George Whitefield Sermon 22

The Folly and Danger of parting with Christ for the Pleasures and Profits of Life.

Matthew 8:23-34, "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples

followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch

that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his

disciples came to [him], and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he

arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But

the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds

and the sea obey him! And when he was come to the other side into the

country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming

out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus,

thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And

there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the

devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into

the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out,

they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran

violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And

they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every

thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold,

the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought

[him] that he would depart out of their coasts."

If we were but sensible of the great necessity there is, in this our

day, of being real Christians, sure we should not be contented with being

nominal ones; but we are sunk into I know not what; we are no better than

baptized heathen. And how amazing is it, that we should profess the name of

Christ, and yet so little converse about him; surely, this name whereby we

are called, should be the theme of our discourse here, and of our eternal

Hallelujahs in a world to come. But is it not more amazing, to consider,

that instead of the name of Jesus, whereby we are to have salvation, we are

taught to look for it in ourselves, and that there must be a fitness in us

before God bestows his grace and favor upon us. But what doctrine is this?

Not the doctrine of the scripture, not the doctrine of Jesus, not that of

the primitive Christians, not that of the reformation, nor that of the

articles of the church of England. No, it is the doctrine of the devil;

this is making Christ but half a Savior, and driving man into an error of

the greatest consequence, in making him go to Jesus in his own strength,

and not in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, my brethren, unless you

go in the strength of Jesus Christ; unless you depend only upon him for

salvation; unless he is your wisdom, righteousness and sanctification, he

will never be your redemption. Our salvation is the free gift of God; it is

owing to his free love, and the free grace of Jesus Christ, that ever you

are saved.

Do not flatter yourselves of being good enough, because you are

morally so; because you go to church, say the prayers, and take the

sacrament, therefore you think no more is required; alas, you are deceiving

your own souls; and if God, in his free grace and mercy, does not show you

your error, it will only be leading you a softer way to your eternal ruin;

but God forbid that any of you, to whom I am now speaking, should imagine

this; no, you must be abased, and God must be exalted, or you will never

begin at the right end, you will never see Jesus with comfort or

satisfaction, unless you go to him only on the account of what he has done

and suffered.

Is it not plain to a demonstration, that we are acting the part of the

Gergesenes, who came and desired Jesus to depart from them? Let us consider

the words, and then we shall see how exactly we are performing the part of

these men over again.

And when he was entered into a ship his disciples followed him.

Christ had been working of many miracles, as we may read a few verses

before; and as he continually went about doing good, so now he was going to

the country of the Gergesenes to dispossess two, who were possessed with

devils; and his disciples followed him; No doubt they were reproached and

pointed at, for following such a babbler, as the Scribes and Pharisees

esteemed the Lord Jesus Christ. Doubtless they were pointed at, jeered,

scoffed, and esteemed madmen, enthusiasts, and a parcel of rabble; but

still they followed the Lord Jesus Christ, they did not mind a little

reproach; no, they loved their Master too well to forbear following him for

the sake of a little persecution. And if you do but love the Lord Jesus

Christ, love him above all, you will follow him in spite of the malice of

all the Scribes and Pharisees of this generation.

And behold there arose a great tempest on the sea.

The presence of Christ in the ship, did not preserve the disciples

from fears and troubles; they were filled with uneasiness, although Christ

was with them: this was only for a trial of their faith, to see if they

would stand fast for the Lord in a persecuting time. My dear brethren, if

the Lord is trying of you, do not give out; no, stand fast in all that the

Lord may call you to suffer: It is easy to follow Christ when all things

are safe: but your love to Jesus Christ would be seen more, if you must

lose your lives, or deny your Jesus; it would be a trial of your love, when

fire and faggot was before you, if you would rush into that, rather than

flie from the truth as it is in Jesus. Though all things are calm now, the

storm is gathering, and by and by it will break; it is at present no bigger

than a man's hand; but when it is full it will break, and then you will see

whether you are found Christians or not. Persecution would scatter the

hypocrites, and make nominal Christians afraid to worship God; they would

then soon turn unto the world and the things of it.

And his disciples came to [him], and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us:

we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little

faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a

great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that

even the winds and the sea obey him!

Here we may see the great compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ; no

sooner had the disciples awakened him, and he saw their danger, but he

rebuked the winds and seas, and all things were calm. Thus it was in a

natural way, and will be so in a spiritual one; for no sooner does Jesus

Christ speak peace to a troubled soul, but all is calm and quiet. Now none

but God could have performed this great miracle, and therefore it is no

wonder that his disciples and the men of the ship were amazed to see the

wonders he performed; and they could not forbear to express their sense

thereof, by inquiring, "What manner of man is this!"

And when he was come to the other side into the country of the

Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the

tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And,

behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou

Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Two men, who were possessed bodily with that evil one who is going

about seeking whom he may devour, met Jesus; as soon as they saw him they

were afraid, and cried out: though they made every one afraid of them, yet

they no sooner saw Christ, but their power left them, and they cried out,

"What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?" We know that thou

are God; we do not want thee, we have no power over thee, but thou hast

over us, and we fear thou art come to torment us before our time; we know

that we are to be brought to judgment, and therefore we would not be

tormented until that time come.

And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go

away into the herd of swine.

The evil spirits were sensible that Christ was come to dispossess

them, and that their time was now come, when they must leave the bodies of

these two men; for when Christ comes, who is stronger than the strong man

armed, all must fall before him; they could not stand against the power of

Christ. And here we may observe, that though the devil is an enemy, yet he

is a chained one; he cannot hurt a poor swine until he has power given him

from above: and we may likewise see the malice of the devil, that he would

hurt a poor swine rather than do no mischief; and the devil would, if in

his power, destroy each of your souls, but Christ, by his mighty power,

prevents him.

And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into

the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down

a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept

them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and

what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole

city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought [him]

that he would depart out of their coasts.

Here observe, that no sooner had Christ given the devils permission to

enter the swine, but they did, and their malice was so great, that the

swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and were drowned.

What poor spite was here, that the devil should disturb poor swine!

And the city, therefore, was so grieved for the loss of a little wealth,

that they came and besought Christ to depart; they did not want his

company; they preferred a few poor swine before the company of Christ; and

few worldly good, a little pleasure, or any thing rather than Christ, part

with Christ before any thing; but one, who is sensible of the love of

Christ, will part with all, rather than with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus far the letter of the story goes; perhaps you think there is

nothing to be learned herefrom, and that this is all you are to understand

by it; but if so, my brethren, you are much mistaken; for here is an

excellent lesson to be learned, and that you will see, by considering the

words again, in a spiritual sense.

And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the

ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

And do not you frequently experience great tempests in this world?

Does not the sea of temptation beat over your souls? You are afraid lest

you should be overcome by them; you can see no way to escape, for your

souls are covered with waves, and you expect to be swallowed up in the

tempest; you are afraid lest you should fall into the hands of the evil

one. O do not fear, for Jesus Christ, though he may be asleep to your

thinking, yet will keep you, he will preserve you from the raging of the

men, of the Pharisees of this world; they may rage and spit forth all their

venom against you, still Christ will deliver, preserve and protect you; if

you but seek unto him in a sense of your own helplessness and unworthiness,

you will soon find he is a God ready to pardon and forgive. O that all that

hear me would be persuaded to bow their knee, and their hearts, as soon as

they go home: but alas, how many of our Christians go to God, day by day,

and call him, Father, which is but mocking of God, when the devil is their

father. None have a right to call him father, but those who have received

the spirit of adoption, whereby they have a right to call him, "Abba,

Father." Could the brute beasts speak, they might call God father as well

as some of you; for hi is their Creator to whom they owe their being; but

this will not entitle you to call God father, in a spiritual sense; no, you

must be born again of God; however you may flatter yourselves, you must

have an inward principle wrought in your hearts by faith. This you must

experience, this, this you must feel before you are Christians indeed.

The Lord Jesus Christ takes notice of each of you, you may think the

Lord does not take notice of us, because we are in a field, and our of

church walls; but he does observe with what view you came this evening to

hear his word; he knows whether it was to satisfy your curiosity, or to

find out wherewith you might ridicule the preacher. The thoughts and

intentions of all your hearts are not hidden from Jesus Christ; though he

may seem to be asleep, because you are, at present, insensible of his

workings upon your heart, and he may not seem to take notice of you, and

regard you, no more than he did the Syrophoenician woman; yet he will turn

to you and behold you with live; the Lord will be mindful of you in due

time, and speak peace to your troubled soul, though the sea of troubles is

beating over you, though the Pharisees of this day are scoffing at you,

yet, when Christ rebukes, then they shall cease.

Do not depend on yourself; say unto him, "Save us, Lord, or we

perish!" beseech him to be your guide, and your salvation: I beseech you,

by the tender mercies of God, which are in Christ Jesus, that you present

yourselves to him, as your reasonable service.

Awake, you that sleep, and arise from the dead, from the death of sin,

and Christ then will give you the light of his righteousness. Come to

Christ and you shall be welcome; O come unto this blessed Jesus, come

notwithstanding your vileness; for if you come not you will perish. If

Christ does not save you, your own good meaning, your own good intentions

cannot; no, as you are in your blood, so you must perish in your blood; but

if you come to Christ you will find mercy, you shall not perish. You cannot

find salvation in any other but in Christ; if the disciples could have

saved themselves, they would not have awoken Jesus Christ; but they were

sensible that no one could save them but him; and therefore they cried out

unto him; and so you, who are under the sense of sin, who are in fear of

hell, if you seek unto your own works, you only seek your own death; for

there is no fitness in you. I speak the truth in Christ Jesus, I lie not,

there is not fitness in you, but a fitness for eternal damnation; for what

are you by nature, but children of wrath, and your hearts are Satan's

garrison. Because you have gone to church, said the prayers, gone to the

sacrament, and done o one any harm, you speak peace to your souls; and all

is in peace you think, and your case is good enough; but indeed, all is a

false peace, and if you have no other peace than this, you must shortly lie

down in everlasting flames; this is an ungrounded, self-created peace, and

if you trust to this peace you will perish.

But do as the disciples did when they were in distress; they go to

Christ and say to him, "Lord, save us, we perish." I offer you salvation

this day; the door of mercy is not yet shut, there does yet remain a

sacrifice for sins, for all that will accept of the Lord Jesus Christ; he

only knows the inmost thoughts of thy heart, he will embrace you in the

arms of his love; he sees the first risings of grace in you, and would

willingly encourage it: the angels long for your being in the love and

favor of God; they will rejoice to see you turn from sin unto him. All the

ministers of the blessed Jesus would be glad to be instruments to turn you

from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

And he saith to them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?

And so, my brethren, I may say to you; why are you fearful to leave

you sins and turn to God? O turn to him, turn in a sense of your own

unworthiness; tell him how polluted you are, how vile, and be not

faithless, but believe; do not go in your own strength, and then you need

not fear. Why fear ye that the Lord Jesus Christ will not accept of you?

Your sins will be no hindrance, your unworthiness will be no hindrance; if

your own corrupt hearts do not keep you back, or if your own good works do

not hinder you from coming, nothing will hinder Christ from receiving of

you: he loves to see poor sinners coming to him, he is pleased to see them

lie at his feet pleading his promises: and if you thus come to Christ, he

will not send you away without his Spirit; no, but will receive and bless

you.

O do not put a slight on infinite love; what would you have Christ do

more? Is it not enough for him to come on purpose to save? Will you not

serve God in your souls, as well as with your bodies? If not, you are only

deceiving yourselves; and mocking of God; he must have the heart. O ye of

little faith, why are ye fearful lest he should not accept of you? If you

will not believe me, sure you will believe the Lord Jesus Christ; he has

told thee that he will receive you; then why tarry ye, and do not go to him

directly? Does he desire impossibilities? It is only, "Give me thy heart;"

or, does he want your heart only for the same end as the devil does, to

make you miserable? No, he only wants you to believe on him, that you might

be saved. This, this, is all the dear Savior desires, to make you happy,

that you may leave your sins, to sit down eternally with him, at the

marriage supper of the Lamb.

Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great

calm.

Thus, you see, it was only to the power of Christ to stop the raging

of the sea; he rebuked it; the disciples might have spoken for ever, and it

would not have ceased; so it is with the word preached; I may preach to you

while I live; I may speak till I can speak no more; but the doctrines of

Christ will never do you good, unless he impress them upon your hearts; O

then, in all thy troubles look up to Christ, that he may rebuke them; and

if he speaks the word, then they shall cease. If the Pharisees of this

generation scoff and jeer you, if they say all manner of evil against you,

do not answer them; leave it unto Christ to rebuke them; for all you can

say will be of no more signification, than the disciples speaking to the

sea; but when Christ speaks the word, then they shall cease; let it not

discourage you, for if you will live godly in Christ Jesus, you must suffer

persecution.

It is true, that those who are sincerely good, are set up for marks

for every one to shoot at. There is a continual enmity between the seed of

the woman and the seed of the serpent; if you were of the world, the world

would love its own; but because Christ hath chosen you out of the world,

therefore it hateth you.

Do not think of following Christ into glory, unless you go through the

press here. Look forward, my brethren, into eternity, and behold Christ

coming, and his reward with him, to give a kind recompense for all the

temptations and difficulties of this present life.

But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even

the winds and the seas obey him!

The men of the ship were amazed to see the miracle that Jesus Christ

wrought only by his word; they thought he was something more than a man.

And have not we as much reason to admire, that when we are overwhelmed with

troubles, from within and without, that Jesus Christ, only by the word of

his power, should speak peace, and then there is peace indeed. When God

first awakens us with a sense of sin, and sets his terrors in array against

us, then there are troubles and tempests; for Satan having got possession,

before he will give place, he will fight and strive hard to keep the soul

from closing with Jesus. But when Christ comes, he storms the heart, he

breaks the peace, he giveth it most terrible alarms of judgment and hell,

he sets all in a combustion of fear and sorrow, `till he hath forced it to

yield to his mere mercy, and take him for its governor; then Satan is cast

out; then the storm is rebuked, and he establishes a firm and lasting

peace.

Can the sea be still while the wind is raging? No, it is impossible;

so it is that there can be no peace in the soul, while it is at enmity with

Christ; indeed, it may flatter itself and speak peace, but there can be no

true peace; though thou, O Pharisee, may harden and fortify thy heart

against fear, grief, and trouble, yet, as sure as God is true, they will

batter down thy proud and fortified spirit, and seize upon it, and drive

thee to amazement. This will be done here, or hereafter; here in mercy, or

hereafter in wrath and judgment.

O my brethren, consider what Christ hath done, and you will be

astonished that he has done so much for such wicked wretches as you and I

are. If you are easy under the storm and tempest of sin, and do not cry to

Christ for salvation, thou art in a dangerous condition; and it is a wonder

to consider, how a man that is not sure of having made his peace with God,

can eat, or drink, or live in peace; that thou art not afraid, when thou

liest down, that thou should'st awake in hell: but if Christ speak peace

unto thy soul, who can then speak trouble? None; no, not men or devils.

Therefore, lie down at the feet of Christ whom you have resisted, and say,

Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? And he will rebuke the winds and

seas of thy troubled mind, and all things will be calm.

And when he was come to the other side into the country of the

Gergesenes, there met him two possesses with devils, coming out of the

tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

The Lord Jesus Christ, who went about doing good continually, very

well knew, that he should meet two poor men in this country of the

Gergesenes, who were possessed with devils; and Jesus Christ went on

purpose that way, that he might relieve them. The devil, where he has the

power, never wants will; but as I said before, so I say again, though the

devil is an enemy, yet he is a chained one; he could not destroy these two

poor men, he could not hurt the people that passed that way, he could only

terrify them; and thus it is with you; the devil tries his utmost skill and

power to frighten you from coming to the Lord Jesus; he uses the utmost of

his endeavors to keep poor sick and weary sinners from coming to Jesus; if

he can but make you lose your souls, it is the end he aims at.

And how many souls does he keep from Christ, for fear of reproach?

Many thousands would willingly see Christ in his glory, in the world to

come, and would be happy with him there, but they are afraid of being now

laughed at, and of hearing the Pharisees say, here is another of his

followers; they are afraid of losing their worldly business, or of being

counted methodistically mad and fit for bedlam. I doubt not but many are

kept from Jesus Christ, for fear of a little of inconveniency.

What will such say, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall appear in his

glory? Would you be glad to be confessed by him then, you must now not be

ashamed of confessing him before men; let not the fierceness of the devil

keep you back from Christ, for fear of being counted fools; for the time

will come, when it will be found who are truly wise, and who are truly mad.

Are you afraid to stand up for the cause of Christ in the world? Dare

not you be singularly good? Are you afraid of being members of Jesus

Christ? I tell you, such persons would crucify him afresh were he in the

world. But do not you, my brethren, so learn Christ; let not the

temptations of the devil keep you from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ; he

may be fierce, he may hurry you from place to place, but strive with him,

so that he may not drive you from Christ; and if you seek unto Christ, he

will so help you that you shall resist the devil, and then he will fly from

you; Christ will dispossess him, be not afraid therefore to meet Jesus

Christ; tell him all that your souls want, and he will give it to you; and

you shall not be any longer troubled with the fierce outrages of the devil.

And they cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou

Son of God? Art thou come to torment us before the time?

As soon as the devils observed Jesus coming near, then they were

afraid, lest he was come to punish them before that day of accounts, when

all must be brought to judgment.

The devils themselves are enough to convince all our polite Arians and

Socinians. They here own the Lord Jesus Christ to be God blessed for ever;

they feel his power, and are assured of his being the God who must condemn

them at the great day of accounts; and they were afraid lest the Lord Jesus

Christ was come to punish them now. But though the devils believe the

divinity of Christ, yet the world swarms with Arians and Socinians.

The Arians make Christ no more than a titular God, a subordinate

deity, one who was more than a man, and yet less than God; that he was a

prophet sent from God they own, but deny him to be equal with the Father.

But I hope, my brethren, he is to you, what our creed makes him, God of

God, very God of very God, co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father;

that as there was not a moment of time in which God the Father was not, so

there is not a moment of time in which God the Son was not. For he says

himself, "All things were made by him;" and if they were made by him, he

must be God; and whoever reads but the word of God, will find divine homage

is paid to him, "and that he thought it no robbery to be equal with God;"

he is "the Alpha and Omega." These and a great many more places might be

brought to prove the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ; he could never have

made satisfaction for our sins if he had not been God as well as Man. As

Man he suffered; as God he satisfied; so was God and man in one person; he

took our nature upon him, and was offered upon the cross for the sins of

all those who come unto him, which if he had not been God he could never

have satisfied for. It may be proved, even to a demonstration, that the

Lord Jesus Christ is God, and that he is equal with the Father.

The Socinians do not go so far as the others; they look on Christ to

be no more than a good man, who told the people their duty, and died in

defense of the doctrines which he delivered unto them.

But I hope there are none such here, that have so low and dishonorable

thoughts of the blessed Jesus, and that thus despise the divinity of the

Lord who bought them. No, I hope better things of you, and things that

accompany salvation. Think you, that any one who denies the deity of Christ

can ever be saved by him, living and dying in that state? Surely, the time

will come, when they who have denied his Deity, shall feel the power of it

hereafter; they shall feel that he is God as well as man; then he will be

owned as God by all those who now dare to deny his truths; but God forbid

it should go undetermined till then! Woe unto the polite infidels of this

generation, for the devils will rise up in judgment against them.

If any such are here, consider what you are doing of, before it is too

late; return, return ye unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you, and

to Jesus Christ, and he will abundantly pardon. O my friends, let me

beseech you to consider what you are about, lest you fall into hell, and

there be none to deliver you.

And the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to

go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they

were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole

herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished

in the waters.

Here we may see, that no sooner had the devil power, but he puts it

into execution; thus, if the devil has but power to tempt, or to hurry a

soul, O how grievous a tyrant he is, hurrying from one temptation to

another, from one sin unto another, and would, if it were possible, hurry

you all into hell with as much violence, as he did the poor swine into the

sea; but Christ by his grace prevents it. Jesus Christ died for souls, and

therefore the devil cannot do with them as he will; he may have the will,

but he cannot get the power. It is plain, that when the devil himself, or

persecuting men, get the power, they will harass the poor Christians;

everything is goo good for them, and they are not worthy to be set with the

dogs of the flock. My brethren, how joyful would many be, if the laws of

our land would permit them to destroy us; how would the Pharisees hurry us

to prison and to death; but, blessed be God, he does not say to them, as to

the devil, "Go." No, he bids them stay, he hedges their way up with thorns

that they cannot stir to hurt us; they would fain, but they dare not

destroy us; nothing withholds them but the power of the blessed Jesus. And

therefore, be not afraid of their wrath though it is cruel, and of their

anger though it be fierce; let them shoot their arrows, even bitter words,

against us, blessed be God, the shield of faith will be a preservative

against them all.

And when you are thus preserved, it will be the occasion of joy in the

Holy Ghost; though many look on the joy of the Holy Ghost as enthusiasm and

madness, and say that there is no such thing; but well do I know there is,

it carries its own evidence along with it. Plead therefore with God, in the

name of Jesus Christ; continue to wrestle with him, until he bestows the

blessing upon you, and gives you a feeling of that joy which the world

intermeddles not with, and which they are strangers to; indeed the devil

may stir up his agents to hurry us from one trouble to another; but it will

not signify, for the Lord Jesus Christ will not suffer him to hurry us into

hell; no, but will give us his Spirit, which will be a preservative against

all the assaults of the devil. Now see what followed this miracle, which

Jesus had wrought, by permitting the devil to enter into the herd of swine.

And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and

told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

The people were so amazed to see the power that Christ had, and the

malice with which the devil was possessed, that they were afraid, and told

all that had befallen the possessed of the devils; and so, when the spirit

of God has been at work on your souls, and you are brought to feel the

power of God upon your hearts, you will be so overjoyed that you will tell

to every one what great things God has done for your souls; you will be so

full of joy, that you will declare the whole working of God on your hearts,

and you will declare how you have been enabled to overcome Satan, and how

you were affected at such a sermon, in such a place, and at such a time.

You will then love to talk of Jesus; no conversation will be so

pleasing as that of the Lord Jesus Christ; no, he will be altogether lovely

unto you, when you have once tasted of his love, and felt the power of his

grace upon your hearts.

And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw

him, they besought [him] that he would depart out of their coasts.

The whole city came to meet Jesus, not to worship, nor to thank him

for the releasing of the two poor men who were possessed; no, but to

beseech him to go from them; they valued their swine more than the Lord

Jesus Christ, and had rather part from him, than them; and have we not

among us, thousands who call themselves Christians, who had rather part

with Christ than their pleasures? A play, a ball, or an assembly is far

more agreeable to them than the company and presence of the Lord Jesus

Christ: if they can but indulge their sensual appetite, please and pamper

their bellies, satisfy the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the

pride of life, they regard no more, but rest contented, as if they were to

live here always. O my dear brethren, I hope none of you can rest contented

with such proceedings as these, but that you like the company of the Lord

Jesus too well to part with him for a few delights of this life: and are

there not many, who part with Christ for their own good works, and think

they can go to heaven, if they do but go to church and say their prayers

and take the sacrament? But alas! they will be much deceived, for if they

were in any thing short of the Lord Jesus, if they do not make him the

chief corner-stone, they will fall infinitely short of what they flattered

themselves to attain unto.

I would speak a few words to you before I part from you this evening,

by way of application. Let me beseech you to come to Jesus Christ; I invite

you all to come to him and receive him as your Lord and Savior; he is ready

to receive you; if you are afraid to go because you are in a lost

condition, he came to save such; and to such as were weary and heavy laden,

such as feel the weight and burden of their sins, he has promised he will

give rest: such as feel the weight and burden of their sins on their souls,

a burden too heavy for them to bear, are weary of it, and know not how to

obtain deliverance of it, in the name of my Lord and master, I invite you

to come to him, that you may find rest for your souls.

If you will but come unto him he will not reproach you, as justly he

might; he will not reflect upon you for not coming sooner unto him; no, my

dear brethren, he will rejoice and be glad, and will say unto you, "Son,

daughter, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you:" these words he

said to others; and if you will but come unto him, by faith in his blood,

he is ready to say the same unto you now, as he did to them formerly, for

"he is the same to-day, yesterday and for ever:" though he suffered on the

cross seventeen hundred years ago, yet he is the same in goodness and power

as ever he was.

He calls you, by his ministers; O come unto him, beg of him to break

your stubborn hearts, that you may be willing to be brought to him in his

own way, to be made poor in spirit, and entitled to an inheritance among

them that are sanctified.

O come and drink of the water of life; you may buy without money and

without price; he is laboring to bring you back from sin, and from Satan

unto himself: open the door of your hearts, and the King of glory shall

enter in.

But if you are strangers to this doctrine, and account it foolishness;

or, if you think you have enough of your own to recommend you to the favor

of God, however you may go to church, or receive the sacrament, you have no

true love to the Lord Jesus Christ; you are strangers to the truth of grace

in your hearts, and are unacquainted with the new-birth; you do not know

what it is to have your natures changed; and `till you do experience these

things, you never can enter into the kingdom of God.

What shall I say, my brethren, unto you? My heart is full, it is quite

full, and I must speak, or I shall burst. What, do you think your souls of

no value? Do you esteem them as not worth saving? Are your pleasures worth

more than your souls? Had you rather regard the diversions of this life,

than the salvation of your souls? If so, you will never be partakers with

him in glory; but if you come unto him, he will give you a new nature,

supply you with his grace here, and bring you to glory hereafter; and there

you may sing praises and hallelujahs o the Lamb forever.

And may this be the happy end of all who hear me! may the Lord guide

you by his counsel, until he comes to fetch you to heaven, and make you

partakers of his glory!

May he direct you in his ways, and lead you in those paths which lead

to everlasting life! May you be holy here, and happy hereafter: may your

lives answer the profession you make, that we may all be found at the right

hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he shall come to judge the world

according to our works, whether they be good or evil! And that we then may

be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

God of his infinite mercy grant, &c.