their eyes-only in this way could he vindicate his divine authority, justice, holiness, and prove decisively that he would at all hazards sustain his moral government. Why did God threaten the inconsiderate, heedless, the perverters of right, with such a fearful overthrow, that he would tear them in pieces, and there should be none to deliver, if he did not in this summary way design to exhibit his abhorrence of wrong, and prove incontestably that the sacredness and authority of his law could not be sacrificed? He is righteously resolved to defend his government and vindicate himself from all slanderous aspersions, and prove that, he is invariably governed by integrity, truth, holiness, justice, though the world be damned. He will never save the world and pollute his throne, sacrifice his law and truth, and prostitute his divine authority. Indeed, if man is ever saved, the mode of his salvation shall never reflect an impeachment on the character of God; sooner than this the storm of wrath shall sweep through the ample rounds of creation, and overwhelm the rebel throng beneath its pressing waves. He will vindicate his law.

We read another affecting declaration of what God will do to prove that he is Jehovah over all the earth, in Ps. lxxxiii. 14-18. This Psalm is a prophetic prayer in reference to all such who are the enemies of the people of God; they made war upon God's children in order to exterminate them and to take possession of the house of God-they were strong and confederate against the ways of the Lord: therefore the Psalmist prophetically prayed, "As the fire burneth wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy face, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish." Why all this affliction, and ruinous

tempest? For the sake of rendering the creature man miserable? Not exactly so; but to show that God has no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and that by judgments and wrath he will teach the rebellious race that his character is holy, and that his law is just and right, and that his sceptre extends over the earth. He adds in the same Psalm, "That men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth.” Here then we have another example clearly teaching that the Almighty displays his vindictive wrath in the punishment and overthrow of the ungodly. As he has done so in the past, his doing the same in the future will be in strict accordance with himself.

We shall give another instructive record in confirmation of our position, as brought to view in the history of Nebuchadnezzar. It may be read in Dan. iv. 25. "Till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will." Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, became proud and haughty, he forgot that the Most High was King of kings, ruling in the armies of heaven, and that his supreme authority extended over the habitable globe, therefore he grew up a royal sinner and the oppressor of the poor. The goodness of heaven did not humble his pride, nor did he acknowledge his dependence on the good pleasure and arm of the Arbiter of the UniHe renounced all allegiance to the government of God, and imagined himself invested with the prerogatives of a god, therefore the Lord took his case in hand. To show the world that the haughty looks of man were contemptible in his sight, and that he would crush all undue aspirations, and break the arm of oppression, he poured down upon the king of Babylon the vial of his wrath. He was driven out with the beast to crop the grass until seven years had rolled over his head; and then he should ac

verse.

knowledge the moral dominion of God over the earth. When the king's reason returned again, he lifted up his eyes to heaven as a man, and not downward to the earth as a beast, and he praised the God of heaven whe liveth forever and ever, "whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.” The Almighty will make all his creatures sensible, that they are under the control of his divine government, and that an acknowledgment of the same shall be extorted, either by the subduing influences of kindness and mercy, or by the crushing weight of vindictive punishment. Thus he will fortify and defend the supremacy of his law; convincingly prove his sincerity, honor and justice; and that the glory and inviolability of his government are the most prominent objects to be secured-the first and last, and that all other objects are subservient to these ends; these shall not fail though all others should prove abortions. But thanks be to God, that he can be just and yet the justifier of every soul that believeth in Christ!

Another object of just and adequate punishment is,

II. TO RENDER UNTO EVERY TRANSGRESSOR HIS DUE. The principle of distributive justice is fully incorporated with the doctrines of the Bible-He will render to every man his due. So plain and universal is the connection between vice or ill-deserving, and punishment, that no nation or kingdomis skeptical on this point. And so familiar is this truth, that it has assumed the form of a common proverb-vice is its own punisher. If well-doing has the promise of the present and future life, why shall not an ungodly deportment ensure tribulation and anguish ?

It is not our object to investigate at present, how much and how long punishment, the sinner has deserved, or can deserve by living in sin; but to state and prove the fact

merely that judicial inflictions for crime are deserved by the wicked, and that these they shall reap in the proper time, unless saved by faith in the blood of Christ.

The wicked deserve punishment. So, at least, the Bible expresses itself. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. vi. 23. "Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hand shall be given him." Isa. iii. 11. The death and woe of the wicked are visited upon them, because they have deserved them as a reward. These are therefore just and adequate such punishments are in accordance with their demerit. Paul in speaking of God and the reward of the ungodly, says: "Who will render to every man according to his deeds :-unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil," &c. Rom. ii. 6-9. Solomon, by the inspiration of God, says: "If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?" Prov. xxiv. 12. The prophet of the Lord speaks in this wise: "The Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of host, is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men; to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jer. xxxii. 18, 19. The Saviour gives his sanction to the doctrine in the following language: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels, and the he shall reward every man according to his works." Matt xvi. 27. "And Behold, I come quickly; and my reward s with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. xxii. 12.

It would seem unnecessary to multiply quotations, when the truth of our position is so undeniable, and so repeatedly made the subject of remark, in the volume of inspiration; and withal so generally favored with the cordial assent of the candid and wise: but it appears, at times, that truth needs numberless confirmations to disperse the incredulity of man, and engrave its lineaments upon his bewildered heart.

The punishment for sin is the reward of the wicked. It is a debt contracted which must be paid, unless canceled by the blood of Christ, whose province it is "to heal all diseases and forgive all iniquities." Sinner! dost thou not dread thy fearful doom? Hark! the thunders mutter peals of sullen wrath along the lowering, gloomy horizon-the forked fires gleam with the arrows of legal death-the scowl of woe on wings of fevered air portends thy speedy ruin-and "art thou still secure and wilt thou still refuse to pray?" Thy Judge descends, his glittering sword unsheathed, the marble breaks, the dead are raised, and all the land fears the wail of death; and is thy forehead lined with brass and thy heart incased in steel, and dost thou vainly hope to stand in the Lord's avenging day? Thy due! O sinner, thy due!! thou wilt sink to the depths of the dark abyss beneath the load of thy just reward-condign punishment for crime-hide thyself in the rock that is cleft for thee-for thee!-till the storm be overpast.

3. To demonstrate to the righteous that in escaping the wrath to come, they avoided an actual calamity. So incredulous is the heart of man that, under certain influences, the plainest truths are doubted; but while the godly believed the sincerity of God in his threatenings, and ordered their lives accordingly, with a view to escape the doom of the impenitent, they are now doubly convinced of the wisdom of their choice, and the virtue of religion. In the punish