And what a Condition is a Man in when there is nothing past that he can reflect on without Self-Condemnation, nothing to come that he can contemplate without Horror and Distraction of Mind? Inquire of him in this Condition, what profit there is in the Pleafures of Vice? Ask him, whether the Fears of Futurity are all idle Dreams? And as you like his Answer follow his Example.

It is a vain Attempt to describe the Mifery of a Sinner, who lies expiring with all his Senfes about him: The Imagination cannot furnish Ideas strong enough to paint out this Scene of Woe; and the Experience of it may we never know!

There is in all Men a natural Averfion to Death: The best are not free from it: But this is an Evil that has its Remedy. Thought and Reflection will furnifh us with many Arguments to balance against this Fear: A Trust in God, and a comfortable Expectation of an happy Futurity, will enable us to perform the last Act with Applaufe, and to give up ourselves with Courage and with Joy into the Hands of our Redeemer. By thefe Supports the righteous Man, after a Life of folid Comfort, may find Comfort too in his Death,

and wait with Patience and Tranquillity for that Summons which he trufts and believes will call him to perpetual Joys.

Could we but rightly balance this Difference between the Wicked and the Righteous in their latest Hours, it would fufficiently determine which has made the happier Choice: But take the whole together; confider the wicked Man in his Life and in his Death, how he lives defpifed by himself, and contemned by the World, without thinking of God, or thinking of him with Dread, and at laft expires under the utmost Torments and Agonies of Mind, and we shall feel great Reason to join in the Petition of the Text, Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let my last End be like his.

DISCOURSE

I

N expounding this and fuchlike Paffages of Scripture, and in applying them to themselves, Men are apt to commit two great Miftakes; which, though they are of a very different Kind, in their Confequences are equally fatal and pernicious. On one hand, they think they can never fufficiently enlarge the Promife of the Text, or build too great Expectations upon the Affurances of Peace that are given to them; easily suffering themselves to be persuaded, that under the general Name of Peace is to be comprehended whatever the World calls Good: And because the Peace

which they most affect, and which most ftrongly poffeffes their Imaginations, is that which the World fuppofes to be placed in Power and Affluence, in an easy Fortune, and an healthy Body, they fondly conclude, that the Promife of Peace infers the Promise of these good Things, which they esteem as the genuine and neceffary Effects of Peace. On the other Hand, to strengthen and secure their Title to thefe Things which they fo paffionately admire, they confider the Condition to which the Promise of Peace is annexed in quite a different View. Here all their Force is employed to limit and restrain, and to expound away the Rigour of this Article, and to fhew upon how easy Terms, upon how small a Portion of Righteousness and Obedience, a Man may be numbered with those who love the Law of God, and to whom the Affurances of Peace are given. Under this Head they make very reasonable Allowances to themselves upon account of the great Perfection of the Law, which renders it extremely hard to practise; upon account of their own Weakness and Infirmities, through which they can hardly avoid often mistaking, and often offending against the Law, and upon account of the Mercy

of

of God, which will incline him to overlook their Errors, and to accept their general good Meaning, and their imperfect Performance, for Righteoufnefs and Holiness. After these Deductions are made in the Proportion that best pleases them, and that best suits their own Condition, they can, without Difficulty, find themselves to be within the Articles of the Peace which the Text promises; and then they are in eager Expectation of being put into the Poffeffion of thofe good Things, to which they think they have fo well made out their Title.

But as Error naturally produces Error and Falsehood, fo these Mistakes are in their Kind exceeding fruitful, and directly lead Men to Mifapprehenfions of God, themfelves, and Religion: For as long as Men conceive the Peace and Profperity of the World, and the Enjoyments of it, to be neceffary Attendants upon Virtue and Holinefs, they will be apt to judge of their own Attainments in Religion, and of the Favour of God towards them, according to the Measure of the good Things which they enjoy in this Life: Which can serve only to fill rich Men and profperous Men with fpiritual Pride and Prefumption, whilst they efteem