A call to the unconverted, to turn and live

We tell them if they will but turn, we will deny them none of the ordinances of God, neither baptism to their children, nor the Lord's supper to themselves, but they will not hear us; they would have us to disobey God, and damn our own souls to please them: and yet they will not turn and save their own souls to please God. They are wiser in their own eyes than all their teachers; they rage and are confident in their own way, and if we would never so fain we cannot change them. Lord, this is the case of our miserable neighbours, and we cannot help it; we see them ready to drop into hell, and we cannot help it; we know if they would unfeignedly turn, they might be saved, but we cannot persuade them; if we should beg it of them on our knees, we cannot persuade them to it; if we should beg it of them with tears, we cannot persuade them; and what more can we do?"

These are the secret complaints and moans that many a poor minister is fain to make. And do you think that he hath any pleasure in this? Is it a pleasure to him to see you go on in sin, and cannot stop you? to see you so miserable, and cannot so much as make you sensible of it? to see you merry, when you are not sure to be an hour out of hell? to think what you must for ever suffer, because ye will not turn? and to think what an everlasting life of ⟨p. 54⟩glory you wilfully despise and cast away i• Wha••• sadder thing can you bring to their hearts, and ho• can you devise to grieve them more?

Who is it, then, that you pleasure by your si• and death? It is none of your understanding go•• friends. Alas, it is the grief of their souls to […] your misery, and they lament you many a time whe you give them little thanks for it, and when yo have not hearts to lament yourselves.