Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

3. It behooves us to set about the work of conversion and repentance presently.

God is angry with us, and we know not whether God will execute his Judgments on us this day or no, therefore go about it presently. God will remove all our adulteries, and put away all our sins, if we will come to him within a day. Now what madness is it to neglect it? After a certain time (saith the Apostle) according to that in the Psalmist. Psalm 95. God hath limited a certain day: Thou hast provoked the Holy Ghost, and now he limits thee a day, Heb. 3.7. Wherefore (saith the Holy Ghost) to day if you will hear his voice. Now is it safe think you to pass this day? A hard heart is a provoking heart, and as long as it continues hard, it continues provoking God, and despising the Holy Ghost. To day therefore hear his voice, that is, this present day. But which is that day? It's this very time, wherein you stand before God, and in which you hear me. If you embrace the opportunity, happy are you; if not, you shall give as dear an account, as for any thing you ever heard in your life. There is no dallying with God, take his proffer, take him at his word, in a matter of salvation. He calls to thee to day, peradventure he will speak no more, therefore Heb. 4.7. we shall find it's a limited day. Exhort one another to day; whilst it's called to day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, Heb. 3.13. While it is called to day, that is, stay not till to morrow, but embrace the present opportunity. This day God holds out the golden Sceptre, and my life for yours, if you accept it you ⟨p. 5⟩shall be saved. If you take it not to day, your heart will be more hardened to morrow; and so it may be you will never touch it; your hearts will be like stones, and you'll be uncapable of yielding. God is angry with us,