Sins of the Nation
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 Thessalonians 2:15, 16,
“Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak 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.
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 Chronicles 36:16,
“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 toward them,” (until he had brought his judgment upon them ;) — “though Moses and Samuel stood before me, I will not hear them.”f1 Ay, but what if reformation come in? “Nay, nay,” saith he, “it is determined against them; — reformation shall not save them.” See 2 Kings 23:25, 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 was there 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 Loan 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.
“Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak 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.
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 Chronicles 36:16,
“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 toward them,” (until he had brought his judgment upon them ;) — “though Moses and Samuel stood before me, I will not hear them.”f1 Ay, but what if reformation come in? “Nay, nay,” saith he, “it is determined against them; — reformation shall not save them.” See 2 Kings 23:25, 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 was there 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 Loan 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.
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