of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10. 4. I heard of one who being a prisoner in a dark dungeon when the light was brought to him for a little time to eat his diet would pull out his Bible and read a Chapter saying he could find his mouth in the dark but no read in the dark An Argument that he made conscience of redeeming his time Sirs to be watchful diligent laborious in the faithful improvement of all your time talents gifts graces is the thing here intended The precept is for labour Luke 13. 24. 2. Pet. 1. 10. And the diligent in duty hath the promise of the Glory Heb. 11. 9. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2. 7. 2. What time must be redeemed Answ All time Time is so precious that not any of it must be lost The whole time of our life must be imployed either about our souls in the service of God or in the works of our callings or in order thereunto Particularly 1. The time of youth 2. The time of health and strength 3. The time of affliction 4. The time of Gospel 5. The time of the Sabbath or the Lords day in special must be redeemed 1. First The time of youth must be redeemed The great God stands much upon priority to have the first and best The first ripe fruits the first that openeth the womb O then offer the Isaac of thy youth the spring and flower of thy age to God and stay not until the evil day Begin first with him from whom thou hast thy being go about the grand affair and work of thy dear and never dying soul before thou dost ingulf thy self in the cares of this world Resolve to present the first ripe fruits to that good and gracious God who desireth the first ripe fruits In the bright morning of thy life match thy soul to the King of glory and become his Bride before thou art defloured and defiled by sin and the World If the Celestial seeds of grace be sown in the morning the pleasant and sweet flowers springing out of these seeds will invite the Lord Jesus to come and walk in his Garden Cant. 5. 1. If thou would be the Temple of the Holy Ghost let him that made the house be the first and chief Inhabitant and suffer not thy heart to be a habitation for Dragons and Devils which will be thine undoing to all eternity You young-men and young-women know that the infinitely gracious God holds out the Golden Scepter and inviteth you to come unto him The ruddy David the Child Samuel the young Timothy God calls 1 Samuel 1. 11 12. 1 Sam. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 4. 12. and the sooner you come the better it will be Say then this instant behold we come thine we are thine we will be come now and take thine own God will accept you and take it kindly his arms and bosom are open to you Jer. 2. 2 3. I remember the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when the first fruits was Holiness to the Lord. If you would have the respect and kindness of a God offer unto him the finstlings of the flock Gen. 4. 4. viz. thy youthful days If a company of aged feeble persons or cripples were tendered to the King for service he would not accept them 1 Sam. 14. 52. Mal. 1. 8 13 14. David from his youth and Josiah while he was young began to seek the Lord Psal 71. 17. 2 Chron. 34. 3. Young men if you receive the seed of Grace in the morning of your age it will take the deeper root and impression upon your hearts and cause you to bring forth fruit in old age Cloth will keep color best that 's dyed in the Wool and the Vessel will scent longest of that liquor with which it is first seasoned O then Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth Eccl. 12. 2. 2. The time of health and strength is to be improved You that are now strong and lively must not expect to be so always You as well as others must count upon diseases sickness weakness which will confine you to your Houses Chambers and Bed Now then while your strength and health of body and natural vigour is continued be mindful of your work and time The great duties and difficulties in Heavens way are set forth by striving Wrestling fighting running which requires the best of our time and most of our strength Can a sick and weak man run so as to obtain or so strive and conflict as to overcome judge ye King Saul chose the strong and valiant for his service 'T is the strong must run the race Psal 19. 4. and the young must overcome the evil one 1 John 2. 14. If a man had a business of great concernment or a matter of life and death that requireth time strength and diligence for the doing of it and should omit it until he were stricken in years or until sickness and weakness invade him every one would be ready to charge him with folly If a Carrier amongst many stout strong Horses hand one poor lame sick Horse and should lay the burden of the greatest weight and worth upon that poor weak jade we should conclude that either he was cruel or that he wanted the understanding of a man This is our case the great affair of Immortal souls requireth time strength diligence and all little enough And shall we charge the whole stress of our everlasting state upon a few days sickness and weakness before our death God forbid Eccles 12. 3 4. 3. The time of affliction must be redeemed Christians in the day of adversity we must consider Eccles 7. 14. it was the time of Jacob's trouble when the Apostle exhorted believers to redeem the time God speaks by his rod as well as by his Word to both which we must have an ear God sometimes teacheth his as Gideon the men of Succoth Judg. 8. 16. with Thorns and Bryars of the wilderness Let the affliction be of what kind or degree soever either upon our Persons Names Estates Families Church or Kingdom yea and of long continuance we are to look upon it as from God and for our good For every affliction speaks to us in the Language of Ehud to Eglon I have a message unto thee from God And God will reckon with us for the rods he lays upon us I shall speak more to this in another place 4. The time of the Gospel must be redeemed Gospel time is our spiritual harvest and it is notorious folly to sleep or loiter in Harvest The time of the Gospel is a time indeed viz. a time of light a time of love a time of life a time of liberty Now the trumpet of Jubilee soundeth and all debts and morgages may be taken up and released Here 's liberty for the poor Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound
you will be eternally undone Whilst it is called to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Do not spend so freely of this swift and precious stream of Time every drop of which hath an influence upon Eternity Knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep The night is far spent the day is at hand cast off therefore the work of darkness and put on the Armour of light Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 12 13 14. 6. If Time and every part and moment of it must be improved this serves to confute those that reproach serious diligence in Duty as a needless thing If the business of our immortal soul did not require great care and diligence why doth Paul here enjoyn us to walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Christians 't is your wisdom to know your work and the time to do it There 's no trifling about eternity now is the day for the things of your peace let it not be hid from your eyes It will be very sad when you are passing into the other World to see that you have all your life time been sowing the wind Use 2. Examination Try whether you are redeemers of time or not Reflect upon what I have said and thy Conscience will tell thee thou hast spent more of thy time in sin and vanity How fruitful are thy duties Are thy hours for God Do Time and Duty go hand in hand Maist thou not cry out many a time Diem perdidi daily I lose a day Examine your selves don't silence stop the mouth of Conscience if so it will cry aloud another day Let me ask you these few questions 1. Have you seriously bewail'd the loss of time and begg'd the pardon of it 2. Have your souls sincerely closed with Jesus Christ and freely and fully given up and resigned your selves to him to be his for ever 3. Do the great concerns of Gods glory and your salvation bear down all before them Canst thou say though I follow my Calling and take care for my Family yet I am most solicious about my everlasting condition whether they be pleasures or profits I can say Pleasures of sin be gone world stand by There is a God to serve and honour I have a soul must be sanctified and saved I have a short time to redeem I have a debt to pay an account to give a Sentence to receive an Eternity to live This is not to be slighted I must and will save my soul Hell iI most intollerable and eternal 4. Will you now promise and stand to it that for the future you will trade more for eternity and get better evidences for Heaven Go about the work of Faith and repentance speedily lest death should call and you not ready Use 3. Of Lamentation That Professors should bo so far from redeeming of time or of doubling their diligence that they neglect their duty I may cry out with the Prophet call for the mourning women for who is not guilty in this kind Amos 5. 16. Sirs for this should our souls mourn in secret places the serious consideration of which is enough to fetch blood from our hearts and flood of tears from our eyes How little care is taken in spending that well which when it is gone we have no hope it can be restored to us again Do not you complain of the want of time seeing you waste time There are many poor frivolous excuses the Servant will say that he hath a hard cruel Master the wife complains of her wicked Husband the Child of his Ungodly Father another of the poverty of his Family he can spare no time Whoever pretends the want of time let me tell thee Thou hast a carnal dead sinful slothful heart the cause of all Hast thou not time for every other thing namely a time for eating drinking sleeping potting piping playing and none for Heaven Can you rise early go to bed late and eat the bread of carefulness to get the meat that perisheth and find no time for God and your Souls will this excuse thee another day thou careless ignorant deluded soul Your Corn Cattel your Sheep your Swine your Hawks your Horses and Dogs are cared for but for the better part there 's no care at all Wilt thou tell the great and terrible Judge at the last day I would have been saved but I had no time There are many that eat their bread by the sweat of their brows that take time for their souls who will be brought in as witnesses against you at the last day Will you squander away your time and the days evil and opportunities for your souls hardly come at O consider it 's high time to awake out of sleep Exhortation to redeem Time Use 4. You have heard what it is to redeem time and how time must be redeemed Now let all resolve without delay to put this so necessary a Duty into practise Let young ones resolve upon it and the middle-aged with the hoary-heads Tender unto thy God the cream and flower of thy age and time and think it not too soon In things of far less moment you are for hast and speed If you were starving for want of bread you would think every hour long till you had a supply If your bodies were tortured and tormented with pain and sickness would you think that ease and health might come too soon If a man were in the Sea near sinking can a Boat come to soon Or can a condemned Malefactor receive his pardon too soon hast thou lived without God and Satan's Slave and in danger of dropping into Hell fifteen or twenty years and canst thou get into Christ to secure thy immortal soul too soon Hast thou not been the Devils too long already Suppose thou hadst dyed in thy Christless state where had thy soul been Is is not better to be the Lord's servant then Satan's Slave Ask the Godly man that hath made tryal and he will tell thee The sooner thou art in a state of Grace the fitter thou wilt be for glory Make speed in thy work do thy spiritual business thy wages is sure and thou shalt be blessed Consider there was never any one repented living or dying that they were the Lords and converted betimes And for you that have past the time of youth in the satisfying youthful lusts and liv'd it may be thirty forty or fifty years in a course of sin and vanity is it not more then time for you to bethink your selves In so many years you have made sad work who can tell how often you have offended that have been profane Swearers Drunkards Lyars Sabbath-breakers so long if you were certain of living so many years to come yet the Devil the
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
dying men and passing to receive the recompence of endless Joy or Wo. Christians if you would work while it is day If you would glorifie God on Earth If you would secure and eternally save your immortal souls If you would not be a prey to the Prince of Darkness If you would stand with comfort before the Lord Jesus at his dreadful Bar If you would not spend your days without hope Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you Deut. 32. 29. O that they were Wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end IT is always seasonable to insist on such subjects as direct us to speak of another world especially in time of great Sickness and Mortality in which thousands of souls night and day have been crowding into Eternity witness the late dreadful Plague in sixty five I therefore made choice of this serious and heart-wakening subject that drowsie secure souls might be awakened to a deep consideration of the world to come The whole Chapter is stiled the Song of Moses his Swan-like Song or Song before his death the dying words of that eminent faithful servant of God and if the words of a dying man are to be regarded how much the words of a dying Moses This Moses being ready to go into the other world composeth this song of which the Text is apart and dying words are weighty and make the deepest impression This song is partly Narratory Minatory Promissory In the Narrative you have 1. A Narration of the infinite greatness and most glorious attributes of the God of Israel introduced with a pathetical and awakening acclamation Give ear O ye Heavens and I will speak and hear O Earth the words of my mouth 2. We have a Narration of their corruption ingratitude and rebellion verse 5. 6. They have corrupted themselves they are a perverse and crooked generation do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Notwithstanding the remarkable favours and rare indulgence of God toward them yet they forsook him provoked him to jealousie with strange Gods and sacrificed to Devils and not unto God Vers 16. 17. Because of which he threatens 1. To hide his face from them then which nothing more bitter to the soul Ver. 20. 2. To inflict variety of sore temporal judgements upon them then which nothing more burthensome to the body I will heap mischief upon them I will spend mine Arrows upon them they shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction the sword without and terrour within shall destroy both the young man and the Virgin with a man of gray hairs for a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to he lowest Hell And Vers 27. God gives the reason why he would not utterly destroy them and make a full end of them Were it not that I feared the wrath of the envying c. And now the words of the Text seem to be the Application of the whole O that they would consider their latter end You may look upon these words as it were a Mount cast up by which the people of Israel might take a view of things to come and have a prospect of what should befal them in their latter end O that they were wise to be wise is opposit to that brutishness ver 28. They were a Nation â—oid of counsel for they wanted the right exercise of reason and that wisdom which is from above to observe and improve the gracious providences and dispensations of God That they would consider Consideration is a fixed act of the understanding or mind in order to practice for doing and considering are frequently joyned together Judg. 18. 14. Now therefore consider what ye have to do Heb. 10. 27. Let us consider one an other to provoke unto love and good works The same thing is variously expressed in Scripture viz. to look narrowly upon a thing to call to mind to know and consider in ones heart to call things to remembrance to commune with a mans heart Psal 77. 5 6. Their latter end By which we are not only to understand those tremendous and desolating judgements that should surprize them in this world but to remember the great things of the other as also old age death the grave erernity death with its antecedents concomitants and consequences The words contain a pathetical Option or wish O that they were wise In which observe 1. The person wishing viz. the most great and gracious God 2. The thing desired and that is Divine Wisdom a Jawel indeed a price far above Rubies 3. The person for whom God thus desireth viz. for Israel a people nigh unto the Lord and yet a bruitish inconsiderate and unwise people O that they were wise c. 4. What this wisdom is or wherein it doth consist viz. in the consideration of their latter end The Doctrines observable from the words are these Doct. 1. That God doth earnestly desire and long for the good of a people Doct. 2. That an inconsiderate people are a foolish and unwise people Doct. 3. That want of serious consideration is incident not only to the prophane but to men professing God and Godliness The Israelites were the onely Church of God then in the World and yet they were not wise to understand and consider their latter end I shall not handle these apart but speak to the chief scope and intent of the words in this one proposition Doct. That it is a duty and matter of high concernment to consider our latter end O that they were wise that they would consider viz. practically consider and live always in the belief of the other world so as to do up all their work while it is day This seems to be the great import of the spirit of God in this Text. Eternal souls whatever escapeth your thoughts this must not this should be your vade mecum It should rise up with you lye down with you walk with you where-ever you go are This Moses himself that precious and renowned servant of God desir'd seeing such a dreadful mortality in the Wilderness and so many sad spectacles of Divnie wrath Psal 90. 10. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom And as Moses desir'd it so also holy David Psal 39. 4. Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am And Solomon sets a better upon it Eccles 7. 2. It is better to go to the House of mourning then to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart And it is an Argument that men are dead when at a House of mourning they are not moved with compassion to a due and deep consideration of their doleful and dying condition I shall come now to show you what we are to consider concerning our latter end and O that it may
look to your near and dear Relations for whom you expose your selves to so much pain care and trouble Look to Abraham your Father and to Sarah that bare you as the Prophet speaketh in another case to your Husbands Wives Children Parents Friends Neighbours Magistrates Ministers are these for ever No Many of them are gone down to the dark Valley already and shall return no more or look to those brave Heroes Alexander Caeser Pompey and where are they are they not all conquered by the King of terrors and held in the Prison of the Grave for many hundred years Look to your Silver Gold Pearl Perfumes costly Cabinets stately Structures Princes Pallaces are these for ever No They are corruptible things and cannot deliver in the day of the Lords wrath Kings Palaces are desolate places ready to become a heap Crowns are translated from head to head Scepters pass from one hand to another and Kingdoms have their rise and they have their ruine And will you sell your precious souls for pelf and transitory trash which indeed is more in expectation then in fruition consider how little that is worth for which you run the dreadful hazard of losing Heaven But now if you are Believers lift up your eyes to the everlasting Hills and put the Eagles eye of Faith within the Vail there 's the Ancient of Days God your Father the chiefest good and highest happiness there is Christ your dear Redeemer the Prince of Glory and a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens and upon the favour of God the love and Righteousness of Christ you may see Eternity Again turn your eyes inward to the hidden man of the heart is there the seed of God or impress of his Image and the Divine Nature 1 John 3. 9. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Is there an active living springing principle of Grace John 4. 14. On this thou maist read Eternity Grace is the Heir of glory every drop of which runs into the Ocean and nothing else can befriend you For the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. 5. Consider which of the two Eternities you are going towards I would have you deeply and seriously consider That there is one place for the Sheep and another for the Goats one place for the Righteous and another for the Ungodly one place for Believer and another for Unbelievers one place for the Dead and another for the Living An eternal Night or eternal Day eternal Pains or eternal Pleasures eternal Bliss or eternal Burning an eternal Life or eternal Death an eternal Heaven or an eternal Hell Now Sinners stop here and consider unto which of the two do you belong Have you any certainty of a blessed and glorious Eternity that Heaven not Hell will be your place and portion for resolving of which consider and answer to these Queries Have you unfeignedly believed repented and turned to God with the renting of your hearts and resigned your whole souls to him do you find your hearts affectionately and venemently carried out to Jesus Christ so as not to be satisfied without Union and Communion with him Is Jesus Christ the Beloved and Darling of your Souls Have you being sensible of what you have done against him and of your unworthiness of him by a deep and heart humiliation laid a Foundation for Heaven and Happiness You must Sow before you can Reap and they that Sow in tears shall Reap in joy Psal 126. 5. Are you Heaven-born or born after the flesh only If by a sound work of conversion you are become new creatures indeed 2 Cor. 5. 17. It is well stand and wonder at amazing mercy if not fear and tremble for if you fail here you are utterly undone for ever Further are you risen with Christ or dead in trespasses and Sins Eph. 2. 1. Are you partakers of the first resurrection or are you in your graves rotting stinking in your sins being past feeling are you truely at odds with Sin and every sin or do you take pleasure in unrighteousness are you for Godliness in the life and power of it and is there no reigning allowed sin in your hearts and ways doth sin and every sin look ugly feel heavy taste bitter and no Idol of the heart to keep Christ out of his Throne no secret sin lived in against Conscience Do you pray and desire to live in the fear and as under the eye of God making conscience of secret sins and of secret duties with a sincere respect to Gods glory and your own good doth the heart-searching God find you in your Closets on your knees morning and evening pouring out your souls before him every one that is Godly will pray Psal 32. 6. Are you crucified to the World or do your souls cleave unto the dust have you a Treasure in Heaven or treasure in the Field onely Have you bought the Pearl or are you content with Pebbles Who are your Associates The Devils Herd or Christs Flock are you companions for Swine and filty Dogs the World of Ungodly or of the Doves and Lambs of Christ whose mark have you the mark of Sheep viz. Holiness humility innocency or the mark of Goats viz. Lust Pride and uncleanness who keeps the Throne the King of Saints or the God of this World do your hearts and lives speak Heaven Heaven Heaven or Hell Hell Hell Hell is not more the place of the devil then the heart of a wicked man Can you look upwards and say Our Father â—hich art in Heaven or must you look down-werd and say Our Father which art in Hell How can you take comfort in any thing of this World that are like to be unspeakably and eternally miserable in the other World Suppose you had as much of the Riches Pomp and glory of the World as any man that ever liv'd upon the face of the Earth If you could say this Crown this Kingdom this Countrey is mine this Gold this Silver or this Shop these Goods this Manner this Farm these Fields these Flocks this Corn these Cattle and these Mines these Pearls these Jewels are mine what would all avail you if your souls are the Devils Now how stands the case of your precious souls are they secured have you made a real preparation for death and judgement or left all undone Are you vessels of honour prepared unto Glory or Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Rom. 9. 22 23. Let conscience speak commune with your hearts Psal 4. 4. Consider your ways Hag. 1. 5. Search and try your selves Lam. 3. prove your own work examine your selves whether you are in the Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whatsoever you sow you shall certainly reap Gal. 6. 7 8. And in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall lye Eccl. 11. 13. If it falleth to the North it lyeth to the North if it falleth towards the South it lyeth towards the South If you live and dye towards
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
and say we must now part farewell for ever We shall never see or enjoy you more we shall never eat drink or converse more buy or sell more all our fleshly and sensual delights are ended our joy our mirth is ceased and all the blessed advantages for our salvation now will terminate Farewel the means of grace and all the golden opportunities for our souls farewell all those faithful Ministers that we have heard farewel all those powerful awakening Sermons that have sounded in our ears farewell all the blessed Sabbaths farewell all the Counsels Examples Reproofs Prayers of our serious and religious friends and Relations we shall never see the face of a Minister more or hear a Sermon more never have the door of grace and life opened to us any more for ever And what remains but a doleful remembrance of those good things that are past and gone and a severe strict account that is yet behind O dreadful change and loss indeed to them that make the world their home that have their heaven on this side heaven and no provision or portion beyond the grave The thoughts of which made a wicked young man very thriving in the world to utter these words If I live I shall be a rich man but this is the plague of it I must die which accordingly came to pass not long after 3 No wonder death is so terrible for after death the judgement Death is a Purservant that summons guilty souls to comend give an account at Gods dreadful bar And what more terrible to the Malesactorthen the sight and presence of an angry Judge While Paul reasoned of judgment Felix trembled and bid him be gone that Doctrine did so gall him that he could not endure it Acts 24. 25. Vse 2. The second use is to exhort perswade and stir you up to put this duty of so great and infinite concernment into practice O Sirs I beseech you to entertain some timely thoughts of your dying hour that death and you may be more familiar The best friend you have in heaven and earth longs to see it done O that therewere such an heart in them Now if you would do any thing in this blessed work viz. to prepare for death and judgement it must be done 1. Suddenly 2. Seriously 3. Effectually 1. It must be done suddenly it s a business of that importance that must not be neglected or delay'd for a moment of time Did you but see that you are upon the confines of eternity and in danger every day of being undone for ever you would quickly come to a resolution To further and encourage you consider 1. Life as dear and precious as it is is very uncertain What a nothing is this life a wind a vapour a dream a breath a bubble How soon may the Thread be cut the Glass run or this bright burning Lamp be dim and out when how or where this short dying life will terminate thou dost not know Whether at home or abroad among they friends or strangers in the field or house at thy table or in thy Bed who can tell 2. Death may come suddenly When the pase horse will set forth whether in the morning or at mid-day or midnight no man can tell thee There is a fatal hour which none can pass Luk. 12. 20. Psal 73. 18. 19. Psal 64. 7. 1 Thes 5. 3. 3. When death comes it strikes sure This King of terrors on the pale horse always rides the circuit and doth execution where-ever he cometh no shield or buckler or armour of proof can defend us no not an army of guard of men or Angels If dreadful death finds a King on his Throne or a beggar on the dunghil it 's all a case The strength of man though a Sampson this great Leviathan Death counts but a straw death doth his work speedily easily witness the last plague I shall adde here 1. Death calls warnings and alarums are very frequent not one of you but have had many a call and knock to mind you of death 2. Deaths commands are peremptory he brings his warrant a long with him Death coms in the name of the terrible Judge takes his Commission out of the court of heaven in order to the accomplishment and execution of an eternal irrevocable decree so that he must doe his work will have his Errand If a man had Mines of Gold and Silver to give it cannot deliver from the arrest of this inexorable Serjeant 3. Deaths Conquest is great I know thou wilt bring me to death and the place appointed for all living What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Thou hast set his bounds that he cannot pass They that have conquer'd Kingdoms and Countries and carried all before them have been subjected by death when death comes and takes a man by the throat though the proudest stoutest strongest in the world he must go willing or unwilling 't is all one to death 'T is observable that of bad men their souls are not resign'd but taken away What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Job 27. 8 20. A tempest stealeth him away in the night This night shall thy soul be required death will not stay a night T is in vain for them that are strong and lively to say to death go to the wrinkled faces to the gray heads to the pile cheeks to the naked backs the dry bons to the dry breasts meddle not with this young man strike not this comely beautiful woman that is in the flower and prime in nature Go to yonder consumptive declining decaying dying old man go to that weak wither'd old woman Let me alone or be excus'd O but death regards it not For this great Conquerour death knocks as often at the young mans door as at the door of the old woman Death arrests and carrieth away the strong the healthy the rich the honourable the learned prisoners to the grave as often as the weak the sickly the poor the base and ignorant 2 You are to do it seriously with thy soul The living will lay it to heart Eccl. 7. 2. The dead cannot there 's no device in the grave Then go about it now in good earnest before old age and death cometh 3. Do it effectually go thorow with the work leave it not undone or but done to halves let every lust be mortified every duty performed every grace exercis'd As good never a whit as never the near Now you have opportunity before you the day of grace is continued Christ is at the door open to him and make all sure for if ever thou be justified pardoned sanctified it must be now The considerations to perswade you are these following Motive 1. Consider there 's an absolute and indispensible necessity for the doing of it a present necessity an infinite and eternal necessity other things may be done this must be done and its more then time this great
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