z E pH. Il. I, 2, 3· But .if God lhould fpare thee yet, and let thee live, yet in the mean time an execution of bt;~rdn~{s of heart, and bti1td1ufs of mindmay be ferved on thee as on the Phari(res, .7obn 1 ~.4o. He hatb btindd their eyes, and h,,rdntd their heart, that tbeyjhouldnot fee with their eyes, 11or U1tderjland With thnr htart, and be converted. If not fo, yet which is all one, a Decree pafs again!t thee, that thou lhalt never have a Pardon granted, though thou lhouldft fue for it, as againfr E{au, who Heb. 1 t.. ?Jegleflmg his Birthr;r,ht, though he fought to revoke it with tears he could not; and ~gainfr the ljraetites in the Wilder• nefs, again!t whomGodJwore they fboutd never mter i11to his rejl, though they lived many years after. , , But the malt fearful executi<JO of all the re!t, which all thefe tend to, is yet behincl, you have it in the Text, the Anger and Wrath of rhe Almighty God; that is the Child which in his Decree is conceiving, and is already quickned. P{at.i.II. God u angry with the wicked every day. This Cbild l\rives in his Heart every momenr, fo as he is ready every day to fall in Travel, only becaufe this Child mu!t have a time fully to be come to its growth; therefore he forbears yet, fo as in the mean while he is a preparing his lnflrumnits of 'Death (as there) for the execution of his Anger, when his Anger lhal! be brought .. forth. And to that end there is a day appointed, The day of the Lord's A11grr, in the Text, which though thou knowe!t not, yet Pfal. 37· q. God{eo this day a coming. ABirth when God's Vuree /;rings forth anger, and thy fot brings forth Vuztb , James r, I). and that tht'tl when thou lea!t dreameft of it, For when they /ball fay, Petlce a11d fafety, then {udden def/ruflio1J cometb upo~> them, IU travtl upon a Woma11 with Cbild, a11d they /hall 11ot e[capt. r 1heff.) + Yea,and it !hall be theFierce A11ger of the Lord alfo; the longerthe Child goes in the Womb, the bigger. [Fitrce] becaufe without mercy, James 1, •3· Judgment without mercy; called alfo purewralh without mixture, becaufe not a drop of Mercy to moderate the fiercenefs of it. Andwhat art thou this fierce wrath lhall ceafe on, thou art but Chaff. Nfl• humq. his Anger is a Whirlwind; afmall ordinaryBia!t fcatters Chaff away, much more a Whirlwind. There is no refiftance, and if thou could!t refi!t the Whirlwind, yet there 'tis faid to be poured out tU fire, which therefore mu!t needs confume thee; aRdif it rend the Rocks, melt the Hills, burns the Earth, 'l/.),6. howmuchmoreChatf; WhocaiJfland before hi<l•tdignatiou, who can tJbide the {iercmejs of his wrath 'I I !hould gow, in the la!t place, fpeak to thofe that are already truly turned to God,the Meek of the Earth, And herein the Prophet feems,to all: as one out .of hope,to prevail with the Impenitent; J'ft fukyou,faies he,as whe,n that great fin w~s committed, Ezr.g. though others were regardlefs of the danger would follow, yet every one that feared the Lord alfembled to him, to pray and feek God, v+ ·Thus here cloth the Prophet fpeak to the godly among!t them [SeekJ·ou,] as if he had faid, Though others do (according to their kiod) go on in h>rdnefs of heart, to treafure up wrath againfr the day of wrath (formerly fpoken of by him,) yet yot•,who are,and profefs yourfclves The Meek of the Earth; (which is the general title given the Saints in the Old Te!tament !tyle, and imports all the whole of Religion,) up.on whofe hearts ~he Word ufeth to take impreilion. Do you accordmg to your kmd, take and rece1ve thts Word of ExhortatiOn with Meeknefs? Which is, Fir!t, To feek;·our God; for fa in dangerous times he expeCl:s you llrould, and wonders if you do not; fo l{ui.)9·'3•'4· He wo•tdred there WM 110 !Jtterceffor . (it was in evil times, as appears by the former Verfes.) God wonders not tha~ wicked men lhould be fo bad; but that his People lhould be fo negligent, What {fays he) have I no Children on the Earth, that upon fuch occaf10ns, and fuch Threatnins, ufe to intercede with me for. the Nation they live io; where are my Noahs andVamels. We wonderat thmgs thetr 11ot domg ,,ccordi11,g to thor kind, as when we fee the Sun ftand !till, or Fire not to burn,&c. .'\.nd 1)9
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