Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London

But then secondly, Will God let wicked men alone in this their wrath and anger against the people of God.

No, but saith the second part of the Doctrine, the Lord he will either turn their wrath and anger unto his own praise, or he will restrain it. You have both he•e in the Text; thou wilt turn their anger unto thy praise O Lord, and the remnant of their wrath, thou wilt restrain. Either God will turn their wrath unto his own praise, or he will restrain it. I use to express it thus, by the Miller that lets the water run: So much water as will serve his turn to grind the Corn, he lets it run, the rest he doth restrain, and don't let it run. So the Lord doth let ⟨p. 170⟩the wrath of man run so much as may grind his corn, so much as may serve his turn, so much as may work to his praise: The remnant he doth restrain, either he will work the wrath and anger of men to his own praise, or he will restrain the same.

Sometimes he will restrain it: In Isa. 27. v. 8. speaking of the afflictions of the people of God: In measure when it shooteth forth wilt thou debate with it; he stayeth his rough wind, in the day of the East-wind: Consider that expression, He stayeth his rough wind, in the day of the East-wind. The East-wind is an obnoxious wind, a hurtful wind, a piercing wind, and a wasting wind. Why now this East-wind may blow but mildly, and it may blow roughly: Why, saith the Lord, when wicked men that are rough, and when they are very rough, God will stay his rough wind in the day of his East-wind: Though it be a day of Gods East-wind, and wicked men are very rough, God will stay his rough wind: The wrath and anger of wicked men is his rough wind, but God will stay his rough wind in the day of his East-wind: Some times he will restrain it.