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these two distinct titles of God unto the two distinct considerations of the people; first, of their protection, that he is 'the Lord of hosts;' secondly, as of their sin, that he is 'the Holy One of Israel.'

Thirdly, The third thing is this: that in this woful state there is yet an intimation made of a covenant interest of Judah in God, and that God did yet own them as his in covenant. Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God.' Brethren, no man, I think, hath less of faith than I; no man doth more despond. But if I could see these two things in concurrence, his God,' and the Lord of hosts,' that is, sovereign grace, according to his covenant; and sovereign power, according to his providence; there is ground for any man's faith to build upon: his God, the Lord of hosts.' Nothing but sovereign grace and sovereign power can preserve a people, when their land is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel, and destruction seems to encompass them from the interest of Babylon.

I shall speak yet a little more particularly. You may consider in the words,

1. That which is mentioned in the last place; the state of the people at this time: Their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.'

2. An intimation of approaching deserved destruction on that account: 'Though the land :' it is in that condition that it ought to look for nothing but destruction.

3. A strange and wonderful surprisal, notwithstanding this, in sovereign grace and power: Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, the Lord of hosts.'

What shall I speak to is this.

Observation. When a land is filled with sin against the Lord, let men's hopes and expectations be what they will, they are in danger of utter destruction, and cannot be saved, but by the actings of sovereign grace and power.

I shall, for the handling hereof, at least I design to do these three things:

I. Shew when a land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

II. Gather up what evidences we have, that England is not yet utterly forsaken of God.

III. Manifest what is indispensably required of us, that

we may not be given up unto that utter desolation and destruction, that lieth at the door.

I do believe that I am not in my thoughts far from your case, far from the case of the nation. I do not search for things to speak to, I shall speak only those, that are compliant with the common reason and understanding of all sober persons.

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There are three ways whereby a land may be said to be filled with sin.

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1. When the sins of a land or nation are come to the full, to the utmost measure that God hath allotted to them in his patience. There is such an allotment of patience to every nation under heaven, and when it comes to its appointed issue, no means under heaven can defer or delay their destruction one day. Thus saith God before the flood, The land is filled with sin, the whole earth with violence; a flood shall take them away' the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah came up to God; they had filled up their measure; God sent fire and brimstone to destroy them. You shall not yet go into Canaan.' Why? The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.' There is a time appointed, wherein the iniquity of the Amorites shall come up to its full measure, beyond which their destruction shall not be delayed. This was not now the case of Israel and Judah. It proved afterward to be their case, as the apostle describes it, 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary unto all men: forbidding us to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.' How come? They have filled their measure, reached to their bounds: wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.' I hope, I pray that this is not, that this may not be the state of England; that our land is not so filled with sin, as that God's decree of absolute and universal desolation should be gone forth against us.

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2. A land may be said to be filled with sin, when it is come to that degree and measure, as that God will not pass it by without some severe desolating judgment. He will not utterly forsake it, he will not utterly destroy it; but let all mankind do what they will, he will not pass it by without

some severe desolating judgment. Such was their case even at this time. You may see in 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. 'But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.' It was impossible that the judgment of God should be turned away from them. In this state God saith, Pray not for this people; my heart shall not be towards them:' until he had brought his judgment upon them. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, I will not hear them.' Ay, but what if reformation come in? Nay, nay, saith he, it is determined against them: reformation shall not save them. See 2 Kings xxiii. 25, 26. where there is an account given of the greatest reformation that ever was wrought in Judah, by Josiah. So it is said, 'Like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him having reformed the whole nation. Then sure all will be well. See the next words: Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah; and the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight.' There is a time and season when God, although he will not utterly destroy and forsake a nation for ever, yet he will not pass them by, until he hath brought a severe destructive scourge upon them. Whether this be the state of England at this day, or no, God only knows, and of mankind not one. Whether we are come to that state, wherein there is no remedy, wherein nothing we do shall prevent desolating judgments, I say, God only knows, and of men

not one.

3. A land is filled with sin, when it is come to such a degree and measure, as that there is no rule of the word, nor any prognostic from providence, nor any conjecture from the state of things, that can give any determination what will be the issue. Judgment is deserved, and there is nothing remains but to look upon the balance, as it is held in the hand of sovereignty; which way it will turn, God only knows. The decree is not yet gone forth. In this your state God doth not say, ' Pray not for this people :'

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God doth not say, 'Though you reform, I will not turn from the fierceness of my wrath:' but God saith, Who knows if God will return and leave a blessing? Who knows if God will be entreated and have mercy?' He leaves it upon the absolute pleasure of sovereignty to give us encouragement to wait upon him. Because I take this, yea, and I take it in the best of my hopes, to be that wherein we are concerned, pray take these two things along with you, before I go to shew it in particular. The first is, that in this state, if God gives time and space, there is encouragement enough left to make our applications to him for the removal of impending judgments. Methinks sometimes I see by faith the Lord high lift up upon his throne, and his train filling the temple with his glory, and holding the balance of this nation in his hand, and can turn it to mercy or judgment as seems good unto him. While it is so, while though the woman be put into the epha, yet the talent of lead is not laid upon her,' there is time for intercession, yet time for the interposition of God. And secondly, I say, and do you take it as you see good, but I will tell you my persuasion, that if there be not a compliance with the calls of God unto this nation, upon this suspension and arrest of judgment that we are under, we shall as certainly perish, as if we were in either of the two former conditions. If the Chaldeans were all wounded men, if there was no hope, no strength, no relief in the papal cause, they shall rise up and smite as in the day wherein Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel, and the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children;' Hos. x. 14. Unless there be a compliance with the calls of God in the days wherein we live.

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Let us then a little, as God will give strength, inquire when a nation is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel, as certainly to put the balance into the hands of sovereignty, and to take off all rules and prognostics (which with great grief I have heard sometimes insisted upon), and reduce us merely to the hand of sovereignty. When is it that a land is so filled with sin?

(1.) A land is so filled with sin, when all sorts of provoking sins do abound in it; when there is no exception to be put into the indictment; when there is no provoking sin that can be thought on, that is not in the nation. For if

there be but one provoking sin absolutely excluded, there is room for mercy to dwell. Who now shall plead for England? Who shall put in an exception for England into this indictment? Oh poor England, among all thy lovers, thou hast not one to plead for thee this day! From the height of profaneness and atheism through the filthiness of sensuality and uncleanness, down to the lowest oppression and cheating, the land is filled with all sorts of sin. If there be any that can put in an exception, as to any provoking sin that is not among us, let them stand forth and plead the cause of this nation. I profess my mouth is stopped. The land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.' It is to no purpose to enumerate our sins; the roll is too long to be read at this time; and I am sorry it hath been cut, and thrown into the fire; when it hath been spoken of, contemned and despised, as Jeremiah's was by Jehoiakim. But so it is.

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(2.) A land is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel, when all sorts of persons in a land are guilty of provoking sins. Pray mistake me not; I do not say, all persons of all sorts: God forbid. If it had been so, we had long since been like unto Sodom and Gomorrah. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah;' Isa. i. 9. But whereas there are many sorts of persons, rulers, and them that are ruled; high and low, rich and poor; in court, in city, in country; I say, all sorts of persons have been guilty of these provoking sins: We, and our princes,' as Daniel speaks, and our rulers, and the people, the inhabitants of the land of all sorts. Who shall plead here for England? Who shall bring forth a sort of persons? nay, it is not so in the throne; nay, it is not so at court; nay, it is not so among the clergy; nay, it is not so in the city; nay, it is not so in the country; it is not so with the rich; it is not so with the poor. Let any one, that can, bring in a plea for this poor nation, that we may not conclude the land is filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

But you will say, Here lies an exception: there are many persons, many churches free from these flagitious and provoking sins: there is a sort of persons, churches,

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