132 THE WORLD 7'O COME. shelter and concealment, with all their fortification and mass thickness for defence, and with all their power to crush and de- stroy mankind, and yet we find them utterly insufficient to hide, cover, or protect,guilty creatures in that great day of the wrath of God and the Lamb. Reflections on the foregoing discourse. I. f° How strangely do all the appearances of Christ to sinners, in the several seasons and dispensations of his grace, differ from that last great and solemn appearance, which to them, will be a dispensation of final vengeance ?" He visited the world in divine visions of old, even from the day of the sin of Adam, and it was to reveal mercy to sinful man, and he sometimes assuined the majesty of God, to let the world know he was not to be trifled with. He visited the earth at his incarnation : How lowly was his state !-- How full of grace his ministry ! Yet he then gave notice of this day of vengeance, when he should appear in his own, and his Father's most awful glories. He visits the nations nowwith the word of salvation, he ap- pears in the glass of his gospel, and in the ordinances of his sanctuary, as a Saviour whose heart melts with love, and in the language of his tenderest compassions, and of his dying groans, lie invites sinners to be reconciled to an offended God : He ap- pears as a Lamb made a sacrifice for sin, and as a minister of 'his Father's mercy, offering and distributing pardons to cri- minals. But when he visits the world, as a final Judge, how solemn and illustrious will that appearance be ! How terrible his countenance to all those who have 'refused to receive him as a Saviour ? Behold, he cometh in flaming fire, with ten thou- sand gf his angels, to render vengeance to them that resisted his grace, and disobeyed the invitation of his gospel; 2 Thess. i. 7. Time was when the Father sent forth his Son not to con- demn the world, but that through him the world might have life; John iii. 17. But the time is coming, when God shall send him arrayed with majesty and with righteous indignation, to condemn the rebelliòus world, and inflict upon them the pains of eternal death. Hast thou seen him, Oh my soul ! in the discoveries of his mercy ? Fly to him with all the wings of faith and love; with all the speed of desire and joy fly to him, receive his grace, and accept of his salvation, that when the day of the wrath of the Lamb shall appear, thou mayest behold his countenance with- out terror and confusion. - I1. " How very different will the thoughts of sinners be that day from what they are at present ? How different their wishes and their inclinations ?" And that with regard to this one terror which my text describes, viz. that they shall address them- selves to the rocks and mountains for shelter, and fly into the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=