y calls
all to repentance, Rom. ii. 4, thou mayst be called at length, restored,
taken to His grace, as the thief upon the cross, at the last hour, as Mary
Magdalene and many other sinners have been, that were buried in sin. "God"
(saith [6779]Fulgentius) "is delighted in the conversion of a sinner, he
sets no time;" _prolixitas temporis Deo non praejudicat, aut gravitas
peccati_, deferring of time or grievousness of sin, do not prejudicate his
grace, things past and to come are all one to Him, as present: 'tis never
too late to repent. [6780]"This heaven of repentance is still open for all
distressed souls;" and howsoever as yet no signs appear, thou mayst repent
in good time. Hear a comfortable speech of St. Austin, [6781]"Whatsoever
thou shall do, how great a sinner soever, thou art yet living; if God would
not help thee, he would surely take thee away; but in sparing thy life, he
gives thee leisure, and invites thee to repentance." Howsoever as yet, I
say, thou perceivest no fruit, no feeling, findest no likelihood of it in
thyself, patiently abide the Lord's good leisure, despair not, or think
thou art a reprobate; He came to call sinners to repentance, Luke v. 32, of
which number thou art one; He came to call thee, and in his time will
surely call thee. And although as yet thou hast no inclination to pray, to
repent, thy faith be cold and dead, and thou wholly averse from all Divine
functions, yet it may revive, as trees are dead in winter, but flourish in
the spring! these virtues may lie hid in thee for the present, yet
hereafter show themselves, and peradventure already bud, howsoever thou
dost not perceive. 'Tis Satan's policy to plead against, suppress and
aggravate, to conceal those sparks of faith in thee. Thou dost not believe,
thou sayest, yet thou wouldst believe if thou couldst, 'tis thy desire to
believe; then pray, [6782]"Lord help mine unbelief:" and hereafter thou
shall certainly believe: [6783]_Dabitur sitienti_, it shall be given to him
that thirsteth. Thou canst not yet repent, hereafter thou shall; a black
cloud of sin as yet obnubilates thy soul, terrifies thy conscience, but
this cloud may conceive a rainbow at the last, and be quite dissipated by
repentance. Be of good cheer; a child is rational in power, not in act; and
so art thou penitent in affection, though not yet in action. 'Tis thy
desire to please God, to be heartily sorry; comfort thyself, no time is
overpast, 'tis never too late. A de