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54 - On the Death of the Rev Mr George Whitefield - Sermons on Several Occasions · Wisdom of the Ages Library

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Sermon number fifty three on the death of the Reverend mister George Whitefield, preached
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at the Chapel in Tottenham Court Road and at the Tabernacle near Moorfields on Sunday,
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November eighteenth, seventeen seventy. Let my death be the death of the
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righteous, and let my last end be like his numbers twenty three ten,
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Let my last end be like his? How many of you join in this
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wish? Perhaps there are a few of you who do not, even in
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this numerous congregation. And Oh, that this wish may rest upon your minds,
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that it may not die away till your souls also are lodged where the
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wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest. An elaborate
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exposition of the text will not be expected on this occasion. It would detain
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you too long from the sadly pleasing thought of your beloved brother, friend and
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pastor yea, and father too. For how many here whom he hath begotten
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in the Lord Lord? Will it not then be more suitable to your inclinations
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as well as to this solemnity directly to speak of this man of God whom
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you have heard so often speaking in this place the end of whose conversation you
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know Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and to day and forever. And may
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we not observe a few particulars of his life and death, take some view
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of his character, and inquire how we may improve this awful providence his sudden
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removal from us. We may, in the first place, observe a few
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particulars of his life and death. He was born at Gloucester in December seventeen
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fourteen, and put to a grammar school there when about twelve years old.
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When he was seventeen, he began to be seriously religious and served God to
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the best of his knowledge. About eighteen he removed to the university and was
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admitted at Pembroke College in Oxford, and about a year after he became acquainted
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with the Methodists, so called, whom from that time he loved is his
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own soul. By them he was convinced that we must be borne again or
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outward religion will profit us nothing. He joined with them in fasting on Wednesdays
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and Fridays, in visiting the sick and the prisoners, and in gathering up
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the very fragments of time that no moment might be lost, and he changed
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the course of his studies, reading chiefly such books as entered into the heart
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of religion and led directly to an experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified.
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He was soon tried as with fire. Not only his reputation was lost,
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and some of his dearest friends forsook him, but he was exercised with
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inward trials and those of the severest kind. Many nights he lay sleepless upon
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his bed, many days prostrate on the ground. But after he had groaned
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several months under the spirit of bondage, God was pleased to remove the heavy
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load by giving him the spirit of adoption, enabling him, through a living
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faith, to lay hold on the son of his love. However, it
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was thought needful for the recovery of his health, which was much impaired,
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that he should go into the country. He accordingly went to Gloucester, where
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God enabled him to awaken several young persons. These soon formed themselves into a
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little society, and were some of the first fruits of his labor. Shortly
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after, he began to read twice or thrice a week to some poor people
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in the town, and every day to read to and pray with the prisoners
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in the county jail. Being now about twenty one years of age, he
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was solicited to enter into Holy orders. Of this he was greatly afraid,
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being deeply sensible of his own insufficiency, But the Bishop himself sending for him,
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and telling him, though I had purpose to ordain none under three and
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twenty, yet will I ordain you whenever you come, and several other providential
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circumstances concurring, he submitted and was ordained on Trinity Sunday, seventeen thirty six.
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The next Sunday he preached to a crowded auditory in the church, wherein
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he was baptized. The week following he returned to Oxford and took his bachelor's
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degree. And he was now fully employed, the care of the prisoners and
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the poorer lying chiefly on him. But it was not long before he was
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invited to London to serve the cure of a friend going into the country.
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He continued there two months, lodging in the tower, reading prayers in the
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chapel twice a week, catechising and preaching once beside visiting the soldiers in the
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barracks and the infirmary. He also read prayers every evening at Wapping Chapel and
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preached at Ludgate Prison every Tuesday. While he was here, letters came from
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his friends in Georgia, which made him long to go and help them,
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But, not seeing his call clear at the appointed time, he returned to
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his little charge at Oxford, where several youths met daily at his room to
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build up each other in their most holy faith. But he was quickly called
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from hence again to supply the cure of dummer in Hampshire. Here he read
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prayers twice a day, early in the morning and in the evening after the
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people came from work. He also daily catechised the children and visited from house
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to house. He now divided the day into three parts, allotting eight hours
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for sleep and meals, ate for study and retirement, and ate for reading
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prayers, catechising and visiting the people. Is there a more excellent way for
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a servant of Christ in his church? If not, who will go and
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do likewise? Yet his mind still ran on going abroad, and being now
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fully convinced he was called of God there too, He set all things in
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order, and in January seventeen thirty seven, went down to take leave of
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his friends in Gloucester. It was in this journey that that God began to
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bless his ministry in an uncommon manner. Wherever he preached, amazing multitudes of
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hearers flocked together in Gloucester and stone House, in Bath and Bristol, so
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that the heat of the churches was scarce supportable, and the impressions made on
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the minds of many were no less extraordinary. After his return to London,
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while he was detained by General Oglethorpe from week to week and from month to
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month, it pleased God to bless his words still more, and he was
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indefatigable in his labor. Generally, on Sunday he preached four times, to
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exceeding large auditories, beside reading prayers twice or thrice, and walking to and
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fro often ten or twelve miles. On December twenty eighth he left London.
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It was on the twenty ninth that he first preached without notes. December thirtieth
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he went on board, but it was above a month before they cleared the
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land. One happy effect of their very slow passage, he mentions in April
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following Blessed be God. We now live very comfortably in the Great cabin.
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We talk of little else but God and Christ, and scarce a word is
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heard among us when together, But what has reference to our fall in the
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first and our new birth in the second? Adam, It seems likewise to
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have been a peculiar providence that he should spend a little time at Gibraltar,
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where both citizens and soldiers, high and low, young and old acknowledged the
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day of their visitation. From Sunday, May seventh, seventeen thirty eight till
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the latter end of August following, he made full proof of his ministry in
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Georgia, particularly at Savannah. He read prayers and expounded twice a day,
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and visited the sick daily. On Sunday he expounded at five in the morning,
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at ten read prayers and preached, and at three in the afternoon,
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and at seven in the evening expounded the Church Catechism. How much easier is
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it for our brethren in the ministry, either in England, Scotland or Ireland,
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to find fault with such a labor in our Lord's vineyard than to tread
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in his steps. It was now that he observed the deplorable condition of many
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children here, and that God put into his heart the first thought of founding
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an orphan house, for which he determined to raise contributions in England if God
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should give him a safe return thither. In December following he did return to
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London, and on Sunday, January fourteenth, seventeen thirty nine, he was
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ordained a priest at Christ Church, Oxford. The next day he came to
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London again, and on Sunday the twenty first, preached twice. But though
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the churches were large and crowded exceedingly, yet many hundreds stood in the churchyard,
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and hundreds more returned home. This put him upon the first thought of
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preaching in the open air, but when he mentioned it to some of his
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friends, they judged it to be mere madness, so he did not carry
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it into execution till after he had left London. It was on Wednesday,
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February twenty first, that, finding all the church doors to be shut in
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Bristol, besides that no church was able to contain one half of the congregation,
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at three in the afternoon he went to Kingswood and preached abroad to near
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two thousand people. On Friday, he preached there to four or five thousand,
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and on Sunday two it was supposed ten thousand. The number continually increased
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all the time he stayed at Bristol, and a flame of holy love was
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kindled, which will not easily be put out. The same was afterwards kindled
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in various parts of Wales, of Gloucestershire and Worceshire. Indeed, wherever he
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went, God abundantly confirmed the word of his messenger. On Sunday, April
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twenty ninth, he preached the first time in Moorfields and on Kennington Common,
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and the thousands of hearers were as quiet as they could have been in a
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church. Being again detained in England, from month to month, he made
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little excursions into several counties, and received the contributions of willing multitudes for an
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orphan house in Georgia. The embargo, which was now laid on the shipping
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gave him leisure for more journeys through various parts of England, for which many
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will have reason to bless God to all eternity. At length. On August
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fourteenth he embarked, but he did not land in Pennsylvania till October thirtieth.
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Afterwards, he went through Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, New York, Maryland,
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Virginia, North and South Carolina, preaching all along to immense congregations with full
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as great effect as in England. On January tenth, seventeen forty, he
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arrived at Savannah. January twenty ninth, he added three desolate orphans to near
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twenty which he had in his house. Before the next day he laid out
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the ground for the house about ten miles from Savannah. February eleventh, he
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took in four orphans more and set out for Frederica in order to fetch the
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orphans that were in the southern parts of the colony. In his return,
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he fixed a school both for children and grown persons at Darien, and took
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four orphans. Thence March twenty fifth he laid the first stone of the orphan
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house, to which, with great propriety he gave the name of Bethesda,
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a work for which the children yet unborn shall praise the Lord. He had
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now about forty orphans, so that there was near a hundred miles to be
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fed daily. But he was careful for nothing, casting his care on him
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who feeds the young ravens that call upon him. In April, he made
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another tour through Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, and New York. Incredible multitudes flocked
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to hear, among whom were abundance of negroes. In all places, the
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greater part of the hearers were affected to an amazing degree. Many were deeply
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convinced of their lost state, many truly converted to God. In some places
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thousands cried out aloud, many as in the agonies of death. Most were
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drowned in tears. Some turned pale as death. Others were wringing their hands,
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others lying on the ground, others sinking into the arms of their friends,
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almost all lifting up their eyes and calling for mercy. He returned to
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Savannah June fifth. The next evening, during the public service, the whole
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congregation, young and old, were dissolved in tears. After service, several
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of the parishioners and all his family, particularly the little children, returned home
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crying along the street, and some could not help praying aloud. The groans
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and cries of the children continued all night in great part of the next day.
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In August, he set out again, and through various provinces, came
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to Boston. While he was here and in the neighboring places, he was
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extremely weak in body. Yet the multitudes of hearers were so great, and
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the effects wrought on them so astonishing, as the oldest men then alive in
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the town had never seen before. The same power attended his preaching at New
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York, particularly on Sunday, November two. Almost as soon as he began,
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crying, weeping, and wailing were to be heard on every side.
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Many sunk down to the ground, cut to the heart, and many were
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filled with divine consolation. Toward the close of his journey, he made this
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reflection, it is the seventy fifth day since I arrived at Rhode Island,
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exceedingly weak in body, Yet God has enabled me to preach a hundred and
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seventy five times in public, beside exhorting frequently in private. Never did God
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vouchsafe me greater comforts. Never did I perform my journeys with less fatigue,
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or see such a continuance of the divine presence in the congregations to whom I
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preached. In December he returned to Savannah, and the March following arrived in
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England. You may easily observe that the preceding account is chiefly extracted from his
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own journals, which, for all their artless and unaffected simplicity, may vibe
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with any writings of the kind. And how exact a specimen is this of
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his labors, both in Europe and America for the honor of his beloved Master
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during the thirty years that followed, as well as of the uninterrupted shower of
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blessings, wherewith God was pleased to succeed his labors. Is it not much
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to be lamented that anything should have prevented his continuing this account till at least
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near the time when he was called by his Lord to enjoy the fruit of
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his labor. If he has left any papers of this kind, and his
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friends account me worthy of the honor, it would be my glory and joy
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to methodize, transcribe, and prepare them for the public view. A particular
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account of the last scene of his life is thus given by a gentleman of
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Boston. After being about a month with us in Boston and its Vicinity,
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and preaching every day, he went to Old York preached on Thursday, September
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twenty seventh. There proceeded to Portsmouth and preached there on Friday. On Saturday
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morning he set out for Boston, but before he came to Newbury, where
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he had engaged to preach the next morning. He was importune to preach by
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the way the house, not being large enough to contain the people, he
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preached in an open field. But having been infirmed for several weeks, this
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so exhausted his strength that when he came to Newbury he could not get out
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of the ferry boat without the help of two men. In the evening,
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however, he recovered his spirits and appeared with his usual cheerfulness. He went
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to his chamber at nine, his fixed time, which no company could divert
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him from, and slept better than he had done for some weeks before.
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He rose at four in the morning September thirtieth and went into his closet,
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and his companion observed he was unusually long in private. He left his closet,
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returned to his companion, threw himself on the bed, and lay about
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ten minutes. Then he fell upon his knees and prayed most fervently to God,
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that, if it was consistent with his will, he might that day
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finish his master's work. He then desired his man to call mister Parsons,
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the clergyman at whose house he was, But in a minute before mister Parsons
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could reach him, died without a sigh or groan. On the news of
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his death, six gentlemen set out for Newbury in order to bring his remains
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hither, But he could not be moved, so that his precious ashes must
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remain at Newbury. Hundreds would have gone from this town to attend his funeral,
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had they not expected he would have been interred here. May this stroke
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be sanctified to the Church of God in general, and to this province in
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particular. We are in the second place to take some view of his character.
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A little sketch of this was soon after published in the Boston Gazette,
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an extract of which is subjoined. Little can be said of him, but
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what every friend of vital Christianity who has sat under his ministry will attest in
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his public labors, he has for many years astonished the world with his eloquence
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and devotion. With what divine pathos did he persuade the impenitent sinner to embrace
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the practice of piety and virtue. Filled with the spirit of grace. He
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spoke from the heart, and with a fervency of zeal, perhaps unequaled since
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the day of the Apostles, adorned the truths he delivered with the most graceful
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charms of rhetoric and oratory. From the pulpit, he was unrivaled in the
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command of an ever crowded auditory, Nor was he less agreeable and instructive in
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his private conversation, happy in a remarkable ease of address, willing to communicate,
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studious, to edify. May the rising generation catch a spark of that
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flame which shone with such distinguished luster in the spirit and practice of this faithful
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servant of the most High God. A more particular and equally just character of
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him has appeared in one of the English papers. It may not be disagreeable
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to you to add the substance of this. Likewise, the character of this
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truly pious person must be deeply impressed on the heart of every friend to vital
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religion. In spite of a tender and delicate constitution, he continued to the
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last day of his life, preaching with a frequency and fervor that seemed to
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exceed the natural strength of the most robust being called to the exercise of his
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function at an age when most young men are only beginning to qualify themselves for
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it, he had not time to make a very considerable progress in the learned
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languages. But this defect was amply supplied by a lively and fertile genius,
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by feverent zeal and by forcible and most persuasive delivery. And though in the
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pulpit he often found it needful by the terrors of the Lord to persuade men,
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he had nothing gloomy in his nature. Being singularly cheerful as well as
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charitable and tender hearted, he was as ready to relieve the bodily as the
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spiritual necessity of those that applied to him. It ought also to be observed
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that he constantly enforced upon his audience every moral duty, particularly industry in their
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several callings and obedience to their superiors. He endeavored by the most extraordinary efforts,
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in preaching in different places and even in the open fields, to rouse
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the lower class of people from the last degree of inattention and ignorance to a
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sense of religion. For this and his other labors, the name of George
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Whitefield will long be remembered with esteem and veneration. That both these accounts are
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just and impartial, will readily be allowed. That is as far as they
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go. But they go little farther than the outside of his character. They
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show you the preacher, but not the man, the Christian, the Saint
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of God. May I be permitted to add a little on his head from
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a personal knowledge of near forty years. Indeed, I am thoroughly sensible how
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difficult it is to speak on so delicate a subject. What prudence is required
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to avoid both extremes, to say neither too little nor too much. Nay,
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I know it is impossible to speak at all, to say either less
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or more, without incurring from some the farmer, from others the latter censor.
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Some will seriously think that too little is said, and others that it
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is too much. But without attending to this, I will speak just what
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I know before him, to whom we are all to give an account.
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Mention has been already made of his unparalleled zeal, his end of fatigable activity,
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his tender heartedness to the afflicted, and charitableness toward the poor. But
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should we not likewise mention his deep gratitude to all whom God has uses instruments
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of good to him, of whom he did not cease to speak in the
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most respectful manner, even to his dying day. Should we not mention that
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he had a heart susceptible of the most generous and the most tender friendship.
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I have frequently thought that this, of all others, was the distinguished,
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wishing part of his character. How few have we known of so kind a
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temper, of such large and flowing affections. Was it not principally by this
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that the hearts of others were so strangely drawn and knit to him? Can
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anything but love beget love? This shone in his very countenance, and continually
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breathed in all his words, whether in public or private. Was it not
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this which, quick in penetrating his lightning, flew from heart to heart,
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which gave that life to his sermons, his conversations, his letters, Ye
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are witnesses, But away with the vile misconstruction of men of corrupt minds,
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who know of no love but what is earthly and sensual. Be it remembered
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that at the same time he was endued with the most nice and unblemished modesty.
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His office called him to converse very frequently and largely with women as well
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as men, and those of every age and condition. But his whole behavior
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towards them was a practical comment of that advice of Saint Paul to Timothy,
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entreat the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity.
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Meantime, how suitable to the friendliness of his spirit was the frankness and
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openness of his conversation, Although it was as far removed from rudeness on the
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one hand as from guile and disguise on the other, was not this frankness
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at once a fruit and a proof of his courage and intrepidity. Armed with
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these, he feared not the faces of men, but used great plainness of
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speech to persons of every rank and condition, high and low, rich and
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poor, endeavoring only by manifestation of the truth to commend himself to every man's
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conscience in the sight of God. Neither was he afraid of pain or labor,
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any more than of what man could do unto him, being equally patient
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in bearing ill and doing well. And this appeared in the steadiness wherewith he
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pursued whatever he undertook for his master's sake witness one instance, for all the
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orphan house in Georgia, which he began and perfected in spite of all discouragements.
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Indeed, in whatever concerned himself, he was pliant and flexible. In
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this case he was easy to be entreated, either to be convinced or persuaded,
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But he was immovable. In the things of God, or wherever his
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conscience was concerned. None could persuade any more than affright him to vary in
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the least point from that integrity, which was inseparable from his whole character and
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regulated all his words and actions. Herein he did stand as an iron pillar,
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strong and steadfast as a wall of brass. If it be inquired,
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what was the foundation of this integrity, or of his sincerity, courage,
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patience, and every other valuable and amiable quality, it is easy to give
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the answer. It was not the excellence of his natural temper, not the
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strength of his understanding. It was not the force of education, no nor
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the advice of his friends. It was no other than faith in a bleeding
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Lord, faith of the operation of God. It was a lively hope of
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an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fateth not away. It was
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the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, which
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was given unto him, filling his soul with tender, disinterested love to every
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child of man. From this source arose that torrent of eloquence, which frequently
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bore down all before it. From this that astonishing force of persuasion, which
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the most hardened sinners could not resist. This it was which often made his
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head as wanters, and his eyes a fountain of tears. This it was
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which enabled him to pour out his soul in prayer in a manner peculiar to
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himself, with such fullness and ease, united together with such strength and variety,
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both the sentiment and exp Pressian. I may close this head with observing
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what an honor it pleased God to put upon his faithful servant by allowing him
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to declare his everlasting Gospel in so many various countries, to such numbers of
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people, and with so great an effect on so many of their precious souls.
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Have we read or heard of any person since the Apostles who testified the
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gospel of the Grace of God through so widely extended a space, through so
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large a part of the habitable world. Have we read or heard of any
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person who called so many thousands, so many myriads of sinners to repentance?
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Above all, have we read or heard of any who has been a blessed
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instrument in his hand of bringing so many sinners from darkness to light and from
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the power of Satan unto God. It is true, were we to talk
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thus to the gay world, we should be judged to speak as barbarians.
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But you understand the language of the country to which you are going, and
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whither our dear friend is gone a little before us. But how shall we
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improve this awful providence? This is the third thing which we have to consider.
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And the answer to this important question is easy. May God write it
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in all our hearts by keeping close to the grand doctrines which He delivered,
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and by drinking into His spirit. And first, let us keep close to
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the grand scriptural doctrines which He everywhere delivered. There are many doctrines of a
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less essential nature, with regard to which even the sincere children of God,
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such as the present weakness of human understanding are and have been divided from many
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ages. In these we may think, and let think, we may agree
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to disagree. But meantime, let us hold fast the essentials of the faith
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which was once delivered to the saints, and which this champion of God so
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strongly insisted on at all times and in all places. His fundamental point was
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give God the glove glory of whatever is good in man, and in the
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business of salvation. Set Christ as high and man as low as possible.
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With this point, he and his friends at Oxford, the original Methodists so
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called, set out their grand principle. There is no power by nature and
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no merit in man. They insisted, all power to think, speak,
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or act aright is in and from the spirit of Christ, and all merit
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is not in man, how high soe'er it in grace, but merely in
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the blood of Christ. So he and they taught, there is no power
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in man till it is given to him from above to do one good work,
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to speak one good word, or to form one good desire. For
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it is not enough to say all men are sick of sin. No,
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we are all dead in trespasses in sin. It follows that all the children
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of men are by nature children of wrath. We are all guilty before God,
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liable to death temporal and eternal. And we are all helpless, both
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with regard to the power and to the guilt of sin. For who can
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bring a clean thing out of an unclean none less than the Almighty. Who
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can raise those that are dead spiritually dead in sin? None but He who
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raised us from the dust of the earth. But on what consideration will He
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do this? Not for the works of righteousness that we have done. The
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dead cannot praise thee O Lord, nor do anything for the sake of which
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they should be raised to life. Whatever therefore God does, he does it
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merely for the sake of his well beloved son. He was wounded for our
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transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. He himself bore all our sins
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in his own body upon the tree. He was delivered for our offenses,
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and was raised again for our justification. Here, then, is the soul
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meritorious cause of every blessing we do or canon joy, in particular of our
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pardon and acceptance with God of our full and free justification. By what means
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do we become interested in what Christ has done and suffered. Not by works
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lest any man should boast, but by faith alone. We conclude, says
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the Apostle, that a man is justified by faith without the works of the
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law. And to as many as thus receive him, giveth he power to
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become the sons of God, even to those that believe in His name,
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who are born not to the will of man, but of God. And
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except a man be thus born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
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But all who are thus born of the Spirit have the Kingdom of God
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within them. Christ sets up his kingdom in their hearts, righteousness, peace,
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enjoy in the holy ghost. That mind is in them, which was
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in Christ Jesus, enabling them to walk as Christ also want. His indwelling
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spirit makes them both holy in heart and holy in all manner of conversation.
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But still, seeing all this is a free gift through the righteousness and blood
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of Christ, there is eternally the same reason to remember He that glorieth,
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let him glory in the Lord. You are not ignorant that these are the
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fundamental doctrines which He everywhere insisted on. And may they not be summed up
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as it were in two words, the new birth and justification by faith.
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These let us insist upon with all boldness at all times, and in all
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places in public, those of us who are called there too, and at
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all opportunities in private, keep close to these good, old, unfashionable doctrines,
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how many soever contradict and blaspheme go on, my brethren, in the
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name of the Lord and in the power of His might, with all care
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and diligence, Keep that safe which is committed to your trust, knowing that
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heaven and earth shall pass away. But this truth shall not pass away.
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But will it be sufficient to keep close to His doctrines, how puresoever they
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are, Is there not a point of still greater importance than this, namely,
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to drink into His spirit herein, to be a follower of Him even
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as he was of Christ. Without this, the purity of our doctrines would
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only increase our condemnation. This, therefore is the principal thing to copy after
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His spirit, and allowing that in some points we must be content to admire
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what we cannot imitate, yet in many others we may, through the same
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free grace, be partakers of the same blessing conscience. Then of your own
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wants and of His bounteous love, who giveth liberally and upbraids not cry to
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him that works all in all for a measure of the same precious faith,
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of the same zeal and activity, the same tender heartedness, charitableness, bowels
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of mercy. Wrestle with God for some degree of the same grateful, friendly,
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affectionate temper, of the same openness, simplicity, and godly sincerity.
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Love without dissimulation. Wrestle on to the power from a high works in you
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the same steady courage, impatience, and above all, because it is the
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crown of all the same invariable integrity. Is there any other fruit of the
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grace of God with which he was endily endowed, and the want of which
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among the children of God he frequently impassionately lamented. There is one that is
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Catholic love, that sincere and tender affection, which is due to all those
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who we have reason to believe are children of God by faith. In other
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words, all those in every persuasion who fear God and work righteousness. He
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longed to see all who had tasted of the good word of a true Catholic
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spirit, a word little understood and still less experienced by many who have it
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frequently in their mouth. Who is he that answers this character, who is
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the man of a Catholic spirit, one who loves as friends, as brethren
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in the Lord, as joint partakers of the present Kingdom of Heaven, and
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fellow heirs of His eternal kingdom, all of whichever opinion, mode of worship,
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or congregation, who believe in the Lord Jesus, who love God,
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and man who rejoicing to please and fearing to offend God, are careful to
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abstain from evil, and zealous of good works. He is a man of
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a truly Catholic spirit, who bears all these continually upon his heart, who,
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having an unspeakable tenderness for their persons and an earnest desire of their welfare,
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does not cease to commend them to God in prayer, as well as
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to plead their cause before men, who speaks comfortably to them on labors by
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all his words to strengthen their hands in God. He assists them to the
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uttermost of His power in all things spiritual and temporal. He is ready to
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spend and be spent for them, yea, to lay down his life for
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his brethren. How amiable a character is this, how desirable to every child
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of God. But why is it then so rarely found? How is it
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that there are so few instances of it? Indeed, supposing we have tasted
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of the love of God, how could any of us rest till it is
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our own? Why there is a delicate device whereby Satan persuades thousands that they
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may stop short of it and yet be guiltless. It is well if many
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here present are not in the snare of the devil, taking captive at his
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will. Oh, yes, says one. I have all this love for
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those I believe to be children of God, But I will never believe he
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is a child of God who belongs to that vile congregation? Can he do
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you think be a child of God who holds such detestable opinions? Or he
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that joins in such senseless and superstitious, if not idolatrous worship? So we
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may justify ourselves in one sin by adding a second to it. We excuse
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the want of love in ourselves by laying the blame on others to color our
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own devilish temper. We pronounce our brethren children of the devil. Oh,
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be aware of this. If you are already taken this nare escape out of
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it as soon as possible, Go and learn that truly Catholic love, which
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is not rash. We're hasty in judging that love which thinks no evil,
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which believes and hopes all things, which makes all the allowances for others that
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we desire others should make for us. Then we shall take knowledge of the
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grace of God which is in every man, whatever be his opinion or mode
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of worship. Then all that fear God be near and dear unto us in
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the bowels of Jesus Christ. Was not this the spirit of our dear friend?
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And why should it not be ours? O, Thou God of Love?
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How long shall thy people be a by word among the heathen? How
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long shall they laugh us to scorn and say, see how these Christians love
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one another? When wilt thou roll away our reproach, shall the sword devour
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forever? How long will it be ere thou bid thy people return from following
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each other. Now at least let all the people stand still and pursue after
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their brethren no more. But whatever others do, let all of us,
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my brethren, hear the voice of Him that, being dead yet speaks.
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Suppose ye hear him? Say now, at least THEE followers of me as
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I was of Christ. Let brother no more lift up sword against brother.
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Neither know ye war any war. Rather put ye on as the elect of
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God. Bowels of mercies, humbleness, of mild, brotherly kindness, gentleness,
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long suffering forbearing one another in love. Let the time pass suffice for
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strife, envy, contention, for abiding and devouring one another. Blessed be
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God, that ye have not long ago been consumed one of another. From
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henceforth hold ye the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, O
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God, with THEE, no word is impossible. Thou doest whatsoever please THEE,
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O, that thou would cause the mantle of thy prophet, whom thou
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hast taken up now to fall upon us that remain Where is the Lord,
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God of Elijah. Let his spirit rest upon THEE. Thy servants, show
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thou art the God that answers by fire. Let the fire of thy love
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fall on every heart. And because we love THEE, let us love one
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another with a love stronger than death. Take away from us all anger and
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wrath and bitterness, all clamor and evil speaking. Let thy spirits rest upon
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us that from this hour we may be kind to each other, tender hearted,
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forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake hath forgiven us
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Ahaim, servant of God. Well done, Thy glorious warfares past the battles
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fought. The race is one, and thou art crowned at last of all
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thy heart's desire triumphantly possessed, lodged by the ministerial choir in thy Redeemer's breast,
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in condescending love, thy ceaseless prayer, he heard and bade thee suddenly
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remove to thy complete reward, ready to bring the peace. Thy beauteous feet
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were shod when mercy signed thy soul's release and caught thee up to God.
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With saints enthroned on high. Thou dost thy Lord, proclaim and still to
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God's salvation, cry salvation to the lamb, O happy, happy soul,
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and next to seise of praise. Long as eternal ages roll, thou seest
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thy Saviour's face redeemed from earth and pain all when shall we ascend and all
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in Jesu's presence reign with our translated friend, Come Lord, and quickly come,
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and when in thee complete receive thy longing servant's home to triumph at thy
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feet. End of Section fifty four. End of Sermons on several Occasions,
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first series by John Wesley