(2.) A second reason is, — inordinate cleaving to the things of the world at a most undue season. It may be it would not provoke God so much thus to fight against us, and harden our hearts from his fear, if the season of it was not undue. Do not we see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, that God is vmsettling all things here below, and that all these things shall be dissolved? When God gives so many intimations that "all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" Cleaving inordinately to the things of the world at such a season, is that which provoketh God to deal thus : " For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him ; I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." God smote them for the iniquity of their covetousness in such a woful, undue season. Let us, brethren, be at work. I may be under great mistakes and misapprehensions, but I must tell you what is upon my heart; — I cannot but think, that unless we are particularly at work, every one
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306 god's withdrawing his presence,
of us, we shall be overtaken with these dismal and dreadful effects, and God will appear against us, and fight against us.
(3.) The third reason is, — our unprofitableness, and unsuitableness to the means of grace we have enjoyed. O the barren land of Eng- land, upon which the rain hath often fallen, and [it] hath brought forth nothing but briers and thorns! We have had our proportion in it, brethren; you of this congregation can even make your boast of what you have enjoyed of this and that man's ministry for many years; but 0 the leanness and barrenness that is among us, now all is done ! — our unsuitableness to the means we have enjoyed! We may repent one day that we ever had any among us who excelled others in gifts and graces, if we profit no more. We have not profited suit- ably to the means we have enjoyed; but every vain and foolish ima- gination hath turned us aside from keeping as we ought to the good and holy ways of God. We do not flourish in fruitfulness, in savouri- ness, and profitableness, answerable to what the dispensations of God have been towards us ; for the dew of God hath been upon us from time to time.
Now, besides these things named, which are public causes, why God hath brought us under this dispensation, let us all search our hearts, and say, " Lord, why hast thou caused me thus far to err from thy ways, and hardened my heart from thy fear? Why have I not former faith, love, affection, zeal? Why do not I mourn more? Where are my tears and humiliation? those heart-breaking sighs and groans after God which my heart was once filled withal? 0 Lord, ' why is my heart thus hardened from thy fear?"' Let us inquire into the particular reasons, that at last we may come to cry, " Re- turn, O Lord, for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance."
2. What does God aim at in such a dispensation? We have men- tioned the procuring reasons and causes ; now, what are the final ends why God will thus deal with us?
There are two ends the holy God seems to have in these things : —
(1.) The first is, to awaken us unto the consideration of what an all -seeing God he is with whom we have to do. When we please the world and one another, and ourselves, in our walkings and conversa- tions, God will have us know he is displeased. Though we please ourselves and cry, " Peace," and please the world and one another; yet God will so withdraw his Spirit and grace, that we shall be forced to say, " Why is God thus displeased with us?" He will have us glorify him, as one that is an all-seeing God, — as one that knows our inward frames, and tries us upon them.
(2.) God doth it to awaken us. If there be any thing of true grace in our hearts, a sense of spiritual judgments will awaken us, when all outward judgments in the world will not do it; — no, if thunder and
THE CORRECTION OF HIS CHURCH. SO 7
lightning be round about us, — if ruin and the sword be before us, and the earth underneath be ready to swallow us up, — they will not work so kindly upon a believer's heart as a sense of spiritual judgments. I hope God hath a design of love to awaken us all by this dispensa- tion to return unto him.
But to proceed to the last inquiry: —
V. What way shall we take now for retrieving our souls out of this state and condition?
One way is prescribed here : — It is by prayer, " Return, O Lord." It is to beg of God to return.
What arguments have we to plead with God to return? This being the case, the arguments here given are peculiar to the case; and we may plead them. They are two: — 1. Sovereign mercy and compassion; and, 2. Faithfulness in covenant. They are both here pleaded : —