A62050:355
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an…
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Balliol College in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Baliol Colledge in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.
London: printed by E.M. for Tho. Parkhurst, 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Reader I have two things to desire of thee, before I deliver thee the directions which I have received of the Lord for thee; and indeed unless thou grant me, or rather God and thy soul, these two requests, all that I have to say will be to no purpose at all; my requests are, that thou wouldst follow the counsel of God in order to the recovery of thy soul out of its bottomless misery with all speed, and with all diligence. Now because they are of such exceeding importance, that if thou art once persuaded to them, my work will be half effected; and because delays and laziness are the two great gulfs, in which such multitudes of souls are drowned and perish, I shall speak the more to them.
Reader I have two things to desire of thee, before I deliver thee the directions which I have received of the Lord for thee; and indeed unlesse thou grant me, or rather God and thy soul, these two requests, all that I have to say will be to no purpose at all; my requests are, that thou wouldst follow the counsel of God in order to the recovery of thy soul out of its bottomlesse misery with all speed, and with all diligence. Now because they are of such exceeding importance, that if thou art once perswaded to them, my work will be half effected; and because delayes and laziness are the two great gulphs, in which such multitudes of souls are drowned and perish, I shall speak the more to them.
My first request to thee is, that thou wouldst presently set about the affairs of thy soul. We say of things that must be done,1 there needeth not any deliberation about them. Is not this the one thing necessary to prepare for the last hour, to make sure of thine everlasting well-fare?2 If thou believest the word of God, thou wilt not give the flesh so much breath as to debate it; muchless wilt thou as Felix ⟨p. 191⟩