Lessons of Caution to Young Sinners, Dialogue
Some Account of the DISCOURSE of a MINISTER with the Priſoner Walking to her Execution.
MINISTER.
POOR Priſoner, I am come, at your deſire, to accompany you to your death. I ſhould have been glad could I have perſwaded you to have excuſed me from ſo ſad an office, for which many circumſtances beſides my natural temper, render me very unqualified. However, to ſatisfy you at your repeated importunities, and … miniſter to your Salvation, I have overcome … my reluctances, and now readily attend you.
PRISONER.
O Sir, I am glad to ſee you; I thank you.
MINISTER.
You are now walking to a diſmal Execution! I need not aſk how you feel as you travel onward every ſtep to Death and Eternity. My own heart feels for you, and trembles, and melts at your ſorrows.—But O! what can I ſay to inſtruct and comfort you in theſe dreadful moments! Fain would I contribute to enlighten you in all things neceſſary for a dying perſon to know: and fain would I adminiſter ſome relief to your bitter affliction, and bring you, upon good grounds, to meet the king of terrors with profound ſubmiſſion, and in ſettled peace, attended, as it is, with all theſe horrors. This great thing, by the bleſſing of GOD, may be attained.
PRISONER.
O Sir; I deſire to ſubmit to the will of GOD: to have my will ſwallowed up in his.
MINISTER.
Are you ſenſible, that in a ſtate of nature, you are ruin'd, for ever ruin'd: loſt for both worlds, in guilt and miſery. Guilty in your father Adam, do you feel your ſelf a ſlave to ſin and luſt, and having no power of your own to mortify your raging corruptions, to conquer your vicious habits; and no merit of your own, to procure your pardon from GOD?
PRISONER.
I feel I am in a miſerable condition: and I can do nothing, of my ſelf, to pleaſe GOD.
MINISTER.
Do you ſee how juſtly GOD may refuſe … cry to Him now for mercy, who have ſo … refus'd His call to you to repent, and … to Him?
PRISONER.
Yes Sir, GOD might juſtly refuſe to hear me.
MINISTER.
Then you ſee, and feel, and own it, that you have nothing in your ſelf to recommend you to GOD; and all the hope you can have is, his free, ſovereign, unbounded grace?
PRISONER.
Yes Sir, all my hope is in the infinite mercy of GOD thro' JESUS CHRIST.
MINISTER.
I am glad to hear you before-hand with me. You are then convinc'd that the holy GOD is as juſt as he is gracious; and that therefore his juſtice muſt be ſatisfied for the injuries your Sins have offer'd him, before you can reaſonably expect he ſhould ſhew mercy to you. Do you therefore ſee your need of a SAVIOUR: an Almighty Mediator, to ſtand between you, and an offended GOD? Do you receive the LORD JESUS CHRIST as this all-compleat Mediator?
PRISONER.
Yes Sir, O I do it with all my heart and ſoul.
MINISTER.
Frighted and in agony as you are, why, poor Criminal, ſhould not you hope in this free grace of GOD in CHRIST, as well as any Sinner in the World?
PRISONER.
Oh! I'm afraid, I'm afraid.
MINISTER.
… not, for I bring you good tidings of great … GOD is infinitely ready to pardon you, … Repentance, and Faith in CHRIST.
PRISONER.
Alas, I've been a dreadful Sinner.
MINISTER.
And yet, what ſhould hinder that you ſhould not hope for a pardon? I pray you hearken to me, as if you heard the great GOD himſelf ſpeaking to you. I ſhall ſay nothing but what He ſays in expreſs words. You ſay you are a Sinner: Hear what the bleſſed Saviour ſays, Mat. IX. 13. I came not to call the righteous, but SINNERS to repentance. You have been a dreadful Sinner, you ſay: Hear what the bleſſed GOD ſays, 1 Tim. I. 15. This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that JESUS CHRIST came into the world to ſave ſinners, even the CHIEF of them. You own you have committed Abundance of Sin: Hear the word of the Lord, Iſai. LV. 7. Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his tho'ts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will ABUNDANTLY pardon. Your ſins have been repeated with the greateſt malignity and aggravation: Hear the bleſſed GOD ſpeaking, Iſai. I. 18. Come now, let us reaſon together, ſaith the Lord, Tho' your ſins be as ſcarlet, they ſhall be white as ſnow; tho' they be read like CRIMSON, they ſhall be as wool; if ye be willing and obedient. You have continued in ſin to this day; yet TO DAY, after ſo long a time, to Day if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart: For behold NOW is the accepted time, behold NOW is the day of ſalvation. Do you underſtand what I ſay to you? Do you take the force of it?
PRISONER.
Yes, Sir.
MINISTER.
Recollect then, what GOD has, by my … ſaid to you, and think, if you can, of any reaſon why you ſhould not expect mercy at his hands, thro' your great SAVIOUR.
PRISONER.
Ah! If I could but repent and believe in CHRIST.
MINISTER.
Aye, there lies all the danger in the obſtinacy of your wicked heart. If you ſee this, one good ſtep is advanced toward your Salvation. Carry this heart to your SAVIOUR, wicked as it is Pray for the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD to ſoften it and change it for you. Of this too, you may have abundant hope. They are the words of a gracious GOD ſtill: (the Lord help you to apply them) Ezek. XXXVI. 26, 37. A new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ſtony heart out of your fleſh, and I will give you an heart of fleſh. Thus ſaith the Lord GOD, I will yet be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them.
PRISONER.
O if GOD would do this for me I could be happy. The Death I am to ſuffer in this World is nothing: All I fear is the ſecond Death.
MINISTER.
Believe on the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and thou ſhalt be ſaved.—What is it to believe on JESUS CHRIST? Do you well underſtand what it is?
PRISONER.
Faith in JESUS CHRIST is a ſaving Grace, … we receive, and … upon Him alone for … as he is offered to us in the Goſpel:
MINISTER.
… haſt well anſwer'd. And can you find your Soul now thus acting and relying on your only SAVIOUR?—Do you thus heartily conſent, that He ſhould exerciſe all his Offices for you, as you have often been inſtructed in your Priſon? Say, O JESUS, my Prophet, teach me what thou wouldſt have me to do. Say,O JESUS, my King, enable me to do all my Duty. Say, O JESUS, my High-Prieſt, let thy Sacrifice and merits attone for me: and O be my Interceſſor with the Father.—Theſe are the actings of a lively Faith: Thus are you to receive and reſt upon CHRIST for Salvation. Can you do this?—Can you now reſolve, tho' he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him?
PRISONER.
I think, as far as I know my own heart, I do. I think I can ſubmit to the will of GOD. I deſire, I deſire to do ſo. I feel the love of GOD flame in my Soul!—But O what if I ſhould be deceived!
MINISTER.
All I can ſay here is, watch and pray, and keep faſt hold on your bleſſed SAVIOUR: Go up out of the wilderneſs leaning on your Beloved.
PRISONER.
Lord JESUS have pity on me.
MINISTER.
But O now prepare—Arm your ſelf with all your courage & ſubmiſſion. Lift up your eyes, and ſee the place—*[The Gallows here open'd to view.] But O lift up your eyes to GOD for his SPIRIT to help you in this moſt neceſſitous ſeaſon.
PRISONER.
Lord JESUS, am I come to this!—Lord, whither am I going!
MINISTER.
O remember the love of that SAVIOUR, who was executed as a Malefactor; who was led away with ſwords and ſtaves, among the crowd, and ſuffered without the gates, to ſweeten this affliction to you, and purchaſe eternal glories for you.
PRISONER.
Lord JESUS, pity me!
MINISTER.
Suppoſe the bleſſed JESUS was now upon Earth, walking, as he uſed to do, among the crowds, and you ſhould go trembling to him, and caſt your ſelf at his feet, for pardon, and a new heart, do you think he would refuſe you, and caſt you out?
PRISONER.
I can't think he would.
MINISTER.
And Oh, think then, is he leſs powerful, or leſs merciful now he is in Heaven!—Remember the Malefactor executed with him; how he pray'd, and how he was heard.
PRISONER.
Lord JESUS, remember me!
After this the Priſoner grew diſordered and faint, and not capable of attending further to continu'd diſcourſe.—Only ſhort words of encouragement were now and then ſpoken to compoſe and animate her, till ſhe arriv'd at the place of Execution.—After a loud Prayer for her in the midſt of a moſt numerous Concourſe of Spectators, the Miniſter took his leave and withdrew.
The END.