ON THE MEANING OF THE WORD “WRATH,” AS
APPLIED TO GOD IN SCRIPTURE.
I
That “God is Love,” is in the Scripture said;
That He is Wrath, is nowhere to be read;
From which by literal Expression free
“Fury,” He saith Himself, “is not in me.”
If Scripture, therefore, must direct our Faith,
Love must be He or in Him, and not Wrath.
II
And yet the Wrath of God in Scripture Phrase
Is oft express'd, and many diff'rent Ways:
His “Anger,” “Fury,” “Vengeance,” are the Terms
Which the plain Letter of the Text affirms;
And plain, from two of the Apostle's Quire,
That “God is Love,”—and “a consuming Fire.”
III
If we consult the Reasons that appear
To make the seeming Difficulty clear,
We must acknowledge, when we look Above,
That God, as God, is Overflowing Love;
And wilful Sinners, when we look below,
Make what is call'd the Wrath of God to flow.
IV
“Wrath,” as St. Paul saith, “is the treasur'd Part
Of an impenitently harden'd Heart.”
When Love reveals Its Own Eternal Life,
Then Wrath and Anguish fall on evil Strife,—
Then Lovely Justice, in Itself all Bright,
Is Burning Fire to such as hate the Light.
V
If Wrath and Justice be indeed the same,
No Wrath in God is liable to blame.
If not,—if righteous Judges may, and must,
Be free Themselves from Wrath, if they be just,—
Such Kind of Blaming may with equal Sense
Lay on a Judge the Criminal's Offence.
VI
God, in Himself Unchangeable, in fine
Is One Eternal Light of Love Divine.
“In Him there is no Darkness,” saith St. John;
In Him no Wrath,—the Meaning is all one.
'Tis our own Darkness, Wrath, Sin, Death and Hell,
Not to love Him Who first lov'd us so well.
