He offereth, he calls, he woos, he invites, he prays, he beseeches us in this day of his grace to be reconciled to him; yea, and has provided for us the means of reconciliation himself. Now, this despised must needs be provoking; and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But some man may say unto me, Fain I would be saved, fain I would be saved by Christ; but I fear this day of grace is past, and that I shall perish, notwithstanding the exceeding riches of the grace of God.
_Answer_. To this doubt I would answer several things.
_First_, With respect to the day; that is, whether it be ended with a man or no.
1. Art thou jogged, and shaken and molested at the hearing of the Word? Is thy conscience awakened and convinced then that thou art at present in a perishing state, and that thou hast need to cry to God for mercy? This is a hopeful sign that this day of grace is not past with thee. For usually they that are past grace, are also, in their conscience, past feeling, being “seared with an hot iron;” Eph. iv. 18, 19; 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2.
Consequently, those past grace must be such as are denied the awakening fruits of the Word preached. “The dead that hear,” says Christ, “shall live;” at least while Christ has not quite done with them; the day of God’s patience is not at an end with them; John v. 25.
2. Is there in thy more retired condition, arguings, strugglings, and strivings with thy spirit to persuade thee of the vanity of what vain things thou lovest, and to win thee in thy soul to a choice of Christ Jesus and his heavenly things? Take heed and rebel not, for the day of God’s grace and patience will not be past with thee till he saith his “Spirit shall strive no more” with thee; for then the woe comes, when “he shall depart from them;” and when he says to the means of grace, “Let them alone;” Hos. iv. 17; chap. ix. 12.
3. Art thou visited in the night-seasons with dreams about thy state, and that thou art in danger of being lost? Hast thou heart-shaken apprehensions when deep sleep is upon thee, of hell, death, and judgment to come? These are signs that God has not wholly left thee, or cast thee behind his back for ever. “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose (his sinful purposes) and hide pride from man;” Job xxxiii. 14–17.