Can you bear to think of a bleeding, panting, dying JESUS, offering himself up for sinners, and you will not accept of him? Do not say, you are poor, and therefore are ashamed to go to church, for GOD has sent the gospel out unto you. Do not harden your hearts: oppose not the will of JESUS.
O that I could speak to your hearts, that my words would centre there. My heart is full of love to you. I would speak, till I could speak no more, so I could but bring you to CHRIST. I may never meet you all, perhaps, any more. The cloud of GOD’s providence seems to be moving. GOD calls me by his providence away from you, for a while. GOD knows whether we shall ever see each other in the flesh. At the day of judgment we shall all meet again. I earnestly desire your prayers. Pray that I may not only begin, _Jehu_-like, in the spirit, but that I may continue in it. Pray that I may not fall away, that I may not decline suffering for you, if I should be called to it. Be earnest, O be earnest with GOD in my behalf, that while I am preaching to others, I may not be a cast-away. Put up your prayers for me, I beseech you. Go not to the throne of grace, without carrying me upon your heart; for you know not what influence your prayers may have. As for you, my dear brethren, GOD knows my heart, I continually bear you on my mind, when I go in and out before the LORD; and it is my earnest desire, you may not perish for lack of knowledge, but that he would send out more ministers to water what his own right-hand hath planted. May the Antient of Days come forth upon his white horse, and may all opposition fall to the ground. As we have begun to bruise the serpent’s head, we must expect he will bruise our heel. The devil will not let his kingdom fall without raging horribly. He will not suffer the ministers of CHRIST to go on, without bringing his power to stop them. But fear not, my dear brethren, _David_, though a stripling, encountered the great _Goliah_; and if we pray, GOD will give us strength against all our spiritual enemies. Shew your faith by your works. Give the world the lye. Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you. Fight the good fight of faith, and GOD will give you spiritual mercies. I hope we shall all meet at the right-hand of GOD. Strive, strive to enter in at the strait gate, that we may be borne to _Abraham_’s bosom, where sin and sorrow shall cease. No scoffer will be there, but we shall see JESUS, who died for us; and not only see him, but live with him for ever.
Which GOD, of his infinite mercy, & c.