The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

What affections those are is easily apprehended, by the evil tidings brought to the heart, and against the truth of which there is no disputing; here is the wrath of God, the everlasting burnings, which though they have not seized actually upon the Soul, but are future, yet certain, intolerable, and very difficult, if not impossible in his own thoughts to avoid; hence fears rise and act strongly; if the thread of his life be cut, which may soon be, he is gone for ever. As to the present state, he feels bonds of guilt, accusations of Conscience, apprehends God is an enemy to him, Christ a stranger from him, he under the power of his lusts, and enmity against God, which causeth all this misery; this causeth sorrow to work strongly. Hatred, that lies at the bottom, but that doth not so appear as the other: Acts 2.37. Men and brethren, what shall we do? the men speak as if they were afraid; so did the stout Jailer: Job 15.21. A dreadful sound is in his ears: What to make of those sounds or voices, that some have heard, I know not: That Gentleman, who was my intimate Friend and Companion, for whom I did verily think God had mercy, when he was in the midst of his swearing and drinking with his Companions, upon one ground which ⟨p. 74⟩I mention not, he told me, that in the time of his sickness with the Small-pox, when God did grapple with him, none but God and he, no Christian came at him, he thought verily he heard these words spoken to him, No mercy, which made him cry out sadly: How the Fancy works in that Disease I know well; but here seemed to be more then a fancy, not only by the effects it had upon him in his disease, but afterwards; for when he was recovered, and so well that he married, his Companions came and got him out again, but for being drunk any more that he was not; but coming home, riding with his Companions, something dark it was, the words came again, No mercy, and struck him so down, that his Companions got him out no more, and after that the work went on to make a through and excellent Convert. Another I knew, but I cannot say of him as of the former, as Scholar he was, of pretty natural parts, bred and brought up under excellent preaching, and in a place where he had the examples of excellent Christians, so that he must needs have light, but proved a debauched person, no lust came amiss to him; upon a time he sent for me to pray with him: