574 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, 3. But to the hypocrite, or seeming Christian, death and judg- ment are the most unwelcome days, and the thoughts of them are the most unwelcome thoughts. He would take any tolerable life on earth, at any time,, for all his hopes of heaven ; and that not only through the doubts of his own sincerity, (which may some- times be the case, of a tempted Christian,) but through the un- soundness of his ,belief of the life to come, or the utter unsuitable- ness of his soul to such a blessedness; which maketh him look at it as less desirable to him than a life of fleshly pleasures here. All that he doth for heaven is' upon mere necessity, because he knoweth that die he must, and he had rather be in heavenithan in hell, though he had rather be in prosperity on earth than either. And as he taketh heaven but as a reserve or second good, so he seeketh it with reserves, and in the second place. And having no better preparations 'for death and judgment, no marvel if they be his greatest terror. He may possibly, by his self-deceit, have some abatement of his fears; and he may, by pride and wit, seem very valiant and comfortable at his death, to hide his fear and pusillar nimity from the world. But the cause of all his misery is, that he sought not first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and Laid not up a treasure upon heaven, but upon earth, and loved this world above God, and above the world to come; and so his heart is not set on heaven, nor his affections on things above ; and, there- fore, he hath not that love to God, to Christ, to saints, to perfect holiness, which should make that world most desirable in his eyes, and 'make him think unfeignedly that it is best for him to depart and live With 'Christ forever. Having not the divine nature, nor having lived the divine, life in walking with God, his coniplacency and desires are carnal, according to the nature which he hath. And this is the true cause (and, not only his doubts of his own sincerity) of his unwillingness to die,'or to see the day of Christ's appearance Matt. vi: 33. 19--21. 1 John ih 15. Col. iii. 1-1. Rom. viii. 5-8. 1 Cor. ii. 13, 14. 2 Pet. 1. 4. And thus I have showed you from the word of God, and the nature of Christianity, the true characters of the Confirmed Chris- tian, and of the Weak Christian, and of the Seeming Christian. The uses for whichThave drawn up these characters, and which the reader is tomake of them, are these: - 1. Here the weak Christian and the hypocrite may see what manner of persons they ought to be. Not only how unsafe it is to remain in a state of hypocrisyy but also how' uncomfortable, and unserviceable, and troublesome it is, to remain in a state of weak- ness and diseasedness what a folly (and indeed a sign of hypoc- risy) is it to think, ' If I had but grace enough to save me, I would desire no more, or I would be well content.' Are you content, if
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