3. He shall come 'from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:7,8).
Here, he expressly tells wherefore they shall be punished because 'they know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ'; where also is notably intimated that he that obeyed the gospel of Christ know not God, neither in his justice nor mercy. But what is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but good tidings of good things—to wit, forgiveness of sins by faith in his blood, an inheritance in heaven by faith in his blood, as the whole of all the preceding discourse had manifested? Now, I say, can it be imagined that God would threaten to come upon the world with this flaming, fiery vengeance to punish them for their non-subjection to his Son's gospel if there had not been by himself paid to God full price for the souls of sinners if he had not obtained eternal redemption by his blood for sinners?
4. 'And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him' (Jude 14,15).
The Lord that is here said to come with ten thousand of his saints is Jesus Christ himself; and they that come with him are called his saints, because given to him by the Father, for the sake of the shedding of his blood. Now in that he is said to come to execute judgment upon all, and especially those that speak hard speeches against him, it is evident that the Father tendered his name, which is Jesus, a Saviour, and his undertaking for our redemption, and as obvious that the hard speeches intended by the text are such as vilify him as Saviour, counting the blood of the covenant unholy, and trampling him that is Prince of the covenant under the feet of their reproachful language; this is counted a putting of him to open shame, and a despising the riches of his goodness (Heb 6:10; Rom 2). Time would fail to give you a view of the reviling, despiteful sayings, and of the ungodly speeches that these abominable children of hell let fall in their pamphlets, doctrines, and discourses against the Lord the King. But the threatening is he shall 'execute judgment upon them for all their ungodly deeds, and for all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.'
5. 'Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you' (Acts 13:40,41).
This work is the same we have been all this while treating of—to wit, redemption by the blood of Christ for sinners, or that Christ hath paid full price to God for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them. This is manifest from verses 23 to 29 of this chapter.
Now, observe, there are and will be despisers of this doctrine, and they are threatened with the wrath of God—'Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish.' But would God so carefully have cautioned sinners to take heed of despising this blessed doctrine and have backed his caution with a threatening that they shall perish if they persist, had not he himself received by the blood of Christ full price for the souls of sinners?
Third. As God threatened, so he punished those who refused his Son or sought to vilify or make the doctrine of righteousness insignificant by faith in him.
1. He punished them with the abiding of his wrath—' He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him' (John 3:36).
The wrath of God for men; for sin stands already condemned by the law; and the judgment is, that they who refuse the Lord Jesus Christ shall have this wrath of God forever lie and abide upon them; for they want a sacrifice to pacify wrath for the sin they have committed, having resisted and refused the sacrifice of the body of Christ. Therefore, it cannot be that they should get from under their present condition who have refused to accept the undertaking of Christ for them.
Besides, God, to show that he taketh it ill at the hands of sinners that they should refuse the sacrifice of Christ, hath resolved that there shall be no more sacrifice for sin. Therefore, 'if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remained no more sacrifice for sins' (Heb 10:26). God doth neither appoint another, neither will he accept another, whoever brings it. And here those sayings are of their own natural force: 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' And again, 'See that ye refuse not him that spoke. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth (Moses), much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him (Christ) that speak from heaven' (Heb 2:3, 12:25).
