The God of vengeance.
To many it seems a strange prayer that God should show himself in this character. Therefore consider—
I. WHAT VENGEANCE IS.
1. It is not the same as revenge, a human, an evil, and often unjust thing. Revenge is what men delight in when they have received some injury at the hands of their fellow men, and hence is never right, but ever condemned of God. But:
2. Vengeance is the avenging of public wrong, the upholding of justice and righteousness, and essential to the preservation of society and of all human well being. Therefore it may well be prayed for. See Milton's appeal, "Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints," etc. Wow, concerning this vengeance of God, note further—
II. ITS REALITY. The history of mankind is marked by it. Again and again has God thus visited guilty men. The Bible, secular history, personal observation, experience, all attest it. Therefore when in the future life the Scriptures warn us of like vengeance, how can any dare so regard it as impossible?
III. ITS ONE AND ONLY EXCITING CAUSE—Human sin. Not a man's circumstances nor anything that he cannot help, but only his sin, conscious, wilful, persisted in sin. In this psalm there are set forth some of these sins, which cry to God for vengeance.
IV. ITS RIGHTEOUSNESS. We confess this now when we see men who have steeped themselves in crime brought to judgment, and just doom passed upon them. And in the future there will be no vengeance that does not command the heartfelt confession from all beholders, that God is righteous who judgeth so.
V. ITS TERRIBLENESS. "Fools make a mock at sin;" did they know its doom, their mockery would soon cease. Even in this world the vengeance of God often utterly overwhelms the sinner. Well may the psalmist ask (Psalms 90:11), "Who knoweth the power of thine anger?" etc. It is immeasurable.
VI. ITS CERTAINTY. It may be delayed, and for a long while seemingly evaded, hut sooner or later it surely comes.
VII. ITS CHOSEN HIGHWAY. It is along the path of little sins. The ungodly falleth by little and little. The mere cobwebs of separate single sins become at length twisted and transformed by the law of habit into the strenuous ligaments which bind the soul over to eternal sin.
VIII. ITS ARREST. Let the sinner repent and flee for shelter to Christ.—S.C.