TO A SOUND CONVERSION. 415 language, and do not understand you, he will make never the more haste : but if he understand and be- lieve you, he will away. If people think that minis- ters are in jest with them, or that they are uncertain of what they say, no marvel if they hear us in jest, or as men that believe not what they hear : but if you knew that your lives lay on it, yea, your everlasting life, would you not regard it, and look about you? Now you stand deliberating and questioning the business whether you should turn, and let go sin, or not:, but if you knew that you must certainly have hell with it if you keep it, methinks your doubt should quickly be resolved, and you should be loth to give another night's lodging to so chargeable and dangerous a guest. Now, when we persuade you to holiness of life, you will demur on it, as if there were some doubtfulness in the matter : but if you knew the nature and end of holiness, you would soon be out of doubt : and if you knew but how much happier you might be with God, you would never stick at the parting with your most delightful sins. As the Jews rejected Christ, and preferred . a murderer before him, and cried out, Crucify him ! and all because they did not know him ; so you let Christ knock and call, and offer you salvation, and you stand questioning whe- ther you should obey his call, and whether you should not prefer your lusts before him; and all be- cause you know him not, nor the grace and glory which tendereth to you When men understand not the reasons of God that should prevail with them, no wonder if they part not with that which is as dear to them as their lives. But when once they know the reasons of Christianity; (those moving, weighty, undeniable reasons, that are fetched from God, and heaven and hell,) they will then stand questioning the matter no longer ; but they will resign up all, even life itself. All this I speak of a spiritual, powerful, and a practical knowledge; and not of every swimming opinion and conceit. INIMmr
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