TO THE UNCONVERTED READER. MISERABLE SOUL ! HERE is that life, and light, and love, in every true believer, but especially in every faithful mi- ilister of Christ, which engageth them to long and labour for your salvation. Life is communicative and active; it maketh us sensible that faith is not phan- tasm, nor true religion a stage - player, nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream. And as we desire nothing more for ourselves than to have more of the holy life, (which we have, alas, in so small a measure,) so what is it we should more desire for others ? With the eye of an infallible (though too weak) faith, we see the heaven which you neglect, and the blessed souls in glory with Christ, whose companions you might be for ever : we see the multitudes . of souls in hell, who came thither by the same way that you are going in, who are shut out of the glorious presence of God, and are now,among those devils that deceive them, remem- bering they had their good things here, Luke xvi. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation, and how light they once set by God, by Çhrist, by hea- ven, by mercy, whilst mercy was an earnest solicitor for their hearts; and with our bodily eyes we see at the same time abundance of poor sinners, living about us as if there were no God, no Christ, no heaven, no hell, no judgment, no, nor death to be expected; as if a man were but a master -beast to rule the rest, and feed upon and perish with them. And if it were your own case, to see what souls do in heaven and hell, and at once to see how unbelievingly, carelessly, and senselessly, most men live on earth, as there were no such difference in another world, would it not seem a
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