Scriptural Christianity

SCRIPTURAL CHRISTIANITY.

Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the

University, August 24, 1744.

“Anyone who hears the alarm of the trumpet but ignores the warning—if the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.” Ezekiel 33:4.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 4:31.

1This exact same phrase appears earlier in the second chapter of Acts, where we read: “When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all” (the apostles, along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers) “together in one place with one heart and purpose. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” One immediate result was that “they began to speak in other languages,” so that Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and other visitors who “gathered in a crowd when they heard this sound heard them declaring the wonderful works of God in their own native languages” (Acts 2:1-6).

2Here in the fourth chapter, we read that after the apostles and fellow believers had been praying and praising God together, “the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Yet here we find no visible sign like the tongues of fire in the earlier account. Nor are we told that the extraordinary, miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to all or any of them on this occasion—such as the gifts of “healing, performing other miracles, prophecy, discerning between spirits, speaking in various kinds of tongues, or interpreting tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:9,10).

3Whether those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were meant to remain in the church throughout every generation, or whether they will be restored as we draw closer to the final “restoration of all things,” are questions we do not need to settle right now. What we do need to notice is that even in the very infancy of the church, God distributed those miraculous gifts sparingly. Even back then, was everyone a prophet? Did everyone perform miracles? Did everyone have gifts of healing, or did everyone speak in tongues? Not at all! Perhaps not even one believer in a thousand did—most likely only the teachers in the church, and only some of them (1 Corinthians 12:28-30). It was therefore for a far higher and more essential purpose than miraculous signs that “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”

4That purpose was to give them what no one can deny is essential for all Christians in every age: the very mind and character of Christ—those holy fruits of the Spirit without which no one truly belongs to him. They were filled with the Spirit so that their lives would overflow with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness” (Galatians 5:22-24); to equip them with faith—or perhaps faithfulness—gentleness, and self-control; to empower them to crucify the sinful nature with all its passions, cravings, and desires; and, as a result of that deep inward transformation, to fulfill all outward righteousness—living just as Christ lived, in “work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope” (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

5Without getting sidetracked by speculative, unnecessary debates about the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, let us look closely at these ordinary fruits of the Spirit, which we are assured will remain throughout all generations. Let us examine that great work of God among humanity that we call by a single word: Christianity—not as a collection of opinions or a system of doctrines, but as a living reality in people’s hearts and lives. It will be helpful to consider this true Christianity from three distinct angles: I. As it first begins in individual hearts.

II. As it spreads from person to person.

III. As it eventually covers the whole earth.

I intend to close these reflections with a direct, practical application.

1First, let us examine Christianity at its very beginning, as it first springs to life within an individual.

Imagine someone who heard the Apostle Peter preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Pierced to the heart and convicted of sin, this person repented and put their trust in Jesus. Through this God-given faith—which is the confident assurance of what we hope for and the convincing evidence of realities we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1)—he immediately received the Spirit of adoption, prompting him to cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15). Now, for the very first time, he could truly call Jesus “Lord” by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3), as the Spirit himself testified together with his spirit that he was a child of God (Romans 8:16). Now he could genuinely say, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

2The very heart of his faith was this divine conviction and inward assurance of the Father’s love, shown through his beloved Son to him—a sinner now welcomed and accepted in the Beloved. And “having been justified by faith, he had peace with God” (Romans 5:1)—indeed, the very peace of God ruled in his heart. This peace, which surpasses all mere human reasoning and understanding, guarded his heart and mind from every doubt and fear because he truly knew the One in whom he trusted. He had no fear of bad news, for his heart was steadfast, trusting in the Lord. He was not afraid of anything mere mortals could do to him, knowing that even the hairs on his head were all numbered. He did not fear all the powers of darkness, whom God was daily crushing beneath his feet. Least of all was he afraid to die; in fact, he longed to “depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23), who through his death had destroyed the devil—the one who held the power of death—and set free those who all their lives until then had been held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:15).

3Therefore, his soul glorified the Lord, and his spirit rejoiced in God his Savior. He rejoiced with inexpressible joy in the One who had reconciled him to God the Father, and in whom he had redemption through his blood—the forgiveness of sins. He rejoiced in the inward testimony of God’s Spirit with his spirit that he was a child of God. Even more, he rejoiced in the confident hope of sharing God’s glory: the hope of having the glorious image of God fully restored in his soul in righteousness and true holiness, and the hope of receiving that crown of glory—an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

4“God’s love was also poured out into his heart through the Holy Spirit, who had been given to him” (Romans 5:5). “Because he was a son, God sent the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). That childlike love for God grew stronger every day through the inward testimony he carried within himself (1 John 5:10) of God’s forgiving love toward him, as he marveled at “what great love the Father had lavished on him, that he should be called a child of God” (1 John 3:1). God became the supreme desire of his eyes and the joy of his heart—his treasure both in this life and for all eternity.

5Loving God like this, he could not help loving his fellow human beings as well—and “not merely with words or talk, but with actions and in truth.” He reasoned, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11)—yes, every single human soul, because “the Lord’s compassion rests on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). In keeping

with this, the heart of this lover of God embraced all humanity for God’s sake. This included people he had never met face to face, and people about whom he knew nothing except that they were God’s offspring, for whose souls God’s Son had died. It even included the wicked and the ungrateful—and above all, his enemies, those who hated, persecuted, or mistreated him because of his Master. They held a special place both in his heart and in his prayers; he loved them just as Christ loved us.

6Furthermore, “love is not proud or boastful” (1 Corinthians 13:4). It humbles to the very dust every soul in which it lives. Accordingly, he was humble in heart, seeing himself as small and unworthy in his own eyes. He neither sought nor accepted praise from people, desiring only the approval that comes from God alone. He was gentle and patient, kind to everyone, and approachable and willing to listen. Faithfulness and truth never left him; they were bound around his neck and written deep on the tablet of his heart. By that same Spirit he was enabled to practice self-control in all things, quieting and restraining his soul like a weaned child. He was “crucified to the world, and the world was crucified to him,” rising above “the cravings of the sinful nature, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” Through that same all-powerful love, he was rescued from anger and pride, from lust and vanity, from selfish ambition and greed, and from every attitude that was contrary to the spirit of Christ.

7Naturally, someone with this kind of love in his heart would never do anything to harm his neighbor. It was impossible for him knowingly and deliberately to hurt anyone. He stayed as far away as possible from cruelty and injustice, and from any unfair or unkind action. With the same vigilance, he “set a guard over his mouth and kept watch over the door of his lips,” so that his speech would never violate justice, mercy, or truth. He put away all lying, falsehood, and deceit; no dishonesty was found in his mouth. He spoke evil of no one, and not an unkind word ever crossed his lips.

8Deeply aware of the truth of Jesus’ words, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” he recognized his constant need to be refreshed and sustained by God every single moment. So he faithfully participated every day in all the means of grace God has appointed as the regular channels of his blessing to humanity: in the apostles’ teaching, eagerly welcoming that spiritual nourishment into his heart; in the breaking of bread, where he experienced true communion in the body of Christ; and in the prayers and praises offered up by the gathered congregation. In this way, he daily grew in grace, gaining strength and deepening in the knowledge and love of God.

9Yet merely refraining from doing harm was never enough to satisfy him. His soul thirsted to do good. The constant cry of his heart was, “‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’ My Lord went around doing good; shouldn't I walk in his footsteps?” Whenever he had the opportunity—even if he could not do some higher spiritual good—he fed the hungry, clothed the naked, helped orphans and strangers, and visited and cared for those who were sick or in prison. He generously shared all his possessions to feed the poor. He gladly worked and suffered for others, eagerly denying himself wherever he could be of benefit to someone else. He considered nothing too precious to give up for them, always remembering the words of his Lord: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

10That is what Christianity looked like at its birth. That is what a Christian was in the early days. That describes every single one of those believers who, when they heard the threats of the chief priests and elders, “raised their voices together in prayer to God and were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” “All the believers were one in heart and mind”—so powerfully did the love of the One they trusted compel them to love one another! “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had”—so completely were they crucified to the world, and the world to them! “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). “And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For all those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:31-35).

1Second, let us look at how this living Christianity spreads from one person to another, gradually making its way across the world. This was always God’s design, for he does not light a lamp to hide it under a bowl, but to give light to everyone in the house. Our Lord declared to his first disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” giving them the overarching command: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

2Indeed, if even a handful of people filled with such love for humanity looked out and saw “the whole world lying in the grip of evil,” could we possibly imagine them remaining indifferent to the misery of those for whom their Lord died? Wouldn't their hearts ache with deep compassion and break over their plight? Could they stand around idle all day long, even if they had no explicit command from the One they loved? Wouldn't they work with everything they had, using every possible means to snatch some of these people from the fire? Undoubtedly they would! They would spare no effort to bring back anyone they could among those poor wandering sheep to “the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls” (1 Peter 2:25).

3And that is exactly what the early Christians did. Whenever they had an opportunity, they worked hard “to do good to all people” (Galatians 6:10), urgently warning them to flee from the coming wrath and escape the judgment of hell right now. They proclaimed, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). They called out earnestly, “Turn! Turn from your evil ways, so that sin will not be your downfall!” (Ezekiel 18:30). They reasoned with people about “righteousness and self-control”—the very virtues that stood in contrast to their besetting sins—and about “the judgment to come,” the righteous wrath of God that will certainly fall on wrongdoers on the day when he judges the world (Acts 24:25).

4In doing so, they sought to speak to each person according to their specific spiritual need. To the careless—those sleeping unconcerned in darkness and in the shadow of death—they thundered, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” But to those who were already awakened from their slumber and groaning under a heavy sense of God’s judgment, their message was, “We have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Meanwhile, they spurred fellow believers on toward love and good deeds, encouraging them to persevere faithfully in doing good and to grow more and more in that holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

5And their labor in the Lord was not in vain. God’s word spread rapidly and was honored; it grew in power and prevailed. Yet the more the gospel advanced, the more hostility and offense it stirred up. The world in general was offended because the Christians testified that its deeds were evil (John 7:7). Lovers of pleasure were offended—not only because the lives of these believers stood as a constant rebuke to their lifestyle (“He claims to know God,” they complained, “and calls himself a child of the Lord; his life is different from everyone else’s, and he shuns our ways as if they were filthy, boasting that God is his Father,” Wisdom of Solomon 2:13-16), but even more because so many of their old friends were being won over and refused to plunge into the same flood of wild dissipation with them anymore (1 Peter 4:4). People of high status and reputation were offended because, as the gospel spread, they lost their exaggerated prestige among the public; believers no longer dared to heap flattering titles on them or give human beings the honor that belongs to God alone. Businessmen and merchants called meetings and said, “Friends, you know that we get a good income from this business, and you see and hear how these fellows have convinced and led astray large numbers of people, threatening to ruin our trade!” (Acts 19:25, etc.). Above all, the “religious” establishment—people of merely outward religion, the “saints of the world”—were deeply offended and ready at every turn to shout, “Fellow Israelites, help! We have found these men to be troublemakers, stirring up riots all over the world!” (Acts 24:5). “These are the men who are teaching everyone everywhere against our people and against this holy place!” (Acts 21:28).

6So the sky grew dark with storm clouds, and the tempest gathered force. The further Christianity spread, the more damage it seemed to cause in the eyes of those who rejected it. More and more people grew furious at these believers who had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), until crowds were shouting, “Rid the earth of them! They aren't fit to live!” Many even sincerely believed that anyone who killed them would be doing a service to God.

7Meanwhile, critics relentlessly smeared their reputation as evil (Luke 6:22), until this movement was “spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22). People spread every kind of vicious slander against them, just as had been done to the prophets before them (Matthew 5:12). Whatever accusation anyone made up, others were eager to believe, until grievances against them multiplied like the stars in the sky. And so, at the time appointed beforehand by the Father, full-scale persecution broke out in every form. For a time, some suffered only public disgrace and insults; others had their property confiscated; some faced jeers and flogging; others were chained and thrown into prison; and still others resisted to the point of shedding their blood (Hebrews 10:34; Hebrews 11:36 11:36, etc.).

8That was when the very pillars of hell were shaken, and the kingdom of God spread further and further! Everywhere, sinners were “turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” God gave his children such words and such wisdom that none of their opponents could stand against them or contradict them, and their lives spoke just as powerfully as their words. Above all, their suffering spoke to the entire world. They proved themselves to be true servants of God “in troubles, hardships, and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in hard work, in dangers at sea and dangers in the wilderness, in exhaustion and pain, in hunger and thirst, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 6:4, etc.). And when, after fighting the good fight, they were led like sheep to the slaughter and poured out as a sacrifice of faith, every drop of their blood found a voice—forcing even the pagans to admit, “Though dead, they still speak!”

9That is how Christianity spread across the earth. Yet how quickly weeds sprang up among the wheat, and the secret power of lawlessness began working alongside the mystery of godliness! How soon Satan found a throne right inside the temple of God, until the true church had to flee into the wilderness, and the faithful once again became a tiny remnant among humanity! Here we are walking over familiar historical ground: the steadily worsening corruptions of later centuries have been thoroughly documented again and again by the faithful witnesses God raised up in every era to prove that he had “built his church upon a rock, and the gates of hell would not” completely “prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

1Yet shall we not see even greater things than these? Yes—greater than anything the world has witnessed since the beginning of time! Can Satan cause God’s truth to fail or make his promises empty? If not, the time is coming when true Christianity will triumph over all and cover the earth. Let us pause for a moment and take in this astonishing vision—the third point we set out to explore: a truly Christian world. The prophets of old searched and inquired intently about this day (1 Peter 1:10, 11, etc.), and the Spirit within them testified of it: “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it... They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:1-4). “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people... He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth” (Isaiah 11:10-12). “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them... They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6-9).

2The great Apostle Paul speaks to the exact same promise in words that clearly have never yet been fulfilled: “Did God reject his people? By no means!... Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles... Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!... I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:1, 11, 25, 26).

3Imagine now that the fullness of time has arrived and these prophecies are fulfilled. What a breathtaking scene! Everything is filled with peace, quietness, and unshakeable security forever. There is no clash of weapons, no roar of battle, no garments soaked in blood. Devastation has come to a permanent end, and war has vanished from the earth. Nor is there any internal strife left—no neighbor turning against neighbor, no nation or city torn apart from within by bitter division. Civil conflict is over forever, and no one is left to harm or destroy another. There is no oppression to drive even a wise person mad, no extortion to crush the poor, no robbery or wrongdoing, no plunder or injustice, because everyone is content with what they have. Thus “righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10); they take deep root and fill the land, with righteousness flourishing from the earth and peace looking down from heaven.

4And wherever righteousness and justice flourish, mercy is found right alongside them. The earth is no longer filled with homes of cruelty. The Lord has done away with the bloodthirsty and malicious, the envious and revengeful. Even if a provocation could arise, no one knows how to repay evil for evil anymore—and in truth, no one does evil at all, not a single person, for everyone is as gentle and harmless as a dove. Filled with peace and joy through trusting God, and united as one body by one Spirit, they all love one another as brothers and sisters, sharing one heart and one soul. “No one claims that any of their possessions is their own.” No one among them is left in need, because everyone loves their neighbor as themselves, and all live by a single rule: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

5As a result, not an unkind word is ever heard among them—no harsh arguments, no quarreling of any kind, no insults or slander. Instead, everyone “speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction and kindness are on their tongue.” They are equally incapable of fraud or deceit. Their love is completely sincere, without hypocrisy. Their words always honestly express their thoughts, opening a clear window into their souls so that anyone who looks into their hearts will see nothing there but God and love.

6In this way, wherever the Lord Almighty takes up his great power and reigns, he brings all things under his loving rule, causing every heart to overflow with love and filling every mouth with praise. “Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15). “Arise, shine,” says the Lord,

“for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you... Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise... Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor... The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (Isaiah 60:1, 16-19).

Having briefly traced true Christianity as it begins in the individual heart, as it spreads from person to person, and as it will one day cover the earth, it remains for me to close with a plain, practical application.

1First, let me ask: Where does this Christianity exist today? Where, I ask you, do such Christians actually live? Which country on earth has citizens who are all filled with the Holy Spirit like this—who are all one in heart and soul, who refuse to let anyone among them go in need, and who continually share with everyone according to their need? Where is the nation whose people, one and all, have the love of God filling their hearts and compelling them to love their neighbors as themselves—who have all clothed themselves with tender compassion, humility, gentleness, and patience, never offending in word or deed against justice, mercy, or truth, but treating everyone in every situation just as they would want to be treated? How can we honestly call any nation a “Christian country” if it does not match this description? Let us be honest and admit that we have never yet seen a truly Christian country on the face of the earth.

2My brothers, I beg you by the mercies of God: even if you consider me a madman or a fool, bear with me for a moment as a fool. It is urgently necessary that someone speak to you with complete honesty and plainness. And it is especially urgent right now—for who knows whether this may be your last warning? Who knows how soon the righteous Judge may declare, “I will no longer listen to prayers for this people; even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in this land, they could save only themselves”? And who will speak this plain truth to you if I do not? Therefore I—even I—must speak. And in the name of the living God, I urge you not to harden your hearts against receiving a blessing through my words. Do not say in your hearts, “Even if you convince me, you will never persuade me!”—or in other words, “Lord, you may not send your message through this messenger; I would rather die in my sins than be saved through this man!”

3Brothers, “even though I speak like this, I am convinced of better things concerning you.” Let me ask you, then, in tender love and a spirit of gentleness: Is this city a Christian city? Is true, biblical Christianity found here in Oxford? Taken as a community, are we so “filled with the Holy Spirit” that we experience in our hearts and display in our lives the genuine fruit of the Spirit? Are all the city magistrates, all the heads and governors of the colleges and halls, and all their respective academic bodies (not to mention the townspeople) “of one heart and one soul”? Has “the love of God been poured out into our hearts”? Do our attitudes and dispositions match those of Christ, and do our daily lives reflect him? Are we “holy in all we do, just as the One who called us is holy”?

4Please notice that I am not talking here about any peculiar sectarian ideas or controversial theories. The question before us has nothing to do with debatable opinions of one party or another; it concerns the undeniable, foundational essentials—if anything deserves that name—of our shared Christian faith. And to answer that question, I appeal directly to your own conscience in the light of God’s Word. If your own heart does not condemn you, then go free.

5In the reverent fear and very presence of the great God before whom both you and I must soon stand, I urge those of you who hold positions of authority over us—whom I deeply respect because of your office—to examine yourselves honestly, without pretending before God: Are you “filled with the Holy Spirit”? Are you living portraits of the One you have been appointed to represent among humanity? Scripture says to magistrates and rulers, “I said, ‘You are gods’”—because by your office you stand as representatives of the God of heaven! In your various ranks and responsibilities, you are meant to reflect “the Lord our Governor” before our eyes. Are all the thoughts of your hearts, all your attitudes and ambitions, worthy of that high calling? Are all your words like the words that come from the mouth of God? Are all your actions marked by dignity and love—a moral greatness beyond words that can flow only from a heart filled with God, yet combined with the deep humility fitting for frail human beings made of dust?

6And what of you venerable scholars and professors, who are specially called to shape the impressionable minds of the young, to clear away the shadows of ignorance and error, and to train them to be wise for salvation? Are you “filled with the Holy Spirit,” overflowing with all those fruits of the Spirit that your vital calling so urgently requires? Are your hearts wholly devoted to God, burning with love and zeal to establish his kingdom on earth? Do you continually remind the students under your care that the one true purpose of all our studies is to know, love, and serve “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent”? Do you impress upon them day after day that love alone never fails—whereas languages will cease and philosophical knowledge will pass away—and that without love, all academic learning is nothing but splendid ignorance, pretentious folly, and chasing after the wind? Does everything you teach actually lead students toward loving God and loving all humanity for his sake? Do you keep this goal firmly in view in everything you assign—in the subjects, methods, and workload of their studies—longing and working so that wherever these young soldiers of Christ are sent, they may shine as bright, burning lights who honor the gospel of Christ in everything? And allow me to ask: Are you pouring all your strength into this immense responsibility you have undertaken? Are you working at it with all your might, engaging every faculty of your soul and using every gift God has entrusted to you to the very utmost of your ability?

7Do not say that I am speaking as if every student under your care were preparing to become an ordained minister. Not at all; I am only speaking as if they were all meant to be Christians! Yet what kind of example do we set for them—we who enjoy the generous endowments left by our founders: the fellows, scholars, and senior members of the university, especially those of rank and distinction? Brothers, do you abound in the fruit of the Spirit—in humility of mind, in self-denial and discipline, in seriousness and steadiness of spirit, in patience, gentleness, moderation, and self-control? Are you tireless and relentless in seeking to do every kind of good for all people, relieving their physical needs and bringing their souls to a true knowledge and love of God? Is that the general reputation of the Fellows of our colleges? I am afraid it is not. Instead, haven't pride and arrogance, impatience and irritability, laziness and idleness, overindulgence and sensuality, and even a proverbial uselessness been charged against us—and perhaps not only by our enemies, nor entirely without reason? Oh, may God wipe away this disgrace from us, so that the very memory of it may perish forever!

8Many of us here have been set apart even more directly for God, ordained to minister in sacred things. Are we setting an example for the believers “in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12)? Is “Holiness to the Lord” inscribed upon our foreheads and upon our hearts? With what motives did we enter the ministry? Was it truly with a single-minded desire “to serve God, trusting that we were inwardly called by the Holy Spirit to take up this ministry for the promotion of his glory and the building up of his people,” as we promised at our ordination? Have we “resolved, by God’s grace, to give ourselves wholly to this calling”? Do we lay aside all worldly ambitions and distractions as much as we possibly can, devoting ourselves completely to this one mission and focusing all our studies and efforts toward it? Are we skilled and ready to teach—and have we been taught by God ourselves so that we are able to teach others? Do we actually know God? Do we know Jesus Christ? Has God revealed his Son in us, and has he made us competent ministers of the new covenant? Where, then, is the living proof of our ministry? Who that was dead in trespasses and sins has been brought to life through our preaching? Do we have such a burning passion to rescue souls from death that for their sake we often even forget to eat? Do we preach plainly, “setting forth the truth openly and commending ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2)? Are we dead to the world and its attractions, storing up all our treasure in heaven? Do we lord it over those entrusted to our care, or are we the least of all and the servants of all? When we face insults for the sake of Christ, does it weigh heavily on us, or do we rejoice in it? When we are struck on one cheek, do we resent it and bristle at every slight, or do we turn the other cheek as well—not retaliating against evil, but overcoming evil with good? Are we driven by a harsh, bitter zeal that makes us argue angrily and fiercely with those who are in error, or is our zeal a pure flame of love that guides every word we speak with gentleness, humility, and wise meekness?

9Once more: what shall we say about the young students of this university? Do you have either the outward form or the inward power of Christian godliness? Are you humble, teachable, and open to guidance—or stubborn, self-willed, reckless, and arrogant? Do you respect and obey your tutors and leaders as you would your parents, or do you look down on those to whom you owe the deepest respect? Are you diligent in your studies, pursuing your work with all your energy? Do you make the most of every opportunity, packing as much purposeful work into each day as it can hold? Or do you know in your own hearts that you waste day after day—either reading things that have nothing to do with Christian character, or gambling, or doing who knows what? Are you any more responsible with your money than you are with your time? Out of Christian integrity, do you make sure to pay your debts and owe no one anything? Do you “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” dedicating it to the focused worship of God? When you attend chapel or church, do you remember that God is actually present there, and do you conduct yourselves as those who see the One who is invisible? Do you know how to control your own bodies in holiness and honor? Aren't drunkenness and sexual immorality found right here among you? Indeed, aren't some of you even boasting about things you should be ashamed of? Don't many of you misuse the name of God—perhaps casually and habitually, without the slightest remorse or fear of God? Worse still, isn't there a large—and I fear rapidly growing—number of you who are guilty of breaking solemn oaths? Do not be shocked, brothers. Before God and this congregation, I confess that I myself was once among that number, solemnly swearing to obey university customs I knew nothing about and statutes I did not even read at the time—or for years afterward! If that is not perjury, what is? And if it is, what a crushing weight of sin—sin of the most serious kind—rests upon us! Does the Most High God not see and take note of it?

10Could this be one reason why so many of you have become a generation of triflers—treating God, one another, and your own immortal souls as a joke? How few of you spend even a single hour from one week to the next in private prayer! How few of you give any real thought to God in the general course of your daily lives! Who among you has any personal experience of the work of the Holy Spirit—his supernatural transforming work in the human soul? Apart from occasionally hearing about him in church, can you even stand to hear anyone talk about the Holy Spirit? If someone brought up the work of the Spirit in ordinary conversation, wouldn't you immediately assume it was either hypocrisy or religious fanaticism? In the name of the Lord God Almighty, I ask you: What religion do you actually belong to? You cannot and will not tolerate even the mention of genuine Christianity! Oh, my brothers, what kind of “Christian city” is this? “It is time for you to act, O Lord!”

11Humanly speaking, what likelihood—indeed, what possibility—is there that true, biblical Christianity will ever again become the living faith of this place, so that people of every rank among us speak and live as those who are “filled with the Holy Spirit”? Who will lead such a restoration? Will it be those of you in positions of authority? Are you genuinely convinced that what I have described is true biblical Christianity? Do you truly want to see it restored—and are you willing to risk your wealth, your freedom, and your very lives to be used by God to restore it? Even if you had that desire, who among you has the spiritual power required for such a task? Perhaps a few of you have made faint attempts, but with how little result! Will Christianity, then, be restored by young, unknown, insignificant men? I doubt whether you would even tolerate that; wouldn't some of you indignantly protest, “Young man, by saying this you are insulting us”? Yet there is little danger of your patience being tested that way, for sin has swept over us like a flood. Whom, then, will God send to bring us back to our first love—famine, plague (God’s final messengers to a guilty nation), or the sword of foreign Catholic armies? No—“let us fall into your hands, O Lord, and do not let us fall into human hands!”

Lord, save us, or we perish! Lift us out of the mire so that we do not sink! Help us against these enemies, for human help is worthless. With you all things are possible. By the greatness of your power, spare those who are condemned to die, and rescue us in whatever way seems best to you—not as we will, but as you will!