The glorious Doctrines of the Gospel are treated with Sneer and Contempt: The whole Revelation is caft away by thofe that call themselves Free-Thinkers; as if none else must have Liberty to think for themfelves: It would be well, if they were to keep within the Bounds of their Title; but they brake thro', 'and fhew themselves to be Free-Speakers. Now it is a Lamentation, and shall be for a Lamentation, that Iniquity in every Kind abounds. What! has God delivered our Land, that Men might work farther Abominations in his Sight? Are we faved and spared to provoke his Jealousy? Look alfo among the Profeffors of the Gospel, and you will find Sins among them against the Lord their God. Have you that attend the Means of Grace, had such a Reverence for the Name and Day of God, as you profess to have? Do not worldly Things take up your Thoughts and Conversation too much? Have you been as fruitful under the Preaching of the Gospel, as might be expected? Let me tell you, your Sins are more provoking than the Sins of others. Are you Children of Light? why do you walk fo much in Darkness? What can we juftly expect from the Hands of God, but his wrathful Anger? Our Cafe might have been as theirs we read of in Isaiah, Who gave Jacob to the Spoil and Ifrael to the robbers? did not the Lord, He against whom we have finned? for "they would would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his law. Therefore he has poured upon them the fury of his anger, and the Strength of battle*. God has difplayed fome of his Judgments before us already, not only in bringing War upon us, but, in fome Measure, defeating the Forces in which we trusted; but he has not stirred up all his wrath. His Holy Spirit is greatly withdrawn from the Solemnities of Zion, but he is not quite taken away from us; fo that we have Reason to fing of judgment and mercy too *. II. When God faves a profeffing Nation, 'tis for his Interest found therein. As for the Nations that forget God, they are fpared 'till the Measure of their Sins is filled up. God faid to Abraham, The Iniquity of the Ammorites is not yet full, and therefore they were not to be destroyed at that Time. The men of Sodom were finners before the Lord exceedingly. They were above Measure finful; and God determined to execute his Fury upon them, which he did by raining that out of Heaven, which represent the Torments of Hell, viz. Fire and Brimftone. Juft Lot was delivered. In Abraham's pleading for Sodom, God told him, that if there were but ten righteous men, he would not deftroy it for ten's fake. You that have found this a u Pfal. Ixxviii. 38. t Ifa. xlii. 24, 25, ci. 1. a Ibid. xviii. 32. Word x Ibid. Ibid. xiii. 13. Word in Season, in these dark and gloomy Times, may look on it as a Symptom, that God will deliver our Land, where the many Thousands of Ifrael dwell, and that which is our greatest Hope, where the Name of God dwells, as 'tis faid, In Judah God is known; his Name is great in Ifrael: In Salem alfo is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion; and then it follows, there brake he the arrows of the bow, the Shield, the fword, and the battel. In the Place where he had a peculiar People, there he appeared for them against their rebellious Enemies. 'Tis true, God complains, that none ftirred up himself to take hold of him, who was about to depart from them, and yet, fays that fame Prophet, Except the Lord of Hofts bad left to us a very Small remnant, we should have been like to Sodom and to Gomorrah, which were Cities condemned with an entire Overthrow. There were a few compared with the openly wicked, and the Sinners in Zion, that, in those Times of Declenfion and Dark'nefs, enquired after God. So God has referved many thoufands in our Land, that have not bowed the Knee to Baal. These are gathering themselves together to pour out their Hearts, and humble themselves before God, for their own, and the Sins of others. Do you wrestle with him in fecret, when you have no Opportunity to do it in publick. There ought to be Times set apart, 6 Pfalm. lxxvi, 1, 2, C • Ifa. lxiv. 7. a Ib. i. 9. part, above your ordinary and common Hours of Prayer. This is ftanding in the Gap between God and the Nation, and who can tell but he will be gracious, and leave a Bleffing behind him for his People's Sake; He tells them, That their enemies fball furely gather together, (and this Day is this Scripture fulfilled in your Ears) but, fays he, not by me ('tis not by my Approbation and Confent) whofoever fhall gather together against thee, fhall fall for thy fake": Not that there's any Thing in what we do, to move him to fave us. If our Prayers were offered up with the greatest Enlargement and Importunity, he might Spread them as dung upon our faces f; but here's his Condefcenfion, he will have a defire to the work of his own hands &. and The Lord is well-pleafed in Chrift Jefus, upon that Account he fays, Let me fee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for fweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. So that these Things are very confiftent, that God will not deftroy a Nation for his fervant's fake, and yet, he would have the House of Ifrael to know, that he does it not for their Sakes, but for his holy Name's fake. All that's good in them comes from Him, and therefore every Salvation he affords them is according to his Mercy. Ifa. liv. 15. h Cant. ii. 14. III. God f Mal. ii. 3 Job xiv. 15. III. God makes temporal Salvation subfervient to that which is fpiritual. I am not speaking of what he can do, but of what he does; for we know he can gather in, and build up his chofen People by any Means, or without any. But when he faves a Nation from Ruin, he has a gracious Regard to Pofterity in it; that the Fathers to the Children might make known the Truth *; and because of that, we have Liberty to plead with him. When our Land has been ready to fink into Destruction, all Faces were turned into Paleness, and Men's Hearts failed them for Fear, I mean, fuch as had the Caufe of publick Liberty at Heart, then the Lord knew who were his; He, as it were, call'd it afresh to mind, and faid, "How fhall I deliver thee up? How fhall I make thee as Admah, and fet thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. How fhall mine Elect enjoy the Work of my Hands, the Means of Grace, and the Ordinances of mine Appointment? If these Blefings are removed from them, as they certainly will, if Popery be fettled among them, what unusual Method must be taken, for the calling them by Grace? Therefore, I will spare the Nation, that my People, my Chofen, that fhall be born in it, may be begotten through the Preaching of the Gospel." Our Lord tells us, 'tis for the Elects fake, the days of Tribulation fhall be C 2 Shortened: * Ifa. xxxviii. 19. ! Hof. xi. 8. m Ifa. lxv. 22. |