That which God requires of us, in such a season, is called in Scrip-
lief in neither. Reference is made by Critias to some predictions lie liad lieard among the Cliristians, that disaster and ruin were speedily to overtalie the l{onian empire. As if in ridicnle and confutation of the jirophecy, no sooner has lie ended than Cleolans makes his appearance, with tiie annonncement of success and vic- tory recently achieved by tlie Roman armies in the East. Tlie dialoj^ue concUulcs wit!) a proposal to worship thennknown god of the Athenians. Troni the intimate knowledge evinced respecting tiie views and habits of the Cliristians, it has been inferred that Lucian must once liave been a C'hristiaii himself; but, since the middle of last centiiiy, strcwig sns])icions have been entertained that Ijucian is not the au- thor of this dialogue, but that it belongs to the time of .Julian the apostate. — En.
THE DESIGN OF IMPENDENT JUDGMENTS. U-i-o
ture "trembling : " " They that tremble at my word." This he regards, this he accepts, this he approveth of, Isa. Ixvi. 2, 5 ; Jer. v. 22. It is not a weakening, an astonishing, heartless consternation of spirit that is intended; — not such a dread and terror as should obstruct us in the cheerful performance of duty, and preparation to comply with the will of God; such is that mentioned, Deut. xxviii. 66, 67,- — whicli is the most severe of judgments: but it is an awful reverence of the greatness and holiness of God, in the way of his judgments, casting out all carnal security, self-confidence, and contempt of divine warn- ings, so bringing the soul into a submissive compliance with the will of God in all things. But look well, in the first place, that this evil, on no jDretences, do make any approach unto you.
If one evil seems to be diverted, do not say, with Agag, " Surely the bitterness of death is past" (which will prove an entrance into this evil frame), and so grow regardless of your duty. God expects other things from you. " The lion," saith he, " hath roared, who will not fear ? " Amos iii. 8. There is the voice of a lion roaring for his prey in the present divine warnings : take heed that you despise not that which, when it comes to pass, you can neither abide nor avoid.
Secondly. Take heed of a frame of heart that is regardless of these things. We have a sort of men who, although they will not (they dare not) openly, as others, despise divine warnings, yet they see all things in such a light as suffers them not to take notice of any con- cernment of their own in them, Ps. xxviii. 5 ; Jer. xxxvi. 24. The land is filled with sin; — it is true, but they are the sins of other men, not theirs. There are tokens and signs of God's displeasure, in hea- ven above, and the earth beneath; — but men are not agreed whether these things be of any sigTiification or no : some say Yea, and some Nay; but they are new and strange, and so are meet to be the subject of discourse. Previous judgments have been ivpon us ; — they are but such accidents as fall out frequently in the world. But the divisions among ourselves, and contrivances of our adversaries, seem to threaten ruin to the nation ; — it may be so, but these things belong unto our rulers; and men are divided about this also: some say one thing, and some another; some say there was a plot, and some say there was none. In the meantime they are filled with their own occasions, and will not be diverted from them unto any serious regard of God in his present dispensations; like the "wild ass in her occasion, who can turn her away?" Jer. ii. 2-i. Of this frame the prophet complains, as that which God will surely avenge, Isa. xxvi. 11, "Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see ; but they shall see and be ashamed, for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine ene- mies shall devour them."
Others look on all things in another light, and under another
G4 t TPIE DESIGN OF IMPENDENT JUDGMENTS.
notion ; for whereas it is part of our sin and punishment in tliis nation, an evident fruit of tl)e evil of our ways, that we are divided into de- signing parties, the one seeking the ruin of the other, they consider all providences as relating unto such differences. This gives them a zealous concernment in them, and continued talk about them ; hut the will, work, and design of God in them, ai-e not laid to heart.
Some are so well pleased with their present advantages, in promo- tions, dignities, and wealth, as their interest, that they cannot endure to think of these things. Whatever warnings are portended of ap- proaching judgments, they look on them as the threatenings of such as have ill-will against them, and would have these things to portend their trouble. Guilt makes them fearful and sensible, and they think it best to hide those things from themselves, which, if they are .so, they cannot remedy.
To free us from this miscarriage also, this unauswerableness unto the mind of God in his present dispensation, we may consider, —