they determine in favor of it. Isn't their waiting unlimited? The
1. What they are waiting for. Whether it isn't to have this wonderful religious influence that is on the minds of people, be over and past, and then to see how they behave themselves. That is, to have grace subside, and its actings cease in great measure, and to have people grow cold and dead, and then to see whether after that, they will behave themselves with that exactness and brightness of conversation that is to be expected of lively Christians, or of those who are in the vigorous exercises of grace. — There are many who won't be satisfied with any exactness or laboriousness in religion now, while people's minds are greatly moved, and their affections are high. For they lay it to their flash of affection and their heat of zeal, as they call it. They are waiting to see whether they will carry themselves as well, when these affections are over. That is, they are waiting to have people sicken and lose their strength, so that they may see whether they will then behave like healthy strong men. I would desire that they also consider whether they aren't waiting for more than is reasonably to be expected, supposing this is really a great work of God, and is much more than has been found in former great outpourings of the Spirit of God, which have been universally acknowledged in the Christian church? Do they expect fewer instances of apostasy, and evidences of hypocrisy in professors, and those who for the present seem to be under the influences of the Spirit, than there were after that great outpouring of the Spirit in the apostles' days, or in the time of the reformation? Do they stand prepared to make a mighty argument against this work, if there should be half so many?
2. How long they will wait to see the good fruit of this work, before they determine in favor of it. Isn't their waiting unlimited? The visible fruit that is to be expected from an outpouring of the Spirit of God on a country, is a visible reformation in that country. What reformation has lately been brought to pass in New England by this work, has been observed. Hasn't it continued long enough already, to give reasonable satisfaction? If God cannot work on the hearts of a people in such a way as to show His hand so plainly, and if we cannot reasonably expect it to be acknowledged in a year and a half or two
years' time, surely it is unreasonable that our expectations and demands be unlimited, and our waiting be without bounds.
As there is the clearest evidence from those things that have been observed, that this is the work of God, so it is evident that it is a very great, and wonderful, and exceedingly glorious work of God. This is certain: that it is a great and wonderful event, a strange revolution, an unexpected and surprising overturning of things, suddenly brought to pass, never before seen in New England, and scarcely ever heard of in any land. Whoever had seen the state of things in New England a few years ago, the state it was settled in, and the way we had been going for so long— how could they have thought there would be such a change in so little time? This is undoubtedly either a very great work of God, or a great work of the devil, as to its main substance. Undoubtedly, God and the devil may work together at the same time, and in the same land. And when God is at work, especially if He is very remarkably at work, Satan will intrude to his utmost; and by intermingling his work, he will endeavor to darken and hinder God's work. Yet God and the devil do not work together in producing the same event, and in effecting the same change in the hearts and lives of men. But it is apparent that there are some things in which the main substance of this work consists, a certain effect that is produced, and an alteration that is made in the apprehensions, affections, dispositions and behavior of men, in which there is a likeness and agreement everywhere. Now, I say this is either a wonderful work of God, or else a mighty work of the devil. And so it is either a most happy event, greatly to be admired and rejoiced in, or else a most awful calamity. Therefore, if what has been said before is sufficient to determine that, in the main, it is the work of God, then it must be acknowledged to be a very wonderful and glorious work of God.
Such a work is, in its nature and kind, the most glorious of any work of God whatsoever; and it is always spoken of this way in Scripture. It is the work of redemption in the event, success, and end of it (which is the great end of all other works of God, and of which the work of creation was but a shadow). It is the work of new creation,
that is infinitely more glorious than the old. I am bold to say that the work of God in the conversion of one soul, considered together with the source, foundation, and purchase of it, and also the benefit, end, and eternal issue of it, is a more glorious work of God than the creation of the whole material universe. It is the most glorious of God's works, because above all others, it manifests the glory of God. It is spoken of in Scripture as that which shows the exceeding greatness of God's power, and the glory and riches of divine grace — it is that in which Christ has the most glorious triumph over his enemies, and in which God is mightily exalted. And it is a work that is glorious above all others, as it concerns the happiness of mankind. The fruit of each single drop of such a shower, brings more happiness and a greater benefit to man, than all the temporal good of the happiest revolution in a land or nation amounts to, or all that a people could gain by the conquest of the world.
And as this work is very glorious in its nature, so it is in its degree and circumstances. It will appear very glorious if we consider the unworthiness of the people who are its subjects; what obligations God has laid us under by the special privileges we have enjoyed for our souls' good; the great things God did for us at our first settlement in the land; how He has followed us with his goodness to this day, and how we have abused his goodness; how long we have been revolting more and more (as we all confess), how very corrupt we had become at last; in how great a degree we had cast off God, and forsaken the fountain of living waters; how obstinate we have been, under all manner of means that God has used to reclaim us; how often we have mocked God with hypocritical pretences of humiliation, as in our annual days of public fasting and other things. Instead of reforming, we only grew worse and worse. How dead a time it was everywhere, before this work began. If we consider these things, we will be most stupidly ungrateful if we don't acknowledge God's visiting us, as he has done, as an instance of the glorious triumph of free and sovereign grace.
The work is very glorious if we consider the extent of it. In this respect, it is vastly beyond any former outpouring of the Spirit that
was ever known in New England. Formerly, there has sometimes been a remarkable awakening and success of the means of grace in some particular congregation. This used to be greatly taken notice of, and acknowledged to be glorious, even though the surrounding towns and congregations continued dead. But now God has brought to pass a new thing. He has wrought a great work of this nature, that has extended from one end of the land to the other, besides what was wrought in other British colonies in America.
The work is very glorious in the great numbers who have apparently been turned from sin to God. And so they have been delivered from a wretched captivity to sin and Satan, saved from everlasting burnings, and made heirs of eternal glory. How high an honor, and how great a reward for their labors, some eminent people of note in the church of God have signified they would esteem it, if they were made the instruments of the conversion and eternal salvation of even one soul! Nogreater event than that, is thought worthy of great notice in heaven among the hosts of glorious angels, who rejoice and sing on such an occasion (Luk 15.10). And so, when there are many thousands of souls thus converted and saved, will it be esteemed worthy of but little notice, and be mentioned with coldness and indifference here on earth, by those among whom such a work is wrought?
The work has been very glorious and wonderful in its many circumstances and events, which have been extraordinary. God has, in an uncommon way, made his hand visible and his power conspicuous in them, as in the extraordinary degrees of awakening, and the suddenness of conversions in innumerable instances. Though such work was quick, the thing wrought is manifestly durable. How common it has been for a great part of a congregation to at once be moved by a mighty invisible power, and in the exercise of that power, for six, eight, or ten souls to be converted to God (to all appearance), in whom the visible change still continues! How great an alteration has been made in some towns, even some populous towns; and the change still abides! How many very vicious people have been worked upon, so as to become visibly new creatures! God
has also made his hand very visible, and his work glorious, in the multitudes of little children who have been worked upon. I suppose there have been some hundreds of instances of this nature lately, any one of which formerly would have been looked upon as so remarkable, as to be worthy of being recorded and published throughout the land. The work is very glorious in its influences and effects on many who have been very ignorant and barbarous,28 as I observed before about the Indians and Negroes.
The work is also exceedingly glorious in the high attainments of Christians, the extraordinary degrees of light, love, and spiritual joy that God has bestowed upon great multitudes. In this respect also, the land in all parts has abounded with such instances, any one of which, if they had happened formerly, would have been thought worthy to be taken notice of by God's people throughout the British dominions. In this respect, the New Jerusalem has begun to come down from heaven; and perhaps never were more of the foretastes of heaven's glory given on earth.
There are a great many errors and sinful irregularities mixed with this work of God, arising from our weakness, darkness, and corruption. That does not keep this work of God's power and grace from being very glorious. Our follies and sins that we mix with it, in some respects manifest its glory. The glory of divine power and grace is set off with greater lustre, by what appears at the same time from the weakness of the earthen vessel. It is God's pleasure that there should be something to remarkably manifest the weakness and unworthiness of the subject, at the same time that He displays the excellency of his power and the riches of his grace. I don't doubt that some of those things which make some of us here on earth out of sorts, and make us look at this work with a sour, displeased countenance, actually heighten the songs of the angels when they praise God and the Lamb for what they see of the glory of God's allsufficiency, and the efficacy of Christ's redemption. How unreasonable it is that we should be hesitant to acknowledge the glory of what God has done, just because along with this, the devil and we (in listening to him) have done a great deal of mischief!
PART II.
Showing the obligations that all are under, to
acknowledge, rejoice in, and promote this work, and the great danger of
the contrary.
There are many things in the word of God, that show that when God remarkably appears in any great work for his church, and against his enemies, it is a most dangerous thing, and highly provoking to God, to be slow and hesitant to acknowledge and honor God in the work, and to lie still and not to offer a helping hand. Christ's people are represented in Scripture as his army; he is the Lord of Hosts or armies. He is the captain of the host of the Lord, as he called himself when he appeared to Joshua with a sword drawn in his hand, Jos 5.13-15. He is the captain of his people's salvation. And therefore it may well be highly resented if they don't resort to Him when he orders his banner to be displayed; or if they refuse to follow him when he blows the trumpet, and gloriously appears going forth against his enemies. God expects that every living soul should have his attention roused on such an occasion, and should most cheerfully yield to the call, and heedfully and diligently obey it. Isa 18.3, "All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth, see when he lifts up a banner on the mountains; and when he blows the trumpet, hear!" All Israel should especially be gathered to follow after their captain, as we read they were after Ehud blew the trumpet on Mount Ephraim, when he had slain Eglon king of Moab, Jdg 3.27-28. How severe the martial law is in such a case, when anyone in an army refuses to obey the sound of a trumpet, and to follow his general into the battle! God at such a time appears in peculiar manifestations of his glory. And therefore, not to be affected and animated by that, and to lie still, and refuse to follow God, will be resented as high contempt of Him. If a subject stood by as a spectator of the solemnity of his prince's coronation, and appeared silent and sullen as the whole multitude were testifying of their loyalty and joy, with loud acclamations — how greatly he would expose himself to be treated as
a rebel, and to quickly perish by the authority of the prince that he refuses to honor!
At a time when God manifests himself in such a great work for his church, there is no such thing as being neutral. There is a need to be either for or against the King who then gloriously appears. When a king is crowned, and there are public manifestations of joy on that occasion, there is no such thing as standing by as an indifferent spectator. All must appear as loyal subjects, and express their joy on that occasion, or be accounted enemies. So it always is when God, in any great dispensation of his providence, remarkably sets his king on his holy hill of Zion, and Christ in an extraordinary manner comes down from heaven to the earth, and appears in his visible church in a great work of salvation for his people. So it was when Christ came down from heaven at his incarnation, and appeared on earth in his human presence. There was no such thing as being neutral, neither on his side nor against him. Those who sat still and said nothing, and did not declare for him, nor come and join him after he had given sufficient evidence of who he was by his word and works — they were justly looked at as his enemies. As Christ says in Mat 12.30, "He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me, scatters abroad." So it is in a time when Christ is remarkably spiritually present, as well as when he is bodily present; and when he comes to carry out the work of redemption in the application of it, as well as in the revelation and purchase of it. If a king came into one of his provinces that had been oppressed by its foes, where some of his subjects had fallen away to the enemy, and joined with them against their lawful sovereign and his loyal subjects — I say, if the lawful sovereign himself came into the province, and rode forth against his enemies there, and called upon all who were on his side to come and gather themselves to him — there would be no such thing in such a case, as standing neutral. Those who laid still and stayed at a distance would undoubtedly be looked at and treated as rebels. So in the day of battle, when two armies join, there is no such thing for any who are present, as being of neither party. All must be on one side or the other. And those who are not found with the conqueror in
such a case, must expect to have his weapons turned against them, and to fall with the rest of his enemies.
When God manifests himself with such glorious power in a work of this nature, he appears especially determined to put honor upon his Son, and to fulfil his oath that he has sworn to him, that he would make every knee bow, and every tongue confess to him. God has had it much on his heart, from all eternity, to glorify his dear and onlybegotten Son. There are some special seasons that he appoints to that end, in which He comes forth with omnipotent power to fulfil his promise and oath to him. And these times are times of a remarkable outpouring of his Spirit to advance his kingdom. Such a day is a day of his power, in which his people will be made willing, and he will rule in the midst of his enemies. These especially are the times in which God declares his firm decree that his Son shall reign on his holy hill of Zion. And therefore, those who at such a time do not kiss the Son — as he then manifests himself and as he appears in the glory of his majesty and grace — expose themselves to perish from the way, and to be dashed in pieces with a rod of iron. (Psa 2.9, 12)
Such a time is a time in which God eminently sets his king on his holy hill of Zion. So too, it is a time in which he remarkably fulfils Isa 28.16: "Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation." The two Apostles Peter and Paul (1Pet 2.6-8, and Rom 9.33) join with that prophecy made in Isa 8.14-15, "He will be as a sanctuary; but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both houses of Israel, for a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared and taken." This signifies that both are fulfilled together. Yes, both are joined together by the prophet Isaiah himself, as you may see in the context of that forementioned verse, Isa 28.16. In ver. 13, preceding, it is said "But the word of the Lord was to them, 'Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little,' that they might go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." Accordingly it
always is so, that when Christ is manifested and magnified in a peculiar and eminent manner by a glorious work of God in his church as a foundation and sanctuary for some, he is also remarkably a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, a trap and a snare for others. Those who long continue to stumble, and are offended and ensnared in their minds at such a great and glorious work of Christ — in God's account, they stumble at Christ, and are offended by him. For the work is that by which God makes Christ manifest, and shows his glory, and by which he makes the stone that the builders refused, become the chief cornerstone. This shows how dangerous it is to always continue stumbling at such a work, forever doubting it, forbearing to fully acknowledge it and give God the glory for it. Such people are in danger, to go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken, and to have Christ be a stone of stumbling to them, which will be the occasion of their ruin — while to others he is a sanctuary, and a sure foundation.
The prophet Isaiah, in Isa 29.14, speaks of God's proceeding to do a marvellous work and a wonder, which would stumble and confound the wisdom of the wise and prudent. In Act 13.41, the apostle applies this to the glorious work of salvation wrought in those days by the redemption of Christ, and that glorious outpouring of the Spirit that followed. The prophet in the context of Isa 29, speaking of the same thing, and of the prophets, rulers, and seers, those wise and prudent ones whose eyes God had closed, says to them in verse 9, "Delay yourselves and wonder." In the original it is, Be slow and wonder. I leave it to others to consider whether it isn't natural to interpret it this way: "Wonder at this marvellous work; let it be a strange thing, a great mystery that you don't know what to make of, and that you are very slow and hesitant to acknowledge, long delaying to come to a determination concerning it." What people are in danger of, those who wonder and are slow to acknowledge God in such a work, we learn by that saying of the apostle in the forementioned Act 13.41, "Behold, you despisers, wonder and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, even if a man declared it to you"
The church of Christ is called upon to greatly rejoice when Christ at any time remarkably appears, coming to his church to carry on the work of salvation, to enlarge his own kingdom, and to deliver poor souls out of the pit in which there is no water. Zec 9.9-11: "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you. He is just and having salvation. — His dominion shall be from sea to sea. — As for you also, by the blood of your covenant, I have set your prisoners free from the pit in which there is no water."
Christ was pleased to give a notable type or symbolic representation of such a great event as spoken of in that prophecy, in his solemn entry into the literal Jerusalem, which was a type of the church, or "daughter of Zion" spoken of there. He probably intended it as a figure and prelude of that great actual fulfilment of this prophecy, that was to come after his ascension, by the outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles; and that fuller accomplishment that would occur in the latter ages of the Christian church. We have an account, that when Christ made this his solemn entry into Jerusalem, and the whole multitude of the disciples were rejoicing and praising God with loud voices for all the mighty works that they had seen, the Pharisees from among the multitude said to Christ, Master, rebuke your disciples. But we are told in Luk 19.39-40, Christ "answered and said to them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out," signifying that if Christ's professing disciples should be unaffected on such an occasion, and did not appear to openly acknowledge and rejoice in the glory of God appearing in this, it would manifest such a fearful hardness of heart, exceeding that of the stones, that the very stones would condemn them. Shouldn't this make those reconsider, who have held their peace for so long since Christ has come to our Zion, having salvation, and has so wonderfully manifested his glory in this mighty work of his Spirit, and so many of his disciples have been rejoicing and praising God with loud voices?
It must be acknowledged that so great and wonderful a work of God's Spirit, is a work in which God's hand is remarkably lifted up, and in
which he displays his majesty, and shows great favor and mercy to sinners in the glorious opportunity he gives them; and by which He makes our land more of a land of uprightness. Therefore, that passage in Isa 26.10-11 shows the great danger of not seeing God's hand, and acknowledging his glory and majesty in such a work: "Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when your hand is lifted up, they will not see. But they will see, and be ashamed for their envy of the people. Yes, the fire of your enemies shall devour them."
Two Continents 29
It is not unlikely that this work of God's Spirit, that is so extraordinary and wonderful, is the dawning, or at least a prelude of that glorious work of God so often foretold in Scripture, which in the progress and outcome of it, will renew the world of mankind. If we consider that the things foretold, that would precede this great event, have long ago been accomplished; and how long this event has been expected by the church of God, and thought to be near by the most eminent men of God in the church; and along with that, if we consider what the state of things now is, and has been for a considerable time, in the church of God and the world of mankind, we cannot reasonably think otherwise, than that the beginning of this great work of God must be near. There are many things that make it probable that this work will begin in America. It is signified that it will begin in some very remote part of the world, which the rest of the world has no communication with except by navigation — Isa 60.9: "Surely the Isles will wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring my sons from afar." It is exceedingly manifest that this chapter is a prophecy of the prosperity of the church in its most glorious state on earth, in the latter days.
And I cannot think that anything but America can be intended by the isles that are afar off, from where the firstborn sons of that glorious day will be brought. Indeed the isles, in prophecies of gospel times, very often meant Europe. This is true in prophecies of that great
spreading of the gospel that would occur soon after Christ's time, because it was far separated from that part of the world where the church of God had been until then — by the sea. But this prophecy cannot refer to the conversion of Europe in the time of that great work of God in the primitive ages of the Christian church. For it was not then fulfilled. The isles and ships of Tarshish, thus understood, did not wait for God first. That glorious work did not begin in Europe, but in Jerusalem; and for a considerable time it had been very wonderfully carried on in Asia before it reached Europe. And because it is not that work of God which is chiefly intended in this chapter, but that more glorious work that would occur in the latter ages of the Christian church, some other part of the world is therefore intended here by the Isles. That would be as Europe then was, far separated from that part of the world where the church had been before, by the sea, and with which it can have no communication except by the ships of Tarshish. And what is chiefly intended is not the British Isles, nor any Isles near the other continent; for they are spoken of as being at a great distance from that part of the world where the church had been till then. This prophecy therefore seems plainly to point out America as the first fruits of that glorious day.
God has made, as it were, two worlds here below — the old and the new (according to the names they are now called by) — two great habitable continents, far separated from one another. The latter is but newly discovered. It was formerly wholly unknown from age to age, and it is now but newly created, as it were. Until lately, it has been wholly the possession of Satan, the church of God having never been in it, as it has been in the other continent from the beginning of the world. This new world is probably discovered now, so that the new and most glorious state of God's church on earth might commence there; that God might begin in it a new world, in a spiritual sense, when he creates the new heavens and new earth.
God has already put that honor upon the other continent, that Christ was literally born there, and there He made the purchase of redemption. So, as Providence observes a kind of equal distribution
of things, it is not unlikely that the great spiritual birth of Christ, and the most glorious application of redemption, is to begin in this one, just as the elder sister brought forth Judah, from whom Christ came, and so she was the mother of Christ. But the younger sister, after long barrenness, brought forth Joseph and Benjamin, the beloved children. Joseph had the most glorious apparel, the coat of many colors. He was separated from his brethren and exalted to such glory out of a dark dungeon. He fed and saved the world. When he was ready to perish with famine, he was like a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches ran over the wall, Gen 49.22-26. He was blessed with all manner of blessings and precious things of heaven and earth, through the good will of Him who dwelt in the bush. He was, like the horns of a wild ox, to push the people together, to the ends of the earth, i.e., to conquer the world, Deu 33.13-17. Benjamin's goods were five times as great as that of any of his brethren; and Joseph, a type of Christ, gave him wealth and raiment far beyond all the rest, Gen. 45.22.
The other continent has slain Christ, and from age to age has shed the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, and has often been, as it were, deluged with the church's blood. God has therefore probably reserved the honor of building the glorious temple to the daughter who has not shed so much blood, when those times of the peace, prosperity, and glory of the church commence, which were typified by the reign of Solomon.
The Gentiles first received the true religion from the Jews. God's church of ancient times had been among them, and Christ was of them. But that there might be a kind of equality in the dispensations of Providence, God has so ordered things, that when the Jews come to be admitted to the benefits of the evangelical dispensation, and to receive their highest privileges of all, they should receive the gospel from the Gentiles. Though Christ was of them, yet they had been guilty of crucifying him. It is therefore the will of God, that those people should not have the honor of communicating to the Gentiles the blessings of the kingdom of God in its most glorious state, but on the contrary, they will receive the gospel in the beginning of that
glorious day, from the Gentiles. In some analogy to this, I apprehend God's dealings will be with the two continents. America has received the true religion of the old continent; the church of ancient times has been there, and Christ is from there. But that there may be an equality, and because that continent has crucified Christ, they will not have the honor of communicating religion in its most glorious state to us, but we to them.
The old continent has been the source and origin of mankind in several respects. The first parents of mankind dwelt there; and Noah and his sons dwelt there; and the second Adam was born there, and was crucified and rose again. It is probable that to balance these things in some measure, the most glorious renovation of the world will originate from the new continent; and the church of God in that respect will be from here. And so it is probable that with respect to America, that will come to pass in spiritual things, which has come to pass in temporal things. Till lately, the world was supplied with its silver, gold, and earthly treasures from the old continent. Now it is supplied chiefly from the new. So the course of things in spiritual respects will be turned in like manner.
It is worthy to be noted that America was discovered about the time of the reformation, or only little before. This reformation was the first thing that God did towards the glorious renovation of the world, after it had sunk into the depths of darkness and ruin under the great antichristian apostasy. So that, as soon as this new world is created (as it were), and stands in view, God immediately goes about doing some great thing to make way for the introduction of the church's latter day glory, which is to have its first seat in that new world, and to take its rise from it.
It is agreeable to God's manner of working, when he accomplishes any glorious work in the world, to introduce a new and more excellent state of his church — to begin his work where his church had not been till then, and where was no foundation already laid, so that the power of God might be more conspicuous; so that the work might appear to be entirely God's; and to be more manifestly a creation out of nothing. It is agreeable to Hos 1.10: "And it shall
come to pass that in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there it will be said to them, you are the sons of the living God." When God is about to turn the earth into a Paradise, he doesn't begin his work where there is some good growth already, but in a wilderness, where nothing grows, and nothing is to be seen but dry sand and barren rocks — so that the light may shine out of darkness, and the world be replenished from emptiness, and the earth watered by springs from a droughty desert. This is agreeable to many prophecies of Scripture, such as Isa 32.15: "Until the Spirit is poured from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field." And Isa 41.18, "I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, the myrtle and oil tree. I will set in the desert the cypress tree, and the pine, and the box tree together." And Isa 43.20, "I will give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen." Many other parallel Scriptures might be mentioned.
I observed before, that when God is about to do some great work for his church, his manner is to begin at the lower end. So when he is about to renew the whole habitable earth, it is probable that he will begin in this utmost, meanest, youngest and weakest part of it, where the church of God has been planted last of all. And so the first shall be last, and the last first. And that Scripture will be fulfilled in an eminent manner: Isa 24.16, "From the ends of the earth we have heard songs, even 'Glory to the righteous!'"
There are several things that seem to me to argue that when the Sun of Righteousness, the sun of the new heavens and new earth, comes to rise, it will rise in the west, contrary to the course of this world, or the course of things in the old heavens and earth. He comes forth like the bridegroom of his church, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race, having his going forth from one end of heaven, and his circuit to the other end, so that nothing may be hidden from its light and heat.30 The course of God's providence in that day will be so wonderfully altered in many respects, that God will, as it were,
change the course of nature in answer to the prayers of his church. God changed the course of nature and caused the sun to go from the West to the East when Hezekiah was healed. And God promised to do such great things for his church, to deliver it out of the hand of the king of Assyria by that mighty slaughter by the angel. This is often used by the prophet Isaiah, as a type of the glorious deliverance of the church from her enemies in the latter days. The resurrection of Hezekiah (as it were), the king and captain of the church (as he is called in 2Kng 20.5), is given as an earnest of the church's resurrection and salvation (Isa 38.6), and it is a type of the resurrection of Christ. At the same time, there is a resurrection of the sun, as it returns and rises again from the west where it had gone down — a type of the Sun of Righteousness. The sun was brought back ten degrees; which probably brought it to the meridian. The Sun of Righteousness has long been going down from east to west. And probably when the time comes for the church's deliverance from her enemies, so often typified by the Assyrians, the Light will rise in the west, until it shines throughout the world, like the sun in its meridian brightness.
The same thing also seems to be represented by the course of the waters of the sanctuary, in Eze 47, which was from west to east. These waters undoubtedly represent the Holy Spirit in the progress of His saving influences in the latter ages of the world. For it is manifest that those last chapters of Ezekiel concern the glorious state of the church that will then be.
And if we may suppose that this glorious work of God will begin in any part of America, then I think if we consider the circumstances of the settlement of few England, it must appear the most likely of all American colonies, to be the place from which this work will principally take its rise.
And if these things are so, it gives more abundant reason to hope that what is now seen in America, and especially in New England, may prove to be the dawn of that glorious day. And the very uncommon and wonderful circumstances and events of this world
seem to me to strongly argue that God intends it as the beginning or forerunner of something vastly great.
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I have insisted on this point at length, because if these things are so, it greatly manifests how much it behooves us to encourage and promote this work, and how dangerous it will be to forbear doing so.
It is very dangerous for God's professing people to lie still, and not come to the help of the Lord whenever he remarkably pours out his Spirit to carry on the work of redemption in its application — but above all, when he comes forth in that last and greatest outpouring of his Spirit, to introduce that happy day of God's power and salvation, so often spoken of. That is especially the appointed season of the application of the redemption of Christ. It is the proper time of the kingdom of heaven on earth, the appointed time of Christ's reign. The reign of Satan as god of this world lasts till then. This is the proper time of actual redemption, or new creation, as evident in Isa 65.17-18; 66.22, and Rev 21.1. All the outpourings of the Spirit of God before this, are by way of anticipation.
There was indeed a glorious season of the application of redemption in the first ages of the Christian church, that began at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. But that was not the proper time of ingathering; it was only (as it were) the Feast of first fruits. The ingathering is at the end of the year, or in the last ages of the Christian church, as represented in Rev 14.14-16. And it will probably as much exceed what occurred in the first ages of the Christian church (even though that filled the Roman empire), as it exceeded all that came before under the Old Testament, which was confined only to the land of Judea.
The great danger of not appearing to openly acknowledge, rejoice in, and promote that great work of God in bringing in that glorious harvest, is represented in Zec 14.16-19:
"And it shall come to pass, that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall go up from year to
year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whichever of all the families of the earth will not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt will not go up, and come in, they will have no rain. There shall be a plague with which the Lord strikes the heathen who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."
It is evident by all the context, that the glorious day of the church of God in the latter ages of the world, is the time spoken of. The Feast of Tabernacles here seems to signify that glorious spiritual feast which God shall then make for his church, the same spoken of in Isa 25.5, and the great spiritual rejoicings of God's people at that time. There were three great feasts in Israel, at which all the males were appointed to go up to Jerusalem: the Feast of the Passover; the Feast of the first fruits (or Feast of Pentecost); and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year (or Feast of Tabernacles). The first of these, namely the Feast of the Passover, represented the purchase of redemption by Jesus Christ, the paschal Lamb, that was slain at the time of that feast. The other two that followed it, were to represent the two great seasons of the application of the purchased redemption. The former of them, namely, the Feast of the Firstfruits (which was also called the Feast of Pentecost), represented the outpouring of the Spirit that occurred in the first ages of the Christian church — for bringing in the first fruits of Christ's redemption, which began at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The other was the Feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year. The children of Israel were appointed to keep this on the occasion of their gathering in their corn and their wine, and all the fruit of their land. It was also called the Feast of Tabernacles, which represented the other more joyful and glorious season of the application of Christ's redemption, which is to be in the latter days. It is the great day of ingathering the elect, the proper and appointed time for gathering in God's fruits, when the angel of the covenant will thrust in his sickle,
and gather the harvest of the earth; and also the clusters of the vine of the earth. (Rev 14.18)
This was, on many accounts, the greatest feast of the three. There were much greater tokens of rejoicing in this feast than in any other. The people then dwelt in booths of green boughs, and were commanded to take boughs of bountiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of thick trees, and the willows of the brook, and to rejoice before the Lord their God. This represents the flourishing, beautiful, pleasant state the church will be in, rejoicing in God's grace and love, triumphing over all her enemies, at the time typified by this feast. The tabernacle of God was first set up among the children of Israel at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. But in that glorious time of the Christian church, God will, above all ether times, set up His tabernacle among men. Rev 21.3, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, 'The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.'" The world is supposed to have been created about the time of the year in which the Feast of Tabernacles was appointed.31 So in that glorious time, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. The temple of Solomon was dedicated at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, when God descended in a pillar of cloud, and dwelt in the temple. So at this happy time, the temple of God will be gloriously built up in the world, and God will in a wonderful manner come down from heaven to dwell with his church. Christ is supposed to have been born at the Feast of Tabernacles; so at the commencement of that glorious day, Christ shall be born. Then, above all other times, the Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, who is in travail, and pained to be delivered, will bring forth her son to rule all nations, Rev 12.1-5.
The Feast of Tabernacles was the last feast that Israel had in the whole year, before the face of the earth was destroyed by the winter. Immediately after the rejoicings of that feast were past, a tempestuous season began. Act 27.9, "Sailing was not as dangerous because the feast was now already past." So this great feast of the
Christian church will be the last feast she will have on earth. Soon after it is past, this lower world will be destroyed. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel left their houses to dwell in booths or green tents, which signifies the great weanedness of God's people from the world, as pilgrims and strangers on the earth, and their great joy in this. Israel was prepared for the Feast of Tabernacles, by the Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement both in the same month. So a way will be made for the joy of the church of God, in its glorious state on earth, by the extraordinary preaching of the gospel, deep repentance and humiliation for past sins, and the great and longcontinued deadness and carnality of the visible church. At the great Feast of Tabernacles (Joh 7.37-38), Christ stood in Jerusalem and cried out saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water." This signified the extraordinary freedom and riches of divine grace towards sinners in that day, and the extraordinary measure of the Holy Spirit that would be given, agreeable to Rev 21.6, and 22.17. 32
It is threatened in the 14th chapter of Zechariah (cited above), that those who at that time do not come to keep this feast — i.e., those who won't acknowledge God's glorious works, and praise his name, and rejoice with his people, but stand at a distance, unbelieving and disaffected — upon them no rain shall fall. And this will be the plague with which they will all be struck. That is, they will have no share in that shower of divine blessing that will then descend on the earth, that spiritual rain spoken of in Isa 45.8.33 But God would give them over to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. (Isa 6.10).
The curse is denounced in a still more awful manner against those who appear as opposers at that time. Zec 14.12, "And this shall be the plague with which the Lord shall strike all the people who have fought against Jerusalem, their flesh shall be consumed while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall be consumed in their sockets, and their tongue shall be consumed in their mouth." In all probability, what is intended here is a spiritual judgment, or a plague and curse from God on the soul rather than on the body. Those who
at that time oppose God's people in his work, will in an extraordinary manner be given over to a state of spiritual death and ruin. They will remarkably appear dead while still alive, and will be like walking rotten corpses, while they go about among men.
The great danger of not joining with God's people on that glorious day is also represented in Isa 60.12: "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish. Yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted."
Most of the great temporal deliverances that were wrought for Israel of old, as divines and expositors observe, were typical of the great spiritual works of God for the salvation of men's souls, and the deliverance and prosperity of his church in the days of the gospel. And they especially represented that greatest of all deliverances of God's church, and the chief of God's works of actual salvation, which will occur in the latter days. As observed earlier, this above all others is the appointed time and proper season of the actual redemption of men's souls. But it may be observed that if any appeared to oppose God's work in those great temporal deliverances; or if there were any of his professing people who lay still on such occasions, and stood at a distance, and didn't arise and acknowledge God in his work and appear to promote it — this was what in a remarkable manner incensed God's anger, and brought his curse upon such people.
So when God wrought that great work of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, how highly God resented it when the Amalekites appeared as opposers in that affair! This was a type of God's delivering his church out of spiritual Egypt, at the time of the fall of Antichrist, as evident in Rev 11.8 and 15.3. And how dreadfully He cursed them for it! Exo 17.14-16:
"And the Lord said to Moses, write this for a memorial in the book, and repeat it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi;34 for he said, because the Lord will have war with Amalek, from generation to generation."
Accordingly, we find that God remembered it a long time after, 1Sam 15.3. And how highly God resented it in the Moabites and Ammonites, that they didn't lend a helping hand, and encourage and promote the affair! Deu 23.3-4:
"An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation they will not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever; because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt"
And how the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, were threatened if they didn't go and help their brethren in their wars against the Canaanites. Num 32.20-23:
"And Moses said to them, If you do this thing, if you will go armed before the Lord to war, and all of you armed will go over Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, and the land is subdued before the Lord. Then afterward you will return and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out."
That was a glorious work of God that he wrought for Israel when he delivered them from the Canaanites by the hand of Deborah and Barak. Almost everything about it showed a remarkable hand of God. It was a prophetess, one directly inspired by God, who called the people to battle, and conducted them in the whole affair. The people seem to have been miraculously animated and encouraged in the matter, when they willingly offered themselves and gathered together for the battle. They risked their lives in the high places of the field, without being pressed or hired — when one might think they would have but little courage for such an undertaking. For what could a number of poor, weak, defenceless slaves do, without a shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand of them, to go against a great prince with his mighty host, and nine hundred chariots of iron? The success wonderfully showed the hand of God. It
makes Deborah exultingly say, Jdg 5.21, "O my soul, you have marched on in strength!"
Christ with his heavenly host was engaged in that battle. And therefore it is said, Jdg 5.20, "They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." The work of God in this victory and deliverance, which Christ and his host wrought for Israel, was therefore a type of that victory and deliverance which he will accomplish for his church in that Great Battle, that last conflict that the church will have with her open enemies, which will introduce the church's latter-day glory. This appears in Rev 16.16 (speaking of that great battle): "And he gathered them together at a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon," i.e., the mountain of Megiddo — alluding (as supposed by expositors) to the place where the battle was fought with the host of Sisera, Jdg 5.19: "The kings came and fought, the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo." This can signify nothing else, than that this battle which Christ and his church will have with their enemies, is the antitype of the battle that was fought there.
But what a dreadful curse from Christ some of God's professing people Israel brought upon themselves, by lying still at that time, and not giving a helping hand! Jdg 5.23: "Curse you Meroz, said the Angel of the Lord, curse you bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." The Angel of the Lord was the captain of the host. He led Israel, and fought for them in that battle. He is very often called the Angel of the Lord in Scripture; the one who appeared to Joshua with a sword drawn in his hand, and told him that he had come as the Captain of the host of the Lord. And we have an account of that same glorious Captain, leading his hosts to that battle in Rev 19.11-14, of which this battle was the type. It seems the inhabitants of Meroz were unbelieving concerning this great work; nor would they listen to Deborah's pleas;35 nor did it enter their minds that such a poor defenceless company would ever prevail against those who were so mighty. They didn't acknowledge the hand of God; and therefore
stood at a distance, and did nothing to promote the work. But what a bitter curse from God they brought upon themselves by it!
It is very probable that one great reason why the inhabitants of Meroz were so unbelieving concerning this work, was that they argued a priori. They didn't like the beginning of it, that it was a woman who first led the way and chiefly conducted the affair. Nor could they believe that such despicable instruments as a company of unarmed slaves, were ever likely to effect so great a thing. And so, pride and unbelief worked together in not being willing to follow Deborah into the battle.
It was another glorious work of God that he wrought for Israel, in the victory that was obtained by Gideon over the Midianites and Amalekites, and the children of the east, when they came up against Israel like grasshoppers, a multitude that could not be numbered. This was also a remarkable type of the victory of Christ and his church over His enemies, by the outpouring of the Spirit with the preached gospel — as evident by the manner which Gideon was immediately directed to by God. This victory was not by human sword or bow, but only by blowing trumpets, and by lights in earthen vessels. We read that on this occasion, Gideon called the people together to help in this great affair. And accordingly, great numbers resorted to him, and came to the help of the Lord, Jdg 7.23-24. But there were also some at that time who were unbelieving, and would not acknowledge the hand of God in that work, even though it was so great and wonderful; nor would they join to promote it. They were the inhabitants of Succoth and Penuel. Gideon desired their help when he was pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna. But they despised his overtures and his confidence in the Lord's being on his side, to deliver those two great princes into the hands of such a despicable company as he and his three hundred men. They would not admit the work of God, nor afford Gideon any assistance.
God proceeded in this work in a way that was exceedingly cross to their pride. And they also refused to own the work, because they argued a priori. They could not believe that God would do such great things by such a despicable instrument — someone from such a poor
and lowly family in Manasseh, who was the least in his father's house. And the company that was with him appeared very wretched, being only three hundred men; and they were weak and faint. But we see how Succoth and Penuel suffered for their folly, in not acknowledging and appearing to promote this work of God. Gideon, when he returned from the victory, took them, and taught them with the briers and thorns of the wilderness, and beat down the tower of Penuel (he brought down their pride, and their false confidence), and slayed the men of the city, Judges chapter 8. In all probability, Gideon did this as he was moved and directed by the Angel of the Lord — that is, by Christ, who first called him and sent him into this battle, and instructed and directed him in the whole affair.
The return of the ark of God to dwell in Zion, in the midst of the land of Israel, after it had long been absent — first in the land of the Philistines and then in Kirjath Jearim, in the utmost borders of the land — vividly represented the return of God to a professing people, in the spiritual tokens of His presence, after long absence from them. The ark's ascending up into a mountain, typified Christ's ascension into heaven. It is evident by the Psalms that were penned on that occasion, especially the 68th Psalm, that the exceeding rejoicings of Israel on that occasion, represented the joy of the church of Christ on his returning to it, after it has been in a low and dark state. This is to revive his work, bringing his people back, as it were, from Bashan, and from the depth of the sea, scattering their spiritual enemies, and though they had lain among the pots, causing them to be like the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. He gives these blessed tokens of his presence in his house, that his people may see the goings of God the King in his sanctuary. The gifts which David distributed with such royal bounty among the people on that occasion (2Sam 6.18-19, and 1Chr 16.2-3), represent the spiritual blessings that Christ liberally sends down upon his church, by the outpourings of his Spirit. See Psa 68.1, 3, 13, 18-19, 20-24. And we have an account of how all the people from Shihor of Egypt, even to the entrance of Hamath, gathered together and appeared to join and assist in that great affair. All Israel brought up