N21487:194
A call to the unconverted, to turn and live
A call to the unconverted, to turn and live; and accept of mercy, while mercy may be had; as they ever would find mercy, in the day of extremity from the living God. / By his unworthy servant, Richard Baxter.
Philadelphia: printed for Matthew Carey, 1795Philadelphia: printed for Mathew Carey, 1795
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.
2. A man is never well in his wits, till he be converted, he never knows God, nor knows sin, nor knows Christ, nor knows the world, nor himself, nor what his business is on earth, so as to set himself about it, till he be converted. The scripture saith, that the wicked are unreasonable men, 2 Thess. iii. 2. and "that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God," 1 Cor. i. 20. and Luke xv. 17. It is said of the prodigal, "that when he came to himself," he resolved to return. It is a wise world when men will disobey ⟨p. 85⟩God, and run to hell for fear of being out of their wits.
2. What is there in the work that Christ calls you to, that should drive a man out of his wits? Is it the loving God, and calling upon him, and comfortably thinking of the glory to come, and the forsaking of our sins, and loving one another, and delighting ourselves in the service of God? Are these such things as should make men mad?
3. And whereas you say, that these matters are too high for us; you accuse God himself for making this our work, and giving us his word, and commanding all that will be blessed, to meditate on it day and night. Are the matters which we are made for, and which we live for, too high for us to meddle with? This is plainly to unman us, and to make beasts of us, as if we were like them, that must meddle with no higher matters than what belongs to flesh and earth. If heaven be too high for you to think on, and provide for, it will be too high for you ever to possess.