8o Que f ions,andCofet o. fComarcience Chapla nor madne(he, but out of malice, deliberation , and obftinacy , the party fhould diewithout mercy, Lev.24.13,14,15)I6. This was not a judicial Lawbelong, ing to the Sews onely, but it being of the LawofNature, is a univerfal Law for all Nations : Hence wicked fezabel, that the might ftone Naboth to death , proclaimes him ablafphemer , I Kings 21. II, 14. So John 19.7. and they floned Stephenfor thispretended caufe , eAft. 7. S7. Nebiichadnez.z,or by the lightof Naturemade a decree , that whofoever blafphemed theGod ofHeaven, cT c. jhould b: cut in pieces, and his hoisfe be made a dung-hill, Dan. 3. z9. low much more fhould Chriftian Magif}ratesmake fevere Laws for the punithment of fuch notorious offenders , which if they negle& todo , as their light isgreat- er, fo their punithment fhall be greater : They punith Thieves, and Murtherers with death : They punith Traitors that feek to detlroy the lives of Princes , or that fpcak againfl their honour and dignity with death , and (hall not he that fpeaks againft theKingof Kingsdie the death ? And when mennet le& their duty in thiskinde, God takes the fword into his own hand : He cut off blafphemous Senacharib, and his Army for it, 2 King. 19. 3S . The Syrians blafpheming God, and calling him the God of the Mountaines , but not of the Valleys , many thoufands ofthem loft their lives for it, r King. zo.z9,3o. blaf phemous Arius voided his bowels, and died miferable. Seemany more Exam- ples of Gods judgments upon Blafphoners,and blafphemosooHereticks inmyMir- ror in thofe one Chapters. Miller Hall upori 2Tim. 3.2. Q)ef}. How comes Satan to tempt Gods children to blafphemy ? Anfa. When he cannot overcharge the confcience ofthe weak Chridian , by ripping up, and aggravating thefe fins which he bath in truth committed , not caufe him defperately to defift from going forward in the cowrie of fan&ifi- cation, then he fuggefts intohis minde horrible blafphemies againft Gods Ma- jetty , and continually turmoils himwith moil impious thoughts , that there- by he may diftra& his minde fromholy meditations, and utterly difcourage him inall Chriftian exercifes. Quell. Of howmany forts are thefe his hellifh fuggeflions ? Anfw. Oftwo forts. I .Such asfevme todiave forre ground in corrupted. rea- fon,for the fuggefting whereof he oft-times ufeth our finful flab as his wicked inftrumenc : and thefearife fometimes from our over-great profperity whereby we are brought to forget, and negle& the Lord dvho hath been fobountiful un- to us : fometimes from the grievoufneffe of affligions, whereby menare moved to murmur againft God, and to repine at : his judgements ; fometimes from fome offence unju(lly taken from GodsWord, or works : As from the plain - neffeof the Scriptures, the unequal difpenfationof Gods benefits and punifll- ments, whence arife thefe tentations: that there is no God, or iftherebe, yet no particular providence : that he bathnot eyes to fee all things , nor powerto rule them : That he is not jufi inhis judgements, but an accepter of perfons : That his Word is not true, either in the promifes or threacnings : That he makes little account ofvertue to reward it, of of fin to punifh it : neither yet bath provided either a Heaven for the godly , or aHell for thewicked: that let mendo what they can, yet in the end either all, or none (hall be Pa- ved, &c. Quell: How are we to refill- thefe blafphemooss fnggefl"ions? Anfw. Firíi, we fhould, as foone as they arefuggefled, reje& them as abomi- nable, layingco our (elves, Godforbid that I fhould entertaine fuch a blafphe- mous thought of the molt Mighty, Wife, Juft, andgracious God : efpecially ha- ving no reafon for it but the falfe fuog(Ironofthe Devil, who is a liar from the beginning,and by his lies feeks my de(lru&ion. Secondly, then (ifwe cannot be thus ridof it) let us flie unto the Lord by aarneft II.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=