G 0 D A S H I E L D. Book II. 8. This may fiir us up to the Duty of Prayer, to cry mightily in our Diftreffes to God for Help ; let us pray in this Time of Need, as the Church doth: Awake, awake, put on Strength, 0 Arm of the Lord, awake as i11 the Generations of old: Art thou not he that bath cut Rahab, and .wounded the Dragon? Lord !hew forth thy M1ght; here IS another Dragon, a Romifh and bloody Dragon, rifen up againft thy poor Church, and it is in the Power of ihy Arm only to deal with him. 9· Seeing God hatli fuch an Arm, let weak Chriftians pray, that he would lead them yea, carry them in his Bofom; and let us all daily be in the Confideration and Medita: tion of the Strength and Power of his Arm. We little confider and fear what God can do. G 0 D COMPARED TO A TRAVAILING WOMAN. Now will I cry like a travailing Woman, &c. Ifa. xlii. 14. THIS is a Kind of Metaphor called an Antropopathy, as all Places are that attribute any thing human to God. In this Text we are to note, that his Lenity, Patience, and long Forbearance, are changed into a fevere Vengeance : Becaufe a travai1incr Wo. man, though in great Pain, yet patiently endures it, to the utmoft Extremity ~f her Throws ; and then being overcome by the Violence of her Pangs, breaks out into Cries and Vociferation : Which moft elegantly expreffes the Patience and long Forbearance 'Of God, and the Extremity of his Wrath, when provoked, Pfal.lxxviii. 65, 66. Rom. ii. 4· 5· SIMIL E. I. A Travailing Woman is in Pain, great Pain ; When Pangs come upon tbee like the Pain of a Woman in 'l'ravail. PARALLEL. I. GOD is pleafed tofpeak afterthisManner, as if he was in Pain: I will eafe me, faith he, of mine Adverfaries, I will avenge me of mine Ene– mies, IJa. i. 2+· The Adverfaries of God feem to hurt, and put him to pain. In all their /l.ffiiflions he was a.ffiifled, Ifa. lxiii 9· When the Foot is affliCted, the Head is affliCted. God is pleafed to condefcend fo low, as to fympathize with his Church; when lhe is pained, he is pained. H. A Woman in Travail cries out ; her Pains are fo great lbe cannot refrain ; her Pangs make her cry bitterly. Ill. A Woman in Travail firives to bring forth. IV. It is not long when great Pain and Pangs come upon a tra– vailingWoman, ere lbe isdelivered. II. God will vifibly demonftrate (to fpeak after the Manner of Men) how his Soul is pained and diftreffed for his Church and People ; hence faith he, I <vill cry like a travailingWoman, Ifa. xlii. IfIll. When God ftirs up himfelf, and begins to cry and roar, it is that he may bring forth De– liverance for his Church. IV. When God begins to roar in his thunder– .ing Judgments, pouring forth the Vials of his Wrath upon the Beaft, and to cry like a travailing Woman, Deliverance will foon follow the Church. U S E. JT !hews the great Affection and Love of God to his People, the Truth and Certainty of their Deliverance, and the utter Confufion and Dbwnfal of their Enemies. . G 0 D A S H I E L D. <fhe Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, Pfal. lxxxiv. 1 r. '!'he Lord is my Shield, Pfal. xviii. 2. T HIS Term Shield is metaphorically attributed to Princes and great Men, Pfal. xvii. 10. Hof iv. 18. becaufe they proteCt and defend thetr SubjeCts or D.ependants from Injuftice and Violence, a~ a Shield does the 'l!ody from Blows. For thiS reafon God Is called
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