The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-02-03

I
.<EW~ New York said to
\ML q class OF young
-.<*1l men about to en-
i------ss--s ter the ministry:
"The truth is, half Of Gods word is
law. The Gospel without promise OF
retribution is emasculated. II is not
only theological mistake, 1t is not a
Gospel" The text proclaims that
there is wrath with God, and there are
scores of Scripture passages speaking
OF the wrath OF God and many of them
are in the New Testament.
What is the Wrath Of cod7
When the ancients saw the noun.
tains that are now the witnesses of
the wrath of man against man rocking
and reeling, they said the gods were
mad. But we cannot so think Of the
wrath of God. That wrath is real in
dignation against its object, and this
Indignation carries with 1t the idea
that the object of the wrath will be
the subject of Gods opposition. The
wrath of God is always based on JUS
tice and reason that take into account
the rights and prerogatives Of men as
moral agents. Yet Gods own char
acter for holiness and justice will be
vindicated whatever may be the impa-
tience of man with such statement.
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap''-no limitation or modi-
fication.
The Wrath Of God Against All Sinful
Men.
We know God hates iniquity and all
evil deeds, but 1t is more serious
matter for US to note that the prepon-
derance of scripture testimony is
that the wrath of God is against sim
full men and logically so. Sin is an
abstract thing, and cannot be in itself
the subject OF the execution Of JUS
tice, but the sinner can be. Jesus
told Nicodemus that the wrath Of God
abode on shining man. Paul told the
Ephesian and Colossian Christians
that the wrath of God would come on
the children of disobedience. He told
the Thessalonians that the day Is COM
ing when Jesus Christ will be revealed
from heaven taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and obey not
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Wrath Provoked, Slow in Develop
ment, and Fearful In Visitation.
There are three things concerning
the wrath of God that should be care
fully noted: First: The wrath Of God
can be provoked or called out. The
Israelites provoked the wrath Of God
repeatedly and plaques broke out on
them. In the second Psalm men were
urged to kiss the son lest he be an
cry and they perish from the way
when his wrath was kindled but a
little. The wrath of God will never
be unaffected without the positive act
Of man calling II out, or provoking 1t,
and vne Of the strongest evidences OF
the love OF God is that his love has
been frequently provoked and was
most mercifully restrained. Second.
ly: The wrath OF God is slow in its
development. "The Lord Is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and plen'
teous in mercy" One Of the minor
prophets teaches almost exactly the
same thing, saying: Turn unto the
Lord your God, for he is gracious and
nerciful, slow to anger and of great
kindness" Thirdly: The wrath Of
God is fearful in its visitation. The
time comes when kindness, merciful
indulgence and longsuffering, are al
an end, and the most terrible judg
ments fall. This was illustrated In
the destruction Of the race by the
flood, by the fate Of Sodom and
Gomorrah. by the plaques on Egypt
by the wholesale destruction of many
Of the enemies of Israel. Not less
fearful, indeed rather more so, will
be the awful visitation of Gods wrath
in the future as indicated in Thes
salonians 1879.
Thank God there Is refuge, tor al
Paul teaches by the Holy Spirit. tha
being now justified by the blood o
Jesus Christ, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.
If ever in the history of the worlt
the attention of man ought to b.
called to the wrath Of God, 1t is nov
when the wrath of man against man
man so gloritied by himself as to b.
almost god--is manifested with I
bitterness and hellish hate as neve
Before.
In the awful experiences in the wal
swept regions there is something o
the wrath Of God.
Men have forgotten God and he
making himself known in wrath.
John the Baptists are needed I
urge men to fee from the wrath t
come.