Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v11

Chap. 3 6. e/fn Expolido"; up.tn the Book of Jo B. Verf. 18. 299 which nothing, candobut kifling the Son, that will and that only can do it ; fubrt it to Jefus Chrif}, receive Jesus Ehrit , v;ith- out him it is impoffible to prevent wrath. He that believes nor, the wrath ofGod abidethon hit», (John 3, 3 6,))Jefus Chrill alone is he which del.ivereth us from the wrath to come, ( Thef. T. io.) And if we further confider this wrath from the exsreilion, both of the Pfalm and of the Text, it fhould make us ( whoare fo feat ful of, and who fo fhift from the wrath of men ) exceed- ingly afraidof the wrathof God. The word, aswas fdaea,ed be- fore, comes from a root which fignifieth the heat of fire , im- plying that the wrath of God is fire; and ( Heb. to. 27. ) it is called fiery indignation ; yea, God himfelf (IN. 1 z. 29.) is called a confefming fire. Why Both the Script we exprefs himand his wrath, by fire ? Surely becaufe fire is well known to us, and we are well able toconceive how dreadful a thing fire is, when it is in its rage and fury, when it bathgot the mafiery ; Fire is à comfortablefervant, bat a dreadful maffer. Now as fire is the moll dreadful element, fo wrath is the moil dreadful attribute of God ; yet I may fay,thateletnentary fire which (as to our fence) is fodreadful, isbut a fun-thinecompared to the wrath of God ; as will appearif we confider it, intwo things. Firil,it burns internally.Thevifible fire burns but vifible thing, outward things, but this fire burns within, fcorches the confci- ence, burns the foul, burns that which all the fires in the world cannot reach, cannot touch. God is a Spi ir, and the wrath of God is a fire that hurtles the fpirits, and w ill for ever afflia and torment the confciences of wicked men. The hotrefi fires which themoil enraged malitious Perfecuters kindle, cannot touch the fpirir; the confcience isquiet, the foul triumphs while the flefh fries in the fire. 'I-is the fire of divinewrath alone which bath power upon the foul ; anda burning there is tenthoufand times morepainful than the burning of our fleIh. Secondly, the wrath ofGod burns eternally. Your fireshere though they are dreadful, yet they go our,they consume them- f Ives by confuming the matter or fuel call into them ; they cannot continue alwayes, becaufe they eat up and devour that which maintaines them : But the wrathof God burns continually. God iscalled a confuming fire, not becaufe the fire of his i,vra. h confumes,but becaufe he confumeth fanners in che fire. of wrath ;: Q.9 2 and

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