Sermon #6
Pullquote
There is something in this text very humiliating to the self-righteous, but glorious and soul reviving to the repenting burdened sinner. The self-righteous person is always disposed to claim a title to salvation of his own merit; to claim it in part as a debt due to him for his supposed good works. But by this text we are plainly assured that salvation is wholly an unmerited favor. There is here no room left, but for the deepest humility. Salvation, however glorious a thing, however earnestly we may desire it, is what we never can procure of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
Comment
Young Fisher clearly considered the sermon effective: he preached it roughly ten times around Boston and the Blue Hill Peninsula (District of Maine) while seeking a pastoral call. This was exactly the kind of sermon I expected to encounter when I started transcribing his sermons. Free Grace was a staple theme among orthodox, Calvinist Congregationalist preachers in early 18th-century New England. The sermon is brimming with Scriptural references:
The apostle in his epistle to Titus is very explicit in this matter “Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the working of regeneration, and renewal of the holy ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” _ These texts are not alone; there are multitudes of others to the same effect which together with these form a cloud of witnesses in behalf of God, that the kingdom is his own and that he giveth it to whosoever he pleaseth. _ So. This is what you are to do, this what we must all do, we must fly to the throne of grace; we must earnestly plead with God for mercy, _ we must give him no rest til he speak comfortably to us.
20th-century Welsh Congregationalist preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones described Puritan preaching as “Logic on fire! Eloquent reason!” In other words, it was sharp, clear thinking—full of passion and power. Fisher arrived on the scene 100 years after The Puritan Century, but he preached the same way: deep, Bible-based messages that challenged listeners head-on. What made his sermons come alive was the Holy Spirit—lighting up hearts, stirring people to real faith, and urging them on to obedient, active Christian lives. Fisher wrapped up this sermon with a heartfelt, urgent plea:
Now, my friends, will you embrace this one thing. The subject of which we have been treating is not a matter which merely concerns somebody at a distance, we know not whom; it is a matter which concerns every one of us present; there is not a soul in this assembly, but what has interest here of eternal importance. _ For as surely as we have souls to save, so surely a change must be wrought in us by the influence of the divine Spirit. – And that we may be favored with these influences we must be constant in our prayers. _ Pray, pray, without ceasing, be earnest in your entreaties, and the God of all grace grant you an answer of peace, through Christ our Lord.
All of the sermons I’ve transcribed, so far, follow this format in Sermon 6:
- There is a title page, followed by the dates and locations where it was preached.
- Next, Fisher lists a few hymns for congregational singing
- A text from the Bible in Hebrew or Greek, which were as familiar to Fisher as English, provides the thesis or topic.
- Bold numbers in the text of the sermon denote page numbers.
- Margin notes or references are in parentheses.
- / / indicates sermon text, added above the lines, to be inserted into the sentence.
- [ ] indicate words that the transcriptionist and the reviewer(s) are unable to discern.
- Footnotes are utilized for corrections, notes, citations, and other observations for future inquiry or development.
This is an evolving process.
Transcription
Sermon 6 —
N. 6. Jonathan Fisher 1793
Free Grace
Roxbury Upper Parish / P.M./ Jan. 12 – 1794
Dorchester P.M. Jan. 19 – 1794
Brookline P.M. Jan. 26 1794
Illegible
Roxbury P.M. Feb. 23. 1794
Princeton P.M. Mar. 3. 1794
Bagaduce, Penobscot June 15. 1794 P.M.
Bluehill P.M. July 20. 1794
Malden P.M. Dec. 21. 1794
Bluehill August. 1. 1797
1.
Num. 6.
Psalm 130 — 130 Psalm W.
Hymn 51 & 61 94 Hymn Illegible
137 – –
Salvation an unmerited favor
“τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν· Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.”
Ephesians 2:8, 9
By grace are ye saved, through faith. 8.
And tis not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. 9.
There is something in this text very humiliating to the self-righteous, but glorious and soul reviving to the repenting burdened sinner. The self-righteous person is always disposed to claim a title to salvation of his own merit; to claim it in part as a debt due to him 2. for his supposed good works. But by this text we are plainly assured that salvation is wholly an unmerited favor. There is here no room left, but for the deepest humility. Salvation, however glorious a thing, however earnestly we may desire it, is what we never can procure of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
On the other hand, the humble, penitent, burdened sinner, who has a just sight and sense of his sins, beholds such a deformity in himself, and such insufficiency in his best services, that he renounces all claim to salvation on his own account, casts himself at the footstool of divine mercy, and adores the love of God, who is ready to justify him freely by his grace.
Rom. 3:24
In the prosecution of this discourse it shall be my endeavor by the grace of God, to show 3. that salvation is an unmerited favor; and to this end I shall first attempt to explain the words grace, faith, and works;
2. To show how salvation is of free grace.
3. To show what cause we have for humility in this matter.
4. What cause we have to rejoice. And,
Lastly make some application.
- To explain the words grace, faith, and works; these, especially the former, are words almost perpetually flowing from the lips and pens of Christians, but in very different senses. Even in the scripture they are used with so great latitude, that it is difficult to fix their precise meaning.
Grace in its first and most natural sense, signifies kindness or favor; something more than is due or deserved. From this 4. its sense is enlarged to signify the favorable influence of God upon the mind of man; and still further to signify the effect of that influence. _ According to the apostle; 2 Tim. 1:9. God “hath” saved us, and called us with a holy calling; not according to our works, but accord. to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” _ Here grace signifies a favor in reserve for us, or a kindness decreed or appointed , though not yet absolutely bestowed. _ 1: Corinth. 15:10 “I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me.” _ Here the word grace is used to express a holy disposition of that, which was the affect of the favorable influence of God upon the apostle’s mind – 5. the word grace is often used by Christians to express a principle of holiness or moral rectitude in the heart, which every true believer is possessed of in consequence of the favor of God in the plan of redemption. _ Thus we pray for grace in the heart; Thus in our catechism is mentioned “increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” _ The word grace in our text means the favor or kindness of God to mankind in the work of redemption.
Now to explain the word faith; in its common sense it means belief of, or confidence in testimony. _ But by the apostle Paul it is often used not merely to express this belief or this confidence in testimony, but also such a course of life, as corresponds with it _ (page break with these references in the margin at the top of the following page) Rom. 1:17 allude to Hab. 2:4. 6. Thus he says, “the just shall live by faith;” And this he repeats in Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. And in Rom. 4:9. he says, “that faith was reckoned to Abraham righteousness;” and from 5:1 “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” And undoubtedly the faith spoken of in the text is of the same kind, namely, an operative faith, a faith which works by love, a faith which leads us to lean upon Christ as upon the rock of ages, which can never fail us. _ .
By works, even used in connection with law and faith, the apostles generally mean such actions as are conformable to the letter of the law. _ The apostle James uses the term to express joy as arises from a principle of holiness, and of the fruit of faith; 7. but the apostle Paul in our text, and in most other places uses it to express those actions that conform to the letter of the law, but do not arise from a principle of holiness. _
2. Having endeavored to explain the words grace, faith, and works, I proceed to show how salvation is of free grace. – By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. _ The covenant was made with Adam in these words, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die!! _ Now though this be expressed in very few words, yet much is implied in it. _ From the connected sense of Scripture, and from experience it appears that it means not according to the literal ex 8. pression, [deletion] that Adam alone, in the day of eating the fruit, should expire; but that both the man and woman, together with all their posterity, evil would be begotten in their own likeness, should become dead to righteousness; should be in the — condemned; and be liable to temporal death and to eternal punishment._ In consequence of the b/r/each of the first covenant we are all by nature children of wrath, and dead in trespasses and sins, as the apostle expresses it in the beginning of the Scripture containing our text. _ We are born with a corrupt nature, a perverse will, and are prone to evil, only evil, and that continually. _ Now this being our cross, what shall we do? ¿How shall we escape the wrath of God? ¿How shall we be saved? God is under no obligation from 9. us to show mercy; no rather he seems to be obliged by strict justice to execute vengeance for the breaches of his holy law; _ “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die;” ¿How can he be true and not inflict the punishment? _ His wisdom might discover a way; and his mercy has provided a way whereby we may escape. _ But our salvation is purely of mercy; we are justified solely by his grace. _
(right margin note Rom. 3:24)
This grace of God is manifested in the coming of Christ. _ Christ, the son of God, comes into the world, takes upon him our nature, suffers in our stead the vengeance of the law, and works out an everlasting righteousness for us. _ Now we are made partakers of this grace or free gift of God in Christ, through the medium of faith; that is, Christ being offered to us as an atonement for our past sins and to lay a foundation in our souls for a prin 10. ciple of future holiness; we are thus to receive him, and to place our whole confidence for salvation upon his merits; giving him all the honor of the work; but still considering the law of God as having unremitted obligation upon us, and conforming our lives to it as much as possible._ Further our salvation is of free grace in another respect; though Christ has died for us, yet none can come unto him, except the Father draws him. The free aids and influences of the Holy Spirit are a reason to convince us of our sin and misery, to enlighten our minds, and to renew our wills that we may embrace the blessed Savior._ But some of you, perhaps may object, and say, “If salvation be of free grace, how is it that we must comply with certain conditions 11. before we can be made partakers of it?”_ In answer to this, and for the sake of illustrating the matter I will state the following case; _ suppose a malefactor be fined a large sum, and be committed to prison, there to remain til the fine be discharged, or during life: suppose now that he has no property, nor any means whatever for discharging that fine; what has he in justice to expect, but to spend the remainder of his days in confinement? _ Now let a person of prosperity, who pities his condition, come, and pay the fine, and offer to set him free upon the conditions, that he shall give him all the honor of liberating him, and shall for the future be earnest and industrious;_ suppose that the malefactor complies with these conditions and is liberated; whose is the 12 merit of it?¿can the malefactor claim it? No, surely it belongs wholly to his benefactor;_ The prisoner, it may be said, after he is liberated, becomes according to condition honest and industrious, and this is praiseworthy; but this present honesty and industry makes amends for his past bad conduct; for let him now be ever so virtuous, it is no more than his present duty, and can satisfy only for the present time._ What pertains to his liberation from prison is an unmerited favor from his benefactor, that is, it is of free grace. _ This statement of the case, though it cannot fully explain, yet may lead us into a train of thought which will satisfy us that our salvation is of free grace. _ There is such a thing, brethren, as conditions 13. of salvation, where there is no merit in the past(?) of him, he justifies them, for if there be any merit in what he does, if he be entitled to salvation by any, even the best of his /own/ works, then his salvation is by the law; and if salvation be by the law, then Christ is dead in vain; _
Full well I know, my friends, that this is a hard doctrine for corrupt nature to embrace. When our pride predominates we revolt at the idea of giving God all the glory of our salvation._ We are very willing to allow him a part of the merit, but we are very much prone to arrogate another part to ourselves. _ We think our own good works may pay for a part of it, especially when we have been looking upon our own light side and upon the dark side of others._ But God forbid that we should deceive ourselves 14. when a mistake would be fatal._ Let us examine the scripture in this matter, and see what information that will afford us. (left margin Mat. 16:13 to 18) Then Jesus asked his disciples, whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am; and they answered , that one said in this manner, and another in that; Jesus the inquires, But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, thou art Christ , the son of the living God._ Jesus replied, blessed art thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, who is in heaven._ What does this answer imply less than this; that the Spirit of God is absolutely necessary to bring us to a saving knowledge of Christ?_ See also John 6:64, 65. “But there are some of you that do not believe, _ _ _ _ Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come 15. unto me, except it were given him of my Father;”_ These are the words of our Savior himself and do they not plainly show that salvation is a free gift of God? _ See also Romans 3:24. “Being justified freely by his grace” _ And 4:16. “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace.”_ Philip. 1:29. “ Unto you it is given in the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” _ The apostle in his epistle to Titus is very explicit in this matter (right margin Tit. 3:5) “Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the working of regeneration, and renewal of the holy ghost, which (right margin 6) he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior; 16. that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” _ These texts are not alone; there are multitudes of others to the same effect which together with these form a cloud of witnesses in behalf of God, that the kingdom is his own and that he giveth it to whosoever he pleaseth. _ So. This is what you are to do, this what we must all do, we must fly to the 17. throne of grace; we must earnestly plead with God for mercy, _ we must give him no rest til he speak comfortably to us. _ Remember the parable of the unjust judge, and the comment our savior makes upon it. _ If the judge, who feared not God, nor regarded man, was prevailed with to do justice by unremitted entreaty; will not God, the righteous judge, be prevailed with to show us favor by our unremitted prayers? Yes, verily._ But when we have done our best, when we have done our all; we are to stand before God and say, “Here we are, Lord, unprofitable servants, we cast ourselves at thy footstool; 18. save us for thy mercy’s sake, and not unto us, not unto us, but to thy name be the glory.
_ 3. This leads us to the third particular, which is through what cause we have for humility in this matter._”Not of works, lest any man should boast.” _ God is love. But what does he love? Sin? No, but holiness. He is a pure and holy being, and such is his love for holiness, that he hates even the garment spotted with the flesh. _ This love for holiness makes every degree of moral pollution detestable, wherever it may be found; and as we have sinned, as we are covered with moral 19. pollution, even the love of God requires our punishment; til some way be found for our pardon which is consistent with this love. _ There is a rule of universal fitness which governs the universe; and he that breaks this rule, must suffer the evil consequences til the general good of the universe may be as well advanced without it;_ And then it lies wholly with sovereign mercy to either inflict the punishment , or to forbear;_ we have broken this holy rule; and though God has discovered a way, wherein he can be just and yet the justifier, of repentant sinners; still it is not for us to say? whether he shall justify us or not. _ _ _ 20. Here then is cause for the deepest humility; we have reason to humble ourselves to the dust, to smite upon our breasts, and cry, “God be merciful to us sinners.” _ Oh, God thou givest no account of thy ways to man; Though shall ask thee why, or what thou doest? (left margin 1 Cor. 1:27, 29) “Thou hast chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; thou has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; the base things of the world and things which are despised hast thou chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to naught thing that 21. are, that no flesh shall glory in thy presence!_
4. But humility is not inconsistent with joy. Rejoice? with trembling._Behold the love and goodness, as well as the severity of God. _ He so loved us while were yet sinners, that he gave his only begotten Son for our salvation. He hath also promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him; and what is this, but all we can desire? If God give us his holy spirit, we shall be convinced of our sinful and naked state; a saving change will be wrought in our souls; we shall become holy and heavenly minded; we shall be made meet for the in 22. heritance of the saints which is uninterrupted, undefiled, and cannot waste away; reserved for us in the heavens,_ This inheritance is indeed most glorious; for eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of the things, which God hath prepared for those that love him. _ Here is cause for joy. _ Break forth into singing, ye inhabitants of the earth, shout, shout for joy, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel.
That we, who are by nature children of wrath; we, who are born with a corrupt nature, and have been adding to our original stock of guilt by constantly yielding to this evil bias;_ 23. We who to all our other sins, have added to that a base ingratitude for the many graces of God; that we should be so tenderly invited to come and taste of the waters life freely, without money and without price; _ That a way should be opened for us to become sons of God, and heirs, just as with Jesus Christ to a heavenly inheritance; and by which we may have a title to a crown of glory that shall never fade. _ Surely it is cause for eternal joy! If we praise not God for this, well may the stones of the street cry out against us, and reproach with unthankfulness. 24.
5. I pass to a brief application. From what has been said it appears, that we are by nature children of wrath; exposed to the anger of God; that it depends upon God’s free grace whether to pardon us or not; that therefore we have cause for the deepest humility; but considering what God has done for us, what overtures of mercy he has made to us, we have reason in the midst of humility to rejoice.
Now, my friends, will you embrace this one thing. The subject of which we have been treating is not a matter which merely concerns somebody at a distance, we know not whom; it is a matter which concerns every one of 25. us present; there is not a soul in this assembly, but what has interest here of eternal importance. _ For as surely as we have souls to save, so surely a change must be wrought in us by the influence of the divine Spirit. – And that we may be favored with these influences we must be constant in our prayers. _ Pray, pray, without ceasing, be earnest in your entreaties, and the God of all grace grant you an answer of peace, through Christ our Lord.
Amen
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