Ralph Erskine, Sermon LXXVIII. “The Great Ruin, and the Great Relief; or, Help from Heaven to self-destroyers on Earth.” Hosea 13:9. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself: but in me is thy help.
I shall mention some sins that ruin and destroy churches and nations; and we may consider, whether or not we have been and are destroying ourselves therewith.
1. Lukewarmness and indifference in religion is a desolating and destroying sin; [Rev. 3:15] …. This made God cast off that church of Laodicea; and is not this the sin of this generation? Interpendent, as it were, and hanging between heaven and hell, between God and Baal; zeal for the kingdom, and cause,* and honour of Christ, wearing gradually out.
2. Apostacy from God is a desolating and destroying sin to churches and nations; Thou hast left thy first love …. Rev. iii. 4,5. The candlestick is the church; the sin that removes the candlestick is apostacy. And are we not chargeable in this land with apostacy in judgment, leaving the ancient truth of God for new errors; new gods, but old devils (Deut. 32:17, 18); new lights, but damnable errors, and doctrines of devils; many of these tolerated, untouched and uncensured by the judicatories of the church; chargeable with apostacy in affection, having left our first love (Jer. 2:2. The love of our espousals) when our land was married to God by solemn covenant? With apostacy in practice and conversation, as many of Christ's disciples left him, when he was apprehended; yea, many who seem to run well for a time, they sit up; they begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh.
3. Barrenness under the means of grace, that God hath been some time giving a plentiful allowance of, is another sin that brings desolation and destruction; this is represented by the curse denounced upon the barren fig-tree, Luke 13:7. Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground. The axe is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast unto the fire (Matt. 3:10). If under Zion’s blessings we bring forth Sodom's blossoms, see what God will do; I will break up the hedge, and dress it no more, the clouds shall rain no more rain upon it, &c. (Isa. 5:5, 6).
4. Union and communion with a wicked world is church-destroying and soul-destroying; for the companion of fools shall be destroyed....
5. Pride of privileges and confidence in the church and temple, like the Jews that cried, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these, Jer. 7:4. As if an established church could be their security; but, what is the name of the church, when the glory is departed? Is it not their confidence, that the Lord is with them, because they are a church, that will secure them: see Micah 3:10, 11, 12. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest. Therefore saith the Lord, Thou shalt no more be haughty, because of my holy mountain (Zeph. 3:11).
6. Gross and cursed hypocrisy is another destructive and desolating sin; we see no less than eight woes are denounced against hypocrites (Matt. 23:13–29). Hypocrites mock God, and destroy themselves: they profess one thing, and are really something else; like the blasphemy of these who said they were Jews, and were not, but were the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9). They professed to be a true church, and yet were but a church malignant; as if some should profess to be a true Presbyterian church, and yet be really Antichristian, or Erastian: O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself, &c.
7. Stubbornness and incorrigibleness is a desolating and destructive sin: when neither word nor rod prevail with a people to leave their sin, and return to him, this brings temple-desolation, and presages still heavier and heavier judgment: If, by these things, ye will not be reformed, then will I punish you seven times more; and yet seven times more; and I will walk contrary to you (Lev. 26:23). ‘I have so and so punished you, and ye have not returned unto me;’ Therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Israel (Amos 6:12)!
8. Covenant-breaking with God is another desolating and destructive sin: in that same chapter Leviticus 26 (v. 25). I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. Such an avenging sword is yet hanging over Britain and Ireland, for breaking, burning, and burying out of mind the covenant made between God and our fathers; though many say, What have we to do with what our fathers did this time hundred year? Well, but see what God hath a-mind to do, Deuteronomy 29:24, 25, after an account of God's covenant with them, 2 Kings 17:13, 14, 15. 18.
9. Ignorance of God, and profanity of life, which go together, is a desolating and destructive sin, Hos. 6:1–3. …. Here we see that profane people, though they should be never such great wits, and have never so much head-knowledge, yet they are ignorant of God, and their ignorance destroys them.
10. Another desolating, church-ruining, and destroying sin is, the rejecting of Christ from being their Lord and King. Christ will be a sole King, and will have none upon his throne but Himself; and when a church rejects Him as a King, then He rejects them as a church….
Ralph Erskine, Sermon LXXVIII. “The Great Ruin, and the Great Relief; or, Help from Heaven to self-destroyers on Earth.” Hosea 13:9. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself: but in me is thy help. Practical Works, 2 vols. folio (Glasgow: Robert Urie, 1754, 1755), 2.27-28. Text edited; see the full in the sermon in that edition, and another version of this sermon can be found online: https://books.google.com/books?id=aaArAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA155#v=onepage&q&f=false
I shall mention some sins that ruin and destroy churches and nations; and we may consider, whether or not we have been and are destroying ourselves therewith.
1. Lukewarmness and indifference in religion is a desolating and destroying sin; [Rev. 3:15] …. This made God cast off that church of Laodicea; and is not this the sin of this generation? Interpendent, as it were, and hanging between heaven and hell, between God and Baal; zeal for the kingdom, and cause,* and honour of Christ, wearing gradually out.
2. Apostacy from God is a desolating and destroying sin to churches and nations; Thou hast left thy first love …. Rev. iii. 4,5. The candlestick is the church; the sin that removes the candlestick is apostacy. And are we not chargeable in this land with apostacy in judgment, leaving the ancient truth of God for new errors; new gods, but old devils (Deut. 32:17, 18); new lights, but damnable errors, and doctrines of devils; many of these tolerated, untouched and uncensured by the judicatories of the church; chargeable with apostacy in affection, having left our first love (Jer. 2:2. The love of our espousals) when our land was married to God by solemn covenant? With apostacy in practice and conversation, as many of Christ's disciples left him, when he was apprehended; yea, many who seem to run well for a time, they sit up; they begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh.
3. Barrenness under the means of grace, that God hath been some time giving a plentiful allowance of, is another sin that brings desolation and destruction; this is represented by the curse denounced upon the barren fig-tree, Luke 13:7. Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground. The axe is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast unto the fire (Matt. 3:10). If under Zion’s blessings we bring forth Sodom's blossoms, see what God will do; I will break up the hedge, and dress it no more, the clouds shall rain no more rain upon it, &c. (Isa. 5:5, 6).
4. Union and communion with a wicked world is church-destroying and soul-destroying; for the companion of fools shall be destroyed....
5. Pride of privileges and confidence in the church and temple, like the Jews that cried, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these, Jer. 7:4. As if an established church could be their security; but, what is the name of the church, when the glory is departed? Is it not their confidence, that the Lord is with them, because they are a church, that will secure them: see Micah 3:10, 11, 12. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest. Therefore saith the Lord, Thou shalt no more be haughty, because of my holy mountain (Zeph. 3:11).
6. Gross and cursed hypocrisy is another destructive and desolating sin; we see no less than eight woes are denounced against hypocrites (Matt. 23:13–29). Hypocrites mock God, and destroy themselves: they profess one thing, and are really something else; like the blasphemy of these who said they were Jews, and were not, but were the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9). They professed to be a true church, and yet were but a church malignant; as if some should profess to be a true Presbyterian church, and yet be really Antichristian, or Erastian: O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself, &c.
7. Stubbornness and incorrigibleness is a desolating and destructive sin: when neither word nor rod prevail with a people to leave their sin, and return to him, this brings temple-desolation, and presages still heavier and heavier judgment: If, by these things, ye will not be reformed, then will I punish you seven times more; and yet seven times more; and I will walk contrary to you (Lev. 26:23). ‘I have so and so punished you, and ye have not returned unto me;’ Therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Israel (Amos 6:12)!
8. Covenant-breaking with God is another desolating and destructive sin: in that same chapter Leviticus 26 (v. 25). I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. Such an avenging sword is yet hanging over Britain and Ireland, for breaking, burning, and burying out of mind the covenant made between God and our fathers; though many say, What have we to do with what our fathers did this time hundred year? Well, but see what God hath a-mind to do, Deuteronomy 29:24, 25, after an account of God's covenant with them, 2 Kings 17:13, 14, 15. 18.
9. Ignorance of God, and profanity of life, which go together, is a desolating and destructive sin, Hos. 6:1–3. …. Here we see that profane people, though they should be never such great wits, and have never so much head-knowledge, yet they are ignorant of God, and their ignorance destroys them.
10. Another desolating, church-ruining, and destroying sin is, the rejecting of Christ from being their Lord and King. Christ will be a sole King, and will have none upon his throne but Himself; and when a church rejects Him as a King, then He rejects them as a church….
Ralph Erskine, Sermon LXXVIII. “The Great Ruin, and the Great Relief; or, Help from Heaven to self-destroyers on Earth.” Hosea 13:9. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself: but in me is thy help. Practical Works, 2 vols. folio (Glasgow: Robert Urie, 1754, 1755), 2.27-28. Text edited; see the full in the sermon in that edition, and another version of this sermon can be found online: https://books.google.com/books?id=aaArAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA155#v=onepage&q&f=false
