V. And now, fifthly, observe HIS RIGHTEOUS ABSOLUTION
OF HIS SERVANT. “If the woman will not be willing to
follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my
oath: only bring not my son thither again.”
When we lie a-dying, if we have faithfully preached the
gospel, our conscience will not accuse us for having
kept closely to it: we shall not mourn that we did not
play the fool or the politician in order to increase
our congregation. Oh, no! our Master will give us full
absolution, even if few be gathered in, so long as we
have been true to him. “If the woman will not be
willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from
this my oath; only bring not my son thither again.” Do
not try the dodges which debase religion. Keep to the
simple gospel; and if the people are not converted by
it, you will be clear. My dear hearers, how much I long
to see you saved! But I would not belie my Lord, even
to win your souls, if they could be so won. The true
servant of God is responsible for diligence and
faithfulness; but he is not responsible for success or
non-success. Results are in God’s hands. If that dear
child in your class is not converted, yet if you have
set before him the gospel of Jesus Christ with loving,
prayerful earnestness, you shall not be without your
reward. If I preach from my very soul the grand truth
that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will save my
hearers, and if I persuade and entreat them to believe
in Jesus unto eternal life; if they will not do so,
their blood will lie upon their own heads. When I go
back to my Master, if I have faithfully told out his
message of free grace and dying love, I shall be clear.
I have often prayed that I might be able to say at the
last what George Fox could so truly say: “I am clear, I
am clear!” It is my highest ambition to be clear of the
blood of all men. I have preached God’s truth, so far
as I know it, and I have not been ashamed of its
peculiarities. That I might not stultify my testimony I
have cut myself clear of those who err from the faith,
and even from those who associate with them. What more
can I do to be honest with you? If, after all, men will
not have Christ, and his gospel, and his rule, it is
their own concern. If Rebekah had not come to Isaac she
would have lost her place in the holy line. My beloved
hearer, will you have Jesus Christ or not? He has come
into the world to save sinners, and he casts out none.
Will you accept him? Will you trust him? “He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Will you
believe him? Will you be baptized into his name? If so,
salvation is yours; but if not, he himself hath said
it, “He that believeth not shall be damned.” Oh, do not
expose yourselves to that damnation! Or, if you are set
upon it; then, when the great white throne shall be
seen in yonder skies, and the day of wrath has come, do
me the justice to acknowledge that I bade you flee to
Jesus, and that I did not amuse you with novel
theories. I have brought neither flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, dulcimer, nor any other kind of music to
please your ears, but I have set Christ crucified
before you, and bidden you believe and live. If you
refuse to accept the substitution of Christ, you have
refused your own mercies. Clear me in that day of all
complicity with the novel inventions of deluded men. As
for my Lord, I pray of him grace to be faithful to the
end, both to his truth, and to your souls. Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
