Christ knocking at the door of sinners' hearts; or, A solemn entreaty to receive the Saviour and His gospel in this day of mercy

Front matter

i

C II E I S T KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

SINNERS' HEARTS;

Chapter I. The Offers Of Mercy Recorded And Witnessed For The Judgment-day

" Behold, I stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20 9

Chapter II

THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN HIS ORDINANCES. " Behold, I stand at the door and knock," 27

Chapter III. The Heart Barred Against Christ

" Behold, I stand at the door and knock," 43

Chapter IV. Christ's Patience In Waiting Upon Obstinate

SINNERS.

u Behold, I stand at the door and knock, 73

CHAPTER Y.

EVERY CONVICTION OF CONSCIENCE AND MOTION OF

THE SPIRIT A KNOCK FROM CHRIST.

u Behold, I stand at the door and knock, 107

Chapter XIV

THE TRUTH HELD IN UNRIGHTE CUSNE SS — continued. u The wrath of Grod is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.' Rom. 1:18, 376

FROM THE

AUTHOR'S EPISTLE TO THE READER.

Candid Reader — The following discourse comes to thy hand in the native plainness in which it was preached. I was conscientiously unwilling to alter it, because I found by experience the Lord had blessed and prospered it in that dress, far beyond any other composures on which I had bestowed more pains. Let it not be censured as vanity or ostentation, that I here acknowledge the goodness of God in leading me to, and blessing my poor labors on this subject. Who and what am I, that I should be continued and again employed in the Lord's harvest, and that with success and encouragement, when so many of my brethren, with much richer gifts and graces, have in my time been called out of the vineyard, and are now silent in the grave. It is true, they enjoy what I do not; and it is as true, I am capable of doing some service for God which they are not. In preaching these sermons, I had many occasions to reflect upon the sense of that scripture, " The ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed." Amos 9:13. Sowing and reaping times trod so close upon each other, that, in all humility I speak it to the praise of God, it was the busiest and most blessed time I ever saw since 1 first preached the gospel.

We have now a day of special mercy : there is a wide door of religious opportunity opened to us. that it may prove an effectual door. It is wonderful, that after all our sinful provocations this sweet voice is still heard, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Our mercies and liberties are obtained for us by our potent Advocate in the heavens : if we bring forth fruit, well ; if not, the axe lieth at the root of the tree. Let us not feel secure. Jerusalem was the city of the great King* the seat of

8 EPISTLE TO THE READER.

his worship and the symhols of his presence were fixed there ; it was the joy of the whole earth, the house of prayer for all nations; thither the tribes went up to worship, the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel. For there were set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Psa. 122 : 4, 5. These privileges she enjoyed through the succession of many ages, and she had remained the glory of all nations to this day, had she known and improved in that day the things that belonged to her peace; but her people neglected their season, rejected their mercies, and miserably perished in their sins : for there ever was and will be found to be an inseparable connection between the final rejection of Christ, and the destruction of the rejecters, Matt. 22 : 5-7, the contemplation of which drew compassionate tears from the Redeemer's eyes, when he beheld it in his descent from the mount of Olives. Luke 19 : 41, 42.

As to this treatise, thou wilt find it a persuasive to open thy heart to Christ. Thy soul, reader, is a magnificent structure built by Christ; such stately rooms as thy understanding, will, conscience, and affections, are too good for any other to inhabit. If thou art in thy unregenerate state, he solemnly demands in this treatise admission into the soul he made, by the consent of the will ; which, if thou refuse to give him, then witness is taken that Christ once more demanded entrance into thy soul, which he made, and was denied it. If thou hast opened thy heart to him, thou wilt, I hope, meet somewhat in this treatise that will cleai thy evidences and cheer thy heart. Pray, read, ponder, and apply. I am

Thine and the church's servant,

JOHN FLAVEL.

CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.

Chapter I. The Offers Of Mercy Recorded And Wit Nessed For The Judgment-day

"BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK: IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME." Rev. 3 : 20.

This day hath our compassionate Redeemer opened unto us a door of liberty — liberty to us to preach, and liberty for you to hear the glad tidings of the gospel. This is a day few looked for ; how often have I said in the years that are past, God hath no more work for me to do, and I shall have no more strength and opportunities to work for God. And how often have you said in your hearts, we have sinned our ministers out of their pulpits, and our eyes shall no more behold these our teachers. But lo, beyond the thoughts of most hearts, a wide and, I hope, an effectual door is now opened in the midst of us. that it may be to us as the valley of Achor was to Israel, "for a door of hope," Hosea 2:15; not only making the troubles they met with in that valley an inlet to their mercies, as ours have been to us, but giving them that valley as a pledge of greater mercies intend ed for them. Upon the first appearance of this mercy, my thoughts were how to make the most fruitful improvement of it among you, lest we should sin ourselves hack again into bondage.

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In the contemplation of this matter, the Lord directed me to this scripture, wherein the same hand that opened to you the door of liberty, knocks importunately at the doors of your hearts for entrance into them, and for union and communion with them. It will be sad indeed if he who hath let you into all these mercies, should himself be shut out of your hearts ; but if the Lord help you to open your hearts now to Christ, I doubt not this door of liberty will be kept open to you, how many soever the adversaries be that will do their utmost to shut it up. Ezek. 39 : 29. The mercies you enjoy this day are the fruits of Christ's intercession with the Father for one trial more : if we bring forth fruit, well ; if not, the axe lieth at the root of the tree. Under this consideration I desire to speak, and even so the Lord help you to hear what shall be spoken from this precious scripture, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any

HEAR MY VOICE AND OPEN THE DOOR, 1 WILL COME I.N TO HI>f, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME."

These words are a branch of that excellent epistle dictated by Christ, and sent by his servant John to the church ui Laodicea, the most formal and degenerate of all the seven churches; yet the great Physician will try his skill upon them, both by the rebukes of the rod and by the peiSUAr sive power of the word, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock," etc.

This text is Christ's wooing voice, full of heavenly rhetoric to win and gain the hearts of sinners to himself; wherein we have these two general parts.

1. Christ's suit for a sinner's heart.

2. The powerful arguments enforcing his suit.

1. Christ's suit for a sinners heart, in which is, (1,; tlie solemn preface, ushering it in, " Behold" The prd is exceedingly solemn; for besides the common use of tins word behold in other places, to excite attention or pot weight into an affirmation, it stands here, as a j'

expositor says, as a term of notification or public record, wherein Christ takes witnesses of the most gracious offer he w r as now about to make to their souls, and will have it stand for a perpetual memorial of this offer, as a testimony for or against their souls to all eternity, to cut off all excuses and pretences for time to come.

(2.) The suitor, Christ himself, " /stand ;" I who have a right of sovereignty over you ; I who have shed my invaluable blood to purchase you, and might justly condemn you upon the first denial or demur, " behold, I stand:" this is the suitor.

(3.) His posture and action, "I stand at the door and knock :" the word is fitly translated, "I stand," yet so as that it notes a continual action. I have stood, and do still stand with unwearied patience ; I once stood personally and bodily among you in the days of my flesh, and I still stand spirit ually and representatively in my ambassadors at the door, that is, the mind and conscience, the faculties and powers which are introductory to the whole soul.

The w T ord " door " is here properly put to signify those introductory faculties of the soul, which are of like use to it, as the door is to the house. This is the Redeemer's posture, his action is knocking, that is, his powerful and gracious attempts to open the heart to give him admission. The v\\>rd " knock " signifies a strong and powerful knock ; he stands patiently, and knocks powerfully by the w T ord outwardly, by the convictions, motions, impulses, and strivings of his Spirit inwardly.

(4.) Tlie 'design and end of the suit; it is for " opening" to him, that is, consenting, receiving, and heartily accepting him by faith. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia, Acts 16 : 14 ; that is, persuaded her soul to believe ; implying that the heart by nature is strongly barred and locked up against Christ, and that nothing but a power from him can open it.

2. The powerful arguments, and motives used by Christ to obtain his suit in the sinner's heart ; and they are drawn from two inestimable benefits which accrue to the opening or believing soul.

(1.) Union: "I will come in to him;" that is, I will unite myself with the opening, believing soul ; he shall be mystically one with me, and I with him.

(2.) Communion: " I will sup with him, and he with me ;" that is, I will feast the believing soul with the delicto cies of heaven ; such comforts, joys, and pleasures as none but believers are capable of.

And, to set home all, these special benefits are pro] by Christ to all sorts of sinners, great and small, old and young : " If any man hear my voice, and open the door :' ! that so no soul might be discouraged from believing by t he greatness or multitude of his sins, but the vilest of sinneiv may see free grace triumphing over all their unworthii on their consent to take Christ according to the gracious oners of the gospel.

The words thus opened afford many great and useful points of doctrine, comprehending in them the very substance of the gospel. The first which arises from the solemn and remarkable preface, "Behold," will be this:

That every offer of Christ to the so recorded and ivitnessed with respect to the day of account and reckoning.

Here we shall inquire into three things : AYho are < I witnesses to all the offers of the gospel ; what they witni to; and why God records every offer of Christ, and take! witness thereof

I. Who are God's witnesses to all the tenden ind offers made of Christ by the gospel? and they will be found to be more than a strict legal number ; for,

1. His ministers, by whom he makes them, are all witnesses as well as officers of Christ to the people. " I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness." Acts 26 : 16. Here you see ministers have a double office, to propose and offer Christ, and then to bear witness for or against those to whom he is thus offered ; they ere expressly called God's witnesses. Rev. 11 : 7. Their labors witness, their sufferings witness, their solemn appeals to God witness, yea, the very dust of their feet shaken ofl against the refusers of Christ, turns to a testimony against them. Mark 6:11. Every sigh, every drop of sweat, much more of blood, are placed in God's book along with all their sermons and prayers, and will be produced and read in the great day against all the refusers and despisers of Christ.

2. The gospel itself, which is preached to you, is a testimony or witness for God against every one who rejects it. " He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him ; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12 : 48. And this is the sense of Christ's word, Matt. 24 : 14, " And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations ; and then shall the end come." Ah, what a solemn record is here ; every sermon you hear, yea, every reproof, persuasion, and conviction is a witness for God to condemn every soul in judgment that complies not immediately with the calls of the gospel : so many sermons, so many witnesses.

3. Every man's conscience is a witness for God, that he has a fair offer made him ; the very consciences of the heathen who never saw a Bible, who had no other preachers but the sun, moon, and stars and other works of nature ; yet of them the apostle says, that they " show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." Rom. 2 : 15. Certainly if such vigor and activity was put into the consciences of heathen, who could only read the will of God by the dim moonlight of natural reason, how much more vigorous and active will conscience be in its accusing office against all who live under the bright beams of gospel light. Their consciences will be swift witnesses, and will ring sad peals in their ears another day. They " shall know that there hath been a prophet among them." Ezek. 2 : 5. This single witness is instead of a thousand other witnesses for God.

4. The examples of all ivho believe and obey the gospel, are so many witnesses for God against the despisers and ncglecters of the great salvation. Every mourning, trembling soul among you is a witness against all the dead-hearted, unbelieving, disobedient ones that sit with them under the same ordinances. Hence it is said, " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world ?' ; 1 Cor. 6 : 2. They shall be a.— sors with Christ in the great day, and condemn the world by their examples, as Noah did the old world. Thus, " John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not : but the publicans and the harlots believed him ; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." Matt. 21 : 32. A said,

What shift do you make to quiet your conscienc iile

your convictions, when you see publicans, the w< ien,

and harlots, the worst of women, repenting md

hungering after Christ ; their - U be your ju<L

These are God's witnesses.

II. Next let us consider what is the unto which they give their testimony, and that will I twofold, according to the twofold eliect the \ them who hear it: of both which the ; count, "To the one we are the savor of death and to the other the savor of life unto li i 0.

Accordingly a double record is mad

1. Of the obedience and faith oj which record will be produced to their joy and comfort in the day of the Lord ; "when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." 2 Thess. 1 : 10. Ministers are instruments of espousing souls to Christ, and witnesses to those espousals between him and them. 2 Cor. 11 : 2. Both these offices are exceedingly grateful and pleasant to every faithful minister.

2. A record is made, and witness taken of all the refusals, disobedience, a?id slightings of Christ by others. Thus Moses will be the accuser of the Jews. " Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust." John 5 : 45. This is the saddest part of a minister's work ; the forethoughts of it are more afflictive than all our labors and sufferings. There is a threefold record made in this case.

(1.) Of the time men have enjoyed under the means of salvation, how many years they have sat barren and coldhearted under the labors of God's faithful ministers. " Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none." Luke 13 : 7. "Behold," the same term of notification with that in the text, applied to the time of God's patience towards them. And again, "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking ; but ye have not hearkened." Jer. 25 : 3. consider, all the years and days you have spent under the gospel are upon your doomsday-book.

(2.) Records are also made of all the instruments God has employed for the conversion and salvation of your souls. So many ministers, whether fixed or transient, as have spent their labors upon you, are upon the book of your account. "The Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them ; but ye have not hearkened nor inclined your ear to hear." Jer. 25 : 4. They have wasted their health, dropped their compassionate tears, and burnt down one after another like candles, to direct you to Christ and salvation, hut all in vain.

(3.) Every call, persuasion, and argument used by them to espouse you to Christ, is likewise upon the book of account. " Because I have called, and ye refused ; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." Prov. 1 : 24, 25. These calls and counsels are of too great value with God, though of none with you, to be lost and left out of your account.

III. We shall inquire into the grounds and reasons oi these judicial procedures of God : why he will have every man's obedience and disobedience registered and witnessed for or against him, under gospel administrations ; and there are two weighty reasons thereof.

1. That icherever the end of the gospel is attained in the conversion of a soul, that soul, and all ivho were instrumentally employed about the salvation of it, may have the proper reward and comfort in the great day. " As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus." 2 Cor. 1 : 14. This will be matter of joy unspeakable, both to you that shall receive, and to them that shall give such a comfortable testimony for you. the joyful congratulations of that day between laborious, faithful ministers, and their believing, obedient hearers. " Lord, this was the blessed instrument of my happy illumination and conversion ; though I might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers ; for by the blessing of thy Spirit on this man's ministry, my soul was begotten to Christ." And, on the other side, "Lord, these are the souls for whom I travailed, as in birth, until Christ was formed in them." It is a glorious thing to say, as the prophet, " Here am I, and the children God hath given me." Nay, those who were but collaterally useful to help on the work of God begun by others, must not lose their reward in that day. " And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." John 4 : 36.

2. Records are now made, and witness taken, that thereby the judicial sentence of Jesus Christ in the last day may be made clear to all the ivorld ; that every mouth may be stopped, and no plea left in the mouth of any condemned sinner. For Christ in that day cometh "to convince all that are ungodly," Jude 15 ; to convince by demonstration, that all that are Christless now may be found speechless then. Matt. 22 : 12. Hence it is said, "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." Psalm 1:5. And no wonder, when so many full testimonies and unexceptionable witnesses shall come point blank against them : the ministers that preached, the word they preached, their own consciences, and the example of all believers will be produced against them.

Inference 1. The undoubted certainty of a day of judgment is hence evinced. To what purpose else are records made, and witness taken, but with respect to an audit-day ? This is a truth sealed on the conscience of the very heathen ; their consciences bear witness. Rom. 2:15. But in vain are all these records made, unless there be a day to produce and plead them ; and of that day the prophet Daniel speaks, " The judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:10. And again, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the books were opened ; and another book was opened, which is the book of life ; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book, according to their works." Rev 20 : 12.

Believe it, friends, these are no cunningly devised fables, but awful and infallible truths. If the gospel now produces saving effects, it will then be a time of refreshing to our souls, Acts 3:19; but to all who reject it, it will be a day of terror, wrath, and amazement. It will be the day in which the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 1 : 7, 8.

2. What a motive is here to ministerial diligence and faithfulness. It is an awful work that is under our hands ; the effects of the gospel which we preach will be the savor of life or death to them that hear us. If the Lord prosper it in our hands, we shall be witnesses for you ; it will be an addition to our glory in heaven. " They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." Dan. 12 : 3. But if we are ignorant, lazy, or men-pleasers, our people will come in as swift witnesses against us, and their blood will be required at our hands ; it will be an intolerable aggravation to our misery in hell, to have any that sat under our ministry thus upbraiding us : "0 cruel man, thou sawest my soul in danger, and never didst deal faithfully and plainly with me ; the time and breath that was spent hi idle and worldly discourse, might have been instrumental to save me from this place of torment." Let ministers consider themselves as witnesses for God, and their people as witnesses for or against thsm ; and under that consideration, let them so study, preach, and pray, that they may with Paul take God to record that they are free from the blood of all men : no men on earth have more motives to diligence and faithfulness than we have.

3. What an argument is this to banish formality from all ivho hear us. Every Sabbath, every sermon, is recorded in heaven for or against your souls : in what way soever you attend to the word, all that you hear is set down in the book of your account ; think not you shall return as you came ; the word will have its effect ; it shall not return in vain, but shall accomplish the end for which it is sent. Isa. 55 : 11. The decrees of heaven are executed by the gospel ; some souls shall be quickened, and others shall be slain by the word of God's mouth. The gospel is a river of the water of life, which quickens and refreshes every thing that, lives ; but the miry and marshy places shall not be healed. Ezek. 47 : 11. How weighty, therefore, is that caution of our Lord, "Take heed how ye hear." Luke 8 : 18. When you come under an ordinance, you are sowing seed for eternity, which will spring up in the world to come. Preaching and hearing may be considered two ways, physically and morally ; in the former respect, these acts are quickly over and pass away. I shall by and by have done preaching, and you hearing ; but the consequences thereof will abide for ever. Therefore, for the Lord's sake, away with formality ; no more drowsy eyes or wandering thoughts. Oh, when you come to attend upon the ministry of the gospel, that such thoughts as these may prepare your minds : The word I am going to hear will quicken or kill, save or condemn my soul ; if I sit dead under it, and return barren from it, I shall wish one day that I had never seen the face nor heard the voice of the minister who preached it.

4. What a dreadful condition are all those in ivho are enemies to the gospel and those who 'preach it : who, instead of embracing and obeying the message of the gospel, reject and despise it ; instead of opening their hearts to receive it, open their blasphemous mouths to deride it, and hiss it, if it were possible, out of the world. Ah -tfhat a book of remembrance is written for such men. I fear that never, since Christianity blessed this nation, was there an age more deeply drenched in the guilt of this sin than the present. How are the messengers of the gospel slighted and rejected ! Y^hat have we done to deserve it ? Ts not our case this day much like that of the prophet ? " Shall evil be recompensed for good ? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them." Jer. 18 : 20. What brutish madness hath possessed the souls of these men ! But alas, it is not so much they, as Satan acting in ^them ; he is a jealous prince, the gospel alarms him, his subjects are in danger of revolting from him : no wonder, therefore, he makes an outcry at the preaching of the gospel, as is usually made when an enemy invades a kingdom. In this case Christ directs his ministers to shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them. Mark 6:11. The meaning of which is this, that as you shake off the dust of your feet, even so Jesus Christ will shake off those men who despise the gospel and abuse his messengers.

5. Hence it likewise follows, that the case of the heathen ivorld icill be easier in the day of judgment, than theirs who live and die unregenerate and disobedient under the gospel of Christ. There are more witnesses prepared, and records filed against the day of your account, than can possibly be against them : they have abused but one talent, the light of nature ; but we thousands, even as many as we have had opportunities and calls under the gospel. Upon this account Christ saith, " Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Yerily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city." Matt 10 : 14, 15.