470 Dernbpretienttd, or, Judge ofthe quick and the dead, and with all that thon art, and with 'a11 that thou haft done, there muff appear then before himall thecourfcs ofthy lifè; all thebent ofthy affeétions,all the fetrets ofthy heart (hall then bepulled inpieces,and opened, and all thy works, and all thy words fhalibeexhibited, fcann'd, and Purveyed, and that with feverity and righteoüfnefs; how fay youthen,is it notfrt to be preparing for Death, to fit thy foul, fo reform thy heart and life ? wilt thou be prefented be- fore Gods fevere Judgement feat with Ufury in thy bags,with bribes and oppeffion in thy hands, with a fum ofholinefs in thymind, with uncleanncfs in thy members, with drunkcnnís in thy mouth,with fwearirtg in thy tongue.? ÓLord,I tremble to think of it. Yeerfou 4. Fourthly, the foul when it is once gone by Death, can never be recovered any more, the tree may becut, and that may grow again, the fhipmay beloff, and the wealth laboured up 'again, but if theglafs be broken in pieces, it cannot be made whole again ; the foul ofman is but one, and the loft ofthat one, is the lotsof it for ever; when death hafts clofed up thy eyes, thou ¡halt never have opportunity to pray more, to weep more, to humble thy felf more, to fall more. . Never any Prophet orApoftle (hall come unto thee in thenameof God more after death all the Ordinances ceafc untothee foreveryand all the fpäceof returning ih all ccafeun- t o thee forever ; thou (halt not lit a fete yearsin flames ofWrath, and then get leave to come out andtake a better courfe ; Ono, ifonce there, thenfor ever there ; this life is the time of mercy andfpacc ofreperrtarrce, but when Death fhalldeliver thee up to be judged by the Lord, thoumuft ftandfor ever to his fentence ; therefore as Chriff fpake, e4gree with thine adverfary while thou art in the way, left the Judge deliver thee ter the officer, andbe colt theeintoprifon ; I tefl thee thou /halt not depart thence, till thou half paid the loft mite, Luke vs. gS. And get oyl into your lamps' before the door be Phut. Fifthly, confider it will be as-much as thoucanif do, to do thework ofDeath,; when Death doth come ; therefore prepare andget all thy other work donebe fore. For, nay Moved, confider three thing's; Firft, Conference ufually is molt active at the timeofdeath; amat that could withftand, and filence it in his life, yet when he comes to die,he fhall hear his voyce, and perhaps not be able to Rand under the bitter indi&ments, andmanifold accu- fations of-it ; then itwill fpread the bookof thy life before thee, and then, and there thou fhalt'fee thy fins as ghaftlyprefented, as if they were fo many wounds' newlymade. Secondly, thy patience will be tried with variety ofpain, interruption of!leer,. every place will be a thorn to thee, arid every aEtion a burden. Thirdly, thy faith may be tried to the utmoft, if thou lookcft to thyWife, her tears may trouble thee; if to thy Children, their criesmay perplex thee ; ifto tfayI 'friends,rhey may bechi-comforts to thee ; and will Satan let theealoneall this while,1 will he lethim lie down in comfort, who wouldnot fcarce let him live anhour in peace? oh what a vi&ory would it be,if he couldat the laft make thee call awaythy. confidence ! it is truehe cannot attain it, but he may defperately attempt it. Why brcthren,whoknoweth thepower ofthole (harp temptations whichmay thenbefet him? Verily, all the holinefs which we have attainedalready, all the duties we have performed already; we may then look on them with tears,, and cryout, Owhyno fooner? why no better ? whyno more? then all the ftrength of thy faith will be little enough to fupporttee. vfer. Will there thenbe a changebefall even allthe font of men. Then (romakefome' Ube and Applicationofwhat bathbeenPaid toour felves.) Firft, build noTaber-' cles here; the have berenoabiding City. And, brethren, (faith the Apohle) t Cor. 7. 59, 30, 3r. The time IS /hort, it remains that theythat havewives, be as if they had none ; and they thatweep, as though theywept not; and they that rejoice, as' though they rejoicednot, &c. Why tisisthirft for riches ? there will beschange;. why this unwearied feeking after the thingsof this life, as if thy foul were to goin- to a barn, or a bag, and there tumble itfelf for ever ? Thou fool, this nigh: may the 1
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=