., ( 471. mercy to them · and many a time bath he urged them to accep~ it ; He bath f;t before them life and death, and given them their choice, and direCted and perfwaded them to choofe aright ; Im~ poffibiliry of attainment is not their hinde_ranse ~ for Mercy be~ feecheth and importtmeth them to accept 1t , and grace and fa!- · vntion are brought unto their hands: 0 wonderful l What then ·is left to take off a reafonable creature, from minding and prefer– ring its own ev~rlafi:ing great concerf,lments ? b it becaufe they have done their work-already, and having made fure of heaven, · have time to turn themfe\ves to other matters ? Alas no: the · mofi (:Ire far from any fucb a!fnrance; and have done but little to procure it. If rhey were to die this hour , they know not where ' their fouls {hall be the next : And if death even now iliould lay its terrible lundsupon them, .they have no other comfo:-t then · to yield unto heceffity, and leave their fouls by a fhort fecurity, to try the pa!fage of their unavoidable change ; Unlefs they are · comforted by fuch preftJmptuous felf· deceit, whicfu the next mo- · ment after deathwill vaniili, and never return unto them more.. · Job8.13',I4. &II.20. &27.8.Prvv. II. 7• This is the cafe of the miferable worid; but they have not · hearts to pitcy rhemfelves, nor canwe make them willing to be– delivered, becaufe we cannot make them know their cafe. If a · man fall into a pit, we need not fpcnd all the day to perfwade him that he is there, and to be willing to be belpt out of it ; But with thefe fldhly miferable fouls , the time that i11oald be fpent by thc.rnfelve~ and us for tbeir recovery, mun be fpent to make them ' believe that they are Jo:fl; and when all is clone, we leave them .Iofl:, and have loft our labour, becaufe we cannot prevail with · them to· bel ieve it. Drown they will and perifb everlafiingly, be- · cmafe the time that iliould be fpent in faving them, mufl: be fpent in m-aking them know that they are flnking, and aftel all they will not believe it ; and therefore will n.ot lay hold on the hand that is firetched forth to pull them out. -The NarratiYe of the favage people of Sotdania doth notably reprefent their Hate: Thofe people live nal\ed, and feed upon the cHrion.like carka£fes of beans,- 2.nd hang the -fiinking guts about their necks for orna– ment$! and wear h:ns made of the dung , and carve their skins, and will not change [he!e loathfom cuftoms ; Some of them bt:– itlg:rlrawn into om· Shi ps, were carried away for Engl11nd; when dileyJ an-:e to Lmdon~~md faw. ·o·ur Hatdy .building~,and cloathing, . · ... . - · · - · · · an~\!
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