1 This sermon was preached on a solemn day of fasting and prayer, March 21, 1675. For which occasion the Doctor had prepared another discourse; but by a special reason which then occurred, had his thoughts directed to this sub- ject. [Such is the note appended to the sermon in the edition of 1721. It is to be regretted that it is not more full and explicit. We have not been able to dis- cover what the circumstances were to which it makes allusion. Owen seems to have been unwell when the discourse was preached. See page 298. — Ed.]
THE CORRECTION OF HIS CHURCH 297
God would help us to maintain and not let go our interest in him as our Father, by faith, we should have a bottom and foundation to stand upon. If it be so with us as hath been confessed to God (and I fear it is worse), we shall be at a loss for our particular evidences, at one time or other; but yet it will be a great advantage, when faith can maintain its station, and we be enabled to say, " ' Though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel will not own us/ such vile creatures ; and though ' our righteousnesses are as filthy rags/ and our holiness ' fadeth away as a leaf/ and our adversaries have trodden upon us ; ' yet doubtless thou art our Father/ " The Lord help us to say thus when we depart, and we shall yet have a foundation of hope.
I would observe here the condition of the church at that time. It was a state of affliction and oppression ; — of oppression on the one hand, and of deep conviction of sin on the other. It is well when they go together.
First. It was a time of distress and oppression ; as is declared, verse 18, " Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary/' The adversary had grievously oppressed them ; but that which the church was most concerned in was, that they had trodden down the sanc- tuary—disturbed the holy assemblies, and broken up the worship of God. And it is well, brethren, if, under all oppression and distresses that may befall us, we do really find our principal concern is for the treading down God's sanctuary. Whatever else lay upon them, this was that they complained of : " Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary."
Secondly. It was also a time of deep conviction of sin with them. As the prayer is continued unto the end of the next chapter, you may see what a deep conviction of sin was fallen upon them, in verses 6, 7, " Behold, we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee : for thou hast hid thy face from us, and melted us down, because of our iniquities."
Well, then, suppose it be a state of great oppression, and a state of great conviction of sin, what is the course that we should take? We may turn ourselves this way and that way; but the church, you see, is come to this, — to issue all in an inquiry after, and a sense of, God's displeasure, manifesting itself by spiritual judgments. And this, in truth, brethren, if I understand any thing of the state and condition of my own soul and yours, and of the generality of the churches of God in the world, is that which we are in particular called to, and where we are to issue all this business, — namely, to inquire into God's displeasure, and the reason of it, manifesting itself
298 god's withdrawing his presence,
in spiritual judgments. "O Lord, why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways? and why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear?"
It is but a little I shall speak to you at this time; God, I hope, will give us other seasons to pursue the same design : my present dis- temper, and other occasions, will not suffer me now to enlarge. How- ever, I will lay a foundation, if God help me, by opening the words unto you: — I. What is it to err from the ways of God? II. What is it to have our hearts hardened from the fear of God ? III. What ways are there whereby God may cause us to err from his ways, and harden our hearts from his fear? IV. What may be the reasons why the Lord should deal thus severely with a poor people, after they have walked with him, it may be, many years, — that at length they should be brought to this complaint, " Lord, why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear?" And then, V. What is to be done for relief in this condition? what course is to be taken?
These are the things that should be first spoken to from the text; and then we should come to the last clause : " Return for thy ser- vants' sake," etc. I shall proceed as far as I am able : —