And when their consciences are thoroughly awaked with sense of their danger, let them seriously consider whither sin, and Satan by sin, is carry- ing of them, and lay to heart the justice of God, standing before them as an angel with a drawn sword, ready to lall upon them if they post on still.
Yet to keep them from utter sinking, let them consider vdthal, the un- limited mercy of God, as not limited to any person, or any sin, so not to any time. There is no prescription of time can bind God. His mercy hath no certain date that will expire, so as those that fly unto it shall have no benefit. Invincible mercy will never be conquered, and endless goodness never admits of bounds or end.-=
"What kind of people were those that followed Chi'ist ? Were they not such as had hved long in their sinful courses ? He did not only raise them that were newly dead, but Lazarus, that had lien ' four days in the grave,' John xi. 39. They thought Christ's power in raising the dead had reached to a short time only, but he would let them know that he could as well raise those that had been long as lately dead. If Christ be the physician, it is no matter of how long continuance the disease be. He is good at all kind of diseases, and will not endure the reproach of disability to cure any. Some diseases are the reproaches of other physicians, as being above their skill to help, but no conceit more dangerous when we are to deal with Christ.
' The blessed martyr Bilney was much oifended when he heard an elo- quent preacher inveighing against sin, saying thus. Behold, thou hast lien rotten in thy own lusts, by the space of sixty years, even as a beast in his own dung, and wilt thou presume in one year to go foi-ward towards heaven, and that in thine old age, as much as thou wentest backward from heaven to hell in sixty years?' ' Is not this a goodly argument?' saith Bilney. 'Is this preaching of repentance in the name of Jesus ? It is as if Christ had died in vain for such a man, and that he must make satisfaction for him- self. If I had heard, saith he, such preaching of repentance in times past, I had utterly despaired of mercy.' We must never think the door of hope to be shut against us, if we have a purpose to turn unto God. As there is nothing more injurious to Christ, so nothing more foolish and gi-oundless than to distrust, it being the chief scope of God in his word to draw our trust to him in Christ, in whom is always open a breast of mercy for humbled sinners to fly unto.
But thus far the consideration of our long time spent in the devil's ser- vice should prevail with us, as to take more shame to ourselves, so to resolve more strongly for God and his ways, and to account it more than sufficient that we have spent aheady so much precious time to so ill pur- poses ; and the less time we have, to make the more haste to work for God, and bring all the honour we can to religion in so httle a space. Oh, how doth it grieve those that have felt the gracious power of Christ in convert- ing their souls, that ever they should spend the strength of their parts in the v.ork of his and their enemy ! and might they live longer, it is their
* Bouitaa invicti non vincitur, et infinita misericordia non finitur. — Fulffent[iusJ.
THE soul's conflict. 231
full purpose for ever to renounce their former ways. There is bred in them an eternal desire of pleasing God, as in the wicked there is an eternal desire of offending him, which eternity of desires God looks to in both of them, and rewards them accordingly, though he cuts off the thread of their lives.
But God in wisdom will have the conversions of such as have gone on in a com'se of sinning, especially after light revealed, to bo rare and difficult. Bii-ths in those that are ancienter, are with greater danger than in the younger sort. Cavendum est vulmis quod dolore curatur. God will take a course, that his grace shall not bo turned into wantonness. He oft holds such upon the rack of a troubled conscience, that they and others may fear to buy the pleasure of sin at such a rate. Indeed, where sin abounds, there gi'ace superabounds ; but then it is where sin, that abounded in the hfe, abounds in the conscience in grief and detestation of it, as the greatest evil. Christ groaned at the raising of Lazarus, which he did not at others, be- cause that although to an almighty power all things are aUke easy, yet he will shew that there be degrees of difficulties in the things themselves, and make it appear to us that it is so. Therefore, those that have enjoyed long the sweet of sin, may expect the bitterest sorrow and repentance for sin.
Yet never give place to thoughts of despair, as coming from him that would overturn the end of the gospel, which lays open the riches of God's mercy in Christ ; which riches none set out more than those that have been * the greatest of sinners,' 1 Tim. i. 15, as we see in Paul. We cannot exalt God more than by taking notice, and making use of that gi'eat design of infinite wisdom in reconciling justice and mercy together, so as now he is not only merciful, but 'just in pardoning sins,' Rom. iii. 26. Our Saviour, as he came towards the latter age of the world, when all things seemed desperate ; so he comes to some men in the latter part of their days. The mercy shewed to Zaccheus and the good thief was personal, but the comfort intended by Christ was public, therefore still trust in God.