....let us think of the TREMENDOUS PERIL which overtakes all men who do not escape from it.

That tremendous peril is the wrath of God. There is a wrath of God, which abides on every ungodly man. Whether men like that truth or not, it is written, "God is angry with the wicked every day!" And, also, "he who believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God!" And yet again, "he who believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him!" But this wrath is in abeyance for a time; and, consequently, men do not think much either of the wrath that now is, or of "the wrath to come." It will not, however, always be in abeyance. The sluices of the great deep will be pulled up, and the awful torrents will come leaping forth, and will utterly overwhelm all who are exposed to their fury. This "wrath to come" will in part fall upon men at death — but more fully at the day of judgment, and it will continue to flow over them forever and ever. This "wrath to come" is that of which John spoke — and of which we will now think for a while.

I remark, first: that this "wrath to come" is absolutely just and necessary. If there is a just God — then he cannot let sin go unpunished. If he is really God, and the righteous Judge of all the earth — he must have an utter abhorrence of all evil. It cannot be possible that he should think the same . . .
of the honest and the dishonest,
of the chaste and the unchaste,
of the sober and the drunken,
of the truthful and the lying,
of the gracious and the dissolute.

Such a god as that, would be one whom men might rightly despise! But the true God, if we understand aright what he is — must hold all sin in detestation. All evil must be utterly abhorrent to his pure and holy soul; and it is not only because he can do it — but because he must do it, that he will, one of these days, let loose the fury of his wrath against sin!

As it is necessary, in the very nature of things, that there should be certain laws to govern his creation — so is it equally necessary, in the very nature of things, that sin should bepunished, and that every transgression and disobedience should receive a just recompense. This is the inevitable consequence of sin; there is nothing arbitrary about such a result. It is fixed, in the very nature of things, that "for every idle word that men shall speak — they shall give account in the day of judgment;" and for every sinful action, they must appear before the bar of God.

Do not think, when we speak about the wrath of God, that we picture God to you as a tyrant. We do but tell you, that this is only the nature of things — that just as if you take poison, it will kill you; or if you indulge in drunkenness, or if you take almost any form of disease, it will bring pain and mischief to you. Just so, sin must bring upon you the wrath of God, it cannot be otherwise. Heaven and earth shall pass away — but not one jot or tittle of God's law can pass away until all be fulfilled, and one part of that law requires that he should punish all transgression, iniquity, and sin.