A call to the unconverted, to turn and live

Why, could you not if you would? What hindered you but the wickedness of your hearts? ⟨p. 102⟩Who forced you to sin, or who did hold you back from your duty? Had you not the same teaching, and time, and liberty to be godly, as your godly neighbours had? Why then could not you have been godly, as well as they? Were the church doors shut against you, or did not you keep away yourselves, or sit and sleep, or hear as if you did not hear? Did God put in any exceptions against you in his word, when he invited sinners to return; and he promised mercy to those that do return? Did he say, I will pardon all that repent except thee? Did he shut thee out from the liberty of his holy worship? Did he forbid you to pray to him any more than others? You know he did not. God did not drive you away from him, but you forsook him, and run away yourselves, and when he called you to him, you would not come. If God had excepted you out of the general promise and offer of mercy, or had said to you, "stand off, I will have nothing to do with such as you; pray not to me, for I will not hear you; if you repent never so much, and cry for mercy so much, I will not regard you." If God had left you nothing to trust to but desperation, then you had had a fair excuse, you might have said, "to what end do I repent and turn, when I will do no good?" But this was not your case, you might have had Christ to be your Lord and Saviour; your head and husband, as well as others, and you "would not," because you felt yourselves not sick enough for the physician, and because you could not spare your disease, in your hearts you said as those rebels, Luke xx. 14. W• will not have this man ⟨p. 103⟩to reign over us." Christ would have gathered you under the wings of his salvation, and you would not, Mat. xxiii. 37. What desires of you: welfare did the Lord express in his holy word? With what compassion did he stand over you and say, "O, that my people had hearkened unto me, and that they had walked in my ways! Psalm xviii. 13. lxxvi. 13. O that there were such a heart in this people, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments alway, that it might be well with them, and their children forever!