A Sermon by RICHARD CAMERON, the Covenanter.
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
—John v. 40.
(Continued from page 206.)
III.—The third thing I proposed was some short use of the doctrine. And
Use 1. Do ye know anything of this unwillingness to come to Christ? Are there any of you here saying, “This doctrine is true that ye are telling us; ye have told me the thoughts of my heart, for there is a great unwillingness in me to come to Christ?” There are some that think it as easy to believe as to take a piece of bread in their hands, or a drink out of a man’s hand. Alas! ye came easily by your religion in the West of Scotland, and so comes of it. Ye have taken it up at your feet. Ye have been born with it. Others say that they have been sanctified from the womb. Indeed, John Baptist was so, but there are not many such at this day, for he was a singular and an exercised man. Ye may think of yourselves as ye will, but if ye have not some kind of a law work within you, ye will no more come to heaven than devils will do. There are some of you that have been elders, that know nothing of this law work within you. Ye are ignorant, and so cannot be tender of the glory of God and His Cause. We told you of it this day fifteen days, that the Lord was in earnest with you—“Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”—and ye were somewhat moved. We say that this is good indeed to be moved, but it does no good without some law work. Oh, sad to think upon the West of Scotland! I know no place wherein more will go to hell than in many places in the West of Scotland.
The wild Highlands have not sitten so many calls as thou hast done. O West, thou hast been, Capernaum like, lifted up unto heaven, but thou shalt be thrust down to hell. O ye in the West, ye all have religion, truly ye are like the Church of Laodicea, who lacked nothing; but knew not that she was lukewarm, poor, wretched, blind naked. It may be ye think ye have enough, and stand in no need of preaching, or persecuted gospel ordinances, and yet ye are the people in all Scotland that are in the worst condition. I would not have the accounts on my head, that you professors in Clydesdale, Ayr, Galloway and Tweeddale have for all the world. Christ hath been crying unto you in the parishes of Muirkirk, Crawford-John, and Douglas, that “Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life.” And what say ye unto us? Are there any here that say, “We will not”? Shall we go away and tell our Master that ye will not come unto Him? O ye professors and elders, ye are a shame and a disgrace unto religion. The truth is that many of you have got that which ye shall never cast. Yea, many a man since the affair of Hamilton Moor hath got a judicial stroke, so that the cause amongst ministers and professors now seems lost.
Use 2. Are there any here that are at this with it, “Indeed I find it very difficult to close with Christ.” But before we speak to this we shall pray a short word.*
Now for you that are saying this: “It is true, it is not easy to bring folk to Christ. I have had a profession for many years,” say ye, “and yet I fear I have never yet come to Christ.” But, I say, our Lord is here this day, saying, “Will ye take Me, ye that have had a lie so long in your right hand?” What say ye to it! You that have been plagued with deadness, hardness of heart and unbelief, He is now requiring you to give in your answer. What say ye, “Yes,” or “No”? What think ye of the offer? And what fault find ye in Him? There may be some saying, “If I get or take Him, I shall get a cross also.” Well, that is true, but ye will get a sweet cross. There we offer Him unto you in the parishes of Auchinleck, Douglas, Crawford-John, and all ye that live there about. And what say ye? Will ye take Him? Tell us what ye say, for we take instruments before these hills and mountains around us that we have offered Him unto you this day. Ye that are free of cess-paying,† will ye take Him? Ye that are free of the bond,‡ now tendered by the enemies, will ye accept of Him this day, when the old professors are taking offence at His way and cross? Oh, will ye cast your eyes upon Him? Angels are wondering at this offer; they stand beholding with admiration that our Lord is giving you such an offer this day. Nay, those that have gone to hell many years ago, who are now crying out in the agonies of torment may be saying “Oh, that we had such an offer as yonder parish of Auchinleck;” O! come, come then unto Him, and there shall never be more of you by-past sins; they shall be buried. But if ye will not come unto Him, “it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah” than for you. Now what say ye to me! and what shall I say to Him that sent me unto you? Shall I say, “Lord, there are some yonder saying, ‘I am content to give Christ my heart, hands, house, lands, and all I have for His Cause’?” Now, if ye can make a better bargain then do it. Look over to the Shawhead and these hills, and take a look at them, for they
* It was probably in the delivery of this part of the sermon that, according to Patrick Walker’s account, both minister and the greater part of the people fell into a fit of calm weeping, which obliged the minister to stop short and pray; which he did powerfully, both on behalf of the people assembled on that occasion, and on the behalf of the Church; and however defective this sermon may now appear, perhaps the delivery of no sermon (except that by Mr. Livingstone at Kirk of Shotts) was more remarkably blessed with success from the Lord in Scotland since the primitive times.
† The Cess called “The Lack or Ten Terms Cess,” was first imposed in 1678 for the suppression of the Gospel then faithfully preached in the fields.
‡ This Bond was called “The Bond of Indemnity,” whereby many after the affair of Bothwell were then engaged against the use of defensive arms.
are all witnesses now and when you are dying they shall all come before your face. We take every one of you witness against another; and will not that aggravate your sorrow when they come into your mind and conscience, saying, “We heard you invited and obtested to take Christ, and we were witnesses, and yet ye would not. And now we come in here as witnesses against you.” There is some tenderness amongst you now, and that is favourable like to look upon. But yet that is not all.
The angels will go to report at the throne what is everyone’s choice this day. They will go up to heaven and report good news, and thus they will say, “There were some in the parishes of Auchinleck, Douglas, and Crawford-John that were receiving our Lord in the offers of the Gospel, and He is become their Lord”; and this will be welcome news. Many in hell will be saying, “Woe’s us! There are some going away and will not come here. They are taking the alarm, and flying from the wrath to come that is now devouring us. O we had the offer, but will never get it again.” “But stay,” says the devil, “we will set the troopers and dragoons upon them and they shall be taken and their minister shall be killed. Yes, they shall be taken, and imprisoned, banished, and all ruined.” But we defy him and them. Ye will not come, ye that live hereabout, for fear of this; and some, it maybe, have not come here on that account. O dreadful stupid fear that was come upon you! But our Lord has come to your door. Will ye take Him, yea, or not? Will ye take Him home with you? It is a great wonder that anyone in Scotland is getting such an offer this day. About this time twelvemonth, it would have been thought strange to have heard it said that field-meetings would have come under such disdain. But take Him and change your minds. Give up with banning, cursing and swearing; give up with cess-paying; give up with the indulgence; and give up with all the minded that take not up the cross of Christ which we are hearing this day. Take the glorious person who has occasioned our coming here this day into this wild place. What! shall I say that any of you were content to take Him? I would fain think that some will take Him. And if ye from the bottom of your heart have a mind to take, ye shall get the earnest of the Spirit, He will in nowise cast you out. Poor vile drunkard, take Him. Swearer, adulterer, and liar, be what ye will, we give you the call and warning to come and take Him. Up-sitten professor, it is such as you He is seeking after. Our Lord cannot get entertainment amongst the Scribes and Pharisees. Well, poor thing that hast neither skill nor religion, are ye content to take Him? He speaks peace to you.” Go and sin no more.” “And let us not return again unto folly, and study to redeem the time because the days are evil.”
Use 3. First, to them that have come to Him before this time, He will have you come to Him, and draw nearer to Him than ever hitherto ye have done. Secondly, ye that have take Him now, do not
doubt if ye will be willing and earnest—if ye can believe, “all things are possible to him that believeth; and he that believeth not is condemned already.” But we would most gladly have you believe. Thirdly, have ye come to Him? See then that ye continue with Him. He is saying to you as He said to the twelve, “Will ye also go away?” And we may say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go; for thou hast the words of eternal life.” Continue with Him that ye may get that which is spoken of in Luke xxii. 28, 29: “It is true, ye that have come have many sitting on your assize to-day. But the time is coming that Charles Stuart and our noblemen, counsellors and persecutors shall be brought in like those goats on his left hand. And Christ shall say, “Did ye not persecute us? Did you not spoil and plunder us? Did you not kill and banish us?” And they will be constrained to say, “Yea, Lord.” “Well,” says He, “go away to everlasting burning.” And ye shall consent to go away from them for evermore. They laugh at you now, but ye shall laugh at them then, when His people shall “overcome them by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” And “they loved not their lives unto the death.” Ye that have come to Him, and got anything from Him, keep it for your own good; for if it be anything, it is not easily gotten again.
And ye that have not been willing, and ye that have not come to Him, and ye that have not been content to be made willing, ye have not come to enlist with Him. Come, however, and no more faults shall be remembered. We shall close with that word: “As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” So ye that have taken Him, and when our Lord returns to the land, they shall be the persons that shall be most eminent that abide by Him now, yea, they shall be most eminent about the throne. I doubt not but it is said in heaven this day of our late sufferers, “These are they that came through great tribulations, and have washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb.” If we had not this to look unto, oh, we might be sad, but this may bear us up in all our difficulties, distress and afflictions. Amen.