A95931:54
Words whereby we may be saved. By Thomas Vincent, sometime minister of Maudlins milk-street,…
Words whereby we may be saved. By Thomas Vincent, sometime minister of Maudlins milk-street, London
London : printed for the use of the poor, and freely given to them by some worthy benefactors, who desire their salvation, 1668
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.
If you were to seek some great favour from an Earthly Prince, your mean attire and condition might keep you at a distance; and you might have no regard given to your request, should it have a hearing; The Petitions of the great and rich are heard in Courts on Earth, when the poor and mean are despised: but the King of Heaven doth regard the rich no more than the poor, Job 34. 19. And if you seek diligently after this Salvation, you may have as free access to the Lord as any, and your Petitions shall be heard in the Court of Heaven, and you shall certainly obtain this Salvation which you seek after.
2. The vilest of you all may attain Salvation; Some of you it may be have been notorious sinners, ⟨p. 24⟩your consciences do accuse you of such great sins, with such heinous aggravations, that you may be discouraged and out of hope that such as you should be saved; you have offered such high affronts and indignities unto the highest Majesty that you think he can never put them up; you have run so deep and so long upon the score, that you think the scores can never be wiped off; if they had been smaller faults, or more ordinary slips, or you had sought after Salvation sooner, you might have hoped to speed, but now you fear the door of mercy is shut, and the day of Grace is spent, and there is no pardon and salvation for such vile sinners as you: But let me tell you that the vilest of you all may attain Salvation, the door of mercy is not so fast shut as yet, but by knocking hard it may be opened; and so long as the day of your life is continued, and the means of grace are continued, you cannot say that the day of grace is quite spent; there is salvation attainable by the worst of you all, if you will look after it; our Saviour tells us of Publicans and Harlots that entered into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than the Pharisees who boasted in their own righteousness, Matth. 21. 31. He conversed with, and called the worst of sinners to repentance,