Interest in the Promises 5. We have Victory over our Enemies 1. We have Union with Christ What this Union is is hard to tell the word Mystical implies as much but that there is a Union is most certain for it is one of the great Mysteries of Godliness It is not the Essential Union of divers Persons in one Nature nor the Hypostatical Union of two Natures in one Person but more than a Political Natural or Moral Union for it is Mystical viz. of divers Natures in one Person and Spiritual not outward by External Profession only but inward by Internal Implantation made by the Spirit on Christ's part and by Faith on ours by that Primarily and Efficiently by this Secondarily and Instrumentally There is a Moral Union by Love and a Mystical one by Faith a Union both Real and Inseparable 1. Real As Real as the Union betwixt God and Christ tho' in a different manner that is Essential and Substantial this Mystical only yet not less Real because Mystical and Christ and they John 17. 21. who are thus united are as truly One as God and Christ are they are one with Christ tho' not the same one Body tho' not one Person 2. Inseparable The Ax may sever the corporal Union betwixt Root and Branches and the natural Union betwixt Head and Members Death the Conjugal Union betwixt Husband and Wife Time the Artificial Union betwixt the Foundation and Building distance of Place or an Accidental Difference the Moral Union betwixt Friend and Friend Vnus uterqut fait alter ego who were one in Affection and in whom there was but one Soul tho' two Bodies but neitheir Men nor Devils can break this Union betwixt Christ and them no nor Death it self Jer. 31. 3. 32. 40. Hos 2. 19 Rom. 8. 38 39. whether Natural or Violent The Hypostatical Union was not broken by Death the Vision was suspended but the Union was not broken nor can the Mystical it is then more near and firm and the Reason is because it depends on God's Will and not on theirs The great Honour conferr'd upon us is by the Hypostatical Union to our John 13. 1. Heb. 7. 25. 2. 16. Nature and the Mystical Union to our Person an Honour above any conferr'd upon Angels for Christ took not on him the Nature of Angels nor has he at any time said unto them Ye are my Body Other Graces make us like to Christ This makes us one with him 2. We are reconciled to God Adam by Creation was a Son of Luke 3. 38. Love by Corruption he became a Son of Wrath his state of Innocency was a state of Favour that of his degeneracy a state of Wrath in that God and he were one in Point of Affection but in this at Variance Sin separated those Friends he rebell'd and God proclaim'd his displeasure against him Adam being the Natural Head and Representative of all Mankind the Covenant made with him concerned them as well as him being as naturally in him as Branches in the Root sinning in him they fell with him and became Enemies to God haters of Rom. 1. 30. him and hated by him Enemies without a Power to flee from him a Strength to withstand him or a Will to be reconciled to him God that in Ephes 2. 7. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 20. the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus in whom he was reconciling the World to himself ordain'd him before time and sent him in the fulness of Time to make reconciliation for Iniquity by reconciling him to the World and the World Gal. 4. 4. Dan. 9. 24. to him Christ the Prince of Peace as the only Mediator betwixt God and us was usher'd into the World by a Quire of Angels with a Song of Peace on Earth peace and good-will towards Luke 2. 14. Men while living he published it and when dying purchased it for us In the first Adam we lost Peace in the second Adam by whom the Enmity is abolished we may find it but not unless by Faith in him we apply to us what he by his Death hath purchas'd for us for tho' merited for us without any Qualification in us it will not be conferr'd upon us without an Application by us the Blessing of Peace is the Blessing of Faith in Christ who as a Prophet published it as a Priest purchased it and as a King applies it to none but them and to all them that believe in him He died to merit it and ever lives to maintain it by him they have a right to it and by Faith in him the possession of it 3. Our Duties are accepted In the first Covenant the Person was accepted for the Work 's sake In the Second the Work is for the Person 's Ephes 1. 6. sake viz. accepted in Christ Until our Persons are accepted we are Enemies Objects of Wrath and appear before God as an incensed Judg upon the Seat of Justice we stand at a Exod. 24. 1. distance and worship as the Elders of Israel afar off with Fear but when they are accepted we come to him as a reconciled Father upon a Ephes 3. 12. Heb. 10. 22. Throne of Grace and may come in the full Assurance of Faith with boldness by Faith our Persons are accepted and by the same Faith our Works are Faith justifies our Persons Works justify our Faith and Faith sanctifies our Works they shew our Faith to 1 Pet. â— 2. Splendida peccata omnis virtus absque Christo vitium be good and Faith makes them so for they are all but splendid Sins without it viz. without Faith looking to the Command as the ground of them to the Promise as the encouragement to them to God's Glory as the end of them to the Spirit for assistance in them and to Christ for the acceptance of them the Law as a Rule directs the Promise quickens the End excites the Spirit assists and Christ presents but not unless they are by Faith offer'd up in his Name in whose strength all our Duties are to be perform'd and for whose sake alone they are accepted 1 Pet. 2. 5. There is no pleasing God meritoriously without Christ nor instrumentally without Faith in him without whom the best Duty and worst Sin are both alike 4. We have an Interest in the Promises The Promises run for this Life and that to come an Entail that can never be cut off and are all as so many Bonds and Bills under God's Hand either Explicitly or Implicitly made over to Faith None are ours until we believe nor any that are not when we do for if Christ is ours all are ours â— Coâ— 3. 23. The Rabbins suppose that Abraham's â—en 24. 10 Servant when sent to get a Wife for his Son Isaac carried with him Tesseram hospitalem wherein was written
we read not that ever that time Acts 24. 25. came and linger with Lot as unwilling to come out of Sodom So that unless God be merciful to them as he was to him and by his Omnipotent Power rescue them from their state of Sin and Misery they are like to perish in it To pray against sudden Death and Bp Vsher not to prepare for it is to add contempt to presumption 4. A Power to repent at pleasure Presumptuous Sinners look on Repentance as a thing within their reach and that which they can come at when they please but it is not for it is God's Gift that which he must give to Acts 5. 31. us before we can offer it up to him and that we may we must receive it when offer'd for it is not in the Power of any to receive that when they will that they must only and freely receive from another Free Gifts must be taken when the Donor and not when the Receiver will 5. Examples of those that found Mercy upon late Repentance Despairing Sinners as is usually said will not take a thousand for one for if but one of a thousand miscarry they presently conclude they shall be the next but presumptuous Sinners encourage themselves by one of a thousand for if but one of a thousand repent at last they conclude they shall do so too but it is prodigious folly for any to think so and the next way to their ruin to presume upon it In that Such Instances only shew what God can do not what he will How great the folly of such Presumptions how absurd and irrational such Conclusions from these Premises are will appear by considering That present Repentance 1. Is the best for Ease 2. Is the best for Acceptance 3. Is the best for Safety 4. That singular Examples constitute no general Rule Life is the only Time for Repentance and the present Time the best Life is the only Time The Day of Grace may continue as long as the day of Life and may end before it but it ever ends with it when the Sun of our Life sets that Eccles 9. 10. Isa 38. 18. more glorious Sun sets as to us too Repentance is not a Doctrine taught in another World nor a Work to be done by us in the Grave for it is the Work of the whole Man and cannot be done when the Soul and Body are parted the Manicles of Death are to keep the Prisoners of Death in the strong Hold and Prison of the Grave until the Day of Judgment the great Assize come when a Sentence either of Absolution or Condemnation shall pass upon all then shall the Kingdom be given up to the Father the Work of Mediation shall cease and all impenitent Sinners shall be put into an unalterable state of Misery and set at an irrecoverable distance from God all means both outward and inward either of doing or receiving Good shall be taken from them they shall neither have the grace nor space of Repentance nor any Spirit but the Evil One to torment them nor any Conscience but a guilty one to accuse them There is no Repentance in Hell but ad Poenas Life is the only Time for Repentance and the present Time in Life is the best 1. For Ease 2. For Acceptance 3. For Safety 1. The best for Ease Presumptuous Sinners think they can repent with as much ease as he who with one dash of his Pensil turn'd a Smile into a Frown but their Experience upon Trial will confute their Belief and shew them to be as much mistaken as Sampson was when he Judges 16. 20. went out to shake himself as at other times when the Philistines were upon him and God was departed from him if so easy why did not Cain and Judas repent And why do so many complain when dying that they cannot and wish that they could The sooner a ruinous Building is repair'd the less difficult and chargeable will its Repairs be The sooner a Disease or Wound is undertaken the sooner it will be cured the sooner those Wounds and Breaches made upon us and in us by Sin are under Cure with far more ease will they be heal'd than when Sin as a Disease is grown upon us with our Years Jer. 4. 3. 13. 23. the sooner the fallow-Ground of our Heart is plou'd up the less pains will be required to it less than when our Hearts by custom in Sin are become hard like the high-way by constant treading upon it floods of Tears may not soften it then which at first a few might have done and this partly in reference to Conscience and partly in reference to Sin Partly in reference to Conscience which by delay grows more blind hard Ephes 4. 18. and deaf More blind and so cannot see Sin The older we grow the dimmer our Sight More hard and so cannot feel Sin Omne peccatum vilescit consuetudine fit quasi nullum Custom in Sin takes away the sense of it More deaf And so less able to hear the Call to Repentance by reason of the clamorous and continued Voice of Sin Partly in reference to Sin which hereby becomes more sweet multiplied and firm More sweet And the sweeter Sin is the more bitter the Repentance will be For every Sin is as a drop of Poison into this Cup which will make it the more bitter to us More multiplied For Every Act of Sin adds a Figure to the Sum. More firm For Every Act of Sin confirms and strengthens the habit of it and cannot without great difficulty be removed Late Repentance is always difficult and so is early Repentance but less difficult of the two for the longer it is deferr'd there will be more Sins to repent of and less time to repent in 2. The best for Acceptance The Lawyer says When no particular Time is exprest the present Time is meant The Grammarian says The Imperative Mood has no Future Tense and all God's Commands are in praesenti and so must our Obedience in this and in all things be nothing must come betwixt the Command and Obedience It is now viz. not only the present now of Life but of Youth Strength Acts 17. 30. Health and of the Spirit 's striving with us that we are commanded to repent and therefore must with David make Psal 119. 60. haste and not delay it is now that we are commanded to mortify our Lusts therefore must not beg a Reprieve for them that they may live a little longer in us but with Abraham when commanded to sacrifice Isaac arise early Gen. 22. 2. and slay them It is to day that we are call'd to hear God's Voice and live therefore must not lie down to Psal 95. 7 8. Heb. 3 7 13. 1 Sam. 34 10. sleep nor wait for a second third or fourth call nor stay till are answer'd but arise and cast away all that may hinder us as blind Bartimeus Mark
difficult And therefore better lost than found That they are good in their kind but not the best things that it will be our happiness to live above them and our greatest delight not to delight in them Martha's Work was good but Mary's was better That it is sometimes necessary to want them and therefore never necessary inordinately to love them For In things of which there is no absolute necessity there is no great reality That inordinate Love to them is inconsistent 1 John 2. 15. with Love to God his to us and ours to him for they are to be lov'd only in him and for him Him we cannot love too much nor these too little That they will be but of little use and that to our Bodies only while we live and avail us nothing when we come to die it will then not signify any thing whether we fall under a great or small title die rich or poor as to this World so we die rich in Faith All these died in the Faith Heb. 11. 13. That the continuance of them is but Quae diuturna esse non possunt habent diuturnum tormentum short but the abuse of them will eternally torment Therefore it is better to be without them than to be made miserable by them That Riches may be found in Poverty Affatim dives qui cum Christo pauper and Fulness in Wants enough without them and more than they have in a Crucified Saviour who is virtually all A poor Believer is as great a contradiction as a dark Sun Thus Faith brings down the Market of worldly Things and lessens them in our esteem for as things appear to be so they are esteemed it draws a Cloud over this earthly Tabernacle and eclipses the Glory of it or rather shews that it has none condemns the folly of all that think not so and shews how much it concerns them that by Faith Gal. 2. 20. are crucified to the World neither insatiably to lust after the things of it nor inordinately to love them nor through discontent to complain for the want of them It is as much our Duty by Faith to moderate our Affections to what we have as it is to depend upon God for a supply of what we want 2. The Evil Things of it The Anchor is of most use in a Storm the Shield in a day of Battel and Faith in a time of Suffering Peter sunk in his Faith before he sunk in the Waters but Jonah when under the Waters in the Belly of Hell was Jonah 2. 3 4. supported by it and the Primitive Christians were at ease when tortur'd at liberty when captiv'd Conquerors whilst subdu'd and out of weakness were made strong through Faith bearing Heb. 11. 34. God's Trials with God's Strength and so may all when suffering for by this we know That no afflictive Evil comes by chance God as the Efficient orders and disposes them That Suffering is part of a Christian's Work as well as Doing They must not run to it before they are call'd nor from it when they are That all our Sufferings are nothing to Christ's the Cross not so heavy nor the Cup so bitter for We taste Love where he did Wrath. That our Sufferings when right for Cause Manner and End are Christ's as well as ours viz. for his sake and such as he is sensible of As God he knows them and as Man is sensible of them and quantum sufficit suffers in them That in all our Sufferings Christ is with us when Troubles are nigh he is nigh not only as a Sufferer but as a Comforter Israel had a greater Light by Night Exod. 13. 21 than by Day That the heaviest Sufferings are but light and the longest but short they may lie heavy but shall not lie long the Rod may fall on us but shall not Psal 125. 3. rest there The Viper shall be shaken off That all our Sufferings are attended with a good Issue The Cup is perfum'd by Christ's Lips who drank it off and the Cross sanctified by him who died upon it and shall sooner or later work for Rom. 8. 28. good All that suffered for him had ever a good issue in the end That Suffering comes within the Reward as well as Doing Christ's Crown of Thorns was an Earnest of his Crown of Glory and his suffering Mountain was his ascending Mountain to it and they that suffer with him are assured by the Promise to which Faith has an eye that they shall Rom. 8. 17. reign with him also The Cross shall be crown'd Christ overcame the World it was John 16. 33. 1 John 5. 45. conquer'd by him and by us in him for by Faith in him we have a perfect Victory over it in the Good and Evil Things the Smiles and Frowns Honours and Reproaches Gains and Losses Joys and Sorrows of it for by this we are carried above the Hopes and fortified against the Fears of any thing from it They that neither hope for any thing Nec spe nec metu from the World nor fear any thing have overcome the World 4. Over Death the last but not the least Enemy When Adam sinn'd Death took hold of him and of us in him he could never get free from that Enemy tho' it was long before he fell by his Hands Nor can we for we are all under the Sentence of Death appointed Heb. 9. 17. to die and must e're long fall by it for it is a Sentence not to be reverst Death will triumph over our Vita moriens conflixit cum vivente morte non quem mors fecit sed quo mors facta est peccato morimur non morte peccamus Aug. Bodies but by Faith in Christ we may triumph over Death have help at a dead lift from him who fought this King of Terrors and by his Death took away the Sting of it by his Resurrection the Strength of it and by his Ascension the Hope of it ever to conquer Gratias tibi agimus Christe salvator quod tam potentem adversarium dum occidiris occidisti Hierom. or prevail more he has weaken'd its fatal Power rescued us from its Dominion and made us Heirs of Life which by Faith we have a Title to and by Death a Way made into the possession of By Christ Death's Sting the Weapon 1 Cor. 15. 56. by which it kills is pull'd out and the bitterness of Death is past Thus Faith in a crucified Saviour is the spoil of all our Enemies whose Arrows have been sharp in their Hearts Psal 45. 5. and affords a strength against them beyond what all the Angels in Heaven or Men upon Earth can do When the Israelites saw their Enemies the Egyptians dead on the Sea-shore they sang a Song of Praise unto Exod. 14. 30. 15. 1 6. God whose right Hand became glorious in Power and dash'd in pieces their Enemies and by Faith in Christ all
that are terrified by the Law assaulted by the Devil haunted by Sin tempted by the World and through fear of Death subject to Bondage beholding the Conquest over these Enemies may triumph and bid defiance to them all The Curse of the Law is abolish'd by Heb. 2. 15. Rom. 8. 3. 6. 6. the Satisfaction made by Christ to Divine Justice Sin is condemn'd in the Flesh by him the Sacrifice for it and Crucified with him the Devil the Prince of this World is judg'd and cast out by him the World is conquer'd John 12. 31. 16. 11 33. and Death vanquish'd in his Victory over them Let us then triumph in our Victory and give thanks unto God who through Christ has given us Victory The Devil is a captiv'd damned Enemy his Captives are ransom'd redeem'd rescued out of his hands and he himself become Captive rage he may for that is part of his torment but rule he shall not for greater is he that is in 1 John 4. 4. Rom. 12. 10. us than he that is in the World he may accuse and he will but his Charge shall be made void and all his Accusations answered by Christ who ever lives to plead either our Innocency or our Pardon The Law that was Sin 's strength 1 Cor. 15. 56. not as encouraging to Sin but as condemning for it is now become weak for its killing damning Power Rom. 8. 1 3. Gal. 3. 13. is taken away by the Virtue of the Cross Sin that was once a living reigning conquering Enemy is now subdu'd as a routed Enemy it may rally again but shall never conquer Sin shall not have dominion for it is a Body of Death it has receiv'd its death's Wound Rom 6. 14. 7. 24 25. by the Power of the Cross and shall e're long give up the Ghost Death is unstung it is swallowed up in Victory the Power of the Grave is weakned Death that Destroyer is destroy'd we must fall by its hand but shall rise again it will end our 1 Cor. 15. 53 55 56 57. Mortality but not our Life for this Mortal shall put on Immortality We must be Prisoners in the Grave for a time but we shall not be perpetual Prisoners Christ who broke the Bars of that Prison will redeem us from the Power of Grave the time of Psal 49. 15. Isa 16. 19. Ezek. 37. 5 12. Redemption for our Bodies will come our dead Bodies shall rise our dry Bones shall live again the Graves shall be opened the Captives redeem'd and then Destructions shall come to a perpetual End for we shall live and never die more Awake and sing all ye that dwell in the Dust The Devil is captiv'd the Law is silenc'd Sin is condemn'd the World is conquer'd and Death destroy'd Who can hurt us What need we fear they are all conquer'd Enemies and the Conqueror is ours thanks be to God who has given us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and always causeth us to triumph in him through Rom. 8. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over-over-comers whom we are over all these more than Conquerors The Warfare of Faith ends in Victory and the Victory must be crown'd with Triumph Of the Inseparable Evidences of FAITH All have not Faith some have not 2 Thess 3. 2. the Faith of Assent and therefore cannot have the Faith of Adherence some think they have a Faith of Evidence and Assurance who have not attained to a Faith of Adherence and Dependance and some have Faith in the Habit but little or none in the Act or Exercise How is it that ye have no Mark 4. 40. Faith and by reason of it walk as uncomfortably as if they had none it concerns us therefore to examine whether we are in the Faith and the Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. in us and what that Faith is whether a General or a Particular and an Appropriating Faith a Temporary and Perishing or a Sound and Lasting one Col. 2. 12. a Faith of the Operation of God or of the Devil Holy or Unholy Feigned or Unfeigned Dead or Alive Common and Ordinary or Special and Saving the Faith of Reprobates or of God's Elect that Faith which they Jude â—0 2 Tim. 1. 5. Jam. 2. 26. Titus 1. 1â— and none but they have and which all of them have and never can lose The Acts of Faith for a time may cease but the Habit abides Faith 1. Arises from a sense of misery out of Christ 2. Begets a Superlative Love to Christ 3. Is fruitful in good Works 4. Is accompanied with Holiness 1. It arises from a sense of Misery out of Christ Spiritual Poverty is the nearest capacity of believing for Faith is the Act of a weary heavy-laden distressed undone self-condemned Sinner going out to Christ for Rest Life and Salvation Humiliation is not Faith no more than the preorgination of the Body is the Soul but a disposition to it going to Christ without it is building without a Foundation resting in it without going to Christ is laying a Foundation without building upon it a House without a Foundation will be of little use a Foundation without the superstructure will be of no use Without Humiliation Faith is as a House without a Foundation and without Christ it will as a rotten Foundation break under us there is nothing to warrant or encourage our going to Christ before we are humbled for we go before we are call'd nor any thing to assure Salvation to us if we do not go when we are that without him cannot help us he without that will not for we must be lost sick and damn'd in our own sense and apprehension before he will seek heal or save us A Faith of Education is a Weed of Infidelis fiducia Presumption that grows in common Ground Saving Faith is a Plant of Renown growing upon the brink of the Infernal Pit that like self-grown Corn will wither and come Ps 92 13 14. Mat. 15. 13. Jam. 3. 18. to nothing this will flourish that begins in Presumption and ends in Despair this begins in Despair viz. of our selves and will end in Comfort 2. It begets Superlative Love to Christ Christ as consider'd in the Glory and Comeliness of his Person the Graces and Perfections of his Nature and the great Offices he was anointed to viz. of a King above all Kings in Order Power and Authority of a Priest above all Priests in Nature Compassion Sacrifice Merit of a Prophet above all Prophets in Primacy Infallibility and Efficacy is beyond all compare there is nothing in him but what is lovely nor any thing lovely but is eminently in him he is fairer than the Children of Men yea than all the Angels and Saints in the highest Heavens more full of Beauty than the Sun or Morning-Star the Brightness Heb. 1. 3. of his Father's Glory his first and best-beloved the Joy and Delight of the Saints in Heaven
10. 49. 50 did his Garment and go unto him that calls us Not to do it 1. Is Ingratitude to God 2. Inconsistent with a true purpose of Heart ever to repent 1. It is Ingratitude to God viz. Father Son and Holy Ghost 1. To God the Father In giving our first Fruits to Sin that he by right should have and above all deserves for he lov'd us with a primary and ancient Love a Love before we were 2. To God the Son Who delay'd not the Work of our Salvation but was early at it and in his full strength and the prime of his Years laid down his Life to secure it 3. To God the Holy Ghost Who has not only striven with us by importunity but waited upon us with Patience that we might repent Rev. 3. 20. 2. It is inconsistent with a true purpose of Heart ever to repent Repentance is a Debt that we all as Sinners owe to God a Debt that must be paid God is indeed a kind Creditor and waits with patience but his Forbearance is no Discharge nor are we the less indebted by not paying it but appear by so much the more unwilling to it It is a sign of a desperate Debtor not to reckon with his Creditor and of his unwillingness to pay the Debt in that he delays it and no less of a cursed Resolution in all never to repent a sign that they either intend it not or have little or no mind to it in that they defer it They that will not repent this day would never repent if they might have their choice or they that wilfully remain impenitent this day would if they might with safety be everlastingly so for the same reason for delay this day would be so the next and the same for ever 3. The best for Safety The Physician 's Rule to avoid the Plague is to flee soon enough far enough Fuge cit longè tradè and to return slowly and to prevent Death by Sin of all Diseases the most dangerous the best Remedy is to flee soon enough and it can never be too soon far enough and it can never be too far nor is it far enough unless the flight be to God nor right to him unless with a resolution never to return back to it more and the sooner the better In many things haste makes waste the more haste the worse speed but if here we make haste we can never speed amiss Sickness or old Age are the Times that presumptuous Sinners set apart for Repentance their youthful strength they make a Bulwark against Repentance Sorrow for Sin they think a fit Companion for old Age only their Sighs and Groans they reserve for a sick and dying hour and never think it seasonable to die to Sin but when they can live no longer in it prodigious Fools that flee to these as a Sanctuary to shelter them from the Wrath of God when they cannot be sure 1. That they shall be sick before they die 2. That they shall live to be old 3. That when either sick or old they shall have a Heart to repent 4. That what they then think is Repentance will be accepted of God 1. That they shall be sick before they die Death does not give warning to all by sickness for some die suddenly Now that which befalls one may happen to many and that which has Luke 13. 1 2 3 4 5. been the Case of many may betide any one Since then that is uncertain Repentance can never be unseasonable but the sooner the better 2. That they shall live to be old Death is not slow-pac'd to all but swift in its motion to some it does not always stay till gray Hairs the sign of old Age are upon them All hasten alike to Death but some have a less way to go than others 3. That when either Sick or Old they shall have a Heart to repent When Sick None can be sure that they shall have time when Sick to repent they may have but just so much time left as to tell their Companions in Sin that they are going to Hell if they have time they cannot be sure of ease whereby they may be fit to attend it Reason Sense and Speech may fail or pains the Companions of Sickness may so seize on them that neither their Bodies nor Souls may be much at ease nor they with the Israelites be able to hearken to any thing for Exod. 6. 9. anguish of Spirit if not yet they may not have a Heart then to repent The Duty of Repentance is ours but 2 Tim. 2. 25. the Grace is God's When old There are no Examples in Scripture of any as some observe converted in their old Age Manasses and the Thief on the Cross were not as is suppos'd old or if they were the Repentance of one was more than ordinary and of the other no less than miraculous and from a Miracle nothing can be concluded no Person should neglect it then lest he prove felo de se and bring destruction upon himself nor put it off till then lest it come too late to prevent it It is never too late when true but seldom true when late 4. That what they then think Repentance will be accepted of God The sad Effects of sick-bed Repentance in many whose Repentance prov'd as sick and unsound as their Bodies were then shews reason to suspect that Repentance that is extorted from any by Pain when sick or by Fears when dying were sickness and the thoughts of Death a little farther off and not so close and pressing upon them perhaps they would neither bewail their Sins nor leave them therefore God may and justly if he should reject their Repentance and forget them in sickness who forgat him in their health and make them Warnings to others who disregarded Gal. 6. 7 8. so many from him Delays of Repentance to a time of sickness are usually punish'd with a not caring to seek or not so as to find It is usually but an untoward Repentance that is exerted in Age decrepit weak and impotent as feeble as old Age like the dim flashes of a Taper when sunk in the socket and may justly be rejected by God and the Penitent as one when repenting in old Age by a Voice was bid to spend his Bran where he had spent his Flower his Evening where he had spent his Morning We shall have as Solomon says but Eccles 12. 1. little pleasure in the days of old Age and God may take as little pleasure in the repentance of them 5. That singular Examples constitute no general Rule Some draw an Argument for Presumption from those in the Parable that came in at the eleventh hour and receiv'd a Reward equal with Mat. 20. 1 6 7 9. them that came early in the morning but without any Reason for though it be granted that Parables do more than illustrate or shew the Soveraign freedom of Grace to some only