Use I. It is matter of bleeding Lamentation, ⟨p. 49⟩that Praying time, and Finding time is so much neglected, and by so many. O that my head were a fountain of Tears, that I might weep day and night in secret places because of this thing What shall I say! Alas! if we look over all the particulars mentioned, we may mourn before the Lord to think how miserable Creatures are neglecting and sinning away their day of grace for ever. Are there not many (Oh! how many) that their whole life time hath been misimproved? they live to no end as to soul-saving purposes. They live as if there were no other life but this; as if they had no souls to save, or should never enter upon Eternity. They spend their days in mirth and madness, and after that they go to the dead. Are there not some that have lived it may be twenty years, and yet never prayed in earnest for the pardon of their sins, and the salvation of their Souls, in all their lives? Alas for such poor creatures, their case is lamentable! And are there not many, who regard not the offers of Christ in the Gospel? How often would the Lord Jesus have saved them, but they would not be saved by him? how many Sermons have been lost upon them? thou hast heard it may be a thousand Sermons, and all in vain? this is a lamentable sign, that the Lord intends to cast thee off for ever; yea, that thou art nigh unto cursing, Jer. 6.29,30. Heb. 6. 7 8. And this will be the sting of Hell, when a forlorn creature ⟨p. 50⟩shall think with himself for ever, I might have had Christ, and mercy and pardon, and salvation: I heard Sermons about these things; and all was freely offered to me in the Gospel, but I regarded it not, until it was too late. And are there not some that have sinned away the blessed strivings of the Spirit of God from their Souls? It may be thou hast had sorrowful convictions & awakenings of Conscience when time was. Yea, so as to make known the anguish of thy Soul unto this or that servant of God, begging for the help of Prayers: and are all these troubles of spirit come to nothing? If ever poor creature had the black tokens of eternal death upon him, thou art such an one. Dost thou not know, that the, Woman whose Travelling pains leave her, and return not; will die most certainly? hast thou seemed to be in the pangs of the new birth; but have thy throws of Conscience left thee. O tremble lest the Lord say unto thee, as Ezek.
Use I. It is matter of bleeding Lamentation, ⟨p. 49⟩that Praying time, and Finding time is so much neglected, and by so many. O that my head were a fountain of Tears, that I might weep day and night in secret places because of this thing What shall I say! Alas! if we look over all the particulars mentioned, we may mourn before the Lord to think how miserable Creatures are neglecting and sinning away their day of grace for ever. Are there not many (Oh! how many) that their whole life time hath been misimproved? they live to no end as to soul-saving purposes. They live as if there were no other life but this; as if they had no souls to save, or should never enter upon Eternity. They spend their dayes in mirth and madness, and after that they go to the dead. Are there not some that have lived it may be twenty years, and yet never prayed in earnest for the pardon of their sins, and the salvation of their Souls, in all their lives? Alas for such poor creatures, their case is lamentable! And are there not many, who regard not the offers of Christ in the Gospel? How often would the Lord Jesus have saved them, but they would not be saved by him? how many Sermons have been lost upon them? thou hast heard it may be a thousand Sermons, and all in vain? this is a lamentable sign, that the Lord intends to cast thee off for ever; yea, that thou art nigh unto cursing, Jer. 6.29,30. Heb. 6. 7 8. And this will be the sting of Hell, when a forlorn creature ⟨p. 50⟩shall think with himself for ever, I might have had Christ, and mercy and pardon, and salvation: I heard Sermons about these things; and all was freely offered to me in the Gospel, but I regarded it not, until it was too late. And are there not some that have sinned away the blessed strivings of the Spirit of God from their Souls? It may be thou hast had sorrowful convictions & awakenings of Conscience when time was. Yea, so as to make known the anguish of thy Soul unto this or that servant of God, begging for the help of Prayers: and are all these troubles of spirit come to nothing? If ever poor creature had the black tokens of eternal death upon him, thou art such an one. Dost thou not know, that the, Woman whose Travelling pains leave her, and return not; will die most certainly? hast thou seemed to be in the pangs of the new birth; but have thy throws of Conscience left thee. O tremble lest the Lord say unto thee, as Ezek.
