(5.) The numerous Examples of those who have deferred Repentance and Reconciliation with God, and at last died in their sins, should terrify Men, if they are not wrought on in a more excellent way. 1. Some presume upon the vigour of their Youth or Complexion, and think when they have satiated themselves with the pleasures of Sin, when they have the freest vacancy, and are retired from the affairs of the World, there will be a convenient season for making their peace with God. And how often are they suddenly cut off, the first symptom of ⟨p. 129⟩their sickness is Death, and what the Angel with such solemnity declared, that time should be no more, is verified concerning them, by an unexpected dissolution. 2. Some that continue a while in sickness and languishings, do not apply themselves seriously to God, upon the hopes of recovery. And this hope is cherished by the mortal love, the cruel deceit of friends, who are unwilling to let them see their danger, lest their spirits should sink under it. And thus many die in an unprepared state. 3. Others that are guilty, and graceless, tho distant from Death and Hell but a few hours, are secure as Jonah, who slept in the midst of a Tempest at Sea. The tenor of their lives discovers this to be divine Vengeance, they are seized with a spirit of slumber, and pass without fear into the ⟨p. 130⟩state of everlasting desperation. 4. Others who have lived in careless security, as if they had made a Covenant with Death, yet upon the near approaches of it, when they see Death before them attended with Judgment, and Judgment Hell; as we read of Sisera, who from extreme Fear past to extreme Security: so on the contrary, these self-deceivers from extreme Security have fallen into extreme Fear. Then Truth and Conscience, that were so long under unrighteous restraints, break the Fetters, and terribly charge the sinner. Then innumerable Acts which they thought to be innocent, appear to be sins, and Sin that they made light of, to be infinitely evil, and in the highest degree hateful to God. And sometimes by the suggestions of the enemy of Souls, they are overwhelmed ⟨p. 131⟩with despair, and their last Error is worse than the first. 5. Others are deceived with things that are short of true repentance, and mistake a false peace for a true, and assuage the anguish of Conscience by palliating remedies.
(5.) The numerous Examples of those who have deferred Repentance and Reconciliation with God, and at last died in their sins, should terrify Men, if they are not wrought on in a more excellent way. 1. Some presume upon the vigour of their Youth or Complexion, and think when they have satiated themselves with the pleasures of Sin, when they have the freest vacancy, and are retir'd from the affairs of the World, there will be a convenient season for making their peace with God. And how often are they suddenly cut off, the first symptom of ⟨p. 129⟩their sickness is Death, and what the Angel with such solemnity declared, that time should be no more, is verified concerning them, by an unexpected dissolution. 2. Some that continue a while in sickness and languishings, do not apply themselves seriously to God, upon the hopes of recovery. And this hope is cherish'd by the mortal love, the cruel deceit of friends, who are unwilling to let them see their danger, lest their spirits should sink under it. And thus many die in an unprepared state. 3. Others that are guilty, and graceless, tho distant from Death and Hell but a few hours, are secure as Jonah, who slept in the midst of a Tempest at Sea. The tenour of their lives discovers this to be divine Vengeance, they are seiz'd with a spirit of slumber, and pass without fear into the ⟨p. 130⟩state of everlasting desperation. 4. Others who have lived in careless security, as if they had made a Covenant with Death, yet upon the near approaches of it, when they see Death before them attended with Judgment, and Judgment Hell; as we read of Sisera, who from extream Fear past to extream Security: so on the contrary, these self-deceivers from extream Security have fallen into extream Fear. Then Truth and Conscience, that were so long under unrighteous restraints, break the Fetters, and terribly charge the sinner. Then innumerable Acts which they thought to be innocent, appear to be sins, and Sin that they made light of, to be infinitely evil, and in the highest degree hateful to God. And sometimes by the suggestions of the enemy of Souls, they are overwhelm'd ⟨p. 131⟩with despair, and their last Error is worse than the first. 5. Others are deceived with things that are short of true repentance, and mistake a false peace for a true, and asswage the anguish of Conscience by palliating remedies.
