Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

1. External hinderances, such as are pangs and pains in thy body, which must be undergone: and thou shalt find it will be as much, as thou well canst do, to support thy self under them. Every noise will then offend thee; yea thou will not be able to endure the speech of thy best friends. When Moses came to the Children of Israel, and told them God had sent him to deliver them, what acceptation found this comfortable message? The Text saith, Exod. 9.6. They hearkened not through anguish of their spirits. See here the effects of Anguish and Grief: Moses spake comfortably, but by reason of their pains, they hearkened not unto him; they were indisposed to give attendance.¹ So shall it be with us on our death-beds, through the Anguish of our Spirits, we shall be unfit to meddle with ought else; especially, when the the Pains of Death are upon us, the Dread whereof is terrible: How will it make us tremble, when death shall come with that Errand, to divide our Souls from our Bodies, and put them into possession of Hell, unless we repent the sooner. Now thou art in thy best strength, consider what a Terror it will be, what a sad Message it will bring, when it comes not to cut off an Arm, or Leg, but Soul from Body. Now then make thy Peace with God: but that these men are Fools, they would through fear of death be all their life-time in bondage. It's the Apostles expression, Heb. 2.15. The consideration hereof should never let us be at rest, till we had made our Peace with God; it should make us break our Recreations and Sports. The considerations of what will become of us, should put us in an Ecstasy. Nor are these all our Troubles; for besides these, outward Troubles will then even overwhelm us, when a man is to dispose of his Wife and Children, House and Lands, he must needs be very unfit at this time, for the Work of Repentance. These things will cast so great a damp on his heart, as that he shall be even cold in his seeking after Peace with God.

1. External hinderances, such as are pangs and pains in thy body, which must be undergone: and thou shalt find it will be as much, as thou well canst do, to support thy self under them. Every noise will then offend thee; yea thou will not be able to endure the speech of thy best friends. When Moses came to the Children of Israel, and told them God had sent him to deliver them, what acceptation found this comfortable message? The Text saith,