_Answ._ Saul's sin provoked God to reject him from being king of Israel, and to appoint another in his stead; but if Saul had repented he had been saved after that, though not restored to the crown: and it is true, that as God withdrew from him the spirit of government, so many before death, by the greatness of their sins, cause God to forsake them so far as to withhold those motions, and convictions, and fears, and disquietments, in sin, which sometimes they had, and to give them over to a "reprobate mind," to commit "all uncleanness with greediness," and glory in it as being "past feeling," Rom. i. 28; Eph. iv. 18, 19. If it be thus with you, you would be no better, you would not be recovered, you think sin is best for you, and hate all that would reform you.
_Object._ V. It is said, 2 Cor. vi. 2, "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation." And Heb. iii. 7, 12, 13, "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts----lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
_Answ._ This saith no more than that the present time is the best, yea, the only certain time; and we are not sure that the day of salvation will continue any longer, because death may cut us off: but if it do not, yet sin is a hardening thing, and the longer we sin the more it hardeneth! yea, God may withhold the motions of his Spirit, and leave us to ourselves, to the hardness of our hearts: and thus he doth by thousands of wicked persons, who are left in impenitency and hatred of the truth: but most certainly if those men repented they might be saved, and the very reason why they have not Christ and life is still because they will not consent.
_Direct._ VI. Understand by what help and strength it is that the obedience to the gospel must be performed: not merely by your own strength, but by the help of grace, and strength of Christ: if he have but made you willing, he will help you to perform the rest. You are not by this covenant to be a saviour and sanctifier to yourselves; but to consent that Christ be your Saviour, and the Holy Spirit your Sanctifier. You might else despair indeed if you were left to that which you are utterly unable to do. Though you must "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, it is he that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure," Phil. ii. 13.