The Spurgeon Series 1857 & 1858. Charles H. Spurgeon

has so marvellously blended in the perfection of his nature: that although we cannot see the exact point of meeting, yet (if we have been at all enlightened by the Spirit) we are struck with wonder at the sacred harmony. In reading Holy Scripture, you can say of Paul, that he was noted for his zeal — of Peter, that he will ever be memorable for his courage — of John, that he was noted for his lovingness. But did you ever notice, when you read the history of our Master, Jesus Christ, that you never could say he was noble for any one virtue at all? Why was that? It was because the boldness of Peter magnified itself as to throw other virtues into the shade, or else the other virtues were so deficient that they set forth his boldness. The very fact of a man being noted for something is a sure sign that he is not so notable in other things; and it is because of the complete perfection of Jesus Christ, that we are not accustomed to say of him that he was eminent for his zeal, or for his love, or for his courage. We say of him that he was a perfect character; but we are not able very easily to perceive where the shadows and the lights blended, where the meekness of Christ blended into his courage, and where his loveliness blended into his boldness in denouncing sin. We are not able to detect the points where they meet; and I believe the more thoroughly we are sanctified, the more it will be a subject of wonder to us how it could be that virtues which seemed so diverse were in so majestic a manner united into one character.

      3. It is just the same about God; and I have been led to make the remarks I have made on my text, because of its two clauses which seem to describe contrary attributes. You will notice, that there are two things in my text: he is “slow to anger,” and yet he “will not at all acquit the wicked.” Our character is so imperfect that we cannot see the congruity of these two attributes. We are wondering, perhaps, and saying, “How is it he is slow to anger, and yet will not acquit the wicked?” It is because his character is perfect that we do not see where these two things melt into each other — the infallible righteousness and severity of the ruler of the world, and his lovingkindness, his longsuffering, and his tender mercies. The absence of any one of these things from the character of God would have rendered it imperfect; the presence of them both, though we may not see how they can be congruous with each other, stamps the character of God with a perfection elsewhere unknown.

      4. And now I shall endeavour this morning to set forth these two attributes of God, and the connecting link. “The Lord is slow to anger”; then comes the connecting link, “great in power.” I shall have to show you how that “great in power” refers to the previous and the next sentence. And then we shall consider the next attribute — “He will not at all acquit the wicked”: an attribute of justice.

      5. I. Let us begin with the first characteristic of God. He is said to be “SLOW TO ANGER.” Let me declare the attribute, and then trace it to its source.

      6. God is “slow to anger.” When mercy comes into the world, she drives winged steeds; the axles of her chariot wheels are glowing, hot with speed; but when wrath comes, it walks with tardy footsteps; it is not in haste to kill, it is not swift to condemn. God’s rod of mercy is always in his hands outstretched. God’s sword of justice is in its scabbard: not rusted in it — it can be easily withdrawn — but held there by that hand that presses it back into its sheath, crying, “Sleep, oh sword, sleep; for I will have mercy upon sinners, and will forgive their transgressions.” God has many orators in heaven; some of them speak with swift words. Gabriel, when he comes down to tell glad tidings, speaks swiftly: angelic hosts, when they descend from glory, fly with wings of lightning, when they proclaim, “Peace on earth, good will towards men”; but the dark angel of wrath is a slow orator; with many a pause between, where melting pity joins her languid notes, he speaks; and when only half his oration is completed he often stops, and withdraws himself from his rostrum, giving way to pardon and to mercy; he having only addressed the people that they might be driven to repentance, and so might receive peace from the sceptre of God’s love.

      7. Brethren, I shall just try to show you now how God is slow to anger.

      8. First, I will prove that he is “slow to anger”; because he never strikes without first threatening. Men who are passionate and swift in anger give a word and a blow; sometimes the blow first and the word afterwards. Oftentimes kings, when subjects have rebelled against them, have crushed them first, and then reasoned with them afterwards; they have given no time of threatening, no period of repentance; they have allowed no time for returning to their allegiance; they have at once crushed them in their hot displeasure, making a full end of them. Not so God: he will not cut down the tree that does much cumber the ground, until he has dug about it, and fertilized it; he will not at once kill the man whose character is the most vile; until he has first hewn him by the prophets he will not hew him by judgments; he will warn the sinner before he condemns him; he will send his prophets, “rising up early and late,” giving him “line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.” He will not strike the city without warning; Sodom shall not perish, until Lot has been within her. The world shall not be drowned, until eight prophets have been preaching in it, and Noah, the eighth, comes to prophesy of the coming of the Lord. He will not strike Nineveh until he has sent a Jonah. He will not crush Babylon until his prophets have cried through its streets. He will not kill a man until he has given many warnings, by sicknesses, by the pulpit, by providence, and by consequences. He does not strikes with a heavy blow at once; he threatens first. He does not in grace, as in nature, send lightnings first and thunder afterwards, but he sends the thunder of his law first, and the lightning of execution follows it. The lictor of divine justice carries his axe, bound up in a bundle of rods, for he will not cut off men, until he has reproved them, that they may repent. He is “slow to anger.”

      9. But again: God is also very slow to threaten. Although he will threaten before he condemns, yet he is slow even in his threatening. God’s lips move swiftly when he promises, but slowly when he threatens. Long rolls the pealing thunder, slowly roll the drums of heaven, when they sound the death march of sinners; sweetly flows the music of the rapid notes which proclaim free grace, and love, and mercy. God is slow to threaten. He will not send a Jonah to Nineveh, until Nineveh has become foul with sin; he will not even tell Sodom it shall be burned with fire, until Sodom has become a reeking dunghill, obnoxious to earth as well as heaven; he will not drown the world with a deluge, or even threaten to do it, until the sons of God themselves make unholy alliances and begin to depart from him. He does not even threaten the sinner by his conscience, until the sinner has often sinned. He will often tell the sinner about his sins, often urge him to repent; but he will not make hell stare him hard in the face, with all its dreadful terror, until much sin has stirred up the lion from his lair, and made God hot in wrath against the iniquities of man. He is slow even to threaten.

      10. But, best of all, when God threatens, how slow he is to sentence the criminal! When he has told those who he will punish unless they repent, how long a time he gives them, in which to turn to himself! “He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men for nothing”; he restrains his hand; he will not be in hot haste, when he has threatened them, to execute the sentence upon them. Have you ever observed that scene in the garden of Eden at the time of the fall? God had threatened Adam, that if he sinned he would surely die. Adam sinned: did God make haste to sentence him? It is sweetly said, “The Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day.” Perhaps that fruit was plucked at early morn, maybe it was plucked at noontime; but God was in no haste to condemn; he waited until the sun was almost set, and he came in the cool of the day, and as an old expositor has put it very beautifully, when he did come he did not come on wings of wrath, but he “walked in the garden in the cool of the day.” He was in no haste to kill. I think I see him, as he was represented then to Adam, in those glorious days when God walked with man. I think I see the wonderful similitude in which the unseen veiled himself: I see he walking among the trees so slowly — indeed, if it were right to give such a picture — beating his breast, and shedding tears that he should have to condemn man. At last I hear his doleful voice: “Adam, where are you? Where have you cast yourself, poor Adam? You have cast yourself from my favour; you have cast yourself into nakedness and into fear; for you are hiding yourself. Adam, where are you? I pity you. You thought to be God. Before I condemn you I will give you one