5 bo fÏhe berme fÌccoiantartt. obferv. t. Amore= Hoffe liar cards. Cybt. de Idol . vanitat. rertul. de poor. ont. c. 2. VI?. Anrelm. de Nods. Symb. Print. to. 3. here fpeaks, and that is in making the belt provifion vve can for the eternal Àvelfare ofour Souls. z. The fubje of it, our Hearts. 5c The means ofobtaining this wifdom, and that is bythe confideration and thought of Death. By the careful numbringof our dayesvve attain this vvifdome. Themeditation of Death makes us truly vvife. Before vve.faften upon theText, vve vvill take a furveyof the Context, vvhich ftands thus : I. Obfervci ñfofet having Ipoken of the vvrath ofGod in theforegoing verf, Who kvoroeth tinpower ofthine anger ,r even accordsng to thy fear, fo ts thywrath; ofthefudden he betakes himfelf toprayer. The thought and confideration ofGods anger Makes us to pray. x. Obferve here, after that e eofei had given us a defcription ofthe vvrath of God,prekntlyhis thoughts'are taken up vi'ith the meditationofDeath. The vvrath ofClad thought on, makes unto thinkofDeath. First, of the firlt: the anger ofGod meditated upon, makesus to fly to cuir pray- ers. The fear ofthis quickned the devotion ofJehëfliáphat, z Chron. zo. 3. And Jeho/haphatfeared, andfet himfelftofiek the Lord. He feared,thereforehe prayed: The thought of Gods anger may vvell bring us upon our knees, and vvhen danger approacheth, it is high time to Peek the Lord. "[ héRomans made Fe ra god, and vvorlhipped it for a god ; the Indians vvor(hip the Devil, for fear he should hurt them ; .and all this thews us, vvhat a command fear hash over the hearts ofmen to make them to pray. They thatnever think of God in thedayof profperity, vvill haftento call upon him in theday oftrouble. The text (ayes, when thefhipwas rea- dy tofink, the marriners were afraid, and every man cryedunto his God, Joh. Aman vvill never fooneracknovvledg a Deity,than in the midst ofhis fears. Such is the bafe fpirit of man, as thatthe long- fufferance and patienceof God make's fome men turn meer Atheifts. Therefore it is thatfo many believe there is no God, faith Tertullian, quia flails iratnm, ram dim nefcisme, becaufe they do not fee that god is angry vvith the World; they feel not the vvrath of God, therefore they conclude he is noGod; and as long as Godholds offfrom puni(hing,they hold offfrom pray- ing. His Judgments prove him a God, vvhen his Mercies cannotperfwade thevvorld fo much. Every man hastens to leek the Lordvvhen he is angry ; his Jul = (tice terrifies us, his Mercy hardens us; hisGoodnefs makes us to rebel,his Anger teachethus to pray ; we forget Godvvhenhe is gracious,and fly amain to himvvhen he threatens. Letus often thinkofthe vvrath ofGod,and let the thought of it fo far vvorkupon us, as to keep us in aconftant avve and fear of God ; and let thisfear driveus toGod by prayer, that fearing as vve ought, vvemay pray as vveare commanded,and pray- ing, vve mayprevent the vvrathofGod. If ourprefent forrovvs do not moveus, God vvill fend greater; and vvhenourforrovvsaregrovvn too great for us,vve Ihall have little heart or comfort to pray. Let our fears their quicken our prayers, and let our prayersbe fuch as are able to overcomeour .fears: foboth vvayes (hall vve be happy, in that our fears have taught us to pray, and our prayers havemade us to fear nomore. Novv is the timefor us to pray, beforegriefwax too"ftrong for us ; for thetime may come,vvhenvve (hallnot be able topray,by reafonof the fenfeand feeling of the vvrath of God uponus. Novv our prayers in the timeofhealth may be "as Incenfe before the Lord, asa fvveet odour in the noftrils of God: but ifvve negleif to offer up thisIncenfe, vve mu(t look for theIncenfe ofVengeance tofall clownupon us, Apse.8.5. IfGod take the Cenfer in his hand, and fill it vvith the fireof his vvrath, then follovvs nothing but thundrings, lightnings, and terrible comnotions in the Soul. vefpalianronzaga, gavefor his Symbol three Flalhes of Lightning, the firft did touch, the fecund did burn, the third didrend and tear in pieces. The haft affli&ionhapply may lightly touch and affect us, the fecondmay Icare us, and stir up the fireofdevotion in us, but the third vvill pebve fo terrible, as that it veill tear afunder all our prayers, and fo terrific our fpirits, as that vve fhall not be
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