TO A SOUND CONVERSION. 361 thou not yet ready to turn and live? O that thy eyes, thy heart, were opened to know how fair an offer is now made to thee ! and what a joyful message it is that we are sent on, to bid thee come, for all things are ready ! 2. Consider also what calls thou hast to turn and live. How many, how loud, how earnest, how dread- ful, and yet what encouraging joyful calls ! For the principal inviter, it is God himself. He that commands heaven and earth, commands thee to turn, and now without delay to turn : he commands the sun to run its course, and to rise upon thee every morn- ing ; and though it is so glorious a creature, yet it obeys him, and fails not one minute of its appointed time. He commands all the planets and orbs of hea- ven, and they obey : he commands the sea to ebb and flow, and the whole creation to keep its course, and all obey him : the angels of heaven obey his will, when he sends them to minister to such silly worms as we on earth. And yet if he commands but a sinner to turn, lie will not obey him : he only thinks himself wiser than God, and he cavils and will not obey. If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, O this is my Father's call ! how can I find in my heart to disobey? If thou hadst any sense in thee, at least thou wouldst say, This call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey ? God is not a man, that thou shouldst trifle and play with him : wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ear against his call? Who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest and contendest with ; and what art thou doing ? It were a far wiser and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thy head into the burning fire. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked. Whoever else be mocked, God will not : you had better play with the fire in your thatch, than with the fire of his burn- ing wrath ;.for our God is a consuming fire.(t) O how (t) Heb. xii. 29. 12 Z 7 4
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