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

3. Know that God is Just as well as Merciful, and will by no means clear the Guilty. As he hath prepared Heaven for some, so Hell for others; and it is very just, that such should be cast into Hell, who will not accept of Heaven upon Gods terms, by a speedy turning from their sins, and giving up themselves unto him. Thou therefore who blessest thy self with a false persuasion of Gods Mercy, and thereupon runnest on in a course of sin, know that thereby thou dost deceive thine own Soul; for thou wilt at last find, that the Lord is just as well as merciful, just in executing his wrath upon obdurate and wilful sinners, as well as merciful in receiving your penitent sinners into favour. As God to show the riches of his mercy converteth some in their elder years; so to show the glory of his Justice, he leaveth others, and those the greatest part, to die in their sins.

3. Know that God is Iust as well as Merciful, and will by no means clear the Guilty. As he hath prepared Heaven for some, so Hell for others; and it is very just, that such should be cast into Hell, who will not accept of Heaven upon Gods terms, by a speedy turning from their sins, and giving up themselves unto him. Thou therefore who blessest thy self with a false perswasion of Gods Mercy, and thereupon runnest on in a course of sin, know that thereby thou dost deceive thine own Soul; for thou wilt at last find, that the Lord is just as well as merciful, just in executing his wrath upon obdurate and wilful sinners, as well as merciful in receiving your penitent sinners into favour. As God to shew the riches of his mercy converteth some in their elder years; so to shew the glory of his Justice, he leaveth others, and those the greatest part, to die in their sins.

4. It is a mercy that sinners can never enough admire, that upon repentance they may be received into favour: but it is a wicked perverting this mercy of God, if instead of leading us to repentance, it should encourage us to defer the same from day to day. Because God is merciful, shall we be so ungrateful, as thereupon to run on in a course of sinning against him, presuming on his mercy to the last? Because God is gracious, shall we thereupon prove the more ungracious and rebellious against him, and his Commandments? That be far from us. Yea rather, seeing the Lord is merciful and gracious, let us be the more ashamed to sin against so good and gracious a God. Let not the mercy of God occasion us to take any encouragement to sin against him; but rather