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and another to hell, to so vast, so amazing a difference of states, if there be no great difference between them here? If holiness no more differenced Christians from others, than saying a sermon, or saying over a prayer, doth difference one from an infidel, where were the justice of God in saving some and damning others? And what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine, Plato, Socrates, Seneca, Cicero, Plutarch, and others, if not much worse? Go into London streets, and when you have talked with living prudent men, then go to the painter's shop, and see a comely picture; and to the looking-glass, and see the appearance of each passenger in a glass; and to the periwigshops, and see a wooden head with a periwig upon the block; and you have something like the difference of a holy soul, and of a dead and dressed formal hypocrite.

Quest. 19. Ask them, whether kings and all men make not a difference between man and man; the loyal and perfidious, the obedient and disobedient? and, whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe, one that loveth them, and one that robbeth, hateth, or would kill them? And shall not the most Holy God make more difference between the righteous and the wicked?

Quest. 20. But if they are dead in every point, save carnal interest, ask them why they are preachers or priests? And if Conversion and Holiness be a needless thing, what use are they themselves of? And why must the country be troubled with thein, and tithes, and owe them reverence?

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When these twenty questions are well answered, conclude you may be saved without conversion.

But if, poor soul, thou art fully convinced, and asketh, What shall I do to be converted? The Lord make thee willing, and save thee from hypocrisy, and I will quickly tell thee in a few words.

1. Give not over sober thinking of these things, till thy heart be changed.

2. Come to Christ, and take him for thy Saviour,

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thy Teacher, thy King, and he will pardon all that is past, and save thee.

3. Believe God's love, the pardon of sin, and the everlasting joys of heaven, that thou mayest feel that all the pleasure of the world and flesh are dung in comparison of the heavenly delight of faith, and hope, and holy love, and peace of conscience, and sincere obedience.

4. Sin no more wilfully, but forbear that which thou mayest forbear, Isa. Iv. 7.

5. Away from temptations, occasions of sin, and evil company, and be a companion of the humble, heavenly, and sincere, Psal. cxix. 63–115.

6. Wait on God's Spirit in the diligent and constant use of his own means: read, hear, meditate, pray; pray hard for that grace that must convert thee: wait thus, and thou shalt not wait in vain, Psal. xxxvii. 34. and Ixix. 6.

"Pity, O Lord, and persuade these souls; let not Christ's blood, his doctrine, his example, his Spirit, be lost upon them, and they lost for ever. Let not heaven be as no heaven to them, while they dream and doat on the shadows of this world. And, O save this land from a greater destruction, than all our late plagues, and flames, and divisions, which our sins and thy threatening make us fear. O Lord, in thee have we trusted, let us never be confounded."

Having thus contributed my endeavours in this Preface, to the furtherance of the design of this excellent book, I must tell thee, Reader, that I take it for an honour to commend so masculine a birth into the world: the midwife of Alexander or Aristotle need not to be ashamed of her office. Who the author of this treatise was, how he preached, how he lived, how he suffered, (and for what,) and how he died, his life, and letters, lately printed, fully tell you: and I earnestly commend the reading of them to all, but especially to ministers: not to tell them what men have here been forbidden to preach Christ's gospel, and for what; nor what men they are that so many years have

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done it; but to tell you what men Christ's ministers should be. But say not," he killed himself with excessive labour, therefore I will take warning, and take my ease." For, 1. He lived in perfect health all his days, notwithstanding all his labours, till after his hard and long imprisonment. 2. It was not the greatest labour of his times of liberty that hurt him, but his preaching six, seven, or eight times in a week, after he was silenced, because he could not speak to all his people at once. O make not an ill use of so excellent an example; say not, like Judas, "What needs this waste?" His labours, his life, his sufferings, his death, were not in vain. The ages to come, that read his life, and read his little popular treatise, and his Call to Archippus, shall say they were not in vain. And tho' he was cut off in the midst of his age, and his longer labours and more elaborate writings thus prevented, take thankfully this small, but methodical, warm, and serious Tractate: read it seriously, and it cannot be but that it must do thee good.

I am one that have looked into books, sciences, and speculations of many sorts, and seriously tell thee, as a dying man, that, after all my searches and experience, I have found that philosophical inquiries into the divine artifices and nature of things, have, among a great number of uncertainties, a great many pretty pleasant probabilities, which a holy soul can make good use of in admiring God, and may find us a lawful kind of sport; but in the moralities, which Atheists count uncertainties, the knowledge of God, and our duty and our hopes, the doctrine and practice of holiness, tenperance, charity, and justice, and the diligent seeking and joyful hopes of life everlasting, is all the true wisdom, goodness, rest, and comfort, of a soul. Whatever be the plea, this is the sanctifying certainty, the business, and the beautiful improvement, of our lives..

RICHARD BAXTER.

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"HOW well it were, if there were no more unconverted ones among us, than those to whom this is directed! Unconverted persons, how many are there! but how few unconverted readers, especially of such books as this before thee! A play, or a romance better suits the lusts, and therefore must have more of the eye of such; what will cherish the evil heart only is most grateful,-not what will change it. How many are there to whom this is directed, who will not know that they are the men! and how little hope is there that this excellent treatise should reach its end with those that apprehend themselves not concerned in it!-Art thou not one of them? Art thou a convert, or art thou yet in thy sins? What is sin? What is conversion? It may be thou canst tell me neither, and yet thou sayest a convert thou art: But to what purpose is it then like to be, for the servants of God to treat with thee about this matter? Let them bid thee believe,-thou art a believer already: let them bid thee repent and turn to the Lord, that work (thou sayest) is not to do now. What can there be said to this man that is like to bring him to good? Friend, know thyself better, or thou perishest without remedy. Thou mayest pray, but what hope is there in thy praying? Thou mayest read, but what hope is there in thy reading? Yet read on; this little hope there is, in this book there's eye-salve that may heal thee of thy blindness. In this book there is a glass that will show thee thy face. Dost thou know thy own face when thou seest it? Behold thy very image in those marks that are given of an unconverted person; read and consider them, and then say if thou be not the man.

"Be willing to know thyself, and to know the worst of thy case: wink not at the light: hide not thyself from thine own soul. Wilt thou never know thy disease till it be past remedy?

"Much of our hardest work would be over, if we could see the sinners to whom we are sent, to be con

vinced sinners. If we could but open the blind eyes, there were hopes we should shortly raise the dead.

"Sinner, of a truth thou art in an evil case, whether thou know it or not; thou art among the dead, and there is but one step between thee and hell. Thou wilt not believe it, though it be told thee; yet once again let me beseech thee, come to the glass that is here presented to thee, and narrowly observe whether the very marks of the dead be not found upon thee.

"If there be miscarriages in this first work, if thou wilt not understand thy misery and thy danger, there is an end of all hope concerning thee. Whilst self

ignorance abides upon thee, all the counsels that are necessary to a man in thy case will do thee no good; they are never like to prosper with thee, because thou wilt not count them proper for thee. Who will be persuaded to do that which he believes is already done? Who will take the counsel of the physician, that does not think himself sick? The man of God may spare his pains of persuading thee to conversion, whilst thou art confident thou art converted already. Who will be at the pains of repentance, that concludes he hath repented? Who will be at the labour and pangs of the new-birth, that is confident he is already passed from death unto life?

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But, friend, let me reason a little with thee: Thou art confident it is well with thee; yet why wilt thou not yield to thus much at least, to put it to the question, Am I not mistaken? Thou art worse than mad, if thou thinkest such a question may not be put. Dost thou not know, that the heart is false and deceitful? Yet because it speaks good concerning thee, must it not be questioned whether it speaks true or no? Be so wise as to conclude, I may be mistaken; and thus come to the trial whether thou art mistaken or not.

"And if upon trial, by the marks that are before thee, thou come to be undeceived, and see thyself wrapped up in that misery which hitherto thou wouldst not suspect, the next news I expect to hear from thee is, What shall I do to be saved? O were it come

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