The Justice of God - And The Sins of Our Country # 2

The Justice of God - And The Sins of Our Country # 2

O blessed Redeemer! what little necessity, what little use do the sinners of our country find for you in their religion! How many discourses are delivered, how many prayers offered, how many good works are performed - in which there is scarce anything of Christ!

How few pant and languish for you, blessed Jesus! and pledge never be contented with their reformation, with their morality, with their good works - until they obtain a saving interest in your righteousness, to sanctify all, to render acceptable! 

You may see children sensible of their dependence on their parents for their existence; you see multitudes sensible of their dependence on clouds, and sun, and earth, for provision for man and beast. But how few sensible of their dependence upon God, as the great Sustainer of the universe? And how is Jehovah's government and agency practically denied in His own territories! How few receive the blessings of life from His hand - and make proper gratitude to Him!

You see a withered, ravaged country around you, languishing under the frowns of an angry God; but how few earnest prayers, how few penitential groans do you hear? I know there are some happy exceptions but is this not the prevailing character of a great majority? The most generous charity cannot think the contrary, if under any Scriptural limitations.

May it not be said of the people of our country - as well as those of Sodom, "Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord!" And thus, alas! it has been for a long time! Our country has sinned on securely for over one hundred and fifty years; and each generation has increased the vices of the previous one! And can a land always bear up under such a load of accumulated wickedness! Can God always allow such a race of sinners to go unpunished! May we not fear that our iniquities have now filled up the cup of God's wrath - and that He is about to thunder out His dreadful mandate to the executioners of His vengeance!

And is there no relief for a sinking country? Or is it too late to administer it? Is our wound so incurable, that it cannot be healed? No, blessed be God; if you now turn every one of you from your evil ways, if you mourn over your sins, and turn to the Lord with your whole hearts - then your country will yet recover."If at any time I announce that a nation is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil - then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned!" (Jeremiah 18:7-8).

Therefore, my friends, as we have all rebelled - let us all join in unanimous repentance and a thorough reformation. Not only your eternal salvation requires it - but also the preservation of your country.

If you go on impenitent in sin, you may expect not only to be damned forever - but to fall into the most extreme outward distress. You will have reason to fear not only the loss of heaven - which some of you perhaps think little of. 

~Samuel Davies~

(The End)