2. The other title of God is, " The Holy One of Israel." This is applied peculiarly unto their sin: " The land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." It is the greatest, it is the highest aggra- vation of sin, that it is against the holiness of God, " who is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." So hath the wisdom of the Holy Ghost applied these two distinct titles of God unto the two distinct considerations of the people; — first, of their protection, that he is " The Lord of hosts ;" secondly, as of their sin, that he is " The Holy One of Israel."
Thirdly. The third thing is this : — That in this vjoful state there is yet an intimation made of a covenant-interest of Judah in God, and that God did yet own them as his in covenant : " Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God." Brethren ! no man, I think, hath less of faith than I, — no man doth more despond; but if I could see these two things in concurrence, "His God," and "The Lord of hosts," (that is, sovereign grace, according to his covenant ; and sovereign power, according to his providence,) — there is ground for any man's faith to build upon: " His God, the Lord of hosts." No- thing but sovereign grace and sovereign power can preserve a people, when their land is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel, and destruction seems to encompass them, from the interest of Babylon.
I shall speak yet a little more particularly. You may consider in the words, —
1. That which is mentioned in the last place; — the state of the people at this time : " Their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."
2. An intimation of approaching, deserved destruction on that account: " Though the land;" — it is in that condition that it ought to look for nothing but destruction.
3. A strange and wonderful surprisal, notwithstanding this, in sove-
FOR ENGLISH PROTESTANTS. 7
reign grace and power: " Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, the Lord of hosts."
What I shall speak to is this: —
When a land is filled with sin against the Lord, let men's hopes and expectations he what they will, they are in danger of utter destruction, and cannot be saved but by the actings of sovereign grace and power.
I shall for the handling hereof (at least I design to) do these three things : — I. Show when a land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. II. Gather up what evidences we have that England is not yet utterly forsaken of God. III. Manifest what is indispensably required of us, that we may not be given up unto that utter desola- tion and destruction that lieth at the door.
I do believe that I am not in my thoughts far from your case, — far from the case of the nation. I do not search for things to speak to; I shall speak only those that are compliant with the common reason and understanding of all sober persons.
I. There are three ways whereby a land may be said to be filled with sin : —
1. When the sins of a land or nation are come to the full, to the utmost measure that God hath allotted to them in his patience. There is such an allotment of patience to every nation under heaven, and when it comes to its appointed issue, no meaus under heaven can defer or delay then destruction one day. Thus saith God before the flood, " The land is filled with sin, the whole earth with violence; — a flood shall take them away." The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah came up to God; they had filled up then measure; — God sent fire and brimstone to destroy them. " You shall not yet go into Canaan." Why? "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." There is a time appointed, wherein the iniquity of the Amorites shall come up to its full measure, beyond which their destruction shall not be delayed. This was not now the case of Israel and Judah. It proved afterward to be their case, as the apostle describes it, 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16, " Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us ; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men ; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway : for the wrath is come upon them to the utter- most." How come? They have filled their measure, reached to their bounds ; — " wrath is come upon them to the uttermost." I hope, I pray, that this is not, that this may not be, the state of England ; — that our land is not so filled with sin, as that God's decree of abso- lute and universal desolation should be crone forth against us.
2. A land may be said to be filled with sin, when it is come to that degree and measure, as that God will not pass it by without some severe, desolating judgment. He will not utterly forsake it, he will