Jeremiah Burroughs gives a word in season to the chiefest of sinners (The Saints' Treasury, pp. 126–128):
Wherefore my brethren, let me speak to you all (for I am not come this day onely to spend an houre with you, but to doe your souls some good) be it known to you, this is your day, the day of grace and salvation: And yet once againe, in the name of God, I declare unto you, this truth (supposing you have heard it many times before) that there is not the worst, the vilest in the congregation, that is come through the providence of God before God this day, but for ought we know it is possible for thy sinnes to be pardoned; it is possible yet for thy soul to be saved, for God to be reconciled to thee, and this day it is once more declared to thee, that thou art not yet stated in eternal misery, which might have been thy condition before now: O that when you are gone home, you would get into your closets, and fall down before God, and blesse him for this message, once more preached to you. Beloved, if I, or any of the servants of the Lord, should be sent by God to the gates of hell, with this message, O you damned spirits, know from the Lord, that there is a possibility for you to be saved, certainly they would with joyfulnesse hearken to such tidings. Now this cannot be preached to them, but this may be, this is preached to the vilest and wickedest wretch, and enemy to God and goodnesse that is in the congregation; and God declares this now to you, but how long it will be before judgment comes to state thee in another condition, thou canst not tell, therefore know in this thy day the things of thy eternal peace: and who knows what may depend upon one day? yet prayers and teares may doe thee good; but stay a while, and though streames of bloud should flow from thee, and thou shouldest cry and howle to God to all eternity, it would never doe it; therefore know your time; it is a happy thing for a man to doe a businesse in such a time wherein he may have the benefit of it; amongst men, though a thing be done, yet if not in the season of it, it loses of its worth and efficacy: so now prayers, and teares, and mourning, and crying to God for mercy, the efficacy of these things are gone, except they be done in time; and for ought thou knowest unlesse they be done this day, or to morrow, or very shortly, they may doe thee no good at all: therefore now take your time; God proclaimes and sayes to every one of you this day, Poor creatures, as ever you expect to receive mercy in the day of Christ, look to it now; for now the golden scepter is stretched forth, now is the acceptable time, and the day of grace and salvation, come in and accept of the offers and tenders of grace and mercy now, or else you are gone for ever.
