Section 3: Why God Speaks Through Terrible Judgments

The reason is, because people don't hearken to him, speaking any other way, God speaks once, indeed twice, but men perceive it not (Job 33:14). God's gentle voice is not heard or minded, therefore he speaks more loudly and terribly, that people might be awakened to hear. Particularly God speaks thus terribly,

1. Because people do not hearken to the voice of his word and messengers; God speaks audibly by ministers, and when they are not regarded, he speaks more feelingly by judgments; he speaks first by threatenings, and when they are slighted, he speaks by executions. God first lifts up his voice and warns by his word, before he lifts up his arm and strikes with his rod; when men grow thick of hearing the sweet calls of the Gospel, God is even forced to thunder, that he may pierce their ear; when God speaks to the ears and they are shut, God speaks to the eyes and other senses, that his mind may be known; especially when men obstinately refuse to hear, God is exceedingly provoked to execute his terrible judgments upon them (see Zechariah 8:11-12). But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear: indeed they made their heart like an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came there a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts. So also when God gave up Jerusalem to desolation and ruin, see the sin which provoked the Lord to do so (2 Chronicles 36:16). They mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

2. Because they do not hearken to the voice of his goodness and mercies. The goodness and forbearance of God does speak to men from him, and call upon them to forbear sin for shame, to repent and return to him (Romans 1:4). But when men despise the riches of his goodness, and deafen their ear to the language of his mercies, and trample his patience under foot (though God has appointed a day of wrath hereafter, wherein he will reckon with the whole ungodly world together, and give them the just demerit of their sin, yet) sometimes his patience is turned thereby into fury, and his anger does break forth into a flame, and consumes them by the blow of dreadful temporal judgments.

3. Because they will not hearken to the voice of lesser afflictions; when God's word is not heard, he speaks by his rod; when his rod is not heard, he shoots with his arrows and strikes with his sword; and if lesser afflictions be not minded, then God speaks by more dreadful awakening judgments: as the sins of men do precede the judgments of God: so usually lesser judgments do precede greater judgments; and as there are degrees and steps which men usually do make before they arrive to a great height in sin, Nemo repentè fit turpissimus: so there are degrees and steps which God usually does take, in inflicting his judgments for sin. Look into one place for all, which shows how God does proceed from less to greater judgments (Leviticus 26:15-40): when his statutes are despised and covenant broken, first he threatens to send upon them consumption, and a burning ague, then he threatens that they shall fall before their enemies; and if they will not hearken to his voice in these judgments, he threatens to punish them seven times more for their sins; and to make the heavens as iron; and the earth as brass; and send a dearth among them. And if they will not yet hearken, he threatens to send wild beasts, which should devour their children and cattle. And if they would not be reformed by these things, but still would walk contrary to him, he threatens to walk contrary to them, and to punish them yet seven times more for their sins: he threatens to bring a sword upon them to avenge the quarrel of his covenant; and when they should be gathered together in their cities, to send the pestilence among them; and to this to add the famine. And if they would not yet hearken to God, but still walk contrary to him, he threatens that he will walk contrary to them in fury, and make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and lay waste their cities, and make their sanctuaries a desolation; and upon them that are left alive he threatens to send such faintness of heart, that they should flee at the sound of a shaken leaf, and fall when none pursued them; and that they should pine away in their iniquities in the land of their enemies. Thus God proceeds by steps and degrees in the execution of his fierce anger upon a rebellious people, when God speaks by ordinary diseases and is not heard, then sometimes he sends a plague; and if after a plague, people will not return to him that strikes them, nor seek to pacify God's anger which is kindled against them; but walk so much the more contrary to him, he may walk contrary to them in fury, and send fire into their cities to devour their habitations. And if the voice of the fire be not heard, he has other judgments in readiness, sword, famine and the like. And if temporal judgments be [reconstructed: not] heeded, he will bring upon them eternal judgments.

God is not heard any other way, therefore he does speak by such terrible things.