Pangs and Agonies of Conscience and overwhelm thee with a total Despair Some such I have known who upon their Sick and Death-Beds have cried out Vndone eternally undone there is no Hope no Mercy for us there remaineth nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation from the Lord to consume us Who have hereupon howled like a Beast and roared out like a damned Soul methinks I hear the doleful Sound continually in my Ears and I hope I shall never totally forget it But for the present let us suppose the best Provided thou shouldest prove a true Fonitent which is very unlikely yet without a Divine Revelation thou wilt not be able to know it Many have been affrighted by Sickness into seemingly very serious Purposes and have been taken for sincere Converts but when they have recovered have returned again like the Dog to his Vomit and the Sow that has been washed to her wallowing in the mire It may be this has been thy own case a Fit of Sickness made a great change in thy Countenance but a greater in Thoughts But with thy Health thou hast recovered thy ancient Looks and returned to thy Old Sins again and all thy good Resolutions have vanisht away like the Visions of the Night when a man awakes or the Dew of the Morning when the Sun is risen The Pangs thou hast undergone have not been like those of a Woman in Travel which end in the Birth of a living Child but like the racking and tormenting Pains of the Gout or Stone which wear off but no good comes of them And who can assure thee that special Grace hath now fixed and established thy Heart which hath so often started aside like a deceitful Bow So that thou wilt unavoidably dye in a dreadful Cloud and pass by the very Gates and within a near View of the Flames of Hell even though thou shouldest be received into Heaven 3. It will greatly torment thee if Sickness should find thee unready Oh how wilt thou befool and condemn thy self and say How often was I put in mind of such an Hour as this How often have I been called upon to prepare my Soul for it How often did I purpose to do it I was even ready to yield sometimes but still I deferred it till a more convenient Season as I called it such a Fool was I and so like a Beast have I carried it Surely I had not the Understanding of a man within me 4. Great is the Happiness of those who are ready for a sudden Death Nothing can make them miserable they walk in the Light of God's Countenance Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost and a daily delightful Communion with God a thing so ravishing that as that Nobleman said when in his low condition he was tempted with the offer of a Bag of Gold to return to Popery Their Money perish with them that would not prefer one Hours Communion with God before all the Silver and Gold in this World They drink abundantly of that sweet Wine which hath a far more delicious relish and taste than all the Pleasures of this World were the Spirits of them all extracted and mingled together in one Draught And as they do not live so neither do they dye at the common rate of other men Much of their Master's Joy comes down into them before they are received up into it they dye smiling yea go away in Triumph into that blessed Place where Delight and Praise shall be their everlasting Work and Employment 5. And Lastly The Consequences will be very dreadful if thou art not ready If thou hast not the habitual and fundamental readiness that is if thou art not justified and sanctified thou art lost for ever And except these men's Consciences are seared if a Cloud be but gathering if some threatning Sickness do but hover over them it casts them into a mighty Confusion But if it actually seize them they are in the same condition with Belshazzar when he saw the Fingers of a man's hand writing he knew not what tho' he could not read nor understand the mystical Character yet his guilty Conscience concluded it was a Sentence of Death and Wrath whereupon his Thoughts troubled him and his Knees smote one against another and his Countenance changed white as that Wall on which the Hand-writing appeared And he could not be more in haste for his Wise-men than they are for the Physician to tell them what their Fate is like to be And though thou hast the Fundamental yet if thou hast not the actual readiness for Death too thou wilt be full of Fears and inward distress of Soul dye very uncomfortably and go away trembling into the other world IV. And Lastly The Application 1. Learn hence the Reason of Holy Men's strictness in Religion They dare not follow a multitude to do wickedly nor assume to themselves so great a latitude in practice as their Neighbours They think and therefore they walk otherwise than the rest of mankind do They take heed to their Feet because they don't know but the next step they make may be into the other World They have impressed upon their Minds a deep sense of those Words of our Saviour Rev. 16.15 Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame 2. How sad is it that so few are or take any care to get themselves ready There is not a plainer instance of the deplorable Corruption and Folly of human Nature than this That we stand in need of Divine Instruction by a powerful hand practically to know this common and obvious thing how frail we are God had pronounced that Severe Sentence against the Israelites That that whole Generation should die in the Wilderness within less than forty Years And consequently in so vast a body of men who were all of them to drop in so short a compass of Time they could not chuse but have daily Spectacles of Mortality before their Eyes and yet Moses was jealous that not a man among them would duly apprehend so plain a thing without Help from Heaven He therefore digests his own serious Thoughts on this Point into a solemn Prayer for the use of the Israelites that so he might lead the People in their Devotions as well as in their Wars and Journeyings through the Wilderness Yea tho' he was so eminent a Saint and so well skilled in all the Learning of the Egyptians of which Arithmetick was one part yet he saw a necessity of Divine Grace for himself too that he might be able to reckon aright in this matter which therefore he prays for in his own behalf as well as theirs So teach us to number our days Psa 90.12 that we may apply our hearts to wisdom But the Folly of the generality of Mankind as to this point Deut. 29.4 is so very manifest that we have too much cause
And Lastly God does this for the Instruction of others We think that if a Holy Man had but time and leisure given him his dying Words would have a great influence upon us And I grant there is somewhat in it and they must needs have very impenetrable Souls that should not be at all affected with his last Speeches But when God hastily snatches away a good Man Providence it self turns Preacher and crys with a loud Voice and the Man of Wisdom will hear and learn and he who does not do so would not be made better not only though the Preacher had taught him with his dying Breath but tho' he should rise again from the Dead to warn him For 1. This is an awakening Consideration to us to use great Diligence in doing good to and receiving good from our Friends and Relations while their Lives and ours do last With what Care and Diligence should Parents and Ministers instruct their Children and their Flock Watch over them Warn Reprove Exhort Beseech Counsel and Comfort them Travel in Birth with them 'till Christ be formed in their Hearts endeavour to bring them into keep and quicken them in the ways of God and prepare them for Heaven as not knowing how soon Death that great Silencer of Ministers whom none can resist may so effectually stop their Mouths as not to suffer them to Preach their Farewell Sermon or utter one single Sentence for the good of those whom they leave behind them With what readiness and thankfulness should Children and People listen to their Instructions receive their Reproofs hearken to their Wannings shew them that Honour that is due to them for their Works sake not only rejoycing but walking in the light while they enjoy it as not knowing how soon either one or the other or both may be in the Grave Job 3.18 where the Voice of the Preacher is not heard no more than that of the Oppressor It is but a Melancholly thing Luk. 17.22 to have that Scripture sullfilled upon us The day is coming when you shall desire to see one of the Days of the Son of Man and shall not see it 2. It is a loud Call to Repentance for our Non-improvement of those Advantages we enjoyed whilst such Relations were continued to us Such is our Folly that we seldom duly value or rightly use any Mercy while we possess it which gives but too much cause for deep Remorse of Spirit when we are deprived of it 'T is true indeed no Man can weep his Father his Friend his Pastor out of the Grave Our Loudest Cries will not awaken them that are fallen asleep in Jesus nor can our Sighs infuse a new Breath into them whose Spirits are departed But what cannot profit them may be of great Advantage to our selves And so it will be if our Grief run in the right Channel if our unsuitable Carriage towards them be deeply laid to heart as it ought to be when our Sins have been the Occasion of cutting down the Sprâ—â—ding Tree because we sat idly under its Shadow and did not stretch our our hands to gather the good Fruit wherewith it was loaden 3. 'T is a proper Means to Cure our inordinate Affection to and Dependance upon surviving Friends and all Wordly Comforts Cease ye from Man Isa 2.22 whose Breath is in his Nostrils whence it easily passes out or where it may be presently stopt by any little matter and therefore Wherein is he to be accounted of Hereby we see these Pipes may soon be cut off these Springs be presently dryed up and therefore because at the utmost the Time is short and may be much shorter than we are aware 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. it remaineth that both they that have Wives be as tho' they had none and they that weep as tho' they wept not and they that rejoice as tho' they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho' they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passeth away 4. 'T is a plain Admonition that our Time and Life are in God's hands Sometimes indeed they are said to be in our own I put my Life in my hand Judg. 12.3 Ps 119.109 said Jephtah My Soul is continually in my hand saith David But then hereby is meant the great Dangers to which our Lives are perpetually exposed as a brittle Glass which may presently be broken by slipping from him that carelessly holds it or a valuable thing that may be easily snatcht away from him that shews it in his open hand But as to Dominion and Power Ps 31.15 Eccles 8.18 so our times are in God's hand alone he prolongs or shortens them as he sees fit and no man hath Power over his own Spirit much less over that of his Brother to retain it one moment when he calls for it Ps 49.7 Dan. 4.35 36. The most high doth what he will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand as the proudest of Kings acknowledged when his Reason returned to him and so snall we except our be departed from us 5. It is a sensible Evidence of the Frailty and Vncertainty of our Lives That the best of Men in their best Estate are but as the Flower of the Field Ps 103.16 which as gawdy as it looks if the Wind do bus paltiover it immediately it is gone 6. 'T is â—…loud Call to us to Redeem our Time What Stupidity is it to lavish away one Day or Hour which for ought we know may be our last and then there 's no Preparation to be made for Eternity We stand upon hollow ground which may presently fall in and therefore Whatever thy hand findeth to do Eccles 9.10 do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest 7. 'T is a mighty Check to Carnal Security and pleasing our selves with the hopes of a long Continued Happiness in this World This is but too natural to us all when we are in flourishing Circumstances They that lye at Ease are very Subject to such idle Dreams That rich Man in the Gospel was not the only Person that ever said to himself Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many years Eat Drink Luk. 12.19 20. and be merry And how like a Fool did he look When God said unto him This Night shall thy Soul be required of thee David himself was so over-seen Ps 30.6 7. that He said in his prosperity he should never be moved But Providence soon confuted him and his Mountain which he thought stood so strong was presently moved and shaken to that Degree that he himself was suddenly cast from it within a Hairs Breadth of the Grave whereupon he immediately adds v. 9. What profit is there in my Blood when I go down to the Pit shall the Dust praise thee When others
drop in this manner before our Eyes 't is a lively Comment on that Scripture Go to now ye that say James 4.13 14 15 16. to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow Thou may'st travel to thy long Home before thou reach that City For what is your Life It is even a Vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away And therefore Ye ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that But now ye rejoyce in your Boastings please your selves with such vain Thoughts and Projects All such rejoycing is evil 'T is a sottish Thing so to do for you are not Lords of your own Lives and therefore not of your own Actions and if your Breath fail in that moment all these great Thoughts of yours shall perish like a proud and swelling Bubble that is broken by a single puff of Wind. 8. 'T is a strong Motive to Thankfulness to God that he hath nor so surprized us it our Natural state or in the very Act of some Sin and Folly A single Affront puts our Thoughts and Spirits into a mighty Ferment and Agitation which makes our Wrath immediately kindle like an heated Vapour by its own Motion in a sultry Evening and we are apt to be quick and severe in avenging our selves on our Adversaries if it be in the Power of our hands How easily could God have cut us off when we were Enemies to him struck us down dead at his Foot in an Instant when the Weapons of Iniquity were in our Hands without affording us any leisure to bethink our selves what we had done or whither we were going Astonishing Patience that he hath not long since torn away our guilty Souls from our Wretched Bodies sending one to the Grave and plunging the other into Hell That his Wrath hath not smoaked against us yea broke forth into a devouring Flame His Forbearance is so much the more admirable Eccles 8.11 because perverse Man takes an Occasion from hence to Embolden himself in Sin Because sentence against an Evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil His Power over himself is great as well as over us otherwise his Anger had been let out like a Flood upon us and we had been violently and hastily carried away before it 9. And Lastly 'T is an evident Demonstration of the Necessity of our being continually in a prepared Posture for Death and Judgment And this Naturally leads me to the II. General propounded which is to shew wherein this readiness for Death and Judgment does lye This is twofold First Habitual Secondly Actual The one as to the State the other as to the Frame of our Souls The one in Order to a Safe Departure the other in Order to a Comfortable one 1. There is an Habitual Readiness for Death and Judgment which lyes in these two things Justification by Faith in the Blood of Christ and Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ 1. Justification by Faith in the blood of Christ He is a miserable Creature who has the guilt of any one Sin cleaving to his Soul because that single guilt binds him over to Eternal Wrath. Who then can conceive the misery of that man who has upon him the guilt of all those innumerable Sins which he has committed throughout the whole course of his life every one of which and much more all of them together expose him to the Fury and Everlasting Vengeance of God Such a one is far from being fit for Death and Judgment who must fall under that condemning-Sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels What terrour and confusion will the very presence of Christ strike into the Souls of these men Gen. 45.3 Joseph had concealed himself from his Brethren a long while but when at last he made himself known to them and said I am Joseph the thought of those Injuries which they had done him struck them dumb and they were troubled at his presence and could not answer him When our Saviour shall appear and say to an Unbeliever I am Jesus That Jesus whose Blood thou hast despised whose Gospel thou hast slighted whose Spirit thou hast resisted whose merciful Design thou hast opposed all thy life long and wouldest not be reconciled to God through me I am that very Jesus These words will strike and pierce him to the very heart and cause him to wail Rev. 1.7 and call to the rocks and mountains saying Fall on me and hide me from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come Rev. 6.16 17. and who shall be able to stand 2. Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ The most glittering Profession where there is not a work of Regeneration will not avail in that day The Foolish Virgins that had Lamps in their hands but no Oil in their Vessels will find the door shut against them when the Bridegroom comes Matth 25.10 as not being ready to enter in with him Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If we are not true Penitents and Converts Acts. 3.19 our Sins are not blotted out but shall remain in God's Book against us under our respective Names and then it will not be a time of refreshing but of scorching Heat which we shall never be able to endure In a word There is not a more miserable Wretch out of Hell than an unpardoned and an unsanctified Man who is going to it and considers not whither he is hasting All this man's Happiness lies at the mercy of a Disease of an Accident of one moment for if this night God should take away his Soul where is he Nay it all lies at the mercy of one wise and sober thought For did he but understand and consider the true state of his Soul with reference to Eternity his Mirth would be changed into Trembling and all his Songs into Howlings and Lamentations into Agonies and Horrors of Conscience For 't is not more certain that he is at present out of Hell than it is that if he live and die in his present State he shall in a few moments be in it II. There is an actual readiness for Death and Judgment and that lies in these following things 1. In a careful abstinence from every wilful Sin and a speedy and deep repentance for any such 2 Pet. 3.14 if we have been guilty of it Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Our principal care must be to refrain from