rtainly the Lord's anger will drive you away, What will
ye do in the time of his indignation? All of you, put this to the
trial,--how matters stand between God and you.

And, _secondly_, If ye find all wrong, do not sink in discouragement, all
may be amended, while it is seen wrong in time. Nay, God taketh away
outward accommodation, to make you more serious in this. And it is the
very voice of rods,--every one fly into your hold, every one make peace
with me. You may take hold, and do it feckfully.(323)

_Thirdly_, You who have fled to Jesus, take more hold of him, you are
called also to renew your faith, and begin again. Make peace with God, let
your confidence be kept fast, and thus shall ye be immoveable, because he
changeth not. God will not go from you if ye believe--hold him by faith.
Christ could not do great things in Galilee because of their unbelief, and
so he departed from them. As unbelief maketh an evil heart to depart from
the God of all life and consolation, so doth it make God depart from us.
But faith casteth a knot upon him (to speak with reverence), it fasteneth
him by his own word and promise, and he cannot go by it. It is a violent
hand laid on God. "I will not let thee go till thou bless me."

_Fourthly_, Faith and prayer, or holding of God, by believing in him, and
much employing him needeth much stirring up unto, and awaking. "That
stirreth up himself to take hold on thee." Security is the moth of both
these, and eateth out the life of faith and supplication; it maketh prayer
so coldrife that it cannot prevail, and faith so weak that it cannot use
violence.

I. Security apprehendeth no evil, no need. A secure condition is a dream
that one is eating and yet his soul is empty. Look how the people of Laish
were quiet and secure, apprehending no evil; destruction cometh then on as
an armed man. Always it is much necessity that administers fuel to a man's
faith and supplication. David says, (Psal. xxx. 7,) "I said in my
prosperity, I shall not be moved." Nay, but many say in adversity, and cry
Peace, peace, where no peace is. Security pleadeth innocency, and then
believeth immunity. "I am innocent, therefore shall his anger turn away,"
Jer. ii. 31. Security applieth not sin, and so refuseth the curse of sin
and wages of it. And thus is a man in his own eyes a lord, and then he
will come no more to God, Jer. ii. 31. It is almost impossible to awake
men, by general judgments, to apprehend personal da