86 A CALL TO treat and beseech you to turn and live; to acquaint you with your sins, and foretell you of your danger; and to do all that possibly we can for your conversion, and to continue patiently so doing, though you should hate or abuse us for our pains. Would God have done this, and appointed his ordinances for your good, if he had taken pleasure in your death? 4. It is proved also by the course of his providence. If God had rather you were damned than converted and saved, he would not second his word with his works, and entice you by his daily kindness to himself, and give you all the mercies of this life, which are his means "to lead you to repentance," (Rom. ii. 4.) and bring you so often under his rod to lead you to your senses; he would not set so many examples before your eyes, no, nor wait on you so patiently as he does from day to day, and year to year. These are not signs of one that taketh pleasure in your death. If this had been his delight, how easily could he have had thee long ago in hell? How oft, before this, could he have catched thee away in the midst of thy sins with a curse, or oath, or lie in thy mouth, in thy ignorance, and pride, and sensuality? When thou wert last in thy drunkenness, or last deriding the ways of God, how easily could he have stopped thybreath, and tamed theewith plagues, and made +l-1ee sober in another world! Alas! how small a matter is it for the Almighty to rule the tongue of the profimest railer, and tie the hands of the most mali~ious persecutor, or calm the fury of the bitterest of his enemies, and make them know that they are but worms? If he should but frown upon thee thou wouldst drop into thy grave. If he gave commission to one of his angels to go and destroy ten thousand sinners, how quickly would it be done! how easily can he lay thee upon the bed of languishing, an<Lmake thee lie roaring there in pain, and make thee eat the words of reproach which thou hast spoken against his servants, his word,· his wor- .ship, and his holy ways, and make thee send to beg .. .
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