expels vice, inserts virtue, comforts and fortifies the soul.”  Shall I say, let thy sin be what it will, do but repent, it is sufficient. [6778]_Quem poenitet peccasse pene est innocens._ ’Tis true indeed and all-sufficient this, they do confess, if they could repent; but they are obdurate, they have cauterised consciences, they are in a reprobate sense, they cannot think a good thought, they cannot hope for grace, pray, believe, repent, or be sorry for their sins, they find no grief for sin in themselves, but rather a delight, no groaning of spirit, but are carried headlong to their own destruction, “heaping wrath to themselves against the day of wrath,” Rom. ii. 5.  ’Tis a grievous case this I do yield, and yet not to be despaired; God of his bounty and mercy calls all to repentance, Rom. ii. 4, thou mayst be called at length, restored, taken to His grace, as the thief upon the cross, at the last hour, as Mary Magdalene and many other sinners have been, that were buried in sin.  “God” (saith [6779]Fulgentius) “is delighted in the conversion of a sinner, he sets no time;” prolixitas temporis Deo non praejudicat, aut gravitas peccati, deferring of time or grievousness of sin, do not prejudicate his grace, things past and to come are all one to Him, as present:  ’tis never too late to repent. [6780]"This heaven of repentance is still open for all distressed souls;” and howsoever as yet no signs appear, thou mayst repent in good time.  Hear a comfortable speech of St. Austin, [6781]"Whatsoever thou shall do, how great a sinner soever, thou art yet living; if God would not help thee, he would surely take thee away; but in sparing thy life, he gives thee leisure, and invites thee to repentance.”  Howsoever as yet, I say, thou perceivest no fruit, no feeling, findest no likelihood of it in thyself, patiently abide the Lord’s good leisure, despair not, or think thou art a reprobate; He came to call sinners to repentance, Luke v. 32, of which number thou art one; He came to call thee, and in his time will surely call thee.  And although as yet thou hast no inclination to pray, to repent, thy faith be cold and dead, and thou wholly averse from all Divine functions, yet it may revive, as trees are dead in winter, but flourish in the spring! these virtues may lie hid in thee for the present, yet hereafter show themselves, and peradventure already bud, howsoever thou dost not perceive.  ’Tis Satan’s policy to plead against, suppress and aggravate, to conceal those sparks of faith in thee.  Thou dost not believe, thou sayest, yet thou wouldst believe if thou couldst, ’tis thy desire to believe; then pray, [6782]"Lord help mine unbelief:”  and hereafter thou shall certainly believe:  [6783]_Dabitur sitienti_, it shall be given to him that thirsteth.  Thou canst not yet repent, hereafter thou shall; a black cloud of sin as yet obnubilates thy soul, terrifies thy conscience, but this cloud may conceive a rainbow at the last, and be quite dissipated by repentance.