away. The fashion of this world it passeth away, and therefore, oh, my soul, now use the world as if you used it not. Thus the apostle speaks, this is his argument, and these are his arguments; and so say I, brethren and beloved," the time is short, it remaineth therefore, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy as though they possessed not; and they that use this world as not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passeth away."

SERMON VI.

MEN'S WRATH AGAINST GOD'S PEOPLE SHALL TURN TO GOD'S PRAISE.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Psa. lxxvi. 10.

In this Psalm we have a declaration of the majesty and glorious appearance of God, in and for his church and people. "In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel, in Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Sion," verse 1, 2. Where God appears as a Captain and General unto his people, and as a Judge.

As a Captain and General; therefore in verse 3: "There," in Sion, "brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep."

As a Judge, at verse 8: "Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven, the earth feared and was still: When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth."

But if God do thus appear, to, and for, and with his people, why doth he suffer the wrath and anger of men to be so much against his people?

Why he answers it in verse 10. " Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain." Though God do suffer the enemies of his people

to be very angry and wrathful with his people, yet that wrath of theirs shall turn unto the praise of God, and the remainder of their wrath God will restrain. From whence then I take up this observation.

Though there be a great deal of anger or wrath in the hearts of men against the people of God: yet God will either turn their wrath unto his own praise, or restrain their wrath.

For the clearing and prosecuting whereof, two things will fall under our consideration.

First, That there is a great deal of wrath and anger in the hearts of men against the people of God.

Secondly, That this wrath, God will either turn to his praise, or restrain the same.

First of all, There is a great deal of wrath and anger in the hearts of men against the people of God. A great deal of anger; so much anger as doth amount to wrath, for wrath is the height of anger. Now the men of the world, they are wrath with the people of God, not only angry, but wrathfully displeased, Psalm exxiv. "Had not the Lord been on our side when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us."

There is not only wrath in their hearts against the people of God, but such wrath as doth amount to rage. For as wrath is the height of anger, so rage is the height of wrath. Now there is rage also in the hearts of men against the people of God. "Why do the heathen rage?" Psalm ii. They rage.

And there is not only rage in the hearts of the wicked against the people of God; but such rage as doth amount to fury. For as rage is the height of wrath, so fury is the height of rage. Now there is fury in the hearts of men against the people of God. In Daniel iii. 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they brought these men before the king, verse 19. Then was "Nebuchadnezzar full of fury."

Yea, there is not only a fury in the hearts of men against the people of God, but there is a hatred in their hearts against the saints and people of God. For as fury is the

height of rage, so rage settled, is hatred.

Hatred is the

rage, and fury.

worst of all, it is settled anger, wrath, and Now wicked men they do hate the saints. In Psalm xxiv. 21. "Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." Yea, saith David, Psalm xxv. " Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred," verse 19. So that thus then we see in the general, that there is a great deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of men against the people of God.

Well, but for the opening of this a little further. It will be said, what kind of anger and hatred is there in the hearts of men against the people of God?

And how comes it to pass that they should so hate and be so wrathfully displeased with the saints and people of God, that do them no hurt?

To give you some account of this. If you ask what kind of anger and hatred, or wrath there is in the hearts of men against the people of God.

I answer, it is a violent wrath and anger: proud and violent men are risen up against me.

As it is a proud and violent wrath or anger, so it is a fraudulent and deceitful wrath: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; speaking of the enemies of the people of God. Their wrath is not only violent, but there is a fraudulency that is joined therewithal.

As it is a deceitful and a fraudulent wrath and anger, so it is a mortal wrath and anger that is in their hearts towards the people of God. A devouring, consuming and destroying wrath. They eat up my people as they eat bread," Psalm xiv. "If the Lord had not been with us, they had swallowed us up quick," Psalm cxxiv. And they shall kill you, saith our Saviour Christ. So that this wrath and anger that is in the hearts of wicked men, it is a mortal, deadly, destroying, consuming and devouring wrath.

As it is a mortal, deadly, destroying and consuming wrath, so it is a blaspheming wrath. How long shall foolish men blaspheme thy name? Rabshekah was angry, and he did not only blaspheme the people of God, but God himself. "Where is now your God?"

As their wrath is a blaspheming wrath, so it is an unreasonable wrath. Why do the heathen rage? Why? Why,

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they have no reason for it. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" It is a vain thing, they have no reason for it. The wrath that wicked men have against the people of God, and their anger it is most unreasonable.

As it is an unreasonable wrath and anger, so it is an insulting wrath and anger, whereby they do insult over the poor peoof God, Psalm cxxxvii., "By the rivers of Babylon we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Sion. We hanged our harps upon the willows, for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song: and they that wasted us, required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion;" insulting over them. And so in Rev. xi. They will make merry, and send gifts one to another, rejoicing over the dead witnesses. It is an insulting wrath and anger that they are filled withal.

And then further, as it is an insulting wrath and anger, so the wrath and anger that is in the hearts of wicked men towards the saints, it is an universal wrath and anger. For though they be angry with one person, their anger doth not stay there, but it riseth unto all the party of the saints. Haman's wrath began with Mordecai, Esther iii. 5., “And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath." What then: "And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews." So wicked men, they begin, it may be, to be angry with one saint; but from that one their wrath and anger doth arise to them all. It is an universal wrath against all the seed of the godly. They take occasion from one, and fall upon all.

And then as is is a universal wrath and anger, so it is an implacable, an un-appeasable never-dying, and everlasting wrath, Amos i. 11., "Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and kept his wrath for ever." It is an everlasting wrath, wicked men will not be appeased.

This is a certain rule, the more there is of religious end that any evil work hath, the more lasting, holding and con

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tinuing is that evil work. Now in John xvi. 2., our Saviour saith, "They shall put you out of the synagogue; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service." The Syriac reads it so: That whososoever killeth you will think that he doth bring a sacrifice unto God. In Exod. viii. 20., saith the Lord by Moses, unto Pharoah," Let my people go that they may serve me.' Now this is the errand that Moses hath: Pharaoh answers it thus, verse 25., " And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to God in the land." Moses saith in the name of the Lord, " Let my people go that they may serve me:" Pharaoh understands it concerning sacrifice, and therefore saith he, Go and offer sacrifice unto your God. And indeed the thing sacrifice hath the same word. The word that is used here in this xvith of John, "Whosoever killeth will think that he doth λατρειαν προσφερειν τω θεω.” Now in Ephes. v., the sacrifice that Christ offered, hath the same word," Walk in love, as Christ hath also loved us, and hath given himself” προσφοραν και θυσίαν, an offering and a a sacrifice. So that as good authors do observe, what Christ saith here, They shall think that they do God good service: it is as much as if he should say, They shall think when they kill you, they shall offer a great sacrifice unto God. But this is the thing I bring it for, the more religious end that any evil action hath, the more holding and continuing is that evil action. Now wicked men for their malice, they shall have a religious end; they shall think they do God good service their malice therefore, and their wrath against the people of God, is never-dying, and an everlasting wrath. Thus you see what kind of wrath it is.

you,

It is a violent anger: it is a fraudulent anger: it is a mortal anger: it is a blasphemous anger: it is an unreasonable anger: it is an insulting anger : it is a universal anger against all the people of God, upon one man's occasion: and it is an everlasting and a never-dying anger.

But then how comes it to pass that there should be such a deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of men against the people of God; for the people of God are a quiet and a peaceable people?

It is true so they are: but who more quiet and peaceable, and meek, than our Lord and Saviour Christ; he lift not up