Sermons preached on several occasionsSermons preach'd on several occasions

Fifthly; The Tempter hinders Men from Compliance with the present Invitations of Grace, by suggesting there will be time enough for accepting them hereafter, and a future Repentance will be sufficient to redress all their Miscarriages. By this Deceit he trains them on to Ruin. By this he eludes the Force of present Convictions: that without Repentance they must perish for ever, and puts Men▪ out of the Compass of Conversion. 'Tis clear by its own Light, and needs no other Proof, that present Obedience is due to the Commands of God; To day if you will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts: Yet against all the Evidence of the Word without, and of Conscience ⟨p. 276⟩within, Satan so strongly deceives Men, that they rebelliously neglect their Duty, till their Time and Life are expiring. But how unbecoming, how difficult, how hazardous is a late Repentance? How unbecoming is it to put off God till hereafter? Such is his glorious Majesty, we should with the most reverent Respect, and humble Thankfulness obey his first Call. If a Prince should invite a Subject to come to him for some great Favour, would he so break all the Rules of Decorum, as to delay his coming, by saying, Hereafter will be time enough? And what is the greatest Majesty on Earth to the God of Glory? no more than a More to the Sun: and proportionably the Indignity arises to neglect the Offers of his Grace.

Besides, how incongruous is it to give the Flower of our Time and Strength to our Lusts, and to reserve ⟨p. 277⟩the Bran for God? To spend the Age of our vital and vigorous Actions in the Vanities and Business of the World, and to allow only our languishing Age for the obtaining of Heaven? That Men should content themselves with dead Affections in his Service who is their Life, that were so lively in the Service of Sin that is their Death?