In my talks with sinners I very often discover in them a sort of
impression that God is their enemy. I would not, on any account,
intentionally misrepresent a single individual; either as to the
opinions he may hold or the secret sentiments he may entertain; but I
am impressed with the belief that if the hearts of many, if not all,
unconverted persons could be laid open to view, they would in their
inmost recesses disclose the belief or impression that God is not
their friend; that he does not wish them well; that he is only bearing
with them until it suits his time to cut them off and send them to
hell. This sentiment springs from a consciousness of sins indulged and
duties neglected. Hence, when such fall into deep affliction, when
danger threatens or destruction impends, they call on God to have
mercy upon them; and beg him to turn away his wrath.
A wrong interpretation of many passages in the Bible tends to foster
this impression. I will here quote a few passages of this kind, and
then interpret them according to what I believe to be the truth. When
the children of Israel were about ready to cross the Jordan over into
the land of Canaan, Moses said to them: "Remember, and forget not, how
thou provokedst the Lord thy God TO WRATH in the wilderness.... Also
in Horeb ye provoked the Lord TO WRATH, so that the Lord WAS ANGRY
with you, to have destroyed you." Deut. 9:7, 8.
The Old Testament abounds with passages of similar import, and many
are found in the New Testament. But let us examine carefully the
_kind_ of _wrath_ and _anger_ to which the Lord may be provoked. It
cannot be such wrath as men and devils feel. In Rev. 12:12 we read
these words: "The devil is come down unto you, having great WRATH,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
We can not, we dare not, think for a moment that the word _wrath_,
when spoken of God, means the same as when spoken of the devil. The
devil's wrath implies a feeling in him to do all the evil and mischief
he can. But the wrath of God cannot mean anything like this; because,
when his wrath burns the fiercest, he is still ever ready to forgive
all who repent and turn from evil. Nay, he even _entreats_ and
beseeches men to be reconciled to him, that his anger may be turned
away. I might quote many passages in proof of this. I have time to
give but one from the Old Testament. When the Lord made an end of
laying before the children of Israel the blessings and the curses, he
wound up all by saying: "And there shall cleave naught of the cursed
thing to thine hand: that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his
anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and
multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; when thou shalt
hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God."
An appeal to the light of reason must convince any unprejudiced mind
that our heavenly Father is angry and wrathful toward no one, in the
sense of willing evil to him, or of seeking an opportunity to do him
mischief. _Men_ may, and no doubt often do, have this feeling; but it
is a wicked feeling. Perish the thought of such wrath ever having a
place in the heart of our heavenly Father. The Apostle Peter says:
"The Lord is long-suffering toward us, NOT WILLING that ANY SHOULD
PERISH, but that all should come to repentance."
But let us crown all this argument with the Lord's sunrise upon the
night of Nicodemus. Here it is: "God so loved the world,"--the very
worst, and wickedest, and most depraved and abandoned part of it; he
made no exceptions--"that he gave his only begotten Son, that
WHOSOEVER believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved."
Do not imagine that God, our Creator, took a spell of love and good
will when he sent his Son into the world. God does not take spells,
either of love or wrath. He is the same yesterday, to-day and
forevermore. The same God who brought destruction upon the
disobedient, wayward, unthankful tribes of Israel, is the God who so
loved the world. He loved it then, just as he loves it now. He loves
it now, just as he did when he sent his Son to die for its sins. But
let us inquire a little further into the nature of the