I would offer a few words that may stir us up unto this duty : — The Scripture doth everywhere, upon all such occasions, call ex- pressly unto us for a special preparation, by the exercise of grace, in reformation and holiness : " Judgment must begin at the house of God;" and " what will be the end of them that obey not the gos- pel?" What, then, is our duty? Why, saith he, " Seeing that 1 Delivered March 14, 1678.
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all these things shall be dissolved" (all this outward frame of things), " what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conver- sation and godliness?" Brethren, we ought at all times to attend unto "all holy conversation and godliness;" but saith the apostle, " The approach of judgment is a peculiar motive thereunto ; — ' seeing that all these things are to be dissolved/ " It is true, seeing Christ hath died for us, washed us in his blood, and given his Holy Spirit unto us, " What manner of persons ought we to be?" But the great motives are not exclusive of occasional exercises, but give an addition unto them. " Take heed that ye be not overtaken with surfeiting and drunkenness," — with any excess in the use of the creature. What if it be so? " Then that day will come upon you at unawares;" — the clay when all shall be dissolved, — the day of judgment, — the day of approaching calamities. " You ought at all times to take care of these things; but if your minds are not influenced in the consideration of the approach of that day, ' you are not my disciples.' " I do not at all speak unto what preparations are required.
I could also reflect on those places where God expresseth his great displeasure against such who did not labour for a peculiar preparation upon approaching calamities. Isa, xxii. 12-14, " ' I called for mourn- ing, and fasting, and girding with sackcloth,' and you betook your- selves unto feasting on all occasions." " Surely, saith the Lord, this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die." And it is reckoned among the sins of the most profligate persons, that when God's hand is lifted up and ready to strike, they will not see, so as to learn right- eousness, Isa. xxvi. 11.
Let us, therefore, beg for grace. Though God multiplieth warn- ings, makes appearances of mercy, and then writes death upon them, and entangles every thing in darkness, yet our work goes slowly on in preparation. Cry earnestly unto God for such supplies of his grace and Spirit that may effectually bring us unto him ; that we may no longer abide in the frame wherein we are.
There are three things, and no more, that I know of (others may be named, but they may be reduced unto these three heads), that are required of us in reference unto approaching judgments; and there is not one of them through which we can pass, or which we can per- form in a due manner, comfortably unto ourselves, and unto the glory of God, without we have some singular and eminent preparation for it. And they are these : — First. That we ourselves stand in the gap, to turn away the threatened judgments. Secondly. That we may be fit for deliverance, if it please the Lord graciously to give it unto us. Saith Christ, speaking of great calamities, " Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Thirdly. That we may cheerfully and comfortably go through the calamities, if they shall overtake us.
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These three are comprehensive of all the threats of approaching judgments and darkness that encompass us at this clay. Now, there is not one of them that we can be any way fit for, unless our hearts and lives are brought into an extraordinary preparation, according as God calls and requires. I do not know whether we believe these things or no, but they will be shortly found to be true.
First. Who dares among us to propose himself to stand in the gap, to divert judgments from the nation, otherwise than in a formal man- ner, who is not prepared by these things we have spoken of, and hath not some good and comfortable persuasion of his own personal interest in Christ, and hath not freed himself from those sins that have pro- cured these judgments, and who lives not in a resignation of himself unto the will of God? who dares to do this? We shall provoke God, if we think to stand in the gap, and turn away judgments from the nation, when we see ourselves are concerned in procuring those judg- ments.
Secondly. We cannot be meet for deliverance, unless we are thus prepared. I have heard a notion preached and spoken upon other occasions, — which I confess I never liked, and the more I consider it, the more I dislike it; and that is, that God, in the deliverance of his people, works for his own name's sake, that he may have all the glory, — that it shall be seen merely to be of grace : and therefore he will oftentimes deliver his people, when they are in an unreformed and unreforming condition, that he may shame them and humble them by his mercy and grace afterward. I know no rule of Scripture upon which this notion may be grounded, nor one instance or example whereby it may be made out.