The Sincere Convert

3. The never-dying worm of a guilty conscience shall torment thee, as if thou hadst swallowed down a living poysonfull snake, which shall lie gnawing and biting thine heart for sin past, day & night. And this worm shall torment by showing the cause of thy misery, that is, that thou didst never care for him that should have saved thee. By showing thee also thy sins against the Law, by showing thee thy sloth, whereby thy happiness is lost. Then shall thy conscience gnaw to think, so many nights I went to bed without prayer, and so many days and hours I spent in feasting and foolish sporting. Oh if I had spent half that time now mis-spent, in praying, in mourning, in meditation, yonder in heaven had I been. By showing thee also the means that thou once hadst to avoid this misery; such a Minister I heard once, that told me of my particular sins, as if he had been told of me: such a friend persuaded me once to turn over a new ⟨p. 93⟩leaf: I remember so many knocks God gave at this iron heart of mine, so many mercies the Lord sent, but oh no means could prevail with me. Lastly, by showing thee how easily thou mightest have avoided all these miseries. Oh, once I was almost persuaded to be a Christian, but I suffered my heart to grow dead, & fell to loose company, and so lost all. The Lord Jesus came unto my door and knocked, and if I had done that for Christ, which I did for the Devil many a time, to open at his knocks, I had been saved. A thousand such bites will this worm give at thine heart, which shall make thee cry out, O time, time, O sermons, sermons; O my hopes and my helps are now lost, that once I had to save my lost soul.

3. The never-dying worme of a guilty conscience shall torment thee, as if thou hadst swallowed downe a living poysonfull snake, which shall lie gnawing and biting thine heart for sin past, day & night. And this worm shall tormēt by shewing the cause of thy misery, that is, that thou didst never care for him that should have saved thee. By shewing thee also thy sins against the Law, by shewing thee thy sloth, whereby thy happinesse is lost. Then shall thy conscience gnaw to thinke, so many nights I went to bed without prayer, and so many dayes and houres I spent in feasting and foolish sporting. Oh if I had spent halfe that time now mis-spent, in praying, in mourning, in meditation, yonder in heaven had I beene. By shewing thee also the means that thou once hadst to avoid this misery; such a Minister I heard once, that told me of my particular sinnes, as if he had been told of me: such a friend perswaded me once to turne over a new