SERMON XX.

FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE.*

ISAIAH 28: 17.—And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

It is supposed that our text, with the context, had a primary reference to the political state of the Jews at the time when it was written. They were at that time threatened by the Assyrians and Chaldeans; and to secure themselves from immediate danger they made a feigned submission to their invading foes. To this it is supposed the prophet refers in the fifteenth verse. "We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at an agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." By making a pretended submission, and entering into a treaty of peace with their enemies, which they themselves intended to break, they made lies their refuge, and hid themselves from impending danger under falsehood. And by this deceitful transaction they imagined themselves to be as safe from death and slaughter, as if they had made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell or the grave. And though the overflowing scourge of the Assyrians and Chaldeans should pass through all the adjacent countries, they flattered themselves that it should not come unto them.

Others, however, suppose that the covenant with death, and the agreement with hell, refer to an alliance which the Jews had entered into with Egypt. The Egyptians were a very powerful nation, and the Jews certainly did, about this time, form an alliance with them for their defence against the Assyrians or Chaldeans. In consequence of this alliance they supposed themselves as safe from their enemies, and from death by their hands, as if they were in alliance with death and the grave. At the same time that they entered into this covenant with Egypt, they might doubtless have made many false pretensions of obedience or friendship for the Chaldeans. This they might deem an additional

* First preached in 1779.

ground of safety; so that they would account themselves entirely secure from the overflowing scourge of the Chaldean army, both because they were in alliance with Egypt, and because they had made lies their refuge.

God, however, tells them that in all their confidence, they should be terribly disappointed. He tells them that he had laid in Zion a sure and safe foundation of confidence in all times of danger, and that every one that should seek safety in that, should never seek in vain. "Behold," he says, "I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make haste." At the same time he informs them that he will execute strict judgment on all who do not trust in this foundation; and that their perjured submission to the Chaldeans, or their alliance with Egypt should not save them in the day of his wrath. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."

But however these things might have been written with an immediate reference to the Jews, and to the events of their day, doubtless the chief design of the Holy Spirit was to teach them and us spiritual and evangelical truth. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost in that state of the church, to teach the most interesting truths of the gospel by outward types and shadows-by war and peace, danger and safety, success and victory, defeat and desolation. Thus our text and context are full of instruction to us, who live under the gospel, with respect to our spiritual concerns. Sinners in these days are exceedingly apt to neglect the plain and sure way of the gospel salvation, and to place their dependence for justification, either in the sight of God or to their own consciences, or both, on something quite as false and delusory as that to which the Jews trusted. They make a refuge of lies; they betake themselves to vain and insufficient hiding places which cannot save them from the overflowing scourge of divine, wrath.

Our present subject therefore shall be to point out and expose some of the refuges of lies of gospel sinners.

By refuges of lies of gospel sinners, I mean not only all false grounds of confidence as to acceptance with God, but all false

pretences on which they justify themselves, at least in some measure in their own minds; stifle the just accusations of their own consciences, and quiet the fears which both scripture and reason tend to excite. These are many. I shall attempt to notice only a few of them.

I. They often make a refuge of their ignorance.

When the system of the gospel in general, or any particular doctrine is proposed to them, and they are urged to receive it, they plead that they know not whether it be the truth or not. They say that there is much dispute in the world about religion and its doctrines; that great and wise men have differed, some asserting and others denying the same things; and which are in the right they know not; they have never given themselves the trouble to inquire much into such matters. All this they own, as if it were a meritorious instance of virtue; and add, perhaps, that they think it would ill become them to undertake to determine points concerning which even the greatest and best men have not been agreed. Thus they shield themselves in their ignorance against the charge of unbelief, and the claims of truth and duty.

Let us attend to an example or two of this nature. If the doctrine of original and total depravity be urged upon them; or the nature and necessity of regeneration; or that the law of God is perfect in goodness and glory, and therefore of full and eternal obligation; or that salvation is to be obtained only through Christ; or if any duty be inculcated or pressed upon them, as that it is now time to exercise the spirit and begin the practice of religion; that it is their immediate and indispensable duty to repent and return to the ways of obedience; to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; to become reconciled to God, so as to love him sincerely and supremely, at once they plead their ignorance. They know not, they say, whether these doctrines be really true, and therefore they cannot at present receive them; they know not whether the exercises enjoined on them as duties be really duties or not, and therefore they must for the present be excused from their performance.

Now this ignorance is altogether voluntary, as they who plead it generally take no proper pains to remove it by obtaining right information, so that they may be fully and reasonably satisfied. If they do not, at present, know whether these things are true or not, yet they might have known, or may know now if they will but use the means of information which they have in their hands. But they choose not to use them, nor to obtain the knowledge which they would afford; they choose to remain in their ignorance, and that for these reasons:

1. Because the knowledge of the truth and duties of the gospel is very disagreeable and painful to men in their carnal and sinful state. These truths and duties are to them even disagreeable objects of attention and contemplation. They are not suited to their taste, but are directly opposed to it. They promise them so long as they remain of their present characters, no good, either in this life or the future; but condemn them to eternal and insupportable wo. They do not justify the temper and practice of sinners, but entirely disapprove and condemn both. Now being thus disagreeable to carnal men, it is no wonder they do not attend to them so far as is necessary to the understanding and knowledge of them. Men are, in any case, with difficulty induced to attend to disagreeable objects, and to seek after that which they believe will be a source of pain if they should find it. But the things that engross the attention, such as the pleasures, amusements, profits and honors of this world, are very agreeable to their taste; they love them, and view them as matters of great importance. No wonder then that these occupy their minds, and exclude that attention to the things before mentioned which is necessary to the proper knowledge of them.

2. Ignorance and a disbelief of the truth quiet the consciences of sinners and prevent fear. If sinners really believed that they are by nature totally depraved, and that they are still under the influence of that depravity, they would fear the consequences. If they believed in the necessity of regeneration, they would tremble for themselves while unregenerate. If they believed in the necessity of an interest in Christ in order to salvation, they would of course be alarmed till they should have found that interest in him. But so long as they are ignorant of these things, they are not troubled with the accusations of conscience in these particulars, nor with any fearful expectations of that wrath which shall devour the guilty. And just so with respect to the duties of christianity. If they believed that they were bound to an immediate compliance with the gospel-at once to repent and believe on Christ, conscience which is God's faithful monitor, would accuse them for their neglect, and sting them with many self reproaches. But so long as they are ignorant of their duty, in these or any other particulars, they feel no uneasiness, but are satisfied with themselves and their conduct.

3. The plea of ignorance is of use to sustain their reputation in the view of others. If at any time it has been observed to them that they seem to be negligent of religion in general, of death and another world, or of any particular doctrines or duties of christianity, they at once plead that they do not think of these

things as others think, and therefore it need not be matter of wonder if they are not influenced by things that they do not believe. They do but act according to their sentiments. Thus they maintain a show of consistency, and on that account often boast and triumph in their ignorance, as if it were a glory to be consistently wrong.

This ignorance or unbelief is sometimes affected or pretended. They who plead it have strong apprehensions that the things which they pretend to disbelieve are true, if they do not actually believe them to be so. Yet they pretend the contrary in vindication of their wickedness. But in either case, whether this ignorance be real or pretended, it is but a refuge of lies, deceptive and insufficient to answer the purpose for which they betake themselves to it. It is most manifestly and literally so, when it is pretended; and even when it is real, inasmuch as it is voluntary, and might be removed by a careful and candid inquiry, it still remains a refuge of lies. What if ministers, and other wise and good men do differ? There is a ground of faith-of faith that is sure and safe; and until they have diligently studied God's truth, they surely have no right to complain that they cannot find this ground.

II. Some make a refuge of their good works.

By these they both quiet their consciences, and hope to obtain the divine favor. They are more or less moral and externally correct and regular in their conduct, and of this they make their refuge. Of such we may reckon three classes of men; those who generally lead a moral life; those who are moral in some respects, while in others they are grossly immoral; and those who attend on the external institutions of divine worship. And

1. Some in general lead a moral life. They are sober and temperate, just and true, kind and pacific, public spirited and charitable. Such men, with all their moral attainments, if unsanctified and unenlightened by at least the common influences of the Holy Spirit, universally depend on what they call their good works to render them acceptable in the sight of God. Being blind to their own faults, they see not so much of their own sins as they do of the sins of others. Being prepossessed in their own favor, as we all are by the influence of our natural pride and self-love, they magnify their own moral acts, and think them to be acts of real virtue and goodness. They shine in their own eyes and imagine they shine as much in the eyes of others, and even of God himself. In short, in the spirit of Haman they think, "whom will the Lord so much delight to honor" as themselves.

But this is a deceitful refuge-a mere refuge of lies. For in the first place it is wholly a false supposition that their works of