Now  he  calls  us  to  receive  grace,  hereafter  we  must  receive  either  ven
geance  or  glory.  In  the  angels'  song  we  find,  Luke  ii.  14,  '  Peace
upon  earth.'  Here  God  proclaims  tidings  of  peace  and  reconciliation
to  the  creature,  if  it  will  submit  to  God.  Now  the  golden  sceptre  is
held  out,  and  you  will  have  no  more  such  a  season.  This  is  God  the


VER.  12.]  SERMONS  UPON  TITUS  n.  11-14.  167

Father's,  God  the  Son's,  and  God  the  Spirit's  time,  but  after  this  life
you  shall  have  it  no  more ;  it  is  the  time  of  God  the  Father's  patience,
and  these  are  the  days  of  the  gospel  when  God  the  Son  is  offered  to  us;
and  now  we  have  the  advantage  of  the  Spirit's  impulses,  and  his  con
victions  upon  our  hearts  :  but  after  this  life  there  is  neither  prophecy,
nor  gospel,  nor  conviction,  nor  means  offered  any  more ;  then  comes
recompense  and  retribution.  Zanchy  speaks  of  some  which  had  a  fancy
that  the  gospel  should  be  preached  hereafter  in  the  other  world  to  those
that  never  heard  of  Christ  in  this  world ;  as  to  children,  to  Turks  and
pagans.  To  justify  this  conceit,  they  allege  that  place  :  1  Peter  iii.  19,
*  By  which  he  went  and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison.'  But  that  is
a  clear  mistake.  The  apostle  speaks  there  how  the  Spirit  of  God  went
forth  by  Noah's  preaching  in  warm  conviction  upon  the  hearts  of  those
that  are  now  in  prison,  that  were  sometimes  disobedient  to  the  warn
ings  of  Noah,  and  are  now  held  with  chains  of  darkness  in  the  prison
of  hell  But  however  there  is  nothing  to  this  world.  Now  you  have
the  means,  and  God's  golden  sceptre  is  held  out.  Now  Christ  saith,
Come ;  but  if  you  refuse,  hereafter  he  will  say,  Depart :  '  Now  is  the
accepted  time,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation,'  2  Cor.  vi.  1.
