552 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS countenance have been appalled, and thy stout words turned into speechless silence, or dreadful cries, if God had but set thee thus at his bar, and pleaded his own cause with thee! How easily can he at any time say to thy guilty soul, Come away, and live in that flesh no more, till the resurrection ! And it cannot resist. A word of his mouth would take off the poise of thy present life, and then all thy parts and powers would stand still. And if he were to say to thee, Live no longer, or live in hell; thou couldst not disobey. But God has done none of this, but has patiently forborn thee, and mercifully upheld thee, and given thee that breath which thou didst breathe out against him, and given thee those mercies which thou didst sacrifice to thy flesh, and afforded thee that provision which thou spentest to satisfy thy greedy appetite: he gave thee every minute of that time which thou didst waste in idleness and drunkenness. And does not all this patience and mercy show that he desires not thy damnation? Can the candle burn without the oil? Can your houses stand without the earth to bear them ? as well as you can live an hour without the support of God. And why did he so long support thy life, but to see when thou wouldst bethink thee of the folly of thy ways, and return and live? Will any man purposely put arms into his enemies' hand to resist him ? or hold a candle to a murderer who is killing his children? Surely it is to see whether thou wilt 4 last return and live, that God has so long waited on thee. 5. It is further proved by the sufferings of his Son, that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wick- ed. Would he have ransomed them from death at so dear a rate? Would he have astonished angels and men at his condescension? Would God have dwelt in flesh, and have come in the form of a servant, and have lived a life of suffering, and died a cursed death for sinners, if he had taken pleasure in their death? Suppose you saw him praying with the drops of blood
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