13. Discourse Xiii
DISCOURSE XIII
WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY IN LIGHT
OF THE ONGOING CONFLICT BETWEEN
CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST, ESPECIALLY IN
TIMES OF JUDGMENT AND GLOBAL
CALAMITY?
A nd God was pleased to guide us to the discovery of the necessary exercise of many graces, and the necessary attendance to many duties, for that end and purpose. And we planned to spend our time this day to beg that God would give us those graces, and stir them up by his Spirit for a due exercise; and that he would help us to such a performance of those duties, that when the Lord Christ shall come, by any holy dispensation of his providence, we may be found by him in peace. That was the special occasion for allotting the present time to this duty; not excluding the reasons, occasions, and matter of prayer, which at other times we attend to for ourselves, the church, and the nation.
I would like to offer a few words that may stir us up to this duty:—
The Scripture everywhere, on all such occasions, expressly calls 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 those who do not obey the gospel?" What, then, is our duty? Well, it says,
"Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved" (all this outward frame of things), "what kind of people ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" Brothers and sisters, we should always attend to "all holy conversation and godliness;" but the apostle says, "The approach of judgment is a peculiar motive to this;—'seeing that all these things are to be dissolved.'" It is true, since Christ has died for us, washed us in his blood, and given his Holy Spirit to us, "What kind of people ought we to be?" But the great motives are not exclusive of occasional exercises, but add to them.
"Be careful that you are not overtaken with overeating and drunkenness,"— with any excess in the use of the creature. What if it is so? "Then that day will come upon you unexpectedly;"—the day when all shall be dissolved,— the day of judgment,—the day of approaching calamities. "You should always take care of these things; but if your minds are not influenced by the consideration of the approach of that day, 'you are not my disciples.'" I am not speaking at all about what preparations are required.
I could also reflect on those places where God expresses his great displeasure against those who did not strive for a special preparation upon approaching calamities. Isa. 22:12–14, "'I called for mourning, and fasting, and girding with sackcloth,' and you indulged in feasting on all occasions."
"Surely, says the LORD, this sin shall not be purged from you until you die." And it is counted among the sins of the most profligate people, that when God's hand is lifted up and ready to strike, they will not see, so as to learn righteousness, Isa. 26:11.
Therefore, let us beg for grace. Though God multiplies warnings, shows signs of mercy, and then writes death upon them, and entangles everything in darkness, yet our work goes slowly on in preparation. Cry earnestly to God for such supplies of his grace and Spirit that may effectively bring us to him; that we may no longer remain in the state in which we are.
There are three things, and no more, that I know of (others may be named, but they can be reduced to these three categories), that are required of us in reference to approaching judgments; and there is not one of them through which we can pass, or which we can perform in a due manner, comfortably for ourselves, and for the glory of God, without having some unique 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 pleases the Lord graciously to give it to us.
Says Christ, speaking of great calamities, "Lift up your heads; for your redemption is near." Thirdly. That we may cheerfully and comfortably go through the calamities, if they should overtake us.
These three are comprehensive of all the threats of approaching judgments and darkness that surround us today. 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 not, but they will soon be found to be true.
Firstly, who among us dares to stand in the gap, to divert judgments from the nation, other than in a formal manner, who is not prepared by these things we have spoken of, and does not have some good and comfortable persuasion of his own personal interest in Christ, and has not freed himself from those sins that have procured these judgments, and who does not live
in a resignation of himself to 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 involved in procuring those judgments.
Secondly, we cannot be fit 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 often 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.
Here lies the truth of it, when there are two things concurring in the deliverance of the church, God will deliver them, notwithstanding all their sins and unworthiness, without any previous humiliation in themselves: firstly, when God has fixed and limited a certain season in his word and promise for their deliverance; and secondly, when, prior to their deliverance, they lack means for humiliation. God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt when they were in a very bad condition, an ignorant, stubborn, faithless generation; but both these things were concurring: God was engaged, in terms of his promise, that, at the end of four hundred and thirty years, he would visit and deliver them; and they were deprived of all ordinances of worship in Egypt: not a sacrifice could they offer while they were there; not a Sabbath, I believe, though it is not expressed in Scripture, could they observe; the way of worship and knowledge of God was taken
from them. So, when God delivered the children of Israel out of Babylon, they were in no very good condition; but God was engaged in terms of promise as to that time, that at the end of seventy years they should be delivered; and in Babylon they had no means for instruction or reformation, no temple, no sacrifice; these were denied. But whenever God does afford to persons all the means of grace for humiliation, reformation, and turning to himself, it may be as good as ever they shall in this world, that God did ever deliver that people out of their distresses when they refused to be reformed, humbled, or to turn to him, neither instances of Scripture nor God's dealing with his church will make this good. Therefore it is vain for us to expect anything of this nature. If indeed, for so many years we had been thrown into a wilderness condition, and had no preaching, no assemblies, no administration of ordinances, no warnings or charges from God, we might have expected the Lord would have given us deliverance; but to us, who have had all these things, and yet will not make use of what we have now at present, we have no ground to expect any such thing.
Therefore I confess, neither by rule, instance, or example, do I expect deliverance until God comes in to work a thorough change and reformation in our hearts and lives; which makes it very necessary to be preparing to meet God in the way of his judgments.
Thirdly, the third thing that may lie before us is how we may cheerfully endure the calamities which may overtake us. I will not elaborate on this, as it was the main focus of our previous discourse. Even for the best of us, who have been long in the ways of God, a dreadful surprise awaits when the days of calamity come, if we have lived in negligence of complying with the calls and warnings of God that we have had, to bring ourselves to a more balanced and better state. We will find our strength failing us, and we
will be left searching for comfort, and be left to inner darkness when outer darkness increases, and not know where to direct our sorrows.
These things, brethren, I thought it appropriate to mention to you, so that, if it is God's will, they may be useful in deterring us from those false hopes and expectations which we are incredibly prone to indulge in such a day as this in which we live. It is high time for us to be calling upon God for this purpose.
The prophet Daniel tells us, when he understood by books—namely, the writings of the prophet Jeremiah—that the time in which the great contest between Babylon and the church was to have its resolution had arrived,
"Then," he says, "I set my face to seek the LORD with prayer and supplications, and fasting." And if you read his prayer, you will find nothing of confidence, nothing of self-praise; but a deep acknowledgment of sin:
"We, our kings, our princes, our fathers" (our church), "have all sinned;" so much so that "to us belong shame and confusion of face." And never had such shame and confusion of face befallen the church as would have befallen them, if they had been disappointed in that trial. But he adds, "Unto thee belong mercies and forgivenesses." There he concludes the whole matter, upon "mercy and forgiveness," even though he knew by books that the time had come.
Truly, brethren, we do not know by any Scripture revelation, as he did, that the time has come in which the long contest and conflict between Babylon and the church will have its resolution; but it appears so in the book of providence, and so much so, that it is a clear duty we should devote ourselves to prayer and supplication, that it does not result in shame and confusion of face; which belongs to us because of our sins. It is this contest which is now under consideration, and which seems to be coming to its
resolution, and all men are in expectation of it. It is the greatest, save one, that ever was; for the greatest contest that ever was in this world was between the person and the gospel of Christ on one hand, and the devil and the pagan world on the other; and the next to that is the contest between Christ—in his offices and grace, in his gospel and worship—and Antichrist.
And it is at this day upon its trial, in as significant an instance as ever it received. The question is, for us and our descendants, whether Christ or Antichrist? whether the worship of God or of idols? whether the outpouring, and waiting for the outpouring, of the Spirit of God in his worship, or all manner of superstitious impositions? This is the present contest; and, it may be, under heaven there never was a more significant instance of the outcome of this contest than will be in these nations in these days;—I do not say immediately or swiftly; but this, you all know, is our situation.
I mention it only to let you know that there is more than ordinary earnestness and fervency of spirit and wrestling with God required of us at this day for the cause of Zion, the interest of Christ, and the defeat of his adversaries. We do not know how God will work. If he is at work, he has said that when a flood was cast out of the mouth of the dragon to swallow up the woman everywhere (and we have had a flood cast out of the mouth of the dragon to swallow up the whole interest of Christ in this nation), the earth lifted herself up and helped the woman, and turned aside the flood.
Good old Eli's heart trembled for the ark of God. The interest of God and the truths of Christ are still among us, but are hardly beset by the Philistines; and whether they may not take them I do not know—only God knows. But assuredly, brethren, our hearts ought now to tremble for the ark of God, that God would continue it among us, and not give his glory into
the hands of the adversary.I have mentioned these things only for this end— that if God wills, our hearts may be a little warmed, upon all occasions, in this great contest and conflict between Christ and Antichrist, to come in with our prayers to help the Lord, and the ark of the Lord—that we may see a blessed outcome of this trial, and not be covered with that shame and confusion of face which belong to us.