2nd of 9 REASONS WHY MEN DON'T SHARE THE GOSPEL

2nd OF 9 REASONS WHY MEN DON'T SHARE THE GOSPEL

Seeing it is a duty that God has laid upon every man according to his ability to exhort and reprove in the Great Commission work (Matt. 28:19-20), and with all possible diligence to labor after the salvation of all about him, judge then whether this work be reasonably performed. Where shall we find the man among us, that sets himself to it with all his might, and that has set his heart upon the souls of his fellow men, that they may be saved? Let us here, therefore, question what may be the causes of the gross neglect of this duty, that the hindrances being discovered may more easily be overcome.

Another hindrance is, a secret unfaithfulness prevailing in men's hearts; I know even the best have so great a measure that it causes this duty to be done by measures. Unfortunately we do not believe men's misery; we do not believe, sure, that the threatening of God is true. Did we truly believe that all the unre­generate and unholy shall be eternally tormented, as God has said, so, how could we hold our tongues when we are among the unre­generate? How could we choose not to burst out into tears when we look them in the face, as the prophet did when he looked upon Hazael? Especially when they are our family or friends, those that are near and dear to us? Thus does secret unbelief of the truth of Scripture consume the strength and vigor of each grace and duty? O Christians, if you did really believe that your poor, carnal, ungodly neighbor, or wife, or husband, or child, should certainly lie forever in the flames of hell, burning with individual developed lusts that they can no longer fulfil, except they be thoroughly recovered and changed, and that quickly, before death does snatch them from our midst, would not this make you cast off all discouragements, and lay at them day and night until they were persuaded, and give them no rest in their carnal fleshly and dead spiritual state? How could you hold your tongue, or let them alone another day, if this were soundly believed? If you were sure that any of your dear friends, that are dead, were now in hell, and persuading to repentance would get him out again, would not you persuade him day and night, if he were in your reach? And why should you not do as much then to avert it, while he is in your reach, but that you do not believe God's word that speaks of the danger? Why did Noah prepare an ark so long before, and persuade the world to save themselves, but because he believed God, that the flood should come? And, therefore, said the Holy Ghost, "By faith Noah prepared the ark," Heb. 11:7. And why did not the world pay attention to his persuasion, and seek to save them­selves as well as Noah, but because they did not believe there would be any such deluge? They see all fair and well, and there­fore they thought that threatening were but wind. The rich man in hell cries out, "Send to my brethren to warn them, that they come not to this place of torment," Luke 16:28: he felt it and therefore, being convinced of its truth, would have them thwart it; but his brethren on earth, they did not see and feel as he, and therefore they did not believe, nor would have been persuaded, "though one had risen from the dead." I am afraid most of us do believe the predictions of Scripture but as some believe the predictions of an almanac, which tells you that such a day there will be rain, and such a day will be windy; you think it may come to pass, and it may not: and so you think of the predictions of the damnation of the wicked.