The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

why, since I must go to the devil, why let me go then; nay if the soul that is thus in the jaws of the devil, lie upon his death bed, as soon as ever he takes a little rest, the Lord terrifieth and affrighteth him in his dreams, and then he riseth out of his bed, and the first word he speaks is this, I must go, and I will go: then his friends that attend ⟨p. 57⟩about him, ask him whither he will go: they tell him he is among his friends, then he saith, I am damned, and I am going to hell, and therefore let me go; the devil is coming to fetch me, and therefore I must be gone. I beseech you consider this, you that make nothing of conscience, if it once lay hold on you with this hook, it will hold you sure enough, and rear your very hearts in pieces: Now when the Minister in sent for to come unto a poor soul in this miserable condition, when he comes haply he tells him, there is a great deal of mercy and comfort with the Lord, there is a great deal of grace and salvation with Christ; but then the sinner, when he hears of mercy, is distracted and besides himself, and says, that is my plague, that is my bane, and that in the end will be my damnation; if I had never heard of mercy, if I had not lived under the Gospel, and the means of salvation, oh then I had been a happy man in comparison, alas it is mercy that I have neglected, it is the glad tidings of salvation which I have contemned, how shall I then be saved; if the means of salvation have thus been slighted by me; if I had never opposed grace, grace might now have helped me; if I had not despised mercy, mercy might now have succoured me; but this is my plague, this is my woe, all the kindness that God showed to me, and all the mercy that God hath revealed and offered, I have despised and refused: many a knock hath God given at my heart, and many a rap at my soul, the Lord hath even wept over ⟨p. 58⟩me as he did over Jerusalem, oh that thou hadst known the things belonging to thy peace: the Lord came kindly and wooed me lovingly; oh the persuasions of the Lord, and commands of conscience that I have had, and yet after all persuasions and horror, and commands, what yet proud still? what yet covetous still? and profane still? why then surely there is no mercy to be looked for, no grace to be expected, and therefore certainly to hell I must go, and then he riseth and will be gone to hell;

why, since I must go to the divell, why let mee go then; nay if the soule that is thus in the jawes of the divell, lie upon his death bed, as soone as ever he takes a little rest, the Lord terrifieth and affrighteth him in his dreames, and then he riseth out of his bed, and the first word hee speaks is this, I must go, and I will go: then his friends that attend