A sermon preached at the funeral of reverend Mr. Will. Whitaker, late minister of…

I grant all that you say, my conscience is now awake; I have other thoughts of sin and Christ, of Heaven and Hell, than ever I had while upon earth; might I have a little respite; I would spend every moment of it about the working out of my salvation: Oh that God would trust me once more, I confess I have broke all the promises I have made, but I have now other kind of experiences than ever I had before; and therefore by all the arguments that your self have used to me, with the utmost importunity that ever poor creature begged any thing, I beg that you would now befriend me; beg me but one hours respite, but one hour to plead for my poor soul unto eternity. To all this and a thousand times more that extreme anguish will force from you, you can expect but such a kind of answer.

I grant all that you say, my conscience is now awake; I have other thoughts of sin and Christ, of Heaven and Hell, than ever I had while upon earth; might I have a little respite; I would spend every moment of it about the working out of my salvation: Oh that God would trust me once more, I confess I have broke all the promises I have made, but I have now other kind of experiences than ever I had before; and therefore by all the arguments that your self have used to me, with the utmost importunity that ever poor creature begged any thing, I beg that you would now befriend me; beg me but one hours respite, but one hour to plead for my poor soul unto eternity. To all this and a thousand times more that extream anguish will force from you, you can expect but such a kind of answer.

I grant your case is dreadful, and I cannot blame you to be earnest to alter it, but it is now too late; the time of life is the only time of grace and mercy: the experience your soul hath had during its separation from the body attests this: I know misery cannot but cry out, though to no purpose, and 'tis inhumanity on earth to insult over those that are miserable, but I must tell you, those that are most compassionate cannot now pity you. Those that with tears and importunities begged mercy for you as for themselves, now praise God for his most terrible ⟨p. 23⟩vengeance; and God himself will laugh at your destruction; your day is past, the gulf is sixth, (