And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
— Isaiah 27:13
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
— Ezekiel 18:30
Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
— Hosea 8:1
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
— Matthew 3:1-2
Causes That May Produce Reformation, by John Owen. The following contains an excerpt from his work, “An Humble Testimony Unto the Goodness and Severity of God in His Dealing with Sinful churches and Nations. Or, the Only Way to Deliver a Sinful Nation from Utter Ruin by Impendent Judgments: in a Discourse on the Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
— LUKE 13:1–5
Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. — ISA. 58:1
VII. Our next inquiry is,”Whence or from what causes such a reformation may be expected as may be useful unto the turning away of impendent judgments?” And these causes are either supreme or subordinate. The supreme cause hereof must be the sovereign, grace of God, in fresh effusions of his Spirit on the souls of men, to turn them unto himself. Without this, all other ways and means of attaining it will be in vain. This is everywhere in the Scripture attested unto as the only supreme, efficient cause of the conversion of men unto God. And unto that state are things come amongst us, that unless we are made partakers of it in a somewhat more than ordinary manner, our breaches cannot be healed. Whether we have grounds or no to expect any such thing, shall be afterward considered. At present there seems to be no other hopes of it, but only because it is a sovereign act of divine grace, which hath been exemplified in the church of old. There seems, indeed, rather, as yet, to be a withdrawing of the communications of the Holy Spirit in effectually prevalent grace on the part of God, and a contempt of them on the part of men; but sovereignty can conquer all obstacles. This way did God heal and recover his church of old, when all other means, all mercies, afflictions, and judgments, failed, Ezek. 36:22–28. And it may at present be for a lamentation, that this work of grace is so disregarded by the most, so despised by many, and so little cried for by the residue. But without it, in vain shall we use any other remedies; we shall not be healed. It is not the best projections of men for reformation by this or that order or state of things in church or state, that, without this, will be of advantage unto us.
The subordinate causes hereof must be the diligent discharge of their duty by magistrates and ministers. I shall but name these things, that I give no place to complaints or indignation, though just, and almost necessary. And —
First. As unto the furtherance of it by magistrates, it must consist in three things —
1. By evidencing that the promotion of it is their interest Unless it be understood so to be, whatever else they do in the countenance of it will be of no use nor advantage. For this is that which the generality will conform unto or comply withal. And if it be once understood that reformation is what they desire, what they design, what they place their chief interest in,—as it was with David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others,—it will have an influence on the people, not inferior unto what the design of Jeroboam, in pursuit of his corrupt interest, had on the people of Israel to sin. All other means are dead, unless they are enlivened by an evidence of reality in the minds of magistrates, and a high concernment in the prosperity of their work. Let them make what laws and orders they please, appoint what outward means they can devise,—unless it be made uncontrollably evident that it is their cordial design, and what they place their chief interest in, they will not be available. Add hereunto —
2. The due execution of laws against flagitious immoralities. And —
3. An encouraging example in their own persons; without which all things will grow worse and worse, whatever else be done. Men seem to be weary, in some measure, of the dismal effects of sin; but they seem not to be weary of sin. Unto this weariness they yet want motives, encouragements, and examples. And it is strange unto me, that, in all our fears and dangers,—in the divisions of our councils and confusions amongst all sorts of men, under a high profession of zeal for the Protestant religion in the nation, and the preservation of it,—that this only expedient for our relief and safety lies wholly neglected.
As unto ministers, the faithful discharge of their duty, in preaching, prayer, and example, is required hereunto. Should I stay to show the necessity hereof at this season; as also what is required thereunto — what care, what diligence, what watchfulness, what compassion,what zeal, what exercise of all gospel grace, with the over-neglect of these things among many,—it would take up a volume, rather than become a place in this present inquiry.
But I proceed unto that which is more our immediate concernment. Wherefore —
When All Means Fail — The Duty of the Godly
VIII. “What if all these means do fail?—what if all expectations from them he in vain? what is incumbent on them in particular who are really sensible of these things,—namely, of the abounding of provoking sins, and the near approach of deserved judgments?”
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