17. _Neither cast ye your pearls before swine._ Be very unwilling to pass this judgment on any man. But if the fact be plain and undeniable, if it is clear, beyond all dispute, if the swine do not endeavour to disguise themselves, but rather glory in their shame, making no pretence to purity either of heart or life, but working all uncleanness with greediness: then _cast_ not _ye your pearls before_ them. Talk not to them of the mysteries of the kingdom: of the things _which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard_; which of consequence, as they have no other inlets of knowledge, no spiritual senses, it cannot enter into their hearts to conceive. Tell not them of the _exceeding great and precious promises_, which God hath given us, in the Son of his love. What conception can they have, of being _made partakers of the divine nature_, who do not even desire to _escape the corruption that is in the world thro’ lust_? Just as much knowledge as swine have of pearls, and as much relish as they have for them, so much relish have they for the deep things of God, so much knowledge of the mysteries of the gospel, who are immersed in the mire of this world, in worldly pleasures, desires and cares. _O cast not_ those _pearls before_ these, _lest they trample them under their feet_, lest they utterly despise what they cannot understand, and speak evil of the things which they know not. Nay, ’tis probable, this would not be the only inconvenience which would follow. It would not be strange, if they were, according to their nature, to _turn again, and rent you_: if they were to return you evil for good, cursing for blessing, and hatred for your good-will. Such is the enmity of the carnal mind against God and all the things of God. Such the treatment you are to expect from these, if you offer them the unpardonable affront, of endeavouring to save their souls from death, to pluck them as brands out of the burning!
18. And yet you need not utterly despair even of these, who for the present _turn again and rent you_. For if all your arguments and persuasives fail, there is yet another remedy left; and one that is frequently found effectual, when no other method avails. This is prayer. Therefore whatever you desire or want, either for others or for your own soul, _Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you_. The neglect of this is a third grand hindrance of holiness. Still we _have not, because we ask not_. O how meek and gentle, how lowly in heart, how full of love both to God and man might ye have been at this day, if you had only asked? If you had _continued instant in prayer_! Therefore now, at least, _Ask, and it shall be given unto you. Ask_, that ye may throughly experience and perfectly practise the whole of that religion, which our Lord has here so beautifully described. _It shall_ then _be given you_, to be holy as he is holy, both in heart and in all manner of conversation. _Seek_, in the way he hath ordained, in searching the scriptures, in hearing his word, in meditating thereon, in fasting, in partaking of the supper of the Lord, and surely _ye shall find_. Ye shall find that pearl of great price, that faith which overcometh the world, that peace which the world cannot give, that love which is the earnest of your inheritance. _Knock_: continue in prayer, and in every other way of the Lord. Be not weary or faint in your mind. Press on to the mark. Take no denial. Let him not go until he bless you. And the door of mercy, of holiness, of heaven _shall be opened unto you_.
19. It is in compassion to the hardness of our hearts, so unready to believe the goodness of God, that our Lord is pleased to enlarge upon this head, and to repeat and confirm what he hath spoken. _For every one_, saith he, _that asketh, receiveth_: so that none need come short of the blessing. _And he that seeketh_, even every one that seeketh, _findeth_, the love and the image of God; _and to him that knocketh_, to every one that knocketh, the gate of righteousness shall be opened. So that here is no room for any to be discouraged, as tho’ they might ask or seek or knock in vain. Only remember, _always to pray_, to seek, to knock _and not to be faint_. And then the promise standeth sure. It is firm as the pillars of heaven. Yea, more firm; for heaven and earth shall pass away: but his word shall not pass away.