THE UNCONVERTED. 109 cept it. , The way of God lieth plain before you; the church is open to you. You may have Christ, and pardon, and holiness, if you will. What say you? Will you or will you not? If you say nay, or say nothing, and still go on, God is witness, and this congregation is witness, and your own consciences are witnesses, how fair an offer you had this day. Remember, you might have had Christ, and would not. Remember, when you have lost it, that you might have had eternal life, as well as others, and would not; and all because you would niJt turn! But let us come to the next doctrine, and hear your reasons. DocTRINE 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with unconverted sinners, and to ask them why they will die. A strange disputation it is, both as to the controVersy and as to the disputants. I. The controversy, or question propounded to dispute of is, YVhy wicked men will destroy themselves? or, Why they will rather die than turn; whether they have any sufficient reason for so doing? II. The disputants are God and man: the most holy God, and wicked unconverted sinners. Is it not a strange thing, which God doth here seem to suppose, that any man should be willing to die and be damned? yea, that this should be the case of the wicked? that is, of the greatest part of the world. But you will say, ' This cannot be; for nature desireth the preservation and felicity of itself; and the wicked are more selfish than others, and not less; and therefore how can any man be ·willing to be damned?' To which I answer:-1. It is a certain truth that no man can be willing of any evil, as evil, but only as it bath some appearance of good; much less can any man be willing to be eternally tormented. Misery, as such, is desired by none. 2. But yet for all
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