O you that are upon this march [to hell,] I beseech you, consider a little.  What, shall Christ become a servant for you, and will you be drudges for the devil?  Shall Christ covenant with God for the salvation of sinners, and shall sinners covenant with hell, death, and the devil, for the damnation of their souls?  Shall Christ come down from heaven to earth to declare this to sinners; and shall sinners stop their ears against these good tidings?  Will you not hear the errand of Christ, although he telleth you tidings of peace and salvation?  How if he had come, having taken a command from his Father to damn you and to send you to dwell with devils in hell?  Sinners, hear this message, John 3:  16, 17, etc.; he speaketh no harm, his words are eternal life; all men that give ear unto them have eternal advantage by them-advantage, I say, that never hath an end.

Besides, do but consider these two things; they may have some sway upon thy soul.

1.  When he came on his message, he came with tears in his eyes, and did even weepingly tender the terms of reconciliation to them—­I say, with tears in his eyes.  And when he came near the city with the message of peace, beholding the hardness of their hearts, he wept over it, and took up a lamentation over it, because he saw they rejected his mercy, which was tidings of peace.  I say, wilt thou then slight a weeping Jesus, one that so loveth the soul that rather than he will lose thee, he will with tears persuade thee?

2.  Not only so, but also when he came, he came all on a gore of blood, to proffer mercy to thee, to show thee still how dearly he did love thee; as if he had said, “Sinner, here is mercy for thee; but behold my bloody sweat, my bloody wounds, my accursed death; behold, and see what danger I have gone through to come unto thy soul.  I am come indeed unto thee, and do bring thee tidings of salvation, but it cost me my heart’s blood before I could come at thee, to give thee the fruits of my everlasting love.”

The righteousness of Christ.

Many there are who, in the day of grace and mercy, despise those things which are indeed the birthright to heaven, who yet when the declining days appear will cry as loud as Esau, “Lord, Lord, open to us;” but then, as Isaac would not repent, no more will God the Father, but will say, “I have blessed these, yea, and they shall be blessed; but as for you, Depart, you are workers of iniquity.”

When I had thus considered these scriptures and found that thus to understand them was not against, but according to the Scriptures, this still added further to my encouragement and comfort, and also gave a great blow to that objection—­to wit, that the Scriptures could not agree in the salvation of my soul.

And now remained only the hinder part of the tempest, for the thunder was gone beyond me, only some drops did still remain that now and then would fall upon me; but because my former frights and anguish were very sore and deep, therefore it oft befell me still, as it befalleth those that have been seared with the fire, I thought every voice was, “Fire, fire’!” Every little touch would hurt my tender conscience.