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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	anger_n	angry_a	just_a	1,601	5	7.4510	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97221	Mans fury subservient to Gods glory. A sermon preached to the Parliament at Margarets Westminster Febr. 20. 1656. it being a day of publick thanksgiving. With the addition of an applicatory discourse about the mutuall animosities of Christians, which was omitted for want of time when the sermon was delivered. By John Warren, M.A. minister of the gospel at Hatfield Broad-oak in Essex.	Warren, John, minister of Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1657 (1657)	Wing W974; Thomason E916_7; ESTC R207491	21,447	40

never effect a thorough Reformation A second time in which the wrath of wicked men uses especially to break forth is the time of Gods peoples exaltation in the world when God lifts up his people among men and sets them high in worldly respects This time comes about but seldome I confess and yet oft enough for ought I know unlesse we had more grace to use it when it comes Generally the people of God are the poor among men trodden under foot and afflicted Yet sometimes it pleases him to turn the under side upwards to set the poor on high and make him families like a flock And this seemes a kind of soloecisme to wicked men they think God is out of his way and mistaken in the course of his Providence as Joseph thought his Father Jacob was in blessing his two sons because he doth not alwayes lay the right hand upon their heads When Judah began a little to bear up in Asa's days and had put themselves into a military posture presently comes Zera the Aethiopian with a thousand thousand men against them 2 Chron. 14.8 9. When the Jewes at their return from the Captivity began to build the Temple their enemies were angry with them but when Sanballat heard that they builded the wall that they were like to come to some strength and safety and interest he was angry and took great indignation Neh. 4.1 Wicked men think it meet that the heirs of Heaven should continue alwayes in Wardship here on earth and that they should be their Guardians Like Pharaoh and his servants they think they do very ill at any time if they 〈◊〉 hinder it to let the Children of Israel go from serving them and therefore when they see them going presently they pursue them with all the force they can make Such is their Malice against the Godly that they cannot endure to see them in any degree of safety and enlargement much lesse of power and interest in humane affairs they never walk at ease but when they have the necks of Gods people to tread upon Isa 51.23 Again besides this envy of the wicked at the prosperity of the people of God That condition commonly brings such temptations with it as draw the godly into many provoking sins and so he has occasion given him to let their adversaries loose against them Yea when the godly prosper in the world many persons that have nothing of godlinesse in them will be crowding in among them daily Every one that can but make any shift to patch up a form of Christianity will presently get his name lifted among the Saints and himself into their fellowship These quickly grow light and loose in their notions and conversations and thereby taint the rest So the mixed multitude as 't is said Numb 11.4 sins against God the Gospel brought under reproch and the name of God blasphemed and then wrath comes forth upon the whole Congregation I remember what was reported of some eminent persons that staid here in the time of the war though they were very heartily addicted to the other part when some that were intimate with them asked why they went not over to the quarters of their friends They answered They could do their friends more service by staying where they were So wicked men do Satan more service and the people of God more hurt by being professors among them then by setting themselves professedly against them And so much of the seasons when the wrath of man especially breaks out against the people of God I proceed now to the use of the point And first Use If there be so much anger in the hearts of wicked men against the godly This serves sharply to rebuke the sinfull Anger Animosities of the people of God among themselves I know this is a beaten subject but the Doctrine in hand permits me not to passe silently by it I say it rebukes the sinfull anger of Gods people because I know there is a godly kind of Anger though I know not so well where to find it Our Saviour in censuring him that is angry with his Brother without a cause plainly implies that there is a cause why and so a time when a man may be angry even with his Brother and the Apostle commands Anger and forbids Sin in the same breath Eph. 4.26 Be angry and sin not Now we are very apt to think that if there be any thing good in any kind our own is of the best sort That if we are angry with our brethren we have just cause to be so and do well to be angry as Jonah thought when he was angry with God himself But indeed if the matter be strictly examined there is hardly a rarer commodity among men then good anger We read in Scripture of many men that were angry but seldome of any that were well angry Irasci debemus prapter contumeliam Dei propter injustitiā c. Roll. in Eph. Videndam est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ob lanam caprinam aut res leviculas sed justas ob causas ut si cultus Dei si religio si patria si parentes c. laedantur violentur aut contemnantur Hereb Good Anger therefore is to be attended Ratione 1. Objecti 2. Egressûs 1. Anger is good in respect of the Object when it is excited by sin Sin is the proper formall Object of Anger Gods Anger is onely at Sin and Men for Sin and so should ours be Eph. 5.1 Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love We should so love our Brethren as not to be angry with them for any thing but that which angers him As godly Sorrow 2 Cor. 7.9 so godly Anger is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God when a man is angry at that which displeaseth God and angry as he though but after the manner of men is often in Scripture said to be angry But is our Anger such Is it not evident that we are often angry with our brethren for that which we know is not sin And ordinarily for things in which we do but suppose them to be sinners First It 's common with us to be angry with our brethren for that which we know is not their sin Their Preferments their Estates and Incomes their Honour and Esteem their very Gifts and eminent Abilities many times are enough to create peevish pangs in us against them so our eye is evil because God is good This is like Cains anger because God shewed more regard to Abel then to himself and it may be prospered Abel in his flock more then him in his tillage Yea if a man doth but commend the person whom we dislike 't is enough to make us angry with him too as Saul was in a rage against Jonathan because he spake good of David and yet he is a very bad man indeed of whom we may not truly speak something by way of commendation Nay is it not a matter of Anger to us if

a man doth not speak as much evil and as bitter words against others as we our selves do men must reproch with us those whom we reproch and revile with us those whom we revile or we shall be angry with them Is this to be angry at Sin or will you call this good Anger Secondly We are often angry with our Brethren for those things in which we do but suppose them to be sinners And this 1. Sometimes supposing that to be sin in them which is not And 2. Sometimes supposing them to be in that sin in which they are not 1. Sometimes we are angry at that which we do but suppose to be sin in our brethren as their lawfull liberty yea sometimes their very duty We are offended at them as if they had sinned highly against God in that wherein they have not exceeded the bounds of the liberty which God allowes them Nor it may be of the duty which he injoynes them Thus Moses was angry with the sons of Aaron Lev. 10.16 for not eating the Sin-offering in the holy place as if they had sinned beyond all defence And yet when Aaron had plainly opened the matter to him and shewed him the reason of it Moses was content v. 19 20. That Anger might well have been spared for a fitter occasion So the weak is angry with him that eats flesh Rom. 14. And so the Jewes were offended with Peter for eating with the Gentiles Act. 11. Though it was not his liberty onely but his duty to do it Of this sort are most of our angry prejudices against our brethren in point of opinion meer mistakes we think their principles corrupt because they do not use just our terms and notions when upon enquiry they prove as sound in the Faith as our selves and count them dissenters who are of the same mind with our selves if we were but cool enough to hear or willing to understand one another It was Theodosius his penance injoyned by Ambrose for a rash piece of cruelty that alwayes when he condemned an offender he stould stay thirty dayes before he executed the sentence And by this means upon wiser second thoughts many a mans life was saved O how much of our anger might be prevented if we would but take time to consider the cause before we admit the passion It 's an easie matter to grow hot against a man for his opinion his action or practise which we allow not but it is not alwayes so soon proved to be sin unlesse we think our selves fit to be other mens Oracles and count it necessary that their judgements should be immediately determined by our own But we are presently angry at a venture if men seem to vary from us Were we as free of our purses as we are of our passions we should be the most generous people in the world And yet if Christ himself misreckon it not a man had better part with many summes of money for nothing then be once angry with his brother without a cause He that is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgement Mat. 5.22 2. Again Sometimes we are angry with our brethren for sin when we do but vainly suppose them to be in it or guilty of it So Eliab was angry with David for pride and naughtinesse of heart which he supposed brought him to the army and made him neglect his calling when if he had been calm enough to consider it he might have found another cause of his coming 1 Sam. 17.28 29. Thus when we see men willingly undertake publick employments presently we judge they are proud and do it for honour or covetousness and do it to enrich themselves and this supposed pride and covetousnesse of their hearts suffices us for a cause of anger Do we observe men kind and courteous to enemies presently we think they fall into a compliance with them Do men carry themselves gently and tenderly towards erroneous persons immediately we suppose them to be of their party Or if we see a man peaceably moderating between dissenters endeavouring to bring them to a good accord among themselves he is condemned as a Mongrel an Ambodexter or a Neuter a man that is any thing and nothing in his principles Thus we make men sinners in our own conceits and then grow angry with them or which I doubt is more usuall first we are angry with them and then we imagine them to be sinners Shall we call this a good Anger Or do we well thus to be angry Secondly Anger is good ratione egressus when it uses good means to exert and put forth it self otherwise let the cause be what it will the anger is naught Good Anger expresses it self in Christian reproofs and admonitions and makes a man vehement in perswasions to reformation yea vents it self in prayers and teares for the offending party It 's said of our Saviour that when he was angry with the Pharisees he was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts Mar. 9.5 And when he could not but be angry with Jerusalem for killing the Prophets and stoning them that were sent unto it he beheld the City and wept over it Lu. 19.41 You that are angry with your Brethren have you plainly admonished them or do you indeed hate them in your hearts It 's Gods own Antithesis Levit. 17.19 If you have not done the former you are guilty of the later In this sense the Philosophers words agree well to good anger that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. and he that hates his Brother is a Man-slayer O that men would seriously consider it Again have you mourned over your offending brethren and prayed for them in relation to their sin If your Anger be good it will make you mourn in earnest desires for them with whom you are angry that their sin may be pardoned and removed But do not your hearts tell you that you are angry many times for things of which you cannot for shame complain to God You dare not you dare not tell those angry stories to God in prayer which you will passionately rattle over to your friends behind the offenders back Again Have you used the properest means to reduce the offending party and to gain him off from that which you conceive to be his sin This is to some purpose there is some wisdome in such anger But from whence come the wars and fightings that are among professed Christians not from any pious Zeal or good Anger but from your lusts that warre in your members Jam. 4.1 What must we think of that Anger which spends or rather feeds it self in brawlings raylings bitter invectives and biting language God will not justifie such anger no not in Moses himself though it be occasioned by sin Heare now ye rebels said the good man once in his haste but he had better have bit his tongue and held his peace God gave him a sad remembrance of it afterward What kind of anger

Observation Doctrine That there is much fervent anger in the hearts of men against the people of God That I may give an account of the sense of this Doctrine and its deduction from the Text I must speak briefly 1. Of the Subject of this Anger Man And then 2. Of the Affection it self as inherent in that Subject 1. For the Subject of Anger It is Man the heart of man is its Receptacle there it lives and dwells and so it s called in the Text The wrath of Man which words are spoken First Insultingly as some understand implying an Encouragement to the Godly in that they are but Men that are angry with them It is not the wrath of Almighty God but of poor weakly Man Appellatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd omnibus diebus vitae suae doleat as David prayes God to let the Enemies themselves know that they are but Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor sorry man as the word signifies Psal 9.20 Secondly The word Man is spoken collectively for Mankind and so it implyes the vast number of them that are angry with the people of God even the whole body of Mankind For though the godly themselves are some part of Mankind yet they are so few that the species is in a manner entire without them As our Saviour tells his Disciples Joh. 15.18 That the world will hate them Themselves were some part of the World but alas their number was so small that it made no considerable substraction from the totall of the world and therefore the world is spoken of as whole without them and wholly against them according to that of Mat. 10.22 Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake That is almost all men there will scarce any be found that will not hate you What is the Sea the lesse if you take out a few Hogsheads of water Nothing to speak of The Vintage is counted whole though some gleanings of Grapes be left behind So the wrath of man against the godly is the wrath of the generality almost the universality of men Thirdly The word Man is spoken Patronymically In Hebrew 't is the wrath of Adam for the Children of Adam the untransplanted Branches of that old Stock Unregenerate men are meer Adamites and so metonymically Adam as Israelites are called Israel Look how Believers ingrafted into Christ are called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 so unbelievers and wicked men are fitly called Adam as those that abide in him as fallen in his spirit and in his condition And thus the Doctrine proceeds concerning the multitude of unregenerate and wicked men that there is much fervent Anger in their hearts against the people of God Yet 't is here to be noted Note that all wicked men do not at all times nor all in a like manner and degree exert their anger against the Godly though they all have it in them Even the unregenerate Father against the godly Son and the unbelieving Son against the godly Father Mat. 10.35 So much of the Subject the hearts of men 2. Ignescunt irae duris dolor ossibus ardet The Affection inherent in this Subject is Much fervent Anger All Anger is hot it 's a soul-enflaming passion The Egyptian Hieroglyphick for Anger is an heart upon a gridiron with burning coles under it Anger is hot but the Anger here spoken of is of the hottest kind The word in the Hebrew text signifies properly Heat and sometimes the Sun for its burning heat It notes that Anger which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it heats and burns the heart Junius translates it Aestus Plat and others furor hominis The heat and rage of man So it is very fervent And there is also very much of it in the heart of man In the latter part of the Text the word is in the plurall number the remainder of wraths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are heats and treasures of Wraths in the hearts of wicked men against the godly A stock of wrath that can never be spent up they are alwayes angry and alwayes ready to be more angry at them And so much is also implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which elsewhere notes abundance Malac. 2.15 Thus you see there is much hot and fiery anger in the hearts of wicked men against the godly No wonder though they trade in Fire-works Sulphureous engines when they have so much fire burning in their bosomes Thus much for the sense of the Doctrine and to shew you how 't is seated in the text For further confirmation of this point Proof see Psal 124.1 2 3. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us The Church complains of the fury of enemies that it was so hot and fierce that if he that took their part had been any thing lesse then God they had been utterly swallowed up and devoured But when was this perhaps at some one time when they were more then ordinarily provoked Nay many a time saies the Church Psal 129.1 2. many a time have they afflicted me and that from my youth up Ab ipsis Ecclesiae Natalitiis Ever since God had a Church upon Earth wicked men have had a fire of Anger in their bosomes ever and anon flaming out against it For thy sake we are slain all the day long was the Churches complaint in David's time Psal 44.22 and Paul applyes it to his dayes Rom. 8.36 Now there are two principall causes of this Anger in which we have the reason of the Doctrine I shall but briefly touch them 1. The malignity of Mans Nature This is the Internall and Materiall Cause of all the Wrath which wicked men conceive against the Godly the very fuell whereon this fire feeds and is maintained And therefore is wrath justy reckoned up among the rest of the fruits of the flesh in the Apostles Inventory Gal. 5.20 2. The Malice of Satan first against God and then against his people makes him an industrious Agent in kindling and blowing up the coles of this fire in the hearts of wicked men As James sayes of the tongue we may say of the heart of man that in its anger against the godly It is set on fire of hell Poets talk of fire stollen out of Heaven but this fire is brought from Hell and like the Vestal fire alwayes kept alive by the vigilancy of the evil one Satan has an old grudge against God ever since the day when he fettered him in chains of darknesse and doth what he can against him and his Gestit retalia● in populo Dei iram Dei sibi irrogatam Cocce jus in Nahum by himself and his Instruments by way of revenge whence as some think

reall subjection of the soul to the Authority and power of Godlinesse and this I propound as a good way to safety among men Follow peace with all men and holinesse Heb. 12.14 Though Holinesse will make men angry with you yet which may seem a Paradox it is the way to overtake peace Meanes 2 Secondly Be Harmlesse to all men It is the Apostles exhortation Phil. 2.15 Be harmlesse as the sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation Indeed the word is Hornlesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not like Beasts that push and gore their fellows when they have got them in a corner Do violence to no man though you have the sword in your hands Be not oppressive be not injurious to the worst of men when it is in the power of your hand to do them hurt David sayes of his enemies They came about him like bees Psal 118.12 A man may passe through a great swarm of Bees if he goes calmly and quietly along but if he beats and laies about him he is like to have many stings in his skin quickly A man may walk much more safely among adversaries if he walks quietly and harmlesly among them but if he be rough and violent he shall find them as angry as Bees as we use to say David overcame Saul at last by sparing him when he had him in his power and disarmed him by sending him his spear again Meanes 3 Thirdly Be Kind to all not onely to the good but to the evil that you may be like your father which is in heaven We have a brave invitation to this duty Rom. 12.18 19 20. If it be possible as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves c. If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in o doing thou shalt heap coles of fire on his head that is melt him if he be ingenuous or else burn him at the last Christians you never had and if you should live these hundred years for ought I know are never like to have a better opportunity to put this duty in practise then now Many of you are full of the goods of this world and many of your enemies are hungry feed them they want rayment clothe them they are reduced to extreme necessity relieve them You will say we have little encouragement to this we see their malice is invincible This is but a poor objection put on courage and charge them with love again be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good I am speaking to you now as in the capacity of Christians onely not of Magistrates But say some in so doing we may be thought to flatter enemies and to dislike our former heartinesse in a good cause against them I answer You have wayes enough before you to manifest your constancy and fidelity to your principles if you will but if any man will refuse to act in good and just designes for his friends such a one may thank himself if he he suspected and misinterpreted in his charity to his enemies Truly it is a very bad nature which may not be overcome by kindnesse I believe the Devil as bad as men are has a pretty hard taske of it to move them to violence against those godly men that have used them kindly in their need Meanes 4 Fourthly Behave your selves wisely towards them that are without Coloss 4.5 The Apostle propounds this as a way to redeem the time that is to redeem it from the evil of it and make it better A wise carriage among men serves to make the worst of times much better to the godly then otherwise they would be David makes very good shift to live quietly by behaving himself wisely 1 Sam. 18.5 Yea he made Saul though his mortall enemy afraid of him because he behaved himselfe wisely ver 15. When our Saviour sent out his Disciples as Sheep among Wolves he bid them Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves I have spoke of the latter already Doubtlesse Christians by their froward rude and unstudied carriage towards wicked men do many times make them much more their enemies then otherwise they would be Meanes 5 Lastly Follow God with earnest prayer for protection This is of excellent use even when other means fail David complaines of his Enemies Psal 109.4 For my love they are my adversaries What should a man doe next in such a case If Love and Kindnesse will not overcome an Adversary what will But if it procures a man enemies or makes them more his enemies what can he doe then I le tell you sayes David what course I take I give my selfe to prayer The Hebrew is short and sweet I to prayer That was my fefuge presently when other helps failed and proved inefficacious Were the spirit of Prayer in as much vigour among us now as it was some yeares agoe we might confidently expect it would as powerfully keep our adversaries down now as it brought them down then These and such like may be good meanes to keep the fire of mans wrath from breaking out into a slame upon us but yet if it should get an egresse as I confesse its very like it will ere long Christians be not discouraged let not your hearts be troubled There are indeed very threatning clouds gathered over our heads and there is much danger unlesse we could accord better in the means of prevention that our Cities and Townes must feel the fire again shortly our Streets be washt with blood our Fields made fat with the bodies of the slain and our selves and those that are dearest to us be made the subjects of such cruelties as were lately acted upon the poore English in Ireland and the Protestants in Piedmont But I should draw too many black lines upon the face of this dayes Solemnities if I should more fully speak my apprehension of the state of things God grant us many more Thanksgiving daies But yet Christians be not terrified at the wrath of man be it never so hot it is and shall be so managed by the power of God that in all its issues and results it shall contribute to and promote his praise Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee This is the second thing propounded to your consideration in the Text and I confesse the principall Doctrine of it but I must handle it very briefly having exceeded in the former Doctr 2 The wrath of wicked men against the people of God is very tributary to his praise I shall first prove it by some instances in which the wrath of man against the godly turns eminently to the glory of God and then conclude in a word or two of Application First It puts them upon many subtil Devices and cunning Stratagems in frustrating of which the wisdome of God and his care of his Church is very much illustrated Hamans anger made him tenter his wit and policy to contrive that wicked plot