There is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer, but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ, which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation. Life is communicative and active. It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a fantasy, nor true Religion a stage-play, nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream. And as we desire nothing more for our selves, than to have more of the Holy Life which we ⟨image 3⟩have, alas! in so small a measure, so what is it that we should more desire for others? With the eye of an infallible (though too weak) faith, we see the Heaven which you neglect, and the blessed souls in Glory with Christ, whose companions you might be for ever: we see the multitudes of souls in hell, who came thither by the same way that you are going in: who are shut out of the glorious presence of God, and are now among those devils that deceived them, remembering that they had their good things here, Luke 16. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation, and how light they once set by God, by Christ, by Heaven, by Mercy, whilst Mercy was an earnest solicitor for their hearts: And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time, abundance of poor sinners living about us, as if there were no God, no Christ, no Heaven, no Hell, no Judgment, no nor Death to be expected; as if a man were but a master beast, to rule the rest, and feed upon them, and perish with them. And if it were your own case, to see what souls do in Heaven and Hell, and at once to see how unbelievingly, carelessly and senselessly most men live on earth, as if ⟨image 3⟩there were no such difference in another world, would it not seem a pitiful sight to you? If you had once seen the five brethren of Dives on earth, eating, drinking, laughing and merry, clothed and faring daily with the best, and at the same time seen their brothers soul in Hell, begging in vain for a little ease, and wishing in vain that one from the dead might go warn his brethren that they come not to that place of torment, would it not seem to you a pitiful sight? would not pity have made you think, [Is there no way to open these Gentlemen's eyes? No way to acquaint them what is become of their brother, and where Lazarus is, and whither they themselves are going? No one driveth or forceth them to Hell: and will they go thither of themselves? and is there no way to stop them or keep them back?]
THere is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer, but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ, which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation. Life is communicative and active. It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a fantasie, nor true Religion a stage-play, nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream. And as we desire nothing more for our selves, than to have more of the Holy Life which we ⟨image 3⟩have, alas! in so small a measure, so what is it that we should more desire for others? With the eye of an infallible (though too weak) faith, we see the Heaven which you neglect, and the blessed souls in Glory with Christ, whose companions you might be for ever: we see the multitudes of souls in hell, who came thither by the same way that you are going in: who are shut out of the glorious presence of God, and are now among those devils that deceived them, remembring that they had their good things here, Luke 16. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation, and how light they once set by God, by Christ, by Heaven, by Mercy, whilest Mercy was an earnest solicitour for their hearts: And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time, abundance of poor sinners living about us, as if there were no God, no Christ, no Heaven, no Hell, no Judgment, no nor Death to be expected; as if a man were but a master beast, to rule the rest, and feed upon them, and perish with them. And if it were your own case, to see what souls do in Heaven and Hell, and at once to see how unbelievingly, carelesly and senselesly most men live on earth, as if ⟨image 3⟩there were no such difference in another world, would it not seem a pitiful sight to you? If you had once seen the five brethren of Dives on earth, eating, drinking, laughing and merry, clothed and faring daily with the best, and at the same time seen their brothers soul in Hell, begging in vain for a little ease, and wishing in vain that one from the dead might go warn his brethren that they come not to that place of torment, would it not seem to you a pitiful sight? would not pity have made you think, [Is there no way to open these Gentlemens eyes? No way to acquaint them what is become of their brother, and where Lazarus is, and whither they themselves are going? No one driveth or forceth them to Hell: and will they go thither of themselves? and is there no way to stop them or keep them back?]
