PQ) º BARNT'ſ 8
A SERMON
Iurºspectſ NG
Universal Salvation,
By A M.A.M OF COLOUR.
PHILADELPHIA,
Published by “the Religious Tract Society of Philadelphia,”
and sold at their Depository, No. 8, South Front-street.
WM, BRADFDRI), AGENT.
March, 1820,


POOR BARNY.
“There is a poor man who constantly frequents my
church. On no public occasion, unless prevented by
illness, have I missed him out of it. His name is
Barny, and he is generally esteemed a sort of idiot .
yet simple as he evidently is, his knowledge in spirit-
ual things is enough to shame many a wiser head. He
gets his subsistence by going among the parishioners,
who make an annual subscription for him to procure
him clothes.” Having just come to make his usual
application to me on this subject, and Amanda having
remarked to me, that she had observed Barny appa-
rently much affected by parts of my discourses, which
she conceived he could not understand, I resolved to
seize the opportunity of inquiring from himself whether
he received any benefit from coming to church. The
following is the conversation that passed between us:-
“I believe you love to go to church, Barny P*-
* I do.”
“Why do you love going to church P’’-º I hear
the word, I hear good words, there.”
“What do you hear º- I hear that the blood of
Jesús washes away my sins, all my sins.”
“Do you love Jesus Christ, Barny Žº-tº I do, sir.” I
“How do you know that you love him *—“He is
fºrecious to me.”
“Do you ever recollect, Barny, when he was not
fºrecious to you.”—“I do.”
* We have no poor rates in Ireland. |
he

3.
* Do you ever pray to God, Barny tº “I do, sir,
in secret, coming along.” ->
* Do you think God hears you *—ſº I do. - h
* Why do you think so *-* He puts it into
people's hearts to help me—the summer when I ha
scarce a morsel to eat.”
* You think, then, it was God who brought you
through the dear summer?”—“It was.”
* Barny are you afraid to die ſº- If my soul was
safe, I would wish to die—the night.” -
* Why Barny would you wish to die, and go into
the grave ſº-º: I would–I would wish to be with my
Lord.” -
* Barny, do you recollect, when I was a child you
used to speak bad words: do you say any bad words
now ſº- No, no lº' (With emphasis.) --
* Are you sorry for having talked these bad words?
—“ I am–very sorry.” -
* Barny Does any person talk with you about reli-
gion?”—“ Mo fierson.” -
“How have you then learned to give me these an:
swers *—“I learn by the blood of Jesus Christ, that
he will wash away my sins—And the Lord God wash
away all my sins that I have committed.”
The reader will be inclined to think, that Barny,
whose action and manner, and a little stoppage in his
speech, added double weight to every thing he said, is
not the fool he is generally supposed to be. But I will
venture to affirm, that Barny could not give satisfac-
tion upon any other subject. Barny can give no ac-
count about his own age, and, though living in the
country all his life, knows not, I believe, the parts of
a plough, nor can he perform any part of farming work.
But Barny knows that he is a sinner, and that he has
a Saviour, who is able to save such sinners as he.
Barny loves the Book which reveals such a saviour to
him, and to wait in those courts where he hears good
words about him whom he has found to be Arecious to
his soul. Barny has not a mere can about religion;
for the change in Barny’s conduct shows a change in
* The night—i.e. this ni
ght; I should think it Wrong to
amend Barny’s language. -
4.
his heart, and that he is really the character he pro-
ſesses himself to be. One remarkable trait in that
character we ought not to overlook. It is this; that
he looks through the creatures to God, and esteems
it as an answer to prayer, “that the people help him;"
and in particular, that being perfectly helpless himself,
he was brought through these last severe times. Many
other reflections naturally present themselves from this
little history; but they are obvious, and I omit them.
Here, infidelity is a lesson for you, if any thing can
give you instruction. I defy you to produce such an
instance of the benefit arising from your teaching.
Here is a person reclaimed from sin, and evidently
taught of God, when his own reasoning powers were
weak, and through the medium of those very means
of grace which you affect to despise.
The above, sir, were my reflections on the history
of poor Barny, in the year 1801; and they are still the
same. I have now only to add, that he is gone to his
reward. He continued the same faithful attendance
in the courts of the Lord’s house that he had been
accustomed to give, and I had other conversations
with him similar to the above; but missing him for
some Sundays in his favourite place of resort, whence
he derived so much pleasure and profit, I found upon
inquiry that he was no more. His friends, if he had
any I can call so, had neither religion nor kindness
enough to inform me of his illness, or I should have
hastened to have smoothed his pillow in his sickness,
and exhilarated his sinking spirits, by talking of that
Lord whom he loved so well. His portion is in hea:
*Cº.


A SERMON, &c.
-
Grºsis irr. 4.—And the Serſlent said unto the Wo.
man, Ye shall not surely die.
THE holy Scriptures are a peculiar fund of in-
struction. They inform us of the origin of creation;
of the primitive state of man; of his fall, or apostacy
from God. It appears that he was placed in the gar-
den of Eden, with full liberty to regale himself with
all the delicious fruits that were to be found, except
what grew on one tree—if he eat of that he should
surely die, was the declaration of the Most High.
Happy were the human pair, amidst this delightful
paradise, until a certain preacher, in his journey, came
that way, and disturbed their peace and tranquillity, by
endeavouring to reverse the prohibition of the Almigh-
ty, as in our text—“Ye shall not surely die.”
“She pluck'd, she ate;
* Earth felt the wound: nature from her seat,
* Sighing through all her works, gave signs of wo,
* That all was lost.” Minton.
We may attend,
To the character of the preacher–To the doctrine
inculcated—To the hearer addressed—To the medium,
or instrument of the preaching.
I. As to the preacher, I would observe, he has ma-
my names given him in the sacred writings, the most
common is the Devil. That it was he that disturbed
the felicity of our first parents, is evident from 2 Cor.
zi. S. and many other passages of scripture. He was
once an angel of light, and knew better than to preach
such doctrine; he did violence to his own reason. -
But to be a little more particular, let it be observed,
1. He is an old preacher. He lived above one thou.
sand seven hundred years before Abraham—above two
2 A.
thousand four hundred and thirty years before Moses:
four thousand and four years before Christ. It is now
five thousand eight hundred and nine years since he
commenced preaching. By this time he must have
acquired great skill in the art.
2. He is a very cunning, artful preacher. When
Elymas, the sorcerer, came to turn away people from
the faith, he is said to be full of all subtlety, and a
child of the devil—not only because he was an enemy
of all righteousness, but on account of his carnal cun-
ning and craftiness.
3. He is a very laborious, unwearied preacher. He
has been in the ministry almost six thousand years;
and yet his zeal is not in the least abated. The apos-
tle Peter compares him to a roaring lion, walking
about, seeking whom he may devour.—When God
inquired of this persevering preacher, Job ii. 2.
… From ºv/ience comes; thou ??? he tº answered the
Lord, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and
from walking uſ, and down in it.” He is far from be-
ing circumscribed within the narrow limits of parish,
state, or continental lines; but his haunt and travel is
very large and extensive.
4. He is a heterogeneous preacher, if I may so ex-
press myself. He makes use of a Bible when he holds
forth, as in his sermon to our Saviour, Matt. iv. 5. He
mixes truth with error, in order to make it go well, or
to carry his point.
5. He is a very fresumptuous preacher. Notwith-
standing God had declared in the most plain and posi-
sive terms, “ Thou shall surely die”—or “In dying
thou shall die”—yet, this audacious wretch had the
impudence to confront Omnipotence, and say, “Ye
shall not surely die /*
6. He is a very successful preacher. He draws a
great number after him. No preacher can command
hearers like him. He was successful with our first
parents—with the old world. Noah once preached tº
those spirits that are now in the prison of hell: and
told them from God that they should surely die; but
this preacher came along and declared the contrary-
Ye shall not surely die. The greater part; it sº
believed him, and went to destruction. So it was with


7
sodom and Gomorrah-Lot preached to them; the
substance of which was, Uſh, get ye out of this filace;
for the Lord will destroy this city. Gen. xix. 14. But
this old declaimer told them, No danger no danger
Ye hall not surely die. To which they generally gave
heed; and Lot seemed to them as one who mocked-
They believed the Universal preacher, and were con-
sumed—agreeably to the declaration of the apostle
Jude, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
II. Let us attend to the doctrine inculcated by this
preacher, Ye shall not surely die Bold assertion
without a single argument to support it. The death
contained in the threatening, was doubtless eternal
death—as nothing but this would express God’s feel-
ings towards sin, or render an infinite atonement neces-
sary. To suppose it to be spiritual death, is to blend
crime and punishment together. To suppose tempo-
ral death to be the curse of the law, then believers are
not delivered from it, according to Gal. iii. 13. What
Satan meant to preach was, that there is no hell; and
that the wages of sin is not death, but eternal life.
III. We shall now take notice of the hearer address-
ed by the preacher. This we have in the text—ºnd
the serfient said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
That Eve had not so much experience as Adam, is
evident; and so not equally able to withstand tempta-
tion. This doubtless was a reason why the tempter
chose her, with whom he might hope to be successful.
Doubtless he took a time when she was separated from
her husband.
That this preacher has had the greatest success in
the dark and ignorant parts of the earth, is evident:
his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. He is a greatene-
my to light. St. Paul gives us some account of him in
his day-2 Tim, iii. 6. For of this sort are they which
*reef into houses, and lead caſtive silly women, laden
** sins, led away with divers lusts. The same apos-
tle observes, Rom, xvi. 17, 18. Wow I beseech !/01/2
brethren, mark them which cause divisions and ºffences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and
ºvoid them. For they that are such, serve not our Lord

s
Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words
and fair sheeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
IV. The instrument or medium made use of by the
preacher, will now be considered. This we have in
the text—-4nd the SERPENT said unto the Woman, ye
shall not surely die. But how came the devil to preach
through the serpent?
1. To save his own character, and the better to car.
ry his point. Had the devil come to our first parents
personally and unmasked, they would have more easi-
ly seen the deception. The reality of a future pun-
ishment is at times so clearly impressed on the human
mind, that even Satan is constrained to own that there is
a hell; although at other times he denies it. He does
not wish to have it known that he is a liar ; therefore
he conceals himself, that he can the better accomplish
his designs, and save his own character.
2. The devil is an enemy to all good, to all happi-
ness and excellence. He is opposed to the felicity of
the brutes. He took delight in tormenting the swine.
The serpent, before he set up preaching Universal
Salvation, was a cunning, beautiful and happy crea-
ture; but now his glory is departed-And the Lord
said unto the serfient, because thou hast done this, thou
art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast ºf
the field: whom thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
*how eat all the days of thy life. There is, there-
fore, a kind of duplicate cunning in the matter-Sa-
tan gets the preacher and hearers also.
“And is not this triumphant treachery,
“And more than simple conquest in the foe!”
You Ng.
3. Another reason why Satan employs instruments
in his service is, because his empire is large, and he
cannot be every where himself.
4. He has a large number at his command, that
love and approve of his work, delight in building up
his kingdom, and stand ready to go at his call.

I.V.F.E.R.E.VCES.
1. The devil is not dead, but still lives; and is able
to preach as well as ever, Ye shall not surely die.
3. Universal salvation is no new-fangled scheme,
but can boast of great antiquity.
S. See a reason why it ought to be rejected, because
it is an ancient devilish doctrine.
4. See one reason why it is that Satan is such a mor-
tal enemy to the Bible, and to all who preach the gos-
pel, because of that injunction, Mark xvi. 15, 16.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
fireach the gosſeſ to every creature. He that believeth
and is baſitized, shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall he damned.
5. See whence it was that Satan exerted himself so
much to convince our first parents that there was no
hell, because the denunciation of the Almighty was true,
and he was afraid that Adam and Eve would continue
in the belief of it. Was there no truth in future pun-
ishment, or was it only a temporary evil, Satan would
not be so busy in trying to convince men that there is
none : It is his nature and element to lie. When he
ºf eaketh a lie, he sheaketh of his own ; for he is a
liar, and the father of it. John viii. 44.
6. We infer that ministers should not be proud of
their preaching. If they preach the true gospel, they
only, in substance, repeat Christ’s sermons. If they
preach, Ye shall not surely die, they only make use
of the devil’s old notes, that he delivered almost six
thousand years ago.
7. It is probable that the doctrine of Universal Sal-
vation will still prevail, since this preacher is yet alive,
and not in the least superannuated; and every effort
against him only enrages him more and more, and ex-
cites him to new inventions and exertions to build up
his cause.
To close the subject. As the author of the forego.
ing discourse has confined himself wholly to the charac.
Her of Satan, he trusts no one will feel himself personally
injured by this short sermon: But should any imbibe
a degree of friendship for this aged divine, and think

40
that I have not treated this Universal Preacher with
that respect and veneration that he justly deserves, let
them be so kind as to point it out, and I will most
sheerfully retract; for it has ever been a maxim with
me, “Render unto all their dues.”
THE following lines, taken from the THEological
MAGAZINE, were refeated after the delivery of the fire-
eeding discourse.-
4 late writer in favour of Universal Salvation, have
ing closed his fliece with these last lines of Poſie's
MEssi AH,
The seas shall waste, the skies in smoke decay,
Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away;
But fixt his word, his saving power remains,
- Thy realm for ever lasts, thy own Messiah reigns;
his antagonist made the following addition to them :
U.W.IVERSALISM IVDEED.
* When seas shall waste, and skies in smoke decay,
* Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away :
* In adamantine chains shall death be bound,
“And hell's grim tyrant feel the eternal wound:"
But all his children reach fair Eden’s shore,
Not e^er to see their father Satan more.
The tottering drunkards shall to glory reel,
And common strumpets endless pleasure feel.
Blest are the haughty, who despise the poor,
For they’re entitled to the heavenly store.
Blest all who laugh and scoff at truth divine,
For bold revilers endless comfort find.
Blest are the clam’rous and contentious crew,
To them eternal rest and peace are due.

11
Blest all who hunger, and who thirst to find
A chance to plunder and to cheat mankind:
Such die in peace—for God to them has given
To be unjust on earth, and go to heaven.
Blest is the wretch whose bowels never move
With generous pity, or with tender love;
He shall find mercy from the God above.
Blest all who seek to wrangle and to fight;
Such mount from seas of blood to worlds of light.
Go riot, drink, and ev’ry ill pursue,
For joys eternal are reserved for you.
Fear not to sin, till death shall close your eyes;
Live as you please, yours is th’ immortal prize.
Old Serpent, hail! thou mad'st a just reply
To mother Eve, “Ye shall not surely die!”
But, Reader, stop —and in God's holy fear,
With sacred truth these tenets first compare;
Our Saviour's Sermon on the mount peruse-
Read with attention, and the bane refuse !
JESUS,
THE
120CK OF .4GES.
-
Rock of Ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy riven side which flow’d,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power?
12
Not the labour of my hands
Can fulfil thy law's demands:
Could my zeal no respite know-
Could my tears for ever flow;
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress:
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or Idie.
While I draw this fleeting breath-
When my eye-strings break in death-
When I soar to worlds unknown-
See thee on thy judgment throne-
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee!
2. tº º'
º º º