9 Great is the wrath of the Lord; if we look to strength, are we stronger than the Lord?1 Do we think to shift & escape his anger, or that we can abide the furiousness of his wrath? That we cannot escape it, it is plain, for the Lord is every where; if we run from him, we run as in a circle, the further we run from one side, the nearer we run to another, and still we are in the Lord his compass. If we run from the East, he will meet us in the West: the Lord hath a chain for us, and will hold us in darkness, so that easily we shall not be able to escape. Now for making our part good with the Lord, we are not, as Job saith, rocks; or if we were mountains, we should smoke, when the Lord doth blow on us: we are but potsherds, and the Lord hath a rod of iron to bruise us; and such is the power of God, which we shall try in our destruction, if we will not try it in our salvation. What shall we then do? Surely, having so mighty an adversary, it shall be good to seek peace and reconciliation with him. For as this is comfortable, he shall be our Advocate, which is our Saviour, and he that is our Saviour shall be our Judge; so this is as fearful a thing, that he shall be our accuser which is our Advocate. Yet therein is the Lord merciful, that he doth not bring upon us a sudden Outlawry, but he fore-telleth us of his suite, and therefore it is good to be reconciled: and for our reconcilement, because the first part standeth in a confession, we must acknowledge that we have offered as much violence to the law of the Lord as we can, and that so we have forfeited all our benefits, our bread, our sleep, our apparel to the Lord. The confession of the whole plea is lost, if we confess not all, otherwise we are in Adams case to be condemned, who would hide his fault; and in the2 estate of the damned, Matt. 25. who being accused, did plead again, Lord, when saw we thee? or heard we thee? &c. There is no standing out with the Lord; but seeing we have lost all, we must confess all, that for knowledge the pap is still in our mouths, and in respect of3 our lives, we are certainly felonious usurpers of his creatures; and so promise that hereafter we will do otherwise: but if we stand out (I say) with the Lord, nothing is to be4 looked for but eternal condemnation, mourning, and woe.
9 Great is the wrath of the Lord; if we looke to strength, are we stronger than the Lord?1 Do we thinke to shift & escape his anger, or that we can abide the furiousnes of his wrath? That we cannot escape it, it is plaine, for the Lord is euery where; if we run from him, we run as in a circle, the further we run from one side, the neerer we run to another, and still we are in the Lord his compasse. If we run from the East, he will meete vs in the West: the Lord hath a chaine for vs, and will hold vs in darknes, so that easily we shall not be able to escape. Now for making our part good with the Lord, we are not, as Iob saith, rocks; or if we were mountaines, we should smoke, when the Lord doth blow on vs: we are but potsherds, and the Lord hath a rod of yron to bruise vs; and such is the power of God, which we shall trie in our destruction, if we will not trie it in our saluation. What shall we then doe? Surely, hauing so mighty an aduersary, it shall be good to seeke peace and reconciliation with him. For as this is comfortable, he shall be our Aduocate, which is our Sauiour, and he that is our Sauiour shall be our Iudge; so this is as fearefull a thing, that he shall be our accuser which is our Aduocate. Yet therein is the Lord mercifull, that he doth not bring vpon vs a sodaine Outlawrie, but he fore-telleth vs of his suite, and therefore it is good to be reconciled: and for our reconcilement, because the first part standeth in a confession, we must acknowledge that we haue offered as much violence to the law of the Lord as we can, and that so we haue forfeited all our benefits, our bread, our sleepe, our apparell to the Lord. The confession of the whole plea is lost, if we confesse not all, otherwise we are in Adams case to bee condemned, who would hide his fault; and in the2 estate of the damned, Matt. 25. who being accused, did plead againe, Lord, when saw we thee? or heard we thee? &c. There is no standing out with the Lord; but seeing we haue lost all, we must confesse all, that for knowledge the pap is stil in our mouthes, and in respect of3 our liues, we are certainely fellonious vsurpers of his creatures; and so promise that hereafter we will doe otherwise: but if wee stand out (I say) with the Lord, nothing is to bee4 looked for but eternal condemnation, mourning, and woe.
- 1That we can neither suffer the wrath of God, nor fly from it, the best is to yield unto it.That we can neither suffer the wrath of God, nor flie from it, the best is to yeeld vnto it.
- 2Confession.
- 3Knowledge.
- 4Psal. 32. 45.
