8. The advantage which many may make unto themselves by the present, posture of things, and fear of alterations by reformation, is a mountain in the way, — a mighty obstacle against entertaining serious thoughts about it.
4. The Scripture most frequently casts the cause hereof on men's security in their earthly enjoyments. This keeps them safe from hearing God's calls, or taking notice of his warnings. And therefore it is laid down as the cause and constant forerunner of all desolating judgments. It is at large insisted upon by our Saviour himself, Matt. xxiv. 37-39; Luke xvii. 26-29.
\
THE DESIGN OF IMPENDENT JUDGMENTS. Go 5
Now, this security is like the disease in the body which is commonly called the scurvy; — it is not any single distemper or disease, but a complication or concurrence of many prevalent distempers. Security is not the name of any one vicious habit or inclination of the mind, but it is a concurrent complication of many ; — spiritual stupidity and sloth, called a spirit of slumber, love of the world, carnal wisdom, groundless hopes of life, all proceeding from unbelief, do concur in its constitution. And if a practice in a course of sin have for some season ensued on these principles, whereby conscience comes to be seared, or is made senseless, the case of those in whom it is, is for the most part remediless. And not a few of this sort are amongst us.
And many other reasons there are rendering this work full of difficulty, though it be so necessary, so just and equal. As for those by whom all these things are despised, and even scoffed at, some- thing shall be spoken afterward unto them, or concerning them.
But yet, this consideration ought not to deter any from endeavour- ing the discharge of their own duty herein. For, as we have seen it is indispensably necessary, that we and the nation may be saved from desolating judgments; so we shall see afterward how and by what means this difficulty may be surmounted, and those obstacles removed out of the way. However, happy will they be, be they never so few, never so poor, never so unknown to, the world, whom God shall Jind so doing, when he ariseth out of his place to shake the earth terribly !
VI. I shall, therefore, in the next place, to bring all things nearer home, inquire, " What is the nature of that repentance and reforma- tion which at this time God requires of us all, that we may not perish in his sore displeasure?"
After a devastation made of the treasure of the Roman empire by sundry tyrants successively, Vespasian coming to the government, acquainted the senate that there was need of so many millions of money, that the empire might stand; — not that it might flourish and grow vigorous, whereunto much more was required, but that it might be preserved from dissolution and ruin. And I shall jDrojDOse, not what is requisite to render the church of God in this nation orderly, beavitiful, and vigorous, but only what is necessary that it may stand and live, by a deliverance from desolating judgments. And, —
Fhst. The repentance which, in any case, God require th absolutely, is that which is internal and real, in sincere conversion unto himself, accompanied with fruits meet for such repentance. So is it declared, Ezek. xviii. 30, 31, " Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GoD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit, for
636 THE DESIGN OF IMPENDENT JUDGMENTS.
why will ye die, O house of Israel?" A new heart and a new spirit, or real internal conversion unto God, by the grace of the covenant, is required in this repentance, as the renunciation and relinquishment of all iniquities must be the fruit of it. So also is it expressed, Isa. i. 16, 17. Internal purification of the heart, with the practice of universal obedience, and abstinence from all sin, is that which God requires.
This is that repentance which was the subject of the ministry of John the Baptist; on the neglect whereof he threatened the people with final excision ; which, accordingly, not long after befell them, Matt, hi. 8—10. God doth not require a feigned repentance, or that which is merely outward and temporary. In this case, see Joel ii. 12, 13. But,—
Secondly. Where there is repentance and reformation that are real in the root or cause of them, — which is an effectual conviction of sin, and sense of ensuing, approaching judgments, giving testhnony of sin- cerity in its fniits, by an abstinence from open provoking sins, and the performance of known duties (unto its sincerity in both which a sense and reverence of God is owned), — though it be not in many, in the most, it may be in few, absolutely sincere and holy, yet may it prevail to the turning away of threatened judgments, at least for a season.
These things, therefore, are required unto this repentance : —
1. A real conviction of sin in them that are called unto it, or do make profession of it. If this lie not in the foundation, no expres- sion of repentance, no profession of reformation, is of any value in the sight of God ; — yea, it is a mocking of him ; which is the highest provocation. Men without this conviction may be driven to somewhat that looks like repentance and reformation, as the keeping of days of fasting or humiliation by outward force or compulsion of law; but there is nothing in what they do of what we inquire after. By such days and ways they shall never save the nation, Jer. iii. 10.