4. That the attempts I am proposing might displease those that attend upon our ministry; upon which account it may seem, both with respect to them and ourselves, a necessary precaution of prudence to decline them. This is the Lion in the street*; which, slothful as we too naturally are, we often plead for staying within doors, when our duty calls us abroad on these charitable errands: But I hope, on a nearer approach it will not be found so fierce, or so invin cible, as a timorous imagination paints it. Methinks, brethren, we make a very unfavourable representation of the temper and character, not to say, of the breeding and understanding of our people, when we so readily take it for granted, they will be displeased with us, for addressing those exhortations to them in private, which they seem so de sirous of receiving from us in public. Let us ask our own consciences, would they all be displeased? If not, the displeasure it might give to some, can be no excuse for neglecting it with regard to others. And are we indeed so miserable, as to be situated among whole congregations, in whom ignorance, pride, and profaneness prevail to such a degree, that a minister, who would be welcome among them, if he came only as a common visitant, should be looked upon with contempt or indignation, when he came expressly as a friend to their eternal interests, and would step a little out of the common way for their salvation? If this were really our case, who would not say with the prophet, Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men, though it were but such a wretched cave, as travellers find in a desart, that I might leave my people, and go from them; for they be all an assembly of treacherous men +!— Of treacherous men indeed, if while they call themselves christians and protestants, yea, and profess to separate from their brethren on religious principles, they should think themselves injured and affronted by the exhortations of their ministers, while they would Warn every man, and teach every man in all wisdom, that they might present them perfect in Christ . But blessed be God, bad as the world is, there is no room to imagine this to be the case, or any thing like it. Perhaps while we are delaying, and coldly deliberating about it, many lively christians under our care are earnestly praying, that God may put such a thing into our hearts: And should we attempt it, I doubt not, but they would Receive us as an angel of God, or even as Christ himself; their love to us would be more abundantly * Prov. xxvi. 13. Jer. ix. 2. Col. i. 28. Gal. iv. 14. confirmed, and their hearts cemented in closer bonds than they have yet known. And many others would at least own, that we acted in character, and maintained a more apparent consistency of behaviour, if the affair were properly conducted. Did we indeed pretend to control them in the management of their temporal affairs, or to exercise a lordly dominion over their faith and their conscience, they might justly be displeased: Or did we craftily demand, that they should lay open to us the secrets of their breasts in confession, their suspicions were pardonable, and their resentments reasonable. But it must be great malice or folly, to suspect any design of that infamous nature, from our visiting them as pastors, with pious exhortations, and affectionate prayers, as those who are concerned for them, and their children, and servants, that their Souls may prosper and be in health*. A solicitude for the health of their bodies is esteemed friendship and gratitude, and enquiries concerning it seem but common decency: And can it offend them, to find we are solicitous about that welfare, which is infinitely more important, and, by virtue of our office, our peculiar charge? Yes, you will say, in one instance it will displease: For when we are obliged to blame any thing which we see amiss in them, their pride will naturally take fire on such an occasion; and perhaps those, whom we have thought our best friends, will Become our enemies if we will venture to tell them such disagreeable truths, as fidelity may extort in some circumstances. This is, after all, the main difficulty; and as I cannot wonder if it impress our minds, I pray God to forgive the perverseness of those, that make it so great. Yet surely, it is possible to manage reproof so, as that, in most instances, it shall oblige, rather than provoke. If we tell our hearers of their faults privately; and if we do it with tenderness and respect: If we shew by our manner of speaking, that what we say proceeds from an humble fear, lest we should displease God, betray our trust, and injure their souls by the neglect: If at the same time our behaviour to them be, as it surely should be, constantly obliging: If we do our utmost, so far as truth and justice will permit, to guard and shelter their character in the world; and bring our complaints of them, to none but themselves: Bad as the world is, I believe few will quarrel with us upon this account; but we shall see, as Solomon observed, that He who rebuketh a man, will afterwards find more favour, than he that flattereth with his tongue ‡. * 3 John ver, 2. + Gal, iv, 16. + Prov, xxviii. 23. But supposing the worst that can happen, that folly and wickedness should prevail so far, over all the tender and prudent address of the friend and the pastor, as to render us evil for so great a good, and hatred for so generous, and so self-denying an instance of love, how could that hatred be expressed? Seldom in any more formidable manner, than by withdrawing from our ministry, and discontinuing what they have done for our support; for the revilings of persons of such a character, can seldom hurt any but themselves. Now I hope, brethren, we shall always retain so much of a manly, not to say a christian spirit, as to chuse to retrench some of our expences, to forego some of the entertainments of life, to cast ourselves and families on providence, or even, if it were necessary, to subsist in an honest and creditable poverty, by the daily labour of our own hands; much rather than meanly to crouch to such haughty sinners, and sacrifice duty, honour, and conscience, to the arrogance of their petulant temper. Let us fear God as we ought, and we shall find nothing to fear from them; but should be willing to imitate the fidelity and courage of the Baptist, though the wrath of a king might be provoked by it, and imprisonment or martyrdom might be its reward. I hope, such considerations as these may effectually obviate the excuses, which indolence or cowardice may be ready to form, for our neglect of men's souls; especially when we go on, II. To consider the great evil of that neglect, as it appears in the sight of God, notwithstanding all these excuses, or any of the like kind, with which we may endeavour to palliate it. But who can fully represent it, as it appears to his capacious and all-penetrating view? What human mind can conceive the infinite evil? It is not, Sirs, a subject, on which to display the wantonness of wit, or the colourings of artificial harangue: A terrible kind of solemnity attends it, and I attempt the display of it with fear and trembling. If it seems a light matter to us, to forbear to deliver those that in this sense are drawn unto death, and them that are thus ready to perish, consider, my brethren, and oh may my own conscience always consider,-what the death of the soul is ;-how many wretched souls are continually dying around us ?-what gracious provision God has made to prevent it;-and what peculiar obligations we are under, to labour to the utmost for the preservation of their lives. 1. Let us think, "what the death of the soul is." The apostle James intimates, that it is a thought of great importance, when he says, He that shall turn a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death: As if he had said, do but reflect what that is, and you will find your success is its own reward. We well know, that to save a soul from death, is not merely to prevent the extinction of its being, though even that were much; but to prevent its positive, its lasting, its eternal misery. It is to prevent its being slain by the pointed and flaming sword of the divine justice. It is a tragical spectacle, to behold a criminal dying by human laws, even where the methods of execution are gentle; as, through the lenity of ours, they generally are amongst us: And I doubt not, but it would grieve us to the heart, to see any who had been under our ministerial care, in that deplorable circumstance. But oh, how much more deeply must it pierce our very souls, to see them led forth to that last dreadful execution, with those of whom Christ shall say, As for these mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring them forth, and slay them before me+! Oh how will it wound us, to hear the beginning of those cries and wailings, which must never end! How shall we endure the reflection, "These wretches are perishing for ever, in part because I would not take any pains to attempt their salvation!" And is this so strange a supposition, that some once under our ministry may then perish in our sight? Would to God, that it were less probable! But, on the contrary, let us 2. Consider," how many souls, precious and immortal as they are, seem to be continually dying around us." Are there but few, that miscarry? Let Peter inform us, when he says, that the Righteous scarcely are saved ‡. Yea, let our Lord himself inform us, when he says, Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it; whereas Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat §. We grieve to see epidemical distempers prevailing around us; we are ready, as providence calls us, to visit the sick and the dying; and could take little pleasure in our own health, if we did not endeavour to succour them, as we have opportunity. But let us look round, and see, whether that distemper, which threatens the death of souls, be not epidemical indeed. With all the allowances, which that charity can make, * Jam. v. 20. + Luke xix. 27. VOL. III. 1 Pet. iv. 18. I i § Mat. vii. 13, 14, which Believeth all things, and hopeth all things*, which it can, with any shadow of reason, hope and believe; must we not own, there are marks of eternal death on many? And that there are many more, in whom we can see nothing which looks like a token of spiritual life? So that the best we can say of them is, that possibly there may be some latent sparks of it concealed in the heart, which as yet produce no effect to the honour of their profession, or the benefit of the world. In the mean time, sinners are spreading the infection of their infidelity, and their vices, far and wide; as if, like some illustrious wretches that have been miscalled heroes, they accounted the destruction of numbers their glory. Can we behold such a contagion spreading itself even in the christian church, which ought to be healthful as the regions of paradise, and not bitterly lament it before God? Or can we seriously lament it, and not endeavour its redress? Especially when we consider, 3. "What gracious provision God hath made to prevent their death." Is there not indeed Balm in Gilead? Is there not a physician there +? Even this glorious gospel of the blessed God, whose efficacy we have so often heard of, and seen? And shall they yet perish? Adored be the riches of divine grace, we know, and it is infinitely the most important part of all our knowledge, that there is a rich and free pardon proclaimed, to all that will sue it out, and accept the benefit in a proper, that is, a grateful manner; for cordial acceptance, and real gratitude, is all it demands. One would expect, the tidings should be as life to the dead: But we see, how coldly they are received; how shamefully they are slighted; how generally, yea, how obstinately, they are rejected. And what is the consequence ? Refusing to Believe on the Son of God, they shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them, with an additional weight of vengeance, as it well may. Now is not this enough to make our very hearts bleed, to think, that immortal souls should die under the gospel; yea, die under aggravated guilt and ruin? So that instead of being any thing the better for this delightful message of peace and grace, they should be for ever the worse for it; and have reason to wish, throughout all eternity, they had never seen the faces, nor heard the voices, of those that brought it, but had been numbered among the sinners of Tyre and Sydon, of Sodom and Gomorrah §. If we do not, on the express authority of our Lord, believe * 1 Cor, xiii. 7. † Jer. viii. 22. John iii. 36 § Mat. x. 15. xi. 22. |
