CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹And first, All those who daily and constantly are doing the clean contrary work to what God requireth; such whose conversation is a perpetual reproach and dishonour to God, these do not at all glorify God: These have cause to tremble and quake when death approaches, and their accounts must be made; and is not this the condition of most? Look generally upon mens lives, are they not doing the devils works? are they not dishonouring God all the day long by their ungodly conversation? If there be any that are tender and conscientious, are they not like gleanings after a Vintage? here a man, and there a woman; otherwise for most men, you would think they thought hell and the day of judgement to be but fables, and such a truth as this to be a mere bugbear: But God will not be mocked, neither can mans greatness or atheism, or profane scoffings put off these things. Oh then be at last persuaded that that life thou livest will be little comfort to thee one day: Oh how speechless and confounded wilt thou be, when God shall enquire into all thy words, into all thy actions, and there is nothing but sin appeareth, when every thing will be turned into blood, as the Egyptian punishment was, into the blood of thy soul: When God looked over all his works he had done, he saw them exceeding good, and so blessed the seventh day; but thou wilt look over all thou hast done, and find it exceeding evil, and curse both the day of thy birth and the day of thy death. Oh that men would be wise, that they would consider their later end: What wilt thou do, when God, when thy conscience, when the law, when devils will accuse thee? Where wilt thou hide thy self? Remember Jacob, Gen. 32.13. when his brother Esau was to meet him, who was enraged and provoked against him, how careful he was by Presents and humble deprecations to mitigate his anger. Remember the unjust Steward, Luke 16.8. who knowing he must be called to account, taketh all the subtle ways he can to make himself friends, when he shall be cast out of his office: our Saviour speaks that parable to this purpose, That when God shall say to every one of us, Thou shalt be no long or steward, in this relation, in that condition I will have an account of all, that then we manage all things so, that we may be able to have some comfortable refuge.

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