A25466:794
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume / by several ministers in and about London, preached in October, 1689.
London: printed by James Astwood for John Dunton, 1690
Sermon 9: Quest. What's the danger of a death-bed Repentance? SERMON IX.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. As a terror to others, and a warning too, that they that hear it may fear, and not dare to live impenitently, lest they should die impenitently; God not being bound to give them the Grace he denies to others, who perhaps were not greater Sinners than themselves.
Obj. The great encouragement Men have to embolden them in sin, and yet to hope for repentance at last, is the instance of this poor Thief, which they stretch beyond the intention of the Holy Ghost in leaving it upon Record, when they use it as a means to strengthen their presumption, which was designed only to prevent despair. The Thief on the Cross repented at last, saith a Sinner, and why may not I?
Answ. Why should not the example of the other Thief's impenitency affright them, and drive them to repentance, as well as the example of the good Thief encourage them to sin? It is but setting one against the other; and if they argue, God gave repentance to one, and therefore may give it them: Why may they not as well argue, God denied it to one, and therefore may deny it to them too?
2. It is but a single instance against thousands on the other side. And though one instance is sufficient to evert the generality of a Rule; and therefore we cannot certainly conclude from Gods not giving repentance to thousands at the hour of Death, that he will give it to none, because we have the example of this Thief to the contrary; yet with what reason can men expect that God should give that to them, which he gave to one, rather than that he should deny that to them, which he hath denied to thousands? If general Rules are to be drawn from particulars, it is much more rational to ground them on a multitude of particulars, than on any single one. The most therefore any Men can infer from this example, is only, that it is not impossible but God may give them repentance.