TO A SOUND CONVERSION. 853 trickling from him instead of sweat, or suffering a cursed death upon the cross, and pouring out his soul as a sacrifice for our sins ; would you have thought these the signs of one that delights in the death of the wicked ? if you had seen and heard him weeping and bemoaning the state of disobedience in impenitent people, or complaining of their stubbornness, as Matt. xxiii. 37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen ga- thereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !" Or if you had seen and heard him on the cross, praying for his persecutors, Father forgive tliem, fbrthey know not what they do ; would you have suspected that he had delighted in the death of the wicked ; even of those that perish by their wilful unbelief? When God bath so' loved, (not only loved, but so loved,) as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ; he has proved against the malice of men and devils, that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but had rather that they would turn and live. 6. Lastly, If all this will not satisfy you, take his own word, who knows best his own mind, or at least believe his oath: but this leads mè to the fourth doc- trine. DOCTRINE IV. The Lord has con rmed to us by his oath, that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but had ra- ther that he should turn and live: that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it. IF you dare question his word, I hope you dare not question his oath. As Christ has solemnly pro- tested that the unconverted cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; so God has sworn that his plea - 1 Y y
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