The Life of Faith. (peak, and live as fenfually, tiupidly and negligently as now you do ? 2 Pet.3. to, 1 1,12. [The day of theLord will come ar a thief in the night, in thewhich theheavens fhatl pall away with a great noifr,and the elements(hall melt with fervent beat;theearth olio, and the works that are therein ¡hallbe burnt up : Is it poflible foundly to believe/tech a day, fo fare, fo near, and no more re, gard it, nor make ready for it, than the carelcfs and ungodly do 6. Suppofe at that day youbad beard the Devil accufinzyou of all the fins that you have committed ; and fit them out in the molt odious aggravations, and call for juftice again(} you to your Judge : If you heard him pleading all chofe fins again({ you that now he daily tempts you tocommir,and now maketh you believe are harmlefs,or (mall inconfiderable things : If you heard him laying, At fuch a time this firmer refuted grace, neglected Chriff, defpifed Heaven, and preferred Earth : at fuch a time hederided godlinet's, and made a mock of the ho- ly Word and Counfels of the Lord : at fuch a time he pro- phaned the nameof God, he coveted his neighbours wealth; he cherithed thoughts of envy or of luft ; he was drunk, or gluttonous, orcommitted fornication, and he was never tho- rowly converted by renewing grace, and therefore he is an heir of Hell, and belongs to me I ruledhim, and I mutt have him.] What would you think ofa life of fin, ifonce you had heard fuch accufations as thefe ? Howwould you deal by the next temptation, ifyou had heard what ufe the tempter will hereafter make ofall your fins ? 7. What ifyou hadfern the damnedin their mifery, and beard them cry out of the folly of their impenitent carelcfs lives; and withing as Dives, Luke 16. that their friends on earth might have one tentfrom the dead, to warn them that they cone not to thatplace of torment (1 (peak to men that fay they arc be lievers) what would you do upon fuch a fight ? If you had beard them there torment themfelves in the remembrance of the time they loft, the mercy they negleled, the grace refitt- ed, and with it wervall to do again, and that they might once more be tried with another life. Ifyou law how the world is altered with thole, that once were as proud and confident as ethers, what do you think fah a light would do with you ? Md
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