THe Doctrine that this Text offered to us , was this :

If in seeking the Lord we would not miss of success , we must not miss the season thereof .

We must not seek him at our own pleasure or leifure , nor in our own loytering pace ; but if we would speed in seeking , we must seek with speed , and in the time of his appointment , that time which he makes a season .

Reas . 1. We can never seek the Lord too soon ▪ but we may too late .

Reas : 2. It is fit God should appoint the time of our seeking and finding , because what he doth for us he doth freely , he gives as a Dole , and not payes as a Debt , and we receiving all of grace as Beggars , may not chuse . A rich man indeed that hath it by him , may eat when he hath a minde ; but the poor man must eat when he can get it , and is glad to have his Alms at any time , the time that his good Master chuseth . And the Lord can best chuse the fittest time , because of his Infinite Wisdome , which is sufficient to silence the prattle and exceptions of foolish man .

USE I. For Information .

1. We must therefore seek the Lord with desire , design , and hope of finding .

2. See we how cross we are to God , to set our season and convenience against Gods season ; when he is at work , we are apt to put off , Acts 24. 25. He thinks another time may be better , but if you will not like of God's time , it is not like that God should accept of yours .

3. See our need of divine Help to subdue our Understanding to his Wisdome , and our Will to his good Pleasure .

USE II . For Direction , To give Aim to know our finding time .

Rule 1. All times are not alike , indifferent or indefinite , and left to us to take what time we see good , but there is a limitation of time to Season or Opportunity , which is as the Eye of the Needle : it is the Market , which is not every day ; the Market is indeed free , without price , but not without care : Isa . 55. 1 , 2. Hearken diligently .

Rule 2. When God is near he may be found : and God is near ( 1 ) When grace is stirring , 2 Cor . 6. 1 , 2. Joh . 5. 3. and ( 2 ) When he sends his Messengers after us to call us , 2 Chron . 36. 15. then there is some compassion ready : and ( 3 ) When he toucheth us with his Rod , we may lay hold of his hand , Isa . 27. 5. ( 4 ) When he enforceth , and gives an edge to the outward Call , Mat . 21. 34. & 11. 12. & 3. 10. ( 5 ) When God removes Impediments , Cant . 2. 10 , 11 , 12. ( 6 ) When inward Calls second the outward , and the Spirit strives , Cant . 5. 4.

Rule 3. Before your space of Repentance is over , Revel . 2. 21. before the forty dayes ended , Jonah 3. 4.

Rule 4. Before the time of God's repenting and patience is over , Jer . 15. 6.

Rule 5. Before God hath put a ba●●e on your Salva●ion , by Resolution , Psal . 95. ●1 . or Execution ▪ Z●ph . 2. 1 ▪ 2.

Rule 6. There is no assurance of any time , but the present , 2 Cor . 6. 2. Psal . 95. 7.

USE III . For Exhortation .

Leave not this work to some spare time , to a rainy day ( when nothing else to do ) not to a sick bed , crazy Age , &c.

Motive 1. It is more easie to seek and finde seasonably , speedily : ( 1 ) When God is pleased in mercy to breathe by his Spirit , Rom. 9. 16. Joh . 3. 8. ( 2 ) The heart deceives when it delayes , and pretends to morrow ; to morrow never comes , as is seen in Felix , Act. 24. ( 3 ) By delayes the heart is more hard . ( 4 ) The work to be done is more hard . ( 5 ) The more hard work to be done , the more weeds the more debt . ( 6 ) We are afterward more unable to do it ; the weakest Beast should not have the heaviest burthen : and Satan and Sin do more strongly fortifie themselves .

Mot . 2. If we neglect to seek in good time that we may finde , an evil time seeks and findes us , after death , at death , yea in this life a man may be taken in an evil time when we are past seeking , or at least finding . You say , To morrow is a new day ; but to morrow may be no day to thee .

No day of seeking really , Luke 19. 42. Hos . 4. 17. when God saith to all Means , all Prayers , all Movings of the Spirit , Let him alone .

No day of finding , Luke 14. 24.

Mot . 3. Delay increaseth sin and suffering : You must buy that precious Pearl by the Inch of Candle , while Life and Season lasts ; therefore you must not stand chaffering and dodging till the Market be over , but dispatch and bid like a Merchant , as one that hath a minde to buy .

Mot . 4. You have certain ground in the Text and elswhere to seek the Lord in season , but you have no ground of delay ; for this life , and what depends upon it , is uncertain ; nothing of this life is certain , but the going out of it . You think you will seek the Lord when you are elder , free , recovered from such sickness or business , when you are a little setled , and have something about you , but Death may prevent all these , and I strip you of all , and settle you in your long home : So that you have but shallow ground to delay your leaving your sins another time , for life may leave you first . You have certain promise if you hearken to day , Psal . 95. but as for to morrow , who hath promised that ? None but the Devil , and thy own Heart , who are notorious deceivers : In all other Affairs you are confined to Season , in Husbandry , Navigation , Provision for Winter , &c.

Mot . 5. The last Motive is , That if you seek not the Lord in season , but delay and put off , you sin very much against the Patience of God , the Dignity of God , and the Love and Kindness of God .

First , You sin against the Dignity of God , and that is the Jewel he will not part withall . That Soul that delayes to seek him in season , offends against the Honour of God two wayes :

The former of these hath been spoken to : Mat . 22. 4. there is the Farm , and the Merchandize , and though both of them honest and lawful Imployes , yet they become a snare unto the person that doth delay ; his Vocation becomes an Avocation . Now weigh and consider what there can be in this world , that is worthy to be preferred before Jesus Christ : Why do you not accept of the Lord ? This or that business stands in the way : And if lawful things become abominable when they stand in the way , how much more unlawfull ? If his respect to his Wife should not hinder , much less his respect to his Harlot may hinder him ; if his Trading , much more Cheating , Gaming , or Tipling .

Let thy own heart answer me , Is it not a great Indignity to the great God , that thou shouldst give the best of thy time , and the choice of thy strength and spirits to the World , and the Devil the god thereof , and assign onely the feeble wishes of thy withered Age to the true Lord of Heaven and Earth ? To give the flower of your Wine to the Devil , and offer the Dregs to Christ ? To give thy full Dishes for Satan to feast on , and entertain the Lord with Fragments , Scraps and Crumbs from the Devils Table ? And yet thou sayest , God is thy Father , and thy Lord : May not he say to thee , If I be a Father , where is my honour ? If I be a Master , where is my fear ? Mal . 1. 6 , 8. Had you any respect for God , had you any awe of him , you durst not deal so with him ; you durst not offer the blinde , the lame and the sick to your Governour , but ye make bold with him that rules your Rulers , and bring your blinde , and lame , and sickly years to him ; your Eyes blinded with dust and lust , your Strength lame in trudging and drudging for Satan ; your whole man faint and sickly with bearing the heat of the day in his work . Do not fashion to your selves such an Idol of easie and soft kindness in God , as to be put off with any thing : No , no , he knows the honour that is due to his Name , and claims and expects it ; The best of the Oyl , the best of the Wine , and of the Wheat , the first-fruit of them are his , Numb . 18. 12. not any dregs of the Oyl , any refuse of the Wheat , not any prick'd Wine will satisfie him . If ye count him not worthy of the first and best , the worst and latter will not be counted worthy of him .

Furthermore , in delaying thou dost unmannerly set up thy self before the Lord , who is as thou sayest . Thy Father , and thy Lord . Is it not fit that the Childe should wait on the Father , and the Servant on the Master ? How rude art thou to make him wait on thee , especially considering that thou hast need of him , and not he of thee ? He is thy Physician , and calls for thee now , and wilt thou not take his time ? Not onely thy duty , but thy necessity should hasten thee . Genes . 41. 14. when Joseph was in Prison , Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph , and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon ; the word in the Hebrew is , They made him run : he staid not to take his leave of his friends , but he runs . How many Messengers hath the King of Heaven sent to you , and you have delayed , Shall I ? Shall I ? yea , and when will that be ? Some stirre not , and some do but creep . Joseph he waited till the word came , but now the Promise is about to be fulfilled , it is time for him to run now . Thou art in the dungeon and captivity of Sin and Satan , the King of Heaven he sends his Messengers to invite thee , and thou comest not ; thou dost not know what thou mayest lose , if thou losest but a little time . John 11. 28. Martha calls Mary , and told her , The Master is come and calleth for thee : ver . 29. As soon as she heard that , she arose quickly , and came unto him . ver . 31. The Jews then which were with her in the house , and comforted her , when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily , and went out , followed her , saying , She goeth to the grave , to weep there . v. 33. And when Jesus saw her weep , &c. Oh sayes Martha , The Master is come , and calleth for thee . How ! is my dear Lord come ? then neither my Tears nor my Friends shall hinder me , but I 'le go to him , for my Master calls . How often have Christ's Servants told you that your Master calls ; he calls you that hath Power over you , that hath Grace for you , and will you reject that Love and Kindness ? When the World calls you , Here is a Prize , here is a Purchase , here is a Bargain ; how nimbly do men come then ? So when the Flesh calls you , yet you owe nothing to the Flesh : And doth your Master call ? all that you are and have , you are debtors to him for it , and will ye not come when he calls ? There is another Instance in Mark 10. 46. Blinde Bartimeus sate by the wayside begging , and cried out , Lord Jesus thou Son of David , have mercy on me : and they charged him that he should hold his peace ; but he cried so much the more . Vers . 49. Jesus stood still , and commanded him to be called , and he arose and came to Jesus . And Jesus stood still : What is the meaning of that ? Christ would not go further and further from this poor man : And they said , Be of good comfort , arise , he calleth thee ; and he cast away his garments , and arose , and came to him . If you could but understand your own Mercies , you would throw away all Impediments to run after Jesus Christ , he stands still to receive you . Here are Convictions , Exhortations , and Strivings of the Spirit of God with you and all to have you come to him . The Sufficiency of Christ swallows up all the wants and defects of the poor Soul . Prov. 3. 27 , 28. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due , when it is in the power of thine hand to do it . Say not unto thy Neighbour , Go , and come again , and to morrow I will give ; when thou hast it by thee . If you may not deferre in giving , then how much less may you deferre when Christ offers you Grace and Mercy , an Alms in your starving state : Will you say to Christ , Go , and come again , and to morrow I will receive it ? what a horrible pride is this for a Beggar to put it off , and say , Not now , but to morrow : now thou hast it by thee , but to morrow it may be far from thee .

Secondly , if thou dost delay to seek the Lord in the season thereof , thou sinnest against Divine Patience and Long-suffering ; Cant . 5. 2. Open to me , my Sister , my Love , my Dove , my undefiled , for my head is filled with dew , and my locks with the drops of the night . This Rain , and drops of the night , note Suffering , and waiting late . Jesus Christ he suffered , that he might save thee , and stayes without doors long ; canst thou finde in thy heart to keep him out longer ? will not all this move thee to open the door ? Revel . 2. 21. I gave her space to repent of her fornication , and she repented not : Behold , I will cast her into a bed , and them that commit Adultery with her into great tribulation ; except they repent of their deeds : If she leaves not the Bed of Security , she shall know the Bed of Anxiety . Hath not God given this Land and People ▪ space , when he hath been about to destroy it with Drought , and otherwise by Sea and by Land , yet God hath for born , and not presently destroy'd you : Wherefore ? that you might repent . Again , Gods hand hath been lifted up on one or other of you in a Storm at Sea ; and why ? that you might repent . Sometime he hath visited you with Sickness , and yet spared you ; was it not that you should repent ? If you do not repent of your former delayes and unkindnesses , God will lay you fast upon a Bed of Destruction . Hath not the Lord contended with other Nations , and you in this Land have had a Truce ? and this is , that you may treat with him on terms of Amity : And now when God gives Truce to you , will you make War with God ? Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and forbearance , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart , treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath . The Lord doth not onely forbear to strike thee , and pull back his hand , and there is long-suffering , forbearance a great deal and a great while ; but stretcheth forth his hand in rich goodness , and shall all this riches be made little and light of by thee ? It was given thee for Consolation , and wilt thou use it to Desolation and Wrath ? in stead of goodness thou shalt have severity , and in stead of long-suffering thou shalt have sudden destruction .

The third Branch of this Motive is ; It is an high Offence against the highest Love , when a Soul forbears to seek the Lord , when he offers himself to be found . There 's none of you but will think you love the Lord , and it is pity he should live that doth not love Christ : if you delay and put off , certainly here is little love in your Soul . Genes . 34. 18 , 19. And their words pleased Hamor , and Shechem Hamors son : And the young man deferred not to do the thing , because he had delight in Jacobs daughter . Here is a Match propounded betwixt the Son of God and thy Soul , if thou hadst a delight in the Son of God , thou wouldst not delay : it is evident you have no delight , because you do defer ; if you would have the Lord Jesus , you must deny your self , your own righteousness and vanity : You cannot part with this and that evil ; then you have no delight ●n the Son of God : But you except against the terms ; Gain and Bargains they must be caught in the very time , in the very nick ; you must not stand Shall I ? Shall I ? till the Market is done . Ruth 3. 18. Then said she , Sit still my daughter , untill thou know how the matter will fall : for the man will not be in rest , untill he have finished the thing this day . Hadst thou any love and desire kindled in thy Soul to Christ , thou wouldst not be at rest ; if thy Soul were once engaged to Jesus Christ , all thy incomes would not give thee rest : A man is in debt , and here is no Surety but Jesus Christ ; As an Emperour said to a Prodigal , He wondred what Pillow he slept on ; it is a Pillow of the Devils stopping . Oh think how dearly Jesus Christ hath engaged you to love him . Revel . 3. Behold , I stand at the door and knock : What! Jesus Christ to stand without knocking and calling , till the dews of the evening fall upon him . How oughtest thou now to make haste ? He knocks by Common Mercies , and Special Mercies , such and such Successes , and such Prosperity , will not all this provoke thee to get off from the Bed of Security , and to embrace him ? How farre did Jesus Christ come to Redeem thee ? he came from Heaven to Earth to Redeem thee : Thou art undone , and thy Inheritance lost ; and Christ thy Kinsman came to Redeem thee . He opens not his Purse for Silver and Gold , but he opens all the Veins of his heart to let out his heart-blood to Redeem thee , and thine Inheritance . Lo , I come ! Shall not Joseph be made to run when he comes from the Dungeon ? Remember those loud cries upon the Cross , and his thirsting upon the Cross ; and he tells thee of it : and what was this for , but to save thy poor Soul ? the cry of Christ that made the Earth to quake , and the Mountains to break , and will nothing move and break thy heart and perswade thee ? It may be Jesus stands at the door , and in stead of opening the door , thou art driving him from the door ; thou hast some churlish dog , some peevish Lust to drive him from the door ; or thou hast some unclean Lust that maketh thee to stink , thy profane language , thy Atheistical thoughts , vain Conversation , are as so many stones thrown at him : it may be when Christ is at the door , thou lyest a-bed , and that with thy unclean harlotry Lusts ; thou hast dealt so with him many a long day : but before he goes he looks back , to see if thou wouldest relent a little , and return , and therefore once more he calls thee : be not at rest this night till thou hast done something about this Match , and closing with Christ : Isai . 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you , and therefore will he be exalted , that he may have mercy upon you , for the Lord is a God of judgement : Blessed are all they that wait for him .

Quest . Oh Sir , how gladly would I embrace this Exhortation ; But I fear my time is past , and I have withstood my market ; I am bid to seek while he may be found ; yea , but it may be he will now not be found , and then in vain is all my seeking .

Ans. I Answer , 1. They that fear indeed the day of grace is over , give some ground of hope that the day of grace is not over , if it be a quickening fear : there is a fear that is contrary to hardness of heart , for one part of hardness of heart is to be without either fear or care ; now if thou fearest lest the Sun should be set upon thy Soul , Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alway ; but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief . Damning hardness is contrary to fear . There is a sin unto death , and a sin that is not unto death : Some sins do necessarily include death and damnation ; if thou concludest that the day of grace is over , thou concludest as hard as if thou hadst committed the sin against the holy Ghost , and this a man cannot do , without he finally harden his heart . Now this is a sin unto death ; there is death in the Understanding , in the Will and Affections : But now if thou hast a Soul-rowsing fear , thy day is not past .

Again , if thy fear be an honest laborious fear : Psal . 104. 21 , 22 , 23. Man goeth forth to his work ; Art thou at it in the use of Means that thou mayest finde the Lord ? then it is not Sun-set yet , but it is working-time , because thou art at work ; the wilde beasts are gone to their dens , that is , those violent disorders that were in thy Soul , they are couched in their dens , that now thou darest not walk and speak as thou didst . If a man have his day of grace over , he cannot cease to sin , but he will go on further and further , and will take all advantages to keep himself in a course of sinning . Heb . 3. 10. I was grieved with that generation , and said , They alwayes erre in their hearts . A man that hath his day of grace over , he is ever going out of the way , he alwayes erres in his heart , he hath no heart any more to return .

Secondly , if the Lord Jesus continue to call and to strive by his Spirit , hath God let thee alone ? doth he say to all Means and Ordinances , Let that Soul alone ? or dost thou finde the Lord come and rowse thee ? then surely the day is not over : but when any Soul's day is over , then Christ leaves calling and knocking at the door . If now that Soul that hath resisted so long will yield , surely the day is not over ; if there be a correspondency and eccho of thy Soul to the outward and inward Call of Jesus Christ , that is , thou wouldest fain do what thou art bid , and fain come when thou art called , certainly thy day is not over : Psal . 27. 8. When thou saidest , Seek ye my face ; my heart said unto the Lord , Thy face will I seek : so long the day is not over . Prov. 1. 28. Then shall they call upon me , but I will not answer ; they shall seek me early , but they shall not finde me : for that they hated knowledge , and did not chuse the fear of the Lord ; they chose rather a loose and slight life : They would none of my counsell , they despised my reproof ; as an Adulterer hates the light , that it should not come where he is : this man is likely to have his day over . But on whatever ground thou dost suspect that thy day is over , thou hast no warrant or command to make sure thy Reprobation ; God calls thee to make sure thy Election , but he no way calls 〈…〉 to make sure thy Reprobation . Eccles . 9. 4. To him that is joyned to all the living , there is hope : it is to give him a hope of probability if he use the Means . This is a certain Rule , That if any one Scripture hinders thee from seeking the face of God , that is not managed by the Spirit of God , but by the spirit of Envy and Malice : Whatever it is that awakens thee , and makes thee look about thee , that is good ; but that which quenches and damps all , that is of Satan . Oh receive this word of Exhortation , Seek the Lord while he may be found , call upon him while he is near .