A Call to the Unconverted

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⟩the holy way of salvation. We are commanded by the Lord our Master, to offer you a pardon for all that's past, if you 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 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;