26 IM Q e fiions,andCafes ofConfcience Chap. ió pleafure : what is it that blows the coalsof hell, and makes that fire fo hot, but Gois an er? Ifa.3o.3 3. s, Q ft. -Flaw will tt app?ar that Gods angerisfo terrible ? r Ar,fv Fire}, we may fee it in the earnefincffe of Davids fuit to have Gods wrathful countenance turnedaway from his fins, and from him becaufe of his fins, Pfal.5 r. 9. As alfo in that of the Church, l'fa1.85.4, . Turne us O Godof Our falvation, and cattle thine anger towards us to ceafe i wilt thou be angry with us for cvrr ? wilt thoudraw out thine anger to allgenerations ? &c. II. Secondly, in the expreffions whereby the Scripture fets it forth, as TM. 76.7. 7hote,,evcn thou art to befrared,andwho may Hand in thyfight when once thou art anory. Pfal. I S. 7. The earth fhook and trembled : the foundations of the hills alton oved, andwere fhak.en becaufe he was Wroth. Pfal. 2./2. and ye perifhfrom the way, when his wrath is k;r;dled,yca but a lithe. It was time for Mofes to call upon eflaron to Makehafle, and goquickly to make anattonement, when there was wrath gone out from the Lord,Numb.16.46. It'scalled Gods fierce wrath , f er.3.9. his fore difpleafure, Pfal.2. ç Oh! rebuke me not in thine anger , faith 7David,. Pfalm 6. t. He cared not what God laid upon him, fo it were not in an;er. III, Thirdly, the greatneflè ofGods anger may beeftimated by thegreatneffe ofhis mercy.Pattence abufed turns into fury. What is blunter then iron,then fleele in it felt ? But letit once be fharpened,, and nothing iskeener : Nothing fo calm naturally as the Sea, but when once flirted, nothing is more tempefluous. The -bet} wine makes the fharpef}vineger. Sonothing being fo merciful as God is in" himfeif ; if h'e be once provoked, nothingis more terrible, Heb. r z. 29. Our god is açonfumingfire,Heb.r o.3 t. Is's afearful thing tofall into the hands of the living 'god. 1V. Fourthly, the bitterneffeof Gods wrath may be concluded out ofour Saviours agony : It was no fmall thing thatmade even him banding in our roome , To offer Hpprayers, andfupplicattons with throng crying, and teares, to befevedfrom that whichhefeared, Heb. ç.7. See Mr. L!ieron. on Pfal.ç r. Quell. what means then may weufe to divert this fierceanger of God ? A,fro. Repentance is thebefr means we can ufe to pacifie Gods difpleafure. When the Lord bath threatned many grievousjudgements, and plagues for finale one upon the neck of another,denounced with variety ofexpreflions in the moll terrible manner, yet after all that terrible thundring. See Dent. 3o. a, &c. It follows : It(hallcome to paffe when'all thefe things arecome upon thee,thebleJngs, and the curies which I haveletbefore thee , and thou (halt call them tominde a. mongfl all the Nations whither theLord thy' God hathdrivh thee, and/halt re- turn unto the Lord thy God, &c. that then the Lord thyGod will turn thy capti- vity, and have compafon upon thee,cr'c. Not that repentance is the meritorious caufe ofpardon, but God will have an order in things : where there is no fence offin, and humiliation , with prayer for pardon, and reformation , truiting in God for mercy,there the anger ofGod abidesbill. Again, zChre.7.14. Ifmy peo- ple that are calledby my Name(hall humble themfelves, andpray,and feekmyface, and turnfrom their wickedways :1 nil!hear from heaven, and will forgive their fin, and heal their land: andno marvel ; for he is gracious, and a fin-pardoning God,E'xod.34.6,7. foE.sek.18. and ch.33. u7fanaffes was a very great (inner, being enabledby hisauthority to dothe greater mifchief, yet uponhis humiliati- on, and prayer, he found mercy, 2Chron.33.12,13. fo in the Prodigal,Luk,15.20. David,Pfal,32.3,4. confeffeth that while} neglected repentance,Godshand was heavy upon him, fo that his moiflure was turned into the drought of Summer, 1 Gc. Butwhen he confeffed;God forgave the iniquityofhisfin. ()Liefl. whyis repentancefuch an effef1u. l means todivert anger?
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