A Call to the Unconverted, Doctrine 5
Doct. 5. SO earnest is God for the Conversion of sinners, that he doubleth his commands and exhortations with vehemency; Turn ye, Turn ye, Why will ye Dye?
This Doctrine is the Application of the former, as by a Use of Exhortation, and accordingly I shall handle it. Is there ever an Unconverted sinner that heareth these vehement words of God? Is there ever a man or woman in this Assembly that is yet a stranger to the renewing sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost? (It is an happy Assembly if it be not so with the most.) Hearken then to the voice of your maker, and Turn to him by Christ without delay. Would you know the will of God? Why this is his will, that you presently Turn. Shall the living God send so earnest a Message to his creatures, and should they not obey? Hearken then all you that live after the flesh: the Lord that gave thee thy breath and being, hath sent a message to thee from heaven; and this is his Message, [Turn ye, Turn ye, why will you die?] He that hath ears to hear let him hear. Shall the voice of the Eternal Majesty be neglected? If he do but terribly thunder, thou art afraid. O but this voice doth more nearly concern thee. If he did but tell thee thou shalt die to morrow, thou wouldst not make light of it. O but this word concerneth thy life or death everlasting. It is both a Command and an Exhortation. As if he had said to thee, [I charge thee upon the allegiance that thou owest to me thy Creator and Redeemer, that thou renounce the flesh, the world, and the Devil, and Turn to me that thou maist Live. I condescend to intreate thee, as thou either lovest or fearest him that made thee; as thou lovest thine own life, even thine everlasting Life, Turn and Live; as ever thou wouldst escape eternal misery Turn, Turn, for why wilt thou die?] And is there a heart in man, in a reasonable creature, that can once refuse such a Message, such a Command, such an Exhortation as this? O what a thing then is the heart of man!
Hearken then all that love themselves, and all that regard your own salvation. Here is the joyfullest Message that ever was sent to the ears of man. Turn ye, Turn ye, why will you die? You are not yet shut up under desperstion. Here is mercy offered you, Turn and you shall have it. O Sirs, with what glad and Joyful hearts should you receive this tidings. I know this is not the first time that you have heard it; but how have you regarded it, or how do you regard it now? Hear all you ignorant, careless sinners, the word of the Lord! Hear all you worldlings, you sensual flesh-pleasers; you gluttons, and drunkards, and whore-mongers, and swearers; you railers and backbiters, slanderers and lyars; Turn ye, Turn ye, why will you die?
Hear all you cold and out-side professors, and all that are strangers to the life of Christ, and never knew the power of his Cross and Resurrection, and never felt your hearts warmed with his Love, and live not on him as the strength of your souls, Turn ye, Turn ye, why will you die?
Hear all that are void of the Love of God, whose hearts are not toward him, nor taken up with the Hopes of glory, but set more by your earthly prosperity and delights, then by the Joyes of Heaven; all you that are Religious but a little on the by, and give God no more then your flesh can spare; that have not denyed your carnal selves, and forsaken all that you have for Christ, in the estimation and grounded resolution of your souls, but have any one thing in the world so dear to you, that you cannot spare it for Christ, if he require it, but will rather venture on his displeasure then forsake it, Turn ye, Turn ye; Why will you die?
If you never heard it, or observed it before, remember that you were told from the Word of God this day, that if you will but Turn, you may Live; and if you will not Turn, you shall surely die.
What now will you do Sirs? What is your resolution? Will you Turn, or will you not? Halt not any longer between two opinions: if the Lord he God, follow him: if your flesh be God, then serve it still. If Heaven be better then earth and fleshly pleasures, come away then, and seek a better Country, and lay up your treasure where rust and mothe… do not corrupt, and thieves cannot break through and steal, and be awakened at last with all your might, to seek the Kingdom that cannot be moved, Heb. 12.28. and to employ your lives on an higher design, and turn the stream of your cares and labours another way then formerly you have done. But if earth be better then heaven, or will do more for you, or last you longer, then keep it, and make your best of it, and follow it still. Sirs, are you resolved what to do? if you be not, I will set a few more moving Considerations before you, to see if Reason will make you resolve.
Consider first, What preparations Mercy hath made for your salvation: and what pitty it is that any man should be damned after all this. The time was when the flaming sword was in the way, and the curse of Gods Law would have kept thee back, if thou hadst been never so willing to turn to God: The time was when thy self and all the friends that thou hast in the world, could never have procured thee the pardon of thy sins past, though thou hadst never so much lamented and reformed them▪ But Christ hath removed this impediment by the ransom of his blood. The time was that God was wholly unreconciled, as being not satisfied for the violation of his Law: But now he is so far satisfied and reconciled, as that he hath made thee a free Act of Oblivion, and a free deed of Gift of Christ and Life, and offereth it to thee, and intreateth thee to accept it, and it may be thine if thou wilt. For, he was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and hath committed to us the word of actual reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5.18, 19. Sinners, we are commanded to do this Message to you all, as from the Lord, [Come, for all things are ready] Luke 14.17. Are all things ready, and are you unready? God is Ready to entertain you, and pardon all that you have done against him, if you will but come. As long as you have sinned, as wilfully as you have sinned, as hainously as you have sinned, he is ready to cast all behind his back, if you will but come. Though you have been Prodigals, and run away from God, and have staid so long; he is ready even to meet you, and embrace you in his arms; and rejoyce in your Conversion, if you will but Turn. Even the earthly worldling, the swinish drunkard, may find God ready to bid them welcome, if they will but come. Doth not this turn thy heart within thee? O sinner, if thou have an heart of flesh, and not of stone in thee, methinks this should melt it. Shall the dreadful infinite Majesty of heaven even wait for thy returning, and be ready to receive thee, who hast abused him, and forgotten him so long? Shall he delight in thy Conversion, that might at any time glorifie his Justice in thy damnation, and yet doth it not melt thy heart within thee, and art thou not yet ready to come in? Hast thou not as much reason to be ready to come, as God hath to invite thee, and bid thee welcome?
But that's not all: Christ hath done his part on the Cross, and made such way for thee to the Father, that on his account thou maist be welcome if thou wilt come. And yet art thou not Ready?
A Pardon is Ready, expresly granted and offered thee in the Gospel. And yet art thou unready?
The Ministers of the Gospel are Ready to assist thee, to instruct thee, and pronounce the absolving words of peace to thy soul; they are Ready to pray for thee, and to seal up thy pardon by the administration of the holy Sacrament; And yet art thou not ready?
A…l that fear God about thee are Ready to rejoyce in thy Conversion, and to receive thee into the Communion of Saints, and to give thee the right hand of fellowship, yea though thou hadst been one that had been cast out of their society: they dare not but forgive where God forgiveth, when it is manifest to them by thy confession and amendment: they dare not so much as hit thee in the teeth with thy former sins, because they know that God will not upbraid thee with them. If thou hadst been never so scandalous, if thou wouldst but heartily be Converted and come in, they would not refuse thee, let the world say what they would against it. And are all these ready to receive thee, and yet art thou not ready to come in?
Yea, Heaven it self is Ready; the Lord will receive thee into the glory of his Saints: as vile a beast as thou hast been, if thou wilt but be cleansed, thou maist have a place before his throne: his Angels will be ready to guard thy soul to the place of Joy, if thou do but unfeignedly come in. And is God ready, the Sacrifice of Christ Ready, the Promise Ready, and Pardon Ready? are Ministers Ready, and the People of God Ready, and Heaven it self Ready, and Angels Ready, and all these but waiting for thy Conversion; and yet art thou not Ready? What not Ready to live, when thou hast been dead so long? not Ready to come to thy right understanding, (as the Prodigal is said to come to himself, Luke 15.17.) when thou hast been besides thy self so long? Not ready to be saved, when thou art even ready to be condemned? Art thou not ready to lay hold on Christ that would deliver thee, when thou art even ready to drown and sink into damnation? Art thou not ready to be saved from Hell, when thou art even ready to be cast remedilesly into it? Alas man, dost thou know what thou dost! if thou die unconverted, there is no doubt to be made of thy damnation: and thou art not sure to live an hour: And yet art thou not ready to turn and to come in? O miserable wretch! hast thou not served the flesh and the Devil long enough? Yet hast thou not had enough of sin? Is it so good to thee? or so profitable for thee? Dost thou know what it is, that thou wouldst yet have more of it? Hast thou had so many calls, and so many mercies, and so many blows, and so many examples? hast thou seen so many laid in the grave, and yet art thou not ready to let go thy sins and come to Christ? What! after so many convictions, and gripes of Conscience: after so many purposes and promises, art thou not yet ready to turn and live? Oh that thy eyes, thy heart were opened to know how fair an offer is now made to thee! and what a Joyful message it is that we are sent on, to bid thee come: for all things are ready.
2. Consider also what Calls thou hast to Turn and Live. How many, how loud, how earnest, how dreadful, and yet what encourageing joyful Calls?
For the principal Inviter, it is God himself. He that commandeth Heaven and Earth, commandeth thee to turn; and presently without delay to turn▪ He commands the Sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morning; and though it be so glorious a creature and many times bigger then all the earth, yet it obeyeth him, and faileth not one minute of its appointed time. He commandeth all the planets and the orbs of Heaven, and they obey; He commandeth the Sea to ebb and flow, and the whole Creation to keep its course, and all obey him: The Angels of heaven obey his will, when he sends them to Minister to such silly worms as we on earth, Hebrews 1.14. And yet if he command but a sinner to Turn, He will not obey him: He only thinks himself wiser then God, and He cavils and pleads the cause of sin, and will not away. If the Lord Almighty say the word, the Heavens and all therein obey him: but if he call but a drunkard out of an Ale-house, he will not obey; or if he call a worldly fleshly sinner to deny himself, and mortifie the flesh, and set his heart on a better inheritance, he will not obey.
If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, Oh this is my Fathers Call! how can I find in my heart to disobey? For the sheep of Christ do know and hear his voice, and they follow him, and he giveth them eternal life, Iohn 10.4. If thou hadst any spiritual life and sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, this Call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey? For saith the Prophet, Amos 3.8. The Lyon hath roared, who will not fear? God is not as man that thou shouldst dally and play with him: Remember what he said to Paul at his Conversion [It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks] Act. 9.5. Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ear against his Call? Who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest and contendest with, and what thou art doing? It were a far wiser and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thy head into the burning fire. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked, Galat. 6.7. Whoever else be mocked, God will not: you were better play with the fire in your thatch, then with the fire of his burning wrath. For our God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12.29. O how unmeet a match art thou for God! It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands, Hebrews 10.31. and therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him or resist him. As you love your souls, take heed what you do. What will you say if he begin in wrath to plead with you? What will you do if he take you once in hand? Will you then strive against his Judgement, as now you do against his grace; faith the Lord, Isa. 27.4, 5. Fury is not in me: (that is, I delight not to destroy you: I do it as it were unwillingly: but yet) who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them: I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me, and he sh…ll make peace with me.] Its an unequal combat for the bryars and stubble to make war with the fire.
As thus you see, Who it is that calleth you, that should move you to hear his Call and Turn, so consider also, by what instruments, and how often & how earnestly he doth it.
1. Every le…f of the blessed Book of God hath as it were a voice, and calls out unto thee, Turn and live, Turn or thou wilt die. How canst thou open it, and read a leaf, or hear a Chapter, and not perceive God bids thee Turn?
It is the voice of every Sermon that thou hearest: For what else is the scope and drift of all, but to call and perswade, and intreat thee for to Turn?
3. It is the voice of many a motion of the Spirit, that secretly speaks over these words again, and urgeth thee to Turn.
4. It is likely sometime it is the voice of thy own Conscience. Art thou not sometime convinced that all is not well with thee? and doth not conscience tell thee that thou must be a new man, and take a new course, and often call upon thee to Return?
5. It is the voice of the gracious examples of the Godly. When thou seest them live a heavenly life, and fly from the sin which is thy delight, this really Calls on thee to Turn.
6. It is the voice of all the Works of God. For they also are Gods books, that teach thee this lesson, by shewing thee his Greatness, and Wisdom, and Goodness, and Calling thee to observe them, and admire the Creator, Psal. 19.1, 2. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work; Day unto Day uttereth Speech, night unto night sheweth Knowledge. Every time the Sun riseth upon thee, it really calleth thee to Turn: as if it should say, [What do I travel and compass the world for, but to declare to men the Glory of their Maker, and to light them to do his work? And do I still find thee doing the work of sin, and sleeping out thy life in negligence? Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, Ephes. 5.14. The night is spent, the day is at hand: it is now high time to awake out of sleep: Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkeness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, Rom. 13.11, 12, 13, 14. (This Text was the means of Austins Coversion.)
7. It is the voice of every Mercy thou dost possess. If thou couldst but hear and understand them, they all cry out unto thee, Turn. Why doth the earth bear thee but to seek and serve the Lord? why doth it afford thee its fruits but to serve him? Why doth the air afford thee breath, but to serve him? Why do all creatures serve thee with their labours and their lives, but that thou mightest serve the Lord of them and thee? Why doth he give thee time, and health, and strength, but for to serve him? Why hast thou meat, and drink, and cloathes, but for his service? Hast thou any thing which thou hast not received? And if thou didst receive them, its reason thou shouldst bethink thee, from whom, and to what end and use thou didst receive them. Didst thou never cry to him for help in thy distress? and didst thou not then understand that it was thy part to Turn and serve him if he would deliver thee? He hath done his part, and spared thee yet longer, and tryed thee another and another year: and yet dost thou not Turn? You know the Parable of the unfruitful fig-tree, Luke 13.6, 7, 8, 9. When the Lord had said, Cut it down; why cumbreth it the ground? he was intreated to try it one year longer, and then if it proved not fruitful, to cut it down. Christ himself there makes the application twice over, ver. 3. & 5. [Except ye Repent, ye shall all likewise perish.] How many years hath God looked for the fruits of Love and Holiness from thee, and hath found none? and yet he hath spared thee. How many a time by thy wilful ignorance and carelesness, and disobedience, hast thou provoked Justice to say, Cut him down, why cumbereth he the ground? And yet mercy hath prevailed, and Patience hath forborn the killing damning blow, to this day. If thou hadst the understanding of a man within thee, thou wouldst know that all this calleth thee to Turn. Dost thou think thou shalt still esca…e the Iudgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2.3, 4.5, 6.
8. Moreover, it is the voice of every affliction to call thee to make haste and Turn. Sickness and pain cry Turn; and poverty, and loss of friends, and every twig of the chastising rod, cry Turn; and yet wilt thou not hearken to the Call? These have come near thee, and made thee feel; they have made thee groan, and can they not make thee Turn?
9. The very frame of thy Nature and being it self bespeaketh thy Return. Why hast thou Reason, but to Rule thy flesh, and serve thy Lord? Why hast thou an understanding soul, but to learn and know his will, and do it? Why hast thou an heart within thee that can love, and fear, and desire, but that thou shouldst fear him, and love him, and desire after him?
10. Yea thine own engagements by promise to the Lord do call upon thee to Turn and serve him. Thou hast bound thy self to him by a Baptismal Covenant, and renounced the world, the flesh, and the Devil; this thou hast confirmed by the profession of Christianity, and renewed it at Sacraments and in times of affliction: And wilt thou promise and vow, and never perform, and Turn to God?
Lay all these together now, and see what should be the issue. The holy Scripture calls upon thee to Turn; the Ministers of Christ do call upon thee to Turn, The Spirit cries Turn, thy Conscience cries Turn: the godly by perswasions and examples cry Turn: the whole world and all the creatures therein that are presented to thy consideration cry Turn: The patient forbearance of God cries Turn: All the Mercies which thou receivest cry Turn; The rod of Gods chastisements cries Turn: Thy reason and the frame of thy nature bespeaks thy Turning: and so do all thy Promises to God. And yet art thou not resolved to Turn?
3. Moreover, poor hard hearted sinner! Didst thou ever consider, upon what terms thou standest all this while with him that calleth on thee for to Turn? Thou art his own, and owest him thy self and all thou hast; and may he not Command his own? Thou art his absolute servant, and shouldst serve no other Master. Thou standest at his Mercy, and thy life is in his hand; and he is resolved to save thee upon no other terms; thou hadst many malicious spiritual enemies, that would be glad if God would but forsake thee, and let them alone with thee, and leave thee to their will: how quickly would they deal with thee in another manner? And thou canst not be delivered from them but by Turning unto God. Thou art fallen under his wrath by thy sin already: and thou knowest not how long his patience will yet wait. Perhaps this is the last year; perhaps the last day; his sword is even at thy heart, while the word is in thine ear; and if thou Turn not, thou art a dead and undone man. Were thy eyes but open to see where thou standest, even upon the brink of hell, and to see how many thousands are there already that did not turn, thou wouldst see that its time to look about thee.
Well Sirs, look inwards now and tell me, How are your hearts affected with these offers of the Lord? You hear what is his mind, he delighteth not in your death: he calls to you, Turn, turn: its a fearful sign, if all this move thee not, or do but half move thee; and much more if it make thee more careless in thy misery, because thou hearest of the mercifulness of God. The working of the medicine will partly tell us whether there be any hope of the Cure. O what glad tidings would it be to those that are now in Hell, if they had but such a Message from God! What a joyful word would it be to hear this [Turn and Live:] Yea what a welcome word would it be to thy self when thou hast felt that wrath of God but an hour! Or if after a thousand, or ten thousand years torment, thou couldst but hear such a word from God, [Turn and Live.] and yet wilt thou now neglect it, and suffer us to return without our errand?
Behold sinners, we are set here as the Messengers of the Lord, to set before you Life and Death▪ What say you? which of them will you choose? Christ standeth as it were by thee, with Heaven in one hand, and Hell in the other, and offereth thee thy choice; which wilt thou choose? The voice of the Lord maketh the Rocks to tremble, Psalm 20. and is it nothing to hear him threaten thee, if thou wilt not Turn? Dost thou not understand and feel this voice, [Turn ye, Turn ye, Why will ye die?] Why, it is the voice of Love, of infinite Love, of thy best and kindest friend, as thou mightest easily perceive by the motion: and yet canst thou neglect it? It is the voice of pitty and compassion. The Lord seeth whither thou art going better then thou dost, which makes him call after thee, Turn, Turn: He seeth what will become of thee, if thou turn not: He thinketh with himself, Ah this poor sinner will cast himself into endless torments, if he do not Turn: I must in Iustice deal with him according to my righteous Law; and therefore he calleth after thee, Turn, Turn O sinner! if you did but know the thousandth part as well as God doth, the danger that is near you, and the misery that you are running into, we should have no more need to call after you to Turn.
Moreover, this voice that calleth to thee, is the same that hath prevailed with thousands already, and called all to heaven that are now there▪ And they would not now for a thousand worlds that they had made light of it, and not Turned to God. Now what are they possessing that Turned at Gods Call? Now they perceive that it was indeed the voice of Love, that meant them no more harm then their salvation. And if thou wilt obey the same Call, thou shalt come to the same Happiness. There be millions that must for ever lament that they Turned not, but there's never a soul in Heaven that is sorry that they were Converted.
Well Sirs, are you yet resolved, or are you not? Do I need to say any more to you? What will you do? will you Turn, or not? Speak man in thy heart to God, though thou speak not out to me: Speak, left he take thy silence for a denyal. Speak quickly, lest he never make thee the like offer more. Speak resolvedly, and not waveringly; for he will have no Indifferents to be his Followers. Say in thy heart now, without any more delay, even before thou stir hence, [By the Grace of God, I am resolved presently to turn. And because I know my own insufficiency, I am resolved to wait on God for his Grace, and to follow him in his ways, and forsake my former courses and companions, and give up my self to the guidance of the Lord.
Sirs, You are not shut up in the darkness of Heathenism, nor in the desperation of the damned: Life is before you: and you may have it on reasonable terms if you will: yea on free-cost, if you will accept it. The way of God lyeth plain before you; the Church is open to you: the company of the godly is open to you; you may have Christ and pardon, and Holiness, if you will. What say you? Will you, or will you not? If you say nay, or say nothing, and still go on, God is witness, and this Congregation is witness, and your own Consciences are witness, how fair an offer you had this day. Remember, you might have had Christ, and would not. Remember, when you have lost it, that you might have had eternal Life as well as others, and would not: and all because you would not Turn.
But let us come to the next Doctrine, and hear your Reasons.