Last Warning to Secure Sinners, Title page – To the reader
Mr. Thomas Wadſworth's LAST WARNING TO SECURE SINNERS: Being his Two Laſt SERMONS Concerning the Certainty and Dreadfulneſs OF THE Future Miſery of all Impenitent ungodly Sinners. To which is Prefixed an Epiſtle of Mr. RICHARD BAXTER's
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapſide, and at the Bible on London-bridg 1677.
TO THE READER.
IT is not ſo much for the ſake of the departed Author of theſe Sermons, as for thy ſelf, that this Preface doth recommend them to thy acceptance and peruſal: Though in order hereunto it is meet that thou have ſome account both of the Author, and of the reaſons of their publication. The Author was a perſon with whom I had long much communication by Letters, before I ever ſaw his face. By many of which, and by the full teſtimony of his flock, I can aſſuredly give thee this true account of him: When he was placed for the exerciſe of the Sacred Miniſtry at Newington-Butts, near Southwark, he addicted himſelf entirely to the winning and edifying of Souls; believing the great things of the unſeen world, and life to come; the obtaining of that happineſs by faith and holineſs, was the end and work of his Miniſtry and Life. He took heed to himſelf and to Doctrine, and continued therein, that he might ſave himſelf, and thoſe that heard him, 2 Tim. 4.16. Unneceſſary Queſtions and Controverſies he avoided: In thoſe that he was conſtrained to meddle with, he much lookt at the end, and adhered to the Doctrine which is according to Godlineſs; carefully ſhunning contentions and extreams, and that manner of diſputing or converſing which deſtroyeth Chriſtian love. In the common Controverſies about Predeſtination, Grace, and Free-will, he held to the middle way of Auguſtine, Proſper, &c. contenting himſelf to prove and teach, That all evil is of our ſelves, and all good is of God; that God is no author of Sin, but yet is the Governour of all the World, whoſe abſolute Will cannot be fruſtrate; and that Chriſt hath procured that univerſal conditional gift of pardon and life which is found in the Goſpel, and commanded his Miniſters to preach and offer it to all; and ſo of the reſt.
But the Errors which ſubvert Faith, Hope, or Obedience, he would not make light of; and therefore lately wrote that very conſiderable Treatiſe of the Immortality of the Soul; eſpecially for the uſe of ſuch as reject not Scripture-proof, leaving out moſt of the Philoſophical Reaſons which Infidels expect; but adding ſome few of them which are of weight, though not a large performance of that part of the work.
He was happily too young to be engaged in the military or uncivil quarrels of this Age. He knew that Chriſts Miniſters have work enough of their own, in preaching, promoting and practiſing the Chriſtian Faith, and hope of Glory, and keeping themſelves and others in obedience, love and peace.
When the Changes had occaſioned great contentions about Church-Worſhip, Admiminiſtrations, Communion and Diſcipline, the City of London where he lived attempting to ſet up the Presbyterian Government, but finding it very difficult, becauſe of the number of Epiſcopal and Independent Diſſenters, and becauſe the Parliament would give Presbytery no more than a Toleration and Recommendation, he reſolved to join with no party in the Diviſion, but to look ſimply to Gods Word, and to do that which there he found paſt Controverſie, an unqueſtionable duty. At that time the Miniſters of Worceſterſhire had entred into an Aſſociation:
1. In their Worſhip, Adminiſtration and Diſcipline, unanimouſly to practice ſo much as the then parties, Epiſcopal, Presbyterian and Independents are agreed in; believing that the faithful practice of ſo much, would better reconcile them, than ſtrangeneſs and diſputes.
2. To ſet up a regular courſe of Perſonal Conference by Catechiſing & loving-inſtructions, and exhortations, to prepare them for death and eternity, with all the Families in our Pariſhes, in order, who would voluntarily ſubmit to it.
In the practice of theſe two, we had great experience of Gods bleſſing. And Mr. Wadſworth deſiring (as many Counties did) to do the like, ſent to me for the draught of our Agreement: And becauſe he would avoid temerity and needleſs ſingularity, he addreſt himſelf to the Claſſes of the London Miniſters, and asked their Advice; who told him to this purpoſe, That they were under many hinderances from doing it themſelves, but they would not diſſwade nor diſcourage him from attempting it: Which hereupon he preſently did. To his conſtant Publick Preaching he added this work of Perſonal and Family Inſtruction; not only to viſit the Sick, but to Teach and Exhort his Flock, in health, to prepare for death, and work out their Salvation. To Catechize them, and help them to underſtand the words, and to get down the ſweetneſs and power of the matter upon their hearts: Behaving himſelf with convincing Light, with melting Love, and quickning ſeriouſneſs, to thoſe that he converſed with; that none might be left as dark, diſaffected, or dead, as they were found.
He alſo gave Catechiſms and Teſtaments, and ſome other Books moſt ſuited to their ſtate, to the poor people of his Pariſh, engaging them to read them, and taking an account of their performance and proficiency.
If you ask where he had Money to do all this, he lived frugally himſelf? He took nothing to be ſo much his own, as to be laid out on himſelf any further than it maintained him in his Maſters work. The reſt he took himſelf to be but a ſteward of, to diſtribute it prudently to others. What was not neceſſary to his perſonal maintenance and work, he gave to others, in the way and on the terms which might beſt further their Salvation. And what he was unable to do himſelf, he beg'd from ſuch as were more able.
And as to the aforeſaid manner of exerciſing his Adminiſtrations, and Church-diſcipline, he and the Church choſe many Deacons, and certain of the ancienteſt and moſt prudent members, who ſhould not be Officers, as unordained Elders, but only the Churches Delegates, to take ſuch cognizance of the action, and give ſuch aſſiſtance as the Laity may do; himſelf with theſe Deacons and Delegates of the people, met once a Month to hear what cauſes required their open admonitions, when private reproofs had been rejected; when offenders were to be humbly and compaſſionately admoniſhed, and by moving-arguments perſwaded to repent: And if they yet were obſtinate, more earneſtly perſwaded by them all, and by cleareſt reaſons convinced of the evil of their ſin, and the great neceſſity of true repentance. And if yet they remained obſtinate (with us, they were ſummoned to hear the convincing reaſons of an Aſſembly of Paſtors that ſhortly after met, and their humble Exhortations and Prayers for their Repentance; but Mr. Wadſworth had not ſo much of that aſſiſtance) the order was next to publiſh the crime and impenitence to the Aſſembly, and there publickly beſeech the Sinner to repent, and the Congregation to join in prayer for his Repentance (and this uſually three days together). And if ſtill he were impenitent, to declare him unfit for Communion with the Church, and require the people to avoid him, and binding him over to the judgment of God, who will not pardon the impenitent.
I will recite part of a ſhort Writing which his Hearers gave me now ſince his death, in their own words:
At his firſt coming to Newington-Butts, which was about 1653, He preached conſtantly twice every Lords-day; And had monthly meetings with us, where he prayed and preached: In the Summer, for half a year, he preached a Lecture: And in the winter, every day of the week, except Saturdays, neither cold nor wet did keep him from his work; which was Praying and Expounding, which he conſtantly performed at ſeven a Clock in the morning: And on Saturdays he ſpent the afternoon in Catechizing: And finding much ignorance in the Pariſh, he was the more laborious for their inſtruction; and once every week in the Winter, he would be-ſpeak a houſe in the Street at the end of an Alley, and thither he would ſend for the poor people out of the Alleys, and ſpend much time in inſtructing them, and praying with them: the next week he would do the ſame in another place; and where he himſelf had been the former week, he would appoint one that could write well, to follow him, and repeat a Sermon, and pray with the people in the ſame place, to keep on their hearts what had been wrought; and ſuch of the willing perſons as could not repeat ſufficiently, he appointed to read ſome fit Book to the hearers, uſually the book called, A Call to the Unconverted. And that againſt Making Light of Chriſt, which in a great meaſure anſwered his ends. And finding by going thus through all his Pariſh, that not only Children, but Servants, and Ancient perſons, were very ignorant; and the more becauſe they could not read: he ſent to the Ʋniverſity for a young man (who is now a Miniſter in Suſſex) and gave him his maintenance, to go three days a week, to teach people to read; by which means aged perſons, ſome of ſixty years of age, and ſome more, did learn to read, to their great comfort: And to farther their underſtanding of the Principles of Religion, he Printed a ſhort Catechiſm of Twelve Queſtions and Anſwers, and gave them freely to all the Pariſhioners that would come for them; and for them that were poor, and old, he bought a great number of Teſtaments, and gave them to the elder poor people and ſervants that could not buy them: and when he asked many poor people why they came not to the Publick Worſhip of God, and they would anſwer, becauſe they had not cloaths; he would ſtir up ſome friends which he had in London, to relieve them, and ſo got cloth, and clothed them.
His health calling him to abide moſt in the Country at Theobalds, he got a grave Miniſter Mr. Parſons to be his Aſſiſtant in Southwark; and ſo divided his labours to Two Congregations, being one day with one, and the next with the other. And having a competency of his own, he never took any Stipend or Maintenance from either of them; but lived as believing that it is more honourable to give than to receive: That very ſmall proportion which was Contributed, he left his Aſſiſtant, who needed it, to receive.
This faithful Servant of Chriſt did for many years perform theſe hard but pleaſing labours, under that ſore diſeaſe, the Stone in the Reins (which ſome think was Paul's prick in the fleſh, though others rather take it for Reproach or Perſecution). And though by the ordinary uſe of North-hall-Waters he ſeemed long to keep it under; yet leaving the Country, & coming to abide again at London, after twice preaching with very great fervency, he fell into that extremity of pain, which in a ſhort time brought him to his Death; which how peaceably and comfortably he underwent to the laſt, Mr. Brag hath told you in his Funeral-Sermon. His diſſected body ſhewed that a Stone in the Bladder as well as his calculous and corrupted Kidneys, was his Death.
The affection of his Flock to their departed Paſtor, made them deſirous that his laſt Sermons might be publiſhed; not becauſe they excelled all the reſt (for in theſe you may ſee his ordinary fervency and familiarity in preaching); but the laſt words of our friends affect us moſt; and as we remember them beſt, ſo we are deſirous to commemorate them to others.
It will be thought by ſome an injury to the deceaſed Author, that ſuch popular and plain Exhortations ſhould be publiſhed, when no doubt had he lived to publiſh them himſelf, they would have appeared in a leſs homely dreſs. But I take it for no diſgrace but a great and neceſſary duty, to ſpeak the important matters of Salvation (not in a ſlovenly, but) in as plain, and familiar, and fervent a manner, as (its well known) the common ignorance and dullneſs of moſt Hearers do require. Who can ſpeak too plainly or too earneſtly to ſuch? And Writings muſt be ſuited to ſuch Readers Capacity, as well as Sermons to ſuch hearers. Two inſtances encourage me to this recommendation, viz. The works of Mr. William Fenner, and of Mr. Thomas Hooker, which were popularly delivered and taken from their mouths in ſo broken and rude a manner as greatly injured the Authors, (and are not to paſs as the notice of their judgments in points of Controverſie) yet did more good by their plainness and familiar earneſtness, than moſt Books that I have known: But thoſe that the ſame men publiſhed themſelves in a cloſer ſtile, have far leſs profited the world of ordinary Readers. That is good, which doth good.
To ſhew the reaſonableneſs that all Miniſters ſhould deal thus faithfully and plainly with ſuch as are under their Miniſtry, I will lay open ſomewhat of the caſe before you, and then judg reaſonably of it as you are men. The Eternal God delighting in the wonderful diverſity of his Creatures, hath made man of a middle nature, between Bruits and Angels, giving him Vital-power, Reaſon and Free will. He hath placed him in this World as for a race or warfare, reſolving that as he behaveth himſelf, it ſhall go with him in another World for ever: For though his body be duſt, and muſt to duſt return, his ſoul is from above, and liveth in bleſſedneſs or miſery for ever. By Sin we have all forfeited our right to Heaven: But Eternal Love hath given us a Redeemer, who is God and Man, who as our Surety became a Sacrifice for our ſins, and by his Merits hath purchaſed a Conditional Grant of free forgiveneſs, and of renewing Grace, and endleſs Glory. And being aſcended into Heaven, poſſeſſeth it in our nature, and intercedeth for us, being now as Redeemer, Lord of all. And as the Sun above us ſendeth down its beams on Earth, ſo doth our Glorified Lord his Spirit, to quicken, enlighten and ſanctifie Souls, who were dead and dark, and diſaffected to God, to Holineſs and Heavenly perfection. And he hath appointed the Miniſterial Office, that men might be his meſſengers to men, to acquaint them with his Grace, and with the Glory which he prepareth for them, that they may truly believe it, ſoberly think of it, duly value it, heartily chuſe it, and diligently ſeek it, and live and die in the joyful expectation of it. And as our Souls converſe not with our neighbours immediately, but in and by our bodies in which they work; ſo the Spirit of Chriſt doth not ordinarily work on mens Souls without any means, but by his Word and Works which his Miniſters muſt declare. Man is not now put upon ſatisfying Gods Juſtice, or purchaſing his Salvation by a price. Chriſt hath done theſe, and made a free gift of Grace and Glory to all that will but penitently and believingly accept it. Under Gods Grace, mens everlaſting Salvation now lieth on their own wills; no men or devils can damn or undo any one ſoul, but by his own conſent to the cauſe of his damnation. No men or devils can keep our ſouls from the Heavenly Glory, but by tempting him to refuſe it, undervalue and neglect it, and prefer the pleaſures of ſin before it, and by keeping him from loving, deſiring and ſeeking it: For every one ſhall certainly have it, who had rather be a holy Chriſtian on earth, and live in perfect love and joy with God in Heaven for ever, than for his filthly pleaſure to enjoy the proſperity of this world. To acquaint men with this▪ is our Miniſterial Office; we are charged to ſet before them the great Salvation which Chriſt hath procured, and importunately to beſeech them to mind it, believe it, and accept it, that it may be theirs for ever: we believe God, and therefore we ſpeak to men as he hath commanded us: We intreat them in his Name, to turn from ſinful enmity and folly, and to be reconciled to God, and be wiſe for their Salvation: We tell them but what Gods word ſent from heaven, telleth us and them, That holineſs is the love of God and goodneſs, and the hatred of ſin; that the pure in heart are bleſſed, for they ſhall ſee God. But without holineſs none can ſee him: We tell them from God, That heaven is won or loſt on earth; and that none ſhall have it but ſuch as hence learn to love a holy and heavenly life; and that the diſlike of holineſs is the forfeiture of happineſs, and the beginning, or forerunner of Hell: We aſſure them, That God will never ſay, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, if they do not firſt by iniquity depart from God; and that God will not damn them, except they damn themſelves, by the obſtinate final refuſing and reſiſting of his mercy. We intreat men therefore but to live as men ſhould do that love themſelves, and that are not indifferent whether they live in Heaven or Hell for ever. We intreat them not to be worſe to themſelves, than the Devil and all their enemies are, who cannot make them commit one ſin againſt their wills: And yet after all this warning, intreaty, and importunity, there are thouſands, and ten thouſands that will not be perſwaded, nor regard the warning given them from God; ſome will not believe but that a man dies like a Dog (and what wonder if ſuch live like Dogs): And ſome will not believe but that they may be ſaved without regenerating-grace and holineſs, though Chriſts own mouth hath proteſted the contrary, and told us verily that it cannot be, John 3.3, 5, 18, 19. Mat. 18.3. Heb. 12.14. Rom. 8.6, 7, 8, 9, 13, &c. Multitudes will not be brought to underſtand what we ſay; but when we talk of Redemption, Sanctification, and Salvation, they hear us as if we ſpake Greek or Hebrew to them, and under teaching, grow old in ſottiſh groſſeſt ignorance; multitudes are taken up with the love of proſperity, & the love of this deceiving world: multitudes are carried away with aſpiring ambition and fooliſh pride; and more, with the love of fleſhly pleaſures, and ſatisfying their appetites and luſts. Many poor people (who every where are the moſt) are ſo oppreſt with want, and wearied with their daily labour, and taken up with cares to pay their Rents and Debts, and maintain their Families, that they think it excuſable in them if they little mind the pleaſing of God, and ſaving of their ſouls; ſuppoſing that they have no leiſure for it, and God requireth it not at their hands. And the ſame moſt ſervants think, who have time little enough for their Maſters work. Multitudes have ſuch dead and hardened hearts, that when we tell them that they muſt ſhortly be in Heaven or Hell, as they are here prepared, we ſpeak almoſt as to blocks, or men aſleep: they feel not what we ſay, as if they did not hear us.
We are bid, cry aloud, and tell them of their ſin and danger, Iſa. 58.1, 2. and yet we cannot get them to regard and feel; God ſaith, Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light; and yet we cannot get them to awake, nor hear us like men that have the uſe of reaſon, and love themſelves. Alas, how many thouſands are there whom we could never perſwade to conſider with deep and ſerious thoughts, what will become of their Souls when they are dead, nor to ſeek to be reſolved of it from the infallible Word of God! that never ſet a part one hour in their lives to conſider ſeriouſly, Whether they have any title to Salvation, which they can make good by the Word of God by which they muſt be judged!
Sirs, This, this is the caſe of multitudes of our neighbours; and what would you have a Miniſter to do in ſuch a caſe? ſhould we flatter and ſmooth them up in an unholy life, what thanks would they give us for this ere long, when they find themſelves in hell?
Would you have us ſtand by in ſilence, and look on, while Satan thus leadeth thouſands to perdition? Would you have us let them quietly go to hell, for fear of diſpleaſing them or others, or ſeeming to be unmannerly or uncivil with them? Would you have us whiſper to men that muſt be awakened or undone for ever, whom thunder and lightening will not awake?
Alas, we ſee men dying daily, and we are dying our ſelves, and daily look when we ſpeak our laſt, and when they hear their laſt, even all that ever they ſhall hear more for their Salvation: We ſee how Time doth paſs away! much is loſt already, the reſt is ſhort, and utterly uncertain… and the ignorance, unbelief, hard-heartedneſs, fleſhlineſs, worldlineſs, pride, malignity and unholineſs of ſinners, are deep-rooted, ſtrong and damnable evils. We ſee men when they are convinced, that they muſt repent or periſh, Luk. 13.3, 5, putting it off from day to day; when they are certainly to be gone ere long, and never certain of one more hour: And alas, a long life is little enough for a willing awakened ſerious Chriſtian to work out his Salvation, and make his Calling and Election ſure.
Sirs, tell us as Chriſtians, or at leaſt as men, what faith, and reaſon, and humane love command us to do in ſuch a caſe? ſhall we forbear, or ſpeak to them in formality as on a ſtage, as if we were Players, and not Preachers, and would perſwade them not to believe what we ſay; ſhould we let them alone, be damned, and take it for our excuſe, that they or others were unwilling of our labours? Shall we pretend charity and hope that they have already enough to ſave them, while we ſee not ſo much as knowledg, or any love to Holineſs, nor forſaking of mortal ſin, nor any ſerious care of their Salvation? Is it the office of Charity to further mens deluſion and damnation? If we believed not another life our ſelves, and that there is a God who will reward them (and only them) that diligently ſeek him, (Heb. 11.6.) we would quickly renounce this ungrateful Miniſtry and Work; we would wiſh that all the Preachers in the world were ſilenced, and that the people would better uſe their Tythes, than to maintain ſuch troublers of the world. But God hath ſhined into our minds with the heavenly convincing light. He hath given us the firſt fruits and pledg of Glory: We believe a Heaven and a Hell, and the abſolute neceſſity of a holy and heavenly mind and life; and we know why we do believe it. Here we have upon our ſober conſideration laid up all our hopes and comforts; and what ſhould we perſwade our neighbours to chuſe, but that which God hath taught us to chuſe our ſelves? And wo to him that ever he was born, that maketh not this choice, and taketh not the Heavenly Glory for his portion!
And now, Reader, I have told thee why ſuch Miniſters ſo live and labour, as our Brother did, and why I commend to thee his Example, and theſe Sermons: The Lord perſwade you to uſe what is given thee.
Richard Baxter. Decemb. 18. 1676.