SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI, IS. 323
melt away their days in pleasure, and charm and lull their souls into a deep sleep with the potion of outward delights, lest conscience should awake and talk with them. Therefore look to the ground of your comfort and security, whence it cometh : Ps. xciv. 19, ' Tiiy comforts delight my soul/ Every now and then we should be making experi- ments, and try the strength of it. Can you venture your everlasting estate upon the present confidence ? Would I be thus found of God ? 1 John ii. 28, ' Little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.' In afflictions and sickness men are wont to be serious. Is your faith found to praise and honour ?
3. It informs us that the state of a believer is far better than the state of those that flow in worldly delights. A man of a great estate, and that abounds in all the comforts of this life, may seem to live a merry life. Oh ! but a believer hath strong consolation, such as, when it is put to the trial, will bear him out in life and death. Wicked men may rejoice, as a bird sings in the fowler's snare ; they may take comfort in their portion for a while, but in their latter end they will be fools. Alas ! your comforts cannot ease you of the colic or headache, nor give you a good night's sleep. Small comfort, that can neither satisfy the heart in any distress, nor ease the conscience. Solomon saith, Prov. xi. 4, ' Riches profit not in a day of wrath.' Take it for man's or God's wrath. In man's wrath, riches many times prove our burden ; and none lie so obnoxious to public displeasure as rich men ; the comfort is soon lost, it lietli without us. An estate cannot be carried about you ; though it be in jewels, it is liable to hazard. The rich Jews were carried captive when the poor were left to till the land. So in the day of man's wrath, it falls most upon worldly great men, they have poor comforts which will not bear them out ; but we read of those which ' took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better and an enduring substance,' Heb. x. 34. Though with Joseph they lose their coat, yet they keep a good con- science, and this makes amends for all their outward losses. But I take the place rather for God's wrath ; there is the trial in trouble of conscience, and in the pangs of death. Christians, as sure as the Lord liveth, there will a time come when the strength of your comforts will be tried. Here you sit a brooding upon wealth, as a partridge upon rotten eggs ; and what then ? ' At his latter end he shall be a fool,' Jer. xvii. IL Why at his latter end ? Then he shall be so in the conviction of his own conscience, his own heart will call him fool. 0 fool ! 0 madman that I w\as, in lavishing out my time, strength and care upon that which will yield me no comfort ! Mr Fox tells us of a rich cardinal, who, when about to die, cried out, And must I die that am so rich ? will not death be bribed ? will money do nothing now ? This will be your case and condition when you come to die, if you get not an interest in this strong consolation. As that pagan emperor warbled out to his soul, 0 animida hlandula vagida,quo nunc ahibis? &c. — Oh ! where is this soul of mine going ? You that now shine in bravery, that eat of the fattest, and drink of the sweetest, when your day is gone what will become of you ? You must die and go from all this. Nothing then but peace of conscience and spiritual
324 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI. 18.
comfort will serve the turn. Oh ! for one drachm of this comfort then when death is nigh and God is angry. Men keep a great deal of bustle now to get honour, and break through all restraints of honesty and conscience to work themselves into worldly greatness. Oh ! but when they come to die, how will this be upon their heart ? What would they give then for peace of conscience, and this strong consolation which God vouchsafeth to the heirs of promise ? But then no price will be given to God. That look as a husband when he surpriseth his wife in her adulterous embraces, ' He will not spare in the day of vengeance ; he will not regard any ransom ; neither will he rest con- tent, though thou givest many gifts,' Prov. vi. 34, 35. So when God hath surprised you in the midst of your whoredoms, when you have diverted your respects from, and been disloyal to him, it is the day of his vengeance, and he will take no ransom. What will a man give in exchange for his soul ? Tiiere will be such a dying hour, which thou must expect, it is hard by. Christians, have you comforts strong enough to encounter the terrors and horrors of death ? Within a little while you will be put to trial.