2. The other is fitted to work upon their hope, though his in- dignation fall hke a storm, yet it will not continue long ; it shall be but for a moment, better days and more comfortable dispensa- tions will follow. From all which the general observation is this,
Doct. That the attributes^ pi'omiscs, and providences of God, are the chambers of rest and security, in which his people are to hide themselves, when they foresee the storms of his indignation coming upon the world.
" The name of the Lord (saith Solomon) is a strong tower ; " the righteous run into it, and are safe,'''' Prov. xviii. 10. And his attributes are his name, Exod. xxxiv. 5. For by them he is known as a man is known by his name, and this his name is a strong tower for his people's security ; now what is the use and end of a tower in a city, but to receive and secure the inhabitants when the out- works are beaten to the ground, the wall scaled, and the houses left desolate ?
And as it is here resembled to a tower, so in Isa. xxxiii. 16. it is shadowed out unto us by a munition of rocks^, " His place of de- " fence shall be a munition of rocks.*" How secure is that person that is invironed with rocks on every side ? Yea, you will say, but yet a rock is but a cold and barren refuge ; though other enemies cannot, yet hunger and thirst can invade and kill him there. No, in this rock is a storehouse of provision, as well as a magazine for defence ; so it follows, " Bread shall be given him, and his water shall be sure."
And sometimes it is resembled to us by the wings of a fowl, spread with much tenderness over her young for their defence, Ps. Ivii. 1. " Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, " until these calamities be overpast.'" So Psal. xvii. 8. " Keep me " as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy " wings." No part of the body hath more guards upon it than the apple of the eye. God is as careful to preserve his people as men are to preserve their eyes ; and he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye. But we need not go from one metaphor to another to shew you where the sainfs refuge is in time of danger ; you have a whole bundle of them lying together in that one scripture, Psal. xviii. 2. " The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer, " my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the '' horn of my salvation, and my high tower." Where you find all kinds of defence, whether natural or artificial, under a pleasant variety of apt metaphors, ascribed to God for the security of his people.
Now for the casting of this great point into as easy and profita- ble a method as I can ; I shall resolve this general truth into these
5^8 THE RIGHTEOUS MAlv^'s REFUGE.
following propositions, which are implied or expressed in the text and doctrine thence deduced ; and the first is this ;
Prop. 1. That there are times and seasons appointed by God for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world.
Prop. 2. That God's own people are concerned in, mid ought to he affected with those judgments.
Prop. 3. That God hatha special and particular care of his peo- ple in the days of his indignation.
Prop. 4. That God usually premonishes the world, especially his own people, of his judgments before they befal them.
Prop. 5. That Gods attributes, promises, and providences arc prepared for the security of his people, in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world.
Prop. 6. That none but Gods people are taken into those cham^ hers of security, or can expect his special protection in evil times.
And then I shall apply the whole in the proper uses of it.
Demonstrating the first proposition, that there are times and sea^ sons appointed by God for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world.
Sect. I. A HIS is plainly implied in the text, that there are times of indignation appointed to befal the world ; yea, and more than this ; not only that such times shall come, but the duration and continuance is also under an appointment. " Hide thyself for a *' little moment, until the indignation be over-past." The prophet tells us in Zeph. ii. 2. that these stormy times are under a decree, and that decree is there compared to a pregnant woman which is to go out her appointed months, and then to travail and bring forth : Even so it is in the judgments God brings upon the world. We see them cot in the days of provocation, sed adhuc foetus in utero latent, but all this while they are in the womb of the decree, and at the appointed season they shall become visible to the world. As there are in nature fair halcyon days, and cloudy, over-cast, and stormy : So it is in providences, Eccl. vii. 14. " God hath set the " one over-against the other." Yea, one is the occasion of the other ; for look as the sun in a hot day exhales abundance of va- t)ours from the earth and sea, these occasion showers, thunder, and tempests, and those again clear the air, and dispose it to fair weather again. So it is here, prosperity is the occasion of abun- dance of sin, this brings on adversity from the justice of God to correct it ; adversity being sanctified, humbles, reforms, and purges
THE RIGHTEOUS MAN S REFUGE, 329
the people of God, and this again by mercy procnres their prospe- rity: So you find the account stated in Psal. cvii. 17. " Fools be- " cause of their iniquities are afflicted, tlien they cry to the Lord " in their troubles, and he saveth them out of their distresses."
And this appointment of times of distress is both profitable and necessary for the world, especially God's own people in it.
In general, hereby the being and righteousness of God is cleared and vindicated against the atheism and infidelity of the world, Psal. ix. 16. " The Lord is known by the judgments that he exe- " cuteth." Impunity is the occasion of many atheistical thoughts in the world, Jer. xlviii. 11. " Moab hath been at ease from his " youth ; and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been " emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity ; " therefore his taste remaineth in him, and his scent is not changed." So Psal. Iv. 19. " Because they have no changes, therefore they " fear not God." Kingdoms, families, and particular persons, like standing water and ponds, are apt to corrupt by long continued peace and prosperity ; the Lord therefore sees it necessary to purge the world by his judgments; " When thy judgments are in the '' earth, the inhabitants of the worl4 will learn righteousness." Those sermons that God preaches from heaven by the terrible voice of his judgments, startle and rouse the secure world, more than all the warnings and exhortations of his ministers could ever do. Those that slept securely under our ministry, will fear and tremble under his rods ; those that are without faith, are not with- out sense and feeling, their own eyes will affect their heai'ts, though our words could make no impression on them.