Greetings!
On April 15th, 1775 a year and a few months before the Declaration of Independence was signed, and opposition to British tyranny was rising to the boiling point, John Hancock, whose large signature on the Declaration is so prominently displayed, said...
"In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that, whilst every prudent Measure should be taken to ward off the impending Judgements...All confidence must be withheld from the Means we use; and reposed only on that GOD who rules in the Armies of Heaven, and without whose Blessing the best human Counels are but Foolishness--and all created Power Vanity; It is the happiness of his Church that, when the Powers of Earth and Hell combine against it...that the Throne of Grace is of the easiest access--and its Appeal thither is graciously invited by the Father of Mercies, who has assured it, that when his Children ask Bread he will not give them a stone..." Hancock, as the President of the the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts went on to call the "people of this Colony of all Denominations" to "set apart a Day of public humiliation, fasting and prayer...and especially that the union of the American Colonies in Defense of their Rights...may be preserved and confirmed...and that AMERICA may soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven." It was John Hancock, a year later, who proudly Signed The Declaration of Independence knowing that a price would soon be placed on his head by the British. It was 8 years later, as Governor of Massachusetts, that Hancock issued another call, this time for a day of thanksgiving, this time to celebrate the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. In that Proclamation, he spoke of "the God of their salvation", their "entire dependence" on Him, and "that he hath been pleased to continue to us the Light of the Blessed Gospel"...to cause pure Religion and Virtue to flourish...and to fill the world with his glory." Those 'pending judgements' are now upon us, not the British or any other nation.
Those 'dark circumstances' were not caused by a foreign country, but by those we chose to lead us who have no fear of God, and our own preocupation with and indifference to our own sin.
America will not 'soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven' until and unless we abide daily in a deep repentance of our indifference to the things of God, our citizenship duties as His Ambassadors, and God Himself!
Until our passion as followers of Christ becomes the passion of our Founders to 'fill the world with His glory', America will continue to consign ourselves to greater and greater judgement, personal, fiscal, political, social, moral, and spiritual calamity that wil leave us, our nation, and the world reeling and ready for the anti Christ. |
