The Lay-Man's Sermon Upon The Late Storm

NAHUM. I. III

_The Lord has his way in the Whirle-Wind and in the Storm,
and the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet._

This Text is not chosen more for the Suitableness to the present
Callamity, which has been the Portion of this Place, than for the
aptness of the Circumstances, 'twas spoken of God going to Chastise, a
Powerful, Populous, Wealthy and most reprobate City.

_Nineveh_ was the Seat of a mighty Empire, a Wealthy Encreasing
People, Opulent in Trade, Flourishing in Power and Proud in
Proportion.

The Prophet does not seem to deliver these words, to the _Ninevites_,
to convince them, or encline them to consider their own Circumstances
and repent, but he seems to speak, it to the _Israelites_ inviteing
them to Triumph and Insult over the Heathen adversary, by setting
forth the Power of their God, in the most exalted Terms.

And that this is a just Exposition of this Text, seems plain from the
words Imediately going before, _the Lord is slow to Anger, and Great
in Power and will not at all acquit the wicked_. These words could
have no Connexion with the Text, tho' they are joyn'd with them in the
same Verse, if it were not meant of his being slow to Anger, to his
own People, and Terrible to the Heathen World, and this being spoken
as an Expression of his being not easily provoked as to his Church,
the Subsequent part of the Verse tells them how his power and Vengance
is matter of particular Satisfaction to his People as being exercis'd
in Revenging the affront put upon his Glory by his Enemies, _God is
Jealous, and the Lord Revengeth, the Lord Revengeth and is Furious,
the Lord will take Vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath
for his Enemies_. Tis plain this is meant of his Enemies, but as if
brought in with a Parenthesis, tis spoken for the comfort of his
Church, the Lord is slow to Anger as to them, and to lift up their
hearts in a further confidence that their Enemies are all in his hand,
he goes on discribing the Terrors of his Judgement.

_The Lord has his way in the Whirl-wind and in the Storm, and the
Clouds are the Dust of his Feet._ Eloquent Flourishes upon the
Omnipotence of God.

The short Exposition I shall make of the words, Tends only to remind
us that the Whirl-wind and Storm which are here made use of, to
express the Magnipotent power of God are acted by his Direction, _he
has his way in them_, it may note indeed the Invisible secrecy and
swiftness of his providences, but to avoid long Paraphrases, I confine
my self to my own Construction, as that which, as it is a just
inference from the matter of the Text, so 'tis most suitable to the
design of this discourse.

And as this Sermon may be a little Immethodical, because I purpose to
make it almost all Aplication so I shall advance some Conclusions from
the Premises which I lay down, as the Geneuine sence of the Words.

1. The Omnipotence of God gives Christians sufficient ground to Insult
their Enemies, _wherefore do the Heathen Mock thy People and say unto
them where is now your God? Behold our God is in the Heavens, and
doeth whatsoever he pleaseth_; as the Prophet _Elija_, Banter'd the
Heathen Priest of _Baal_, with the Impotence of their Gods, Cry aloud
for _he is a God, either he is talking or he is Pursuing, or he is in
a Journey, or Peradventure he Sleepeth and must be awakned_, so he
insulted them about the power of the true God, _let it be known O Lord
says he this day that thou art God in Israel_.

2. As God in all the works of his Providence, makes use of the
subserviency of means, so the whole Creation is Subordinate to the
Execution of his Divine will, _the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet and
he rides upon the Wings of the Wind_, the most Powerful Elements are
so subjected to his almighty power that the Clouds are but as Dust
under his feet, tis as easy for him to Govern and mannage them; as it
is for a man to shake off the Dust from his feet, or he can as easily
subdue the fury of them as a man Tramples the Dust, they are small and
Triffling things, in his Eyes.

3. The ways of God are unsearchable, the Methods of his Providence are
secret and powerfull; his way is in the Whirle-wind, and in the Storm,
tis invisible and iresistible, invisible as the Wind, and iresistible
as the Storm.

The Lay-Man's Sermon Upon The Late Storm