-98 THE GREAT MISERY OF THOSE § 5. (3) They will lose all that false peace of con- science which makes their present life so easy. Who would think that sees how quietly the multitude of the ungodly live, that they must very shortly lie down in everlasting flames ! They are as free from the fears of hell as an obedient believer ; and for the most part have less disquiet of mind than those who shall be saved. Happy men, if this peace would prove lasting! " When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden de- struction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall notescape. "(b) Ocruelpeace, which ends in such a war ! The soul of every man by nature is Satan's garrison : all is at peace in such a man till Christ comes and gives it terrible alarms of judg- ment and hell, batters it with the ordnance of his threats and terrors, forces it to yield to his mere mercy, and take him for the governor ; then doth he cast out Satan, " overcome him, take from hirn all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils,- (e) and then doth he establish a firm and lasting peace. If therefore thou art yet in that first peace, never think it will endure. Can thy soul have lasting peace, in enmity with Christ ? Can he have peace, against whom God proclaims war ? I wish thee no greater good, than that God break in upon thy careless heart, and shake thee out of thy false peace, and make thee lie down at the feet of Christ, and say, Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do? and só receive from him a better and surer peace, which will never be quite broken, but be the beginning of thy everlast- ing peace, anti not perish in thy perishing, as the groundless peace of the world will do. 6. (4) They shall lose all their carnal mirth. They will themselves say of their laughter, It is mad; and-of their mirth, What doeth it ?(d) It was but as the cracklings of thorns under a pot.(e) It made a blaze for a while, but it was presently gone, and returned no (b) 1 Thess: v. 3. (d) Eccles. ii. 2. (e) Luke xi. 22. (e) Eccles, vii. 6,
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