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…

It is true, I grant it is a piece of Gods dreadful justice that these who have not stood in awe of him in their life, should die Judicially hardened, but such will meet with a most fearful wakening after it. A 3d tentation is to presumption and hypocrisy, which prevails especially with civil and formal professors, that dought never abide to be evened to hell, nor could ever endure to be called natural folk; as such did presume and were hypocritical in their life, so the same tentation sticks to them and prevails over them at death; and they will it may be, speak something of the consolations of God with their mouths when ⟨p. 31⟩they have no feeling of them in their hearts, and of faith in Christ when yet they never knew the real exercise of it, and will need like the foolish virgins go forth with the wise to meet the bridegroom keeping their lamps till their very death; that same principle of Hypocrisy that made them dissemble in their life will make them speak many good words for a name at their death; therefore beware of it, hunt not after a name of religion, and affect not to be accounted and to be called somebody, but seek to be sincere, to be really that which ye seem to be, and when ever a challenge comes for this, rather entertain it and make some good use of it then shake it off, for though ye could pass away undiscovered by man, God will find you out and discover you; and often not a few of such persons make such discovery of themselves, that a discerning eye will see them in their own colours; always I say take notice of it as a mighty tentation, when folk take more pains to faird and paint their condition over with fair words and shows, then to be real before God, and be upon your guard against it. A 4th tentation is to conceit of self-righteousness, and which even some holy men at their death have been more troubled with then any other tentation, and it prevails much with formal professors (such as the Pharisees were) who as they lived in conceit of it, so readily it cleaves to them at death, such will be ready to say, I thank God I kept the Church, I was never heard with my neighbours, I dealt truly and Justly with all men, it was Gods goodness to me, I was aye on the right side, I read, prayed, kept the Sabbath &c.

It is true, I grant it is a peece of Gods dreadfull justice that these who have not stood in aw of him in their life, should die Judicially hardened, but such will meet with a most fearfull wakening after it. A 3d tentation is to presumption and hypocrisie, which prevaills especially with civil and formall professours, that dought never abyd to be evened to hell, nor could ever indure to be called naturall folke; as such did presume and wer hypocriticall in their life, so the same tentation sticks to them and prevaills over them at death; and they will it may be, speak something of the consolations of God with their mouths when