Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…

4. Your Delaying shows that you Love not God, and that you prefer your sin before him, and that you would never part with it if you might have your will. For if you loved God, you would long to be restored to his favour, and to be near him, and employed in his service and his Family. Love is quick and diligent, and will not draw back. And it is a sign also that you are in love with sin: For else why should you be so loath to leave it? He that would not leave his sin and turn to God, till the next week, or the next Month or year, would never turn if he might have his desire. For that which makes you desirous to stay a day or week longer, doth indeed make you loath to turn at all. And therefore it is but hypocrisy to take on you, that you are willing to turn hereafter, if you be not willing to do it now, without delay.

4. Your Delaying shews that you Love not God, and that you preferre your sinne before him, and that you would never part with it if you might have your will. For if you loved God, you would long to be restored to his favour, and to be near him, and employed in his service and his Family. Love is quick and diligent, and will not draw back. And it is a sign also that you are in love with sinne: For else why should you be so loath to leave it? He that would not leave his sinne and turn to God, till the next week, or the next Moneth or year, would never turn if he might have his desire. For that which makes you desirous to stay a day or week longer, doth indeed make you loath to turn at all. And therefore it is but hypocrisie to take on you, that you are willing to turn hereafter, if you be not willing to do it now, without delay.

5. Consider but what a Case you are in while you thus delay. Do you think you stand on dry ground, or in a safe condition? If you knew where you are, you would sit as upon thorns, as long as you are unconverted: you would be as a man that stood up to the knees in the Sea, and saw the tide coming towards him; who certainly would think that there's no standing still in such a place. Read what I have said of the state of the unconverted, in my first Treatise of Conversion. In a word, you are the drudges of sin, the slaves of the Devil, the enemies of God, the abusers of his Grace and Spirit, the despisers of Christ, the heirs of Hell. And is this a state to stay in an hour? You have all your sin unpardoned; you are under the Curse of the Law; the Wrath of God is upon you; and the fullness of it hangs over your heads; Judgment is coming to pass upon you the dreadful doom; the Lord is at hand; death is at the door, and waits but for the Word from the mouth of God, that it may arrest you, and bring you to Everlasting misery: And is this a state for a man to stay in?