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his three best hours in prayer. John Welch prayed seven or eight hours a day. He used to keep a plaid on his bed that he might wrap himself in it when he rose during night. Sometimes his wife found him on the ground lying weeping. When she complained, he would say, "O, woman! I have the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with many of them." Oh! that God would pour down this spirit of prayer on you and me, and all the ministers of our beloved Church, and then we shall see better days in Scotland. I commend you to God, &c.

CHARGE TO THE PEOPLE.

DEAR BRETHREN-I trust that this is to be the beginning of many happy days to you in this place. Gifts in answer to prayer are always the sweetest. I believe your dear pastor has been given you in answer to prayer, for I do not think your wonderful unanimity can be accounted for in any other way.

1. Love your pastor.-So far as I know him he is worthy of your love. I believe he is one to whom the Lord has been very merciful, that God has already owned his labors, and I trust, will a thousand times more. Esteem him very highly in love for his work's sake. You little know the anxieties, temptations, pains, and wrestlings, he will be called to bear for you. Few people know the deep wells of anxiety in the bosom of a faithful pastor. Love and reverence him much. Do not make an idol of him; that will destroy his usefulness. It was said of the Erskines that men could not see Christ over their heads. Remember, look beyond him and above him. Those that would have worshipped Paul were the people who stoned him. Do not stumble at his infirmities. There are spots upon the sun, and infirmities in the best of men. Cover them, do not stumble at them. Would you refuse gold because it was brought you in a ragged purse? Would you refuse pure water because it came in a chipped bowl? The treasure is in an earthen vessel.

2. Make use of your pastor.-He has come with good news from a far country. Come and hear.

(1st,) Wait patiently on his ministry.-He does not come in his own name. The Lord is with him. If you refuse him, you will refuse Christ; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.

(2d) Welcome him into your houses. He is coming, like his Master, to seek that which was lost, and to bind up that which is broken; to strengthen that which was sick, and to bring again that which was driven away. You have all need of him, whether converted or not. Remember there is an awful curse against those who receive not gospel messages. He will shake the dust off his feet against you, and that dust will rise against you in judg

ment.

(3d,) Do not trouble him about worldly matters. His grand

concern is to get your soul saved. He is not a man of business, but a man of prayer. He has given himself to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word.

(4th,) Go freely to him about your souls." The minister's house was more thronged than ever the tavern had wont to be." These were happy days. There is no trade I would like to see broken in this place but that of the taverners. It is a soul-destroying trade. I would like to see the taverns emptied, and the minister's house thronged. Do not hesitate to go to him. It is your duty and your privilege. It is your duty-it will encourage him, and show him how to preach to your souls. It is your privilege-I have known many get more light from a short conversation than from many sermons.

(5th,) Be brief.-Tell your case. Hear his word and be gone. Remember his body is weak, and his time precious. You are stealing his time from others or from God. I cannot tell you what a blessing it will be if you will be very short in your calls. The talk of the lips tendeth to penury.

3. God's children pray for him.-Pray for his body, that he may be kept strong, and spared for many years. Pray for his soul, that he may be kept humble and holy, a burning and a shining light, that he may grow. Pray for his ministry, that it may be abundantly blessed, that he may be anointed to preach good tidings. Let there be no secret prayer without naming him before your God, no family prayer without carrying your pastor in your hearts to God. Hold up his hands, so Israel will prevail against Amalek. 4. Unconverted souls, prize this opportunity.-I look on this ordination as a smile of heaven upon you. God might have taken away ministers from this town instead of giving us more. I. believe the Lord Jesus is saying, "I have much people in this city." The door is begun to be opened this day. The Spirit is beginning to shine. O that you would know the day of your visitation! This is the market-day of grace beginning in this end of the town, and you should all come to buy. O that you knew the day of your visitation! Some, I fear, will be the worse of this ministry, and not the better. The election will be saved, and the rest be blinded. Some will yet wish they had died before this church was opened. Be sure, dear souls, that you will either be saved, or more lost, by this ministry. Your pastor comes with the silver trumpet of mercy. Why will ye turn it into the trumpet of judgment? He comes with glad tidings of great joy. Why should you turn them into sad tidings of endless woe? He comes to preach the acceptable day of the Lord. Why will ye turn it into the day of vengeance of our God?

16th Dec., 1840.

SERMON XII.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he

first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God loves his brother also."-1 John iv., 18-21.

Doctrine.-Perfect love casteth out fear.

I. The state of an awakened soul.-" Fear hath torment.” There are two kinds of fear mentioned in the Bible very opposite from one another. The one is the very atmosphere of heaven, the other is the very atmosphere of hell.

1. There is the fear of love.-This is the very temper of a little child the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This was the mind of Job. "He feared God and hated evil." Nay, it is the very spirit of the Lord Jesus. On him rested "the spirit of the fear of the Lord, and made him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord."

2. There is the fear of terror.-This is the very temper of devils; the devils believe and tremble." This is what was in Adam and Eve after the fall; they fled from the voice of God, and tried to hide themselves in one of the trees of the garden. This was the state of the Jailor when he trembled, and sprang in and brought them out, and fell at their feet, saying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" This is the fear here spoken of; tormenting fear. "Fear hath torment." Some of you have felt this fear that hath torment. Many more might feel it this day; you are within reach of it. Let me explain its rise in the soul.

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1st, A natural man casteth off fear, and restrains prayer before God. They have been at case from their youth, and settled down upon their lees, they have not been emptied from vessel to vessel; therefore, their taste remains in them, and their scent is not changed." They are like fallow-ground, that has never been broken up by the plough, but is overrun with briers and thorns. Are there not some among you that never trembled for your soul? You think you are as good as your neighbors. Ah! well, your dream will be broken up one day soon.

2d, When the Spirit of God opens the eyes, he makes the stoutest sinner tremble. He shows him the number of his sins, or rather that they cannot be numbered. Before, he had a memory that easily forgot his sins; oaths slipped over his tongue and he knew it not; every day added new sins to his page on God's book, yet he remembered not. But now, the Spirit of God sets all his sins straight before him. All unpardoned, long-forgotten enormities, rise up behind him. Then he begins to tremble. "Innumerable evils have compassed me about."

3d, The Spirit makes him feel the greatness of sin, the exceeding sinfulness of it. Before, it seemed nothing; but now, it rises like a flood over the soul. The wrath of God he feels abiding on him; a terrible sound is in his ears. He knows not what to do; his fear hath torment. Sin is seen now as done against a holy God, done against a God of love, done against Jesus Christ and

his love.

4th, A third thing which awfully torments the soul is, corruption working in the heart. Often persons under conviction are made to feel the awful workings of corruption in their heart. Often temptation and conviction of sin meet together, and awfully torment the soul, rending it in pieces. Conviction of sin is piercing his heart, driving him to flee from the wrath to come, and yet at the same moment some raging lust, or envy, or horrid malice, is boiling in his heart, driving him towards hell. Then a man feels a hell within him. In hell there will be this awful mixture; there will be an overwhelming dread of the wrath of God, and yet corruption boiling up within, will drive the soul more and more into the flames. This is often felt on earth. Some of you may be feeling it. This is the fear that hath torment.

5th, Another thing the Spirit convinces the soul of is, his inability to help himself. When a man is first awakened, he says, I shall soon get myself out of this sad condition. He falls upon many contrivances to justify himself. He changes his life; he tries to repent, to pray. He is soon taught that "his righteousnesses are filthy rags;" that he is trying to cover rags with filthy rags; he is brought to feel that all he can do signifies just nothing, and that he never can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. This sinks the soul in gloom. This fear hath torment.

6th, He fears he shall never be in Christ. Some of you perhaps know that this fear hath torment. The free offer of Christ is the very thing that pierces you to the heart. You hear that he is

altogether lovely, that he invites sinners to come to him, that he never casts out those that do come. But you fear you will never be one of these. You fear you have sinned too long or too much, you have sinned away your day of grace. Ah! this fear hath

torment.

Some will say, " It is not good to be awakened then."

Ans. 1. It is the way to peace that passeth understanding. It is God's chosen method, to bring you to feel your need of Christ before you come to Christ. At present your peace is like a dream when you awake you will find it so. Ask awakened souls if they would go back again to their slumber. Ah! no; if I die, let me die at the foot of the cross; let me not perish unawakened.

Ans. 2. You must be awakened one day. If not now, you will afterwards, in hell. After death, fear will come on your secure souls. There is not one unawakened soul in hell; all are trem

bling there. The devils tremble; the damned spirits tremble. Would it not be better to tremble now, and flee to Jesus Christ for refuge? Now, he is waiting to be gracious to you. Then, he will mock when your fear cometh. You will know to all eternity that "fear hath torment."

II. The change on believing.-"There is no fear in love." "Perfect love casteth out fear."

1. The love here spoken of is not our love to God, but his love to us; for it is called perfect love. All that is ours is imperfect. When we have done all, we must say, "We are unprofitable servants." Sin mingles with all we think and do. It were no comfort to tell us that, if we would love God perfectly, it would cast out fear; for how can we work that love into our souls? It is the Father's love to us that casteth out fear. He is the Perfect One. All his works are perfect. He can do nothing but what is perfect. His knowledge is perfect knowledge: his wrath is perfect wrath; his love is perfect love. It is this perfect love which casteth out fear. Just as the sunbeams cast out darkness wherever they fall, So does this love cast out fear.

2. But where does this love fall?-On Jesus Christ. Twice God spake from heaven, and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God perfectly loves his own Son. He sees infinite beauty in his person. God sees himself manifested. He is infinitely pleased with his finished work. The infinite heart of the infinite God flows out in love towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And there is no fear in the bosom of Christ. All his fears are past. Once he said, "While I suffer thy terrors I am distressed;" but now he is in perfect love, and perfect love casteth out fear. Hearken, trembling souls! Here you may find rest to your souls. You do not need to live another hour under your tormenting fears. Jesus Christ has borne the wrath of which you are afraid. He now stands a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in the time of trouble. Look to Christ, and your fear will be cast out. Come to the feet of Christ, and you will find rest. Call upon the name of the Lord, and you will be delivered. You say, you cannot look, nor come, nor cry, for you are helpless. Hear, then, and your soul shall live. Jesus is a Saviour to the helpless. Christ is not only a Saviour to those who are naked, and empty and have no goodness to recommend themselves, but he is a Saviour to those who are unable to give themselves to him. You cannot be in too desperate a condition for Christ. As long as you remain unbelieving, you are under his perfect wrath; wrath without any mixture. The wrath of God will be as amazing as his love. It comes out of the same bosom. But the moment you look to Christ, you will come under his perfect love-love without any coldness, light without any shade, love without any cloud or mountain between. God's love will cast out all your fears.

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