36. Mr. Wadsworth's Farewell Sermon

36. Mr. Wadsworth's Farewell Sermon
"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, do the first works: or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."- Revelation 2:5.
These Words, with the foregoing verses, I have insisted largely upon already. And in the Words I told you, there is,
First of all, A severe threatning in these words, I will come unto thee quickly, and I will remove thy Candlestick out of his place.
I have told you what is meant by Candlestick. A Candlestick I told you signifies the Church of God, or a Company, or a Society of people met together to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. As if he should say, I will smite thy Shepherds, and scatter thy Flocks; I will take away mighty Lights, and I will leave thee in Egyptian darkness; I will cut off my Ordinances, which are my golden Pipes to convey the Water of Life unto you.
But you will say, why is the Lord so angry with Ephesus?
It is, Because of the Churches sins; It is, because thou hast not loved me as once thou didst. Want of love to Christ is a sin that deserveth to be unchurched; that deserveth that God should take away your Ministers: For, what is our preaching for, but to gain your Loves to Christ, and to hate the Devil?
Secondly, In the second place, I shewed you what the works of this Church of Ephesus were; They had been very laborious in the external Principles of Religion, in promoting the Salvation of Souls; but yet notwithstanding they had gone so far, yet they had not done what they did out of a right Principle, that is, out of pure Love to Christ; this makes the Lord so angry, that he threatneth to unchurch them.
Well, but is there no remedy to prevent this heavy Judgement? He that holds forth the Rod tells you a Remedy. As if he should say, Oh you Ephesians, if you will love me better, and if you will be more painful in the great Work of your Salvation, if you will but repent of your sins, I will not bring those heavy Judgements upon you, which I threatned to bring upon you.
I have told you the greatness of the sins that his Church was guilty of. I have likewise shewed you what a great Curse it is for the Lord to take away the Gospel from a Nation; I told you that it is a big-bellied Curse; it is a curse that hath a great many other curse embowelled up in it.
I told you when the Gospel goes, God goes; and when God goes, Christ goes; and when Christ goes, the ministering Angels of the Covenant go, the Candlestick goes, and the Lights they go along with it.
What then follows, when God goes? Then the Devil he comes, yea, legions of Devils come; and then there follows the Plague, Pestilence, Famine, Sword, and all other manner of evils. God doth not go alone, neither doth God remove his Candlestick alone. I do not tell you that God threatens you to pull down all your Lights, I would not terrifie you by telling you that God is a departing from you, when he puts out some of your Lights: But yet I must needs tell you, that when God doth deprive you of so many hundreds, of as Pious, and as Laborious, and as Learned (some of them) as any are in the Vineyard; I say, when God deals thus by you, I cannot think that it is in mercy to you, but in judgement.
The Church of England is a great People, and there are many poor souls in it, that are as Fire-brands in the fire, that have great need to be pluckt out; and as there are, blessed be God, many eminent Ministers at this day in England, to snatch such poor souls, as fire brands out of the fire; Yet I say, that where there is one, we have need of ten.
But though our disease is dangerous, yet it is not desperate: there is one way for us to prevent those heavy judgements that the Lord doth threaten to inflict upon us; and that is by Repentance; by a serious Repenting of the sins past of our lives, and to amend what hath been amiss in us.
I shall now come to make some Application of what I have formerly delivered unto you.
Use 1.
In the first place, Is this a Truth, That Repentance is the only way and means to prevent the Judgements of God, that are threatned against a People by God for sin. Then first of all, I would have you to observe the cursed nature of this cursed thing, called sin: Sin must be repented of, or it will destroy us, it will destroy our bodies, it will destroy our souls, it will destroy our Kingdom: this is the cursed nature of this thing called sin.
My beloved, I think it is one of the hardest things that is, to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin, to understand that deadly Poyson that is in it; it is for want of the true knowledge of it, that causeth that deadness of heart that you so much groin under. Thus you see that sin (that thing which we so much slight) what a terrible thing it is. Alas, what think many of us of a vain word, or an idle thought, or swearing an Oath: what a trifling thing it is to neglect Prayer.
But let me ask you, that think sin to be so slight a matter, what is the reason that God is so angry that he made man? What is the reason that many a sinful Church, hath made God repent that ever he made them a Church? I say therefore consider the exceeding venom that there is in sin: Oh take heed of sin, it is a Child that although it be conceived in joy, yet it shall bring forth sorrow in the end. Cursed be the day that ever sin was born into the world. Sin, it is so vile a thing, that it makes God for to cry out at it, and Jesus Christ for to cry out at it, and makes them to say, they will be gone: If you continue in your sins, I will take away my Ministers, and leave you in darkness.
Tush, say you, what is sin? I say, it is the venom and poyson of our natures, it is that which is, as the hand to unsheath the sword, and to thrust it into our own bowels. Sin, it is as a millstone that is tied about our necks, that will pull us both soul and body into the bottom of that Sea of the wrath of God, from whence there will be no recovery; sin is a Plague that will follow our posterity after we are gone out of this world; sin, it is a worm upon the Tree of life, that eats up the fruit of it; sin it is that, which makes the Lord to take away the Gospel from amongst us; sin it is a devilish charm within us, that drives away God, and Christ, and the Gospel from amongst us: This is the evil of that cursed thing called sin. Oh, do not you make a little matter of it: do not you say, when you have been drunk, what harm is there that I have drunk a cup too much? do not say, what harm is there in my telling a lye, or swearing an oath? Oh my beloved, what a sad thing is this sin, that it should cause God for to throw Angels out of Heaven into Hell! Pride cast Angels into Hel; take heed it doth not so by you. Sin made God to destroy all the old world; sin made God to repent that he had made the world; sin made God for to burn Sodom & Gomorah; sin made God for to threaten Ephesus to remove his candlestick from among them.
Therefore I say, do not think sin to be a small matter; make Conscience of the least of sins; believe God, that it is a vile thing; consider with thy self what a vain labour this labour of sin is; it is a vain troublesome work; when you commit it, you must resolve for to die the death, or to undo it again. Sin, it may well be called the Labour in vain. When thou art a doing anything that is evil, thou must repent of it, or else it will undo thee. Sin is a long thred of the sinners spinning, that when he hath spun it out he must sit down in sorrow, and labour to undo his work again.
While thou art a sinning, I can compare it to nothing better, than to the journey that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem, and left Jesus Christ behind them.
My beloved, it is a sad journeying without Christ in your company: when you go on in sin, you must return again, or else you will lose your souls. This I say is the labour in Vain of sinners, they are doing a work that they must undo again; they are running a race that they must run back again, or else it will undo them You are gathering up of sticks that will help to burn you; you are whetting a knife that must cut your own throats; you are spinning a thred that must hang you.
Oh my beloved, little do you think that you are doing this, when you are sinning! Do not you say therefore, that sin is a little matter, for God will damn thee soul and body for it: he that will damn thee for lying, he that will damn thee for neglect of praying, he doth think that these sins are great matters: Will you lay these things to heart? I shall speak but a few words more, and I shall have done, and God knowes whether ever I shall speak to you anymore.
I say, take heed of sin, and do not you go away with light thoughts of it.
Use 2.
Is Repentance the only way and means for to prevent the Judgements of God, which are threatned by God for sin? Then from hence you may learn the excellency & the usefulness of that Grace of Repentance.
Oh what an omnipotent grace is this? it is a grace that can do anything with God. Why, what can this grace do? what can it not do? This grace of Repentance it can redeem your morgaged blessings, it can repossess you of those blessings that you have foolishly played away Repentance can make God to stay here in our Kingdom when he is a departing. Repentance, it is a heart-breaking for sin, & it breaks the heart of God likewise; when thy heart yearns for sin, his heart yearns towards thee; as thou mayest see in the yearnings of God's bowels towards Ephraim, Jeremiah 31:18-20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoak; Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after I was turned, I repented: and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear so•? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
Ephraim, that was a Tribe, one of the Tribes of Israel you hear, hath the voice of a penitent sinner; he smites upon his thigh, which is a sign of great anguish of spirit; here you have the penitent, here you have the weeping shame-fac'd sinner: But in the verse following, you have God standing and looking on; saith God, Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels within me are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him.
If thy heart breaks, thou seest that God's heart will turn towards thee. Oh the excellency of Repentance, that doth so much prevail with the God of heaven! It is these dews and heavenly showers that must revive your almost dying withering blessings. Repentance, it is that holy Oil that must recover our Lamps that are going out: Oh the excellency of Repentance!
From hence you may gather, what an excellent priviledge a penitent heart hath with God: It is the mourning lamenting sinner that is like to do England good; these heard hearted sinners, they cannot recover an almost lost Gospel, they cannot fetch God again; but a penitent heart can. My beloved, how can you live without such a Grace? your Souls want it, your Families want it, three Kingdoms want it; the great want in England is broken-heartedness,
Use 3.
Is Repentance the only way to prevent the Judgments of God, Then you may from hence gather, that when God either hath his Plugues upon a people, or continues in threatning his Judgement upon a People, it is a sign that those people are very guilty of impenitency, and that this people have not yet repented of their sins.
If God threatens thee, O England, Scotland, and Ireland; If God threaten thee to give thee up to hardness of heart, and blindness of mind (doth God do it at this day?) then I say, O England, Scotland, and Ireland, you are impenitent people at this day. If you see a Kingdome groaning under the Judgments of God, it is a sign that they have not made use of those remedies that would have cured them.
This is my Charge against England, we have been a stiff necked People.
Oh London, London, how long shall God wait on you before you repent? how often hath God threatned to remove the Gospel from among you? how often hath God visited you with great and grievous Sicknesses? how many thousands have been killed by the Sword? how many Widows and Fatherless Children have there been left desolate? God hath visited you this year with Mercy, and yet you repent not. Oh my beloved, is not this sad? If God come to punish you after you have received so many mercies from him, take heed that God doth not rid his hands of you.
Why fit you as if you had no hand in these things, you careless Masters, that never pray in your Families, nor never teach your Families to pray? It is for your sins that God doth threaten to remove the Gospel, and to take away his Ministers. Will you repent of your sins? If you do not, sad will be your ends: God may cut you off from the face of the Earth, and raise up unto himself a generation out of your loyns, that may serve him better than ever you have yet done; and God may cause you to die in a wilderness.
Oh the hard heartedness of the People of England! Oh the Swearing the Wickedness, the Superstition and Prophaness that is grown up amongst us! That I may say, as the world was once drowned by water, so it is now almost filled with wickedness. Oh you sinful wicked Generation, is this your requital to God for all his Mercies? Deuteronomy 32:6 Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish People and unwise? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
May I apply this to you? Is this the thanks you return to God, that hath been as a Father to you▪ that hath bought you, and made you? When your sins grow so high, do not you think but that the wrath of God will grow high too.
Objection.
I, but you say, why do you speak to us of these sins? speak to them that commit such sins.
Answer.
My beloved, have you repented of your sins? Are not you grown hard hearted with the rest of this generation? Let me ask you, have you repented of those sins that you are guilty of? Yes, say you, we hope we have. Let me try you a little with these few things.
First of all, have you thought upon the wickedness of your wayes? Have you set your sins in order before you? Have you called to mind the manner of your Lives and Conversations? Sin is never left until it be soundly laid to heart.
A repenting Man is one, that the World sayes, is a moping Man or Woman; he is one that will look himself in the face of the Gospel an hour to find out his spots; and when he hath found them, he falls a weeping.
Secondly, if you have repented, as you say you have; what hath been your mourning for Sin? You came crying into the world, your mother said. Since the first tears that you shed, how many tears have you shed for your sins? When were you alone in your Chambers? When have you done as Ephraim did? How often have your Cheeks been wet with your Tears? how many Handkerchiefs have you wet with your Tears for your Sin? Oh my Beloved do you think that God will not humble you for your sins? God will humble you, before he exalts you God will bring you to the brink of Hell before he brings you to Heaven.
Thirdly, if you have repented of your Sins, as you say you have; Then, what Reformation is there in your lives? what sin have you left? What sins are they that you have forsaken?
Have you observed that you are more humble than you were heretofore? Do you observe that your hearts are more in Heaven than they were before? Do you observe that you pray more, and delight in prayer more, than you have done? It may be you are ready to try out that you are well; Well, but have you repented? Alas, you talk you have repented of your Sins, when it may be that you know not one sin that you have left. Didst thou once Swear by the holy Name of God? and art thou now afraid for to take his Name into thy mouth, but with great reverence and adoration?
Fourthly, have you repented of your sins, as you say you have done? Then, what Resolutions have you taken up for your future obedience? Is it your resolution for to seek God more in prayer, than ever you have yet done? Will you watch your hearts in prayer more than you have done? will you take more care of your Family? Will you give them an example of a holy heavenly Life?
Fifthly, have you repented of your Sins, as you say you have? Then, how much are you troubled for the sins of others? Do your hearts mourn in secret for the Wickedness and the Abominations of the places where you live?
And now, I beseech you, do not you flatter your selves in your wicked sinful courses; If you do then I say, take heed that God doth not send his Judgments upon you: And if you repent not, doubtless God will bring some Plague upon England, ere it be long.
Consider this, O England, and do not provoke God to depart from you; For, if you repent of your Sins, you may expect to live quietly in the Land of your Nativity, and go to your death beds in peace and rest: But if you will not repent of your sins, then, I say, expect nothing but Cursings instead of Blessings from God: If you will repent, do it today; God knows how long it may be before you have such another day.
But I have one word to you this afternoon, and it is, for ought that I know, the last words I have to speak to you. I have one Question to ask you, before I depart out of this Pulpit, with thoughts, for all that I know, never to return into it any more.
My Question is this; Will you repent?
The welfare of your souls depends upon it, the welfare of the Church depends upon it; the welfare of three Kingdoms depends upon it.
My beloved, it is no trifling now, Will you repent, I ask you? It may be hereafter God will give you up to hardness of heart, and blindness of mind; and if you go on in your wickedness, Hell will follow after it.
Well, I say, Will you repent? I ask you the Question, and I ask you no other Question than I have asked my own self, before I came into this place. I ask you again, Will you repent, every man & woman amongst you? For Jesus Christ is angry with you, and he takes away many of your Lights from amongst you.
That God is angry with you, it is plain, for God would never else have taken away his Ministers from among you.
I doubt not but God hath made use of some of those that are to speak no more in the Name of Jesus, to the snatching of you as fire brands out of the fire; and in bringing you from the kingdome of Satan, unto the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ
Well, will you repent? If you will not, you sins lye at your own doors; do not think its a hard Question, when I ask you, if you will repent? There are two places where there is no Repentance; the one is in Hell: it were a vain thing for me to go to the gates of Hell, and cry to them, Repent, for their day of Grace is past, and their doom is passed upon them; I do verily think that there is more sorrowing in Hell for sin, than there is here upon Earth: but their sorrow is not sanctified sorrow. If the damned in Hell were delivered out of Hell, they would sin again: if they lived eternally, they would sin eternally. But I am not speaking to men in hell, nor to women in hell, but I speak to you that are here upon earth.
But there are a people to whom the day of Grace is set while they live to whom the Sun of Righteousness is set, and their day is filled up with darkness: I look upon the Heathen as such, I look upon the Jews as such I look upon the Turks as such: I dare not say of any man or woman living, that can come within the hearing of a Sermon, that God hath given any one up to such a reprobate mind.
Now my beloved, if it be not thus with any of you, that your day of Grace is not past, as I am confident it is not, Then I beseech you in the Name and Fear of God, that you would repent. The dying words of dying men and women, do usually prevail with those that hear them: The dying words of Fathers and Mothers, do use to prevail with their children: My beloved, if you have any love to God, if you have any love to your souls, remember my last words: I say, Repent of your sins. It may be God hath made me instrumental, to the plucking of some of you as Fire brands out of the fire, and in building of some of you up in the most holy Faith: Remember what I say, I have chosen this as my last words that ever I shall speak to some of you.
Object. But may some of you say, you bid me repent, how can I do it? I can no more repent than the dead man can arise.
Answ. It is true, O sinner, that thou sayest: But though thou canst not repent when thou wilt, yet if thou wilt but endeavour to set thy self about the work, it is probable that God may give thee a repenting heart: therefore I say, take heed of shutting thy self out from mercy.
Object. But say you, why do you then press us to such a work, when we cannot do it of ourselves?
Answ. Mark here, when I say unto you, will you repent? That is, will you make use of the means that God hath appointed for your Repentance? Will you reckon up all the sins you have committed against God? will you reckon up all the times that you have been drunk, or that you have sworn an Oath? will you reckon up all the sins that you stand guilty of between God and your own souls? and will you go to God and beg of him, that he would be pleased to pardon them?
But say you, what if we do not? If you do not, then you are still in your sins, and there is no peace to you; there is no inward peace to your souls, there is no true peace to your Kingdom.
But that I may prevail with you, I shall give you some grounds or motives to press this Argument more home upon your consciences.
First of all, Repent; because Jesus Christ hath commanded you under great Penalties, if you do not.
My beloved, consider a little with yourselves, who it is that speaks unto you here in my Text.
It is not I, but it is Jesus Christ; and doubtless Christ would never have persuaded you to this work of repentance, if it were not necessary.
This book is the counsel of the Physitian of your Souls, & the Physitian of your Church, and the Physitian of your Kingdom. He that saith unto you, repent, saith, if you do not, Your sins shall not be blotted out. He that saith unto you repent, saith, if you do not, Eternal death shall follow.
Repent, I say, or if thou dost not, wo be unto thee; wo unto that man that ever he was born; wo unto thee, it had been better thou hadst never seen the Light: Thy Parents that bore thee, they may repent that ever thou were born. Oh my beloved, it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Oh my beloved, if your Parents should see any of you carried in a Cart to the Gallows to be hanged, it would make them to repent that ever they brought you forth into the world! How much more then do you think it would trouble them for to see you thrown body and soul into Hell, there to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels forever. I say, repent, or else God will take away the Gospel from among you; repent, or God will take away his Ministers from among you.
The truth of it is, I have made it the greatest part of my work, ever since I took the Office of a Minister upon me, for to get people upon their knees, & when I could prevail so far with them, as to get them upon their knees, I thought with myself, that then the work was half done.
Secondly, Repent; for Christ hath encouraged you with many precious promises, if you will repent.
Object. But say you, this is a hard work: What! shall we ever go with tears in our eyes? what will God give us for our reward?
Answ. My beloved, your Reward is great; would you know what you shall have? For your sorrow, you shall have Crowns of Glory, you shall have Joy unspeakable; if you will but repent of your sins, God will blot them out. Me things it should make thy heart for to ake, to think how God will deal with thee at the day of Judgment how God will say, before all the holy Angels, and before thousands of righteous Persons, look what a hypocrite stands there. God will then make known the most secret sins, before men & Angels, that thou wouldst not have men to know now.
Oh repent therefore, that your sins may be blotted out, and you shall never hear more of your sins; repent, and you shall be saved; repent, and you shall escape Hell.
Thirdly, repent, because God hath waited a long while upon you, how long hath God stayed at your doors, asking you if you wou'd repent? how long, O thou proud man or woman, hath God waited upon thee? how often hath God come, and stood knocking at the doors of your hard hearts, you that are given to Taverns and Ale-houses, and rioting? how long will it be before I shall see you leave these Taverns and Ale-houses? and let me see you upon your knees in your Closets.
Oh thou gray headed sinner, God hath waited long upon thee, it may be ever since thou wert fifteen or sixteen years old; as I have known many eminent Christians at those years, which hath made me much admire at it. Oh thou sinner, God hath waited upon thee all this while, when wilt thou repent, Romans 2:4. Or despisest thou the Riches of his goodness, and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to Repentance?
There is not a blessing thou hast from God, but it hath this written upon it, repent of thy sins. Wilt thou think of what I say unto thee; when God puts thy bread into thy hands, he saith unto thee, Sinner, take this bread, eat it, and repent: when God puts the cup of Beer into thy hand, he saith unto thee, Sinner, take this beer, drink it, and repent; when thou arisest in the morning, he saith unto thee, Sinner take this suit of cloaths, and put it on, and repent: Every mercy that thou receivest from thy God, calls thee to come along with me; Come, wilt thou leave thy sins and go along with me? wilt thou leave Hell, and go along with me? My beloved I will desire you to bear a little with me, because I am so urgent in pressing this great work of Repentance: It is the last time that I shall speak to some of you, and therefore I am something the more earnest with you: the Lord grant that they that shall come after me, may far exceed me in this work.
Fourthly, consider, if you will return and repent, God will return to you; if you will leave your sins, God will not be angry with you; if you will have the means of grace, God will give you the means of grace. My beloved, God never goes from you until you go away from him, God hath intreated you to return, and God hath promised to return to you.
My beloved, you have heard the Parable of the prodigal Son, how he ran away from his Father, but at last when he was ready to perish with hunger he returns to his Fathers house again.
So, my beloved, God is your Father, but you are Prodigals; all the sins that you have committed against God is Prodigality. But yet, let me tell you, if you are willing to come to Gods feet, he will take you about the neck, if you are willing to forsake your sins, God is willing and ready to pardon your sins; if you have been a wicked, sinful, rebellious people, yet if you will turn to the Lord, he will turn to you.
Fifthly, repent; because, if any misery doth come upon thee, the fault shall lye at thine own door: I say, repent, for if God doth bring a Judgment upon thee, thou mayest thank thy self for it.
Art thou a notorious sinner, and God layes his afflicting hand upon thy Family, thy Family may thank thee for it, that the Lord is pleased to deal by them as he doth. Many a Family may curse the Head of their Family, Oh thou drunken Master, God doth send a Judgement upon thy Family, they may thank thee for it: and I tell thee, if any evil come upon the Church, it is thy fault; thanks be to you lyers, thanks be to you Swearers, thanks be to you Drunkards, that the Gospel and Ministers are a going.
Sixthly, repent; because God sendeth his Messengers unto you for to intreat you to repent: I am sent unto you this day, to intreat you to repent, now wo be to you if you neglect my message. You know that it was one reason why God took away his Prophets and Ministers from Jerusalem, because they would not hearken to their Message, as you may read, Matthew 23:37-39. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; How often would I have gathered thy Children together, even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and you would not? Behold your house is left unto you desolate: for I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
I know thee Jerusalem, thou hatest and killest my Prophets that are sent unto thee; when I come to thee again, thou shalt say, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Oh that you could apply this to your selves, Oh London! how often would I have gathered thee, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, but thou wouldst not, But thou hast killed my Prophets, and cast them into prison Well, we are now taking leave of you this day; I, and my Ministers are leaving of you, but when we come again unto you I will have you to be of another manner of temper then now you are.
Well, if all that I have said, will not prevail with you, I am sorry that nothing would prevail with you but the flames of Hell. Oh then you will say, Oh that we had but hearkened to the voice of God's Messengers that are sent to us! Oh that we had our rousing Ministers to awaken us!
I have one of Advice to you that are the people of God, whose hearts God hath humbled, and I shall have done.
First, I advise you that God hath humbled for sin, now to look to your selves, God will not now lead you, you must learn now to go alone: If you would keep tender hearts, then be afraid of sin: as well of the least sins, as of the greatest: Be afraid of a vain thought; and if thou takest heed of a vain thought, thou wilt be afraid of telling a lye; and if thou takest heed of telling a lye, thou wilt be afraid of swearing an Oath.
Secondly, if thou wilt keep tenderness of heart, then lye under the best Ministry you can get; that there is a difference between some mens. Preaching and others, is plain by the effectual working of their Preaching upon the hearts of their hearers.
First, take heed of a blind ignorant Minister; If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch. If one that understands not what sin is, nor feels not the guilt of sin, Preaches Repentance, it is ten hundred to one, if ever God doth work upon your hearts by his Preaching.
Secondly, take heed of, fly, shun, avoid an idle drunken Minister, if you would ask me, what we shall do in such a case?
I Answer, keep such a one out of your Parish, if you can; if you cannot, then I advise you to take heed how you hear him.
First, because all such Ministers, are no Ministers at all. No, what and are ordained? No, because they are not sent from God. And let me tell you, that men have no power to Ordain such to Preach the Gospel, as are not sent by God. I do verily believe that God never sent any Minister for to Preach the Doctrine of Salvation, but such as God hath endowed with gifts and abilities to speak; and if there be any Ministers that have not those qualifications that are fit for a Bishop to have, then they are none of Gods Ministers, although they are made Ministers by man, 1 Timothy 3:1-7. This is a true saying, If a man desire the Office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife; vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient; not a brawler, not covetous: own that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Not a Novice, lest being lifted up with Pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach, and the snare of the Devil.
Here is all these excellent qualifications that a Minister of the Gospel ought to be endowed with.
Secondly, I say that those Ministers that are not endowed with these qualifications but are ignorant drunken Ministers, it is generally observed that people grow more wicked, and that their hearts grow harder, while they live under such a Ministry.
Object. But how if we are forced to hear such, and we can do no others wise; if we will not hear them our purses must pay for it.
Answer. To this I answer, I wish that every place had an eminent Minister, that you might gather up Manna at your own doors; But if your Minister be wicked and prophane, he is no Minister of Christ, and in such a case, you must rather hazard your purses than you souls.
But the Doctrine that he preaches it is good: 'Tis true, it is so, if it do not come out of a stinking vessel. The water that is drawn out of a sweet Well, if it be put into a stinking cask, it will smell of the cask. But I would not have you to be quarrelsome.
A Third advice that I shall give you is this, be sure that you ply the company of those that are of a tender heart: It is a true saying, Birds of a feather will flock together. Take heed of being in the company of such as will swear, and of living with such as scoff at religion. It's true, a tender holy heart may live among wicked company, as Lot did in Sodom; but let me tell thee, there's danger, they'll tempt thee to be like them.
Lastly, my advice is this, be sure that the Bible be much in your hand, you that can read, and beg of God to give you an understanding heart. When God bids you to be holy, think of Heaven. Let the Bible be much in your hands, and let God see you much in your Closets.