0 the gashes that such self-reflections make ! Soul, how camest thou in hither into all this misery ? O it is of myself, my- self, that my destruction is. The door was open, and I was told of it, and was bid come in, but I would not. That I am lost and undone, was not my fate, which I could not avoid, but my fault and my folly. It seems to give some ease of our torment when we can shift off the fault. It was not I, but the woman, said Adam ; It was not I, but the serpent, said the woman. It that had been true, it would have given ease, as well as serve for an excuse. This thought (it was mine own doing) tears tiie very caul of the heart. O I have none to blame but myself; mine own foolish and froward heart. This is my ignorance, this is my unbelief, this is my wilfulness, my lust, and my j)leasures, and my idols, that
1 was ruiinin^j^ after, that have hronght mo under this dreadful loss. It was my own doing.
3. There is this in it, ' Thou shalt not for ever.' O that thou hadst ! Why, may I not yet ? Is there no hope of recovering the op|)ortunity? not one word more, not one hour more, may not the sun go one de- ffree backw ard ? No, no, it is too late, — too late, — thou hast had thy day ; from hence- forth no more for ever. There is the last dart, time is j)ast ; there is the death, the hell, the anguish, the worm that shall gnaw to eternitv ! This one word, ' time is past,*
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SELECT SERMONS.
Bets all hell a roaring ; and when it is once Bpoken to a sinner on earth, there is hell begun. Go thy way wretch, fill up thy measure, and fall into thy place ! The gos- pel hath no more to say to thee, but this one word : " Because I have called, and thou refusedst; I have stretched out my liand, and thou regardedst not ; but hast set 3,t nought all my counsels, and wouldest none of my reproofs : I also will laugh at t^hy calamities, and mock when thy fear cometh ; when thy fear cometh as desola- tion, and thy destruction cometh as a whirl- wind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon thee. Then shalt thou call, but I will not answer, thou shalt seek me early, but shalt not find me."
Beloved, my hopes are — and I am not able to say, but that you are yet under the ^rst wish — ' O that they would !' Christ is yet preaching you to faitli, and sends his wish along with his word, " O that they %vould believe !" Christ is yet preacliing repentance and conversion to you, and wishes, " O that they would repent !" tliat they would be converted ; and to this wish of my Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, says Amen. Brethren, will you yet again say your Lord nay ? Shall Christ have his wish ? shall your servant for Jesus' sake, shall /have my wish? will you now at last consent to be sanctified, and to be saved ? Let me have this wish, and I dare promise you from the Lord, you shall have yours, even whatever your soul can desire. Brethren, tiiis once hear, this once be pre- vailed upon ; }>c content that your lusts be Tooted out, and your Lord planted into your souls. Be content to be pardoned, content to be converted, content to be sav- ed. This once hear, lest if you now refuse, ye no more be persuaded with, ' O that they would !' but be for ever confonnded with, * O that they had !' Lest all our wishes, and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you ; this once hear ; O that you would !
I heartily thank you, for your good wish- es, and good-will towards me ; for your willing and cheerful entertainment of my person, and attendance on my ministry ; and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you. Which de-
sire, if God had not, my soul could not have denied you. Though the Almighty — to whose pleasure it is meet that we all sub- mit— hath said nay to that wish of yours, yet let your souls say Amen, to this last of mine, that the Lord God would dwell among you, and in you, both now and for ever.
And having thus finished my labours a- mong you, I shall now close up with this double account.
L Of my discharge of my ministry in this place.
2. Of my deprival. And shall so com- mit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified.