Twenty Sermons

One only of the Sermons in this Volume — the last, entitled “Christian India” — was intended for publication, and was printed during the Author’s lifetime. The first ten were preached on successive Sundays, at the Old Church in Calcutta, in the latter end of 1810, just before his final departure from Bengal. Those which follow have been selected from a parcel of his Manuscript Sermons in the possession of the Author’s friends: these were preached (as appears from their superscriptions) at various periods of his Ministry.

The Editors hope that the writings of one, who so peculiarly devoted himself to the work of God in this country, may be blessed to the diffusion of those principles and the nurture of those affections, by which alone Missionary Labours can be sustained. The love of Christ constraineth us: because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for ally that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). Animated by these principles, Martyn pursued his course. May a double portion of his spirit rest on all who follow him in the same wide field of labour!

The desire to know how such a man preached, is natural and unavoidable. It will be here gratified, so far as respects the style and usual strain of his compositions. His manner in the pulpit was distinguished by a holy solemnity, always suited to the high message which he was delivering, and accon»- panied by an unction which made its way to the hearts of his audience. With this was combined a fidelity, at once forcible by its justice and intrepidity, and penetrating by its affection. There was, in short, a power of holy love and disinterested earnestness in his addresses, which commended itself to every mans cojiscience in the sight of God.

It is hoped that these Sermons will be read with the indulgence usually granted to posthumous works. Though they want the fine polish which they might have received from the Authors chaste and accurate pen, if they had been revised by himself for publication, the Editors are persuaded that they will be read with lively interest; and they send forth this Volume, earnestly praying that the Author, though dead, may yet hereby speak with power to many; and that the great Head of the Church may graciously crown the perusal of these Discourses with His blessing.

lExtraeted from the Preface to the First Edition printed at Calcutta.]

Without shedding of blood is no remission,

1 HE” confession of mankind respecting their need of forgiveness, though in most cases not arising from such deep conviction as to lead them to seek pardon, is, however, so general, and the acknowledgment made so readily, that instead of detaining you with proofs of our universal sinfulness, we shall for the present take it for granted.

The opinions of men on the way of obtaining pardon, are far from being so agreeable to each other, or to the truth. That great source of ignorance, our fancied knowledge, is one cause of their mistake; and want of a thorough persuasion of their guilt and danger, makes them remiss in their inquiries about the way to escape from it. Their natural depravity also makes them averse to any consideration of a 2 riRST SERMON.

religious nature; and even when the scripts ke is consulted for information on this subject, men often bring their own notions and prejudices along with them. In this way, the doctrine of the Gospel appears obscure.

I. It shall be our endeavour to state the truth as it is revealed, and we must begin with REMOVING ERROR.

Without shedding of blood is no remission. — Now as there are many modes of remission or forgiveness passing current among Christians, different from the one in the text, we must examine their nature and prove their inefficacy.

1. The first, and most general w ay is, that ‘* God is merciful, and man weak; therefore God will overlook his errors. This* as might be expected, is the most favourite way among men, because most agreeable to their inclinations.

In the reasoning by which it is attempted to be established, we allow the premises, but deny the conclusion: we allow that God is merciful and man weak; but we deny that it follows from thence that man must be saved. For though God is merciful, and must necessarily remain so, yet our salvation is not necessary to the maintenance of hip attribute of mercy:

he would not lose this attribute were we all to perish: if he would, why did he not when he destroyed the angels that sinned? No mercy was shewn to them, yet we still say, and say properly, that mercy is one of his attributes.

It is allowed that man differs from the angels in being weak; but God did not create him weak. God made man upright, in his own image: his subsequent corruption is to be ascribed to himself; and can therefore impose no obligation on God to alter his laws in order to accommodate them to man’s weakness.

If it be urged that the weakness in which we are born is not owing to ourselves, we reply, That weakness is not so great as to amount to a NECESSITY of falling. What man can say wth truth, concerning any of the sins which he has committed, that it was absolutely impossible for him to have avoided it? If he had avoided the temptation, or armed his mind with consideration — the fear of God and his judgements — faith in his promises and help — whose conscience does not tell him after the commission of evil, that he is himself to blame, and not his Maker? God, it is true, has given us passions; but it is not the use of them that constitutes sin, but the abuse of them: this abuse of them is of ourselves, and therefore God is not chargeable with our sinful weakness; consequently no ar2:ument can be drawn from thence that he will overlook it. If any one injure us materially in our property or honour, and, while we are sufierinji; from the aiiiiTession, should plead his weakness of resolution or the strength of his inclination to do what he has done, we should consider the excuse as inexcusable as the crime; and why we do not apply this reasoning to God, is, because Ave seldom think how offensive sin is to him

Our weakness, therefore, is no excuse; and if God make laws for us, and denounce punishments for the transgression and rewards for the observance of them, he does only what every wise Lawgiver on earth does, who, if he fulfil his own threatenings, is not accused of want of goodness.

It might be added, that the goodness of God would be so far from being liable to any imputation by our destruction, that it might probably be an act of goodness to the rest of the creation, to PUNISH us: as a King, by putting to death a number of his people, who are nuisances to the rest by their ill conduct, consults thereby the benefit of the whole community; for the rest are taught the evil and danger of transgression, and fear to offend.

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