1. God may be angry, and sin is the cause of his anger; that's the first Proposition. Man may be angry without sin, not without perturbation: God is angry without either perturbation or sin. His anger is in his nature, not by anthropopathy, but properly; being his corrective Justice, or vindicative Justice. Iratus videtur, quia tunquam iratus operatur. Our anger is an impotent passion: His a most clear, free, and just operation. By this affection in our selves, we may guess at the perfection that is in God. The dissolute securitans think that God doth but smile at the absurdities of men; that ludit in humanis: that their drunkenness and adulteries rather ⟨p. 7⟩make him merry then angry. Like some carnal father, that laughs at the ridiculous behaviour of his children […] to whom their wanton speeches and actions are but a pleasure; and in which he rather encourageth, then chides. eIndeed, God is said to Laugh; He that sits in heaven laughs them to scorn: but woe be to the men at whose fooleries God laughs. It is a dissembling falsehood in man, to smile and betray, as Judas began his treachery with a kiss: Such are likened to those bottled windy drinks, that laugh in a mans face, and cut his throat. But this laughter in God, argues not so much what he does, as what they suffer; when by frustrating their sinful purposes, he exposeth them to contempt and scorne. Dei ridere, est hominem ludibrio exponere. If a little ant creeping out of a molehill, should march forth, and proffer to wrestle a fall with a giant, there were yet some proportion in this challenge: but there is none of a finite power to an infinite. Audacious sinners, that dare provoke the Lord of hosts! What are all the Armies and Forces of Tyrants, to oppose the omnipotent God? fHe will make a feast of them, for the fowls of the Air, whom he invites to the flesh of Captains, and to the flesh of Kings. Let earth and hell conspire, let there be a confederate band of men and devils; how easily can he command the one to their dust, the other to their chains? What power have they of either motion or being, but from him against whom they fight? Our God ⟨p. 8⟩is a consuming fire; and he will consume them not only in anger, but in laughter. The Catastrophe of all rebellion is but the Sarcasmos or bitter scorn of God.
1. God may be angry, and sin is the cause of his anger; thats the first Proposition. Man may be angry without sin, not without perturbation: God is angry without either preturbation or sin. His anger is in his nature, not by anthropopathie, but properly; being his corrective Justice, or vindicative Justice. Iratus videtur, quia tunquam iratus operatur. Our anger is an impotent passion: His a most clear, free, and just operation. By this affection in our selves, wee may guesse at the perfection that is in God. The dissolute securitans think that God doth but smile at the absurdities of men; that ludit in humanis: that their drunkennesse and adulteries rather ⟨p. 7⟩make him merry then angry. Like some carnall father, that laughs at the ridiculous behaviour of his children 〈…〉 to whom their wanton speeches and actions are but a pleasure; and in which he rather encourageth, then chides. eIndeed, God is said to Laugh; He that sits in heaven laughs them to scorn: but woe be to the men at whose fooleries God laughs. It is a dissembling falshood in man, to smile and betray, as Judas began his trechery with a kisse: Such are likened to those bottled windy drinks, that laugh in a mans face, and cut his throat. But this laughter in God, argues not so much what he does, as what they suffer; when by frustrating their sinfull purposes, he exposeth them to contempt and scorne. Dei ridere, est hominem ludibrio exponere. If a little ant creeping out of a molehill, should march forth, and proffer to wrastle a fall with a gyant, there were yet some proportion in this challenge: but there is none of a finite power to an infinite. Audacious sinners, that dare provoke the Lord of hostes! What are all the Armies and Forces of Tyrants, to oppose the omnipotent God? fHe will make a feast of them, for the fowles of the Aire, whom he invites to the flesh of Captains, and to the flesh of Kings. Let earth and hell conspire, let there be a confederate band of men and divels; how easily can he command the one to their dust, the other to their chains? What power have they of either motion or being, but from him against whom they fight? Our God ⟨p. 8⟩is a consuming fire; and he will consume them not only in anger, but in laughter. The Catastrophe of all rebellion is but the Sarcasmos or bitter scorn of God.
- ePsal. 2. 4.
- fRev. 19. 18.
