My dear Friends,
If I knew how to address you in such a manner as to affect your hearts, and bring you to a serious consideration, it would give me great pleasure. This I have often attempted in public, but, as I fear, without the desired effect. And as I feel myself constrained by the love I bear to you, to try this method by leaving you these few lines in print, I beg that you would read and consider them with that serious attention which subjects of such importance deserve.
My earnest prayer to God is, that he would bless this short address to the good of your precious souls; and that you may have the same feelings in reading that I had in writing.
It had been a great grief to me to see the vice, levity, folly, and madness, that so universally seem to reign in this place; and in order to recover and secure you there-from, I beg leave to impress upon your minds the consideration of the amazing worth of your precious and immortal souls; I mention this in particular, because nothing can do you any good until you sensibly feel the force and importance of this consideration.
Christ, who well knew the worth of souls, says, For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The worth of souls appears from many considerations. I shall just mention these thirteen.
1. The soul proceeded first from God in a different sense and manner from any part of the creation besides.
2. The soul hath in itself an intrinsic excellency, worthy of that divine original whence it sprang.
3. It is a subject capable of grace and glory.
4. The great preparations God makes for souls in his kingdom, speak their infinite worth.
5. The price with which they are redeemed, proclaims their value in the most expressive manner. Christ shed his own most precious blood, to redeem and save the souls of men from sin. O dear souls, if you think little of yourselves, God did not think lightly of you, or he would never have sent the darling of his heart, to suffer such shame and pain on your account. The blood of God, as it is called, Acts xx. 28. is of infinite value; and yet no less price than this would answer the purpose: no, not thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil, nor could our first born, and the choicest fruits of our bodies, take away the sin of our souls. Oh ponder seriously upon this. I have been exceedingly astonished, when I have heard men making a jest of the concerns of their souls, trifling with them in the most careless manner, and selling them for vanity and songs, when I considered the price that has been paid for them. God was not in jest when he gave his only begotten son out of his bosom; Christ was not in jest when he lived and died for the good of mankind; and oh, what madness is it for men to neglect and trifle with their own souls!
6. Eternity itself seems stamped upon the very actions of men, and even upon their words and thoughts; they pass not away unnoticed, but follow them into the other world. In this world we sow, and in the next we reap; He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting; he that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity; they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness reap the same: they that sow in tears shall reap in joy; sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap. This evidences the dignity and transcendent worth of the soul, that all its actions here are like seed sown for a future state.
7. Both heaven and hell strive for the soul of man, and this contention speaks it a most precious and invaluable treasure.
8. There is great joy in heaven among the angels, and great rage in hell among the angels, and great rage in hell among the devils, when a soul turns to God, and that which makes Christ, saints, and angels rejoice, is no light or trifling thing; and therefore it is evident that the soul is very precious.
9. The institution of gospel ordinances, &c. (compared in the scripture to a lamp fed with golden oil) for the express purpose of saving souls, is no small evidence of their value; the preciousness of the light of the gospel shows that the work to be accomplished by the same, is of the greatest importance.
10. The great encouragement and rewards that God promiseth to them that win souls, proclaim their worth and the great value that God sets upon them. He that winneth souls is wise; and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
11. The dreadful threatenings of God against such as neglect souls, are great proofs of their worth; these thunderbolts are found in many places in scripture, but especially in Ezekiel, iii. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and chap. xxxiii. from the beginning to the end of the ninth verse, where God assures the unfaithful watchman that the blood of those who perish through his neglect shall be required at his hand. Oh dreadful thought! Therefore I desire to clear my garments of your blood, which is my intention in this serious address, and I beg you all to take the warnings that I give you, that you may be saved.
12. The tender care that God manifests for souls, and the concern that he has for their welfare, are great evidences of their worth; for why should the Lord manifest a great regard for the soul, except it were exceeding precious? O that they were wise! that they understood this! that they would consider their latter end! This is the language of a kind and compassionate God, and shows that he highly values the souls of men. And he forbids us all to do any thing that may occasion the loss or ruin of our precious souls.
Lastly, and to mention no more evidences of the worth of souls, the angels of God being their guardians and attendants, is sufficient to show that they are exceedingly valuable.
These things which have been mentioned, are only short hints; a volume might be wrote upon the subject; but what has been said is sufficient to show the worth of your souls, and that it is the greatest madness in the world to neglect the care of them.
Oh what an immense loss must it be to lose your souls! Let me plead with you, in the most earnest and affectionate manner, no longer to trifle with such important concerns as those of salvation are. I could freely come upon my knees, to beg that you would attend to this one thing needful, the care of the soul; for this I am willing to labour night and day; to suffer reproach and scorn; yea I am willing to spend, and be spent, if I might be instrumental in bringing you to a proper concern about the salvation of your souls. Oh, how have I been often shocked to hear poor wretches call upon their maker for damnation upon their precious souls! What! Does that damnation that for a long time neither lingereth nor slumbereth, come so slow, that they must needs call for it so earnestly and frequently. Oh, if I could weep even tears of blood, they should be shed for the folly and madness of those who thus cast themselves away, and value not their souls at all, though the glorious God values them so highly!
If you desire the salvation of your souls, pray be kind enough to take the following advice:
Quit all vain company and conversation as much as possible, for until you do this, all serious advice is lost upon you; as vain, trifling, foolish taking and jesting, naturally tends to root out all serious consideration.
Keep company as much as possible with such who are truly in earnest for themselves and others; it is more dangerous to keep company with light, vain, and carnal professors of religion than with the people of the world in general, for they sometimes draw you more effectually into levity than the openly profane would do,-----Beware of infidelity, and of those who profess and plead for it; the chance is wholly against them, for should they who deny revelation be in the right (the contrary of which is easily proved) upon their own principles we could gain nothing valuable by joining them, but if they are wrong, what a most dreadful situation are they and their followers in!
Attend upon the means of grace, such as prayer, reading, hearing the gospel, and meditation with the greatest seriousness imaginable, and never neglect them, if you can possibly avoid it.
Endeavour to get a feeling sense of your lost and undone condition out of Christ, and be willing to know the worst of your state, that so you may come to feel the need of a redeemer.
And O let me beg of you never to rest short of a saving interest in the Lord Jesus Christ; he only is able to save your precious souls. Come, cast yourselves at his feet, and resign yourselves to him in the following manner:
O Lord, thou who knowest the worth of souls, hast said, What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Lord, I am amazed to think how much I have attended to trifling concerns, and how shamefully I have neglected my precious soul; but being now convinced of the value of my soul, and that I am undone without thee, and feeling myself wholly condemned, and that thou art just, and I altogether to blame, I resign myself into thine hand, to do with me as it seemeth good in thy sight. I know thou canst do me no injustice; if I perish I will perish at thy feet, begging for mercy. O thou that didst sweat as it were great drops of blood in the garden of Gethsamene, that suffered pain and shame, and finally died on the cross for the souls of men, and for mine among the rest, to whom should I come but unto thee? My soul is no where safe but in thine arms, to thee would I therefore commit my cause; I trust my all for time and eternity in thine hands; lead me as thou pleasest, by whatever way thy wisdom shall choose, so that I may be purified from sin, separated from all selfishness and intimately united to thyself who art the fountain of all good. Grant me a gracious answer of peace, O Lord, for thy mercy's sake.
A short prayer suitable for an awakened sinner,
when going a journey or a voyage.O Thou holy, wise, powerful, and good God, permit me an unworthy sinner to approach thy throne, through Jesus Christ thy dear and well beloved Son, and beg for those blessings which I stand in infinite need of. Lord, I confess I am not worthy of the least of thy favours, but since thou hast given me encouragement to come to thee, I would venture to cast myself at thy feet, and beg for mercy.
Mercy, good Lord, mercy I ask,
This is the total sum;
For mercy, Lord, is all my suit!
Lord, let thy mercy come!Thou knowest that I am unable to help myself. I am not sufficient of myself to think a good thought; but Lord, thy grace is sufficient for me, enable me to cast all my care upon thee who carest for me. Thou hast begun to show me thy goodness, thou hast already brought me to see my lost condition without Christ. O let me come more abundantly to see his infinite beauty and amiableness, that I may choose him as my portion and saviour! O may his blood and righteousness be applied to my soul, to cleanse me from all sin, and make me fit for the kingdom of heaven!
Suffer me never to go back from what I have received, but may I press forward to obtain more and more! Oh let me never be drawn away by levity or vain company from the serious consideration of eternal realities! May the shortness of time, the uncertainty of life, the certainty of death and judgement, the worth of my soul, the duration of eternity, the torments of the damned, and the happiness of the righteous, be continually in my thoughts; and may these awful considerations preserve me from all the snares, dangers, and temptation to which I may be exposed.
O Lord, to whom shall I go but to thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life; thou canst keep me tho' I am deprived of those precious means which I have enjoyed of late. I fly to thee, be thou my helper and my salvation, a little sanctuary to me, where my lot may be cast; and in thine own time return me in peace and safety to my native land, richly laden with experience of thy goodness. Preserve me from all evils and dangers both by sea and land, but especially from sin, the worst of all evils. My sins have been many and great already; Oh grant that the time past of my life may more than suffice to have wrought the will of the flesh; may I for the time to come wholly dedicate myself to thy service.
Lord, destroy selfishness, envy, pride, and wrath, out of my soul; clothe me with humility; give me the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. May I be always filled with true benevolence, and intirely resigned to thy holy will, whether in sickness or health, life or death, prosperity or adversity. Deny me what thou wilt as to this world; but oh deny me not thy grace. Oh give me faith to lay hold on Christ. Give me grace to love thy character supremely, and give me a sincere desire to be conformed to thy will in all things. Lord, thou knowest my needs better than I can express them. Make me more and more sensible of my wants, and supply them all out of thy unwasting store of goodness. Be with me while I live in this world; prepare me for a better, and finally bring me to the enjoyment of thyself, in thy kingdom of glory through Jesus Christ my Lord, in whom I beg to be found, owned, and accepted; in whose name help me always to offer my petitions, in whom thou are ever well pleased. To him with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, be praises world without end. Amen. Our Father, &c.
To encourage you to pray, read St. Matthew, ch. vii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.---ch. xvii. 20---ch. xviii. 19.
St. Mark, ch. xi. 23, 24.
St. Luke xi. from the first to the fourteenth verse. ch. xvii. 6.---ch. xviii. from the first to the eighth verse.
St. John, ch. xiv. 13, 14,---ch. xv. 7, 16,---ch. xvi. 23, 24, 26, 27.
Acts ii. 21.-----Rom. x. 12, 13.-----Heb. iv. 15, 16.
James, ch I. 5, 6.---ch. v. 5, 16, 17, 18.
I John, ch. iii. 22, ch. v. 14, 15.---Rev. viii. 3, 4.