Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

S a c I.1X. ofCover fion, orIurning unto Goda panions ; now thy heart is become like a dryed wildernefs; the world, and thoughts of the world bath choaked all : Oh fit and tremble, left this be but the beginning of thy fotrows. Laffly, Thofeare difficultly brought hose to God, who are in(miredandintangled r r in wic1 ed andungodly company, Whohave ungodly relations, live in ungodlyfami- Thole that are lies : For whenfoeverfuch are invited to turn to God, then their carnal friends intana(ed in become impediments in :their way. Paul confulted not with flefh and blood wickedcom- in his converfion; if fo, he hadnot turned to Chrift : And this undocth you; Pan;. Godand your confcience calls upon thee, Turn to God, why wilt thoudye and be damned in thefefins ? but then thou confulteft with flefhand blood, fome ungod- ly friends and acquaintance, and thus they hinder thee : Oh thou fhouldit fay to the deareft friend in theworld that flops thee in this courte, Get thee behinde me Satan, for thoufavoreft not the things of God: Hence our Saviour is fo per- emptory, He that loveth net me, more thenfather or mother, cannot be mydif ipie; neither would our Saviour have one that would follow him, fo much as go back a right eye, ora righthand offendsthee, thefe mull be parted with: tobid his friends farewel, or bury his dead father : Oh then confider, that when The ,Queens daughter muffforget her fathershowl; when thy foul is efpoufed to Chrift, thou mutt forfake all thy former lovers. Life of Examination, put thyfelt upon this fevere and impartial tryal, whe- vfe, thee thyname be not inone ofthefe black fcrols orno: Art thou notto be found among the ignorant and ftupid,or proud and prophane fcoffers? oramong thofe that rebelagainft theirconfcience, orchange in their refolution, asgood or evil floweth upon them? Haft not thon a long while accuftomed thy felt to an evil haunt orcuffoin of finning? Ifthefe, oranyofdiele Satan and fin bath bound thee in fuch ftrong cords, that are not eafilybroken : while therefore there is any hope, though there be not fomuch probability ; yet whileGod bath not de- clared an utter impoflibility, Goand commune teithyour own hearts, and¡land in awe ; yea, cryont, Lordturnme, andI lballbe turned; fay, I amweary of my former courfes, they are a fhame, a torment, an heavyhurt henupon me : Oh i. (fay) I dare not go one flep further in the way I was in, I fee Hell gaping tode- vour me; and never let that trouble thee, to think how the worldwill wonder and laugh to fee thee become a new convert : Thou hadfl better have frowns frommen then God ; thou wilt leave the company of wicked and ungodly wretches, toenjoy God and good men : There is a neceflity of this turning; that wickednefs thou liveft in, mullbe turned from, or elfe wo unto thee that ever thou waftborn:Ifdeath and judgement finde theewith them, no mountains or hills can cover thee from the wrath of God : Hearken what thy own confcience fayeth,It is high time toleave offfrom beingfuck a heart any longer; takeManaffes, take Mary Magdalen; takePaul for examples, they ran far ina foul and dangerous way, but at laftthey turned : Oh this wasthere happinefs; they turned from their evil ways. Why doye not take off all your cares and thoughts from other things, and fix them upon this bufinefs ? 4,9 Hhh z SzAxà4

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