Blueridge Believer
Puritan Board Professor
But I only mention one thing more, and that is, if ye are converted, and become as little children,
then for God's sake take care of doing what children often do; they are too apt to quarrel one with
another. O love one another; “he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” Joseph knew
that his brethren were in danger of falling out, therefore when he left them, says he, “fall not out
by the way.” Ye are all children of the same Father, ye are all going to the same place; why should
ye differ? The world has enough against us, the devil has enough against us, without our quarreling
with each other; O walk in love. If I could preach no more, if I was not able to hold out to the end
of my sermon, I would say as John did, when he was grown old and could not preach, “Little
children, love one another:” if ye are God's children, then love one another. There is nothing grieves
me more, than the differences amongst God's people. O hasten that time, when we shall either go
to heaven, or never quarrel any more!
Would to God I could speak to all of you in this comfortable language; but my master tells me,
I must “not give that which is holy to dogs, I must not cast pearls before swine;” therefore, though
I have been speaking comfortably, yet what I have been saying, especially in this latter part of the
discourse, belongs to children; it is children's bread, it belongs to God's people. If any of you are
graceless, Christless, unconverted creatures, I charge you not to touch it, I fence it in the name of
God; here is a flaming sword turning every way to keep you from this bread of life, till ye are turned
to Jesus Christ. And therefore, as I suppose many of you are unconverted, and graceless, go home!
And away to your closets, and down with your stubborn hearts before God; if ye have not done lit
before, let this be the night. Or, do not stay till ye go home; begin now, while standing here; pray
to God, and let the language of thy heart be, Lord convert me! Lord make me a little child, Lord
Jesus let me not be banished from thy kingdom! My dear friends, there is a great deal more implied
in the words, than is expressed: when Christ says, “Ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,”
it is as much to say, “ye shall certainly go to hell, ye shall certainly be damned, and dwell in the
blackness of darkness for ever, ye shall go where the worm dies not, and where the fire is not
quenched.” The Lord God impress it upon your souls! May an arrow (as one lately wrote me in a
letter) dipped in the blood of Christ, reach every unconverted sinner's heart! May God fulfill the
text to every one of your souls! It is he alone that can do it. If ye confess your sins, and leave them,
and lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God shall be given you; if you will go and say,
turn me, O my God! Thou knowest not, O man, what the return of God may be to thee. Did I think
that preaching would be to the purpose, did I think that arguments would induce you to come, I
would continue my discourse till midnight. And however some of you may hate me without a cause,
would to God every one in this congregation was as much concerned for himself, as at present
(blessed be God) I feel myself concerned for him. O that my head were waters, O that mine eyes
were a fountain of tears, that I might weep over an unconverted, graceless, wicked, and adulterous
generation. Precious souls, for God's sake think what will become of you when ye die, if you die
without being converted; if ye go hence without the wedding garment, God will strike you speechless,
and ye shall be banished from his presence for ever and ever. I know ye cannot dwell with everlasting
burnings; behold then I show you a way of escape; Jesus is the way, Jesus is the truth, the Lord
Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the live. It is his Spirit must convert you, come to Christ, and
ye shall have it; and may God for Christ's sake give it to you all, and convert you, that we may all
meet, never to part again, in his heavenly kingdom; even so Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen.
GEORGE WHITEFIELD (marks of a true conversion)
then for God's sake take care of doing what children often do; they are too apt to quarrel one with
another. O love one another; “he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” Joseph knew
that his brethren were in danger of falling out, therefore when he left them, says he, “fall not out
by the way.” Ye are all children of the same Father, ye are all going to the same place; why should
ye differ? The world has enough against us, the devil has enough against us, without our quarreling
with each other; O walk in love. If I could preach no more, if I was not able to hold out to the end
of my sermon, I would say as John did, when he was grown old and could not preach, “Little
children, love one another:” if ye are God's children, then love one another. There is nothing grieves
me more, than the differences amongst God's people. O hasten that time, when we shall either go
to heaven, or never quarrel any more!
Would to God I could speak to all of you in this comfortable language; but my master tells me,
I must “not give that which is holy to dogs, I must not cast pearls before swine;” therefore, though
I have been speaking comfortably, yet what I have been saying, especially in this latter part of the
discourse, belongs to children; it is children's bread, it belongs to God's people. If any of you are
graceless, Christless, unconverted creatures, I charge you not to touch it, I fence it in the name of
God; here is a flaming sword turning every way to keep you from this bread of life, till ye are turned
to Jesus Christ. And therefore, as I suppose many of you are unconverted, and graceless, go home!
And away to your closets, and down with your stubborn hearts before God; if ye have not done lit
before, let this be the night. Or, do not stay till ye go home; begin now, while standing here; pray
to God, and let the language of thy heart be, Lord convert me! Lord make me a little child, Lord
Jesus let me not be banished from thy kingdom! My dear friends, there is a great deal more implied
in the words, than is expressed: when Christ says, “Ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,”
it is as much to say, “ye shall certainly go to hell, ye shall certainly be damned, and dwell in the
blackness of darkness for ever, ye shall go where the worm dies not, and where the fire is not
quenched.” The Lord God impress it upon your souls! May an arrow (as one lately wrote me in a
letter) dipped in the blood of Christ, reach every unconverted sinner's heart! May God fulfill the
text to every one of your souls! It is he alone that can do it. If ye confess your sins, and leave them,
and lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God shall be given you; if you will go and say,
turn me, O my God! Thou knowest not, O man, what the return of God may be to thee. Did I think
that preaching would be to the purpose, did I think that arguments would induce you to come, I
would continue my discourse till midnight. And however some of you may hate me without a cause,
would to God every one in this congregation was as much concerned for himself, as at present
(blessed be God) I feel myself concerned for him. O that my head were waters, O that mine eyes
were a fountain of tears, that I might weep over an unconverted, graceless, wicked, and adulterous
generation. Precious souls, for God's sake think what will become of you when ye die, if you die
without being converted; if ye go hence without the wedding garment, God will strike you speechless,
and ye shall be banished from his presence for ever and ever. I know ye cannot dwell with everlasting
burnings; behold then I show you a way of escape; Jesus is the way, Jesus is the truth, the Lord
Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the live. It is his Spirit must convert you, come to Christ, and
ye shall have it; and may God for Christ's sake give it to you all, and convert you, that we may all
meet, never to part again, in his heavenly kingdom; even so Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen.
GEORGE WHITEFIELD (marks of a true conversion)
