Deaths knell

How can a man, disanimated with inward Garboils of unsettled conscience, maimed in all his faculties, and surrounded with such strange encumbrances, be fit to dispose of his choicest Jewell, his soul, in so short a spurt? They that will loiter in Seed-time; and begin to sow, when others reap: They that will have their Weapons to provide, when their fellow-Soldiers go forth to fight: They that will lavish in health, and cast their accounts when they cannot speak: They that will sleep out the day, and stumblingly travel in the night; O let them thank their own folly, if they dye in debt, and finally fall headlong into the pit of perdition. Let the grief of the sore be then the measure of thy sorrow: let a wide wound have a careful cure: let thy contrition be agreeable to thy crime, and thy repentance equal to thy transgressions. Thou must spend the day in mourning, the night in watching and weeping, and thy whole time in praying, and practice of repentance. Not every short sigh will be a sufficient satisfaction; nor every little knock, a warrant to get in: for ⟨image 8⟩many cry, Lord, Lord, yet are not admitted. The foolish virgins knocked, yet stood without. Judas conceived a sorrow for sin, yet dyed desperately. Linger not thy conversion, nor put off thy repentance from day to day, lest the Almighty come upon thee in a minute, and in his wrath suddenly destroy thee; neither sojourn thou long in sinful security, nor shift off thy repentance till fear enforce thee to it: for then it will be bootless for thee to strive to stand, when thou art already fallen. Frame out thy beginning as thou meanest to end, and endeavour to live as thou desirest to dye. Wilt thou sacrifice the Fatlings to the Fiend of darkness, and offer the carrion Karkeises to the Father of Light? Wilt thou present the main Crop to the Devil, and leave God the Gleanings? Wilt thou cram the Devil with thy fairest fruits, and turn God to feed upon thy wind-falls and after-gatherings? If Hell was prepared for the Devil, and Heaven purchased for man, why should not he then provide for himself, but wilfully lose his inheritance by persisting in sin? While we draw healthful breath, hope strongly persuades us, that by tears ever-flowing from the Sea of a sorrowful soul, we may wash away our sins pollution, how foul soever;

How can a man, disanimated with inward Garboyles of vnsettled conscience, maimed in all his faculties, and surrounded with such strange incombrances, be fit to dispose of his choysest Iewell, his soule, in so short a spurt? They that will loyter in Séed-time; and beginne to sow, when others reape: They that will haue their Weapons to prouide, when their fellow-Souldiers goe foorth to fight: They that will lauish in health, and cast their accounts when they cannot speake: They that will sleepe out the day, and stumblingly trauell in the night; O let them thanke their owne folly, if they dye in debt, and finally fall headlong into the pit of perdition. Let the griefe of the sore be then the measure of thy sorrow: let a wide wound haue a carefull cure: let thy contrition be agreeable to thy crime, and thy repentance equall to thy transgressions. Thou must spend the day in mourning, the night in watching and wéeping, and thy whole time in praying, and practice of repentance. Not euery short sigh will be a sufficient satisfaction; nor euery little knocke, a warrant to get in: for