Exhortations To Those Already at Peace With God 4/4

           Sixth.  Art thou at peace with God?  Knowing the goodness of God to thyself, then do thou woo in some others to embrace the same mercy.  The house is not so full, but ‘yet there is room,’ Luke 14:22.  Hast thou none thou lovest so well as to wish them thy happiness?  Haply, thou hast a carnal husband lying by thy side, children of thy womb or loins, neighbours in whose company thou art every day almost, and all these in an unreconciled state—who, should they die as now they live, their precious souls are lost for ever, and yet themselves think no more of this misery com­ing on them, than the silly sheep doth, as to what the butcher is doing, when he is whetting his knife to cut her throat.  Well, the less merciful they are to their own souls, the more need there is thou shouldst show thy compassion towards them.  We take most care of those that are least capable of taking care for themselves.  If thou hadst a friend sick in thy house, and of such a disease that he could not help himself, should he die rather than thou wouldst look after him?  If a child were condemned to die, though he did himself not mind the getting of a pardon, yet surely thou wouldst run and ride to obtain it, rather than see him end his days so shamefully.  In a word, didst thou but know thy next neighbour had an intention to foredo himself, and for that end had locked himself up in a room, wouldst thou not bestir thee to break up the door, rather than the man should thus miscarry?  But alas, where is the holy violence that is used to save poor souls? 

 Parents, husbands, neighbours, they can see their relations going to hell before their eyes, and who saith to them, Why do you so?  O, for the Lord’s sake, be more merciful to the souls of others.  Thou hast found a feast, let not any that are near thee starve for want of knowing where it is to be had.  Go and invite all thou canst see to God’s house.  So did David: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good,’ Ps. 34:8.  Thou needst not fear a chiding from God for sending him more guests.  He complains he hath no more. ‘Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life,’ John 5:40.  He threatens those that keep sinners off from making their peace with him, by flattering them with a false one, called a ‘strengthening the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life,’ Eze. 13:22.  O how acceptable a work then must it needs be to woo souls to Christ! The merchant is not angry for sending a customer into his warehouse that will buy what he hath taken so much cost and travail to get that he may sell.  Nor will the physician blame any for bringing a patient to him, by whose cure he may let the world know his skill and art.  And this is the great design Christ hath long had in particular prayed for, viz. ‘that the world might believe he was sent of God,’ John 17:21.  What aims he at in the gathering in of souls by the grace of the gospel, but ‘to take out of them a peo­ple’ from the heap of sinners ‘for his name,’ Acts 15:14, that is, cull out a number, in showing mercy to whom he might exalt his own name gloriously.