The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

But it may be some will reply and say, Alas, I have present need of such and such, therefore I must either hear them counselling, or else they will not hear me entreating. Oh my brethren, think of this; Hath a man, or shall a man have need of a friend, and shall he not also have need of the Lord Jesus Christ? Must a friend be obeyed, because we have need of him, and shall not the Lord Jesus Christ be much more observed, because we have much more need of him? Hast thou need of a father or master to bestow some favour upon thee, and hast thou not need also of a Saviour that ⟨p. 149⟩may deliver thee from sin here, and from everlasting damnation hereafter. Know it, know it, that howsoever now you may neglect the counsel and advice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and think that you have no need of him, because happily for the present your friends smile upon you, yet the time will come, when you shall find you have more need of Christ then of all the world. When a man lieth upon the bed of death, and his eyes begin to grow dim, and his breath short, and his pulse weak, and he ready to go the way of all flesh: Oh what good can friends do him then? all of them together can neither restore health, nor preserve life in that hour. He that now would be our Saviour, hereafter will be our Judge, and will pass sentence upon us one way or other, either of salvation or damnation; Shall we not stand in need then of his mercy and saving health when that day cometh? The soul will then wish for a dram of mercy, more then for a whole world. Ask a man my brethren, when he is going the way of all flesh, what then he most desireth, and what he would have at that time especially? Oh will he say, mercy, mercy! Oh that the Lord would accept my person, and pardon my sins, and graciously look upon me in the face of Christ! This is all that the poor soul then craveth. But if you neglect now to hear the voice of Christ, how can you expect that ever he will hear you in that day? It is just, it is just, my brethren, that you should then have the same sentence that was past upon the foolish Virgins, Matth. 25.12. They came and knocked hard, and spake loud, Lord, Lord, open unto us; Away saith Christ, I know you not, I know you not: You would not hear me in the time of your pilgrimage upon the earth, when I sent all my servants the Prophets, rising early, and sending them;

But it may be some will reply and say, Alas, I have present need of such and such, therefore I must either hear them counselling, or else they will not hear me intreating. Oh my brethren, thinke of this; Hath a man, or shall a man have need of a friend, and shall he not also have need of the Lord Jesus Christ? Must a friend be obeyed, because wee have need of him, and shall not the Lord Jesus Christ be much more observed, because we have much more need of him? Hast thou need of a father or master to bestow some favour upon thee, and hast thou not need also of a Saviour that