Baxter - HP BV4920 B38 1829

THE UNCONVERTED. 151 you sin but by your own consent: and will you do that against yourselves which no one else can do? You have hateful thoughts of the devil, because he is your enemy, and endeavoureth your destruction: and -will you be worse than devils to yourselves? Why thus it is with you, if you had hearts to understand it: when you run into sin, and run from godliness, and refuse to turn at the call of God, you do more against your own souls than men or devils could do besides; and if you should set~ yourselves and bend your wits to do yourselves the greatest mischief, you could not devise to do a greater. 4. You are false to the trust that God bath reposed in you. He bath much intrusted you with your own salvation; and will you betray your trust? He hath set you, with all diligence, to keep ·your hearts; and is this the keeping ofthem? Prov. iv. 23. 5. You do even forbid all others to pity you, when you will have no pity on yourselves. If you cry to God in the day ofyour calamity, for mercy, mercywhat can you expect, but that he should thrust you away, and say, 'Nay, thou wouldst not have mercy on thyself; who brought this upon thee but thy own wilfulness?' And if your brethren see you everlastingly in misery, how shall they pity you that were your own destroyers, and would not be dissuaded? 6. It will everlastingly make you your own tormentors in hell, to think that you brought youJselves wilfully to that misery. 0 what a piercing thought it will be for ever to think with yourselves that this was your own doing! that you were warned of this day, and warned again, but it would not do; that you wilfully sinned, and wilfully turned away fi·om God! that you had time as well as others, but you abused it; you had teacherS as well as others, but you refused their instruction; you had holy examples, but you did not imitate them; you were offered Christ, anil grace, and glory, as well as others, but you haJ more mind of your fleshly pleasures! .youhad a price in your hands, but you had not a

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