A Call To Delaying Sinners

Book: 
A Call To Delaying Sinners
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Reviewer: 
Joseph J. Adrian

Thomas Doolittle was a 17th century Gospel Minister. The only other book that I'm familiar with of his is "Love To Christ Necessary To Escape The Curse" (one of the best books on "Love To Christ" that's ever been written). "A Call To Delaying Sinners" consists of eight sermons on Psalm 119:60——"I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."

In these sermons, Doolittle is urging sinners to be reconciled to God now! One of the great strengths of the Puritan's preaching and writing was that they had the proper perspective in how they viewed this life and the life to come——"The work that you have to do, in light of another world that is eternal, is a necessary work. It is a work that must be done, or your soul will be undone, and that forever."

There was an urgency in their preaching and their writings in regards to delaying (to attend to the state of one's soul before Almighty God). Any delay in closing with Christ is dangerous and also presumes that there will be an opportunity in the future to be sure of one's standing with God.

The urgency of their appeals is rarely parallelled in our day (or has been in any other)——"If all that has been said will not move you to make haste, then know that your damnation is hastening, the time of your lying in torment is hastening, the hour of your being thrown down to devils, and lying in chains of darkness is hastening."

In the chapter "Stop Your Sinning," the godly Puritan preacher urges sinners to repent now!——"You presume, that you can repent whenever you want, and turn to God whenever you want, you presume that your own will is of your own strength." He goes on to reason if you don't repent now, and you go on sinning, your heart will become more hardened, and repentance will be more difficult than it is right now.

These are some of the most persuasive evangelistic sermons I have ever read. This is one of the reasons I deeply love the writings of the Puritans because they loved the souls of men. These sermons by Thomas Doolittle reveal how great their love and concern was for their fellow man and their great faithfulness to their Lord in pleading with them to be reconciled to their Maker.