2. There is on some Accounts greater Danger that such as are in your Circumstances will fail of thoroughly improving their Convictions, with Respect to Steadfastness and Perseverance, than others. Those that are young are more unstable than elder Persons: They that never had Convictions before, have less Experience of the Difficulty of the Work they have engaged in; they are more ready to think that they shall obtain Salvation ⟨p. 172⟩easily, and are more easily discouraged by Disappointments; and young Persons have less Reason and Consideration to fortify them against Temptations to Backsliding: You should therefore labour now the more to guard against such Temptations—By all Means be thorough now! Make but one Work of seeking Salvation! Make thorough Work of it the first Time!—There are vast Disadvantages that they bring themselves under, that have several Turns of Seeking with great Intermissions: By such a Course Persons exceedingly wound their own Souls, and entangle themselves in many Snares.—Who are those that commonly meet with so many Difficulties, and are so long labouring in Darkness and Perplexity, but those that have had several Turns at seeking Salvation, who have one while had Convictions, and then have quenched them, and then have set about the Work again, and have backsliden again, and have gone on after that Manner? The Children of Israel would not have been forty Years in the Wilderness, if they had held their Courage, and had gone on as they set out; but they were of an unstable Mind, and were for going back again into Egypt Otherwise if they had gone right forward, without Discouragement, as God would have led them, they would have soon entered, and taken Possession of Canaan: They had got to the very Borders of it, when they turned back, but then were thirty-eight Years after that, before they got through the Wilderness. Therefore as you regard the Interest of your Soul, don't run your self into a like Difficulty, by Unsteadiness, Intermission, and Backsliding; but press right forward, from henceforth, and make but one Work of seeking converting and pardoning Grace, however great, and difficult, and long a Work that may be.
2. There is on some Accounts greater Danger that such as are in your Circumstances will fail of thoroughly improving their Convictions, with Respect to Stedsastness and Perseverance, than others. Those that are young are more unstable than elder Persons: They that never had Convictions before, have less Experience of the Difficulty of the Work they have engaged in; they are more ready to think that they shall obtain Salvation ⟨p. 172⟩easily, and are more easily discouraged by Disappointments; and young Persons have less Reason and Consideration to fortify them against Temptations to Backsliding: You should therefore labour now the more to guard against such Temptations—By all Means be thorough now! Make but one Work of seeking Salvation! Make thorough Work of it the first Time!—There are vast Disadvantages that they bring themselves under, that have several Turns of Seeking with great Intermissions: By such a Course Persons exceedingly wound their own Souls, and intangle themselves in many Snares.—Who are those that commonly meet with so many Difficulties, and are so long labouring in Darkness and Perplexity, but those that have had several Turns at seeking Salvation, who have one while had Convictions, and then have quenched them, and then have set about the Work again, and have backsliden again, and have gone on after that Manner? The Children of Israel would not have been forty Years in the Wilderness, if they had held their Courage, and had gone on as they set out; but they were of an unstable Mind, and were for going back again into Egypt Otherwise if they had gone right forward, without Discouragement, as God would have led them, they would have soon entred, and taken Possession of Canaan: They had got to the very Borders of it, when they turned back, but then were thirty-eight Years after that, before they got through the Wilderness. Therefore as you regard the Interest of your Soul, don't run your self into a like Difficulty, by Unsteadiness, Intermission, and Backsliding; but press right forward, from henceforth, and make but one Work of seeking converting and pardoning Grace, however great, and difficult, and long a Work that may be.
