Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 15
SERMON XV.
All Mens Place.
ECCLESIASTES vi. ver. 6.
Do not all go to one place?
I REMEMBER an ingenious writer, who had been very copious in his publications, obſerved, that the beſt and moſt profitable were written after he was fifty years of age: It is ſuppoſed, then the judgment is ripened, and the genius is as it were advanced to maturity and knowledge; and experiences gathered when young, will be more uſeful in the decline of life, when grey hairs are ſeen here and there upon them. It is ſaid indeed, that old men are twice children; but there are ſome whoſe geniuſſes are ſo very low that they cannot be twice children, becauſe they are no better than children from their cradle to their grave; but this is not the caſe with God's children, for upon a reflection of the wrong ſteps they have taken, if it proceeds from the ſanctified ſenſe of afflictions, they ſerve to make them more inſtructive in their latter day. This was the caſe of Solomon, though highly favoured when young, for the Lord appeared unto him twice, yet he fell moſt awfully, and had we not read of his recovery again, the doctrine of the final perſeverance of the ſaints, muſt ſeem to fall to the ground, but we have reaſon to think that he was reſtored, and gave evidence of his recovery by writing in ſuch a manner, that none could but one that knew much of God and himſelf; witneſs the book of Eccleſiaſtes, which in all ages of the church has been received with a peculiar reſpect. Eccleſiaſtes ſignifies a preacher, ſuch Solomon was from his own experience, and exceeded by none but him who ſpake as no man ever did.
The chapter in which is the text, deſcribes the vanity and miſery of our preſent ſtate, if unſanctified. There is an evil, ſaith he, that I have ſeen under the ſun, and it is common among men: though he is going about to deſcribe a monſter, yet it is a monſter that walks and ſtalks abroad, a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, ſo that he wanteth nothing for his ſoul of all that he deſireth, though God gives him not power to eat, this is vanity and a great diſeaſe. Was there ever a more ſtriking deſcription of an old covetous miſer, who leaves his wealth to ſome perſon that ſpends it faſter than the poor wretch got it? He goes on and ſays, If a man begot an … children, and live many years, ſo that the days of his years be many, and his ſoul be not filled with good, and alſo that he have no burial, I ſay, that an untimely birth is better than he, for he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkneſs, and his name ſhall be covered with darkneſs. Moreover, he hath not ſeen the ſun, nor know… any thing; this hath more reſt than the other. And then though this creature ſhould be ſuppoſed to live a thouſand years twice told, why, ſaith he, yet hath he ſeen no good, he has never been poſſeſſed of real good to make him happy here or hereafter, for, adds he, do not all go, both the abortive and the aged, young and old, high and low, rich and poor, whether bleſſed with children, or have no children, whether like Lazarus, that beg their bread, or Dives, cloathed in purple and fine linen, and fare ſumptuouſly every day, Do not all go to one place?
An important queſtion! ſhall I propoſe it to you to-night? Do you know what the wiſe man means when he offers this queſtion to your conſideration, Do not all go to one place? What can be the deſign of this? the thing, no doubt, here ſpoken of is death, the place here ſpoken of, no doubt, is the grave. An amazing conſideration! part of the firſt ſentence that the great and holy God ever denounced againſt fallen man, to one and all, Duſt thou art, and unto duſt thou ſhalt return. On account of our firſt parent's tranſgreſſion, it is appointed unto all men, all ſorts of men, all the inhabitants under heaven, once to die; and therefore the apoſtle ſaith, Death hath paſſed upon all men, even upon thoſe who have not ſinned after the ſimilitude of the tranſgreſſion of Adam, that is, who have not been guilty of actual ſin. Can there be a ſtronger proof of the imputation of Adam's guilt, of original ſin, or a more cutting trial that a tender father and nurſing mother can undergo, than to ſee a dear little child juſt born, or but lent to the loving parents for a few months, taken away often in the greateſt agonies that we can conceive? and if God, my dear hearers, has ever ſuffered your dear children ſuddenly to be ſeized with convulſions, and continue in anguiſh and agonizing pains for many days together, you have had ſufficient proof of it. A friend of mine in London, about thirty-two years ago, that was … of every child he had, to whom … from Georgia, beginning with th…ſe words, Is your Idol dead yet? for I thought it was ſuch an idol that would ſoon go. The account he gave me the firſt time I ſaw him was, that the day before my letter was received, the child died in ſuch agony and torture, that its excrements came out of its mouth, which made the fond and too indulgent parent wiſh to have rather died a thouſand deaths himſelf, than that his child ſhould die in ſuch a way; and added, I was obliged to go to God, and deſire him to take my darling away. What an awful proof are their ſufferings, that children come into the world with a corruption that renders them liable to God's wrath and damnation, but the blood, the precious blood of Jeſus Chriſt, it is to be hoped cleanſes them from the guilt and filth of ſin. So any of you that have got children dead in infancy, O may you improve what I ſhall ſay by and by from the text, and pray endeavour to go to that place, where I hope you will ſee your children making a bleſſed conſtellation in the firmament of heaven: in this reſpect all go to the ſame place, ſome at the beginning of life, ſome at the middle, and ſome at the decline; and happy, happy they who go to bed ſooneſt, if their ſouls are ſaved!
But, my dear hearers, in another caſe we may venture to contradict even Solomon; for if we conſider the words of our text in another view, all do not go to one place; it is true, all are buried in the grave either of earth or water, but then after death comes judgment; death gives the deciſive, the ſeparating blow. Suppoſe then in our enlarging on the text we ſhould confine the word to all the unregenerate, and to thoſe who are not born of God, theſe indeed, die when they will, all go to one place. If you ſhould aſk me, for I love dearly to have an inquiſitive auditory, who I mean by unregenerate? who I mean by thoſe that are not born of God? I anſwer, I do not mean all that only bear the name of Jeſus Chriſt; I mention this, becauſe a great many people think that all that are baptized, either when they are adult or when they are young, whether ſprinkled or put under water, I believe a great many people think that all theſe go to heaven. I remember when I began to ſpeak againſt baptiſmal regeneration in my firſt ſermon, printed when I was about twenty-two years old, or a little more; the firſt quarrel many had with me was, becauſe I did not ſay that all people who were baptized, were born again; I would as ſoon believe the doctrine of tranſubſtantiation. Can I believe that a perſon who gives no evidence of being a ſaint, from the time of his baptiſm to the time perhaps of his death, that never fights againſt the world, the fleſh, and the devil, and never minds one word of what his god-fathers and god-mothers promiſed for him, can I believe that perſon is a real Chriſtian! no, I can as ſoon believe, that a little wafer in the prieſts hand, about a quarter of an inch long, is the very blood and bones of Jeſus Chriſt, who was hung upon the croſs without the gates of Jeruſalem. I do believe baptiſm to be an ordinance of Chriſt, but at the ſame time, no candid perſon can be angry for my aſſerting, that there are numbers that have been baptized when grown up, or when very young, that are not regenerated by God's Spirit, who will all go to one place, and that place is where there will be no water to quench that dreadful fire that will parch them with thirſt. I am ſpeaking out of a book which contains the lively oracles of God, and in the name of one who is truth itſelf, who knowing very well what he ſpoke, is pleaſed in the moſt ſolemn and awful manner to ſay, and that to a maſter in Iſrael, that if a man be not born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot ſee the kingdom of God; he can have no idea, no proper, no adequate notion of it, much leſs is he to expect to be happy eternally with God hereafter; and therefore as our Lord ſpoke to this man, give me leave to obſerve to you. I don't mean the Deiſts only by unregenerate ſinners; I don't mean the profane mocker who is advanced to the ſcorner's chair, nor your open profligate, adulterers, fornicators, abuſers of themſelves with mankind, theſe have damnation as it were written upon their foreheads with a ſunbeam; and they may know that God is not mocked, for if they die without repenting of theſe things they ſhow they are in an unregenerate ſtate and will go to one place: if any of you are going thither, may God ſtop you this night. But, my brethren I will come cloſer; there are more unbelievers within the pale than without the pale of the church; let me repeat it again, you may think of it when I am toſſing upon the mighty waters, there are more unbelievers within the pale of the church than without: all are not poſſeſſors that are profeſſors, all have not got the thing promiſed, all are not partakers of the promiſe, that talk and bleſs God they have got the promiſed Saviour; I may have him in my mouth and upon my tongue, without having the thing promiſed, or the bleſſed promiſe in my heart. A moral man that can walk touching the law blameleſs, a perſon that thinks he is righteous, becauſe he does not know why a perſon who has got no other religion than to go to a particular place of worſhip values himſelf upon being a churchman or a diſſenter; he is ſuch a bigot that he thinks no man will go to heaven but himſelf; theſe, however they may think themſelves ſafe, will e'er long go to one place, whether they think ſo or no; they will be ſoon ſummoned to one bar, and the voice of the archangel founding Ariſe, ye dead, and come to judgment, will be the great alarm; the dead ſhall ariſe and appear before the Son of God as Judge of all mankind; theſe, as well as the infidels would gladly be excuſed; and as they once ſaid, I pray to have me excuſed from coming to Chriſt, ſo they will fain be excuſed from appearing before and being condemned by him, but they muſt all go to one place: and as they know not God, and are unacquainted with the divine life, they muſt hear and ſuffer the dreadful ſentence, Depart ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. This is a thought, that if our hearts my dear hearers, were properly awakened would make our blood run cold: to be in a place of abſence from God, a place where damned ſouls will be forever curſing God and one another: give me leave to dwell upon it a little and may it be bleſſed, under God, to awaken ſome careleſs perſon, who, perhaps, may be taking a walk to-night, and juſt ſtep in to hear what the babler has to ſay while he is about to take his leave of the people. When I ſaw you from my ſtudy crowding to come in, when I ſaw you puſhing forward, ſome to go up to the Tabernacle, or into the veſtry, ſome to fill the area, and others to ſtand at the door, I thought how ſhall I manage with myſelf to-night, ſhall I endeavour to make theſe weep and cry, ſhall I not earneſtly addreſs ſo many precious ſouls in a practical way, to bring them not to the preacher but to the preacher's maſter; knowing the terrors of the Lord we would fain perſuade all to flee from this wrath to come. O awful thought! and yet it is a certain truth, all on earth muſt go to one place; if we live like, and are devils here we muſt go and be with them when we die forever! A bleſſed miniſter of Chriſt, in Scotland told me a ſtory he knew for truth, of a dreadful anſwer a poor creature gave on her death-bed, for the Scotch, except the people of New-England are the moſt knowing people in religious matters, perhaps any where; this perſon when dying was aſked by a miniſter, where do you hope to go when you die? ſays ſhe, I dont care where I go; what, ſays he, dont you care whether you go to heaven or hell? no, ſays ſhe, I dont care whither I go; but, ſays he, if you was put to your choice where would you go; ſays ſhe, to hell; to that he replied, are you mad, will you go to hell? yes ſays, ſhe, I will; why ſo? ſays he; why, ſays ſhe, all my relations are there. The dear miniſter of Chriſt preached after her death, told the ſtory, and aſked is it not ſhocking to hear a woman ſay ſhe would go to hell becauſe her relations were there: why, you that are unregenerate muſt go to hell for all your unregenerate relations are there; your father the devil is there, all damned angels and damned ſpirits are there; your brothers and ſiſters are there; as they went one way here, ſo they muſt be baniſhed from Jeſus Chriſt to one place hereafter.
But I muſt cloſe this mournful theme, it is too gloomy to dwell upon; bleſſed be God, I have another place to tell you of, and another ſort of people to ſpeak of, who ſhall all, as well as thoſe I have ſpoken of, go to one place; perhaps, here are ſome of them; bleſſed is it to live in God. When death cloſes the eyes an actual ſeparation is made, and inſtead of hearing, Depart, ye curſed, they will hear, Come, ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Our bleſſed maſter, and who ſpeaks like him gives us an awful view of Dives and Lazarus, the one feaſting and fattening his body to the grave, not keeping one faſt day in a year, and the other ſtarving at his gate, perhaps buried in the ditch, denied a grave by the pariſh, while this vile wretch, who died alſo, had a pompous funeral; there he was carried to one place; he was, perhaps, laid in ſtate, two mutes attending round the coffin, while damned devils were gnawing his ſoul; he lift up his eyes in torment. Hark! dont you hear him, I will ſtop a little that you may: you ungodly ones, do not you hear your brother cry? he would not pray while alive, but hell makes him pray not to God but to Abraham; Father Abraham, ſays he, ſend Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; and I verily believe, the damned will have a ſight of thoſe that are in heaven, to let them know what a heaven, what a Chriſt, what a glory they have loſt: God grant this may be none of your caſe, it will not be if you are of the number of thoſe who are born from above, that are made new creatures in Chriſt Jeſus; for by being born again from above, I mean receiving a principle of new life, imparted to our hearts by the Holy Ghoſt, changing you, giving you new thoughts, new words, new actions, new views, ſo that old things paſs away, and all things become new in our ſouls. I know very well that the doctrine of a divine influence is exploded: I have often told you, and I tell you again, now I am about going to another clime for a-while that the grand quarrel that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt has with England, and I do not ſpeak it as a prophet, or the ſon of a prophet, but as the Lord God liveth, in whoſe name I ſpeak and for whoſe glory I am going abroad, and in whoſe fear I deſire to die, if the Spirit of God and his divine influence is not more regarded in this land than it has been, wo, wo, wo, to thoſe that deſpiſe it, they may by and by, one day or other, wonder and periſh. Bleſſed be God, there are a happy few who do regard it, and I am perſuaded in my very ſoul, that the number in England, in Scotland, in Ireland, in Wales, and in America, does, and I pray it may, ſtill greatly increaſe. Yet notwithſtanding the word of God does run and is glorified, how many are there at this day that wilfully do deſpite to the Spirit of God, that hate the doctrine of the Spirits divine influences; that if it were in their power, but we live under revolution principles, and are bleſſed with toleration, which is the bulwark of liberty of conſcience, otherwiſe the ſtreet would run with the blood of both churchmen and diſſenters, but whether the world will hear or forbear, bleſſed be God, when we ſpeak of the new birth, we do not ſpeak of a cunningly deviſed fable; what our eyes have ſeen, our hands have handled, and what our hearts have felt of the word of life, that declare we unto you. When I was ſixteen years of age I began to faſt twice a week for thirty-ſix hours together, prayed many times a-day, received the ſacrament every Lord's day, faſting myſelf almoſt to death all the forty days of Lent, during which, I made it a point of duty never to go leſs than three times a day to public worſhip, beſides ſeven times a-day to my private prayers, yet I knew no more that I was to be born again in God, born a new creature in Chriſt Jeſus, than if I was never born at all. I had a mind to be upon the ſtage, but then I had a qualm of conſcience; I uſed to aſk people, pray can I be a player, and yet go to the ſacrament and be a Chriſtian? O, ſay they ſuch a one, who is a player, goes to the ſacrament; though according to the law of the land, no player ſhould receive the ſacrament, unleſs they give proof that they repent; that was Archbiſhop Tilotſon's doctrine: well then, if that be the caſe, ſaid I, I will be a player, and I thought to act my part for the devil as well as any body; but, bleſſed be God he ſtopped me in my journey. I muſt bear teſtimony to my old friend, Mr. Charles Weſley, he put a book into my hands, called, the Life of God in the Soul of Man, whereby God ſhewed me, that I muſt be born again or be damned. I know the place; it may be ſuperſtitious, perhaps, but when ever I go to Oxford, I cannot help running to that place where Jeſus Chriſt firſt revealed himſelf to me, and gave me the new birth. As a good writer ſays, a man may go to church, ſay his prayers, receive the ſacrament, and yet, my brethren, not be a Chriſtian. How did my heart riſe, how did my heart ſhudder, like a poor man that is afraid to look into his account-books, leſt he ſhould find himſelf a bankrupt; yet ſhall I burn that book, ſhall I throw it down, ſhall I put it by, or ſhall I ſearch into it? I did and holding the book in my hand, thus addreſſed the God of heaven and earth: Lord, if I am not a Chriſtian, if I am not a real one, God, for Jeſus Chriſt's ſake, ſhow me what Chriſtianity is, that I may not be damned at laſt. I read a little further, and the cheat was diſcovered; O, ſays the author they that know any thing of religion, know it is a vital union with the Son of God, Chriſt formed in the heart; O what a ray of divine life did then break in upon my poor ſoul, I fell a writing to all my brethren, to my ſiſters, talked to the ſtudents as they came in my room put off all trifling converſation, put all trifling books away, and was determined to ſtudy to be a ſaint, and then to be a ſcholar; and from that moment God has been carrying on his bleſſed work in my ſoul; and as I am now fifty five years of age, going towards ſixty, I tell you, my brethren, as I ſhall leave you in a few days, I am more and more convinced that this is the truth of God, and without it you never can be ſaved by Jeſus Chriſt: all thoſe born of God, whether when young or old, at the ſixth, ninth, or eleventh hour, however ſeparated from one another, through the grace of God they ſhall all go to one place.
If you aſk where that place is? I anſwer, bleſſed be God, to heaven; if you aſk to whom they ſhall go? I anſwer, to the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; and, what will be beſt of all, to Jeſus Chriſt, the heavenly inheritance. If we were not to go to him, what would heaven be? if we were not to ſee him, what would glory be? I know ſome people think heaven is a fine place, ſo it is; but what makes it ſo, but the preſence and joy of the God of glory? I would rather die a thouſand deaths, than ſacrifice my affections as I have done: after I had taken leave of all my friends ſome years ago at Deptford, I burſt out into tears and ſaid, Lord, I would not ſuffer all I feel for my friends but for thee, then returned to my friends and ſaid, Now the bitterneſs of death is paſſed, I am going to be executed, God's will be done. Bleſſed be God, after death there are no ſeparations, we ſhall all go to one place: miniſters that could not preach in one pulpit, and Chriſtians that could not agree with one another, bleſſed be God, ſhall by and by go to one heaven; whether they go to one place or no in this world, does not ſignify: ſays one, I go to the Diſſenters; another, I go to church; and a great many Chriſtians judge of one another as infidels, becauſe they are not of one ſentiment. A good woman came to me ſome years ago juſt as I had done preaching, ſome people love to be impertinent, what do you think, ſays ſhe, of Cotton Mather and another miniſter, one ſaid, I ought to receive the ſacrament before my experience was given in, the other ſaid not, and I believe the angels were glad to carry them both to heaven. I ſaid, good woman, I believe they have not talked about it ſince, for they will no more talk about theſe things. We have but one Father, one Holy Ghoſt, we have lived in one communion of faith; bleſſed be the living God, e'er long the angels ſhall come and call the elect from the eaſt, the weſt, the north, and the ſouth, to be at home with the Lord.
If this be the caſe, my brethren, it may ſupport us under all the changes and partings of this mortal ſtate. As I have been in a public character, I ſuppoſe I may venture to ſay, that no one has been called to ſuch frequent partings from God's people as I have: I am going now the thirteenth time over the water; yes, I find what is ſaid of St. Paul is true, he could bear a whipping, not a weeping: what mean you, ſays he, to weep and break my heart; he never ſaid, whip me and break my back, no, no. All get to one place: what a bleſſed ſtate! to ſee one's ſpiritual father, to ſee one's ſpiritual children, and hear them ſay, ſuch and ſuch a time God begat me to himſelf by your miniſtry! what a bleſſing will it be to hear them ſay, bleſſed be God, next to the Spirit I owe my coming here to that ſervant of thine! and with what raviſhment will the miniſter ſay, behold me and the children thou haſt given me! with what holy triumph will they all then caſt their crowns at the foot of the Lamb! with what joy will they cry, grace, grace, when the top-ſtone is brought forth, and how will they then try who ſhall praiſe redeeming love and rich free grace in the higheſt ſtrain! The difference here is you know, that we ſing in parts, ſome ſing treble, ſome tenor, and ſome baſe; what then? each part helps the other, were all to ſing alike the harmony would not be compleat; however ſhocking it is in this world, all the differences that have been among the people of God, will only make us ſing and unite us the better in a future ſtate.
Well, my dear hearers, by this time then I hope you have began to aſk, to what place am I going? Suppoſe now you reaſon thus; I have heard to-night that all unregenerate perſons go to hell, and dwell among the damned; I have heard that all that are born again of God, and all that believe in Jeſus Chriſt, whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free, all go to dwell with God, with angels, and the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; I have heard the miniſter ſay, though he ſeems ſometimes to ramble in his diſcourſe, that we all go to one place, that is, the grave: I am haſtening there, autumn is coming on, the fall of the leaf is approaching, a blaſt, occaſioned by the ſudden change of weather, or a ſurfeit, by feaſting too luxuriantly on the fruits of God's bounty; another illneſs may take me to my long home. I hear of ſuch-a-one's dying, and of ſuch-a-one, perhaps in an apopletic, perhaps in a paralytic ſit: I am luſty and ſtrong, I am glorying in my ſtrength, but who knows but that may be only making me food for a fever; one would ſtand it better that was more emaciated than I am. If I ſhould be taken this night, am I going the way to hell, or the way to heaven. Adrian, the emperor, cried out upon a time, My trembling, dear departing ſoul, whether art thou going? theſe were his words. Won't you hear an emperor preach, preach on his dying bed, when the ſilver cords of life are looſed? Conſcience, conſcience, conſcience, thou candle of the Lord, may he help thee to light a poor ſinner into a knowledge of himſelf. I charge thee in the name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in the name of that Saviour, in whoſe name and by whoſe power, I truſt, I now preach; O conſcience! thou faithful monitor, let every one hear their own. Come, if conſcience was to ſpeak what would it ſay? why, that if you are not acquainted with yourſelf and Chriſt, you are loſt forever. The Americans are the moſt hoſpitable people under heaven, they love to entertain ſtrangers, who may be hereby kindly provided for without going to an inn: I always endeavoured to drop a word for Chriſt when I came to their houſes. I remember Mr. Steward, and ſome other good friends were with me; when I firſt got into the houſe, I began to talk of Chriſt; the maſter of it ſaid, Sir, I believe you are right; I can't open a leaf in my bible, but I find I am no Chriſtian: would to God all here minded the ſame leaf! May be, many here ſay, ſir, I ſcorn your words; well, don't I? don't God tell you that won't do? you are a moral man, but don't love God; you don't get drunk, becauſe it will make your head ach; you don't commit fornication and adultery, which is common among the great, and therefore they think God will not puniſh them for it; perhaps you are not a fornicator, leſt you ſhould ſtand in a ſheet, though we have no diſcipline among us now; you don't do theſe things for fear of maintaining the baſtard, or being taken up; but does your obedience proceed from love to God, to Chriſt, if not, may God convince you of your miſerable ſtate before you go hence.
But, bleſſed be God, there are numbers of dear ſouls here, that I hope e'er long to live in one place and to eternal ages with. All hail, my fellow Chriſtians; all hail, my dear brethren and friends; all hail, ye that are children of one parent, born of one Spirit, and bring forth the fruits of the Holy Ghoſt in your converſation; yet a little while, and we muſt part; whether I die; or you die, bleſſed be God, one place ſhall e'er long hold us; in yonder bleſſed world we ſhall e'er long meet, and praiſe free grace; my brethren, we ſhall be then for ever with the Lord, for ever one with Chriſt; and if this be the caſe, let us comfort one another with theſe things; and if we are all going to one place, God, of his infinite mercy, keep us from falling out by the way. Don't ſay, I am of the Foundery; don't ſay, I am of the Tabernacle; don't ſpend your time in talking againſt John Weſley and George Whitefield; don't ſay, you go to the Tabernacle, I'll go to the Chapel; no, don't ſpeak of Paul and Cephas; God unite us more and more to Jeſus Chriſt; and if you are going to heaven, God help you to travel a little farther than we do. My brethren, let us preſs forward toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Chriſt Jeſus. O that the God of love may fill us with ſuch peace and ſuch joy, that every ſtorm, every trial, every temptation we meet with, may be overruled to good for us; all our afflictions, all our temptations, are to make heaven more deſirable, and earth more loathſome.
If this is not the caſe with ſome of you, God convert you to-night. Help me, my dear Tabernacle and London hearers, help me, help me, help me for Jeſus Chriſt's ſake. You was once going to hell yourſelves, for God's ſake endeavour to ſtop thoſe that are going there: pray for your unconverted friends. Young people, young people, that are going to hell giddily, may God ſtop you this night: was I to talk to you ſeriouſly, you would ſay as a young gentleman did, when I deſired he would not ſwear; he turned to me and ſaid, Doctor, (I was no more a doctor then than now, and but young too) it is very hard you will not let a man go to hell his own way; if any of you are of this ſtamp, God grant he may not let you go to hell your own way, but go to heaven in God's way, in Chriſt's way. I am ſure you are not happy; the devil never had a happy child in the world: O that God may turn your feet into the way of peace tonight: O that it may be with you as with a young man one night formerly: I remember I had about two hundred notes then; I came into Moorfields this morning at ſix o'clock, ſays he, to meet my ſweetheart, but, bleſſed be God, I met with Jeſus Chriſt, my ſweetheart: would to God you may do ſo, young men, to-night: when you have gone on to that place, O that it may be with you as it was with good Mr. Crane, who is appointed ſteward of the Orphan-houſe; he went once to ſee a play at Drury-lane, but that being full he went to Covent-garden, and that was ſo full he could not put his head in; well, ſays he, he told it me himſelf, and he is an Iſraelite indeed, one of the moſt honeſt men, perhaps, in the world, I will go and hear doctor Whitefield; there God reached his heart, and now he ſhines. I had letters yeſterday or the day before from Georgia, that made my heart leap for joy; honeſt Mr. Wright, that ingenious, indefatigable man, and Mr. Crane, have gone on ſo well, and have managed the Orphan-houſe ſo well, that all letters from all parts give me a pleaſure: would to God, one ſays, you could ſend ten thouſand ſuch people as Mr. Wright, and Mr. Crane; would to God you could ſend a thouſand ſuch over, and an hundred preachers to preach Chriſt among us. O that curioſity may be overruled for good to ſome of you to-night: but I forgot myſelf, and can you blame me if I ſhould detain you a little, though I am really afraid of unfitting myſelf for my voyage, if I tire myſelf before I go: to-morrow I am to go to ſee where I am to ſleep. I intend, God willing, to have a ſacrament here to-morrow, and another next Sabbath day morning. I intend, God willing, to give you a parting word on Sunday evening, and give you notice of taking my laſt farewel in the week, for I muſt get a day or two to diſpatch my private buſineſs, and be ready to go where my God calleth me.
I ſhall, I think, be called to do ſomething which I would, if poſſible, have avoided, and that is, as this place has been repaired, you ſee 'tis freſh done, which is expenſive, and I am willing to leave every thing clear before I go, a collection muſt be made for defraying the charge. The world thinks I am very rich; a man, the other day, was ſo perſuaded of my riches, that he ſent me word, if I did not lay thirty pounds in ſuch a place, I ſhould be killed as ſure as I am alive; but, bleſſed be God, I am alive yet; I do not fear dying ſuddenly, or being diſpatched by a poignard, or a piſtol to make a paſſage for my ſoul to flee to God. You may think, perhaps, I get a great deal by preaching here; and now I am going away, what do you think my ſtated allowance is for preaching at the Tabernacle? I have no more from this place than one hundred pounds a year; and I aſked but laſt night how it ſtood, and inſtead of having a ſingle ſix-pence, I was told there were fifty pounds arrears; well, ſaid I, ungrateful as it is to me, I will make a collection to-night that all may be left free; and if others are left to make an advantage of it, may God make it a bleſſing. There are not ſix people in this place that I have had the value of a guinea of from January to Auguſt; nor have I had a guinea from all theſe ordinances towards bearing the expences of my voyage. When I come, my brethren, to heaven, you ſhall then know with what a ſpirit I have ſerved you; you ſhall then know that all I have done is to build places for others, where I hope God will meet you and your children when I am dead and gone. O that we may meet in one place, when God calls me hence: the Lord quicken you, the Lord ſtrengthen you, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt be with you, and grant that e'er long we may be where there ſhall be no more ſorrow, but we ſhall dwell with God and one another for ever; even ſo, Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Amen.