THE UNCONVERTED. 153 bath, cannot persuaue him to take one mediGine to save his life, or to forbear one or two poisonous things that would kill him? This is your case. As far as you are gone in sin, do but now turn ana come to Christ, and take his remedies, and your . souls shall live. Cast up your deadly sins by repentance, and return not to the poisonous vomit any more, and you shall uo well. But yet, if it were your bodies that we had to deal with, we might partly know what to do for you. Though you would not consent, yet you might be held or bound while the medicine were poured down your throats, and hurtful things might be kept fi·om you. But about your souls it cannot be so; we cannot convert you against your wills. There is no carrying madmen to heaven in fetters. You may be condemned against your wills, because you sinned with your wills; but you cannot be saved against your wills. The wisdom of God has thought meet to lay men's salvation or destruction exceedingly much upon the choice of their own will, that no man shall come to heaven that chose not the way to heaven; and no man shall come to hell, but shall be forced to say, 'I have the thing I chose; my own will did bring me hither.' Now, if I could but get you to be willing, to be thOroughly, and resolvedly, and habitually willing, the work were more than h,alf done. And alas! must we lose our friends, and must they lose their God, their happiness, their souls, for want of this? 0 God forbid! It is a strange thing to me that men are so inhuman and stupid in the greatest matters, who in lesser things are civil and courteous, and good neighbours. For aught I know, I have the love of all, or almost all my neighbours, so far, that if I should send to any man in the town, or parish, or country, and request a reasonable courtesy of them, they would grant it me; and yet when I come to request of them the greatest matter ip the world,· for themselves, and not for me, I can h;J.Ve nothing of many of them but a patient hearing. I know not
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