. . . . 66 That ye may be able to ft and fiadden they are fwallowed up withdeftruaion and fent -to be undecciv'd in hell, who would not be beaten from their refuges of lie here ; whoever thou art, 0man, and whatever thou hail to glory in, were it the molt Saint-like converfation that ever any lived on earth, yet if this be thy fheiter agaAlit he evil day, thou wilt perifh. No falvation when that flood comes but Chrift,yea, :being in Chrift, hanging on the out-fide of the Ark by a fpecious Profellion, will not lave; Me thinks I fee how thole of the old world ran for their lives, !bun to this hill, and others to that high tree, and how the waves purfued them, till at laft theywere fwept into the devouring flood. Such will your end be, that turn any other way for help then to Chrift ; yet the Ark waits on you, yea, comes up clofe to your gate to take you in. Nod, did not put forth his hand more willingly to rake in the dove, then Chrift doth to receive thole who flue to him for refuge. 0 re - feet not your own mercies for lying vanity. vite 3. Let it put thee upon the enquiry (whoever thou art,) whether thou beet in a pofture ofdefence for this evil day. Ask thy foLl foberly and folemnly, Art thou provided for this day, this evil day ? how couldeft thou part with what that will cake away, and welcome what it will certain!y bring ? Death comes with a voider to carry away all thy carnal enjoyments and to bring thee up a reckoning for them, 0 card} thou take thy leave of the one, and with peace and confidencereade the other ? will it not af- fright thee to have thy health and flrength turn'd into faintneffe and feebleneffe, thy tweet nights of reit into waking eyes, and refileffe toffings up and down ; thy voice that has fo often chanted to the viol, to be now acquainted with no other tune but fighs and groans. 0 how can ft thou look upon thy fweet and dear relations with thoughts of removing from them ? yea, behold the inftrument, as it were,whetting ttAt (hail give the fatal ftroke to fever foul and body ? think that thou wert now half dead in thy members, that are molt remote from the fountain of life, and death to have but a few moments journey, before it arrive to thy heart, and fo beat thy laft breath out of 'thy body. Poffably the inevitable neceflicy of diet:: do make thee to harden thy fellagaintt them ; this might indeed in foam Heathen, that is not refolv'd whether there be anotherworld or :no, help a little to blunt the edge of that terrour which other- wife
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=