The Drunkards Character, Section 153
§ 153.
BUt suppose after many yeares spent in the service of sinne,3 Or suppose thou offer thy best devotions to God wil be accept of thy dry bones, whē Sathan bath suk'd out all the …arrow. and Sathan, thou art willing to relinquish thy lusts, and offer thy seruice, and best devotions at the last gasp to God; will he accept them… no, in al probability he will not: for heare what himself saith, Pro. 1. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out mine hand, and ye would not regard, but despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction: I wil also laugh at your destruction, and mocke when your feare comm…th; when your feare commeth like suddaine desolation, and your destruction like a whirlewind. When affliction and anguish shall come upon you, then shall you call upon me, but I will not answer; you shall se…ke me early, but you shall not find me; because you hated knowledge, and, did not choose the feare of the Lord. You would none of my counsell, but despised all my corrections, therefore you shall eat the fruit of your owne way, and bee filled with your owne devises, ver. 24. to 32.
And this is but justice, if God be not found, of those that were content to loose him: if he heare not them, that would not heare him: if he regard not them, that disregarded him; if he shut his eare against their prayer, crying to him for pardon, that stopt their eares against his voyce, calling upon them for repentance, as Salvian speakes. Alasse! no child would bee whipt, if he might scape for crying; but hee onelyonly findes helpe in adversity, that sought it in prosperity: and ther can be no great hope of repentance at the houre of death, where there was no regard of honesty in the time of life…: God useth not to give his heavenly and spirituall graces at the houre of death to those, who have contemned them all their life: yea, it is sensles to think, that God should accept of our dry bones, when Sathan hath suckt out all the marrow; that he should accept of the lees, when we have given to his enemy all the good Wine.
But, heare what himselfe saith, by the Prophet Malachy, c. 1. 8. and S. Ierome upon the place, it is a most base and unworthy thing, to present God with th…t, which man would disdaine, and th…nk sco…e to accept of.
Wherefore,Admonition not to defer…e repentance. as you tender your owne soule: even to day heare his voyce, set upon the work presently; he that begins to day, hath the lesse work for to morrow. And proroge not your good purposes, least ye saying unto God in this life, with those wicked ones in Iob, depart thou from mee for a time; God say unto you in the life to come, depart from me ye cursed, and that for ever.
Hee hath spared thee long, and given thee already a large time of repentance; but he will not alwayes wait for denyals; his patience at length wil turn into wrath. Time was, when hee stayed for the old world, an hundred and twenty yeares; he stayed for… a rebellious Nation, forty yeares; he stayed for a dissolute City forty dayes: but when that would not serve, his patience was turned into fury; and so many as repented not, were cast into hell. If in any reasonable time wee pray, hee heares us; if we repe…t, he pardons us; if we amend our lives, he saves us: but after the houre prefixt in his secret purpose, there is no time for petition, no place for Conversion, no meanes for pacification. The Lord hath made a promise to repentance, not of repentance: if thou convertest tomo…row, thou art sure of grace; but thou art not sure of to morrowes conversion: so that a fit and timely consideration is the onelyonly thing, in every thing; for, for want of this, Di…es prayed, but was not heard; Esau wept, but was not pitied; the foolish Virgins knockt, but were denied: and how many, at the houre of death, have offered their prayers, supplications, and services unto God, as Iuo as offered his money to the Priests, and could not have acceptance, but they died as they lived, and went from despaire unto destruction.