.Lo here, the di'mal, dreadful, terrible time of this mans departure, it was in the night, a night of dark.."cf{e, dro>vjinej[~, Jadncj[e, fin, death and deflm clton. Who will not provide each day againil: this fearful mght I howfoeverwe palfe U\~ay .I . Vfe. our time in finne, we mull: of neceffiry, ere long, he gafpmg for breath upon otu dymg beds there fhall we <>rlpple hand to hand with the utmoil: powers of death and dark. ncf!<:': what fh~uld .:e do then, but fow our.feed while the feeG!-timelalleth? we have ; yet a day, and how fhort this day is, God oncly knows: be fure the nzghr cometh T , wherein Jtonc can· 1vork,., and then what a ftarful time will come upon us? I know there 010 9· 4 be fomc that dream of doing gootl in another world, or at lealt will deferre it longer, till fome time hereafter, fuch vain hopes of future performances have undone many a foul: Jm~tjl 1vork rhe wwk of him thatf nt lltc,while it is day_,f"ith our Saviour. The WJ.Y· Jolm9· 4 faring man travels not in dark._ncf!P, but whtle the day fhmes on lum, then he knowe~ he is under the protcebon of the Lawes, the light of the Sun, the bleffing of heaven; Are there not twelvehourts in the day ? if any man 1va!k,.in the day, heJlumbleth nor, b<· John 1 '· 8 caufe heJeeth the light ofthis world ; but ifa man walk_ in the night, he ftumbleth, be· cmifi: rherc isno light inhim.] Do good then, and lay hold of every fcafon which may get you to heaven; Let the whole courfe of yom life ~ea confcionable preparative againft death. Suppofc every day your !all, as 1f at n1ght you ihould be called to account before that high and great tribupal : in a word, whatfoever you think, or fpeak, or do, fay thus with your felf, Would I d'o thus, and thus, if I k,.new rhi1 night to be my lajl/ Who is it would finne, if he thought at that inllant he mull go to judgement. But ifwe neg!echhe day, be fure the night will come to our condemnation; where 2. V fe, be thofe wonders that fo dazled our eyes, while the day !hone on them ? Where is Abfaloms beauty, 'Jcz.abels paint, Sttuls perfonage ; nay, where is this wretched Worldling? he had a day to work out his own falvation, and that being loll:, at lalt camemght, before he had gone two ll:eps toward heaven. 0 beloved! Walk__whilc y e havelight , thatye may be children of the light. You may be fure the meaneft foul that hath the work of grace upon it, death is to him no night, but theday-break..of eternttl John 12 • J' brighmeJTe. This may make us in love with the fincerity of religion ; this may make us to labour, artd never ceafe labouring till we have gotten-eut of the ell:ate of nature, into the ftate of grace. 0 that I could fay of every one of yoo, as Pa.tl of the Ephe· fians, Ye were once dark..nej[e, bmnow areY• lig ht in the Lord. Ye were once carnal, liphef. S· 8 but now are ye fpiritual: ye were once unregenerate, but noware ye a firfi-fruits dedicated to God. If it were thus with you, then ( to your comfort) upon your dying beds you fhall meet with aglorious troop of blelfed Angels, you ihould feel the glorious prefence ofthe fweeteil: comforter, you ihould fee the glorious light of Gods !hi- ' ning counten·anc.e, you ihould have a night (if it were night) turn'd all intoa mid-d«y. Now the Lord g1ve you fuch a day, whenfoever you dye, through Chrifi our Lord. You have he.ard the time of Deaths arrell,] Thi1 night.] Now for the party we·n make a pnvy fearch, and if we ll:ir one word, we !hall find him at next cloor,. it is thyfoul.] Thy Soul.] r-T' He party under arrell is the rich mans Soul.] No warranty could prevaile, no J. nches fat1sfie, no firength refcue; death now .demands it, and there's none can redeem it,therefore This night they will have hi1foul.] Every man harh ~ tewel better worth thlln a world, and the loJTe ofthis i1 fo much more Obfa; dear~ by h?lVmuch •t "more preczouJ, What profirs it" man to gain a world, and to lofe hiJ foul . (fa~d o:urLordandSaviour)Mar. r6. 26. N1y, what areathoufand world~ M•r, 16 , .~-· whe~ the{oul1s v.al.ued? Give me leave to open the cabinet,al]d you !hall fee th~Jewel that IS arrelled; 1t IS the Sort!.] · · The Soul; what's that ?_ it is (faith Auftin) afubftance that i1 create4•. invif.bie, inSubjlanti• ere" cor~oreal, tmmortal, moJll•ks to God as bearing the imatt ofits Creatcr. Pleafe you that ~r•, moijibrlu. we •llufirate this defcription and yo~ fhall fee how everyword !hews forth (ome excel Jncorporea, rm~ lene' es ( th 1 . I n. , - morr•lu, Deo ' ~ a.s egonous u."res)ofthisgloriouspearle the Soul.] . fimillim• ;,•~ f•rll, .'·fyou ask what IS theSoul? 'tis afubj}ii>!Ge.] How fond were the opinions 0 (. gintm h;bens fome Plulofophers ? one would have it to be nothing [vox, & pr..terM nihi!J and Grw omf•• - ho\~ many of u~ are of this opinion? Do not we live as irwc had nofouls at ail? The j:j:;;i,!':· 4 ' }plcure IS for h1~ bcll_y, the ambitious for his body, but who is he that provides for his •nrm•• IOU! ; Sure we lmagme it to be nothing valuable, or how lhould our eftimation ofit Dire•rchHs, · be
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=