to the Chief of Sinners. I 7 not fl:ay away; and the rr1ore I lvent aniongfr then1, the more I d_id queftion n1y Condi~ion; . and as I frill do ren1ember, prefently I found two'things within me, 2t \V hieh I did fotne– timc:s n1arvel ' (efpecially confid~ring what a bHnd, ignorant, fordid and ungodly Wretch but juft before I ·was:) The one was a 'lery great foftnefs ~nd tendernefs of ~~.1rt, which .,aus'd .me to fatl under th·eCorwH~tion ofwhat by Scvipture t~ey ~fle~ted ; .and theothet: was a grea~ . Bending In n1y l\1Ind to a continual n1editating on them, and on all other good · things which at any time I heard or read of. 42. By thefe things n1y Mind \vas now fo turned, that it lay like an Horfe -leach at the Vein, frill crying·out, Give, Give, Prov.3o. 1 )· Ye3, it was fo fixed on Et~rnity, and on the tl!ings about the Kingdo1n of Heaven (that is,fo far as I knew, tha'as yet, God knows, I knew but little) . that neither Pleafures, not~ .Profi.ts, nor Perfuafions, nor Threats, conld loofe it or n1~ke i~ let go his Hold ; and tho I !nay fpeak it with fi1arne,yct it is inverydeed; ;.1 certain 7rut h; it \vould then have been as difficult for n1e to have taken my Mind from Heaven _toEarth,as I hav~ found it often 4nce to get again fromEarth to Heaven: · · 43· One thing I ·n1ay not omit: Therewas ayoung ma,n in our Town, t~ whonl 'my Heart , · before was knit more/tkan to anyother; but he being a moft wicked Creature for curfi~g and fwe~u·ing,and whoring, I now 1hooi him
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=