Gofpel Xe7tli io}t. condemn'd to eternal death, and all the time ofyour life is given you for this very end, a few dayes that God gives you for this very purpofe, rneerly that you might have a little liberty to fue out your pardon, and make up your peace with God : O that men and women would but underfland this, what they live for, that all the time of their lives is given them to make up their peace with God ; you are to know it is given for this end, meer- ly as a Malefactor hath a Reprieve to get his Pardon;t'his is your very condition , you ftand before the Lord guilty of eternal death, but God in his patience and long-fufferance gives you a few dayes to live to fue out your Pardon, and if you let this time flip, and thefe dayes be gone, I profifs to you this day,be- fore the L,;zd, that mercy it {elf (hall never fave you : I would but know of many of you, how you fpend thefe dayes ? you are not certain of one day, it may be not an hour ; Do you fpend thefe dayes in making it the great bufinefs and work of your Sßtils to fue out a Pardon ? Let me fpeak to you, and O that you would fpeak it in fecret between God and your own Souls, and that you would anfwer in the Name of God every foul prefent, to this Queftion, Soul haft thon made it the great work.andbufnefs of thy life, aboveall things in the world,to fue out thy Pardon, andfeel for Reconciliation with thy God, and a, difcharge of thy fans ? I verily fear that manyof you that hear me this day, if we could but hear Confcience fpeak, would an- fwer, What ? I make it the great work and bufinefs of my life to fue out a Pardon ? God knows it hath been the great work and bufinefs of my life to increafe my guilt ; there is not a day goes over my head, but I have brought more guilt upon my felf by wicked Oaths, taking Gods Name in vain, negleding his Worfhip, abufing of his creatures, perhaps by drunkennefs or uncleannefs ; methinks your Confciences might mif-give you, when you are fo far from making it the great bufinefs of your lives to fue for pardon, that you make it your great work to increafe your guilt ; Doft thota think ever to get pardon of thy fin, folong as thougoeft on to increafe thy guilt, and make thy felf more vile ? the lives ofmany people are in filch a courfe of wickednefs, that it befpeaks them that either they are re- folved to perifh eternally intheir fin, or elfe tomake it to be as M 3 great.
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