TO A SOUND CONVERSION. 345 unreasonable ? Your consciences know, it is not resolve on it then, before you stir : knowing how much it concerns your souls. I beseech you, for the sake of that God who does command you, at whose bar you will shortly all appear, that you will not deny me this reasonable request. For the sake of those -souls that must turn or die, I beseech you deny me not ; make it your- business to understand your own conditions, and build upon sure ground, and know for certainty, whether you are converted or not ; and venture not your own souls on negligent security. But perhaps you will say, What if we should find ourselves yet unconverted, what shall we do then? This question leads me to my second doctrine. D®CTß,INE II. It is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live, íf' they will turn to him. THE Lord here professes that this is what he takes pleasure in, that the wicked turn and live: Turn and live, is as certain a truth as turn or die. Sinners, there are none of you who shall have cause to go home, and say I preach despair to you. Are we used to shut up the door of mercy against you ? O that you would not shut it up against yourselves! Are we used to tell you that God will have no mercy on you though you turn? When did you hear a preacher say such a word ? You that bark at the preachers of the gospel for desiring to keep you out of hell, and say that they preach despair; tell me, when did you ever hear any sober man say, that there is no hope for you, though you repent and be converted ? No, it is quite'the con- trary which we daily proclaim from the Lord; that whoever is born again, shall be 'saved : so far are we from persuading you to despair of this, that we per- suade you not to make any doubt of it. It is life, and 11 X x
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