Of Asahel Nettleton’s Preaching, relatively little is preserved. The following is a rare full discourse. The time or attention impaired might want to skip to the fourth (and final) point.
Some Who Are Living, Greater Sinners Than
Some Who Are In Hell.Luke xiii. 1–5.—‘There were present, at that season, some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering, said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them; think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’
It is extremely natural for mankind to talk and complain of the sins of others. This we have all had occasion to witness. The same propensity existed in the days of our Saviour. ‘There were present, at that season, some that told Him of the Galileans,’ whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.’ The fact to which they alluded was this:—A number of Galileans refused subjection to the Roman government. And on a certain occasion, while they were assembled for religious worship, Pilate sent a company of armed soldiers, who slew them, and mingled their blood with their sacrifices. The persons who related this fact to our Saviour did it, doubtless, with feelings of self-complacency. This led Him to address them in the language of the text, which suggests the following thoughts:—
I. Some sinners have already perished.
II. They perished through their own fault,
III. The greatness of their sufferings is proof of the greatness of their criminality. But,
I. Some have already perished. Of this the text is sufficient proof. ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’ What a vast multitude perished in the time of the general deluge! And they were not only drowned, but they were damned. They are now spirits in prison. The inhabitants of Sodom perished. And they were not only destroyed from off the earth, but were cast into hell, and are now ‘set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.’ That some have perished, is evident from the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This was intended to give us a correct view of the invisible world. ‘The rich man died and was buried, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.’ ‘Are there few that be saved?’ ‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in and shall not be able.’ Compare the character and conduct of multitudes who have died, with the declarations of Scripture, and we shall be compelled to admit the truth of the proposition we are considering. The fact, indeed, is acknowledged by all who believe the Bible, that some sinners have already perished.
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II. They perished through their own fault.
God never inflicts undeserved punishment. ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ The very fact that they suffer, is proof that they were sinners, and deserved to die. ‘Who ever perished being innocent?’ The fact that all are sinners, shews that all deserve death. But this is not all. Even after they had sinned and deserved death, they might have been saved if they would. That they were not, was peculiarly their own fault. They had the offer of pardon. They were invited, entreated, and warned. The inhabitants of the old world were warned by the preaching of Noah, and by the strivings of the Spirit. The inhabitants of Sodom were warned by Lot. But they perished through their own neglect. They did not repent. The sinner sometimes says: What have I done that I should deserve death? It is not merely for doing, but for not doing, that the sinner must die. It is on the ground of neglect that Gospel sinners perish. They did not repent. ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’ ‘He that believeth not shall be damned.’ ‘If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.’ The Bible does not say: How shall we escape if we lie, and swear, and cheat, and steal? but, ‘How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?’ It places the sinner’s condemnation on the ground of neglect.
Nor can the sinner plead that he would repent if he could. He is as really criminal for not repenting, as for his overt acts of wickedness. ‘Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not.’
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III. The greatness of their sufferings is proof of the greatness of their criminality.
They suffer only for their crimes. In this world, God often, and indeed always, inflicts punishment for less than the sinner’s real desert. But in inflicting punishment, either in this world or the world to come, He never exceeds the measure of the sinner’s desert.
God has selected and set forth some sinners of the human race, as ‘examples to those who should thereafter live ungodly.’ The old world and Sodom are specimens. Their punishment was awful. But awful as it was, it did not exceed the greatness of their iniquity. In the greatness of their punishment we may read the greatness of their guilt.
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IV. The greatness of their sufferings is no evidence that they were greater sinners than those that are spared.
When God inflicts heavy judgments upon a people, we are apt to conclude that it is because they are greater sinners than others; and some seem to suppose, that if any are sent to hell, it must be only sinners of the worst kind—such as all would pronounce monsters in wickedness. This was the opinion of those whom our Lord addressed in the text. They supposed that the Galileans, on whom God permitted Pilate to inflict such signal vengeance, must have been greater sinners than others who escaped these sufferings. But this conclusion was erroneous. ‘Suppose ye,’ said our Lord, ‘that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay.’ There were sinners then living in Galilee whose crimes were as great as the crimes of those who had suffered the wrath of Heaven. Sinners who had gone to hell from Galilee were no worse than sinners then living there.
The same was true of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ‘Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’ Sinners who had gone to hell from Jerusalem were no worse than some who were then living in that city.
Again; sinners to whom our Saviour preached in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, were as great sinners as some who were then in hell. This our Lord explicitly told them. ‘But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.’ This sentiment was then true in our Saviour’s day. Sinners of other countries and of other times, who had gone to hell before them, were no worse sinners than many of the Jews then living. Indeed, our Saviour gave them to understand, that a more fearful doom awaited them than that which had overtaken the inhabitants of Sodom, although they ‘are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.’
Let us bring the warning home to this congregation. Suppose ye that sinners who have died and gone to hell from other places, were sinners above all the sinners dwelling in this place? ‘I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’
To all of you who have not yet repented, this subject speaks a solemn warning. What think ye of sinners now in hell? Suppose ye that they were greater sinners than yourselves? They, no doubt, were great sinners, and deserved to perish. But for what crimes are they punished? Will it be said that their hearts were totally depraved? This is true. ‘God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’ But the same is true of sinners now living. The eye of God is on every sinner’s heart. He takes cognizance of every thought and every imagination. These are all evil, only evil continually. Thousands of thoughts and imaginations which persons think little of, may be awfully wicked in the sight of God.
Sinners who are now in hell had no love to God, and no love to the duties of religion. The same is true of all impenitent sinners now living.
Will it be said that they resisted the strivings of the Spirit? And may not the same be said of you, my impenitent hearers? When the Spirit of God has moved upon your heart, and conscience has begun to awake, have you not laboured to silence your fears?
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Will it be said that they lived long in sin? The same may be said of many now living. How many years of your probation have gone out? Thousands and millions have died younger than some of you. There are those here whose day of salvation has been prolonged beyond that of most of the human race. Many in this house are doubtless older, and have lived longer in sin, than many who are now in hell.
Will it be said that they sinned against great light? The same may be said of sinners now living. Sinners in this house have enjoyed far greater light than many sinners now in hell. The inhabitants of the old world and of Sodom never enjoyed such light as sinners now living under the Gospel. They never enjoyed such privileges as are enjoyed by sinners of this assembly. Their light, when compared with yours, was like that of a taper compared with the noon-day sun. The guilt and punishment of sinners are to be measured by the light rejected. ‘He that knew his Lord’s will, and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.’ Many in this house have known their Lord’s will for years, and have not yet done it.
Were they stupid and thoughtless? So are you. Were they warned of God, and did they slight these warnings? Did they put far off the evil day, and vainly presume that there is time enough yet to secure their immortal interests? The same is true of you. Suppose ye that they were greater sinners than yourselves? ‘I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.’
Inferences.
1. Sinners often talk and complain of the sins of others when they have not repented of their own sins, and when they are greater sinners than those of whom they complain, and are every moment in danger of perishing for ever.
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2. God does exercise sovereign mercy. When our Saviour delivered this discourse, there were some of His hearers who were greater sinners than some in hell. These very persons were indebted to sovereign mercy. Nothing but sovereign mercy kept them from the world of woe.
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3. There may be redeemed sinners in heaven, who were greater sinners than some who are now in hell.
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4. The chief of sinners may be saved if they will repent.
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5. The least of sinners will be lost except they repent.
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6. There may be sinners now in this house who are more guilty than some who are in the world of despair.
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—Bennet Tyler, The Life and Labours of Asahel Nettleton (Banner of Truth, 1975), 185–192.
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