UNCONVERTED READER. 527 cut your throats, to torment yourselves, as plead rea- son against a true conversion unto God. Were I per- suading you not to kill yourselves,' I would make no question but you would be persuaded; and yet I must be hopeless, when I persuade you from everlasting misery, and not to prefer the world and flesh before your Saviour, and your God, and before a sure- ever- lasting joy. God forbid ! Reader, 1 take it for a great mercy of God, that be- fore my head lies down in the dust, and I go to give up my account unto my Judge, I have this opportu- nity once more earnestly to bespeak thee for thy own salvation. I beg it of thee, as one that must shortly be called away, and speak to thee no more till we come into our endless state, That thou wouldst but sometimes retire into thyself, and use the reason of a man, and look before thee whether thou art going ; and look behind thee how thou hast lived, and what thou hast been doing in the world till now ; and look within thee, what a case thy soul is in, and whether it be fit to enter upon eternity ; and look above thee, what a heaven of glory thou dost neglect, and consider thou hast God to be thine everlasting Friend or Enemy, as thou chusest, and as thou livest, and thou art always in his sight; yea, and look below thee, and think where they are that die unconverted. And when thou hast soberly thought of all these things, then do as God and true reason shall direct thee. And is this an un- reasonable request ? I appeal to God, and to all wise men, and to thy own conscience, when it shall be awakened, if I speak against thee, or if all this be not for thy good : or if it be not true and sure, then regard not what I say : if I speak not that message which God hath commanded his ministers to speak, then let it be refused as contemptuously as thou wilt. But if I do but in Christ's name and stead beseech thee to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 20. refuse it at thy peril, And if God's beseeching thee shall not prevail against thy sloth, lust, thy appetite, against the desires of the flesh, against the dust and shadows of the world, re- i
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