The Saints' Everlasting Rest

¹6. Consider, What a deal of guilt this neglect doth lay upon thy soul. First, Thou art guilty of the murder, and damnation of all those souls whom thou dost thus neglect. He that standeth by, and seeth a man in a pit, and will not pull him out if he can, doth drown him. And he that standeth by while thieves rob him, or murderers kill him, and will not help him if he can, is accessory to the fact. And so he that will silently suffer men to damn their souls, or will let Satan and the world deceive them, and not offer to help them, will certainly be Judged guilty of damning them. And is not this a most dreadful consideration? O Sirs, how many souls then have every one of us been guilty of damning! What a number of our neighbours and acquaintance are dead, in whom we discerned no signs of sanctification, and we never did once plainly tell them of it, or how to be recovered! If you had been the cause but of burning a mans house through your negligence, or of undoing him in the world, or of destroying his body, how would it trouble you as long as you lived? If you had but killed a man unadvisedly, it would much disquiet you. We have known those that have been guilty of murder, that could never sleep quietly after, nor have one comfortable day, their own consciences did so vex and torment them. O then what a heart mayest thou have, that hast been guilty of murdering such a multitude of precious souls? Remember this when thou lookest thy friend or carnal neighbour in the face: and think with thy self: Can I find in my heart, through ⟨p. 495⟩my silence and negligence, to be guilty of his everlasting burning in Hell? Me thinks such a thought should even untie the tongue of the dumb.

¹6. Consider, What a deal of guilt this neglect doth lay upon thy soul. First, Thou art guilty of the murder, and damnation of all those souls whom thou dost thus neglect. He that standeth by, and seeth a man in a pit, and will not pull him out if he can, doth drown him. And he that standeth by while theeves rob him, or murderers kill him, and will not help him if he can, is accessory to the fact. And so he that will silently suffer men to damn their souls, or will let Satan and the world deceive them, and not offer to help them, will certainly be Judged guilty of damning them. And is not this a most dreadful consideration? O Sirs, how many souls then have every one of us been guilty of damning! What a number of our neighbors and acquaintance are dead, in whom we discerned no signs of sanctification, and we never did once plainly tell them of it, or how to be recovered! If you had been the cause but of burning a mans house through your negligence, or of undoing him in the world, or of destroying his body, how would it trouble you as long as you lived? If you had but killed a man unadvisedly, it would much disquiet you. We have known those that have been guilty of murder, that could never sleep quietly after, nor have one comfortable day, their own consciences did so vex and torment them. O then what a heart maist thou have, that hast been guilty of murdering such a multitude of pretious souls? Remember this when thou lookest thy friend or carnal neighbor in the face: and think with thy self: Can I finde in my heart, through