I share the following from a sermon by Asahel Nettleton, the subject of my forthcoming dissertation in evangelism at Southern Seminary. This excerpt is from the sermon Professing Christians, Awake! and is taken from the compilation of Nettleton’s sermons by William C. Nichols:
“Another reason why you should awake is that sinners are perishing around you. While you sleep your example will contribute much to their destruction. Yes, while you sleep the world may now be stumbling over you down to destruction. Little does that ungodly professor of religion think what a train of immortal souls may be following him down to hell. It is a fact not to be concealed that one ungodly professor of religion may do more to prevent the conversion of sinners than many infidels. I know it is most unreasonable that mankind should suffer themselves to be thus forever ruined. It can surely be no consolation to the sinner in hell that he was led there by a hypocrite.
Brethren, is heaven,- is hell a fable? If so then let us treat them as such. Or are they eternal realities? Whence then, this silence, this seeming indifference to the souls of men that your fellow sinners should obtain the one and escape the other. Do you verily believe that within a few days you shall be in heaven, singing the song of redeeming love- or in hell with devils and damned spirits forever and ever. Have you ever described your own danger, and fled for refuge from the wrath to come , and do you feel no concern for the souls of men? Or are there no sinners in this place? Have they all become righteous? Do all profess to know the Lord from the least to the greatest? Is there no prayerless family in this place, on whom God hath declared he will pour out his fury? No prayerless youth to whom God has said, I will cast thee off forever?
My brethren, if there be one impenitent sinner among us who is in danger of going into that place of eternal torment, can you sleep? One sinner in this house! One inhabitant of hell! Solemn thought! One soul present that will be lost forever. Who can it be? Could you bear to hear the name? Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burning? Have you not reason to believe that many are now living without hope and without God in the world? Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Wherever God designs to pour out his Spirit and to call up the attention of sinners to divine things, he will be inquired of by his children to do it for them. This he has taught us in his Word and often in the language of his providence. It is high time for you to awake out of sleep; for others are awake- sinners at a distance are alarmed- and hundreds are now flocking to Christ. And can you rest? Are there not more souls here to be saved or lost forever? Are they not as precious as ever? And is he not a prayer-hearing God? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Is his mercy clean gone forever? And will he be favorable no more? No, my brethren, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear- Come then, ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, if ye speak not to warn the wicked; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.”
Wow…Nettleton sure sounds like a man who was passionate about evangelism. He certainly has a heart for reaching the lost. In fact, during the ten years that he was most prominently involved in evangelistic ministry (1812-22) it is said that upwards of 30,000 people were converted under his ministry! That’s amazing by any account! But the part that I like most is the fact that he remained this passionate for the lost while maintaining an unapologetically Calvinistic theology. He unashamedly preached the doctrines of depravity, election, limited atonement, the powerful and irresistable drawing of the Spirit, and eternal security. All while maintaining a positive passion for the lost and an actively engaging evangelistic ministry.
Maybe it is possible after all to hold to the doctrines of grace and be evangelistically passionate; all the while desiring biblically informed methods and a doctrinally sound message. I believe that it is, and that Nettleton provides us one example of a man who held to such a soteriology while maintaining evangelistic passion. May that encourage and challenge all of us who hold to these doctrines to be more faithful, diligent, and passionate in our personal evangelism.
