Sean. CXXXIII. different Ends ofgoodandbadMen. z r r And this likewife is an Argument of the Immortality of our Souls, and of the Rewards and Punifhments of another Life; and as gooda Demonftration of the Reality and Excellency of Religion and Virtue, from thefe happy Effe&s of it, as the Nature of the Thing is capable of. And now to make force Refle&ions upon what has been laid upon this Argu- ment. Firfi, The Confideration of the different Ends of good and bad Men, is a tnighty Encouragement to Piety and a good Life. Nothing in this World thews us fo remarkable a Difference between the Righteous and theWicked, as a Death- bed. Then a good Man moft fenfbly enjoys the Comfort of a good Life, and Me peaceable Fruits of Righteoufoef ; and the Sinner then begins to reap the bit- ter Fruits of Sin. What a Difference is there then, between the Comfort and Trouble, the Cornpofure and Difturbance, the Hopes and Fears of thefe two Per- fons ? And next to the a&ual Poffeffion of Blefhednefs, the comfortable Hopes and Expe&ation of it are the greateft Happinefs 5 and next to being plung'd into it, the fearful Apprehenfions of eternal Mifery are the greateft Torment. The Wicked is driven away in his Wie!tednef, is violently hurried out of the World full of Guilt and Trouble. What Storms and Tempefts are then raifed in his Mind, from the Fear of God's ruf ice, and the Defpair of his Mercy ? But the Righteous bathHope in his Death. The Refle&ion upon a Holy and Virtuous Life, and the Confcience of a Man's Uprightnefs and Sincerity, are a SpringofJoy and Peace to him, which refrefheth his Mind with unfpeakable Comfort and Plea- fure, under the very Pangs of Death. With what Triumph and Eitultátionof Spirit doth the bleffed Apoftle St. Paul, upon the Review of his Labours and Sufferings for God and his Truth, fpeak of his Diffolution ? 2 Tim. 4. 6, 7, 8. For Iam now ready to be. °fired up, andthe Time of myDeparture is at hand. Ihave fought agood Fight, I havefinijhed my Courfe, I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there is laid op for me a Crown ofRighteoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhallgiveme at that Day. He fpeaks with fuch a lively Senfe ofit, as ifhe hadhis Crown in his View, and were juif ready to take hold of it. And what would not a Man give, what would he notbe contented to do and fuffer, to be thus affehted, when he comes to leave the World, and to be able to bear theThoughts ofhis Death and Diffolution with fo compos'd and chearful a Mind? And yet this is the na- tural and genuine Effe& of a holy and ufeful Life. And that which the fame Apoftle tells us, was the Ground of his rejoycing under Sufferings, is likewife the Comfort and Support of good Men- at the Time of their Death, 2 Cor..I. 12. Our Rejoycing, faith he, is this, the Teflimony of our Confcience ; that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity, we have hadoar Converfatioi in the World. All the Holy and Virtuous Adios of our Lives, are fo many Seeds of Peace and Comfort to us at theHour of our Death, which we (half more f niibly enjoy, when we come to de- part this Life. For then the Confciencesof Men are apt-to deal molt freely and impartially with them; and i f our Heartsdo not then condemn to, we may have Com- fort and'Confdence towards God. I believe there are Come verypious and good Souls, who have lived very dif confolate and full of Doubtings, and been under a Cloud the greateft Part of their Lives, who yet upon the Approach of Death, and juf as they were leaving. the World, havebroken forth, as the Sun fometimes doth juft before his Setting. I know it is not always thus; there are; I doubt not, force good Men who go out of this World with little or no Comfort; and yet fo loon as they ftep into another World, are encompafs'd with Joy unfpeakable andfull of Glory : And tho' the Comfort of loch Perfons be not fo early and forward, yet it cannot chufe but be extreamly welcome ; and it muff need§ put adoubting and tremblingSoul into a firange kind of Extafle andRavithment, to be thus unexpeecedly furprized with I-Ìappinefs.: Secondly, Since this is fogreat and evident a Teflimony of the Truth and Gobd- nefs of Religion, is it not a strange Thing, and to be wonderd at, that true Reli- gion and Virtue Ihould be fo little pra &is'd, and Impiety and Vice fhould fo generally prevail in theWorld, againft fo many Bars and Obstacles, and againft 4 E fueh
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