The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…

8. Consider the desperate hazard thou runnest, by delaying to close with Jesus Christ. For what if thy great change should come before the change of thy heart? how sad would thy condition be! What if Christ who hath long been knocking at the door of thine heart, should withdraw himself, and never knock again? Surely, as it was one of the greatest mercies that ever was vouchsafed to thee, that Jesus Christ should condescend to stand and knock at the door of thine heart; so it will prove in the event the heaviest Judgment ⟨p. 29⟩that ever befell thee, if thou wilt not now open unto him, but put him off with delays: It will be just with Christ finally to withdraw himself from those who will not hearken unto him in this his merciful day of Visitation. Beware that this be not thy case.

8. Consider the desperate hazard thou runnest, by delaying to close with Iesus Christ. For what if thy great change should come before the change of thy heart? how sad would thy condition be! What if Christ who hath long been knocking at the door of thine heart, should withdraw himself, and never knock again? Surely, as it was one of the greatest mercies that ever was vouchsafed to thee, that Jesus Christ should condescend to stand and knock at the door of thine heart; so it will prove in the event the heaviest Judgment ⟨p. 29⟩that ever befel thee, if thou wilt not now open unto him, but put him off with delays: It will be just with Christ finally to withdraw himself from those who will not hearken unto him in this his merciful day of Visitation. Beware that this be not thy case.

9. Thou who sayest thou hast time enough before thee, and thereupon yet a while longer wilt venture after the Devil, suppose thou shouldst at the latter end of thy life turn from thy sins unto God, which, as I showed before, is not ordinary, yet must it needs be matter of grief and sorrow to thee, then to call to mind, how thou hast spent the strength of thy Youth, the best of thy days in the service of sin and Satan; and now hast little time, and less strength remaining for God, and his service. Surely this will be matter of great shame and sorrow unto thy Soul: And therefore as thou tenderest the honour of God, and thine own eternal happiness, now stir up in thy self a longing desire after the work of Grace in thy Soul, and put thy self upon a present and serious use of the means: delay not a day longer, lest that delay be unto death.