Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 18
SERMON XVIII.
The Good Shepherd.
A FAREWEL SERMON.
JOHN x. ver. 27, 28.
My ſheep hear my voice, and I know them; and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any pluck them out of my hand.
IT is a common, and, I believe, generally ſpeaking, my dear hearers, a true ſaying, that bad manners beget good laws. Whether this will hold good in every particular, in reſpect to the affairs of this world, I am perſuaded the obſervation is very pertinent in reſpect to the things of another; I mean bad manners, bad treatment, bad words, have been over-ruled by the ſovereign grace of God, to produce and to be the cauſe of the beſt ſermons that were ever delivered from the mouth of the God-man, Chriſt Jeſus.
One would have imagined, that as he came cloathed with divine efficience, as he came with divine credentials, as he ſpake as never man ſpake, that no one ſhould have been able to have reſiſted the wiſdom with which he ſpake; one would imagine they ſhould have been ſo ſtruck with the demonſtration of the Spirit, that with one conſent they ſhould all own, that he was that prophet that was to be raiſed up like unto Moſes. But you ſeldom find our Lord preaching a ſermon, but ſomething or other that he ſaid was cavilled at; nay, their enmity frequently broke through all good manners; they often, therefore, interrupted him whilſt he was preaching, which ſhows the enmity of their hearts long before God permitted it to be in their power to ſhed his innocent blood. If we look no farther than this chapter, where he repreſents himſelf as a good ſhepherd, one that laid down his life for his ſheep; we ſee the beſt return he had, was to be looked upon as poſſeſſed or diſtracted; for we are told that there was a diviſion therefore again among the Jews for theſe ſayings, and many of them ſaid, he hath a devil and is mad, why hear ye him? If the maſter of the houſe was ſerved ſo, pray what are the ſervants to expect? Others, a little more ſober-minded, ſaid, theſe are not the words of him that hath a devil; the devil never uſed to preach or act in this way. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? So he had ſome friends among theſe rabble. This did not diſcourage our Lord, he goes on in his work; and we ſhall never, never go on with the work of God, till, like our maſter, we are willing to go through good and through evil report: and let the devil ſee we are not ſo complaiſant as to ſtop one moment for his barking at us as we go along.
We are told, that our Lord was at Jeruſalem at the feaſt of the dedication, and it was winter; the feaſt of dedication held, I think, ſeven or eight days for the commemoration of the reſtoration of the Temple and Altar after its profanation by Antiochus: now this was certainly a mere human inſtitution, and had no divine image, had no divine ſuperſcription upon it; and yet I don't find that our bleſſed Lord and Maſter preached againſt it; I don't find that he ſpent his time about this; his heart was too big with ſuperior things; and I believe when we, like him, are filled with the Holy Ghoſt, we ſhall not entertain our audiences with diſputes about rites and ceremonies, but ſhall treat upon the eſſentials of the goſpel, and then rites and ceremonies will appear with more indifference. Our Lord does not ſay, that he would not go up to the feaſt, for, on the contrary, he did go there, not ſo much to keep the feaſt, as to have an opportunity to ſpread the goſpel-net, and that ſhould be our method not to follow diſputing; and it is the glory of the Methodiſts, that we have been now forty years, and, I thank God, there has not been one ſingle pamphlet wrote by any of our preachers about the non-eſſentials of religion.
Our Lord always made the beſt of every opportunity; and we are told, he walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. One would have thought the Scribes and Phariſees would have put him in one of their ſtalls, and have complimented him with deſiring him to preach, no, they let him walk in Solomon's porch; ſome think he walked by himſelf, nobody chooſing to keep company with him. Methinks, I ſee him walking and looking at the temple, and foreſeeing within himſelf how ſoon it would be deſtroyed; he walked penſive, to ſee the dreadful calamities that would come upon the land, for not knowing the day of its viſitation; and it was to let the world ſee he was not afraid to appear in public: he walked, as much as to ſay, have any of you any thing to ſay to me? and he put himſelf in their way, that if they had any thing to aſk him, he was ready to reſolve them; and to ſhew them, that though they had treated him ſo ill, yet he was ready to preach ſalvation to them.
In the twenty-fourth verſe we are told, Then came the Jews round about him, and ſaid unto him, how long doſt thou make us to doubt? They came round about him when they ſaw him walking in Solomon's porch; now, ſay they, we will have him, now we will attack him. And now was fulfilled that paſſage in the Pſalms, they compaſſed me about like bees to ſting me, or rather like waſps. Now, ſay they, we will get him in the middle of us, and ſee what ſort of a man he is; we will ſee whether we can't conquer him; they came to him and they ſay, how long doſt thou make us to doubt? Now this ſeems a plauſible queſtion, how long doſt thou make us to doubt? Pray how long, ſir, do you intend to keep us in ſuſpenſe? Some think the words will bear this interpretation; pray, ſir, how long do you intend thus to ſteal away our hearts? they would repreſent him to be a deſigning man, like Abſalom, to get the people on his ſide, and then ſet up himſelf for the Meſſiah; thus carnal minds always interpret good mens actions. But the meaning ſeems to be this, they were doubting concerning Chriſt; doubting Chriſtians may think it is God's fault that they doubt, but God knows it is all their own. How long doſt thou make us to doubt? I wiſh you would ſpeak a little plainer, ſir, and not let us have any more of your parables; pray let us know who you are, let us have it from your own mouth; if thou be the Chriſt tell us plainly; and I don't doubt but they put on a very ſanctified face and looked very demure; if thou be the Chriſt tell us plainly, intending to catch him: if he does not ſay he is the Chriſt, we will ſay be is aſhamed of his own cauſe; if he does tell us plainly that he is the Chriſt, then we will impeach him to the governor, we will go and tell the governor that this man ſays he is the Meſſiah; now we know of no Meſſiah but what is to joſtle Caeſar out of his throne. The devil always wants to make it believed that God's people, who are the moſt loyal people in the world, are rebels to the government under which they live; if thou be the Chriſt tell us plainly. Our Lord does not let them wait long for an anſwer; honeſty can ſoon ſpeak: I told you and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they hear witneſs of me. Had our Lord ſaid, I am the Meſſiah, they would have taken him up; he knew that, and therefore he joined the wiſdom of the ſerpent with the innocence of the dove: ſays he, I appeal to my works and doctrine, and if you will not infer from them that I am the Meſſiah, I have no further argument. But, he adds, ye believe not, becauſe ye are not of my ſheep. He complains twice; for their unbelief was the greateſt grief of heart to Chriſt: then he goes on in the words of our text, My ſheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any pluck them out of my hand. My ſheep hear my voice; you think to puzzle me, you think to chagrin me with this kind of conduct, but you are miſtaken; you don't believe on me, becauſe you are not of my ſheep. The great Mr. Stodart, of New-England, (and no place under heaven produces greater divines than New England) preached once from theſe words, but ye believe not, becauſe ye are not of my ſheep; a very ſtrange text to preach upon to convince a congregation, yet God ſo bleſſed it, that two or three hundred ſouls were awakened by that ſermon: God grant ſuch ſucceſs to attend the labours of all his faithful miniſters.
My ſheep hear my voice and they follow me. It is very remarkable, there are but two ſorts of people mentioned in ſcripture; it does not ſay the Baptiſts and Independents, nor the Methodiſts and Preſbyterians; no, Jeſus Chriſt divides the whole world into but two claſſes, ſheep and goats: the Lord give us to ſee this morning to which of theſe claſſes we belong.
But it is obſervable, believers are always compared to ſomething that is good and profitable, and unbelievers are always deſcribed by ſomething that is bad, and good for little or nothing.
If you aſk me why Chriſt's people are called ſheep? as God ſhall enable me I will give you a ſhort, and I hope it will be to you an anſwer of peace. Sheep, you know, generally love to be together; we ſay a flock of ſheep, we don't ſay a herd of ſheep; ſheep are little creatures, and Chriſt's people may be called ſheep, becauſe they are little in the eyes of the world, and they are yet leſs in their own eyes. O ſome people think if the great men were on our ſide, if we had king, lords, and commons on our ſide, I mean if they were all true believers, O if we had all the kings upon the earth on our ſide, ſuppoſe you had; alas! alas! do you think the church would go on the better? why, if it was faſhionable to be a Methodiſt at court, if it was faſhionable to be a methodiſt abroad, they would go with a bible or a hymn-book inſtead of a novel; but religion never thrives under too much ſunſhine. Not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe, and God hath choſen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. Dr. Watts ſays, here and there I ſee a king, and here and there a great man in heaven, but their number is but ſmall.
Sheep are looked upon to be the moſt harmleſs, quiet creatures that God hath made: O may God, of his infinite mercy, give us to know that we are his ſheep, by our having this bleſſed temper infuſed into our hearts by the Holy Ghoſt. Learn of me, ſaith our bleſſed Lord; what to do, to work miracles? no; Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. A very good man, now living, ſaid once, if there is any one particular temper I deſire more than another, it is the grace of meekneſs, quietly to bear bad treatment, to forget and to forgive; and at the ſame time that I am ſenſible I am injured, not to be overcome of evil, but to have grace given me to overcome evil with good. To the honour of Moſes it is declared, that he was the meekeſt man upon earth. Meekneſs is neceſſary for people in power; a man that is paſſionate is dangerous; every governor ſhould have a warm temper, but a man of an unrelenting, unforgiving temper, is no more fit for government than Phaeton to drive the chariot of the ſun, he only ſets the world on fire.
You all know, that ſheep of all creatures in the world are the moſt apt to ſtray and be loſt; Chriſt's people may juſtly, in that reſpect, be compared to ſheep; therefore, in the introduction to our morning ſervice, we ſay, We have erred and ſtrayed from thy ways like loſt ſheep. Turn out a horſe, or a dog, and they will find their way home, but a ſheep wanders about, he bleats here and there, as much as to ſay, dear ſtranger, ſhew me my home again: thus Chriſt's ſheep are too apt to wander from the fold; having their eye off the great ſhepherd, they go into this field, and that field, over this hedge and that, and often return home with the loſs of their wool.
But at the ſame time ſheep are the moſt uſeful creatures in the world; they manure the land, and thereby prepare it for the ſeed; they clothe our bodies with wool, and there is not the leaſt part of a ſheep but is uſeful to man: O my brethren, God grant that you and I may, in this reſpect, anſwer the character of ſheep. The world ſays, becauſe we preach faith we deny good works; this is the uſual objection againſt the doctrine of imputed righteouſneſs, but it is a ſlander, an imputed ſlander. It was a maxim in the firſt reformers time, that though the Arminians preached up good works, you muſt go to the Calviniſts for them. Chriſt's ſheep ſtudy to be uſeful, and to clothe all they can; we ſhould labour with our hands, that we may have to give to all thoſe that need.
Believers conſider Chriſt's property in them; he ſays, My ſheep: O bleſſed be God for that little, dear, great word My. We are his by eternal election: the ſheep which thou haſt given me, ſays Chriſt. They were given by God the Father to Chriſt Jeſus, in the covenant made between the Father and the Son from all eternity. They that are not led to ſee this; I wiſh them better heads; though, I believe, numbers that are againſt it have got better hearts; the Lord help us to bear with one another where there is an honeſt heart.
He calls them my ſheep, they are his by purchaſe. O ſinner, ſinner, you are come this morning to hear a poor creature take his laſt farewel; but I want you to forget the creature that is preaching, I want to lead you farther than the Tabernacle; where do you want to lead us? why, to Mount Calvary, there to ſee at what expence of blood Chriſt purchaſed thoſe whom he calls his own; he redeemed them with his own blood, ſo that they are not only his by eternal election, but alſo by actual redemption in time; and they were given to him by the Father, upon condition that he ſhould redeem them by his heart's blood. It was a hard bargain, but Chriſt was willing to ſtrike the bargain, that you and I might not be damned for ever.
They are his, becauſe they are enabled in a day of God's power voluntarily to give themſelves up unto him; Chriſt ſays of theſe ſheep eſpecially, that they hear his voice, and that they follow him. Will you be ſo good as to mind that? here is an alluſion to a ſhepherd: now in ſome places in ſcripture the ſhepherd is repreſented as going after his ſheep*2 Sam. …i. 8. Pſal. lxxviii. 71.; that is our way in England; but in the eaſtern nations, the ſhepherds generally went before; they held up their crook, and they had a particular call that the ſheep underſtood. Now, lays Chriſt, My ſheep hear my voice. This is my beloved Son, ſaith God, hear ye him. And again, the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live: now the queſtion is, what do we underſtand by hearing Chriſt's voice?
Firſt, we hear Moſes' voice, we hear the voice of the law; there is no going to Mount Zion but by the way of Mount Sinai, that is the right ſtraight road. I know ſome ſay, they don't know when they were converted; thoſe are, I believe, very few: generally, nay I may ſay almoſt always, God deals otherwiſe. Some are, indeed, called ſooner by the Lord than others, but before they are made to ſee the glory of God, they muſt hear the voice of the law; ſo you muſt hear the voice of the law before ever you will be ſavingly called unto God. You never throw off your cloak in a ſtorm, but you hug it the cloſer, ſo the law makes a man hug cloſe his corruptions†Rom. vii. 7, 8, 9.; but when the goſpel of the Son of God ſhines into their ſouls, then they throw of the corruptions which they have hugged ſo cloſely; they hear his voice ſaying, Son, daughter, be of good cheer, thy ſins, which are many, are all forgiven thee. They hear his voice; that beſpeaks the habitual temper of their minds: the wicked hear the voice of the devil, the luſts of the fleſh, the luſts of the eye, and the pride of life; and Chriſt's ſheep themſelves attended to them before converſion; but when called afterwards by God, they hear the voice of a Redeemer's blood ſpeaking peace unto them, they hear the voice of his word and of his Spirit.
The conſequence of hearing his voice, and the proof that we do hear his voice, will be to follow him. Jeſus ſaid unto his diſciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his croſs and follow me. And it is ſaid of the ſaints in glory, that they followed the Lamb whitherſoever he went. Wherever the ſhepherd turns his crook, and the ſheep hear his voice, they follow him; they often tread upon one another, and hurt one another, they are in ſuch haſte in their way to heaven. Following Chriſt, means following him through life, following him in every word and geſture, following him out of one clime into another. Bid me come to thee upon the water, ſaid Peter: and if we are commanded to go over the water for Chriſt, God, of his infinite mercy, follow us! We muſt firſt be ſure that the Great Shepherd points his crook for us: but this is the chracter of a true ſervant of Chriſt, that he endeavonrs to follow Chriſt in thought, word, and work
Now, my brethren, before we go farther, as this is the laſt opportunity I ſhall have of ſpeaking to you for ſome months if we live; ſome of you, I ſuppoſe, don't chuſe in general to riſe ſo ſoon as you have this morning; now I hope the world did not get into your hearts before you left your beds; now you are here, do let me intreat you to enquire whether you belong to Chriſt's ſheep or no. Man, woman, ſinner, put thy hand to thy heart and anſwer me, didſt thou ever hear Chriſt's voice ſo as to follow him, to give up thyſelf without reſerve to him? I verily do believe from my inmoſt ſoul, and that is my comfort now I am about to take my leave of you, that I am preaching to a vaſt body, a multitude of dear, precious ſouls, who, if it was proper for you to ſpeak, would ſay, Thanks be unto God, that we can follow Jeſus in the character of ſheep, though we are aſhamed to think how often we wander from thee, and what little fruit we bring unto thee; if that is the language of your hearts, I wiſh you joy; welcome, welcome, dear ſoul, to Chriſt. O bleſſed be God for his rich grace, his diſtinguiſhing, ſovereign, electing love, by which he has diſtinguiſhed you and me. And if he has been pleaſed to let you hear his voice, through the miniſtration of a poor, miſerable ſinner; a poor, but happy pilgrim, may the Lord Jeſus Chriſt have all the glory.
If you belong to Jeſus Chriſt, he is ſpeaking of you; for, ſays he, I know my ſheep. I know them, what does that mean? why, he knows their number, he knows their names, he knows every one for whom he died; and if there was to be one miſſing for whom Chriſt died, God the Father would ſend him down again from heaven to fetch him. Of all, ſaith he, that thou haſt given me, have I loſt none. Chriſt knows his ſheep; he not only knows their number, but the words ſpeak the peculiar knowledge and notice he takes of them; he takes as much care of each of them, as if there was but that one ſingle ſheep in the world. To the hypocrite he ſaith, Verily I know you not; but he knows his ſaints, he is acquainted with all their ſorrows, their trials and temptations; he bottles up all their tears, he knows their domeſtic trials, he knows their inward corruptions, he knows all their wanderings, and he takes care to fetch them back again. I remember I heard good Dr. Marryant, who was a good market-language preacher, once ſay at Pinner's-hall, I hope that pulpit will be always filled with ſuch preachers) God has got a great dog to fetch his ſheep back, ſays he. Don't you know that when the ſheep wander, the ſhepherd ſends his dog after them to fetch them back again? ſo when Chriſt's ſheep wander, he lets the devil go after them, and ſuffers him to bark at them, who, inſtead of driving them farther off, is made a means to bring them back again to Chriſt's fold.
There is a precious word I would have you take notice of, I know them; that may comfort you under all your trials. We ſometimes think that Chriſt does not hear our prayers, that he does not know us; we are ready to ſuſpect that he has forgotten to be gracious; but what a mercy it is that he does know us. We accuſe one another, we turn devils to one another are accuſers of the brethren, and what will ſupport two of God's people when judged by one another but this, Lord, thou knoweſt my integrity, thou knoweſt how matters are with me?
But, my brethren, here is ſomething better, here is good news for you; what is that? fly you; why, I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any pluck them out of my hand. O that the words may come to your hearts with as much warmth and power as they did to mine thirty-five years ago. I never prayed againſt any corruption I had in my life, ſo much as I did againſt going into holy orders, ſo ſoon as my friends were for having me go; and biſhop Benſon was pleaſed to honor me with peculiar friendſhip, ſo as to offer me preferment, or do any thing for me: my friends wanted me to mount the church betimes, they wanted me to knock my head againſt the pulpit too young; but how ſome young men ſtand up here and there and preach, I don't know how it may be to them; but God knows how deep a concern entering into the miniſtry and preaching was to me: I have prayed a thouſand times till the ſweat has dropped from my face like rain, that God of his infinite mercy, would not let me enter the church before he called me to, and thruſt me forth in his work. I remember once in Glouceſter, I know the room, I look up at the window when I am there and walk along the ſtreet; I know the window, the bedſide, and the floor upon which I have laid proſtrate: I ſaid, Lord, I cannot go, I ſhall be puffed up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil; Lord, don't let me go yet; I pleaded to be at Oxford two or three years more; I intended to make an hundred and fifty ſermons, and thought I would ſet up with a good ſtock in trade however; but I remember praying, wreſtling, and ſtriving with God; I ſaid, I am undone, I am unfit to preach in thy great name, ſend me not, pray, Lord, ſend me not yet. I wrote to all my friends in town and country, to pray againſt the biſhop's ſolicitation, but they inſiſted I ſhould go into orders before I was twenty-two. After all their ſolicitation theſe words came into my mind, nothing ſhall pluck you out of my hand. O may the words be bleſſed to you, my dear friends, that I am parting with, as they were to me when they came warm upon my heart; then, and not till then, I ſaid, Lord, I will go, ſend me when thou wilt. I remember when I was in a place called Dover-Iſland, near Georgia, we put in with bad winds; I had an hundred and fifty in family to maintain, and not a ſingle farthing to do it with, in the deareſt part of the king's dominions; I remember, I told a miniſter of Chriſt now in heaven I had theſe words once, ſir, Nothing ſhall pluck you out of my hand. O, ſays he, take comfort from them, you may be ſure God will be as good as his word, if he never tells you ſo again. And our Lord knew his poor ſheep would be always doubting they ſhould never reach heaven, therefore, ſays he, I give to them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh.
Here are in our text three bleſſed declarations, or promiſes:
Firſt. I know them.
Second. They ſhall never periſh: though they often think they ſhall periſh by the hand of their luſts and corruptions; they think they ſhall periſh by the deceitfulneſs of their hearts; but Chriſt ſays, they ſhall never periſh. I have brought them out of the world to myſelf, and do you think I will let them go to hell after that. I give to them eternal life; pray mind that; not I will, but I do. Some talk of being juſtified at the day of judgment, that is nonſenſe; if we are not juſtified here, we ſhall not be juſtified there. He gives them eternal life, that is, the earneſt, the pledge, and aſſurance of it; the indwelling of the Spirit of God here, is the earneſt of glory hereafter.
Third. Neither ſhall any pluck them out of my hand. He holds them in his hand, that is, he holds them by his power, none ſhall pluck them thence; there is always ſomething plucking at Chriſt's ſheep, the devil, the luſts of the fleſh, the luſts of the eye, and the pride of life, all try to pluck them out of Chriſt's hand. O my brethren, they need not pluck us, for we help all three to pluck ourſelves out of the hand of Jeſus; but none ſhall pluck them out of my hand, ſays Chriſt. I give to them eternal life. I am going to heaven to prepare a place for them, and there they ſhall be. O my brethren, if it was not for keeping you too long, and too much exhauſting my own ſpirits, I could call upon you to leap for joy; there is not a more bleſſed text to ſupport the final perſeverance of the ſaints; and I am aſtoniſhed any poor ſoul, and good people I hope too, can fight againſt the doctrine of the perſeverance of the ſaints; what if a perſon ſay they ſhould perſevere in wickedneſs? ah! that is an abuſe of the doctrine; what, becauſe ſome people ſpoil good food, are we never to eat it? But, my brethren, upon this text I can leave my cares, all my friends, and all Chriſt's ſheep to the protection of Chriſt Jeſus's never-failing love.
I thought this morning, when I came here riding from the other end of the town, it was to me like coming to be executed publicly; and when the carriage turned juſt at the end of the walk, and I ſaw you running here, O thinks I it is like a perſon now coming juſt to the place where he is to be executed: when I went up to put on my gown, I thought it was juſt like dreſſing myſelf to be made a public ſpectable to ſhed my blood for Chriſt; and I take all heaven and earth to witneſs, and God and the holy angels to witneſs, that though I had preferment enough offered me, that though the biſhop took me in his arms, and offered me two pariſhes when I was but twenty-two years old, and always took me to his table; though I had preferment enough offered me when I was ordained, thou, O God, knoweſt, that when the biſhop put his hand upon my head, I looked for no other preferment than publicly to ſuffer for the Lamb of God: in this ſpirit I came out, in this ſpirit I came up to this metropolis. I was thinking when I read of Jacob's going over the brook with a ſtaff, that I would not ſay ſo much, but I came up without a friend, I went to Oxford without a friend, I had not a ſervant, I had not any one to introduce me; but God, by his Holy Spirit, was pleaſed to raiſe me up to preach for his great name's ſake: through his Divine Spirit I continue to this day, and fell my affections are as ſtrong as ever towards the work, and the people of the living God. The congregations at both ends of the town are dear to me: God has honored me to build this and the other place; and, bleſſed be his name, as he called me to Georgia at firſt, and I left all London affairs to God's care, when I had moſt of the churches in London open for me, and had twelve or fourteen conſtables to keep the doors, that people might not croud too much; I had offers of hundreds then to ſettle in London, yet I gave it up for God, to go into a foreign clime; and I hope with that ſame ſingle intention I am going now.
When I came from America laſt, I thought I had no other river to paſs over but the river Jordan, I remember I told you ſo; and as the orphan-houſe was then to be given, I thought, out of my hands, I then intended to retire into ſome little corner, and pray when I could not preach, my ſpitits were ſo low, and my nerves and animal frame ſo weak, but God, of his infinite mercy, has renewed my ſtrength, and is pleaſed to raiſe my ſpirits, ſo that I find my heart is willing to go here or there, wherever God ſhall call.
The orphan-houſe being turned into a college is a matter of great conſequence; you that have not been in America can't tell, but I heartily wiſh, I am neither a prophet, nor the ſon of a prophet, and I hope none of us will ever be driven to America for an aſylum, where God's people were driven from this land and hundred years ago: clouds are growing thick, and if a ſpirit of moderation does not prevail among governors and governed, what but confuſion muſt happen to perſons who ſtrive one with another, and are making ſport for the devil by deſtroying one another? may the great and gracious God avert every impending ſtorm; and by diffuſing a ſpirit of moderation and of a ſound mind, and by keeping his people cloſe to himſelf, avert thoſe ſtorms, thoſe terrible, judgments, that we have reaſon to expect from our repeated provocations. I am going now to ſettle the orphan houſe upon a proper baſis; I go now in the fall, that I may be in Georgia in the winter, which is fine weather there. The twenty-fifth of March is the anniverſary of the day on which I laid the firſt brick of the orphan-houſe; by that time, I hope, all the buildings will be finiſhed, and the plantation ſettled; and then I hope to go and preach along the continent to New-England, and from thence I intend, if God permit me, to return to my dear London and Engliſh friends again.
I have bleſſed news from the orphan-houſe; one writes to me word, Would to God you could ſend a thouſand ſuch as you have ſent, Mr. Dixon, and his wife, that have been old ſervants there; Mr. Wright, Mr. Crayne, and Mr. Wright's brother, and thoſe that have been employed with them to carry on the work of the Lord; and I cannot think but God intends to lay a foundation for a bleſſed ſeminary for Chriſt: Lord Jeſus, hear our prayers upon that account.
Now I muſt come to the hardeſt part I have to act: I was afraid when I came out from home, that I could not bear the ſhock, but I hope the Lord Jeſus Chriſt will help me to bear it, and help you to give me up to the bleſſed God, let him do with me what he will. This is the thirteenth time of my croſſing the mighty waters; it is a little difficult at this time of life; and though my ſpirits are improved in ſome degree, yet weakneſs is the beſt of my ſtrength: but I delight in the cauſe, and God fills me with a peace that is unutterable, which nobody knows, and a ſtranger intermeddles not with: into his hands I commend my ſpirit; and I beg that this may be the language of your hearts, Lord, keep him, let nothing pluck him out of thy hands. I expect many a trial while I am on board, ſatan always meets me there; but that God which has kept me, I believe will keep me. I thank God, I have the honor of leaving every thing quite well and eaſy at both ends of the town; and, my dear hearers, my prayers to God ſhall be, that nothing may pluck you out of Chriſt's hands. Witneſs againſt me, if I ever ſet up a party for myſelf; did ever any miniſter, or could any miniſter in the world ſay, that I ever ſpoke againſt any one going to any dear miniſter? I thank God, that he has enabled me to be always ſtrengthning the hands of all, though ſome have afterwards been aſhamed to own me. I declare to you, that I believe that God will be with me, and will ſtrengthen me; and I believe it is in anſwer to your prayers, that God is pleaſed to revive my ſpirits: may the Lord help you to pray on. If I am drowned in the waves I will ſay, Lord, take care of my London, take care of my Engliſh friends, let nothing pluck them out of thy hands.
And as Chriſt has given us eternal life, O my brethren, ſome of you, I doubt not, will be gone to him before my return; but, my dear brethren, my dear hearers, never mind that; we ſhall part, but it will be to meet again forever. I dare not meet you now, I can't bear your coming to me to part from me, it cuts me to the heart and quite overcomes me, but by and by all parting will be over, and all tears ſhall be wiped away from our eyes. God grant that none that weep now at my parting, may weep at our meeting at the day of judgment; and if you never were among Chriſt's ſheep before, may Chriſt Jeſus bring you now. O come, come, ſee what it is to have eternal life; don't refuſe it; haſte, ſinner, haſte away: may the great, the good ſhepherd, draw your ſouls. Oh! if you never heard his voice before, God grant you may hear it now; that I may have this comfort when I am gone that I had laſt, that ſome ſouls are awakened at the parting ſermon. O that it may be a farewel ſermon to you; that it may be a means of your taking a farewel of the world, the luſts of the fleſh, the luſts of the eye, and the pride of life. O come, come, come, to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; to him I leave you.
And you, dear ſheep, that are already in his hands, O may God keep you from wandering; God keep you near Chriſt's feet; I don't care what ſhepherds keep you, ſo as you are kept near the great ſhepherd and biſhop of ſouls. The Lord God keep you, lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.
FINIS.