A27062:86
Two treatises tending to awaken secure sinners viz., 1. The terror of the day…
Two treatises tending to awaken secure sinners viz., 1. The terror of the day of judgment, from 2 Cor. 5. 10, 2. The danger of slighting Christ and his Gospel, from Matth. 22. 5 / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Jonas Luntley, 1696
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.
O what a difference between their Language now and then! Now we cannot tell them of their Sin and Misery, but they either tell us of our own Faults, or bid us look to our selves, or deny or excuse their Fault, or make light of it: but then their own Tongues shall confess them, and cry out of the wilful Folly that they committed, and lay a heavier Charge upon them than we can now do. Now if we tell them that we are afraid they are unregenerate, and lest their Hearts are not truly set upon God, they will tell us they hope to be saved with such Hearts as they have: But t•en, O how they will confess the Folly and Falseness of their own Hearts! You may see a little of their Case even in despairing Sinners on Earth, how far they are from denying or excusing their Sins. Judas cries out, I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood, Mat. 27. 4. out of their own Mouth shall they be judged. That very Tongue that now excuseth their Sin, will in their Torments be their great Accuser. For God will have it so to be.
4. The fourth Evidence will be the Witness of others. O how many thousand Witnesses might there be produced, were there need, to convince the guilty Soul at that Day!
1. All the Ministers of Christ that ever preached to them, or warned them, will be sufficient Witnesses against them; we must needs testify that we preached to them the Truth of the Gospel, and they would not believe it. We preached to them the Goodness of God, yet they set not their Hearts upon him; we showed them their Sin, and they were not humbled: we told them of the danger of an unregenerate State, and they did not regard us: we acquainted them with the absolute Necessity of Holiness, but they made light of all: we let them know the Deceitfulness of their Hearts, and the need of a close and faithful Examination, but they would not bestow an Hour in such a Work, nor scarce once be afraid of being mistaken and miscarrying. We let them know the Vanity of this World, and yet they would not forsake it, no not for Christ and the Hopes of Glory: we told them of the everlasting Felicity they might attain, but they would not set themselves to seek it.