the evil day, O Lord, thou knoweft;" but rather that they may find mercy before the day of vengeance come.

7. See hence one great reason why Christ's vifits are fo fweet and acceptable to believers. One grand reason is, because whenever he comes to vifit his redeemed, he takes vengeance on their grand enemy Satan, by relieving them from the oppreffion of fin, which is (as I faid) the first-born of the devil. The apostle John tells us, " For this purpose the Son of God was manifefted, to destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 8. And if you would know what the grand work of the devil is, fee ver. 5. where it is faid, "Ye know that he was manifefted to take away our fins." This was the defign of his manifestation in the fleth, this is the defign of his manifestation by the word, and this is the defign of his manifesta tion, whether at first converfion, or in his after visits and manifeftations. And therefore it is no wonder though a poor believer, groaning under the body of fin, or under the temptations of Satan, cry out through the intensenefs of his defire, "O when wilt thou come unto me! O that I knew where I might find him! O that it were with me as in months past!" Why, it is no wonder, that moment that the Redeemer fets his foot on the threshold of the believer's doors, all the works of the devil in the foul of the believer, whereby he is burdened, fall down like Dagon before the ark of the Lord, the prefence of Chrift by his Spirit brings immediate relief.

Many other inferences might be made, if I were not afraid of time. As,

1. This doctrine lets us fee why the devils cried out when they faw Chrift even in the ftate of humiliation, faying, "What have we to do with thee, Jefus thou Son of God? art thou come to torment us before our time?" Why, the very fight of Chrift our Redeemer was a terror to them, because they knew that the day of vengeance was in his heart against them.

2. See hence how it came that hell and earth took the alarm whenever the Son of God appeared upon the stage of time: Pfal. ii. "Why did the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth fet themselves, and the rulers took counfel together, against the Lord, and his Meffiah. Let us break their bands afunder, and caft away their cords from us." Why was there fuch a commotion upon the earth at the coming of Christ? Why, the reason is plain, the day of vengeance upon Satan and upon his kingdom in the world was approaching. You know if a foreign enemy enter within the confines of a land, the king and all his fubjects will be in a flir, every man flees to his arms. This was the

very cafe, the devil was the god of this world, and the world was living peaceably under his government; Chrift was a fo reign enemy come to invade his kingdom, and to put down the devil from his kingdom, and take the government to himfelf; and therefore the devil and all his confederates rage, and take the alarm, because one was come who had vengeance in his heart against him and his kingdom.

3. See hence the mystery of the converfion of the thief upon the crofs, to whom Chrift faid, "To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradise." Why, Chrift would fhew his power over the devil and his kingdom, even in his lowest state of humiliation; when he was bruifing the ferpent's head, at the expence of the bruifing of his own heel, he would let one of the devil's prifoners go free, and fo affert his own power in fetting the captives of the mighty free, and delivering the prey from the

terrible.

4. See hence the reafon why the day of a finner's converfion is called the day of Chrift's power, Pfal. cx. 3. "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power." The reafon is, because it is a day when the arm of the Lord is revealed, and the exceeding great and mighty power of a Redeemer is exerted, in ta king vengeance on Satan, and liberating the foul from his do

minion..

5. See why Chrift is faid to be "given for a leader and commander unto the people." Why, the reafon is, becauft, as Captain of the Lord of hofts, he heads all the redeemed in their warfare against death, fin, and the world, and fights all their battles for them, and through him they are conquerors, yea, more than conquerors.

6. See hence one reason why the Old Teftament church longed fo much for the coming of Chrift in the flesh; Abraham rejoiced to fee his day afar off; the faints expreffed the greateft longings for his coming. Oh! "Till the day break, and the fhadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe." Why, the reafon why they longed fo much for this day, was, becaufe they faw that the day of vengeance was coming upon Satan and his works.. And for the fame reafon the New Teftament church. long for his coming in the power of his Spirit, and his fecond coming at the laft day; because then the day of complete redemption will come from fin, Satan, unbelief, enmity, Atheism, and every thing that now creates them any trouble.

7. See hence a good reafon for that command to "put off the unfruitful works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light," and why we are to" refift even unto blood, ftriving against fin." Why, the reason is, because " he that committeth

fin is of the devil," 1 John iii. 8.; that is, he is on the devil's fide, and he is doing his drudgery work, and the vengeance of a Redeemer is to come upon him and all his works, and all his fervants who work his work. O Sirs, if you have any dread of the Redeemer's vengeance, if you have any love to Chrift, or any hatred to the devil, beware of fin; for every fin is an affront offered to Chrift, and a gratifying the devil, and a helping up with his kingdom in the world.

8. See from this doctrine what ground we have to look out for a day of vengeance to be faft a-coming. Why, the works of the devil, which Chrift came to deftroy, do every where abound among us, fuch as Atheism, error, ignorance, unbelief, contempt of the glorious gofpel, and barrennefs under it; curfing, fwearing, perjury, blafphemy, Sabbath-breaking, murder, adulteries, thefts, robberies, cheating, lying, stealing, covetoufnefs, and all manner of iniquity abounds; these are the works of the devil. And therefore feeing thefe abound, have we not reafon to fear, left vengeance be in his heart againft us?

9. See hence what a dangerous thing it is to hurt the spouse of Chrift, to do any injury to the church. Why, the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple, will certainly purfue all these who pollute or profane his temple. Satan is at this day fetching a stroke at the temple of God, triking at the facred conftitution of the church; but be who or what they will, who adventure to "defile the temple of God, them will God destroy," they draw on the Redeemer's refentment upon themfelves.

The fecond ufe may be of Terror to all that are in the devil's camp, wearing his livery, and waging war under his colours. against the Son of God. Wo to you if you tarry long there, for the heavy vengeance of the Redeemer will be upon you, if you do not quickly make your escape. See what the Lord fays with refpect to you, Deut. xxxii. 41. "If I whet my glittering fword, and mine hand take hold on judgement; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." More particularly, I will tell you a few forts of men on whom the day of vengeance is haftening.

1. Upon wicked and ungodly rulers and magiftrates : Pfal. lxxvi. 12. "He will cut off the fpirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth. He ftrikes through kings in the day of his wrath;" for example, Belfhazzar's Mene Tekel makes his joints to loofe, and his knees to fmite against other.

2. The day of vengeance will be upon all idol fhepherds, unfaithful minifters that do not give faithful warning from his

mouth,

mouth, but clap the heads, and ftrengthen the hands of the wicked in a way of fin, Ezek. xxxiii. 8. Zech. xi. 17.

3. To all these that are injurious to his faithful ambaffa-, dors in the difcharge of their duty and commiffion: 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. "They mocked the meffengers of God, and des fpifed his words, and mifufed his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy."

4. To all profaners of the name of God: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." They that tear his name, he will tear them, when none can help them.

5. Upon all Sabbath-breakers, who look upon God's day as a burden, Amos viii. 5. "The Lord hath fworn by the excellency of Jacob, that he will not forget their works; for this the land fhall tremble, and every one that dwelleth therein shall mourn."

6. Upon all that are undutiful to parents, whether natu ral, civil, or fpiritual: "The eye that mocketh at his father, and defpifeth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick it out, and the young eagles fhall eat it." All that refift lawful magiftracy in their lawful commands, Rom. xiii. 2.

7. Upon all that are guilty of fhedding innocent blood, murdering their neighbour in a fit of paffion, or deftroying the fruits of their own bodies. The blood of Abel cried for vengeance against his brother Cain; and God has ordained, that "whofoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be thed."

8. Upon all unclean perfons: "Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." The darts of divine vengeance shall strike through the liver and heart of the unclean.

9. Upon all that are unjuft in their dealings between man and man, by ftealing, and over-reaching their neighbour. The broad flying roll of the curfe of God enters into the house of the thief, Zech. v. 2-4.

10. All perjured perfons, and covenant-breakers, whether national or perfonal: "Shall he break the covenant and efcape? I will fend a fword to avenge the quarrel of my co

venant."

11. All covetous perfons, who are difcontent with their lot, and envy the profperity of their neighbours. Vengeance purfued Ahab for coveting Naboth's vineyard. They are idolaters in God's reckoning, the men of the world, whofe portion is in this life.

All that wallow in fenfuality, fuch as drinking, gluttony,

and

and revelling, the vengeance of a Redeemer will pursue them : "Their God is their belly, and their end is deftruction."

Again, upon all hypocrites: If. xxxiii. 14. "The finners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath furprised the hypocrites: who among us fhall dwell with the devouring fire? who amongst us fhall dwell with everlasting burnings?"

Upon all that continue in ignorance under the means of knowledge: "He that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will fhew them no favour," If. xxvii. II.

Apoftates, who, after a profeffion, fall back again with "the dog to his vomit, and with the fow to her wallowing in the mire. Backfliders in heart fhall be filled with their own ways."

All who, by their untender walk, grieve and offend the generation of the righteous: "Wo unto the world because of offences: but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh, it were better for you that a millftone were hanged about your neck, and that you were caft into the depth of the fea."

This doctrine, I fay, fpeaks terror to all fuch, because they are of their father the devil, and do his works; and therefore the vengeance of a Redeemer is pursuing them. I should have begun with unbelievers, who do not obey the gofpel: "He. will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance upon them, because they obey not the gospel; they are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

The third ufe may be of Confolation to all the redeemed of the Lord. Has Chrift avenged thy quarrel with the dying of his garments, upon Satan thy grand enemy? Has he for thy fake invaded his kingdom, flain his firit-born, wrefted the keys of hell and death out of his hand, loaded him with chains, made an open spectacle of him and his fellow-angels, and is he to fhut him up in hell for ever, and all on thy account? Then hence many things may be inferred for the comfort and encouragement of the redeemed of the Lord.

1. Thy kind Kinfman, the avenger of thy blood, he will furely pay thy debt, and stand between thee and all the charges that either law, or confcience, or juftice, or the devil, or the world has against thee. Would he ever avenge thy blood upon Satan, and yet fuffer thee to fink under the charge of thre law of juftice? No, no; "he ftands at the right-hand of the poor, to fave him from them that would condemn his foul." And therefore thou mayft lift up thy head with joy and boldnefs, laying, "Who can lay any thing to my charge? It is

God