2. But suppose these outward hinderances are removed, that neither Pain of Body, nor Fear of Death seize on thee, neither Care of Wife nor Children, Houses, nor Lands distract thee, but that thou mightst then set about it withal thy might, though thou wert in the most penitent condition, that might be to mans seeming, yet where's the Change or new nature should follow thy Contrition, unless we see this in Truth, we can have but little Comfort. Shall I see a sinner run on in his ill courses, till the day of Death,1 and then set on this work, I could not conclude therefore the safety of his soul, because it's the Change of the Affections, not of the Actions, that God looks after; for the Fear of Death may Extort this Repentance, where the Nature is not Changed. Take an example of a Covetous Man, which dotes on his Wealth more then any thing else in the World; suppose him in a ship with all his riches about him, a tempest comes and puts him in danger of losing all, both Life and Goods, in this strait he sticks not to cast out all his Wealth, so he may preserve his Life; and shall we therefore say he is not covetous? No, we will account him nevertheless Covetous for all this, nor that he loved his Goods the less, but his Life the more. It's so in this case, when an impenitent person is brought upon his Death-bed; he's apt to cry out in the Bitterness of his Soul, If God will but grant me Life, and spare me now, Isle never be a Drunkard, Swearer, or Covetous Person, more. Whence comes this? Not from any change of his Nature, and loathing of what he formerly loved, but because he cannot keep these and Life together: Fear alters his disposition, the Terrors of the Almighty lying upon him. I have my self seen many at such a time as this, that have been so exceeding full of Sorrow, and penitent Expressions, that the standers by have even wished their Souls to have been in the other Souls cases, and yet when God hath restored them, they have fallen into their former Courses again; And why is this? But because when Repentance comes this way, it alters only the outward actions for the Present, not the sinful dispositions, things that are extracted from a man, alter the outward appearance, not the Nature. Therefore saith the Lord, Isle go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: In their affliction they will seek me early, Hos. 5.
2. But suppose these outward hinderances are removed, that neither Pain of Body, nor Fear of Death seize on thee, neither Care of Wife nor Children, Houses, nor Lands distract thee, but that thou mightst then set about it withal thy might, though thou wert in the most penitent condition, that might be to mans seeming, yet where's the Change or new nature should follow thy Contrition, unless we see this in Truth, we can have but little Comfort. Shall I see a sinner run on in his ill courses, till the day of Death,1 and then set on this work, I could not conclude therefore the safety of his soul, because it's the Change of the Affections, not of the Actions, that God looks after; for the Fear of Death may Extort this Repentance, where the Nature is not Changed. Take an example of a Covetous Man, which dotes on his Wealth more then any thing else in the World; suppose him in a ship with all his ri•hes about him, a tempest comes and puts him in danger of losing all, both Life and Goods, in this strait he sticks not to cast out all his Wealth, so he may preserve his Life; and shall we therefore say he is not covetous? No, we will account him nevertheless Covetous for all this, nor that he loved his Goods the less, but his Life the more. It's so in this case, when an impenitent person is brought upon his Death-bed; he's apt to cry out in the Bitterness of his Soul, If God will but grant me Life, and spare me now, Ile never be a Drunkard, Swearer, or Covetous Person, more. Whence comes this? Not from any change of his Nature, and loathing of what he formerly loved, but because he cannot keep these and Life together: Fear alters his disposition, the Terrors of the Almighty lying upon him. I have my self seen many at such a time as this, that have been so exceeding full of Sorrow, and penitent Expressions, that the standers by have even wished their Souls to have been in the other Souls cases, and yet when God hath restored them, they have fallen into their former Courses again; And why is this? But because when Repentance comes this way, it alters only the outward actions for the Present, not the sinful dispositions, things that are extracted from a man, alter the outward appearance, not the Nature. Therefore saith the Lord, Ile go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: In their affliction they will seek me early, Hos. 5.
- 1I will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be sound.I will be hard to prove death-bed repe•tance to be sound.
