As 'tis said of Esau, He found no place for repentance. Heb. 12.17.1 There is a great mistake by many in the interpretation of that place, from which text many gather that there may be many tears shed, much sorrow found, and yet no true repentance, but the meaning of the words is this, he found no place for his father Isaacs repentance, though he cried and shed tears for the blessing, yet his father repented not that he had bestowed it upon Jacob: so that people may cry and humble their souls before God, yet shall find in God no place of repentance, nay if that the Saints of God should all join together and pray for such a people they should not prevail; Ezek. 14.20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job should pray for them, they should not prevail. Oh sinner take heed this be not thy condition, thou hast godly parents and kindred it may be, and they set themselves to seek God for thee, but God will deny them, their prayers shall not prevail for thee; this may be the case of Nations and Kingdoms, that there may be true repentance found and turning to God, and yet no deliverance from outward affliction. I deny not but that true repentance shall deliver a soul from eternal wrath, from perishing in hell; but this I affirm that there may be true repentance found and turning unto God and yet no deliverance from a temporal affliction. And this I shall make good by two famous texts of Scripture. The first is in Deut. 3.26. Moses had sinned, and God saith he should not go into the land of Canaan, which was a sore affliction to Moses, upon this Moses he prayed, and 'tis certain Moses had repented him of that sin, yet see what he saith, The Lord was wrath with me, for your sake, and would not hear me, but let it ⟨p. 456⟩suffice thee, speak no more of this matter. All his prayers and repentance could not deliver him from that outward affliction, and bring him into Canaan. The second text is in 2 Kings, 23.25. in the former chapter we find the heart of the King melting when he heard the Law read, and perceived the anger of the Lord against his people was provoked, yet the Lord tells him that he should die in peace. And in the 23. Chapter, the King he sets upon reforming the people, enters into a solemn Covenant with God, causeth the people to join with him, pulls down the groves, destroys Idolatry, and although it be said in the 25.
As 'tis said of Esau, He found no place for repentance. Heb. 12.17.1 There is a great mistake by many in the interpretation of that place, from which text many gather that there may be many tears shed, much sorrow found, and yet no true repentance, but the meaning of the words is this, he found no place for his father Isaacs repentance, though he cried and shed tears for the blessing, yet his father repented not that he had bestowed it upon Jacob: so that people may cry and humble their souls before God, yet shall find in God no place of repentance, nay if that the Saints of God should all joyn together and pray for such a people they should not prevail; Ezek. 14.20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job should pray for them, they should not prevail. Oh sinner take heed this be not thy condition, thou hast godly parents and kindred it may be, and they set themselves to seek God for thee, but God will deny them, their prayers shall not prevail for thee; this may be the case of Nations and Kingdoms, that there may be true repentance found and turning to God, and yet no deliverance from outward affliction. I deny not but that true repentance shall deliver a soul from eternal wrath, from perishing in hell; but this I affirm that there may be true repentance found and turning unto God and yet no deliverance from a temporal affliction. And this I shall make good by two famous texts of Scripture. The first is in Deut. 3.26. Moses had sinned, and God saith he should not go into the land of Canaan, which was a sore affliction to Moses, upon this Moses he praid, and 'tis certain Moses had repented him of that sin, yet see what he saith, The Lord was wrath with me, for your sake, and would not hear me, but let it ⟨p. 456⟩suffice thee, speak no more of this matter. All his prayers and repentance could not deliver him from that outward affliction, and bring him into Canaan. The second text is in 2 Kings, 23.25. in the former chapter we find the heart of the King melting when he heard the Law read, and perceived the anger of the Lord against his people was provoked, yet the Lord tels him that he should die in peace. And in the 23. Chapter, the King he sets upon reforming the people, enters into a solemn Covenant with God, causeth the people to joyn with him, pulls down the groves, destroies Idolatry, and although it be said in the 25.
- 1Heb. 12.17.
