Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th…

Now observe, I pray you, the reason why he says nay, is, because God doth put over all those that will be saved, to observe and receive the truth contained in Scripture, and believe that. To have a high esteem of them, and to love and search them, as Christ saith, Search the Scriptures,—for they are they which testify of me, Joh. 5. 39. But the damned say, Nay; as if he had said, This is the thing to be short, my brethren are unbelievers, and do not regard the Word of God, I know it by my self▪ for when I was in the World, it was so with me; Many a good Sermon did I hear, many a time was I admonished, desired, entreated, beseeched, threatened, forewarned of what I now suffer: But alas, I was ignorant, self-conceited, surly, obstinate, and rebellious. Many a time the Preacher told me, hell would be my portion, the devil would wreck his malice on me, God would pour on me his sore displeasure, but he had as good have preached to the stock, to the post, to the stones I trod on; his words rang in mine ears, but I kept them from my heart. I remember he alleged many a Scripture, but those I valued not; the Scriptures, thought I, what are they? a de•d letter, a little Ink and Paper, of three or four shillings price. Alas, what is the Scripture, give me a Ballad, a News-book, George on Horseback, ⟨p. 148⟩or Bevis of Southampton; give me some book that teaches curious Arts, that tells of old Fables; but for the Holy Scriptures I cared not. And as it was with me then, so it is with my brethren now; we were all of one spirit, loved all the same sins slighted all the same counsels, promises, encouragements, and threatenings of the Scriptures; and they are still as I left them, still in unbelief, still provoking God, and rejecting good counsel, so hardened in their ways, so bent to follow sin, that let the Scriptures be showed to them daily, let the Messengers of Christ preach till their hearts ache, till they fall down dead with preaching, they will rather trample it under-foot, and swine-like rent them, than close in with those gentle and blessed proffers of the Gospel.

Now observe, I pray you, the reason why he sayes nay, is, because God doth put over all those that will be saved, to observe and receive the truth contained in Scripture, and believe that. To have a high esteem of them, and to love and search them, as Christ saith, Search the Scriptures,—for they are they which testify of me,