A call to the unconverted, to turn and live

THE Lord here professeth that this is it that he takes pleasure in, that the wicked turn and live. Heaven is made as sure to the converted, as •ell is to the unconverted. Turn and live, is as certain a truth as Turn or die. God was not bound •o provide us a Saviour, nor open to us a door of hope, nor call to us to repent and turn, when once we had cast ourselves away by sin. But he hath freely done it to magnify his mercy: Sinners, there are •one of you shall have cause to go home, and say I •reach desperation to you. Do we use to shut the •oor of mercy against you? O that you would not •hut it up against yourselves! Do we use to tell you, •hat God will have no mercy on you, though you •urn and be sanctified? When did you ever hear a preacher say such a word? You that bark at the preachers of the gospel for desiring to keep you out •f hell, and say, that they preach desperation; tell •e if you can, when did you ever hear any sober •an say, That there is no hope for you, though you repent, and be converted? No, it is the clean contrary that we daily proclaim from the Lord; and whoever is born again, and by faith and repentance •oth become a new creature, shall certainly be saved, •nd so far are we from persuading you to despair •f this, that we persuade you not to make any doubt •f it. It is life, not death, that is the first part of •ur message to you; our commission is to offer salvation; ⟨p. 36⟩certain salvation; a speedy, glorious, everlasting salvation to every one of you: To the poorest beggar, as well as the greatest lord: to the wor•• of you, even to drunkards, swearers, worldlings, thieves, yea to the despisers and reproachers of the holy way of salvation. We are commanded by the Lord our Master, to offer you a pardon for all th is past, if you will but now at last return and live we are commanded to beseech and entreat you […] accept the offer, and return to tell you what prep rations is made by Christ; what mercy stays for you; what patience waiteth on you; what though of kindness God hath towards you; and how ha py, and certainly and unspeakably happy you m be if you will. We have indeed also a message […] wrath and death; yea, of a twofold wrath and death but neither of them is our principal message.