TISCOUR V. The Wrath of the Lamb. Rev. vi. 1 &, 18, 17. -And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond -man, and every free -man hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the moun- tains; and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of hint that sitteth on the throne, andfrom the wrath Of the lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand ? WHEN some terrible judgment or execution of divine vengeance is denounced against an age or a nation, it is some- times described in the language of prophecy by a resemblance to the last and great judgment-day, when all mankind shall be called to account for their sins, and the just and final indignation of God shall be executed upon obstinate and unrepenting crimi- nals. The discourse of our Saviour in the xxiv. chapter of Matthew, is an eminent example of this kind; where the de- struction of the Jewish nation is predicted, together with the final judgment of the world, in such uniform language, and similar phrases of speech, that it is difficult to say, whether both these scenes of vengeance run through the whole dis- course, or which part of the discourse belongs to the one, and which to the other. The same manner of prophecy appears in this text. Learned interpreters suppose these words to foretel the universal consternation which was found amongst the heathen idolaters and persecutors of the church of Christ, when Constan- tine the first christian emperor, was raised to the throne ofRome, and became governor of the world. But whether they hit upon the proper application of this prophecy or not, yet still it is pretty evident that this scene of terror is borrowed from the last judgment, which will'eminently appear to be the day of wrath, as it is called ; Rom. ii. 5. It is the great day of divine indigna- tion in so eminent a manner, that all the tremendous desolations of kingdoms and people, from the creation of the world to the consummation of all things shall be but as shadows of that day of terror and vengeance. I shall therefore consider these words at present, as they contain a solemn representation of that last glorious and dread. ful day ; and here I shall enquire particularly.. I. Who are the persons whose aspect and appearance shall then be so dreadful to sinners. LL. How comes the wrath which discovers itself at that time to be so formidable ; and, -111. How
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