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DISC.

III.I

SURI'RIZE

IN

DEATH:

.177

deed. Sermons would

not

do

it;

the voice

of

the

preacher

was

not

loud enough

;

strokes

of

affliction;

and

smarting providences, would

not

do

it;

perhaps

the

soul might be

roused a little,

but

dropped into

profound

sleep again

:

Sudden or surprizing

deaths near

them,

and

even the pains

of

nature

in

their

own

flesh,

their

own

sicknesses

and

diseases, did

not

awaken them,

nor the

voice

of

the Lord

in

them

all

:

But the parting- stroke,

that

divides'

the soul

and

body,

will

terribly awaken the

soul from the vain delusion,

and

all

its fancied delights

for

ever

vanish.

When

they

are

"

visited

by

the

Lord of

hosts

with this

thunder,

and earthquake,"

as

the

prophet Isaiah

speaks

;

Is.

xxix.

S.

when

this storm

and tempest

of

death

shall

shake the sinner

out

of

his

airy

visions,

"

he

shall

he

as

a

hungry man

that

dreameth

he was

eating,

but

awakes,

and

his soul is

empty; or

as

a thirsty

creature dreaming

that

he

drinks,

but

he

awaketh, and

behold

he

is

faint,"

and

his

soul

is

pained

with

raging

appetite: The sinner

finds,

to

his

own

torment,

how

wretchedly

he has

de-

ceived

himself,

and

fed

upon

vanity: There are

no more

earthly objects to please

his senses,

and

to

gratify

his

in-

clinations;

but

the soul for ever

lies

_upon

a

rack

of car-

nal

desire, and no

proper

object

to satisfy

it.

His taste

is

not

suited to

the pleasures

of

a

world

of

spirits, he

can

find

no

God

there

to

comfort

him

:.

God,

with his

offers

of

grace,

are

gone

for

ever,

and

the world

with

its

joys are for ever vanished,

while

the wretched and ma-

licious creatures, into

whose

company

he

is

hurried,

and

who were

the

tempters

or'

associates

of

his

crimes,

shall

stand

round

him to

become

his

tormentors.

III.

"

Though death

will

awaken

sinful

souls

into

a

sharper

and more

lively sense

of

divine and heavenly

things,

than ever

they had

in

this

world,

yet

they shall

never

be

awakened

to

spiritual

life

and

holiness

:"

And

I

think

I

may add,

that

though they should

be

awakened

to a sight

of

God, and

his

justice, and

his

grace, to

a

sight

of

heaven

and

hell,

more immediate and

perspicu-

ous

than what even the saints themselves usually enjoy

in this

life,

yet

they would

remain

still

under

the bon-

dage

of

their

lusts, still

"

dead

in

trespasses and

sins."

They

shall for

ever continue unbeloved

of

God, and in-

capable of

all

the

happiness

of

the heavenly state, be-