Nay, who dares repel one of the greatest men in his parish from the Lord’s table? Even tho’ he be a drunkard or a common swearer? Yea tho’ he openly deny the Lord that bought him? Mr. _Stonhouse did_ this once. But what was the event? The gentleman brought an action against him, for the terror of all such insolent fellows, in succeeding times.
33. O my brethren, is it not for want of your making this difference, as well as for many other abominations that with regard to some among us, (how many God knoweth) that scripture is now also fulfilled. _His watchmen are blind, they are ignorant, they are shepherds that cannot understand.――The Lord hath poured out upon them the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed their eyes; the prophets and the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed._
If you ask what those other abominations are? I will speak, in love and in the spirit of meekness. There are found among us _covetous_ men, men _who mind earthly things_, who _seek themselves_ and not Christ crucified, who _love the world, and the things of the world_: men in whom these words are still fulfilled, _Who is there among you that would shut the doors for nought? Neither do ye kindle fire on my altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hosts_. Yea, are there not those at this day, (O that I might be found to fear where no fear is!) who _make themselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel_? Are there not those, who now _enlarge their desire as hell, who are as death and cannot be satisfied_? Who, though they want neither food to eat nor raiment to put on, yet seek more and more _preferment_? Who are continually studying to _join house to house, and to lay field to field_? To grow rich in the service of that Master, who himself _had not where to lay his head_? Is it not to these that those dreadful words belong, enough to cause the ears of him that heareth to tingle, _They are greedy dogs which never can have enough; they all look to their own way_, (not the way of their Lord) _every one for his gain, from his quarter_.
Is it strange, if among these there should be some, who are cruel, _oppressive_ men? Inasmuch as covetousness knows no mercy, nor can a lover of money be a lover of his neighbour. Have not some been known even to _grind the face of the poor_? To strip, rather than cloath the naked? Some, who while they cried out, _as the horse-leech, Give, give_, would take, if it was not given; like those of old who said, _Thou shalt give it me now, and if not, I will take it by force_: or those spoken of by _Micah_, _The prophets bite with their teeth, and cry peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him_. Very great is the sin of these men before the Lord. If there be ten such now in the land, may God smite them this day with terror and astonishment, that they may have no rest in their bones till their sin is done away!
34. Are _you_ as watchful and zealous to gain souls, as those are to gain the gold that perisheth? Do you know by experience what that meaneth, _The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up_? Or are you one of those watchmen who do not watch at all? Who neither know nor care when the sword cometh? Of whom the prophet saith, _They are dumb dogs that cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber_.
* Can it be supposed, that such shepherds will _feed the flock_? Will _give to every one his portion of meat in due season_? Will these _warn every man, and exhort every man, that they may present every man perfect in_ Christ Jesus? Will they take care to “know all their flock by name, not forgetting ♦the men-servants and women-servants?” Will they enquire into the state of every soul committed to their charge? And watch over each with all tenderness and long-suffering, _as they that must give account_? Marking how they either fall or rise? How these wax _weary and faint in their mind_; and those _grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour_ Jesus Christ? Who can do this, unless his whole heart be in the work? Unless he desire nothing but to _spend and be spent for them_; and _count not his life dear unto himself_, so he may _present them blameless_ in the day of the Lord Jesus.
♦ “their” replaced with “the” per Errata