Mountains Verse 16. And said to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Verse 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Thirdly The State of an Impenitent Sinner 1. In respect of original corruption Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be clean and he that is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Verse 15. The Heavens are not clean in his sight verse 16. How much more abominable and filthy is Man that drinketh iniquity like water Chap. 25.4 How then can Man be justified with God Or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me John 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Verse 6. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Rom. 5.18 By the offence of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation 2. In respect of actual sin Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinn'd against me him will I blot out of my Book 2 Kings 17.18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only Verse 19 Also Judah kept not the Commandments of the Lord their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made Verse 20. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers till he had cast them out of his sight Job 4.8 They that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same Verse 9. By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed Chap. 8.11 Can the Rush grow up without mire can the Flag grow without water Verse 12. Whilst it is yet in its greenness and not cut down it withereth before any other herb Verse 13. So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shall perish Jer. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the Son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Verse 25. And I will give thee into the hand of them who seek thy life Verse 26. And I will cast thee out and thy Mother that bare thee into another Country where ye were not born and there shall ye dye Mat. 7.26 Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish Man which built his house upon the sand Verse 27. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it Gal. 5.19 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witcheraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Rev. 14.9 10 11. If any man worship the Beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoak of their torment ascended up for ever and ever Secondly When the Minister finds not in the sick person a total hardness and impenitency he must wisely mingle Threatnings and Comforts together To which purpose such-like passages of Scripture will be useful Deut. 7.9 10. Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandements to a Thousand generations And repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them He will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his face Jer. 32.18 19. Thou shewest loving kindness unto thousands and recompensest the iniquity of the Fathers into the bosom of their Children after them the great the mighty God the Lord of Hosts is his Name Great in Counsel and mighty in works for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Psal 89.31 32 33. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements I will visit their offence with rods and their sin with scourges Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fail Rev. 2.4 5. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come against thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Thirdly When the Sick Person is fallen into the other extream and is sensible of little or no comfort the passages of Scripture relating to such a condition are those which set forth 1. The excellency and goodness of the Divine Nature Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The LORD the LORD GOD merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Psalm 86.15 16. Thou O Lord God art full of compassion and mercy longsuffering plenteous in goodness and truth O turn thee then unto me and have mercy upon me Give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thine handmaid Psalm 103.8 9 c. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy Longsuffering and of great goodness He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness For look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth So great is his mercy also toward them that fear him Look how wide also the East is from the West So far hath he set our sins from us Yea like as a Father pittieth his own Children Even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust Hos 11.3 4. I taught
that plague 2 Tim. 1.12 For which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Heb. 12.11 12. No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Ninthly When the sick person doubteth of the Truth or seasonableness of his Repentance these Scriptures are proper that set forth 1. The Nature of true Repentance 2 Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after that he had numbered the People and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Ezek. 18.21 22. If the wicked man will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live Joh. 5.14 Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee 2. Fruits of it Hos 14.1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we offer unto thee the calves of our lips Luke 3.7 c. O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance And now also the Axe is laid unto the root of the trees Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And the People asked him saying what shall we do then He answered and saith unto them He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise Acts 3.26 God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Chap. 7.4 Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God 3. Gods acceptance and reward of them 2 Chron. 12.7 When the Lord saw they had humbled themselves the word of the Lord came unto Shemajah saying they have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jernsalem by the hand of Shishak Psal 32.6 I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Neh. 1.9 If ye turn unto me and keep my commandements and do them though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the Heaven yet will I gather them from thence and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my Name there Ezek. 33.14 15 16. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right If the wicked restore the pledg give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawful and right he shall surely live Mat. 16.27 The son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Rom. 6.22 Being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your labour and work of love Rev. 14.13 Their works follow them Chap. 20.13 Death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to his works 4. Diligent search into our state and the truth and sincerity of our repentance then especially when but a short time is likely to be afforded for the trial thereof 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Job 27.3 to 7. All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils My lips shall not speak wickedness nor shall my tongue utter deceit till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Psal 26.2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart Psal 78.34 c. When he slew them they sought him and turned them early and enquired after God And they remembred that God was their strength and the High God was their Redeemer Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and dissembled with him in their tongues For their heart was not whole with him neither continued they stedfast in his covenant Isa 58.1 2. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and take delight in approaching to God Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be enquired of at all by them Mat. 7.21 c. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able 2 Cor. 7.9 10 11. I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner that ye might receive dammage by us in nothing For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
the God of your Father spake unto me yesternight saying take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Chap. 50.20 Joseph said unto them ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much People alive Exod. 1.12 The more they afflicted them the more they grew and they were grieved because of the Children of Israel 1 King 17.3 4 6. Hide thy self by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan and I have commanded the Ravens to feed thee there And the Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and he drunk of the brook Vers 13.14 15. Elijah said unto her Thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not wast neither shall the cruse of oyl fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth And she and he and her house did eat many days 2 King 4.1 to 8. Now there cryed a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the Prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant my husband is dead and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord And the Creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen And Elisha said unto her what shall I do for thee tell me what hast thou in the house and she said thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house but a pot of oyl Then he said go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours even empty vessels borrow not a few And when thou art come in thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and shalt pour out into all those vessels and thou shalt set aside that which is full So she went from him and did shut the door upon her and upon her sons who brought the vessels to her and she poured out And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her son bring me yet a vessel And he said unto her there is not a vessel more And the oyl staid And she came and told the man of God and he said go sell the oyl and pay thy debt and live thou and thy children of the rest So Dan. 3.17 Chap. 6.21 22. Joh. 6.5 7 c. When Jesus saw a great company come unto him he saith unto Philip whence shall we buy bread that these may eat Philip answered him Two hundred peny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little Andrew saith unto him There is a lad here that hath five barley loaves and two small fishes but what are they among so many Jesus said make the men sit down So the men sate down in number about five thousand And when Jesus had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples and the Disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they would See Acts 5.19 20. Ch. 12.6 7 8. Chap. 16.25 26. Deut. 8.4 Psal 78.14 to 30. 4. The danger of such solicitude Mat. 13.22 He that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word of God and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful Luke 12.20 God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided Chap. 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares 1 Cor. 7.35 This I speak for your own profit that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction And the unprositableness of it Psal 127.1 2 3. Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain It is but lost labour that ye hap to rise up early and so late take rest and eat the bread of carefulness Mat. 6.27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature Luke 10.39 c. Martha had a sister called Mary which also sate at Jesus feet and heard his word But Martha was cumbred about much serving and came to him and said Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me And Jesus answered and said unto her Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that one good part which shall not be taken away from her 6. Weakness of Faith discovered thereby Mat. 6.30 If God so cloth the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith Chap. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Chap. 14.31 Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God 1 Pet. 5. Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 7. The duty of commanding them we leave behind to serve God faithfully that they may be blessed Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Jos 23.14 This day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof Chap. 24. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 1 Chron. 29.10 David blessed the Lord before all the congregation and David said blessed be the Lord God of Israel our Fathers for ever and ever Vers 11. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in the Heaven and the earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as a head above all Vers 12. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Vers 17. I know also my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness Vers 18. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart of thy People and prepare their heart unto