What say you?
Shall I go home rejoicing, saying, That many like sheep have went astray, but
they have now believed on Jesus Christ, and so returned home to the great
Shepherd and Bishop of their souls? If the Lord would be pleased thus to
prosper my handy-work, I care not how many legalists and self-righteous
Pharisees murmur against me, for offering salvation to the worst of sinners:
for I know the Son of man came to seek and to save them; and the Lord Jesus will
now be a guest to the worst Publican, the vilest sinner that is amongst you, if
he does but believe on him. Make haste then, O sinners, make haste, and come by
faith to Christ. Then, this day, even this hour, nay, this moment, if you
believe, Jesus Christ shall come and make his eternal abode in your hearts.
Which of you is made willing to receive the King of glory? Which of you obeys
his call, as Zaccheus did? Alas! why do you stand still? How know you, whether
Jesus Christ may ever call you again? Come then, poor, guilty sinners; come
away, poor, lost, undone publicans: make haste, I say, and come away to Jesus
Christ. The Lord condescends to invite himself to come under the filthy roofs
of the houses of your souls. Do not be afraid of entertaining him; he will fill
you with all peace and joy in believing. Do not be ashamed to run before the
multitude, and to have all manner of evil spoke against you falsely for his
sake: one sight of Christ will make amends for all. Zaccheus was laughed at;
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. But
what of that? Zaccheus is now crowned in glory; as you also shall shortly be,
if you believe on, and are reproached for Christ's sake. Do not, therefore, put
me off with frivolous excuses: there's no excuse can be given for your not
coming to Christ. You are lost, undone, without him; and if he is not glorified
in your salvation, he will be glorified in your destruction; if he does not
come and make his abode in your hearts, you must take up an eternal abode with
the devil and his angels. O that the Lord would be pleased to pass by some of
you at this time! O that he may call you by his Spirit, and make you a willing
people in this day of his power! For I know my calling will
not do, unless he, by his efficacious
grace, compel you to come in. O that you once felt what it is to receive Jesus
Christ into your hearts! You would soon, like Zaccheus, give him everything.
You do not love Christ, because you do not know him; you do not come to him, because
you do not feel your want of him: you are whole, and not broken hearted; you
are not sick, at least not sensible of your sickness; and, therefore, no wonder
you do not apply to Jesus Christ, that great, that almighty physician. You do
not feel yourselves lost, and therefore do not seek to be found in Christ. O
that God would wound you with the sword of his Spirit, and cause his arrows of
conviction to stick deep in your hearts! O that he would dart a ray of divine
light into your souls! For if you do not feel yourselves lost without Christ,
you are of all men most miserable: your souls are dead; you are not only an
image of hell, but in some degree hell itself: you carry hell about with you,
and you know it not. O that I could see some of you sensible of this, and hear
you cry out, “Lord, break this hard heart; Lord, deliver me from the body of
this death; draw me, Lord, make me willing to come after thee; I am lost; Lord,
save me, or I perish!” Was this your case, how soon would the Lord stretch
forth his almighty hand, and say, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid?
What a wonderful calm would then possess your troubled souls! Your fellowship
would then be with the Father and the Son: your life would be hid with Christ
in God.
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