41 ________. The popular concern in the choice of representatives. London: J. Buckland, 1774. A sermon delivered both at Maze Pond and the Monkwel Street Lecture on October 9, 1774 prior to a national election. It touches on the duty of Christian citizens and is drawn from Isa 1:26. Wallin notes that the Kingdom of God is the proper subject of the pulpit and that politics and philosophy ought not to intrude as the principal subject, however he appeals to both the apostles’ and Jesus’ example of touching on the things of the time, to justify applying the Scriptural principles to a modern question of duty. Wallin reminds this audience that they owe it to themselves and to their posterity to look to the improvement of the state at the present juncture in order to continue to hold dear the things which God has given, including the freedom of preaching the gospel. He continues to remind his hearers of the nature of the constitution which they live under, and the responsibilities that are entailed with that civil constitution. Wallin addresses seven pillars, or links in a chain, that he believes a Christian should consider as the election approaches. They are: 1) That civil Magistrates and Counsellors are essential to the existence of a people; 2) That in the beginning of a State her great men are, for the most part, wise, good and true; 3) That the counsellors of a nation may in time be corrupt, and prove unjust and cruel; 4) That the opportunity for the wicked to ascend into power must be owing to the degeneracy of the populace; 5) That while evil counsellors have the sway, a sinful nation or city cannot recover its purity and character; 6) that a restoration of discreet faithful judges and senators, is alone from the Most High; 7) That this blessing is not to be expected until, by some means, a national repentance and reformation, is procured. The sermon ends with a passionate call to arms focused on serving the Lord but including doing one’s duty to choose representatives who will work toward revival.
42 ________. Memoirs of a gentleman lately deceased. London: J. Buckland, 1774. A memoir constructed by Wallin after the death of the unnamed gentlemen who came to faith on his deathbed and requested that his story be related as a warning to others. In the preface, Wallin addresses some of the objections that he knows that the work will face because of its relaying of a deathbed conversion and the license that some may take - to take for granted that they too may likewise have a similar opportunity. He also addresses doubters that question whether any signs may be evident of regeneration on a deathbed. Wallin warns of the great danger of presuming upon God’s grace without actually repenting and trusting upon the atoning sacrifice of Christ alone. Wallin describes the gentlemen’s youth and that although he was made familiar with the gospel as he aged he “wandered away from what he was taught, cast away fear, neglected prayer, and associated with skeptical persons until his beliefs were contrary to the testimony of God.” Even so, the man continued to attend worship, and his hypocrisy was undetected by his fellow members. It was not until his deathbed that the terror of his rebellion and hypocrisy struck him and he confessed to his friends, family, and Wallin, his guilt and terror, but also of his new-found trust in his Savior’s forgiveness. Wallin concludes with a guided inquiry into the evidences of this man’s self-examination and demonstration of the fruits of contrition and repentance as compared to those who continue to despise or presume upon God’s grace to the very end. Wallin ends with a gospel admonition to repent and fall down at the Savior’s feet.
43________. Superabounding grace, in the forgiveness of penitent transgressors, exemplified and vindicated. London: George Keith, 1775. In this large work, Wallin addresses in four parts the narrative of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. Appended to that discussion are also two discourses that address the penitent woman in Simon the Pharisee's house from Luke 7. Wallin asserts in his preface the reason is insufficient for bringing a man to salvation and insists upon the revelation of the gospel to work as the ministry of reconciliation. Wallin asks his reader to consider the grace of God and his willingness to save even the most vile of sinners, and then asks if there is “an exclusive line in the proclamations of grace?” indicating his willingness to preach the gospel to all. Wallin explains that he is not writing this work as a critique of anyone but to “illustrate and justify divine mercy bestowed on even very great sinners.” Wallin states that while he certainly touches upon the doctrine of repentance, his principal aim has not been that, but to point to “the encouragement there is in the gospel for a penitent sinner.” As Wallin opens the parable, he suggests that the two brothers are representatives of all of humanity which can either be classed with having a libertine, or self-righteous attitude. Wallin works through the parable in a similar plain-style manner to his sermons but on a much grander scale, with the exposition of certain verses taking up whole discourses without ever turning to the application or improvement of the text which comes in later discourses, with the exception however of a brief admonition at the conclusion of each discourse. Wallin addresses throughout the work, both in the body of the text and in the footnotes, the saving influence of the Spirit to bring about regeneration and repentance – as such this work is an important resource for understanding Wallin’s soteriology. Wallin articulate clearly why the gospel is and must be the means of grace that God uses in the calling of the unregenerate and thereby provides an argument for the preaching of free grace to all people. Wallin asks he readers to be moved with compassion for their lost neighbors and to “wrestle” with them with the gospel so that his understanding might be opened. Wallin also discusses the nature of righteousness received in justification and distinguishes between a legal imputed righteousness and moral righteousness that comes about through the Spirit’s sanctifying influence as he speaks about the “best robe” that the Father provides for the prodigal. Wallin also suggests that the “fatted calf” is to be understood as the body of Christ crucified and given for the communion of God and man, and for the ongoing nourishment of the faith in the table of the Lord. Wallin discusses at length the necessity of divine change in order to bring about repentance. He also differentiates between legal and evangelical repentance and insists that evangelical repentance is something that is the “sinner’s own act” which he freely preforms as a consequence of the means of grace that God has used to awaken him to his lost estate. He includes an argument against sinners who would use election as a deterministic excuse to have not come to the Lord. He also includes a discussion on the mystery of the feast and relates it to the Christian's enjoyment of the Lord’s Supper. He warns of the pride of the elder son, and while acknowledging that impenitent sinners cannot be welcomed into the fellowship of the church, those who have repented, no matter how base they formerly were, are to be admitted. Lest the truths that he has argued for from the parable be dismissed because it was dependent upon an interpretation of a parable, he uses the final two discourses to substantiate his doctrine from Jesus’ own interaction with the penitent woman and self-righteous Simon.
44 ________. The case of a fallen professor, stated and considered. London: J. Buckland, 1775. A sermon on Prov 25:26. This work in unusual in that it does not contain a preface that introduces the purpose of the work as is typical of all of Wallin’s writings. He opens the text in the usual plain style and notes that it relates the case of a righteous man who falls into sin, and that it is not an indication of complete apostasy, which he asserts does not happen because of the Perseverance of the saints. Wallin warns against using the fall into sin of someone to determine whether or not they are eternally lost, but does not that it is a warning against merely a formal profession. He also holds out the highest standard for those who will be called to be ministers in the church; not that a fallen person cannot be restored and returned to fellowship, but the office of the ministry must remain for the blameless. Wallin also warns against a false understanding of Perseverance which holds that sin cannot harm a believer and asserts that nothing could be further from the truth, while it may not at the last rob him of salvation, it can destroy him and drive him to the grave in shame. Wallin concludes with a strong admonition against licentiousness and antinomianism. He also instructs the church on how it ought to handle the case of a fallen professor in private (when possible) so as not to do harm to the witness of the church.
45 ________. The ancient believers’ transition from mortality to life. London: J. Buckland, 1779. Funeral sermon preached on the decease of Mrs. Hannah Munn on Job 5:26. Wallin addresses the subject of righteousness and affirms that good works, nor internal holiness has anything to do with the justification of the sinner which comes solely from the righteousness imputed to him from Christ Jesus. In this sermon Wallin speaks quite frequently about how this woman’s age had brought about in her a ripeness of her faith and prepared her for her soul to ascend to Jesus’ side. He instructs that true Christians are not indifferent to the increasing of the fruits of righteousness in the lives, but through tribulation and trials has become more and more rooted in the love and grace of God. Wallin concludes with a gospel admonition.
46 ________. Satan rebuked and the saint defended. London: James McGowen, 1781. Funeral sermon for Rev John MacGowan,s pastor of the church at Devonshire Square, whose daughter Elizabeth had passed away aged 16 and for whom Wallin had also preached and published a funeral sermon, The Fountain of Life Freely Opened. Wallin includes the Interment address with this work which was preached by Samuel Stennett. Wallin’s sermon was based on Zech 3:2. As he takes up the subject of a burning brand plucked from the fire, he notes that this is a fitting description for all of God’s elect who are justly under the condemnation of their sins until his gracious rescue. He also points to the Savior’s willingness to come to his chosen’s defense against the accusations of Satan. He affirms that the election of grace was from eternity, but also that it included in it a fulfillment in time. (this is an indirect argument against justification from eternity) Wallin also sets forth the doctrine of Perseverance as a comfort that God is willing to perfectly complete the work that he has begun. Wallin expresses his belief in the efficacy of preaching as a means which God uses to pluck perishing sinners from the fire. Wallin concludes with an admonition for the church and her officers to exert themselves in their stations toward the building up of the Temple of God and to not fall into the temptation of forsaking the regular assembling of themselves but to diligently seek to set a man over them to continue the work of God in their midst.
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