Part 199

Would to GOD I could speak to all of you in this comfortable language; but my master tells me, I must “not give that which is holy to dogs, I must not cast pearls before swine;” therefore, though I have been speaking comfortably, yet what I have been saying, especially in this latter part of the discourse, belongs to children; it is children’s bread, it belongs to GOD’s people. If any of you are graceless, christless, unconverted creatures, I charge you not to touch it, I fence it in the name of GOD; here is a flaming sword turning every way to keep you from this bread of life, till ye are turned to JESUS CHRIST. And therefore, as I suppose many of you are unconverted, and graceless, go home, and away to your closets, and down with your stubborn hearts before GOD; if ye have not done it before, let this be the night: Or, do not stay till ye go home; begin now, while standing here; pray to GOD, and let the language of thy heart be, LORD convert me! LORD make me a little child, LORD JESUS let me not be banished from thy kingdom! My dear friends, there is a great deal more implied in the words, than is expressed: when CHRIST says, “Ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” it is as much as to say, “ye shall certainly go to hell, ye shall certainly be damned, and dwell in the blackness of darkness for ever, ye shall go where the worm dies not, and where the fire is not quenched.” The LORD GOD impress it upon your souls! May an arrow (as one lately wrote me in a letter) dipped in the blood of CHRIST, reach every unconverted sinner’s heart! May GOD fulfil the text to every one of your souls! It is he alone that can do it. If ye confess your sins, and leave them, and lay hold on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Spirit of GOD shall be given you; if you will go and say, turn me, O my GOD! thou knowest not, O man, what the return of GOD may be to thee. Did I think that preaching would be to the purpose, did I think that arguments would induce you to come, I would continue my discourse till midnight. And however some of you may hate me without a cause, would to GOD every one in this congregation was as much concerned for himself, as at present (blessed be GOD) I feel myself concerned for him. O that my head were waters, O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears, that I might weep over an unconverted, graceless, wicked, and adulterous generation. Precious souls, for GOD’s sake think what will become of you when ye die, if you die without being converted; if ye go hence without the wedding garment, GOD will strike you speechless, and ye shall be banished from his presence for ever and ever. I know ye cannot dwell with everlasting burnings; behold then I shew you a way of escape; JESUS is the way, JESUS is the truth, the LORD JESUS CHRIST is the resurrection and the life. It is his Spirit must convert you, come to CHRIST, and ye shall have it; and may GOD for CHRIST’s sake give it to you all, and convert you, that we may all meet, never to part again, in his heavenly kingdom; even so LORD JESUS, Amen and Amen.