GOD To THE WicKED rs A CoNSUMING FIRE. Book II. METAPHOR. I. A Confuming Fire is very difmal; when it breaks out in a Town or City, what a fright– ful Cry it caufeth! what wringing of the Hands! Men tremble, Wo– men mifcarry, Children fcreech out: It fri ghtens the Fowls of the Air, the Beafis of the Earth; it turns all Faces into Palenefs, and makes the Inhabitants to run together in Heaps, in Confufion. How amaz– ing were the Flames of Sodom, and how terrible is the llurning of mount ktna. PARALLEL. I. WHEN the confuming Wrath of God fu– . . riou!ly breaks out upon a People or Na– tton, It caufeth dreadful Horror; when it feizeth upon the Ungodly, it moketh the ftouteft Heart to quake and tremble, and it maketh the fiourdl: Hands to become feeble. At his Wrath the Earth jhall tremble, and the Nations jhall not be able to abide his Indignation: It poureth out a Fire, and the Mountains are thrown down before him. Can thy Heart endure, or tl:ry Hand be flrong, in the Day when I contend with thee? Who can }land before his Indignation? Jer. x. 10. 0 how will the Wicked fly together in Holes, and quiver like a Leaf, and cr;• to tpe Rocks and Mountains tofall upon them, and hide them from the Fear of him that jitteth on the 'J"hrone, and from the Wrath of the Lamb, Rev. vi. 16. II. A Fire breaks forth fomeII. God, like a dreadful and unexpeCted Fire, times very fuddenly, when none breaks out fometimes fuddenly upon the Un<>od– think of it; but all are, as they ly. How furprizing was that fudden and ter~ible judge, very fafe and fecure: yet Hand-writing on the Wall againft Beljhazzar, in a Moment are they fmprized, when he was drinking \"'ine in Bowls? Dan. v. when nothing but Horror and 5, 6. Immediately the King's Countmancewas cbang– Amazement is in the Streets. ed, and be was troubled in his 'J"houghts,fo that the Joints of his Loins were loafed, and his Knees [mote one againfl the other. When they cry Peace and Safety, then fudden Deflmction cometh, as 'J"ravail upon a Woman with Child, and they jhall not efcape, I 'I"bef. v. 3 • III. A dreadful Fire fometimes III. God cometh fometimes upon Men in the breaks out in the Night, when Night of their Ignorance and Unbelief: They lie Men are aOeep; yea, many Times on their Beds of Ea le and carnal Security, and they awake with nothing but Fire will believe no Danger, nor fear the Evil that is about them, and can hear little juft at the Door, though it be told them, Doubt– elfe than the hideous Cry, Fire, lefs, Lot foretold the People of Sodom what was Fire, Fire, in the Streets. coming upon them, as Noab did to the Old World, but they regarded it not ; now in the Time of their Ignorance and Darknefs, though it were about the Riling of the Sun, the Lord rained Fire and Brimfione upon them. IV. A confuming Fire deftroys exceeding]y, it overthrows famous Cities, burns down Houfes ; it makes your Marbles, and other curious wrought Stones and Bricks, to fly; it lays all defolate before it, and makes a fenced City be– come as a ruinous Heap. What Ruin did it make on Sodom and Go– morrah, and the Cities about them ? What in London, and in many other Cities andTowns, that might be mentioned, to evince the out– rageous Cruelty of Fire? &c. IV. God, when he breaks forth in Wrath and Fury, makes mo!t lamentable Defolation. Saith David, 'l'hine Hand jball find out all thine Enemies, thou jhalt make them as a fiery Oven in the 'l'ime of thine Anger: '!"he Lord jhall[wallow them up in his Wrath, and the Fire jhall devour them, Pfal. xxi. g, IO. And in another Place, Come, fee what De– folation the Lord bath made in the Earth. Our God jhall come, and jhall not keep jilence; a Fire jhall devour before him, and it jhall be very tempef tuous round about. Behold, the Name of the Lord comethfrom afar, burning with his Anger, and the Burthmthereof is heavy ; his Lips are full of Indig– nation, and his 'J"ongue a devouring Fire, Pfal. I. 3· And again, Behold, the Lord will come with Fire, and with Chariots like a Whirl-wind; to render his Anger and Fury, and his Rebukes like Flames ofFire, !fa. lxvi. I 5· There is a Day near, when the terrible God will arife, and 0 1 ew himfelf in this dreadful Appearance. He will gather the Nations, and Pjfemble the Kingdoms, to pour upon them his Indignation, even his fie~ce Anger: All tbe Earth (faith he)jhall be devoured with the Fire ofmy Jealoujj, Zeph. 111. 8_. V. A confuming, raging, and V. God w11l fpare the Mighty and Honorable devourino- Fire fpares none, noofthe Earth, no more than the poor and contemp– thina thoU ftands in it& Way; it ~ible Ones; the King on the Throne rpufi with 0 - Vengeance
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