Wesley Corpus

All death, and rage, and curse, is not in the language of Scripture termed the wrath and vengeance of God. “(3) Because the devils have their life from God; there fore, their cursed, miserable, wrathful life is said to be the curse, and misery, and wrath of God upon them.” (Page 53.) Neither can this be proved, that the devils having their life from God, is the reason why they are said to be under his wrath. Nor does the Scripture ever term their wrathful, miserable life, the wrath or misery of God. “(4.) Devils are his, as well as holy angels. Therefore all the wrath and rage of the one must be as truly his wrath and rage burning in them, as the joy of the others is his joy.” (Page 54.) So it seems, the wrath of God in Scripture means no more or less than the wrath of the devil! However, this argument will not prove it. The joy of saints (not of angels that I remember) is styled the joy of their Lord, because he pre pared it for them, and bestows it on them. Does he prepare and bestow the rage of devils upon them? “(5.) His wrath and his vengeance are no more in God, than what the Psalmist calls his ice and his frost.” (Page 74.) There is nothing parallel in the case. We cannot take the latter expression literally, without glaring absurdity; the former we may. “(6.) ‘The earth trembled because he was wroth. No wrath here but in the elements.” Nay, if so, here was no wrath at all. For we are agreed, “Only spirits can be wrathful.” (7.) One more text, usually cited against your opinion, you improve into an argument for it: “‘Avenge not your selves, for vengeance is mine. This is a full proof that vengeance is not in God. If it was, then it would belong to every child of God, or he could not ‘be perfect as his Father is perfect.’ ” (Page 76.) Yes, he could in all his imitable perfections. But God has peculiarly forbidden our imitating him in this. Wengeance, says he, is mine, incommunicably mine; unless so far as he delegates it to those who are in authority. This therefore clearly shows, that God executes vengeance; though justice, not vengeance, is properly in Him.