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not utterly destroy it ; but let all mankind do what they will, he will not pass it by without some severe, desolating judgment. Such was their case even at this time; — you may see in 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16, " But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy." It was impossible that the judgment of God should be turned away from them. In this state God saith, " Pray not for this people ; my heart shall not be toward them," (until he had brought his judgment upon them ;) — " though Moses and Samuel stood before me, I will not hear them."1 Ay, but what if reformation come in? " Nay, nay," saith lie, " it is determined against them ; — reformation shall not save them." See 2 Kings xxiii. 25, 26, where there is an account given of the greatest reformation that ever was wrought in Judah, by Josiah. So it is said, " Like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him," — having reformed the whole nation. Then, sure, all will be well. See the next words, " Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled
against Judah And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out
of my sight." There is a time and season when God, although he will not utterly destroy and forsake a nation for ever, yet he will not pass them by, until he hath brought a severe, destructive scourge upon them. Whether this be the state of England at this day, or no, God only knows, and of mankind not one. Whether we are come to that state wherein there is no remedy, wherein nothing we do shall pre- vent desolating judgments, I say, God only knows, and of men not one. S. A land is filled with sin, when it is come to such a degree and measure, as that there is no rule of the word, nor any prognostic from Providence, nor any conjecture from the state of things, that can give any determination what will be the issue. Judgment is deserved ; and there is nothing remains but to look upon the balance as it is held in the hand of sovereignty : which way it will turn God only knows. The decree is not yet gone forth. In this your state, God doth not say, "Pray not for this people;" God doth not say, "Though you reform, I will not turn from the fierceness of my wrath:" but God saith, "Who knows if God will return and leave a blessing? who knows if God will be entreated, and have mercy?" He leaves it upon the absolute pleasure of sovereignty, to give us encouragement to wait upon him. Because I take this — yea, and I take it in the best of my hopes — to be that wherein we are concerned, pray take these two things along with you, before I go to show it in particular: — The first 1 [See Jer. vii. 16, xi. 14, xv. 1.]
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is, that, in this state, if God gives time and space, there is encourage- ment enough left to make our applications to him for the removal of impending judgments. Methinks sometimes I see by faith the Lord high lift up upon his throne, and his train filling the temple with his glory, and holding the balance of this nation in his hand, and [that he] can turn it to mercy or judgment, as seems good unto him. While it is so, — while though the woman be put into the ephah, yet the talent of lead is not laid upon her, [Zech. v. 7,] — there is time for intercession, yet time for the interposition of God. And, secondly, I say, — and do you take it as you see good, but I will tell you my persuasion, — that if there be not a compliance with the calls of God unto this nation, upon this suspension and arrest of judgment that we are under, we shall as certainly perish as if we were in either of the two former conditions. If the Chaldeans were all wounded men, — if there was no hope, no strength, no relief, in the papal cause, — they shall rise up and smite, as in the day wherein " Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel," and " the mother was dashed in pieces upon her chil- dren," Hos. x. 14; — unless there be a compliance with the calls of God in the days wherein we live.
Let us, then, a little, as God will give strength, inquire when a nation is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel as certainly to put the balance into the hands of sovereignty, and to take off all rules and prognostics (which, with great grief, I have heard some- times insisted, upon), and reduce us merely to the hand of sovereignty. When is it that a land is so filled with sin?