' 214 FIFTY REASONS. and put God's patience to it by your folly. Have not the devil, the world, and the flesh, had many years' time of your life already? Have you not long enough been swallowing the poison of sin; and long enough been abusing the Lord that made you; and the blood of the Son of God that was shed for you; and .the Spirit of grace, that hath moved and persuaded you? Are you not yet gone far enough from God? And have you not yet done enough to the destroying of yourselves, and casting away everlasting life ? 0 wretched sinners! it is rather time for you to fall down on your faces before the Lord, and with tears and groans to lament it day and night, that ever you have gone so far in sin, and delayed so long to turn to him aR you have done. Sure, if after so many years' rebellion, you are yet so far from lamenting it, that you had rather have more of it, and ])ad rather hold on a little longer, no wonder if God forsake you, and let you alone. ~4. Have you any hopes of God's acceptance and your salvation, or not? If you have such hopes,- that, when you turn, God will pardon all your sins, and give you everlasting life,-is it, think you, an ingenuous thing to desire to offend him yet a little longer, from whom you expect such exceeding mercy and glory? Have you the faces to speak out what is in your hearts and practice; and to go to God with such words as these? 'Lord, I know I cannot have the pardon of one sin without the blood of Christ, and the riches of thy mercy. Nor can I be saved from hell without it: but yet I hope for all this from thy grace. I beseech thee let me live a little longer in my sins; a little longer let me trample on the blood of Christ, and despise thy commandments, and abuse thy mercies; and then pardon me all that ever I did, and take me into Glory.'-Could you for shame put such a request to God as this? If you could, you are past shame: if not, then do not practise and desire that which you cannot, for shame, speak out and request.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=