brother's blood cried from the ground, and in the intensity of his suffering he was constrained to cry out, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!" The antediluvians found the judgments of God fearful, when they were swept away by the waters of the sea. The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah found that it was a "fearful thing" to fall under the divine judgments. When Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans, and the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, came upon that ill-fated city, and the people were visited with famine, pestilence and war, then they found, by a mournful experience, that it was a fearful thing to fall beneath the judgments of the Almighty, or into the hands of the living God.

The context shows that the apostle referred to the divine judgments to come upon Jerusalem. They saw "the day approaching." (Verse 25.) They saw the fearful judgments of God approaching-the day of judgment to that nation. Dr. Clarke comments on "that day" thus: "The time in which God would come and pour out his judgments on the Jewish nation." Those who willfully rejected Christ after they received the knowledge of the truth, and turned back again to Judaism, would be overwhelmed in the divine judgments that should devour the adversaries. (Verse 27.) Upon this Dr. Clarke remarks:

"Probably the apostle here refers to the case of the unbelieving Jews in general, as in chapter vi., to the dreadful judgment that was coming upon

them, and the burning up of their temple and city with fire."

The apostle refers to those persecuting Jews who had trodden under foot the Son of God, and persecuted his followers. They had filled up the measure of their iniquity, and were to experience merited retribution. "For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." And again: "The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." This day of vengeance and recompense alluded to the fearful judgments which were to come upon the rebellious house of Israel, when Jerusalem should be destroyed. The day of vengeance was when these severe national judgments and calamities came upon the Jewish people. "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Luke xxi. 22.

God punished man for his iniquity. The judgments that came upon him for sin, came from the hand of God; hence it was said to be a "fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Yet, God punishes not in revenge. "He will not cast off forever." Lam. iii. 31. "He hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." Rom. xi. 32.

GOD A CONSUMING FIRE

"For our God is a consuming fire.”—HEBREWS xii. 29.

The term fire was employed in different senses by the ancient Hebrews, and was a very common figure chosen to represent severe national calamities and judgments, coming upon the sinful and disobedient in this life, but never employed to set forth the retributive justice of God in the immortal world. The people were represented as being consumed with fire, and the land as being devoured with fire, and the inhabitants in a furnace of fire.

The divine judgments were threatened upon Israel in the following language: "For a FIRE is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, [sheol] and shall consume the earth, with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains, etc. They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction." Deut. xxxii. 22-24. The judgments of God in the earth, are referred to under the figure of fire, and the people being burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat.

Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist commentator, says:

"All this was fulfilled in a most remarkable manner, in the last destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, so that, of the fortifications of the city, not one stone was left on another."

Severe temporal judgments are spoken of under the figure of fire in the following passage: "For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon." Num. xxi. 28. Similar phraseology is employed by David to represent the judgments of God upon the wicked in this life. "A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about." Psalms xcvii. 3.

In this sense God is spoken of as a "consuming fire," because He brought judgments upon the disobedient and sinful. In the prophecy of Isaiah, the destruction of Babylon is spoken of under the same figure: "Behold they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them: they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame." Isaiah xlvii. 14. That is, they shall not escape the judg ments of God; for verily, "He is a God that judgeth in the earth." Psalms lviii. 11.

In the passage under consideration, Paul uses nearly the same language which Moses had employed when addressing the children of Israel, as recorded in Deut. iv. 24: "For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." Moses exhorts the Israelites to observe God's commandments and walk in his ways, and warns them

against idolatry as a sin; God has forbidden and would justly punish, hence He was said to be a consuming fire. The apostle in the context is speaking of things pertaining to the new dispensation, and of Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. If those living under the old economy, did not escape a merited retribution, "much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaketh from heaven." Verse 25. God is still a consuming fire; He still maintains a moral government and punishes iniquity. He is said tó be a consuming fire, because He is the author of those judgments which came upon the disobedient Jews, and destroyed their national existence, or consumed their national life. God punishes iniquity under the new economy as He did under the old dispensation. When the divine judgments came upon the Jewish nation, and the people were visited with famine, war and destruction, God was said to consume them, inasmuch as his judgments were upon them. In this sense He was spoken of as consuming the sinful because He punished them; thus: "I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them." Jer. ix. 16. "God consumed the wicked by the sword, by famine and by pestilence." Jer. xiv. 12.

When, in the course of Providence, famine, pestilence and war came upon the Jewish nation, and they were overwhelmed in destruction, God was again called a consuming fire. This is the meaning of Paul's language, as we understand it. It