The way to true happiness in a serious treatise /

And if upon trial by the marks that are before thee, thou come to be undeceived, and see thy self wrapped up in that misery which hitherto thou wouldst not suspect, the next news I expect to hear from thee is, What must I do to be saved? O were it come to that once! Then thou hast an answer at hand in those Means thou wilt find prescribed thee: And because they are such as thou wilt hardly be persuaded to use, take in the Motives that follow, and these will help down the means. Consider both the one and the other, and if thou dost not find the Means proper, and the Motives weighty, I think I shall do thee no wrong if I tell thee, thou art still of a blind mind, and an harder heart.

And if upon trial by the marks that are before thee, thou come to be undeceived, and see thy self wrapped up in that misery which hitherto thou wouldst not suspect, the next news I expect to hear from thee is, What must I do to be saved? O were it come to that once! Then thou hast an answer at hand in those Means thou wilt find prescribed thee: And because they are such as thou wilt hardly be perswaded to use, take in the Motives that follow, and these will help down the means. Consider both the one and the other, and if thou dost not find the Means proper, and the Motives weighty, I think I shall do thee no wrong if I tell thee, thou art still of a blind mind, and an harder heart.

Friend, the matter which this little Book comes to treat with thee about, is of highest importance; 'tis a matter of Life or Death. If thou sayest, The Terms upon which Life is offered, are hard; consider, is it not harder to dye? He is worthy to dye ⟨image 16⟩who will lose his Soul to save his Labour. If thou couldest step down into the Deep, and take a turn or two with those Damned Souls, who are drenched with Fire and Brimstone, and bound in Everlasting Chains of Vengeance, and should ask them, Now what do you think of the terms upon which life was offered? Now what think you of that Repentance, of that Obedience, of that Circumspection, Self-denial, and the greatest Severity which by the Gospel were imposed upon you? if you might once again have the same terms granted you for your Redemption from this place of Torment, would you yet say, hard terms! Let me rather dye this death for ever, than live such a life! let me broil in this Furnace, rather than escape with such difficulty! shouldst thou ask them thus that have felt what 'tis to be damned, what answer dost thou think they would make? O friend, never again groan under the difficulties of Conversion, till thou believe them to be worse than Hell. But I will not farther anticipate my worthy Author.