3. God's wrath is just. The Greek word for vengeance signifies justice. The wicked shall drink a sea of wrath, hut not one drop of injustice. 'Tis just God's honour be re- paired, and how can that, bo but by pnnisb- ing offenders ? Having shewn you what this wrath of God is, I shall show you, 2. That we have deserved the curse and wrath of God; he who infringeth the king's laws, deserves the penalty. Mercy goes by favour, pnnishmpnt by dpsert, Dan, ix. 8., " To us belongeth confusion of face." Wrath is that which belongeth to us as we are sinners ; it is as due to us as any wages that are paid.
Use 1st. Of information. 1st. It justifies God in condemning sinners at the last day. Sinners deserve wrath, audit is no injustice to give them that which they deserve. If a malefactor deserves death, the judge doth him no wrong in condemning him.
2d. See what a great evil sin is, which cxposeth a person to God's wrath for ever. You may know the lion by his paw ; and you may know what an evil thing sin is, by the wrath and curse it brings. When you see a man drawn upon a hurdle to execu- tion, you conclude he is guilty of some ca- pital crime that brings such a punishment : when a man lies under the torrid zone of God's wrath, and roars out in flames, then say, " How horrid an evil sin is !" They who now see no evil in swearing, or sab- bath-breaking, they will see it look black in the glass of hell-torments.
Sd. See here an handwriting upon the wall ; here is that which may check a sin- ner's mirth. He is now brisk and frolic- Kome, he chants " to the sound of the viol, and invents instruments of music," Amos vi. 5. He drinks ' stolen waters,' and saith.
* they are sweet.' Oh ! but let him re- member, that the wrath and curse of God hangs over hi r, which will shortly (with- out repentance) be executed on him. Dio- nysius thought, as he sat at table, he saw a naked sword hang over his head: the sword of God's justice hangs over a sinner; and when the slender thread of life is cut asun- der, the sword falls upon him. " Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth," Eccl. xi. 9., " But know that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment." For a drop of pleasure, thou must drink a sea of wrath. Your pleasure cannot be so sweet as wrath is bitter ; the delights of the flesh cannot countervail the horror of con- science ; better want the devil's honey, than be so stung with the wrath of God. The garden of Uden, which signifies pleasure, had a flaming sword placed at the east end of it. Gen. iii. 24. : tlie garden of curnal and sinful delight is surrounded with the flam- ing sword of God's wrath.
Use 2d. Reproof. It reproves the stupi- dity of sinners, who are no more affected with the curse and wrath of God which is due to them, Isa. xliv. 19., " None consider- cth in his heart." If they were in debt, and were ready to have the sergeant arrest them, they would bo affected with that : but though the fierce wrath of God is ready to arrest them, they remember not. A beast though he hath no shame, yet he hath fear ; he is afraid of fire; but sinners are worse tlijin brutish, tlioy fear not the ' fire of hell,' till they are in it. Most have their con- science asleep, or seared ; but when they shall see the vials of God's wrath dropping, then they will cry out as Dives, " I am tor- mented in this flame !" Luke xvi. 24.
Use 3d. Exhortation. l.<f/. Let us adore God's patience who hath not brought this wrath and curse ujton us all this while. We have deserved wrath, yet God hath not given us our desert. We may all subscribe to that, Ps. ciii. 8,, " The Lord is slow to anger ; and v. 10., " He hath not rewarded us according to our iniquities." God hath deferred his wrath, and given us space to repent, Rev. ii. 21. God is not like an hasty creditor, that requires the debt, and gives no time for the nayment ; he shoots
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off his warning-piece, tliat lie may not slioot ofF his murdeiing-picce, 2 Pot. iii. 9., " The Lord is Umg-suffering to us-ward, not will- ing that any should perish." God adjourns the assizes to see if sinners would turn ; he keeps off the storm of his wrath ; hut if men will not be warned, let thein know tiiat long forbearance is no forgiveness.
2d. Let us labour to prevent the wrath we have deserved. How careful are men to prevent poverty or disgrace ! O labour to prevent God's eternal wrath, that it may not only be deferred, but removed !
Quest. JVhat shall tee do to prevent and escape tk<' wrath to come ?