UNCONVERTED READER. 539 so that once ! then thou hast an answer at hand in those means thou wilt find prescribed thee : and be- cause they are such as thou wilt hardly be persuaded to use, take in the motives that follow, and they will help down the means : consider both the one and the other, and if thou dost not find the means proper, and the motives weighty, I think I shall do thee no wrong if I tell thee, thou art still of a blind mind, and a harder heart. "Friend, the matter which this little book comes to treat with thee about, is of the highest importance, 'tis a matter of life or death. If thou sayest, The terms upon which life is offered are hard; consider, is it not harder to die? He is worthy to die who will lose his soul to save his labour. If thou couldst step down into the deep, and take a turn or two with those damn- ed souls who are drenched with fire and brimstone, and bound in everlasting chains of vengeance, and should ask them, Now what .do you think of the terms upon which life was offered? Now what think you of that repentance, of that obedience, of that cir- currispection, self- denial, and the greatest severity, which by the gospel were imposed upon you ? If you might once again have the same terms granted you for your redemption from this place of torment, would you yet say, Hard terms ? let me rather die this death for ever, than live such a life ? let me broil in this furnace, rather than escape with such difficulty Shouldst thou ask them thus that have felt what it is to be damned, what answer dost thou think they would make? O friend! never again groan under the diffi- culties of conversion, till thou believe them to be worse than hell. But I will no farther anticipate my worthy author. " Nor is there much need I should commend either himself or his works ; for the author himself thou mayest at a small charge get acquainted with, in that history of his life and death which is extant, concern- ing which I shall only say, "Sic mihi contingat vivere, sicque mori."
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