SEC'T'ION III. 552 III. Another will say, "I have lived in some credit and re- putation in the world, and I am now falling into universal -dis- grace and infamy, and in my opinion shame is worse than death.'{ Answer. But is shame worse than hell too ? That is .a proud spirit indeed, that had rather commit the greatest sin against God, than undergo disgrace from men : that had rather venture the weight of the arm of God, in a way of vengeance, than a little noisy and scornful breath of poor perishing mortals. Mortify thy pride, O sinner, and the temptation is at an end ; or despise the shame, if it be undeserved. But perhaps thou hast committed some foul and shameful sin, and thou art afraid ofpunishment and disgrace together, and therefore thou fliest to thesword, or the halter, toa pondof water, or to poison, to secure thyself from that disgrace. Wretched reasoning this, and foolish hope ! What is there casts agreater blot upon the name of any man, so long as his memory lives in the world, than to say, he hanged, or }frowned, he poisoned, or stabbed himself ? This is a stain shall never be wiped away : And. when thou risestout of thy grave, at the last day, thou shalt arise to everlasting shame and contempt. Besides all thy other sins, this shall be published before angels and men, that thou wert guilty of the most unnatural wickedness in the world. What a senseless practice is it for men to bring upon themselves eternal shame and confusion only for this end, that they may escape what is temporal ? III. The third pretence is this. "I have been disappointed in the greatest and most important affairsof life. When my hopes rose highest they were blasted on a sudden, andquite destroyed, My heart was entirely set upon this blessing, my expectations are dashed, and my heart is broke. All theworld besides is insigni- .flcant emptiness, or a painful vexation to me, and what should I do any longer in such a world, where I meet with nothing but vexation and emptiness ?" Answer. And do you not know that vanity and vexation has been written upon all this world, by the wisest of men longbefore you were born ? Has not this lesson been taught most men by, sad experience in every age ? And most you resolve to die be- cause you have learned it ? Have not the most flourishing hopes of a thousand other persons been blasted as well as yours, and the fairest blessingsof life withered in their hands ? And yet the wise and the foolish have survived this loss ; what apoor reason is this for you to doom yourself to death, and make yourself your own executioner ? Are there no comforts, no friends, no hopes left in this world to support you under the present disquietude and pain of mind ? Will not timeand patience make that burden easy which now seems unsupportable ? Patience and time with their soft and gentle hand have applied medicines toa thousand broken
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