The Crisis, or the Uncertain Doom 2
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1. The outcome of the present war will appear dreadfully uncertain—if we consider the present posture of affairs.
We are engaged in war with a powerful, exasperated enemy—and blood is streaming by sea and land. Some decisive blow will probably be struck before long—but on what party it will fall, and what will be the outcome of this struggle and commotion among the nations—is an anxious uncertainty. It seems but too likely, though it strikes me with horror to admit the thought—that aprovoked God intends to scourge us with the rod of France, and therefore gives surprising success to her military.
Who can tell—but the king of France may have the same commission given him by that God whom we and our mother country have so grievously offended—as was given to the Assyrian monarch, in Isaiah's time, when God speaks of him as "his rod"—to chastise his own people, and as acting by a commission from him, though he neither knew or designed it—but only intended to gratify his own ambition for power? "O Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations!" Isaiah 10:5-7.
But at the same time it is foretold, that "When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say—I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes!" Isaiah 10:12.
And if God gives the same commission to the king of France against our country, I doubt not but his end will be the same. When God has finished his work of correction with this rod—he will break it, or burn it in the fire.
The like commission was given to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; and when he, and his son, and his son's son, had served as the executioners of God's wrath upon the Jewish people, and the neighbouring nations—they and the Babylonian empire were destroyed together.
"But you would not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me furious by worshiping your idols, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. And now the LORD Almighty says: Because you have not listened to me, I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the other nations near you. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever!" Jeremiah 25:7-9.
"Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins, says the LORD. I will make the country of the Babylonians an everlasting wasteland. I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations." Jeremiah 25:12-13.
Thus you see it is no uncommon thing for God, when transgressions are come to the full, to raise up some national power to perform his work of chastisement and vengeance, and render it victorious and irresistible, until that work is done—and then to crush that conquering country in its turn.
And whether divine Providence is now about to employ the power of France for this purpose, is a dreadful uncertainty! We hope, indeed, matters will take a more favourable turn; but the present posture of affairs, and particularly the rapid conquests of France, which has now become so formidable even in America, give us reason to fear this may be the outcome, and that matters are nowripening fast for this dreadful result.
I may add, that we have reason to fear—from the disposition and conduct of many among us Britons. A spirit of carnal security, sloth, and cowardice, evidently prevails; as may justly alarm our fears. Now if the French should invade our frontiers; and if theIndians who are now neutral, should join with them, and with those tribes that are already so active upon their side; and if their united forces should pour down upon us; I say, should this be the case—I need not tell you what unexampled scenes of blood, cruelty, and devastation would open in our country! This may not be the outcome; and I hope and pray it may not be: but it is not so improbable as we could wish; much less is it impossible. Who knows but this may actually be the consequence!
And if the natural allies of France should form a confederacy against England, our mother country, and attack her with their united strength, how terrible would be the consequence be—both to her and to us! This event may not happen; and I hope and pray it may not: but it is not so unlikely as one could wish. But,
2. The outcome of the present war, and the doom of our country and nation, will appear dreadfully uncertain—if we consider our national guilt and impenitence.
Let Atheists and Epicureans say what they please, it is an eternal truth, which all the world will be made to know at last: that Jehovah is the Ruler of the universe; that the fate of kingdoms is in his hands; that he is the sovereign Arbiter of war, and determines both victory and defeat—just as he pleases. It is also certain that rewards and punishments are as essential to his government, as they are to all other governments.
In the world to come—he will reward or punish individuals, according to their personal works; and in the present world—he will reward or punish nations, according to their national work. In the present world I say, because it is only in the present world they exist in a national capacity, and are capable of national rewards and punishments.
Now there is a time, when the transgressors are come to the full, Daniel 8:23; when the measure of a people's iniquity is filled up, and they are ripe for vengeance. And then the executioners of divine vengeance—the sword, famine, pestilential diseases, earthquakes and the like—are turned loose among them; then the dread commission is issued out, "Swing the sickle—for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes—for the wine-press is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness!" Joel 3:13. Then all the undertakings of such a people are blasted; and even the worst of the heathen (Ezekiel 7:24) succeed against them. That nation is thrown off from the hinge on which empire turns, and therefore must fall. The Lord Almighty is against them; and by a secret but irresistible hand—brings on their destruction!
Now whether that fatal period has arrived, with respect to us and our nation, I will not determine, nor indeed am I capable. But I am sure our land is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel. On this subject I have often enlarged; and now I am afraid it is a trite, disregarded tale. The sins of our land lie heavy upon it; the sins of all ranks and denominations: the sins of past and present generations: sins against the law and against the gospel; sins against mercies and against judgements; sins in heart, in language, in practice; sins of all kinds and degrees, and against all sorts of obligations!
Oh! what a huge heap, what an intolerable burden do all these sins make! The sins of many millions on both sides the Atlantic!Our nation is a huge mass of corruption! The whole head is sick; and the whole heart faint; from the sole of the foot unto the head, there is no soundness in it—but all full of wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores! Isaiah 1:6. And does not this leave our doom in a dreadful suspense? Who can tell what will be the fate of so guilty a people? Can we indulge high hopes with such aload of guilt upon us? Sin lies like a dead weight upon our counsels, our designs, and our undertakings; and crushes all of them!
What though our enemies are as wicked as ourselves, with only this exception, that they have not our advantages, and therefore cannot sin with our aggravations! But what if they were in all respects as bad? It has been no unusual thing for God to employ one guilty nation to execute his vengeance upon another; and when that drudgery is done—then he executes the executioner! Just as one among a number of criminals may be appointed to execute the rest; and then he is executed himself by some other hand. Thus God employed the Assyrians and Babylonians to punish his people, the Jews. And when they had, though undesignedly, done him that service, God punishes them in a yet severer manner. And thus he threatens the Jews by Ezekiel, that he would bring the worst of the heathen against them: they were good enough to be his executioners! So he employs devils, the worst of beings, to execute his vengeance upon sinners in hell. And so in human governments, the refuse of mankind are appointed his hangmen.
But though our land is so full of sin—yet there would be some ground to hope, could we see any appearances of a general repentance and reformation. But alas! where shall we find it? I have not been a heedless observer of the effects of the corrective and vindictive providences of God towards our land—the sword, a threatened famine, and a deadly, raging plague. But I have been really shocked to observe the outcome. I am afraid that even the people of God are not so effectually roused by these warningsas they should be. One would think they would be all life and vigour—at such a time as this: but, alas! I am afraid it is otherwise. I am especially afraid that impenitent sinners, instead of being melted into repentance, are hardening more and more like clay in the sun!
Alas! I see and hear no more of serious concern about eternal things among us, than if we lived in a healthy neighbourhood, and a peaceful, unmolested country. I am afraid the case of some bears a dismal resemblance to that described in Revelation 16:10, 11. "They gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds!" No, they are sullenly obstinate to wickedness still!
Brethren, what are we doing! Are we asleep at such a time as this, when the judgements of heaven are around us, and the fate of our country is so terribly doubtful? for God's sake, for our souls sake, for our country's sake—let us rouse ourselves from our carnal security; and let us humble ourselves before God, "and cry mightily to him; and who can tell, but he may turn away from his fierce anger?" Which leaves me to the second inference from my text, namely,
II. That when a nation is in such a doubtful situation that no man can know its doom, if there is any hope—it is only in the way of repentance, reformation, and earnest prayer. This appears the only way of hope on two accounts:
1. National sin has a direct tendency, in its own nature, to weaken and destroy a nation. SIN is the deadly disease of a nation, which will destroy it on the inside—without the hand of an outside executioner. SIN spreads corruption, injustice, treachery, discord, confusion, cowardice, through a nation. SIN destroys public spirit, the love of our country, unanimity, courage, and all the social and heroic virtues which naturally tend to strengthen, defend, and advance a people. Now, repentance, reformation, and prayer, is the proper cure for this disease of SIN; it purges out these internal principles of death, and implantsand nourishes the opposite principles of virtue and life. But this is not all; for,
2. Repentance, reformation, and prayer, is the only method to turn away the displeasure of God, and obtain his favour and protection. SIN brings on a people the curse of a provoked God; and under this they fade and wither away, like a blasted flower; or a tree struck by lightning from heaven. But if it is possible to remove it, and obtain the divine favour—it is only by deep humiliation before him, by a thorough reformation from those sins that provoke him, and by earnest cries for mercy!
The light of nature taught the men of Nineveh that this was the only way of hope; and Scriptural revelation assures us of the very same thing. It is only to the penitent, that the promises of deliverance are made; and without repentance, we have no possible claim to them. Deliverances are generally answers to prayer; and therefore without earnest prayer we cannot expect them. National judgements are inflicted for national sins—and therefore reformation from national sins is the only hopeful way to escape them.
Therefore, my friends, let us betake ourselves to this only method of hope. Let us deeply humble ourselves before God; "let us cry mightily to him—and let us turn every one from our evil ways!" And then, "who can tell but God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we do not perish?"
But in all my exhortations of this kind, I remember that repentance and reformation is the duty of fallen creatures; of creatures so depraved and dead, that they are not able, of themselves, so much as to apply the remedy. If you attempt this work with the pride of imaginary self-sufficiency, you may be sure disappointment will be the consequence. Therefore remember, that it is the Holy Spirit alone, who is the author of a thorough repentance and effectual reformation. It is he alone who can effectually convince the world of sin. If he is absent, legislators may make laws against vice, philosophers may reason, ministers may preach, nay, conscience may remonstrate, the divine law may prescribe and threaten, the gospel may invite and allure; but all will be in vain; all will not produce one true penitent!
The strongest arguments, the most melting entreaties, the most alarming denunciations, from God and man, enforced by the highest authority, or by the most compassionate tears—all will have no effect! All will not effectually reclaim one sinner, nor gain one sincere proselyte to righteousness! Paul, Apollo's, and Cephas, with all their apostolic abilities, can do nothing to the purpose—without the Spirit. Paul may plant, and Apollo's water; but God alone can give the increase. So then neither is he who plants anything, nor he that waters; they are both nothing together; but God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7) is all in all.
Until the Spirit be poured forth from on high, says Isaiah, briers and thorns shall come up upon the land of my people; that is, that their country shall be laid waste, and be made a mere wilderness of briers and thorns—by the ravages of war; or the people themselves shall be like briers and thorns—fruitless, noxious, and troublesome.
In this language the prophet Micah describes the same people; the best of them is as a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn-hedge. (Micah 7:4.) Such shall they continue—until the Holy Spirit is poured forth upon them from on high. But when the happy time comes, "then the wilderness shall be a fruitful field; then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness shall remain in the fruitful field." This effusion of the Spirit shall put an end to the desolation of war, and establish them in the possession of lasting and extensive peace; for, as it is there added, the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the native effect of righteousness shall be quietness and assurance forever; and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. (Isaiah 32:13, 18.)
You see, my friends, of how much importance and necessity the Spirit is to produce a reformation, and that blessed peace and security, both personal and national, both within and without, which is the effect of it!
And how are we to expect his sacred influences? Or in what way may we hope to attain them? The answer is, Pray for them! Pray frequently, pray fervently. "Lord, your Spirit! Oh give your Spirit! that is the blessing I need; the blessing which families, and nations, and the whole human race need!" Pray in your retirements; pray in your families; pray in societies appointed for that purpose; pray warmly and sincerely; pray without ceasing—for this grand fundamental blessing.
Hear what encouragement Christ has given to prayer in this particular, "Ask—and it shall be given you; seek—and you shall find; knock—and it shall be opened unto you. If you being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children—how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13. Endeavour to repent in this humble, dependent manner, and you may hope it will at least avail to your eternal salvation; and who knows, but it may avail also to turn away the fierce anger of God from your country and nation!
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