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…

As for the second sort that have had more tenderness, but are backslidden and fallen negligent and out of frame, they are to take the same way; when death putts them in a flaught, as it were, and conscience with challenges stairs them in the face, they would renew their repentance and faith in Christ, and the fruits of holiness, the more speedily and eagerly, they would be the more humbled, flee the more hastily to their city of refuge, come with a more stopped mouth before God, and acknowledge grace to be the freer, and allow it to have the greater glory.

As for the second sort that have had more tendernesse, but are backslidden and fallen negligent and out of frame, they are to take the same way; when death putts them in a flaught, as it wer, and conscience with challenges stairs them in the face, they would renew their repentance and faith in Christ, and the fruits of holinesse, the more speedily and eaggerly, they would be the more humbled, flee the more hastily to their citie of refuge, come with a more stopt mouth before God, and acknowledge grace to be the freer, and allow it to have the greater glorie.

As for the third sort, who have kept up more tenderness, and who would fain have their interest and peace clear, and to this day could never attain to it, or if once they had it clear its grown somewhat dim and dark, and even in a manner worn away again, they grow heartless when death comes and surprises them; to such I would say. 1. That believers may die without sensible comfort and die well, ⟨p. 78⟩for as sensible comfort is not essentially necessary to folks justification, so neither to their dying in Christ; folks may die sleeping, or in a distemper, or in a spiritual fear, and yet that fear have faith and love in the bosom of it; and that condition which mars not Christians peace once made with God in their life, and is not so sinful, may also be died in; they may be in the dark and yet die well. Secondly, distinguish and put a difference betwixt the sense of the joy of the Spirit, and that comfort and joy which a believer may have from Gods word of promise; believers both living and dying may want the one and have the other; though they have not the flowings of the Spirit in sensible comfort and joy, yet they may have solid peace and consolation, because they have Gods word of promise to rest on, who have fled to him for their life, and their conscience hath an inward testimony, that they have denied their own righteousness and betaken them to his, and in this they have peace; else how could a believer possibly lye down in any measure of true quietness under desertion, even for their trial, it may be, more then for their sin? And if we look to David dying though we will not peremptorily determine, yet it is like he had not much comfort, for in these that are called his last words,