Preaching

We have reason to expect, that before good days come, there shall terrible days come. Why God hath given such a commission as Isaiah got; “Go make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and convert, and be healed,” (Isa. (6:10). We cannot limit the Lord, nor speak of his time: but surely the sins of our day are greater than the sins of those in Isaiah’s time; for we have sinned against greater light, clearer gospel-light, than ever they had. And the greater our privileges are, the greater our guilt in neglecting them: the greater our guilt, the more awful will our judgments be. Perhaps he is to shake the nations before the Desire of all nations shall come. Believe, watch, and pray, for your enemies, are living and lively: corruption is not destroyed. Watch, and make not your watching a burden: but take up with it in a gospel-way, which is the easy way, and the pleasant way. How? You know it is not the business of the watch to fight the enemies; but whenever the enemy appears, to go and tell the captain-general: so your business in watching is not to go forth against the enemy; but whenever you see him appearing, whenever Satan attacks, by any temptation, and upon the very first motion of the enemy, go and tell the Captain of salvation, saying, “Lord, here is the enemy; Lord help me:” See that you mistake not Christ, when you cry to him, and he seemeth not to hear and answer. Mistake him not; the woman of Canaan knew the mind of Christ better; notwithstanding all the repulses she met with, she looked through them all to his kind heart. Remember what David did, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak:” (Ps. 85:8). I will hear him. Satan, sin, and the world put in their word; but they have never a good word to say of Christ: therefore, I will not hear what they say, nor what unbelief saith, nor whatever the enemy saith; but “I will hear what God the Lord will say; he will speak peace,” as a God in Christ reconciling the word to himself: he speaks peace in the covenant of grace. He speaks peace in his word; I will hear him, and listen to his word. Come to Jesus saying, “Lord help me.” However great the congregation is, yet there is room in Christ for you all: therefore, I beg you will all come to him, and wait on him; and come you must to him, or perish. Let the echo of your soul then be, We have come unto thee, O Lord; “Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee.”