work you have now to do ; and really you cannot safely demur any longer ; this matter must come to a conclusion, and the sooner the better. For you know, (1.) that your lives are immediately un- certain, and it is an unaccountable madness to let the great con- cern of your salvation lie one day or night at hazard ; your breath is continually coming and going, and that which is going must at last be gone, James iv. 14. Your souls hang over everlasting dan- gers by the single thread of that feeble breath which plays in your nostrils, and every disease is like the flame of a candle held under that thread ; and can it either be safe or comfortable to delay so great a work as this, upon which all your expectations and eternal blessedness depend ? (2.) Not only your lives are hazardous and uncertain, but the enjoyment of the gospel, and all the opportu- nities and means of your conversion, are as uncertain as they. It is true, and to the glory of God be it acknowledged, we now enjoy the freedom and fulness of gospel-mercies : but where has God made any such settlement of these blessings upon you, as puts the enjoyment of them out of hazard ? The rain is over, but yet the clouds may return after the rain ; we are upon our good beha^ viour ; if it bring forth the fruits of your conversion, well ; if not, the ax lieth at the root of the tree, Matth. iii. 10. And if God re- move the gospel from among us (as our delays and triflings may pro- voke him to do) then the treaty is ended, and there is little proba- bility that any thing further will be done betwixt Christ and you, Luke xiii. 25. (3.) Bring this matter to an issue with all due speed, because you are not capable to give one sound reason for a moment's delay of so great and weighty a concernment. Can you be safe too soon ? Can you be happy too soon ? Certainly you cannot be out of the danger of hell too soon ; and therefore why should not your closing with Christ upon the terms propounded be your very next work ? For certainly if the business, the main work and business of everv man's life be to fly from the wrath to come, as indeed it is, Matth. iii. 7. and to fly for refuge to Jesus Christ, as indeed it is, Heb. vi. 18. then certainly, all delays are highly dan- gerous in such a business as this : the man-slayer, when flying to the refuge-city before the avenger of blood, when his heart was hot within him, did not think he could recover the city too soon. And now set all your own reason to work upon this matter ; put the case as really it is : I am fleeing from wrath to come : the jus- tice of God, and the curses of the law are closely pursuing me : is it reasonable that I now sit down in the way to gather flowers, or play with trifles ? For such are all our other concernments in this world, compared with our salvation. (4.) Bring this treaty to an issue with all due speed, because most souls that perish, perish by delays; men think they have time enough before them, and tiiat
to-morrow will be as to-day, and so Satan gets part by part, what he had not confidence to demand in the whole hnnp. Most that perish under the gospel had convictions upon their consciences, and vain purposes in their hearts ; but not bringing them to a speedy execution, that was their undoing ; James i. 24. " He beholdeth <' himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgets what manner *' of person he was." It is an allusion to a man that looks in the morning into a glass, where he discerns a spot upon his face, and resolves with himself anon to wash it off; but some diversion or other falls in, other matters take up his thoughts, and so the spot re- mains all day, and he carries it to bed at night. O these delays are the undoing of millions ! (5.) Delay not to close thi« treaty with Christ, because all delay increases the difficulty ; and the longer you neglect, the more mil your hearts be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, Heb. iii. 13. Continuance in sin, and quenching of convic- tions, do insensibly harden the heart, and stiffen the will. Under the first convictions the heart is tender, the affections flowing : O if this advantage were apprehended and pursued, how soon might the work come to a comfortable conclusion ! but after a while, those soul-affecting words, sin, Christ, heaven, hell, death, and eternity, will become words of a conmion sound. (6.) And lastly, beware of delays in this matter, because you can never expect a fitter and fairer opportunity and season for the dispatch of this great concern- ment, than, by the special indulgence of heaven, you enjoy this day, 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. *•' Now is the accepted time, now is the day of saK. " vation.'' You have now the wind and tide with you ; if you will not weigh anchor now, you may He A^d-bound to your dying day. What advantages can you reasonably expect, which God hath not furnished you with at this day ? You have the means of grace among you ; you have liberty and freedom to attend on those means without fear. Say not^ I have such or such troubles and encumbrances in the world ; for you must never expect to be with- out them, except you, only, shall find the world another thing than all others find it. Have you health ? O what a precious season and advantage is that ? art thou sick ! O what a spur is that ! What is to be done must be doae quickly.
III. Use^for Direction,
But it may be some souls may plead ignorance,, th^t they know not how to manage and transact so great a concernment with Christ, and therefore set not about it ; and it is very Ukely there may be much truth in that plea. For the help and assistance of such souls, I will gather up the sum of what hath been, and- ought to be fur- ther spoken about this matter,, in the following directions ; so that
nothing but your unwillingness and slothfulness shaU remain to hinder you,