G 0 D COMPARED TO A L I 0 N. Book II. 2. Counfol. To you that are the Enemies of the dreadful Majefty; blefs God you are net cut off, that you are not ground to Powder, and before now amon<>ft the Damne~: And let me advife you in_ Love to your Souls, not to adventure o~e Step funher m a Way of Sm and Rebellron agarnft God, left he tear you m Pieces, and there be none to deliver. Therefore God's Counfel is, Kifs the So;z, left be be angry, and ye perijb i11 the Way, when once his Wrath is kindled but a little: Blef!ed are all they that put their'lrufl in him, Pfal. ii. I 2. God is now ready to treat with you trom the Mercy-feat; but the Time is near, when he will get upon the Seat and Throne of Judgment, and then it will be too late. 3· Comfort. To you that are Saints, and under Afflictions; this may adminifter much Confolation unto you. You fee, God deals no otherwife with you, than he did with bleJfed 'Job; nay, what are all thy Sufferings compared with 'job's Sufferinas? And you have heard, that God in his feverdl: Difpenfations defigns your Good, ~nd that he will make you Gainers by all at Jail:; and if he lays an heavy Burden upon you, he will give you Strength to undergo it. Wait therefore patiently upon the Lord, and be humbled under his mighty Hand. How did Job behave himfelf, when God did all this to him? Did he oppofe? did he !hive with his Maker? No, no; Job knew that was in vain; but he tells us, He put Sackloth upon his Loins, and dfjiled bis Horn in the Dufl: lvfy Face, faith he, is foul with Weeping, and 011 my Eye-lids is the Shadow of Death, Job xvi. 5· The only Way under the heavy Strokes of the Almighty, is, to profl:rate our Souls at his Foot. When God let> out vifible Tokens of his afflicting ,Hand upon us, we fhould let out vifible Tokens of our Humiliation under his Hand; when we are greatly afflicted, we fhould be greatly affected; when God fee:ns angry, we fhould be troubled; when he runs on us in a Vvay of Affliction, we fhould fall down before him in a \~7 ay of Contrition. Ephraim's Sighs and Moans were Mufie in God's Ears. Ephraim did not murmur againfl: God, but mourned before God. The Way to h'ave God's Rod removed, is to be ienfible of the Rod, and who bath appointed it. If we would be free from Affliction, we muft be humbled for our Sin, if we are humbled under the Crofs, God will foon exalt us upon the Throne. GOD COMPARED T 0 A L I 0 N. I will be unto them as a Lion, as a Leopard will I obforve them: I will meet them as a Bear bereaved of hef· ff/helps: .dnd I will rmt I he Caul of /heir Heart, and then will I devour 1hem like a Lion, Hof xiii. 7· WE have here a threefold Simile, which lheweth the fearful State of a wicked and · provoking People. I. I will be unto them as a Lion, I will de·vour them like a Lion. 2 • .ds a Leopard 1 will obferve them. • 3· I will meet them as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps. Doct. I. God, in his breaking in upoit a wicked and rebellious People, in a 11/ay of Wrath and Judgment, will be unto the~u as a Lion. The Scope of this Text being to fet forth the Anger and Wrath of the incenfed Majefl:y of GOD, with the confequent Defl:ruction of the Wicked and Impemtent, we fhall illuftr.ate the Similitude in the following Parallels. SIMILE. I. THE Lion is a moft terrible . Creature: If the Lion roars, all the Beafls of the Forejl tremble, Amos iii. Naturalijfs obferve, That though other Creatures are fwifter on Foot than the Lion; yet when he roareth, they lie down. I!. A Lion when enraged (efpe– cially) haEh amajejfi;al, fierce, and PARALLEL. I. THATGod, that cometh forth in a Way of Judgment againft the Wicked, is a terrible God. Hence it is faid, He jhall roar out of Swn, Joel iii. I 6. The Threatnings of God are as the Roaring of a Lion, and ternfy the W 1cked, as a Lion cloth the more impotent Animals. I!. When the Face of God is fet againfl: a Soul or Nation, or he is moved to Frowns, Indignation, · · · and
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