THE DANGER Of deferring Repentance, Discovered By that reverend and faithful Minister of the word. William Fenner. London, Printed for Jo. Stafford and are to be sold by Richard Button at the horse-shoe in Smithfield. 1654. William Fenner Rector of Rochford B· D· Somtims Fellow of Pembroke Hall·Aetatis 45 A 1648 portrait of William Fenner A SERMON of Mr. William Fenners at Maidstone, September. 25, 1629. proverbs. 1. 28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. THere is a good English proverb amongst us, that he that neglects the occasion, the occasion will neglect him. Solomon wisely begins his proverbs with it: for he bringeth in the wisdom of his Father in these five particulars: first, making a general Proclamation in the 20. verse, wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets. He compareth God unto a crier that goeth up and down the city from street to street, and from door to door, crying his commodity, even the richest that ever was, which is a Christ, a Christ for redemption, a Christ for sanctification, a Christ to enlighten those that walk in darkness and in the shadow of death. Ho, every one that thirsteth, here is a Christ for you. Secondly, here is a merciful reprehension, in the 22. verse, O ye foolish, how long will you love foolishness, and you scornors take pleasure in s●orning? Foolish indeed to be without Christ foolish to be without grace, foolish to chaffer away our souls for sin. How long ye scorners will you take pleasure in scorning? will you still persist in your wickedness, & never have done with your sins? will you never turn back again, but damn your souls for ever? O ye foolish, how long will you love foolishness? Thirdly, here is a gracious exhortation in the 23 verse: turn you at my correction: lo, I will pour out my mind unto you, and make you to understand my words. As if he should say, Do you not see how you are going a pace to confusion▪ and that the way you take, leadeth unto destruction? turn ye therefore, turn ye back again, for there is a Christ behind you; Oturn ye; for if ye go on in your sins, you perish for ever. Fourthly, here is a yearning promise made unto the world, in the end of the 23. verse; Lo, I will pour out my spir't upon you, and cause you to understand my words. As if he should say, return back again with me, & you shall have better welcome than you can possibly have if you go on in your sins, the devil will never let you gain so much by your living in your lust as you shall do by repentance for them, & forsaking of them. For behold I will pour out my spirit upon you, whereby you shall be far greater gainers, than you shall be by your sins. Fifthly, here is a grievous threatening against the world, even all those that have loitered out the day of grace. As time and tide stays for no man, no more doth the day of grace: Because I have called, and you refused; I have exhorted, but you have not regarded; I have denounced judgements against you for your sins, but you have hardened your hearts; now a day of woe and misery shall come upon you, a time of vengeance and desolation shall over take you: there will a day come wherein there will be weeping, and crying mercy (Lord) mercy, but I tell you beforehand what you shall trust to: let this be your lesson, now I call, & you will not hear; now I stretch out my hands, but you will not regard: you shall seek me eraly, but you shall not find me: and shall cry, but you shall not be heard. The words are a thunderclap against all those that procrastinate their repentance, and returning home unto God. Wherein note, first, the parties themselves that do prolong this time of grace, they: that is, they who when God calls on them, will not hear; when God invites them by his mercies, patience, & forbearance, by his Ministers & servants, by his corrections & judgements, by all fair means, & fowl means, yet withstand the means of grace: they are the men, they shall call, but God will not answer. Secondly, here is there seeking after God; they shall call upon me. Thirdly, here is their earnest & diligent seeking unto G●d; they shall not only call, but seek to, and not only seek, but seek as to labour to find: nay they shall seek me early, even strive to go about it with all haste, and fly to repentance, but they shall not find me. Fourthly, here is the unseasonableness of the time of their seeking, then: that is a demonstrative, then: even a time which the Lord points at: as if he should say, you shall see then these men will be of an other mind, than they will be glad to be converted, than they will be glad to come out of their sins, than they will be glad to get grace & seek reconciliation with God: but alas! they saw not this then, but God foresaw it well enough, then shall they call but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. Lastly, here is the frustration of their hope, which hath two things in it. First, in regard of their selves, in regard of the flaw of their seeking, it being not aright. Secondly, in regard of the justice of God, who rewards every man according to his works. but I will not hear them. Whence observe this point of Doctrine. DOCTRINE.. ay These that will not hear God when he calleth them, God will not hear them when they call upon him. Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministry of his Word, and voice of his Spirit, the Lord will not hear them, when in their misery they call upon him. Thus the Lord dealt with the people in Ezekiel's days; the Lord called them to repentance and obedience: but when they stood out, & neglected the opportunity of grace, and seasons of conversion, see how God deals with them: though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them (saith the Lord,) When men have gone beyond the time of God's mercy, & out-rowed the tied of God's forbearance & will not return, the Lord sets it down with himself, that his wrath shall return upon them, he will no longer forbear: they had a time wherein the Lord did pity them, & offered grac and mercy unto them, but they neglecting this season, and withstanding this proffer of grace God resolves with himself they shall never have it again. There was a time wherein God did pity them, but now he will not pity them any more; twenty five years he called unto them, and sought to bring them home: but because they stood out and refused, the Lord saith; I will love Ephraim no more. Beloved, there is a double day, a white day and a black day; there is a day of salvation, Isa. 49. 9 this is the day in which the Lord said to the prisoners, Come forth: and to those that lie in their sins, repent and believe. Now if any man will come forth and humble his soul before the Lord, let him come & welcome, for it is a day of salvation. But there is another day of damnation, which is a dark day, a black & a dusky day, wherein the Lord will visit the sins of the world, and revenge the quarrel of this Covenant. Hos. 9 7. The day of visitation is come, yea the day of recompense, the people shall know it; the Prophet is a fool, and the spiritual man is mad. Beloved, we are fools and all the spiritual men under heaven are mad that lay not this day to heart. For the day of the Lord is a day of visitation, & all the world shall rue it, though now men sleep in security. If once mercy be rejected, and God turn away his ear from a man, than grace shall be no more the door of life shall for ever be shut up against him: and when once this day comes, he hath lost his own peace, and deprived himself of eternal happiness. Now there are three Reasons of this point; the first is the law of retaliation, of rendering like for like, which is the justrest law that can be made with man, for to give unto every man according to his works, to make him take such as he brings, (as the heathen call it) to give a man quid for quo. Now if God call upon thee, and thou wilt not hear; it is righteousness with God, yea equity with God (that is more) that when thou callest on him, he should not hear thee for thus runs the tenor of God's Word, Prov. 28. 9 He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be abominable. He that turns away his ear from God's Law, God will turn away his ear from his prayer. He that turns it is spoken in the present tense, that is, that now turns away his ear, his prayer shall be abominable (in the future tense) that is, the Lord marks what master or servaunt, what father or mother, what husband or wife, what man or woman it is, that turns away the ear of his head, or the ear of his heart, from hearing his will, and obeying of his commandments, the Lord takes special notice of it, & sets it dowue in his calendar, & records it in his memorial; keeping a strict account thereof: as if God should say, Well, is it so? I now call, and will not this man or that woman answer? Do I now stretch out my hands, and will not they take care to obey me? Well? let them alone (saith God) there is a day coming that I shall be a hearing of them; times of sorrow and misery will take hold of them, and then they in their afflictions will cry unto me, but I will not hear, they will beg for mercy, but I will not regard: they will seek me early, but they shall not find me. It was on of the Articles of high Treason brought in against Cardinal woolsey, that he had the Por, and a stinking breath and yet durst come into the kings presence: So it will be an article against thee of high treason before the King of heaven, if thou come into his presence with the stinking breath of thy sins, living in thy lusts, and wallowing in thy filthiness; all thy Prayers are but as so many stinking breaths in the nostrils of the Lord, & every duty that thou performest unto the Lord shall be as so many articles of high treason against thee, for to condemn thee, because thou livest in Rebellion, and a traitor against God. His prayer shall be abominable, he doth not say I will turn away mine ear from hearing his prayer, which turns away his ear from hearing my Law, (that is the true exposition of the words) no, like for like is sometimes injustice, for if a man should strike a Magistrate a box on the ear, it were not justice for him to give him another: for it is a greater sin to strike a Magistrate, than any other common person, & therefore a greater Punishment the Law requireth; So God doth not say he will turn away his ear from hearing his prayer, but will serve him in a worse kind, he will count it abominable yea abomination (in the abstract) it shall be loathsome, yea loathsomeness itself in the worst manner. Gal. 6. As a man soweth. so shall he reap; if thou sow sparingly, thou shalt reap sparingly; if thou sow a dull ear to God's Word, thou shalt reap a dull care from God to thy prayer: For God will reward every man according to his works. Secondly, because of the time of God's attributes both me●cy and justice have their season in this life; and when mercy hath acted her part, than cometh justice upon the stage, and acteth her part: so that God with have his attributes manifested to all the sons of men, yea to the face of the whole world. There is no Market, nor Fair-day that lasteth always: if the country will not come in, the Tradesmen will put up their Wares, and he gone: but if they come in time, they may have a pennyworth otherwise if they come too late, they will have none. For the Merchant will not always dwell in Tents, but away he goeth, and will not stay for them. Beloved, God's standing is now open, and his shop is set wide unto the sons of men; if men will not come in, cheapen and buy without money, whiles God offers his Wares, he will put them up and be gone. For the Merchant will not lose his Wares, which he should do, if he should always remain in the open air with them; if he always continue in the fields expecting Customers, his Wares would spottle and rot. So it is with God, how many sweet Counsels doth he lose? how many sweet Exortations? how many blessed Sermons & holy Sacraments, and Sabbaths, doth he lose? how many checks of Conscience? how many days of Grace and motions of his Spirit have been suandred away in vain? do you think that God will lose all these, and let them rot upon the stall, with staying for you? No, no, the day of grace & mercy will have an end? and than the day of wrath and vengeance will step up, To day if ye will hear his voice, then harden no● your hear●s: then they hardened their hearts, & would not be led by God's mercies to forsake their sins; Therefore he swear in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest. If it be so with you as it was with Israel in the wilderness, in the day of tremptation, you do not know but that your sins may now begin to pluck vengeance upon you. I tell you, if you harden your heart this day, you do not ●now but this very day the Lord may clap an Oath upon your beads, that you shall never enter into his rest. For une & the selfsame occasion last not a●waies: as every day is not a Market day, nor every week in the year a fair week, nor every season in the year a time of Spring or harvest so every day of a man's life may not claim to be the day of grace Therefore if a man foreslow it now he foresloweth his own happiness, and putteth off his own peace for ever. Excellent is that annotation of Gregory on Job. 27. 9 will God hear his cry when trou●le cometh upon him Beloved, now God's patience is troubled, wilt not thou repent? Now G●ds Spirit is troubled, wilt not thou obey? Now God's justice is troubled wilt not thou relent? Now God's word is troubled, wilt thou ●efuse to hearken? will God hear his cry? He speaketh interrogatively, as if he should say? Art thou so mad, so vain, so foolish, to promise to thyself being an hypocrite, that God will hear thy prayer? Oh no, than justice cometh to take place. Thirdly, it is God's use to do so in other things, even upon the contempt of temporal blessings; and therefore much more in matters of grace & salvation. Thus God promised to give Israel the land of Canaan, Numb. 12. 22. but the text saith, they tempted God ten times that is (as some Expositors expound) many times, or (as others) ten several times. But whatever the meaning of the text be, certainly it was very many times; so long till at last, he swore in his wrath, that they should never enter into his rest, Beloved, though there be many a hot swearer that regards not an oath; yet certainly if the Lord swear we may believe him: the word of God is as strong as oaths: if he say i● upon his word, we are bound to believe it: how much more then, when he confirms it with an oath? Therefore if the Lord swear thou shal● not, how darest thou? how canst thou hope o● think ever to enter into his rest? This was almost forty years before he died, that the Lord made this oath against them: and God know● how many thousands of them fell short, no● only of the Land of Canaan but also of the kingdom of heaven. So God took Ishmael an hundred and seventeen years before he died: twenty years God offered him grace and repentance, but he would not take warning; a mocker he was, and a mocker he would be, for he mocked Isaac when he was a child six years old; and no means would reclaim him, before he heard the voice, Cast out the bond woman and her son: Out with him, (saith God) for he shall never be heir with my son: this was an hundred and seventeen years before Ismael's death. And so God took Saul, five and thirty, or six and thirty years before he died, according to Josephus' Chronology, (if it be true;) nowsoever, he took him divers years before his death: for so the Scripture makes it plain 1 Sam. 15. 29. The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man that he should repent. Therefore because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also hath rejected thee from being a King. And do not think that thou by thy prayers, and crying God mercy, canst ever alter him: for his counsel is immutable, and he is strong in his decree, and cannot change. hitherto Orace and Mercy have been offered thee, which if thou hadst embraced, thou mightest have found Mercy from the Lord, and the kingdom should have been established and confirmed unto thee: but now it is too late: for the strength of Israel cannot lie. God took Esau fifty years before his death: for so long he lived, after he sought the blessing with tears: but he was a hunting when God was a calling: he was following his profaneness when God was wooing him to Repentance. At last when he called for Repentance, and sought it earnestly, yea his soul was careful for to get it; yet he could never obtain it, though he sought it earnestly with tears of fifty years before he died. Now if the Lord so severely punish contempt of temporal blessings, O how will h● punish the contempt of proffers of Grace and Salvation! I tell you, God will be more strict in revenging of this sin, then of any other sin: he will come with martial law against all those that contemn his gospel, Ioh. 3. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already, Doth Christ preach repentance and salvation, and the kingdom of God; and wilt thou not repent and believe? Martial Law (beloved) martial Law, hang him up; for he is condemned already. Even like a soldier that revels against his general, and forsake his Colours, they do not cast him into prison, and stay for the Assizes or Sessions, but give him Mattiall Law, even hang him up: So if the Lord sound his gospel in thine ears, and offers thee conditions of peace, knocking at the door of thy heart by his Spirit; and thou refuse to open to him thou art condemned already: for the strength of Israel cannot lie, nor repent. Oh therefore take heed now whiles his word sounds in thine ears, While his Spirit secretly whispers in thy heart to thee, open to him, for else thou art condemned for ever. Take notice then, that God doth commonly give men a day, and no man or Angel doth know how long this day lasteth. To some it lasteth to their lash gasp; to some, to their old age; and to some it is cut off in their childhood. God gave the Angels a day, the which because they neglected, they are reserved in chains of darkness until the great judgement day. God gave Cain a day, Gen. 4. During all the time of this day, though Cain sinned again and again, and went on in his sins a great while, yet heard nothing but a still voice, If thou do well Cain, shalt thou not be accepted? but if thou dost ill, sin lieth at the door, But when no means will prevail, but Cain will go on adding sin to sin, and murder unto all the rest of his sins, and so let go the season of mercy, the Lord tells him from heaven, that the day of grace is past, the gate of mercy is shut against thee: for thou art now accursed from the earth. As if the Lord should say; Before I gave thee a day of salvation, and offered thee mercy, but thou wouldst not accept of it; but now I have clapped a curse upon thy soul, that thou shalt never claw it off. So God gave Niniveh a day to repent, Jonnah 3. Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed. God gave the Fig-trée a day, even three years, before he would have it cut down. God gave the old world a day of an hundred and twenty years; during this time God sent unto them Noah, a Preacher of righteousness, to call upon them to repent, and so set it down also, that his Spirit shall not always strive with man, but his time shall be an hundred and twenty years: yet one writs that the Lord cut off twenty of the hundred and twenty years, because of their iniquities which were so grievous, and provoked him so much, that they hasted him to come before he would have done. In all this space if they had Repented, they should have found Mercy from the Lord: but when his time was gone and the day of grace was out, the deluge came in upon them, and God by his judgements overthrew the whole World. Object. You may ask me when this day or season of grace doth end, or cease. Answ. I answer, that neither men nor Angels can tell; but this I say, it may be yet this day of grace lasteth unto thee; now it may be God speaketh whom to thy soul, now it may be God warnms thy heart, and gives thee good purposes and resolutions: now it may be the Lord Jesus passeth by thee in a good thought and desire, lay hold on it; for thy day may cease this very night, for aught thou knoweth. Luke 17. 22. The time shall come (saith Christ) when you shall desire to see one of the days of the son of man, and shall not see it. Now is the day of Christ upon you, now is Christ offering and preaching himself to you; but if you let this day pass thou Mayst desire to have one of the drops of that Blood that hath been offered to thee, and yet never have it: thou Mayst desire to feel one rap of that Spiret that hath knocked at thy heart, and yet go without it, thou Mayst entreat for one dram of that mercy that hath been offered, and thou hast rejected, but it shall never be granted to thee: God may clap that fearful sentence upon thee, Now henceforth never grow fruit more on thee. 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 from this day forward, that thou Mayst fumble about thy sins, but shalt never get victory over them: thou Mayst ever be mourning for thy corruptions, but never mourn aright for them; thou Mayst blunder about Repentance, but never do the work. Ezekiel 24. 23. You shall not mourn nor weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one towards another. There is many a soul for contemning of God, and not taking up Repentance while they may have it, this plague of God is come upon them, that they are ever repenting, and are never able to Repent, ever poring upon their sins, but never able to come out of them: they pray and pray against them, but their prayers moulder away under them: for they shall pine away for their iniquities. What is the reason? He showeth in the 13. verse: Because I would have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged any more. Because I gave thee line upon line, precept upon precept, motion upon motion, Sacrament upon Sacrament, Sabbath upon Sabbath, and Ordinance upon Ordinance, because. I used all fair means and foul means; I awaked thy conscience and stirred up the motions of Grace in thee; but bec●use I would have cleansed thee, and thou wast not cleansed, thou shalt never be cleansed. A fearful sentence it is, if men's hearts were soundly oppened to consider rightly of it. And as there is a personal day, so there is a national day; if the Nation turn unto God during that time, than that Nation shall find mercy; but if they neglect that day, than God will hide those things from their eyes that belong to their peace, as Christ saith of Jerusalem. Luke 19 42. O Jerusalem! if that thou hadst known in this thy day, the things that did belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes: in this thy day; if thou hadst known it during that day it had been happy for thee; but now the day of grace is gone, the Lord hath concealed it from thee, and thou shalt never perceive it more. Some men's day of grace God endeth even in their very childhood; therefore if there be any little ones, any Children here in this congregation, that are of age to know what belongs to an exortation, to them I spoke, that they take heed how they rebel against the commandment of a Father or a Mother, or Master, against the teaching of God's word, for though you be children, yet God may inflict judgements upon your heads; for not only the day of grace, but also the day of lfe may be cut off from children, as 2 Kings 2. 24. Four and twenty children were torn in pieces for mocking the Lord's Prophet. Some men's day of grace is not shut up until their youth; some not until their old age. some not until they are a-dying; and if they refuse then, they are like, yea sure to perish for ever; I know the day of grace may have several returns, but at last God's Exchequer will be finally shut up. Object. May not a man be called at the eleventh or twelfth hour of the day? The day of grace lasteth always: and doth not the Apostle call the day of life, the day of grace? 2 Cor. 6. 2. Answ. It is true, the Lord calleth men at the eleventh & twelfth hour; but yet look and you shall see in the twentieth of Matthew, that they were not called at the first hour, nor at the second nor third hour, nor at the sixt and ninth hour, he doth not say he found the same men that he found at the first, and third, sixth and ninth hours, but he saw others standing jdle: No those that were called at the first hour, came in at the first hour; and they that were called at the third hour, came in at the third hour; and they that were called at the sixth and ninth hour, came in at the sixth and ninth hour. Well, doth God call thee in thy childhood, in thy youth, or in thy middle age; now at the first or sixth, or ninth hour, now come in and labour in God's vineyard, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and make use of the season of grace; now whilst it is upon you: for if thou be called at the first hour, the sixt is for another, and not for thee; if thou be called the sixt hour, the ninth hour is for others and not for thee; if thou be called the ninth hour, the eleventh hour is for others & not for thee; The text saith, He came & found others standing jdle in the market place, and said unto them, Why stand ye here jdle? and they say unto him, no man hath hired us; as if they should say, We never had any means of salvation, we have had no Ministers to preach unto us; but now God calls upon thee to come in, this is thy hour, look unto it. If God call thee, see thou come in, whether it be at the first or third hour, at the sixth or ninth hour, lest the Lord in his wrath clap hardness of heart upon thy soul. Object. But you will say, that the day of life, and the day of grace are paralleled, and likened one to another; and therefore there is hope so long as a man remains in the congregation of the living. Answ, I answer, it is true indeed, that the day of grace lasteth as long as the day of life, 1. In regard of others; for others are so to esteem of it; the Minister is to look to his people, as to a people to be converted as long as they live. 2 In regard of a man's own self, he is so bound to believe; for the commandment of faith standeth in force on a man, so long as he liveth and therefore infidelity and despair cease not to be sins, till a man is actually in Hell; when he is in hell, than they are no sins, because than he is not commanded to believe, but are part of the punishment of the damns; but whilst a man lives it is a sin, for men are now bound to lay hold upon Christ and to believe, at what hour of their life soever. 3. It may be said to last all a man's life long, because it is bounded within the compass of life: for no man hath a day of grace after this life. But what is the meaning of all those Scriptures which show how God doth deliver up men unto the Spirit of guidinesse, and unto the Spirit of slumber? And what means the hardening of men's hearts, & searing of men's consciences, but only to show that the day of grace may end unto a a particular man, ten, twenty, thirty, nay forty years before his death; 1. Because God may harden a man's heart, Jerem, 13. 10. and deal with them as with Israel in the Rocks, so shut up their hearts that they shall never melt at any Sermon, never be wrought upon by any judgement, God having closed them up in a rocky heart, that he saith of them. Can the blackmore change his skin, or the Leopard his sports? then may they do good that are accustomed to do evil. The blackness of the blackmore is only in the outside of the skin, yet all the art under the heavens cannot blot it out: So if once hardness possess thy soul, all the preaching of the Ministers, and all the means of grace in the world, can never bring it unto that frame, and temper, as to make it melt under the hand of God: I tell thee, thou that usest to come unto Sermons day after day, and refusest to repent, living still in thy sins, there is no hammer nor beetle in the world more hard than thy heart: as those men and women that sit under the preaching of the word, and hear the doctrine of life, like rain from above, beating and knocking on their consciences, and on their hearts, to awaken them out of their sins and yet notwithstanding will not repent at last, they prove to be deaf Adders, that stop their ears against the word, charm the charmer never so wisely. 2. God may fear men's consciences; Doth thy conscience tell thee thou art a luke-warmling, and wilt thou not be reformed? Doth thy conscience tell thee, that thy prayers and all thy religion is rotten and unsound, and that thy Repentance is hypocritical and nought; and that for all thy vain hopes, thou art but a dissembler, and yet remainest in thy sins, and wilt thou not be bettered hereby? Take heed; for that man that runs on in sin against the voice of his own conscience, that man sins the sin, of Saul 1 Sam. 13. 8. God bid him stay seven days until Samuel came: Saul stays full seven days within one hour; at last his lust began to bawl: What? shall I stay for a Prophet thus long? Stay, says his conscience; Why? (Says Saul) I waited for him so long, even seven days lacking but one hour, Stay (saith God to his conscience) for the word of God bids thee stay so long; he stayed one day, and two days, and six days, and seven days but one hour; Stay (saith his conscience) no, he would not but I forced myself (saith the text) as if he should say, I hardened my heart to do it, though the word of the Lord bid me stay and not do it, yet I forced myself to do it: What was this man's sin? Was it his offering of sacrifice, and calling upon God by prayer? No, the Lord commands us to call upon him in time of distress; and being commanded it was lawful. Was it his sin to meddle with the priest's office? No: for he did but appoint the sacrifice, the Priest offered it. What? was it the breaking of one hours' time? No: for he had sinned more against God, than so: but this was his sin, that he went against his own conscience, when God stood in the way: when conscience stood in the way, conscience said stay, but he would not stay: God bid him stay, but he would not stay, and this is the sin of many thousands amongst us; men's consciences tell them that they must not be drunkards, men's consciences tell them that they must not be worldlings, they must not be swearers, they must not be lukewarm professors; they must pray better than they do, and have other faith then yet they have, if ever they mean to be saved; wilt thou yet against thy conscience force thyself to go on in thy sins from day to day, and never be reformed? take heed lest the Lord be provoked to set thy sin upon thy head, and shut up thy heart, and conclude thy eternal destruction. Object. Suppose I go one in my sins, and follow my wicked courses now; what if I seek him hereafter, and humble my soul before him with fasting and prayer, and when I lie upon my deathbed, I send a ticket unto my Minister to pray for me, will all this do me no good? Answ. Surely no, (saith God, Jerem. 15. 1.) Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my affections could not be toward this people; cast them out of my sight. Dost thou lie sick upon thy deathbed? were Samuel, Job, or Daniel, the Minister of thy Parish, and thou shouldst send thy ticket unto them, desiring them to remember thee in their prayers; if Noah stood in the Pulpit, and Job and Daniel were here before the Lord for to plead for thee, yet he would not hear thee. Object. But, suppose I humble myself by fasting and prayer, will not God hear ●hat? Answ. No, if thou neglect the day of grace Ier. 14. 12. when they fast, I will not hear them: and when they offer oblations, I will not accept their cry: but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilences you may set up your fastings, prayers, and humiliations, you may lament and mourn, and pine away yourselves in your sins; but it is not all your prayers and fastings; it is not all your lamentation and mourning, that will do you good, so long as the counsel of the Lord is rejected. Because I called, and ye would not answer, therefore you shall call, but I will not hear, thy thought that the Lord's ears would always be open, and that when they called the Lord would have answered, and that the day of grace would ever remain; but God saith, I will not hear them; they would never have sought if they thought the Lord would not hear them, but all their seeking was in vain: Ob. You will say at what time soever a sinner; repenteth, he shall have mercy. An. It is true, if thou repent from the bottom of thy heart, but thou Mayst come with many a degree of repentance, and yet never repent whilst thou livest: if thou repent from thy heart, and root out thy sins, than God will put away thy sins; but thou Mayst go on in repentance and calling upon God, and performing many duties of Religion, and yet is hardened; look how much Religion will stand with self-love, so much thou Mayest have after the day of grace is gone, self-love may make a man flie to prayer, and run after Sermons, and go on in many holy duties, and give over many sins; look how far self-love may drive thee unto holy duties, so far thou Mayst go, and yet notwithstanding remain hardened. O therefore let us not delay, nor put off the time of grace, nor let go salvation while it may be had, then shall they call, but I will not answer: he doth not set down when this time is; it may be 〈◊〉 is now, it may be not this seven years, it may be not till thy death. Doct. 2. It may be this very day, even this very Sermon, this very hour may be thy day that art now in thy sins, that if thou repent not at this very one Sermon, thou neglectest eternal life for ever; lose the benefit of this Sermon at this time, and thou Mayest lose eternal Salvation, and never have it more. The thief that robbed this day, how doth he know but this one robbery may bring him to the gallows? So the man that sins this day, how doth he know but that this very day's work may bring him to hell? Deuteronomy 32. 35. To God belongs vengeance; their feet shall slide in due time. Therefore if a man sin against him, he may stand to day, and to morrow, and many days; but when the due time comes, even the time which God hath set, than up goes his heels, he shall slide and break his neck: thy hourglass runes in heaven, and thou seest not when the sand comes to the bottom, but when 'tis out, then down thou goest to hell for ever. There was one resolved to kill Julius Caesar such a day; the night before, a friend sent him a letter to acquaint him with it: but being at supper and busy; I will not look upon it now, (saith he) to morrow is a new day. The next day when he should have read his letter, he was stabbed; Whence this proverb came in Gréece To morrow is a new day. God sends thee a letter and a message from heaven to day; repent and come out of your fins, or for ever to hell; to day he converted and sanctified, or for ever be hardened. Dost thou refuse to hearken to day, and puttest it off until to morrow? it may be to morrow may be a day of God's wrath, and then thou mayest be hardened, seared, and bound over unto the great day of God's vengeance: to morrow God may set the decree upon thy soul, that thou shalt never repent. Therefore if thou refuse this, thou refuseth all; for what knowest thou, but this very day may be thy day? The reason is, because God's patience is in his own breast; and who can tell how long it will last? Hast thou Momus his glass-window, to look into God's secret counsel? hast thou a keyhole to look into God's treasury? canst thou stand on tiptoe, to look over God's shoulder, to look into God's decree, to see how long his patience will last? It may be God hath suffered thee till this day, thou art guilty of ten thousand sins, and yet he is patient towards thee. God hath stayed thus long for thee, that hast sworn I know not how many oaths; God hath born thus long with thee that hast told I know not how many lies, profaned I know not how many Sabbaths, contemned I know not how many Ordinances, and slighted I know not how many judgements; yet God's patience is in his own breast, it is the long sufferance of God. Thou Mayest say I would fain have it to morrow, and this seven years, but alas it is his long sufferance and not thine: and how dost thou know when he will conclude it? it may be this day as well as to morrow, Joel. 2. 13. Rent your hearts, and not your garments, (saith the Prophet) for the LORD he is gracious and merciful. This word [for] hath a great deals of force in it. First, it is a descriptivum [for] he is gracious and a merciful God: therefore rent thy heart, and let thy soul burst within thee, that thou hast sinned against him, for he is a merciful God, and it may be he will pardon all thy sins and heal all thy rebellions committed against him. Secondly, it is an upbraiding (for,) upbraiding thee for thy sins: rent thy heart therefore; why? he is a patient God? wilt thou go on in thy sins against such a patient God? and rebel against such a loving Father, that hath loved thee with so much compassion? ●ent thy heart for he is patient. Thirdly, it is a comfort and encouraging [for:) rent thy heart; for there is encouragement for thee to repent, give over thy sins, and go to the Throne of grace. For there is much mercy to welcome thee, and great patience for to bid thee come home, and abundance of grace for to encourage thee; therefore rent thy heart and come home unto the Lord, for he is patient and long-suffering. Fourthly, it is a forewarning (for:) rent your hearts, for the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; yet his mercy lasteth, yea his patience endureth, yet he hath all his attributes, and yet he is pleased to manifest the same, still tendering grace and mercy unto thee. Oh! turn unto him while these endure, or else thou shalt perish for ever. Fiftly, it is a threatening [for:] now he is gracious, now he is merciful; but his mercy will end, his patience will end, and then if thou hast not rent thy heart before, it will be too late then. Therefore as ever thou lovest thine own soul, now rent thy heart, and turn unto God. It is God's own proclamation; The Lord, slow to anger, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and sin. Yea what man soever he be, that humbles his soul before him, he shall find grace and mercy with him, yea abundance of mercy, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin: yea any thing. Let but a soul come prostrate before him, humbling his soul, he will pardon his sinné. But as it followeth in the words; He will by no means clear the guilty; if notwithstanding all God's patience and mercy, thou go on in thy sins, the Lord will never forgive thee, but will visit thy sinews upon thee unto the third and fourth generation, because thou hast withstood the day of grace. Beloved, men run on in their sins, as if so be an Augel from heaven should cry unto them, and tell them, yet God will be good unto them, yet God will show them mercy, and forbear them. Beloved, let your consciences answer, if you ever heard the Lord God say to any of you, thus long I will forbear you. No, God's patience is in his own breast, and therefore no man knows how long it will last. Reas. 2. A second reason is, because God's patience giveth no marks or inkling of it, before it ends: commonly when God strikes a man with death, he giveth some signs, or warnings of it before, as sickness and pains, and grey hairs, and many sorrows, &c. Now because thy life is in God's hands, thou carest not for it, but venturest to go on in thy sins, hoping to have some warning though thousands be cut off without it; but the day of grace may come to an end, and yet thou never have any inkling or warning of it beforehand: commonly when God strikes a man with death, he tells him of it beforehand by aches and pains, as if the Lord should say, Now thou shalt die, now will I take thee out of the world, But when the Lord taketh away the day of grace from a man, though the spiritual man may take some notice of it, yet there is no sensible apparition of it, but after the day of grace is set upon a man, he may be as strong and lustry as before, he may come to Church as well after as before, perform religious duties, and do many good things, as well after as before; as Saul went on in duties of Religion, as well after Samuel had pronounced the Lord's doom upon him, how many times was he offering sacrifice unto the Lord after the Prophet told him, that he was a man rejected? how many good speeches came from him? as when Samuel met him, he salutes him with these words; Blessed be thou of the Lord, I pray thee turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord. A man would have thought that Saul had been a good convert. No, no, before all this his judgement and doom was set upon him; God steals upon him and says nothing; he claps his plague upon their souls and holds his peace. Isaiah. 42. 14. I have a long time held my peace, I have been still, and refrained myself; now will I cry like a travelling woman, I will destroy, and devour at once. The Lord shows here how he deals with men, they go on in their sins, but the Lord holds his peace; they provoke him every day, but the Lord refrains his anger: but now all at once his wrath breateth forth upon them, Psal. 64. 7. God will shoot an arrow at them suddenly, their stroke shall be at once, The Lord suddenly shoots a swift arrow at thee? no sooner it is shot, but it enters into thy bowels. When the Lord comes upon a man, he comes suddenly; when he ends the day of grace upon him, he doth it suddenly. He ended the day of grace on the Scribes and pharisees even in the very Sermon time, While Christ was preaching unto them, they were delivered up to hardness of heart: so many were delivered up to hardness of heart in the time of Hosea's prophecy, Hosea 4. 17. Epharim is joined to jdols, let him alone (saith God:) as if he should say, Sermou, let him alone; Preacher, let him alone; Spirit, let him alone; Christ, let him alone, let him alone; Beloved, if we stand out against God, and reject the day of grace, the Lord may say, Word, let such aman alone, and never convert him; Christ, let such a man alone, and never redeem him; Spirit let such a man alone; and never sanctify him; Sacraments, let such a man alone and never seal up any comforts unto him; a fearful sign that men are come to this hours; do we not see that men come to the Word; and the Word lets them alone in their sins? do not men come to the Sacrament, and the Sacrament leaves them still in their filthiness? men come unto good dtuys, but good duties let them alone, and do them no good: and this is the condition of many thousands in the world. Therefore oh think upon this you that have made a league with your sins, and an agreement with hell; hear this delivered to you this day, that the day of grace may be ended, and God may come and clap his curse upon men, and never give them any inkling of it at all. A third Reason is, because God reckons upon every hour, if God kept not a strict account of time, how many Sermons you have had, how many mercies you have enjoyed how many crosses he hath warned you by: if God kept not a true tall and account of every hour's time; you might rub on many days, and months, and years, and spend much time in fulfilling of your lusts, but God keepeth a reckoning of these things. yea of every hour, and of every minute. Act. 17. 30. The times of ignorance God regarded not; but now he admonisheth all men to repent. Alas when men live in their sins through blindness and ignorance, and know not God, the Lord takes no such strict notice of them, but lets them go on longer and longer; but when the Lord send them his Word and Gospel, and affords them the means of grace, he doth the more strictly look unto them, and takes the more exact account of them before they had the means of grace, the Lord winked at them, and did not so narrowly watch them, but looked over men's ignorance, (as the original hath it) but now God sends his Word and Gospel, he admonisheth all men to repent, he winks at never an hour, but sets down how oft thou hast had exhortation from thy Minister, how often thou hast had warning by sickness and afflictions, how often thou hast had cheeks from thine own conscience, how many admonitions thou hast had from thy friends, how many times thou hast had the sound of the Gospel to sound in thy ears to bring thee home unto God, John 2. 7. 11. This is the first beginning of miracles that Jesus did, John 4. 58. This is the second miracle that Jesus did, saith the Text, God sets down, this is the first, this is the second time: This is the second Epistle I wrote to you saith Paul. Oh this is the third time I wrote unto you, 2 Cor. 13. that when I come I will not spare: so God sets it down in his catalogue, this is the first time that I have warned this man, this is the second time, this is the third time, that when I come I will not spare; the Lord counts how long he hath sought unto thee, and entreated thee by his mercies, how long he hath allured thee by his Word, how long he hath warned thee by his judgements, how oft he hath smote thy heart with fears, and thy conscience with terrors. Now if for all this thou wilt not return, just is it with God to cast thee down to hell for ever. The fourth Reason, and last: it is a Wonder that the day of grace is not ended already, and that thou art not now in hell, When a thing in this kind is looked for to be done, it is a wonder that it is not done: it is a wonderful mercy of God unto this kingdom that yet the day of grace is continued amongst us, in regard of our long fear and expectation of the contrary. For from the highest to the lowest we have highly revolted more and more, and provoked God to his very face. What contempt of God's Word? what neglect of God's Ordinances? what profanation of God's Sabbaths? what scoffing and deriding of God's servants? how doth wickedness and profaneness stand up into the highest room, climb up into the highest chambers? But as a whore condemned to die being with child is reprived for a time, until her child be brought forth: so this Land hath gone a-whoring from God, yet so long as God hath some children to be brought forth, which are not yet come unto the birth, he lets his grace and Gospel continue until these children be brought forth. Therefore now (beloved) if we stick at the birth and come not forth, an hundred to one but we shall miscarry. When Christ comes first to thy soul, he witnesseth grace and mercy to thee, if thou wilt repent and amend; yea he witnesseth forgiveness of sins, redemption, and salvation, if thou wilt believe; but if not, he will be a swift witness against thee, Malachi. 3. 5. if thou continue and goest on in thy sins: Agree with thine adversary, while thou art in the way quickly, Matthew 5. 25. Now God is in the way with thee,, Christ and his Spirit are in the way with thee; thou needest not now say, Who shall go up to heaven and bring down the Spirit to thee; Christ's Spirit is now knocking at thy heart, and now God offers this mercy to thee, now thou art in the way, now he calls unto thee to accept of his mercy, now he commands thee to take Christ, now hear him, calling to thy heart, now he tenders, grace unto thee embrace it; now receive Christ and make up thy peace with him: remember the saying of the Apostle 2. Corinthians 13. 5. Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith prove yourselves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates? As if the Apostle should say, I have been an Apostle to you this year and half. I have preached thus and thus long unto you, I have wrote one Epistle to you to reform those abuses that were among you? and now I write this second Epistle, to declare the whole will and counsel of God to you. Now cast up your reckoning, examine yourselves, and make up your account: see if you have gained Christ. O! I have Christ, (saith one) I have Christ, (saith another,) I but prove it, saith the Apostle, and try yourselves: know ye not that by this time Christ in you, or else you be reprobates? As if he should say, if yet Christ be not in you, and grace wrought in your hearts, if yet you lie festering in your sins, and go one in your wicked ways, it is to be feared you are reprobates: either you or we are reprobates, you for not obeying or we not for delivering the truth of God unto you: But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates: verse 6. God forbid that this Word should be ever spoken unto any soul in this congregation: but this let me say, is there any man here that goes on in his lusts, and in his carnal course of life, in pride, security, hardness of heart, and impenitency, that hath not the soundness of grace? he hath a fearful sign and brand of a reprobate, whose conscience is stifled: it is a fearful sign, if he be not a reprobate before God, yet he is one that is not approved, but for the present in a wretched and miserable condition. Now is the time of grace wherein God hath spoken to your souls, remember that vengeance that is coming towards you, if it be rejected, now the Lord's fatlings are ready; his Oxen and sheep are slain and laid upon the board; Christ is sacrificed, and his blood is shed, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is tendered to you; you that have grace, get more grace, you that have no grace, get grace and Christ, and take heed of neglecting any opportunity of grace; for that may come unto thee in one hour, that will never come again. FINIS. Christian Reader, I Am desirous to let thee understand, that there are diverse other Godly books, (which are very useful for thy souls health:) the Titles of them are as followeth. 1. A DIVINE MESSAGE to the elect soul. By the same Author, M. William Fenner. 2. The LIVES and DEATHS of the modern divines. By M. Thomas Fuller. 3. God's Love, man's unworthiness. by M. John Quarles. 4. Conjugal counsel. by M. Thomas hilders. 5. The wars of the Jews. newly corrected of sundry Errors. 6. A BRIFE INSTRUCTION concerning the Holy SACRAMENTS. 7. DIVES and LAZARUS. 8. The christian's Mourning GARMENT. 9 A jewel for the ear. 10. England's Afflictions. 11. England's Gentle Admonition. All of them are to be sold by John Stafford▪ dwelling in George-yard, near Fleet-bridge.