552 BAXTER'S FIFTY REASONS. Especially you that are yet unconverted, and strangers to the heavenly nature of the saints, you have far more to do than other men. You have a multitude of head- strong passions to subdue, and abundance of deadly sins to kill : and rooted vices to root up : you have a false opinion of God, and his ways, to be plucked up : and the custom of many years standing to be broken : you have blind minds that must be enlightened with heavenly knowledge, and abundance of spiritual truths that are above the reach of flesh and blood, that you must needs learn and understand : you have much to know, that is hard to be known : you have a dead soul to be made alive, and a hard heart to be melted ; and a seared conscience to be softened, and made tender ; and the guilt of many thousand sins to be pardoned : you have a new heart to get, and a new end to aim at, and seek after, and a new life to live ; abundance of enemies you have to fight with and overcome ; abun- dance of temptations to resist and conquer. Many graces to get, and preserve, and exercise, and increase : and abundance of holy work to do for the service of God, and the good of yourselves and others. O what a deal of work doth every one of these words contain ! and yet what abundance more might I name ! And have you all this to do, and yet will you delay ? And they are not indifferent matters that are before you : It is no less than the saving of your souls, and the ob- taining the blessed glory of the saints. Necessity is upon you : these are things that must be done, or else woe to you that ever you were born : and yet have you another day to lose? Why, Sirs, if you had a hundred . miles to go in a day or two, upon pain of death, would you delay ? O think of the work you have to do, and then judge, whether it be not time to stir ? 20. And methinks it should exceedingly terrify you to consider, what abundance by such delays do perish ; and how few that wilfully delay are ever converted, and saved. Many a soul that once had purposes hereafter to repent, is now in the misery, where there is no re- pentance that will do them any good. For my part,
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