Some, it may be, will say. What then shall we do? what shall we apply ourselves unto? what is it that is required of us?
1. Take the advice of the apostle, Heb. iii. 7, 8, 13, " To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in
426 EXHORTATION TO SUCH AS ARE
the day of temptation in the wilderness. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day ; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." This day, even this, is unto you in the ten- der of grace the acceptable time ; — this is the day of salvation. Others have had this day as well as you, and have missed their opportunity ; — take heed lest it should be so with you also. Now if any one should write it down, or peculiarly commit it to remembrance, " This day there was a tender of Christ and salvation in him made unto my soul, — from this time I will resolve to give up myself unto him," and if you form your resolutions, charge your consciences with what you have engaged, and make yourselves to know that if you go back from it, it is a token that you are going to ruin.
2. Consider that it is high time for you to make somewhat of re- ligion. Do not hang always in suspense ; let it not be a question with yourselves, whether you have a mind to be saved or no. This is as good a time and season for a resolution as ever you are like to have whilst in this world. Some things, nay, many things, may fall in be- tween this and the next opportunity, that shall put you backward, and make your entrance into the kingdom of heaven far more difficult than ever it was; and the living in that uncertainty at best, which you do, of what will become of you unto eternity, is the most miserable kind of life in the world. Those who put far from them the evil day, and live in the pursuit of lusts and pleasures, have somewhat that gives them present satisfaction, and they say not, " There is no hope," because they " find the life of the hand" [Isa. Ivii. 10] ; but you have nothing that gives you any prevalent refreshment, neither will your latter end be better than theirs, if you die without an interest in Christ Jesus. Come, therefore, at length, unto a determinate resolu- tion what you will do in this matter. Christ hath waited long for you, and who knows how soon he may withdraw, never to look after you any more?
Upon occasion of the preceding Discourse concerning the Glory of Christ, I thought it necessary to add unto it this brief exhortation unto faith in him, aiming to suit it unto the capacity of the meanest sinner that is capable of any self-consideration as unto his eternal wel- fare. But yet, a little farther to give efficacy unto this exhortation, it will be necessary to remove some of those common and obvious tergiversations that convinced sinners do usually betake themselves unto, to put off a present compliance with the calls of Christ to come unto him ; for although it is unbelief alone, acting in the darkness of men's minds and the obstinacy of their wills, that effectually keeps off sinners from coming unto Christ upon his call, yet it shrouds itself under various pretences, that it may not appear in its own ugly form. For no sin whereof men can be guilty in this world is of so honible
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a nature, and so dreadful an aspect^ as is this unbelief, where a clear view of it is obtained in evangelical light. Wherefore, by the aid of Satan, it suggests other pleas and pretences unto the minds of sinners, under which they may countenance themselves in a refusal to come to Christ. See 2 Cor. iv. 4. Any thing else it shall be, but not un- belief;— that they all disavow. I shall therefore speak unto a few of those tergiversations in this case which are obvious, and which are exemplified in the Gospel itself.
First, Some do say, on such exhortations. What is it that you would have us to do? — We hear the word preached, we believe it as well as we can, we do many things willingly, and abstain from many evils diligently; what is more required of us? This is the language of the hearts of the most with whom in this case we have to do. And I say,—
1. It is usual with them who do something in the ways of God, but not all they should, and so nothing in a due manner, to expostulate about requiring of them more than they do. So the people dispute with God himself, Mai. i. 6, iii. 8, 18. So they in the Gospel who esteemed themselves to have done their duty, being pressed unto faith by Christ Jesus, ask him with some indignation, " What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" John vi. 28. If what we do be not enough, what is it that you require more of us ? So was it with the young man. Matt. xix. 20, "What lack I yet?" Be ad- vised, therefore, not to be too confident of your state, lest you should yet lack that one thing, the want whereof might prove your eternal ruin.