Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

Lastly, Death makes their state absolutely, and for ever hopeless. Matters cannot be retrieved and amended after death. For (1.) Time once gone can never be recalled. •f cries or tears▪ price or pains, ⟨p. 233⟩could bring time back again; the wicked man might have hope in his death. But tears of blood will not prevail; nor will his roaring for millions of ages, cause it to return. The sun will not stand still until the sluggard awake, and enter on his journey; and when once it is gone down, he needs not expect the night to be turned into day for his sake; he must lodge through' the long night of eternity, where his time left him. (2.) There is no returning to this life, to amend what is amiss: it is a state of probation and trial, which terminates at death; and therefore we cannot return to it again: it is but once we thus live, and once we die. Death carries the wicked man to his own place, Acts i. 25. This life is our working day: death closeth our day and our work together. We may readily imagine the wicked might have some hope in their death; if, after death has opened their eyes, they could return to life, and have but the trial of one Sabbath, one offer of Christ, one day, or but one hour more, to make up their peace with God: but, man lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more; they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep, Job xiv. 12. Lastly, In the other world, men have no access to get their ruined state and condition retrieved, if they never so fain would. For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest, Eccles. ix. 10. Now, a man may flee from the wrath to come; now he may get into a refuge: but when once death has done its work, the door is shut: there are no more offers of mercy, no more pardons: where the tree is fallen, there it must lie.

Lastly, Death makes their state absolutely, and for ever hopeless. Matters cannot be retrieved and amended after death. For (1.) Time once gone can never be recalled. •f cries or tears price or pains,