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E96
THE
nSASH
ÓF SItTNÉRS
IMFROVED.
[SERM. 3ILt.
The death of impenitent
sinners
has
been many
a.
time,
the happy occasion
of
the conversion
of
a
saint.
There
is
many
a
holy soul, now in heaven,
that
was first
awakened
to
fly
from the
wrath
to come,
by
the death of
some
of
his wicked
companions
in his
younger
years.
When a
snare
falls
suddenly,
and
seizes
a
little bird or
two
of
the
flock,
the
rest take
wing
toward heaven,
and
fly
for safety.
And
happy
are
those souls, who
take the
terrible
warning, who
fly
to
the sacred refuge, and
lay
hold on offered,
grace.
When a
vile
wretch
is
seized in
the midst
of
his com-
panions,
and
sins,
and sent
down to hell
and destruction
in
a
moment, the
very gates
of
hell seem to
open
before
our
faces,
to
receive the
rebels;
such a spectacle
fills
the hearts
of
those
that
are near
him,
with
amazement
and
terror,
and
hath
often been the first means
of
send
-
ing them
to
the
throne
of
grace
;
and,
by degrees,
to the
gates
of
heaven.
The
story
of Peter
Valdo
is
famous
on
this occasion,
who was
a
rich
merchant
of
Lyons, in
France, but
had no sense
of
inward
religion,
or
true,
piety.
When
in
the midst
of
feasting and
merriment,
he
saw
one
of
his
companions
struck
with
sudden death,
he
was
awakened
to
serious thoughts
of
eternity: Upon
this he
applied
himself to
study
the scripture, and
dis-
cover the
errors of
the Romish church
;
he
acquainted
his
friends with
them, and
instructed the
poor,
who
were
continual partakers of
his
bounty.
Then
being ex-
communicated
by
the popish
clergy, he
retired,
with
some
of
his
disciples, to the vallies
of
Piedmont,
where
he found
some
christians
of
an
ancient
and primitive
stamp, and
joining
with them,
established those churches
which
are
called the
Vaudois and are famous
in history,
even to
this day.
Bishop
Burnet
also tells
us,
in
the
life
of
the
Lord
Chief Justice
Hale, that
in his
younger years he
gave
himself up
to
much frolic
and
vanity, till one
of
his
loose
companions
fell
down
4m
a
sudden,
and
they
thought
him
dead:
which
surprizing providence sent
Mr. Hale
to
his knees,
to
pray earnestly for the
reco=
very
of
his
companion, and laid a foundation for
that
fe
of
eminent virtue and
religion, which is described
in
those
memoirs.
Thus
not
only
the
death
of
profligate
sinners,
but
even the
appearance
of
their
death,
has
been