A Call To The Unconverted

Part 1 

Over the next three weeks I will be sending you an excerpt from Richard Baxter’s book – A Call To The Unconverted.  

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was vicar of Kidderminster from 1647 to 1661.  He is perhaps the greatest single name in the history of English Puritanism.  Dr. J. I. Packer describes him as ‘the most outstanding pastor, evangelist and writer on practical and devotional themes that Puritanism produced’.  His ministry transformed the people of Kidderminster from ‘ignorant, rude and reveling people’ to a godly, worshipping community.   

Baxter’s preaching was clear and strong and his printed works have been characterized as “tremendous, earthshaking earnestness.”  An intense parish ministry accompanied Baxter’s preaching, even though he was afflicted with illness and other trials.  His life is one of the most notable examples of success in both preaching and pastoral work.  Baxter’s best known written works include, A Call to the Unconverted, The Saint’s Everlasting Rest, and The Reformed Pastor. 

Baxter’s book, A Call to the Unconverted, was the gospel tract (a 134-page book!) of his day.  The book was circulated greatly and many came to a saving knowledge of Christ through the reading of it.  His book shares the gospel with clarity, accuracy, and depth.  The thoroughness in which he explains the gospel is quite different from how the gospel is often presented today.  He gives us much to learn, especially in view of today’s “gospel light” and easy-believism approach.  

Baxter’s book is based on Ezekiel 33:11, “Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”  The excerpt that I will be sending out is taken from the first chapter of the book and describes who the wicked are and what conversion is; and how we may know whether we are converted or not. 

May this excerpt help you to see the desperate condition of man and the amazing grace of God. 

By God's Grace ~ Through God's Word ~ For God's Glory!

Chuck Long

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A Call to the Unconverted, Richard Baxter (Part 1 of 3) 

Before I can tell you what either wickedness or conversion is, I must go to the bottom, and fetch up the matter from the beginning. 

It pleased the great Creator of the world to make three sorts of living creatures.  Angels he made pure spirits without flesh, and therefore he made them only for heaven, and not to dwell on earth.  Beasts were made flesh, without immortal souls, and therefore they were made only for the earth, and not for heaven.  Man is of a middle nature, between both, as partaking of both flesh and spirit, and therefore he was made both for heaven and earth.  But as his flesh is made to be but a servant to his spirit, so is he made for earth but as his passage or way to heaven, and not that this should be his home or happiness.  The blessed state that man was made for, was to behold the glorious majesty of the Lord, and to praise him among his Holy Angels, and to love him, and to be filled with his love forever.  And as this was the end that man was made for, so God did give him means that were fitted to the attaining of it.  These means were principally two: First, the right inclination and disposition of the mind of man.  Secondly, the right ordering of his life and practice.  For the first, God suited the disposition of man unto his end, giving him such knowledge of God as was fit for his present state, and a heart disposed and inclined to God in holy love.  But yet he did not fix or confirm him in this condition, but, having made him a free agent, he left him in the hands of his own free will.  For the second, God did that which belonged to him; that is, he gave him a perfect law, required him to continue in the love of God, and perfectly to obey him.  By the willful breach of this law, man did not only forfeit his hopes of everlasting life, but also turned his heart from God, and fixed it on these lower fleshly things, and hereby blotted out the spiritual image of God from his soul; so that man did both fall short of the glory of God, which was his end, and put himself out of the way by which he should have attained it, and this both as to the frame of his heart, and of his life.  The holy inclination and love of his soul to God, he lost, and instead of it he contracted an inclination and love to the pleasing of his flesh, or carnal self, by earthly things; growing strange to God and acquainted with the creature.  And the course of this life was suited to the bent and inclination of his heart; he lived to his carnal self, and not to God; he sought the creature, for the pleasing of his flesh, instead of seeking to please the Lord.  With this nature or corrupt inclination, we are all now born into the world; “for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” Job 14:4.  As a lion has a fierce and cruel nature before he does devour; and an adder has a venomous nature before she stings, so in our infancy we have those sinful natures or inclinations, before we think, or speak, or do amiss.  And hence springs all the sin in our lives; and not only so, but when God has, of his mercy, provided us a remedy, even the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of our souls, and bring us back to God again, we naturally love our present state, and are loathe to be brought out of it, and therefore are set against the means of our recovery: and though custom has taught us to thank Christ for his good-will, yet carnal self persuades us to refuse his remedies, and to desire to be excused when we are commanded to take the medicines which he offers, and are called to forsake all and follow him to God and glory. 

I pray you read over this again, and mark it; for in these few words you have a true description of our natural state, and consequently of wicked man; for every man that is in the state of corrupted nature is a wicked man, and in a state of death. 

By this also you are prepared to understand what it is to be converted: to which end you must further know, that the mercy of God, not willing that man should perish in his sin, provided a remedy, by causing his Son to take our nature, and being, in one person, God and man, to become a mediator between God and man; and by dying for our sins on the cross, to ransom us from the curse of God and the power of the devil.  And having thus redeemed us, the Father has delivered us into his hands as his own.  Here-upon the Father and the Mediator do make a new law and covenant with man, not like the first, which gave life to none but the perfectly obedient, and condemned man for every sin; but Christ has made a law of grace, or a promise of pardon and everlasting life to all that, by true repentance, and by faith in Christ, are converted unto God; like an act of oblivion, which is made by a prince to a company of rebels, on condition they lay down their arms and come in and be loyal subjects for the time to come. 

But, because the Lord knows that the heart of man is grown so wicked, that, for all this, men will not accept the remedy if they be left to themselves, therefore that Holy Spirit has undertaken it as his office to inspire the Apostles, and seal the Scriptures by miracles and wonders, and to illuminate and convert the souls of the elect. 

So by this much you see, that as there are three persons in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so each of these persons have their several works, which are eminently ascribed to them. 

The father’s works were, to create us, to rule us, as his rational creatures, by the law of nature, and judge us thereby; and in mercy to provide us a Redeemer when we were lost; and to send his Son, and accept his ransom. 

The works of the Son for us were these: to ransom and redeem us by his suffering and righteousness; to give out the promise or law of grace, and rule and judge the world as their Redeemer, on terms of grace; and to make intercession for us, that the benefits of his death may be communicated; and to send the Holy Spirit, which the Father also does by the Son. 

The works of the Holy Spirit, for us, are these: to indite the Holy Scriptures, by inspiring and guiding the Apostles, and sealing the word, by his miraculous gifts and works, and the illuminating and exciting the ordinary ministers of the gospel, and so enabling them and helping them to publish that word; and by the same word illuminating and converting the souls of men.  So that as you could not have been reasonable creatures, if the Father had not created you, nor have had any access to God, if the Son had not died, so neither can you have a part in Christ, or be saved, except the Holy Spirit do sanctify you. 

So that by this time you may see the several causes of this work.  The Father sends the Son: the Son redeems us and makes the promise of grace: the Holy Spirit indites and seal this Gospel: the Apostles are the secretaries of the Spirit to write it: the preachers of the Gospel to proclaim it, and persuade men to open it: and the Holy Spirit does make their preaching effectual, by opening the hearts of men to entertain it.  And all this to repair the image of God upon the soul, and to set the heart upon God again, and take it off the creature and carnal self to which it is revolted, and so turn the current of the life into a heavenly course, which before was earthly; and through this, embracing Christ by faith, who is the Physician of the soul.

Click here for the complete version of Baxter's Call to the Unconverted

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