Thirdly, Now they shall say, We feared not the Lord

Thirdly, Now they shall say, We feared not the Lord.

The taking from a people the protection of, and benefit they might have by kingly power, is a punishment of the want of the fear of God in them. We have no King, we are deprived of the benefit of the good that we might have, the protection that we might have by kingly power; it is, because we feared not the Lord; what evil we feel in this let us attribute it to the want of the fear of God in ourselves, and in the people of the land. We complain of those that are about the King, and of her that lies in the bosom of the King, and of the evil of his own heart in part; but from where is it that God has left him, either to them, or to any evil in his own spirit? The Lord in this punishes the sins of the people: 'tis usual for God to punish the sins of the people in leaving governors to evil courses, in (2 Samuel 24:1) you have a remarkable scripture for this, says the text there, And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel: and what then? And he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah. The Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them: to what? God lets temptations be before David for to fall into that sin that might bring evil upon the people. It was because the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. It's because that a people fear not God, therefore it is that the Lord leaves Kings, leaves their governors to those evil ways that they are left to, and therefore learn we when we hear of any evil that is done by countenance of Kings or any power, learn we to lay our hands upon our own hearts, and say, even this is because we feared not the Lord. How easy had it been with the Lord to have wrought upon his heart, Oh! what prayers has been sent up to the Lord for the heart of one man? Never since the world began more prayers for the heart of one man; but the Lord has seemed even to shut his ears against the prayers of his people, now let us lay our hands upon our hearts, God has denied our prayers, it is because we have not feared him. Now certainly there has been but little fear of God among us, and little fear of the great God is still to this day among us. And that's the third observation, We have no King because we feared not the Lord.

And then the fourth is this, the times of God's wrath and judgments forces acknowledgment from men that they did not fear God. When God comes against them in ways of wrath, now they can acknowledge that they feared not God; should the Prophet have come to them before and told them, Oh! you are a wretched vile people, there is no fear of God among you. Why, wherein do not we fear God? as in (Malachi 1) they would not be convinced, but, Now shall they say, &c. Now when the wrath of God is upon men, now they shall say, we see now apparently we feared not the Lord. As it's said of Cardinal Wolsey when he was in distress, Oh says he, Had I but served God as well as I served the King, it would have been otherwise with me than it is; but I sought to please the King rather than God, and now I am left in this distressed estate. He would have scorned that any should have told him before that he pleased the King more than God; but afflictions they will draw forth acknowledgment: for in afflictions God appears dreadful to the soul, it is no dallying, and trifling, and putting off then, we see we have to deal with an infinite, glorious, and dreadful God, and in times of affliction now conscience will brave over men, it will not be quieted and stilled so as in the times of prosperity, but it will speak, as we read of Zebul in (Judges 9:38), says Zebul, Where now is your mouth wherewith you said, Who is Abimelech? So says conscience in times of affliction to wretched creatures, Where now is that bold and presumptuous heart of yours? You scorned at fearing and trembling before God, and slighted his Word, but where now is that proud wretched heart of yours? And in times of afflictions now are men's hearts abased and humbled, and therefore now they are ready to say, It is, because they feared not the Lord.

Mark here, they do not (when they are in afflictions and troubles) say, I, we may thank these kind of people, there were a company of factious people and they would not yield to any thing, and we may thank them for all this; you hear no such words, Oh no, but it is, Because we feared not the Lord.

When the heart is in any degree humbled, it will not put off the cause of evils to other men, or other things, but will charge itself as the cause of the evils that are upon it. Oh how much better my brethren were it for us to see the want of the fear of God by his Word to us, and his Spirit in us, than by his wrath against us, or his stroke upon us. Let us every day examine our hearts, How has the fear of God been in me this day? Has the fear of God acted, and guided me in all my thoughts, counsels, and actions this day? How happy were it when we ever lie down to rest to have such a short meditation, Has the fear of God been the thing that has acted, and governed, and guided me in my course this day? But it follows.