Answ. It is true, but seasonably, in their due time; It is not for young converts, before they be settled in the main things of Religion, to have their heads filled with doubtful disputations; it is the plain Scripture, and it is as plain, if we would understand it, as Thou shalt not steal, or commit adultery; oh this hath hindered the salvation of many a soul! Now therefore this is that that I would aim at, to turn the strength of your souls into this great question, What shall we do to be saved? in Ecclesiastes 7. saith the wise man there, God hath made man upright, but he hath found to himself many inventions, so your books have it, but I find it translated in the old Latin, He hath mingled himself ⟨p. 301⟩with many questions, so they turn the phrase: Now the Lord take off your hearts from those, and give you hearts to attend to this great question, What shall we do to be saved? It was the question, you know, of the Jailer, in Act. 16.30. And it concerns those that yet have not assurance of what condition their souls are in for salvation, to ask this question speedily, and not to put it off till they come to sickness and death, and then send for Ministers and godly Christians, and say, Oh! what shall I do? how many upon their sick and death beds, that never minded to inquire before what they should do to be saved, the• are in dreadful anguish, and then cry out, Oh what shall I do? Oh the distressed condition I am in! I am afraid my soul is lost for ever, what shall I do? why dost thou ask it now? is this question to ask now when thy soul is going before the great and dreadful God to have the sentence of its eternal doom to be past upon it? Oh it concerns you betimes, you young ones, as soon as ever you come to know you have souls, it concerns you to be asking this great question, What shall I do to be saved? And we have an example of this, of a young man that Christ looked upon in love, because he was inquisitive about the salvation of his soul; the story is in Matth. 19.16. Behold one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life, and vers. 20. It appears that this was a young man; The young man saith unto him, All these things have I done. Oh it were a comely thing for young men to come to Christ, and say, What shall we do to have eternal life?
Answ. It is true, but seasonably, in their due time; It is not for young converts, before they bee setled in the main things of Religion, to have their heads filled with doubtful disputations; it is the plain Scripture, and it is as plain, if wee would understand it, as Thou shalt not steal, or commit adultery; oh this hath hindered the salvation of many a soul! Now therefore this is that that I would aim at, to turn the strength of your souls into this great question, What shall wee do to bee saved? in Ecclesiastes 7. saith the wise man there, God hath made man upright, but hee hath found to himself many inventions, so your books have it, but I finde it translated in the old Lattin, Hee hath mingled himself ⟨p. 301⟩with many questions, so they turn the phrase: Now the Lord take off your hearts from those, and give you hearts to attend to this great question, What shall wee do to bee saved? It was the question, you know, of the Jaylor, in Act. 16.30. And it concerns those that yet have not assurance of what condition their souls are in for salvation, to ask this question speedily, and not to put it off till they come to sickness and death, and then send for Ministers and godly Christians, and say, Oh! what shall I do? how many upon their sick and death beds, that never minded to inquire before what they should do to bee saved, the• are in dreadful anguish, and then cry out, Oh what shall I do? Oh the distressed condition I am in! I am afraid my soul is lost for ever, what shall I do? why dost thou ask it now? is this question to ask now when thy soul is going before the great and dreadful God to have the sentence of its eternal doom to bee past upon it? Oh it concerns you betimes, you young ones, as soon as ever you come to know you have souls, it concerns you to bee asking this great question, What shall I do to bee saved? And wee have an example of this, of a young man that Christ lookt upon in love, because hee was inquisitive about the salvation of his soul; the story is in Matth. 19.16. Behold one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life, and vers. 20. It appears that this was a young man; The young man saith unto him, All these things have I done. Oh it were a comely thing for young men to come to Christ, and say, What shall wee do to have eternal life?
