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

Lastly, We may distinguish of anger thus; There is First, a temporary anger: As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites, so (we may say) there is a temporary anger in God against the faithful when offending; that is, he is angry with them for a while, for a season: Sing unto the Lord, O ye Saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness, (saith David, Psal. 30.4.) But why doth he call them to singing? we have the reason of it given at the 5th verse, For his anger endureth but a moment; he speaks there of the Lords anger against his Saints and peculiar people: while they indeed have cause to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger, they may also sing, both because his anger endureth but for a moment, that is, because (if that be all) it endureth not at all, (a moment is of no endurance) as also because in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Once more, hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger, (Micah 7.18.) Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage; he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. God doth not retain his anger for ever; that is, not long; yea, that not for ever, is but a little while, a moment, and that but a small moment, as the Prophet Isaiah spake, (Chap. 54.7.) As if he had said, The Lords anger is not retained so long, as if it should be always retained; his anger towards you is soon blown over, and gone, upon the matter (like a moment) as soon as come. Such is the anger which God discovers towards his own people.

Lastly, We may distinguish of anger thus; There is First, a temporary anger: As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites, so (we may say) there is a temporary anger in God against the faithful when offending; that is, he is angry with them for a while, for a season: Sing unto the Lord, O ye Saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness, (saith David, Psal. 30.4.) But why doth he call them to singing? we have the reason of it given at the 5th verse, For his anger endureth but a moment; he speaks there of the Lords anger against his Saints and peculiar people: while they indeed have cause to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger, they may also sing, both because his anger endureth but for a moment, that is, because (if that be all) it endureth not at all, (a moment is of no endurance) as also because in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Once more, hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger, (