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02 - The Almost Christian - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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The almost Christian. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian Acts Chapter twenty
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six, Verse twenty eight. And many there are who go thus far.
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Ever since the Christian religion was in the world, there have been many in
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every age and nation who were almost persuaded to be Christians. But seeing it
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avails nothing before God to go only thus far, it highly imports us to
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consider first what is implied in being almost. Secondly what in being altogether a
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Christian? Now in the being almost a Christian is implied first Heathen honesty.
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No one, i suppose, will make any question of this, especially since
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by Heathen honesty here I mean not that which is recommended in the writings of
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their philosophers only, but such as the common Heathens expected one of another,
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and many of them actually practiced by the rules of this. They were taught
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that they ought not to be unjust, not to take away their neighbour's goods,
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either by robbery or theft, not to oppress the poor, neither to
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use extortion toward any not to cheat or overreach either the poor or rich in
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whatsoever commerce they had with them, to defraud no man of his right,
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And if it were possible to owe no man anything. Again, the common
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Heathens allowed that some regard was to be paid to truth as well as to
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justice. And accordingly they not only held him in abomination who was forsworn,
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who called God to witness to a lie, but him also who was known
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to be a slanderer of his neighbor, who falsely accused any man. And
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indeed little better did they esteem wilful liars of any sort, accounting them the
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disgrace of human kind and the pests of society. Yet again there was a
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source of love and assistance which they expected one from another. They expected whatever
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assistance any one could give another without prejudice to himself. And this they extended
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not only to those little offices of humanity, which are performed without any expense
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or labor, but likewise to the feeding the hungry, if they had food
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to spare, the clothing the naked with their own superfluous raiment, and in
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general the giving to any that needed such things as they needed not themselves.
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Thus far in the lowest account of it, Heathen honesty went. The first
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thing implied in the being almost a Christian. A second thing implied in being
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almost a Christian is the having a form of godliness, that godliness which is
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prescribed in the Gospel of Christ, the having the outside of a real Christian.
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Accordingly, the almost Christian does nothing which the Gospel forbids. He taketh
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not the name of God in vain, he blesseth and curseth not. He
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sweareth not at all. But his communication is yea, yea, nay,
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nay. He profanes not the day of the Lord, nor suffers it to
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be profaned even by the stranger that is within his gaits. He not only
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avoids all actual adultery, fornication, and uncleanness, but every word or look
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that either directly or indirectly tends thereto nay, and all idle words, abstaining
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both from detraction, backbiting, tale bearing, evil speaking, and from all
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foolish talking and jesting eutrapelia a kind of virtue in the heathen moralist's account,
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briefly, from all conversation that is not good to the use of edifying,
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and that consequently grieves the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed to
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the day of redemption. He abstains from wine wherein is excess, from revelings
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and gluttony. He avoids, as much as in him lies all strife and
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contention, continually endeavoring to live peaceably with all men. And if he suffer
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wrong, he avengeth not himself, neither returns evil for evil. He is
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no railer, no brawler, no scoffer, either at the faults or infirmities
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of his neighbor. He does not willingly wrong, hurt or grieve any man.
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But in all things acts and speaks by that plain rule, whatsoever are
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wouldest not he should do unto thee that do not thou to another. And
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in doing good he does not confine himself to cheap and easy offices of kindness,
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but labors and suffers for the profit of many, that by all means
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he may help some in spite of toil or pain. Whatsoever his hand findeth
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to do, he doeth it with his might, whether it be for his
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friends or for his enemies, for the evil or for the good. For
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being not slothful in this or in any business, as he hath opportunity,
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he doeth good all man, of good to all men, and to their
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souls as well as their bodies. He reproves the wicked, instructs the ignorant,
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confirms the wavering, quickens the good, and comforts the afflicted. He
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labors to awaken those that sleep, to lead those whom God hath already awakened
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to the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, that they may wash thereinn
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and be clean, and to stir up those who are saved through faith,
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to adorn the Gospel of Christ in all things. He that hath the form
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of Godliness uses also the means of grace. Yea, all of them,
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and at all opportunities. He constantly frequents the House of God, and that
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not as the manner of some is. Who come into the presence of the
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most High, either loaded with gold and costly apparel, or in all the
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gaudy vanity of dress, and either by their unseasonable civilities to each other or
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the impertinent gaiety of their behavior, disclaim all pretensions to the form, as
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well as to the power of Godliness. Would to God. There were none
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even among ourselves, who fall under the same condemnation. Who come into this
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house, it may be gazing about, or with all the signs of the
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most listless, careless indifference, though sometimes they may seem to use a prayer
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to God for his blessing of what they are entering upon, who, during
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that awful service are either asleep or reclined in the most convenient posture for it,
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or as though they supposed God was asleep, talking with one another,
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or looking around as utterly void of employment. Neither let these be accused of
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the form of godliness. No, he who has even this behaves with seriousness
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and attention in every part of that solemn service. More especially when he approaches
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the table of the Lord. It is not with a light or careless behavior,
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but with an air gesture and deportment which speaks nothing else but God,
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be merciful to me, a sinner. To this, if we add the
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constant use of family prayer by those who are masters of families, and the
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setting times apart for private addresses to God with a daily seriousness of behavior,
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he who uniformly practices this outward religion has the form of godliness. There needs
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but one thing more in order to his being almost a Christian, and that
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is sincerity. By sincerity, I mean a real inward principle of religion,
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from whence these outward actions flow. And indeed, if we have not this
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we have not heathen honesty, No, not so much of it as will
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answer the demand of a heathen epicurean poet. Even this poor wretch, in
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his sober intervals, is able to testify odorant picare bony virtutis amore odorant picare
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mali formidine poene. Good men avoid sin from the love of virtue. Wicked
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men avoid sin from a fear of punishment. So that if a man only
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abstains from doing evil in order to avoid punishment known pascays in cruce corvos,
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thou shalt not be hanged, saith the pagan there thou hast thy reward.
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But even he will not allow such a harmless man as this to be so
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much as a good heathen. If then any man, from the same motive
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viz. To avoid punishment, to avoid the loss of his friends, or
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his gain or his reputation, should not only abstain from doing evil, but
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also do ever so much good yea, and use all the means of grace.
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Yet we could not with any propriety say this man is even almost a
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Christian. If he has no better principle in his heart, he is only
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a hypocrite altogether, sincerity, therefore, is necessarily implied in the being almost
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a Christian, a real design to serve God, a hearty desire to do
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his will. It is necessarily implied that a man have a sincere view of
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pleasing God in all things, in all his conversation, in all his actions,
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in all he does or leaves undone. This design, if any man
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be almost a Christian, runs through the whole tenor of his life. This
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is the moving principle, both in his doing good, his abstaining from evil,
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and his using the ordinances of God. But here it will probably be
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inquiet. Is it possible that any man living should go as far as this
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and nevertheless be only almost a Christian? What more than this can be implied
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in the being a Christian altogether? I answer first that it is possible to
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go thus far and yet be but almost a Christian. I learn not only
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from the oracles of God, but also from the testimony of experience. Brethren,
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great is my boldness towards you in this behalf, and forgive me this
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wrong. If I declare my own folly upon the housetop for yours on the
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Gospel's sake, Suffer me then to speak freely of myself, even as of
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another man. I am content to be a base, so ye may be
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exalted, and to be yet more vile for the glory of my Lord.
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I did go thus far for many years, as many of this place can
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testify, using diligence to estee all evil, and to have a conscience void
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of offense, redeeming the time, buying up every opportunity of doing all good
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to all men, constantly and carefully, using all the public and all the
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private means of grace, endeavoring after a steady seriousness of behavior at all times.
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I did all places, and God is my record before whom I stand,
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doing all this in sincerity, having a real design to serve God,
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a hearty desire to do his will in all things, to please Him who
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had called me to fight the good fight and to lay hold of eternal life.
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Yet my own conscience beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost that all this
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time I was but almost a Christian. If it be inquired, what more
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than this is implied in the being altogether a Christian? I answer first the
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love of God, For thus saith his word. Thou shalt love the Lord
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Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
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all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Such a love is this,
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as engrosses the whole heart, as breaks up all the affections, as
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fills the entire capacity of the soul, and employs the utmost extent of all
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its faculties. He that thus loves the Lord, his God, his spirit
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continually rejoiceth in God, his Savior. His delight is in the Lord,
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his Lord, and his All, to whom in everything he giveth thanks.
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All. His desire is unto God and to the remembrance of His name.
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His heart is ever crying out, Whom have I in Heaven but Thee.
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And there is none upon earth that I desire beside THEE. Indeed, what
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can he desire beside God? Not the world or the things of the world.
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For He is crucified to the world, and the world crucified to him.
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He is crucified to the desire of the flesh, the desire of the
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eye, and the pride of life. Yea, he is dead to pride
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of every kind. For love is not puffed up. But he that dwelleth
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in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him is less than nothing
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in his own eyes. The second thing implied in the being altogether a Christian
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is the love of our neighbor. For thus said our Lord in the following
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words, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. If any man ask who
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is my neighbor, we reply every man in the world, every child of
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his who is the father of the spirits of all flesh. Nor may we
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in any wise except our enemies, or the enemies of God and their own
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souls. But every Christian loveth these also as himself. Yea, as Christ
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loved us. He that would more fully understand what manner of love this is
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may consider Saint Paul's description of it. It is long suffering and kind.
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It envieth not. It is not rash or hasty in judging. It is
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not puffed up. That maketh him that loves the least. The servant of
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all. Love doth not behave itself unseemly, but becometh all things to all
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men. She seeketh not her own, but only the good of others,
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that they may be saved. Love is not provoked. It casteth out which
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he who hath is wanting. In love. It thinketh no evil It rejoiceth
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not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. It covereth all things,
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believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. There is yet
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one thing more that may be separately considered, though it cannot actually be separate
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from the preceding, which is implied in the being altogether a Christian. And
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that is the ground of all even faith. Very excellent things are spoken of
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this throughout the oracles of God. Every one set the beloved disciple that believeth
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is born of God, to as many as received him. Gave he power
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to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
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And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
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Yea, our Lord himself declares, he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting
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life, and cometh not into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.
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But here let no man deceive his own soul. It is diligently to
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be noted. The faith which bringeth not forth repentance and love and all good
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works, is not that right living faith, but a dead and devilish one.
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For even the devils believe that Christ was born of a virgin, that
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he wrought all kinds of miracles, declaring himself very God, that for our
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sakes he suffered a most painful death to redeem us from death everlasting, that
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he rose again the third day, that he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at
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the right hand of the Father, and at the end of the world shall
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come again to judge both the quick and dead. These articles of our faith.
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The devils believe, and so they believe all that is written in the
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Old and New Testament. And yet for all this faith they be but devils.
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They remain still in their damnable estate, lacking the very true Christian faith.
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Homily on the Salvation of Man. The right and true Christian faith is
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to go on the words of our own Church, not only to believe that
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holy scripture and the articles of our faith are true, but also to have
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a sure trust and confidence to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ. It
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is a sure trust and confidence which a man hath in God, that by
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the merits of Christ, his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to the
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favor of God. Whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey His commandments.
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Now, whosoever hath this faith, which purifies the heart by the power of
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God, who dwelleth therein from pride, anger, desire, from all unrighteousness,
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from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, which fills it with love stronger
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than death, both to God and to all mankind, Love that doeth the
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works of God, glorying to spend and to be spent for all men,
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and that endureth with joy, not only the reproach of Christ, the being
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mocked, despised and hated of all men. But whatsoever the wisdom of God
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permits the malice of men or devils to inflict. Whosoever hath this faith,
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thus, working by love, is not almost only, but altogether a Christian.
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But who are the living witnesses of these things? I beseech you,
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brethren, as in the presence of that God before whom hell and destruction are
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without a covering, how much more the hearts of the children of men,
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that each of you would ask his own heart? Am I of that number?
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Do I so far practice justice, mercy and truth as even the rules
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of heathen honesty require? If so have I the very outside of a Christian
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the form of Godliness. Do I abstain from evil from whatsoever is forbidden in
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the written word of God. Do I whatever good my hand findeth to do,
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do it with my might. Do I seriously use all the ordinances of
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God at all opportunities? And is all this done with a sincere design and
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desire to please God in all things? Are not many of you conscious that
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you never came thus far, that you have not been even almost to Christian,
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that you have not come up to the standard of Heathen honesty at least,
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not to the form of Christian godliness. Much less hath God seen sincerity
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in you a real design of pleasing Him in all things. You never so
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much as intended to devote all your words and works, your business, studies,
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diversions to His glory. You never even designed or desired that whatsoever you
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did should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and as such
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should be a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through Christ. But supposing you had
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do good desireindes and good desires make a Christian by no means unless they are
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brought to good effect. Hell is paved saith one with good intentions. The
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Great question of all them still remains. Is the love of God shed abroad
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in your heart? Can you cry out, my God and my all?
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Do you desire nothing but Him? Are you happy in God? Is He
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your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing? And is this commandment
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written in your heart? That he who loveth God love his brother? Also?
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Do you then love your neighbor as yourself? Do you love every man,
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even your enemies, even the enemies of God, as your own soul?
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As Christ loved you? Yea, dost thou believe that Christ loved thee
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and gave himself for thee. Hast thou faith in his blood? Believest thou
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the Lamb of God hath taken away thy sins and cast them as a stone
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into the depth of the sea. That he hath blotted out the handwriting that
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was against thee, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his
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cross. Hast thou indeed redemption through his blood, even the remission of thy
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sins. And doth his spirit bear witness with thy spirit that thou art a
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child of God, the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
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who now standeth in the midst of us knoweth that if any man die without
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this faith and this love good, it were for hidden that he had never
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been born awake. Then thou that sleepest and call upon thy God, call
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in the day when he may be found. Let him not rest till he
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make his goodness to pass before THEE, till he proclaim unto THEE the name
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of the Lord, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
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long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
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iniquity and transgression and sin. Let no man persuade THEE by vain words to
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rest short of this prize of thy high calling. But cry unto him day
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and night, who, while we were without strength, died for the ungodly.
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Until thou knowest in whom thou hast believed, and canst say, my
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Lord and my God, remember always to pray and not to faint, till
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thou also canst lift up thy hand unto heaven and declare to him that liveth
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for ever and ever. Lord, Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that
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I love THEE. May we all thus experience what it is to be,
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not almost only, but altogether Christians being justified freely by His grace through the
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redemption that is in Jesus, knowing we have peace with God through Jesus Christ,
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rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, and having the Love of
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God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. End
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of Section two.