Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
Soul Proſperity.
3 Epiſtle JOHN ii.
Beloved, I wiſh above all things that thou mayſt proſper, and be in health, even as thy ſoul proſpereth.
WHAT a horrid blunder has one of the famous, or rather infamous, deiſtical writers made, when he ſays, that the goſpel cannot be of God, becauſe there is no ſuch thing as friendſhip mentioned in it. Surely if he ever read the goſpel, having eyes he ſaw not, having ears he heard not: but I believe the chief reaſon is, his heart being waxen groſs, he could not underſtand; for this is ſo far from being the caſe, that the world never yet ſaw ſuch a ſpecimen of ſteady and diſintereſted friendſhip, as was diſplayed in the life, example, and conduct of Jeſus Chriſt of Nazareth.
John, the writer of this epiſtle, had the honor of leaning on his boſom, and of being called, by way of emphaſis, the diſciple whom Jeſus loved; and that very diſciple, which is very remarkable concerning him, though he was one of thoſe whom the Lord himſelf named Sons of Thunder, Mark iv. 17. and was ſo ſuddenly, as biſhop Hall obſerves, turned into a ſon of lightning, that he would have called down fire from heaven to conſume his maſter's enemies; conſequently, though he was of a natural fiery temper, yet the change in his heart was ſo remarkable, that if a judgment may be formed by his writings, he ſeems as full of love, if not fuller, than any of his fellow apoſtles. He learned pity and benevolence of the father of mercies; and to ſhow how chriſtian friendſhip is to be cultivated, he not only wrote letters to churches in general, even to thoſe he never ſaw in the fleſh, but private letters to particular ſaints, friends to whom he was attached, and wealthy rich friends, whom God had, by his Spirit, raiſed up to be helpers of the diſtreſſed. Happy would it be for us, if we could all learn that ſimplicity of heart which is diſplayed in theſe particular words; happy if we could learn this one rule, never to write a letter without ſomething of Jeſus Chriſt in it; for, as Mr. Henry obſerves, if we are to anſwer for idle words, much more for idle letters; and if God has given us our pens, eſpecially if he has given us the pen of a ready writer, it will be happy if we can improve our literary correſpondence for his glory and one another's good. But what an unfaſhionable ſtile, if compared to our modern ones, is that of the apoſtle to Gaius. The ſuperſcription from the elder to the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth; there is fine language for you! Many who call themſelves Chriſt's diſciples, would be aſhamed to write ſo now. I ſend this, and that, and the other; I ſend my compliments. Obſerve what he ſtiles himſelf, not as the pope;*Whether Univerſal Biſhop, or Vicar of Chriſt, Supreme Head▪ Lord or Governor of the World, or a more plaſphemous title, is uncertain; the writer not hearing diſtinctly the Latin words in which it … but he ſtiles himſelf the elder. A judicious expoſitor is of opinion, that all the other apoſtles were dead, and only poor John left behind. I remember a remark of his, "the taller we grow, the lower we ſhall ſtoop." The apoſtle puts himſelf upon a level with the common elders of a church, that he might not ſeem to take ſtare upon him, not to rule as a lion, but with a rod of love: the elder to the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. This Gaius ſeems to be in our modern language, what we call a gentleman, particularly remarkable for his hoſpitality, Gaius mine hoſt; and this Gaius was well-beloved, not only beloved, but well-beloved; that is, one who I greatly eſteem and am fond of; but then he ſhows likewiſe upon what this fondneſs is founded, whom I love in the truth. There are a great many people in writing ſay, dear ſir, or good ſir, and ſubſcribe your humble ſervant, ſir; and not one word of truth either in the beginning or end; but John and Gaius's love was in truth, not only in words, but in deed and in truth; as if he had ſaid, my heart goes along with my hand while I am writing, and it gives me pleaſure in ſuch a correſpondence as this, or whom I love for the truth's ſake, that is, whom I love for being particularly attached to the truth; and then our friendſhip has a proper foundation, when the Love of God and the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus, is the baſis and bond of it. One would think this was enough now; the epiſtles originally were not divided into verſes as now that people may the better find out particular places, though perhaps not altogether ſo properly as they might. The apoſtle's ſaying beloved is not needleſs tautology, but proves the ſtrength of his affection; I wiſh that thou mayſt proſper, and be in health, even as thy ſoul proſpereth. Gaius, it ſeems, at this time felt a weak conſtitution, or a bad habit of body; this may ſhow, that the moſt uſeful perſons, the choiceſt favourites of heaven, muſt not expect to be without the common infirmities of the human frame; ſo far from this, that it is often found that a thouſand uſeful Chriſtians have weakly conſtitutions. That great and ſweet ſinger of Iſrael, Dr. Watts, I remember about two and thirty years ago told me that he had got no ſleep for three months, but what was procured by the moſt exquiſite art of the moſt eminent phyſicians; and, my dear hearers, none but thoſe that have ſuch habits of body can ſympathize with thoſe that are under them. When we are in high ſpirits we think people might do if they would, but when brought down ourſelves we cannot; but notwithſtanding his body was in this condition, his ſoul proſpered ſo eminently, ſo very eminently, that the apoſtle could not think it a greater mercy, or the church a greater bleſſing, than that this bodily health might be as vigorous as the health of his ſoul. I remember the great colonel Gardiner, who had the honor of being killed in his country's cauſe, cloſes one of his laſt letters to me, with wiſhing I might enjoy a thriving ſoul in a healthy body; but this is peculiar to the followers of Jeſus, they find the ſoul proſpers moſt when the body is worſt; and obſerve, he wiſhes him a proſpering body above all things, that he might have joy and health with a proſperous ſoul; for if we have a good heart, and good health at the ſame time, and our hearts are alive to God, we go on with a freſh gale. I obſerve, that the ſoul of man in general muſt be made a partaker of a divine life before it can be ſaid to proſper at all. The words of our text are particularly applicable to a renewed heart, to one that is really alive to God. When a tree is dead we don't ſo much as expect leaves from it, nor to ſee any beauty at all in a plant or flower that we know is abſolutely dead; and therefore the foundation of the apoſtle's wiſh lies here, that the ſoul of Gaius, and conſequently the ſouls of all true believers, have life communicated to them from the Spirit of the living God. Such a life may God of his infinite mercy impart to each of us! and I think, if I am not miſtaken, and I believe I may venture to ſay that I am not, that where the divine life is implanted by the Spirit of the living God, that life admits of decreaſe and increaſe, admits of dreadful decays, and alſo of ſome bleſſed revivings. The rays of the divine life being once implanted, it will grow up to eternal life; the new creation is juſt like the old when God ſaid let there be light, & there was light, which never ceaſed ſince the univerſe was made, and the favourite creature man was born. Upon a ſurvey of his own works, God pronounced every thing good, and entered into his reſt; ſo it will be with all thoſe who are made partakers of the divine nature. The water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be a well of water ſpringing up into everlaſting life.
My brethren, from our firſt coming into the world, till our paſſing out of it to the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, all the Lord's Children have found, ſome more, and others leſs, that they have had dreadful as well as bleſſed times, and all has been over-ruled to bring them nearer unto God: but I believe, I am ſure, I ſpeak to ſome this night, that if it was put to their choice, had rather know that their ſouls proſpered, than to have ten thouſand pounds left them: and it is ſuppoſed that we may not only know it ourſelves, but that others may know it, that their profiting, as Paul ſays, may appear to all. Becauſe John ſays, I wiſh above all things, that thy body may be in health, as thy ſoul proſpers. O may all that converſe with us ſee it in us! We may frequently ſit under the goſpel, but if we do not take a great deal of care, however orthodox we are, we ſhall …all into practical Antinomianiſm, and be contented that we were converted twenty or thirty years ago, & learn, as ſome Antinomians, to live by faith. Thank God, ſay ſome, we met with God ſo many months ago, but are not at all ſolicitous whether they meet with him any more; & there is not a ſingle individual here that is ſavingly acquainted with Jeſus Chriſt, but wiſhes his ſoul proſpered more than his body.
The great queſtion is, how ſhall I know that my ſoul proſpers? I have been told that there is ſuch a thing as knowing this, and that I can be conſcious of it myſelf, and others too. It may not be miſpending an hour, to lay down ſome marks whereby we may know whether our ſouls proſper or no. If there be any of you of an Antinomian turn of mind, (I don't know there are any of you) I don't know but you will be of the ſame mind of the man that came to me in Leadenhall twenty-five years ago: Sir, ſays he, you preached upon the marks of the new birth. Marks, ſays I, yes, ſir: O thank God, ſays he, I am above marks, I don't mind marks at all: and you may be aſſured perſons are upon the brink of Antinomianiſm, that ſay away with your legal preaching. I wonder they don't ſay as they go along the ſtreets, away with your dials, away with your dials, we don't want marks, we know what it is o'clock without any. If the marks upon the ſoul of a believer are like the ſun-dial, there are marks to prove that we are upon the right foundation: if the ſun does not ſhine on the ſun-dial, there is no knowing what o'clock it is: but let it ſhine, and inſtantaneouſly you know the time of the day; this is not known when it is cloudy; and who dare to ſay but that a child of God, for want of the ſun of righteouſneſs ſhining upon his heart, may write bitter things againſt himſelf. A good man may have the vapours, as one Mr. Brown had, that wrote a book of good hymns, who was ſo vapouriſh, that no body could make him believe he had a ſoul at all. Let the ſun ſhine, the believer can ſee whether the ſun is in the meridian at the ſixth, ninth, or twelfth hour. O that there might be great ſearching of heart. I have been looking up to God for direction; I hope the preaching of this may be to awaken ſome, to call back ſome backſliders, to awaken ſome ſinners that don't care whether their ſouls proſper or no. I don't mean the Tabernacle comers, or the Foundery comers, or the church, or diſſenters, but I ſpeak to all of you, of whatever denomination you are; God of his infinite mercy give you his Spirit. You that are believers, come, let us have that common name among us all; if we have got it, we go off well. If you want to know whether your ſouls proſper, that is, whether they are healthy; you know what a perſon means when he wiſhes your body to proſper; let me aſk you how it is between you and God, with reſpect to ſecret prayer? Good Mr. Bunyan ſays, if we are prayerleſs, we are Chriſtleſs. None of God's people, ſays he, come into the world ſtill-born. Good Mr. Birket (whoſe commentary has gone thro' five or ſix-and twenty editions; and yet I think if he was now alive, and to preach once or twice a day, they would cry, Away with his commentary, and preaching and all) ſpeaks to the ſame purpoſe. Come into the world ſtill-born! what language is that in a preacher's mouth? but it will do for thoſe that like to uſe marks and ſigns. I will pour out a Spirit of grace and ſupplication, ſays the Lord; and I will venture to ſay, if the Spirit of grace reſides in the heart, the Spirit of ſupplication will not be wanting. Perſons under their firſt love dare not go without God; they go to God, not as the formaliſt does, not for fear of going to hell, or being damned. It is a mercy any thing drives to prayer; and a perſon under the ſpirit of bondage, that has been juſt brought to the liberty of the ſons of God, goes freely to his heavenly father, under the diſcoveries and conſtraints of divine love. Come I will appeal to yourſelves; did not you, like a dear fond mother, if the child, the beloved child, made but the leaſt noiſe in the world, O, ſays the mother, the dear child cries, I muſt go and huſh it: ſo time was, when many hearkened to the call of God, and could no more keep from the preſence of God in ſecret, than a fond mother from the preſence of her dear child. Now if your ſouls do proſper, this connection between you and God will be kept up; I do not ſay that you will always have the ſame fervour as when you firſt ſet out; I do not ſay you will always be carried up into the third heavens; the animal ſpirits poſſibly will not admit of ſuch ſolace; but you ſhould enquire with yourſelves, whether you would be eaſy to be out of God's company? Steal from behind your counter, and go and converſe with God. Sir Thomas Abney, who was obſervable for keeping up conſtant prayer in his family, being aſked how he kept up prayer that night he was ſworn in Lord Mayor? Very well, ſays he, I got the company into my room, and entertained them, and when the time came, I told them I muſt leave them a little, while I went and prayed with my family, and returned again. God grant we may have many ſuch Lord-Mayers. If our ſouls proſper, the ſame principle will reign in us, and make us conſcientiouſly attend on the means of grace. It is a moſt dreadful mark of an enthuſiaſtic turn of mind, when perſons think they are ſo high in grace, that they thank God they have no need of ordinances. Our being the children of God, is ſo far from being the cauſe of our wanting no ordinances, that, properly ſpeaking, the ordinances are intended for the nouriſhing of the children of God; not only for the awaking the ſoul at firſt, but for the feeding of the ſoul afterwards. If the ſame nouriſhment the child receives before, feeds it after it is born; and as the manna never failed, but the children of Iſrael partook of it daily while in the wilderneſs, till they came to Canaan, ſo we ſhall want our daily bread, we ſhall want the God of grace and mercy to convey his divine life into our hearts, till we get into the heavenly Canaan. There faith will be turned into viſion, and then we ſhall not want ordinances; and let people ſay what they will, if our ſouls proſper we ſhall be glad of ordinances, we ſhall love the place where God dwells; we ſhall not ſay, ſuch a one preaches and I will not go, but if we are among them we ſhall be glad of a good plain country diſh, as well as a fine garniſhed deſert; and if our ſouls proſper, we ſhall be fond of the meſſengers as well as the meſſage: we ſhall admire as much to hear a good ram's-horn, ſuch as blowed down the walls of Jericho, as a fine ſilver trumpet. So in all the ordinances of the Lord, that of the Lord's-ſupper for example; if the ſoul does not attend thereon, it is an evidence that it does not proſper. It is a wonder if that ſoul has not done ſomething to make it afraid to meet God at his table. Adam, where art thou? ſays the eternal Logos to his fallen creature; and every time we miſs, whether we think of it or no, the Redeemer puts it down; but if our ſouls proſper, how ſhall we run to the table of the Lord, and be glad to come often to the commemoration of his death.
I will venture to affirm farther, that if your ſouls proſper, you will grow downwards. What is that? why you will grow in the knowledge of yourſelves. I heard, when I was at Liſbon, that ſome people there began at the top of the houſe firſt. It is odd kind of preaching that will do for the Papiſts, reſting merely in externals. The knowledge of ourſelves is the firſt thing God implants Lord, let me know myſelf, was a prayer that one of the Fathers put up for ſixteen years together; and if you have high thoughts of yourſelves, you may know you are light-headed, you forget what poor ſilly creatures you are. As our ſouls proſper we ſhall be more and more ſenſible, not only of the outſide, but of the inſide; we firſt battle with the outward man, but as we advance in the divine life, we have nearer views of the chambers of imagery that are in our hearts; and one day after another we ſhall find more and more abomination there, and conſequently we ſhall ſee more of the glory of Jeſus Chriſt, the wonders of that Immanuel, who daily delivers us from this body of ſin and death; and I mention this, becauſe there is nothing more common, eſpecially with young Chriſtians. I uſed formerly to have at leaſt a hundred or two hundred in a day, who would come and ſay, O dear, I am ſo and ſo, I met with God; ah! that is quite well: a week after they would come and ſay, O, ſir, it is all deluſion, there was nothing in it; what is the matter? O never was ſuch a wretch as I am, I never thought I had ſuch a wicked heart. Oh! God cannot love me; now, ſir, all my fervour, and all that I felt is gone; and what then? does a tree never grow but when it grows upward? ſome trees I fancy grow downward; and the deeper you grow in the knowledge of yourſelf, the deeper you grow in the knowledge of God and his grace, that diſcovers the corruptions of your hearts. Do not you find that aged men look back upon ſome former ſtates. I know ſome people can't look back to ſee how many ſins they have been guilty of, but if grace helps us to a ſight of our inherent corruptions, it will make us weary of it, and lead us to the blood of Chriſt to cleanſe us from it; conſequently, if your ſouls proſper, the more you will fall in love with the glorious Redemer, and with his righteouſneſs. I never knew a perſon in my life that diligently uſed the word, and other means, but as they improved in grace, ſaw more and more of the neceſſity of depending upon a better righteouſneſs than their own. Generally when we firſt ſet out, we have got better hearts than heads; but if we grow in the divine life, our heads will grow as well as our hearts, and the Spirit of God leads out of abominable ſelf, and cauſes us to flee more and more to that glorious and complete righteouſneſs that Jeſus Chriſt wrought out.
The more your ſouls proſper, the more you will ſee of the freeneſs and diſtinguiſhing nature of God's grace, that all is of grace. We are all naturally free-willers, and generally young ones ſay, O we have found the Meſſiah, of whom Moſes and the Prophets ſpoke; which is right, except that word we have found; for the believer a little after learns, that the Meſſiah had found him. I mention this, becauſe we ought not to make perſons offenders for a word; we ſhould bear with young Chriſtians, and not knock a young child's brains out, becauſe he cannot ſpeak in blank verſe.
Let it not be forgotten alſo, that the more your ſouls proſper, the more you will get above the world. You cannot think that I mean you ſhould be negligent about the things of this life. Nothing tries my temper more, than to ſee any about me idle; an idle perſon tempts the devil to tempt him. In the ſtate of paradiſe Adam and Eve were to dreſs the garden, and not to be idle there; after the fall they were to till the ground: but if any body ſays that the Methodiſts think to be idle, they injure them. We tell people to riſe and be at their work early and late, that they may redeem time to attend the word. If all that ſpeak againſt the Methodiſts were as diligent, it would be better for their wives and families. What do you think a true Methodiſt will be idle? no, he will be buſy with his hands, he knows time is precious, and therefore he will work hard that he may have to give to them that need, and at the ſame time he will live above the world; and you know the earth is under your feet, ſo is the world. When he goes to ſleep he will ſay, I care not whether I awake more. I can look back, and tell you of hundreds and hundreds that once ſeemed alive to God, and have been drawn away with a little filthy, naſty dirt. How many places are there empty here, that have been filled with perſons that once were zealous in their attendance? As a perſon the other day, to whoſe having a place it was objected, that he was a Methodiſt; no, ſays he, I have not been a Methodiſt theſe two years. I do not, for my part, wiſh people joy when they get money; only take care it does not get into, and put your eyes out; if your money increaſes, let your zeal for good works increaſe. Perhaps ſome ſtranger will ſay, I thought you was againſt good works. I tell you the truth, I am againſt good works, don't run away before I have finiſhed my ſentence; we are againſt good works being put in the room of Chriſt, as the ground of our, acceptance; but we look upon it, if we have a right faith, our faith will work by love. Ever ſince I was a boy, I remember to have heard a ſtory of a poor indigent beggar, who aſked a clergyman to give him his alms, which being refuſed, he ſaid, will you pleaſe, ſir, to give me your bleſſing; ſays he, God bleſs you: O, replied the beggar, you would not give me that if it was worth any thing. There are many who will talk very friendly to you, but if they ſuppoſe you are come for any thing, they will run away as from a pick-pocket; whereas, if our ſouls proſpered, we ſhould count it more bleſſed to give than to receive. When we riſe from our beds this would be our queſtion to ourſelves, what can I do for God to-day? what can I do for the poor? have I two, or five, or ten talents? God help me to do for the poor as much as if I knew I was to live only this day.
In a word, if your ſouls proſper, my dear hearers, you will grow in love. There are ſome good ſouls, but very narrow ſouls; they are ſo afraid of loving people that differ from them, that it makes me uneaſy to ſee it. Party ſpirits creep in among Chriſtians, & whereas it was formerly ſaid, ſee how theſe Chriſtians love one another! now it may be ſaid, ſee how theſe Chriſtians hate one another! I declare from the bottom of my heart, that I am more and more convinced that the principles I have preached are the word of God. Pray what do you do at Change; is there ſuch a thing as a Preſbyterian, or Independent, or Church-walk there? is there any chambers there for the Preſbyterians, and Independents, and Churchmen to deal in? People may boaſt of their wildfire-zeal for God, till they can't bear the ſight of a perſon that differs from them. The apoſtle commends Gaius for his catholic love, for his love to ſtrangers. That was a glorious ſaying of a good woman in Scotland, Come in, ſays ſhe, ye bleſſed of the Lord; I have a houſe that will hold a hundred, and a heart that will hold ten thouſand. God give us ſuch a heart; he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. I could mention twenty marks, and ſo go on wire-drawing till nine or ten o'clock; but it is beſt to deal with our ſouls as with our bodies, to eat but little at a time. It is ſo with preaching; though I don't proceed any farther in my diſcourſe, God bleſs what has been ſaid.
But is there a child of God here that can go away without a drooping heart? I don't ſpeak that you may think me humble: I love ſincerity, inward and outward, and hate guile. When I think what God has done for me, how often he has pruned me, and dug and dung'd about me, and when I think how little I have done for God, it makes me weep if poſſible tears of blood; it makes me cry O my leanneſs, my leanneſs, as I expreſſed myſelf with my friend to day. This makes me long, if my ſtrength of body would permit, to begin to be in earneſt for my Lord. What ſay you, my dear friends, have all of you got the ſame temper? have you made the progreſs you ought to have done! O London! London! highly fovoured London! what would ſome people give for thy privileges? what would the people I was called to preach to but this day ſe'ennight? A good, a right honorable lady, about three-and-twenty miles off, has brought the goſpel there. The people that I preached to longed and thirſted after the ſame meſſage; they ſaid, they thought they never heard the truth before. You have the manna poured out round the camp, and I am afraid you are calling it light bread; at leaſt, I am afraid you have had a bad digeſtion. Conſider of it, and for Jeſus Chriſt's ſake tremble for fear God ſhould remove his candleſtick from among you. Labourers are ſick; thoſe that did once labour are almoſt worn out, and others they only bring themſelves into a narrow ſphere, and ſo confine their uſefulneſs. There are few that like to go out into the fields; broken heads and dead cats are no more the ornaments of a Methodiſt, but ſilk ſcarves. Thoſe honorable badges are now no more: the langour has got from the miniſters to the people, and if you don't take care, we ſhall all fall dead together. The Lord Jeſus rouſe us, the Son of God rouſe us all. Ye ſhould ſhow the world the way, and ye that have been Methodiſts of many years ſtanding, ſhow the young ones that have not the croſs to bear as we once had, what ancient Methodiſm was.
As for you who are quite negligent about the proſperity of your ſouls, who only mind your bodies, who are more afraid of a pimple in your faces, than of the rottenneſs of your hearts; that will ſay, O give me a good bottle and a fowl, and keep the proſperity of your ſouls to yourſelves. You had better take care what you ſay, for fear God ſhould take you at your word. I knew ſome tradeſmen and farmers, and one had got a wiſe perhaps with a fortune too, who prayed they might be excuſed, they never came to the ſupper, & God ſent them to hell for it too; this may be your caſe. I was told to-day of a young woman, that was very well on Sunday when ſhe left her friends, when ſhe came home was racked with pain, had an inflammation in her bowels, and is now a breathleſs corpſe. Another that I heard of, a Chriſtleſs preacher, that always minded his body, when he was near death, he ſaid to his wife, I ſee hell opened for me, I ſee the damned tormented, I ſee ſuch a one in hell that I debauched; in the midſt of his agony he ſaid, I am coming to thee, I am coming, I muſt be damned, God will damn my ſoul, and died. Take care of jeſting with God; there is room enough in hell, and if you neglect the proſperity of your ſouls what will become of you? what will you give for a grain of hope when God requires your ſouls? awake thou that ſleepeſt; hark! hark! hark! hear the word of the Lord, the living God. Help me, O ye children of God: I am come with a warrant from Jeſus of Nazareth to night. Ye miniſters of Chriſt that are here, help me with your prayers: ye ſervants of the living God, help me with your prayers. O with what ſucceſs did I preach in Moorfields when I had ten thouſand of God's people praying for me; pray to God to ſtrengthen my body: don't be afraid I ſhall hurt myſelf to-night: I don't care what hurt I do myſelf if God may bleſs it; I can preach but little, but may God bleſs that little. I weep and cry and humble myſelf before my God daily for being laid aſide; I would not give others the trouble if I could preach myſelf. You have had the firſt of me, and you will have the laſt of me: the angels of God waited for your converſion, and are now ready to take care of the ſoul when it leaves the rotten carcaſe. The worſt creature under heaven, that has not a penny in the world, may be welcome unto God. However it has been with us in times paſt, may our ſouls proſper in time to come; which God grant of his infinite mercy, Amen.