352 / 674
332
THE
END OF
TIME.
(Disc.
t.
God,
shall
never
be
able
to
pray or repent, or
do any
thing
for
God
or
his
honour through
all
the ages
of
his
future immortality:
Nor
is
there
any promise
made
to
repenting
or
returning
sinners in the
other
world,
whither_
we
are
hastening.
"
As
the
tree
falls,
when
it
is
cut
down,
so
it
lies,
and
it
must
for
ever lie pointing to
the north or the
south," to hell or heaven, Eccles.
xi.
3.
And,
indeed, there
is
no
true
prayer,
no
sincere
re-
pentance
can
be
exercised
after
this
life
;
for
the soul
that
has wasted away all
its
time
given
for repentance
and
prayer,
is
at
the
moment
of
death
left
under ever-
lasting hardness of
heart
;
and whatsoever enmity
against
God
and
godliness, was fdund
in
the
heart
in
this world,
is
increased in
the
world to
come,
when all
manner of
Softening
means
and
mercies
are ever
at
an end. This
leads
me
to the
next thought.
IV.
"
How wretched
soever
our state
is
at
death, the
day of hope
is
ended, and
it
returns
no
more."
Be
our
circumstances never
so
bad,
yet
we
are
not
com-
pletely wretched
while
the
time
of
hope
remains.
We
are
all by
nature
miserable
by
reason
of
sin,
but it
is
only
despair
can
perfect our
misery.
Therefore
fallen
angels
are
sealed
up
under
misery
because there
is
no
,.door
of
hope opened for
them.
But
in
this
life
there
is
hope
for the
worst
of
sinful men
:
There
is
the
word
of
grace and hope calling them in the
gospel
;
there
is
the
voice of divine mercy sounding in the sanctuary,
and
"
blessed
are
they
that
hear the
joyful
sound,"
Ps.
lxxxix.
15.
But
if
we
turn
the
deaf ear
to the voice
of God
and
his Son,
and to
all
the
tender and
compassionate
en-
treaties of
a
dying Saviour,
hope
is
hastening
to its
pe-
riod;
for this
very angel
will shortly
swear,
that
this
joyful sound
shall be
heard
no longer.
He
comes now to
the door
of
our hearts,
he sues
there
for admittance,
"
open
unto
me
and
receive
me as
your
Saviour and your Lord,
give
me
and
my gospel
free
ad-
mission,
and
I
will
come in
and
bestow
upon
you the
riches
of
my
grace
and
all
my
salvation: Open your
hearts
to
me
with
the
holy
desires
and
humble
submission
of
penitence,
and receive the
blessings
of
righteousness
and
pardon and eternal
life."
He
now invites you to
return
to
God,
with
an acknowledgment and renuncia-
tion
of
every
sin,
and
he offers
to take
you
by
the hand,