Use 3. — This reproves those who indeed think oft of this evil day, much against their will, by reason of an awakened conscience, that is ever pinching them, and preaching on Paul's text before Felix to them, till it makes them tremble as he did ; yet such is the power of lusts in their hearts, that it makes them spur on, notwithstanding all the rebukes conscience gives them, and affrighting thoughts they have of the evil day ; yet they continue their old trade of sin desperately. The secure sinner, that has broke prison from his conscience, is like a sti'ong-brained drimkard; he swallows down his sin, as the other does his drink, with pleasure, and is not stirred at all. But here is a man that is stomach-sick, as I may so say ; his conscience is oft disgorging his sweet draughts, and yet he will sin, though with pain and anguish. O con- sider, poor wretches, wjiat you do ; instead of arming yourselves against the evil day, you arm the evil day against yourselves ; you are sticking the bed with pins and needles, on which you must ere long be laid ; you are throwing billets into that fiery furnace, .wherein at last you shall be cast : and all this in spite of your consciences, which God mercifully sets in your way, that the pricking of them may be as a hedge of thorns, to keep thee from the pursuit of thy lusts. Know, therefore, if thou wilt go on, that as thy conscience takes from the pleasures of thy sin at present, so it will add to the horror of thy torment hei'eafter.
Use 4. — It reproves those who, though they are not so violent and out- rageous in sin, to make them stink above ground in the nosti'ils of others, yet rest in an unarmed condition ; they do not fly to Christ for covering and shelter against this day of storm and tempest ; and the reason is, they have a lie in their right hand ; they feed on ashes, and a deceived heart carries them aside from seeking after Christ. It would make one tremble to see how con- fident many are with their false hopes and self-confidences, daring to come up, as Korah, with his censer, as undauntedly as Moses himself, even to the mouth of the grave, till on a sudden they are swallowed up with destruction, and sent to be undeceived in hell, who would not be beaten from their refuge of lies here. Whoever thou art, O man, and whatever thou hast to glory in, were it the most saint-like conversation that ever any lived on earth, yet if this be thy shelter against the evil day, thou wilt perish. No salvation when that flood comes, but Christ, yea, being in Christ : hanging on the outside of the ark by a specious profession, will not save. Methinks I see how those of the old world ran for their lives, some to this hill, and others to that high tree ; and how the waves jjursued them, till at last they were swept into the devouring flood. Such will your end be that turn any other way for help than to Christ ; yet the ark waits on you, yea, comes up close to your gate to take you in. Noah did not put forth his hand more willing to take in the dove, than Christ doth to receive those who fly to him for refuge. Oh, reject not your own mercies for lying vanity !
Use 5. — Let this put thee upon the inquiry, whoever thou art, whether thou art in a posture of defence for this evil day. Ask thy soul, soberly and solemnly, Art thou provided for this day, this evil day ? How couldst thou part with what that will take away, and welcome what it will certainly bring? Death comes with a warrant to carry away all thy carnal enjoyments, and to bring thee up a reckoning for them. Oh, canst thou take thy leave of the one, and with peace and confidence read the other? Will it not affright thee to have thy health and strength turned into faintness and feebleness ; thy sweet nights of rest into waking eyes, and restless tossings up and down ; thy voice, that has so often chanted to the viol, to be now acquainted to no other tune but sighs and groans? Oh, how canst thou look upon thy sweet and dear relations with thoughts of removing from them? yea, behold the instrument, as it were, whetting, that shnll give the fatal stroke to sever soul and body ? Think that thou wert now half dead in thy members, that are most remote from the foun- tain of life, and death to have but a few moments' journey, before it arrives to thy heart, and so beat thy last breath out of thy body. Possibly the inevitable
IN THE EVIL DAY. IgJ