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33 184-0
CALL
TO
THE UNCONVERTED,
TO
TURN AND LIVE.
BY REV. RICHARD BAXTER,
"WHO DI3D A. D. 1691.
PUBLISHED BY THE
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,
150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK.
This edition has been compared with the London edition of Baxter's works, in twenty-three volumes, 1830. Some obso- lete terms and antiquated forms of expression have been changed, and an obscure passage at the beginning of Doctrine 3, with a few lines touching points on which Evangelical Christians differ, omitted.
The Library of Congress
WASHINGTON
CONTENTS.
A. Preface to the Unsanctified, exhorting them to turn and
live,. * . . .. . 7
The Text opened, 21
DOCTRINE I. It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die, . . . .25 Objection. God will not be so Unmerciful as to damn
us — Answered, 28
Who are wicked men, and what conversion is ; and how we may know whether we are wicked or con- verted, 35
DOCT. II. It is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live, if they will but turn — unfeignedly and thor- oughly turn, ........ 58
DOCT. III. God taketh pleasure in men's conversion and salvation, but not in their death or damnation. He had rather they would turn and live, than go on and die, 67
DOCT. IV. The Lord hath confirmed it to us by his oath, that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he turn and live ; that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it, . * . . . 75
Who is it then that takes pleasure in men's sin and death ? Not God, nor ministers, nor any good men, 76
DOCT. V. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations, with vehemency — " Turn ye, turn ye" ... 84
Some motives to obey God's call, and turn, . . 87
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CONTENTS.
DOCT. VI. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted sinners, and to ask them why they will die, . . . . ... . .102
A strange disputation. 1. For the question. 2. The disputants, . - . . . . . . 102
Wicked men will die, or destroy themselves, . . 103 Sinners are certainly unreasonable, .... 103
Their seeming reasons confuted, .... 109
Question. Why are men so unreasonable, and loath to turn, that they will thus destroy themselves ? — An- swered, . . . . . . . . 128
DOCT. VII. If after all this men will not turn, it is not the fault of God that they are condemned, but their own, even their own wilfulness. They die because they will, that is, because they will not turn, . . . 133
1. How unfit the wicked are to charge God with their damnation. It is not because God is unmerciful, but because they are cruel and merciless to themselves, 142
Objection. "We cannot convert ourselves — Answered, 147
2. The subtlety of Satan, the deceitfulness of sin and
the folly of sinners manifested, . . . 149
3. No wonder if the wicked would hinder the conver- sion and salvation of others, . . . ' . 150
4. -Man is the greatest enemy to liimself, . . . 150 Mans destruction is of himself, . . . . 151 The heinous aggravations of self-destruction, . . 159 The concluding exhortation, . . . .162 Ten directions for those who had rather turn than die, 168
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE GREAT SUCCESS WHICH ATTENDED THE CALL WHEN EIRST PUBLISHED.
It may be proper to prefix an account of this book given by Mr. Baxter himself, which was found in his study after his death, in his own words :
" I published a short treatise on conversion entitled, A Call to the Unconverted. The occasion of this was my converse with Bishop Usher while I was at London ; who, approving my method and directions for Peace of Conscience, was impor- tunate with me to write directions suited to the various states of Christians, and also against particular sins. I reverenced the man, but disregarded these persuasions, supposing I could do nothing but what is done better already : but when he was dead his words went deeper to my mind, and I purposed to obey his counsel ; yet, so as that to the first sort of men, the ungodly, I thought vehement persuasions meeter than direc- tions only ; and so for such I published this little book, which God hath blessed with unexpected success, beyond all the rest that I have written, except The Saints' Rest. In a little more than a year there were about twenty thousand of them printed by my own consent, and about ten thousand since, besides many thousands by stolen impressions, which poor men stole for lucre's sake. Through God's mercy I have information of
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ADVERTISEMENT.
almost whole households converted by this small book which I set so light by ; and, as if all this in England, Scotland, and Ireland, were not mercy enough to me, God, since I was silenced, hath sent it over in his message to many beyond the seas ; for when Mr. Eliot had printed all the Bible in the Ind- ian language, he next translated this my Call to the Uncon- verted, as he wrote to us here. And yet God would make some farther use of it ; for Mr. Stoop, the pastor of the French Church in London, being driven hence by the displeasure of his superiors, was pleased to translate it into French. I hope it will not be unprofitable there ; nor in Germany, where also it has been printed."
It may be proper further to mention Dr. Bates' account of the author of this useful treatise. In his sermon at Mr. Bax- ter's funeral, he thus says ; " His books of practical divinity have been effectual for more conversions of sinners to God than any printed in our time ; and while the church remains on earth, will be of continual efficacy to recover lost souls. There is a vigorous pulse in them, that keeps the reader awake and attentive. His Call to the Unconverted, how small in bulk, but how powerful ! Truth speaks in it with such authority and efficacy, that it makes the reader to lay his hand upon his heart, and find that he has a soul and a conscience, though he lived before as if he had none. He told some friends, that six brothers were converted by reading this Call ; and that every week he received letters of some converted by his books. This he spake with most humble thankfulness, that God was pleased to use him as an instru- ment for the salvation of souls.'
FROM THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE
TO ALL UNSANCTIFIED PERSONS THAT SHALL READ THIS BOOK, ESPECIALLY OF MY HEARERS IN KIDDERMINSTER.
Men and Brethren — The eternal God, that made you for a life everlasting, and hath redeemed you by his only Son, when you had lost it and yourselves, being mindful of you in your sin and misery, hath indited the Gospel, and sealed it by his Spirit, and commanded his ministers to preach it to the world ; that pardon being freely offered you, and Heaven being set before you, he might call you off from your fleshly pleasures, and from following after this deceitful world, and acquaint you with the life that you were created and redeemed for, before you are dead and past remedy. He sendeth you not prophets or apos- tles, that receive their message by immediate revelation , but yet he calleth you by his ordinary ministers, who are commissioned by him to preach the same Gospel which Christ and his apostles first delivered. The Lord seeth how you forget him and your latter end, and how light you make of everlasting things, as men that understand not what they have to do or suffer. He seeth how bold you are in sin, how fearless of his threatenings, and how careless of your souls, and how the works of infidels are
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PREFACE,
in your lives, while the belief of Christians is in your mouths. He seeth the dreadful day at hand, when your sorrows will begin, and you must lament all this with fruitless cries in torment and desperation : then the re- membrance of your folly will tear your hearts, if true conversion now prevent it not.
In compassion to }~our sinful miserable souls, the Lord, that better knows your case than you can know it, hath made it our duty to speak to you in his name, 2 Cor. 5 : 19, and to tell you plainly of your sin and misery, and what will be your end, and how sad a change you will shortly see, if yet you go on a little longer. Having bought you at so dear a rate as the blood of his Son Jesus Christ, and made you so free and general a promise of pardon, and grace, and everlasting glory ; he commandeth us to ten- der all this to you as the gift of God, and to entreat you to consider the necessity and worth of what he offers. He sees and pities you, while you are drowned in worldly cares and pleasures, eagerly following childish toys, and wasting that short and precious time for a thing of naught, m which you should make ready for an everlasting life ; and therefore he hath commanded us to call after you and tell you how you lose your labor and are about to lose your souls, and tell you what greater and better things you might certainly have if you would hearken to his call. Isa. 55 : 1, 2, 3. We believe and obey the voice of God ; and come to you on his message, who hath charged us to preach, and be instant with you in season and out of sea- son, to lift up our voice like a trumpet, and show you your transgressions and your sins. Isa. 58 : 1 ; 2 Tim. 4:1,2.
But, alas ! to the grief of our souls and your undoing, you stop your ears, you stiffen your necks, you harden
PREFACE.
9
your hearts ; and sena us back to God with groans, to tell him that we have done his message, but can do no good to you, nor scarcely get a sober hearing. Oh! that our eyes were as a fountain of tears, that we might lament our ignorant careless people, that have Christ, and pardon, and life, and heaven before them, and have not hearts to know or value them ! that might have Christ, and grace, and glory, as well as others, if it were not for their wilful negligence and contempt ! O that the Lord would fill our hearts with more compassion to these miserable souls, that we might cast ourselves even at their feet, and follow them to their houses, and speak to them with our bitter tears. For long have we preached to many of them in vain. We study plainness, to make them understand, and many of them will not understand us ; we study serious piercing words, to make them feel, but they will not feel. If the greatest matters would work with them, we should awake them ; if the sweetest things would work, we should entice them and win their hearts ; if the most dreadful things would work, we should at least affright them from their wickedness ; if truth and sincerity would take with them, we should soon convince them; if the God that made them, and Christ that bought them, might be heard, the case would soon be altered with them ; if Scripture might be heard, we should soon prevail ; if reason, even the best and strongest reason, might be heard, we should not doubt but we should speedily convince them : if expe- rience might be heard, even their own experience and the experience of all the world, the matter might be mended ; yea, if the conscience within them might be heard, the case would be better with them than it is. But if nothing can be heard, what then shall we do for them ? If the dread-
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PREFACE.
ful God of heaven be slighted, who then shall be regarded ? If the inestimable love and blood of a Redeemer be made light of, what then shall be valued ? If heaven have no desirable glory with them, and everlasting joys be nothing worth ; if they can jest at hell, and dance about the bot- tomless pit, and play with the consuming fire, and that when God and man warn them of it, what shall we do for such souls as these ?
Once more, in the name of the God of heaven, I shall do the message to you which he hath commanded us, and leave it in these standing lines to convert you or condemn you ; to change you, or rise up in judgment against you, and to be a witness to your faces that once you had a serious call to turn. Hear, all you that are drudges of the world and servants of the flesh and Satan! that spend your days in looking after prosperity on earth, and drown your conscience in drinking, and gluttony, and idleness, and foolish sports ; and know your sin, and yet will sin, as if you set God at defiance, and bade him do his worst and spare not ! Hearken, all you that mind not God, and nave no heart to holy things, and feel no savor in the word or worship of the Lord, or in the thoughts or mention of eternal life ; that are careless of your immortal souls, and never bestow one hour in inquiring what case they are in, whether sanctified or unsanctified, and whether you are ready to appear before the Lord ! Hearken, all you that, by sinning in light, have sinned yourselves into infidelity, and do not believe the word of God. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear the gracious and yet dreadful call of God ! His eye is all the while upon you. Your sins are registered, and you shall surely hear of them again. God keepeth the book now ; and he will write it
PREFACE.
11
upon your consciences with his terrors ; and then you also shall keep it yourselves ! O sinners, that you but knew what you are doing, and whom you are all this while offending ! The sun itself is darkness before the glory of that Majesty which you daily abuse and carelessly pro- voke. The sinning angels were not able to stand before him, but were cast down to be tormented with devils. And dare such worms as you so carelessly offend, and set yourselves against your Maker ! O that you did but a little know what a case that wretched soul is in, that hath engaged the living God against him ! The word of his mouth that made thee, can unmake thee ; the frown of his face will cut thee off and cast thee out into outer darkness. How eager are the devils to be doing with thee, that have tempted thee, and do but wait for the word from God to take and use thee as their own ! and then in a moment thou wilt be in hell. If God be against thee, all things are against thee : this world is but thy prison, for all thou so lovest it ; thou art but reserved in it to the day of wrath, Job 21 : 30 ; the Judge is coming, thy soul is even going. Yet a little while, and thy friend shall say of thee, "He is dead ;" and thou shalt see the things that thou now dost despise, and feel that which now thou wilt not believe. Death will bring such an argument as thou canst not an- swer ; an argument that shall effectually confute thy cavils against the word and ways of God. And then how soon will thy mind be changed ! Then be an unbeliever if thou canst; stand then to all thy former v/ords, which thou wast wont to utter against a holy and a heavenly life. Make good that cause then before the Lord which thou wast wont to plead against thy teachers, and against the people that feared God. Then stand to thy old opinions and con-
PREFACE.
temptuous thoughts of the diligence of the saints : make ready now thy strong reasons, and stand up then before the Judge and plead like a man for thy fleshly, thy worldly, thy ungodly life. But know that thou wilt have One to plead with that will not be outfaced by thee ; nor so easily put off as we thy fellow-creatures.
O deceived, wretched soul ! there is nothing but a slender veil of flesh between thee and that amazing sight, which will quickly silence thee, and turn thy tone, and make thee of another mind ! As soon as death hath drawn this curtain, thou shalt see that which will quickly leave thee speechless. And how quickly will that day and hour come ! When thou hast had but a few more merry hours, and but a few more pleasant draughts and morsels, and a little more of the honors and riches of the world, thy por- tion will be spent, and thy pleasures ended, and all is then gone that thou settest thy heart upon: of all that thou soldest thy Saviour and salvation for, there is nothing left but the heavy reckoning. As a thief, that sits merrily spending the money which he hath stolen in an alehouse, when men are riding in posthaste to apprehend him, so is it with you. While you are drowned in cares of fleshly pleasures, and making merry with your own shame, death is coming in posthaste to seize upon you, and carry your soul to such a place and state as now you little know or think of. Suppose, when you are bold and busy in your sin, that a messenger were but coming posthaste to ap- prehend you and take away your life ; though you saw him not, yet if you knew that he was coming, it would mar your mirth, and you would be tliinking of the haste he makes, and hearkening when he knocked at your door. O that you could but see what haste Death makes, though
PREFACE.
18
he has not yet overtaken you ! No post so swift ; no mes- senger more sure. As sure as the sun will be with you in the morning, though it hath many thousand and hundred thousand miles to go in the night, so sure will Death be quickly with you ; and then where is your sport and pleas- ure ? Then will you jest and brave it out ? Then will you jeer at them that warned you ? Then is it better to be a believing saint, or a sensual worldling ? And then whose shall all these things be that you have gathered? Luke 12 : 19-21. Do you not observe that days and weeks are quickly gone, and nights and mornings come apace, and speedily succeed each other ? You sleep, but your damnation slumbereth not ; you linger, but your judgment this long time lingereth not, to which you are reserved for punishment. 2 Pet 2 : 3-9. O that you were wise to understand this, and that you did consider your latter end ! Deut. 32 : 29. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear the call of God in this day of his salvation.
O careless sinners! that you did but know the love that you unthankfully neglect, and the preciousness of the blood of Christ which you despise ! O that you did but know the riches of the Gospel ! O that you did but know a little the certainty, and the glory and blessedness of that everlasting life, which now you will not set your hearts upon, nor be persuaded first and diligently to seek. Heb. 11 : 6, and 12 : 28 ; and Matt. 6 : 13. Did you but know the endless life with God which you now neglect, how quickly would you cast away your sin, how quickly would you change your mind and life, your course and company, and turn the streams of your affections, and lay out your care another way. How resolutely would you scorn to yield to such temptations as now deceive you and carry
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PREFACE.
you away. How zealously would you bestir yourselves for that most blessed life. How earnest would you be with God in prayer. How diligent in hearing, learning, and inquiring. How serious in meditating on the laws of God. Psa. 1 : 2. How fearful of sinning in thought, word, or deed ; and how careful to please God and grow in holiness. O what a changed people you would be ! And why should not the certain word of God be believed by you, and prevail with you, which openeth to you these glorious and eternal things ?
Yea, let me tell you that even here on earth you little know the difference between the life you refuse and the life you choose. The sanctified are conversing with God when you dare scarce think of him, and when you are conversing with but earth and flesh. Their conversation is in heaven, when you are utter strangers to it, and your belly is your god and you are minding earthly tilings Phil. 3 : 18-20. They are seeking after the face of God, when you seek for nothing higher than this world. They are busily laying up for an endless life, where they shall be equal with the angels, Luke 20 : 36, when you are taken up with a shadow and a transitory thing of naught How low and base is your earthly, fleshly, sinful life, in comparison of the noble spiritual life of true believers. Many a time have I looked on such men with grief and pity, to see them trudge about the world, and spend their lives, and care and labor for nothing but a little food and raiment, or a little fading pelf, or fleshly pleasures, or empty honors, as if they had no higher things to mind. What difference is the^e Detween the lives of these men and of the beasts tnat perish, that spend their time in work- ing, and eating, and living but that they may live ? They
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taste not the inward heavenly pleasures which believers taste and live upon. I had rather have a little of their comfort, which the forethoughts of their heavenly inher- itance afford them, though I had all their scorn and suf fering with it, than to have all your pleasures and treach- erous prosperity. I would not have one of your secret jmngs of conscience, and dark and dreadful thoughts of death and the life to come, for all that ever the world hath done for you, or all that you can reasonably hope that it should do. ' If I were in your unconverted carnal state, and knew but what I know, and believed but what I now believe, metliinks my life would be a foretaste of hell. How oft should I be thinking of the terrors of the Lord, and of the dismal day that is hastening on ! Sure death and hell would be still before me. I should think of them by day, and dream of them by night ; I should lie down in fear, and rise in fear, and live in fear, lest death should come before I were converted. I should have small felic- ity in any thing that I possessed, and little pleasure in any company, and little joy in any thing in the world, as long as I knew myself to be under the curse and wrath of God. I should be still afraid of hearing that voice, " Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee." Luke 12 : 20. And that fearful sentence would be written upon my conscience, " There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Isa. 48 : 22 ; 57 : 21.
O poor sinners ! It is a more joyful life than this that you might live if you were but willing, but truly willing to hearken to Christ, and come home to God. You might then draw near to God with boldness, and call him your Father, and comfortably trust him with your souls and Bodies. If you look upon the promises, you may say,
lb
PREFACE
They are all mine. If upon the curse, you may say, From this I am delivered. When you read the law, you may see what you are saved from. When you read the Gos- pel, you may see him mat redeemed you. and see the course of his love, and holy life, and sufferings, and trace him in his temptations, tears, and blood, in the work of your salvation. You may see death conquered and heaven opened, and your resurrection and glorification provided for in the resurrection and glorification of your Lord. If you look on the saints, you may say, They are my brethren and companions. If on the unsanc titled, you may rejoice to think that you are saved from that state. If you look upon the heavens, the sun, and moon, and stars innumer- able, you may think and say. My Father's face is iminitely more glorious ; it is higher matters that he hath prepared for his saints : yonder is but the outward court of heaven. The blessedness that he hath promised me is so much higher, that flesh and blood cannot behold it. If you think of the grave, you may remember that the glorified Spirit, a living Head, and a loving Father, have all so near a relation to your dust, that it cannot be forgotten or neg- lected, but will more certainly revive than the plants and flowers in the spring : because the soul is still alive, which is the root of the body : and Christ is alive, which is the root of both. Even death, which is the king of fears, may be remembered and entertained with joy, as being the day of your deliverance from the remnant of sin and sorrow: the day which you believed, and hoped, and waited for, when you shall see the blessed things which you had heard of, and shall find by present joyful experience what it was to choose the better part, and to be a sincere be- lieving saint What say you, sirs ? Is not tins a more
PREFACE.
delightful life, to be assured of salvation and ready to die, than to live as the ungodly, that have their hearts over-" charged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day comes upon them unawares ? Luke 21 : 34, 36. Might you not live a comfortable life, if once you were made the heirs of heaven, and sure to be saved when you leave the world ? O look about you, then, and think what you do, and cast not away such hopes as these for very nothing. The flesh and the world can give you no such hopes or comforts. I have but three requests to you, and I have done.
1. That you will seriously read over this small treatise ; and if you have such as need it in your families, that you will read it over and over to them ; and if those that fear God would go now and then to their ignorant neighbors, and read this or some other book to them on this subject, they might be a means of winning souls. If we cannot entreat so small a labor of men for their own salvation as to read such short instructions as these, they set little by themselves, and will most justly perish.
2. When you have read over this book, I would entreat you to go alone and ponder a little what you have read, and bethink you, as in the sight of God, whether it be not true, and do not nearly touch your, souls, and whether it be not time to look about you. . And also entreat you, that you will upon your knees beseech the Lord that he will open your eyes to understand the truth, and turn your hearts to the love of God, and beg of him all that saving grace which you have so long neglected, and follow it on from day to day, till your hearts be changed. And withal, that you will go to your pastors — that are set over you to take care of the health and safety of your souls, as phy-
o
* B. CaU.
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PREFACE.
sicians do for the health of your hodies — and desire tnem to direct you what course to take, and acquaint them with your spiritual state, that you may have the benefit of then advice and ministerial help.
If you have not a faithful pastor at home, make use of some other in so great a need.
3. When, by reading, consideration, prayer, and minis- terial advice, you are once acquainted with your sin and misery, with your duty and remedy, delay not, but pres- ently forsake your sinful company and courses, and turn to God and obey his call. As you love your souls, take heed that you go not on against so loud a call of God, and against your own knowledge and conscience, lest it go worse with you in the day of judgment than with Sodom and Gomorrah. Inquire of God, as a man that is willing to know the truth, and not be a wilful cheater of his soul. Search the holy Scriptures daily, and see whether these things be so : try impartially whether it be safer to trust heaven or earth, and whether it be better to follow God or man, the Spirit or the flesh, better to live in holiness or sin, and whether an unsanctified state be safe for you tc abide in one day longer ; and when you have found out which is best, resolve accordingly, and make your choice without any more ado. If you will be true to your own soils, and do not love everlasting torments, I beseech you, as from the Lord, that you will but take this reasonable advice. Then at your deathbed how boldly might we comfort and encourage your departing souls! And at your burial, how comfortably might we leave you in the grave, in expectation to meet your souls in heaven, and to see your bodies raised to that glory !
But, if still the most of you will go on in a careless
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ignorant, fleshly, worldly, or unholy life, and all our de- sires and labors cannot so far prevail as to keep you from the wilful dpjnning of yourselves, we must then imitate our Lord, who delighteth himself in those few that are jewels, and in a little flock that shall receive the kingdom, when the most shall reap the misery which they sowed. In nature, excellent things are few. The world hath not many suns or moons ; it is but a little of the earth that is gold or silver. Princes and nobles are but a small part of the sons of men : it is no great number that are learned, judicious, or wise, here in this world. And, therefore, if the gate being strait and very narrow, there be but few that find salvation, yet God will have his glory and pleas- ure in those few. And when Christ shall come with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lorti Jesus Christ, his coming will be glorified in his saints, auc axlmired in all true believers. 2 Thess. 1 : 7-10.
And for the rest, as God the Father vouchsafed to cre- ate them, and God the Son disdained not to bear the pen- alty of their sins upon the cross, and did not judge such sufferings vain, though he knew that by refusing the sanc- tification of the Holy Ghost they would finally destroy themselves, so we, that are his ministers, though these be not gathered, judge not our labor wholly lost. See Isa. 49:5.
Reader, I have done with thee, when thou hast perused this book, but sin hath not yet done with thee, even those that thou thoughtest had been forgotten long ago ; and Satan hath not yet done with thee, though now he be out of sight ; and God hath not yet done with thee, because thou wilt not be persuaded to have done with deadly
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PREFACE.
reigning sin. I have written thee this persuasive, as one that is going into another world, where the things are seen that I here speak of, and as one that knoweth thou must be shortly there thyself. As ever thou wilt meet me with comfort before the Lord that made us; as ever thou wilt escape the everlasting plagues prepared for the final neglecters of salvation, and for all that are not sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and love not the communion of the saints as members of the holy catholic church; and as ever thou hopest to see the face of Christ the Judge, and of the majesty of the Father, with peace and comfort, and to be received into glory when thou art turned naked out of this world ; I beseech thee, I charge thee, to hear and obey the call of God, and resolvedly to turn, that thou mayest live. But, if thou wilt not, even when thou hast no true reason for it but because thou wilt not, I summon thee to answer it before the Lord, and require thee there to bear me witness that I gave thee warning, and that thou wast not condemned for want of a call to turn and live, but because thou wouldst not believe it, and obey it which also must be the testimony of thy serious monitor
December 11, 1657.
RICHARD BAXTER
A CALL
TO
THE UNCONVERTED.
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleas- ure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evL ways ; for why will ye die, O house of Israel 1 Ezekiel 33:11.
It hath been the astonishing wonder of many a man as well as me, to read in the Holy Scripture how few will be saved, and that the greatest part even of those that are called, will be everlastingly shut out of the kingdom of heaven, and be tormented with the devils in eternal fire. Infidels believe not this when they read it, and therefore they must feel it : those that do believe it are forced to cry out with Paul, " 0 the depth of the riches both of the wis- dom and knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out !" Bom. 11 : 33. But nature itself doth teach us all to lay the blame of evil works upon the doers ; and therefore when we see any heinous thing done, a principle of justice doth provoke us to inquire after
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A CALL TO
him that did it, that the evil of the work may return the evil of shame upon the author. If we saw a man killed and cut in pieces by the way, we should presently ask, Oh ! who did this cruel deed ? If the town was wilfully set on fire, you would ask, What wicked wretch did this? So when we read that many souls will be miserable in hell for ever, we must needs think with ourselves, How comes this to pass ? and whose fault is it ? Who is it that is so cruel as to be the cause of such a thing as this ? and we can meet with few that will own the guilt. It is indeed confessed by all, that Satan is the cause ; but that doth not resolve the doubt, because he is not the principal cause. He doth not force men to sin, but tempts them to it, and leaves it to their own wills whether they will do it or not. He doth not carry men to an alehouse and force open their mouths and pour in the drink ; nor doth he hold them that they cannot go to God's service ; nor doth he force their hearts from holy thoughts. It lieth therefore be- tween God himself, and the sinner; one of them must needs be the principal cause of all this misery, whichever it is, for there is no other to lay it upon ; and God disclaimeth it, he will not take it upon him ; and the wicked disclaim it usually, and they will not take it upon them, and this is the controversy that is here managing in my text.
The Lord complaineth of the people ; and the people think it is the fault of God. The same con-
THE UNCONVERTED.
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troversy is handled, chap. 18 : 25 ; they plainly say, "that the way of the Lord is not equal." So here they say, verse 19, "If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how shall we then live?" As if they should say, If we must die and be miserable, how can we help it ? as if it were not their fault, but God's. But God, in my text, doth clear himself of it, and telleth them how they may help it if they will, and persuadeth them to use the means, and if they will not be per- suaded, he lets them know that it is the fault of themselves ; and if this will not satisfy them, he will not forbear to punish them. It is he that will be the Judge, and he will judge them according to their
O 7 JO o
ways ; they are no judges of him or of themselves, they want authority, and wisdom, and impartiality ; nor is it their cavilling and quarrelling with God that shall serve then turn, or save them from the execu- tion of that justice at which they murmur.
The words of this verse contain, 1. God's clearing himself from the blame of their destruction. This he doth not by disowning his law that the wicked shall die, nor by disowning his judgment and execu- tion according to that law, or giving them any hope that the law shall not be executed ; but by profess- ing that it is not their death that he takes pleasure in, but their returning rather, that they may live ; and this he confirmeth to them by his oath. 2. An ex- press exhortation to the wicked to return ; wherein
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God dotli not only command, but persuade and con- descend also to reason the case with. them. Why ■will they die ? The direct end of this exhortation is, that they may turn and live. The secondaiy or reserved ends, upon the supposition that this is not attained, are these two : 1. To convince them by the means which he used, that it is not the fault of God if they are miserable. 2. To convince them, from their manifest wilfulness in rejecting all his com- mands and persuasions, that it is the fault of them- selves, and that they die, even because they will die.
The substance of the text doth he in these ob- servations following :
Doctrine 1. It is the unchangeable law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.
Doctrixe 2. It is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live, if they will but turn.
Doctrixe 3. God takes pleasure in men's conver- sion and salvation, but not in then death or damna- tion : he had rather they would return and live, than go on and die.
Doctrixe 4. This is a most certain truth, which, because God would not have men to question, he hath confirmed it to them solemnly by his oath.
Doctrixe 5. The Lord doth redouble his com- mands and persuasions to the wicked to turn.
Doctrixe 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with them; and asketh the wicked why they will die ?
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Doctrine 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn, it is not the fault of God that they perish, but of themselves ; their own wilfulness is the cause of their damnation ; they therefore die because they will die.
Having laid open the text in these propositions, I shall next speak somewhat of each of them in order, though briefly.
DOCTRINE I.
It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.
If you will believe God, believe this : there is but one of these two ways for every wicked man, either conversion or damnation. I know the wicked will hardly be persuaded either of the truth or equity of this. No wonder if the guilty quarrel with the law. Few men are apt to believe that which they would not have to be true, and fewer would have that to be true which they apprehend to be against them. But it is not quarrelling with the law, or with the judge, that will save the malefactor. Be- lieving and regarding the law might have prevented his death; but denying and accusing it will but hasten it. If it were not so, a hundred would bring their reason against the law, for one that would bring his reason to the law, and men would rather choose to give their reasons why they should not be pun-
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ished, than to hear the commands and reasons of their governors which require them to obey. The law was not made for you to judge, but that you might be ruled and judged by it.
But if there be any so blind as to venture to ques- tion either the truth or the justice of this law of God, I shall briefly give you that evidence of both which methinks should satisfy a reasonable man. And,
L If you doubt whether this be the word of God or not, besides a hundred other texts, you may be satisfied by these few : Matt. 18 : 3. " Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." John 3:3. "Verily, verily, I say imto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 2 Cor. 5:17. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new." Col. 3 : 9, 10. "Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Heb. 12:14. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Rom. 8 : 8, 9. " So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. JSow, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Gal. 6:15. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." 1 Pet. 1 : 3. " According to his abundant mercy, he hath begotten
THE UNCONVERTED.
us to a lively hope." Ver. 23. " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abide th for ever." 1 Pet. 2:1,2. " Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Psa. 9 : 17. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psa, 11:5. " And the Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked his soul hateth."
As I need not stay to open these texts which are so plain, so I think I need not add any more of that multitude which speak the like. If thou be a man that dost believe the word of God, here is already enough to satisfy thee that the wicked must be con- verted or condemned. You are already brought so far that you must either confess that this is true, or say plainly, you will not believe the word of God. And if once you come to that pass there is but small hope of you : look to yourself as well as you can, for it is likely you will not be long out of hell. You would be ready to fly in the face of him, that should give you the he ; and yet dare you give the lie to God ? But if you tell God plainly you will not believe him, blame him not if he never warn you more, or if he forsake you, and give you up as hope- less ; for to what purpose should he warn you, if you will not believe him ? Should he send an angel from
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heaven to you, it seems you would not believe. For an angel can speak but the word of God ; and if an angel should bring you any other gospel, you are not to receive it, but to hold him accursed. Gal. 1:8. And surelv, there is no ano;el to be belieyed before the Son of God, who came from the Father to bring us this doctrine. If he be not to be believed, then all the angels in heaven are not to be believed. And if you stand on these terms with God, I shall leave you till he deal with you hi a more convincing way. God hath a voice that will make you hear. Though he entreat you to hear the voice of his Gospel, he •will make you hear the voice of his condemning sen- tence, without entreaty. We cannot make you be- lieve against your wills ; but God will make you feel against your wills.
But let us hear what reason you have why you will not believe this word of God, which tells us that the wicked must be converted, or condemned. I know your reason ; it is because you judge it un- likely that God should be so unmerciful : you think it cruelty to damn men everlastingly for so small a thing as a sinful life. And this leads us,
II. To justify the equity of God in his laws and judgments.
1. I think you will not deny that it is most suit- able to an immortal soul to be ruled by laws that promise an immortal reward, and threaten an end
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less punishment. Otherwise the law would not be suited to the nature of the subject, who will not be fully ruled by any lower means than the hopes or fears of everlasting things : as it is in eases of tem- poral punishment, if a law were now made that the most heinous crimes should be punished with a hun- dred years' captivity, this might be of some efficacy, as being equal to our lives. But, if there had been no other penalties before the flood, when men lived eight or nine hundred years, it would not have been sufficient, because men would know that they might have so many hundred years' impunity afterwards. So it is in our present case.
2. I suppose that you will confess that the prom- ise of an endless and inconceivable glory is not un- suitable to the wisdom of God or the case of man ; and why then should you not think so of the threat- ening of an endless and unspeakable misery ?
3. When you find it in the word of God that so it is, and so it will be, do you think yourselves fit to contradict this word ? Will you call your Maker to the bar, and examine his word upon the accusation of falsehood ? Will you sit upon him and judge him by the law of your conceits ? Are you wiser, and better, and more righteous than he ? Must the God of heaven come to school to you to learn wisdom ? Must Infinite Wisdom learn of folly, and Infinite Goodness be corrected by a sinner that cannot keep himself an hour clean ? Must the Almighty stand
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at the bar of a worm ? 0 horrid arroo*ancv of sense- less dust ! Shall a mole, or clod, or dunghill, accuse the sun of darkness, and undertake to illuminate the world ? Where were you when the Almighty made the laws, that he did not call you to his counsel ? Surely, he made them before you were born, without desiring your advice ; and you came into the world too late to reverse them, if you could have done so great a work. You should have stepped out of your nothingness and have contradicted Christ when he was on earth, or Moses before him, or have saved Adam and his sinful progeny from the threatened death, that so there might have been no need of Christ. And what if God withdraw his patience and sustaining power, and let you drop into hell while you are quarrelling with his word, will you then believe that there is a hell ?
4. If sin be such an evil that it requireth the death of Christ for its expiation, no wonder if it deserve our everlasting misery.
5. And if the sin of devils deserve an endless tor- ment, why not also the sin of man ?
6. And methinks you should perceive that it if not possible for the best of men, much less for the wicked, to be competent judges of the desert of sin. Alas ! we are both blind and partial. You can never know fully the desert of sin, till you fully know the evil of sin ; and you can never fully know the evil of sin, till you fully know, 1. The excellency of the
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31
soul which it deformeth. 2. The excellency of ho- liness which it obliterates. 3. The reason and ex- cellency of the law which it violates. 4. The ex- cellency of the glory which it despises. 5. The excellency and office of reason which it treadeth down. 6. No, nor till you know the infinite excel- lency, almightiness, and holiness of that God against whom it is committed. When you fully know all these, you shall fully know the desert of sin. Be- sides, you know that the offender is too partial to judge the law or the proceedings of his judge. We judge by feeling, which blinds our reason. We see, in common worldly things, that most men think the cause is right which is their own, and that all is wrong that is done against them ; and let the most wise, or just, or impartial friends persuade them to the contrary, and it is all in vain. There are few children but think the father is unmerciful, or deal- eth hardly with them, if he whip them. There is scarce the vilest wretch but thinketh the church doth wrong him if they excommunicate him ; or scarce a thief or murderer that is hanged, but would accuse the law and judge of cruelty, if that would serve their turn.
7. Can you think that unholy souls are fit fo? heaven ? Alas, they cannot love God here, nor do him any service which he can accept. They are contrary to God, they loathe that which he most loveth, and love that which he abhorreth. They are
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incapable of that .imperfect communion with him which his saints here partake of. How then can they live in that perfect love of him, and full delight and communion with him, which is the blessedness of heaven ? You do not accuse yourselves of un- mercifulness if you make not your enemy your bosom counsellor ; or if you take not your swine to bed and board with you ; no, nor if you take away his life, though he never sinned ; and yet you will blame the absolute Lord, the most wise and gracious Sovereign of the world, if he condemn the unconverted to per- petual misery.
I beseech you now, all that love your souls, that, instead of quarrelling with God and with Ins word, you will presently receive it, and use it for your good. All you that are yet unconverted, take this as the undoubted truth of God : You must, ere long,
7 O 7
be converted or condemned ; there is no other way but to turn, or die. "When God, that cannot lie, hath told you this ; when you hear it from the Maker and Judge of the world, it is time for him that hath ears to hear. By this time you may see what you have to trust to. You are but dead and damned men, except you will be converted. Should I tell you otherwise, I should deceive }~ou with a lie. Should I hide this from you, I should undo you, and be guilty of your blood, as the verses before my text assure me. Verse 8 : " When I say to the wicked man, 0 wicked man, thou shalt surely die ; if thou
THE UNCONVERTED.
dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand." You see, then, though this be a rough and unwelcome doctrine, it is such as we must preach, and you must hear. It is easier to hear of hell than to feel it. If your ne- cessities did not require it, we would not gall your tender ears with truths that seem so harsh and griev- ous. Hell would not be so full, if people were but willing to know their case, and to hear and think of it. The reason why so few escape it, is 'because they strive not to enter in at the strait gate of con- version, and go the narrow way of holiness while they have time ; and they strive not, because they are not awakened to a lively feeling of the danger they are in ; and they are not awakened, because they are loth to hear or think of it ; and that is partly through foolish tenderness and carnal self- love, and partly because they do not well believe the word that threateneth it. If you will not thoroughly believe this truth, methinks the weight of it should force you to remember it, and it should follow you, and give you no rest till you are converted. If you had but once heard this word by the voice of an angel, " Thou must be converted or condemned : turn, or die ;" would it not sink into your mind, and haunt you night and day ? so that in your sinning you would remember it, as if the voice were still in your ears, "Turn, or die I" 0 happy were your
B. CaU. 3
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soul if it might thus work with you, and never be forgotten or let you alone till it have driven home your heart to God. But if you will cast it out by forgetfulness or unbelief, how can it work to your conversion and salvation ? But take this with you to your sorrow, though you may put this out of your mind you cannot put it out of the Bible, but there it will stand as a sealed truth, which you shall ex- perimentally know for ever, that there is no other way but "turn, or die."
O what is the matter, then, that the hearts of sin- ners are not pierced with such a weighty truth ? A man would think now, that every unconverted soul that hears these words should be pricked to the heart, and think with himself, " This is my own case," and never be quiet till he found himself con- verted. Believe it, this drowsy, careless temper will not last long. Conversion and condemnation are both of them awakening things, and one of them will make you feel ere long. I can foretell it as truly as if I saw it with my eyes, that either grace or hell will shortly bring these matters to the point, and make you say, "■ What have I done ? what a foolish wicked course have I taken?" The scornful and the stupid state of sinners will last but a little while : as soon as they either turn or die, the presumptuous dream will be at an end, and then their senses and feeling will return.
THE UNCONVERTED.
But I foresee there are two things that are likely to harden the unconverted and make me lose all my labor, unless they can be taken out of the way ; namely, the misunderstanding of those two words, the wicked and turn. Some will think with them- selves, " It is true, the wicked must turn or die ; but what is that to me, I am not wicked, though I am a sinner as all men are." Others will think, "It is true that we must turn from our evil ways, but I am turned long ago ; I hope this is not now to do." And thus while wicked men think they are not wicked, but are already converted, we lose all our labor in persuading them to turn. I shall there- fore, before I go any further, tell you here who are meant by the wicked, or who they are that must turn or die ; and also what is meant by turning, or who they are that are truly converted. And this I have purposely reserved for this place, preferring the method that fits my end. And
I. Here you may observe, that in the sense of the text a wicked max and a converted man are con- traries : no man is a wicked man that is converted ; and no man is a converted man that is wicked ; so that to be a wicked man and to be an unconverted man is all one ; and therefore in dealing with one we shall deal with both.
Before I can tell you what either wickedness or conversion is, I must go to the bottom and take up the matter from the beginning.
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It pleased the great Creator of the world to make three sorts of living creatures. Angels he made pure spirits without flesh, and therefore he made them only for heaven, and not to dvrell on earth. Brutes were made flesh -without immortal souls, and there- fore they were made only for earth, and not for heaven. Man is of a middle nature, between both, as partaking of both flesh and spirit, and therefore he was made both for heaven and earth. But as his flesh is made to be but a servant to his spirit, so is he made for earth but as his passage or way to heaven, and not that this should be his home or happiness. The blessed state that man was made for, was to behold the glorious majesty of the Lord, and to praise him among his holy angels, and to love him, and to be filled with his love for ever. And as this was the end that man was made for, so God gave him means that were fitted to the attain- ing of it.
These means were principally two : 1 . The- right inclination and disposition of the mind of man. 2. The right ordering of his life and practice. For the first, God suited the disposition of man unto his end, giving him such knowledge of God as was fit for his present state, and a heart disposed and inclined to God in holy love. But yet he did not fix or confirm him in this condition, but, having made him a free agent, he left him to the exercise of his own free will. For the second, God did that which belonged
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3?
to him ; that is, he gave him a perfect law, requiring him to continue in the love of God and perfectly to obey him.
By the wilful breach of this law, man not only forfeited his hopes of everlasting life, but also turned his heart from God and fixed it on these lower fleshly things, and thereby blotted out the spiritual image of God from his soul ; so that man both fell short of the glory of God, which was his end, and put himself out of the way by which he should have attained it, and this both as to the frame of his heart and of his life. The holy inclination and love of his soul to God he lost, and instead of it he contracted an inclination and love to the pleasing of his flesh, or carnal self, by earthly things ; growing strange to God and acquainted with the creature. And the course of his life was suited to the bent and incli- nation of his heart ; he lived to his carnal self, and not to God ; he sought the creature for the pleasing of his flesh, instead of seeking to please the Lord. With this nature or corrupt inclination we are all now born into the world ; " for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" Job 14 : 4. As a lion hath a fierce and cruel nature before he doth devour ; and an adder hath a venomous nature be- fore she stings : so in our infancv we have those sin- ful natures or inclinations before we think, or speak, or do amiss. And hence springeth all the sin of our lives ; and not only so, but when God hath of
A CALL TO
his mercy provided us a remedy, even the Lord Je- sus Christ, to be the Saviour of our souls and bring us back to God again, we naturally love our present state, and are loth to be brought out of it, and there- fore are set against the means of our recovery : and though custom hath taught us to thank Christ for his good-will, yet carnal self persuades us to refuse his remedies, and to desire to be excused when we are commanded to take the medicines which he of- fers, and are called to forsake all and follow him to God and glory.
I pray you read over this leaf again, and mark it , for in these few words you have a true description of our natural state, and consequently of a wicked man ; for every man that is in the state of corrupt nature is a wicked man, and in a state of death.
II. By this you are prepared to understand what it is to be converted: to which end you must further know, that the mercy of God, not willing that man should perish in his sins, provided a rem- edy, by causing his Son to take our nature, and be- ing in one person God and man, to become a me- diator between God and man ; and by dying for our sins on the cross, to ransom us from the curse of God and the power of the devil. And having thus redeemed us, the Father hath delivered us into his hands as his own. Hereupon the Father and the Mediator do make a new law and covenant for man, not like the first, which gave life to none but the
THE UNCONVERTED.
perfectly obedient, and condemned man' for eveiy sin; but Christ bath made a hm of grace, or a promise of pardon and everlasting life to all that, by true repentance, and by faith in Christ, are converted unto God : like an act of oblivion -which is made by a prince to a company of rebels, on condition that they will lay down their arms and come in and be loyal subjects for the time to come.
But, because the Lord knoweth that the heart of man is grown so wicked, that, for all this, men will not accept of the remedy if they are left to them- selves, therefore the Holy Ghost hath undertaken it as his office to inspire the apostles, and seal the Scriptures by miracles and wonders, and to illumi- nate and convert the souls of the elect.
So by this much you see, that as there are three persons in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, so each of these persons have their several works, which are eminently ascribed to them.
The Father's works were, to create us, to rule us, as his rational creatures, by the law of nature, and judge us thereby; and in mercy to provide us a Redeemer when we were lost ; and to send his Son, and accept his ransom.
The works of the Son for us were these : to ran- som and redeem us by his sufferings and righteous- ness ; to give out the promise or law of grace, and rule and judge the world as the Redeemer, on terms of grace ; to make intercession for us, that the ben-
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efits of his death may be communicated ; and to send the Holy Ghost, which the Father also doth by the Son.
The works of the Holy Ghost for us are these : to indite the Holy Scriptures by inspiring and guiding the prophets and apostles, and sealing the word by his miraculous gifts and works ; and illuminating and exciting the ordinary ministers of the Gospel, and so enabling them and helping them to publish that word ; and by the same word illuminating and converting the souls of men. So that as you could not have been reasonable creatures if the Father had not cre- ated you, nor have had any access to God if the Son had not redeemed you, so neither can you have a part in Christ or be saved except the Holy Ghost do sanctify you.
So that by this time you may see , the several causes of this work. The Father sendeth the Son ; the Son redeemeth us and maketh the promise of grace ; the Holy Ghost inditeth and sealeth this Gospel ; the apostles are the secretaries of the Spirit to write it ; the preachers of the Gospel to proclaim it, and persuade men to obey it; and the Holy Ghost doth make their preaching effectual, by open- ing the hearts of men to entertain it. And all this to repair the image of God upon the soul, and to set the heart upon God again, and take it off from the creature and carnal self to which it is revolted, and so to turn the current of the life into a heavenly
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course, which, before was earthly ; and this through embracing Christ by faith, who is the Physician of the soul.
By what I have said you may see what it is to be wicked, and what it is to be converted ; which, I think, will be yet plainer to you, if I describe them as consisting of their several parts. A wicked man may be known by these three things :
1. He is one who placeth his chief affections on earth, and loveth the creature more than God, and his fleshly prosperity above the heavenly felicity. He savoreth the things of the flesh, but neither dis- cerneth nor savoreth the things of the Spirit ; though he will say that heaven is better than earth, yet he doth not really so esteem it to himself. If he might be sure of earth, he would let go heaven, and had rather stay here than be removed thither. A life of perfect holiness in the sight of God, dwelling in his love and praising him for ever in heaven, is not so pleasing to his heart as a life of health, and wealth, and honor here upon earth. And though he falsely profess that he loves God above all, yet indeed he never felt the power of divine love within him, but his mind is more set on the world or fleshly pleasures than on God. In a word, whoever loves earth above heaven, and fleshly prosperity more than God, is a wicked unconverted man.
On the other hand, a converted man is illuminated
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to discern the loveliness of God, and so far believeth the glory that is to be had with God, that his heart is taken up with it and set more upon it than on any thing in this world. He had rather see the face of God, and live in his everlasting love and praise?, than have all the wealth or pleasures of the world. He seeth that all things else are vanity, and nothing but God can fill the soul ; and therefore, let the world go which way it will, he layeth up his treasures and hopes in heaven, and for that he is resolved to let go all. As the fire doth mount upward, and the nee- dle that is touched with the loadstone still turns to the north, so the converted soul is inclined unto God. Nothing else can satisfy him : nor can he find any content and rest but in his love. In a word, all that are converted do esteem and love God better than all the world, and the heavenly felicity is dearer to them than their fleshly prosperity. The proof of what I have said you may find in these places of Scripture : Phil. 3 : 8-10 : Matt. 6:19-21; Colos. 3 : 1-4 ; Rom. 8 : 5-9, 18, 23 ; Psalms 73 : 25, 26.
2. A wicked man is one that makes it the princi- pal business of his life to prosper in the world and attain his fleshly ends. And though he may read, and hear, and do much in the outward duties of re- ligion, and forbear disgraceful sins, yet this is all but by the by, and he never makes it the principal busi- ness of his life to please God and attain everlasting glory, but puts off God with the leavings of the
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world, and gives him no more service than the flesh can spare, for he will not part with all for heaven.
On the contrary, a converted man is one that makes it the principal care and business of his life to please God and to be saved, and takes ail the blessings of this life but as accommodations in his journey towards another life, and useth the creature in subordination to God : he loves a holy life, and longs to be more holy ; he hath no sin but what he hateth, and longeth, and prayeth, and striveth to be rid of. The drift and bent of his life is for God, and if he sin, it is contraiy to the very bent of his heart and life ; and therefore he riseth again and lamenteth it, and dares not wilfully live in any known sin. There is nothing in this world so dear to him but he can give it up to God, and forsake it "for him and the hopes of glory. All this you may see in Col. 3:1-5; Matt. 6: 20, 33; Luke 18:22, 23, 29; and 14 : 18, 24, 26, 27 ; Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5 : 24 ; Luke 12 : 21, etc.
3. The soul of a wicked man did never truly dis- cern and relish the mystery of redemption, nor thankfully entertain an offered Saviour, nor is he taken up with the love of the Redeemer, nor willing to be ruled by him as the Physician of his soul, that he may be saved from the guilt and power of his sins, and recovered to God ; but his heart is insensi- ble of this unspeakable benefit, and is quite against the healing means by which he should be recovered.
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Though he may be willing to be outwardly religious, vet he never resigned up his soul to Christ and to the motions and conduct of his word and Spirit.
On the contrary, the converted soul having felt himself undone by sin, and perceiving that he hath lost his peace with God and hopes of heaven, and is in danger of everlasting misery, doth thankfully en- tertain the tidings of redemption, and believing in the Lord Jesus as his only Saviour, resigns himself up to him for wisdom, righteousness, sanctiflcation, and redemption. He takes Christ as the life of his soul, and lives by him, and uses him as a salve for every sore, admiring the wisdom and love of God in his wonderful work of man's redemption. In a word, Christ doth even dwell in his heart by faith, and the life that he now liveth, is by the faith of the Son of God, that loved him, and gave himself for him ; yea, it is not so much he that liveth, as Christ in him. For these, see John 1 : 11, 12 ; and 3:19, 20 ; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3 : 7-10 ; Gal. 2 : 20 ; John 15 : 2-4; 1 Cor. 1 : 20; 2:2.
You see now, in plain terms from the word of God, who are the wicked and who are the converted. Ignorant people think that if a man be no swearer, nor curser, nor railer, nor drunkard, nor fornicator, nor extortioner, nor wrong any body in his dealings, and if he come to church and say his prayers, he cannot be a wicked man. Or if a man that hath been guilty of drunkenness, swearing, or gaming, oi
THE UNCONVERTED.
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the like vices, do but forbear them for the time to come, they think that this is a converted man. Others think if a man that hath been an enemy, and scorner at godliness, do but approve it, and join himself to those that are godly, and be hated for it by the wicked, as the godly are, that this must needs be a converted man. And some are so foolish as to think that they are converted by taking up some new and false opinion, and falling into some dividing party. And some think, if they have but been affrighted by the fears of hell, and had convictions of conscience, and thereupon have purposed and promised amend- ment, and taken up a life of civil behavior and out- ward religion, that this must needs be true conver- sion. And these are the poor deluded souls that are like to lose the benefit of all our persuasions ; and when they hear that the wicked must turn or die, they think that this is not spoken to them, for they are not wicked, but are turned already. And therefore it is that Christ told some of the rulers of the Jews who were more grave and civil than the common people, that "publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before them." Matt. 21 : 31. Not that a harlot or gross sinner can be saved with- out conversion ; but because it was easier to make these gross sinners perceive their sin and misery, and the necessity of a change, than the more civil sort, who delude themselves by thinking that they are converted already, when they are not.
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A CALL TO
0 sirs, conversion is another kind of work than most are aware of. It is not a small matter to bring an earthly mind to heaven, and to show man the amiable excellence of God, till he be taken up in such love to liini as can never be quenched ; to break the heart for sin, and make him fly for refuge to Christ, and thankfully embrace him as the life of his soul ; to have the very drift and bent of the heart and life changed ; so that a man renounceth that which he took for his felicity, and placeth his felicity where he never did before, and lives not to the same end, and drives not on the same design in the world, as he formerly did. In a word, he that is in Christ is a " new creature : old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5 : 17. He hath a new understanding, a new will and reso- lution, new sorrows, and desires, and love, and de- light ; new thoughts, new speeches, new company — if possible — and a new conversation. Sin, that be- fore was a jesting matter with him, is now so odious and terrible to him that he flies from it as from death. The world, that was so lovely in his eyes, doth now appear but as vanity and vexation : God, that was before neglected, is now the only happiness of his soul : before, he was forgotten, and every lust pre- ferred before him ; but now he is set next the heart, and all things must give place to him ; the heart is taken up in the attendance and observance of him, is grieved when he hides his face, and never thinks
THE UNCONVERTED.
47
itself well without him. Christ himself, that was wont to be slightly thought of, is now his only hope and refuge, and he lives upon him as on his daily bread ; he cannot pray without him, nor rejoice with- out him, nor think, nor speak, nor live without him. Heaven itself, that before was looked upon but as a tolerable reserve, which he hoped might serve his turn better than hell when he could not stay any longer in the world, is now taken for his home, the place of his only hope and rest, where he shall see, and love, and praise that God who hath his heart already. Hell, that did seem before but as a bug- bear to frighten men from sin, doth now appear to be a real misery that is not to be ventured on nor jested with. The works of holiness, of which be- fore he was weary, and which he thought unneces- sary, are now both his recreation and his business. The Bible, which was before to him but almost as a common book, is now as the law of God ; as a letter written to him from heaven and subscribed with the name of the Eternal Majesty ; it is the rule of his thoughts, and words, and deeds ; the commands are binding, the threats are dreadful, and the promises of it speak life to his soul. The godly, that seemed to him but like other men, are now the most excel- lent and happy on earth. And the wicked, that were his play-fellows, are now his grief ; and he that could laugh at their sins is more ready now to weep for their sin and misery, and to say with those of
48
A CALL TO
old, Psalm 16:3; 15:4; Phil. 3 : 18, " But to the
saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight." " In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord : he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. "
In short, he hath a new end in his thoughts, and a new way in his endeavors, and therefore his heart and life are new. Before, his carnal self was his end, and his pleasure and worldly profit and credit were his way ; and now, God and everlasting glory are his end, and Christ, and the Spirit, and word, and ordinances ; holiness to God, and righteousness and mercy to men, these are his way. Before, self was the chief ruler, to which the matters of God and conscience must stoop and give place ; and now God, in Christ, by the Spirit, word, and ministry, is the chief ruler, to whom both self and all the matters of self must give place. So that this is not a change in one, or two, or twenty points, but in the whole soul, and in the very end and bent of the conversa- tion. A man may step out of one path into another, and yet have his face the same way, and be still go- ing towards the same place ; but it is another matter to turn quite back, and take his journey quite the contrary way, to a contrary place. So it is here : a man may turn from drunkenness, and forsake other
THE UNCONVERTED.
49
gross disgraceful sins, and set upon some duties of religion, and yet be still going to the same end as before, loving his carnal self above all, and giving it still the government of his soul; but vrhen he is converted, this self is denied and taken down^ and God is set up, and his face is turned the contrary way ; and he that before was addicted to himself, and lived to himself, is now, by sanctincation, de- voted to God, and liveth unto God. Before, he asked himself what he should do with his time, his talents, and his estate, and for himself he used them ; but now he asketh God what he shall do with them, and useth them for him. Before, he would please God so far as might accord with the pleasure of his flesh and carnal self, but not to any great displeasure of them ; but now he will please God, let rlesh and self be never so much displeased. This is the great change that God will make upon all that shall be saved.
You can say that the Holy Ghost is our sancti- fier ; but do you know what sanctincation is ? Why, this is what I have now opened to you ; and every man and woman in the world must have this, or be condemned to everlasting misery. They must turn or die.
Do you believe all this, sirs, or do you not ? Surely, you dare not say you do not ; for it is past all doubt or denial. These are not controversies, where one 'earned pious man is of one mind and another of
B. Call. 4
50
A CALL TO
another ; where one party saith this, and the other saith that. Every sect among us that deserve to be called Christians are all agreed in this that I have said ; and if yon will not believe the God of truth, and that in a case where every sect and party do believe him, you are utterly inexcusable.
But if you do believe this, how comes it to pass that you live so quietly in an unconverted state ? Do you think that you are converted ? and can you find this wonderful change upon your souls ? Have you been thus bom again, and made new? Are not these strange matters to many of you, and such as you never felt within yourselves ? You cannot tell the day or week of your change, or the very sermon that converted you, yet do you find that the work is done, that such a change indeed there is, and that you have such hearts as are before described ? Alas ! the most follow their worldly business, and little trouble their minds with such thoughts. And if they be but restrained from scandalous sins, and can say, " I am no whoremonger, nor thief, nor curser. nor swearer, nor tippler, nor extortioner ; I go to church, and say my prayers they think that this is true conversion, and that they shall be saved as well as any. Alas ! this is foolish cheating of yourselves. This is too much contempt of an endless glory, and too gross neglect of your immortal souls. Can you make so light of heaven and hell ?
Your body will shortly lie in the dust, and angels
THE UNCONVERTED.
51
or devils will presently seize upon your souls ; and every man or woman of you all will shortly be among other company,, and in another case than now you are. You will dwell in these houses but a little longer ; you will work in your shops and fields but a little longer ; you will sit in these seats and dwell on this earth but a little longer ; you will see with these eyes, and hear with these ears, and speak with these tongues but a little longer, till the resurrec- tion-day ; and can you make shift to forget this ? 0 what a place will you shortly be in of joy or tor- ment ! 0 what a sight will you shortly see in heaven or hell ! 0 what thoughts will shortly fill your hearts with unspeakable delight or horror ! What work will you be employed in ! to praise the Lord with saints and angels, or to cry out in fire unquench- able with devils ; and should all this be forgotten ? And all this will be endless, and sealed up by an unchangeable decree. Eternity, eternity will be the measure of your joys or sorrows : and can this be forgotten ? And all this is true, sirs, most certainly true. When you have gone up and down a little longer, and slept and awakened a few times more, vcu will be dead and gone, and find all true that now I tell you : and yet can you now so much forget it ? You shall then remember that you had this call, and that, this day, in this place, you were reminded of these things, and you will perceive them to be mat- ters a thousand times more important than either you
A CALL TO
or I could here conceive ; and yet shall they be now so much forgotten ?
Beloved friends, if the Lord had not awakened me to believe and lay to heart these things myself, I should have remained in a dark and selfish state, and have perished for ever ; but if he have truly made me sensible of them, it will constrain me to compas- sionate you as well as myself. If your eyes were so far opened as to see hell, and you saw your neigh- bors that were unconverted dragged thither with hideous cries : though they were such as you ac- counted honest people on earth, and as feared no such danger themselves ; such a sight would make you go home and think of it, and think again, and make you warn all about you, as that lost worldling, Luke 16:28, would have had his brethren warned, lest they come to that place of torment.
Faith is a kind of sight ; it is the eye of the soul, the evidence of things not seen. If I believe God, it is next to seeing; and therefore, I beseech you, excuse me if I be half as earnest with you about these matters as if I had seen them. If I must die to-morrow, and it were in my power to come again from another world and tell you what I had seen, would you not be willing to hear me ? and would you not believe and regard what I should tell you ? If I might preach one sermon to you after I am dead, and have seen what is done in the world to come, would you not have me plainly speak the truth, and
THE UNCONVERTED.
S3
would you not crowd to hear me, and would you not lay it to heart ? But this must not be ; God hath his appointed way of teaching you by Scripture and ministers, and he will not humor unbelievers so far as to send men from the dead to them and alter his established way : if any man quarrel with the sun, God will not humor him so far as to set up a clearer light. Friends, I beseech you, regard me now as you would do if I should come from the dead to you; for I can give you as full assurance of the truth of what I say to you as if I had been there and seen it with my eyes : it is possible for one from the dead to deceive you ; but Jesus Christ can never deceive you ; the word of God delivered in Scrip- ture, and sealed by miracles and holy workings of the Spirit, can never deceive you. Believe this, or believe nothing. Believe and obey this, or you are undone.
Now, as ever you believe the word of God, and as ever you care for the salvation of your souls, let me beg of you this reasonable request, and I be- seech you deny me not : That you would now re- member what has been said, and enter into an earnest search of your hearts, and say to yourselves, Is it so indeed ; must I turn or die ? Must I be converted or condemned ? It is time for me then to look about me before it be too late. O why did I not look af- ter this before now ? Why did I venturously put off or slumber over so great a business ? Was I
A CALL TO
awake, or in my senses ? 0 blessed God, what a mercy is it that thou didst not cut off my life all this while, before I had any certain hope of eternal life !
God forbid that I should neglect this work any longer. What state is my soul in ? Am I converted, or am I not ? Was ever such a change or work done upon my soul ? Have I been illuminated by the word and Spirit of the Lord to see the odiousness of sin, the need of a Saviour, the love of Christ, and the excellences of God and glory ? Is my heart broken or humbled within me for my former life ? Have I thankfully entertained my Saviour and Lord that offered himself with pardon and life for my soul ? Do I hate my former sinful life and the remnant of every sin that is in me ? Do I fly from them as my deadly enemies ? Do I give up myself to a life of holiness and obedience to God ? Do I love it and delight in it ? Can I truly say that I am dead to the world and carnal self, and that I live for God and the glory which he hath promised ? Hath heaven more of my esteem and affection than earth ? And is God the dearest and highest in my soul ? Once, I am sure, I lived principally to the world and flesh, and God had nothing but some heartless services, which the world could spare, and which were the leavings of the flesh. Is my heart now turned an- other way ? Have I a new design and a new end, and a new train of holy affections ? Have I set my hope and heart in heaven ? And is it the scope, and
THE UNCONVERTED.
55
design, and bent of ray heart to get well to heaven, and see the glorious face of God, and live in his everlasting love and praise ? And when I sin, is it against the habitual bent and design of my heart ? And do I conquer all gross sins, and am I weary and willing to be rid of my infirmities ? This is the state of converted souls. And thus it must be "with me, or I must perish. Is it thus with me indeed, or is it not ? It is time to get this doubt resolved, before the dreadful Judge resolve it. I am not such a stranger to my own heart and life, but I may some- what perceive whether I am thus converted or not : if I be not, it will do me no good to natter my soul with false conceits and hopes. I am resolved no more to deceive myself, but endeavor to know truly whether I be converted or not : that if I be, I may rejoice in it, and glorify my gracious Lord, and com- fortably go on till I reach the crown : and if I am not, that I may set myself to beg and seek after the grace that should convert me, and may turn without any more delay. For, if I find in time that I am out of the way, by the help of Christ I may turn and be recovered ; but if I stay till either my heart be forsaken of God in blindness and hardness, or till I be snatched away by death, it is then too late. There is no place for repentance and conversion then : I know it must be now or never.
Sirs, this is my request to you, that you will but take your hearts to task, and thus examine them till
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A GALL TO
Ton see, if it may be, whether you are converted or not. And if you cannot find it out by your own endeavors, go to your ministers, if they be faith- ful and experienced men, and desire their assistance. The matter is great ; let not bashfulness nor careless- ness hinder you. They are set over you to advise you for the saying of your souls, as physicians advise you for the curing of your bodies. It undoes many thousands that they think they are in the way to sal- vation when they are not ; and think that they are converted when it is no such thino*. And then when
o
we call to them daily to turn, they go away as they came, and think that this concerns not them ; for they are turned already, and hope they shall do well enough in the way that they are in, at least if they pick the fairest path, and avoid some of the foulest steps, when, alas ! all this while they live but to the world and flesh, and are strangers to God and eter- nal life, and are quite out of the way to heaven. And all this because we cannot persuade them to a few serious thoughts of their condition, and to spend a few hours in the examining of then* states.
Are there not many self-deceivers who hear me this day, that never bestowed one hour, or quarter of an hour, in all their lives, to examine their souls, and try whether they are truly converted or not ? 0 merciful God, that will care for such wretches that care no more for themselves, and that will do so much to save them from hell and help them to
THE UNCONVERTED.
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heaven, who will do so little for it themselves ! If all that are in the way to hell and in the state of damnation did but know it, they durst not continue in it. The greatest hope that the devil hath of bringing you to damnation without a rescue, is by keeping you blindfold and ignorant of your state, and making you believe that you may do well enough in the way that you are in. If you knew that you were out of the way to heaven, and were lost for ever if you should die as you are, durst you sleep another night in the state that you are in ? Durst you live another day in it ? Could you heartily laugh or be merry in such a state ? "What ! and not know but you may be snatched away to hell in an hour ? Sure it would constrain you to forsake your former company and courses, and to betake your- selves to the ways of holiness and the communion of the saints. Sure it would drive you to cry to God for a new heart, and to seek help of those that are fit to counsel you. There are none of you surely that care not for being damned. Well, then, I be- seech you, presently make inquiry into your hearts, and give them no rest till you find out your con- dition, that if it be good, you may rejoice in it, and go on; and if it be bad, you may presently look about you for recovery, as men that believe they must turn or die. What say you, sirs, villi you re- solve and promise to be at thus much labor for your own souls ? Will you now enter upon this self- ex-
58 • A CALL TO
animation ? Is my request unreasonable ? Your consciences know it is not. Kesolve on it, then, be- fore you stir ; knowing how much it concerneth your souls. I beseech you, for the sake of that God that doth command you, at whose bar you will all shortly appear, that you do not deny me this reasonable request. For the sake of those souls that must turn or die, I beseech you deny me not; but make it your business to understand your own condition and build upon sure ground, and know whether you are converted or not ; and venture not your souls on negligent security.
But perhaps you will say, "What if we should find ourselves yet unconverted, what shall we do then ?" This question leads me to my second Doc- trine, which will do much to the answering of it, to which I now proceed.
DOCTRINE II.
Tt is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live, if they will but turn — unfeignedly and thoroughly turn.
The Lord here professeth that this is what he takes pleasure in, that the wicked turn and live. Heaven is made as sure to the converted, as hell is to the unconverted. Turn and live, is as certain a truth as turn or die. God was not bound to pro-
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vide us a Saviour, nor open to us a door of hope, nor call us to repent and turn, when once we had cast ourselves away by sin. But he hath freely done it to magnify his mercy. Sinners, there are none of you that shall have cause to go home and say I preach desperation to you. Do we use to shut the door of mercy against you ? 0 that you would not shut it against yourselves ! Do we use to tell you that God will have no mercy on you, though you turn and be sanctified ? When did you ever hear a preacher say such a word ? You that cavil at the preachers of the Gospel for desiring to keep you out of hell, and say that they preach desperation ; tell me, if you can, when did you ever hear any so- ber man say that there is no hope for you, though you repent and be converted ? No, it is the direct contrary that we daily proclaim from the Lord : that whoever is born again, and by faith and repentance doth become a new creature, shall certainly be saved ; and so far are we from persuading you to despair of this, that we persuade you not to make any doubt of it. It is life, not death, that is the first part of our message to vou : our commission is to offer sal- vation, certain salvation, a speedy, glorious, everlast- ing salvation to every one of you ; to the poorest beggar as well as the greatest lord ; to the worst of you, even to drunkards, swearers, worldlings, thieves, yea, to the despisers and reproachers of the holy way of salvation.
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A C A L L TO
We are commanded by our Lord and Master to offer you a pardon for all that is past, if toii will but now at last return and live ; we are commanded to beseech and entreat you to accept the offer, and return ; to tell you what preparation is made by Christ; what mercy stays for you; what patience waiteth on you; what thoughts of kindness God hath towards you ; and how happy, how certainly and unspeakably happy you may be if you will. We hare indeed also a message of wrath and death, yea, of a twofold wrath and death ; but neither of them is our principal message. We must tell you of the wrath that is on you already, and the death that you are born under, for the breach of the law of works ; but this is only to show you the need of mercy, and to provoke you to esteem the grace of the Redeemer. And we tell vou nothing but the truth, which you must know ; for who will seek for physic that knows not that he is sick ? Our telling you of your misery is not that which makes you miserable, but would drive you to seek for mercy. It is you that have brought this death upon your- selves. We tell you also of another death, even remediless, and much greater torment, that will fall on those who will not be converted.
But as this is true, and must be told you, so it is but the last and saddest part of our message. We are first to offer you mercy, if you will turn ; and it is only those that will not turn, nor hear the voice
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of mercy, to whom we must foretell damnation. If you will but cast away your transgressions, if you will delay no longer, but come away at the call of Christ, and be converted, and become new creatures, we have not a word of damning wrath or death to speak against you. I do here, in the name of the Lord of life, proclaim to you all that hear me this day, to the worst of you, to the greatest, to the old- est sinner, that you may have mercy and salvation, if you will but turn. There is mercy in God, there is sufficiency in the satisfaction of Christ, the prom- ise is free, and full, and universal ; you may have life, if you will but turn. But then, as you love your souls, remember what turning it is that the Scripture speaks of. It is not to mend the old house, but to pull down all, and build anew on Christ, the Rock and sure foundation. It is not to mend somewhat in a carnal course of life, but to mortify the flesh and live after the Spirit. It is not to serve the flesh and the world in a more reformed way, without any scandalous disgraceful sins, and with a certain kind of religiousness ; but it is to change your master, and your works, and end ; and to set your face the contrary way, and do all for the life that you never saw, and dedicate yourselves and all you have to God. This is the change that must be made, if you will live.
Yourselves are witnesses now, that it is salvation, and not damnation, that is the great doctrine I preach
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to you, and the first part of my message to you. Accept of this, and we shall go no farther with you ; for we would not so much as affright or trouble you with the name of damnation without necessity.
But if you will not be saved, there is no remedy, but damnation must take place ; for there is no mid- dle place between the two ; you must have either life or death.
And we are not only to offer you life, but to show you the grounds on which we do it, and call you to believe that God doth mean, indeed, as he speaks ; that the promise is true, and extendeth conditionally to you, as well as others ; and that heaven is no fancy, but a true felicity.
If you ask, Where is our commission for this offer ? Among a hundred texts of Scripture, I will show it to you in these few :
You see it here in mv text and the following verses, and in the 18th of Ezekiel, as plain as can be spoken; and in 2 Cor. 5 : 17-21, you have the very sum of our commission : ^ If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to him- self by J esus Christ, and hath given to us the min- istry of reconciliation ; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputiag their trespasses to them ; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Xow, then, we are ambas^a-
THE UNCONVERTED.
dors for Christ, as though. God did beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the right- eousness of God in him." So Mark 16:15, 16 : " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believe th," that is, with such a converting faith as is expressed, " and is bap- tized, shall be saved ; and he that belie veth not, shall be damned." And Luke 24 : 46, 47 : " Thus it be- hooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance," which is conver- sion, " and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." And Acts 5 : 30, 31 : " The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree : him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." And Acts 13 : 38, 39 : " Be it known unto you there- fore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins ; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." And lest you think this offer is restrained to the Jews, see Gal. 6:15: " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor roicircumcision, but a new creature." And Luke 14 : 17 : " Come, for all things are now ready."
You see by this time that we are commanded to
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offer life to you all, and to tell you from God, that if you will turn, you may lire.
Here you may safely trust your souls ; for the love of God is the foundation of tins offer, John 3:16, and the blood of the Son of God hath pur- chased it ; the faithfulness and truth of God is en- gaged to make the promise good ; miracles oft sealed the truth of it ; preachers are sent through the world to proclaim it ; and the Spirit doth open the heart to entertain it, and is itself the earnest of the full possession : so that the truth of it is past con- troversy, that the worst of you all, and every one of you, if you will but be converted, may be saved.
Indeed, if you will believe that you shall be saved without conversion, then you believe a falsehood: and if I should preach that to you, I should preach a lie. This were not to believe God, but the devil and your own deceitful hearts. God hath his prom- ise of life, and the devil hath his promise of life. God's promise is, Turn and live. The devil's prom- ise is, you shall live whether you turn or not. The words of God are, as I have showed you, " Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:3. " Except a man be bom again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:3, 5. " "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Heb. 12:14. The devil's word is, "You may be saved without being born again and converted ; you
THE UNCONVERTED.
So
may get to heaven well enough without being holy, God doih but frighten you ; he is more merciful than to do as he saith, he will be better to you than his word." And, alas, the greatest part of the world believe this word of the devil before the word of God ; just as our sin and misery first came into the world. God said to our first parents, "If ye eat, ye shall die and the devil contradicted him, and said, "Ye shall not die:" and the woman believed the devil before God. So now the Lord saith, Turn, or die : and the devil saith, You shall not die, if you do but cry for God's mercy at last, and give over the acts of sin when you can practise it no longer. And this is the word that the world believes. 0 heinous wickedness, to believe the devil before God.
And yet that is not the worst ; but blasphemously they call this believing and trusting in God, when they put him in the shape of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning ; and when they believe that the word of God is a he, they call this trusting God; and say they believe in him, and trust in liim for salvation. Where did ever God say that the unre- generate, unconverted, unsanctified, shall be saved ? Show me such a word in Scripture. I challenge you to do it. Why, this is the devil's word, and to believe it is to believe the devil, and is the sin that is commonly called presumption; and do you call this believing and trusting in God ? There is enough in the word of God to comfort and strengthen the
B. Call. 5
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hearts of the sanctified, but not a word to strengthen
the hands of wickedness, nor to give men the least hope of being saved though they be never sanctified.
But if you will turn, and come into the way of mercy, the mercy of the Lord is ready to entertain you. Then trust in God for salvation, boldlv and confidently ; for he is engaged by his word to save you. He will be a father to none but his children ; and he will save none but those that forsake the world, the devil, and the flesh, and come into his family to be members of his Son, and have commun- ion with his saints. But if they will not come in, it is the fault of themselves : his doors are open ; he keeps none back ; he never sent such a message as this to any of you: "It is now too late ; I will not receive thee, though thou be converted." He might have done so and done you no wrong ; but he did not ; he doth not to this day. He is still ready to receive you, if you were but ready unfeignedly, and with all your hearts, to turn. And the fulness of this truth will vet more appear in the two following
if . X X O
doctrines, to which I shall therefore next proceed before I make any further application of this.
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DOCTRINE III.
God taketh pleasure in men's conversion and salvation, but not in their death or damnation. He had rather they would turn and live, than go on and die.
" The Lord is long- suffering to us-ward," says the apostle, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Pet. 3 : 9. He unf eigne dly willeth the conversion of all men, even of those that never will be converted, but not as absolute Lord with the fullest efficacious resolu- tion, nor as a thing which he resolveth shall un- doubtedly come to pass, or would engage all his power to accomplish. It is in the power of a prince to set a guard upon a murderer, to see that he shall not murder, and be hanged ; but if, upon good rea- son, he forbear this, and do but send to his subjects to warn and entreat them not to be murderers, he may well say that he would not have them murder and be hanged ; he takes no pleasure in it, but rather that they forbear and live, and if he do more for some upon some special reason, he is not bound to do so by all. The king may well say to all murder- ers and felons in the land, " I have no pleasure in your death, but rather that you would obey my laws and live ; but if you will not, I am resolved, for all this, that you shall die." The judge may truly say to the murderer, "Alas, I have no delight in thy death ; I had rather thou hadst kept the law and
A CALL TO
saved thy life ; but seeing thou hast not, I must con- demn thee, or else I should be unjust."
So, though God have no pleasure in your damna- tion, and therefore calls upon you to return and live, yet he hath pleasure in the demonstration of his own justice and the execution of his laws ; and therefore he is, for all this, fully resolved, that if you will not be converted, you shall be condemned. If God was so much against the death of the wicked as that he were resolved to do all that he can to hinder it, then no man should be condemned ; whereas Christ tell- eth you, that " narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." But so far God is opposed to your damnation as that he will teach you, and warn you, and set before you life and death, and offer you your choice, and command his minis- ters to entreat you not to destroy yourselves, but accept his mercy, and so to leave you without ex- cuse. But if this will not do, and if still you be unconverted, he professeth to you that he is resolved on your damnation, and hath commanded us to say to you in his name, verse 8, " 0 wicked man, thou shalt surely die !" And Christ hath little less than sworn it, over and over, with a " verily, verily," that except you be converted and bom again, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3; John 3 : 3. Mark that he saith, "you cannot." It is in vain to hope for it, and in vain to dream that God is willing for it ; for it is a thing that cannot be
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In a word, yon see the meaning of the text, that God, the great Lawgiver of the world, doth take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn and live ; though yet he be resolved that none shall live but those that turn ; and as a judge, ever delighteth in justice, and in manifesting his ha- tred of sin, though not in the misery which sinners have brought upon themselves, in itself considered.
And for the proofs of this point, I shall be very brief in them, because I suppose you easily believe it already.
1. The very gracious nature of God proclaimed, Exotl. 34:6, 7, "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, mer- ciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty," and many other passages may assure you of this, that he hath no pleasure in your death.
2. If God had more pleasure in thy death than in thy conversion and life, he would not have so fre- quently commanded thee in his word to turn; he would not have made thee such promises of life if thou wilt but turn; he would not have persuaded thee to it by so many reasons. The tenor of his Gospel proveth the point.
3. And his commission that he hath given to the ministers of the Gospel doth fully prove it. If God
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had taken more pleasure in thy damnation than in
thy conversion and salvation, he would never have charged us to offer vou niercv, and to teach vou the way of life, both publicly and privately ; and to en- treat and beseech you to turn and live ; to acquaint you with your sins and foretell you of your danger; and to do all that possibly we can for your con- version, and to continue patiently so doing, though you should hate or abuse us for our pains. Would God have done this, and appointed his ordinances for your good, if he had taken pleasure in your death ?
4. It is proved also by the course of his provi- dence. If God had rather you were damned than converted and saved, he would not second his word with his works, and entice you, by his daily kindness, to himself, and give you all the mercies of this life, which are means "to lead you to repentance," Rom. 2 : 4, and bring you so often under his rod, to bring you to your senses ; he would not set so many ex- amples before your eyes, no, nor wait on you so pa- tiently as he does from day to day and year to year. These are not signs of one that taketh pleasure in your death. If this had been his delight, how easily could he have had thee long ago in hell ! How of:, before this, could he have cut thee down in the midst of thy sins with a curse, or oath, or lie in thy mouth, in thy ignorance, and pride, and sensuality ! When thou wert last in thy drunkenness, or last deriding
THE UNCONVERTED.
the ways of God, how easily could he have stopped thy breath, and tamed thee with his plagues, and made thee sober in another world ! Alas ! how small a matter is it for the Almighty to silence the tongue of the profanest railer, and tie the hands of the most malicious persecutor, or calm the fury of the bitterest of his enemies, and make them know that they are but worms.
If he should but frown upon thee thou wouldst drop into thy grave. If he gave commission to one of his angels to go and destroy ten thousand sinners, how quickly would it be done ! How easily can he lay thee upon the bed of languishing, and make thee lie groaning there in pain, and make thee eat the words of reproach which thou hast spoken against his servants, his word, his worship, and his holy ways, and make thee send to beg their prayers whom thou didst despise in thy presumption ! How easily can he lay that flesh under pains and groans, and make it too weak to hold thy soul, and make it more loath- some than the dung of the earth ! That flesh which now must have what it loves, and must not be dis- pleased though God be displeased ; and must be humored in meat, and drink, and clothes, whatever God say to the contrary, how quickly would the frowns of God consume it ! When thou wast pas- sionately defending thy sin, and quarrelling with them that would have drawn thee from it, and showing thy spleen against the reprover, and pleading for
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the works of darkness ; how easily could God have
snatched thee away in a moment, and set thee be- fore his dreadful Majesty, where thou shouldst see ten thousand times ten thousand glorious angels waiting on his throne, and have called thee there to plead thy cause, and asked thee "What hast thou now to say against thy Creator, his truth, his servants, or his holy ways ? Xow plead thy cause, and make the best of it thou canst. Xow what canst thou say in excuse of thy sins? Xow give account of thy worldliness and fleshly life, of thy time, of all the mercies thou hast had." 0 how thy stubborn heart would have melted, and thy proud looks be taken down, and thy countenance be appalled, and thy stout words turned into speechless silence, or dread- ful cries, if God had but set thee thus at his bar, and pleaded his own cause with thee, which thou hast here so maliciously pleaded against ! How easily can he at any time say to thy guilty soul, Come away, and live in that flesh no more till the resurrec- tion, and it cannot resist ! A word of his mouth would take off the poise of thy present life, and then all thy parts and powers would stand still ; and if he say unto thee, Live no longer, or, Live in hell, thou couldst not disobey.
But God hath yet done none of this, but hath pa- tiently forborne thee, and mercifully upheld thee, and given thee that breath which thou didst breathe out against him, and given those mercies which thou didst
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sacrifice to thy flesh, and afforded thee that provision which thou didst use to satisfy thy greedy throat : he gave thee every minute of that time which thou didst waste in idleness, or drunkenness, or worldli- ness ; and doth not all his patience and mercy show that he desired not thy damnation ? Can the candle burn without the oil ? Can your houses stand with- out the earth to bear them ? Xo more can you live an hour without the support of God. And why did he so long support thy life, but to see when thou wouldst bethink thee of the folly of thy ways, and return and live ? Will any man purposely put arms into his enemy's hands to resist him, or hold a can- dle to a murderer that is killing his children, or to an idle servant that plays or sleeps the while ? Surely it is to see whether thou wilt at last return and live, that God hath so long waited on thee.
o. It is further proved by the sufferings of his Son, that God taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked. "Would he have ransomed them from death at so dear a rate? Would he have astonished an- gels and men by his condescension ? Would God have dwelt in flesh, and have come in the form of a servant, and have assumed humanity into one per- son with the Godhead ; and would Christ have lived a life of suffering, and died a cursed death for sin- ners, if he had rather taken pleasure in their death ? Suppose you saw him but so busy in preaching and healing of them, as you find him in Mark 3 : 21 ; or
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so long In fasting, as in Matt. 4 ; or all night in prayer, as in Luke 6:12; or praying with drops of blood trickling from him instead of sweat, as Luke 22 : 24 ; or suffering a cursed death upon the cross, and pouring out his soul as a sacrifice for our sins — would you have thought these the signs of one that delighted in the death of the wicked ?
And think not to extenuate it by saying that it was only for his elect : for it was thy sin, and the sin of all the world, that lay upon our Redeemer ; and his sacrifice and satisfaction is sufficient for all, and the fruits of it are offered to one as well as an- other. But it is true, that it was never the intent of his mind to pardon and save any that would not, by faith and repentance, be converted. If you had seen and heard him weeping and bemoaning the state of disobedience in impenitent people, Luke 19:41, 42, " And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes" — or complaining of their stubbornness, as Matt. 23 : 37, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together^ even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" or if you had seen and heard him on the cross, praying for his persecutors, "Fa- ther, forgive them, for they know not what they do," would you have suspected that he had delighted in
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the death of the wicked, even of those that perish by their wilful unbelief? When God hath so loved the world — not only loved, but so loved — as to give his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, by an effectual faith, should not perish, but have everlasting life, I think he hath hereby proved, against the malice of men and devils, that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but had rather that they would "turn and live."
6. If all this will not yet satisfy you, take His own word that he knoweth best his own mind, or at least believe his oath: but this leads me to the fourth doctrine.
DOCTRINE IV.
The Lord hath confirmed it to us by his Oath, that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he turn and live ; that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it.
If you dare question his word, I hope you dare not question his oath. As Christ hath solemnly pro- tested that the unregenerate and unconverted cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 18:3; John 3:3; so God hath sworn that his pleasure is not in their death, but in their conversion and life. And as the apostle saith, Heb. 6 : 16-18, because he can swear by no greater, he sware by himself. " For men verily swear by the greater : and an oath for con-
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firmation is to them an end of strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us ; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stead- fast." If there be any man that cannot reconcile this truth with the doctrine of predestination, or the actual damnation of the wicked, that is his own ignorance ; he hath no pretence left to question or deny therefore the truth of the point in hand ; for this is confirmed by the oath of God, and therefore must not be distorted, to reduce it to other points : but doubtful points must rather be reduced to it, and certain truths must be believed to agree with it, though our shallow minds hardly discern the agree- ment.
I do now entreat thee, if thou be an unconverted sinner that nearest these words, that thou wouldst ponder a little upon the forementioned doctrines, and bethink thyself awhile who it is that takes pleas- ure in thy sin and damnation. Certainly it is not God ; he hath sworn for his part that he takes no pleasure in it. And I know it is not the pleasing of him that you intend. You dare not say that you drink, and swear, and neglect holy duties, and
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quench the motions of the Spirit to please God. That were as if you should reproach the prince, and break his laws, and seek his death, and say you did all this to please him.
Who is it, then, that takes pleasure in your sin and death ? Not any that bear the image of God, for they must be like-minded to him. God knows, it is small pleasure to your faithful teachers to see you serve your deadly enemy, and madly venture your eternal state and wilfully run into the flames of hell. It is small pleasure to them to see upon your souls (in the sad effects) such blindness, and hard-heart- edness, and carelessness, and presumption ; such wilfulness in evil, and such unteachableness and ob- stinacy against the ways of life and peace. They know these are marks of death, and of the wrath of God, and they know, from the word of God, what is like to be the end of them, and therefore it is no more pleasure to them than to a tender physician to see the plague-marks broke out upon his patient. Alas, to foresee your everlasting torments, and know not how to prevent them ! To see how near you are to hell, and we cannot make you believe it and con- sider it. To see how easily, how certainly you might escape, if we knew but how to make you willing. How fair you are for everlasting salvation, if you would but turn and do your best, and make it the care and business of your lives ! But you will not do it : if our lives lay on it, we cannot persuade
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you to it. We study day and night what to say to you that may convince and persuade you, and yet it is undone : we lay before you the word of God, and show you the very chapter and verse where it is written, that you cannot be saved except you be converted ; and yet we leave the most of you as we find you. We hope you will believe the word of God though you believe not us, and regard it when we show you the plain Scripture for it ; but we hope in vain, and labor in vain, as to any saving change upon your hearts ! And do you think that this is a pleasant thing to us ? Many a time, in secret prayer, we complain to God with sad hearts,
"Alas, Lord, we have spoken to them in thy name, but they little regard us ; we have told them what thou bidst us tell them concerning the danger of an unconverted state, but they do not believe us : we have told them that thou hast protested that there is no peace to the wicked, Isa. 57 : 21 ; but the worst of them all will scarcely believe that they are wicked. We have showed them thy word, where thou hast said, that if they live after the flesh they shall die, Rom. 8:13; but they say they will believe in thee, when they will not believe thee; and that they will trust in thee, when they give no credit to thy word ; and when they hope that the threaten- ings of thy word are false, they will yet call this a hoping in God ; and though we show them where thou hast said, that when a wicked man dieth, all
THE UNCONVERTED.
his hopes perish, yet we cannot persuade them from their deceitful hopes. Pro v. 11:7. We tell them what a base, unprofitable thing sin is ; but they love it/and therefore will not leave it. We tell them how dear they buy this pleasure, and what they must pay for it in everlasting torment : and they bless them- selves, and will not believe it, but will do as the most do ; and because God is merciful they will not be- lieve him, but will venture their souls, come what will. We tell them how ready the Lord is to receive them, and this doth but make them delay their re- pentance and be bolder in their sin. Some of them say they purpose to repent, but they are still the same ; and some say they do repent already, while yet they are not converted from their sins. We ex- hort them, we entreat them, we offer them our help, but we cannot prevail with them ; but they that were drunkards, are drunkards still ; and they that were voluptuous flesh-pleasing wretches, are such still ; and they that were worldlings, are worldlings still ; and they that were ignorant and proud and self- conceited, are so still. Few of them will see and confess their sin, and fewer will forsake it, but comfort themselves that all men are shiners, as if there were no difference between a converted sinner and an unconverted. Some of them will not come near us when we are willing to instruct them, but think they know enough already, and need not our instruc- tion ; and some of them will give us the hearing, and
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do#what they list; and most of them are like dead men that cannot feel ; so that when we tell them of matters of everlasting consequence, we cannot get a word of it to their hearts. If we do not obey them, and humor them in doing all that they would have us, though never so much against the word of God, they will hate us, and rail at us ; but if we beseech them to confess, and forsake their sins, and save their souls, they will not do it. They would have us disobey God and damn our own souls to please them ; and yet they will not turn and save their own souls to please God. They are wiser in their own eyes than all their teachers ; they rage and are con- fident in their own way, and if we are ever so anx- ious we cannot change them. Lord, this is the case of our miserable neighbors, and we cannot help it : we see them ready to drop into hell, and we cannot help it ; we know if they would unfeignedly turn, they might be saved, but we cannot persuade them ; if we would beg it of them on our knees, we cannot persuade them to it ; if we would beg it of them with tears, we cannot persuade them; and what more can we do?"
These are the secret complaints and moans that many a poor minister is compelled to make. And do you think that he hath any pleasure in this ? Is it a pleasure to him to see you go on in sin, and cannot stop you ? to see you so miserable, and can- not so much as make you sensible of it ? to see you
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merrv when you are not sure to be an hour out of hell? to think what you must for ever suffer, be- cause you will not turn ? and to think what an ever- lasting life of glory you wilfully despise and cast away? What sadder thing can you bring to their hearts, and how can you devise to grieve them more ?
Who is it, then, that you please by your sin and death ? It is none of your godly friends. Alas, it is the grief of their souls to see your misery, and they lament you many a time when you give them little thanks for it, and when you have not hearts to lament yourselves.
Who is it,. then, that takes pleasure in your sin ?
1. The devil indeed takes pleasure in your sin and death ; for this is the very end of all his temptations ; for this he watches night and day; you cannot de- vise to please him better than to go on in sin. How glad is he when he sees thee going into the alehouse, or other sin, and when he heareth thee curse, or swear, or rail ! How glad is he when he heareth thee revile the minister that would draw thee from thy sin and help to save thee ! these are his delight.
2. The wicked are also delighted in it; for it is agreeable to their nature.
3. But I know, for all this, that it is not the pleas- ing of the devil that you intend, even when you please him ; but it is your own flesh, the greatest and most dangerous enemy, that you intend to please. It is the flesh that would be pampered, that would
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be pleased in meat, and drink, and clothing ; that would be pleased with company, and pleased m applause and credit with the world, and pleased in sports, and lusts, and idleness ; this is the gulf that devoureth all. This is the very god that you serve, for the Scripture saith of such, that their bellies are their god. Phil. 3 : 19. But I beseech you, stay a little and consider the business.
Question 1. Should your flesh be pleased before your Maker ? Will you displease the Lord, and displease your teacher, and your godly friends, to please your brutish appetites or sensual desires ? Is not God woithy to be the ruler of your flesh ? If he shall not rule it, he will not save it ; you cannot in reason expect that he should.
Question 2. Your flesh is pleased with your sin, but is your conscience pleased ? Doth not it grudge within you, and tell you sometimes that all is not well, and that your case is not so safe as you make it to be ; and should not your souls and consciences be pleased before your corruptible rlesh ?
Question 3. But is not your flesh preparing for its own displeasure also ? It loves the bait, but doth it love the hook? It loves the strong drink and sweet morsels ; it loves its ease, and sports, and memment ; it loves to be rich and well-spoken of by men, and to be somebody in the world ; but doth it love the curse of God? Doth it love to stand trembling before his bar, and to be judged to ever-
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lasting fire ? Doth it love to be tormented with the devils for ever ? Take all together ; for there is no separating sin and hell but only by faith and true conversion ; if you will keep one, you must have the other. If death and hell be pleasant to thee, no wonder then if you go on in sin ; but if they be not, as I am sure they are not, then what if sin were ever so pleasant, is it worth the loss of life eternal ? Is a little drink, or meat, or ease ; is the good word of sinners, is the riches of this world to be valued above the joys of heaven? Or are they worth the sufferings of eternal fire? Sirs, these questions should be considered before you go any further, by every man that hath reason to consider, and that believes he hath a soul to save or lose.
Well, the Lord here sweareth that he hath no pleasure in your death, but rather that you would turn and five ; if yet you will go on and die rather than turn, remember it was not to please God that you did it : it was to please the world, and to please yourselves. And if men will damn themselves to please themselves, and run into endless torments for delight, and have not the sense, the heart, the grace, to hearken to God or man that would reclaim them, what remedy is there, but they must take what they get by it, and repent of it in another manner, when it is too late ? Before I proceed any further in the application I shall consider the next doctrine, which gives me a fuller ground for it.
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DOCTRINE V.
So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners that he doub- leth his commands and exhortations, with vehemency — Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?
This doctrine is the application of the former, by way of exhortation, and as such I shall handle it. Is there an unconverted sinner that heareth these vehement words of God ? Is there a man or wo- man in this assembly that is yet a stranger to the renewing, sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost ? It is a happy assembly if it be not so with the most. Hearken, then, to the voice of your Maker, and turn to him by Christ without delay. Would you knovr the will of God ? Why, this is his will, that you presently turn. Shall the living God send so ear- nest a message to his creatures, and should they not obey ?
Hearken, then, all you that live after the flesh : the Lord that gave thee thy breath and being hath sent a message to thee from heaven ; and this is his mes- sage, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Shall the voice of the eternal Majesty be neglected? If he do but terribly thunder, thou art afraid. 0 but this voice doth more nearly concern thee. If he did but tell thee thou shalt die to-morrow, thou wouldst not make light of it. 0 but this word concerneth thy
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life or death everlasting. It is both, a command and an exhortation. As if he had said to thee, " I charge thee, upon the allegiance that thou owest to me, thy Creator and Redeemer, that thou renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and turn to me, that thou mayest live. I condescend to entreat thee, as thou , either lovest or fearest him that made thee ; as thou lovest thine own life, even thine everlasting life, turn and live : as ever thou wouldst escape eternal mis- ery, turn, turn, for why wilt thou die?" And is there a heart in man, in a reasonable creature, that can once refuse such a message, such a command, such an exhortation as this ? 0 what a thing, then, is the heart of man !
Hearken, then, all ye that love yourselves, and all that regard vour own salvation ; here is the most joyful message that was ever sent to the ears of man : " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?" You are not yet shut up under desperation. Here is mercy offered you; turn, and you shall have it. 0 sirs, with what glad and joyful hearts should you receive these tidings ! I know this is not the first time that you have beard it ; but how have you regarded it, or how do you regard it now ? Hear, all you igno- rant, careless sinners, the word of the Lord. Hear, all you worldlings, you sensual flesh-pleasers ; you gluttons, and drunkards, and whoremongers, and swearers ; you railers and backbiters, slanderers and liars — Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?
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Hear, all you cold and outside professors, and all that are strangers to the life of Christ, and never knew the power of his cross and resurrection, and never felt your hearts warmed with his love, and live not on him as the strength of your souls — " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?"
Hear, all that are void of the love of God, whose hearts are not towards him, nor taken up with the hopes of glory, but who set more by your earthly prosperity and delights than by the joys of heaven; all you that are religious but a little by the by, and give God no more than your flesh can spare ; that have not denied your carnal selves, and forsaken all that you have for Christ, in the estimation and grounded resolution of your souls, but have some one thing in the world so dear to you that you can- not spare it for Christ, if he required it, but will rather venture on his displeasure than forsake it — " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?"
If you never heard it, or observed it before, re- member that you were told from the word of God this day, that if you will but turn, you may live; and if you will not turn, you shall surely die.
What now will you d- >, sirs ? What is your reso- lution ? Will you turn, or will you not ? Halt not any longer between two opinions. If the Lord be God, follow him; if your flesh be God, then serve it still. If heaven be better than earth and fleshly pleasures, come away, then, and seek a better coun-
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try, and lay up your treasure where rust and moths do not corrupt, and thieves cannot break through and steal ; and be awakened at last, with all your might to seek the kingdom that cannot be moved, Heb. 12 : 28, and to employ your lives on a higher design, and turn the stream of your cares and la- bors another way than formerly you have done. But if earth be better than heaven, or will do more for you, or last you longer, then keep it and make your best of it, and -follow it still. Sirs, are you resolved what to do ? If you be not, I will set a few more moving considerations before you, to see if reason will make you resolve.
I. Consider what preparations mercy hath made for your salvation ; and what pity it is that any man should be damned after all this. The time was, when the flaming sword was in the way, and the curse of God's law would have kept thee back if thou hadst been never so willing to turn to God. The time was when thyself, and all the friends that thou hadst in the world, could never have produced thee the pardon of thy sins past, though thou hadst never so much lamented and reformed them. But Christ hath removed this impediment, by the ran- som of his blood. The time was, that God was wholly unreconciled, as being not satisfied for the violation of his law ; but now he is so far satisfied and reconciled, as that he hath made thee a free act of oblivion, and a free deed of the gift of .Christ and
A CALL T O
life, and offereth it to thee, and entreateth thee to accept it; and it may be thine if thou wilt. For "he was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and hath committed to us the word of reconcilia- tion/' 2 Cor. 5 : 18, 19. Sinners, we too are com- manded to deliver this message to you all, as from the Lord : " Come, for all tilings are ready." Luke 14:17. Are all things ready, and are you unready ? God is ready to entertain you, and pardon all that you have done against him, if you will but come. As long as you have sinned, as wilfully as you have sinned, as heinously as you have sinned, he is ready to cast all behind his back, if }-ou will but come. Though you have been prodigals, and run away from God, and have stayed away so long, he is ready even to meet you, and embrace you in his arms, and rejoice in your conversion, if you will but turn. Even the worldlings and drunkards will find God ready to bid them welcome, if they will but come. Doth not this turn thy heart within thee? 0 sin- ner ! if thou hadst a heart of flesh, and not of stone in thee, methinks this should melt it. Shall the dreadful infinite Majesty of heaven even wait for thy returning, and be ready to receive thee, who hast abused him, and forgotten him so long1 ? Shall he delight in thy conversion, that might at any time glorify his justice in thy damnation ? and yet doth it not melt thy heart within thee, and art thou not yet ready to come in ? Hast thou not as much reason
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to be ready to come as God hath to invite thee and bid thee welcome ?
But that is not all : Christ hath died on the cross, and made such a way for thee to the Father, that, on his account, thou mayest be welcome, if thou wilt come. And yet art thou not ready ?
A pardon is already expressly granted, and offered thee in the Gospel. And yet art thou not ready ?
The ministers of the Gospel are ready to assist thee, to instruct thee, pray for thee And yet art thou not ready ?
All that fear God about thee are ready to rejoice in thy conversion, and to receive thee into the com- munion of saints, and to give thee the right hand of fellowship, yea, though thou hadst been one that had been cast out of their society : they dare not but forgive where God forgiveth, when it is manifest to them by thy confession and amendment ; they dare not so much as reproach thee with thy former sins*, because they know that God will not upbraid thee with them. If thou hadst been never so scan- dalous, if thou wouldst but heartily be converted and come in, they would not refuse thee, let the world say what they would against it. And are all these ready to receive thee, and yet art thou not ready to come in ?
Yea, heaven itself is ready : the Lord will receive thee into the glory of his saints. Vile as thou hast been, if thou wilt be but cleansed thou mayest have
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a place before his throne ; his angels will be ready- to guard thy soul to the place of joy if thou do but unfeignedly come in. And is God ready, the sacri- fice of Christ ready, the promise ready, and pardon ready ? Are ministers ready, and the people of God ready, and heaven itself ready ? and angels ready ? and all these but waiting for thy conversion ; and yet art thou not ready ? What ! not ready to live, when thou hast been dead so long ? not ready to come to thy right understanding, as the prodigal is said to " come to himself," Luke 15 : 17, when thou hast been beside thyself so long ? Not ready to be saved, when thou art even ready to be condemned ? Art thou not ready to lay hold on Christ, that would deliver thee, when thou art even ready to sink into damnation ? Art thou not ready to be saved from hell, when thou art even ready to be cast remediless into it ? Alas, man ! dost thou know what thou do- est ? If thou die unconverted there is no doubt to be made of thy damnation; and thou art not sure to live an hour. And yet art thou not ready to turn and to come in ? O miserable wretch ! Hast thou not served the flesh and the devil long enough ? Yet hast thou not enough of sin ? Is it so good to thee, or so profitable for thee ? Dost thou know what it is, that thou wouldst yet have more of it ? Hast thou had so many calls, and so many mercies, and so many warnings, and so many examples ? Hast thou seen so many laid in the grave, and yet art
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thou not ready to let go thy sins and come to Christ ? What, after so many convictions and pangs of con- science, after so many purposes and promises, art thou not yet ready to turn and live ? 0 that thy eyes, thy heart were opened to know how fair an offer is now made to thee ! and what a joyful mes- sage it is that we are sent on, to bid thee come, for all things are ready !
II. Consider also, what calls thou hast to turn and live. How many, how loud, how earnest, how dreadful: and yet what encouraging, joyful calls! For the principal inviter is God himself. He that commandeth heaven and earth, commands thee to turn, and that presently, without delay. He com- mands the sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morning ; and though it be so glorious an orb, and many times bigger than all the earth, yet it obeyeth him, and faileth not one minute of its appointed time. He commandeth all the planets and the orbs of heaven, and they obey. He com- mandeth the sea to ebb and flow, and the whole creation to keep its course, and all obey him ; the angels of heaven obey his will, when he sends them to minister to such worms as we on earth, Heb. 1 : 14 ; and yet if he command but a sinner to turn, he will not obey him. He only thinks himself wiser than God, and he cavils and pleads the cause of sin, and will not obey. If the Lord Almighty say the word, the heavens and all therein obey him ; but if
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he call a drunkard out of an alehouse, he will not obey : or if he call a worldly, fleshly sinner to deny himself, and mortify the flesh, and set his heart upon a better inheritance, he will not obey.
If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, O this is my Father's call ! how can I find in my heart to disobey? For the sheep of Christ "know and hear his voice, and they fol- low him, and he giveth them eternal life." John 10:4, If thou hadst any spiritual life and sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, "This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey ? For saith the prophet, 'The lion hath roared, who will not fear V " Amos 3:8. God is not a man, that thou shouldst dally and trifle with him. Remember what he said to Paul' at his conversion, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" Acts 9:5. Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ears against his call ? who is it that will have the worst of this ? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest, and contendest with, and what thou art doing ? It were a far wiser and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thy head into the burning fire. " Be not deceived ; God will not be mocked." Gal, 6:7. Whoever else be mocked, God will not be : you had better play with the fire in your thatch, than with the fire of his burning wrath. " For our
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God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12 : 29. 0 how unmeet a match art thou for God ! " It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands." Heb. 10 : 31. And therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him or resist him. As you love your own souls, take heed what you do : what will you say if he begin in wrath to plead with you ? what will you do if he take you once in hand ? Will you then strive against his judgment, as now ye do against his grace ? is Fury is not in me,13 saith the Lord, that is, I de- light not to destroy you : I do it, as it were, unwill- ingly ; but yet, " who would set the bi*iars and thorns against me in battle ? I would go through them, I would bum them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me" Isa. 27 : 4, 5. It is an unequal combat for the briers and stubble to make war with the fire. ' \
Thus you see who it is that calleth you, that would move you to hear his call/^nd turn. So consider also by what instruments, and^ how often, and how earnestly he calls.
1. Every leaf of the blessed book of God hath, as it were, a voice, and calls out to thee, Turn, and live ; turn, or thou wilt die. ^Tbw canst thou open it, and read a leaf, or hear a chapter, and not per- ceive God bids thee turn ?'. . »
2. It is the voice of every, sermon that thou nearest: for what else is the scope and drift of
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all, but to call, and persuade, and entreat thee *o turn?
3. It is the voice of many a motion of the Spirit that secretly speaks over these words again, and urgeth thee to turn.
4. It is likely, sometimes it is the voice of thy own conscience. Art thou not sometimes convinced that all is not well with thee ? And doth not thy con- science tell thee that thou must be a new man, and take a new course, and often call upon thee to return ?
5. It is the voice of the gracious examples of the godly. When thou seest them live a heavenly life, and fly from the sin which is thy delight, this really calls on thee to turn.
6. It is the voice of all the works of God : for they also are God's books that teach thee this les- son, by showing thee his greatness, and wisdom, and goodness ; and calling thee to observe them, and ad- mire the Creator. " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work : day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night show- eth knowledge." Psa. 19 : 1,2. Every time the sun riseth unto thee, it really calleth thee to turn, as if it should say, " What do I travel and compass the world for, but to declare to men the glory of their Maker, and to light them to do his work ? And do I still find thee doing the work of sin, and sleeping out thy life in negligence ? Awake, thou that sleep est, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."
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Ephes. 5 : 14. " The night is far spent, the day is at liand ; it is now high time to awake out of sleep. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk hon- estly, as in the day ; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying : but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Rom. 13 : 11-14. This text was the means of Augustin's conversion.
7. It is the voice of every mercy thou dost pos- sess. If thou couldst but hear and understand them, they all cry out unto thee, Turn. Why doth the earth bear thee, but to seek and serve the Lord ? Why doth it afford thee its fruits, but to serve him ? Why doth the air afford thee breath, but to serve him ? Why do all the creatures serve thee with their labors and their lives, but that thou mightest devote them and thyself to the service of God? Why doth he give thee time, and health, and strength, but to serve him ? Why hast thou meat, and drink, and clothes, but for his service? Hast thou any thing which thou hast not received ? and if thou didst receive them, it is reason thou shouldst bethink thee from whom, and to what end and use thou didst receive them. Didst thou never cry to him for help in thy distress, and didst thou not then un- derstand that it was thy part to turn and serve him, if he would deliver thee ? He hath done his part,
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and spared thee yet longer, and tried thee another, and another year ; and yet dost thou not turn ? You know the parable of the unfruitful fig-tree. Luke 13 : 6-9. When the Lord had said, " Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground ?" he was entreated to try u one year longer, and then if it proved not fruitful, to cut it down. Christ himself there makes the application twice over, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." How many years hath God looked for the fruits of love and holiness from thee, and hath found none, and yet he hath spared thee ! How many a time, by thy wilful ignorance, and carelessness, and disobedience, hast thou pro- voked justice to say, " Cut him down, why cumber- eth he the ground ?" And yet mercy hath prevailed, and patience hath forborne the fatal blow to this day. If thou hadst the understanding of a man within thee, thou wouldst know that all this calleth thee to turn. "Dost thou think thou shalt still escape the judgment of God ? or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But, after thy hardness and impen- itent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds. " Rom. 2 : 3-6.
8. Moreover, it is the voice of every affliction to call thee to make haste and iuxk. Sickness and pain
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cry, Turn: and poverty, and loss of friends, and every twig of the chastening rod cry> Turn. And yet wilt thou not hearken to the call ? These have come near thee, and made thee feel ; they have made thee groan, and can they not make thee turn ?
9. The very frame of thy nature and being itself bespeaketh thy return. Why hast thou reason, but to rule thy flesh, and serve thy Lord? Why hast thou an understanding soul, but to learn and know his will and do it ? Why hast thou a heart within thee that can love, and fear, and desire, but that thou shouldst fear him, and love him, and desire after him ?
Lay all these together now, and see what should be the issue. The holy Scriptures call upon thee to turn ; the ministers of Christ call upon thee to turn ; the Spirit cries, Turn ; thy conscience cries, Turn ; the godly, by persuasion and example, cry, Turn; the whole world, and all the creatures therein that are presented to thy consideration, cry, Turn ; the patient forbearance of God cries, Turn ; all the mer- cies which thou receivest cry, Turn ; the rod of God's chastisement cries, Turn ; thy reason and the frame of thy nature bespeaks thy turning ; and so do all thy promises to God : and yet art thou not resolved to turn ?
III. Moreover, poor, hard-hearted sinner, didst thou ever consider upon what terms thou standest *11 this while with Him that calleth on thee to turn ?
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Thou art his own, and owest him thyself and all thou hast ; and may he not command his own ? Thou art his absolute servant, and should serve no other master. Thou standest at his mercy, and thy life is in his hand, and he is resolved to save thee upon no other terms ; thou hast many malicious spiritual enemies that would be glad if God would but for- sake thee, and let them alone with thee, and leave thee to their will : how quickly would they deal with thee in another manner ! and thou canst not be de- livered from them but by turning unto God. Thou art fallen under his wrath by thy sin already ; and thou knowest not how long his patience will yet wait. Perhaps this is the last year, perhaps the last day. His sword is even at thy heart while the word is in thine ear ; and if thou turn not, thou art a dead and undone man. "Were thy eyes but open to see where thou standest, even upon the blink of hell, and to see how many thousands are there already that did not turn, thou wouldst see that it is time to look about thee.
Well, sirs, look inwards now and tell me how your hearts are affected with these offers of the Lord. You hear what is his mind : he delighteth not in your death ; he calls to you, Turn, turn : it is a fear- ful sign if all this move thee not, or if it do but half move thee ; and much more if it make thee more careless in thy misery, because thou nearest of the mercifulness of God. The working of the medicine
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will partly tell us whether there be any hope of the cure. 0 what glad tidings would it be to those that are now in hell, if they had but such a message from God ! What a joyful word would it be to hear this, Turn and live ! yea, what a welcome word would it be to thyself, when thou hadst felt that wrath of God but an hour ! Or if, after a thousand or ten thousand years' tonnent, thou couldst but hear such a word from God, " Turn and live;" and yet wilt thou neglect it, and suffer us to return without our errand ?
Behold, sinners, we are sent here as the messen- gers of the Lord to set before you life and death. What say you ? which of them will you choose ? Christ standeth, as it were, by thee, with heaven in the one hand and hell in the other, and offereth thee thy choice. Which wilt thou choose ? The voice of the Lord maketh the rocks to tremble. Psa. 29. And is it nothing to hear him threaten thee, if thou wilt not ton ? Dost thou not understand and feel this voice, " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?" It is the voice of love, of infinite love, of thy best and kindest friend, as thou might est easily perceive by the motion ; and yet canst thou neglect it ? It is the voice of pity and compassion. The Lord seeth whither thou art going better than thou dost, which makes him call after thee, Turn, turn. He seeth what will become of thee, if thou turn not. He thinketh with himself, " Ah ! this poor sinner will
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cast himself into endless torments if lie do not turn. I must in justice deal with him according to my righteous law. ' ' And therefore he calleth after thee, Turn, turn. 0 sinner ! if thou didst but know the thousandth part as well as God doth the danger that is near you, and the misery that you are running irt:, we should have no more need to call after you to turn.
Moreover, this voice that calleth to thee is the same that hath prevailed with thousands already, and called all to heaven that are now there ; and they would not now for a thousand worlds that they had made lio-ht of it, and not turned to God. ISTow what are they possessing that turned at God's call ? lS"ow they perceive that it was indeed the voice of love, that meant them no more harm than their sal vation ; and if thou wilt obey the same call thou shalt come to the same happiness. There are mil- lions that must for ever lament that they turned not ; but there is never a soul in heaven that is sorry that they were converted.
Well, sirs, are you yet resolved, or are you not ? Do I need to say any more to you ? What will you do ? Will you turn, or not ? Speak, man, in thy heart to God, though you speak not out to me; gpeak, lest he take thy silence for denial; speak quickly, lest he never make thee the like offer more ; speak resolvedly, and not waveringly, for he will have no indifferent ones to be his followers. Say in
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thine heart now, without any more delay, even be- fore thou stir hence, " By the grace of God I am resolved presently to turn. And because I know my own insufficiency, I am resolved to wait on God for his grace, and to follow him in his ways, and for- sake my former courses and companions, and give up myself to the guidance of the Lord."
Sirs, you are not shut up in the darkness of hea- thenism, nor in the desperation of the damned. Life is before you, and you may have it on reasonable terms, if you will ; yea, on free cost, if you will ac- cept it. The way of God lieth plain before you ; the church is open to you. You may have Christy and pardon, and holiness, if you will. What say you ? Will you, or will you not ? If you say Nay, or say nothing, and still go on, God is witness, and those who hear me are witnesses, and your own consciences are witnesses, how fair an offer you had this day. Eemember, you might have had Christ, and would not. Remember, when you have lost it, that you might have had eternal life as well as others, and would not ; and all this because you would not turn !
But let us come to the next doctrine, and hear your reasons.
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DOCTRINE VI,
The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted
sinners, and to ask them why they will die.
A straxge disputation it is, both as to the con- troversy and as to the disputants.
I. The controversy, or question propounded is, Why wicked men will destroy themselves ? or, Why they will rather die than turn ; whether they have anv sufficient reason for so doino* ?
II. The disputants are God and man : the most holy God, and wicked unconverted sinners.
Is it not a strange thing, which God doth here seem to suppose, that any man should be willing to die and be damned ? yea, that this should be the case of all the wicked ? that is, of the greatest part of the world. But you will say, " This cannot be ; for nature desireth the preservation and felicity of itself ; and the wicked are more selfish than others, and not less ; and therefore how can any man be willing to be damned ?M
To which I answer : 1. It is a certain truth that no man can be willing to bear any evil, as evil, but only as it hath some appearance of good ; much less can any man be willing to be eternally tormented. Misery, as such, is desired by none. 2. But yet, for all that, it is most true which God here teacheth us,
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that the cause why the wicked die is, because they will die. And this is true in several respects.
1. Because they will go the way that leads to hell, although they are told by God and man whither it goes and where it ends ; and though God hath so often professed in his word, that if they hold on in that way they shall be condemned ; and that they shall not be saved unless they turn. " There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." "The way of peace they know not ; there is no judgment in their goings ; they have made them crooked paths. Who- soever goeth therein shall not know peace." Isa. 48 : 22 ; 57:21; 59 : 8. They have the word and the oath of the living God for it, that if they will not turn they shall not enter into his rest : and yet, wicked they are, and wicked they will be, let God and man say what they will : fleshly they are, and fleshly they will be ; worldlings they are, and world- lings they will be ; though God hath told them that the love of the world is enmity to God, and that if any man love the world (in that measure) the love of the Father is not in him. James 4:4; 1 John, 2:15. So that, consequently, these men are willing to be damned, though not directly ; they are willing to walk in the way to hell, and love the certain cause of their torment ; though they do not will hell itself, and do not love the pain which they must endure.
Is not this the truth of your case, sirs? You would not burn in hell, but you will kindle the Are
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by your sins, and cast yourselves into it ; you would not be tormented with devils for ever, but you will do that which will certainly procure it in spite of all that can be said against it. It is just as if you would say, " I will drink this poison, but yet I will not die. I will cast myself headlong from the top of a stee- ple, but yet I will not kill myself. I will thrust this knife into my heart, but yet I will not take away my life. I will put this fire into the thatch of my house, but yet I will not burn it." Just so it is with wicked men ; they will be wicked, and they will live after the flesh and the world, and yet they would not be damned. But do you not know that the means lead to the end ? and that God hath, by his righteous law, concluded that you must repent or perish ? He that will take poison may as well say plainly, I will kil* myself, for it will prove no better in the end ; though perhaps he loved it for the sweetness of the sugai that was mixed with it, and would not be persuaded that it was poison, but that he might take it and do well enough ; but it is not his conceits and confidence that will save his life, So, if you will be drunkards, or fornicators, or worldlings, or live after the flesh, you may as well say plainly, We will be damned ; for so you will be unless you turn. Would you not rebuke the folly of a murderer that would say, I will kill, but I will not be hanged, when he knows, that if he does the one, the judge in justice will see that the other be done ? If he say, I will murder, he
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may as well say plainly, I will be hanged ; and if you will go on in carnal life, you may as well say plainly, We will go to Sell,
2. Moreover, the wicked will not use those means without which there is no hope of their salvation. He that will not eat. may as well say plainly, he will not live, unless he can tell how to live without meat. He that will not go his journey, may as well say plainly, he will not come to the end. He that falls into the water, and will not come out, nor suffer another to help him out, may as well say plainlv, he will be drowned. So, if you be carnal and ungodly, and will not be converted, nor use the means by which you should be converted, but think it more ado than needs, you may as well say plainly you will be damned ; for if you have found out a way to be saved without conversion, you have done that which was never done before.
3. Yea, this is not all ; but the wicked are un- willing even to partake of salvation itself ; though they may desire somewhat which they call by the name of heaven, yet heaven itself, considered in the true nature of the felicity, they desire not ; yea, their hearts are quite against it. Heaven is a state of perfect holiness, and of continual love and praise to God, and the wicked have no heart to this. The imperfect love, and praise, and holiness which is here to be attained, they have no mind for ; much less for that which is so much greater. The joys of
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heaven are of so pure and spiritual a nature that
the heart of the Tricked cannot truly desire them.
So that by this time you may see on what ground it is that God supposeth that the Tricked Trill their otvtl destruction. Thev Trill not turn, though they must turn or die : they vrill rather venture on cer- tain misery than be converted ; and then, to quiet themselves in their sins, they vrill make themselves believe that they shall nevertheless escape.
II. And as this controversy is matter of wonder, in that men should be such enemies to themselves as wflfaHy to cast away their souls, so are the dis- putants too : that God should stoop so low as thus co plead the case with men ; and that men should be so strangely blind and obstinate as to need all this in so plain a case ; yea, and to resist all this, when their own salvation lieth upon the issue.
No wonder if they will not hear us that are men, when they will not hear the Lord himself. As God saith, when he sent the prophet to the Israelites, " The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee ; for they will not hearken unto me : for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.'' Ezek. 3 : 7. ZS o wonder if they can plead against a min- ister, or a godly neighbor, when they will plead against the Lord himself, even against the plainest passages of his word, and think that they have rea- son on their side. TVhen they weary the Lord with their words, they say, u Wherein have we wearied
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him?" Mat 2:17. The priests that despised his name durst ask, " Wherein have we despised thy name?" And "when they polluted his altar, and made the table of the Lord contemptible," they durst say, "Wherein have we polluted thee?" Mai. 1 : 6, 1. But " Woe unto him," saith the Lord, "that striveth with his Maker ! Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth : shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What rnakest thou?" Isa. 45:9.
Question. But why is it that God will reason the case with man ?
Answer 1. Because man being a reasonable crea- ture, is to be dealt with accordingly, and by reason to be persuaded and overcome ; God hath therefore endowed them with reason, that they might use it for him. One would think a reasonable creature should not go against the clearest, the greatest rea- son in the world, when it is set before him.
2. At least, men shall see that God did require nothing of them that was unreasonable ; but both in what he commandeth them, and what he forbids them, he hath all the right reason in the world on his side ; and they have good reason to obey him — but none to disobey him. And thus even the damned shall be forced to justify God, and confess that it was only reasonable that they should have turned to him ; and they shall be forced to condemn themselves, and confess that they had little reasGn
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to cast away themselves by the neglecting of his grace in the day of their visitation.
Look up your best and strongest reasons, sinners, if you will make good your way. You see now with whom you have to deal. What sayest thou, unconverted, sensual sinner? Darest thou venture upon a dispute with God? Art thou able to con- fute him ? Art thou ready to enter the lists ? God asketh thee, "Why wilt thou die ? Art thou fur- nished with a sufficient answer ? Wilt thou under- take to prove that God is mistaken, and that thou art in the right ?' O what an undertaking is that ! Why, either he or you are mistaken, when he is for your conversion, and you are against it ; he calls upon you to turn, and you will not; he bids you do it presently, even to-day, while it is called to-day, and you delay, and think it time enough hereafter. He saith it must be a total change, and you must be holy and new creatures, and born again ; and you think that less may serve the turn, and that it is enough to patch up the old man, without becoming new. Who is in the right now ? God or you ? God calleth you to turn, and to live a holy life, and you will not. By your disobedient lives it appears you will not. If you will, why do you not? Why have you not done it all this while ? And why do you not fall upon it yet ? Your wills have the command of your lives. We may certainly conclude
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that you are unwilling to turn, when you do not turn. And why will you not ? Can you give any reason for it that is worthy to be called a reason ?
I that am but a worm, your fellow- creature, of a shallow capacity, dare challenge the wisest of you all to reason the case with me while I plead my Ma- ker's cause ; and I need not be discouraged when I know I plead but the cause that God pleadeth, and contend for him that will have the best at last. Had I but these two general grounds against you, I am sure that you have no good reason on your side.
1. I am sure it can be no good reason which is against the God of truth and reason. It cannot be light that is contrary to the sun. There is no know- ledge in any creature but what it had from God ; and therefore none can be wiser than God. It were fatal presumption for the highest angel to compare with his Creator ! What is it, then, for a lump of earth, an ignorant sot, that knoweth not himself nor his own soul, that knoweth but little of the things which he seeth, yea, that is more ignorant than many of his neighbors, to set himself against the wisdom of the Lord ! It is one of the fullest dis- coveries of the horrible wickedness of carnal men, and the madness of such as sin, that so silly a mole dare contradict his Maker, and call in question the word of God : yea, that those people that are so ignorant that they cannot give us a reasonable an- swer concerning the very first principles of religion,
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are yet so wise in their own conceit that they dare
question the plainest truths of God, yea, contradict them and cavil against them, when they can scarcely speak sense, and will believe them no further than agreeth with their foolish wisdom !
2. And as I know that God must needs be in the right, so I know the case is so palpable and gross which he pleadeth against, that no man can have reason for it. Is it possible that a man can have any reason to break his Maker's laws, and reason to dishonor the Lord of glory, and reason to abuse the Lord that bought him ? Is it possible that a man can have any good reason to damn his own immortal soul ? Mark the Lord's question, Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die ? Is eternal death a thing to be desired ? Are you in love with hell ? What rea- son have you wilfully to perish ? If you think you have some reason to sin, should you not remember that death is the wages of sin, Rom. 6 : 23, and think whether you have any reason to undo your- selves, body and soul, forever ? You should not only ask whether you love the adder, but whether you love the sting ? It is such a thing for a man to cast away his everlasting happiness, and to sin against God, that no good reason can be given for it ; but the more any one pleads for it, the more mad he showeth himself to be. Had you a kingdom offered you for every sin that you commit, it were not rea- son but madness to accept it. Could you by every
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sin obtain the highest thing on earth that flesh de- sireth, it were of no considerable value to persuade you in reason to commit it. If it were to please your greatest or dearest friends, or to obey the greatest prince on earth, or to save your lives, or to escape the greatest earthly misery ; all these are of no consideration to draw a man in reason to the committing of one sin. If it were a right hand or a right eye that would hinder your salvation, it is the most gainful way to cast it away, rather than to go to hell to save it ; for there is no saving a part when you lose the whole. So exceedingly great are the matters of eternity, that nothing in this world de- serveth once to be named in comparison with them ; nor can any earthly thing, though it were life, or crowns, or kingdoms, be a reasonable excuse for the neglect of matters of such high and everlasting con- sequence. A man can have no reason to cross his ultimate end. Heaven is such a thing, that if vou lose it, nothing can supply the want, or make up the less ; and hell is such a thing, that if you suffer it, nothing can remove your misery, or give you ease and comfort ; and therefore nothing can be a valu- able consideration to excuse you for neglecting your own salvation ; for, saith our Saviour, " What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?" Mark 8 : 36.
0 sirs, did you but know what matters they are that we are now speaking to you of, you would have
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other thoughts of these things. If the devil could
come to the saints in heaven that live in the siffht and love of God, and should offer theni sensual pleasures, or merry company, or sports to entice them away from God and glory, I pray you tell me. how do you think they would entertain the motion ? 2s ay, or if he should offer them to be kings on the earth, do you think this would entice them down from heaven ? 0 with what hatred and holy scorn would they reject the motion ! and why should not you do so, that have heaven open to your faith, if you had but faith to see it ? There is not a soul in hell but knows, by this time, that it was a mad ex- change to let go heaven for fleshly pleasure ; and that it is not a little mirth, or pleasure, or worldly riches, or honor, or the good- will or word of men, that will quench hell fire, or make him a gainer that loseth his soul. 0 if you had heard what I believe, if you had seen what I believe, and that on the credit of the word of God, you would say there can be no reason to warrant a man to destroy his soul ; you durst not sleep quietly another night, before you had resolved to turn and live.
If you see a man put his hand in the fire till it burn off, you will marvel at it ; but this is a thing that a man may have reason for, as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to popery. If you see a man cut off a leg or an arm, it is a sad sight ; but this is a thing that a man m-aj
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have a good reason for, as many a man hath it done to save his life. If you see a man give his body to be tormented with scourges and racks, or to be burned to ashes, and refuse deliverance when it is offered, this is a hard case to flesh and blood ; but this a man may have good reason for, as you may see in Heb. 11 : 33-36, and as many a hundred mar- tyrs have done. But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him, and to run into the fire of hell when he is told of it, and entreated to turn that he may be saved — this is a thing that can have no reason in the world to justify or excuse it. For heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to obtain it, or for any labor which we bestow for it ; but nothing can pay for the loss of heaven.
I beseech you now let this word come nearer to your heart. As you are convinced that you have no reason to destroy yourselves, so tell me what reason have you to refuse to turn and live to God ? What reason has the veriest worldling, or drunkard, or ignorant, careless sinner of you all, why he should not be as holy as any you know, and be as careful for his soul as any other ? Will not hell be as intol- erable to you as to others ? Should not your own souls be as dear to you as theirs to them ? Hath not God as much authority over you ? Why, then, will you not become a sanctified people, as well as they?
O sirs, when God bringeth the matter down to
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the very principles of nature, and shows that you have no more reason to be ungodly than you have to damn your own souls — if yet you will not understand and turn, it seems a desperate case that you are in.
And now, either you have good reason for what you do, or you have not : if not, will you go against reason itself ? Will you do that which you have no reason for ? But if you think you have a reason, pro- duce it, and make the best of your matter. Reason the case a little with me, your fellow- creature, which is far easier than to reason the case with God ; tell me, man, here before the Lord, as if thou wert to die this hour, why shouldst thou not resolve to turn this day, before thou stir from the place thou standest in ; what reason hast thou to deny or to delay ? Hast thou any reasons that satisfy thine own conscience for it, or any that thou darest own and plead at the bar of God ? If thou hast, let us hear them, bring them forth and make them good. But, alas, what poor stuff, what nonsense, instead of reasons, do we daily hear from ungodly men ! But for the worth of their immortal souls, I should be ashamed to name them.
Objection 1. One saith, if none shall be saved but such converted and sanctified ones as you tall* of, heaven will be but empty : then God help a great many !
Answer. Why, it seems you think that God doth ' not know, or else that he is not to be believed.
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Measure not all by yourselves : God hath thousands and millions of his sanctified ones ; but yet they are few in comparison of the world, as Christ himself hath told us. Matt. 7 : 13, 14. It better beseems you to make that use of tins truth which Christ teacheth you : " Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it ; but wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in there- at." Luke 13:22-24. "Fear not, little flock," saith Christ to his sanctified ones, " for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12 : 32.
Objection 2. I am sure, if such as I go to hell, we shall have store of company.
Answer. And will that be any ease or comfort to you ? Or do you think you may not have company enough in heaven ? Will you be imdone for com- pany, or will you not believe that God will execute his threatenings because there be so many that are guilty? These are all unreasonable conceits.
Objection 3. But all men are sinners, even the best of you all.
Answer. But all are not unconverted sinners. The godly live not in gross sins; and their very infirmities are their grief and burden, which they daily long, and pray, and strive to be rid of. Sin hath no dominion over them.
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Objection 4. I do not see that professors are any better than other men; they will overreach, and oppress, and are as covetous as any.
Answer. Whatever hypocrites are, it is not so with those that are sanctified. God hath thousands and tens of thousands that are otherwise, though the malicious world accuse them of what they can never prove, and of that which never entered into their hearts ; and commonly they charge them with heart sins, which none can see but God, because they can charge them with no such wickedness in their lives as they are guilty of themselves.
Objection 5. But I am no whoremonger, nor drunkard, nor oppressor ; and therefore why should you call upon me to be converted ?
Answer. As if you were not born after the flesh, and had not lived after the flesh as well as others ! Is it not as great a sin as any of these, for a man to have an earthly mind, and to love the world above God, and to have an unbelieving, unhumbled heart ? Nay, let me tell you more, that many persons that avoid disgraceful sins are as fast glued to the world, and as much slaves to the flesh, and as strange to God and averse to heaven, in their more civil course, as others are in their more shameful, notorious sins.
Objection 6. But I mean nobody any harm, nor do any harm ; and why, then, should God condemn me?
Answer. Is it no harm to neglect the Lord that
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made thee, and the work for which thou earnest into the world, and to prefer the creature before the Cre- ator, and to neglect grace that is daily offered thee ? It is the depth of thy sinfulness to be so insensible of it : the dead feel not that they are dead. If once thou wen made alive, -thou wouldst see more amiss in thyself, and marvel at thyself for making so light of it.
Objection 7. I think you would make men mad, under pretence of converting them : it is enough to rack the brains of simple people to muse so much on matters too high for them.
Answer 1. Can you be more mad than you are already ? or, at least, can there be a more danger- ous madness than to neglect vour everlasting welfare and wilfully undo yourselves '?
2. A man is never truly in his right mind till he be converted : he never knows God, nor knows sin, nor knows Christ, nor knows the world, nor himself, nor what his business is on earth, so as to set him- self about it, till he be converted. The Scripture saith that the wicked are unreasonable men, and that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. 2 Thess. 3 : 2 ; 1 Cor. 1:20; and Luke 15:17. It is said of the prodigal, that when he came to him- self he resolved to return. What a strange wisdom is this ; men will disobey God, and run to hell, for fear of being accounted fools !
3. What is there in the work that Christ calls you
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to, that should drive a man out of his senses ? Is it loving God, and calling upon him, and comforta- bly thinking of the glory to come, and the forsaking of our sins, and loving one another, and delighting ourselves in the service of God ? Are these such things as should make men mad ?
4. And whereas you say that these matters are too high for us ; you accuse God himself for making this our work, and giving us his word, and com- manding all that will be blessed to meditate on it day and night. Are the matters which we are made for, and which we live for, too high for us to med- dle with ? This is plainly to unman us, and to make beasts of us, as if we were like them that must med- dle with no higher matters than what belongs to flesh and earth. If heaven be too high for you to think on and provide for, it will be too high for you ever to possess.
5. If God should sometimes suffer any weak- headed person to be distracted by thinking of eter- nal things, this is because they misunderstand them, and run without a guide ; and of the two, I had rather be in the case of such a one, than of .the mad, unconverted world, that take their distraction to be their wisdom.
Objection 8. I do not think that God cares so much what men think, or speak, or do, as to make so great a matter of it.
Answer. It seems, then, you take the word of
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God to be false : then what will you believe ? But your own reason might teach you better, if you believe not the Scriptures ; for you see God sets not so light by us but that he vouchsafed to make us, and still preserveth us, and daily upholdeth us, and provideth for us ; and will any wise man make a cu- rious frame for nothing ? Will you make or buy a clock or watch, and daily look at it, and not care whether it go true or false ? Surely, if you believe not a particular eye of Providence observing your hearts and lives, you cannot believe or expect any particular Providence to observe your wants and troubles, or to relieve you ; and if God had so little care for you as you imagine, you would never have lived till now ; a hundred diseases would have striven which should first destroy you ; yea, the devils would have haunted you, and fetched you away alive, as the great fishes devour the less, and as ravenous beasts and birds devour others. You cannot think that God made man for no end or use, and if he made him for any, it was surely for himself ; and can you think he cares not whether his end be accom- plished, and whether we do the work that we are made for?
Yea, by this atheistical objection you suppose God to have made and upheld all the world in vain ; for what are all other lower creatures for, but for man ? What doth the earth but bear us and nourish us, and the beasts but serve us with their labors and
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lives, and so of the rest ? And hath God made so glorious a habitation, and set man to dwell in it, and made all his servants ; and now doth he look for nothing at his hands, nor care how he thinks, or speaks, or lives ? This is most unreasonable.
Objection 9. It was a better world when men did not make so much ado in religion.
Answer 1. It hath ever been the custom to praise the times past; that world that you speak of was wont to say it was a better world in their forefathers' days ; and so did they of their forefathers. This is but an old custom, because we all feel the evil of our own times, but we see not that which was before us.
2. Perhaps you speak as you think. Worldlings think the world is at the best when it is agreeable to their minds, and when they have most mirth and worldly pleasure ; and I doubt not but the devil, as well as you, would say that then it was a better world ; for then he had more service and less dis- turbance. But the world is at the best when God is most loved, regarded, and obeyed ; and how else will you know when the world is good or bad, but by this ?
Objection 10. There are so many ways and re- ligions, that we know not which to be of, and there- fore we will be even as we are.
Answer. Because there are many, will you, be of that way that you may be sure is wrong ? None are further out of the way than worldly, fleshly, un-
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converted sinners ; for they do not only err in this or that opinion, as many sects do, but in the very scope and drift of their lives. If you were going a journey that your life lay on, would you stop or turn again because you met with some crossways, or because you saw some travellers go the horse- way, and some the foot-way, and some perhaps break over the hedge, yea, and some miss the way ? Or would you not rather be the more careful to inquire the way ? If you have some servants that know not how to do your work right, and some that are unfaithful, would you take it wel1. of any of the rest that would therefore be idle and do you no ser- vice, because they see their companions so bad ?
Objection 11. I do not see that it goes any bet- ter with those that are so godly, than with other men ; they are as poor and in as much trouble as others.
Answer. And perhaps in much more, when God sees it meet. They take not earthly prosperity for their wages ; they have laid up their treasure and hopes in another world, or else they are not Chris- tians indeed ; the less they have, the more is behind, and they are content to wait till then.
Objection 12. "When you have said all that you can, I am resolved to hope well, andr trust in God, and do as well as I can, and not make so much ado.
Answer 1. Is that doing as well as you can, when you will not turn to God, but your heart is against
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his hoiy and diligent service ? It is as well as you will, indeed, but that is your misery.
2. My desire is, that yon should hope and trust in God. But for what is it that you will hope ? Is it to be saved, if you turn and be sanctified ? For this you have God's promise, and therefore I say, hope for it, and spare not. But if you hope to be saved without conversion and a holy life, this is not to hope in God, but in Satan, or yourselves ; for God hath given you no such promise, but told you the contrary ; but it is Satan and self-love that made you such promises, and raised you to such hopes.
Well, if these objections and such as these, be all you have to say against conversion and a holy life, your all is nothing, and worse than nothing ; and if these, and such as these, seem reasons sufficient to persuade you to forsake God and cast yourselves into hell, the Lord deliver you from such reasons, and from such blind understandings, and from such senseless, hardened hearts. Dare you stand to aver one of these reasons at the bar of God ? Do you think it will then serve your turn to say, " Lord, I did not turn, because I had so much to do in the world, or because I did not like the lives of some pro- fessors, or because I saw men of so many minds 0 how easily will the light of that day confound and shame such reasonings as these ! Had you the world to look after ? Let the world which you served now pay you your wages, and save you if it
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bin. Had you not a better world to look after first, and were you not commanded to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, and promised that other things should be added to you ? Matt. 6:33. And were you not told that godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of this life and that which is to come ? 1 Tim. -4:8. Did the sins of professors hinder you ? You should rather have been the more heedful, and learned by their falls to beware, and have been the more careful, and not the more care- less. It was the Scripture, and not their lives, that was- your rule. Did the many opinions of the world hinder you ? "Why, the Scripture that was your rule did teach you but one way, and that was the right way. If you had followed that, even in so much as was plain and easy, you would never have mis- carried. "Will not such answers as these confound and silence you ? If these will not, God hath those that will. When he asked the man, " Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having on a wedding grar- ment ?" Matt. 22:12, that is, what doest thou in my church among professed Christians, without a holy heart and life — what answer did he make ? Why, the text saith, " he was speechless ;" he had nothing to say. The clearness of the case and the majesty of God will then easily stop the mouths of the most confident of you, though you will not be put down by any thing we can say to you now, but will make good your cause, be it ever so bad. I know already
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that never a reason that now you can give me m& do you any good at last, when your case must be opened before the Lord, and all the world.
Nay, I scarce think that your own consciences are well satisfied with your reasons ; for if they are, it .seems, then, you have not so much as a purpose to repent. But if you do purpose to repent, it seems you do not put much confidence in the reasons which you bring against it.
What say you, unconverted sinners ? Have you any good reasons to give why you should not turn, and presently turn with all your hearts ? Or will you go to hell in despite of reason itself ? Bethink you what you do in time, for it will shortly be too late to bethink you. Can you find any fault with God, or his work, or wages ? Is he a bad master ? Is the devil, whom you serve, a better? or is the flesh a better ? Is there any harm in a holy life ? Is a life of worldlmess and ungodliness better ? Do you think in your consciences that it would do you any harm to be converted and live a holy life ? What harm can it do you ? Is it harm to you to have the Spirit of Christ within you, and to have a cleansed, purified heart ? If it be bad to be holy, why doth God say, "Be ye holy, for I am holy?" 1 Pet. 1 : 15, 16 ; Lev. 20 : 7. Is it evil to be like God ? Is it not said that God made man in his own image ? Why, this holiness is his image ; this Adam lost, and this Christ by his word and Spirit would restore to
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you, as he doth to all that he will save. How is it that men are baptized into the Holy Ghost as their Sanctifier, and yet you will not be sanctified by him, but think it a hurt to you to be sanctified ? Tell me truly, as before the Lord, though you are loath to live a holy life, had you not rather die in the case of those that do so, than of others ? If you were to die this day, had you not rather die in the case of a converted man than of an unconverted ? of a holy and heavenly man than of a carnal, earthly man? and would you not say as Balaam, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his ?" Numb. 23 : 10. And why will you not now be of the mind that you will be of then ? First or last you must come to this, either to be con- verted, or to wish you had been, when it is too late.
But what is it that you are afraid of losing, if you turn? Is it your friends? You will but change them ; God will be your Friend, and Christ and the Spirit will be your Friend ; and every Christian will be your friend. You will get one Friend that will stand you in more stead than all the friends in the world could have done. The friends you lose would have but enticed you to hell, but could not have delivered you : but the Friend you get will save you from hell, and bring you to his own eternal rest.
Is it your pleasures that you are afraid of losing ? You think you shall never have a merry day again if once you be converted. Alas ! that you should
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think it a greater pleasure to live in foolish sports and merriments, and please your flesh, than to live in the believing thoughts of glory, and in the love of God, and in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in which the state of grace consist- eth. Rom. 14:17. If it would be a greater pleas- ure for you to think of your lands and inheritance, if you were lord of all the country, than it is for a child to play at pins, why should it not be a greatei joy to you to think of the kingdom of heaven being yours, than all the riches or pleasures of the world ? As it is but foolish childishness that makes children so delight in toys that thev would not leave them for all your lands, so it is but foolish worldliness, and neshliness, and wickedness, that makes you so much delight in your houses and lands, and meat and drink, and ease and honor, as that you would not part with them for the heavenly delights. But what will you do for pleasure when these are gone ? Do you not think of that ? When your pleasures end in horror, and go out like a taper, the pleasures of the saints are then the highest, I have had my- self but a littlp taste of the heavenly pleasures in the forethoughts of the blessed approaching day, and in the present persuasions of the love of God in Christ ; but I have taken too deep a draught of earthly pleasures : so that you may see, if I be par- tial, it is on your side ; and yet I must profess, from that little experience, that there is no comparison.
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There is more joy to be had in a day, if the sun of life shine clear upon us, in the state of holiness, than in a whole life of sinful pleasures. " I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalm 84 : 10. " A day in his courts is better than a thousand" any where else. The mirth of the wicked is like the laughter of a madman, that knows not his own mis- ery ; and therefore Solomon says of such laughter, "it is mad ; and of mirth, what doeth it ?" " It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting ; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning ; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to bear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools ; for as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool." Eccles. 2:2; 7 : 2-6. Your loudest laughter is but like that of a man that is tickled ; he laughs when he has no cause of joy. Judge, as you are men, whether this be a wise man's part. It is but your carnal, unsanctified' nature that makes a holy life seem grievous to you, and a course of sensuality seem more delightful. If you will but turn, the Holy Ghost will give you an- other nature and inclination, and then it will be more pleasant to you to be rid of your sin, than now it is
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to keep it ; and you Tvill then say, that you knew not what a comfortable life was till now, and that it was never well with you till God and holiness were your delight.
Question. But how cometh it to pass that men should be so unreasonable in the matters of salva- tion ? They have sense enough in other matters : what makes them so loath to be converted that there should need so many words in so plain a case, and all will not do, but the most will live and die uncon- verted ?
Axswzn. To name then: only in a few words, the causes are these :
1. Men are naturally hi love with the earth and rlesh ; they are born sinners, and their nature hath an enmity to God and godliness, as the nature of a serpent hath to a man : and when all that we can say goes against an habitual inclination of their na- tures, no marvel if it prevail little.
2. They are in darkness, and know not the very things they hear. Like a man that was bom blind, and hears a high commendation of the light ; but what will hearing do unless he Sees it ? They know not what God is. nor what is the power of the cross of Christ, nor what the Spirit of holiness is, nor what t is to live in love by faith : they know not the cer- tainty, and suitableness, and excellency of the heav- enly inheritance. They know not what conversion