Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head II. The Hopelejnefs^ &c. 599
1 Prayers to God, will then be turn’d to horrible
1 Curies ; and their Praifes to hideous Biafphcmies,
. Matth. xxii. 13. There jhall be •weeping andgnajhing
| «/ Teeth. This gives a difmal, but genuine View
1 of the State of the Wicked in another World.
II. I ihall difeover the Hopelefnefs of the State
of unrenewed Men, at Death. It appears to be
very hopelefs, if we confider thefe four Things.
Fir/?, Death cuts off their Hopes and Profpedts
of Peace and Pleafure in this Life. Luke xii- 19, Soul,
thou haft much Goods laid up for many Tears, take
thine Eafe, eat, drink, and be merry, ver. 20. But
’ God [aid unto him, thou Fool, this Night thy Soul
Jhall be required of thee: Then who/e Jhall thofe
Things be, which Thou haft provided ? They look
i for great Matters in this World, they hope to
crcafe their Wealth, to fee their Families profper,
and to live at Eafe : But Death comes like a ilormy
I Wind, and fhakes off all their fond Hopes, like
J green Fruit from off a Tree. iVhen he is about to
i fill his Belly, God ftoall caft the Fury of his Wrath
i upon him. Job xx. a3. He may begin a Web of
1 Contrivances, for advancing his worldly Intereft:
But before he gets it wrought out, Death comes,
and cuts it out. His Breath goetb forth, he returfieth
: to his Earth: In that very Day his Thoughts penjh,
Pfal. cxlvi. 4.
Secondly, When Death comes, they have rto
folid Grounds to Hope for eternal Happinefs. For
•what is the Hope of the Hypocrite, though he hath
■ gained, when God taketh away his Soul f Job xxvij.
8. Whatever Hopes they fondly entertain, they
are not founded on God’s Word, which is the only
fure Ground ot Hope : If they knew their own
Cafe, they would fee themfclves only happy in a
Voi,. II. Q c Dream,