each falleth in one after the other a first second and third drops down the rest not discerning the danger runs the round I shall thus apply it This day or hour a Swearer tumbleth down to hell The next a drunkard This evening or morning the pale horse mounteth one it may be a cursed Atheist or a malitious bloody persecutor or a filthy Adulterer or an idolatrous worldling and carrieth him to the place of Darkness The next day he receiveth his Commission to fetch some more of them those their brethren in iniquity that are lest behinde keep and continue their course and dance about the pit not considering they so must die and come to judgement How little do the living lay to heart this great business of their Mortality insomuch that when they would deny a thing with greatest confidence they will commonly say they thought no more of it then of their dying day as if death were not a matter of any moment but rather a meer toy or trifle not to be regarded She remembred not her last end Lam. 1. 9. You self destroying sinners Do you know that you must dye and leave the world for ever and are you so stupified and mad as not to think of Death in many dayes together yea hardly to entertain a serious thought of death and judgment at a house of mourning in the very sight of the dead you can be vain frothy jest pot pipe feast discourse of the world a sad proof that men do not consider their latter end Some at that solemn and sad season seem a little serious but as soon as the dead Corps is removed and the Grave and Coffin out of sight Death is no more remembred To make you sensible of this folly let me reason with you in a few plain hints What no thoughts of death you that have been under a sentence of death and brought to the very pits brink looking into Eternity Oh how sad is it to think how quickly those thoughts and impressions of your mortallity have worn out and past away Sinner remember and forget not those secret vows promises and engagements you then made to God viz. that you would part with sin leave your wicked company set loose to the world live godly and make it your business to be religious and loose no more of your precious time and opportunities for your soul If you have forgotten it the all-seeing and heart-searching God remembers it Know and consider in thy heart that death that did but warn thee then by sending his summons will shortly come himself Forgetful of Death and made of dust born of a woman and under a Decree not to be revoked by men or Angels Heb. 6. 27. Job 14. 3. As for man his dayes are determined the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass Not mind your death you that have sickly weak diseased bodies full of paines and aches that are so many partial quotidian deaths yea a dying daily What put off the thoughts of death thou that hast been at so many Funerals heard so many passing Bells or Knells seen so many Graves Skuls and Coffins before thine eyes Forget your death and yet sinners and sinning daily carrying the cause and sting of death in your bosoms mors in corpore the body is dead because of sin Rom. 8. 11. Thy body is but a body of death sin hath kill'd it the sentence is past Gen. 3. The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 1. The soul that sins must dye Ezek. 18. 20. What put off this evil Day and dead in part old and cold having one foot in the grave viz. feeble knees trembling hands wrinkled faces gray or bald heads the grave being ready for you What no more serious thoughts of death and so many pieces and parcels of your selves gone before to this long home so many Relations and Children now a sleep in the dust of death are they buried in perpetual oblivion never to be remembred any more What Sinner What not think of Death and Death at thy very heels and before thine eyes whither can you direct your eyes and not see that which preacheth or representeth Death all the Winter Death is on the Trees in our Gardens in every flower At your Table every day you feed on the flesh of dead Creatures to tell you that you must die and is not death in your beds every night what is sleep but the picture and image of cold Death and your beds but the representation of your dark graves O careless besotted sinners not consider of death and have precious souls that must live or die be saved or damnted to Heaven or Hell to bliss or burning to God or Devils to Saints or cursed Reprobates as soon as the breath is gon which may be the next day or hour this pale horse death hath the red horse Hell following him Rev. 6. 8. Lastly what not think of and prepare for Death and called Christians that profess you beleive the Resurrection of the body and life everlasting a happiness beyond the Grave For in this life only saith Paul wt have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. Poor hardned sinners that now forget God and this great and mighty concern of your eternal souls what will you do in the day of Visitation when your iniquities shall compass you about and no friend in heaven above or in earth beneath that can stand you in stead and when conscience like a bold sturdy Sergeant shall take you by the throat and summon you in the Name of the great Judge to come and stand at or before the judgement seat Vnderstand ye brutish among the people and ye fools when will ye be wise Psal 94 8. to understand this to provide for your latter end 2. This blames the ignorant pettish and considerate soul who in an angry fit or passion wisheth for death out of a base end viz. as a writ of ease or out-let to present pain poverty sickness and other worldly troubles and perplexities not rightly considering how terrible death is or what are the dreadful consequences of it Now that we may be convinced of this sin and folly give me leave to tell you that between the worst longest and deepest miseries and calamities of this life and those after death there is no proportion but an exceeding distance Poor deluded souls what is the bite of a flea to the sting of a Serpent or a scratch on the hand to a stab at the heart what 's the heat and smart of a little candle to a hot fiery furnace or a devouring flame What 's a drop of gall to a Sea or Ocean of poyson or what is pain forture or anguish for an hour to intollerable misery time without end into which to the unconverted death will certainly be the door and are you so mad to imagine that there is nothing in the other world to be
take a deep impression upon all that shall read these plain truths Seriously consider and believe 1. That it is most certain that an end will be For whatsoever the Scriptures speak of Death the Grave and Hell is an infallible Truth You are to consider that every man is mortal must dye and pass into the other World and that in every one of your bodies there is an immortal and never-dying soul and that after these bodies have slept in the dust of the Earth they shall live again there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust and at the end of the World a Tribunal shall be set up before which all the World shall be made to stand And that as soon as your breath is gone the spirit shall return to God that gave it either to the Justice of God or to the Mercy of God to the place of joy or to the place of torment Our transgression natural constitution with a statute Law of Heaven have brought us under a necessity of dying Where ever this Viper fastneth it killeth certainly though not suddenly sin and death are twins sin is the great murderer that let death into the world For her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Gen. 2. 17. That is thou shalt become mortal As soon as Adam had sinn'd he and we in him our representative became subject or liable to death Sin like a mighty Monarch reign'd from Adam to Moses a Malefactor cast at the Bar is dead in Law though he be repriev'd for a time the Body sayes the Apostle is dead because of sin some dye in the womb some in their infancy some in their youth they that live longest dy at last Death never hurts a man but with his own Weapon it always finds Sin in us and the sting of death is sin And where ever you meet it or see it you may say of it as Abab to the Prophet hast thou found me O mine enemy Death and every death is the fruit of sin death temporal death Spiritual and death Eternal The soul that sins shall dye Ezek. 18. 20. The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Our natural constitution rendreth us obnoxious to dissolution our flesh is not the flesh of stone or of brass but frail and mouldring dust to which as to our Centre we must return Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return Eccles 3. 20. All go to one place all are of the dust and all turn to dust again Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed for man once to dye Job 14. 5. His days are determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass No shield or Buckler can fortifie against this King of terrors impartial death the great Leveller knows no faces and therefore none can be exempted If faithfulness might challenge impunity from death then Moses might have been excus'd if beauty then Absalem if strength then Sampson if sinceriry and piety then David if sultilry then Achitophel if magnanimity then Alexander if riches then Croesus if wisdom then Solomon but one event happens to them all so that when the fatal moment cometh no ransom can be given no art nor skill can keep us here Sirs were this Doctrine of the other would believed it would have a greater impression upon our hearts did we seriously consider of that future state of retribution according to our faith of which we must live or die stand or fall to eternity it would have a greater influence upon our lives 2. Consider That at your latter end all things in this World will fail you and take their leaue of you for ever All your natural indowments outward enjoyments Parts Parentage Birth Breeding Wit Wealth Crowns Kingdoms Pearles Diamonds Houses Lands Wives Children Friends when your breath is gone all these are gone Prov. 27. 24. Riches are not for ever neither doth a crown endure to all generations The glittering Sun of all outward glory will certainly set which your own experience and Scripture evidence doth clearly evince Riches have wings and they fly away Prov. 23. 5. The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. We brought nothing into this world and 't is certain we shall carry nothing out 1 Tim. 6. 7. If a man were possessed with as much of this World as Solomon the great King of Jerusalem who had great Magnificent Buildings fruitful pleasant Vineyards Gardens Orchards and Trees of all manner of fruits variety of servants possessions of great and small Cattel heaps of Gold and Silver peculiar Treasure of Kings Musical Instruments Men and Women singers and whatsoever his eyes desir'd yet when he takes a serious view of all things he would say with him all is vanity and that a man hath no profit of all his labour which he taketh under the Sun which made the wise man even to have life Eccles 2. Since the fall there is a curse upon the Creature which indeed is deceiving vexing decaying and all our outward comforts may be compared to Pharaoh's Hosts and alive this hour and the next drown'd and dead upon the Sea-shore and though you judge they shall endure for ever Psal 49. 11. Luke 12. 19. They will deal by you as Absalom's Mule that left him in his greatest extremity What woful miseries attend Wordly riches in the getting keeping and parting with them they are snares and thorns plagues and Scorpions unto many they pierce them thorow with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 10. Yet here men toyl beat their brains weary their bodies tire their spirits break their sleep perplex their thoughts rack their consciences ingulf and drown themselves in cares endanger their souls dreaming of nothing but perpetuity and when they have done all like the Silk-worm dye in their work Nay many a man survives his own happiness which perisheth before he perisheth and it s the worst of miseries to outlive our own happiness therefore let not riches highten your hearts and prompt you to pride which is too common This day the rich worlding sang a requiem to his sadly deluded soul concluding he had much laid up the night following his soul is required Haman is to day the second man in the Kingdom but soon lost all and his life too Now doth Nebuchadnezzar walk in his stately royal Palace of Babel priding himself in his outward pomp but while the word was in his mouth a voice came from Heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken thy Kingdom is departed from thee Dan. 4. 29 30 31. Jerusalem this year is the Princes among the Provinces the next year made tributary and they that live delicately are desolate and embrace Dung-hills Lam. 1. 1. and 4. 5. Yesterday Job's Cattle might be numbred by thousands and tomorrow he is stript of all and left naked Neither is our age without a sad
Eternity O let not London nor England forget that and other tremendous judgments which our sins have called for lest a worse then any yet should come upon us The forgetting of our latter end is a deadly and provoking sin and that which will hasten judgement Her filthiness it in her skirts she remembred not her last and therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter Lam. 1. 9. 8. Consider That where death cometh to strike the stroake your souls are stated your Eternity is cast without change for ever Then your immortal souls are for salvation or damnation for an eternal life or eternal death for an eternal heaven or an eternal hell You sadly besotted souls know and remember while you have a day before the golden threed of life be cut that if you be found without Christ Faith Repentance Holiness but a moment after death you are undone to Eternity After death all means and hopes fail there is no work or device in the grave Eccles 9. God will be then irreconcilable sin unpardonable heaven not attainable and your souls lost irrecoverably And then the Devil your bloody adversary will have his designe upon you he knoweth that if you be his in life and death that you are his forever and that he and you shall never part Sinners this is certain as the tree falleth so it lyeth as is the seed so will be the harvest if you do the Devils work you must have the devils wages if you march under the command and conduct of the Prince of Darkness and suffer him to lead and hurry you hither and thither at his will whil'st you live you will be his prisoners and slaves in that dreadful dungeon of dismal darkness after you are dead Consider the Land of darkness is no place for service there 's no repenting in the grave no Lord have mercy on us written upon Hell Gates no Sabbaths no Sermons no Ministers there 'T is in the time of life that you are to labour and make preparation for life eternal because according to your work and choice in this world will be your everlasting lot in the world that is to come It is appointed for you once to dye and after death the judgement Heb. 9. 7. The pale horse death goeth before and hell followeth after Rev. 6. 8. there will be no change of your condition the eternal ruine or eternal welfare of your precious souls depends on those few minutes this swift stream of mans life after it once turneth or declineth ever runneth with a perpetual ebb never floweth again so that all that you leave undone now will be undone for ever If you die unbeleivers you will be unbeleivers for ever if you dye under the guilt and power of sin and wrath of God you will remain under the guilt of sin and wrath of God for ever but if you dye holy humble mortified sincere souls you will remain holy heavenly and in the favour of God for ever Rev. 21. He that is filthy will be filthy still and he that is holy will be holy still but the inpenitent unpardoned sinner though he live a hundred or a thousand years in satisfying his lust will be accurst at last Poor sinners that read this little Treatise let me beg you to up and be doing while it is day the night will come wherein you not no man can work John 9. 4. Then to your work with might and main while your candle is burning your Sun shining will you yet loiter and see your glass running your Sun setting your selves dying and your souls perishing O seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 5. in an acceptable time 2 Cor. 6. 2. before the day pass as the chaff before the decree bring forth before the evil day cometh before they that look out of the windows be dark and the keepers of the house begin to tremble before the doors be shut in the streets and the silver cord be loosed or the Pitcher broken at the fountain before you are gone to your long home and the spirit return'd to God that gave it Consider with your selves are your fit to grapple with this mighty Monarch death are you fraughted for this long Voyage and ready and willing to pass through this dark Entry take heed and feare lest you be found unfit Think on the sadly deluded Virgins that had their Oyl to buy when their Lamps should burn and so came to the door but found it shut think upon poor Esan that was hunting for Vienson while he lost the blessing Poor perishing souls what do you intend to do if you will work it must be now or never Are you resolved to seek and secure the Kingdome of God first Mat. 6. 23. whilst it is called to day or will you bestow nothing but dregs and snuffs of rotten old age upon God and your immortal souls O that you might know in this your day the things which belong to your Peace before they be hid from your eyes 9. Lastly consider That it is the most dreadful and amazing sight on this side hell to see a Christless unbeleiver breathing out his last There are other sad sights viz. to see a man starving for want of bread or dying for want of a physitian or drowning for want of a boat or to see a man dead a dead corps a body without a soul but ah how sad and astonishing a spectacle is it to see a man near the coasts of Eternity viz. to behold a wretched sinner in his cold sweats and dying groanes with his precious immortal soul standing on his pale cold quivering lips and death the great Conqueror and the King of terrors marching furiously with his Writ of remove in one hand not to be reverst and his deadly dart and sting in the other hand conscience on the rack barking biting and tearing him like a Lyon the Devil Gods Executioner looking on and standing by the heart under dejecting and sinking despair the eyes dim and fixed his heart-strings ready to break with anguish his Wife Children Friends at the bed-side weeping sighing crying wringing their hands beating their breasts the Wife crying out alas my Husband the Child crying out alas my Father The poor perishing soul all this while looking backward upon his mispent time and by-past sins inward upon his own heart a dreadful sight where he seeth no Christ no grace no purity nothing but sin guilt death darkness Then looking upward to that God that hath been provoked to that Christ that hath been rejected to that Heaven and Eternity that he hath lost and looking down-ward to that dark and dreadful pit that must be his place and portion with a fearful looking for of judgement seeing the Devils come and ready to seiz upon him O what a dreadful out-cry and shriek will the soul make when it departs perceiving it self sinking down down to the burning lake and bottomless pit where he must take up his lodging with devouring
God gasping and panting after the Lord Jesus Christ Psal 42. 1 2. O labour for such a frame of heart and bewail a narrow and contracted spirit Do not perform duties for duties sake so as to make duties the end of duties but as the medium by which thy soul may draw nigh to God and meet with him The countenance and presence of God in a duty is the very Suburbs of glory yea the very gate of Heaven Gen. 2â— 17. Let this be in thy thoughts and the very purpose of thy heart and expect it vehemently in every access to God Let thy soul follow hard after God and say One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life Psal 27. 4. Psal 84. 2. Duties are only the outward Court but the form shell and carkass of Religion as Pipes without Water Breasts without Milk as Sails without Wind or as a Body without a Soul that hath no life The encrease of your grace and holiness depends upon your acquaintance and communion with the God of grace It was Mose his being in the Mount that made his face to shine and the Kings being at his Table that caused the Churches Spikenard to send forth the swell thereof Cant. 1. 12. The presence of the glorious God on a Sabbath the presence of God in prayer or at a Sacrament will be unto thy soul as marrow and fatness and that which will make thy hands to drop with Myrrh and thy fingers with sweet-smelling Myrrh Thus it was with the Spouse when her Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door Cant. 5. 4 5. 6 By improving every Providence every Comfort every Cross for Gods glory and our own spiritual advantage God doth nothing in vain for he hath a peculiar respect unto the good of his people in all his dispensations he doth time measure and order every dark and afflicting providence for his Churches advantage Jer. 24. 5. Rom. 8. 24. Heb. 12. 10 11. God's chastning and teaching commonly go together therefore it is we must hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6. 9. The Rod hath a Voice Beasts may feel the rod but the believer hearts the rod. God's rod should make us like Aaron's rod bud blossom and to bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now if you would be bettered by affliction endeavour to do three things 1. To understand the meaning or mind of God in them for what sins committed or duties neglected they are sent Afflictions are Gods Messengers and we should never be quiet till we know their Errands Job 10. 2. 2. See the hand of God in all those afflictions So did David Psal 39. 10. and holy Job 1. 11. Hos 6. 1. 3. Labour to answer the end of God in your straits and troubles that you might be made more humble more holy more heavenly before that we may say and find that it hath beed good for us to be afflicted We have as much reason to seek unto God for a blessing upon our daily Rod as upon our daily Bread 7. Time must be redeemed by casting up your accounts every day and so to make even with God and not get further into his debt This will be the way to get an acquittance to procure a pardon before you are called and forced to an account Secret duties if well done are the sweetest duties and yet sadly neglected by Saints themselves You should retire every night and spend a little time in self-examination and when you sit alone commune with your hearts and call over the passages and actions of the day past We read Gen. 24. 63. That Isaac went out in the evening tide to meditate a precious duty but rarely practised Christians should spend void spaces of time in ejaculatory Prayer and holy Meditation And O how hard it is to ascend this Mount of heavenly Meditation 'T is very easie and delightsom to think of the World the pleasures of Sin Friends Riches Worldly business but to Meditate on God Heaven Eternity the insufficiency and vanity of the creature the bitterness of sin the certainty of death and judgement the very inwards of Religion is very difficult Before you lye down upon your beds at night call your selves to an account by such questions as these 1. I have lived many years in the world What have I been doing all my days have I answered the end of my being 2. Have I had a holy awe of God in the midst of my Worldly business this day What thoughts of death and Judgement have I had Where hath my heart been 3. How have I performed duties this day What hath been the sins of this day the mercies of this day that I may beg the pardon of the one and bless God for the other 4. What assistance and communion with God have I had this day in the duties of his worship have not God and my soul been strangers this day and many days together 5. What have I done or spoken for God and his Glory this day in my Family or else-where have I demean'd my self like a child of God this day this is to make Religion our business or to walk in the fear of the Lord all the day 8. Improve your time by endeavouring to order every days work with reference to your last day The end of every duty and the great reason of redeeming time lies here namely that we may be fit to dye and stand before God Therefore must we glorifie the infinitely holy God and make him our friend Hence it is that we must secure our souls and speedily get into Jesus Christ and grow in grace do good to others call our selves to an account and clear our title unto heaven that all our work may be done up while it is day and none left to do let death call when it will The reasons why our precious time must be redeemed are 1. Because the days are evil 2. Because 't is a considerable part of our Christian wisdom Reas 1. Because the days are evil This is the Apostles own argument to enforce the duty Precious time and evil days run parallel therefore no part of a little time must be lost I shall instance in a few particulars to make it appear 1. The Tares of false Doctrine or Diabolical Blasphemous Damnable Opinions do abound How do the Devils Agents endeavour to raise and undermine the very foundations and principles of the Christian faith Those old and damnable heresies that have been condemned and expunged out of the Church of God are greedily embraced and swallowed down by more then a few 2 Tim. 3. 1. and 4. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 12. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye knew these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 1. 13. 2. Mens flagitious
that you shall know ere it be long Jeptha would perform his vow to God I have said he opened my mouth unto the Lord I cannot go back Judg. 11. 34 35. Herod for his Oath sake murdered John the Baptist Matth. 14. 9 10. How many times hast thou engagest to dedicate and devote thy self to God and his Service therefore say Lord for my promise sake I will sacrifice my self and become thine redeeming my time for thy glory and mine own Salvation Motive 4. Cons Men take and improve opportunities for other things The fittest and best time is taken for buying selling plowing sowing and gathering into Barns and especially in evil and hard times Men will rise early run ride and labour in the very fire as the Prophet speaketh Redeeming the time 't is a Metaphor taken from Merchants that will be early in the Market lest the opportunity of buying the best Commodities should be lost The Proverb is that Time and Tide stay for no man and that we must make Hay while the Sun shineth There 's none but the sluggard will sleep in Harvest the diligent Husband-man will not lose a day then Christians in this great affair of your precious immortal and never-dying souls do as men about other things Millers and Marriners observe and improve every gale of wind yea the Stork in the Heaven the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow know and observe the time of their coming Jer. 8. 7. They that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and buy and get gain Jam. 4. 2. will as we say turn every stone and lose no time to buy a good bargain to make a rich purchase and shall we redeem our time and make the best of our spiritual markets to make provision for our souls that are more worth then all the world Motive 5. Satan that Enemy and grand Soul-deluder is always busie He is an active Devil and he loveth to find us idle Christians this old Serpent is never more at work then when we are idle for idleness layeth a man open to all his Hellish Snares and temptations and then if temptations come you are out of Gods way and if Satan find you on his ground he will be too hard for you The Apostle tells us he goeth about and still offers temptations for the wasting of our time This roaring Lyon hath a large circuit for ever since he was cast out of Heaven he hath been going to and fro in the Earth and walking up and down in it John 1. 7. His grand design is to devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. This black Prince loves to prey upon precious souls the soul being that sweet morsel he is still gaping at This Adversary hath his several walks he is in the Shop in the Market in the Street in the Chamber in the Closet and every where where sin is and he is also in the Congregation among the Assemblies of the Saints when they are about spiritual service When Joshua the High-Priest stood before the Lord Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3. 1. This deadly enemy was with Christ and his Disciples at the Passover for there he entred into Judas John 13. 26 27. Therefore Christians we have need to work and watch too The devil that hates you and all mankind doth bestir himself he goeth forth into the broad way of prophaneness and there he tenders and tempts men with sensual objects and he entreth in the by-path of error appearing as an Angel of light and enticeth wanton wits to suck down the poyson of his damnable doctrine And when once he hath injected his poyson into the head how much time is spent in writing and disputing to defend his delusions We read that it was while men slept this enemy Satan came and sowed Tares among the Wheat Matth. 13. 25. 39. He is a working busie Devil never at leisure but is always spreading his Baits and casting his Snares and Nets to catch souls Therefore be ye sober vigilant and watch unto prayer and employ this talent of precious time well Idleness is Satans Shop and the Mother of Mischief David was at leisure and on the roof of his house when Satan prevailed by that sad temptation 2 Sam. 11. 3. Therefore set God alwayes before you keep in his way and be doing your duty that you may be kept from his fiery darts The flying Bird is seldom shot The cautious diligent active soul is most secure Motive 6. Time once gone cannot be recalled Time past is gone for ever Time present if we may so call it is going future Time is most uncertain neither Men or Angels can hinder or stop it turn or bring it back again If opportunities be not now taken they may never be had Be good husbands of your time and work now or you may never work Time's redemption may be your salvation therefore follow and improve the light before darkness overtake you You all know that yesterday or the last hour will never come again If thou hadst as much treasure in thy custody or power as the whole world is worth it cannot purchase one minute of time past You that are old may as easily call back your youth or become young again as recover any part of this precious time Luke 19. 42. Motive 7. The nature of saving-Grace is working and springing up which turneth all the powers and faculties of the Soul Heaven-ward Such is the activity and vigour of this gracious nature that it will bring a man to a What wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Ephes 2. 10. 'T is not a lazy and languid thing but full of life and power The state of sin in Scripture is described by death and darkness which are a cessation and privation of life and light and motion and the state of Grace is described by life Eph. 2. which is powerful and most vivacious like the Sword of the Lord and Gideon doing great things It is no wonder to see the men of the world that are born after the flesh to be dull sluggish and unactive But you that have a Divine Nature and a Spirit of life and power in your hearts should be diligent and laborious 2 Tim. 1. 6. Rom. 8. 2. This living principle of Grace made the holy Apostle who excited others to redeem their time so to employ his Talent the Grace of God in him made him labour more then they all 1 Cor. 15. 10. The streams of grace that flow into the Soul are called Rivers of Living Water John 7. 31. and a Well of water springing up unto eternal life John 4. 14. So that Christians have greater advantage of doing good and of living to Gods glory Therefore stir up the grace of God that is in you cast off slothfulness and put on diligence and laying aside every weight rejoyce as the Son to run the Race that is set before you Motive 8. Consider How highly they prize time that
fire to all Eternity The pangs of death the worlds loss anguish of Conscience frights of hell meeting together will make a man perfectly miserable and force him to cry out with cursed Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is greater then I can bear or to say with the sadly afflicted Church behold no sorrow like unto my sorrow And if the dreadful reflection of a guilty accusing conscience be so tormenting here what will the whole flame and Sea of wrath be when poured out to the very utmost Sensless sinners Consider this may be your doleful case when you come to die viz. to have much sorrow and wrath with your sickness Eccl. 5. 17. For there is no is peace to the wicked saith my God not one word in all the Bible but speaks terrour in life and death though the sinner live a hundred years he shall be accurst he dieth under the curses written in God's Book yea under that most dreadful Gospel curse 1 Cor. 16. 22. The apprehension of which will cause such distraction of spirit and sad reflection of guilt which will make them curse their God and their King looking down to the pit roaring out Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Therefore be wise to consider this all ye that forget God lest he tear you in peeces and there be none that can deliver Psal 50. 22. And as it is dreadful and amazing to see the unbeleiver dying so on the contrary 't is comfortable and reviving to see the godly man dying because his ultimum is his optimum his last is his best the day of his death is better then the day of his birth Eccl. 7. 1. His end is peace Psal 37. 37. God at peace Conscience at peace and all at peace O blessed sight to see the heaven born panting soul going out of the world upon the wings of joy calmness and serenity of spirit with full sail for heaven longing and crying out make no tarrying O my God haste my beloved haste so come Lord Jesus I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. 23. You have heard what are the great things to be considered namely that an end will certainly be this world is no place of continuance they that now see you ere long will see you no more for ever You have heard that your present things will perish that sin so full of deadly poyson will leave a sting a dart that will strike through your Liver and that the case of the wicked will be doleful dreadful yea desperate when they come to dye for when death comes your souls then will be stated so as there can be no alteration to all Eternity The next thing is to speak to the reasons why it is a duty and matter of such moment to consider are these following Reas 1. Is taken from God Because the only wise gracious most indulgent and soulcompassionating God wisheth it and that most vehemently O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Sirs in this pathetical Option or desire there is the very tender bowels of God this is the very language of his heart and it is as if he had after the manner of men spoken thus to his faithful servant Moses I have but one wish or request and all is comprehended in this one viz. that thou shouldst go and tell them from me that they must be wise to consider this to remember the dayes of old and the years of many Generations what I have done for them in chusing them above all the Nations of the world to be my treasure portion and peculiar people and because I love them I have delivered them wrought wonders for them in Egypt the Red Sea and in the wilderness and have kept them as tenderly as the apple of mine eye carrying them upon Eagles wings but yet let them know that they have forgotten me provoked me and that their end is like to be miserable for afire is kindled in mine anget and unless they do speedily consider it will burn to the lowest hell Now you souls in peril which is best to thwart cross and greive your well-wishing dearest best and only friend or to please and geatifie your prosessed deadly implacable enemy your adversary the Devil can't endure that you should think of death or dying for if Satan that old Serpent would permit and suffer you to look into hell he could neither drag nor draw you thither at his pleasure And will you go on in the wayes of sin and death or bethink your selves whose you are what you have done whither you are going and what is like to become of you when your breath is gone what provision you have made for your other world that so the great business between God and your souls may be made up Sinners if the infinitely holy just and righteous God did desire or designe your ruine and destruction he would not have excited you to this solemn and serious consideration of the end of sin death and Eternity until it were too late and you left without remedy so that what is here intended hath a tendency to make you happy if it be regarded O that they were wise c. Reas 2. Because a deep serious and heart-affecting consideration of death and the grave will both realize it and represent it as near even at the door and make it to stand in open view Whereas things looked upon at a distance whether they be good or whether they be evil have but a little if any influence Now a fixed and hearty consideration will give as it were a being to future things and bring them near so that you may really converse with those things A truly godly man that hath a veiw of unseen things by divine contemplation here upon the wings of faith and hope he may ascend up into heaven and walk a turn in the golden streets of the New Jereusalem as the Prophet Ezekiel was in the Visions of God at Jerusalem in his mind when his body was by the River Chebar among the Captives in the Land of the Chaldeans so likewise those sadly wounded spirits who through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage being exercis'd with soul-conflicts and under powerful cutting and killing convictions of sin and misery or have such dark and dismal thoughts and apprehensions of hell and the wrath of God which make them ever and anon to enter into the Chambers of death and visit the prisoners of the pit and look upon that black guilt and fiery furnace to be so near that they are on the brink of it falling down continually This hath been the case of many of Gods precious ones who are now in heaven above all these fears and frights that were once more bitter then death And O how many travailing with these pangs and agonies of soul are ready to
in your ears as thorns darts and swords in your flesh as poyson in your bowels as fire in your bones to compel and force you speedily tocurb and check the reins of your hellish lusts that you so might five from wrath to come Did you but view that dark and cold grave and hot hell that is so neer you would rather starve or dye then run to that excess of riot you could not sleep and snort dance and sport upon the pits brink under such a consideration But forget all this banish the thoughts of God death and hell and you will run and rush into sin as the horse into battel Luk. 12. 45 crying peace peace till danger death and destruction cometh 1 Thes 5. 3. This was that mighty sin that ripened Jerusalem for ruine and brought her down wonderfully her filthiness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end The Lord complaineth by the Prophet Isaiab of the same thing Israil doth not know my people doth not consider but what follows ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel compare Lam. 1. 9. Isa 1. 3. 4 But he that doth that which is lawful and right shall save his soul alive who is that he that considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall save his soul whosoever doth perish that man shall never perish Ezek. 18. 14. 28. Reas 4. The consideration of your latter and will be a powerful incentive to make you exert and put forth the greatest industry in a way of duty yea it will certainly have an influence upon all our duties and upon all our graces for considering and doing are frequently joyn'd together Psal 41. 1. Prov. 31. 16. she considereth a field and buyeth it I thought on my wayes or considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psal 119. 59. Lam. 3. 40. Heb. 10 This if any thing will make you serious diligent and constant in any duty and to work while it is day before the night cometh wherein no man can work The Apostle exhorts to consider one another to provoke to love and good works and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Heb. 10. 24 25. The remembrance of the day of our death and of our passing into eternity with a deep impression of it upon the heart will be as a voice of thunder speaking to the secure sensless sinner awake awake thou that sleepest open thine eys stand upon thy feet and behold and see what a sea of blood and wrath is here See and beleive beleive and consider consider and fear fear and fly and make hast in thy work Thy work is great and weighty diversions are many adversaries are strong thy strength is small thy time is short thy account is great death and judgement are at the door therefore up and be doing now or never You slow and slothful souls Let your apparent and inevitable danger suddenly provoke and spur you unto your duty to seek the Lord in a time accepted before the door of life beshut God with-drawn and mercy quite gone The prophanest Sea-man will sigh mourn pray promise vow if death and danger looks him in the face when the ship was like to be broken and death threatned immediately to surprize them the Marriners were sore afraid and cryed every one to his God And this the very light of nature dictated to the ship-master though a Heathen that then it was no season to sleep what meanest thou O sleeper arise and call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not Joneh 1. 6. and the most notorious thieves and murderers will pray in prison or when they come to the Gallows the place of execution When the most righteous Judge sent his destroying Angels to the City of London and other places in the year 65. for the dreadful fear of which many thousands did flye and many thousands did fall viz. the carkases of men like dung upon the ground and as handfuls after the Harvest man When death did knock at a thousand doors in one night Owhat confessing of sin fastings crying and importunate knocking was there at the throne of grace and it may be by many persons families that prayed but little before or since that God would pity pardon and remove that amazing sweeping judgement which is now almost forgotten Upon an unwakening apprehension of Ninevehs fatal ruine the King and his Nobles decreed and proclaimed a Fast and injoyned every one to cry mightily to God Jonah 3. 7. Sinners were you but truly sensible of your peril you would pray to purpose viz. more ardently more in wardly more deeply more affectionately then ever you have done It was a supposed danger and that of death that caused Jacob to weep and make supplication for Esau hated Jacob and said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my Father are at hand then will I stay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 42. and Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed Gen. 31. 7. Which made him so importunate with God for deliverance and he prevailed Gen. 31. 11. Hos 12. 4. Poor sinners your case is dangerous I will not say desperate but you are ignorant of it you do not know that you are poor miserable blind and naked were you but sensible that you are liable to the wrath of God the stroke and sting of death every moment it would constrain you to cry mightily to God for pardon Holy Job when he considered of Death and Judgement set prayer to work and said Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me Job 7 21. 14. 13. This also made those two gracious Kings Hezekiah and David to weep and pray in the bitterness of their souls In those dayes was Hezekiah sick unto death and Isaiah the Prophet came unto him and said thus saith the Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not live then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept sore and prayed to the Lord Isa 28. 1 2 3. David when the sorrows of death compassed him and paines of hell got hold of him then said he I called upon the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Psal 116. 3 4. Jonah that could sleep in the ship prayed in the Whales belly Out of the belly of hell I cryed and thou heardest my voice Jonah 2. 2. The Apostle Peter and Christ himself presseth prayer from the consideration of the end of the world The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. and pray saith Christ that you may escape
prayers rich and choice experiences and love-tokens of their fathers favour the evidences for their heavenly Country This is the hidden and heavenly treasure of the godly man who only is called the man of wisdom Micah 6. 9. Besides he preventeth the worst evils viz. the guilt of sin the sting of death sorrows of hell terrours of Conscience the wrath of God the loss of God his soul and heaven This infinite and irreparable evil or loss he shall never sustain because this timely consideration of death and judgement will be a means to fit him for it They that were ready went in to the Marriage Matth. 25. 10. But for you that are careless of your immortal souls that think not of death that will not consider your latter end if infinite mercy doth not speedily prevent you will certainly dye without wisdom if you do not seasonably secure your souls make God and Christ your friends while the poor people of God lay up a treasure in heaven a good foundation against the time to come You will treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. And this is the doleful case of many worldly wise men of those too whose office and imployment is to keep if it might be others alive viz. to cure diseases and prevent death It is observed concerning Paracelsus a great Physitian a man very skilful in Chymical Experiments that he bragged and boasted that he had attained to such wisdom in discerning the constitutions of men and in studying remedies that whosoever did follow his rules and keep his directions should never dye by any disease casually he might and of age he must but he would undertake to secure his health against diseases A bold and most presumptuous undertaking But he who by Art promised to protect others could not by his art make himself a protection in the prime of his age who died before or when he had lived but thirty years Poor mortals sith that thou cant prevent death it is your wisdome to prepare for it and forasmuch as you cannot by any means power or skill keep off the stroak of death get while you may a remedy or Antidote against the sting of Death that when you dye you may not dye unpreparedly or dye without wisdom For man in honour that understandeth not is like the beast that perisheth Psal 49. 20. So died that miserably mistaken rich man who though by himself or others judged wise in the account of the only wise God was a very fool who providing only for the time of life and not for death did deserve the name of thou fool This night shall thy soul be requir'd Lu. 12. 20. a dark and dreadful night indeed in which he lost both worlds at once earth and heaven too And will you say that you are wise and not consider what your end will be The five Virgins are called foolish Virgins but why because they did not make provision for the Bridegroom 's coming and when they came to the Door it was shut upon them ah sad and dreadful disappointment Mat. 25. 10. But the diligent and prepared soul that hath gotten in his oyl and made all ready is in a capacity to look upon Death with a smiling aspect because the deadly poyson and sting is out and it can but kill the body 't is not able to hurt the soul But the sleepy secure sinner will be dreadfully surprized as Belshazzar was by the hand writing that appeared on the wall the terrifying and amazing sight of which changed his countenance and troubled his thoughts so that neither his Wine his wives or Concubines could comfort him who had lifted up himself against the Lord of Heaven Dan. 5. Sinners Consider the King of terrours is a terrible sight and none more then to those that have their heaven here it will be to such as the tearing their caul from their very hearts worse then cutting off a Member from the body for many have suffered the loss of Members to save their lives O death death death how bitter bitter is the remembrance of thee to the man that is at ease in his possession And let me tell you evils and dangers by how much the more sudden and unexpected they are by so much the more dreadful and astonishing they are What a sad and hidious cry was there in Egygt when at midnight God smote their first-born and also when the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah and his cursed company that went down alive into the pit insomuch that all Israel fled at the cry of them for they said lest the earth swallow us up also Numb 16. 31 32 34. And how terrible was that sudden shower of fire and brimstone upon filthy Sodom after a bright Sun-shine morning Gen. 19. 23 34 So when grim and ghashly Death cometh in a black night and draweth the curtain and looketh upon the secure sinnet it will be very formidable for who can look Death in the face that dare not look God or his own conscience in the face But the sincerely godly man fitted for death may look and live above the fear of Death and Hell and welcome Death as old Jacob did the Waggons that his son Joseph sent to fetch him down to Egypt when he saw the waggons the spirit of Jacob their Father revived Gen. 46. 27. Death though a grim Porter will open the gate of Glory to every Beleiver and let them into their Fathers house for both life and death are theirs 1 Cor. 3. 22. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 11. Whoso is wise will observe these things These are the reasons why your latter end must be considered The application If it be a duty so necessary to mind your end I shall descend to improve it by way of Application Vse This calls aloud unto all you unconverted sinners that have made no preparation for Death and Judgement to stand and wonder or to sit down and admire at the unwearied patience the matchless and amazing mercy of the infinitely gracious and glorious God Hath the most righteous judge and sin-revenging God held your souls in life and kept you from death and Hell to this very day And will you not even to astonishment adore the unsearchable riches of grace Men commonly wonder at things above their reach or that for which they can give no reason and especially at rare singular and unmerited mercy Now stop a little and spend a few serious thoughts and consider what reason can be given that you should be numbred among the living when so many are dead that you should be in the world and so many thousands of Men Women and Children in their Graves and their precious souls you know not where Now that your bodies are not laid up in that dark and dismal prison of the Grave
and your dear never-dying souls bound fettered and chained in that direful painful prison of hell is matter of the greatest wonder in all the world Have you not cause to doubt that many of your neighbours relations and sinful companions accquaintance are gone down thither it may be some of those you least suspect And you know not how many are now in flames for the very same sins that you stand guilty of if not less sinners then your selves O admire and bless God with your whole souls that you are yet on this side the grave and not gone down into that place of torment you enjoy many opportunities for your souls and are still exhorted to part with sin to turn to God to accept of Christ to think of death and hell that so you might never see it or feel it for there is much more in the paines of hell and wrath of God then ever you heard or can imagine According to thy fear said Moses so is thy wrath Psal 90. 11. Poor sinners you are still the living Monuments of infinite kindness and therefore let not the living man complain Suppose you had dyed when death seemed neer when you were sick and weak ready to give up the ghost or when those many thousands dyed by the Plague or Sword in what a miserable condition had your souls been to be shut up with Devils and damned spirits in that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And will you still maintain your enmity encrease iniquity and even dare God to damn you Sinners are you not besides your selves yea stark mad to make God that should be your best friend your worst fo for if his anger be kindled but a little it will burn to the lowest hell and none can quench it or stand before it Can thine heart endure or thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee Ezek. 22. 14. Who can dwell with devouring fire who would saith the Lord set the bryars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them up together Isa 27. 4. O when will you come to your selves and throw away your arms and consider your souls or will you not be saved when shall it once be why will you dye Let these cords of love draw you and cause you to say Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Consider others dreadful ruine hath been your warning that are now lockt up in that dark dungeon and shall come up no more and whom the Devils are now tormenting the worm biting and the fire burning You are at present free from that boyling Chaldron and in the Land of the Living O praise praise the Lord for his long-suffering you being but as it were under a repreive O prize and improve your life and timely prepare for death for if thy life were ended thy soul seperated and not peace with God made thou wert an undone soul There 's no place for repentance in the Grave no Christ or pardon to be obtained in hell Bless God your glass runeth your Lamp burneth the day of grace is yet continued your dear Lord is upon the Mercy-seat therefore there is hope Vse 2. This justly reprehendeth all that flight or neglect this great duty but especially these three sorts neither of which do seriously consider their latter end Viz. 1. The insolent Atheistical Sensualists 2. The Ignorant and considerate 3. The Self confident presumptuous 1. It condemneth Atheistical sensualists that put the evil day far from them Amos 6. 3. and who drown or banish the awful thoughts of God Death and Eternity out of our minds and hearts They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ and say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledg of thy wayes Job 21. 12 24. God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 14. They are resolved for a short life and a merry what ever the dreadful issue They chant to the sound of the Viol and drink wine in bowls and eat the Lambs out of the flock and stretch themselves upon their Couches saying in their hearts as that wretch Luk. 12. 19. take thine ease eat drink and be merry they will satisfie their lusts injoy the pleasures of the flesh walk in the wayes of their heart and in the sight of their eyes and hereby they make the breach wider and themselves seven times more the children of the Devil though at last they sit down in everlasting sorrow Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye You poor desperately deluded souls did you beleive what you have read and heard of the other world or what the Scripture of infalilble verity speaketh of the infinitely holy great and terrible God who will in no wise clear the guilty you would quickly change your Course did you now consider you must dye and be judged that in a very little time you which hear me this day must stand before the dreadful God would you sin so freely love the world so immoderately mock at a Deity jeer at serious piety neglect your Duty trifle away your time forget eternity and hazard those your precious souls as you have done and do Such Rake hels and devils incarnate the Apostle speaketh of 2 Pet. 3. 10. Know this first i. e. before the end of the world There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lasts and saying where is the promise of his coming Nevertheless these Vipers vile miscreants and monsters in mens shape think that they are wise when indeed they have no understanding Wise they are but it is to do evil to cavil against the truth dispute against the life of holiness but to do good they have no knowledg Jer. 4. 22. This was Jerusalems great sin immediately before the fierce anger of the Lord came upon them and this is the sad and dreadful case of many yea thousands in the world and in these Nations notwithstanding all those awakening desolating providences and amazing spectacles of mortality their eyes have seen There are but a few that look upon themselves as concerned at all just like a company of simple sheep in a fat pasture The Butcher cometh and fetcheth one to Day another to morrow the rest feed on and take no notice of what is become of their lost companions 'T is as if a company of condemned persons reprievd for a time should be appointed to be executed one after another within the space of so many Dayes This Day the first in order is brought forth and executed the day following a second yet all the rest that are to take their turnes fall a Drinking Carding Singing Swearing and so continue to the very last until they be all Hang'd Dead and Damn'd We may compare this mad deluded world to a company of poor blind men dancing about the brink of a very dangerous deep pit but do not perceive it or see how
feared or felt worse then outward pressures perils pains which are but bodily miseries and that but for a moment This sin not only the prophane world are guilty of but some of those that profess the Name of God Rebecah said to Isaac I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heth Gen 27. 46. Rachel cryes out give me Children or else I dye Gen. 30. 1. Elisha being threatned by Jezabel said O Lord take away my life 1 Kings 19. 4. Jonah for the loss of a poor gourd said it s better for me to dye then to live and told God to his very face that he did well to be angry even unto death Jonah 4. 9. The Israelites when they wanted water wisht they had died in the wilderness These and the like wicked wishes are in the mouths of many poor ignorant discontented persons who long to be out of this wretched world Now by way of conviction I shall lay down these following particulars 1. What think you of these inward and soul-straits and conflicts with which Gods poor afflicted people are sadly exercis'd And were you but sensible of the guilt and weight of sin a wounded spirit the wrath of God and those everlasting burnings it would quickly swallow up your outward miseries though never so many This is evident in the example of the Jaylor who for the loss of his prisoners was so tormented that he would have kill'd himself before he was convinced of the dreadful state of his soul that was in danger of ruin Act. 16. 27 28 29 30. Then he fell and cried out Sirs what shall I do to be saved 2. To wish for death because of the evils attending this life is very wicked and dangerous interpretatively and in effect it is to wish your souls in hell Consider and mind this also that your present sorrowes crosses troubles of what kind or degree soever they be are the fruits of your ill-doings and fatless then you deserve for its a wonder you are not in hell and will you dare to be so audacious as to flye in the face of your faithful Creator when you should be deeply sensible of your horrible wickedness and humble under Gods hand and accepting of the punishment of your sinye should repent and turn to God take away the cause and the effect will cease 3. You can please and gratifie the Devil your deadly adversaty in nothing more you wish for death so doth the devil too if you are his now you must be his then his here and his for ever He waits and longs that your breath were gone your souls separated therefore he would have you poyson hang drown starve or stob your selves that you might be dead damn'd and burn'd with him in hell 4. Moreover if you were dead you would suddenly repent and change your mind and if it might be give the world to be alive again with all the wants pains and greif you now endure Had you but a peeping hole into hell to see and here what they endure you would confess your sins judge your selves and close with Christ before you dye that so you might not come into that dreadful place of torment Now that you may hear and fear and do no more so wickedly Let me ask you 1. What think you of the sting and bitterness of death when a man comes to dye Conscience being awakened roaring like a Lyon death the King of terrours standing by when the guilt of past-sins and loss of precious time will be as so many fiery darts and stinging scorpions biting and gnawing on the heart What think you it will be to dye unconverted to dye in a state of sin and wrath a Trator to God in a state of unbelief and impenitency the soul-damning sins to dye with an evil heart an accusing conscience self condemn'd cast in your own breast to dye which is worst of all 2. What think you of the sadness and amazing terrour of approaching judgment the second death when a man comes to take a dreadful view of the other world and begins to reflect and think Wherefore was I born what have I been doing are all these my sins O where shall I leave them or how shall I be rid of them now I am dying whither am I going what will be my company where shall be the place and how near am I to it what must I endure and how long how long and conscience will answer to all eternity misery without end This will amaze confound and overwhelm the soul with fear and perturbation when it sees that heaven is lost and that it must down down to the Region of darkness and company of Devils in that state of everlasting wo. The killing thoughts of which made a great man wish that he might live though bur the life of a Toad 3. What think you of the impartiality of the Judge that will not spare the guilty must and will Judge and sentence according to the fact and reward every man according to his works He would not spare the Angels that sinn'd but cast them down to hell 2 Pet. 2. 4. not Adam but cast him out of paradise and set a flaming word against him neither will he spare any impenitent sinner in the day of his wrath justice obliges him to justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked 4. What think you of the impossibility of having any appeal There will be no Moses to mediate no mediator to plead no Daniel Noah or Job to intercede or to stand in the gap not an Intercessor in Earth or Heaven to be found to speak a word There can be no appeal to God his Calls and Councels have been refused his Interest opposed his Enemies countenanced his laws violated his Anger will burn like fire No appeal to Jesus Christ his Government hath been slighted his Grace and Person rejected or to the Holy Ghost he hath been quencht and greived or to angels or Saints all will be against you 5. Whar think you of the resignation of soul and body to the executioner and tormentor the red dragon 't is sad to see a poor malefactor committed to the Jaylor or Hangman but O how much more dreadful will it be for ever-living souls in the face of men and Angels to be delivered into the hands of that raging roaring Lyon the Devil When God the righteous Judge shall say in sight of the whole world here are the men that brak my Statutes prophaned my Sabbaths that hated my Saints that served the Devil in the satisfying their Lusts the open and professed Adversaries to my Name and Interest that would not though I often intreated them come at my call accept of my love receive my Son or endure a life of holiness or by any means be drawn and perswaded to think of and prepare for death and judgement though they had time and opportunity enough Now take them devil and away to hell with them for my soul abhors them Thy Covenant servants
and voluntary slaves they were in time and thy prisoners in chains of darkness they shall be eternity to be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20. 10. 6. What think you of eternal banishment and separation from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven This is the punishment of loss and the worst of hell Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O terrible terrible to be doom'd or sentenc'd to lye under the wrath and hatred of the infinitely great and dreadful God for ever and ever as long as God shall live whose being is to eternity as long as there is a Devil to torment or to be tormented shall their plagues last The fearful and unbeleiving and the abominable Murderers Whoremongers Lyars Dogs Sorcerers carry all their sins down to hell with them the fuel that feeds the wrath of God so that the Oyl of sin causes the Lamp of wrath to burn flame everlastingly The debt of sin can never be paid justice never satisfied for the damn'd soul remains impenitent and God implacable so that there can be no hope of pardon The sentence is strict unchangeable irreversable eternal O eternity eternity this stings plagues and augments and aggravates the most intollerable punishment of the damn'd After an innumerable thousands of years they shall think it but the beginning of their sorrows and shall be so far from an end as if they had been in hell but an hour It will be everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1. 9. In comparison of which all the rendings rackings tearings torturings of mens bodies here by the most exquisite torments upon racks gibbets wheels grid-irons boyling lead boyling oyl and other bloudily invented engines and instruments of amazing cruelty are but a flea-biting Sinners 't is hell hell that will make the sadly tormented soul seek death wish and long for that which shall never be Rev. 9. 6. And will you desire and wish for the woeful day God forbid now your condition may be changed then it will be stated Wo wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you The day of the Lord is darkness and not Light Amos 5. 18. A day of glosminess a day of clouds and of thick darkness at which the people shall be much pained and all faces shall gather blackness the inhabitants of the Land shall tremble for the day of the Lord is very terrible Joel 2. Now therefore do not wickedly wish it but wisely consider and prepare for it And blessed is that servant whom when his Lord cometh findeth so doing 3. It reproves the selfc-onfident and presumptuous who conclude upon a fitness and preparedness for death and judgment upon very slight and unwarrantable grounds namely because they separate from the notoriously wicked are not prophane make a profession shew some legal sorrow for sin run the round of duty though carnal and heartless enough in those duties from hence they easily perswade themselves that all is well viz. That they are the Children of God in a state of grace and going to Heaven and as fit to dye as the very best How many thousands are there in the Christian world that securely sleep and dream of an interest in Christ that hope and promise themselves a future and glorious felicity who are but meet moral men and worse or rotten painted Hypocrites at the best having only a form of Godliness restraining counterfeit or common grace Such were the Scribes and Pharisees the foolish Virgins yet confident to the very last they came to the door with a Lord Lord open unto us They had blazing Lamps but no oil in their Lamps or Vessels no real union with Jesus Christ no precious faith no sincere love or evangelical repentance the root of the matter was not in them You that have a name to live take heed you be not deceived if you are not truly united unto Jesus Christ he will certainly disown you The Lord Jesus tells us of such sadly deluded souls that shall stand up at the last day and challenge a reward in Heaven to whom he will protest I know you not Matth. 7. 23. they never savingly knew him had never any union or communion with Christ in the world Many are called but few chosen the Children of the kingdome saith Christ shall be cast out And I must tell you who-ever comes to heaven will miss many there which they thought to find and find others there they little expected The Sinners in Sion are more then a few the Goates more then the Sheep the Tares more then the Wheat more reprobate silver then pure tryed gold The pure in heart and truly godly man that mourns and bleeds for sin that loves God and prizes Christ above the world is many times full of feares and doubts about his soul and the eternal condition of it O what would he not give to be assured that all is well between God and him to know that God and Christ is his that he is fit to live or die because a mistake here is very dreadful and of an infinite consequence But on the contrary the foolish disobedient and that are deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in sin and alienated from the life of God having no hope and without God in the world are highly confident and strongly perswaded that it shall go well with them in the world to come I knew a poor ignorant prophane wretch being told on his death bed and but a little before he entred into eternity that death was come replied where is it I 'le go forth and meet it putting his legs over the beds side in a little time gave up the Ghost Therefore in this great soul-affair let none be so fool-hardy as to trust without tryal But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another for every man shall bear his own burthen Gal. 6. 4 5. Quest If the consideration of our latter end is a matter of such moment why do men and women that have immortal souls think no more of it Answ 1. The great cause is from that horrid cursed atheism and unbeleif which is deeply rooted and riveted in mens minds and hearts They do not credit that wonderful and astonishing Doctrin of the other world according to the beleif of which they must live or die to all eternity If we should take a serious prospect of endless eternity of those great things men seem to beleive namely that they must dye that in every mans body there is a never dying soul that there will be a different and unchangeable estate of men after death and that without holiness real holiness of heart life no man shall see the Lord and compare the lives and practises of those that
pretend to beleive these things we may see them as busie as a company of Ants in a sunny day and that the general course of men hath no tendency towards this end but indeed a sad and woeful incongruity 2. The second cause is want of spiritual and divine wisdom It was for want of that wisdom which is from above that the Israelites did not consider O that they were wise said God They are a Nation void of counsel neither is there any understanding in them Deut. 32. 28. If men were wise for their precious and eternal souls they would consider what is here to be done and what is like to be their condition in the other world The prudent man fore-seeth the evil or considereth the evil and hideth himself When God by the mouth of Moses threatned to plague the Egyptians by the Pestilence Haile and Fire he that beleived and feared the word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharoah made his servants and cattel flee into the house and were preserved Exod. 9. 20. So the soul that is truly wise to consider of the danger of beingdestroyed by the grievous hail and fire of Gods wrath will flee into the hiding place viz. under the wing of the great and glorious Mediator where alone there is true succour But he that did not fear or consider of the danger left his servants and cattle in thâ— field and were destroyed Exod. 9. 21 25. 3. The third hindrance is sensuality worldly pleasures and cares these carry away the heart from the true consideration The Israelites confluence of creature-comforts caused them to forsake and to forget God Deut. 32. 14. 15 16 17 18. The old world was eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage not considering of their danger till the flood came and took them all away Matth. 24. 38 39. The men of the earth do so mind earthly things that their hearts are surfeited and drunken with the care of it Luke 21. 34. And while mens minds and thoughts are carri'd so vehemently after the world to make provision for their life they can think but little of their death Luk 12. 15 16 17 18. 4. The fourth obstruction is a plague upon the heart and desperate security proceeding from it No bonds next to death are so strong to keep men under as security and senslesness of Spirit So dead a sleep possesseth more of the ungodly world that they are past feeling and become so stark dead that the voice of God in the dreadful threatnings of his word and the alarum of his amazing tremendous judgement and desolating providences prevail not to awaken them The Lord hath poured out upon them the spirit of a deep sleep and hath in judgement closed their eyes that they can sin in the very face of the Judge at the very brink of hell at the very mouth and entrance into that great gulf of Eternity 5. A fifth hindrance to mens consideration of their latter end is a strong delusion of heart or satanical suggestions The old serpent and desperatively deluded hearts make them dream that God is all love that they shall have a long life that preparation for death and Eternity is a short work and that it may be done at any time namely when they have done with the world when they are old or lying on a sick bed They say in their hearts 't is but beleiving or repenting and saying Lord have mercy upon me let me die the death of the righteous Under this deadly delusion they dream of heaven and go laughing to hell 1 Thes 5. 3. And that which doth much encrease this stupidity may be the want of or neglect of a powerful and soul searching ministry whose office as watchmen is to foresee the danger and to warn and awaken secure sinners crying aloud to them in the name of the Lord Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes 5. 14. But som cannot endure that Ministers should be so severe plain and peircing in their Doctrin so as to thunder and lighten in the eyes and ears of sleepy souls They are well contented to sit under those that daub with untempered mortar and who sow pillows for their arm holes under whose ministry they may take a nap and sleep it out But they hate him that reproveth in the Gate that galls cuts and wounds their Consciences just like the gall'd-backt horse that bites and kicks at him that would heal him A person of no mean quality speaking his opinion of several ministers said such a man I can hear and such a one I can hear very well but for the third he mentioned that was wont to lay the ax to the root of the Tree and grapple with the heart I cannot endure to hear him for he alwayes grates upon my conscience 6. Men do not consider their latter end because they are afraid to do it 1. First to wanton sinners the remembrance of death is a bitter Pill that will not suffer the pleasures of sin to go down so sweetly Therefore they say to the thoughts of Death as the Governour to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will send for thee Serious thoughts of death and Judgement to come as the hand-writing on the wall will damp the spirits and mar the mirth of the greatest Prince or gallant in the world 2. They fear to think of death because they have made no preparation for it viz They have not believed repented liv'd a life of holiness so as to make God their friend A bankrupt that oweth many hundred pounds more then he is worth is afraid to cast up his Accompts so poor and impenitent sinners that are indebted to God that owe him ten thousand talents are unwilling to think of death because death will say unto them come give an account of your Stewardship for you must pay the utmost farthing 3. They are afraid to think of death by reason of the dreadful consequences of death as it relates to both worlds The change that death makes as to this present world is very amazing 1. It brings unavoidable dissolution or separation of soul and body these two dear companions that have lived and converst together and sin'd together for many years must then part and a living man will become a dead Carcase fit for nothing but a grave and the soul must have another habitation Job 17. 13 14. Job 19. 26. Well might Death be called the King of terrours 2. It is matter of fear to leave this world that hath been so pleasing and delightsom and for which we have toyl'd and labour'd so many years in one night to loose it all For when the departing hour cometh you may take a view of all your comforts which you have had under the Sun and helps for heaven viz. Husbands Wives Parents Children Kinsfolk Friends jolly Companions Gold Silver Houses Lands sweet and delicate Banquets pleasing Bargains
the Silver Trumpet the Sun will go down over the Prophets Therefore while the watchmen are upon the walls take warning and finish your work while you have the light O Sirs improve for your eternal advantage those plain and powerful Sermons which you hear and read and let it not be accounted legal preaching Who were more severe in their preaching then our Lord and his fore-runner whom we ought to imitate otherwise we draw the horrible sin of bloud-guiltiness upon our souls Ezek. 3. 18 9. 'T is observ'd that there are more dreadful doctrines scatter'd up and down in the New Testament then in the Old the powerful application of which is very necessary both for secure sinners and drowsie Saints Holy David after his fall fell into a deep sleep and did not awake until Nathan came and told him plainly and particularlly of his sin And of the Virgins we read while the Bridegroom tarri'd they all slumbred and slept Mat. 25. O how many sleepy souls are there in the world and in many Cities Towns and Parishes in this Nation that will either living dying or after death sadly bewail the not improving the labours of their faithful Pastors 2. All your awakening Providences by which God warns and calls will have an end The great and glorious God for a long time together hath been speaking and calling to us by his Word and of late year she hath spoken by his dreadful Rod and that very terribly The Sword the Plague the Fire the decay of trade and other Judgements are the loud voice of an angry God Those afflictions on our Families Relations Estates Persons are in order to awakening us out of sleep and so for our profit When Manassch was among the thorns bound with fetters carried into Babylon he be sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly 2 Chron. 33. 11 12 13. After Ephraim was chastised he awaked turned and repented for the bonds and cords of affliction do open the car to instruction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression and commandeth that they turn from iniquity Jab 6. 9 10. Jer. 13 18 19. Now to have a deaf ear to the rod and word to be hardned and secure and go on in sin under awaking and amazing providences is a dreadful judgement that which ripens men for ruine 2 Chron. 28. 22. This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distress did trespass yet more against the Lord Jer. 5. 3. 3. Your awakening Convictions will have an end too Those secret and powerful workings strivings and struglings of the Spirit of God under the rod and in the word will be suspended Christ will not always be at the door calling knocking and his Spirit that is so much greived and oppos'd will not alwayes strive and struggle with your hearts and conciences Gen. 6. 3. Now sinners if you have any love or regard to your immortal souls before all these helps be taken away be wise to consider and prepare for your end Lest God should speedily resolve and say to you as to the Jews Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be striken any more or as Hosea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idels let him alone They will have their lusts and they shall have them As I live saith saith the Lord this iniquity shall not be purged till youdie Sith nothing will prevail I am resolved saith God they shall never hear an awakening soul-Searching Sermon more never have a Correction or Conviction more till they go down to hell Motive 5. Consider that the earnest cries tear prayers of unbeleivers when they comes to die it will be in vain fruitless and unsuccesful though you speak in the anguish of your souls and complain in the bitterness of your spirits when your flesh upon you shall have pain and your souls within you shall mourn it will be to no purpose You that will not seek God betimes and make supplication to the Almighty that will not pray while you have time to pray helps to pray health to pray encouragements to pray Now God invites you may have audience and find acceptance your prayers in a dying hour will be but the expressions of your fears and terrors arising from the sence and nearness of your danger when there will be but a step between your departing souls and the state of Devils God seldom hears from some men unless trouble sickness fear distress and anguish cometh upon them then pain will make them pray and how upon their beds and 't is but howling not Praying Hos 7. 14. But will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him saith Job 27. 9. No saith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you Ezek. 20. 3. Because it cometh from an evil mind or stinking breath proceeding from a corrupt rotten cursed heart and then it must needs be abominable Prov. 21. 27 15. 8. I will saith David wash mine hands in innocency and then compass thine Altar for if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer Psal 66. 18. If God would not hear a Davids prayer a man after Gods own heart he will not hear a Devils prayer nor the prayer of a Swearer Sabbath-breaker Drunkard he heareth not sinners that like and love their lusts No saith the holy God though they seek me early they shall not find me Here note That there is a two fold early namely Gods early and mans early Gods early is in the morning of our life in the time of youth then God cals and invites to come Prov. 1. 24. Eccl. 12. 1. Mans early is in the evening or at the end of life or when man is high unto death when pain sorrow and anguish cometh upon him In their afflictions they will seek me early Hos 5. last When fear cometh as desolation and destruction cometh as a whirlwind then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shal not find me Prov. 1. 27 28. God will say to all such sinners remember it as Isaac to Abimelech Gen. 26. 27. Wherefore come ye to me seeing you hate me and have sent me away from you Or he will say as once to the Children of Israel that cryed to him in their sore distress Go cry to the Gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation as for me I will not deliver you Judg. 10. 14. You have served the Devil embrac'd the world satisfied your lusts joyn'd with mine enemies go to the Devil go to your lusts to your wicked company let them deliver you in your distress Now death and devilsare come for you I will not own you nor your prayers your soul abhorred me my soul abhors you and your prayers depart from me I know you not Motive 6. It s the great comfort of the godly mans life to hope and know that he is fit for death Whatever be their lot and Portion in this
world be assured it shall go well with them in the other world Art thou in astate of grace at odds with fin and truly in love with Christ and holiness Be of good chear go thy way and eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for the bitterness of death is past The king of terrors that had the power of death is conquered by the Lord of life Terrible death that rides on the pale horse is dismounted by thy dear Lord that rides on the white horse under whose bloody Cross thou mayest see him disarmed wounded and dead death that raigned from Adam to Moses is now swallowed up in victory Isa 25. 8. I will ransoms thee from the power of the grave I will redeem thee from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction The beleiving soul is dead with Christ while he lives Rom. 6. 8 and is delivered not only from the damnation of sin but the dominion of sin and there is hope in his death When he dyeth he shall die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. he shall sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4. 14. his end shall be peace Psal 37. 37. This made the Apostle after his sad conflict Rom. 7. to triumph over the last enemy death 1 Cor. 15. 55. Motive 7. If you should not prepare for death yet you will wish you had as many do when it is to late You that are for making provision for the flesh and so eagerly pursuing the world When you shall be cast upon the bad of languishing you will wish in the very torment of your minds and flames of horrour that I had parted with my sin O that I had been careful to please and honour God and to get an interest in Jesus Christ then should I have now dyed the death of the righteous but this I wholly slighted I prosecuted the world with might and main and got so many thousands for my Posterity I liv'd a merry and jovial life but for my soul for my eternity things of infinite worth I have done nothing I forgat my soul Now here 's the Messenger of death come for me to imprison my body in the Grave the Chambers of darkness and to carry my soul I know not whither I fear to hell O that I had been wise to under stand this to consider my latter end What would I now give to live but a few years more to make provision for this soul that must now enter the gulf of endless eternity Motive 8. Consider the gaines will be exceeding great As will appear by these following particulars Would you haue sin as hell and be more truly holy Consider your latter end This is most certain that all the evil antecedents and dreadful consequences of death spring and grow out of this bitter root what is it that wounds stings paines and kills what is it that brings Diseases threatens death that murders the body and that damns and burnes the soul What is that doth necessitate the to make use of Physick Physicians whilst alive and bringeth thee to a Coffin and Grave when thou art dead is it not sin which thou embracest in thy bosom You poor blind deluded souls as little and as lovely as sin looks in your wanton eyes it is the Mother and Nurse of all your miseries hacht in hell the Devils spawn or excrement He that committeth sin is of the devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. This is that evil thing and bitter that hales death and hell at the heels of it yea that arms death devils and hell against us Were it not for this black ugly fierce ouer and bloudy adversary Law or Justice could not condemn us Death could not kill us Devils could not torment us Hell could not burn us Sin is the Traitor and Murderer of your immortal souls and those nails that will shortly dig your Graves will you hug hide and hold it fast Will a woman put that knife into her bosom that hath kill'd or murder'd her dear Child or Husband no by no means it must be broken and cast away for ever Now Sirs if sin be the enemy use it as an enemy or murderer kill it take the sacrificing knife and cut the throat of it or strike the heart vein and let it bleed until it dies Deal by it as Samuel by Agag cut it in pieces Did you think seriously of death and hell you would hate it to purpose and say away to hell with it from whence it came and it would put you upon a desire and earnest endeavour after holiness Being expos'd to a dissolution what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. But if you forget death you will make dreadful work namely your accounts greater and hell the hotter you will increase your sin and God will heap up wrath against the day of wrath And if ever God shâ—w mercy it will cost you dear your souls must mourn your hearts must break and bleed for sin for unless you repent you will certainly be damned Luk. 13. 5. 2. Would you speedily call off your hearts from the world lay up treasure in heaven Remember your latter end In the greatest affluence of worldly prosperity alwayes consider that you must die Poor worldlings that make gold your hope whose plottings and ploddings are for earth If death and eternity were more in your thoughts you would let go that in your affections which you cannot hold in your possession and love that but a little that will be lost and which you cannot love long Riches have wings and they will be gone Consider how little the things of the world will stand you in stead in the evil day your gold and silver cannot keep you from diseases while you live nor from hell after you are dead Prov 11. 4. Psal 49. 6 7. It falleth out with many of the great storers of this world as it doth with a Sumpter Horse who all the day carrieth a great treasure on his back but at night it is taken from him and he thrust into a foul Stable So many wealthy worldlings that tire them selves to get and carry worldly treasure when death cometh it s taken from them and they for their ill getting or ill using of it are thrust down to hell the rich man dyed and in hell lift up his eyes And if you would deaden your hearts to this empty earth and look after a treasure above a happiness beyond the grave that shall last as long as your souls shall last think often of death this would divert your worldly cares and projects Remember from this day to your last day cannot be long your Journey or Voyage is short and a little Provision is enough neither Poverty nor Riches but food convenient is the desire and choice of a Citizen of Sion Converse more with death and be often looking into eternity and thou mayest here as it
were a voice speaking to thee as God to Baruch Jer. 45. 4 5. I will break down and pluck up and seekest thou great things seek them not Death is the great Leveller that will make all equal and you that grasp the world most greedily will find it but vanity for all is vanity is the language of experience Eccl. 1. 2. 1 John 2. 17. When Samuel was to anoint Saul he brought or directed him to Rachels Sepulcher and to this end as is suppos'd namely to suppress or prevent haughty proud thoughts that might arise from that new and great preferment And if the supposition be true it is as if he had spoken thus Saul God hath highly honoured you and I annoint you King But remember here lies the dust of that beautiful Rachel and though you are now King in Israel yet you must be as Rachel viz. laid in a Grave or Sepulcher the thoughts of which is a very mortifying Meditation You that have the waters of a full Cup that wallow in wealth and swim in worldly glory to wean you from the world that your hearts may not be turned into Earth and buryed before you are buryed keep fresh in your thoughts death and eternity Job 14. 14. 3. Would you be deeply sensible of the sad and doleful condition of unbeleivers when they come to dye think seriously of your latter end What will you do in the hour of distress when God shall call for your breath change your countenance and require your souls if you have made no preparation for death and Judgement Poor souls I would pity you with my very heart to think how ignorant you are of your great concernment you eat drink sleep buy sell and get gain but slight your souls and do not consider of the evil day We be unto him that is alone that is alone in life and alone in death that hath no Christ to befriend him or stand by him in that woeful day that cometh to lye down in the death-bed without peace or pardon who shall go into a Grave and stand before the Ba without an Advocate to plead for him It is most probable you may have dife ferent apprehensions of yout selves and others in your dying hour so the nearer the object the clearer the sight O sinners when the door of eternity begins to open as usually it doth to men dying you will have other thoughts of your selves and other men Here you ruffle it out thinking your selves above and better then others behold great Babel said that proud person in his Princely Palace but when pale death appears it will pull down those Peacocks feathers and cause their crests to fall Now the world shines and sparkles in your eyes which makes you judge and think that nothing but Riches Honor and Greatness can make you happy then it wil appear the pant being off to be an empty nothing As for the pure â—n heart who mourn for sin and mind itheir soules above the world who are scorn'd jeer'd hated being look'd upon as a company of poor pensive sneaking besotted fools will then be adjudged the best wisest and happiest men on earth Now sin is excused and called a light and little thing for trick of youth but then it will have at black and dreadful face and feel more heavy then lead taste more bitter then death it self Now the Damned and cursed Crue are your brave Boon companions and bosom friends but when you are come to your dying groanes and cold sweats away with them their sight is terrible But know that you who have been companions in sin must be companions in sufferings and lye down together in everlasting chaines and flames you shall be fettered and bound together and never part any more for ever Now an interest in Christ and a life of holiness is little valued and every lust and triffle preferred then a world a world for a Christ forty thousand pound for a good Conscience cryed out a wicked wealthy worldling when dying and passing into eternity 4. Would you expedite your Repentance try your state and make all ready for the other world think upon this last enemy the King of terrors that will ere long terminate your dayes and then all your opportunities will be gone for e If the thoughts of death especially the second death did but influence your hearts and penitrate npon your Consciences you would easily be perswaded to cast away your sins namely to cut off a right hand or pluck out a right eye and to rent your hearts to mourn in secret to afflict your souls and to put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope Lam. 3. 28. 29. We see that men in a journey if they think they have daly enough they are slack and slow enough but if they see but a little time they will make speed If a man must do the work of a whole day in half a day he will make hast Repentance is not a work for a day though a daly work our whole life is little enough to compleat and perfect it As long as we sin we must mourn while we provoke the Judge we must plead guilty and sue our out pardon with Ropes a bout our necks and smiting on our breasts and if it might be with tears of blood And the great things of death and Judment will prepare and prompt you to do it suddenly for when the day is gone the night comes and the Grave and Hell have shut their mouths upon you what can be done Eccles 9. 10. 5. Would you pray more frequently more fervently then ever you have done remember you must dye The Monuments and Statues of the dead as one notes are made in a praying posture viz. kneeling and with hands lifted up to heaven as if the remembrance of them now dead should teach us our duty what we must do whilst living One that was wont to pray often in a day being asked why he spent so much time in prayer gave no other answer but this I must dye I must dye An awakening apprehension of a mans entrance upon an endless state and a speedy approach before the holy God will make him pray and that importunately If there be in the Family a Husband wife or Child near unto death almost every one that cometh about the bed will be lifting up hands and putting up of prayers and then you cry out send speedily for some sober serious Minister or for some solid savoury praying Christian to commend his sad case to God The young man that lately suffered for Murder who came into Newgate as ignorant of God as the horse or the Mule and as sensless of his soul as a stock or a stone was by the acxcess and application of Ministers to him convinced of his desperate case and through the grace and blessing of God upon his appointed means he seemed so deeply sensible of the dreadful hazzard of his precious soul that he did with so
instead 5. Consider which of the two eternities are you going towards 6. We are all near our everlasting habitation 7. You know not how suddenly or unexpected your end may be 8. When death comes your souls are stated your eternity is cast 9. 'T is a dreadful and amazing fight to see a Christless soul breathing out his last 4. Vse May be of comfort to the poor people of God who through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Let not you hearts be trobnled fear not neither be terrified because of this King of fears But cheer up your spirits and comfort up your hearts with this that death as terrible as it is to the wicked cannot hurt you The day of your death will be better then the day of your birth and thereffore death is put into the Beleivers Inventory and reckoned amongst his priviledges 1 Gor. 3. 22. Death will be gain to the Godly man viz. an out-let to all his present misery and an in-let to endless glory Then the truely penitent perplexed wearied soul shall be perfectly free from the power of Satan the firy darts and dreadful temptations of that unclean spirit Then the old Serpent for ever will be under their feet Then the body of death shall be put off and the in dwelling of sin that natural fountain of corruption will be perfectly dryed up You shall never complain of vain thoughts or hard hearts any more Never doubt of the truth of grace or favour of God more The beleiver shall then be with Jesus Christ the day of his dissolution will be the day of his Coronation he shall then receive the Crown and sit down on the Throne and enter into his Masters joy which is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Object I sometimes think of death but the thoughts of death and judgement are very terrible I fear I am not fit to die how shall it be known Answ There is a habitual fitness for death and an actual fitness for death Every graciously upright man or woman in the world that fears God in truth is habitually fit to dye so prepared for his great change that the sting of death or second death shall not hurt him having past the the strait gate shot the gulf he is out of danger As soon as a man is in a state of grace born again made a new creature and by faith united unto the Lord Jesus Christ God is reconciled his person justified his sins pardoned and recorded in the Court of Heaven though his pardon is not brought down transcrib'd and seal'd in the Court of his own conscience The truly converted soul is Gods special favourite and shall lodge in his bosom and never more be out of his favour 't is true heaven may be out of sight God may frown but will never condemn There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2. 1. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 33. 34. Quest When is the godly man actually prepared for death Answ When his spiritual estate is well setled viz. all made sure between God and his soul particularly 1. When a man is truly conscious to himself that he hath sincerely and with much brokeness of heart repented of all his known sins committed before or after conversion so that there is no fresh or former guilt remaining on him This godly sorrow is the godly mans pleasure he delights to be sowing in tears loves with his soul a wet seed-time for they that sow in tears shall reap a harvest of joy which is a time of refreshing rom the presence of God compare Psal 126. 5 6. and Acts 3. 19. 2. When sin is so great a bur den that he is weary of this body of death and willing the infected house should be pulled down that the Leprosie might be cured that so he might never sin or offend his Father more The serious thoughts and sence of which is a heavy burden and matter of greif that makes him groan and complain We in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened and O how bitterly did St. Paul complain Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He had been in deaths often for the sake of his dear Lord but this death his body of sin troubled him more then any It was so great a burden to holy David that he felt it in his very bones Psal 38. 3. 3. The godly man is fit to dye when the work of grace is perfected and his Generation work ended When the beleiving soul hath his Vessel full of Oyl and the Wedding garments of the glorious Righteousness of Christ about him then he is a Vessel of honour prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. wrought for the self same thing 2 Cor. 4. 5. and made meet or fit for the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. The ship that 's laden or fraugthed is fit to put to Sea and to sail from hence or for it s appointed Port. The labourer is fit to receive his wages when he hath done his work so when the heaven born soul hath faithfully served his Generation and done the work in his Place Calling and Relations for which God sent him and intrusted him though the best fall short being in some degrees unprofitable servants then is he fit to welcome death though to the flesh it s the Kings of terrours When the godly man liveing or dying can apeal to the heart-fearching God as Hezekiah did Isa 38. And say I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17. I have finish'd my course and there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. this makes him fit and willing to depart to be with Christ When sin is pardoned and the pardon sealed i e when the clamorous noise of the guilt of sin in the conscience is calmed and silenced by the blood of sprinkling and his evidences for heaven bright and clear so that his better country is within view and the gate of glory wide open namely abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Lot had a mind to prolong his time in Sodom it was a goodly City and he was not well assured wither to go when he had lest it But when the gracious soul his assured of a better state a better life that 's hid with Christ in God so that he can say as once an eminent godly man dying I shall but change my place I shall not change my company He may then being seal'd to the day of Redemption long for his dissolution 5. When the heart is weaned from and weary of this evil world and so enflam'd with love to Christ that it
cannot live without him or be absent from him Having tasted of the Grapes of Eshcol he must go to Canaan to see the good Land that goodly Mountain A foresight or glimps of the sweetness beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus will cause most vehement longing to be with him Now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation For this we groan earnestly And O how confidently quietly and comfortably may such a soul entertain the thoughts of death that hath sincerely repented of all sin and to whom sin is so greivous a burden that he would dye to be rid of it And whose soul is â—â—l'd and fraughted with grace and assured of glory and his heart sent as a Harbinger to Heaven before him And indeed a serious and hearty consideration of our eternal state would provoke us to press earnestly after all this To close up all let me ask you as in the presence of the great Judg of quick and dead at whose dreadful tribunal you must all shortly stand these following Queries Quer. 1. First Whether a seasonable preparation for death and Judgement viz. how you may escape Hell and come safe to Heaven be not the most urgent and important business that you have in all the world Let your conscience judge and determine Quer. 2. Are not they in a very happy condition that do believe repent and turn to God with their whole heart who by living a life of grace are truly prepared for death and out of the dreadful hazzard of loosing Heaven Rom. 8. 1. Psal 37. 37. Quer. 3. Is it not possible that you being yet on this side the Grave and Hell may prepare for this evil day were you resolv'd upon it would be done you have often intended it promised it when shall it be none but the Devil and your flesh will stop and hinder you Quer. 4. Do you firmly beleive the things here will fail that death will come that sin that accursed thing will sting and that the impenitent sinners case at the hour of death wil be sad and very desperate Let me say to all such there is not a night you lye down upon your beds but you run a very great hazzard If death should call and you not ready you must go though you be ruin'd to eternity Matth. 25. 10 11 12 16 22 23. Quer. 5. Have you so liv'd as to be fit to lye down in a Grave to rise again and stand before God who is a consuming fire Do you know your selves in a state of grace that you are new born that your evidences for heaven are clear and certain is your work done do your Lamps burn and have you a well-grounded assurance that you are in the Number of those to whom death will be a priviledge Phil. 21. Quer. 6. Can you chearfully and without dread entertain the thoughts of a dissolution and of leaving all your earthly and sensual delightes Suppose the dreadful Judge should at this instant send death into this place with the names of five or six of you in his writ or forehead and death should say you and you this man and that woman must go along with me I have received a comand from the great and terrible God who hath the power of death and of hell to bring you young man young woman this day or night before the Judgement seats I have often warned you by sending my Deputies and and that this ten twenty or forty yeares every Coffin every dead Corps or Grave you have seene was so many intimations of my coming Now saith death I am come look here upon my commission see my dart and my sting This dart must kill the body and send thy soul unto eternity I command thee this moment to bid adieu to and take thy leave of Friends Relations Houses Lands pleasures of sin once for all Thou shalt never see or jnjoy them more Luke 12. 19. 20. O how can you think of your dying the worlds burning the trumpers Sounding the deads rising and staunding at the Bar and not fear and tremble You Sons and Daughters of pleasures did you consider what horror and astonishment dogs you as the heels which will inevitable come upon you as travel on a woman with child you would not say unto God depart and treasure up wrath lay up scoorges and scorpions for your distressed souls against the last day Quer. 7. Let me ask you that pass for Saints and hope for Heaven whether your consciences in secret do not tell you that you have made poor preparation for it yea it may have done less for Heaven then many that are now in hell You say you must dye and come to judgement but how stands the case as to the other world If you look downward to this world it s well but how is it within with your precious soul Do you beleive that Atheists Unbeleivers Drunkards Swearers Murderers Thieves Persecutors Lyars Sabbath-breakers Adulterers worldlings are going swiftly to hell Do you beleive that Christs flock is little and not fear your selves Do you think that Esau Judas Ahab Agrippa Herod Simon Magus the foolish Virgins are in hell and yet confident of your going to heaven These have out done many of you Esau wept and cryed for the blessing Heb. 12. 17. Ahab humbled himself 1 Kings 12 29. Herod did many things and heard John joyfully Mark 16. 20. Agrippa was almost a Christian Acts 6. 28. The Scribe was not far from the kingdom of God Mark 12. 34. The foolish Virgins were not prophane they took care to trim their Lamps and knock at the door Now what sins have you lest what grace have you exercis'd what duties have you performed and how Take heed you be not deceived Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Quer. 8. 4. You having so many warnings time and means to prepare for death judgment and will not who will pity you when you perish God will not Prov. 1. 26 27. Christ will not Luke 19. 27. Angels Saints Ministers will not all will say away with them let them be damn'd And O what a killing and amazing sight will Christs coming in the clouds be to all that either denied his coming or who would not prepare for it His incarnation was terrible Matth. 2. 3. His Crucifixion was more terrible Luk. 23. 44. 45 47. 48 But his being on the tribunal will be most terrible Then shall the tribes of the earth mourn Math. 24. 3. And men cry to the rocks and mountaines to fall on them Rev. 6. 15 16. When they shall see so many thousands and millions of men and women dragged down with all the Devils of hell to that burning lake of fire and brimstone How will they then mourn for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit and with bitterness of soul wish they had never heard of Christ that they had been born among the Heathen or never had a being or enjoy'd a life of pleasure upon the Earth How will the wretched sinner beat his breast pluck off his hair tear his bowels crying out when he sees all hope is gone O that I had now no soul or that this immortal soul were mortal that I might now dye and breath no more or that my sentence might be but to lodge with Devils in this burning lake ten thosand years that so I might not remain in a state of banishment from the face and presence of God to all eternity O then pray that serious thoughts of death may be alwayes upon thine heart and whethere thou goest let them go and where thou lodgest let them lodg that thou mayest speak of it to thy Children and Family when thou sitttest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up O let these great things of death and judgment be bound as a signe upon thine hand and write them upon the posts of thine house and on thy gates that they may be always before thine eyes and for thy good alwayes that thou may'st beware least thou forget the Lord thy God and the everlasting concernments of thine immortal soul and gods anger be kindled against thee and destroy thee suddenly with a mighty destruction Consider now what I have spoken and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. Which is that God wisheth in the Text O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider thrir latter end FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempus spatium temporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est opportunitas Qui quid atotiis retro est mors tenet Sen. in Epist Prov. 22. 6. Luke 13. 24. 1 Cor. 9 24. 25. Eph. 6. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Schola crucis est Schola lucis Luth. Ps 94. 12. Math. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 10. Ezek. 13. 8. Rom. 5. 8. Isa 61. 1. John 6. 16. Tempus acceptum or tempus acceptabile Bez. in loc Quodoffertur gratia ex gratia Dei est qui sua contuit rebus omnibus momenta ut oblatam occasionum arripiamus The youth that lately was hang'd for murdering his Fellom Servant confess'd that his Sabbath breaking made way for all his other prodigious sins Tempus non potest Deo consecrari nisi quo modo redemptum Calvin in loc * Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus Nonexignum temporis habemus sed multum perdimus Sen. Enigua pars est vitae quem nos vivimus