The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 4
SECT. 4.
4. THe whole time of Grace is turned into Wantonneſſe; 4. The whole time of grace is turned into wantonneſs.not onelyonly ſparing and long-ſuffering Grace, but all the daies of Grace, even to their late dying periods are alſo abuſed. Backſliding is perpetuall. The moſt under Goſpel times refuſe to return, Ier. 8. 5. The Lord queſtions in his Word, O Ieruſalem, how long ſhall vain thoughts lodge in thee? Jer. 4. 14. Wilt thou not he made clean? when ſhall it once be? c. 13. 27. How long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity? and the ſcorners delight in their ſcorning? and fools hate knowledge? Prov. 1. 22. How long? The anſwer is not more ſad then true; for ever. Should the looſe perſons of unconverted hearts, and unreformed lives, not bettered under a threeſcore years convincing and awakening Miniſtry, and the frequent woings of the Holy Ghoſt be left to themſelves, ſhould they live an eternity on earth, they would ſtill wrong the grace of God. There is a Countrey phraſe, To while away the time: O how many do while away precious time? moſt do the works of darkneſs, while Goſpel light ſhines round about them, yea in their mindes, they cannot deny, and yet they defame the glory of it. While Chriſt knocks at the doors of their ſouls for entrance, the Divel is bid welcome; while the Spirit crys, Repent, repent, the fleſh wallows in the pollutions of the World; while he paſſionatly ſolicits and perſwades to accept of ſalvation upon ſalvations tearms, the pathes of damnation are ſtill troden in: The hardened houſe of Iſrael will die: While God is tendred as an everlaſting portion, the world is violently purſued; while the pilgrimage delights of the ſpirit, and the Heavenly Countrey Pleaſures of Gods right hand, are held forth to unregenerate mindes: fooliſh ſouls hunt after the pleaſures of ſin, and vaniſhing Creature delights: While precious ſeaſons to ſue out a pardon are granted out for ſins paſt, more Treaſons and Rebellions are heaped up againſt God: while this vaniſhing life is propoſed as a probation for Eternity, lying vanities are skilfully and unceſſantly purſued.
Five things will load this auſe.
1. Time, one of the moſt precious things in the world, is abuſed: 1. Time is abuſed. Nil pretioſius tempore, & heu nil hodie vilius invenitur. Bernard.Nothing, ſays Bernard, is more precious then it, and alaſs nothing now a days is more ſlighted and vilified: It is made the numbring meaſure of unholy and unrighteous motions, but very rarely of heavenly converſation; the thriving opportunity of Satans Kingdom, but rarely (as to the multitude) of Chriſts: The preciouſneſs of time, induſtriouſly heavenly, as well as earthly merchants will tell you: The worth of time an enraging afflicted Conſcience on a death bed will tell you, that breathed out lamentable crys, Call time again, call time again: The excellency Veniet tempus quo vel unam horam ad reſipiſcendum redimere, mirum quantum optabimus. Otho. Caſmannus.of time moſt awakened looſe departing ſouls will tell you, who will abound in fervent wiſhes to admiration, that they might redeem but one hour to repent. The dignity of time, the damned in hell, were they among us, would tell us, That had they a world, they would give it to eſcape their torments they feel and ſhall endure for ever, and to be in a ſtate of Grace, of Salvation. The glory of time, the glorified in heaven would tell us, were they ſuffered to acquaint us with their unſpeakable Joys: Eternity it ſelf will be little enough to bleſs God they have not loſt their time, but obtained ſalvation in the days of Grace. It will raviſh their hearts, when as one phraſeth it, they ſhall think within themſelves, O bleſſed moment of Grace! O happy days of Converſion! O choicely ſpent time in holy mournings O beatum momentum gratiaeand obedience! O rarely improved time to be the ſhining witneſſes of God againſt the wicked world! O Heavenlized time in communion with God, that contemned the world! O 2. The poſſibility of eſcaping eternal miſery is abuſed. Quomodo eos pudebit pigebitque, qui videbunt ſe opportuno tempore gratiae impenſo, potuiſſe in vita ſua acerbam illam horribilem & lamentabilem aeternitatem evadere?the wiſe uſe of time, that hath laid up treaſures in Heaven, and fitted eſpouſed ſouls for the joyous eternal imbracements of their heavenly Bridegroom.
2. The poſſibilities of eſcaping eternal miſery and obtaining everlaſting life, are abuſed, when the whole proviſional ſpace of preventing the wrath to come, of preparing for glory, in the fooliſh purſuit of the worlds ſhadows is loſt; when looſe Prodigals of the time of Grace are impoſſibilitated to have a moment more. What ſhame and grief will ſurpriſe them, when they ſhall conſider their ſecure neglect of the Jewel of time, and the force of Eternity; prevailing thoughts (when ſet home on the conſcience) to make the profuſe laviſhers of the golden ſeaſons of Grace, the moſt thrifty Husbands: How ſtinging will this ſad conviction be, if the opportune time of Grace were well managed, they might have eſcaped that bitter, horrible and lamentable Eternity wherein they are plunged, and ſafely arrive to the Port of everlaſting reſt? Theſe things were once poſſible, now they are not. O ſinners fear and tremble, your ſporting with ſin, your indignities and injuries put upon the grace of God, doth exceedingly ſlight and deſpiſe your ſaving poſſibilities! while the mouth of the bottomleſs pit is not ſhut upon you, do no more diſparage, but honor your Goſpel-ſeaſons of Grace; if you crucifie the Son of God, and ſtill deſpiſe the Spirit of Grace, either laugh at, or delay the neceſſary change of your hearts and lives, be aſſured, the next minute after your death, you ſhall ſee a dreadful, fixed, unalterable gulf before your eyes, that as the Saints in glory cannot come to your Hell, ſo it will appear everlaſtingly impoſſible for you to come to their Heaven.
3. The remembrance of loſt time, will be an eternal corroſive 3. The remembrance of loſt time will be a corroſive to tormented conſciences.to the tortured awakned Spirit, and torment the wounded Conſcience like fire; when time-looſers ſhall call to minde, That they had a time to be converted, but now they are hardned; had a ſeaſon to come to Chriſt their ark, but now they are drowned in an eternal fiery lake: They had opportunity to weep heavenly Goſpel-tears, and now they eternally weep helliſh legal tears, under the fear and hate of their angry Judge, and the intollerable ſmart of endleſs avenging Puniſhment: They had leaſure to ſtore up Grace againſt the day of Mercy, but now they ſee throughout the whole neglected time of Grace, they have treaſured up ſin againſt the day of wrath: They had a long while Divine patient woings, authoritative commandings, dreadful threatnings, melting beſeechings to be reconciled to God, and reformed; but now penal Juſtice, and their own Wickedneſs, hath ſealed them up under the power of ſin. In brief, they had a ſweet and fair day of mercy, to finde favor with God through Jeſus Chriſt; but now it is gone down in a tempeſtuous night of endleſs and unappeaſable fury.
4. It will not be the leaſt part of Hells Torments, that hopeleſs, 4. Tormented ſouls have helpleſs, hopeleſs, fruitleſs wiſhes.helpleſs Spirits, ſhall be tortured with fruitleſs wiſhes, that they had not loſt the unvaluable advantages of their ſaving opportunities; When they ſhall mourn, and ſay, How have we hated inſtruction, how have our hearts deſpiſed reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of our teachers, nor inclined our ears to our inſtructers? Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13. Every unprofitable wiſh that the time had been redeemed in this world, will be as a renewed bloody laſh, on exulcerated wounded tender bodies: O unwiſe children of men, that riot in the liberal indulgences to your fleſh, even in the noon-time of cleer Goſpel-light! Take a ſerious view of theſe impertinent and afflictive wiſhes in the other world: O that God would grant one day of Grace more! O that I were to live over my time again, how would I look upon the fleſh diſpleaſing, ſharpeſt ſeverities of repentance, as favors! O that I had kneeled on flints, and wept mine eyes out in ſtrong cries and tears for a pardon! O that I had given my Goods to the poor! O that I had changed the delights of the fleſh, for the pleaſures of the Spirit, that I had been filled with the Spirit, when I was drunk with Wine! Epheſ. 5. 18. O that I had watched over my looſe heart day and night! O that I had faſted and prayed whole days and nights! O that affliction had driven me to Chriſt, that I had rather gone through dirty Lanes to an heavenly Fathers Houſe, than through pleaſant Meadows to a Priſon, and a place of Execution! O that a godly ſorrowing life had ended in joy! Pſal. 126. 5. And that a carnal voluptuous life, had not ended in eternal ſorrows! Jam. 5. 1, 5. Have you ſeen Bankrupts, that from the publiſhed Statutes of Execution, have their Goods ſeized on, and their perſons Impriſoned, wringing their hands, beating their heads, bedewing their cheeks, breaking their hearts, with theſe words? O that I had been a good Husband, that I had hearkned unto my friends, avoided undoing-Company, kept my Shop, improved my time, I had never come to this; but I am undone, I am undone: Have you ſeen a condemned Felon that muſt have no Pſalm of Mercy, ſuddenly ſcreek and roar out in the Aſſiſes, and ſwoon in the torturing fear and aſſurance of death, when the Judge tells him there is no mercy for him; this alſo adding to his woe: O that I had taken the counſel of my dear friends, that I were to live over my youth and man-hood! O that I had not loſt my time of Grace! O that I had kept the Sabbath better! O that I had not rebelled againſt my dear Parents, and deſpiſed good men, and godly Miniſters! Think then what is and will be the woe of loſt ſouls in the other life, racking their Spirits with fruitleſs wiſhes, that they had not laviſhed away the time of Grace.
5. Waſters of the time of Grace, out-ſin the very Devils of 5. Waſters of the time of Grace, out-ſin the very Devils of Hell.Hell: They never had a year, day, or minutes time of repentance and pardon: The next moment of their Tranſgreſſion, was a damning moment to endleſs and remedileſs puniſhment: In this reſpect the Devils will load carnal Goſpellers, playing the wantons with the ſeaſons of Grace, and rejoyce in their ſociety in deſtruction, with this kinde of triumph, Glad we are in your fellowſhip of damnation: Is it juſt we are caſt into Hell? your company with us in torments is more juſt: You have outſinned us, we were never guilty of ſuch an affront to the Grace of God, merits of Chriſt, ſeaſons of Grace as you are: The Son of God aſſumed not our nature, undertook not our redemption, interceded not with his Father to give us ſcores of years ſpace of repentance, ten years, a year, a day, a minute: He took your nature, died for you, pleads you may have the precious ſaving ſeaſons of Grace, your abuſe of the Goſpel, miſ-ſpending the ſpace of repentance, is ſuperlative guilt, of a deeper die then our tranſgreſſion: How ſad a thing is it that looſe Goſpellers, that fill up their time with ſecret or open wickedneſs, or both, ſhould out-ſin the very Devils: O friends! did Chriſt ſpeak it with paſſionate tears, concerning ſelf-undoing Jeruſalem, Hadſt thou known in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace, but now they are hidden from thee, Luke 19. 42. How ought you to weep over your turning the time of Grace into wantonneſs? Ah fooliſh ſinners, that waſte your ineſtimable opportunities of getting Chriſt and Grace, walking exactly, dying to ſin, that you may not eternally die in it, and for it; honoring God in your Generation, obtaining your ſouls Salvation, laying up treaſure in Heaven, preparing for bleſſed Eternity; if you bewail not this in hearty Compunction, bitter Tears; if the ſenſe of being Spend-thrifts of moſt precious time, make you not aſhamed before the Lord, know it, and believe, you ſhall in the next life look over your ungrateful neglects, with unutterable mournings, and eternal tears.