N01663:10
The greatest concern in the world. A short and plain essay, to answer that…
The greatest concern in the world. A short and plain essay, to answer that most concerning and all concerning enquiry, What must I do to be saved? : Published, with a design to assist the addresses of good men unto their neighbours, whom they press to mind, the one thing that is needful.
printed by T. Green, 1718
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
IT is Impossible to ask a more Weighty Question! It is Deplorable, that we hear it asked with no more Frequency, with no more Agony. The spirit of Slumber which the Poison of the Old Serpent has brought upon the Children of men, is to be deplored Exceedingly. Awaken us out of this wonderful Stupidity, O God of all Grace, lest we Perish wonderfully!
IT is Impossible to ask a more Weighty Question! It is Deplorable, that we hear it ask'd with no more Frequency, with no more Agony. The spirit of Slumber which the Poison of the Old Serpent has bro't upon the Children of men, is to be deplored Exceedingly. Awaken us out of this wonderful Stupidity, O God of all Grace, lest we Perish wonderfully!
My design is to bring in a good & a full Answer to this Weighty Question. Oh! how Thankful ought we to be, for the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, that makes us able to Answer it! The Gospel which we have in our hands, tis a Gospel of such astonishing Mystery, of such Heavenly Majesty, and of such Consummate Purity, that it can be no other than the Word of God; It must be of a Divine Original. Oh! highly Favoured People, who know this Joyful Sound! Oh! Unavoidably, & Inexcusably Wretched, if we disregard it!
The Devils knew, That those Excellent Ministers of the Lord, Paul and Silas, were come to Philippi, with a Design to answer this Weighty Question. ⟨p. 2⟩They could not bear it; they feared it would issue in a Destruction upon their Kingdom there. They stirred up the minds of some Wicked People, to Abuse and Revile these Ministers, and run them into Prison. Some Wicked People were afraid, lest they should lose a little Money, by the coming of such Ministers among them; and the Devils inspired those Muckworms to use incessant Endeavours, until they had made these Ministers uncapable of Preaching any more unto them. Our Glorious LORD appeared for His Faithful Servants. They Glorified Him, in the midst of their Trials. They Sang His Praises, under the Stripes & the Stocks which the Satanic Party inflicted on them. Oh! Patient Servants of the Lord! What a symptom have you, that you shall one Day Reign in Glory with Him! These Poor men Sang unto the Lord; the Lord heard them, and saved them! A terrible Earthquake at Midnight shook open the Doors of their Prison. The Keeper that had the now superseded Keys of the Prison, was terrified. In his Consternation, he falls down at the Feet of his Prisoners; he treats them no longer as Prisoners, but rather as Angels. He fervently puts to them the Question, which, Oh! that it were often heard with an equal Fervency among us! What must I do to be Saved?