A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Such as are Idle, and neglect their duty,

1 Woe. Necessity is laid upon mee, yea woe

is unto mee if I preach not the Gospel: 1 Cor. 9. 16.

2 God's requiring mens soules at their hands. For thus God told Ezekiel, (whom he made the peoples watchman.) When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warne the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life: the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his bloud will I require at thine hand, Eze. 3. 18. The same wicked man shall die, &c.] Though it were not so; but such a wicked man might be suffered to live; yet such a watchman deserved to die, because his fault is alike though the other's successe be better. If a Sentinell suffer the enemy to come on, & give no warning: though the enemy doe not prevaile, the Sentinell shall lose his life. His bloud will I require, &c.] that is, the spilling of his bloud; or, the losse of his life. Idle Mi∣nisters are soule murderers. He that forbids not to sinne when he may, is as bad as he that bids. So, much more, he that saves not a soule when he may, and when he must too, is as bad as he that destroyes it. His blood] And therefore Paul (where he seemes to mee to rejoyce, like a man that hath narrow∣ly escaped danger of death) when he was going from Miletus, sent for the Elders of Ephesus, and told them, he was pure from

the bloud of all men, because he had not shun∣ned to declare unto them all the counsell of God, Act. 20. 26, 27. (as if otherwise he could not have been so;) and therefore strictly charged them to imitate him; and to ap∣prove themselves pastors indeed, in feeding the flocke: to be guilty of whose bloud was no ordinary murther: in regard that God (for so it is said; wherein the deity of Christ is as clearly proved as by any place that I know) had purchased them with his owne bloud, vers. 28. It would anger a man; if he had beene but at a little cost, or paine, to save a thing, but of a little value; by anothers negligence to have it lost. Read also Act. 18. 6. where you may see the like exulting ex∣pression of the same Apostle to the Jewes at Corinth; when he left preaching to them, and began to preach to the Gentiles.

The Prophet Amos, was so convinced of the danger of being negligent in an Embas∣sie from God, that he wondered how any one could dare, not to tell the people, what the Lord had told him. The Lion hath roared, who will not feare? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophecie? Am. 3. 8. The shep∣heards dog, that shall see the foxes, & the wolves, & the Lion himself come roaring close home to the flocke, and never barke; can de∣serve no lesse then hanging. much more if

he fall upon the sheep himselfe, (as those covetous pastours, in the former chapter.) See the comparison of Greedy dogges, Isa. 56. 11.

Ministers, for shame, should not be Idle, were it but for their name's sake; for they are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, workmen or labourers, Mat. 9. 38. But especially for the company, & helpe which they have, being labourers with God, 1. Cor. 3. 9. But yet I must confesse however, that, as heretofore it was the common fault to be Idle: (not only of such, who had un∣dertaken; but of such who intended to un∣dertake, the worke of the Ministery; inso∣much that we had cause to pray, not onely that God would utterly cast out the Idlers, but violently cast forth the labourers into the harvest:) so now it is the common fault to be over-busie.

Notes

• His owne name is not mentioued, for foure verses be∣fore.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 So the word signifies. which wee render, send forth. Mat. 9. 38. Yet perhaps by this word is no more meant, then by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which the Sept. many times ren∣der by it: as, 2 Chro. 29. 16, &c.