~ 90 · Weatt.S ~rreft:. --~----------~~~~~-------------while .you are in your fin, the hand of death lhould arrefl you ~ Could I fpeak with you on yo~r death-beds, I am fure I fhould finde you in another cafe : how? but forrow. ;ng, grieving, roaring, that your time were loll:; and thefe words not heeded, whiles the time well fervcd: how would you tear your hair, gnalh your teeth, bite your nails, feel;. :•ll means poflibly tu anmh1!ate your fcl~es? and can nothing warn you be. fqrcdcath fcizeon you? take heed, 1f you goon mfin, the next ltepis dammtion. Jt,m ,;.' 1 • !~\~~~::~r: ~,l;,~~~~.~~;~~~~,;:;d~ ~~;:·{~:';;,'o,[;~is·;~1tfh;~'!;~ ~:'d ~b~;£-;J~~~ prefen.t titnc, how happy had he been this honr of his departure ? BHt as Officers take d;J10lcfocturs, drinking or drabbing ; fo is the nearcll: danger when decpdl: in the mire of plcafure. Look at all thole_ that arc gone bcfurc us, and which of them thought thc1r end fo near~ wh1k they ltved fo merry ? I mufl needs tell you, there 1s afire, ,. ·- worm, a fti&g, a dark,.ne!Je, an hell provided for all wicked wretches, and there moll: certainly mull: you be this night, if you die this day in your natural ll:ate ofjtrme. Lord! that men lhould be fo ltrangely bewitched by the Prince of the air, as for the momenta– tary enjoyment of fome glorious miferies, bitter-fweet plcafures, heart-vexing riches, derpe.rately and wilfully to abandon God, and tO call: thcmfelvcs hfad-long imu the jawcs of Satan. Such a prodigious madneffe feizcd on this Worldling, he finos, he revels. he dallies, then dies. Thus greatdl: evils arife out of greateft joyes; ~nhe Fiin.l. 7- c. 2J em with veheme~t founds, and the eyes with brighter obje{ts; fo many by felicity have loll: both thetr fenfe and be1.11g. Gal/us d1es 111 the aCl:of pleafurc, Ijhbojhnh dies in the rniddefl: ofOeep, the !fraelites die in their day of lufl:, this Worldling dies in that ilight ofJinne, even then on aJiidden hisfouL is takm. ~ Sam 4. ? Num,lLH s. Ariflot lib. 3 Mvr.cap. 6 And yet more horrour, it was a night of'dearh, and this was the worll: of all, the darkne!Je, drow(ine!Je,fadne!Je, fin. all were nothing to this, all nothing in themfclves; rf death had not followed: this is thatmcft tl!rrible ofall terrible;; all fears,griefs,fufpicions, pains, as fo·many fmall brooks, arc [wallowed up, and drowned in this Ocean of mifery. Now rich man ! what·faye!!: thou to tl)y b"rns, buildings, riches, lands! Do thefe pleafurc thee in this thy extreme anddying agony? Thou liefl this night on thy departing bed, burthened with .the heavy load ofthy former trelpaffes, pangs come fore and !harp upon thee,_ thy breft pants; · tht pulfe beats lhort, thy breath it fdf fmells of-earth and rottennelfe: wh1ther w1lt thou go for a little cafe or fuccour? What help canft thou have in thy heaps of gold, or hoard ot wealth? lhould we bring them .. . ~;tern to thy bed, (as we read ofone dying, Cotnmandtd that hisgolden ve.Jfels andfllwr plnte ~'/:.?", 18 . ,~ Jhould be [et brfort h11n, whtch fookJngon, ht promifcd to htsfoul, "jhould have them a~1, ~'um. in 1 . n[/. on col}dirion of his ftay IVith him: bttt thetnmdy bcmg jilly,at laflmnfl dcfptratelyhecom– def<pr«[ ;_. ri- mends it t·o the Devil, feeing it would norflay in his body, and jo gat·eup the g hofl) Alas, mM• thefe trifling treafures can no more deliver thee from the arrcfl: of th.at inexor-able Serjeant, then can an handful of dufl. Wretched men! what !hall be your thoughts when you come to this miferable cafe? full fad and heavy thoughts (Lord tho1> knowell:)' v,.,, ,g, 6 ;. you may lie upon your beds, like wild< bulls in a net, full of the fury o.fthe Lord: In themorning thou Jl,alt [A)',. l'Voutd (iod it were evening ; and .at even thou f/.i'JzJtC[dJ' VVou!d God it lVCre morning :· j~r the fear ofthi'ne heilr.t wherewitb rhou foalt frar-,;{ti~fot· the fight ofrhjnuyes which thoujhait fu,Deut. 28. Q7· Here is tha terrour of that ntght ofdeath, when you may wilh with all your hearts, that you had aever been born; ifthe Lord once let Ioofe the cords of your confciencc, what account will you m~keof crowns, of polfeflions ? all thefe will be fo far from healing the wound, that they will turn rather into fiery Scorpions, for your further torments. Now, now, now is the di!'mal time of drath, what will you do?. whither will you go? to whom will you pray! the Angels ate offended, and they will_ not g.uard you; God is dilhonoured, and he will not hear you;only the devil ·had your fervice,& only hell mull: be your wages. Confidrr l'f•l· so. 22 thi;, ;ye that forget Gad,leflye be torn mpiec(s,andth"c be none~~ ddiver y on. lt IS cmel for your fouls thUS tO fuffer,tO be torn,& 1\.>rn <1./ ftcces,& fo torn In pieCes· that tiOne may delzvcr you. Better this Worldling had ·bee~ a worm, _a toa_d,_ an adder: any venomous creature, then fo to live, and th~s to have d1ep; yet luther 1t IS come, h1s ficknelfe 1S re– medildf'e, his riches comfortlelfe, his torments cafeleffe, frill he mu!Huffct, and there is none to deliver he istorn, torn topiece:r, •and nonemaj diliver him. • Wfiat need-you more, now we a~e come to this period ?·.ftis .glalfc is run, his Sunne'is fet, .his. day~ finilh.ed, anp now this night, the very tJig!Jt ofdMth, hiijoul is req~tired, ·"''d •n·cm· vedofhilh4 ' · t''' ~- ·... ' Lo
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