A call to the unconverted, to turn and live

3. Your destruction is evidently long of yourselves, in that you resist all that would help to […] you, and would do you good, or hinder you […] undoing yourselves. God would help and […] you by his word, and you resist it, it is too […] He would sanctify you by his ⟨p. 118⟩spirit, and you resist and quench it. If any man reprove you for your sin, you fly in his face with evil words; and if he would draw you to an holy life, and tell you of your present danger, you give him little thanks, but either bid him look to himself, he shall not answer for you, or else, at best, you put him off with an heartless thanks, and will not turn when you are persuaded. If ministers would privately instruct and help you, you will not come at them; your unhumbled souls do feel but little need of their help; if they would catechise you, you are too old to be catechised, though you are not too old to be ignorant and unholy. Whatever they can say to you for your good, you are so self-conceited and wise in your own eyes, even in the depth of ignorance, that you well regard nothing that agreeth not with your present conceits, but contradict your teachers, as if you were wiser than they; you resist all that they can say to you, by your ignorance, and wilfulness, and foolish cavils, and shifting evasions, and unthankful rejections, so that no good that is offered, can find any welcome acceptance and entertainment with you.

3. Your destruction is evidently long of yourselves, in that you resist all that would help to 〈…〉 you, and would do you good, or hinder you 〈…〉 undoing yourselves. God would help and 〈…〉 you by his word, and you resist it, it is too 〈…〉 He would sanctify you by his ⟨p. 118⟩spirit, and you resist and quench it. If any man reprove you for your sin, you fly in his face with evil words; and if he would draw you to an holy life, and tell you of your present danger, you give him little thanks, but either bid him look to himself, he shall not answer for you, or else, at best, you put him off with an heartless thanks, and will not turn when you are persuaded. If ministers would privately instruct and help you, you will not come at them; your unhumbled souls do feel but little need of their help; if they would catechise you, you are too old to be catechised, though you are not too old to be ignorant and unnoly. Whatever they can say to you for your good, you are so self-conceited and wise in your own eyes, even in the depth of ignorance, that you well regard nothing that agreeth not with your present conceits, but contradict your teachers, as if you were wiser than they; you resist all that they can say to you, by your ignorance, and wilfulness, and foolish cavils, and shifting evasions, and unthankful rejections, so that no good that is offered, can find any welcome acceptance and entertainment with you.