'Verf.22, theEpileto the Romans. a duty [Eehold.] Again,Mefes in Deut 3 and David in Pfal. 78. 1 I, 12, &c. re buke the Jewes, becaufe they let God goodneffe flip out of minde. So dot E zra in Nehem. 9.35. and in Hag. 1. 5 the people are charged to let their heart upon Gods feverity, and elfewhere of ten. Moreover, the confideration o Gods goodneffe and rigour, is many wayes beneficial! to Chriflians, which are carefully and religioufly occupied therein. For this conhderation will provoke and Ihr us up to faith, to put our tad} inGod, whom by good and long experience, we have found moll good and faithful' in his promifes,Pfaal. 4. I. 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. Secondly, to praife God and to be thankful." for his gracious favour, which is a thing of God much fet by. For he loveth thank- Minds prai1e,Heb.13.15,16.Third- ly, to love him again,who hath done us good,and to labour to render much o- bedience unto him of whom we receive much,Pfai.116.1,2. Fourthly, to walk in reverence and awe of offending him, becaufe of his mercies, Pfal. 130. 4. Lafily, to be humble, feeing we are be-. holding to his bounty for all, receiving ofhis goodneffe whatfoever good we have. Ì T r M. What commodity cometh to as by ' thinking ou the feverity of God ? 1 S 1 L. It may make us to pity others which are fain into mifery. Secondly; to be watchful!, and to take good heed to our felves, )(}riving continually againf} carnal prefumption,and world- ly fecurity; yea, and to leave every fin which kindleth Godsanger and dra*- eth down his fevere judgements, and to' hold us in a confiant courfe of weldo- ing, that we may efcape his (harp rods. 1 T 11/. Let us proceed to look a little fur- Ither in his feverity ftrft, and afterwards into bis benignity towards them which felt feverity:. p tell me who be they which be meant by fain ? r S i L. The Jewess which for their) r unbelief were cut off from the Church ¡ and kingdome of Chrif}, as verfe 20.! I This feverity towards them, appeareth', F two wayes : Fitt, in the good which' a they loft, whereof read Rom. 3. z. and 1 I 2,1 9. 4, 5. they loft the covenant and all - I the benefits thereof, even temporal." and s ¡ eternal' happineffe. Secondly, itappea- h red in the extreme evils under which . they now to long (that is, a thou(and s fix hundred years)have lien. Thefe evils are bodily, as banifhtnent from their f own Land, alto infamy and reproach intolerable, and fpirituall. As the If- raelites being in Babylon, complain in the Lamentations of Jeremy, chap. I.1 2. That there was no farrow to their forrom ; fo may lfay,that there was no feverity like to this feverity, fo long to forfake a people, that fo long tints had been his people,and fo much bleflcd by him, and renowned before the world, to be made now a by- word,a Proverb, a gazing and looking flock to all the world, fo as the name of the Jewes, which was once a) glorious name,Rom.z., 7.is now grown to bemoft odious. Let all men behold and confider this feverity with aflonifh- ment and fear. T r M. What dollrine are we to learn from thre part of thin our Text ? S 1 r. That God never inflibeth and fheweth forth his extreme rigour, but upon defperate enemies, which by obfinacy in their unbelief and fits, make themfelves worthy of it. God in- deed was very fecure, but towardsr whom ? Even towards fuch as fell by infidelity,. and had long defpifed his corrections and goodneffe, and at laf} openly defied and murthered his only Son which came to work their redem- ption. Generally thorough the whole Scripture, where the feverity of God is menaced5 or any effeEe of it is mencio- ned,there is withal! the caufe fet down, (to wit) the rebellion of ungodly fit- ters : See Pfal. 1. I. & 2. 12. & Pfal. I I. & 37. Alto Exod.2o.5,6. &3er.5.9 & 7. 14, 15. And in very many other laces Gods vengeance is limited and eaftrainedunto the inipulfive and me- itorious caufe, even mans iniquity: o teach us, that God (bikes not blind- y at all adventure (as Poets faign of ortune) but with juftice, wifdon; nd great patience. . T t tvi. What profit fbeuld Chriffiani` make 477
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