3. If we live by faith in the approach of a calamitous season, this will put us upon the search and examination of our own hearts, what accession we have made to the sins that have procured these judg- ments. This is that which faith (where it is in any measure sincere) will assuredly put us upon ; and it is that God doth now in an especial manner call for. Now, the sins which do and have procured these judgments are of two sorts: — (1.) The open and flagitious sins of the world. (2.) The sins of churches and professors.
(1.) The open and flagitious sins of the world. The apostle reckons them up together, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, " Be not deceived: neither forni- cators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." He doth it again in Eph. v. 5, 6, " For this ye know, that no whore- monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ ; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." He reckons them up also in Gal. v. 19, etc., " The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
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lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and such like." There is a marvellous large copy written out of these texts in the nation at this day: every man may read an exposition of these things in the practice of multitudes. Some will say, they bless God they are free from these things ; and so they hope they have had no hand in procuring the judgments of God that are coming upon the nation ; let them fall upon them and their interest who are guilty of these provoking abominations, such as for which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against their ungodliness. Why, it is well if they are not guilty of any of these sins; but the seed and founda- tion, even of all these sins, lie in our nature, if not in our persons, and what eruptions they have made towards the provoking the eyes of God's glory I know not. But suppose you have escaped these pollutions that are in the world through lust, —
(2.) There are other sins — sins of churches, and of professors — that, in reference to Christ's mediatory kingdom, have as great in- fluence for the procuring of judgments as the worst sins of the world have for the procuring of judgments in his providential kingdom. I know a time when there was a storm, wherein a whole vessel, and all that were in it, were like to have been cast away ; but one Jonah, that was in the ship, was the cause of the storm.
I shall just mention the judgment- procuring sins of churches and professors, which are reduced in Scripture to these four heads : —
[1.] Lukewarmness; which was the judgment-procuring sin of Laodicea.
[2.] Contenting ourselves in outward order and freedom from scandal; which was the judgment-procuring sin of Sardis, and will prove ruinous to the best churches in the world.
[3.] Want of love among ourselves, and division in churches.
[4.] Earthly-mindedness, and love of the world, and conformity to it, that is found among the generality of professors.
SERMON XL1
THE USE OF FAITH UNDER REPROACHES AND PERSECUTIONS.
" The just shall live by his faith." — Hab. ii. 4.
You may remember, I spake occasionally from that of the psalmist, Ps. xcvii. 2, " Clouds and darkness are round about him : righteous- 1 This sermon was jueachcd April 30, 16S0.
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ness and judgment are the habitation of his throne;" and from thence took occasion to consider what is our especial duty when clouds and darkness are round about us, as they are at this day. And some of you know I have had a great persuasion that the clouds that are gathering will, at least in their first storm, fall upon the people of God. I must repeat it again and again ; I have been warning you for some years, and telling you it would be so. The present frame where- with I have to conflict in my own spirit, and that frame of spirit which I have observed in others, the state and condition of all churches and professors, so far as I know, is, — they are gone into a dreadful security. I speak my heart, and what I know with reference unto our present state and the cause of God ; we are gone, I say, into a dismal security: which still confirms me that the storm will come upon us, and that it will not be long ere we feel it. My design is, therefore, to show you how we ought to behave ourselves under the perplexities and difficulties we are to conflict withal in this world. And I have not sat studying for things to speak, but only tell you the experience of my own heart, and what I am labouring after. I have already showed you what our duty is under the approach of these distressing, calamitous times that are coming upon us, and what faith will do in such a season.