Now, my brethren; let me speak a word of exhortation to those of you, who are already brought to the LORD JESUS, who are born again, who do belong to GOD, to whom it has been given to repent of your sins, and are cleansed from their guilt; and that is, be thankful to GOD for his mercies towards you. O admire the grace of GOD, and bless his name for ever! Are you made alive in CHRIST JESUS? Is the life of GOD begun in your souls, and have you the evidence thereof? Be thankful for this unspeakable mercy to you: never forget to speak of his mercy. And as your life was formerly devoted to sin, and to the pleasures of the world, let it now be spent wholly in the ways of GOD; and O embrace every opportunity of doing and of receiving good. Whatsoever opportunity you have, do it vigorously, do it speedily, do not defer it. If thou seest one hurrying on to destruction, use the utmost of thy endeavour to stop him in his course; shew him the need he has of repentance, and that without it he is lost for ever; do not regard his despising of you; still go on to shew him his danger: and if thy friends mock and despise, do not let that discourage you; hold on, hold out to the end, so you shall have a crown which is immutable, and that fadeth not away.
Let the love of JESUS to you, keep you also humble; do not be high minded, keep close unto the LORD, observe the rules which the LORD JESUS CHRIST has given in his word, and let not the instructions be lost which you are capable of giving. O consider what reason you have to be thankful to the LORD JESUS CHRIST for giving you that repentance you yourselves had need of: a repentance which worketh by love. Now you find more pleasure in walking with GOD one hour, than in all your former carnal delights, and all the pleasures of sin. O! the joy you feel in your own souls, which all the men of this world, and all the devils in hell, though they were to combine together, could not destroy. Then fear not their wrath or malice, for through many tribulations we must enter into glory.
A few days, or weeks, or years more, and then you will be beyond their reach, you will be in the heavenly _Jerusalem_; there is all harmony and love, there is all joy and delight; there the weary soul is at rest.
Now we have many enemies, but at death they are all lost; they cannot follow us beyond the grave: and this is a great encouragement to us not to regard the scoffs and jeers of the men of this world.
O let the love of JESUS be in your thoughts continually. It was his dying that brought you life; it was his crucifixion that paid the satisfaction for your sins; his death, burial, and resurrection that compleated the work; and he is now in heaven, interceding for you at the right-hand of his Father. And can you do too much for the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who has done so much for you? His love to you is unfathomable. O the height, the depth, the length and breadth of this love, that brought the King of glory from his throne, to die for such rebels as we are, when we had acted so unkindly against him, and deserved nothing but eternal damnation. He came down and took our nature upon him; he was made of flesh and dwelt among us; he was put to death on our account; he paid our ransom: surely this should make us love the LORD JESUS CHRIST; should make us rejoice in him, and not do as too many do, and as we ourselves have too often, crucify this JESUS afresh. Let us do all we can, my dear brethren, to honour him.
Come, all of you, come, and behold him stretched out for you; see his hands and feet nailed to the cross. O come, come, my brethren, and nail your sins thereto; come, come and see his side pierced; there is a fountain open for sin, and for uncleanness: O wash, wash and be clean: come and see his head crowned with thorns, and all for you. Can you think of a panting, bleeding, dying JESUS, and not be filled with pity towards him? He underwent all this for you. Come unto him by faith; lay hold on him: there is mercy for every soul of you that will come unto him. Then do not delay; fly unto the arms of this JESUS, and you shall be made clean in his blood.
O what shall I say unto you to make you come to JESUS: I have shewed you the dreadful consequence of not repenting of your sins: and if after all I have said, you are resolved to persist, your blood will be required at your own heads; but I hope better things of you, and things that accompany salvation. Let me beg of you to pray in good earnest for the grace of repentance. I may never see your faces again; but at the day of judgment I will meet you: there you will either bless GOD that ever you were moved to repentance; or else this sermon, though in a field, will be as a swift witness against you. Repent, repent therefore, my dear brethren, as _John the Baptist_, and as our blessed Redeemer himself earnestly exhorted, and turn from your evil ways, and the LORD will have mercy on you.