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…

14. Moreover, till you are Resolved of your Conversion, you cannot Rationally Resolve of any one word or action of your lives: Nay till they are all misemployed to your hurt. For no man can Resolve of the Means till he is Resolved of the End. You must Resolve whither to go, before you can Resolve which way to go. Before Conversion mens End is wrong: Their Intention and business is to please the flesh: And all their thoughts, and words, and actions, that have such an End, are wicked and pernicious. Till you are Resolved by Conversion to be for God, you have never a right End (in a prevailing sense;) and therefore you cannot order one thought, nor word, nor deed aright. I tell you, every thought you think, and every word you speak, and every deed you do while you are unconverted, are so many steps towards Hell, except only those that tend towards Conversion, and some way further it. Resolve therefore of this, or you can Resolve of nothing.

14. Moreover, till you are Resolved of your Conversion, you cannot Rationally Resolve of any one word or action of your lives: Nay till they are all misemployed to your hurt. For no man can Resolve of the Means till he is Resolved of the End. You must Resolve whither to go, before you can Resolve which way to go. Before Conversion mens End is wrong: Their Intention and business is to please the flesh: And all their thoughts, and words, and actions, that have such an End, are wicked and pernicious. Till you are Resolved by Conversion to be for God, you have never a right End (in a prevailing sence;) and therefore you cannot order one thought, nor word, nor deed aright. I tell you, every thought you think, and every word you speak, and every deed you do while you are unconverted, are so many steps towards Hell, except only those that tend towards Conversion, and some way further it. Resolve therefore of this, or you can Resolve of nothing.

15. Moreover, if you would presently ⟨p. 495⟩and firmly Resolve, you would ease your friends and the Ministers of Christ of much of their sorrows, and fears, and cares for you; and of much of the most troublesome part of their work. As long as you are unconverted, they can look on you but as the heirs of Hell, that will be quickly in those torments, if conversion prevent it not: and therefore their hearts are full of sorrow for you, when you sorrow not for your selves; and their care is how they might prevent your damnation, which they know without Conversion can never be done. Many a groan doth your Misery cost them! and many a thought have they of your danger, which you are not aware of. O what a grief is it to believing Ministers, to see so many of their people in the power of Satan, and the high-way to Hell, after all their care and labour for their recovery? We cannot say that the unconverted shall certainly perish, because we have yet hopes that they may be Converted, though they be not: But we know that if they die in the case that they are in, there is no hope of them at all; and we know they are uncertain to live an hour: And therefore as long as they are in this Condition,