Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

But only this remember, It is such a God that you will have to deal with, before whom the mountains quake, and the hills remove out of their places, before whom the great Tyrants, of the world have fallen; and shall you stand? Where are all those Giants? Where are the inhabitants of the old World? What is become of Nimrod that mighty hunter, and all his fellows? Where are all those daring sinners, that scorned to accept of a pardon, mercy and peace, and which had the courage to grapple with omnipotency it self? who got the day? who had the worst of it at last? and art thou stronger then they? is thy power greater, thy understanding deeper, thy Allies more considerable ⟨p. 242⟩then theirs? A fly may be too hard for Pharaoh; but Pharaoh can never be too hard for God. Because judgement is not speedily executed against thee, thou thinkest therefore it may be it is because God cannot deal with thee, and upon this account thy heart is fully set in thee to do wickedly; but know thou, for all this that God will bring thee to judgement. Consider this, that as far as it seems to be now, the winds may rise, the clouds may gather of a sudden, the Heavens may be overcast in a moment; and what will you do then? when Heaven and Earth shall be in a Flame; then you will be scraping acquaintance with God, then you will be glad to be owned by him, then you would willingly Christ should take notice of you, and say, You blessed of my Father; then you will stand at the door and knock, and cry, and pray, and plead, and say, Lord, Lord, have I not been oft at thy house? have I not eat at thy table, and taught in thy name in our streets? and yet thou shalt be dismissed with this short and sharp answer, Depart, I know you not. How do you like such an answer as this is? how will you take it when you stand begging at the door for one crumb of mercy, one drop of Christs blood, to be sent away with a bitter scorn and denial, or else to be answered with silence? Whereas you were invited to the feast as well as those that went in, and you would not hear, though God sent messenger after messenger to fetch you, you thought your oxen better company then your God, you took more pleasure in your dogs, then in the hunting after those nobler things. What do you think of such expostulations as these? what reply can you ⟨p. 243⟩make to these accusations? ere long you will find these things realities;