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THE SINPULNESS AND INCORRIGIBLENESS OF THE NATION
THE end for which God inflicts punishment upon his people, is, to bring them to repentance, and thereby prevent the necessity of punishing them in the eternal world: and when this end is not answered, he leaves them to themselves, to follow the imaginations of their own hearts, and to bring upon themselves an accumulated weight of wrath. But before he utterly abandons them, he sends them many solemn warnings, if that by any means he may prevail upon them to turn unto him. Extremely solemn is the reproof which he gave the Jews in the passage before us: he summons heaven and earth to hear his controversy, and to judge between him and his people: and then, in a way of affectionate expostulation, he threatens to cease from visiting them with parental chastisements, and to leave them to fill up the measure of their iniquities.
The words of our text, accommodated as they may be to our present circumstances [Note: A time of war and of great national calamity.], naturally lead us to set before you,
I. Our sinfulness—
The general description given of the Jews is equally suitable to us—
[We are a “nation” extremely and universally “sinful:” we are “laden with” every species of “iniquity” — — — We are “a seed of evil-doers:” all ranks and orders of men amongst us are depraved: the transgressions of individuals are indeed exceeding various; but sin of some kind is the delight of all, yea, it is the very element wherein we live — — — Nor are we merely corrupt, but “corrupters” of each other, laughing religion out of the world, and hardening one another in the commission of sin — — —]
Nor is the particular charge that is brought against them less applicable to us—
[It is lamentable to see what a general dereliction of religious principle obtains amongst us. Men do not indeed formally renounce Christianity; but “they forsake the Lord” as unworthy of their love or confidence: and, by an inward “apostasy” of the heart. “provoke the Holy One of Israel to anger.” We might adduce a great variety of charges in confirmation of this; but we will notice only one, namely, our dependence on our fleets and armies, rather than on God [Note: Instead of this, might be specified, our not seeing and acknowledging the hand of God in his judgments.]. This is peculiarly provoking to the Deity, because it is a virtual denial of his providence, and an excluding of him from the government of the world [Note: See Isa_22:8-11 and Jer_17:1] — — —]
But besides these things, there is a further charge to be brought against us, on account of,
II. Our incorrigibleness—
What improvement have we made of our late chastisements?
[Almost every kind of plague, as war, famine, and pestilence, has been lately sent us by God [Note: This, of course, must be accommodated to existing circumstances.]; and what are we profited by them? What national sin has been put away? I might almost ask, What unregenerate man has laid to heart his transgressions, and turned to the Lord? Does not sin reign amongst us as much as ever? Are we not like the incorrigible Jews [Note: Jer_5:3-5.]; or rather like King Ahaz, who had a brand of infamy set upon him on this very account, that “he trespassed yet more in his distress [Note: 2Ch_28:22.]?”— — —]
What reason then have we to hope that our present troubles will be sanctified to our good?
[From past experience we have reason to fear, that we shall still remain a perverse and rebellious people, and only “revolt more and more.” And, if God foresee that this will be the case, what can we expect, but that our present troubles should be sent, not for our correction, but for our utter destruction? What can we expect, but that he should execute upon us the vengeance he has threatened [Note: Eze_24:13-14.], and that “his wrath should now come upon us to the uttermost?”]
Advice—
1. Let us adore our God for the patience he has long exercised towards us [Note: 2Pe_3:15. Rom_2:4.] — — —
2. Let us tremble at his judgments now impending over us [Note: How soon may we find those threatenings fulfilled! Lev_26:27-28; Lev_26:36-37.] — — —
3. Let us take encouragement from his present dealings with us, to turn unto him [Note: See Jer_18:7-8 and Jdg_10:15-16.] — — —