Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

o f Repentance. zo Cifthis reade at large,Deut.28. Themiferieover his head is, the wrathofGod , which he teftifies in all maner of iudgements from heaven, in daunger of which every im- penitent firmer isevery houre. And the danger isvery great. TheScrip- ture faith, It sa afearefull thing to fa into thehands ofthe livingGod. He Heim d.3 r. lathfiarehou/ès full ofall manner of iudgements : and theywatch for Dcut.32.34 fecure finners thatthey can not fcape.Gods wrath is as a firemaking ha- zec.7<6. vocke and bringing to naught whatfoever it lights on : yea, becaufehe is flow to.anger, Thereforemore terrible: as a man therefore faies his hand for a timc,that he may lift it higher and fetch a deeperblow.When Nab r.4sí,6. the dumbe creaturesmelt as wax,and vanifhawayat hisprefence,when P fa197, he is angry; as the huge mountaines and rockes do; frailemanmull ne- ver Tooke to (land. If the roaringof a lyon makemen afraide , and the voice ofthunder be terrible : oh, how exceedingly fhould all beafloni- fhed at the threatnings of God? Themiferie under his feete is, Hellfire: foreveryman tillhe repent, is in as great daungerofdamnation as the traitour apprehended,ofhan- ging , drawing , and quartering. Aman walking in his way fais into a deepe dungeon that isfull of ougly ferpents and noyfome beafts : in his fall'he catches hold of a twiggeof a tree that growes at the mouth of the dungeon, and hangs by it : afterward therecomesa beafl bothleane and hungerbitten, which having cropt the whole tree, is ever and anon knapping at the twigge on which he hangs. Now, what is thedaunger ofthis man? furely he is like to fall into the pit, over which hehangs. Well, this man isevery impenitent finner the pit is hell , prepared for thedevil and his angels : the twigge 'is the brickle & fraile lifeofman : thehungerbitten beafl is death,that is ready every houreto knappe our lifea funder : the daunger is fearefull: forman hangingas it were over the mouth ofhell, when life isended,unleffc he ufegoodmeanesbefore he die, he then fals to the verybottome ofit. If thisbe the mifery wherewith the careleffe man is fieged andcom- paflred about everyway , and that for his finnes, whydomen lie in the dead fleepeof fecuritie? ©! it (lands them in handto talrc up the voyce of bitter lamentation, and for their offences toTowleafter the manner of dragons. If men could weepenothing but teares of bloud for their finnes, ifthey could die a thoufand times in oneday for verygriefe,they couldnever be grievedenough for their (bines. The fecond motiue todrawmen to repentance is , the eonfideration of the wretched eflate of an impenitent (inner in his death, which is nothingbut the awages and allowance that he receiues for his firne :arid ` gaaa. it is the very fuburbes,or rather the gates ofhell.S.iaaul compares death Rom eaa. to a Scorpion; who carries of ing in his tide, which is finne. Now then t.for.,,. ' When impenitent andprophanepei foes die, then comes this fcorpion S 5,56>

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=