An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

And the rebellions committed by impenitent sinners, going on in obstinacy to the end, without Conversion, what do they but lift up the glory of God in his Justice, and wonderful judgements, which he will bring upon them? The sins of the old world (which was a world of sin, all flesh having corrupted their way before God, and there being but one righteous Family found in it) all those sins (I say) did not damage God at all, but indeed they glorified both his Patience and his Justice; his Patience, in sparing them so long, even an hundred and twenty years after warning given; his Justice, in sending the Flood at last, which brought swift destruction upon them, and swept them all away. The unnatural crying sins of Sodom, did not hurt the God of Heaven, but God took advantage thereby, to glorify his Justice, in raining Fire and Brimstone upon them from Heaven, (Gen. 19.24.) Pharaoh by all his opposition against the Israel of God, did not disadvantage God, but gave him an advantage to make his Power known, by swallowing up him and his Egyptian Host in the waters of the Red Sea. That which is done against the Will of God, fulfils the Will of God. The sins of men are so far from hurting the God of Heaven, that they glorify him among men on Earth; while they behold him either turning the evil which is door into good, or punishing them •or their evil doings. That which men speak or do against God, like an Arrow shot up into the Air, falls down upon their own heads. David (Ps. 111.2.) breaks out wonderfully into the praise of God upon this consideration. The works of the Lord are great, ⟨p. 33⟩sought out of all them that have pleasure in them. These wo•ks of God wherein we should take pleasure, are not only woks of mercy to the Godly, (vers. 3, 4, 5.) but of vengeance upon the wicked, (vers. 6.) He hath showed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the Heathen. The works of his hands are Verity and Judgement, (vers. 7.) That is, judgement for Saints in saving them, and upon sinners in consuming them.¹ We should much contemplate the works of God, in bringing glory to himself out of the sins of men. The Angels sinned and sell; man sinned as soon almost as he was set up: These Creatures did that which God would not have done, yet God brought about that which he would. And thus it is to this day among all the children of men;