Tution forsake all that you have, or else you cannot be his disciples, Luke xiv. 26, 33. If you wil not t.ke GOD and heaven for your portion, and lay all below at the feet of Christ, but you must needs also have your good things here, and have an earthly portion, and GOD and glory is not enough for you; it is in vain to dream of salvation on these terms; for it will not be. If you seem never so religious, if yet it is but a carnel righteoushess, and the flesh's prosperity; or pleasure, or safety, be still excepted in your devotedness to GOD this is as certain a way to death, as open profaneness, though it be more plausible. Direction X. If you will turn and live,do it resolvedly and stand not stiil deliberating, as if it were a doubtful case. Stand not wavering, as if you were yet uncertain whether GODor the flesh be the better master; or whether heaven or hell be the better end; or whether sin or holiness be the better way. But away with your former lusts, and presently, habitually, fixedly resolve. Be not one day of one mind, and the next of another, but be at a point with all the world, and resolvedly give up yourselves and all you have to GOD. Now while you are reading or hearing this, resolve. Before you sleep another night, resolve. Before you stir from have time to take you this place, resolve. Before Satan off, resolve. You never turn indeed till you do resolve, and that with a firm unchangeable resolution. So much for the Directions. And now I have done my part in this work, that you may turn at the call of GOD and live. What will become of it, I cannot tell. I have east the seed at GOD's command; but it is not in my power to give the increase. I can go no ferther with my Inessage I cannot bring it to your hearts, nor make it work I cannot do your parts for you to entertain and consider of it: I cannot do GOD's part, by opening your heart to cause you to entertain it: Nor can I shew you heaven or hell to your eye sight, nor give you new and tender hearts. If I knew what more to do for your conversion, I hope I should do it. But, O thou that art the gracious Father of Spirits, thou hast sworn thou delightest not in the death of the wicked, but rather that they may turn and live; deny not thy blessing to these persuasions and directions, and suffer not thine enemies to triumph in thy sight: and the great deceiver of souls to prevail against thy Son, thy Spirit, and thy Word. O pity poor unconverted sinners, that have no hearts to pity themselves : Command the bind to see, and the deaf to hear, and the dead to live, and let not sin and death be able to resist thee. Awaken the secure, resolve the unresolved confirm the wavering, and let the eyes of sinners that read these lines, be next employed in weeping over their sins and bring them to themselves and to thy Son, before their sins have brought them to perdition. If thou say but the word, these poor endeavours shall prosper to the winning of many a soul, to their everlasting joy, and thine everlasting glory. Amen. END OF THE CALL. Proved, OBJECT. GOD will not be so unmerciful as to damn us: Applied, DOCT. 2. It is the promise of GOD, that the wick DocT, 4. The Lord hath confirmed it to us by his Oath, That he hath no pleasure in the death of ners, that he doubleth his commands and exhorta- tions with vehemency, Turn ye, Turn ye, - - 97 Applied, " Some motives to obey GOD's Call and Turn. DocT. 6 The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with the unconverted sinners, and to ask them, A strange disputation: 1. For the question: 2. The disputants. |