TO A SOUND CON VERSION. 399 wrath ? Will you then make as light of his mercy as you do now ? llave you not read 1Jan. v. 6. how small an apparition of his anger did make a carousing king look pale, and his joints to tremble in the midst of his joviality ? A Manasseh will bethink himself, and come in when he is laid in irons, though he could set light by God before, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13. 'If Jonah will run away from God, he can send a boisterous messenger to arrest him, and cast him as it were in the belly of hell, and make him cry for mercy to him that he disobeyed. So, if you will stand trifling with God, and will not by fair means be persuaded to yield and come away, you may shortly look to hear from him in another manner: for he bath a voice that will make the proudest face look pale, and the stubbornest heart that is to tremble. If an idle stubborn child will not learn nor be ruled, the master or parent will teach him with the rod, and give him the lash, and ask him, Will you yet learn ? and ask him again, What say you now, will you yet obey ? So will God do by you, if he love you, and mean to save you : when he hath taken away your health, your friends, your children, will you then hearken to him or will you not? When you lie groaning on your couch, and all your parts are overwhelmed with pains, and death begins to lay hands upon you, and bids you now come and answer for your rebellions and delays before the living God, what will you do then? Will you turn or not ? O the lamentably folly of sinners, that put themselves to so mùch sorrow and great calamity for themselves ! When sickness comes, and death draws near, you beg, and cry, and groan, and promise. When you feel the rod, what Christians will you then be ! And why not without so much ado? You then think God deals somewhat hardly with you : And why will you not then turn by gentler means? You might spare your selves much of this misery if you would; and you will not. Is it a seemly thing for a man to be driven to heaven by scorges ? Is God so bad a master, and heaven so bad a place, that you will not turn to them,
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