- TO A SOUND CON VERSION. 411 Fifthly, If the work be thoroughly done at first, you will persevere, when others fall away. You will have rooting in yourselves, entertaining the seed as into depth of earth ; and you will have the Holy Ghost within you, and (more than so) engaged for your preservation, and the perfecting of your salvation : when they that received the word as seed upon a rock, and never gave it deep entertainment, will wither and fall away in the time of trial; and from them that have not saving grace, shall be taken away even that which they seemed to have.(z) Sixthly, and lastly, consider, If you fall short of a true conversion at the first, the devil will take occa- sion by it to tempt you at last to utter despair. When you hava made many essays and trials, and been about the work again and again, he will persuade you that there is no possibility of accomplishing it. If we con- vince an open profane person that is unconverted, he may easier see that there is hopes of it : but if a man have been half converted, and lived long in a formal self - deceiving profession of religion, and been taken by himself and others for a godly man, as it is very hard to convince this man that he is unconverted, so when he is convinced of it, he will easily fall into des- peration Nor Satan will tell him, If thou be yet un- converted after so mäny confessions and prayers, and ' after so long a course of religion, what hope canst thou have that yet it should be done? Thou wilt never have better opportunities than thou hast 'had. If such sermons as thou hast heard could not do it, what hope is there of it ? If such books, and such company, and such mercies, and such afflictions, have not done it, what hope canst thou have ? Canst thou hear any livelier teaching than thou hast heard ? or speak any holier words than thou hast spoken? If yet the work be quite undone, it is not forsaking another sin, nor going a step further, that will do it : and therefore never think of it ; for there is no hope. Dost thou not know how oft thou hast tried in vain ? (z) Matt. xiii. 12. xxv. £9.
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