ness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath?
There is more reason for thee to fear, for thy contempt of my mercy, to be delivered up to a reprobate sense, thenceforth entirely to follow the desires of thy own heart; and so, when thou art come into the depth of sins, be a scorner, and thus, at length, become unworthy of mercy, and be reserved for justice only. The sinner who forgot me when alive and well, is deservedly punished in dying by forgetting himself.
Say not, therefore, The mercy of the Lord is great, lie will have mercy on the multitude of my sins; for mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looks upon sinners. Walk rather whilst thou hast the light, that the darkness overtake thee not. And whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly. Thou knowest not what thou wilt or mayest be able to do hereafter, when thy strength fails thee. While thou art young, correct thy way, by observing my words. Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. If thou neglectest these, thou art too rash in promising thyself more time for penitence. A late repentance is seldom real, for sins are then rather forsakers than forsaken, because the power to sin is failing. How strange is it, then, that thou shouldst venture to risk thy salvation on so uncertain and doubtful an event, when, in other things, thou seekest anxiously for the greatest certainty! I offer thee my grace now, which, if thou reject, it will probably be justly refused thee hereafter.
Oh, couldst thou but know how dangerous and hurtful it is to receive my grace in vain, and to reject me when I call! Then wouldst thou pant after me, like the hart for the fountains of water; thou wouldst labour by good works to make sure thy calling and election. Do then now, what thou wilt wish done then, when thou canst do it no longer, and wilt exceedingly grieve that thou hadst not done when thou couldst; but then thou wilt find no remedy left for thy grief. What things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. The time of sowing is this life, in death will come the time of harvest; then, if thou hast sown of thy flesh corruption, thou shalt of thy flesh reap corruption. Sow, then, now in tears, what then thou mayest reap in joy.
Understand this, ye that forget God; understand, lest at any time he seize upon thee, and there be none to deliver thee.
Behold, I have left the
