be so now And I am sure that will â—â— the favour of God 2. Lay aside all that will hinder and subordinate every other affair to this When vain and unprofitable things press hard to be minded resolutely tell them you have a more important business on your hands and time little enough to attend that and if the neeful affairs of this life would impoâ—â— upon you see that you entertain them not to the hindrance of this great concern but to make them to serve under it to this end beware of any weight that should impede your race Heb. 12. 1. 2. Reckon all time lost which doth not advance your communion with God 3. Apply your selves to the use of all means by which you may find God Give diligence in attendance on the Gospel Ordinances whiles you have the liberty of them read hear pray meditate when any such opportunity offers think it may be I shall have no more such in this world time may be done with me before another comes and let this thought make deep impression on your hearts and rouse you up not only diligently to attend these means but make it your business to seek that you may find God in them all USE III. To excite and encourage us to endeavour to bring others to seek God Are there noâ— those to whom we are bound in duty to endeavour their Salvation and for whom we are sollicâ—tous that they may be saved Let us then from the consideration of the truth in hand 1. Be excited to do it presently Do not delay it call upon them now use means with them now let us not adjourn the duty but use all earnestness and importunity in pursuance of it Consider then 1. It is now the time for it This is a finding time are they young it is the best season for them to seek and find God in Prov. 8. 17. Hence that advice Eccl. 12. 1. You have now all advantages before you to pursue this business to effect they enjoy the Gospel means it is also the best opportunity to press them to this whiles there are these helps to promote it you will never have a more convenient season 2. This finding time may be gone before we are aware It is very uncertain whether if now we delay it it will not slip by irrecoverably for 1. Our time may be past Let us do as much good this way as we can while we live for when once we are dead we shall be past doing Eccles 9. 10. We resolve to speak to this person and deal seriously with that other but to morrow or the next week but our mouths are stopt are then and so our good thoughts perish Isaac desired to bless his Son before he died Gen. 27. begin 2. Their time may be over If we should live they may dy and then they are past hearing of us they are liable to many casualties which we can neither foresee nor prevent A sudden death may surprize them which will not give us leave to drop one counsel upon them or make one prayer over them 3. If the time thus slip through our neglect it will â—â— bitter to us Whatever the event of our endeayour be yet if we have been faithful to our trustâ— in this way it will afford us inward peace but if we have grosly neglected it it will procure a sad remorce and leave a sting on our Consciences When we come to ly on a death bed it will disquiet our tranquility or if they be taken from us it will be the most afflicting consideration to think we have neglected to do our part toward theiâ— spiritual and eternal welfare and now it is tâ—â— late and because we did it not when we might ought we shall no more have any advantage for itâ— 2. Be encouraged to pursue this work Though you have been faithful according to your opportunity and see little good come of it you have been earnest and serious with them and told them of their miserable state by nature necessity of seeking and finding God the folly of their coâ—ses the hazards they are exposed to and with bleeding hearts entreated them but your comâ—sels are neglected your warnings slighted your entreaties disregarded Do not for this abandâ—â— all hope but take heart renew your sollicitationâ— Consider 1. They are still within the compass of time â— that were done you must have done too they aâ— among the living and what saith he Isa 38. 1â— Though they are gone far they may return theâ— is a who knows left and that is an encouragâ—ment in a desperate case 2. They are within the reach of the means they were beyond the opportunity of Gospâ— Ordinances of our counsels and prayers our bâ— siness with them would be over but while they enjoy these priviledges they may be taken by them God may still send a word which may stop them in their wicked and vain courses and rouse them up to seek after him though they have despised offered mercy God can be too hard for them and melt them 3. There are the examples of such as have sought God at last and found him In their month they were taken Yea What doth God himself say of such Isa 57. 17 18. He knows how to glorifie his grace and get him honour on such and he will have them to be monuments of his mercy in whom he will be admired for ever Despair not there are some whom we must save with fear Jude 25. USE IV. Let this be to prevent despair in such who fear they have outlived their time God righteously suffers some to be hurried by this Temptaâ—â—on and Satan takes advantage by it they are under awakening terrours they have had a long â—ay of Grace many calls serious counsels loud â—cries potent strivings of the Spirit but they have withstood and refused to seek God and now â—here is no more hope for them their day is â—one finding time is over with them To such â—et me offer these considerations after I hav epreâ—nised that it is a dangerous thing for any to run â—he adventure of such a presumption It is a wonder of grace that ever God should make an â—offer of grace to such as have despised ten thouâ—and counsels and warnings and are now grown old in sin and such had need be very speedy and deeply humbled for all the affronts given toâ— God Yet let me say to such 1. You are yet in the place where there is room for repentance and forgiveness You are not in the pit from which there is no Redemption if you were there you were gone for ever but you are alive still and within the compass of a treaty you are there where proclamation is made that it you seek God with all your heart you shall find him God hath no where said that he will not give you the grace to seek him or that you shall not find him if you so do Secret things belong to God but the offer
of this Grace is to be made to you and though it be admirable yet God hath bidden such a proclamation to be published Jer. 3. 1. And I am sure that he can break your hard hearts and give you repentance and if he do there is no doubt of the good success of it 2. You are yet striven with and called upon God indeed speaks of a cessation of his Spirit striving with obstinate Sinners Gen. 6. 3. And there are the awful instances of it but the case is otherwise with you If the means of grace are influenced so as to rouse and awaken you out of your security and make you feel your mifery and be asraid by reason of it if he presents your sins to you iâ— their aggravations and makes them evil and bitteâ— to vou this is a woâ—k of his Spirit and saith thaâ— he stâ—ives still and whiles he strives there is hopâ— that he may be found 3. Hence these fears and terrours are not to driâ— â—ou to despair but to awaken you from your neglect And indeed you stand in need of them You deâ—pised many a gentle warning and were grown dreadfully secure fearfully asleep it was thereâ—ore meet that you should be starâ—led by some terâ—ible impressions made on you that he should give you deep and gaping wounds in your Conâ—dences to make you sensible the providence then is merciful though terrible but you ought to count it a mercy and then the lesson properly to be learned from it is to put you upon speed and utmost diligence in seeking of God without delay We have such a prayer of the Psalmist Psal 83. 15 16. God makes sin a burden too heavy tâ— hear that men may feel the necessity of seeking him And therefore Christ specially invites such to come unto him Mat. 11. 28. Be then encouraged whatever you have been and done there is hope in Israel concerning this thing only delay not Conclu 3. That there are special special seasons wherein God is to be found by those that seek him A finding time not only intends that it must be done in time but that there is a division of time into that wherein God is to be found and that wherein he is not to be found Here in general observe 1. That God hath more largely made this life a finding time so that none in particular ought to conclude his time to be past if he be alive This is the difference between the dead and the living IsaÌ„ 38. 18 19. The treaty of grace ordinarily continuâ— with men under the Gospel till they dy and aâ— long as it so doth their state is not to us desperate for any to say of himself my time is over my day is done I am gotten past hope of Salvation is a rash conclusion without any Scripture warrant It is a great sin because it stops men from using the means yea it is to make God â—liar for he saith in his word to such if you will return to me I will return to you whereas this saith let me seek and pray and confess and mourn all will be to no purpose he is resolved never to save me 2. God hath declared concerning some that their fâ—â—ing time shall be over in this life He may wait and strive longer or shorter as he pleaseth and though we have no ordinary Rule certainly to determine it to persons that they are so left yet there are some and that should make all fearful of trifling with and putting of him off we have such threatnings Prov. 1. 28. Joh. 8. 21. Hence that warning Heb. 3. 7. Gods invitations are all for the present their date is To Day and whether he will repeat them another day is with him Esau represented too late Heb. 12. 17. And how awful a word was spoken to those Jews who rejected the Salvation offered them Act. 13. 46. Now there are some awful symptoms of this 3. That there are some seasons wherein there is greater advantage to seek find God than in other The word Time in our Text signifyeth an Opportunity it intimates a fit season A work may be done while there is time but it is best and more readily done at some times We are told that sometimes God is near and that it is best then to Call upon him Isa 55. 6. intimating that he may be far off and then it will be more difficult There are times when he is within call and will answer at first and times when we may call again again before we have an answer from him Here â—o Quest What are those seasons wherein we are peculiarly advantaged for the seeking and finding of God A. There are four seasons more especially for this 1. The time of Youth is a special season for this Young persons put off and think hereafter is soon enough but it is their great folly there is no such â—eason for seeking and making out after Christ as 〈◊〉 For 1. God earnestly calls upon such to seek him He doth as it were single out such and the offer is particularly made to them the Spirit of God speaks emphatically to such Psal 34. 11. Come ye Children 〈◊〉 Wisdom calls them as it were by name Prov. 4. 1. 5. 7. 8. 32. Eccl. 12. 1. which tells us how â—â—in God would have young ones to begin early and how loth he is that they should spend their first time in vanity 2. God hath testifyed how well pleased he is when such seek him The entertainment he gives them is a testimony how acceptable it is to him What respect did he shew to young Abel Gen. 4. 4. How wonderfully did he reveal himself to young Samuel who was devoted to him from his Infancy 1 Sam. 3. 1. with verse 19 21. What an eminent instrument of reformation did he make of Josiah who began young 2 Chron. 34. 3. And what a testimony did he give to a good Child of a wicked father when dying 1 King 14 12 13. 3. Young ones have not so resisted him as others have done Children have Original Sin in them as soon as they live and begin to discover it as soon as they are capable but God hath taken the Children of his Servants into Covenant with him and they have not so notoriously rejected his Covenant as those have done who withstoold him in youth and addicted themselves to follow folly and vanity 4. Their hearts are usually more tender and easy to be wrought upon Not but that natural hardness born with us requires Gods Almighty power to take it away in the tenderest Child that is But there is a contracted obstinacy which grows on persons by custom which Children do not presently arrive at but are more tractible readier to receive the impressions of Counsels given them And this is the reason why we are bidden to begin early with them in Prov. 22. 6. 5. They have many advantages now which they will not have afterwards With such arguments the Spirit of God
pleads with young ones to husband their youth well Eccl 12. begin There will be many encumbrances of life afterward which now burthen them not and when old age siezeth them it will greatly unfit them for it who did not engage in it before 2. Whiles the Gospel is dispensed to them powerfully and faithfully This is another special season Here observe 1. That the Gospel Ministry and Ordinances are the ordinary instruments by which God Converteth Sinners He hath seen meet to make this the appointed way of promoving the Salvation of men 1 Cor. 1. 21. Rom. 10. 17. Where he sendeth not these it is an awsul sign that he hath none of this work to do there 2. That they are the Gospel truths by the dispensation whereof he useth them as instruments They are moral instruments and therefore their business is to treat with men and the matter of the treaty is these great truths that declare the Counsel of God and the way wherein Sinners may come to enjoy him in and through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2. 2. 3. Hence the faithful dispensation of these truths is that which gives men all the advantage to seek and find God Their work is an Embassy 2 Cor. 5. 20. And the business is Reconciliation which is to be advanced by opening the terms and urging of them suitably If then they are faithful and do seriously and solemnly pursue this design there is all that can be expected of instruments by way of information and excitation Legal Preaching sufficeth not for this but Preaching Christ and the way of Peace by him and the more there is of this the more is the advantage of such a people 4. Hence when these fail this advantage is greatly impeded If then the Gospel is no longer Preached among a people it is a Judgment and a sign of his departure If instead of such dispensations there be such who Preach false Doctrines who blow up men with opinion of their own abilities who corrupt the pure stream of Gospel Truth or Proach unprofitable things needs must these impede this affair 3. Whiles the Spirit is pleased to accompany the means with his powerful influences This is a special finding time And here observe 1. That our sincere seeking of God depends on the Spirits operation He first seeks us if ever we seek him We must have a principle of Grace for it else we cannot do it and that must derive from him who is the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. All our own moral powers can never exert this 2. There are times when he is more plenteously poured out upon men Not only is there a more powerful Ministry at one time than another but also more of the efficacy of Grace on the hearts of men when Sinners come flocking in apace at the call of the Gospel and the reason why it is so at any time is because the Spirit sets in powerfully with the means They may be the same and the labour in dispensing them as great Isa 33. 15. 3. There are times when he applieth himself to this and that person in particular as he did to Lydia Act 16. 14. And this is not always but at certain seaâ—sons which are arbitrary and he acts his liberty therein This he doth sometimes to one sometimes to another and when it is so it is an happy opportunity he is now very near and ready to be found when he stands at the door and knocks it is but opening to him 4. There are times of his withdrawing in both respects He sometimes lets a faithful Ministry be an unprofitable one to such as sit under it his Servants toil all night and catch nothing they complain as he Isa 49. 4. I have laboured in vain c. And then it becomes an hardning Ministry as Isa 6. 9 10. a savour of death 2 Cor. 2. 16. It will be hard finding of God at such a time as this 5. And there are times when after a great while he cometh again The Spirit withdraws and mens hearts grow hard but afterwards sometimes he comes again before he utterly giveth them up they have awakenings and remorces and now he is also near 4. When God brings his Judgments on a people And here 1. These Judgments whether publick or personal are Testimonies of Gods displeasure at men for neglecting to seek him He herein witnesseth his righteous anger at them and the reason is because they have not sought him but something else instead of him Jer. 2. 17. Isa 57. 17. If they had not forgotten him he had not fallen upon them 2. The proper design of these Judgments is to awaken them to seek him A professing people may so far provoke him as to fall upon them in his fury and make his Judgments a Sword to cut them off but it is not so at first they are part of his Discipline hence called his Corrections and God speaking after the manner of men tellâ— them what he expected Zeph. 3. 17. I said thouâ— wilt receive instruction c. 3. He is wont to stir up some at least of his Servanâ—â— to take this occasion to be earnest with men He affecteth them and makes them to cry aloud they see his anger and are afraid and upon it blow the Trumpet Thus in the times of the Apostasy of Israel and Judah God sent such Prophets to them who dealt faithfully with them 4. And he usually toucheth mens hearts at sucâ— times Indeed it is a natural operation of Judgments to put men upon thoughtfulness but thâ— Spirit is wont to set in and put such a people atâ—least many of them upon enquiring after hiâ— mind and to affect them with Convictions of sinâ— and fear of his Wrath. And this is a great advantage now to seek him 5. If all this be neglected he is hereby grievouslyâ— incensed It is an high provocation and he now thinks of withdrawing Hos 5. 15. Nay someâ— times it arrives at that that because all means aâ—ineffectual and they grow worse by them he deâ—clares resolutely to come at them in this way nâ— more but abandon them to destruction Ezek. 2â— 13. And then what a wo case are they in USE 1. For caution Let none from the prâ—mises conclude that his time is past I know somâ— troubled hearts are apt to be shaken by such awâ—ful truths and the adversary is ready to set iâ— and perswade them that their day is done anâ— so sink them into despondency To prevent this â—â— me offer these things 1. That none hath Scripture warrant so to conclude Gods purposes concerning individual persons on this account are reserved with himself nor hath he given us any Rules in Scripture to determine it concerning our selves or others there being but one Sin there branded for unpardonable all others may be forgiven Mat. 12. 31. Now we are to â—â—tch our hope and regulate our selves in our duties by the revealed will of God 2. The arguments that such are wont to
the seas of increated inexhaustible goodness are met in him 2. Hence to enjoy him is perfect happiness He that hath God for his portion can want for nothing Psal 23. 1. There can be no perfect felicity in the fruition of other things for they have neither fulness nor sutableness in them to answer all the cravings of the soul but goodness it self cannot be defective in any point he that hath God hath all for God is all in all Psal 84. 11. He that can say God is mine can say all that is to be said to declare him happy 3 He is the Upright mans God He hath made himself over to every one that is Godly Psal 4. 3. He hath given to the believer a property in himself Isa 41 10. I am thy God and he is theirs for ever Psal 48 ult And they may say as Psal 67. 6. God even our own God shall bless us How full then must their joy be and there are these things in particular that they may glad themselves in 1. He hath loved them from eternity Jer 31. 3. For Effectual Calling is a certain fruit of that love God thought of and sat his heart upon them before the world was and what joy is there in this his love is better than life Psal 63. 3. If we are sure of this we are certain to share in all the happy fruits of it which are beyond computation if he loved us before time his love to us will outlast time And shall we not triumph in Everlasting Love 2. He hath converted them This is the first breaking forth of his love to them and if there be joy in heaven at the conversion of a Sinner Luk 15. 7 10. Shall not he himself rejoyce This is a joyful change indeed then was a Child born to God then was a Sinner made a Sainâ— a dead soul raised to life c. And can such an one but be glad 3. He hath pardoned them This accompanies Effectual Calling Rom. 8. 30. And this hath made them of miserable happy Context vers 1 2. The condemned Caitiff was going to Execution and had a pardon sent him the Sinner who was under the weight of all the Curses is delivered from them the prisoners of death is set at liberty the Sentence that was past upon him is revoked his peace is made he shall not dy but live and shall he not triumph 4. He hath taken him into the number of his Children There is a wonderful Adoption past upon him 1 Job 3. 1. 2. He that was a Child of Satan is now a Child of the Great God he hath put his own name upon him he that was one of Gods enemies may now call him father Jer. 3. 19. And this is an honour and happiness that cannot be expressed 5. He hath given them his Spirit He is theirs to dwell in them to undertake for them to conduct and counsel and comfort them Rom. 8. 9. They are called the Temples of the Holy Ghost in which he resides he is in them a Spirit of Adoption to help their faith in God as their father or of Sanctification to lead them into all truth of Consolation to comfort them in every condition and how great is their happiness 6. He hath taken them under his conduct to carry them safe through an evil world There are many troubles and temptations that they must expect in their passage but they are under the eye and care and in the hand of God and have his promise past for it that he will guide them by counsel and bring them to glory Psal 73. 24. And let things be what they will to appearance yet underneath are everlasting arms Deut. 33. 27. And here is joy indeed 7. He hath secured for them the glories of the Everlasting Kingdom They are not yet arrived at it and so cannot rejoyce as they do who are there swimming in the pleasures of it but they have this in hand and his Word and Oath for it that they shall without fail be brought thither and setled there in due time Luk. 12. 32. And he reserves it for them while he is conducting them to it 1 Pet. 14. And mean time gives them the seals and earnests of it Eph. 4. 30. 8. He both can and will accomplish all this for them He can do it in despite of all that withstand it Ro. 8 35 c. He is the Lord God Almighty And he will do it for his faithfulness is as large as his power and both are infinite if he hath said it it is as good as done and can those that are owners of such priviledges rejoyce too much The Application USE I. FOR Reprehension and it may be applied to two sorts 1. This serves to reprove the mad mirth of Unregenerate men It is an amazing thing to see Ungodly men living in all jollity and delight as if they only were owners of true happiness Job 21. 12. And there are several respects in which they are to be rebuked in regard oâ— this mirth 1. Those that rejoyce in iniquity So is the merry young man represented Eccl. 11. 9. And how many jocund persons are there whose very delight is in sin their stollen waters Prov. 9. 17. Lascivious and obscene talk drunken bouts carousing of healths making a mock of sin and a scoff and scorn of the Godly for their Godliness and are never merry but when engaged in heaven daring abominations doing things that it is a shame to speak thereby provoking the holy God to vengeance 2. Those that terminate all their joy on the Creature They seem more sober than the former and to have a better pretence the Creature is good in its place and we tast comfort in it but this is the blame they rest here God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. They dwell in a fat pasture their Cup â—verslows c. Psal 73. 7. And here is their hearts â—â—light Psal 62. 10. And so they pay all their acknowledgments hither Hab. 2. 16. 3. That rest content in a natural joy We observed that this hath a sort of medium between the spiritual and sinful being in its own nature lawful and may be used in subserviency to the spiritual and influenced by it but Unregenerate men please themselves with this and the lawfulness of it but forget that corrupt nature in fallen man turns all his natural actions into sinful ones T it 1. 15. 4. That do all they can to put mourning away from them And hence lest they should be sorrowful they are afraid to be serious they think men born to sport themselves in the world as the fishes in the Sea hence they abandon every thing that offers to trouble them and count them their enemies that invite them thereto and if the Spirit of God set any word home which disturbs them they are displeased and instead of retiring and entertaining their thoughts with it they fly from home from all business and