Affliction Compared to a Storm or Tempest

    AFFLICTION COMPARED TO A STORM OR TEMPEST

    "As fire burneth the wood, and as flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy Storm" Ps 83:14-15.

    "The eastwind carrieth him away, and he departeth; and a Storm hurleth him out of his place" Job 27:21.

    "A Covert from the Storm" Isa 4:6.

    "When the blast of the terrible ones is as a Storm against the wall" Isa 25:4.

    "And the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" Mt 7:27.

    BY Storms and Tempests are meant two things: 1. The terrible wrath and vengeance of God against the wicked. 2. The fierce wrath of the ungodly against the righteous.

    Note. Wrath, whether it respects the wrath of God or man, is compared to a Storm, or terrible Tempest.

    We shall speak of this metaphor, Storm and Tempest, principally in reference to the wrath and judgment of God.

    PARALLELS.

    I. A Storm or Tempest sometimes is looked for and expected, by certain signs which some observe, a considerable while before it comes; by the gathering of the clouds, they see a storm threatened: So the wrath and displeasure of God against a people, or nation, is by some observing men expected and looked for before it comes. There are certain signs, which are like the gathering of the clouds. (1.) When sin. grievously abounds. {2.) When the hand of God hath been lifted up, and yet sinners are not humbled. (3.) When many faithful and eminent servants of God are taken away by death. (4.) When there are strange and wonderful signs or prodigies seen in the heavens, or upon the earth, or waters, &c. (5.) When the people of God generally, as one man, do look for it; for God usually goes first upon the hearts of his own people in this respect. (6.) When former afflictions do not bumble, nor work reformation in professors, and others.

    II. A Storm comes now and then very suddenly, before men are aware: So doth the Storm of God's wrath come oftentimes very suddenly upon a sinful nation and people. It may be the plague this night breaks forth, or a fire, or a war, which men dreamed not of: "When they cry peace and safety, sudden destruction,"&c. 1Th 5:3. I only allude to that text.

    III. A Storm is sometimes very tempestuous, mixed with thunder, lightning, and great hail, so that it is very terrible, causing horror, and amazement in most men women: so the wrath of God sometimes breaks forth upon a people in a most sore and dismal sort, so that the mountains, the great ones of the earth, quake at him and all are afraid of his judgments, and cry out to the rocks and hills to cover them: "The Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them,"&c. 1Sa 7:10, The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice, hail stones and coals of fire; Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightning, and discomfited them, Ps 18:13-14.

    IV. A Storm and cruel Tempest is irresistible; man cannot withstand it when it comes: so the wrath and judgments of God, when they come in fury upon a people, there is no resisting of them: "Who can stand before his indignation."

    V. A dreadful Storm many times makes sad desolation, blowing down houses, and tearing up trees by the roots: so the wrath of God many times makes great desolation: it sweeps away thousands, and ten thousands, leaving towns and cities almost without inhabitants: "Come, see what desolation the Lord hath made in the earth."

    VI. God sometimes suffers the devil to raise the wind, who thereby does great mischief, as in Job's case, Job 1:19. So the Devil, and his instruments, are many times suffered: to raise a great Storm of persecution upon the Lord's people.