Fountain and sealing a new and everlasting Covenant of Grace in his Blood that whosoever believeth and repenteth shall not perish but have Ever lasting Life O astonishing Love was there any need for God to stoop to offer undone man a Covenant of Grace but his ways are not as ours c Now this youthful Sin of Delays spurneth at this Bowel and Bosom Mercy and Love of God the Father And can this be thought to be a little Sin O unparrallel'd Wickedness of what a Scarleâ— tincture and bloody nature is this Sin O young man consider it take heâ—â— of shuffling here thou wilt be apt â—â— think within thy self that sure this is not so What I guilty of trampling on the bowleâ— of Go'ds mercy which I venture to puâ— off turning to him a little longer far beâ— it from me to do so great wickedness I never intended any such thing O deludeâ— Youth come see thy guiltiness e're it â—â— too late to remedy thy self The Goâ— and Father of our Lord Jesus revealeth anâ— publisheth his eternal thoughts of love tâ— poor Sinners that had destroyed themselveâ— alloweth them a day of Salvation and acceptable time to come in and be saved without exception though he was the offendeâ— party yet he proclaims fury is not in me I have no pleasure in the death of Sinners I am willing to be reconciled lo I have found out a Ransome I have bruised my own Son and slain my own Lamb to be a sacrifice for Sin and a Saviour for Sinners him have I sealed and set forth to be the only propitiation for Sin through Faith iâ— his Blood sure they will reverence my Son and admire my Grace in offering him and strive who shall first receive him sure every Knee will bow to him and every Mouth confess to him what less could be expected Now then instead of this to crave with Solomon's sluggard a little longer and a little longer to embrace and enjoy our vile Lusts which according to the tenor of the Gospel cannot one moment be regarded and loved without a manifest rejection of Christ I appeal to you whether your present delays are not a notorious despising the Riches of God's Goodness which Sin is a most bitter provocation of Almighty God who could every moment confound such despisers of his Grace What think you will an earthly King bear it that his descending below himself to spare and shew mercy to obstinate Traytors should be despised It is also to be considered how wickedly these delays do vilifie the Grace of our dear Redeemer who though he was rich with the Riches of the Deity he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet such was his amazing Grace that for our sakes he became poor with the poverty of our humanity he took upon him the form of a Servant he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs and here in the days of his Flesh endured the contradiction of Sinners the temptations of Satan the curse of the Law the bitter wrath of God and the accursed death of the Cross and all this for Rebels Enemies O infinite condescension and after all this is done he comes a wooing to our Doors and follows us up and down with the sweet motions of his Spirit and with the strong motives of his Love in dying for us pleading O Sinners why will you dye I am Jesus who dyed for you turn unto me my Heart is towards you what could I have done more for you to win you to redeem you than I have done O remember how I was wounded for your Sins Behold my Hands and Feet reach hither thine Hand put it into the hole in my side look upon me in the Garden and on the Cross and trace me there when my Blood trickled down my weary Body and see how I loved you and whether ever love was like mine to you O that the Lord would please to make you sensible young people and cause you to apprehend the truth of this that Christ doth really thus plead with you to know the things of your Peace now in this your day and to flee your youthful Lusts without delay And here I pray give me leave without the least prevarication to represent to you the impious nature of this Sin of delaying as it is a despising and contemning all this rich Grace and Love of blessed Jesus O young man while thou delayest thou tramplest on Christ's precious Blood thou embracest and openest to thy vile Lusts and Christ is made to serve to stand without in the mean while is it not enough to provoke him in fury to be gone and never return more till he come to sentence thee to go accursed into everlasting Fire Young man has not Christ's Blood a cry does it not cry to Heaven for Mercy to poor Sinners and does it not cry on Earth to Sinners O cease your enmity throw down your weapons of hostility O repent repent and I will appease and quench the Flames of divine Wrath that your Sins have kindled c. Now delays so long as they last are a direct opposition hereunto it is equivalent with waging war against crucified Christ it is interpretatively a conspiracy with the Devil against Christ Young man were you aware of this O be assured the hand of Joab is in this there is a peculiar enmity in Satan against the Blood of Christ as it is a Sinner's ransom while himself is left bound with eternal Chains hence he subtilly endeavoureth to strengthen the confederacy with thy youthful Lusts by present delays which if he can effect he knoweth it to be a direct compliance with him to vilifie that healing Plaister of Christ's precious Blood and how doth he insult when he can prevail herein to keep out Christ notwithstanding all his wooings pleadings and to keep up the present leagâ—â— between thee and thy Lusts as he moâ—â— certainly does whilst thou delays O youâ—â— man never forget this argument againâ—â— this Sin of delaying it is a Sin directlâ— against the bleeding dying love of Chriâ—â— And then it is a sin against the blessed Spâ—rit the third Person of the sacred Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Sâ—â— and comes in the ministry of the Word inwardly to strive with you to convince yoâ— of Sin and Misery in order to a revealing â— Christ and his Righteousness to you for voâ—â— Salvation O admirable Grace that the Hâ—â— Ghost that heavenly Messenger should voucâ— safe to come under a Sinner's roof upon suâ—â— a design so advantagious to a self-destroyiâ—â— Creature O with what humble thankâ—â— Hearts should we receive such a messengâ—â— that leaves thee probably many ninety ninâ— better then thou art and comes to the secretly whispering and breathing O â—â— thy youthful Lusts to day while it is caâ—â—ed to day return return O prodigal youâ—â— there is Bread enough and to spare in thâ— Father's house if you stay here in this â—â— Country you perish if you
seldom of all Acts of Disobedience â—uffer that of marrying against the consent of Parents go off the stage of this Life unpunished And then for Servants that are under the Yoke who are in great danger of miscarryâ—ng in that Relation let me prevail with â—hem to treasure up these following Scriâ—â—ures Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Col. 3. 22 23 24 â—5 1 Tim. 6. 1 2. And especially study that Titus 2. 9 10. and 1 Pet. 2. 18. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters â—nd to please them well in all things not answering again not purloining but shewing all â—ood fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine â—f God our Saviour in all things O remember that in serving your Masters after the flesh in singleness of Spirit you herein serve the Lord Christ Remedies against that Youthful Sin of Sabbath-breaking I Have shewed you how prone Youth is to this Sin and those that are afraid of pilfering from Man and robbing their Masters of their Goods yet make no Conscience of pilfering and robbing God of his time O what multitudes of Youth make this day to be the day of finding their carnal pleasures and recreating themselves wherefore to direct you how you may flee this Sin 1. Consider God hath sanctified and blessed this day not only as a day for his own Worship but for his own Workmanship in a new creating us in Christ Jesus it 's a special day for dispensing of Grace and Pardon to undone condemned Sinners and should we not then sanctify it and keep it holy On this day the golden Scepter of Grace and Mercy is held forth and Proclamation is made of an Act of Oblivion to all rebellious Sinners that shall throw down their Weapons of Enmity and come in and subject themselves to the Lord Jesus that their Sins and Iniquities however aggravated shall be pardoned and be remembred no more for ever and not only so but a Marriage Feast is on this day instituted to be celebrated a Feast of fat things wherein the returning Prodigal is crowned with all the expressions of joy and honour Bring forth the fatted Calf the best Robe the Ring let Heaven rejoyce and make merry c. O Youth what are thy Esau-like morsels abroad in the Field but as the husks that Swine do eat to the dainties of a Father's house O the time is at hand when the crumbs that fall from the Lord's Table will be more desirable than all the sweet meats of Sin and the Flesh that thou meetest with in thy rambles on God's Holy day Thou gainest a little fleshly content and merriment but losest the blessednesses promised in Isa 56. 2. Blessed Ashre there is the plural number is the man that doth this that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it The blessedness of gracious communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus c. And who can express the heavenly comfort of that O would you ever be drunk with Wine or bewitched with the sordid pleasures of the Flesh If you had once drank of this high Country Wine the Wine of Heaven's consolations Heark Young Man to those that have tryed it Psal 84. How amiable are thy Tabernacles c. And so the Psalm runs on One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste 2 Cant. 3. But I must not enlarge 2. Meditate upon this how woful a Sin-Sabbath-breaking is and how woful a condition Sabbath-breakers are in To profane the Sabbath is a Sin of an high nature it is a vile despising the Riches of God's goodness Alas You could not have a Sabbath but from his astonishing mercy Be sure then to profane a Sabbath is a surpassing Provocation beyond the Sin of the Devil who never had the mercy of one day of the Son of Man 's afforded him Moreover it indicates and sheweth that you have no delight in God in his Service who have no delight in his day and is thy want of Love to God a small Sin When it is as one saith the very heart of the old Man the badge of Devils and damned Spirits And then consider how woful the condition of Sabbath-breakers is they carry about them the mark of Death and Hell as 't were in their Foreheads wherever they go for it 's past all doubt that Sabbath-breakers are under the wrath of God and in a state of alienation to him and will certainly perish if they continue in that state O Young Man strongly impress this on thy heart and say Is this a tolerable condition Is it wisdom to continue it an hour longer O think with your selves what if I had dyed in this Case what had become of me how exceedingly thou art beholden to the patience of God that he hath not cast thee into Hell The Lord open your eyes and imprint this Meditation upon your hearts then you would admire the mercy of a Sabbath and the provisions of grace in the Ordinances and you would loath and detest the Tempter that would entice you to waste a Moment of so blessed a Day Wherefore to close this I shall recite the Testimony of a wise and learned Person * J. Hales of this Nation who was as is noted of him natus ad exemplar born to be an Example to others This Excellent Person writing to his Children of whom he travail'd in Birth that Christ might be formed in them he freely opens his mind in these following Words I now write something to you says he touching the Observation of the Lord's day because I find in the World much Looseness and Apostacy from this Duty People begin to be cold and careless in it allowing themselves Sports and Recreations and secular Imployments in it without any necessity which is an ill presage and a sad Spectacle He there makes this profession and declaration to them I have found says he by a strict diligent observation that a due observation of the Duties of this Day has ever had joyned to it a Blessing upon the â—est of my time and the Week that has been so begun has been blessed and prosperous to me And on the other side when I have been negligent in and of the Duties of this Day the rest of the Week has been unsuccesful and unhappy to my own secular Imployment and this I do not write lightly or inconsiderately but upon long and sound Experience Here I thought to have given you a quotation of many Instances very remarkable of God's punishing the breakers of this Holy Day but it would swell this Treatise too big for the Poor to purchase it and there are indeed few Months that pass but you have sad memorials hereof at â—yburn of Malefactors crying out of this Sin as introductory to all others and the source and spring of all their Miseries The next Sin that Youth is addicted to is Pride Remedies against
to it 2. As they directly oppose the means of it 1. As they wofully indispose the Soul to it this will appear beyond the least doubt if you seriously consider what a polluting a pernicious influence youthful Lusts have upon all the faculties of the Soul These Lusts they diffuse a blindness upon the Mind they benum the Conscience increase the natural rebellion of the Will exceedingly harden the Heart and miserably enthral and deprave the Affections and so they wofully indispose the Soul to conversion 1st They diffuse a blindness on the Mind that noble faculty the thinking discerning and reasoning Power of the Soul which some call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading and directing Faculty which is to the Soul what Eyes are to the Body therefore called 1. Ephes 18. the Eyes of the Vnderstanding these Eyes youthful Lusts blind so that they cannot see afar off to the end of a sinful Life how bitter and evil a thing Sin will prove at last when God will bring the young man to Judgment for all his youthful Lusts hence they fearlesly chose a course of Vanity and Sensuality in serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Being blinded through their Lusts they discern not the absolute necessity of a Saviour they see no beauty in him that he should be desired and what more effectual bar can there be to their Conversion Alas while the mind is blinded tho' a poor Sinner hangs over Hell every moment under a just sentence of Condemnation at the very door of Eternity yet all 's at peace the Soul lieth in a deep and deadly Sleep though a Minister come and weep over him use the most rouzing Arguments with him all 's one noâ— a whit moved or stirred though you speaâ— never so much Reason or Scripture â—â— Soul thou hast an unholy Nature to be renewed an offended God to be reconciled to thou hast innumerable Sins and not one oâ— them pardoned thou hast Death and Judgment to make ready for thou hast but a feâ— more days on Earth yet while the mind â—â— blinded they make light of all a merry taâ—â— will more affect them Romances Playâ— and Comedies such Bubbles and empâ—â— Vanity are much more pleasing than thâ— most powerful Heavenly Sermon Noâ— whence is this but from the blindness young mens Minds and whence is thâ—â— blindness but from their youthful Lust aâ— you may read in that apposite Scripturâ— Ezek. 14. and 5. They are all estranged froâ— me through their Lusts Lust in David bloâ—ted out the impression and remembrance of the Evil and danger of sinning against God hence when he was recovered by effectual Grace see how he rates himself in Psal 73. 22. So foolish and ignorant was I even as a Beast before thee Lust in toxicates the Mind and then like a Drunkard that through the vapours that fume up into his Head sleepeth and forgetteth all his dangers his debts So it is here and O how impossible is thy Conversion while thy Mind is thus darkened the Mind that is the Watch-man of thy Soul to keep off Sin and danger and if the watch-man be blind how small hope of Conversion By this you see how youthful Lusts indispose the Soul to Conversion as they blind the mind 2dly They indispose the Soul for conversion as they stupifie Conscience that Spy in our Bosom that Vice-gerent of the supream Judge whose office is various 1. to record and register all we do 2. To bear witness and give in evidence 3. As a Judge to pass sentence Conscience sits on the Throne as God's Deputy in the Soul to award out Life or Death 4. To be a Tormentor a never-dying Worm it is to the damned â—n Hell and an insupportable burden to â—ome on Earth creating such internal Anxiâ—ties and Tortures that all the Arts Wits Pleasure and Diversions in the world canâ—ot root out as in Belshazzar Cain Judas Tiberius Nero Caligula c. of these divers offices and acts of Conscience you read in Rom. 2. 15. 1 John 3. 20 21. Prov. 18. 14. And that in order to Conversion it is necessary that this busie Faculty in man be awakened will appear if you consider that 8 of Jer. 6. God hearkened and heard and no man repented him saying What have I done but every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel There you have God's inquisition and search to find ouâ— whether that People repented or no â— hearkened and heard saith God Then yoâ— have God's evidence brought in no maâ— repented or converted and then you havâ— the Cause laid down of their not repenting No man said What have I done q. d. Haâ— Conscience been awakened to have donâ— its office to have div'd into all their Villanies had that domestick Spie in the Bosom brought in a true account concerning whaâ— they had done they would certainly havâ— repented e'er this Alas the subtile Heaâ— of a Sinner will endure and bear all thâ— historical notions of the evil of Sin of thâ—â—erribleness of Hell as one in Health can beâ—â— the names and notions of Plague Stonâ— Colick and the most tormenting disease and all but as Powder shot and scare-Crowâ— untill Conscience like Peter 2. Acts 36 3â— closeth particularly with Sinners thus Ye aâ— they that with wicked Hands crucified 〈◊〉 Lord of Glory and then they were pricked to the Heart and as Nathan closed with David 2. Sam. 12. 7. He draws his Parable out of the Clouds and enters him with this arrest Thou art the man then he presently cries out I have sinned O believe it Sirs when once Conscience meets with a desperate Sinner that hath been ruffling it in all manner of Riot for a time drenching himself in sensual pleasures and Conscience in the name of the great God arrests him with an O wretch what hast thou done thus and thus to provoke the Great the Holy the Righteous sin-revenging God I have been privy to all thy secret as well as open Wickedness and I have sad News to tell thee that the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against thee c. Thus when Conscience finds out a Sinner and spits as it were Hell-Fire in his Face believe me it will eftsoon put the Soul upon the Rack and cause it to break forth with an O Wo is me the Sins which I now see are bitter as Death the Wrath that I begin to feel at present and that to come that I fear makes a kind of Tophet within me O if I should dye in this case what would become of me Lord is there no mercy What shall I do to be saved Thus Conscience in its efficacious working is necessary to Humiliation which is one great part of Conversion and then for hope of mercy and pardon and a fixed resolution to forsake all known Sin and teturning home to God which makes up and compleats a Sinners conversion you may easily discern from what I have said as to the first part of Conversion the
lusts of Malice and Envy against â—im that most pure peaceable meek and â—eavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which Christ had taught among them could have â—o entertainment in nor government over â—heir Hearts to win them to him because â—â—eir hearts were engaged to their Lusts So â—â— is here when God calls and Ministers â—ll and the dangers and miseries of thy neeâ—â—y Soul calls O young man consider thy â—ays remember thy Creator know that â— will bring thee to Judgment alas theâ—e â—usts deasen and drown all O wretched â—very tho' Life and Death be set before thee tho' thou art allured with all the glorious promises of pardon and Eternal Lifâ— on the one hand and tho' thou art constrained with all the Terrors of the Lord thâ— Curses of the Law and the everlasting Flame of Hell on the other hand yet these Lusâ— slight make nothing of all these amazinâ— and tremendous Truths as if they were nâ— worthy of one quarter of an hours serioâ—â— Consideration they do so haunt aâ— shackle poor Sinners as that they hold theâ— Prisoners arctâ custodiâ in close bondagâ— and will not allow them the liberty of coâ—sideration and bethinking themselvâ—â— Hence these Lusts are stiled Snares Neâ— Bonds Eccles 7. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 26. and this respect are Sinners compared to Caâ—tives and Prisoners kept up Isa 61. 1. aâ— Chap. 42. 7. Hence Simon Magus by reâ—son of his being under the dominion of thâ— lust of Covetousness tho' he was also undâ—â— a Christian profession and had been but jâ— before Baptized yet you read Acts 8. 23. see saith Peter that thou art in the Gallâ— Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity Aâ— so that young man of whom you read the 19. Matth. he seemed to be near to â—â— Kingdom of Heaven but he was chaiâ—â— fast by the Love of Riches and that set hiâ— quite back again O young men yoâ— Lusts if you give way to them will â—â— come so ravenous outragious and tyraâ—â— noâ— lusts malign Influences what cause have you to Flee these Lusts Another means on our part of Conversion is Prayer thus we read in Jer. 31. 18 19. of Ephraim when he was about turning he prayeth to the God of all Grace Turn thou me and I shall be turned In this respect Peter counsels Simon Magus Acts 822. Repent saith he of this thy Wickedness and Pray to God if perhaps the Thought of thine Heart may be forgiven thee Pray mind this Scripture q. d. though thou art in the very Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity yet supposing there remains only a possibility a perhaps of Pardon and Salvation yet thou art bound to Pray I know there are many deboist lewd Youngsters in this Age that imitate those prophane Wretches of whose hellish Language you read in the 21. Job 14 15. They say to the Almighty Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways And what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit is it if we Pray to him But there is little hopes of their Conversion However this is most certain that Prayer is an Institution of God's in order to Conversion as you may see in those two Scriptures Hosea 14. 1 2 3. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquities In that Verse you have God's Invitation to Conversion and then in the second Verse you have his Direction how to go about it Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive uâ— graciously And then if you read thaâ— 36. Ezek. 26 27. where you have God promising the Grace of Conversion in those words A new Heart will I give unto you and presently enjoyning Prayer as a means on our part ver 27. Thus saith the Lord I will yet for this be sought by the House oâ— Israel to do it for them If you ask What Prayer is I answer Prayer is the offering up of ouâ— Desires to God for things agreeable to hiâ— Will in the name of Christ These Desire must proceed from an Heart touched with the sense of our sin and misery and the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ anâ— they must be servent and constant like thâ— Publican God be merciful or propitious â—â— me a Sinner Luke 18. and Gen. 32. 25. I will not let thee go except thou bless me Luk. 18. 1. to this end our Saviour spake that Parable to instruct us that we ought to Pray and not faint like that important Woman of Canaan who would know no discouragements being once entred and engaged in this heavenly Exercise It is not meet saith our Lord to take Childrens Bread and give it to Dogs she owneth it Truth Lord saith she Matth. 15. 26. yet the Dogs may eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table O when a poor Sinner cometh to God by Christ and knocketh for converting Grace out of a sense of its damned undone condition if he prevail not and cryeth out O thou most patient tho' provoked God it 's matter of admiration that thou sufferest such a Viper as I am to live and breath in thy common Air O pity me a Hell-deserving Sinner for the sake of thy dear Son who made satisfaction by his bitter Death and Passion to thy Justice and grant me this favour in thy sight the forgiveness of my Sins and the Spirit of Grace to subdue the power of my lusts and to renew me in Soul and Body O Father of Mercies if thou do not shew me this favour and mercy I shall live thine enemy and shall I know not how soon dye miserably to mine own eternal undoing O draw me into Union with thy blessed Son unto whom none can come except thou draw O let me never rest till it be out of doubt that I am converted and that God in Christ is mine let my Tears be my Meat night and day while I have a being till I obtain Grace and Mercy to help my needy miserable Soul After this manner is this Exercise to be performed and it brings God's Institution it is under a promised Blessing and many can set to their seals that their labour herein hath not been in vain with reference to Repentance and Conversion Now giving way to youthful lust directly opposeth Conversion both as it withdraws you from it and withereth your Soul in the performance of it Alas when your Lusts grow clamorous and you obsequious to them they will breed in you an aversation opposition to Prayer you will not find a Heart inclined to but wretchedly dis-inclined from God which is a sad case indeed and to have a hard Heart that cannot Pray was the note of an Eminent Saint and Servant of God now ascended compleateth a Soul's misery it pulls down fury and destruction upon the Heads of such as you may see in the 10. Jer. 25. O what care should you take to preserve your comfortable access
morrow is as the Proverb runs To count your Chickens before thâ— be hatched It is reported of Caesar that he would never let his Soldiers know when or where he meant to march next So here it is altogether uncertain at whose door God may knock next by a sudden Death he doth not always send out the Scouts and fore-runners of a lingring sickness as warnings of our approaching change But sometimes in a moment in the midst of youthful security and jolligy he lops down the strong and healthful while he spareth the more infirm and sickly There is no condition of Life but we have instances how it hath been imbitter'd by sudden deaths occasioned and sometimes by falls either of a House or Horse or else by falls off a House or Horse and sometimes by Fire kindling upon Persons when asleep and sometimes by Water persons falling into it when awake Again sometimes by preternatural Heats and Colds some burnt up with Feavers others drown'd with Humours some choaked with Quinsies others snatch'd away with Apoplexies in so short a breath that they have not time to cry out for help Innumerable are these Casualties that you young ones lie open to and how dangerous then is it to delay though you are now free from pain and in good health may not the same be said of many others who died suddenly and it may be delayed their Repentance on the like grounds as you do O foolish and unwise who hath bewitched you Moreover it is to be considered that your present delaying to flâ— your Lusts doth exceedingly provoke the Lord of your Life and Time to cut shoâ— your Life for how can you reasonably expect that the Almighty in whom ye live and move and have your being shoulâ— prolong the days of such Rebels who makâ— no other use of their time but to affront anâ— dishonour him O young people hoâ— righteous a thing would it be for God â— cut you off and deny you a longer conâ—â—nuance on Earth while you put him oâ— and delay your Repentance and Return â— him Surely if thou resolvest upon a prâ—sent league with thy Youthful Lusts refusing a divorce as yet between them and thâ— Soul it is most just with God to resolve up on a present divorce between thy Soul anâ— Body and to refuse thee an hours patienâ— more Wherefore O mortal Youth â— minute Dust and Ashes represent to thâ— self thy danger if thou delay the time â— thy delay is a time full of danger upon thâ— account viz. the uncertainty of thy time oâ— Life But then 2. It is dangerous in regard of the uncertainty of thy time of Grace So thâ— suppose thou hadst an assurance â—â— the continuance of thy time of Life sâ— many Years as Hezekiah had yet whâ— would that avail thee while thou art at utter uncertainty about thy time of Grace If you enquire what I mean by time of Grace I Answer it stands in the enjoyments of the usual means of Salvation which are two fold first the outward preaching of the Word secondly the inward strivings and motions of the Spirit these make up a time of Grace which is called an acceptable time a time wherein God may be found a day of Salvation in Psal 32. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now such a time much differeth from that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the time of our Life which lasteth as long as our Lives last Alas there is many a man out-lives his time of Grace hence Luke 19. O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes The time of Grace is tempus labile a transient thing delay but one quarter of an hour longer and thou mayst with Esau be rejected and find no more any place for an acceptable Repentance post est occasio calva Ah how did Esau weep and take on after he had lost his time of Grace he might once have had the time of Blessing without those bitter Agonies but he delayed and loiter'd away his season Great is the mercy of God to allow man a time of Grace on Earth but great is the misery of man as Solomon saith Eccles 8. 6. because he discerns not his time who can give a due estimate of enjoying the Gospel wherein so great Salvation iâ— offered to Sinners Behold I stand at the Door and knock c Rev. 3. 20. Though thou haâ— played the Herlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord. Jer. 3. 1. O Israel thou haâ—t destroyed thy self but in me â—â— thy help found As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner c. Ezek. 33. 11. As though God did be seech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead that you be reconciled â—â— God 2 Cor. 5. 19. In the Gospel we have the love of God commended to us in thâ— when we were Enemies Christ died for uâ— we have his admirable Condescension hiâ— manifold Invitations his precious Overtures his strange and wonderful Reasoningâ— Turn ye turn ye why will ye dye His reiâ—â— rated Calls Isa 55. 1. Come come come three times in one verse O the incomparable love and kindness that is displayed iâ— the Gospel to poor Sinners O that theâ— was in young People a Heart to understanâ— these things that concern their Peace in thiâ— their day before they are for ever hid from their Eyes Sure you would not shuffle anâ— shift off these blessed offers of Grace witâ— dilatory excuses did you but consider hoâ— soon the Market will be over and gone hoâ— soon your plenty may be turn'd into penuâ—y a Famine may arise of hearing the Worâ— of the Lord and thy Soul perish for want â—â— Vision thy Teachers may be removed by Death natural or civil or God may send the Gospel one way and thee another O young man now thou hast the Lord's Voice in the publick Ministry of his Servants crying to thee Flee flee thy youthful Lusts to day while called to day O hear his Voice this day this hour of the day without any longer delay for you are wholly uncertain whether if you should live till a to morrow ever you shall have another Call you are not the disposer of his Offers and Calls sometimes God hath been quick with Sinners he hath invited them to come in and they not regarding he hath immediately rejected them Luke 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of the men that were bidden shall taste of my Supper Therefore take heed it is dangerous deferring that which the Lord spake of Judgment and Affliction in the 1. of Nahum 9. I will make an utter end Affliction shall not rise up the second time may be fulfilled concerning his gracious offers and invitations in the Gospel possibly the Lord will make an utter end of speaking you may never hear more from him be sure he will at last come to an end of
you thâ— suggests that Corvina Cras as Augustine caâ— it cras cras if you have been ignoraâ—â— hitherto know it from this day for a mâ— certain truth it is no other than that lyer â— Hell the Devil and sure I am he hath â— way so plausible and politick to circumvâ—â— thee as by hanging these weights of delaâ— upon thy Soul and thereby letting and bindering thy present flight from Sin to Christ with an hereafter is time enough so that thou mayst conclude upon this that more perish this way than any other for Satan can prevail upon few to say peremptorily they will not repent but this is the common snare and bait wherein and whereby he taketh multitudes I will turn to God hereafter for these delays provoke the God of Grace to take away his Spirit and then what can the miserable Sinner do It was the saying of an Eminent Person The Spirit of God is a tender thing grieve it once and you may drive it away for ever and then it is not your crying Lord Lord that will fetch him back again Thou mayst intreat to use the words of that blessed Soul-converting Preacher for Mr. Fenner's danger of deferring Repentance one dram of that Mercy that hath been offered but thou hast rejected but it shall never be granted to thee God may clap that fearful sentence upon thee Now henceforth never Fruit grow on thee more never Repentance come into thy Heart more If now thou wilt not repent and be converted the Lord may set it down in his decree that from this day forward thou mayst sumble about thy Sins but shall never get victory over them thou mayst blunder about Repentance but never do the work what is the reason why because I would have purged thee and thou wouldst not therefore thou shalâ— not be purged any more O young men there is a time wherein God will not be found he will not always wait your leisure your pleasure how long or how shoâ—â— your time of Grace will last is hid from you Repentance is God's gift and Giâ—â— are given according to the good pleasure of the giver It is a great mistake to think that it is at your pleasure to call it down from Heaven at your need to convey you to Heaven when you feel your selves falling into Earth bitter Experience hath taught multitudes of shuffling delaying Sinners the delusions of such conceits while it their immoderate pursuit of their Lusts they have endeavovred to stop the mouth oâ— Conscience with promises that e're long they would take time to consider and recollect themselves and return to God in the mean while stifling and slighting the merciful motions of the Spirit of Grace oâ— a sudden e're they are aware a silent and secret decree passes against them Let theâ— alone they are joyned to their Lusts which though it make no noise in their Heads yet it effectually sealeth up their Heart to an incurable obduration and hardness And now I appeal to you upon this consideration viz. the uncertainty of the time of Grace whether Delays are not unspeakably dangerous since no man knows whether the next day will afford him so much as a possibility of Repentance if he put off and defer it this day Wherefore O young man as ever thou wouldst not be forsaken of God and have the things of thy Peace for ever hid from thine Eyes and the dreadful guilt of innumerable Sins seal'd upon thy Soul O flee this youthful Sin of delaying Repentance a moment longer 2. Consider the Impiety and Wickedness of Delaying for it doth in effect speak thus to God The real love and delight of my Soul is in my Lusts I desire thee therefore to stay for my Repentance till hereafter and by no means to punish me while I shall be provoking and dishonouring thee in the tract of my youthful days give me leave to be a faithful Servant to divers Lusts and Pleasures while I have strength and spirits and then when I grow impotent and my Lusts turn me off I pray thee to accept me and grant me Heaven O what monstrous Blasphemy and Impiety is there in such a vile deportment towards the Blessed God and pray is there not something of this in every delay it sheweth evidently that thou preferrest thy Lusts before him yea the Devil's service before his O transcendent horrid Wickedness that ever a reasonable Creature should choose to be employed in the Devil's work and drudgery before that most gracious noble honourable service of God O young man let Conscience speak is the Devil so real a Friend so good a Master or is there so much pleasure in being a slave to thy Lusts as that the Loâ—â— of Heaven and Earth the Author of thy Life and Breath should stand by and stay till they are in the first place served and then when the Devil and thy Lusts will dismiss thee God shall have their leaving I beseech you let Conscience judge in thâ— case whether Hell it self can exceed sucâ— Ungodliness Suppose your dear Fatheâ— that begat you or your tender Mother thaâ— bare you should knock at your Door anâ— intreat an admission and you should say That at present they must excuse you theâ—â— are a company of Thieves Murderers anâ— Adulterers that you must first attend anâ— entertain c. Would not this be condemned as a piece of vile Inhumanity And can it be deemed in the present casâ— a less piece of Impiety to put such an higâ— affront and indignity upon the Great God as when he graciously invites you to breâ—â— off your Sins by Repentance that he mighâ— shew you Mercy to put him off as Feâ—â— did Paul Go thy way for this time herâ— after possibly I may attend but for â—â— present there is the Devil and a train â—â— youthful Lusts stay for me and I must give entertainment to them in the first place This without an Hyperbole may be stiled the Master-piece of Wickedness the Mother of Abominations it is a plain contradiction of and direct opposition to the soveraign command of our Maker who saith Eccles 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth before the Evil days come c. God saith To Day while it is called to Day repent And you say No to day while it is called to day I must rejoyce and follow my youthful pleasures and delights And so you put the lye upon God and credit the Devil who is the Father of Lyes O this Sin of Delays hath a world of rebellion in it and Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft Moreover the impiety of this Sin will further appear if you consider what a Scorn it casts upon the admirable Grace of all the three glorious Persons of the Trinity as if not worthy of acceptance the Father's Love and Wisdom to and for a lost World of Sinners in decreeing and revealing of Jesus Christ his blessed Son to seek and to save what was lost opening a