IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 111 
 
 150 
 
 1^ 
 
 u m 
 
 £ us, 
 
 1.4 
 
 1^ 
 
 2.0 
 
 1.6 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Coipomtion 
 
 M 
 
 
 m 
 
 \ 
 
 # 
 
 jSS 
 
 :\ 
 
 \ 
 
 v-iS^ 
 
 L\ 
 
 
 *iV 
 
 33 WIST MAIN STRUT 
 
 WIBSTIR.NY 14910 
 
 (7I«) •73-4S03 
 
 
 o^ 
 

 CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniquss et bibliographiquas 
 
 The( 
 
 to th 
 
 The Institute has attempted to obtain the best 
 original copy available for filming. Features of this 
 copy which may be bibliographically unique, 
 which may alter any of the images in the 
 reproduction, or which may significantly change 
 the usual method of filming, are checked below. 
 
 L'Institut a microfilme le meilleur exemplaire 
 qu'il lui a et^ possible de se procurer. Les details 
 de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-^tre uniques du 
 point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier 
 une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une 
 modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage 
 sont indiquAs ci-dessous. 
 
 Th« 
 poss 
 of th 
 filmi 
 
 □ Coloured covers/ 
 Couverture da couleur 
 
 r~~l Covers damaged/ 
 
 D 
 
 a 
 
 D 
 D 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 Couverture endommagie 
 
 Covers restored and/or laminated/ 
 Couverture restaurie et/ou pelliculAe 
 
 □ Cover title missing/ 
 Le tit 
 
 
 itre de couverture manqiic 
 
 Coloured maps/ 
 
 Cartes gAographiques en couleur 
 
 Coloured ink (i.e. othe' than blue or black)/ 
 Encra da couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ 
 Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur 
 
 Bound with other material/ 
 Reli* avec d'autres documents 
 
 Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion 
 along interior margin/ 
 
 Lareliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la 
 diatorsion la long da !• marg* intiriaura 
 
 Blank leaves added during restoration may 
 appear within the text. Whenever possible, these 
 have been omitted from filming/ 
 II se peut que certaines pages blanches aiouttes 
 lors dune restauration apparaissent dans la texta, 
 mais, lorsque cela txa'n possible, cas pages n'ont 
 pas *ti film^as. 
 
 Additional comments:/ 
 Commentatras suppl«kmentatrot: 
 
 □ Coloured pages/ 
 Pages de couleur 
 
 □ Pages damaged/ 
 Pages endommagies 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 Pages restaur^es et/ou pelliculies 
 
 Origl 
 beg^i 
 the! 
 sion, 
 othe 
 firtt 
 sion, 
 or ill 
 
 E Pages discoloured, stainea or foxed/ 
 Pages ddcolor^es, tachetAes ou piqu^es 
 
 □ Pages detached/ 
 Pages d^tachees 
 
 0Showthrough/ 
 Transparence 
 
 Q Quality of print varies/ 
 Quaiit* inigale de i'imi 
 
 mp'ession 
 
 nigal 
 
 supp 
 Comprend du matirial supplementaire 
 
 nn Includes supplementary material/ 
 
 The 
 shall 
 TINl 
 whic 
 
 Map 
 diffe 
 entir 
 bogii 
 right 
 requ 
 metl 
 
 Only edition available/ 
 Seule Edition disponible 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc.. have been rafilmed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalament ou partiallement 
 obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure. 
 etc., ont AtA film^es A nouveau da fa^on A 
 obtenir la meilleure image possible 
 
 This itam is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ 
 
 Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiquS ci-dessous. 
 
 1UX 14X 18X 22X 
 
 2«X 
 
 XX 
 
 I I I I I I I I I I I I I 
 
 ! i i i I 
 
 12X 
 
 1«X 
 
 aox 
 
 24X 
 
 28X 
 
 32X 
 
tails 
 
 du 
 edifier 
 
 une 
 mage 
 
 The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks 
 to the generosity of: 
 
 Harold Compball Vaughan Memorial Library 
 Acadia University 
 
 The images appearing here are the best quality 
 possible considering the condition and legibility 
 of the original copy and in keeping with the 
 filming contract specifications. 
 
 L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grAce d la 
 g6n6ro8it6 de: 
 
 Harold Campbell Vaughan Memorial Library 
 Acadia University 
 
 Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le 
 plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at 
 de la nettetd de l'exemplaire filmi, at en 
 conformity avec les conditions du contrat de 
 fllmage. 
 
 Original copies In printed paper covers are filmed 
 beginning with the front cover and ending on 
 the last page with a printed Ob illustrated impres- 
 sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All 
 other origmal copies are filmed beginning on the 
 first page with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, and ending on the last page with a printed 
 or illustrated impression. 
 
 Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en 
 papier est imprim6e sont film^s en commengant 
 par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la 
 dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second 
 plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires 
 originaux sont filmds en commenqant par la 
 premiere page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par 
 la dernidre page qui comporte une telle 
 empreinte. 
 
 The last recorded frame on each microfiche 
 shall contain the symbol — »^ (meaning "CON- 
 TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), 
 whichever applies. 
 
 Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la 
 dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le 
 cas: le symbole — ^- signifie "A SUIVRE", le 
 symbole V signifie "FIN". 
 
 Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at 
 different reduction ratios. Those too large to be 
 entirely included in one exposure are filmed 
 beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames as 
 required. The following diagrams illustrate the 
 method: 
 
 Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre 
 fllmis di des taux de rMuction diffirents. 
 Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra 
 reproduit en un seul cliche, 11 est fllmi A partir 
 de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche A droite. 
 et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre 
 d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants 
 illustrent la mithode. 
 
 rrata 
 :o 
 
 selure. 
 
 D 
 
 32X 
 
 1 2 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 I 
 
nm 
 
 OBLldATlONS OF CHRISTIAN 
 
 *o 
 
 SEEK THE 
 
 SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 I 
 
THE 
 
 OBLIGATIOIS OF CHEISTIMS 
 
 TO SEEK THE 
 
 SALVATION OF SOULS ; 
 
 a^x^iamli an^ ^nforcelr 
 
 m A 
 
 SERIES OE DISCOURSES, 
 
 DELIVEKED IN THE TOWN HALL, LONDON, C.W. 
 
 BY HENRY ONLY CROFTS, 
 
 Methodist Now Connexion Minister. 
 
 " Ho that winnoth souls is wise."— Solomon. 
 
 5ror n t o: 
 
 BREWER. McPHAIL. & CO. 
 
 MAT BE HAD OF AJ.L THK MINISTE115. IN THE CANADIAN WBSLETAN 
 METHODIST NSW fONNEXtON CHDRCH. 
 
 MDCCCL. 
 

THIS VOLUME 
 
 IS MOST RESPECTPITLLY 
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 TO THE 
 
 MINISTERS AND MEMBERS 
 
 OP THE CANADIAN WESLEYAJf 
 
 METHODIST MJW COKNSXIOlf CHUllCH, 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 •SOObO 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 These discourses owe their appearance in print to an in- 
 tense desire on the part of the author to be useful to his 
 fellow-men. He regards the salvation of souls as the great 
 business of all who have obtained redemption through 
 the blood of Christ, as well as of all who are dedicated to 
 the work of the ministry. 
 
 In his extensive travels through the Province of Canada, 
 he has often seen cause to lament the indisposition of many 
 w*o are called Christians, belonging to the different sections 
 of the Church of Christ, to put forth personal effort to save 
 their fellow-men from eternal death ; and, therefore, he has 
 occasionally directed the attention of his hearers to some of 
 the topics discussed in this volume. This matter having oc 
 cupied the author's attention for the last ten years, and not 
 having met with any work on the subject, save an excellent 
 little tract, of thirty-six pages, by the Rev. John Thornton, of 
 IJarlington, England, entitled " Christian-Responsibility ; or, 
 1 he Duty of Individual Effort for the Conversion of Sinners," 
 (which was brought to this country by an immigrant,) it has 
 often been impressed upon his mind that he ought to render 
 some service to the cause of Christ, by preparing such a 
 work fo. publication. But, though he long since sketched 
 the outline of such a work, he has been prevented, by the 
 nature of the duties of his office, from filling it up, and pre- 
 senting it to the Church of Christ. 
 
 Determined, however, to direct the attention of his own 
 people, m London, to the subject, he resolved, in October lost, 
 
I., deliver a aeries of discourses, on " Tho Obligations of 
 «d„,ad« a Uess,ng to the people of his charge, durin.. 
 
 l>;-in, .0 hi. o.n seLn ofVctrlh iTLThr: 
 "I Chnst generally, i„ ,his land. 
 
 ..>™,'r :";;':;\'""'"'«7"- ^unes, and incessant engage- 
 
 »<.s, ,vl„el, frequently call him from home for «eeks 
 
 <->g«her, prove,,, hin, from making these discourses more 
 
 -ceptab e „. a literary point of view : and had he more 
 
 ut hoy would be ,„ore useful than in their p.-esen, .arb 
 . J"h::en"" "■T"'""' "^"'■"'-- "• "- ^'"""e of 
 '» Spn , by pohslnng i, too highly ; and no ambition to 
 ;- nownetthcrasa florid speaker or as a fine wri Tf 
 
 «u upaiyofhis fellow.Chr,stians to besin to labour nr if 
 
 Loyhave egun, to labour n.ore abundamly; , , , e 'sa^vt 
 
 t- of souls, the object of his ardeut wislfjs will^^';:! 
 
 The autho,- ,-oga,-ds the Word of God as the only autl,n,-i,v 
 p.... rel,g,ous subjects, and the.efore he has ,nal a I Ud 
 
 use ol Its statemenls in these discouise., rik "* " '"'^'^'" 
 
 r-d 1, or, „„,! oil !■ ™ "'stouises. lie has endeavour. 
 
 .1 t^ gound all his arguments upon revealed tiu-h • and 
 
 "t ""' '"■"^™ f™' "'»' "- -'ti".c.nts advanced Jr^iit 
 
 .-ccordance with the oracles of God. So„,e ,„av po ib Iv 
 oujec to,,e ,.„,„e,ous citations from Scripture which a e 
 '•"""I ;.. '1-- discou,.ses ; but ho cnno,, „, any ac Im 
 ■onseiit ,o Lave them out. He would as soon thini tl", J 
 l^ycr, ,n one of our courts, did his dulv to l,is clio , » I 
 u«.ead of ,„o.ng the standard authorUie: ' ; ' tw to 
 support and enforce his rea.>iiings, had recourse to tl e sut^ 
 ...00,1, and .:ars, for proofs that his statements wer , ' 
 CO danoo withthe law. by which we are governed, as men bet 
 ofthe body eol-uc. as he Would think a proachor did his duty to 
 
vii 
 his hearera by delivering omlions to them on religious subjects 
 
 the Bible. "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a 
 
 fauhfully: What ts t;.e ehatr to the wheat? saith the Lord. 
 Is not my word like as a fire ? sd.h the Lord; and like a 
 hammer that brcaketh the rock in pieces !"-Jereraiah .«,ii. 
 
 n^J^t.""'^"' ''^'"'^" "" P'''""'^'""^ ^^ Shooting beside the 
 n a.k that does not con.e up to the example of Ezra and the 
 puests, in the days of Nehemiah, of whom it is said, '' So 
 .ey read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave 
 the sense, and caused the people to understand the readin. •» 
 and that does not ever resemble the apostolic method^ of 
 preaching, stated by Paul, in these words, '' Which things 
 al.o we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teach- 
 e . but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual 
 hmgs wuh spiritual."-! Cor. ii. 13. How far the author 
 has kept these models in view, he leaves his readei-s to judj 
 He may state, howeve,-, that he has endeavoured, to the blsl 
 of Ins ability, to g.vo the sense of every passage he has 
 taken for a text, and to suppo.-t his reasonings Lreon by 
 du-eet proof, f.om the Word of God. He has aimed^ 
 n these discoui-ses, to show what God requires his people to 
 I'c, to enjoy, and to do : and, therefore, he has bestowed more 
 pains than some may imagine needful, in showin- what 
 believers must be, and must e.ijoy, before they can be 
 abundantly useful in the salvation of souls. 
 
 As the author's aim is to do good to Chi'istians of all aaes 
 and stations, he has introduced many appropriate anecdot'es, 
 which he hopes will both illustrate more clearly, and enforce 
 more powerA.lly the views advocated, thai) anything he 
 might have advanced. ^ ^ 
 
 He now presents this work to the Church of Christ 
 m the hope that God will make it a blessing to his 
 fel low-Chrislians, of all denominations, who may peruse it 
 and that he will own it, to the advancement of His glory J 
 
vm 
 the e«ie„sio„ of .ho Redee,„er's ki„gdo.„_and the preseu, 
 and B>e„,al salvation ofimmortal soul.. It these objects are 
 protnoted, , e author will be satisfied ; and will render, as ! 
 justly uo, the glory to God alone : .< Unto him beglory ! he 
 
 Ind IL . '^' '""^ "'""^'"■" "" "S- -' - '""•-' 
 
 London, Canada West, 
 
 IS/// iH«rc/i, 1850. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 DiscoTTRSE I. Page 
 
 The Sinner's Danger, and the Cliristian's Duty I 
 
 Discourse II. 
 Christians designed to be the Salt of the earth 27 
 
 Discourse III. 
 The Spirit of Grace and Supplications 39 
 
 Discourse IV. 
 A Revival needed in the Church. . , 57 
 
 Discourse V. 
 Precious Seed must be sown with tears 75 
 
 Discourse VI. 
 The Cliristian's Intercourse with the Ungodly 97 
 
 Discourse VII. 
 Consistency of Conduct required 113 
 
 Discourse VIII. 
 The Christian'^ Hope ; and hia Duty to give a'Rcason of that Hope, 139 
 
 Discourse IX. 
 The net'd of judicious Reproof. 1(53 
 
 DlSCOURSL X. 
 
 The Restoration of Backsliders 185 
 
 Dlscourse XI, 
 Spiritual Enlargement 207 
 
 Discourse XII. 
 Intercessory Prayef 229 
 
 Discourse Xlll. 
 Ctreat Faith essential to great Success 353 
 
 Discourse XIV. 
 Christian Zeal .».•.•».,,,» . 375 
 
 Discourse XV. 
 Tiio Claims of Jehovah upon our Servicea 299 
 
 JJISCUURSK XV^I. 
 
 Christ the Christian's E.\cinplur 333 
 
 Discourse XVII. 
 The Joy of the Lord the Chriutinri'ii ntri<p.>ih qj.-* 
 
THE 
 
 OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIAN8 
 
 TO 
 
 SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 DISCOURSE I. 
 
 THE sinner's danger AND THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY. 
 "Lot him know, that he which convcrtcth the sinner from th? error 
 Sns'^-JALtv 9r° "^ '""' ^'''"'" ''"''"'' "nd shall hide a multitude of 
 
 Every human being needs cncourngement to stimulate and 
 sustain luni m the poiformanec of duty. The Bihle is full 
 of encoumjxrni.nt to those \vho arc resolutely bent on the 
 dischariTo of their duty to God. The highest inducements 
 arc lield out to Chnstuuis to lead them onward in their 
 nttempis to sav-r. souls. Daniel, f„r our encouragement, to 
 seek the salvul.on of ^ouls, places before us the future alorU 
 ous reward of those who turn many to righteousness in these 
 w.)rds : '. And they that bo wise shall shine as the brightness 
 of the f^^rn.ament ; and they that turn many to righteousness 
 Ds the star« for ever and ever." James, in this passage, for 
 the same purpose, reminds us of (ho incalctdable benefits we 
 confer up..n the sinner wo convert from the error of his ways. 
 \Ve are to know, here, that wo "Save a soul from death, and 
 hide a multitude of sms." ' 
 
 This passage forms part of an address designed to lead 
 thnstians to serlc the restoration of their fallen brethren. 
 James says, '• ll,.thren, if any of you do err from the truth 
 and one convert hnn, let bin, Know that ho which convertcth 
 the sumerfron, the error of his way shall save a soul from 
 donth and shall hale a nudtitu.le of sins." It is the duty of all 
 Christians to seek the restoration of their fallrn brethVen, in 
 
 u't*;!;!.? '1 "l"''"'^-''^' ^ouskhnuy: them.s,.lve,s lest they also 
 >'|>t<'d. Iho greatest eneouragement to do so is given 
 m he text. Hut w Me it is the dnly-of Christians to seek the 
 restoration o their fal,.,, bivthren, it is equally their duty o 
 seek he salvation of all other sinners. We shall vierUe 
 ♦nv» tiierefon% as an eneniirnfr, 
 
 tl 
 
 lem to seek the salvation of the souls of 
 uro backsliders or sinners, who, to tho 
 
 nt fn hpiicvers to ind 
 
 men, whether they 
 present hour, Imvo r«. 
 
If I 
 
 '\l 
 
 * THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Ste w^r^'.'' "' ^^"''' '"'""^ "° ^°P^' ^"^ ^^^^hout God 
 
 truThrtnThTt P""''"'''' ^^ '^"^ '"'"^ ^'^° ^°"o^vi"S important 
 truths, to which wo invito special attention : 
 
 I. Tho ways of the sinner are erroneous. 
 
 II. The duty of the Christian, as an ao-cnt for Christ tn 
 turn the sinner from the error of liis ways. ' 
 
 h;ml:.l'^i''" ^'T^ f couragomont the Christian has, to induce 
 oHiis ways"' ''"'""^°" °^ ^^^ ^'""^^ ^^°^ ^^^^ ^^^or 
 
 I. The ways of the sinner arc erroneous. 
 
 The sinner is any one, and every one that, does not love God 
 supremely, and Ids neighbour as himself. To . h^ is to mh. 
 the mark Tiie ..ark which God has L up I; us to ai n " 
 rhou Shalt love the Lord thy God with all thv hoar uH 
 with a„ J, ,oul, and with aillhy strength, and^W^ IH y 
 mmd and thy neighbour as thyself." This nmrk was'ct up 
 from the beginning of tiie world ; but all men havo mi.^'od i? 
 widely. "All wo like sheep havo gone astray, a 1 Co 
 turned every one to his own ^. ay." Many thi.d/t'hcy rcnot 
 sinners because thoy are not drunkards, li.rs, LonV'rl 
 thieves, covetous, or gu.ity of some other sc.ndulo ,s andgro'33 
 cnrnes ; but wc need not be guilty of any abominable ciCs 
 to bo omners The rnost amiable, i.ast n.oral, most bene! 
 Solent on earth, who do not love God with all the heart ire 
 
 ZT ! "TV'S" ''•' "^'^^'-^''-Jsive, tho M,ost immoral," and 
 the most selfish. Sm consists in Ibrsakin--' God, " ihe Ibuat in of 
 hvmg waters, and in he^.ing us out cisterns bi';:cn c Se ns 
 Ihu can hold no water." Whether, therefore, a man be S 
 infidel, a pronig,ae, a moralist, a f.n.alist, or a bae shd '1 
 makes no d,(h-rence to his being a simier. The ma that' 
 loves not God supremely, and his neighbour as hi.nsf a 
 nmncr, no matter what particular course of trunsTressioirim 
 Choosestohd^ 
 
 all , Cursed is every one that continunih not in all thm-^s 
 written in tho book of tho law. to ,lo them ;" •< The c ml 
 mind IS at emi.iiy against (lod : it is not subject to the law of 
 
 del"' fL'"'"' "'" ^^ ''" ''" ^■'"•■'-"y •^"•»'''>J i3 
 Ueath. hvery uneonverte.l hum-i being Ii„s a heart at 
 
 ciiinity With God. nnd is ulinnntril ih<m !!>r. lic. -'•<'« 'p- 
 man only deceives liimsoU who says ho is not a sinner, if he 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOtTLS. t 
 
 has not received the washing of regeneration and the renew, 
 ing of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 The ways of (he sinner are erroneous. He walks in the 
 ways of his heart, and after the sight of his eyes, instead of 
 regulating his steps by the law of God, which is holy, just, 
 and good. The sinner, by his wickedness, perverts that 
 which is right ; for, instead of loving God with all his heart, 
 and his neighbour as himself, which is the bounden and im- 
 perative duty of every Jiuman being, he loves himself 
 supremely. Ho withholds from God liis thoughts, his affec- 
 tions, his homage, and his service ; and thus robs God of the 
 glory due unto his excellent name. The sinner " walks ac- 
 cording to the course of this world ; according to the prince 
 of the power of the air, the spirit that now workcth in the 
 children of disobedience ; fulfilling the desires of the flesh 
 and of the mind, and is by nature a child of wrath." The 
 conduct of sinners is most justly and forciljly described ia 
 these words : " We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, 
 disMbcdient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, 
 living in malice and onvy, hateful, and hating one another." 
 i he ways of the sinner, then, are erroneous ; because thry 
 are directly opposed to truth, to justice, to purity, and to lovo • 
 and, by pursuing such a course, sinners rob God of his glory • 
 rob theiusolvos of love, and peace, and joy; and destroy the 
 hojipmess of their fMlow men. 
 
 The ways of the sinner are wilfully erroneous. " Wis 
 don; crieth without ; she uttercth her voice in the streets • 
 she crieth in the chirf place of concourse, in the oponinrrg of 
 the gates : in tlio city she ultereth her words, saving, How 
 long, yo simple ones, will yo love simplicity? and the scorn- 
 ci-s delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 
 lurn you nt my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit 
 unto you, 1 will make known my words unto you."— Prov i 
 20— 'J3 But sinners hate instruction, and cast God's worcii 
 behind them 1 hoy bvc to hear the instruction which causci 
 hem to err from the words of knowledge. The Bible may 
 be_ had by any person who desires it; the gospel is preached 
 1... h(u ly in almost every city, town, village, and settlement 
 in tiio land ; tra('t,s, containing truth in its simplest form, are 
 ircc y distnlnitrd ni most places, so that erring sinners do not 
 err because light is not come— because it is not diffused All 
 sinners n, gosnol landH may be p„-)imedly midfcssed in Um 
 woids of Paul to the Corinthians : '« Awake to righteousness, 
 ttuu sin not ; for some of you have not the knowledge of God. 
 
THE OBUGATIOKS OF CHHISTHH* 
 
 afiospel land is unform^^aL bu t is a I'mvirr','" 
 w.irullysh.,s his eyes, thaU,"™; „':. L'^^^liS ^l" 
 a simme for „„y „,„„, woman, or ehil.I not to fnow God 
 ^.on^.l,e means for obtaining ,|.o knowledge o. Uod are so 
 
 .viuT tilHj^ •'■;■ ','"'°""'''. '"'^■'"""^oss : " But they that 
 wMnh \ I •? "" '"''^ of inonoy i,s the root of all evil • 
 
 -one ii, the w.! nf P • ^""^ ""^° ^''"'^ • ^'''' ''^^y J'avo 
 
 ,^010 1,1 tiic way of C;iin, and ra.i greedily ;,;tfr the error of 
 
 ^ud" /r ' M>;:'' "'' '"?^''^'' '^^^''^ ^i-ayin, :;m::;^' 
 
 than In. nn* 1 ,'"' '""^^ ^'^^ ^° '^'^'^^ ^''-'o"^^"' covefousnesc, 
 
 an Enough any other single sin; and therelbro it becomes 
 he rnperatu-o duly of the nnnisler. and pconio f God o 
 Charge them that are rich in this world tl la thev he nit 
 ng Mnmded, nor trust in tn^ccrtain riches 1 , S Ih- ^ 
 God who g.velh us richly all things to en ov • th' thev do 
 good, that they he rich in good ^^^orks, re dN- t d s TlLc 
 ^lljngtoconnnunic^te; laying up in ^^ro fli tt le' a 
 
 pod lonndat.on agam.t the time to come, that thov mav hv 
 hold on eternal life."-] Timothy vi. 18, 19. ^ ^ ^^ 
 
 Sonie wilfully err through indoci ,ion of character • '« Their 
 heart ,s d.vuled ; now .shall they he found i-auhy ''-lI ^ 
 Lg;o t :trJ;;; '^f;',-;' -vcr ahlo to eon,o I the l.n,..w! 
 K;n^-...n...;fourlir 
 
 •n hem o these things ; in which arc some t n-n.-s ha d to bo 
 understood, winch tl.oy that are unlearned and .^ al I wres^^ 
 
 1 1 ctei u. 11, 1.,. 1 hese characters havo some desire to bo sav 
 cd, but waru to unite in the san.e he.rt tho lnvo.rr.%| 'L ,r .^ 
 ruun ; thoy want tu recoucilc Christ and Belial ; ' and to anmlgt 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOTJLS. 
 
 ft 
 
 mate light and darkness. Therefore it is no wonder that they 
 are, « Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge 
 of the truth." They are fickle and inconstant in their pur- 
 suit of truth ; and, therefore, when they meet with a difficult 
 passage in the Word of God, instead of patiently investi- 
 gating it, and waiting for clearer light, they jump to a con. 
 elusion, and wrest it to their own destruction. Unless a man 
 decidedly gives up the world, and gives his heart to God, he 
 can never know the truth, and never, therefore, be free : 
 "For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit 
 of God : for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he 
 know them, because they are spiritually discerned."—! Cor. 
 ii. 14. 
 
 Some wilfully err through the pride of intellect : " O Tim- 
 othy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding 
 profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely 
 so called : which some professinnr, have erred concerning the 
 faith."— 1 Tim. vi. 20, 21. "But shun profane and vain 
 babblings : for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 
 And their words will oat as doth u canker: of whom is Hy- 
 menius and Philetus ; Who concerning the truth have erred, 
 saying that the resurrection is past already ; and overthrow 
 the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God stand, 
 eth sure, liaving this seal, Tiic Lord knoweth them that are 
 his. And, let every one that namcth the name of Christ 
 depart from iniquity."— 2 Tim. ii. IG— 19. Such is the 
 pride of intellect in some, that they try, by their feeble powers, 
 to overturn the rock of truth ; to destroy the foundation 
 which God has laid for us to place our hopes upon, for 
 salvation and eternal life. They will bring their imperfect 
 knowledge of astronomy, chemistry, geology, and other sci- 
 ences, to show that the Bible is a fable, and the Christian 
 rchgion an invention of wily priests, who make it an 
 engma of power over tho minds of the weak, and a meaPi 
 of extorting money from the pockets of the wealthy: but, 
 after nil their puny cn'orls, the foundation of God standeth 
 sure. Modern science, which is continually becoming more 
 perfect, is robbing eho infidel of his weapons, and showinff 
 clearly tlio harmony which exists between tho revealed will 
 or God and the material works of God. Men of tho highest 
 ntlaimnonts, of the most patient research, are now showinff 
 that geology (whose discoveries, some pious, but weak-minded 
 UiriHuans have dreaded) confirms tho (ieciarations of the 
 Uiblc, and more abundantly reveals to man tho wisdom, power, 
 
fll 
 
 • THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 and goodness of the great Creator. Pride of intellect ofTer* 
 the highest insult to the God of Heaven ; inasmuch as it is 
 constantly questioning the truth, the justice, the holiness, and 
 goodness of God; and therefore, it has ever been, and' ever 
 will be, signally punished, even in this life. Lot all thoso 
 who proudly .set their reason above thetiuth of God carefully 
 rbe^tookte -^'"^ striking passage, and take warning bcfora 
 
 thJ' w°'n^ invisible things of him ,'-od) from the creation of 
 the world are clearly seen, being understood by the thincr, 
 that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead • Be- 
 cause that, when they knew God, thoy glorified him not as 
 God, neither were tha.i.Jul ; but became vain in their imam, 
 nations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professins 
 themselves to he wise, they became fools, And changed the 
 glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto 
 corruptible man, and to birds, and to four-footed beasts, and 
 creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to un. 
 cleanness through the hists of their own hearts, to dishonour 
 their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the 
 truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the crea 
 ♦ure more (or ratlicr) than the Creator, who is blessed for 
 ever. Amen." — Rom. i. 20 — 25. 
 
 All the ignorance, superstition, impui.cv, and cruelty of 
 heathenism originally sprung from tiio pride'of intellect ' To 
 all who indulge the pride of intellect the Bible is a riddle an 
 enigma which thoy cannot understand: "Because they 
 seeing, see not ; and hearing, they hear not ; neiiiier do they 
 understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophrcy of Esaias 
 which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not under! 
 stand ; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive • For 
 this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of 
 hearing, and their eyes they have closed ; lest at any tima 
 they should s^o v/ith their eyes, and hear with their ears, and 
 should understand with their heart, and should be converted 
 and I should heal them."— Matth. xiii. IJ], 1 1, 1.5. 'fhoso 
 who win set their reason above the Word of God, and who 
 
 wdl cavd at its statements, disbelieve its doctrines, and disobey 
 Its requirements, need not wonder if, " h'or this cause God 
 ■hould send them strong delusion, that they should believe a 
 he: Tiiat they all might be damned who believed not the 
 truth, but had pleasure in unrigiitcousnc^s." 3 Thcss. ii. 
 
 1 •» 
 
 1 n 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. t 
 
 All sinners err from the truth through unbelief, and the love 
 and practice of sin. " But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to 
 them that are lost : In whom the god of this world hath 
 blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the 
 glorious gospel of Christ, who is the imago of God, should 
 shine in unto them."— 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. This passage plainly 
 teaches that Satan himself cannot blind the minds, nor prevent 
 the light of the glorious gospel of Christ from shining into the 
 hearts of any human beings, excepting those who believe not. 
 If men will not believe the Word of God, th'-n Satan can 
 blind them to his heart's content, and lead them captive at his 
 will ; — '•' And this is the condemnation, that light is come into 
 the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because 
 their deeds were evil. For every one thtxt doetii evil hateth 
 the light, neither comclh to the light, lest his deeds should be 
 reproved. But ho tiiat doeth truth comcth to the light, that 
 his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in 
 God." — John iii. 19 — 21. Here wo discover that the causa 
 of a man's condemnation is the rejection of the truth, and ha 
 rejects the trutli because he loves sin in his heart, and practi- 
 ces it in his life. lie loves darkness rather than light, because 
 his deeds arc evil. The sinner, therefore, is in error willing- 
 ly. He lives in error in defiance of God, and, consequently, 
 is guilty of the grossest injustice and the blackest ingratitude, 
 as well as the most egregious folly. 
 
 The lonys of the sinner are fatally erroneous. " There is 
 n way that scemoth right unto a man ; but the end thereof 
 are the ways of death." — Prov. xvi. 20. " Destruction and 
 misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have thev 
 not known." — II 5m. iii. 16, 17. Our blessed Saviour 
 declares that the broad road, in which all sinners are found 
 Walking,^ leadcth to destruction. Solomon declares, that 
 "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness." — Prov. iv. 
 32 ; the Psalmist declares, that " Upon the wicked he shall 
 rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horriljlo tempest: this 
 Khali be the portion of their cup." — Psalm xi. 6; and 
 Jesus declares of all tiie wicked, " These shall go away into 
 (xoXatfiv Viwviov)^ punishment eternal." — Matth'. xxv. 46. 
 These are fearful declarations, and prove, beyond all doubt, 
 that the ways ot sinnors lead to eternal damnation ; and that 
 God does justly in cursing the sinner whh eternal death for 
 his error, is clearly evident from the following reasons which 
 God assigns for punishing sinners with so great a punijhmont : 
 " iiecauso I havo called, and ye refused ; I have stretchfd 
 
6 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 out my Jmnd, and no man regarded : But ve have <,m «t 
 
 ca of l?fTo?,h"" °f "y^-P™--^ TI,orefo,.o Si they 
 but .00 rnany, aiJr;4;o7,f/;a^: i^^ t"™," rS 
 
 lor.' t.TH:;'t''^^T}"^ '■"p™"''^- "° ^-'-^ 
 
 long, out at last he sends fear upon them n^ floc-.in<;.., i 
 destrucio,,, like a whirlwind ; tiL thoro'all upon God the;^ 
 
 ruinous, unless ..o'forsakoTjvictd ^ "s r;ju^,SS 
 thoughts, and return unto tho Lord- God w I hl„ V 
 D>ercy upon hi,,,, „„d abundantly pardo'n him. '""'° 
 
 II. Tho duty of iho Chiistian, as an a-cut for Christ to 
 convert the stnncr from ll,o error of his wa^s. ' 
 
 T.nitrpifcj signifies to turn, turn .o or toward l„ ., 
 
 many of the cMld.on of Israof sh ! 'h'Tu'r: (^o,": O^o^K 
 
 ♦° " . T ' ''"'' ^^"^ disobedient to the wisdom of tho iust- 
 
 to ma CO ready a people prepared for the Lord " QrlSd 
 Bays,, this passago uieans to turn in ti.. t i i '^^""'eia 
 and cnbruco th? CI.'SLr^ .-d ."on ' H '? I • f '°""'^''°1' 
 
 ;^;l"^^Ze?^3:^£S::|?'?^^-3^ 
 
 ....n ^,-«j,, „„,j ^i^jejij ^ „,uititu^je of sins." The in- 
 
To SESi THE SALVATION OP SOVLS, 9' 
 
 strument in the signer's conversion is the word of truth. 
 " The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." — 
 Psalm xix. The great author, and efficient cause of the 
 conversion of the sinner, is the Holy Spirit. " Verily, verily, 
 I say unto you. Except a man be born of water and of the 
 spirit, he cannot enter into the kinmlomof God," — John iii. 6, 
 " For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made 
 me free from the law of sin and death." — Rom. viii. 2. "Not 
 by works of righteousness wiiich we have done ; but accord- 
 ing to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of roffoneration 
 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." — Titus iih 5. The 
 Christian is the agent in the sinner's conversion, when, by 
 his arguments, his entreaties, his prayers, and his pious ex- 
 ample, he induces the sinner to turn from his erroneous wa --s, 
 and to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. 
 
 This is evident from the statements of Solomon, Daniel, ...id 
 James. Solomon says — "He that winnelh souis is wise j" 
 Daniel says—" They that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
 ncss of the firmament ; and they that turn many lo righteous- 
 ness as the stars for ever and ever." James says, " Brethren, 
 if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him ; 
 Let him know that he wiiieh convertelh the sinner from the 
 error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a 
 multitude of sins." These citations prove that the Christian 
 is an agent in the conversion of the sinner. An agent is a 
 substitute, a drputy, an intelligent being that can use proper 
 means to gain a desired end. Hence, they that win souls are 
 wise,^ are to be rewarded in a future state, and are to know 
 in this world that they save souls from deatli. The Christian 
 is an agei. ; for he acts for Christ, and, in the stead of Christ, 
 beseeches men to be reconciled to Goil. 
 
 Some deny the agency of Christians in the work of saving 
 souls. They allow that ministers of the gospel are required 
 to turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of 
 Satan to God ; that they may receive Ibrgiveness of sins and 
 an inheritance among tiiem who are sanctified tlu'ough faith 
 in Christ Jesus; but they declare that this is not the'duty of 
 private Cluistians. This objection will bo fully ans- 
 wered in the discourse on "Sowing the precious seed ;" but 
 we would here observe, that the following striking pa.ssaffe, 
 which evidently applies to all the disciples of Christ, com. 
 pletely explodes the objection : 
 
 " Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost itsi 
 savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth good 
 
10 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underFoot of 
 men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on 
 an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put 
 It under a bushel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light 
 unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shih before 
 men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 I-ather which is in heaven."— Matth v. 13, 16. 
 
 These words are addressed to all the disciples of Jesus : 
 not merely to the twelve. All acknowledge that the city 
 
 f. ^11^.^'!^ .'' ^^"^ '^'^'^'^ Church of Christ. The argument 
 that all Christians are not agents fo.v Christ, in the conversion 
 ot sinners, goes to prove that all Christians, excepting minis- 
 ters, have no salt lu them, and can never benelit the world •— 
 have no light in them, v.ad therefore can never let it so shine 
 as to profit men and glorify God. Or it, at least, goes to 
 prove that if Christians have the salt of grace, they must 
 never scatter it, if they are not ministers; and, if they are 
 light m the Lord, they must never let their light shine, but 
 always keep it under a bushel. Can any man of sane 
 mind bohevp, that this is what the Saviour meant when he 
 uttered the above-cited words ? He cannot : for the thincr is 
 preposterous. The days of clerical assumption and intoTer- 
 ance, and of lay ignoranc(3 and inditrcreiice, are so far passed 
 away, that arguments like those have no weight, either in up- 
 [loklingofhcial prido or sanctioning unoiTicial indilference. The 
 scriptures are so well understood, that all Christians, whether 
 ministers or private memljors, know that tlioy must do all 
 they can to convert sinners from the error of their ways or 
 be pimished with the bitter curse of Meroz, because they 
 come not up to the ludp of the Lord against the mirrhty. The 
 reason many deny the agency of the'Clui.tian in converting- 
 sinners from the error of their way, is to be traced, we fear! 
 to an unwillingness to act as agents in this work, or to a con- 
 sciousness of neglect in the performance of this duty ; but let 
 the reason be what it may, agents we are, and if we do rat 
 strive to convert the sinner from the error of his way, better 
 had It been for us had we never been born. Every Chri^-'inr 
 IS as much warranted, and as firmly bound, to act as an agem 
 tor Christ in the conversion of sinners, as the government 
 emigrant agent in this province is warranted, and bound by 
 his office, to look after emigrants on their arrival on our shores, 
 and to give them that advice and assistance which their cir- 
 cumstances require. Tbn pmirrmnt arrant i^ oj^i^Ip"--' — fl 
 paid by the government for the express purpose of looking 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 11 
 
 en underfoot of 
 y that is set on 
 candle, and put 
 it giveth light 
 so shiii. before 
 id glorify your 
 
 ■ 
 
 'pies of Jesus : 
 
 that the city 
 The argument 
 the conversion 
 :cepting minis- 
 t the world ;— 
 i' let it so shine 
 
 least, goes to 
 ce, they must 
 id, if they are 
 ight shine, but 
 man of sane 
 leant when he 
 or the thing is 
 )n and intoler- 
 ! so far passed 
 , either in up- 
 iderence. The 
 tians, whether 
 y must do all 
 heir ways, or 
 
 because they 
 niglity. The 
 
 in converting 
 iced, we fear, 
 ^ or to a con- 
 duty ; but let 
 
 if we do rvit 
 s way, better 
 cry ChriF'ior;. 
 3t as an agent 
 ! government 
 ukI bound by 
 )n our shores, 
 lich their cir- 
 
 »»vir»!r*T»'^»'l « •-* J 
 
 se of looking 
 
 ■> 
 
 after the welfare of emigrants ; and Ch istiuns are continued 
 in the world, after their conversion, and blessed and supported 
 by the grace of God, expressly to benefit sinners ; or, to use 
 the language of Christ, " To be the salt of the earth, and the 
 light of the M'orld." Christ prayed to his Father "not to 
 take his people out of the world, but to keep them from the 
 evil." And why did Christ utter that prayer? Simply 
 because he had constituted his people his substitutes, hisdepu- 
 ties, to preserve the world from complete spiritual corr-iption 
 and complete spiritual darkness. ' ' 
 
 No Christian performs his duty, cither to Christ or to sin- 
 ners, that is not found labouring, according to his ability and 
 opportunities, to convert sinners from the error of their ways. 
 Christ has died for the ungodly ; he desires, above all things] 
 their salvation; he has provided a rich gospel fer st for all 
 the perishing children of men ; he has blessed his peoplo 
 with his grace, and with the knowledge of his will ; and has 
 commanded us, his servants, to preach his gospel to every 
 creature : to say to them that are bidden, "Come, for all 
 th'ugs are now ready." He requires us all to, " Go out 
 quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and brina in the 
 poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind;" to, "Go 
 out into the higlnvays and hedges, and compel tiicm to como 
 m, that my house may be fdled." And he has told us that 
 he will cast tho wicked, slothful, unprofitable servan*, ^hat 
 neglects to improve his talents, into outer darkness, where 
 there shall be v/ccping and gnashing of teeth : so that if we 
 are not domg our duty, in striving to convert sinners, we may 
 indeed say, with the lepers spoiicn of in 2 Kings vii. 9—" We 
 do not well : this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold 
 our peace ; if wo tarry to the morning light, some mischief 
 will coine upon us : now therefore come, tliat we may jjo and 
 tell the king's household." J' t= ♦^ '^ 
 
 It \VQ are not labouring to convert sinners, we are not per. 
 forming our duty to Christ, who has purchased us by hia 
 blood, redeemed us by his spirit, and bestowed upon us his 
 grace, that wc might be his peculiar people, zealous of good 
 works. _ Our duty to Christ is clearly stated in tho followinrr 
 expressive passages : "Ye arc not your own: For year? 
 bought with a price ; tlicrcfijro glorify God in your body, and 
 in your spirit, which arc God's."— 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. "For 
 no man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For 
 
 whether wo livn. Wn llvo nnf^ fl... T ^..,1 . „.,,! ...1 _.! J. 
 
 _-,.._-... li!.... I,.. Jjviu , uiitt uiiciiicr we die, we 
 die unto the Lord ; whether we live therefore, or die, we are tha 
 
H 
 
 IS 
 
 tHE OBLIGATIONS OF CHHISTIAlfS 
 
 l'^^A^:^ f'u *°. ^'''' ^"^' <^'""^«t botl. died, and rose and r^ 
 
 fro, ■! ?'. ^ ^ V"''"^^' '" thoir conversion, may see of thn 
 WW b„, of („„ , ,„„| counts tho blood of il,o oovniaiil «'l oi^ 
 
 unto ,i:. u ,;,":; ',r;;; "",■; •:• » ™-'i. ."«! to c.o„,o 
 
 0,0 .i,.ch;™i„;„ ,;',;,„: ;l"^, '.v':;', '.""n::;; rr"'"«, "■'," 
 
 not l„l«iur hourlil.. lbi-thocor,v"r..l ,',f ■' ' "'"' ''" 
 
 ilHo 11,0 lun,,lon, of k,,vrn ' "'"""" "'"""" <'">" 
 
 o.,J dmvYo",;:;:;,,'"'";.;::? "• """'■?■ "'"r"- -" "••- "->! <uns 
 
 1o(1l'( ( -In. '^ '"■'; I"'""'"";-' !"<■ 111.- lack of know. 
 
 whioh :;n„I,l .„,!!, ",.": ,/^'.' ''f ''.H'.- kn,nvl,,l„,. of God. 
 " ■'*■- l."M. 11 njjluly iinpartcd and rijjiitl}' re.' 
 
 I 
 
prs 
 
 md rose, and re- 
 l and the living." 
 constraineth us : 
 all, then were 
 ''Iiich live should 
 him which died 
 i''j. Those pas- 
 sive right to our 
 luty to live unto 
 d» \vill constrain 
 ' dead souls, for 
 nan, then, glori- 
 Christ alone; 
 '>r whom Christ 
 om the error of 
 iiiiy see of the 
 :ainly does not. 
 Ijc vilest sinner 
 iplos underfoot 
 venaiit, whore, 
 docs despite to 
 our, iiccordinrr 
 uls, (hut Christ 
 OS for himself, 
 and woulil do 
 •' " Not every 
 1' the liino-dom 
 It I KM- which is 
 hat is tho will 
 he conversion 
 '- ^i'^Ut of Uod 
 1. and to como 
 DMe Cod, nnd 
 Christ Jesus'"; 
 ill due time." 
 .'ftiirflinnr as jg 
 
 those who do 
 ciumot enter 
 
 are not doing 
 iieiv of know, 
 mysteries of 
 <Ik<' of Cod, 
 <i rightly re. 
 
 TO SEfiK THB SALTATION OP SOTTLS. 13 
 
 ceived ; but we are criminally withholding it. They are fara 
 M ishmg for want of the bread of life and the water of life Wo 
 ^ have eaten of this bread, we have drank of this water, and we 
 : know that there is enough to satisfy the spiritual wants of all 
 r mnnkmd ; yet we hold our peace, instead of cryinsr vehe. 
 I mently and constantly, - Ho, every one that thirsteth, como 
 1 ye to the waters, and ho that hath no money : come ye bur 
 and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money and 
 without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which 
 IS not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not « 
 hearken diligently unto me, and eat tliat which is good, and 
 let your soul delight itself in fatness."— Isaiah Iv. 1, 2 Sin 
 ners are atnicted with the loathsome disease of sin, which if 
 not sppedily removed, will end in their eternal death. Wo 
 have the knowledge of the infallible Physician, and the never 
 tailing remedy ; sti 1 we do not incessantly cry_'< Behold tho 
 i.,uul) ol Cod which taketh away tho sin of the world •" nor 
 point continually to his redeeming blood, and say—" Behold 
 your Cure.;' Those professing Christians who will not labour 
 to convert smnors from the error of their ways, instead of loving 
 their ne.:,^hhours as themselves, are misanthrooos, and no mor? 
 deserve the name of Christian than the worsliippW of Juror! 
 , naut. rhcy may say, with tho fratricide Cain, " AmTmy 
 ^ brother s keeper ?" and tlms think to e.x-cu.se thn'mselv^s from 
 . hibouring for the salvation of souls ; but there is noexciT 
 I for hem ; a,,d they must be branded with the mark of l^m 
 : " who ha ed his brother, and slew him." - We do not vvolT 
 and nuseb.ef will con.e upon us," if we do not labour to L.' 
 „^ vert the smner from the error of his way. 
 
 ' m. The groat encouragement the Christian has to induoo 
 
 h m to labour for the conversfou of tho sinner from tho orror 
 
 r/io ^iToo./ nrro;;,y;//,v/,../ hj, t„rnm<r ,J„ sinner from the error 
 
 t it wh'/''"' ''^'r "''!'"" ' ^'^""^^'"- ^'^ ^«'««- 
 
 WMv .1 I ^onverteth a sinner fnmi the error of his 
 
 way sliall save a soul from flonfli " T^ 
 
 frnm (l.n nr.v,,. y\ • /K^ath. To convert a smner 
 
 ontheenorof h.swny is the most rlorin„s work that can 
 OS bly engage the attentie.,, h„,1 ,,,f f,,,„ the rner,,do.s of 
 
 nan To lood the hungry, to elotlm the nidied, to shelter 
 e ho,,.,, ., ,;,, „ , ^,^,, ^^.^^^^.^ in'.hJi^aS 
 
 n, and, m any way, to nmeliorat.. tlu- sorrows of snf]erinff 
 
 unnamty are glorious works ; and uh-n done from tho nTrlf 
 
 jnn.ve of lovo to God and our neighbour, they will not bso 
 
 tiK'.r reward. Bui by these acts of love we only savo.n^n 
 
14 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 character, ever performed bv» 17.' " ^"'"'y "^"Po™! 
 .he great' phNan^rhtj^r'nltrTthrrperhT'^r^ 
 
 neither u.u n^u' !> I "n k I ^ n» '''?-^ "' ''' "'"' ^^'''°'» 
 tiod must do it nt r V T V "* '^"' '" '''^'" «'""''il"fod, 
 
 God II n r,..ri '"'""''' '" ^♦^'^""' l.uni8lunont from 
 bl ss . !;';'■'• "^ ':"PP'"'^«-^ »'"' <ro.r, Hravrn, thn sent of 
 
 ^=»-«u.».g thognawii.gs of Uio worm which never dirs; iu 
 
rs 
 
 emporal death ; 
 ror of his way 
 3n, eternal woe, 
 urely temporal 
 as performed by 
 t his ti' IP, his 
 iced his life, in 
 nous prisons of 
 the great object 
 it was, is not to 
 om the error of 
 5nly ameliorate 
 and bring him 
 i : you securo 
 , and save him 
 )omcd. 
 
 , the greatness 
 •nsks, "What 
 i and lose his 
 for hia soul V* 
 reparable Joss, 
 •ensato a man 
 > this bo con. 
 
 from eternal 
 >ict the value 
 Y not. What 
 s it extinction 
 nnot thus die. 
 xtingui«h(^; 
 B earth, dhd 
 o nioro j)Iace 
 lit .Sp/rit can 
 i.xcd, spiritual 
 it, nnd which 
 r nniiihilatcd, 
 U it .siiuJI livo 
 ling tu (Jod's 
 punishnirnt ; 
 
 cminot lio ; 
 i Jli'n, k tho 
 iyhiiK'nt from 
 II. tiio scat of 
 ubin /irn ? in 
 vcr dies; iu 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. Ifl 
 
 everlasting companionship with the devil and his angels • and 
 With all the fearful and abominable men that ever lived on the 
 earth, and died m their sins ; and, above all, in enduring the 
 eternal curse of God and the everlasting wrath of the Lamb 
 which is poured out upon the lost, without mixture of merer' 
 and without hope of escape. Pollock justly describes the 
 death oi the soul as — 
 
 " Burning continually, yet unconsumed ; 
 For ever wasting, yet enduring still ; 
 laying perpetually, yet never dead." 
 
 Such is the detith of tho soul. Well might the eloquent 
 
 Robert Hal exclaim-" Where shall we find"(if it be lawfu 
 
 indulge the thought) an adequateexpression of grief for the 
 
 loss of a soul? Where shall we find tears sutlicient to be 
 
 vept on such an occasion ? Would it suffice if the sun were 
 
 wpro' \'f' '"^^ '^'" '"°'" ^'' brightness; if the heavens 
 were o be hung in mourning, and the ocean covered with 
 sackcloth ; or, if the whole fabric of nature were to become 
 animated and vocal, could she utter a groan too deeper a c^! 
 crta'slro^^V'" "^''" the magnitude and extent 'of such J 
 
 By converting a sinner from the error of his way you save 
 a soul from this tremendous and eternal punishment, vvhich In 
 the text IS called death ; for. in being the agents in h s conver 
 sion, you bring him back to God, who pardons all h sh^ and 
 
 hi nro" ' r/'"^;'"';"''*^"' y^^ '"-'"^^ '-^"^ to Christ, whiby 
 his procous blood, cleansPs him from all his guilty stains • 
 
 fma.e 7r'"," '' ^'" "oly Spirit, who rene!^^s hL S the 
 imago of God; secures lum liberty of access to the throne 
 of God ; who upholds him in a course oi holy obedience and 
 RU.des hnn saf.-ly to heaven. Viewing, then, the conversion 
 of a sinner in its proper scriptural light, what emnloymen can 
 be con.pared with that of turning iL 'from theSr o his 
 ways / Lvery othor dwindles into insignificance And vnn 
 nius confess, my Christian brethren, tha"^ no w T s so ut hv 
 
 o t^t' ''"^^'rr'^r^'"'^ •^'"''•^' ""d theunremittin^S 
 ot your lives as that (,f saving a soul from death. 1 canno 
 
 words Tu"'?'^''^*'""; '!''-^ ^^''"^^^"P'^ than by quo ing tTe 
 mmnH^ tho Icarne,! and pious Dr. Adam Clarke " As one 
 
 of Co oT " °^'""r 'T^' ^'^"" "" tho material cn-ation 
 !!'i'?;i'_r,/''^-''.'^'^"tion of others. To be tho means nf.ln. 
 tuJJ^ u\ ?^ ""/ expectation, ond adding even one soul to 
 tho church triumphant, is a matter of inflate moment ,01^ 
 
10 
 
 THE OBLICATIONS OF CHRISTUNS 
 
 ¥*'■ i; 
 
 ■ 
 
 he who IS such an instrument has much reason to thank God 
 that ever he was born. He who lays out his accounts to do 
 good to the souls of men will ever have the blessing of God 
 on his own. Besides, God will not suffer him to labour in 
 vain, or spend his strength for nought. At fi-st he may see 
 Jittle truit; but the bread cast upon the waters shall be found 
 after many days ; and if he should never see it in this life, 
 he may take it for granted that whatsoever he has done for 
 God, in simplicity and godly sincerity, has been less or more 
 effectual. ' 
 
 The great miscliief you prevent by turning a sinner from 
 the error of his way is another encouragement to Labour for his 
 conversion. 
 
 You not only save p. soul from death by converting a sinner, 
 but you hide a multitude of sins. The word here'tninslated 
 hide, the learned and lamented Gririfield informs us, signifies 
 to cover, to hide, to conceal ; and is metaphorically used to 
 hide, i.e. prevent, or cause not to exist; others view it as 
 signifying to cause to bo pardoned. Both those senses are 
 true ; for, by turning a sinner from the error of liis ways, and 
 inducing hnn to turn to God witii a humble, contrite heart, 
 God hides, or blots out, all the sins wiiich he had committed 
 previous to h.s conversion, according to that woni, *' 1 will bo 
 merciful to their unrighteousness; and thuir sin- and their 
 iniquities will I remember no more." And not o. 'v so, but 
 you prevent the iaultitud(3 of sins, which tlic simr whom 
 youturn from the error of his way, would iuivo committed in 
 his future lil'e if he had not been converted. Tiiat his future sins 
 would have been groat, atrj^M-avatod, numerous, and dostruct. 
 lyp, you nmy readily believe, "For evil men and seducers 
 shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." 
 Sin is a small matter in its commencement ; but by indulg- 
 ence it giows groat, and mllltipli(^s itself beyond calculation. 
 It is impossibhi for any iinito mind to toll the number of sins 
 the mail w.nild have committed, whom you convert from the 
 error of his ways, had he been allowed to goon in his wicked 
 course. Besides, you not only stop the sinn(>r you convert 
 from .Sliming himsolf, but you prevent the mischief ho would 
 havo done to others. " One sinner dostroyeth much good." 
 Had ho not been converted, he would have prompted and 
 enticed oihors to sin. if such men as Volf.iiro, Paine, Byron, 
 and a host like them, had boon turned from din orrur of thoir 
 ways, und converted to God, they would never have cursc'j 
 
n to thank God 
 5 accounts to do 
 lessing of God 
 lim to labour in 
 "St he may see 
 shall be found 
 e it in this life, 
 ) has done for 
 :n less or more 
 
 a sinner from 
 • labour for his 
 
 jrting a sinner, 
 lere translated 
 ns us, signifies 
 rically used to 
 hers view it as 
 se senses are 
 his ways, and 
 contrite heart, 
 lad coniniitted 
 nl, " 1 will bo 
 sin-^ and their 
 )t Oi V so, but 
 sinut whom 
 connmtted in 
 liis future sins 
 and destruct- 
 and seducers 
 ig deceived." 
 Ill by indulg. 
 I calculation, 
 nilior of sins 
 vert from the 
 in his wicked 
 !• you convert 
 lif'f ho Would 
 nnich good." 
 )romj)ted and 
 \iini', Byron, 
 ?rrur oi their 
 ' have cursc'j 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 17 
 
 I 
 % 
 
 •A 
 
 i 
 
 3- 
 
 the world with their abominable books, which have poisoned 
 the principles, corrupted the morals, and ruined the souls of 
 numbers of our fellow men. And though the shmer you may 
 convert from the error of his way may not possess more than 
 an ordinary intellect, yet he possesses the power to do evil ; 
 and if he is not converted, he will, by his principles, his con- 
 versation, and his example, injure tne souls of others, and do 
 his part towards leading them down to hell. This mischief, 
 too, hentay produce among some of those who are far deare? 
 to you than life itself, and for whose salvation you would wii. 
 lingly shed your heart's b'ood : your relatives, yea, even 
 your own children, may be corrupted and ruined by that sinner 
 of your acquaintance, for whose conversion we urge you to 
 labour. Use every means to convert him from the error of 
 his way ; and if you are successful, you will have no cause 
 to dread his principles, his conversation, and his practices j 
 for they will then bo as it becometh the gospel, and out of his 
 heart shall flow ;ivers of living water, which will benefit your 
 famdy and your kind. On this ground, then, you have great 
 encouragement to labour for the conversion of the sinner from 
 the error of his way. 
 
 The satisfaction and joy which the knowledge of having been 
 successful in converting a sinner wi/l afford to your minds, is 
 another great encouragement to induce you tolahour for hi* 
 salvation. 
 
 You are to know, for your encouragement, that you have 
 saved a soul from death, and hid, or prevented, a multitude 
 of sins. Some professors of religion, who are wise above 
 what IS written, would not have a man know, on any ac 
 account, that ho has been successful in converting a sinner 
 Irom the error of his way, and saved a soul from death, for 
 fear the knowledge of the fact should make him proud : but 
 the Holy Ghost says, " Let him know." To labour in this 
 work without success, or to labour without the knowlcdgo of 
 success, IS enough to break a man's heart, and will, in all 
 probability, cause him to bccomo weary in wrll-iloing Oh» 
 It IS cruel to withhold from tho man who Iils laboured, and 
 vvept, and prayed lor tho conversion of tho sinner the know- 
 edge of the fact that his labours have been blessed of God to 
 ho salvafion o( that «innor's soul ; to withhol.l tho know- 
 edge of t us fact from tho pious, zealous Christian, is ono of 
 Ijie great devices of satan to hinder tho salvation of men : for • 
 iiv 13 6o weu uc<iuainted with tho constitution of tho human 
 ounU, that ho knows no man will labour incessantly for 
 
* Hi 
 
 19 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 the salvation of souls who never sees any fruit of his labours. 
 Labour, my Christian friends, to turn the sinner from the 
 error of his way, and you shall know, for your encouraee- 
 ment, that you have saved a soul from death, and hid a multi. 
 tudo of sms ; for the sinner you have thus benefited, and the 
 Messed God whom you have thu. glorified, will let you 
 know the fact, in spite of the devil and all his agents. And 
 the knowledge of this fact, instead of making you proud, will 
 make you humble and grateful, and cause you to give 
 thanks to God, for having used you as an agent in the conver- 
 won ot the smner. 
 
 The knowledge of success will aford you the highest satis, 
 /action. You will have no bitter remorse for havintr neglect, 
 ed your duty. You will have nothing left to wislffor m re. 
 ference to this event. The sinner is saved, God is glorified, 
 Ohnst IS satisfied, and your souls arc at rest. It will be ut- 
 terly impossible for you to gaze upon the sinner, whom you 
 Have converted from the error of his way : to behold the 
 change eflectcd in his lieart and in his life : to think of the 
 erils you have averted from, and the blessngs you have 
 brought upon, that sinner, without experiencing the highest 
 •atisfaction of mind. In this respect you will be made a par. 
 taker of the satisfaction of Christ. In the conversion of a 
 •mner Christ sees of the travil of his soul, and is satisfied. 
 The satisfaction of Christ is as great as wero the sufierings 
 he endured, in order that the sinner might be saved ; and, in 
 this respect, will greatly exceed yours. But siill, whatever 
 may have been the greatness of your eftbrts, and tears, and 
 prayers, in the conversion of the sinner from error, you will feel 
 more than compensated when you see him " VV ished, and 
 sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and 
 by the Spirit of our God." 
 
 _ The joy that you will experience in the conversion of the 
 miner from the error of his way will he unspeakable. It must 
 be greater, wo think, than the joy of angels. They rejoice 
 ."hm one sinner repenteth. Thoy rejoice because God is 
 glorified, Christ satisfied, the Spirit honoured, Satan defeated^ 
 and an immortal soul saved; but the Christian rejoices 
 because, through the blessing of God upon his onbrts, this un- 
 •ponkably important event has been accomplished. And as 
 the man who saves another from death must experience great- 
 er joy than the mere, spectator, who simply rejoices because a 
 geou work has botin Qcoonipiishoff ; so, we tliink, the man 
 who oonrertoth the sinner from the error of his way must 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 
 
 Id 
 
 have greater joy than the angels, who have not laboured for 
 his conversion, though they rejoice over his conversion. The 
 joy you felt when you relieved the temporal wants of your 
 fellow men, when the blessing of hJm that was ready to perish 
 came upon you, was great, very great j but the iov you will 
 teel on the conversion of a sinner will be immeasurably 
 Teater The joy felt by the man that saves another from 
 temporal death compensates him more than all the gold and 
 silver in the universe could do ; but this pure and elevat- 
 ed joy IS greatly exceeded by the joy felt in saving a soul 
 from death and hidmg a multitude of sins, inasmuch as the 
 salvation of a man s body from temporal death is as nothins 
 when compared with the salvation of the immortal soul from 
 the blackness, horror, and despair of eternal death. The con- 
 version of a smncr from the error of his way afibrds the 
 agent in his conversion the purest and hirrhcst joy which if 
 ever experienced on earth. ^ j j « 
 
 Nor will the satisfaction and joy connected with convertinff 
 a sinner end with your natural life ; but will extend to eterni: 
 ty, and secure for you a brirrhter crown and a heavier weight 
 of glory in the realms of bliss. For Christ, in heaven and 
 throughout eternity, will render unto everyone acoordina to 
 his works What greater encouragement, then, can yon 
 have to labour zealously and constantly for the salvation of 
 souls. You cannot turn sinners from darkness to li.rht. and 
 from satan to God, unless you do labour to accomplish this 
 glomus work ; and you cannot have that perfect salisfaction 
 
 o.^^f^ T ^P ? ^"l' "^"''^'"'^ J^y °^ '^^'-^''t' ""I^'^-^ it be ac 
 fn ?£ f . ll']"^' ^'''"' pn'^^U'-agement from the fuctsstatcd 
 m the text, and abourwKh all your might, and tluou-h all 
 your lives, for the conversion of sinnorsr " 
 
 _ Are you my Christian brethren, labouring for the conver- 
 -.on of souls ? You must see that it is your duty, your pri 
 vilego your interest, your honour, to be agents in fie conver 
 mon of sinners What are you doing in^his blessed work 
 
 wavsT"no'nn ' :: r"" ""'''''''''^ ''"^"^ ^''« ^''^' «f 'heir 
 wa>s { Do not say tliat you cannot save souls : for you can 
 
 If you have the disposition to save liu-m. Are you making 
 
 ^'' i^'^r^'^'"'' °^' y^"^' ^^^"'-^ believing constLm 
 prayers? Do you converse with sinners about'heirouTs 
 and show them that they are undone, and that Chris Ilone 
 can redeem them from sin. frnni«n.nn „p-| r,^.., i' ,, . °"® 
 
 [f vof^^'J'T- '" ^;rT''''"« *''''^'" toborecmiciiedloGoy? 
 If you are doing all these things, it is certain you will savt 
 
90 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 8ome souls from death ; but if you are not attending to thes« 
 things It IS just as certam you will save none. 
 
 U you will not labour to save souls from death, the curse of 
 trod will descend upon you, and you will never be happy, 
 either in time or la eternity. If you will not strive to convert 
 sinners from the error of their ways, the light, the purity, the 
 peace, the joy, the hope you now possess, God will tal^e from, 
 you; and when you stand before him in judgment, he will 
 call you wicked and slothful servants, and will say to his ser- 
 vants, " Take the talent from him, and give it to him that hath 
 ten talents; for unto every one that hath (improved) shall be 
 given, and he shall have abundp-.c6 ; but from him that hath 
 aot (improved) shall be taken away even that which he hath. 
 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness : 
 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." If you 
 wish to save your own souls from eternal death, you must 
 labour, accordmg to your abilities and opportunities, for th« 
 jsalration of others. 
 
 i^ i 
 
 i-4 
 
 II 
 
h, the curse of 
 !ver be happy, 
 rive to convert 
 he purity, the 
 ivill talife from, 
 jment, he will 
 say to his ser- 
 him that hath 
 oved) shall be 
 him that hath 
 'hich he hath, 
 ter darkness : 
 th." If you 
 th, you must 
 lities, for the 
 
 DISCOURSE IL 
 
 CHRISTIANS THE SALT OF THE EARTH, 
 
 " Ye are the salt of ti.e earth : but if the salt hath lost his savour, 
 wherewith shall it be salted ? it is tberrceforth good for nothing, but to be 
 cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." — Matthew v. 13. 
 
 The purifying and preserving qualities of salt are univer- 
 sally known. Salt was used, under the Old Testament dis- 
 pensation, in all the sacrifices otTered to God, to signify the 
 purity and fidelity which should be extended through every 
 part of divine worship, and through the hearts and lives of 
 God's worshippers. (See Leviticus ii. 13.) In Mark i.\. 50, 
 our Saviour compares religion in the heart to salt. In that 
 place he says, " Salt is good. Have salt in youi-selves, and 
 have peace one with another." As salt dries up the bad 
 humours which are found in all animal bodies ; as it seasons 
 our food, and makes it palatable ; and as it preserves fleshy 
 substances from putrefaction : so true religion, in like man- 
 ner, destroys tiie bad humours of the sold ; renders us accept- 
 able to God ; his worship and service acceptablo to us ; pre- 
 serves us from the corruption which is in the world through 
 lust, and keeps us blameless to the coi'.iiiig of the day of Christ. 
 In the words now chosen for a text, suit is used to exhibit the 
 value ofpersonal religion to the world at largo, and to express 
 what Christ intends his people to do for the ungodly. Ciirist, 
 addressing all his followers, says, "Ye are the 'salt of the 
 earth ;" but knowing they could only bcMiofit the world while 
 they retained religion, he adds: " but if the suit hath lost his 
 savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth good 
 for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men." 
 CJirist here plainly teaches, 
 
 I. That he designs his people to be of the utmost benefit 
 to the world. 
 
 II. That his people may lose their piety, and then they 
 am do no good to mankind. 
 
 III. That when Christians have lost thoir i)iety, and are of 
 no Uenefit to men, then they are cast out as worthless reluae* 
 
22 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 thJwoHd"'^ '^'''^"' ^'' P'°^^° '° ^' °^'^^ "'«»°«t benefit to 
 
 The people of Christ are those who have been onh^hf^n^A 
 by the word of Christ, regenerated by the SpirU of cSt Tn 
 corporated with the Church of Christ, and wC conve ation 
 1 as It becometh the gospel of Christ. Christ designs all 
 Buch to be of the utmost benefit to the world. ° 
 
 /x/Zf "T^i '' in a perishing condition, and greatly needs 
 the utmost efforts of Christ^s people to save UfromdeTtruc 
 tion. ' We know that we are of God, and the wh^rworW Lt h 
 m wickedness." Literally, «« lioth in the wicked one'?lis em 
 braced m the arms of the devil, where it lies asleep, and caT 
 nallysecum deriving its heat and power from ir^^nferna 
 osterer. What a truly awful state ! And do not the actions 
 tempers, propens tics, opinions, and maxims of ad^oZy 
 men prove and illustrate this ? - In this short exnrrssion " 
 «ays Mr. Wesley, '« the horrible state of the Zrld L pa nted 
 n the most lively colours; a comment on which we haTe in 
 
 of rZ X ^ ''' ^''"' ^''^^^'^^^ ^^« opposed to the law 
 
 of God ; their conversations shallow, sinulous, and false • 
 their CONTRACTS f3rcod, interested, and deceitful; 'their W 
 EELS pud-ile, ridiculous, and ferocious ; and their' FRiENDsmp; 
 hollow, insincere, capricious, and fickle ;--all, all the effbct of 
 their lying ^„, the arms of the wicked one ;foitrus they 
 become instinct with his own spirit; and because thevaJe 
 of their father the devil, therefore his lusts they will do.'' ^The 
 tlult ?. ''"'^^ ''' '°"'"P^ '" ^''< *" '^oart, hi life Their 
 
 tinualh ' ' tI' .'^^T '"='' ""^^ '^''' ^'^«^^^« ^'^ only evil coi^ 
 tmuallj Their volitions arc corrup.- for they choose evil 
 and refuse good. Their afTcetions 'are earthly, seLuI 
 devi ish ; for they love and serve the creature nather han 
 the r Creator, who is blessed for evermore ; and they live in 
 
 TlTT"^ -T'y ' ^'^^'^^"^' ^"^J hating one another ^ '"The 
 fool hath said in his heart. There is no God. T ey are cor 
 rupt; they have done abominable works; there is^none tha't 
 doeth good no not one. The Lord looked down from heaven 
 
 uon „1 the healhen worid in Ihe fi«t andlhird chap;e«''of hS 
 
rs 
 
 itmost benefit to 
 
 een enlightened 
 rit of Christ, in- 
 »se conversation 
 rist designs all 
 
 i greatly needs 
 t from destruc. 
 hole world lieth 
 d one" — is em- 
 sleep, and car- 
 ■om ifs infernal 
 not the actions, 
 of ail worldly 
 rt expression," 
 'orld is painted 
 ich we have in 
 ind friendships 
 «ed to the law 
 us, and false ; 
 I ; their quar- 
 
 ir FRIENDSHIPS 
 
 ill the eflect of 
 for thus they 
 iause they are 
 'ill do." The 
 a life. Their 
 only evil con- 
 y choose evil 
 hly, sensual, 
 ! rather than 
 d they live in 
 •ther. «< The 
 ^hey are cor- 
 e is none that 
 I from heaven 
 '■ any that did 
 result of the 
 side, they are 
 )eth good, no, 
 idful picture 
 
 taptersofhia 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 23 
 
 epistle to the Romans ; a fac simile of which is found in tha 
 heathen world at this very day ! Verv little better is the stMft 
 ofthenommal Christian world than the state of the heathen 
 vorld. Nominal Christians " Profess that they know God • 
 but m works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedi! 
 ent, and unto every good work reprobate."~Titus i. 16. 
 " Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof* 
 from such turn away." — 2 Tim. iii. 5. 
 
 The infinitehj holy God looks down upon this Uvms mass of 
 corruption with abhorrence. He is of purer eyes than to 
 behold evil, and cannot look upon sin without detestation • for 
 It IS the abominable thing which he hates. Tliis livin^ mass 
 of corruption sends up to heaven the most horrid stench : a 
 stench so odious, that infinite patience could not bear i* if it 
 were not for the sweet incense of Christ's sacrifice. " Christ 
 also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an ofierin** 
 and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour."— Ephes*' 
 V. 2. The sweet odour of Christ's sacrifice exceeds the bad* 
 odour of man's sin, and causes God to bear lon.o- with it, and 
 induces him to seek the removal of this corrumion without 
 destroying^ its subjects. Ungodly men, wjio are tbe servants 
 ot corruption, are- exposed to eternal death ; for it is written : 
 iiut tornieation, and all uncleanness, or covetousnc^s let it 
 not be once named among you, as beco.ncth saints: Neither 
 falthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, whicii are not con. 
 venient; but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, 
 that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man 
 who IS an idohitor hath any inherhance in the kini^dom of 
 Christ and of God. J,et no man deceive you with vain 
 words ; lor because of these things comolli the wrath of God 
 upon the ciuldren of disobedience."— Ephc^: v 3-0 And 
 again, -But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, 
 and murderors and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idola- 
 teis, and a 1 liars, shall have their part in the lake which 
 burnetii with fire and brimstone : which is the second death." 
 
 c„m ^' ^^!' ®' .^"^ P^'^'» aid positive declarations are 
 eulhcient to convince any man, whose mind i. open to the 
 
 and K ?, ''"'''' '^'V^'' ^^■°'''^' '^ '■" M^enshing condition, 
 and needs the utmost eflbrts of the people of Christ to preserve 
 It trom destruction. ^ 
 
 dJn. ^f^;«'7^"'7;A«'« ^/'f corruption of sin, and from eternal 
 deajh w/uch >s the pumshmcnt of sin, Christ has established 
 
 11.^ n pV,''' "'"?'^' """^ ^'"^ constituted the members thereof 
 the salt oj the earth. - Yo are the salt of the earth." The 
 
lairrr- 
 
 ill' 
 
 n 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS ' 
 
 death of Christ is the fountain for sin and uncleanness ; thd 
 Spirit of Christ is sent to reprove the world of sin, and of 
 righteousness, and of judgment ; the word of truth is given 
 to convert the souls of the unregenerate ; the ministry of re- 
 conciliation is given, by which God beseeches men to turn 
 from their evil ways, and by which Christ prays the ungodly 
 to be reconciled to God; the Church of Christ is set on the 
 hill, and organized, according to the directions of Christ, for 
 the express purpose of saving this perishing world from cor- 
 ruptiun and eternal death. What more, then, is needed to 
 convert the world ? Nothing but the zealous and persever- 
 ing efforts of the people of Christ. Christ aims at the sal- 
 vation of the world tlirough his people. " Ye are the salt of 
 the earth." " Go ye, therefore, and make disciples," or Chris- 
 tians, " of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of tne Holy Ghost ; Teaching 
 them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you ; 
 and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. 
 Amen."--Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. Here we discover that 
 Christ designs his people to be of the utmost benefit to the 
 world. They are the salt of it ; and he requires them to 
 make Christians of all nations. If this great design of Christ 
 is to be fulfilled, then, as the salt of the earth, you 
 
 Must hencfit the tcorld hj your prayers. All men must be 
 the subjects of your earnest prayers. You are commanded 
 to make " Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of 
 thanks for nil men ; For this is good and acceptable in^the 
 sight of God our Saviour ; who will have all men to be saved, 
 and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." — 1 Tim. ii. 
 1, 3, 4. " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
 availeth much."— James v. 16. The prayers of the righte- 
 ous, like salt, have a preserving and purifying influence. 
 I* Prayer, ardent, opens heaven." Christians, who are Israelites 
 indeed, are intercessors with God for a lost world. Like 
 Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jol), and Daniel, they plead with God 
 to spare the ungodly, who are daily exposed to the righteous 
 indignation of Jeiiovah ; and, in answer to their prayers, 
 many temporal calamities, many heavy judgments, are turned 
 aside, which would otherwise fall, with crushing force, on the 
 head of the defenceless sinner, or dcsecnfl, likelin avalanche, 
 upon the ungodly nation in which he dwells. By inwrought 
 and fervent prayer, the people of Christ must bring down upon 
 the world, in copiou'q sliowers, tliat spiriiiial influencf^ v/ltich 
 will efTectually cliango tho hearts and lives of ungodly men. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOUtS. 
 
 96 
 
 cleanness ; thd 
 of sin, and of 
 truth is given 
 ministry of re- 
 3s men to turn 
 ys the ungodly 
 ist is set on the 
 s of Christ, for 
 3rld from cor- 
 m, is needed to 
 i and persever- 
 ms at the sal- 
 are the salt of 
 p]es,"orChris- 
 le name of the 
 )st ; Teaching 
 nmanded you ; 
 d of the world, 
 discover that 
 ; benefit to the 
 [uires them to 
 esign of Ciirist 
 
 men must be 
 e commanded 
 
 and giving of 
 coptable in the 
 on to be saved, 
 ';— 1 Tim. ii. 
 righteous man 
 of the righte- 
 ng influence. 
 ) are Israelites 
 world. Like 
 lie ad with God 
 
 the righteous 
 heir prayers, 
 Us, arc turned 
 f force, on the 
 an avalanche, 
 By inwrought 
 ng down upon 
 hiencf^ v/hich 
 ingodly men. 
 
 The fervent intercessions of righteous men have, before now, 
 caused God to pour out his Spirit, so copiously, that hundreds 
 and thousands have received the washing of regeneration, and 
 the renewing of the Holy Ghost. If the people of God were 
 only resolved to bring down upon the world all that spiritual 
 influence which sincere, united, believing, persevering prayer 
 would cause God to bestow, this corrupt world would soon be 
 purified ; and instead of almost universal corrupticn, the glori- 
 ous prediction would soon be fulfilled : " For, from the rising 
 of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name 
 shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place 
 incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering : 
 for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord 
 of hosts."— Mai. i. 11. As the salt of tlie earth, 
 
 The world must he henejiltcd ^y your conversation. To this 
 end you must obey the apostolic injunctions: "Let your 
 speech be alway witii grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may 
 know how to answer every man."— Col. iv. 6. " Let no cor- 
 rupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that 
 which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister 
 grace to the hearers."— Ephos. iv. 29. Solomon declares 
 Ihe mouth of a righteous man is a well of life. The 
 tongue of the just is as choice silver. The lips of the riahte- 
 ous feed many."_Prov. x. 11, 20, 21. " The words V a 
 man s mouth are as deep waters, and the well.sprin<r of wis- 
 dom as a flowing brook."— Prov. xviii. 4. The pious con- 
 versation of good men is just as beneficial to the world as 
 these passages represent. The instructions, reproofs, exhor- 
 tations, and expostulations of the righteous have abashed many 
 a smner who was bent on mischief; caused him to be 
 ashamed of his conduct, to abandon his sinful practices, and 
 seek forgiveness and purity tiirou^rh the atonement of Christ. 
 ihe words of instruction and encouragement which the 
 righteous have given to those who have felt pious desires, 
 but still who were found halting between two opinions, weak 
 and irresolute, driven by every wind of temptation to the 
 commission of sin, have caused them to decide for God, and 
 o choose religion for their portion. The language of Eliphaz 
 Q • . '/ri'T of, '^^^i-y Christian who enjoys much of the 
 bpint of God, and who has faithfully discharged his duty : 
 Behold thou hast instructed many, and thou h?st strengthen- 
 ed the weak hands Thy words have upholden him that was 
 tailing, nnd thou hnst strengthened the feeble knees. "—Jul 
 
!li< 
 
 ^ii 
 
 i6 
 
 TAB OBLIGATIONS OP CHRlSriANS 
 
 '^•\ 'u r i' ^^*® conversation of Christians, conpletl 
 with the fear of sinning, has won many a sinner to Christ, 
 caused him to embrace religion, and to come out boldly and de- 
 cidedlyon the Lord's side. The man who has the Holy 
 bpirit dwelling in him carries the salt of grace in his heart 
 wherever ho goes, and makes manifest the savour of the 
 knowledge of Christ in every place. He converwes, when 
 convenient, on spiritual and heavenly things so judicausly 
 so afTcctionatcly, and so earnestly, that sinners involuntarily 
 are struck with admiration, and feel intensely the need of re. 
 Iigion and the desire for piety ; and here is oflen laid the 
 oundation of their conversion. Hence, in the relations of 
 Christian experience, it often is manifest that the conversion 
 of many originated in conversations held with good men. 
 Servants, also, have been known to have imbibed their first re- 
 ligious impressions from conversations of a spiritual nature 
 which were carried on at the tables where they served 
 Watching for opportunities to do good, pious men and holy 
 women may often, almost imperceptibly, turn the conversation 
 of a company into a religious channel, and thus produce 
 seriousness and thoughtfulness in the hearts of the most frivo- 
 lous and careless. Those who care nothing about God and 
 Christ, and death and eternity ; who would be on their guard 
 against a regular attempt at their conversion, have often im- 
 pressions produced upon their minds bv a casual or incidental 
 religious conversation, which ends in tlieir convci on. And 
 depend ujion it, if all the followers af Christ would humbly' 
 believingly, and resolutely attempt to do good in this way, a 
 change would soon pass over the face of society ; and the 
 purifying of tli(> souls of men would commence in such 
 earnest, and extend with sueli rapidity, that all doubts about 
 Christians being the salt of the earth would spccdilv vanish. 
 As the salt of the earth, 
 
 The world must he henefutcd hy your example. The humi. 
 ity, the ju8tie(<, llio purity, the benevoleiK (>, the joy, and 
 thezeal, which Inn* ChriHiians ever exiiilit in ihe whole of 
 their conduct, arrest the attention of tlio un-^odiy, win their 
 iifrections, and often stimulate them to seek tii(. saving 'rroee 
 of God, which will enable them to live as Chrisiiaiis livc^ ^ Ex- 
 ample has a powerful effect upon tliehimiiui mind ; therefore, 
 Christ says in the context, «• Let your light so shine l)efore 
 men, that they inay see your good works, and glorify your 
 tallicr Vrhii !: ].-; in hravcn." The Chri^tiiui may suy'littlo • 
 
 m 
 
stians, coupled 
 iinner to Christr 
 t boldly and de- 
 has the Holy 
 ice in his heart 
 savour of the 
 onverb'es, when 
 so judiciously, 
 s involuntarily 
 the need of re- 
 often laid the 
 10 relations of 
 the conversion 
 ith good men. 
 cd their first re- 
 piritual nature 
 5 they served, 
 men and holy 
 
 10 conversation 
 thus produce 
 
 the most frivo- 
 about God and 
 on their guard 
 lavo often im- 
 il or incidental 
 cr. ion. And, 
 vould humbly, 
 in this way, a 
 ioty ; and the 
 cnco in such 
 1 doubts about 
 ccdily vanish. 
 
 . The humi- 
 , thn joy, and 
 
 11 the whole of 
 dly, win their 
 
 ! savinjr grace 
 iiiM live. Ex. 
 Ill ; lliercforo, 
 
 shine beforo 
 
 1 glorify your 
 lay Huy HttJo j 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 27 
 
 vet, if he lives as he ought, his unbending integrity, his spot- 
 less purity, his genuine benevolence, his constant cheerful- 
 "f^% !^ ""^"'^"g =^eal in promoting those objects wh.'ch 
 glonfy God and benefit man, have a thousand voices, which 
 speak m trumpet tones to the hearts of ungodly men, and 
 make them tremble at the thought of their own vileness The 
 eloquence of a truly pious life falls upon the sinner's heart 
 hke dew upon the tender herb, or like showers upon the 
 mown grass, and often produces the most blessed results 
 Ihe moral beauty of a truly pious life often captivates the 
 most profligate, fills him with disgust at the wicked defer- 
 mities which blemish his character, and causes him to re- 
 solve, through the grace of God, to lead a new life. Upon 
 the young the benefit of a pious example is incalculable. 
 Iheir heai-ts are not yet hardened through the deceitfulnesa 
 ot sm. Thoy are not yet corrupted through tfie lust of the 
 iiesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Thev 
 are unitative beings j and by placing before them a tr ulv 
 loly life, they may be led to imitate your example : and thus 
 be preserved from the corruption and misery that are in the 
 world, by being led early to Christ, and by being early 
 satisfied wall his mercy. As (he salt of the earth, ^ 
 
 The world must he hcnrfittcd hj your direct personal lahour a 
 for the conversion of the ungodly. You may pray for the 
 conversion of the world, your conversation may bo accord inu 
 to the gospel, your example may be every thing that can bo 
 required; ye(, you cannot fully answer the end of Christ in 
 your ca hng and election to gospel privileges, unless you'ne r- 
 soimlly labour (o convert sinners from the error of tlK"^r wa v s 
 Chris addresses everyone whom he saves in thes,. words'* 
 Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great thinirs tho 
 Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on tlieel'' 
 Son, go work to<lay in my vineyard." - JIo that is not with 
 
 abroad. Thou shalt not sullor sin upon thy brother : thou 
 
 «halt in any wise reprove him." " When thou art concerted 
 strong hen thy brethren." - But to do go<.d u„d communi 
 cate. forget not ; f^>r with such sacrifices Jod Is well p ea eT'' 
 Personal efFort. therefore, is still required with the inner in 
 addition to your prayers, your conversation, and vou? exam" 
 plo. Another cannot tell your friends what God has dono for 
 you Q8 you can yeursolves. You must co yonr..uZVZ 
 wiuvmeyara m6 work: proxy will not do hero. You^m'uit 
 per.oually gather wiihChriit; personally rep rove sinrri J 
 
 I 
 
M 
 
 THE OBLI«ATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 personally labour to strengthen your brethren, and to do good 
 to all men. Many shrink from this personal effort ; but unless 
 it is attended to, the world will never be converted. All 
 GKrtetians must use efforts to convince men of sin, and per- 
 suade them to give up sin. We firmly believe that answer* 
 to the important queries contained in the lines, 
 
 " Lord over all, if thou hast made, 
 
 Haat ransom'd every soul of man, 
 Why ia thy gr«ce so long delayed ] 
 
 Why urifulfiill'd the saving plan ? 
 The bliss for Adam's race desi/i;,i'd, 
 When will it reach to all mankind V' 
 
 may be found in the want of universal personal effort on the 
 part of the people of Christ. 
 
 Thus the people of Christ are the salt of the earth; and 
 when tiiey act in exact accordance with their high designa- 
 tion, they will bo of the utmost benefit to the world. I need 
 not now dwell upon the point that ho that saves one soul from 
 corruption and<leatli, docs more real, j)C'niianent good, t' m ho 
 that founds an empire or breaks the chains of a million slaves. 
 Christian^', who are faithful to the trust reposed in them, must 
 decrease human misery, and increase human happiness. 
 They must lessen the number of those who arc going to hcdl, 
 and increase the number of those who arc going to heaven. No 
 man can tell the good he may do by the conversion of a sinrde 
 soul ; for the smd thus converted will b(M;ome an agent in th:' 
 conversion of others, and they will become the agents in the 
 conversion of more ; and thus, from su small a beginning, hun- 
 dreds and thousands may bo brought to Christ and heaven. 
 
 If yon thus pray, converse, walk, nnd labour for the benefit 
 of the ungo<lly, you will please your (Jod ; wjio has honour- 
 cd you more, by constituting you the salt of the earth, than if 
 he had madey(Mi the proprietors of the earth; and you will 
 be of more service to the world than if you < luld i-einovo all 
 the teiriporal evils tmder which mankind now groan. Ye 
 are the salt of tho earth ; act in such a manner as to b^ 
 worthy of the glorious appellation l)y which you are distin- 
 guished, Ilemcnjber, ever remember, that Christ calls you 
 the salt of the earth ; because, he designs you to bo tho 
 conveyers of tho salt of graco to mankind. Act as good 
 stewards of tho manifold gnuio of (Jod, and you will save 
 ti ifotn Usiiversai corruption, anu specuy ucstrUQiiuii. Chrint 
 teaches : 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 S9 
 
 , and to do good 
 fort ; but unless 
 jonverted. All 
 of sin, and per- 
 fQ that answers 
 
 lal efTort on the 
 
 the eartli ; and 
 r high designa- 
 world. I need 
 5 one soul from 
 It good, t' m ho 
 . million slavoa. 
 1 in them, must 
 lan happiness. 
 3 going to h(!ll, 
 to heaven. No 
 sion of a single 
 im agent in tl..' 
 10 agents in the 
 legitming, hun- 
 md heaven. 
 
 • for the hc-nefit 
 lo hiiH honour. 
 earth, than if 
 ; and you will 
 luld i'(>niovo all 
 )w groan. Yo 
 nner as to bfe 
 ^ou are distin- 
 hrist calls you 
 you to bo the 
 Act as good 
 you will save 
 iQtbii. Chriflit 
 
 11. That, when Christians lose their religion, they can do 
 no good to mankind. 
 
 " Out if the salt have lost his savour." Salt may lose its 
 mvour. Some have doubted this -, but there is indisputable 
 proof, that, under certain circumstances, salt will lose its 
 savour. Mr. Maundrell, describing the valley of salt, says, 
 "On the^side toward Gibul there is a small precipice, about 
 two men's length, occasioned by the continual taking away 
 of the salt ; and in this you may see how the veins of it lie. 
 1 broke a piece of it, of which that part that was exposed 
 to the sun, ram, and air, though it hud the sparks and par- 
 tides of salt, yet it had perfectly lost its savour: the inner 
 part, winch was connected with the rock, retained its savour, 
 as I found by proof." This is a valuable fact; and forcibly 
 illustrates every passage in which the Saviour employs salt 
 to represent grace in the heart, or the benefit which Chris- 
 tians arc designed to bo to the world ; but, especially does 
 It 1 lustratc the possibility of a Christian losing his religion : 
 and that, then, he can be of no saving benefit to mankind. 
 
 As salt may lose its savour, and be of no use in season- 
 ing; so may a Christian lose his piety, and cease to be useful 
 (0 the souls of his fcllow.men. lie may retain the form 
 of godliness ; but, if ho is separated from the Hock Christ 
 Jesus, ho will bo destitute of its power, and then can be of 
 no m..ro service to the souls of men, until he is restored to 
 ho living rodf. Union >, ith Christ is absolutely essential to 
 fx»th piety an.l usefulness. Christ teachos these Iruth., in the 
 plainest mannei', m the fdlowing paragraph: «' 1 im the 
 rue vHio, and my Inuher i. the husbandman. Every 
 branch ,n me that beareth not fruit ho tukeih away; and 
 every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that^t'may 
 g f . Ih more fruit. Now ye are dean through the word 
 
 tl 10 Mne , no moro can ye, except ye abide in mo. I nm the 
 v me, >o arc the brandies : he that abidelh in me, and I in 
 
 can do not im. ? a ,„„„ „i,i.lo not in me, ho is oast fo«U 
 as a branch, and is witbered ; and n.en oafher them and 
 cast them into the fire, and they' are burned:^ y / , "ido"n 
 
 !!";l,^r''!''' H" ''^'"^ 7^9 y«"- ii^^rvin is my Father do. 
 
 -ijoi;.;' XV ^i^ T' "y;*?'* •'"'' ' '"^ '^'^'" y^' ''^ '-y .ii.eipio8." 
 
 junnxv. 1—8. ihis important parograj.h clearly evin- 
 
30 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 ■ 
 
 ce«, that union with Christ is the source of both our piety 
 and usefulness ; and not only so, but it forcibly points out 
 the fact, that, if we lose our religion, wc .shall be separated 
 from Jesus, and then we can bo of no real benefit to mankind. 
 It IS union with Christ that gives us power, both with Gc^ 
 and man. While united to Christ, there is a holy savour 
 connected with us, which renders us acceptable to God ; and 
 our prayers, conversations, examples, and efforts profitable 
 to men ; but when we forsake Christ, this savour departs. 
 Dr. Adani Clarke, in his note on our text, after quoting 
 Maund roll's statement, speaks thus, " A preacher, or private 
 Christian, who has lost the life of Christ, and the witness of 
 the Spirit, out of his soul, may bo likened to this salt. " He 
 may have the .sparks and glillcring particles of true wisdom, 
 but without its unction or comfort. Only that which is con- 
 neclcd with the rock, the soul that is in union with Christ 
 Jesus by llio Holy Spirit, can preserve its savour, and be In- 
 strumontal of good to others." Whitby has the fallowing 
 note on this passage : '' Salt is given to make things savoury, 
 according I. that question of Job's, (vi. 6,) Can that which 
 IS unsavoury be eaten witiiout salt ? and also to sivvo them 
 from putrefaction ; so that the import of this metaphor is this: 
 Ye are appointed, by that pure and holy doctrine, which 
 you are to preach, and by the savour of your good conversa- 
 tion, to purge the world from that corruption in which it lies, 
 and present tiiem as a sacrifice of swect-smcirmg savour, 
 holy 0714 acceptable to God ; but, if you, yourselves, should 
 lose the savour of your good conversation, and becomo 
 putrificd mombors in my body, you would bo wholly useless 
 to these good ends ; and, theref )re, can expect nothing but 
 to bo rejoctod by me, and cast off, as unsavoury salt is cast 
 to the dungiiill." 
 
 Tl is i/n possible for you, my Christian friends, to save 
 souls from death if you lose your religion. f)avi(l knew this ; 
 lionce, ill- says, in the fifty-first Psalm, '* Restore unto mo 
 the joy of thy salvation ; and uphold mo with thy froe spirit. 
 Tiien will 1 teach transgressors tiiy ways; and sinners shall 
 bo converted unto thee.'* The Psalmist evidently fdt that it 
 was iniposisiblc for him to teach transgressors (Jod's ways, 
 and see sinners converted by hi<^ cirorts, while he, himself,' 
 was in n backsliding state. Should your nidrality continue, 
 after you have fallen from grace, yet you will have lost tho 
 power of godliness; therefore, you will not be able to teach 
 sinnors, wiiii a iueiing heart, wiih a loving mindj with a 
 
 I' I 
 
 '/ 
 
TO SEEK TAE SALrATION OF SOULS. 
 
 both our piety 
 ibly points out 
 II be separated 
 fit to mankind, 
 both with Gc § 
 
 a holy savour 
 3 to God ; and 
 Torts profitable 
 avour departs. 
 
 after quoting 
 her, or private 
 the witness of 
 this salt. " He 
 !" true wisdom, 
 
 which is con- 
 on with Christ 
 )ur, and be in- 
 the f()llowin2 
 luigs savoury, 
 !an tliat which 
 to save them 
 itaphor is this: 
 )ctrine, which 
 ;ood con versa- 
 I which it lies, 
 clling savour, 
 selves, should 
 
 and becomo 
 vholly useless 
 ;l nothing but 
 iry salt is oust 
 
 end',', to save 
 id knew this ; 
 'Store unto mo 
 liy f'roo spirit. 
 I sinners shall 
 itly felt that it 
 
 CJod's ways, 
 n he, himself, 
 lify continue, 
 I have lost the 
 
 able to teach 
 mind, with a 
 
 31 
 
 reabus spirit, which are all requisite in the conversion of a 
 sou . Besides, should you continue your efforts to sava 
 souls, there will be no holy urction in your prayers, no godly 
 savour in your conversations, no constraining force in vour 
 exaniple, and no blessing of God upon your efforts. When 
 you have lost your religion, sinners will soon perceive it ; and. 
 -nstead of listening with fear to your prayer, and with interest 
 to your conversation : instead of feeling deeply the powei 
 ot your example and efforts, they will remain perfectly un- 
 concerned ; or if they have any sense and spirit, they will 
 S th'U^f- '°^" and unanswerable rebuff, " Physician 
 
 The conduct of those, who have lost their religion, instead 
 nrbenefuinigmanbnd, is the greatest barrier that lies in the 
 way aj purgnig the world from its corruption. Peter de. 
 Clares, that backsliders " Are wells without water, clouds 
 that are carried with a tempest ; to whom the mist of .larknoss 
 IS reserved fi.r over.' -2 Peter ii. 17 : read to the end of the 
 chapter Judo declares, backsliders - Are spots in your 
 feasts of ehanty when they feast with you, fl'edincr tlVem. 
 selves without fear : clouds they are without water,%a rTd 
 about of winds ; trees whose fruit withoreth, without fruit 
 twico .lead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the 
 sea, foam.ng out flieir own shame ; wandering st^Ts, to wiiom 
 IS reserved the l.laeknoss of darkness forever "'-J uieloiT 
 Language could n.;t more forcil>ly describe the u.iprofit^ble* 
 ness and destruetiveness which clmracterizo the cour^ 
 of^ baekshders. whether they have been public teachersTf 
 Chnst.anuy, or public professors of the religion of 5esua 
 ri.ey are as useless to mankind as the en.pty well, or as tl^ 
 hght and transient cloud. They are as unsnemlv in the 
 Ch.ireh as spots are in a white garment. They a.^ is un 
 
 and ni ;;T: 1 ""^' " ';"*"" ^•■^^' y^^' - trees^wice dead', 
 and pluclvPd up by the roots. They are as uneasy and 
 
 restless as the ragh.g sea, which ever Ll. up m e'md dirt 
 They arc as mischievous to mankind as wn, derin.r Trs or 
 Jgnes fatu, wiUs-o'-the wisp, which dance bdoeo hWIu 
 el, lost traveller, and lead him further and further ast^ray 
 from the course ho wishes to pursue. Thny are Lruin.. h oaY 
 long to that outer darkness, wLre there is vee.i.^fui^^^ 
 and gnas ung „f toeth and <lragglug ot!,ers dolv?.'! "t"^' 
 to the bottomless pit. Hy losing iho salt of grace, the savZ 
 of godlmees, you will givo the .alnta cap..e trmourn f r 
 you will weaken their hand,. You will gi ?e tT nemit 
 
1 
 
 82 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 of religion occasion to blaspheme the holy name of God, and 
 the doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; for they 
 will declare that religion is a cunningly devised fable. You 
 will embolden sinners in their sins; for they will declare 
 that they are better men than you are. You will discourage 
 the inquirers after salvation, and prevent many of them 
 entering in at the strait gate ; for they will both think and 
 say, " It is no use our attempting to become pious, for some 
 of those who have professed religion have fallen, and they 
 are now worse sinners than they were previous to their con- 
 version ; if we become pious, we sli.dl, in all probability, 
 fall too, and bring disgrace upon the cause of Christ : we 
 will let religion alone." Thus do backsliders prevent the 
 purification of the world from its corruptions. A lady said 
 to the writer of these pages, a few days ago, when speaking 
 of an unhappy backslider, '< That man has done more harm, 
 in this village, in keeping the people from Christ, and in en- 
 couraging men to sin, than any otiier person that I have 
 known since I have boon hero. His conduct is abominable : 
 his tongue is dreadful !" Behind backsliders and hypocrites 
 Kinners ever hide themselves; and it is the most difficult 
 work in the world to bring thein from behind those refuges 
 of lies, and induce them to place tlieir guilty souls upon the 
 sure foundation which God has laid in Zion.' An insinceie 
 profession of religion, and a turning aside from the holy 
 commandment, do more injury to the cause of Christ, more 
 to iiinder the conversion of sinners to God, than anything 
 else that we can conceiv»c. 
 
 Salt, when it has lost its savour, never finds it more. " It 
 is thenceforth good for nothing, and men cast it out." If salt 
 is needed, a fresh supi)ly must be obtained. And so it is in 
 religion. If we lose our piety, wo can never be saved 
 through the grace wo once had ; if we arc to be saved, wo 
 must come again to the blood of sjirinkling ; and, by peni- 
 tence, and faith, and prayer, receive from God a fresh supply 
 of the salt of grace. If we lose our piety, wo can never 
 benefit the souls of our follow-mcn again, until the joy of 
 God's salvation is rcstoretl ; and until we maki^ it manifest, 
 by our lives, to the world, that wo have sincerely repented 
 of our baekslidings and wanderings, and are, iu reality, 
 again the children of God. There is gosjwl truth, which it 
 would bo well for us all to ponder, seriously and frequently, 
 
 no wnl' ...... T J 
 
 •11 
 
 as poetry, in i!ie line? 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 33 
 
 " Ah, Lord ! with trembling I confess, 
 
 A gracious soul may fall from grace : 
 The salt may lose its seasoning power, 
 
 And never — never find it more." 
 
 And it becomes every Christian to pray earnestly and con- 
 stantly to God, 
 
 " Lest that my fearful case should be, 
 Each moment knit my soul to thee ; 
 And lead me to the mount above, 
 
 Through the low vale of humble love." 
 Consider, ^ 
 
 III. That, when Christians have lost their piety, and are 
 of no benefit to tiie world, they are cast out as worthless 
 refuse. 
 
 *' It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and 
 trodden underfoot of nion." Dr. T. M. Harris, in his Natu- 
 ral History of the Bible, says, «< Tiiis is spoken of the mine- 
 ral salt, as mentioned by Maundrell, a great deal of which 
 was made uso of in offerings at the temple ; sucli of it as had 
 become insipid, was thrown out, to repair the roads, and pre- 
 vent shppmg in wet weather. The existence of such a salt, 
 and its applicatioii to sucIj a use, .Schoetgeniur has largely 
 proved in his Hora) Hnbraicro, Vol. 1. p. 18. The salt vnjil 
 J or the land (Luke xvi. IM), Lc Clerc conjectures to be that 
 made of wood-uslies, which looses its savour, and l)ecomes no 
 longer servicoiible." page 331. Dr. A.lam Clarke's note is 
 as fellows: '< [To bo trodden underfbot.] Tiiore was a 
 species of sail in Judoa, wliich was generated at the lake 
 Asplialtitcs, and hence called bituminous salt : easily rendered 
 vapi(l, and of no other use but to be spread in a part of the 
 temple, to prcn-ont slipping in wet weather. This is probably 
 what our Lord allude.l to in tiiis place." Ye, Christians, aro 
 designed by Christ to be the salt of the earth, to purify it 
 from corrupt ion, and preserve it from destruction ; but if you 
 oso your piety, and cease tlms to benefit the world, vou will 
 bo justly rejected by Christ, and cast out as worthless refuse. 
 1. convert(>d men and women will not seek the salvation of 
 others, God will certainly withhold the supplies of liis grace; 
 and then the salt they now have will soon lose its savour, and 
 they will bo good for nothing but to prevent others from 
 slipping, who witness their folly, de^ajradation, and misery. 
 ^If you Jose your piety, and are of no real benefit to the vmrlA, 
 Uirul will cast you out of his favour and protection. Christ 
 will not bless you with his presence, and favour, 
 
84 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 •M; 
 
 and protection, if you lose your purity, your faith, your 
 love, your zeal, and are of no service to the souls of 
 your fellow-men. He made this known to the Churches 
 of Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodecea. 
 Ihere was much good in the church at Hphesus ; yet 
 Jesus said, «« Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, 
 because thou hast left thy first love;" and he declares that 
 he would remove all the privileges of that church, unless it 
 repented. The churches at Pergamos and Thyatira had 
 kept the faith ot Christ, and had not denied his name ; but 
 they tolerated eating things sacrificed to idols, and fornication. 
 He commands the first of these churches to " Repent ; or 
 else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against 
 tJiem with the sword of my mouth ;" and of the ringleader 
 m sin, and her wicked associates, in the latter church, he says, 
 "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit 
 adultery with her, into great tribulation, except they repent 
 of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death ; and 
 all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the 
 reins and hearts ; and I will give unto every one of you, ac- 
 cording to your works." In the church at Sardis there were 
 a few who had not defiled their garments : these he promises 
 to bless, and own in the last day ; but the rest, who had only 
 a name to live and were dead, ho sharply reproves, and 
 says, " If thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief; 
 aiid thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." 
 To the church at Laodecea, which appears not to have had 
 one redeeming quality, but was completely careless about 
 Uie glory of God and the salvation of precious souls, he says, 
 " I know thy works, that thou art neitiicr cold nor hot : I 
 would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because thou art 
 lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of 
 my mouth." Hear this, ye lukewarm professors, who are 
 at ease in ;5ion, settled on your lees, doing nothing for 
 Christ and the souls of men : there was some redeeming 
 quality in all the other churches, though there was much to 
 grieve him in all the seven churches of Asia, excapting 
 Smyrna and Philadelphia ; but in Laodecea there is nothing 
 to reprove but self-complacency and lukewarmncss ; yet, 
 these are so odious to Ciirist, that lie declares he will cast the 
 Laodeceans out of his mouth. «' Woe to tiiem that are at 
 ease in Zion ;" for Jesus says, « I will search Jerusalem 
 with lighted candles, and punish the men that are settled on 
 
 tiieir iees ; that 
 
 say in their heart, The Lord will not do 
 
rs 
 
 )ur faith, your 
 ) the souls of 
 > the Churches 
 and Laodecea. 
 
 Hphesus ; yet 
 it against thee, 
 e declares that 
 lurch, unless it 
 
 Thyatira had 
 his name ; but 
 and fornication. 
 
 " Repent ; or 
 ill fight against 
 
 the ringleader 
 hurch, ho says, 
 im that commit 
 opt they repent 
 ith death ; and 
 h searcheth the 
 »ne of you, ac- 
 rdis there were 
 ise he promises 
 , who had only 
 
 reproves, and 
 hee as a thief ; 
 le upon thee." 
 lot to have had 
 careless about 
 souls, he says, 
 !oid nor hot : I 
 ;ause thou art 
 pue thee out of 
 ssors, who are 
 g nothing for 
 ne redeeming 
 e was much to 
 sia, cxcapting 
 liero is nothing 
 rmncss ; yet, 
 ) will cast the 
 )m that are at 
 ch Jerusalem 
 are settled on 
 I will not do 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOTTLS. S5 
 
 good, neither will he do evil." « Because thou art luke- 
 warmi, and neUher cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my 
 mouth. We affectionately, earnestly, solemnly warn all 
 who are noJ labouring to save souls of the imminent danger 
 of utter rejection by Christ. If your criminal indiffer- 
 ence to the salvation of the souls of men continues, Christ 
 Will cast you out of his favour and protection ; and then 
 your adversary the devil, who, as a roaring lion, walketh 
 about, seeking whom he may devour, will be sure to lav hold 
 01 you and destroy you. 
 
 If you lose your religion, and neglect the salvation of the 
 souls of your fellow.men, Christ will cast you out of Jds 
 ^tamily, and disown you at the last day. " Tiie just shall 
 live by his faith ; but if he draw back, my soul shall have 
 no pleasure m him." - He that overcometh, the same shall 
 be clothed in white raiment ; and I will not blot out his name 
 out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my 
 father, and before his angels."— Rev. iii. 5. But, " Whom- 
 soever therefore, shall be ashamed of me and my words, in 
 ihxs adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the 
 bon of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of 
 his Bather with the holy angels."— Mark viii. 38 How 
 great are the evils presented to our view in the preceding 
 verses? Lor God to have no pleasure in us, to have ouf 
 names blotted out of the book of life by the hand of Z 
 and to have the Saviour ashamed of us at the last day, are' 
 
 min w '^ f'^^y °^ P'^^^' ^"^' ^o "° g°«d to the souls of 
 men. What but fear, and shame, and backsliding, prevent 
 us from attempting tlie salvation of the souls of men Chris 
 lans are c.ther afraid of worldly loss, or bodily injury; or 
 they are af^^-aid to speak, on Christ's behalf, to their ungodly 
 fellow croaures- or, they have begun to 'draw backSn 
 
 nnMnh r/'"^ T ^}'^- ^'"'"^ °^ ««"»«' ^'^«" they strive 
 Z\JT'r''^''^'''' ^''''^'''^ conversations, example! 
 Wlivfi f" r ^" "'''"^' ^"'^'' '^ '^ ^^''-^^e alone that prevents 
 
 af sn^^r 1 r/"''"P''"« '' glorify Christ and save immo ! 
 
 al souls ; but it matters not what the reason is, the Saviour 
 IS displeased w.th all who manifest not the s'avour of Tis 
 
 bZ iH' f ^k'7'^ 1^'""" \ "'"' ^^"' '^ »^^y r^P«"t not, and 
 uTh^ t of r 1 ^'T%'T^'^: repentance, blot 'the names of 
 BULh out of the book of life : be ashamed of tbnm in t^o dn- 
 or judg.ru-nf and deny them a place in heavenr Ponder 
 this solemn fact, all ye who have entirely lost the savour of 
 
r.i 
 
 39 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 li: 
 
 piety, or who are losing it, as fast as you can, by your luk«- 
 warmness. 
 
 Unless we retain the savour of piety, and employ all our 
 energies for the glory of Christ, and the spiritual benefit 
 of men, Christ will certainly cast us into the lake of fire. 
 This is the second death. On this awful subject we shall 
 say but little. Paul evidently laboured, with all his might, 
 to prevent so horrible a catastrophe ; hence, he says, when 
 alluding to the earnest efforts of the Grecian racers and 
 combatants, " I therefore so run, not as uncertainly ; so 
 fight I, not as one that beateth the air : but I keep my body 
 under, and bring it into subjection ; lest, that by any means, 
 when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast 
 away." A cast away was one disapproved by the judge 
 of the games, as not having fairly deserved the prize. Paul 
 dreaded being rejected by Christ, the Judge of nil, at 
 the last ; and, hence, he performed every duty, and used 
 every means, so that this might not be the case. Arm if 
 Paul, wi.se, holy, useful as ho was, in a pieeminent degree, 
 dreaded being a cast away at last, how much reason have 
 we to dread this consunmiation of woe. Tiiore is not the 
 least doubt but we shall be cast into hell, if we lose our piety, 
 and die in a backsliding state. Hear what the Holy Giiost 
 says, by E/.ekicI, "But, when the righteous turucth away 
 from his rigliteousness, and commlttcth iniquity, and doeth 
 according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, 
 shall he live ? All tlio righteousness he hath done shall not 
 be mentioned : in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in 
 the sin wliich ho hath sinned, in them shall he die.''-xviii.24. 
 Nor is there the least doubt, if we are careless about the 
 salvation of souls, but we shall lose our piety and perish ; 
 for it is written, *' Then he which had rrc(Mvcd the ono 
 talent came ana said. Lord, I knew thee thattiiou art an hard 
 man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering whore 
 thou hast not slrawed : And I was afraid, and went'and hid 
 thy talent in tlie earth : lo, there thou hast that is thine. His 
 lord anvvswered and said unto him, thou wicked and slothful 
 servant, thou knewest that I reap where 1 sowed not, and 
 gathered wliere I have not slrawed ; Thou oughtcst therefore 
 to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my 
 coming I should Iiavo received mine own with usury. Take 
 therefore the talent from him, nnd give it unto him which 
 l-.ath ten talf-ntfs. For unto every o!ie that hulh r;liall bo 
 gi'/en, and ho shall have abundance; but I'rom him that 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 81 
 
 rum him that 
 
 hath not shall be taken away even that which he huth. And 
 cast ye the umrofitabie servant into outer darkness : there 
 shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." — Matth. xxv. 24 
 — 30. Why was the man cast into outer darkness ? Had 
 he received any grace ? He had. Why, then, was he cast 
 into outer darkness ? Because he had not improved his 
 talent. He was not cast into hell for his immoralities ; but 
 because he had done no good with the gift, the means, and 
 the opportunities which God had placed in his care and at 
 his disposal. Let those who are doing no good look at the 
 parable until they feel that they must live for the glory of 
 God, and the salvation of souls, or be cast into outer dark- 
 ness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
 
 What a curse ! " Cast out and trodden underfoot !" 
 Avoid it, my brethren, by labouring with all your might to 
 glorify God, and benefit your fellow-men. Instead of vainly 
 supposing that you cannot lose grace, and the power and 
 disposition to do good, dread this awful catastrophe, and use 
 every means to prevent it. 
 
 What arc you doing for the salvation of men ? Are you 
 seeking their salvation ? If not, your religion is vain. You 
 are deluded in supposing that you are in God's favour, if the 
 religion you profess docs not constrain you to seek the salva- 
 tion of the "dead in trespasses and sins." When there is 
 grace in the heart, it will be manifested in fervent prayer, 
 and zealous efforts for the conversion of :ho ungodly. Christ 
 declares, that his people " Arc the salt of the earth ;" -and 
 he made this declaration because he knew that his love 
 would induce its possessors to seek the conversion of immor- 
 tal souls ; therefore, if ycu are doing nothing for the conver- 
 sion of your fellow-men, you have' every'reason to suspect 
 that your hearts are not right with God : that you have no 
 genuine religion. 
 
 We may not bo equally fitted/or, and equally useful in, every 
 department of Christian labour ; but we can all pray for the 
 conversion of the ungodly ; we can all set before them a 
 good example, and we may all do something in the way of 
 conversation and personal cflbrt. If you do what you can, 
 cheerfully and constantly, Christ accepts the service ; but 
 if you are doing nothing, you had better seek, at once, the 
 conversion of your own souls. 
 
 To you, w!io are doing what you can to save souls, we 
 would say, m the language of the inspired apostle, "Be 
 
• J 
 
 « I 
 
 3S 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of 
 the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in 
 vain in the Lord." 
 
 1(1 
 
 ■ 
 
 II 
 
 111 
 
DISCOURSE III. 
 
 THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATIONS NEEDED TO SAVB 
 
 SOULS. 
 
 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants 
 of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they ehaU 
 look upon h.m whom they have pierced, and they shall ^ourn for him as 
 one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterneS fo hiu , ^00" 
 that IS 111 bitterness for his first-born."— Zeciiariah xii. 10. 
 
 Christians should search diligently the Iloly Scriptures, in 
 order to ascertani correctly the work which 'the Holy Spirit 
 has to perform, in connexion with the preaching of the gospel 
 before e^'or any souls can be saved. Had we greater know' 
 letlge ot what the Scriptures teach, on this highly important 
 pouit wo should know where our great strength lies, and 
 ehould be stirred up to unceasing prayer, incessant vigilance, 
 and repeated acts of faith, to secure the necessary aid of the 
 Holy Spirit; so that we might never suffer defeat in 
 our efforts to increase the triumphs of Christ. Many, we 
 doubt not, have had to cry, - Who hath believed our report ? 
 and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" because thev 
 liave depended too much on the means used for the conversion 
 of sinners, and too little on the Spirit's aid ; and, hence, a 
 ^tiuie, a miserable failure, has succeeded the vigorous ef- 
 On .1 If' \'^«y ''ave put forth for the salvation of souls. 
 Un 1)0 other hand, some have looked so much to the Spirit's 
 ^\ork, as to depend entirely on him to accomplish the salva- 
 ton of souls, without their agency ; therefore, they have 
 not laboured zealously in disseminating the knowledge of 
 Christ crucified, in warning men of sin, in exhorting them 
 to forsake their evil courses, and beseeching them, in Christ's 
 stead, to be reconciled to God ; hence, they have seen no 
 saving good accomplished, and have been found givincr way 
 to Idle complainings about the lowliness of religion In the 
 Church, and the abounding of iniquity iii the work?. 
 
 Let us guard against these highly injurious and dangerous 
 ^o bZ" ^;;^'"'^''} "I^ '-^ «"r« 'o labour; it is God's 
 !l uM . , ^''. r°''' *°-:^*y >" ""y vineyard," remember, 
 ii "'r 'Te'Tr "''^'m'' """'^ ^y l'^'^^"'"' ^"t ^y my Spirit, saith 
 <he Lord of Hosts." God does not ordinarily convert sinner 
 
.' i 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 without human agency ; and it is certain that Christians 
 cannot convert sinners without the Holy Spirit's all-sufficient 
 aid. 
 
 I. The Spirit promised. v 
 
 II. The efToct produced upon the minds of sinners by the 
 outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 III. The encouragement we have, as Christians, to hope 
 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to succeed our labours 
 for the Salvation of Souls. 
 
 I. The Spirit promised. 
 
 The Holy Spirit is termed, in the fifty-first Psalm, the 
 free or liberal Spirit of God ; because he is free in His opera- 
 tions, liberal in the bestowment of His favours, and may be 
 obtained by all who ask for Him. Ifi the eighth of Romans, 
 He is called the Spirit of fear and bondage, because he re- 
 proves, or rather convinces, ungodly men of sin, of righteous- 
 ness, and of judgment, and thus produces fear and bondage in 
 their souls. In the same chapter. Ho is styled the Spirit of 
 Adoption, because he gives to every penitent believer in 
 Christ the temper of a child of God, assures him of his 
 adoption into the family of God, and causes him, by a free 
 instinct, to cry, " Abba Father." " Where the Spi of tho 
 Lord is," as the Spirit of adoption, " there is libcrt; Lib- 
 erty from sin, liberty to do tho will of God, liberty of access 
 unto the throne of grace at all times, and under all circum- 
 stances ; but it is not our intrntion to describe tho whole 
 of the Spirit's work. We cull your attention to tiio Holy 
 Spirit, 
 
 As THE Spirit op Grace. 
 
 Grace not only signifies unniorifod favour, kindness, lovo ; 
 but it also signifies the favouriible and alniiglily inllnenco 
 of God upon tilt' mind of man, and the blessed eliccts of that 
 influence. •' My grace is sufilcient il)r thee : for my strength 
 is niade perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will J 
 rather glory in my infirmities, that the power f,f (^hrist may 
 rest upon me." — 2 Cor. xii. 'J. It is abundantly evi(l(>nt 
 that the Holy Spirit is tho Author of that grace, inflnence, or 
 power, that upljolds the believer under liis infirmities, and 
 carries him on to tho performance of all the will of (Jod ; 
 and it io f.lso tibimdunily certain, that Ho is tho Author of 
 thot graco which changes tho sinner's heart and tho sinner'a 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 il 
 
 State. The sinner is blinded by the god of this world ; he 
 is a slave to sin, a child of the devil, an heir of hell, and is 
 all his life-time subject to bondage through fear of death. 
 The Spirit, however, can enlighten his mind, deliver him 
 from the trammels of the world, the flesh, and the devil : 
 give him power to conquer his foes, and power to love 
 God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself. " God 
 hath not given unto us the Spirit of fear ; but of love, of 
 power, and of a sound mind." The Holy Spirit can give the 
 sinner a sound mind, that is, a mind freo from spiritual mad- 
 ness and spiritual disease, and irmke him an heir of God, 
 and a joint heir with our Lord Jesus Christ. You all must 
 acknowledge, that tlie Spirit of Grace is much needed in our 
 congregations, in our cities, towtjs, and villages, yea, in our 
 world, in order to turn our fellow-creatures from their wicked 
 ways and unrighteous thoughts, that they may return unto 
 the Lord, who will have mercy upon them, and to our God, 
 who will abundantly pardon. The Spirit promised in the 
 text is the Author and liostowcr of Grace of every kind, and 
 in every degree. 
 
 He is the Spirit of Supplications. 
 The word supp/ications signifies prayer earnestly and re- 
 pciiti.lly oflTM-od. The Holy Spirit produces a mighty in- 
 Ihiencoon the hearts of sinners; hence, when God spoke by 
 J.;rcmiah of restoring the Jews from Ha!)ylonish captivity, 
 H<i(ieclared that they should come with weeping and suppli- 
 cations. " They shall come with weeping, 'amrwiil. suppli- 
 cutuH.H will [ leudthnm."— J.,r. xxxi. 9.' "In those days, 
 and in lliat tnne, saith the Lord, the (children of Israel shall 
 come, they and the children of Judah together, gohig and 
 weepn/g : tlxsy simll go, and seek the Lord their God. They 
 Hhall ask their way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, 
 Haymg, Gome, and let us join ourselves unto the Lord in a 
 perpetual covenant, whieh shall not be forgotten. "-^or. 1. 4, ft, 
 Tliis is just what wo want, as Chiistians, to see in our 
 day : smncis seeking the Lord : coming to j(,in themselves to 
 Uinst tho Lord, in a perpetual eovenani, which shall not bo 
 forgotten, l-'or this purpose we build our churches, support our 
 inmistrrs, keep up public worship, circulate bibh-s an.l fructs. 
 establKsh sabbath schools, and send our missionaries where 
 Umst IS not preached ; but all will be of no avail unless the 
 «pint ol l.raco and Supplications is poured out. He i« the 
 • ,u?aor o{ all thoruj humble, .luiuest, and repeated petitions 
 which convinced sinners prosont to God for mercy in the 
 
42 
 
 TUB OBLmATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 name of Jesus Christ, and which a)l true believers so ar- 
 dently desire to hear sinners pouring forth. He is the Author 
 of the agonizing supplications of sinners ; for he reveals to 
 then™ their ignorance, guilt, pollution, bondage, and danger ; 
 and directs them to look to the Lamb of God, who taketh 
 away the sin of the world, for deliverance. The Holy 
 Spirit inclines sinners to pray, and instructs and assists them 
 in the performance of the duty. Guided and assisted by the 
 Holy Ghost, they mightily cry to God to make Christ unto 
 them, " Wisdom, righteousness, santification, and redemption," 
 that they may be enabled to glory in the Lord. VVe cannot, 
 by any means, bo successful in saving souls, unless the 
 Spirit of the living God blesses our efforts ; for sinners are so 
 blind to their duty, so insensible of their danger, so hardened 
 through the deceitfulness of sin, that the presentation of truth 
 to their minds in the clearest and most forcible manner, will 
 never convince them ot sin, of righteousness, and of judgment ; 
 nor move them to penitence, to prayer, to faith in Christ, 
 unless the Holy Spirit eflectually works with the truth, and 
 gives them the spirit of bondugo to fear. Then, but not till 
 then, will they come with weeping and supplications to the 
 throne of grace. As the Spirit of Grace and Supplications, 
 Ho is promised 
 
 To TIIR HOUSE OF DaVIU, AND TO THE INHABITANTS OF 
 Jant iALEM. 
 
 Before tlie Spirit of grace and supplications is poured out 
 upon the world. Ho is first given to tlie church in his sancti- 
 fying operations, and as the Spirit of supplications, preparing 
 the poopla of God to enter heartily into the work of saving 
 souls, giving them such love to souls, and such an ardent 
 desire for their salvation, tluU they cannot rest until sinnera 
 are saved. *' The Spirit also hclpoth our infirmities : for wo 
 know not what wo should pray for as we ought ; but the 
 Spirit itself muketli intercession lor us, with groanings that 
 oannot l)e uttered." As Christians, wo especially need the 
 help of the Spirit in our supj)lioution8 <br the ungodly. 
 We are bound to pray for all men ; yea, to pray always, 
 with oil prayer and supplication in the Sj)iril ; and wo are 
 required to do tins, because our intercessions for the ungodly 
 avail much with (jod. Hut where is the saint, when desir- 
 ing above all things to intercede succssfully with God for iho 
 Ooiiversion (f sinners, that has not, many times, felt at a lou 
 tsfhst tfi 'irii" iitv tin their bfihulf ' but ftt such timos- ihd 
 8|)irit hftH helped his infirmities, and led him to pray la a 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 49 
 
 HAUITANTS OP 
 
 manner that has deeply affected sinners, and to pray for those 
 very tilings which they have most needed. And when we have 
 prayed in the Holy Ghost, or, as the Holy Spirit has led us 
 on to pray for the ungodly, the very sinners wc have prayed 
 for have been overpowered, yea, confounded, by our prayers, 
 and led to cry for mercy. Their feelings, iheir wants, thair 
 desires, have been so fully expressed by us, and pleaded so 
 earnestly before God, that they have trembled under our 
 prayers : yielded to the blessed influence which has 
 been brought upon them in answer to prayer ; and have 
 shortly experienced a new birth, a new creation, « uow life. 
 All that wo want, as Christian;?, to enable us to feci aright 
 and pray aright for sinners, is the Spirit of grace and suppli- 
 cations; and, in this text, he is promised in this character to 
 the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 
 
 He is promised to the house of David, or to the great men 
 in the Church. The; preachers, the leaders, and the fjtew. 
 nrds are no more, and no better, than the grace of Gnrl makes 
 thorn ; and ifth(>y are to be successful, in the work of saving 
 souls, they must have an abundant incnsurc of the Spirit 
 of grace and supplications. IJi'fore God blesses a church 
 with a great revival of his work, it is generally the caso, 
 that he pours onl his Spirit of gr.iee and siipplicnlionVirst on tho 
 house of David, un th-; leading men in the church, and it is 
 a good sign that the church is about to prosper, and sinners 
 are about to bo converted, win n the oaierrs in the church 
 begin to Del deeply on behalf of the utiirodlv, and to labour 
 wisely, zealously, faithfully for their conversion. O that 
 nil tho loading men, in all tho churches of ('hrisf, were fdlod 
 with th(> Spirit of grace and supplications! liien there would 
 bo no unholy eotitests for power ; no lording it over God'g 
 heritage; no striving to blond the spiritual Un-i.lom of our 
 blessed Iledeemor with the kingdoms of this world ; but their 
 aim would be t!in puritv and' prrspcrilv (-f the eliureh, and 
 tho conversion of the world to Christ. "We earnoK.lly exhort 
 tho leading men in the churches of Christ tc» seek u larger 
 measure of the Spirit of grace and r.npplicatiorjs, to that 
 thoy may properly lead on tho people of God in tli(irenbrt» 
 to save saids. You huvo tho promise of the Spirit. Do vo 
 filled with tho Spirit. ^ ^ 
 
 lie is prnmised nho to the inhabitants of Jt rusnicm, or to 
 the membership of the Church. Matthew Henry justly 
 
 — *,.,} jj].. iui!uuti:iui3 u! Jcrusaiem, uic common 
 
 pcoplo ; for tho operations of tho Spirit aro tho samo upon 
 

 iiii 
 
 u 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHTIISTIANS 
 
 ihe mean and weak Christians, that they are upon the 
 strong and more grown. The inhabitants of Jerusalem 
 cannot influence puhh'c afllliirs by their powers and policies, 
 so as the great men of the house of David may, yet may do 
 good service by their prayers ; and, therefore, upon them 
 shall the Spirit be poured out. The Church is Jerusalem : 
 the heavenly Jerusalem. All true believers, that have their 
 conversation in heaven, are inhabitants of tiiis Jerusalem ; 
 and to them this promise belongs, God will pour his Spirit 
 upon them. This is that earnest ^vhich all that believe in 
 Christ shall receive: thus they are sanctified: thus they are 
 sealed. 2. What these blessir)gs are. I will pour upon 
 them my spirit. That includes all good things, as it (jualifics 
 us for th(! favour of (iod and all his othi-r gills, lie will pour 
 out the Spirit. (L) As a Spirit of ^race, to sanctify, and to 
 inake us gracious. (2.) As a Spirit of supplications, inclin- 
 ing us U\ insfrueliiig and assisling us i;l, the duty of prayer. 
 Wherever th/i Spirit is given, as a Spirit of grace, he is given 
 ns a Spirit of su|)|)lication. Wherever ho is a Spirit of adop- 
 lion, ho teaeheth to cry, Abba Father. As soon as ever 
 Paul was converted, Behold lie prays. — Acts i.\. II. You 
 may as .soon iind a living man without breath, as a saint 
 without prayer. There is a more plentiful tlilision of the 
 Spirit of pjayor now, under the gospel, than there was under 
 the law ; ami thr' fiirlh(>r the work of satitificiUion is carried 
 in us, the belter is the work of suj)plication carried on by us." 
 Tho member;; of churches cannot be successful, to that extent 
 they ought to be, in saving souls, unless they are fdled with 
 the Spirit (d' grace and supplications; and, therefjre, it is 
 iho imperativf! duty of every private nuMnber to seek, with 
 nil his might, a greater measure of the Spirit : yea, to bo 
 fdlcd with th" Spirit. (Jet blessed, greatly blessed, with the 
 Spirit of grace! and supplications, and you will be a blessing, 
 n great blessing, to your fellow-men; but if you ari; strait- 
 ened in your own bowels, and in your own efibVts, remember 
 tho Spirit of the fiord is not straitened. And if you do not 
 rcccdvo iiim iii^ his fulness, the blunie rests upon your own 
 heads. " For if yo being evil know how to give good gifts 
 unto your eliildn-n, how naich more will vour heavenly 
 Father triy<; his j loly Spirit to them that ask lum." (Jet more 
 of the S])irit, and do not cease praying for the Spirit of graco 
 and supplications, until your soul enters no fully into the 
 .work of Having your fellow-men, that you will be "frequently 
 found, ''Uiilriiiir uu nravers and suijpiicatioiis, with etrona 
 
 {J up prayers and suppUci 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 45 
 
 are upon the 
 of Jerusalem 
 s and policies, 
 Y, yet may do 
 •e, upon them 
 is Jerusalem : 
 hat have their 
 is Jerusalem ; 
 pour his Spirit 
 that heliove in 
 
 thus they are 
 II pour upon 
 
 as it qualifies 
 
 IIo will pour 
 metity, and to 
 Milions, inclin- 
 ty oi" prayer. 
 3c, he is given 
 Spirit oi' adop. 
 soon as over 
 
 ix. II. You 
 th, as a saint 
 
 liusidu of the 
 ere was under 
 tion is carried 
 L'd on hy us." 
 , to that extent 
 are filhal with 
 ier('ll)io, it is 
 
 to sii k, witii 
 it : yea, to be 
 sseil, with the 
 be a blessing, 
 r'ou an; strait- 
 its, remember 
 if you do not 
 \nni your own 
 ;ive good gift.s 
 our heavenly 
 " (Jet more 
 piril (if grace 
 ully iiUo the 
 bo IVequently 
 I, with strong 
 
 crying and tears, unto him that is able to save them from 
 death." Then your prayers will be heard, your labours 
 will be successful ; and precious souls will be delivered from 
 going down into the pit, from which a great ransom cannot 
 deliver them. 
 
 11. The effects produced upon the minds of the ungodly, 
 by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 By THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT, THE ATTENTION OF 
 SINNERS IS ARRESTED. 
 
 Their thoughts are at once turned to religion, and fixed 
 upon those tilings which belong to their peace. Those, who 
 before were the most frivolous, full of levity, whose atten. 
 tion you could not keep to the subject of religion for the 
 the shortest possible space of time, now become serious and 
 thoughtful ; and the thrilling subject of religion occupies their 
 most anxious and constant thoughts. Those, also, who were 
 careless about their souls ; who could listen to the most 
 interesting themes without interest; to the most important 
 and solemn sermons without either anxiety or fear, are 
 awakened from their guilty slumbers, and their thoughts are 
 fixed upon their guilt, wretchedness, and danger. When 
 the Spirit is jwured out, as the Spirit of grace and supplica- 
 tions, there is a commotion among the churches: the people 
 of God, having their hearts opened and their tongues loosened, 
 begin to pray to God, and exhort sinners in earnest. The 
 news flies through the city, the town, the village, or the set- 
 tlement, and careless negleeters of salvation, miserable 
 backsliders, self-righteous moralists, and abandoned profli- 
 gates, flock to tlu! house of prayer, either to look on or to 
 Bcoli; and upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication, 
 descends, and they begin to cry for mercy. So it has ever 
 been ; so it ever will be. It was so in the day^ of the apos. 
 ties. When the Spirit was first poured out, th'ire was a com- 
 motion in the church; the followers of Christ began to speak 
 with new tongues, and to declare to every man in his own 
 tongue the wonderful works of God ; then the nmltilude came 
 together and were eonfou.ided ; tor the sac.-ed narrative in- 
 forms us, " Now, when this was noiso.j al«roa(l, the multitude 
 came together, and were cotjfounded, because that every man 
 heard them speak in his own language. And they were aU 
 amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are 
 not all ihfso whiuh speak Galileans i And how hoar wo 
 every mon in our own tongue, wherein wo were boru i Par- 
 
46 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 h 
 
 * ft 
 
 ' » 
 
 thians, and Medcs, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopo- 
 tamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontua, and Asia, 
 Phyrgia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya 
 and Cyrene ; and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 
 Cretes, and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues 
 the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, 
 and were in doubt, saying one to another, What nicaneth 
 this ? Others, mocking, said, These men are full of new 
 wuie." — Acts ii. 6 — 13. 
 
 Thus, by the outpouring of the Spirit upon the followers 
 of Christ, the nttontion of siimers was arrested, and there 
 was a commotion among the ungodly. It was so in the days 
 of the Wesloys and of VVhitefield, and has been so in every 
 grer>t revival of religion that has taken place at any 
 period of time, or in any quarter of the globe. We 
 may, therefore, reasonably conclude, that in any and every 
 church, where the members, hy earnest prayer and simple 
 faith, secure the abundant etFusious of the Holy Spirit, as the 
 Spirit of grace anrl supplications, the members of the church 
 will begin to speak, if not with new tongues, yet with new 
 life, and with such increased energy, that the attention of 
 fiinners will be arre:^ted ; there will bo a commotion among 
 them, and they will crowd to the house of God, either to 
 onqtiire •' Wiiat is fhi» meaning of tliis ?" or else to mock. 
 And it is a matter of incalculable importance to get the at- 
 tcntion of sinners fully arnused on the sulij(>ct of religion ; for, 
 if they never think of religion, they will never be convinced 
 of ifs truth, its value, and necessity, mid, consee lently, will 
 never b'- led to seek its possession. 'J'here is hope, great 
 hope, o!' the souls of men biiig saved, when their attention is 
 nroused and directed to ri ligious truth ; but there is none 
 whal(»ver so long ns they remain in a state of criinimil in- 
 ditKrence. 
 
 Jlv THR OUTPntTIUNG OF TIIK SflRIT OF GrACE AND StTP- 
 I'MCA rinvs, Till' TIIOirciHTS OF THE t'NCOWrUlTF.n AlIE FIXED 
 I rON IHi: JfKillT OIUF.l'T, VIZ., THE DEATH OF CjIUIST. 
 
 •* Anrl Ihojiahnfl lool- on mc whom tlirif have pierced.'^ " Vlial 
 this relates to the crucifixion of Jesus of J\a/areth, imd to 
 liis be ing pierced by the soldier's spear, wc have the authority 
 of t!i(> inspired nposlln .lohn in allirming ; and the applica- 
 lion agnes with tlie opinion of Komo of tia^ ancient Jews, 
 Vriio Hitr-rpret it ol McKsialt, tlio .son of Ihivid, as Moses 
 Hudarson, on Cienexis xxviii., though Jarciji ntul Abarbunel 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 47 
 
 ers in Mesopo- 
 itus, and Asia, 
 parts of Libya 
 ind proselytes, 
 in our tonj^ues 
 re all amazed, 
 What mcaneth 
 fd full of new 
 
 1 the followers 
 ed, and there 
 so in the days 
 on so in every 
 pliico at any 
 
 jrlobe. We 
 
 any and every 
 
 ,'er and simple 
 
 y Spirit, as the 
 
 of the clmrch 
 
 yet with new 
 ho attrntiou of 
 ininfit)n among 
 lod, eitiicr to 
 
 • elsn to mock. 
 3 to pet tlio at- 
 f relitrion ; for, 
 
 • ho convinced 
 ictj lontly, will 
 
 is hope, great 
 !'ir attention in 
 
 ihore is none 
 )f criinimil in- 
 
 ACE AND Sirr- 
 rr.n auf. fixed 
 Cjuust. 
 
 mv/." "Vliat 
 zarolh, nm\ to 
 L? the authority 
 1 the npplica- 
 aneiont Jews, 
 id, ns Mosps 
 md Abarhunol 
 
 refer it to the death of Messiah, the son of Joseph, whom, 
 they say was to be tiie sufFerin^ Messiah, while the forme/ 
 'bible^ .triumphant Messiah."-. 9«^,/c'r'* Comprxhcnsiv<i 
 
 The beloved apostle John says, *' Then came the soldiers, 
 and brake the logs of the first, and of the other which was 
 crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw 
 that he vyas dead already, they brake not his legs : But one 
 of the soldiers with a spear pierced his slue, and forthwith 
 there came thereout blood and water. And he that saw it 
 bare record, and his record is true ; and he knoweth that ho 
 saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were 
 done that the scripture should be fulfilled, A Ix^ne of him 
 shall not be broken. And agui.i another scripture saith, 
 1 hey shall look on him whom thoy pierced."— John xix. 
 o4 — til . 
 
 The Psalmist, when s()eaking of Christ, savs, « Thov 
 pierced n.y hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones : 
 hey look and stare upon me."— Psalm xxii. IG, 17 And 
 
 iWat7'tr;"'''''^T''V''',?'''''''^: *'>' ungodly are found look! 
 ng at Christ c ucified. Thoy, having their attention directed 
 toU.nst by the ministry ot reconciliation, as the "Author 
 and finisher of faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, 
 endured the cross, despising the shame," the Holy Spiri 
 so impresses their .ninds with the cruel death of Christ, that 
 theyai-e fouiid lookiiig and starmg at the Saviour : ponder- 
 liig the oxti-e.u.ty of his sutlorings, the igno.niny of hii death, 
 and the di-eadful causes of those sufH..-i„gH m.d that death 
 Beholding, m thought, the Lamb of Cio.l which take 
 uwiiy the s.ns of the world, they dwell, with agonising a« ton 
 «hniont, on the ...angled body of the in.,ooo,.t'«aviour, until 
 the droiulh.l truth flashes on their minds, " Ho was woundc 
 or our ti-«asg,-es8ioi.s, bruised for our ini.juiii.-s: the chas. 
 
 dercTi ;; nl'l'T^r ''"' "?"»'"■•";" und, Uke «« a mur. 
 <lerer is ti-„n bled wherever he goes, who ...(-..tally sees the 
 ■■••tr.ig^lrs a.id agonies of the innoce..t .niu. ho .nm-dor^d to 
 gratify us revenge, his cupi.liiy, his jealousy : who ho.i s 1 o 
 
 uili Vv- i-v'" ';';";'':-•/"""'«•''•?' »• --y -ind that bTows! 
 
 and vei> son,,,! h,. hears, so do si„„e,-s now see. where 
 over they go, M i.n who... they have pierced," a d , a hb 
 voice sayn.g, '' 1 sullLrcd this from you." Again rJ,? 
 andyot again, do they n.ontally gnze\u that l&G 
 
 wilie I w":;""-' '''"; "T"'' '*'"' ""•^" ^^"•••"' l'"nds"«nd feet! 
 VNhith Nvero pierced with nails, and ihul bleeding «idc, inlc; 
 
48 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 which the soldier's spear was thrust, and they feel that they 
 have pierced him, inasmuch as their sins were the cause 
 of his death, and are the grief of his soul : they feel, 
 that, by their sins, they have crucified him afresh, and put 
 him to an open shame. They are by this sight fully convinced 
 that they are sinners, and that it is an evil and bitter thing to 
 sin against God. And now, instead of laying the blame of 
 the death of Christ altogether upon the wicked Jews, saying, 
 " If we had lived in their day, and been in tlieir place, we 
 would not have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ," they all 
 feel that they are equally blamcablc with the Jews. And in 
 answer to the question, 
 
 " Who, who my Saviour, this hath done ? 
 Who could thy sacred body wound I 
 
 No guilt thy spotless heart hath known. 
 No guile hath in thy lips been found !" 
 
 They individually reply, 
 
 •' I — I, nla3! iiavp done the deed, 
 
 'Tia I, thy sacred (lesli have torn ; 
 My sins have caused thee, Lord, to bleed, 
 
 Pointed the nail and fix'd the thorn." 
 
 The sight of a crucified Christ, which the Spirit gives 
 them, convinces them of the fact of sin, the enormous guilt 
 of sin, and the extreme danger of eternal punishment to 
 which it has exposed every sinner. And nothing whatever 
 can convince a man of the evil and danger of sin but the 
 right apprehension of tlie greatness of the Saviour's sulfer- 
 ings, and the full convictiofrUiat sin was the cause of all the 
 agony he endured ; and to proHuce this conviction, the Holy 
 Spirit fixes the thoughts of sinners '• on him whom they 
 have pierced." 
 
 By THE ouTPouniNO of the Spirit, the hearts of sin- 
 ners ARE PROPERLY AFFECTED. 
 
 " And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his 
 only son ; and they shall be in billcrncss lor hiin, as one that 
 is in bitterness for his first-born." This part of our text ex- 
 presses two ideas, first, the cause of penitent sinners' grief, 
 and, secondly, the greatness of that grief. 
 
 As to the cause of their grief, it is the pierced Saviour : 
 "They mourn for him." They are truly sorry at the sight 
 of the Saviour on the cross. The genuine sorrow of peni- 
 tent souls flows from the believing sight of n pierc« ■' Saviour. 
 The declaration in this text was specially hjiiiiltil uUer 
 Peter's sermon on the day of pentecost. At the close of his 
 
To SEEK THE SALVASION OF SOULS. 
 
 49 
 
 r feel that they 
 ERE the cause 
 1 : they feel, 
 ifresh, and put 
 ully convinced 
 bitter thing to 
 g the blame of 
 1 Jews, saying, 
 heir place, we 
 rist," they all 
 ews. And in 
 
 3 Spirit gives 
 enormous guilt 
 punishment to 
 ling whatever 
 of sin but the 
 viour's sulTer. 
 use of all the 
 !tion, the Holy 
 1 wliom they 
 
 EABTS OF SIN- 
 
 ourncth for his 
 im, as one that 
 3f our text ex- 
 sinners* grief, 
 
 >rccd Saviour : 
 rry at the sight 
 uTow of pcni. 
 crci ■' Saviour, 
 hjiirilfil after 
 10 close of his 
 
 sermon, he said, « Therefore, let all the house of Israel know 
 assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom ye 
 have crucified, both Lord and Christ." The result of his 
 sermon is thus stated : " Now, when they heard this, they 
 were prici<ed in their iiearts, and said unto Peter and the 
 rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" 
 They were filled with sorrow when they were convinced that 
 Christ, whom they liad crucified, was actually the Messiah. 
 The remembrance of their barbarous treatment of him, and 
 his cruel death, would now pierce their Iiearts like a da^^ger. 
 llus declaration is fulfilled now in all sinners, who have^their 
 minds turned, by the Holy Spirit, to the contemplation of him 
 whom they liave pierced. They look to Christ, and mourn 
 lor his suffering: mourn on account of their variety and their 
 extremity ; but especially on account of their own sins, which 
 have caused them. Looking, steadfastly and steadily, upon 
 Christ crucified, will make any man, unless lie is hardened 
 past feeling, sorrow for sin after a godly sort, and work in 
 his heart repentance unto salvation, which necdctli not to be 
 repented of. 
 
 The declaration expresses the greatness of their rrrief 
 ** As one mourneth for his only son." In Judea they us^d to 
 mourn for an only son covered with sackcloth, with earth 
 on their heads, with the most piteous cries, and piercin'r 
 lamentations. When Christ entered into the city of Nain' 
 «* Behold, there was a dead man carried out, the onlv son 
 ot Ins mother, and she was a widow ; and much ppoplo of 
 the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her he had 
 compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not " Her 
 sorrow was great, her only stay was gone, she was desolate 
 indeed; but .lesus comforted her troubled spirit, healed her 
 broken heart, and wiped her weeping eyes ; for he touched 
 he bier and said, " Young man, arise ;" and thus restored 
 liim to life, and to his mother's tender embraces. " And 
 shall bo in bitterness fjr him, as one that is in bitterness for 
 Ins f.rst-boriK The first-born son is hightly prized. Jacob 
 called his lirst-born son, " Mv nu'^^ht, and the berrinninir 
 ot my strenirlh: the exeellency of diynitv, and the'' excel- 
 lency of power." And, hence, so bitter is the fjrief of 
 many, on tlie loss of their first-born, that they scarcely can 
 weep; weopuig would be a relief to their wounded hearf^ 
 ii\ conversation with a mother one day, who had lost lieronlr 
 son, and lier first-born, she ovclaimed to us, in all the a-onv 
 01 grief, »' if 1 could weep, I should obtain relief; hnX I 
 
 6 
 
bo 
 
 THE (OBLIGATIONS O? CHRISTIAN!^ 
 
 cannot weep;" and she wandered up and down the roonv 
 like one distracted. Perhaps some, who may read these 
 pages, may, like the writer, have lost a son, an only son, and 
 know tlie greatness of the sorrow referred to in this text. 
 Be assured, then, that tlie grief of sinners, for having pierced 
 Christ, is equally great, when they are fully convinced that 
 their sins have crucified the Son of God. Some convinced 
 sinners, like Peter, weep bitterly ; and that man must have 
 a licart of stone who cannot weep with them. hers, 
 however, have grief too big for tears — too great for utterance : 
 they arc lost in wretchedness ; and it would be a positive 
 relief could they only ease their broken hearts by weeping. 
 " Tlie sorrow of penitent sinners," says a good author, '* is 
 like the mourning ot a parent for the death of a beloved 
 child. They shall mourn for sin, as one monrneth for an 
 only son, in whose grave the hopes of his ftxmily are buried ; 
 and shall be Imcardly in hilicrncss, as one that is in bitterness 
 for his first-born, as the Egyptians were, when there was a 
 cry throughout all the land for the death of their first-born. 
 The sorrow of children, for the death of their parents, is 
 sometimes counterfeited, is often small, and soon wears off, 
 and is forgotten ; but the sorrow of parents for a child, for 
 a son, for an only son, for a first-born, is natural, sincere, 
 unforced, and unaffected — it is secret and lasting : such are 
 the sorrows of a true penitent, flowing purely from love to 
 Christ, above any other." "Blessed are they that mourn, 
 for they shall be comforted." This mourning for Christ will 
 give place to joy ; for Christ comforts all that mourn for 
 having crucified him ; and he will speedily " Appoint unto 
 them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, 
 the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the 
 spirit of heaviness." Such, then, are the blessed effects of 
 the outpouring of the Spirit. The attention of the ungodly is 
 arrested ; their minds are fixed on the death of Christ ; their 
 hearts are filled with great and godly sorrow, which issues 
 in the conversion of tiieir immortal souls. 
 
 III. The encouragement we have, as Cliristians, to expect 
 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to succeed our labours in 
 the salvation of souls. 
 
 God has promised the Holy Spirit, in his richest 
 
 EFFUSIONS, HOTII TO JeWS AND GeNTILES, TO ENLIGHTEN, 
 REGKNKnATE, AND SAVE THEM. 
 
 Let US g]anc(! at a few of tliese promises : " How lonff, ye 
 simple ones, will yc love simplicity .' and the scorners delight 
 
own the roonv 
 y read these 
 only son, and 
 ) in this text, 
 aving pierced 
 onvinced that 
 ime convinced 
 an must have 
 ^m. hers, 
 for utterance : 
 be a positive 
 s by weeping, 
 d author, '* is 
 
 of a beloved 
 urneth for an 
 Y are buried ; 
 s in bitterness 
 n there was a 
 leir first-born, 
 ir parents, is 
 Don wears off, 
 • a child, for 
 tural, sincere, 
 ng : such are 
 ,' from love to 
 / that mourn, 
 x)r Christ will 
 lilt mourn for 
 Appoint unto 
 uty for ashes, 
 praise for the 
 sscd effects of 
 he ungodly is 
 Christ ; their 
 
 which issues 
 
 ans, to expect 
 3ur labours in 
 
 IIIS RICHEST 
 
 ENLIGHTEN, 
 
 1 low long, yc 
 urners dcligiit 
 
 TO SKEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 51 
 
 La their scorning, and fools hate knowledge ? Turn you at 
 my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I 
 
 will make known my words unto you." Prov. i, 22 23 
 
 " T will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floocrslipon 
 the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit u'pon thy seed, and 
 myblessmg upon thine offspring: And they shall sprin<r up 
 as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. One 
 shall say, I am tiie Lord's ; and another shall call liinHoff' 
 by the name of Jacob; and another shall .subscribe with his 
 hand unto the Lord, and surnanio himself by the name of 
 the Lord.' -Isaiah xliv. 3, 4, 5. " And it shall come to pass 
 afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh : and 
 your sons and your daughters shall prophrsy, your old men 
 shall dream, dreams, and your youncr men shafl see visi-ras • 
 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in th-se 
 uays will 1 pour out my Spirit."— Joel ii. 28, 29. 
 
 These glorious prp<lictions clearly point out tlint God will 
 bestow his .Spirit, to make wise the simple, In reprove iho 
 seorner, and to remove the f .]]y of wiek,-d men ; th'at ho 
 will pour 111, n out tosiitiate the souls of the ibirstv with livin.-r 
 \vater; to raise up speedily a people for ( "iirik w],o shall 
 voluntarily and joyfully enter into covuiant ..n..a.veiiu nts 
 u-ijh Hin; yea, to raise up a people who shall U, able and 
 ^Vllimg to speak on his beliali; at all tiin.s and under ill 
 circumstanees. These predictions were fulfilled uhcn J.<sus 
 was glorified : — 
 
 ;' In the last day, that great day of the feast. Jesus stood and 
 
 ; Ho that believeth on me, as the scripture hath .aid 
 om of his belly shall flow rivers of living w/uer. ( ut I i, 
 spake ho o the Spirit, which they thaf Ixdinve on ChU 
 j^hould receive : for the Holy Ghost was not ye i' , 
 heeause Lhnst was not yet glorified.)"-JoI,n vii. 37, 39, 39. 
 Whr.n Jesus was glorified, then this ,.romise, together with 
 the Old lostament ])redictions, were fulfilled •— 
 
 ness^''"Th;",w'V-"' r'^r' "^; ^^■'"'■"'^' --''"am wit- 
 nesses. _ ihneforebeingbytiie right hand of Go.l exalted 
 and haying received of the Father the promise of the ]lo]y 
 
 Acts 1. ... ,3.J. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost 
 
 h w nT of'L"/" T >" 'T'T^- '^''""" ---l^ored 
 ,; , . , ''J f^*5'^ tfiat hu saU , John indeed hnn. 
 
 fzed with water J but ye shall be baptizWl with tl.c Holy 
 
b2 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANiS 
 
 Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift 
 as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 what was I, that I could withstand God ? When they heard 
 these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, 
 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto» 
 life."— Acts xi. 15—18. 
 
 The first of these passages refers to the outpouring of the 
 Holy Spirit, on the day of pentecost, upon the Jews in Jer- 
 usalem, when three thousand souls were coiiverted to God 
 and added to the church. The second passage refers to a 
 company of Gentiles, who were gathered to hear the gospef 
 in the house of Cornelius, a devout Gentile, who lived at 
 Cesarea. And as soon as Peter preached to them the gospel, the 
 Holy Spirit was poured upon them in all his fulness. The 
 Spirit, according to the promise of God, enlightened, regener- 
 ated, and saved all those who received the gospel of Christ, 
 whether Jews or Gentiles. 
 
 Christ has proimised that this Spirit shall remain 
 WITH THE Church until the end of time, to succeeo 
 
 HER efforts for THE CONVERSION OF SOULS. 
 
 When Isaiah predicted the coming of Christ, and the 
 covenant which he should enter into with the church, he did 
 it in these words : 
 
 " And the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto them 
 that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. My 
 Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in 
 thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the 
 mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, 
 saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." — Isaiah lix. 
 20, 21. Ezekiel also predicts: "Neither will I hide 
 my face any more from them : for I have poured out my 
 Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God." — 
 Ezekiel xxxix. 29. 
 
 In accordance with these ancient predictions, Christ made 
 the following gracious promises to his church, before his re- 
 moval from earth to heaven : — 
 
 " If ye love me, kerp my commandments : And I will 
 pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, 
 that he may ahide with you for ever ; Even the Spirit of 
 truth ; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him 
 not, neither knoweth him : but ye know him ; for he dwelleth 
 » with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfort- 
 less ; I wiii come unto you." — John xiv. 15 — 18. " But 
 
the like gift 
 fesus Christ, 
 I they heard 
 God, saying, 
 Bntance unto 
 
 uring of the 
 Jews in Jer- 
 erted to God 
 e refers to a 
 \T the gospef 
 who lived at 
 le gospel, the 
 dness. The 
 led, rcgcner- 
 el of Christ, 
 
 [ALL REMAIN 
 TO SUCGBED 
 
 'ist, and the 
 lurch, he did 
 
 id unto them 
 i Lord. My 
 [ have put in 
 3r out of the 
 r seed's seed, 
 ' — Isaiah lix. 
 will I hide 
 ired out my 
 )rd God."— 
 
 , Christ made 
 before his re- 
 
 And I will 
 
 er Comforter, 
 the Spirit of 
 3 it seeth him 
 )r he dwelleth 
 you comfort- 
 
 D. " XJUi 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 58 
 
 now I go my way to him that sent me ; and none of you 
 asketh me, Whither goest thou ? But because I have said 
 these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Never, 
 theless I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go 
 away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unlo 
 you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when 
 he IS come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteous, 
 ness, and of judgment : Of sin, because they believe not on 
 me : Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ve 
 see me no more : Of judgment, because the prince of this 
 world IS judged "-John xvi. 5-11. «' And Jesus came 
 and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in 
 heaven and m earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, 
 baptizing them m the name of the Father, and of the Son 
 and ^of the Holy Ghost ; Teaching them to observe all things 
 whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, / am with you 
 always even unto the end of the world. Amen."— Matth 
 
 XXVU. 18 — 20. ^uauu. 
 
 In these precious promises, which ought to be engraven on 
 the hearts of God's people, the Spirit is promised as'the SpirU 
 of truth, as the Comforter of God's people, as the Convincer 
 of he word that lieth in the wicked one ; and he isTSe 
 wold VVr'""' ofGod for ever; yea,' to the end o? the 
 wo Id. Wherever the J eople of God send ministers of the gospel 
 of Jesus, Christ promises always to be with them. flere^'Sn 
 IS our great encouragement, to expect tbe Spirit's all-sutliS 
 aid, prosper our work ot saving souls. The above ^ fori 
 
 rrrs'?"'^^, ^" "^ '"^' '^'^' ^' this mome r Wo 
 have the Spirit, and rest assurred Christ cannot lie : therefore 
 
 when we pray for the Spirit to descend, in all his filness T^ 
 the Spirit of grace and supplications, we are only prnvin ' 
 for that which Christ has pVomised, and which he assSlf 
 will impart, in answer to faith and pmyer, ^^suiedly 
 
 m Tr'^L ''^'''^^^^ «F RELIGION WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE 
 
 OP S';;Tr Lr'/"'^^"^^""^'' °^^'- OPTIIKPEopLE 
 Tvr^T.?' '^'' ^^^ ™^ OUTPOURING OP THE SpiRIT 
 
"Sfll 
 
 54 
 
 THE OEI^ieATlONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 Let any man read of the revivals in America, or in 
 Europe, and he will find that they have taken place, *' Not 
 by miffht, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of 
 hosts.' Is God less anxious to pour out his Spirit now, 
 than he was ouly a few years ago ? certainty not. The men 
 whom God has honoured with revivals, within the last hun- 
 dred years, had no miraculous gifts : they were undoubtedly 
 good men, full of fliith and the Holy Ghost ; but they had 
 no miraculous endowments. What they were, we may be, 
 if we will only dilgcntly seek to be filled with the Holy 
 Spirit, as they wore. The indications of God's willingness 
 to pour out iiis Spirit, in rich abundance, we see in the in- 
 iucreasod desire wliich exists among us, as u people, for an 
 increased conformity to the mind of Clirist, for increasing pros- 
 perity in tlie church, and in the drop[)ings of a shower, al- 
 ready experienced, by which the saints have brnn quickened, 
 and soino sinners liuve been converted. And if we are only 
 be faithful to God and Christ, and tlie souls of men, God will 
 sprinkle clean water upon us, as his people, and cleanse us 
 from all our idols and filthiness, and he will pour water upon 
 him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground ; for, 
 
 " Lo ! tlip jiromiae of n shower, 
 
 Drops nlri.nly tVoiii nhove ; 
 But ilw liord will sliortly pour 
 
 Ail the Wpirit of his love." 
 
 All that is wanted, on the part of the church, to secure 
 the Spirit, in all his saving operations, is deep humiliation for 
 past uniailhfulncss ; the removal of every thing opposod to the 
 will of (Jod ; and carnost, bcJit'viMtj j)rayer, for thi; fulness 
 of the blessings of the gospel of Christ.' Let the following 
 pointed jjassagcs, from God's Word, be serioiislv considered, 
 and they will at once point out what wo Imve lodo, to get tho 
 Spirit, and secure the conversion of m(>n : 
 
 " Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot 
 save; neither his ear heavy, t' it it cannot hear : Hut your 
 iniquities liav(> separated ix'tween yon and your (Jod, and 
 your sins have jiid his face from you, tliat he will not hear." 
 — Isaiah lix. 1,2. "O thou that' art named Tho house of 
 Tacob, is tlie Spirit of the Lord straitened ? are these his 
 doings? do not my words do good to him that walk(th up. 
 rightly?'' — Miealui. 7. "Thus saith the Lord Goil, I will 
 yet for this be en(|uired of by tho house of Israel, to do it for 
 tliem : 1 will increase fheiii with men like a fjoek." — Ezck, 
 xxxvii. ;j7. " Vo uro cursed with a curse: for ve have rob. 
 
To SEBK THE SALVATION OF SOVLSi 
 
 55 
 
 srica, or m 
 place, *' Not 
 1 the Lord of 
 Spirit now, 
 . The men 
 the last hun- 
 undoubtedly 
 but they had 
 we may be, 
 th the Holy 
 3 willingness 
 see in the in- 
 ople, for an 
 roasing pros- 
 shower, al- 
 ri quickened, 
 wo are only 
 pn, God will 
 d cleanse us 
 • water upon 
 id ; for, 
 
 ii, to secure 
 niiliation for 
 ppDsed to tho 
 I" thii fulness 
 ho following 
 r considered, 
 lo, to get tho 
 
 hat it cannot 
 r : Hut your 
 nr (lod, and 
 ill not hear.'* 
 'ho house of 
 iro these his 
 wallu th up. 
 1 (jod, I will 
 I, to do it for 
 dc,"— Ezck, 
 ve have rob. 
 
 bed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into 
 the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and 
 prove me now herewith, and see if I will not open you the 
 wmdows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there 
 shall not be room enough to receive it." — Mai. iii. 9, 10 
 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto 
 your chddrcn ; how much more shall your heavenly Father 
 give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ?"— Luke ii. 13 
 "Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and desire to have, and 
 cannot obtam ; ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because 
 ye ask not. le ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, 
 that ye may consume it upon your lusts."— James iv. 2, 3. 
 
 These passages abundantly show, that want of niety.'want 
 of libera ity, want of prayer, and want of bro«' tIv love, 
 among the people of God, are the great cause. , a want 
 of prosperity in churches, and the very reason, why the 
 fepint IS not poured out to enlighten, convert, and save the 
 ungodly. Christian brethren, of all denominations, let us 
 put away from us our vvorldliness, our niirgardliness, our 
 prayerlessness and our bigotry: then God will pour out 
 his fepirit, and the ends of the earth shall see his salvation. 
 Let us seek orgivcness for the past, and obtain a fresh bap. 
 tism of the Spirit ourselves, and then God, even our own 
 Uod, will bless us, and make us a blessing. We would 
 earnestly exhort all (iod's people to read, with deep reflection 
 and earnest prayer, the sixty-fburtii chaper of Isaiah. 
 
 Let us also, beloved brethren, think more and converse 
 more about tho Spirit's work, and the glorious results which 
 follow His outpouring; und then shall wo encourage each 
 other to pray more frequently, mon^ earnestly, and nioro 
 behevingly m our closets, in our families, and in our church, 
 cs, for th(. Lord to pour out his Spirit, as the Spirit of grace 
 an.l snpp leati.ms. Let us, above all, bo careful to make 
 sinners (eel that U.ey have no excuse for living in dn! 
 hat Christ was pierced to save them, and that the Spiril 
 has been g.veii to convince them of sin, an.l of righteousness, 
 and of judgn.nnt ; an.) that he would beeo.ne to ihe.n the 
 Spirit o grace und supplications, if they did nr.t wickedly 
 and sful)burnly resi.st his strivings with them. Wo must 
 guard against the fatal error which some fall into, whc-n thev 
 produce iho impression upon the minds of sinn.-rs that thev 
 are poor unfortunate creatures, that cannot help renmining in 
 
 Wn n n » '^^"r^^^'"". ^''^^^1 ^-•'- This is a false impr, ssL. 
 Wo must counteract it, and make sinners fuel, in all our con- 
 
TJB 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CnRISTUNS 
 
 versations with them, that tliey are resisting the good Spirit 
 of God, and will not come unto Christ that they might have 
 life. May God pour out liig Spirit in rich abundance upon 
 us all. 
 
 fe 
 
 ■n.B, 
 
»ood Spirit 
 light have 
 tinee upon 
 
 DISCOURSE IV. 
 
 A REVIVAL OF GOd's WORK NEEDED IN THE CHURCH, BEFORB 
 MANY SOULS WILL BE SAVED. 
 
 " Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy (jlory unto their 
 children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God he ujjon us: and 
 establish thou ibe worii of our handa upon us; yea, the work of our 
 hands estahhsh thou it." — Psalm xc. 16, 17. 
 
 This is a very interesting and solemn Psnlin, and when- 
 over read, makes a deep impression u[)on the thouirhtful and 
 pious mind. It is generally supposed to have been "composed 
 by Moses, when all the generation of the Israelites, who had 
 ofren(h>d God, were sentenced to fall in the wilderiipss, at tlie 
 txge of severity or eighty years, excejH Moses, Caleb, and 
 Joshua. (See IMth and 14th chapters of the Hook of Num. 
 hers.) Mosrs, filled with deepest soleumity and sorrow, at 
 the tliought of all those dying in the wilderness, who catne 
 out of Hgypl with him, and were twenty years of ago when 
 they loft the house of bondage, composcsthis I'sidm, in which 
 ho forcibly points out the eternity of (lod ; fcelinirly expiates 
 on the frailty of man, and the brevity of huma!i life ; candid- 
 ly confesses that the sins of the peophj hiuj justly incurred 
 the heavy displeasure of God ; earnestly pravs to God to 
 teach the people so to ninnber their days, as "to apply their 
 their hearts unto wisdom; impurtunatelv beseedies (.odto 
 retUMi unto Israel, and satisfy then' early with his mercy, 
 that they may rejoice and be glad while tiny did live ; nnd 
 concludes till) whole with the nervous and br'anliful prayer, 
 fir a revival of (Jod's work, which we are to have for a "text 
 this morning: "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and 
 lla^y glory unto their children. And let t'e beauty of tho 
 Lord our (iod be u|>on us: and establish thou llui work of our 
 iMUids upon us J yea, tho work of our hands establish thou 
 it." 
 
 Many an aged servant of God, wljo, like piotis Moses, has 
 laboured for years to bet -fit Goil's people and extend God'g 
 glory, but who has seen but little real piety ui tho <'hurch, 
 and whose heart has often l)een deeply pained by the froniiont 
 httckslidings and murmurings of G(m1'h Israel, has been 
 iieard to say, in prospect oi speedy dissolution, "I could ditt 
 
58 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 in peace and triumph if I could only see a genuine and ex- 
 tensive revival of God's work. I have prayed to God often 
 to bless his chi'.rch with a revival : I know he will do it ; 
 and if it would but take place before I die, I should rejoice 
 with joy unspeakable and full of glory." We doubt not but 
 this was the earnest desire of Moses, the man of God, when 
 he uttfrod this prayer. Some, before now, have had the 
 impression prochjced upon thoir minda, tliat they would not 
 see death until th(^y have seen the church of God revived 
 and extended ; and when they have seen it, they have said, 
 with good old Simoon, " Lord, now lottost thouthy servant 
 depart in peaoe, according to tliy word: f)r mine eyos have 
 seen thv salvation." The prayer of all who love" God Is, 
 " Let thy work ajipear unto thy servants, and thy glory 
 unto their children," &c. The subject of the text is,' prayer 
 for a revival in the church of God. The Israolites, for 
 vylioui IMoses here prnys, were the Church (.f God at tliat 
 Umo. Thny were in a sinful, wretched, deail, state. Tlie 
 curse of ( ;od was upon Israel ; and he liatl sworn, in his 
 wruth, liiat all of mature years among tliom, excepting Jaleb 
 and Josliua, should not enter into his rest. True piety was 
 at a \cvy low el)b among them, tlicrcloro Alosos felt the 
 necessity of uttorin;jr this ijra^-.n-. Wo niU5;t copy the examplo 
 of Mosos, or the v.ork of God will not bo greatly revived 
 among us. Consitlvr, 
 
 I. 'J'h(> blessinirs speeifird in this text, which are greatly 
 needed, in the church of G.hI, to enalile us to save souls. 
 
 II. The HI i-ans to be cnii)loyed to gain them. 
 
 HI. The necessity of an immediate use of the moans 
 required. 
 
 I. The blessings Rpccifiod in tlie text, wjiich aro greatly 
 needed, in the church of God, to enable us to save soufs. 
 
 Moses prays for a revival of God's work in the church, 
 
 "Let thy work appear," means just what Habakkuk 
 meant, when he said, " O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and 
 was afraid: I) Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the 
 >oars, in the midst of the years malvo known : in wruth re. 
 nmmber mercy." When Habakkuk heard from God's 
 nxjuth, how long the p(>oplo of (iod wen^ to bo opjiress(«d for 
 thoir sins by tho Ghaldeuns, he was afraid les» ,(ie rhnroh 
 should l»o warted and destrf)yed, ond therefhro prays to (iod 
 to pregerv w it alivr, utKi rovivtj it in tho midtrt of tho years. 
 
Ho SBliK TEtfi SALVAlflON O^ SOI^LS. 
 
 60 
 
 « Revive thy work," t e. the church of God, which has beon 
 formed by him, and formed for him ; let not that sinkVgo 
 back, and come to nothing. And when Moses heanl that 
 all that came out of Egypt, over twenty years of aae, were 
 to fall m the wilderness, he might well cry, as Habakkuk did 
 alter Jimi, " Let thy work appear unto thy servants." The 
 Jews iiud sinned gneviously sinned, and Moses wanted the 
 quickening, pardoning, cleansing work of God ac^ain to 
 appear unto his servants, that though they did fall in the 
 wdderness they might not be eternally lost ; and that thougli 
 they wandered m the wilderness for forty year,, thev might 
 not be w.rhout visible proofs of his being in the midst of 
 
 P T* r ^t" I y""" "^""^"'^ ^'"^ fourteenth chapter of the 
 Book of Numbers you will find, that in ansuer to the prayer 
 of Moses, God did let his work appear unto his scn-vants He 
 tCeof ' ^'"'' ''"'^ ^^'"^ ^*''''" ^° nwurn greatly on account 
 
 r^ntfJVl^ """* "T'' '" "-^'^ '''"r"''' '" °"^ ^'^y' t^o appear, 
 ance of God s (,iiickening, pardoning, sanctifying grace, to 
 
 make us fit to labour rightly fbr God, and the salvaTion of he 
 
 souis of men ? We cannot successfully work for God unless 
 
 he fust works upon us, and gives ..s both the power and the 
 
 disposition to perform his good pleasure. Before ever we 
 
 can fully answer the designs of our blessed Redeemer, in 
 
 m.u!i'tVV' 1^1 ' ^'Tc '-^"^^ P'"f'"'>R "« into the church, we 
 must be far holier, and fur more laborious than what we now 
 
 are. Can the world be converted with our imperfect piety 
 and def.eient /en ? Oh, no ! We nu.st sballe ourselveJ 
 trom the dust, and put on our beautif.d garn.e„ts, and put on 
 s rengtb and no more receive among us tl.r nneircmcised 
 nn.1 unlcean, b,.fore we can ever bring the world to the feet 
 ot Jesus. A revival is needed in the eliurdi. 
 
 Look into the churches now e.xistifig, niid there vou will 
 see but too nmeh need for the quickening, pardoning, cleans 
 n.g grace of God. The re.nains of pride.^ unbeli.f cenTr 
 ousness worldjy.n.n.dedness, spirilnal-idl,.,,, ss, bi-itry and 
 u host of oll.er evils n.ay be lo.m.l in so,ne proli.s.::ing godli- 
 ess; and the humility, the b.ith. the heave dvinimlcHrnes" 
 
 AndTr"';"";; "■"' ""' ""'■'•'" ••''• "•'•"• ^'•-''■^ '--"^g 
 
 Ana now a.e the ivmamnig impprCeetions of ( Jod's children 
 to bo renuwed, and th.ir gra.-'s to b.. pert; et, d. I.ut by the 
 AInughty pow.r of God ? lb- n.us, sprinkl,. d-an ^a^J 
 Ui)()n us, (uid eiransr ii« A-, li ,.,... ,m. 'i . „. j , u, . j 
 
 give us u new heart and a right spirit; and put 1.1^8 pi?U 
 
00 
 
 t»E OBLIGAtlONS Of CHRISTIANS 
 
 |i 
 
 within us, and write his laws upon our hearts and minds, 
 before ever we can, as the church of God, "Look forth as 
 the morning, clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and terriblo 
 as an army with banners." 
 
 Look into the world around you, and you will find among 
 those who are called Christians, by way of distinguishing 
 them from Jews, Mahomodans, ai;d heathen, about as much 
 religion as you will find in a fallen-angel. They are not 
 only earthly and srnsual, but they are devilish ; for pride, 
 malignity, revongo, and injustice, which arc the leading char- 
 acteristics of fallnn-ar)gcls, arc found reigning predominant 
 among the unconverted. Surely the quickening, pardoning, 
 cleansing power of CJod is needed to remove these abomina- 
 tions, and must be exerted before ever the nominal Christian 
 world cnn be holy and happy. To remove every thing 
 unholy from the church and the world, we need the out- 
 stretched arm of (lod ; and all Christians ouglit to cry, with 
 all the earnestness of their souls " Awake, awake, put on 
 strength, O arm of the Lord ! awake, as in the ancient days, 
 in the gen(>rations of old." "Let thy work appear to thy 
 servants." liuieken, pardon, and sanctify thy people, that 
 thy way may be known upon earth, and thy saving healtii 
 among all nations. 
 
 3I0SCS prays for the manifest at'ion of GoiVs glory, to pro- 
 duce the revival needed. 
 
 "And thy glory unto their childre!i." The glory of God 
 was maiuCcsted unto Israel by a cloud, llcnci', we are m- 
 formed, " And IMoses went up into the mount, and a cloud 
 covered tlie n)ount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon 
 mount .Sinai, and the cloud covcu'ed it six days: and the 
 seventh day ho calh-d unto Ah)ses out of the midst of thu 
 cloud. And ihn sight of the glory of the Lord was like de- 
 vouring (ire on the top of the mount in tin; eyes of the chil- 
 dren of Israel." — Exodus xxiv. 15, l(i, 17. 
 
 That was such an awl'ul disphiy of the glory of God, that 
 tho Israelites desired they might see it no more lest they 
 should di(? ; yen, so terrible was that si'!;ht, that Moses said, 
 " I exceedingly fear (Uid qufdce." The Divine glory was 
 ever exhil»iled to l.srael by iho luminous cloud, wiiich gave 
 a visible proof to the Israelites of tho special fircsenco of tho 
 Godhead ; Itut it did not usually njipear iu so t( rrifio a man- 
 ner as it did (>ii Mount Siuai. Win never tlie glory of God 
 oppcarcd iu tho days of tiju children of Isruc), it lillcd them 
 
•ts and minds, 
 Look forth as 
 a, and terriblo 
 
 ill find among 
 distinguishing 
 ihoiit as much 
 
 They are not 
 sli ; for pride, 
 ' leading char- 
 rf predominant 
 tig, pardoning, 
 Ii'^s{^ abomina- 
 linal Cliristian 
 ^ every thing 
 need the out- 
 lit tn cry, with 
 i\\ ake, put on 
 • ancient days, 
 appear to thy 
 y people, that 
 
 saving healtli 
 
 glory, to prO' 
 
 glory of God 
 ce, \vc are ni- 
 t, and a cloud 
 rd abode upon 
 lnys: and the 
 midst of tho 
 d was like de- 
 •s of tho chil- 
 
 r of God, that 
 loro lest they 
 at Moses said, 
 MO i^lory was 
 d, wiiich gave 
 ircseiico of tho 
 [( rrifio a man- 
 glory of (iif.»d 
 , it lillcd then) 
 
 TO SEEK TAR tALYATION OP SOtTtS. at 
 
 7l^^ '.1T^°®' '^^ """^ ^*^« «x«»t«* th«ir gratitude, love. 
 
 r^fjYir^ T' f PP'-^'r"^' '^°^^^«''' that Mose S 
 refers to the moral glory of the Godhead, especially to hi« 
 holiness and mercy ; and this he desired the youth of Israe 
 ^^ehold that they might set their hope in God, and n^ be 
 as their fathers, a stubborn and pervei4 generation whose 
 ^eart was no, right, and whose Spirit was not stea2srS 
 
 Under the gospel dispensation, the Lord does not display 
 his glory in such a terrific manner as he did under the faw 
 We have no sigtit of the glory of the Lord, like unto devour 
 
 arf to'behold^' " "'^'^ ^T'' '^''^ ^'^'^y ^^ ^-'^' -hi^hZ 
 are to behold is purely of a spiritual oharacer. The light 
 
 of the knowledge of the glory of God is conveyed to fur 
 minds through the Lord Jesus Christ, " VVho is tire^brightnes* 
 of h.s Father's glory, and the express ^mage of his ST" 
 The apostles beheld this glory in\he v. ry'personorjos^ . 
 mTdTflerh'^^'l apostle John says, ^^ IZ the WoiJwa^ 
 made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory 
 the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of 
 grace and truth. And of his fulness have all we received 
 and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses but' 
 grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No mL hath see^ 
 God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which is in the 
 bosom of^the Father, ho hath declared him.'Wohn " U. 
 
 The apostles, and immediate disciples of Christ saw tha 
 glory of the Lord in the wisdom, pWer, j.S 'ho'Lss 
 condescension, and mercy, displayed' in the life of theTa 
 of God ; but we cannot see the glory of God even thus dL 
 played m the person of Jesus cfrist ; for he has amended t^ 
 heaven, and wo cannot know him 'after the fleT ^StilT 
 however, we can behold the glory of the Lord in a way suf! 
 f cient to produce a revival of religion in our own beam a. 
 the people of Gm , and to secure the aclvanconirt of Tol 'ion 
 among the ungodly ; for ve may, '^ All, with open face be 
 holding as magkssthegloryof tho L^rd, iAd anged into 
 
 Authf ully refleetl U^' ^li.^'^^r Ch is ' ^ th^ s^^ ""Jt 
 who behevingly gaze upon tho lledeen ."r And when thl 
 
 ^l!:^'^^':^^ C'-'^.t V- -uls of bcliovors as he i^ 
 ,,, ,, ,|.jyg _f.jjj^^ y^y thovohanrred 
 
 Hito tho same imago, and receive a continual inSo of th!^ 
 
 6 
 
41 
 
 «« 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CBSISTIANS 
 
 ?Ioribus image of Christ, into which »hey are changed. 
 >nly let Christians read careful!)'^ the word of truth, pray 
 earnestly for the Spirit to reveal the glory of Christ to their 
 minds, and they will have such views of the wisdom, power, 
 justice, holiness, condescension, and mercy of Christ, that 
 their backslidings will be healed, " And they will grow as 
 the lily, and cast forth their roots as Lebanon. Their 
 branches shall spread, and their beauty shall be as the olive 
 tree, and their smell as Lebanon. They shall revive as the 
 corn, and grow as the vine ; the scent thereof shall be as 
 the wine of Lebanon." It is astonishing what a reviving 
 influence a sight of the glory of the Lord has upon the minds 
 of believers : by it sterility, deformity, and ofTensiveness are 
 comi)letely removed ; and fruitfulness, beauty, and fragrance 
 are produced. Nothing is wanted in the church of God, to 
 revive pure and undefiled religion, but a powerful manifesta- 
 tion of the glory of the Lord to the minds of believers. 
 
 And {he. manifestation of the glory of the Lord is all that 
 is needed to convince and convert the ungodly. When the 
 glory of Christ is revealed to the hearts of sinners, by the 
 Word and Spirit of God, they loathe themselves, they confess 
 their guilt, they mourn over their pollutions, they bewail their 
 wretchedness, they dread the punishment to which they are 
 exposed, they cast themselves upon the atonement of Christ, 
 and with slrong crying and tears, secure the quickening, par- 
 doning, and sanctifying grace of God. Nothing else but 
 the manifestation of the glory of the Lord will ever produce 
 these blessed effects upon sinners; and, therefore, if we wish 
 to see souls saved, our fervent and constant prayer to God, in 
 the name of Jesus, must be, " Send the glory :" " Let thy 
 glory appear," so conspicuously, that sinners may see it in 
 that manrx^r, and feel it to that degree, that they may never 
 rest until they arc changed into the image of Christ. 
 
 Now, do we not need a more striking manifestation of the 
 glory of the Lord, in our day, to revive the piety of the 
 saints, and to secure the conversion of sinners ? How few 
 Christians are as fully alive to God, as truly devoted to Christ, 
 as truly in earnest to save souls as they ought to be ; how 
 few are as fruitful, as beautiful, as fragrant, as they nuist be, 
 before ever th-y ciui fjring great glory to God, great numbers 
 to Christ, and grout tuid lasting good to their fellow-men. O 
 wo need, gn\Uly need, the manifestation of God's glory, to 
 
 ]\iiti<1iiT>>1 1/ iimronon flin ninfv nf tnft 
 
 * tr Tire 
 
 th 
 
 '■nic 
 
 '.] ,h!> 
 
 pioiV oi int 
 
 Kaints. And do we not need such a munifoslation of God's 
 
) changed, 
 truth, pray 
 rist to their 
 lOm, power, 
 Christ, that 
 i^ill grow as 
 3n. Their 
 as the olive 
 livive as the 
 ' shall be as 
 a reviving 
 n the minds 
 siveness are 
 d fragrance 
 i of God, to 
 . manifesta- 
 vers. 
 
 rd is all that 
 When the 
 ners, by the 
 ;hey confess 
 bewail their 
 ich they are 
 t of Christ, 
 kening, par- 
 ig else but 
 ver produce 
 
 if we wish 
 r to God, in 
 ' " Let thy 
 lay see it in 
 
 may never 
 
 St. 
 
 ition of the 
 ncty of the 
 How few 
 3d to Christ, 
 to be ; how 
 ey must be, 
 Jilt numbers 
 w-men. O 
 's glory, to 
 pioty of the 
 on of God's 
 
 to SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOITLS. 
 
 63 
 
 glory to convince and convert sinners ? How very few do 
 we see fully convinced of sin, and soundly converted from 
 Bin I How very seldom are we called to mingle our tears 
 and prayers with the tears and prayers of converted, fpen- 
 itent sinners; and how very seldom have we to rejoice with 
 the rejoicing sinner, who has found peace and joy through 
 believing. Millions of sinners, unpardoned, uncleansed, un- 
 saved, live on this earth. Hundreds live in this town. 
 Numbers hear the word of God within these walls : yet how 
 few are converted. Do we not then need, greatly need, the 
 manifestation of God's glory, so that these sinners may be 
 aroused, convicted, and savingly converted ? We do. Let 
 thy work then, O God, appear to thy servants, and thy glory 
 unto their children. O thou who at first caused the light to 
 shme out of darkness, shine into the hearts of thy people, 
 and shine into tho hearts of the ungodly, and give them the 
 hght of the knowledge of thy glory, in the face of Jesus 
 Christ, that believers may become more like Christ, and that 
 Binners may be converted unto thee. 
 
 Moses prays for the beauty of the Lord our God to he put 
 upon us, that we may he prepared to sustain the revival needed. 
 
 The beauty of the Lord our God is moral beauty. " Thou 
 art glorious in holiness." •« How great is his goodness and 
 liow great is his beauty ?" The beauty of the Lord our God 
 consists in knowledge, righteousness, (or benevolence,) and 
 true holiness. Adam had this beauty when created : for he 
 was wise and holy, benevolent and happy ; but he lost the 
 image ot God by his fall, and became ignorant, impure, sel. 
 tish, and miserable. And he has pro-created a race of beinw 
 »n the likeness of his fallen nature ; for, 
 
 "When Adam tinned, through all his race 
 The dire contagion spread ; 
 Sickness and death, and deep disgrace, 
 Sprang from our fallen head : 
 Corruption flows through all our veins, 
 Our moral beauty's gone ; 
 The gold is fled, the dross irmains ; 
 O sin ! what hast thou done." 
 
 ^ The sacred word of truth informs us, « Adam begafason 
 
 I.nrr.'''""./; K^"''l' ''""'" ^''^ *"™^^^-" A f'^Hen, ignorant, 
 corrupt, selfish, unhappy creature like himself; for, « That 
 
 which IS born of the flesh is flesh ; and that ihich is born 
 oi the spirit is Hnirit."— r-Jnhn Hi g a'n..^ ' „ ^' _ 
 after the flesh do liiind the things of the flesH ; 'but they that 
 
64 
 
 rtta OB1IGATION« Ot CHRISTIAJTS 
 
 are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Foe to be caf- 
 nally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life 
 and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God : 
 for it is not subject to the law r*" C'r;,'. p. fther indeed can bes. 
 So then they that are in the tie^ih caauot please God."— 
 Rom. viii. 5 — 8. " In Adiu.-i all tl;e," -1 Cor, xv. 22. " By 
 the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem- 
 nation." — Rom. v. 18. Is there any beauty in corruption, 
 carnality, enmity, condemnation, death ? if tljere is, then 
 there is moral beauty in man, in his fallen state. We won- 
 thatany intelligent being can, with the Biblf '.ii (li^ hand, with 
 the history of man before his eyes, and with the consciousness 
 of his own acts, be so void of common sense, as to deny 
 the innate depravity, and complete moral deformity of the 
 whole of the human race. For our own part, we shudder 
 with horror when we hear any man denying the scriptural 
 account of man's depravity, attempting to overturn the proofs 
 of that depravity, derived from the universal wickedness 
 of our race, and excusing his own flagrant violations of the 
 law of God, which is holy, just, and good. "Ifwesay we 
 have not sinned, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not 
 in us : for all have sinned and come short of the clory of 
 God." ^ 
 
 To recover us from our fall, and restc 'e us to the image 
 of God, is the grand design of redemption. For this Christ 
 became incarnate — lived, suffered, died, rose again, and ever 
 liveth to make intercession : for this the Holy Spirit was sent 
 into the world, and is continued among us : for this the Bible 
 was written, and has been preserved through the lapse of 
 ages : for this the church bus been formed, and the min- 
 istry of reconciliation given and perpetuated. All who are 
 Christ's have, in some degree, the beauty of the Lord God 
 upon them. Tiicy are created anew in Christ Jesus, " And 
 have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge 
 after the image of him that created him." — Col. iii. 10. 
 " And be renewed in tlie spirit of your mind ; And that ye 
 put on the new man, which after God is created in righteous- 
 ness and true holiness." — Ephes. iv. 23, 24. Christ's people 
 are said to be " Willing in the day of his power, in the 
 beauties of holiness." To behold the beauty of the Lord 
 was the earnest desire of the Psalmist ; and every true child 
 of God desires to behold the beauty of the Lord, because it 
 
 nna n f runofiiniiinrr in/lnoiir>n iinnn tlm minrl 
 o i 
 
 Knowledge, holiness, and benevolence, which are tho 
 
TO SEPV THB SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 
 
 65 
 
 to be caf- 
 ed is life 
 jnst God : 
 ^d can be. 
 God."— 
 12. " By 
 ) condem- 
 orruption, 
 i is, then 
 We won- 
 and, with 
 iciousness 
 i to deny 
 ity of the 
 :> shudder 
 scriptural 
 the proofs 
 ickedness 
 ■ns of the 
 e say we 
 uth is not 
 3 glory of 
 
 he image 
 his Christ 
 and ever 
 was sent 
 the Bible 
 ) lapse of 
 the niin- 
 1 who are 
 jord God 
 !s, " And 
 nowledgo 
 . iii. 10. 
 d that ye 
 ighteous- 
 's people 
 !r, in the 
 the Lord 
 rue child 
 ecause it 
 
 are the 
 
 beauty of God, must be upon us, and appear in all we say 
 and do, or we are not prepared to sustain a revival, and 
 sinners will not be converted. Unless we are fully renewed 
 in the hpint of our minds, we are not prepared to sustain the 
 labour, the self-denial, and the reproach which a revival 
 ot religion requires. Jf we have not the mind that was in 
 Uirist Jesus— if we are not made conformable to his death 
 we shall soon cry out what a weariness it is : shall soon 
 give up mcn:<c\y caring for souls, and zealously and con- 
 tinually labouring for their salvation. Besides, if we have 
 not the beauty of the Lord our God upon us, sinners, when 
 they perceive the ignorance, the selfishness, the impurity 
 of our nominal, half-hearted Christianity, will be disgusted, 
 with us, and will in all probability through us, blaspheme' 
 the name of our God and the doctrines we profess. The 
 meekness of wisdom, the beauty of holiness, the lustre of 
 benevolence attract the thougiits, subdue the wills, and enlist 
 the afTcctions of the ungodly. When the beautv of the Lord 
 our (jo(l dispays itself in our spirit, in our conversation, and 
 in our actions, then sinners take knowledge of us that we 
 have been with Jesus, and are constrained to glorify our 
 leather in heaven. The sweetness of disposition, the purity 
 ot speech, the benevolence of action, which those ever mani- 
 lest who are clothed with the beauty of the Lord, cannot 
 tan to secure the conversion of sinners. How much, how 
 very much, do professors need the beauty of the Lord, to 
 enable them to sustain a revival of God's work, and continu- 
 ally draw sinners to the contemplation of the beauties of re- 
 igion, and to seek its possession. Depend upon it, we shall 
 never have a great revival of religion until believers are 
 clothed with the beauty of the Lord our God. 
 
 Moses prays to God to cstahUsh the work of our hands, 
 so that the revival of religion may he permanent. 
 
 The work of a believer's hands, spoken of in scriuture is 
 something done for God and for the gL of his cause ^Wa 
 
 woTnT'f%''f^T'^"^"^'''^>'^'''^^''' ^^^"^ '^^"^ "the 
 woik of the Lord "_1 Cor. xv. 58. When we instruct the 
 
 ignoiant, warn the profligate, persuade the waveriuLMo be- 
 ^omo decided Christians, reclaim the wanderer, or whatever 
 Ave ,lo lu Grods cause, for Christ's sake, is < ailed the work 
 of our hands, and the work of the Lord ; because the Lord is 
 our >naster, and we are his servants. Without the labour, 
 
 tile zoalniis and ortn^'P""?' i~u-, c r*i • ■• • - 
 
 of Hnrl "«7ni . ^-•n-r.-u l«uuUr ui Chnsuans, lim church 
 01 Uod will not, cannot be revived, and sinners will not be" 
 
66 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIAIfS 
 
 converted ; and we may labour till we die, but if God doe» 
 not own and bless our endeavours, there will be no genuine, 
 permanent revival of religion. Unless God establish our 
 work, all our goodness will be as transient as the morning 
 cloud and early dew, which speedily vanish. If he does not 
 establish the work of our hands, all that we make sinners feel, 
 and desire, and resolve, will be like a bubble on the water, 
 which bursts at the slightest touch. •' Except the Lord build 
 the house, they labour in vain that build it ; except the Lord 
 keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain. It is vain 
 for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of 
 sorrows," unless God establish the work of your hands. 
 David prays, " Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast 
 wrought for us ;" and if he does not strengthen it, it will be 
 sure to come to nought. Paul says, " We arc labourers 
 together with God. I have planted, Apollos watered ; but 
 God gave the increase. So neither is he that planted any 
 thing, neither he that watoreth ; but God that giveth the 
 increase." We may, by additional means of grace and pro- 
 tracted labours, produce an excitement among the people 
 of God, cause sinners to cry for mercy, and hope they 
 are converted ; but if God does not establish the work in the 
 hearts of his people, and in the hearts of sinners, there will 
 be no genuine, permanent revival of religion. Moses felt 
 this to be a matter of vast importance ; he had seen so much 
 of fickleness and inconstancy among the Israelites, that he is 
 more earnest about the good work being permanentl than 
 about any thing else. He repeats his prayer for the per- 
 manancy of the work, " Establish thou the work of our 
 hands upon us ; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.'* 
 Let us do likewise. Let us pray for a revival of God's 
 work : let us pray for a manifestation of God's glory to 
 produce that revival : let us pray for the beauty of the Lord 
 our God to be upon us, to enable us to sustain a revival ; but 
 let us double our prayers for its permanancy, and then souls 
 will be converted Nothing can prevent their conversion. 
 
 II. The means to be employed to gain a genuine revival, 
 a permanent revival of religion. 
 
 T Jiere tnust be faith on the part of the church, or a r». 
 vival cannot be obtained. 
 
 " Without faith it is impossible to please God." Moses 
 firmly believed that God was able and willing to revive his 
 work. The language of this text can never be regarded a^ 
 the ianguago oi uubclicf and despair. If Moses hud not 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 et 
 
 God does 
 genuine, 
 >lish our 
 morning 
 does not 
 ners feel, 
 le water, 
 ord build 
 the Lord 
 [t is vain 
 bread of 
 r hands, 
 hou hast 
 t will be 
 abourers 
 red ; but 
 nted any 
 veth the 
 and pro- 
 3 people 
 •pe they 
 rk in the 
 liere will 
 [oses felt 
 so much 
 hat he is 
 jnt") than 
 the per- 
 : of our 
 thou it." 
 of God's 
 glory to 
 the Lord 
 /al ; but 
 len souls 
 3 ion. 
 
 revival, 
 >r a re- 
 Moses 
 Jvive his 
 arded a9 
 hud not 
 
 believed that God both could and would revive his work, 
 manifest his glory, put his beauty upon tlie people, and estab- 
 lish the work of their hands upon them, he never would 
 have prayed for these blessings, Mcses '.as tc wise, too 
 holy, too sensitive of God's honour, to pi ay Ibv any thing 
 which ho knew God could not or wouiu j^ot imourt. There 
 is not the slightest unbelief in this pra' r. ' lierc is none 
 of that ignorance and unbelief which oomt - iod, saying, 
 "If it be thy will, give us a revival of rel"^ion." Those 
 who thus pray for a revival of religion Pit -v^ii^er steeped in 
 ignorance or unbelief, or both. There k no truth more 
 clearly revealed in the Bible than the anxiety of God for the 
 preeminent holiness of his people and the universal conver- 
 sion of the ungodly. Surely, then, nothing but ignorance 
 and unbelief will ever cause a saint to pray to God for a 
 revival of religion, in a suppositional way, when God has 
 assured his church that he will revive his work if wc seek 
 it aright. The language of Moses, in the text, is the language 
 of an intelligent, believing man, wiio staggers not at the 
 promise through unbelief. Moses conies with humble bold- 
 ness to the throne of grace, and cries, *' Let thy work appear 
 unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And 
 let the beauty of the Lord our God bo upon us : and establish 
 the work of our hands upon us ; yea, the work of our hands 
 establish thou it." 
 
 And certainly we have, in the present day, all the evidence 
 that is required to induce us to believe that God is both able 
 and willing to give us a genuine and permanent revival ol re- 
 ligion. He can do what pleaseth him among the armies 
 of heaven, and among the inhabitants of earth ; and none 
 can stay his hand, nor say, what doest thou ? His language 
 to his church is calculated to inspire her with confidence, and 
 to induce her to labour, with all her might, for a revival of 
 religion, for the salvation of souls. 
 
 " Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee 
 from the womb, which will help thee ; Fear not, O Jacob, 
 my servant; and thou, Jerusalem, whom I have chosen. 
 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods 
 upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, 
 and my blessing upon thine offspring:" And thoy shall spring 
 up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. 
 One shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call him- 
 self by the name of Jacob ; and another shall subscribe with 
 his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the nanu© 
 
68 
 
 TIIF. OnLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 of Israol."— Isii. xliv. 2—5. <* Drop down, ye heavens, 
 from ohovo, and let tlio skies pour down rijriitcousness ; let 
 the earth open, ;iinl ht them bnn<T forth salvation, and let 
 rightoousiirss spriiiiT up to£,'ofhnr: I tlin J, on] have created 
 it." — Isa. xlv. rt. " ^)^lar^^o tlii^ placo of thy tent, and let 
 them stnnch forth ih(> eiirtains of tliine hahhations : spare not, 
 lengthen ihy conis and strongtht-n thy stakes : For thou shalt 
 break (orth on tlie riLrht hand and onthe left ; and thy seed 
 shall inherit 1]u^ (Jctitih's, and make the desolate cities to ho 
 inhabited."— Isa. liv. v>, ;?. - liist(^\d of the thorn shall come 
 up the fir ti'e(>, and instead of the brier shall come up (he myrtle 
 tree : and it shall Ix; to the Lord lor ji name, f )r an everlast- 
 ing sign which shall not bo cut oM'."— Isa. Iv. V.i. " Lift up 
 thine eyes round about, an.l see ; all they gather themselves 
 together, th<>y ei^nie to tiiee : tliy s..ns s'hall come from far, 
 and tiiy daunlitcrs sliall be nurs.'d at thy side. 'J'hen thou 
 shnlt see, and fl .w togeilicr, and thine lieart shall fear, and 
 be eidarged ; b( cnusf' the aliundanee of the sea shall be con- 
 verted unto thee, the ibrces (or wealth) of the Gentiles shall 
 come unto thee. Who arc tbese that fly as a cloud, and as 
 doves to tlieir windows ? A little one shall become a thou- 
 sand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will 
 liasten it in his tinn'." — fsa. Ix.'4, 5. S, 22. 
 
 These predictions ch^irly fjn lei an abundant revival, and 
 enlargement of the cliurcli of (.'o.I ; and are sutlicient, of 
 themselvi's. to ])roiluee and sustain faith in (Jod for a blessed 
 revival of his work. I'onder them serioii.sly, understand them 
 fully, believe them lirmly, and tlien,wili»" niigiity liiith, you 
 will come to tln^ throne of grace, and cry, with Moses. "Let 
 thy work app(\ir unto thy servants," &c. 
 
 Ilad^ we none of the abov(^ cited jirediotions, yet tlie prom- 
 ises of Christ contained in Maltiiew xviii 11), 20, and in 
 Mark \i. 20— -2 I, aro sufllcient to warrant us lo believe in 
 ("Jod fen* a revival of religion. Tiaue his words arc, "Again 
 I say luito you. That if two of you shall agree on earth as 
 touching any thing they shall iisk, it shall be done for them 
 of my I'alher which is in heaven. For where two or three 
 aro gathered to'rcilnu' in my name, there .on I in the midst." 
 "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig 
 tree dried up Innu the roots. And Peter, calling lo remem'^ 
 brnncp, saith unto him, Master, behold, the ih^ tree which 
 thou cursedst is witlaMvd away. And .Tesns answering, saith 
 unto them. Have faith in God. I'or verily I say untu you, 
 That whosoever shall .say unto this mountuin, lio thou re- 
 
10 inulfst. 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION Of SOtTLS. 
 
 moved, and be thou cast into the sea ; and shall not doubt in 
 his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith 
 shall come to pass ; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 
 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, 
 when yo pray, believe that ye receive thcni, and ye shuU 
 have them." 
 
 On tlieso gracious promises we take our stand ; and may 
 boldly doclaro, that unwavering faith in God, associated with 
 united prayer, Aviil secure, infallibly secure, a goiiuine, ex- 
 tensive, and^ permanent revival of religion. All those moun- 
 tains of difliculty which wn see op|)osing tho revival and 
 spread of pure and undcfilcd religion, vvill Faith in God 
 removf. Christ cannot do many mighty work.s amoug us, 
 bocauso of our unholiof. Too many professors of r.-lPgion 
 think a genuine, extcnsivr perm.uicnt revival of religion 
 altogcthor out of tho question; and, tlicn'f.ro, ii.vcr hclTeve 
 and pray for it. Otlicis, who desiro and pray for a revival 
 
 O yo of little 
 only believe. 
 
 of religion, havo too litlln faith to secure it 
 faith, whoreforo do yo douht ?" "Fear not 
 All tlungs are possible to him that believeth." 
 
 " Fnitli, iiiiirlity faitli, tlic proniiae see», 
 And looks i<> ilint aliiiui ; 
 
 LlinjrllH Ml illipOSSilllilicH, 
 
 And criew, It n\m\\ he done." 
 Unless wo have great fiith in God, a great revival of rcli- 
 gion in the churcili, mid numerous con versions among the 
 ungodly, will be impossible, llavo fiiith in God, and the 
 faith of (Jod, and religion will bo revived, and numbctrs will 
 bo converted. 
 
 To secure a revival of religion, there must he prayer as wcii 
 as faith, 
 
 Moses not oidy believ(ul, but ho pray(>d fervently and impor- 
 tnnately for the things he desired. " [,et," says he. " thy 
 work appear imto thy servants, and thy glory unto their chif. 
 dren. And let tho beauty of the Lf)rd our God be upon us : 
 and esiiddish thoii tiie work of our hands upon us; yea, the 
 work of our hands establish thou it." In this prayer there is 
 sincerity, frrvour, importunity. Moses \v,vs not a man that 
 used umneaning words; nor was ho th(! man to leave off 
 praymg btdore he obtained the blessings for which ho prayed. 
 If you read and .study the prayers of Moses, you will find 
 them clmractcrised by great suicerity, gnuit fervour, and 
 great importunity. IIo felt the need of tho blessings for 
 which ho prayed, therefore lils whole soul was engaged, and 
 
1 
 
 TO 
 
 he held 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 r 
 
 praying for Israel till he gained what he asked. 
 What a striking view does the following passage give us of 
 the importunity of Moses in prayer : — 
 
 " Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 
 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, 
 fight with Amalek : to-morrow 1 will stand on the top of the 
 hill, with tho rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses 
 had said to him, and fought with Amalek ; and Moses, Aaron, 
 and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, 
 when Moses held up his hand, tiiat Israel prevailed ; and 
 when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed. But Moses' 
 hands were heavy ; and they took a stone, and put it under 
 him, and he sat thereon ; and Aaron and Hur stayed up hia 
 hands, the one on tho one side, and the otiier on the other 
 side ; and his hands were steady until the going down of the 
 sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with 
 the edge of the sword." — Exodua. xvii. 8—13. 
 
 Nothing, you see, but sheer exhaustion, caused Moses to 
 cease praying for Israel, on the memorable day when Joshua 
 discoinllted Amalek. And if we would have a genuine and 
 permanent revival of religion, we must copy the example of 
 Moses. If we would see tho enemies of the Lord discomfited, 
 and imm rtal souls rescued from the hand of the enemy, 
 there nnist ho sinciM-c, ffreetual, unceasing prayer, offered by 
 us, to the Gud of Ivaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 " Prnyrr m.ikrs the ilarkfncil cloud withdrnw ; 
 Prnyer cliniltM the Indrler .Inccib bow ; 
 (.tived exercise to fnith mid love, 
 Briiif,'H every hlesainji; fVoin ubove. 
 ReHtraiiiinu prnycr, we eensf to t\frht ; 
 Prnyer iiinUes the ChriBtiaa'a nniiour bright ; 
 And Hntnti trembles when he hccm 
 The wenkcHt snint vipon hia knees. 
 While Moses Htood with amis spread v ", 
 Pnreewi wan found on Ibrnel'H wide ; 
 But when, throufjh wenrinesH, they fail'd, 
 That inuincnt Amalek prevail'd." 
 
 There is now nmch sincere prayer oflerod, by the people 
 of (Jod, fur the revival of tho church, and for the conver. 
 •ion of tho world ; but there is great reason to fear, that 
 their prayers are not characterized by that holy fervour of 
 •oul, and that unceasing imjwrtunity, which secure tho 
 blessings prayttd for. We see but liltl« of the agony of 
 prayer which Christ manifested in tho garden of Gethia. 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 71 
 
 i 
 
 mane; but little of that importunity which Jacob manifested 
 at the brook Jabbok ; when, after wrestling all night, he was 
 desired to let his celestial visitant depart, he vehemently 
 exclaimed, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." 
 One reason why our prayers are destitute of this holy fer- 
 vour, and unceasing importunity, is, because we do not see 
 clearly, and feel powerfully, the absolute need of the rcvi- 
 val of God's work, in order to secure the salvation of the 
 souls of men. We probably see and feci {h(\ desirableness 
 of a revival, but not its absolute necessity, and, therefore, our 
 prayers are languid and soon end : consequently, no great 
 spiritual influence is imparled to the church, and but few 
 of the ungodly are convinced and converted. We must not 
 only pray sincerely and fervently, " Lot thy work appear 
 unto thy servants," &c. ; but we must keep praying and 
 wrestling until God's work does appear, until his glory is 
 seen, until his beauty is put upo)i us, and the work of our 
 hands is established. VVhcnevcr and wherever God has abun- 
 dantly revived his work, the people of God have peiceived so 
 clearly, and felt so powerfully, the absf>liife iirod of a revival 
 of religion, that they could not rest until ho " that dwelleth 
 between the cherubims shono forth, and stirred up his strength, 
 and came and saved them." And, depend upon it, we shall 
 never have a genuine, extensive, permanent revival of God's 
 Work until we get into the same spirit of agonizing and per- 
 severing pruyor. 
 
 When wo thus depend entirely upon God for a revival of 
 his work, and get into the spirit of prayer, we shall have a 
 revival, (uul souls will ho converted. Just as certain as the 
 
 firayer of Moses succeo<led in staying (lod I'n.nj destroying 
 sracl, shall we succeed. Just an certain as Jacob prevailed 
 at the brof)k Jabbok, shall we prevail with God, when our 
 faith and prayers -ire like unto his. 
 
 '* Wliafsof'vcr ye sliall ask the Father in my name, 1 
 will do it, that tiie Father may bo glorilieil in the Son." 
 Can wo ask any thing moro agree .Mo to the will of the 
 Father? ciUi any thing gl«,ri(y (Jod n h, re, siuisfy Christ U'ore, 
 delight ti)o Holy Spirit more, than tho increased holiness of 
 believers and (ho conversif)ii of the ungodly ? Nay, verily. 
 In the illustrious piety of siii ' and in the numerous con. 
 versions oCsinniM's, the etenui! f r-uin (Jod has spi^-inl delight. 
 fcr»e«'l(. then, a revival in •••n wny now pointi'«l out, utid you 
 huvc uU the nssuruucc you can need, or can reiusonaI)ly wish 
 
72 
 
 THE OBUGATIONS OT CHHISTIAN» 
 
 HI 
 
 li ► 
 
 to have, that a genuine, extensive, permanent revival will 
 take place. Consider, 
 
 III. The necessity for an immediate use of the means 
 required. 
 
 We have already shown the necessity of a revival of 
 God's work under the first head of this discourse ; what we 
 wish now to impress upon your minds, is the immediate ne. 
 cessity of using the means required to obtain a revival. 
 
 You must acknoipJcdge that a revival is now needed. 
 
 The church of God is more than half asleep. Numbers 
 are at case in Zion, settled on their lees, sayinfr, The Lord 
 will not do good, neither will lie do evil. The piety of nearly 
 all the saints is very deficient ; the majority of hearers in 
 our congregations are either careless nrglectors of salvation, 
 or halters hetwppn two opinions. The devil's strongholds 
 exist : on every hand his emissaries are vigilantly labouring 
 to defend them. Do not these things demonstrate the imme- 
 diate necessity iur vigorous and coutinupd v[\\n% to quicken 
 the church, to awaken the careless, to check the efforts and 
 defeat^ the purposes of the wicked one ? Christians, have 
 faith in God, but have it now ; cry mightily unto God, but 
 cry now : for there is the utmost need. 
 
 The necessity of usinsr the means now is evident from the 
 fact, that while you are neirlectinxt to use them, the church 
 IS getliniT into a jcorsr. state, and evil men and seducers are 
 xoaxtng worse and worse. 
 
 While the man whose house is on fire is hesitating whcth- 
 or ho will give the alarm, and call his neighbours to his as- 
 Histance, the flamns are increasing in violence, and will 
 speedily burn up all ; and while you arc hesitating— delaying 
 to exercise lUith in God, restraining prayer l)eforo God 
 coldly calculating whether atiy good can lu; done or not, the 
 church IS getting into a worse state: the love of many waxes 
 cold, baekslidings become more freqn.Mit, and the church is 
 becoming a by word and n^proach in the months of the 
 ungodly. The uneirenmeised l»hilistincs hnw. but too mnch 
 reason to rejoice!. Whil.^ you arts hesitating, sinners also 
 are bceoming more hardened in sin, glutting furihor and far- 
 ther from God, and nearer and nearer to hell-lire. Sook, 
 then, a rovival j but do it at once, lest it bo too late. 
 
svival will 
 
 the means 
 
 evival of 
 what we 
 xdiate ne- 
 vaL 
 
 I. 
 
 Numbers 
 rhe Lord 
 of nearly 
 learers in 
 salvation, 
 ronirholds 
 labouring 
 ho imme- 
 5 quicken 
 ffbrts and 
 ns, have 
 God, but 
 
 from the 
 (0 church 
 ucers are 
 
 8 whcth. 
 U) his as- 
 luid will 
 delaying 
 )ro God, 
 ' not, the 
 »y waxes 
 iiurch is 
 i of the 
 00 anich 
 lers also 
 and far- 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 73 
 
 The necessity for using these means now is still further 
 evident, from the fact, that while you are wailing for mort 
 striking means than simple faith and humble prater, sinners 
 are perishing : dymg and dropping into quenchless flames. 
 
 .f.i^° ^'''''' ^^ ^"""^'•s/Jying every week; and, notwith- 
 standing our apathy, tho fact does at times .strike the mind 
 that they are gone down to the pit, - Where the worm dleth 
 not and .where tho fire is not quenched." The fact does 
 stnke us at tunes, that their eternal ruin might have been 
 prevented had we have done our duty; and%he feellZ 
 produced m our hearts by this considenuion are very pa"n 
 ful. And wc begui to wish that somebody would move for 
 a protrac ed-meetmg, or some extraordinary moans so that 
 souls might be saved ; and many paciiy their con ounces by 
 saymg they are willing to labour for the revival oTrelt-on 
 and the sa vat.on of souls, if the church would o dy S 
 a protractcd-meetnig. Protracted-meetings are well enough 
 m their place; but shall we criminally%.cglec t le use of 
 the ordinary means of grace: neglect^ to %xerc ie ^Uh 
 
 ivat^c^ -'- i;;"^;?'r '""?°" '^f' ^V''^^"^ ^"^-i^'^y -^ their 
 
 salvation. I h t whic.i revives th> church, that which saves 
 
 soub, from hell however old, howev.r common, is ust as 
 
 good as that which is new and striking. I'or our pi t wf 
 
 are m favour of anything, not sinful, ^vhich will evivo the 
 
 church, stop sinners in their ma.l cnreer, an.l pluck 'hem 
 
 as brands from the burning. Put fur God's sake, for ChrS^ 
 
 sake, for the Holy Spirit's sake, for the church' a e and 
 
 for precious souls' sake, do not neglect the means w ich vou 
 
 have withinyour reach, and which, if faitiifully a H^an 
 
 and will save men, because there is no protracted- meeting 
 
 employ" '"'° ^^'^ ^''" "°^''"'^^ "•''^'' '^"^ striking t? 
 
 Christian brethren, let us drop all our petty dilTerences 
 
 tTe Church 7^7"""?' '"' ""''" '''^'' -•'' l^-fnd to ovW„ 
 in ' "'' "m' "'"''^ immortal souls from death It 
 
 IS no tune to be .pmrrelling among ourselves when onr Lth 
 
 MrVoo "^ "^ our u„rkH h,u„ „„, I,™. f„„„,, p,V„« 
 
74 
 
 THE OBLIOATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 il 
 
 Lord, to turn their feet from the broad way that leads to 
 death, into the narrow way that leads to life. 
 
 Let us strive to increasn each others faith in God ; let us 
 unite together in prayer to God for a revival of his work ; 
 let the prayers, not of a few, but of all the saints, be, " Let 
 thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their 
 children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon 
 us : and establish thou the Avork of our hands upon us ; yea, 
 the work of our hands establish thou it;" and the church 
 will revive, and sinners will be converted. *' Awake, awake, 
 put on thy strength, O Zion ; puL on thy beautiful garments, 
 O Jerusalem, the holy city." On our conduct, as Christians, 
 depends the salvation of the souls of men ; and if thy are 
 lost through our neglect, the blood of their souls will be found 
 upon us at the last day. 
 
 I, •: 
 
let us 
 
 DISCOURSE V. 
 
 PRECIOUS SEED MUST BE SOWN WITH TEARS, OR MANY SOULS 
 
 WILL NOT BE SAVED 
 " They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that froeth '"orth nn,I 
 wcepeth bearing precious seed, shall cloub^tless come £ w t re 
 joicing, bringing his sheaves with hiin."-PsAL.M cxxvi 4. 5 
 
 While the Spirit of grace and supplication is absolutely 
 necessary to save the souls of men-while praver and fahh 
 m Go,l are essentially requisite, on the part of Chri ns to 
 secure the Spirit m his convincing, converting, and s oa'fy! 
 
 ng operauons rest assured that u faithful presentation ftfc 
 truth of Cod, to the mind of the sinner, is equally needed! 
 
 K.foro he can he saved. Truth, the truth as it is in Jesu. 
 IS he instrument of the sinner's conversion. " Th^ aw 
 of tl... Lord IS perfect, converting the soul." <« Born a-ain 
 not o corruptihlo seed, but ineorrutible, by tiie word of C^J 
 wh ch liveth and abideth for ever." Unless the truth S 
 understoo,!, believed, and obeyed, the operations o the S ri^ 
 and the prayer and faith of (Jo.l's children, neither w I 
 nor can, «< convert the sinner from the error of is ways " 
 We would urge you, therefore. Christian brethren, to Xy 
 the injunet.on of the wise man, Mn the morning 'sow thT 
 ■ecd, undm the evening withhold not thine hand- for thou 
 knovvest not whether shall prosper: either th^ or' at or 
 whether they shall both be alike good." ' °' 
 
 In the two preceding discourses we have shown that the 
 SjH.it of grace an.l supplieations is neede.I to arres « 
 « nner's attention, to fix his thoughts on the Sav our' deJth 
 ami cause him to mourn with that godly sorrow for s n 
 
 of ih ;";•?."• ^■?"'"""" """^ -lvation^.ottol"re;enrd 
 of la fa.th and prayer, on behalf of Christians, are n>- 
 qu. ed to secure a revival an.l extension of the work of 
 
 uemod ««h tl.0 l..xt d.ul ,„iglu U, uoliocd, bil, TZyZ^ 
 
It 
 
 ,. 111! 
 
 "f 
 
 76 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 I 
 
 if 
 
 not of paramount importance, we shall waive them, and 
 endeavour to fix your attention on the following important 
 points : 
 
 I. The seed to be sown. 
 
 II. Sowing the seed is the duty of all Christians. 
 
 III. The emotions of mind necessary to sow it aright. 
 
 IV. The glorious harvest that will assuredly follow the 
 right sowing of this seed. 
 
 I. The seed to he sown. 
 
 The seed to Ic sown is the Word of God. Tlie truth 
 contained in the Bible is the precious seed which brings forth 
 fruit unto eternal life. We are not at liljerty to sow what 
 seed we please in the hearts of sinners ; but we must sow in 
 their hearts the unadulterated truths of God's word. In the 
 eighth chapter of Luke's gospel, wo have an interesting par- 
 able respecting the sower, the seed, the places where ?l was 
 sown, the failure of the crop in some places, with the causes 
 of that failure ; and the rich harvest which it yielded in 
 other places, and the causes thereof That parabiosis worthy 
 the attentive perusal and deep cousidoration of every Chris- 
 tian. In that interesting parable Jesus declares, " The seed 
 is the word of God." 'The seed to be sown is such seed 
 as this: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of 
 God." " There is none that doeth good, no, not one." '' By 
 the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his 
 sight: for by the law is the knowlodge of "sin." "The 
 soul that sinnelh, it shall die." " Cursed is every one that 
 continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, 
 to do thein." " Tii(> Lord Jesus siiall bo revealed frcni 
 heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fnv, taking ven- 
 geance on them tlial luiow not God, and obey n(jt the gospel 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall bo punished^ with 
 everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and 
 from the glory of his power." 
 
 This is the kind of seed that must be first sown in tho 
 sinner's heart. Farmers always raise first a wasting crop 
 from ground that is very foul, in order to clean it, and 
 prepare it for the more precious grains ; and so must tho 
 sinner's heart be cleared of the rubbish of his fancied good- 
 ness, si'lf-righteousness, pride, and in)penitence, before 
 the blessed fruits of love, joy, peace, long-suflering, gentle- 
 neas, goodness, meekness, faith, and temperance can ever bo 
 raised in his heart, and abound in his life. When this glori- 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 77 
 
 ous work of preparation is effected, then the seed to be sown 
 is such as, «' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac 
 ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- 
 ners." " Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for 
 the unjust, ^that he might bring us to God." " Behold the 
 Lamb of God that taketli away the sin of the world." 
 '* The blood of Jesus Christ his Sou, cleanseth from all sin." 
 " For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the 
 world, but that the world through hi»n might be saved." 
 " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall bo saved." 
 " He that believcth on the Son hath everlasthig life." 
 
 This is a fair specimen of the seed to be sown in a broken, 
 contrite heart, and if rightly sown, will bring fjrth fruit to 
 the glory of God, in some thirty, in some sixty, and in some 
 an hundred-fold ; and this kind of seed we are only warrant- 
 ed in sowing in the sinner's heart when he is truly humble 
 and contrite. 
 
 Mark the qualily of this seed. It is styled in the text 
 " Precious seed." Christ terms it " Good seed." Peter calls 
 It « Incorruptible seed." The quiUitv of this seed is proved 
 to be good by tho excellect fruit which it boars. " Men do 
 not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles." " A bad 
 tree cannot bring forth good fruit," noither can vile seed 
 produce precious fruit. The word of God produces genuine 
 contrition for sin, and hatred of even/ thimr evil. Paul's 
 letter to tho Corinthians produced in" them the most blessed 
 consequences: "For behold this self sanio thin<r, that ye 
 sorrowed after a godly sort, what ear(>fijlness it wrou-rht in 
 you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what iudi-rnation 
 yea, what fear, yea, what vehenieiit desire, yea, wlmt zeal' 
 yea, what revenge !" And whi«nover tho propor seed is 
 «own m the hearts of sinners, it will lead to confession, con- 
 intion, and conversion. 
 
 This seed produces faith in Christ Jesus, love to God 
 love to all the saints, and an intense desire for the salvation 
 oj all men. 
 
 "Wo give thanks to Go<l and the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, praymg always for you. Since we heard of your faith 
 m Christ Jesus, .yid of the love which ye have to all the saints ; 
 tor the hope which ks laid up for you in heaven, whereof 
 ye heard before in tho word of the truth of th(. ^rosrud • Which 
 IS come unto you, as it is in all the world ; and b.'ingeth forth 
 fruit, as It doth also In yon, since tho day vo heard, and 
 
I ^: !i 
 
 "f?" 
 
 ts 
 
 THE ODLKJATIONS OF CHEISTIAIfS 
 
 know tl.n pnico of (lo.l in truth."— CI. i. 3—0. «< Rcmerii- 
 brnng wuho.it ccasiu- y„ur work of (Uith.ai.d hihour of love. 
 «»,'«l putuMKv.. ol ho,,c in our r.orcl .Fcsus Christ, in the siuht 
 yl(.o.lHn,lour|.uth<-r. . . . F..r our fros,,,.! cu.no not unto you 
 in wonl only, hut also in l^n^^rr, an.! in th.> Holy (Jhost, and 
 in nnich a.ssin-anc.- ; as y<' I<n<.w what nianncr of nion wo 
 wuro uniouir yon for your sako. And yc h.'ca.n.> followers 
 o us, and Pl the Lord, havinir rrcciv,.,! tho word in much 
 nlhciion, wilhjny„rth.. Ilolydhost: S,.thatyow.-r..ensa.n- 
 plo.s to all that hrli-vo in IMac.Mlornu and Achaia For 
 <n.n. y.a. soiindrd out iho woni of lii,. Lord not only in Mace. 
 »l"nia and Acliaia. hu! als,, in cv.-ry place; y(,nr falih to God- 
 Ward IS s|,r..nd al.road ; s„ (hat sw. no(<d not (o speak any 
 tlun-. |.,„. ,|„,y ih,.,usrKvs show of us what niannor of 
 rntcrni- ,,1 wr had uuln y,.u, and Ix.w yo turn(>d to (Jod from 
 
 iUoIs, to serve the livinjr an.l trii(< (lod." — i 'n„..sH. i 3 9 
 
 " I'nrlhis cause also thank w,. (lod without ccasin.r, because! 
 
 wl„>n ye r.veivrd the wor.lnf ( iod which yo hoard of us, vo 
 
 roc,.>ived ,1 not as the w,.,d of n.en. hut as it is in truth, tho 
 
 word ol (.0.1. whu-h eli;.ctually work.th in IIhmu that believe." 
 
 — 1 lh.>ss u. I'.L -l{„i (j„.l h,. tlianke.1, that vo wore the 
 
 sorvants .,| sm, l.ul yo have oh(<yed tron. tl... heaVt that fbrm 
 
 ol doclrme whud, was deliv.Mvd you. . . . Moinjr n.ad(« free from 
 
 sui an.l hecon.e servants of ( lod, you have your fruit unto 
 
 hoinioss, and ih,- (Mid evcrlastinjr li(;.."__R(;,„^ ^i j^^ ^2. 
 
 '•t^.M'iiin- y,. |,;,v,- p.iiiiied your soids in obcvinir tho trutli 
 
 through Ih.- Spirit m.to unfeiuned lovo of the 'hrefhren • see 
 
 that ye love one another with a pure heart, fervently: 
 
 lJ.>ui?x horn ao-ai.. not of corruptible seed, hut of incor- 
 
 ruptiMe, by the w.u'dof (Jod, which liveth and ubideth lor 
 
 over. — I lVt(>r i. i>"J, 12:{. 
 
 'rhose citations abundantly' prove (hat tho word of God 
 understood, b-lieved. an.l ob,.yc.i, pro.lueos faith, l.,vo, purity! 
 and /.(>al It nuist be pr..ciou.s seed, indeed, which brings 
 torth sueii excellt>nt fruit. ** 
 
 r/i/,v srrd will yield ctcnuil irloni. Th.^so who rcceiyo 
 tins s.M-.l nito (h.ur beans, in (h.« l,>vo of it. and who pro- 
 porly watch ov.m- it. will r.^ip fr.iin it everlastiuir life. On 
 this point the tMlowing passages nre explicit und sutisfac- 
 tory : — 
 
 •• Wheref.iro, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of 
 nau-htniess, and v..ct«ivo with meekness the iuirraflcd word, 
 winch IS able to save your souls. "—James i.' 21. "But 
 
■ 
 
 to SEEK T«E SALVATION OP SOfJLS. 
 
 n 
 
 * Rcmem- 
 ir of love, 
 
 tho sight 
 unto yoii 
 
 • host, and 
 ' inon wo 
 
 followers 
 in much 
 IV cnsain- 
 ia. For 
 in Mace, 
 h to God- 
 ponk any 
 
 fUllKM* of 
 
 ioi] from 
 I. 3—9. 
 hociiuse, 
 >f us, yo 
 nith, tho 
 believe." 
 were the 
 hut form 
 tree from 
 ruit unto 
 . 17, 22. 
 he truth 
 ron ; see 
 rvcntly : 
 f incor- 
 ideth lor 
 
 of God, 
 , purity, 
 i brings 
 
 rccciYo 
 'ho pro- 
 fo. On 
 
 sutisfac- 
 
 luity of 
 
 d word, 
 
 "But 
 
 continue thou in the things which thou hast /earned, and hast 
 been assured of, knowiufr of whom thou bust learned them ♦ 
 And that fron. a child thou hast known the holy scriptures' 
 winch an; ah/e to make thee wise unto mlvation throuch 
 Jailk which is in Christ Jesus."~^2 Timothy iii. 14. 15 
 " V(«rdy, verdy, f say unto you, If a man keep my savins. 
 ho shall never so(; death. "—John viii. .-3.1. " Aiid this 13 
 the wdl of him that sent mo, that ev(!ry one which seeth 
 the Son, and belicveth on him., may have evcrlastin/' life • 
 and I wdl raise him up at the last dav."-^Jolm vi. 40*. 
 Verily, vrrily, I siiy unto you. He that hearclh my word, 
 and beheveth on hint that sent me, hath everlastinrr life, and 
 8hall not eornn mto condemnation ; but is passed from death 
 unto life." — John v. 24. 
 
 ^ How clearly do these citations point out what is requi- 
 site to secure the ^rreat gift of God, which is eternal life. 
 
 inc word of God must bo received with me(duiess, the 
 baviour whom it reveals must be believed in, his sayings 
 must be kept, his doctrines must be continued in, and then 
 
 he soul will be saved. Tho man who thus r.^ceives : 
 tims cherishes and preserves this precious seed, has 
 already pass.d from death to life. He has eternal life in 
 the promise ; ho will, at the death of the body, have it in 
 the possession and the enjoyment; and at the resurrection, 
 on the last day, Christ will raise his sleeping dust, and 
 his corruptible bo.ly shall put on incorruption, and his 
 morta frame whall put on immortality. Then shall be 
 brought to pass, in his experience, the saying which is 
 written, " Death is swallowed up in victory." Well may 
 the word of Go<l bo termed precious seed, seeing that it 
 yields every fhithful soul glory, honour, immortality, and 
 eternal life L<'t us prize the word of God, and act in all 
 things as that word requires, and we shall both save our- 
 selves and those who receive urigiit the word of God from our 
 lips. Consider, 
 
 J]' 7^}""^ ^^^^ sowing of this precious seed is the duty of 
 all L/hristians. ■^ 
 
 e ^X''J,'''^y''. "" Jiesitation in affirming that it is the duty 
 or all Christians to sow this sefvl, as they have ability and 
 opportunity, ni the hearts of their fellow-men. - No man 
 liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Christi- 
 ans are commanded by Christ to ''Go home and tell their 
 Iricnds what great things God lias done for them :" to " Go 
 
^>>. 
 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
 1.0 If «^ m 
 
 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 lU 
 
 Ui 
 
 u 
 
 2.2 
 
 ■ 40 
 
 12.0 
 
 1.8 
 
 LA. Ill 1.6 
 
 p^ 
 
 /} 
 
 
 >, 
 
 
 > .^ 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 M 
 
 <v 
 
 4s, 
 
 A 
 
 y 
 
 \ 
 
 4 
 
 k 
 
 ^M. 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^0-- 
 
 33 WIST MAIN STUIIT 
 
 WIBSTkRNY I4SS0 
 
 (716) ■73-4S03 
 
 
? 
 
 "tf 
 
 
 f/j 
 
 !>■ 
 
 <> 
 
 .-6'^ 
 
 ^ 
 i.<^ 
 
 i 
 
^0 
 
 tHE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 I 
 
 into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea- 
 ture." These commands are addressed to no particular 
 class in tlio church, but are addressed to all the people 
 of Christ indiscriminately. 
 
 It is the duly of the minister of the gospel to soiu this seed. 
 I'reach the word ; bo instant in season, out of season • 
 reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-sufTering and doc 
 trine. . . . VVutch thou in all thln<,'s, endure adlictions, do the 
 work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 
 — 2 Tim. iv. 2, 5. J 3 
 
 It is the duty of every officer in the church *o sow this 
 seed '« Let the elders that rule well bo counted worthy of 
 double honour, especially they that labour in the word and 
 doctrme."— I Tim. v 17. "Likewise must the deacons be 
 grave, not double tongued, iiot given to much wine, not 
 greedy of nitliy lucre ; Holding the mystery of the faith in a 
 pure conscience. . . . For thoy that have used the office of a 
 a deacon w.ll purcliaso to thomsrlves a good dcrroe, and 
 great boldness in the faith wliich is in Christ Jesus."— 1 Tim. 
 ni. 8, 9, i:}. Elders and <leacons who fdlod those offices in 
 the pnmitiv(^ Church, which are now filled iu Methodist 
 churches by local preachers, leaders, and stewards, were, 
 next to the nu'iiistors, the servants of the Lord, in the church : 
 nndl.aul says, "The .-servant of the Lord must not strive : 
 but be gentlo luito all men, apt to teach, patient ; In meekness 
 instructing those that oppose themselves ; if C,'o,l peradventuro 
 will give them repentance unto the acknowldrgement of the 
 truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare 
 
 of tho devd, who aro taken captive by him at hia will." 
 
 2 Tim. ii. iil— 120. 
 
 It is the duty of all Christian parents to sow this seed. 
 Yo lathers, provoke not your children to wrath : but bring 
 
 them up m the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 
 
 bphes. VI. 4. Timothy's mother and gaiuhnolher are highly 
 commended for their piety, and for in.{)arfing scriptural 
 knowledge to him. The law of God required all JcwisJi 
 parents to tench their children tho great truths of God'* 
 law. "And theso words, which I command thee this day, 
 Bhal bo in thine heart ; and thou slmlt teach them dili- 
 gently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou 
 ■ittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and 
 when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."— Dout. 
 VI. o, 7. Tho great reasons why God required children to 
 1*9 taught his statutes, aro thus stated by the royal Psalm- 
 
 I 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOl/LS. 
 
 dl 
 
 ist, " That they might set their liope in God, and not for* 
 get the works of God, but keep his commandments : And 
 might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious genera- 
 tion ; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose 
 spirit was not steadfast with God." — Psalm Ixxviii. 7, 8. 
 
 It is the duly of the Sabbath school teacher to sow this 
 seed. He voluntarily enters the Sabbath scliool with tha 
 avowed intention of sowing the good seed of the kingdom 
 in the hearts of the children who compose his class ; and 
 he neither can nor will perform his duty to God and the 
 children unless he is animated by the spirit and copies 
 the example of tiie Psalmist, when he said, " Come, ye 
 children, hearken unto me : I will teach you the fear of the 
 Lord." — Psalm xxxiv. 
 
 // is the duty of all the members of the church of Christ 
 to sow this seed. Moses says, " Would God that ull the 
 Lord's people were prophets, and that he would put his 
 Spirit upon them." Th's wish is fulfilled under the gos- 
 pel dispensation. '< But this is that which was spoken by 
 the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last 
 days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all 
 flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
 and your young men shall see visions, and your old men 
 shall dream dreams : And on my servants, and on my 
 handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit : 
 and they sluvll prophesy." — Acts ii. 10, 17, IH. 
 
 To prophesy, is to speak unto men, to exhortation, to 
 edification, and to comfort. All Christians may do this, 
 without entering the pulpit and publicly preaching the wold; 
 and we despair of the universal spread of truth, rightrous. 
 ness, love, and joy in the earth, until ull the servants and 
 handmaidens of the Lord do propiiesy daily in ilio private 
 walks of life. If it is only j)ossibl(^ to sow the seeflin tho 
 pulpit, then there is no need lor God to pour out his Spirit 
 on all his servants and handmaidens, for only a few of his 
 servants are called publicly to minister in word and doc. 
 truie. The preaching of tho word in the pulj)it is, for tho 
 musses of mankind, tho best method of sowing tins s(>ed in 
 tho hearts of sinners ; but the labours of the pulpit will not 
 bo sufficient if tho children of Ciod do not carry on tho 
 same blessed work in tho common walks of life; for num. 
 bers of sinners will not oomo to hear the gospel preached ; 
 others, who do sit under the word, are coreless hearers; 
 and besides, a minirter cannot know, by any possibility, 
 
I 
 
 i 
 
 62 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 the precise state of mind of each of his hearers, and there- 
 tore cannot sow the very seed that is required. Private 
 Christians, who have their hearts full of love, and their 
 eyes >tnd ears open, may cast into tiie hearts of sinners 
 the seed that is required ; and thoy may smv it at those 
 particuhir sea.sons when it is most likely to vegetate and 
 bear fruit. Just think of a few passages which require all 
 Llinstlans to be attentive to theis duty : 
 
 " They that understand anMng the people shall instruct 
 many. —Dan. xi. « 'J^hus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall 
 yet come to pass, that there sliall come people, and the 
 inliahitants of nany cities: And the inhabitants of one citv 
 shall go to anotlier, saying, Let us go speedily to pray 
 before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts ; I will tro 
 also. — Zech. viii. i>(), 21. " O house of .lacob, come ye, and 
 let us walk in the light of the Lord."— Isa. ii. 5. " The 
 woman then left her waler-pot, and went her wav into the 
 city, and saith to the :^en. Come, see a man whiJh told me 
 all thnigs winch ever I did: is not this the Christ .^ Tlion 
 they went out of the city, and came unto him. . . . And many 
 of the Si.mantans of that city believed on iiim for the say- 
 ing of the woman, which testiri«d, He told n)e all tliat ever I 
 dm. . . . And many more believed because of his own word ; 
 And said unto the woman, Now wo believe, not because 
 ot tiiy saying : lor we have heard him ourselves, and 
 know that liiis is in.Ieed the Christ, the Saviour of the 
 world. — .foim iv. 28, 2!), 30, 39, 41, 42. 
 
 And cannot any man, or any woman, act as did this 
 temah\ iN[iunhers of the Samaritans, voii see, were saved 
 through her agency. Paul intimates clearly, when writing 
 to the churclH>sof Phillippi and Corinth, that it is the duty of 
 all Cliristians to sow the precious .seed, both in privnte'lifo 
 and m the less pul)lic means, in iho church. Addressing 
 the Philhppians, he says: — 
 
 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That 
 yo maybe blameless and iiarmlesM, tho sons of (Joif without 
 rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among 
 whom ve shin(> as lights in the world ; holding forth tiio word 
 oflifo."— Chap. ii. 14, 15, 16. 
 
 And to the Corinthians : — 
 
 " Follow nfttir charity, nn<l dosiro spiritual gifts, but rather 
 tlitt ye may prophesy. For ho that spoaketh -n an unknown 
 tongue, spoaketh not unto men, but unto ( mhI : for no man 
 
 1 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 9S 
 
 understandeth liim ; howbeit in the spirit i.e speakpth mys- 
 teries. But ho iliat prophesieth speaketh unto men to edifica- 
 tion, and exhortation, and comfort. I would that ye all 
 spako with tonnruos, but rather that ye prophnsiod : (or frreatcr 
 is he that prophesieth ttian lie that speaketh with tongues " 
 —1 Cor. xiv. 1, 2, 3, 5. *=• ' 
 
 To shine as ligiits in the worhl, holding forth the word of 
 life, and speal' ig to men to instruction, exhortation, and 
 comfort, is of ilir greater importance than speakin<r with 
 tongues ; and it is the duty, the honour, and privilege of all 
 the saints to let the light of their wisdom and ijicty^so shine 
 that others may be led by them to glorify thtir Father in 
 heaven. It is the duty of all Christians to scav this seed, 
 because God has made all believers stewards of the mysteries 
 of the kingdom— stewards of the manifold grace of God ; and 
 they cannot discharge tlieir duty aright without personally 
 spreading the knowk'dge of the truth as it is in Jesus. It h 
 the duty of all Christians to sow this seed : for all believers 
 are priests to God; and it is the duly of the prirst to com- 
 municate instruction, and to have compassion on the ignorant, 
 and on those that are out of the way. Peter snys, of all 
 Christians, " Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, 
 an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should show forth 
 the praises of him who hath called you out (jf darkness into 
 Ins marvellous light."— 1. Peter ii. 9. It is the duty of all to 
 sow this seed, because God will reward the faithful sower 
 among the people, as well as the faithful sower in the min- 
 istry. He tiiat wiinicth souls is wise, whether he be a clergy, 
 man or a layman. Let him know (preacher or private 
 member) that he which converteth the sinner from the error 
 of his ways, shall save a soul from deatli, and shall hide a 
 muhitude of sins. They that be wise (or teachers, whether 
 male or rcimile) shall shine as the brightness of the flrma- 
 ment, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars 
 for ever and ever. Whoever will carefully study the word 
 of God will bo shut up to the conviction that it is the im- 
 perative duty of every child of God to sow the seed of etor- 
 nal truth. 
 
 It is fitill farther ilic duty of all the children of God to sow 
 this seed in all places, and under all circumstances. He 
 that goeth forth w«-(^ping hearing precious seed, or, as it reads 
 in the margin, bearing his see'i-basket. Wherever the 
 believer goes he should have his seed-basket witli him : 
 With tenderness, with faith, and with prayer, ho should bd 
 
94 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHTlISTlANS 
 
 iflstant in season and out of season, in scattering the precious 
 seed of divine truth. We must not be particular about the 
 place in which we sow this seed. " Blessed arp ye that sow 
 beside all waters." — Isa. xxxii. 20. Christ sowed this seed 
 wherever he went : in the synagogue, in the market-place, 
 on the mountain, by the wayside, in the field, in the ship, in 
 the private Jiouse, in social parties, or wherever he was : his 
 meat was to do the will of him that sent him by impartin*? 
 instruction to iir.mortal souls wherever he met with them^ 
 We should do likowiso; and then we should, like the sun iri 
 his course, carry light, life, and joy wlicrcvcr wo go ; but, 
 alas ! too many wiio profess the Christian name never think 
 Of uttering a word of gospel truth, save among the people 
 of God. If this plan is not altered, how arc the ungodly 
 to be convinced and converted ? If sinners were met by 
 (ho truth of God wherever and whenever they meet with a 
 professed child of God, there would soon come a change over 
 their minds ; and sinners would be seen flying to Christ as a 
 cloud, or as do\;es to their windows ; but while private Chris- 
 tians will not carry their sccd-baskets, and scatter the seed 
 of the king<lom in all places, there cannot be an abundant in- 
 gathering ot precious souls to Christ. This seed must be 
 sown under all circumstances. " He that observeth the wind 
 shall not sow ; and ho that rcgardeth the clouds shall not 
 rtap." — Eccles. xi. 4. 
 
 We mus: not stop sowing this seed through fear of perse- 
 cution. If the first sowers of this seed had ' been deterred 
 from i'owing it through persrcution, then the knowledge of 
 the Lord .lesus would never have been diffused, and sinners 
 never could have been saved. " And as they spake unto 
 the people, tlie priests, and the captain of tho temple, and the 
 Sadducecs came upon them, Being grieved that they taught 
 the people, and preached through Jesiip trie resurrection from 
 the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in 
 hold unto tho next day : for it was now even-tide. Howboit 
 many of them which heard the word believed ; and the num. 
 ber of tho men was about five thousand.''— Acts iv. 1—4. 
 In tho rrniainder of that chapter tho manner in which the 
 apostles were treated, and the manner in which they acted, 
 show the bitter animosity of sinners to the truth, and the 
 gracious help which God affords his faithful husbandmen 
 when persecuted for sowing tho seed of divine truth. The 
 Waldenses, the Reformers, tho Puritans, the first Methodists, 
 were all persecuted for sowing tho seed of God's word ; but 
 
 i 
 
Td Sfi£K TME SALVAtlOP OP SQULS. ^ 
 
 God suppwtetJ tbtra ; and though they sc^vodin tears^wninc 
 from their hearts and eyes by bitter persecutions, yet they 
 reaped in py. And if we sowr beside all waters, and un(t4 
 •11 circmnsiancPs, we shall be more or less pereeciited. 
 Many are now afraid of sowing this seed through fearof oeft. 
 secution. Let such listen to the word of God :— 
 ^ " Hearken unto m^, ye that know righteousness, the p^opb 
 m whose heart is my law ; f,.ar ye not the reproaches of men. 
 neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shaM 
 eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them liU 
 lyool : but my righteousness shall be forever, and my salva. 
 tion from generation to generation . I, even I, am he thtt 
 comforteth -ou : who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid 
 of a man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall 
 be as grass ; And forgcttost the Lord thy Maker, that 
 hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundationi 
 of the earth ; and hast feared every day continually ihefurir 
 of the opprossor, as if he were ready to destroy ? and wher« 
 8 be lury of the oppressor ? The captive exile husteneth 
 ha he may be oosed and that he may not die in the pit, and 
 that his broad should f.il. But I a.n the L^rd 'hy G.d thrt 
 that divided the sea, whoso waves roared : The Lord of 'host* 
 IS his nam.. An I I have put my words in thy mo.r.h, and 
 I have covered thee m the shadow of mine hand, that I maT 
 plant the heavens and lay the fjundations of the earth and 
 say unto Zion. Thou art my people."- -Isa. li. 7, 8. lu! IL 
 
 In our d ,y we have no'hing to fear but the reproaches and 
 the revdings of men, and surely these ought nottostop« 
 from sowing the s -ed, when chains, prisons. scourg^Ji 
 blocks, f iggots, cross-s, anrl gibbets, ye,,, death in all its forSS 
 could not prevent the confessors an.I the martvrs in pn«t 
 ages from sowmg the seed. None dare lav violent hjitdb 
 onus lor soun.g ,hn precious seed; and if G>d protoal* 
 supports, and comf.rts us under the repr.achos and t lo feriU 
 ingH ot m.n; ani if, ,hrou,h s.wing ,he seed, the oa^i* 
 exile hastonrth t!.„t he may be loosed, „nd that he Hhoi^ld,^ 
 die in th. pit, ,n dd. moo of all tho reproaches and ^yilinm 
 ot scod.rs, we miy pprsrvcro and f.ithfuilyHow i4,o mS 
 Without l.anng p.rs.cuiion. C'.ris.ia.H. sow your ^ 
 without f.,.rjn;r ,„ „, ,vhT cm only kill th^ bodr. f Jk> Mdr 
 
 I 
 
m 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIAN^ 
 
 I 
 
 > I 
 
 I 
 
 ? We must vol stop soxoing this seed through hodPy fatigite, 
 hunger, or thirst, when we have an opportunity of doing good. 
 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodeinus, a 
 ruler of the Jews : The same came to Jesus by nij^ht, and 
 said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou an a teacher come 
 from God : for no man can do these miracles which thou 
 doest, except God be with him." — John iii. 1, 2. 
 
 Mark, though it was night, the time of rrpose, — though, 
 in all probability, the Saviour had been incessantly engaged 
 in teaching the people, and in working miracles, throughout the 
 day, — though his body needed rest ; yet he does not send 
 Nicodemus away, but he spends a considerable portion of 
 that night in explaining to him the nature and n( ccssity 
 of the new birth : the mysterious operations of the Spirit: 
 the necessity of his being lifted up as the the serpent wa3 
 lifted up l)y Moses ; and the love and the dt sign of God in 
 •ending his Son into our world. Here is an example worthy 
 the imitation of every follower of Christ. 
 
 *' Then eomctli hetoacilyofSimMria, which is called Sychar, 
 near to the parc-l of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 
 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefor", being wearied 
 with his journey, sat thus on the well ; and it was about the 
 sixth hour. 'I hen eonieth a woman of Samaria to draw water. 
 Jesus saith unto h(>r, (jrive me to drink. (Tor his disciples 
 were gone away info the city to buy meat.)' — John iv. 5, 8. 
 In the absence of his disciples he taught this woman the 
 value and necessity of the Spirit's influrnces : n veaird to her 
 his intimate knowledge of her character and condition : ex- 
 plained to her the nature of God, and the nature of that wor- 
 phip which is nccrptablo to J<hovah : mauilest( (I liims. If to 
 her as the Saviour of the world : sowed the seed of eternal 
 life it» her ln-art ; and fillofl her whh that z-^al which led her 
 At once to go and impart the knowledge of Jesus to her fcl- 
 low-(;itiaens. 
 
 •' In the moan while, his disciples prayed him, saying, 
 Master, eat, But hn said unto lh< m, I have meat to eat that 
 ye know not of. Then f(»re snid his di.scipks fine to another, 
 H.ifh any man brought him ou<.'ht to eat ? J« sns saith unto 
 them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent nm, and to 
 finish his work. Siy not ye, Th<rc are yet ftnir months, and 
 then conuth harvest ? b hold. 1 sny unto you, Lift up your 
 •yrs, and look on thr frlds; for they are wj.itc already to 
 harvest."' — John iv. Dl — «5. 
 
 The Sutnariluns in crowds wcro coming to the Saviouri 
 
TO SBEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 OT 
 
 and ho evidpntly partook not of temporal food, until he had 
 fed their souls with the bread of life. How astonishing is the 
 character of the Saviour. What an entire forgetfulness of 
 himself, in his anxiety to do the will of God. No fatigue, no 
 weariness, no hunger, no thirst, could, or did prevent him 
 from sowing the precious seed. And all who have been bap- 
 tized with the Spirit of Jesus copy his example. Look at the 
 apostles, in their travels to sow the precious seed : they were 
 not only in journsyings and perils often ; but they were " In 
 weariness, and p-imfulness, in watchings often,' in hunger 
 and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." Yet 
 none of these things moved them to leave their work, or to 
 repine at their lot. Our souls, my brethren, ought to be 
 covered with shame, when we think how often we have al- 
 lowed the slightest wants of the body to prevent us from sow. 
 ing the precious seed. O may the Spirit of Christ be poured 
 upon us in that measure ; and the love of Christ be felt in us 
 to that degree, that, in future, we may not even count our 
 lives dear unto us, if we can be useful in sowing the- pre- 
 cious seed of eternal life in the hearts of perishing men. 
 
 Consider, 
 
 HI. The emotions of mind necessary to enable us to sow 
 this seed arijrht. 
 
 " They that sow in tears. lie timt goeth forth and wecpeth" 
 In Europe farmers often steep their grain in salt or lime- 
 water, to preserve it from smut, from insects, and to ac- 
 celerate its growth ; and unless the word we sow is steeped 
 in faith and prayer, and sown with tears, it will not bo ve v 
 fruitful. 
 
 Deep emotion on our part is essentially necssary to cause 
 sinners to believe the truth, and to make them feel the power of 
 the word. 
 
 Go into a neighbour's house, in a trifling manner, and in a 
 laughing, careless tone say, " Your child is killed :" would 
 ho believe you ? No. He would say, " You are joking ;" 
 but go in with breathless huste, and with tears in your eyes, 
 exclaim — " Your child has just been run over by a carriage, 
 and I fear it is killed," he would then believe you, and hasten 
 directly to the spot. And when you sow this seed in a friv- 
 olous manner, it is sure to be rejected ; but when you feel its 
 truth yourselves, ond when sinners, by your solemn earneMl. 
 negs of manner, by your very looks, perceive the deep emo- 
 lions of your heart ; when Ihoy behold the quivering lip, tb« 
 
Ijli 
 
 M 
 
 i:l 
 
 !lli! 
 
 ^ THB OBLVGATIOICS OP camStlAMS 
 
 ***J^u^^^' *^® heaving breast, they see you are in earaerf. 
 wid believe what you say : then ibey begin to feel that there 
 IS a reality m religion, and that it is high time to begin to 
 seek the Lord with their whole hearts. Pondering seriously 
 the causes of your deep emotion, they are led to think of their 
 own character and condition. They begin to feel that their 
 guilt, misery, and danger must be great, or you would not bo 
 so deeply concerned for them ; and at length ihey are forced 
 to cry " O wre':;hed men that we are ! who shall deliver u» 
 from the body of this death ?"— Rom. vii. 24. When the- 
 Jews heard the death and resurrection of Christ earnestly 
 and feelingly set tbrth by Peter on the day of Pentecost, it is 
 said, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their 
 heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles. 
 Men and brethren, what shall we do ?"— Acts ii. 37. Deep 
 and tender emotion on the part of those who sow this precious 
 seed, will do more toward convincing and saving sinners than 
 ol the eloquence of words which men can possibly employ. 
 AH that is wanted in sowing tliis seed, is a tender, compas- 
 wonate heart, that will pray to God and weep over the sinner 
 until his hard heart is melted into tenderness, and prepared 
 to receive wiih meekness the engrafted word, which is able 
 to save the soul. Sincere and deep emotion, on your part, 
 sinners cannot withstand. They will ward off, by some con- 
 ductor, the lightning of your arguments: they will stand, un- 
 moved, the shock of the thunder of your denunciations ; 
 but they cannot ward off, nor yet withstand, the gushings of 
 your compassion, when you reprove, rebuke, and exhort them 
 with all long-suffering, gentleness, and tenderness. Then 
 their hearts melt, their wills yield, their prayers and tears 
 mingle with yours; and you will have the unspeakable 
 delight of seeing them turn from darkness to light, and from 
 the power of satan to God. 
 
 ^ There are many considcrafhns, which, if duly weighed^ 
 willivfaUUiIy excite the right aid the necessary emotions m 
 your hearts. To have proper emotions in the lieart, there 
 OKWt bo much thought on those subjects which are calculated 
 to excite the feelings dc sired. We do not feel, because wo 
 do not consider. Let any Christian seriously ponder the dis- 
 honour which sinners cast upon God by their hatred of hi» 
 CTson and government : by their flagrant violation of hi» 
 tn ; BK^ by their hard speeches which ungodly sinaerp 
 •peak against him ; and if he has one single spark of love to 
 yod» he must feel deiply grieved thet the gre*t Crettlor, tb* 
 
TO SEBiU THE SALVATION O? SOU{,S. Q% 
 
 bouBtifuI preserver, and merciful redeemer of out race), 
 should bo so unjustly and ungratefully treated by the SDQf^ 
 and daughters of men. Let any Christian duly weigh thii 
 cruelty manifested by sinners toward the Saviour, in tramp- 
 ling him underfoot, in counting his blood a common thing, 
 in neglecting the great salvation purchased by his blood, and 
 in their coniinually piercing him afresh by their sing ; and if 
 ho has any consoliition in d'lrist, he must at times weep 
 bitterly to think, that notwithstanding the amazing love, the 
 inconceivable sufferings, and the accursed death of Christ, 
 to save these sinners from the curse of God, from the power 
 of Satan, and from the damnation of hell : yet the Saviour's 
 love, and sufferings, and death, are nothing in jheir estima- 
 tion ; and that thny cruelly refuse him the love of their 
 hearts, the homage of their lips, and the service of their lives. 
 Let any Cfiristian ri;rhily consider the mighty insult which 
 ednncrs offer to the IJoly Spirit of God by despising his love, 
 quenching hisj oporaiions, and driving him from their hearts, 
 when His object is only to enlighten, to convert, to sanctify, 
 and to save them ; and if he has any fellowship with the 
 Spirit, he must bo pained to the quick when ho remembere 
 how the blcased Spirit is insulted and grieved by the infa- 
 mous conduct of sinners toward him. Let any Christian also 
 frequently brin.; to his recollection the present miserable con- 
 ditbn of the sinner, and the eternal weight of woo which 
 rausi be his portion in a future state : let him remember the 
 darkness, the guilt, the pollution* the bondage, the misery, of 
 the sinner'a present stale : let him weigh well what is meant 
 by endless banislimont from God — by the fire, the brimstone, 
 Ihe blackness, the chains of the bottomless pit : by compan- 
 ionship with devils, r.nd with all the fearful, unbelieving, 
 and abominable men Nv ho inhabit the regions of despair: by 
 the wrath of God and the Lamb, which is in. hell, poured out 
 without mixture ; and, above all, let him ponder again and 
 again the fearful declaration, " The smoke of iheir'torment 
 asccndeth up for ever ; and they have no rest, day nor 
 night ;" and if he h;\s tiie least degree of compassion in his 
 nature, the menst trifle of genuine love to man, ho will at 
 times weep bitterly over his fellow-sniners, whom he wishes 
 to turn from the error of their way. These considcrationa 
 must be w('ighe<l eirefuily and frequently to produce the 
 right emotions of mind, to eniblc us to sow properly the pre- 
 cious seed. CondsiiliiMtions like these caused rivers of teara 
 to ruo down DaviJ's chocks: caused Jcrcnuah to wish that 
 
9#^ 
 
 THK OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 his head were waters, and his eyes fountains of tears, that he 
 might weep day and night : caused Paul to utter the follow- 
 ing touching passages : — 
 
 « Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now telt 
 you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the 
 cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whoso God is 
 their belly,, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly 
 things."— Phil. iii. 18, 19. "I say the truth in Christ, I lie 
 not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Hc!y Ghost, 
 That I have great heavinebs and continual sorrow in my 
 heart. For I coald wish that myself were accursed from 
 Christ for my brethren, my kinsman after the flesh.'* — Rom, 
 ix. 1, 2, 3. 
 
 Considerations like these so powerfully operated upon tha 
 mind of the holy and compassionate Saviour, that, — 
 
 " When he was come near, he beheld the city (Jerusalem)i 
 and wept over it, saying, " If thou hadst known, even thou, 
 at least in this, thy day, the things which belong unto thy 
 peace; but now they are hid from thy eyes." — Luke xix. 
 41, 42. 
 
 And these considerations would make any Christian weep : 
 would cause him to sow the precious seed in tears, and go 
 forth weeping bearing his seed-basket ; but, alas ! these con- 
 siderations are entirely overlooked by many professing god- 
 liness ; and by all of us they are not thought of frequently 
 enough to produce constantly the requisite emotion to enablo 
 us to sow the precious seed. Not fti-iling sufficiently, when 
 sowing this seed, is one great reason why so few are convert- 
 ed to God. By serious and repeated thought on the points 
 now brought before you, you may get more feeling, and then 
 you will both sow in tears and reap in joy. Consider, 
 
 IV. The glorious aqd joyous harvest that will assuredly 
 follow the right sowing of this precious seed. 
 
 When the word of God is son.n with deep, picus emotion, a 
 glorious harvest will follow. This truth is distinctly stated in 
 the toxt. They that sow in tears shall reap. He that goeth 
 forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall dovUlesx 
 come again witn rejoicing, bringing his shoaves with him. 
 Here, /ou perceive, it is positively declared that every 
 weeping sower shall reap : that there is no dot t whatevei:., 
 but ho will come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves 
 with him. It is just as certain, yea, more so, that we shall 
 •ee immortial souls converted to God, than it is that the farmer 
 
¥0 SEEK THE SALVATION OP S0!7L$. 
 
 «f^ 
 
 will reap in harvest, when in the fall or the spring of th* 
 year he properly sows his seed. The eternal God of truth 
 has stated this in language which cannot be misunderstood : 
 
 " For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, 
 and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh 
 it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, 
 and bread to the eater ; So shall the word be that goeth 
 forth out of my mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but 
 it shall accomplish that which I please, and shall prosper in 
 the thing whereto I sent it." — Isa. Iv. 10, 11. " Therefore, 
 my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always 
 abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know 
 that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." — 1 Cor. xv. 68. 
 
 The farmer is not absolutely certain of a crop ; but the 
 Christian husbandman is absolutely certain that, if he sows 
 aright, some will be converted. We have not only the above 
 cited passages to assure us of the truth of this statement, but 
 the history of all the evangelical sections of the church of 
 Christ now in existence demonstrates the position now as- 
 sumed. Whenever Christians have taken the word of Godi . 
 and steeped it in prayer, and sown it in tears, they have been 
 successful in the conversion of souls. We will say nothing 
 about the success of men devoted to the work of the ministry; 
 but read the lives of such persons as Mrs. Fletcher, Hester 
 Ann Rogers, William Carvosso, and Harlan Page, and you 
 will find abundant proofs of the truth of this statement. If 
 all have not received the engrafted word with meekness, to 
 whom it has been presented in a proper manner, yet the gen- 
 erality have received it as the word of God, and it has proved 
 to them the word of spiritual and eternal life. In reading 
 over the lives of such persons as those above mentioned, we- 
 are forcibly struck with the fact, that very few of those in 
 whose hearts they sowed the seed remained long in an un- 
 converted state. And, in most cases, where a joyful harvest 
 does not follow the sowing of the seed of the kingdom, the 
 true cause lies in the improper manner of presenting the 
 uuth to the mind of the sinner. There are exceptions to 
 every rule ; and while man is a free agent, all will not 
 probably be converted to whom truth is presented aright ; 
 but, generally speaking, where the truth is sov/n in tears, 
 the blessed harvest of conversion will follow. 
 
 The very reason why so many Christians donotexperi» 
 «nce, in their labours, the truth of the declarations in the text, 
 i» because they overlook the guarantee of success wh* **" 
 
Ad 
 
 TUB OBUSATIQWS OF CHftlSTUKS 
 
 thia text sc plainly gives. Tbcy do not conoply with the 
 terms on which the promise is basefl. They either do not 
 •ow enough of tlie soed, or else ihey do not sow it w.ih erno« 
 tion enough to proJoco a softening influence on the heart of 
 the sinner, to prepare him to r»ceivo it with contrition 
 and faith. They sow occasionally, but thf^y do not catry 
 their seed-basket witlj thtni, and throw the seed into the 
 sinner's lu^art until it does produce fruit. Tiiey sow, but 
 they do not sow with tears, und,4horcforo, sinners treat what 
 they say with indill'M-onee. Still llie text is true, '* They 
 tlmt sow in toi\rs tihull reap in j )y. IT;; that goelh forth and 
 wecpetfi, bearing pre eious si'cd, slmll donbtlcss como again 
 whh rejoicing, bringing his sheaves witii him." 
 
 Sjmtlimes the seed will spring up immediately. This 
 Was the case aftor our Saviour's ;sowing the pireious seed at 
 the wtll of Jac)b, i i one of tbn .suburbs of ilui city of Sychar, 
 in Samaria. In the space of a few hours, or perhaps only a 
 (bw minutes, the fi. Ms wer*; wliite already to harvest. Many 
 at the very fir;;^ I) liiv(d on him for llie savinjx of the wo» 
 man, which te:;tifi;d, lie told \\\o all that i ver I did. And 
 wh<:n the Saviour li;ul abode liiere two days, " many mora 
 believed because of liis own word." In later times many 
 have wit(irss<Ml the rapid conversion of men after the truth 
 vas rightly pnvsented to th( ir nnnds. But sometimes tho 
 harvest is defi-rrrd : the s"ed li"S buried, but it does not roL 
 Instances have been known wljere, scores of years havo 
 passed avvay b(;fore the seed sown has brought forth fruit* 
 
 " Mr. Flavel, on one occasion, prrncbed from the following 
 passage: ' If any man love not the Lord Jtsns Christ, let 
 him 1(0 Anathema Maran.illiii.' The disKturse was unu. 
 guully sul< mn, piirtieuhiily tho rxplanaion of tho words 
 Anathema M.iraniuha — 'cursed with a eurso, cursrd of God 
 with a bitti r niid j'rii vous curse.' At the coiulusion of th« 
 •ervicp, when Mr. Flavel aro-»e to pronounce the benedictioD, 
 he paused, and .'inid, 'IIow .shall I bl .sbthis wliuN^ assembly, 
 when ev( ry pMson ii> it, who lov* tli not the Lonl Jesjus 
 Christ, i.s Anaihema Miranaiha V 'Vhv solemnity of this ad 
 llrosH ad", cted ilu audierc'; and orx? genth-mau, ii |H'rson 
 ©f rank, was so overcome by hisi fi-elings, thai he ft II sense. 
 lesa on tho (lior. In the eong rrg .lion was a lad named 
 Luke H!iort, th(>n about (iflern \eais old, and a native of 
 Durtmouth. feVron after ho went to Aujerici, where he passed 
 the rest of Ida life, first nt Mirbh hi ail, juid aHcrwHrd at 
 Mkldieborough, Rfassuehusctts. Mr. Si^Qrl'^ iiCj WU9 length* 
 
To SMS THE SALrxnon OF SOULS. Mk 
 
 eiwd nraoh beyond the usual tinie. When an hundred feart 
 dd, he had sufficient strength to work on his fafrm, and biv 
 mental fucultiea were very little impaired. Hitherto he ha4 
 lived in carelessness and sin ; he was now ' a sinner an 
 h«ndrecl years old,' and apparently ready to ' die accursed.' 
 But one day, as he sat in the field, he buiscd himself reflect- 
 ing on his past life. Recurring to the events of hia youth, 
 his memory fixed upon Mr. Fiavel's discourse above alluded 
 to, a considerable part of which he was able to recollect. 
 The affectionate earnestness of the preacher's manner, th« 
 important truths he delivered, and the effects produced oa 
 the congregation, were brought frcsK to his mind. The 
 blessing of God accompanied his meditations ; he felt that h» 
 had not loved the Lord Jesus Christ ; he feared the dreadful 
 •Anathema;' conviction was followed by repentance, and, 
 ot length, this aged sinner obtained peace through the blood 
 of atonement, and was ' found in the way of righteousness.* 
 Ho joined the Congregational church in Middleborough, and 
 to the day of his death, which took place in his one hundred 
 and sixteenth year, gave pleasing evidences of piety. 
 
 «« On reading the foregoing, the author wa? forcibly rt>, 
 aiindod of the words of the divine Walts : 
 
 " ' Though Feed lie buried long in dust, 
 It can't dfocive our liope ; 
 Thfi precious gmln can ne'er be lost, 
 For grace ensures the crop.* " 
 
 •^Sahhnth-day Miscellany, page 24S. 
 
 This was a remarkable case, but many years have elapsed, 
 In other cases, before the sord sown in ttars has produced 
 fruit. We should sow in faith, and not bo discouraged. 
 •' UchoM the husbandman waitcth fur tlin procious fruit of the 
 earth, and hath long patience for it, until ho receive the early 
 and latter rain. lie ye also patient." — James v. 7, 8. And 
 if tlio husbandman has a faihiro in his crops one year, ho 
 does not sit down in despair, but he sows again the next, yea, 
 Homotinics in the samo year, and patietitly w ails the result. 
 Go y« and do likewise. " In the morning sow thy seed, and 
 in tlio evening withhold not thy hand: for thyu know«?8t mil 
 whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether thejr 
 shall be both alike gocxl." Your duty is to sow the seed in 
 toars, and Got! tells you that you sha'l reap m joy. You 
 may not, in ail cases, see the blessed result of your lahoiH* 
 %Uii4 Wjorldk ^r it '^y iiot '^^^^ 9^Kiiig. up while you live. 
 
.'■ I; 
 
 I 
 
 |4 
 
 •• THE OBLIGCTIONS OF. CHRlSTIAIfS 
 
 An excellent friend of mine, of Dudley, England, Mr,. 
 W. Male, had a pious mother, who sowed the seed with tears 
 in his youthful mind, but he was not converted till after hia 
 mother's death. While following her to the grave, the re- 
 membrance of her instructions, and prayers, and tears, fasten, 
 ed conviction on his mind, and led him to give his heart to 
 God ; and with- deep feeling ho spoke of it in one of his ser- 
 mons, (for he was a local preacher,) and exhorted pious 
 parents to ko( p sowing the seed in their childrens' minds, and 
 to bo instant in prayer for their conversion ; and God would, 
 In all probability, if not while they lived, yet when they were 
 dead and gono, answer their prayers, and bless their efforts 
 b the conversion of their children. 
 
 " And herein is that saying true, One sowcth, and another 
 reapoth. I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no 
 labour: mher men laloured, and ye are entered into their 
 labours." The seed you .sow may not bo lostj though you 
 have not the pIo;»supe of seeing its "fruit, otiiers may reap the 
 ttdvantngps of yAur sowing, and lead to God, and to the 
 church, atid to houven, those in whose minds you have sown 
 the truth of God; but know this, for your encouragement 
 to sow, «' That both he that sowcth, and he that reapeth, may 
 reJDice togi thcr." 
 
 The gathrrinir of those prcc/ous sou/s to Christ, for whose 
 $onver,sion wr have prayed, and wept, and laboured, will afford 
 us unspeakable joy. Wo sow in tears, but wo reap in joy. 
 Whon souls have been sot at lib( rty from sin, through our 
 Igoncy, what |)ure and ( cstatie jny wV have ftlt in singing, 
 " Praise (Jod from wliom all blrs«in;Ts How, 
 PriHi- liiiii, ;lII (M•t•alllr(■^l, iicrf l.cUiw, 
 Piawe liiiii nbovc yo luwivtuly host, 
 Praise Futher, Son, and Holy Uliotit." 
 
 Wo bring our sheaves into the church with joy and singing. 
 Novtr did any husbandman r.jnice half as much in bringing 
 his sheaves home in harvest liiii.-, as wc have seen Christians 
 rejoice in the convcr =on of thoso for whose conversion they 
 have lalKJuroil, wrpt, and prayed. Their joy has been far 
 groattr than the joy of harvest, and they have n joiced more 
 than rarihly .conc|uorors do when they divide the spoil. 
 Whon thn Lord, through the agency of hia servants, redeems 
 dnnners from the hand of the enenjv who is stronger thua 
 Ihey, then b(;li(^v<>rs experience what Joromiuh sogruphically 
 oAgoribes in iho fuMciwii'i? •^nss:*:?'* ■ 
 
 " For the Lord hath rtidcotncd Jucob, and ransomsd biai 
 
T5 seek TttE SALVATION OP SOTTLS. •§ 
 
 from the hand of him that was stronnjcr than he. Therefore 
 they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall fJoW 
 logether for the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for win®, 
 and for oil, and fur the young of the flock, and of the Irerd ; 
 and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall 
 not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in 
 the dance both young men and old together: for I will turn 
 their mourning into joy, and will comfort ll)em, and make 
 them njoice from 1 heir sorrow. And I will <;atiato the soul 
 of the priests with fatness, and my people shall bo satisfied 
 with my goodness, s.iiih the Lord." — Jer. xxxi. 11 — 14. 
 
 This beautiful passage forcibly portrays the joyous feeling 
 of the people of CJod when the seed sown in tears brings forth 
 fruit. On one occasion, when we had witnessed, in the city 
 of Montreal, the transition of a soul from darkness to light, 
 from satan to (j!od, from ceath to life, u (Jhriyiian said to us, 
 " I would not have missed this scene for a Ijag full of sover- 
 eigns." And in our joy, in our pure a«)d lofly songs of 
 praise, on the return of a prodignl to his fiiher's house, the 
 inhabitants of heaven rejoice. We cannot hear \\w\r bursts 
 of praise, and we cannjl f)rm iin ad< (|uale conception of the 
 greatness of tin ir joy; but the SiVKjur assures us, •'that 
 there is joy in hi avcn over one sinner that npenieth." 
 
 It is time for me to close this discourse, and, in doing so, 
 wo obs'-rve that this subject teaches us, that one great reason 
 why so few are converted, is because Christians do not labour 
 for their conversicjn in the right way. [low lew everattempl 
 to sow the precious seed in the sinner'.s heart ; fewer still sow 
 it with tears ; and yet these pirii. saro often the first to corn- 
 plain Ix'causo so little pood is done — because so i'< w soult 
 are corneried. Were such complainers fiiibful in sowing 
 the see(|, and compassionate enough to sow ii with letirs, their 
 complaints would soon be silenced ; for CJod would then own 
 tnd bless their ctrorts in the conversion uf souls. 
 
 This subject teaches, that one reason why sn many Chris, 
 tians am siratj'i'ers to pure and elevated joy, is bi cause they 
 do not lal)<)ur in the way poiutid out in the text fb.* the salva. 
 tinn of w)uls. They do not travail in birth for sinners until 
 Christ is firmed in them ; thi-y do not w(<( p at the throne of 
 grace ov( r the lonilil on of the sinner; tin y do not go forth 
 Weeping to scatter the whmI in hi» heart ; therefin', tliev arc, 
 • nd must he, strangers to thiU exidled j ly which is fit by 
 the weepiriiif sower, when prt'ions soulm nr,' galhurtd lo ChrUit, 
 tnd UepodiuU in the granary uf ihu church. 
 
iii! 
 
 lUi 
 
 W TK^ (rniiQAnoirs of eHRisTum 
 
 This subject plainly points out the necessity of all Chrifk 
 Hans making their memories seed-baskets for the word of God: 
 their tongues the scatterers ot this seeiJ, and their hearts and 
 eyes fountains to water it while sowing it and when sown. 
 In other words, success will not accompany our efforts to 
 •are souls, unless we obtain a greater knowledge of the scrip. 
 tares4 are more diligent in bringing scriptural truth to bear 
 upon the minds of the ungodly ; are more tender and com. 
 passionate in applying that truthj and more anxious about 
 success. 
 
 Sin'^er, take hood how you hear, and how you receive the 
 Word of God. If you reject the word of truth you cannot bo 
 «aved. All the influences of the Spirit; all the faith, the 
 prayer, the Inbour, and the tears of God's children will be 
 unavailing, if you njoct the word of God. If you will not 
 •ot as the ^vord of God requires, then you must perislj ; for 
 Christ will take vongonnce, in flaming fire, upon them who 
 Itnow not Goil, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jeraa 
 Christ. ' 
 
 H - 
 
tfll 
 
 discourse: VI. 
 
 THE DTTTY OF CHRISTIANS TO ACT WISEl^Y, AND TO I]|FEOTI 
 EVEftY OPPORTUNITY FOR DOINxi GOOD, tF lU^X ' "'" 
 WOULD SAVE SOULS. 
 
 " Walk ia visdom toward thero that are without, redeemins the timay 
 —Col. iv. 5. -^ ' "^^ 
 
 The apostle in this and the prccding chapters of his episll^ 
 to the Colossians gives particular directions and exhortatioM 
 to Christians in all their various relationships. Wives ai^ 
 husbands, children and parents, servants and masters, are 
 severally addressed and directed, and exhorted to act aa itjbe- 
 comcth the gospel. He then beseeches them all to continue 
 instant in prayer, to pray always for their ministers, and^^ 
 act wisely and faithfully in all their intercourse with the un- 
 godly. The success ot the gospel, its extension among men, 
 depends greatly upon the consistent conduct and zealous ef- 
 forts of professors of religion. " Walk in wisdom toward 
 them that are without, redeeming the time." This is a verjf 
 important direction, and were it properly attended to, by 9^ 
 who profess the religion of Jesus Christ, sinners could nc^i 
 have any excuse for living in sin, arising from the improper 
 conduct, and the indifference of professing Christians. Wew 
 this direction properly attended to, many who are now " with- 
 out" would soon 1)0 " No more strangers and foreigners, bu^ 
 fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of QqA," 
 
 Let us consider, 
 
 I. The duty of Christians to act wisely in all thoir inter- 
 course wiiji unconverted men. ' ' 
 
 II. The duty of Christians to redeem every opportqnltj 
 they have for benciiting the souls of the unsaved. 
 
 I. The duty of Christians to conduct ihemselvos wisoly 
 in all their intorcoursn with uneonvortod men. " Walk m 
 wisdom toward thnni that ar.i without." 
 
 The phrase *^ T hrm that, are v)ilhou/V vnilnhtfdlt/ means 
 those who are desti'uu; oflhf religion of the Lord Jesua Christ. 
 The phraso occurs in 1 Cor. v. 12, " For what have I to 
 do to jud<;o them that aro without." Iloro k evidently means 
 
•i THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 those who were destitute of piety and were not within the 
 pale of the church. In Thessnlonians i. 12, it means the 
 same, " That ye may walk honestly toward them that are 
 without." It lias the same meaning in i Tim. iii. 7., " More- 
 over he must have a good report of them which are without; 
 lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." Some 
 persons assort that this phrase means only to be without the 
 pale of the church ; but we assert that it means much more ; 
 for a man may be within the pale of uny church of Christ, 
 and yet be without godliness. Such persons are to be found 
 of all religious pe.^uasions, and in all sorts of Christian soci- 
 eties. Those who wish to see a judicious article on being 
 within the pale of the Church, may find such a one in Dr. 
 Adam Clarke's notes on this text. The phrase in the text 
 means to be destitute of vital piety, — of saving religion. The 
 best elucidation of this phrase is found in Ephesians ii. 12, 
 "At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the 
 commonwealtli of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of 
 promise, having no hope, and without Gofl n the world." 
 How dreadful is the state of such persons ! They have no 
 saving interest in Christ ; for their sins arc not covered with 
 his blood, their souls are not under his protection and defence, 
 Ihercforo they arc under tiio curse of the law, the dominion 
 of sin, and the tyranny of Satan, who leads thorn captive at 
 his will. They are strangers to all the privileges of the 
 children of God, and aliens to all the blessings of the new 
 covenant. They are destitute of the rational, scriptural, 
 blessed hope of heaven, which believers enjoy. They are 
 without God in the world : wretched, and miserable, and 
 pqor, and blind, and naked. They are fitigued with griev- 
 oua labours, but they have no God to support them ; most 
 miserable, but they have no God to comfort them j very poor, 
 but they have no God to enrich them ; blind, but they have 
 no God to open the eyes of thoir understandings, an;i guide 
 their feet into the way of peace ; naked, but they have no 
 God to clothe them with the garments of salvation and the 
 robes of righteousness. Without God in this world, and eter- 
 nal damnation before them in the next, their state is the most 
 deplorable that can bo imagined. Can their state he altered 
 for the better ? Yes, Christiruis, it may ; for thin was once 
 your condition: — " IJut now in ('hrist Jesus ye w!io were 
 Bometimrs fur off are brou;i;ht n'gh by the blood of Christ," 
 and it is your imperative drty, your upspeak-ible privilege to 
 Jot Mf^en«=i iti altering their c nidilion, !>v s.-S"--'- ♦»■-*- *" *^" 
 
 *o^ 
 
 'S'Hg 
 
 me 
 
 -T- 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOtJLS. 
 
 n 
 
 most 
 
 blood of sprinkling, that "Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, 
 and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and given us 
 everlasting consolation and good hope through grace , may 
 bestow upon them the same invaluable blessings. 
 
 With *• the7n fhal are without^' Christians must hold inter- 
 course. You must come out from among the ungodly so far 
 as it regards making companions of them, forming matrimo- 
 nial alliances with them, having fellowship with their un- 
 fruitful works ; and conforming to their spirit, maxims, and 
 customs which are sinful. For the word of God declares 
 that " A companion of fools shall be destroyed," requires 
 that Christians " Be not unequally yoked together with unbe* 
 lievers," enjoins them to " llave no fellowship with the un- 
 fruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them", and 
 commands them to " Be not conformed to this world ; but to 
 be transformed, by tho renewing of your mind, that ye may 
 prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of 
 God." But. though we must separate ourselves from the 
 world in the manner above dcpciibcd, yet wo must have to 
 do with «' them that are without." Chri.sliany must hold some 
 intercourse with the ungodly, or go out of the world. But it 
 is not the design of Christ that we should go out of the world ; 
 for in his prayer to his Falher, recorded in the 17th of John 
 wo read, " I pray not that tliou sliouldest take them out of tho 
 world, but ilmt thou .snouldcst keep them from the evil." 
 Wo must transact business, and act as citizens, with the un- 
 godly ; and, moreover, we must como in contact with them, 
 and hold conversation with them, in order to do our duty to 
 their itnmortal souls. Tho great thing we have to do is, to 
 conduct ourselves as it becometh tho gospel, in all our inters 
 course with "them that are without." 
 
 // is your duty In walk in v/s-dom towards iheni that arc without^ 
 in order to save their sniiJs. Wisdom is tlie power of judging 
 rightly. Walking in wisdom, is reducing it to practice. The 
 word wisdom, in this text, is supposed by some of tho learned 
 to como from a flobrew root, which signifies to look round 
 about on all hands, to watch. Robinson, in his Greek lexicon, 
 informs us that tho word wisdom signifies "skill in tho affairs 
 of life, practical wi.sdoin, wise miuing(!ment, as shown in 
 forming the best plans, and selecting the best means, inclu- 
 ding the idea of judgment and sound good sense. . . In respect 
 to divine things, wisdom" signifies "knowledge, insight, deep 
 undor!?tandini?i renrrs«''!>te!! f'Vf'!'v\vhf>rp as n flivjr^s trl^t ani* 
 iqoluding the idea of practical application," pago 761. In 
 
II 
 
 I" 
 
 ■ 
 
 u 
 
 too 
 
 TBS dBLiaATIOWS OF CSRISTIAWS 
 
 ftifereftee to the word used in the text, he saya that ft trteaiW 
 discreel, judicious, practically wise. Christians, you hava 
 received wistlom from God. The prayer of Paul for ihe 
 Ephesians has been answered in your experience, <* That the 
 God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may 
 
 five unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the 
 nowledgo of him : The eyes of your understanding being 
 enlightened : that yo may know what is ihe hope of his call, 
 ing, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in 
 the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to 
 usward who believe." Enhes. i. 17, 18, 19.: You are exper- 
 imentally acquainted with the greatness of the beloiver's hope, 
 with the unsearchable riches of Christ, with the exceeding 
 creatncss of Jehovah's power to save, it is therefore your 
 bounden duty to look round upon your unconverted fellow 
 men, and beholding their spiritual ignorance, poverty, misery, 
 »"hd danger, to walk among them so sensibly and so prudently, 
 as either to induce them to become religious, or to leave them 
 without any excuse whatever for continuing irreligious. 
 
 To accomplish this end, you must act canliously and pnt* 
 dently in their sight. The caution and command of Christ to 
 his first disciples should be engraven on the hearts of all his 
 people, and should regulate the lives of , .1 who name tho 
 name of Jesus, " Behold I send you forth as sheep in the 
 midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harm- 
 less as doves" ; Matt. x. 10. Tho wisdom of the serpent and 
 the harmlesr.ness of the dove are required in all your inter- 
 oourse with the ungodly, for you know that sinners would be 
 heartily glad to see you perform anything that has tho ap- 
 pearance of evil. They hate that which is good, and dislike 
 even the appearance of it among men. When Aristidcs, tho 
 most upright of the Greeks, was about to be bat)ished from 
 Athens, a peasant, who could not write, and did not know 
 him, came to him, and desired him to put tho name ot Aristi- 
 dos on his shell. " lias ho done you any wrong," said Aristi. 
 des, " that you are for condemning him in this manner." 
 " No," said the peasant, " I do not so much us know him ; 
 but I am quite tired and angry with hearing every body call 
 him //*e just." And, in like manner, your holy lives, my 
 Christian brethren, excite the anger of ungodly men ; they 
 long to see you do some iniprudent, or sinful thing, that 
 would furnish them with matter to justify their own wickcd- 
 fie«e; it therefore especially behofca you to be cautious and 
 ptuderiiia all your Uettiings with ihcra, so ttiat they may 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 
 
 101 
 
 have no ground, from your conduct, to speak evil of the way 
 of the Lord. You n)ust especially exhibit before them the 
 «rtues of meekness, industry, and honesty. " Study to be 
 quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your 
 own hands, as we commanded you ; that ye mav walk hon- 
 estly toward (hem thai are without, and that ye may have lack 
 of nothing" ; 1 Thess. iv. 1 1, 12. " Owe no man any thing 
 but to love one another" ; Rom. xiii. 8. Turbulence, idle- 
 ness, and dishonesty, manifested by any professing christian, 
 give them that are without a fine opportunity to" blaspheme 
 the name of God, and to denounce the religio'.i of Jesus 
 Christ as a fable. The interests of the cause of Christ, and 
 of the immortal souls of men, have suffered more from the in- 
 cautious sayings and imprudent acts of professors, than from 
 any other cause. Walk, then, in wisdom toward them that 
 are without. 
 
 To save the souls of litem that are without, you must con- 
 verse with them inleUigenl'y and judiciously upon the subject of 
 religion. You must be cureful to avoid those topics of spirit- 
 ual conversation which they, in their present state, cannot 
 understand. To talk to them, until they are convinced of 
 Bin, of^ the deep things of God, would be to talk to them in 
 an unknown tongue. The Anostlc Paul, in his firM epistle 
 to the Conntluans, shows the absolute necessity of Christians 
 speaking even in the Church in an intelligent and judicious 
 manner. lie would rather that all prophesied, than speak 
 with tongues, even among the believers. " For he that pro- 
 phcsieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, 
 and comfort." When speaking of the inHuenco of the inju- 
 dicious use of the miraculous gifts which the Corinthians en- 
 joyed, and of the blesaed eflect of speaking to men to cdifica- 
 tion, and exhortation, and comfort, ho says :—" If therefore 
 the whole church be come together in one place, and speak 
 with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or 
 unheliovers, will they not say ye are mad ? But if all pro- 
 phesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one un- 
 earned, ho is convinced of all, lie is judged of all : And 
 thus arc the secrets of his heart made manifest : and 
 so fa hng down on his face ho will worship God, and report 
 that God IS in you of a truth."— 1 Cor. xiv. 23, 24, 2o If 
 you, as Christians, talk to the unconverted about knowing 
 your sins fl>rgiven, enjoying purity of heart, holding comma, 
 nion with God, enjoying the indwelling nrPH-nr-.t .-.r jK^ K!r--= 
 •cd Comforter, will they not aayyo are madf BuVif you 
 
I1Q2 
 
 TBM OSLIOATIOffS OF CHREWtANS 
 
 oonveree with them about the shortness of human life, the 
 «*aoertainty of death, and tell them that dying in their ores- 
 ent smful state they must go " Into hell fire : Whore their 
 Worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched," they will un- 
 derstand you, and become concerned alwut ihcir souls, if 
 Jfou talk to them alwut the goodtiess of God manifested in 
 Wpplymg thru- temporal woras, in giving his Son to die for 
 tftem, m Scndmg his Spirit to convince them, and in giving 
 them the Biblo to guide them to heaven : nnd ask them what 
 return they have made to God for such goothioss, they will 
 understand you, nnd will, in all probability, be filled with hor- 
 ror at the thought of their greut injustice,' their black ingrati. 
 eodc, their daring impiety in forgetting God, in withlioldin* 
 from him their love, and in violating the laws of so good a 
 ■being and -o great a benefactor. Moreover, if you converse 
 with them about the great privileges which they enjoy, such 
 as llvin.r in a gospel land, enjoying a gospel nmiisiry, being 
 favoured with a religious cducaiioii, with the word of God, 
 and the means tof grace ; and show to ihem (hat it will bo 
 moro tolerable for the heathen in the day of judgment than 
 for them, if they aro n)und without repentance toward God, 
 faith :n our Lord Jesus Christ, and holiness of heart and life, 
 they wdl see their guilt and be forced to confess that if they 
 perish they will perish justly. Or, if you show them the 
 mstice, purity, and goodness of God's law, and convince 
 them that their views, dispositions, volitions, feelings, words, 
 and -actions aro not in accordance either with its letter or 
 ^irit, and that unless they repent and acci^jU of salvation by 
 Clirist, they are sure to be punished throughout eternity, they 
 will understand you, feel the force of what you say, and 
 your conversation mny lead them to fly Ibr refuge to the liope 
 set before thcin. There aro other topics which might bo no- 
 tiocd as proper to introduce into your conversations with the 
 ungodly, especially those connected with the birth, life, suf- 
 fcrings, and death of our blessed Lord, which are calculated 
 to arrest the sinner in his downward course, and turn him to 
 » p;i'.doning God, that he may bo saved; hut what we hava 
 already stated is sufficient to convince any christian, that if ho 
 wouid save tho?o that are without from sin and eternal 
 dpntb, he must cniploy stutahJe truth and advance it in an in- 
 UiUigibh judicious wa.y. If you converse with sinners aright, 
 J^u w;ll save their souls, and thus give to all an indisputable 
 
 S roof that you have walked in wisdom toward them ; for " He 
 lat wimxelh aauls is wise," 
 
I life, thff 
 aeir pr«j. 
 lore their 
 ' will un- 
 iouls. if 
 ifested in 
 to (lie for 
 a giving 
 em what 
 they will 
 with hor- 
 f ingrat)- 
 liJiolding 
 
 good a 
 converse 
 ~>y, such 
 y, being 
 
 of God, 
 t will be 
 ont than 
 xrd God, 
 und life, 
 ; if they 
 icm the 
 Jonvinco 
 
 words, 
 letter or 
 ition by 
 ty, they 
 ^y, and 
 he hope 
 t bo no- 
 nth the 
 To, suf. 
 culatcd 
 
 1 him to 
 I'c hava 
 I at if ho 
 eternal 
 1 an in. 
 aright, 
 putablo 
 jr " Ho 
 
 TO SERK THE SALVATION OF SOUXS. 
 
 To save the souls of " them that are vfiihout," you must be 
 meek under all. their reproaches, and kind to limn notwithstand- 
 ing all the injurious treatment you may receive from them. Sin- 
 ners oiten reproach and persecute those who kindly and eari>- 
 ostly strive to save tliem from going down to the pit. The 
 highest act of wisdom which we can niiuiifest toward such, 
 18 to receive their reproaches witli meekness, and bear their 
 porsocutions with fortitude. Such a course will tend, most 
 assuredly, to convince them of the truth and benevolcnco of 
 the religion wliieh you profes.s, and will, in all probability, 
 lead them at last to yield to your argutjients, poivsuasions, on^ 
 «r-?roaties, and cause them to embnice the religion of Christ 
 as their portion. Vo i are expressly required by the dl 'ine 
 word thus to walk toward them that are without. " But 1 «ay 
 unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you do 
 gooil unto them that luUe you, and pray for them that despite, 
 iully use you and persecute you"— Matt. vi. 41. James, 
 when addressing Christians, says: " VT'ho is a wise man and 
 endued with kno\"ledge among you ? let him show out of a 
 good conversation his works, with meekness of wisdom. . . . 
 But the wisdom whieh is from above is first pure, then peace- 
 ftblo, gentle, and easy to be enireat.>d, full of mercy and 
 good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And 
 the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them tliat make 
 peace ;"— James iii. 13, 17, 18. Andl'aul says, " Be not 
 overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." — Rom. xii. 
 21. These passages cU'arly show that it^ is the imperative 
 duty of the Christian to bear the reproaches of sinners with 
 meekness and to bn kind to them, notwiihstanding their inju- 
 rious treatment of him. Were all proftssors of religion thus 
 to act, sinners would be struck with admiration at their 
 patience, be melted into tendernosa by their kindness, and 
 be led to glorify our Father who is in heaven. The follow, 
 ing anecdote of the Rev. John [Smith shows that a course like 
 this will be highly bonefieial to the ungodly. It is recorded 
 in his life, that " On one occasion ho was seated at table di- 
 rectly opposite to a lady of family and respectability, who 
 though in theory aef|uainte(l with the truth of the gospel, waa 
 destitute of its saving power. According to his custom, he 
 embraced the opportunity of addressing her on the subject. 
 She was greatly olfended, and expressed her resentment in a 
 manner scarcely suitable cither to her sex or rank. When 
 she was silent, Mr. Smith, with a look of Inexpressible kfndi- 
 fi<.=:o, iepucu, iV«auaui| you may epii m my lace ii yoti 
 
11 
 
 
 104 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIAN* 
 
 please, but you cannot prevent me from loving your soul." 
 
 The lady was deeply affected. A {ew years afterwards, she 
 
 was taken ill, was attended by the Methodist preachers, and 
 
 died a true penitent." Love to the souls of them thu are 
 
 without, will raise you superior to all the ill treatment you 
 
 may receive from them, and cause you to persevere in your 
 
 efforts to save them, however they may resent your benevo- 
 
 lent concern for the welfare of their immortal souls. Thus 
 
 walk in wisdom toward them that are without, and you will 
 
 have the unspeakable joy of savinnr souls from death. No 
 
 Christian performs his duty to his God, to the Church, or to 
 
 the world, who docs not act in the way now pointed out. 
 
 Ood will not be glorified, the church will not be enlarged, 
 
 sinners will not be saved, by that professing christian who 
 
 docs not act canfiously and prudently in the sii,'ht of sinners: 
 
 who docs not converse intelligently and judiciously with them 
 
 on the subject of religion : who does not bear meekly 
 
 their reproaches, and return good for their evil. Consider, 
 
 II. The duty* of Christians to redeem every opportunity 
 they have to benefit the souls of " them that are' without." 
 ^ " Redeeming the time." Many look upon this charge as an 
 independent proposition, and consider it as relating to the re- 
 demption of time in general ; as having no connexion whate- 
 ver with walking in wisdom toward them tliat are without. 
 We cannot regard it in this light. If it were an independent 
 proposition, it would stand as those do in the fifih chapter of 
 the first of Thessalonians : Rejoice evermore. Pray without 
 ceasing. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. 
 These are independent propositions. But our text does not 
 stand in such an isolated position ; neither does the parallel 
 text in Ephesians. In both places the words refer to our re- 
 deeming the time for the benefit of the ungodly. 
 
 Time, here, signifies tiine, season, opportunity, occasion, 
 Redeerning, signlH^s to purchase out, to buy up, to redeem 
 for one's use. Both this passage and the one in the fifth oi 
 Ephesians, signifies: rescuing and improving every opportu- 
 nity to do good. * The expression means just what Paui 
 meant when ho said to Timothy " Preach the word ; be in- 
 slant in season, out of season" ; i. e., Wherever you are 
 rescue and improve the opportunity you have for benefitting 
 others by preaching tlie gospel. Redeerr.ing the time for the 
 benefit of those that are without, undoubtedly means to re». 
 
To 8EB1C TUB SALTATTOTT 0» SOTTLS. 
 
 106 
 
 cue and improve every opportunity we have of doing ttetr 
 souls good. Indeed, it is ao act of great wisdom to take adb 
 vantage of our intercourse with the ungodly, and speak a 
 Word for Christ, and for the good of their souls, and it is our 
 imperative duty to do so ; for the Holy Ghost commands us 
 to attend to this very thing, and the souls of men greatly need 
 our attention to this duty. 
 
 We have opportunities for doing good to the souls of therh 
 that are without. •' As we have therefore opportunity let us 
 do good to all men." — GhI. vi. 10. *' Ye arc the salt of the 
 earth ; ... Ye are the light of the world." — Matt. v. 13, 
 14. These passages clearly show that we are bound to seek 
 the v/olfare of sinners, and do them good as we have oppor- 
 tunity, and you must allow that in our intercour 3 with the 
 ungodly, opportunities for doing them good, spiritual, saving 
 good, do present themselves, which, if improved, may lead 
 to their conversion. In the transaction of business, we meetj 
 at times, with such opportunicies. When on a journey, we 
 ore thrown into company with sinnei's, and have to pass 
 hours, sometimes days, in their society, when we have little 
 else to do but seek the spiritual welfare of those with whom 
 we are, and must be, associated for a season. In the socia! 
 circle, numerous opportunities present themselves, which 
 might be improved to the spiritual and eternal good o* (hose 
 with whom wo meet there. Were we to watch fci- opportu* 
 nities to do good to the sojls of men, scarcely a week would 
 pass away without our doing something for God and the souls 
 of men. Whenever such o,?portunities do occur, we should 
 remember ihut the Lord requires us to embrace them, and 
 that he will not hold us guiltless if we let them slip. 
 
 These opportunities should he redeemed. Neitlior fear nor 
 shame should prevent us from doing our duty : for in its per- 
 formance, on sucli occasions, the glory of God, the satisfac- 
 tion of Christ, the honour of the Spirit, the salvation of souls, 
 the welfare of religion, and our own peace of miud, are 
 deeply concerned. Neither carelessness nord=.'pres.sion should 
 prevent us from redeeminjr these opportunities. Many, when 
 questioned how they improved their time with such a person or 
 in such a company — Did you strive to do good ? answer, 
 " No, I dia not find a favourable opportunity ; besides, T did 
 not feel like talking about religion." A poor excuse for the 
 neglect of so great a duty. Those who thus neglect duty 
 can talk most fluently, on such occasions, about the weather, 
 tho vivps, the markets, tiie politics of the day : or, what Is 
 
toe 
 
 THK OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 I* -f 
 
 ii 
 
 worse, can indulge in foolish talking and jesting, yea evert 
 indulge, at times, in backbiting, slandering, and evil speak, 
 ing, to the injury of others and the scandal of religion ; but 
 they cannot say a word for Christ, nor one word to save theii- 
 friends from a burning hell. It is impossible to tell what 
 good may be done by resolutely improving such opportunities. 
 or the evil that may result from neglecting them. " A min. 
 ister of one of the New Jersey Presbyteries, riding slowly 
 along the road, overtook a young woman travellinfr in the 
 eame direction on foot. She looked timidly into his wacrrron. 
 and asked if she could be permitted to ride to a certain dis- 
 tance on her journey. The minister assented, and she as- 
 cended the vehicle. When all was adjusted, and they had 
 begun to move on again, he said to her, " What would you 
 tbink, If at the end of our ride, you should find I was a cler. 
 gyman, and had not spoken a word about reli>rion to vou all 
 the way ? '. Why, sir, I should be obliged to think that 
 you had not (lone your duty." " Well, then," he rejoined, 
 'You must lot mo do my duty now."-ne began, and occu! 
 pied the whole distance, in explaining and enforcinij »« repent- 
 ance toward Cod, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ ;" and 
 liad the satisfaction of putting her down, at porting, to all ap- 
 pearance droply in.prcseed, if not powerfully awakened. 
 U ttiat all clergy mcM. were like this one ! but all are not so. 
 A young la.Iy in Massachusetts, who had taken ollbnce at 
 un.nher mdivMloal of the .same character, for a similar pro- 
 ceeding expiv.sscd hw disapprobation of his conduct, by say. 
 
 ing, " they are not all like him ; there is Mr a pi 
 
 ous, excellent man ; I was with him six weeks, and he'never 
 uilroduced the .subjccl of ndigion at all." It is related in the 
 memoir of the excellent CJrimshaw, that " lie embraced ev. 
 ery favourable op|H,rt.inity of speaking to strangers whom ho 
 m<-t or overi(K)k on the road ; and if they were disposed to 
 hear hmi, h.^ wuuld alight, when on horseback, u.ld less them 
 will, a serious and pathetic exhortation, commend them to the 
 t.les,s,n^r of the Lord by prayer, and then resume his journey. 
 II will not be ascertained till the great day how many persons 
 received their first nligous impressions from these uneipected 
 interviews But some were known to himself and his people. 
 in whom the good 5i.ed of the word, thus sown upon the hii/h. 
 Way, took de.-p root, and brought forth fruit unto life." Solno 
 professors of religion on reading these quotations, will become 
 eloquent in denouncing Ministers for neirleetinir tn in^nro^>i, 
 liieir opportunuics: but stop your eloquent strauii until you 
 
 •?^ 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOttS. 
 
 107 
 
 you 
 
 have answered satisfactorily the following queries: TTave you 
 done your duty in this respect ? If not, it ill becomes yon 
 to rail at ministers, for it is as much voiir duty to do good, 
 as you have opportunity, as it is theirs. ' " Thou that preach, 
 est a rnan should not steal, dost thou steal ?" Then, ngain, 
 if a minister neglects his duty will his nnglrct justify thee 
 at the bar of God for not performing thine ? ' Surely not. If 
 ministers do neglect their duty, " What is th^t to thee, follow 
 thou me." Do you perform your duty to Christ and to the 
 souls of men, Jet ministers do as they "will ; fbr you "must 
 give an account of yourself to God." " VVIio art thou that 
 judgest another man's servant, to his own master he standcth 
 or falleth ?"-^Rom. xiv. 4. If all ministers and private mem- 
 bers would improve rvery opportunity of doing good to the 
 souls of men, hundreds and thousands would he saved, who 
 otherwise will live in sin and peris!), thouj'li Christ has died 
 for them. Let this consideration humble us all on aecoimt of 
 past unfaithfulness, and cause us, in future, to rudocm the op- 
 portunities we may he favoured with. 
 
 We should redeem our opporfunilk-s of doing good to the. 
 souls of mm, for they may he few, and, if yieg/cclcd, may not 
 occur again. We may, in fact, only l)uv(^ one opportunity of 
 domg good to some individuals. The f.llowin?,' touching an- 
 ecdote of the late Dr. Chalmers, speaks volumcs^on this point : 
 — •' Dr. Clinhners, on his return from Eijgland, a few years 
 ago, lodged in the house of a nobleman, not fur distant from 
 Peebles. The doetor is known to excel in conversation, at 
 well as in the -pulpit. He was the life and soul of the con- 
 versation in the circle of friends at the nobleman's fire-sido. 
 The subject was pauperism — its causes and cure. Among 
 the gentlemen present was a venerable old hivdilund diieAain, 
 who kept his eyes faf;tenpd on Dr. C, and'listened with in. 
 tense interest lo his eommunic! lions. Tlie convorsation was 
 continued to a late hoiir. When the company broke up, they 
 were shown to thf-ir snveral apartments. There was a lobby 
 of considernhlo length, and tlm doors of thr bed-ehambers 
 opened right and h{\. Th' apartm<nt of Dr. C was ilirectly 
 opposite to that of the old chieftain, who had already retired 
 with his attenflant. A.^ the dortor w.i'j mulressiu''' himself 
 ho heard an niiusmd noise in the ehieftain's room ;''iho noisa 
 was succeeded by a heavy groan! He hastened into tha 
 apartment, Avhieh was m a frw minutes fdled with the com. 
 puny, who iill ruMied in to the relief of tli(> old <Ten(!emen. 
 It was a melancholy sight which met their eyes. ^The ven. 
 
THS OBUGATIDNS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 •raWe white-headed chief had fallen into the arms of his at- 
 tendants in an apoplexy. He breathed for a few moments, 
 end then expired. Or. C. stood in silence, with both hand* 
 stretched out, and bending over the deceased. He was the 
 very picture of distress. He was the first to break ^i. 
 once •' Never in my life," said he, in a tremulous voice, 
 "did I see, or did I feel, before this moment, the meaning of 
 that text, ' Preach the word : be instant iu season, and out of 
 season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsufrerinrr and 
 doctrine ! Had I known that my venerable old friend was 
 within a few mmiitos of eternity, I would not have dwelt on 
 that subject which formed the topic of this evening's conver- 
 sation. I would have addressed myself earnestly "to him. I 
 would have preached unto him and vou, Christ Jesus and 
 him crucified. 1 would huve urged liim and you, with all 
 the earnestness befitting the subject, to prepare for eternity. 
 You wouM have thought it, and you would have pronounced 
 It, out of season. But, ah ! it would liavo been in season, 
 both as It respected him, and as it respects you." How for. 
 cibly does this anecdote remind us of the importance of re- 
 deeming every opportunity we have for doing good. When 
 you are tempted to let an opportunity for doing good to 
 any sinner slip, remember Dr. Chalmers and tho^Hirrhland 
 Chief. ° 
 
 We should redeem our opportiinitici for dointr rood, for thev 
 mil. soon end. » I must work the woHcs of him that sent me, 
 while It IS day : the niglit cometh wlu'ii no man can work " 
 —John IX. 4. «' Whatsoever thy hand fmdetli to do, do it with 
 thy might ; for there isno work, nor device, nor lvnovvled<re,nor 
 wisdom, m the grave whither thou goest."— -Eccles ix 10 
 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, tli at that day should 
 overtake you as a thief. Ye are nil the chil.iren of light, 
 and the childien of the .lay; we are not of the night, nor of 
 darkness. Iherelbro let us not sleep, as do otiiers ; hut lot 
 US watch and bo sober. For they ihat sleep slot'p in the 
 night; and tliey that hn drunken are rlrunken in the nhAxU 
 put let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on ""the 
 breastplate of faith and love; and for an h- Imet th.< hop© of 
 salvation. '-1 Thess. v. 4~S. The shortn-s. of human 
 lite, the nneertainty of death, llin crrtuin kiu;w!o(l.ro that we 
 cannot labour (br the silvation of souls when dead, the pro- 
 fos«ion we mako ns childreirol the day, s'lnuM induco ua to 
 wateii and be .v„ber, and oinbraoo overV oniwrtuniiy wo hnvn 
 
 lof uonig good to the souls of men. If 
 
 ipjKJ 
 
 wo ttro slu^fgifih, ond 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 100 
 
 let the opportunities of doing good pass unimproved, we may 
 become accessories to the ruin of many immortal souls. Tht 
 period in which we can only do sinners good, is fast passing 
 away. The night is coming when no man can work. If we 
 delay doing good to sinners ; wrapped in ignorance, covered 
 with guilt, stained with pollutions, they will have passed away 
 to the regions of black despair, and the blood of their soul« 
 will be found on our garments at the last day ; but if, on the 
 other hand, we arouse ourselves to exertion, and embrace 
 every opportunity to save souls, we shall be successful in, at 
 least, saving some from the bottomless pit, and bringing them 
 to holiness, to God, and to heaven. These considerations 
 should induce us to redeem the time we spend in the company of 
 the ungodly, for their present and eternal good. Besides, we 
 ourselves will soon have to leave this stage of action. A few 
 more rising and setting suns, and the place which now knows 
 us, will know us no more for ever. Then we shall have no 
 opportunity for saving souls, extending Christ's kingdom on 
 earth, and increasing our weight of glory. For in heaven 
 believers rest from their laiwurs. If we get to heaven, there 
 ore no souls to be saved there ; for all are saved : and should 
 wo got to hell, through our unfaithfulness, we can give noth- 
 ing in exchange for our own souls, nor do any thing for the 
 salvation of the miserable beings by whom we should then be 
 surrounded ; for all in hell cannot be saved. They are lost 
 for ever and ever. If wo mean to do good, to save souls, 
 and secure our own salvation, it must be done here. Surely, 
 then, wo ought to improve our present opportunities, and not 
 put oir till to-morrow what we have an opportunity to do tol 
 day. «' Bnist not thyself of to-morrow, for tliou knowost not 
 what a day may bring forth." 
 
 You should redeem your opportunities of doijig good, for 
 you will have, to give a strict account of them at the last day. 
 "God rrquirclh that which is past." He will shortly call 
 you to givo an account of tlio manner in which you have act- 
 ed toward the ungodly, and for the improverr)eiit or non-im- 
 provomrnt of the opportunities of doing good you have enjoy, 
 ed, and if you have iinprovod every opportunity, great will 
 bo the reward of your diligence and faithfulness, for " They 
 that bo wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmamonl, 
 ond they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever 
 and ever." Ifyou diligently an'l faithnillv imr rove your on- 
 
 •^ ,riir,? ;'" " f^'""^' '"" "K"^e""3 jiwg" w.ii Niiy unto 
 you, W ell done, good and faithful sorvunt, thou hast been 
 
 10 
 
fvo 
 
 "tttti OBLWAtttms 09 CitRlSrfjtKS 
 
 l« 
 
 faithful over a few things, I wilt make thee ruler over many 
 things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." And while 
 God thus applauds your conduct, and Avelcomes you to ever- 
 lasting bliss, those whom you have been agents in saving will 
 turn upon you eyes beaming with gratitude, and love, and joy, 
 while they say, Amen, to the blessed sentence of your judge. 
 But, on tile other hand, if you neglect to improve your op- 
 portunitics for doing good to the souls of your fellow men, 
 you cannot escape the frown of the Judge, nor the punish- 
 ment duo to your negligence. Then you will discover that 
 the opportunities, which you now neglect, are t.-lents that 
 God will require a strict account of. If you go on neglecting 
 your opportunities to do good to sinners, by warning, repro- 
 ving, and exhorting them, they will be swift witnesses against 
 you in tliat day. You will, you must meet tiiom at the bar of 
 God. They will then fix their burning eyes upon you. Oh ! 
 that look will pierce your inmost soul, and fill you with dread; 
 and, addressing tiio judge, they will say : "These men, these 
 women, professqd thy name, knew thy will, enjoyed thy fa- 
 vour: but limy, in nil their intercourse with us, never warn- 
 ed us of th(j evil and danger of sin, never exhorted us to 
 ilee from the wnitli to come, never pointed us to Lamb of God 
 that taketh away the sin of the world, and heneo wo are here 
 in our guilt, in our pollution, in our misery ; lost, lost, lost, 
 for ever.'"' What will bo your feelings then, when 1^ e sin- 
 ners, to whom you are now afraid to speak about thei. >ouls, 
 or whoso vouls you criminally neglect, will be witnesses 
 against you, and who, whrri the eternal Judge says unto you 
 " Depart iVom me yo accursed into everlasting lire, prepared 
 for the devil and his angels," will say Amen, to your damna- 
 tion ? Your misery will be great, for while sinners who have 
 never been converted will receive the « few stripes," you 
 must receivo the " many stripes." " And that servant which 
 knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did 
 according to his will, siiall be beaten with ninny stripes. 
 But h" that knew not, and did commit things worthy of 
 stripes, shall be beaten with few strip<\s. For unto wiiomso- 
 ever inueh is given, of him shall much be required ; and to 
 whom nien liavo coimnitled much, of him they will rsk the 
 more."— Luke xii. 47, 48. " Tho antithesis in this passage," 
 observes IJishop Jebb, " has prodigious moral d. jith : ho who 
 sins ngaiuHt knowledge, though iiis sins were only sins of 
 omission, .shall bo I>pnten with ninny stripes ; but ho who 
 sum Wjtnoui knowicdgi;, though his sins were sina of conimis- 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 er many 
 nd while 
 to ever. 
 ving will 
 and joy, 
 r judge, 
 your op. 
 ow men, 
 punish- 
 )ver that 
 mts that 
 jglecting 
 J, repro- 
 s against 
 le bar of 
 ou. Oh! 
 h dread; 
 3n, these 
 i\ thy i'a- 
 cr warn- 
 :ed us to 
 b of God 
 aro here 
 ost, lost, 
 I se sin. 
 ii souls, 
 'ituesscs 
 into you 
 in^parcd 
 ( hill in a- 
 lio have 
 s," you 
 it which 
 tiier ilid 
 stripes, 
 •rthy of 
 tiiomso- 
 ; and to 
 psk the 
 issagc," 
 ho who 
 sins of 
 10 who 
 :onimJB> 
 
 sion, shall be beaten only with few stripes. Mere negligence, 
 against the light of conscience, shall be severely punished, 
 while an offence, in itself comparatively heinous, if committed 
 ignorantly, and without light, shall be mildly dealt with."— 
 Sac. Lit., page 201. Neglecting opportunities to do good to 
 the souls of men is a ruinous sin ; it will destroy our piety 
 here, and rob us of heaven hereafter. 
 
 Walk, then, in wisdom toward them that are without, re- 
 deeming the time. Humble yourselves before God on ac. 
 count of your past unfaitlifulness. You, with the preacher, 
 can call to mind many opportunities which have been allowed 
 to pass unimproved. Let us go to the throne of grace, and 
 confess that guilt, and seek forgiveness through the blood of 
 the covenant. Our sins of omission can bo cancelled ; for 
 " The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin." 
 And having obtained forgiveness, let us " Go and sin no 
 more." In the strength of grace let us, in future, '* As we 
 have opportunity, do g^ood unto all men." 
 
 ** Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeem- 
 ing the time." To this end, apply your hearts unto wisdom. 
 Study how to gain the affections of sinners, how you may 
 best awaken them to a sense of their danger, and how you 
 may eflTectually draw them to the cross of Christ, that they 
 may be saved Read the bible much, and let it dwell in you 
 richly in all wisdom. One passage from that b' ssed word 
 will, when fitly spoken, and rightly applied, do more to save 
 the soul, than all you can advance. " It is quick and pow- 
 erful, sharper than any two-edged sword." Seek, also, by 
 fervent prayer, the divine skill you need to enable you to 
 win souls to Christ. " If any of you lack wisdom, l(>t him 
 ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbruideth 
 not ; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, 
 nothing wavering. For ho that wavercth is like a wave of 
 the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that 
 man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord. A 
 double mintlod man is unstable in all his ways." — .Fames i. 
 5 — 8. Have a single eye to the glory of God, exercise un- 
 wavering faith in God, ask for the wisdom you need, and im. 
 mortal souls will be aaved through your efforts, and you will 
 ■eoure for yourselves a great and an imperishable reward. 
 
43 
 
 DISCOURSE VII. 
 
 
 CONSISTENCY OF CONDUCT REQUISITE TO SAVE SOULS* ijf» 
 Ye are the light of the world. 
 
 be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel 
 
 A city that is set on an hill canfiot 
 
 i/^> iiiu. v,v,.v..v,. -^ .-C-- - .„ndle, and put it under a bushel; Wfltf 
 
 on a'candlestick ; and" it giveth light unto nil that are in the house. Let 
 your light bo shine before men, that they may see your good works, pud 
 glorify your Father which is in heaven."— Matthbw v. 14, 15, 16. s^j^jj^jij. 
 
 How very erroneous is the world's estimate of the woTtfi 
 of true Ciiristians ! The apostle John might well say, " The 
 world knoweth us not." Christians are too often regarded, 
 by wordlings, as the filth and offscouring of all things ; but 
 Christ declares that they are the salt of the earth, and the 
 light of the world. And, notwithstanding there may be 
 hypocrites and formalists in the church— tares among the 
 wheat, yet, the little of real piety there is in the Church of 
 Christ preserves the world from total corruption and univer. 
 sal darkness. Bad as the church is, all the moral purity and 
 spiritual light found on earth reside in her: the world is 
 indebted to the church for every thing that is lofty in senti- 
 ment, noble in principle, and excellent in morals. " What- 
 soever things are true, whatsoever things arc honest, what., 
 soever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatso- 
 ever things are of good report : if there be any virtue, and 
 if there be any praise," in the world, tho church may justly 
 claim the glory. Christians are tho men who think on thesd 
 things, who lead tho way in their adoption, who labour zeaU 
 ojisly and constantly for their establishment. Whenever, 
 since tho world began, was it known that ungodly men took 
 the first step in promotin,^ works which liavo for their object 
 the glory of God and the host interests of men ? When the 
 men of tho world can show, that either they or their prcde-, 
 cp8.sors have begun, continued, and perfected any work that 
 has glorified God and bonejiitol man, and that Christiana 
 stood aloof and would not lend tiioir aid, then may tho world 
 call believers seum, filth, thr> ..ilscou ring of all things ; but 
 until they can do this, they had bettor moderate their preten- 
 sions, and withhold the reproach they now so freely heap 
 
 .. » <Uy^«.« <i>Kr> aw-a on ntiii-li unttr^rini* id tlll-in ns lli'llt is SU* 
 
 uinm iisvnu •msKr t»«^- t»-- -; -- r^ ^ 
 
 porior to darkness. Look abroad in this dosort world m, 
 
lU 
 
 THl OBLIGATIONS OF CHEISTlAKS 
 
 which we live, and you will find nothing but evil, save where 
 the church of Christ has a habitation and a name. Where 
 the religion of Jesus is found, there love, peace, righteous. 
 iles*^ and joy exist. The temporal condition even of th« 
 ungodly IS immeasurably superior, where the Church of Christ 
 w established, to what their condition is who dwell where 
 wtan's seat is, and where the religion of Christ is not known. 
 But we cannot stop to discuss this subject; nor should we have 
 • k u"^°" it ^or a moment, but for its obvious connexion 
 with the text. Either Jesus Christ was egregiously mistaken, 
 IB reference to the worth of real Ch.istians, or the men of the 
 world are sadly in the dark upon this subject. Christ cannot 
 err. He is the true and faithful witness : we must, therefore, 
 oonolude with John, that « The world knoweth us not ;" and 
 ttothmg but ignorance, presumption, and malice can cause 
 tke world to malign the followers of Christ. " Ye are the 
 light of the world," &c. The text directs our own attentioa 
 to the following important points : 
 
 I. The Christian's exalted position. 
 
 II. The consistency required. 
 
 III. The motive by which it is urged. 
 
 I. Let us consider the Christian's exalted position. 
 
 The position which Christians occupy in this world, is the 
 most important and responsible that can be conceived. The 
 position of a captain of a ship is both an important and a 
 responsible one ; for the lives of those on board are dependent 
 upon the knowledge, skill, prudence, and presence of mind 
 which he possesses. A captain of a ship once said, in 
 answer to a remark on his carefulness in avoiding danger, 
 *' It is necessary that I should be very careful, because I 
 have souls on board. I tliink of my responsibility; and 
 should any thing happen, through carelessness, 1 should have 
 a great deal to answer for. I wish never to forget, sir, that 
 wuls are very valuable." The station of a guide, in 
 an eastern desert, is a most important and responsible one. 
 He 13 instead of eyes to those who are under his care and 
 protection, and the lives of the whole caravan depend on his 
 faithfulness ; but the station of Chriatiaiis is far more impor- 
 tant, far more responsible, than cither tliat of a captain or a 
 guide ; forasmuch as the present happiness and the future 
 
 nllMi. nr tlm nrnsif>nt mianrv nnrl iKo fnini'/^ /1<...,..»*:.,.^ -,r -„:i 
 , -- J J _ vttf.iittmi- u ui SH5J- 
 
 l<on* of 'uimortal souls depend upon the faithfulness or un. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 11» 
 
 SllSi- 
 
 faithfiHness of the professors of the religion of Jesu9. •• Y«.v 
 are the light of the world." " As the sun is lighted up in 
 the firmament of heaven, to diffuse its light and heat freely 
 U» every inhabitant of the earth :" so are Christians lightedi 
 up to diffuse the light of divine knowledge, and the warmth 
 of divine love throughout the moral world. God uses the sun 
 to enlighten, quicken, and gladden the natural world ; and he 
 has made choice of Christians to enlighten, and quicken, and 
 gladden the dark, the dead, and the miserable souls of men. 
 Without the light of the sun, the world in which we liva 
 would be filled with darkness, and misery, and death ; and 
 unless Christians let their light shine, all will be darkness, 
 misery, and death in the moral world. 
 
 Look at the position in which ChriMians are placed. They 
 stand in a dark, benighted world, surrounded by hundreds 
 of millions of human beings, whose minds are blinded by the 
 god of this world ; whose hearts are hardened through tho 
 deceitfulness of sin ; wliose lives are corrupt and abominable ; 
 and who, in their blindness, and hard-hcartedness, and pollu- 
 tion, are existing under the curse of Jehovah, and are hast- 
 tliing on, with the rapidity of time, to the blackness of dai'k- 
 ness for ever; that horrible and terrific midnight on which 
 no sun of righteousness ever arises with healing in his wings, 
 and over which the star of hope never twinkles to enlighten 
 the gloom, and give the promise of day. The state of those 
 by whom Christians are surrounded, is thus described in tho 
 scriptures : " Sitting in darkness and in the sliadow of death : 
 being bound with allliction and iron. Dead in trespasses and 
 sins. Lying in the wicked one. Alienated from the life 
 of God. Without Christ. Having r.o hope. Without God 
 in the world. The wrath of God a'idcth on them. To 
 whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." What 
 a volume of meaning docs each scripture contain.^ Study 
 them, ye Christians, that ye may know the station you 
 occupy. You arc placed in the midst of this darkness, and 
 death, and wickedness, and despair, and wrath, that, by your 
 light, you may guide the millions who are enduring these 
 things to Christ, that they may be saved from all, and 
 raised to light, life, holiness, hope, and eternal bliss. Re- 
 aponsiblo position ! Glorious privilege- ! 
 
 You possess the means requisite to fill this exalted position, 
 with credit to yourselves, with honour to your God, and with 
 
 ^J..„^t.^.ri, tn tiniif fd^I/niJt.m/'n. Ynil P.fin iruidfi VOUr fclloW- 
 Uu.t.:t/trf^v ^•- J/ ^- r: , _ 
 
 men into the ways of peace, holiness, and everlasting lite ; 
 
116 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHBISTUNS 
 
 for you hav6 the light that is requisite to accompliBb this 
 glorious end. "God, who commanded the light to shhJe 
 llf"" f'll^T'' ^i^ ^'^^'"^^ intoourhearts, tog?v« he 
 
 J«^!. ri .^"7'^^^" °f '^^ ^^""-^ '^^ ^^ i^ the face ol 
 Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen veg: 
 
 TfU —^ Cor. IV. 6, 7. Jesus said, "As long as I atn 
 
 .<Thl''° ^' \ ^"^ '^".^'8'^^ °^ ^^^ world.' Wohn ix.T 
 Iften spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Maht 
 
 "^\Tu^u!!' *^"^ ^^"°^^"^'^ me'shaliSitvvaTkindarK 
 ness but shall have the light of life."-John viii. 12 " ?e 
 are the light of the world. Lot your light so shine." These 
 statemeuts show that the followers of Christ have recived the 
 ght needed to save the world, and that, in his absence from 
 the wor d, they are to supply his place, and be the enli'htr 
 era of this dark, benighted earth. ^"iioUien. 
 
 Previous to the incarnation of Christ, and the establishment 
 of the gospel church, this light, in a small measure, was nos 
 
 IZt P^.;rifr1V'"! ^'?-T-° ^^^^ Ught of the wo'r?d. 
 "nfii . ' ''f''''f^«"ig his objecting countryman, savs 
 Behold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the lai and 
 makest thy boast of God, And kAowest his wilVand approv 
 est the things that are more excellent, being instructed out 
 
 1 hV T '^?'^ ";:' ?°"^'^^"^ '^'^' '''°" thyseff art a guide to 
 he blind, a light of them which are in drrkdess, An fnstruc? 
 
 cn.wlei" "^'t' ? 'r^^^^V^ ^-^-^^ vvhich ha^t the form o? 
 .cnowledge and of the truth in the law."_Rom ii. 17-20 
 1 hough the Jews had only the form of knowledge and of 
 truth in he law though thoy lived only in *he twilf'ht ef the 
 
 aving knowledge of God, yet it was their duty tofude the 
 blind to give light to them that sat in darkness^ to feach he 
 foolish and instruct the babes. God called them his whness! 
 ^Lrr. lu '"'^"'^ Witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant 
 whom I have chosen ; that ye may know and believe me and 
 
 ed neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord • 
 and beside me there is no saviour. I have dec ared and Imve 
 amol '"^ ^^'^ ^^"^'^^' ^''^^" '^^''^ ^- "° st;aiige god 
 
 nnW fl^l .T^''^-,^l'»- 1"--12. Though the Jews had 
 
 only the form of knowledge and truth in the law, yet they 
 had overpowering evidences of the existence of God • of l^s 
 wisdom, his power, his justice, his goodness: of ^s abiiit^ 
 a«« wiuingness to «ave. They were required, by their obe'L 
 
 
 ^^^^'^^■-^^'?:fm^'^tWf^^m--^^m*W''^ 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION Of SOULS. 
 
 lit 
 
 
 dience to God's commands, and by their holy lives, to bear 
 Mritness for God in the midst of the idolatrous nations whioh 
 sQrrounded them. And when they bore a faithful testimony 
 for God, he ever blessed and prospered them ; but when they 
 obscured their light, by their remissness, and placed it under 
 a bushel, by their sins, then did God visit them with stripes, 
 and send them into captivity. On one occasion, he said, " I 
 will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to tho 
 house of Judah : I, even I, will tear and go away ; I will 
 take away, and none shall rescue. I will go and return to 
 my place, till they acknowledge their offence, n. d seek my 
 face : in their afliiction they will seek me early." — Hosea v. 
 14, 15. 
 
 If the Jews, then, had sufficient light to stand as brncons 
 on the shores of time, and warn the idolatrous nations of the 
 fatal shipwreck which awaited them, if tlioy did not forsake 
 their idolatries, and turn to the living and true God : if they 
 had light sufficient to reveal to the dark and benighted sons 
 of men the existence, wisdom, power, justice, holiness, and 
 goodness of the great Creator: if they had light sufficient to 
 reveal to them liis ability to save, and his readiness to forgive : 
 and if they were punished severely when they hid their light 
 under a bushel, surely Christians have sullicirnt light to 
 enlighten those who now sit in darkness and in the region of 
 of the shadow of death, and to guide their fc t into the way 
 of peace. And most certainly a sorer punishment will fall 
 upon us than ever fell upon the Jews, if we hide our light 
 under a bushel. 
 
 The Christian Church may, most assuredly, Lj addressed 
 in the spirit-stirring language of Isaiah, "Arise, shine ; for 
 thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon 
 thee : flir the diirkncss is past, and the true light now 
 shineth." " The Son of God is come, and hath given us an 
 understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we 
 are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is 
 the true God, and eternal life."— 1 John v. 20. The Chris- 
 tian Church has not only the form, the outline, the shadow of 
 truth,' which tlie Jewish Church possessed, but it has, in ad. 
 dition to these, the substance of grace and truth. The Jews 
 only saw through a glass darkly the riches of gospel truth and 
 grace. " But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass 
 the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, 
 
 ig Cor. iii. 17. '« And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
 
ue 
 
 tBE oBLiGATioNa OF cflaxsrix«3 
 
 .'if 
 
 H 
 ill 
 
 among us (wid we beheld his glory, aa the glory, oi^the ooiy 
 begotten of the Father,) full of grace andtruth/ And of^^ 
 fulpess have all we received, and grace for (upon) grace."— 
 
 fhe inl'a^e of'ph ^1^ '''."f ^"^ ^^'"^ beenSr'an^rrd into 
 the image of Christ, and having received from Christ a fulness 
 o truth and grace, according to the measure of theirs under, 
 gtandmgs and their faith, they are said to be light in the 
 Lord, and are designated the children of the day, eoid lights 
 in the world Christians, moreover, are placed in the candle- 
 sucks, or the numerous churches of Christ which are scat, 
 tered up and down this world, for the express purpose of 
 shining as lights in the world. ^ purpose oi 
 
 Know then, ye followers of Christ, that ye do possess, or 
 ought to possess, the light that is requisite to save your fel- 
 ow men from spirtual darkness and eternal despair. By the 
 hgh which you have received, you are aware of the awful 
 condi luu in which your unconverted fellows are placed, 
 lou know something of the misery of sin in this life, and 
 of the torments of that hell to which sinners are even now 
 condemned ; ior, in addition to what is stated in the Bible 
 concermng the misery of sin here, and the place of torment 
 into which sinners must go hereafter, when you were con- 
 vmcedof sin, the sorrows of death compassed you about, the 
 pains of hell gat hold upon you : you found trouble and sor- 
 row. You then felt that it is an evil and bitter thing to sin 
 against God. 1 ho misery of sin, and the thought of its pun- 
 ishment, crushed you in the dust ; and if eternity had only 
 been stamped upon the anguish you then endured, you know 
 that it would have ham a hell sufficient for you. You know 
 enough of the pains of hell by the word of God and your 
 own experience to induce you, if you have any compassion, 
 o save others with fear— pulling them out of the fire. You 
 know that smiiers may be saved from that destruction, for 
 Christ has died for them. Pluck the brands, then, from the 
 burning instantly, lest they be so scorched by sin that thev 
 can never be renewed ; but must be cast into the lake of fire 
 and brimstone, which is the second death. 
 
 You are acquainted with the righteousness, peace, and ipv 
 which believers possess in this world; you have also the 
 ioretaste, and the earnest of the bliss of heaven ; for you have 
 experienced the forgiveness of sins, and the sanctification of 
 your natures. You enjoy fellowship withGod and with his 
 ^LiT!P^'i?y' y^" '^^^f ^he Holy Spirit, the blessed 
 w^=«««»i.,i, uivcuiiig Mi yoMi mma i you Aid a s»»ee«U)e«i,^iii' 
 
to sssK arlht siBVAl'it^N op sotrts. 
 
 %n 
 
 the ordinances of reiigion, and untold pleasure in the study 
 of the holy scriptures; you have glorious visions of eternal 
 day ; you are well assured that you have a building of God, 
 a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ; you 
 ^are perfectly aware that the glory and bliss of heaven exceed 
 all finite conception ; you know that the inheritance of heav- 
 en is a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory — 'a 
 " fulness of joy," — and connected w'fh it arc " pleasures for 
 evermore:" for these things are stated in the scriptures ; and 
 you have been " sealed witli that Holy Spirit of promise, 
 which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption 
 of the purcliased possession." Hide not then your light 
 under a bushel, but reveal to the ungodly what great thingH 
 the Lord has done for you and has promised to do for you. 
 Exert yourselves to bring your fellow men to the possession 
 of what you enjoy; for the blessings of religion and th(r 
 glories of heaven are as much needed by your uncon- 
 verted neighbours as by you. Go, and compel them to 
 come in, that Christ's house may bo filled, and that they 
 may be saved. 
 
 Still farther, you, my Christian brethren, know the way to 
 escape the corruption of sin and the damnation of hell : the 
 way to secure the joys of holiness bclow,^and then the joys of 
 heaven. You have effected the passage from death to life. 
 You know the way to the cross ; for you have been at it, and 
 found peace through, the blood of its victim. You know the 
 way to the fountain ; for in it you have washed away your 
 sins, calling upon the name of the Lord. You know the 
 road to the city of refuge ; for you have fled to the hope set 
 before you, and found in Jesus a hiding place from the storm 
 of divine wrath, and protection from the avenger of bloo;'. 
 You know where the stone, the tried stone, the precious corm r 
 stone, the sure foundation lies ; for ye, as lively stones, aro 
 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus 
 Christ himself being tha chief corner stone. Who, then, are 
 60 well qualified to conduct sinners to the Saviour as you are ? 
 Angels could not do it more surely. You are more fitted for 
 this blessed work than they are ; for you know the fears, the 
 perplexities, the temptations, the agonies of an awakened soul. 
 Your experimental knowledge of the way to the cross, to 
 the kingdom of grace, to the fountain, to the refuge, and to 
 the foundation, preeminently qualifies you to guide sinners to 
 the Saviour : to bring them from darkness to light, and from 
 the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgive. 
 
130 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 ness of sinR, and inheritance among them which are sancti- 
 fied by faith that is in Christ Jesus. If you rightly think 
 upon tiie liglit of the gospel which ycu possess; the expert, 
 mental knowledge of the miseries of sin ; the blessedness 
 of holiness which you have ; and the practical acriuaintanceof 
 the road tliat leads from death to life that you huv acqiT -cd, 
 you must own t!)at you hr.vc the means requisite to fill your 
 exalted station, as tlie light of the world, with credit to your- 
 selves, wit!) Jionour to your Saviour, and with advantage to 
 your fellow- men. 
 
 The means you pofmess to glorify God, in the salvation of 
 men, it is your imperative duly to employ to their utmost extent. 
 •'Is a candle bought to bo put under a bushel, or under a 
 bed ? and not to be set on a candlestick V — Mark iv. 21. 
 Only those who have bad desires put a candle under a bush- 
 el, or under a bed. " No man, when ho iiath lighted a can- 
 dle, covcreth it with a vessel, or puttctli it under a bed ; but 
 settcth it on a eandle,=;tick, ihat they wliich cnlc^r in may .'3eo 
 the light." — LiilUi viii. IG. Can wc suppso that the Saviour, 
 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, 
 has lighted up our souls with the I'glit of truth, for us to con. 
 ceal that liglil from our benighted, peri;i!ung, fellow-men ? 
 It cannot be. Men do not buy candles to put them under 
 bushelfs, nor, whon they havo lighted tliem, do ilwy cover 
 them with vcs.seis ; they are not so fjoli'h a?i thus to throw 
 their money away. And dej)ciul upon it, .T( .-;us Clirist has not 
 purchased u; with his most precious blood, and redeemed us 
 from idl ini(iuiiy !iy his Holy Spirit, for no purpose whatever. 
 Ho has done this that We might bo his peculiar [)poplo — zeal- 
 ous of pood works: that we might shine us lights in tho 
 world, holding forth the word of life. " A city tJiat is set on 
 an hill ccmini be hid." Men do not build cities on lofty emi- 
 nences for the purpose of concealing them from the ga/.o 
 of travellers ; but they build them on hillfi, that ihoy may bo 
 seen afar oil*, and attract tho notice of men at a great dis- 
 tance. And when the Saviour declared that his people wero 
 " A city set on an hill," he undoubt(^'lly UKant ihetn to bo 
 eminent for piety, conspicuous for zeal and henevolcnco, that 
 they might bd s(H>n far and near. Maimdnll, in his travels, 
 says, " A few points toward the tKjrlh (of Tul>or) appears that 
 which they cull ilie mount of Bcaliludes, a small rising from 
 which our Saviour delivered Ida sermon in the fifth, sixth, and 
 Boventh chnptrrs of Mntihr-vv. Nut far fivtin liiis iiuiu hlli is 
 the oily Suphot, supposed to bo tho ancient Delhulia. It 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION Of SOULS. 
 
 121 
 
 stands upon a very eminent and conspicuous mountain, and is 
 SEEN FAR AND NEAR. May we not suppose that 
 Carist alludes to this city in these words of his, " A city that 
 is set on an hill cannot be hid." Quesnell remarks here, 
 " The Christian life is something very high and sublime, to 
 which we cannot arrive witliout pains : whilst it withdraws us 
 from the earth, and carries us nearer heaven, it places us in 
 view, and as a mark for the malice of carnal men." True ; 
 but it sets us as a mark also for their study, aj\d as a model 
 for their imitation. In all that our Lord says in our text, 
 he shows distinctly and forcibly that it is the imperative duty 
 of all Christians to use their utmost exertions to benefit the 
 souls of their unconverted fellow-men. 
 
 Christ never intended any of his people 
 
 " To be little and unknown, 
 Loved and prized by God alone." 
 
 These lines, which have been used to loathing by unthinking 
 Christians, and by idlers in the vineyard of the Lord, are false 
 in sentiment, and pernicious in tendency. Those Christians 
 who are " little and unknown," who put their light under a 
 bushel, who are neither eminent for piety, nor conspicuous 
 for zeal, can never be loved and prized by Jehovah. They 
 are just as little loved and prized by (Jod as they generally 
 are by their ft^llow-mon ; for those whom God loves and 
 prizes, are those who live near to him, and who *' Let their 
 light so shine before men, that they seeing their good works, 
 may glorify their Father which is in heaven." Christ has 
 net us on the hill : has givm us light ; and our duty both to 
 God and man requires us to bo eminent for piety and oonspic 
 uous for zeal. 
 
 " Shall we, whose souls are lighted, 
 
 With wifidoin from on high— 
 Shall we to men l).'ni<!;iUed 
 
 The lump of life deny 1 
 
 God forbid. If we do so, we shall \ye guilty of the ruia 
 of immortal souls, and the curse of iieuven will descend upon 
 our guilty heads. 
 
 Your duty to use, to the uttno'it of your ability, the moans 
 you p<wsess to save souls, ye Methodists acknowledge at 
 every lovefoast, when ye sing these lines : 
 
 £..,iK we then in .lean's name, 
 Now as yesterday the same ; 
 
 Onu in evrry lime imci piaro [ 
 Full for all of truth and graoo. 
 
 11 
 
UBt TBB OBLIGiiTIOire OT CHKISTIAKtf 
 
 W« iior Christ otir Master stand. 
 
 Lights in a benighted l^and ; 
 Wa our dying Lord confess ; 
 
 We are Jesua' witnesses." 
 
 According to your own quarterly confession, it is your Im- 
 perative duty to exhibit the light you possess, for the benefit 
 of the benighted sons and daughters of men. That professing 
 Christian who refuses to let his light shine conspicuously 
 before men, is as much guilty of the murder of souls as that 
 pilot is guilty of the wilful murder of men's bodies, who, 
 either carelessly or designedly, runs his vessel on a rock, and 
 sends the whole of the passengers to the bottom of the sea ; 
 or as tliat guide is guilty of wilful murder, who extinguishes 
 his torch, just as his followers approach the edge of a tremen- 
 dous precipice ; and who, through the want of the light, 
 which the unfaithful guide has purposely extinguished, fall 
 over, and are dashed to atoms. By not letting your light 
 slune, sinners are shipwrecked, and drop into the lake of tiro 
 and brimstone. By concealing your light, they take a leap 
 in the dark, and fall over the precipice of time into the gulf 
 of perdition. 
 
 It is not a matter of ohoico with us whether we let our 
 light shine or not : it is a matter of imperative duty. Our 
 Lord and Mastor positively commands us to let our light 
 shine beloro men : the men of the world absolutely need tlie 
 aid of the light we possess, to guide thom to the Saviour ; and 
 wo have voliuitarily taken upon ourselves bath the name and 
 tho olfice of Christians. It is, thoretore, at the perl of our 
 own immortal souls, at the risk of our own eternal salvation, 
 when wo refuse to let our light shine belbre men. The eter- 
 nal Judge will as sure sentence us to eternal death, if we 
 refuse to obey his command — *' Let your light so shine," — as 
 ever tho king in (he parable condemned to perprtual banish- 
 ment and horrors his slothful servant, who had not improved 
 the property which he committeti to his trust. We are stow- 
 ardsof flic umnilold grace of (loil. A steward is one that is 
 entrusted with tlio management of the property of another, 
 which he is expected to use ns his master requires; and if he 
 squanilor it, or ap|)ropriate it to his own use, he is justly 
 punisli(M| hy tlif liiw . And (lod will do so to us, atid more 
 also, if Wf refuse to lot our light shine for the l)enefit of others. 
 He will iuilj.rn us inisvorthy of eternal life, and give us our 
 portion with hypocrites and unbelievers. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOVU. 
 
 133 
 
 Consider, 
 
 II. The consistency required in performing the duties of 
 this exalted position. 
 
 There must be an entire agreement between our profession 
 and our acts, or the men of the world will never be, by usj 
 spiritually be.iefittod. By becoming Christians, we declare 
 ourselves to be the light of the world ; therefore, both God 
 and niuu expect us to walk as children of light ; and if we 
 do not walk in lovo, and purity, and joy, and benevolence, 
 God cannot be glorified, and men cannot be benefitted by our 
 conduct. " Let your light so shine before men, that they 
 may see your good works." 
 
 To ACT CONSISTENTLY WITH THE HIGH OFFICE WE FILL, 
 
 WE MUST PERFORM GOOD WORKS. " It is not Sufficient to 
 have light: wo must walk in the light and by the light. Our 
 whole conduct should be a perpetual comment on the doctrine 
 we have received, and a constant exemplification of its power 
 and truth." *' Whatsoever," saith Paul, " doth make man- 
 ifest, is light," whotiier it be our prayers, or our conversa- 
 tions, or our actions, which reveal the deformity or misery of 
 sin, the beauty and happiness of holiness, that is light. But 
 in the text our actions are principally referred to. Men must 
 see our g(X)(l works, or they cannot be led by them to glorify 
 our Fathor in heaven. We must walk uprightly, or no man 
 can SCO that wo do walk uprightly ; but any man can see 
 that wp walk crookedly and inconsistently. Whatever may be 
 the profession wo make, wo must walk according to ti»e gos- 
 pel, or our profession is vain ; and the loftier our pretensions 
 are, only so much the more harm shall we do, if we walk in- 
 consistently. 
 
 To act consislcntly with the profession of ChristianUy, we 
 must he found walking in jmrHy. ** Ilavo no fellowshij) with 
 the unfruitful works of (hirkncss, but rather reprove them ; 
 for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done 
 of thorn in secret." — Ephos. v. 11. "Let us walk decently, 
 as in the <1 y ; not in rioting and drunkormess, not in ( 'lam- 
 boring and wantonness, not in strife and envying ; But put 
 yo on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the 
 flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." — Ilom. xiii. 13, 14. «« Be 
 not unequally yoked together with unbelievers ; for what 
 fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousnew ? and 
 what noinniunion hath !!<;ht wiih darkncaa ? And what oan= 
 oord hftth Christ with Bolial t aod what part hath \m that be* 
 
124 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF OHElSTIAJfS 
 
 Hi 
 
 lievth with an infidel ? And what agreement hath the temple 
 of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living Glod ; 
 as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; 
 and 1 will be their God, and they shall be my people. There- 
 fore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the 
 Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive 
 you, and will be a father to you, and ye shall be my sons and 
 daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. Having therefore 
 these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from 
 all filthiuess of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the 
 fear of God."— 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 18; vii. 1. O! it is grier- 
 ous to see the professed followers of Jesus holding fellowship 
 with the works of darkness, walking disorderly and malici- 
 ously, and forming alliances with unbelievers. On account 
 of these things many are weak and sickly in the church ; and 
 multitudes are prevented from coming to the Saviour and unit- 
 ing with the ciiurch. These glaring inconsistencies not only 
 damage the cause of Christ, but ruin the souls of men. 
 
 To act cmisisimthj vuth our profession, we must walk peace- 
 ally among men. " If it bo possible, as much as in you lieth, 
 live peaceably with all men." — Rom. xii. 18. " Blessed are 
 tee peacemakers : (or they shall be called the children of 
 God." — Matth. v. 9. " Do all things without mumiurivgs and 
 disjmthigs : that yo may be blameless and harmless, tlie son* 
 of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse- 
 nation, among whom shine ye as lights in the world ; holding 
 forth the word of life." — Phil. ii. 14, 1(K A quarrelsome, 
 murmuring, disputing profosssor is ever a stutnbling-block in 
 the way of the salvation of souls; but a peaceable, content- 
 ed, quiet professor of religion, ever recommends the religion 
 he professes to all who behold his blameless life. 
 
 To act const sienlhj vitli our profession, we must he upright 
 in all our dealings with our fellow-men. " Therefore all 
 things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, doyo 
 even so to them : for this is the luw and the prophets." — 
 Matth. vii. 12. " Provide things honest in the sight of all 
 men." — Rom. xii. 17. "Having your conversation honest 
 among tiio Gentiles : that, whereas they speak against you 
 as evil doers, they may, by your gootl works, which thoy 
 shftll bidiolil, glorify God in the (hiy of visitation. SubmU 
 yourselveoi to ev.>ry ordinance of man for the Lord's sake : 
 whether it Iw to the king, as supreme ; or unto governors, 
 as unto ihrm that are sent by hini for the punishment of evil 
 doeri, Mid for the praise of theui that du well, for so i« th* 
 
to SEEK THB SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 125 
 
 will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the 
 ignorance of foolish men."— 1 Peter ii. 12—15. Those 
 walk most inconsistently who, while professing godliness, take 
 every advantage of their fellow-men in the way of business, 
 who refuse to pay their just debts in due season, and who 
 cheat the revenue of the country by their smuggling practi- 
 ces. Sinners observe these things, and they are another 
 stumbling-block in the way of their salvation. 
 * To act consistently with our profession, we must exhibit 
 genuine benevolence to Die unfortunate, the poor, and the afflict- 
 ed. Read the tenth chapter of Luke, from the 25th to the 
 37th verse, and in the parable of that good Samaritan you 
 will discover how a Christian ought to act to all his fellow- 
 creatures who are overtaken by calamities. " Now there 
 was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which, by 
 interpretation, is Dorcas : this woman was full of good works 
 and alms-deeds which she did." — Acts ix. 36. She died ; 
 but she was so beloved, that the disciples sent for Peter to 
 raise her again ; and when he came, " All the widows stood 
 by him weeping, and showing the garments which Dorcas 
 made, while she was with them." Blessed woman ! Con- 
 sistent saint 1 Tliy light was not put under a bushel, nor 
 were thy labours ineffectual. Witness the anxiety of the 
 disciples to have her restored, and the flowing tears of the 
 weepuig widows. " But whoso hath this world's goods, and 
 seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of 
 compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" 
 
 1 John iii. 17. It may dwell in his creed, but it dwelleth not 
 
 in his heart. "Pure religion, and undefiled before God and 
 the Father istliis, To visit the fatherless and widows in their 
 affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." — 
 James vii. 27. That professor of religion who has means at 
 his command, and helps not the unfortunate, relieys not the 
 pressing wants of the poor, and visits not the afllicted, acts 
 most inconsistently whh his profession. Sinners see this 
 gross neglect of duty, and this is another stumbling-block in 
 the way of their salvation. 
 
 To act consistently with our profession, we must attend 
 faithfully to the discharge of all domestic and relative duties, 
 ••But if any widow have children or nephews, lot them 
 learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents : 
 for that is good and acceptable before GocI But if any 
 
 Provide not ior his own, and specially for those of his owa 
 . . . , .. /. ..1 1 • ^l „ Irifi^nl "_«. 
 
 housei ho haih dcjiicd ihu fuUi";, aud 13 won 
 
 
186 
 
 THl OBLIGATIOKS OT CHRISTIAKS 
 
 1 Tim. T. 4, 8. It would be well for every Christian to read 
 thw chapter to the end of the 16ih verse. The relative 
 dutiea of Christians, as husbands and wives, parenti and 
 children, servants and masters, and subjects, are clearly ex- 
 p ained and powerfully enforced in Ephesians v. 22, 33 -and 
 
 1 \r? V '" ^^^ ^^""^^ °^^^® 2«^ chapter of Titus, and also 
 the 3rd chapter, 1, 2 verses. 
 
 These are the good works that Christians must perform 
 to be consistent with their profession. We ought to provoke 
 one another to love and good works. Some professors of reli. 
 gwn are ever decrying good works : but we must not heed 
 their clamour; for Paul says, "This is a faithful saying, 
 and these thmgs I will also that thou affirm constantly, that 
 they which have believed in God be careful to maintain good 
 
 works. These things are good and profitable to men And 
 
 let ours also lenrn to maintain good works for necessary uses,, 
 that they be not unfruitful."— Titus iii. 8, 14. And in our 
 text the Saviour says, «' Let your light so shine before men, 
 that they may see your good works.'' And if wo do not 
 walk m purity, in peace, in uprightness, in benevolence, and 
 fahhfully discharge all our domestic and relative duties, de- 
 pend upon it we shall become accessories to the ruin of im- 
 mortal souls, and shall be lost ourselves at last. 
 
 To ACT CONSISTENTLY WITH OUR PROFESSION, OUR LIGHT 
 MOST SHINE IN THAT MANNER THAT WILL ATTRACT THE AT- 
 
 TBNTiON OF OUR FELLOW-MEN. «' Lct your light SO shins 
 before men, that they way sec your good works." That 
 which the eye sees not, the heart feels not. That which we 
 know not, can have no influence upon us. And here the 
 queslion arises, how must our light shine so that men may 
 see our good works ? The Saviour says, '• Let your light so 
 shine." The word so is very expressive. It signifies in 
 «uoh ft manner, and to such a degree This adverb is used 
 to express the infinite love of God in the gift of his Son. 
 " God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.'^ 
 The love of God is indiscril)able : there is an eternity of 
 meaning in the particle so in this passage. God so loved the 
 world, in such a manner, and to such a degree, that ho gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believcth in him might 
 not perish but have everlasting life. The word so in ouf 
 text expresses the thought, that we must let our light shine 
 In that manner, and to that decree, that men may bo convert- 
 
 UU Vj u. 
 
|n 
 
 TO SEEK TBB SALrxflOH 09 SOtTLS. 
 
 12t 
 
 Tb secure this end, our light, must shine hrilliantly, A dull 
 light is not of much use. It cnly makes darkness the mow 
 gloomy. Our path must he like the shining light, increasing 
 in brilliancy to the perfect day. There must be on our part 
 entire consecration of ourselves to God's service. We must 
 not leave mon in doubt whether we are the Lord's or not. 
 Wo must unite with God's church, and ever be found zeal- 
 ously labouring in some of the departments of Christian 
 labour which the churcii has for the talents of every lover of 
 Christ. We must so act in the church, and in the world, 
 that no one for a moment can hesitate whether wo are pious 
 or not. We must never perform any doubtful actions ; but 
 we must act so conscicn'i )U^ly, humbly, and benevolently, 
 that all who have any knowl.d<;e of us may be forced to 
 confi'ss, if thry spnak the truth, that we are Christians indeed, 
 in wham is no jjruile. Wo must so live, that all men nf)ay see 
 that God's glory and man's spiritual and eternal welfare are 
 the ends wo seek ; and not our own personal ease, personal 
 interest, and personal agjjrandiz "ment. Our conduct must be 
 brilliant : for we must (exhibit holiness in its beauty and in its 
 power, in all we do, before men will glorify our Father who 
 is in heaven. And when the mon of the world are fully con- 
 vinced, by our good W(»rks, that we are Christians indeed, 
 then they will feel lh(! force of every prayer, pay attention to 
 every statement, and weigh well every reproof which passes 
 our lips. The tenor of our lives will fill them with admira- 
 tion, and powerfully constrain them to seek the religion of 
 Jesus. 
 
 To secure the salvation of souls, our light must shine steadu 
 ly. Our conduct must not bo as inconstant as a revolving 
 light if we would benefit the .souls of men. We must not at 
 one time l)o warm and active in religion, and at another cold 
 and sluggish ; but we must every day, every week, every 
 tnonth, and every year of our lives, till God calls us to heav- 
 en, 8tea(]i!y seek those things which are above, and steadily 
 aim at the salvation of men. If there is any staggering in 
 our deportment, sinners see it immediately, and lay hold of 
 our inconsistency as an argument why they should not beoom« 
 pious. Unsteady professors of rciligion ciiuso the ungodly to 
 reason thus : " These unsteady professors puzzle us. Snmo. 
 times they are so affect ionato, and persuasive, and zealous, 
 that they almost persuade us to bo Christians ; at others, they 
 are so cold, and shy, and distant, that we are puzzled to think 
 
 18.'^ Thus the little unswadi. 
 
 
 sty 
 
 what 
 
 ol a thing rcligi 
 
138 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIAIfS 
 
 iless which many Christians manifest in the manner of their 
 intercouse with the ungodly, at different times, has a very bad 
 influence on their minds. But, when that unsteadiness ex- 
 tends to principle and actions, its influence is tenfold more in- 
 jurious. When professors of religion are found at times 
 guilty of a violation of principle to gain their ends, or when 
 they commit really sinful acts, through un watch fulness, or 
 any other cause, the men of the world mark those deviations 
 from rectitude and purity, and are often heard to express 
 themselves thus: " These profcssoi-s of religion are an awful 
 people. They are sometimes so devotional in spirit, so regu- 
 lar in speech, so pious in action, that they win our afFec 
 tions, and almost compel us to be pious; but at others, 
 they manifest such a worldly spirit, give way to such improp- 
 er discourse, and perform such wicked acts, that we are 
 ashamed of thoni and the religion they profess." Let any 
 professor of religion manifest, at any time, a bitter, revenge- 
 ful spirit ; let him indulge only at times in impure or mali- 
 cious conversation ; let him now and then get drunk, or tell 
 lies, or cheat his fellow-men, or do any thing else that is evil, 
 and he does a greater injury to religion, puts a greater 
 barrier in the way ot tlie salvation of the souls of men, than 
 all the infidels in the town in which he resides could do ia 
 twelve months. The men of the world charge our inconsis- 
 tencies on the religion we profess ; and hence, it is of the 
 utmost importance that Christians have their hearts establish- 
 ed with grace, and that they see to it that their spirit, and 
 conversation, and actions, are ever as it becometh the gospel. 
 Let, then, your light shine steadily, if you would give no 
 sinner ground for profaning the name of the Lord, and for 
 excusing himself from becoming a Christian. 
 
 T\) secure the salvation of souls, our light must shine con. 
 ttantly. We must be Christians indeed, under all circum- 
 stances, at all tiuies, and in all places, if we would save our 
 fellow-men from sin and death. We must be Christians in- 
 deed, in prosperity and adversity, in health and in sickness, 
 in safety and in danger, in evil report and good report. Wo 
 must be Christians indeed, through the week as well as on 
 the Sabbath, on high-days and holidays, as well on the ordi- 
 nary days of our mortal existence. We must be Christians 
 every where, at homo and abroad, in the market, in the store, 
 Ml the family circle, as well as in the sanctuary ; we must 
 exhibit the mind of the Saviour, and show to all that we have 
 ^„ ,n.. Lioro jcaUa v^nxist. \jur iraaesmen, our Wofk- 
 
to SEEIC tTR SALVATION Ot SOTTtS. 
 
 l«tf 
 
 men, our servants, our wives, our children, our relations, oUr 
 neighbours, our casual acquaintance, and all with whom we 
 come in contact, must both see and feel that we afe in reality 
 what we profess to be— sincere followers of the blessed Re- 
 deemer, who knew no sin, and in whose mouth was found no 
 guile, and then sinners will b6 benefitted by our light. If we 
 are Christians in everything; if in all our dealings with 
 mankind, under all circumstances, at all times, and in all 
 places, we exhibit the knowledge, the integrity, the purity, 
 the benevolence of the sincere Christian, men will see our 
 good works, and will, most assuredly, glorify our Father in 
 heaven. 
 
 This consistency of conduct, on the part of chris- 
 tians, IS absolutely needed to save souls. 
 
 It is needed because the men of the world form their esti- 
 mate of religion by the conduct of its jrrqfessors. Men, ir* 
 their unconverted state, do not form their views of religion 
 from the doctrines and precepts of the Bible. They seldom 
 read the Bible ; and its truths they neither understand nor 
 believe. They look to the lives of professors for proofs of the 
 truth and value of religion. They think that if the religion 
 of Jesus be good, it will produce good fruits in the lives of its 
 professors. The men of the world are eminently practical 
 men, and they want to see practical proofs of the •ellency 
 of religion before they embrace it. And, therefore, when a 
 profess'or of religion walks inconsistently, disorderly, the mon 
 of the world do not merely blame the inconsistent professor, 
 but they charge his inconsistencies on the religion he profess- 
 es. Christians are the epistles of Christ, read and known of 
 all men ; and when any of these epistles are soiled by irregu- 
 larities, blotted by inconsistencies, those who read them re. 
 gard the Saviour in a very unfavourable light. Commercial 
 men have repeatedly told us, that they would sooner do busi- 
 ness with the men of the world than with professors of re- 
 ligion ; for there is such shuffling and dishonesty with many 
 professors, that they are afraid of dealing with any. What 
 a foul blot is this upon the Christian name ! What an injury 
 to the cause of Christ ! What an impediment to the sal va- 
 tlon of souls ! To wipe away this blot, to repair this injury, 
 to remove this impediment, Christians must let their light 
 shine so brilliantly, so steadily, so constantly, that they may 
 fhr ever put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. W» 
 gay, put to silence the ignorance of foolish men ; for the coiv. 
 
Ir^ 
 
 130 
 
 THIS OBLISATIOKS 01 CHEISTIANS 
 
 >'^ 
 
 duct of professors is no argument against religion it^lf, any 
 more than the existence of counterfeit money is a reason why 
 we should refuse to receive and use the sterling gold. If all 
 the professors of religion in the world were hypocrites, the 
 religion of Chnst would be still the same; would have 
 the same paramount claims on the intellect, affections, and 
 practice of man, as it would if every professor of religion in 
 the world were an Israelite indeed. ' If there were no sterling 
 metal, there could be no base coin ; and if there were no 
 genuine religion, there could be no hypocrisy. But, still, 
 we must deal with men as we find them ; and as the uncon- 
 verted do form their estimate of the worth of religion from 
 the conduct of its professors, there must be consistency in 
 the deportment of Christians, if the ungodly are to be saved. 
 
 This consistency of conduct is needed, because it will do 
 more to convince and convert Vie ungodJy than any thing else 
 we can imagine. Had we the twjgues of men aod of aneels • 
 could we address sinners on the subject of religion iu' the 
 highest strains of human eloqence, or in the sweetesi notes 
 ot angelic oratory, still, without consistency of conduct, wc 
 could produce no lasting impression on their minds, anu effect 
 no saving good in their hearts and lives. Had wo the gifl 
 of prophecy, and undRrstood all mysteries, and all knowledge ; 
 had we faith so that we could remove mountains; had we 
 the highest degree of human benevolence, and oven a mar- 
 tyr s zeal ; yet, without consistency of conduct, we should 
 profit sinners nothing : sinnners would regard all we said and 
 did as a .splendid cheat— a gilded lie ; and though they might 
 weep under our eloquence, and stand amazed at our gifts, yet 
 their hearts would remain as hard as a stone. No peni- 
 tence for sin, no faith in Christ, no love to the Redeemer, no 
 serious determination to forsake sin and to turn to God, would 
 be produced in their hearts. After all our efforts, they would 
 contmue in the valley of sin and death, and urge onw(,rd in 
 the way that leads ;o destruction. But when there is con- 
 sistency of conduct on our part, then a yery diflferent 
 result follows. Sinners then believe we are in earnest; 
 they feel that wc mean what we say ; they believe that it is 
 the deep conviction of the truth of what we utter, that 
 causes us to interest ouraeJwcs on their belialf. Oil r holy 
 lives carry conviction to their minds ; deiiaonatrate to them 
 tw truth and value of ireUgion ; and l»enoe they are troubled 
 on account of their sins, aiod iattenscly desire to be delivered 
 
to Sfiglf tH« SALVATIOH OfF SOttL^. 
 
 181 
 
 dnostentatious piety of a real Ghristian, he is ashamed of his 
 own wickec.icss, and wi^es to be like that truly good man. 
 "G?" says he, "if I were only like that gooid man, how 
 happy should I be, and how happy would my family be! 
 And why cannot I be like him ? He was once as great a 
 sinner as I am now ; it is religion that has made the differ- 
 ence ; by the help of God 1 will seek it, and see if it will not 
 effect as great a change in me, as it has done in him." In- 
 fluenced by your zealous efforts, and won by the consistency 
 of your conduct, sinners begin to seek the Lord with their 
 whole hearts, and soon begin to live 
 
 " All the life of heaven above, 
 All the life of glorious love." 
 
 Hundreds and thousands have, by the example of consistent 
 believers, been induced thus to think, and feel, and act. This 
 you know is truth. If, then, you wish to save souls, it is 
 absolutely necessary for you to manifest Christian consisten- 
 cy in all your deportment. Let your light so shine before 
 men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 father which is in heaven. 
 
 Consistency of conduct is needed to secure the blessing of 
 God upon our efforts to save souls. If we do not act consist- 
 ently with our profession, Jehovah will not smile upon our 
 endeavours, and succeed our labours. " But unto the wicked 
 God saith. What hast thou to do to declare my statutes) or 
 that thou shouldest take my words into thy mouth ? Seeing 
 thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. 
 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and 
 hast been partakers with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth 
 to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and 
 speakest against thy brother, and slanderest thine own mother's 
 son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ; thou 
 thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself j but 
 I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." 
 — Psalm 1. 16 — 21. Read this passage, ye inconsistent pro- 
 fessors of religion, and you will discover that God, instead 
 of blessing your efforts, to the convertion of souls, will 
 reprove you for your inconsistencies, and set them in order 
 before your eyes. You may abhor the detestable vices of 
 theft and uncleanness ; but if you give your mouths to evil, 
 and your tongues frame deceit ; yea, more, if you only sit 
 and speak against your brother, and indulge in slander, these 
 glaring inconsistencies will shut God's mtM-cifnl ears to your 
 prayers, and cause him to withhold his blessing trom your 
 
132 
 
 Tftfi OBLIGATIONS OP C&RISTIANS 
 
 labours. He will often reprove you for these inconsistencies, 
 and set ihem in order before your eyes, by the very sinners 
 you wish to benefit. They will not fail to remind you of 
 your inconsistencies, when you reprove them of sin, and 
 exhort them to forsake it. Your duty to God and the souls 
 of men require you to rectify every thing that is wrong in 
 yourselves. Christ has raised you up to reflect the honour 
 oi God upon the woild, and guide the erring sons of men to 
 truth, to holiness, to heaven ; therefore, you should remove 
 every inconsistency from your hearts and lives, so that by 
 them you may not obscure the glory of God, and obstruct tlw 
 salvation of men. 
 
 " Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord," that God 
 may bless your labours; and that sinners, instead of beinc 
 repelled, by your inconsistencies, may be drawn to Christ by 
 your beauty and your strength. "Awake, awake: riut on 
 thy strength, O Zion ; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jer- 
 usalem, the holy city :" that God may be with you in his 
 saving power, and that sinners, attracted by your beauty 
 and conquered by your strength, may " Ask the way to Zion,' 
 with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join 
 ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant, which shall 
 not be forgotten."— Jer. li. 5. 
 
 Consider 
 
 in. The motive by which it is urged. 
 ^ The motive which urges us to this consistency is, that 
 sinners may be brought to glorify our Father who is in hea- 
 ven. God s glory is always the same in itself; but he is said 
 to be glorified by whatever makes his glory manifest to the 
 minds of his intelligent creatures. The conversion of sin- 
 ners most strikingly displays the Glory of God. In this 
 event we behold the glory of his infinite wisdom, his inflexi. 
 ble justice, Ins alinijhty power, and his boundless love. 
 
 Sinners, who arc injluenccd hy your holy example to seek 
 religion, will glorify God in their conversion. When seek- 
 mg the forgiveness of sin and the regeneration of their 
 hearts, they will glorify God by a candid confession of their 
 own guilt, pollution, misery and danger ; by a free and full 
 acknowledgement of their desert of eternal punishment • by 
 grateful thanksgivings to God ior not having dealt with them 
 according to their sins, nor rewarding them according to 
 their miquitities. They will glorify God by accepting salva. 
 tion freely through Clirist Jesus : owniui? that thnv oannM h- 
 
)nsistencies, 
 very sinners 
 tnind you of 
 
 of 
 
 sin. 
 
 and 
 
 id the souls 
 is wrong in 
 the honour 
 s of men to 
 >uld remove 
 , so that by 
 obstruct tlM 
 
 " that God 
 ad of being 
 o Christ by 
 ke ; pfut oD 
 !nts, O Jer- 
 
 you in his 
 ur beauty, 
 ay to Zion, 
 
 let us join 
 vhich shall 
 
 y is, that 
 ) is in hea« 
 t he is said 
 Test to the 
 lion of sin- 
 In this 
 his inflexi. 
 love. 
 
 ole to seek 
 ^hen seek- 
 1 of their 
 in of their 
 e and full 
 ment^ by 
 with them 
 jording to 
 ing salva> 
 
 nnnnnt ha 
 
 t» SEEI TftE SALTATION OP SOULS. 
 
 139 
 
 forgiven, and cannot be renewed only through the blood and 
 Spirit of the Lord Jesus. Thus they will magnify his grace. 
 They will glorify God at the time of their conversion by of- 
 fering sincere and supreme praise to God, for his goodness, 
 saying, " O Lord, I will praise thee : though thou wast an- 
 gry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfort- 
 est me. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within 
 me bless and praise his holy name." 
 
 " Now in a song of grateful praise, 
 To my dear Lord my voice I'll raise ; 
 With all his saints I'll j6in to tell. 
 My Jesus has done all things well. 
 
 How sovereign, wonderful and free. 
 Has been his love to sinful me : 
 This pluck'd me from the jaws of hell : 
 My Jesus has done all things well. 
 
 I ppurn'd his grace, I broke his laws. 
 And yet he und<?rtook my cause, 
 To save me, though I did rebel : 
 My Jesus has done all things well." 
 
 Thus will the converted sinner praise God ; and not only 
 
 so; but 
 
 *' Then will he tell to sinners round, 
 What a dear Saviour he has found ; 
 Hell point io his redeeming blood. 
 And scy. Behold the way to God !" 
 
 " Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me," says the living and 
 the true God ; and such glory will be given to him by every 
 saved sinner, at the time of his conversion. 
 
 Sinners, who are brought to God by your consistent labours, 
 will glorify your Father in heaven by their subsequent conduct. 
 They will be found "ordering their conversation aright;" 
 *• Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the 
 Lord blameless." Being made free from sin, and having 
 become the servants of God, they will have their fruit unto 
 holiness. They will now ditfer so much from their former 
 selves, that the men of the world will take knowledge of 
 them that they have been with Jesus. Christ having bestow- 
 ed upon them the blessings of his grace ; upon them being 
 found .he fruits of righteousness, men will call them "trees 
 of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might bo 
 glorified." " Doing justly, loving mercy, walking humbly 
 with God," they will become agents in the salvation of others. 
 They will not bo stitisficd with eating their morsel alone ; but 
 they will want otiiers to share with them the bread of life. 
 
 12 
 

 THB OBLlftATlOKS Of caRISflAKS 
 
 According to their ability they will tell their friends what 
 great things the Lord has done for them : how he has opened 
 their blind eyes, clothed them with the garments of salvation 
 enriched them with his grace, and made them happy in hia 
 love ; and they will counsel their fellow sinners to come to 
 Jesus, and buy of him gold tried in the fire, that they may be 
 rich ; and white raiment, that Ihcy may be clothed, and that 
 t!»e shame of tfwir nakedness may not appear : and anoint 
 their eyes with eye salvo that they may see. Thus will they 
 glorify God, by causing others to come to him for that salva- 
 Hon which is more precious than rubies, more valuable than 
 life. 
 
 Sinners, who arc, brought to God hyyour consistent labours, 
 will glorify God in their eternal salvation. It is said in the 
 second of 'J'hessaloiiians, that at the last day Christ will 
 " come to be glorified in jiis saints, and to be admired in all 
 them that bnli,.vo." And, my Christian brethren, then will 
 those men who sre your good works, and tlirough them glorify 
 your Father who is in hoavrn, " appear with Christ in glory/* 
 They will sti.nd forth in tbo sight of an assembled world, to 
 the prais.! of (Jod's glorious grace, nnd will |,e found ascri- 
 bing their salvation to the grace of God as its eflicicnt caUse, 
 and to your consistent labours as the cfiectual means. God 
 will be glorifieii in the last day by the sinners whou' iu have 
 saved: for then all the world will see what tin rraco of 
 God has done for their souls in fitting them for eternal life. 
 Then it will be scon that the <rlorious gospel of the grace of 
 God, which so many desf»ise, does raise the ignorant, depra- 
 ved and di/ih^d sinner, wlio believes it and obeys it, from 
 darkness to light, from s(>lfishness to love, from defilement to 
 liolincss, from hell to heaven. The sinners whom you bring 
 by letting your light shine brilliantly, steadily, and constant' 
 ly, to glorify your Father who is in heaven, will be eternally 
 found loving, adoring, and serving the great I Am. They 
 will glorify (Jod in the sweetest aiid loftiest songs of praise • 
 for they will ever be found ascribing their "salvation to God 
 and the lianib." 
 
 Is not this a sutlieient motive to induce a profi'ssing chris- 
 tian to let his light shine as it ought ? Do you wish your 
 Father in het'vt-n thus to b(> gh. rilled in the conversion of 
 sinners, in their sMbsKjU'iit holy lives, and in their final 
 salvation^ If you do, you tmisi act consistently with the 
 l!!|^h HtuliiHi ynu fill .-IS tho light of liio worlij. 'You may 
 think you want sinners saved, and God glorified; but you 
 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOtJLS. 
 
 135 
 
 ids what 
 IS opened 
 lalvation, 
 py in hia 
 > come to 
 y may be 
 and that 
 id anoint 
 will they 
 lat salva- 
 ible than 
 
 labours, 
 id in the 
 irist will 
 •ed in all 
 then will 
 n glorify 
 1 glory.'* 
 vorld, to 
 nd ascri- 
 It catise, 
 s. God 
 
 m have 
 (rnco of 
 rnal life, 
 ^raco of 
 , dnpra- 
 it, IVom 
 L'tncnt to 
 n bring, 
 onstant- 
 tornally 
 Tliey 
 
 priiiso J 
 1 to God 
 
 g chris> 
 sh your 
 ■rsion of 
 ir final 
 nth the 
 m may 
 but you 
 
 are certainly deceived, you do not really desire these things, 
 if you do not ** Lot your light 3o shine before men, that they 
 may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in 
 lieaven." On the consistency ot your conduct, as you have 
 seen in this discourse, in a groat measure depends the salva- 
 tion of men and the glory of God. Arc you acting, then, 
 consistently with your profession ? Examine yourselves. 
 We can all, readily enough, discover the inconsistencies of 
 others ; but are we ourselves free from all inconsistencies in 
 spirit, in speech, and in action ? Have we always manifest- 
 ed that patience, that readiness to forgive, that carefulness 
 in conversation to avoid all injurious words, and that resolute 
 determination to do no wrong act, which Wf* ought to have 
 manifested ? Ah, brethren, none of us can lay our hands 
 UjX)n our hearts and say that we have always acted as the 
 lights of the world ought to have acted ! We con all, per- 
 haps, call to mind many inconsistencies, and at this time we 
 stand guilty before God. Behold, there is " A fountain open- 
 ed to the house of David, and to the inhabii.mts of .Terusa- 
 lem, for sin and uncleanness." — Zech. xiii. 1. Let us all, 
 both leading men and members, in Christ's church, go to 
 that fountain ; for we all need its cleansing waters ; and let 
 us wash away the guilt und defilement of our past inconsis- 
 tencies, and obtain grace to enable us, in future, to *' Let our 
 light so shine before men, that they muy see oui good works 
 
 and glorify our Father who is in heaven :" then Christ 
 our master will say to our accusers, " lie that is without sin, 
 let him first cast a stone," and none having the hardihood to 
 do this, through being convicted of their own guilt, Jesus 
 will say to each of us, " Neither do I condemn thee : go, and 
 sin no more." In future let us ever bear in mind our deep 
 responsibility, and watch against every being that would 
 
 tempt, and every thing that would leod us to .'orget our dut 
 to Christ and the sou" 
 say unto all, Watch." 
 
 to Christ and the souls of men. •• What I say unto you 
 
 u.^ 
 
 Ye hy|X)crites and formalists, wo beseech you by the ten- 
 der mercies of God, by the death of Christ, by the love of 
 the Spirit, by the worth of souls, to seek and obtain true re- 
 ligion. You can never act, as true Christians act, until you 
 obtain the saving grace of (JikI. What pleasure can you 
 possibly find in dishonouring God, in woundinc Christ, in 
 
 prinvinii' thn IIolv Rnirif 
 your numerous 
 
 "•ssion 
 
 II till 
 
 in riiinirirr llm 
 
 id glaring inconsistencies '/ Vou need not 
 give up your profession, but give up your hypocrisy and for. 
 
 
•Il" 
 
 136 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 mality. If you think the semblance of piety so good, the 
 form of godliness so excellent, as to cause you to make a 
 profession of religion, depend upon it the substance of reli- 
 gion and the power of Godliness are much better. Yoft 
 
 Srofess to be light in the Lord ; but, depend upon it, ye are in 
 arkness ; and can be of no benefit to man until you are 
 enlightened and saved. " The light of the body is the eye ; 
 therefore when tliino eye is single, thy whole body also is 
 full of light ; but when thine eye is evil, thy body is full of 
 darkness." Your eye is evil ; you do not singly aim at the 
 glory of God and the salvation of men. You profess reli- 
 gion, but only to gain your own pleasure, your own profit, 
 your own honour. If you persist in this course, you will be 
 ruined, and have the mortification, in eternity, to find tha^ you 
 have ruined others. To you the following passage of God's 
 word justly applies: — "Behold all ye that kindle a fire, 
 that compass yourselves about with sparks ; walk in the 
 
 light of your fire; and in the sparks that ye have kindled, 
 This shall ye (have of mine hand ; Ye shall lie down in sor- 
 row." — Isaiah 1. 11. Away with your hypocrisy and form- 
 alitv ; and seek, by genuine repentance toward God, true 
 faith in the Redeemer's blood, and earnest prayer, the con- 
 version of your souls, oi- you will bo destroyed witliout rein- 
 ed} 
 
 Unsteady professor of religion, when wilt thou become 
 steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the 
 Lord ? When wilt thou all()rd the world a brilliant, steady, 
 constant light t Ti»o wavering of thy light gives men false 
 views of religion, leads them astray from God, causes them 
 to wander from the paths of peace, and will send them down 
 to hell. Let your constant prayer to the blessed Saviour be, 
 until your heart is established with grace,— 
 
 «' Jeaus, thy nil victorious love, 
 
 8iic(l in my heart ubroud ; 
 Tht'ii Bhtill my feet no Icnufr rove. 
 
 Rooted nnd lixcd in God." 
 
 Unless you do become establis!>ed in grace, you will eror 
 bo miserable yourselves, ever a source of uneasiness to the 
 church of Christ, and ever a stumbling block in the way of 
 •inneni. 
 
 •• And let every one that nameth the name of Christ de- 
 part from iniquity." — 2 Tim. ii. 19. Remember, the oyo» 
 of the world are ever upon you, and ihoy are watching for 
 your halting ; but never forget that the eyes of the Lord art 
 
TSfi OBLIGATIONS OP CHSISTIANS 
 
 137 
 
 upon you, and he will render unto you according to your 
 works. 
 
 Ye men of the world, who make the inconsistencies of the 
 professors of religion a reason for not being pious, remem- 
 ber, that their inconsistencies do not justify your wickedness. 
 You are not warranted in rejecting the gospel, in refusing to 
 love God, in crucifying Christ, and in doing despite to the 
 Spirit of grace, because some professors act inconsistently 
 with the religion which they profess. You know what a 
 Christian should be, or you would not know when profes- 
 sors act inconsistently : and what a Christian should &c, 
 your duty, your interest, your honour, your eternal safety 
 require you to be. You cannot think of escaping the dam- 
 nation of hell, if you reject the gospel of Christ, and refuse 
 to live according to its requirements : or, if you do think so, 
 you are only deceiving yourselves. " Be not deceived, God 
 is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he 
 also reap." " Repent and be converted, that your sins may 
 be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from 
 the presence of the Lord.'' 
 
hlflfi 
 if t 
 
 1 1) 
 
DISCOURSE vm. 
 
 THE DUTY OP CHRISTIANS TO GIVE A REASON OF THE HOPH 
 THAT IS IN THEM, THAT SOULS MAY BE SAVED. 
 
 •♦ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts ; and be ready always to 
 give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that 
 ie in you, with meekness and fear." — 1 Peter iii. 15. 
 
 The first Christians had to suffer grievous persecutions. 
 The Jews, aa a nation, regarded Christ as an imposter, and 
 his followers as deceivers, who wanted to subvert the religion 
 of their forefathers. On this account they hitterly persecu- 
 ted the adherents of Christianity in every form that religious 
 bigotry coiild invent and implacable iiatrcd could accomplish. 
 
 The heathen regarded Christianity as an absurdity, and its 
 adherents as fanatics"; hence they reproached the followers 
 of Christ, held them up to ridicule and contempt, and perse- 
 cuted them even unto death. 
 
 To fortify the minds of Christians, and enable them to bear 
 calmly and heroically the bitter persecutions of their inhu- 
 man tormentors, Peter quotes the purport of the saying of 
 Isaiah, in the eighth chapter of his prophecy, which reads 
 thus: " Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be 
 your fear, and let hiia bo your dread." *' But sanctify the 
 Lord God in your hearts, says the Apostle in the text. 
 Whoever has tho fear of God before his eyes, the dr^jad of 
 his displeasure in his heart, will never slavicldy fear man, 
 whose breath is in his nostrils, who can only kill tho body, 
 and after that can do no more. The fear oi" God in tho heart, 
 will destroy tho fear of corporeal suffering, and will cause a 
 man to go through any bodily allliciions with patience and 
 fortitude ; because ihi man who possesses this fear knows 
 that if he displeases Jehovah, by sinking under his trit.ls, or 
 by disowning his name, to escape the temporal woes to which 
 he is exposed, Ciod has the jxiwer to cast him, body and soul, 
 into hell fire ; Where their worm dieth not, and where tht 
 fire is never quenched. 
 
 in order to &t<>p the mouth of guinsayera, and to convinos 
 them of the truth, the value, and the roasQubluness of th« 
 
i 'I 
 
 mi 
 
 r lit- 
 
 li: :\- 
 
 hf 
 
 140 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Christian religion, Peter charges Christians to '« Be ready al. 
 ways to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason 
 of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Having a 
 good conscience ; thai, whereas thcjy speak evil of you, as of 
 evil doers, they may he ashamed that falsely accuse your 
 good conversation in Christ." We are not now subjected to 
 such bitter persecutions as were the first Christians ^; but still 
 It behoves us to have the fear of God before our eyes, and in 
 our hearts, and to be ready always to give an answer to 
 every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in us 
 with meekness and fear. * 
 
 The cause of Christ has often suffered through the igno- 
 ranee of some of its professors, who could not, when asked, 
 give a clear, scriptural, satisfactory reason of their hope ; 
 and fVom the pride, presumption, and insolence of others, 
 who would not give a civil answer to those who have asked ^ 
 reason of the hope which is in them. It is of the utmost im. 
 portance to the welHiro of religion and the salvation of souls 
 that Christians should be able to give a satisfactory reason of 
 their hope of heaven, to every man that asks for one • norig 
 It of less importance that they should do this in the spirit of 
 Christianity, i. e., with meekness and fear. These being 
 matters of paramount importance, you, as Christians, are 
 commanded by the Holy Spirit to " Sanctify the Lord God in 
 your hearts : and be ready always to give an answer to every 
 man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with 
 meekness and fear." 
 
 In discussing this subject, we shall consider, 
 
 I. The hope which the Cliristian possesses. 
 
 II. The duty of the Christian to be always r^ady to give 
 an answer to every man that asketh a reason of that hope? 
 
 HI. Tlie manner in which the Christian should airtwef ^he 
 quest; ons proiKwed respecting his hope. 
 
 I. The hope which the Christian possesses. 
 
 Hope is the desire and expectation of future gfwv!. A good 
 writer justly observes :— " Man would l)o a very miserable 
 befng were ho not endowed with hoi)e ; hope quickens all 
 \1a i!_: r ^i?'.^'"! ^^^V* ^''*^ '"'"f^ awake in her most 
 
 r"lf Tl """^^" ^'" '^'"'^ "' ^'^*' '^ ^ *'"PPy *• »hat which is 
 lull ot hope; especiQlly when the hope is w«ll grounded, and 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOtTLS. 
 
 141 
 
 ready al- 
 I a reason 
 Having a 
 rou, as of 
 use your 
 jjected to 
 
 but still 
 D, and in 
 nswer to 
 
 is in us, 
 
 the igno. 
 in asked, 
 rr hope ; 
 f others, 
 
 asked ^ 
 moiSt im- 
 of eouls 
 eoson of 
 i ; nor is 
 
 spirit of 
 ie being 
 ins, are 
 I God in 
 to every 
 ou, Vfitk 
 
 ' to give 
 lope. 
 
 weir the 
 
 A good 
 iserable 
 (ens all 
 5r most 
 I'hich is 
 ed, and 
 
 
 trhen the object of it is in its nature fitted to make the person 
 happy who entertains it." 
 
 The hope of the believer is glorious in its objects. " Rejoice 
 in hope of the glory of God." — Rom. v. 2. "And hope to 
 the end for the grace which shall be brought unlo you at the 
 revelation of Jesus Christ."— 1 Peter i. 13. By the Glory 
 of God, in the first of these passages, is meant, that exalted 
 state of blissful perfection, which is the portion of those who 
 dwell with God in heaven. The passage might justly be 
 rendered : " Rejoicing in hope of the Glory which God will 
 bestow." Heaven may be justly termed the Glory of God, 
 because there he sits enthroned in celestial splendour : there 
 he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto ; 
 and there he imparts glory, honour, and eternal life to all who 
 dwell with lum in that exalted state of glory and blessedness. 
 By the grace which shall be brought unto believers at the 
 revelation of Jesus Christ, we understand the resurrection of 
 the body, and the complete glorification of the body and soul 
 of the believer, when Christ shall comt to' judge the world. 
 These two passages embrace the great objects of the believer's 
 hope. His hope respects a future state of being; and is 
 fixed on the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the 
 body, the glory of God, and an eternal life of glory and bliss 
 in the presence of God and the Lamb. All men have hope ; 
 but the hope of the believer differs from the hope of the rest 
 of mankind in its objects. The hope of men is fixed on the 
 things which are seen ; but the believer's hope is fixed on the 
 things which are not seen. The hope of mm is bounded by 
 the narrow limits of earth, and the time that measures it ; 
 but the hope of the believer extends far beyond the confines 
 of earth, and reaches though eternity. The rich of this 
 world, who have no iiope of heaven, trust in their wealth, 
 and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches ; their 
 inward thought is, yea, their highest hope is, that their 
 houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to 
 all generations ; they call their lands after their own names. 
 The poor, who are destitute of Christian hope, expect to rise 
 above their present wretched state, r.nd gain a sufllei(M)cy of 
 temporal good, to free them from the privations of poverty 
 and the sorrows of indigency. In all the various walks of 
 human life, unrenewed men have no higher hope than that 
 which relates to the present world. But iT in this life only 
 Christians have hope in Christ, liiey are of all men the moaX 
 miserable. For the »ake pf Christ tbey have givofl uj> th« 
 
 fLi 
 
k*# 
 
 143 
 
 l-HE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 Ji 
 
 world, they abstain from fleshly lusts, they enjoy not the 
 pleasures of sin, which are for a season : therefore, if their 
 hope extends no further than this world, they are indeed of 
 all men the most miserable. The hope of believers, how- 
 ever, does extend beyond the present life. It embraces 
 eternal thmgs, and rejoices in prospect of the glory of God 
 and of the grace which shall be brought at the revelation of 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 Jhe J^ope of thehelicver is placed on a good foundation. 
 Ihe -Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, 
 which hath loved us, . . . hath given us everlasting consola' 
 tion and good hope through grace— I Thess. ii. 16? Every 
 believer has a well grounded hope of eternal glory, with all 
 Its unspeakaljle and inconceivable blessings. The hope of 
 the be lever is placed on the perfect sacrifice of Christ -—on 
 His all prevalent intercession :— on the promises of a coven- 
 ant kcopmg God :— on the witness of the Holy Spirit to the 
 tact of his adoption into the family of God. These four 
 things are necessary to constitute a sure foundation to rest 
 our hope upon for eternal glory. While a man believes in 
 the sacrifice of Christ, he is pardoned and accepted of God • 
 trusting in the intercession of his risen Lord, he receives 
 grace to help hnn in every time of need : relying upon the 
 promises ot a covenant Icpcping God, he is not only made a 
 partaken;! the divino nature, but he is constantly filled with 
 joy and peace in bolioving, and made to abound in hope by 
 the power of the IToly Ghost : and honouring the Holy Spirit 
 daily by avoiding tliose thing which grieve him, by living in 
 he Spirit and walking in the Spirit, the blessed Comforter 
 ^f -V'f TlTT ^T'^, n^ox^^oxM with his spirit, that he is a 
 chid of Go.! and an heir of heaven. On this foundation the 
 believer places ins hope, and no other foundation can support 
 his hope ; hut who(>ver has his hope placed on this founda- 
 lion, may sing with Wesley : — 
 
 " Fix'd on this frround will I remnin, 
 
 Though my hfnrtfdil nnd flesh decay ; 
 
 'I'his niichor simll my soul Bustnin, 
 
 Wlu-n earth's foundations melt awny ; 
 
 Meroy'H full power I then ehall prove, 
 
 Loved with an everlasting love." 
 
 Some may object to our placing the witness of the Holy 
 Hpirit to the fact of our adoption into the fomiiy of God, as one 
 ol the foundation-stones of the believer's hope of glory. They 
 mayobjeci as long as they please, we dai-e not blot out the 
 sentence j for we cannot conceive how any man can have a 
 
¥6 SttlL TSB SALVATION OF SOT^LS. 
 
 149 
 
 y not the 
 e, if their 
 indeed of 
 'erg, how- 
 embraces 
 y of God, 
 i^elation of 
 
 oundation. 
 ir Father, 
 g consola- 
 . Every 
 , with all 
 e hope of 
 irist :— on 
 ' a coven- 
 lirit to the 
 liese four 
 on to rest 
 elieves in 
 I of God : 
 
 receives 
 
 upon the 
 y made a 
 illed with 
 I hope by 
 3iy Spirit 
 
 living in 
 Comforter 
 
 he is a 
 ation the 
 1 support 
 3 founda- 
 
 he Holy 
 1, as one 
 . They 
 t out the 
 1 have a 
 
 i^easonable, scriptural hope of heaven who does not enjoy the 
 witness of the Holy Spirit to the fact of his adoption into the 
 family of God. We reason thus : before any man can have 
 a scriptural hope of heaven, he must be certain that his sins 
 are pardoned through the blood of Christ ; he must be sure 
 that the saviour intercedes for him ; he must be sure that the 
 promises of God are his : They are all yea and amen to them 
 that are in Christ ; but if a man does not know that he is in 
 Christ Jesus, he cannot claim them as his. Now, how can 
 any man on earth be sure that God has blotted out his sins, 
 that Christ ever pleads for him, that the promises of God's 
 word are[,his, unless the Spirit of God, who searcheth all 
 things, yea, the deep things of God, reveals these things to 
 his soul ? Some say by inductive reasoning. It will not do. 
 " He that leaneth to his own understanding is a fool." Our 
 reason may be bewildered. Our reason cannot find out what 
 is done in heaven. The Spirit of God can only reveal to us 
 what is done there. Our reason, when guided by the Spirit 
 of God, after we have received his witness to the fact of our 
 adoption, may, by comparing our thoughts, motives, words, 
 and actions with the word of God, find collateral proofs of 
 our adoption, to save us from delusion ; but it never can find 
 these proofs without the Spirit's aid, who himself beareth 
 witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God. 
 For ten thousand worlds we would not rest our hope of 
 heaven on anything short of the direct testimony of the Holy 
 Spirit to the fact that we are accepted of God through the be- 
 loved. Home's work on the Spirit did us much harm in our 
 youthful days, and through his rea^sonings we wore led to re- 
 ject the doctrine of the direct testimony of the Spirit to the 
 believer's sonship : and for nearly two years we went on, mak. 
 ing our moan, as Newton describes it : — 
 
 " 'Tis a point I long to know, 
 Oft it muses nnxioua thought ; 
 Do I love the Lord or no, 
 Am I his, or nm I not." 
 
 The misery we endured during that period, cannot bo de- 
 scribed better than in these lines : — 
 
 " From fear to hope, from hope to fear, 
 My shipwrcck'd soul is tossed ; 
 Till I nm tempted to despair, — 
 And give up all for lost." 
 
 After this mental anguish had continued for so long a period, 
 wo examined the word ot~ God : and by diligently etudying 
 
 Romans, and the fourth of 
 
 that 
 
 especially the eighth 
 
I 
 
 144 
 
 mi OBtlftXTldKS 6t CftRISTiANS 
 
 Galatians, we were shut up to the faith, « That none are th« 
 sons of God who have not the Holy Spirit in their hearts, cry. 
 ing, Abba Father." Our own experience, and the conver. 
 sations we have had with numbers, during the lasi twenty 
 years, who deny or doubt the witness of the°Spirit, leads us 
 to state as our solemn convictioft, that no man has, or can 
 have, a rational, scriptural, certain hope of heaven, who 
 does not enjoy the witness of the Spirit to ihe fact th t he is 
 a child of God. He may be a penitent ; he may be a sincere 
 seeker of salvation ; he may desire above all things to go to 
 heaven ; he may, as Mr. Wesley has it, be a servant of 
 God ; and, as Clarke has it, sit at times some moments with 
 Christ on a throne of love ; and may possibly, but how we 
 cannot tell, get to heaven at last ; but he never can, unless 
 he enjoys the witness of the Spirit, say with Paul, " We 
 knoiv that if this, the earthly house of our tabernacle, were 
 dissolved, we liave a building of God, an house not made 
 with hands, eternal hi the heavens." 
 
 The hope of the believer has a quickening, saving influence. 
 " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 which hath begotten us again unto a Hrcly hope, by the re- 
 surrection of Christ from the dead. To an inheritance in- 
 corruptible, and undefiled, and that fudeth not away, reserv- 
 ed in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God, 
 through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last 
 time."— 1 Peter i. 3—5. " We are saved by hope."— Rom. 
 viii. 24. The hope of this inestimable inheritance is justly 
 termed a lively hope, inasmuch as it imparts that energy of 
 mind, which qualifies the believer to meet all the trials of 
 life, all the persecutions of men, all the temptations of devils, 
 and all the agonies of death with composure and joy. It is 
 a lively hope, for it enables him, in the storm, as well as in 
 the calm ;— in the dark and cloudy day, as well as when the 
 sun shineth in his strength ;— through evil report, as well as 
 good report, vigorously to pursue his course towards his in- 
 comparable inheritance. The hope of the believer saves him 
 from all fear, all agitation, all despondency, all despair, and 
 enables him to rejoice in the midst of those distresses which 
 would overwhelm and wreck a man of the world. While 
 cast upon the dark, tempestuous sea of human life, the hope 
 of eternal glory is an anchor to the soul ;— a sure and stead- 
 fast anchor. However rudely the winds may blow ; how- 
 ever horriblv the temnost mnv mnn . ^r>,v^..-- f.^~: i- *i.- 
 
 waves may roar, the Christian's little bark safely outrides the 
 
 
>ne are the 
 3arts, cry- 
 he conver. 
 asi twenty 
 , leads us 
 as, or can 
 van, who 
 th t he is 
 ! a sincere 
 ^s to go to 
 servant of 
 lents with 
 It how we 
 in, unless 
 il, " We 
 3le, were 
 not made 
 
 influence. 
 
 us Christ, 
 
 jy the re- 
 
 itance in- 
 
 r, reserv- 
 
 r of God, 
 
 n the last 
 
 "—Rom. 
 
 is justly 
 
 energy of 
 
 5 trials of 
 
 3f devils, 
 
 >y. It is 
 
 k'ell as in 
 
 when the 
 
 3 well as 
 
 Is his in- 
 
 avcs him 
 
 )air, and 
 
 OS which 
 
 While 
 
 the hope 
 
 id stead- 
 
 ; — how- 
 1.. ii._ 
 
 rides the 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOTTLS. 
 
 145 
 
 slorm, and gains the haven of eternal repose. The well 
 grounded hope of heaven prepares the soul for every emer< 
 gency. Should cares come upon us like a deluge — should 
 sorrows fall upon us like a storm — should men despise and 
 persecute us : should devils hurl at us their fiery darts, the 
 " God of hope" is our defence ; and in the midst of all, he 
 will <' fill us with peace and joy through believing, and cause 
 us to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost." 
 Should pestilence sweep through a country, and, with the 
 rapidity of a whirlwind, carry thousands to a premature 
 grave ; still, the hope of heaven ensures our safety. " A 
 thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right 
 hand : but it shall not come nigh thee. . . . Because thou 
 hast made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the most high, 
 xhy habitation ; There t^hall no evil befall thee, neither shall 
 any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his 
 angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear 
 thee up." — Psalm xci. 7, 9 — 11 ; And even allowing the be- 
 liever does fall by the pestilence, for there are exceptionu to 
 every rule, yet, the angels carry him at once to " Abraham's 
 bosom," and, though '* absent from the body," he is " present 
 with the Lord." Should God arise to make inquisition for 
 blood, and terribly shake the nations of the earth with wars 
 and rumours of wars ; yet the God of hope will not forget 
 those who trust in him ; for his language to his people, in 
 all such cases, is : — " Come my people, enter thou into thy 
 chamber, and shut thy doors about thee, hide thyself, as it 
 were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." 
 — Isaiah xxvi. 20. Should Jehovah curse the earth with 
 sterility — should famine, with her hollow eyes, shrivelled 
 cheeks, and ghastly looks, stalk through the world, devouring 
 every living thing, and eating up every living thing ; yet 
 the believer's hope would save him from despair, and would 
 quicken his heart with joy and praise, amid the universal 
 gloom. " Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither 
 shall fruii be in the vines ; the labour of the olive shall fail, 
 and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off 
 from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls : Yet 
 I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my sal- 
 vation." — Ilabakkuk iii. 17, 18. The hope of the glory of 
 God changes completely the face of death, and dispels efTect- 
 ually the gloom of the grave. ** Yea, though I walk through 
 the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no e"il : for 
 thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." — 
 
 13 
 
m 
 
 T^, OliHG^XIfM^S, O^ C^]^Sti^kf($ 
 
 I 
 
 'i I 
 
 ^«^fn, xxiii. 4, "O defttb, where ia thy atingJ QgR^^ 
 w4>^rje ia thy victory ? The sting of d^ath is sip ; ^pd' th|9^^ 
 s/^ength of sin is the law, But thanks be to Qf4 who giv^! 
 ik the yictpry t|imMgh our ];.9xd Jesus Christ."—! Cof. xy. 
 
 5^*- — 57. 
 
 TAe hope of the believer is 'purifying in its effects. "Be- 
 loved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet ap. 
 pear what we shall be ; but wo know that, when he shall ap- 
 pear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is. 
 And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, 
 even as he is pure." — 1 John iii. 2, 3. Those who are now 
 the sons of God, are not yet fully acquainted with that ex- 
 alted slate of blissful perfection, v/Lich they hope to possess ; 
 but the earnest of it they do enjoy, and the hope of enjoying 
 its full blessedness, after this mortal life shall terminate, 
 causes them to use all proper means to retain that purity of 
 heart, without which it cannot be enjoyed. Those who pos- 
 sess the hope of heaven, believe firmly that «< Without holi- 
 ness no man , shall see the Lord ;" that " There shall, in no 
 wise, enter into it any thing that defileth, neithe whatsoever 
 worketh ubomination, or maketh alio; but they which are 
 written in llio Lamb's book of life."— Revelations xxi. 37. 
 Hence, having been cleansed from their idols and filthiness, 
 by faith in the blood of the Lamb ; their intellectual and 
 moral powcn-s having been renewed by the Holy Spirit, they 
 strive to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The hope of 
 heaven causes them to watch over their hearts, lest any evil 
 thoughts should arise, lest any improper motives should be 
 cherished, lest any impure feelings should be engendered; 
 whereby i.Miilt would be contracted, and pollutions caught' 
 Whicli vv(Hi!d cause the Holy Spirit to depart, the Saviour to 
 he wounded, an/1 the Father to blot their names out of the 
 book of life. This hope causes its possessors to keep at the 
 utmost distiincc from every thing in tlin world that would 
 have a te>idency to produce tho'lnsi (if the flesh, the lust of 
 the eyes, and the pride of life. «' Having escaped the corrup. 
 tion that is in the world through lust," they dread it : and 
 with the utmost vigilance Avalch against its alluring blandish- 
 ments, K St th(\y should a second lime be " entangled theiein, 
 and overcome;" for then "the latter end would be worse 
 with them than tho beginning." This liope causes its pes- 
 sessors to obey the injunction, "Besobor, bo vigilant ; be- 
 cause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh 
 about, seekiiiiT whom he mav devour."— 
 
 luy 
 
 r'eter v. 8. Be- 
 
 \m 
 
TO 'i*i:% tSe Jji'LTk'rioN op sotftfe. 
 
 iki 
 
 HeV6rs are fabquainted with Sdtan's accu^atibhs, temfptatiohs, 
 and deceptions ; and they know th&t, if they are not inces- 
 santly watchful, he will soon throw them again into *■< the 
 horrible pit," and sihk them deeper than ever in " the rniry 
 clay." Not only does this hope cause them to use all meahs 
 to retain, but also to increase their purity. Their eyes ai'e 
 ever fixed upon Jesus Christ, the perfect model of holiness : 
 the hope of seeing him as he is, and being like him in 
 glory, causes them intensely to desire his benuy to be put 
 upon them, that they may be like him in purity, while in 
 this world. They are conscious, perhaps, of many spots, 
 wrinkles, blemishes, which they do not behold in their glori- 
 ous pattern, and they want thrse removed, lest they should, 
 after all, not " Awake up in his likeness :" therefore, they 
 study his word, believe his promises, daily approach him in 
 prayer, that they may become increasingly like their blessed 
 master. John says, " And every man that hath this hope in 
 him, purifieth himself, even as he (Christ) is pure." This 
 phraseology certainly intimates, if it docs not plainly de- 
 clare, that evern man is destitute of the true hope of heaven, 
 who is not using all the means placed at his command, for 
 becoming pure, even as Christ is pure. Hope of worldly 
 good will cause a man to respect his character and conform 
 to the rules of society. Take tfie hope of the smile of the 
 world from a man, and he cares not how dcirraded he be- 
 comes. And it is so in religioi ; let a man have a sincere 
 and well grounded hope of eterial glory, and he will vigor- 
 ously use all means to purily and fit himself for that exalted 
 state ; but take this hope away, and he will make no effort 
 to resist the flesh, the world, and tie devil, and feel no de- 
 sire to become like Christ, in whom there is no sin. 
 
 The hope of the believer zcill never he disappointed. " And 
 not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that 
 tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; and 
 experience, hope : And hope maketh not ashamed ; because 
 the love of God is slied abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
 Ghost which is given unto us." — Rom. v. 3 — 5. Earthly 
 objects of hope may fail ; but the objects of the Christian's 
 hope can never fail. The hope of the covetous, the sensual, 
 and the ambitious, will be sure to end in despair, and cause 
 them to make haste, to be confounded and eternally ashamed j 
 for the illgotten ana badly used wealth of the covetous, must 
 
 th6 «etl^ua!ist cah bnly last fbr k Jsehson : the honoui's bf the 
 
us 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 n nl'l 
 
 ambitious are corruptible, and defiled, and will assuredly 
 fade away : but the objects of the Christian's hope are not 
 affected by the changes of time, neither can they be destroyed 
 by the death of the body : they are immutable in their na- 
 ture, eternal in their duration. The expectation of the 
 righteous shall not be cut off; therefore they shall never 
 make haste, never be confounded, never be ashamed. The 
 hope of the hypocrite shall perish ; because, with all his pro- 
 fession and show, he has not the love of God shed abroad in 
 his heart by the Holy Ghost. How graphically does Bildad, 
 the Shuhite, depict the utter destruction of the hypocrite's 
 hope, in the eighth chapter of the book of Job : " Can the 
 rush grow up without mire ? Can the flag grow without 
 water ? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, 
 it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all 
 that forget God ; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish : 
 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spi- 
 der's V, eb. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not 
 stand : he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure." Let 
 the hypocrite in heart ponder seriously this solemn passage, 
 and cry to God : — 
 
 '• Create my soul anew, 
 
 Else all my worship's vnin ; 
 This wretched heart can ne'er be true. 
 
 Unless 'tis formed again." 
 
 Of all the characters on i^arth, the religious hypocrite is 
 most abhorred of God, and most despised by men. The 
 doom of the hypocrite is eternal death. The hypocrite will 
 bo horribly confounded, and eternally ashamed, " When the 
 Lord brings to light the hidden things' of darkness, and makes 
 manifest the counsels of the heart." His hope will end in 
 the blackness of unutterable and endless despair. But the 
 hope of the believer will never be disappointed ; consequently, 
 he will never bo ashamed. He has the love of God shed 
 abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost; and, continuing to 
 believe in Christ, the blessed Cotnfortcr will never leave nor 
 forsake him, but will abide with him for ever, and guide him 
 safely to the city whicli hath foundations, whose builder and 
 maker is God. The truly righteous, who remain so till death, 
 are sure of heaven ; for God, who cannot lie, positively de. 
 Clares, in his sacred word, that the wicked *' shall go away 
 into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life oter. 
 nal." 
 
 The hope of the believer is a blessed hope. " Looking fur 
 
TO SEEK THB SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 149 
 
 assuredly 
 )e are not 
 destroyed 
 their na< 
 •n of the 
 all never 
 ed. The 
 II his pro* 
 abroad in 
 s Bildad, 
 y^pocrite's 
 ' Can the 
 ' without 
 ut down, 
 ths of all 
 perish : 
 be a spi- 
 shall not 
 9." Let 
 passage. 
 
 )ocrite is 
 1. The 
 ;rite will 
 ii^hen the 
 d makes 
 11 end in 
 Hut the 
 quently, 
 lod shed 
 nuing to 
 pave nor 
 lidu him 
 Idor and 
 11 death, 
 vcly de. 
 ?o away 
 life oter« 
 
 king fur 
 
 that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great 
 God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." — Titus ii. 13. Nothing 
 earthly affords such pleasure to the human mind, as the hope 
 of heaven. This hope cheers the soul in the seasons of 
 earthly sorrow, which cannot bo escaped — imparts joy when 
 every worldly pleasure is fled and gone, as wpU as wlicn we 
 are in the full tide of worldly prosperity. If tho Christian 
 has other joys, this is the chief of tiiem all ; and if he has 
 no other, the pleasures of iiopo abundantly supply their 
 lack. The sweetest exercise of the soul is tiie antici- 
 pation of future glory. The man that has a well jL^rounded 
 hope of heaven, has feasts of joy of which no unrenewed 
 mind ever partakes. Indul^'ing tho hope of heaven, the 
 Christian's soul is filled with indescribable p 'sure. He has 
 an antepast of his expected f.'iood, luxuriatt pou heaven- 
 ly food, and enjoys the earnest of his future M<Mights. This 
 hope of heaven silences every murmur, dispels every doubt, 
 destroys every fear, and kindles iu the brciist a present hea- 
 ven. The pleasures arisin^^ from tho hope of heaven we 
 powerfully feel, but cannot accurately describe. Our follow 
 creatures, who have no hope, have felt great pleasure in the 
 hope of meeting, after years of absence, a beloved child, nr 
 a beloved friend. Their hearts have throbbed with delight, 
 their eyes have beamed with pleasure, and their counten- 
 ances have been overstpread with joy, when they heard that 
 their long absent child or friend \v,is returning home. To 
 such we would say that the hope of heaven protlucos pleasu- 
 rable emotions, immeasurably superior to what you then ex- 
 perienced. When the Cbristi.iii thinks of heaven, his homo: 
 — of God, his I'^ather: — ofClirisf, his udoriible llodromer :— 
 of tho Holy Spirit, his Condbrter : — of ihu b](^s;,cd angels, 
 his ministering spirits : — of tho spirits of the just tnade per- 
 fect, his brethren : — of their liappy residence and l»lissful 
 employments' the hope of soon seeing these beings in all 
 their glory, and sharing with them their home, thiir enjj)loy- 
 mcnts, their glories, and their bliss, muki s them rejoice with 
 )oy unspeakable and full of glory. 
 
 " Thrice blcFHcd. bli^n-iii'piring hope ! 
 It liliH k\\v Cuintiiu; i-piiits up j 
 It briiiRH to lil'o lli(j lU'ttil." 
 
 Tho hope of heaven, when fully possoR^od and rightly 
 cherished, makes a man as lu-ppy as it is possiMn for mortal 
 io bo in ihiB imncrfcct !«tute= 'I'ho nesHef^sor of iIiIh I'loHaotl 
 hopo hai surrowa of an earthly nuturo to endure, uu wo!J aa 
 
150 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 I, 
 
 ■ 
 
 Other men : but in reference to his eternal state, he is at ease. 
 He feels that all is well. He can therefore smile through 
 his tears, rejoice in his sorrows, and glory in his tribulations ; 
 because he has the full assurance that " Our light aflliction, 
 »rhich is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex. 
 Deeding and eternal weight of glory ; While we looit not at 
 the things which are seen, but at the things which are 
 ftot seen ; for the things vvf)i(^h nro snon are temporal ; but 
 the things which are not seen are eternal." — 2 Cor. iv. 17, 
 19. " Religious hope," says a good writer, " has this ad- 
 vantage over every other kind of hope, that it is able to re. 
 vive the dying man, and to fill his mind not only with secret 
 comfort and refreshment, but sometimes with rapture and 
 transport. He triumphs in his agonies, while the soul 
 springs forward witli delight to the great object which sho 
 has always had in view, and loaves the body wiiii an ex- 
 pectation of being reunited to her in a joyful and glorious 
 resurrection." Another eminent writer observes •* Hovr 
 eminently was this power of hope exemplified in the consola. 
 tion and support, which the hope of a resurrection to eternal 
 life afforded to the first Christians, when tormented and put 
 to death by their cruel persecutors." 
 
 Such, tlien, is the hope which every christian possesses. 
 AH do not possess the same degree of this blrssod hope ; but, 
 still, all who are saved have the hope of the Gospel ; and it 
 is both the duty and privilege of every believer to obound in 
 hope. This grace may bo vastly increased, and with its in- 
 crease will be found an increase of consolation, support, and 
 joy. " Now the God of hope fill you vvitli all joy and peaco 
 m believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the pow- 
 er of the Holy Ghost."— Rom. xv. 13. 
 
 n. The duty of the Christian to be always ready to give 
 «n answer to every men tiiut uskclh a reason of the hope 
 that is in him. 
 
 In Peter's day there was need for Christians to " bo ready 
 always \o givo an answer to every mim that asked a reason 
 of the hoi«.' that was in them." '• More especially when 
 their enemies were pulling them to death, necause the hea. 
 then who heard them, on those oooivsioiis, declare their hope, 
 perceiving lliat it was what supported them under their suf. 
 forings, and made them fearless in death, could not avoid 
 bsinff curious to know whiit ihe ibunduliou of that bono wua 
 whuso influonoo was so powerful ; and because the deciara. 
 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 151 
 
 tion of their hope at such a time might induce some of th» 
 heathens to embrace the gospel, who, whh admiration beheld, 
 their courage in suffering and death." — McKnight. 
 
 There is as mwh need in the present day for Christians 
 being ever in readiness to give an ansmer oj their hope of 
 heaven, as there was in Peter's day ; for thousands of our 
 fellow creatures have no hope of heavnn. The ungodly are 
 living only for the present, criuiinally neglecting the future. 
 Their minds are in darkness in reference to a future slate of 
 being, and they are completely indifferent as to what their 
 destiny may be in ctornity. These men can only be aroused 
 from their fatal lethargy by the active exertions of Christians. 
 It is our solemn and boundon duty to place before thom, in a 
 clear light, the future destiny of man ; to strive to awaken 
 them to consideratiou, feeling, and action on the subject of 
 their eternal state; and then to place before tbc-ir minds the 
 blessed hope of heaven which we possess, so that they may 
 be led intensely to desire the same well groundcii hope. 
 When this desire is excited in thfir minds, thoy will inune- 
 diately want to know the nature, grounds, and intluenee of 
 tho believer's hope, and also the means by which it is to be 
 obtained : and if we are not al)le to give thfui a clear and 
 satisfactory answer to the questions they pro|)ose, we shall, 
 in all probability, siidi them in despair, and prevent them 
 from seeking the salvation of their souls. Thousands may 
 be eternally ruiiiod through not receiving, in answor to thcii 
 enquiries, a sutLsfactory reason of the hopn which Christians 
 cherish. Few men will be disposed to give up rhe gains of 
 covclousncss, the pleasures of sin, tlx^ aiipluuse of juurtala, 
 and choose alllietion with the people of Cod, and isteem the 
 reproach of Christ greater ricdies than tho treasures of the 
 world, unless we can give them convincing reasons for so 
 doing. Few men will se( k, with all their hearts, the bliea 
 of heaven, unless we can giv(! tlieu> solid, hcriptural proofs 
 that heaven is worthy of tlair most earnest endeavours, and 
 thot' by thus teeking it, they shall be put in possi^ssiou of iti 
 inconeeivabh^ glories and its unfading joys. lleneo the 
 unspeakiible importanee of all (Christians being ever ready to 
 give a satisfactory answer to every num that askelh a reason 
 of the hope that is i.i tiiem. 
 
 Our duly to he always' ready with our reason (f the hajm 
 that is inns, is evident from ilie fact, that every man has a 
 dec^t interest in this mniti-rt and has a rinht to an answer from 
 U9 ^on this subject. Wo profess to have a scriptural hope of 
 
15S 
 
 THE 0BL16AT10NS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 N;; 
 
 p 
 
 1 1] 
 
 I 
 
 heaven ; our unconverted fellow-men have it not ; but still, 
 heaven has ueen purchased by tlie Saviour's blood, for them 
 as well as for us : they have a nature similar to ours, which 
 the joys of heaven can only reiuler comjiletoly happy : they 
 are bound to us, and we to them, by the strongest ties : 
 Christ has blessed us with th'- hope of h«aven, that we may 
 be made a blessing to the unconverted, by inducing them to 
 come to Christ, to bo made heirs according to tiie hope of 
 eternal life: wo have no right, therefore, to withhold from 
 them any information which would have a tendency to lead 
 them to the Saviour, to be made wise, holy, happy, and fit 
 for heaven. It is a crime of no small magnitude to withhold 
 bread from a famishing people ; but how much greater the 
 crime to witliliold from our fellow-mcn that information 
 which would save them from perishing eternally : and if wo 
 cannot, or will not, give them a reason of the hope that is in 
 us, we are kee()ing them in a perishing conflition. The cter- 
 nal God requires us to he liglits in the world, guides of the 
 blind, instructors of the foolish, teachers of "babes; how 
 then can wo do his will unless wo are ready always to give 
 an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope 
 that is in us ? To be unable, or unv.illing, to give that rea- 
 8on on this momentous subject, which overy man has a right 
 to ask, wo not otily sin against man, but against God. who 
 has given us the hope of heaven not merely for our own 
 benefit, but also for the benefit of others. 
 
 This di'fi/ rccrfccs additionaJ imparfanrr from fhc consider- 
 ation thfU many unconvcrlcd men chcrhih delusive hopes of 
 heaven. There arc few unconverted men that do not indulge the 
 hope of heaven ; but they have no rational, scriptural, solid 
 foundiition i'w the hope they cherish. 'I'liis w;.s the case 
 with the .Tiws in our Saviour's day. They thought they 
 were sure of heaven because they were the rhUdrcn of 
 Abraham and n!)served the ritual of Moses. They built 
 their hope of h< aveti upon their ancestry and ceremonial pu- 
 rifications ; they refused to place their hopes upon the rock 
 Christ .Jesus ; therefore, Jesus said unto them, "There shall 
 be weeping and gmishing of teeth, when yn shall nee Abra- 
 ham, nnd Isaac, and .laeob, and all the prophets in the king. 
 dorn of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they 
 Bhall come from iho east, and from the wcsi, and from the 
 north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom 
 
 of God. And licllolil (hni'n n r-n luuf tulu"!. .l.Iw.H I.„ r. .„» „.,,] 
 
 there aro first which shuU be last. 
 
 -Luke xiii. aS— 30. Th» 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 199 
 
 
 gentiles who knew not God, placed their hope of heaven 
 upon the ceremonies connected with their various systems of 
 idolatry; which ceremonies only rendered them more and 
 more unfit for heaven ; more and more worthy of hell. In 
 our day, in nominal Christian lands, where the Bible is found, 
 hundreds, thousands, millions cherish a delusive hope of 
 heaven. Some hope to get to heaven through baptism ; some 
 through attending to the forms of Christian worship ; some 
 on account of their fancied innocency ; some because of 
 their amiable instincts ; some by reason of their great liber, 
 alityj some on the ground of their reformation ; and others 
 because they think that all men must be saved either with or 
 without holiness. This heart rending fact makes it tenfold 
 more needful for the true Christian to be ready always to 
 give a reason for the blessed, the sure and certain hope 
 which he possesses. It is our duty to undeceive those of our 
 fellow-meu who place their hope of heaven on such sandy 
 foundations, and show to them by evident and convincmg 
 reasons, drawn from the Bible, that, while their hope of 
 heaven is unscriptural and unreasonable, our hope is in per. 
 feet accordance with both scripture and reason. We should 
 ever stand ready to prove to them, from the scriptures, 
 from the past history and present conduct of our race, the 
 utter sinfulness of man, his complete unfitness for so holy a 
 place as heaven, until pardoned and renewed, and the utter 
 impotency of all human observances to cancel past guilt ; of 
 all human means to cleanse the soul from defilement ; and of 
 all human might and power to rescue the enslaved spirit from 
 the powers of darluu^ss. We should show them distinctly 
 that Christ is our hope ; and point them to him as the only 
 foundation upon which any man can with safety place his 
 hope of eternal life. We should nuike them feel that we do 
 not rest our hope of heaven upon any thing except the aton. 
 ing sacrifice of Cfirist, and upon our certain knowledge of a 
 personal, saving interest in thot sacrifice. Because men 
 ore 80 blind on this point, we should use the utmost exor- 
 tions to oprn their eyes, and with gladness of heart proceed 
 to give them an answer, when they ask a reason of the hope 
 that is in us; for by so doing, wo shall not only put to si. 
 ience their ignorance, but we may induce them to build on 
 the right foundation. 
 
 It is our duty to give a reason of the hope that is in us, when 
 s-^ --- fixkfd t/i do. sQ. !n the discourse on *' The intercourse 
 of Chrisliaui with the ungodly," we have shown the folly of 
 
 '«..» 
 ."**, 
 
 Lf 
 
 W 
 
 ^ 
 1ji\ 
 
f54 
 
 THE OBUfiATtOifS '<* effilllSfSAJNS 
 
 jonvetsmg with unconverted sirtft^ about the de# mm df 
 
 !l„ ' r 'k^u ' ^.'^^"^^ are pointedly asked ^y them for ^ 
 Reason of the hope that is rn us. then It becomes US i tm thert 
 
 Tv^blrnHin '^"^^f^^^^''^ ^"«^^«''- ^^^^e ptofe^sors are-cdrttinual-. 
 S^l thP h^;- r'' rr' "P""^^""^!^. and bysodoing.e^crt^ 
 thnsp wh ^ ^ of the.r natures, artd catt.e t7,e^ to despise 
 
 rpm n 1 .1 ' ^^,.7''" ^f^*^'^ of the evil and dhriger of ain ; t6 
 
 thZl h'"" ^ ^'^^'i' J"''^"^^'"*' ""^' ^^^''"'^y ; to beseech 
 hern to bo rocono.led to God ^ and to entreat them by the 
 ender mere.os of God to present their bodies arid Spirits a 
 
 'Zo^n h'"'"' •'" '''''^ '"'y^^"'^ acceptable, which hdr 
 
 Reasonable serv.ce is our duty at all times ; for those thinc^ 
 
 hoy can understand ; but to give them a reason of the hop^ 
 
 are ma fit state of mmd to receive a reason, and to profit by 
 
 nn.t not /'""^l^''^ "' ^^'^ ''"P^ that is in us, are pearls which 
 
 vl iph .. ";^^^";««ly '>'^,^ast before swine :_are sacred things 
 
 v^hlch must not uniluMkmgly be given to dogs, who will turn 
 
 agam and rehd us. When men serionsly^'sk for a reason 
 
 Anvil. T '" " '", "'' '* '' "" ^^'''^""t proof that they are 
 anxious about the salvation of tbeir souls, and this being the 
 case, It then becomes our bounden and imperative duty to 
 lay open to them our own hearts ; to show them \Vhat our 
 ^'pe IS, where it is placed, and how We came into the pos. 
 session o( ,t : and .1 we do this wisely, feelingly, believing, 
 ly, and prayerfniy, we have every reason to expect that we 
 B .a be successful in bringing ihem to rejoice in hope of the 
 gioiy ot God. ' 
 
 To be rcufhj alwnris lo frhc a proprr reason of ihe )iopc that 
 
 fK n^l' 7, "'"•'' ^''''' '" '^"'^y communion rnlk God. He is 
 
 n?.l r° > T ,' """' ''■^""^''' "•'^ t" abound in hope by Iho 
 
 power oftbe J[oly(Jhost, when we live in close \uul con! 
 
 fe ant comnmn.on with him. Our earnest prayers should 
 
 <huly ascend to tbe throne of grace in the name (.f Jesus, for 
 
 an increase o( hope ; for as o.ir hope increases, we shall bo 
 
 able to speak ot it to others with more readiness, more clear. 
 
 ness, more confidence, and more power, the very reason 
 
 Why many ciumot give an answcM-, when asked for a reason 
 
 01 tneir hope, is because they live at such a distance from 
 
 God, an, are ,„ such a low state of grace that it is often a 
 
 ^TV ""^'* ""' P«^rpl«^!^Jty VUth tl^btn, Wftdhel- tor mt 
 
 tmy mt6 any scriptural hoptt nt h^«yet^ « hv»ftcs Hi^*' 
 
 we M & im m an aftuwcf. -^Itth iwAed It h foiimU S 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOtTLS. 
 
 tSft 
 
 thehn for h 
 gJi/h therii 
 ctb'htinUal-. 
 ing,e'xCTt6 
 to despise 
 heh they 
 5f ain ; to 
 ) be'Feech 
 pm by the 
 :1 Spirits a 
 'h is their 
 ^se things 
 the hope 
 mtil they 
 profit by 
 ris which 
 'ed things 
 will turn 
 a reason 
 they are 
 boit)g the 
 c 'd uty to 
 SVhat our 
 ) the pos. 
 •el loving, 
 t that we 
 pc of the 
 
 ho/7c that 
 Me ia 
 to by the 
 and con- 
 3 sliould 
 
 I'SUS, fol" 
 
 shall be 
 ro clear- 
 y reason 
 a reason 
 ICO from 
 i often a 
 ' br \\Q\ 
 -e S\\tf 
 
 hope of heaven. We urge all who profess the religion. of 
 J^sus, to live near to God — to nro-w in grace and in the 
 knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then they wilt be 
 always ready to give an answer to every man that asketb ft 
 reason of the hope that is in them. 
 
 To he ready always to give a reason of the hape that is in. 
 ttSf toe must frequently examine the grounds of our hope. 
 For want of frequent examination of the grounds of our 
 hope, our own views of the reason ol the hope wc possess 
 are confused, indistinct, and, therefore, in the very nature of 
 things, it is impossible for us to give a clear, intelligible an- 
 swer to any who ask us for a red >n of tlie hope of heaven 
 which we cherish. Did this matter only conctM-n ourselves, 
 we ought, for our own comfort, to know precisely on what 
 foundation our hope is placed; but as others are concerned 
 in the muttcir, as well as ourselvr-^^, we ought to bo doubly 
 anxious to have clear and consistem views of tiio grounds of 
 our hope of heaven. In examining the groinuls of our hope, 
 wc should ever seek divine illumination, and ever be guided 
 by the Holy Scriptures. It is not safe to depend on leelinf'. 
 Our feehngs may deceive us. We should bring our senti- 
 ments, our feelings, and our practices to the unerring stand- 
 ard of (Jod's blessed word, and try tlioni by this rule, pray- 
 ing the Holy S|)irit to direct us, so that wo may be preserved 
 from error in this all important matter. Search the scrip- 
 turcs daily, witli earnest i)rayer to Ciod to open your eyes 
 that you may see wonch'ous things in Ilis law, und this will 
 have a mighty influence upon your hope, and increase your 
 ability to convey the reason of it to others with additional 
 clearness and accumulated force. Men may call your feel- 
 ings, if you sj)eak of them, enthusiasm, fanaticism ; but 
 they cannot so well do this when you arc able to show them 
 that your views, feelings, principles, and practices are in 
 
 f)crfcct harmony with the word of Cind. Tlu y will then 
 lavo their ignorance silenced, and will bo forced to confess 
 that you have good reason for cherishing the hoj-o of heaven. 
 It is our duty to he ready a/ways to give a reason of the 
 hope that is in. us, to every man that a.-ilcvil', that God may he 
 glorified, and, that the person that asks a reason way he lejlt 
 loithout excuse. The diviuf! glory is mnnifested by us when 
 wo are able to give n pro|)er reason for the hopi' that is in us j 
 inasmuch as wo exhibit Jehovah's inlinito justice, truth, 
 nower am] ko idncss, wIkmi wtj couviiu:!^ unv \i\[v.\ that (Ind 
 hue given us " (iuod hope through grace." Moreover, some 
 
160 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 will be induced to glorify God by giving him their hearts, 
 when they plainly discover what great things he has done for 
 us. And whether those who ask a reason, glorify God or 
 not, we shall be clear of their blood, and leave them without 
 excuse, when we have, intelligently, feelingly, and faithful- 
 ly, given them a reason of the hope that is in us. They 
 cannot then say " No man careth for our souls :" they cannot 
 charge us with not having done our duty ; and this, to us, 
 will be no small consolation both in time and in eternity. 
 In giving an answer to the questions asked respecting our 
 hope of heaven, our object should be not merely nor mainly 
 to vindicate ourselves from charges of fanaticism ; but to 
 glorify God and benefit our fellow-men. We should ever 
 remember that a solid, scriptural reason of the hope that is in 
 us, will have a tendency to clear the minds of men of those 
 mists of ignorance which hide religion from their view, and 
 which cause them to live contented without Christ and without 
 hope : which cause them to live continually at enmity with 
 the blessed Qod. Could the unconverted only see the bless- 
 edness of that hoi)o which God has given to you, and which 
 he is both able and willing to impart to them, they would be 
 ashamed of their enmity to GofI, they would be moved by 
 fear of his just and fearful displeasure, to fly for refuge to 
 lay hold upon the hope set before thom in the gospel. They 
 Would give glory to God by confessing their sins, supplicat- 
 ing his mercy, and embracing his Son as their Saviour, — 
 their hope. These considerations are suficicnt, if rightly 
 weighed, to induce all Christians to bo ready always to give 
 an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope 
 that is in them. 
 
 In giving a reason of the hope that is in us, it cannot ha 
 expected (hat every Christian will be able to silence all the cav- 
 ils of unreasonable and wicked men. An illitcrtUe Christian 
 may not bo skilled in argumentation ; may not bo able to 
 expose the fallacies of those cliildrcn of .ue devil, who hav- 
 ing learning and wit, take an infernal pleasure in raising 
 douhts, and fears, and perplexities in the minds of honest and 
 pious, but unlett(>red saints ; and who strive to extinguish 
 their hope and plunge them in the vortex ot despair. Listen 
 not, ye humble fullowors of Jesus, to lhe-so])liistries of these 
 men. You aro not required to answer their objections ; all 
 that you are required to do is to give a sensible and scriptu- 
 ral reason of the hope you possess. And if you live near to 
 Uod, diligently ttudy the scriptures, frequently examine the 
 
T^ SEEK THE SALTJCTION OP SOCtS. 
 
 '-^et 
 
 giPOftirt^ bf your hope, and aim at God's glory and man's 
 bendit, you will be able to speak of your hope in that ski- 
 cere;' livB'ly, sensible, earnest manner that you tieed not be 
 ashamed of before kings ; and which will probably convince 
 th« gainsayer that your hope is no fiction, but a glorious re- 
 ality, and induce him in his sober thoughts and in his houTS 
 of retirement to acknowledge that there is a divine reality in 
 religion, and to wish that he had such a hope as you possess. 
 The remai-k of an illiterate Christian on religion, has often 
 :conf6unded the might}'-, when the volumes of learned Chris- 
 tians have failed in convincing the sceptic of its value and 
 reasonableness. "Collins, the freethinker, or deist, met a 
 plain counti-yman going to church. He asked him where he 
 was going. * To church. Sir.' * What to do there V * To 
 worship God,' * Pray, whether is your God a grpat or a 
 little God V * He is both, Sir.' ' How can he be both V 
 ' He is so great, Sir, that the heaven of heavens cannot con- 
 tain him ; and so little that he can dwell in my heart.' Col- 
 lins declared, that this simple answer from the countryman 
 had more effect on his mind, than all the volumes which 
 learned doctors had written against him." Let the Chris- 
 tian, whether learned or illiterate, do his duty, and give his 
 own reason in his own way, for the hope he possesses, and 
 never Fear but ^ood will result therefrom. 
 
 Consider, . .; 
 
 III. The manner in which the Christian should answer the 
 questions respecting his hope. " With meekness and fear." 
 
 The manner in which a thing is done, or an answer given, 
 is of the utmost importance. And in nothing ought we to be 
 so careful, as in our manner, when conversing with the un- 
 converted on the subject of our hope of heaven. 
 
 tf we are to he successful in our attcmpls to save ^ouls, we 
 must give an answer to every man that a sketh a reason of the 
 hope that is in us "with meekness." lIpavTTjg-, occurs 
 three times in the New Testament, and is translated by 
 Robinson, nicoknoss, mildness, forbearance. In .lamos i. 21. 
 it is writtnn, '* Rocoivo with meeknrsfl the engrafted word." 
 The word of God cannot du m any good, if wo receive it 
 with a morose, turbulent, hardened heart. Nor will our 
 answers to tho questions asked respecting nur hope, do any 
 irrtn,] to thoae who usk tlinm, if uivoti in a surly, boisterous, 
 unfocliu'' maimer. JJocuuso wo aro fully convinced that wo 
 
 14 
 
169 
 
 THE OBI.r^fATKJNS OP CHRlS-riAirf 
 
 ?l 
 
 have reason and scripture on our side, for indulging the hope 
 ©f heaven, we are not, therefore, to answer the enquiries of 
 men on this subject with pro-i-^ -disdain and lofty contempt : 
 but m the spirit of meel uesi, 3oiae think themselves war- 
 ranted to speak peril v :xnd ?nr:-ciiiously to those who may 
 question the reasonableness of their hope ; but such conduct 
 is utterly repugnant both to the letter and spirit of Christian, 
 ity, and every intelligent Christian must repudiate such a 
 course. On this important subject, the apostle James says, 
 « Who 18 a wise man, and endued with knowlodge, among 
 you ? let him show out of a good conversation, his works 
 with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying' 
 and strife in your hearts, glory not,' and lie not against the 
 truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earth- 
 ly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, 
 there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that 
 is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to 
 be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiali- 
 ty, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness 
 13 sown in peace of them that make peace." — James iii. 13 
 18. In other parts of God's word, we are told that, "The' 
 servant of the Lord must not strive ; but be gentle to all men, 
 apt to teach, patient, in meekness ir-tructing those who op^ 
 pose themselves." Of our blessed Redeemer it was predict- 
 ed, " He shall not strive, nor cry ; neither shall any man 
 hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not 
 break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send 
 forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the gen- 
 tiles trust." It is utterly inconsistent, therefore, for us who 
 
 profess to be wise men — the servants of the Lord the fol- 
 
 lowers of the meek and lowly Jesus, to give haughty, turbu- 
 lent, insulting answers to those who question us concerning 
 our hope of heaven. Besides, to say nothing of the glaring 
 mconsistency of such a course, whtit effect will such conduct 
 produce upon the minds of the unconverted ? Will it lead 
 them to admire religion, to desire it, to seek it, when they 
 see that you, who profess it, have such an unamiable spirit ? 
 Certainly not ; hut instead of this, it will frighten them from 
 religion, and cause them to regard it with feelings of disgust. 
 Many who propose questions concerning our hope, may bo 
 exceedingly insulting and irritating, still we must with all 
 mildness, gentleness, and forbearance answer them. Meek- 
 ness in our answers will have a <enflency to subdue their 
 haughtiness and turbuloncc, and clianf;c their contempt into 
 
*fO iSEfiK THE SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 
 
 1^19 
 
 the hope 
 quiries of 
 ontempt ; 
 Ives war- 
 who may 
 I condaot 
 Christian. 
 : such a 
 nes says, 
 e, among 
 Is works, 
 envying, 
 ;ainst the 
 is earth- 
 strife is, 
 dom that 
 easy to 
 partiali- 
 eousness 
 s iii. 13, 
 t, "The 
 all men, 
 who op- 
 predict- 
 my man 
 1 he not 
 he send 
 the gen- 
 ' us who 
 -the fol- 
 , turbu- 
 icerning 
 glaring 
 conduct 
 1 it lead 
 en they 
 spirit ? 
 'm from 
 disgust, 
 may be 
 vith all 
 Meek, 
 e their 
 iipt into 
 
 aclmiration. Meekness in our answers will have a tendency 
 to cause those, wno hitherto, through pride, unbelief, and 
 worldliness, have rejected the religion of Christ, to consider 
 its claims, and to seek the blessed hope which it inspires. 
 We most heartily recommend the following just sentiments 
 from an eminent author, to the serious consideration 
 of all Christians. They are worthy of being engraven 
 on the fleshy table of every christian's heart. " Let the be- 
 lievor, by a holy life and a chaste conversation show, through 
 meekness and gentleness, joined to his divine information, 
 that he is a Christian indeed ; his works and his spirit prov- 
 ing that God is in him of a trutli ; and that, from the fulness 
 of a holy heart, his feet walk, his hands work, and his 
 tongue speaks. We may learn from this that genuine wis- 
 dom is ever accompanied with meekness and gentleness. 
 Those proud, overbearing, and disdainful men, who pass for 
 great scholars and eminent critics, may have learning, but 
 they have not wisdom. Their learning implies their correct 
 knowledge of the structure of language, and of composition 
 in general ; but wisdom they have none, nor any self-govern- 
 ment. They are like the blind man who carried a lantern 
 in daylight to keep others from jostling him in the street. 
 That learning is not only of little worth, but despicable, that 
 does not teach a man to govern his own spirit, and to be hum- 
 ble in his conduct toward others. If ye be under the in- 
 fluence of an unkind, fierce, and contemptuous spirit, even 
 while attempting or pretending to defend true religion, do not 
 boast either of your exertions or success in silencing an ad- 
 versary ; ye have no religion and no true wisdom , and to 
 profess either is to lie against the truth. Let all writers on 
 what is called polemic (fighting, warring) divinity, lay this 
 to heart. The pious Mr. Herbert gives excellent advice on 
 this subject : — 
 
 " Be calm in arguing, for fierceness makei 
 
 Error a fault, and truth diecourte^y ; 
 Why should I feel another man's mistakes 
 
 More than his sickness or his poverty ? 
 In love I nhould ; but anger is not love. 
 Nor w»»(fom neither ; therefore g-e-n-t-I-y m-o-T-e.»' 
 
 Ye who profess Christianity may rest assured 
 you give your reasons for the hope that is in 
 meekness, you will not, cannot he successful in bringing 
 souls to holiness and to heaven. 
 
 If toe are to be successful in saving souls, we must give our 
 
 that unless 
 you, with 
 
 'Ml 
 
 t ll 
 
i6jd, 
 
 TH£ OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 answers with Jear, as well as with meekness. Divine things 
 ought never to he spoken of in a light, trifling, irreverent 
 manner. A serious spirit and a serious manner are ajbsolut?- 
 ly needed in speaking upon serious subjects ; and, therefore,, 
 it is not always Wv""!! to give an answer to every man that asfc- 
 eth a, reason of the hope that is in us, at the time wheji it is 
 asked ; for if the man is not serious, or if we are in the 
 company of the giddy and gay, who are only disposed to turn 
 into ridicule what we may advance, we had better plainly 
 but affectionately inform our interrogator that the present 
 is not a fitting time to discuss so serious a matter. 
 
 This duty must be performed with fear — but not with ter- 
 ror. Fear here means reverence, respect, honour. With a 
 deep reverence of God, with proper respect to the man with 
 whom we converse, and honouring the truth, we should give 
 our reasons of the hope that is in us. In giving an answer, 
 wo should dread saying anything that would have a tendency 
 to hide the truth, or be unbecoming the dignify and holiness of 
 the Christian religion. This dread will prevent us from say- 
 ing anything about our hope that will not stand the test of the 
 severest examination : will cause us with modesty to state the 
 amazing change that has passed upon us : with holy joy to 
 magnify the exceeding riches of God's grace in begetting us 
 again to a lively hope: and with tender and deep solicitude to 
 press those arguments upon the mind of the sinner, which 
 will have a tendency to induce him never to rest until he 
 finds Christ in him the hope of glory. A proper dread of 
 lowering the religion of Jesus, and making it unattractive to 
 sinners, is absolutely needed, if by giving them a reason of 
 the hope that is in us, we wish to honour God and save souls. 
 
 In giving a reason of the hope that is in us, we must especial- 
 ly dread the indulgence of any feeling, the manifestation of 
 any temper, and the utterance of any word, contrary to love. 
 Some Christians are easily excited, and warmth of temper 
 will soon be manifested, and harsh words will soon be uttered, 
 if they have to do with unreasonable men, unless they are 
 extremely cautious. Here is just ground for fear, hence we 
 should dread a failure on these points, and lift up our hearts 
 to God for assistance, and beg of him, in Jesus' name, to con- 
 trol our feelings and direct our tongues, that we may speak 
 as it becometh the oracles of God, and with those gestures, 
 tones, and looks that will carry conviction to the minds of 
 those with v/hom wr cor.vprsp, that v.'c really Inye fhrm and 
 d«8ir€ above all things their present and eternal salvation. 
 
TO 8EEK THE SALVATION OF S0T7LS. 
 
 161 
 
 
 In giving a reason of our hope, we should do it with a deep 
 and reverential sense of our accountability 'n 0^^. We should 
 never forget that God's eye is upon i<s, and ihat his ear is 
 open to what we say, when we arrr giv'o- an answer to 
 those who have asked us a reason o* the hope that is in us, 
 and that he will shortly call us to c ,." uo for the spirit v«^e 
 manifest and the words we utter. Thes. risiderations will 
 cause us to speak the truth, the vhole ruth, and nothing 
 but the truth ; will make us caref;' » , ''o this in a proper 
 spirit ; and make us earnest in defence of the hope we pos- 
 sess, " The confidence that attends this hope makes the be- 
 liever not fear men, to whom he answers, but God, for 
 whom he answers, and whose interest is chief in those things 
 of which he speaks. The soul that hath the deepest sense 
 of spiritual things, and the truest knowledge of God, is most 
 afraid to miscarry in speaking of him, most tender and wary 
 how to acquit itself when engaged to speak of and for God.'* 
 — Leighton. 
 
 In order to give a reason of the hope that is in us, with 
 meekness and fear, we must sanctify the Lord God in our 
 hearts. We must entertain scriptural, just, and exalted 
 views of God's nature, character, and will. We must under- 
 stand especially the plan of redemption through his beloved 
 Son. We must regard him as the Saviour of all men, spe- 
 cially of them that believe. We must recognize the great 
 fact that God has constituted the followers of h\^ Son Jesus 
 Christ the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and that 
 he has made it their bounden duty to bring their fellow-sin- 
 ners to the knowledge of the truth, that they may be made 
 heirs according to the hope of eternal life. We must firmly 
 believe that if we seek the salvation of souls, in humble de- 
 pendence on his aid, that he will succeed our efforts, and 
 reward our work of faith and labour of love : — but that if 
 we neglect to seek the salvation of souls, he will deprive us 
 of the joys of holiness here, and the joys of heaven here- 
 after, and cast us into outer darkness. We must, in a word, 
 adore, love, fear and serve God, with all our hearts, at all 
 times and under all circumstances, and then we shall be ever 
 ready to give a reason of the hope that is in us, with meek- 
 ness and fear, to every serious and candid inquirer. Had 
 we at all times a proper, heart-felt sense of God's power, 
 justice, goodness, and faithfulness : had we an awful sense of 
 the greatness of his wrath which now Rbi<leth unon the un- 
 godly, and which in eternity is poured out without mixture of 
 
 Hj 
 
IJI THE OBLIGATIONS Ot C^ftlSjJUlJrS 
 
 mercy : and did we in our inmost souls desire the whole 
 e'arifi to be filled with his glory, then the fear of the re- 
 proaches and revilings of meii would never hinder us from 
 declaring our hope of heaven ; and the insults, provocations, 
 and porseeutions of men would never ruffle our tempers, nor 
 caiise us to speak to them of our hope with unkindness, or 
 fierceness, or contempt. O ! if the knowledge of God filled 
 our understandings, if the grace of God perfectly controlled 
 our wills, if the love of God filled our hearts, and if the 
 fear of God completely possessed and governed our souls, 
 then indeed we could not rest till " the earth shall be full of 
 tho knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." 
 
 Sanctify, ye saints, the Lord God in your hearts, and let 
 him be your fear, and let him be your dread. You possess 
 the glorious hope of eternal bliss, your unconverted fellow- 
 men possess it not. Go, then, in the fear of God, and 
 awaken them to a sense of their lost condition. Remember 
 they are destitute of hope; but still they are not yet cast 
 into hell, where hope never comes. They may be brought 
 to the possession of the hope of heaven, if you are faithful 
 to your trust. Be ready, then, at all times to give an an- 
 swer to every one of them that nsketli you a reason of the 
 hope that is in you. Let there bo no hesitation, no reluc- 
 tande, no unwillingness to perform this duty. The glory of 
 God, the satisfaction of Christ, the honour of religion, and 
 the salvation of souls depend on its right discharge. *' Fear 
 not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the 
 soul : but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul 
 and body in hell."— Matt. x. 28. 
 
 II r 
 
DISCOURSE IX. 
 
 
 
 THE NEED OF JUDICIOUS REPROOF IN SAVING SOULS. 
 
 " But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing 
 shall come upon them." — Proverbs xxiv. 25. 
 
 The proverbs of Solomon are exccllont. They are like 
 apples of gold, in pictures of silver : beautiful, valuable, 
 useful. They are simple ; but pregnant witjj meaning. 
 Natural and pithy ; therefore, easily applied to practical 
 purposes. The text is pari of one of his proverbs, the mean- 
 ing of which will be readily perceived by reading tiie con- 
 text : " He that saith imto the wicked, Thou art righteous ; 
 him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him. But to 
 them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing 
 shall come upon them." Here the wise man forcibly points 
 out the misery which shall come u[>on those who flatter tho 
 wicked, })y calling them righteous; and tho bliss which those 
 shall enjoy who rebuke tho wicked for tlicir wickedness. 
 The former the people will curse, because ho is their enemy; 
 for, by his conduct, he encourages the wicked in their sinful 
 cour.sc, and thus augments human misery. Nations .shall 
 abhor him, because lie robs the nations of true greatness, 
 and brings a reproach upon them. •' Righteousness exalteth 
 a nation ; b\it sin is a n^proach to any people." Hut to them 
 that rebuke him kIkiU be delight, and a good blessing shall 
 come upon them, because they are doing what they can to 
 stop tho progress of iniquity, and to increase the prorperity 
 and happiness of man. 
 
 Ther(> is, probably, no duty that Christians perform so 
 carelessly, in fact, wjiich they so entirely neglect, as that of 
 reproving sinners ; yot there is no duty more important, nor 
 one that requires more attention, skill, and faithfulness in its 
 performance. 
 
 To this duty, and the blessedness connected with its right 
 discharire, we shall now direct your attention ; hoping, under 
 God's blessing, to bo successful in stirring you up to pay that 
 attention to it which its importance denmuils, in order llmt 
 you may obtain the delight and blessing spoken of in thia 
 
i; 
 
 
 III 
 
 164 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 passage. " But to them that rebuke him shall be deliglit, 
 rnd a good blessing shall come upon them." 
 
 Let us consider, 
 
 I. The duty of Christians to rebuke sinners. 
 
 II. The delight experienced, and the blessing received 
 by those who attend to it aright. 
 
 I. The duty of Christians to rebuke sinners. 
 
 That this is the duty of Christians, is evident from 
 THE scriptures OF TRUTH. The scHptures speak of those, 
 who perform this duty aright, in strains of the highest com- 
 mendation. Solomon says, " Open rebuke is better than 
 secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend ; but the 
 kisses of an enemy are deceitful. As an ear-ring of gold, 
 and an ornament of fine gold ; so is a wise reprover upon 
 an obedient car." David says, "Lot the righteous smite 
 me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall 
 bo an excelknt oil, wliich shall not break my head." There- 
 fore, if wo regard only the moral excellency of judicious 
 reproof, we are wurraiiled in stating, that the scriptures re- 
 ouire all Christians to perform this duty ; for Christians pro- 
 less to seek " Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things 
 are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things 
 are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report ;" and 
 certainly the above cited passages prove that judicious re- 
 proof is excellent and of good report. 
 
 In the scriptures, however, wo have plain and positive 
 commands for the performance of this duty. In the nine- 
 teenth chapter of Leviticus, God says, " Thou shall in any 
 wise rebuke thy neighltour, and not suffer sin upon him.^' 
 Such is the positive law of God, which is binding upon us 
 all. In the seventeenth chanter of Luke. Jesus Christ says 
 to his disciples, «' Take heed to yourse* js if thy brother 
 tresspass against thee, rebuke him ; and if he repent, forgive 
 him. ' In the fifth chapter of Piphesians, we are command- 
 •d to " Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of dark- 
 nes8, but rather reprove them." And in the fifth chapter 
 of the first of Timothy, that young minister is commanded 
 to attend to this duty, in these words, «• Them that sin, 
 rebuke before all, that others also may fear." These com- 
 mands still possess all their force, and are binding upon all 
 Christian niinislerH, and all Christian people, in the present 
 
TO SBBi: THE SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 
 
 169 
 
 
 There is a passage in the proverbs of Solomon, which, at 
 first sight, appeara at variance with those already cited. It. 
 is this : " He that reproveth a scorner, getteth to lumsielf 
 shame ; and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself 
 a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee ; rebuke 
 a wise man and he will love thee." This passage is not, 
 in reality, at variance with those already quoted. Those 
 point out the duty; this confines us in the discharge of the 
 duty to thoso characters who are not so far hardened, by the 
 deceitfulness of sin, as to scorn reproof. It must be confess- 
 ed, that some men have gone so fur in crime, their conscien- 
 ces are so seared, and they are so foolhardy, we might as 
 well beat the air, or plough on a rock, as to thiidc of doing, 
 them good by reproving them. For " fouls muck at sin," 
 and pour ridicule and contempt upon those that reprove them. 
 " A reproof putereth more into a wise man, than a iiundred 
 stripes into a fool." It is our duty to reprove sin in all cases, 
 unless we are fully convinced that reproof would do moro 
 harm than good. 
 
 The peufohmance of this duty is necessauv to save 
 SOULS. When David had committed the grossest sins uliich 
 it is possible for mortal to commit, ho remained utt<M]y uncon- 
 cerned about his stale before God. For nearly twelve 
 montlis there were no signs of contrition ixhnut David, and 
 there was no return to CJod from wi)om he had so deeply re- 
 volted. All went on peaceably ; and David would, ui all 
 probability, iiave been lost for ever, if God had not sent 
 Nathan the prophet to reprove him, and set his sins in order 
 before his eyes. N.itlian, by an ingenious parabb', prepared 
 lh(^ way lor' that sahitarv reproof, wliich restored David to 
 himself and to his God. 'David was brought, by this i)arablo, 
 to pass the extreme sentence of tiie law, which was death, 
 upon the man who had ilone the wi(!kedness which Nathan 
 had narrated ; and {hm, the faithful propliet, with firm voice, 
 steady look, and unlUnching purpose, announced to David, 
 
 "Thou art the man Thou h« ♦ killed Uriah the Hittito 
 
 with the sword, and hast taken his v i.- be thy wife, and hast 
 slain him with the sword of the children of Amnion." This 
 faitliful reproof humbled David in tlu> dust, and led him, with 
 weeping and supplication, bn^' tw (Jod, at whose feet, on this 
 occasion, he poured forth " afty-first l»salm, which will 
 over \w regarthjd, wh|l*» the world stands, as the penitent's 
 manual of InNlructinn and devotion. This reproof was the 
 means of th« salvation of David's soul. 
 
pp 
 
 166 
 
 THK OBLICATIOMS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 f 
 
 When your preacher was stationed in Montreal, seme 
 years ago, there was a pious hussar, who beloncred to our 
 society, who was often annoyed by the horrid oaths of one 
 
 of his comrades, W J . This man was the most no. 
 
 torious swearer in the regiment ; even the wicked soldiers 
 turned pale at his blasphemies. One day, as he was making 
 the barrack-room ring with with his curses, the pious soldier 
 
 exclaimed, «' Go on, J n, your judgement lingereth not, 
 
 and ^our damnation slumbereth not : they will soon overtake 
 you. 1 his wise and faithful reproof had the desired effect. 
 
 It pierced the dark soul of J n, and filled him with indis. 
 
 cribable horror. Wherever he went, he told us afterwards, 
 he heard the voice of his reprover crjing, " Your judgment 
 iingercth not, and your damnation slumbereth not : they will 
 soon overtake you." The man was brought to our house in 
 the greatest agony of soul ; and through being directed to 
 1 Mo Lamb of God, that tuketli away the sin of the world," 
 he found poace ; and as long as he ronmined in the country, 
 he was a humble and consistent Christian, feariug an oath, 
 and walking in the ordinances and commandments of God 
 blamrb-ss. It tins rrproof had not been given, in all proba- 
 
 Dimy, V\ J- — would be in darkness and deaUi, even 
 
 at this hour. Under God that reproof saved his soul. 
 
 " VV hen the Rov. Henry Martyn was at college, he was 
 called to visit a family in groat distress, on account of the 
 expected doath of tho husband nnd father. Some of the fam- 
 1 y, lost tb(. agony of thoir griof should add to the distress of 
 liio dying man, imd roinovcd to another house, where Martyn 
 uund a gownsman reading a play to them, with a view to 
 their consolui ion. He very properly rebuked him, with some 
 seventy, for this great impropriety, and was lead to fear, from 
 the marmer in which his reproof was received, that some un- 
 pleasant results might fbllow. But mark the goodness of God 
 ni Dlessing the inr.uns employed for the advancement of his 
 glory. VVhon this gownsman again saw Martyn, it was to 
 inank him (ur his faithful admonition, which proved the means 
 of a saving change of heart ; and these two holy men labour- 
 ed together in India in extending the knowleduo of the Lord 
 Jesus. ° 
 
 " The Rev. W. Romaine was one evening invited to a 
 friend s house to tea ; and, af\er tho tea.tliings were removed, 
 the Ittdy of the house asked him to play at cards, to which ha 
 mad. no objection. The cards were produced -^nd when all 
 were ready to commeuce play, the venerable imuiflter paid, 
 
TO SfiKX THE SALVATION Of SOVLS. 
 
 167 
 
 
 *Let its ask ihe blessing of God.' 'Ask the blessing of 
 God !* said the lady, in great surprise ; ' I never heard of 
 such a thing to a game of cards.' Mr. Romaine then in. 
 quired, * Ought we to engage in any thing oa which we can- 
 not ask his blessing?' This gentle reprciof put an end to the 
 card-playing. This good man was once addressed by a lady, 
 who expressed the great pleasure she had enjoyed under his 
 preaching, and added, that she could comply with his require- 
 ments, with the exception of one thing. ' And what is that, 
 madam V asked Mr. R. * Cards, sir,' * Then, madam, they 
 are your god, and they must save you.' This pointed admo- 
 nition led to serious reflection, and liauliy to the ubandonment 
 of such unworthy pleasures." 
 
 The above facts are suflicient to prove that the peformance 
 of this duty is necessary to save souls. Most of those who 
 are saved, are saved Uy a Kind reproof tlioy have received 
 from some one, who folt dei ply for their souls, rel)Mked them 
 for tlieir sins, and urged tiiem to repentance. You may be 
 agents in saving your fellow-m'.ii if you reprove them and 
 pray for them aright. Numberless instances there are, where 
 single reproofs have been the arrows which have stuck fast 
 in the hearts of the king's enemies, uiid would not let them 
 rest until they came, weary and heavy laden, to Christ, and 
 received, through faith in his blood, rest for their souls. In 
 the cases cited above, for your instruction and admonition, a 
 single reproof saved the transgressors. Will you, then, 
 refuse to reprove sinners, when a single reproof, with God's 
 blessing, may save their souls from death, and hide a multi- 
 tude of sins ? 
 
 The motives wnrcn urge Christians to rebuke sin- 
 kers ARE PARAMOUNT AND UNIVERSAL. 
 
 Patriotism requires our aftcnfJon to this duftj. The benefi- 
 cial eftects of judicious reproof upon a country i\iny be 
 easily seen. F.vcry man possesses some influence among his 
 fellow-countrymen ; and observation, as well as scripture, 
 proves, that "One sinner destroyeth much good;" that, 
 " By reason of sin and swearing, the land mourneth ;" that 
 " Sin is a reproach," and a grievous curse «' to any people." 
 Therefore, when a sinner, by judicious reproof, is brought to 
 "Cease to do evil, and learn to do well:" is induced to give 
 up swearing and all manner of sin ; and to bind a peaceable 
 atid quiet life, in all godliness and honesty, the country in 
 which ho dwells must be benefitted. Society at largo will 
 
166 
 
 1HE OBLIOATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 •i 
 
 have the benefit of his godly oonversdlion, his effectual 
 prayers, his holy example ; and as betore his conversion he 
 destroyed much good: so after his conversion he will destroy 
 much evil. He will be a blessing to his family, his neigh- 
 hours, and his country. To talk of patriotism, while you 
 will not reprove sin, wliich has a mighty tend#;ncy to corrupt 
 the morals of a communitv, to disturb tlie peace of your 
 country, and to introduce disorder and ruin into the common- 
 wealth, is v.iin/ You may talk as much as you please : it is 
 nothincr hut talk. The words you utter are vam, empty 
 words,'' whicli mean nothing. No man is a lover of his coun- 
 try who will not resist and reprove sin, which has ruined the 
 mitrhlicst empires of auti({uity, and which is threatening many 
 nmlorn nations witli destruction. The people have a right 
 to curse; and the nations but too much cause to abhor the 
 man who "S;iit!i unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, or 
 who refuses to rebuke the sinner for his wickedness. 
 
 rhil.(mlhro\)ij requires our immediate attention to this duty. 
 Sin is tlie prolific source of all the miseries endured by our 
 race. If idolatry, profane and vain swearing, sabbath break- 
 inrr, disobedience to parents, murder, lewdness, theft, false 
 wrtnessing, and covetousness were destroyed ; and all men 
 loved the1:.ord th(«ir Mod, with all theii-hearts, souls, mind, 
 and strengtli, and their neighbours as themselves, this would 
 be a happ'y world. The spiritual woes endured by our race 
 would be entirely removed; and the physical evils, which 
 flesh is heir to, would bo lessened in their number, and miti- 
 gated in their severity. When men sin, thoy injure both 
 themselves and their fellow-creatures ; and, therefore, if we 
 love them, w(* shall reprove them for their sins. It sin goes 
 inireproved, it will overthrow the order, and destroy the hap- 
 piness of the world. It has already done these to an alarm- 
 ing extent ; and if some did not resist and reprove sin, the 
 world would soon bo completely ruined. Silence gives con- 
 sent to the crimes perpetrated among men : virtually sanctions 
 all that the wicked do, whicli causi's misery to come in upon 
 our race likt! a flood ; therefore, genuine philanthropy will 
 induco its possessor to reprove sin, wherever and whenever he 
 finds it. No man loves his order and his kind, as he ought, 
 who suil'ers sin to go nnreproved. A good writer observes : 
 "Suppose wo see our neighbour exposed to a temporal ca- 
 lamity, say his house on fire, 'i'rno love will induco us to 
 warn'hiin, and not to leave him to jierish in the flames: cspo- 
 cially if \\o saw him inclined to persist in his course, and 
 
TO 8ES< THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 169 
 
 jffectual 
 rsion he 
 de^roy 
 3. neigh, 
 lile you 
 corrupt 
 of your 
 om mou- 
 se : it is 
 , empty 
 lis coun- 
 lined the 
 ng many 
 2 a right 
 bhor the 
 
 DUS, 
 
 or 
 
 his duty. 
 d by our 
 :h break- 
 eft, false 
 all men 
 Is, mind, 
 is would 
 our race 
 s, which 
 tmd miti- 
 uro both 
 ro, if we 
 sin goes 
 the hap- 
 n alarm- 
 9 sin, the 
 ;ivc8 con- 
 sanctions 
 i in upon 
 ropy will 
 puever he 
 he ought, 
 )bscrvea : 
 iporal ca- 
 uco us to 
 ics : ospo- 
 urso, and 
 
 stay in his burning house, we should expostulate earnestly 
 with him, and not suffer him to destroy himself, if we could 
 possibly prevent it. Much more should we warn him of the 
 consequences of sin, and reprove him, and strive to turn him, 
 before he destroys himself." How little genuine philanthropy 
 is there in the world ! How few understand its nature and 
 object ! We hear much of the love of mankind from many j 
 hut few love their race in deed and of a truth. They say, 
 indeed, " Be ye warmed, and clothed, and filled ;" but, alas ? 
 they do not steadily oppose, nor constantly reprove the sins 
 of men, which are the cause of all tlie miseries our fellows 
 endure. We may call ourselves philanthropists as long as 
 we choose ; and we may warm, and clothe, and feed the 
 bodies of men, to the utmost of our ability ; but if we do 
 not oppose their sins, reprove their sins, and strive to induce 
 them to give up their sins, we love them not ; and arc gu Ity 
 of the inconsistency, the folly, and the wickedness of the old 
 Jewish scribes and pharisees, of whom .Tesus said, *' Ye pay 
 tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the 
 weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : 
 these ought ye to have done, and not leave the other undone." 
 — Matth. xxiii. 24. 
 
 The preservation of ourselves and faynilies require special 
 attenfion to this duty. Sin is infectious. Both we and our 
 families are in danger of being led away, by the error of 
 the wicked, from our steadfastness. We know the evil of 
 sin by l)itter experience. We have not forgotten the fearful ap- 
 prehensions which we experienced when our eyes were opened 
 by the Spirit, and we had a clear and full view ot the ma- 
 lignant nature of sin, and its destroying efTf^cts. Then we 
 perceived, that by sin, we had grioviously odendod the h/ess- 
 ed God, wantonly crucified the Sort of God, wilfully grieved 
 tho Spirit of God, and exposed ourselves to the vevgeance 
 of A/mighty and eternal wrath. We, therefore, have just 
 reason both to dread and reprove sin. If wo cease to dreud 
 and reprove sin, we shall again be brought under its power 
 and dominion: for we have a nature inclined to evil. In- 
 iquity prevails on every hand ; satanic influence is ever 
 prompting and enticing us to work wickedness : coiise(iuenlly, 
 if wo do not cherish a dread of sin, and bear a solemn pro- 
 test against sin, by reproving it, wo slmll fall into condemna- 
 tion, and be carried away by the wicktMl influences which 
 surround us. It is only by cherishing a dread of sin. and 
 bearing a continual protest against it, that wo can escape this 
 
 15 
 
§1 •■, 
 
 170 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHEISTIANi 
 
 dire evil. All experience and all history prove that the 
 heart of man is apt to lose its keen sensibilities of wrong by 
 frequcDlly witnessing atrocious deeds. The inhabitants of 
 Paris were so accustomed to horrid deeds of blood, during 
 the reign of terror, that they could even rejoice, and sing, 
 and dance, while their fellow-citizens were being gullotined 
 by scorivs ami hundreds. The soldier, who has often been in 
 the battle-field, loses all sense of horror at the sight of the torn 
 limbs, mangled bodies, and lifeless corpses of his comrades 
 whicii strew tlie earth on every side of him. We have read 
 accounts of Europeans who went to the West Indies, during 
 tJic reign of slavery in the British Colonies, who were so hor- 
 rificd, that they actually fainted away, when they saw slaves 
 stripped and flogged, till the bloody and flesh flew at every 
 Stroke of the lash ; but, by seeing these horrid exhibitiong 
 frequently, they lost all sense of their barbarity, and were, 
 afterwar.Js, found performing the same deeds, and taking their 
 station among the foremost advocates for the continuance of 
 the cursed system called Slavery. What wonder, therefors, 
 will it ho, ifWe lose the dread of sin and cease to reprove it, 
 bIiouM wc again be brouglit under its influence, and be (buud 
 running with the mullhude to do evil. 
 
 Our families are in great danger of being ruined for ever 
 througii the prevalence of ungodliness. Our wives, our chil- 
 dren, our parents, our brothers and sisters, for whose spiritual 
 and eternal welfare we are deeply solicitous, are in danger of 
 being corrupted and eternally ruined by the sins of others. 
 Iniquity abounds. Be not deceived. Evil communications 
 corru])! good manners. Tliis ought to alarm us, and ccune us 
 to reprove; sin, wherever we find it, lest those who are dearer 
 to us than life should, through hearing us, say nothing against 
 it, think sin a trille, and be led to live in its practice, and be 
 ruined for ever. If our neighbour's house be on fire, we 
 have justenuso for alarm in reference to our own dwelling; 
 and rqu;;lly as groat reason have we for alarm le.st the wick- 
 edness of the wieked should corrupt and destroy our nearest 
 and dearest relatives. If the plague, or the cholera, or any 
 other contagious disease be among our neighbours and aeqaint- 
 anecs, we should have just reason to fuar, tiiat without the 
 greatest prccatition, it would be communicated to our fami- 
 lies ; and equally as great reason have we to fear that our 
 families will bo infected by tlu> still more dreadful contagion 
 of sin. Vvoin tiio fire we may flee : from the plague we may 
 hasten ; but wliere, O ! where can we fleo from the presencw 
 
 try; 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATIOI^ OP SOULS. 
 
 171 
 
 of sin? In town and in village, in the city and in the wilder- 
 ness ; wherever human beings are congregated, iniquity is 
 found, sin rages. What is to be done ? what can be done ? 
 but to dread it ourselves ; to infuse the horror of it into the 
 minds of our relatives; i^ pray to God for preservation ; and 
 seriously, earnestly, and constantly rebuke the wicked for 
 their wickedness. Let Christians neglect this duty, and the 
 ruin, the eternal ruin, of themselves and house, of their rela- 
 tives, will, in all probability, be the penalty of their folly and 
 their wickedness. 
 
 Religion imperiously demands our alleniion to this duty. 
 As Christians, we profess to love God ; to desire the cxten- 
 sion of Christ's kingdom, and the rescue of immortal souls 
 from eternal ruin. Our holy religion peremptorily requires 
 us to seek the glory of God, the satisfaction of Christ, tlio sal- 
 vation of men. Can these bo gained unless we reprove sin? 
 Impossible! absolutely impossible! If we love God with all 
 our hearts, and really desire the whole eiirth to be filled with 
 his glory, we must reprove sin, which is the ahominahle tiling 
 which God hates ; and the cursed thing which prevents the 
 world from being filled with his glory. If a child love his 
 parents, he will reprove those wlio speak against them. The 
 I)reacher this morning, when but a cliild, on once liearing a 
 man speaking disrespectfully of his parents, with heaving 
 breast, tearful eye, and agonized heart, resented the af- 
 front, and put a stop to the calumniator. Where, then, is our 
 love to our heavenly Father, and our concern for his glory, 
 if we will not do for him, what any 1 ving child would risk 
 his life to do for an eartlily parent ? If a man love his coun- 
 try, (its institutions, its laws, its government,) he will boldly 
 reprove those who abuse and revile it. We once, at an inn 
 M'hcre we stayed for the night when travelling, heard a tre- 
 mendous crash in the adjoining room : we rushed into the 
 apartment, and found two aged, respectable men fighting; 
 and when we had assisted in separating the combatants, we 
 enquired of one of them, whom wo had induced to enter the 
 parlour, why a man of his age and respectable appearance 
 was found guilty of so wicked a thing as fighting with a 
 fellow creature ? He replied, " Sir, lie reviled my coun- 
 try ; and I would fight till I died before I would stand and 
 liear my country vilified." Did we love God as that man 
 loved his country, we should most certainly bo ever found re- 
 proving those wlio have the audacity to sin against him. It 
 is treason against God not to reprove sin. The man wlip 
 
172 
 
 THE OBLIGATION'S OP Cfi&ISTIANS 
 
 knows of a treasonable plot against the commonwealth of the 
 country in which he dwells, and does not disclose it, is re- 
 garded as an accessary, and is punished accordingly. So, 
 when wo refuse to reprove sin, which is direct rebellion 
 against God, we become a partaker of the sin committed, and 
 are justly considered by Jehovah as rebels ourselves. 
 
 How, we also ask, can Christ see of the travail of his soul 
 and bo satisfied, if we will not reprove sin, which was the 
 cause of his humiliation, sufferings, and death ? Men who 
 commit Sin, do not see, do not feel that the sins which they 
 commit, caused his hands, and feet, and side to be cruelly 
 pierced ; and that they now pierce his heart, and give him 
 greater pain than ever the nails or the spear did. By reprov- 
 iiig them of sin, and showing them what a shame it is for 
 them to practice sin, wliicli caused the blessed Saviour to 
 sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane, and to die on 
 Calvary ; and which cause him, now he has gone to heaven, 
 grief which no mortal can conceive, will be sure to have an 
 impression upon their mhids ; and will lead many, whom we 
 reprove, to " look on liim whom they have pierced, and 
 rnourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son; and be in 
 bitterness for iiim, even as one tliat is in bitterness for his 
 first-born." Never will Christ's triumphs extend as they 
 ought, until tl)e followers of Jesus, from a principle of love 
 to '^the Saviour, and from an intense desire to bring men to 
 love, adore, and serve him — kindly, firmly, boldly reprove 
 sin wherever found. Religion too, requires us to love the 
 ungodly, and seek their good. But do we love the sinner and 
 seek his welfare when we suffer sin upon him. Tlie religion 
 of the Bible, which we profess, says, " Thoushalt in amjioise 
 rehiike thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon liim." — Levit. 
 xix. 17. Are the following sentiments of the Rev. G. C. Fin- 
 ney, in his sermon on the passage just cited, too strong ? We 
 conceive not. Ponder them seriously : — 
 
 "It is cruel to omit it" (reproof). " If you see your 
 neighbour sin, and you j/ass by and neglect to reprove him, 
 it is just as cruel as if you should see iiis house on fire, and 
 pass by and not warn him of it. Why not ? If he is in the 
 house, and the house burns, he will lose his life. If he sins, 
 and remains in sin, he will go to hell. Is it not cruel to let 
 him go unwarned to hell ? Some seem to consider it not 
 cruel to let a neighbour go on in sin, till the wrath of God 
 comes upon him to the uttermost. Their feelings are so ten-, 
 dor that they cannot wound him, by telling him of hia sin 
 
To SSSK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 178 
 
 and danger. No doubt the tender mercies of the wicked are 
 cruel. Instead of warning their neighbour of the consequen- 
 ces of sin, they actually encourage him in it. 
 
 " If you do not reprove your neighbours for their sin, you 
 are chargeable with their death. God holds us chargeable 
 wirfi the death of those whom we suffer to go on in sin with- 
 out reproof; and it is right he should. If we see them sin, 
 and make no opposition, and give no reproof, we consent to it, 
 and countenance them in it. If you see a man preparing to 
 kill his neighbour, and stand still, and do nothing to prevent 
 it, you consent, and are justly chargeable as accessary ; in 
 the eye of God, and in the eye of law, you are justly charge- 
 able with the same sin. So, if you see a man committing 
 any iniquity, and do nothing to resist it, you are guilty with 
 him. His blood will be upon his own head ; but at whose 
 hand will God require it ? What says God respecting a 
 watchman ? ' Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto 
 the house of Israel ; therefore thou shalt hear the word at 
 my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the 
 wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die ; if thou dost 
 not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man 
 shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy 
 hand.' This is true of all men. If you sufler a neighbour, 
 who is within reach of your influence, to pass on in sin un- 
 warned, he will die in h is iniquity, but his blood shall be re- 
 quired at your hand." 
 
 The manner in which reproof is given, is of the 
 greatest moment. 
 
 Some, by the manner in which they reprove others, do 
 more harm than good. 
 
 If reproof is to he successful, it must he admistered judi 
 ciously. Regard must be liad to the temper and conduct of 
 an individual. A bold, profligate, presumptions sinner may 
 need rebuking sharply. " One of Themselves, even a prophet 
 of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, 
 slow bellies. This witness is true. Wiierefore rebuke them 
 sharply." — Titus i. 12, 13. A young or a timid sinner may 
 be easily affrighted and made to give glory to God ; therefore 
 should be, especially at first, rebuked gently. " And of 
 some have compassion, making a difference : and others save 
 with fear, pulling them out of the fire ; hating even the gar- 
 ment spotted by the flesh." — Jude xxii. 23. Regard also 
 
mmm 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 .n%, 
 
 ?u \%^^. 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 
 2,5 
 
 2.2 
 
 2.0 
 
 1.8 
 
 14 III 1.6 
 
 '/ 
 
 'h 
 
 07 
 
 >m 
 
 
 *y *>K 
 
 "w 
 
 °^i 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 # 
 
 :0^ 
 
 <v 
 
 \\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 33 WIST MAIN STRUT 
 WHSTIII.N Y USIO 
 
 (716) tra^soa 
 
 '^1% 
 
 ^2^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 

 
 %. 
 
 \ 
 
 > 
 ^ 
 
 6^ 
 
 # 
 
 I 
 
174 
 
 THE CBLlGATIOIfS OP CHRISTIAIfS 
 
 must be had in administering reproof to times, places, and 
 circumstances. When any one is inflamed with wine, or 
 with passion, it is then a bad time to give reproof. We should 
 wait till the fumes of wine have passed away, or till reason 
 has rgain resumed dominion over passion, before we can ex- 
 pect reproof to produce compunction. When the person do- 
 serving reproof is in company, it is generally a wrong time 
 End place to give it. He will be more likely to benefit by 
 reproof when alone ; for no man likes to be reproved before 
 his fellow-men. 
 
 following 
 
 instance is a striking illustration of this 
 
 The 
 fact : — '* The late Rev. John Brown, of Haddioi^ton, once 
 passing the Frith of Forth, between Leith and Kinghorn, 
 had for a felloA' passenger a Highland nobleman. Mr. Brown 
 observed, with grief, that he frequently took the name of God 
 in vain ; but suspecting, that to reprove him in the presence 
 of the other passengers, might tend only to irritate him, he 
 forebore saying any thing till he reached the opposite shore. 
 After landing, Mr. B., observing the nobleman walking alone, 
 stepped up to him, and said, "Sir, I was sorry to hear you 
 swear, while on our passage. You know it is written, * Thou 
 shalt not take the name ot the Lord thy God in vain.' ** The 
 nobleman, taking off his hat, and bowing to Mr. B., made the 
 following reply : ♦' Sir, I return you thanks for the reproof 
 you have now given me, and shall endeavour to attend to it 
 in future ; but," added he, *' had you have said this to me 
 while in the boat, I believe I should have run you through 
 witii my sword." However, when the sinner is audacious 
 and hardened, or where he is, especially, doing much mischief 
 to others, it is then our duty to rebake him sharply before all, 
 that others also may fear. Take an example, " The late 
 Rev. Mr. B. was once entertaining himself with seeing some 
 
 of his pnrishoners catching salmon, when Colonel , with 
 
 several gentlemen, came near them. As the former, who 
 was at that time a justice of the peace, was swearing in a 
 very profane manner, Mr. B. thus addressed him : ♦' Sir, you 
 are a justice of the peace, and a gentleman of family and 
 fortune, therefore your example to all should b(!come the state 
 in which kind Providence has placed you." He answered, 
 " Sir, I will not come and swear in your church !" This 
 was spoken with great bitterness. Mr. B. then lef\ him ; 
 but the fishermen afterwards said, that the gentleman was 
 very angry, and declared if the minister hud not gone away 
 ho would have thrashed him. But his future conduct 
 
ir> SEEi: THE SALTATION OF SOULS. 
 
 175 
 
 towords Mr. B. became the gentleman ; for, some time 
 afterwards, Mr. B. having some business to transact with the 
 justice, the latter at first sight thanked him for his reproof, but 
 add>.d, that he should not have given it in so public a manner. 
 Mr. B. replied, "Sir, my reason for doing so was, because 
 the fishermen who were present are my pashioners ; and as 
 swearing is a prevailing vice with them, I am fr(?quently 
 under the necessity of reproving them. Therefore, sir, reflect 
 but a moment, and you will see the propriety of what I did, 
 and of the public manner in which I did it. Would not the 
 fishermen have said, that the minister could reprove them, 
 but that he was afraid to reprimand the justice, if they had 
 not witnessed the contrary .'" The gentleman was well 
 pleased with Mr. B's. remark, and ever afterwards treated 
 iiim with kindness and respect." 
 
 We are perfectly aware that it is very diUlcult to lay down 
 rules, in this respect, to meet all ctisfs ; but wc? discover that 
 much caution is necessary, and much judgment is required in 
 reproving sinners. It behoves us, therefore, to seek from 
 above large measures of tlitit wisdom, which is profitable to 
 direct ; and depend upon God, at all time?, for that courage 
 which is needed to enable us to perform this duty aright : then 
 we shall not greatly err. 
 
 Reproof, to he successful, must he administered faiihfvlJxf, 
 It the Scriptures are to be our guide, faithfulness must char- 
 acterize all our reproofs. The best of men, we there discov- 
 er, reproved sinners in a very faithful manner. Isaiah re- 
 proved the Jews in the following faithful manner : — " Behold, 
 the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it catmot save ; neither 
 his ear heavy, that it cannot hear : But your iniquities have 
 separated between you and your God, and your sins have 
 hid his face from you, that he will not isear. For your 
 hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity ; 
 your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered per- 
 verseness." — Chap. 1. 1 — 3. Jeremiah, for his faithful re- 
 proofs, was cast into a loathsome dimgeon. Peter reproved 
 Simon Magus in these words : — " Thy money perish with 
 thee, because thou liast thought that the gift of God may be 
 purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in 
 this matter : (or thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 
 Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if 
 
 erhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 
 
 ''or I perceive that thou art in tlie gall of bittertK*»s, and in 
 the boud of iniquity." — Acta viii. 20 — 23. Paul, filled with 
 
 E 
 
em 
 
 176 
 
 TUB OBLISATIOKS OP CHBISTUMS 
 
 ill 
 
 the Holy Ghost, reproved Elymas the sorcerer, in the follow- 
 ing terrific manner : — " O full of all subtiltv and all mis- 
 chief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteous- 
 ness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the 
 Lord. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, 
 and thou shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. 
 And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness ; 
 and he wont about seeking some to lead him by the hand." 
 — Acts xiii. 10, 11. Our blessed Lord and Master reproved 
 sinners in the most taithful manner : hear his languar;e : — 
 " Woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye 
 shut up ti\o kingdom of heaven against men : for ye neither 
 go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering, to 
 go in. Woo unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 
 for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence, make long 
 prayer : therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 
 Woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye 
 compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is 
 made, yc m»ike hiin twofold more the child of hell than your- 
 selves." — M;itt. xxiii. 13 — 15. Those examples clearly 
 show that lUitlifulness characterized all the reproofs given by 
 prophets, apostles, and our blessed Redeemer. They have 
 left us an oxiunple tliiU we should follow their steps. How- 
 ever judicious our roproofs are, they must be faithful, or we 
 shall bo coudeinued by the Lord our judge, who rogardeth 
 not persons, nor accepteth a reward. 
 
 Reproof, to be successful, must be administered affectionate* 
 Jy, Want of affection will defeat our object. Men will not 
 listen to our reproofs, if they are given in a wrong spirit ; 
 for this will convince them that we do not love them. Let 
 us convince men that we love them ; that our reproofs spring 
 from deep concern for their present and eternal good, and our 
 object is gained. They cannot resist the force of reproof, 
 when accompanied with the sweet incense of love. To con- 
 vince them that wo love them, we must do so in reality. No 
 polite phrases, no earnest protestations are needed to con- 
 vince meji that we love them : these are generally resorted to 
 by the insincere. The eye must beam with love, the tones 
 of the voice must express love, and the whole of our conduct 
 must give unmistakeable proof that we love them not in word 
 only, but in deed and of a truth. If wo wish our reproofs 
 to be oHoctual, the lovo of God must be shed abroad in our 
 hearts : the oonsirainitig love of Christ, who wept while de- 
 nouncing Israel's doom, and who, while reproving his disci- 
 
TO SEEK TEE SALTATION 07 SOVUh 
 
 111 
 
 £les for sleeping while he was sweating as it were drops of 
 lood, uttered an excuse for their neglect, must impel us 
 and guide us in reproving sinners. The more we have of 
 the love of God, the better shall we be prepared to adminis- 
 ter reproof in a becoming and an effeotive manner ; for when 
 divine love constrains us, we shall be sure to discharge this 
 duty with affection. i3y reproving sinners, our object is not 
 to pain them ; but to save them from everlasting pains. 
 This object can only be gained by love : — 
 
 •' Love only can the conquest win. 
 The strength of sin subdue." 
 
 When unrenewed sinners plainly discover that we reprove 
 them because wo really love them, and are horrifi(>d at the 
 thought of the eternal ruin which thoy are securing for tliem- 
 selves by their sins, our reproofs will ci:ter tiieir hearts, and 
 cause them to forsake sin, which not only grieves us, but, if 
 not forsaken, will pierce them through with many r-orro.va, 
 and at last drown them in perdition. To induce us to per- 
 form this duty airectionutcly, surely tlie right remeiubranco, 
 that we " were sometimes darkness," that " v',- ourselves, 
 also, wore sometimes foolish, disobedient, dectived, serving 
 divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, Imteful 
 and hating one another," is sufficient. But, alas ! we are 
 all too apt to forget " the rock from whence wo were hewn, 
 and the hole of the pit from which we were digged ;" and 
 hence being filled with spiritual pride, we are too ready to 
 reprove sinners with a hard heart and cutthig language, in- 
 stead of reproving thorn in love. Let us never forget, in re- 
 proving sinners, what we once were, and this consideration 
 will induce us to adnunister reproof in the best manner pos- 
 sible. 
 
 In the discharge of this duty, jierscverance is required. We 
 must not give up sinners as incorrigible, because they do not 
 listen to our reproofs the first, second, or even twentieth time. 
 We must not suppose a man is bad beyond correction, or de- 
 praved beyond amendment, by any means, so long as he 
 troadj this earth. While there is life, we may cherish hope 
 of the sinner's amendment, yea, of his regeneration ; there- 
 fore wo shf)uld persevere in reproving sinners, unless wo are 
 insolently tlirbiddcn, treated scornfully, and persecuted shame- 
 fully for our benevolent reproofs. In such cases wo may 
 cease to reprove by our tongues, but not by our lives, nor by 
 our pens, nor yet by our looks. If we are in circumstances 
 that we must not speak reproof, we may live it, write it, or 
 
 iSi 
 
1^ 
 
 tm 0BL1GATI0«TS OF CftRISTllirS 
 
 look it. A reproving look has, before now, saved Soula. 
 "And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter 
 remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto 
 him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And 
 Peter went out, and wept bitterly. "-^Luke xxii. 61, 62. 
 Persevere in the discnarge of this duty, remembering that 
 the sinner's soul is of more value than the world. 
 
 Consider, 
 
 I J. The delight felt, and the blessing received, by those 
 who disciiarge this duty aright. 
 
 " But to them that rebuke him, shall be delight, and a 
 good blessing ohall come upon them." 
 
 From the right (Uncharge of this duty, every good man wiU 
 derive internal, satisfaction and joy. It is stated in tlie Scrip, 
 tures that " A good man shall be satisfied from himself," and 
 In reference to those who give judicious reproof, this remark 
 is strikingly icorrect. When good men conscientiously re- 
 prove sinnfrs, the conviction of having performed their duty 
 banishes all those unpleasant feelings which are connected 
 with its performance, and imparts to their minds tlie highest 
 satisfaction and joy. This satisfaction and joy they possess 
 indepenciently of the g.)()d that may result from the reproofs 
 given. The delight spoken of in tlio text, is independent of 
 the praise and censure of men. Whether others applaud or 
 condemn, the men who properly reprove sin, have the satis- 
 faction arising from the considerations that their motives were 
 pure, their object good, and that their duty to God and their 
 fellow-creatures required this much from them. Therefore, 
 let others say what they please, they have consciences < " ar 
 and void of ollence toward God and inan. Our text deck-rcs 
 that with such shall be delight. They have springs of joy 
 in themselves, while those who neglect this duty, have within 
 tliem a constant source of uneasiness and sorrow. Those 
 who neglect this duty have a wounded spirit which none can 
 bear, while those who do reprove sin have a spirit of peace, 
 and joy, and love. The men who reprove sin have nothing 
 to regret, whatever they may have to sulfer, for performing 
 this duty. They can go to tiieir God with con.'idence, for 
 tlicy have done what his word requires. They are prepared 
 to meet the siimois at the judgment seat, whom they have 
 reproved, without fearing either the condemnation of their 
 judge, or the reproaches and curses of simiers. They re. 
 
TO mt mn SAtviTidif (xf sovia. 
 
 I^ 
 
 proved them, they warned them, they besought them th 
 Christ's stead to be reconciled to God ; therefore if they an* 
 found on the left hand of the judgo, they cannot blame their 
 faithful reprovers. These consiilerations afford unspeakable 
 delight to all those who judiciou>jly, faithfully, afilctionalely, 
 peraeveringly reprove sinners for their wickedness. But 
 those who neglect this duty have not a con.scifnco void of 
 offence ; they cannot go to the throne of grace with boldness, 
 they are not prepared to meet sinners in the jiidgmeni, 
 therefore are often filled with pain on thf\se grounds. Ami 
 let us remind all such that the delivjiit i^pikfu of in che text, 
 they never will have, they never can have, until they co». 
 scientiously perform their duty in reproving sin. 
 
 Our text goes still further, it po.iitirf^y dec/ores that a f^nofl 
 hlessivg shall come upon the*-i who rcifuke .vnnrr.i. 'i'h 'y 
 shall not only receive a bless n-:, htv a goo I hli .ssin^^'. Tfvi 
 meaning of which is that a complete, -full blossi:ig shall they 
 receive who rebuke sinners. 
 
 Those who reprove sinners, will receive a good blessing 
 from the parties reproved, when they see their sins, and avB 
 turned from them. A converted sinnor always regards those 
 as his best friends who reproved him for his wickfdnrss, and 
 turned his thoughts to God, and Christ, and heaven ; not 
 those who fluttered and persuaded him to go on in sin ; nor 
 yet does he regard those as h's friends who connived at hia 
 sins, and held their peace when they ought to have reproved 
 and warned him. When a sinner sees the evil nature and 
 the ruinous eflects of sin : when he obtiiins the forgiveness of 
 sin through the blood of the J^amb, and hns peace with God, 
 and can rejoice in hope of the glory of God, then his heart- 
 iest blessings will come upon those who reproved him vif sin, 
 faithfully 'pointed out the end of his wicked course, and wlu> 
 urged him to fly for refugfj to lay hold upon the hope set b». 
 fore him. His prayers will ever ascend to the God of all 
 grace for the present and eternal welfare of his reprover. 
 The reasonings of the saved sinner's mind are, " I was liv- 
 ing in sin and going down to the pit ; but that good man stop- 
 ped me in my wicked course, by reproving me of my sinsy 
 and warning too of the danger to which they exposed mo ; 
 through his kindness I have been led to Jesus, and hav» 
 found redemption in his blood ; it is my Ixinndcn duty, ther». 
 fore, to do that man all the good that lies in my power, and 
 doily pray for his peace and prosperity." Thoso who rebuk* 
 
 M 
 
180 
 
 tHB OBLIGATIONS OP CRniSTIAlirS 
 
 the wicked, will undoubtedly receive a good blessing from 
 those sinners who are savingly benefitted by their reproofs. 
 
 Those who reprove sinners will receive a good blessing from 
 all the intelligent and pious. While the people curse the men 
 that flatter the wicked, and while nations abhor them ; all the 
 intelligent and pious will love, honour, and bless the men who 
 faithfully reprove sinners. They will regard all such as 
 true patriots, genuine philanthroplvsts, and real Christians. 
 The intelligent and pious know that sin has a demoralizing 
 influence \x\)o\\ a country, deprives the human race of that 
 happiness tliey might enjoy, and robs the blessed God of his 
 glory, and therefore they do consider those men the lovers of 
 their country, the benefactors of their race, and the servants 
 of the most high God, who, by well-timed and faithful reproof, 
 stop sinners in their career of madness and mischief, and 
 turn them to holiness and God. And viewing them in this 
 honorable light, their choicest blessings will come upon the 
 reprovers of sin. 
 
 Thorn 7cho reprove sinners will receive a good blessing Jrom 
 the righteous Judge, of all. God will impart to them his bless- 
 ing, which nuiketh rich and addeth no sorrow. " God is not 
 unrighteous to forget your work of faith and your labour of 
 love.'' lie will reward, both in time and in eternity the 
 faithful reprovers of sin. He will reward such in the pres- 
 ent world, by filling their hearts with peace and joy. Even 
 in this world, they will enjoy the favour and protection, the 
 the presome and love of the blessed God. Tiicy will be 
 permitted to have " fellowship with the Father and his Son 
 Jesus Christ." The Holy Spirit will witness with their spir- 
 its that they are the children of God, and they shall have 
 the testimony that they please God. Those who honour God, 
 by reproviiig sin, God will honour. He will be their guide 
 in perplexity, their light in darkness, their joy in sorrow, 
 their present help in every time of trouble. In short, he 
 will bless them with all the good they need on earth : for to 
 the pious reprovers of sin may specially be addressed the 
 consolatory language of Paul to the Phillippians : — *' My 
 God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in 
 glory by Christ Jesus." God will also bestow upon the 
 faithful reprovers of sin a good blessing in eternity, for he 
 will raise them to dwell with him in glory for ever. The 
 blessing he will then bestow upon the reprovers of sin is so 
 good that human language cannot describe its value, and 
 human hearts cjiuiot conceive its greatness. It is afar more 
 
TO SEEK TBI SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 181 
 
 txceeding and eternal weight of glory. When the consistent 
 reprovers of sin have finished bear-ng their solemn and 
 earnest protest against the sins of their fellow-men, then 
 God will address them in the following heart-cheering pas- 
 sage : — " Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast 
 been faithful over a few things, 1 will make thee ruler over 
 many things : enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." What 
 a blessing to entf r into the joy of the Lord ! Is not this a 
 good blessing? Fulness of joy,' pleasures for evermore! 
 Eternity alone can fully reveal the goodness of the blessing 
 which God will bestow upon the faithful reprovers of sin. 
 Oh ! if you love God, rep.-ove sin, and never fear but the 
 Lord God will be to you '« A sun and shield ; the Lord will 
 give grace and glory : no good thing will he withold from 
 them that walk uprightly." 
 
 Before closing this important subject, allow us to remind you 
 of the loss already sustained through neglecting to reprove sin- 
 ners. Through not attending to this duty, we have lost the 
 satisfaction and pleasure connected with its right perform- 
 ance. Ah, how often has conscience smitten us, when we 
 have seen sinners doing evil, and have not reproved them ? 
 How often have we retired from the houses of sinners to our 
 
 Xn, followed by remorse and terror, when we have suffered 
 m to go on in their wicked courses, without sounding an 
 alarm in their ears ? Ey neglecting this duty, we have lost 
 the delight spoken of in our text ; for our 'peace has been 
 destroyed, and our souls filled with poignant grief. In addi- 
 tion to this, we have lost the good blessing of the intelligent 
 and pious. When they have witnessed our backwar aess in 
 the performance of this duty, they have been forced to re- 
 prove us, and charge us with a want of that Christian cour- 
 age which wo ought ever to manifest in the cause of Christ. 
 Wo have also lost the good blessing, and brought upon our- 
 selves the sad reproaches of many sinners, who now see the 
 error of their ways. It is true they are now enlightened and 
 saved, but no thanks to us for their present happiness : they 
 might have perished for what we have done for them. And 
 wo have incurred the displeasure of God by our cowardice 
 and dereliction of duty. Many cry. My leanness, my lean- 
 ness, through neglecting to reprove sin ; they have lost many 
 spiritual blessings through their indolence and cowardice, 
 which God was waiting to impart. 
 
 But there is, we fear, a loss sustained, far greater than 
 any of these, through our neglecting this duty, even an irre- 
 
 16 
 
n 
 
 IBS* 
 
 THS OBLIGATIONS OF C^tSTIAKS 
 
 I I 
 
 treivabh h»s- The loss we have sustained may be r^triffvei! 
 by penitence, faiih, and prayer. But how can those souls be 
 now saved, who may have been lost through our neglecting to 
 reprove them, warn them, and turn them to Christ ? Dread- 
 ful thought I Agonizing reflection ! Is it possible that im- 
 mortal souls, for whom Christ died, are no^w damned for ever 
 because we did not reprove them ? It is possible. We have 
 neglected tc reprove sinners, many of them have died in 
 their sins, and are now in hell : they might have been saved 
 if we had done our duty. That soul, formerly of our ac- 
 quaintance, that is now wrapped in flames of fire, might 
 have been clothed in white robes : and that poor wretch thkt 
 is calling for a drop of water to cool his parched tongue, 
 might now have been drinking the living streams of bliss, in 
 paradise : and that miserable being who is weeping, and 
 wailing, and gnashing his teeth in unutterable anguish, might 
 this moment have been ascribing " Salvation to God and the 
 Lamb," ha^ we faithfully performed our duty, and rebuked 
 them, and not have suffered sin upon them. And who is to 
 pay for this loss ? Souls, it is possible, have been lost by 
 our neglect. The end of Christ's cursed death has been 
 frustrated by our means ; and what shall happen to us, by 
 whom our fellovv-men perish eternally ? 
 
 How great is the guilt we, have incurred hy neglecting to 
 reprove sin/ We have been guilty of slighting, disobeying 
 a plain, positive command of God's law : and thereby we 
 have sinned against our neighbour, sinned against our coun- 
 try, sinned against our kind, sinned against our own souls, 
 and, above all, sinned against tiie ever blessed God ! It is 
 true the sin we have committed is one of omission : but we 
 have yet to learn that the guilt of sins of omission is less 
 than the guilt of sins ^f commission ; nor -are we aware that 
 the punishment due to sins of omission, is less than that 
 which is due to sins of commission. The following passage 
 shows that sins of omission are sometimes greater in their 
 enormity, and will receive a greater punishment, than sins of 
 commission : — " And tliat servant, which knew his Lord's 
 will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his 
 will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew 
 not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten 
 with few stripes. I'or unto whomsoever much is given, 
 of him shall much be required : and to whom men have 
 committed much, of them tlioy will ask the more." — Luke 
 xii. 47, 48. ^Vo liavo known for years that it is our duty, 
 
"0 SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 4<68 
 
 as Christians, to reprove sinners. We have all of us, prob- 
 ably, neglected this duty ; by this neglect, we may have 
 ruined souls, have incurred guilt, and deserve punishment. 
 And now what shall we do ? We cannot undo the past. 
 We cannot rescue the souls that may have already perished 
 through our neglect. What can we do ? 
 
 The loss others have sustained through our neglect cannot 
 be repaired, but our guilt may he forgiven, and our punish- 
 ment may be averted. For all our offences there is a sacri- 
 fice, and to plead our caufse there b an advocate. " If any 
 man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ 
 the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins : and 
 not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 
 — 1 John ii. 1, 2. Let us go at once to the throne of grace, 
 and put our cause into the hands of this all powerful advo- 
 cate. Let us cast our guilty souls upon his propitiatory sac- 
 rifice. Let us penitently, freely, fully confess this heinous 
 sin, which we have so frequently committed ; let us deplore 
 tfas Sfld COllseq'Jences of it, and lot us weep and make sup- 
 plication, till our guilt is forgiven, and we are restored to 
 the joy of God's salvation. And then God will, for Christ's 
 sake, pardon our iniquity, though it is great. 
 
 Let us be careful in future not to come into the same con- 
 demnation. Let us " Add to our faith courage." Courage, 
 Christian courage is what we need, to enable us to reprove 
 sinners. Want of courage has been the cause of our fail- 
 ure in past days ; we have had the desire to reprove sinners 
 in days that are gone, but we have often lacked the courage ; 
 and hence sinners have gone unreproved. Why ! O why 
 should we be afraid ? Sinners have far more reason to be 
 afraid of our reproofs, than we have to be afraid of giving 
 them. Guilt makes all men cowards ; and, depend upon it, 
 however boisterous sinners may be, they actually dread our 
 reproofs, more than the greatest coward among Christians 
 dreads giving reproof. Take courage, ye men and women 
 of God, and fear not the revilings of men, neither be ye 
 afi'aid of their reproaches ; but judiciously, faithfully, af- 
 fectionately, and perseveringly reprove all who have the te- 
 merity to sin in your presence, and you shail have delight 
 and a good blessing shall come upon you. Why should we 
 be afraid ? Has not God promised to give us a mouth and 
 wisdom which our adversaries shall not be able to grinsay 
 nor resist ? Has he not said, " My grace is sufficient for 
 thee ; for my strength shall be made perfect in ihy weak* 
 
184 
 
 THE OBLIOATIONS OP CHSISTIANS 
 
 ness ? Is not his Spirit within us as the Spirit of knowledge, 
 and counsel, and might ? Does not God command us to re- 
 prove sinners? Do not sinners expect to be reproved by 
 saints ? Why then should we be afraid of giving reproof, 
 or of performing this duty aright ? Begone unbelief. Thou 
 art the cause of our failure in this as well as in every other 
 duty. Have faith in God, O my soul, and thou shalt tread 
 down strength, and be able, with true Christian courage, to 
 reprove all who dare to dishonour God, crucify Christ, and 
 grieve the Holy Spirit, by the commission of sin. Have 
 faith in God, Christian brethren, and the reproving of sin- 
 ners shall become a pleasii g and profitable duty to you, and 
 the enemies of the cross shall submit themselves to your re- 
 proofs, and ye shall lead them with weeping and supplica- 
 tions to " The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of 
 the world." " Have faith in God" and faithfully reprove in 
 his name, and you shall deprive Satan of his prey, and hell 
 of her expectation, by plucking many a brand out of the 
 fire, and quenching it in t}>e v/aters of life. •• Fear not 
 ye saints, quit you like men : be strong and of a good cour- 
 age." And " one of you shall chase a thousand, and two 
 put ten thousand to flight." May the Eternal Spirit, for 
 Christ's sake, give unto all his people the harmlessness of 
 the dove, the wisdom of the serpent, the courage of the lion, 
 that they may, with gentleness, wisdom, and courage, so 
 reprove sinners, that they may give up their sins, and give 
 themselves to Christ, that they may be eternally saved. 
 Amen. 
 
 I 
 

 
 DISCOURSE X .■ 
 
 THE niTTT OP CHRISTIANS TO SEE* THE RESTORATION OT] 
 
 ' ■ ; fiAciKSLiijisRS. ;t/ ;;;;.. use 
 
 " Brethhek, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are epiritURl, 
 restore such. an one in the spi'It of meekness; considering thyself, lest 
 thou also be tempted." — Galhtians vi. 1. > 
 
 Christianity is a lovely system. When its duties are rightly 
 understood, and faithfully performed, it must excite the admi- 
 ration of every intelligent mind, and the love of every 
 susceptible heart. The love of God shed abroad in 
 the heart produces kindness, goodwill to all men. Christi- 
 anity imperatively requires its professors to seek the 
 present and eternal good of all ; but especially to seek the 
 welfare of those who are " the children of God, by faith in 
 Christ Jesus." In this chapter we are addressed in these 
 words, " And let us not be weary in well doing : for in diie 
 season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore 
 opportunity, let us do good to nil men, specially unto them 
 who are of the household of faith." We are, as Christians, 
 then, to do good to all men as we have opportunity. We are 
 never to grow weary nor faint in well doing ; and then, in 
 due season, we shall reap a rich and an enduring reward. 
 
 Christianity requires "tlie followers of Jesus to pay the ut- 
 most attention to those unhappy beings usually termed back- 
 sliders. We are not to treat them as the world treats apos- 
 tales, with reproach, and scorn, and hatred : with sovereign 
 conter-pt and cruel neglect. Ah, no! This is worldly wis- 
 dom ; but it is not the wisdom which cometh from above. 
 This is the religion of the world ; but it is not the religion ol 
 the Bible. The world never forgives those who have betrayed 
 Its interests ; who have apostatised from the views, the prin- 
 ciples, and the practices which the world holds dear. They 
 are doomed, poor wretches, to endure, as long as they breathe, 
 the hatred of their ungodly fellow-tncn. What a contrast 
 does Christianity present ! Though a brother in Christ has 
 fallen ; though he has rebelled against God, betrayed Christ, 
 grieved the Holy Spirh, damaged the cause of religion, made 
 angels weep, caused wicked men and devils to rejoice atid 
 triumph, and filled our hearts with unspeakable anguish, yet 
 
186 
 
 THI OBLIGATIONS OF CHHISTIINS 
 
 we must indulge no hatred toward that man ; we must heap 
 upon his head no reproaches ; we must neithe. feel nor mani- 
 fest any scorn, any contempt, any neglect ; but, with hearts 
 full of pity and compassion, we must bend all our energies, 
 and employ all our resources, to restore that fallen brother. 
 How admirable is the religion of Jesus! How infinitely su- 
 perior to the world's spirit, and maxims,. and customs, under 
 similar circumstances, is the course prescribed in the words 
 we have read for a text : " Brethren, if a man be overtaken 
 ia a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the 
 spirit of meekness ; considering thyself, lest thou also be 
 tempted." Tiiis is Christianity. Let us consider, 
 
 tl. The case supposed. 
 
 'H. The diiiy enjoined. 
 
 •HI. The reason by which it is enforced. 
 
 I. The <!ase supposed. 
 
 ** If a man be overtaken in a fault." A fault signifies an 
 qfencc, a tresspass against God. The word particularly de- 
 notes apostacy from God. The best Greek Lexicographers 
 inform us, that the word here rendered fault, signifies, " A 
 fall from a state of favour with God." James calls the same 
 thing, in the fifth chapter of his epistle, erring from the truth ; 
 and speaks of the necessity of the man who thus errs, being 
 converted from the error of his ways, that Ijis soul may bo 
 saved from death, and a multitude of sins hid. In the text, 
 the apostle shows, that the fault of which he speaks, is such a 
 one, that there is need for the man who is overiakcn by it to 
 be restored to the favour of God and the forfeited privileges 
 of the gospel. The word fault does not mean here some 
 slight otTenco, somo mere error of the judgment, or some un- 
 intentional mistake ; but it means sin — npostncy from God. 
 John has a similar expression in his liist epistle: *' If any 
 man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ 
 the righteous." 
 
 To he overtaken in a fault, ** signifies taken before one 
 considers what he is going to do ; consequently, the apostle is 
 hero speaking of those sins which men commit without pre- 
 vious deliberation, as is pUun likewise from the reason sub- 
 joined, * Lest even thou bo tempted.'" — McNight. But 
 when a man falls into sin by surprise, this doss not altci the 
 fact that he nr«5 .sinnrH : nor can it avert the piinishmeni tiUO 
 to his siu, if ho is not restored. When tt.nijv^.is aurprJ^Qd 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 187 
 
 into sin, liissin is an evident proof that he has been guilty of 
 neglecting the positive command of the Saviour: "Watch 
 and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."— Matth. *xvi. 
 41. If a soldier sleeps at his post, his punishment is death; 
 because he ought to have been vigilant. And if a Christian 
 neglects to watch and pray, he is surprised inix) sin ; hut he 
 is justly exposed to the punishment which his sin deserves : 
 for he ought to have been watchful mhen he knew that his ad- 
 versary the devil, as a roaring lion, went about, seeking whom 
 he might devour. "There is a great difference between a 
 man who, being suddenly assailed, falls into sin, and the man 
 who transgressed in cousequcnco of having walked in the 
 counsel of the ungodly, or stood in ihe way of sinners." 
 Therefore, though we cannot apolofnse for the man's sin, nor 
 acquit him of blame ; yet, we ought to pity and restore him, 
 instead of harshly condemning him, and driving him further 
 into sin, and sinking him deeper into misery. 
 
 The case supposed is a possible one. It ia possible for the 
 
 members of any and every church to he surj)ri.sed into sin 
 
 to be overtaken in a fault. Some of the best men that over 
 lived luive been surprised into sin. Thoy have neglected to 
 watch and pray ; and iience they have suddenly fallen into 
 open and known sin; and some have even fallen into very 
 flagrant sins. 
 
 Moses was surprised into sin, at the waters of Meribah 
 Kadesh, when the cliildren of Israel provoked him to that 
 degree that he peevishly, thoughtlessly, and hastily said, 
 " Hoar now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out Of this 
 rock V This was done in a wrong spirit. " Though the 
 people were rebels, and Moses called them so at other times, 
 without offence, yet ho evidently spoke at this lime with an 
 angry spirit. lie also assumed the honour to himself and 
 Aaron, instead of asuribing it to God: • Must we fetch you 
 water out of this rock V He also seems not firmly to have 
 believed that water would be given ; and did not think it 
 sufficient simply to speak to the rock as he was commanded, 
 and therefore hastily smote it twice. Thus it appears, that 
 they neither properly believed in God, nor did him honour in 
 the sight of the people." Moses and Aaron had both to suffer 
 
 Euni.slunent lor their offence ; henco wo read, " And the 
 <ord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me 
 
 not, to sanctify mo in the eyes of the children of Israel, there- 
 
 /• _- t ij .1 • .1 •_ __ _ . . . - . . . . _ 
 
 lorcyo sriiiii not orjng mis uollgreguliou iniu (he iunu which 1 
 
 have given them-"— Num. xx. 12. In the 106th Pualm, thert 
 
i%B 
 
 THE OBLliBATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 
 i 
 
 ! 
 
 i 
 
 
 i- 
 
 
 ii 
 
 is a touching allusion to the sin and punishment of Moses iti 
 these words, "They angered God also at the waters of strife, 
 so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they 
 provbked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his 
 fiptf .'^ 
 
 David, the man after God's own heart. Was overtaken in t 
 dreadful sin. Through not thinking about what he was going 
 to do, and neglecting to pray against the temptation which 
 ■■Was so suddenly and powerfully presented to his mind, when 
 'he walked upon the roof of his house at eventide, he com- 
 mitted a grievous sin ; that sin led to the commission of 
 others, which brought death and misery in their train ; and 
 caused David the greatest sorrow of heart he ever experien- 
 ced in his life. See the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the 
 second Samtiel, and the fifty-first Psalm. But this lesson did 
 not prevent David from being overtaken ngain in a fault ; for, 
 we arc told, in the first of Chronicles, twenty-first chapter, that 
 "Satan stomi up against Israel, and provoked David to num- 
 ber Israel." All that Joab could do and say did not prevent 
 David from numbering the people. He committed the sin, 
 and had to endure the puni'^hment. Three years famine; or 
 three months war and defeat ; or three days pestilence are 
 proposed to him. Ho may tnke his choice ; but one of the 
 three he must endure. lie cliooses the latter ; and there fell 
 seventy thousand men of Israel. What must have been the 
 wretched feelings of his heart, when, covered with sackcloth, 
 he fell on his face, and prayed to God in thene words, " Is it 
 not I that commanded the people to be numbered ? even I it 
 is that have sinned and done evil indeed ; but as for theso 
 sheep, what have they done ? Let thy hand, I pray thco, O 
 Lord my God, bo on me and on my father's house ; but not 
 on thy people, that they should be plagued." — 1 Clironicles 
 xxi. 17. 
 
 Solomon was so pious, when ho ascended the throne of Is- 
 racl, that ho grayed to God, •' Give mo now wisdom and 
 knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: 
 for who can judge this thy people, that is so great ?" This 
 request of Soloim^n, arising from a s[»i ritual judgment and a 
 pious heart, wtig so acceptable to God, who searches, regards, 
 antl accepts the lieart, that *' (iod said to Solomon, Kecauso 
 this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, 
 or honour, nor the lite of thy enemies, neither yet hast asked 
 
 
 I.T/. 
 
 
 ._,,!„ «.l t I, 
 
 ,1 r. 
 
 »i !/• 
 
 I : I V r.t is. 
 
 that thou mayest judgo my people, over whom I have made 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOTTLS. 
 
 189 
 
 thee king : Wisdom and knowledge are granted unto thee j 
 and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as 
 none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither 
 shall there any after thee have the like.'* — 2Chron. i. 10-12. 
 This wise and pious monarch, it is lamentable to relate, fell 
 from the favour of God, and was found both practising and 
 encouraging idolatry ; and we have no scripture to show that 
 he was ev^r restored. Pious Nehemiah, when reproving the 
 Jews for marrying strange wives, alludes to Solomon's fall — 
 points out the cause which produced it, and the practical les- 
 son which should be learned from so grievous an apostacy, in 
 these words : " Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these 
 things ? yet among many nations was there no king like him, 
 who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all 
 Israel : nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause 
 to sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great 
 evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives." 
 — Nehemiah xiii. 26, 27. 
 
 Peter loved his master ; and undoubtedly he spoke the sin- 
 CCrC "'^ntiments of his heart, whon ho «niH «« A ithn„r,K oil 
 
 shall be offended, yet will not I. Lord, I am ready to go 
 with thee, both to prison, and to death." Yet Peter denied 
 his master ; for it is written, " Now Peter sat without in the 
 palace : and a damsel came unto him, saving, Thou also 
 wast with Jesus. But he denied before them all, saying, I 
 know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into 
 the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that 
 were there. This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 
 And again he denied with an outh, I do not know the man. 
 And after a while came unto him them that stood bv, and said 
 to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them ; for thy speech 
 bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and swear, say- 
 ing, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 
 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto 
 him. Before the cock cmw, thou shalt deny me thrice. And 
 he went out and wept bitterly." — Matth. xxvi. 69 — 75. 
 
 If these men were surprised into sin, through neglecting to 
 watch and pray, certainly it is quite possible for believers, in 
 the present day, to bo surprised into sin : to be overtaken in a 
 fault. These rxumples should teach us all the necessity of 
 constant watchfulness and prayer, lest we should be tempted 
 successfully ; for, certain It is, that the most eminent meek. 
 
 til u ««» n*\%r fev«Mk« 
 
 n08S. DietV. wiftHnm. nnri rinvntinn At\ tux* >J. 
 
 beyond the reagh of templatioa — beyond the possibility pf 
 
 % 
 
190 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 
 falling. Are Christians in ihe ,pi;esent x^ay v*neefcer than 
 Moses was, holier than David was, wj^er, than Soloo^on was, 
 more devoied tp Christ than Peter was ? We .th^nk not. 
 Then, " Let him that thinKeth lie standeth, take heed lest he 
 fall." It is possible, then, for a.ChrisU^n to be oy^rtajien in a 
 fault. 
 
 It is very probable that some will be surprised into ain. Sur- 
 rounded as we are by temptations to sin, having a nature in- 
 clined to evil, and exposed as we are to tfie acc«sations, the 
 deceptions, and the enticements of the g'-eat adversary of God 
 und man, wlio, " as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking 
 whom he may devour," we netd not doubt the pTObability of 
 some being overtaken in a fault, of some being surprised into 
 sin. Christians live in a world that is full of evil ; where 
 every thing has a tendency to draw them froin Christ to 
 the world, to sin, and to death. The allurements, the busi- 
 ness, the smiles, the frowns of the world, are all inimical to 
 godliness. Our condition in liie has its peculiar trials and 
 temptations. Rich men arc tempted to pride, to frivolity, to 
 sensual indulgence, to forgetfulness pf God. Poor men are 
 
 tempted to murmurinpf, to torgeuuiwCoa, lu impatience ; to 
 speak hastily against God, and injuriously of their fellow- 
 men. Those who move in the niidula walks of human life, 
 are in danger of being overcharjjod with the cares of this life. 
 Amid the hui'i'3f aiiu miigue of b 'sine:?, tliey are in danger 
 of neglecting their Bibles, llieir closet duties, their family de- 
 votions. Business concerns also have a tendency to harrass 
 the mind, and deaden religious sensibilities ; and when the 
 spirit is jaded, then little anxiety is felt about the performance 
 of spiritual duties. They arc in danger, at times, of either 
 performing them carelessly, or omitting them entirely ; and 
 thus, while attending to things seen, th«>y ore tempted to over- 
 look things not seen. When you add to tlieae the dangers 
 arising from vain curiosity, and (Votn the cHects of satan and 
 his angels, who are using, and will continue to use, every 
 moans likely to effect the ruin of believers, it is probable that 
 some will be surprised into sin. 
 
 It is quite certain that many, in the times in vtkich we live, 
 have besn mertaken in faiiUs, Since we started in the Chris- 
 Uan course, many have ful' n on the right hand and on the 
 MItti We Oiiin call to mind many wlto onoe ran well, but 
 something has hindered ; many who were once found in the 
 
 ■&...«» ^^m *»lr»\\t fk^^**tam\^m£* H.i* 1ft n «y^% #l.li.»ft^#1 ^na^^ft ffi.^-\»ftr« AlftA n/\l If 
 
 pommandnoent delivered unto theni; and are now iound wai« 
 
to sest Tfii sAtVAtioN oT sotia. 
 
 rti 
 
 loWingAii tJfe mfre of sin. Wherever we go, we meet with*^ 
 backslidfers. In our own times we have seen some of the 
 brightest ornaments of the church brolcen to fragments — some 
 of the burning and shining lights quenched in darkness : their 
 beauty has vanished, their light has gone out, their glory has 
 'I3part6d ! Since we commenced our voyage to heaven, we 
 have seen many make shipwreck of faith pnd a good con- 
 science. They had nobly commitied their bark to the deep ; 
 gallantly spread their sails to the breeze, which they thought 
 would waft them to the port of glory ; they bade fair for a 
 successful voyage. But a gale arose; their hearts failed 
 them; through despondency and terror, they neglected to cry 
 unto the Lord in their distresses ; and the result is easily told : 
 they became a complete wreck. We have, since we com- 
 menced our ascent to heaven, beheld, with pleasure, many 
 ascending the glorious ladder, which reaches from eurth to 
 heaven, rising higher and higher, while they kept their eyes 
 fixed upon Jesus, who stands upon the top; but intense anxi- 
 ety for their safety filled our hearts when we saw them look- 
 ing down again to the earth. That look made them giddy ; 
 they took a false step ; down they fell to the earth, and great 
 was their fall ; for, if not dead, they are so stunned, bruised, 
 man^jled, have so many bones broken, that their lives are de- 
 spaired of. Perhaps some who hear us this day have to 
 deplore, with the preacher, some sad fall from the favour of 
 God in past days ; but with him can rejoice in the restoration 
 of God's salvation. Let us then remember, that what has 
 happened, may happen again ; therefore, let us not be high- 
 minded, but fear : lest a promise being left us of entering into 
 rest, any of us should come short of it. 
 
 The case supposed in the text is most lamentable. For a 
 Christian to be surprised into sin, is one of the greatest evils 
 that can come upon him, or upon the church, or uix)n the 
 world. When a Christian is overtaken in a fault, he wounds 
 his conscience, grieves the Holy Spirit, and loses the joy 
 and peace he had <)l»tainod through believing. When a be- 
 liever is surprised into sin, he loses his purity, again becomes 
 filthy and abominable, and tiiereby forfeits his title to the pur- 
 chased possession. By being overtaken in a fault, the child 
 of God loses his .stronglh ; and, like Sampson, with his head 
 shaved, ho is taken by his spiritual foes, his eyes put out, hia 
 limbs bound with filters of brass, and he is made to grind in 
 tho nrison-h.ousc of the dovih When a Christian 1" nvertjiken 
 in a fault, he is oxjjoscd to the *• many stripes," «' the sorer 
 
 B 
 
102 
 
 TAt OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Sunishment," " the greater damnation I" The deepest, the 
 arkest, the hottest place in the bottomless pit is reserved for 
 baclisliders : because they are *he greatest of all sinners. 
 They " were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heaven-^ 
 ly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have 
 tasted the good vc ord of God, and the powers of the world to 
 come ;" yet, they have ** trodden underfoot the Son of God, 
 and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith they were 
 sanctified, an unholy thing, and have done despite to the 
 Spirit of grace.'' The heaviest punishment in eternity will be 
 the portion oi the apostate. 
 
 When a man is overtaken in a fault, the church is deeply 
 injured. Christ, the head of the church, is wounded by one 
 of his friends. The Holy Spirit, the source of light, and pu- 
 rity, and life in the church, is highly insulted and deeply 
 grieved. The ministers and officers of the church are sent to 
 weep between the porch and the altar ; and have to mourn 
 in secret over the unhappy conduct, ard miserable state of 
 their fellow-brethren. The members of the church are 
 sorely pained, greatly discouraged, and much reproached, on 
 account of the sad fall of him who once went with them to 
 the house of God, and with whom they once took sweet coun- 
 sel. 
 
 When a child of God is surprised into sin, the world is 
 injured. The god of this world may rejoice, fallen-angels 
 may hold their infernal feasts, the men of the world may 
 triumph over the falls of saints ; but the world is injured, 
 deeply injured, by every backslider. Satan's kingdom is not 
 injured, the cause of devils is not weakened, but strengthened, 
 by this sad event ; yet, the human race is deeply injured. 
 Every fall of saints tends to keep unconverted men in dark- 
 ness ; to rivet the chains of bondage more firmly upon their 
 souls; to keep thorn in guilt, impurity, and misery ; to hurry 
 them on faster down to the chambers of hell ; and to render 
 ineffectual all tiie means employed for their enlightenment, 
 emancipation, happiness, and eternal salvation. The falls of 
 believers arc among the greatest barriers to the conversion of 
 men, and are the greatest impediment to the free course and 
 glorification of God's word. And, wliile backslidings are Se- 
 quent, we cannot expect knowledge, righteousness, peace, and 
 joy to fill the world. 
 
 The case supposed in the text is not unavoidahle : there. 
 is no need for any man to be overtaken in a fault. Some 
 iay it Is impossible for them to stand ; that thoy must lali 
 
^O iskSK TBB SALVATION or BOVhS. 
 
 m 
 
 <JCcasionally, if not daily. This is not true. A sufficiency 
 
 of grace is treasured up in Christ to enable any man to stand 
 
 in the Divine favour ; and may be obtained by prayer. The 
 
 only wise God our Saviour, is both able and willing to keep 
 
 us from fulling, and to present us faultless before the presence 
 
 of his glory, with exceeding joy. The Holy Spirit is ever 
 
 nigh us, and always ready, on application, to guide us, and to 
 
 lift up a standard against the enemy, when he comes in upoa 
 
 us as a flood. The apostle Paul is confident, that he which hath 
 
 begun a good work in us, will perform it unto the day of 
 
 Christ. If we, therefore, are surprised into sin, it is our own 
 
 fault. We may stand in the divine favour contlnuaUy ; for 
 
 thousands have stood " fast in the liberty wherewith Christ 
 
 made them free, and were no more entangled with the yoke 
 
 of bondage." We have arduous duties to perform; so had 
 
 they. We have great difficulties in our path ; so had they. 
 
 We have numerous, vigilant, cunning, malicious enemies to 
 
 wrestle against ; so had they. But, after all, they stood firm 
 
 in the hour of trial ; they were not overcome in the evil day; 
 
 they came off more than conquerors, through faith in him that 
 
 loved them, and gave himself for them. And, if they stood 
 
 in the divine favour, and were not overtaken in faults, why 
 
 may not we stand ? We have the same promises to rely 
 
 upon which they '.mi ; the same Saviour, to trust in, that they 
 
 had ; the same GoJ, to preserve us from falling, that they 
 
 had; the same blessed Spirit, to guide, strengthen^ and defend 
 
 us, that they had ; and, therefore, if they stood, why may not 
 
 we ? If wo are as watchful, as diligent, as prayerful, as be- 
 
 lievin^^, as devoted, as they were ; we shall stand too, and 
 
 never be surprised into sin : never fall from the grace in 
 
 which wo stand. Let us read, study, and prny over the fol- 
 
 lowing passage of God's blessed word : it mfiy be of the utmost 
 
 importance to us in preservinir us from falling: «' hv whom 
 
 ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE WHRRKU* 
 WE STAND, AND REJOICE IN HOPE OK THE GLORY OF GOD." 
 
 Rom. V. 2. 
 
 II. The duty enjoined. 
 
 " Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one, in the spirit 
 of meekness." 
 
 The backslider ma>/ he restored. To restore a fallen bro- 
 ther IS to bring him ag.iin to penitence for his sins, to trust 
 n^^ixm in the Inood of Christ for fDruivcnrss, to make him 
 •gain the possessor of the joy of God's salvation, and of the 
 
 17 
 
tM 
 
 ^vtnt xmvia'Afnottn or oHstsriAMs 
 
 Ik. 
 I 
 
 I i t 
 
 H 
 
 M 
 
 iKjpe ©r the glory of God, and to bring him agatn to the«n. 
 joyment of church privileges, so soon as there is evi^eaqe of 
 his being again a child of God. A backslider may •bethus 
 f ©stored. Moses fell into «in, forfeited the favour of God, 
 «nd, in consequence, was prevented from entering the earth- 
 ly Canaan; but he was restored to God's favour, was per- 
 mitted a sight of the promised lund from Pisgah's lop, actu- 
 ttHy entered into heaven, and is now before the throne of 
 God. We have scriptural proof that Moses is in heaven, 
 though he was once overtaken in a fault ; for on the mount 
 of transfiguration " Behold there appeared unto them, Moses 
 and Elias talking with him." — Matt. xvii. 3. If Moses is 
 *iot an inhabitant of heaven, he would not have appeared 
 with Christ in his glory, and talked with him, on the mount 
 of transfiguration. And we have every reason to believe 
 that David was restored to the joy of God's salvatbn ; was 
 upheld by God's free Spirit; that he afterwards taught 
 transgressors God's way ; that sinners were converted through 
 his agency ; and that he is now tuning his harp and singing 
 liis psalms in loftier strains than those in which he sung when 
 on earth, which afford us, even now, most precious consola- 
 tion. And surely no man who read-^ the Bible can doubt of 
 Peter's restoration. No sooner had he fallen, than he re- 
 membered the words of the Lord, and went out and wept 
 bitterly. It appears, from Mark's expression, that Peter was 
 grieved, ever afterwards, on account of his fall, as long as 
 he lived; for he says, "And when he thought thereon, he 
 wept." All doubts upon Peter's restoration must vanish, 
 when we read the conversation which Christ had with him 
 after dinner, on one occasion, before Christ ascended to hea- 
 von. One portion of the narrative of that conversation 
 reads thus: — •• He saith unto him the third time, Simon son 
 of Jonas, lovest thou me 1 Peter was grieved because he 
 said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said 
 unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things ; tliou knowest that 
 I love thee. Jesus saith unto him. Feed my sheep." — John 
 xxi. 17. And Peter did feed both the lumbs and sheep of 
 Christ's flock ; for ho became a most intrepid and successful 
 preacher of righteousness, and wrote two epistles, which are 
 feeding the lambs and sheep of Christ's flock to this very day. 
 Many living witnesses can prove the truth of the assertion : 
 the backslider may be restored. Your preacher would 
 not now be encnccd in the work of the niiiiistry, if God had 
 not recov ,red hiin by his grace, from a spiritual full he had 
 
I 
 
 TO S£BK TS£ SALVAIION OE SOJJSiS. 
 
 19ft 
 
 some tw«nty years ago, and if a kind friend had not reached 
 out his hand to assist him in rising. The cases cited abova 
 show that those who have fallen from God, and committed the 
 most heinous sins, may be restored. We cannot imagine 
 greater crimes than those committed by Moses, David, and 
 Peter. Mases robbed God of liis glory, David committed 
 adultery and murder ; Peter, with oaths and curses, denied 
 his master. Surely none that have named the name of 
 Christ have been overtaken in greater faults than these. 
 Then the vilest backslider may be restored. All Christians, 
 perhaps, acknowledge that backsliders may be restored, but 
 few really believe it ; for if they did, they would seek their 
 restoration. 
 
 It is the duty of all Christians to seek the restoraiion of 
 backsliders. *' Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, 
 ye which are spiritual restore such an one, in the spirit of 
 meekness." We are too apt to leave this duty upon any one 
 else, rather than perform it ourselves. It is the duty of 
 every Christian to seek the restoration of a fallen saint, and 
 the false sentiment, so generally acted upon, contained in the 
 celebrated proverb " What is every one's business, is no 
 one's business," will not justify us at the bar of God, for 
 neglecting to restore the brother, or sister, that has been 
 overtaken in a fault. The term Brethren includes all that 
 are born again of the Spirit. It literally signifies those who 
 are sons of the same parents ; so that, spiritually, it must sig- 
 nify those who are born again of the same Spirit. It espe- 
 dally means those who are members of the same church; 
 ior Brethren is generally applied to the members of the same 
 society or church, and Brothers, to the sons of the same pa- 
 rents. The term Spiritual signifies one that is spiritually 
 minded, one endued with the gifts and graces of the Holy 
 Spirit. "Ye which are spiritual," who still retain the grace 
 of the gospel, and have wisdom and experience in divine 
 . things, are here positively commanded by the Holy Ghost 
 to restore the man that is overtaken in a fuult. Wo should 
 feel it to be our duty to lift up a brother after the flesh, if he 
 had fallen into difficulties and sorrows. The love of a bro- 
 ther is very great. He is born for adversity. Many would 
 part with their all of worldly gwd, to extricate a brother 
 from temporal ualamitif^s. And are not those who are breti)- 
 ren to us, after the Spirit, as dear to us as are our brothers 
 after the flesh ? If they are not, we are destitute of the re- 
 iigioB of Jecu9, which saiih :— ^' Beloved let m love 009 909. 
 
196 
 
 TH£ OBLIQATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 ther : for love is of (rod : and every one that loveth is born 
 of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not. knoweth not 
 God.: for God is love. We know that ve have passed from 
 death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that lov- 
 eth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever haleth his 
 brother, is a murderer : und ye know that no murderer hath 
 eternal life abldinor in him. Hereby perceive we the love of 
 God, because he laid down his life for us : and we ought to 
 lay down our lives for the brethren."-—! John iv. 7, 8, and 
 iii. 14 — 16. If, then, it is our duty to love our brethren for 
 Christ's sake, to tl>e extent of laying down our lives for them, 
 surely it is our duty to restore a brother that is overtaken in a 
 fault. Were we to neglect to help, to the utmost of our 
 abilii " our own relatives when in distress, we should be exe- 
 crated by the voice of the community at large. And Paul 
 assures us that children and nephews, who profess Christian- 
 ity, and will not provide for their mothers and aunts, who 
 are widows and in distress, have " denied the faith, and are 
 worse than infidels." What, then, are we to think of those 
 Christians who will not endeavour to restore a fallen brother, 
 who has lost more than life, and breath, and all temporal 
 things, by losing " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
 love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost ?" 
 Think of them ! We must think, if we think soberly, that 
 they are lovers of their ownselves, strangely forgetful of 
 their duty, and are hurrying themselves to ruin as fast as 
 they can. No Christian, who so wilfully neglects his duty 
 to a fallen brother, can long stand in the divine favour. He 
 has already lost his first love, 's in a backsliding state, wili 
 soon become lukewarm : and, then, Christ will spew him 
 out of his mouth as a nauseous thing, that excites the most 
 unpleasant and loathsome sensations. This is a duty fron* 
 which none of us must shrink, if we are to retain tlie favour 
 of God, and save our own souls. 
 
 If the restoration of a fallen brother affected our temporal, 
 interests ; if it were a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence, 
 by which we could gain a little more paltry gold, we should 
 soon see our duty, and soon oerform it : for, " What man of 
 you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth 
 not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after 
 v'hat which is lost, until he find it ? And when he hath found 
 it, he layetli it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he 
 co»xi6th hoaie, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, 
 •ayiog unto tbem, Rejoice with me; for 1 have found that 
 
to SBSX TB£ SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 which was losi. .... Either what woman having ten pieces 
 of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and 
 sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? And 
 when she hath found It, she calleth her friends and her 
 neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me ; for I have 
 found that wMch I had lost." — Luke xv. 4 — 6, and 8, 9. 
 Now, do we blame a man for seeking his lost sheep, or a 
 woman for searching diligently for her lost piece jf silver ? 
 We do not. We should blame them for neglecting their duty 
 to themselves and their families if they did not seek till they 
 find their lost property, or until all hope of finding it is des- 
 troyed. 
 
 Listen, then, ye followers of Jesus. When a mf\n is over- 
 taJcen in a fault, one of your blessed Lord's sheep, for whom 
 he suflTered, bled, and died, has gone astray, and i; in danger 
 of being devoured by the roaring lion of hell. Is it the duty of 
 none of you to seek that sheep, and restore it to the fold of 
 Christ ? Christ thinks more of that poor wanderer than he 
 does of the cattle upon a thousand hills : and deeply as he 
 has fallen, and far as he may have wandered, there would 
 be more joy in heaven over his restoration than over ninety 
 and nine just persons who need no repentance : Christ, in 
 this text, commands every one of you to go and seek, and 
 restore that wandering brother to the fold. And will you, 
 can you, dare you say with Cain, "Am I my brother's 
 keeper?" If you do, he will brand you with Cain's mark, 
 end you shall be known in heaven, on earth, in hell, as the 
 men and the women who saw a brother fall, but would 
 not lend a hand to assist him to rise : — a brother perishing, 
 but would not stretch out your arm. to pluck the brand from 
 the fire ! 
 
 Brethren, when a man is overtaken in a fault, one of 
 your Lord's jewels is stolen, by the great enemy of souls, 
 who has already defaced its beauty, who is proceeding with 
 infernal malice to break, crush, and destrov it ; andif not 
 speedily recovered from the hnnd of the hellish spoiler, it 
 will be lost to Christ for ever. That jewel Christ prizes 
 more, and it is intrinsically worth more, than all the gold 
 and silver, pearls and rubies, diamonds and precious stones 
 of every hue, of every degree of hardness and value, 
 found in the material universe. That jewel he commands 
 you, his servants, his follower, his friends, to go and rescue 
 from the hand of the enemy, and bring it back to his cabi. 
 net, that he may find it in that day when ho makes up hia 
 
 
198 
 
 ¥HB OBLIOATIOIVS 07 eRRISTIAIVS 
 
 jeWels. And have none of you devotion, loyalty, and loVe 
 enough to Jesus your master, nor courage and zeal enough 
 in his cause, to attempt the recovery of that jewel ? Then, 
 be assured you forfeit his favour, and will be left ^ prey to 
 the spoiler, who has already nearly ruined your once brilliant 
 and precious companion, whose restorat'ton you will not at- 
 tempt. 
 
 Were we as anxious to restore a poor wanderer to the fold 
 of Christ, as men are to recover their lost property, we 
 should not see many backsliders ^oing entirely to the world, 
 and becoming lost to themselves, to the church, and to 
 Christ ; but we should see most of them returning to the fold. 
 If we had a proper sense of the deep interest that Christ, 
 who died for them, feels in their restoration ; if we had a 
 deep sense of the infinite value of their souls ; if we had a 
 proper conception of our duty, both to Christ and to them, 
 we should never rest till the brethren who have been surprised 
 into sin are restored to the joy of God's salvation, brought 
 back to the ways of righteousness, and . once more mad© 
 fellow citizens with the saints. Perhaps no class of sinner> 
 in the world have more reason to cry, *' No man careth for 
 my soul," than backsliders ; yet, none more needs our help, 
 and none are we commanded more posmvely to seek and to 
 save. What can we say to our judge, if we neglect to re- 
 store our fallen brethren, when he shall call us to give an 
 account, and when he shall ask us, as he did Cain, Where 
 is thy brother? Ponder this question, ye that are spiritual, 
 and go at once, and restore your fallen brother. 
 
 To restore the man who has been ouertaken in a fault, proper 
 means must be employed. They must not be overlooked and 
 neglected, as though, by the employment of proper means, 
 they cannot be restored. There are not many backsliders 
 but what may be restored, if the right method is taken to re- 
 store them. To restore the backslider, we must go after 
 him, and endeavour, by our convers ition, to bring him [-onk 
 to the Saviour. In conversing with him, we must ascertihi, vf 
 possible, the state of his mind, and then address him ny-uT-cJ- 
 ingly. If we find him humbled, penitent, brokenhearted, it 
 would bo cruelty to apply even the terrors of the Lord to his 
 aoul. *' A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking 
 flax shall he not quench." A humbUd backslider id truly a 
 bruised reed, bordering on dissolution, and may be justly 
 compared to the dim wick of a lamp just ready to expire for 
 the want of oil : apply the^'^terrors of the law in thu oa»e» 
 
TO SEEK THE S ALVATTON O? SOtLS. 
 
 idd 
 
 and you will, in all probability, destroy the reed, and quench 
 the lamp : but encourage suoh to return, by the declarations 
 of mercy made to the ponitent backslider, and you will prop 
 the bruised reed and rekindle the smoking lamp, and Christ 
 will send forth judgment unto victory. He will bless what 
 you say, and that backslider will again flourisii in the house 
 of God, again shine as a light in the world. If, however, 
 we find him obstinate, hardened, and indiffevrent we ought to 
 arouse, if possible, his fears, by reminding him of the ter- 
 rors of the Lord, and showing him that he will become a 
 pillar of reproach and wrath, if he continues his wanderings : 
 and we must endeavour to p?r.suade hitn to turn to God, from 
 whom he has so deeply revolted. Jude suggests both these 
 xnethods of dealing with backsliders, in his short but valuable 
 epistle. Hence he says : — " And of some have compassion, 
 making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling 
 them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the 
 flesh." Those who have sinned through ignorance and sur- 
 prise, we shall generally find penitent, and can only be resto- 
 red by gentle persuasion. Those who have sinned through 
 corruption of heart, or througli pride of intellect, will want 
 tho fear of God's wraih produced in their hearts ; and with 
 them we must use prompt, vigorous, decided measures. 
 Jude justly describes the means to be used, when he says: — 
 ''others save with fear, pulling them out of tho tire " Yes, 
 brethren, we say it with reverence, that some backsliders, 
 if they are to be saved, will require a long pull, and a 
 strong pull, and a pull all together, before we can extricate 
 them from the fire. And why should we not unite our efforts, 
 to pull them out of the flames of sin ? And in pulling them 
 out of the fire we should take care, in our conversations, io 
 say nothing that would give them the least reason to think 
 that their sin is not very offensive both to God and us. Jude 
 declares that we must hate, while we are saving the sinner, 
 i. e. pulling him cut of the fire, even the garment spotted by 
 the flesh. We must shun all familiar intercourse with them, 
 while in a backsliding state, and in no way sanction their sin. 
 As we would shun touching a garment spotted by the flesh 
 of one who hath a plague sore, so must we hate the sin of 
 which they are guilty. Nathan used a very ingenious me- 
 thqd to restore David. And some good men in modern times 
 have been veiy successful in restoring their brethren who 
 have fallen. In most cases the plan which a humble follower 
 of Jesus, of tho name of John Westwood, took to restore a 
 
soo 
 
 YB£ OfiU6i.TIONS OP CHRlfinANfi 
 
 fallen brother, will prove sucoessful. In one of oiu* societiee, 
 in our native circuit, a very excellent brother was surprijaed 
 into sin> and lapsed into infidelity. Muny intelligent Chris- 
 tians tried to restore him, by reasoning with him ; but they 
 all failed. At length John West wood tliought he would try to 
 restore him. When he call^id and made known his errand, 
 the poor infidel laughed at him for his pains in calling, and 
 said : — " Why, John, it is no use your coming to reason 
 with we : I can overcome in argument all your parsons." 
 John replied, " I am not come to reason with tliee ; but to 
 ask thee, Art thou as happy now as tJiou wert when thou 
 wert a Metho;]i(<t." The ma., was confounded witAi this 
 question, and with tears candidly confosscd that he was not. 
 " Then," said John, " let me pray with thee." And under 
 John's prayer he was led to pray for himself, and rested not 
 till his backslidings were healed. It is often the best way to 
 bring to the remembrance of the backslider the joys de- 
 parted, the blessedness they once spake of. This will often 
 touch the inmost soul, and produce penitence when nothiD|g 
 else will. 
 
 We must especially try the etTicacy of prayer, in endeft- 
 vouring to restore them. We must pray for them, and, if 
 possible, pray with them. James and John both direct us to 
 pursue this course with a fallen brother. The apostle James 
 eays : — ** Is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders 
 of the church ; and Itt them pray over him and anoint him 
 with oil in the namj of the Lord : And the prayer of faith 
 •hall save the rick, and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if 
 he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Confess 
 your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that 
 yo may bo healed. The efrectual fervent prayer of a right- 
 eous man avuileth much." — James v. 14 — 16. John says : 
 — " If any man soe his brother sin a sin which is not unto 
 death, he shall ask, and he sliall give him life for them that 
 flin not unto death. Tiicre is n sin unto death : I do not say 
 that he shall pray fur it. All unrigliteousncsa is sin : and 
 there is a sin not unto death." — 1 John v. 10, 17. The 
 death referred to here is evidently, we fliink, temporal death. 
 A man in a backsliding state may easily perform acts which 
 will end in temporal death, and the lH>liever that prays in the 
 Holy Ghost cannot ask for his restoration to life and health. 
 Still, ho can, and must pray to the Lord to forgive him his 
 '■ins: and James espriially refers to the spiritual restoration 
 ^f H ImH^i; brulber, by what hu teiins, " TJie prayef uf 
 
THK OBLIGATIONS OF CBaiSTIANS 
 
 201 
 
 
 faith" and " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man," 
 which " availeth much," for he saya, " And if he have com- 
 mitted sins, they shall be forgiven him." For remarks on 
 the principles which sliould guide believers in praying for 
 others, we refer to the discourse on intercessory prayer. 
 We have quoted the above passages here to show that it is 
 our duty to seek the restoration of the backslider by prayer, 
 and that we must offer in his behalf the prayer of faith, the 
 inwrought and fervent prayer of the heart, if we are to pre- 
 vail, and see our efforts crowned with success. If you wish 
 to restore a fallen brother, go and plead his case vviih God, in 
 your closet first, then go to the man in humble dependance 
 upon God's promised aid; while conversing with hiui, lift up 
 your soul to G)'i fjr direction, assistance, and success ; pray 
 with the backslider before you leave him, and repeat your 
 visits in this prayerful manner a few times, and there arw 
 not many backsli(lers whom you will not restore. 
 
 We should persevere in tlje use of these means till the 
 backslider is restored, and we have the happiness of seeing 
 him rejoicing in God his Saviour. God requires us to d(» 
 this. " Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and 
 the feeble knees. And make straight paths for your feet, 
 lest that which is lame be turned out of tiie way ; but let it 
 
 rather be healed Looking diligently hst any man 
 
 fail of the grace of God : lest any root of bitternosj* 
 springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." — 
 Heb. xii. 12, l.*3, 15 : Chri.st came to seek and to save 
 that which was lost, and it is our duty to copy his exam- 
 ple. God will have mercy and not sacrifice : and, there- 
 fore, if wo have no mercy upon a fallen brother, and will 
 not sock his restoration, we certainly shall incur his dia- 
 pleasure. 
 
 We must seek his T\isforulion in the spirit of meekness. 
 Backsliders must not be dealt with in a harsh and an unfeel- 
 ing manner. It is not our duty to reproach and persecute 
 them, as though it became us to do so. They may have sin- 
 ned grievously ; nia> have brought sad reproach on the cause 
 of <Jrod ; and we may have done only our duty in cutting 
 them olffrom church fellowship ; but still they must not be pur- 
 sued with vengeance, nor be avoided as persons unworthy of 
 our sympathy, our prayers, and our ell'orts. This oourRo will 
 do no good, but much harm. We must restore sucii in tlie 
 ipirit of meekness. Tiio wrath of man worketh not the 
 righteousuess of God. Wu generally liud that uiiger aiid 
 
 i : 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ti 
 
im 
 
 tnA OBbI«AttON« OP CRRISTIANS 
 
 Haughtiness h«Ve a bad influence upon a fallen brother ; they 
 exasperate him, and drive Itim further fron>Chri3t, and deeper 
 into sin. We are not to oount him as an enemy, but admon* 
 ish him as a brother. " Tlie servant of the Lord must not 
 strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. 
 In meekness instructing these that oppose themselves ; if God 
 perudventure will give them repentance to the acknowledge* 
 meat of the truth ; And that they may recover themselves 
 out of the snare of the dovi) who are taken captive by him 
 at his will." — 2 Tim. ii. 24 — "26. However earnest and 
 faithful we are with the backslider, we must exhibit the spir- 
 it of meoktioss. In order to this we must have the mind of 
 Christ, and then, like Paul, we shall beseech the fallen bro- 
 ther with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. It is un- 
 necessary to add more tipon this point, as we discussed the 
 manner in which we should converse with sinners in a pre- 
 vious discourse. 
 
 III. The reason by which this duty is eaforced. 
 
 '' Consiilering thysnlf lest ihou also be tempted." This is 
 a powerful roiisun, and if rightly considered would lead us 
 to restore a fallen brother. " There is great beauty in thus 
 suddenly changing from tlic Galatian spiritual men to the in- 
 dividual reader himself It rouses his attention, and carries 
 ilu' exhortation homo to him with peculiar force." — McNight. 
 
 Ft. is fossibh for us In fa//, for we may he tempted effectu. 
 (tfiy. Wo should over remombpr timt we are in the body, 
 e.tpni^ed to temptation ; and though wo may now be spiritual, 
 yet we may, at some future period, bo overtaken in a fault, 
 as our fallen brother has been already. Some, probably, 
 niay think that it is impossible for them to be tcmpteti effectu- 
 ally. They have such a sense of the goodness of God, such 
 k>ve to Christ, such deep eoreciM-n for the welfare of religion, 
 and such horror of apostacy and apostates, that they are ready 
 to say, with Hazarl, " Is thy servant a dog, that he sliould do 
 this great thing ?" Yet Ilazael, who was ro filled with 
 borror at the thought of the crimes which Klisha told him, 
 with fears, ho would commit, went immediately from the 
 presence of the prophet, mwrdnri'd his master, ascended his 
 throne, and onprn<^.?r>d tho children o{ Israel all the days of 
 J*4ioah»7.. S'e 2 Kings, tlvn Hih an<l Kith, chapters. Do any 
 ef v'.Mx nhndtt^f at tlu> horrki uritno of buck^Udins ? V@ do 
 iv«il. Dut do not uay yo will never ux»mit it^ Im ye may 
 
to eBfm THE SALVATlOnt OF 90VtS. 
 
 tm 
 
 be templed : neither be ye harsh and oruol oensurers of your, 
 fallen l^rWhej, leat ye should be tempted eflectually. 
 
 " Beware ot Peter's word ; 
 
 Nor confidently say, 
 I never will deny my Lord, 
 
 But grant I never may." 
 
 Considering thyself, or looking to thyself. Thou mayst be 
 tempted effbctimlly. As thy brother " fell through a moment 
 of unwcUchfulness, look about that lliou be not surprised. As 
 he fell, so mayst thou : thou art now warned at his expense ; 
 therefore Iceep a good look out." — Clarke. If thou shouldest be 
 surprised into sin, which is quite a possible case, wouldest 
 thou like to be overlooked, neglected, and have to say, " No 
 man careth for my soul." " None of my former spiritual 
 companions care for me :" thou wouldest not ; then go and 
 restore thy fallen brother. Shouldest thou fall, thou wouldest 
 not like thy former companions to add to thy grief, and har- 
 row up thy Houl with keen reproaches, cutting rebukes, and 
 unfeeling censures. " Therefore, as ye would that men 
 should do to you, do ye even vso to them." Go and restore 
 thy brother in the spirit of meekneso, considering thyself, 
 lest thou also be tempted. 
 
 " Blesfied Redeemer, how divine, 
 How righteous is this will of thine ; 
 To do to nil men juat the snme 
 As we expect or wiah from them. 
 This golden lesson, short nnd plain, 
 Gives not the mind nor memory pain ; 
 And every con«'cience must approve 
 This universal law of love." 
 
 If tfiis universal law of love were kept by all spiritual 
 men, then they would attend to their duty to backsliders, 
 and would bo sure to perform it in a right spirit. The fol- 
 lowing note, from Dr. Clarke, alleeted us deeply when we first 
 read it. "Lest thou also be tempted. And, having luid 
 this warning, thou wilt have less to plead in extenuation of 
 thy offence. It is no wonder if a luirsh and cruel cenmrer 
 of a wettk, hacksliding brother, sliotild bo taught moderation 
 and mercy, by an awful proof of his own frailty. Such on 
 one may jufitly dread the most violent attacks from the arch 
 enemy ; ho will disgrace him if hn can, and if he can ovet' 
 take him, he will have no small triumph. Consider the po»- 
 
 «iKi1itir i\f i:!ii/i|k 
 
 n r* ri at\ 
 
 jitfxttj- i \\t 
 
 «*«««*^i«j n 
 
 W\a\ f\%SiMia%f 
 
 which thou wouldst wish to rcocivo from another. From the 
 
304 
 
 THE OBLtGATlONS 6V t^niSTl ktti 
 
 (jdnsideration of Ti^hat '^e dru, what we hate beert, w Irhftt V74 
 may he, We should learn to be compassionate. The poei 
 Mantuames has set this in a fine light in his Eclogue, Do 
 honesto A more : — 
 
 " This is a comraon evil : at one time or other we 
 Have pU done wrung. Eithei v\rE are, or have 
 Been, or may be, as bad as he whom we condemn." 
 
 The great reason why many of us are careless about re- 
 storing a fallen brother, why we treat him with harshness, 
 is because wc forget our own frailty, and the possibility of our 
 being overtaken in the same way. " Wherefore, let him that 
 thinketh he standelh, take heed lest he full." " Well, because 
 of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. 
 Be not high-minded ; but fear." While the caution and hu- 
 mility recommended, in these passngrs, will be our best safe- 
 guards agiiinst all sudden temptations, they will cause us to 
 nave compassion on those who have been overtaken in a fault, 
 and cause us to restore ihem in the spirit of meekness. 
 
 Have we done our duty as brethren to those who have fal- 
 len ? Have wo gone after tiicm, conversed with them, wept 
 over tham, prayed for them, and endeavoured, in the spirit of 
 meekness, to restore thorn ? Or is the word f God appli- 
 cable to us, which he addressed to the shepherds '' Israel, by 
 Ezckiel. '* Tiic diseased have ye not strengih(iied, neither 
 have ye healed that which was' sick, neither have ye bound 
 up that which was broken, noitlier have ye brought again 
 that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that 
 which was lost ; but with force and cruelty have ye ruled 
 them." — Ezck. iv. 4. If this passage be applicable td us, in 
 referf-nce to our fallen brethrf-n — if we are guilty of such 
 conduct, thru Imar what (jfixl says in I he 21st and 2*2nd verses 
 of the samr» chapter, " Behold, I, even I, will judge between 
 ihe fat catilo and the lonn cattle : Because ye have thrust whh 
 the 8id(? and thf> shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with 
 your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad ; Thcreforo 
 will I save my flock, and they shall be no nwro a prey : and 
 I will judge betwpcn cattle and cattle." And when God 
 judges of our conduct to our diseasrd, sick, broken, driven 
 away, lost brethren ; if it bo evident that wo have not UFed 
 means for their restoration ; or, if he find that we have t'.irust 
 theiTi With side nnd fsiiotiidrr, and priNhiii tlirm wiili the hofri^ 
 harshly and cruelly, ho will deal frowardly with us, aiid justly 
 
 punish 
 fested 
 
 Let 
 go aft€ 
 dange] 
 for th( 
 prove 
 and te 
 Bishop 
 
 to pres 
 exceed 
 and nr 
 Amen. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 SOS 
 
 punish us for the neglect and harshness which we have mani- 
 fested to our fellow-brethren. 
 
 Let us then attend to this study in a right spirit. Let us 
 go after the poor backsliders, They are in a miserable and 
 dangerous condition. Let our eyes pity them, our hearts feel 
 for them, and our tongues spare them. Let us meekly re- 
 prove them for their sin, gently soothe their agitated souls, 
 and tenderly beseech them to return to the Shepherd and 
 Bishop of their souls. 
 
 '« Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and 
 to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with 
 exceedmg joy ; to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory 
 and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever 
 Amen." — Jude xxiv. 25. 
 
 If, 
 
 i 
 
 18 
 
DISCOURSE XI. 
 
 I 
 
 
 " Be ye also enlarged."— 2 Corinthuhs vi. 13. 
 
 In this chapter, the apostle beseeches the Corinthians not to 
 to receive the grace of God in vain. States to them that the 
 apostles, in all things, strove to approve themselves as minis- 
 ters of God, that the ministry might not be blamed. Informs 
 them of the strange paradoxes which often meet in a minis- 
 ter's life ; and, then, calling to remembrance how unjustly 
 the Corinthians had withdrawn from him a portion of their 
 confidence and love, he cries out, in the impassioned language 
 of genuine and vehement love, " O ye Corinthians, our mouth 
 is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straiten- 
 ed in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now, 
 for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my own chil. 
 dren,) be ye also enlarged." 
 
 The word enlarged signifies, to be dilated and expanded, as 
 the heart in tender love and benevolence ; and comes from a 
 root which signifies broad, capacious. <' I cannot help ob- 
 serving," says the learned Parkhurst, "that the expression, 
 KapSia. itsifXaTvyrcu," i. e. an enlarged heart, ^* is strictly 
 and philosophically just: the heart of man is really dilated by 
 love and zealous alFection ; and, in consequence, while he is 
 under those joyful passions, his pulse becomes strong and 
 full." 
 
 As the apostle's love to the Corinthians was increased, he 
 calls upon them fj a similar increase of love toward himself, 
 Though wo might dwell upon the words, be ye also enlarged, 
 in exactly the same sense ; yet, we think, \hey are capable 
 of being, justly and properly, used in a more extended sense; 
 therefore, we^ shall give them a wider scope, and a freer ap- 
 plication. To all Christians, therefore, who desire a greatly 
 enlarged number of sound conversions to God, wo would say, 
 in the language of the apostle, •« Be ye also enlarged." 
 
 Let us consider, 
 
 I. The enlargement needed. 
 
 Tho motives wliiuh should induce us to seek it. 
 The means by which it can be secured. 
 The enlargement needed. 
 
 We would by no means urge you to seek an enlargement of 
 tk» number of your tooridty acquaintances. We would, in thu 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 I. 
 
208 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 respoct, insist upon contraction, rather than expansion. You, 
 as Christians, have too many mere worldly acquaintances 
 already. They do you no good, but much harm. " Wliere- 
 fore, come out from amontf them, and bo ye separate." 
 "Know ve not that the friendship of the world is enmitv with 
 God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is 
 the enemy of God." — James iv. 4. 
 
 l^or would we urge you to enlarge your business. Some 
 of you have too much already for your peace, your joy, and 
 your usefulness. Th 're arc many who cannot discharge 
 rightly their duties to God, to their neighbours, to their fami- 
 lies, and to tiicir own souls, because they are overcharged 
 with the business of this world. If your business is large 
 enough to give you and your ftxmilics proper food, proper 
 clothing, proper shelter, your children a proper education, 
 and something to bestow to Christ's cause and God's people, 
 be content: you have all that is needed. "Love not the 
 world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man 
 love tlie world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all 
 that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the 
 eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the 
 world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof : 
 but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." — 1 .Tohn 
 ii. 15, 16, 17. In ninety-nine cases, probably, out of every 
 hundred, it is the pride of life which causes Christian men to 
 enlarge their business. It is not necessary for their families ; 
 they have now every thing that they really need to make 
 them comfortable and respectable ; neither is it, in ninety-nine 
 cases out of a hundred, thiit men enlarge their business be- 
 cause they wish to glorify God and save inunortal souls. The 
 pride of life is the only reason, with too many, who cull them- 
 selves by the name of Christian, when thi-y take upon them 
 more than a suflicient amount of this world's cares. They 
 must have a splendid shop, or a splendid establishment, or a 
 splendid farm; and then they will be able to vi(^ with their 
 neighbours, and be thought something of by their f How earth- 
 wonns. Thus, to gratify their pride, they must enlarge their 
 business. 
 
 Nor wouhl we ur^e you to he over anxious about increas- 
 ing your wealth. For, "They that will be rich fall into 
 temptation and n snare, and into m my f)olish and hurtful 
 lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For 
 the iove of monoy is the rout of til! evil : >vhiu!i, vvriiio some 
 oovetod after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced 
 
 I 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOITtS. 
 
 20« 
 
 themselves through with mnny sorrows." — 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. 
 The positive command of the Saviour is, *♦ Lay not up for 
 yourselves treasures upon earth, whore moth and rust doth 
 corrupt, and where thieves break through and stfnl : But lay 
 up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor 
 rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through 
 nor steal : Foo whore your treasure is, there will your heart 
 be also." — Mutth. vi. !9 — 21. We dare nof, therefore, urge 
 you to amass riches ; but v*c would " Charge ttiem that are 
 rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in 
 uncertain riches, but in the living God, whogiveth us richly 
 all things to enjoy ; that they do good, that they he rich in 
 good works, ready to distribute, vvillijig to communicate. 
 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against 
 the time to com-*, that they m ly lay hold on eternal life." — 
 1 Tim. vi. 17 — 19. Soekest thou great things for thyself ; 
 •eek them not. 
 
 The enlargement that we would urge you to seek, is such 
 that will enable y )u to discharge more officionily your duties 
 to the souls of your fellow-mi n. We would urge yon to seek 
 on enlarged heart. " 'J'he scripture nttribufts to the heart 
 thoughts, reasonings, urulfr.standing, will, judgment, dosigns, 
 affections, love, hatred, fear, joy, sorrow, an^cr ; because, 
 when these things are in a man, a motion is p; rc^ ived about 
 the heart." — H'b. Lexicon. ♦' And in this r« sppct the style of 
 the New Testam nt is conformable to that of the Old." That 
 Paul refers in the text to an enlargem;M>t of the heart, is evi- 
 dent from the context. H(^nGe. ho savs, " Otir heart is en- 
 larged. . . . Ba ye also colarjged." We urge you, then, to 
 seek spiritual enlargeinont. 
 
 We beseech you to increase in knowledge. Tho 
 powers of the human niiiid art^ c;ip \blo of indefinite enlarge- 
 ment. There catj be no boutids p! used to its aequisiiions of 
 knowledge. "To the soul of man ilu re s onis to l)elong tho 
 principle of interminable proprnssioti. Who shall say what 
 ore its high capabi!iti<>s of knowled^ff and eujoynii nt V* Thq 
 high intellectual aitainmonts of somn m n, tho nu'ghty re-i 
 (warchca and di.scoverios of others, plainly prove, th.a, by in- 
 dustry, the mind of m;in may be ( iilargrd to a wonihrful ^l(. 
 lent. While W(>, th ref .iv, m-ohM not for a momiMji dissuade 
 Vou from enlarging yourmiuHs, by the acq-iisiiion of useful 
 knowledge, we espcially ur^o you to ( niari/o vonr minds 
 by the acquisition of that kno\vlei|,:;e whieh will enable you 
 ■> win aouls to (yhriht, and savc ihemTiom diuth. 
 
TBM OBLTSOTtOirg Off CBIISTIAVS 
 
 e»»ek to abt»in an increated acquaintance with God. What 
 f9om thero ia here for eolargcment. How little do the wisest 
 «H<I beat of ua know of God, of his worka and ways, com- 
 IMMcd with what they know who dwell before hia throne ! We 
 «4fiaot by Marching find out God to perfection ! We cannot 
 know God in this imperfect atatp, even as he is known in 
 heaven. *> We see through a glasa darkly.*' Still, however, 
 it 14 posBible for us to know much ntiore of God than what we 
 at pfeaont know ; and the more we know of God, the better 
 qualified shall we l>ecome to savfs souls from death, a.jd bring 
 them to the knowledge, the love, and the enjoyment of God. We 
 ahould strive to gain more knowledge of Jehovah, as " A just 
 God and a Saviour." We may gain muoh knowledge of the at- 
 tributes and perfections of God, and yet be no better ourselves^ 
 aad do noraiore good to the souls of men than devils. « Thou 
 believest that there is one God ; thou doest well : the devil* 
 also believe, and tremble." — James ii. 19. The profligate 
 Dr. Lardner, who seduced Mrs. Heavysides, and while living 
 with her in defiance of the law of God, delivered lectures in 
 the United States on the beincr, attributes, and perfections of 
 God. And, from the well known ability of the doctor, we 
 doubt not but they would be of the highest intellectual order. 
 But his own mind must have been a hell while he delivered 
 thenrv ; and no saving good to the souls of men is it likely 
 they will ever produce. That your knowledge of God may 
 be tHtving to yourselves and to your fellow-men, we want 
 you to know God experimentally and savingly, as well as in. 
 tellcctuully. Tl>e apostle Paul i.i exceedingly anxious that 
 believers should increase their experimental knowledge of 
 God's love to our race, and of his ability and willingness to 
 save us to the uttermost. Hnar his prayers : " For this cause 
 I bow. my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 of whom the whole fimily in heaven and earth is named, 
 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his 
 glory, to be strenjjthened with might by his Spirit in the 
 fnuer man ; That Christ may dwrll in your hearts by faith ; 
 that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. May be able to 
 comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, 
 and depth, and height ; And to know tlio love of Christ, 
 which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with the 
 fujinesa of God." — Ephes. iii. 14 — 19. Again ho prays: 
 ""That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory „ 
 may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the 
 juiCrH'iCugo of him I Tho eyes of your unuerstunding beings 
 
 1 
 
TO SBSK THE SALVATION OF 80UL9. 
 
 Sit 
 
 i> 
 
 enlightened : that ye may know what is the hope of his oal- 
 ling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the 
 saints. And what the exceeding greatness of his power to 
 usward who believe."— Ephes. i. 17—19. This is the eo* 
 largement of mind we wish you to seek. We want you to 
 feel within the Spirit's might : to comprehend with all saints 
 the greatness of divine love, manifested through Christ, that 
 ye may be filled with the fulness of God : to comprehend in 
 the clearest and fullest manner possible the greatness and 
 worth of those spiritual and eternal things which he has 
 caused you to hope for: to obtain correct, scriptural views of 
 the magnificence, riches, and blessedness of that inheritance 
 to which you are heirs ; and to know, by heartfelt experience, 
 the exceeduig greatness of his power 'in them *'iat believe. 
 You know something of all these things ; but there wants 
 enlargement. You know but little yet, to what you may 
 kno\r, if you will only follow on to know the Lord. Your 
 abundant usefulness depends upon your knowledge of God. 
 If you are to be more successful in saving souls, you must 
 get an increased acquaintance with God. Be ye also en- 
 larged. 
 
 We beseech you to increase in love. " And this T pray, 
 that your love may abound more and more, in knowledge and in 
 dir judgment ; That ye may approve thinjrs that are excelleirt : 
 thnt ye may be sincere and withont oflence till the day of 
 Christ : Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which 
 are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God."— 
 1 I*hil. i. 9 — 1 1 . The heart is the seat of love. It is of very 
 little use increasing knowledge unless we increase love. He 
 that increases knowledge, without increasing love, only aug- 
 ments sorrow. A capacious understanding, toith a narrow, 
 teljish, malignant heart, is the best description that we can give 
 of the devil; and we do not wish you to resemble the arch ene- 
 my. _ Many think that great intellectual attainments, and 
 genuine, f-rvent love cannot be lound, in a high degree, in 
 the same individual. What folly ! Look at Jesus : " In him 
 are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ;" and 
 yet, he has manifested infinite love, by laying down his life 
 for us. God is infinite in wisdom and knowledge ; yet God 
 is love ; and we are commanded to be like Christ, to be like 
 God. Love is superior to knowledge ; but we are not to 
 neglect the increase of our knowledge under the foolish notion 
 that we simll increase in love by so doina. In > ' 
 ho inen>,iu mailed be children, iu bvo be saints. 
 
 1 a rotik n iljn A 
 
 ? 
 
lis 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Be ye enlarged in love to God. The Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost : the blessed triune God is worthy of your su- 
 preme and constant love. There is not the bare possibility 
 of your loving God too much. You never can pay the 
 mighty debt you owe the Father, forgiving his Son to redeem 
 vou ; you never can repay what you owe to Christ for having 
 loved you, given himself for you as an offering and a sacrifice 
 to God for a sweet smelling savour ; you never can discharge 
 that obligation under which you are to the Holy Spirit, for 
 having enlightened and regenerated your minds, and for hav- 
 jng put yon in possession of the hope of the glory God. Still, 
 it is your bounden and imperative duty to love God with all 
 your heart, soul, mind, and strength, at ail times, and under 
 all circumstances. It is quite possible to have your power to 
 love God vastly increased. The heart is capable of expan- 
 sion. "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when 
 thou shah enlarge my heart.'* There are no more bounds to 
 confine the aflTectiona, than there are to confine the intellect ; 
 and, therefore, if the intellectual powers of a man are capable 
 of constant progression in sensibility, tenderness, and ardour 
 of afTection, let then your hearts, dilute in intense, tender, 
 reverential love to the blessed triune God, " whose ye are, and 
 whom ye serve." Be ye enlarged ; your hearts are too con. 
 traded to hold the fulness of love, the fulness of God. You 
 are, many of you, as yet, too selfish to love GixJ as you ought 
 and as you might. You often complain of the littleness of 
 your love to God. You sometimes sing — 
 
 " Dear Lord ! anJ shall we ever live 
 
 At this poor dying rate T 
 Our love so faint, so cold to ihee. 
 
 And thine to us eo great ?" 
 
 Make, then, a desperate effort, and ir> the strength of Christ, 
 break the chains which restrain you from loving God with all 
 your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Cry to the Eternal 
 Spirit, with firm resolution, with strong desire, with unwaver. 
 iag confidence : — ■ 
 
 " Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, 
 
 With all thy quittk'ning powers ; 
 Coitie, shed abroad a Saviour's love. 
 
 And that shall quick<>n ours." 
 
 Be ye enlarged in love to all the saints. Throw off your 
 cold, icy formality; and love each other as brethren, as chil- 
 <lren of the same Father, as the purchase of the same pre- 
 cioue bUxxl, as persons enjoying the comforts of the same 
 Spirit, aud aa iieirs together of the grace of life ; love on» 
 
to SEEK THE SsLYATlOV! OP SOTTtS. 
 
 fits 
 
 another, with a pure heart fervently. Banish all Hissimula* 
 tion ; and let your sincere love to Christ sweetly draw you 
 into each others hearts, and firmly lock you in the arms of 
 genuine aff'ction. Clear away the rubbish of pride, shyness, 
 and distrust, and let the way be open for the manifestation 
 of true brotherly love. Throw down all the walls of separa- 
 tion. R^msmbered slights, let them bo forgotten ; old griev- 
 ances, let them be buried ; difTemncos of opinion, let them 
 never bc^ a bone of contention. Go forth in the spirit of for- 
 giveness.and seek reconciliation with any and all of your fellow 
 Christians witii whom you have any misunderstanding. Be 
 ye enlarged. Strive to abound in love to all the members of 
 the church with which you are identifi.d ; and not only so, 
 but enlarge your hearts, make room in your affections for all 
 who bear the- image of Christ, and who love him in sincrrity, 
 let them belong to whatever section of the chureh of Christ 
 they may. Many do not think exactly as you do ; — they do 
 not worship iu the same house of prayer that you do ; — they 
 do not use th? same forms in worship that you do; — they H'> 
 not hold the same principles of church government that you 
 do. And vvhat of all these things ? Are they all put together 
 a sufficient reason why you should not love them with a pure 
 heart fervently ? Do they worship God in Spirit and in 
 truth? Do they love Christ and serve him in the gospel ? 
 Have they the Spirit of Chriy% and do they live in the Spirit, 
 and walk in the Spirit? Then they are your brethren ; for 
 they are God's children. And if you hate them, you are 
 murdere-rs, and have not eternal life abiding in you. Be ye 
 enlarged, and embrace in the ams of your expanded love all 
 who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, that the world 
 may see that you are Christians, and that they may believe 
 that God has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. 
 
 Be ye enlarged in love to uncnnverled, perishing sinners. 
 O for that enlargement of heart which would cause you to 
 feel more deeply and constantly for the miserable and con- 
 demned : who are without Christ, having no hope, and with- 
 out God in the world. The heart of God mourns over them, 
 with melting tenderness, on account of their misery and 
 danger. Christ's heart overflows with compassion on account 
 of the wretchedess of those lost ones he came to seek and 
 save. The Holy Spirit daily grieves, on account of their 
 ignorance, impurity, and condemnation. Shall we, then, 
 Christian brethren, shut up our bowels of compassion from 
 luciii i II vixi uu so, liuw Uwciium me icve oi ^uu m ^5 f 
 
214 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Let US seek enlargement. Lot us open our hearts to sinners, 
 and make ample room for them in our atFections. Let us ob- 
 tain that love to them ihut we shall not be able to restrain 
 tears, reproofs, prayers, lubours, on their luhnlf. Be ye en. 
 larged. Shut your hearts aguiust the crimes ot sinnors ; but 
 O! love, greatly love, their precious sonls, and j[, luck ihem 
 from destruction. Blessed Redeemer — 
 
 " Rnlarcre, inflnme, nnH fill my heart 
 
 With boundlips rluirity divine ; 
 So !-li;tll I nil my sfrength exert, 
 
 And love ihein with n zeul like thine ; 
 And ien<l ihem to lliy op-n pide. 
 The sliet p for whom tluir Sphepherd died." 
 
 Enlahgij the sphrre of your benevolent operations. 
 You annluinjrgood, it miiy be, in various ways; but is it not 
 possible to extend your operations ? " There is very much 
 land to b« possosspd :" manv moral wastes to be cultivated, 
 and brought to yi -Id fruit to" the glory of God. There are 
 hundred;; and thousands of sinnors around you who need con- 
 verting from the errtir of their ways, and their souls saving 
 from death. With some of these sinners you have an ac" 
 quaintance ; and you are often found, we trust, pleading with 
 tliem to corno to Christ, to be savrd by his grace ; and aro 
 daily oHering your pr,iyer<. to God for their : alvation. Con- 
 tinue these pious elForts ; they may yet be crowned with 
 abundant success. Siill, however, "there are other sinners, 
 with whom you sometimes associate, to whom vou have not 
 given the solemn warning, the tender reproof," the earnest 
 entreaty. Those we(] your friendly aid, to help them out of 
 the liorrii)lo pit and the miry clay. Will you let them sink 
 deeper, and at last be lost for'tho want of a little of your as- 
 sistance? Oh no! you cannot be so cruel. Thru go at 
 once and enlnrgc your list of the names of those for whose 
 Balvation you specially labour and pray ; as soon as you pos. 
 Bibly can .speak to then;, pointedly and air.ctionatd'y, about 
 their immortal souls ; and at onco begin olFeriug special 
 prayer for their salvation. Thus you may all etilarge the 
 sphere of your benevolent operatiot)s. Pirsomil elFort of 
 this kind is needed to save souls; and if you resolve to adopt 
 it, you will soon enlarge tl>o sphere of your benevolent opera, 
 tions. 
 
 There are other ways of doing good. The sabbath school, 
 (ho prayer nieeting, the diHtribution of tnicfM : co!!- ctini? ior 
 hiifle, tract, und missionary socictiea ; visiting, rouiding,''and 
 
 \ 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATIOP OP SOULS. 
 
 216 
 
 ) 
 
 praying with the sick; nnd suppDrtinn;, in n pecuniary way, 
 all tlie jrreai societies which christianitv has rst.iblished for 
 the conversion of the world to Christ, tiir)rd firje opportunities 
 for you to oxtend your oparntions for doing jrood to the souls 
 of niRn. Ask yourself, " Am I d )injc all I can ? Is there 
 no depirtmnu of Chridtian labour in which I can labour to 
 do nnre jjfxjd to the souls of men, than what I am doin'ral 
 present?" And if these qucsiions arc fiiihfully put, you 
 will soon find ft way to oxtenri vour br>nevolent operations. 
 We woul.l siy to every child of G )d, try, in cverv possible 
 way, to do <(ood ; nnd trust in Gid to hi. ss your cfF.rts, and 
 you will be agents in saving immortal souls. The martyr 
 of Erromanga says, «' There' are two little words in the En- 
 glish lan.rnage, which I very much aflmire ; thev are try 
 and TiiusT." These words were Williams's motto ; and 
 whoever reads his " Missionary Enterprises," will see what 
 a vast amount of good that man ncconipli.-hf d, by trying 
 and trusting. Try and trust: let thise words bo your 
 motto. You cannot tell how much good vou may do the 
 souls of your follow-mon till you tnj, and' how much God 
 will bless your endeavours till you tmut him, by essaying to 
 do giod, in humldfi d.-pendiinco upon him, to succeed your 
 cfiorts. 
 
 Looking to G) I, then, for direction and assistance, cndoav. 
 our to eidarge the sphere of your o[)eralions, and you will 
 soon fi.id. that, with your humble talents, and limited oppor. 
 tunities, you will be able to accomplish an amount of good 
 that will astonish you, and be of the utmost benefit to the 
 church and the world. Be ye also enlarged. 
 
 H. The nntivos which should induoj you to seek such 
 enlargement. 
 
 O.VK IHOTIVE WiriCII SnOUT.D INDtrCR YOU TO SREK THIS 
 
 ENLAKCiEMKNT, IS AN INCREASE OF POWER. Knowledge is 
 power, and love is mighty to compel. 
 
 The rn'arftement of which we have spoken, wiJ/ ffive you in- 
 creased power with Go I. All Christians havo power with 
 God ; but Christians with limited views, contracted alFections, 
 and small operations, have little powor with (iod. They 
 obtain only small blessings from God, cilhrr for themsolvca or 
 others ; bu' those who have an enlarged acquaintance with 
 God, who are full of love, and whose bonevoh^nt operations 
 . ... ,,„,^^,j D-^-uiu gicai uiussiugs. mo rfiUSOiJiS Oi iOii 
 
 are obviuus. 
 
 m 
 
216 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 This onlargpmrnt will increase our faith in God. Know- 
 ledge and love, are the sources of faith. " Tlipy that know 
 thy name will put tlirir trust in thee;" and they that love 
 God will surely confide in him. Just in proportion to our 
 knowledge of, and love to (Jod, will be the degree of our 
 faith in G kI. Whoever is acquainted with the Hcly Scrip, 
 tures, must be aware, that the l)lfssitigs whieh God bestows, 
 are given to those; who repose faith in him ; and are given 
 in degree, proportionate to the degree of f.iith exercised. 
 Abraham was iiccounted righteous, b cause he believed in 
 God. To him was given exceetling great and precious prom- 
 ises ; because, " FTi; staggered not at the promises of God 
 through uiibi lief ; but w ,is strong in fiiih, giving glory to 
 God ; and l»eiug fully p-rsuaded, that what he had promised, 
 he was nblo also to perform. And therefore it was imputed 
 to him for righteousnc ss. ' The noble army of worthies, 
 that did sucii mighty deeds and wondf>rs, whose conduct is 
 held up, in the f I venth chnpfcr of [lebrews, to ou' ndmira- 
 tion and imilation, accomplished all they did through faith in 
 God. The bh^ssed Uedeemer fn quently upbraids and re- 
 proaches his disciples fijr the littleness of their fidth. He 
 tells them plaiidy that they cannot ca.st out devils beeanso of 
 their unbeli( f; iitid solemnly assures them, tint, according 
 to their faith it shall be done unto them. Without faith it is 
 impossible to please God. If we do not please him, we can- 
 not have powi r w ith him. " And whatsoever we nsk, we 
 receive of hini, hccause we, kerp /t/.s cmnmnndmrvts, and do 
 tJiose Ihivga lofiich are p.'easJiig in /ds sifr/it.^' — I John ii. 22. 
 Little fiith is constantly troubled with doubts, i ours, and per. 
 ple.xilics; but great faith is not thus troubled. 
 
 " r.iiili, tiiiuliiy fiiili, the proaiisc sees. 
 
 And looliH to liirit nlonc — 
 Lnii!;h'< nt iaipoHcihiJiti*'*, 
 
 Aiul cries. It vhall be done." 
 
 Grent fiith lays hold of the promises with a giant's grasp, 
 and pulls down iho greatest blessings which a gnicious God 
 has promised. This fiifh earmot exist in a narrow mind and 
 a contrncted heart. It must have room enough in the under. 
 Btandini^ and iifleetinns for its mighty operation. Many have 
 had such (tdiir^ed scriptural views of (Jod's ability and wil. 
 lingness to save to the uttermost, and such erd;trg(>d love to 
 God and man. that they eould Ik lieve and rreeivo whatever 
 ble-sing they d<'Hired ■>!..! prayed for, which God had promis- 
 ed. Ue yo also enlarged. 
 
'TO SBKt THB SALVATION OP SOTTLS. 217 
 
 This enlargement will increase the spirit and power of 
 prayer. Prayer has power with God. " The effectual fer- 
 vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." We cannot 
 
 «^ rr^S-Ki^ ^"'™ ^ Z^^}""^^ P^'^y^'' > °f this, you, who 
 study the Bible, must be fully convinced. Knowledge and 
 love ire the foundation of prayer, as well as of faith. The 
 man who has an enlarged acquaintance with God ; whose 
 heart expands with love to God and man ; and whose sphere 
 ot labour is extensive, is sure to be much in prayer, and 
 mighty in prayer. He goes to the throne of grace with his 
 petitions m one hand, and his pleas in the other; and he 
 cannot, he wil not be denied. Such is his knowledge of God 
 his love to God, his sense of the need and suitableness of tha 
 for which he prays, that he asks boldly and importunately for 
 the good he desires. And if any want to know how he daro 
 pray in such a manner, here is his answer: " This is the 
 confidence that we have in God, that, if we ask any thing 
 according to his will, he heareth us ; and if we know that he 
 hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the nc 
 titions that we desired of him."-,l John v. 14, 15. An %„. 
 arged mind and heart, enables him to draw nigh to God in 
 
 which ,r''"?"'^°^ ?^'''' '? "^^ ^°^ those greater blessings 
 which his enlarged sphere of operation demands. And not 
 only so, but such is the spirit of prayer, which this enlarged 
 
 rnmmri ^T"""''^ ^^u- ^^ ^'^l^^^'S^^Y ' According to gS's 
 command, he opens his mouth wide, when he comes to the 
 
 hLZ ] 51 1, " m'"^. *" ^"^*'«"^ "^'"'^' «»^ a capacious 
 heart, he thinks no blessing too great for him to ask L, and 
 
 to receive, which God has promised. He knows too much 
 
 of God, and loves h.m too well, to doubt, for one momen 
 
 ised. Such a Christian, also, comes very often to the throne 
 of grace and every time asks for larger blessings : and the 
 
 ^rnnTl ^J^,1 ^ •"^''; .^""5'^^^^ "''^ *"'"' f"r put'li.^ such 
 imp u confidence m lum. Tor so greatly hononrh.g |^,„ by 
 
 Mkiiig largehr and freouentl;yr, that he gives hi... alf that he 
 thTs pS!- ^'" ^°"°^*"« "^""^^"^^ ^-^'^'y '»««"^tes 
 
 "It is said that a man onoe asked Alexander the Groat (o 
 give h.m some money to portion off a daughter. The k , g 
 ^*:'!i" I^. *«.»»*• ^?«"»'«r and demanlwhat he plo^^ 
 
 waa s(artl«r\^r»!r^. J*" enormous sum. The treasurer 
 waa startled, iaid he could not part with so muoh without an 
 
 19 
 
218 
 
 THE OBLIOATIOi^S OF CITRISTIANS 
 
 express order; aad went to the king, and told him that he 
 thought a small part of the money the man had named might 
 servo for the oooaaion.. 'No,' replied Alexander, ' let him 
 have it ail. I like tht t maa : he does me honour ; he treatift 
 mo liko a king ; and proves, by what he asks, that he believei 
 me to be both rich and generous.' " "Let us," says Mr* 
 Newton, in quoting this anecdote, " go to the throne of grace, 
 aad put up such petitions as may show that we have honour- 
 able views of the riches and bounty of of our King." 
 
 The fervour of the enlarged Chrisiibn's prayers is also 
 great. He prays in the Holy Ghost. '« Likewise the Spirit 
 also helpeth our infirmities ; for we know not what to pray* 
 for as wo ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for 
 us with groanings which cannot be uttered." — Rom. viii. 2«. 
 His fervour at times will overcome hig speech, and he will be 
 abde only to groan his wishes to the throne ; but those groans 
 will have more power with God than the best compositions, 
 called pra^^ers, which the wisest and best of men have writ- 
 ten. Faith nud prayer are the hands of the soul, which take 
 hold of God's strength, and secure every blessing we need ; 
 and his all-sufficient grace to render successful the Christian 
 enterprises in which we are engaged. If we are to save 
 many souls, we must obtain more power with God ; and we 
 cannot secure this but by Spiritual enlargement. 
 
 This enlargement ivill give increased jmoer with men As 
 Christians, we ought to bo ambitious to get as much power 
 over men as we possibly can : for our power with men is not 
 for their injury and destruction ; but for their edification and 
 salvation. All Christians have some influence with their 
 kind ; but all do not posse^^s that influence over their friends 
 and neighbours which Christ commnndeds them to have and 
 to exert. In fact, all have to mourn the little influence which 
 saints possess with the ungodly. We urge upon your atten- 
 tion enlargement of mind and heart, that you may acquire 
 greater power over your fellow-men. Light and love, ex. 
 hibited in their behalf, will have an influence upon their 
 minds; and the brighter that light shines, and the more in. 
 tensely that love burns, the greater will ho your power over 
 the minds of sinners. An onlurgod acfpiaintance with Jeho- 
 vah, and augmented love toward Ciod and man, will give 
 increased clearness to your instructions ; increased solemnity 
 to your warnings ; incrensod energy to your reproofs ; in. 
 creased tenderness to your expostulations and entreaties; in. 
 Cfeuscd fervour to your prayois, uiiU iut;i-cascd ibrcc to your 
 
TO SEEK THE UALVATIOH OF SOTTLS. 
 
 010 
 
 1/ 
 
 ■/ 
 
 example. Augmented light will make you shine so brilliant- 
 ly, and increased love will make you bum so intensely, that 
 you will be able, by God's assistance, to enlighten the dark- 
 est mind, and melt into: tenderness, penitence, and love the 
 hardest heart. Dark indeed must be that mind, and hardened 
 past all feeling must be. that heart, that does not see and feel 
 the beauty, the power, the value of religion, ivhen placed 
 before them with that clearness and force with which you 
 will present religion to their minds — with light so brilliant, 
 and with love so vehement. And not only so, but the great 
 power of God will accompany all you say and do, so that 
 sinners must both see and feel the necessity of religion, and 
 numbers of them will be indu«ed to give glory to the Lord 
 your God. Your power over the minds of the ungodly must, 
 in the very nature of things, be increased by this enlargement. 
 And is not this a suflicicnt motive to induce any and every 
 child of God to seek ami obtain this enlargement. It is, if 
 rightly weighed ; for this increased power with Go<l and man, 
 will give greater success in the great work of saving souls. 
 
 Another motive which should induce you to seek this enlarge- 
 ment, is an increase of purity. It is im]x)8sible for us to be- 
 come too holy. Many cry out against perfection, who would 
 do well to examine whether tliey are perfect enough to enter 
 heaven ; whether they have purity eaough to enable them 
 to save souls from death. Were the time and breath which 
 are spent in striving to show how little purity Christians pos- 
 sess, and in attempts to prove that more cannot be obtained 
 till death, spent in beseeching God for Spiritual enlargement, 
 the mighty deficiency of purity, obaervable in many professors 
 of religion, would be soon supplied. The increase of divino 
 knowledge and love will ever incx^ase purity. The more 
 we know of God, and the more we love him, the more are 
 WG humbled on account of our imperfections, the more do wo 
 loathe sin, the more are we weaned from earthly attachments, 
 and the more do wo earnestly desire to become like our bless- 
 ed liord, who wiia meek and lowly in heart. This enlarge. 
 ment causes us to leave the things that are behind ; to go 
 on to perfection ; to cleaasQ ourselves from all filthinoss of 
 the flesh and spirit : jK^rfeoting holiness in the fear of tho 
 Lord. Tho wrent irason why so little purity is enjoyed by 
 the mass of |Ht>feB8oi's, is bt oause they have so little know- 
 letlge of (rod, ami so little love to him, that they have no in- 
 teuiie desire to boeorno like him : no restless nnxietv to bo 
 made partakers of Im fitdiuees. When spiritual enlargement 
 
220 
 
 THE eBLIGATIONS Of CBKiynilTff 
 
 h J r* ' A*"^" u^^ """^ P*'^^ ^'^^^ God, as the thirsty 
 
 W.V ^nf r 5?"" ^* ^^l*^' ^'"^^ '^ »^» the feet run in the 
 
 1 shall be saUsfied when I awake up in thy likeness.'* 
 
 This enlargement must increase our purity; for it will 
 
 make us so to abhor the thing unclean, that we cannot rest 
 
 until we are freed from every spot, btemish, and wrinkle, by 
 
 the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy 
 
 Lrhost. Look at Job, when he received enlargement. What 
 
 a blessed effect had a clear manifestation of the God>»ead 
 
 upon his understanding, affections, and deportment. Hear 
 
 his own language. When God is in the mi/st of the sublime 
 
 description of his works and ways, Job is so penetrated with 
 
 grief, on account of his impurity, that he interrupts the Lord, 
 
 and says, "Behold, I am vilej what shall I answer thee ? 
 
 1 win lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken : 
 
 thiv ' '" T w "?' \ ^T' '^^^ ' ^"t ^ ^^"1 proceed no fur. 
 1 — •'of^-^'- 4' 5. And when Jehovah had finished his ad- 
 dress to thevenerable patriarch of Uz, « Then Job answered 
 tlie Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything and 
 no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that 
 hideth counsel without knowledge I therefore have I uttered 
 things that I understood not ; things too wonderful for me, 
 which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak .• 
 I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have 
 heard of thee by the hoarir»g of the ear ; but now mine eye 
 seeth heo Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust 
 and ashes.; -Job xlu. l-f*. And those among S, who hide 
 counsel without knowledge, who utter things they understand 
 not : things too wonderful for them, which they know not. 
 respecting purity of heart ; would be just as much confound, 
 ed, and humbled, and penitent as Job Avas, if they were to 
 obtain the enlargement which he did, when he said, '« I have 
 iieurd of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye 
 seeth tliee. Ihe very san»e purifying effects were produc 
 ed HI Isaiah, when his heart was enlarged by the glorious 
 vision which he saw in the temple. Hear his statement of 
 Umt blessed manifestation, and of the effects it produced upon 
 his heart. " In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also 
 the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his 
 tram filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims : each 
 one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and with 
 twain he covered his feel, and with twain he did fly. And 
 orw Mmi. unio another, auu »oid, Holy, holy, holy, is tho 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS 
 
 221 
 
 I 
 
 Lord of hosts : the whole earth is full of his glory. And the 
 posts of the door moved at the voice of him that oried, and 
 the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woo is me f 
 for I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I 
 dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for mine eyes 
 have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the 
 seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he 
 had taken with the tongs from oil the altar ; And he laid it 
 upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched they lips ; 
 and thy inimilty is taken away, and tliy sinj)urged."— Isa. 
 vi. 1 — 7. This enlarged acquaintance with God, revealed to 
 Isaiah his impurity, caused him, in bitter anguish of heart, to 
 deplore it ; and tlien, with the swiftness of a seraphim's 
 movements, it was purged away. Let the objectors to instan- 
 taneous sanctification study this passage ; and no more utter 
 things that are understood not, and meddle no more witfi the 
 holy verities of God's word, which are too wonderful for them. 
 Increased knowledge of the great Jehovah will lead to the 
 instantaneous destruction of sin. That blessed man, John 
 Fletcher, of Madely, once prayed to God to reveal to him the 
 utmo'rt depravity of his own heart ; and such was the effect 
 produced by the sight, that he nearly died from the discovery; 
 and he would have died, we doubt not, if God had not taken 
 away his iniquity and purged his sin. And, in like manner, 
 greater discoveries of God and greater love to him, will re- 
 veal our latent impurities, fill us with grief on account of 
 them, and cause us to wrestle with God until he sanctifies us 
 wholly, and makes us fit to bear hia vessels. 
 
 Thus, then, an increase of purity is obtained by the en- 
 largement we urge you to seek : and this increase of purity 
 will not only make you more glorious in the eyes of the 
 Lord and in the sight of men ; but it will give you a greater 
 disposition to do the will of God in saving souls. When yot 
 are entirely cleansed from sin, you will feel no reluctance to 
 go after the lost : no unwillingness to reprove, rebuke, and 
 exhort your feUow-sinners. There will be a springing fort^ 
 of the soul to meet the will of God in this matter. \Vhe» 
 Isaiah was purged from his iniquity, ho heard the voice of the 
 Lord, saying, " Whom shall I send, and who will go for us." 
 And though it was a message of terror, yet, Isaiah's will is 
 now 80 completely absorbed in the will of God, that he spon- 
 tantously answers, " Here am I ; send me." Just so will it 
 be with the children of God in the present day, when they 
 are ciaenaed from their latent inipurities, whicli make them 
 
222 
 
 TIIE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 unwilling to do all they might to save souls. Surely, then, 
 we may cry on this ground, « Be ye also enlarged." 
 
 Another motive which dught to induce you to seek thii en- 
 largemeat, is an incrsase of joy. Every fresh addition to our 
 stock of divine knowledge — the augmentation of our love to 
 God and man — and the increase of our usefulness, must add 
 to our joy. The more enlarged our conceptions of God are, 
 the more we feel of love to God and man, and the more good 
 we accomplish, the more do we increase our spiritual enjoy, 
 ments : for in the knowledge and love of God, and in the pro- 
 moting of the best interests of our race, alone is found the 
 real happiness of man. Real joy, substantial bliss, cannot 
 be found in any worldly things. There is as much gospel 
 truth as poetry in the following lines : — 
 
 " Joy is a fruit that will not grow 
 
 In nature's barren soil ; 
 All we can boast, till Christ we know. 
 
 Is vanity and toil. 
 
 But where the Lord has planted grace. 
 
 And made his glories known, 
 There fruits of heavenly joy and peace 
 
 Are found, and there alone. 
 
 A bleeding Saviour seen by faith, 
 
 A sense of pard'ning love, 
 A hope that triumphs over death. 
 
 Give joys like those above. 
 
 To take a glimpse within the veil. 
 
 To know that God is mine. 
 Are springs of joy, which never fail. 
 
 Unspeakably divine. 
 
 If then pure and essential joy is derived from God's grace, 
 the manifestation of God's glory, and the possession of the 
 hope of that glory, which you Christians do not question, 
 then it follows, as a necessary consequence, that the increase 
 of grace, the increase of the knowledge of God's glory, and 
 the increase of hope, must greatly augment our joy. Still 
 further, this enlargement, as we have already seen, gives us 
 greater power with God and man ; thereby increasing our 
 success, in our attempts to do good to the souls of men ;— 
 therefore, there must, of necessity, be an increase of our joy : 
 for success in saving souls ever produces unspeakable joy. 
 We reap in joy, after sowing with tears. We come again 
 with rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us, after going forth 
 
 — - - ixuu. III auuiilui — 
 
 WScpiji^, i,^aii!s^ piv 
 
 scvu. 
 
 Jii W liii*^, mI* 
 
TO SEEK THB SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 223 
 
 increase of purity must augment our joy. The joy which 
 springs from holiness is of the purest kind, and of the highest 
 order. God is infinitely happy, because he is iiifinitely holy. 
 The nearer we approach his likeness, the greater becomes 
 our joy. Here, then, is another motive why we should seek 
 this enlargement. And are not these motives sufficient to 
 induce any sincere Christian to seek the enlargement pro- 
 posed ? To increase your power with God and man, to aug- 
 ment your purity, and to enhance your joy, we urge upon 
 your attention the words, " Be ye also enlarged." 
 
 Consider, 
 
 III. The means by which this enlargement can be secured, 
 
 " Be ye also enlarged," may be regarded as a solemn com- 
 mand, urging us to use the means which will secure this en- 
 largement in knowledge, in love, and in usefulness. Our 
 limited knowledge, our contracted love, our little usefulness, 
 are not in accordance with the will of God, with the privileges 
 we enjoy, and with the duties we have to perform. " O thou 
 that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord 
 straitened ? are these his doings ? do not my words do good 
 to them that walk uprightly ?" — Micah ii. 7. *' Behold the 
 Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save ; neither his 
 ear heavy, that it cannot hear." — Isa. xlix. 1. It is the will 
 of God that we should have light and I e enough to save 
 souls ; we are favoured with every means requisite to enable 
 us to save souls ; our duty to God and man requires us 
 to be ever zealous in the great enterprise of saving souls. 
 How is it then that so few are saved by us ? We are not 
 straitened in God ; but we are straitened in ourselves. We 
 know too little of God, we have too little love both to God and 
 man, and we confine ourselves to so limited a sphere, that it 
 is impossible for us to save many souls. Be ye also enlarged; 
 use tlie means, vigorously and diligently use the means, 
 which are requisite to secure the enlargement needed to save 
 souls. We shall proceed to notice some of the means which 
 must be employed to secure this enlargement. 
 
 Meditation is absolutely needed to obtain this enlargement. 
 You read your Bibles much, you converse frequently on 
 spiritual things, you hear many sermons ; but you are as 
 contracted in your views, as cold in your allections, and as 
 limited in your labours, as you were, perhaps, years ago. 
 The reason of this is want of meditation. How few profess- 
 
 Qia \n iciin'v. isiiitjo. as, ait , auQ lyrrci SliU UiiiiA lu ^-ui^A^Se, 
 
 o'^ 
 
204 
 
 THB OBIIGATIOKS OV CHRISTIAJIS 
 
 upon those things which are requisite to enlarge the mind, 
 expand the heart, and break the bonds which bind them to 
 earth, and hinder them from saving souls. Employ your 
 thoughts, in your hours of retirement, yea, at every conveni- 
 ent season, on the nature, character, and perfections of the 
 blessed God : dwell especially on the love 6f God, in ou^' 
 redemption by Christ Jesus : think much upon the miserable 
 condition of your fellow-men, who know not Grod : revolve in 
 your minds the means by which God proposes to save them : 
 forget not the relation in which you stand to God and your 
 fellow-men ; and the high and important duties that your 
 position, as the salt of the earth, and as the light of the world, 
 imposes upon you ; and, then, you cannot rest without this 
 enlargement. " Meditate on these things," and as far as your 
 other duties will allow, « give thyself wholly to them, that thy 
 profiting may appear to all." But unless you will meditate 
 on these things, you will remain the partially enlightened, 
 phlegmatic, barren professors, which some of you have been 
 for years. You may as well expect a sinner to be saved 
 without repentance, or a man to go to heaven without holiness, 
 as to expect enlargement without meditation. 
 
 Hope for this enlargement. We are saved bv hope. De- 
 sire and expect an enlargement in your understanding, in 
 your affections, and in your sphere of usefulness, and en- 
 largement will assuredly follow. Fear produces hesitancy ; 
 despair cuts the sinews of effort — puts a stop to all improve- 
 ment. Before you can gain the enlargement we have de- 
 scribed, you must cherish enlarged desires, and indulge high 
 expectations. Dr. Reed, in his remarks on ths advancement 
 of religion in the church, says : « Hope is the genius of reli- 
 gion. Hope becomes the church. In the midst of darken- 
 ing skies, and clashing opinions, and partial disaster, let the 
 ^hurch clothe herself with hope as with an invulnerable gar- 
 ment. Indulge great hope. Expect for yourself a measure 
 of light, and holiness, and joy which you have not known. 
 Expect for your family, that they shall be all bom of God, 
 and be enrolled among the living in Jerusalem. Expect that 
 the church shall become one in faith, in heart, and in action ; 
 a purified and spiritual body, filled with all the fulness of 
 God. Expect that the dark forms of evil, which abound in 
 the world, shall cower away before the risen glories of the 
 Son of righteousness : — that a second time the Creator and 
 Redeemer shall say, ' Let there be light, and there shall be 
 
 
 ixr_ .- •^- 
 
 r-r C UVWillV IZiQ 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOtTLS. 
 
 im 
 
 things we hope to be. To abound in hope, is to abound in 
 service?, in suffering, and in joy. It not only sustains US 
 where we are— it inspires us with additional and celestial 
 joy. It bears the martyr to the stake ; the hero to victory ; 
 the Christian to heaven. Have hope, great hope. « Sanctify 
 yourselves ; for to-morrbw the Lord will do wonders among 
 you.' " How strikingly just and appropriate are these re- 
 marks of the learned, venerable, and pious Dr. Reed. What 
 can you do without hope ? If you would enlarge the horizon 
 of your knowledge ; if you would have your hearts expand- 
 ed with generous, ardent love ; if you would extend the 
 sphere of your operations, and do more good to the souls of 
 your fellow-men, you must hope, greatly hope, for this en- 
 largement. 
 
 Pray for this enlargement. The things you desire, you 
 must pray for. " Ask and ye shall have," is the law of the 
 kingdom of grace. Do you hope for this enlargement ? 
 then pray for it with all the fervour of your souls. When 
 God promised, by Ezekiel, to the house of Israel, that he 
 would cleanse them from all their idols and filthiness, and 
 give them a new heart and a new spirit : to take away the 
 heart of stone^ and give them a heart of flesh ; and to put 
 his spirit within them : to make them intelligent, holy, com- 
 passionate, and obedient, he said, " I will yet for this be en- 
 quired of by the house of Israel, to do it tor them." And if 
 we are to be enlarged, and have our wishes fulfilled, we must 
 
 cry : — 
 
 " Give me the enlarged deeire. 
 
 And open, Lord, my soul. 
 Thy own fulness to require, 
 
 And comprehend the whole. 
 Stretch my faith's capacity 
 
 Wider and yet wider still ; 
 Then, with all that is in thee, 
 My soul for ever fill." 
 If your hearts are enlarged, God must do it. The Psalm- 
 ist acknowledged this, when he said, « I will run the way of 
 thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." In 
 answer to prayer, "God gave Solomon wisdom and under- 
 standing exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the 
 sand that is on the sea shore." — 1 Kings iv. 26. Why then 
 
 should we not pray ? 
 
 " Enlarge my heart, to make thee room ; 
 
 Enter, and in me ever stay : 
 The crooked then shall straight become ; 
 
 The aaruncss aavm uv ivs 
 
 uajr. 
 
«26 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS Of CKKI3TUNS 
 
 Jabez of old " Called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh 
 that thou wouldeet bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, 
 and that tli^ne hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest 
 keep me frcn evil, that it may not grieve me ! And God 
 granted him that which he requested." — 1 Chron. iv. 10. 
 And is not Grod as willing to do these thing$ for us, as he 
 was for Jabez ? He is ; and abundantly more willing to 
 give us spiritual enlargement, than he was to enlarge the 
 coast of Jabez. Let us copy the example of that good man, 
 and cry, " Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge 
 my coast, and ♦hat thine hand may be with me, and keep me 
 from evil, that it may not grieve me," and then God's bless- 
 ing will rest upon us j our hearts will be enlarged ; Jehovah's 
 hand will be with us, and give success to our endeavours to 
 save souls ; and he will keep us from evil and sorrow. Pray, 
 then; earnestly and importunately, for enlargement. 
 
 Believe for this enlargmimt. '* Whatsoever things ye 
 desire, whe^ ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye 
 shall have. them." — Mark ii. 24. " If any of you lack wis- 
 dom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and 
 upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him. But let him ask 
 in faith, nothing wavering : for he that wavereth is like a 
 wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let 
 not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the 
 Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." — 
 James i. 5 — 8. These passages show that we must believe 
 in God for enlargement : that our faith must be unwavering ; 
 and that we must be as firm as a rock in our purpose, to 
 obtain enlargement. Make the effort. You desire and pray 
 for enlargement — believe for it, and Christ says you shall 
 receive it. Let neither men nor devils cause you to flinch 
 from your purpose to obtain enlargement ; nor any thing on 
 earth induce you :o waver in your faith. " Believe in the 
 Lord, so shall ye prosper." You have a little faith, and 
 have not, we trust, cfenied God's name. Put forth, then, the 
 little faith you have, and you will find that it will bring en- 
 largement: "God cannot deny himself: he is faithful that 
 promised." Doubt not the ability of God to enlarge your 
 hearts ; doubt not the willingness of Christ to intercede for 
 you, when you pray for enlargement ; doubt not the love of 
 the Spirit, whose office it is to enlighten, quicken, and make 
 fruitful. Fear not, only believe, and enlargement shall come 
 from the giver of every good and perfect gift. God waits to 
 
 
 Believe, 
 
fO SA^t im SAtYAttOI* 0!? SOtfLS. 
 
 227 
 
 to 
 
 i 
 
 artd thme heart shall fear and be enlarged. He has i^iven' 
 you life; he is supremely anxious to give it to you mor" 
 abundantly. " He is able to do exceeding abundantly a W 
 0^1 that we ask or think, aceo.^ing to the ?ower that Irk Jh 
 
 1 u ?■? ^''^" y^"' *''""* ^" ^°^- Dishonour him not by 
 doubts and fears Be not faithless, but believing : and aC* 
 cording to your faith it shall be done unto you. ■ 
 
 i/W% ^•5 espeeiaUy required to secure this enlargement. 
 "But the iberal deviseth liberal things: and by libera 
 things shall he stand.-^Isa. xxxii. 8. ^' There isThat scat! 
 r^n!l\r ^^* ^"creaseth ; and there is that witthholdeth 
 more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal 
 soul shall be made fat ; and he that watereth, shall be vai' 
 1« ?h ^^'"^^l^- '-Pr,?v. xi. 24, 25. - It is' more blessed ,<. 
 give than to receive' ^Acts xx. 25. These scriptures db' 
 not speak mvam If we would be enlarged in knowledge, 
 m love, m usefulness, we must be liberal with the mammon 
 of unrighteousness. God is unbounded in benevolence. Ye 
 know the liberality of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he 
 wag rich, yet for our sakes he became poor. The Holy Spirit 
 13 God s free or liberal Spirit. Unless we are liberal, God 
 Will not enlarge us. He abhorreth the covetuous. He de- 
 clai;es that the covetuous man is an idolater. God cursed 
 ancient Israel for covetuousness. Their niggardliness in his 
 worship caused him to withhold from them even the blessings 
 of providence and induced him to reprove them in thefe 
 words : Ye have sown much, and brought in little ; ye eat 
 but ye have not enough ; ye drink, but ye are not filled with 
 drink ; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that 
 earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 
 .... Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came too little ; and when 
 ye brought It home, I did blow upon it. Why ? saith the 
 l^ord ot hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye 
 run every man to his own house."— Haggai i. 6, 9. And 
 after reproving them for their niggardliness in his worship, by 
 Malachi, he says, « Bring all the tithes into the store-house, 
 that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now 
 herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if 1 will not open you the 
 windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, thatthore 
 shall not be room enough to receive it."— Mai. iii. 10. And 
 Faul says, " He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also 
 sparingly ; and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also 
 bountituily. Every man accordingly as he nnmnsnth in hJg 
 heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity : for 
 
238 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Go<1 loveth a cheerful giver."— 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7. Would you, 
 then, reap a bountiful harvest of spiritual blessings, you must 
 scatter your temporal good with a bountiful hand. The 
 money which is given to God's cause and God's poor, from 
 love to God, secures the highest interest, and produces the 
 greatest good of any money we either hoard or spend. It 
 brings enlargement here, and an increase of glory hereafter. 
 One great reason why we have so few bright and shining 
 lights in our churches, is because we have so many who are 
 too covetous to let God bless them, and make them a blessing. 
 
 And what shall we say more, to induce you to use these 
 means to your enlargement. For the sake of God's glory, 
 be ye also enlarged ; for then you will be able to bring more 
 glory to his blessed name. For Christ's sake, be ye also en- 
 larged ; for then you will be able to do much more than 
 what you are now doing, to extend the triumphs of his cross. 
 For the love of the Spirit, be ye also enlarged ; for then you 
 will bring: him more honour, by a better manifestation of his 
 graces. For the sake of your own welfare, be ye also en. 
 larged ; for your ignorance of God, your littleness of love, 
 your want of usefulness, often make you very unhappy. Be 
 ye enlarged, and there will be no more cau' for sighs, and 
 tears, and groans, on these grouuds. Fot iie sake of the 
 souls of your unconverted fellow-men, be yt Iso enlarged— 
 they are perishing ; and you have not sufHcient wisdom 
 and love to deliver tlu rn from going down to the pit. O 
 pray : — 
 
 " Come, grnciouR Lord, descend, nnd dwell 
 
 By faith and love in every heart ; 
 Then shall we know, and taste, and feel 
 
 The joye that cannot be expresa'd. 
 
 Come, fill our hearts with inward strength, 
 
 M nkc our enlarged souls possess ; 
 And learn the height, and breadth, and length, 
 
 Of thy immeasurable grace. 
 
 Now to the God, whose power can do, 
 More than our thoughts or wishes know. 
 
 Be everlasting honours done, 
 
 By all the Church, through Christ his Son." 
 
DISCOURSE XII. 
 
 INTfiRCfiSSORY PRATEa NlfiDED TO SAVE SOULS. 
 
 " The efTectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."— 
 
 James v. 16. 
 
 The subject for consideration, at this time, is intercessory 
 prayer. To intercede is to act between two parties ; to soli- 
 cit favours from cne, with whom we have influence, for a third 
 party, who lias no influance with him from whom the favours 
 needed must proceed. That it is our duty, as Christians, to 
 pray to God on behalf of our fellow-Mcn, is clearly evident 
 from the Holy Scriptures. In the epistle to the Ephesians, 
 it is written, " Praying always with all prayer and suppli- 
 cation in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseve- 
 rance, and supplicotion for all saints." — Eph. v. 18. In tho 
 first epistle to Timothy we read, *' I exhort, therefore, that, 
 first of all, supplications, prayers, intert ossions, and giving 
 of thanks bo made for all men ; For kings, and for all that 
 are in autiiority : that we may lead a quiet and peaceable 
 life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and ac- 
 ,ceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ; Who will have all 
 men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the 
 truth." — 1 Tim. ii. 1 — 4. In the context, the apostle James 
 says, " Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for 
 another, that yc may be healed. The '^ilcctual fervent pray- 
 er of a righteous man availeth much." 
 
 Before entering upon this subject, there are a few things 
 which are necessary for us ever to remember, in our ap- 
 proaches to tho throne of grace, which we shall briefly place 
 beforo you. In the first place, a righteous man is not war- 
 ranted in asking, either for himself or for others, any thing 
 which is contrary to tho revealed will of God. *• If wo ask 
 any thing according to his will, he hoarotli us ;" but if we 
 ask any thing contrary to his will, ho heareth not us : there- 
 fore, Avhen intcrceKsion is made, tlio person interoedinff muBt 
 take care to ask for those things which tho scriptures author- 
 ize liim to ask (or, 
 
 90 
 
280 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRlSTlANf 
 
 Secondly : A righteous man, when interceding for the tern 
 poral welfare of others, must regulate his intfrcessfon by' 
 Uie pnncples upon which Jehovah governs this lower world 
 God has, in past ages, worked miracles for the benefit of 
 men m answer to prayer, and he is still able to do so if ho 
 pleaseth ; but we have no right to expect that he wfl? invei? 
 U^e order of his providential dealings with men, to suit the 
 whimsica notions and conceited fancies of any man or of 
 any number of men, however high he, or they, niay sLd hi 
 tlie estimation of God, on account^f piety. The eLe ?f w" 
 pray for the recovery of a person flim sickness, or7or any 
 thing else, which appears to bo an impossibility, accordinffto 
 the usual course of things, we must present all our peSfon^ 
 for such matters in the spirit and laiguage of Christ who 
 when praying to be saved from death, tn the garden of Geth'- 
 semane, said, " Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup 
 from me : nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." ^ 
 Thirdly : A righteous man, when pleading for the salva- 
 tion of others, must bear in mind man's free agency and mora 
 accountabihty A righteous man's intercessions have pTer 
 
 fully with the sinner for whom ho pravs • mav r-xLc^ tlm 
 long suffering God to protract the sinn'e^Jlife, Hllow h Ji a 
 greater space for repentance. Yet, after all, the sinner may 
 refuse to comply with God's terms of salvation, and perish 
 through unbelief and impenitency. The following par.b e 
 forcibly Illustrates our meaning : " A certain man had a nl. 
 tree planted in Ins vineyard ; and he came and sought fruit 
 thereon, and found „o„o. Then said he unto tlio dresser ..f 
 hi^ vmeyard, Behold, those three years T come seeking fruit 
 on this fig-tree, and find none : cut it down ; why cumtercth 
 ;^ fi'-ouncl { An, he, answering, said unto him, Lord, let 
 U alone tins year also till I shall dig about it and dung it : 
 And. ft boar fruit well : and if not, then after that thou 
 Shalt cut It down."-Luke .xiii. (l-i). Tho Vine-dreJer's 
 intercession availed much with the Owner of the vinevard 
 when the tree was allowed to stand another year, and when 
 permission was given to use more means to render it fruitful • 
 but It was to bo cut down at the end of the year, if it di,| no! 
 bear fruit. And in like manner, our prayers, li.r the spiritu- 
 al good of oiir fellow-men, may be ansuered ; yet, the sinner 
 may perish through his own stubbornness and ff.JIy. 
 
 . :,"" ' " ^ "r;"''-""3 inaii snnuin niso ivmoiiiber, that. 
 
 m the present world, he sees but in part and knows but in 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 881 
 
 Tp&tt ; consequently, may not see, in all cases, the efficacy of 
 his intercessions* His fervent intercessions may be succesful 
 without his knowledge. In all probability, the day of judg- 
 ment will show, that many of the intercessions of righteous 
 men, which were supposed to fail, were fully answered. 
 Having ma<le these preliminary remarks, we shall now pro- 
 ceed to show : 
 
 t. Til at the fervent intercessions of a righteous man avail 
 much with God. 
 
 II. That there are sufficient reasons apparent why God 
 answers his intercessions. 
 
 III. That it is the imperative duty of every righteous 
 person to offer intersessions with fervency, and to persevere 
 therein, as long as he lives, with unabating ardour. 
 
 I. That the fervent intercessions of a righteous man avail 
 much with God. 
 
 This is a subject* of vast importance. The present and 
 eternal well-being of thousands and millions of our race 
 depend upon the intercessory prayers of righteous men : it 
 would, therefore, be both unwise and dangerous to enter the 
 labyrinth of conjecture, to look for evidence to convince us 
 of tlie truth of tlie proposition contained in the text. Wq 
 shall examine, first of all, the records of the Old Testament, 
 and see whether, and to what extent, the intercessions of 
 righteous men, who lived before the gospel era, prevailed 
 with God. 
 
 The first intercessory prayer recorded in the Old Testa- 
 mcnt is that of Abraham s, for the preservation of the cities 
 of the plain. Sodom, Gomorrah, Admnh, Zeboim, and 
 Zoar had become so wicki^l, that God dotermined to destroy 
 them with fire and brimstone from heaven. The piety of 
 Abraham caused .fehovah to reveal his jiurposo to that vener- 
 able patriarch ; who, immediatoly after hearing God's inten- 
 tion, bogaii to intercede with God, and used on the occasion 
 the following words : '• And Abrahajn drew near, and said, 
 Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ? Per- 
 adveiUure there be fifty righteous within the city : wilt thou 
 also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that 
 ore therein ? That bo fur from then to do after this noaimor, 
 to BiaV tne rightoour* with the wiukud ; und tlmt the righteous 
 should bo as the wicked, that bo far from thee : Shall not the 
 
232 
 
 THE •fitlCATIOWS OP CVKimiffS 
 
 judge of all the earth do richt ? AnH ^k^ t j • j t,. r 
 in Sodom flAy righteous wlhn tKw ^^^ J^o'"^ ^^id, If I find 
 the place for thefr sakes A^ 4^'^ '^'" ^ """^ '^'''^ «» 
 Behold no^., I have taien „^^^ 
 
 which am bit duTaJTZ.F^ 1 *^ "P^"'' ""'« ^^^ J^'^ 
 five of the fifty Ih^^^^^^^ »here shall lack 
 
 the lack of fiv7? tnd he"saTf mUnUH^ f ^'^ ^'^^ ^-• 
 I will not destroy it Anr^ S ' i "'' ^.^'^ ^"^"y '^"^ ^ve, 
 
 said, PeradveZet'herl shall rfoL"^ ''" J^^ ^"^'"' ^"^ 
 said, I will not destroyTt foffo^yt ^k^ Anrh ' ^"' '^^ 
 him, 0h let not the Lord be aZZ n^ii ..n""^ ^1 '^'i. ""^« 
 
 Pcradrcmure ten shall bo fZ-i vL'^"'!' ^f,^"' "? f """^ = 
 not destroy it for ten's sake A „^.f r ^"l'^ ''° ""'<•' ' ""' 
 soon as l.o^mdTerZmunm. wUh A,,^-','''' """' ''KT^' °= 
 went unto his pl«oe."!Ton Ivffi as ,3 %?"'' ^''™'!"'" 
 
 Cfod was bent upon destrnvinrr th^ ..;♦• e\l^ ,. ^"^^S'^ 
 would have snarid them Tf o^n v tl • n '''" l^^^"^' ^^'^ ^^ 
 
 upon the Sodomites: henrp wn n»« ;..r > .""-'^'"'le 
 
 chnnfrr- " An<l ?* " mformcd, m tho lUth 
 
 was saved, in answer to the intersesicr; paVcW IbJ:!.^.^! 
 J\ have another remarkable instance of the power of in 
 torcoHsory prayer, roconled in the 32„d chapter^f tho iZk 
 of Exodus Mosos being in the mount with £ for a iZ 
 or period than the impatient Israelite, tho.w^hr niL^lV^!!^; 
 peopio gathered together, and caused AarSn "to makni eni"a 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS 
 
 233 
 
 I, If I find 
 I spare all 
 i and Paid, 
 the Loid, 
 shall lact 
 3 city for 
 and five^ 
 ?ain, and 
 And he 
 said unto 
 : Perad- 
 e 'aid, I 
 , Behold 
 : Perad- 
 3 said, I 
 ;, Oh let 
 is once : 
 1, I will 
 way, as 
 ■braham 
 ove is a 
 Though 
 yot, he 
 ons had 
 •rah am. 
 1 by his 
 pected* 
 Ill's in- 
 upremo 
 •tl with 
 rnhajTic 
 in the 
 1 came 
 J<' lUtii 
 cd the 
 id sent 
 rtJirow 
 at Lot 
 uham. 
 
 of in, 
 5 book 
 lonij. 
 >', tho 
 lem a 
 
 golden calf, which they wor?hipped as the God that brought 
 them up out of the land of Egypt. Jehovah's wrath was 
 kindled at this daring impiety ; and he said to Moses, '* Now, 
 therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against 
 them, and that I may consume them : and I will make of 
 thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, 
 and said. Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy 
 people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, 
 with great power, and with a mighty hand ? Wherefore 
 should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he 
 bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume 
 them from the face of the earth ? Turn from thy fierce 
 wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants, to whom ihou swar- 
 est by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply 
 your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have 
 spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it 
 for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought 
 to do unto his people." — verses 10—14. Here a whole na- 
 tion is saved from instant destruction by the intercession of 
 one rigliteous man. There are found other intercessory 
 prayers of Moses, the man of God, in the 14th, 16th, and 
 31st cliapters of the book of Numbers, which you would do 
 well to consult. 
 
 In the verse following the text, the apostle refers to a re- 
 markable instance of the power of intercessory prayer. He 
 says, " Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, 
 and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain : and it rained 
 not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 
 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave ri.in, and the earth 
 brought fortli her fruit." The prayers of Elijah, on these 
 occasions, are not recorded in the Old Testament; but the 
 circumstances to which the u|)ostle alludes are recorded at 
 large in the 17th and 18th chapters of the first book of Kings. 
 
 In reference to tho huoccss of itjtercessory prayer for indi- 
 viduals, y^u may consult the 12th chapter of Num'bors, whore 
 Miriam is recovered from leprosy, at the intercession of 
 Moses : tho 17th ciiapter of first of Kings, where is given the 
 narrative of the restoration of tho widow's son to life, at the 
 intercession ot Elijah : tlio 4th of the second of Kings, where 
 you will find an interesting account of tho restoration of the 
 Shunamite's son, through the prayers of Elisha: tho 42d 
 i^najncr ui liic; uooK ui joD, Wiit'Tt! iLiiipiiit/, tmii his two friends 
 are directed to ofler up for themselves a burnt-offering, and get 
 
234 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRI3TTAWS 
 
 Job to pray for them, so that they may escape the wrath of 
 God which they had incurred, by not%peaking of h m the 
 thmg that was right, as his serrant Job had. These Tre a 
 tl?^'u- J'^'"" ^'■°'" '^' '"^"y ^««°rded in the Oid Testa 
 ayerl of rK'' '" ' ^^"^^".^^^ation, that the intercessory 
 
 S Witt Sfd '"' •"'"' P'^'^^"' '^ ^^^ ^^^P^^ '''' -^-il«^ 
 
 That the intercessions of righteous men, under the ctosnol 
 ^ ispensation, avail as much with God as the prayer of ^pafri 
 
 ovioent from the extensive grant which Christ has shen to nJJ 
 
 Dm{e tr' • ?^ t ^'''''''' «^"^^^^ "^ '^'Srant 'wl^ 
 p.ove the point under consideration, from examples recorded 
 in the New Testament, of the power of intercessory prayer 
 nplT *^^'^!l?^!"^tion of the ^ran^ ^nd promise of Christ to his 
 
 cl S'r "of John "P^^ '"f"'"i ''^ ^"' P"^P-- I" thV imh 
 " r/lo kV • ^ ^°'P/^' ""^ *^^ '^t^ v'^rse, we read thus • 
 
 wrat'ye wm "nd^;'?'l!T T^' ^'^'^ ^" >'^"' >- ^^^^ "'^ 
 ;vnat >e a^i 1, and it shall be done unto you." Thi'; nassarrn 
 
 piessea, a grant made, and a promise given. Christ herp 
 
 tCr^''^";.'".-^" rP^^' alLwingtLmtoadrfor S 
 hey please with h.s solemn assurance that they shall recei^^ 
 it. Some think that there is danger, great danger of Christ's 
 g ant being abused : that some will take advantage of i to 
 mk for improper things ; but there is little danger of this 
 To whom IS the grant made, but to the r^us B^nS intelligent 
 people of Christ. « If," says Jesus, - yu abide n me and 
 my words abide in you, ye shall ask Uat ye will :" the' per 
 sons therefore, to whom this grant is made must be pious 
 for they must abide in Christ. If a man abides in Chi^rhe 
 must be a partaker of the Spirit of Christ. Union witl Jesus 
 Ks not only essential to piety, but it is piety itself • for 'if 
 .uiyman be in Christ, he is a now creWe: oMI ^n^ are 
 passed away; behold, all things are become new. "-2"Cor 
 L in/^ii' . P^'^'";f ^° ^''''"' *^'*'' S«'«nt is mad-^ i-.ust also 
 m hem ^^'? ; '' "^''^^ P'°"! ' for Christ's words nusi abide 
 n them . H,s words must bo known, understood, believed 
 
 \Zl: rr"^' ,^ '' "^^ *"^°'^"' for us to be united with 
 • esas, to have all our prayers answered. His word mtist 
 ^^^vell in us richly in all wisdom, or we have no riXt toTx 
 
 hiVl!r:;)!i^^iL"^"f ^.V"»«l''r"t. in the highest and 
 " "^'^- ■"" "'^ '^""' for tney wiii know God and his Soa 
 
TO SEEK THB SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 235 
 
 Jesus Christ : and therefore it follows, as a necessary result, 
 that such a man will never ask any thing contrary to the ill 
 of God, to the mind of Christ. A pious, intelligent man can 
 never ask God, in the name of Christ, for any thing that it 
 would be wrong for God to give. The word of Christ teaches 
 him what to pray for, and what to expect. When such a 
 man, therefore, offers intercessions for others, they will, they 
 must be in accordance with God's will ; and consequently 
 he has a full warrant in the above-mentioned grant to expeol 
 that they will avail much with God. " Ye shall ask what 
 ye will, and it shall be done." While the nature, character, 
 and word of God remain unchangeable, the intercessions of 
 righteous men will avail much with him. Though some 
 half informed, half sceptical professors may decry intercessory 
 prayer ; yet, every intelligent, pious, decided Christian will 
 believe in its efficacy, and heartily engage in its exercise. 
 And '* If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful : he cannot 
 deny himself." — 2 Tim. ii. 13. While Jehovah abideth 
 faithful to his promises, and faithful to his Son, the effectual 
 fervent prayer of a righteous man will avail much. 
 
 That the intercessions of righteous men avail much with 
 God, is abundantly evident yrom the answers to prayer which 
 have hem frequently given to the saints in modern times. 
 Without exposing ourselves to the charge of fanaticism, we 
 may affirm, that there are few, very few Christians, we 
 might say there are none, who have attended rightly to the 
 duty of intercessory prayer, but have received indubitable 
 evidences of its efficacy — of its mighty power v/ith God. 
 That which we have seen, and heard, and read, declare we 
 unto you. We have of\en witnessed the power of the inter- 
 cessions of righteous men ; we have often seen the dark, the 
 impure, the stiffnccked, and hard-hearted sinner fall beneath 
 their power; and heard him cry, " God be merciful to me a 
 sinner! Lord Jesus, save me: I perish!" and through the 
 intercessions of righteous nen, we heard the same sinners 
 afterwards cry, " O Lord, I will praise thee : though 
 thou wjxst angry witli me, thine anger is turned away, and 
 thou comfortest me:" Insti.ncos of this kind were not un- 
 common in the days of the apostles ; nor have th^y been un- 
 frequent in Great Britian and America, since the days of 
 the Wosleys, and of George Whitfield. If you search the 
 annals Oi" Methodism, or of anvChristiaa church where Christ 
 has l)oen preached, and where both ministers and people iiavo 
 discharged aright the duty of iiitercessory prayer, you will 
 
(I 
 
 236 
 
 THE OBLIGATIOKS OP CHRISTUM3 
 
 find almost innumerable proofs of thp truth r.f iU^ • • 
 
 stated in tho tf^xt ■ o»^ T ^V? *^"*" of the proposition 
 
 moch with God. How frZonSv k U » *""'"f f"™'' 
 
 these blessed effects; and he evideX nroHn '^)?[ ^'^^""^^^ 
 remenih^r iUn* tu^ ■ ^ "* "«gi^aier, yet, we must ever 
 
 God has answered and whil "' """"""^ ''>' "'" '""g"*. 
 heard. "The eyes' oTio^t/"" ""^ ,»PeaWng, he haa 
 his ears are o;e/to their pray^ra."" °'" "'" "^l-eoua, and 
 Consider, 
 
 beT4td' WeSt'treffi,!;".^ '^"^""^ "-'«'' ™«'« 
 
 •0 those for whom w°* i"""'- t.'."'^'"''"^ P^y' "nites u, 
 " " ' "' ' " •^'^"'scs us 10 syiiipaihize with 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOITLS. 
 
 4m 
 
 proposition 
 complaints 
 stentorian 
 i to con- 
 US prevail 
 the case, 
 ners with 
 prays for 
 there is a 
 ids of the 
 fill them 
 brethren, 
 ssed even 
 produces 
 sm in an. 
 jre, their 
 ilthough, 
 interces- 
 lust ever 
 man will 
 ous man 
 Some of 
 the suc- 
 delight- 
 families, 
 your in- 
 — when 
 tongue, 
 , he has 
 >us, and 
 
 vhy t\\e 
 
 I might 
 
 rai/ers, 
 ?hovah 
 ourag. 
 be an 
 ites us 
 e with 
 
 them, to love them, to do them all the good that lies in our power. 
 It is impossible not to feel for those whom we bear upon our 
 hearts at the throne of grace. It is impossible for us to hato 
 and injure those who are tlie subjects of our constant inter- 
 cessions. Christ's command to all his people is : " Love your 
 enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate 
 you :" this will be hard work without prayer ; and therefore 
 he adds, "and pray for them wliich despitefuUy use you, 
 and persecute you." We may feed our enemy when hun- 
 gry, give him drink when thirsty, clothe him when naked, 
 and help him in every way, should he need our help, and yot 
 not love him ; but we cannot long pray for him without lov- 
 ing him. If malice exists in the heart, when we begin to 
 pray for him, prayer soon changes that malice into love. In- 
 tecessory prayer prevents broils in families, and dissensions 
 in churches ; inasmuch as it causes us both to bear and for- 
 bear with those for whom we intercede. If strife has been 
 pro'iuced, either in families or churches, nothing will stop it 
 sooner than intercessory prayer. We have read of a good 
 man wiio, when parties came to him with malice in their 
 hearts, and anger in their looks, for the purpose of differing 
 with him, would, at the first, propose to pray about the matter ; 
 and when this was done, he would then ask them what they 
 had against him ; and the answer often has been, •' Oh, noth- 
 ing particular ; I will say no more about it." The best way 
 to kill an enemy, is to pray him to death. This weapon 
 never fails. We are commanded to •' Let brotherly love 
 continue ;" and, certain we are, that frequent intercession for 
 the saints, is the best conservator of brotherly love in the 
 wide world. We are commanded, as we have opportunity, 
 to do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the 
 household of fiiith ; and what greater good can we do them 
 than frequently and fervently praying for them ? As one 
 of the old divines justly observes, " By other acts, of charity 
 wo give them a little out of our own substance ; but by effec- 
 tual fervent intercession we open for them God's treasury.'* 
 A poor saint may do more for his fellow-man, by intercessory 
 prayer, than a rich man could do for him with thousands of 
 gold and silver. As intercessory prayer, therefore, fosters 
 the spirit of peace, of Imrmony, of lovs ; as it unites us to 
 those for whom wo pray in indisoluble bonds ; as it does so 
 much good to our follows, God, who takes the highest plea- 
 sure in beholding these things, hoars and answers our inter, 
 cessions, to encourage us in the discharge of Uiis bieased 
 duty. 
 
&38 
 
 rHE OfiLlOATlON* OF CHEISTunS 
 
 I 
 
 i! 
 
 II 
 
 because he suffeL gre™/ ca LIT ^ "■"^hypocrisy, 
 vindicated the character of hLn^L. ^°'"' """^ '"»'' God 
 ifested ,„ those v7ry friends hU ?"^^^ ^"T ''<'''■ »"'' ™"- 
 venerable patriarch of it *"', W"''"'''" °f the piety of the 
 Lord had sMenThese words ,^, . 'k T ?^ ' """■ "'''^''''e 
 Pha^ the l^raanite Vwrl h" °I^,?,''J ,1^; ^°^^ ^^^ '» El. 
 against thy two friends • for,,, i '"•""<'« agamst thee, and 
 
 ■hing that^s righ.,'Ts*n,/lrra„ S ^1,^^ °'f ™ '^ 
 unto you now spvpn KmIi i '^""'; •"^^ "at"' -inerefore take 
 
 servant Jo^ and otfer un fL' ?^ ?'"" ?"^' ^"^ g° ^^ "^7 
 my servant' Job shall p^ Tr^ot^" "l"'"';"^^^^ ^"^ 
 lest I deal with you afte, vonVfJ ' \' ^"^ ^ ^"^ ^^^ept: 
 «n of me the thCwtchCih^ '^^' ^"^""^ "°^«p'j^- 
 Eliphaz the TemLTtP nn ? r^^ ' ''^^ 'S^^ "^'"^^"^ Job. "^So 
 
 the Naanmthite Ten^nS dfd ^"^ r®^"^^'"' '"^ ^^P^" 
 inanded' them : he JLord also a^'T^rr^. ^' '^'' ^"""^ «°"»* 
 turned the captivity oTjoh Ih^^T'^ •^°^; . ^"^ ^he Lord 
 also the Lord gave Job twi^p he prayed for his friends ; 
 
 Job xlii. 7-10 H.Voi I ^' T""^ "« he had before."— 
 
 -d .integlit/of Job "and ofTh: "V"f °' '''' ^— - 
 placed upon his piety ffis thrl^'f^"^^', "^•"" ^^ich Jehovah 
 
 question'the gen'u£ess^:/h r pfr'^f^MhT"^' ^ 
 Testation of God's apnrobatfnn H •^' . ^'^n&l mani. 
 
 his prayers alone can nrev.^t f^^ ^^ ^^f «Pt?d of God ; and 
 from falling upon them/ '^" '"'^'^^ ^^ *'>^ ^ost High 
 
 The>t";Lreiv\"4reT:^^^ ^"^^^"^ *° ^^-^^ «o^- 
 
 through evil renorf «7 , n ^ ^t^"" '''°''' '^"^ follow Jesus 
 count^ll th ngsTu loss ZrV' '^'T^ ^^^^ ^^P^^^ '-^hey 
 of Christ Jesus thei T'ord ' V '^n^^ '^'^ knowledge 
 need be, the loss of aM 1 1' k^/!*' ""'"'"^ ^^ «"ffer> ^f 
 they confess hat thev Ire ^m- '^''^ T^ ^^^" Christ - 
 
 earth .-they del aTeUercort?^ ^'^'"^ ^" ^^« 
 
 wherefore God io n^f n k ^"""t'^y. that is an heaven y ;— 
 
 hath prepareS^fo^Siera^,^^^ ''rrf'^' \''' ««^ •• ^- he 
 listen to their imercessiol J^h n ' '^''"«, ^^^ ^'*«^' ^^^^ ^^i" 
 for others, in orTr to e^ n ' ?f T\^''^- '^''"^ ^^hat they ask 
 " The sacriJe of the SJ' t ^^\''''"'"''°"°^'h^ 
 but the prayer of the u^r At i^M ^"^"'1:'""'^ ^° '^^ Lord ; 
 wicked is an abominttr fo !• f L ^ ?^*; - The way of the 
 
 n „iv i.uiu i um ne ioveth him that 
 
TO SfiEK TltB SALtAttdlf Of SOtTLS. 
 
 S39 
 
 iteaus merii 
 a striking 
 friends of 
 hypocrisy, 
 how God 
 and man- 
 iety of the 
 , after the 
 lid to Eh 
 thee, and 
 »f me the 
 jfore take 
 go to my 
 ring, and 
 I accept: 
 not spok- 
 Job. So 
 i Zophar 
 ord com* 
 the Lord 
 friends ; 
 fore."-^ 
 mocence 
 Jehovah 
 longer 
 al mani. 
 »d; and 
 'St High 
 
 y God. 
 iV Jesus 
 ;— they 
 >wledge 
 ffer, if 
 rist ; — 
 on the 
 Illy ;— . 
 for he 
 od will 
 ey ask 
 • piety. 
 Lord; 
 of the 
 mthat 
 
 foUoweth after righteousness." — Prov. xv. 8 — '9. When 
 God defuses the sacrifice of the wicked, and answers the in- 
 tercessions of the saints, he gives manifest proof of his detes- 
 tation of sin, and his approval of holiness. He shows to all 
 that his favours are bestowed upon the pious ; and, that, if 
 men would have his blessing, which maketh rich and addeth 
 no sorrow, they must renounce sin, and follow peace, truth, 
 and holiness. 
 
 Jehovah answers the intercessions of righteous men, to put 
 honour upon their faith in him. Without faith it is impossible 
 to please God. Prayer without faith will never be answered. 
 Grod has commanded righteous men to make intercessions for 
 all men ; and he has promised to grant them what they pray 
 for : therefore, tney believe that their intercessions will pre- 
 vail with God, for* the benefit of those for whom they inter- 
 cede. Instead of doubting God's word, they exercise firm 
 faith in his promises, and attend to intercessory prayer, with 
 the full assurance that they will avail much. If we tumour 
 attention to the biographies of modern saints, we at once dis- 
 cover, that the intercessions of those men who have been 
 most like Abraham — strong in faith, giving glory to God — 
 have been most successful. We might instance Bramwell, 
 John Smith, Carvosso, and Ralph Waller. These were all 
 men of strong faith ; their intercessions were mighty ; and 
 by them the convincing, converting, sanctifying grace of God 
 was brought upon hundreds of immortal souls. These men 
 did not excel their fellows, of the same class, in intellectual 
 power; but they excelled in strength of faith, and in mighty 
 intercession ; and, therefore, God honoured them with more 
 abundant success in saving souls, than he has done those who, 
 with greater grasp of thought, have lacked the strength of 
 faith, and the mighty intercession which they possessed. The 
 reasons of this are obvious. God is a jealous God ; he is 
 jealous of his honour. When the veracity of his word is 
 doubted, or questioned, his honour is impeached. Unbelief 
 casts an injurious reflection upon the perfectiors of Jehovah's 
 nature. It denies his wisdom, his power, hi^ truth, his jus- 
 tice, his holiness, his goodness, his faithfuiness. Unbelief 
 charges God with folly, with weakness, with falsehood, with 
 injustice, with impurity, with cruelty, and with infidelity. 
 Unbelief is the master sin : there is none equal to it in the 
 whole catalogue of sins. It is the root of all the sins which 
 
 ^Kf^^wAMA Vki*vy«nr\itvr inaiilf fliA drxAVxehaA onrl rlrnwn ITlPn 1Q 
 
 perdition. God, therefore, cannot answer the prayer of un* 
 
240 
 
 tafi OBLIGATIONS OP CHSlStlANS 
 
 I 
 
 E! IS 
 
 belief; were he to do so, he would deny himself. But by- 
 faith all the perfections of God's nature are honoured. Faith> 
 strong faith recognizes the infinite wisdom, the almighty 
 power, the inviolable truth, the inflexible justice, the immac- 
 ulate holiness, the boundless goodness, and the immutable 
 faithfulness of the blessed God. And when (xod is honoured 
 by our implicit confidence, then he will honour us, by answer, 
 ing our intercessions, and bestowing upon others the good 
 things we have asked for them. " Them that honour me, I 
 will honour." This is the principle of Jehovah's govern, 
 ment, and the rule of his procedure with the saints. The 
 more we know God by faith, the more he will honour us, by 
 the greater blessings he will bestow, in answer to our inter, 
 cessions. Had we a stronger faith in God, we should be far 
 more successful in our intercessions ; far more sinners would be 
 convicted, converted, and sanctified, through our intercessions, 
 than what now are. We do not avail much with God, by 
 our intercessions for the salvation of sinners, because of our 
 unbelief.' If we would be honoured, greatly honoured by 
 having many souls saved, through our agency, we must learn 
 to "ask in faith, ''^♦hing wavering;" for such is the interces- 
 sion which avo^^.^ much with God, and such is the faith that 
 he will honour. Those who exercise strong faith in God, 
 when interceding for the salvation of men, will not be con- 
 founded by having their expectations cut off. 
 
 The Lord answers the intercessions of righteous men to mag- 
 nify the office thev Jill. Righteous men fill, in this world, a 
 very important office. They are a Royal Priesthood. We 
 entirely and firmly believe that there is now no priesthood, 
 either in heaven or in earth, in the strict and proper sense of 
 the term, but that of our Lord Jesus Christ; yet, in a figura- 
 live and accommodated sense, the children of God are fre- 
 quently called priests in the New Testament. As the priests, 
 under the Old Testament dispensation, were washed with 
 \yater and anointed with oil ; as they had blood applied to the 
 right ear, to the thumb of the right hand, and to the toe of the 
 right foot, when they were put into the priest's office ; even 
 so, we are not priests unto God until our iniquity is purged 
 away._ All who are priests unto God, under the gospel dig. 
 pensation, have been washed by the washing of regeneration ; 
 have been renewed with the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; 
 have received the unction of the Holy One : that unction 
 which makes a man walk erect in the atmosphere of piety, 
 carrying along with him, wherever he goes, the fragrance of 
 
. But by 
 1. Faith, 
 almighty 
 le immac* 
 mrnutable 
 honoured 
 J answer* 
 the good 
 our me, I 
 5 govern. 
 Its. The 
 ur us, by 
 Dur inter, 
 ild be far 
 would be 
 [•cessions, 
 God, by 
 se of our 
 mred by 
 ust learn 
 interces- 
 faith that 
 I in God, 
 t be con- 
 
 % to mag- 
 world, a 
 )d. We 
 iesthood, 
 sense of 
 a figura- 
 are fre- 
 3 priests, 
 ed with 
 5d to the 
 oe of the 
 e ; even 
 1 purged 
 spel dis- 
 eration ; 
 Ghost ; 
 unction 
 if piety, 
 ranee of 
 
 To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 241 
 
 the fruits, of the Divine Spirit. All who are priests unto God 
 have been sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, which 
 speaketh better things than the blood of Abel ; and which is 
 far more efficacious in removing guilt, than all the blood of 
 beasts which was poured on the Jewish altar. *' For, if the 
 blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer 
 sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the 
 flesh : Ijow much more shall the blood of Christ, who through 
 the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge 
 your conscience from dead works to servo the living God ?" 
 — Heb. ix^ 13, 14. " And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
 cleanseth us from all sin." This precious blood has been 
 sprinkled upon the hearts of all who are now priests unto 
 God ; for, by tiiis blood we are made both kings and priests 
 unto God : hence, it is written, " Unto him that hath loved us, 
 and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made 
 us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be 
 glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." — Rev. i. 
 5, 6. When Aaron was purified, and the priestly robes were 
 put upon him, it was his duty to offer sacrifices and make in- 
 tercession for the people ; and, in like manner, it is the duty 
 of the people of God, under the gospel dispensation, to dis- 
 charge the functions of priests, by presenting in their prayers, 
 before the throne of grace, the perfect and perpetual sacrifice 
 of Christ ; and pleading with God for the present and eternal 
 salvation of their fellow-creatures, on the ground of the sac- 
 rifice of Jesus. Oh ! the blessedness of being priests unto 
 God. This honour have all the saints under the New Testa- 
 ment dispensation. This was not the case under the Leviti- 
 cal economy. Alluding to the Aaronio priesthood, Paul says, 
 " And no man taketh this honour unto himself, bnt he that is 
 called of God as was Aaron." — Heb. v. 4. But in the 
 priesthood under the New Testament dispensation, there is 
 neither male nor female, bond nor free, high nor low — we 
 have all one office ; for, of the whole community of Chris- 
 tians, it is said, "Ye are a royal priesthood." This fact 
 Peter places beyond all doubt, all controversy, in the second 
 chapter of his first epistle. Hear his words: "Ye also, as 
 lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, 
 to oifer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus 
 
 Christ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal, priest - 
 
 hood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that you should 
 show forth the praises of him who hath called you otitof dark- 
 ness into his m 
 
 i 
 
 frkl !>-» 
 
 'J iix«i T^Ji\/u 
 
 i:«K* . \iri,;_u 
 
 o "gssv . VT niuii in iiiuv payi «efo not 
 
 21 
 
I m 
 
 «12 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRlgTIAJfSf 
 
 II'! 
 
 i> 
 
 a people, but are now the people of God : which Imd not oh- 
 tamed mercy, but now have obtained mercv."-— verses 5 and 
 9. If, then, all Christians are priests unto God, it is their 
 duty to offer up intercessions, supplications, prayers, and 
 thanksgivmgs for all men. And as God magnified the Aaron- 
 ic priesthood, by giving answers to the priest, who wore the 
 trim and Thummim ; even so does God magnify the office 
 ot righteous men, by answering their effectual fervent inter- 
 cessions. 
 
 The Ahmghly God answers the intercessions of rishteous 
 men, to make them happy. Righteous men are often very mis- 
 erable, because God is dishonoured in his own world, by his 
 own creatures ; because Christ is rejected by those whom ho 
 has purchased with his own blood; because the Spirit is in- 
 suited and grieved by those whom he strives to save from 
 endless WOP. "' 
 because men 
 find i)opr, lost 
 
 Ihey mourn bitterly when they see men doin^r despite to the 
 Spirit of grace. And well tiioy may ; for to the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost are ri^rJucous men indebted for all thev are 
 and for all they hope to be. JJut this is not all. Righteous 
 men see their fellow-creatures sunk in oujlt, depravity, degra- 
 dation, and misery ; they behold thein going down to the pit 
 with rnp3<l strides; they know, that in a short while, they 
 will 1)0 the companions of the devil and his angels— sutTerini 
 with them tlie vengeance of eternal wrath j and, lience, they 
 are very unhappy on their recount. J.>liovah feels lor tlvenj • 
 and, therefore, wlien they come to his throne, and make 
 known to him tlieir feelin^'rs, he relieves their misery, by 
 answering their intercessions. Besides, the effectual fervent 
 prayer of a rig' tjueous man is often accompanied with much 
 paiiK The (hms ?■ youfxfvr], of the righteous man, seems 
 to (.enote the inspired prayer, or th.- prayer wrought in 
 liim by the operation .a- energy of the Holy Spirit. Paul 
 al?o aludes to this, when ho says, " Likewise tho Spirit also 
 hel|)etli our infirmities : for we know not what to pray for as 
 we ought ; but the Spirit himself maketh intereesHion for us 
 with groaningg^ which cannot be uttered. "—Rom. viii. 2(1. 
 The Spirit of God often gives righteous men such views of the 
 wickedness un<l t!ie danger of sinnei-M, that thov become so 
 wretched, have sucli jiownrful uirQuies. th»4 tls^v ' 
 God did not answer' thoir intercessions. ' The Rev. 
 Smith once said to a colleague, while the tears streamed 
 
 -TT-.-Ji-U \tXXZ ll 
 
 .1^' 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 243 
 
 had not ob. 
 jrses 5 and 
 i, it is their 
 ayers, and 
 the Aaron. 
 
 wore the 
 y the office 
 rvent inter- 
 
 ^ righteous 
 n very mis- 
 >rld, by his 
 3 whom lio 
 Spirit is in. 
 .save from 
 their eyes, 
 when they 
 of Christ, 
 spite to the 
 uher, Son, 
 II they are 
 Righteous 
 ity, flegra. 
 
 1 to the pit 
 vhile, they 
 -sutToring 
 ence, they 
 
 I for tlvenj ; 
 and make 
 misery, bv 
 iftl fervent 
 vith much 
 *n, seems 
 rought in 
 rit. Puui 
 Spirit also 
 ray for rr 
 ion for us 
 viii. 20. 
 ?ws of the 
 )ocnmo so 
 
 TU.1-JI titc i: 
 
 Lev. John 
 nod down 
 
 his cheeks, " I am a broken-hearted man : I shall die if souls 
 are not saved." Now, it would be positive cruelty in God 
 not to answer the groanlngs which hid own Spirit inspires, 
 and not to relieve the burdened heart upon which his own 
 Spirit has placed the burden of souls. Those who pray thus, 
 in the Holy Ghost, may have weeping for a night ; but God 
 will send tiiem joy in the morning. He hears their groan, 
 ings ; he knows what is the mind of the Spirit who has pro- 
 <luced them ; and lie will answer those mighty intercessions, 
 in the salvation of souls, to the unspeakable joy of the man 
 who has groanings too big for utterance. God delights in the 
 happinos of righteous men ; und though tliDy are vexed, from 
 day to day, by the filthy conversation the wicked ; though 
 they are in ngony at times, when pra; i' for their salvation ; 
 yet, as these sufferings abound, so does God make the conso- 
 lations abound. He will never sulfer the prayer of righte- 
 ous men to go unanswered, lest he should mako them con- 
 tflantly miserable. 
 
 God rtif^ards and answers the intercessions of righteous men, 
 to gratify his own benevolence. God is love. He loves all the 
 human race. " Grod so loved the world that he gave his only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believcth in him should not per- 
 ish, but have everlasting life." He has sent his Spirit to 
 '• reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judg- 
 inent." He has given his word for the benefit of all mankind. 
 He has commanded the gospel to be preached to every crea- 
 ture. He has enjoined u[K)n his people the duty of making 
 intercession for all men. God has done all this, because he 
 loves our race, und is not willing that any should perish, but 
 that all should come to repentance. When, therefore, righte- 
 ous men intercede for thn present and futurt) welfare of any 
 man, or any number of men, they are only pleading for that 
 which it is God's good pleasure to give. Ills own heart being 
 already, by his own benevolence, disjwsed to bestow favours 
 upon men, he cannot withhold them when he hears the in- 
 wrought, fervent prayers of his people, presented in the nmna 
 of his well-beloved Son, for the salvatiou of the lost. VVo 
 may rest assured, from the well known character of God's 
 benevolence, that the intercessions of righteous men will avail 
 so much with him, as to cause him to give every ble»»Hing 
 they ask to those siimers for whom they intercede ; proviiiing 
 
 ijc i:,r,ti 
 
 dfs fjf 
 
 ; ~t-iiii<nii iiiiuaiiiu 
 
 'J' 
 
 iUt uVrftUfi 
 
 ing the e.'»tablished order of his government, and without de- 
 stroying man's fr»!e agency and \\\ot\x\ accountability. These 
 
244 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF ClimSTlATHS 
 
 ^f 
 
 :|l 
 
 fi -r 
 
 leasons are, we think, quite sufficient to show why Jehovah 
 condescends to answer the intercessions ot^ ri^rhte^ous men 
 He does so to encourage them to discharge Ihis duty o 
 
 ir;t th" to'C""'? t^.'^^^^^P-^y. t^ put honoi7upon 
 
 nnH fn -V K- '^"'^?^ ^^'"' °^^°' ^^ make thorn happy . 
 and to gratify his own benevolence. ' 1 1^ r 
 
 Consider, 
 
 III. That it is the imperative duty of every riffhtenn* 
 person to offer intercessions' with fervency, and ^ Z^^HZ 
 therein, as long as he hves, with unbating ardour! P^'"^^"'^ 
 
 From what has been already stated, it is evident, that nVht- 
 ous men have much influence at the throne of graJe-miffhtv 
 power with God That it is their imperative dSty to u^ theh^ 
 power with God, for the benefit of others, will appeal rvideut 
 iroin the following considerations : ^ ^ tjviuem 
 
 The oommon ties of kumanity demand this mtich from even, 
 Umsuan The misanthrope is the greatest monster tha^ 
 treads the face of the earth. The liSa that prowls in the 
 desert huntmg Ibr blood, and the tiger that pouEip^x his 
 prey from the concealment of the thick.t, aie not to be com- 
 
 I ared with that ferocious being, in human shape, who hatTs 
 mankind in the bulk, or who oherishea malice and hatred in 
 h.s heart toward any human being. Such an individual may 
 be more justly compared to the devil, than to any beincr that 
 belongs to the world in which wt) .Iwell. The-|anguaLre of 
 inspiration IS, "Love thy neighbour as thyself Honour all 
 lueu. U we strip men of all adventitious appendages, they 
 are the same. If we take away the mere internal di^tinc^ 
 tmiis, w aeh characterize .litfereat men, and l.,nk at mankinJ 
 
 II the abstract, a . are on a level. Man is the same, whether 
 1'^ sits upon a throne or upon a dunghill; whether he bo 
 
 found n rich man or a bo^ggar. All men are children of one 
 Almighty I'uther, made originally in his image. Wo have 
 but to trnco the lowest outcast back to his father, and to his 
 ntlier « a hnr, and from one generation to another, and at last 
 Nvo sliall \wA his progenitor in the first man. The most out, 
 cast, ruined, degraded, unhappy man, is the son of Adam, 
 and Adam was the son of God. AH mankind have sprun« 
 Irom this root ; and though the original likeness of God ia 
 
 bright original. "* 
 
to SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS 
 
 245 
 
 y Jehovah 
 Bous men. 
 i duty ; to 
 noiir upon 
 m happy ; 
 
 righteous 
 persevere 
 
 hat rif»ht. 
 —mighty 
 use their 
 r evident 
 
 ''om every 
 ister that 
 vh in tho 
 upon his 
 ) be com- 
 ■'ho hates 
 hatred in 
 lual may 
 sing that 
 guugo of 
 nour all 
 ?es, they 
 I distinc- 
 nankind 
 wliether 
 cr he bo 
 1 of one 
 Ve havo 
 id to hifj 
 id nt last 
 lost OUU 
 Adam, 
 uprung 
 (jod is 
 3 of tii« 
 
 Bes! les, God has made o( one blood all the families that 
 dwell upon the face of the earth. Through change of cli- 
 mate, situation, and other cirumstanoes, there may be diver, 
 sities in the colour of the skin and in the tastes and habits of 
 men ; some, also, may be stupid, and others intellectual ; 
 some miy be civilized, others may be savage ; yet, one com- 
 mon blood (lows in all their veins. Open the vein of the poor 
 slave that groans beneath his galling chains, and that smarts 
 beneath the rod of his brutal task-master, and you will find 
 in his veins blood the same as your own. The structure of 
 his body is like yours. His mind possesses the same elements 
 as yours. Though they may not have been cultivated, yet 
 there is the same imagination — the same memory — the same 
 reason — the same judgment — the same conscience. You 
 will find also iu them the samb sentiments of gratitude and 
 love. 
 
 All men, loo, are gifted with tho same common immortality. 
 The poor beggar, the wretched outcast, tho abandoned profli- 
 gate — must live for over Oh ! what importance and value 
 does this stamp upon every man ! View man in this simple 
 light, and he will rise up bi^fore you, however low, degraded, 
 and lost, with an importance tliut nothing can exceed. All, 
 too, have been redeemeil by tho blood of ones conniion Saviour. 
 Christ by the grace of God tasted ileath for every man. He 
 gave himself a ransom for all. There is not a human being 
 on the face of this earth thf»t Christ has not redeemed with 
 his most precious blood ; autl does not this stamp a high value 
 upon every man, and firmly bind every man to liis fellow. 
 
 7\ll men, too, are suw.;nptiblo of tho same spiritual and ever- 
 lasting life. Men, though fallen, may bo raised; though 
 ruined, may be restored ; though d'>ad, may he inado alive. 
 ICvcry man may receive the quickening power of the Holy 
 Ghost, and bo raised to the favour, image, and fruition of God. 
 This is true of oil men, without any exception whatever ; for 
 " God willeth that all men slK)uld l)e saved, and come to the 
 knowlcdgoof the truth," 
 
 Looking upon rn-Mi in this light, we must see that tho hu- 
 man race a"o bound together by th^ strongest bonds, which 
 ought not to bo broken by any thing or ciromnsfance. It is 
 the bounden and imperativt' duty of every man to do good to 
 all men, us he has opportunity ; and that man who manifests 
 hatred, contempt, or indillerenco toward any of our ruce, is 
 u base wrt-lfii — vvlio ilcHlroys iui? ordrr <uid liaiinuity ui tiie 
 works of God, Is a Christian warranted, then, iu breaking thoso 
 
I! 
 
 246 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 ties which bind man to man « Vprilv nr.t nu.- *• ^•. • 
 
 .tyrequres us, peremptorily, ,„ do go^Ttoafl men Sm 
 the least restrict on, save want of ?l.,l if „ „ , V . • 
 
 a-Ki to intercede for al, men, rhout a^'y L^p ioTl^ir 1^' 
 No man is to be exclude.) from the sympathies labo^^^^^^^^^ 
 .ntei-cessions of righteous men. The^mn that calls hm^^^^^^ 
 
 bnSu ■''??■ 'rV^'^ '''' "^^ '-^^^ interce si ns forthe 
 benefit of h.s feilow-men, has no ri^ht to the appellation • 
 
 wlr ';• ^"f'°%''''"' "^ '^'' "-nio^ofChrst'Srtoac^ 
 worthy of his profession, or to give up the name of Christian 
 
 Prayer IS a public gift, designed for L benefi of all m n .' 
 
 and If, we do not use it for the good of others, as well .Sour 
 
 i;e"iZr we'- '"• '^' "" '^g-"^^^-'' -0 -n agl our 
 lu.iorhioui, we Sin against our own souls, by neSectin^ tf> 
 nialco intercessions f.r all men. When w^ go into ou ll 
 CIS, and shut to our door, we must not shut oul- hearts a Jinst' 
 
 neTPhlourn.'""^''f-^''"^ ^^^'^- '''' '^^ -ustemLc'eou 
 neighbou s, our countrymen, our race, in our expanded afTec 
 
 Hons and pour fl.r.h our most fervent prayers fo?" eir pres.' 
 en and etornal good. When the Israelites, on on. occasbn 
 exhorted Samuel the prophet to pray for them, he gave te^' 
 Hs memorable answer, '' Go<l forbid that I should sin a^a n^ 
 the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."-! Sam. xii. 23 
 And we as much sin against the LorJ, by not prayini? for 
 .mnkmd as Samuel would have done if "lie hafl cSd to 
 1> a> for Israel Christians, you have influence in the court 
 
 nu rwhi/V''.''^ ^'"%r' '-;^^-y--"tercessi!!;^Z 
 mud NMth (,od ; know, tiion, that th.- common ties of hu- 
 .namty demand that your power with God shall be exerted 
 brhalfof your perishing neighbours, your perishing coun. 
 tr> men, your perishing world. * 
 
 T/tr tics or/ami/!/ have sfmnarr cJahns upon our cfrctml 
 hrvvnfmtrrcrsswn,, than thr ^nds of 'unnmntv. U ihe chil 
 drcn of men generally have such stVong claims upon our fer." 
 ::;!l"!!'r:"^"^'"' ?':^'>'»''^ .mM"'>^'-« o^ our own famines 
 lu^m >^T/ir'''''^ cminis. " i.ion has set the solitary in fam- 
 ilm, for the wisest and best of purposes. Husbands and 
 
 ll. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOCLS. 
 
 247 
 
 ristianity is 
 nity, and to 
 *nd univer- 
 stianity re. 
 things, but 
 i. 4. And 
 ik his own, 
 
 Christian- 
 sn, without 
 iportunity, 
 whatever, 
 hours, and 
 lis himself 
 ns for the 
 pellation ; 
 lier to act 
 Christian, 
 all men ; 
 'ell as our 
 jainst our 
 [loctii^ to 
 our cTos- 
 ts against 
 brace our 
 ied affec. 
 leir pres» 
 occasion, 
 ivo them 
 n against 
 
 x'n. 23. 
 lying for 
 i'oased to 
 he court 
 )ns avail 
 
 of hu- 
 
 exerted 
 
 ig coun. 
 
 ff'rctuaf, 
 he chil. 
 ourfer. 
 families 
 in fam. 
 ids and 
 
 wives are bound together by a bond so solemn, so sacred, so 
 indissoluble, that they are one flesh ; and nothing but death, 
 or a crime worse than death, must put them asunder. Pa- 
 rents are united to their children by bonds peculiarly strong. 
 They have been the agents in bringing them into this wicked 
 world, and it is especially their duty to bring them up in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children are bound to their 
 parents by ties equally binding. To their parents they are 
 indebted, under God, for their natural life, their preservation 
 and support in childhood and in youth, and the means of gain- 
 ing their livelihood while they remain in this vale of tears ; 
 therefore, it is their duty to honour their parents, and do them 
 all the good that lies in their power. Brothers and sisters, 
 being children of the same parents, are bound by the ties of 
 bloori.relationship to help, protect, and support each other, in 
 every possible way, while in this trying, harrassing, perplex- 
 ing, suffering world. The tics of family are not to be trifled 
 with — are not to be broken. Those who do trifle with them, 
 and break them, trifle with and break the law of God ; and 
 will meet with condign punishment, cither in this world or 
 the next, and, without repentance, probably in both, but cer- 
 tainly in eternity. In a temporal sense, the man who does 
 not "" provide for hi.-j own, and specially for those of his 
 own house, ho hath denied the faith, and is worse tiian an 
 infidel." What, then, must bo said of that man who, pro- 
 fessing the religion of Jesus, uses not the power he thinks he 
 has with God for the saving benefit of his own farnily ? 
 Language is not suflicicnt to describe his character. If it be 
 u sin'^not \a pray for the world at large, it must be a much 
 greater sin not to pray for those who are, in the highest sense, 
 bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, and spirit of our spirit. 
 Tlie Aposllo Paul had continued heaviness and sorrow of 
 heart lor iiis brethren and kinsmen after the flesh. He would 
 have dieil for them on a cross, if by that means he could have 
 saved them from the wrath of God. " Brethren," says he to 
 the Romans, " my heart's desire and prayer to God for 
 Israel is. tiint they might be saved." It is the boiuiden and 
 imperative dutv of every righter>us man to pray for all the 
 members of his farnily, with all th(> frrvour of his soul ; 
 and he must not fail," nor be discouraged in interctMliiig for 
 them, until they arc converted, or until they die, ond arc 
 placed beyond the reach of the converting j^raco of (tod. 
 
 rilinliV uwiitn u;;iunnu iii:~ iiiui-tl iivii; • '• -j » 'g. ~ »-■ 
 
 Wo fear that many righteous men too much overlook their 
 
24S 
 
 ■1^ 
 
 1 f 
 
 THE OBLIGATIOKS OF CHBISTIA.'iS 
 
 families, in their intercessions. Thev do nnt wm^.u i 
 Ae very re,.o„ why .h,,y „re no" c™ve'„S' H.Xt 
 
 iier importunity ho s3 ' ttn ' '^ ^^"^^0"^ of patience by 
 
 for thoir conversion^ A P ^1 i ■ „ '^"^ ^'^ >''^" ^'^'"^ 
 
 sa,Kls of nX^S'u so til '"'^ ^' '^""^'"'^' ^^^'^ ^hou- 
 ^•el>fe with hon I. T ' ^^ ^^^ '"'"""^ personally don- 
 Orfv , n. ' f >''^" "^f^y J-each tli^m tJ rou-rh heave 
 
 Ufki up prayers and suppHcations, with stronir orlZ\ 
 
 S:ty"\f-''">^^''^ '^- ^^'^^^ them frotZth^^^'^n^' 
 yom dut>; this ,s your privilege ; and maybe th(«ir s Iva 
 
 till t..oy are eith:;^t:;:Xror^m:;:?te^^^^ 
 
 tons contamed m f ho Hrd chanter of Mark .«V'r ^"'^'^'^^- 
 
 
 and tJipy said unto him, Ijehold, thy 
 
 rnuiiifuao 
 mother 
 
 H* nbout him, 
 
 and thy brethren 
 
 k:i« 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 249 
 
 irestle and 
 lies as they 
 i sorrow of 
 men; and, 
 n for them, 
 his may be 
 Hear what 
 I yet walk, 
 ill deeper, 
 est prayer. 
 p to reason 
 ckward to 
 ' But your 
 id carried 
 e^ard any 
 !th in per- 
 questions. 
 I for him : 
 •or.' All 
 tears she 
 tience by 
 it is im- 
 '" Per- 
 converted 
 istors, or 
 lavinjT no 
 'on doinfr 
 y'nh God, 
 'ea thon- 
 illy don- 
 heaven, 
 ing and 
 This is 
 r sulva- 
 God, on 
 est rela» 
 no rest, 
 Y- 
 
 von our 
 ieclura- 
 re came 
 'Ut, sent 
 It him, 
 rethren 
 
 without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who 
 is my mother, or my brethren ? And he looked round about 
 on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother 
 imd my brethren ! For whosoever shall do t'»o will of God, 
 the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." — verses 
 81 — 35. The saints are united by bonds far stronger than 
 those which bind together the children of earthly parents. 
 They are the sons of God; all brethren by spiritual extrao» 
 tion — sons of God, therefore, united by the love of Jesus, 
 their elder brother — sons of God, filled, actuated, sanctified, 
 strengthened, and comforted by the same Spirit — sons of God,, 
 travelling in the same roa , to tli ' same glorious home — sons 
 of God, lieirs together of the grace of life, and must eternally 
 dwell together in the same heaven : there.bre, as our nearest 
 and dearest relatives, thev have the first and the strongest 
 claims upon our fervent iitercessions. The command to 
 make intercessions for all saints abounds in the Word of God. 
 This must be d.^ne in the present life. After Christians die, 
 prayer for them is needless, for they are safe. Prayer im. 
 plies want and danger ; but the spirits of the just made per* 
 feet are free from both. They are above the reach of 
 prayer. All their wants are ncfw supplied, and all their 
 danger is forever past. " They shall hunger no rnorc^ 
 neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun liglit on them, 
 nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the 
 throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living foun- 
 tains of waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from 
 their eyes." — Rov. vii. IG, 17. It is no use j)raying for 
 them ; but it is of the utmost importance to make intcrccs- 
 sion for all saints living on the earth. Wo are conunundcd 
 to love all tho saints with a pure heart, fervently ; but with- 
 out intercession love will soon wax cold. And not only so, 
 but our fcllow-Chrislians on earth have tho same duties to 
 ncrr^nn, the same atllictions to sufTor, tho same trials to 
 hoar, tlio same enemies to contend with that we have ; there- 
 fore there ought to exist tho utmost sympathy between us and 
 them, and mutual prayer ought to bo ollercd to Grt)d for each 
 others welfare. They, too, are engaged in the same glorious 
 work ; they are labouring with us, to pull down the strong 
 liolds of the devil, to extend the kingdom of Jesus, and to 
 fill tho earth witli the glory of God : nonce wo ought to feel 
 the doopost interest in their success, and pray earnestly to 
 (Tuii tluit tjit'-y may oc victorious. 
 
 UIC i!I 
 
 equally with ourselves of being d 
 
 iscouraged, growing weary 
 
250 
 
 TH2 OBLIGATIONS OP CttRlSfUNS 
 
 i '< 
 
 
 of the work, fuiniin!. under their burdens, fallinrr from r^racr 
 und connng slmrt of heaven ; consequently, we'^ou 'ht To feel 
 
 tei cede with God, to give them a sufficiency of grace to 
 e^iable them to stnnd firm unto the end. Chris^ our^lri'ous 
 High 1 nest, carries all their names, with ou ow /oT^d. 
 breastplate and intercedes continually before he tron- fnr 
 all on earth who believe on his name /and tthir re^ct t 
 gives us an example, that we should tVead in his steps ^ 
 smnts of God also pray for us, and solicit an inte es "in our 
 prayers ; and, therefore, it wouKi be both unjust and -Jc^n 
 in us not to make intercession for them t clnn t"be " 
 pocted, bocaus. u is not possible, that we can pray for all" 
 
 c Inter of Sf f* ''' '^'' ^^ ^1''^''' °^ ^'^'^^^ i" ^he nil 
 f X sa nts ft" :^^^''P''' '' '^t '"°^^^ ^"^«^r intercession 
 d wl. .t^ . ^^'^''? ^I'^y^ ^°'' tl»e saints in all a<Tes • 
 at k n r ^" ^!F u'-- '^''' P'-««e'-vation from the'evil 
 that i.,,n the world-their sanctification-their union tim 
 ihe world n,ay believe that God has sent his Son-thei 'e m- 
 nal glory and bliss. Here, then, is our m^L a be te^ 
 never can b^ given. Let us intercede fo^a fsaints tha 
 they nuy have whut Christ prayed for, and then aTwill bo 
 
 riero we see it is the duty of all righteous men to ofibr ud 
 re-;.^..ons wuh fervency, an.l forsevere the ein vhK 
 un ba od ardour. Do you Want to'see the world Lu 4 
 ^vl>b ngbteousnpss ? "Be instant in prayer" Do vo. 
 ;'^M-o the conversion and eternal salvation of^j'Jur reludons ? 
 
 LH^i'; "'"'do^'"''""' ri ''"''''' •" "^« --'' with ; is 
 
 wn. len, i, Chnst has mnde them free ? With all nersev.-r 
 s^^'tS mi;^:f7 /^n;all saints If you t^ll 1^:^^^ 
 Gr p, I. . Kretl.re.,, pray for us, that the word of the Lord 
 
 An tlnTw ■" '"'r r^ '" ?'"^'«^''' -«" -'^ 't i« " . v^H 
 mo ^r nllT ^'i ^'^'•^^'•'"'/••^'"^ unrc-asonable and wicked' 
 men tor nil men have not faith."— 2 Thoss iii l •> if 
 yon,les,retho conversion of men, in every part of "the world 
 hen you n.nst intercede with Go,i, to increase l"e Ibe r ,f 
 
 ni!' l\ , •'^''^^'"'^''^ '^«-f^ few : Pray ye, therefore the 
 Lord of the harvest, that he will sc-vl f^rr'r ^- ""^*^'^/^' V 
 harvest." ' lubuurcrs uito hm 
 
 tmm 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 251 
 
 from grace, 
 uglit to feel 
 *e us to in- 
 f grace, to 
 ur glorious 
 wn, on his 
 * throne for 
 
 respect he 
 teps. Tiie 
 rest in our 
 md unkind 
 mot be ex- 
 ray for all 
 lividuallv, 
 n the 17th 
 tercessions 
 
 all ages ; 
 m the evil 
 Jnion, that 
 their eter. 
 : a better 
 aints, that 
 all will bo 
 
 ofier up 
 'cin with 
 
 1 deluged 
 Do you 
 
 elauoiis ? 
 » thanks- 
 le liberty 
 porsover- 
 :iie world 
 rs of the 
 tlio Lord 
 'ith you : 
 <.! "icked 
 1, 2. If 
 in world, 
 Muber of 
 
 is plon- 
 'bre, tfio 
 
 into liiij 
 
 Christians ! God has made you kings and priests, that 
 you may be the rulers and the intercessors of the world in 
 which you dwell. Remember that you must strive to make 
 the inhabitants of this earth obedient to the faith : and to this 
 end vour intercessions must be inwrought by the Holy Spirit; 
 fervent, effectual, constant. The world is up in arms against 
 the Lord and against his anointed. Wrath is gone out from 
 the Lord ; the plague is begun. Millions of immortal souls 
 have perished. Millions more are perishing. What is to be 
 done ? What did Moses the prophet and Aaron the priest 
 do, when the children of Israel charged them with having 
 killed the people of the Lord, and when God, for their wick- 
 edness, sent the plague among them ? •' Moses said unto 
 Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the ciltar, 
 and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, 
 and make an atonement : for there is wrath gone out from 
 the Lord ; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses 
 commanded, and ran into, the midst of the congregation; 
 and, behold, the plague was begun among the people : and 
 he put on incense, "and made an atonement for the people. 
 And he stood between the living and the dead, and the plague 
 was staved." — Numbers xvi. 46-48. Go ye and do likewise. 
 The atonement is made ; the incense is ready. Go quickly, 
 and plead tiie atonement of Christ. Run to the throne of 
 grace, and cry to God, in the name of .Tosiis, to spare the 
 people: yea, to convince, convert, sanctify, and save them, 
 that they may be delivered from going down to the pit ; for 
 God has found out a ransom. 
 
 Sinners ! you do not pray for yourselves ; therefore we do^ 
 not expect you to pray for others, it would be of no use, if 
 you did ; for David says, " If I regard iniquity in my heart, 
 the Lord will not hear me." We warn you of the end of a 
 godless, prayerless life. You may think that you can cast 
 olffear, and'restrain prayer before God, with impunity ; but 
 it is impossible. If you will not humble yourselves before 
 God, and by prayer^ in Christ's name, seek the forgiveness 
 of your sins, and the renewal of your natures, you must 
 perish. If you ,do not begin to pray, and if you do not live a 
 life of prayer, you must lie down in everlasting darkness and 
 sorrow : you must go into hell, where their worm dieth not, 
 and where the fire is never quenched. You need not perish. 
 If you will begin to pray, you shall bo delivered from sin and 
 hell ; " For whosoever shall call Upon the name of the Lord 
 shall bo saved." Think of the value of your precious 
 
 f. '.E 
 
 
 «! 
 
^ 'ii'iii 
 
 l! 
 
 Mr 
 
 252 
 
 ■ 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 judgrr^ent : be damned t^t'ZX^^ O i'''"^f '^ ^^^ 
 of your sins : believe in Chris nllv to Pn fTu' ' '^^-Tl 
 unto you, or you will L w ; ^^ *° ^^"^ ^° ^ merciful 
 
 saints to pray for y^ • for ho fit ?'f ""^ ''^4;- ^^'^ ^^^ 
 f" "J' 'ui yuu , 101 inc text declarp«! « Th^ ofl^^^* i 
 
 iZT '"iT'-, of > "gh'cous manavalS much" Mav 
 the eternal God open your ovps cnftnr. ,r '""^n. May 
 
 L 
 
 ZiMnKi 
 
worth of a 
 Spirit : the 
 iss of death : 
 S and then 
 God's good- 
 Spirit ; and, 
 torments of 
 lame at the 
 ers! repent 
 be merciful 
 • Ask the 
 he effectual 
 ch." May 
 'ts, subdue 
 amily, and 
 ons, for his 
 
 DISCOURSE XIII. 
 
 GREAT FAITH ESSENTIAL TO GREAT SUCCESS IN 
 SAVING SOULS. 
 
 " Have faith in God," — Mark xi. 22. 
 
 In the 12th, 13th, and 14th verses of this chapter, the 
 Evangelist relates one of the solemn and interesting uvents 
 which abound in the life of Christ. The narrative reads 
 thus : <' And on the morrow, when they came from Bethany, 
 he was hungry : And seeing a fig tree afar off, having leaves, 
 he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon : and when 
 he came to it he found nothing but leaves ; for the time of 
 figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it. No 
 man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples 
 heard iV." ^^atthew informs us that this fig tree stood by the 
 way-side; tliereforcit was public property, and any traveller 
 had a right to its fruit. This fig tree had a flourishing ap- 
 pearance ; but on it there was no fruit. The time of figs was 
 not yet. <* As it was not, as yet, the time for gathering in 
 the fruits, and yet about the time when they were ready to be 
 gathered, our Lord with propriety expected to find some. 
 But as this happened nhowi five days before that passover on 
 whicii Christ suffered, and the passover that year fell on the 
 beginning oi April, it has been asked, ' How could our Lord 
 expect to find rij)e figs in the end of March V Answer, Be- 
 cause figs were ripe in Judea as early as the passover. 
 Besides, the fig-tree puts forth its fruif//-5/, and afterwards its 
 leaves. Indeed, this tree, in the climate which is proper for 
 it, has fruit on it all the year round, as I have olteu seen. 
 AH the difficulty in the text may bo easily removed, by con- 
 sidering that the climate of Judea is widely different from that 
 of Great Britain. The s//.'/tmer begins thcio in March, and 
 the harvest at the passover, as all travellers into those 
 countries testify ; therefore, as our Lord met with this treo 
 five days before tlie passover, it is evident, 1st. That it imi 
 the time of ripe figs; and, 2nUly. That it was not the time of 
 
254 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 gathering them, becouse this did not begin till the passover, 
 and the transaction here mentioned took place five days be- 
 fore." — Dr. Adam Clarke. 
 
 Our blessed Lord cursed this fig-tree, on account of its 
 barrenness : and if we are unfruitful professors, bearing leaves 
 without fruit, Jesus Christ will as certainly curse us as he 
 did this fig-tree. " And in the morning, as they passed by, 
 they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots." How quickly 
 does any thing, or being, fade, wither, and die, that the 
 Saviour curses ! " And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith 
 unto him, Master, behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is 
 withered." Upon this occasion, Christ preached to his dis- 
 ciples the following short, but highly important and deeply 
 interesting sermon : '•' And Jesus answering, saith unto them. 
 Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whoso- 
 ever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and bo 
 thou cast into the sea ; and shall not doubt in his heart, but 
 shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to 
 pass : he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say 
 unto you. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, be- 
 lieve that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. ' And 
 when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have ought against any : 
 that your flxther also which is in heaven may forgive you 
 your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your 
 Father which is in heaven forgive your tresspasses." 
 
 " The case of the barren fig-tree, which our Lord cursed, 
 has been pitifully misunderstood and misapplied. The whole 
 account of this transaction, as stated above, I believe to be 
 correct : it is so much in our Lord's usual manner, that the 
 propriety of it will scarcely be doubted. He was ever acting 
 the part of the philosopher, moralist, and divine, as well as 
 that of the Saviour of sinners. In his hand, every providen- 
 tial occurrence, and every object of nature, became a means 
 of instruction : the stones of the desert, the lilies of the 
 field, the fowls of heaven, the beasts of the forest, fruitful 
 and unfruiful trees, with every ordinary occurrence, were 
 so many grand texts, from which he preached the most illu- 
 minating and impressive sermons, for the instruction and sal- 
 vation of his audience. This wisdom and condescension can- 
 not bo sufficiently admired. But shall tiie example of the 
 fruitless fig-tree be lost on ns, as well as on the Jews ? God 
 forbid ! Let us therefore take heed, lest, having been so long 
 unfruitful, God should say, Let no fruit appear on thee 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 255 
 
 J passover, 
 e days be- 
 
 ount of its 
 ring leaves 
 J us as he 
 passed by, 
 )W quickly 
 I, that the 
 •ance, saith 
 cursedst is 
 to his dis- 
 md deeply 
 unto them, 
 hat whoso- 
 3d, and be 
 heart, but 
 .11 come to 
 sfore I say 
 I pray, be- 
 em. And 
 ainst any : 
 rgive you 
 r will your 
 
 )rd cursed, 
 The whole 
 ilieve to be 
 ', that the 
 sver acting 
 as well as 
 ■ providen- 
 le a means 
 ics of the 
 St, fruitful 
 nee, were 
 most illu- 
 m and sal- 
 nsion can- 
 iple of the 
 vs ? God 
 ?en so long 
 r P7i thee 
 
 hereafter forever ! and, in consequence of this, we wither 
 and die away !" — Dr. Adam Clark o. 
 
 The great improvement wh ch Chr!'- made of the wither, 
 ing of the fig-tree evidently witt to U ach his disciples, in all 
 ages, that great faith in God i essoiulal to great success in 
 all spiritual things. We no'v wit,'- ' impress this upon your 
 minds, especially in relation to siroess in your work of sav- 
 ing souls. 
 
 V/e propose to consider, 
 
 I. That it is the Christian's duty to have great faith in 
 God. 
 
 II. That great faith is essential to great success in saving 
 souls. 
 
 III. That the use of proper means will secure great faith 
 in God. 
 
 I. That it is the Christian's duty to have great faith in 
 God. 
 
 We are commanded io have faith. And what is faith ? 
 It is the reception of any report, or the assent of the mind 
 to any proposition : it is the cordial reliance of the heart upon 
 any promise : it is an active principle in the soul, which leads 
 us to take what is promised, and to do what is commanded. 
 Having carefully studied the Bible, to obtain correct views of 
 the nature of faith, we are enabled to state, without any 
 hesitancy, and without any mental reservation, that such is 
 the sum of what the Holy Scriptures teach, in reference to 
 the nature of faith. That this view of faith, when it refers 
 to God and spiritual things, is scriptural, is evident from the 
 following passages of God's word. Faith, we say, is the re- 
 ception of any report, and the assent of the mind to any pro- 
 position. In the tenth of Romans we read, " Lord, who hath 
 believed our report ? So then faith cometh by hearing, and 
 hearhig by the word of God." In the eleventh of Hebrews 
 we read : " Now faith is tlie substance of things hoped for, 
 the evidence of things not seen." The first of these passa- 
 ges intimates, that faith is believing the report of the gospel, 
 and is produced by hearing the word of God ; the second 
 shows that faith in God's word gives a present being, or sub- 
 sistence, to spiritual things which are hoped for ; and such 
 an evidence of unseen realities, that the mind is fully con- 
 vinced of their existence, their truth, and iheir iniportaiice j 
 and yields an implicit assent to what is stated concerning 
 
256 
 
 I iii 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIAKg 
 
 '4. 
 
 *h:;;"ho;:rd of gS^; ''It ■"'" ■"' "" <■""'■ "--fore, 
 
 of its AuZt not credired""' '""""' "' "'"^'^ "-^ -^''^ 
 
 p/nf ^"ttro?Llrrur:xt^rs^ 
 loss. And 111 the tenth o Romans wo rrnr? • u nV , 
 
 r;t;s,r:,»,,'i'. — ,; -4 ih- F^ 
 
 assent o( llio umlorslnnti ]]« lo tljc trulli ih.i fl„.;„. . 
 .vorcd fo,. our offences, anl mijd " „ fo- „ Tiio!' 
 
 LounoJ co„f,.«.,i„„ of „,<, ,,„„ ^^ „ n ,;,;?' r". "'"''"; 
 
 m..l Focious a Saviour as Jesus. F„ |" ,^ , k i *•""'. 
 
 1 l^r^ !'','; "■""'',"'"' "l"^l'e.use.,,l,osoufT, "fe 
 J-'loiy lo Ooil, UM.I tlie nniill, („ «,„|ess Jesus ns " Mv I?,! 
 
 .nv^t.o,j, .„, «„viou.v \v„iio tho Let.:,"::,,,;'; ;;ii:^; 
 
 " Tlie tonffuo I.rcak.^ out in unknown etraiai, 
 Anu t-aigH Ins wundruuti gmcc." 
 
 Faith is nn active principlo in the soul, which loads us to 
 
 ti]^x:n-r'''^r'\ ^'^ •'" ^vimtisVonnna,; '; "a 
 
 old lady s dchnition ol faith aj.oli,.s to th<- former n.rf r,f /l . 
 
 .t;;' "■.''T.,,<-:,^'r "?'"•;'■ ,•■ " ""•, ■■?. '-i'''' 4!:';:om v ! 
 
 I'liii iMknfrC.od at Jns u..rd;" and if ..ho had onlv 
 uddo, , '' and dnu.;, Mhat he connnand.," it won I have h n 
 u far bolter deiinition of fai.h than nnndK.ivs wo h ' ' . i ' 
 works ol so.no hMu-ned men. That faith is nn ac vtM. n i 1 
 'J"|H' 1...^ the soul of man to take what (iod p on .rnnd to 
 ;lo what ho connnands, is evident from the fu lowi ", i " ^^^^ 
 In the cloventh of Hebrews wo read • «* Uv ini U uT ^ 
 
 :^::^:tl ;" "•r ""<"' ^'--i^i';. -iri'iuTj 
 
 ultcrvvard receive lur un mhcntance, obeyed; and l.o went 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 267 
 
 », therefore, 
 he veracity 
 
 t upon any 
 " He stag. 
 '; but was 
 : fully per- 
 Iso to per- 
 
 rif,'hteous. 
 
 1'iie word 
 t : that is, 
 sliult con- 
 ve in thine 
 I shall be 
 :cousnfss j 
 ion. The 
 St was de- 
 
 justiilca- 
 ft he a re- 
 H pcrsua- 
 
 11 Marm- 
 ' so groat 
 ilinnco of 
 ao-gering, 
 ul lo give 
 My Lord, 
 ly trusts 
 
 adrf us to 
 od. An 
 i"t of this 
 iohly re- 
 lad oidy 
 IVO been 
 f II in the 
 rincij)io, 
 , and to 
 a.ssagos. 
 brahani, 
 3 bhould 
 Jic wont 
 
 out, not knwing whither he went." We might quote the 
 whole of this chapter, from the fourth vorse to the end. 
 Paul describes faith more by what it obtained from God, and 
 (J^^djor God, than by anything else. In Galatians he says : 
 " For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything 
 nor uncircumcision ; but faith which worketh by love."— 
 Chapter v. 6. James reasons thus : " What doth it profit, 
 my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not 
 works ? Can faith save him ? If a brother or sister be 
 naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto 
 thorn, Depart in peace ; be ye warmed and filled : notu-ith- 
 standing ye give them not those things which are needful to 
 the body ; what doth it profit ? Even so faith, if it hath 
 not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, 
 riiou hast faith, aad I have works : show mo thy faith with- 
 out thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 
 Thou believest that there is one God ; tiiou doost well : the 
 devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O 
 vaui man, that faith without works is dead. ^Vas not 
 Abraham our father justified by works, when he had olTercd 
 l.saac Ins son upon the altar ? Seest ihou how faith wrought 
 with his works, and by works was faith made perfoct. . ° 
 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without 
 works IS dead also."'— James ii. 14—22. John says : " And 
 this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 
 \\ ho is he that overcometh the world, i)ut ho that bollcvcth 
 that Jesus is the son of God ?"— 1st JOpistle v. 4, 5. Those 
 passages show that faith is an active principle in the mind of 
 man, leading him to take what God has promisor!, and to do 
 what he has commandod. Tiie throe things we have enume. 
 rated abo\e, as the elements of genuine' faith, we think are 
 distinctly pointed .ait in the following verse, from the eleventh 
 ut Ileorews : " These all diod in faith, not havin.r received 
 the promises, but having seen them afar of, ami were per. 
 marlefl oj them, and cnhraced them, and confessed that iheii 
 were siraiiijers and inlorims on the earth" Ilrro it is clearly 
 seen that faith causes its possessor to apprehend the t)romisos. 
 convinces lum of their truth, induces him to embrace them 
 to roii-nince the world, to desire and to liv(! for a better 
 country. 
 
 Christ here commands m to have faith i.x God. To have 
 laith in (rod IS to believe in His existence and bountv. '< Ho 
 that Cometh to tied nuist believe that he is. an<l thai ho U a 
 rewurderof them that diligently seek him."— Hebrews xl. 
 
2oS 
 
 THE OBLIGCTIOXS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 To ave faith m God is to believe that all that is contained lu 
 
 l.is M ord IS truth ; and especially to believe the record which 
 
 Grod has there given us of his son Jesus Christ. «' If we re- 
 
 «;eive the witness of men, the ^^•itness of God is greater • for 
 
 Ins IS the wuness^of God which he iiath testified of his Son! 
 
 nni.elt . he that behcveth not God hath made liim a liar : 
 because he believeth not the record that God gave of hi: 
 
 lal life, and this life is m his Son—l John v. 9-11. To 
 
 Milling to perform what ho has promised. God, by " Hi. 
 ' 'vn.e power hath given unto us all thin.^v, that pertain unto 
 
 .and godlinc.s, through the knowLd^^c of him that hath 
 ..tiled us to glory and virtue : \\'heroby are oivcn unto us ex- 
 coedmir groat and precious promises ; that by these ye mi^ht 
 bo pariakors of the divine nature, having .scaped the corrup. 
 fi'^n thai IS n\ the world through lust.'""— .'^J Peter i 3 4 The 
 <-xcooding great and precious promises given unto us must be 
 n.d.rktood; and we must believe that God is able, and a. 
 
 Ii'g ns he 1. ab!/, to nvpart to us, to the very letter, all 
 i'i..t lie has promised, or wo have not true faitli in God. 
 
 67.;v„7 h,s ammanrlod v, to have, the hmhcst diwee of faHh 
 
 'f ^T: !,"J?'^ marginal Bibles the passa-re rcad« "'have 
 
 thn uth 0/ Go./." Thof.llowing no!o is W A;. A^^m 
 
 .ai Ko. and cb.arly expresses the incanin;? of the text — 
 
 'l^u Ticrm 6:o„-- IS a mere Hebraisi.;: have thr' faHh 
 <!l Cro// 1. 0., have strong faith, or the stromest failh, for thu<. 
 
 ho bbrcMs expressed the superlative degree j so the moun- 
 t^mu Of (and mean oxcoe.hng gnat mo,nitahis-^ih(^ hail of 
 Ifod. exceeding great hail, 6cc." The faith of God therefore 
 means the strongest faith, exceeding -reat faith. There are 
 degrees m faith. Christ upbrni^'od hi; disciples for the little. 
 IKS. ol tb...ir lauh; whil.. Abi .up ,i is commended throurdi- 
 onl the Bib f jr the greatness of his faith. Jesus srud fn- 
 
 v'''l!ll'rf''Vfi''^''; " ^^.>'°^^ ^''''^'' '-''^l'' wherefore did 
 >.■ doubt? Of Abraham it is said, •« He stagfforcd not nt 
 tb.'piomiso of God through unbeji.d : but was .tron^in faith 
 Rivmg glory to God ; And being fully persuarled tluu what he 
 IM.I pronnsed, he was able also to perform." <• Know ve 
 ' ";.Woro that they which are of faltii, the same are iL- 
 
 <;lii dien ol Abraham So then they which bf^ of 
 
 tuilh are bh^sed with faithful Abraham.'— Gal. iii.O-««. The 
 laith \^hlch Christ ill the text commaiKL^ us to cxercido in God 
 
 '^- Jll. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOL'LS. 
 
 259 
 
 ntained in 
 ord whicli 
 If wc re- 
 sater : for 
 f his Son. 
 titness in 
 m a liar ; 
 ve of liis 
 o us eter- 
 -11. To 
 able and 
 by " His 
 tain unto 
 that haih 
 !ito us ex- 
 ye migiit 
 e corriip 
 , 4. The 
 i must be 
 e, and a^' 
 loUcr, all 
 xi. 
 
 ' of faUh 
 h "have 
 r. Adnni 
 
 toxr : — 
 
 'h faith 
 
 for thu< 
 
 le moun- 
 
 Imi/ of 
 hcrrff^re 
 here are 
 lie little- 
 hrough. 
 sTud frc- 
 ?fore did 
 ?d not nt 
 in faith, 
 nhathe 
 !now ye 
 aro the 
 
 bf of 
 S. Tlie 
 in God. 
 
 is such a faith that Abraham exercised when, at the command 
 of God, he left his father's house and became a pilgrim on 
 earth ; such a faith as he exercised in the promise of a son, 
 when " against hope he believed in hope that he might be the 
 father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, 
 So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he con. 
 sidered not his own botly now dead, when he was ab'ait an 
 hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb." 
 Such a faith as he exorcised when, at the command of God, 
 "He olTercd up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, 
 That in Isaac thy seed shall be called : Accountin-^f that God 
 was able to raise him up, even from the dead ; ti'om \\ hence 
 also ho received him in a figure." This is the faith which 
 Christ commands us to possess. A faith in God equal to 
 every command, to every promise, to every trial. Such a 
 faith as this is essential to success, groat success in saving 
 precious, immurlal souls. Little faith may save now and 
 then a soul ; but wo shall not see souls converted by scores, 
 by hundreds, and by thousands, until all the followers of Jesus 
 are like Abraham. '■' strong in faith, giving glory to God." 
 
 Ye professed fijllo'.\ers of Jesus, while you are, like the dis- 
 ciples of old, in the littleness of your faith, you will bo de- 
 feated in your etlbrts to save man} souls. Listen to the fol- 
 lowing siiort iij'.rrative, and learn from it the folly of doing 
 great good \\'\{\\ little faith: "And when they were come to 
 the multitude, there came to him n certain man, kneeling 
 down to him, iind saying, Lord, have mercy on my son : for 
 he is lunatic and sore vexed : for oftimes he fallelh into the 
 fire, and ofi into the water. And I brought him to thy dis. 
 ciples, and they could not euro him. Tlmn Jesus answered, 
 and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall 
 1 bo with you .* liow long shall I feailler you ? bring him hither 
 to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil ; and he departed out 
 of him ; and the child was cured from that very liour. Then 
 came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, W'liy could not 
 >ve cast him out I And ^e^iiis said unto them, Ikcausc of 
 your unbelief: lor verily 1 . «v unto you, If yo have faith as 
 u grain of mustard seed, ve shad say unto this mourt in, Re. 
 move hence to yonder place ; and it shall remove, ami noth- 
 ing shall be impo3 ! V* to you. llowbeit this kind gjcth not 
 out but by prayc; .ud (listing. " — Math. xvii. 14 — '21. Th' 
 disciples' unb( !'-.-f, vjU pf-rceive, hindered thorn f!':>m casting 
 out this devil, and caused the father ot the youth to charge 
 them with weakness, and Christ to reprove them. So will it 
 
f 
 
 26D 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 1^ 
 
 be u 1th us If we have not great faith. We shall fail in the 
 perfonnance of our duty to the souls of our feilow-men • we 
 shall not get satan out of their hearts: and, hence, we shall be 
 cfc ,?/'%'""""' ''r ^---i"g conscience to the id ' 
 ntfrof rfn / T"\? ^'I' "^°''^^"^Ss of devils, and to the re- 
 p.oof. of Chnst. In Matthew we are informed tliat Christ 
 in his own c, untry, - Did not many rni.rhtv works because 
 ot their unbelief." And Christ now, in ids ;.wn c'rurch can 
 not do many m.ghty worics because of the unbelief of his peo- 
 ple lie IS able to save to the uttermost: able to convince 
 and convert hundreds and thousands of sinners ; but he does 
 not do tins because of the unbelief of hi,, followers I a\e 
 i 11 bou^ ',/fr' "" S'-'^'^^'^^i;ib and signs and wonders 
 ou' . " i^ f ""'r^' '''"" '" ^''" conversion of immortal 
 sou ... Ami froni this time it shall be said, What hath 
 Ood wrcai^ht. Christians, Jesus Christ your Lord ai^^^ ^i^ 
 t^ . }oui ulorable an.l precious Uedeomer, commands you 
 "11 to havetl.e stron^rest faith in God; and this command you 
 Must obey, It you would be eminently successful in sav^n" 
 
 •^OU iS. c 
 
 souls. '^'^'^'^ "'""^ ''''''' '' '''°"^^^^ ^^ S'-eat success in saving 
 
 Vv'c take it for granted, that, as Christians, you intensely 
 
 . esire he salvutiun of souls. This consideration has nduc 'd 
 
 . to direct your attention to the important subjects which 
 
 ave already occupied our thoughts, and' which, wj'm t, have 
 
 been made, and will yet ])rove to be a blessing. W then you 
 
 leire many souls to be saved, you must have th 1 t , of 
 
 (.Tod-c.xccedii,.r ,^,,at faith. Great faith is essential to c ca 
 
 success in saving iouls, »*'-'mai lo great 
 
 J^^^ausen alone can ,rcnrc great mmsurc, of the Thh, 
 
 ^Z '!'^V'''''\ . "'^ '' ^''« '^l'''"'t timt (iuickcncti t e 
 
 N:sh prohu.th no, ,ng.^Jc,hn vL^G.. The^mmo;;i;i ^ou 
 
 "i rnei aiv saved, -.Not by might, nor by power but bv 
 
 .ny bi.rit, .aith the Lord of hosil"_Zech-yir6 'it Ls )^ 
 
 oly hpirit duelling m Christians that makes them sueresUl 
 suvmg souls ih,t makes them a blessing to the world in 
 
 hich they dwell. MIe that believeth oil me, as the C in 
 ures Imth .aid, cvut of his belly .hall dowri mof Hv £ 
 ) atcr. (But tins he spako of ih J Spirit, which they ii t be 
 bovo r,n him should receive : for theSloly Gho as o yoi 
 
 ^Z; ^'^^'^'l ^'-^J-^'^ ^^"« »"t y, t ilorilled. W.S ^ 
 JS. ,U. I he Jews frequently compare the gif,.s and graces 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 261 
 
 of the Holy Spirit to water in general. He is compared to 
 dew, to rain, to ibuntains, to wells, to rivers. The scriptures 
 abound in this metaphor. Ciirist, in the passage just cited, 
 compares the Spirit in believers to living fountains of water, 
 when he declares, that *' Out of their hearts shall flow rivers 
 of living water." *' As the true spring is ever su]>plicd with 
 water from the ^rea< fZeep, with whicli it has communication, 
 BO shall the soul of the genuine believer be supplied with 
 light, life, love, and liberty, and all the other graces of the 
 indwelling S|)irit, from the indwelling Clirist." 'J'o be suc- 
 cessful in saving souls, we must have the Spirit of Christ 
 dwelling in us; for it is from him that wc derive the disposi- 
 tion and the ability to do good. When the Spirit of ( J vl 
 dwells in us, we feel something like what Elihu the Buzite 
 fidt when he said, " I am full of matter; the Spirit within 
 me constraineth me. Behold my heart is as wine which hath 
 110 vent ; it is ready to burst like now bottles. I will spoak, 
 that 1 may be rLlVcshed : 1 will open my lij)S and answer.'' — 
 Job xxxii. 18 — 20. And like a poor woman in Yorkshiro, 
 who, when at a lovcfecust, wiiich the minister was about to 
 close bofoj'c she had spokci;, s])riuig to h'^* feft, and sai'l, 
 " You must let me speak, o 1 shall burst." ^Vhon we are 
 fdlcd with the Spirit, wo shall find no diiricnlty in exhorting- 
 warning, re[M'o\ ing, beseeching sinners. AV( shall feci as 
 Jeremiah did wIk'U ho said, " I will not make mention of him, 
 nor speak any more in his name. lUit his word was in mine 
 heart as a iiurning lire shut uj) in my bones, ami 1 was weary 
 with forbearing, and I could not stity."— Jer. xx. 9. " Out 
 of our hearts will (low livers of living water" to refresh, and 
 cleanse, and make fruitful tli" weary, impure, and unfruitful 
 pinners by whom we are surrouii'lod, wlun we arc filled 
 with the Spirit. 
 
 Lnrge measures of Spiritud influfnen are recpiisite to our 
 abun:! ait nscfnlness in saving ,>k)u1s. 'J'iiis is not only < vidciit 
 from ihefael that the more we have ('f the Spirit's inlluences, 
 the better jtn pared are we lor us( fulness ; but it is evi- 
 dent from all observation and nil CInistian (xp<^rieiico. A 
 balje in Christ possesses n measure of the Spirit, and does 
 some good ; but he is not so useful to th" church and to the 
 world as a ynung man in Cluist who enjoys a larger measure 
 of the Spirit than a babe in Christ p(jssib!y can ; nor is a 
 vouiig miin in Christ so iNefnl to his fillow-men as a father in 
 Isrud wiio is fdlod with the Spirit. There is an inseparable 
 connection between lurgo measures of Spiritual inllueiice and 
 
262 
 
 THE OBLTGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 abundant usefulness in the salvation of souls. All the differ 
 
 IZlchZki^^Tr? r '"'^ '^^''"-''^^ and a father in the 
 ?nh.w I V V ^^'^ -^^i'?, P"-^^«««e« a small measure of the 
 Sp nt, but the father is filled with the Spirit. The babe as 
 well as the father, has received the "unction of the Holy 
 
 n^v of thp I f ^ "°' . '" w'?^'. '^' >'"'' «"^'' « Pl«»tilul sup. 
 ply o the holy oil with which the Spirit anoints believers in 
 Y'nibt. If we are to be successful, in saving many souls from 
 death, we must be filled with the Spirit. 
 
 If these reasonings are correct,-.if they are in cxarf no 
 
 e'^hfr'' 'r ""■' ^'^ ^-'^'. ^''- j^-'-'i^i^hhiGo^rs 
 
 es^tnticil to irreat success in saving souls ; for it is by faith 
 that we receive the Holy Ghost ; aifd the degree o the IIoW 
 fei^u-it s mlluencs we enjoy is in exact pmportion to the 
 faith we cxerc.so m Christ. According to our faith the k U 
 
 lirll^Ui^''''' '';'' ^'^'''Z '^"t Jsmallmeaiul^^d^^^ 
 fe ■ nt s mfluences ; but great faith obtai.is an abundant sup. 
 plv of living water. If this is not the case, we are at a lo^s 
 to account for the fact, that Jesus, in the Context, \mlra?ds 
 
 f UI hi'i 1 "y ;"';'"'^ r' ^^''-^-thenuolikve^sti^ 
 f, Uh m God JNot oidy so, but the Scriptures and the expe- 
 rience of samts both prove that in propo.tion to our fait! '^ue 
 ve enriched with the graces of the lloly Spirit, and b ssed 
 with success. 'I he faith of the Thess.^nians was an ex- 
 ceclmg great fauh ; therefore, they enjoyed much of the 
 Spirit, and were made abundantly useful.' Of the Church at 
 1 hessalonica, Paul says, " We are bound to thank God always 
 
 n .J°tl"' ^"'^'^'y:''"' ''' '\ '^^ »^f"^'t, because that your faith 
 growe h exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you til 
 towards each other aboundeth.''--2 Thess.^i 3! i' W 
 faith grr.weth exceedingly, means to grow luxuriantly as q 
 goo,l tree in a good .soil ; and if a^Vuit tr" raHn^'an 
 
 n. . Iheresullsofthe great fahh of the Thessalonians 
 n Man •'.''■'^^'■''r,' ' ^'^ "7,'-« onsamples to all that believe 
 
 vi I ^?. '%""', '^'''""^- ^''' ^'•'^'" >•'>" «ounde<l out the 
 Hord of the Lord, not only in Aracedonia and Achaia, but 
 also in every place your faith .0 God-ward is spread abi'oa," 
 so that we need not to speak any thing."-~l Thess i 7 ft 
 
 /ectLr'l f^""'^ ;"T"'' '''"^ '•'^••« '« "» inseparab ; con.* 
 action between the .legree of faith exercised hi God. and 
 he .neasuro of the Holy Spi,,Vs influences ,K,sscHsed. 't1 at 
 
 eLtl?." ;'^.f"'i'^r "^ ^''f Pessalon.an Christians was 
 effbcled through the Spirit of God, no man can question ; and 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 263 
 
 the differ, 
 her ill the 
 ire of the 
 i babe, as 
 the Holy 
 itilul sup. 
 lievers in 
 louls from 
 
 exact ac- 
 iii God is 
 5 by faith 
 the Holy 
 n to tlie 
 ho Spirit 
 re of tlie 
 h'lnt sup. 
 at a loss 
 U])bra!ds 
 'e strong 
 he oxpe- 
 I'aith are 
 1 blessed 
 
 an ex- 
 1 of the 
 lurch at 
 i always 
 ur faith 
 'vou all 
 
 •' Your 
 ly. us a 
 I ring an 
 usband- 
 aloiiians 
 believe 
 out the 
 lia, but 
 ibroad ; 
 i. 7, 8. 
 >le con. 
 xl, and 
 That 
 ns waa 
 n ; and 
 
 that it was their faith which secured such a plentiful eflusion 
 of the Holy Spirit, as to render them so useful, is also beyond 
 controversy ; for the Apostle expressly attributes their use- 
 fulness to their faith. Paul, in all he says about the faith of 
 the Thessalonians, shows that their strong and thriving faith 
 secured for them larger measures of spiritual influence than 
 other Churches possessed, which had not a ftxith in God equal 
 to theirs ; therefore, their usefulness was the more abundant. 
 
 In addition to this, the phraseology employed in the Acts of 
 the Apostles, to place before us the character of Stephen and 
 Darnabas, seems to us to prove, to a demonstration, the inse- 
 parable connection between great faith, large measures of the 
 Spirit, and great success. It is said of Stephen, that he was 
 
 " A man fiiU of faith and the Holy Ghost And 
 
 Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and 
 miracles before the people. Then there arose certain of the 
 Synagogue, which is called the Synagogue of the Libertines, 
 and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, 
 and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And thoy were not 
 able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which ho spake." 
 — Acts vi. .^), ^, 10. Stephen, you perceive, was full of faitli : 
 beuig full of faith, he was full of the Holy Ghost: being full 
 of the Holy Ghost, he perfn'med great wonders and miracles 
 among the people, and his adversaries could not resist the 
 wisdoin and Spirit by which he spake. Is there no con. 
 nexion here between great faith, large measures of the Spirit, 
 and groat success ? Consider also the statement respecting 
 Barnabas : '* Then tidings of these things came unto the ears 
 of the Church which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth 
 Ilarnabas, that he sliould go as far as Antioch. Who, when 
 ho came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and ex- 
 horted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave 
 unto tlie Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the 
 Holy Ghost and of faitli: and much people was added unto 
 the Lord." — Acts xi. 22-24. Barnabas was a good man, 
 full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith, and under his ministry 
 nmch people was ailded unto the Lord. Was all this merely 
 fortuiluu? ? Was not he fdled with the Holy Ghost, think 
 you, because he was a good man, and full of faith ? And 
 was not much people addod to the Lord by his ministry, be- 
 cause great spiritual influnncc attended the word, when 
 |)reached by Barnabas ? Effects cannot exist wltliout a cause. 
 For the conversion of many people at Antioch we must assign 
 an adequate cause : and, surely, if the great measures of the 
 
264 
 
 f!!il|l1 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 li!! 
 
 P 
 
 Holy Spirit s influences, which attended Baniabas's preach 
 ing, were not the cause of their conversion, then we can find 
 no other: and we are sure if Barnabas had not been a good 
 man, ful of ai.h, the Holy Spirit would not so signally have 
 blessed hH labours. The boldest sceptic can put no other 
 construction than this upon the narrative of Barnabas's char, 
 actor, labours, and success at Antioch. In the present 
 day, also, if you find a man superior to hi.s fcllow-Christiana 
 ni spirituality of mind, in dovotedness to Christ, and in suc- 
 cessful efforts in winning souls, you will discover in him a 
 stionger filth m God than you ever find in ordinary Chris- 
 turns, feo that we may boldly ufTirm that there is an insepa- 
 rabe connection bctu-oen the degree of fiith exorcised in 
 Crod, and the moas^uros of the Holy Spirit's influences re- 
 ceived ; and, therefore, groat faith is essential to -reat sue 
 . cess m saving souls. It is so, 
 
 BtY-use wc can onhj remove the hindrances which jvrvent 
 the salmbon of souls by great faith. Little faith cannot re- 
 move great d.lhcultios. The disciples of Christ, in the days 
 H rm 7- ',r'r f^ '^^"vineed of this, when he said unto 
 tliem ; If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; 
 and If ho repent, torgivo him. And if he trespass n-ains 
 thee seven times in a day, and seven times hi a day turn 
 again to thee, saym-:, [ repent ; thou shalt forgive him. And 
 theApostles said unto the Lord, Increase oui-fiith."— Luke 
 xvii. S-o. 1 ho Apostles evidently fMt that they had not faith 
 enough to remove so great a rlillicultv as that of fbr-rivincr a 
 trespassing brothrr seven time, a dav,' therefore thev^praved 
 for an increase of faith, that they mi-ht be cm.al to'sueh%in 
 emergency. It is a fact that is capable of the stronr^est 
 proof that a weak fanh will not bring us throimh every .lifli! 
 cuty Look at Peter on the water; his faiih is weak, it 
 fails him, ho begms to sink. Look at him airniu in he 
 judgment hall ; he had not faith enough to enable him to con- 
 less 1,18 niasler s nnme before his Master's enemies, and 
 therefore he denies him with oaths and curses. k^l 
 Christian IS at times placed in circumstances of great difli- 
 eulty Ihe temptations of satan, the opposition from un- 
 ungod y men, the stumbling-blocks which are sometimes 
 
 to tall into through ignorance, and the trials we have to 
 
 riKt'mulv'?.^T'''''"^''"^' "''•"''''''''' °^" I^o^'yn'-afllietions in 
 the lanuly circle, make, at Innes, our road tiirough life hillv. 
 rough, and thorny ; and great faith is rciuisite, 7o enable u 
 
 i 
 
 .K. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 265 
 
 's preach- 
 e can find 
 3n a good 
 ally have 
 t no other 
 as's char- 
 ! present 
 liristians^ 
 id in suc- 
 ia liim a 
 ry Chris- 
 n inscpa- 
 rcised in 
 Mices re- 
 reat sue- 
 
 I pirvent 
 annot re- 
 the days 
 aid unto 
 ve liini ; 
 3 against 
 lay turn 
 n. And 
 ' — Luke 
 not faith 
 giving a 
 ■ prayed 
 ■iuch an 
 trongest 
 ^ry (lifR. 
 veak, it 
 
 in tlio 
 i to con- 
 .'.'s', and 
 
 I'iVery 
 ■at dilli. 
 om un- 
 lie times 
 liable 
 lave to 
 ions in 
 hilly, 
 iblo us 
 
 to hold on our way, without murmuring. The faith that will 
 serve when the road is smooth and good, will not do for 
 swamps, and corduroys, and stony mountains. The faith 
 that will serve in the bright sunshine, will not do for the dark 
 and pitiless storm : or, in other words, the faith that is suffi- 
 cient for prosperity, is not sufHcient for adversity ; the faith 
 that will sustain us in the midst of kind, sympathising, Chris- 
 tian friends, will not suffice when we are surrounded by a 
 host of ungodly sinners. To pass through great difficulties, 
 we need great faith. 
 
 If, therefore, great faith is absolutely requisite to enable 
 us to overcome the great difilciilties which obstruct our per- 
 sonal salvation, how much more is it needed in our efibrts to 
 save the souls of our fellow-men ! There are hindrances in 
 the way of their salvation, greater than those wo now meet 
 with in our pathway to bliss. In saving the souls of men, we 
 have not only to contend against the powers of iicll, and the 
 hostile influences of the worki ; but we have to grapple with 
 the ignorance, with the inclinations to evil, with the love of 
 sin, with the dogged resolution not to be saved, and with the 
 confirmed sinful habits of all those whom we seek to save. 
 The hinderances we meet with, in striving to cast satan out of 
 the hearts of sinners, and to destroy the armour in which he 
 trusts, are not mole-hills, but gigantic mountains. These 
 hinderances are frequently called mountains in the New 
 Testament. In fact, dilliculties of every kind were called 
 mountains by the .Jews. It was a proverbial form of 
 speech among them to speak of removing mountains, whei 
 they only meant, by what they said, to remove or conque 
 great difficulties, A rooter up of mountains was a com 
 mon epithet applied to any Rabbin wlio was an eminent 
 and a learned nian, capable of removing the difficulties 
 which perplexed the unlearned. 
 
 In removing the hinderances to the salvation of souls, great 
 faith is absolutely requisite. Little faith makes every mole- 
 hill a mountain ; but great faith sinks every mountain to a 
 plain. Lillln faith sees a lion at every corner of the street ; 
 but great faith sees Jehovah with his hosts ready to crush 
 every foe that opposes, and to remove every diffieully that hiu- 
 dcr3 the salvation of immortal souls. Little f.iitli kreps its 
 eyes riveted upon the hinderances, and sees nothing but them ; 
 but great faith, after glancing at tlie huge mountain of diffi- 
 culties, turns its eyes to the Captain of our Salvation, to Jesus 
 the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and triumphantly 
 
 23 
 

 «;>■ 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 366 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIINS 
 
 cries—" Who art thou, O great mountain ? before Zerubbabel 
 thou shalt become a plain," and proceeds to seek the sinner's 
 salvation: singing — 
 
 " Jesus, the name high over all. 
 
 In hell, or earth, or sky ! 
 Angels and men before it fall ; 
 
 And devils fear and fly." 
 
 And its labours are crowned with success. Are these state- 
 ments deemed fanatical ? then Paul was a great fanatic ; for 
 speaking of the faith of the ancient worthies, he says, " Who 
 through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtain- 
 ed promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the vio- 
 lence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness 
 were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the 
 armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to 
 life again ; and others were tortured, not accepting deliver- 
 once; that they might obtain a better resurrection; and 
 others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, more- 
 over, of bonds and imprisonment : They were stoned, they 
 were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword : 
 they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins ; being 
 destitute, afflicted, tormented : (Of whom the world was not 
 worthy:) They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in 
 dens and caves of the earth." — Heb. xi. 33 — 38. If great 
 faith in God cannot remove hindrances out of the way of the 
 salvation of souls, how was it that it worked such wonders 
 for the ancient worthies ? Has faith changed, or has God 
 changed? One or the other must be changed, if great faith 
 will not remove great hindrances out of the way of the sal- 
 vation of souls. Talk of the mountains of difl^iculty that lie 
 in the way of our doing the will of God in the salvation of 
 souls: they are mere sand-hanks compared with the moun- 
 tains which lay in the way of the ancient worthies doing the 
 will of God, " Alps on alps" rose up before them ; but by 
 faith in God, they removed them, and did his blessed will. 
 Great faitli will remove all difficulties ; and, therefore, we 
 cannot err in praying from the heart with Charles Wesley : 
 
 " Give me the faith that can remove 
 
 And wnk the mountnin to a plain ; 
 Give nie the child-hUe, praying love, 
 
 Which lonRH to build thy house again : 
 Thy love, let it my heart o'erpower, 
 And all my simple soul devour." 
 
 
Jerubbabel 
 le sinner's 
 
 hese state- 
 natic ; for 
 's, " Who 
 !ss, obtain- 
 'd the vio- 
 weakness 
 flight the 
 1 raised to 
 I deliver- 
 ion ; and 
 /ea, more- 
 ned, they 
 he sword : 
 
 IS 
 
 being 
 
 d was not 
 ns, and in 
 If great 
 ay of the 
 1 wonders 
 has God 
 ;reat faith 
 »f the sal- 
 ty that lie 
 Ivation of 
 10 rnoun- 
 doing the 
 ; but by 
 ssod will, 
 efbre, we 
 ^esley : — 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 267 
 
 " O for a fervent, strong desire, 
 
 O for a calmly fervent zeal 
 To save poor souls out of the fire ; 
 
 To snatch them from the jaws of hell ; 
 And turn them to a pardoning God, 
 And quench the brands in Jesus' blood !'' 
 
 Great faith is essential to great success in saving souls, he- 
 cause without it we shall not attempt great things for God, 
 nor expect great things from God. Little faith makes cow- 
 ards ; great faith makes heroes. " All things are possible to 
 him that believeth'," i. e., all things which God requires us to 
 perform, can be accomplished by him that believeth. God 
 requires us to attempt the salvation of souls, yea, to turn 
 tnany to righteousness. He promises to succeed our efforts. 
 Little faith doubts on this point, and prevents us from at- 
 tempting to save souls. When we doubt the possibility of our 
 saving souls, there is not much likelihood of our making the 
 attempt. And if we did make the attempt, our unbelief would 
 withhold God's blessing, so that we could do no good. When 
 we discredit what God says, he is displeased with us ; for we 
 dishonour him. We question his ability, or his willingness 
 to save souls by us ; or else we doubt the faithfulness of God 
 to perform for us what he has promised, and therefore He 
 withholds his saving power. The doubting soul cannot ex- 
 pect God to save other souls by its efforts ; for Jesus says, 
 " Let him ask in fliith nothing wavering ; for he that waver- 
 eth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 
 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing 
 from the Lord." 
 
 Great faith, on the contrary, leads out the believer to 
 atteiTipt great things for God, and to expect that God will do 
 wonders by his eflbrts. The man that possesses a great faith 
 in God may not have great intellectual power, may be conscious 
 of his own ignorance, weaknesss, unworthiness, and may feel 
 his utter insufficiency for saving souls ; but he feels also that 
 his sufficiency is of God. In Christ he has wisdom, and 
 strength, and righteousness; and depending upon the Almighty 
 Saviour, he reproves, rebukes, exhorts, and beseeches the sin- 
 ners around him. Before long he finds one serious, another 
 crying for mercy, and a third asking his way to Zion, with his 
 face thitherward. Though after the flesh he is not wise, nor 
 mighty, nor noble, yet he finds that, by his efforts, God con- 
 founds the wise, the mighty, and the noble, and brings then* 
 torepentance and salvation. If you want to see the efficacy 
 of great faith in saving souls — great faith exercised by an 
 
 I 
 
 'i 
 
 I 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 l^|28 112.5 
 
 ■so '"^■^ lllll^S 
 
 •^ M III 2.2 
 
 ti^ 
 
 2.0 
 
 1.8 
 
 
 1.25 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 = 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 6" — 
 
 
 ► 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 0^ 
 
 >^ 
 
 0^ 
 
 •r 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporulion 
 
 ^ 
 
 33 WIST MAIN STRUT 
 
 WIBSTIRNY 14JB0 
 
 (7)6) •7a-4S03 
 
 
^1% 
 
266 
 
 TUB 0BLI6ATI0IfS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 r 1 
 
 n.Kl spooddv would bo l,earcl, "Great voio . in 1 Javen sav' 
 doubtcdior i, v.ouId bocffi-ctcd ' """ '°°" '"^ "° '™S" 
 
 Knew iJitii duty, and felt their ivsnonsihilitv tliat m. nn 
 average, every Cl,ns,ian n.ight bo the ne.nso f conve linl 
 sinnor every year ? A>,d e^tirnatinc the nun be of Suin^ 
 
 Sor 1.0W ,^ u '""";' ""'"^^"'-^ Ht one thoirsand 
 
 url '' Kr '•' :'^'"'^"'^trat. ,1 bv an appeal to %. 
 
 rconvert UhJ ? l" ,' K """ '" ''' '^'^'"« -l.nini.stn.tL^. 
 
 by the?r eLrtr Tl.?v 1"''"' "X'' ^''^ '"""^^ "^ ^''"'^^^^ °"« 
 oy ineir riior 8. Ihey have such erroneous views of thoi.- 
 
 du.es to Chn«t am the souls of n,en. that they Jlul pX 
 
 ably shudder w,th horror if fol.l that Christ expects t em n«r' 
 
 sonailv to abour lor the sulvmi. ., rf ' ^*F^'8/"<^'»' per- 
 
 ui luf uje sttivunoii oi inmiortul souls. AJisc 
 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 269 
 
 ■ salvatior^ of 
 you will dis- 
 ? amoijg the 
 n the ability 
 ftU the 5?im- 
 fellows about 
 1* of sinners, 
 ner, that few 
 hilo reading 
 hristians had 
 ■on version of 
 M-ted ; soon, 
 17 of God ; 
 leaven, say- 
 Idngdonis of 
 or over and 
 at faith, the 
 c no longer 
 
 Ills tract on 
 )ns seem to 
 with sotne 
 individuals 
 I strengthen 
 egards the 
 opart from 
 
 presume, 
 
 1 members 
 i"t, on nn 
 ■'erting one 
 jf genuine 
 ■staling the 
 3 tijousand 
 world / 
 •eal to fig. 
 inistnition 
 
 the lliith 
 Christians 
 •I the con. 
 'I I vert one 
 s of their 
 uld prob- 
 them per- 
 9. AJisc. 
 
 
 
 rably are all such deceived, and it will be a miracle if they 
 save their own souls. When will this cursed, soul-destroying 
 unbelief be rooted out of the church of God ! When, oh f 
 when will it be extirpated from the heart ol every professed 
 Ibllower of Christ ! Until it is destroyed, and the church, 
 the whole church, has faith in God and the faith of God, the 
 conversion of the world will be delayed to a remote period. 
 But if all Christians had great faith in God, it would not take 
 even twelve years to bring the whole world in willing bonds 
 to the feet of Jesus. Great faith would never be satisfied 
 with the conversion of only one soul a year. It would pant 
 for more enlarged success. It would neither give God nor 
 man any rest till all the sons of men were saved. On the 
 grounds we have now stated, we affirm that great faith is 
 
 ESSENTIAL TO GREAT SUCCESS IN SAVING SOULS, AND THAT IT 
 IS THE IMPERATIVE DUTY OF EVERY ONE THAT NAMES THE 
 
 NAME OF Christ to have, to hold, and to exercise such 
 FAITH IN God. 
 
 III. Til at the use of proper means will secure great faith 
 in God. 
 
 It is no use expecting to obtain a laith like tiiis without 
 eflbrt, and to preserve it without care. To obtain and retain 
 great faith in God, wc must use proper means, and give all 
 diligence to secure and preserve this precious faith. Tlie dil- 
 igent hand maketh rich in temporal things; and diligence in 
 ihe use of proper means will make us rich in faith. 
 
 To hmr ^rcat faiih in God, wc must obtain a letter acquaint- 
 anve with him. Just in proportion as we arc acquainted with 
 any man, shall wo bo disposed to place confidence in him. 
 ff wc find, after a long ami intimate acquantancc with a per- 
 son, that ho is int(>l]ig(>nt, judicious, knid-hearted, and trust- 
 worthy, we shall place unbounded confidence in him. So it 
 is in reference to Jehovah. Those who are best acquaint- 
 ed with God, place the greatest confidence in him. Tho 
 I'salmifit plainly states this ftct in these words : "Tho Lord 
 idso will bo a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in the times 
 of trouble, And they that know thy name will put their trust 
 in thee : for thou, Lord, liast not forsaken those who seek 
 thee." — Psalm ix. 0, 10. Paul utters similar language — "I 
 know in whom 1 have believed, and am persuaded that he is 
 able to keep that which I have committed to his trust ogainst 
 that day." — 2 Tim. 1. 13. Those who are acquainted with 
 the nature, perfections, works, and ways of God, which his 
 
270 
 
 THE OBUGiTlONS OF CSEISTIAMS 
 
 narae imports, and who have found him failhful to the lru,l 
 KHtti: S Z'cT"''' f "" '■'""' ^ ''^ Tho-" ho 
 
 ^Sn-.s'ps^t^n^dn/rrS 
 
 with his people, and with our own souls let usnhfnJn « kI^"^ 
 
 ♦V r .1 o • ■ ^ °^ ^^"^ operation of God. Amonir the 
 
 ii^its of ho Spmt, enunerated in the fifth of Galathns faith 
 
 ^pirit ot taith because he gives to the soul both the will nrd 
 
 xoS'frtT,"'"^ ""'' ''''' '^^- Spirit does n" 
 and Christ ,^. bo ^ ""^ ""'""''' '^"^ '^^ «° ^'^vtals God 
 
 lation It is in tins way, too, that we should seek an increase 
 
 CO trove,»y „b„u, ,„...vinR for f„i,l, U.L done muc ham, 
 and If any were siniplelons enough, Ihey miuhl earrv on iu,! 
 »uch another eonlroversy alwut |.ra .in,/|i,.- lo e or jov'' „ 
 I'ooee, or lonR.„ufleri„,,, or senllenoa,,°or pood ne s or m™k 
 nes, or tejnperanee ; f,r faith is ph.ee | alSr vhh "hem a, 
 
 nollnng less lh„„ prayi„g f„r „,„, ,■ ,, j power whiehw 
 
 .":'"! d""T:ZvT':'r",",'"'"','!'^ ^°"' '""' '■"" -"«'!"» 
 
 m uou. 10 piuy /or iailh ui this manner, is just as nronor 
 
 ".^ooftU.ir''Tr' "^ r'''^ '-• lovirt^in;^ 
 
 jam, umlUiustdidnot rrprove thnn for so doinff • nor did 
 he show hen. the impropriety of such a pray^^^ih c^ he 
 undoubtedly would have .lone, hu.l theri S n any thin^ 
 wrong in the r praver R.wnLr .„„ i ii ^ ^ 
 
 6 I'luytr. riowever, we hold no conlroverBy 
 
TO SEEK THE BALTATION OF SOULS. 
 
 271 
 
 to the trust 
 Those who 
 ict acquaint- 
 by medita- 
 5nstant com- 
 his dealings 
 tain a better 
 nly increase 
 
 7nust obtain 
 )intof fahh. 
 Among the 
 itians, faith 
 
 termed the 
 ho will and 
 it does not 
 evtals God 
 ^ and ovcr- 
 
 and faith- 
 rm what in 
 such times, 
 Jbt the ful. 
 cs of rove- 
 n increase 
 B dropped 
 ) prayer ; 
 ind poner, 
 i senseless 
 ich harm ; 
 rry on just 
 3r joy, or 
 
 or ineek- 
 
 them as 
 more and 
 -"hich will 
 ionfidence 
 is proper, 
 any other 
 crease of 
 ; nor did 
 vhich he 
 ny thing 
 itroveruy 
 
 with any on this point. By earnest prayer become full of the 
 Spirit, and yoii will have great laith in God. 
 
 To obtain and retain great faith in God, use the faith you 
 already possess^ It is by exercise that the powers of the 
 human body are invigorated. Paul says that is by reason of 
 use that the senses are exercised to discern both good and evil. 
 All will allow thnt our physical organs are strengthened, and 
 our intellectual hiculties are expanded by exercise. Why 
 thei'. should not f)ur faith in God be increased by the same 
 means ? By believing in God for one promised blessing, and 
 receiving it, we are encouraged to try again, and belie's-e for 
 another ; and by a few successful trials of faith, in the prom- 
 ises of God, we shall become so strong in faith that wo shall 
 be able to believe all that the Lord has spoken. In the nine- 
 teenth chapter of Matthew's gosprl, Christ says, " If ye have 
 faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, 
 Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove, and 
 nothing shall be impossible to you." The similitude between 
 faith and the mustard seed does not consist in the smalincss 
 of the mustard seed, and the smallness of the fuUh, but in the 
 increasing, thriving property of the mus.': .1 seed, and the 
 thriving faith which removes mountains. Botanists all speak 
 in the highest terms ot the fertility of the mustard seed ; and 
 if we had a faith that would increase and thrive as the mus- 
 tard seed does, we should have faitli equal to every difficulty 
 and sufficient for every duty. We, however, have introduc- 
 ed this comparison of the Saviour's, not to show the resem- 
 blance between the mustard seed and faith ; but to ask whether 
 a grain of mustard seed would grow, and increase, and be- 
 come a tree in which the birds of the air could lodge, if kept 
 in a bag in the cupboard ? We trow not. It must be put 
 into properly prepared grnim:!, and then it will vegetate and 
 grow. And you may pray for great faith all the days of 
 your lives, but you will never obtain it unless you use the 
 faith you now possess. 
 
 To obtain and retain great faith in God, you must become 
 Kell acquainted with the promises of the Bible. The reason 
 why many sincere Christians have so little faith, is because 
 they do not know what promises the Bible contains, or they 
 do not pv)nder them sufficiently. In order to get a strong and 
 an increasing faith in God, we must become familia*' with the 
 promises of the Divine Word. We cannot believe in that of 
 which we have no knowledge. There must bo some report, 
 some previous information, some truth to be believed, or we cuu- 
 
27:J 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OP OHlWTIAlfS 
 
 I 
 
 not exerc.se faith at all. When pressing sinners to believe 
 we have often been asked, - What must I believe ?" S we 
 have had to g.ve the information required. And so "n the 
 
 foT 7;t "^'f.'"'^ ^°"^^' ''^ must have a sufficient know, 
 edge of the abil.ty and willingness of God to saTour feT 
 
 nThrboV r T'""'"'' '' ^"^^'^ - '- exercise greafuUh 
 of manv Chr "tl '^ """"'T 'V/^ ^^^i-^'-iptural are the views 
 ot many Christians upon this all-irnportant subject. We have 
 
 to onnv ^''' r''° ^^'^^^ '^'' ««S ^« either\bi; or wiuLg 
 to convi.-ice and convert sinners every Sabbath, or every imf 
 that pub ic worship is attended to. On this si^bTect wTslmU 
 quot^ only one passage fron God's word : ' In tl ^7 dat 
 shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not • and to 7inn T I 
 not thine hands be slack. The LorTthy God h/thfmlhl- 
 tl^ee is mighty ; he will save, he will r^ejoife over thTf with 
 oy ; he wi 1 rest in his love, '.c will joy oier thee wUh sh g 
 g. --Zeph. Ill 16, 17. Now, when we come tocrether fn 
 
 God rbofin'H'"r'P'''' -,^^'>'— ' to bebressdby 
 t^oci . to be fi led with peace, and love, and joy ; but there is 
 
 t le o^pec ation that ,lie mighty God in the Udst of us wi^^ 
 
 there and then convince and convert sinners ; and, hence as 
 
 . bless ng. There is a want of the spirit of prayer Some 
 
 u Pmvcr mo^; .! •* "' '^'' "'ost humble, yet most earnest 
 prayer, most persevering, most importunate ; and so he 
 o tailed a fidness of the blessing of the gospel of Chr^ 
 IhiH fulness means, for great numbers to be awakii.d and 
 converted as in tlu> pn.niiive times, and at interval W^^^ 
 To have that great faith in God, which is essentia to^reat 
 -success in saving souls, through the public minis ry of tlfe 
 word, w6 must know how GcHK.otod in p imitite f L a d 
 
 Ml mo \soia o\ God, which assure us that his word sl.nll n^f 
 return void, but shall accomplish the thgwct l£^^^ 
 
 niul piaycr. Such is now the littleness of faUh in manv nrn 
 lessors, that they expect no conversions at the regular or ordi' 
 nary means of public worship, .o that they are e^er d^Xd 
 >% f^";.l tl.e.r hands are ever sl.ck. Look out 're promises" 
 and behove them, and plead them for the conversLi oTsh" 
 
 ^^\::^^::^'^l;:::^r ^"'\''"« ^-'^-^ thTdi-ylnes 
 
 found m God s house, and soon see them clothed with 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 273 
 
 I to believe, 
 V and we 
 i so in the 
 sient know. 
 ve our fel. 
 
 great faith 
 'e the views 
 We have 
 ) or willing 
 every time 
 ct we shall 
 that day it 
 
 Zion, Let 
 le midst of 
 r thee with 
 
 with si:jg. 
 ogether in 
 blessed by 
 ut there is 
 of us will 
 hence, as 
 1 God for 
 r. Some- 
 it is a mis- 
 )st earnest 
 nd so he 
 2/' Christ. 
 cened and 
 Is since." 
 1 to great 
 •ry of the 
 les, and 
 
 ■jntained 
 
 shall not 
 ploasoth ; 
 litcd faith 
 lany pro- 
 r or ordi- 
 dospond- 
 promises, 
 I of sin 
 ly boneti 
 bed with 
 
 flesh; and the Spirit of God entering them, and making them 
 to live to the glory of God. 
 
 To obtain and retain that great faith in God, which is essen- 
 tial to success in saving snuJs, we must keep clear of all sin. 
 Sin is more destructive to fuith thr.n the vermin of the earth 
 are to the precious seed which is sown in the ground. It will 
 be impossible for us to have a vigorous, thriving fuith, a faith 
 which will grow exceedingly, if we live in the practice of any 
 known sin, or if we cherish any secret faults. If vo onlv 
 regard iniquity in the heart, God will not hear our prayers; 
 and where is the man who can confidently rely upon God for 
 a blessing upon his efforts to save souls, who practices sin in 
 his life, or cherishes sin in his heart ? To exercise confi- 
 dence in God, under such circumstances, is bold presumption 
 — daring impiety. 
 
 The propor use of thr>so moans will as certainly bring iis 
 into the possession of that grout fuith in God, which is essen- 
 tial to succoss in saving souls, as ever believing in the blood 
 of Christ brought us into a state of acceptanc^' with God. 
 Do you desire a fiith like this, wliiclv.will enable you to save 
 many souls from death ? Use these means, and great faith 
 you shall both obtain and retain. If you do really desire this 
 groat faith, you will most certainly use the means now point- 
 ed out ; h\' no man can truly desire that which he will not 
 seek to obtiiin. 
 
 The state of the church and the world imperiously demand 
 great faith on the part of liie people of God. The church 
 Wants r(>viving, und the world wun'.s converting ; but we can 
 dotieither fjr th'> want of moro fiith. We arc to) apt to look 
 at th(.' coldness, formality, and worldliness of prof(>ssors, and 
 brcoiue discouraged ; instead of bracing up every nerve, ex- 
 ercising a simpler and sfronjrer fuith in God, and being deter- 
 mined to huvt! a revival in the church. We look at the en- 
 mity of sinners against God ; at their love of pleasure, wealth, 
 Hiid iionour; ut their deceitfulness and desperate wiclicdness, 
 and are ready to despair; instead of being the more resolute- 
 ly bunt on tluir conversion, and exercising the requisite faith 
 hi God to secure their conversion. If the church did not 
 need reviving, and the world did not need converting, there 
 would be no need for great faith in God to revive the church 
 and dave the world. The very reasons which some assign 
 for not exercising great faith in God, are the very reason* 
 why they ought lo exercise fuith of the most vigorous and 
 persevering character. 
 
874 
 
 THJt OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 We call upon you, therefore, who profess the religion of 
 Jesus, to get rid of your unbelief,— to have faith in God, and 
 the faith of God, that the church may be revived, and that 
 sinners may be converted. Cease to doubt the truth, and 
 power, and goodness of God. " Believe in the Lord, so shall 
 ye be established ; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 
 rhmkof the injury you are doing the world— think of the 
 many souls, for whom Christ died, that you are keeping in a 
 perishing condition by your unbelief. Your are positively 
 damming up the waters of health, and purity, and iov, fnd 
 eternal life by your unbelief. How can you be so cruel to 
 your fe low-men, so unjust to God, so unkind to Christ, so un- 
 grateful to the Holy Spirit, as to do so ? Have faith in God, 
 and thus lift up the flood-gates of mercy upon your fellow. 
 
 men : and let 
 
 " Salvation like a river flow, 
 Abundant, free, and clear." 
 
 ii 
 
religion of 
 n God, and 
 I, and that 
 
 truth, and 
 rd, so shall 
 
 j> 
 
 3 prosper 
 link of the 
 eeping in a 
 ! positively 
 d joy, pnd 
 so cruel to 
 irist, so un- 
 ith in God, 
 our fellow. 
 
 DISCOURSE XIV. 
 
 THE EXCELLENCY OF UNWEARIED ZEAL TN THE GREAT WORK 
 
 OF SAVIxNG SOULS. 
 
 " But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, 
 and not only when I am present with you.'" — Galatians iv. 18. 
 
 Of all things in the world, false zeal and party zeal are 
 the most injurious. False zeal causes men to regard their 
 best friends as their worst enemies ; and party zeal destroys 
 every kindly feeling towards an opponent,. False zeal caused 
 the Jews to murder Christ ; and party zeal caused the Gala- 
 tians to count Paul their enemy, because he told them the 
 truth. 
 
 When Paul preached the pure gospel to the Galatians at 
 the first, they were so thankful for the preached word, and so 
 full of love to the apostle, for having brought it unto them, 
 that they received him as an angel of God, even as Christ 
 Jesus ; yea, if it had been possible, they would have plucked 
 out their own eyes, and have given them to him. But, alas ! 
 a sad change has come over them : they have been listening 
 to some false teachers, who tell them that tliey must mix 
 Judaism with Christianity, if they would be saved — that the 
 gospel, with all its light and purity, power an'^ love, will not 
 save them unless they are circumcised : they iiuvo embraced 
 the pernicious theory : have become the zealous partisans of 
 these false tenchers; and now they count Paul, their father 
 in Christ, their enemy. Such a change has passed over the 
 Galatians, that now, instead of being ready to pluck out their 
 own eyes and give them to Paul, on account of the love they 
 bear him, they are well nigh ready to pluck out the eyes of 
 the venerable apostle, because ho will not cou..' nuance them 
 in the belief ol a lie.- We have often witnessed similar 
 things in the course of our own ministry. 
 
 In the context, Paul tenderly expostulates with the Gala- 
 tians on the folly, wickedness, and dimger of such a course, 
 in these words : " I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed 
 upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as 1 
 am ; for I am as ye are : ye have not injured me at all. Ye 
 
;' 
 
 276 
 
 THE OBLIGATIO.VS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 It - 
 
 know how, through infirmity of the flesh, I preached the coa- 
 pel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in 
 my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected ; but received me as 
 an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the 
 blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had 
 been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, arid 
 have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy 
 because I tell you the truth ? They zealously affect you, but 
 not we'l ; yea, they would exclude you, that ve might affect 
 them. But it is good lo be zealously affecfed always in a 
 good thing, and not only when I am present with you.'""' 
 
 Right zeal is supremely valuable, and ought to be dihVent- 
 ly cultivated and constantly exhibited by every fbllowc'r of 
 Christ. Wc must not be dormant, because some are enthu- 
 siastic ; we must not refuse to labour for the good of the cause 
 of Christ, because many labour only to build up a party or 
 sect, regardless of the interests of religion generally -—for it 
 IS good to be always zealously affected" in good. ' 
 
 We propose to consider Christian zeal, 
 
 I. In its characteristics. 
 
 II. In its objects. 
 
 III. In its excellency. 
 
 IV. In its necessity. 
 
 I. Let us glance at the characteristics of Christian zeal. 
 
 Zeal denotes in general a vehement fervour, or heat of the 
 mind or alkctions, and so is applicable either in a cood or 
 bad sense. It is that ardent atlection of the mind which 
 causes us to use all the faculties of our souls, all the powers 
 otour bodies, and all the means at our disposal, for the attain, 
 ment of the objeet we desire. The best illustrations of zeal 
 are tound in tbo following passages of the word of God. Of 
 king IJezckiah it is said, '' In every work that he boffan in 
 the service of the house of God, and in the law, andin the 
 commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart 
 and prospered."— 2 Chron. xxxi. 21. Solomon says, '<What' 
 soever thy hand findoth to do, do it with thv might."— Eccles 
 IX. 10. Tiie I'stilmist says, ''The zeal of thine house hatli 
 eaten me up. -Psahn. Ixix. 9. At the well of Samaria, 
 Jesus said " My meat is to do the will of him that sent mo 
 and finish las Nvork."--John iv. 'M. And in his sermon on 
 tlie mount, he says, " Blessed are they which do hunger and 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF «0tTL8. 
 
 an 
 
 3d the gos- 
 ich was in 
 ed me as 
 3 then the 
 it, if it had 
 1 eyes, arid 
 »ur enemy, 
 3tyou, but 
 ight affect 
 Iwavs in a 
 ou.''' 
 
 e diligent- 
 )lIower of 
 are enthu- 
 ^ the cause 
 I party or 
 y ; — for it 
 
 an zeal. 
 
 eat of the 
 a good or 
 nd which 
 le powers 
 Ihe attain. 
 s of zeal 
 :Tod. Of 
 began in 
 ind in the 
 his heart, 
 !, "What- 
 — Eccles. 
 onae hath 
 Samaria, 
 sent mo, 
 crmon on 
 nger and 
 
 thirst after righteousness."— Matth. v. 6. These are the best: 
 illustrations of zeal that we have met with. When a thing is 
 done with all the heart, regardless of all consequences ; and 
 when the thing we desire so engrosses our souls that we feel 
 more anxiety about gaining it than we do to eat when hungry 
 and drink when thirsty, then we manifest true zeal. As 
 zeal is capable of being exhibited in a variety of ways, and 
 may be manifested in seeking either good or bad things, we 
 shall briefly point out the characteristics of Christian zeal. 
 
 Christian zeal is enlightened and prudent. Many have a 
 zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. This was the 
 case with the Jews, who thought they were doing God service 
 by murdering his saints. This is the case with all who have 
 a superstitious zeal, an idolatrous zeal, or a mere party zeal. 
 This is not the case, however, with Christian zeal. It is zeal 
 according to knowledge ; zeal which blends the wisdom of 
 the serpent, the harmlessness of the dove, and the courage 
 of the lion, is Christian zeal. This zeal is founded upon 
 right calculations — seeks only good, and that too by lawful 
 and just means. Christian zeal is guided by the word of God, 
 and not by the opinions of men ; is regulated by reason and 
 conscience, and not by fancy and feeling. Christian zeal 
 never moves tongue, hand, nor foot, until there is a certainty 
 that the object desired is just, and holy, and good in God's 
 sight. Christian zeal never does evil that good may come : 
 does not believe that the end sanctifies the means ; but be- 
 lieves that wicked means to gain a good end will ruin forever 
 the soul that uses them. Christian zeal pays the strictest at- 
 tention to the commands : " Let not then your good be evil 
 
 *' Abstain from all appearance 
 The disciples of Ignatius Lyola, 
 act on the principle that the 
 But no Christian can act on 
 this principle ; for the word of God says: •' But if our un- 
 righteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall 
 we say ? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance ? (I 
 speak as a man) God fo-bid : for then how shall God judge 
 the world ? For if the truth of God hath more abounded 
 through my lie unto his glory ; why yet am I also judged as 
 a sinner? And not (as wo bo slanderously reported, and as 
 some affirm that we say), Let us do evil that good may come ? 
 whose damnation is just." — Rom. iii. 6 — 8. The damnatiwi 
 of those who do evil that good may come, is great, just, and 
 certain. We can no more escape the damnation of hell, if 
 
 24 
 
 spoken of." — Rom. xiii. 16. 
 of evil."— 1 Thess. v. 22. 
 who are called Jesuits, 
 end sanctifies the means. 
 
278 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIiTSrS 
 
 I 
 
 we do evil that good may come, than we can escape death. 
 AJ ould to God that all professors of religion would ponder 
 this solemn fact; for, alas! there are Jesuits to be found in 
 other churches besides the church of Rome. Bigotted, sf ota- 
 rian zeal makes every professor of religion a Jesuit in princi- 
 pie and action, though not in name, no matter to what section 
 of the church of Christ he belongs. Christian zeal first as- 
 certains that the object is good, and then seeks with all the 
 heart, to gam it in that way and by those means which God 
 can approve. 
 
 Humility is another characteristic of Christian teal. The 
 man who is full of Christian zeal uses no trumpet to proclaim 
 his own goodness and set forth his zeal. Those who are ac 
 tuated by the spirit, and who would not hesitate to use the 
 language of Jehu, are destitute of Chistian zeal. When a 
 man, by words, or deeds, or looks, gives utterance to the lan- 
 guage of Jehu—" Come see my zeal for the Lord God of 
 hosts;" no matter how much he does for God, there is no 
 Christianity in his zeal : in it there is nothing but selfishness. 
 He does what he performs, ostensibly for God, merely to be 
 seen of men and to gain their applauses ; or else to serve 
 some sinister purpose, which may not be apparent to men-. 
 Christian zeal pursues good, does good, promotes good, with- 
 out boasting : gives, as is most justly due, the glory of all its 
 achievments to the infinitely blessed God alone. The man who 
 displays true Christian zeal, feels his ignorance, his weakness, 
 his unprofitableness too sensibly, ever to boast of what he has 
 done for God, and Christ, and the souls of men. Whatever 
 he has accomplished by his zealous efforts in the cause of 
 God, he feels that God imparted to him the wisdom and strength 
 which made him successful in his works of faith, and labours 
 of love, and all that he has done is little compared with what 
 he owes the Lord. And after he has done all he can, truth 
 forces him to f.cknov/ledge that he is an unprofitable servant. 
 Besides, the most zealous servants of God see so much im- 
 perfection in all that they have done, that they frequently ap- 
 proach the throne of grace, in the spirit of zealous Nehcmiah, 
 who prayed, in reference to the preat work he accomplished, 
 " Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare 
 me according to the greatness of thy mercy." See the hu- 
 mility of Christian zeal, as exhibited in one or two eminently 
 liberal and zealous saints. A lady applied to the late eminent 
 philanthropist of Bristol, Richard Reynolds, on behalf of a 
 little orphan boy. After he had given liberally, she said, 
 
TO SfiEK TKE SALVATION OP SOULS 
 
 278 
 
 ipe death. 
 Id ponder 
 3 found in 
 ed, sf ota- 
 in princi- 
 at section 
 1 first as- 
 ith all the 
 hich God 
 
 ml. The 
 
 proclaim 
 
 are ac- 
 
 • use the 
 
 When a 
 
 the Ian- 
 
 1 God of 
 lere is no 
 ;lfishness. 
 rely to be 
 
 i to serve 
 It to men. 
 )od, with- 
 of all its 
 man who 
 veakncss^ 
 lat he has 
 iVhatevcr 
 cause of 
 
 1 strength 
 d labours 
 vith what 
 can, truth 
 ! servant, 
 tnuch in)- 
 ently ap- 
 ehcmiah, 
 mplished, 
 ind spare 
 
 2 the hu- 
 sminently 
 B eminent 
 half of a 
 she said, 
 
 " When he is old enough, I will teach him to name and thank 
 his benefactor." " Stop," said the good man, " thou art 
 mistaken. We do not thank the clouds for rain. I'each him 
 to look higher, and thank Him who giveth both ♦he clouds and 
 rain." 
 
 " On a visit to London," says the late Rev. J. Campbell, 
 in a letter to a minister, " I was expressing a g»'eat desire to 
 see the late Rev. T. Charles, of Bala, with whom I had cor- 
 responded for three years, concerning a remarkable revival 
 which had taken place under his ministry. Mr. C. happen- 
 ing to be in town at the same time, your father kindly took 
 me to Lady Ann Erskine's, where he resided. We spent 
 there two happy hours. Your father requested Mr. C. to 
 favour us with a brief outline of the circumstances which led 
 to the remarkable revival at Bala and its surrounding region, 
 its progress, etc. He did so for upwards of an hour. On 
 our leaving him, your father said, ' Did you not observe the 
 wonderful humility of Mr. C. in the narrative he gave ? 
 Never having once mentioned himself, though he was the 
 chief actor and instrument in the whole matter.' " — Such is 
 the humility of Christian zeal. 
 
 Patience is another characteristic of ChriMian zeal. The man 
 who is impelled to do good by Christian motives, patiently 
 labours to do good without peevishness, fretfulness, and mur- 
 muring. He keeps his end steadily and constantly in view. 
 He fervently and frequently prays to God to give him his 
 heart's desire. He relies implicitly on God for success. 
 Watches diligently for every opportunity to secure the end. 
 Labours with all his might to overcome the difficulties which 
 stand between him and the realization of his wishes : and, 
 then, he patiently waits till suc<iess crowns his efforts, or till 
 he can no longer hope for success. And if he fails, he is 
 neither discouraged nor vexed j but having the consciousness 
 of purity of motive, of a desire to glorify God and save souls, 
 he consoles himself with the precious thought given by Isaiah : 
 "Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in 
 the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength." 
 Christian zeal is not aff'righted by danger, nor fretted by op- 
 position, nor tired by difficulty, nor destroyed by failure ; under 
 all circumstances it pursues its even course, while life, and 
 health, and being last. How admirably was patience exhib- 
 ited in the zealous career of the Lord Jesus. In his zeal 
 there was no impatience. He was often grieved at the blind- 
 ness, unbelief, and obstinacy of sinners : he marvelled at these 
 
280 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 things : he frequently wept over the miseries that awaited 
 men, which he came to prevent, but which they would not 
 allow him to save them from ; yet, he did ^ot for one moment 
 stay in his course, but patiently travelled on till he gained the 
 glorious cn(i for which he was made flesh. Poverty, reproach, 
 and persecution, were his almost constant attendants, yet he 
 continued to go •' about doing good, and healing all that were 
 oppressed of the devil." In him, zeal was so admirably tern- 
 pered with patience, that the assaults of hell— the indignities 
 heaped upon him by men — the agonies of Gethsamane— the 
 horrors of Calvary — the withdrawment of divine support and 
 consolation even upon the cross, could not shake his purpose 
 of accumplishing the Avork given hiia to do. •« He was op- 
 pressed, and he was afllictcd, yet he opened not his mouth : 
 he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before 
 her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.' — Isaiah 
 liii. 7. vnd if our zeal must be called Christian zeal, it must 
 be like that exiiibitod by Christ. ** For even hereunto were 
 ye called ;; because Christ has suffered for us, leaving an ex- 
 ample, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, 
 neither was guile foinid in his mouth : Who when he was re- 
 viled, reviled not again ; when ho suffered, ho threstcned not ; 
 but committed himself to him that judgcth righteously."— I 
 Peter ii. 21— 23. o o j 
 
 Charity is another characteristic of Christian teal. It is 
 neither bigotted nor furious ; but catholic and gentle. It is 
 easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. It over, 
 comes opposition, not by scurrilous jests, bitter sarcasms, and 
 brute force arguments ; but by truth, persuasion, and love. 
 Christian zeal will show the truth, the justice, the reasonable- 
 ness of the things which it aims to secure ; — will earnestly 
 persuade opposers to ceaso their opposition, and ser'k, or lei 
 others seek, the things w hicli are true, honest, just, lovely, 
 and of goi)d rei)ort ; — will make a libend use of that clio- 
 rity which heaps fire on the heads of tlu; enemies of tlio 
 cross of Christ, which melts their iron hearts, converts them 
 into the friends of Jesus, and makes them fiUow-labourers in 
 the glorious cause we have espoused. Bigotted zeal, furious 
 zeal, mere sectarian zeal, are as opposite to Christian z( nl qs 
 light is opposite to darkness. Bigotted ond sectarian was the 
 zeal of the disciples of Christ, when " John annwcred, and 
 said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and 
 htj followeth not us : and wo fbrbud him, becaufio ho lolloweth 
 itot with us. ' A sorry reason, truly, to forbid a man casting 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 381 
 
 it awaited 
 would not 
 lie moment 
 gained the 
 , reproach, 
 Its, yet he 
 that were 
 rably tem- 
 indignities 
 nane — tljc 
 jpport and 
 is purpose 
 e was op- 
 lis mouth : 
 eep before 
 "' — Isaiah 
 al, it must 
 unto were 
 ng an ex- 
 J no sin, 
 le was re- 
 Gued not ; 
 isly."~-l 
 
 al. It is 
 le. It is 
 It over, 
 isms, and 
 and love, 
 asonable- 
 oarnestly 
 i"k, or k'l 
 it, lovely, 
 tliut clm- 
 :s of tlio 
 erls them 
 lourers in 
 I, furious 
 w zrnl Qs 
 1 was the 
 ered, and 
 ame, and 
 folioweth 
 n casting 
 
 out devils in the name of Jesus, " because he folioweth not 
 us." Did the Saviour commend this bigotted sectarian zeal 
 of his disciples ? Verily not : he condemned their conduct 
 in the strongest terms. •* But Jesus said, Forbid him not : 
 for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that 
 can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, 
 is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of cold 
 water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, 
 verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And 
 whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, that believe in 
 mo, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his 
 neck, and he were cast into the sea." — Mark ix. 88 — 42 
 Hear this, all ye uncharitable bigots, who profess the nan^ 
 of Jesus, and who, in your sectarian zeal, are continually of- 
 fending the little ones who believe in Christ, belonging to other 
 sections of his church to that with which you are connected, 
 it would bo better for you if millstones were hung about your 
 necks, and you were cast into the soa. And why so ? because 
 your bigotry does harm to the cause of Christ, and, if not re- 
 moved, will shortly cast you into hell, where the worm dicth 
 not, and the fire is not quenched. Furious and cruel was the 
 zeal of two of the disciples of Christ, on another occasion, 
 recorded by the evangelist Luke : " And they went, and en, 
 tered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for hira. 
 And tl»cy did not receive him, bucauso his face was as though 
 ho would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples Jumea 
 iind John saw this, they said. Lord, wilt thou that we com- 
 mand fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, 
 (iven as Eliasdid ? Rut he turned, and rebuked them, and 
 said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. Fortho 
 Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save 
 them." — Luke ix. 52 — Off. All those who would force the 
 religion of Ciu'ist upon uien, or who would force their pocu- 
 linr views of religion upon others, or else make them suffer 
 pains, peniillies, or death Ibr their refusal, manifest true Ma- 
 liouunotan zeal, (for by fir« and sword docs MahouK^t priuich 
 his religion) ; but they are utterly destitute of Christian zeal. 
 (JIuistiun zoal is ever calholie, luid ever kind. Of Christian 
 zeal it may bo truly said, " It sufferelh long, and is kind ; it 
 envieth not ; it vaunteth not ; in not puflud up ; doth not be- 
 Imve itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not provoke<l, 
 thinkuth no evil ; rojoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the 
 
 I».ti4t« . l%o(».«#^il> nil 4K!»».«^^ K..1 *<^..n4l. nil *1>i».#vc. 1k#«.\r»tn nil 
 
 lititti , Lrtuivitl ail lutti^rj, uciiir Ttrlii tin titiTij^c, !fj"H» •Ml 
 
 things, cndureth all things." Such is Christian kical. It is 
 
ut 
 
 THE OBUGATIOXS OF CHBISTIAWS 
 
 not that Ignorant and imprudent, proud and impatient, secta- 
 nan and furious thing which many imagine it to be, and 
 which, with some professors, passes current as Christian zeal. 
 Ah, no J Christian zeal is just like the zeal which Christ ex- 
 hibited when on earth. It is intelligent and prudent, humble, 
 patient, and charitable. Unless we have a zeal like Christ's 
 we are destitute of Christian zeal. * 
 
 Consider, 
 
 II. The objects of Christian zeal. 
 
 The text says, « It is good to be zealously affected always 
 m good. ' The objects of Christian zeal are good, pre- 
 eminently good. Christian zeal never can seek anything 
 which IS bad. Among the objects of Christian zeal, the fol! 
 lowing are paramount : — 
 
 The glory of God. This is the first and the highest object 
 ot Christian zeal. The Christian being very jmlous of the 
 honour of the Lord God of hosts, is very zealous in promot- 
 ing the Divme glory among men. Christian zeal induces its 
 possessor to glorify God in his body and spirit, which are 
 his: to do all that he does to the glory of God. The Chris- 
 Uan lives to induce men to admire and extol the grace of 
 God which is in him. Christian zeal causes a man to labour 
 and pray, and give, to induce the men of the world to believe 
 that ho^ 13 concerned for the Divine glory ; and to induce 
 them, if possible, to keep God's laws, to reverence his name, 
 to attend his worship, to serve him with a perfect heart and 
 a willing mind, that ho may h-> glorified. Christian zeal 
 kindly reproves men when they blaspheme God's holy name 
 when they break his Sabbaths, when they violate the laws of 
 truth, justice, honesty, and love, which "he has given for the 
 observance of men, in their intercourse with each other • 
 earnestly exhorts men to attend to the worship of God, to 
 behcvo the Gospel of his Son, to submit to the strivings of 
 his Spirit, and to bo savrd by bis glorious grace, that they 
 may be to the praise o! his glory : tenderly beseeches men 
 to bo reconciled to God, and give unto him the glory that is 
 due unto his name. When unsuccessful. Christian zeal sighs 
 and cries over the abominations which are done in tho land ; 
 in secret places weeps over Jhe pride, unbelief, and hard- 
 heartedness of sinners ; and fi-rvenlly cries, " O that men 
 would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonder- 
 .Ut works to the ehiidfen of men." Tho Chrislian hears the 
 voice of tho Saviour, saying, » Herein is my Father ghrijied, 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 ast 
 
 lent, secta- 
 o be, and 
 istian zeal. 
 Christ ex- 
 It, humble, 
 e Christ's, 
 
 ed always 
 
 ?ood, pre- 
 
 anything 
 
 il, the fol. 
 
 lest object 
 yus of the 
 n promot- 
 nduces its 
 I'hich are 
 'he Chris. 
 ! grace of 
 to labour, 
 to believe 
 io induce 
 his name, 
 heart and 
 itian zeal 
 )ly name, 
 o laws of 
 )n for the 
 Il other : 
 fGoil, to 
 "ivings of 
 that they 
 jhos men 
 y that is 
 ;cal sighs 
 ho hind ; 
 iiid hard- 
 that men 
 wonder, 
 lears the 
 ghrified, 
 
 that ye hear much fruit ; so shall ye he my disciples." Be- 
 lieving this, ho zealously labours to render to God the fruit of 
 his lips, the love of his heart, and the obedience of his life ; 
 and seeks, with untiring zeal, to cultivate a portion of the 
 barren wilderness in which he is placed ; that the wilder- 
 ness may be turned into a fruitful field, yielding •' the fruits 
 of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise 
 and glory of God." 
 
 Another "preeminent object of Christian zeal is io extend the 
 knowledge of the Saviour, and multiply the triumphs of his 
 cross. Christian zeal is supremely anxious that Christ should 
 «ee of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, in the universal 
 destruction of Satan's kingdom, and in the universal establsh. 
 ment of " The kingdom of God,' which " is not meat and 
 drink ; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." 
 Christians know that the knowledge of the Saviour is abso- 
 lutely needed, to effect this most desirable object : know that the 
 cross must bo uplifted, its banners unfurled in every land, 
 before the nations either will or can flock to Christ as doves 
 to their windows ; and before he " shall assemble the out- 
 casts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah 
 from the four corners of the earth." — See Isaiah, chapter 11. 
 Christian zeal ardently desires the period to arrive, when in 
 every country <' They shall sit every man," with a copy of 
 the Holy Scriptures in his hand, " under his vine and under 
 his fig tree ; and none shall make them afraid :" earnestly 
 longs to hear of the Gospel exerting its almighty power in 
 every family ; influencintr each heart, ruling each tongue, 
 regulating each life, so that all the habitations of men may 
 become tlio abodes of peace and joy, harmony and love : 
 yea, it cannot rest until Satan is cast into the bottomless pit, 
 shut up, and a seal sot upon him, that ho may deceive the 
 nations no more, till the thousand years shall bo fulfilled, 
 spoken of by the Rovehitor : Christian zeal cannot give up 
 its labours till all the sons of men, delivered from the guilt, 
 the bondage, the pollution, the curse of sin, and the tyranny 
 of satan, are found believing in Christ, loving Christ, and re- 
 joicing in him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. To 
 gain those blessed ends, Christian zeal devises liberal things, 
 and vigorously supports those noble institutions which have 
 for their object the destruction of Satan's empire, and the sub- 
 jugation of the world to Christ, whose right it is to reign, 
 over all human hearts, trom sea to sea, and from the river to 
 the ends of the earth. 
 
'S»4 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Another paramount object of Christian zeal, inseparably 
 t5onnected with the glory of God and the triumphs of the 
 cross of Christ, is Ike present and eternal welfare of man. 
 Christian zeal seeks the anr:elioration of man's temporal sor- 
 rows. It cannot (because Christianity was never desitrned 
 to) remove those physical evils to which flesh is heir,°and 
 those mental woes which flow therefrom ; but they are 
 softened and lessened by its enterprises. Christian zeal pro. 
 vides and supports, in Christian lands, hospitals for the sick : 
 asylums for the insane, the bliiKl, the deaf and dumb : 
 liouses where the guilty creatures wlio have left the paths of 
 virtue may resort, if they desire to reform ; Sabbath 
 schools, yea, even day schools, for the education of the 
 children of the poor; Dorcas societies, for the clothing of the 
 naked; temperance societies, for the reformation of drunk- 
 ards; and moral reform societies, for the reformation of 
 manners. It supplies, also, refreshment to the huncrry, 
 makes the widow rejoice, and the orphan glad. It sympa- 
 thises wit^i the sufferer, visits the afflicted in their afflic- 
 tions, and administers consolation to tlie dying. Time would 
 fail us if wo were to attempt to describe all the temporal 
 good wnich Christinn zeal does for man. 
 
 But Christian zeal, while it does not by any means over- 
 look maii^s temjjoral welfare, especially seeks the spiritual 
 and eternal good of maukind. The present and eternal sal- 
 ration of man is peculiarly I'uo object of Christian zeal. It 
 anns at instructing the ignorant in the knowledge of God • 
 delivering them from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the 
 eyes, and the pride of life : turning them from sin to holi- 
 ness, from the power of Satan unto (Jod, from the broad 
 road that leads to destruction, into the narrow way which 
 leadeth unto life. Christian zeal, contemplating man as a 
 fallen, ruined creature, endeavours to raise him up, and 
 restore him to the favour nnd image of God : contemplat- 
 ing him as a diseased and dying creature, runs to him with 
 the precious balm of the Gosppl, uiul beseeches him to 
 use :t, that he may bo restored to health, and live forever- 
 contemplating him as a guilty, enslaved creature, doomed 
 to perpetual horrors and eternal thraldom, it blows 
 the trumpet, and sends to him the joyful sound of pardon 
 and liberty, that he mr receive the forgiveness of sins, 
 aiid^ inheritance among them that ai-e sanctilled through' 
 lUiih that is in Christ : contemplating him bh a polluted 
 creature, who cunnol live with God and angels if not pari. 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOtTLS. 
 
 285 
 
 fied by the blood of the Lamb, it directs his attention to 
 the fountain opened in the housG of David and to the inha- 
 bitants of Jerusalem. In a word, Christian zeal beholds 
 the human race going down to the bottomless pit, and 
 knowing that nothing but the cross of Christ can save 
 them from that horrible pit, it rushes, with the cross up. 
 lifted, into the way of sinners, and cries, " Behold the 
 Lamb of God that takcth away tiic sin of the world." 
 Its object being to save the souls of men from endless 
 woe, and to bring them to the possession of eternal life, it 
 supports a Gospi-l Ministry, Bible Societies, Tract Socie- 
 ties, Missionary Societies, and Sabbath Schools, for the 
 express purpose of placing the cross of Christ in every 
 land, to save men from sin, death, and hell, and to bring 
 them to holiness, life, and heaven. And not only so, but 
 Christian zeal prompts its possessors, old and young, rich 
 and poor, learned and illiterate, male and female, to put 
 forth individual effort, to gain the same blessed object. 
 Christian zeal not only appropriates money, but gives 
 prayers, talents, influence, labour, time, body and soul, to 
 secure the same great object j and thinks itseuf amply re- 
 paid if God is glorified, Christ satisfied, and man saved, 
 by all its efforts. 
 
 Consider, 
 
 III. The excellency of unwearied Christian zeal. 
 
 " But it is good to be zealously affocted always in good." 
 The most burning zeal, if only occasional, is of little 
 worth; but unwearied zeal is of great value. Paul does 
 not say " It is good to be zealously affected in good ;" 
 but ho says, " It is good to be zealously affected always 
 in jTood."' Continued Christian zeal is excellent. 
 
 Because it is consistent with the Christian profession. As 
 Christians, we profess tiiat we are not our own. Having 
 been purciiased with a price the most astonishing, even 
 with the ])rcciuu8 blcod of Christ, we profess to glorify God 
 in our bodies and spirits, which are his. We profess to 
 live nut unto ourselves ; but unto him who died for our 
 oirenccs, and rose again for our justification. Wo profess 
 to seek not merely our own good, but the welfare of our 
 foUow-men. Therefore, while it is inconsistent in us, and 
 disgraceful to us, to belie our professions, by apathy in 
 the work of God, in the cause oi Christ, and in the salv(». 
 
t8B 
 
 THE OBLIG^roNS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 17J^/? ' A '1^°^^' ''^'y good to be always zealously 
 affected toward those great objects we profess to seek 
 
 .nLT7i f '' '" ^''^''^ accordance both with the spirit 
 and the letter of our covenant engagements. We, as Chris- 
 tmns have entered into a perpetual covenant with God. 
 which must never be forgotten. We have solemnly, deli, 
 beratcly and of our own free will taken God for our 
 leather, Chn.t for our master, the Holy Spirit for our guide. 
 VVe have promised and covenanted with Almighty God, that, 
 f he will bestow upon us grace and glory, vvl will give him 
 our I dies, our souls our all; and that we will work, and 
 tlunk, and speak for God, as long as we live. When we 
 were converted, and took the Lord to be our God, and united 
 with his people, we said in deed, if not in word,— 
 
 " Lord, in the strength of grace, 
 
 Witli a glad heart, and free, 
 Myself, my residue of daya, 
 
 I consecrate lo tLee. 
 
 ' Thy ransomed servant, I 
 
 Restore to thee thy own ; 
 And from this moment live 'or die, 
 'i'o serve my God alone." 
 
 If, therefore, we are not unwearied in our efforts to do 
 he will of God, to advance ihe cause of Christ, and save 
 he souls of men, we are covenant breakers. Every man 
 breaks Ins covenant with God who is not almays zealously 
 affected in good, flus is very wicked. But when we ar^ 
 unwearied m our zeal, we are acting up to our covenant 
 engagements, and botli God and man must approve of our 
 conduct. ' ^ 
 
 Continued Christian zeal manifests that singleness of intcn- 
 Uon, that honesty ol purpose, that rectitude of principle, that 
 invincible courage, and that indomitable perseverance which 
 command not only the admiration of the wise and the good, 
 but calls forth the eulogiums of the ignorant and the wicked. 
 I he bitterest opponents of Wesley and Whitfield were struck 
 with admnution at their heroic and constant zeal ; and the 
 greatest haters of Methodhm have been lavish in their 
 praises of the z.a/ of the Methodists. That eminent and pious 
 dmne, Dr. Chalmers, who had a soul too large, and a love to 
 Christ too fervent, not to admire the efR)rt9 put fo- th by 
 Christians of other persuasions, to save the «mjlg of r^J 
 was so struck with the unwearied zeal of the Methodists, that 
 he gave to Methodism the designation of " Christianity in 
 
 '■4 t 
 
TO' SEEK THE SALVATION Of SOtTLS. 
 
 367 
 
 zealously 
 
 to seek. 
 
 the spirit 
 
 as Chris- 
 
 *vuh God, 
 
 nly, deli- 
 
 1 for our 
 
 •ur guide. 
 
 jrod, that, 
 
 give him 
 
 'ork, and 
 
 Vhen we 
 
 id united 
 
 rts to do 
 and save 
 ^ery man 
 jealously 
 n we are 
 covenant 
 e of our 
 
 of inten- 
 iple, that 
 30 which 
 he good, 
 wicked, 
 e struck 
 and tho 
 in their 
 nd pious 
 I love to 
 r.th by 
 
 ■ » 
 
 sts, that 
 nity in 
 
 earnest." Unwearied zeal in the cause of God is *o good 
 that it will ever command the esteem of the wise and good, 
 and the admiration of the ignorant and vicious. 
 
 Unwearied zeal shows the resolute determination of the 
 soul to do the will of God, and act up to our profession, what- 
 ever may be the reproaches and persecutions that may await 
 us for so doing ; and this shows that we are zealous not to 
 please men, but to please God, who trieth the heart. Occa- 
 sional zeal, like that of the Galatians, when some of God's 
 zealous servants are with us, animating us both by word 
 and deed, shows a desire to please them ; but z>eal con- 
 tinu^d when they are absent, when difficulties are great, 
 when enemies are numerous, and when temptations are 
 heavy, gives such proof of heartfelt love to God, complete 
 devotedness to Christ, and genuine conoern for the souls 
 of men, that he that is zealous of good under such cir- 
 cumstances is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 
 Sucii zealous efforts are not eye service, but heart service, 
 and stamp the chiirnctcr with consistency. Unwearied 
 Christian zeal is excellent, 
 
 Because it produces the tnost beneficial and lasting results. 
 It gives men a just conception, and an exalted opinion of 
 the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unwearied zeal gives 
 the world an excellent and impressive example of the power 
 of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. It causes men to see, and 
 to feel, and to acknowledge the beauty, tho force, the 
 value, the desirableness, and the necessity of genuine reli- 
 gion. Hundreds who are wandering in the paths of sin, 
 misery, and death, would soon turn their feet unto God's 
 testimonies, if all who mnke a profession of religion were 
 zealously aflected always in good ; for they would then be 
 forced to feel that there is a reality in religion —that Chris- 
 tians really believe there is a God, a Saviour, a heaven, a 
 hell, a judgment, an eternity : that they firmly believe, that 
 without repentance, faith, and holiness, men must be damned 
 to all eternity : that Christians do really possess the grace of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, tho love of God, the conmiunion of 
 the Holy Spirit, and a good hope through grace of eternal 
 life. Let these impressions be produced upon the minds of 
 sinners, by the unwearied zeal of God's children, and then 
 the most earoless will soon bo awakened, ihf most triflin" 
 will soon become serious, tho most profligate will soon be 
 ashamed, and the most hardened and stubborn sinners will 
 
288 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP caRlSTIAITS 
 
 soon begin to yield, and cry, " Men, brethren, what must 
 we do ?" 
 
 But when sinners see professors generally cold, and uncon- 
 cerned, and worl(Jly : only occadonally acting and speaking as 
 if they believed all that the Scriptures contain is true, they 
 think that religion is a fable, and that those who profess 
 it do not beJieve it ; therefore, the unconverted remain asleep 
 in their sins, dream that all is well, and mutter in their 
 sleep " Peace and safety : then sudden destruction cometh 
 upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they 
 shall not cscano."— 1 Thess. v. 3. Souls are ruined by the 
 want of continued earnestness and zeal on the part of the 
 professed people of God. Let all in the Church of God, or 
 any section of the Church, live as it becometh the Gospel, 
 and continually manifest true Christian zeal for the salvation 
 of souls, and a change will soon take place in the conduct 
 of sinners, who witness this marked change in believers • 
 for continued zeal Avould bring them to their senses, and 
 crowds of them to the cross, to obtain salvation through faith 
 in the blood of its victim. When in the city of Montreal, 
 we were conversing one day with the late Rev. Caleb Strong' 
 who at that time had a gracious revival progressing in his 
 church, we asked him, '« To hat cause do you attribute 
 your revival ?" His remark we can never forget, for he re- 
 plied, " To the increased earnestness and zeal of my mem- 
 bers, who have become more concerned for their own souls 
 and the souls of others." This is just what is wanted, to 
 increase religion in the church and 'in the world. Let all 
 who profess religion bo in earnest to make their own calling 
 and election sure, and continuously labour for the salvation 
 of others, and speedily the salvation of our God shall be 
 known to all men, in all nations. Viewed in this light, con- 
 tinued Christian zeal is unspeakably good. For the want of 
 it, many perish. How many perish through the lukewarm- 
 nesH of the professors of religion the day of judgment alone 
 can reveal ! Unwearied Christian ?eal is j/ood. 
 
 For it nisurcs a great, reward. It will give us the satis- 
 ' faction arising from well-meant endeavours, and save us from 
 nil the bitter remorse and unavailing regn^ts which are ever 
 occasioned by neglect of duty. Tins is no small rewar- ; 
 for " The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmities ; out 
 ft wounded spirit who can bear." Casper Sehade, when 
 dying, said, '• I must cry and preach repentance while there 
 is y 't a gasp of breath in me. Oh ! if I had but cried 
 
TO SBEi *«K> SILt^jC'h^'>^^^Oiim\ 
 
 ^m 
 
 hat must 
 
 id uncon- 
 eaking as 
 rue, they 
 
 profess 
 lin asleep 
 
 in their 
 
 1 Cometh 
 and they 
 ed by the 
 irt of the 
 ' God, or 
 e Gospel, 
 salvation 
 s conduct 
 clievers ; 
 ises, and 
 ugh faith 
 Montreal, 
 b Strong, 
 ig in his 
 
 attribute 
 br he re- 
 ny mem- 
 wn souls 
 anted, to 
 Let all 
 n calling 
 salvation 
 shall be 
 ght, con- 
 3 want of 
 kewarm- 
 3nt alone 
 
 he satis- 
 ) us from 
 are ever 
 rewar '. ; 
 ies ; out 
 e, when 
 lilo there 
 tut cried 
 
 loiitKsi^ when I Was In the pufpit, the»I might hotv"ft)rl)eft»- it;^ 
 Mkriy \VH6 do ndt fill the -pulpit are continuaUy ftUed ifcritH 
 remorse through hot- iealously laboui^ing for ,th.e glory -of 
 God, the satisfaction of Christ, and the' sal-vWkwi of the- 
 sdufeof rifien. You, by your lukewarmnd8$i are not only now 
 destroying your peace; but you ure making sad -^vork for rei* 
 pentarice on a dying bed. Your want of zeal will then stare 
 you in the face, and reprovti you ; and your lufcewarmnesis 
 will Correct you in your last hoUrs. ije xcaloas, and rep^rtt^i 
 that you I* death- bed may feel soft, as downy pilldWsiir6. W«i 
 say, then, unwearied zoal' is good, is truly exoeMent,' ifitohly 
 sftve us from those living regrets mu) dfjin^ regrets which 
 thbso must endure who are not always zealously i«f{bcted in 
 
 good; '••■•:-■ -^r. • ; • , |,| .,, ,, 
 
 ' Cbrttinued 7,cai will render yoii, to some e^tt(^'rit,feucc!essful 
 in!doing good. Thtit success will afford yqd sdlid sati'sfdd'-' 
 tion and exquisite joy. " Alexandpr, emperor of Russia, 
 wag once successful in saving a life, and He expressed the 
 day On which tlie event occurred as the happiest;pf his life." 
 The salvation Qf souls from death will' af!JirH you far' more 
 joy, both in life and in death, in time and in eternity, than 
 Alexander felt in saving a fellow-mortal frdm temporal death. 
 It is impossible for you to labour in vain, apd gfiend your 
 strength for nought, if you are always zealriuSly affected in 
 good. Souls will be saved by your 'zealous eflbrts. U all 
 do not turn to God for whoso salvation you labour, soT^e most 
 assuredly will ;' for' " Ye kno\V thatVour labour is not in vain 
 in the Lord." " They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 
 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall 
 doubtless come again witli rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with 
 him." You know, alsoj so much of the value of the soul as 
 to cause ycu individually to say, with the Rev. Joseph 
 Livingstone, ■" If but one soul— but one soul, O my God I 
 be saved by my ofForts, I envy not the monarch's crown." 
 Success in doing good will make your cup to run over : it 
 will fill you with joy in time and in eternity. 
 
 And allowing that you coulrj b(' invariably tihsucoessful 
 in your attempts toklo good to the souls of men ; yet, " God 
 is not ^unrighteous to forget your work of faith find' tubour of 
 love." Success is not the rule with G<m1 iir thw bnstowment 
 of spiritual blessings here, and tin? honn.irs of glory here-' 
 after. JehovAhis guided in bf^stowing these inestimable mi'ts 
 by our motives, «ur desires, the extent and constancy of our 
 labours. Success does not lie with us : we have no control 
 
 25 
 
900 
 
 TSB OBUa^TIONS OiFl C:^|IISXIAIIS , 
 
 ^ I 
 
 II 
 
 (t^et that, exeeptiog so far oa oar eflTorts are needed to secure 
 it'; ioti, afler the most patient, laborious, and protraqted ef{br^ 
 auiners may posdibly refuse to be saved. But we have to do, 
 with our motives^ desires, efforts:; ^nd if these are what they 
 should be — spiritual, extensive, unwearied, God will pour 
 the richest blessings into our souls here, and give us a 
 crown of righteo'idness hereafter. The faithfulness of God, 
 in i^warding his zealous servants, is found in innumerable 
 promises in his word : and even wicked men have wished, 
 toward the close of life, that they had served him faithfully, 
 making the confession that he would not have forsaken them, 
 as the mortals did whom they served. Cardinal Wolsey, one 
 of the most eminent of British statesmen, poured forth his 
 feelings in his last days in these memorable words, *' Had J 
 been as vigilent to serve my God, as 1 have been to please 
 ray king, he would not have forsaken me now, in my 
 grey hairs." Zealously, constantly labour for God, and he 
 will never leave you, and never forsake you. You shall 
 have a constant sense of his higli approbation ; his abundant 
 blessings will daily enrich your souls ; his presence will ever 
 pheer your hearts in life ; and when your heart and your 
 strength fail you, he will be the rock of your heart, and your 
 portion forever. How truly excellent is unwearied Christian 
 ?eal, seeing that it cannot by any possibility lose its reward. 
 
 Consider, 
 
 . IV. The necessity of unwearied Christian zeal. 
 
 Unwearied zeal is necessary to secure the objects which toe 
 wish to gain. Unless we are always zealously affected in 
 good, we cannot greatly promote the divine glory, nor do much 
 toward extending the triumphs of the cross, nor materially 
 benefit the human race. The efforts of satan and his emis- 
 saries are unwearied. The arch-enemy of God and man 
 never tires. He, " as a roaring lion, walkeih about, seeking 
 whom he may devour." For near six thousand years he has 
 been engaged in the wretched business of ruining the immor- 
 tal fJOL'ls of men ; and at this moment he is as busy as ever, 
 marshuUing his hosts, and directing the powers of darkness 
 in their cruel and interininable war against God and man. 
 His agents, who belong to our race, are indefatigable in their 
 ■ exertions to keep their fellow-creatures in darkness, misery, 
 and death. They leave no stone unturned, no means untried, 
 no energy uneniployed. The pulpit, the platform, and the 
 press are by no means confined to the cause of truth, of God, 
 
T<J SEEK «lfe ^Kt^A'iiOJf ^^ ' sdtftS. 
 
 d^a 
 
 to secure 
 lecj effort 
 *av6 to do, 
 vhat they 
 ^iil pour 
 ive us a 
 >s of God, 
 umerable 
 3 wished, 
 faithfully, 
 ten them, 
 >lsey, one 
 forth his 
 "Had I 
 to please 
 , in my 
 , and he 
 'ou shall 
 abundant 
 will ever 
 and your 
 and youf 
 Christian 
 reward. 
 
 which toe 
 fleeted in 
 • do much 
 fiaterially 
 bis cmis- 
 and man 
 !, seeking 
 irs he has 
 e immor- 
 r as ever, 
 darkness 
 nd man. 
 e in their 
 I, misery, 
 s untried, 
 and the 
 I, of God, 
 
 <>f Christ, ami of nlattV dedifesllhter^sts. These at^ er& 
 ployed in the d^^Vil'sc'giuse, as'wdll as in God's. Therefore, 
 if we 'wish to' sticceed In our Christian enterprises, We muist 
 be always ziealdusly affected in good. Satan and his era- 
 isSaries ar6 constantly striving to thwart our purpoises, to 
 prevent U3 frdm doinij good, and to' destroy the good already 
 accomplished by Christian zeali '■ If we relax in our exertions, 
 he will gain the advantage over us, and destroy what w6 
 have wrought. We can only hold fast the good already 
 gained by a continuance of our zeal in doing good. It does 
 not require a Solomon to see that if Christians were to relax 
 their efforts, the world would soon go back to the miserable 
 condition it was in during the dark ages, j^et the church 
 cease to keep up the public worship of God ;- let the mouths 
 of the too few ftiithful ministers of the gospel .3 closed ;— let 
 the Bible, and Tract, and Suhday School institutions cease 
 their' operations ;— let the various missionary societies recall 
 their missionaries, dismiss their collectors, and break up their 
 organizations ; — let no effort be made to convert the world': 
 and whose pen can write — whoso voice can utter— ^whose heart 
 caii imagine the fearful cottdition of our world in tweilty 
 yeai's from this day ! The world is bad enough now, with 
 alL the institutions and efforts of Christian zeal ; but it would 
 be inconceivably worse then. Let the devil and his angels, 
 and his human emissarios, have their own way in this world, 
 without any opposition for twenty ye^fs, and it would becorrift 
 as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah, iand would, in all probility, 
 can down by its sins — there not being ten righteous souls to 
 preserve it— fire and brimstone from the Lord in heaven, to 
 consunfe it. Tlie zeal of Christiatis, even now, prevent* its 
 total darkness and corruption, and i/</e think we may safely 
 add,its total destruction. Soe ye not then, in this respect, the 
 need of unwearied zeal ? 
 
 Besides, ^he . very beings whom we wish to briiij^jto 
 glorify God, to bring into the church of Christ, and raise' to 
 iKiaven, can only be saved by our prsevcring efforts. Sin- 
 ners in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred resist us, stoutly re- 
 sist us at first, when we seek to pitU thtm out of tbefire. 
 Many ^f them t^'ould scfetre us by reproach, and ridicule, atld 
 persecution ; but these thittgs rniist not be minded^ if W6 
 would save them. If they perceive that we beg-in to relri.x in 
 bur efforts, they will only become the more determined to Hre 
 in sin. Our continued zeal, exhibited in constant kirKtneeo-, 
 unwearied entreaties, and untiring labours, wtil, in th6 end, 
 
TH^ OBLIQATIONS; OP CHRlStfAN» 
 
 prevail wiUi most. The unwearied efforts of aghristiattman 
 orwomap produce the reflection in, the sinner's heart • 'f I 
 inust be in a, dangerous situatioo, or t^at person woyW not be 
 at so much paii^swith we, after all the rebu-^ I have iriven 
 Aly soul must be precious, religion must be supremely valu-' 
 able,. or that good person would not be at so mugh and such 
 CPnstant troMbie to iiuluce mo to care for my soul, and to seek 
 religion. Ignatius Loyola* knew better how to conquer the 
 ^uman heart than thousands of Christians' do. Francis 
 Aavier was a guy courtier, devoted to pleasure, when Loyola 
 first me with him m Pans ; but Loyola, seeing in him, under a 
 gay and Involous exterior, a resolute, determined and pergever. 
 mg man, was determined to have him a member of his order 
 Me got into. his society, attracted his attention, gained his af- 
 fections, and then whenever he was in his company he never 
 lett A^vier without saying unto him, in the language of Christ, 
 What shall It profit a man if he gain the whole world and 
 lose his soul ? or what siiall a man give in exchange for his 
 soul { Voyola gained his object, and Xavier became one of 
 tlie most devoted, heroic, and successful missionaries 'hat the 
 popish church has ever had. When shall we learn the sim. 
 pie truth, that, perseverance will overcome every difficulty, 
 ihere is not so much need for flaming zeal, as there is for pa- 
 tient, unwearied ?:eal. The waters wear the stones. How « 
 «y one impetuous dash ? Ah, no ! but by their continual 
 flowing over them. When very young, we often. si ood and 
 watched the stone-masons sawing through the huge granite 
 stones used for building; we saw a small vessel of water so 
 fixed that the water kept dropping into the place where the 
 saw was moving, and with the small quantity of water which 
 the httle vessel contained, they were able, with ease, to saw 
 through the hardest and thickest stones. Had tliey thrown 
 pailfulson at once, it would have been of no service ; but the 
 continual dropping of the water from the little vessel did the 
 thing required. And if we are to bo successful in uo!t>n pooj, 
 we must not be zealous, very zealous, occasionalfvv hn v/o* 
 must be always zealously affected in good. 
 
 Unwearied zeal is necessary, because the objacts we seek are 
 not near gained as ye/. The (^od, whose we , are and whom 
 we serve, is dishonoured at this moment by the great majority 
 of the human race. "It is sa^l to think," says the pious 
 Mfttthew Henry, " how empty the earth is of the glory of 
 
 t ..« The founder of the; order caUed t)M oixler of Jetut or /«4«i<*. 
 
 
8tian man 
 leart : ff, I 
 iW not be 
 ve given. 
 ely valu- 
 and such 
 d to seek 
 iquer the 
 Francis 
 a Loyola 
 (Under a 
 pergevcr- 
 lis order. 
 id his aA 
 he never 
 if Christ, 
 orld and 
 e for his 
 leone of 
 'hat the 
 the sim- 
 fficulty. 
 8 for pa- 
 How ? 
 ^ntinual 
 ood and 
 granite 
 rvater so 
 lere tho 
 r whicij 
 , to saw 
 thrown 
 but tho 
 did the 
 
 (1! O'OO']. 
 
 eek are 
 [ whom 
 lajonty 
 pious 
 lory of 
 
 TO S8EK THE S/'LTATTON OF S6TTLS. 
 
 2^ 
 
 God ; how little service and honour he has fronrj a world to 
 which he is such a bountiful benefactor.'* The kinjjdom of 
 Christ only includes, as yet, a minority of the human race — 
 the nnajor part of mankind belong to satan. Millions know 
 nothing of the Saviour's nanrje — the Saviour's precious love. 
 Misery meets us on every hand. We have relieved a few 
 miserable objects by money, or by considerate and kind acts, 
 which are more valuable than money ; but there are numbers 
 more needing our aid. We may have saved a few souls from 
 death, but there are numbers more, with whom we are ac- 
 quainted, who still are under the curse of God's holy law, and 
 who imperatively need our most zealous efforts to pluck them 
 from the burning. Can we sit down then at ease, and take 
 our rest ? These facts say emphalical./. No. 
 
 Much has been done ; thousands upon thousands have been 
 saved, through the individiual and united efforts of God's peo- 
 ple ; but still, the-o are hundreds, thousands, millions, yea, 
 hundreds of millions more who need turning from darkness 
 to light, and from the power of satan to God. Can we cease 
 our exertions, fold our a^ms, and seek our repose, while the 
 dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.? 
 — while paganism exists with all its sickening impurities, and 
 with all its horrid barbarities? — while the i^ 'coran of Maho- 
 met is still extant, and thousands of his foUnwors are expect- 
 ing his return, and a heaven of sensual bliss ? — while the 
 Jews still retain their deep-rooted prejudices, and reject our 
 glorious Messiah " — while niillions in the nations of Christen- 
 dom arc living without Christ, having no hope, and without 
 God in the world ? With these facts before us, does it become 
 us, as a portion of the saeramentul host of God's elect, to furl 
 our banners, throw down our weapons^ and cease to fight, as 
 though the battle were won and the conquest achieved. Ah, 
 no ! R'se yo men and women of God, gird on your armour, 
 concentrate your energies, go forth in the name of your God, 
 and never think of ceasing your zeolous labours till Christ's 
 reign becomes as extensive as the globe ; till every man, 
 woman, and child, in tho wide world, is found sitting at the 
 feet of Jesus, and ascribing salvation to God and the Lamb. 
 Cease our efforts while there are hundreds in this town un- 
 converted, going down to hell ? We must not think of such 
 a thing ; but girding up tho loins of our minds, we must re- 
 double our etJorta, anc} save somo of them from eternal 
 woe. 
 
 Some relax their efforts because there is so much to be 
 
394 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 ii 
 
 done, and because so little is accomplished ; but these thoughta 
 ought not to damp our zeal. A converted Jew, pleading the 
 cause of the society through whose instrumentality he had 
 been brought to a knowledge of Christianity, was opposed by 
 a learned gentleman, who spoke very lightly of the objects 
 of the society and its efforts, and said, " He did not suppose 
 they would convert more than a hundred all together," " Bo 
 it so," replied the Jew ; " you are a skilful calculator ; take 
 your pen now, and calculate the worth of one hundred im- 
 mortal souls !" Tliis Jew's heart was right, and he gave the 
 proper answer to one who could oppose and sneer at a society 
 that he thouglit might save one hundred immortal souls. Wo 
 may not see so much good done as wo could desire, but if any 
 souls are saved through our zealous labours, the good accom- 
 plished is both incalculable and interminable. If we are not 
 always zealously airrctrd in good, none may be saved; but 
 if wo are unwearied in our eff)rts, we shall save some. 
 And the yalvation of one soul will more than compensate for 
 all the toiL< the privations, and the anxieties of one short life. 
 This thouglit influenced the n)ind of one of the American 
 missionarii s, I\Ir. Uo\, who, a short time bcCovo he sailed for 
 Africa, visited the university at Middletown. In conversa- 
 tion with one of the students, he said, " If I die in Africa, 
 you must come after me, and write my epitaph." To which 
 the other rrplird, " T will ; but what shall I write ?" "Let 
 a thousand missionaries die l-fore AlViea bn given up," was 
 the reply. In this spirit ho died, and in this spirit all Chris- 
 tians slioidd both live and die. 
 
 Unwearied 'xal in doiufr good is necessary fo the conlinu- 
 ancc. of our mm persona/ piety, and to mir eternal, safety. 
 There arc pmli'ssors who can comprehend an nrgurnent dravvn 
 from personal niotives better than any drawn from other 
 sources. This last thought, thrreforc, on the necessity of un- 
 wearied zeal in the eaust; of (Jod, and Clirist, and human 
 souls, wo trust will have the desired ell! et, if nothing else 
 v/ill, of causing us all to bo zealously afPected always in good. 
 Our own souls are staked on llu; coiuinunnce of our zeal in 
 the cause of (Jod. Our piety can oidy he secured Ity our 
 unwearied ellorts to <io good. Heaven (h peiids, more than 
 numbers imagine, on persevering zeal. Unconcern for God's 
 glory, carelessness &l»out the ( xtensi(.n of lli(> Redeemer's 
 kingdom, inditK-rence U^. tho eternal weljhre (^f imniorfal souls, 
 displeases (Jod, wounds Christ, grieves the Jr^pirit ; will cause 
 the Father to forsake us, the Son to deny us, the Holy Spirit 
 
 ^^•* 
 
TO SEEK THE SALTATION OF SOULS. 
 
 395 
 
 to fight against us. Barren fig-trees are sometimes cursed at 
 once, nncl they wither in a day. Barren fig-trees are some- 
 times spared for a year, at the intercession of the vine-dresser, 
 until more moans are used to maice them fruitful; but the 
 vine-dresser himself declares that they sliall be cut down at 
 the end of the year, if they bring forth no IVuit. But we 
 liavo plain, positive proof that men will lose their religion and 
 be cast off by Christ if they become lukewarm. The Laode- 
 ceans became lukewarm ; they lost their zeal, and were in- 
 different about the glory of God, the triumphs of Christ, the 
 salvation of souls : and Jesus therefore plainly tells them that 
 he will cast them olf. Ilis words are, " I know thy works, 
 that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would tlmt thou wert 
 cold or hot. So then because thou art lukrwarm, and neither 
 cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." But not 
 wishing to punisli them with eternal danuiation, he gives them 
 an oj)portutiity to recover his justly forfeited favour ; hence, 
 he says, " B:' zealous thrrefore, and repent. Behold, I stand 
 at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice and open 
 the door, I will come in to hini, and sup with him anil ho with 
 me." Me has left the heart for their lukewarnuH^ss : this is a 
 dreadful evil. But he stands at the door : this is a great 
 mercy. Tiie,y may yet be saved ; but only on the condition 
 of their becoming zealous, repenting of their past hike- 
 warmness, Ix^ariiig Christ's voice, atul t)penin<; the door. On 
 these conditions, and on these alone, will Jesus return to their 
 hearts. If they rejecl them, they are for ever undone. 
 Christ is the same now as he Wns when b' revealed his dis- 
 pleasure against the Laodeeeaiis to Jolui the divine in thiMslo 
 of Patmos. He is as nuieli displeased with lukewarmness in 
 us, as he wixa with the lukewarmness in theLaudeceans ; and 
 he will as certainly cast us off, as he did them, if we are 
 guilty of the Mame sin. If Christ east us out, our piety will 
 wither and die us quickly as Joiia's gourd did, wjiieh perished 
 in a night ; yen, as quickly as the barren fig-lreo did, which 
 Jesus cursed : " 'I'he next day it was dried up from the roots." 
 So will it 1)0 wi'h our piety, if \\e cease to be zealous. And 
 when our pii ty is gone, wu caiuiot go to heaven; fjritis 
 writti'U, "Without holiness no man sliall see the Lord." Such 
 arc the reasons by which unwearied Christian zeal iscnforccd 
 upon oiu" attention and praeliee. 
 
 What shall wc my vnoTo to crxw^c you to Ih- ?.-alou-]y -•? Hoot- 
 ed always in good ? Shall we remind you of past indiller- 
 enco ? it has been great. Do you fuel that you have not 
 
 (4 
 
 ili 
 
 t . !■ J 
 
 P 
 
296 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIiiNS 
 
 done vvhat you could and what you might for the glorv of 
 God, the cause of Christ, the salvafion of fouls ? Hal Chri° 
 left your heart in consequence of your sinful apathy ? Th" 
 be zea bus and repent ; for he has not left the door -he stands 
 knocku,^;; and if you vvillhe zealously afTecd 'always in 
 good miuture he will return to your 'sorrowfu hearraid 
 restore to you the joy of his salvation. ' 
 
 I>" yo", my hearers, rcallydesire God to be fflorified Christ's 
 cause to tr.umph, and souls to be saved ? the^ you mus to 
 zea ous and always zeu.ous, in seeking these glonousXcts 
 And what objects are so worthy of your zeal vour unS 
 zeal, as those which Christian zeal se^eksto obtain " ^ 
 
 Men applaud zeal in a patriot, a philanthropist, a states- 
 n an a genenU a tradesman, and why should no zeal be ap- 
 
 nfiutV" '' ^'"'f "1 • ^^^'^ °^J-''^'- Christian seeks a?e 
 
 nfin.tely superior to those sought by such men. Yet such is 
 
 he perverse spirit of the world, and of many professors of r^ 
 
 hgion 00, that ,f a bold Christian spirit oversteps the bounds 
 
 of that narrow circle u. which the majority of Christians arc 
 
 novmg, m order to do more good to his fallows, by arousi. ^ 
 
 tention\n"-'1 "^''^^^^^ '">Portance of an imnfediatc a^ 
 
 ustly, unkindly branded as an enthusiast. Rut let such 
 know that they are ignorant of the very meaning of the crm 
 enthusiasm The author of the Natural Histo.y of E thu 
 asm has justly observe,!, « Enthusiasm is a term of q u a ty ^^^^^^ 
 of .neasurement Where there i. no error of im,u. nation^ 
 o misju g,ng of reali.ies-no calculations which r? so " "on- 
 M nns, the le .s no enthusiasm j even tiiough the soul may bo 
 u hre, with the velocity of its movemonn in pursuit of .^ 
 chosen object. ' Now, is there any error in the irnai riat on 
 
 u nm Mu L , t ' ' "''' "'1^ '" «i"<'«i"g of realities, when 
 u nmu judgos that satan's kmg,|„m is extensive, that it 
 ought to he destroyed, and that (Christ actually d cd npo 
 d vilT'A^e 'r '"''•""' of d<.stroying the w^dcs of Z 
 tlLl ul '\ ""^. ''•"'«'<l'"io"« which reason con, 
 
 . Men wo reckon that out of ten hundred millions of 
 human bein-rs, ,nore than seven hundnd millions of them are 
 «..H,g tahel and will be them in unutterable agony in thi y 
 
 ycNirs horn, his ho,,rjfson,ahingmo,ri\s not don,MoLvotS 
 than u hat is now b.-ing .lone ? VVe hurl hnrk H.,. i.:.;! !!!:"' 
 
 iiot wuh scorn, but with (im, decision, and b,,ldly dare '/mv man 
 «o prove that ho is an enthusiast whose soul iHon firo to e^xt^^nd 
 
5 glory of 
 fas Christ 
 ? Then 
 he stands 
 Iways in 
 ?arts, and 
 
 I, Christ's 
 must be 
 
 s objects, 
 untiring 
 
 a stntes- 
 il be np. 
 ieeks are 
 t such ij^ 
 )rs of re- 
 bounds 
 ians are 
 irousing 
 liatc at- 
 c^ly, un. 
 f^t such 
 ho term 
 Inthusi- 
 lity, not 
 lation — 
 son con- 
 may bo 
 t of its 
 inution, 
 ed with 
 ', whon 
 that it 
 lI upon 
 of the 
 1 con. 
 ions of 
 cm are 
 1 fhirt} 
 e lljcm 
 station, 
 y mun 
 extend 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 297 
 
 the glory of God, the triumphs of the cross, and to save the 
 souls of men from a burning hell. We have none of us zeal 
 enough in seeking these objects. Christians, to come up to 
 their duty, ouglit to have and to manifest, according to their 
 ability, in the sphere in whicii they move, the zeal which glow- 
 ed in an Eliott, a Brainani, a Schwartz, a Martyn, the VVes- 
 leys, a Whitfield, and a Flrtcher. Of all these it may truly 
 be said, they were always zealously afTi-ctod in good. Klioit, 
 writing on one occasion to the Hon.Mr.Winslow, says, *'I have 
 not been dry, night nor day, from the tliird day of the week 
 to the sixth ; but so travelled ; and at night have pulled of my 
 boots, wrung my stoc 'tings, and so put them on again ; and 
 thus I continue ; but God steps in and helps. I have con- 
 sidered the word of God in 2 Tim. ii. 3 : ' Endure hardness 
 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.' " Nor was this a solitary 
 instance of self-denial ; perhaps the world has never witness- 
 ed a life mor(> truly d(;voted to privations than that of this 
 iioly man. Well might be be expfctod to say, just before bis 
 death, "Welcome joy !"" On tlie day of iiis (bnith, in his 
 eightieth year, this " apostle of the Indians," was found teach- 
 ing the alphabet to an Indian child at bis bed-side. " Why 
 not rest from your labour now," said a friend. " Oecause," 
 said the venerable man, " 1 have j)rayed to God to render me 
 useful in my sphere ; and he has heard my prayer, for now 
 that I can no lunirer preach, he leaves me strength enough to 
 teach this poor cJiild his alphabet." 
 
 " O for n zoal liko liis, tli;it we 
 The biitflit extiMiple miy pursue ! 
 
 Mny frlndly give up nil In llii'c, 
 
 To wlioni our moif tli;in nil is cIiip." 
 
 O brethren, where is our zeal for the nrioiy of (Jod ? Where 
 is our strength to pull down the strongholds of the devil, to 
 drive back the hosts of hell, and to advance the interests of 
 Christ ? Whi^re is the sounding of our bow( Is and nur mer- 
 cies to the ruined children of men? Are tliey restrained ? 
 God, and Christ, and hundreds of millions of human souls, 
 who are perishing, cry to us to ni<,'ht — He zealous ! Every 
 Heeling hour, (very returning Sabbath, every funeral seenr, 
 cry — Hez(>aloiis! "Whatsoever thy band (ind( lb to do, do 
 it with thy might : for the night comeih when no man can 
 work." 
 
 
 h 
 
 i 
 
 
 I- 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 r, 
 
 
 1 
 
 t' 
 5* ' 
 
 J 
 
 
 ', 
 
 !' 
 
 
 ,4 
 
 -,} 
 
 ii. 
 
 
 1 :: 
 
 i./r 
 
 

 '1!:; -..y/ix oj hint jRaott) m,!; >m f(iqfrn>ri» ., ■■'i'',vvth^ 
 
 U\- X :;!! ? ) - - ;; -.vrj ..V/ !' ; 1...., . . : . , , ' '■/ '' 
 
 
 ■.'lij 
 
 tmj;ff» 111 ' 
 
 ■ ■ YMffi !! 
 
I in,* 
 
 DISCOURSE XV. 
 
 THE CLAIMS OP JEHOVAH UPON OUR SERVICES, iN THE 
 SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 " Ye are not your own : For ye are bought with a price ; therefbr*: 
 glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." — 
 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 
 
 In the discourses already delivered, on " The Obligations 
 of Christians to save the Souls of their Fellow-men," the ar- 
 guments we have u.scd, to induce you to discharge those obli- 
 gations, have chiefly been drawn from the good you will 
 accomplish l)y your efforts ; and from the satisfaction and joy 
 you will derive from success in your work. In this discourse 
 we shall take higher ground, and endeavour to enforce those 
 oblij^ations on your attention, from a consideration of th« 
 claims which Jehovah has upon the services of his people, in 
 the great work of saving souls. 
 
 We have already shown that Christians are agents in the 
 conversion of sinners : that God has constituted his people 
 the •* Salt of the earth, and tiio light of the world," for the 
 express purpose of saving men from death : and we have 
 pointed out some of the most promineit means by which you 
 may answer the great designs of the Messed God, in consti- 
 tuting you his agents in this impo-tar/ work. Let us now 
 candidly and patiently consider the claims which Jehovah has 
 upon our services. 
 
 We must not labour to save souls merely for their benefit 
 and our joy ; but principally to please God, whose we are, 
 and whom wo ought to serve. In the great work of saving 
 souls, God is the master ; we are only the servants. We 
 have no right to attempt this work without his authority, and 
 we cannot succeed in it without his blessing. Receiving our 
 authority from him, wo have a right to attempt the salvation 
 of any human being : for he says, justly, " All souls are 
 mine.'' Attended by his tdcssmg, wo shall succeed in our 
 work. Complete failure is impossible. 
 
 " Exrrpt llic lioni conduct the plnn, 
 
 Tli»' 'ic't I'onrcrted hchcnica are vnin, « 
 
 Ami riivi'r eim Kiiccccd : 
 Wf Bpiii'l our little Ptrciigtli for nought ; 
 But if our ^vorl.^ in God are wrought, 
 
 They t«hiill bo .lei. M indrcd." 
 
300 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Havirior the sanction of God, and .asauro-l of his blessirifr, wc 
 may labour for the salvation of souls without any hesitation 
 and with p(>rf(.ct confidonco of success. In discussin-r the 
 important uubjnct presented to tiiq mind ia tlie-tPAt, we shall 
 endeavour to show, 
 
 I. T|ic claims which Jehovah has upon our services. 
 
 II. The frround upon which Paul asserts the claims of God 
 to our services. • ^ ; 
 
 III. The manner in which ^rtlir oblifrations to Jehovah must 
 
 he dischan^etl. '.:,./, 
 
 Mii'-'frfi'" 
 
 I. Tiic claims which Jehovah, has upon our, services' 
 
 To hitve proper views of th^ nature and extent of Jehovah's 
 claims upon our servicej^,. is of the hicrhest importance • for 
 It we cvr m our views upon these points,, it is impo.ssible for 
 us to render unto Go.l perfrot nnd aeceptahio obedionco. 
 Kig It views must precede rinht practice. Howid-ver we may 
 be disposal t.j do that which is rinht,.we. camint do it if we 
 know not what is ri-ht. David acknowledged lliis, when he 
 said, " leach me to do thy will ; (ur thou art my God • thv 
 fcr>pu-it IS frood ; l,Mid mo into the hmd of upnuhtue^w "-1 
 salm c.xliii. 10 .Saul of Tarsus most feeliuf.Tv acknow. 
 ledgod tins tr>nh. when '• He iremblinK and aston'ishod said, 
 Lord, what wilt thou have me lo do f'—\c\H \x. {.\. The 
 tliousunds on the day of Pentecost ncknowled-r, d ihis truth 
 who, when " Tl"'y were pricked in iheir heart, said unto 
 1 ctcr and to the r,>,st of ih<- apo,si],.s, M.-n and brethren, what 
 shall we r/o.A'_Acis ii. \M . And not to multiply cases to 
 evince this trulli, which is nearly self-evident, we will only 
 observe, that the rich, yoim<r nobleman who came to Christ 
 imdsaid, " Good .na.^:er, u hit .shall / ,/o to inherit elernal 
 lile.' and the Philippian jailor, who «aid I.. Paul and Silasi 
 hirs, what must 1 do to he saved V hmh acluiowlod'Md thev 
 could not do the will of God until they knew it. ° 
 
 All rclh^hm ronsUs in oLri/inir dod irilli a perfect heart and 
 wdh a inlmiff mind. Rep ■iitaucv \or .sin is .jb.d'ieiice m (Jod's 
 comman.l. Faith in (Christ is iIk- work which God ivnuircs 
 us to perlorni. All.'ndiuM- to tvli-i.ais duties is obeyi„.r the 
 will ol (ind Ijoinir juslly, lovin!,^ mercy, ami waflun-r 
 I'umbly wiih (.od. are what he enjoins. Lahourin-r with ail 
 our rmjrht lo,vavo immortal souls from death is only ob(dience 
 to God ; l,,r lie says to all his (diildreii, in reference to every 
 sinner ot their ac(,uaintance, " Deliver him from going down 
 
TO SftEK THE SALVATION OP SOUtS. 
 
 301 
 
 to the pit : I have found a ransom." Thus, it is evident that 
 all religion consists in perfect and vi^illing obedience to God's 
 commands. 
 
 One reason why so many professors of religion are so very 
 imperfect in their obedience to God, is their ignorance of the 
 nature and extent of the claims of Jehovah upon them. They 
 are ignonmt of their duty to God, because they are ignorant 
 of the Scriptures. Tlioy may not be ignorant of the letter, 
 but they are ignorant of the spirit and meaning of the word 
 of God. They liave not, by diligent study, and by earnest, 
 believing prayer, had their eyes oponed to see the wondrous 
 things contained in God's law. " Thoy do err, not knowing 
 the Scriptures, nor the power of God." The power of God 
 has not aecom[)anied their reading of the Scriptures. If all 
 Christians were to study the Sacred Volume, with earnest 
 prayer lor Divine illumination, in order that they might know 
 the will of God concerning them, they would soon understand 
 their duty ; and instead of resting satisfied with imperfect 
 obedience, if tlioy are sinerre, they will stir up themselves 
 to take hold of God, and will never rest till they have Divine 
 strength siidicient to enable them to do the will of God on 
 earth, as it is done in heaven. 
 
 In the present day, the sentiment prevails extensively that the 
 claims of God upon us arc not paramount and universal, but 
 inferior and partial. Very few of the people of God believe 
 tiiat hf has an exclusive right to their bodios, souls, estates, 
 and all that thoy possess ; and, therefore, when they do any 
 thing for God and the salvaticu of innnortal soids, tliey con- 
 sider that th(>y are making sacrifices for God and for the souls 
 of men : that tlicn^ Is some dogree of merit in what thoy do. 
 We have boton; now stood aghast with horror, and liave near- 
 ly wept with grief, when we liave hoard profossed Christians 
 talk of the sacrificos they have made for God and the salva- 
 tion of itnmortnl souls. We ciiaritably hopo that all who use 
 sucli laiiguago do it In ignoraneo ; and that thoy do not really 
 mean that tlioy j)orfI)rm works of suptu'erogation, when they 
 do anytlung for God and for the welfare of hunian souls. A 
 sacrlfico, in the strict and propor sense of the torm. is n vie. 
 tini oirofod to God, to bi' dostroyod \'n\- tlie sake of something 
 else. Under the Christian disponsntion there is but one such 
 Hacrifice ; and that is the porp(>tual sacrifice of Christ, who 
 oilbred hirusolf on tlie altar of tho frnsH as t!'o a-'c"!'''*?' ';^r 
 the sins of tho world. Jr\ tlio sertso of devoting to God that 
 whicii wo njight justly retain, none of us ever did, or over 
 
 20 
 
802 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 can, make a sacrifice, either for God, or for the souls of men. 
 In a figurative and an accommodated sense, tiie bodies of 
 Christians, and their religious services, particularly their praises 
 to Orod and works of benevolence to men, are called sacrifices, 
 because tiiey are well pleasing to God— are as acceptable to 
 Inm as a s\vcct-smelling sacrifice is agreeable to us: but 
 the idea of our losing anything by such saci-ificcs, or of 
 7nenn}ig anything, never entered the minds of any of 
 the sacred writers; for such an i<lea is contrary to the 
 analogy of ffiith, to plain expressions of other parts of Sacred 
 Writ, and is, in fact, a monstrous absurdity. When we are 
 commanded to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God 
 the expression means that there must be a complete surrender 
 of the person— the lody, the whole man, mind and flesh, must 
 be given to God ; and that he is to consider himself no more 
 his own, but the entire property of his Maker— to be as 
 waoLy tlie Lord s property us the tvho/c burnl-offcring was 
 no part being devoted to any other use. But, 'then, when 
 we thus, devote all we have and arr to God, we confer upon 
 him no favor : we do nothing more than our duty. Nay, we 
 deserve eternal punishment lor not havhig done this from' the 
 moment we came to those years when we could distin-^uish 
 between goou and evil. All tlio years we lived unio ourselves 
 we were positively robbing God of that whieh justly belonrr. 
 ed to Inm; for our text doelares, ''Ye are nut your own • 
 your body and spirit are God's." 
 
 How any person can make a sacrifice hv God, in the sense 
 ot loss, we confess that we are utterly unable to comprehend. 
 All that we possess belongs to God. How any man can Iosp 
 anything, u ho positively has. nothing to lose, is beyond the 
 power of any rational man to conceue. How, then, ciin wc 
 ose anything (or God, and in the service of God, when our 
 bodies and spinls are his ? Tiiat rdl we have is God's, micrht 
 bo proved by many solid, eonvineinnr, unanswerable argu- 
 ments. W (' might remind you of the Author of your beim^ • 
 ot the han-1 by which you are daily fed and hourlV sustained • 
 of the Creator of this world, and the sole proprietor of the 
 fulness theivof: of the owner of all the gold and silver in 
 existence, and of the cattle upon a thousand hills. We 
 could prove ihat this being has made you only the stewards 
 ol the projurty you call your own : that you are dependant 
 upon him lor lifb, and bivath, and all thin<r"s ; for in him vou 
 live, and n.ove, and have your being ; nnd that after you 
 have served him to the utmost extent of your ability, you are 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 SOS 
 
 Is of men. 
 bodies of 
 eir praises 
 sacrifices, 
 3ptablo to 
 ' us ; but 
 3CS, or of 
 ' any of 
 •y to the 
 of Sacred 
 ?n we uro 
 :e to God, 
 surrender 
 psh, must 
 fno more 
 -to be as 
 ring was, 
 :>n, when 
 lier upon 
 Nay, we 
 from the 
 stinguisli 
 3urselves 
 / belong. 
 )ur own : 
 
 tlie sense 
 preliend. 
 can lose 
 .'ond tlio 
 , can we 
 I'iicn our 
 's, might 
 ;e argu- 
 r being : 
 istained : 
 )r of the 
 siher in 
 ^. We 
 stewards 
 'pendant 
 him you 
 fter you 
 you are 
 
 nothing but unprofitable servants. But we waive all these 
 arguments for the present, for the text alone proves, to a de- 
 demonstration, that Jehovah's claims upon the services of his 
 people, in saving souls, are paramount aNd universal : 
 tlierefore we are in error, grievous and ruinous error, 
 if we suppose that we are making sacrifices for him and 
 ids cause, and performing works of supererogation when 
 we do anything fjr God, in the salvation' of the souls of men. 
 We must present ourselves to God as living sacrifices ; but in 
 so doing, we do not make sacrifices to God, for we are already 
 God's property. 
 
 That the clahns of Jehovah I'pon the services of his 
 people, in the salvation of the souls of men, are paramount 
 and universal, is ahundanthj evident from the unrestricted 
 declarations of the Apostle, *' Ye are not your own ; your 
 l>ody and spirit are God's." If these propositions bo true, 
 then Jehovah has an exclusive right to our bodies and souls, 
 and justly demands our utmost service ; for we have no right 
 to dispose of ourselves, or of what Jehovah has entrusted to 
 our care, as thougli we wore independent of God. The 
 doctrine of this text is entireh disregarded by all tlie un- 
 godly. They think that thoy are their own, and that they 
 have a right to do as they please. And under tlie influence 
 of this deadly error, they live in (hr"ct opposition to the will 
 of God, saying, by their conduct, wiih the hardened and im- 
 pious Pharaoh, " Who is the Loi'il, that I should obey his 
 voice ?'' If there are any of the ungodly here present, we 
 \vould ask, even at the risk of hehm charircd with a dijires- 
 sion, because you have been accustomed to think tiiat j-ou 
 ure your own, and have a right to do as you please, docs it 
 lijllow that you are your own masters ; tiiat God has no claim 
 upon you and your services ? Wo must Jirst ascertain 
 niiethcr or not >ou have been accustomed to think rightly, 
 betbre we can assent to anything like such a propi.sition. If 
 your thoughts are brought to, and tried by the VVord of God, 
 they will be found erroneous. The Word of God declares, 
 in numberless passages, the truth taught in these lines : — 
 
 " His Eoveirirrn power, witliout our aid, 
 
 Made us ol' clay, and t'oruiud us nu'n ; 
 And wIkmi, like wiindcung slitep, wc slruyed, 
 
 IIo brouglit us to his t'uld again." 
 
 You liavo been accustomed, therefore, to think most errone- 
 ously, and you are decidedly wrong in supposing that you 
 are your own, instead of God's. TJiough you may not de- 
 
304 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 •J: 
 
 i 
 
 Sire the knowledge of God, and though you will not have 
 Jehovah to reign over you ; yet, be assured, you are his pro- 
 perty ; and you are acting most unjustly, most ungratefully, 
 most impiously, in withholding from him the love of your 
 hearts, the homage of your lips, and the services o^ your 
 lives. " Will a man rob God ?" He will. But he cannot 
 do so with impunity ; therefore, we earnestly advise all of 
 you who are unconverted to " Give glory to the Lord your 
 God, before he cause darkness, and before' your feet stumble 
 on the dark mountains, and, while ye look'for light, he turn 
 
 it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness." 
 
 Jer. xiii. 16. 
 
 It is strange that wicked men should be so blinded as to 
 think they owe their Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer no 
 homage, no love, no obedience ; but it is still more astonish- 
 ing that any professor of religion should be found entertain- 
 iiig sentiments opposed to the propositions contained in the 
 text. Still, however, this is the case. There are vast num- 
 bers of Christians who have been accustomed to think, that 
 though they are laid under deep and numerous obligations to 
 love and serve God, yet they do not think that they are ex- 
 clusively the property of God, and that his claims upon them 
 are paramount and universal. They think that they have a 
 'Mst right cither to do, or to leave undone, many things which 
 the providence and the Spirit of God have called Uiem to 
 perform. They think that they may either seek the salva- 
 tion of souls, or leave it undone, just as they think proper. 
 Some think they may cithe- preach the Gospel or not, as 
 they ^please ; never dreaming that having the ability to preach 
 the Gospel lays them under the necessity to do so ; and that 
 a curse will rest ujwn them if they refuse to " Preach the 
 word." " For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothinjr 
 to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me ; yea, woe is unto 
 me, if I preach not the gospel !" — 1 Cor. ix. 16. Others, 
 who are not called to preach, but who haVe talents for use- 
 fulness in other departments of Christian labour, think they 
 inay either employ those talents, or bury them, as they please'. 
 They evidently do not think that God has a right to' the use 
 of the talents which he has committed to their care, unless 
 they think proper to give them to Him. If such parties have 
 done the things which they have been called to do, by the 
 Providence and Spirit of God, they have considered that' they 
 have performed works of supererogation, and that they have 
 done more than God could reasonably require, or justly ex- 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVA'J'ION OF SOtJLS. 
 
 305 
 
 not have 
 3 his pro- 
 •atefully, 
 
 of your 
 of your 
 e caniK>t 
 56 all of 
 ord your 
 
 stumble 
 , he turn 
 less." — 
 
 ed as to 
 Dtner no 
 istonisli- 
 iitertain- 
 d in the 
 ist num- 
 nk, that 
 itions to 
 
 are ax- 
 on them 
 
 have a 
 fs wliich 
 them to 
 3 salva- 
 
 proper. 
 
 not, as 
 ) preach 
 nd that 
 ach the 
 nothing 
 
 is unto 
 Others, 
 for use- 
 Ilk they 
 
 please, 
 the use 
 
 unless 
 es have 
 
 by the 
 lat they 
 !y have 
 5tly ex« 
 
 pect from them ; therefore, they have foolishly thought, and 
 unwisely said, that they have made sacrifice-o for God, by 
 what they have done. But do these views harmonize with 
 the doctrine contained in the expressions, " Ye are not your 
 own. . . . Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, 
 which are his ?" Most certainly they do not. The doctrine 
 of the text is at eteraal variance witli the views now under 
 consideration. The man who does all he can for God, in every 
 possible way, no more performs works of supererogation than 
 that man does who pays a just debt ; lor ho barely does his 
 duty, and nothing more : while that n: -n who neglects to do 
 anything for God, which he can do, is manifestly unjust ; for 
 he refuses to use the talents which God has entrusted to his 
 care, in the way that God directs. That these statements are 
 correct, we think the text abundantly proves. 
 
 If, then, the foregoing reasonings ra-e correct, and we urge 
 you to test thorn by the only standard of truth — the Word of 
 God, we are brought to the conclusion, that the claims of 
 God upon us are paramount and universal. His claims to 
 our services stand above and before tlio claims of our fami- 
 lies, of oui friends, of our business, of our pleasure, yea, of 
 our own lives. And while His claims are thus paramount, 
 they are also universal. He has a rigiit to the service of our 
 bodies, our souls, our time, our infiucjice, our property, our 
 wives, our children, our all. He c immands us to serve him 
 to the utmost of our ability, in the great work of saving souls : 
 the ways in which wo are thus to serve him have been 
 already pointed out. Has not Jehovah solid claims to our 
 best and unwearied services in this great work ? Perhaps 
 some demur. Inclination, or habit, or fear, or shame, pre- 
 vents them from candidly acknowledging that Jehovah has a 
 paramount and universal claim to their best and unvvearied 
 efforts in saving souls. We shall, therefore, proceed to 
 consider, 
 
 II. The ground upon which Paul asserts Jehovah's claims 
 to our services. 
 
 " Yc are bought with a price." Then wo are not only 
 God's property, but his purchased property. In order that 
 we may rightly understand this reason which Paul gives, why 
 we are not our own, and why we should jrlnrifv (rod in our 
 bodies and spirits, which are his ; — and in order that we may 
 become more deeply impressed in reference to the claims 
 
 y 4 
 
 'h 
 
306 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 \l\ 
 
 
 which Jehovah has upon our best and unwearied services iu 
 the great work of saving souls, let us consider, 
 
 The position in which sin had placed us. Man, you are 
 perfectly aware, is a fallen creature. He is not now what he 
 was when created by Jehovah. He was then wise, holy, be- 
 nevolent, and Imppy. He stood erect in the image of his 
 Maker. His soul, a transcript of the moral loveliness and 
 grandeur of the great I am. His body the most fearful and 
 wonderful of all God's material works. There is nothing 
 wanting in man to complete his dignity and his bliss. He 
 stands forth the latest and bf>st of all the works of the great 
 Creator. Divine wisdom, and power, and goodness have ex- 
 hibited their loftiest attributes in the creation of man. God 
 had before now created spirits— wise, holy, benevolent, and 
 happy ; he had before now created material objects of 
 wonderful beauty, loveliness, and grandeur : for angels ex- 
 isted before man's creation, and the heavens, and the earth, 
 .ind the sea, and all to be found in them, were made before the 
 progenitor^ of our race were created. But now the blessed 
 Three in One confer together. The decree is passed to form 
 a creature like to whom, as yet, none exists in the creation 
 of God. That decree is recorded in these words : <'Letus 
 make man in our own image, after our own likeness : and let 
 them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the 
 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and 
 over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 
 That decree was instantly carried into effect ; for it is imme- 
 diately added, " So God created man in his own image, in the 
 image of God created he him ; male and female created he 
 them."— Gen. ii. 26, 27. Behold then this wonderful crea- 
 ture as he conies forth from tlie hand of his Maker. He is 
 allied to angels ; possessing a nature like theirs, and intellec- 
 tual and moral powers equal to theirs. He is endowed with 
 reason, will, memory, conscience, and affections. His new 
 born spirit is filled with liglit, love, purity, and joy; and basks 
 in the unclouded light of Jehovah's smiling countenance. But 
 look further and you will see that he is allied to the material 
 world in which he is placed ; for he has a human body, the 
 most wonderful of all tlio animate and inanimate things, and 
 of all the living creatures which God has made, and by w])ich 
 man is surrounded. Look at that body : is it not fearfully 
 and wonderfully made ? " The complicated and curious tex- 
 ture of the human body is indeed wonderful ; and it is so ex- 
 quisitely nice and delicate, that the slightest accident may im- 
 
TO SEEK TlvE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 807 
 
 pair and destroy in a moment some of those parts essentially 
 necesoary to the continuance of life ; and hence we are both 
 fearfully and wonderfully made." Such is the truth in re- 
 ference to the human body marred by sin. But, oh ! look at 
 this wondrous Work of God before sin has touched it. See 
 that body ! — the eyes sparkle witii delight — the countonince 
 is radiant with joy — the elastic frame stands ereet, and the 
 limbs are full of strength and life. In thai body there is 
 nothing to impair its powers, to mar its beauty and grandeur. 
 We have seen some fine specimens of dignity and lovelmess 
 in human frames ; but we conceive, that for dignity of appear- 
 ance, none of the sons of men ever equalled Adam ; and for 
 loveliness, none of the daughters of men have ever rivalled 
 Eve. The soul thus glorious, and the body thus wonderful, 
 are, by the wisdom, and power, and goodness of God, united 
 in the closest bonds ; and man stands forth the great and only 
 connecting link between the spiritual and material works of 
 the great Creator. 
 
 No sooner did satan gaze upon this wonderful creation than 
 his hatred to God burst out afresh ; and he bent all his en- 
 ergies to ruin for ever the holy and happy pair, who, with love 
 unutterable and joy unspeakable, till the ground, eat the fruits, 
 drink the waters, traverse the walks, or recline in the bowers 
 of loveiy Eden. With his infernal cunning, he commences 
 his attack on the weaker of the two ; and, by his lies, he 
 raises unbelief and pride in the mind of Eve : thus effects her 
 ruin, and through her the ruin of Adam. They both eat the 
 forbidden fruit : their ruin and that of their posterity is effect- 
 ed. What a change we behold ! Adam and Eve flying from 
 the presence of God ; but they are speedily discovered ; they 
 are sentenced to endure the greatest of temporal miseries; 
 the ground is cursed for tiieir sake ; they are driven from 
 Eden ; they are doomed to death — temporal, spiritual, and 
 eternal. What a change has sin caused in that once happy 
 pair ! Their souls how changed ! their light has become 
 darkness ! their purity, pollution I their benevolence, selfish- 
 ness ! their joy, misery ! Their bodies begin to feel disease, 
 debility, and cxliaustion. The eye has lost its brilliancy, the 
 countenance its glow of health, the frame its elasticity, the 
 limbs their strength and life ! Man has become the guilty, 
 the weak, and the miserable creature we now beliold him : is 
 doomed to toil out a wretched existence on the earth, then to 
 become the companion of the devil and his angels in llie ever- 
 lasting fire which was prepared originally for devils alone. • 
 
308 
 
 THK OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 If 
 I' 
 
 In the sad consoquonnos of Adam's fall we all participate. 
 v\ come into t.io world in a state of ignorance, and with a 
 nature poworfidly in,-lined to evil. Soon as wo i)e.rin to ex- 
 orcise our intellectual and morrl powers, wo ^o ast°ruy from 
 <r,)ti Jikp ir.st sheep, and turn every one to his own way of sin- 
 ninrr. VVo are are f.und an unn^odlv race.—without strenrrth 
 do good,— at ennu-iywith (iod; t'ver aimmir at hapninSs, 
 but constantly missing the mark; ever existing under the 
 wrath of (rod, we are miserable in our souls, and all out- 
 ward thin;rs tend Jo angmrnt that mis.-rv. A-ainst us the 
 Clements war— th.> earth fighls— our fellow-bo'ings are array- 
 ocl. Death watches over every step we take, and is readv. 
 withoufj, moment s warning, to plunge his shaft into our hearts, 
 and sen.l our bodies to the grave, which -apos to ivceivc 
 Uem. I'or fho reception of our spirits hrl! has opoiiud wide 
 bn- jaws, and devils hover around us to drag tiiem into the 
 place of torment, soon us they escape the body, where they 
 niUMt (mdlessly cxi.st, en.luring tla^ fierceness of the 
 wrath of »;Vlmighty Gud. 8uch is a faint sketch of the posi- 
 liua m wluch sin luul placed us. Is it too highly drawn ? 
 ^^11, no. Ihe human heart cannot inm!,rine, much more do- 
 
 jenbe, tlio fad poMiioii in which shi had placed our race." 
 U e know not fully the meaning of thuso three declarations of 
 
 nolv writ ; '• lo be carnally minded is death l^ocause 
 
 the carnal muid is enmitv atrainst Cod." " The waces o( 
 mx is death." - The,s(, ihail go away into eternal punish- 
 ment. ' 
 
 Notr, Chrisfiam, mnrh fhfpo.^i/hn in which God has pfacerl 
 l)ou by tus ivarc. Hy his glorious grace he has chan^'ed vour 
 hearts your 5fate, an.i your prospeets. Your dark minds he 
 has enlightened,- your hard liearts he has broken, your stub- 
 born wills he has subdued, your aeared consciences he ha)^ 
 ^ottened, your wnn.leringimnginations ho Ims restrained, your 
 hlthy m'Muories ho has cleansed, your vain ihouidits ho has 
 hanishei . In one word, your ruined h.miIs he lias restored. 
 vour filthy natures he has washed in the laver of refrcnera. 
 tinn. and your broken pr.wers ho hns renewed : so tCat you 
 are new creatures in Clirist Jesus : " Old things have passed 
 awry, find all thing, have becon>o new." \h, has also 
 tniunged your state: f.r by his glorious grace ho has made 
 vou aeeepfed m the beloved. You are, therefore, now free 
 trom condemnation ; you have liberfv of nr.f.o«s to ti-MM-M'c 
 of grace; you have strength to do the will of Oo<l ; and you 
 hhvc fellowship with God and his Son Jesus Christ. Your 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 809 
 
 articipato. 
 ml with a 
 gin toex- 
 ti'uy fn^iTj 
 'ay of sin- 
 t .strength 
 lapfjuioss, 
 uulcv the 
 id all out- 
 ist us the 
 re array- 
 is roafly, 
 ir hourt's, 
 I) I'fccivc 
 iiL'd wide 
 
 into the 
 lero they 
 
 of the 
 tlie posi- 
 
 dii;\vn ? 
 more de- 
 )ur race." 
 'atiuiis oC 
 B) -cause 
 vajTcs ol 
 
 puiiish- 
 
 s placed 
 ,'Gd your 
 iiIikIh he 
 ur stu!)- 
 s lie ImiH 
 Dd, your 
 ? he has 
 •I'stnivd. 
 
 liat you 
 ' passed 
 lafj also 
 IS made 
 ow free 
 
 lud vou 
 "i'our 
 
 state therefore is most blessed : for you must have peace, and 
 joy, and love, and hope, through believing. You have God 
 for your Father and friend, Christ for your iiitisrcessor, the 
 Holy Spirit for your comforter, the angels for your minister- 
 ing spirits, the children of Goil for your companions — all 
 things working together for your good, and the alllietions of 
 the present life working out for you an increase of glory in 
 the world which is to come. If you are not happy, it is a 
 great shame. lie has also by his grace changed your pros- 
 pects. You have before you a career of usefulnn.ss, honour, 
 and joy ; for he; has called you to come to his help and assist 
 him in saving souls from death : yea, he has committed this 
 work exclusively to you and your fellow saints; so that a 
 glorious career lies before you if you will pluck up courage 
 and do wjiat Cud rr(|uires. In addiliMn to this, you have the 
 prospect of a peaceful, triumplnuit, useful death. And afler 
 you are dead, if you live aright, your souls shall rest 
 from their labours ; and you shiill continue to speak fjr 
 the good of souls and the glory of God through those 
 whonj you saved whiU; living. And then, above all, you have 
 the prospect of a glorious resurrection, and the gf)od hope that 
 an entrance will be ministered unto you abundantly into 
 the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. And in that kingdom you will wear a crown, waive 
 H palm, we;ir white robes, b(> iv{\ by the Lamb, and lead to 
 living fi)imtams of water; God will wipe all tears frotn your 
 eyes ; and, filled with wisdom, love, pni ity, joy, and glory, you 
 shall eternally sing th(! praises of (Jod untl the Lamb. Has 
 tiod thus of his I'n^e grace changed your jienrfs, your state, 
 and your prospects, and yet has not an exclusive right to your 
 bodies and spirits, — a paran)ount an<l universal claim upon 
 your services, in changing the jiearts, and stale and prospects 
 of your fell()W.creatur(>s who remain unehiuiged ? It c;uniot 
 be that you can think that you are your own, if you rightly 
 consider what God has done for yoo. You nnist own that yo 
 are God's, and that \w has a pariunount and universal claim 
 upon your services in the salvation of your fellow-men. 
 
 Think asrnhu y saints, that to do these preaf thhi!j;s for ynu 
 cost God much : for '* Venre houirht with a price..^' God could 
 not remit our punishment and restore us to his favour without 
 a pri ->, The law of God, which is holy, jtist, and gmxl, can- 
 not be broken with iinpuiiitv ; thereforo wn must filher perish 
 eternally, or a sufficient atonement must bo made for our sins. 
 The uature of Got! must bo entirely changed before he ciui 
 
 f 
 
310 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 11 
 
 wl oh r'l ^"° ^"P""'i>'^''- Sin is the abominable thing 
 wh ch God hates. It is rebellion against the government of 
 
 aestructivc to tlio order and happiness of his universe Tho 
 wisdom trut, .jus.ieo, holiness! 'and goodness o God,* tlJre? 
 of sumci'em tl '":" "''"""J" «--> -i^J-^t a ranson. "e 
 conn t n "'/"''r'"'" ^^"^ ^'"^ ^""'•"""ty "^ ^''^ oLce 
 T^Z'nrrTr'"'"' "f"'^'"' i''^^'°«' ^"^1 goodness. 
 . o itiv Jv f h'- ?rV'T '""'/'' ^^■^^'^'•""^^"tof JehSvahboth 
 positive]) fu bid that thr oii:,„|,,,r shall bo forgiven and re 
 
 dkT-Ilnnl V;V- ^•^^•^""r'^'*"! ^1-t sinneth, it shall 
 "10 , aii.l unless this ptii;,,l;y is .striefly inlliclod, the divine 
 
 KvThp'intt^ '^r '^' "'^"^>''^' "•"' ^"'^ I'i'nsdf deseed 
 >y all his intelligent creatuirs. Thellov VV rv,r>l-o m.cf 
 
 Jdm ^m r; -'7' " '''' 'r' ^" '^'^•■•'- "'^ -^>^an^ to^^S 
 bewiir.ri''- ''"'"r"^ un utonemo.t, uoul.l be ineom- 
 pam.le VMth tho chums of justice, and subversive of the di- 
 me gover^uuont; it would annul the authoriu of the law 
 
 fcguaid.s of moral order m tho uuivM-so ; aad weaken or 
 
 ;: !:?;'"r^^";r';^'' ^-^'-^^ »- obedience, to J;;;Snc^ 
 
 nei. .ee and holiness. Therefore a propitiation was ro! 
 'mnU and it VN-as presented in the saerifu-o of Christ " A 
 jT-'j^^.'^'-o'ir ransom suflieient to enabh, God to be - a iust 
 
 contrary, kuow not what they s.y, n.r whereof they af- 
 "•m. llK.y are lud aslray by that dcc: ■ful ouide, human 
 i;^^ nro bewildered in the ibyriiuhs o: prid^ alid Z 
 pieteJv lost m fii,> f);r,s of unbelief. 
 
 ^uib<mdage,_uusery, and eternal d.^^^^ 
 H tlioutaM.,,uivalent; and man not brhi.r able to uiv the 
 l'nceiv<iuuvd,Ile, in his love, found a ,;;>.J L^^. /^ 
 •v'/A.vr./ ranso., Tl,.- living J.hovah \.xclaims, ^. DH iver 
 I'm from going down to ihe pit: I hnve found a ransom " 
 
 I he price required, and vv hieh Jehovah paid, to satislV the 
 3lamisnlmfm.lewisd,.m,iu,stien. holiness,' truth, and good. 
 
 ess; th.yHiee require,! and pnid to vindicate the divine law, 
 and to make the divine govvrnm.ut re.spocte.l, was tho sacri, 
 . 0. u; u.u Lord Je«us Christ. The Father prepaivs a body 
 for the rton like unto ours in all things, sin only oxcoptel 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 311 
 
 Great as is the gift, — though Christ is the Son of God — of the 
 same nature, the same dignity, and the same duration, — though 
 he is his only hegotten Son, and his well heloved Son — yet, 
 he spares him not, but delivers him up for us all. Christ, in 
 obedience to the will of the Father, joyfully goes through the 
 preparatory course of temptations, poverty, ami sulforings, 
 which are requisite to fit him for the groat work of mediation 
 between God and man; and having finished his honourable 
 course, as the great exemplar of what man should he, and 
 should do, he arrives at the cross, and there he pours forth his 
 blood f(,)r tlio remission of sins ; niiikos liissoul un otl'^rinn- for 
 sin; expires (brsakon of God, in order that God may return 
 to man, and deliver him from his fall — savn him from his 
 punishment — restore him to the favour of his Maker, and fit 
 him /or, and bring him to heaven. Was not that price an 
 equivalent, yea, more tiian an equivalent for the sins of our 
 race ? The moral cxpedicnci) men may cry out, " Hero is the 
 marketing principle;" but we cannot, for their sneers, nor 
 yet for their candid arguniints, hiile the truth, tliat iho sacri- 
 fice of Christ is continually heUl forth in the scriptures as the 
 price--tlie equivalent — the all sufiicient ransom, tor the salva- 
 tion of the souls of men. One of the strongest minds that 
 the world has been blessed with of lale years ; a mind which, 
 for intellectual power, metaphysical skill, and critical acumen, 
 has rarely l':>en equalled, has given us the following thought : 
 "It is the grand error of iJeism to make; reason llie ultimate 
 judge, not only of \.\\q facts contained in revelation, but of the 
 nature of those facts and of the manner in which they exist. 
 Soeinianism is nothing more than l-eism refined. It takes 
 shelter under the letter of re>velation, and is tlu^ more danger- 
 ous because the more specious. It strikes me tiiat we susTain 
 towards Crod the joint character of criminals and debtors. 
 Our criminidity re(piires an expiation to be made ; but, if wo 
 be not considered in the light of d<d»tors also, I cannot con. 
 ooive how it can bo reconciled with moral justice that God 
 should accept the innocent for the guilty." — Samuel Drew, 
 Ai.A. In the light of criminals the llible n,. resents us, and 
 that God regarils us as debtors also, is clearly evident from the 
 Lord's prayer_, where Clirist con)mands us to pray to God to 
 forgive us our debts as wo forgive our debtors. Ilesides, if 
 the sacrifice of (;!lirist is only an expedient itj the nxiral gov- 
 ernment of God, bv which Jehovah graciously fbrj/ivcs the 
 jienitont, believing sinner, why could not this have been stated 
 in the scriptures in as clear terms as the doctrine of equiva- 
 
 'I »l 
 
 '•la 
 
812 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 lency is stated. In the blessed Bible we find nothing about 
 Christ s sacrifice being an expedient in the moral government, 
 by which sin is atoned for, and its punishment remitted ; but 
 we meet with numbers of passages which fully express that 
 his sacrifice was equivalent to the guilt and punishment of 
 mans sin; a sufticient price to secure the pardon of the one 
 and the remission of the other. What mean the expressions, 
 " Ye are bought with a price ; Redeemed not with corruptible 
 things, such as silver and gold ; hut with the precious blood 
 ot Christ ; Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto (rod 
 oy thy blood ; He gave himself a ransom for all ; Christ hath 
 redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse 
 tor us : for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth 
 on a tree ; We have redemption throu-rh his blood, even^lio 
 forgiveness of sins, according to tho riches of his grace." If 
 these expressions do not point out tiie fact that Christ's sacri- 
 fice is tlie equivalent, and the only equivalent for our redemp. 
 tion, tiien they are calculated to mislead, and ou<rht to be 
 expunged from the word of God. Let us not be wise above 
 what IS written. The Holy Spirit has used, depend upon it, 
 the proper words to express the nature, the greatness, the 
 design of Chrisl's precious sacrifice. We have ever viewed 
 the sacrifice of Christ as more than an equivalent for the sins 
 of tiic human race. Less could not have sulliced for man's 
 guilt ; hut were the actual numbers of the human race to 
 multiply ten thousand f.ld to whatever have lived, do live, 
 and will live, the sacrifice of J(>sus would be suilicient for 
 them all. Christ is more excellent than all creature"). He 
 IS not only above all in excellency and dignity ; but he is the 
 fountain of the excellency of all creatuivs : "hence, his sacri. 
 fice is certainly sufiiei.ni for all men. His sacrificial death 
 not only appears a suHieieiit i)riee for the ransom of all the 
 human race in the estimation of men and angels; but the in- 
 finitely wise God declares it is suilicient. To describe the 
 greatness of iho price at which wo have been bouirht is hn- 
 possible. Teter most toiiehingly alludes to it in thesi) words: 
 " Ye were not redeciiifd with corruptible thiiiiis, as silver 
 and gold, from your vain conversation recoivecfby tradition 
 from your fathers ; hut with the precious blood of Christ, as 
 oi a lamb without l)lemish and without spot.^ This amaz- 
 ing price God paid Ibr every one of us ; lor " Christ by the 
 graco of God tasted death for every man." Christ is born 
 that we umy not die; Im is nulled to the cross ihul we may 
 go lice; ho endures the wrath of a sin avenghig God that 
 
TO S'EEt TBE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 313 
 
 ing about 
 'ernment, 
 tted ; but 
 jress that 
 liirent of 
 >f the one 
 pressions, 
 )rruptible 
 Dus blood 
 unto God 
 irist hath 
 e a curse 
 
 hangeth 
 even the 
 ee." If 
 t's sacri- 
 
 redemp. 
 ht to be 
 se above 
 
 upon it, 
 less, the 
 r viewed 
 • the sins 
 )r man's 
 1 race to 
 , do live, 
 iient for 
 es. He 
 le is the 
 lis sacri. 
 al death 
 
 all the 
 t the in- 
 ribo the 
 it is iin. 
 
 words : 
 s silver 
 radition 
 hrist, as 
 s aniaz- 
 I by the 
 ; is born 
 ivo may 
 <od tliat 
 
 we may escape it ; he feels all the pains and horrors of our 
 curse that we mr y be happy for ever. And after paying 
 such a price for us, has not God an exclusive right to our 
 bodies and spirits, which he has thus purchased ? and has he 
 not a paramount and universal claim upon our best and un- 
 wearied services ? While we profess any regard to the prin- 
 ciples of justice, honour, and gratitude, we must confess that 
 we are not our own ; but that our bodies and our spirits are 
 God's, and that he has an inalienable, an incontrovertible, and 
 an interminable right to our services. 
 
 In forming your decision, whether God has an exclusive 
 right to your bodies and souls, or not, do not on any account 
 forget the circumstances under which God paid this amazing 
 price. A passage from St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, and 
 one from the 1st epistle of John, will materially assist you in 
 your calculations. Think deeply on this passage of Paul's, 
 '< For when we were yet without strength, Christ died for the 
 ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die : 
 yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to 
 die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while 
 wo were yet sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans v. 
 The following passage of John's is also worthy your serious 
 attention, '• In this was manifested >he love of God toward 
 us, because that God sent his only bp<.:o!ten son into the world, 
 that we might live tJirough him. Herein is love ; not that 
 we loved CJod, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the 
 propitiation for our sins." — John iv. 9, 10. When we were 
 ungodly: impious, unjust, and selfish, Christ died for us. 
 When we were without strength, to resist evil and do good, 
 Christ died for us. When we were sinners — miserable wan- 
 derers from God and hupi)iness, Christ died for us. When 
 we were enemies to God, hating his character, hating his 
 laws, haling his government, without cause, Christ died for 
 us. Bad as we were, miserable as we were, exposed to 
 eternal death though wo were, yet there was no penitence 
 for sin, no reformation of conduct, no entreaty for mercy, 
 when God so lovttd us as to give his Son to die for us. When 
 hardened in heart, rebellous in practice, and blaspheming 
 and defying (Jod with our lips, ho gave his Son to die for us. 
 Here is love unparalleled. What we needed, God, in the 
 infinitude of his love, gave, without any desire on our part 
 for such a gift, and without any solicitatio!! fiir Hiir.U nuwr.^'. 
 Mortals gaze too often with stoical indiilbrenee on the misery 
 ol their fellows, and some even e.xult with malicious pleasure 
 
 87 
 
 * fi 
 
 
 
SM 
 
 THE 0BLIG4XI0NSi OP CHKISTIANS^ 
 
 over the wretchedness of their enemies ; but when God saw 
 a: world of enemies up in arms against him, instead of 
 sending his Son Jesus Christ to punish thom, he sends him 
 to die for them. " For God sent his Son into the world, not 
 to condemn the world, bnt that the world through him might 
 be saved." No love is like this: so strong, so disinterested, 
 so exalted, so conspicuous. Who can tell its greatness ? It 
 passeth knowledge ! 
 
 " Could we with ink the ocean fill. 
 
 And were the skies of parchment made ; 
 Were every stick on earth a quill. 
 
 And every man a scribe by trade ; 
 To write the love of God above 
 
 Would drain the ocean dry ; 
 Nor would the scroll contain the wliole, 
 
 Though stretched from sky to sky." 
 
 His love to us, as individuals, is equally as striking as his 
 lovo to our race ut large. When he called us by his grace, 
 and revealed his Son in us, we were utterly unworthy of his 
 love. The following passages describe our state, and the 
 goodness of our blessed God to us : " And you that were 
 sometime alienated, and enemies in your minds by wicked 
 works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh 
 through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and 
 unreprovable in his sight."— Cul. i. 21, 22. " But God, who 
 is rich in mercy, for his great lovo wherewith he loved us, 
 even when wc were dead in sins, hath quickened us together 
 with Christ, (by gra-e are ye saved ;) And hath raised us 
 up togctlier, and made us sit together in lieavenly places in 
 Christ Jesus ; Tiiut in the ages to come lie might show the 
 exct-eding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us 
 through Jesus Christ." — Ephesians i. 4-7. " But ye are a 
 chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a 
 peculiar poople ; that ye should siiow ibrth the praises of 
 him who bath called you out of darkness into his marvellous 
 light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now 
 the people of God : Which had not obtained mercy, but now 
 have obtained mercy." — 1 IVter ii. 9, 10. " Giving thanks 
 unto the I'^athor, which hath made us meot to bo partakers of 
 the inbentanco with tlie saints in light : Who hath delivered 
 us from the powers of darkness, and hath translated us into 
 the kingdom of his dear son : In whom we have redemption 
 hi ills bloofi, even the forgivencKS of fins." — Col. i. 12-14. 
 *' Behold, what manner of lovo the Fatiier hath bestowed 
 
'■■im 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP BOtJLS. 
 
 315 
 
 God satv 
 
 tistead of 
 ends him 
 orld, not 
 im might 
 iterested, 
 ies9 ? It 
 
 ig as his 
 is grace, 
 ly of his 
 and the 
 at were 
 '• wicked 
 )is flesh 
 3le, and 
 rod, who 
 )ved us, 
 together 
 aised us 
 •laces in 
 how the 
 van! us 
 ^'e are a 
 ition, a 
 aisos of 
 rvoilous 
 re now 
 )ut now 
 ; thanks 
 \kers of 
 [jlivered 
 
 us into 
 cniption 
 
 12-14. 
 jstowed 
 
 upon us, that we should he called the sons of God." Can 
 we study these pussages, and say that we are our own ? We 
 cannot. 
 
 When you think, then, my dear heare/s, of the position in 
 which sin had placed us : of the position in which God has 
 placed us, by his grace : of the amazing price which it cost 
 Jehovah to redeem us, that lie might alter our position : of 
 the circumstances under which God paid this amazing price : 
 and the special love he has manifested to us, by bringing us 
 to himself; must you not acknowledge that our bodies and 
 spirits are his ; and that his claims upon our services, in the 
 great work of saving souls, are paramount and universal ? 
 Must you not say, with the poet, 
 
 " He justly claims us for his own, 
 
 Who bought us with a price : 
 The Christian lives to Christ alone, 
 
 To Christ alone he dies." 1 
 
 III. The manner in which our obligations to Jehovah must 
 be discharged. 
 
 This is clearly stated in the text: " Therefore glorify God 
 in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." The 
 term glorify has two significations. It signifies to pay honour 
 or praise iu worship : it also means to procure honour or 
 praise to any one. If we are to discharge our obligations to 
 God, we must glorify him in both these senses. To dis- 
 charge our duty to God, who has bought us with a price, we 
 must, 
 
 Honour Him in worship. When the period arrives for 
 the private, domestic, social, or public worship of God, we 
 should repair to the place of worship, and with the deepest 
 reverence, and with becoming humility, we should " worship 
 and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker," 
 adoring his blessed name, and rendering him the homage of 
 both soul and body. The warmest ascriptions of praise 
 should ascent' to his throne, for the mercies received fro.ii 
 his hands : for the deliverances he has wrought out for us : 
 and for the exceeding great and precious i)romises of future 
 good, which he has confirmed unto us by his oath. With 
 the utmost sincerity wo should confess to him our manifold 
 sins : with deep earnestness we should deprecate his wrath : 
 anu with the h!!?ncst cnnfidf-nc^ in his i^rx^dnfifiH w*^ shfiulf! 
 implore his mncy. With the Spirit and with the understand- 
 ing also, if w© have any voice for singing, must w« sing hia 
 
316 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 I 
 
 • praises, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs ; sinsinff 
 with grace in our hearts to the Lord. We should read his 
 Word, and listen to the preaching of his Gospel, with atten- 
 tion, gratitude, and delight ; and with diligence, cheerful- 
 ness, and vigilence we should be " doers of "the word," and 
 not readers and " hearers only," deceiving our own selves. 
 By such worship as this, accompanied with proper disposi- 
 tions of the mind, and followed by corresponding actions, 
 we glorify God in that manner which is acceptable to God, 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are to glorify God in 
 our body and spirit, which are his, by 
 
 Procuring Him honour from others. Many Christiana 
 think that they have done all that God requires when they 
 have^ personally rendered that honour to God, in worship, 
 which is due unto his name. They do not conceive that they 
 are laid under any obligations to procure God honour from 
 their fellow-nien j but in this they are egregiously mistaken. 
 To glorify God as much means to procure him honour from 
 others, as it does to honour him ourselves, by worshippino- 
 him at all those places, .end at all those times his word 
 directs ; therefore, unless we are labouring for the conver- 
 sion of sinners, that they may be brought to glorify God, 
 we are not performing our duty to him, who hath bought us 
 with a price. To procure God honour from others, we should 
 avoid all those things which would lead men to think un- 
 favourably of religion ; and so live as to induce them to 
 love, serve, and honour God. All our deportment should bo 
 unblameable. We should form no connections that would 
 have a tendency to dishonour religion : we should enter into 
 no engagements that would give ungodly men reason to 
 question the genuineness of our personal piety : and we 
 should avoid the very appearance of evil. In a word, wo 
 shonld be exemplary for truth, honesty, industry, sobriety, 
 humili.y, and charity ; so that the name of our God and his 
 doctrine may not be blasphemed. To glorify God, wo should, 
 moreover, use all our powers of mind to bring men to God. 
 Wo ought to read, to study, and to pray that we may become 
 wise to win souls ; and everything about us that is repulsive, 
 or that would in any way hinder our usefulness to the souls 
 of men, we should labour diligently and earnestly to remove. 
 Wo should appropriate to the cause of God, of the worldly 
 substance which he has committed to our care, all we Dossj- 
 blycan, with a cheerful heart, and without any dread of 
 future want. Our bodies also should be devoted, as much as 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 317 
 
 possibles, to the great work of saving souls, that God may be 
 glorified. We ought not to think any journey too great, that 
 we can accomplish ; nor any difficulty insuperable, that only 
 wants perseverance to remove it ; nor any weariness too 
 painful, that we can possibly sustain, in the great work of 
 bringing ungodly men to glorify God, if it appear plain that 
 God's cause needs our presence : that his glory would be pro- 
 moted, in the salvation of souls, by taking that journey, 
 encountering that difficulty, and sustaining that weariness. 
 In short, if we would glorify God in our bodies, we must pre- 
 sent them a living oblation to God ; and employ them, as 
 we have opportunity, in doing good to others. The following 
 lines justly express the manner in which we should glorify 
 God, in our bodies and spirits, which are his : — 
 
 " O God, what offering shall I give 
 To thee, the Lord of earth and Bkies 1 
 
 My spirit, soul, and flesh receive — 
 A holy, living sacrifice : 
 
 Small as it is, 'tis all my store ; 
 
 More shouldst thou have, if I had more. 
 
 Now then, my God, thou hast my soul ; 
 
 No longer mine, but thine I am : 
 Guard thou thine own, possess it whole ; 
 
 Cheer it with hope, with love inflame : 
 Thou hast my spirit ; there display 
 Thy glory, to the perfect day. 
 
 Thou hast my flesh, thy hallow'd shrine, 
 
 Devoted solely to thy will ; 
 Here let thy light for ever shine, 
 
 This house ciill let thy presence fill : 
 O ! Source of Life ; live, dwell, and move 
 In me, till all my life be love." 
 
 When, from the heart, we can sing these lines, as our expe- 
 rience, then, but not till then, shall we rightly discharge our 
 obligations to him who hath bought us with a price. Thus, 
 to glorify God in our bodies and spirits which are his, is 
 
 Our reasonable duty. In the twelfth of Romans, Paul 
 writes, " I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies 
 of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 
 acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." 
 Paul, you perceive, does not call the presenting of our bodies 
 a living sacrifice to God, or a sacrifice/or God, but our reason- 
 able service. He evidently regarded the Romans, and all 
 Christians, as God's property, in an exclusive sense ; and, 
 therefore, the reasonable duty of all to devote themselves 
 
r i 
 
 w 
 
 318 
 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 
 m 
 
 entirely to God's service, as the burnt offering was devoted 
 under the law. In our text, he says, " Ye are not your 
 own. For ye are bought with a price ; therefore glorify "'God 
 m your body and in your spirit which are God's." And is 
 not this reasonable ? Is there anything irrational, unjust, or 
 exorbitant in this demand ? We have already shown that 
 God has purchased you at an amazing price ; does it not 
 therefore follow, as a certain consequence, that vou are God's 
 property ? This being the case, does not the Al'mighty make 
 a rational, a righteous, a fair demand, when he claims you as 
 his ; requires you to worship him yourselves ; and to do all 
 that in you lies to bring others to love, serve, and honour 
 him ? Do you not conceive that your demand is reasonable, 
 when you claim from a fellow- being that which you have 
 bought and paid for with money ? You certainly do.' Surely, 
 then, God makes a reasonable demand when he claims your 
 bodies and spirits, which he has purchased with the precious 
 blood of his dear Son. Would you not conceive, if by a 
 large sum of money you had rescued a man from slavery 
 and from death, that he would be in duty bound to love, 
 honour, and serve you, to the best of his ability ? You cer' 
 tainly would. Then is not God reasonable in his demands, 
 when he claims your bodies and spirits, seeing that by the 
 death of his Son he has opened your way from slavery to 
 freedom, from death to life, from" he'd to heaven ? If you 
 were, at the risk of your own life, to sav^e a person from death, 
 would you not think that he ought to love you, honour you^ 
 and serve you, if he had it in his power ? There is no doubt 
 but you would. Is not, then, the claim of Jehovah reason- 
 able, when he requires us to glorify him in our bodies and 
 spirits which arc his, seeing that he has actually given Christ's 
 body to die upon the cross, and his soul to bo there made an 
 ofTering for sin, that we might not perish, but have everlast- 
 ing life ? ^ If it is unreasonable f^r a man to refuse to give 
 us that which we have paid him for : if it is unjust for that 
 man to refuse to love and serve us whom we have, at great 
 expense, delivered from slavery and death : if it is ung^ratc- 
 ful in a man, whose life we have saved, to despise and injure 
 us; then those are the most unreasonable, unjust, and" un- 
 grateful of all creatures who refuse to glorify God in their 
 bodies and spirits, wjiich he has purchased at such a fearful 
 price as the precious blood of his only and well-beloved Son. 
 While there is any distinction between right and wronrr, })n- 
 tween justice and injustice, between gratitude and ingrati- 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 319 
 
 s devoted 
 
 not your 
 Drify God 
 And is 
 mjust, or 
 lown that 
 es it not 
 ire God's 
 ity make 
 IS you as 
 
 to do all 
 d honour 
 asonable, 
 you. have 
 
 Surely, 
 ims your 
 
 precious 
 , if by a 
 I slavery 
 
 to love, 
 iTou cer- 
 lemands, 
 t by the 
 avery to 
 If you 
 m death, 
 our you, 
 no doubt 
 . reason - 
 dies and 
 
 Christ's 
 nade an 
 ^verlast- 
 
 to give 
 for that 
 at great 
 imgrate- 
 d injure 
 and un- 
 in tiieir 
 . fearful 
 'ed Son. 
 
 inir, })n. 
 ingrati- 
 
 tude, it will appear evident to all reasonable beings that God 
 r 'akes a reasonable and just demand, when he requires us to 
 glorify him in our bodies and spirits, which are his. He has 
 a right to our supreme and constant worship : a rigiu 1o our 
 best and unwearied services, in promoting the salvation of 
 others. 
 
 The sentiments we have advanced in this discourse are 
 not at all agreeable to you who are irreligious : they are 
 hated, and sometimes ridiculed by you. But why do you 
 hate and ridicule these sentiments ? Is it because they are 
 not true ? Ah f no. You ure not, we trust, so ignorant, so 
 abandoned, and so shameless as to deny their truth. Then 
 why do you despise and ridicule them ? Simply because they 
 condemn the selfishness of your hearts and the wickedness of 
 your lives. On the bare admission of this fact, you would 
 stand self-convicted of a train of the most horrid villianies 
 that were ever perpetrated under the sun. Admit the truth 
 of these sentiments, and then, at the bar of your own reason, 
 you are condemned for the greatest injustice and the blackest 
 ingratirude invariably manifested, not to a fellovv-creature, 
 but to your great Creator, who has bought you with a price ! 
 Then every dictate of your judgment, every volition of your 
 will, every feeling of your hearts, would pronounce your 
 condemnation ; and in every wrong action of your lives you 
 would read the sentence of eternal death : for however moral 
 you may have been, you have not even attempted to glorify 
 God in your bodies and spirits, which are his ; but in all 
 things you have sought your own ease, your own profit, your 
 own pleasure, and your own worldly honour. This you have 
 done, too, at the expense of God. The blessings he has 
 given, you have consumed upon your lusts ; and your lives, 
 which he has purchased and prolonged, you have spent in 
 rebelling against him. Though you, on these grounds, des- 
 pise and ridicule the sentiments we have advanced this day, 
 yet remember, they are as true as God is true, and as immu- 
 table as the nature of the great I am ; therefore, your guilt is 
 the same as if you acknowledged their truth, and punish- 
 ment will bo inflicted upon you in proportion to your guilt, 
 unless you repent, and alter your course. Flatter not your- 
 selves that the Lord God is an idle spectator of your unblush- 
 ing crimes. Your robberies, which you have practiced upon 
 God himself, for years, are carefully registered, by his own 
 hand, in the books of judgment. They are there written with 
 a pen of iron, and engraved with the point of a diamond ; 
 
 
d30 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHEISTIiNS 
 
 and eternity itself cannot wear out the black, the deep, the 
 terrible charactera which record your guilt. No power on 
 earth, no power in heaven, save that of the Almighty Jesus, 
 can erase that dreadful record. When the awful day of 
 judgn.cnt arrives, and the books are opened, then will the 
 eternalJudge read over the number of your robberies, point 
 out their enormity, and call upon you to show cause why you 
 should not be punished with eternal death. Then, what will 
 ye say ? What can ye say ? You must be speechless. 
 Oruilt, tear, shame, astonishment will strike you dumb. The 
 eternal Judge, receiving no answer, will then pass upon you 
 the ternfic sentence, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
 everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Such 
 is the certain doom which awaits all who refuse to glorify 
 Crod in their bodies and spirits, which are his. Have you 
 seriously considered, dear fellow-creatures, that the end of your 
 course is eternal death ? Then why do you not glorify God 
 in your bodies and spirits, that you may escape eternal woe ? 
 It you have not considered this matter, it is high time you 
 did ; tor you know not what a day or an hour may bring 
 torth. ' O ! that ye were wise, that ye understood this, that 
 ye would consider your latter end !" Remember, God tekes 
 no pleasure in your death. He has bought you with a price, 
 that you might live to his glory here, and enjoy his glory in 
 the world to come. Go, then, by prayer, to "his throne. Con- 
 less your sins. Implore his mercy. Present your bodies 
 and spirits to him as a living sacrifice, in the name of Jesus 
 Christ, and he will blot out your transgressions, as a cloud : 
 and your iniquities, as a thick cloud, from before his face. 
 
 The sentiments advanced in this discourse are not cordially 
 received and fully acted upon, by many professing Chris- 
 tians. Many professors do not glorify God in their bodies 
 and spirits ;vhich are his, as they ought. Their laxity of 
 morals, their worldly conformity, their neglect of spiritual 
 duties, and their non-enjoyment of spiritual privileges, prove 
 the truth of this allegation. If we wanted other proof, we 
 would pomt to their laziness in the work of God, their want 
 of liberality in supporting his cause, their want of charity to 
 the poor, and, above all, their want of compassion for the 
 souls ct their unconverted neighbours, their unrenewed 
 countrymen and their perishing race. Professors of religion, 
 how long do you mean to rob God, whom you profess to 
 
 serve f How loner are von trninn tn «r^,,«^ *u~ o-... • 
 
 whom you profess to love ? How long will you grieve the 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 321 
 
 Holy Spirit, whom you profess to honour ? Are you desti- 
 tute of justice, of gratitude, of honesty ? Then why do you 
 not ascertain your duty to God, and perform it ? Do you 
 mean to creep on, with your imperfect views and your im- 
 perfect obedience, until you are lost forever ? Many of you 
 must be re-converted, or you will be lost. When you were 
 first converted to God, you glorified God in your bodies and 
 spirits ; especially in seeking the salvation of the souls of 
 your fellow- men. But you have lost you first love ; and now 
 you are getting but little good for yourselves, and doing but 
 little good to the souls of your fellow-men. Come, ye pro- 
 fessors of the religion of Jesu55, arise and shake yourselves 
 from your slumbers, or you will sleep the sleep of death. Be 
 resolved, from this hour, to glorify God in your body sr 1 in 
 your spirit, which are God's. Think no more, talk no i-ore 
 about making sacrifices for God and the souls of men. Do 
 your duty to God and human souls, and you will have nothing 
 left to make sacrifices with. Remember, reason demands, 
 justice demands, gratitude demands, your present usefulness 
 and your future glory demand, that from this moment you 
 glorify God in your body and spirit, which are God's. And 
 will you not listen to these loud calls ? Will you not obey 
 them ? Yes, yes you will. Many of you, hitherto, have 
 not been sufficiently aware of your duty ; but from what you 
 have heard to-day, you will go and search luc scriptures with 
 renewed diligence : you will examine your hearts and lives, 
 in order t@ ascertain whether you have done your duty : 
 finding you have not, you will fall upon your knees before 
 God in private : you will seek forgiveness through the blood 
 of the Lamb : you will rise from your knees pardoned, and 
 determined henceforth to live not unto yourselves, but unto 
 him who died for you, and rose again. May the blessed 
 triune God enable you to do so. 
 
 There are some Christians here who believe the senti- 
 ments we have now advanced, and who are ever striving 
 to be guided by thenf. You are ever seeking to glorify 
 God by your own acts of worship, and by trying to bring 
 your fellow-men to love, adore, and serve him. We con- 
 gratulate you on your distinguished felicity. Your days 
 glide sweetly away, in receiving and in doing good : your 
 nights are unattended with the pangs of remorse : your path 
 brightens as you proceed onward to your heavenly home : 
 and soon wiil the everlasting honours and pleasures of 
 heaven bo yours. Hold fast your sentiments. Walk by the 
 
322 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OT tHBISTTAIfS 
 
 same rule the word of God, which has hitherto been your 
 guide. Mmd the same things : remember, your great busi- 
 
 «aviour follow the leadings of the same Spirit, and in a 
 
 tl " W n'T ''''^ 'T' '"rJ"''''''' ^^-''' addres.ei to 
 
 .to the joy of your Lord." Then shall you know the 
 
 snirf vhf,'''" V'-'^ *'?,■:? -'""'^^''"^ ^""' ''» /""'• '>"<Jv and 
 in r or . f ; "r ''"• ^'''" '^'"'" y^''' '""lorman.l the mean- 
 ng of that declaration, - And (;jr„l shall wi,„> away all tears 
 irom thoir eyes: and there shall be no mire dead,, neiZ 
 sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain : for 
 the former things are done awav." 
 
DISCOURSE XVI. 
 
 V-'l 
 
 
 CHRIST THE christian's exempi-ah in tub great work of 
 
 SAVINU SOULS. 
 
 "Jesus Biiiih unto tlicni, My luciU is to do the will of him that flcnt 
 me, and to fuiish hia work." — John iv. 34. 
 
 Christ Imth left lis an cxuinplo thiit wo should follow his 
 Htops. Tho npostlc I'liiil, in iho 1 Irhnnvs, \vliil<« hr directs 
 the uttciitioii of his readers to tho uncient worthies, us ilhis. 
 trious oxurnph^H of faitii in (loil, courjif^fe in his ciuise, uid 
 devotion to hia work, ospeciidly re(|iiires them to keep ineir 
 eyes fixed on Jesn.s, who is liio author and fiuiMJier of our 
 faith, and th(^ ^n'eat example of all Christians in tli<4 perloru). 
 unco of every duty (^njoiiicd upon iiiem in the word ofljlod. 
 Wo had some thou,'i;hts of nrescMilin^ yon with exiimples of 
 devotion to the sidvation ol souls, as exhibited in the lives of 
 eminentsaints ; for as the Rev. Sanniel lluhiie justly ohserves : 
 •* Man is aete«l upon hy his fellow-nmn, and it is of immense jm- 
 pnrtance to ke(<p before the mind the images of those who, lai- 
 der the }^uidiM<f li^ht, and ennobling inllueiiee of true reiif^'ion, 
 coimted not their lives ih'ar unto them, so that they mi;.;bl 
 finish their course with joy. At the head ol' this class, and 
 incomparably beyond all actual ap|)ri)aeh, stands Jesus Christ, 
 CJod manifest in the (lesh. Next to him rank his holy apos- 
 tles. Their lives ant recordtid by the failhlul pen of inspira- 
 tion, and with them the mind should hi; kept devoutly (ann- 
 liar. To these may br added the lives of Wesley, I"'l''lcher, 
 Uramwell, Carvossa, Jaiuiwny, Matinew Henry and Patrick 
 Henry, iV,e. K'l'ep thes(! holy examides ever fresh in your 
 recollection. Head ihem a^nun and a^rain ; and makr' them 
 your every-day models. To derive the fullest advantage 
 from hiugraphy, there must be sympathy between us and the 
 sidiject ; and to producer this sympathy, then^ must be Himi- 
 larity in otir conditions : fov oidy ix» our conditions in life are 
 alike, can he be in the fullest «ense an example to us. The 
 rich may read the life of Thomas Wilson, I'lscp, of London, 
 
 mnnent 
 
 uud 1< 
 
 arn now weuUh may ne 
 
 ploy. 
 
 P 
 
 xtension of the caUHO of uod in negleeled districts. Tho 
 
324 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 tradesman may see in the diary of Williams, of Kiddermin. 
 Bter, how fully religious principles and objects may be blend, 
 ed with secular pursuits. The working man may see in the 
 me ot Harlan Page how pregnant a lowly station is with op- 
 portunities of usefulness, and how humble talents may turn 
 hose opportunities to win souls to Christ. Nor should the 
 
 .^TLT °ir" ^'Ih''"^ ^^ oniitted He was not only an 
 
 enhghted and firm friend of freedom, but there glowed in hia 
 heart a flame of love and zeal so pure and intense, as to ele- 
 vate and sanctify his life in all its purposes and acts. Read 
 the lollowing passage, which deserves to be placed among the 
 lamous sayings of good men, which unveils his heart, and 
 shows us the sacred passion which consumed him : 'Many 
 times, while otiiers sleep, my rest is banished by earnest de. 
 sires and fervent prayers for the Church of God: I often 
 wish I could live without sleep, that I might accomplish the 
 work more fully which the Lord has given me to do.' Be 
 not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and 
 patience inherit the promises."* 
 
 We shall consider, 
 
 I. The work which Christ had to perform when on earth. 
 
 , "; , J^.^ Pfoo^^ t^f^t it was the Father's will that Christ 
 should finish that work. v.i«iNi 
 
 III. The supremo concern and constant care of Christ to 
 do the will and finish tlie work of his father, afibrd the best 
 example f ,r Chnstians to follow in the discharge of their duties 
 to the souls of men. 
 
 I. The work which Christ had to perform wjien on earth. 
 
 The work which Christ came to finish was of the ereateat 
 tmportance We are not tosupposeir one nioment Cthe 
 blessed Rodeem(,r came into the world on any matter of small 
 import. A being infinitely wise would never leave the do- 
 nes of hoavrn, the bosom of his Father, the throne of univer- 
 sal empire, the homage of angels, and the rich(-s of eternity • 
 would never make himself of no reputation, an.l take upon 
 him human nature, with its infirmities and sorrows : nor uass 
 his tune here in the f.,rm of a servant, enduring all manne? 
 ol priva tions, temptations, and woes ; nor becomo obedient unto 
 
 and 43^;-'^''^' •^"''"^<' «'"«'"-' Mcihudist New Connexion, pages 43C 
 
TO SEEK THE 8ALTAT10N OP SOULS. 
 
 325 
 
 death, even the death of the cross, to gain that which is of 
 little value when gained. A being infinitely wise must have 
 an end in view worthy of the means he employs to gain that 
 end. Whenever mortals use vast means to gain something 
 of little value, we pity their ignorance, and laugh at their 
 folly ; for we all know that the winds need not blow a hurri. 
 cane for the purpose of wafting a feather, nor the ocean 
 wrought into tempest merely to drown a fly. We must 
 admit, therefore, if Christ came to accomplish a work of little 
 importance, when finished, in him cannot be " hid all the 
 treasures of wisdom and knowledge." If he came merely 
 to enlighten the human race, and give us an example worthy 
 our imitation, as some affirm, then he is unwise ; for he mi^ht 
 have accompUshed this at far less cost to himself, and with 
 equal benefit to us, without his l)ocoming human, and livintr, 
 and suffering, and dying on this earth in the manner in whicli 
 he did. He could have given us all the instruction we needed, 
 and an example worthy the imitation of all men, by any one 
 of the prophets, or by a succession of prophets, without his 
 being made flesh. Tiiis restricted viow of the Saviour's 
 work stamps the character of Christ with consummate folly. 
 
 The work which Christ came to perform was of far greater 
 impartauce than giving us right instruction and a perfect ex- 
 ample ; for ho came to make an atonement for our sins, to 
 •akeaway the guilt, power, pollution, and punishment of our 
 sins by the sacrifice of himself, and thus save us from the incon- 
 coiyable torments of liell, which are eternal in their duration. 
 This is clearly evident from express declarations of c;od's 
 word. JosiLs said, " Tiie Son of Man is come to seek and to 
 save that which was lost." "The Son of Man came not to 
 bo ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ran- 
 som for many." «< Ciirist also hath once sutlered i'ov sins, the 
 
 just for the unjust, that ho might bring us to God." 1 Peter 
 
 iii. IN. " For (Jod so loved tlio world, that he gave his only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever bidievelli in Jiim might not perish, 
 but have everlasting life."— John iii. 1«. «' Christ was onco 
 oflbrod to bear the sins of many."— Hob. ix. 28. •' But wo 
 see .Tosus, who was niiule a little lower than the angels, for 
 (or by) the suflering of death, crowned with glory and "honour; 
 that ho by the grace of God should taste death (or every 
 man."— [fell. ii. 0. Such are a sample of tho statements of 
 
 tho sacred volume re.mu<ntinir flin itraut x%„yyU ...Ij.'r.!- '^l-ri--* 
 
 oanjo into tho world to accomplish. 
 
 Here, wo seo on ond in view worthy of tho astonishing 
 
 38 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 I: 
 
326 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 m 
 
 ineans employed by the Saviour to gain that end. The salva- 
 tion of human souls from inexpressible and eternal misery is 
 an end worthy the sacrifice of Christ. For what are we to 
 understand by the loss of the souls of men ? With the Dible 
 in our hands, and with the firm belief that its statements aie 
 true, wo ask, what are we to understand by the loss of the 
 youls of men ? Does it not consist in the present and eternal 
 separation of the soul from the imago, favour, and happiness 
 of God, and in the present and eternal sufferance of the curse 
 and wrath of Almiorhty God ? It does. What finite mind, 
 then, can coiicoivo, much more express, the amazin^' 
 evils and sorrows connected with such a separation from Got?, 
 and wiih the endurance of such wrath ? All that is dark, and 
 painful, and wretched in the material universe, is put into re- 
 cjuisition by the sacred writers, yua, by Christ himself, to ex- 
 press the evils and misery of this separation from God, and 
 thiscuiso of God. DarkiiPsn, fire and brimstone, undyinjr 
 worms, burning tcmp(>sts, weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, 
 and deiith, arc all employed to shadow forth the evils of the 
 separation of the soul from God. The separation of the soul 
 <rom ( Jod in this world, is the great cause of the ignorance, 
 wickedness, and misery wliicJi exist on the earth. ''' Havintr 
 the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life ol" 
 God, through the ignorance that is in them, they are wretch- 
 ed, and miserable, and poor, aiul blind, and iiiiked ;" and if 
 tins be the case hero, where judgment is mixed with increy, 
 and where men are restrained by the light of the gosj)el, the 
 presence of the pious, and the strivings of the IJoly Spirit, 
 what will their condition bewJienall restraints are withdrawn^ 
 when tluy avo. tiie companions of tiie devil and his an-rols,' 
 when wrath is poured out without mixture, when all hope 
 expires, and nothing is left but fell despair .' We shudder at 
 the bare coiitnnplaiion of such misery. To form a correct 
 estimate of the loss of the soul, we rlmst enter the regions of 
 perdition, and gaze upon that fiery lake— feel that darkness- 
 witness that living death— listen to that weeping, wailing, and 
 gnushing of teeth ; — yea, we must ourselves be the subjects 
 of the remorse, the liorror, the despair of the lost to all eternity; 
 then, but not till then, can we form a full estimate of the 
 greatii'^ss of that loss— tiio loss of the soul. God only knows 
 the wrath of (iod: therefore, he only can estimate fully the 
 greatnessof the loss of the soul; and he informs us that the 
 gain of the whi)le \\oiU\ would not compensate any man for 
 the loss of his soul. Christ came to prevent this dreadful and 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 327 
 
 Jl 
 
 irretrievable loss. He came to bring us back to God, from 
 whom we had strayed, and to save us from the burning, bot- 
 tomless pit, to which we were hastening. He came to work 
 out salvation for us, that we might enjoy here the light, the 
 love, the purity, and joy which God imparts to nil who live in 
 communion with him ; and that we might enjoy the bliss of 
 heaven throughout eternity. It is impossible for the human 
 mind to form a conception of any work equal to Christ's. In 
 importance, in benevolence, in glory, it casts all others into 
 shade ; yea, it even surpasses the wonders of creation : 
 
 " 'Twas great to speak a world from nought, 
 'Twas greater to redeem." 
 
 Every other work fades away before the redeeming work of 
 Christ, and acknowledges the supremacy of that enterprise 
 which saves millions of hum:m souls from everlasting burn- 
 ings, and puts them in possession of eternal life. Such was 
 the work which God sent his Son to accomplish. 
 
 The work which Christ came to do icas God's work. No 
 man can save the souls of his fcllovv-men, in the strict sense 
 of redeeming them. This is God's work, and his alone. 
 When we speak of Christians saving the souls of men, we 
 only mean that thoy aro agonts in Christ's hand in the work 
 of turning tlicm to Christ for salvation. We do not conceive, 
 for one moment, that you have received the impression, from 
 any thing advanced in these discourses, that you are to go 
 and redeem the souls of men ; but still wo deem it our duty 
 hero to state plainly that the redemption of human souls is 
 God's work. The Psalmist states this in the forty-ninth 
 Psahu : " They that trust in their wealth, nn-1 boast themselves 
 in the multitude of their riches ; none of them can by any 
 moiuis redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom fur him : 
 For the redemption of their .^oul is precious, and it ceaseth 
 for ever." No man can even save his own sotjl, either by 
 ransom or by power. Wo have destroyed ourselves; but in 
 Go<l is our help flnmd. We have sold' ourselves for nought, 
 and wo have been redeemed without money. God had to find 
 a ransom for us, far more costly than nil the gold und silver 
 in the world. The Divine Heing, wlu^n speaking to the sons 
 of men, on this momentous subject, says, " Look unto me, 
 and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ; for I am God, and 
 
 tnnrn i<a nnitn nlun Tn tUn r.onl o]>n1t nU «!>/^ ..^^.-..l ^^r T<...nsl 
 
 — ^ , , „i,.,,j ,,jj iiix_- .-Tt-f.i •_-i isitlci 
 
 be jiistified, and shall glory." — Isa. xlv. 28, 25. In the text, 
 Christ ascribes the great work of salvation to his Father: 
 
828 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 hence, he says - My meat is to do the will of him that sent 
 me and hnish h.s work." In the great intercessory prayer 
 >vhich Chnst offered, before he suffered in the gardeVand 
 died upon the cross, these words are found: "Father, the 
 hour IS come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify 
 
 hfw' I '} ^''''^ S'"'^^'''^ ^^^^ °» ^he earth : I have finished 
 
 he work thou gavest me to do." When he had hung upon 
 
 he cross for three hours, he said, after receiving the vinegar, 
 
 It IS finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up Uie 
 
 f 1 ;» . . '''' ^^''''^'^.'^ ^'^ ^■'^'h^^' ^y «''«^^i"g the human 
 lace tha it was, and is, the will of God that men should be 
 
 saved ; by showing that it was through God's great love and 
 endcr mercy that he hud been sent lo redeem oSr world ; and 
 by ascribing the glory of the work of salvation to his Father, 
 rather than to himself; and l)ecause he has done this 
 sonie have taken occasion, on this ground, to deny the Godhead 
 01 Uhrist. Jt was only occasionly that the Lord Jesus assert- 
 edhis equality with the Father, and that the work of redemp- 
 tion was as much his work as it was the Father's. Christ 
 •seems to have wished the Jews to have been convinced of his 
 Oodhead by the works he performed, rather than by the as- 
 sertions he made ; and if the Jews had not been steeped in 
 apostacy, pride, and unbelief, his works would have convinced 
 them that he "is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." 
 r or, if the works of creation evince the eternal power and 
 Godiiead of their Creator, surely the works which Christ per- 
 formed, when on earth, in his own name, and by his om'u au- 
 thonty and power, were sufficient to t .vince every inipartial 
 observer that iie that perfbnned them must be Iinmiuuiel— 
 God in our nature. Christ was meek and lowly in heart, 
 and, therefore, instead of declaring his Godhead on every oc 
 casion, he referred to his works^ for the manifest and un- 
 deniable proofs of his absolute Divinity. Still, liowever, when 
 there was absolute necessity to assert his Godhead, lie did so, 
 in unmistakable terms. On one occasion, he said, " 1 and 
 my I'ather are one ;" for this speech the Jews were for ston- 
 ing hiin, because he made himself God. Again he said, 
 ••Before Abraham was, I am." Hero ho asserts his pre. 
 existence, his self-cxistenco, his all-sufficiency, and his cter- 
 iiity. The Jews und(>rstood him to assert his supreme God- 
 head by this speech ; for they again took up stones to stono 
 hiin as a blaspiiemer. When before the Jewish Sanhedrim, 
 J! „.„. ....^ ii,a£ £je „ jjg ^.j„ j-,(jjj jjj jjj„ livini; Uud J and lor 
 thus making himself equal with God, they condcnmcd him to 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 329 
 
 death. They who deny the supreme Godhead of Christ make 
 common cause with the infatuated Jews, who murdered Christ 
 for claiming an equalUy with the Father; and, we dou Jt not, 
 if Jesus was now here, and was to assert his divinity, as he 
 did on all occasions when he was challenged on earth, their 
 boasted liberality and humanity would forsake them ; and 
 with maddened rage ihey would cry, " Away with him ! 
 away with him ! Crucify him ! crucify him ! for he is not 
 fit to live." Those treat Christ most unjustly and most bar- 
 barously who deny his divinity, because he, in his state of hu- 
 miliation, when in the form of a servant, attributed his works 
 to his Father more frequently than he claimed the honour of 
 them himself. The learned John Howe, whose works seem 
 destined to live as long as sun and moon endure. Las the fol- 
 lowing remarks, in his work on " The Redeemer's tears wept 
 over Jerusalem :" 
 
 " How few, in comparison, have ever seen such a day as 
 Jerusalem at this time did ? made by the immediate beams 
 of the Son of righteousness ! Our Lord himself vouchsafing 
 to be their instructor — so speaking as never man did, and 
 with such authority as far outdid their other teachers, and 
 astonished the hearers. In what transports did he use to 
 leave those who heard him wheresoever he came, " wonder- 
 ing at the gracious words which came out of his mouth." 
 And with what mighty and beneficial works was he wont to 
 recommend his doctrine, shining in the glorious power, and 
 savouring of the abundant mercy of heaven, so that every 
 apprehensive mind might see the deity was incarnate. God 
 was come down to treat with men, and allure them into the 
 knowledge and love of himself. ' The word was made flesh.' 
 What unprejudiced mind might not perceive it to be so ? He 
 was there manifested and veiled at once , lx)th expressions 
 are used concerning the same matter. The divine beams 
 were somewhat obscured, but did yet shine througii that veil, 
 so that his glory was beheld as the glory of the oidy begotten 
 of the Father, full of grace and truth. This sun shone with 
 a mild and benign, but still with a powerful and vivifying 
 light. ' In him was life and that life was the light of 
 men.' " 
 
 > >» 
 
 Though, in the text, Jesus ascribes the work of salvation 
 to his Father, yet, we cloorly perceive, that this does not mil- 
 itate a»fainst the Godhead of Christ: but, when carefully ex- 
 amined, it gives us an astonishing proof of tho humility of 
 
 
 ■ 6| 
 "11 
 
 
 !l9 
 
 
 
330 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Jesus, and of his supreme concern to glorify his Father on 
 tne eartfit 
 
 The way in which Christ accomplished the work of our re- 
 demption, deserves special consideration. Mankind bein^ 
 Ignorant, guilty, and enslaved, they needed an Instructor, S 
 Redeemer and a Governor. Christ, therefore, appeared in 
 t.io threefold character of Prophet, Priest, and King. To se- 
 cure the objects contemplated by his assumption of these 
 ofhces, he resolutely laboured while on the earth. The first 
 thing he aimed at, was to instruct the people in the will of 
 
 Ti •n%^^'T,.^''^^^'' ''°'^ by precept and example. 
 Ihe will of God, dimly shadowed forth by the light of reason, 
 and a little more clearly revealed by the law of Moses, Christ 
 Jesus placed in the most auspicious and commanding liffht. 
 in his admirable sermon on the mount, in his matchless par- 
 ables, in his pertinent remarks on the various subjects .vliich 
 came before him, he has given the human race a comprehen- 
 sive summary of the doctrines to be believed, the duties to be 
 performed, and the privileges to be enjoyed by all his follow, 
 ers 1 he manner of his teaching was so simple, so enerffetic, 
 and so original, that the people were astonished at his doc- 
 rine ; or he taught them as one having authority, and not as 
 he scribes. Nicodemus, a Jewish doctor, was 'so attracted, 
 both by the matter and the manner of his teaching, that he 
 sought a private interview with him, and opened the conference 
 by saying to Jesus, " Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher 
 come from God ; for no man can do the miracles which thou 
 doest except God be with him." Officers who were sent to 
 apprehend Jesus, stood for a time listening to "the precious 
 words which proceeded out of his mouth," and then .eturned 
 to those that sent them without him. When asked, *' WhV 
 did ye not bring him ?" the only reply they gave was, ««Never 
 man spak*' like this man." The Saviour's discourse was 
 80 simple and interesting ; yet so sublime and overwhelming 
 that the officers retired, unable to execute their commission 
 fo enforce bis doctrine on the attention and practice of hi<< 
 hearers, and to prove the divinity of his mission, he wrou<Tht 
 a series of the most astonishing and merciful miracles that 
 men ever witnessed. Moreover, he embodied his doctrines in 
 his life, and gave, in his own actions, the most lucid and im- 
 pressivo commentary of all he taugh*. He exhibited in his 
 hfe^tho majesty of truth, the beauty of noliness, the charms 
 of uiiievolcnco ,- lor *• He knew no sin, neither was guile 
 found lu his mouth." ''He was holy, harmless, undefiled. 
 
4h 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 331 
 
 M 
 
 being 
 
 and separate from sinners." He put to silence all his calum- 
 niators, by simply asking, " Which of you conyinceth me of 
 sin." Such was his unwearied benevolence, that " He went 
 about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the 
 devil." *' And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, 
 teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the 
 kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease, 
 among the people." — Matth. ix. 35. 
 
 But imparting instruction to the people was not all that 
 Jesus came to do in this world. Those who limit his work to 
 that of a teacher and an exemplar, rest short of the principal 
 end of his incarnation. He came to make an atonement for 
 our sins, as well as to enlighten our darkness — came to re- 
 concile us to God by his death. It was clearly predicted by 
 the prophets that he should make an atonement. Isaiah says, 
 " But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised 
 for our iniquities : the chastisement of our peace was upon 
 iiim, and with his stripes we are healed." — Isa. liii. 5. 
 .Daniel declares — " And after threescore and two weeks shall 
 Messiah be cut off, but not for himself" — Chap. ix. verse 25. 
 Zechariah introduces Jehovah speaking thus:- " Awake, O 
 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my 
 fellow, saith the Lord of hosts : smite the shepherd, and the 
 sheep shall be scattered : and I will turn mine band upon the- 
 little ones." — Chap. xii. verse 7. Christ also declared that 
 the great object of his mission was to make an atonement. 
 He informed Nicodemus of this fact, when he said to him, 
 " And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
 so must the Son of Man be lifted up ; that whosoever believ- 
 eth in him might not perish, but have everlast.in,t,f life." — John 
 iii. 14, 15. To his disciples he said, " And I, if I be lifted 
 up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, 
 signifying what death lie should die." — John xii. 32, 33. 
 The apostles evidently understood that his death on the cross 
 was an atonement for sin. Hence, Paul says, " For if, when 
 we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death 
 of his Son, much more, being reconeiled, wo shall be saved 
 by his life. And not only so, but wo also joy in God through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received tlie 
 atonement." — Rom. v. 10, 11. Peter, speaking of Christ, 
 says, " Who his ownself bare our sins in his own body on the 
 tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteous- 
 ness: by whose stripes ye were healed." John dec! ares— 
 ♦' And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
 
 '«** 
 
 c: 
 
332 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our 
 wnrn^" Tl u' ""o' °"^>^' ^"^^^^° ^°^ the sins of the whole 
 Tf?! . •^°^" "•,^' ^; ^°^' ^^ th^«^ ^'t^tions do not mean 
 suffering the penahy due to our transgressions, that we 
 nnight be pardoned, cleansed, and saved for ever, then, there 
 is no signification in words. We must either admit that Christ 
 has real y made an atonement for sin, or we must reject the 
 menf t'hlThl''' t ^^•?^"'' ^""^ "^^ realty made an atone- 
 tTtruth '' ^ ^"^ ^'''''' '"'^^^'' ^^ ^^^"S the guide 
 
 To the period when Christ would finish his atoning work, 
 he Saviour, in his conversations with his disciples, frequent 
 y alluded. Referring to his death, on one occasion, he said, 
 1 have a baptism to be baptized with: and O how am I 
 straitened till it be accomplished." In the seventeenth of 
 John, he says, "tather, the hour is come." The awful 
 period when his work must be completed now arrives. He 
 goes forth to Gethsemane, where he endures that painful 
 a^ony, which caused him - as it were, to sweat great drops 
 of blood, falling down to the ground." Scarcely is his agony 
 ended, before Judas the traitor, with a band of men, seek him 
 and lead him away to judgment. After enduring all manner 
 of humiliating indignities, and cruel persecution!, he is con- 
 demned to death. The Savfour, bearing his cross fo the place 
 of a skull, slowly moves toward Calvary. Jesus sinks 
 
 hlTi^ r T"'' ''^u ^^'"°"' ^ Cyrenian, is compelled to 
 beai It after him. The women, attached fo Christ, follow him 
 s 111 weeping over his sad destiny. Arriving at the fatal spot, 
 the blessed Saviour is nailed to the cursed tree, and lifted up 
 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. There the 
 cruelty of his enemies cannot let him die unmolested. The 
 barbarous wretches cruelly jest and bitforly mock him in his 
 ast hours; but with love stronger than death, he prays for 
 their forgiveness And after enduring all the horrors of cru- 
 cifixiou and all the weight of God's wrath, he cried, " It is 
 finished." . Yes, blessed Redeemer, thy sufferings are ended 
 and the work of man's redemption is completed ! Thou 
 hast afoned for our «ins ;-thou hast reconciled heaven and 
 earth ;-thou hast -Blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances 
 that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it 
 out of the way, nailing it to the cross ; And having spoiled 
 principalities and powers, thou hast made a show of them 
 
 i /' Tr.umpiuijy uvci ihum m ihyself," — Uoi. ii. 14 15 •_ 
 
 thou hast now laid a sure foundation for the hope of every 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 833 
 
 penitent sinner, and for the confidenceof every genuine saint ; 
 —thou hast opened a new and living way into the holy of 
 holies, by thy most precious death, so that we, poor, guilty, 
 polluted, enslaved wretches, may come boldly to the throne of 
 grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of 
 need ! 
 
 " 'Tis finished ! — this thy dying groan 
 Shall sin of every kind atone; 
 Millions shall be redeemed from death 
 By this thy last expiring breath. 
 
 'Tis finished ! — Heaven is reconciled, 
 And all the powers of darkness spoiled ; 
 Peace, love, and happiness, again 
 Return, and dwell with sinful men. 
 
 'Tis finished ! — let the joyful sound 
 
 Be heard through all the nations round : 
 
 'Tis finished ! — let the echo fiy 
 
 Thro' heaven and hell, thro' earth and sky." 
 
 But though Christ had now finished the work which his 
 Father gave him to do on the earth, it is needful that the 
 world should know this, and reap the benefit of his alonement. 
 Therefore, he rises from the dead ; instructs his apostles what 
 to do ; gives his Church the commission to preacli tlie gospel 
 to every creature ; and then he is exalted with God's rigiit 
 hand to the mediatorial throne in heaven, where he sits a 
 Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and tlie remission 
 of sins, and to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by 
 him. There he still reigns, and there he must reign, till all 
 enemies are put under his feet. As our king, he is waging 
 war with the hosts of hell ; continually delivering men from 
 their dominion, and enabling all wlio trust in him, to conquer 
 the world, the flesh, the devil, and to lay hold on eternal life. 
 For God to save us by t^e suffering work of Christ, Paul 
 assures us is wortliy of the Godiiead : hence, he says, " For 
 it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all 
 things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain 
 of their salvation perfect through suirorings."-—Heb. ii. 10. 
 
 Consider we, then, 
 
 II. The proofs that it was the Father's will that Christ 
 should finish this glorious work of man's redemption. 
 
 This is evident from the predictions concemipg Christ. 
 God told the serpent that the seed of the woman should bruise 
 his head. Abraham received the promise that in his seed all 
 
 ifM.'"' 
 
334 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 the families of the earth should bo blessed. The Psalmist 
 speakmg of Christ, says ''Sacrifice and offering thou d^st 
 not desire ; mine ears hast thou opened : burnt offering and 
 sm offering hast thou not required/ Then said I, Lo, I come : 
 hv will o' of the book it is written of me, l' delight to do 
 
 Pfalm xl f^ 7« °^P T\'^^ law is within my heart."- 
 P.alm xl. 6 7 8. Paul shows, in the tenth of Hebrews, 
 
 ad '" • ':'t r''" T ^f'^^'^\ ^" ^^'''''' ' ^"^' ^^'^^ quoting 
 bu.nt-ol,M,ngs, and onen.,g or sin, thou wouldest not, neither 
 h.d.t pleasure therem; (wliich are offered by the law •) 
 
 IvZ the ;?.t ^l' T '' '^ ''ir''^ ^ ^^^ H- taketi 
 wS n ' '^ '"^ niay establish the second. Hy the 
 
 ot Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest slandeth daily 
 miiHstering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices wb eh 
 
 God T ,. h ' 7'\ ^"' ''''' '''' ^''^^^" °» ^'^« ''^Shi hand of 
 
 l^ff J tn ^^r^^*^'^ oxpoeting till his enemies be made 
 
 IS foo stool, tor by one olForing he hath perfected for ever 
 
 tZJ'f '''TV'^''^'", '^'^'^^^'^^ ^P°^tle incontrov'rtibf; 
 proves from he Psahnist's prediction concerninrr Christ hat 
 It was the will of God that Christ should take awliy by tl^' 
 sacrifice ot inmself, and perfect forever those who^e sanct . 
 hed froni s.n through faith in that sacrifice. .lehovah, a 1. 
 
 fl e73 "a' r-"' ;'", ^"- ^"^^P^^'^'^ ^'-^ ^^-^ I hea.1 
 
 vm'nv ?u '^ of salvation have I helped thee; and I 
 
 will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of th^ people 
 
 ttes Th\!" """^' '' ^^"^^ to inherit the desolate^Si? 
 
 ages 1 hat thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth • to 
 them tha are m darkness. Show yoursilves."-Isa. xlix 8 9 
 Similar language is employed by Zochariah : -Rejoice 
 grea ly, O daughter of Zion : slionit, O daughter of Jerusa em • 
 behold, thy king comKl, unto thee: he i^ just anrl inv n^.' 
 salvation ; lowly, and riding upon an ass and "in";^ 
 
 he foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot flom Kph- 
 laim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow si all 
 be cut oil : and he shall speak peace unto the heathen : an 
 his dominion shall bo from sea even to sea, and from the 
 river even to the ends of the earth. As for th^e also by the 
 blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of 
 
 nrL^nlr TT" '' "" ''''''' '^"•"^ ^^^ ^o the stronghold ye 
 prisoners of hope : even to-dav do T d.^olnr. that I will rin 
 
 der double unto thee.''_Zech. ix.9-:iT' These pipages 
 
:i?' 
 
 to SEfiK THE SALVATION OF SOULS 
 
 335 
 
 clearly show that God gave his Son to save us through his 
 blood, which is the blood of the covenant. 
 
 Before Jesus was born, the angel Gabriel appeared unto 
 Mary, and said, " Hail, thou art highly favoured, the Lord 
 
 is with thee : blessed art thou among women Fear not, 
 
 Mary : for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, 
 thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and 
 shall call his name Jesus. He shall be groat, and shall be 
 called the Son of tiie highest : and the Lord God shall "ive 
 unto him the tlirone of liis father David : and he sliall reio-n 
 over the house of Jacob forever ; and of his kingdom there 
 sliall bo no end." — Luke i. 28 — .38. When the iuigel ap. 
 peared unto Joseph, the reputed fatlier of Christ, lie gave him 
 a reason wjiy Christ sliould bo called Jesus, in these words : 
 " For he shall save his people from their sins." It is clearly 
 evident, also, that Simeon, a just and devout man, to whom it 
 was revealed that lie should not see death until he had seen 
 the Lord's Christ, considered that these predictions would be 
 fulfdled in the child Jesus ; for it is written, " And he came 
 by the Spirit into the temple : and when the pai-ents brought 
 in the child Jesus, to do for him after tlio custom of the law, 
 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 
 Lord, now lettestthou thy servant dej)art in peace, according 
 to thy word : For mine eyes have seen tiiy salvation, which 
 thou hast prepared before the face of all people ; A light to 
 lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 
 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at these things which 
 were spoken of iiim. And Simeon blessed them, and said 
 unto Mary his motlier. Behold, this child is set for the fall 
 and rising again of many in Israel : and for a sign which shall 
 be spoken against ; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy 
 own soul also,) that tlie thoughts of many hearts may be re- 
 vealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter 
 of Phanucl, of the tribe of Aser: she was of n great age, 
 and had lived with an husband seven years from her virgin- 
 fty ; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, 
 which departed not from the temple, but served God with fast- 
 ings and prayers, night and day. And she coming in at that 
 "nstant, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of 
 him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." — 
 Luke ii. 27 — 37. From these, and numerous other predic- 
 tions, it is fully evident that it was the will of God that Christ 
 should seek and save the lost souls of men. 
 
 i': 
 
 II 
 
 IIKH 
 
339 
 
 THE OBLIGATIOKS OP CHRISTIAXS 
 
 The attesLations which God gave from heaven, when Christ 
 commenced his toork, and while engaged in its performance, 
 JuUy prove that he was well pleased. When Christ entered 
 upon Ins public ministry, and received his baptism from John, 
 (tor all priests under the law had to be baptized,) '' It came 
 to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and prayinrr, the 
 heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily 
 shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, 
 which said, n.ou art my beloved .Son ; in thee I am well 
 pleased. -Luke ni. 21, li2. Ayain, when Christ was on 
 the mount witJi Peter, James, and John, when, "As he pray- 
 cd, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment 
 was wlrto and glistening. And, behold, there talked with 
 Inm two men, which were Moses and Elias; who appeared 
 in glory, and spake of his decease which he shoul.l accom- 
 phsh at Jerusalem There came a voice out of the cloud, 
 
 fril ;in" '"^ '^'^"'"^' ^'''''- '^^'•'^•- J'i'"."-Luke ix! 
 Z^—.ib. When certain Greeks came to Philip, saving, " Sir 
 we would see Jesus;" and Jesus i. informed of U,e wish by 
 Andrew and Philip: we read, "And Jesus answered then,, 
 saying, 1 he hour is come, that the Son of man should bo 
 glorified Yen y, >erily I say unto you, ].:xcept a corn of 
 wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone : but if it 
 die. It brmgetb forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall 
 lose It ; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it 
 nn\o life eternal. If ,u)y man servo me, let hiin follow me • 
 and where am, there shall my servant bo also: if any man 
 servo me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul 
 ronbled ; and what shall I say ? Father, save me from this 
 hour : but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, do- 
 nfy thy nan.e. Phnn came there a voice from heaven, say. 
 ing, I have both glorified \% and will glorify it n-ain. The 
 people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said t1u,t it thun. 
 ( cred : others said, An angel ..pake to him. Jesus answered 
 undsaid, IhiH voie. ame n..t b<>cause of me, but fbr vour 
 sakes. Now Is the judgment of this world: now shall the 
 prince of this worl.l be cast out. And I, if 1 be lifted up from 
 the earth will draw all men imfo me. (This he said, signi. 
 fyuig what death he shoul.l die.)"-.Inhn xii. 2;i-~3;i In 
 both these interesting cas.-s, when the voice was heard "from 
 heaven, the subject of di-scourse was the death of Chrisl. 
 Moses and hl.as talk with .lesus of his .f.-cea-se at Jeru.salem. 
 
 When the voice is luiird on tlm i.in.inf .....i ni.,.:.. : •^.•_J 
 
 of his death to the Greeks and to liis disciple^; wheiTllIt^ 
 
TO S£fiK TftS SALVATIOl^ Of SOTTLS. 
 
 837 
 
 voice IS heard for the third time. This testimony from heaven 
 abundantly proves that Jesus was doing the will of God by 
 labouring and dying for the salvation of our lost race. ' 
 
 The greatest proof of this truth was reserved till after the 
 ghnfication of the Son of God. When Christ was glorified, 
 then God sent down the Holy Spirit to render efficient the 
 means which Jesus had appointed for the regeneration of our 
 race. And by the operations of the Holy Spirit, the first 
 preachers of the gospel wrought wonders. Under their 
 preaching thousands were converged ; for they went forth 
 and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and 
 confirming the word with signs following ; " And with cr. 
 power gave the apostles witness r'' the resurrection of tl.o 
 Lord Jesus: and great grace wr pen them all;" "And 
 
 %^ ?u •" '■'^l -^ ^H ''^'''''^ '^^"> -^h as should be saved." 
 (See the a. and iv. chapter., of Acts.) If it ha^l not been the 
 
 Pni w M ^T ^^"'"' '''•'"^/' '"''"""' "^' ''y '"« mediation. 
 God would not have sanctioned and so abundantly blessed the 
 first preachers of Christ crucified. They might have preach- 
 ed, but no signs of supernatural power would have attended 
 tlieir word ; for God can never sanction and bless, thouirh ho 
 may permit, that which is displeasing to him. fn the epistle 
 to the Hebrews, Paul shows that men have no excuse for re- 
 joctmg the gospel seeing that Go.l has so strikingly borne 
 witness to its truth ; and that those who neglect it^ can no 
 more escape punishment than did the Jews who disobeyed the 
 law: ins words are, "For if the words sprken by angels was 
 steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience deceived 
 a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we 
 neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be 
 
 ZtZ ^ %^Th ""'i ^^'^;'^°o''«'-'n«>^i unto us by them that 
 heaidhun; God also bearing them witness, both with signs 
 and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy 
 Uiost, according to his own will."— Heb. ii 2 3 4 In 
 short, we have now a standing proof, in the conversion' of men 
 to God through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus, that it 
 was Jehovah's will that Jesus shouhl live and di<., for our sal- 
 
 nliTtv'nnlT ""'n'"; ''"'■" ^""'^'^ is preached with Sim. 
 ph.ity ami fi-rvour, God owns that gospel i,, the conversion 
 ofuKi, from the error of their ways. All converted n en 
 have the witness in themselves that iho will of God is their 
 salvuti..n throuirh the death nn.l info......:,... .r .i._ t ^^ 
 
 mn«rhnT'"r """^/''' "''«''^ be greatly amplifi^ed -"buV wo 
 must hasten to consider, ^ . i > 
 
 89 
 
«8 
 
 THE OBIiIOATlONfl OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 J i T, ^'^P^^^e concern and constanl care of Christ to 
 do the will, and finish the work of his Father, afford the best 
 examp e for Chnstmns to follow in the discharge of their 
 duties to the souls of men. ^ "* meir 
 
 pe supreme concern and constant care of Christ to do the 
 
 \ ^"l^iii^"''^' ^^'^ "^"'^ °^ ^'« Father, are implied in the 
 
 words, - My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and 
 
 to finish his work." Bv this statement, wp art not to und-' 
 
 stand that Christ did not need any food to support his body, 
 
 or that he was not m want of food at this time. His body as 
 
 much needed temporal food, for its sustenance, as ours do • 
 
 and at this time he was both hungry and thirsty. This is 
 
 evident, from his sending his disciples into the city to buy 
 
 meat, and from his asking for water to drink of the woman of 
 
 feamaria. By this expression we must understand that Jesus 
 
 was more intent upon doing the will of his Father, than he 
 
 was about satisfying his own bodily wants. He hungered 
 
 more, he thirsted more, for the salvation of souls, than he did 
 
 formeat and drink. The supreme concern and constant care 
 
 ot Christ to do the will, and finish the work of his Father, was 
 
 evident through the whole of his eventful life. 
 
 He evidenced his supreme avxiety to do the will of God when 
 very yotm^- It is not much that wo find in the Bible concern- 
 ing the childhood, youth, and manhood of .h.sus. Until he 
 commences his public ministry, which he did when he was 
 about thirty years of age, little is said of Jesus ; but what is 
 said must convince us that in his youth it was his meat to do 
 he will of his father. In Luke's gospel wo are informed, 
 And the child grow, and waxed strong in Spirit, and filled 
 with wisdom : and the grace of God was upon him." At the 
 agoof twelve years ho accompanie. his parents to Jerusalem, 
 at the feast of the passover. Aftei the feast was over, his 
 paronls returned : but Jesus tarried beliind in Jerusalem. 
 And what (lid ho tarry behind for, think you, young friends « 
 Was it because ho did not wish to be subject to his parents ? 
 or was It because he wanted to see the fine sights in Jerusa. 
 em, the metropolis of Judea ? or was it, think you, because 
 be wished to be doing some mischief, which his parents would 
 not allow, as many boys of his age would have done ? Oh 
 no. none (.f those things caused him to tarry behind. He 
 tarried to do the will of his l-'atlior in heaven. When his 
 parents ruturnod to seek him, " 'I'hey foun.l him in the temple, 
 sitting mlhe umiui of the doctors, boih hearing them and ask. 
 u.g them questions. And all that heard him were astonished 
 
to SEEK THS SALVATION Or SOULS. 
 
 •30 
 
 and 
 
 at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, 
 they were amazed : and his mother said unto him, Son, why 
 hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I 
 have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How 
 is it that ye sought me ? wist (knew) ye not that I must be 
 about my Father's business ?" — Luke ii. 46 — 49. O that 
 the yong now present would copy the example of Jesus, by 
 serving God in their youthful days ! Nearly all that have 
 been eminent for Biblical knowledge, for holiness, and for use- 
 fulness in the world, began to serve God in their early days. 
 Your preacher would not hold the office he now sustains, and 
 which he has filled since he was twenty years of age, 
 if he had not made religion his choice, and the cause of God 
 his cause, at the age of thirteen years. And while this even- 
 ing he calls to remembrance some of his youthful companions, 
 who would not serve God in their youth, who have blasted 
 their characters, and some of them lost their lives through a 
 course of sin, he would most earnestly and affectionately 
 invite you to begin at onr:^ to live to please God, and to copy 
 the example of Jesus, who at twelve years of age entered on 
 his Father's bu^ness. To those young friends who have 
 embraced religion, we would say, study to be useful, try to 
 be useful, pray to be useful in the salvation of the souls of 
 men, and many souls shall you save from death. 
 
 Christ evidenced his supreme concern to do the will, andjinish 
 the work of his Father, by the long journeys he took, and the many 
 privations he endured, for the purpose of instructing and bless- 
 ing the sons of men. He did not reside constantly in Naza- 
 reth, waiting for the people to come to him for advice and 
 aid ; but ho went about doing good. He journeyed on foot, 
 beneath the scorching rays of an eastern sun, from place to 
 place, to aof'k and to save those that were lost. In these 
 journeys, \w was often for a long period without food ; for 
 though he wrought miracles to supply the wants of others, 
 yet he depended on the bounty of men for the supply of his 
 own temporal wants. Sometimes he met with the greatest 
 kindness, and had unremitting attention paid to the supply of 
 1h8 necessities. In Bethany, he was invariably kindly re- 
 ceived, an ! hospitably entertained by Lazarus and his sisters. 
 Martha \\as so anxious about the 8Ui)ply of hi« temporal 
 wants, that he was obliged to give her a gentle reproof, 
 
 ImriniiaA una laraa ncii.^riii ir\ rtt»/\%t\A^ KL-m amw***. 4X**«ma ...U^m 
 
 " ^•- j" •-Ts-rrr iiitu mitny trttrs^s, rrjicil 
 
 only one thing was needed. In many oth«r plaoos, however, 
 he wts houseless, and none oared tor his nocossities. Thit 
 
340 THE OBLlSAXrONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 anH the birds of fh« oi . i "'^^^"^^e'^' The foxes have holes, 
 
 Wef n, If Z '.^ '"/r^^ "* ^'^-^ ^^«"^'' abject pover^? 
 vveii might the apostle of the Gentilp>j <i«t/ «< v^ i, .1 
 
 Jc^/a ;;ian;7b./e6? his supreme concern to do the will of his 
 Father in hs constant readiness to instruct and save J X 
 heard him, and who desired instruction and sa/vation Wren 
 ever any camo to him for instruction and aid he never U^ned 
 a deaf ear to their requests. All the disoas;d who camTto 
 am obtamod the desire of their hearts; for he healed t^m 
 lo e7hi: l^rn^f ^ his aid for their sons-mothers who mi 
 devils hnH ^^ ^'^'"'' da^gl'ters, who were afflicted with 
 devils, had their requests always granted. He rejected no 
 he appvoaches of harlots, publican.rand the vilest of s^ners 
 but when they drew near for to hear him, he received them 
 with condescending kindness, felt for then U^3est com 
 passion, and vvith all the sweetness of benevolencTbestowTd 
 
 rio scribes and phansces murmured, saying. This man 
 receiveth sinners, and eateth with thorn." VVhe^i thousand" 
 d o^y near to hear him, he would sit for whole days oS^' 
 ms ructing them in .spiritual and eternal thingsf and then 
 retire at night to the mountains ; not to sleep, but to pray 
 
 " Sr^ mountaine and the midniTlu air. 
 Witnessed the fervour of his prayer." 
 Christ was not only ready to deprive himsHf of rest, when 
 thousands came to hear him; but he would do this W the 
 sake of .ndividuals. He must have spent the greater part of 
 one night with Nicodemus, conversing with hiTn on the all 
 important subjects of the new-birth, and the extent and design 
 of the love of God in sending his Son into the world. And 
 m reference to the woman of Samaria, ho shows his supreme 
 concern to do the will of his Father. Fatigued an he was 
 with his long walk from .ludea, hungry and thirsty as he was 
 he oonvorses with her until he has secured the conversion of 
 icr soui J and ne laKes iio reireshmcnt until he has preached 
 the word of God to tho Samaritans, who ore brought to him 
 
to SEElt TflE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 341 
 
 by the woman. Here we see that it was his meat to do his 
 Father's will, and to finish his work. 
 
 His supreme concern to do his Father^ s will is also evident 
 from ike amazing sufferings which he so patiently enduYed. 
 Christ would never have humbled himself; nor have groaned 
 in the garden till the blood gushed through the pores of his 
 skin ; nor have allowed himself to be apprehended as a com- 
 mon malefactor ; nor have endured the buffetings, mockings, 
 insults, and scoffings of an infuriated mob, and of malicious 
 judges ; nor have submitted to the unjust condemnation pro- 
 nounced upon him by the Jewish High Priest and the Roman 
 governor ; nor would he have gone like a lamb to the slaugh- 
 ter, if it had not been his meat to do the will of his Father, 
 and finish his work. These sufferings he could have avoided 
 — his enemies he could have baffled — their lives he could 
 have taken away in a moment j but it was the will of his 
 Father that he should endure these unparalleled sulTerrings, 
 in order to save us from endless woe. The voluntary char- 
 acter of his sufferings stands forth prominently in ihe word 
 of God : hence, it is said, " He humbled himself ; He gave 
 himself; He laid down his life of himself, no man having 
 power to take it from him ; He became obedient unto death, 
 even the death of the cross." All the men on earth, and all 
 the devils in hell, combined, could not have caused Christ to 
 suffer, if he had not been willing to suffer ; for he was pos- 
 sessed of infinite wisdom and power, and could, with a single 
 word, have destroyed them all. But then how could the will 
 of God be accomplished in our salvation ? 
 
 The supreme concern of Christ to do the will of his Father 
 in our redemption, is evident in the death he died. The Saviour, 
 on one occasion, said, " The life is more than meat." Good 
 men eat to live : they do nut live to eat. But though the life 
 is more than meat, yet Jesus gave up his life for the salvation 
 of the souls of men. Death, under any form, is painful to 
 think of; inasmuch as it is the penalty of transgression. But 
 Jesus died the most accursed death, even the death of the 
 cross. None but slaves, movers of sedition, murderers, and 
 the worst kind of malefactors, ever died a death so lingering, 
 30 cruel, HO shameful, au that of crucifixion. This horrid 
 death, under circumstances which no other being over was 
 placed in, Christ suffered. He had not only to endure the 
 physical pains which crucifixion nrodiieea : but his holy soul 
 was tormented by devils. He 'was mocked, tlerided, and 
 abused, as ho hung upon the orosa, by those very men whom 
 
 S'P, 
 
 ■I «I 
 
 4 
 
342 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 he had, while hvmg, blessed ; and now, while dying, prays for. 
 He was forsaken of his Father, and left to endure the ven. 
 geance due to sm without divine support and consolation. 
 Ihis produced such agony, such overwhelming horror, that 
 he exclauTied, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
 me / or as it would be, if more correctly rendered, « Mv 
 God, my God, to what hast thou left me ?" Jesus endured all 
 this to do the will of God, and to finish the work of our re- 
 demption, which God had planned as early as the fall of the 
 human race, if not before. These evidences must convince 
 every honest mind that it was the supreme concern and con- 
 slant care of Christ to do his Father's will, and finish his 
 work. 
 
 Now, m) Christian friends, we have here an example, a 
 perfect example, worthy the imitation of us all, in our efforts 
 to save souls. It is as much the will of God that we should 
 labour to save souls, as it was his will that Christ his Son 
 should live and die for their salvation. Our labours will never 
 merit their salvation— Christ's death alone is the meritorious 
 cause of the salvation of souls ; but our labours, our exam- 
 pie, our intercessions, if they are what they should be will 
 lead our fellow-men to Christ, for that great salvatio i which 
 he purchased with his own blood. Can we find a more per- 
 feet example for us to follow, in the salvation of souls, than 
 this which Christ has lefl us ? It is impossible. There was 
 no cessation nor intermission in the Redeemer's labours for 
 the present and eternal salvation of immortal souls. This 
 example we are bound to follow. The example of Christ, in 
 his unwearied labours to save souls, we are as much bound to 
 imitate, as we are bound to imitate the example of truth, jus- 
 tice, purity, humility, and patience, which ho has left us. 
 Thornton justly observes: " If Christianity implies the pos- 
 session of the 'Spirit of Christ Jesus, having the same mind 
 m us, which was also in Christ Jesus,' it necessarily follows 
 that every trait which characterized the Saviour, should dis-' 
 tinguish his fbllowers, and that the feature most prominent in 
 him should bo so in thorn. Consequently, if love to souls 
 was developed more strikingly in the Redeemer than any 
 other attribute, we conceive thai it mnv bn fairiy assumed 
 that this ought to be the most conspicuous trait in any genuine 
 disciple of the truth. There is roason to fear that love to 
 souls has too gonorally been considered as a sl.ining gif>, 
 rather than a necessuiy grace ; as an absoiuie prerequisite in 
 constituting tho ch .r.;ctor of a minister, or u luibsionavy, but 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 343 
 
 not of a private Christian ; or, if it has been admitted as an 
 indispensable qualification, it has been considered as a latent 
 principle, to be called into exercise occasionnlly, and under 
 extraordinary circumstances, rather than an ever-active prin- 
 ciple, in constant and uniform operation. Now, we contend, 
 from the example of Jesus Christ, love to souls is as essential 
 in the constitution of every Christian character, as repentance 
 or faith ; that it is one branch of that charity, concerning 
 which Paul declares, * Though 1 speak with the tongues of 
 men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as 
 sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal.' Charity, if it exists 
 in the human bosom, is a divine flame kindled from on high, 
 that not only rises to its native heaven, but expands on earth, 
 and diffuses far and wide its holy light and genial warmth ; 
 it is seen the most brilliuntl} and felt tiie most powerfully in 
 the Church ; but it sends its kindly rays forth into a cold and 
 benighted world. This is the only atmosphere in which God 
 and man can meet and live. He that dwelleth in love, dwel- 
 leth in God, and God in him. The love to the brethren, 
 which is insisted on in scripture, is a holy affection, not only 
 exercised from one Christian to anothfir, but from all Christians 
 towards their common brotherhood, tiie whole family of man. 
 We are to love our neighbours as ourselves, and to love even 
 our enemies as ourselves ; to pray for their conversion, and 
 try to lead them to that cross where they will be reconciled to 
 God and to ourselves : this is the widest expanse of Christian 
 charity." 
 
 We think none can question that it is our duty to copy the 
 example of Christ, in unwearied labours to save the souls of 
 men. We profess to bo actuated by the spirit of Jesus, and 
 to tread in his steps. Suffer us then to ask. Is it our meat 
 to do the will of our Father in heaven, by seeking the salva- 
 tion of souls ? Do wo hunger and thirst as much after an 
 opportunity of doing good to the souls of men, as we do for 
 necessary food ? Are we willing to suiFer the loss of all 
 things, yea, to yield up life itself, if required, to promote the 
 salvation of immortal souls ? If we are not, we do not pos- 
 Bess the mind of Christ, nor are we following the example 
 which ho has loft us. Oh ! that as professing Christians, we 
 were like Christ our Master ; then the salvation of souls 
 would be more desired than life itself. Immortal souls are 
 perishing by hundreds, and thousands, and millions, every 
 year — perishing for the lack of k^wledge — dropping into 
 hell because they know nothing of Christ ; yet, many who 
 
 ill 
 
 ^iil 
 
344 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS Ot CHRISTIANS 
 
 name the name of Christ, aio as indifferent about their salva. 
 hl^'i *^Vu°"^.« i« the street. There are many whocaU 
 themselves Christians who will not spare one hour from bSs 
 
 Seah"'xvf'"'-f '''"'^"°^'^^°"^«^^^P' t° ««ve a s^ul from 
 
 1 brand fZ h^l ^'"' ' ^'""f' "°f, "^ ^^"""S' ^° P»"^k men 
 milpfn . the burnmg; who will not go the length of a 
 
 mUe to recover an immortal soul from the snare of the devil ^ 
 who will not even utter a word of instruction, nor of repr^f 
 ZnrTf to save men from the vengeance of etS 
 If; n f 7''\ "^"^ ^'^^"^ *° ^^bour in any way for the sal 
 vation of souls, they are full of excuses ! Do you ask them 
 give, to support others while labouring, they will e £ 
 refuse, or give you the lowest possible sum ! O where Is the 
 constraining love of Jesus f iJoes it dwell can it dwpll in 
 
 JomSn^""'° «^"^ up their t:r:LomS 
 lerott of thpT'^^T' '"^ ^^° ^^"^ "°t P"t themselves the 
 
 DOSS We Th ^^ '"^ '''^' ^"'•^"^'"^ «°"J« f^°"^ death ? Im. 
 possible. They are not actuated by the Spirit— thev are nnt 
 fi led with the love of Jesus, whose meat itCs to do^he^U 
 of his Father, and finish his work. 
 
 for^the t!.l''"r "'"'^'' ^ • P*^"'^' ^^^" °f "« d° ^hat we can 
 tor the souls of our perishing fellow-men. There are num 
 
 bers m our neighbourhoods whom we have never warned Tf 
 
 tThrUmb oTFY' r 'f r^^'" ''' have Lvir pointed 
 Sh.n ;k ' ^°'^' "^^^ t^^^th away the sin of the world 
 
 them .^%rrlv'' °"' ,^^^y ^°-«' -^thout an effort to ^ave 
 tnem/ fehaH hey perish without any sympathy, anv com 
 passion, any help from us ? God forbid .' Let us copy Te' 
 example of Jesus. Instead of taking mortals for ourTxem 
 
 eles' nn^'F''' T^ '^ r'""^ «°"»'' ^^' "« steadil^.^ou; 
 Efl /v.''"'' "*^ author and finisher of our faifh • who 
 
 Sgt iZm;''"int itr'"^ him endured the crosa;;'- 
 aig me sname. it it be a cross for m to reprove sinners tn 
 instruct sinners, to converse with them on spfriJual hS o 
 give a reason of the hope that is in ■ , let us take up thrcross 
 
 z'7LTonrLz' 'r"'> ^"'"""^ ^^' -<i 4ir^ 
 
 me sname ot it. Remember Jesus says, " Whosoever will 
 come after me let him deny himself, and take up h's cross 
 and follow me. ' We know that perso'nal effort for^he salva: 
 tion of souls IS a great trial, a great cross to many pSvate 
 Christians ; but that trial must be endured, that cros/m.^s? 
 
 Spirit .m bo br„u^„7ff- wr;r™TrpX:i i(;s 
 
TO SEEK THJE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 345 
 
 of Jesus this day, If you will not copy the example op 
 Jesus, in unwearied efforts to save souls, you will, 
 YOU must, be classed with the wicked and slothful 
 servant, who hid his lord's money, and you must ex- 
 pect to share his punishment. 
 
 Before we close this service, we observe, that this subject 
 reads an awful lesson to the unconverted. You are careless 
 about the salvation of your own souls, for which Jesus suffer- 
 ed so much, to redeem you from sin, and satan, and the bottom- 
 less pit. Christ felt such love to your souls, that he died the 
 death of the cross, to save them ; but you think nothing about 
 this salvation. You seldom think what you are and where 
 you are going. Now, depend upon this, if you are not ex- 
 posed to eternal damnation, Jesus Christ would nev( r liave 
 suffered, wept, bled, and died for your salvation ; for no tem- 
 poral consideration whatever can compensate the Redeemer for 
 the agonies, the tortures, and the death which he endured for 
 you. Your souls are infinitely valuable, and are in danger 
 of being eternally lost, or Christ would not have died to re- 
 deem them. Remember, ye unconverted, you will shortly 
 have to meet Christ as your judge, and if you now neglect 
 the great salvation, which he purchased with his own blood, 
 He will then show you no mercy. He may possibly weep 
 over your destruction, as he did over the doom of infatuated 
 Jerusalem ; but his word, and the office he sustains, will re- 
 quire him to cast you into outer darkness. Think of the tre- 
 mendous evils of being cast into outer darkness, and fly to 
 Jesus for mercy, before it be too late. Whether Christians 
 perform their duty to your souls or not, it is your duty, your 
 privilege, your interest to " Work out your own salvation with 
 fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you, 
 both to will and to do of his good pleasure." 
 
 m\ 
 
 i 
 
 H\ 
 
THE J 
 
 "N 
 Neheri 
 
 In 
 
 duct ( 
 captii 
 one n 
 they I 
 law < 
 Ezra 
 pulpii 
 priest 
 be fori 
 stand 
 book 
 panie 
 great 
 with 
 worsl 
 readi 
 Pries 
 the h 
 law c 
 to un 
 W 
 wept 
 God, 
 Whe 
 comn 
 holy 
 the I 
 Ther 
 the s 
 prepj 
 
DISCOURSE XVII. 
 
 THE JOY OF THE LORD THE CHRISTIAN S STRENGTH, IN THE 
 ARDUOUS WORK OF SAVING SOULS. 
 
 " Neither be ye sorry, (or the joy of the Lord is your strength."— 
 Nehemiah viii. 10. 
 
 In this chapter we have an interesting account of the con- 
 duct of the people of God after their return from Babylonish 
 captivity. All the people gathered themselves together, as 
 one man, into the street that was before the water gate, and 
 they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the book of the 
 law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. 
 Ezra brought forth the sacred volume, and standing upon a 
 pulpit of wood, surrounded by his brethren of the Aaronic 
 priesthood, " he read therein from morning until mid-day, 
 before the men and the women, and those that could under- 
 stand ; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the 
 book of the law.'* The reading of the law was accom- 
 panied with prayer : " And Ezra blessed the LORD the 
 great God : and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, 
 with lifting up their hands : and they bowed their heads, and 
 worshipped the Lord, with their faces to the ground." The 
 reading was followed by expositions of the law ; for the 
 Priests and the Levites " caused the people to understand 
 the law." It is stated, " So they read in the book, in the 
 law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them 
 to understand the reading." 
 
 When the people heard the law read and expounded, they 
 wept to think how they had violated that law, offended their 
 God, and exposed themselves to his wrathful indignation. 
 When Nehemiah saw they were truly penitent, he at once 
 commanded them to cease weeping, saying, " This day is 
 holy unto the Lord your God ; mourn not nor weep : for all 
 the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 
 Then he said^unto them. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink 
 the sweet, and send portions unto thorn for whom nothing is 
 prepared : for this day is holy unto our LORD : neither be 
 
d4d 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 ye sorry, for the jov of thp T nnn .-o 
 stead of allowing them tr. «/I '^ y^"' strength." In. 
 
 to death, he cSand, them tM^'''""' ^^° ^^'^ ^°°">ed 
 had forgiven, andZn^lT' ^«Peraons whom God 
 ings. Their joy Lsr^exMh-^^n'' ^,^°^^^""g ^is bless- 
 musi be a re igious one THp! ? ^ ^'"'^ ' ^'^^ ^^e feast 
 the sweet ; but^hey mu;t do ^hf ""V ^^ -''^^ ^"^' ^"^ ^"«k 
 sending them a poS of^h ''^ "^^^^^ ^° ^^^ P^^r, by 
 
 glad ; Ind Sey nC Teen t£rf ^T"^ ^^H^' »« "^^ke them 
 for the joy of tL Lord Ts'thei'r ZVl^ ^^f/? ^"^ ^-°^-» 5 
 says the judicious Henry -a earn.! H' ^^ "°^ ^^" 
 
 and spiritual, the 70/0? /A. % T' '^"'"^^ J^^' ^"t holy 
 
 God, Lder 'the Vonlt td'^IotSent 'or\T'''''' 1 
 God ; joy arising from our intefest i^i ^n L ^ ?'^^^ 
 God, and the tokens of hifw Th '"^,/f °"' °^ 
 strength ; therefore encourage it '' ^^^ ''^" ^^ ^^^^ 
 
 thiSrS^tctsotw'tr °'^°' '"^ ^'^ ^«^'^^d -t 
 steadfast in the covenZ Tf GoTr^' '°-"^^^^^ ^'^^ P^^P^^ 
 ly imagine. Many IT. Wn ' '°T. ^" °"^ ^^^ foolish, 
 poor penitent, untif'i^h^slorwP^r'''^^"^ ?^ ^°'"^°"^"g ^ 
 wormwood and the JaU but th °' ?'°"'^^' ^''''^"^ °f the 
 
 penitent to dcsrah- b^for^ ^ '''''^.^""' "P°" ^riv^ a 
 
 salvation, and Tit n. hL't ^''''T^Jr ^^"'^ '^'^ -"P of 
 of the gospel. tS pTrt os^i;'t' M ''^'- '''!' ^°"«oIatLs 
 manner in which pen tents hnuM ^^S'^^,"^'^/']^^"' ^^ to the 
 a sinner's heart if rulf Lnl r "^"^^^^ ''"^^' Whenever 
 having bro'ccn h^aw of God'u/-?-"rr^^'^" ^^ ^^'^^P^ at 
 then, as soon as possible 1 '.!fV' ^^'•^' J"^*' ^"^ good, 
 
 that makes the wSedvvhole"^ ^"r^^ '^'' ^^^'^ 
 
 the /error 0/ the Lord hu \,'^""^?"^^^^;!"g. that it is not 
 
 strengthens a^man^ a^ndlJlt 1^;:^ rdoltill^^^ 
 
 its existence The t?xt .ml ^ J? '' '^''^ conservator of 
 
 ly prove this. Th V'of TeTotl?^ 
 
 your weakness. ^^ ^"'"^ '^ >'<^U'' strength, not 
 
 out^'thf ^itio^^^^^^^^ "^ ^^T ^^^^--^' Po-ting 
 
 we have alf Jbl^lch ro^ '' '^^"'■"" °^^^°"^«^ 
 
 faithful to the trust tp^dTn usTtt^slJjr ^i^^ fj 
 to huvu ueen ; and because we have not been V^uTef^f ^oX 
 
Nf 
 
 TO SfifiK tHB SALVATION O* SOULS. 
 
 349 
 
 souls of men as we should hare been, it we had been faithiul 
 stewards of the nnysteries of the kingdom. We doubt not 
 but they have caused great search- igs of heart, and made us 
 mourn and weep, as did tije Jca- ., in Nehemiah's day; but 
 we must not be swalloweu ap with over much sorrow. Our 
 grief should lead us to th rr o. ^-seat, for forgiveness, and 
 then it must be disconliuuett * , if it be excessive, and l(Mig- 
 continued, it will unfit us for the service of God, in the great 
 work of saving souls. F w •. .ve seen our error, in having 
 too much neglected the sauuiion of souls : if we have con. 
 fessed our unfaithfulness, with godly sorrow '. if we have im- 
 plored forgiveness, in the name of Christ, and have obtained 
 it, then let us rejoice, and cheerfully address ourselves to the 
 great work of saving souls from death, and hiding multitudes 
 of sins. Mourning and weeping over the past will now effect 
 nothing in the salvation of souls. We may sit down and 
 weep ourselves to death, on account of our past unfaithful- 
 ness, and not save a single soul from ruin by so doing. Our 
 business is to be more diligent in future ; and if we would 
 perform our duty to the souls of the unconverted, we must be 
 full of joy ; for the joy of the Lord is our strength. The 
 great cause of our failure in duty, in past days, has been the 
 want of the joy of the Lord ; for joy in Grod is the cause of 
 success in the work of saving souls. We must be happy, ia 
 order to be useful. This is the subject of our present dis- 
 course. In discussing this subject, let us consider, 
 
 L The joy of the Lord. 
 
 IL Its utility in the great work of saving souls. 
 
 I. The joy of the Lord. 
 
 The joy of the Lord sometimes means the joy of the 
 heavenly state, which we hope that you will possess, when 
 the duties of this life are performed : when you have finish- 
 ed your earthly course. The faithful servant of God, when 
 he rests from his labours, is addressed in these words, " Well 
 done, good and faithful servant : thou hast been faithful over 
 a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter 
 thou into the joy of thy Lord." The measure and duration 
 of that joy we cannot form an adequate conception of; for, 
 " In God's presence there is fulness of joy, and at his right 
 hand there are pleasures for evermore." This joy believers^ 
 at deuUi, enter Inio ; but the joy that is s|)oken of in the text 
 is that which enters into them, while they live in a world 
 
 30 
 
950 
 
 THE OBLIOATIONS OP CHRISTlJiKg 
 
 Which IS full of sorrow. It is not much of the ioy of the 
 Lord that we can now hold, hut as much as we can contain 
 we may have ; for God can fill us with peace and ioy through 
 believing ; and notwithstanding the little of the joy of the 
 Lord our hearts can contain, while encased in 'flesh, we 
 nevertheless can hold sufficient of it to make us both un- 
 speakably happy and abundantly useful. 
 
 By the joy of the Lord, we are to understand that gladness 
 which the Lord imparts to the soul. Joy has been described 
 as Jhat vivid pleasure which is inspired by the immediate 
 reception of somfthing peculiarly grateful, of somelhincr 
 obviously productive of essential advantage, or of something 
 which promises to contribute to our present and future well- 
 being. The delight may be communicated by our liberation 
 from our fearful apprehensions, or from a state of actual 
 distress : by obtaining some new addition to our stock of en- 
 joyment : or by the full assurance of these, without any mix- 
 ture of doubt." Now do you not see how well and how 
 fully this delineation of joy applies to the circumstances of 
 tlie real Cliristmn, whom, having embraced the gospel of 
 Christ, God has filled with joy ? From what fearful appre- 
 hensions, appalling dangers, and heart-rending distress has 
 God delivered him. He 1ms delivered him from the curse of 
 the law, the burden of sin, the slavery of the devil, the accu- 
 sations of an evil conscience, and the drearl foi-el)odinffs of 
 eternal damnation. God has reconciled him to himself, by 
 the death of his Son: has forgiven him his iniquities, and 
 covered Ins transgressions : has given him not " the spirit of 
 oondago acruin to fear; but the spirit of adoption, whereby 
 we cry, Abba, Father:" has given him, through Christ, 
 " access by faith info this grace wherein we stand, and re. 
 .{oice 111 hope of the glory of God." The joy and gladness 
 telt when God delivered us from the powers of darkness, and 
 translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, is what is 
 termed in our text the joy of the Lord. 
 
 It is the joy of the Lord, inasmuch as he is the author 
 of It. V\ ho, save the almiglny God, can deliver us from our 
 guilt, pollulion, misery, and danger ? Who, save (Jod, can 
 give us the inestimable blessings of pardon, adoption, liberty, 
 and thf! hope of glory, from whicli this joy proceeds ? Who 
 save God, can give us the full assurance^ the clear nnd <leci' 
 sivo evidence that our sins are forgiven us, and that our 
 names are written in heaven, which is absolutely essential 
 to the existence of spiritual, rational, elevated joy ? None. 
 
 vi. 
 
TO SSEK THE SALTATION OP SOULS. 
 
 351 
 
 Until God's anger is removed from us, and we have the 
 assurance that he has accepted us in the beloved, we are 
 wretched and miserable. Men may try to make us glad, 
 under such circumstances, but they must labour in vain. 
 " When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ? 
 and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him ? 
 whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only." 
 Job xxxiv. 29. " Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, 
 and my calamity laid in the balances- together ! For now 
 would it be heavier than the sand of the sea : therefore my 
 words are swallowed up. For the arrows of the Almighty 
 are within mc, the poison whereof drinkelh up my spirit: the 
 terrors of God do set themselves in array against mo." — Job 
 vi. 2-4. God is the giver of that joy which is spiritual, 
 satisfying, ad enduring. This the Scripture plainly, posi- 
 tively, frequently asserts. Solomon says, " God givetii to a 
 man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and 
 joy."— Kccles. ii. 26. The Psalmist says, " Thou hast made 
 glad with the light of thy countonui " — 
 " There bo many that say, VVlio will show 
 Lord, lift thou up the light of thy coun- 
 us. Thou hast put gladness into my heart, 
 more than in the time thoir corn and their wine inrreas- 
 ed." — Psalm iv. 6, 7. Paul prays, " Now the God of hope 
 fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may 
 
 abound in hope, through the power of the Iloly Ghost." 
 
 Romans xviii. 13. Tlioso citations abundantly prove that 
 God is the author of the joy that is worth iiaving. When he 
 giveth joy, then we ciai say, with Isaiah, " O Lord, I will 
 praise thee : though thou wast angry with me, thine anger 
 
 him exceeding 
 Psalm xxi. 6. 
 us any good ? 
 tenance upon 
 
 -C. XM. 
 
 v. 1. 
 
 IS turned away, inul thou comfortudst me. 
 " 1 will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful 
 in my God ; for lie hath clothed mo with the garments of 
 salvation, ho hath cov(?red me with the robe of righteousness, 
 ns a bridngroom deckoth himstdf with ornaments, and as a 
 bride adorneth herself with jewels."— o. Ixi. v. 10. 
 
 It is the joy of the Lord, inasmuch as he ?» the subject 
 of U. Wo not only receive joy from God, but ho is the solo 
 object of all religious joy. To a converted mind, the gifts, 
 the graces, the mercies, the ordinances of God arc not so 
 much the objects of gladness aa God himself is the object of 
 it. It is in God that the renewed soul specially delights, and 
 it is for the enjoyment of God that the gracious soul ardently 
 longs. This is clearly evident from the Bible. David s^^yg, 
 
862 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 *hf?.t?th 'f f^^" ""^ ^"Z ' ^""'^y '^^" I '^^^ ^i>ee ■ my soul 
 
 h ' V ?' 't'"^ ""y ^^^ ^^"g^^'^ ^^--^hee, in a dry and 
 
 tvs ^. Th' ""^'Tf r ''"''' '^-"-P^^^"^ i^iii- 1. Again, he 
 
 1? ' 5 '" •'^'" ^ ^"^ ""^° ^^^ ^^t^^ °f "^y God, unto God 
 
 God mv r^/'^ ..yea, upon the harp will I praise thee. O 
 
 God my God."_Psalm iv. 3, 4. And again, - I will sing 
 
 unto the Lord as long as I live : I will sin-? praise to my Sod 
 
 7^ii in "'y.^T'p' ^y '"-^J'^^tion V him shall bo 
 
 savs "Wo l' ^'^'^^ "' 't iorrf."-Psahn civ. 34. Paul 
 
 St hJL ^"^ '" ^"^' ^''''^"Sh our Lord Jesus 
 
 Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.'*'— 
 
 Romans v. 11 Peter, writing to those who had never seen 
 
 Uhrist, who is God manifest in the flesh, says, " Whom hav 
 
 ing not seen, ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him not', 
 
 yet behoving ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
 
 wo.r ~ , ^^''' V 5- , ^'^^ "^^^'^'■«' ^^^ perfections, the 
 works, and ways of God afford unspeakable delight to the 
 renewed nnnd. The manner in which the God£'ad is re! 
 vealed to us in the Bible affords untold pleasure to the pious 
 mmd : we can contemplate the Godhead in its unity, and in 
 its tnnity in unity, with exceeding joy. While we behold 
 one God, infinitely perfect and glorious, we discover three 
 persons in that one Go<l, who, by a trinity of operations, 
 nccomplish a threefold work, in which the glory of the 
 Godhead and the happiness of humanity are secured. The 
 iuther, Son, and Holy Ghost are all engaged to secure one 
 grand object, the salvation of the soul. O how delicrhtful 
 It IS to contpjiiplate the Father designing the plan of" sal- 
 vation— the Son executing the plan of salvation— the Holy 
 Spirit applyuig the benefits of salvation to the humble and 
 contrite, lake another view. How delisrhtful it is to have 
 access to the taiber-through the sacrific,. of the Son— bv 
 the power of the Holy Spirit, who lielpeih our infirmities, nnd 
 maketh intercession for us. Tbuik, again, how delightful it 
 18 to have in our souls the t. .it- of blessings spoken of in 
 hese words " i he grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
 love o God, and the communion of the Holy CJhost be with 
 you all. Amen." The trinity of the Godhead meets us 
 at every stop, in the work of our redemption ; and the 
 onenew of the Godhead is abundantly manifested in the 
 unity of purpose, the unity of effort, and the unity of result, 
 which, from first to Inst, are apparent in the work of redemp. 
 twn. The study of God, thus manifested, will afford m 
 un«p«akftbl© joy m this world, and eternal joy in the next. 
 
TO SEfii THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 353 
 
 o 
 
 Think, too, of the joy which communion with God ever 
 affords. ** Truly our fellowship is with the Father and 
 with his son Jesus Christ." The Comforter, also, who is 
 the Holy Ghost, dwelleth in us. This blessed fellowship with 
 the triune God, we could easily show from the Scriptures, if 
 we had time, embraces a participation of the Divine nature, 
 unrestricted and frequent intercourse, community of interest, 
 and mutual possession. The possession of the Divine nature, 
 intercourse with God by prayer, the oneness of interest be- 
 tween us and the blessed God, our possession of Jehovah 
 and all that he has, and his full possession of our bodies, 
 spirits, and all that belonjrs to us, afford to our minds un- 
 speakable joy. Then, again, the constant, feoling sense of 
 Jehovah's presence, love, and protection fills with joy indis- 
 cribable. To feel that the Lord is within us, that he is our 
 portion, that his love is ours, that all our concerns are 
 under his guidance, that all his resources are omployed for 
 our good, that all his powers are exerted for our comfort, 
 support, and defence, is joy indeed : yea, this is the quin- 
 tessence of joy. God himself is the exceeding joy of his 
 people. * 
 
 It is the joy of the Lord, inasmuch as he is the preserver 
 of it. Neither men, nor devils, nor worldly calamities, can 
 rob us of this joy wliich the Lord imparts, so long ns we 
 put our trust under the shadow of his wings. The follow- 
 ing blessed statements ouglit to be familiar to every Chris- 
 tian : " Behold, God is my salvation : I will trust and not be 
 afraid : for the Lord Ji^hovah is my strength and my song. 
 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of 
 salvation." — Isaiah xii. 3, 3. " The redeemed of the Lord 
 shall return and como with singing unto Zion ; and everlast- 
 ing joy shall be upon their head : they shall obtain gladness 
 and joy ; and sorrow and mourning shall (lee away. I, even 
 I, am he that cornforteth you : wiio art thou, that thou 
 nhouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of 
 man that shall bo nju'!o as gr.iss ?" — lb. li. 11, 12. "For 
 the mountains shall do,iuH. ,nd the hills shall bo removed : 
 but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neith( r shall the 
 covenant of my peace bo removeil, saith the Lord, thsit hath 
 mercy on thee.'" -lb. liv. 10. *• Thereibre thus saith tho 
 Lord God," to »'.t wicked, " Behold, my servants shall n«t, 
 but yo shall '^o hungry : behold, my servants shall drink, but 
 ye whall bo thirsty: l»ohold, my servants shall rejoice, but ya 
 shall be ushamod : Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of 
 
354 
 
 THE 0BW0ATI0N8 OF CHRISTIANS 
 
 heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl 
 for vexation of spirit."-Ib. Ixvi. 13, 14. Jesus said to hia 
 disciples : And ye now therefore have sorrow : but I will 
 see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your iov 
 no man taketh away from you. "-John xvi. 22. Of the 
 apostles It IS said, " And they departed from the presence of 
 the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suf- 
 fer shame for his name."— Acts v. 41. " And when they 
 had laid many stripes upon then," Paul and Silas, " they 
 cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safel/: 
 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the 
 inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at 
 midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God : 
 and the prisoners heard them."— lb. xvi. 23, 25. Paul said 
 to the liphesian elders, " And now behold I go bound in the 
 Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing what shall befal me there • 
 save that the Holy Giiost witnesscth, in every city, saying 
 that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these 
 things move me, neither count I my lilb dear unto my. 
 self, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the 
 which 1 have received of the Lord Jesus, to tcs- 
 gospel of the grace of God."— lb. xx. 22-24. 
 to the Galatians and Romans, he says, " Blessed 
 even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
 father of mercies, and the God of all comfort: Who com- 
 tortcth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to 
 comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort 
 wjjcrowith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as 
 the sufferings of Chri.st abound in us, so our consolntion 
 aboundeth by Christ."— 2 Cor. i. 3-5. » Who shall lav 
 anytlung to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that 
 justihcth. Wiio is he that condcmneth ? It is Christ that 
 died, vca, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the 
 right hand of God, who also muketh intercession for us. 
 Who shall separuto us from the love of Christ ? Shall 
 tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked- 
 ness, or peril, or sword ? As it is written. For thy sake we 
 nro killed all tho day long ; wo are accounted as sheep 
 lor tho slaughter. Nay, in all these things wo nro more 
 than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am 
 iwrsuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
 prinoipalUios, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to 
 oome, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall 
 w able to sopuralo us from the lo»c of God, which is in 
 
 ministry 
 tify tho 
 Writing 
 be God, 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OP SOULS. 
 
 365 
 
 Christ Jesus our Lord." — Romans viii. 33-39. If no crea- 
 ture shall be able to separate us from the love of God, 
 surely no creature shall separate us from the joy of the 
 Lord . The mass of evidence we have now brought before 
 you proves that God is the preserver of the joy he imparts, 
 and that no creature can destroy it. The passages from 
 Isaiah and John show that God promises to preserve this joy. 
 The passages from the Acts of the Apostles show fully that 
 God did enable his servants to rejoice in the midst of their 
 afflictions and bitter persecutions, with joy unspeakable ; 
 while the passages from the Corinthians and the Romans 
 prove, that God comforts his people often, through his minis, 
 ters ; and that it is the highest iblly either for men or devils 
 to think of disturbing, to say nothing of destroying, the love, 
 peace, and joy of those to whom God speaks peace, and in 
 whoso hearts is established the kingdom of God, which is 
 righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 
 
 It is the joy of the Lord, inasmuch as rejoicing in him 
 is the duty he erjoins upon us. •* Neither be ye sorry ; for 
 the joy of the l-orf is your strength." There is no duty in 
 the Bible stateo. if plainer terms, and more frequently reitera- 
 ted, than thut wliich .HjOins us to rejoice in our God. Lis- 
 ten to a few of those jommands. The Psalmist says, " Re- 
 joice in t!ie Lord, O ye righteous : for praise is comely for the 
 upright." — Psalm xx.xii. 1. " O clap your hands, all ye 
 people ; and shout unto God with the voice of triumph." — lb. 
 xlvii. 1. " Let Israel rejoice in him that made him ; let the 
 children of Zion be joyful in their king." — lb. cxlix. 2. 
 Joel snys, " Fear not, O land ; be glad and rejoice: for the 
 
 Lord will do great things Be glad then, ye children 
 
 of Zior, and rejoice in the Lord your God." — Joel ii. 21, 
 23. Zophnniiih says, " Sing, O daughter of Zion : shout, 
 O Israel : be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter 
 o*" Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments; 
 ).o hiith cast out thine enemy : the king of Israel, even the 
 Lord, is in the midst of thee : thou shalt not see evil any 
 more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou 
 not : and to Zion, Lot not thine hands be slack. The Lord 
 thy God in the mi<lst of thee is mighty ; he will save, he will 
 rejoice over thee with joy ; ho will rest in his love, he will 
 joy over thoo with singing." — Zeph. iii. 14, 16. The blessed 
 Redeemer says, " Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you 
 and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against 
 you falsely, for my gake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad ; 
 
356 
 
 THB OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 for great is your reward in heaven ; for so persecuted they 
 the prophets before you."— Matt. v. 11, 12. When the 
 seventy returned with joy, saying, " Lord, even the devils 
 aro subject unto us through thy name. He said unto them, 
 1 beheld satan full as lightning from heaven. Behold, I give 
 you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, andoveFall 
 the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means 
 hurt you. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the 
 spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice because your 
 names are written in heaven. "—Luke x. 17-21. Here it is 
 plain, that having our names written in heaven is a far ^reat- 
 er cause of rejoicing than having power to cast out devils: 
 so that all God s people may rejoice ; for they have all their 
 names written in heaven. Just before his crucifixion, at the 
 last supper, Jesus said to his disciples, " Hitherto ve have 
 asked nothing m my name: ask, and ye shall receiW, that 
 your joy may bo full."-John xvi. 24. If, then, we are 
 not full of joy, it is because we ask not in Jesus' name. 
 1 aul, writing to tlie Philippians, says, " Rejoice in the Lord 
 alway : and again I say rejoice."— c. iv. v. 4. To the 
 lliessalonians, ho says, " R(.joice evermore. Pray without 
 ceasing. In evcTy tiling give thanks: for this is the will of 
 Uod in Christ Jesus concerning you— 1 Ephos. v. 16-18. 
 mer says, '; Beloved, think it not strange concernin.T the 
 hry tria which is to try you, as ihough some strange thina 
 happened unto you : .But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are parta^ 
 kers of Clirists sufferings; that, when his glory shall be 
 revealed, ye may be glad also, with exceeding joy."— Peter 
 Jv. 12, i;j. The infinitely blessed God desires us to be 
 abundantly happy j therefore he thus earnestly and repeat- 
 ediy commands us to rejoice. These commands aro as bind- 
 ing upon us the commands " Thou shalt not steal. Thou 
 siialt do no murder. Thou shalt not covet." When we see 
 so many unhappy professors of religion around us, we would 
 hardly suppose that there were so many commands in the word 
 of God, addressed to believers, on the matter of rejoicing. 
 1 lie joy of the Lord may be experienced in nil places, at all 
 times, under all circumstances; for it is independent of them, 
 inasmuch as God is the giver, the object, and the preserver of 
 It. 1 hese comiiKuids may be obeyed bv us all. None of us 
 are placed m more trying circumstances than Ilabbakkuk 
 was, when he said, - Although the fig tree shall not blos- 
 som, neither shall fruit bo in the vines ; the labour of the 
 ohve shall fail, and the fields shall jield no meat; the fiock 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOVLS. 
 
 857 
 
 shall be cut off from the fold, and there saall be no herd 
 in the stall : Yet 1 will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in 
 the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, 
 and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and make m© 
 to walk upon my high places." — Hab. iii. 17 — 19. " The 
 first of these verses most nervously paints the desolate state 
 of Judea during the captivity ; and the two following verses 
 contBin the finest display of the prophet's resignation, con- 
 fidence, and holy triumph in the God of his salvation. He 
 saw that the evil, which the Spirit of Goo enabled him to 
 paint in all its calamitous circumstances, was at hand and 
 unavoidable ; he submitted to this dispensation of Providence, 
 and confided in His mercy and goodness." We cannot be 
 placed in more calamitous circumstances than the apostles 
 of our Lord were ; yet they obeyed the commands we have 
 quoted, and rejoiced always in God. They gloried in trib- 
 ulation. " As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." Let us 
 perform this duty. 
 
 The joy qf^ the Lord, you percehe, differs widely from 
 thai carnal joy which the ungodly possess. They rejoice 
 when their sensual appetites are gratified, when their worldly 
 substance increases, when their fame is extended. All such 
 joy is unsatisfying in its nature, is liable to perpetual inter- 
 ruptions, and will soon end in eternal misery ; but the joy of 
 the saint is vastly different. It is independent of all worldly 
 things : for it is the joy of the Lord ; and nothing can de- 
 prive us of it but wdful sin. It is a solid and substantial joy, 
 which will serve us wiien all outward things conspire to make 
 us wretched. 
 
 " Though waves and storms go o'er my head , 
 Tho' strength, aud heallli, and friends be gone ; 
 
 Though joys be withered all, and dead j 
 Tliough every comfort be withdrawn ; 
 
 On this my steadfast soul relies, 
 
 Father, thy mercy never dies." 
 
 It is satisfying in its nature ; for it makes us unspeakably 
 happy. When we receive the joy of tho Lord, then 
 
 " Exults our rising soul, 
 
 Disburden'd of her load, 
 And swells unutterably full 
 
 OfgloryandofGod." 
 
 But, above all, it is a permanent joy ; for while we enjoy the 
 salvation of God, wo cannot bo destitute of the joy of his saU 
 vation. It may bo lost by sin ; for David, by sinning, 
 
 'hi 
 
 !l 
 
868 
 
 The obligations of christians 
 
 -atiln ' T/ ^''^'^!, "^"^^°^^ »»t° ™« the joy of thy 
 -alvation If we avoid sin, God will never deprive us of 
 
 an7L' ,^"' ^1 "^"- ^°f""^ ituntousaslon/i^^^veHve 
 me thrp2^of li?. '''.'''^t'^''y «-y' : Thou wilt show unto 
 S thv rf J. u ^ u" '" ^^y P'-esence there is fulness of joy • 
 xvi n^ hand there are pleasures for evermore. "-PsaL 
 
 Consider, 
 of "avingtulf '" '' '" j^^ °' ^^^ ^°^^ ^" ^^^ g-^t work 
 
 sicklvVhrkf "''' '^ '""^1 ''^'"''' ^'•^"^ *^^^"^^^'- A weak or 
 of 1 s^f^l "'•J^^^ ^' ''"''>^ successful in saving the souls 
 
 p w r':"' i;'r.4t "'-n "^" ^'^S ^" ^^^ Lord, fnd in the 
 warn asCh irf : Jf omphsh wonders. All that we 
 
 salvation f-' '"^''^' "•' ^° ^° ^he will of God in the 
 tTvelv del, : 'T''^ ''''l^'^ '^ «°"1- Nehonnah posi- 
 tren^tfr r^'' '" rV"-;, '^'"' '^'' J'^y ^^ ^he Lord is our 
 SoE ■ .t' ;r/"' "''1'^^^^ ^^f '^' ^^irength u^e need. 
 ooomon sa>s, 'A merry heart doeth good as a medicine • 
 
 ve b\'otn"Z: ■ ''i'^ ''' '^"^"" The truth of this p" ! 
 verb IS often seen m the common walks of life. A person of 
 
 recovTrf ; on ^''^T '''T'T^ ^'^^^^h heavily afflioL soon 
 recoveistiom sickness, by the use of proper means • whereas 
 a person whose spirit is broken, no meclicT.L Ian hea no 
 bain, can restore. And it is so in grace. A molanc h'oTv 
 
 a melancholy Christian the mole-hill is a mountain, the ^s. 
 
 a KLtkn' h"' •"' '''^ ^T *"^^ ^'""^'^ '"- - de^pafrt but 
 tho^e as wh.nh truly happy in God can bear with ease 
 saint A Ho,n T ^2,^P^^^^y overwhelm the desponding 
 
 foTndmahfn r ? ^'u'f ""' '" '^'' '"'^'«t of trials will be 
 round malvng his melancholy complaint in lan^uacre somethim? 
 ike he following : '' My trials aid afnctions^a";"grere'- tl an 
 I can bear, my duties are more than I can perform mv ene 
 m.es are too many for me. I shall one day fuH ^nd^ am 
 
 » Ri :. T ^^ ,* h'^PPy Christian will be heard to sav 
 
 tion "irmv"'' ^"^' \'"''' '"'^"y ^"^'« -'^ heavy aZ: 
 Z'/fr '^T' V '^^PPy '"^-^^ that 1 scarcely feel 
 
 ^Znl 'rri'V"ft""^'' '^'^°""^' ^»'« consolations^l^ 
 abound. The duties 1 have to perform are not grievous • for 
 it IS my meat to do the will of 6od. My enemfes sometimt. 
 
I 
 
 11 
 
 TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOUL^. 
 
 359 
 
 thrust sore at me, that I may fall ;> but the Lord h^lps me, 
 and having received help of God, I continue to this day. J 
 know my sins are pardoned. I have the presence of the 
 Lord with me. I know that if my eai'thly house of this taber- 
 nacle were dissolved, I have a building of God, an house not 
 made with hands, eternal in the heavens ; and I reckon, with 
 Paul, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to 
 be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in me. 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me bless 
 his holy name." This striking difference between the ex- 
 perience of a desponding professor and a joyous saint we have 
 often vyitnessed. Now, we ask, which of the two will be 
 most likely to be successful in saving souls ? The despond, 
 ing saint has too much to do to think of himself, ever to think 
 about the salvation of others. Selfish are his thoughts, his 
 feelings, and his aims. He is too miserable to think of doing 
 any good to the souls of his fcllow-men. " What shall I do ? 
 O how miserable I am ! What will become of me ?" is the 
 burden of his cry from year's end to year's end. To all such 
 we would say, Give up your selfishness, and begin to labour 
 for the salvation of others, and you will both find joy of soul 
 and strength to save others ; but while you think so much 
 of self, and so little about others, you will remain strangers 
 to joy, and you will never perform your duty to the souls 
 of your fellow-men. The joyous Christian, on the other 
 hand, is found saying, " What shall I render unto the Lord 
 for all his benefits toward me ? What can I do to bring men 
 to adore, and love, and serve my God ? I cannot do too 
 much for Jesus, who has done so much for me. I will try to 
 love him more and serve him better than I have hitherto 
 done." 
 
 The joy of ihe. Lord makes us strong to lalourfor God, 
 in the salvation of souls. You all know that when a person 
 is happy in his mind, he will do as much work again, of a 
 manual kind, than he ever does when his mind is troubled 
 and cast down. A miserable man feels every kind of labour 
 painful and irksome. So it is in religion. A haj)py Chris- 
 tian has a mind to work for God ; and ho proceeds to do his 
 will with alacrity and delight. The joy of the Lord is like 
 oil to the wheels of his obedience. He labours for God, 
 because ho loves him ; therefore he feels the utmost pleasure 
 in doing his will. He labours for God, because he is grateful 
 to him for what he has done for him. Love and gratitude 
 are the principles which constrain him to labour for God in 
 
360 
 
 THE OBLIGAtlONS OF CHRlSTUNS 
 
 iJie salvation of souls. His labours, therefore, are the willing 
 prompt, spontaneous labours of the grateful and happy child! 
 done to please a kind and tender parent ; and not the reluctant 
 service and tormenting drudgery of the slave, performed 
 through fear of a tyrant. The language of the man who 
 possesses much of the joy of the Lord is : 
 
 " Where shall my wondering soul begin ? 
 How shall I all to heaven aspire ? 
 A slave redeem'd from death and sin, 
 A brand pluck'd from eternal fire ; 
 How shall I equal triumphs raise, 
 Or sing my great Deliverer's praise ? 
 
 how shall I the goodness tell, 
 J'ather, which thou to me hast show'd t 
 That I a child of wrath and hell, 
 
 1 should be called a child of God : 
 Should know, should feel my sins forgiven. 
 Blest with this antepast of heaven. 
 
 And shall I slight my Father* love 1 
 Or basely fear his gifts to own 1 
 Unmindful of his favours prove ? 
 Shall 1, the hallowed cross to shun. 
 Refuse his righteousness to impart. 
 By hiding it within my heart V 
 
 His soul indignantly casts out the wicked thought j and in 
 right good earnest he begins to invite sinners to come to Jesus, 
 to believe m Jesus, to love, adore, and serve Jesus, assuring 
 them that he will receive them, pardon them, purify then^ 
 yea, save them to the uttermost. Such a man will do more 
 for God, in the salvation of souls, than hundreds of those 
 who are only servants of God, not children of God, and who 
 serve God from slavish fear, instead of serving him from love : 
 for their service will ever be reluctant, partial, and imperfect. 
 It was the joy of the Lord which sent forth the apostle Paul to 
 preach the gospel of the kingdom, and which sustained him 
 " In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger 
 and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness ;" yea, 
 which sustained him " in all his perils, in labours more abun- 
 dant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in 
 deaths oftener," than any of the apostles. When writing to 
 the Philippians, he says, '« Yea, and if I be offered up on 
 the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with 
 you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with 
 I!®*'-' . Paj;^h"»'st well remarks, that " the apostle compares 
 the faith of the Philippians to the sacrificial victim, and hi* 
 
TO 9tm faa «'ALyAtidN of s(f»ts. 
 
 361 
 
 trvrn blood shed in mArtyrdbm to thd 7i5rf«oW, that is, the M>^nfe 
 poMr<?d dut^ on ooeasion of the sacriffce/' And h martyrcforti 
 m itself a caifee of joy ? We conceive not ; but the joy of 
 «j©Lord rt*a<ie Paul rejoi<id in the thought of sheddinrr hfe 
 blood in the cause of God, and in the work of saving souls. 
 The jov of the Lord was the impassioned Whitfield's strength, 
 When he said, *'I want more tongues, more bodies, more 
 eoute, for the Lord Jesus. Had I ten thousand, he should 
 have them all. Oh for power equal to my will ! I would 
 fly from pole to pole, publishing the everlasting gospel of the 
 Son of God." The joy of the Lord was the holy Fletcher^g 
 Strength, when he used to run after his wicked parishoners, 
 Who would run from him, and faithfully warn them of their 
 danger, and tenderly " beseech them in Christ's stead to be 
 reconciled to God." The joy of the Lord Was the zealous 
 Grimshaw's strength when he said to his friends, who, in ten- 
 derness to his health, pressed him to spare himself, " Let me 
 alone now ; I shall have rest enough by and by. I cannot 
 do enough for Christ, who has done so much for me." The 
 joy of the Lord was the indefatigable Wesley's strength, 
 while he travelled, and preached, and wrote to " Revive, en- 
 force, and defend the pure, apostolical doctrines and practices 
 of the primitive church : which he continued to do by his 
 wntmgs and labours for more than half a century : and, to 
 his inexpressible joy, not only beheld their influences extend- 
 ing, and their efficacy witnessed in the hearts and lives of 
 niany thousands, as well in the western world as in these 
 kingdoms ; but also, far above all human power or expec- 
 tation, lived to see provision made, by the singular grace of 
 God, for their continuance and establishmenl, to the joy of 
 future generations."* We again declare, that a Christian 
 happy m God will do more for the salvation of souls than 
 hundreds of those who attempt to serve God through slavish 
 tormenting fear. The joy of the Lord is your strength. 
 
 The joy of the Lord produces a strong determination to save 
 souls. The man who is happy in God feels the constraining 
 love of Christ, and sees the absolute necessity of his fellow, 
 creatures being brought to Christ, that they may be raised 
 from the dead, and be made to sit with Christ Jesus in heaven- 
 ly places. He, being spiritual, judges, with the apostle Paul, 
 that if Christ died for all, then were all dead. <« All dead." 
 " All dead ! a world in ruin ! What a field of slaughter f 
 
 * Whitehead's Life of Wesley, page 544. 
 
 31 
 
A^ 
 
 A 
 
 .0^, \%^.% 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 /. 
 
 ^/ 
 
 
 ,S^^^ 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 1^128 
 
 2.2 
 
 12.0 
 
 U nil 1.6 
 
 <^*^ 
 
 P^ 
 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corponilion 
 
 K^ii'^T^ 
 
 
 33 WIST MAIN STRUT 
 WIISTIR.N V )45I0 
 
 (7t6) ira^sos 
 
 '^2^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
o 
 
 y. 
 
 % 
 
 w 
 
THE OBLIGATIONS OF CttB,lBttit(S 
 
 The image of God defaced— the presence of God departed— 
 a world of rational and immortal beings aU lost, « all dead.' »+ 
 ^u u ,! J^y^"" Christian gazea upon this field of deaU*. 
 and behold* countless numbers of his fellow-men dead to God, 
 dead to hope, dead -» happiness, his heart heaves with painful 
 
 fl^Tu^^' ^^f"!? '"^^^"^ ^"^ ®y®*' ^^^ *•« mournfully exclaims. 
 All dead! not a single sign of spiritual life in any of 
 them. ' All dead V " But see, he smiles through his tears ; 
 for he has caught a glimpse of the cross of Christ, which 
 stands m the midst of the valley of death. He feels that if 
 he can only bring the poor, dead souls to that cross, Ihey will 
 be made alive, and be brought to the image of God -to the 
 favour of God—and to the heaven of God. Does he hesitate 
 M to what he is to do ? Ah, no I His resolution is taken. 
 K Y' ^J^ already carrying it into execution ; for, behold! 
 he has lifted up yon dead sinner ; and in the arms of his faith 
 and prayer, he is carrying him to Jesus, who is the Resur- 
 rection and the Life. Laying his burden at the foot of the 
 cross, his heart is speedily filled with rapture, and his mouth 
 with thanksgiving and the voice of praise ; Ibr he sees 
 
 Life, and health, and peace descending. 
 From the sinner's dying friend, 
 
 upon that poor dead soul, and beholds him rise a new man in 
 Christ Josus. With unspeakable joy he extends to him the 
 right hand of fellowship, and greets hhn as a brother in Christ. 
 After a united song of praise to Jesus, who ever does all 
 things well, together they start, to bring other dead souls to 
 the Saviour, that they also may bo restored to life. O I how 
 happy they ore, as they bring one after another to Jesus, the 
 fountain of life and health, and the complete Saviour of all 
 who come unto God by him. Every soul saved increases 
 their joy, and strengthens their determinotions to save souls 
 from death and hell, by carrying them to tho cross of their 
 blessed Lord, where 
 
 " They may lit for ever viewing 
 
 Mercy'B Btrcams, in Btreama of blood ; 
 Precious drops their souls bedewing, 
 
 Plead and claim their peace with God." 
 
 These are not exaggerated statements ; for any man, and 
 every man, that is filled with the joy of God's salvation will 
 never stand among dead sinners, weeping over their sad state, 
 without putting forth his energies to bring them to tho enjoy. 
 
 t Ward, as quoted by Pike. 
 
TO SfiSt THE SALVATION OF SOITLS. 
 
 mB 
 
 the 
 
 ijient of that salvation which he himself has experienced. 
 Knowing the joy of God's salvation, he will, with all the 
 strength that joy imparts, labour to teach transgressors God's 
 ways, that sinners may be converted to him. When a man 
 has lost the joy of God's salvation, he may stand weeping 
 over sinners, but he does nothing for their salvation, because 
 he oannot ; for with the loss of his joy, he has lost his strength. 
 This is clearly seen in the history of David, king of Israel. 
 When ho sinned, he lost the joy of the Lord. He felt that he 
 could no longer instruct and convert sinners. Humbling 
 himself in the dust of self-abasement, he fervently cries to 
 God, *' Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and uphold 
 me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy 
 ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.'' — Psalm li. 
 12, 13. When a man is happy in the enjoyment of God's 
 salvation, he must desire that others shall be brought to share 
 that salvation which makes him happy. Ho must feel an un- 
 conquerable determination to save souls ; and that determina- 
 tion will be manifested in those prayers, in those acts of faith, 
 in those entreaties, expostulations, reproofs, and exhortations, 
 which must end in the conversion of souls. When the man 
 in the parable found his lost sheep, he could not relish even 
 his joy, until his neighbours shared in it. And when a man 
 finds the joy of God's salvation, he cannot be satisfied without 
 his miserable fellow-sinners around him share in his bliss. 
 His joy is so strong, that it forces him to cry — 
 
 " O that the world might taste and see 
 
 The riches of his grace ! 
 The arms of love that compass nie, 
 
 Would all mankind embrace. 
 
 O thpt my Jepus' heavenly charms 
 
 Might every bosom move ! 
 Fly, sinners, fly info those arms 
 
 Of everlasting love. 
 
 Happy, if with my htesl breath, • 
 
 I may but gasp his name ; 
 Preach him to all ;. and cry in death, 
 
 ' Behold ! behold the Lamb !' " 
 
 The joy of the Lord is the strength of all our efforts with 
 sinners ; inasmuch as it lays hold of their affections with a 
 giant's grasp. Their language constantly is, " Who will 
 show us any good." They are constantly seeking happiness, 
 but it as constantly eludes their pursuit. They are ever 
 hewing them out cisterns, but they are all broken ciatorng, 
 which can hold no water. " The wicked are like the troubled 
 

 THE OBLIGATIONS Ot CHfUSfUNg 
 
 ^B, When It cannot rest, whose waters cast wp mire and dirt, 
 on o^ '^p? PT^ ^^'^^ ""y ^^' ^° ^*»e wicked."— Isa, Ivii. 
 rn;i i-' ♦ . K u'"^ ;h«^case, sinners will be both attracted 
 and afroct.d by the sight of that genuine happiness which those 
 possess Who are filled with the joy of the Lord. Our joy in 
 God, if It IS what It should be, will have more influence upon 
 smners, in leading them to salvation, than many imagine. 
 When unconrerted men and women, who are ever miserable, 
 but who are ever intensely desiring happiness, see Christians 
 always cheerful and happy • ever contented, however little 
 they may possess; always rejoicing, however much they 
 may have to sufler in body, mind, or estate ; ever glad, and 
 ever kind, however much they be tomp.ed ond persecuted ; 
 tlie lovely sight captivates their affections, and takes such a 
 {Knverful hold of their hearts, that it forces them to acknow- 
 ledge the superlative excellency of the religion of Jesus, 
 which affords such happiness under all circumstances. Nor 
 will the exhibition of pure, elevated, permanent joy end with 
 exciting the admiration of the ungodly"; but it wilflead them 
 f'3riously to think that religion is just what they want to make 
 tnem happy ,_lcad them in the enti to seek for it with all their 
 Jiearts that they may bo as happy as those joyous Christians 
 are whose blessedness they earnestly covet. ' 
 
 Until Christians are filled with the joy of the Lord, they 
 will have but little power over sinners, and will brinfr very 
 low of them from darkness to light, and from satan to God. 
 burners have their minds preoccupied with unfavourable 
 thouglits of the religion of Jesus Christ. They regard religion 
 as a melancholy thing, which makes people miserable ; and 
 until this imj)ression is removed, it is not likely that you can 
 induce them to become religious. The very reason why 
 niany sinners are not converKnl is, because they are acquaiut- 
 cd with some professors of religion who are unhappy, morose 
 beings— as far from happiness as the unconverted tliornselves. 
 It IS much to be lamented that some professors will meditate 
 upon spiritual and eternal things in such a way as to cover 
 their souls with gloom, fill their mouths with lamentations, 
 aiid render their lives miserable. It is still more to bo lament- 
 od th4t some who are called by the name of Christ are so 
 worldly-mmded, so negligent in U»e disciwrge of their religious 
 duUes, follow the Lord at such a distance, that it is impssible 
 for ucin to bo joyful iii Uod. Both those classes of Christians 
 huidor the conversion of soule, instead of promoting their s»l. 
 vatiw); fot ihoy boUi present religion to tho woild in a y«ry 
 
To SEEK THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 
 
 865 
 
 repulsive garb, and frighten away from Christ M\d the Church 
 many who desire to be rohgious, but who can never think of 
 living a life of moping melanoholy and monastic austerity ; 
 nor yet a life of fretfulness and constant uneasiness. Reli- 
 gion, fully possessed, is a most joyous thing. It embodies all 
 the elements of rational and perennial joy. No truly relr- 
 gious man ought ever to indulge in thoughts that will make 
 him wretched, o' in practices that will make him miserable. 
 Different constiu'ions may give a different aspect to religion ; 
 but, still, unless joy is felt, we must be strangers to the salva- 
 tion of God ; for joy is as inseparably connected with salva- 
 tion, as light and heat are inseparably connected with fire. 
 Joy in God mny, and will manifest itself in different forms, in 
 different individuals. In some it will be seen in raptures, re- 
 sembling the blaze of a pine wood fire, that will almost in- 
 stantly thaw the sinner into penitence and tears ; while in 
 others, it will be seen in calmer mood, but greater intensity, 
 resembling the steady blaze and the prolonged heat of the 
 maple or the beech, that will warm the cold and lifeless sin- 
 ner, and bring him to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, 
 and strength. Some have said, «' Bo thankful for joy ; ,en 
 you have it, but do not expect it. Peace is your birthright, 
 but joy depends upon the sovereignty of God." Never was 
 there uttered a more fallacious, dangerous sentiment than this. 
 It is contrary to the declarations of the Bible, and it is calcu. 
 lated to hinder the salvation of souls. Joy is as mucif the 
 Christian's birthright as peace ; and he must ever possess it, 
 and ever manifest it, if he would seize sinners with strength 
 divinely bold, and with strength sufficient to force them into 
 the fold of Christ. Some professors of religion question the 
 piety of a man, if his piety, arrayed in smiles, beams with 
 pleasure, converses with cheerfulness, walks erect in dignity, 
 and does every thing with Christian courtesy and honest 
 boldness. They think that religion nmst wear a garb of sack- 
 cloth, look as solemn as the grave, converse in the tones of 
 death, Walk with downcast eyes and stooping gait, and do 
 everything with sullenness or timidity. While professors 
 hold such mi.staken views of the religion of Jesus, souls can- 
 not bo converted in any grout numbers ; for these views will 
 prevent Christians from presenting religion to the world in 
 that joyous aspect which will explode all the objections of 
 sinners against religion, on account of its t<Midency to aiake 
 people miserable. That any Methodists should hold such 
 sentiments is truly astonishing. Never was there a happier 
 
96Q 
 
 THB OBLIQATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 If 
 
 man than the founder of Methodism— the Rev. John Wesley 
 Even in old age, his joy made him the delight of every social' 
 circle he entered. A contemporay says of him : » So fine an 
 old man I never saw. The happiness of his mind beamed 
 lorth m his countenance. Every look showed how fully he 
 enjoyed 'the gay remembrance of a life well spent ;' and 
 wherever he went, he diffused a portion of his own felicitv. 
 h.asy and affable in his demeanour, he accomodated himse'lf 
 to every sort of company, and showed how happily the most 
 finished courtesy may be blended with the most perfect piety. 
 In his conversation, wo might be at a loss whether to admire 
 • most, his fine classical taste, his extensive knowledge of men 
 and thuigs, or his overflowing goodness of heart. While the 
 grave and serious were charmed with his wisdom, his sportive 
 sallies of innocent mirth delighted even the young and thought- 
 less ; and both saw, in his uninterrupted cheerfulness, tb- ex- 
 oellency of true religion."— 4. Knox. If all his followers 
 were like him in his " uninterrupted cheerfulness," the inter- 
 ests of religion would be greatly promoted. O ! if you 
 really wish sinners to be converted to God, you must put a 
 cheerful courage on ; you must " rejoice in the Lord alway," 
 •—you must m Christ " rejoice with joy unspeakable and full 
 of glory. " Now, the God of hope fill you with all joy and 
 peace m believing," that sinners may, through the strength of 
 your joy, be drawn from sin to holiness, and from satan to 
 God. 
 
 The joy of the Lord makes us strong to resist all the opposi- 
 Iron we have to meet mith in our endeavours to save souls. 
 
 1 hat wo shall meet with opposition there can be no doubt. 
 
 f we resolutely attempt the salvation of souls, satan will not 
 be idle ; but he will hurl his fiery darts at us more vigorous- 
 
 y than ever. An idle professor, who is at ease in Zion, he 
 has no occasion to tempt ; for he is going down to the cham- 
 bers of death as rapidly and as surely as satan can desire. 
 IJut With the active Christian it is otherwise. He must be 
 HDked after, or satan knows ho will lose many of his subjects, 
 by the exertions of such a saint. Satan, therefore, opposes, 
 and will oppose, at every, step the believer who is determined 
 to save souls ; and will by turns try deception, temptation, 
 anu accusation, to induce him to quit his work, yea, to give 
 up religion. Rut the joy of the Lord is his strength, and 
 makes him more than a conqueror through Christ. The ene- 
 mies of a nation cannot produce insurrection when the mo- 
 narch is really beloved by the people, and when, under his 
 
TO SEEK THE SALTATION OF SOULS. 
 
 3071 
 
 sceptre, li'jerty, 
 
 ijoyed. Thou. 
 
 
 peace, and prosperity an 
 sands would shed their heart's blood in defence 
 king, ana in defence of their own best interests. And in what 
 a surprising manner does the joy of the Lord strengthen a 
 man's heart against all the attempts of satan to stop him in 
 hi: work, or seduce him from his allegiance to the blessed and 
 only Potentate. When a man's face is full of joy with the 
 light of God's countenance, he would go to death sooner than 
 grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by neglecting his duty to the 
 souls of men. And as to seducing him from his allegiance, this 
 will be no easy matter ; for his hatred to sin is perfect, and 
 his love and gratitude to God, for the joy he imparts to his 
 soul, is such, that he resolutely resists every temptation, saying, 
 ** How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against 
 God." Those who are happy in God have on them that ar- 
 mour which is proof against all the assaults of the devil. 
 They are too happy in God to think of departing from him. 
 Numbers before now have gone to the stake, or to the block, 
 rather than commit sin. The very reason why numbers 
 backslide is, because they neglect to secure, by the use of 
 proper means, a continuance of the joy of the Lord. They 
 must first lose their joy in God before they can hearken to any 
 being who would tempt them to sin against God. 
 
 Besides, if we are determined to save souls, opposition we 
 must expect from sinners, from their wicked relatives, and 
 wicked companions. Satan will instigate them all to oppose 
 us in our efforts to do them good. Ti. sinner we specially 
 seek to turn from the error of his ways will resist, as we have 
 stated in a previous discourse. And his relatives and com- 
 panions, who do not wish to see him pious, will stoutly oppose 
 our eiForts. They will sneer at our statements, insult us to 
 our faces, and perhaps bid us be gone. Or they will strive 
 to counteract our influence, by fluttering the sinner that we 
 are striving to convict and convert. We have met with in- 
 stances whore parents have striven to hinder the salvation of 
 their own children's souls, when their children have been on 
 the brink of eternity, just ready to take tlicir flight into the 
 presence of the judge of all, unforgivon and unsaved. But 
 in such cases, the joy of the Lord will induce its possessor to 
 persevere, and will give him a courage and a fortitude which 
 will lead him even to bravo the parent's ire, rather than ace 
 the object of his solicitude drop into hell, without a desperate 
 eflbrt to prevent so dreadful a catastrophe. Though the joy- 
 ous Christian may feel to his heart's core the cruelty of such 
 
d9d 
 
 THE OBLIGATIONS OP CHRISTIANS 
 
 00 duct. lx)th to lumsel and the object of his solicitude, yet he 
 
 prayer. He will not say, «« I will give up the effort:" but 
 mvng com.nunod with Uo.l in prayer upon ihe matter, he 
 
 so, but It wo are resoh.tely bent upon savin<r souls, wo shall 
 be aiire to ahinn all the fornialists in the church. The sinners 
 hvSpHf'" TT" ''*"■"'''' '^"'> *'^'^••<"^'>'^'^« will s..rprise the 
 righteous over-nuich-plonty of tales al.ou fanatics, enthusi? 
 
 T^uW TV ^^'". ^^'^'•'«';-''-" i-^ -ore than half'aslcep on 
 the subject o rehg.on, and more than one half of her tceniina 
 millions are hurryui.c: ,iown to the pit with a lie in their righ" 
 
 to endure '1,T -"^ "* "^'^ ^"""^ f'^^ ^''' ''' "^^''^"S^'' ^^^^i^nt 
 o endure all the reproaches and revilin,<.s of men, an.l cause 
 
 us to go forward m the discharge of our duty to the souls of 
 men, utterly regardless of all That those in y say w^l avo 
 a name olive, but yet are dea<l-<' dead in tress^es and 
 tirre^" r'"° ■"' °^Sodlinoss, but denying the power 
 
 Tbp'inv nr7' t'' ^I"^ ^''"' ""^'"^ of success in saving souls. 
 
 t^ heaT t .^"7^ '' ^'""' ''.'''"«^''- ^^'''1« '^ Ki^^« strength 
 to bear every trial, to sustain every affliction; to perform 
 
 every duty, ,t especially gives us the strength requTred to 
 save souls. To be useful to the souls of otllrs, we' must be 
 fully happv in our own souls. Joy in God is a necessary 
 grace ; and unless we are full of all joy and peace in be- 
 
 ourS.7 "': ';':S«''-;''^'-ffi"^> and\ve cannot discharge, 
 our obligations to CJod and our duty to the souls of our fellow, 
 men. VVo urge you, therefore, never to rest until God does 
 
 and^^n"!.;" V" •'"^ '" '^^' '^''"»- ^^'•^■"^''^ ^'''^ '""^ >" prayer 
 and fa h till you can rejoice in Christ with joy unspeakable. 
 
 mor, r T'^ '^"^' ■ ^'''' ''''' y^""- P'-''"'« 'j^votions, 
 morning, noon, or night, any day throughout your future 
 
 nves mud you are full of joy with the li^ght of God's cun! 
 
 ^na ce. In order daily to rejoice in th^e Lord your God, 
 
 meditate frequently upon his great goodness to you. Medi 
 
 tations upon his love, are like bellows to the firof they make 
 
 us burn with love, and gratitude, and joy ; and then, depend 
 
 upon It our zeal fi,r the salvation of souls will ev;' Turn 
 
 with a brilliant, steady, constant flame. To rejoice in God 
 
 (ally, study the exceeding great and precious promises which 
 
 are given unto you; become familiar with them; dare to 
 
TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF B0UI.9. 
 
 809 
 
 believe tliem ; realize them a« your own ; live upon them ; 
 au^ they will be your exceeding py. " Thy words wore 
 foujid, and I did eat theru : and thy word was unto me th« 
 joy and rejoicing of my heart." — Jcr. xv. 16. Let the pro- 
 mises of God be your daily food, and you will, you must, be 
 constantly huppy. We urge you to bo happy Christians, not 
 merely for your own sakcs, but in order tlint you may win 
 souls to Christ, save tiiem from death, and hide a inullitudc 
 of sins. 
 
 Some of you now prcsont have lost the joy of Ood's salva- 
 tion. You did run well, but something has hindered. You 
 were onco useful in saving souls, but now you are doing more 
 mischief tbiin you ever (lid good. Your grievous imckslid- 
 ingssintiers arc stumbling at; and if you lie wallowing in 
 the mire of sin, numbers will tumble over you into the bot- 
 tomless pit. There is mercy for you, if you will repont and 
 do your first works. O for the sake of the immortal souls 
 of your fi'.l]ow-m(!n, return to the shci)herd and bishop of 
 your souls! To night, in sincerity, with earnestness, and 
 faith, c;y, " Hosloro unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and 
 uphold mo with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgres- 
 sors thy ways ; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 
 
 We have now finished the series of discourses we propos- 
 ed to deliver, on the obligations of Christians to seek the 
 salvation of the souls of their fellow-men. But though they 
 are finished, they are not done with. There is a day of jndg- 
 ment ra|>i(lly approaebing, when we must every one of us 
 give an account to God. For these discourses we must an 
 wer. Your minister must answer for their preparation and 
 delivery. You must answer for their resuU upon your hearts 
 and lives. Remember an inspired apostle says to you, " Obey 
 th(!ni that h.ive the rule over you, and submit yourselves : for 
 they wiitch for your souls, as they that must give account, 
 that th( y mny do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is 
 unprofitable for you." — Hcb. xii. 17. 
 
 Now, my dear hearers, will you obey your pastor, and fill 
 his heart now with joy, and enable him to render his account 
 of you to the judge of all with joy, and not with grief, by 
 pruyiMg, believing, labouring, and living for the salvation of 
 the precious and immortal souls of your fellow-creatures ? 
 This is all we ask. This you all can do. This you all are 
 
370 
 
 THE CBLreATIONS OF CHRISTIAWS 
 
 
 THE END. 
 
e saved. 
 
 )ur min- 
 
 the last 
 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 
 Line. 
 
 Etror. 
 
 Correction. 
 
 
 . . 21 . . 
 
 . , sinulous 
 
 simulous. 
 
 
 . . 27 . . 
 
 . . fellows 
 
 follows. 
 
 
 . . 32 . . 
 
 • . lowliness 
 
 lowness. 
 
 
 . . 32 . . 
 
 . . living 
 
 green. 
 
 
 9 . . 
 
 . beauy 
 
 beauty. 
 
 
 . 24 . . 
 
 . will 
 
 rule. 
 
 
 . 3 . . . 
 
 . study 
 
 duly. 
 
 
 . 29 . . . 
 
 . heart 
 
 breast. 
 
 
 . 9 . . . 
 
 . your 
 
 you. 
 
 
 . 31 . . . 
 
 . cenquer 
 
 conquer. 
 
 
 . 36 . . . 
 
 . subject 
 
 object. 
 
 Page. 
 22 
 33 
 39 
 
 145 
 
 147 
 
 203 
 
 305 
 
 398 
 
 374 
 
 333 
 
 351 
 
 212 The sentence commencing in the middle of the' 17th line 
 should read thus :— There are no more bounds to confine the affec- 
 tionsthan there are to confine the intellect; and, therefore, if the 
 intellectual powers of a man are capable of constant progression, 
 the feelings of a man may increase in sensibility, tenderness, and 
 ardour. Let, then, your hearts, &,c. 
 
 There are a few other typographical errors in this work, but as 
 they do not affect the wense, and will be at once discerned by the 
 reader, they need not be particularly noted. The author is ex- 
 tremely sorry that these errors have crept in ; but distance from the 
 press prevented him from detecting them ere the sheets were struck 
 off. 
 
 ■r*. 
 
g^"^ 
 
 By the same Author, 
 
 Seady for the press, and will be published as soon as a »ujji. 
 
 dent number of subscrihers can bt obtained, 
 
 S A T A I 
 
 Or, an Enquiry into the Scriptural Account of the Existence and 
 Number ; Nature and Attributes ; Wiles and Works of Devils : 
 the Mekns by which Men are delivered from their Power : the 
 Binding of Satan : the Millennium : the Loosing of Satan ; his 
 Final Overthrow and Everlaeting Punishment ; and the Everlapt- 
 ing Punishment of all who live and die in the Service of Satan. 
 
 In Eighteen Lectures ; delivered in the Town Hall, London. 
 C.W. pp. 350, 12mo., price Ss. 
 
 The Ministers of the Canadian Wesleya- Methodist New Coh- 
 nexion Church are respectfully requested to receive Orders for 
 this Work, and transmit them to the Author, as soon as possible. 
 
 
 'm 
 
r« a »u£i- 
 
 tence and 
 f Devils : 
 iver : the 
 itan ; his 
 Everlapt- 
 of Satan. 
 
 London . 
 
 Few Con- 
 rders for 
 ssihle. 
 
 
I