fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." O my soul, if at any time thou findest thy heart unconcerned then, not having the good of souls before thee, remember this. 9. Lastly, thou canst not expect God's help, if thou forgettest thy errand. Hast thou not known and experienced, that these two, God's help in preaching, and a concernedness for the good of souls, have gone with thee pari passu? O my soul, then endeavour to be much in following of Christ this way, setting the good of souls before thine eyes; and if thou dost so, thou mayst be a fisher of men, though thou knowest it not. Fourthly, Christ had not only the good of souls before his eyes, but he was much affected with their case; it lay heavy on his spirit. There are these four things wherein this appeared, that occur to me, with which he was much affected. 1. He had compassion on the multitude, because they were as sheep without a shepherd, Matth. ix. 36. That the people wanted true pastors, was affecting to him; he had compassion on them. Follow Christ in this, O my soul; pity them that wander as sheep without a shepherd. And let this consideration move thee, when thou goest to preach in planted congregations, where thou wilt even see many that are wandering, though they have faithful pastors.* Look on them as sheep not better for them than if they wanted a shepherd. But especially when thou goest to vacant congregations, pity them, commiserate their case, as sheep wanting a shepherd; which no doubt will be a notable means to make thee improve well the little time allowed thee for gathering them in. Be affected with their case; and, for this end, consider, (1.) That such are in a perishing condition: Where no vision is, the people perish. They are ignorant, no wonder, they have none to instruct them; they have lean souls, no wonder, they have none to break the bread of life to them; they wander from God's way, they have none to watch over them, and so the devil takes his opportunity. (2.) Consider that for the most part here at least, [This was written while I preached in the presbytery of Stirling] people are deprived of watchmen, in regard of the malignancy and ticklishness of their superiors; so that though the people would ever so gladly receive one to break the bread of life to them, yet they cannot get The author probably speaks here of people in different parishes, who, though privileged with faithful ministers, yet, through attachment to Prelacy, would not hear them; or of some people called Cameronians or Old Dissenters, who refused to countenance the revolution church, because she had not renewed the covenants. Boston met with no little trouble from these last after his settlement at Ettrick. far will misguided zeal lead some otherwise well-meaning people! Mr. How their will, by reason of these keeping it from them.* It would make thy heart to relent, if thou sawest a child that would be content to have a pedagogue to guide him, seeing he acknowledges he cannot do it himself, if notwithstanding his tutor should not allow him one, but stand in the way of it, and so the child be lost for want of a pedagogue. So, O my soul, commiserate thou the case of those who would fain have one to watch over their souls, but yet they that should employ their authority, power, wit, &c. to find out one for them, either lie by or oppose the same. (3.) Consider the many souls that go out of time into eternity, during the time that they want a shepherd. They have none to instruct them, none to let them see their hazard, none to comfort them, when death comes, but they slip away, many of them at least, as the brutes that perish. Thou hast found this to have been a cause of thy commiserating such before now, when thou hast spoken to such being a dying. If this be well considered, and laid to heart, thou canst not but pity them on that very account, which will stir thee up to employ the little time thou hast among them, so as they may be fitted for death. 2. Christ wept, because people in their day did not know, i. e. do, the things that belonged to their peace, Luke xix. 41, 42. When he thought upon this their stupidity, it made the tears trinkle down his precious cheeks. O my soul, thou hast this ground of mourning, this day, wherever thou goest. Who are they that are concerned to do what is necessary to be done in order to their peace with God? Few or none are brought in to Christ. It is rare to hear now of a soul converted; but most part are sleeping on in their sins in this their day, like to sit the day of God's patience with them, till patience be turned into fury. Many heart-melting considerations to this purpose may be found. I shall only say this in cumulo, that such a case is most deplorable, in the noon-tide of the day that people should venture on the feud of such a dreadful enemy as God is, and should sit as quiet even when the sword of vengeance is hanging by a hair over their heads, and notwithstanding that every day may be, for ought I know, their last day, every sermon the last that ever they shall hear, and that ere the next day these enemies shall be made to rencounter with the terrible and dreadful Majesty, who shall go through them as thorns and briers, and burn them up together, by the fire of his wrath, world without end. O my soul, how Some of the curates, through the favour of the great, continued in their churches for many years after the revolution, in several parts of the kingdom, and particularly in some parishes belonging to the synod of Perth and Stirling, as well as the north. canst thou think of this, and not be more affected with the case of people as they are now-a-days? Sure, if thou couldst weep, here is ground enough for tears of blood. 3. He was grieved for the hardness of people's hearts, Mark iii. 5. It was ground of grief to the Lord Jesus, that people were so hardened, that no means used for their amendment would do them good. Follow Christ in this, O my soul; be grieved and affected with the hardness of the hearts of this generation. O what hardness of heart mayst thou see in every corner, whither thou goest, and where thou preachest, most part being as unconcerned as the very stones of the wall; and say what thou wilt, either by setting before them alluring promises, or dreadful threatenings, yet people are hardened against both, none relenting for what they have done, or concerned about it, though thou wouldst preach till thy eyes leap out. O happy they whose time God has brought to a period, and taken to himself! Happy servants whom God has called out of the vineyard, before the ground grow so hard that almost all labour was in vain! This is a time of mourning for the preachers of the gospel, for people are strangely hardened. Which is the more lamentable, O my soul, if thou consider, (1.) What God has done even for this generation. He has taken off from our necks the yoke of tyranny and arbitrary power, and has given deliverance from Prelatic bondage; and yet for all this the generation is hardened. (2.) If thou consider how the Lord has been dealing with us by rods. For some time there was great dearth of fodder for beasts; yet that stirred us not up. Afterwards was death of cattle; yet we have not returned to the Lord. Then followed death of men, women, and children. He has sent blasting among our corns. This is now, I suppose, the fourth year of our dearth.* And for all these things we remain hardened. O Lord, thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they refuse to receive correction; they make their faces harder than a rock, they refuse to return. What shall be the end of such hardness as this? (3.) It is yet more lamentable, in regard the plague of hardness seems to be uni *The author here mentions the great dearth and famine that prevailed in Scotland for several years before the 1700, chiefly owing to unfavourable harvests. Of this melancholy accounts may be seen in several pamphlets published at that time. At this day it is too evident the Lord is exercising us in some measure with the same judgment, while still greater hardness of heart and impenitency prevails among all ranks, accompanied with monstrous luxury and abuse of mercies, greater than ever was known in this poor kingdom. God grant we may not again experience this judgment, of the breaking of the staff of bread, in the same dreadful manner as our ances tors felt it. "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." * versal. It is not only the wicked, or openly profane, or those that have no religion, but the professors of religion that are hardened in part. Oh my soul, this is a day wherein Scotland's pillars are like to fail, a day wherein the hands of our Moseses are like to fall, and Amalek is like to prevail. Many professors desire to hear the causes of God's wrath searched into, but they are not mourning over them; and truly it is most lamentable, that those among us who as so many Joshuas should be discovering the Achans in our camp, that are the troublers of Israel, by a strange kind of dealing are very wary in meddling therewith, or to show them unto people. And it is much to be feared, that there are among us some accursed things that are not yet found out. O that God would put it in the hearts of Zion's watchmen to discover what these Achans are, and that preachers were obliged even by the church to speak more freely of the sins of the land. But, alas! O Lord, why hast thou hardened all of us from thy fear? (4.) If thou consider, that this hardness of heart is a token of sad things yet to come. himself against God, and prospered? Job x. 4. prognostic of a further stroke, that seeing we will not be softened either by word or rod, therefore the Lord will thus do to us; and seeing he will do thus, we may prepare to meet the Lord coming in a way of more severe judgment against us. Sad it is already; many families are in a deplorable condition, and yet nothing bettered by the stroke; and what a sad face will this land have, if it be continued? Spare, O Lord, thine inheritance, thy covenanted people, and make us rather fall on such methods as may procure the removal of the stroke. These, and many other things, O my soul, may indeed make thee grieved for the hardness of this generation. Who hath hardened Fifthly, Christ was much in prayer; and that, 1. Before he preached, as Luke ix. 18. Follow him in this, O my soul. Thou hast much need to pray before thou preachest. Be busy with God in prayer, when thou art thinking on dealing with the souls of men. Let thy sermons be sermons of many prayers. Well doth prayer The author probably means some people who had felt the rigour of the persecution in the infamous reigns before the revolution, or were attached to the testimony of these sufferers, and were grieved that a more particular and full enumeration of the grounds of the Lord's controversy was not made in acts for fasts emitted by the church after the revolution; who, however, were not suitably employed in mourning over them. And he also insinuates the policy of some leaders in the church, by whose means chiefly a thorough scrutiny into the grounds of the Lord's contending with the church and land at this time, was in a great measure impeded. But if there was ground of complaint for this, at that time, how sad is our present case, when there has not been a national fast for several years, and not one appointed by the church for more than forty! become every Christian, but much more a preacher of the gospel. Three things, said Luther, make a divine, tentatio, meditatio, et precatio. Be stirred up, O my soul, to this necessary work; and for this end consider, 1. That thou canst not otherwise say of thy preaching, Thus saith the Lord. How wilt thou get a word from God, if thou do not seek it; and how canst thou seek it but by earnest prayer? If otherwise, thou mayst get something that is the product of thy empty head to mumble over before the people, and spend a little time with them in the church. But O it is a miserable preaching where the preacher can say, Thus say I to you, but no more; and cannot say, Thus saith the Lord. 2. Consider thy own insufficiency and weakness, together with the weight of the work, Who is sufficient for these things? which if thou do, thou wilt not dare study without prayer, nor yet pray without study, when God allows thee time for both. It is a weighty work to bring sinners in to Christ, to pluck the brands out of the fire. Hast thou not great need then to be serious with God before thou preach? 3. Consider that word, Jer. xxiii. 22. “But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way." There is no doubt but preachers not standing in God's counsel this day, and not making men to hear God's words, is one great reason of the unsuccessfulness of the gospel. Now this way, to wit, prayer in faith, is the most proper expedient for acquaintance with the counsel of God. Neglect it not then. O my soul, but be much in the duty. Lastly, Remember, that thou hast found much good of such a practice, and hast found much of the Lord's help both in studying and preaching, by so doing. For which cause thou allottest the Sabbath morning entirely to that exercise, and meditation, if thou canst get it done. Wherefore let this be thy work. And there are these things which thou wouldst specially mind to pray for with respect to this. (1.) That thou mayst have a word from the Lord to deliver unto them; that thou mayst not preach to them the product of thy own wisdom, and that which merely flows from thy reason; for this is poor heartless preaching. (2.) That thy soul may be affected with the case of the people to whom thou preachest. If that be wanting, it will be tongue preaching, but not heart-preaching. (3.) That thy heart may be inflamed with zeal for the glory of thy Master; that out of love to God, and love to souls thy preaching may flow. |