8 8 'the Deflresdion of the DeflroyerD or, Vie 3. Fot Exhorta: ti0nj prevent that ill ttac might the come upon chem. is it not tilts with many of you ? ye live and build houfes,and ralfe your names w be glorioas,and to makea fair fhew in the world : But to get gtace,and to get Faith,andHope,and Love,and Repentance, none of your thoughts almofi run that way,fcaçceany of your thoughtsare to befto-n- ed. Is not this to be children in underflanding. Again, he isa foolifh man that knoweth he fhall meet an Enemy, and will not prepare. Ifa man fhould hear of twenty or thirty thoufandSouldiers were gathered again( the City, and befieged it to deftroy it : He wouldnot be tofoolifh, and fo temple then, as to beftow himfelf in his Trade, and to follow his bußncis, and to give himfelf to Merriment, but he would get his weapons, and he would look a- bout him, help to arm the City, and to make it Rrong. Whydo yenot confider that your foul isas a City ? Death will come again(t it,and batter you with 6cknefs, with pains, and at laft will certainly take ir, and if the foul be not prepared, will carry it to Hell fire. Why will you be fo veretchle fs, andfenfelefs to eat anddrink, and labour CO grow rich, to bury your felves in earthly labours, and never think how to efcape , how Death may be kept out, that will deftroy Soul and Body? I peefume you are afhamed of this folly by this time, I hope ye will go away with remorfe and forrow, for fo carelefly negleaing a thing of fo great importance to be provided for. In the thirdplace therefore 1 intreateyou, beginthis great work this day. Cen- lider ( ifyou have notbegun ) the Enemy lireth in wait for thee,Oh man or woman, if thou be never fo young, thou maift meet with him before night, if thou be old, thoumutt meet with him ere long. Prepare for him betime ; think what an Enemy may encounter thee in the way. If a man be to travel, though he be not affured to meet with an Enemy, yet he will firive to get good company, and weaponhim- felf, he will carry his (word, fomething hewill do, that if aThief come to rob him he may beable to prevent the danger. Beloved, think that there is an Enemy that way.layes us, as we goalong in the world, one time or other he will be fure to come upon us: Therefore flit up your felves, begin this day to prepare for this Enemy, How (hall I prepare for death ? I told you before, it is not amifs in a word to repeat it : Get Faith in Chriü,and Hope, and Charity, and Repentance. Thefe will be means to prepare and help thee again&death. Therefore( ifhitherto thou have not) lament and bewail the finful- nefsof thynature and life. Allison as thouart out of this place, get thee into a foli- tary room, fall upon thy knees, lament thy fins, the illnefs o£ thy nature and car- riage,rehearfe thy ways asmuch as thou canft, condemn thy fclf before God,mightily cry for pardon in the meditation of his Son, and never leave fobbing and mourning, till he hath given thee fomc atifwer that he is reconciled. And then Itrive to get Faith in Chti(t, call to mind the perfe&ion of his Redemption, theexcellencyof his pcefon and merits, that thou maiefr repofe thy foul on him, that thou maieti fay, though my fins be as the Stars, and exceed them, yet the meritof my Saviour, and his fatisfa&ion to the juftice of God it is full : In him he is well pleafed and reconciled, I will (lay on him,Lord Chriff, thou haft done and fuffered enough toredeem me and Man-kind,thouhaft fuffered for the propitiation of theworld, though my finsdeferve a thoufand damnations, yet l truft upon thy mercy, according to the Covenant made in thy word. Thus when a man labourech to call himfelf onChrift,tolay the burthen of his falvation, and to venture his foul on him,now hehath believed,this Brett- pla.te, death is notable to thruftthrough. And then, labour that this Faithmay workfo firongly, that it maybreedHope,, a confiant and firm expe&ationgrounded on the promifesof the word,ihatthou(talc be Caved,and goto Heaven,and beadmitted into the pretence of God,wben.thoii(halt be feparated from this lower world. He that is armed with this hope, bath a HcL- met,death (hall never hurt his head ; It !hall neverbe able to take away his comfort and peace; he (hall fmile at theapproachof death, becaufe it can do nothing'buï help him to his Kingdom. And
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