46o The IIYfe-mansVerdid. ç ownedulnes; but tobeg earnefllyofGod, thathowfoeuer othertli c ee (hall thinke good todeare with him,yethe wouldnot leaue him toa deadheart ,but would quickenhisdelireto the mercy of Chrill , by the livelyfenfe ofhis own vnworthineffe. Thethird branchof thise4ßìgas.aj in the time ofdeath,isby leaninghim to die defperately, that is, withCome feeling of ¡to, but withoutany mile of corn_ fort.And thiscommeth to gaffe two waies.Sometimes.thewicked manhauing inhis fickneffefomeapprehenfron of n,and Tome kindof delire to hear; cosh fort,and(itmay be)toothers feeming,come fitnetfe to receive it,yetit focom. methtopaffe inGods moft iuff d ifpenfätion , that at the inflant there is not a man tobe found, that is able to apply fpirituafi comfortvntohim;that know_ eth howto clip the tipofhis finger inwater,wherewith to refrefh hiswearied and fainting Conic. For,whatfoeuer wethinke ofit,ít is a matter ofmore skill thenwe areaware of,to kisowhow tofpeake to the heart ot a fiche man. Efay faith,thathe had thereggaeoftbe learnedgiace him,forthisone piece offern ice,to kEfay. to. .1. k NOW tonoirifierawardintimerehimthatvwearyk .Andalthoughwhenoneistick, many will come totellifie their kindnes,and sail fpeak(according to their skill) to comfort the patient, yet it maybe faidof the molt, as loblaid ofhis friends, ilab.st.a Miferableeamfarttntheyaret:For theft general(fpeeches,CallvponÇJod,beofgood ebeareyouf,allleewelll dear pole, they ere likeplayffers rob little forafore, and aremany times as vnfit, ar Prou.sat. Andas vnfeafonable, u:spew in Snmmer,or,ae therainin Harnef 5 Now(Ifay) the Lord oftentimesfodealethwith thewirked,that though he wifhethcomfort, Luke fí.16. yet(as irishid of the hungry prodigall)there is noman that cangheemehim For asGodoftentimes, for the finneof a Nation , fendeth filch afamine ofthe eAm.1.rgsa Word, that men ramming tooandfratafeekeit, fhallsetfind ir fu itallofállethout divers times in the cafes ofparticular men , that they may fend and feeke for one to inttruet their ignorant foules,and torelieve their languilhingfpirits,and yet fhall not lightepos any that is fitfor fucka feruiee.Another wayoffurthe- ring the defperateend ofa wicked man(ifthis do faile) is the leaningofhimto thathorrorofconfciente, that albeit therebe onewithhim, ableto difcouer vntohim the infinitand vnfpeakeable mercy ofGod in Chrilf,yethee fhall bee fofwallowedvpofdifmaiedneffe,that he (hall not know whichway to enter- tain the comfort that is olfered.Then he which in this life andhealth and jollity thoughtno finne tobedangerous,Ihall not be able to be otherwife pecfwaded, butthat euery fmal default isdamnable ; the diuell hail fo lay openall his fins5 the finnesofhisyouth, thefinesof hisage, hisvanity, his(wearing, hisriot, his contemptofGods word,hisvncieannes,hisopprefon,and fach like,and fo (et them(as it were)introupes before him,that.all the comfortable (precises in theworld (hall not affeet him,but he fhall conclude with (aie,CMyfnne itgrea- pGeasa3. ter thenowdeparstmeolviand foas he hued withoutconfcience,his deathhall be without comfort : as inhis life timebee made amocks ofthe counfeil of the Lord,and callhiswords behind him, fo nowtheLord will laagbathis defiruki. 1 Prau,1.a6. on,andmeckswhenhitfears isesme9.Thus, as it isn uiylaid , that the hand of the Lord is notfhortened,whenhe is purpofed to faue,fo neither ishis arme weak. ned,whenhe is mindedtodeflroy :he iseuerywhereround about vs, weare as it wereinacircle,the further weare fromonepart,the fleeter are weto another. Ifthewicked mandupe fuddendeath, he is in danger ofa dulling fickneffe :if hebe free from that,he is liketo fall into horrour ofconfcience,and tobe otter« whelmedwithdefpaire.Nowtomake the matter moreapparant,the forfaking and callingswaywhich is at the verypointofdeath,and at the partingofthe foule from the body, is meet tobe confideeed, Thecourfe whichGod taketh withhis childrenis this :When the fouleis let at libertyfrom theprifon ofthe «Luke tó,aa. body, itis iMiaatly cottueyédbj :btAngd:into: Abrahamsdefame! , it retarnetto God y
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