(1.) A land is so filled with sin, when all sorts of provoking sins do abound in it; — when there is no exception to be put into the indict- ment;— when there is no provoking sin that can be thought on that is not in the nation. For if there be but one provoking sin absolutely excluded, there is room for mercy to dwell. Who now shall plead for England? who shall put in an exception for England into this indictment? Oh, poor England! among all thy lovers thou hast not one to plead for thee this day ! From the height of profaneness and atheism, through the filthiness of sensuality and uncleanness, down to the lowest oppression and cheating, the land is filled with all sorts of sin. If there be any that can put in an exception as to any pro- voking sin that is not among us, let them stand forth and plead the cause of this nation. I profess my mouth is stopped. " The land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." It is to no purpose to enumerate our sins, — the roll is too long to be read at this time; and I am sorry it hath been cut, and thrown into the fire, when it hath been spoken of, contemned, and despised, as Jeremiah's was by Jehoiakim. But so it is.
(2.) A land is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel,
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when all sorts of persons in a land are guilty of provoking sins. Pray, mistake me not; I do not say all persons of all sorts. God forbid. If it bad been so, we had long since been like unto Sodom and Gomorrah. " If the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, Ave should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah," Isa. i. 9. But, whereas there are many sorts of persons, — rulers, and them that are ruled ; high and low, rich and poor; in court, in city, in country; I say, all sorts of persons have been guilty of these provoking sins, — we, and our princes, as Daniel speaks, and our rulers, and the people, the inhabitants of the land of all sorts, — who shall plead here for England? who shaU bring forth a sort of persons ? Nay, it is not so in the throne ; — nay, it is not so at court ; ■ — nay, it is not so among the clergy; — nay, it is not so in the city; — nay, it is not so in the country ; — it is not so with the rich ; it is not so with the poor. Let any one that can, bring in a plea for this poor nation, that we may not conclude the land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.
But you will say, " Here lies an exception : There are many persons, many churches, free from these flagitious and provoking sins ;: — there is a sort of persons, churches, and professors, who walk in the fear of God, and are free from all these sins: and, therefore, it doth not extend to all sorts."
Brethren, you know my mind full well in this matter. I have been for these three last years upon all occasions inculcating it upon you. I acknowledge, the churches in this nation are not guilty of those sins whereby God is provoked against the nation to bring on national judgments; but I do say, that churches and professors in this nation are guilty of those sins for which Christ will bring correcting judgments upon churches and professors : so that we are all in the same way and bottom, though not all upon the same account. The land is filled with sin. How are your thoughts concerned in these things, brethren ? I confess to you I speak my heart, my conscience, as in the presence of God, and as that which you are concerned to consider.
I have given you two evidences that this land is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. I will give you two more.
(3.) When the sins of a land have upon them the greatest aggra- vations that national sins are capable of. What are they ? They are plain : — they are against warnings, and against mercies ; all sorts of sins in all sorts of persons, against all sorts of warnings and against all sorts of mercies. God hath not left this land without warnings in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Was there no warning given us in the wasting, desolating ^ylague?1 no warning in the consuming,
1 The plague iu 1665, which cut off 68,596 of the population, according to the London bills of mortality.
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raging fire?1 no warning in the bloody war2 that ensued thereon? no warning in all the prodigious appearances in heaven above that we have had ? — none in that3 which at present hangs over us, as an ensign of God's supernal host ? I acknowledge there hath been, 1 fear, a weakness in one kind of warning, — by the public dispensation of the word. But God hath not left himself without witness: he hath multiplied warnings, and they have not been complied withal. Have they, brethren ? "Were they at all afraid," saith Jeremiah, "when the roll was read? or, did they rend then clothes?" Jer. xxxvi. 24 No, not at all. Have these warnings of God been complied withal ? Hath the voice of God in them been heard ? Hath the nation been afraid ? Have they rent their clothes and returned to the Lord ? They have not. We yet continue, God help us ! in a state of sin against warnings. And as for mercies, — the mercies of peace and plenty have been the food of lust, of covetousness and sensuality, and have pam- pered us in wantonness, to the rending and tearing one another.