N00341:45
The greatest sinners exhorted and encouraged to come to Christ, and that now without…
The greatest sinners exhorted and encouraged to come to Christ, and that now without delaying. Also, the exceeding danger of men's deferring their repentance. : Together with a discourse about the day of judgement. And on several other subjects. / By Increase Mather teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]
printed by R.P. for Joseph Brunning i.e, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
John 6.37. —And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.
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.
5. Christ does invite and call upon Sinners to come to him. If a man does invite another to come to his house, will he thrust him out of doors when he does come? And shall we then think that the blessed Lord Jesus will do so? When he was on the earth, he did personally invite Sinners to come to him. See a glorious Scripture for this, Joh. 7.37. In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. If any man (saith Christ) be he who he will, if any man desireth the waters of life for his soul, let him come to me he shall be welcome. Christ was willing that all should know this; therefore he went into the Temple to proclaim it, and that on the feast, and on the last day of the feast, when there wa• the greatest Concourse of People, and he stood that he might be seen of all, and cried, that he might be heard of all, Come to me, saith Christ, any man that has a Thirst, a desire after Salvation. And now Christ is gone to Heaven he calls from that Temple, and bids Sinners come to him▪ Heb. 25. See that ⟨p. 16⟩ye refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven. He inviteth and calls Sinners to come to him by his written Word, the holy Scriptures which are the Word of Christ. Therein he saith, Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth. Isai 45.22. The Scriptures are a gracious Letter which Christ has sent from heaven, inviting who will, to come to him, and be saved by him. And he concludeth the letter with a most sweet and blessed invitation to come to the waters of life. Rev. 22.17. Christ also doth still continue to invite sinners to come to him, by his Messengers whom he sends to preach the Gospel in his Name. Wisdom hath sent forth her Maidens, she crieth upon the highest places of the city, whoso is simple let him turn in hither, come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Prov. 9▪3, 4, 5. Who are we to understand by the Maidens of Wisdom, but the Ministers of Christ; who are likewise called the Bridegroom's Friends, Jo. 3.29. In that their great work is to woo and win souls for Christ, and they rejoice in nothing more, than when they can persuade men to forsake their sins, and come to Jesus Christ for Salvation.