450 An Expof Lion upon Chap, i i, and above , which continuance of this I us : let us beware left we give God.. judgement is noted in this word [ al- caufe to take up that complaint againft wayes.] When it had lafted but 3 hun- l us, which fortieth-ties he took up again it dred yeares , Chry(offome wondred at the lews by his Prophet Efay 57. r. The this judgement of G O D, how then ' righteous perifheth , and no man confider- ought we to be aftonifhed at the confi- eth, &c. deration of it? Let us learne from it T r M. We have beard hitherto of the generally the extreame fi erceneffe of three kinder of punifbments wifbed or prayed Gods wrath againft unbeleefe,. for for againffthe _ewes, let us hear what is to be fa id touching the equity of theft punifhments, bowjuff they be? S r L. That is pointed at, and noted in the word [recompense] in the end of the 9. verfe,whereby is fignified a retali- ation and requitall to the wicked Jews. that as they had taken pleafure to aftlibt the righteous and to make all things grievous unto them, and efpecially had perfecuted Jefus the Son of God, giving himvinegar to drink,and gall to Bate, to vex hint withal] : So it was but rightful] that God mete home the Jewes with their cm ne meaìure, paying them with their own coyne, and for a re- compence to them fhould ffrike them with blindneffe,for finningagainft their knowledge, and fhould make their 'mot} pleafant and profperous thing to prove bitter and dangerous ; and fi- nally, fhould turne their greateft ftrength to weakneffe and feebleneffe, becaufe they had abufed it unto wicked - neffe. T r m. What inftru£l ions are we to gather from hence ? S 1 L. Firft, That it is a righteous thing with God, not only to punifh finncrs but to proportionate the pain and make it like unto the finne, as it were eye for eye,tooth for tooth,bloud for bloud,fpoilingfor fpoiling,judging for judging, &c :Touching which thing look more upon Rom. 1.25, 2.6. This ought to awake finnere, which have in- jured either God or man, that by hear ty repentance they may prevent and turne away Gods righteous recom- pence. Secondly from ;this word [ re- contpence] we learne another leffon, namely, that blindneffe and ignorance from God, hash not the nature of finne limply and only, but of arecompence, when it is inflitted as a due requital] for former the which he would fo exceedingly and feverely plague his own peculiar people: More particularly let us ob- ferve that it is a plaine and a lure token of Gods indignation againfl any Coun- trey, to have the «hiefe props or ftayes thereof, either fore fhaken or wholly removed, and to become like a tottering wall or broken hedge, for lacke of good lawes, wife governours, the power of the fword, &c. For proof hereof, fee Efay 2. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. which fhould prevaile with us to move us to be thankfull to God both in word and deed, for that liede ilrength that is left unto us, left if we continue in our unthankful nefs and fin - full courfe, we do worthily thereby provoke God to bow our backes and fake through our loynes, and ftrip us of all our ftrength to become not on- ly feeble,ftooping, and crooked,but fall down flat till our enemies tread and trample upon us as on mire and dirt in the ftreet. If God did thus unto le- rufalem and the Jewes which were great among the Nations, even his be- loved people, whom he had honoured with fame and renown above all peo- ple ; yet if he feared not them for their i ranfgrcfiions, but made their ftrength to fall,fo as they are not able to rife up, Lament. r. 54,15. then judge ye what caufe we have to fear the like judgement whofe fins are fo much the more grie- vous then theirs, by how much the mer- ciesthat we have abufed are more and greater then were the mercies bellowed on them. Wherefore let us fpeedily repent, and turne to theLord vt ith all our hearts, earneftly praying him to heals our Land,which is fore hhaken by the Joffe ofvery many worthies in all profeffions and degrees of men atmongit
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