Miscellanea, or, A mixture of choyce observations and institutions, moral, and divine, composed for private use being the product of spare hours, and the meditations of J.H.

CHAP. LXXXI.

DEfer not thy Repentance, lest thou be denyed Par∣don.

Late Repentance is seldom true. He that hath promised thee pardon upon thy repen∣tance, hath not promised life till thou repent; and every day thy Repentance is defer∣red, thou hast a day more to Repent of, and a day less to repent in. 'Tis folly beyond ex∣pression, while the Ship is sound, the tackling sure, the Pilot well, the Saylors strong, the Gale favourable, and the Sea calm, to lye idle at road, carding, dicing, drinking, burn∣ing seasonable weather; and when the Ship leaks, the Pilot is sick, the Marriners faint, the storm boysterous, and the Sea tumultuous, then to lanch forth, and hoyst up sayl for a

voyage into far Countries. Such is the skill and case of e∣vening repenters, who in the morning of youth, soundness of health, and perfect use of reason, will not weigh Anchor, hoyst up Sail, and cut the Ca∣bles that with-hold them from seeking God, but feed themselves with a fond per∣swasion that when their rea∣son is distracted, their senses astonied, all the powers of their mind and parts of their body distempered, they shall leap into heaven with a Lord have mercy upon us in their mouths, and become Saints at their death, who have de∣meaned themselves like De∣vils all their life. But think

not if thou serve Satan, and thy youthful lusts, with full dishes; that God will accept the ab∣ject scraps of old age. 'Tis ea∣sier to pass the Foard in the morning when the water is low, then in the evening when the banks are full. By delay thy account is encreased, thy debt augmented, thy enemy grows stronger, thy self the more enfeebled, and all the difficulties of conversion dai∣ly more and more multiplied upon thee.