36 PREFACE. and general a promise of pardon, and grace, and everlastin~ glory; he commandeth us to tender all this to you, as the gi lt of God, and to entreat you to consider of the necessity and worth of what he offers. He sees and pities you, while you are drowned in worldly cares and pleasures, eagerly following childish toys, and wasting that short and precious time for a thing of nought, in which you should make ready for an everlasting life; and therefore he hath commanded us to call after you, and tell you how you lose your labour, and are about to lose your souls, and to tell you what greater and better things you might certainly have, if you would hearken to his call. Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3. We believe and obey the voice of God; and come to you on his message, who hath charged us to preach, and be instant with you in season and out of season, to lift up our voice like a trumpet , and show you your transgressions and your sins. Isa.lviii. 1, 2; Tim. iv. 1, 2. But, alas! to the grief of our souls and your undoing, you stop your ears, you stiffen your necks, you harden your hearts, and send us back to God with groans, to tell him that we have done his message, but can do no good on you, nor scarcely get a sober hearing. Oh! that our eyes were as a fountain of tears, that we might lament our ignorant careless people, that ha1·e Christ before them, and pardon, and life, and heaven before them, and have not hearts to know or value them! that might have Christ, and grace, and glory, as well as others, if it were not for their wilful negligence and contempt! 0 that the- Lord would fill our hearts with more compassion to these mi serable souls, that we might cast ourselves even at their feet, and follow them to their houses, and speak to them with our bitter tears. For, long have we preached to many of them in vain. We study plainness to make them understand, and many of them will not understand us; we study serious piercing words, to make them feel, hut they will not feel. If the greatest matters would work with them, we should awake them; if the sweetest things would work, we should entice them and win their hearts; if the most dreadful things would work, we should at least affright them from their wickedness; if truth and certainty would take with them, we should soon convince them; if the God that made them, and the Christ that bought them, might be heard, the case would soon be altered with them; if scripture might be heard, we should soon prevail; if reason, even the best and strongest reason, might be heard, we should not doubt but we should speedily convince them; if experience might be heard, even their own experience and the experience of all the world, the matter would be mended; yea, if the contJcience within them might be heard, the case
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