Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, Objection 5
Objection 5.
But (sayes another) I fear I come too late, I doubt I have stayed too long, I am afraid the Door is Shut.
Answ. Thou canst never come too late to Jesus Christ, if Thou dost come. This is manifest, by two instances.
First, By the Man that came to him at the Eleventh Hour. This Man was Idle all the day long: He had a whole Gospel day to come in, and he play'd it all away, save only the last hour thereof. But at last, at the Eleventh Hour he came, and goes into the Vineyard to Work with the rest of the Labourers, that had born the Burden, and heat of the day. Well, but how was he received of the Lord of the Vineyard? Why, when pay - day came, he had even as much as the rest, yea had his mony first. True, the others Murmured at him, but what did the Lord Jesus Answer them? Is thine Eye Evil because mine is Good? I will give to this last even as unto thee, Mat. 20.
Secondly, The other instance is, The Thief upon the Cross: He came late also, even as at an Hour before his Death; yea, he stayed from Jesus Christ, as long as he had liberty to be a Theif, and longer too; for could he have deluded the Judge, and by lying words, have escaped his Just Condemnation; for ought I know, he had not come as yet, to his Saviour: but being Convicted, and Condemned to Die; yea, fastned to the Cross, that he might Die like a Rogue, as he was in his Life; behold the Lord Jesus, when this wicked one, even now, desireth Mercy at his Hands, tells him, and that without the least reflexion upon him, for his former Mis-spent Life, To Day thou shalt be with me in Paradice, Luke 23. 43.
Let no Man turn this Grace of God into Wantonness; my design is now to encourage the coming Soul.
Object. But is not the Door of Mercy Shut against some before they Die?
Answ. Yes. And God forbids that Prayers should be made to him for them, Jer. 7. 16. Jud. 22.
Quest. Then, why may not I doubt that I may be one of these?
Answ. By no means, if thou art coming to Jesus Christ; because when God Shuts the Door upon Men, he gives them no heart, to come to Jesus Christ. None comes, but those to whom it is given of the Father: But thou comest, therefore it is given to thee of the Father.
But sure therefore, if the Father hath given thee an Heart to come to Jesus Christ, the Gate of Mercy yet stands Open to thee: For it stands not with the Wisdom of God, To give strength to come to the Birth, and yet to Shut up the Womb, Isa. 66. 9. to give grace to thee to come to Jesus Christ, and yet Shut up the Door of his Mercy upon thee. Encline your Ear, saith he, come unto me, hear, and your Souls shall Live; And I will make an Everlasting covenant with you, even the sure Mercies of David, Isa. 55. 3.
Object. But it is said that some knocked when the Door was Shut.
Answ. Yes, But the Texts in which these Knockers are Mentioned, are to be referred unto the day of Judgment, and not to the coming of the Sinner to Christ in this Life. (See the Texts, Mat. 25. 11. Luke 13. 24, 25.)
These therefore concern thee nothing at all; that art coming to Jesus Christ, thou art coming Now! Now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of Salvation, 2 Cor. 6. 2. now God is upon the Mercy-Seat, now Christ Jesus Sits by continually pleading the Virtue of his Blood for Sinners: and now, even as long as this World lasts, this word of the Text shall still be free, and fully fulfilled. And him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.
Sinner! the greater Sinner thou art, the greater need of Mercy thou hast, and the more will Christ be gloryfied thereby: come then, come and try, come tast, and see how good the Lord is to an Undeserving Worthless Sinner.