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love_n	know_v	see_v	think_v	5,028	5	3.7942	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67764	Preparation to conversion, or, Faith's harbinger in a rare epistle, writ by a person of quality before his death, to his surviving friends, shewing, that Satan prevails most by deception of our reason, that the beauty of holiness and true wisdom is unseen to the world, that ingrateful persons are as witless as wicked, why most men hear the Gospel year after year, and are never the better, with wholsom instruction, to prevent destruction : all richly fraught with choise and pithy sentences, similitudes, examples, metaphors, rhetorical and pointed expressions, which being thought by many worth the transcribing at no small charge, is now committed to the press / by R. Young ...	Younge, Richard.	1658 (1658)	Wing Y176; ESTC R39195	18,400	18

and brain-sick Bedlam-Positions are these Could rational men ever argue in this manner had not the God of this world blinded their eys that the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. 2 Thes. 2.9 10. Did not their deceitfull hearts damnably delude them as in that case of Leah Gen. 30.18 and of Saul 1 Sam. 23.7.21 and of Micah Judg. 17.13 Turn to the places for they are rare to this purpose If this be Reason it is Reason frighted out of its wits Yet this is every wilfull sinners case yea of every unregenerate man in some measure As I 'll but give you one instance more to clear it You shall have them maintain with incredible impudence accompanied with invincible ignorance That if a man make scruple of small matters or of those sins or sinfull customs which they allow of and will not do as they do That he is over-precise Though they may as soon finde Paradise in Hell as any Text in the Bible that makes for loosness or against circumspect walking Yea who would dream that so gross blockishness should find harbor in any reasonable soul as to think that God should like a man the worse for his being the better or for having a tender conscience or look for less fear reverence and obedience from his servants then we do from our servants And yet the same men will grant that a servant can never be too punctual in his obedience to his masters lawfull commands But you see the reason Natural men are blinde to spiritual objects as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.18.20 2.14 and so no more fit to judge of them then blinde men are fit to judge of colours And hence it is that they have the basest thoughts of the best men making ill constructions of whatsoever they speak or do as the Scribes and Pharisees dealt by our Saviour Until we are born again we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again John 3.4 Until we become zealous our selves we are like Festus who thought zeal madness Acts 26.24 Until we be humble our selves we are like Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a fool for dancing before the Ark 2 Sam. 6.16 For to carnal-minded men all Religion seems foolishness 1 Cor. 1.18 It faring between the Sensual and Spiritual as it does between Youth and Age For as Young men think Old men to be fools but Old men know the Young to be fools so Worldlings think the Religious fools but the Religious know them to be fools because they have had the experience of both conditions as the old have been young but the other are utterly unacquainted with what they see and know Besides the one make the Word their rule in every thing for they live and believe and hear and invocate and hope and fear and love and worship God in such manner as his Word prescribes The other do all as the flesh leads them and according to the customs and rudiments of the world 12 Now lay all together and you will think it no whit strange that notwithstanding their condition is so miserable they should yet be so jocund confident and secure that they should neither be sensible of their present condition nor afraid of future Judgment Security makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure and merry because they are ignorant A Dunce we know seldom makes doubts yea a Fool says Solomon boasteth and is confident Pro. 14.16 Ignorance is a veil or curtain to hide away their sins Our knowledge saith one of the Learned doth but shew us our ignorance And Wisdom says another is but one of mans greatest miseries unless it be as well able to conquer as to discern The next thing from being free from miseries is not to be sensible of them Erasmus could spie out a great priviledge in a blockish condition Fools saith he being free from ambition envy shame and fear are neither troubled in conscience nor macerated with cares And Beasts we see are not ashamed of their deeds Where is no reason at all there is no sin where no use of reason no apprehension of sin and where no apprehension of sin there can be no shame Blinde men never blush neither are Worldlings ashamed or afraid of any thing because for want of bringing their lives to the rule of Gods word they perceive not when they do well when ill The Timber not brought to the Rule may easily appear straight when yet it is not Whereas every small sin to a holy and regenerate man that weigheth his sin by the ballance of the Sanctuary is very grievous and disturbeth his conscience exceedingly Besides the Regenerate know that the very end for which they were created and redeemed was that they might honour love and serve their Creator Redeemer They remember also that they bound themselves by vow and promise in their baptism so to do Whereas these brainless and bruitish men never once consider what they came into the world for nor what will become of them when they depart hence Only their care is that they may eat drink play sleep and be merry Whereupon they spend their days in mirth and suddenly they go down into hell as Job speaks Job 21.13 For like men sleeping in a Boat they are carried down the stream of this World until they arrive at their Graves-end Death without once waking to bethink themselves whither they are going to Heaven or Hell I grant that in their long sleep they have many pleasant dreams As for instance They slumber and suppose themselves good Christians true Protestants they dream they repent them of their sins and that they believe in Christ they dream they have true grace that they fear and love and serve God as they ought they dream they shall go to Heaven and be saved But the truth is all their Religion is but a Dream and so is their assurance of salvation They have Regeneration in conceit Repentance and Righteousness in conceit they serve God well in conceit and they shall go to Heaven only in conceit or in a dream and never awake until they feel themselves in a bed of unquenchable flames Neither did pure and naked Supposals ever bring any man to eternal life 13 Which being so and that with the greatest part of the World How does it concern every one of you to try and examine your selves whether it fares not so with you and to mistrust the worst of your selves as all wise and sound-hearted Christians do as you may see by the Apostles Matth. 26.22 even every of them was jealous of himself and examined his own heart though but one of them was guilty of that soul sin which Christ spake of Now if you would examine your selves but by those marks I have already given you you may easily see whether you are the men guilty of what I have laid to your charge If you would be

might be without souls then your Churches without Preachers You would not like so many Mules suck their milk and then kick them with your heels But this most plainly shews that you are so far from knowing the necessity and worth of the Word of life that you do not know you have souls which makes you as little care for them as you know them Otherwise how could you make such a mighty difference between your bodies and souls As had any of you but a leg or an arm putrified and corrupt you would even give money and think your selves beholding too to have them cut off Because it is the onely way and means to preserve the whole body And if so what love and thanks can be too much that is exprest to them who would would we give them leave pluck our Souls out of Satans clutches and bring us to eternal life Nor can he ever be thankfull to God who is not thankfull to the instrument or means by whom God does or would do him good Yea more That man I dare boldly affirm cannot possibly have any interest is Christs blood who is not forced with Admiration to say How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace bring glad tidings of good things and publish salvation Rom. 10.15 Isa. 52.7 But to prove and cleer this see both Examples and Testimonies 4. First Examples The Galatians are said to have received them as Angels of God yea even as Christ Jesus and that to pleasure them they would if it had been possible have pluck'd out their own eyes and have given the same unto them Gal. 4.14 15. and thought it their duty to communicate unto them in all their goods Gal. 6.6 And likewise the Romans Rom. 15.27 Yea by the Apostles testimony we that are converted do owe even our own selves unto our spiritual Pastors Phil. 19. and the like of other Churches Insomuch that Luther speaking of the Primitive times and of Christians in general says that so soon as the Gospel took root in mens hearts the glad tidings of salvation by Christ was so sweet to them that in comparison thereof riches had no relish And Acts 2.44 45. and 4.34 35. do sufficiently confirm the same And indeed who ever knew what Conversion and Regeneration was who hath tasted of the powers of the world to come and enjoyed the joy of the Holy Ghost and that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding but would rather have their bodies want food and the Firmament want light then that their souls should want that light and spiritual food of the Gospel by which they are nourished and do live For far better be unborn then untaught as Alexander a meer Heathen could say That this is the one onely thing necessary and which Believers prize above all you may see by what holy David says of it Ps. 27.4 84.1 to 11. 119.1403 One thing have I desired c. Oh how sweet is thy word unto me c. As turn but to the places and see how he expresseth himself for I may but touch upon things And the like of wise Solomon Pro. 8.10 True to you that are strangers to and utterly unacquainted with these soul-ravishing enjoyments these things will appear impossible as the like did to Nicodemus touching Regeneration Joh. 3.4 and to that multitude of Jews touching Stephens vision when he told them how he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God in glory Which they were so far from believing that it made their hearts brast for madness to gnash their teeth stop their ears cast him out of the city and stone him to death Acts 7.54 to 60. They could not possibly-believe that he should see what was hid to every one of them But this I can assure you even you my friends beyond all exceptions That if ever the mask of prejudice be taken from before your sight or if your eyes shall be opened before you drop into Hell you will have other thoughts of these things and so of the Publishers of them and be clean of another minde yea you will loath what you now love and love what you now loath Yea I dare refer my self in this case to the very damned in hell For what else made Dives being in those torments desire Abraham that one might be sent unto his brethren from the dead to give them warning and to acquaint them with his success but the alteration of his judgment And you know how that Reprobate Balaam wish'd to die the death of the righteous though for the present he preferred and loved riches and honor before and above his soul But 5 Secondly see precepts and testimonies to confirm it Are we not commanded by the Holy Ghost to have them in singular love and count them worthy of double honor for their works sake 1 Thes. 5.13 1 Tim. 5.17 Yea the Apostles words are not only Let them that labour in the word and doctrine be accounted worthy of double honor but he adds He who preacheth the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.7 to 15. saying also Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all his goods Gal. 6.6 Yea if any man saith he does not communicate and communicate in all his goods God is not mocked v. 7. So it falls and I fear it falls heavy on many amongst us Again says the same Apostle If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things 1 Cor. 9.11 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar c. v. 13 14. Again does he not say that our debt and duty he terms it not benevolence to our Spiritual Pastors is such as that we owe unto them even our own selves Phil. 19. with a great deal more of the like that he may meet with mens carnal reasonings in this case which are not a few 1 Cor. 9. All which is New Testament too if obstinacy would permit men to take notice of it Thus you see how you ought to esteem and reward your Ministers and how Believers do and have done Whereas you as if you were Antipathites to all wisdom and goodness hate revile slight rob and persecute them Are you not ashamed of it does it not make you tremble yea is it not enough to make you despair of ever finding mercy at the Throne of Grace or of having Christ your Redeemer and Advocate to whom and for whose sake you do it as I shall suddenly shew But you will say for want of acquaintance with the Word of God and your own hearts as every Natural man is as great a stranger to his own heart as Hazael was who could not be perswaded by the Prophet that he should commit such abominable wickedness as a while after it

Preparation to Conversion Or Faith's Harbinger In a rare Epistle writ by a Person of Quality before his death to his surviving Friends Shewing That Satan prevails most by deception of our Reason That the beauty of Holiness and true Wisdom is unseen to the World That ingrateful persons are as witless as wicked Why most men hear the Gospel year after year and are never the better With wholsom instruction to prevent destruction All richly fraught with choise and pithy Sentences Similitudes Examples Metaphors Rhetorical and pointed Expressions Which being thought by many worth the Transcribing at no small charge is now committed to the Press by R. Young of Roxwel in Essex Much Respected IF you ask Why I take this pains Turn to Levit. 19.17 Heb 3.13 and you have there both my answer and warrant for I do but supply with my pen what I was bound to perform with my tongue If for a President Take that of Photian who when a Friend of his would have cast himself away suffered him not saying I was made thy Friend to this purpose And he that loves not such a Friend hates himself If why I have been silent so long These are the only reasons Want of courage fear to displease and left you should think me to have had more Zeal then Wit and more Religion then Discretion A case too common which makes me fear that what our Saviour says Mar. 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me c. will prove a dreadful Text to a great many For who almost does not make a very Idol of Discretion and more fear the censures of men then the displeasure of God Men owe God some good will but like those Rulers Joh. 12.42 they dare not shew it They would please him yet so as they might not displease others nor themselves Never considering that he who bears with his Friends vices makes them his own Now in case you shall with those Gentiles Rom 10.20 receive more good by it then you desire admire the providence and free grace of God who will shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Exod. 33 19. Rom. 9.15 That little which Croesus learnt of Solon saved his life And had Pilate taken that fair warning his wife gave him it might have saved his soul Nor am I without hope to prevail with some of you since Nathan wrought more upon David by one private particular Admonition then all the Lectures of the Law could do for three quarters of a year together However it were happy for millions were they so plainly dealt withall Wherefore be perswaded to hearken a while unto me as you would have Christ another day hearken unto you Which that you may do I will even refer the point to your selves to determine As let me propound your case in the person of another as the disguised Prophet dealt with Ahab 1 King 20. v. 39. to 43. Or as Christ dealt with the Priests Scribes and Elders Luke 20. v. 1 to 20. The case is this 2 God in great love sent Sampson to deliver the men of Judah from the slavish thraldom of their enemies but they in requital binde him in whom all their hope of deliverance lay and deliver him up to those enemies that kept them under to the end they might slay him and still make slaves of them Judg. 15. Again after this God sent unto their successors the Jews his onely Son to the end he might heal their diseases feed their bodies inlighten their mindes and save their souls And they in requital of all hate revile scourge and crucifie him though in killing him they did their utmost to split or sink the onely ship that could save them Two rare and remarkable Examples Now tell me what you think of these blockish Jews Were they more wicked or witless or ingrateful I know you will answer me You cannot tell as the Priests Scribes and Elders did our Saviour when the conscience of their own guiltiness had stopt their mouths Luke 20.1 to 8. Or if you do make a satisfying answer it shall be like David's answer to Nathan's parable wherein he pronounced sentence of death against himself 2 Sam. 12 1 to 8. For it is your very Case if you had but eyes or the wit to see it I mean all you who any way misuse or are ingrateful to your Ministers whom God out of his infinite love hath sent to be your Deliverers from the grievous slavery and thraldom you are in under Sin Satan and Hell I know you think your selves wise men and Christians good enough yea what but your high thoughts and good opinion of your selves hath brought you to become scorners of your Teachers and Instructors and more of their godly instruction As proud men are wont to admire their own actions but to abate the value and derogate from the esteem of others every whit as basely to vilifie other mens doings as they over-highly prise their own as Julian observes But consider it rightly and this alone could you be taxed with nothing but this not onely shews you to be foolish and frantick but so ingrateful and wicked withal as if your wickedness and unthankfulness did strive with Gods goodness for the victory as Absalom strove with David whether the Father should be more kinde to the son or the son more unkinde to the Father As what can you alleadge for your selves or against your Pastors Are they any other to you then those three Messengers-were to Lot that came to fetch him out of Sodom that he might not feel the fire and brimstone which followed Gen 19. Or then the Angel was to Peter that opened the iron-gates loosed his bands brought him out of prison and delivered him from the thraldom of his enemies Acts 12. 3 What wrong do they do you They beg and dig they dig and beg as that good Vine-dresser did whose Mattock kept off the Masters Ax Luke 13.8 9. They beat their brains they spend their spirits pour out their prayers plot and contrive all they can to save your precious souls were you but willing to be saved They bring you the glad tidings of salvation would furnish and endow you with the spiritual invaluable and lasting riches of grace and glory They are content to waste themselves like a candle that they may give light unto and bring others to Heaven 1 Cor. 9.19 2 Cor. 12.15 And do you instead of honoring respecting and rewarding them hate traduce and persecute them This is not for want of ignorance For you shew just as much reason in it as if those blinde deaf diseased possessed distracted or dead persons spoken of in the Gospel should have railed upon our Saviour for offering to cure restore dispossess recover and raise them again And had not they great reason so to do For shame think upon it For did you know and rightly consider that you cannot be nourished unto eternal life but by the milk of the Word you would rather wish your bodies

carnal reasons as you do now I beseech you look to it Nor is our love or hatred to God any way better known then by our respect to and usage of his Ambassadors lip-Lip-love is but lying love If you love me keep my commandments says our Saviour Job 14.15 Wherefore let my counsel be acceptable Break off your sins by repentance kick no more against the pricks Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone lest ye be found even fighters against God Acts 5.38 39. Nor will it ever repent you if you come in Heaven that you were stopt in this your way to destruction Yea let the consideration of what you have already done make you sink down with shame and tremble for astonishment to think that notwithstanding you have been so many years in arms against your Maker and Redeemer and most spightfully and maliciously persecured his Ambassadors that came to rescue you from the subtlery and slavery of Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankinde yet God hath no taken the advantage of casting you into Hell but of his never enough admired mercy hath spared you to this hour whereas he might most justly have prevented all in sending you body and soul into everlasting torments when you were but a span long For know this that we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us Yea we were condemned so soon as conceived And that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell-flames never to be freed no reason can be alleadged but O the depth Wherefore take heed in time and as you tender the good of your own souls defer not a minute but study and bestir your selves how you may make your peace with God Yea do it while the yerning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ lie open to receive you whiles ye have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God As you tender I say the everlasting happiness and welfare of your almost lost and drowned souls As you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endless bliss and glory at the last As you would escape the direfull wrath of God the bitter doom and sentence of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul-scorching flames of Hell and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure and utterly renounce this accursed sin Oh get an interest in Christ For till we become members of his mystical body by regeneration and a lively faith we even the best of us are as Traitors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell-fire being onely reprieved for a time O bless God all the dayes you live yea to eternity that the gate of mercy yet stands open 10 But withal take hold of the opportunity before the Draw-bridge be taken up left you never have the like again Do not dally with God and your own souls for if this warning be slighted never look for the like For warning such a warning not taking is a certain prefage of destruction Pro. 29.1 1.24 25 26. The sons of Eli would not hearken unto nor obey the voice of their Father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsel 2 Chron. 25.16 20. Whereas contrarily the Ninevites by hearkning to Jonah and those very murtherers of the Lord of life by listening to Peter were converted and saved Acts 2.36 37. O take heed of proferring your own carnal reason before the written word of God And that what is spoken of Babel may not be verified in you We would have cured him but he would not be cured lest you be given up to destruction as she was What sayes our Saviour This is the condemnation none like this that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil John 3.19 20. Indeed if you will rather beleeve Satan or his sollicitor the Flesh or be led by the perswasions of your own flattering heart which is deceitfull above all things and most desperately evil Jer. 17.9 No marvel you should be deaf to all hath been said as thinking your selves already good enough and then farwel all hope of being better For the opinion of mens being wise and good enough is the sole and onely cause of their being no wiser nor better Yea therefore are millions Christians in name onely because they think themselves Christians indeed And who is there in all this Nation that thinks not himself a Christian though they are able to yeild no reason except this They are neither Turks nor Jews nor which is worse then either as they suppose Round-heads A strong argument I promise you able to move the gentlest spleen alive to laughter for the Devil can make as good a confession of his faith as this Yet all the reasonings of Carnal men are thus weighty As let me give you a few instances 11 They will say they love and fear God as they ought when what he commands they do the contrary are flint unto God wax to Satan have their ears always open to the Temper shut to their Maker and Redeemer when they are Traitors to him and take up arms against him A good sign they serve God and Christ when Satan the World and the Flesh have more command of them When they are so far from loving and serving him that they hate those that do it and that for their so doing and from fearing him that they more fear the worlds scorns then his anger They will in like manner pretend they love Christ that died for them when they hate all that resemble him in holiness They are Christians in name when they will scoff at a Christian in deed and are enemies to the cross of Christ Love a form of godliness but hate the power of it They will do what God forbids yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens will do the Devils works yet look for Christs wages Expect that Heaven should meet them at their last hour when all their life-long they have gallopped in the beaten road towards Hell Expect to have Christ their Redeemer and Advocate when their consciences tell them that they seldom remember him but to blaspheme him and more often name him in their oaths and curses then in their prayers Will persecute honest and orthodox Christians and say they mean base and dissembling Hipocrites think they do God good service in killing his servants Joh. 16.2 as Paul touching Stephen and the Jews touching Christ Boast of a strong faith and yet fall short of the Devils in believing Jam. 2.19 These are some of their syllogisms or arguings I could even tire your ears with the like But what doting blockish

further informed ask your selves only these three questions Whether you are of that small number whom Christ hath chosen out of the world Whether you are Regenerate Whether you have true and saving faith For otherwise all your hopes and perswasions are but vain presumptions and delusions First Are you of that small number For the greatest number whether of men or great men or great Scholars go the broad way to destruction and but a few of either the narrow way which leadeth unto life as appears by many cleer testimonies and examples for which see those known places Mat. 7.13 14. 1 Joh. 5.19 Rev. 20.8 Christs flock that believe the Gospel are but a little flock Luk. 12.32 and but few in number Isa. 10.22 53.1 Rom. 9.27 10.16 Rev. 3.4 2 Cor. 4.4 Mat. 8.34 27.22 Acts 28.22 Rev. 13.16 Yea of all the CCLXXXVIII several Opinions which Philosophers held touching the Chief good never any was 〈…〉 to think the way to attain to it was by doing as the most do Yea they all concluded that Number was the best note of the worst way And we even see by experience that the basest things are ever most plentifull And therefore it amazes me to think how men should be so blockish as they are in this particular for if you mark it most men walk in the broadway and yet every man thinks to enter in at the strait gate which could never be if they were not fools or frenzie Again take notice that many seekers fall short of heaven Luke 13.24 Do you strive The righteous shall scarcely be saved what then shall become of the unrighteous 1 Pet. 4.18 14 Secondly Are you regenerate and born anew For Christs words to Nicodemus a knowing honest moral man are express yea and he bindes it with an oath Verily verily I say unto you except ye be born again ye can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Now if you be regenerate it will appear by this Regeneration or new-birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature onely evil-disposed In all that are born anew is a change both in the Judgement from error to truth and in the Will from evil to good and in the Affections from loving evil and hating good to love good and hate evil in the whole man from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Is this change wrought in you For without it there is no going to heaven no being saved Then Thirdly Have you a true and lively faith in Jesus Christ For there is no coming to Christ but by faith Heb. 11.6 By faith we receive the forgiveness of our sins Luke 7.47 50. By faith we are justified Rom. 3.26 28 30. Gal. 3.8 By faith through grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 9. Luk. 18.42 By faith through the power of God we are kept and preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Nothing but faith can assure us of Gods favor Eccles. 9.1.2.3 By faith we obtain whatsoever we ask Mat. 21.22 By faith we are blessed Gal. 3.14 By faith we know God 1 Joh. 4.7 Psal. 9.10 Without faith we cannot profit by hearing the Word Heb. 4.2 Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin be they never so glorious performances Rom. 14.23 and 10.14 Now you shall know whether you have faith by this Faith comes by bearing the Word preached Rom. 10.17 And the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3 5.8 Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Act. 26.18 Faith is known by its works Iam. 2.17 18.22 Faith and holiness are as inseparable as life and motion the sun and light fire and heat Again Faith believeth the threats of the Word together with the promises and thereupon feareth sin as it fears hell Again if the Image of God by faith be repaired in you you cannot but love them that love God 1 Ioh. 3.10 Besides this is a sure rule That that perswasion only which follows found humiliation is Faith That which goes before it is Presumption And as Ambrose speaks No man can repent of sin but he that beleeves the pardon of sin nor none can beleeve his sins are pardoned except he hath repented Lastly how easie a matter soever men think it is to believe he that goes about it shall finde it as hard a work to beleeve the Gospel as to keep the Law And onely God must enable to both Now if upon trial you evidently finde that you are of Christs little flock that you are regenerate and that you have this precious grace of Faith wrought in your heart you may comfortably assure your self that you shall be saved Otherwise the Devil and your own heart do but delude you in promising you the least benefit by the blood of Christ Yea it had been better for you that there had been no Christ come into the world For even the mercy of God which you have contemned and the means of grace and the offer of salvation shall but inhance your damnation Yea Christ himself that onely Summum bonum who is a Saviour to all Beleevers shall be a just Revenger to you if you go on and bid you Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire c. Matth. 25.41 15 And so much for the discharge of my conscience and duty and to make a supply of that which I should have some way performed long since Yet least I should imitate those who kindle a fire under greenwood and leave it so soon as it begins to flame for I take it for granted that some of you will lay to heart what hath been said I have sent you three Books writ by an impartial Author not a Party which I hold exceeding profitable for you to peruse The one speaking more home and full to this matter The second shewing how it comes to pass that so many are deceived who hope to be saved The third setting out to the life the very thoughts words and actions of all natural men insomuch that no glass can more lively represent your faces then it does your hearts Therefore that you may not be disappointed of your end by mistaking your way that you may become as true friends to God and the Ministry as you have been bitter enemies and so have your part and portion with them at Gods right hand where are pleasures for evermore Be perswaded to read them with as much observation and circumspection as you would do the Evidences of your Inheritance Neither count it as a thing indifferent that may either be done or dispensed with except you are indifferent whether you be saved or damned Yea so minde what you read as if it were an Epistle writ from Heaven and sent to each of you in particular Expect not that Christ Jesus himself from Heaven should call to you severally by name as he did to Saul and say Ho Ishmael such a