II. Another thing that some ministers have been greatly blamed
for, and I think unjustly, is speaking terror to them who are already
under great terrors, instead of comforting them.
Indeed, if ministers in such a case go about to terrify persons with
that which is not true, or to affright them by representing their case
worse than it is, or in any respect otherwise than it is, they are to
be condemned; but if they terrify them only by still holding forth more
light to them, and giving them to understand more of the truth of their
case, they are altogether to be justified. When consciences are greatly
awakened by the Spirit of God, it is but light imparted, enabling men
to see their case, in some measure, as it is; and, if more light be let
in, it will terrify them still more. But ministers are not therefore to
be blamed, that they endeavour to hold forth more light to the conscience,
and do not rather alleviate the pain they are under, by intercepting and
obstructing the light that shines already. To say any thing to those who
have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, to represent their case
any otherwise than exceeding terrible, is not to preach the word of God
to them; for the word of God reveals nothing but truth; but this is to
delude them. Why should we be afraid to let persons who are in an infinitely
miserable condition, know the truth, or bring them into the light, for
fear it should terrify them? It is light that must convert them, if ever
they are converted. The more we bring sinners into the light, while they
are miserable, and the light is terrible to them, the more likely it is
that afterward the light will be joyful to them. The ease, peace, and
comfort, which natural men enjoy, have their foundation in darkness and
blindness; therefore as that darkness vanishes, and light comes in, their
peace vanishes, and they are terrified. But that is no good argument why
we should endeavour to hold their darkness, that we may uphold their comfort.
The truth is, that as long as men reject Christ, and do not savingly believe
in him, however they may be awakened, and however strict, and conscientious,
and laborious they may be in religion, they have the wrath of God abiding
on them, they are his enemies, and the children of the devil; (as the
Scripture calls all who are not savingly converted, Matt. xiii. 38. 1
John iii. 10.) and it is uncertain whether they shall ever obtain mercy.
God is under no obligation to show them mercy, nor will he, if they fast
and pray and cry never so much: and they are then especially provoking
to God, under those terrors, that they stand it out against Christ, and
will not accept of an offered Saviour, though they see so much need of
him. And seeing this is the truth, they should be told so, that they may
be sensible what their case indeed is. To blame a minister for thus
declaring the truth to those who are under awakenings, and not immediately
administering comfort to them, is like blaming a surgeon, because when
he has begun to thrust his lance, whereby he has already put his patient
to great pain, and he shrinks and cries out with anguish, he is so cruel
that he will not stay his hand, but goes on to thrust it in further, till
he comes to the core of the wound. Such a compassionate physician, who
as soon as his patient began to flinch, should withdraw his hand, and
go about immediately to apply a plaister, to skin over the wound, and
leave the core untouched, would heal the hurt slightly, crying, Peace,
peace, when there is no peace. Indeed something besides terror is
to be preached to them whose consciences are awakened. They are to be
told that there is a Saviour provided, who is excellent and glorious;
who has shed his precious blood for sinners, and is every way sufficient
to save them; who stands ready to receive them, if they will heartily
embrace him; for this is also the truth, as well as that they now are
in an infinitely dreadful condition. This is the word of God. Sinners,
at the same time that they are told how miserable their case is, should
be earnestly invited to come and accept of a Saviour, and yield their
hearts unto him, with all the winning, encouraging arguments, that the
gospel affords. But this is to induce them to escape from the misery of
their condition, not to make them think their present condition to be
less miserable than it is, or to abate their uneasiness and distress,
while they are in it. That would be the way to quiet the, and fasten them
there, and not to excite them to flee from it. Comfort in one sense, is
to be held forth to sinners under awakenings of conscience, i.e. comfort
is to be offered to them in Christ, on their fleeing from their present
miserable state to him. But comfort is not to be administered to them,
in their present state, or while out of Christ. No comfort is to be administered
to them, from any thing in them, any of their qualifications, prayers,
or other performances, past, present, or future; but ministers should
in such cases, strive to their utmost to take all such comforts from them,
though it greatly increases their terror. A person who sees himself ready
to sink into hell, is prone to strive, some way or other, to lay God under
some obligation to him; but he is to be beat off from every thing of that
nature, though it greatly increases his terror, to see himself wholly
destitute of any refuge, or any thing of his own to lay hold of; as a
man that sees himself in danger of drowning, is in terror, and endeavours
to catch hold on every twig within his reach, and he that pulls away those
twigs from him increases his terror; yet if they are insufficient to save
him, and by being in his way prevents his looking to that which will save
him, to pull away them is necessary to save his life. If sinners
are in distress from any error they embrace, or mistake they are under,
that is to be removed. For instance, if they are in terror, from an apprehension
that they have committed the unpardonable sin, or that those things have
happened to them which are certain signs of reprobation, or any other
delusion, such terrors have no tendency to do them any good; for these
terrors are from temptation, and not from conviction. But that terror
which arises from conviction, or a sight of truth, is to be increased;
for those who are most awakened, have great remaining stupidity. It is
from remaining blindness and darkness that they see no more, and that
remaining blindness is a disease which we should endeavour to remove.
I am not afraid to tell sinners who are most sensible of their misery,
that their case is indeed as miserable as they think it to be, and a thousand
times more so; for this is the truth. Some may be ready to say, that though
it be the truth, yet the truth is not to be spoken at all times, and seems
not to be seasonable then. But it seems to me, such truth is never more
seasonable than at such at time, when Christ is beginning to open the
eyes of conscience. Ministers ought to act as co-workers with him; to
take that opportunity, and to the utmost to improve that advantage, and
strike while the iron is hot. When the light has begun to shine, then
they should remove all obstacles, and use all proper means, that it may
come in more fully. And experience abundantly shows, that to take this
course is not of a hurtful tendency, but very much the contrary. I have
seen, in very many instances, the happy effects of it, and oftentimes
a very speedy happy issue; and never knew any ill consequence, in case
of real conviction, and when distress has been only from thence.
I know of but one case, wherein the truth ought to be withheld from sinners
in distress of conscience, and that is the case of melancholy: and it
is not to be withheld from them, as if the truth tends to do them hurt;
but because, if we speak the truth to them, sometimes they will be deceived,
and led into error by it, thought that strange disposition there is in
them to take things wrong. So that, though what is spoken is truth, yet
as it is heard, received, and applied by them, it is falsehood; as it
will be, unless the truth be spoken with abundance of caution and prudence,
and consideration of their disposition and circumstances. But the most
awful truths of God's word ought not to be withheld from public congregations,
because it may happen that some such melancholic persons may be in it:
any more than the Bible is to be withheld from the Christian world, because
it is manifest that there are a great many melancholic persons in christendom
that exceedingly abuse the awful things contained in the Scripture, to
their own wounding. Nor do I think that to be of weight, which is made
use of by some, as a great and dreadful objection against the terrifying
preaching that has of late been in New England, viz. That there have been
some instances of melancholic persons who have so abused it, that the
issue has been the murder of themselves. The objection from hence is no
stronger against awakening preaching, than it is against the Bible itself.
There are hundreds, and probably thousands, of instances, of persons who
have murdered themselves under religious melancholy. These murders probably
never would have been, if the world had remained in a state of heathenish
darkness. The Bible has not only been the occasion of these sad effects,
but of thousands, and I suppose millions, of other cruel murders committed
in the persecutions that have been raised, which never would have been
if it had not been for the Bible. Many whole countries have been as it
were deluged with innocent blood, which would not have been if the gospel
never had been preached in the world. It is not a good objection against
any kind of preaching, that some men abuse it greatly to their hurt. It
has been acknowledged by all divines, as a thing common in all ages, and
all Christian countries, that a very great part of those who sit under
the gospel abuse it. It proves an occasion of their far more aggravated
damnation, and so of eternally murdering their souls; which is an effect
infinitely more terrible than the murder of their bodies. It is as unjust
to lay the blame of these self-murders to those ministers who have declared
the awful truths of God's word in the most lively and affecting manner,
as it would be to lay the blame of hardening men's hearts, and blinding
their eyes, and their more dreadful eternal damnation, to the prophet
Isaiah or Jesus Christ, because this was the consequence of their preaching
with respect to many of their hearers; Isa. vi. 10. John ix. 39. Matt.
xiii. 14. Though a few have abused the awakening preaching to their own
temporal death; yet it may be to one such instance, there have been hundreds,
yea thousands, who have been saved, by this means, from eternal death.
What has more especially given offence to many, and raised a loud cry
against some preachers, as though their conduct were intolerable, is their
frightening poor innocent children with talk of hell-fire, and eternal
damnation. But if those who complain so loudly of this, really believe
what is the general profession of the country, viz. That all are by nature
the children of wrath, and heirs of hell--and that every one that has
not been born again, whether he be young or old, is exposed every moment
to eternal destruction--then such a complaint and cry as this bewrays
a great deal of weakness and inconsideration. Innocent as children seem
to us, yet, if they are out of Christ, they are not so in the sight of
God; but are in a most miserable condition, as well as grown up persons:
and they are naturally ver senseless and stupid, being born as the wild
ass's colt, and need much to awaken them. Why should we conceal the truth
from them? Will those children who have been dealt tenderly with in this
respect, and lived and died insensible of their misery till they come
to feel it in hell, ever thank parents and others or their tenderness,
in not letting them know their danger? If parents' love towards their
children were not blind, it would affect them much more to see their children
every day exposed to eternal burnings, and yet senseless, than to see
them suffer the distress of that awakening which is necessary in order
to their escape, and that tends to their being eternally happy as the
children of God. A child that has a dangerous wound may need the painful
lance, as well as grown persons; and that would be a foolish pity, in
such a case, that should hold back the lance, and throw away the life--I
have seen the happy effects of dealing plainly and thoroughly with children
in the concerns of their souls, without sparing them at all, in many instances;
and never knew any ill consequence of it, in any one instance. |