Deut.

38.

full circumftance to be doubtful of a Matter, of which it fo nearly concerns us to have fome highly probable Affurance.

O that Men would be perfuaded feriously to think on thefe Things! that they

would be wife, and confider their latter xxxii. 29. End! and, as the Pfalmift advises, would Pf. xxxvii.keep Innocency, and take heed to the Thing that is right! for, that, and that only, fhall bring a Man Peace at the laft. And who is there so stupid, that would not wish for fo invaluable a Bleffing? What wife Man would not rather fubmit to the worst that could befall him here in a Short Life, than run the leaft Rifque of going out of this World under the Terrors of a guilty Confcience? It is (whatever those, who are carried away by their Lufts and Paffions, may think, it is) the utmost Wifdom of Man to prepare for his latter End, by conducting himself according to the Will of his great Creator: for, it is certain, (however fome may vainly flatter themselves), there is no leaving this World with any tolerable Compofure, unless our Lives have been fuch, as, through

the tender Mercies of God and the Merits of Chrift Jefus, to give us a reasonable hope that we may be found in the Number of those whom our great Judge shall at the last Day pronounce Blessed. But this can only be the Lot and Portion of the Righteous; for, how can any one, whofe Life has been a direct Contradiction to the Will of God, entertain Hopes of his Favour? Perhaps, when he fees Death approaching, he may lament and Lewail the Folly of his past conduct, and with strong Crying and Tears refolve upon a new Courfe of Life, if it fhould please God to spare him; but, fince the Gospel hath no where affured us, that God will accept of a Death-bed Repentance, or be reconciled to a Sinner, who (after having lived a wicked and careless Life, and been deaf to all the Calls and Invitations of the Holy Spirit, the Threatenings of the Gospel, and the Checks of his own Confcience) fhall at the last, when he is able to gratify his Lufts no longer, and begins to fear the fad Confequences of his. Sins, cry out for Mercy, and with that he had been wife in Time: I fay, fince God has

no

no where revealed, that he will accept of any repentance which is not followed by a thorough Change and Amendment of Life, and a fincere Obedience to his Commandments; and since it is impossible for a dying Sinner to bring forth fuch Fruits of Repentance; how precarious muft bis Hopes be, that are built upon fo uncertain a Foundation!

'Tis true, to repent is all that a Man who has led a wicked Life can do, when he comes to die; and it would be well, for his own Sake, and for the Sake of his forrowful Friends and Relations, that he would do this much, and not go out of the World hardened and infenfible: for, who knows how far infinite Merey may be extended? But, furely, it must be the greateft Inftance of Folly and Madness, to hazard a Matter of fuch infinite Moment upon fo uncertain an Iffue; upon a few broken, confused, and almost despairing Sighs and Groans: for, if the Remorfe and Horrors, the folemn Vows and Refolutions of fuch Men fhould not prove a true godly Sorrow, a Repentance to Salvation

met

not to be repented of (as no Man can fay they certainly will), they are loft and undone to all Eternity.

But fuppofe we could be affured, that a Death-bed Repentance would be effectual; yet who can tell, whether a Man may have Time for that Work in the Hour of Death? Or, if he could be certain that a lingering Sickness would put an End to his Days; yet how does he know that God will then vouchfafe him the Grace of Repentance? and without that Grace it is impoffible he fhould repent. O how much rather may fuch an one fear, left God should be so provoked, by his many wilful Refusals to hearken to the Calls and Admonitions of the Holy Spirit, as to cut short his Day of Grace, and deliver him over to a hardened and reprobate Mind!

The Scripture affures us, that there is a Time when Men fhall call upon God, and he will not hearken. Because I bave called, Prov.i. aud ye refufed; I have ftretched out my 24, &c. Hand, and no Man regarded; but ye have fet at nought all my Counsel, and would none of my Reproof; I also will laugh at

your

your Calamity: I will mock when your Fear cometh; when yonr Fear cometh as Defolation; and your Deftruction cometh as a Whirlwind; when Diftrefs and Anguifh cometh upon you. Then fhall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall feek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated Knowledge, and did not chufe the Fear of the Lord: they would none of my Counsel. They defpifed all my Reproof; therefore fhall they eat of the Fruit of their own Way, and be filled with their own Devices. The End of the Long-fuffering and Forbearance of God is Rom. ii. to lead Men to Repentance: but if, inftead of producing that bleffed Effect, it only hardens them in their Sins, and makes them refolve to go on in their wicked Courses, vainly prefuming they fhall repent, when they come to die; how just may it be in God to leave them at their laft Hour under all the Terrors and Agonies of a fearful Death! to laugh at their Calamity, and to mock' when their Fear cometh!

O confider this, all ye that forget God, left he pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you. Confider it in due Time, be

fore