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that he would remember mercy. We fhewed when a time may be faid to be wrathful; enquired what inftances of mercy we need at fuch a time; opened up the import of the Lord's remembering mercy, and our praying that he would do fo; and fhewed that it is both feafonable and reasonable to plead that he would remember mercy in wrathful times; and alfo made fome improvement of the point.

We fhall now, at this time, add a Leffon deducible from the text and doctrine fo clearly, that it might be viewed as another doctrine.

LESSON. "That God has terrible and wrathful ways "of faving his people, while in wrath he remem"bers mercy, and allows them to plead mercy in the midst of wrath."

In opening up and illuftrating this leffon, we shall endeavour to do thefe five things.

I. We fhall clear this leffon from fcripture.

II. Obferve fome terrible and wrathful ways wherein he faves his people.

III. Confider in what cafes and feafons he brings them under thefe tokens of wrath.

IV. Offer fome reafons why he fhews mercy in fuch wrathful ways.

V. Deduce fome inferences for the application.

I. For clearing and confirming this leffon from fcripture, you may confult the following paffages. Pfalm xlv. 4. "His right hand teacheth him terrible things.Pfal. Ixv. 5. By terrible things in righteoufnefs wilt thou answer us, O God of our falvation.-Pfalm lxvi. 11,12. Thou broughteft us into the net; thou laidft affliction upon our loins; thou haft caufed men to ride over our heads; we went thro' fire and thro' water; but thou broughteft us into a wealthy place.-Pfalm lxxxi. 7. Thou calledft in trouble, and I delivered thee; I anIwered thee in the fecret place of thunder: I proved thee

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at the waters of Meribah." Jacob faith, "All these things are againft me :-But God meant it for good," Gen. xlii. 26. See Deut. viii. 15, 16. and x. 21. Pfalm 1xviii. 35. Tho' we may apprehend God defigns evil against us, and against his church; yet the Lord means it for good: "The Lord is with me, faith the prophet, as a mighty terrible one, Jer. xx. 11.-I will bring her into the wildernefs; there will I fpeak comfortably, Hof. ii. 14.—Thou shalt go to Babylon, there fhalt thou be delivered," Mic. iv. 10.-Ezek. xxii. 14, 15. If. lxiv. 3, 4.

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II. We proposed, next, to obferve fome terrible and wrathful ways, wherein he faves. Some of these have been mentioned in the fcriptures cited. He fheweth mercy to them by terrible ways, while he doth it fome-times by terrible providences; fuch as heavy afflictions, grievous rods upon their bodies, families, names, estates, children and relations; of all which I might give inftances, were it needful. They are chaftened of the Lord, that they may not be condemned with the world:" And, "Their light affliction worketh for them a far more ,exceeding and eternal weight of glory."-By terrible temptations: fo Paul had a meffenger of Satan fent to buffet him, that he might not be exalted above measure. By terrible falls into the mire: fo Peter fell into the horrible pit of curfing, swearing, and denying his Mafter.By terrible words: as when he tells them, in a manner, that he has no commiffion to fave them; and that they are dogs, to whom the childrens bread does not belong. By terrible commotions, diforders, and confufions upon their minds; "I am full of confufion, fee thou mine affliction," Job x. 15. Thus the arrows of the Almighty may be within them, chap. vi. 4.-By terrible commands, like that to Abraham, Gen. xxii. 2. "Go facrifice Ifaac." By terrible threatenings, like that to Ifrael, Judges x. 14. "Go to the gods whom ye have ferved; I will deliver you no more."By terrible challenges, like that, Ifaiah, xliii. 23, 24. "But thou haft not called on me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Ifrael," &c.-By terrible defcriptions of them, like that, Ifa. lvii. 17. "For the iniquity of his covetoufnefs I was wroth, and fmote

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him," &c.By terrible fears and perplexing thoughts; fo the pfalmift, In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my foul:" fear of relinquishing; "When my foot nigh flipt, thy mercy held me up," Pfalm xciv. 18.-By terrible ftorms and tempefts of angry difpenfations, like that towards Jonah, chap. ii. 6. "I went down to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever."-By terrible difappointments, making them fay, "I fought him, but I found him not.-I go forward, but he is not there." By a terrible confluence of trouble and mixture of adverfity; troubled on every fide with troubles of every fort, outward and inward trouble, deep calling unto deep. By terrible queftions; fuch as that, "How fhall I put thee among the children? Jer. iii. 19.-How fhall I pardon thee for this? chap. v. 7.-How fhall I do for the daughter of my people?" chap. ix. 7.-By terrible delays, making them cry, "How long? how long?" Pfalm xiii. 1-By terrible tidings; "I will not be afraid of evil tidings:" importing that they are terrible.—They may be scared with dreams, and terrified with night vifions. By terrible turns, and various changes and viciffitudes; "Becaufe of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou haft lifted me up and caft me down again," Pfalm cii. 9, 10.-By terrible extremities, even to the fentence of death, 2 Cor. i. 9.; yea, to the grave, and the grave-ftone, Lam. iii. 53.; yea more, to be as dead and dry bones fcattered about the grave's mouth.— Thefe are fome of the terrible ways wherein the Lord fheweth mercy, or faves his people, while he hideth his face from, and fheweth his wrath against them.

III. The third thing propofed was, To confider in what cafes and feafons he fheweth himfelf in arms and in wrath against them.

1. When they degenerate and make apoftafy from him, and from his truth, and their zeal for it, Jer. ix. 1,-7. Hence he faves them, vet fo as by fire, I Cor. iii. 14. To this purpofe fee Ezek. xx. 33,-37.

2. When his people become carelefs and negligent

in known duty. Thus God met Mofes, and fought to kill him, for his neglect to circumcise his child, Exod. iv. 24. You read of Eli's neglecting to punish and chaftife his fons, 1 Sam. ii. 12,-26. wherefore God breaks his neck, and lays his two fons in one day, chap. iv. 10,-18.

3. When the people of God break out into any scandalous fins, whereby the name of God is blafphemed. You fee David's murder and adultery feverely chastised: "The fword fhall never depart from thine houfe, because thou haft defpifed me, and haft taken the wife of Uriah to be thy wife, and haft flain him: behold, I will raife up evil against thee, in thine own house. Thou didst it fecretly; but I will do this thing before all Ifrael, and before the fun," 2 Sam. xii. 10,-14.

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4. When the people of God undervalue their mercies, and do not obferve the kindness of God, that conveys their mercies to them: "She did not know that I gave her corn, wine, and oil, and multiplied her mercies; therefore I will take away my corn, wine, oil, and flax, and none fhall deliver her out of my hand," Hof. ii. 8,9. How can we expect God fhould remember mercy towards us, when we do not remember, but forget his mercy?

5. When the people of God grow wilful and obflinate, and will not hear the call of God; as it was even with good Jofiah, who will needs go and fight with Necho, king of Egypt, contrary to the call of God; and fo he got his death's wounds, 2 Chron. XXXV. 20. 22. When they will not obey his voice, but walk after the imagination of their own heart, going after Baalim; then he is provoked to fay, "Behold! I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink," Jer. ix. 15. When they defert the call of God, and the caufe of God, then he is exceedingly provoked.— Jonah will not go the errand God fent him; and how terribly doth God deal with him!

6. When the people of God fall a-doating upon what God hath bestowed upon them, then God deals fharply with them thus, when David falls a-doating upon Abfalom, what a grieved heart got he with him, both in

his life, and in his death! Beware of doating too much upon your children, or idolizing your enjoyments, left God break your idols, and break your hearts with them

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7. When the people of God grow full of animofity, and fall out by the way: I mean, when even the friends of truth, and of the caufe of God, are rent one from another. Many of God's faints, who could agree well enough in a prison, and at a stake, yet could not agree when at liberty. Sharp perfecutions have been occafioned by the divifions of the faints, by the diffentions of Luther and Calvin. "Whereas there is among you envying, ftrife and divifion; are ye not carnal?" I Cor. iii. 3. And particularly when, through pride or selfishnefs, a faithful remnant, that would witness the best way they can for God, are left alone, and few or none will join them, to fet up the curtains of the tabernacle ; this tends to divide the paftors and fcatter the flock. See Jer. x. 20, 21.

8. When the people of God turn carnally confident, ftill juftifying themfelves: "How canft thou fay, I am not polluted?-Thou fayeft, Behold I am innocent :I will plead with thee, because thou fayeft, I have not finned," Jer. ii. 23. 35. This is quite the reverse of the precept, Judge yourfelyes, and ye fhall not be judged," I Cor. xi. 30.

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9. When they break out into intemperate zeal, zeal without knowledge; this provokes God to bring terrible things upon them, to cure this diftemper, and to calm and fober them. Thus it was with Uzza, when he gave a touch to the ark: and with the Jews, Rom. x. 2. "I bear them record, faith the apoftle, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." Zeal without knowledge, is heat without light: and let there be never fo great a zeal for God, and a good caufe, if it be grounded upon ignorance, and want of understanding, it comes to little account; yea, it brings to ruin fo it was with the Jews: Light and heat should bear a proportion to one-another.

10. When they rafhly approach to God in duties and ordinances, and worship him in a carnal, formal way;

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