Now, I say, if God brings thee to Christ, and not by the way that
thou hast appointed, then thou art at a loss; and for thy being at a
loss, thou mayest thank thyself. God hath more ways than thou
knowest of to bring a sinner to Jesus Christ; but he will not give
thee before-hand an account by which of them he will bring thee to
Christ.
Sometimes he hath his ways in the whirlwind, but sometimes the Lord
is not there.
If God will deal more gently with thee than with others of his
children, grudge not at it; refuse not the waters that go softly,
lest he bring up to thee the waters of the rivers strong and many,
even those two smoking firebrands, the devil and guilt of sin. He
saith to Peter, "Follow me;" and what thunder did Zaccheus hear or
see? "Zaccheus, come down," said Christ; and he came down, says
Luke, and received him joyfully.
But had Peter or Zaccheus made the objection that thou hast
made-looking for a heavy load of guilt, or fearful temptations of
Satan-and directed the Spirit of the Lord as thou hast done, they
might have looked long enough before they had found themselves
coming to Jesus Christ.
Poor creature! Thou criest, "If I were tempted, I could come faster
and with more confidence to Jesus Christ." Thou sayest thou knowest
not what.
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