JER. 18. 11.
THe Prophets Commission consisted of two parts, The first Instruction. The second Exhortation. We are upon this latter, and in it are observed 1. The duty, Return; the nature of which hath been already discussed. 2. The time now, Return now. 3. The term from which, with the approprition of it, Every man from his evill way. 4. The extent also of it, From your evil doings. The next thing in our method to be handled is, the time when this duty must be set upon, and that is now Turn ye now.
From whence Observe, That Conversion or turning unto God, is a duty required at the present time. Thus in other places parallel in the margent, where this duty is often commanded; still the time is prefixed now, Return ye now.
For opening of this necessary practical point, Consider1
First, That it is a very prone inbred thing in a man to procrastinate, and still to put off the day of repentance, and conversion to God. He resolveth, and he purposeth, and he hopes in God to do it, and God gives him grace to do it, but he never sets upon the work. Do but commune with your own hearts, and see if there be not something or other ready alwaies to stifle and kill those purposes to return and so thou art alwaies delaying, and delaying, hoping for a time at last, till it may be thou fallest into the grave, and so all thy hopes cut off. Now the causes of this delay to turn to God, may be several: Sometimes it may come from sluggishnesse and2 idlnesse: Even as the sluggard hath a desire to eat, but he tolleth himself on the bed, and saith, Yet a little sleep, and a little slumber, and so he refuseth to set his hand to work. Thus it is here, he desireth to part with his corruptions, to sin no more, but then he cryeth a little more ease; so much praying, so much hearing, so much humiliation, so much fervencie and violence is very tedious to him: The kingdome of heaven is to be got by violence, Mat. 11. 12. and the way to heaven, is striving, runinng in a race, wrestling and combating, all which the idle man will never doe.
A second cause is, Dear, and excessive love to the lusts we live in, when we have at3 the same time some conviction, and yet strong corruptions. Conviction that it is high time for us to break off our sins by repentance, and yet strong corruptions do so entice us, and perswade us, that we are not able to break these bonds, and cast them asunder, then conversion is delayed. Thus Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian, Act. 26. 28. but yet his present lusts with-held him.
The third Cause of delay to turn unto God may be, the immoderate and excessive love, and cares of the things of this world. Those are apt to surfet, and over-charge the4 heart: this dust got into the eye, is apt to blinde them. Thus the young man that seemed so forward, when he was bid to sell all, could not bear that Doctrine, but went away very sorrowful, Mat. 19. 22.
A fourth Cause, may be recovery out of some dangers, diseases, or calamities that we were in. The Israelites often turned unto God, but they proved deceitful, they went5 backward, as well as forward, and what was the matter? They would turn to God from violent fears that were upon them; they then cryed, and mourned, and prayed unto the Lord; but this fountain presently dryed up when a sun-shine day came. So that prosperity and freedom from trouble, makes a man pur off his resolutions, as much as ever he put them on in times of adversitie. Thus you see what are the causes that may make men use that Corvinumcras, as Austin calls it, The Crows note, Cras, to morrow, to morrow.
- Consider, that it is an high, and a very grievous sin, for a man obstinately and6 formally to have this expression, I will turn to God, but not yet. I say to have this formally, and not with attention to it, it argueth very great rebellion, for it supposeth light in thee; thou seest thy self out of the way, thou seest thy self undone, and wandring in waies to hell, yet thy rebellion against this light is so great and manifest, that thou wilt oppose it: besides it argueth much contempt; for if thou didst highly prize God, and his favours, thou wouldst immediately forsake all other things, and cleave to him.