and pious purposes, which are begun by men upon a fick-bed, when they are in fight of death, and expect a diffolution, there are fo few that continue with them, and prove effectual to make their lives and actions answer them, when they recover. There is not, I believe, one unconverted Christian in fome hundreds, but will shew fome figns of forrow, and put up devout prayers, and make holy vows and purposes, when he apprehends himself about to die : And yet, of all those who are raised up again, it is a very small and inconfiderable number in comparison, that make good thofe vows, and effect what they had refolved upon. And now, if these men had died when they thus repented, in what a miferable ftate had they been? For this thange in their will and purpose, is no further available to their everlasting salvation, than it would be effectual to work a like change in their lives and practice. God accepts the holiness of the mind, only as it is an holy principle; and imputes the reward of obedience to it no farther, than he forefees, that if he allowed time, obe dience would enfue upon it. The will is never taken for the deed, but when it is able to effect the fame; when the deed would be fure to follow, fo foon as an opportunity were offered for it. And this, God fees beforehand, although we do not. He is able to judge of the fincerity of men's defires, and of the fufficiency of their purposes, before their following works declare them. And according to what he forefees they would afterwards effect, he either accepts or rejects them. But when men's after-works come as a clear evidence, of the infincerity, or infufficiency of their fick-bed refolutions; they may fee plainly themselves, what God faw long before, that all the change of mind, which was then wrought in them, was utterly infignificant and unavailing. When they trufted to it, they relied upon a broken reed; their confidence upon it was ill-grounded, and if they had died with it, would moft certainly have deceived them. Thus utterly uncertain and uncomfortable a thing, is a mere unworking change, and a late death-bed repentance. It may fometimes Sometimes prove fufficient, to beget an after change of practice; and when God fees it would, there is no doubt but he will accept it. But it very feldom doth; and no man who dies in it, can poffibly tell, whether it would or no. It is very great odds, that it would prove too weak: fo that although there be fome, yet is there very fmall hope, that any dying man can place in it. AND that which renders it ordinarily fo infufficient, and thereupon fo uncertain and uncomfortable, is this: Because it generally proceeds from an unconftant and temporary principle; to wit, the nearness of death, and the present fears of it. It is commonly founded upon a reason, that doth not hold in all times; a reason, that is good in fickness, but not in health; that concludes for a pious change whilst we are under our fick-bed forrows, but not when being freed from them, we are placed again under the pleasure of temptations, For the great and general motive, which makes all thofe who never thought of reforming forming in all their lives before, to refolve upon it when they are on their death-bed, is plainly the nearness of the next world, and their apprehenfion of their fudden death and departure. Could they hope to live longer, they would fin ftill. But they look upon themfelves as going to judgement, and they have fo much confcience left in them, as to believe that there is a hell for the impenitent; and their own felf-love is extremely ftartled at that, and makes them run to any fhelter: so that they make many fearful confeffions, and fervent prayers, and holy purposes, and fay and do any thing whereby they may quiet their prefent fears, and catch at any comfortable hopes of avoiding the eternal torments which they are afraid of. The ordinary cause then of all this procedure, is not any love of God, or hatred of fin; but only a fear of punishment. And that too, not a fear of it at a diftance, and as at fome removes from them; but only as it looks near at hand, and just hanging over them. But But now, as for this apparent nearness of death, and this confounding fear upon it; it is plainly a fhort and tranfient, an unconftant, temporary principle. It is a rea fon to them no longer, than they are fick; for when they recover and are well again, death is as far off, and they are become again as fearless as ever. They are got out of its neighbourhood, and it gives them no further trouble. So that all their former fears abate, and their virtuous refolutions fall, as beginning now to want that which first gave life to them, and should support them. And now, when opportunities of fin are offered, and the pleafurable baits of temptations invite; they have nothing left that is able to refift them. Whilft they were fick, they were not capable to be tempted; and then death being near, it enabled them to purpose well, and to make a pious refolution. But now, fince they are well, temptations are become as strong as ever; and the thoughts of death being far removed, they have no refolutions that can withstand them, but are quickly changed |