Hugh Binning, Works, p. 463:
God’s anger is not an humour and passion as ours is; he can take the poor child in his arms, admit it into his bosom, when outward dispensations frown. Men’s anger is like the sons of Belial, briers and thorns, that none may come near to, lest they be hurt; but God angry, is accessible, because his anger is still tempered and mixed with clemency and mercy; and that mixture of mercy is so great and so predominant in all his dispensations here, that they being rightly understood, might rather invite to come, than scare from it. There is more mercy to welcome, than anger to drive away. Look upon the very end and purpose of God’s hiding himself, and withdrawing, – it is this; that we may come and seek him early, Hosea 5:15. When God is angry, mercy and compassion principleth it, for anger is sent out to bring in wanderers.
God’s anger is not an humour and passion as ours is; he can take the poor child in his arms, admit it into his bosom, when outward dispensations frown. Men’s anger is like the sons of Belial, briers and thorns, that none may come near to, lest they be hurt; but God angry, is accessible, because his anger is still tempered and mixed with clemency and mercy; and that mixture of mercy is so great and so predominant in all his dispensations here, that they being rightly understood, might rather invite to come, than scare from it. There is more mercy to welcome, than anger to drive away. Look upon the very end and purpose of God’s hiding himself, and withdrawing, – it is this; that we may come and seek him early, Hosea 5:15. When God is angry, mercy and compassion principleth it, for anger is sent out to bring in wanderers.
