7. I read of some who follow Christ in chains; I say, to come after him in chains. “Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee: in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee: they shall make supplication unto thee, saying—Surely there is none else” to save (Isa 45:14). Surely they that come after Christ in chains, come to him in great difficulty, because their steps, by the chains, are straitened. And what chains are so heavy as those that discourage you? Thy chain, which is made up of guilt and filth, is heavy; it is a wretched bond about thy neck, by which thy strength doth fail (Lam 1:14; 3:18). But come, though thou comes in chains; it is glory to Christ that a sinner comes after him in chains. Though troublesome to thee, the chinking of thy chains is not, nor can be an obstruction to thy salvation; it is Christ’s work and glory to save you from your chains, enlarge your steps, and set you at liberty. The blind man, though called, surely could not come to Jesus Christ, but Christ could stand still, and stay for him (Mark 10:49). True, “He rode upon the wings of the wind;” but yet he is long-suffering, and his long-suffering is salvation to him that cometh to him (2 Peter 3:9).
8. Hadst thou seen those that came to the Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh, how slowly, how hobblingly, they came to him, because of their infirmities. Also, how friendly, kindly, and graciously, he received them, and gave them the desire of their hearts, thou would not, as thou dost, make such objections against thyself, in thy coming to Jesus Christ.
Object. 5. But, says another, I fear I come too late; I doubt I have staid 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 in two instances.
1. By the man that came to him at the eleventh hour. This man was idle all day long. He had a whole gospel day to come in, and he played it all away save only the last hour thereof. But at last, at the eleventh hour, he came and went into the vineyard to work with the rest of the laborers, that had borne the burden and heat of the day. Well, but how was he received by the lord of the vineyard? Why, when pay-day came, he had even as much as the rest; yea, had his money first. True, the others murmured at him; but what did the Lord Jesus answer them? “Is thine eye evil, because I am good? I will give unto this last, even as unto thee” (Matt 20:14,15).
2. 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 thief, 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, fastened 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, desired mercy at his hands, tells him, and that without the least reflection upon him, for his former misspent life, “To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Let no man turn this grace of God into wantonness. My design is now to encourage the coming soul.
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