A26872:213
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.
3. Moreover, poor hard hearted sinner! Didst thou ever consider, upon what terms thou standest all this while with him that calleth on thee for to Turn? Thou art his own, and owest him thy self and all thou hast; and may he not Command his own? Thou art his absolute servant, and shouldst 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 hadst many malicious spiritual enemies, that would be glad if God would but forsake 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 delivered from them but by Turning unto God. Thou art fallen under his wrath by thy sin ⟨p. 143⟩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 brink of hell, and to see how many thousands are there already that did not turn, thou wouldst see that its time to look about thee.
Well Sirs, look inwards now and tell me, How are your hearts 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: its a fearful sign, if all this move thee not, or do but half move thee; and much more if it make thee more careless in thy misery, because thou hearest of the mercifulness of God. The working of the ⟨p. 144⟩medicine will partly tell us whether there be any hope of the Cure. O 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 thy self when thou hast felt that wrath of God but an hour! Or if after a thousand, or ten thousand years torment, thou couldst but hear such a word from God, [Turn and Live.] and yet wilt thou now neglect it, and suffer us to return without our errand?