I will not Answer thee according to thy folly; but truly and plainly as I can discover this thy folly to thy self, that if there be yet any hope, thou mayest recover thy understanding, and yet return to God and live. First, I do not name thee, nor any other: I do not conclude of the persons individually, and say, This man shall be shut out of heaven, and that man shall be taken in: I only conclude it of the unregenerate in general, and of thee conditionally, if thou be such a one. Secondly, I do not go about to determine who shall repent, and who shall not; much less, that thou shalt never repent, and come in to Christ: These things are unknown to me; I had far rather show thee what hopes thou hast before thee, if thou wilt not sit still and lose them, and by thy wilful carelessness cast away thy hopes: And I would far rather persuade thee to hearken in time, while there is hope, and opportunity, and offers of Grace, and before the door is shut against thee, that so thy soul may return and live; then to tell thee, that, there is no hope of thy repenting and returning. But if thou lye hoping that thou shalt return, and never do it; if thou talk of repenting and believing, but still art the same; if thou live and die with the world, and thy credit, or pleasure nearer thy heart then Jesus Christ: In a word, If the foregoing description of the people of God do not agree with the state of thy soul; Is it then a hard question, whether thou shalt ever be saved? Even as hard a question, ⟨p. 267⟩as whether God be true? or the Scripture be his Word? Cannot I certainly tell that thou shalt perish for ever, except I had seen the Book of Life? Why, the Bible also is the Book of Life, and it describeth plainly those that shall be saved, and those that shall be condemned; Though it do not name them, yet it tells you all those signs and conditions, by which they may be known. Do I need to ascend up into heaven, to know, That without holiness none shall see God? Heb. 12.14. Or, That it is the pure in heart who shall see God? Matth. 5.8. Or, That except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God? Joh. 3.3. Or, That he that believeth not (that is, stoops not to Christ as his King and Saviour) is condemned already? and that he shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him? Joh. 3.18.36.
I will not Answer thee according to thy folly; but truly and plainly as I can discover this thy folly to thy self, that if there be yet any hope, thou mayest recover thy understanding, and yet return to God and live. First, I do not name thee, nor any other: I do not conclude of the persons individually, and say, This man shall be shut out of heaven, and that man shall be taken in: I onely conclude it of the unregenerate in general, and of thee conditionally, if thou be such a one. Secondly, I do not go about to determine who shall repent, and who shall not; much less, that thou shalt never repent, and come in to Christ: These things are unknown to me; I had far rather shew thee what hopes thou hast before thee, if thou wilt not sit still and lose them, and by thy wilful carelesness cast away thy hopes: And I would far rather perswade thee to hearken in time, while there is hope, and opportunity, and offers of Grace, and before the door is shut against thee, that so thy soul may return and live; then to tell thee, that, there is no hope of thy repenting and returning. But if thou lye hoping that thou shalt return, and never do it; if thou talk of repenting and believing, but still art the same; if thou live and die with the world, and thy credit, or pleasure nearer thy heart then Jesus Christ: In a word, If the foregoing description of the people of God do not agree with the state of thy soul; Is it then a hard question, whether thou shalt ever be saved? Even as hard a question, ⟨p. 267⟩as whether God be true? or the Scripture be his Word? Cannot I certainly tell that thou shalt perish for ever, except I had seen the Book of Life? Why, the Bible also is the Book of Life, and it describeth plainly those that shall be saved, and those that shall be condemned; Though it do not name them, yet it tels you all those signs and conditions, by which they may be known. Do I need to ascend up into heaven, to know, That without holiness none shall see God? Heb. 12.14. Or, That it is the pure in heart who shall see God? Matth. 5.8. Or, That except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God? Joh. 3.3. Or, That he that believeth not (that is, stoops not to Christ as his King and Saviour) is condemned already? and that he shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him? Joh. 3.18.36.
