of you likewise perish! Yea, The Judgments of God upon a Few, often should be seriously pondered by the Whole Body of the People, whom they belong unto, as a Decimation made by that God, who gives none Account of His matters. God hath a Controversy with the Whole Body of the People; He might have pitched upon me or thee, to have been the Subjects, on which he does manage this Controversy, as well as any other of our Neighbours. Oh! what cause have we now to be Afraid, of what we also have to meet withal! When the Judgments of God followed one man aboard the Vessel, bound for Tar tessus, 'tis said, in Jon. 1.16. All the other men, feared the Lord exceedingly. Truly, If any one man aboard the Vessel of the Public, be followed with a Storm of Judgments from God, it becomes us all, to Fear Exceedingly!

The Judgments of God, seizing upon a Few persons only, before our Eyes, They should make us Afraid, Lest we be the Next, that those Judgments do seiz upon. When One Malefactor dyed it was said, All the People shall Hear and Fear. Thus, if the Judgments of God single out one Malefactor, to punish him, His voice is, Let all be Afraid! It is noted of a miserable Minister, who falling into a Scandal, was presently overwhelmed by the Judgments of God, in