An almost christian, if we consider him in respect to his duty to GOD,
is one that halts between two opinions; that wavers between CHRIST and
the world; that would reconcile GOD and _Mammon_, light and darkness,
CHRIST and _Belial_. It is true, he has an inclination to religion,
but then he is very cautious how he goes too far in it: his false
heart is always crying out, Spare thyself, do thyself no harm. He prays
indeed, that “GOD’s will may be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” But
notwithstanding, he is very partial in his obedience, and fondly hopes
that GOD will not be extreme to mark every thing that he wilfully does
amiss; though an inspired apostle has told him, that “he who offends
in one point is guilty of all.” But chiefly, he is one that depends
much on outward ordinances, and on that account looks upon himself as
righteous, and despises others; though at the same time he is as great
a stranger to the divine life as any other person whatsoever. In short,
he is fond of the form, but never experiences the power of godliness in
his heart. He goes on year after year, attending on the means of grace,
but then, like _Pharaoh_’s lean kine, he is never the better, but
rather the worse for them.
If you consider him in respect to his neighbour, he is one that is
strictly just to all; but then this does not proceed from any love
to GOD or regard to man, but only through a principle of self-love:
because he knows dishonesty will spoil his reputation, and consequently
hinder his thriving in the world.
He is one that depends much upon being negatively good, and contents
himself with the consciousness of having done no one any harm; though
he reads in the gospel, that “the unprofitable servant was cast into
outer darkness,” and the barren fig-tree was cursed and dried up from
the roots, not for bearing bad, but no fruit.
He is no enemy to charitable contributions in public, if not too
frequently recommended: but then he is unacquainted with the kind
offices of visiting the sick and imprisoned, cloathing the naked, and
relieving the ♦hungry in a private manner. He thinks that these things
belong only to the clergy, though his own false heart tells him, that
nothing but pride keeps him from exercising these acts of humility;
and that JESUS CHRIST, in the 25th chapter of St. _Matthew_, condemns
persons to everlasting punishment, not merely for being fornicators,
drunkards, or extortioners, but for neglecting these charitable offices,
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, he shall set the sheep
on his right-hand, and the goats on his left. And then shall he say
unto them on his left-hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and
ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye cloathed me not; sick
and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also say, LORD,
when saw we thee an hungred, or a-thirst, or a stranger, or naked,
or sick, of in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he
answer them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not unto me: and
these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” I thought proper to
give you this whole passage of scripture at large, because our Saviour
lays such a particular stress upon it; and yet it is so little regarded,
that were we to judge by the practice of christians, one should be
tempted to think there were no such verses in the Bible.
♦ “hungary” replaced with “hungry”
But to proceed in the character of an _almost christian_: If we
consider him in respect of himself; as we said he was strictly honest
to his neighbour, so he is likewise strictly sober in himself: but
then both his honesty and sobriety proceed from the same principle of
a false self-love. It is true, he runs not into the same excess of riot
with other men; but then it is not out of obedience to the laws of GOD,
but either because his constitution will not away with intemperance;
or rather because he is cautious of forfeiting his reputation, or
unfitting himself for temporal business. But though he is so prudent
as to avoid intemperance and excess, for the reasons before-mentioned;
yet he always goes to the extremity of what is lawful. It is true, he
is no drunkard; but then he has no _christian self-denial_. He cannot
think our Saviour to be so austere a Master, as to deny us to indulge
ourselves in some particulars: and so by this means he is destitute of
a sense of true religion, as much as if he lived in debauchery, or any
other crime whatever. As to settling his principles as well as practice,
he is guided more by the world, than by the word of GOD: for his part,
he cannot think the way to heaven so narrow as some would make it;
and therefore considers not so much what scripture requires, as what
such and such a good man does, or what will best suit his own corrupt
inclinations. Upon this account, he is not only very cautious himself,
but likewise very careful of young converts, whose faces are set
heavenward; and therefore is always acting the devil’s part, and
bidding them spare themselves, though they are doing no more than what
the scripture strictly requires them to do: The consequence of which
is, that “he suffers not himself to enter into the kingdom of GOD, and
those that are entering in he hinders.”
Thus lives the almost christian: not that I can say, I have fully
described him to you; but from these outlines and sketches of his
character, if your consciences have done their proper office, and made
a particular application of what has been said to your own hearts,
I cannot but fear that some of you may observe some features in his
picture, odious as it is, too near resembling your own; and therefore
I cannot but hope, that you will join with the apostle in the words
immediately following the text, and wish yourselves “to be not only
almost, but altogether christians.”
II. I proceed to the second general thing proposed; to consider the
reasons why so many are no more than almost christians.
1. And the first reason I shall mention is, because so many set out
with false notions of religion; though they live in a christian country,
yet they know not what christianity is. This perhaps may be esteemed
a hard saying, but experience sadly evinces the truth of it; for some
place religion in being of this or that communion; more in morality;
most in a round of duties, and a model of performances; and few, very
few acknowledge it to be, what it really is, a thorough inward change
of nature, a divine life, a vital participation of JESUS CHRIST, an
union of the soul with GOD; which the apostle expresses by saying, “He
that is joined to the LORD is one spirit.” Hence it happens, that so
many, even of the most knowing professors, when you come to converse
with them concerning the essence, the life, the soul of religion, I
mean our new birth in JESUS CHRIST, confess themselves quite ignorant
of the matter, and cry out with _Nicodemus_, “How can this thing be?”
And no wonder then, that so many are only almost christians, when so
many know not what christianity is: no marvel, that so many take up
with the form, when they are quite strangers to the power of godliness;
or content themselves with the shadow, when they know so little about
the substance of it. And this is one cause why so many are almost, and
so few are altogether christians.
2. A second reason that may be assigned why so many are no more than
almost christians, is a servile fear of man: multitudes there are and
have been, who, though awakened to a sense of the divine life, and
have tasted and felt the powers of the world to come; yet out of a
base sinful fear of being counted singular, or contemned by men, have
suffered all those good impressions to wear off. It is true, they have
some esteem for JESUS CHRIST; but then, like _Nicodemus_, they would
come to him only by night: they are willing to serve him; but then they
would do it secretly, for fear of the _Jews_: they have a mind to see
JESUS, but then they cannot come to him because of the press, and for
fear of being laughed at, and ridiculed by these with whom they used
to sit at meat. But well did our Saviour prophesy of such persons, “How
can ye love me, who receive honour one of another?” Alas! have they
never read, that “the friendship of this world is enmity with GOD;” and
that our LORD himself has threatened, “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me
or of my words, in this wicked and adulterous generation, of him shall
the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father
and of his holy angels?” No wonder that so many are no more than almost
christians, since so many “love the praise of men more than the honour
which cometh of GOD.”
3. A third reason why so many are no more than almost christians, is
a reigning love of money. This was the pitiable case of that forward
young man in the gospel, who came running to our blessed LORD, and
kneeling before him, enquired “what he must do to inherit eternal life;”
to whom our blessed Master replied, “Thou knowest the commandments,
Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal:” To which the young
man replied, “All these have I kept from my youth.” But when our LORD
proceeded to tell him, “Yet lackest thou one thing; Go sell all that
thou hast, and give to the poor; he was grieved at that saying, and
went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions!” Poor youth! he had
a good mind to be a christian, and to inherit eternal life, but thought
it too dear, if it could be purchased at no less an expence than of his
estate! And thus many, both young and old, now-a-days, come running to
worship our blessed LORD in public, and kneel before him in private,
and enquire at his gospel, what they must do to inherit eternal life:
but when they find they must renounce the self-enjoyment of riches, and
forsake all in affection to follow him, they cry, “The LORD pardon us
in this thing! We pray thee, have us excused.”
But is heaven so small a trifle in men’s esteem, as not to be worth
a little gilded earth? Is eternal life so mean a purchase, as not
to deserve the temporary renunciation of a few transitory riches?
Surely it is. But however inconsistent such a behaviour may be, this
inordinate love of money is too evidently the common and fatal cause,
why so many are no more than almost christians.
4. Nor is the love of pleasure a less uncommon, or a less fatal cause
why so many are no more than almost christians. Thousands and ten
thousands there are, who despise riches, and would willingly be true
disciples of JESUS CHRIST, if parting with their money would make them
so; but when they are told that our blessed LORD has said, “Whosoever
will come after him must deny himself;” like the pitiable young man
before-mentioned, “they go away sorrowful:” for they have too great a
love for sensual pleasures. They will perhaps send for the ministers
of CHRIST, as _Herod_ did for _John_, and hear them gladly: but touch
them in their _Herodias_, tell them they must part with such or such
a darling pleasure; and with wicked _Ahab_ they cry out, “Hast thou
found us, O our enemy?” Tell them of the necessity of mortification
and self-denial, and it is as difficult for them to hear, as if you
was to bid them “cut off a right-hand, or pluck out a right-eye.” They
cannot think our blessed LORD requires so much at their hands, though
an inspired apostle has commanded us to “mortify our members which are
upon earth.” And who himself, even after he had converted thousands,
and was very near arrived to the end of his race, yet professed that
it was his daily practice to “keep under his body, and bring it into
subjection, lest after he had preached to others, he himself should be
a cast-away!”
But some men would be wiser than this great apostle, and chalk out to
us what they falsely imagine an easier way to happiness. They would
flatter us, we may go to heaven without offering violence to our
sensual appetites; and enter into the strait gate without striving
against our carnal inclinations. And this is another reason why so many
are only almost, and not altogether christians.
5. The fifth and last reason I shall assign why so many are only almost
christians, is a fickleness and instability of temper.
It has been, no doubt, a misfortune that many a minister and sincere
christian has met with, to weep and wail over numbers of promising
converts, who seemingly began in the Spirit, but after a while fell
away, and basely ended in the flesh; and this not for want of right
notions in religion, nor out of a servile fear of man, nor from the
love of money, or of sensual pleasure, but through an instability and
fickleness of temper. They looked upon religion merely for novelty, as
something which pleased them for a while; but after their curiosity was
satisfied, they laid it aside again: like the young man that came to
see JESUS with a linen cloth about his naked body, they have followed
him for a season, but when temptations came to take hold on them,
for want of a little more resolution, they have been stripped of all
their good intentions, and fled away naked. They at first, like a tree
planted by the water-side, grew up and flourished for a while; but
having no root in themselves, no inward principle of holiness and
piety, like _Jonah_’s gourd, they were soon dried up and withered.
Their good intentions are too like the violent motions of the animal
spirits of a body newly beheaded, which, though impetuous, are not
lasting. In short, they set out well in their journey to heaven, but
finding the way either narrower or longer than they expected, through
an unsteadiness of temper, they have made an eternal halt, and so
“returned like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow that was washed to
her wallowing in the mire!”
But I tremble to pronounce the fate of such unstable professors,
who having put their hands to the plough, for want of a little more
resolution, shamefully look back. How shall I repeat to them that
dreadful threatening, “if any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him:” And again, “It is impossible (that is, exceeding
difficult at least) for those that have been once enlightened, and
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come,
if they should fall away, to be renewed again unto repentance.” But
notwithstanding the gospel is so severe against apostates, yet many
that begun well, through a fickleness of temper, (O that none of us
here present may ever be such) have been by this means of the number
of those that turn back unto perdition. And this is the fifth, and
the last reason I shall give, why so many are only almost, and not
altogether christians.
III. Proceed we now to the third general thing proposed, namely, to
consider the folly of being no more than an almost christian.
1. And the _first_ proof I shall give of the folly of such a proceeding
is, that it is ineffectual to salvation. It is true, such men are
almost good; but almost to hit the mark, is really to miss it. GOD
requires us “to love him with all our hearts, with all our souls,
and with all our strength.” He loves us too well to admit any rival;
because, so far as our hearts are empty of GOD, so far must they be
unhappy. The devil, indeed, like the false mother that came before
_Solomon_, would have our hearts divided, as she would have had the
child; but GOD, like the true mother, will have all or none. “My Son,
give me thy heart,” thy whole heart, is the general call to all: and if
this be not done, we never can expect the divine mercy.
Persons may play the hypocrite; but GOD at the great day will strike
them dead, (as he did _Ananias_ and _Sapphira_ by the mouth of his
servant _Peter_) for pretending to offer him all their hearts, when
they keep back from him the greatest part. They may perhaps impose upon
their fellow-creatures for a while; but he that enabled _Elijah_ to
cry out, “Come in thou wife of _Jeroboam_,” when she came disguised to
enquire about her sick son, will also discover them through their most
artful dissimulations; and if their hearts are not wholly with him,
appoint them their portion with hypocrites and unbelievers.
2. But, _secondly_, What renders an half-way-piety more inexcusable is,
that it is not only insufficient to our own salvation, but also very
prejudicial to that of others.
An almost christian is one of the most hurtful creatures in the world:
he is a wolf in sheep’s cloathing: he is one of those false prophets,
our blessed LORD bids us beware of in his sermon on the mount, who
would persuade men, that the way to heaven is broader than it really
is; and thereby, as it was observed before, “enter not into the kingdom
of GOD themselves, and those that are entering in they hinder.” These,
these are the men that turn the world into a lukewarm _Laodicean_
spirit; that hang out false lights, and so shipwreck unthinking
benighted souls in their voyage to the haven of eternity. These are
they who are greater enemies to the cross of CHRIST, than infidels
themselves: for of an unbeliever every one will be aware; but an almost
christian, through his subtle hypocrisy, draws away many after him; and
therefore must expect to receive the greater damnation.
3. But, _thirdly_, As it is most prejudicial to ourselves and hurtful
to others, so it is the greatest instance of ingratitude we can express
towards our LORD and Master JESUS CHRIST. For did he come down from
heaven, and shed his precious blood, to purchase these hearts of ours,
and shall we only give him half of them? O how can we say we love
him, when our hearts are not wholly with him? How can we call him our
Saviour, when we will not endeavour sincerely to approve ourselves to
him, and so let him see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied!
Had any of us purchased a slave at a most expensive rate, and who was
before involved in the utmost miseries and torments, and so must have
continued for ever, had we shut up our bowels of compassion from him;
and was this slave afterwards to grow rebellious, or deny giving us
but half his service; how, how should we exclaim against his base
ingratitude! And yet this base ungrateful slave thou art, O man, who
acknowledgest thyself to be redeemed from infinite unavoidable misery
and punishment by the death of JESUS CHRIST, and yet wilt not give
thyself wholly to him. But shall we deal with GOD our Maker in a manner
we would not be dealt with by a man like ourselves? GOD forbid! No.
Suffer me, therefore,
To add a word or two of exhortation to you, to excite you to be not
only almost, but altogether christians. O let us scorn all base and
treacherous treatment of our King and Saviour, of our GOD and Creator.
Let us not take some pains all our lives to go to heaven, and yet
plunge ourselves into hell at last. Let us give to GOD our whole hearts,
and no longer halt between two opinions: if the world be GOD, let us
serve that; if pleasure be a GOD, let us serve that; but if the LORD
he be GOD, let us, O let us serve him alone. Alas! why, why should we
stand out any longer? Why should we be so in love with slavery, as not
wholly to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil, which, like so
many spiritual chains, bind down our souls, and hinder them from flying
up to GOD. Alas! what are we afraid of? Is not GOD able to reward
our entire obedience? If he is, as the almost christian’s lame way of
serving him, seems to grant, why then will we not serve him entirely?
For the same reason we do so much, why do we not do more? Or do you
think that being only half religious will make you happy, but that
going farther, will render you miserable and uneasy? Alas! this, my
brethren, is delusion all over: for what is it but this _half piety_,
this wavering between GOD and the world, that makes so many, that
are seemingly well disposed, such utter strangers to the comforts of
religion? They chuse just so much of religion as will disturb them in
their lusts, and follow their lusts so far as to deprive themselves of
the comforts of religion. Whereas on the contrary, would they sincerely
leave all in affection, and give their hearts wholly to GOD, they would
then (and they cannot till then) experience the unspeakable pleasure
of having a mind at unity with itself, and enjoy such a peace of GOD,
which even in this life passes all understanding, and which they were
entire strangers to before. It is true, if we will devote ourselves
entirely to GOD, we must meet with contempt; but then it is because
contempt is necessary to heal our pride. We must renounce some sensual
pleasures, but then it is because those unfit us for spiritual ones,
which are infinitely better. We must renounce the love of the world;
but then it is that we may be filled with the love of GOD: and when
that has once enlarged our hearts, we shall, like _Jacob_ when he
served for his beloved _Rachel_, think nothing too difficult to undergo,
no hardships too tedious to endure, because of the love we shall then
have for our dear Redeemer. Thus easy, thus delightful will be the
ways of GOD even in this life: but when once we throw off these bodies,
and our souls are filled with all the fulness of GOD, O! what heart
can conceive, what tongue can express, with what unspeakable joy and
consolation shall we then look back on our past sincere and hearty
services. Think you then, my dear hearers, we shall repent we had done
too much; or rather think you not, we shall be ashamed that we did
no more; and blush we were so backward to give up all to GOD; when he
intended hereafter to give us himself?
Let me therefore, to conclude, exhort you, my brethren, to have always
before you the unspeakable happiness of enjoying GOD. And think withal,
that every degree of holiness you neglect, every act of piety you omit,
is a jewel taken out of your crown, a degree of blessedness lost in
the vision of GOD. O! do but always think and act thus, and you will
no longer be labouring to compound matters between GOD and the world;
but, on the contrary, be daily endeavouring to give up yourselves more
and more unto him; you will be always watching, always praying, always
aspiring after farther degrees of purity and love, and consequently
always preparing yourselves for a fuller sight and enjoyment of that
GOD, in whose presence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right-hand
there are pleasures for ever more. Amen! Amen!