Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v2

Chap. 5. AnExpofition upon the Book of J O$, Verf. Ii; be angry; yea,he wóuld lay a charge upon his mouth, not to utter a word,and a charge uponhis heart,not toutter a thought againft what the Lord doth with him. I will bear the Indignatim of the Lord becaufe I have finned againft him, faith the Church,Micah'.. 9. As ifThe had Paid, The remembrance of my fin takes away all pleading,much more all quarrelling,in how angry a pofture foever the Lord lets himfelf to afllifk me : and therefore my fpirit is re- folved,'that becauftï -my 11áb bath finned, my fleth than bear the indignation of the Lord. Fie that knows what it is tofin, know, that allfufferings let than Hell, are lefs than fin. Ifa man were convinced of this, that, what he bears is lets than his fin deferves, he would bear it, with thanks,not withcomplaints. Yeahe would ¡radait, ç' i fay, that, as he, bath deferved all thefe and more than all- thefe omnia fbi ds- firokes, fo he bath need'of them: The bundle offolly in his, heart beet putar. calls for abundle of rods upon his back,and he fees want of cor- reti'on might have been his undoing. Therefore to be angry with affli ion,argues a man ignorant ofhimfen;asa creature,much more as a finful creature. Once more the foolifhnefs of fuchwrath appears to the eye of nature and common reafon, becaufe this wrath brings no cafe or remedy at all to thole wounds, but ra- ther makes themmore painful, if not remedilefs. It is an argu ment of folly to do any thing,wherebywe cannot help our felves, but it is tolly and maduefs todo that which hurts, which makes our wound fetter and our difeafe grow defperate. Did any' man ever cafe himfelf by fretting of raging under the (;rots ? How many have made their crofs more heavy upon them, by raging at it ? A mans own wrath, isheavier to him, than his Ctofs. A(tons is heavie, andfandweighty, but afools wrath ú heavier than them both, Prov. 27 3. A fools wrath is very heavy to others, but it is- heavieft to himfelf. The Text is exprefs for it, which may be a third obfervation. To be angry anddifcontent at Godsjudgments is more deffruirivt to ste, than thejudgments tkemfelves. The wrath and judgments of God afflia only, but your own 'wrath deftroycs ; wrath Hayes the foolith. Probably God came only to correa{ you, but wrath kills you. The wrath ofman is a pafíìon,but it is veryalive upon eatsupatlie fpirit which nudesand brings it forth : Frowardnefs and anger are at once our finand our torment. He that isangry when God ttrikes, ftrikes himfelf, whereas humble fubmiflìon to the blow, turnes it into a ,ifs

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=