They must die, either by a sudden,§I sullen or desperate death, Psal. 89. 48. which though it is to a child of God a sweet sleep, yet to the wicked it is a fearful curse proceeding from Gods wrath, whence like a Lyon he tears body and soul asunder, death cometh hissing upon them like a fiery Dragon with the sting of vengeance in the mouth of it, it puts a period to all their worldly contentments, which then they must forsake, and carry nothing away with them, but a rotten winding sheet. It's the beginning of all their woe, it's the captain that first strikes the stroke, and then armies of endless woes follow after, Revel. 6. 2. Oh thou hadst better be a toad, or a dog then a man, for there's an end of their troubles, when they are dead and gone, they fall now as men from a ⟨p. 72⟩sleep, they know not where they shall go; now Repentance is too late, especially if thou hast lived under means before, it's either a cold Repentance, when the body is weak and the heart sick, or an hypocritical repentance, only for fear of Hell, and therefore thou sayest, Lord Jesus receive my soul. Nay commonly then mens hearts are most hard, and therefore men dye like Lambs, and cry not out; Then it's hard plucking thy soul from the Devils hands, to whom thou hast given it all thy life by sin, and if thou dost get it back, dost thou think that God will take the devils leavings? Now thy day is past, and darkness begins to over-spread thy soul; now flocks of Devils come into thy chamber, waiting for thy soul, to fly upon it as a Mastiff Dog when the door is opened. And this is the reason why most men dye quietly that lived wickedly, because Satan then hath them as his own prey, like Pirates that let a Ship pass by, that is empty of goods, they shout commonly at them ⟨p. 73⟩that are richly loaden. The Christians in some parts of the Primitive Church took the Sacrament every day, because they did look to die every day. But these times where in we live, are so poisoned and glutted with their ease, that it is a rare thing to see the man that looks death steadfastly in the face one hour together, but Death will lay a bitter stroke on these one day.
They must die, either by a suddaine,§I sullen or desperate death, Psal. 89. 48. which though it is to a childe of God a sweet sleepe, yet to the wicked it is a fearefull curse proceeding from Gods wrath, whence like a Lyon he teares body and soule asunder, death commeth hissing upon them like a fiery Dragon with the sting of vengeance in the mouth of it, it puts a period to all their worldly contentments, which then they must forsake, and carry nothing away with them, but a rotten winding sheet. It's the beginning of all their woe, it's the captaine that first strikes the stroke, and then armies of endlesse woes follow after, Revel. 6. 2. Oh thou hadst better be a toade, or a dogge then a man, for ther's an end of their troubles, when they are dead and gone, they fall now as men from a ⟨p. 72⟩sleepe, they know not where they shall goe; now Repentance is too late, especially if thou hast lived under meanes before, it's either a cold Repentance, when the body is weake and the heart sicke, or an hypocriticall repentance, onely for feare of Hell, and therefore thou sayest, Lord Jesus receive my soule. Nay commonly then mens hearts are most hard, and therefore men dye like Lambes, and cry not out; Then it's hard plucking thy soule from the Devils hands, to whom thou hast given it all thy life by sinne, and if thou dost get it back, dost thou thinke that God will take the devils leavings? Now thy day is past, and darknesse begins to over-spread thy soule; now flocks of Devils come into thy chamber, waiting for thy soul, to flye upon it as a Mastive Dog when the doore is opened. And this is the reason why most men dye quietly that lived wickedly, because Satan then hath them as his own prey, like Pirats that let a Ship passe by, that is empty of goods, they shout cōmonly at them ⟨p. 73⟩that are richly loaden. The Christians in some parts of the Primitive Church tooke the Sacrament every day, because they did looke to die every day. But these times where in we live, are so poysoned and glutted with their ease, that it is a rare thing to see the man that lookes death stedfastly in the face one houre together, but Death will lay a bitter stroake on these one day.
