THE WRATH OF MAN MADE TO REDOUND Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, &c. THIS psalm appears to have been composed on the oc casion of some remarkable deliverance obtained by the Jewish nation. Some suppose that it refers to the defeat of Sennacherib's army by the angel, when they came up and besieged Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah; others think that it was written on the occasion of the victory in the days of Jehosaphat, recorded in 2 Chron. xx. 28. The church improves it-1. To the honour of Israel's God, verse 3, 7-9. 2. To the perpetual disgrace of Israel's enemies, verse 5, 6. 3. To the consolation of the true Israel of God in all ages, "Surely the wrath of man," &c. . By the wrath rage of ungodly th we are to understand the undue own into a flame. It is the same word in the second Psalm, "Why do the heathen rage," &c. So that though the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, it is nevertheless forced to minister to his praise. And the remainder thereof he doth restrain;" i. e. the Lord will allow scope to the wrath of man, so far as it is subservient to his praise, the rest shall be curbed and bound up, when it would attempt to go beyond its prescribed limits; he says to it, as to the waters of the ocean, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. We shall in our present meditation attempt to illustrate and confirm this truth, that the wrath of ungodly man is over-ruled for the best of purposes, viz. to the praise and glory of God. 1. The wrath of man redounds to the praise of divine power. It brings it forth with full and awful lustre to the view of mankind. All power is in his hands both in heaven and in earth; and he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. And this the enemies of God's church and people are sometimes given to understand when engaged in the most daring enterprises. 2 Kings xix; Ps. ii. 1—3. 2. The wrath of man is made to praise the wisdom, as well as the power of God. Nothing displays more remarkably the admirable counsel of heaven than snaring the wicked in the work of their own hands. History abounds with examples of those who were ministers of Providence in accomplishing purposes directly contrary to them they had in view. Thus the cruelty of the sons of Jacob. Thus the wrath of Pharaoh against the Israelites, and his unjust attempts to detain them in bondage proved the occasion of bringing them forth from the land of slavery. Thus the inhuman plan which Haman had formed for the ruin of Mordecai, and extirpating the whole of the Jewish nation, proved the way for Mordecai's high promotion. Job. v. 12, 13. 3. The wrath of man praises the justice of God, by being employed as the instrument of inflicting punishment on sinners. And their actions are so overruled, that the wrath which they meant to pour forth upon others, frequently recoils, by its effects, on themselves. The Lord sometimes delivers them up to themselves, and they become their own tormentors, making their own wickedness to reprove them, and their backslidings to correct them: the avenging hand of a righteous God is conspicuous; and thus the psalmist's observation is verified, Ps. xxxvii. 14, 15. The wrath of man also praises the justice of God, in the punishment of others. Ex. ix. 16. 4. The wrath of man is made to praise the goodness of God. This is the most unexpected of its effects; but the observation may be illustrated. 1. It is sometimes employed as an instrument of discipline and correction to the people of God. So that their oppressors are in truth no more than the ministers of God to them for good. In this light the disturbers of the earth are often represented. Isa. x. 5-7. 12. 15. 17. 24, 25. 2. the wrath of man contributes to the benefit of the righteous, by rendering it the means of improving and making manifest their graces. As stars shine in the YOL. II. K night, so the graces of the righteous shine with greater lustre in the night of persecution. Here Job, Daniel, &c. present themselves to our view-and the wrath of Pharaoh and the Egyptians made up part of Israel's song. (Ex. xv. 9.) "The enemy said," &c. 3. when it breaks forth in persecuting religion. It praises the divine goodness, by being overruled for the advancement of truth and the spread of religion; this was exemplified in the case of the apostles. 4. shall only add one instance more-by accomplishing ends of most extensive benefit to mankind. Never did the wrath of man suppose it had obtained a more complete conquest than in the case of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ is the spring of everlasting life to the faithful. "Surely, O God, the wrath of man""And the remainder thereof thou wilt restrain." It is in his hand, and he will let it out in weight and measure. 1. Sometimes by diverting them from their design. 2 Kings xix. 7; 1 Sam. xxiii. 27, 28. 2. 3. By putting favourable thoughts of himself and his people into their hearts. "When a man's ways please the Lord." Dan. ii. 46-48; Dan. v. 29. by disclosing their secrets, and revealing their plots against his people: thus the plots of the king of Assyria were revealed by Elisha to the king of Israel, whereby his design against Israel was baffled, and his wrath restrained. 4. by taking away their courage. "The stout-hearted are spoiled, and the men of might do not find their hands." 5. by confusing and confounding them. Judges vii; 2 Kings iii. 6. Ex. xv. 7. by destroying them, as he did Pharaoh. by converting them; he changes the heart, and the lion becomes a lamb. Acts ix. Inferences. 1. This should lead us to religious contemplation of the hand of God in all the dispensations of providence. 2. The folly of sinners who oppose the church of Christ. Isa. x. 17. 3. to bear injuries; especially in the cause of Christ, with meekness and resignation. "Vengeance is mine." 4. what an antidote against the slavish fear of man-let the Lord be our fear; and we need not fear what man can do, for surely there is no peradventure. Ps. cxxv. 1, 2. THE INDISSOLUBLE CONNEXION BETWEEN FAITH AND SALVATION. He that believeth shall be saved.-Mark xvi. 16. In order to illustrate this subject, consider, 1. What is faith? In answer, it is a firm persuasion of the truth of the gospel, accompanied with a deep sense of its importance, and a cordial acceptance of its gracious proposals; and so producing the genuine fruit of love and obedience. 1. The real Christian believes the pure unadulterated gospel; the substance of which is this, "God is in Christ," (2 Cor. v. 19.)-The ground on which he believes, is the testimony of God. (1 John v. 10.) He yields not a faint, feeble, wavering assent, but agreeable to the clearness, strength, and energy of evidence. He may be assaulted with doubts, nor does he wish to remove them by unlawful means, ever ready to follow where truth shall lead. His doubts, having this effect, serve in the end rather to confirm than weaken his faith. 2. The gospel which he thus believes, he believes to be most important. It rouses his attention and calls all the powers of his soul to action. Like a man whose house is on fire, and is at his wit's end, till he has found means to extinguish it-or like one who has a large estate depending, and uses every effort to get his title confirmed. 3. This belief of the gospel is accompanied with a cordial approbation of its gracious proposals. He readily falls in with the scheme of salvation which divine wisdom has contrived, and almighty power carried into effect-at the altar of propitiation he is disposed to sacrifice both pride and pleasure, and at the feet of the adorable Saviour, to "cast down imaginations." 2 Cor. x. 5. We have heard the gospel-Have we believed it? Have we received it in the love of it? Are our hearts and lives influenced by it? II. The salvation promised to them that believe. Here a scene the most delightful and transporting opens to our view. A scene the contemplation of which fills the Christian with admiration and wonder. (1.) It is a salvation from moral evil. The soul of man is the workmanship of God, but, alas! this temple of God is now laid in ruins, sin has darkened the understanding. It has dethroned reason, brought a load of guilt upon the conscience, created a thousand fears in the breast, and spread universal anarchy through the soul. Now from all these evils we are saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. He procures for us the free pardon of sin. Sends down his good Spirit into our hearts to renew our nature-illuminate our mind-restore peace to our consciences. What a blessed change! (2.) From natural evil. Many and great are the mercies of an outward kind to which human nature is liable in the present life. Proofs of this fact arise from every quarter; if we look into history we shall find a great part of it employed in recording the calamities which have befallen nations; war, fire, tempest, earthquakes, pestilence, famines. If we go abroad into the world, our attention will be arrested by scenes of distress. Job xiv. 1. Now from all these miseries, the sad effects of sin, Jesus Christ came into the world to save us. Not that good men are exempt from the common afflictions of life; poverty, sickness, and death, they are liable to. But these few curses are converted into blessings. Rom. viii. 28; 1 Cor. xv. 55-67. But if we extend our views to heaven, the promise, as it relates to natural evil, shall receive its full accomplishment. (Heb. iv. 9.) There is no acting hand, as the stones that composed the temple, were hewn and prepared |