Yet I cannot but call after them. Hearken unto me, O ye Children. How long will youa love vanity, and follow after leasing, andb trust in lying words? As the Lord liveth you are lost, except you turn:c wherefore turn your selves and live ye. Ah how mercy woeth you! how it waiteth to be gracious to you! Hear, O sinners, hear. See you not how the merciful Saviour of the world stretcheth forth his hands all the day long, and spreadeth forth his wings, and calleth you as a hen doth her chicken? Hear you not the soundings of his bowels? he hath no need of you; yet how do his compassions melt over perishing sinners? hise heart is turned within him, and shall not this turn your hearts? his repentings are kindled together? and shall not this lead you to repentance?f Behold, he standeth at the door and knocketh. O man wilt thou keep Jesus at the door, and lodge Barabbas in thy bosom? and prefer thy cruel lusts, before thy compassionate Lord? Oh his melting love to sinners! heg calleth after them, heh weepeth over them, hei crieth to them; How long ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? ⟨image 88⟩kwill you not be made clean? when shall it once be? why will you die? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you. Sinner, art thou not yet melted? Oh come in at his loving calls. Come out from thy sins: touch the sceptre of grace and live: why shouldest thou bel dashed in pieces by his iron rod? kiss the Son: why shouldst thou perish in the way? set up Jesus as thy King, lest he count thee for hism enemy, because thou wouldest that he should not reign over thee, and so thou be called forth and slain before him. Oh how dreadful will this case be to perish under the pitiful eyes of his mercy, and to die by the hand of a Saviour! Oh double hell, to have thy redeemer become thine executioner! and the hand that was so long stretched forth to save thee, to be now stretched forth to slay thee! and the merciful heart of Christ himself hardened against thee, so as that he should call thee forth, and with his own hand hew thee in pieces, (as Samuel did Agag) before the Lord.
Yet I cannot but call after them. Hearken unto me, O ye Children. How long will youa love vanity, and follow after leasing, andb trust in lying words? As the Lord liveth you are lost, except you turn:c wherefore turn your selves and live ye. Ah how mercy woeth you! how it waiteth to be gracious to you! Hear, O sinners, hear. See you not how the merciful Saviour of the world stretcheth forth his hands all the day long, and spreadeth forth his wings, and calleth you as a hen doth her chicken? Hear you not the soundings of his bowels? he hath no need of you; yet how do his compassions melt over perishing sinners? hise heart is turned within him, and shall not this turn your hearts? his repentings are kindled together? and shall not this lead you to repentance?f Behold, he standeth at the door and knocketh. O man wilt thou keep Jesus at the door, and lodg Barabbas in thy bosom? and prefer thy cruel lusts, before thy compassionate Lord? Oh his melting love to sinners! heg calleth after them, heh weepeth over them, hei cryeth to them; How long ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? ⟨image 88⟩kwill you not be made clean? when shall it once be? why will you die? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you. Sinner, art thou not yet melted? Oh come in at his loving calls. Come out from thy sins: touch the scepter of grace and live: why shouldest thou bel dashed in pieces by his iron rod? kiss the Son: why shouldst thou perish in the way? set up Jesus as thy King, lest he count thee for hism enemy, because thou wouldest that he should not reign over thee, and so thou be called forth and slain before him. Oh how dreadful will this case be to perish under the pitiful eyes of his mercy, and to die by the hand of a Saviour! Oh double hell, to have thy redeemer become thine executioner! and the hand that was so long stretched forth to save thee, to be now stretched forth to slay thee! and the merciful heart of Christ himself hardned against thee, so as that he should call thee forth, and with his own hand hew thee in pieces, (as Samuel did Agag) before the Lord.
- aPsal. 4. 2.
- bJer. 7. 4.
- cEzek. 18.
- eHos. 11. 8.
- fRev. 3. 20.
- gIsa. 55. 1.
- hLuk. 19. A1, 42.
- iProv. 1. 21, 22, 23.
- kJer. 13. 27.
- lPsal. 2. 9, 12.
- mLuke 19. 27.
