Call to the Unconverted s^^v-oXLe~v>» A nD ld Fashioned Sermon by an Old Fashioned Preacher, but Adapted to the New Fashioned Man By RICHARDJBAXTER
yea, to the despisers and reproachers of the holy way of salvation. We are commanded by the Lord our Master to offer you a pardon for all that is past, if you will but now at last return am} live; we are commanded to beseech and entreat you to accept the offer, and re turn; to tell you what preparation is made by Christ; what mercy stays for you; what patience waits for you1; what thoughts of kindness God has toward you; and how happy, how certainly and unspeakably happy you may be if you will. We have 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 but to show you the need of mercy and to provoke you to esteem the grace of the Redeemer. And we tell you 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 drives you out to seek 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 that 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 of mercy, to whom we must foretell damnation. Will you but cast away your transgres sions, delay no longer, but come away
HE Lord professes 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 provide us a Savior, 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 has freely done it to magnify His mercy. Sinners, there are none of you who shall have cause to say I preach desperation to you. Do we Use to shut the door of mercy against you? O that you would not shut it up 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 Jhear 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 sober 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; and whoever is born again, and by faith and repentance becomes a new creature, shall certainly be saved, and. so far are we from per suading 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 you; our com mission is to offer salvation; certain sal vation; a speedy, glorious, everlasting' 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,
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