SERM. dangerous confequence; because it encourageth men' CLXII. to hope for the benefit of repentance, that is, the pardon and forgiveness of their fins, without having truly repented. And indeed the council of Trent have fo framed their doctrines in this point, that any one may fee, that they did not matter how much they abated on the part of the penitent, provided the power of the priest be but advanced, and kept up in it's full height.

2. The other mistake is of thofe, who make repentance to confift in the bare refolution of amendment, though it never has it's effect; that is, though the finner either do not what he refolved, or do it only for a fit, and during his prefent trouble and conviction.

There is one cafe indeed, and but one, wherein a refolution not brought to effect is available, and that is, when nothing hinders the performance and execution of it, but only want of time and opportunity for it; when the repentance is fincere, and the refolution real, but the man is cut off between the actual reformation which he intended, and which GOD, who fees things certainly in their causes, knows would have followed, if the man had lived to give demonstration of it. But this is nothing to those who have the opportunity to make good their refolution, and do not: for, because the refolution which would have been performed, had there been time and opportunity, is reckoned for a true repentance, and accepted of GoD as if it had been done; therefore the refolution which was not brought to effect when there was time and opportunity for it, hath not the nature of true repentance, nor will it be accepted of GOD.

I will add but one thing more upon this head, be

caule

cause I doubt it is not always fufficiently confidered; SERM. and that is this, that a fincere resolution of a better CLXII. course does imply a resolution of the means, as well as of the end; he that is truly refolved against any fin, is likewise refolved against the occafions and temptations that would lead and draw him to it; otherwise he hath taken up a rafh and foolish refolution, which he is not like to keep, because he did not refolve upon that which was neceffary to the keeping of it. So he that refolves upon any part of his duty, must likewise refolve upon the means which are neceffary to the discharge and performance of it; he that is refolved to be juft in his dealing, and to pay his debts, must be diligent in his calling, and mind his business, because without this he cannot do the other; for nothing can be more vain and fond, than for a man to pretend that he is refolved upon doing his duty, when he neglects any thing that is neceffary to put him into a capacity, and to further him in the discharge of it. This is, as if a man fhould resolve to be well, and yet never take phyfick, or be carelefs in obferving the rules which are prescribed in order to his health. So for a man to refolve against drunkenness, and yet to run himself upon temptations which naturally lead to it, by frequenting the company of lewd and intemperate perfons, this is, as if a man fhould refolve against the plague, and run into the pest-house. Whatever can reafonably move a man to be refolved upon any end, will if this resolution be wife and honeft, determine him as ftrongly to use the means which are proper and neceffary to that end.

the

These are the common mistakes about this matter, which men are the more willing to run into, because they are loth to be brought to a true repent

ance;

SERM. ance; the nature whereof is not difficult to be unCLXII. derstood, (for nothing in the world is plainer ;) only men are always flow to understand what they have no mind to put in practice.' But,

II. Besides these mistakes about repentance, there is another great mifcarriage in this matter, and that is the delay of repentance; men are loth to fet about it, and therefore they put it upon their last hazard, and refolve then to huddle it up as well as they can : but this certainly is great folly, to be still making more work for repentance, because it is to create fo much needlefs trouble and vexation to ourselves; it is to go on ftill in playing a foolish part, in hopes to retrieve all by an after game; this is extremely dangerous, because we may certainly fin, but it is not certain we fhall repent, our repentance may be prevented, and we may be cut off in our fins; but if we should have space for it, repentance may in procefs of time grow an hundred times more difficult than it is at prefent.

But if it were much more certain, and more easy than it is, if it were nothing but a hearty forrow and fhame for our fins, and an afking GOD forgiveness for them, without being put to the trouble of reforming our wicked lives, yet this were great folly, to do those things which will certainly grieve us after we have done them, and put us to fhame, and to ask forgiveness for them. It was well faid of old Cato, ne tu ftultus es homuncio, qui malis veniam precari, quam non peccare; "thou art a foolish man "indeed, who choosest rather to ask forgiveness, "than not to offend."

At the beft, repentance implies a fault; it is an after-wisdom, which fuppofeth a man at firft to have plaid the fool; it is but the best end of a bad bufi

nefs;

nefs; a hard fhift, and a defperate hazard, which a SERM.. man that had acted prudently would never have been CLXII. put to; it is a plaifter after we have dangerously wounded ourselves: but certainly it had been much wifer, to have prevented the danger of the wound, and the pain of curing it. A wife man would not make himself fick if he could, or if he were already fo, would not make himself ficker, though he had the most effectual and infallible remedy in the world in his power but this is not the cafe of a finner, for repentance as well as faith is the gift of GOD.

Above all, let me caution you, not to put off this. great and neceffary work, to the most unfeasonable.. time of all other, the time of fickness and death, upon a fond presumption, that you can be reconciled to. GOD when you please, and exercise such a repentance as will make your peace with him at any time.

I am heartily afraid, that a very great part of mankind do mifcarry upon this confidence, and are. fwallowed up in the gulf of eternal perdition, with, this plank in their arms. The common custom is (and I fear it is too common) when the physician, hath given over his patient, then, and not till then, to fend for the minifter; not fo much to enquire in-. to the man's condition, and to give him fuitable advice, as to minister comfort, and to speak peace to him at a venture.

But let me tell you, that herein you put an extreme difficult task upon us, in expecting that we should pour wine and oil into the wound before it be searched, and speak fmooth and comfortable things. to a man, that is but juft brought to a fenfe of the long course of a lewd and wicked life, impenitently. continued in. Alafs! what comfort can we give to men in fuch a cafe? We are loath to drive them to deVOL. IX.

H

fpair;

SERM. fpair; and yet we must not destroy them by prefumpCLXII. tion; pity and good nature do ftrongly tempt us to

make the best of their cafe, and to give them all the little hopes which with any kind of reafon we can, and God knows it is but very little that we can give to fuch perfons upon good ground; for it all depends upon the degree and fincerity of their repentance, which God only knows, and we can but guess at. We can easily tell them what they ought to have done, and what they should do if they were to live longer, and what is the beft that they can do in those ftreights into which they have brought themselves, viz. to exercise as deep a forrow and repentance for their fins as is poffible, and to cry mightily to God for mercy, in and through the merit of our bleffed SAVIOUR. But how far this will be available in these circumstances we cannot tell; because we do not know, whether if the man had lived longer, this repentance and thefe refolutions which he now declares of a better course, would have been good.

And after all is done that can be done in fo fhort a time, and in fuch circumstances of confusion and diforder, as commonly attend dying perfons, I doubt the refult of all will be this; that there is much more ground of fear than hope concerning them; nay perhaps, while we are preffing the dying finner to repentance, and he is bungling about it, he expires in great doubt and perplexity of mind what will become of him; or if his eyes be closed with more comfortable hopes of his condition, the next time he opens them again, he may find his fearful mistake, like the rich man in the parable, who when he was "in hell, lift up his eyes being in "torment."

This is a very dismal and melancholy confideration,

and