TO A SOUND CON VERSION. 441 practice of it. To which end I entreat you to think of these following motives. 1. Consideration is a duty that you may perform if you will. You cannot say that it is wholly out of your power; so that you are left inexcusable, if you will not be persuaded to it. You say, you cannot con- vert yourselves : but cannot you set yourselves to consider of your ways, and bethink you of those truths that must be the instruments of your conver- sion ? Your thoughts are partly at the command of your will: you can turn them up and down from one thing to another. Even an unsanctified minister, that hath no saving relish of spiritual things, can think of them, that he may preach them to others ; and why cannot you then turn your thoughts to them for yourselves ? You can think of house and land, and friends and trading, and of any thing that aileth you, or any thing that you want, or any thing that you love, or think would do you good; and why cannot you think of your sin and danger, of God, and of his word and works, of the state of your souls, and of ever- lasting life ? Are you not able to go sometimes by yourselves, and consider of these matters? Are you not able, when you are alone in your beds, or as you travel in the way, or at your labour, to bethink you how things stand with your souls ? Why are you not able? What is it that could hinder you, if you were but willing? 2. Yea, further, consideration is so cheap a remedy, that if you will not use this, you despise your souls; yea, and you despise the Lord himself, and the ever- lasting things which you are called to consider of. A man that is in danger of losing his estate, or health, or life, and will not so much as bethink him of . a re- medy, Both sure set light by them, and lose them by his contempt. A man that hath but his house on fire, and would not so much as think how to quench it, doth deserve that it should be burnt. If your parents, or children, or friends, were in distress, if you would not so much as think of them, it were a sign that you 14 3 Jii.
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