SERMON CVI.

CHAMBERS or SAFETY IN TIMES OF

DANGER*.

ISA. xxvi. 20, 21..

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and fhut thy doors about thee: hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpaft. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of bis place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth alfo fhall difclofe her blood, and shall no more cover ber flain.

MY

Y friends, it is a very hard matter for people to be made fenfible of their fin, and danger by reafon of fin, so as to flock in to Chrift, before he come and apprehend them in their fin by his judgments; and therefore before he comes this way to us, he again and again requires us to come to him, and take fhelter in himself as the only hiding-place. O what a mercy were it, if, when we hear of the Lord's coming to judgment, we were fearing and flying from the wrath to come! At the voice of the Lord the birds will cry, the beafts will roar, the hinds will calve, the cedars will shake, the mountains will tremble, Pfalm xxix.; but, behold, men and woman, though endued with rational fouls, and hearing his threatening voice in his word, yet neither fear his voice, nor tremble at his word, nor flee from his wrath to his mercy, nor from their fin to the Saviour, to fave them from fin and.

* This fermon was preached on a Faft-day at Evandale, Sep.19.1739.

wrath:

wrath the moft part will not hear on that fide of the head. The wicked defire to be let alone in their wickednefs, that they may live at peace therein; while yet "There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked.". We are all, by reafon of fin, under God's anger, and yet know it not; and therefore are not feeking to go out of the way wherein God's anger burns, nor to be friends with him; but here the merciful God is opening the door of mercy, and all the chamber-doors of the city of refuge, faying, Before the ftorm of wrath come on, turn in there. O may we hearken to his call?

This text is a call upon the back of a fong in the former part of the chapter. After finging, the church may prepare for fuffering. It is faid of the difciples, after their laft communion with Chrift, "When they had fung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives," the place of fuffering and trial. The fongs of the temple do not exclude fufferings; but may be preparatory for them. The laft part of the fong here was with reference to a fpiritual refurrection, pointing out alfo the general refurrection, ver. 19. "Thy dead men fhall live, together with my dead body fhall they arise; awake and fing, ye that dwell in the duft; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth fhall caft out the dead." It seems to be a prophecy of the fpiritual refurrection of finners, and particularly of the Gentiles, which was to take place upon the back of Chrift's refurrection. 66 Together with my dead body fhall they live" they fhall be called after Chrift's refurrection, and fhall rife with him, and fit with him in heavenly places; yea, as it is in the original here, where the words together with are but a fupplement, "My dead body fhall they arife." They fhall become the myftical body of Chrift, and rife as part of him and this will ufher in the last glorious refurrection of the faints, of whom Chrift is the first fruits, 1 Cor. v. 20.

Now, how and by what means, fhall this fpiritual refurrection be accomplished? Why, even by the call of God, and the voice of Chrift in the everlafting gofpel, whereof here you have one in my text, "Come, my

people,

people, enter thou into thy chambers, and fhut thy doors about thee: hide thyfelf, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.'

In which words you have thefe four things more generally.

1. The duty to which they are called and exhorted; that is, to come and enter into their chambers, and shut their doors about them, and hide themfelves. Thefe are metaphorical expreffions, drawn from the practice of peoples taking fhelter before a ftorm; and importing, that they would fpeedily come in to Chrift for refuge, and make ufe of all thefe ways and means God hath appointed in his word; particularly, by faith and repentance, turning from fin to God, through Jefus Chrift. This is the duty.

2. The extent of the duty, For a little moment, till the indignation be overpaft; importing, that they are to continue in the exercife of thefe duties till the effects of God's anger be over. And it is but a moment; though it be all your life-time, it is but a moment in comparison of eternity. All their afflictions here, however tedious they may feem, are but fhort and momentary, when compared with the happiness reserved for them. The ftorm may blow very hard, but it will over, and come to a period.

3. You have the perfons to whom this exhortation is given, my people; that is, not only thefe that are mine by profeffion, and common federal relation; but ef pecially mine by special covenant-relation, by fpecial adoption and participation of my Spirit, that know my will, and do it for these seem here to be fet in oppofition to the rest of the world, that are called the inhabitants of the earth, in the next verfe.

4. You have the kindly arguments and familiar way wherein this duty is preffed. The kindly way is, Come my people. It is not, Go in thither, where I am not to be with you; but, Come in here, where I am; come to me, come with me: and fo, while he propofes the duty, he propofes himself to be the Leader and Helper in the duty. It is not, Go yourself alone; but, "Come; come with me from Lebanon."

The

The argument and reafon is, there is a ftorm coming; fray not without doors, left the ftorm be upon you; why, Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth alfo fhall difclofe her blood, and fhall no more cover her flain." Where alfo you may obferve four things.

(1.) The certainty of the thing, it is with a Behold; Behold, he cometh: it fhall certainly be; and you fhall fee God executing vengeance. It is certain,

therefore behold it.

(2.) The folemnity of the thing; "The Lord cometh out of his place, to punish." It is fpoken after the manner of man, like one rifing in fury out of his place, to reach a ftroke to his enemy; as it is faid, Ifa. xxviii. 12." The Lord fhall rife up as in mount Perafim, he fhall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his ftrange work; and bring to pass his act, his ftrange act." It is with a special folemnity he threatens Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place

- to punish; to punish."

(3.) The juftice of it: God comes to afflict and plague them that are the inhabitants of the earth, but it fhall be in righteous and juft punithment of their ini quity; the cry of their fins brings God out of his place, to punish them. Befides the everlasting punishment which the wicked fhall undergo hereafter, there are inftances of remarkable punishments of finful nations and churches, when their fin has come to a height.

(4.) The neceflity of it: "The earth fhall difclofe her blood, and no more cover her flain:" that is, the very earth cries for vengeance on the finners that live upon the earth; the earth fhall vomit up the blood that hath been unjustly fhed, as the voice of Abel's blood cried from the earth, Gen. iv. 10, 11. See Job xx. 27. "The heaven fhall reveal his iniquity, and the earth fhail rife. up against him." Thefe bloody fins that feemed to have been buried in oblivion, will be called to mind; and the earth itfelf that feemed to cover and hide them, will discover and reveal them, and witness against the finner. Omitting many doctrines take this one.

Obferv.

people, enter thou into thy chambers, and fhut thy doors about thee: hide thyfelf, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpaft.”

In which words you have these four things more generally.

1. The duty to which they are called and exhorted; that is, to come and enter into their chambers, and shut their doors about them, and hide themfelves. These are metaphorical expreffions, drawn from the practice of peoples taking thelter before a ftorm; and importing, that they would fpeedily come in to Chrift for refuge, and make ufe of all thefe ways and means God hath appointed in his word; particularly, by faith and repentance, turning from fin to God, through Jefus Christ. This is the duty.

2. The extent of the duty, For a little moment, till be indignation be overpaft; importing, that they are to continue in the exercife of thefe duties till the ef

fects of God's anger be over. And it is but a moment; though it be all your life-time, it is but a moment in comparifon of eternity. All their afflictions here, however tedious they may feem, are but short and momentary, when compared with the happiness referved for them. The ftorm may blow very hard, but it will over, and come to a period.

3. You have the perfons to whom this exhortation is given, my people; that is, not only thefe that are mine by profeffion, and common federal relation; but ef pecially mine by special covenant-relation, by special adoption and participation of my Spirit, that know my will, and do it for thefe feem here to be fet in oppofition to the reft of the world, that are called the inhabitants of the earth, in the next verse.

4. You have the kindly arguments and familiar way wherein this duty is preffed. The kindly way is, Come my people. It is not, Go in thither, where I am not to be with you; but, Come in here, where I am; come to me, come with me: and fo, while he propofes the duty, he propofes himself to be the Leader and Helper in the duty. It is not, Go yourself alone; but, "Come; come with me from Lebanon."

The