Consider, 3. If thou strivest to go over any other way, thou wilt be but a thief and a robber (John 10:1 compared with 9). And know that none of these (so continuing) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9,10).
Consider, 4. That if the devil should be too hard for thee, and deceive thee, by persuading thee to embrace, or entertain a new gospel, which neither Christ nor his disciples did allow of, it would make thee gnash teeth when it is too late.
Consider, 5. That though thou hast been deluded by Satan to this day, yet if now thine eyes be opened to see and acknowledge it, though as yet thou hast been either exceedingly wicked (1 Tim 1:13), or an idle (Matt 20:6,7) lukewarm, hypocritical professor (Rev 3:17-19); and hast stood it out to the last (Eze 18:20-22); for all this there is hope; and if now thou receive the truth in the love of the truth, being as willing to be rid of the filth of sin, as the guilt of it, thou shalt be saved.
Consider, 6. That the Lord will call thee to judgment for all thy sins past, present, and what else thou shalt practise hereafter, especially for thy rejecting and trampling on the blood of his Son, the Man Christ Jesus: And if thou dost not agree with thine adversary, now, while thou art in the way, 'Lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite' (Luke 12:58,59).
And therefore I beseech thee to consider; Here is at this time life and death, heaven and hell, everlasting joy, and everlasting torment set before thee. Here is also the way to have the one, and the way to escape the other. Now if the Lord shall do thee any good by what I have spoken, I hope it will be a means to stir me up to thank the Lord that ever he did use such a sinner as I am, in the work of his gospel. And here I shall close up what I have said, desiring thee (if thou be a christian) to pray for him who desires to continue.
Thy servant in the Lord Jesus Christ, though less than the least of all saints,
JOHN BUNYAN
FOOTNOTE:
1. The word 'quakers' must not be misunderstood as referring to the society of friends, but to some deluded individuals calling themselves quakers; the friends were not formed into a society for some years after this was written—Ed.