THE UNCONVERTED. 81 as our sin and misery came into the world. God said to our first parents, " If ye eat ye shall die;" and the devil contradicted him, and said, "Ye shall not die:" and the woman believed the devil before God. So now the Lord saith, Turn or die: and the devil saith, You shall not die, if you do but cry for Geld's mercy at last, and give over the acts of sin when you can practise it no longer. And this is the word that the world believes. 0 heinous wickedness, to believe the devil before God. And yet that is not the worst; but blasphemously they call this a believing and trusting in God, when they put him in the shape of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning; and when they believe that the word of God is a lie, they call this a trusting God and say they believe in him, and trust in him for salvation. Where did ever God say, that the unregenerate, unconverted, unsanctified, shall be saved? Show me such a word in Scripture. I challenge you if you can. VVhy this is the devil's word, and to believe it is to believe the devil, and the sin that is commonly called presumption; and do you call this a believing and t r usting in God? There is enough in th& word of God to comfort and strengthen the heart of the sanctified; but not a word to strengthen the hands of wickedness, nor to give men the least hope of being saved, though they be never sanctified. But if you will turn, and come into the way of mercy, the mercy of the Lord is ready to entertain you. Then trust God for ·salvation, boldly and confidently; for he is engaged by his word to save you. H e will be a father to none but his children; and he will save none but those that forsake the world, the devil, and the flesh, and come into his family to be members of his Son, and have communion with his saints. But if they will not come in, it is the fault of themselves: his doors are open; he keeps none back; h~ never sent such a message as this to any of you, 'It is now too late; I will not receive thee~ though thou be converted.' He might have done oo
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