Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · 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 hath ſuk'd out all the marrow.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 commeth; 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 ſeeke 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 that, which man would diſdaine, and think ſcorne to accept of.
Wherefore, Admonition not to deferre 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 repent, he pardons us; if we amend our lives, he faves 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 to morrow, 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, Dives 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 Iudas offered his money to the Prieſts, and could not have acceptance, but they died as they lived, and went from deſpaire unto deſtruction.