Page:Great importance of a suitable preparation for death (2).pdf/21

Rh at ſuch a time, and went home and crucified it: When at another time, thou met with another challenge, and went home and crucified it: theſe challenges will be laid to thy door, therefore think on them.

3. Challenge, Death will challenge you for a formal hypocritical way of going about duties: I ſay, your conſcience will then tell you, that you went to ſuch a communion with a ſelfiſh end: And, at another time, ye prayed hypocritically and formally, And, what will ye have to anſwer when you meet with theſe challenges? I confeſs, I know not what ye can anſwer to theſe, but I charge you, be thinking what ye will anſwer, for it may be that theſe convictions ſhall ly on your conſciences, that even this day ye have heard two ſearching ſermons, and did, meet with ſome convictions, but made no good uſe of them; yea, and it may be ye did ſleep all the time. Oh! what will ye anſwer, when it ſhall be ſaid to you, ye went to ſuch a ſermon, and ſlept all the time? And ye went to ſuch a communion, with no other end before your eyes, but to be ſeen of men? I intreat you conſider preſently what you will anſwer to theſe.

4. Challenge, Will be for your breaking of many precious reſolutions. It will be ſaid to ſome of you, that at the communion in this place, ye took on vows, and did break them: I am ſure ye cannot queſtion the juſtice of the challenge, therefore ſee what ye will anſwer.

5. Challenge, Ye ſlighted many precious offers of the goſpel. O men and women in this city, what will ye anſwer to this? I was often exhorted to take Chriſt, and yet would never take him. What will conſcience ſay to that, when death ſhall table it before you? I tell you what ye muſt then anſwer; O curſed I, that ever I refuſed Chriſt in the gospel. And ye ſhall then be confounded becauſe this is your ſin; believe me, there was never an offer of this everlaſting goſpel, and of Chriſt in {missing text}, made unto you, that ſhall not at death (before or after) be brought to your remembrance. And Oh! how ſad