The Door of Salvation Opened.
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1. Conſider the neceſſity you have of him; Give me children, or elſe I die, ſaid Rachel: O give me Chriſt, or elſe I periſh for ever. Can you be ſaved without Chriſt? And if you may have Chriſt but for opening the door, Then while it is called to-day hear and open to me If the door of grace ſhould be ſhut, thou would'ſt be ſhut up with a vengeance for ever.
2. Conſider what anſwer thou wilt be able to make at the great day, if thou wilt harden thy heart, and not open: Why, what wilt thou? What canſt thou plead for thyſelf at the day of judgment? Wilt thou ſay, The goſpel never offered thee Chriſt? Why, thou haſt heard this day, If any man will hear and open, I will come in and ſup with him: Wilt thou ſay, I would have opened my heart, had it not been for the love of ſin, or for eaſe, or liberty, or honour, or friends, or companions? Oh how will men and angels hiſs at you! This is the perſon who for luſt's ſake forſook his mercies, who for a little vanity rejected his own ſalvation : O how wilt thou curſe thyſelf for nothing! Nay for that which is worſe than nothing, thou haſt put off Chriſt and his ſalvation: Therefore men, brethren and fathers, hearken unto me, as Moſes ſaid to the Iſraelites, ſo this day I propound unto you Bleſing and curſing, life and death! Salvation if you open to Chriſt, and damnation if you refuſe Chriſt.
For the Lord's ſake chuſe not curſing, but bleſſing; chuſe not death, but life, chuſe not hell, but heaven; chuſe not ſin, but Chriſt; tho' you have formerly ſlighted him, if you will now regard him; tho' you have formerly contemned him, yet if you will praiſe him; tho' you have formerly reſiſted, if yet you will yield, if you will conſent, if yet you will become willing to open unto Chriſt, Chriſt will be yours, mercy will be yours, ſalvation will be yours.
And
