UP then every man that hath a tongue, and is a Servant of Christ, and do something of this your Masters Work: Why hath he given you a tongue, but to speak in his Service? And how can you serve him more eminently, then in the saving of Souls? He that will pronounce you blessed at the last day, and sentence you to the Kingdom prepared for you, because you fed him, and clothed him, and visited him, &c. in his Members, will sure pronounce you ⟨p. 500⟩[…] ⟨p. 501⟩[…] ⟨p. 502⟩blessed for so great a work as is the bringing over of souls to his Kingdom, and helping to drive the match betwixt them and him. He that saith, The poor you have always with you, hath left the ungodly always with you, that you might still have matter to exercise your Charity upon. O, if you have the hearts of Christians, […] or of men in you, let them yearn towards your poor, ignorant, ungodly neighbours; Alas, there is but a step betwixt them and death, and hell; many hundred diseases are waiting ready to seize on them, and if they dye unregenerate, they are lost for ever. Have you hearts of Rock, that cannot pity men in such a case as this? If you believe not the Word of God, and the danger of Sinners, why are you Christians your selves? If you do believe it, why do you not bestir you to the helping of others? Do you not care who is damned, so you be saved? If so, you have as much cause to pity your selves; for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with Grace; should you not rather say as the Lepers of Samaria, 1Is it not a day of glad tidings, and do we sit still, and hold your peace? Hath God had so much mercy on you, and will you have no mercy on your poor neighbours? You need not go far to find objects for your pity: Look but into your streets, or into the next house to you, and you will probably find some. Have you never an ignorant, unregenerate neighbour that sets his heart below, and neglecteth Eternity? O what blessed place do you live in, where there there is none such? If there be not some of them in thine own Family it is well; and yet art thou silent? Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labour with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldest run and help them, and wilt thou not help them, when their souls are almost at the fire of Hell?
UP then every man that hath a tongue, and is a Servant of Christ, and do something of this your Masters Work: Why hath he given you a tongue, but to speak in his Service? And how can you serve him more eminently, then in the saving of Souls? He that will pronounce you blessed at the last day, and sentence you to the Kingdom prepared for you, because you fed him, and clothed him, and visited him, &c. in his Members, will sure pronounce you ⟨p. 500⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 501⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 502⟩blessed for so great a work as is the bringing over of souls to his Kingdom, and helping to drive the match betwixt them and him. He that saith, The poor you have always with you, hath left the ungodly always with you, that you might still have matter to exercise your Charity upon. O, if you have the hearts of Christians, 〈…〉 or of men in you, let them yearn towards your poor, ignorant, ungodly neighbors; Alas, there is but a step betwixt them and death, and hell; many hundred diseases are waiting ready to seise on them, and if they dye unregenerate, they are lost for ever. Have you hearts of Rock, that cannot pitty men in such a case as this? If you believe not the Word of God, and the danger of Sinners, why are you Christians your selves? If you do believe it, why do you not bestir you to the helping of others? Do you not care who is damned, so you be saved? If so, you have as much cause to pitty your selves; for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with Grace; should you not rather say as the Leapers of Samaria, 1Is it not a day of glad tidings, and do we sit still, and hold your peace? Hath God had so much mercy on you, and will you have no mercy on your poor neighbours? You need not go far to finde objects for your pitty: Look but into your streets, or into the next house to you, and you will probably finde some. Have you never an ignorant, unregenerate neighbor that sets his heart below, and neglecteth Eternity? O what blessed place do you live in, where there there is none such? If there be not some of them in thine own Family it is well; and yet art thou silent? Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labor with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldest run and help them, and wilt thou not help them, when their souls are almost at the fire of Hell?
- 11 Kings 7.9.
