A

CALL

TO THE

UNCONVERTED.

Ezekiel xxxiii. II.

Say unto them, as I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Ifrael?

T has been the wonder of many, to read in the holy fcripture, how few will be faved: and that the greateft part even of those that are called, will be flut out of heaven, and tormented with the devils in eternal fire. Infidels believe not this, and therefore must feel it. Those that do believe it, are forced to cry out with St. Paul, Rom. xi. 33, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! But nature itfelf teaches us all to lay the blame of evil works upon the doers; and therefore when we fee any heinous thing committed, a principle of juftice provokes us to inquire of him that did it. If we faw a man killed, and cut in pieces by the way, we should prefently afk, O who did this eruel deed? If a town were fet on fire, you would aík, What wicked wretch did this? So when we read that the moft will be fire-brands of hell for ever, we must needs think with ourfelves, How comes this to pafs? Who is it that is fo cruel as to be the caufe of fuch a thing as this? And we can meet with few that will own the guilt. It is indeed confeft by all, that Satan is the caufe; but that refolves not the doubt, because he is not the princi pal caufe. He does not force men to fin, but tempt them to it, and leaves it to their own wills, whether they will do it or not. It lies therefore between God hini

felf and the finner; one of them must be the principal cause of all this mifery; for there is no other to cast it upon: and God difclaims it: he will not take it upon him. And the wicked disclaim it ufually, and they will not take it upon them. And this is the controversy which is here carried on in my text.

The Lord complains of the people: and the people think it is the fault of God. They fay, verfe 1c, If our tranfgreffions and our fins be upon us, and ave pine away in them, how fhall we then live? As if they fhould fay, if we must die, how can we help it? As if it were not their fault, but God's. But God here in my text, clears himfelf of it. and tells them how they may help it if they will, and perfuades them to ufe the means; and if they will not be perfuaded, he lets them know that it is their own fault; and if this will not fatisfy them, he will not therefore forbear to punish them. It is he that will be the judge; and he will judge them according to their way; they are no judges of him or of themselves, as wanting authority, and wisdom, and impartiality: nor is -it the cavilling with God, that fhall ferve their turn, or fave them from the execution of justice.

The words of this verfe contain, 1. God's clearing of himself from the blame of their destruction. This he does not by difowning his law, that the wicked fhall die, nor by difowning his execution according to that law, or giving them any hope that the law fhall not be executed; but by profeffing, that it is not their death that he takes pleasure in, but their returning rather, that they may live: and this he confirms to them by his oath. 2. An exprefs exhortation to the wicked to return; wherein God does not only command, but perfuade, and condefcend alfo to reason the case with them. Why will they die? The direct end of this exhortation is, that they may tura and live. The fecondary ends, upon fuppoGition that this is not attained, are thefe two. Firit, to convince them, that it is not the fault of God if they be miferable. Secondly, to convince them from their manifeft wilfulaefs in rejecting all his commands and perfuasions that it is their own fault, and they die, even becaufe they will die.

The fubftance of the text lies in thefe obfervations following:

Dot. 1. It is the unchangeable law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

Doct. 2 It is the promife of God, that the wicked. fhall live, if they will turn.

Doct. 3. God takes pleasure in men's converfion and falvation, but none in their death or damnation: he had rather they would return and live, than go on and die.

Doct. 4. This is the moft certain truth, which becaufe God would not have men to queftion, he has confirmed to them folemnly by his oath.

Doct. 5. The Lord redoubles his commands and perfuafions to the wicked to turn.

Doct. 6. The Lord condefcends to reafon the cafe with them, and afks the wicked, why they will die.

Doct. 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn, it is not the fault of God that they perifh, but of themfelves; their own wilfulness is the cause of their damnation; they therefore die, becaufe they will die.

Having laid the text open before your eyes in these plain propofitions, I fhall next fpeak fomewhat of each of them in order, though very briefly.

DOCTRINE I

It is the unchangeable Law of God, that wicked men must turn or die.

IF you will believe God, believe this: there is but one of these two ways for every wicked man, either Converfion or Damnation. I know, the wicked will hardly be perfuaded either of the truth or equity of this. No wonder if the guilty quarrel with the law. Few men are apt to believe that which they would not have to be true; and fewer would have that to be true, which they apprehend to be against them. But it is not quarrelling with the law, or with the judge, that will fave the malefactor. Believing and regarding the law might have prevented his death: but denying and accufing it, will but haften it. If it were not fo, an hundred would.