Chap.t. Sect 6. j.Lootttng unto jjcfu.s. Book VI. 599 fwers, and of his replications to their anfw:rs, much faid on both fides t.o and again; I may fuppofe the likdtere. 0 what !hall 1 do (fays the Mtntller) what doom lhall Ipafs on this Affembly of Reprobates1 can I abfolve them whom the nghteous God hath condemned 1 can I fay, cume along with me to heaven, now Chrill hath faid, go ye curfed ;nto hell? and oh now !h•ll I turn my fpeech from my wonted wooing, be– fc:cehing,intreating, exhmttng, to a dtrecr doommg,damnmg, condemnmg thefe fouls to the pit of hell? Come times indeed I opened to thefe f9uls the armoury of God's wrath. I thundrcd and lightned tn thelf CongregatiOnS; but my defign was to frtght , thcrn out of hell-fire, and knowing the tcmiursof the Lord,to have perfwaded them towards heaven,and he~venly thing<;but now ifl !peak condenmation,no fooner !hall I fpeak, out their fouls wtll fink down to hell ; 0 miferable fouls, what !hall I fa.y ? or what can you fay for your fdvcs? Then fh•ll they anfwer; Oh Str, do notyO\l aggravate the torment by your condemnation; the weight efCiuill's doom is already unfupportable, but will you adde more weight? why remember, we arc fome of us (it may be) of y.our ftefh and blood ; many a time you told us that you unfeighnedly loved us; and that we were dearer to you thm all worldly enjoyments ; many a time you told u>that you were willing to fpmd your (elf for us, as the candle that burns it [elf to give others light; you were pleafed to bellow your prayers, tears, fighs, groans f.:>rous fouls; your very Books and Writings were high expreffions, and abid– ing monuments of your dear love to us ; you weighed not your llrength and fpirits in comparifon of our fouls ; and Otall thts fair comical fcean end in a difmal, doleful, bloody Tragedy? would you do or fuJfer anything to fave us, and will you now con: demn us ? oh forbear! Ah no, (faith the Minillcr}I cannot forbear; all is true that you fay, I loved you dearly,and I was willing to tpen·d, or to be fp"ntforyou; but this aggravates the more; ah my ua·vail, pains, books,writings, words, tqrs, fighs, groans are in one vo.. Jume together, and this volume has been opened this day, and now is the qu~llion put 1 what have you profited by all my words, prayers, tears, fighs, and groans? is 110t all loll? and are not your fouls l<>ft ? and now do you tell me ef love ? what, did I ever love you more then Chrillloved you? werethedrops of my tears to becomp~red with the fhowersof his blood ? were my pains fo• you equal with the pajns of his~rofs l and hath he not condemned you to hell? and !hall uot I bclike-minded to Jetus ~hr,illl Surely the Lord's will mufi be my will; he hath already judged you, and he will m~ke •me to judge you; [o far am I from pitying you, that if be that formed you will fheYI you nomercr,, if he tha~iaves me~ and all{he Elect. people of God, will _not faveyou, can I pity you, or fave you, or dtfcent frolil Jefus tn hiS fentence upoR you? fpeak no more of flefh and blood, ot labours, of love, Chrill's Sentence mull lland,and as I am a member of Chrifl, and a Minilier of Chrill;I cannot but approve of. it, and fs> judge you to hell. . · . , Why then (fay Reprobates) we wil!-curfe thee, and blafplteme Jefus Chri{\ i11·hell forever; curfed b.. tbe time that ever we hea.d ofJefus Chrill, or that ever we knew thee, or thy Minillry ; do notthy Samons fepd us deeper into i)ell? had it not been cofier for us at this day ofjudgment if we had lived in Tyre and Sydm,,where the Gof– pel never was Preached ? didlt not thou harden our hearts in fuch and fuch Serr:nons, when the Word came home? didll ttot thou d'eny us the feals which might have been for confirmation of our fouls falvation ? didll thou not ellrange thy lielf from usJ)l refpecrof any inward, intimate, a11d familiar fociety, which thou a/fordell to others.? doth not the evem plainly O.ew, tltat all thy reus, prayers, words, and works, asht re– ference.to us,wc.c hypocrifie,flattcry,de<eit, diffimulation ? oh curfed be the day that ev~r we lived under fuch a Minifiry, or that ever we heard of Jefus Chrill. N1_r·then(f•ith the Miniller) it is time for us to part; fuch were your inveCl:ives on earth, and now they are, and will be your·language in Hell· but have I not anfwer'd thefe cavils many a time? have I not told you that the Word would harden fome, an<! foften others, the fault be'tng in your [elves? ~ave I not cleared it that the feals are not to be fer upon blanks, and that confir'mation could not be without awork of converlion to lead 1t> and _were wenot commanded in the name ofour Lord JefusChrifi ro_ wtthdraw our fdves from every brother that walketh diforderly l did not the · w!fe man tell us? !J< that toucbeth pitch fh•U bedejiltd there.-.ith, and be that bath fe/. 2 Thef. g.e6, low(hip R>ith aproud m•11 fh aUbe lilze unto him ? can a man ta'!{ firt in bi1 bofome, a11d Prov•.a6, 27, h11 cloatbs not be burnt? can a man go ztpon bot co~lts, and hiffeet be not burnt l as 28. - - for
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