THE Accepted TIME, AND DAY of Salvation, etc. OR, SINNERS Flee from the Wrath to come.  2 Cor. 6. part of Verse 2. 
— Behold, now is the Accepted Time; behold, now is the Day of Salvation.  
By Robert Russel.  
〈◊〉, Printed by Robert Sanders, One of His Majesty's Printers. Printed for John Crosby. ANNO DOM. 1700.   

THE Accepted Time, AND Day of Salvation, etc.  2 Cor 6. part of Ver. 2. 
— Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the Day of Salvation.  
THE Occasion of these Words may be taken from the Words immediately before the Text, which were the ●ord's own Words spoken by the Mouth of the Prophet Isaiah, 49.8. Saying, I have heard th●e in a time accepted, and in a Day of salvation have I helped thee: O● as it is in he words before the Text, in a Day of Salvation have I succoured thee. And from then● the Apostle takes occasion to show the● when that Accepted Time and Day of Salvation is, wherein God hears us, and accepts us and that he doth here, in the words of m●● Text, Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the Day of Salvation.  
From these words I shall gather this general Observation:  
That the only Time to make our Peac● with God, and thereby to obtain Me●cy and Salvation, is now, this preser Season of Grace; or the time present the only Acceptable Time: For, B●● hold, now is the accepted Time; Behold now is the Day of Salvation.  
The Text affords us these two General Parts:  

First, Here is a double Note of Attention Behold! Behold!  
Secondly, Here is the Subject matter to Behold; that is, Now is the accepted Time; and now is the Day of Salvation.   
First, Here is a double Note of Attention Behold! Behold! Now to behold a thing, is take great notice of it, to observe it, and mind it; and we may be sure, that whensoever we are called upon to behold a thin● it must be something of very great Concer● there are many things that are not wor● beholding: For if you mind it, you may ●nd in the Scriptures, that when any thing is mentioned that is of greater Concernment than others, it is always brought in with this Note, Behold: As James 3.12. Behold, and see, if there be any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow. A Matter of very great Concernment. So John 1.29. Behold the Lamb of GOD, that taketh away the sins of the World: And many others. Now there cannot be a Matter of greater Concernment, than this in my Text, That now is the accepted Time, and now is the Day of Salvation. A thing which concerns our winning, or losing of Heaven for ever; ● thing which concerns our everlasting Peace, ●r our everlasting Woe; that now is the Time, that if we in earnest seek for Mercy, we may have it: Now is the Time, that if we ●eek and desire Grace, Pardon, and Salvation, we shall be accepted; but afterwards, ●●ll our praying crying, and entreating, will ●e in vain: Now what can be more worth our beholding than this? This is a Matter which concerns ourselves, and it is of the greatest Concernment in the World, therefore this requires a double Note of Attention, to put us in mind of it; Behold! behold!  
And so I pass, Secondly, from the Note Behold, to the second General Head, the Subject: Matter to be behold; and that also is double: Behold, now it the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Now the● the Accepted Time, and the Day of Salvation are two several Words, yet in Sense the are one and the same: For the Accepted Time is our Day of Salvation, and our Day of Salvation is the Accepted Time; wherein, if w● unfeignedly seek the LORD, and turn t●● him, by true Repentance, we shall be surwillo be accepted, pardoned, and saved: For Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, no● is the day of salvation.  
Now in my further Prosecution of th● Subject, I shall proceed after this manner:  

First, I shall show you, That with us, ther● is such a Time, as an Accepted Time, and D●● of Salvation.  
Secondly, I shall show you the Season, whe● this Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation is.  
Thirdly, The Reason of it. And,  
Lastly, The Application.   
I shall begin with the First, and show you That with us, there is such a Time, and Day of Salvation: And that, First, in respect ●● the fallen Angels, who never had such Season allocced them: Alas! they committed but one sin against God, and that but on●● in Thought, and yet for that one sin, the were thrust out of Heaven, and reserved under Chains of Darkness, unto the dread fu●● Judgement of the Great Day; they being once fallen, had never a Day of Salvation afforded them; they never had one Moment of Time allotted them, upon the improvement of which, they might have been reserved to Mercy; therefore if they should pray, and cry, and entreat the Lord never so earnestly, that he would forgive them that one sin, and restore them once more to Mercy; yet they shall never be regarded: Christ suffered not for them, there was not one Drop of Blood shed to wash away their sin: For he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. 6.16.  
Secondly, There is with us such a Time as an Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation, in opposition to those damned Souls that are already in Hell: 'Tis true, the De●ils being once fallen, never had Mercy offered them, they never had one Minute of Time afforded them to work out their Salvation, whereas these damned Wretches once had Mercy offered them, but they despised it; they once had a Day of Salvation a Time wherein they might have been accepted: Alas! They had many a Call from God, Time after Time, many a secret motion from his Spirit; They once heard many a Sermon, and enjoyed many a Sabbath, many an Ordinance; GOD waited upon them Time after Time, Year after Year, whilst they continued in their R●● bellion against him: But alas! alas! they sinned away all these precious Opportunities; all this Time they might have bee● accepted, if they had turned to God in earnest: But lo! Now the Day of Grace is concluded, the Door of Hope is for ever sha●● against them; now they are left in a fa●● more miserable Condition than the falle● Angels are in; for they once had a Goldens Season of Grace put into their Hands, b●● they wilfully lost it, and trifled it away long did God wait, and call upon them, from one Time to another, by his Spirit, and b●● his Messengers; but they wearied out hi● Patience, grieved his Spirit, despised h●● Messengers, abused all his Goodness: Ala● the Devils will never have such Consideratious as these to torment them, as these damned Souls now have.  
Thirdly, There is with us such a Time an Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation, Opposition to what shall be with us here after, if we let it slip; when we come to He● we shall be in the same miserable Condition that those damned Souls are in, that are already there: Consider, that Man being created in a hely and righteous Estare, and w● being fallen, if God had not found out Way for our Recovery, we had been lest miserable a Condition as the fallen Angels ●ere; but God of his unspeakable Mercy, ●●oked in tender Love upon lost Mankind, ●●at he gave his dearly beloved Son, to suffer and die for us; and for his sake he hath afforded every one of us a Day of Grace, which if we duly improve in turning to God, ●n receiving of this his Son, as he is offered, ●●ve shall be accepted, pardoned and saved; ●ut if we squander away this precious Sea●●on, in following Vanity and Foolery, in salifying our Lusts, and pleasing ourselves, ●ntill the Door of Mercy be shut; our Damnation will be far more greater, than if we never had had such an Opportunity put into ●●ur Hands: That's the First; there is with 〈◊〉 such a Time as an Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation.  
Secondly, I shall next show, when this Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation is; that is, at is now; Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation. The Apostle doth not speak it in the future Tense, that soon after will be an Accepted Time, though you contiove in your sins for a while in rebelling against God, grieving of his Spirit, and provoking him to Wrath; yet if you turn to God hereafter, you shall be accepted; no, out he speaks in the Present Tense, Behold, ●ow is the accepted time; now is the Opportunity of Grace put into your Hands, when in Heaven is to be won or lost for ever; a●● according as you improve this present S●●● son of Grace, so must your Everlasting Esta●● be in another World: All Mankind are a miserable Est●ce by Nature; and it is no that the Terms of Marcy are offered you, a●● an Opportunity of Grace put into your hand O! for the Lords sake do not ruin your So●● for ever, by neglecting so precious an Opportunity: Mark what our Saviour sai● Mat. 5.25. Agree now with thy Adve●● sary quickly, whilst thou art in the way wi●● him, lest at any time the Adversary deliver●● thee to the Judge, and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer, and thou be cast 〈◊〉 Prison: Verily I say unto thee, thou shall 〈◊〉 come out thence till thou hast paid the u●● most Farthing. Now God is your Adve●● sary, for we are all by Nature Enemies God, by reason of sin; but, yet God of 〈◊〉 tender Love hath given us Terms of Reco●● ciliation; agree therefore with him quick●● before his Justice hath seized upon thee, thou be delivered to the Officer, the Dev●● and then thou shalt b● him be cast into th●● Prison of Hell, and there thou mustily in e●● tream and intolerable Torments, until th●● hast paid the utmost Farthing of God's Justice, which can never be to all Eternity: therefore agree and make your Peace with ●ur God quickly, whilst thou art in the way ●●ith him; for now you are in a fair way ●●ith him to be reconciled for he offers you ●●erms of Mercy; he hath showed you in his word by what Means you may come to ●●ake an Agreement with him; he calls u●●on you by his Messengers; he entreats you 〈◊〉 Christ's stead, to be reconciled to him, 2 ●or. 20. And if God so earnestly desire our 〈◊〉 conciliation with him, in what a fair way ●●re we then with God to be reconciled? But ●●ontinue in your unconverted Estate, and in ●●our Enmity against God a little longer, un●●●il the season of Grace be at an end● and God ●●ath shut against you the Door of Mercy, then ●●od and you will be unreconcilable for e●●er; then ail your Prayers, and Tears, and ●●ndeavours shall never be accepted; then ●●othing remains, but to the Prisen of Hell ●●ou must be cast; there to remain for ever ●●nd ever: Therefore as Eliph●● said to Job, ●●o say I to you, Job 22.21. Acquaint now thy ●●●elf with him and be at peace, thereby good shall ●●vieme unto thee; For, behold, now is the time ●●hat thou mayest be accepted; but more paricular, to show you when this Accepted Time, ●●●d Day of Salvation is; it is now in this ●●●fe; for there is no making our Peace with God after Death; therefore, saith Solomon, Eccles. 9.10. Whatsoever thy hand find to do, do it with all thy might; for the is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, n●● wisdom in the Grave, whither thou goe●●  
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, wh●ther it be to repent, to close savingly wi●● Christ, to get Grace, or to strengthen t●● Graces, or to secure thy Title toward Heaven: O! set about it with all thy might a●● main, for there is none of this to be do●● in the Grave, whether we are all hastening; then Praying Opportunities, Sermon Opportunities, Sacrament Opportunitie●● Sabbath Opportunities, will all be at an en●● Now, if yet; you are in your unconverted 〈◊〉 state, and yet, under the wrath of God, no●● through God's Grace you may be converted if yet, you are Enemies to God, you may 〈◊〉 reconciled; if yet, you are in your sins, y●●● may be pardoned; if yet, you are in the 〈◊〉 state of Damnation, you may be brought 〈◊〉 an Estate of Salvation: But when once Dea●● hath sh●t your Eyes, than your condition w●●● be unalterable for ever●: I must work the wo●● of him that sent me, whilst it is to day; I for 〈◊〉 night cometh, when no Man can work.  
But yet, though the Time of this Life 〈◊〉 the Accepted Time, and Day of Salvation, 〈◊〉 every time of a Man's Life may not be an accepted Time with him; for with some Me●● 〈◊〉 Day of Salvation lasteth all their Life ●●ng, and with some it doth not: Therefore ●●ell may the Prophet cry out, Isa. 55.6. ●●ek ye the Lord whilst he may be found; call ●●on him whilst he is near; for there may come time even in the time of this Life, that the ●●●rd will not be found, though he be sought ever so diligently: As Esau, because he ne●ected the Season of his Repentance, he af●rwards sought Repentance carefully with ●●ears, even long before the Day of his Death, ●●ut he could not find it, Heb. 12.17.  
'Tis true, as long as there is Life, there is ●ope; there is Hope so long as a Man is on ●●is side Hell; and the time of life is commonly called the Day of Grace; not because ●●e Day of Grace continues all a man's Life ●●ng, but because it is bounded within the compass of a man's Life: Now, because every time of a man's Life may not be an accepted ●●me; I shall therefore show you some certain Seasons of a man's Life, which if he have ●ut wildom to know them, and grace to improve them, he shall be sure to be accepted: shall but little more than name them.  
First, The time of Youth is the accepted ●me; Remember now thy Creator in the days of ●●y Youth, says Solomon, Eccles 12.1. O Friends! you turn to God, and in time close with ●hrist, and seek for Pardon, and Mercy, now whilst you are Young, you shall surely be ●● cepted: For saith God to his People Isra● Jer. 2.2. I have expected the kindness of 〈◊〉 Youth. Some young People I have sometime looked upon, as the happiest People in t●● World, because we may be sure their seas●● of Grace is not gone; the present time the Day of Salvation; the Lord give the● Grace to improve it: To see young B●● and Girls give themselves to studying 〈◊〉 Scripture, to Praying, and crying after Chri●● Grace, and Mercy: Oh! it is the rarest sig●● in the world, whoever the door of Mercy●● shut against, it shall certainly be open to the 〈◊〉  
Secondly, The Time of Health & Streng is the accepted time: In the old Law, th●● which was offered up in Sacrifice, which w●● torn, bliod, or lame, was not accepted: T●● shows, that those who spend the best of the days, and strength, in the work of the Dev●● & then thinks to give up themselves to Go● when sickness, lameness, and feeble old A●● comes, must never look to be accepted, G●● will not be turned off with the Devils leaving  
Thirdly, The Time of the Gospel is the 〈◊〉 cepted time, Praying Opportunities, Se●m●● Opportunities, Sacrament Opportunities Sabbath Opportunities; these are seasons Salvation, for we know not how soon G●● may remove our Candleftick our of his pla●●● ●nd take from us the Means of Grace; and ●●en the Opportunities of Grace will be also 〈◊〉 an end.  
Fourthly, and Lastly, The Time of God's spirit's working, and striving in the hearts of ●●icked Men, is the accepted time; and they ●●at obey the Calls of God's Spirit, when it ●●rives, shall be sure to be accepted, let it be 〈◊〉 what time soever, whether it be in Youth, 〈◊〉 old Age; though the Spirit hath its Going and Comings, yet some it doth not give ●●ver to their old Age, or to their Dying day; ●●nd some it doth: God's Spirit is compared ●●●o Noah's Dove, which Noah sent out of the ●●rk, and it returned to him again; and then ●gain: But when he sent the Dove out the ●●ird time, the Dove never returned to him ●●ore; so the Spirit of God hath its Go ●●nd Comings; it comes a one time into the ●●eart of a sinner, and secretly calls upon him ●●o repent, and become a new Creature: But ●his sinner, it may be, stifles these good mo●●ons, quenches the Spirit, and continues still ●●n his sinful course of Life; than it may be, ●he Spirit departs, and after a while comes ●gain; and finding the sinner the same still, ●●e departs, and then comes again, and again; ●●nd at last the Spirit being often resisted, ●●nd grieved, he is provoked finally to departed, ●●nd never to trouble him more; and then Grace is departed, and he is immedily delivered up to a hard Heart, and a rep●bate Mind, that shall never repent: And wh●● once he is brought to that pass, than all ●● Sermons, and all the Prayers in the Wor● will never do him any good. O! therefore have a care of quenching and grieving ●● Holy Spirit of God, when it secretly stirs, a●● works in your Hearts; but be careful to 〈◊〉 obey its motions, lest the Spirit being grieve withdraw itself finally, and never retu●● more; and then your accepted time, and ●● of salvation will be at an end. Now consid● all this, if you are yet in your Youth, a●● strength, and enjoy the Ordinances of Go●● and the Means of Grace, and the secret O●● rations of God's Spirit; and then behold, a●● again, Behold, that now is the accepted time, a●● now is the day of salvation. Now with us, the is such a time as an accepted time, and da● salvation; and that for these two Reasons will but just name them.  
First, That thereby the Saints might ha● occasion for ever to magnify the free Gra●● of God, that he hath not left them to per● in their miserable Estate, but hath ofter them Terms of Mercy, and hath put an 〈◊〉 portunity of Salvation into their Hands, a●● hath given them Grace to improve it.  
Secondly, That thereby the wicked may be left without Excuse; for there is never a dam●ed Soul in Hell, that can plead this, that they never had a Day of Grace: O it would be a great lessening of their Torments, if they ●ould plead so. Alas! there was never a man, ●or woman, since the creation of the world, ●ut hath had a Season of Grace; there was ●ever none yet ever lived, be their lives short ●●r long, but before they die, they have Mercy offered them, and an acceptable Time to ●eek it in; therefore the Wicked shall be ●eft without Excuse; nay, 'twill add much ●● their Torments, to consider, that they once ●ad a Season of Grace and Salvation, and yet wilfully lost it. O let every one therefore, ●oth small and great, behold, and cousider, ●hat now is the Accepted Time, and now is the ●ay of Salvation.  

THE APPLICATION.  
THE first Use that I shall make of this, shall be a Use of Terror, to all such as ●nder and trifle away this Precious Season Grace, and Salvation: Friends, you have ●ard that God's Spirit will not always strive ●●th Man; God is not bound to wait all a ●●s Life long; if God continue waiting from time to another, from one Year to another, from one Sabbath to another, and ye● you turn a deaf Ear to his Calls, and slight all his Warnings, and will go on resolutely and presumptuously in your sins; consider God will at last be weary of waiting, his Patience will be at last tired out; and the● just as you have served God in your Day 〈◊〉 Grace, so God will serve you, when his D●● of Wrath and Vengeance comes: O read, a●● tremble, in that dreadful place of Scripture Prov. 1.2. to the end: Mark there how lo●ingly GOD expostulates with wicked Me● saying, How long ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and ye scorners delight in scorning? a●● ye sools hate knowledge? And then see his loing Call and Invitation, ver. 23. Turn you● my reproof: And also his gracious Promise, behold, I will pour out my Spirit into you; I ●● make known my words unto you: But yet all ●● loving Expostulation, Invitation, and Prom● would prevail nothing with them, they wo●● run on in their evil courses for all that; the fore see what GOD saith to them now, 24. Because I have called, and ye refused, I h●●● stretched out my hand, and no Man regarded; ye have set at naught my counsels, and would of my reproofs: I who will laugh at your cala●ty, and will mock when your fear cometh, 〈◊〉 fear cometh as a whirlwind, when destru●● and anguish cometh upon them, then shall all upon me, but I will not answer, then shall they ●eek me early, but they shall not find me, in that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear ●f the Lord. A most dreadful Text this is, if ●t be rightly considered; in the Day of their visitation, GOD called upon them to turn ●om their evil ways, and they turned a deaf ●ar, and would not regard; but afterwards, when their Day of Israel was passed, and the Day ●f their Extremity was come, than they called upon God for Mercy, and God would not ●egard them; it is a common Proverb amongst ●s, He that will not whilst he may, when he ●ould he shall have may; This was the very ●ase of Esau, he was a Hunting, and following is fleshly Deltghts, when God was a calling ●im to Repentance; and then afterwards, when ●e would have repent, he was rejected; for ●e found no place for Repentance, though ●e sought it carefully with Tears, Heb. 12.27. low God may call long upon wicked Men to ●rn, and be saved, both by his Word, and by is Spirit, but they will not regard; but when ●is their Day of Salvation is ended, and they ●ome toly upon their Deathbeds, O! how they will then cry out, Lord pardon me, Lord ●●ve me; Mercy Lord, Mercy Lord, some Merey ●r Christ's sake: But God may justly answer ●●em, No Sinner, no Mercy to be had; I once feared thee Mercy, but thou abusest it: and seeing thou wouldst not accept of Mercy whilst it wa● offered thee, therefore now the Door of Mercy 〈◊〉 shut against thee for ever.  
Secondly, My second Use, shall be for Ma●ter of Encouragement, to such who are willing to come in, and accept of the Terms o● Mercy, but yet keep off, through many Doubt and Fears.  
O says one, I am afraid my Day of Salvation is passed already; and if so, all my endeavours w●●● be in vain, do what I can, I shall never be accepted.  
Answ. To answer this, I will give you th●● one Mark, whereby you may know wheth●● your Day of Salvation be past or no: Yo●● say, you are afraid that your Day of Salvation is past: If so, that is a good Sign, that it 〈◊〉 not past; for those with whom their Day 〈◊〉 Grace is past, they grow senseless of any su●● Matter. Again: Do not you find sometime godly Motions stirring in you by the Spirit Do not you find in you sometimes a sorrow for sin, after it is committed; and a desi●● to leave sin? Doth not your Heart some times melt, when you hear the Word preache● Have you not some Desire to become a N●● Creature? if so, than your day of Salvation is not yet past; for those with whom the D●● of Grace is past they are given over to 〈◊〉 sonfless, hard, and obdurate Heart, that is n●● there moved with Mercies nor terrified wi●● Judgements; and being given over to themselves, they run into all kind of wickedness, with reediness; and as it seems, this is not thy ●ase, as yet; so now, up, and close with the terms of Mercy, whilst thy Day of Salvation 〈◊〉 lengthened out.  
O, but saith another, it may be I am none of God's Elect; and if so, than all my Endeavours ●ill be to no purpose.  
Answ. Whether a Man be Elected or not, ●hat is not in his Power to know, and therefore ●e ought not to meddle with it; but you must understand, that God deerees aright, for those whom God hath Elected, he hath absolutely Decreed, that they shall be Justified, Sancti●ed, and Saved; but those whom God hath Reprobated, he hath not absolutely Decreed, that they shall be Damned, but hath left them to their own Choice, as Adam and Eve was; and therefore their Damnation is wilful, of themselves; but whether you are Elected or not, if I may so speak, if you repent, and be converted, you shall be saved; if not, you shall be damned: As many as do perish, do not perish because they were not Elected, but because they would not use the Means in order to their Salvation.  
O but, you will say, it may be, God will not give me Grace to Repent, and without his Grace I can do nothing.  
Answ. Know for your Encouragement, both you and every one else enjoys a Day Salvation; and this Day of Salvation is Time of Assistance, as well as a Time of A● ceptance: Mark the Promise of Christ, Ma●. 7.7. Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye sh●● find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: F●● every one that asketh, receiveth; and he th●● seeketh findeth; and to him that knocket it shall be opened.  
Mark, Christ speaks there nothing concerning Election, but every one, whoever he b● that asketh, seeketh, and knocketh for Grace Pardon, and Mercy, and that in Season, while it may be had, shall certainly be heard an● accepted: But than you must be sure to see in Season, for seeking out of Season, never y●● found Success. Now if Esau had but sought Repentance in earnest, when God called hi● to repent, than GOD would have strengthened and assisted him, and also accepted hi● but he sought for Repentance when the Season of Repentance was gone, and that ruin him for ever. Now mark this, whatever th●● Decrees of Heaven be concerning you, yet you are but willing to leave your sins, and d●● hearty desire Grace and Mercy, and earnestly seek it by Prayer and Supplication, an● that in the Season of Grace, whilst it is offer●● you; then, though you ean do nothing of ●ur selves, yet you shall have strength and as●ance enough, for God will help you, Christ ●●ll help you, and the Spirit will help you; ●●u shall have help from Heaven, and through ●e Spirit of Christ's Strengthing, you shall be ●abled to go through with this great Work, ●●d then you shall not only be assisted, but al●● accepted and rewarded: But than you must ●e sure to seek out in Season, in your Day of Salvation; for if you seek out of Season, all ●our seeking and striving will be in vain.  
Lastly, To conclude all with a Word or too of Exhortation: Be exhorted, as you de●ire the Salvation of your Souls, to consider ●nd improve this precious Season of Grace and Salvation, in working out your Salvation, before it be too late: O it is most dreadful to consider, that GOD hath allotted us but one small Portion of Time, to do all that ever must be done for Eternity, and yet it should be squandered away in Vanity and Foolery: But Friends, whatever you see others do, do you in earnest lay hold on this your Day of Salvation, before it is gone: Seek ye the Lord now, whilst he may be found, and call upon him whilst he is near. And whilst others spend their precious Time in Feasting, Ri●ting, and in the Pleasures of the Flesh, do you spend your Time in Fasting, Praying, Rep●●ting, and Suing out the Pardon of your Si●● and making your Peace with GOD. And 〈◊〉 you thus do, then at last, when Time sh●● cease, and be no longer; you shall hear th●● blessed Welcome proceed from the Mouth●● Christ, Well done, thou good and faithful Servant, enter into the Joy of thy Lord. Whi●● the Lord of his infinite Mercy grant to us a●● Amen.  
FINIS.