We provoke the Lord to visit us in his anger, when we do not ⟨p. 122⟩trust in his mercy. Our not trusting God must needs provoke him to anger; for when we do not trust him, we question him; distrust or unbelief questions all that God is, and all that God hath promised, it questions his Truth, and his Faithfulness, his Power, his Mercy, and his Goodness; all these, which are the glory of God, and in all which the sons of men ought to glorify him, these are all questioned and darkened, when we put not forth acts of trust and reliance upon God, in times of greatest affliction and extremity. Is it not then a provoking sin, I say not to with-draw trust from God, and give it to an arm of flesh, but not to put out fresh and full acts of trust upon God, let our affliction or extremity be what it will! The Children of Israel were in great extremity at the Red Sea, a mighty Army pursuing them at the heels to destroy them, and mighty waters being before them, ready to swallow them up; in these straits (whilst they should have done their utmost to get, and assure God to be their Friend) the Psalmist tells us, They provoked him, (Psal. 106, 7.) But wherein lay their provocation? that Scripture saith, They remembered not the multitude of his mercies: The former mercies of the Lord did not strengthen their trust in present troubles; that was one provocation. And as former mercies did not strengthen their trust, so the present trouble drew out their distrust, as another Scripture assures, reporting their behaviour in it (Exod. 14.11.) And they said to Moses, Because there were no Graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? What were these fearful fore-casts, these amazing bodements of an unavoidable (as they apprehended) ruin, but the overflowings of unbelief, or distrust in God; and this was another provocation. Former mercies are forgotten, yea eaten up by unbelief, as the seven lean Kine in Pharaohs dream, eat up the fat ones, and present difficulties are aggravated by unbelief, as if all the power of God could not remove and overcome them. And will not the Lord (think you) visit in anger for such a sin as this?
We provoke the Lord to visit us in his anger, when we do not ⟨p. 122⟩trust in his mercy. Our not trusting God must needs provoke him to anger; for when we do not trust him, we question him; distrust or unbelief questions all that God is, and all that God hath promised, it questions his Truth, and his Faithfulnesse, his Power, his Mercy, and his Goodnesse; all these, which are the glory of God, and in all which the sons of men ought to glorifie him, these are all questioned and darkned, when we put not forth acts of trust and reliance upon God, in times of greatest affliction and extremity. Is it not then a provoking sin, I say not to with-draw trust from God, and give it to an arm of flesh, but not to put out fresh and full acts of trust upon God, let our affliction or extremity be what it will! The Children of Israel were in great extremity at the Red Sea, a mighty Army pursuing them at the heels to destroy them, and mighty waters being before them, ready to swallow them up; in these straits (whilest they should have done their utmost to get, and assure God to be their Friend) the Psalmist tells us, They provoked him, (Psal. 106, 7.) But wherein lay their provocation? that Scripture saith, They remembred not the multitude of his mercies: The former mercies of the Lord did not strengthen their trust in present troubles; that was one provocation. And as former mercies did not strengthen their trust, so the present trouble drew out their distrust, as another Scripture assures, reporting their behaviour in it (Exod. 14.11.) And they said to Moses, Because there were no Graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wildernesse? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? What were these fearful fore-casts, these amazing bodements of an unavoidable (as they apprehended) ruine, but the overflowings of unbelief, or distrust in God; and this was another provocation. Former mercies are forgotten, yea eaten up by unbelief, as the seaven lean Kine in Pharaohs dream, eat up the fat ones, and present difficulties are aggravated by unbelief, as if all the power of God could not remove and overcome them. And will not the Lord (think you) visit in anger for such a sin as this?
