TO A SOUND CONVERSION. verted, and live a holy life ? What harm can it do you ? Is it harm to you to have the Spirit of Christ within you ? and to have a purified heart? Is it evil to be like God? Is it not.said that God made man in his image? Why, this holinesss is his image: this Adam lost, and this Christ by his word and Spirit would re- store to you, as he does to all that will be saved. Tell me truly, as before the Lord; though you are loth to live a holy life, had you not rather die in the case of those that do so, than of others ? If you were to die this day,. had you not rather die in the case of a con - verted man; than of the unconverted? of a holy and heavenly man, than of a carnal earthly man ? And would you not say as Balaam, Let me die the death of the righteous, and let last end be like his !(z) And why will you not now be of the mind which you will be of then? First or last, you mtist come to this; either to be converted, or to wish you had been, when it is toó late. But what is that you are afraid of losing, if yon turn ? Is it your friends ? You will but change them: God will be your friend, and Christ and the Spirit will be your friend, and every Christian will be your friend. You will get one Friend that will stand you in more stead than all the friends in the world could have done. The friends you lose woùld but have en- ticed you to hell, but could not have delivered you: but ,the Friend you get will save you from hell, and bring you to eternal rest. Is, it your pleasures, that you are afraid of losing? You think you shall never have a merry day again, if once you be converted. Alas, that you should think it a greater pleasure to live in foolish 'sports and Merri- ments, than live in the love of God, and in righteous- ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. If it be a greater pleasure to you to think of your lands and inheritance, (if you were lord of all that country,) than it is to a child to play for pins; why should it not be a greater joy for you to think of the kingdom of heaven (z) Numb. xxiii. 10
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