A freat f ofGonfcience. 79 ed men defirous todie, and,if death come not loon enough ofit felf, to difpatch away themfelves withcruel felf murder. Thus it was with Achitophel: when he fa w hiscounfel was not follow- ed he haltered himfelt : He had no peace ofcon!cience to corn fort him againff all his dumps and difcontents ; and therefore he was defirous to die, 4. Wicked men, being vexedat fòme- thing for the prefent, may feem to be defirous to die and yet if death fhould come indeed, they fhouldbe ofanother mind, and be cootent death fhould be further off. Nay, Jonas ( that ftrange man ofa good man) O for a fit he would be dying yea that he would, Lord take my lifefrom me : for it is betterfor me todie then to live. I fuppofe if God had taken him at his word, he could have wifhed his words had been inagain.Bu thus it is often in the mouthes of wicked people ; I would I were dead ; and, I would 1 were out ofthe world: not for any peace ofcon- fcience they have, nor for any delire of death but onely for a momentany pang. If they were to die indeed, they would be loth enough to it Like the man in theFable : who being wea- riedwith his burden of ltiks, lay down and called for death; but when death came indeed to take him, and faid, What ¡ball Ido, man? thou calleft me : I pray thee, faid he, help me up with my burden offtic/es. When he was todie indeed, thenhe would ra- ther have his own wearifome burden. It is but a fable ; but this is the fafhionof many . 5. Whenwicked men are defirous to die indeed fometimes not out ofdifcontent or any Inch like re a- ion, yet it connot be out ofany true peace of confcierce : They may go away like lambs, as we fay ; but it is in a fools paradife, It may whilefl they lived they thought to go to heaven ; but when they dy, then all their thoughts perifh, as the Pfalmilt Ipeak- eth in another cafe. To return therefore where we left ; O beloved, is there any of you that want the peace of a good confcience ? and do ye knowwhat you want? what a great benefit and bleffing? That ye may fee this, and fully know it, and by knowing it carnally dere it, confider, Firft, that it is thevery head of all comforts. A worthy Di- vine z Sam, I7, Z Z. )on4.3
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