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tomorrow, how unready are you! With what terror will your soul leave the<br />
body! And do you yet loiter? Consider, God is all this while waiting your<br />
leisure: his patience beareth: his long-suffering forbeareth: his mercy<br />
entreateth you: Christ offereth you his blood and merits: the Spirit is<br />
persuading: conscience is accusing: Satan waits to have you. This is your<br />
time now or never. Had you rather burn in hell than repent on earth? have<br />
devils your tormentors, than Christ your governor? Will you renounce your<br />
part in God and glory, rather than renounce your sins? O friends, what do<br />
you think of these things? God hath made you men; do not renounce your<br />
reason where you should chiefly use it." Alas! it is not a few dull words<br />
between jest and earnest, between sleeping and waking, that will rouse a<br />
dead-hearted sinner. If a house be on fire you will not make a cold oration on<br />
the nature and danger of fire, but will run and cry, Fire! fire! To tell a man of<br />
his sins as softly as Eli did his sons; or to reprove him as gently as<br />
Jehoshaphat did Ahab; "Let not the king say so;" usually does as much harm<br />
as good. Loathness to displease men makes us undo them.<br />
Yet, lest you run into extremes, I advise you to do it with prudence and<br />
discretion. Choose the fittest season. Deal not with men when they are in a<br />
passion, or where they will take it for a disgrace. When the earth is soft the<br />
plough will enter. Take a man when he is under affliction, or newly<br />
impressed under a sermon. Christian faithfulness requires us not only to do<br />
good when it falls in our way, but to watch for opportunities. Suit yourself<br />
also to the quality and temper of the person. You must deal with the<br />
ingenious more by argument than persuasion. <strong>The</strong>re is need of both to the<br />
ignorant. <strong>The</strong> affections of the convinced should be chiefly excited. <strong>The</strong><br />
obstinate must be sharply reproved. <strong>The</strong> timorous must be dealt with<br />
tenderly. Love, and plainness, and seriousness take with all; but words of<br />
terror some can hardly bear. Use also the aptest expressions. Unseemly<br />
language makes the hearers loathe the food they should live by, especially if<br />
they be men of curious ears and carnal hearts.<br />
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