He shows himself marvellous or wonderful: a man is never marvelled at, when he goes his old pace in his old path. God loves to have his hand in the honey-pot, therefore it is strange to see him give his people a bitter cup to drink, or feeding them with wormwood and with gall. Judgement is the strange work of God (Isa. 28.21.) The Lord shall be wrath in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. And if every work of judgement be his strange work, a work he delighteth not to be conversant in, what then are great and sore judgements? Though the Lord be infinitely pleased in the executions of judgement, yet because (if a more may be conceived in infinity) he is more pleased with mercy, therefore judgement is called his strange work, his strange act. To see a Prince renowned for clemency and pity, passing a severe sentence, is a strange sight. We say, he hath showed himself marvellous, he hath gone against both his practice and his nature, his custom and his inclination. To see any man do what he useth not, hath somewhat of wonder in it; much more, to see God do so. When he taketh up his rod we begin to start, how much more ⟨p. 561⟩when he taketh up his sword, when he hunts those like a lion, whom he dearly loveth, and uses those as wild beasts, who are his precious children; when he smites them with rigour, whom he carrieth in his own bosom. These, these are acts which represent him to admiration: as many acts of his power and mercy, cause the Saints to cry out, admiringly, yet joyfully, Who is a God like unto thee? So some acts of his visible severity cause others of them to cry out admiringly, yet sorrowfully, Why, O God, dost thou act, in appearance, so unlike thy self?
He shews himself marvellous or wonderfull: a man is never marvelled at, when he goes his old pace in his old path. God loves to have his hand in the hony-pot, therefore it is strange to see him give his people a bitter cup to drink, or feeding them with wormwood and with gall. Judgement is the strange work of God (Isa. 28.21.) The Lord shall be wrath in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to passe his act, his strange act. And if every work of judgement be his strange work, a work he delighteth not to be conversant in, what then are great and sore judgements? Though the Lord be infinitely pleased in the executions of judgement, yet because (if a more may be conceived in infinity) he is more pleased with mercy, therefore judgement is called his strange work, his strange act. To see a Prince renowned for clemency and pity, passing a severe sentence, is a strange sight. We say, he hath shewed himself marvellous, he hath gone against both his practice and his nature, his custome and his inclination. To see any man do what he useth not, hath somewhat of wonder in it; much more, to see God do so. When he taketh up his rod we begin to start, how much more ⟨p. 561⟩when he taketh up his sword, when he hunts those like a lion, whom he dearly loveth, and uses those as wilde beasts, who are his precious children; when he smites them with rigour, whom he carrieth in his own bosome. These, these are acts which represent him to admiration: as many acts of his power and mercy, cause the Saints to cry out, admiringly, yet joyfully, Who is a God like unto thee? So some acts of his visible severity cause others of them to cry out admiringly, yet sorrowfully, Why, O God, dost thou act, in appearance, so unlike thy self?
