A Call to the Unconverted, Doctrine 1
Doct. 1. IT is the unchangeable Law of God that wicked men must Turn or Die.
If you will believe God, believe this: There is but one of these two wayes for every wicked man, either Conversion or Damnation. I know the wicked will hardly be perswaded either of the truth or Equity of this. No wonder if the Guilty quarrel with the Law. Few men are apt to believe that which they would not have to be true: And fewer would have that to be true which they apprehend to be against them. But it is not quarrelling with the Law, or with the Judge, that will save the Malefactor. Believing and regarding the Law might have prevented his death: but denying and accusing …t will but hasten it. If it were not so, an hundred would bring their reasons against the Law, for one that would brind his reason to the Law: and men would rather choose to give their reasons why they should not be punished, then to hear the commands and reasons of their Governours which require them to obey. The Law was not made for you to Judge, but that you might be ruled and Judged by it.
But if there be any so blind … to venture to question, either the Truth or the Justice of this Law of God, I shall briefly give you that Evidence of both, which not thinks should satisfie a reasonable man.
And first, if you doubt whether this be the word of God or not, besides an hundred other texts, you may be satisfied by these few. Mat. 18.3. Verely I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. John 3, 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 2 Cor. 5.17. If a man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are past away, behold all thing are become new. Colos, 3.9.10. Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Heb. 12.14. Without holiness none shall see God. Rom. 8.8, 9. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Gal. 6.15. For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 1 Pet. 1.3. According to his abundant grace he hath begotten us again to a lively hope. Verse 23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. 2.1, 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings, as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Psalm 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God. Psalm 11.5. And the Lord loveth the righteous, but the wicked his soul hateth.
As I need not stay to open these Texts which are so plain, so I think I need not add any more of that multitude which speak the like: If thou be a man that dost believe the Word of God: here's already enough to satisfie thee, that the wicked must be converted or condemned. You are already brought so far, that you must either confess that this is true, or say plainly▪ you will not believe the Word of God. And if once you be come to that pass, there is but small hopes of you: look to your selves as well as you can; for its like you will not be long out of Hell. You would be ready to flie in the face of him that should give you the lie: and yet dare you give the lie to God? But if you tell God plainly you will not believe him, blame him not if he never warn you more, or if he forsake you and give you up as hopeless. For to what purpose should he warn you if you will not believe him? should he send an Angel from heaven to you, its seems you would not believe. For an Angel can speak but the Word of God: and if an Angel should bring you another Gospel, you are not to receive it, but to hold him accursed, Gal. 1.8, 9. And surely there is no Angel to be believed before the Son of God, who came from the Father to bring us this Doctrine, If he be not to be believed, then all the Angels in heaven are not to be believed. And if you stand on these terms with God, I shall leave you till he deal with you in a more convincing way. God hath a voice that will make you hear. Though he intreat you to hear the voice of his Gospel, he will make you hear the voice of his condemning Sentence, without intreaty. We cannot make you believe against your wills: but God will make you feel …gainst your wills.
But let us hear what reason you have, why you will not believe this word of God, which tells us that the wicked must be Converted or condemned? I know your reason; it is because that you judge it unlikely that God should be so unmerciful: you think it cruelty to damn men everlastingly for so small a thing as a sinful life. And this leads us up to the second thing, which is to justifie the Equity of God in his Laws and Judgements.
And first I think you will not deny but that it is most sutable to an immortal soul, to be ruled by Laws that promise an immortal reward, and threaten an endless punishment. Otherwise the Law should not be suited to the nature of …he subject; who will not be fully ruled by any lower means, then the Hopes or Fears of everlasting things: As it is in case of temporal punishment; if a Law were now made that the most hainous crimes shall be punished with an hundred years captivity, this might be of some efficacy, as being equal to our lives. But if there had been no other penalties before the flood, when men lived eight or nine hundred years, it would not have been sufficient, because men would know that they might have so many hundred years impunity afterward. So is it in our present case.
2. I suppose you will confess that the promise of an endless and unconceivable glory is not unsuitable to the wisdom of God, or the case of man. And why then should you not think so of the Threatning of an endless and unspeakable misery?
3. When you find it in the Word of God that so it is, and so it will be, do you think your selves fit to contradict this Word? Will you call your Maker to the Barr? and examine his Word upon the accusation of falshood? will you sit upon him and judge him by the Law of your Conceits? Are you wiser, and better, and righteouser then he? Must the God of heaven come to School to you to learn wisdom? Must infinite wisdom learn of folly? and infinite Goodness be corrected by a swinish sinner, that cannot keep himself an hour clean? Must the Almighty stand at the Bar of a worm? Oh horrid arrogancy of sensless dust! Shall every mole, or cold, or dung-hill, accuse the Sun of darkness, and undertake to illuminate the world? Where were you when the Almighty made these Laws, that he did not call you to his counsel? Surely he made them before you were born, without desiring your advice: and you come into the world too late for to reverse them: if you could have done so great a work, you should have stept out of your Nothingness, and have contradicted Christ when he was on earth, or Moses before him, or have saved A…am and his sinful progeny from the threatned death, that so there might have been no need of Christ! And what if God withdraw his patience aud sustentation, and let you drop into Hell while you are quarrelling with his Word, will you then believe that there is a Hell?
4. If … such an evil that it requireth the death of Christ for its expiation, no wonder if it deserve our everlasting misery.
5. And if the sin of the Devils deserved an endless torment, why not also the sin of man?
6. And me thinks you should perceive, that it is not possible for the best of men, much less for the wicked to be competent Judges of the desert of sin. Alas we are all both blind and partial. You can never know fully the desert of sin, till you fully know the evil of sin; and you can never fully know the evil of sin, till you fully know, 1. The Excellency of the soul which it deformeth. 2. And the excellency of holiness which it doth obliterate. 3. And the reason and excellency of the Law which it violateth. And 4. the excellency of the Glory which it doth despise. And 5. the excellency and office of Reason which it treadeth down. 6. No nor till you know the infinite Excellency, Almightiness and Holiness of that God against whom it is committed. When you fully know all these, you shall fully know the desert of sin. Besides, you know that the offendor is too partial to judge the Law, or the proceedings of his Judge. We judge by feeling, which blinds our reason. We see in common worldly things that most men think the cause is right which is their own: and that all is wrong thats done against them: and let the most wise, or just, impartial friends perswade them to the contrary, and its all in vain. There's few children but think the Father is unmerciful, or dealeth hardly with them, if he whip them. There's scarce the vilest swinish wretch, but thinketh the Church doth wrong him if they excommunicate him: Nor scarce a Thief or Murderer that is hanged, but would accuse the Law and Judge of cruelty, if that would serve turn.
7. Can you think that an unholy soul is fit for heaven? Alas, they cannot love God here, nor do him any service which he can accept. They are contrary to God, they loath that which he most loveth; and love that which he abhorreth: They are uncapable of that imperfect Communion with him, which his Saints do here partake of. How then can they live in that perfect love of him, and full delights, and Communion with him, which is the blessedness of heaven? You do not accuse your selves of unmercifulness, if you make not your enemy your bosom Counseller; or if you take not your swine to bed and board with you; no nor if you take away his life, though he never sinned. And yet will you blame the absolute Lord, the most wise and gracious Soveraign of the world if he condemn the Unconverterted to perpetual misery?