And let every one that is yet out of Christ, and hanging over the pit of
hell, whether they be old men and women, or middle aged, or young
people, or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God's word
and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great
favour to some, will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to
others. Men's hearts harden, and their guilt increases apace at such a
day as this, if they neglect their souls; and never was there so great
danger of such persons being given up to hardness of heart and blindness
of mind. God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts
of the land; and probably the greater part of adult persons that ever
shall be saved, will be brought in now in a little time, and that it
will be as it was on the great out-pouring of the Spirit upon the Jews
in the apostles' days; the election will obtain, and the rest will be
blinded. If this should be the case with you, you will eternally c
173. They say that eclipses foretoken misfortune, because misfortunes are
common, so that, as evil happens so often, they often foretell it; whereas
if they said that they predict good fortune, they would often be wrong. They
attribute good fortune only to rare conjunctions of the heavens; so they
seldom fail in prediction.
174. Misery.--Solomon and Job have best known and best spoken of the misery
of man; the former the most fortunate, and the latter the most unfortunate
of men; the former knowing the vanity of pleasures from experience, the
latter the reality of evils.
175. We know ourselves so little that many think they are about to die when
they are well, and many think they are well when they are near death,
unconscious of approaching fever, or of the abscess ready to form itself.
176. Cromwell was about to ravage all Christendom; the royal family was
undone, and his own for ever established, save for a little grain of sand
which formed in his ureter. Rome he