By theſe Words the Apoftle doth illuftrate his Argument for a Jul: ment to come, taken from the perſecutions and tribulations of ti? Saints, / It is of neceility that God ſhould be righteous, and recom- penfing is a neceſſary a& of righteouſnels, but we yet ſec it not, 112272 fore there is a Judgment to come, And this recompence is Þ0:1170 £1? righteous and the wicked, the perſecurors and the perſecute.!, 1: former he here ſpeaks firſt of : And to recompenſe Tribulation to them that trouble the People of God,is a juſt recompence it i3 2CCOraing, £0 the Law of retaliation ; whereof we have ſome Inftances in this Worit, as in Pharaoh, Adonibezeck, Haman, Gc. and many others, whereo: vc have a large account in the Hiftory of the Church, and hor Poricetty tors ; but this will be more fully verified in the Julgment ts come, called, The Revelation of the righteous Fu.\gmems of Gol, A, 2» 5s
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tering to their ſin, they brought tribulation upon others, an (0% bring it upon them : And under this Word is compretien 1: 21 che torments of Hell, which our Saviour expretieth by weeptr'g, 40725 and gnaſhing of Teeth, Marth, 8. 12, which is the extremity 0! Ft tation ; and its ſaid here, God wil? recompence, &c, Wiiich will te on US not to revenge our lclves, as 7/al. 94. 1. Rom. 12 19. aud ih as A poſtle ſets betore theſe ibej]2lonians by way of Comfort, 10t that we ought to rejoyce in mens Deſtruction meeriy for its (11, > M the Honour chat wilkthereby ariſe to God's [uftice, and 11 t- Favour, Honour, and Salvation, God will vouchiafe to his People 11510,
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Chriſt himſelf is already entred into his reſt, Zeb, 4. 10, ſo he will come again to take his People into the ſame reſt with him,
8 In flaming fire, || taking vengeance p on them that know not God q, and that obey not the goſpel » of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
FBut his coming will be upon another account to many others, which is laid here to be to rake vengeance, for which purpoſe he is ſaid to be revealed with his mighty Angels, or Angels of might ; and elſewhere with all his Holy Angels. They are ſaid to excel in ſtrength, 7/al. 1-73. 20, or to he mighty in ſtrength, and have the name of mights, Eph. 1. 21. and here call'd mighty, becauſe as the Work Chriſt comes upon is great and difficult, ſo he will have Inftruments ſufficient for it, and none ſhall he able to hinder. And though he hath Power himſelt ſufficient, yet the Angels muſt attend him to ſolemn1ze this great day, and to be ſerviceable fo him in the Work thereof, which, as it will re- ſpe the Saints in theirReſurre&ion from the Dead,and their gathering from the four Winds,and ſeparating them from the Ungodly,as Tares from the Wheat, and Sheep from the Goats ; ſo the taking vengeance alſo in this day of the Lord's Wrath,which the Apoftle,eſpecially, is in theſe verſes ſpeaking of,as the Work they ſhall be employ'd in. As al/o in flaming fire, or the fire of fame, Hebraiſm, Fire is the moſt dread- ful of all the Elements, eſpecially flaming, to denote the great Wrath of that day, and its breaking forth, as fire when it flameth, God's Wrath is often expreſt in Scripture by fire, Deur, 32, 22. Pſal, 97. 3. &c. Fer. 21. 12. Heb, 10,27. and as that which attendeth the great Day of Chrift, Daz. 7. 10. 1 Cor. 3+ 13. 2 Per. 3. 7, 12, And whether this flaming Fire 15 Material, or only Meraphorical ; if Material, whe- ther the preſent Elementary Fire, which ſhall deſcend, ani be joined with that which ſhall break forth out of the Bowels of the Earth, as in Noah's Flood, the Waters were from above, and from beneath. Or whether it ſhall be ſome new-created Fire, and the action of it natural, or fupernatural, I ſhall leave it to the School-men; yet it's generally conceived, it 1S a material Fire : Elſe how can the Elements be faid to melt with fervent Heat, and the World, and the Works thereof, burnt up, as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks, 2 Pet. 3. 6. and parallels it with the Deluge in Noah's time, which was with material Water ; but yet it is to be 1 manifeſtation ofthe fire of God's Wrath, and an Inftrument of it alſo in the deſtrution of ungodly men, 2 Per. 3. 7. for it's ſaid in the Text, Chrift 13 revealed in it to take Vengeance, Vengeance 1s an A of Juſtice : 1t is a retribution of evil for evil, the evil of ſuffering {or the evil done : And God claims it as belonging to himſelf, P/al.94.1, Rom. 1.12, #7*b, 10. 27, and js mention'd in the Parable, Luke 18.7,8. as one great work of Chriſt at his coming to avenge the EledF. q Theſe arethe Perſons upon whom he will execute Vengeance : By whom ſome think are meant the Heathen, who had not the Goſpel. Thoſe that
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