The time of repentance is the time present, without any delay at all: as the holy Ghost saith,1 To day if ye will hear his voice. And, Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day: least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Reasons hereof are these. I. Life is uncertain: for no man knows at what hour or moment, and after what manner he shall go forth of this world.2 Be ye also prepared therefore, for the son of man will come at an hour when ye think not. This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance; and the rather, because many are dead, who purposed with themselves to repent in time to come; but were prevented by death, and shall never repent. II. The longer a man lives in any sin, the greater danger: because by practise sin gets heart and strength. Custom is of such force, that that which men use to do in their life time, the same they do and speak when they are dying. One had three pounds owing him to be paid three several years, when he was dying nothing could be got of him but three years, three pounds. Again,3 by deferring repentance, men treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. If a malefactor for his punishment, should be appointed every day to carry a stick of wood to an heap to burn him twenty years after: it must needs be an exceeding great punishment and misery: and this is the case of every sinner: who neglecting repentance from day to day, doth thereby employ himself in heaping up the coals of Gods wrath to burn his soul in hell, when the day of death comes. III. The more the time is prolonged, the harder it is to repent: the longer a man goes in his sickness without physic, the harder is the recovery. And where the devil dwells long he will hardly be removed. The best way to kill a serpent is, to crush it in the head when it is young. IV. It is as meat and drink to the devil to see men live in their sins, deferring repentance: as on the contrary, there is great joy among the angels of God in heaven, when a sinner doth repent. V. Late repentance is seldom or never true repentance. For if a man repent when he can not sin as in former ⟨p. 758⟩time, as namely in death: then he leaves not sin, but sin leaves him: wherefore the repentance which men frame to themselves when they are dying, it is to be feared least it die with them.
THe time of repentance is the time present, without any delay at all: as the holy Ghost saith,1 To daie if ye will heare his voice. And, Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day: least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne. Reasons hereof are these. I. Life is vncertaine: for no man knowes at what houre or moment, and after what manner he shall goe foorth of this world.2 Be ye also prepared therefore, for the sonne of man will come at an houre when ye think not. This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance; and the rather, because many are dead, who purposed with themselues to repent in time to come; but were preuented by death, and shall neuer repent. II. The longer a man liues in any sinne, the greater danger: because by practise sinne gets heart and strength. Custome is of such force, that that which men vse to doe in their life time, the same they doe and speake when they are dying. One had three poundes owing him to bee paid three seuerall yeares, when he was dying nothing could be got of him but three yeres, three poūds. Againe,3 by deferring repentance, men treasure vp wrath against the daie of wrath. If a malefactor for his punishment, should be appointed euery daie to carrie a sticke of woode to an heap to burne him twentie yeares after: it must needs be an exceeding great punishment and miserie: and this is the case of euerie sinner: who neglecting repentance from daie to daie, doth thereby imploy himselfe in heaping vp the coles of Gods wrath to burn his soule in hell, when the daie of death comes. III. The more the time is prolonged, the harder it is to repent: the longer a man goes in his sicknesse without phisicke, the harder is the recouerie. And where the deuill dwels long he will hardly be remooued. The best waie to kill a serpent is, to crush it in the head when it is young. IV. It is as meat and drinke to the deuil to see men liue in their sinnes, deferring repentance: as on the contrary, there is great ioy among the angels of God in heauen, when a sinner doth repent. V. Late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance. For if a man repent when he can not sinne as in former ⟨p. 758⟩time, as namely in death: then hee leaues not sinne, but sinne leaues him: wherefore the repentance which men frame to themselues when they are dying, it is to be feared least it die with thē.
- 1Heb. 3.7,13.
- 2Luk. 12. 40.
- 3Rom. 2.5.
