2. We provide the more discomfort for ourselves. Always the pro- portion of our sorrow is according to the measure of our sins. Whether it be godly sorrow, the sorrow of repentance, or despairing sorrow, those horrors which are impressed upon us as a punishment of our rebellion and impenitency, in both senses you still increase your sorrow the more you sin. For the sorrow of repentance, it is clear that sorrow must cany proportion with our offences. She that had much for- given wept much. Certainly it will cost you the more tears, a greater humbling before God, the longer you continue in a course of sin against him. And for the sorrow of punishment, you are ' treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath,' Kom. ii. 5. Your burden will be greater and more increased upon you. It is too heavy for your shoulders already to bear ; why should we add to the weight of it ? Either our sorrow of repentance will be greater, or the anxious sense of our punishment ; for in both God observes, and God requires a proportion.
3. Consider how unfit we shall be for God's service if we delay a little longer, when our strength is spent, and vigour of youth exhausted ; when our ears grow deaf, eyes dim, understanding dull, affections spent, memory lost. Is tin's a time to begin with God, and to look
\eR. 60.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 141
after the business of our souls ? Certainly he that made all, that was our Creator, deserves the flower of our strength, Eccles. xii. 1. When the tackling is spoiled and ship rotten, is that a time to put to sea? or rather when the ship is new built ? Shall the devil feast upon the flower and freshness of your youth, and God only have the scraps and fragments of the devil's table ? When we are good for nothing else, then to think we are good enough for God and the business of religion, which requires all our might and all our strength, when we are spent, is it a time to begin our warfare, or in our youth ?
4. There is this, the just suspicion which is upon a late repentance ; it is seldom sound ; it is no true repentance which ariseth merely from horror and fear of hell. It may be but the beginnings of everlasting- despair, and their desires may be but oflers of self-love after their own ease. All men seek the Lord at length, but wise men seek him betimes. The difference is made on some in time, on others out of time, upon their death-beds. The most j^rofane would have God for their portion when they can sin no more, and enjoy the world no longer. How can we tell this is a sound work ? It seems to be a very questionable thing, merely proceeding from self-love and natural desires of happiness in all men. When we begin with God, we begin out of self-love, we come for our ease and interest, that we may be safe and happy ; afterwards we come to a delight of spirit in his service, and having opportunity, show in our works the power of our aff'ection to God, and manifest the soundness of our conversion. It is possible a death-bed repentance may be true, but it is very doubtful. There is but one instance, which is that of the thief upon the cross. The scrip- tures are a history of five thousand years ; yet all that while we have but one instance of a man that repented when he came to die ; and in that one instance there is an extraordinary conjunction of circum- stances, such as will never fall out again. Christ was at the thief's right hand, in the height of his love, drawing sinners to salvation ; and probably this man had never any such call till then. Some may at the eleventh hour be converted, because they were not called till then. Every one came when they, were called. Therefore, there being so great and just a suspicion that lies against a late repentance, cer- tainly we should not delay.
JReas. 5. The reasons for delay are veiy inconsiderable. Solomon saith, Prov. xxvi. 16, that ' the sluggard thinks himself wiser than seven men that can render a reason.' Mark, as Solomon's fool is not to be taken literally, but spiritually, so Solomon's sluggard is not to be taken morally, but spiritually. They that are sluggish and slow of heart in the things of God, they think they have a great deal of reason on their side, and will not be persuaded on the contrary but they shall do well enough for all that ; and they can argue against the calls and injunctions of God. Yet how little can they say for themselves ! See what reasons may be said for delay ; I mean not that they plead and argue, but it is that which sways them, that which lies next the heart is this ; why they keep ofi' from God, and are satisfied with their pre- sent estate.
1. The pleasures of sin are sweet, and they are loath to forego them, and to enrage their souls in the severities of a strict obedience. Here
142 SEEMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXYII.