nations of their own hearts, and may prefent unto themselves many encouragements to continue in their ways; yet in the end they shall all prove rotten reeds of Egypt, and be hewed down: and their fuppoled encouragements shall be so far from proving fuch indeed, that, on the contrary, they shall contribute to the aggravation of their guilt before God; as we are taught by the apostle's demolishing all their fancied grounds, and thewing how that God's goodness should, in all reason, rather have moved them to repentance, than encouraged them to continue in fin. even fuch as deserve the feverity of juftice, are full of riches, and invaluable worth, and ought so to be accounted of by us: for we hear not only of his goodness, and patience, and forbearance, but alfo of a riches of them. VI. These expreflions of bounty and longanimity in God towards the wicked, however they are not pledges of his favour and goodwill towards them, as they are unto his own; yet, in that they show what an one God is, and how well-worthy to be turned unto, and contain in them some ground of hope, that he will welcome such as come, they have in them a manuducency unto repentance, and if rightly improven would lead folk home to God: thus it is faid, that the goodness of God lead III. So bountiful and liberal is the Lord Creator, in whom we live, move, and have sur being, that even wicked, profane hypocrites, and fuch as delight in their wickedness, and are enemies to him, are par-eth to repentance. ticipating of his goodness; general temporal favours, are even such getting from him: for God's goodness was extended even to fuch here as were despising it. And fo wonderfully good is our God, and fuch is his native kindness, or good nature, that he is ready, and prompt, as it were, to be employed by the creatures, and to do them good; for fo the word here rendered goodnefs, doth import. IV. This benignity, and readiness to do good, in God, even to the wicked, as it kytheth in other difpenfations of his toward them, fo in this, that he exerciseth much patience and lenity toward them. And tho' God be so just and holy as he cannot away with fin, nor approve of the workers of iniquity; yet he will delay to punish the wicked, and restrain his anger, fo as not to punish iniquity instantly, for his own holy ends for here, as there is odnefs in God, so is there patience, and forbearance. | V. As God is in himself incomprehenfible, and fuch a well-fpring of all goodnefs as can never be exhaufted; fo all the afts and expreffions of his bountifulness and longanimity, confidering who they are unto whom he is manifesting himself so, VII. Such is the corruption of wicked folks, who fatisfy themselves in their pernicious ways, that when, in all reafon and equity, God's lenity and delaying to cut them off because of their wickedness, should make them confider how bad a requital they give God for that his sparing mercy and goodness, in continuing in their abominations, and not amending their manners and repenting; they will, upon the other hand, encourage themselves fo much the more in their fins, and think the lefs of fin, because that God doth nor speedily execute vengeance, and bless themselves in these their finful courses, and so continue in them ftill: for thus they despised God's goodness and lenity. VIII. When men do thus take occafion to harden themselves in their wickednefs, at God's forbearance, and fo turn his goodnefsand grace into lafciviousness, the Lord looks upon it as a heinous fin, and no less than a contemning, vilipending, and defpifing of his goodness, an undervaluing of his gentleness, and trampling upon his gracious and good nature: therefore Paul calleth this abuse of God's goo Inefs, a defpifing of it. IX. Thus to abuse and trample upon God's merciful forbearance and long-fuffering G2 fering patience, is such a crying fin, that the very light of nature may blush and be afhamed of it, and may refuse to avow or maintain it; as is clear from the apostle's proposing this by way of question to them, Or defpifest thou, &c. X. The little serious confideration of God's goodness to the wicked, in forbearing to let forth his wrath upon them, and to cut them off in the very act of iniquity, as he might do in justice; and the little studying of the mind of God in those expreffions, or of what document is contained in their bofom, is one main caufe why they turn his grace into wantonness, and despise his goodness: for the reafon why they despisfed his goodness, &c. was, their not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. From verfe 5th OBSERVE, I. Besides that hardness of heart which all have by nature, fuch as will not be reclaimed by all God's goodness and gentleness, and the reiterated expreffions of his mercifulness, and acts of lenity shown to them, but grow still worfe and worfe, do contract an habitual hardness of heart, whereby their hearts are more obdurate and stupid: and when God's goodness hath no kindly operation upon sinners, and his gracious invitations are not yielded unto, then this hardness of heart followeth: therefore he added, But after thy bardness. II. The more hardness wicked men do finfully contract, thro' their obstinate perfifting in their finful courses, notwithstanding of the manifold expressions of God's bounty and long-fuffering patience, the more do they put themselves out of a capacity of repentance, and the more averse are their hearts from this duty of turning unto God: and as naturally the heart of man cannot return unto the Lord of itself, but is altogether unable; so when this habitual hardness is contracted, the heart becometh, in a special manner, a heart that cannot repent, or impenitent. III. Howbeit wicked men may delight themselves in their wickedness, and be fo far from being moved therefrom, at the ferious confideration of God's tolerance and goodness, as rather to be encouraged therein; yet ere all be done it shall be dear bought; and all that sweetness and delight shall end in fournefs: for they are faid, to treasure up wrath to themselves: Wrath is the due defert and fruit of fin. And thus do they that abuse God's goodnefs. IV. Tho' the wicked fons of men fee not fentence against an evil work fpeedily executed, yet their hearts need not therefore be fully set in them to do evil, feeing their portion is reserved in a fure place, and is treasured up for them; and they may make themselves as fure of wrath and vengeance (if repentance prevent it not) as ever a man was of his treafure; for here they are faid to treasure up; and tho that which is treasured up be not seen at present, yet in due time it will appear, and may certainly be expected. V. Wicked contumacious persons have no reason to blame God for what wrath he sendeth on them; or for what shall be certainly inflicted on them in the great day of reckoning, seeing it is but the fruit of their own labour: and they may rather blame themselves, as being the only procurers thereof: And at that day the Lord shall be cleared, and men fhall have nothing to say, when they get but that which they have been treasuring up; therefore it it faid, that they themselves treasure up this wrath against themselves. And feeing it is so, can they blame any but themselves for all the wrath that shall come on them? And they are said to treasure up wrath, in that they accumulate guilt and treasure up fin, (and repent not) unto which necessarily wrath is annexed. As the fill up the measure of their fins, so dot God fill up the cup of his wrath. VI. Albeit wicked rebels, in acting re bellion against their dread Sovereign, and contemning the goodneis of this excellently-fweet-natured Prince, do what in them lies to rob him of his glory, ay, and to dethrone him; yet all the real skaith and hurt that cometh thereby, falls on their own back: for here it was to themselves that they were treasuring up wrath. VII. There is a fixed, determined day coming, in which the treafures of fin of those that have been living and delighting in fin, however they dream of no fuch thing, shall be opened, and all their deeds canvassed and fifted; and a period shall be put unto their treasuring up of fin and wrath against themselves: for it is against the day of wrath, this fixed day, that they are treafuring up wrath. VIII. Tho' this day shall be a most joyful and pleasant day unto the godly, even the folemn day of their marriage unto the Lamb, when the bride, the Lamb's wife, shall be complete; yet it shall be the doolfullest day that ever the wicked faw: for this cause it is called the day of wrath, for therein shall appear nothing but pure unmixed wrath unto them. IX. Howbeit the Lord be never pacified nor reconciled to the reprobate in this life, but ftill hateth them, ay, and sometimes be making them to meet with fad strokes, as fruits of their folly; yet that great day of judgment is called the day of wrath by way of eminence, because however the Lord hath past an irrevocable decree, touching their damnation, from eternity, yet while they are in life this cannot be certainly known; and confidering God's eternal difpenfations, there is a poffibility of escaping God's wrath; and because all the effects of God's displeafure which they meet with, on this fide of time, are but as arles, in respect of the full cup of vengeance that shall then be poured forth upon them; at which time they shall drink the very dregs thereof, and shall tall and never rife again; and then no more hope of mercy. X. Tho' now we cannot always difcern betwixt the righteous and the wicked by God's external dispensations; but sometimes the wicked are spared, when the righteous suffer hard things, and are chaftened every morning; and we be oft in the dark as to the clear difcerning of God's judgments, and they are oft-times hid from our eyes; yet at that day his judgment shall be revealed, and made manifeft; therefore is that day called, a day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. XI. At that day the wicked, tho' now they be long forborn, and it may be go out of the world without any remarkable judgment, shall not then escape; all odds shall then be made even; for the righteous judgment of God shall then be revealed. XII. The confideration of this, that however God may spare long his enemies, and yet at length will come on fadly, and make up his delay by multiplying his strokes, and fuch shall not escape his vengeance, may be sufficient to rouze up the secure hypocrite that is believing no such thing, but rather expecting the contrary, because of God's outward favours, and his forbearing to strike them in wrath for their sins, for, for this end doth the apostle bring in this here, as the scope cleareth.. VERSE 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. NOW when the apoftle hath mentioned the day of wrath, that he might the more rouze up those secure, feaf-pleafing perfons, that would hardly be perfuaded of their evil condition and danger wherein they were lying; he infifts a little upon that purpose, and holds forth the manner of God's procedure at that day: and the first thing he doth is in this verse, where he layeth down a general affertion thereanent; That God will do justice upon every man, and give every one their due at that day, none shall escape, or be hid; for he will give to every man accord ing to his works, whatsoever they have been, good or bad. A truth which we find oft-times fet down in scripture, in plain terms: See Pfal. lxii. 12. Job xxxiv. 11. Jer. xxxii. 19. Matth. xvi. 27. 2 Cor. v. 10. Rev. xxii. 12. HENCE OBSERVE, I. Albeit now some men may think themselves above punishment, do what they please, and no cenfure can reach them, nor no man may fafely meddle with them; and others may escape punishment from mèn, by fome mean or other; yet at that great day of judgment which is coming, no man breathing, no not the greatest, and proudest, or powerfullest that is, shall escape trial, or shall get leave to hide himfelf among the crowd; for he will render to every man. II. Howbeit there be many abominable wicked pranks of the wicked committed in fecret, that never is made known, nor cometh under examination; and many worthy and memorable acts of the godly that humility hath covered, or forgetfulnefs obliterated; yet at that day none of all these shall be forgotten, but a perfect regifter of them shall be produced, Rev. XX. 12.----And the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works. And all of them shall be fifted, and narrowly examined; for he will render to every man according to his works. of his free grace is pleased to reward our well-doing and obedience, which hath no merit of a reward in themselves, being done by the help and affistance of God's grace, without which we are not able to think a good thought, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Phil. ii. 13. 1 Cor. iv. 7. and being clothed with imperfections and blemishes, Gal. v. 17. Rom. vii. 14. Ifa. Ixiv. 6. and being due debt which the creature oweth unto the Creator, and no way beneficial unto him, for we are still unprofitable, Luke xvii. 10. Job xxii. 2. and xxxv. 7. Pfal. xvi. 2. and, so carrying an infinite disproportion in them to that recompence of reward, which is therefore still a gift of God's free grace, Rom. vi. 23. The wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. VERSES 7. 8. To them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation, and wrath. A Fter he hath fet down in general, that God will render to every man according to his works, he cometh to a particular explication, and ranketh all in two claffes: and after he hath defcribed every rank by itself, he sheweth what will be their recompence of reward. The fift are fuch as have noble ends and defigns, feeking, glory, bonour, and immortality, and that by patient continuance in well-doing; that is, by setting themselves to a course of well-doing, and to persevere in that course, and not to break off, notwithstanding of what difcouragements and impediments they can meet with, as they will meet with fome, and therefore must refolve upon pa III. Tho' now oftentimes it go well with the wicked, and ill with the seekers of God, yet at that day there shall be a recompence given to every man according to the kind and quality of his actions, whether they be good or bad; for God will render to every man according to his works. And in saying fo the apostle doth not intimate any meritoriousness in good works, for then should he affirm that we should be justified by works, which is point-tience: to these shall be given, eterna blank contrary to his scope and drift; for he is proving that we are justified only by faith, and not by works: but that God life; even the thing they feek. The next are fuch as are contentious, rebellious, and stubborn, and will not yield nor fubmin unto the truth of God, whether revealed, by nature's light, in these undenied principles, or by his word; but give themselves unto all abominations, as fervants and flaves unto wickedness: the portion of such shall be indignation and wrath. unto DOCTRINAL OBSERVATIONS. I. However the seekers of God be accounted the basest spirited persons that are, yet of all the men in the world they are the most noble and high in their designs and projects; they forecast for nothing lefs than glory, honour, and immortality; for fo are they here decyphered, and called fuch as feek for glory, &c. II. The glory and honour which the godly are pursuing after, is not the windy applause of a world, nor the fading honours and preferments that are to be had therein; but it is glory and honour of a more enduring narure: therefore is immortality added, to shew, that it was an everlasting | glory and honour, and life for evermore, that they were feeking. III. It is not mercenary, nor hirelinglike, for people to be proposing glory, honour, and everlasting life unto themfelves, as an end and motive of their well doing, feeing this glory and immortality is nothing else but the full and perpetual enjoyment of God: and hereby our graces of fear, defire, carefulness, diligence. zeal, courage, and watchfulness, are put in exer cife: and Mofes did fo, Heb. xi. 26. ---He bad respect unto the recompence of the re ward Yea. and Christ, Heb. xii. 2.--Who, for the joy that was fet before him, endurea the cross, despising the shame. And feeing here the godly are defcribed from this, that in well-doing they feek glory, immortality, and honour: See Rev. xxii. 14. Pail. iii. 14. 1 Tim. vi. 17. 18. 19. IV. The only way whereby to win to the poffeffion of this immortal glory and honour is well-doing; and it is only in that way that we can, upon just grounds, expect and look for glory, honour, and im monality. And tho' good works have no casual efficacy or influence on our falvation, as any meritorious cause, either procuring a right to life, or the actual poffeffion thereof, (Christ's merits being the fole procuring cause) and so are not neceffary upon that score; yet are they neceffary as the way carved out by infinite wifdom, in which all must walk who look for glory and immortality; or as antecedent qualifications and difpofitions fitting the man that hath a right thro' Christ unto actual poffeffion for here it is in well-doing that they look for, or feek glory, honour, and immortality : Heb. xii. 24. Follore peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall fee the Lord. See 1 Cor. vi. 9. 10. V. Such is the malice of Satan against the feekers of God, that he rests not night nor day to trouble and moleft them in their course, going about as a roaring lion feeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8. affaulting them with strong temptations, and fiery darts, Ephef. vi. 16. whereby to divert them from, or difcourage them in going about duty. And fuch is the enmity betwixt the feed of the woman, and the feed of the ferpent, Gen. iii. 15. that hose children of Satan are still upon God's childrens tops, creating trouble and mo-lestation to them in thier way, and perfecuting them, Gal. iv. 29. But as then he that was born after te fleh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even jo it is now; and fuch is the strength of corrup tion within themselves, I Pet. ii. 11. that whoever hath a mind to live godly, that they may enjoy everlasting glory, must refolve upon trouble, and to meet with many discouragements in the way both from within and fron without for here they are taid to be fuch as are patient, or fuffer patiently, as the word is rendered, Rom. v. 3. 2 Cor. i. 16. in well-doing: fuch must expect a fuffering, enduring, hard life of it: See 2 Tim. iii. 12. Theff. iii. 3. VI. Notwithstanding of all this oppo-fition from the hands of one or other, whofoever |