Practical Discourses Volume 1, Discourse 4
MATTHEW XXV. 10. last part.
And the Door was shut.
THESE Words are the close of the Parable of the ten-Virgins, whom our Saviour distributes into five Wise and five Foolish, and by them he represents the different Carriage and Fate of Men both good and bad. For the better understanding of which Parable you must know that our Saviour borrowed this, as well as sundry others, from the Iewish Doctors, of which our learned Sheringham in his Preface of his Translation of the Ioma hath given us sundry Instances; of which this is one, which to this purpose he transcribes out of the Gemara Babylonica; Rab. Eliezer said, be sure thou repent the day before thou diest. Upon which his Disciples asked him whether a Man might know that hour of his death; whereunto he answers let a Man therefore repent every day, because he knows not when he shall die. Upon which Rab. Iochanan proposes this Parable; a certain rich man prepared a Marriage Feast, to which he called his Servants, but did not tell them the distinct time when this Feast should be: of these Servants some were wise, and some foolish; the wise cloathed themselves splendidly, and sitting before their Masters house thus thought with themselves, all things are here prepared, and nothing is wanting; wherefore since we are uncertain what hour we shall be called, we will wait, that so whensoever he calls us. we may be ready to attend. But the foolish sleepy Servants loitered away their time, concluding thus with themselves; we need not be over-hasty in making our selves ready it being yet a great while before we are like to be called. But on a suddain the Master calls them all to the Supper; upon which the Wise appeared before him ready to attend, but the Foolish being unready would fain have gone away to dress themselves: but the King rèjoycing for those who were ready, and being very angry with those that slept, said, you who are ready shall sit down, and Eat and Drink and Rejoyce; whilst you that slept shall be shut out of Door; for so saith the Lord, behold my Servants shall eat, but you shall hunger, my Servants shall drink, but you shall thirst. This is the Iewish Parable, which for substance being so exactly agreeable with our Saviours, we may very reasonably conclude that his was only a Copy of that Original; and since the Design of it is evidently to shew the Danger of delaying Repentance to the last, we may fairly suppose the Design of our Saviour to be so too. For by the Wise and Foolish Virgins here, our Saviour plainly means good and bad Christians, and by the Marriage feast, that state of Happiness which he hath prepared for the good. By their going forth to meet the Bridegroom is meant their expectation of Christs Coming, either to their particular, or to the general Judgment. By their Lamps in their hands Expositors generally understand their visible profession of Christanity. By the Oil that made those Lamps to shine, is meant Charity and good Works, which are the Fruits of a sincere Repentance, and the glory and lustre of our Christian Profession. And as for the Wise who by sincere Repentance had prepared themselves for this feast of heavenly Happiness, they are admitted into it; but as for the Foolish that had put off all to the last, though they bestirr'd themselves very vigorously in this sad Extremity, yet all was to no purpose; for when they came to ask admittance into Heaven, the Door was shut against them, and they are dismissed with this bitter farewel, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. So that the Design of the Words is plainly to represent the sad Catastrophe of a late Repentance, which tho' it may be very active and vigorous when things are reduced to the last extremity, yet proves most commonly ineffectual, and finds the Door of Heaven shut against it.
That therefore which I design from these Words is this, to explain and state what is the Effect of a Death-bed Repentance, by which I mean such a Repentance as after a long Course of Wickedness begins upon the very near and sensible Approach, either of a natural or violent Death, such as is put off till Death is at the Door, and Men perceive themselves to be departing hence, and going away into Eternity. For as for that Repentance which is begun in Health, when Death is not in view, and Men are in the midst of Temptations to the contrary, it is much more free and ingenuous than that of a Death-bed can be supposed; and consequently though it should be stopped in its progress by a sudden unexpected Death, yet there is much more hope of it: and that which begins also in a long lingring Sickness, though it be not so free as the former, and therefore not so hopeful, yet is there much more hope of it than of that which begins in more acute Diseases, to which Death more suddenly follows; because it hath much more time to grow in, and to finish and compleat it self by. That late or Death-bed Repentance therefore concerning which we are now inquiring, must be such a Repentance as begins in the prospect of a nearapproaching Death, and to which that Death doth very suddenly follow. Concerning which I shall enquire these three things.
1. How far it is possible for such a Repentance to be effectual.
2. How extreamly hazardous it is whether it ever actually prove effectual to our Happiness or no.
3. If it should prove so, yet how impossible it is in an ordinary way for us to attain any comfortable Assurance of it.
1. How far it is possible for such a Repentance to be effectual. And here I dare not pronounce it to be absolutely and universally Ineffectual, though I confess I am horribly afraid that it very rarely proves otherwise. For the Repentance on which Salvation is entailed necessarily includes a through Change of Soul, that is, a new prevailing Iudgment and Resolution; and for certain wheresoever this really is there is true Repentance. For the very Life of Repentance consists in the universal Subjection of our Souls to God, and this Subjection consists in such a firm Resolution of Soul to obey him, as, whensoever occasion is offered, will render us actually obedient. I know there are some who place this Subjection of our Souls to God in an universal Habit of Obedience, but surely they do not consider that an Habit of Obedience, which consistsin an inherent Aptness and Facility of obeying, is not attainable under a long progress in Religion, and that in our first Entrance into the religious State we are so far from being habituated to obey God, that we generally obey with a greatdeal of Difficulty; and while we do so, 'tis a Contradiction to say that we are habituated to Obedience. So that by placing the Souls Subjection to God in such a Habit, we undermine the Comfort of all Beginners in Religion, and exclude all those from being faithful Servants who have not conquered the Difficulties of obeying. And therefore I think it much more safe to place our first Subjection to God in a hearty Resolution of obeying; for as Choice and Resolution is the principle of all our voluntary Actions, so it is of our Subjection to God; which being a moral Action must be voluntary, and so begin in Choice or Resolution, from whence if it hath opportunity it will proceed into Action, and that being often repeated will gradually improve into an Habit, and so in time render it natural and easie to us. But if Death should intervene and deprive the Man who is thus sincerely resolved on all opportunities of actual Obedience, that being accidental makes no change in his main State, the Frame and Temper of his Soul remains the same, it goes into Eternity a faithful Subject to God, and had it continued longer here would have expressed its Subjection in all the necessary Acts of Homage and Obedience. And far be it from us to imagine the condition of such a Soul to be desperate, for though it is true that a holy Life is the indispensable Condition of Salvation, yet it is also true that a holy Life is necessarily included in this Subjection of our Souls to God. That Man doth live a holy Life who sincerely submits his Soul to God, and is firmly resolved, as occasion offers, to express his submission in all the external Acts of Homage and Obedience. 'Tis true the Death-bed Penitent hath not opportunity to exercise himself in all the parts of Obedience; he cannot practise Chastity and Temperance, nor any other Vertue, to whose contrary Vice his Sickness hath utterly disabled him; but what of that? neither hath the healthful Penitent always opportunity to practise every Vertue which God injoyns: If he be poor or single, he can no more give Alms, or provide for his Children, than the sick Man can be chaste or temperate, and yet he lives a holy Life, I hope, though he hath no occasion or opportunity to practise either of these Duties. Why then may not the sick Penitent that practises his Duty so far as he hath opportunity, that heartily mourns for his sin, and patiently submits to Gods correction, that practises Humility and Devotion, is charitable in forgiving Offences, just in making Restitution for Injuries; why may not such a one be as well said to live a holy Life, when he doth all this out of a hearty Subjection of his Soul to God, though he should have no opportunity to practise some other Vertues. For he who is sincerely resolved to submit to the Laws of Temperance and Chastity, is chast and temperate though he never have opportunity to practise them, and all the difference between him and one that lives to practise what he resolves is only this, that the latter will practise it, and the former would; and in Gods account, who sees the Issues of all our Resolutions, he is as really temperate who would be so if he had opportunity, as he who is so when he hath: so that though his Repentance be not strictly the same with the others, yet it being to the same purpose, we cannot imagine that the good God will damn him only for a punctilio. If therefore it be possible for the Death-bed Penitent to reduce himself to a firm, prevailing Resolution of obeying God, I see no reason to conclude his Condition to be absolutely desperate; for being so resolved, he is a holy Man, though very imperfectly I confess; and if he go into Eternity with that Resolution with him, that will dispose him for some degree of Happiness. For if his Resolution be such as would have prevailed if he had continued in this Life, it will as well prevail in the other; and if it so prevail there as to render him actually obedient, it will be necessary consequence render him in some measure a happy and blessed Spirit; Obedience to God being as natural a Cause of Happiness, as the Sun is of Light, or the Fire of Heat and Burning. All the Difficulty therefore is this, not whether God will accept of such a Resolution, as whether a Death-bed Repentance can be so far improved as to rise to such a Resolution. And here I must needs confess, and shall hereafter make it evident, that the Difficulty of perfecting such a Repentance into such a Resolution is so exceeding great, that it is the greatest madness in the World for any Man to promise himself success before hand whilst he is in Health, and hath so many better opportunities of Repentance in his hand. But that it is absolutely impossible I dare not say for these following Reasons:
1. Because de facto we sometimes find that the Resolutions of a sick Bed have proved effectual. We know there have been some Men who in a Fit of Sickness when they have looked on themselves as abandoned of all Hopes, have yet betaken themselves to serious Resolutions, which when they have recovered to their former Health, have visibly proved effectual. I confess these Sick-bed Resolutions do most commonly die when the Man recovers, and he usually leaves his Bed and his good Purposes together; but since there are some Instances wherein they have held and proved effectual, that is sufficient to demonstrate the Possibility of the Thing: for what hath been, may be; and what Reason can be given why some Men may not perform in Eternity what they promised on their Death-beds, as well as others do after their Recovery what they promised on their Sick-beds? As therefore the Relapse of most Men from their Sick-bed Purposes proves it extreamly hard, so the Continuance of others stedfast to them proves it possible for such Purposes to be sincere.
2. Another thing that proves it possible is this, that upon a Death-bed oft times the Arguments of Repentance have a more immediate Access to the Minds of Men than at any other time, and consequently may be well supposed to be much more effectual and operative. Now the Promises and Threats of Religion will strike more immediately on the Soul, the Goods and Evils which they propose and denounce being nearer at hand, and the Soul perceiving her self within a moment of enjoying the one or suffering the other for ever; and that thick Fog of earthly Cares and Pleasures that interrupted her Prospect into the other World being in a great measure dispelled and scattered, she lies more open and uncovered to the Things of Eternity: and therefore as one thing strikes upon another with a natural Effect, as Light strikes upon the Eye, and Sounds upon the Ear; so eternal Things do upon immortal Spirits when there is nothing between to intercept the Stroke, and make most deep and vigorous Impressions on them. And when Heaven and Hell are so near the Soul that she expects almost every moment to expire into the one or the other, who can tell what strange and sudden Alterations they may make in her Temper and Resolutions? So that though I must confess it is a stupendous Effect for a Soul to be changed in the short Twinkling of a Death-bed Repentance, yet when I consider the mighty Influence which the Arguments of Religion may then be reasonably supposed to have upon her, I dare not say 'tis absolutely impossible; especially considering,
3. And lastly, That how impossible soever it may be to humane Power, yet 'tis not impossible to the Grace of God. 'Tis true indeed, God ordinarily vouchsafes his Grace to Men proportionably to their Improvement of it; and I confess if he proceeds by this Rule with the dying Penitent, he hath less Reason to expect God's Grace now than in any former Period of his Life. But yet we see the Grace of God doth not always proceed by stated Rules and Proportions, for sometimes God hath given the largest Measures of his Grace to those who have made the least Improvements of it: sometimes very great Sinners have been stopped in their wicked Courses when they least expected it, and turned back by a Grace that was almost irresistible; and tho' this be more ordinary than other Miracles are, so that Men may as reasonably immure themselves, and depend upon God to feed them by Miracle, as put off their Repentance to the last in expectation of having their Souls renewed and changed by such a miraculous Grace; yet who knows but when the poor dying Penitent, under the mighty Hopes and Fears of Eternity, is strugling might and main for his Soul, to rescue it from endless Misery; who knows, I say, but the good God may sometimes, and in some peculiar Cases, take pity upon him, and by a more than ordinary Grace concur with his Endeavours, and render them successful. 'Tis, I confess, a sad State when Things are brought to this Extremity that he has nothing but this to depend on; but yet since the Grace of God is not confined to do thus or thus, and no otherwise; but may, when it pleases, transgress the ordinary Methods of its Procedure. I dare not pronounce the State of those Death-bed Penitents wholly desperate, who heartily implore the divine Assistance, and exert their utmost Strength, and use all means within their Power to change the wicked Temper of their minds. For God may hear and pity them if he please, and if he will, there is no doubt but his own Grace concurring with their Endeavours can produce this happy Effect how great and difficult soever it may be. All that can be said therefore in the Case is this, that an internal Change of Soul from a State of Disobedience to a State of universal Subjection to God, is indispensibly necessary to Salvation; that such a Change is possible to the Death-bed Penitent, and so consequently is the Salvation which depends upon it. But alas, 'tis barely possible, so barely possible, that while I am in my Wits I think I should hardly venture on it for a thousand Worlds. Which brings me to
2. The next Thing proposed, which was to shew you how fearfully hazardous it is, whether a Man that begins his Religion on his Death-bed can actually arrive to that degree of Repentance as is necessary to his future Happiness. And this will plainly appear if we consider,
1. The great Difficulty of the thing it self.
2. The Impotency and Indisposition of him that is to perform it.
3. The little Reason he hath to expect any extraordinary Aid and Assistance from God.
1. It is extreamly hazardous, because of the great Difficulty of the Thing it self. We find by Experience, that after a long Course of Sin, 'tis one of the most difficult Things in the World for a Man to reduce himself to a thorough Resolution of Amendment; for Custom of sinning begets sinful Habits, and sinful Habits are a second Nature to us. So that for a Man to resolve upon a holy Life after he hath been long habituated to the contrary, is to resolve to make War with himself, and to live in open Hostility with the Inclinations of his own Nature; and thus to resolve against the Grain, and incline himself against his own Inclinations, is one of the greatest Acts of Violence that a Man can offer to himself. 'Tis true, in a sudden Heat and Transport it is an easie matter for a Man to resolve upon any thing when he is in a Pet against his Sins, or his Mind is chafed into a religious Temper; but, alas! these inconsiderate Purposes are generally the greatest Cheats in the World, for they rarely, if ever, work any Alteration in the Soul; for though now the Man be in a Pet against his Sins, yet his Judgment of them is the same, and that is the Principle of his standing Resolutions. Men are often angry with their best Friends, and while the Passion continues, they can easily resolve to discard them for ever; but notwithstanding they do so, yet they are Friends still, and love them heartily, though at present they do not perceive it: and as soon as their Passion is over, their Love will return, and immediately cancel all their Resolutions against them. And so it is with these passionate Resolutions Men make against their Sins, which work no Change at all in the standing Temper and Disposition of their Souls and are so far from curing them, that they are only the Intermissions of their Disease; and though at present they are angry with their Sins, and do purpose never to be reconciled to them more, yet still they love them heartily though they perceive it not, and as soon as their Passion is over, their Love returns and reverses their Purpose; and so these Fallings out of Lovers end in the Renovation of Love: so that these rash and hasty Resolutions are so far from being hearty Submissions unto God, that they only make a Truce with him to fetch Breath and recruit for a farther Rebellion. And thus to resolve, is, I confess, the easiest thing in the World; but for an old Sinner to enter into a serious Resolution of Amendment in the midst of cool and deliberate Thoughts, when his Sins are about him entertaining him with the fresh Remembrance of those dear Pleasures they were wont to invite him to; when he is, or supposes himself to be invironed with Temptation, and importuned on every side with all those soft Allurements that are so sweet and grateful to him; this, doubtless, is such a Task as will exact his utmost Industry and Consideration. For now he will meet with such Oppositions from his Appetites, such Shrinkings and Recoilings from his Will, such Struglings and Pulbacks from his darling Lusts, as will even distract his Soul, and interpose a thousand Impediments to hinder him from coming to a thorough Resolution. So that unless he be armed with great Consideration, animated with invincible Courage, and aided by a mighty Grace, after all his Deliberation he will either not resolve at all, or, which is almost as bad, resolve with Reserves and Exceptions. Since therefore to form a hearty and thorough Resolution of Amendment is so extreamly hard and difficult, what a fearful Hazard must that Man run that remits it to a dying Hour. For how can we hope to accomplish so great a Work in so short a Time? when we croud up a Duty of so vast a Bulk, in so narrow a Room, in how much Danger must it be of being strangled in the Birth for want of Time and Air to breath in? I dare not say it is absolutely impossible in so short a Time to make a thorough Change in our Temper and Resolution; but sure I am it is so extreamly difficult, that 'tis the greatest Hazard in the World whether we actually perform it, especially considering.
2. The great Impotency and Indisposition of Death-bed Penitents to perform it. By what hath been said of the Difficulty of it, you plainly perceive that to the Performance of it there is required vast Industry, great Consideration, and earnest Strivings and Contests with our selves; but alas! how unable and unfit is a Man for these things when he lies languishing on a Death-bed? when commonly the sickness he languishes under is either such as wholly disables, or extreamly weakens and impairs his Reason; so that either he is wholly incapable of such Reflections and Considerations as are necessary to a thorough Resolution of Amendment, or at least is very unfit for them. Now in this sad Extreamity what can the poor Wretch do? His sinful Soul sits drowzing on the very Brinks of a dismal Eternity, and Deaths cold hand is thrusting it headlong down; so that if She doth not presently rouze and start up and run away from her Danger, within a very few moments she will awake in everlasting Flames. But alas! how should she rouze her self out of those fatal Slumbers when she hath scarce Reason enough to reflect upon her Danger or to take any Notice of that fearful Precipice before her; when by the distemper of her bodily Organs She is so stund and stupified that she can neither discern where She is, nor whither She is going? But suppose his Sickness be such as leaves him the free Use of his Reason, yet considering how much he must needs be distracted by Pain and Uneasiness, by Weakness and Languishment, by the Cares of setling his Affairs in this World, and the frightful Prospect that he hath of another, it will be impossible for him, without a mighty Assistance from above, to range his scattered and unweildy Thoughts into such sober Reflections and serious Considerations as are necessary to the forming of a thorough Resolution of Amendment; for such a Resolution can never be formed in a hurry of Passion, but must be the Result of calm and composed Deliberations. For, as I shewed you before, hasty and passionate Resolutions work no Change upon the Soul, and till a Man hath made a new Judgment of Things, it will be in vain for him to make any new Resolutions; because 'tis impossible that any Resolution should be lasting that is not founded in the Judgment. But what Capacity can a Man be in to make a new Judgment of Things in the midst of the incessant Hurries and Distractions of a Death-bed, when he cannot consider a quarter of an hour together, but is interrupted almost every moment by a thousand Accidents and Avocations? So that to refer our Repentance to a Death-bed is the same thing as to retire into a Battle to meditate, or to set up a Closet to study Philosophy in the Head Quarters of an Army, where a Man is as capable of free and undisturbed Contemplations as Men usually are of forming thorough Resolutions of Amendment when they are a dying; which, without an extraordinary Assistance from God, being utterly impossible, must needs be extreamly hazardous; considering,
3. And lastly, the little Reason such a Man hath to expect any extraordinary Assistance from God. When a Man hath slighted all Gods Invitations to Repentance, and wilfully turned a deaf Ear to all the secret Whispers and Importunities of his blessed Spirit, when he hath all his Life-time rejected the Motions and Tenders of his Grace upon this resolution that he would sin on as long as he was able, and never repent till he could sin no longer; with what confidence can he expect that God should vouchsafe him in his dying Hour that extraordinary Grace which he stands in need of, and without which he must dye forever? For when a Man hath been mocking God all his Life with the Promises of a future Repentance, but from time to time hath still delayed and deferred it till he hath driven it to the last Extremity, so that now he must repent, or be damned prehaps the next Moment; with what face can he implore such an extraordinary Favour from that God with whom he hath so wretchedly prevaricated? For unless we suppose God to be a Being that loves to be provoked, one that is taken with Affronts and Injuries, and consequently that measures his Favours to us by the degrees and number of our Rebellions against him; we cannot reasonably expect that he should be then most kind to us when we have offended him as much as we are able, and would never be persuaded to repent of our Wickedness till we were able to offend him no more. I desire to have as large Apprehensions of the Mercy of God as can be reasonably admitted, but withal I am assured he is the hardest to be imposed upon of any one in the World; and being so, it cannot well be expected that when in despite of his Authority and frequent Invitations to Repentance, the Sinner hath squandred away all his Strength and Vigour in a Course of Wickedness, God should be so indulgent to him on his Death-bed as to supply that Strength which he hath spent in sinning against him by the extraordinary Assistances of his own Grace; especially considering how often he hath declared his Resolution of dispensing his Grace to us in greater or lesser Proportions according to the improvements we make of it. So Iames iv. 6, 7, 8. For the Scripture offereth more Grace; and therefore saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Submit your selves therefore unto God; resist the Devil, and he will fly from you; draw near unto God, and he will draw near unto you. And thus more expresly in the Parable of the Talents, Matt. xxv. 29. For unto every one that hath, that is, improves what he hath, shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, i. e. improves not what he hath, shall be taken away, even that which he hath. God therefore having thus declared that he will lessen or augment his Grace proportionably as we abuse or improve it, we may reasonably expect that the oftener we do repulse its Motions, the weaker will be its Attempts upon us, and so weaker and weaker till 'tis wholly with drawn, and hath given us up for desperate and irreclaimable; and consequently if God proceed in this Method, as doubtless he most ordinarily doth, then the longer a Man continues in sin, the more he is abandoned of the Grace of God. So that when the Sinner is arrived to his Death-bed, he may reasonably expect that if Gods Assistance be not wholly withdrawn and lessened into nothing, as he may justly fear it will, yet it will be much less vigorous and powerful than in any former Period of his Life; and if it be, his Condition is next to desperate; for if his Soul be not renewed and changed, within a few Moments it is ruined beyond all recovery. And since to effect this Change is a Work of mighty Difficulty, what but a mighty Grace can enable the dying Penitent in so short a time and with so small a Strength to perform it? So that the Summ of all is this, though the Condition of him that remits his Repentance to a Death-bed be not absolutely desperate, yet 'tis so fearfully hazardous, that nothing on this side Hell can be more wretched and deplorable; and therefore for Men to put off their Repentance to the last, and venture their Souls upon so great an Uncertainty, is a piece of the most desperate Folly and Madness. I confess when a Man hath been so desperate and cruel to himself as to run himself upon this fearful Venture, I would by no means discourage his Repentance, but rather use all Means to invite and persuade him to it: for Repentance is always the best thing we can do, and when a Man hath been so desperately besotted as to defer it to a Death-bed, and put himself upon this woful Extremity, this is the last Remedy he can apply, and the best Refuge he hath to fly to. But so long as Men are well and in Health, and have a fair space of Repentance in their hands, I would not for all the World encourage them to run such a desperate Hazard; for next to leaping headlong into Hell without any Repentance at all, doubtless the most desperate Folly a Man can be guilty of is to defer his Repentance till he is dying. And so I pass on to
3. The Third and last thing proposed; which was, to shew you that supposing our Death-bed Penitent should repent effectually, yet how impossible it is for him in an ordinary way to attain any comfortable Assurance of it. And indeed considering how many Cheats and Frauds there are under most of our Resolutions of Amendment, it is at least extreamly difficult for us to be any otherwise secure of them than by their Effects and Performances. As for the dying Penitent therefore that doth not long enough survive his Resolution to see the Execution of it, how can he be secure that it is sincere and perfect, especially considering that the Circumstances in which he makes it are such as do conspire to render it extreamly suspitious. For
1. He makes it under the fear of Death.
2. In the Absence of Temptation.
3. Under a great agony of Conscience.
4. In the near Neighbourhood of Eternity.
1. He makes his Resolution under a mighty fear of Death, which gives him great reason to suspect it. We daily see how much our Humours change and vary upon every Remove out of one Condition into another, and how these do cast the Ballance of our Superiour Soul and make us every day so many several sorts of Men. Every Wind almost turns our Minds towards a new point, and like Water we take the form of every Vessel we are put into. So that we have great reason to suspect that our Death-bed Repentance is not so much the Mould of our Minds, as of the Condition we are put into, and that were we poured back again into an healthful Condition, we should immediately lose our present Shape, and return into our former Figure again. For when Men see their Life is in Gods hand, and that he is ready to cut it in sunder, it is no wonder at all if they do what they can to bribe him to spare them a little longer; and consequently, if they resolve well, and make fair Promises of future Obedience; which is the best thing they can do in this Extremity. But if their Resolution be founded in the Fear of Death, its Foundation is contrary to its Performance, the Motive of their Resolution to live well for the future being a presumption that they shall live no longer; And it will be an Act of Reason and Iustice to themselves to stick to their resolution, when the Motive of it is changed: and on the Contrary, of Imprudence and Unkindness, to forsake the Conclusion, when the Premises are consulted. So that upon such grounds as these what can be expected but that this sick Resolver will resume his Sins with his Health if he should recover, and leave his new Vows in that Bed where he first took them up, and discharge his Fears and his good Actions, his Physician and his Confessor together; it being so, how is it possible he should be assured that his Resolution is sincere unless he recover and perform it?
2. He makes his Resolution in the Absence of Temptation, which gives him also great reason to suspect it. For now the Seasons of the Pleasures of Sin are over, he cannot relish their Delights because his cloyed Appetite distastes them as the full Stomach doth the Honey-comb: and his Soul being now uninterested in all sinful Pleasure, and being naturally in continual Motion, must necessarily divert the Current of its Action some other way; and the future State to which it is so nearly allied being all it hath to work upon, it is no wonder if the Freedom of its Motion turn thitherwards, being diverted out of its old Channel: for if he love his Sins or the World never so well, he must leave them whether he will or no: if he dislike God and his Holiness and an everlasting Abode with him never so much, he is forced upon them, or dashed upon eternal Misery, which it is impossible for him to chuse. So that now his good Resolution is scarce an Act of Choice; for tho' he would not chuse to obey God if he could still enjoy his former Lusts, yet they being out of his reach, he must take what is to be had. So that 'tis mighty Suspicious that the Sense of his Resolution is no more than this, Holiness is good when a Man is just dying, but while he lives and can enjoy his Lusts, they are a great deal better; so that the Approach of Death makes Holiness good to him upon this account only, because there would be some thing worse, and there can no longer be any thing better; and 'tis to be feared he esteems it good only in comparison with Hell which without it will inevitably follow. And when it thus purchases the reputation of being good from the near approach of such a mighty Evil, it is not so much esteemed a Good as a lesser Evil; which argues that the Mans Judgment is not at all altered, for still he looks on Holiness as an Evil, and in chusing it before Hell, he only chuses of two Evils the least, and 'tis extreamly Suspicious that he would no more have chosen it now than he did while he was Well and in Health, but that it stands at present, out of the Air of Temptation, and is presented to him without the Counterpoize of those sinful Delights for whose sake he formerly rejected it. For there are many Apprehensions which make deep Impressions not only on our Brain and Fansies, but on our Affections too, whilst these are calm and unprovoked; which impressions notwithstanding quickly vanish upon the starting of new Objects, and the provocation of contrary Fansies and Affections by them; so that it is impossible to be certain what those good Resolutions will come to which a Man makes when he hath no Temptation to the contrary. The utmost therefore that can be said of them is this, they may be sincere and they may hold out, but there is an infinite Hazard in them; they are easily made, because at present there is no Temptation against them, no vicious Appetite strong enough to controul them; but there is vast Reason to fear that should the Man recover, and his Appetites return again upon him, the next Temptation would betray him and make him surrender up all his Resolution; and consequently if he die before he hath made a Trial of himself, his Condition must needs be extreamly uncertain, his Hope must sit upon the Brinks of Despair, and his Soul go trembling into Eternity to think what a Hazard it is now a running.
3. He resolves under the Horrors and Agonies of an awakened Conscience, and this also renders his Resolution extreamly Suspicious. And indeed that Man must be in a dead Sleep that will not awake when Death is sounding the Trumpet of Iudgment in his Ears, and calling him instantly away to give up his unprepared Accounts. For though when Iudgment seems to us at the other end of Heaven all is quiet, yet certainly when Death brings us to the very Seat of it, the Awe of that dreadful Tribunal of which we are now in sight, and the Sense of so many Guilts staring us in the face, of which we must the next Moment acquit our selves, or Die for ever, must necessarily shake out sleepy Consciences into unspeakable Horrors and Agonies, and make us infinitely Solicitous to fly from the Wrath that is to come. And in this Distress being conscious to himself that the best thing he can do is to resolve upon Amendment for the future, here he puts in for Sanctuary having no other hole to hide his guilty Head. So that now to resolve well is hardly an Act of Choice, and it is much to be feared that 'tis only an Expedient snatched up for the present Extremity; and though now he be very serious, yet that prehaps is only the effect of a suddain Cast of Melancholy on his Thoughts; and if it be, when that removes, his Thoughts will be quite of another Colour, or if it be the Result of a more through Conviction, yet it is very probable that may go off too when the Mans Circumstances are altered; that when the present Tragick Scene is removed out of sight, and the Alarm of his approaching Judgment sounds no longer in his Ears, he will presently let fall those Resolutions again which he took up only as a shield, against his Conscience. And this being so uncertain, what a fearful Hazard must that Man run that depends upon such Resolutions, and imbarks his Soul into Eternity in them? For though it is possible they may be sincere, yet it is highly probable that they are not, but as they were raised only by a Storm of Horror, so if that were laid they would fall again; and if they should be False and Hypocritical, as God only knows whether they are or no, the poor Man is certainly lost and undone for ever.
4. And lastly, he resolves in the near Neighbourhood of Eternity, which also renders his Resolution very Suspicious. For the Soul is never more sensible of Eternity than when 'tis walking on the Confines of it; for the very loosing it from the Body wherein it dwells, and in which its Motions are all confined, doth many times give her some lesser Degrees of those Advantages which free and naked Spirits have that are not imprisoned in Flesh. For the less the Soul is found to work by the Body, the higher are its Operations, and all her extraordinary Motions are a kind of Ravishment from Sense. It is therefore very probable that when the Soul is leaving the Body, it hath naturally a more sensible Touch and Feeling of its eternal State, because the nearer any thing is to its Residence, the more vehement is its Motion thither; and consequently the nearer the Soul is to its eternal Abode, the more quick and vigorous may we reasonably suppose its Motions thither; so that when the other World is in view, and it is just upon the Region of Spirits, it is no wonder if the Sense of her approaching everlasting Fate put her into great Tremblings and Agonies. For now there is nothing between her and Eternity to intercept her Prospect of it; no sinful Pleasures or Delights to interrupt her Thoughts of it, or deaden the force of its Impressions: so that if in this State of Things she should not resolve to throw off her Sins and embrace Vertue, when she is in view of that Hell of endless Miseries to which those tend, and of that Heaven of Joys to which this aspires, it would be prodigious. But whether this Resolution will hold when Heaven and Hell are vanished out of sight again, it is a mighty Hazard; and sadly probable it is that if the Man recover from the Brinks of Eternity, and get farther off it, he will soon forget his good Resolutions, and leave all his Piety behind him. For when he resolved, alas he was sick and dying, leaving this World and launching into another; but when he is well again, the Case will be altered; this World will be present to him, and the other a great way off; and when his Resolution is thus abandoned of the Motive that animated and held it together, there is infinite reason to suspect that it will immediately languish and expire. So that the Summ of all is this the Death-bed Penitent may possibly repent sincerely, but 'tis an infinite Hazard whether he will or no; and if he doth, it is ordinarily impossible for him to have any comfortable Assurance of it. I will not deny but in some rare and extraordinary Cases, to serve some great and excellent End, God may immediately suggest Comfort to him and give him the Joy of his Repentance; but whether ever he doth or will do so or no, is more than I am able to determine. For this I am sure of he hath no where obliged himself to it, and what he hath not promised, we have no reason to expect. For whatsoever is extraordinary, is more than what is promised, but the ordinary Comforts of dejected Penitents are such as arise from an inward Sense of their own Sincerity, and of the glorious Hopes to which that intitles them. But as for the Sincerity of the Deathbed Penitent it is so indiscernable by reason of Suspicious Circumstances, that without an immediate Revelation it is hardly possible to be perceived, and from any promise, that God hath made, there is not the least encouragement to hope for any such immediate Revelation. So that if any such Comfort be vouchsafed to him, it is doubtless very rarely; because it is extraordinary. I know there is nothing more common than for Men that never repented till they came to die, to die very comfortably; but alas I am horribly afraid that generally their Comforts are nothing but the Effects either of their Stupidity, or their Disease, or else the Consequence of very false and dangerous Principles.
First, many times it is plainly the Effect of their wretched Stupidity and Sottishness. For some Men we see are so Stupid in their Sins, that nothing but Hell flames will awake them; and though when they feel themselves upon the edge of Eternity passing into an irreversible Condition, they cannot forbear reflecting on their Sins, and starting at the dangerous Consequence of them; yet if they can but so far obtain of themselves as to weep for, and resolve against them, they think that all is well again, and so go into Eternity with a great deal of Comfort and Assurance. But these are a sort of Stupid Souls that have no regard of themselves, that are dying forever but have not Sense enough to apprehend their Danger, or to feel the Disease of which they are dying; for if they had they would never be so confident of their Recovery upon such slight and easie Applications; they would consider how false and hypocritical all their former Resolutions have proved, and how much cause there is to suspect lest those should prove as bad as they, and how impossible it is to impose upon God to whose all-seeing Eye the inmost Nature, and utmost Issues of Things are open and naked, which would necessarily render them extreamly jealous and Solicitous concerning their eternal State. I am now going away into everlasting Weal or Woe, Lord, what will become of me, the only security I have that it will go well with me forever is only this, that I am resolved upon a future Amendment; but alas I have too much reason to suspect my Resolution is rotten at the Core, and if it be, Woe be to me that ever I was Born. This without all doubt would be his Language if he were but throughly awakned into a Sense of his Danger, which because he is not he dies in a Dream of Happiness and will presently awake in real and intolerable Misery. And as this Comfort of the Deathbed Penitent doth often times arise from his Stupidity, so,
Secondly, many times 'tis nothing else but the mere Effect of his Disease. For there are many Diseases that have a natural Enthusiasm attending them, viz. such as alternately chill and freeze the Blood, and put the Spirits into unequal Motions; and to such as these Dejections and Transports do as naturally follow, as Shiverings and Burnings to an Ague. For when the Blood runs low, and the Spirits are weak and languid, then usually the Scene is all Tragedy; melancholy Vapours cloud and overwhelm their Fancies, and they are lost in a Wood of Spiritual Desertions. But when the Tide turns and warmer Blood flows up into the Brain, and refreshes the drooping Fancy with Brisk and active Spirits, then they are full of Raptures and Extasies, which, because they look on as streaming from an heavenly Original, they labour to swell and heighten to the utmost Brink of their Capacities; in so much that sometimes they are even stifled and overwhelmed with joy: and it is usual for them, especially in high Fevers, when their Blood is more briskly fermented by the sharpness of their Humours, to chafe and tickle themselves into real Trances and Deliriums, which they, not understanding the Structure of their own Bodies, and the Nature of their Disease, do commonly mistake for the immediate Sealings and Incomes of the Spirit of God. So that if they chance to die in one of these Transports, those that are Spectators of their End conclude that they depart in full Assurance, and are most infallibly received into the joy of their Master; whereas most commonly I fear their Joy expires with them, and leaves them desperate and miserable. But then
Thirdly, In the third and last place, their Comfort is many times nothing else but the Effect and Consequence of their own false and dangerous Principles. They have entertained such Principles as these, that their own Personal Righteousness is not at all necessary to render them acceptable to God, and that all is required of them is to rest and rely upon Iesus Christ; which if they do, all their Defects and Miscarriages shall be most certainly covered with the Robe of his Righteousness, and God will look upon them, and deal with them as if they had been as righteous as he. That Men have imbibed such Principles as these, and learned to practise on them, we who converse with Sick-beds cannot be ignorant; for when they have gone on impenitently to their Death-beds, and we come to enquire into the grounds of their Hopes, this we find is the ordinary Refuge they fly to, that Iesus Christ hath obeyed and suffered for them; and therefore they firmly rely upon him, and fling their Souls into his Arms, and make no doubt but he will catch them and save them from the Wrath to come: as if the design of our Saviours Undertaking had been to priviledge those who believe in him to Live wickedly, and Die comfortably. That he by his Merit and Satisfaction hath obtained this Grant of his Father, that all who heartily submit themselves unto him shall be received into his Favour, notwithstanding their past Rebellions and present Imperfections of Obedience, I think an undoubted Principle of Christianity; but that he hath obtained this Favour for us absolutely whether we submit to his Father or no, is so far from being Christian, that I think 'tis one of the most Antichristian Doctrines that was ever set on broach in the World; for it plainly defeats the main Design of Christianity, and totally dissolves all its Obligations. For whereas the principal Drift of Christianity is to teach Men to deny Ungodliness and Worldly lusts, and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World, this Doctrine unteaches all again, and gives Men a Dispensation to live as wickedly as they please. For if upon my Reliance upon Christ I shall be received into Gods Favour whether I submit to him or no, farewel to all Obligations of Obedience. What need Men be so Sollicitous of making such hearty Submissions of their Souls to God, if the Righteousness of their Saviour be a Sanctuary from the Authority of his Laws? So that for Men to rely confidently upon Christ before they are secure that their Souls are heartily subjected to him, is a piece of the greatest Arrogance and Presumption; and tho' they may pacify their Conscience with it when they are dying, yet when they are dead they will find they have made more bold than welcome with their Saviour; that he will not be a Patron to their sins, nor side with them so far in their Rebellions against his Father, as to shelter them in his Wounds from the due Vengeance of eternal Fire. Altho' therefore these death-bed Penitents do too often dye very comfortably, yet considering what false grounds their Comforts generally stand on, I had much rather see them go down to their Graves in the greatest sorrow and anxiety of Soul; for if they should miscarry, as there is vast reason to fear they will, it grieves my Soul to think what a surprize they will be in, how they will be blanked and amazed when, contrary to their bold Presumptions of waking in immortal Joys, they find themselves among Devils and damned Ghosts abandoned to endless Misery and Despair. And indeed I cannot but wonder that a Man who hath deferred his Repentance to a Death-bed should have the confidence to talk of Comfort and Assurance; which is such a Reward as God usually appropriates to long and most eminent Piety. But for a Man that hath rebelled against God all his days to pirk up presently after a few sighs and submissions, and pretend to as much Assurance of his Saviour as if he had been his ancient Friend and Familiar, is down right inexcuseable Impupudence. Alas poor Man! what less canst thou do in Modesty than spend the small Remainder of thy Days in Sighs, and Tears, and deep Humiliations; and when thou hast done thy utmost, to content thy self with this, that thou art not altogether desperate? But as for Comfort and Assurance, it would well become thee to leave them to those who have better deserved them; for after all thou canst do, if thou gettest to Heaven it will be a Wonder of mercy: so that unless thou art absolutely besotted, thou must die in great fear, and go trembling away into Eternity. So miserable is the State of the deathbed Penitent, that it is a mighty Hazard whether ever he repent to purpose, and if he doth, it is ordinarily impossible to reap any comfortable assurance of it.
And now I expect that it will be objected against this Discourse that it savours of too much Rigour and Severity, because it represents the State of dying Penitents so very near to desperate. To which I briefly answer, that if it were absolutely desperate, as I confess I think it very near so, yet doubtless the best way is to represent Things as they are: for the nature of the Thing is already fixed, and neither your Opinion nor mine will alter it. Indeed if I could recover a dying Man by telling him that he is not dying, it would be cruelty in me to pronounce him past Recovery; and so could I save the dying Penitent by telling him that he is secure. I never very much to blame should I say his Case is desperate; but alass! if it be so, it will be so, let me say what I please; so that in pronouncing that it is so, I only make him sensible of it a few Moments sooner. I do but shew him what he must trust to, and what he will presently be convinced of by woeful Experience; and by ringing out a passing Bell to his departing Soul, I do him this kindness at least that he will not be in Hell before he is aware of it. And certainly this is some Charity, tho' it be severe; but yet neither do I represent the Case to be altogether desperate, tho' I must confess some very great and eminent Divines have done so; for I have endeavoured to shew that true Repentance is not impossible on a Death-bed, tho' extreamly hazardous and difficult; so that still there is some Hope, enough to incourage the Sinners utmost Endeavour, and keep his Head above water; and for him to give up himself to Despair while there is any glimmering of hope, is to enter into Hell before his time, which is a degree of imprudence next to that he hath been already guilty of, in putting himself upon this dismal Extremity. But supposing it had been represented as wholly desperate, yet this can occasion no Man that hears me to despair, unless it be thro' his own Default. For God be praised I am not now preaching to a sick or dying Auditory; you are now well and in health, and have a space and season of Repentance before you, which if you will but diligently improve, you prevent the fearful Hazard whereunto a death-bed Penitence exposes you. But if thro' your own Neglect you should fall into it and despair in it, who can you blame but your selves for it. All that I aim at is to prevent your Danger by persuading you to repent betime; but if you will be so cruel to your selves as to delay it till it is too late, and then Despair overtake you, you may thank your selves for it that would take no warning. And therefore to render this Argument yet more effectual, I intend to represent to you at large the Folly and Wickedness of deferring our Repentance to the last, and thereby to excite and provoke you to a speedy Resolution of Amendment; that so when the Bridegroom comes you may not with these foolish Virgins in my Text find the Door of Heaven shut against you, but that having finished your work, you may be admitted with that good and profitable Servant into the joy of your Master.