§ 9. Do not object to this duty, that you are unable to manage an exhortation, but either set those on the work who are more able, or faithfully and humbly use the small ability you have, and tell them, as a weak man may do, what God says in his word. Decline not the duty, because it is your superior who needs advice and exhortation. Order must be dispensed with in cases of necessity. Though it be a husband, a parent, a minister, you must teach him in such a case. If parents are in want, children must relieve them. If a husband be sick, the wife must fill up his place in family affairs. If the rich are reduced to beggary, they must receive charity. If the physician be sick, somebody must look to him. So the meanest servant must admonish his master, and the child his parent, and the wife her husband, and the people their minister; so that it be done when there is real need, and with all possible humility, modesty, and meekness. Do not say, "this will make us all preachers;" for every good Christian is a teacher, and hath a charge of his neighbor's soul. Every man is a physician, when a regular physician cannot be had, and when the hurt is so small that any man may relieve it; and in the same cases every man must be a teacher. Do not despair of success. Cannot God give it? And must it not be by means?—Do not plead, it will only be casting pearls before swine. When you are in danger to be torn in pieces, Christ would have you forbear; but what is that to you that are in no such danger? As long as they will hear, you have encouragement to speak, and may not cast them off as contemptible swine. Say not, "It is a friend on whom I much depend, and by telling him his sin and misery, I may lose his love, and be undone." Is his love more to be valued than his safety? or thy own benefit by him, than the salvation of his soul? or wilt thou connive at his damnation, because he is thy friend? Is that thy best requital of his friendship? Hadst thou rather he should burn in hell for ever, than thou shouldst lose his favor, or the maintenance thou hast from him?
§ 10. (III.) But that all who fear God may be excited to do their utmost to help others to this blessed rest, let me entreat you to consider the following motives. As, for instance,—not only nature, but especially grace, disposes the soul to be communicative of good. Therefore to neglect this work is a sin both against nature and grace. Would you not think him unnatural, that would suffer his children or neighbors to starve in the streets, while he has provision at hand? And is not he more unnatural, that will let them eternally perish, and not open his mouth to save them? An unmerciful, cruel man, is a monster to be abhorred of all. If God had bid you give them all your estates, or lay down your lives, to save them, you would surely have refused, when you will not bestow a little breath to save them. Is not the soul of a husband, or wife, or child, or neighbor, worth a few words? Cruelty to men's bodies is a most damnable sin; but to their souls much more, as the soul is of greater worth than the body, and eternity than time. Little know you what many a soul may now be feeling in hell, who died in their sins, for want of your faithful admonition. Consider what Christ did towards the saving of souls. He thought them worth his blood; and shall we not think them worth our breath? Will you not do a little, where Christ hath done so much?—Consider what fit objects of pity ungodly souls are. They are dead in trespasses and sins, have not hearts to feel their miseries, nor to pity themselves. If others do not pity them, they will have no pity; for it is the nature of their disease to make them pitiless to themselves, yea, their own most cruel destroyers. Consider it was once thy own case. It was God's argument to the Israelites, to be kind to strangers, because themselves had been strangers in the land of Egypt. So should you pity them that are strangers to Christ, and to the hopes and comforts of the saints, because you were once strangers to them yourselves. Consider your relation to them. It is thy neighbor, thy brother, whom thou art bound to love as thyself. He that loveth not his brother whom he seeth daily, doth not love God whom he never saw. And doth he love his brother, that will see him go to hell, and never hinder him?
§ 11. Consider what a load of guilt this neglect lays upon thy own soul. Thou art guilty of the murder and damnation of all those souls whom thou dost thus neglect; and of every sin they now commit; and of all the dishonor done to God thereby; and of all those judgments which their sins bring upon the town or country where they live. Consider what it will be, to look upon your poor friends in eternal flames, and to think that your neglect was a great cause of it. If you should there perish with them, it would be no small aggravation of your torment. If you be in heaven it would sure be a sad thought, were it possible that any sorrow could dwell there, to hear a multitude of poor souls cry out for ever, "O, if you would but have told me plainly of my sin and danger, and set it home, I might have escaped all this torment, and been now in rest!" What a sad voice will this be!—Consider what a joy it will be in heaven, to meet those there, whom you have been the means to bring thither. To see their faces, and join with them for ever in the praises of God, whom you were the happy instruments of bringing to the knowledge and obedience of Jesus Christ! Consider how many souls you may have drawn into the way of damnation, or hardened in it. We have had, in the days of our ignorance, our companions in sin, whom we enticed, or encouraged. And doth it not become us, to do as much to save men, as we have done to destroy them?—Consider how diligent are all the enemies of these poor souls to draw them to hell. The Devil is tempting them day and night: their inward lusts are still working for their ruin: the flesh is still pleading for its delights: their old companions are increasing their dislike of holiness. And if nobody be diligent in helping them to heaven, what is like to become of them?
§ 12. Consider how deep the neglect of this duty will wound, when conscience is awakened. When a man comes to die, conscience will ask him, "What good hast thou done in thy lifetime? The saving of souls is the greatest good work; what hast thou done towards it? How many hast thou dealt faithfully with?" I have oft observed, that the consciences of dying men very much wound them for this omission. For my own part, when I have been near death, my conscience hath accused me more for this than for any sin: It would bring every ignorant, profane neighbor to my remembrance, to whom I never made known their danger. It would tell me, "thou shouldst have gone to them in private, and told them plainly of their desperate danger, though it had been when thou shouldst have eaten or slept, if thou hadst no other time." Conscience would remind me how at such or such a time, I was in company with the ignorant, or was riding by the way with a wilful sinner, and had a fit opportunity to have dealt with him; but did not; or at least did it to little purpose. The Lord grant I may better obey conscience while I have time, that it may have less to accuse me of at death!—Consider what a seasonable time you now have for this work. There are times in which it is not safe to speak, it may cost you your liberties or your lives. Besides, your neighbors will shortly die, and so will you. Speak to them therefore while you may. Consider, though this is a work of greatest charity, yet every one of you may perform it. The poorest as well as the rich. Every one hath a tongue to speak to a sinner. Once more, consider the happy consequences of this work, where it is faithfully done. You may be instrumental of saving souls, for which Christ came down and died, and in which the angels of God rejoice. Such souls will bless you here and hereafter, God will have much glory by it. The church will be multiplied and edified by it. Your own souls will enjoy more improvement and vigor in a Divine life, more peace of conscience, more rejoicing in spirit. Of all the personal mercies that I ever received, next to the love of God in Christ to my own soul, I must most joyfully bless him for the plentiful success of my endeavors upon others. O what fruits then might I have seen, if I had been more faithful! I know we need to be very jealous of our deceitful hearts in this point, lest our rejoicing should come from our pride. Naturally we would have the praise of every good work ascribed to ourselves: Yet to imitate our Father in goodness and mercy, and to rejoice in the degree of them we attain to, is the duty of every child of God. I therefore tell you my own experience, to persuade you, that if you did but know what a joyful thing it is, you would follow it night and day through the greatest discouragements.
§ 13. Up then, every man that hath a tongue, and is a servant of Christ, and do something of your Master's work. Why hath he given you a tongue, but to speak in his service? And how can you serve him more eminently, than in saving souls? He that will pronounce you blessed at the last day, and invite you to the kingdom prepared for you, because you fed him, and clothed him, and visited him, in his poor members, will surely pronounce you blessed for so great a work as bringing souls to his kingdom. He that saith the poor you have always with you, hath left the ungodly always with you, that you might still have matter to exercise your charity upon. If you have the hearts of Christians or of men, let them yearn towards your ignorant, ungodly neighbors. Say as the lepers of Samaria, We do not well; this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. Hath God had so much mercy on you, and will you have no mercy on your poor neighbors?—But as this duty belongs to all Christians, so especially to some, according as God hath called them to it, or qualified them for it. To them therefore I will more particularly address the exhortation.
§ 14. God especially expects this duty at your hands to whom he hath given more learning and knowledge, and endued with better utterance, than your neighbors. The strong are made to help the weak; and those that see must direct the blind. God looketh for this faithful improvement of your parts and gifts, which, if you neglect, it were better you had never received them; for they will but aggravate your condemnation, and be as useless to your own salvation, as they were to others.
§ 15. All those that are particularly acquainted with some ungodly men, and that have peculiar interest in them, God looks for this duty at your hands. Christ himself did eat and drink with publicans and sinners; but it was only to be their physician, and not their companion. Who knows but God gave you interest in them to this end, that you might be the means of their recovery? They that will not regard the words of a stranger, may regard a brother, or sister, or husband, or wife, or near friend: Besides that the bond of friendship engageth you to more kindness and compassion than ordinary.
§ 16. Physicians that are much about dying men, should in a special manner make conscience of this duty. It is their peculiar advantage, that they are at hand; that they are with men in sickness and dangers, when the ear is more open, and the heart is less stubborn than in time of health; and that men look upon their physician as a person in whose hand is their life; or at least, who may do much to save them; and therefore they will the more regard his advice. You that are of this honorable profession, do not think this a work beside your calling, as if it belonged to none but ministers; except you think it beside your calling to be compassionate, or to be Christians. O help therefore to fit your patients for heaven? And whether you see they are for life or death, teach them both how to live and die, and give them some physic for their souls, as you do for their bodies. Blessed be God, that very many of the chief physicians of this age have, by their eminent piety vindicated their profession from the common imputation of atheism and profaneness.
§ 17. Men of wealth and authority, and that have many dependants, have excellent advantages for this duty. O what a world of good might lords and gentlemen do, if they had but hearts to improve their influence over others? Have you not all your honor and riches from God? Doth not Christ say, unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required? If you speak to your dependants for God and their souls, you may be regarded, when even a minister shall be despised. As you value the honor of God, your own comfort, and the salvation of souls, improve your influence over tenants and neighbors; visit their houses; see whether they worship God in their families; and take all opportunities to press them to their duty. Despise them not. Remember God is no respecter of persons. Let men see that you excel others in piety, compassion, and diligence in God's work, as you do in the riches and honors of the world. I confess you will by this means be singular, but then you will be singular in glory; for few of the mighty and noble are called.
§ 18. As for the ministers of the gospel, it is the very work of their calling, to help others to heaven. Be sure to make it the main end of your studies and preaching. He is the able, skilful minister, that is best skilled in the art of instructing, convincing, persuading, and consequently of winning souls; and that is the best sermon that is best in these. When you seek not God, but yourselves, God will make you the most contemptible of men. It is true of your reputation, what Christ says of your life, He that loveth it, shall lose it. Let the vigor of your persuasions shew, that you are sensible on how weighty a business you are sent. Preach with that seriousness and fervor, as men that believe their own doctrine, and that know their hearers must be prevailed with, or be damned. Think not that all your work is in your studies and pulpit. You are shepherds and must know every sheep, and what is their disease, and mark their strayings, and help to cure them and fetch them home. Learn of Paul, not only to teach your people publicly, but from house to house. Inquire how they grow in knowledge and holiness, and on what grounds they build their hopes of salvation, and whether they walk uprightly, and perform the duties of their several relations. See whether they worship God in their families, and teach them how to do it. Be familiar with them, that you may maintain your interest in them, and improve it all for God. Know of them how they profit by public teaching. If any too little favor the things of the spirit, let them be pitied, but not neglected. If any walk disorderly, recover them with diligence and patience. If they be ignorant, it may be your fault as much as theirs. Be not asleep while the wolf is waking. Deal not slightly with any. Some will not tell their people plainly of their sins, because they are great men: and some because they are godly; as if none but the poor and the wicked should be dealt plainly with. Yet labor to be skilful and discreet, that the manner may answer to the excellency of the matter. Every reasonable soul hath both judgment and affection; and every rational, spiritual sermon, must have both. Study and pray, and pray and study, till you are become workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the truth; that your people may not be ashamed, not weary in hearing you. Let your conversation be teaching, as well as your doctrine. Be as forward in a holy and heavenly life, as you are in pressing others to it. Let your discourse be edifying and spiritual. Suffer any thing rather than the gospel and men's souls should suffer. Let men see that you use not the ministry only for a trade to live by; but that your hearts are set upon the welfare of souls. Whatsoever meekness, humility, condescension, or self-denial you teach them from the gospel, teach it them also by your undissembled example. Study and strive after unity and peace. If ever you would promote the kingdom of Christ, and your people's salvation, do it in a way of peace and love. It is as hard a thing to maintain in your people a sound understanding, a tender conscience, a lively, gracious, heavenly frame of spirit, and an upright life, amidst contention, as to keep your candle lighted in the greatest storms. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.