ed into a frown ; we are now bound over to the sessions, and become children of wrath ; and who knows the power of God's wrath ? Ps. xc. 11. '• The wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion," Prov. xix. 12. How did Hainan's heart tremble when the king rose up from the banquet in wrath? Est. vii. 7. But God's \vTath is infinite; all other is but as a spurk to a flame ; wrath in God is not a passion as in us, but it is an act of God's holy will, whereby he abhors sin, and decrees to punish it. This wrath is very dismal ; it is this wrath of God that imbittcrs afflictions in this life ; when sick- ness comes atteiuled with God's wrath, it puts conscience into an agony. Tlie ming- ling of the fire with the hail made it so ter- rible, Exod. ix. 21.. So mingling God's wrath with affliction, makes it torturing; it is the nail in the yoke. God's wrath, when but in a threatening (as a shower hanging in tlie cloud) made Eli's cars to tingle : what is it then, when this wrath is executed ? It is terrible when the king rates and chides a traitor ; but it is more dreadful when ho causeth him to be set upon the rack, or to be broke upon the wheel : " Who knows the power of God's wrath ?" Wliile we are children of wrath, 1. We have nothing to do with any of the promises ; they are as the tree of life, bearing several sorts of fruit, but no right to pluck one leaf Eph. ii. 3., " Children of wrath," v. 12., " Strangers fiom the covenants of promise." The pro- mi-ses are as a fountain sealed. \\'hile we are in the state of luiture, we see nothing but the fljii.iing sword ; and, as the ajwstlo saith, Ileb. x. 27., there remains nothing but " a fearful looking for of fiery indigna- tion."— 2. Wliile children of wrath we are lieirs to all God's curses, Gal. iii. 10. How can the sinner eat and drink in that condi- tion ? Like Damocles's banquet, he sat at meat, and there was a sword hanging o^'er his head by a small thread ; one would think he could have little stomach to eat : so the sword of God's wrath and curse hangs every moment over a sinner's head. We read of a flyinjj roll written with curses, Zech. v. 2. : there is a roll written with curses goes out against every person that lives and dies in sin. God's curse blasts, wherever it a curse on the sinner's name, — a
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MAN'S MISERY BY THE FALL.
curse OH liis soul, — a curse on his estate, posterity, — a curse on the ordinances. Sad, if all a man did eat should turn to poison : the sinner eats and drinks his own damna- tion at God's table. Thus it is before con- version. As the love of God makes every bitter thing sweet, so the curse of God makes every sweet thing bitter.
Use. See our misery by the fall. • Heirs of wrath :' and is this estate to be rested in ? If a man be fallen under the king's displeasure, will he not labour to re-ingra- tiate himself into his favour? O let us flee from the wrath of God ! And whither Khould we fly, but to Jesus Christ ? there's none else to shield off' the wrath of God from us, 1 Thess. i. 10., " Jesus which de- livered us from the wrath to come."
IIL Subject to all outward miseries. All the troubles incident to man's life are the bitter fruits of original sin. The sin of Adam hath " subjected the creature to vanity," Rom. viii. 20. Is it not a part of the creature's vanity that all the comforts here below will not fill tire heart, any more than the mariner's breath can fill the sails of a ship? Job. xx. 22., " In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits." There is still something wanting, and a man would have more ; the heart is always hydropical, — it thirsts and is not satisfied. Solomon put all the creatures into a lim- bec ; and when he came to extract the spi- rit and quintessence, there was nothing but froth, " all was vanity," Eccl. i. 2. Nay, it 18 vexing vanity ; not only emptiness, but bitterness. Our life is labour and sorrow ; we come into the world with a cry, go out with a groan, Ps. xc. 10. Some have said, that they would not be to live the life they have lived over again, because their life hath had more water in it than wine, — more water of tears, than wine of joy : Quia est diu vivere nisi din torqueri^ Aug. " Man is born unto trouble," Job v. 7. Every one is not born heir to land, but he is born heir to trouble; as well separate weight from lead. We do not finish our troubles in this life, but cliange them. Trouble is the vermin bred out of the put- rid matter of sin. Whence arc all our fears, but frym sin? 1 John iv. 18., TIumc is torment in iear. Fear is the ague of the