against it and the man in whose hands 't is found shall surelie dye Then cast it away if thou love thy life thy everlasting life But what art thou one of those sensless brutish blockish souls that a man had almost as good spend his breath upon a stone wall as talk to thee Art thou nothing moved with all thou readest or nearest but takest all for words of course which thou forgettest as soon as the noise is out of thy ears Dost thou now lay aside the Book and go about thy wonted business as if thou hadst not been reading for Life or Death But a kind of Story that no way concerns thee Wilt thou now rise up and go to thy worldly cares thy Company or vain Discourse instead of getting alone to God with humble acknowledgments of thy sin and earnest cryes for mercy If thou wast infected with the Plague and had st been reading what Medicines thou should'st use would'st thou lay by the Book and never mind more as if thou hadst done enough to read them without taking care to apply them And wilt thou now be guilty of a madness as much greater than this as sin and Hell are worse than the Plague and Death Art thou resolved though Christ himself should kneel to thee and beseech thee as he doth by me to search they heart and review thy wayes and detest thy sins that he might save thee that yet thou wouldest not grant his desire nor ever put thy self to so much Labour as Conversion will cost thee If thou be such a stupid `resolved sinner that wilt remain in thy old wayes come on it what will yea and believest all shall be well enough with thee for all that what can I say to thee more God be Judge between thee and me Thou art destroyed not because thou couldest have no help nor because it was not offered thee but because thou didst wilfully resuse it But poor Creature my heart even akes for thee and loth I am to leave thee in this wretched dull distracted temper wherein if Death that is now so busie abroad should find thee thou art undone for ever Oh that yet I could speak something that would make thee feel and fear Tell me then thou who art now so bold and resolute so sottish and careless Dost thou not think thou shalt dye Why what wilt thou do then Think on it and think again I befeech thee Is it not great odds but the Contagion may shortly reach thee What course wilt thou then take when thou shalt see the Tokens of God upon thee Which way wilt thou look or what wilt thou do for help Then go to the sins thou hast loved so dearly and see what comfort they will afford Now call for a Cup or a Whore Never be daunted man Shall one of thy courage quail that couldst have mockt at the Threatnings of the Almighty God! What so boon and jolly but now and now down i th' mouth Here 's a sudden change indeed Where are thy Companions All fled Where are thy darling pleasures All forsaken thee What will thy Bags and Bills and Bonds do thee no good Why shouldest thou be dejected Thou art a man of Worship perhaps a Lord or a Knight or Gentleman go chear thy self review thy good Purchases think of thy high Titles and rich Revenues Go Gallants get to your Galss Powder and Curle Paint and Spot Deck and Adorn you as you were wont ' What do you take no pleasure to view your Pale faces Do your hearts sink within you like a stone Why how now poor creature what hath the world left thee The world thou didst so dearly love that Heaven was but a trifle to it What hast thou misplac't thy heart on a treacherous Friend that fails thee in thy greatest need Must thou now all in silence and sadness groan forth thy wretched Soul into another world Now now wretch what hath thy sin and carelessness brought thee to Now where is thy life of mirth and sport What wilt thou do now when thy own comforts have left thee and God loaths thee and casts out thy Death-bed howlings with disdain What dost begin to call upon him now Dost think a few good words shall serve thy turn Read Jer. 2. 28. Go get thee to thy own gods see whether they can help and deliver thee Say not I would drive thee to despair no I would fain prevent it and so may'st thou if thou wilt but hearken in time and that time 's just now for Death is even at thy back and perhaps will take thee up as soon as the Book 's laid down But perhaps thou art one that think'st thy self safe and that this nothing belongs to thee because thou may'st be recovered from the sickness or got out of the reach of it or it may be so abated that thou dost not fear it and therefore thou art ready foolishly to cry with Agag The bitterness of death is past but oh be convinc't of thy lamentable sottishness for thou mayst yet be hew'n in pieces for all that Read Amos 9. 12 3 4. And tell me whether God will not find thee out Thou art run away from the City perhaps but not from thy sin and therefore thou carriest the Plague along with thee which sooner or later will break out But though escape the Plague art thou then secure If thou canst but out-live this Mortality dost thou think all is well then All danger over No hold there Sinner God hath not done with thee so believe it the worst is yet to come Alas man Death Judgment and Hell are behind still I but coming they are apace and overtake thee at last they will even all of them if thou look not about thee in time Patch and piece up thy mouldring Carkass as long as thou canst and shift thee hither and thither from this disease or that but after all be assured Thou shalt dye And after Death hath done its work upon thee and the Judgment past and Sentence executed if thou then find all well with thee boast and spare not but till then be silent But if yet thou art fully bent to keep thy sin let me beg thee to think a little what is that Hell thou art leaping into Oh think what the wrath the flaming unquenchable wrath of God is Dost thou make a pish at it 'T is because thou art an Infidel or hast lost thy wits I know thou canst not awhile to think of it now thou hast pleasanter things to take up thy thoughts than death and Hell and therefore thou laughest and singest and merrily throwest away thy hours as if no hurt was near thee whilest thou standest tottering on the very brink of the bottomless Pit And all this while how many Devils whom thou seest not stand some gaping to receive thee and some labouring to make thee sure and till thee on And multitudes of Deaths are waiting for a Commission any one of them to thrust thee in
commands not practicable by men of their blood and Spirits Religion now adays is thought to emasculate men and render them tame and cowardly Basely to submit themselves to their own unruly passions with these is Courage To be Bears and Tygers is accounted Gentle and Manly These are the Lordly creatures that are so tender of their Honors that they will rather violate the Laws of the great God than the least Punctilio of it To humour or win a Fantastical Mistresse 't is well they are not in hearing when I call her so they durst venture upon the wrath of their maker For the wall or the way for a wry word or a straw they durst venture their necks to the Halter and their souls to the Devil Are not these the true Sons of Valour Such that even in cold blood and upon sober deliberation dare damn themselves And why because forsooth they are afraid of being call'd Cowards and abus'd by every body else should they have past by one injury They could tell what this was but what the Hell they leapt into was they knew not till they found themselves there and by that time poor wretches how was their courage cool'd And now at length you valiant Fighters wonder not if God himself be stept into the Field against you What do you think you have met with your match yet Nay but he hath not yet appeared with all his strength He hath only sent one of his Warriours Death sitting upon the Pale-Horse but see what a terrible Second there is Hell follow'd after him Rev. 6. 8. But come try your Manhood upon this first The hour he appoints is when he pleaseth the Weapon he now chiefly fights with is the Plague take you what you will the Place is London What Cowards do you turn your backs now Are you afraid to Dye and yet are not afraid to be Damn'd What will you laugh at Hell and now quake at Death and flie from it But think not your heels can secure you nor any place you can flie to sooner or later be sure hee 'l find you out What did you challenge God to the Combat and now do you run for 't Can you deny it What else meant all your open impudent wickednesse but to bid God do his worst For to fin you were resolved let him right himself how he could God threw down his Gauntlet when he said The Soul that sins shall dye You took it up when y ou rush't upon those sins What you miserable Caitiffs you Children of the Devil who is a Murderer must you stand upon your terms and command observance from your Companny and will draw at the least Affront and shall God be carelesse of his Honour Was it not present death for a man to throw a Glasse of Liquor in your face And have you done lesse against God one day after another by pouring down your superfluous Glasses Did the Lye deserve the stab and shall you go Scot-free who have so often given the Lye to God himself speaking to you by his Word and Ministers his Spirit and your own Consciences Nay what you count the most unsufferable Reproach have you not been ready to interpret Gods Patience for Cowardice Well you are wont to call your selves Gentlemen Know then That for these and a multitude of such Affronts God demands Satisfaction and have it he will one way or other Your speedy Repentance and believing recourse to the blood that speaks better things than that of murdered Abel may appease him otherwise when he makes Inquisition for blood hee 'l take the proudest of you by the Throat and cast you to the Tormentors and verily you shall not come thence till you have paid the utmost Farthing 8. Another very heinous sin amongst us is Prophanation of the Lords Day and neglect of the Worship of God How many are idling away their time at home or which is worse sinning it away in Tipling-houses whilest they should be attending the Publick Service of God Or if they afford their bodily presence there for an hour or two how soon after do they betake themselves to their pleasures as if the rest of the day were their own Or as if when they had prayed to God to keep them that day without sin they might boldly commit it As if when they had beg'd of God to teach them to keep amongst the rest the Fourth Commandment they might then take Liberty to break it And by their after-practice one would judge their prayer had been Lord have mercy upon us and give us leave to break this thy Law Some go to their Drunken Companions some to their Sports others to walk idly in the streets or fields and the most to their common vain and worldly discourse To any thing rather than to private meditation or Family-repetition of what they have heard How far are men from spending this day as beseems those who have Immortal Souls to care for and can spare but little time on week-dayes for such employments Oh how exceeding few are there that are willing rightly to inform themselves of the nature use and end of this day and accordingly to improve it As it is a day set apart to commemorate not only the work of Creation but chiefly of Redemption by Christ our Lord and especially his Resurrection that being to him as a kind of rest from his Labours And moreover as it may be to us a Type and a Resemblance of the Eternal Sabbatism we shall enjoy in the Heavens When we shall rest from all sinful troublesom and bodily works and be wholly employ'd in the admiration and praise of that Divine Love which contrivâ—d and wrought our Redemption and Salvation To have leave thus to spend a day with and for God would be sufficient to engage holy and ingenious Souls with all alacrity and thankfulnesse to embrace the opportunity Such would be asham'd to stand reasoning and enquiring whether they might not halve it with God and rob him and themselves of a good part What a strange tedious thing is it for poor Creatures that know not God nor their own necessities to be obliged to consecrate One day in Seven to spiritual Services for which awakened and experienc't Souls think their whole Life-time little enough How many have we had crying like those Amos 8. 5. When will the New Moon be gone and the Sabbath over That they might again to their pleasures or enjoyments Nay our People have been in more haste than so they could not stay till the Sabbath was over but must to their bargaining their buying and selling How frequent is this with many Shop-keepers in the City when no necessity requires it Well if indeed you are so eagerly bent on your business that you will not keep a Sabbath which God commands you hee 'l force you to another kind of Sabbath than this which you shall have more reason to cry out When will it be over You shall be made to rest from
and there one in a Town and these even as the Remnant of the Faithful amongst the Israelites have been the wonder and scorn of the rest These have been the Song of Drunkards and they together with that Word they walk by have been the sport of those whose hearts have been merry as Sampson was to the Philistine Lords They and their Scripture serve the profane Gallant to shew his Wit and help the Poet to Matter for his Play These for the most part are looked at as the most pernicious to the Places where they live And upon them Malice hath its narrowest eye He that departs from Evil makes himself a Prey they have hated and put to silence him that hath reproved in the Gate and abhorred him that spake uprightly and after all wiped their mouths and said Let the Lord be glorified Were not we arriv'd to a most doleful state when the most exact obedience to the Laws of God was accounted less disgraceful than the most open violation of them and few durst plead for and practise Holiness with that confidence that others durst commit and own known Sins How hath God waited long and made the Power of his Long-suffering to appear striving with us in the ways of Love and mingling Corrections with his Mercies that he might prevail with us to pity our selves but all in vain He punish'd us with the Sword and kep't us long in the Furnace and we are com'n out less refined Again he tried us with mercies but we improved them not He hath threatned when he might have destroyed and born with us long to prevent our ruine and yet nothing would work But we have prest him with our iniquities and even made him to serve with our sins we have grieved his Spirit by our stubborness and rebellion and have began to think because he kept silence he was such one as we and liked well enough of our ways and because his Judgments were not speedily executed our hearts have been fully set to do evil And when we were come to this pass and God was even weary with withholding and there were so few to stand in the gap to turn away his wrath and even of them many in a great measure thrust out of it Were we not ripe for destruction Was not our Ephah full Is it then any wonder if at length God be risen to plead with us in a manner that shall make us know and feel that he ruleth in the World who will by no means acquit the impenitent who though he bear long yet will not always bear wit h a stiff-necked Generation Could we expect any other than that God should make bare his Arm and visit us for these things and ease himself of his Adversaries and avenge himself of such obstinate Contemners of his Laws and Authority And what Shall the Lion roar and not the Beasts of the Forest tremble Is God angry and shall not we fear Doth he shake his Rod over us nay lay it upon us so that Thousands feel it in their flesh and all hear the sound of its terrible lashes and yet do we not tremble Shall not our haughty countenances change and the joynts of our loins be loosed now there is an Invisible hand come forth writing such bitter things against us Hath God such a sore Controversie with us Hath he done so much and yet will he yet do these and these things against us and wilt thou not yet prepare to meet thy God Oh England Oh the dreadful senslessnesse and stupidity of the hearts of our People How few are yet careful to learn Righteousnesse by the Judgments that are amongst us Notwithstanding this day of Adversity how few will be brought to Consider Is not this a direful presage of farther Wrath And that it is even an utter Destruction that is coming upon us Oh what a spirit of slumber and sottishnesse hath possest the most If it is not so with those about thee Reader thou dwellest in a happy place Though people hear of Thousands Dying about thee and have daily reason to expect their turn should be next yet how regardlesse do they appear of all due preparations for it as ever They flatter themselves with a conceit that yet they may escape and that Death shall not come nigh their Dwellings and so post off all thoughts of it taken up with the very same businesses designs and pleasures they were always wont But what should we say can Sword or Famine or Plague or any outward Affliction work on them who have been nothing bettered but rather hardned by Commands Promises and Threatings Can the Rod plead with and importune them so as the Word hath done Will Sickness inform command argue and beseech so affectionately as the Minister was wont Where Moses and the Prophets might not be heard what can prevail If hewing them with the Prophets and slaying them with the words of his mouth would not affect them Hos 6. 5. Shall the Execution of his Judgments bring light Why yes no doubt God hath his Chastisements which setting on and enforcing his Word do often humble and reform Souls and he hath also those Punishments by which he Destroys And if men will will strive against his Spirit and resist it's workings shut their eyes against the light contemn Instruction yea harden themselves under Correction and rather hate the God who makes them smart than the sins that procure it like those in Rev. 16. who blasphemed God when they were in anguish what can be expected but the final ruine of the People or Persons that are guilty of such Stubbornnesse and Impenitency And oh that this were not the case of multitudes amongst us The Lord awaken those that are yet in a capacity to a timely prevention of such a doleful misery And thus I have given an account of those Crying Sins that are to be found amongst us which belong to the first Branch which comprehended under it those sins that were more evident and notorious And by this we have made way for the Second to discover some such miscarriages which may be lesse evident but no lesse hainous than these as being indeed in a great measure productive of them and therefore I thought it methodical enough to proceed from the sensible effects to the somewhat more latent Cause All that I shall speak of the latter Branch I shall reduce to this one Head namely That it may very justly be presumed to have a great Influence in the procuring our Miseries that so many able Ministers of Christ have of late been silent and in a manner useless compared to what they might have been had they continued their Publick Employments Thus far I hope none will be offended For if it be granted de facto that there are many whom God had furnished with abilities to serve him in the Ministery which he had called them to that have not exercised those abilities to the best advantage in that Function and I think
And make as light of his Threatnings and Promises and laugh at the talk of death and judgment as they were wont to do Shall God still be mock't with Formalities and dishonoured by mens Lives Will the Hater of Godliness still rise higher in his Rage Will the execution of Justice be as much neglected as ever And will the Man of Violence swell his Fingers into Loyns and exchange his Rods for Scorpions Will men still close their eys against the clearest light and reject the apparent and only means for the reconciling our differences and establishing our peace upon sure foundations Or will they yet strive to aggravate the bitterness of mens spirits and pursue their design of crushing them into the very dirt Shall we yet be rent and torn with animosities and divisions And shall they that ought to cure keep up and encrease them Shall we still instead of accusing our selves and sin dip our Pens and Tongues in Gall and cry out one side on the Tyrannical Cruel and Oppressive the other on the Murmurers Male-contents and Fault-finders Will these and all other disorders be still continued Oh God forbid that it should be thus that we should grow worse under the Physitians hand and that none of his strongest Medicines should work Shall we cause God to complain of us that he would have healed us but we would not be healed That in vain hath he smitten us for that we would not receive Correction Oh that such a poor Worm as I could do any thing to prevent such a sad conclusion for Woe to us if God depart from us leaving us to our selves resolving to strike us no more but letting us alone till he destroy us in our sins My words are like to spread but a little way but oh that they might have some effect where they light To thee Reader let me betake my self What have the workings of thy Soul been whil'st thou hast been reading these Lines and what influence have they upon thee What hath not they Conscience smote thee speak the truth and told thee plainlie Thou hast been a Troubler of the Land and hast help't to bring the Plague upon us In the sight of God I demand of thee Hast thou not been guilty of some of the sins here described Covetousness or Pride Luxury or Oppression or the like And what now dost thou condemn thy self for thy follie Wilt thou make all speed to get a Peace confirmed betwixt God and thy Soul and a Separation made betwixt thy Soul and Sin Or on the other hand Art thou not in a rage that thy sin hath been too plainlie displayed and too much disgrac't Thy darling sin which thou art resolved to keep though thou have Hell with it Art thou not framing excuses and saying Thou canst not believe that such and such things which thou hast a mind to are such heinous matters and so displeasing to God Or else art thou remiss and stupid never thinking this or that onlie tossing over the Book and passing this censure on it and throwing it down without anie more regard Trulie this is it I most fear for this is the general prevailing temper Oh therefore that I could but rouze thee to an apprehension of thy self and thy own estate Reader Sure thou art one that wouldst not willinglie be damn'd Wilt thou then hearken to a most reasonable request I shall make to thee before I conclude Thou hast now been awhile reading these Lines which have been as a Bill of Indictment against our Land and have deciphered what our especial crying sins are Wilt thou now when thou shut'st the Book get alone and spend but as much time in reading thy own heart and life and search and see whether none of these sins be thine It may be this is a work thou never didst in thy life yet but wilt thou now bring thy heart to it ' Tisin vain to ask thee whether thou wilt forsake thy sin if thou wilt not set upon examining thy self to find it out What say'st thou then in the Name of God to this my earnest Request What shall I be denied Is it a great matter I ask of thee to withdraw thy self from the noise and busle of the World and of thy own vain thoughts and to make a diligent search into the state of thy own soul that being sensible of thy sin and danger thou may'st yet get help Wil't thou do thus much or tell me plainlie Wilt thou be damn'd first For I 'le assure thee thy Damnation is never like to be prevented without serious Consideration and that 's it I would beg thee to Which is it thou wilt choose To set upon thy Dutie or to venture upon Helf Sure thy mind cannot but answer one way or other Reader be awakened take not these for words of course from God I speak to thee 't is God looks on thee he knows the thoughts and intentions of thy heart upon thy reading these demands And whatever course thou take whether thou wilt examine thy self and forsake thy sins or not yet thou canst not say but God hath given thee fair Warning He now stands over thee with his Rod in his hand and asks thee Whether yet thou wilt seek and serve him If thy Self-examinations shall have made way at all for such a demand I would know in the next place Whether thou wilt strive to put away sin every sin from thee or wilt thou not Art thou yet willing to be reconciled to God Be it known to thee Oh sinner whoever thou art yet there is hopes from the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer I tell thee so What would the Damned give for such a word If thou wilt but impartiallie consider thy wayes bewail thy sin and loath it turn from it and from the World to the Lord thy God with all thy heart resting on his mercie in and through his Son setting upon a course of serious holiness and continuing therein to the end doing this be assured thy Soul shall live Something of this I spoke at the beginning and cannot stand to say more on it now Here 's enough to inform thee if thou knewest it not what thy Dutie is But art thou willing to perform it One would think thou shouldest soon be resolved what to do The question is Whether thou wilt do thy utmost to change thy heart and life that thou may'st be saved Or whether thou wilt go in sin and be damned I have told thee upon what terms thou may'st yet escape thy Ruine but withall know This must be done speedilie or perhaps not at all If thou delayest one hour thou may'st be in Hell the next God nath born with thee long now he is making shorter work he will not alwayes wait for nothing They heart quicklie he demands this he will have or thy hearts-blood Away with thy sin then with all possible speed if thou retain it it will be thy death for a Hue and Cry's gone out from Heaven
and then farwell all hope for ever Oh spend but one hour or half an hour in a day in the sober thoughts of Eternity and go on in sin if thou canst Good Reader let me entreat thee to this course but if thou cryest Thou hast somewhat else to do Know thou shalt shortly have nothing else to do but to feel that which now thou wilt not be brought to think of that thou mightest avoid it and then say If thou hadst not good counsel given thee once if thou hadst had the wit and the grace to take it One moments experience shall at length convince thee more than all thy hearing or reading would Thou countest Plague Famine and Sword Earthquakes Thunder and Lightning terrible things oh then what 's Hell the very dregs the Ocean of that furie of which these are but small drops There it is that God will make the verie power of his hottest intolerable wrath to appear and in those rivers of brimstone those scorching flames of his anger must thou lie down for ever oh for ever ever man think but awhile how long is that Might but the undone Souls return to describe this place of torments to their old companions what a Language should we hear Might but Dives himself have been sent to his jovial Brethren that little thought where their departed Brother was nor what they themselves were hastning to in what a passionate manner would he have beg'd them off from sin that led to all that endless Woe How would he have disturbed them in the midst of their merriments and feastings and even have made their hearts to quake and their hair stand an end with his terrible expressions But Reader if thou art one who wilt be frightned from Hell by no descriptions but of those that have seen it thy feeling is like to prevent thy fear What say'st thou then after all Art thou yet resolved to prepare for Death and prevent Damnation or not If thou art happie man thou that ever thou wast born but if thou art not I can stay to say no more but even take thy course and when thou seelest the event then say Whether sound Repentance and an holy life had not been a cheap and easie a gainful and happy way to have prevented everlasting misery But the good Lord have mercie upon thee and work these convictions with power upon thy soul whilst they may do thee any good I shall finish all with a word or two to all those that trulie love and fear the Lord Oh Sirs You that have known God and are interessed in his favor and are well acquainted at the Throne of his Grace to which you have oft in time of trouble and need made your recourse and thence have received seasonable comfort and supply All you to whom Prayer is no strange work Now arise and betake your selves to God with all seriousness and speed Cast your selves down before him bewailing your own sins and the sins of the Land and lie in the gap to stop the farther proceedings of his wrath that he may not root us up from being a people nor yet so far give us off that we should continue to be a wicked and rebellious People for then Destruction from the Lord will certainly be our Portion Strive with him to remove his Rod but above all to work those ends whereto it is appointed I have endeavoured to shew you and your selves are sensible of it what sins we are suffering for Oh pray that everie abominable thing may be cast forth from amongst us and those blessed works accomplish't which would make us in the eye of God and man a people glorious and happy Beg earnestly that the Gospel may be advanc't Holiness encouraged Wickedness supprest and punish't our Divisions healed that from the Prince upon the Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghill there may be an effectual Reformation of all we have done amiss that we may yet find favour in the sight of God and enjoy his residence and gracious presence amongst us that he may delight in us and rejoyce over us to do us good Both alone and in Companies as you have opportunitie besiege Heaven with your humble and affectionate prayers God will not be deaf to your cry he knows your voice which comes from your very Soul he will not reject the Petitions you present with pure hands your prayers are his delight all you that are his humble upright ones 'T is you must now prevail or we are undone Though you may be a people hated derided and undervalued by those amongst whom you live yet must your intercessions be accepted on their behalf through our great intercessor or else they are like to perish 'T is you that must run with your Censers and stand betwixt the Living and the Dead that so the Plague may be stayed It is the incense and perfume of your prayers that through Christ must appease an angrie God and clear an infected Air. It is not the Lip service of the profane sinner or the formal Hypocrite that will do us anie good let his prayers be by heart or by rote within-book or without that makes no great matter but if he be one whose heart is far from God and whose life is a provocation to him who still goes on in his sin let him be never so devout in the Church or on his knees and roar and weep with never so much passion and noise the howling of a Dog is as acceptable to God as such hypocritical devotion Shall the tongue that was just now Cursing and Swearing come presentlie and fall a praying and think to be accepted Doth God delight to hear his Name taken in vain as these sensless sinners do in their solemnest services No no but it is the fervent prayer of you who are indeed Righteous that 's like to be effectual and prevailing You have the spirit of supplication interceding within you assisting you with unutterable sighs and groans whether with a Form or without makes not the difference and you have a powerful Advocate enforcing your Requests wherefore to God betake your selves lie at his feet Plead with him for Rulers and People his Church and Ministers your Friends and Enemies City and Countrey your Towns and Familie and for your own Souls Follow him day and night and give him no rest till he shall hear in Heaven and have mercy and establish his Zion a praise both amongst us and in the whole Earth And be exhorted also now to lay about you all you can 〈…〉 and convincing of the poor creatures that are near you 〈…〉 may not find their Souls unready If you be in places where 〈…〉 on is or is dailie sear'd improve such a time with ignorant and 〈◊〉 ones manie may be willing to hear you now who would have 〈…〉 at serious Discourse a few dayes since When they begin to 〈…〉 Death as a real thing and not far off the fears of it will a little cure 〈◊〉 of
their distractions and they 'l no longer take Heaven and Hell for jesâ—ing matters This is not a time Sirs to be ashamed of Religion now if ever Holiness will be in request and boldlie shew it self Afford your Neighbours then all the helps you can for their precious souls Go to their Houses and lend them good Books and discourse of those matters that you may easily perceive do most concern Dying men And let that be your direction for the future in this work which I would never have you cease whil'st your selves and those about you are mortal men whose Eternity either of happiness or woe depends upon their well or ill improvement of this uncertain moment And Lastlie All you Holie Souls be encouraged chearfullie and confidentlie to receive the Sentence of Death within your selves Let your spirits revive within you when you shall see the Waggons that come to fetch you to your Joseph even your Lord who is gone before to prepare a place for you Let those that have lived estranged from God careless of his Service mad of the World and running after their pleasures let them be dejected at the News ef Dying the sad News that they must leave all their Treasures and their Joyes and be carried into a state they thought not of nor prepared for there to be reckoned with for their worldlie loose and jollie Life and to bear the effects of their follie for ever But all you to whom Sin hath been a burden and Religion your work and pleasure whose hearts have been taken up with Gods dealings with mankind and deeplie affected with his mysterious Love in Christ who have taken it for the business of your Lives to work out your salvation In a word who have chosen God for your portion and lov'd him more than all things here below and closed with Christ as your onlie Saviour to deliver you both from Sin and Hell and have taken the Holie Spirit for your Sanctifier and Guide not allowing your selves in known sin but labouring in all things to approve your selves to God Now lift up your heads and comfort your hearts when you see the day of Death approach Let not Carnal ones see you dismay'd for this will make them suspect Religion to be a fancie so much doth it contradict your Profession and disgrace both it and you 〈…〉 kind of Death by which you may be sent for hence be 〈…〉 ground of your trouble and fear Why should not God 〈…〉 Death for you as well as all other things And let it be of 〈…〉 it will you have very great reason quietly to submit to it Let 〈…〉 welcome and there is nothing in a Plague that can hurt you 〈…〉 daunt you Be very sensible of Gods hand now stretcht out 〈◊〉 us and so far manifest a reverence and awe and with a reliance â—n him use all due means for self-preservation But for your selves dread not a Plague nor any thing it can do upon you it can but kill your Bodies and help your Souls out of their prisons and is there any hurt in that Let the Spots when you see them be regarded by you as no other then Tokens of your Fathers love which he hath sent to shew he is mindful of you and hath now sent to fetch you nearer to himself What though it be a rough Messenger as Jaylours use to be yet the Message may well make you entertain him with smiles If it came to lead you forth to Execution indeed you might well tremble though not so much for its self as the errand it came on Oh the stark madnesse of those blind and miserable ones that are afraid of a Plague and not of Hell that run away from the Sicknesse and run on in Sin But talk not you of loathsome Sores Why Sirs do they go any deeper than your flesh Let those that have made their Carcasses their care be troubled for this Why what have you any thing more for your bodies to do Any service for which you shall need them And need you care how the old clothes are rent and torn so long as you shall never wear nor need them more Part willingly with your rags you have clothes a making which shall soon silence your complaints Swell and break and stink flesh if thou wilt I shall not be troubled with thee long When thou prosperest most then I was at the worst thou hast been so much my enemy that I cannot but rejoyce in thy ruines If my tongue must needs complain and my sight and smell be offended with my self all this shall not reach my heart What care I for thy Sores and Pains so long as my Souls in health Go make hast and get thee to thy Grave and there turn to Rottenness and Filth I pity thee not nor will ever sympathize with thee more Nor yet complain of the Suddennesse of this Death Leave this to them that would serve God when they had nothing else to do that put off all to a Lord have Mercie upon me and a few good Prayers at their last gasp But what Death can be sudden to you who are not unprepared for Death but have made it the businesse of your lives to fit your selves for it Nor let this be your trouble that your Friends forsake you and are all afraid to come nigh you Why what would you have them do they cannot rebuke your Disease or delay your Death or doing any thing for you in the world you are going to nor do you need they should Councel I hope you have given them in time of Health and therefore it may the lesse trouble you that you cannot speak to them now To take a solemn leave of them is a poor formality to trouble the thoughts of a dying man Whatever help they could afford you 'l quicklie be past all need of it or them Bear the want of their companie or assistance a day or two and you will never desire or want it more Wherefore chear up your Spirits and be not cast down but to the Rock of Ages betake your selves who never fail'd you nor anie that placed their confidence in him hee 's a present help in time of trouble hee 'l come in to you when your doors are shut up hee 'l stand by your beds-side when no other friend dare Now Sirs what 's your God your Saviour worth A God to support you when the world fails you A Saviour to relieve you when you leave the world Now is not an holy life comfortable to your review Do you now repent of the cost and pains you have been at or the sufferings you have under-gone for God Was it not worth while to be laught and wondered at for your holie diligence which laid in store for such a day as this and brings you support when the hearts of others sink for fear Now Sirs you are come to the end of your Pilgrimage the long-long-lookt for day is come Sin and Satan the world and the