ADVICE TO ZION'S MOURNERS. EZEKIEL ix. 4. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. [The second Sermon on this text.] AFTER a particular explication of these words, I observed, "That times of abounding sin are heavy times, times of sighing and groaning to the serious godly, Zion's mourners." Here I endeavoured to give the import of this exercise, and therein the character of Zion's mourners; and to shew why such times are heavy times to the people of that character. And I concluded with a short word of improvement. I shall now proceed further in the application. USE I. Of information and instruction. Are times of abounding sin heavy times, times of sighing and groaning, to the serious godly, Zion's mourners? then, 1. Our time is a time that may be heavy, and ought to be a sighing and groaning time, and would be so if we had a heart for the duty of the day, being a day wherein "the Lord of hosts is calling us to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth,” Is. xxii. 12. Whither can one that is serious look, but he must see matter of mourning? We have had long peace, and a long tack of the gospel, and have gathered much dross, fitting the church or land for a furnace of wrath. Iniquity abounds, but mourners for it are rare. 2. This blots out of the number of the serious godly, Zion's mourners, several sorts of persons, that must be put in another class. (1.) Those who are so far from it, that by their profane and ungodly courses, of a piece with the rest of the abominations of the day, they afford cause of sighing and groaning to all the serious godly, that know them and their way. These by the text are of the number devoted to destruction; and assuredly they will find it so, if they turn not over a new leaf, and that sooner than they expect. Let them consider the case of the evil servant, Matth. xxiv. 48,—51. "If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” There is a wo denounced against such which will not fall to the ground, Luke xvii. 1. “It is impossible but that offences will come; but wo unto him through whom they come." Sighing and groaning is the necessary duty of the Lord's followers; but sad will be their reckoning who give them cause for it, ver. 2. "It were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. (2.) Those who pride themselves in their abominations, Psal. x. 3. "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." The consciences of men by nature are very untender, but by custom in sinning they come to be seared. Hence they arrive at sinning presumptuously, and with a high hand, and instead of being ashamed, glory in their wickedness. Under the law such were to be cut off, Numb. xv. 30. "But the soul that doth ought presumptuously (whether he be born in the land, or a stranger) the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Compare Heb. x. 26, 27. "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." These are to be mourned over. Hence says the weeping prophet, Jer. xiii. 17. "But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears." (3.) Those who make a jest of the abominations of the day, having a certain pleasure in the hearing of them, and improving them to make themselves merry with them. These are fools in God's account, Prov. xiv. 9, for fools make a mock at sin; and the practice is one of those found among those who are given over to a reprobate mind, Rom. i. ult. "Who knowing the judgment of God, (that they which commit such things are worthy of death) not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." They must needs be of a disposition mighty contrary to the nature of God, and of his people, who rejoice at the abominable thing which God hates, and the serious godly sigh for. (4.) Those who shew no concern about them, but give themselves up to a detestable neutrality, being Gallio-like, caring for none of these things. If they touch them indeed in their particular interest, they are very sensible of them, and ready to cry out under them but if they do them no harm whatever dishonour they do to God, or reproach they bring on the profession of Christianity, that is none of their business. What is that to us? say they. See how they are characterized by Elihu, Job xxxv. 9, 10. "By reason of the multitude of oppressions, they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?" These are Christ's enemies, as not being his friends: for, says he, "He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad," Matth. xii. 30. And they shall fare as these his enemies fared, Rev. iii. 16. " So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (5.) Lastly, Those who whatever concern they shew for the abominations of the time, yet are not really affected with them in the sight of God. Though they may spare some words against them before men, yet their consciences can witness they have no serious sighs and groans to spare for them in secret before the Lord, Jer. xiii. 17. forecited. Truly this is a matter that will not do with a flourish of words. God knows the heart and as the heart is, so is the man. USE II. Of exhortation. Take a lift of the heavy case of this day and generation in respect of the abounding sin thereof, and sigh and groan on the account of it. Let it be your care to be found among the serious godly, Zion's mourners. And for this cause, 1. Awaken yourselves to a more close walk with God, from the observation of the abominations of the time, Rev. iii. 4. They that are not more than ordinary watchful in a declining time, can hardly miss to be stolen off their feet, Matth. xxiv. 12. "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." As then double gaurds are set where the hazard is greatest, so double diligence is requisite in such a time. Let the abounding sin of the time be like oil to the flame of your love to and zeal for God, to make it burn the more keenly, Psal. cxix. 126, 127. "It is time for thee, Lord, to work for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold." 2. Be ye more careful that ye partake not with them, but stand at a distance from all fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, Eph. v. 11. Many make it an argument for their doing so and so, because so many make no bones of it: but argue ye contrariwise, that since so many cast God's laws behind their back in such and such points, therefore ye must take the better heed ye be not carried away with the stream, and that ye must not give religion an outward cast, when it has so many enemies. But hear Christ saying to you, as John vi. 67. Will ye also go away? There are many ways how in such a time people may draw in the contagion of the abominations of others and therefore ye have the more need to take heed. 3. Awaken yourselves to a due concern for the public honour of the Lord Jesus, saying with David, Ps. lxix. 9. "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me." God is saying at such a time, Who is on my side? We have good reason to be on his side, and to account his honour dear to us, who counted not his precious blood too dear for us. When the war was proclaimed by heaven against the earth, he made the peace, becoming Immanuel, God with us. And shall not our souls find themselves concerned to be with him, on his side, in earth's war against heaven. 4. Awaken yourselves to a due concern for the case of perishing souls, and a sinking land, Hab. iii. 16. If ever we knew any thing of the terror of the Lord, we are too easy that way; we have too little bowels of compassion, else we would not shift to take a lift of the heavy case. It is inexcusable negligence and indolence, to confine our care to our own case in such clamant circumstances. This was not David's practice, for when deeply affected with his own soul's fall, he had the case of the church of God at heart, Ps. li. 18. “Do good, (says he) in thy good pleasure, unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem." 5. Contribute your endeavours, in your stations, to your power, to stem the tide of wickedness. "Say (as David did) unto the fools, Deal not foolishly; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn," Ps. lxxv. 4. Beware of giving countenance in the least to the abominations of the day; but discountenance them as ye have any regard to the souls of sinners, and would not contribute to the hardening and ruining of them; and as ye have regard to your own souls, and would not involve them in the same. 6. Take serious thoughts of the heavy case in your private meditations, Jer. xiii. 17. foreceited. Think what a miserable pass the state of religion is brought to, by prevailing iniquity; how the kingdom of the devil thrives, in the midst of Christ's territories, and what, according to the scriptures, and the ordinary method of providence, must be the end of these things. 7. Lastly, Carry the case along not only to your family prayers, but to your secret prayers, where ye can lay it before the Lord with the greatest freedom. Let your eye affect your heart there in a special manner, and drop a tear for your own sins, and the sins of others. Yea, it would be very necessary, that, for your own case, and the case of the day, ye would use some times of extraordinary prayer. If you would do so, surely your labour would not be in vain. P I shall give you the following motives to press you to take such a lift of the heavy case of the day. 1. A gracious spirit is a holy and public spirit; and a predominant selfishness, whereby people are set only to satisfy their own lusts, and their care is confined only to their own private interest, is a black mark of an irregenerate state, according to what the apostle says, 2 Tim. iii. 2, 4. "Men shall be lovers of their own selves,-lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." Accordingly our Lord says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," Matth. xvi. 24. Whoever can call God Father, their heart's desire and concern will be, that his kingdom come. Whoever is a child of the family of God, and has any interest in the privileges of it, must needs be concerned for its thriving, and for destroying the kingdom of the devil set up against it. Beware of Simon's selfishness, to whom the apostle Peter said, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God," Acts viii. 21. 2. Great is the dishonour done to God by the abominations of this day. God has been a kind and gracious God to Scotland, giving us the gospel, that has been hid from many greater nations: yet abominations prevail, as in a land of darkness. He has continued the gospel long with us; but for all the pains he has bestowed upon us, we are as a vineyard over-grown with thorns, the face thereof covered with nettles, and the stone-wall thereof broken down. "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through us," Romans ii. 24. He has given peace, aud plenty of the good things of this life, and they are improved against him. The silver and the gold are his, the corn and the cattle, our health and strength, and his debtors we are for every breathing: yet all these are sacrificed to men's lusts, and are used in contempt of God and neglect of him, to the treading his laws under foot, despising of his gospel, and slighting his ordinances. If there is any sense of God's greatness, or of gratitude for so many signal blessings, we would sigh and groan for all the abominations done in the midst of us. 3. Great is the hazard that many a precious poor soul is in by means of these abominations, Rom. i. 18. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." How is Satan at this day driving poor sinners in shoals to destruction? Half an eye may see a black cloud of wrath hanging over many a head of those wedded to some one abomination or other. They cannot sigh and groan for themselves; for either they do not see, and they |