6
The Door of Salvation Opened.
Ah! when thou dieſt man, what muſt thou then do! When the captain, death ſtrikes, whole armies of wolves will fall upon thee. Look to it, and remember thou waſt once warned, for if thou dieſt, thou dieſt eternally, Saint Auſtin's prayer was “O Lord, hack me, hew me, burn me here: but “ſpare me hereafter.” As long as thou refuſeſt to hear Chriſt's voice, thou haſt a hell upon earth: it is not the multitude of thy companions that go thither, ſhall any whit leſſen thy torments, but rather increaſe them. Thy life that hath been full of worldly joy, ſhall end in deadly woe.
All you into whoſe hand this little book ſhall come, let me beg you to conſider in thoſe bowels of love you have to your own ſouls; how your hearts can endure to think of being ſhut out of heaven, out of bleſſedneſs for ever: aſk your heart theſe queſtions, Can I burn? Can I endure the vengeance of eternal fire? Will boiled oil, burning brimſtone, ſcalding lead, a glowing oven, a ſcorching furnace, be an eaſy lodging for me? O! why my ſoul, wilt thou not be perſuaded to repent? Is there too much pain in that? Thou art ready to ſay, I cannot bear a croſs, nor an affliction, a ſcoff, or a reproach: Talk to thee of crucifying the fleſh, of parting with thy luſts, with thy worldly companions, of entering in at the ſtrait gate; O theſe are hard ſayings, who can bear them?
But how wilt thou do to dwell with devouring fire? How wilt thou dwell with everlaſting burnings? Whatsoever thou thinkeſt now, think what hell will be, when the day comes thou muſt deſcend into it: Thou mayeſt drink or laugh away the fear of it, but what will it be to thee when thou feeleſt thyſelf wrapped up in the flames of it, and not a drop of water to cool thy tongue! think on hell, O foul! and then think on Chriſt, and conſider, if a Redeemer from ſuch miſery be not worth the accepting
