And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Ver. 10. And to wait for his Son] This is pinned as a badge to the sleeve of every true believer, that he looketh and longeth for Christ's coming to judgment. The old character of God's people was, they waited for the consolation of Israel, Christ's first coming; so is it now, the earnest expectation of his second coming.
Which delivered us from the wrath to come] This is the Etymon, the notation of his name Jesus, a Saviour. Salvation properly betokeneth the privative part of man's happiness, but includeth the positive too. King Alphonsus, when he saw a poor man pulling his beast out of a ditch, he put to his hand to help him. Is it not more that Christ should stoop so low as to help us (who were in worse condition than the beasts that perish) out of the ditch of destruction? The devil is said to be λεων ωρυομενος, a roaring lion, but our comfort is, that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is οο ρυομενος he that delivereth us from the wrath to come. The Sun of righteousness (as Pelbartus saith, allegorizing God's covenant signified by a rainbow) falling into a cloud of passion, is our security against a deluge of damnation.
The wrath to come] There is a present wrath that men suffer; and who knoweth the power of this wrath? Even according to a man's fear, so is God's wrath, Psalms 90:11. Let a man fear never so much, he shall be sure to feel more, when God's wrath falls upon him. A timerous man can fancy vast and terrible fears; fire, sword, racks, scalding lead, boiling pitch, running bell metal. Yet all this is but as a painted fire to the wrath to come, that eternity of extremity, which graceless persons shall never be able to avoid or to abide.