The Saints' Everlasting Rest - Richard Baxter

would heartily join with thee against any that fright people without a cause.
But if these threatenings be the word of God, what a wretch art thou, that
wilt not hear it and consider it! If thou art one of the people of God, this
doctrine will be a comfort to thee, and not a terror. If thou art yet
unregenerate, methinks thou shouldst be as fearful to hear of heaven as hell,
except the bare name of heaven or salvation be sufficient. Preaching heaven
and mercy to thee, is entreating thee to seek them, and not reject them; and
preaching hell, is but to persuade thee to avoid it. If thou wert quite past hope
of escaping it, then it were in vain to tell thee of hell; but as long as thou art
alive there is hope of thy recovery, and therefore all means must be used to
awake thee from thy lethargy. Alas! what heart can now possibly conceive,
or what tongue express, the pains of those souls that are under the wrath of
God! Then, sinners, you will be crying to Jesus Christ, "O mercy! O pity,
pity on a poor soul!" Why, I do now, in the name of The Lord Jesus, cry to
thee. "O have mercy, have pity, man, upon thy own soul!" Shall God pity
thee, who wilt not be entreated to pity thyself? If thy horse see but a pit
before him, thou canst scarcely force him in; and wilt thou so obstinately cast
thyself into hell, when the danger is foretold thee? "Who can stand before the
indignation of the Lord? and who can abide the fierceness of his anger?"
Methinks thou shouldst need no more words, but presently cast away thy
soul-damning sins, and wholly deliver up thyself to Christ. Resolve on it
immediately, and let it be done, that I may see thy face in rest among the
saints. May the Lord persuade thy heart to strike this covenant without any
longer delay! But if thou be hardened unto death, and there be no remedy,
yet say not another day but that thou wast faithfully warned, and hadst a
friend that would fain have prevented thy damnation.
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