ÉANTER'S FIFTY REASONS. 561 overcome with the infinite kindness of his pardoning, saving grace; that ever you had the hearts to abuse such a God, and deal so unkindly with him, and stand out so long against.that compassion that was seeking your salvation ! O how it will grieve your hearts to consi- der that you have spent so much of your lives in sin, for the Devil, and the flesh, and the deceitful world ! O, you will think with yourselves, was not God more worthy of my youthful days? Had I not better have spent it in his service, and in the work of my salvation ? Alas ! that I should waste such precious days, and now be so far behind-hand as I am! Now I want that faith, that hope, that love, that peace, that assurance, that joy in the Holy Gh8st, which I might have had, if I had spent those years for God, which I spent in the service of the world and the flesh. 38. And I pray you consider, whether it belongs of right to God, or you, to determine of the day and hour of your coming in ? It is he that must give you the pardon of your sins ; and doth it not then belong to him, to appoint the time of your receiving it? You cannot have Christ and life without him : it is he that must give you the kingdom of heaven : and is he not worthy then to appoint the time of your conversion, that you may be made partakers of it? But if he say, To -day, dare yon say, I will stay till to morrow ? 39. Nay, consider, whether God or you be likeliest to know the meetest time. Dare you say that you know better when to turn, than God doth.? I suppose you dare not : and if you dare not say so, for shame, let not your practice say so. God saith, To -day, while it is called to -day, hear my voice, and harden not our hearts. And dare you say, It is better to stay one month longer, or one day longer? God saith, Behold, this is the accepted time ! behold, this is the day of sal- vation ! .2 Cor. vi. 2. And will you say, it is time enough to- morrow ? Do you know better than God ? If your physician do but ,tell you in.a pleurisy, or a fe- ver, you must let blood this day, before to morrow ; you will have so much reason as to submit to his under- standing, and think that he knows better than you : 18 4 B
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=