Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

2. The sooner you set about the work, the more easy you will find it. You will have fewer Sins to repent of, and mourn over, and turn from, less guilt to terrify and dishearten you, less stupor in your Consciences, less hardness in your Hearts, less strength of sin to be wrestled with. The Dominion of sin will not be so confirmed with a long tract of time; nor the cords of your iniquity hold you so fast. Tho it be true, that how soon soever you begin, and set about the work, you cannot of your selves effect it; God's Grace must do that; yet the sooner you begin, the less sin there will be in you to resist his Grace, and the more hope that God will afford you Grace to overcome that resistance which is made. And tho Grace can subdue and conquer the most strong, old, overgrown Lusts, yet still you will be more ready to hope it will do it, when you have not the guilt of a long impenitent Life; and refusing former calls to encourage your unbelief, and check your hopes, and sink your hearts.

2. The sooner you set about the work, the more easie you will find it. You will have fewer Sins to repent of, and mourn over, and turn from, less guilt to terrifie and dishearten you, less stupor in your Consciences, less hardness in your Hearts, less strength of sin to be wrestled with. The Dominion of sin will not be so confirmed with a long tract of time; nor the cords of your iniquity hold you so fast. Tho it be true, that how soon soever you begin, and set about the work, you cannot of your selves effect it; God's Grace must do that; yet the sooner you begin, the less sin there will be in you to resist his Grace, and the more hope that God will afford you Grace to overcome that resistance which is made. And tho Grace can subdue and conquer the most strong, old, overgrown Lusts, yet still you will be more ready to hope it will do it, when you have not the guilt of a long impenitent Life; and refusing former calls to encourage your unbelief, and check your hopes, and sink your hearts.

3. You may expect more comfort in it, for the more able you will be to discern its sincerity, as having less cause to doubt of it. To turn to God when you have something to deny for him, some time to spend in his Service, and which might have been spent in the service of sin, looks much more like true repentance, than to turn to him when you are immediately to appear before him. The less force and fear there is in your repentance, the more like it is to be kindly and evangelical; when tears flow, and are not squeezed; you are rather drawn than driven; and your Obedience is freely yielded, rather than extorted. But the further ye apprehend your selves from Death and Judgment, the less there usually is to force your repentance, and so the less to make it suspicious, and hinder your enjoying the comfort of it. And so the sooner you repent, the more time you will have to prove its sincerity by its fruits, and the more fruit you bring forth meet for repentance,