Sermon of Asahel Nettleton — E.A. Johnston

When I was conducting my research at Hartford Seminary in the Middleton papers in the archives there while I was doing my research on my biography on Asahel Middleton, one of the most interesting items there were his handwritten sermons.

Revival Preaching and the Second Great Awakening

And I think it's important as we study Revival Friends to contrast the preaching of sermons in the days of periods of great awakenings like the Second Great Awakening where God so moved upon the hearts and consciences of men as they sat under solemn preaching and contrast it with the preaching that goes on in most of our churches today and see the great difference, see why God isn't moving in this country like he's done in former times because our preaching doesn't even come close to the preaching of men like Middleton and Jonathan Edwards.

I think it's important for us to actually listen to a sermon written by Asahel Middleton and that's what I'd like to do today. I want to go ahead and take this sermon which is from the sermon collection that's housed at Hartford Seminary and this is one of the Revival sermons that was preached during the Second Great Awakening and Middleton is calling sinners to repent and come to Christ.

It's typical of Middleton's theology which was Edwardsian and I want to take this sermon extract and read it to us, try to preach it to us rather, because you have to picture in your mind friends that when this was preached the solemnity of God was in the house.

The awful presence of God was in the midst of the congregation. Preachers in those days didn't warm up their crowd with funny stories and jokes to get them to laugh. They didn't tell hokey little stories to work on their emotions.

They preached the unvarnished gospel, the great doctrines of the gospel, and God attended it with power and authority. This sermon that I want to bring before us today is from First Kings 1821, How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions and I'm going to read it from the text from Azel Hill Middleton's message for you right now.

Elijah's Call to Choose Between God and Baal

These are the words of the prophet Elijah. They were addressed to a large concourse of people assembled together on Mount Carmel. This displeased with the character and worship of the true God. They had generally departed from him, but to quiet conscience, they set up and worship false gods.

Conscious, however, is not so easily pacified. At times it admonishes that all is not well. Whither art thou going and what will be the end of that course? It led them to hesitate and halt between two opinions.

The contest was not to be decided. At the direction of the prophet, the people were assembled and Elijah came on to all the people and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him.

But if Baal, follow him. And the people answered him not a word. This sermon is addressed to all the impenitent. No sinner in this place intends to die without an interest in Christ. And yet many do not like to begin a life of religion.

Now, many hesitate. They halt between two opinions, whether to begin a life of religion now or to defer the subject a little longer. Our text calls upon all such to come to a decided choice to go one way or the other without delay.

If the Lord be God, follow him. If Baal, then follow him. In the name of God, I come now to treat with you on this subject. How long halt ye? Let us then inquire. Oh, why have you hitherto neglected to come to a decided choice?

Human Unwillingness Rather Than Inability

How long do you purpose to halt and why have you hitherto neglected to come to a decided choice? It is not for want of power to alter your disposition or make you willing to repent. You have all the faculties that Christians have.

The true penitent has no more natural power than the impenitent. The natural power of the Christian before and after repentance is precisely the same. It's a clear point. God does not condemn sinners for being unable, but for being unwilling to repent.

Let us appeal to the facts on this subject. There are some sinners now in the prison of hell. Were they able to repent, able or not able? The Lord punishes and will punish them to all eternity for not doing it.

Is it for the want of power or for the want of will that he punishes sinners? We had rather say it is for the want of will, inclination or disposition to obey his commands. It was not for the want of power that they did not repent.

It is not for the want of power that you have not yet repented for. You have all the power that you ever will have. You have all that is necessary. And if you had 10 ,000 times more than what you now have, it would not help the matter nor make you willing to obey God.

An increase of power would not help. Not is it because God requires anything unreasonable to repent, believe and obey. God is most reasonable. Oh, what can be more reasonable than that? You should be required to love God.

The Reasonableness of Loving God and Repenting of Sin

If you were required to love a deformed character, that would be hard. But it is not so that you are required to love a perfect character. There is not a single spot or stain in all God's character. This is the character which you are required to love with all your hearts.

Again, God requires you to repent of sin. Oh, what can be more reasonable than this? Is it hard that you should be required to feel sorrow for sin for that which is odious in itself, if you were required to feel sorrow for some good conduct of yours, that would be hard, but it is not.

So you are required only to fear sorrow that you have done wrong. So then why do you not love God? Oh, why do you not feel sorrow for sin? Oh, why do you not love to pray and praise and practice all the duties of religion?

Oh, why do you not come out of the world and be separate? Oh, why not come forward and espouse the cause of Christ? Why have you not done it already? Not because God requires anything hard or unreasonable.

It is more easy and more pleasant to walk in the path of duty than in the path of sin. It is far more pleasant and delightful to obey the commands of God than to disobey them. Why then have you not done it?

The Sinner Cannot Plead Ignorance

Surely not because God requires anything unreasonable, nor is it because you have not been instructed in your duty. I trust no one can plead ignorance on this subject. You cannot say that you did not know that there was a heaven and a hell, that you did not know it was your duty to repent and become Christians, that you did not know that God required you to love him and to pray to him.

You cannot say that you have not been warned to flee from the wrath to come, that you've not been called upon over and over again to begin a life of religion. You cannot say that the spirit of God has not been striving with you, that you have never been warned of the awful danger of resisting the strivance of his spirit.

You cannot say you have not been warned of the uncertainty of life. You cannot say that you did not know that you were here on trial for eternity, that you must die and go to the judgment seat of Christ, that unless you repent and believe, you must lie down in hell to all eternity.

You cannot plead ignorance. You have heard the gospel. Why then have you not complied with the terms of salvation? Why then have you not come to a decided choice? Surely it cannot be because you have not been warned.

The Futility of Delaying Repentance

Where is the enemy? Nor is it because you have not had time for what time was given you, but to prepare for eternity. Life and death have for a long time been set before you. Sabbath after Sabbath and year after year, you have been called upon to make your choice.

You have found time to sin. But why is it you have found no time to repent and pray and become Christians? Suppose you had died yesterday or the last year. You could not have said that you had not time to prepare for death.

The reason, then, why you have not yet come to decide a choice is not because you have not had time. What can it be? Where is the enemy? Nor is it because the subject is not important. The importance of the subject of religion is acknowledged by all.

The Eternal Importance of the Soul

You may feel as though you had some important worldly business to transact. But after all, it amounts to nothing. All is vanity. The fashion of this world passes away after all their labor and sorrow, high and low, rich and poor, that meet together and lie down in the grave at last.

If you have not been laying up treasure in heaven, you've been laboring in vain compared with the subject of religion. All other subjects dwindle into nothing. The world itself will shortly have an end.

The end of all things is at hand. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. But the soul is immortal of all that you possess. That alone will survive the runes of time. What shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul?

Eternal life and eternal death are before you. And will you say that the subject is not important? If the sinner, after suffering in hell, could then be delivered, the subject would not be so important.

Were you condemned to burn in the flames for only a thousand years? How would you feel? What horror would seize you? Would not your taste be awful? Should you not be alarmed? But this is nothing. If the sinner, after suffering in hell thousands and thousands of years, could then hear the sound of pardon, it would not be so alarming.

We would not be so anxious for him. We would not press him so hard to attend to the subject. We would let him alone. He might then go on. But it is not so. When the soul is once gone, it is gone forever.

There is no coming back to enjoy a state of probation. He must suffer while God endures. The reason, then, why you have not come to a decided choice is not because the subject is not important, nor is it because salvation is not freely offered.

Salvation is freely offered. Aho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. The spirit and the bride say come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give thee rest. All things are now ready, and you are invited, entreated, nay, commanded to accept. This always has been the case. Salvation always has been freely offered to you.

The reason, then, why you have not come to a decided choice is not because salvation has not been freely offered. It is now freely offered. It has always been, and depend upon it will never be more freely offered, nor is it because you intend to die without religion, though you may labor to silence your fears and to soothe your conscience, yet you cannot always succeed, though you cast off fear and restrain prayer, yet at times you cannot but reflect on the shortness of human life, that its pleasures, at longest, are quickly over and gone forever.

The Certainty of Death and Judgment

Even in laughter, the heart is sad. The things of time are fast fading, and will soon forever retire from our sight. You know you must die and go to judgment, yet these blooming bodies on which you fondly dote must fade and die.

I well know that you intend to die the death of the righteous, so did wicked Balaam, so did all who are now in hell. Could you not be admitted to those unhappy regions? Not one could be found who had made his calculations to come into that place of torment, and you are now treading in their steps.

We know that you do not intend to die without religion, for you were assured that within a few days you must lie down in eternal sorrows, in the horrors of despair. You would now break into cries and shrieks of the damned.

Your hearts would pound away in a mournful complaint. Who can dwell with the devouring fire? Who can dwell with everlasting burnings? It is evident, then, that the reason you do not come to this side of choice is not because you intend to die without religion.

The Wicked Heart as the True Obstacle

What, then, can be the difficulty? You have all the power you will ever have. God's requirements are most reasonable. The terms of salvation will never be altered. You have had enough time. The subject is of overwhelming importance.

Salvation is freely offered. It will never be more freely offered. What can be the difficulty? I will tell you. Say, as Esther of Haman, the adversary and the enemy is this wicked heart. You do not like the duties of religion.

These hearts are so wicked that you will not come to Christ. This is true reason. The reason why we call on you to repent and believe is not because you cannot, but because you will not. The reason why God will punish you for not obeying is not because you cannot, but because you will not.

The reason why the almighty power of God is necessary to draw you is not because you cannot, but because you will not come to Christ. The whole difficulty is to be explained by correcting the sinner's view of his own depravity on the doctrines of grace.

All the difficulties meet in the same point. Wrong views of human depravity only admit that the sinner never has and never will do what he can, and you will see why we call, why God commands, why he will punish, and why his power is necessary to subdue the human heart.

Man's heart is so wicked that it needs almighty power to make him do what he can, not what he cannot. Many other methods of explaining the difficulty have been attempted, but all have failed. They have never been able to bring the monster to light.

Indeed, nothing else can hinder your loving God. Nothing else can hinder your sorrow for sin. You're praying and obeying all the commands of God. This is the reason which conscience assigns. This is the reason which God will assign when you stand at his bar.

The Urgency of Deciding Today

We have seen the reason why you have hitherto neglected to come to a decided choice. Let us inquire, how long do you propose to halt? How long halt ye? My hearers, this is a question of infinite importance.

I've come now to treat with you on the subject. Here I would inquire, how long have you put off the subject? How many years have you lived without God in the world? How many warnings have you neglected?

How long has the spirit of God been striving with you? How many years have gone out, gone out of your own probation? So long God has been waiting to be gracious. What, and you have not repented? Not yet begun to live a life of religion?

Then so many years have gone out of your day of probation and nothing is done. So much of the precious day of salvation you have spent worse than in vain. All this while you have only been hardening your hearts in vain.

Once more we beseech you to make a solemn pause. All warnings hitherto have proved ineffectual. Sometimes, like Felix, you have begun to startle and look about while the awful realities of eternity are sounding in your ears.

For a moment, you have been brought upon the point of deciding, but you go away and all is forgotten. Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. The business has ended only in a vain and empty resolution, and the whole serves only to harden.

No decided choice is yet made. Now, how long do you purpose to conduct in this manner? We entreat you, my hearers, to decide the business today. When will you take up the subject of religion in earnest?

How long halt ye? Our text demands the time. Pause, that you may fix the time now. To help your decision, I will suggest the thought that God sees you. Another that God's Spirit will not always strive.

Another that death is certain, and you have no security of life for a single moment. My hearers, if there is nothing in religion, then renounce it. If the Bible is a farce, then fling it away. But if it be true, as we all profess, why hesitate to obey its precepts now?

Being true, it is tremendously true, the world will be in flames. How long halt ye? Ye parents who never worshipped God in your families, our text speaks to you. Your consciences have often been alarmed.

The Call to Family Worship and Household Religion

At times, you have been almost persuaded to adopt the resolution. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. You have been upon the point of assembling your families, and of carrying their wants to the throne of grace, and of breaking through all the difficulties at once.

But hitherto, your resolution has failed. Do you not see that you are likely to die as you are? Can you not look forward a little and see that you are going to the judgment seat without once having prayed to God in your families?

Do you intend to die as you are? If not, will you decide the point? Go one way or the other. If the Lord be God, then serve Him. How long halt ye? Our subject speaks to you who are in the morning of life.

Youth, Worldly Companionship, and the Call to Follow Christ

The present is a season peculiarly interesting. Many of your companions are alarmed and anxious for their souls. A number we trust have already come to a decided choice. They no longer halt between two opinions.

They have chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away. They are now ready to leave all. No longer do they stand halting between two opinions, whether to pursue the fantasies of the world, or not to engage in all the duties of religion.

They are now about to bid you a long and eternal farewell. At such a season, many anxious thoughts arise in your mind. While you see one and another of your companions leaving you, you cannot but reflect that you too have had a soul to be saved or lost.

Many seem now to be halting between two opinions. On the one hand, you are unwilling to leave your sinful pleasures and companions. You are afraid of incurring the displeasure of God's enemies. You are ashamed to have it thought that you have any concern for your soul.

You are ashamed to come out from the world and openly espouse the cause of Christ. You are waiting for each other. You are ashamed of Christ, the Savior of sinners. Nay, you are even ashamed of the God that made you.

On the other, you know that friendship of the world is enmity with God, that the companion of fools shall be destroyed. You know that the season of your life will soon be over and gone forever, that you must die and go to judgment.

You know that the Spirit of God will not always strive with man, that your day of grace is limited, that soon you will have passed the bounds of divine mercy. At times, these thoughts alarm you. Is it not so, my friends?

Perhaps you are now upon the point of deciding, and have so been before. Your situation is no better, but this is the day, worse than ever. How long will you trifle with your soul? How long will you dally with eternal realities?

This indecision is what renders your situation so alarming. This is the high road to perdition. It is the path which all the wicked have trod, who've gone down to hell before you. They went halting between two opinions, and flattering themselves that they should certainly escape the torments of hell, and you are now heading in their steps.

Wholehearted Discipleship and the Cost of Following Christ

My young friends, God will not be mocked. The business of religion, above all others, requires decision. God requires the whole heart. He will have that, or he will have nothing. You are required to break off all your sins, to come out from the world and be separate.

You are required to leave all, to take up every cross, and to follow Christ now. If you halt at this, it will be of no use for you to think on the subject. You are required to endure shame and reproach for his sake.

If you halt at this, Christ will have nothing to do with you. If you are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of you. You may think to obtain the favor of Christ by giving him a part of your services, by compromising with God.

This is sometimes the case with those who feel some concern for their souls. Being ashamed of Christ, they have resolved to be religious and secret, and openly serve the world. But you will not succeed in this attempt.

No man can serve two masters. You may be in this way, obtain a false hope, but you will not secure the favor of God. God will abhor all that you do. If you are not willing to engage in all the duties of religion and give yourself wholly to God, you may stop where you are.

The path to heaven is too straight. The righteous who take to themselves the whole armor of God will scarcely be saved. Do you fear the reproach of your companions? Are you so weak and so timid? Think, what is the breath of an enemy of God, to the blast of the soul by the breath of the Almighty?

If you fear the frown of a fellow worm, how will you stand in judgment with an angry God? Be entreated to stand halting no longer. Go one way or the other with all your hearts. Life and death are now set before you, and God is witness to the choice you make.

The Final Appeal to Choose Life or Death

In view of all that God and religion require, how long halt ye? In view of all the scorn and contempt of wicked men, how long halt ye? Finally, if the joys of heaven will not allure, if a bleeding Savior has no charms for you, if the thunder of his vengeance does not strike terror through your guilty souls, then halt no longer.

Go on. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth. Cast off fear and restrain prayer. Trample under foot the Son of God. Resist the strivings of the Holy Spirit.

Sport with eternal vengeance and defy the thunders of the Almighty. But remember that your fair morning will soon be turned into darkness. When your course is run, your bodies will fall into the grave and your souls into the hands of the living God.