A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 19
OF THE ANGER OF GOD. CHAP. XIX.
ISAI 64.5.
Behold, thou art wrath, for wee have ſinned.
IN the former words, as you have heard, we have ſpoken of the Juſtice of God; the next Attribute is the Anger of God: for the ground of which, we have made choyce of theſe words; Behold, thou art wrath, for we have ſinned: and of this in the ſame order as before: and ſo the firſt Queſtion to be propounded, is:
Queſt. What is the anger of God, or of the Divine Eſſence?
Anſw. It is a communicable Attribute, whereby he being angry with his creatures (ſinning) juſtly willeth, threatneth, and executeth puniſhment upon them; this is the deſcription of Gods anger, and the opening of it is after this manner. Firſt, anger, as it is in man, a paſſion, is not, nor may be attributed to God; for we ſay it doth not become a wiſe man to be angry, much leſſe the wiſe God, but is attributed to God as the former: that is, as anger is mixed with corruption, it may not be attributed to God, yet generally taken, it may.
There be two things to be conſidered in anger, as it is in man; Firſt, called the matter. Secondly, the forme: for the matter of anger, I ſay, it is a paſſion naturally inflaming the bloud with deſire of revenge; and cauſes a man to goe out of himſelfe: in which reſpect, it can be no way given to God, becauſe he is ſo ſimple pure, that no impurity can be given to him; now this proceeds from the ſenſuall part, and ſo it is both in man, and beaſt, and cannot be attributed to God. Secondly, as it proceedes from mans will, joined with deteſtation of evill, and deſire to puniſh evill; ſo it may be attributed to God: and of this the Prophet ſpeakes, in this place: behold thou art angry, for we have ſinned. I ſay, that God is angry with ſinne; it is in this place manifeſt, that all Gods anger, is againſt ſinne: ſo Rom. 1.18. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againſt all ungodlineſſe &c. where we ſee, that God is angry with ſinne: and the Apoſtle Paul, Col. 3.5. recounts up ſeverall ſinnes, as fornication, wantonneſſe, covetouſneſſe, &c. and for ſuch ſinnes, the wrath of God comes upon the children of diſobedience; and in the 5. Ephe. when he had reckoned up divers ſins, in the 6. verſe he comes and ſaies, Let no man deceive you with vain words; for theſe things the wrath of God comes upon the children of diſobedience. The next thing is this, whereby he is angry with his creatures, juſtly willing, and decreeing puniſhment; it is juſt if he will it, becauſe his will is the rule of juſtice, and he wills not puniſhment out of paſſion, as a man doth; it comes not from the ſenſuall appetite, as it doth from man, but it proceeds from Gods will averſe from the creature, ſinning: and this willing, or decreeing puniſhment, is called the anger of God: and ſo anger is put for the decree of anger: ſo it is taken, he is a God of anger, keeping wrath for his adverſaries.
The next we ſay, he doth not onelyonly decree, but denounce judgement, & ſo anger in the Scriptures, is put for threatning of anger: as Pſal. 6.1. Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chaſten me, &c. that is, doe not lay upon me, that thou haſt threatned in thy law; where anger is not put for the decree, nor the execution, but for the denouncing: ſo Matth. 3.11. and ſo Iſai. 11.9. I will not execute my fierce wrath; that is, I will not execute my wrath, as I have declared it: Again, it is ſaid, he executes puniſhment on the wicked; he declares it not onelyonly, but executeth it: ſo anger is put for the execution of anger; Matth. 3.7. Who hath forwarned you to fly from the wrath to come: that is, from the puniſhment, that the anger of God hath decreed: ſo likewiſe in other places, 1 Theſ. 1. laſt verſe, He hath delivered us from wrath to come. Rom. 5.9. We are ſaved from wrath: So that this ſheweth, that anger, is put for the execution of anger. Next we ſay, that he doth declare, and execute puniſhment; puniſhment is two fold; it is temporall, and it is eternall: The puniſhments in this life, are upon mens perſons, eſtates, goods, &c. as is threatned, Deut. 28. eternall puniſhments, are they which are prepared for the devill and his Angels, and thoſe that are ſeduced by him. The next thing is ſaid, he executes his law upon all offenders: offenders, are of two ſorts; Elect, and Reprobate; ſome children, others ſervants; and of theſe, to the one, he hath decreed temporall puniſhment onelyonly: and to the other, he decrees, declares, pronounces, executes, both temporall, and eternall puniſhments: his owne, are free from the eternall, but the other are not free from temporall: but he laies upon the wicked, ſome temporall puniſhments, as a revenge againſt impenitency; yet theſe ſatisfie not his juſtice, and therefore are followed with everlaſting torments, in hell fire, when God takes of wicked men, and Angels, a full and juſt revenge, becauſe they have not ſatisfied his juſtice: chaſtiſements, God laies upon his owne, but not everlaſting torments: becauſe his juſtice is ſatisfied for them, by his ſonne; and therefore it is ſaid, Pſal. 139. that he is not angry for ever, neither deales he with us according to our ſinnes. Iſai. 27.8. He deales with them in meaſure, in the branches, but with the wicked in the root; he deales with his owne, as the Husbandman deals with his frute trees, which he doth prune, and cut off the unprofitable branches, &c. On the other ſide, when he deales with the wicked, he deales with them in the root, ſtocking them up; but not to ſtand long; God ſometimes inflicts puniſhments upon his owne children, and they may be bitter, and ſharp, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 12.1. No afflictions for the preſent, are pleaſant: but this he doth, that they may not be condemned with the world: and he deales patiently with the wicked; and this he doth, becauſe they are veſſels of wrath prepared for deſtruction: and thus I have opened this deſcription.
Queſt. Why is anger Attributed to God, or to the divine Eſſence?
Anſw. Becauſe that God is good and gracious. We will explane this, after this manner: that which is good, muſt be angry becauſe it is good: it is naturall to goodneſſe, to be oppoſite to evill; as it is naturall to evill, to be oppoſite to good: experience teacheth us, that the worſer any man is, the more he is offended, with that which is good; and no man can be good, unleſſe he be offended with evill; and the more good a man is, the more he is offended with ſin; therefore God being goodneſſe it ſelf, muſt needs have anger againſt ſinne. Secondly, God is gracious: now theſe two, anger, and graciouſneſſe in God are oppoſite one to another; the grace of God is only to ſome, not to all; his anger is to others: all are not under favour, therefore there muſt needs be anger in God; all by nature corrupted are under anger: ſo it is, Ephe. 2.3. So we are by nature the children of wrath. They who are reconciled, are the children of mercy: they that are not reconciled, are children of anger: therefore God being good and gracious, anger is proper to him.
Queſt. Why ſay you, by this anger, he wills, denounces, threatens, and executes puniſhments?
Anſ. The anſwer is, becauſe he is moſt wiſe, moſt mereifull, ſlow to anger, moſt juſt, not making the wicked innocent; to explane theſe: Firſt, he decrees, and therefore moſt wiſe, this comes from the wiſedome of God; that he doth, he doth it not upon paſſion, but upon deliberation; eſpecially when he comes to matter of anger: this appeares, for God ſpeakes of himſelfe to Abraham, Gen. 18.21. I am come downe to ſee whether Sodome be ſo wicked &c. before I doe execute, I will ſee; not that God knew it not, but to ſhew how ſlow he is to anger: in like caſe, Ier. 44.21. Doth not the Lord remember and conſider, before he comes to execute his anger: when he hath decreed it, he doth not preſently execute it, but he doth denounce it: why? becauſe he is moſt mercifull, ſlow to wrath, and therefore he doth denounce: Iſai. 34.7. He is a God that will not puniſh, but upon neceſſity; he would willingly be alwaies ſhewing good, and when he is angry, he is compelled and provoked to it; and becauſe he would not willingly puniſh, therefore he denounces puniſhment; he ſpeakes often, before he will doe it once, that if it might be, he might be prevenred by repentance. Laſtly, after threatning, he proceeds to execution, not with delight; (God delights not in the death of a ſinner, he afflicts not willingly) but compaſſion. As Titus the Emperour, before he ſacked the City of Jeruſalem, wept over it, pittying them he ſhould deſtroy it; ſo doth God, when threatnings prevaile not, and by them, men are not reclaimed, then he comes to execution; becauſe he is juſt; that he may not make the wicked innocent: how is that? by ſparing to execute his juſtice on them: for ſo I remember David ſaid to Solomon, that he ſhould not make the wicked innocent: how is that? thou ſhalt not, ſaith he, let them goe with peace to the grave: though I did not execute judgement upon them, yet thou ſhalt do it: as Savian ſaith of Sodom, that God ſhewed mercy, in that he was long before he did execute; and juſtice, and wrath, in that he did execute at laſt.
Queſt. Why is this wrath Attributed, to execute puniſhment upon offenders?
Anſw. Becauſe he puniſhes impartially, he reſpects no perſon; we will explane this: it is true, it is the perſon he puniſhes, but he puniſhes him for ſinne; who ever ſinnes, him he puniſhes: he ſpares not his owne, but puniſhes them, ſometimes more ſharply then others; this ſhewes that he is impartiall, in that he puniſheth them, not onelyonly when they be unrepentants, but when they be repentants, though not in themſelves, yet in their ſurety; that is Chriſt: ſo that he accepts no mans perſon: repentance takes not away puniſhment, but doth ſo much prevaile with God, that he laies it upon Chriſt; he was beaten for our tranſgreſſions: and though ſometimes he puniſhes one, and the ſame ſinne differently, more in one then in another, it is not for the perſon, but to ſhew himſelfe impartiall; namely when circumſtances make the ſin greater; then he laies the puniſhment greater, as Levit. 24.9. If the Prieſts daughter committed fornication, ſhe ſhould be burnt, in as much as the circumſtances made her ſin the greater; and thus, you ſee the ground of this.
Vſe 1. The firſt uſe is: This teaches us, that anger it not ſimply evill, when the Scripture forbids it; it doth not ſimply forbid it: why? becauſe it is attributed to God, and nothing that is ſimply evill can be attributed to God; Saint Bernard ſaith, ſimple affections are in us by nature; being corrupted by our fall they are become ſinfull, whereas by creation, they are naturally good; but they are morally good in God, ſo anger applied to God, is morally good: Anger is ſo farre from being ill, that a man cannot without it avoyd evill, nor walke in the practice of godlineſſe as he ought. Anger preſerves the works of vertue: A man of anger is like to a Souldier that hath put on his armor ready at the command of the Captaine; Anger is the hand of reaſon, the Souldier of reaſon, to fight for God againſt ſinne; anger is the ſinewes of the ſoule; it makes a man zelous againſt ſinne, and he that hath not this is in ſmall meaſure godly, he is no way profitable, for anger helpes a man againſt every iniquity; hereupon the father uſes a ſimilitude: anger is like to the Shepheards dogge: how is that? thus, he barks at every ſtranger, but is quiet with his maſters friends, and faunes upon them: ſo is anger in the heart of man, let ſinne come, anger ſets upon it, &c. Anger truely ſanctified is that which will oppoſe any corruption that ſhall be offered: In theſe reſpects and many ſuch, anger is very profitable: Anger ſaith one, is like the edge of a knife, and God hath put it into the hand of man; what uſe is there of a knife? to cut off all unprofitable branches; ſo of anger, &c. thus much of this uſe.
Vſe 2. The next uſe is this, it ſhould teach men to feare the wrath of God; men ought to feare ſinne, becauſe they ought to feare the anger of God: If men ſinne, certainely God will be angry; looke what ſinne God hath revealed his wrath from heaven againſt, that ſinne feare; for inſtance, God hath revealed his wrath from heaven againſt ſuch as contemne the word, and ſacraments: 2 Chron. 36.36. They mocked his meſſengers, and deſpiſed his Prophets, &c. then his wrath came, and there was no remedy: So Matth. 11.22.24. Woe unto Capernaum, it ſhall be eaſier for Sodom, and Gomorrah then for thee: 1 Cor. 11. for this cauſe many are ſick, &c. God hath revealed his wrath againſt the injurers, againſt Sodom, &c. but eſpecially againſt impenitency; that is, when men notwithſtanding they heare the word of God denounced againſt ſinne, yet they bleſſe themſelves: Deutr. 29.29. he ſaith my wrath and Jealouſie ſhall burne againſt that man. Reade the Scriptures, and every where you ſhall finde ſome monuments of the wrath of God; conſider, and when you are tempted to ſinne, lay the wrath of God againſt that ſinne. Art thou a deſpiſer of Gods word, art thou an abuſer of his ſervants, or a prophaner of his ſabbaths, and feareſt not thou the wrath of God, that he ſhould breake out againſt theſe ſinnes? this ſhewes that thou art ſhut up in impenitency; therefore the wrath of God and his Jealouſie ſhall burne againſt thee.
For the concluſion, know, that he is the ſame God that he was; there is the ſame juſtice, the ſame wrath, and he will certainly puniſh the ſame ſinnes, out of the ſame juſtice; art thou a deſperate man? this ſhould make thee feare; God muſt ſmite thee, elſe he were unjuſt. If any man deſire to get the feare of God, what an excellent helpe hath he from hence? let him conſider God is the Lord of fury: This one truth rivetted upon the heart of man, will purge out all uncleanenes, and wicked works, that he ſhall not dare to move a member to ſinne, nor give approbation to the leaſt motions of iniquity injected to his heart, though he cannot prevent the ariſing of them: for the expectation of the puniſhment will keepe him off, &c. as for inſtance, Ieroboam ſtretched forth his hand againſt the meſſenger of God, but being ſmitten he ſpareth him: ſo many ſtretch their tongues, and ſpeake againſt the miniſters; if this conſideration were in their hearts it would keepe them from this wickedneſſe, and they ſhould eſcape the wrath to come.
Vſe 3. Is God a God of anger againſt men for ſinne? doth any man lie under this anger, and deſires to be freed from it? let him labour to pacify this anger of God; then you will aske me, but how is this anger pacified? I anſwer, by taking away that with which he is provoked: Take away fuell from the fire, and it will be ſoone extinguiſhed; take away that which provokes God, which is ſinne, and anger will quickly ceaſe: Iere. 18.7.8. The Lord ſaith, If I threaten evill againſt a nation, and that nation repent, I will alſo repent: Take away the matter, and Gods anger will be taken away; If Acham and his excommunicate thing be ſtoned, and burnt, the anger of the Lord ceaſes againſt Iſraell; If Ionah be caſt into the Sea, the ſtorme ceaſes; If the Ninivites turne from their ſinne, the Lord will turne from their puniſhment; therefore if any man would be freed from the anger of God, then he muſt take away ſinne; The anger of God is like the Parents anger; Parents take delight in doeing good and are never angry, but when they are provoked: ſo it is with God, it is his nature to delight in doeing good, he is not angry but when he is provoked unto it: This is that the holy Ghoſt ſpeakes, Iſai. 27. Anger is not in me; but how ſhall this agree with that place before ſpoken of? God is the God of anger: Nah. 1.2. I anſwer, Lam. 3.33. The Lord afflicts no man willingly: mercy is naturall to God, but to be angry, and wrath, is a forced motion: ſo that if we ceaſe that which provokes, he will ſtay his anger: they take a wrong courſe that think of any thing to appeaſe God, but the removing of ſinne: the holy Ghoſt complaines, Iſai. 22.8. That when he threatned judgement to come upon them, they began to thinke of their Armor, and their Fortreſſes, and their ſtrong Walls, but never thought of the matter that provoked the Lord: and whereas they ſhould have betaken themſelves to faſting, &c. they betake themſelves to feaſting; this iniquity (ſaith he) ſhall not be taken away from them untill they die: when Aſa, 2 King. was ſick, he never ſought to the Lord, that was not the way he took for his recovery, but to the Phyſitian; and Iſrael to King Iareb, Hoſ. 5. but he could not heale him. There are ſome that ſeeke to God, yet they nevertake away ſinne, therefore they cannot have Gods anger taken away; or if God doe take away his anger from them, it is in greater anger: many men bleſſe God that he hath eaſed them of a plague, when yet they have not left their ſinne; I ſay to ſuch, it is a greater judgement for thee to have the plague removed: theſe men that when they are under a judgement, cry for eaſe, but remove not the cauſe of their paine, which is ſinne; are like to the patient, that goes to the Chyrurgian for eaſe, and there is yet in the wound, a little bone, or ſplinter which he will not let the Chyrurgian take out, without the taking out of which there can be no eaſe.
The concluſion is this; would any man have the anger of God taken away from him? he muſt ſearch to finde the cauſe of this anger, he muſt ſearch to find the plague in his owne heart, 1 King. 8. thus ſaith Ieremiah, Lamen. 3. why is living man ſorrowfull? man ſuffereth for his ſinne; let us ſearch and try our waies and turne unto the Lord: take away that which provokes the Lord, and labour to be angry with thy ſinne, and God will ceaſe to be angry with thee.