The saints everlasting rest

2. Consider, What a rate Christ did value souls at, and what he hath done towards the saving of them: he thought them worth his blood, and shall not we think them worth the breath of our mouths? Will you not do a little, where he hath done so much?

3. 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 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 accessary 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 once plainly told them of it, or how to be recovered! If you had been the cause but of burning a man's house through your negligence, or of undoing him, or 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 what a heart must thou have, that hast been guilty of murdering such a multitude of precious souls! Remember this, when thou lookest thy friend or carnal ⟨p. 226⟩neighbour in the face; and think with thyself, can I find in my heart, through my silence and negligence, to be guilty of his everlasting burning in hell? Methinks such a thought should even untie the tongue of the dumb.