The Immortality of the Soul. 53 and the next, which feem'd to them fo wide, to be but one !'cep? The prefent Life, that ~ in their imaginations would never end, and the future, that would never begin, (fo intent Chap. 13. were they for the ProviGons of the one, and negleCI:ful of the other) behold the one is gone, ~ and the other come. Time is at their back with all its Vanities, and Eternity before their Faces wi th itS great Reali ties. Howare their thoughtsand difcourfes changed in that terrible hour, that will decide their States for ever ? They d1d foohil1ly for themfelves, but then fpeak wifely for the inf\ruCI:ion of others. How piercing and quick are thei r apprehenGons then of Heaven ~nd Hell, which before were neg'ected as unworthy of regard, or only touch'd the furface of their Souls? What amazement, what dejection of Spirit to find themfelves in a fad unpreparednefs for their grea t Account? The ren:embrance, that for the poor advantages of time, they forfeited Eternal Glory, and vemur'd on Eternal Mifery, cuts more forely than the pangs of Death. Butfuppofe they harden their Hearts to the !aft minute of Life, and are more f\upid than the Beaf\s that tremble upor; a Precipice, at the fight of extream.danger, yet a minute after Death (0 the heavy change!) when they fhall feel thernfclves undone infinitely and irrecoverably, WhJt fierce and violent workings will be in the Mind? What a !'corm ofPaflions rais'd? But when Repentance will be with perfect farrow, without the Jea!'c profit. There are no returns to the poffibility of Mercy. I will conclude this o;rcourfe with a palfage from the mo!'c humble and excellent St. 1d~;;.d ~~t~fcl;i:~' I;r:n,h~s~~{:~~~in~i; !b~~t~~~~~~, 11~h~'~rtr;~;e ca~~e ~~~~~r;~~ without eradicating it, and plucking the Bark off the Tree. He fel~ an inward continual Combat between the Fleil1 and Spirit. He often fhook the Chain wherewith he had voluntaril y bound bimfelf, but had not the refolution to break it. And thus for a time his Judgment abhor'd what his Affefl;_ions were encl in'd to, and he was nei ther viCI:oriousnor vanquifi1'd. But when God was pleas'd by his omnipotent Grace to fet him at liberty, the Ia!'c and mo!'c violent Alfault of the Flefh, and that which made his Co~verGon mo!'c difficult was.this ; His Youthful Luf\s prefented themfelves to his, !magi- . nallon, and as that Impure MI!'crefs did wtth cha!'ce 1ofeph \1 [hook the Garment of his Flei!J 11 ~cr""''"' and whifper'd, W1ll you renounce us? Shall there be a Divorce between you and you; -:;,;:;:e:;; ancient· Loves for ever? Shall not this or that deftre of the Senfes be contented for ever ? ":ll'f!'ll:~h®t And what was that for ever? It only fignified the fuort remainder of his time after t'Y~~;!;::a 1 Thirty Three Years, which was then his Age. And this is the mo!'c effectual hinderance of 'fl'"'' "'m" ~~~:~.~a1~J7Jl.~~n5~F~I~e~~~ives~~do't11a~~tfi~~l~'~~c·!f~~v~~~e~nt~t~~~~~;~id~~~ ::;;;;;~J;'a Lveetsmore, but always abhor the relifhof them. But ifitbe fo hard and intolerable ;::j,.'~'"' tibi always to abfl:ain from unlawful plea[ures, and much more to fuffer pain in the lbort [pace, in 4u;~::~~:tr~~o ~he J?Oments of this. Life, that it. ~eems an Eternity to Corrupt Nat ure, wrat will lt be .m the true Etermty to be depnv d ofall Good, and tormenteJ with all Evils, defpamng of releafe, or quenchmg onefpark of that terrible Fire? Othat Mett were wife, to confider their latter end, and the confequences of it, their Mortality and Immortality. CH AP.
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