Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

Parrn. 1 Compani.on now, [,,Brother, I fee you arenear your end ! the ' ' mortal fl:roak of death is coming ! you are now leav.IDg all the '' pleafurcs of this world: I pray you tell me now your Judge· '' ment, whether mirth, and 1port, and feafl:ing and drinking and " wealth, and hon'Our be more to be fought the~ life eternal/and ''whether Hearing and Reading the word of God and Prayin~, " and meditating, and 'flying from fi.n, be as bad ~r as needlefs a ''thing as we have formerly taken it to be?Had you rather appear . u before the Lord in the cafe ofthofe that we derided as Pmrit~ns . '' and too p~ecife for making fuch adoe about fal vation, or in the cc cafe that y<:m and I have lived in? J Ask but this--Q.£tefiion to thy old companions, and try whether the Confciences of almoH: all that approach their end, do not bear wimefs ·againfl: un~'d· linefs, and do not juf.l:ifie the holy diligence of the Saints. It is b'ut two days fince a poor drunkard of a neighbour Pa– rifh, being ready to pafs out of this world , did fend hither (and to other Parifhes) in .the terrours of his foul, to de fire ~~r Congregation~ to ttlk,: warnin,g .by him, and to ftrive with Ged if poj]i6/e, for fame mercy for his fot>Jl, that WtU paj]ing in terrours into another world, bectttt(eof the guilt of hu ~dieus pn.J . Well Grs, I have gone along with you to all the creltures in this world, that have any fimefs to judge in this cafe: and if all thefe will not ferve~ we muO: go to another world for Judgement, or fiay till you come there. . . I t.And really do you think if we could fpeak with Angelsor dep.1.rted Sou!J, that they would not confent withGod and all Be– lievers in their Tefl:imony ? 0 how they would rebuke their madnefs, that make any dfJubt of fo great, fo plain, fo fure a truth, as this of tbe neceffity and the excellency of a Holy life. None are fo fully refolved of this quei1ion as they that bave taO:ed theEnd of borh,and pafi the righteous' judgement of the Lord. They that are feeling the anguifh of their Con– feiences, and the tormenting difpleafure of Almighty <3od, are fatisfied by t.his rime: whether,the Godly or ungodly were the Wifer men; ~nd whether fanctity or fenfuality were the Better courfe? They that are rejoycing with Chjiil: in Glorr, are fati~fied perfectly of this queftion, and are far from repentmg of th~tr choice. Luk_; I 6. Chriil: tells you enough, in the eafe of the Rtch man and L{J,:{,flrus, h~wmen judge in ~he life to come. 12. But

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