s, and he give but one, will you
not rather commend and proclaim his clemency, than speak of his cruelty?
Wonder that God hath spared us so long. Sin is come to great maturity. As
pride is said to blossom and bud into a rod, so all sins are blossomed and
budded into the very harvest, that the sickle may be put in. If we should
have cities desolate, and our land consumed, if we should take up
Jeremiah's lamentation, and our case be made parallel to theirs, we have
then been punished less than our iniquities deserved.

There are some godless people so black mouthed as to speak against heaven
when God correcteth them, they follow the counsel of Job's wife, curse God
and die. If God but touch them a little in that which is dearest unto
them, they kick against the pricks, and run hard heads with God. As we
have known some foolish women, when their only child hath been removed,
blaspheme, saying, What can God do more to me?--let him do what he can. O
madness and wickedness of men! Cannot God do more when he casteth them
into hell? Thou shalt acknowledge that it is more. Some have left off to
seek God and turned profane, because of the Lord's correction but you
should know that all that is here is but arles.(309) If God had done his
worst, you might think yourselves out of his common, nay, but he hath yet
more to do, the full sum is to be paid. It were therefore wisdom yet to
make supplication to thy judge.

But, _Thirdly_, Sins and iniquities have a great influence in the decay of
nations and persons, and change of their outward condition, when it is
joined with the wind of God's displeasure. The calamity of this people is
set down in excellent terms, alluding to a tree in the fall of the leaf.
We, saith he, were once in our land as a green tree busked round about
with leaves and fruit; our church and state was in a flourishing
condition, at least nothing was wanting to make outward splendour and
glory. We were immovable in our own land, as David said in his prosperity,
"I shall never be moved," so did we dream of eternity in earthly Canaan.
But now Lord, we are like a tree in the fall of the leaf, sin hath
obstructed the influence of heaven, hath drawn away the sap of thy
presence from among us, so that we did fade as a leaf before its fall, we
were prepared so by our sins for judgment,--visible draughts and
prognostics of it were to be read upon the condition and frame of all
spirits and people, and then did our iniquitie