The improvement I would make of the things which have been observed, is to
lead the people here present who have been under my pastoral care to some
reflections, and give them some advice suitable to our present
circumstances; relating to what has been lately done in order to our
being separated, as to the relation we have heretofore stood in one to
another; but expecting to meet each other before the great tribunal at the
day of judgment.
The deep and serious consideration of that our future most solemn meeting
is certainly most suitable at such a time as this; there having so lately
been that done, which, in all probability, will (as to the relation we
have heretofore stood in) be followed with an everlasting separation.
How often have we met together in the house of God in this relation! How
often have I spoke to you, instructed, counselled, warned, directed and
fed you, and administered ordinances among you, as the people which were
committed to my care, and whose precious souls I had the charge of! But in
all probability this never will be again. deg.
The prophet Jeremiah (chap. xxv. 3), puts the people in mind how long he
had labored among them in the work of the ministry: "From the thirteenth
year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is
the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord came unto me, and I
have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking." I am not about to
compare myself with the prophet Jeremiah; but in this respect I can say as
he did, that "I have spoken the word of God to you unto the three and
twentieth year, rising early and speaking." It was three and twenty years,
the 15th day of last February, since I have labored in the work of the
ministry, in the relation of a pastor to this church and congregation. And
though my strength has been weakness, having always labored under great
infirmity of body, besides my insufficiency for so great a charge in other
respects, yet I have not spared my feeble strength, but have exerted it
for the good of your souls. I can appeal to you as the apostle does to his
bearers, Gal. iv. 13, "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I
preached the gospel unto you." I have spent the prime of my life and
strength in labors for your eternal welfare. You are my witnesses, that
what strength I have had I have not neglected in idleness, nor laid out in
prosecuting worldly schemes and managing temporal affairs, for the
advancement of my outward estate, and aggrandizing myself and family; but
have given myself wholly to the work of the ministry, laboring in it night
and day, rising early and applying myself to this great business to which
Christ appointed me. I have found the work of the ministry among you to be
a great work indeed, a work of exceeding care, labor and difficulty: many
have been the heavy burdens that I have borne in it, which my strength has
been very unequal to. God called me to bear these burdens; and I bless his
name, that he has so supported me as to keep me from sinking under them,
and that his power herein has been manifested in my weakness; so that
although I have often been troubled on every side, yet I have not been
distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; cast down, but not destroyed.
But now I have reason to think my work is finished which I had to do as
your minister: you have publicly rejected me, and my opportunities cease.
How highly therefore does it now become us to consider of that time when
we must meet one another before the chief Shepherd! When I must give an
account of my stewardship, of the service I have done for, and the
reception and treatment I have had among, the people he sent me to: and
you must give an account of your own conduct towards me, and the
improvement you have made of these three and twenty years of my ministry.
For then both you and I must appear together, and we both must give an
account, in order to an infallible, righteous and eternal sentence to be
passed upon us by him who will judge us with respect to all that we have
said or done in our meeting here, all our conduct one towards another, in
the house of God and elsewhere, on Sabbath days and on other days; who
will try our hearts and manifest our thoughts, and the principles and
frames of our minds, will judge us with respect to all the controversies
which have subsisted between us, with the strictest impartiality, and will
examine our treatment of each other in those controversies. There is
nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid which shall not be
known; all will be examined in the searching, penetrating light of God's
omniscience and glory, and by him whose eyes are as a flame of fire; and
truth and right shall be made plainly to appear, being stripped of every
veil; and all error, falsehood, unrighteousness and injury shall be laid
open, stripped of every disguise; every specious pretence, every cavil and
all false reasoning shall vanish in a moment, as not being able to bear
the light of that day. And then our hearts will be turned inside out, and
the secrets of them will be made more plainly to appear than our outward
actions do now. Then it shall appear what the ends are which we have aimed
at, what have been the governing principles which we have acted from, and
what have been the dispositions we have exercised in our ecclesiastical
disputes and contests. Then it will appear whether I acted uprightly, and
from a truly conscientious, careful regard to my duty to my great Lord and
Master, in some former ecclesiastical controversies, which have been
attended with exceeding unhappy circumstances and consequences: it will
appear whether there was any just cause for the resentment which was
manifested on those occasions. And then our late grand controversy,
concerning the qualifications necessary for admission to the privileges of
members in complete standing in the visible church of Christ, will be
examined and judged in all its parts and circumstances, and the whole set
forth in a clear, certain and perfect light. Then it will appear whether
the doctrine which I have preached and published concerning this matter be
Christ's own doctrine, whether he will not own it as one of the precious
truths which have proceeded from his own mouth, and vindicate and honor
as such before the whole universe. Then it will appear what is meant by
"the man that comes without the wedding garment"; for that is the day
spoken of, Matt. xxii. 13, wherein such an one shall be bound hand and
foot, and cast into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. And then it will appear whether, in declaring this doctrine, and
acting agreeable to it, and in my general conduct in the affair, I have
been influenced from any regard to my own temporal interest or honor, or
desire to appear wiser than others; or have acted from any sinister,
secular views whatsoever; and whether what I have done has not been from a
careful, strict and tender regard to the will of my Lord and Master, and
because I dare not offend him, being satisfied what his will was, after a
long, diligent, impartial and prayerful inquiry; having this constantly in
view and prospect to engage me to great solicitude not rashly to determine
truth to be on this side of the question, where I am now persuaded it is,
that such a determination would not be for my temporal interest, but every
way against it, bringing a long series of extreme difficulties and
plunging me into an abyss of trouble and sorrow. And then it will appear
whether my people have done their duty to their pastor with respect to
this matter; whether they have shown a right temper and spirit on this
occasion; whether they have done me justice in hearing, attending to and
considering what I had to say in evidence of what I believed and taught as
part of the counsel of God; whether I have been treated with that
impartiality, candor and regard which the just Judge esteemed due; and
whether, in the many steps which have been taken and the many things that
have been said and done in the course of this controversy, righteousness
and charity and Christian decorum have been maintained; or, if otherwise,
to how great a degree these things have been violated. Then every step of
the conduct of each of us in this affair, from first to last, and the
spirit we have exercised in all shall be examined and manifested, and our
own consciences shall speak plain and loud, and each of us shall be
convinced, and the world shall know; and never shall there be any more
mistake, misrepresentation or misapprehension of the affair to eternity.
This controversy is now probably brought to an issue between you and me as
to this world; it has issued in the event of the week before last: but it
must have another decision at that great day, which certainly will come,
when you and I shall meet together before the great judgment seat: and
therefore I leave it to that time, and shall say no more about it at
present.
But I would now proceed to address myself particularly to several sorts of
persons.