But now it is time to think of closing. We fear we have been tedious and troublesome; but suffer us yet to utter a few sighs more unto you. We should not have thus pressed and presumed upon you, had not the necessity of the case required it. Reverend and Beloved, if we cannot prevail with you; yea rather, if God (that hath the power of hearts) do not prevail with you, poor souls will rue it, and Christ's Honour and Interest will suffer for it, his Gospel will be a great loser by it. Pardon us therefore if we are loth to let you go: fain we would that you should not be at the end of this Paper, before it hath attained its end; That you should not turn away your eyes from these Lines, till you have ⟨p. 28⟩resolved to set to your Work. O when will you be weary with forbearing. Jer. 20. 9. I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his Name; but his Word was in my heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I could not stay. Have you sate down in your discouragements, and said with him in his infirmity, Yet now may your hearts wax hot within you, that you may speak with your tongue. O that we could hear you saying with Elihu, †I am full of matter, the Spirit within me constraineth me; I will speak that I may be refreshed, I will open my lips and answer. What shall we say, Our *mouth is open to you, our heart is enlarged. O that we did but know what would prevail with you! we †would fill our mouths with Arguments: We would not let you go, till you had granted our humble Motion. Who shall choose our words for us? Alas, that we did but know what would pierce! It grieves us to think we should have done, before the Work be done; and that after all this, we should leave you as we found you. We verily fear, lest the Argument of Self-preservation will at last prove more forcible upon you, than all the moving Arguments that we can choose; and that men are so in love with the way they have settled in, (from which they mostly think it dishonourable to recede) that they will not be turned. Shall we go from Words to Tears? O that we could command them! But we have not, (the Lord pardon us) we have not the bowels and meltings, that we should have in presenting you such a pitiful case. Shall we we fall from arguing to begging? O that this would do ⟨p. 29⟩it!
But now it is time to think of closing. We fear we have been tedious and troublesome; but suffer us yet to utter a few sighs more unto you. We should not have thus pressed and presumed upon you, had not the necessity of the case required it. Reverend and Beloved, if we cannot prevail with you; yea rather, if God (that hath the power of hearts) do not prevail with you, poor souls will rue it, and Christ's Honour and Interest will suffer for it, his Gospel will be a great loser by it. Pardon us therefore if we are loth to let you go: fain we would that you should not be at the end of this Paper, before it hath attain'd its end; That you should not turn away your eyes from these Lines, till you have ⟨p. 28⟩resolved to set to your Work. O when will you be weary with forbearing. Jer. 20. 9. I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his Name; but his Word was in my heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I could not stay. Have you sate down in your discouragements, and said with him in his infirmity, Yet now may your hearts wax hot within you, that you may speak with your tongue. O that we could hear you saying with Elihu, †I am full of matter, the Spirit within me constraineth me; I will speak that I may be refreshed, I will open my lips and answer. What shall we say, Our *mouth is open to you, our heart is enlarged. O that we did but know what would prevail with you! we †would fill our mouths with Arguments: We would not let you go, till you had granted our humble Motion. Who shall chuse our words for us? Alas, that we did but know what would pierce! It grieves us to think we should have done, before the Work be done; and that after all this, we should leave you as we found you. We verily fear, lest the Argument of Self-preservation will at last prove more forcible upon you, than all the moving Arguments that we can chuse; and that men are so in love with the way they have setled in, (from which they mostly think it dishonourable to recede) that they will not be turned. Shall we go from Words to Tears? O that we could command them! But we have not, (the Lord pardon us) we have not the bowels and meltings, that we should have in presenting you such a pitiful case. Shall we we fall from arguing to begging? O that this would do ⟨p. 29⟩it!
- †Job 32. 18.
- *2 Cor. 6. 11
- †Job 23. 4.
