"I have many people in this city."

Acts 18:10
(by Spurgeon)
This should be a great encouragement to try to
do good, since God has among the vilest of the
vile, the most reprobate, the most debauched
and drunken, an elect people who must be saved.


When you take the Word to them, you do so
because God has ordained you to be the
messenger of life to their souls, and they must
receive it, for so the decree of predestination
runs. They are as much redeemed by blood
as the saints before the eternal throne.


They are Christ's property, and yet perhaps they
are lovers of the ale house, and haters of holiness.
But if Jesus Christ purchased them he will have
them. God is not unfaithful to  forget the price
which his Son has paid.  He will not allow his
substitution to be in any case an ineffectual,
dead thing.


Tens of thousands of redeemed ones are not
regenerated yet, but regenerated they must be;
and this is our comfort when we go forth to
them with the quickening Word of God.


No, more, these ungodly ones are prayed for
by Christ before the throne.  "Neither pray I
for these alone," says the great Intercessor,
"but for those also who shall believe on me
through their word." Poor, ignorant souls, they
know nothing about prayer for themselves,
but Jesus prays for them.


Their names are on his breastplate, and
before long they must bow their stubborn
knee, breathing the penitential sigh before
the throne of grace.


The predestinated moment has not struck;
but when it comes, they shall obey, for
God will have his own; they must, for the
Spirit is not to be withstood when he comes
forth with fulness of power;  they must
become the willing servants of the living God.
"He shall justify many. "

"He shall see of the travail of his soul."
"My people shall be willing in the day of my power."


link