Thomas Boston
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Every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse. Let this commend the love of Christ in dying for sinners (Rom 5:8). O matchless love, which made Him willing to be made a curse for sinners, that they might be delivered from the curse of the law! What a flood of wrath must then come on Him, when He stood in the place of a whole elect world.
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Let this convince you of the ill that is in sin. There is more ill in the
1An edited extract from Boston’s Works, vol 2. He has been expounding the words: “It is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10).
least sin than in the greatest sufferings. Therefore never say, in compliance with a temptation, that it is but a little one, for the least sin will make you eternally miserable in hell. And can you reckon that a little evil which exposes you to God’s curse here and hereafter?
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Inexpressibly terrible is what many sins and gross sins deserve, when the least of them deserves God’s wrath. If one sin deserves so much, how great must that wrath be which thousands and millions of them deserve! If an idle word deserves God’s wrath and curse, what must deliberate lying words deserve but a deep place in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone?
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Let believers admire free grace, pardoning mercy and atoning blood (Ps 32:1), that secure them from bearing what their sin deserves. Let them live to the Lord, by whom they live. Do not think little of your sins, believer, though there is now no condemnation for you, as you are in Christ Jesus, (Rom 8:1), for every one of your sins deserves God’s wrath and curse, though they cannot bring it on. Yet tremble at your sinful thoughts; for you are like the three men in the fiery furnace, compassed with a fire of sin that would burn you up, but the effect of it is stopped by the mediation of Christ.
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Sinners, be convinced of your absolute need of Christ. You must be united to Him, or else you are ruined for ever. Can you bear that wrath which incensed justice will inflict on all that are out of Christ? Can you get free of it without Him? Wherefore be alarmed and flee from the wrath that is to come to the Lord Jesus, who delivers all His people from it.