give it the consideration it deserves. Let us, then, consider,
I. The description here given of the Deity —
God is " a jealous God" —
[He has a claim to our undivided allegiance, and to all the affections of our souls. And when he sees how prone we are to set our affections on the creature rather than on him, it be- comes him to be jealous. A man like ourselves would not do well to connive at the unfaithfulness of his wife, who was giving to others the affections which were his unalienable right : how much less, then, can God admit such an alienation of our hearts from him ! He cannot: indeed " his very name is Jealous a :" and he must divest himself of his every perfection, before he can connive at the dishonour which our unfaithfulness reflects upon him.]
He will " take vengeance" on obstinate transgres- sors—
[" The Lord revengeth ; yea, he revengeth, and is furious." We are not indeed to conceive of him as feeling in his own bosom such emotions as constitute " fury " in man : in that sense "fury is not in himb:" but, so far as the effects of his displeasure are felt, it will be the same to us, as if he were filled with the utmost rage. At present, indeed, he bears with sinners with all imaginable patience and long-suffering : but " he reserves them unto the day of judgment to be punished0." In my text, the word " wrath " is in italics, to shew that it is not in the original. In truth, there is no word in any language that can express what God " reserveth for his enemies ;" no, nor can any imagination conceive it. The Psalmist well says, " Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath d."]
And " who can stand before his indignation ?"
["Who indeed can abide the fierceness of his anger?" These pointed interrogations convey the most tremendous thoughts to our minds. Now we can " puff at God's judg- ments," as if they were scarcely worthy of a thought e: but it will not be so when the time for the infliction of them is fully come. Then " the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, no less than the poor bond-man, will hide themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains ; and will cry to the moun- tains and rocks to fall upon them, and to hide them from the
a Exod. xxxiv. 14. b Isai. xxvii. 4. c 2 Pet. ii. 9.
d Ps. xc. 11. e Ps. x. 5.