ate people, he raised up priests and prophets, and sent them for the purpose of pointing out the sad marks of their degeneracy, their guilt, and their danger. It was by means of their warnings, admonitions, and instructions, that he alarmed their fears, awakened their consciences, and brought them to humiliation, repentance, and reformation. It was a great favor to them, that, when they neglected to use any means to reform themselves, God should use the most effectual means to prevent their ruin. And it is as great a favor to a degenerate people, that God now sends his ministers to show them the marks of their declension, the guilt they have contracted, the dangers to which they are exposed, and the means by which they may escape the evils that hang over them. It is the kind intention of this discourse, to produce these salutary effects. I must, therefore, proceed to infer, 3. That this people have gray hairs here and there upon them, which are visible marks of a sad declension in piety and virtue. This subject asks you as a people, not as individuals, whether you have not degenerated in respect to the religious duties which you once practiced. Did you not once very generally and constantly attend the public worship of God in his house? Was there one family, less than fifty years ago, that totally neglected, or generally neglected, public worship? But is there not now more than one; are there not many families, that do not commonly attend public worship? Did you not once very generally, if not universally, maintain family worship in your houses? But is this a general practice here now? Is there not a large proportion of the families in this place, that now constantly neglect this plain and indispensable duty? Yea, are there not some professors of religion who neglect it? Did you not once more generally walk within your houses with a perfect heart, and instruct, and warn, and admonish, and restrain your children and domestics, that they might keep the way of the Lord, remember their Creator in the days of their youth, and avoid all the paths of the destroyer? Did you not once view the great duty of making a public profession of religion of more importance than you do now? And are not many living in the criminal neglect of this duty? Do you believe the peculiar and precious doctrines of the gospel, which you once believed and tenaciously maintained? Is there not here a great degeneracy in religious sentiments? Have not some avowedly renounced the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, and fallen into the most absurd and fatal errors, and become zealots in propagating them. Are there not many more relaxing and declining in their religious opinions, and listening with avidity to more loose, liberal, and equally delusive and danger ous doctrines, and waiting for a more convenient season to disclose their inward sentiments? How many are halting between two opinions, in respect to the doctrine of total depravi ty; the doctrine of divine agency; the doctrine of divine decrees; the doctrine of divine sovereignty; and the necessity of regeneration, or a radical change of heart? Is not moderate Calvinism, or, which is the same thing, moderate Arminianism, creeping in and spreading? In a word, are you not renouncing, or calling in question, the great truths of the gospel, which is an awful declension in religious sentiments? Have you not degenerated as much in practice as in principle? Is the Sabbath as strictly observed as it used to be? Is there not more laboring, more travelling, more visiting, more vain and worldly conversation on the Sabbath than formerly? Has not the practice of reading corrupt books, and following corrupt teachers, become more common and reputable, than it once was? Have not tavern-haunting, gaming, intemperance, prodigality, vain amusements, and every species of dissipation and extravagance, become more common and fashionable? And are not the proper means of preventing, or restraining all the evils. which have been mentioned, generally if not universally neglected by those to whom it belongs to use them? Are not, then, gray hairs as thick upon the people here, as they were upon Ephraim, and has not blindness happened to them as well as to him? Hence 4. It appears from what has been said in this discourse, that the people here are in a very dangerous state. Degeneracy in piety and virtue, in principles and practice, is extremely criminal, because it implies a once better state, and consequently a great abuse of moral and religious privileges, opportunities and obligations. The pagan world that lie in wickedness never have enjoyed the means of light, instruction and restraint, that civilized and gospelized people have enjoyed. They never have had line upon line, and precept upon precept, nor heard the instructions, warnings and admonitions, which God has given to those, to whom he has given his word. They have never degenerated under the means of grace and the light of the gospel. Their sins are like the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, but not like the sins of Chorazin and Bethsaida, where God's mighty works were done. The sins in this land and in this place are like the sins of Chorazin and Bethsaida, for here God's mighty works have been done. Here he has appeared in his glory in building up Zion. Here he has once and again poured out his spirit, and awakened, convinced, and converted sinners, and edified and comforted saints, and enabled many to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse gener VOL. II. 54 ation. Degeneracy here is peculiarly criminal in the sight of God. But though degeneracy be more criminal than stupidity; yet stupidity is more dangerous than degeneracy. It was stupidity in Ephraim that rendered his state so deplorable. Though he had gray hairs, the sad marks of degeneracy upon him, yet his case would not have been so hopeless and dangerous, if he had not been stupidly blind to them. He perceived them not, and was in no measure alarmed at the approaching death which they threatened. It is the awful stupor of this people in their degeneracy, which is the most alarming circumstance of their sinful and deplorable state. If they were awakened to see their guilt and danger, there would be great ground of hope. God reformed Ephraim from time to time, though sunk in deep degeneracy. The hearts of the most degenerate people are in the hands of God, who can turn them effectually from their evil ways. But when he practically said of Ephraim, let him alone, let him pine away in his iniquities, his case was hopeless. And while God suffers a degenerate people to continue stupid and insensible of their guilt and danger, the mark of reprobation is upon them. And this mark is now visible upon this people. While God has been hearkening and hearing, who has repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Who has not turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle, fearless of the arrows of death? Hence, 5. Is there not peculiar need of the special divine influence, to revive the languishing state of religion here, in this day of deep declension? The people have been long and rapidly degenerating, notwithstanding all the outward means that have been used, to prevent and restrain degeneracy in principle and practice. Is it not time for God to work, when men make void his law? Is it not time for him to set up a standard, when the enemy is coming in like a flood? It is a proper time for God to take the work of reformation into his own hands, when all means and second causes lose their reforming influence. It is then that God can display his amiable and powerful sovereignty, in pouring out his awakening, convincing, converting, and quickening influences upon a degenerate people, the most visibly and gloriously. Where sin abounds, grace can much more abound. God often revived his own work and promoted his own cause, when the enemies of religion were triumphing, and the friends of it were desponding. God means that his people should realize their dependence on him, and not lean to their own understanding, when they have marks of declension upon them. They can grow rich, and great, and prosperous, and in their own view, happy, without as well as with his gracious influence; but this is not the case in respect to religion. They cannot repent, reform, and grow in grace, without his gracious presence and influence; love, repentance, faith and growth in grace, are the fruits of his spirit. Paul may plant and Apollos water in vain, if God give not the increase. A degenerate people need to be deeply impressed with a sense of absolute dependence on God, for spiritual, undeserved, and unpromised blessings. Hence, 6. A time of religious declension is a time for all the sincere faithful friends of God to seek unto him for his gracious, renewing, sanctifying and quickening influences. A people seldom become so universally degenerate, as to have no men of genuine piety among them. This was never the case in degenerate Judah and Ephraim. Though Elijah once thought that he was the only true Israelite in the nation, yet he was mistaken; for there were then many other Israelites indeed, who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. This was not the case in Christ's day; there were Simeon and others, who were the servants and worshippers of the true God. In the general declension in the churches of Asia, there were individuals who kept the faith, and maintained and adorned their christian profession. This is undoubtedly the case in the most degenerate churches in this land, and in the degenerate church in this place. It is upon these persons this subject loudly calls, to rise and call upon God to work effectually upon the hearts of this people, and bring about a thorough and general reformation. God heareth not sinners. They are the only persons whose prayers he will hear, and has promised to hear. He hath not said to the seed of Jacob, "seek ye me in vain." It was in answer to the prayers of Hezekiah, Josiah, Jehoiada, and other reformers, that God reformed his degenerate people, before he sent them into captivity. And it was owing to the prayers of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, that he poured out his spirit upon them before and after their return from captivity. The command is, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem," and the promise is, "They shall prosper that love thee." But you may ask when is the time to begin to pray more fervently and especially for a reformation in this place? The answer is plain; to-day. It is the very business of this day of humiliation, fasting and prayer, to pray for a reformation here in particular. There are plain and powerful reasons why you should seek unto the Lord to-day, to come and rain down righteousness on this people. - 1. The honor of God requires you to do it. 2. The good of souls requires you to do it. 3. Your own vows and engagements require you to do it. SERMON XXXI. SUSPENSION AND INFLICTION OF JUDGMENTS. OCTOBER 3, 1824. VERILY I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this GOD is a being of perfect rectitude, as well as of perfect wisdom; but yet we find some things in his word and providence, which are not easy to reconcile with either his wisdom or rectitude. Of this kind is the passage I have read, which contains a truth and a fact, that are involved in no little obscurity. The connection of the text is this. "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation." Luke expresses the same thing in still stronger terms. "That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation." These are Christ's declarations. The question is, how could the blood, that is, the punishment due to all preceding generations, be required of this? If this generation had sinned, they deserved to be punished. If this generation had sinned as much as any former generation had sinned, then they deserved to be pun |