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<DATE>2014-08-06</DATE>
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<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>
<PB REF="2" MS="y"> <HI>A Quickening</HI> WORD FOR The ha&s;tening a Sluggi&s;h Soul to a &s;ea&s;onable An&s;wer to <HI>The Divine Call.</HI></P>
<P>Publi&s;hed by a poor Sinner that found it &s;uch to him.</P>
<P>Being the la&s;t SERMON Preached in the Fir&s;t Church of <HI>Bo&s;ton</HI> Upon <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 55. 6.</P>
<P>By the Pa&s;tor there, on the 24^t^h of the fifth Moneth, 1670.</P>
<P><HI>CAMBRIDGE:</HI> Printed by <HI>S. G.</HI> and <HI>M. J</HI> 1670.</P>
<PB REF="3">
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<HEAD><HI>A Quickening Word</HI> FOR A Sluggi&s;h Soul.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>ISAIAH 55. 6.</BIBL>
<Q>Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Doctrine that this Text of|fered to us, was this:</P>
<P><HI>If in &s;eeking the Lord we would not mi&s;s of &s;ucce&s;s, we mu&s;t not mi&s;s the &s;ea&s;on thereof.</HI></P>
<P>We mu&s;t not &s;eek him at our own plea&s;ure or leifure, nor in our own loytering pace; but if we would &s;peed in &s;eeking, we mu&s;t &s;eek with &s;peed, and in the time of his ap|pointment, that time which he makes a &s;ea&s;on.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. We can never &s;eek the Lord too &s;oon&punc; but we may too late.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;:</HI> 2. It is fit God &s;hould appoint the time of our &s;eeking and finding, becau&s;e
<PB N="4" REF="4"> what he doth for us he doth freely, he gives as a <HI>Dole,</HI> and not payes as a <HI>Debt,</HI> and we receiving all of grace as Beggars, may not chu&s;e. A rich man indeed that hath it by him, may eat when he hath a minde; but the poor man mu&s;t eat when he can get it, and is glad to have his Alms at any time, the time that his good Ma&s;ter chu&s;eth. And the Lord can be&s;t chu&s;e the fitte&s;t time, be|cau&s;e of his Infinite Wi&s;dome, which is &s;uf|ficient to &s;ilence the prattle and exceptions of fooli&s;h man.</P>
<P><HI>&V;SE</HI> I. <HI>For Information.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. We mu&s;t therefore &s;eek the Lord with de&s;ire, de&s;ign, and hope of finding.</P>
<P N="2">2. See we how cro&s;s we are to God, to &s;et <HI>our &s;ea&s;on</HI> and convenience again&s;t <HI>Gods &s;ea&s;on;</HI> when he is at work, we are apt to put off, <HI>Acts</HI> 24. 25. He thinks another time may be better, but if you will not like of God's time, it is not like that God &s;hould accept of yours.</P>
<P N="3">3. See our need of divine Help to &s;ubdue our Under&s;tanding to his Wi&s;dome, and our Will to his good Plea&s;ure.</P>
<P><HI>&V;SE</HI> II. <HI>For Direction,</HI> To give Aim to know our finding time.</P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 1. All times are not alike, indif|ferent or indefinite, and left to us to take
<PB N="5" REF="4"> what time we &s;ee good, but there is a limi|tation of time to Sea&s;on or Opportunity, which is as the Eye of the Needle: it is the Market, which is not every day; the Market is indeed free, without price, but not with|out care: <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 1, 2. <HI>Hearken diligently.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 2. When God is near he may be found: and God is near (1) When grace is &s;tirring, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 1, 2. <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 3. and (2) When he &s;ends his Me&s;&s;engers after us to call us, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 36. 15. then there is &s;ome compa&s;&s;ion ready: and (3) When he toucheth us with his Rod, we may lay hold of his hand, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 27. 5. (4) When he en|forceth, and gives an edge to the outward Call, <HI>Mat.</HI> 21. 34. <HI>&amp;</HI> 11. 12. <HI>&amp;</HI> 3. 10. (5) When God removes Impediments, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12. (6) When inward Calls &s;econd the outward, and the Spirit &s;trives, <HI>Cant.</HI> 5. 4.</P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 3. Before your &s;pace of Repen|tance is over, <HI>Revel.</HI> 2. 21. before the forty dayes ended, <HI>Jonah</HI> 3. 4.</P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 4. Before the time of God's re|penting and patience is over, <HI>Jer.</HI> 15. 6.</P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 5. Before God hath put a ba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e on your Salva<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, by Re&s;olution, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 95. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">1. or Execution&punc; <HI>Z<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ph.</HI> 2. 1&punc; 2.</P>
<P><HI>Rule</HI> 6. There is no a&s;&s;urance of any
<PB N="6" REF="5"> time, but the pre&s;ent, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 2. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 95. 7.</P>
<P><HI>&V;SE</HI> III. <HI>For Exhortation.</HI></P>
<P>Leave not this work to &s;ome &s;pare time, to a rainy day (when nothing el&s;e to do) not to a &s;ick bed, crazy Age, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Motive</HI> 1. It is more ea&s;ie to &s;eek and finde &s;ea&s;onably, &s;peedily: (1) When God is plea&s;ed in mercy to breathe by his Spirit, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 16. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 8. (2) The heart deceives when it delayes, and pretends to morrow; to morrow never comes, as is &s;een in <HI>Fe|lix, Act.</HI> 24. (3) By delayes the heart is more hard. (4) The work to be done is more hard. (5) The more hard work to be done, the more weeds the more debt. (6) We are afterward more unable to do it; the weake&s;t Bea&s;t &s;hould not have the heavie&s;t burthen: and Satan and Sin do more &s;trong|ly fortifie them&s;elves.</P>
<P><HI>Mot.</HI> 2. If we neglect to &s;eek in good time that we may finde, an evil time &s;eeks and findes us, after death, at death, yea in this life a man may be taken in an evil time when we are pa&s;t &s;eeking, or at lea&s;t finding. You &s;ay, <HI>To morrow is a new day;</HI> but to morrow may be no day to thee.</P>
<P>No day of &s;eeking really, <HI>Luke</HI> 19. 42. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 17. when God &s;aith to all Means, all
<PB N="7" REF="5"> Prayers, all Movings of the Spirit, <HI>Let him alone.</HI></P>
<P>No day of finding, <HI>Luke</HI> 14. 24.</P>
<P><HI>Mot.</HI> 3. Delay increa&s;eth &s;in and &s;uffer|ing: You mu&s;t buy that precious Pearl by the Inch of Candle, while Life and Sea&s;on la&s;ts; therefore you mu&s;t not &s;tand chaffer|ing and dodging till the Market be over, but di&s;patch and bid like a Merchant, as one that hath a minde to buy.</P>
<P><HI>Mot.</HI> 4. You have certain ground in the Text and el&s;where to &s;eek the Lord in &s;ea|&s;on, but you have no ground of delay; for this life, and what depends upon it, is un|certain; nothing of this life is certain, but the going out of it. You think you will &s;eek the Lord when you are elder, free, recover|ed from &s;uch &s;ickne&s;s or bu&s;ine&s;s, when you are a little &s;etled, and have &s;omething about you, but Death may prevent all the&s;e, and I &s;trip you of all, and &s;ettle you in your long home: So that you have but &s;hallow ground to delay your leaving your &s;ins another time, for life may leave you fir&s;t. You have certain promi&s;e if you hearken <HI>to day,</HI> P&s;al. 95. but as for <HI>to morrow,</HI> who hath pro|mi&s;ed that? None but the Devil, and thy own Heart, who are notorious deceivers: In all other Affairs you are confined to Sea|&s;on,
<PB N="8" REF="6"> in Husbandry, Navigation, Provi&s;ion for Winter, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Mot.</HI> 5. The la&s;t Motive is, That if you &s;eek not the Lord in &s;ea&s;on, but delay and put off, you &s;in very much again&s;t the Pa|tience of God, the Dignity of God, and the Love and Kindne&s;s of God.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, You &s;in again&s;t the Dignity of God, and that is the Jewel he will not part withall. That Soul that delayes to &s;eek him in &s;ea&s;on, offends again&s;t the Honour of God two wayes:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. He prefers other things before God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. He prefers him&s;elf before God.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The former of the&s;e hath been &s;poken to: <HI>Mat.</HI> 22. 4. there is the <HI>Farm,</HI> and the <HI>Merchandize,</HI> and though both of them ho|ne&s;t and lawful Imployes, yet they become a &s;nare unto the per&s;on that doth delay; his Vocation becomes an Avocation. Now weigh and con&s;ider what there can be in this world, that is worthy to be preferred before Je&s;us Chri&s;t: Why do you not ac|cept of the Lord? This or that bu&s;ine&s;s &s;tands in the way: And if lawful things become abominable when they &s;tand in the way, how much more <HI>unlawfull?</HI> If his re&s;pect to his Wife &s;hould not hinder, much le&s;s his re&s;pect to his Harlot may
<PB N="9" REF="6"> hinder him; if his Trading, much more Cheating, Gaming, or Tipling.</P>
<P>Let thy own heart an&s;wer me, Is it not a great Indignity to the great God, that thou &s;hould&s;t give the be&s;t of thy time, and the choice of thy &s;trength and &s;pirits to the World, and the Devil the god thereof, and a&s;&s;ign onely the feeble wi&s;hes of thy wi|thered Age to the true Lord of Heaven and Earth? To give the flower of your Wine to the Devil, and offer the Dregs to Chri&s;t? To give thy full Di&s;hes for Satan to fea&s;t on, and entertain the Lord with Fragments, Scraps and Crumbs from the Devils Table? And yet thou &s;aye&s;t, God is thy Father, and thy Lord: May not he &s;ay to thee, <HI>If I be a Father, where is my honour? If I be a Ma&s;ter, where is my fear?</HI> Mal. 1. 6, 8. Had you any re&s;pect for God, had you any awe of him, you dur&s;t not deal &s;o with him; you dur&s;t not <HI>offer the blinde, the lame and the &s;ick to your Governour,</HI> but ye make bold with him that rules your Rulers, and bring your blinde, and lame, and &s;ickly years to him; your Eyes blinded with du&s;t and lu&s;t, your Strength lame in trudging and drudging for Satan; your whole man faint and &s;ickly with bearing the heat of the day in his work. Do not fa&s;hion to your &s;elves &s;uch
<PB REF="7"> an Idol of ea&s;ie and &s;oft kindne&s;s in God, as to be put off with any thing: No, no, he knows the honour that is due to his Name, and claims and expects it; <HI>The be&s;t of the Oyl, the be&s;t of the Wine, and of the Wheat, the fir&s;t-fruit of them are his,</HI> Numb. 18. 12. not any dregs of the Oyl, any re|fu&s;e of the Wheat, not any prick'd Wine will &s;atisfie him. If ye count him not wor|thy of the fir&s;t and be&s;t, the wor&s;t and latter will not be counted worthy of him.</P>
<P>Furthermore, in delaying thou do&s;t un|mannerly &s;et up thy &s;elf before the Lord, who is as thou &s;aye&s;t. Thy Father, and thy Lord. Is it not fit that the Childe &s;hould wait on the Father, and the Servant on the Ma&s;ter? How rude art thou to make him wait on thee, e&s;pecially con&s;idering that thou ha&s;t need of him, and not he of thee? He is thy Phy&s;ician, and calls for thee now, and wilt thou not take his time? Not onely thy duty, but thy nece&s;&s;ity &s;hould ha&s;ten thee. <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 41. 14. when <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> was in Pri&s;on, <HI>Then Pharaoh &s;ent and called Jo&s;eph, and they brought him ha&s;tily out of the dun|geon;</HI> the word in the Hebrew is, <HI>They made him run:</HI> he &s;taid not to take his leave of his friends, but he runs. How many Me&s;|&s;engers
<PB N="11" REF="7"> hath the King of Heaven &s;ent to you, and you have delayed, <HI>Shall I? Shall I?</HI> yea, and when will that be? Some &s;tirre not, and &s;ome do but creep. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> he waited till <HI>the word came,</HI> but now the Pro|mi&s;e is about to be fulfilled, it is time for him to run now. Thou art in the dungeon and captivity of Sin and Satan, the King of Heaven he &s;ends his Me&s;&s;engers to invite thee, and thou come&s;t not; thou do&s;t not know what thou maye&s;t lo&s;e, if thou lo&s;e&s;t but a little time. <HI>John</HI> 11. 28. <HI>Martha</HI> calls <HI>Mary,</HI> and told her, <HI>The Ma&s;ter is come and calleth for thee:</HI> ver. 29. <HI>As &s;oon as &s;he heard that, &s;he aro&s;e quickly, and came unto him.</HI> ver. 31. <HI>The Jews then which were with her in the hou&s;e, and comforted her, when they &s;aw Mary that &s;he ro&s;e up ha&s;tily, and went out, followed her, &s;aying, She goeth to the grave, to weep there.</HI> v. 33. <HI>And when Je&s;us &s;aw her weep, &amp;c.</HI> Oh &s;ayes <HI>Martha, The Ma&s;ter is come, and calleth for thee.</HI> How! is my dear Lord come? then neither my Tears nor my Friends &s;hall hinder me, but I'le go to him, for my Ma&s;ter calls. How often have Chri&s;t's Servants told you that your Ma&s;ter calls; he calls you that hath Power over you, that hath Grace for you, and will you reject that Love and Kindne&s;s?
<PB N="12" REF="8"> When the World calls you, Here is a Prize, here is a Purcha&s;e, here is a Bargain; how nimbly do men come then? So when the Fle&s;h calls you, yet you owe nothing to the Fle&s;h: And doth your Ma&s;ter call? all that you are and have, you are debtors to him for it, and will ye not come when he calls? There is another In&s;tance in <HI>Mark</HI> 10. 46. Blinde <HI>Bartimeus</HI> &s;ate by the way|&s;ide begging, and cried out, <HI>Lord Je&s;us thou Son of David, have mercy on me: and they charged him that he &s;hould hold his peace; but he cried &s;o much the more.</HI> Ver&s;. 49. <HI>Je|&s;us &s;tood &s;till, and commanded him to be cal|led, and he aro&s;e and came to Je&s;us. And Je&s;us &s;tood &s;till:</HI> What is the meaning of that? Chri&s;t would not go further and further from this poor man: <HI>And they &s;aid, Be of good comfort, ari&s;e, he calleth thee; and he ca&s;t away his garments, and aro&s;e, and came to him.</HI> If you could but under|&s;tand your own Mercies, you would throw away all Impediments to run after Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he &s;tands &s;till to receive you. Here are Convictions, Exhortations, and Stri|vings of the Spirit of God with you and all to have you come to him. The Suffici|ency of Chri&s;t &s;wallows up all the wants and defects of the poor Soul. <HI>Prov.</HI> 3. 27, 28.
<PB N="13" REF="8"> <HI>Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy Neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou ha&s;t it by thee.</HI> If you may not deferre in giving, then how much le&s;s may you deferre when Chri&s;t offers you Grace and Mercy, an Alms in your &s;tarving &s;tate: Will you &s;ay to Chri&s;t, Go, and come a|gain, and to morrow I will receive it? what a horrible pride is this for a Beggar to put it off, and &s;ay, Not now, but to mor|row: now thou ha&s;t it by thee, but to morrow it may be far from thee.</P>
<P>Secondly, if thou do&s;t delay to &s;eek the Lord in the &s;ea&s;on thereof, thou &s;inne&s;t again&s;t Divine Patience and Long-&s;uffering; <HI>Cant.</HI> 5. 2. <HI>Open to me, my Si&s;ter, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.</HI> This <HI>Rain,</HI> and <HI>drops of the night,</HI> note Suffering, and waiting late. Je&s;us Chri&s;t he <HI>&s;uffered,</HI> that he might &s;ave thee, and &s;tayes without doors long; can&s;t thou finde in thy heart to keep him out longer? will not all this move thee to open the door? <HI>Revel.</HI> 2. 21. <HI>I gave her &s;pace to repent of her fornication, and &s;he repented not: Be|hold, I will ca&s;t her into a bed, and them that</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="9"> <HI>commit Adultery with her into great tribula|tion; except they repent of their deeds:</HI> If &s;he leaves not the Bed of Security, &s;he &s;hall know the Bed of Anxiety. Hath not God given this Land and People&punc;&s;pace, when he hath been about to de&s;troy it with Drought, and otherwi&s;e by Sea and by Land, yet God hath for born, and not pre&s;ently de&s;troy'd you: Wherefore? that you might repent. Again, Gods hand hath been lifted up on one or other of you in a Storm at Sea; and why? that you might repent. Sometime he hath vi&s;ited you with Sickne&s;s, and yet &s;pared you; was it not that you &s;hould re|pent? If you do not repent of your for|mer delayes and unkindne&s;&s;es, God will lay you fa&s;t upon a Bed of De&s;truction. Hath not the Lord contended with other Nations, and you in this Land have had a Truce? and this is, that you may treat with him on terms of Amity: And now when God gives Truce to you, will you make War with God? <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 4. <HI>Or de&s;pi&s;e&s;t thou the riches of his goodne&s;s, and forbearance, and long-&s;uffering, not knowing that the goodne&s;s of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardne&s;s and impenitent heart, trea&s;ure&s;t up unto thy &s;elf wrath again&s;t the day of wrath.</HI> The Lord doth not onely forbear to &s;trike
<PB N="15" REF="9"> thee, and pull back his hand, and there is long-&s;uffering, forbearance a great deal and a great while; but &s;tretcheth forth his hand in rich goodne&s;s, and &s;hall all this riches be made little and light of by thee? It was given thee for Con&s;olation, and wilt thou u&s;e it to De&s;olation and Wrath? in &s;tead of goodne&s;s thou &s;halt have &s;everity, and in &s;tead of long-&s;uffering thou &s;halt have &s;ud|den de&s;truction.</P>
<P>The third Branch of this Motive is; It is an high Offence again&s;t the highe&s;t Love, when a Soul forbears to &s;eek the Lord, when he offers him&s;elf to be found. There's none of you but will think you love the Lord, and it is pity he &s;hould live that doth not love Chri&s;t: if you delay and put off, cer|tainly here is little love in your Soul. <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 34. 18, 19. <HI>And their words plea&s;ed Hamor, and Shechem Hamors &s;on: And the young man deferred not to do the thing, becau&s;e he had delight in Jacobs daughter.</HI> Here is a Match propounded betwixt the Son of God and thy Soul, if thou had&s;t a delight in the Son of God, thou would&s;t not delay: it is evi|dent you have no delight, becau&s;e you do defer; if you would have the Lord Je&s;us, you mu&s;t deny your &s;elf, your own righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and vanity: You cannot part with
<PB N="16" REF="10"> this and that evil; then you have no delight <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n the Son of God: But you except again&s;t the terms; Gain and Bargains they mu&s;t be caught in the very time, in the very nick; you mu&s;t not &s;tand Shall I? Shall I? till the Market is done. <HI>Ruth</HI> 3. 18. <HI>Then &s;aid &s;he, Sit &s;till my daughter, untill thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in re&s;t, untill he have fini&s;hed the thing this day.</HI> Had&s;t thou any love and de&s;ire kindled in thy Soul to Chri&s;t, thou would&s;t not be at re&s;t; if thy Soul were once engaged to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, all thy incomes would not give thee re&s;t: A man is in debt, and here is no Surety but Je&s;us Chri&s;t; As an Em|perour &s;aid to a Prodigal, <HI>He wondred what Pillow he &s;lept on;</HI> it is a Pillow of the De|vils &s;topping. Oh think how dearly Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath engaged you to love him. <HI>Revel.</HI> 3. <HI>Behold, I &s;tand at the door and knock:</HI> What! Je&s;us Chri&s;t to &s;tand with|out knocking and calling, till the dews of the evening fall upon him. How oughte&s;t thou now to make ha&s;te? He knocks by Common Mercies, and Special Mercies, &s;uch and &s;uch Succe&s;&s;es, and &s;uch Pro&s;peri|ty, will not all this provoke thee to get off from the Bed of Security, and to embrace him? How farre did Je&s;us Chri&s;t come to
<PB N="17" REF="10"> Redeem thee? he came from Heaven to Earth to Redeem thee: Thou art undone, and thy Inheritance lo&s;t; and Chri&s;t thy Kin&s;man came to Redeem thee. He opens not his Pur&s;e for Silver and Gold, but he opens all the Veins of his heart to let out his heart-blood to Redeem thee, and thine Inheritance. <HI>Lo, I come!</HI> Shall not <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> be made to run when he comes from the Dungeon? Remember tho&s;e loud cries up|on the Cro&s;s, and his thir&s;ting upon the Cro&s;s; and he tells thee of it: and what was this for, but to &s;ave thy poor Soul? the cry of Chri&s;t that made the Earth to quake, and the Mountains to break, and will nothing move and break thy heart and per&s;wade thee? It may be Je&s;us &s;tands at the door, and in &s;tead of opening the door, thou art driving him from the door; thou ha&s;t &s;ome churli&s;h dog, &s;ome peevi&s;h Lu&s;t to drive him from the door; or thou ha&s;t &s;ome un|clean Lu&s;t that maketh thee to &s;tink, thy profane language, thy Athei&s;tical thoughts, vain Conver&s;ation, are as &s;o many &s;tones thrown at him: it may be when Chri&s;t is at the door, thou lye&s;t a-bed, and that with thy unclean harlotry Lu&s;ts; thou ha&s;t dealt &s;o with him many a long day: but before he goes he looks back, to &s;ee if thou woulde&s;t
<PB N="18" REF="11"> relent a little, and return, and therefore once more he calls thee: be not at re&s;t this night till thou ha&s;t done &s;omething about this Match, and clo&s;ing with Chri&s;t: <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 30. 18. <HI>Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you, for the Lord is a God of judgement: Ble&s;&s;ed are all they that wait for him.</HI></P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Oh Sir, how gladly would I em|brace this Exhortation; But I fear my time is pa&s;t, and I have with&s;tood my market; I am bid to &s;eek while he may be found; yea, but it may be he will now not be found, and then in vain is all my &s;eeking.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> I An&s;wer, 1. They that fear indeed the day of grace is over, give &s;ome ground of hope that the day of grace is not over, if it be a quickening fear: there is a fear that is contrary to hardne&s;s of heart, for one part of hardne&s;s of heart is to be without either fear or care; now if thou feare&s;t le&s;t the Sun &s;hould be &s;et upon thy Soul, <HI>Prov.</HI> 28. 14. <HI>Happy is the man that feareth alway; but he that hardeneth his heart &s;hall fall into mi&s;chief.</HI> Damning hardne&s;s is contrary to fear. There is a &s;in unto death, and a &s;in that is not unto death: Some &s;ins do nece&s;|&s;arily include death and damnation; if thou
<PB N="19" REF="11"> conclude&s;t that the day of grace is over, thou conclude&s;t as hard as if thou had&s;t committed the &s;in again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t, and this a man cannot do, without he finally harden his heart. Now this is a &s;in unto death; there is death in the Under&s;tanding, in the Will and Affections: But now if thou ha&s;t a Soul-row&s;ing fear, thy day is not pa&s;t.</P>
<P>Again, if thy fear be an hone&s;t laborious fear: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104. 21, 22, 23. <HI>Man goeth forth to his work;</HI> Art thou at it in the u&s;e of Means that thou maye&s;t finde the Lord? then it is not Sun-&s;et yet, but it is working-time, becau&s;e thou art at work; the wilde bea&s;ts are gone to their dens, that is, tho&s;e violent di&s;orders that were in thy Soul, they are couched in their dens, that now thou dare&s;t not walk and &s;peak as thou did&s;t. If a man have his day of grace over, he can|not cea&s;e to &s;in, but he will go on further and further, and will take all advantages to keep him&s;elf in a cour&s;e of &s;inning. <HI>Heb.</HI> 3. 10. <HI>I was grieved with that generation, and &s;aid, They alwayes erre in their hearts.</HI> A man that hath his day of grace over, he is ever going out of the way, he <HI>alwayes erres in his heart,</HI> he hath no heart any more to return.</P>
<P>Secondly, if the Lord Je&s;us continue to call and to &s;trive by his Spirit, hath God
<PB N="20" REF="12"> let thee alone? doth he &s;ay to all Means and Ordinances, Let that Soul alone? or do&s;t thou finde the Lord come and row&s;e thee? then &s;urely the day is not over: but when any Soul's day is over, then Chri&s;t leaves calling and knocking at the door. If now that Soul that hath re&s;i&s;ted &s;o long will yield, &s;urely the day is not over; if there be a corre&s;pondency and eccho of thy Soul to the outward and inward Call of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that is, thou woulde&s;t fain do what thou art bid, and fain come when thou art called, certainly thy day is not over: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 27. 8. <HI>When thou &s;aide&s;t, Seek ye my face; my heart &s;aid unto the Lord, Thy face will I &s;eek:</HI> &s;o long the day is not over. <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 28. <HI>Then &s;hall they call upon me, but I will not an&s;wer; they &s;hall &s;eek me early, but they &s;hall not finde me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not chu&s;e the fear of the Lord;</HI> they cho&s;e rather a loo&s;e and &s;light life: <HI>They would none of my coun|&s;ell, they de&s;pi&s;ed my reproof;</HI> as an Adul|terer hates the light, that it &s;hould not come where he is: this man is likely to have his day over. But on whatever ground thou do&s;t &s;u&s;pect that thy day is over, thou ha&s;t no warrant or command to make &s;ure thy Reprobation; God calls thee to make
<PB N="21" REF="12"> &s;ure thy Election, but he no way calls <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> to make &s;ure thy Reprobation. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 9. 4. <HI>To him that is joyned to all the living, there is hope:</HI> it is to give him a hope of probability if he u&s;e the Means. This is a certain Rule, That if any one Scripture hinders thee from &s;eeking the face of God, that is not managed by the Spirit of God, but by the &s;pirit of Envy and Malice: Whatever it is that awakens thee, and makes thee look about thee, that is good; but that which quenches and damps all, that is of Satan. Oh receive this word of Exhortation, <HI>Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.</HI></P>
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