Vert. 8. the Epifile to the Romans. 443 and heart,which are more befotted, dui- afleepe in the top of the Mall, when led, and indurate or hardened by the the fhip is ready to be drowned with a doétrine and gluons ofGod. Atad it is fo much the greater, becaufe wicked men feel it not, it being fuch a grievous curie and judgement, as there is none to be matched with it for horror,no not fickneffe, plague, nor deafneffe, nor Iamenefle, nor itnprifonment, nor ba- nithment, nor dearth, nor languithing death, nor cruell bodily torment, nor any other judgement whatfoever, can it admonifheth all Chriftians to beware be compared with a deafe and blinde of thispunilhment, to feareit long be- foule, (that is to fay,) with an hardened fore it come, and to fhunne all fetch heart, when it is the punifhment of for- meows and waye., by which men nie to mer difobedience and finnes. My rea- fall into it : as firfl, ignorance of Gods Eons hereof be : Fief", becaufe this pu- will revealed in his word, Ephe f. 4. i 8, nifhment is fpirituall, and hath in it the 19. efpecially where it is joyned with great tempeti. Moreover, it mull move the godly to compfliaon towards filch as they may firtpe& or fee to be thicken with this judgement of blindnefle and darkeneffe. Men pity fuch malefàc`lors as they fee drawn upon hurdles to Ty- burne : but to fie Co many nieta to be hardned in unbelief and fin, deferves much more commifcration. Thirdly, death of the foule by punifhing finne with finne. Secondly, other punifh- ments have with them delire of releafe, fo bath not this. Thirdly, it is an high ready way to that unpardonable finne, Marke 3. 29. Fourthly, all other pu- nifhments may be and are infliEled though not without paine, yet without finne : but in this , there is alwayes an addition of finne, both of greater cor- ruption and gulit, and withall a greater careleffe contempt of knowledg, Prov. t. Secondly, ordinary and daily difobe- dience to the word in Inch things as are known to men ,efp eclat ly if it grow to a hatred of the Miniffers and admoni- tions by them given, as in Ahab and Herod, toward Elias and John Baptiff. Thirdly, unbelief or difirufl of Gods promifes, Heb. 3. 12, 13. Fourthly, covetou fneffe and immoderate delire of riches, Matth.13.22. Luke 6. 14. Lastly, detert of punifhment. Fiftly,it is the pe- pride of heart, which where it reigneth, culiar marke and note of the childe of I it ever caufeth the firmer to refill God;as perdition,as a broken and a contrite fpi- is to be Peen in the example of Pharoah, rit, is a Pure note of the Childe of God, and Nebuchadnezzer, who would not Rom. 11.5 Pfal. 51.19. Sixrly, it doth ¡Niche end moli certainly bring men, not onely to temporal' deflru &ion, but to obey the commandement of God, be- ante they were highminded. T r na. What profit ks to be made of tiefe eternal' death, Pest. 2.30. Ram. 2.5, 1 things ? Sam. 2.25. Rom. 9. 17. Laflly,both force S 1 L. Firft, it muff ferve to warne us of the heathens have acknowledged the all, that as we tremble at the judgement truth of this, as Sophocles in Aiax, and ofa hard heart, fo efpecially we labour Come of the Jewifh Rabbins, as Rabbi againff their forenamed fins, even againft Kimkie for fo much Matter Peter Martyr the very firfi motion of them, being telifieth in his Commentary upon this ' greatly humbled that we have fo far pro - Text. ceeded in them. T r M. What profit ii to be made by the knowledge of this truth? S 1 L. Firff,it teacheth, that all good things turne to the hurt and damnation of the wicked. Secondly, it fheweth the frange blockifhneffe of thofe wicked men,which are under fucha tharpe and bitter fcourge, without all fence and dread of it, like drunken men which are T r M. Let me heare fome of thole frgnes by which men may know whether they be neer un- to, or within this judgement of an hardned and ft mbring minde? S r L. They are principally thefe foure: Firfi, to be utterly without feeling or fear of this punifhment : fetch as never thought of it to fear. and fhun it, Are undoubtedly caught by ir, their
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