# A Fatherly Farewell, Testament And Very Careful Scriptural Instruction By Hendrick Alewijns To His Children. · Page 7 of 9

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To disobey the Gospel, is worthy of no small
punishment; for he that, in the sight of two or three
witnesses, transgressed the law of Moses (which is
inferior to the Gospel in its saving power and operation,
Rom. 8:3), had to die without mercy, says
Paul, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye,
shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace? Heb. 10:29. These must expect a terrible
judgment, and the cruelty of the fire, which shall
devour the adversaries. It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God; for God is a consuming
fire. 10:31; 12:9. We know him that hath
said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense.
10:30. See, since the Gospel is great of
value and rich in saving power, therefore, on the
other hand, the refusing, abusing, despising and
transgressing of the same, is so much the greater
crime and ingratitude, and deserving of sorer punishment,
as Paul says, concerning Christ: “See that
ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped
not who refused him that spake on earth, much
more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him
that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook
the earth.” Heb. 12:25,26.

O my children, therefore this time of the Gospel,
in which we now are, is a very precious, valuable
and acceptable time, as also the Lord himself frequently
declares in the Gospel: as: Had such
mighty works been done in Tyre and Sidon. Why
do ye not discern this acceptable time for you?
Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye
see. Luke 10:23. Jesus says: Jerusalem shall be
destroyed (on account of her sins); because they
did not know the time of their visitation. Luke
19:44.

O my dear children, learn to discern good from
evil; learn to know the wicked world, who think
that they are holy men, Christians and believers in
God, but are the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9);
which is evident from their whole spirit, life, and
their wickedness; who because of their wickedness
cannot bear, or tolerate among them, the lustre of
the pious. But the Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the evil
and unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished;
but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the
lust of uncleanness. What God intends to do with
such, he has typified and shown to us by sinners of
former times [as we read]: For if God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment, and spared not the old
world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher
of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of
725
Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them
with an overthrow, making them an example unto
those that after should live ungodly. 2 Pet. 2:4–6.

Understand here, that God spares neither the angels,
nor the whole world, because they were great
in number or highly esteemed and chosen; and thus
it has often gone with great numbers, for the ungodly
are not the better for being many. As also
Sirach well says: Rely not upon this that the multitude
of those with whom thou doest evil is great,
but remember that punishment is not far from thee.
Therefore humble thyself from the heart, for the
vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms. Sirach
7:17,18. For as one that cometh nigh wild beasts,
and is torn by them, so it also goes with him that
attacheth himself to the ungodly, and mingleth in
their sins. 12:13,14. One child that fears the Lord
is more acceptable to him than a thousand that are
ungodly. Hence let no one depend upon this that
his companions in wickedness are many, nor upon
boasting of the mercy of God, before thy repentance;
for when the fire of the punishment of God is kindled,
it consumes all the wicked, great and small.
Behold, the fire burned up the whole congregation
of the ungodly; and wrath was kindled over the
unbelieving. He spared not the old giants who perished
with their strength. Neither did he spare
those among whom Lot sojourned, but condemned
them because of their pride, and destroyed the
whole land without mercy, who had transgressed all
bounds in sinning. Thus he took away six hundred
thousand, because they were disobedient. How then
should a single one that is disobedient escape unpunished?
For though he is merciful, yet also
wrath is with him. He can be appeased, but he also
fearfully punishes. As his mercy is great, so is also
his correction; he judgeth a man according to his
works. The ungodly shall not escape with his
spoils, and the patience of the godly shall not be
frustrated. Behold, before God a great multitude is
of little avail. He that sinneth must die. For every
one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the
Lord; though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Prov. 16:5. The strength of the ungodly
is like a heap of tow which is consumed with
fire. The way of sinners is made plain with stones
(it is true), but at the end thereof is the pit of hell.
Sir. 21:9,10. Hell also hath opened wide her
mouth, to receive great and small, prince and multitude.
Is. 5:14. Many be called, but few chosen.
Wide is the gate, and broad the way that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which walk in it. I
further say: The great majority will be damned and
lost. This is too clear to be denied. 2 Esd. 8:3.



## Original source

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