RPM, Volume 13, Number 8, February 20 to February 26, 2011 |
(1) Those who have sat a great while under the ministry of God's ordinances—but grow no better. The ground soaks up the rain that falls on it—yet "bears thistles and thorns, it is useless. The farmer will condemn that field and burn it." (Heb 6:8). There is little hope of the metal which has lain long in the fire—but is not melted and refined. When God has sent his ministers one after another, exhorting and persuading men to leave their sins—but they settle upon the lees of external formality and can sit and sleep under a sermon—it will be hard for these ever to be brought to repentance. They may fear lest Christ should say to them as once he said to the fig-tree, "May you never bear fruit again!" (Matt 21:19). (2) Those who have sinned frequently against the convictions of the Word, the checks of conscience, and the motions of the Spirit. Conscience has stood as the angel, with a flaming sword in its hand. It has said, "Do not this great evil!" But sinners regard not the voice of conscience—but march on resolvedly under the devil's colors. These will not find it easy to repent: "They are those who rebel against the light" (Job 24:13). It is one thing to sin for lack of light—and another thing to sin against light. Men begin by sinning against the light of conscience, and proceed gradually to despising the Spirit of grace. This serves sharply to reprove all unrepenting sinners whose hearts seem to be hewn out of a rock, and are like the stony ground which lacked moisture. This disease, I fear, is epidemic: "Is anyone sorry for sin? Does anyone say, 'What a terrible thing I have done?' No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse rushing into battle!" (Jer 8:6). Men's hearts are marbled into hardness: "They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the Lord Almighty had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord Almighty was so angry with them." (Zech 7:12). They are not at all dissolved into a penitential frame.
It is fabled that witches never weep. I am sure of this—that those who have no grief for sin are spiritually bewitched by Satan! We read that Christ "denounced the cities where he had done most of his miracles, because they hadn't turned from their sins and turned to God" (Matt 11:20). And may he not denounce many now for their impenitence? Though God's heart is broken with their sins—yet their hearts are not broken. They say, as Israel did, "I love foreign gods, and I must go after them!" (Jer 2:25).
The justice of God, like the angel, stands with a drawn sword in its hand, ready to strike—but sinners have not eyes as good as those of Balaam's donkey to see the sword! God smites on men's backs—but they do not, as Ephraim did, smite upon their thigh (Jer 31:19). It was a sad complaint the prophet took up: "you have stricken them—but they have not grieved" (Jer 5:3). That is surely reprobate silver which becomes harder in the furnace. "When trouble came to King Ahaz, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord" (2 Chron 28:22).
A hard heart is a dwelling for Satan. As God has two places he dwells in—heaven and a humble heart; so the devil has two places he dwells in—hell and a hard heart. It is not falling into water which drowns—but lying in it. It is not falling into sin which damns—but lying in it without repentance: "having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Tim 4:2). Hardness of heart results at last in the conscience being seared. Men have silenced their consciences, and God has seared them. And now he lets them sin and does not punish them, "Why should you be beaten any more?" (Isa 1:5) —as a father stops correcting a child whom he intends to disinherit.
(1) Repentance is necessary for GREAT people: "Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves" (Jer. 13:18). The king of Nineveh and his nobles changed their robes for sackcloth ( Jon. 3:6). Great men's sins do more hurt than the sins of others. The sins of leaders are leading sins, therefore they of all others have need to repent. If such as hold the scepter repent not, God has appointed a day to judge them—and a fire to burn them! (Isaiah 30:33).
(2) Repentance is necessary for the FLAGITIOUS sinners in the nation. England needs to put itself in mourning and be humbled by solemn repentance. What horrible impieties are chargeable upon the nation! We see people daily listing themselves under Satan. Not only the banks of religion—but those of civility, are broken down. Men seem to contend, as the Jews of old, who should be most wicked. "It is the filth and corruption of your lewdness and idolatry. And now, because I tried to cleanse you but you refused, you will remain filthy until my fury against you has been satisfied" (Ezek. 24:13). If oaths and drunkenness, if perjury and luxury will make a people guilty, then it is to be feared that England is in God's black book. Men have cancelled their vow in baptism and made a private contract with the devil! Instead of crying to mercy to save them, they cry, "God damn us!" Never was there such riding posthaste to hell—as if men despaired of getting there in time. They have boasted how many they have debauched and made drunk. Thus "they declare their sin as Sodom" (Isaiah 3:9). Indeed, men's sins are grown daring, as if they would hang out their flag of defiance against God—like the Thracians who, when it thunders, gather together in a body and shoot their arrows against heaven. "For they have clenched their fists against God, defying the Almighty. Holding their strong shields, they defiantly charge against him." (Job 15:25-26). They are desperate in sin—and run furiously against God.
Oh to what a height is sin boiled up! Men count it a shame not to be impudent. May it not be said of us, as Josephus speaks of the Jews. Such was the excessive wickedness of those times, that if the Romans had not come and sacked their city, Jerusalem would have been swallowed up with some earthquake, or drowned with a flood, or consumed with fire from heaven. And is it not high time then for England to enter into a course of remedy, and take this pill of repentance, which has so many vile sins spreading in her? England is an island encompassed by two oceans, an ocean of water—and an ocean of wickedness. O that it might be encompassed with a third ocean—that of repenting tears!
If the book of the law chances to fall upon the ground, the Jews have a custom presently to proclaim a fast. England has let both law and gospel fall to the ground, therefore needs to fast and mourn before the Lord. The ephah of wickedness seems to be full. There is good reason for tears to fall apace, when sin fills so fast! Why then, are the wells of repentance stopped up? Do not the sinners of the land know that they should repent? Have they no warning? Have not God's faithful messengers lifted up their voice as a trumpet—and cried to them to repent? But many of these tools in the ministry have been spent and worn out upon rocky hearts. Has not God blessed us with many preachers to call men to repentance—but still they are settled on their lees (Zeph. 1:12)? Do we think that God will always put up with our affronts? Will he endure thus to have his name and glory trampled upon? The Lord has usually been more swift in the process of his justice, against the sins of a professing people. I say therefore with Bradford, "Repent, O England!" You have belepered yourself with sin, and must needs go and wash in the spiritual Jordan. You have kindled God's anger against you. Throw away your weapons, and bring your holy tears of repentance, that God may be appeased in the blood of Christ. Let your tears run—or God's scroll of curses will fly (Zech. 5:2). Either men must turn—or God will overturn. Either the fallow ground of their hearts must be broken up—or the land broken down. If no words will prevail with sinners, it is because God has a purpose to slay them (1 Sam. 2:25). Those who, by their prodigious sins have so far incensed the God of heaven that he denies them the tears of repentance, may look upon themselves as condemned people.
(3) Repentance is necessary for the CHEATING crew. "They are wise to do evil" ( Jer. 4:22), making use of their invention only for circumvention. Instead of living by their faith, they live by their shifts. These are those who make themselves poor so that by this artifice they may grow rich. I would not be misunderstood. I do not mean such as the providence of God has brought low, whose estates have failed, but not their honesty—but rather such as feign a break, that they may cheat their creditors. There are some who get more by breaking than others can by trading. These are like beggars that discolor and blister their arms—that they may move others to charity. As they live by their sores, so these live by their breaking. When the frost breaks, the streets are more full of water. Likewise, many tradesmen, when they break, are fuller of money. These make as if they had nothing—but out of this nothing great estates are created. Remember, the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, not by fraud.
Let men know that after this golden sop, the devil enters. They squeeze a curse into their estates. They must repent quickly. Though the bread of falsehood is sweet (Proverbs 20:17)—yet many vomit up their sweet morsels in hell!
(4) Repentance is necessary for MORAL people. These have no visible spots on them. They are free from gross sin, and one would think they had nothing to do with the business of repentance. They are so good, that they scorn God's offer of mercy. Indeed these are often in the worst condition: these are they who think they need no repentance (Luke 15:7). Their morality undoes them. They make a "savior" of it, and so on this rock they suffer shipwreck. Morality shoots short of heaven. It is only nature refined. A moral man is but old Adam dressed in fine clothes. The king's image counterfeited and stamped upon brass will not go current. The moral person seems to have the image of God—but he is only brass metal, which will never pass for current. Morality is insufficient for salvation. Though the life is moralized, the lust may be unmortified. The heart may be full of pride and atheism. Under the fair leaves of a tree, there may be a worm.
I am not saying, repent that you are moral—but that you are no more than moral. Satan entered into the house that had just been swept and garnished (Luke 11:26). This is the emblem of a moral man, who is swept by civility and garnished with common gifts—but is not washed by true repentance. The unclean spirit enters into such a one. If morality were sufficient to salvation, Christ need not have died. The moral man has a fair lamp—but it lacks the oil of grace.
(5) Repentance is needful for HYPOCRITES. I mean such as allow themselves in the sin. Hypocrisy is the counterfeiting of sanctity. The hypocrite or stage-player has gone a step beyond the moralist, and dressed himself in the garb of religion. He pretends to a form of godliness, but denies the power (2 Tim. 3:5). The hypocrite is a saint in disquise. He makes a magnificent show, like an ape clothed in fine purple. The hypocrite is like a house with a beautiful facade—but every room within is dark. He is a rotten post, which is beautifully pointed over. Under his mask of profession, he hides his plague-sores.
The hypocrite is against painting of faces—but he has but painted holiness. He is seemingly good—so that he may be really bad. In Samuel's mantle, he plays the devil. Therefore the same word in the original signifies to use hypocrisy—and to be profane. The hypocrite appears to have his eyes lifted to heaven—but his heart is full of impure lustings. He lives in secret sin against his conscience. He can be as his company is, and act both the dove and the vulture. He hears the word—but is all ear. He is for temple-devotion, where others may look upon him and admire him—but he neglects family and closet prayer. Indeed, if prayer does not make a man leave sin—sin will make him leave prayer. The hypocrite feigns humility—but it is that he may rise in the world. He is a pretender to faith—but he makes use of it rather for a cloak than a shield. He carries his Bible under his arm—but not in his heart! His whole religion is a sly lie (Hos 11:12).
But is there such a generation of men to be found? The Lord forgive them their painted holiness! Hypocrites are "in the gall of bitterness" (Acts 8:23). O how they need to humble themselves in the dust! They are far gone with their disease, and if anything can cure them, it must be feeding upon the salt marshes of repentance. Let me speak my mind freely. None will find it more difficult to repent—than hypocrites. They have so juggled in religion, that their treacherous hearts know not how to repent. Hypocrisy is harder to cure than insanity. The hypocrite's abscess in his heart, seldom breaks.
Such as are guilty of prevailing hypocrisy, let them fear and tremble. Their condition is sinful and sad. It is sinful because they do not embrace religion out of choice but design; they do not love it, only pretend it. It is sad upon a double account.
Firstly, because this art of deceit cannot hold long; he who hangs out a sign of holiness—but has not the commodity of grace in his heart—must needs break at last!
Secondly, because God's anger will fall heavier upon hypocrites. They dishonor God more and take away the gospel's good name. Therefore the Lord reserves the most deadly arrows in his quiver to shoot at them. If heathen are damned, hypocrites shall be double-damned. Hell is called the place of hypocrites (Matt. 24:51), as if it were chiefly prepared for them.
(6) Repentance is necessary for God's own people, who have a real work of grace. They must offer up a daily sacrifice of tears. The Antinomians hold that when any come to be believers, they have a writ of ease, and there remains nothing for them now to do but to rejoice. Yes, they have something else to do, and that is to repent. Repentance is a continuous act. The outlet of godly sorrow, must not be quite stopped until death. Jerome, writing in a letter to Laeta, tells her that her life must be a life of repentance. Repentance is called crucifying the flesh (Gal. 5:24), which is not done on all at once—but continuously, all our life. And are there not many reasons why God's own people should go into the weeping bath? "Are there not with you, even with you—sins against the Lord?" (2 Chron. 28:10). Have not you sins of daily living? Though you are diamonds, you still have flaws. Do we not read of the 'spot of God's children" (Deut. 32:5). Search with the candle of the Word into your hearts—and see if you can find no matter for repentance there!
(a) Repent of your rash censuring. Instead of praying for others, you are ready to pass a verdict upon them. It is true that the saints snail judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2)—but wait your time; remember the apostle's caution in 1 Corinthians 4:5: "judge nothing before the time, wait until the Lord comes".
(b) Repent of your vain thoughts. These swarm in your minds as the flies did in Pharaoh's court (Exod. 8:24). What bewilderings there are in the imagination! If Satan does not possess your bodies, he does your imaginations. "How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?" (Jer. 4:14). A man may think himself into hell. O you saints, be humbled for this lightness in your head.
(c) Repent of your vain fashions. It is strange that the garments which God has given to cover shame—should reveal pride! The godly are bid not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). People of the world are garish and mirthful in their dresses. It is in fashion nowadays—to go to hell. But whatever others do—yet let not Judah offend (Hos. 4:15). The apostle Paul has set down what outer garment Christians must wear: "modest apparel" (1 Tim. 2:9); and what undergarment: "be clothed with humility" (1 Pet. 5:5).
(d) Repent of your decays in grace. "You have left your first love" (Rev. 2:4). Christians, how often is it low water in your souls! How often does coldness of heart come upon you! Where are those flames of affection, those sweet meltings of spirit—which you once had? I fear they are melted away. Oh repent for leaving your first love!
(e) Repent of your non-improvement of talents. Health is a talent; estate is a talent; wit and abilities are talents; and these God has entrusted you with, to improve for his glory. He has sent you into the world as a merchant sends his steward beyond the seas to trade for his advantage—but you have not done the good you might. Can you say, "Master, your talent has earned five more talents" (Luke 19:18)? O mourn at the burial of your talents! Let it grieve you that so much of your life has not been time lived but time lost; that you have filled up your golden hours more with froth than with devotion.
(f) Repent of your forgetfulness of sacred vows. A vow is a binding one's soul to God (Num. 30:2). Christians, have you not served for common uses after you have been the Lord's by solemn dedication? Thus, by breach of vows, you have made a breach in your peace. Surely this calls for a fresh laver of tears.
(g) Repent of your unanswerableness to blessings received. You have lived all your life upon free grace. You have been bemiracled with mercy. But where are your returns of love to God? The Athenians would have ungrateful people sued at law. Christians, may not God sue you at law—for your unthankfulness? "I will recover my wool and my flax" (Hos. 2:9); I will recover them by law.
(h) Repent of your worldliness. By your profession you seem to resemble the birds of paradise—which soar aloft and live upon the dew of heaven. Yet as serpents you lick the dust! Baruch, a good man, was taxed with this: "do you seek great things for yourself?" (Jer. 45:5).
(i) Repent of your divisions. These are a blot in your coat of armor, and make others stand aloof from true religion. Indeed, to separate from the wicked, resembles Christ, who was "separate from sinners" (Heb. 63 7:26). But for the godly to divide among themselves, and look askew one upon another—had we as many eyes as there are stars, they were few enough to weep for this! Divisions eclipse the church's beauty and weaken her strength. God's Spirit brought in cloven tongues among the saints (Acts 2:3)—but the devil has brought in cloven hearts. Surely this deserves a shower of tears!
(j) Repent for the iniquity of your holy things. How often have the services of God's worship been frozen with formality and soured with pride? There have been more of the peacock's plumes—than the moans of the dove. It is sad that pious duties should be made a stage for vainglory to act upon. O Christians, there is such a thick crust upon your duties, that it is to be feared there is but little substance left in them for God to feed upon. Behold here repenting work, cut out for the best. And that which may make the tide of grief swell higher, is to think that the sins of God's people do more provoke God, than do the sins of others (Deut. 32:19). The sins of the wicked pierce Christ's side. The sins of the godly go to his heart! Peter's sin, being against so much love, was most unkind, which made his cheeks to be furrowed with tears: "When he thought about it, he began to weep" (Mark 14:72).
Original sin may be compared to that fish Pliny speaks of, which cleaves to the keel of the ship and hinders it when it is under sail. Sin hangs weights upon us—so that we move but slowly to heaven. O this adherence of sin! Paul shook the viper which was on his hand into the fire (Acts 28:5)—but we cannot shake off original corruption in this life. Sin does not come as a lodger for a night—but as an indweller: "sin which dwells in me" (Romans 7:17). It is with us as with one who has a cancer in him; though he changes the air—yet still he carries his disease with him. Original sin is inexhaustible. This ocean cannot be emptied. Though we sin much—yet the stock of sin is not at all diminished. The more we sin—the fuller we are of sin. Original corruption is like the widow's oil—which increased by pouring out.
Another wedge to break our hearts, is that original sin mixes with the very habits of grace. Hence it is that our actings towards heaven are so dull and languid. Why does faith act no stronger—but because it is clogged by sin? Why does love to God burn no purer—but because it is hindered with lust? Original sin mixes with our graces. As bad lungs cause shortness of breath—so original sin having infected our heart, our graces breathe now very faintly. Thus we see much in original sin, which may draw forth our tears.
In particular, let us lament the corruption of our will and our affections. Let us mourn for the corruption of our will. The will, not following the dictates of right reason, is biased to evil. The will has a distaste for God, not as he is good—but as he is holy. It contumaciously affronts him: "We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like!" (Jer. 44:17). The greatest wound has fallen upon our will.
Let us grieve for the corruption of our affections. They are taken off from their proper object. The affections, like faulty arrows, shoot beside the mark. At the beginning, our affections were wings to fly to God; now they are weights to pull us away from him. Let us grieve for the sinful inclination of our affections. Our love is set on sin—our joy on the creature. Our affections, like the lapwing, feed on dung. How justly may the corruption of our affections bear a part in the scene of our grief? We of ourselves are falling into hell, and our affections would thrust us there.
Let us lay to heart actual sins. Of these I may say, "Who can understand his errors?" (Psalm 19:12). They are like sparks of a furnace. We have sinned in our eyes; they have been conduits to let in vanity. We have sinned in our tongues; they have been fired with passion. What action proceeds from us—wherein we do not betray some sin? To compute all these, would outnumber the drops in the ocean. Let actual sins be solemnly repented of, before the Lord.
They say that tears have four qualities: they are hot, moist, salty, and bitter. It is true of repenting tears. They are hot, to warm a frozen conscience; moist, to soften a hard heart; salty, to season a soul putrefying in sin; bitter, to wean us from the love of the world. And I will add a fifth. They are sweet, in that they make the heart inwardly rejoice "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy!" (John 16:20). "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." (2 Corinthians 6:10)
"Let a man," said Augustine, "grieve for his sin and rejoice for his grief." Tears are the best sweetmeats. David, who was the great weeper in Israel, was the sweet singer of Israel. The sorrows of the penitent are like the sorrows of a woman giving birth: "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world" (John 16:21). So the sorrows of humbled sinners bring forth grace, and what joy there is when this child is born!
"Oh—but my sins are sinful beyond measure!" Do not make them greater, by not repenting. Repentance unravels sin and makes it as if it had never been. "Oh—but I have relapsed into sin after pardon, and surely there is no mercy for me!" The children of God have relapsed into the same sin: Abraham did twice equivocate; Lot committed incest twice; Asa, a good king—yet sinned twice by creature-confidence, and Peter twice by carnal fear (Matt. 26:70; Gal. 2:12). But for the comfort of such as have relapsed into sin more than once, if they solemnly repent, a white flag of mercy shall be held forth to them.
Christ commands us to forgive our trespassing brother seventy times seven in one day, if he repents (Matt. 18:22). If the Lord bids us do it, will not he be much more ready to forgive upon our repentance? What is our forgiving mercy, compared to his? This I speak not to encourage any impenitent sinner—but to comfort a despondent sinner that thinks it is in vain for him to repent and that he is excluded from mercy.
O Christian, what are your duties—compared to the recompense of reward? What an infinite disproportion is there between repentance enjoined—and glory prepared? There was a feast-day at Rome, when they used to crown their fountains. God will crown those heads which have been fountains of tears. Who would not be willing to be a while in the house of mourning—who shall be possessed of such glory as put Peter and John into an ecstasy to see it even darkly shadowed and portrayed in the transfiguration! (Matt. 17) This reward which free grace gives, is so transcendently great that could we have but a glimpse of glory revealed to us here, we would need patience to be content to live any longer. O blessed repentance, that has such a great light side—with the small dark side; and has so much sugar—at the bottom of the bitter cup!
A hard heart receives no impression. Oh the plague of an obdurate heart! Pharaoh's heart turned into stone—was worse than his waters turned into blood. David had his choice of three judgments plague, sword, and famine—but he would have chosen them all rather than a hard heart. An impenitent sinner is neither allured by entreaties nor affrighted by menaces. Such as will not weep with Peter—shall weep like Judas! A hard heart is the anvil—on which the hammer of God's justice will be striking to all eternity!
It is natural to us to procrastinate and put off repentance. We say, as Haggai did, "The time is not yet come" (Hag. 1:2). No man is so bad, but he purposes and intends to repent—but he procrastinates so long, until at last all his purposes and intentions prove abortive. Many are now in hell—who purposed and intended to repent!
Satan does what he can to keep men from repentance. When he sees that they begin to take up serious thoughts of repentance, he bids them "wait a little longer." "If this traitor, sin, must die" (says Satan), "let it not die yet." So the devil gets a reprieve for sin; it shall not die at present. At last men put off repentance so long—that death seizes on them, and their work is not done! Let me therefore lay down some effective arguments to persuade to speedy repentance:
1. Now is the season of repentance—and everything is best done in its season. "Now is the accepted time" (2 Cor. 6:2); now God has a mind to show mercy to the penitent. He is on the giving hand. Kings set apart days for healing. Now is the healing day for our souls. Now God hangs forth the white flag and is willing to parley with sinners. A prince at his coronation, as an act of royalty—gives money, proclaims pardons, fills the conduits with wine. Now God promises pardons to penitent sinners. Now the conduit of the gospel runs wine. Now is the accepted time. Therefore come in now and make your peace with God. Break off your iniquities now by repentance. It is wisdom to take the season. The farmer takes the season for sowing his seed. Now is the seedtime for our souls.
2. The sooner you repent—the fewer sins you will have to answer for. At the deathbed of an old sinner, where conscience begins to be awakened, you will hear him crying out: "Here are all my old sins come about me, haunting my deathbed as so many evil spirits—and I have no forgiveness! Here is Satan, who was once my tempter, now become an accuser—and I have no advocate; I am now going to be dragged before God's judgment seat where I must receive my final doom!" O how dismal is the case of this man. He is in hell—before his time! But you who repent early of your sinful courses, this is your privilege—you will have the less to answer for. Indeed, let me tell you, you will have nothing to answer for. Christ will answer for you. Your judge will be your advocate (1 John 2:1). "Father," Christ will say, "here is one that has been a great sinner—yet a broken-hearted sinner; if he owes anything to your justice, charge it to my account!"
3. The sooner we repent, the more glory we may bring to God. It is the purpose of our living—to be useful in our generation. Better lose our lives—than the purpose of our living. Late converts who have for many years taken pay on the devil's side, are not in a capacity of doing so much work in the vineyard. The thief on the cross could not do that service for God—as Paul did. But when we turn early from sin, then we give God the first fruits of our lives. We spend and are spent for Christ. The more work we do for God—the more willing we shall be to die—and the sweeter death will be. He who has wrought hard at his labor is willing to go to rest at night. Such as have been honoring God all their lives, how sweetly will they sleep in the grave! The more work we do for God—the greater will our reward be. He whose pound had gained ten pounds, Christ did not only commend him—but advance him: "you will be governor of ten cities as your reward" (Luke 19:17). By late repentance, though we do not lose our crown—yet we make it lighter.
4. It is of dangerous consequence to put off repentance longer. It is dangerous, if we consider what sin is. Sin is a poison—it is dangerous to let poison lie long in the body. Sin is a bruise. If a bruise is not soon cured, it gangrenes and kills. Just so, if sin is not soon cured by repentance, it festers the conscience and damns! Why should any love to dwell in the tents of wickedness? They are under the power of Satan (Acts 26:18), and it is dangerous to stay long in the enemy's quarters.
It is dangerous to procrastinate repentance because the longer any go on in sin the harder they will find the work of repentance. Delay strengthens sin—and hardens the heart—and gives the devil fuller possession. A tree at first may be easily plucked up—but when it has spread its roots deep in the earth, a whole team cannot remove it. It is hard to remove sin when once it comes to be rooted. The longer the ice freezes—the harder it is to be broken. The longer a man freezes in sin—the harder it will be to have his heart broken. The longer any travail with iniquity—the sharper pangs they must expect in the new birth. When sin has long been fastened in the heart—it is not easily shaken off. Sin comes to a sinner as the elder brother came to his father: "I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders" (Luke 15:29), and will you cast me off now? What, in my old age, after you have had so much pleasure by me? See how sin pleads custom, and that is a leopard's spot (Jer. 13:23 ). It is dangerous to procrastinate and delay repentance because there are three days which may soon expire:
(1) The day of the GOSPEL may expire. This is a sunshiny day. It is sweet, but swift. Jerusalem had a day but lost it: "but now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42). The Asian churches had a gospel day—but at last the golden candlestick was removed. It would be a sad time in England to see the glory departed. With what hearts could we follow the gospel to the grave? To lose the gospel were far worse than to have our freedom taken from us. "Gray hairs are here and there" (Hos. 7:9). I will not say the sun of the gospel has set in England—but I am sure it is under a cloud. That was a sad speech, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you" (Matt. 21:43). Therefore it is dangerous to delay repentance, lest the market of the gospel should depart, and the vision cease.
(2) A man's personal day of GRACE may expire. What if that time should come, when God should say the means of grace shall do no good: that ordinances shall have "a miscarrying womb and dry breasts" (Hos. 9:14)? Were it not sad to adjourn repentance until such a decree came forth? It is true, no man can justly tell that his day of grace is past—but there are two helpful signs by which he may fear it:
(a) When conscience has done preaching. Conscience is a bosom-preacher. Sometimes it convinces, sometimes it reproves. It says, as Nathan to David, "You are the man!" (2 Sam. 12:7). But men imprison this preacher, and God says to conscience, "Preach no more! He who is filthy, let him be filthy still!" (Rev. 22:11). This is a fatal sign that a man's day of grace is past.
(b) When a person is in such a spiritual lethargy that nothing will work upon him or make him sensible. There is "the spirit of deep sleep poured out upon you" (Isaiah 29:10). This is a sad presage that his day of grace is past. How dangerous then is it to delay repentance when the day of grace may so soon expire!
(3) The day of LIFE may expire. What security have we—that we shall live another day? We are marching rapidly out of the world. We are going off the stage. Our life is a candle, which is soon blown out. Man's life is compared to the flower of the field, which withers sooner than the grass (Psalm 103:15). "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro." (Psalm 39:4-6). Life is but a flying shadow. The body is like a vessel filled with a little breath. Sickness broaches this vessel; death draws it out. O how soon may the scene alter! Many a virgin has been dressed the same day in her bride-apparel, and her winding-sheet! How dangerous then is it to adjourn repenting when death may so suddenly make a thrust at us.
Say not that you will repent tomorrow. Remember that speech of Aquinas: "God who pardons him who repents—has not promised to give him tomorrow to repent in." I have read of Archias, who was feasting among his cups, when one delivered him a letter and desired him to read the letter immediately, for it was of serious business. He replied, "I will mind serious things tomorrow"; and that day he was slain. Thus while men think to spin out their silver thread, death cuts it. Olaus Magnus observes of the birds of Norway, that they fly faster than the birds of any other country. Not that their wings are swifter than others—but by an instinct of nature they, knowing the days in that climate to be very short, not above three hours long, do therefore make the more haste to their nests. So we, knowing the shortness of our lives and how quickly we may be called away by death—should fly so much the faster on the wing of repentance to heaven!
But some will say that they do not fear a sudden death; they will repent upon their deathbed. I do not much like a deathbed repentance. He who will venture his salvation within the circle of a few short minutes, runs a desperate hazard. You who put off repentance until your deathbed, answer me to these four queries:
(a) How do you know that you shall have a time of sickness? Death does not always give its warning, by a lingering illness. Some it arrests suddenly. What if God should presently send you a summons to surrender your life?
(b) Suppose you should have a time of sickness, how do you know that you shall have the use of your senses? Most are demented, on their deathbed.
(c) Suppose you should have your senses—yet how do you know your mind will be in a frame for such a work as repentance? Sickness does so discompose body and mind, that one is in no condition, at such a time, to take care for his soul. In sickness a man is scarcely fit to make his will, much less to make his peace with God! The apostle said, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church" (James 5:14). He does not say, let him pray—but let him call for the elders, that they may pray over him. A sick man is very unfit to pray or repent; he is likely to make but sick work of it. When the body is out of tune, the soul must needs jar in its devotion. Upon a sick bed a person is more fit to exercise impatience than repentance. We read that at the pouring out of the fourth vial, when God did smite the inhabitants and scorched them with fire, that "they blasphemed the name of God, and repented not" (Rev. 16:9). So when the Lord pours out his vial and scorches the body with a fever—the sinner is fitter to blaspheme than to repent!
(d) How do you who put off all to a deathbed, know that God will give you in that very juncture of time, grace to repent? The Lord usually punishes neglect of repentance in time of health—with hardness of heart in time of sickness. You have in your lifetime repulsed the Spirit of God, and are you sure that he will come at your call? You have not taken the first season, and perhaps you shall never see another springtide of the Spirit again. All this considered may hasten our repentance. Do not lay too much weight upon a deathbed. "Do your best to come before winter" (2 Tim. 4:21). There is a winter of sickness and death a-coming. Therefore make haste to repent. Let your work be ready before winter. "Today, if you hear his voice--do not harden your hearts" (Heb. 3:7-8).
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