1. Now is the season of repentance, and everything is best done in its season
Chapter Eight
8. EXHORTATIONS TO SPEEDY
REPENTANCE
The second branch of the exhortation is to press persons to speedy repentance: "now God commands all men everywhere to repent" (Act
17.30). The Lord would not have any of the late autumn fruits offered to him. God loves early penitents that consecrate the spring and flower of their age to him. Early tears, like pearls bred from the morning dew, are more lustrous and beautiful. O do not reserve the dregs of your age for God, lest he reserve the dregs of his cup for you!
Be as speedy in your repentance as you would have God speedy in his mercies: "the king's business required haste" (1Sam 21.8). Therefore repentance requires haste.
It is natural for us to procrastinate and put off repentance. We say, as Haggai did, "The time has not come" (Hag 1.2). No man is so bad that he does not purpose to amend; but he adjourns and delays so long, until at last all his purposes prove abortive. Many are now in hell that purposed to repent. Satan does what he can to keep men from repentance. When he sees that they begin to take up serious thoughts of reformation, he bids them wait a little longer. If this traitor, sin, must die (says Satan), let it not die yet. So the devil gets a reprieve for sin; it shall not die this session. At last men put it off so long that death seizes them, and their work is not done. Let me therefore lay down some cogent arguments to persuade you to speedy repentance:
1. Now is the season of repentance, and everything is best done in its season "Now is the accepted time" (2Cor 6.2); now God has a mind to show mercy to the penitent. He is on the giving hand. Kng set apart days for healing. Now is the healing day for our souls. Now God hangs out the white flag and is willing to parley with sinners. A prince at his coronation, as an act of royalty, gives money, proclaims pardons, and fills the conduits with wine. Now God promises pardons to penitent sinners; now the conduit of the gospel flows with wine. Now is the accepted time. Therefore come in now and make your peace with God. Break off your iniquities now by repentance. It is wisdom to