Brethren, my heart's desire for you all is, that you may be saved ; and if there be any persons that bear evil will to me, my particular wish for them is, the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush, be those men's portion for ever. These are some of my wishes for you ; will you join your wish- es with mine ; will you turn your wishes into prayers, and let this be your prayer, " The Lord grant thee thine heart's desire, and fulfil all thy mind !"
Brethren, do I wish you any harm in all this ? If not, — if it be to be wished that the word of Christ were rooted in your hearts, and your souls thereby rooted in the grace of God, — if it be to be wished, that your lust were rooted out, your sins dead and dried up, your foot gotten out of the snare, your souls brought into the fold, your fruits of righteousness and holiness abounding and growing up to eternal life, — if all this be to be wished, then give in your votes with mine ; wish and pray, — pray and press on, — press on, and wait, — for the accom- plisliment of this grace in you all. I tell you again, I wish you well ; and not only I.
FAREWELL DISCOURSE ON HIS EJECTION.
u I
but the Lord God liath sent me to you. The Lord Jesus wishes you well ; he wishes and woos, woos and weeps, weeps and dies, that your souls might live, and be blessed for ever. He hath once more sent me to you, even to the worst amongst you, to tell you from him, that he is unwilling you should perish ; that he hath a kindness for you in his heart, if you will accept it; he liatli blood and bowels for you, — blood to expiate your guilt, to wash away your filth, > — and bowels to offer you the benefit of his blood; with this wish, * O that it w^ere theirs ! O that they would hearken and ac- cept !' Only I must add, that the Lord hath two sorts of wishes concerning sinners, the first is, ' O that they would hearken !' O that they would come in, be healed, and be saved, Deut. v. 29. This wish is an olive branch that brings good tidings, and gives great hopes of peace and mercy.
His last wish is, ' O that they had heark- ened, that they had accepted !' Ps. Ixxxi. 13., " O that my people had hearkened to me !" Luke xix. 42., " If thou hadst known, evea thou, in this thy day, the things that concern thy peace." This wish hath no- thing but dread and death in it ; it is the black flag hung out, that proclaims eter- nal wars. The sense is, Israel had once a fair time of it, — a time of love, a time of grace, a time of peace, — O that they had hearkened then, that they had known the things that concern their peace ! But wo, wo to them, it is now too late, the door is shut, the season is over, the day is past ! " But now they are hid from thine eyes."
There are three deadly darts in this wish, — " O that thou hadst !" — It includes in it these three cutting words, Thou hast not: Thou mightest: Thou shalt not for ever.
L There is this in it. Thou hast not. What have I not? Why, " thou hast not known the things that belong to thy peace." Thou hast had the door of glory, the gate of heaven open to thee, and hast been called for, and invited in, but thou hast lost tiie opportunity. Thou knewest not when thou wert well-offered, nor wouldest take notice what a day was before thee, what a prize was in thine hand. Thy peace, the gospel of peace, the Prince of peace, a kingdom of peace was set open, offered, and brought
home to tlty doors, but thou hadst so many other matters to look after, that thou took- est no notice of it, but hast lot it slip. There is one dart, ' Thou hast not known.' There is a gospel gone, — there is a Christ gone,— there is a soul, a kingdom lost !
2. There is this in it, ' Thou mightest.' O that thou hadst? Why, might I? Yes thou mightest, if thou wouldest thou mightest. Thy God did not mock thee, when he preached peace to thee ; he was willing, and wished it thine ; if thou wouldest thou mightest have made it thine own ; but whilst he would thou wouldest not. There is another dart, ' I miglit have known.' I have none to thank but myself for the loss ; mine undoing was mine own doing. There are no such torments as when the soul flies upon itself and takes revenge on itself.