A Call to the Unconverted

If thou hadst any love in thee, thou wouldst know the voice, and say, Oh this is my Fathers Call! how can I find in my heart to disobey? For the sheep of Christ do know and hear his voice, and they follow him, and he giveth them eternal life, John 10.4. If thou hadst any spiritual life and sense in thee, at ⟨p. 132⟩least thou wouldst say, this Call is the dreadful voice of God, and who dare disobey? For saith the Prophet, Amos 3.8. The Lyon hath roared, who will not fear? God is not as man that thou shouldst dally and play with him: Remember what he said to Paul at his Conversion [It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks] Act. 9.5. Wilt thou yet go on and despise his word, and resist his Spirit, and stop thine ear against his Call? Who is it that will have the worst of this? Dost thou know whom thou disobeyest and contendest with, and what thou art doing? It were a far wiser and easier task for thee to contend with the thorns, and spurn them with thy bare feet, and beat them with thy bare hands, or put thy head into the burning fire. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked, Galat. 6.7. Whoever else be mocked, God will not: you were ⟨p. 133⟩better play with the fire in your thatch, then with the fire of his burning wrath. For our God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12.29. O how unmeet a match art thou for God! It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands, Hebrews 10.31. and therefore it is a fearful thing to contend with him or resist him. As you love your souls, take heed what you do. What will you say if he begin in wrath to plead with you? What will you do if he take you once in hand? Will you then strive against his Judgement, as now you do against his grace; faith the Lord, Isa. 27.4, 5. Fury is not in me: (that is, I delight not to destroy you: I do it as it were unwillingly: but yet) who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them: I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me, and he