,transcribed from the #ahch ,john       
,heaton edition by ,david ,price4       
,a ,,sermon                             
,,preached ,,at                         
,,st4 ,,george',s ,,church1 ,,bolton1   
,on ,sunday1 #gth ,january1 #ahch1      
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,occasioned ,,by ,,the ,,death ,,of    
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,the ,,rev4 ,,william ,,thistlethwaite1
 ,m4,a41                      ,,late    
,,incumbent ,,of ,,that ,,church1 ,,and 
,,published ,,at ,,the ,,request ,,of   
,,the ,,congregation1                   
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,slade1 ,m4,a4   
,,vicar ,,of ,,bolton4                  
,,bolton3                               
,,printed ,,by ,,john ,,heaton1         
,,deansgate4                            
,and ,sold by all ,booksellers4         
99 99 99 99 99          ,,sermon4       
,,rom4 ,,xiv4 #h4        ,for whether we
 live1 we live unto the ,lord2 and      
whether we die1      we die unto the    

,lord3 whether we live therefore1 or    
die1 we      are the ,lord's4    ,,the  
text refers to the foregoing verse3     
8,none of us liveth unto himself2  and  
no man dieth to himself40  ,we are very 
apt to feel and act1 as if we  were     
independent creatures4  ,perhaps if     
examined1 as to our particular  creed1  
we should readily confess ourselves to  
be placed under the  sovereignty of the 
,almighty2 and to be accountable1 as    
,christians1 at the  bar of ,him1 who   
will 8judge both quick and dead40  ,but 
few are daily  conscious1 as they ought 
to be1 either of their dependence or    
their  responsibility4  ,their creed is 
not in their heart2 they live chiefly   
and  practically under a system of      
self-government2 grievously forgetting  
the  dominion of the ,lord who created  
and redeemed them4  ,a proud spirit is1 
as it has been from the beginning1 the  
bane of man3 he fell through  impatience
 of his ,maker's mild yoke1 and an      
intolerance of his ,maker's             

superiority3 and the poison1 thus       
whispered into his ear by the evil one1 
still lurks within him2 corrupting his  
feeling and principle1 and  rendering   
him greatly insensible to the divine    
superintendence and  blessing4    ,this 
pride and selfishness however the gospel
 is designed to humble and  correct2 and
 it does produce the mighty change in   
the heart of every  sincere believer2 of
 all who feel its vital power1 8the     
power of ,god unto  salvation40  ,of all
 such it must be said1 in the utmost    
latitude1 in the  most unqualified      
sense1 8none of us liveth unto himself40
  ,there is no  true disciple of the    
,lord ,jesus1 who makes earthly         
interest1 gain or  pleasure1 ambition or
 lust1 his ruling and absorbing object4 
,such is the  character of the          
degenerate and lost world3 there is no  
fitter  description of a worldly man    
than this1 that he lives to gratify his 
own  humour1 and carry out the schemes  
of his own wilfulness1 and promote his  

own prosperity during his little career3
 earth is his sphere of action1  and all
 centres in self4  ,but every follower  
of ,christ is called out of  the world1 
effectually called and chosen and       
delivered3 he has another  mind1 another
 spirit1 another view4  ,he cannot live 
for himself3 it is  not merely against  
his conviction1 his sense of propriety1 
his professed  and deliberate principle1
 it is against his new nature3 he is    
born of  ,god1 with new affections1 new 
desires1 new purposes1 new prospects2   
the  ,spirit of the living ,god dwells  
within him2 cleanses him from all       
fleshly  corruption2 and brings his     
will1 brings all that he is1 and all    
that he  has1 into subjection to the    
,godhead4  ,this is the character1 the  
certain  and essential and              
distinguishing character of all who     
belong to ,christ3  they live not1 in   
any regard or in any matter1 for        
themselves4    ,nor do they die unto    
themselves4  ,they die not1 either like 

the beasts  that perish1 or for their   
own disposal and glory2 not to make     
bodily or  earthly provisions2 not to   
give orders for their funeral2 not to   
hand  down their name and style to      
posterity upon a blazoned escutcheon2   
not to  bequeath their riches to others3
 8after all these things do the         
,gentiles  seek40  ,but a grand and     
glorious change has been made by the    
gospel3 the  true nature of death stands
 now unfolded in all its awful and      
stupendous  reality3 it is a passage to 
another state of being3 the disembodied 
soul  flies and lives elsewhere3 not1 as
 on earth1 for a few short years1 but   
for eternity4  ,and what may be thought 
or said of me1 whether by the  present  
or by future generations1 whether by    
friends or foes2 what may  become of my 
property1 baubles or possessions2 what  
may be done with my  corpse1 whether    
meanly or superbly coffined1 whether    
laid without  winding-sheet or clothed  
with purple and fine linen1--all these  

are  matters of minor note1 of          
comparative indifference4  ,i shall have
 been  living and dying for another1 an 
eternal world2 and the great            
consideration is1 where and what that   
world shall be4    ,we are thus led1 as 
by the ,apostle's own hand1 to enter    
more immediately  on the text4          
8,whether we live1 we live unto the     
,lord40  ,it is the ,lord1  the ,lord   
,jesus ,christ1 who hath done these     
marvellous things for us2 ,he  has      
removed from us the burden of the wrath 
of ,god2 ,he has rescued us  from the   
bondage of corruption1 and changed the  
curse into a blessing2 ,he  has given   
unto us the ,spirit of holiness1 and    
thus re-created in our  new-born soul   
the image of the righteous ,god4  ,he   
moreover has dispelled  the clouds that 
rested on the tomb1 and has 8brought    
life and immortality  to light by the   
gospel40  ,and ,o remember the mighty   
cost1 the precious  sacrifice1 by which 
,he purchased us unto ,himself4  ,the   

eternal ,son of ,god  stooped down from 
heaven to earth2 the ,word1 which was in
 the beginning  with ,god and was ,god1 
was made flesh2 8humbled ,himself and   
became  obedient unto death20 8bore our 
sins in ,his own body on the tree30 died
  and rose again1 rose as the first     
fruits of a sleeping world4  ,thus have 
we 8passed from death to life10 from    
nature to grace1 from ruin to a  state  
of salvation4  ,and no believer can     
deny1 that he is bound1  8whatsoever he 
does in word or deed1 to do all in the  
name of the ,lord  ,jesus1 giving thanks
 to ,god and the ,father by ,him40      
,yet1 brethren1 it is not merely what we
 are bound to do or to be1 as  baptized 
into ,christ and believing in ,his name2
 it is what we are1  actually are1 as   
partakers of ,his gospel1 and cleansed  
by ,his blood4  ,st4 ,paul says1 8we    
live unto the ,lord20 we do so live as a
 matter of  course and necessity3 our   
life is altogether devoted to ,him3 such
 is the  very meaning and essence of our

 ,christian fellowship4  ,being ,his    
real  property1 8not our own1 but bought
 with a price10 we place ourselves at   
,his disposal3 8our meat is to do the   
will of ,him that sent us40  ,this is   
our decided character1 by which we      
desire to be known2 known of ,god and   
known of all men4  8,the life which we  
now live in the flesh we live by  the   
faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved us1
 and gave ,himself for us40  ,it  must  
unquestionably and inevitably be so1 for
 8our life is hid with  ,christ in      
,god20 this1 if we are ,christians1 is  
the well-spring of our  thoughts and    
desires and feelings and principles and 
habits2 and though  they contract a     
taste and taint of evil in their passage
 through the  corrupt channel of nature1
 still do they always retain the proof  
and  prevalence and ascendancy of their 
heaven-born character2 and do clearly   
mark us1 in the eyes of every spiritual 
and right-judging person1 as  members of
 ,christ and children of ,god4    ,such 

are all the sincere followers of the    
,lamb1 the faithful and elect of  ,god3 
all in their various spheres of life1   
high and low1 rich and poor2  living in 
the same ,spirit and by the same gospel1
 unto the same redeeming  ,lord2 and    
travelling together in one way to the   
same everlasting kingdom4  ,they are all
 brethren2 all of equal privileges in   
the sight of their ,god  and ,saviour2  
all1 however wide their worldly         
differences1 however  diversified their 
appearances or acquirements1            
distinguished by the same  holy         
signs--by the sign of the cross in their
 forehead2 by the image of  the cross in
 their heart2 by the bearing of the     
cross in their lives1 and  treading in  
the footsteps of their divine ,master4  
8,to me to live is  ,christ30 this is   
the common language1 this the good      
confession1 this the  joyful1 thankful  
assurance of each and every one3 this   
their watchword1  this their safeguard  
and defence1 this their abounding       

consolation1 one  with another1 amid all
 the dangers of an ensnaring and        
harassing world4  ,the rich man has no  
other protection1 and no other does the 
poor man  need2 ,christ is 8all in all10
 and 8none can pluck them out of ,his   
hand20  dwelling together1 as in a      
strong tower2 8kept by the power of ,god
  through faith unto salvation40  ,each 
of them still1 while in the body1       
attentive to the duties of his own      
calling3 no earthly business or         
occupation1 belonging to their          
respective conditions1 despised or      
neglected2 but all 8done heartily as    
unto the ,lord1 and not as unto men30   
all earthly desires so regulated1 all   
earthly plans so formed1 all  earthly   
objects so pursued1 as not to interrupt1
 much less to stifle1 the  life of ,god 
in the soul4    ,having lived unto the  
,lord1 we shall die unto the ,lord3     
having continued  ,his property through 
life1 ,he will claim us as ,his own in  
death4  ,the  tyrant of the grave shall 

have no power1 no dominion over us2 his 
spear  is broken2 the battle fought1 the
 victory won3 ,christ has conquered1 and
  we are 8more than conquerors through  
,him that loved us40  ,christ is ,lord  
of the immortal spirit3 8,he is able to 
keep that which is committed to  ,him   
against that day20 and when the soul    
escapes from its prison-house1  ,he     
sends a guardian angel to take the      
charge1 and conduct it safely to        
,abraham's bosom1 to the rest that      
remaineth for ,his people4  ,brethren1  
we  have the ,lord's own word and       
authority1 for the establishment of our 
faith and the comforting of our souls4  
,he said to the penitent thief1         
8,to-day shalt thou be with me in       
paradise40  ,he admonished those who    
believed not1 that ,jehovah was declared
 to be 8the ,god of ,abraham and the    
,god of ,isaac and the ,god of ,jacob0  
long after their bodies were laid in    
the grave3 and 8,god is not the ,god of 
the dead but of the living1 for all     

live unto ,him40  ,in this entire       
confidence and security1 ,his pious     
disciples in every age have welcomed    
their latter end1 and fallen asleep     
sweetly4  ,the first martyr ,stephen1   
full of the ,holy ,ghost1 worshipped    
and prayed to ,jesus in his dying       
moments1 saying1 8,lord ,jesus1 receive 
my  spirit20 at once a plain            
indisputable testimony1 that ,christ is 
an object  of divine worship1 and that  
,he does receive the souls of the       
faithful1  when delivered from their    
earthly tabernacle4  ,and the ,apostle1 
who said1  8,to me to live is ,christ10 
said also1 in the same breath1 8to die  
is  gain30 death could not be gain to   
him with any thing less than ,christ3 it
  is evident1 that ,st4 ,paul was rapt  
in the contemplation of the immediate   
presence of his ,lord3 whilst living1 he
 was with ,christ2 when dead1 he  would 
be with ,him more blessedly still4      
,in truth1 the proper representation of 
the matter is this2 8the ,lord's        

kingdom is an everlasting kingdom10 that
 which ,he has won by ,his victory  over
 sin and death and the grave1 that which
 ,he has opened to all  believers1 that 
of which every abiding believer is an   
actual and  irremovable member4  ,it is 
a kingdom never ceasing or suspended2   
reaching  onward without a broken link1 
from time to eternity4  ,the present    
state  of being should be regarded as   
the threshold of this boundless kingdom2
  as but the foreground of trial1 in    
which the ,lord's servants are          
exercised and matured and made meet for 
their full and final inheritance4       
,death is called the gate of life1 that 
life for which the present is but  a    
prelude and preparation4  ,earthly      
graces will be perfected in heaven4     
,the ,lord's dominion over us is whole  
and uninterrupted3 ,he calls us from    
one division of ,his kingdom to another1
 from one state to another1 at ,his  own
 time and in ,his own way3 8,he has the 
keys of death and hell10 of  death and  

the unseen world4  8,he openeth and no  
man shutteth1 and  shutteth and no man  
openeth40  8,precious in the sight of   
the ,lord is the  death of ,his saints40
  ,he keeps them by ,his almighty power1
 keeps them in  ,his wisdom and mercy1  
till they are ripe for glory4  ,none can
 delay and  none can hasten his work4   
,and what faithful soul would desire it8
  ,nay1  ,lord1 come and call when ,thou
 wilt2 but make ,thy servant ready4     
,o how refreshing1 delightful1          
encouraging to us1 on our way to ,zion1 
to  perceive around us those who are    
8living unto the ,lord10 with their eyes
  and hearts fixed upon the heavenly    
inheritance4  ,and ,o still happier     
sight1 and yet an awful rejoicing1 to   
behold a brother 8dying unto the        
,lord20 to witness the triumph of our   
holy faith1 in nature's last hour  and  
,satan's last buffeting2 to observe the 
trophies of divine love  adorning and   
cheering the melancholy bed--the        
tranquil smile1 the  unwearied trust1   

the patient contented thankful          
resignation2 the uplifted  hand and eye1
 the illuminated countenance1 the       
peaceful spirit all the  while ready to 
wing its flight4  ,go boastful science1 
go vain philosophy1  and visit the      
death-beds of your votaries2 mark well  
the doubts and fears  betraying         
themselves under the mask of a bold     
profession2 mark the  impatience and    
vexation2 the present burden and the    
miserable foreboding2  go and discover  
your infidel champions1 the proud       
,goliaths of your  kingdom1 trembling   
and quailing under the lifted stroke of 
death2 and  despairing under the load of
 unforgiven sin1 under the terrors of an
  insulted and avenging ,god4  ,go to   
your despisers of the crucified ,jesus1 
to those who have been too wise to seek 
or too busy to find ,him2 see  them1 as 
,i have seen1 stretching out their hands
 in agony1 and saying1  8,is there none 
to save a fellow-creature from          
destruction80  ,then1 when  ye are      

sickened with such scenes1 repair to the
 bedside of a departing  saint1 and see 
how a ,christian can die4  ,go and study
 a lesson1 more  instructive and more   
precious than all your pages of human   
lore and  learning2 go and learn from a 
lovely example1 how to live and how to  
die4    ,if ,i seem to be describing    
these blessed truths and facts with a   
minuteness and a particularity and a    
real resemblance1 it is because ,i am   
drawing from the life2 because they have
 been so recently embodied before  my   
eyes in the person of a ,christian      
friend and minister--your deceased      
pastor4  ,you know that he lived unto   
the ,lord3 and ,i have enjoyed the      
privilege of attesting the fruit of that
 living in his latter days--days  of    
severe pain1 but days of comfort and    
serenity4  ,he spoke thereof in a       
manner1 which convinced me1 that he     
wished his views and experience to be   
made public2 possibly looking forward to
 the day1 when ,i might be  fulfilling  

this very office4  ,he said 8,i wish you
 distinctly to  understand how ,i am3 ,i
 have no ecstasies1 no rapturous        
flights1 but a  calm composure1 a quiet 
resting1 a peaceful waiting for the     
,lord3 and ,i  desire the ,lord to deal 
with me as seemeth to ,him good3 to give
 me  patience1 to give me his grace that
 ,i may endure unto the end2 and to     
continue or remove me at ,his pleasure40
  ,it was an affecting  communication1  
an overcoming moment4    ,by these and  
similar words1 it was manifest that he  
set his great value1  not upon any      
peculiar notions or points of doctrine1 
but upon a living  and fruitful faith1  
upon the practical influence of the     
spirit of ,god2  upon the state of mind 
and heart and character and life1 as    
resulting  from christian principles and
 views4    ,such undoubtedly then has   
been the scope1 such the transcendent   
object of  his ministerial endeavours   
and exertions--to produce like faith and
 fruit  in you3 and you1 brethren1 will 

bear a willing testimony to his holy    
zeal  and faithfulness2 through a period
 of well nigh thirty years have you     
made trial of him1 yea full proof of his
 labour of love4  ,the memory of  him is
 bound round your hearts by a multitude 
of the tenderest holiest  ties4  ,many  
of you he baptized into the church of   
,christ2 he has been all  along your    
spiritual guide1 training you up from   
childhood in the way you  should go4    
,to many has he delivered the blessed   
elements1 the signs of  the body and    
blood of ,christ1 as ye were assembled  
around him at the  table of your ,lord1 
and feasted together upon redeeming     
love4  ,many has  he visited on beds of 
sickness1 relieving your wants and      
comforting your  sorrows1 and teaching  
you to improve them all4  ,and not a few
 of your  relatives and friends1 gone to
 rest1 he attended in their last        
moments2  and instructed and confirmed  
and soothed their lingering spirit4     
,you  remember the scene3 you saw and   

loved him there3 and you owe him now a  
debt of gratitude4  ,and in many a walk 
of kindness and usefulness1 and  many a 
place of righteous resort1 you have     
watched and honoured and  applauded him3
 but his race is run2 he is gone2 and   
the place that knew  him1 shall know him
 no more4    ,nor were his services     
confined within the precincts of his own
  congregation1 but always ready to be  
extended far and near4  ,various        
societies and charities have rejoiced in
 his help and activity1 and will        
heavily feel their loss4  ,but ,i must  
forbear and leave the fond strain of    
regret1 for a word of serious and       
spiritual improvement4  ,was he         
faithful8  ,then the larger account have
 you to render4  ,did he preach the     
truth in love8  ,then the more will his 
preaching condemn those hearers1  who   
have failed to be convinced and         
converted4  ,he has expounded and       
illustrated for you the whole of the    
sacred volume1 from ,genesis to         

,revelation2 he dug deeply into that    
precious mine in the field of the  word 
of ,god1 and presented for your         
acceptance the treasures and the  jewels
 in all their intrinsic worth and       
brightness4  ,the ,bible1 the           
inexhaustible stores of the whole       
,bible1 he laid open before you in all  
their vast and magnificent abundance2   
and led you1 by precept and by  example1
 to 8the way and the truth and the      
life40  ,if you have not  received the  
word and the spirit of grace1 if you    
have not laid the  doctrine to your     
soul1 if you have not in earnest begun  
the goodly work1  if you are not far    
advanced1 the fault is not with the     
departed3 you will  not seek to charge  
him with neglect4  ,whom then8 and where
 does the  burden lie8  8,son of man1   
speak to the children of thy people and 
say  unto them1 when ,i bring the sword 
upon a land1 if the people of the land  
take a man of their coasts1 and set him 
for their watchman3 ,if when he  seeth  

the sword come upon the land1 he blow   
the trumpet1 and warn the  people3 ,then
 whosoever heareth the sound of the     
trumpet1 and taketh not  warning2 if the
 sword come and take him away1 his blood
 shall be upon his  own head40  ,the    
trumpet has sounded in your ears1 long  
and loud2 the  clear1 thrilling1        
evangelical trumpet4  ,the herald of    
,god has done his  duty2 would to ,god  
that every conscience could whisper1    
8,and ,i have done  mine40    ,and all  
you1 who have listened to him with      
teachableness and sincerity1  who have  
caught from his lips the word of life   
into your willing ear1 and  laid it up  
in your heart1 take comfort and be      
thankful4  ,you have not  profited as   
you might1 as you would now fain have   
done3 you lament your  infirmities and  
corruptions2 your minister lamented his3
 but the ,lord  loveth sincerity1 and   
pardoneth the transgressions of ,his    
people4  ,you  value your past          
privileges2 and you adore that divine   

goodness1 which  made them profitable to
 your salvation4  ,you dwell1 not with  
the tear of  sharp regret for a ministry
 slighted1 for opportunities unregarded 
and  lost2 but with tears of grateful   
love1 in the remembrance of one1 who was
  ordained by ,god to lighten your      
darkness1 and to be the messenger of    
peace to your soul4  ,and while you are 
gathering here the plentiful  fruits of 
righteousness1 you are looking forward  
to the far more glorious  harvest in the
 end of the world2 looking to the day1  
when the shepherd  and his flock shall  
stand together for presentation before  
the eternal  throne2 and he shall say1  
8,lord here am ,i1 and those whom thou  
hast given  me40    ,o my brethren1 no  
sheep of his1 no true member of the     
,lord's flock1 shall  be forgotten on   
that day4  ,the world knows them not2   
the earthly shepherd  himself may not   
have known them all3 but 8the ,lord     
knoweth them that are  ,his40  ,rich or 
poor1 honoured or despised1 loved or    

hated among men1 if  they have lived    
unto the ,lord and died unto the ,lord1 
the ,lord will  confess them at last1   
will infallibly select them every one   
out of an  assembled world1 and set them
 on ,his right hand4  8,them which sleep
 in  ,jesus will ,god bring with ,him40 
,be this my sleep1 come soon1 come late3
  ,be thine the time1 good ,lord1 and   
mine the blessing4  ,lord1 hear my      
prayer2 ,i make but one3 8,let me but   
die the death of the righteous1 and  let
 my last end be like his40