The second branch of the point follows. This evil day is unavoidable. We may as well stop the chariot of the Sun, when posting to night, and chase away the shades of the evening, as escape this hour of darkness that is coming upon us all. None hath power over the Spirit to retain it, neither hath he power in the day of death, and there is no discharge in that war, Eccl. 8.8. Among men 'tis possible to get off when pressed for the wars, by pleading privilege of years, estate, weakness of body, protection from the Prince, and the like, or if all these fail, possibly the sending another in our room, or a bribe given in the hand may serve the turn. But in this war the press is so strict, that there is no dispensation; David could willingly have gone for his son, we hear him crying, Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son: but he will not be taken, that young Gallant must go himself. We must in our own person come into the field, and look death in the face. Some indeed we find so fond as to promise themselves immunity from this day, as if they had an ensuring office in their breast. They say they have made a Covenant with ⟨p. 357⟩death, and with hell they are at an agreement, when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come unto them. And now (like debtors that have feed the Serjeant) they walk abroad boldly and fear no arrest. But God tells them as fast as they bind he will loose: Your Covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; and how should it if God will not set his seal to it? There is a divine Law for this evil day, which came in force upon Adams first sin, that laid the fatal knife to the throat of mankind, which hath opened a sluice to let out his heart-blood ever since. God to prevent all escape hath sown the seeds of death in our very constitution and nature, so that we can as soon run from our selves, as run from death. We need no feller to come with a hand of violence, and hew us down; there is in the tree a worm which grows out of its own substance that will destroy it, so in us, those infirmities of nature that will bring us down to the dust. Our death was bred when our life was first conceived;
The second branch of the point follows. This evil day is unavoidable. We may as well stop the chariot of the Sun, when posting to night, and chase away the shades of the evening, as escape this houre of darknesse that is coming upon us all. None hath power over the Spirit to retain it, neither hath he power in the day of death, and there is no discharge in that war, Eccl. 8.8. Among men 'tis possible to get off when prest for the wars, by pleading priviledge of yeares, estate, weaknesse of body, protection from the Prince, and the like, or if all these fail, possibly the sending another in our room, or a bribe given in the hand may serve the turn. But in this war the presse is so strict, that there is no dispensation; David could willingly have gone for his son, we hear him crying, Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son: but he will not be taken, that young Gallant must go himself. We must in our own person come into the field, and look death in the face. Some indeed we finde so fond as to promise themselves immunity from this day, as if they had an ensuring office in their breast. They say they have made a Covenant with ⟨p. 357⟩death, and with hell they are at an agreement, when the overflowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come unto them. And now (like debtors that have feed the Serjeant) they walk abroad boldly and feare no arrest. But God tells them as fast as they binde he will loose: Your Covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; and how should it if God will not set his seal to it? There is a divine Law for this evil day, which came in force upon Adams first sin, that laid the fatal knife to the throat of mankinde, which hath opened a sluce to let out his heart-blood ever since. God to prevent all escape hath sowen the seeds of death in our very constitution and nature, so that we can assoon run from our selves, as run from death. We need no feller to come with a hand of violence, and hew us down; there is in the tree a worme which grows out of its own substance that will destroy it, so in us, those infirmities of nature that will bring us down to the dust. Our death was bred when our life was first conceived;
