O why will you sink these poor souls deeper into perdition, than they are sunk already? Why will you prophesy unto them peace, peace; when there is no peace? Why, if you do it not yourself, (whether you cannot, or will not, God knoweth) should you hinder us from _guiding them into the way of peace_?
33. Will you endeavour to _excuse_ yourself, by saying, “There are not _many_ who are the better for your preaching: and these by and by will be as bad as ever; as such and such an one is already?”
I would to God I could set this in a just light? But I cannot. All language fails.
God begins a glorious work in our land. You set yourself against it with all your might; to prevent its beginning where it does not yet appear, and to destroy it wherever it does. In part you prevail. You keep many from hearing the word that is able to save their souls. Others who had heard it, you induce to turn back from God, and to list under the devil’s banner again. Then you make the success of your own wickedness an _excuse_ for not acknowledging the work of God! You urge “That not _many_ sinners were reformed! And that some of those are now as bad as ever!”
Whose fault is this? Is it ours? Or your own? Why have not thousands more been reformed? Yea, for every one who is now turned to God, why are there not ten thousand? Because you and your associates laboured so heartily in the cause of hell; because you and they spared no pains, either to prevent or to destroy the work of God! By using all the power and wisdom you had, you hindered thousands from hearing the gospel, which they might have found to be the power of God unto salvation. Their blood is upon _your_ heads. By inventing, or countenancing, or retailing lies, some refined, some gross and palpable, you hindered others from profiting by what they did hear. _You_ are answerable to God for these souls also. Many who began to taste the good word, and run the way of God’s commandments, you, by various methods, prevailed on to hear it no more. So they soon drew back to perdition. But know, that for every one of these also, God will require an account of _you_ in the day of judgment.
34. * And yet, in spite of all the malice, and wisdom, and strength, not only of men, but of _principalities and powers_, of _the rulers of the darkness of this world_, of the _wicked spirits in high places_; there are thousands found, who are turned from _dumb idols, to serve the living and true God_. What a harvest then might we have seen before now, if all who say, they are _on the Lord’s side_, had come, as in all reason they ought, _to the help of the Lord against the mighty_? Yea, had they only _not opposed_ the work of God, had they only _refrained from_ his messengers; might not the trumpet of God have been heard long since in every corner of our land? And thousands of sinners in every county been brought to _fear God and honour the king_?
Judge of what immense service we might have been, even in this single point, both to our king and country. All who hear and regard the word we preach, _honour the king_ for God’s sake. They _render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s_, as well as _unto God the things that are God’s_.――――They have no conception of _piety_ without _loyalty_; knowing _the powers that be, are ordained of God_. I pray God to strengthen all that are of this mind, how many soever they be. But might there not have been at this day, an hundred thousand in _England_, thus minded more than are now? Yea verily; even by _our_ ministry had not they who should have strengthened us, weakened our hands.
35. Surely, you are not wise! What advantages do you throw away! What opportunities do you lose? Such as another day you may earnestly seek, and nevertheless may not find them. For if it please God to remove _us_, whom will you find to supply our place? We are in all things _your servants for Jesus sake_; tho’ the more we love _you_, the less we are loved. Let _us_ be employed not in the highest, but in the meanest; and not in the easiest, but the hottest service. Ease and plenty we leave to those that want them. Let us go on in toil, in weariness, in painfulness, in cold or hunger, so we may but testify the gospel of the grace of God. The rich, the honourable, the great, we are thoroughly willing (if it be the will of our Lord) to leave to _you_. Only let us alone with the poor, the vulgar, the base, the outcasts of men.――Take also to yourselves _the saints of the world_: but suffer us _to call sinners to repentance_; even the most vile, the most ignorant, the most abandoned, the most fierce and savage of whom we can hear. To these we will go forth in the name of our Lord, desiring nothing, receiving nothing of any man (save the bread we eat, while we are under his roof) and let it be seen whether God has sent us. Only let not _your_ hands, who fear the Lord, be upon us. Why should we be stricken of _you_ any more?