Serm. CXXIX. the Day of judgment 79 But thispoflibly may not be our Cafe, this dreadful Day may notcone in our bays; and yet it is Madness to run a Venture in a Matter of fuch Moment : But if it fhould not, I muff tell you, that the Cafe of a dying Sinner is not much dif- ferent, who bath negle&ed God and Religion in his Life-time, and would never think of betaking himfelf to him, or making any Submífiton, till his Juftice be ready to cut him off. And how fecure and carelefs foever Sinners may be now, no Man knows how foon he may be reduced to the very laft Opportunity of making his Peace with God, and may be brought intothofe fad and miferablé Straits, that no Man that is in this Wits would be in for all the World ; that he mayhave nothing left that can give him the leaft Hope of being faved from eter- nal Perdition, but a fudden and confufed, and in all Probability, an ineftè&ual Repentance ; nothing but this one Plank to truft to, which it is ten thoufand to one whether it ever bring him to Shore. Therefore be wife, Sinner, in time, and feize upon the. prefent Opportunities of Life, and improve them with all thy Might, with all poffible Care and Dili- gence, left Judgment find thee unprepared ; or in cafe Cod in Mercy to the VVorld, fhould delay it yet longer, left Death feize upon thee carelefs and un- provided. And when that is once in view, it is but very little that can be done by way of Preparation : for as there i.r no Counfel nor Wifdónt, no Worknor Device in the Grave, whither we mull go; fo there is very little when we are come near to it ; and therefore bled is that Servant, whomhis Lord when he cometh (hall gad watching. SERMON CXXX. The Certainty, and the Bleffednefs of theRefurree`tion of true Christians. { T H E S S. I.V. 14, For if we believe that 3efus died, and rote again ; even fo them alfè which fleep in Jefas, will God bring with him. THE Words which I have read are an Argument of the Bleflëd Refurre&ion of good Men to eternal Life, grounded upon the Refurreftion of Chriff. In the Verfe before, the Apoftle comforts Chriftians, concerning their Brethren that were already departed in the Faith of Chrift, that there was no Reafon why they fhould fo immoderately grieve for them. But Iwould not have you ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are afleep, that ye farrow not, even as others that have no Hope; that is, as the Heathen do, who mourn for their dead Friends in fo grievous a manner, as if they were utterly extinguifh'd by Death, and they had no Imagination of any Life beyond this. And thus we find the Apoftleelfe where'defcribing the State of the Heathen World; Eph. 2. 12. that they Were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, Strangers from the Covenant of Promif, ha.- ving no Hope. But Chriftians fhould not mourn for their deceafed Friends, as the Heathen were wont to do, who had no Hope of a better Life ; becaufe Chriftians pro- fefs to believe that Chrift is rifen from the Dead, and afcended into Heaven : For ifwe believe that 7efus died, and rote again, evenfo than alfa which,lleep in Jefes, will God bring with him. 2 A a There
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