THE THIRD CON∣SIDERATION.

A Third Considera∣tion* may be this. That the punish∣ments of God for our sins, call vpon vs for a turning from our sinnes vnto God. Our mercifull God, com∣passionate to Mankinde, powres not out his wrath all at once, but sends lesser chastisements before, to Page  194 preuent the greater; and shootes off some warning Pieces, to make vs strike the Saile of our carnall swelling, before he begin mainly to fight against vs, by a destroying and deso∣lating Batterie▪ Sequitur*terrorem bènignitas, &c. Terrour is accompanyed with Mercy, and to whom vengeance is due for their sinnes, there is yet allowed a blessed Confession of sins in Repentance. For God doth not presently kill, but first speakes in his wrath, and holding backe awhile the full stroke of punish∣ment, doth onely trouble in his displeasure.] Euen vnto Pharaoh a meere stranger Page  195 vnto God, that asked who* was God, yet God retayns this order of his discipline, and by lesser plagues giues him many warnings, to leaue his sin of retaining Is∣rael; neither do the greater plagues or his finall ouer∣throw ouer-take him, vntill all the degrees of former* plagues bee in vaine spent vpon him. Yea, God him∣selfe opens to vs this me∣thod of his Chastisements, when he tells the Israelites many times in one Chap∣ter, That hauing punished* them sore for their sinnes, if they will not hearken and bee reformed thereby, hee will punish them yet seuen times more; whence it Page  196 plainly appeares, that the fruit expected of his former punishments, was a refor∣mation of those sinnes for which they were punished. Elihu, the Spokesman of* God vnto Iob; tells him and vs, what is meet to bee said vnto God in affliction; It is meet, saith hee, to say thus vnto God, I haue born Chastisement, I wil not of∣fend any more. Finally, the* Apostle telleth vs this vse of Gods chastisements; we are chastised (saith he) that wee might profit thereby, and the profit he describeth to be this, That we might be partakers of Gods holi∣nesse. As this hath beene taught by God, so hath it Page  197 been practised by the god∣ly,* for by Gods chastise∣ments, they haue turned from the sinne for which they were chastised. Before I was chastised, saith Da∣uid, I went astray, but now doe I keepe thy Law. The very rehearsall of Iudge∣ments vpon sinne, worketh in Iosiah a publique refor∣mation of sinnes. And Solo∣mons* wisedome, which is a kind of paraphrase of Scri∣pture, herein agreeable to the Scriptures, hath this obseruation: Thou chast∣nest them by litle and litle that offend, and warnest them by putting them in remembrance wherin they haue offended; that leauing Page  198 their wickednesse they may beleeue in thee, O Lord. Yea, the very Hypocrites* and Heathens beleeued, that conuersion from sinne was Gods end in his pu∣nishments for sinne. There∣fore the false-hearted Israe∣lites,* being oppressed by the Philistines and children of Ammon, runne vnto the Lord; saying, Wee haue sinned against thee, both because wee haue forsaken our God, and also serued Baalim; And they put away their strange gods and ser∣ued the Lord. The Nini∣uites,* though Gods iudge∣ments were peremptorily pronounced against them, yet they so farre take notice Page  199 of this purpose of God; that by punishmēts threat∣ned or imposed, God ay∣meth more at the destru∣ctions of sinnes, then of sin∣ners; that not withstanding, Ionahs peremptorie affirma∣tion, they will still retayne a hopefull dubitation. Ac∣cordingly runs the Kings Proclamation, Let them turne euery one from his e∣uill way, and from the vio∣lence that is in their hands, Who can tell if God will turne and repent, and turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not? Thus wee see that God hath a meaning of conuersion in his punishments, and that Man in them hath here∣tofore Page  200 rightly vnderstood this meaning of God. God doth not meerly afflict, as Elihu truly teacheth, but by affliction doth instruct vs, his Rods doe giue vs knowledge, and open the Eares that were sealed. Gods chastisements are like Samsons Lion, which thogh at first they come terribly vpon vs, and with a shew of deuouring, yet after they yeeld vs the Hony of In∣struction and Reformation if wee looke neerely into them. The Apostle puts this* difference between the Fa∣ther of Regeneration, and the Father of Generation; Our spirituall Father doth punish vs for our profit, the Page  201 carnall Fathers sometimes for their pleasure; God de∣lighteth not in torments or death, no not in the death of a sinner, but in the death of his sinnes. What remay∣neth, but that as God in∣tends his chastisements, and as holy Men; yea, Hea∣thens haue truly construed them, so wee also rightly consider, receiue, and ap∣ply them. Let vs heare Gods voyce in his punish∣ments, let vs vnderstand and obey it, and let his Correction bring foorth Conuersion. But I deferre the Exhortation vnto the Conclusion.