1 shall leave you such as I would not. 1 would not leave one blind person, one vain person, one loose liver, not one unbeliever, or impenitent, amongst you all. O what a good day would this day of my departure be ! What light would there be in this dark evening, wore it thus with you ! If I might see you all recovered out of the snares of thede\nl, — every man's eyes opened, — every man's fetters off, — every man's prison bro- ken, and his soul escaped from that deadly bondage, — if every poor deadly creature a- mong you, who yet lies bound hand and foot in his grave-clothes, might now at last stand up from the dead, and live the life ot God, — this would be mine and your great rejoicing ! But O I fear with this apostle,
2 "Cor. xii. 21., " My God will humble me," and grieve me, and afllict me, to see in what a woful plight I must leave divers of you !
O ye sons of the night, — you poor, igno- rant, and dark souls, upon whom the light hath shined, but your darkness comprchen- dcth it not, — O yon poor obstinate, and har- dened souls, upon whom I have been plough- ing as upon rocks, and hewing as upon a- damants, — who still remain under as great hardness, as if no dew nor rain had ever fallen on you, — O you poor, half-baked, al- most Christians, that have taken up your standin yourpresent attaimnents, — my soul is under great fears, and must weep in se*. cret for you, whilst my tongue must hence- forth be silent ! O every sotil, that is with- out fear of himself, my soul is afraid for you : the fearless soul is in a fearful state !
Sinners, let my fears be your fears. What, is there such astonishing guilt upon you, — • and yet not afraid? Such a dreadful roll
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SELECT SERMONS.
writ against you, — and yet not afraid ? So many sabbaths, sermons, warnings lost, and never to be recalled ; nor any assurance left of one sermon, or warning more, — and yet not afraid ? Sucli a subtile devil, such a de- ceitful heart, such a tempting world, that you have to deal withal: such a black and bottomless pit, into which you are falling, — and yet not afraid ? O what stocks and stones hath the gospel to deal withal !
Beloved, I have laboured much with you, both publicly, and from house to house, to bring you under a due fear and jealousy of j^ourselves ; but hitherto your hearts have been too hard for me. O yet for trembling hearts ; tremble and sin not ; fear and pray, fear and hope, fear and repent ; " Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." O if my fears were once become your fears ; your fears would become my hopes ! O what a day-spring of hopes would arise from the shaking of secure hearts ! These fears would be as the thicker darkness, forerunners of the break of day.
II. My parting wishes, and desires for you are,
1. That the good seed which hath been sown amongst you were well-rooted in every heart ; I wish that my twenty years' minis- try among you may not be lost labour to any one of your souls.
2. I wish that your next seedsman may be more skilful and successful; that the good Lord will provide you a man, that may teach you in wisdom, gain you in love, lead you on to life, by an holy example ; and if the Lord grant you this mercy, I wish that such an one may be dearly prized, and cheerfully accepted by you. God keep this flock from a ravening wolf, and a deceitful shepherd !
3. I wish that there may be no root of bitterness springing up amongst you ; that there be no divisions or contentions, but that you may live in peace and love, that the God of peace and love may be with you.
4. I wish that this place, where so much good seed hath been sown, may become a fruitful field ; that the fruits of faith and repentance, the fruits of righteousness and holiness may be in you and abound ; tliat you may be neither barren, nor unfruitful ; that religion, in the power and practice of
it, may so visibly flourish, in the several persons, in the several families of this con- gregation, that they that go by may see and say, " This is the field which the Lord hath blessed."
3. I wish, that whatever clouds may at any time gather over you, may not fall down in a withering storm, or a sweeping flood, but may pass away in a mist, or dissolve into a fruitful dew ; that no persecutions or temptations may ever carry you down the stream with evil men, nor blight any hope- ful beginnings, that are budding forth in any of your souls. If tribulation should be any of your lots, I wish it may not be to you as the hail of Egypt, but as the dew of Hermon. I wish you a joyful harvest, that you may reap in eternity, what hath been sown in time ; may you now sow in righ- teousness, and hereafter reap in mercy , may every one that is now sowing in tears, for ever reap in joy ; may you that go on your way weeping, bearing precious seed, return with joy and bring your sheaves with you ; may the showers of this day be the watering of your seed, that it may spring up to eternal life.