IEhap. io about Anger in God. 8 Anfwi Beeaufe it's Gods nature fo to do : Hisnature is more inclined to mer- cy then toanger. For God to angry, its upon the fuppofition of our fins ; but to be merciful, italways proceeds from his own bowels. c vticah7.18. Who is a. ' God like onto thee,that párdon'th iniquity, and paffeth by the tranfgrejTons of the remnant of his heritage : He rerainethnot his angerfor ever,beeaufahe delighteth in mercy. What comes naturally,comes eafily, without pain, as beams from the Sun, water from the fpring,heat from the fire : Hence, Pfal.g. to. They that know thy Name willpm-their eruft in thee, for thou Lord haft nor forfaken them that feek,thee. weft. How can Gods anger befaid to be turnedawayfromhis children, when yet oft-tines they finde the ofc lls of itin thecourte oftheir lives ? Anfw. There is adouble anger in God , t. Vindicative. z. Fatherly. Now God after ourfirfl converficn removes his vindicative anger from us : af- ter which,though he fometimes threatens and frowns upon us,yet it is with a Fa- therly anger:and this isthat whichGod removes,together with the íhame,and cor- re&ion attending it,whenwe repent of our fins,and reform our ways. Or There is A childe ofanger. A childe under anger. Now Godschildren after their converfion are never children of wrath , and an- ger, though fometime, they be children under anger, if they make bold with fin : fo that then, though they have the right of Sons,yet they cannot make ufe ofit,to go boldly to the Throne ofgrace,conceiving God to be angry with them, and fo continue till theyhumble themfelves,& reform their ways:Godwas fo angrywith Mofes that he fuffered himnot to go into the land ofCanaan, Numb. zo. I 2. fo he was with Davidwhen he had numbred the people, zSam.z4.r. and with the Corinthiansfor their unworthy receiving theSacrament ofthe Lords Supper, iCor. I t.3o.Thefe were aIL children under wratli,but not childrenof wrath. Quefa.Howmay we know Gods anger to be removed,whenyet we endure the afi- [lions? eInfw.God is infinitelywife,and inafflieling hath manyexcellent ends : as Firft,whenhe Alias us, it's to corre& us for our fins: after whichwhen wehave I, pulled out the flingof finbyconfeiion and humiliation , though the atiliEtion loth continue,yet his angerdothnot. Secondly,affli&ion fomtimes is only for the exercife ofour faith,and patience,. II. and trialof our graces, and for the exemplary manifeftation unto others of Gods goodneflè to us. But even then we may know that aflli&ions comenot in anger to us, when after repentance God fpeaks peace to our confciences,fo that though thegrievance continue; yet it's attendedwithpeace and joy in the Holy Ghoft, See Dr. Sibs his returning Back-flider. weft. How is Godfaid tobe Angry with his children? Ifa.64.g. Anfw. Gods anger toward his childrenclothnot exclude them out ofhis love , feting it is not the anger of an enemy, but of a gracious father, who is not angry with their perfons to deftroythem, but with their Liinstoconvertand fave them. As childrenby their mifcarriagesmay anger their parents, andprovoke them to frown upon them, yea,fharply to cotre6 'tthem,andyet at the fame time their pa- rents entirely love them,andfeek their amendment: So Gods children , when they fin,provokc him to anger,and are faid to be out ofhis favour, not that God changeshis fatherly affe&ions,or purpofesutterly to refe& them : but only chan- ges the effe&sofhis Iove,into effedtsofhatred byfuffering them to bevexed with terroursof confciences, and outwardly fcourges themwith temporary alli&ions, not out of hatred to their perfons,whom he hath once loved in Chrift,and there- fore for ever loves them : butfor hatredofthe f fins, and love to their perlons whom by this meanshe brings to repentance,andreformation oftheir ways. Quef.
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