time, the winter and sabbath-day are certainly approaching, and he will fall for ever into the pains of Hell. But were there no other pain than the infinite increase of those passions which hold him in the bondage of sin, without the hope of being once able to dip the tip of his finger in those waters in which he delights, this ought to be sufficient to terrify him.
Nor is there any ground for confidence in the intention to turn to God at the end of life, or after some months or years; since such a proposal is madness and extreme impiety. It is a sign of a weak head to propose to cope with a great difficulty at the very time when a man has the least strength.
The sinner, as he continues in sin, has less power to turn to God every day, both because of the evil habit which gradually becomes natural to him, and from an increasing indisposition for receiving the grace of conversion; also, by disdaining God through the great impiety of cleaving as long as possible to the creature, and then at the last gasp, or at least late in life, giving himself to God, out of self-interest, he forfeits the help which he will stand in need of in that hour.
Again, such an idea and intention befit a madman, for, even granting that he will be capable of conversion and have effectual grace,
