C. Matthew McMahon
Christian Preacher
A number of Puritans (including Vincent and Mead), were directly involved in the plagues and fires of London. Mead saw the plague as a direct example of God’s wrath against the city for its sin and wickedness. Vincent saw the great fire in the same way. Historically, the Great Plague of 1665 was the last major plague in England. In one week almost 8,000 people died, and in seven months 100,000 people in London were dead. At the time, that was tantamount to 20% of the entire population of the city. Other plagues which came about later were the third pandemic from 1855-1950. It was a strain of the bubonic plague killing 12,000,000. In 1918-1920 the flu pandemic killed 75,000,000. In 1958 the Asian flu killed 2,000,000. In 2009, worldwide, 14,286 people died from the flu. In 2010 Haiti had a cholera outbreak that killed 10,000. In 2011 in the Congo, measles killed 4,500. From 2013-2016 the West Africa Ebola virus has killed 11,300. In 2016, in the United States of America, the Zika virus has now killed….how many?
Mead in his work, "Discovering the Wickedness of Our Heart," has a common theme using an exegetical structure to 1 Kings 8, (A to B), “When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, (A) because they have sinned against thee, (B)” (1 Kings 8:33). “A” occurs and then God sends some kind of plague, war, famine, etc., to judge them; the “B” of the verse. A, then B. A, then B. A, then B.
I’m not being repetitious. His point is, "When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, [because] they have sinned against thee,” (1 Kings 8:35). Mead uses the summary of these ideas in verse 37, “If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be…” (1 Kings 8:37). The people sinned, and God brought a plague on account of sin. Vincent does the same in his work "The Way to Escape the Horrible Eternal Burnings of Hell."
Jesus thought the same way about God’s judgment on sin. “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:4-5). Events like these do not happen by accident. God is always behind their working providentially, but Christ saw God’s judgment in the tower that fell on 18 people.
What would Christ think about a plague that wipes out hundreds of thousands or millions? Or of a hurricane like Harvey that has killed 60? (That's 42 more people that the tower.) Or now, what about Irma? (So far has killed 10).
It's interesting to me that the news, weather channel, etc., ALWAYS totally delete any mention of the possibility of God existing in these disasters, and that Christians seem to ALWAYS say that "we just can't say." Jesus, though, saw judgment in the death of 18.
Thoughts?
Mead in his work, "Discovering the Wickedness of Our Heart," has a common theme using an exegetical structure to 1 Kings 8, (A to B), “When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, (A) because they have sinned against thee, (B)” (1 Kings 8:33). “A” occurs and then God sends some kind of plague, war, famine, etc., to judge them; the “B” of the verse. A, then B. A, then B. A, then B.
I’m not being repetitious. His point is, "When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, [because] they have sinned against thee,” (1 Kings 8:35). Mead uses the summary of these ideas in verse 37, “If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be…” (1 Kings 8:37). The people sinned, and God brought a plague on account of sin. Vincent does the same in his work "The Way to Escape the Horrible Eternal Burnings of Hell."
Jesus thought the same way about God’s judgment on sin. “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:4-5). Events like these do not happen by accident. God is always behind their working providentially, but Christ saw God’s judgment in the tower that fell on 18 people.
What would Christ think about a plague that wipes out hundreds of thousands or millions? Or of a hurricane like Harvey that has killed 60? (That's 42 more people that the tower.) Or now, what about Irma? (So far has killed 10).
It's interesting to me that the news, weather channel, etc., ALWAYS totally delete any mention of the possibility of God existing in these disasters, and that Christians seem to ALWAYS say that "we just can't say." Jesus, though, saw judgment in the death of 18.
Thoughts?