Reformation the great duty of an afflicted people. Setting forth the sin and danger…

USE. I. This truth gives us a sad Prognostic of a People that are left to insensibleness and hardness ⟨p. 72⟩of heart, under the smitings of God. It tells us how miserable they are like to be. We are here given to understand that if they are resolved, God is resolved too: if they say there is no hope, but we will follow our own ways, and will not forsake them, God will also say, there is no hope, but you must see and feel the weight of the hand of his displeasure, and be made the monuments of his stupendous wrath. The best that is to be concluded concerning such a People, is that they are like to be made to feel more amazing Judgments, than heretofore, there is no hope of an end being put to them, unless it be come to that, that he hath done striving with them in this way; and that is abundantly more formidable. And although God can, if he will, break their hearts after all, and when no means will do it, yet his Spirit is able to melt them down, and cast them anew; and sometimes he doth exalt his Sovereign Grace in doing of it, as, Isa. 57 18. I smote him, and he went on frowardly; I have seen his ways and will heal him. Yet this is Arbitrary with him; if they belong to his Election of Grace, it shall be so; but that is a Secret thing; but as to the present posture of things, and referring to the Articles of the Covenant between God and such a People, it speaks sadly, and woefully bodes that their Calamities are but begun upon ⟨p. 73⟩them. We may count from the breaking out of his displeasure, but who shall live to see the quenching of it, God alone knows; and whether it may at last end graciously or no, we may expect to see God acting of fearful Tragedies among them before he hath done, and we may be sure that he will either how them, or break them in pieces.

USE. I. This truth gives us a sad Prognostick of a People that are left to insensibleness and hardness ⟨p. 72⟩of heart, under the smitings of God. It tells us how miserable they are like to be. We are here given to understand that if they are resolved, God is resolved too: if they say there is no hope, but we will follow our own ways, and will not forsake them, God will also say, there is no hope, but you must see and feel the weight of the hand of his displeasure, and be made the monuments of his stupendous wrath. The best that is to be concludded concerning such a People, is that they are like to be made to feel more amazing Judgments, than heretofore, there is no hope of an end being put to them, unless it be come to that, that he hath done striving with them in this way; and that is abundantly more formidable. And although God can, if he will, break their hearts after all, and when no means will do it, yet his Spirit is able to melt them down, and cast them anew; and sometimes he doth exalt his Sovereign Grace in doing of it, as,