Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

r (r 66o Of the fhortneffeandfraiítyo < mantiefe. rie, abundance and great authoritie and command; yet when the day oftheir death is come, when they are turned out ofall, and ready to be haled to thebarre of Gods judgement, to giue an account of his miffpent talents, & to anfwerefor their cruel tyrannizing otter their fellowferuants;then they fee how much a good confcience is better then earthly trealùres, and the affu- rance ofGodsloue and their faluation, to be preferred before the vanifhingglorie ofthe world; and now they would not change conditions with them,whom not long lince they enui- cd, though they might haue the Monarchie ofthe whole earth to boote. For alas, what will their pallid pleafures,honors and riches,now profit them when being (lript of all,they mullgiue their account at the tribunali feat ofGods iudgement, for their often abutingthefe rich gifts? yea what miferie will it now be, that they haue been fo happie,when as they(hall be forfaken of ali,and change their eflate,hauing no hope nor comfort ofbet- tering themfelues in the alteration? yea what trembling and feare that then pofieffe them,whenthey leaue that eflate which they know,and muff change for onewhich theyknow not ?and when being abandoned ofali their delights,they {hall have on- ly their fins attending on them; not now difguifed and gilded ouer as heretofore, but in their owne vglÿfbape, andhorrible deformitie as lotltfome as the..diuell, and asblacke as hell? O what would they not now giue to haue their quietus elf,& Gods debt-booke cancelled? at what price would they refufe a good confcience,ifit were offered them.to fale ?how would they now with readineuîefirip themfelues out of all, to procure the rich robe ofChrifl Icfus his righteoufneffe, that therein they might with comfort appeare before their Iudge ?Or if theydie of a fpi. rituall lethargic, and be rocked a[leepe of the dwell in the cra- dle offecurity,andfo caried quietly into hell,fo as they haue no leafurc to think ofthefe things,ortime to entertainethefe fear- full meditations ; yet how inuchmore helliíh horror haue they when they are awakened out ofthcir deepfleep, with thofe in- tollerabie tortures ?O how do they then befoole themfelues,for hauing preferred temporalties before eternities, and made Pale oft heir foules,£or earthly vanities N hatpaires would they -now refitfe,to free themfelues out of this damned condition, ifthey might hue againe ?how many worlds would they now giue,for one