Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
The Goſpel a dying Saint's Triumph.
A FUNERAL SERMON.
MARK xvi. ver. 15, 16.
And be ſaid unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the goſpel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned.
I AM perſuaded I need not inform this auditory, that when ambaſſadors are ſent to a prince, or when judges go their reſpective circuits, it is always cuſtomary for them to ſhow their credentials, to open and read their commiſſions, by which they act in his Majeſty's name. The ſame is abſolutely neceſſary for thoſe who are ambaſſadors of the Son of God, as they would be faithful to their Lord; ſince they are to ſit with him on the throne, when he ſhall come the ſecond time to judge both evil angels and men. If any ſhould aſk me, where is eheir commiſſion? it has been juſt now read unto you. Here it is in my hand, it is written with the King's own hand, by the finger of the ever-bleſſed God, and ſealed with the ſignet of his eternal Spirit, with his broad ſeal annexed to it. The commiſſion is ſhort, but very extenſive; and it is remarkable, it was given out juſt before the Redeemer went to heaven; he reſerved it in infinite wiſdom for his laſt bleſſing, to appoint and employ vicegerents to carry on his work on earth. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Son of God ſays to a company of poor fiſhermen. There was not one ſcholar among them all. What does he ſay; Go ye into all the world, and preach the goſpel unto every creature. Let us pauſe a while, and before we go further let us ſee what mercy, what love, and yet withal, what equal majeſty are blended in this expreſſion or commiſſion. Go ye, ye poor fiſhermen, ye that the letter-learned doctors will look upon as illiterate men; Go ye, that have hitherto been dreaming of temporal preferments, quarrelling who ſhould ſit on my right hand and on my left hand in my kingdom: Go ye, not ſtay till the people come to you, but imitate the conduct of your Maſter; Go ye, remembring that the devil will not permit ſouls to be fond of hearing you: Go therefore; where? into all the world: there is a commiſſion for you; there never was ſuch a commiſſion on the earth; there never was any like this; Go into all the world, that is, into the Gentile as well as the Jewiſh world. Hitherto my goſpel has been confined to the Jews; I once told you, you muſt not go to the Gentiles; I once told a poor woman that came to me, it is not meet to take the childrens bread, and give it unto dogs: but the partition wall being now broke down, the veil of the temple being now rent in twain, he gave them a univerſal commiſſion; Go ye, therefore, into all the world; how! what go into other miniſters pariſhes? for there was not a diſtrict then but what was ſettled with ſhepherds, ſuch as they were; yes, yes, Go into all the world: and though I will not pretend to ſay, that this enjoins miniſters to go into every part of the world; yet I inſiſt upon it, and by the grace of God, if I was to die for it, I will ſay, that no power on earth has power to reſtrain miniſters from preaching where a company of people are willing to hear; and if miniſters were of a right temper, they would ſay as a miniſter did at Oxford, that uſed to viſit the priſoners there; I remember once I went to aſk him whether I might go and viſit ſome of his pariſh, whether he was offended at our going to viſit the priſoners? No, no, ſays he, I am glad I have any ſuch young curates as you. And if miniſters were of ſuch a temper now, O dear the devil would ſly before us. As good Mr. Philip Henry ſaid to the miniſter of Broad Oaks, from whence he was ejected, but preached afterwards in a barn, and meeting the miniſter after ſermon was over; Sir, ſays Mr. Henry, I have been making bold to throw a handful of ſeed into your ground. Thank you, ſir, ſays he, God bleſs it, there is work enough for us both. We may talk of what we will, ſearch into the bottom, it is not for want of light, but of more zeal and love to the Son of God: if we were as warm, and full of the love of God as we ought to be, theſe pretty excuſes we urge to ſave our bones, would not be ſo much as mentioned; we ſhould go out and leave theſe carcaſes to the grace of God. I don't ſee how we can act as prieſts of the church of England without doing it. Be ſo kind as to read the Ordination Service as ſoon as you go home; for the office of ordination and conſecration of biſhops, prieſts, and deacons, is left out of moſt of the common prayer-books, ſo that people are as ignorant of it as if it was not. The office of a prieſt is this: he is not to confine himſelf to his place, no; what then? why he is to go forth, and ſeek after the children of God that are diſperſed in this naughty world; theſe are the very words that the biſhop ſpeaks to us when we are ordained; but if we are confined to one particular place, and are to be ſhut up in one corner, pray how do we ſeek the children of God that are diſperſed in this naughty world? Pariſhes and ſettled miniſters there muſt be, but we are not, I inſiſt on it, to be hindered from preaching Chriſt any where, becauſe he bids us go into all the world; here is our licence. I acknowledge the Chapel is licenſed; here is my licence, and wherever I go I will produce my licence; where? why out of the 16th of Mark; Go ye and preach the goſpel to all the world: there is the licence, and the Spirit of Chriſt helping us to preach by that licence, will make all the devil's children cowards before us. We have tried them theſe thirty years, would to God we ſet about it now; if I had ſtrength I would ſet about it to-morrow; I only grieve that my body will not hold out for field-preaching, elſe Kennington-Common ſhould be my pulpit, for any place is conſecrated where Chriſt is preſent. Well, what muſt we go forth to do? Go ye into all the world, and preach; preach! what is that? why the original word for preach is to ſpeak out, as a crier does that cries goods that are loſt; proclaim it. And Iſaiah would be reckoned a dreadful enthuſiaſt if now alive. How does he preach? he preaches in the King's chapels ſuch language and eloquence as would carry all before it; and yet how does he preach? Ho, every one that thirſteth. O, he lifts up his voice like a trumpet. And the word preach ſignifies to proclaim; to cry aloud, and ſpare not. How do you like one that cries your loſt goods if he only whiſpers? would you chuſe to employ a man that you could not hear two yards? O, ſay, you, I ſhall never find my goods: and if perſons have what qualifications they may, if they cannot be heard at all; they need not preach at all. I know a prebend in the cathedral of York, who ſpoke ſo very low nobody heard him; ſomebody ſaid, they never heard ſuch a moving ſermon in all their lives in that cathedral, for it made all the people move out, becauſe they could not hear. The matter of the miniſtry of the goſpel is of infinite importance: unleſs, my brethren, we could be heard, what do we preach for? It implies earneſtneſs in the preaching, and the preacher. You expect a perſon, like one that is crying your goods, to be in earneſt; and if we preach, and make the King's proclamation, we ſhould be in earneſt. It is ſaid, Chriſt opened his mouth and taught. Now a modern critic would laugh at▪ that; open his mouth, ſay they, how could he ſpeak without opening his mouth? Would it not be better to ſay, he taught them? No, no, there is no idle word in God's book. It is ſaid, the Lord Jeſus opened his mouth: what for? why, to get in breath that he might ſpeak loud to the people, when the heavens were his ſounding board; then did he open his mouth, and taught them in earneſt, powerfully; and therefore the people make this obſervation when he had done ſpeaking, that he ſpoke as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. There is no diſpenſation from preaching, but ſickneſs or want of abilities, to thoſe that are ordained to preach; and therefore it was a proverb in the primitive church, that it becomes a biſhop to die preaching. Biſhop Jewell, that bleſſed miniſter of the church of England, gave that anſwer to a perſon that met his lordſhip walking on foot in the dirt, going to preach to a few people. Why does your lordſhip, weak as you are, expoſe yourſelf thus? ſays he, it becomes a biſhop to die preaching. Lord ſend all the world that have biſhops ſuch jewels as he was! Pray what are they to preach? not themſelves. What are they to preach? why they are to preach not morality: not morality! come, don't be frightened, any of you that are afraid of good works don't be frightened this morning: I ſay not morality; that is, morality is not to be the grand point of their preaching; they are not to preach as a heathen philoſopher would. A late biſhop of Lincoln, who has not been dead a long while, ſaid to his chaplain, You are not a miniſter of Cicero, or any of the heathen philoſophers; you are not to entertain your people with dry morality, but remember you are a miniſter of Chriſt; you are, therefore, to preach the goſpel; and if you will not preach the goſpel in the church, you muſt not be angry for the poor people's going out into the fields where they hear the goſpel; that is to be your grand theme, Go into all the world and preach the goſpel.
Now the goſpel ſignifies good news, glad tidings: Behold I bring you, ſaid the angel, glad tidings of great joy. Mean and contemptible as the office of a preacher may be thought now, the angels were glad of the commiſſion to preach this goſpel: and Dr. Goodwin, that learned pious ſoul, ſays in his familiar way, and that is the beſt way of writing, God had but one Son, and he made a miniſter of him; and I add, he made an itinerant miniſter of him too. Well, and ſome ſay, you muſt not preach the law; you cannot preach the goſpel without preaching the law; for you ſhall find by and by, we are to preach ſomething that the people muſt be ſaved by: it is impoſſible to tell them how they are to be ſaved, unleſs we tell them what they are to be ſaved from. The way the Spirit of God takes, is like that we take in preparing the ground: do you think any farmer would have a crop of corn next year unleſs they plough now; and you may as well expect a crop of corn on unploughed ground, as a crop of grace, until the ſoul is convinced of its being undone without a Saviour. That is the reaſon we have ſo many muſhroom converts, ſo many perſons that are always happy! happy! happy! and never were miſerable; why? becauſe their ſtony ground is not ploughed up; they have not got a conviction of the law; they are ſtony ground hearers: they hear the word with joy, and in a time of temptation, which will ſoon come after a ſeeming or real converſion, they fall away. They ſerve Chriſt as the young man ſerved the Jews that laid hold of him, who, when he found he was like to be a priſoner for following Chriſt, left his garments; and ſo ſome people leave their profeſſion. That makes me ſo cautious now, which I was not thirty years ago, of dubbing people converts ſo ſoon. I love now to wait a little, and ſee if people bring forth fruit; for there are ſo many bloſſoms which March winds you know blow away, that I cannot believe they are converts till I ſee fruit brought forth. It will do converts no harm to keep them a little back; it will never do a ſincere ſoul any harm.
We are to preach the goſpel: to whom? to every creature: here is the commiſſion, every creature. I ſuppoſe the apoſtles were not to ſee every creature; they did not go into all nations; they had particular diſtricts; but wherever they did go, they preached. Did you ever hear Paul, or any of the apoſtles, ſent away a congregation without a ſermon? No, no: when turned out of the temple they preached in the highways, hedges, ſtreets and lanes of the city: they went to the waterſide; there Lydia was catched. My brethren, we have got a commiſſion here from Chriſt; and not only a commiſſion, but we have a command to preach to every creature; all that are willing to hear. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear; and if ſome ſhall ſay, they will not come if we do preach, would to God we tried them: where the carcaſe is there will the eagles be gathered together. We are to preach glad tidings of ſalvation; to tell a poor benighted world, lying in the wicked one the devil, their ſtate and condition: we are to tell them, God is love; to tell them, that God loves them better than they do themſelves. We muſt preach the law, but not leave the people there. We muſt tell them how Moſes brings them to the borders of Canaan, and then tell them of a glorious Joſhua that will carry them over Jordan; firſt, to ſhew them their wants; and then point out to them a Jeſus that can ſupply, and more than ſupply, all their wants. This we are to tell every creature; and it is for this that people ſtone goſpel preachers. I don't think the priſoners would be angry with us if we were to tell them, the king commiſſions us to declare to them that they might come out of their priſon, that their chains may be knocked off. If you was to go to one of them and ſay, Here you have your chains; and he was to ſay, I have no chains on at all, you would think that man's brains turned; and ſo are every man's that does not ſee himſelf to be in the chains of ſin and deceit. We are to preach liberty to the captives, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord; ſound the jubilee trumpet, and tell them the year of releaſe is come; that Jeſus can make them happy.
But, pray, if we are to preach, what are the creatures to do that ſee the need of this ſalvation? I will tell you; they are to believe. He that believeth, and is baptized, &c. The grand topics Chriſt's miniſters are to preach, are repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The men of the world fancy they have believed already, and ſome of them lift up their heads and ſay, Thank God, we have believed ever ſince we were born; and in one ſenſe may people believe, but in what ſenſe? juſt as the devil believes; they believe, and ſtill continue devils in their carnal ſtate; that is, they aſſent to the goſpel, they aſſent to it as a thing that is credible. This is our ſchool definition of faith; and I believe there are thouſands that call themſelves Chriſtians, that don't believe a thouſandth part of what the devil does. The devil believes more than an Arian, for he does not believe Chriſt to be God; the devil ſays, I know whom thou art, the Holy One of God. The devil will riſe up in judgment againſt him. He believes more than a Socinian, who belives Jeſus Chriſt to be no more than an extraordinary man; and he believes more of Jeſus Chriſt than thouſands of profeſſors do, who are neither Arians or Socinians. There are a thouſand things in this book*Holding out his Bible. that many people if you come to cloſe-quarters with them, will ſay they do not believe, though they are aſhamed to own it. The furtheſt that they go, is to aſſent to the creed, to the Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments; and if a perſon can ſay theſe in their mother tongue and have been baptized by the prieſt, and confirmed by the biſhop, and go to church once a week, and now and then on holidays, they think they are not only believers, but ſtrong believers. I am not againſt going to church, nor againſt the Creed, the Lord's prayer, and the Commandments; I love and honor them, and I pray God we may always have them; and I would not have our liturgy or articles departed from for ten thouſand worlds. Many would have them altered, becauſe there are ſome faults in them; but if our modern people were to alter them, they would make them ten thouſand times worſe than they are. But believing ſomething more; it is a coming to Jeſus Chriſt, receiving Jeſus, rolling ourſelves on Jeſus; it is a truſting in the Lord Jeſus. I do not know any one ſingle thing more variouſly expreſſed in the ſcriptures than believing; why? becauſe it is the marrow of the goſpel. Without faith we cannot be juſtified, either in our perſons or performances; and therefore the Holy Ghoſt has variouſly expreſſed it, to let us ſee the importance of the point. It is expreſſed by a coming, truſting, receiving, and relying, (all which amounts to the ſame thing) under a felt conviction that we are loſt, undone, condemned without him: for, as a good old Puritan obſerves, Chriſt is beholden to none of us for our hearts; we never ſhould come to Jeſus Chriſt, the ſinner's laſt ſhift, till we feel we cannot do without him. We are like the woman with the bloody iſſue; the ſpent a great deal of money upon phyſicians; if ſhe had the ſum of one halfguinea more, till that was gone ſhe never would have come to Chriſt; but having ſpent all, and then hearing that Jeſus was to come that way, a ſenſe of her need, a feeling ſenſe of her importance, and inſufficiency of all other applications, made her come to Chriſt; ſaying in her heart, If I could but touch the hem of his garment I ſhould be whole; Jeſus the ſon of David, would have mercy on me; or words to that purpoſe. She did not go about and ſay, pray lend me a common prayer book; it was not in print then. Where muſt ſhe borrow one; her heart, touched by God, was the beſt common-prayer; and a few words uttered from a ſenſe of her weakneſs and miſery, was more rhetoric, was more muſic in the ears of God, than an extempore prayer by a gifted man, admiring himſelf for an hour & half. As a perſon told me but yeſterday, of a poor outlandiſh Papiſt that was condemned to die, held out for a long while; he would not ſpeak to a Proteſtant miniſter, but a night or two before he ſuffered, comes out to him, and ſays, … now ſee the neceſſity of a greater abſolution than a prieſt can give me; and then, in his broken language, cries out, Dear Lord Jeſus, ſhow thy charity to thy poor ſinner! There is language! there is rhetoric for you! and we ourſelves like ſuch language. You don't like fawning people that come into your room, and by their very manner of coming prove they are not ſincere; but a poor creature that comes to pour out two or three words you ſee is honeſt, you will not ſay to ſuch a one, Why do you come to me, & not ſpeak blank verſe? why do you come to me, and not ſpeak fine language? No; ſincerity is the thing; ſincerity is all in all. When we are once convinced of our need and helpleſſneſs, and of Jeſus's being a Redeemer, that is mighty and willing to ſave, a poor ſoul then throws himſelf upon this Jeſus, receives this Jeſus, ventures upon this Jeſus, believes the word, and by thus venturing on the promiſe, receives from Jeſus the thing promiſed. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But then where there is true faith, that will, my dear hearers, be attended with what? why, with ſalvation. He that believeth, and is baptized, ſaith our Lord, ſhall be ſaved: ſaved from what? why, from every thing that he wants to be ſaved from, and receives every thing God can give to compleat his whole ſalvation. What is it a poor ſinner wants to be ſaved from? O, ſin, ſin, the guilt of ſin. The firſt conviction brings the creatures to God by force: there are very few that are drawn by love entirely: and I ſeldom find any of thoſe that have been drawn by love, but have had dreadful conflicts afterwards: for either before or after converſion, our hearts muſt be plowed up, or we ſhall never be prepared for the kingdom of heaven.
Ye ſhall be ſaved from the painful guilt of ſin: what is that? why, the common-prayer book will tell you, in the communion office; the remembrance of our ſins is grievous unto us, and the burden of them is intolerable. There is methodiſtical language. Cranmer, Latimer, or Hooper, were, my brethren, what? why, they were Methodiſt preachers; and they uſed to preach in Paul's-Croſs, a pulpit ſaid to be made in the ſhape of a croſs, near St. Paul's church; and a ſalary given for that very purpoſe, I believe to this day. No matter where we preach, ſo that ſinner's feel Chriſt's power in delivering them from this, which certainly implies a conſciouſneſs of pardon. I don't think the poor creature that was reſpited the other day, would have believed it, had he not ſeen the king's warrant juſt before the others were carried out. Why, ſay they, here is his majeſty's pardon; he takes and receives it with joy, and is now freed from the gallows. And if perſons can give this credence to an earthly king, why cannot a believer have a ſenſe of the pardon of his ſins from God? If a perſon's reading this to me, telling me the king has pardoned me, has ſuch an effect, why may not God's word, backed by his ſpirit, be brought home with ſuch power on my heart, that I may be aſſured God has pardoned me, as well as a criminal that his king has ſaved? If this is goſpel away with it, ſay ſome, who think we are not to be juſtified till we come to judgment. O bleſſed creatures! this is modern divinity! our reformers knew nothing about it. We are to be declared, if you pleaſe, juſtified, in the day of Jeſus Chriſt, who will pronounce it before all mankind. But, my brethren, we are to be married to Jeſus Chriſt in this world, and the marriage is to be declared in another; and I will inſiſt upon it, though I will not pretend to ſay that all that have not full aſſurance are not chriſtians, yet I will ſay, that aſſurance is neceſſary for the well-being of a chriſtian; the comfortable being, though not for his very exiſtence: and I will venture to ſay, that a ſoul was never brought to Chriſt, but what had ſome ground of aſſurance of pardon; though, for want of knowing better, he put it by, and did not know the gift of God when it came. But, my brethren, we ſhall be ſaved from all our ſins. Here is glad tidings of great joy now come: ſatan may hear that; and any of you here that are coming into the Chapel as you paſs along. I am glad to ſee poor creatures come, that I may tell them, God is love. Believers, you ſhall be ſaved from all your ſins, every one of them; they ſhall all be blotted out. Generally, when perſons are convinced, the devil preaches deſpair; ſome great ſin lies upon them; and ſays, the poor ſinner, I ſhall be ſaved from all but that; had I not been guilty of ſuch a crime I might have hope, but I am guilty of ſuch a ſin, which is ſo awful, with ſuch dreadful aggravations, I am afraid I ſhall never be pardoned. But, my dear ſouls, Chriſt is love; and when he loves to forgive, he forgives like a God; I will blot out your iniquities, tranſgreſſions, and ſins. Come now, ſaith the Lord, let us reaſon together: though your ſins are as ſcarlet, yet they ſhall be as white as ſnow. I am ſo far from being unwilling to ſave or pardon, that the angels, every time the goſpel is preached, are ready to tune their harps, and long to ſing an anthem to ſome poor ſinner's converſion.
They ſhall be ſaved from the power of ſin. Don't you remember that when Joſhua was going on with his conqueſts, that there were ſome kings in a cave; and when he returned, he ordered them to bring the kings out for God's people to tread upon them. When I read that paſſage, I uſed to think theſe kings were like our corruptions hid in the cave of our hearts, and the ſtone of unbelief rolled to keep them in: but when we receive Chriſt by faith, and have pardon in him, our great Joſhua takes away the ſtone, and ſays, bring out theſe kings, theſe corruptions, that have reigned over my people, and by faith let them tread on the necks of them. Our great Maſter, when he gave the command in the text, ſays, theſe ſigns ſhall follow them that believe, in my name they ſhall caſt out devils, they ſhall ſpeak with new tongues, they ſhall take up ſerpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it ſhall not hurt them. Theſe were things peculiar, in one ſenſe, to the apoſtles; but in the power of faith, and as brought home to every believer, he caſts out deviliſh luſts; and if they had drank any deadly thing, as God knows we have, they may do by them as Paul did by the viper, through the power of faith caſt them off, and by this mean prove that Chriſt is God.
This is, my dear hearers, a preſent ſalvation. The wickedeſt wretch in the world will cry, I hope to be ſaved, though they have no notion of being ſaved but after their death; as a woman in Virginia told me once, when I ſaid ſhe muſt be born again; I believe you, ſir, but that muſt be after I am dead. And by peoples living as they do, one would ſuppoſe that they think they are not to be ſaved till they die, becauſe they live ſo. But as I have told you, I tell you again, Chriſt's ſalvation is a great ſalvation; and all that Chriſt does for his people on earth, is but an earneſt of good things to come, an anticipation of what he is to do for them in heaven. Our Lord ſays, the kingdom of God is within you; the kingdom is come nigh unto you. You muſt not only believe on Chriſt, but believe in him: we are not only to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, but we are to be baptized into the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt; this is the baptiſm of the Spirit, and this is that ſalvation which God grant we may all partake of.
We are to be ſaved, my brethren, from what? why, from the fear of death. He came to deliver them who, through the fear of death were all their life time ſubjected to bondage, What are there no children of God but thoſe that have full aſſurance? you never heard me ſay ſo; yet I am apt to ſpeak a little faſt, but at the ſame time I would chuſe not to ſpeak ſo faſt as to ſpeak contrary to the word of God. There are a great many good ſouls, that at times may doubt of the reality of this work upon their ſouls: a relaxed habit of body, a nervous diſorder, you may ſay what you pleaſe, will make a weak child of God doubt of what God has done in them, and that hurts the mind as it has ſuch a cloſe connection with the body; but then a believer is low: God's people are low perſons: as the greateſt geniuſes are moſt liable to lowneſs of ſpirit, for the ſcabbard is not ſtrong enough for the ſword, and perſons that talk much muſt wear out in time; but this I ſtand to, it is our privilege to live above the fears of death. We do not live up to our dignity till every day we are waiting for the coming of our Lord from heaven; and I am perſuaded of this, though I believe there may be ſome exceptions, that the reaſon why we do not live more above the fear of death is, becauſe we keep in ſo much with theſe naſty earthly things▪ You may have the beſt eyes in the world, and only put your hands before them, you will find the ſun hid from you; and ſo you may have a large fire, but throw ſome earth upon the fire that is in your parlour, or drawing rooms, and you will find the fire damped. And how can people have much of God or heaven, when they have ſo much of the earth in their hearts? It is our privilege to live above the fear of death, though we are not to be ſaved from dying; and I am ſure a believer would not be ſaved from dying for a million of worlds; it would be death to him not to die; but a ſoul touched with the love of God, even in ſickneſs, in the midſt of a burning fever, in the midſt of a fire that will burn a thouſand bodies up, convulſed with tortures and pains in every limb; a believer is enabled ſometimes to ſay, O my God, O my God, thou art love; I am ready to come to thee in the midſt of all. Bleſſed be God, I need not go far for example; yonder, under the gallery, lies the remains, the carcaſe of a dear ſaint, who was for twenty-five days together, burned with a fever, enough to ſcorch any creature up; yet, one filled with love and power divine, bleſſed the Lord Jeſus; though ſhe cried out, If I was not ſupported, the agony of my body would make me impatient; yet never ſaid a murmuring word, but in the midſt of all cried out to thoſe about her, God is love! O my joys! O the comfors that I feel! and in her very laſt moments cried out, I am a coming; dear Lord, I am a coming; and ſo ſweetly ſlept in Jeſus. If this is enthuſiaſm, God give us a good ſhare of it when we come to die! Theſe are dying and yet living witneſſes that God is love! She was in raptures when Mr. Sheppard went to viſit her: ſhe deſired me to tell you, that God is love: deſired me to tell you in the Chapel pulpit, that ſhe was called about four years ago. I think Mr. Lee was the inſtrument of her converſion. Now her body is to be put to bed at noon; but her ſoul is crying, O the joys! the joys! the joys! of being ſaved by a bleſſed Emanuel! Now will any one dare to deny this evidence? Do you ſee worldly people work themſelves up into that frame when they die? Viſit them when they are near death: ah dear! they are in the vapours; they are ſo afraid of dying, that the doctor will not ſuffer us to come near them; no, not common clergymen, for fear we ſhould damp their ſpirits: till they find they are juſt gone, and then they give us leave to ſay the farewel prayer to them: but they that are born from above, that are made new creatures in Chriſt, feel ſomething that ſmiles upon them in death. She told them, ſhe believed God would let her go over Jordan dry ſhod; that was her expreſſion. If this is ſalvation on earth, what muſt it be in heaven? If in the midſt of the tortures of a burning fever a raptured ſoul can cry, O the joys! O the comforts! Lord, I am coming! I am coming! what muſt that be when encloſed in a Redeemer's arms? in order to which, the glorious angels ſtand at the top of the ladder to take a poor wearied pilgrim home. Lord, give us not only ſuch a frame when we are dying, but while we are living; for if it is comfortable to die in ſuch a frame, why not to live in it? to live in heaven on earth. O, ſay you, I thank God I walk by faith; I have got the promiſe. Well, thank God you have the promiſe; but with the promiſe, learn to walk by that faith which is the evidence of things not ſeen, which brings God down, brings heaven near, and gives the ſoul a heart-felt experience, that God is love. Here is a ſalvation worthy of a God! here is a ſalvation worthy of the Mediator's blood! for this he groaned, for this he bled, for this he died, for this he aroſe, for this he aſcended, for this he ſent the Holy Ghoſt, and for this purpoſe he now ſends him into the hearts of his people. My brethren, what ſay you to this? I hope it is enough to make you cry out, Lord, let my latter end be like hers. This may comfort you that are mourners about her corpſe, this may comfort a fond huſband, whoſe beloved is now taken away by a ſtroke. What a mercy is it, ſir, that you was inſtrumental to bring her under the word? ſhe was once averſe to coming here: what, leave my pariſh church! ſaid ſhe; what, go to a conventicle, to a tabernacle of Methodiſts! he adviſed her again and again to come: at laſt, one day as they were going to St. Giles's, ſhe ſays, Well, come put up your walking-ſtick, if it falls towards St. Giles's I will go there; if to the Chapel, I will go there; the ſtick fell towards the Chapel, ſhe came, and was converted to God. O with what joy muſt her huſband meet her again in the kingdom of heaven! and O happy day, in which ſhe was encouraged to ſeek after God. Laſt week, another was buried in the like circumſtances; and▪ bleſſed be God, in yonder burying-ground are the remains of many precious ſouls, that in the day of judgment will let the world know whether this Chapel was built for God or not.
O what an awful word is that in the latter clauſe of the text, he that believeth not ſhall be damned. Pauſe,—I will give you time to think a little; if you would have Chriſt as good as his word of promiſe, remember he will be as good as his word of threatning. You hear the neceſſity of preaching the goſpel, becauſe upon believing or non-believing, our ſalvation or damnation will turn. What, will you laugh at the miniſter that cries out, Lord help you to come; come, come, do you think that we have nothing elſe to ſay, and are at a loſs for words, when we cry come, come, come, to fill up our ſermons? no, it is part of our commiſſion; it is one great part. And, my fellow-ſinners, we are come to tell you, that our Maſter has a two-edged ſword as well as a golden ſcepter; and if you will not come under the ſound of the word, and do not feel the converting power of it, you muſt feel the confounding weight of it. I repeat it again to you he that believeth not ſhall be damned: the very word is terrible, God grant you may never know how terrible it is. You are condemned already; he that believeth not is ſo, John iii. 18. why? becauſe he hath not believed on the name of the Son of God. It is not his being a whore-monger or adulterer that will damn him, but his unbelief is the damning ſin; for this he will be condemned; forever baniſhed from the preſence of the ever-bleſſed God: and how will you rave, how will you tear, and how will you wring your hands, when you ſee your relations, your friends, thoſe whom you deſpiſed, and were glad they were dead out of your way, ſee them in Abraham's boſom, and yourſelves lifting up your eyes in torment! O my dear hearers, do let me plead, let me intreat you; if that would do, I would down on my knees; if that would do, I would come down from the pulpit, I would hang on your necks, I would not let you go, I would offer myſelf to be trodden under your feet; I have known what it is to be trodden under the foot of men thirty years ago, and I am of the ſame temper ſtill: uſe me as you will, I am a poor ſinner; and if I was to be killed a thouſand ways, I ſuffer no more than my reward as an unprofitable ſervant of God: but don't trample the dear Jeſus under foot; what has he done to you? was it any harm to leave his father's boſom, come down and die, and plead for ſinners? See him yonder hang on the tree! behold him with his arm ſtretched out! ſee him all of a bloody gore, and in his laſt agony preaching love! Would you give him a freſh ſtab? are there any of you here that think the ſword did not pierce him enough; that they did not knock the briers and thorns into his head deep enough? and will you give him the other ſlaſh; the other thorns? and will you pierce him afreſh, and go away without believing he is love? I cannot help it; I am free from the blood of you all. Oh that you may not damn your own ſouls! Don't be murderers; nor, like Eſau, ſell your birthright for a meſs of pottage. God convince you; God convert you; God help thoſe that have believed to believe more; that they may experience more and more this ſalvation, till faith is turned into viſion, and hope into fruition; till we have all, with yonder ſaint, and all that have gone before us, experienced compleat ſalvation in the kingdom of heaven: even ſo, Lord Jeſus. Amen, and Amen.