A26872:128
A Call to the Unconverted
A call to the unconverted to turn and live and accept of mercy while mercy may be had as ever they would find mercy in the day of their extremity from the living God / by his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter ; to be read in families where any are unconverted.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Doct. 2. IT is the Promise of God, that the wicked shall Live if they will but Turn; Unfeignedly and throughly Turn.
Doct. 2. IT is the Promise of God, that the wicked shall Live if they will but Turn; Vnfeignedly and throughly Turn.
The Lord here professeth that ⟨p. 69⟩this is it that 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 Dye. God was not bound to provide us a Saviour, nor open to us a door of hope, nor call us to Repent and Turn, when once we had cast our selves away by sin. But he hath freely done it to magnify his Mercy: Sinners, there's none of you shall have cause to go home, and say I preach desperation to you. Do we use to shut up the door of Mercy against you? O that you would not shut it up against your selves! 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 bark at the Preachers of the Gospel, for desiring to keep you ⟨p. 70⟩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 clean contrary that we daily proclaim from the Lord; and 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 and not Death, that is the first part of our Message to you: our Commission is to offer salvation, certain salvation: a speedy, glorious, everlasting salvation, to every one of you: to the poorest beggar as well as the greatest Lords: to the worst of you: even to drunkards, swearers, worldlings, thieves, yea to the despisers and reproachers of ⟨p. 71⟩