1. It being a season to improve and know their interest. Men do not
and resolve to break the laws of God, then is the time for the honour of his righteousness in his own institutions, to vex them in his sore displeasure: Ps. 2:3, 5, 'Then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them,' &c. When? When they resolve to 'cast away his bands and cords from them,' ver. 2. He is forced to rise then, when men make void his law, and tread down the honour of it; when they would not have God to have a standing law in the world, or a people to profess him: Ps. 119:126, 'It is time for the Lord to work, for they have made void thy law.' When the grapes of wickedness are thus fully ripe, then is God's time for the honour of his justice to cast them into the winepress of his wrath, Rev. 14:19, 20. This is God's set time, when he may glorify, without any exception, his justice in punishing his enemies' sins, his wisdom in defeating his enemies' plots, his power in destroying his enemies' strength, and his mercy in relieving his people's wants.
Thirdly, Such extremities and deliverance in them, are most advantageous for his people.
1. It being a season to improve and know their interest. Men do not usually seek to God, or at least so earnestly, as when they are in distress; the time of the tempest was the time of the disciples' praying to Christ. The Israelites, you scarce find them calling upon God but in times of danger and distress; hereby God doth encourage and give an argument for prayer. The Psalmist useth the extremity of the church often as an argument to move God to pity: Ps. 123:3,
'Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.' We are glutted with contempt, as low as low can be: so Ps. 44:23, 24, 'Awake, why sleepest thou, O
Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever; our soul is bowed to the dust.'
That is the most successful time for prayer, which is the time of the stirring of God's bowels. He hath been a 'strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall,' Isa. 25:4. They in such a time find how considerable their interest is with God, when upon their prayer they