Great Salvation by Jesus Christ, To the reader 2
To the Reader.
Reader,
IT is the glory and happineſs of the Age and country in which thou liveſt to have the plaine and plentifull teachings of the Lord, that while we ſee not God or the life to come with open face, by immediate intuition, to our full ſatisfaction, we may yet ſee him in a glaſs by reaſon, ſanctifyed, and guided, and elevated by faith ſo far, as to quicken our deſires after more, and to cheer and ſtrengthen us, as a fore-taſt and earneſt of the everlaſting inheritance. Though the inviſible things of God may be ſo farr ſeen in the things that are made, as to leave all thoſe without excuſe, that know not God, or glorify him not as God (Rom. 1.20, 21.) yet is the Goſpel the much clearer glaſs, though not as to the ſenſible manner of Revelation, yet as to the fullneſs, and cleerneſs of Diſcovery. In this glaſs thou maiſt certainly ſee on earth the things that will be done in Heaven and Hell to all Eternity.
Thou maiſt know, if thou canſt but know thy heart, both where and in what caſe thou muſt live for ever: Whether with God or Divells; whether in joy or torments; whether in the end I leſs ſence of the love of God, and in his Soul-raviſhing viſion, and fruition, and higheſt returnes of Love and praiſe with Chriſt and all the Heavenly Hoſt, or in the endleſs feeling of his confounding to wrath, and pangs of conſcience for thy former willfullneſs and folly, and comfortleſs deſpairing lamentations of thy miſery. This certaine glaſs that from God foretelleth all theſe things is contained in the Holy Scriptures, and daily held before thee by thy teachers, who are commanded to call upon thee to try and know thy ſelfe hereby, and to prevent the eternall miſery fore-ſeen, and ſet thy heart on the revealed glory, and make out after it with the greateſt care and deſire of thy Soul, that it may be thine for ever. This glaſs is here held out unto thee by this faithfull Reverend Miniſter of Chriſt, (a member of our Aſſociation in theſe united Churches) who hath judiciouſly, and conciſely, yet ſeriouſly, and pathetically told thee how great. a Price is in thy hand, if thou have but a heart to the bleſſedneſs to be procured by it, and the improvement of it for that bleſſedneſs: He hath told thee alſo what a ſin and deſperate folly it is to ſlight …nd neglect this great Salvation, and turne of that God, that Heaven, with a tri…le, or with the leaving of this contemptable World, who is thy All, and ſhould have All, and will have thy Firſt and Beſt, or nothing. He hath told thee of that great Damnation, that will certainely be thy Portion, if thou go on to neglect this great Salvation. Bleſs God for this ſeaſonable call and admonition, and harden not thy heart, but hear if thou have but eares to hear. Abuſe not a God of Love that deſerves not to be abuſed: Turne not away from him that ſpeaketh unto thee from Heaven. Deny not thy Redeemer thy firſt and deepeſt thoughts and cares, thy ſtrongeſt love, and moſt reſolved labours, that denyed thee not his blood, his doctrine, and his example. Away with ſin, Man! tread downe the World or uſe it for the World to come. Crucify the fleſh, that hitherto thou haſt ſerved. Heaven is before thee, thou art made and redeemed to be equall with the Angels. Dally not about ſo great a matter as everlaſting joy or torment is; God is not mocked, and therefore do not mock thy ſelfe by preferring the t…yes of the World before him: What needs all this adoe for thy daily bread? Having food and rayment be therewith content: Get well to Heaven and all is done, and thou ſhalt never want; loſe that and loſe all, and thou wilt certainly loſe it, if thou ſeth it not firſt, and give it not the chiefeſt roome in thy heart. How thinkeſt thou to eſcape, if thou neglect this Salvation? Will a deſpiſed or neglected Chriſt be thy Saviour? or a neglected Heaven be thine Inheritance? Doſt thou think to come back from the dead into this World to mend that which now thou doſt amiſs? or canſt thou eſcape againſt Gods will and word? Reader, as ever thou haſt the Reaſon of a man, ſee that thou ſoberly bethink thee of this matter, and reſt not till thou canſt ſolidly anſwer this queſtion, How ſhall I eſcape? Death and Hell are a little before thee, if thou be an unſanctifyed perſon, and how wilt thou eſcape them? Neither Policy, nor power, riches, nor reputation, formality, or falſe preſumptuous hopes will procure thine eſcape; It muſt be by God the Father, by Chriſt by the Holy Spirit, or by none; and it muſt be by a God moſt dearly loved, and by a Chriſt moſt highly valued, and received, and by the Holy Ghoſt entertained into thy heart, and obeyed; for a God, a Chriſt a Spirit finally neglected, will never ſave thee. Take this warning and additionall Teſtimony from
A Friend of thy immortall Soul, Richard Baxter.