Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

4. The Devil is most like to be busy with them at such a time. He is a never failing enemy to Mens Souls, and shows his enmity to their very death; and as he makes it his business to keep them from repentance, so if he cannot do that, he labours to bereave them of the comfort of it, by making them question the truth of it. As where it is false he is ready to flatter them, and persuade them it is true that he may draw them into presumption; so where it is sincere he labours to terrify them, by persuading them it is hypocritical, that he may run them into despair. Thus he doth with Men while they live, and why may he not do the same when they die? He is like at that time either for ever to have them, or for ever to lose them: his temptations then are his last efforts, and therefore most vigorous; and such they may be, as though, the grace of God preventing, they may not hinder the true repentance of a dying sinner, yet, the wisdom of God permitting, they may cloud and obscure it and render it questionable, and thereby bereave him of the comfort of it.

4. The Devil is most like to be busie with them at such a time. He is a never failing enemy to Mens Souls, and shews his enmity to their very death; and as he makes it his business to keep them from repentance, so if he cannot do that, he labours to bereave them of the comfort of it, by making them question the truth of it. As where it is false he is ready to flatter them, and perswade them it is true that he may draw them into presumption; so where it is sincere he labours to terrifie them, by perswading them it is hypocritical, that he may run them into despair. Thus he doth with Men while they live, and why may he not do the same when they die? He is like at that time either for ever to have them, or for ever to lose them: his temptations then are his last efforts, and therefore most vigorous; and such they may be, as though, the grace of God preventing, they may not hinder the true repentance of a dying sinner, yet, the wisdom of God permitting, they may cloud and obscure it and render it questionable, and thereby bereave him of the comfort of it.

II. They may be ready to question Gods acceptance of their repentance, and indeed that must needs be, if they question the sincerity of it, when God never accepts any but what is sincere. But besides, they may be ready to fear they have outstood their time, that the day of grace, which is the only time of Gods accepting them, is at an end: Or, that God will not accept of them as his Servants, when they cannot live to do him any service; or not accept of their returning to him now, who have forsaken him so long; not accept of their sorrow for formerly dishonouring him, when they are past time for glorifying him; and in a word, not look upon them as his Children at the last hour, who have been the Devils Children all their days. Now if this be their case, how uncomfortable is a death-bed repentance, admit it be sound, when Men know not that it is sound, but are wholly in the dark as to the sincerity and acceptance of it, and so set in a cloud and fear a storm? They may have even just so much hope as may keep them from despair, not what may cause any rejoicing in them; a secret and almost insensible support, but no enlargement. They do but (as was said of the penitent Thief in the Text) steal into Heaven, and are so saved as that no body in this World knows it, nor they themselves till they find it. And God may purposely conceal it to prevent the folly and presumption of others. If Gods Children after many years spent in serious and diligent serving him, yet (for reasons best known to the Divine Wisdom) have sometimes died in the dark; they then that spend their days in sin, and think to repent at last, should remember that the best they can reasonably