390 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS apprehensions of his love, and that never felt a higher estimation of God and heaven, and a heartier love to them, than to the things-below I earnestly beseech you, not only for my sake, but for the Lord's sake, and for your souls' sake, that you go not one day longer in your present condition ; but look about you, and cry to God for converting grace, that you may escape the plagues which are before you. Deny me any thing that ever I shall ask you for myself, if yQU will but grant me this. .Nay, as ever you will do any thing at the request of the Lord that made you and redeemed you, deny him not this ; for if you deny him this, he cares for nothing that you shall grant him. As ever you would have him hear your prayers, and grant your requests, and bless you at the hour of death, and day of judgment, deny not his request now in the day of your prosperity. O believe it, death and judgment, and heaven and hell, are other matters when you come near them, than they seem afar ofd Well, I hope that some of you are by this time pur- posing to turn and live: and that you are ready to ask me, as the Jews did Peter, when they were prick- ed in their hearts, What shall we do ? How may we come to be truly converted ? We are willing, if we did but know our duty. God forbid that we should choose destruction, by refusing conversion, as hitherto we have done. If these be the purposes of your hearts, I say of you, as God did of a promising people, " They have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always. "(n) Your purposes are good : O that there were but such a heart in you to perform these purposes ! And, in hope thereof, I shall gladly give you direction what to do ; and that but briefly, t.l.`uu.t you may the easier remember it for your practice. .DI_uEc'rIoN I. If you would be converted and (n) Deut. v 28, 29.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=