N21487:261
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.
who brought this upon thee but thy own wilfulness?" And if your brethren see you everlastingly in misery, how shall they pity you that were your own destroyers, and would not be dissuaded? 6. It will everlastingly make you your own tormentors in hell to think on it, that you brought yourselves wilfully to that misery. O what a griping thought it will be for ever to think with yourselves, that this was your own doing! that you were warned of this day, and warned again, but it would not do: that you wilfully sinned, and wilfully turned away from God! that you had time as well as others but you abused it; you had teachers as well as others, but you refused their instruction; you had holy examples, but you did not imitate them; ⟨p. 125⟩you were offered Christ, and grace, and glory, as well as others, but you had more mind of your fleshly pleasure; you had a price in your hands, but you had not a heart to lay it out. Prov. xvii. 16. Can it choose but torment you to think of this your present folly? O that your eyes were opened to see what you have done in the wilful wronging of your own souls! and that you better understood these words of God, "Prov. viii. 33, 34, 35, 36. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not; blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors; for whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death."
And now I am come to the conclusion of this work; my heart is troubled to think how I shall leave you, lest, after this, the flesh should still deceive you, and the world and the devil should keep you asleep, and I should leave you as I found you, till you awake in hell. Though in care of your poor souls, I am afraid of this, as knowing the obstinacy of a carnal heart; yet I can say with the prophet Jeremiah, xvii. 16. I have not desired the woeful day, the Lord knoweth. I have not with James and John desireth that fire might come from heaven to consume them that refused Jesus Christ,