Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

his Jollities, and put a Stop to his Career of Senfuality: He forefaw his Confcience, if trufted with a Belief of the almighty Power and unrelenting Juftice, would be always an impertinent, troublesome Interrupter of his unhallowed Mirth, and give him now and then a fevere Reprimand for his unreafonable Vices. Therefore he craftily undermines the Root, and aims at the Extirpation of that Being which he could not love, and imitate, and was loath to fear and dread. At leaft providing, as well as he could, for a prefent Enjoyment of Sin, if he fail of avoiding its Punishment hereafter. But the Man before us, the practical Atheist, fcorns to trouble himself with so prevailing a Belief, contents himself with following his Swing of Luft at a Venture, and refolves (vivens videnfque pereo) let what will be the Iffue of it, he will have his Vices; and, though his Life be fhort, the Devil fhall have as much of it as he can give hini: Come what will, he refolves not to be a Renegado, or Turn-coat; and though Hell be the End of his Journey, he confeffes, he finding much Company in the Road, is fixed to go with them, and shift hereafter as well as He dares Heaven, and openly in the Face of God, blafphemes him by his Actions, and feems fearful of nothing, but left he should be a small Sinner, and fo fhould have but fmall Torment in the other World. His Confcience tells him of his Duty and Obligations to God; of his Breaches of the divine Law; warns him of the Severity of abufed Patience, and affronted Omnipotence; prefents to him the Jaws of Hell gaping to receive him, and

he can.

fets

fets before his Eyes the Miseries of an everlasting Hell, which muft foon be his Portion, without timely and serious Repentance. Yet all this notwithstanding, the hardened Wretch ftops his Ears, runs to his Companions, and fo with new Sins, takes away the Remembrance of the former. But, O moft miferable Man! what doft thou do? with whom doft thou contend? with the eternal God. What Joys doft thou lofe? pure and never-failing at God's Right-hand for evermore. What Tor

ments doft thou run ftrait into? Endless, eafelefs, and remedilefs. And who can abide devouring Fire, who can dwell with everlafting Burnings? Confider a little with thyfelf the Joys which thou now haft will be gone, and the Torments prefent, what wilt thou then do? Or to whom wilt thou flee for Help and Succour? No one can be able to give thee any Comfort or Releafe, but that Majefty whom thou art rendering inexorable; and who is treasuring up Wrath against the Day of his righteous Judgment, to pour down on thy Head, and confume thee with a never-dying Death. What wilt thou do on a Death bed, when all thy Friends cannot help thee, and the Phyfician gives thee over for incurable? and how inexcufable wilt thou be at the great Day, when the Doom which then will be pronounced, has been thy free Choice, and uncompell'd Election: Depart thou curfed into everlafting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; into outer Darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth, for evermore; where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched. G

O my.

о my Soul! envy thou not the Sinners, and chufe none of their Ways; for their Steps lead to Destruction, and the Chambers of Death. If these are the Paths, fuch the Folly, and Madness, and Punishment of Sinners, and atheistical Perfons, good Lord deliver me from them. Deliver me

not into the bitter Pains of eternal Death! Let my Flesh tremble for Fear of thee, and make me fo afraid of thy Judgments, as to work out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling, as to go through any the most irksome and tedious Duties of Religion rather than thus to fall into the Hands of the living and incenfed God; who is a consuming Fire, and can deftroy both Soul and Body in Hell. Through Jefus Chrift, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen!

X. On Occafion of Mr. Hollis's Death, July 15, 1691. and my being chofe Fellow the next Day.

SAD

AD and miferable is their End, who have lived without God in the World. Deplorable is their Cafe, who never laid up a good Foundation against the Time to come, that they might lay hold on eternal Life. Affrighting is the Approach of Death in any Shape; but when it comes on a fudden, in the Midft of Jollity and Drinking, Debauchery and merry Company, and on a fudden feizes the trembling Sinner, and in a very little Time hurries him out of this World; how much more terrible must it be! to be hurried from the Noife and Huzza's of a jolly Affignation to the Judgment-feat of Chrift;

from

from Bowls of Wine to the wrathful Tribunal of an offended God, from finful Time to a miserable Eternity; is an amazing Scene of Horror and Aftonishment, not to be mentioned without Confternation, nor thought of without a Groan, nor remembered without commiferating Tears. Were Death nothing but the meer leaving thofe Pleasures, and being for ever deprived of those bewitching Paftimes, it might torment the Man with the Thoughts of it: How much more when it is the departing from that Life to another; from a careless World to a ftrict Judgment; and, to ill Men, from vain Jollities to intolerable Torments. This Profpect of Death should spoil the Mirth of fecure Sinners, and dull all their jovial Affignations; fhould, like the Hand-writing on the Wall to Belfbazzar, make their Joints tremble, and their Knees fmite one against another. One would think it impoffible for any Man of Reason to be fo fatally befool'd and fascinated with the Charms of Sin, as not to be awakened with the daily Spectacles of Mortality before his Eyes; and rouzed out of his Lethargy and Stupidity by that doleful Knell which fhews his Fellow-Chriftian to be newly launched into the Ocean of Eternity. One would think each Funeral Sermon (which, if any thing can, will affect Men) should convert Multitudes; and that, as Solomon fays, Thofe that go the House of Mourning fbould lay it to Heart, Ecclef. vii. 2. But, alas! daily Examples of Carelesness and Unconcernedness about these Things, too plainly prove that nothing can affect a hardened Sinner; nothing can make G 2 him

him ferious; no, not his nearest Relation's Death be fore his Eyes; those who will not be wrought on by the Word of God, are not often truly converted by the most astonishing Accident, not would be per'fwaded though one rofe from the Dead. Men are a little startled at the News of a Friend's Death, and the Lofs of an old Companion; and for a few Hours perhaps have ferious Thoughts and Refolutions. But then the reft of the Club foon drive away fuch melancholy Whimafies, and the Bottle is an infallible Cordial, and comfortable Diverfion from those importunate and unwelcome Reflections of their own Confciences, which, if followed on, might have made them happy for ever. Lord, let me in Health serve thee, that thou mayft be with me in Sickness, and at the Hour of Death. And let me not one Moment remain in a Condition, in which, if Death does surprize me, I am for ever miferable. Let me live the Life of the Righteous, that fo I may die his Death; and that my laft End, how fudden, or in what Manner foever, may be like his, fafe, fecure, peaceable, and full of a joyful Hope of a glorious Immortality. Amen.

This fudden Providence, and furprizing Accident of Mr. Hollis's Death, (who was merry enough but a Week before at the Commencement) feems providentially difpofed for my Warning and Caution, just upon my Advancement to a Fellowship; not to be proud and conceited, forgetful of God, and unmindful of Eternity: And may be looked on as an awakening Memento of Mortality;

than

« AnteriorContinuar »