200 The GofpelIveyftery Direet. XI, 44 vi1 ways; for why will ye die, O hhufe of Ifrael," Exek. xxxiii. 1 I. Christ teftifieth, that he « would 44 often have gathered the children of Jerufalem, e- " ven as a hen gathereth her chickens under her cc wings, and they wouldnot," Mat. xxiii. 37. And the apoftle Paul tefsifieth, that God " will have all men tobe fared," &c. I Tim H. 4. You are to reje& and abandon all thoughts that are contrary to this perfuafion. What if few be fated? thy falvation will not make the number too great; for few will follow thee in the duty of believing. What if thewrath of God be revealed from heaven againft thee in many terrible judgements, and the word, and thine own confcience condemn thee, and Chrift feerri to rec- kon thee no better than a dog, as he did the woman of Canaan ? Mat. xv. 26. Thott art to make a good interpretation of all thofe things, that the end of them is, to drive thee to Chrift, as .this was the end of the curfes of the lacy and all the terrible difpen- fations of them, Rom. x. 4^ Ifa prophet, or an an- gel from heaven were fent of God, on purpofe to declare, that the fentence of everiafting damnation is declared againft thee, it would be thy dúty to be- lieve, that God fent him to give thee timely Warn- ing, for this veryend, that thoumighteft believe, and turn to God by faith andrepentance. Jeremiahpro- phefied againft the Jews, that God wouldpluck tient up, pull them down, and deffroy them for their fins; yet he himfelf taught them, " if they turned from 44 theirevil ways, God would repent himof theevil,' jer. xviii. 7, 8, r r. Jonah preached nothing but certain deftru&ion to Nineveh, to be executed up- on them within forty d.- js, chap. iii. 4. yet the in- tent of that terrible ma-age was, that thofe heathen- ifh people might efcape'deftruCtion by repentance. The moft abfolute and peremptory denunciations of divine vengeance against us, while we are in this world, muff always be underftood with a fecret re- forte of falvation for us, upon our faithand repent
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