10:2 A CALL TO drunkard out of an alehouse, he will not obey: or if he call a worldly fleshly sinner to deny himself, and mortify the flesh, and set his heart upon a better inheritance, he will not obey. If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, 0 this is my Father's call! how can I find in my heart to disobey? For the sheep of ~ Christ "know and hear his voice, and they follow him, and he giveth them eternal life." John x. 4. If thou hadst any spiritual life and sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey? For saith the prophet, (Amos iii. 8.) " The lion hath roared, who will not fear?" God is not a man, that thou shouldst dally and trifle with him. Remember what he said to Paul at his conversion, "It is ltm·d for thee to kickagainst the pricks." Acts ix. 5. Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ear against his call? who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest, and contendest with, and what thou art doing? It were a far wiser, and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thine head into the burning fire. "Be not deceived, God will not be mocked." Gal. vi. 7. Whoever else be mocked, God will not: you had better play with the fire in your thatch, than with the fire of his burning wrath. " For our God is a consuming fire." Heb. xii. 29. 0 how unmeet a match art thou for God! "It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands." Heb. x. 31. And therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him, or resist him. As you love your own souls, take heed what you do: what .will you say if he begin in wrath to plead with you? What will you do if he take you once in hand? will you then strive against his judgment, as no"\-V' ye do against his grace? Isa. xxvii. 4, 5. "Fu1·y is not in me:" saith the Lord, (that is) I delight not to destroy you: I do it, as it were un.._ ·~.+ ..
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