Consider 4. That Delays have proved […] Eternal Ruin of not a few. Many a Soul has been Ruined; and Perished Eternally, and Delays have been the cause of it. GOD says, Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Aye, but the sinner neglects God till finding time is past and gone; and then it is to no purpose: Luk. 13.24, 25. Many shall seek to enter in at the strait Gate, and shall not be able. The reason […], the Door is shut; and then they cannot enter in. Sinners delay Repentance till the Door of Mercy is but, then they Cry as the Foolish Virgins did, Lord! Lord! Let us go to Heaven. Nay, but all Cries are in […], because they delayed their Repentance until the Day of Grace was ⟨p. 82⟩past. It is with Sinners often in thi• respect, as with miserable Esau; he came for a Blessing, and sought it carefully with tears but was rejected because he did not come soon enough▪ Thus Sinners delay their turning to God until it is too late; and afterwards they seek in vain. So that many have been undone by Delays▪ How many Young Men have though• that they would Repent in Old Age […] While they were Young they would walk in the sight of their Eyes, pleasing themselves with a vain hope of Repentance in Old Age. Ah, Poor wretches! Death seized on them in their Youth, and they are for ever Miserable. And how many have thought with themselves, When we come to lye on Sick-beds, then we will Repent, and Confess our sins and Forsake them. But alas, Sick-bed Repentance is seldom true: Psal. 78▪34. They sought the Lord when He slew them; but their Heares were upright. Not One in an Hundred perhaps, of those that have been Sick and ⟨p. 83⟩like to Dye, and then have made Promises to God that they would Repent and become New Creatures, have kept their Vows to the Lord. We may thence conclude, that a Sick-bed Repentance is seldom true. Besides, how dost thou know thou shalt lye on a Sick bed? Death may come suddenly. How many in this and in other Towns, have gone into Eternity when they little thought of it? They have been taken away on a sudden, without any Sickness to give them Warning of the approaches of Death. Many have been Drowned; and others snatched out of the world by unexpected & awful Providences. Let none of us then be so Foolish as to delay Preparations for a Dying •our. Say not the Thief on the Cross Repented at the Last hour: And why may not I?
Consider 4. That Delayes have proved 〈…〉 Eternal Ruine of not a few. Many a Soul has been Ruined; and Perished Eternally, and Delayes have been the cause of it. GOD sayes, Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Aye, but the sinner neglects God till finding time is past and gone; and then it is to no purpose: Luk. 13.24, 25. Many shall seek to enter in at the strait Gate, and shall not be able. The reason 〈…〉, the Door is shut; and then they cannot enter in. Sinners delay Repentance till the Door of Mercy is but, then they Cry as the Foolish Virgins did, Lord! Lord! Let us go to Heaven. Nay, but all Cries are in 〈…〉, because they delayed their Re•entance until the Day of Grace was ⟨p. 82⟩past. It is with Sinners often in thi• respect, as with miserable Esau; he came for a Blessing, and sought it carefully with tears but was rejected b•cause he did not come soon enough▪ Thus Sinners delay their turning to God until it is too late; and afterwards they seek in vain. So that many have been undone by Delayes▪ How many Young Men have though• that they would Repent in Old Age 〈…〉 While they were Young they would walk in the sight of their Eyes, pleasing themselves with a vain hope of Repentance in Old Age. Ah, Poor wretches! Death siezed on them in their Youth, and they are for ever Miserable. And how many have thought with themselves, When we come to lye on Sick-beds, then we will Repent, and Confess our sins and Forsake them. But alas, Sick-bed Repentance is seldom true: Psal. 78▪34. They sought the Lord when He slew them; but their Heares were upright. Not One in an Hundred perhaps, of those that have been Sick and ⟨p. 83⟩like to Dye, and then have made Promises to God that they would Repent and become New Creatures, have kept their Vows to the Lord. We may thence conclude, that a Sick-bed Repentance is seldom true. Besides, how dost thou know thou shalt lye on a Sick bed? Death may come •uddenly. How many in this and in other Towns, have gone into Eternity when they little thought of it? They have been taken away on a sudden, without any Sickness to give them Warning of the approaches of Death. Many have been Drowned; and others snatcht out of the world by unexpected & awful Providences. Let none of us then be so Foolish as to delay Preparations for a Dying our. Say not the Thief on the Cross Repented at the Last hour: And why may not I?
