Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

The last day I entered on the opening of this place, and showed; How the Lord had proposed a limited time for our conversion unto him, in which we should hear and obey his voice.

THe last day I entred on the opening of this place, and shewed; How the Lord had proposed a limited time for our conversion unto him, in which we should hear and obey his voyce.

We showed farther how it was Satan's policy to make men seem wiser than God, that when God proposes a certain time, and limits us a day, wherein he will be found, we will not have his, but our own. True, say we, God calls on us, and it's fit and convenient to hearken unto him; but yet I'll stay for a more seasonable opportunity. There is nothing provokes God so much against us, as when we will thus scorn that acceptable time he hath proposed: Nor can there be a greater hinderance to repentance, then to stop our ears at his counsels, and to suffer him to call and cry unto us so long, and yet to abuse his patience by a foolish neglect. It accuses us of Rebellion, and high presumption, on such infirm grounds, to put from us the day of salvation. Folly it is in the highest degree to trust on the future, when as in our own hands we have neither space, nor grace for such a business. God is the Lord, and owner of them both, and will not part with his Prerogative. Go to, you that say, to day or to morrow we will return unto the Lord, You add to presumption both folly and Rebellion. Jezebel had space to repent, yet she repented not, for she had not the grace, that, without this, will not benefit.