Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment

5. In going away, some of them shall remember how nearly they missed of this happiness; that they were almost persuaded to be Christians, in deed as well as in name, and to accept of Christ upon his own terms; that they were not far from the Kingdom of Heaven; that they were come even within fight of the Heavenly Canaan, and yet died in the Wilderness; that they were come even to the Gate of the new Jerusalem, but finding it too strait for them, and the luggish of their sins together, there they stuck and could not enter in; that they climbed up a great way of the Hill to Zion, but did not reach the top, and tumbling down, their fall was the greater; they will remember the ⟨p. 127⟩means of grace which they enjoyed; the Ordinances which they sate under; and the treaties which the Lord did make with them by his word and spirit, about their life and salvation; and the carriage of their hearts towards the Lord in those treaties; some of them will remember what convictions the Lord wrought in them of sin, and what tremblings of conscience, for fear of Hell and wrath to come; and if they had followed that preparative work, they might have quickly been acquainted with Christ, and escaped the misery which they feared; but they stifled convictions, and shook off their troubles, they shut their eyes against the light, and stilled the noise of their consciences, and calmed their spirits with the delights and pleasures of the World; and so grew more hardened in sin than before, and gave such repulses to the spirit, that the spirit quite departed from them: Others will remember that they were persuaded to ascend some steps higher, under the Ministry of the Word: when they were reproved for such and such gross sins, which they lived in the practise of, that they could have no ease in their consciences, until they had broken off that wicked course; that they left off their drunkenness and their swearing, their uncleanness, and unrighteous dealing; and were in a great measure reformed in their lives; but there were some lusts in their hearts which they hugged secretly, and delighted in, and could not be persuaded to leave, which were their undoing: pride, revenge, uncharitableness, covetousness, or the like remained in their reigning power, which were inconsistent with the power of godliness:

5. In going away, some of them shall remember how neerly they missed of this happiness; that they were almost perswaded to be Christians, in deed as well as in name, and to accept of Christ upon his own termes; that they were not far from the Kingdome of Heaven; that they were come even within fight of the Heavenly Canaan, and yet died in the Wilderness; that they were come even to the Gate of the new Ierusalem, but finding it too strait for them, and the luggish of their sins together, there they stuck and could not enter in; that they climbed up a great way of the Hill to Zion, but did not reach the top, and tumbling down, their fall was the greater; they will remember the