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DISCOURSE V.

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THE WRATH OF THE LAMB

Rev. vi. 15, 16, 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, bid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of bis 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 sometimes 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 criminals; the discourse of our Saviour in the xxivth of Matthew, is an eminent example of this kind, where the destruction 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 discourse, 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 Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, was raised to the throne of Rome, 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 indignation, 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 dreadful day; and here I shall enquire particularly, (1.) Who are the persons whose aspect and appearance shall then be so dreadful to sinners? (2.) How comes the wrath which discovers itself at that time to be so formidable? and (3.) How vain will all the shifts and hopes of sinners be, in that dreadful day, to avoid the wrath and vengeance.'

First, Who are the persons that appear clothed in so much terror ?

Answ. It is he that "sits upon the throne and the Lamb:" It is God the Father of all, the great and

Almighty Creator, the supreme Lord and Governor of the world, and the Lamb of God, i. e. our Lord JESUS CHRIST, his Son, dwelling in human nature, to whom the judgment of the world is committed, and by whom the Father will introduce the terrible and the illustrious scenes of that day, and manage the important and eternal affairs of it. It it by these names that the Apostle John, in this prophetical book, describes God the Father and his Son Jesus. Rev. iv. 10. and v. 6.-13.

If it be enquired, why God the Father is describ. ed as the person 'sitting on the throne, this is plainly agreeable to the other representations of him throughout the Scripture, where he is described as first and supreme in authority, as sitting on the throne of majesty on high, as denoting and commissioning the Lord Jesus, his well-beloved Son, to act for him, and as placing him on his throne, to execute his works of mercy or vengeance. Rev. iii. 21. "Не that overcometh shall sit down with me on my throne," saith our Saviour, "even as I have overcome, and am set down with the Father on his throne." Johnv. 22, 27. "The Father hath committed all judgment into the hands of the Son." It is true, the Godhead or divine essence is but one, and it is the same Godhead which belongs to the Father that dwells in the Son, and in this respect "Christ and the Father are one, he is in the Father, and the Father in him," John x. 30, 38; yet the Father is constantly exhibited in Scripture, with peculiar characters of prime authority, and the

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Son is represented as receiving all from the Father. John v. 19, 20, 22, 26, 27.

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If it be farther enquired, 'why Christ is called the Lamb of God, I shall not pursue those many fine metaphors and similes, in which the wit and fancy of men have run a long course on this subject; but shall only mention these two things.

1. He is called the Lamb, from the innocence of his behaviour, the quietness and meekness of his disposition and conduct in the world. The character of Jesus, among men, was peaceful, and harmless, and patient of injuries; "when he was reviled, he reviled not again, but was led as a Lamb to the slaughter," with submission, and without revenge : This resemblance appears, and is set forth to view in several Scriptures, wherein he is compared to this gentle creature. Acts viii. 32. 1 Pet. ii. 23.

2. He is called the Lamb, because he was appointed a sacrifice for the sins of men; John i. 29. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. "You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot." It was a lamb that was ordained for the constant daily sacrifice amongst the Jews, morning and evening, to typify the constant and everlasting influence of the atonement made by the death of Christ. Heb. x. 11, 12. It was a lamb which was sacrificed at the passover, and on which the families of Israel feasted, to commemorate their redemption from the slavery of Egypt, and to typify Christ who is "our passover, who was sacrificed for us," and for whose sake the destroying angel spares all that trust in him, 1 Cor. v. 7.

But will a lamb discover such dreadful wrath? Has the Lamb of God such indignation in him? Can the meek, the compassionate, the merciful Son of God, put on such terrible forms and appearances ? Are his tender mercies vanished quite away, and will he renounce the kind aspect, and the gentle language of a lamb for ever?

To this I answer, that the various glories and offices of our blessed Lord, require a variety of human metaphors and emblems to represent them. He was a lamb, full of gentleness, meekness, and compassion, to invite and encourage sinful perishing crea tures, to accept of divine mercy: But he has now to deal with obstinate and rebellious criminals, who renounce his Father's mercy, and resist all the gentle methods of his own grace and salvation: And he is sent by the Father to punish those rebellions, but he is named 'the Lamb of God' still, to put the rebels in mind what gentleness and compassion they have affronted and abused, and to make it appear that their guilt is utterly inexcusable.

Let us remember, Christ is now a Lamb, raised to the throne in heaven, and furnished and armed 'with seven eyes and seven horns,' with perfect knowledge and perfect power, to govern the world, to vindicate his own honour, and to avenge himself upon his impenitent and obstinate enemies. Rev. v. 5, 6. Here the Lamb will assume the name of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" also, and he must act in different

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