Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment

2. In going away they shall remember the capacity which they had once of obtaining this happiness; if they had been brutes indeed, and had capacity ⟨p. 122⟩for a sensitive life only; and grace and glory had been removed so far beyond their reach, that it had been impossible for them to attain it; it would not much trouble them to lose it, whatever other miseries they should endure; but they were capable of the beginnings of Heaven in the life of grace, and the completing of their happiness in glory; they will remember that they had souls endued with reason, and hereby advanced to a higher capacity than beasts; that they had minds capable of divine contemplation, and hearts capable of divine affection; that they had wills which might have chosen God for their portion, and Heaven for their heritance; that they had desires, and loves, and hopes, and joys, which if they had wrought-god-ward, and Christ-ward, as they did toward the creature, if they had wrought upward, and heaven-ward, as they did downward and towards the earth, and earthly things, they might have been happy for ever; they will see that others, who had the same natures, as they had, and were guilty at first of as great sins, as they had committed, yet repented and turned, believed and reformed, were changed and saved; and with unexpressible vexation they will think that thus it might have been with them, if they had not been fools, if they had seriously endeavoured to fill up the capacity, which God hath given them.

2. In going away they shall remember the capacity which they had once of obtaining this happiness; if they had been bruits indeed, and had capacity ⟨p. 122⟩for a sensitive life only; and grace and glory had been removed so far beyond their reach, that it had been impossible for them to attain it; it would not much trouble them to lose it, whatever other miseries they should endure; but they were capable of the beginnings of Heaven in the life of grace, and the compleating of their happiness in glory; they will remember that they had souls endued with reason, and hereby advanced to a higher capacity than beasts; that they had minds capable of divine contemplation, and hearts capable of divine affection; that they had wils which might have chosen God for their portion, and Heaven for their heritance; that they had desires, and loves, and hopes, and joyes, which if they had wrought-god-ward, and Christ-ward, as they did toward the creature, if they had wrought upward, and heaven-ward, as they did downward and towards the earth, and earthly things, they might have been happy for ever; they will see that others, who had the same natures, as they had, and were guilty at first of as great sins, as they had committed, yet repented and turned, believed and reformed, were changed and saved; and with unexpressible vexation they will think that thus it might have been with them, if they had not been fools, if they had seriously endevoured to fill up the capacity, which God hath given them.