hearts. For if we keep a fecret reserve for any fin, our heart is given but by halves to God, and is not whole with him.

Thus muft our penitential purposes be full and entire with God, not sticking at any thing he has enjoined, nor allowing of any thing his law forbids. And therefore thofe refolvers must not think they have finifhed, but only begun the work, who have not renounced all, but only the greatest part, and ftill referve themselves for fome particular fins, which are deeprooted in their natural tempers, or closely interwoven with their way of life and bufinefs; yea, or for fome particular times and acts of any fin, refolving against it in all cafes fave only when it is powerfully recommended by fome great temptations : whilft they refolve thus by halves, they muft needs perform and obey by halves

2

too.

A THIRD qualification of a purpofe of repentance muft be, to forfake fin, not only hereafter, but instantly and now at prefent. When men's confciences are afF 2 frighted

frighted with the sense of their fins, and are made to see the neceffity of repentance; yet thinking that they may repent at any time, and defiring to enjoy the pleasures of fin as long as they can, they will venture to fin on for fome time, and refolve afterwards to repent. They will ferve their vices whilft they are in health, and amend when they come upon their fickbeds; they will enjoy all the liberties of fin in the vigorous days of youth, and grow feverely virtuous when they are bowed down by the infirmities of old age. Or if they are afraid to defer the work of reformation fo long, left in the mean time death prevent them; yet will they venture ftill to put it off a little longer, and not set about it fuddenly, but delay it till the next facrament, or till fome folemn time

come.

But now as to this dilatoriness in men's penitential purposes; fo far is it from being an act of true repentance, that indeed it is only an art and subterfuge for men's impenitence. For whilft we resolve only to repent hereafter, it is plain we intend

to

to continue wicked ftill at prefent; nay, what is more, we are in very great danger, when that future time is come, to continue wicked then alfo. For if we delay it till death or fickness feize us, in all likelihood, we shall neither have time, nor power, for it. And if we put it off till old age, we shall then have far greater difficulties, and much less strength to fet about it. Nay, if we defer it to any time yet abfent, befides our dying in the mean season, which may prevent our doing what we intend, we shall find as great, or greater hinderances then, than we do now.

If we delay it, I fay, till death and ficknefs feize us, in all likelihood we fhall have neither time nor power for it. The alteration of a whole life, and long courfe of fin, requires much time, and a vigorous and diligent application. We cannot retrench our finful habits, but by an oppofite courfe and ufage. We cannot turn the bias of our natures, and the bent of our corrupt inclinations, but by ftrong and frequent exercise. When we have a whole life to alter and reform, and muft mortify many

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many evil inclinations, and acquire as many virtues, which are oppofite and repugnant thereunto; we have a long and studious work that lies upon us, and that requires both much time, and much freedom, and fitness in all our faculties. And how can we expect that upon our death-bed? For then our time is fhort, and all our faculties enfeebled and oppreffed, which utterly unfits them to be held either much or long employed. So that if we delay our repentance till death feize us, in all proba bility we shall never thoroughly repent at all.

Again, if we delay our repentance till old age; we shall have then far greater difficulties, and much lefs ftrength to fet about it.

The difficulty which we have to conquer, will then be greater. For by our continuance in fin, all those things are strengthened and confirmed, which make our return difficult; for all our finful habits are confirmed by practice, and all our natural defires are heightened by indulgence; fo that our continuance doth

nothing

nothing elfe, but add to the disease, and make it harder to be cured afterwards.

And as it heightens the difficulties, fo it impairs our aids, and leaves us much lefs ftrength to fet about amendment. For by every repetition of an evil action, our confcience of its guilt is the more extinguished, and the good Spirit of God is the more alienated from us, and provoked the more to withdraw himself, and abandon us; and our own confcience, and God's grace, are the very things, which must recover us out of our finful state, if ever we do recover out of it. So that to defer repenting to old age, is only to put it off, till we have contracted the greatest spiritual weakness, and till fin is grown moft strong and powerful in us; which is not the way to reclaim us from, but to fecure us faft in wickedness.

Nay, if we would not defer repenting till our death-bed, nor till we are grown old, but only till the next facrament, or fome other time yet diftant; yet even of this delay I muft obferve, that befides our dying in the mean feafon, which may pre

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vent