the ministry ; thou that hast indined my heart to make this attempf, and encouraged me with hope, that it shall not be in vain to all them that read it, if it must be so to some ; I beseech thee, lay the hand of thy Spirit upon the heart and hand of thy servant ; strengthen and guide him in drawing the bow of the gospel, and directing the arrows, that they may strike the mark he aims at, even the conviction and conversion of lewd and dissolute sinners. Command these consider- ations to stay and settle in their hearts, till they bring them fully over to thyself in Christ."
Considei'ation 1. And first, O that you would consider how the whole of your life past hath been cast away in vain, as to the great end and business you came into the world for. You have breathed many years, but not lived one day to God. Your consciences could never yet prevail with you to get out of the noise and hurry of the world, and go along with it into some private retiring-place, to debate the state of your souls, and think close (but for one hour) on such aw- ful subjects as God, soul, Christ, and eternity, heaven, hell, death,, and judgment. Do you think, gentlemen, that you came into this world to do nothing else but to eat and drink, sport and play, sleep and die ? Ask yourselves, 1 beseech you, whether the life you have hitherto lived, has looked to your own eyes like an earnest flight from hell, and a serious pursuit of heaven and salvation ? How much nearer you are got to Christ now, than you were when in your cradles? The sweetest, and fittest part of yowY life, is passed away in vanity^ and there is no calling one day, or hour of it, back again.
Considei'ation 2. Consider, gentlemen, for Christ Jesus sake, you have yet an opportunity to be etenially happy, if you will slight and neglect opportunities of salvation no longer ; the door of mercy is not yet finally shut up : The Lord Jesus yet waits to be gracious to you. Such is his astonishing grace and mercy, he will pardon and pass by all that you have done against him, if now, after all, you will but come unto him that you may have life. Turn ye^ turn ye ; for ivhy will ye die ? Your swearing and blaspheming, your drunken- ness, uncleanness, and enmity of godliness, shall never be mentioned, if you will yet repent and return. Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. "If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right ; he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him."
If you say, these are hard and impossible terms to nature, it is true, they are so, and God's end in urging them here upon you, is to convince you of your natural impotence, and drive you to Christ; that by union with him, the righteousness of the law might be ful- filled in you.
Consideration 3. Let it be thoroughly considered, it is no less than salvation, and your own salvation too, which depends upon your con- version. How diligent was Christ in purchasing salvation 1 how neg«
THE POSSIBILITY" Al^D XECKSSITY OF CONVKRSIOX. 513
iigentand remiss are we in applying it ! O what compositions of sloth and stupidity are unconverted sinners ! how do they sit with folded arms, as if it were easy to perish ? Is this your running and striving to obtain the palms and crowns of immortal glory ? Work-out (saith' the apostle, Phil. ii. 12, 13.) your own salvation with fear and trembling It is for salvation, and nothing less, you are here pressed to strive : And what care, pains, or solicitude of ours, can be equal and pro- i)ortionate to so great a thing as salvation ? If every thought of the heart were rescued from all other concerns, and the mind stand con- tinually fixed with utmost intention upon this subject, surely such a subject deserves it all, and much more.
But when you consider it is not another's, but your own salvation you are striving for ; how powerful should the principle of self-pre- servation awaken and invigorate your utmost endeavours after it ! The law of charity, and bowels of mercy, would compel us to do much to save the body, and much more the soul of another: And will they move us to do nothing for our salvation ?
Say not. If I should be careless and neglective, yet God is good and gracious ; if this season be neglected, there are more to come : Alas ! that is more than you knovv'. It is possible your eternal happiness may depend upon the improvement of this present oppor- tunity ; there is much of time in a short opportunity.
Consideration 4. Do you think your hearts would bein such a dead, careless, and unconcerned frame, about this great and awful matter of your conversion and salvation ; if those things were now before your eyes, which certainly and shortly must be before them !
How rational and necessary is it, for you now to suppose those very things as present before you, which you know to be near you, and a few days or hours will make present ^ Here let me make a few sup- positions, so rational, because certainly future and near, that no wise man will, or dare to slight them as fictions or chimeras.
Supposition 1. Suppose yourselves now upon your death-beds, your hearts and breaths failing, your eyes and heart-strings breaking, all earthly comforts failing, and shrinking from you ; these things you know, are unavoidable, and must shortly befal you, Eccl. viii. 8. sup- pose also, in these your last extremities, your consciences should awake (as probably they will, there being now no more charms of pleasure, and sinful companions, to divert or stupify them) what a case will you find yourselves in ! what a cold sweat will then lie upon your panting bosoms ! what a pale horror will appear in your countenances ? Will you not then wish, O that the time I have spent in vanity had been spent in the duties of serious piety ! O that I had been as careful of tny soul, as I was of my body ! What are the pains of mortifica- tion, which I was so afraid of, to the pains of damnation, which I begin to scent, and apprehend ! I thought it hard to pray, mourn, and deny myself; but I shall find it harder to grapple with tlie wrath of an incensed God to all eternity.
^44 THE POSSIBILITY AND XECESSITV OF COXVERSIOK.