Having laid this ground-work from the plain Word of God, methinks I may with this advantage now plead the case, even with common Reason. One thing is needful; the Good part is that one; and this is tendered to you by the Lord: What is it then that you do make choice of? and what do you resolve? May you have Christ, and Pardon, and Everlasting life, and will you not have them? Shall it be said of you another day, that you had your choice, whether you would have Christ and life, or sin and death; and you chose destruction and refused life? I beseech the• Reader, whosoever thou art that readest these lines, that tho•ouldst a little turn thine ears to God, and withdraw thy self from the delusions of the flesh and world, and use thy reason for thy everlasting peace; and consider with thy self what a dreadful thing it will be, if thou be everlastingly shut out of the presence of God, upon thy own choice? And if thou lose thy part in Christ, and Pardon, and everlasting Glory upon thy own choice: And if thou must lie in Hell fire, and Conscience must tell thee there for ever▪ Thou hast but the fruit of thine own choice: Heaven was set open ⟨p. 65⟩to me as well as others. I had life, and time, and teaching, and persuasions as well as others; but I chose the pleasure of sin for a season, though I was told and assured that hell would follow, and now I have that which I made choice of; and taste but the fruit of my own wilfulness! Will not such gripes of conscience be a hellish torment of themselves, and an intolerable vexation, if thou hadst no more? Had you rather have sin then Christ and Holiness? Alas, I see by your lives you had! But had you rather have Hell then God and Glory? If not, then choose not the way to Hell. Why do you give God such good words, and prefer your sin when you have done, before him? Why do you speak so well of Christ and Heaven, and yet refuse them? Why do you speak so ill of sin and the world, and yet choose them to the loss of your salvation? Surely if you were soundly persuaded that Christ is better then the world, and holiness then sin, you would choose that which you say is the best: For that which men think indeed to be the best, and best for them, they will choose and seek after.
Having laid this ground-work from the plain Word of God, methinks I may with this advantage now plead the case, even with common Reason. One thing is needful; the Good part is that one; and this is tendred to you by the Lord: What is it then that you do make choice of? and what do you resolve? May you have Christ, and Pardon, and Everlasting life, and will you not have them? Shall it be said of you another day, that you had your choice, whether you would have Christ and life, or sin and death; and you chose destruction and refused life? I beseech the• Reader, whosoever thou art that readest these lines, that tho•ouldst a little turn thine ears to God, and withdraw thy self from the delusions of the flesh and world, and use thy reason for thy everlasting peace; and consider with thy self what a dreadful thing it will be, if thou be everlastingly shut out of the presence of God, upon thy own choice? And if thou lose thy part in Christ, and Pardon, and everlasting Glory upon thy own choice: And if thou must lie in Hell fire, and Conscience must tell thee there for ever▪ Thou hast but the fruit of thine own choice: Heaven was set open ⟨p. 65⟩to me as well as others. I had life, and time, and teaching, and perswasions as well as others; but I chose the pleasure of sin for a season, though I was told and assured that hell would follow, and now I have that which I made choice of; and taste but the fruit of my own wilfulness! Will not such gripes of conscience be a hellish torment of themselves, and an intolerable vexation, if thou hadst no more? Had you rather have sin then Christ and Holiness? Alas, I see by your lives you had! But had you rather have Hell then God and Glory? If not, then chuse not the way to Hell. Why do you give God such good words, and prefer your sin when you have done, before him? Why do you speak so well of Christ and Heaven, and yet refuse them? Why do you speak so ill of sin and the world, and yet chuse them to the loss of your salvation? Surely if you were soundly perswaded that Christ is better then the world, and holiness then sin, you would chuse that which you say is the best: For that which men think indeed to be the best, and best for them, they will chuse and seek after.
