2. It is so when God's warnings are despised : " When thine hand is lifted up, they will not see." That is a difficult season; for, saith God, " The fire of thine adversaries shall consume thee." Never had people more warnings than we have had ;— warning in heaven above, and warning on the earth beneath; warnings by lesser judg- ments, and warnings by greater; and warnings by the word. God's hand hath been lifted up; but who takes notice of it? Some despise it, and others talk of it as a tale to be told ; and there is an end of it. Who sanctifies the name of God in all the warnings that are given
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us? w The Lord's voice crieth unto the city," Mic. vi. 9; but it is only " the man of wisdom," of substance, that seeth the name of God in these his cries unto the city by his warnings from heaven and earth, signs and tokens, and great intimations of his displeasure.
3. An inclination in all sorts of people to security, and to take no notice of these things. I have spoken unto this business of security formerly, and I pray God warn you and myself of it; for I believe none of us are such strangers to our hearts, but we can say, that under all these warnings there is an inclination to security: if God did not prevent it, we should fall fast asleep under all the judgments that are round about us.
Any of these things shows that we are under a difficult dispensa- tion of providence ; but where all concur, — God be merciful to such a people! — it is the opening of the door to let out judgments to the uttermost.
Now if this be such a season, as I do verily believe we are all sen- sible it is, then, —
Thirdly, What shall we do? what are our special duties in re- ference to our entering into, and passing through, such a season?
I might speak unto the peculiar exercise of those graces which are required unto such a season ; as faith, resignation to the will of God, readiness for his pleasure, waiting upon God, weanedness from the world, and the like; but I will only give you three or four duties, which are peculiarly hinted in such a season, and so have done : —
1. Our first duty is, that we should meet together, and confer about these things, Mai. hi. 16, 17. A good plan in difficult seasons, such as some of us have seen. The day of the Lord was coming that would burn as an oven : " Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another : and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." When was this? In a time of great judgment, and great sin, — "when they called the proud happy, and they that wrought wickedness were set up, and they that tempted God were even delivered ;" that is, " appeared to be delivered." It is the great duty of us all, as we have opportunity and occasion, to confer about these things ; about the causes of them, — what ariseth from the pro- fane, wicked world ; what from a persecuting, idolatrous world ; and (wherein we are more concerned) what from a professing generation ; and see how we can sanctify the name of God in it. We might have as great advantages as any under the face of heaven for the discharge of this duty, if we did but make use of that "price" [Prov. xvii. 16] which
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God hath put into our hands; but if we are "fools," and have no "heart" to improve it, the blame will be our own. You have opportunities for meeting and assembling : I fear there are cold affections in your pri- vate meetings ; I wish there be not. It may be some thrive and grow ; I hope so : and others are cold and backward ; it is not a season for it. If God would help us to manage this church aright, and as Ave ought to do, there can be no greater advantage under such a season than we enjoy : but we want voluntary inspection ; and the Lord lay it not to our charge we have deferred it so long. Much want of love might have been prevented, many duties furthered, and many evils removed, if we had come up to the light God hath given to us. But we are at a loss ; and God knows we suffer under it, for want of dis- charging our duty.
That is the first thing, — to speak often one to another; — to sanctify the name of God by an humble, diligent inquiry into the causes of these dispensations, and preparation for these things.
2. The second duty in such a season is, for every one of us privately to inquire of Jesus Christ, in prayer and supplication, " What shall be the end of these things?" You have a great instance of it, Dan. viii. 13, 14, " Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." I suppose there is something of the ministry of angels in it ; for this saint inquires, but the answer is made to Daniel, " One saint said unto another saint;" — " and he said unto me." But the speaking saint was Jesus Christ. There was the Holy One that spake, which he calls ^OfB, " a certain saint;" but the derivation of the word is, " One that revealeth secrets."1 There was application made unto Jesus Christ, who is the revealer of secrets, to know how long. And you will find in the Scriptures, in difficult dispensations, that is very many times the request of the saints to God, " How long?" Dan. xii. 6, 8, " How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" and, " 0 my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" There is an humble application by faith and prayer unto Jesus Christ, to know the mind of God in these things, that will bring satisfaction in to our souls. Do not leave yourselves to wander in your own thoughts and imaginations. It is impossible but we shall be debating things, and giving a rational account of them ; but all will not bring us satisfaction. But let us go to Jesus Christ, and say to