But flatter not your selves; it will not be: This is the accepted time: behold now is the day of salvation: refuse it now, and it is lost for ever. O Sirs, if this were the hour, and you were presently to be received or refused, would you blame me to cry and call to you with all the fervour of my soul, if I knew that it were in your own choice, whether you would go to Heaven or Hell? Why, now it is in your choice! Life and Death are set before you. Christ will receive you if you will but come within the capacity of his acceptation. If you will not, there will then be no remedy: It is a doleful thing to observe how Satan doth bewitch poor sinners! That when time is gone, and the door of mercy is shut against them, they would think no cries too loud for mercy, and no importunity too great: for Christ telleth us, Matth. 25. 10, 11. that they they will cry [Lord, Lord, open to us:] And yet now when the door stands open, no arguments, no earnestness, no tears can entreat them to enter in; Then there is not the most senseless sinner of you all, but would cry more strongly than Esau for the blessing, (when his tears could find no place for repentance, Heb. 12. 16, 17.) [Lord receive a miserable soul! O whither shall I go, if thou receive me not! I must else be tormented in those scorching flames:] And yet now you will sell your birthright for one morsel; for a little of Judas, or Gehezi's gain, for the applause of worms, for the pleasing of your flesh that is turning to corruption; for the delights of gluttony, drunkenness, sports or lust. There ⟨p. 25⟩is not a man of you but would then pray more earnestly than those that you now deride for earnest praying, as if they whined and were ridiculous: And yet now you will neither be serious in prayer, nor hear Christ or his messengers, when he maketh it his earnest request to you to come in to him, that you may have life, John 5. 40. Then you will knock when the door is shut, and cry [Lord open to a miserable sinner:] and yet now you will not open unto him, when by his word and spirit, her mercies and afflictions, he standeth at the door of your stubborn hearts, and calleth on you to repent and turn to God; Now our entreaties cannot so much as bring you on your knees, or bring you to one hours serious thoughts, about the state of those souls that are so near their doom. O Sirs, for your souls sake, lay by your obstinacy:
But flatter not your selves; it will not be: This is the accepted time: behold now is the day of salvation: refuse it now, and it is lost for ever. O Sirs, if this were the hour, and you were presently to be received or refused, would you blame me to cry and call to you with all the fervour of my soul, if I knew that it were in your own choice, whether you would go to Heaven or Hell? Why, now it is in your choice! Life and Death are set before you. Christ will receive you if you will but come within the capacity of his acceptation. If you will not, there will then be no remedy: It is a doleful thing to observe how Satan doth bewitch poor sinners! That when time is gone, and the door of mercy is shut against them, they would think no cries too loud for mercy, and no importunity too great: for Christ telleth us, Matth. 25. 10, 11. that they they will cry [Lord, Lord, open to us:] And yet now when the door stands open, no arguments, no earnestness, no tears can intreat them to enter in; Then there is not the most senseless sinner of you all, but would cry more strongly than Esau for the blessing, (when his tears could find no place for repentance, Heb. 12. 16, 17.) [Lord receive a miserable soul! O whither shall I go, if thou receive me not! I must else be tormented in those scorching flames:] And yet now you will sell your birthright for one morsel; for a little of Judas, or Gehezi's gain, for the applause of worms, for the pleasing of your flesh that is turning to corruption; for the delights of gluttony, drunkenness, sports or lust. There ⟨p. 25⟩is not a man of you but would then pray more earnestly than those that you now deride for earnest praying, as if they whined and were ridiculous: And yet now you will neither be serious in prayer, nor hear Christ or his messengers, when he maketh it his earnest request to you to come in to him, that you may have life, John 5. 40. Then you will knock when the door is shut, and cry [Lord open to a miserable sinner:] and yet now you will not open unto him, when by his word and spirit, her mercies and afflictions, he standeth at the door of your stubborn hearts, and calleth on you to repent and turn to God; Now our intreaties cannot so much as bring you on your knees, or bring you to one hours serious thoughts, about the state of those souls that are so near their doom. O Sirs, for your souls sake, lay by your obstinacy:
