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

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. When we turn from God, his anger is turned against us, and when we turn to God, his anger is turned away from us. When the Lord is angry, what can comfort us, but the turning away of his anger? And by the very act of turning away his anger, he comforts us, though all the world be angry with us.

But some may say, How doth the Lord, who is said to love his people with an everlasting love, visit them in anger? To clear that, we may distinguish of anger.

First, There is correcting anger: Secondly, there is consuming or destroying anger. Destroying anger is inconsistent with everlasting love, but not correcting anger: correcting anger may be very grievous, therefore the Prophet deprecates it, (Jer. 10.24.) Correct me, O Lord, in Judgement, not in thy anger. The Lord doth often exercise (that is as often as there is cause, and we give him cause too often to exercise) a smart and severe anger towards his own people; but his consuming and destroying anger is the lot and portion of the wicked; If his anger be kindled but a little (namely against his enemies) blessed are they that trust in him; blessed are they that believe, when that anger of the Lord breaks forth against unbelievers. Or we may state it thus;

First, There is correcting anger: Secondly, there is consuming or destroying anger. Destroying anger is inconsistent with eve•lasting love, but not correcting anger: correcting anger may be very grievous, therefore the Prophet deprecates it, (Jer. 10.24