Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

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H E A D I!.
The,Difference betwixt the Righteous and the
Wicked in their Death.
Proverbs xiv, 31.
'The Wicked is driven out in his Wichcdnejs : But the
Righteous hath hope in his Death.
THIS text looks like the cloud betwixt the Ifra-
elites an^ Egyptians, having a dark fide towards
the latter, and a bright fide towards the former. It
reprefents death like Pharaoh’s jailor, bringing the
chief butler and the chief baker out of one prifon ; the
one to be reftored to his office, and the other to be led
to execution. It (hows the difference betwixt the god-j
ly and ungodly in their death ; who as they a£I a very
different part in life, fo, in death, have a vaflly differ-j
ent exit.
Firfl. As to the death of a wicked man ; here isJ
(1 ) The manner of his palling out of the world, He is;||
driven away ; namely in his death, as is clear fromj
the oppofite claufe. He is forcibly thrufi: out ofliislj
place in this world, driven away as chaff' before the:!
wind. (2 ) The (fate he pafieth away in. He diesl
in a finful and hopelefs (late. Firjl. In a finful (fate ; 1
he is .driven away in his wickednefs. He lived in it,-,
and he dies in it ; his filthy garments of fin, in which |
he wrapt up himfelf in his life, are his prifon-garmentsl
in wh\ch he (hall lie wrapt up for ever. Secondly, In
.1 hoprjefs ft ate ; But the right cuts hath hope in
death ? which plainly imports the hopeleffhefs -of the
wicked in their death. Whvtreby it is not meant, that!
no wicked man (hall have any hope at all, when he is
a dying, but (hall die in defpair. No; fometimes it is|
jfo indeed, bur frequently it is otherwif©; foolifh vir
gins may, and often do hope to the haft breath. But
the wicked man lias no folid hope ; and as for the der
lufrtf