VERSES SO, 31.

For we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God.

$1. (I.) Exposition. The severity before mentioned supported by sacred testimonies. $2. Vengeance belongs to God. 3. God the supreme judge. $4 Hence the awful danger of falling under this displeasure. $5, 6 (II) Observations.

§1. As if the apostle had said, in the severe sentence we have denounced against apostates, we have spoken nothing but what is suitable to the holiness of God, and what indeed in such cases he hath declared he will do. The conjunction (yup) for, denotes the introduction of a reason of what was spoken before, but more particularly the reference he had made to their own judgments of what sore punishment was due to apostates; if you would be fully convinced of the righteousness and certainty of this dreadful destruc tion of apostates, consider, in the first place, the au.. thor of it, the only judge in the case; "we know him that hath said," what God speaks Deut. xxxii, 35, 36. concerning his enemies, and the enemies of his people in covenant with him, is applicable to that people itself, when they absolutely break and reject the covenant; for these, upon their apostasy come into the place of the most cursed enemies of God and his faithful people; and therefore God will be to them, what he was to the worst of his adversaries; for shall he not act in the like manner towards them who murdered the Lord Jesus, and persecuted all his followers?

§2. This first testimony in the original is (hupa) to me vengeance and recompence, which the apostle renders by (ενδικος μισθαποδόσια) a just recompence, to the same purpose. Recompence is the actual exercise

of vengeance; (dinn, endinyois) vengeance is the actual execution of judgment on sinners, according to their desert, without mitigation of mercy; it is an act of judgment, and wherever mention is made of it, God is still proposed as a judge; it being a just retribution according to the just demerit of sin. This vengeance God appropriateth to himself in a peculiar manner, as that which in its full latitude, no creature hath any interest in; see Psal. xciv, 1, 2; for it respects only sin in its own formal nature, as an offence against God; although he hath in magistrates allowed the infliction of punishments on offenders to answer the proper ends of government and to promote the peace of the world; yet as to vengeance, as it denotes giving satisfaction to ourselves in the punishment of others, it is forbidden to all persons both public and private. God in executing vengeance gives satisfaction to his own infinte holiness and righteousness, which makes it holy and just; wherefore the formal reason of the appropriation of all vengeance unto God, is, that he alone can judge and punish in his own case, and to his own satisfaction. "He hath made all things for himself, and the wicked for the day of evil;" in this appropriation of vengeance unto God there is supposed and included, that indeed there is vengeance with him, which in due time he will execute; "I will repay saith God;" He doth oftentimes exercise great patience and forbearance, even then when vengeance might justly be expected; "how long dost thou not avenge our blood?" This commonly adds to the security of wicked men, and they learn to despise the threatenings of all the divine judgments which they have deserved, 2 Pet. iii, 3-7; Eccles. viii, 11; they are ready to conclude, that either vengeance doth not belong to God, or that it shall be executed when and where they are not concerned; but

a determined time is fixed for the execution of deserved vengeance; hence he calls it "the year of vengeance, and the day of recompence;" so here, "I will recompence, saith the Lord."

§3. The second testimony, taken from the same place, is of the same import with this; "The Lord shall judge his people." In Deuteronomy, chap. xxxii, 36; it is applied to such a judgment of them as tends to their deliverance; but the general truth of the words is, that God is the supreme judge, he is judge himself; Psal. i, 6; this the apostle makes use of, concluding that the righteousness of God, as the supreme judge of all, obligeth him to this severe destruction of apostates; for "shall not the judge of all the world do right?" Shall not he who is judge, in a peculiar manner, of those that profess themselves to be his people, punish them for their iniquities, especially such as break off all covenant relation.

§4. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." These words are both an inference from those immediately foregoing and a recapitulation of all he had spoken to this purpose. Let men look to it, let them look to themselves, and consider what they do; "for it is a fearful thing," &c. In what sense God is called the "living God," and with respect to what ends, hath been declared before, chap. iii, 12; and ix, 14. In brief, this title is ascribed to God in opposition to all dead and dumb idols, and with respect to his eternal power, whereby he is able to avenge the sins of men; indeed it calls to mind all the other holy properties of his nature, which are suited to impress dread and terror on presumptuous sinners, whose punishment is thence demonstrated to be unavoidable; the event of sinning is (eμterew eis xeipas) to fall into his hands; which is a common expression with reference

to the power of any one over his enemies; none can be said to "fall into the hands of God," as if they were not before in his power; therefore it denotes to be obnoxious to his power and judgment when there is nothing in God himself, nothing in his word, nothing in the law, nothing in the gospel, that can be pleaded for the least abatement of punishment. There is no property of God that can be implored; it is the destruction of the sinner alone, whereby they will all be glorified; (Ooßepov) a fearful, dreadful thing, that which no heart can conceive, nor tongue express; 'men are apt to put off all thoughts of it, or to have slight thoughts about it; but in itself how dreadful, terrible, and eternally destructive of all their happiness, and inflictive of all the evil that our nature is capable of! This therefore is a passage of holy writ much to be considered, especially in these days, wherein men grow cold and careless in their profession, and are signalized by awful marks of declension.

$5. (II.) We may here observe,

1. There can be no right judgment made of the nature and demerit of sin, without a due consideration of the nature and holiness of HIM against whom it is committed; nothing, therefore will state our thoughts aright concerning the guilt and demerit of sin, but a deep consideration of the infinite greatness, holiness, righteousness, and power of God. To which we may add, that God acts not as to the effects of these properties of his nature, but on a preceding contempt of his bounty, grace, and mercy, as it is impossible that sin should come into the world but by the contempt of these things; for, antecedently to all possibility of sinning, Godcommunicates the effects of his goodness and bounty to the creation, and, in the reference to those sins which are against the gospel, the effect of his grace

and mercy; this is that which will give us a due measure of the guilt and demerit of sin; look upon it as a contempt of infinite goodness, bounty, grace, and mercy, and as rising up against infinite greatness, holiness, righteousness, and power, and we shall view it as it is.

2. Under the apprehensions of the great severities of divine judgments, the consideration of God, the author of them, will both relieve ourfaith and quiet our hearts. We shall need nothing else to give the most full satisfaction to our souls, than to consider him who hath said, "vengeance is mine, I will repay it."

3. A due consideration of the nature of God, and that he is judge of all, especially of his people, and that enclosure he hath made of vengeance to himself, under an irrevocable purpose for its execution, gives indubitable assurance of the certain unavoidable destruction of all wilful apostates; all their security, all their presumptuous hopes will vanish before this consideration, as darkness before the rising sun.

4. Although those who are the peculiar people of God stand in many relations to him that are full of refreshment and comfort, yet let them constantly remember that he is the holy and righteous judge, even towards his own people.

5. The knowledge of God in some good measure, both as to what he is in himself, and what he hath taken on himself to do, is necessary to render either his promises or threatenings effectual to the minds of

men.

§6. 1. There is an apprehension of the terror of the Lord in the final judgment, which is of great use to the souls of men, 2 Cor. v, 11; at least to them who are not yet irrevocably engaged in the tremendous effect of it.

2. When there is nothing left but the expectation of