228 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. VI.
extenuate tlie greatest sins, and the danger of them, when they think light of them, or presume of impunity, God is concerned to vindicate himself.
Doct 2. It should deter us from wilful and heinous sins to think of the wrath of God that shall come upon those that live in them.
First, It is a powerful motive ; for God's wrath is very terrible. It is God's anger makes ns truly miserable, and not man's. God is our supreme Judge, and God liveth for ever. Man's anger is finite and limited : Heb. x. 31, 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' The great and mighty men are afraid of this : Eev. vi. 15-17, ' The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, shall hide themselves in dens, and in the rocks of the mountains ; and say to the mountains and rocks. Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb : for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand ? ' and the thing itself showeth it. Consider —
1. The intension of this wrath. It is compared to a ' consuming fire,' Heb. xii. 29. It is a fire that burnetii, not only to the ground or the surface of the earth, but to the lowest hell: Deut. xxxii. 22, 'For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell ; ' that should not only manifest itself by visible judgments in the world, but invisible and unknown judgments in the world to come. There is often a standing out against God by our obstinacy and rebellion ; but there is no standing before him when his anger is kindled but a little. It can not only destroy the body, and those bodily things which gratify it, but it can light upon the conscience and the souls of men. Here if but a spark of his wrath light upon the conscience, what a burden are men to themselves?
2. As to extension ; the wrath of God compriseth all those evils which are the fruit of sin, be they bodily or spiritual, in life or death, or after death. It is said, Deut. xxix. 21, ' The Lord shall separate him unto evil ; ' ver. 27, ' The anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book.' The book of the law is full of curses to the sinner ; it hath a mouth to speak terrible things. But, Deut. xxviii. 61, 'And also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee until thou be destroyed.' What is written or unwritten, revealed in the word or dispensed in providences, by way of plague or punishment, that is included in the wrath of God.
3. For duration ; the wrath of God ' abideth ' on the impenitent, John iii. 3G, and that not for a while, but ' for ever.' We despise God who is an infinite good, and forsake eternal happiness for a little tem- poral delight ; and therefore the punishment is eternal. A wound may be received in an instant that is never healed. A man may suddenly slip into a pit out of which he shall never recover ; he may be in a moment bound with a chain that shall never be loosed. Now can we remain in carnal security whilst this wrath of God hangeth over our heads ?
Secondly, It is a kindly motive. That is a question whether it be so or no, therefore let us state the matter.
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 229
1. We are principally to avoid sin as sin and as displeasing to God: Gen, xxxix. 9, ' How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ' If we see not the evil of sin in itself as well as in the effects, we may be tempted to think God is unjust in over-punishing it. And true repentance lieth in hating sin as sin, for the evil that is in it as well as after it, as it is a repugnancy to God's will, or a transgression of his law,
2. We must abstain from it, as it will bring down wrath and judg- ment upon us. So God urgeth this argument, Ezek. xviii. 30, ' Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.' Not only our obligations to God should hold us to our duty, but our fear of his dreadful displeasure.
3. The p<xna damni, to fear the punishment of loss, is out of ques- tion. Timor separaiionis a Deo itiduditui' in charitate — A man can- not love God and not fear the loss of his favour. To a gracious heart this is more grievous than all the fire and brimstone of hell. The soul that placeth its happiness in acceptance with God, and the enjoyment of God, is afraid to lose him : 2 Cor. v. 8, ' We are confident, I say, and willing, rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord ; ' 1 Cor, ix. 27, ' Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.'