88 THE WORLD TO CGME. of their pardon ; and Christ, as the ruler of his church, sees it fit they should be thus punished for their negligence. They lay hold of the promises of mercy with a trembling hand, and can- not claim them by a vigorous faith, because they have not been wont to live upon them, nor do they see those holy characters in their own hearts and lives, which confirm their title to them. They have no bright views of the celestial world, and earnests of their salvation, for it is only for watchful souls, that these cordials are prepared in the fainting hour : It is only to the watchful christian, that these foretastes of glory are given. The fruit of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance for ever; Isa. xxxii. 17. Blessed is he which watcheth, and keepeth his garments clean, that he may enter with triumph into that city, where nothing shall enter that defileth; Rev. xvi. 15. 3. " Slumbering and slothful christians, are oftentimes left to wrestle with sore temptations of Satan, and have dreadful conflicts in the day of death :" And the reason is evident, because they have not watched against their adversary, and obtained but few victories over him in their life. These temptations are keen and piercing thorns that enter deep into the heart of a dying creature. The devil may be let loose upon them with great wrath, knowing that his time is but short; Rev. xii. 12. and yet there is great justice in the conduct of the God of heaven, in giving them up to be buffeted by the powers of hell. What frightful agonies are raised in the conscience by the tempter and the ac- cuser of souls, on a sick or dying bed, can hardly be described by the living, and are known only to those who have felt them in death. 4. " Such drowsy christians make dismal work for new and terrible repentance on a deathbed :" for though they have sin- cerely repented in times past of their former sins, yet having too much omitted the self - mortifying duties, having given too much indulgence to temptation and folly, and having, not maintained this habitual penitence for their daily offences in constant exer- cise, their spirits are now filled with fresh convictions, and bitter remorse of heart. The guilt of their careless and slothful con- duct finds them out now, and besets them around, and they feel most acute sorrows, and wounding reflections of conscience, while they have need of most comfort, What a glorious en- trance had St. Paul -.into the world of spirits, and the presence of Christ ? He had made repentance, and mortification, and . faith in Jesus, his daily work : O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. vii. 24. I run, I fight, I subdue my body and keep it under ; 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. I an: crucified to the world, and the world to me; the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of
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