Oh, if it might stand with the will of God, that I might choose what effect this Sermon should have upon your hearts; verily it should be nothing that should hurt you in the least but this it should be, It should now fasten upon your souls, and pierce into your Consciences, as an Arrow that is drawn out of the quiver of God; it should follow thee home to thy house, and bring thee down on thy knees in secret, and make thee there lament thy case, and cry out in bitterness of thy spirit, Lord, I am the sinner that have neglected thee, I have tasted more sweetness in the world then in thy blood, and taken more pleasure in my earthly labours and ⟨p. 126⟩delights, then I have done in praying to thee, or meditating on thee; I have complemented with thee by a cold profession; but my heart was never set upon thee:—And here should it make thee lie in tears and prayers; and follow Christ with cries and complaints, till he should take thee up from the dust, and assure thee of his pardon, and change thy heart, and close it with his own. If thou wert the dearest friend that I have in the world, this is the success that I would wish this Sermon with thy soul; That it might be as a voice still sounding in thine ears▪ that when thou art next in thy sinful company or delight, thou mightest as it were, hear this voice in thy Conscience, Is this thine obedience to him that bought thee; That when thou art next forgetting Christ, and neglecting his worship in secret, or in thy family, or public, thou mightest see this sentence, as it were written upon thy wall, Kiss the Son least he be angry, and thou perish: that thou mightest see it, as it were written upon the •ester of thy Bed, as oft as thou liest down in an unregenerate state; and that it may keep thine eyes waking, and thy soul disquieted, and give thee no rest, till thou hadst rest in Christ. In a word, If it were but as m•ch in my hands as it is in yours, what should become of this Sermon, I hope it would be the best Sermon to thee that ever thou heardest; it should lay thee at the ⟨p. 127⟩feet of Christ, and leave thee in his arms; Oh that I did but know what Arguments would persuade you and what words would work thy heart hereto. If I were sure it would prevail, I would come down from the Pulpit, and go from man to man upon my knees with this request and advice in my Text; O kiss the Son lest he be angry and you perish.
Oh, if it might stand with the will of God, that I might chuse what effect this Sermon should have upon your hearts; verily it should be nothing that should hurt you in the least but this it should be, It should now fasten upon your souls, and pierce into your Consciences, as an Arrow that is drawn out of the quiver of God; it should follow thee home to thy house, and bring thee down on thy knees in secret, and make thee there lament thy case, and cry out in bitterness of thy spirit, Lord, I am the sinner that have neglected thee, I have tasted more sweetness in the world then in thy blood, and taken more pleasure in my earthly labours and ⟨p. 126⟩delights, then I have done in praying to thee, or meditating on thee; I have complemented with thee by a cold profession; but my heart was never set upon thee:—And here should it make thee lie in tears and prayers; and follow Christ with cryes and complaints, till he should take thee up from the dust, and assure thee of his pardon, and change thy heart, and close it with his own. If thou wert the dearest friend that I have in the world, this is the success that I would wish this Sermon with thy soul; That it might be as a voice still sounding in thine eares▪ that when thou art next in thy sinfull company or delight, thon mightest as it were, heare this voyce in thy Conscience, Is this thine obedience to him that bought thee; That when thou art next forgetting Christ, and neglecting his worship in secret, or in thy family, or publique, thou mightest see this sentence, as it were written upon thy wall, Kiss the Son least he be angry, and thou perish: that thou mightest see it, as it were written upon the •ester of thy Bed, as oft as thou liest down in an unregenerate state; and that it may keep thine eyes waking, and thy soul disquieted, and give thee no rest, till thou hadst rest in Christ. In a word, If it were but as m•ch in my hands as it is in yours, what should become of this Sermon, I hope it would be the best Sermon to thee that ever thou heardest; it should lay thee at the ⟨p. 127⟩feet of Christ, and leave thee in his arms; Oh that I did but know what Arguments would perswade you and what words would work thy heart hereto. If I were sure it would prevail, I would come down from the Pulpit, and go from man to man upon my knees with this request and advice in my Text; O kiss the Son lest he be angry and you perish.
