VeK. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS 11. 11-14. 169
wlien tliere is such a strong bent in your souls, strike while the iron is hot ; you may have more hindrances, but never more helps. Again, Tve owe more than we are worth already, and why should w^e run more in debt ? The longer you continue in sin, the higher will your accounts rise. A tenant that cannot pay the rent of one year, if he let it run on, how will he be able to discharge the rent of two years ? So if it be so troublesome now, do you think it will be more easy hereafter, when the heart is hardened by a constant resistance ? If there were a sound conviction you would not delay. A sensible sinner is always in haste: Heb. vi. 18, he flies for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before him. It is an allusion to the man pursued by the avenger of blood ; he that hath wrath at his heels, he runs as for life to Jesus Christ. It is but a slender and insufficient touch upon the conscience. He that knows the danger can never make haste enough to come to Christ, as the pursued man could never make too much haste to get into the city of refuge that is before him. l!Tay, it argues little love to God, and a great deal of disingenuity of spirit, to continue in re- bellion against God, and think to come in at last, when you can stand out no longer. This is merely self-love, when you care not how much God is dishonoured and his Spirit grieved, provided at length we be saved. The Lord did not so deal with us ; his whole duration and exist- ence is for our sakes ; from eternity to eternity he is God, and from eter- nity to eternity his loving-kindness is great to tliem that fear him : Ps. ciii. 17, 'The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him,' If God thinks of us from one eternity to another, before the world and after the world, can we be content to thrust him into a narrow corner of our lives ? Can you satisfy your hearts when you have nothing to give God but the rottenness, weakness, and aches of old age and sickness ? Consider once more, sin leaves thee in sickness, thou dost not leave sin ; it is not a work of choice, but of necessity, as a merchant throws his goods overboard in a storm, though he loves them well enough. At least it is a very suspicious act, a natural aver- sation from our own misery, and a desire of our own happiness ; it is a yielding upon force when a man never yields to God, but when God hath him under, and he can sin no longer. And what assurance have we, that we shall have a heart to mind salvation at all, and turn to God hereafter ? AVhen all our distractions are out of the way, is grace at our beck ? There is an offer of it to-day : Heb. iii. 15, ' While it is said. To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.' ISTay, there is a shrewd presumption to the contrary, that obduracy, hardness of heart, and despair will grow upon us. Long use makes the heart more obdurate, and long resistance grieves the Spirit of God, and makes him more offended with us. By putting off the change of your lives, you put your souls into Satan's hands by consent for a while. He that delays his conversion doth, as it were, pawn his soul into the devil's hands, and saith. If he do not fetch it again at such a day, it is his for ever. Again, it is a great honour to seek the Lord betimes. Mnason was an old disciple. Seniority in grace is a very great honour. The apostle saith, Kom. xvi. 7, ' Salute Andronicus and Juuia, who were in Christ before me.' And the Lord saith, Jer. ii. 2, ' I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thine espousals.' God
170 SERMONS UPON TITUS 11. 11-14, [SeR. XL
prizeth tliese pure virgin aflfections, when, before our hearts be prosti- tuted to the -^vorld, we apply ourselves to seek his face. You lose the advantage of much early communion with God, whenever you are called to grace ; and if ever you taste of the sweetness of grace, it will be your grief that you were acquainted with it no sooner, and all the time that remains will be little enough to repent the loss of that which is past. Consider, a man can never come soon enough into the arms of mercy, nor soon enough out of the power of Satan. Present necessity admits of no deliberation, therefore charge yourselves to be more solid and serious. Sin, if you let it alone, will gather more strength : Jer. xiii. 23, ' Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.' When a stick hath been long bent, it will hardly ever be set right again. Some that have been late converted have much bewailed their disadvantage, their standing out so long, till their inclinations were fixed, and that they have got a stubborn nature so strong and ever apt to recoil upon them. Consider, we would not have God to put us off when we come for mercy, and are in present need, and shall we put off God ? We would count a delay to be as bad as a denial ; therefore take heed of delays in this kind, for if ever you be called to gi'ace, you will smart for it soundly. Christ waited upon the spouse for entrance : Cant. v. 2, ' My head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night ; ' and then the spouse waited for comfort : ver. 6, ' I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone; my soul failed when he spake ; I sought him, but I could not find him ; I called him, but he gave me no answer.' What is the reason, when the work is begun and the first stroke is given to sin, that christians walk so mournfully for a great while ? Oh ! they have made God wait long, and stood out many a call, therefore the Lord exerciseth them with waiting. Let all this work thee to comply with the import tunity of the present conviction of the Holy Ghost.