The blessedness of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…The blessednesse of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…

Sixthly, Consider what possible advantage there is or can be in delaying this so necessary a work, and what certain prejudice there is in it, 1. There is no advantage, for the longer ye continue to delay ye are still the further behind, and the further out of the way, and the greater will be the difficulty to get yourselves recovered, there will still be more guilt contracted, and moe challenges to deal with, and the greater labour to get your Spirits put into a good frame which ye have so much and so long distempered; yea, it will be a piece of a begun hell to you, when ye consider how ye have brought yourselves to such a woeful necessity of hastering, mangling, and spoiling all that ⟨p. 70⟩work and business that ye should have gone about so deliberately, orderly, timeously, and carefully in the time of your health; so that all your advantage will be but more sin, and that will bring on a greater heap of desperate sorrow and wrath. Secondly, ye will not only have no advantage but ye will have much prejudice by it, for beside what hath been said, ye cannot comfortably answer deaths call and summons to appear before the tribunal of the great Judge; How many of you if ye were to die just now and never to go out of this Church alive, how many are there, I say, of you that could not have peace and comfort at your death? If the walls of this house were shaking, would not horror take hold on you, as pangs of a woman in travel? It may be some that are believers in Christ would be somewhat disquieted and a little surprised, yet they would soon through grace recollect themselves and be composed, but could the most part of you lay down your life with peace, calmness, and comfort if death should thus come upon you now or before to morrow? and you are not sure but it may, for you know not what may befall you ere ye go home, nor when ye lye down if ever ye shall rise again; And is it possible that ye can have peace or comfort on solid grounds when death comes, if ye be not found having your peace made with God through Jesus Christ, and walking in the way of holiness? It will be put poor and cold comfort then, to think that you have made such an advantageous bargain in the world, that you have such a land-estate or so much money, such a commodious dwelling house, so fine orchards or gardens, or such a well furnished shop &c.

Sixtlie, Consider what possible advantage there is or can be in delaying this so necessarie a work, and what certaine prejudice there is in it, 1. There is no advantage, for the longer ye continue to delay ye are still the further behind, and the further out of the way, and the greater will be the difficultie to gett yourselves recovered, there will still be more guilt contracted, and moe challenges to deal with, and the greater labour to gett your Spirits put into a good frame which ye have so much and so long distempered; yea, it will be a peice of a begun hell to you, when ye consider how ye have brought yourselves to such a woeful necessitie of hastering, mangleing, and spoyling all that