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…

45. Your Delays do weary the Servants of Christ, that are employed for your recovery. Ministers will grow weary of preaching to you, and persuading you: When we come to men that were never warned before, we come in hopes, that they will hear and obey: and this hope puts life, and earnestness into our persuasions: But when we have persuaded men but a few times in vain, and leave ⟨p. 424⟩them as we found them, our spirits begin to droop and flag: Much more when we have preached and persuaded you many years, and still you are the same, and are but where you were: This dulls a Ministers spirit, and makes him preach heavily and coldly, when he is almost out of heart and hope. I do not justify Ministers in this, and say, they should do thus: I know they should not; and if they were perfect they would not: but they are but men, and imperfect themselves: and what man is able to be as lively and fervent in his work, when people stir not, and he sees no good done on the miserable hearers, as if he had the encouragement of success? O when we do but see the hearts of hardened, stubborn sinners relent, and break, and melt before the power of the Word, and when we hear them cry out for Christ and Mercy, and cry out against themselves for their former folly, and confess their sins, and ask us what they shall do to be saved? and are but willing to be ruled by Christ the Physician of their Souls; this would put life into a Preacher that was cold and dull; this would even make a stone to speak. But when we tell men ⟨p. 425⟩of Gods threatenings till they are past believing them, and tell you of Gods Anger till they seem to be past fearing it, and tell them of the plague of sin, till they are past feeling; when in stead of preaching men to Faith, and Repentance, and fear, and tenderness of heart, we preach them into greater unbelief and carelessness, and dead stupidity, this is enough to dull or break the heart of almost any Preacher in the world: What man is able to follow so fruitless a work with liveliness? And then it's you that will have the loss, and danger of it: When you have dried the breasts, the child may famish: If your Preachers could not awake, and change you with all their convincing arguments, and fervency, how quietly may you sleep on when you have flatted them by discouragements:

45. Your Delaies do weary the Servants of Christ, that are employed for your recovery. Ministers will grow weary of preaching to you, and perswading you: When we come to men that were never warned before, we come in hopes, that they will hear and obey: and this hope puts life, and earnestness into our perswasions: But when we have perswaded men but a few times in vaine, and leave