Edward Hoare

“ When they met him face to face, and resigned the trusts committed to their care, the master said to each of them, “Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” And it is no unwarranted stretch of the imagination to believe that a similar welcome was given to our honoured friend when he breathed forth his spirit, and yielded up his ministry to Him who had called him by His grace, and commissioned him for his service. ”

“ When a person has been walking with God for seventy years and more, we do not want last words to assure us of his faith. But it is pleasant to see how the old foundations bear, and to watch the last earthly intercourse of the faithful servant with the faithful Saviour. ”

“ If we are to stand stedfast for seventy years, we must have something solid on which to rest, and one great reason why people shift about as much as they do, is, that they have no stability in their principles. The reason of this again very frequently is that they take partial views of truth. They are one-sided christians, and so lose their balance; whereas we want our foundation to be well built, and to rest all round with an even pressure on the rock. Surely this was most remarkably the case with the ministry of this faithful man. ”

“ My unconverted brethren, if you die without Christ, oh the bitterness of the anguish, and remorse! p. 16What must be the worm that never dies, the fire that is never quenched? O consider this ye that forget God. ”

“ II. For our second subject, the Master’s welcome, I have no time left, and perhaps it is well, for who can attempt either to describe or imagine it? The words of this passage seem to indicate that the joys are beyond all proportion greater than any thing seen here. There are but few things here, but many joys there, and the many cannot be measured by our notions of the few.
Then again the expression “the joy of the Lord,” seems to raise us far above all earthly thoughts, and introduce us as it were into the very mind of the Lord himself. ”

“ He that being often rebuked, and invited, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. My hearers, what I want is that your hearts may be given to the Lord. I want Christ to be enthroned in your hearts. I want you to become His, to enter in while the door of mercy invites your approach, and to share all the blessings of everlasting salvation so freely offered through Christ Jesus the Saviour! ”

“ The faithful servants in the parable were able to present to their master the talents which they had gained during the period of their trust. In their case therefore, faithfulness led to fruitfulness. Their work was successful, and there were talents gained. Can we doubt for one moment that God blessed in the same manner the faithfulness of our revered friend? Whatever others may do, I cannot. I have heard of the deep interest excited by his ministry wherever he has laboured, in Sheffield, in Jersey, and amongst yourselves. ”