By Rev. JOHN BERRIDGE (1716-93).
I PREACHED up sanctification very earnestly for six years, in a former parish, and never brought one soul to Christ. I did the same thing at another parish for two years, without any success at all. But as soon as ever I preached Jesus Christ and faith in His blood, then believers were added to the Church continually. Then people flocked from all parts to hear the glorious sound of the Gospel.
And here let me ask what is the reason why my ministry was not blessed when I preached salvation partly by faith and partly by works? It is because this doctrine is not of God, and He will prosper no ministers but such as preach salvation in His appointed way, viz., by faith in Jesus Christ.
At length I removed to Everton. Here, again, I preached sanctification and regeneration as vigorously as I could, but, finding no success after preaching for two years in this manner, I began to be discouraged. Now some secret misgiving arose in my mind that I was not right myself. These misgivings grew stronger and were very painful. Being under great doubt, I cried unto the Lord very earnestly: “Lord, if I am right, keep me so. If I am not right, make me so. Lead me to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.”
After about ten days crying unto the Lord, He was pleased to send an answer to my prayers, and in the following wonderful manner. As I was sitting in my house one morning and musing on a text of Scripture, the following words were darted into my mind and seemed indeed like a voice from heaven: “Cease from thine own works!”
Before I heard these words my mind was in a very unusual calm, but as soon as I heard them my soul was in a tempest directly, tears flowed from my eyes immediately. Now I clearly saw the rock I had been splitting upon for nearly thirty years.