the Account of our Lives, if we do no Good while we live. The Cafe is different as to those who did all the Good they could while they lived, and when they faw they could live no longer, took care to do Good after Death. Such furviving Charities as these prolong our Lives, and add daily to our Account; when fuch Men are removed into the other World, they are doing Good in this World still, they have a Stock a going below, the Increase and Improvements of which will follow them into the other World. Men who have been charitable all their Lives, may prolong their Charity after Death; and this will be brought to the Account of their Lives: But I cannot fee, how a Charity which commences after Death, can be called doing Good while we live; and then it cannot belong to the Account of our Lives. All that can be faid for it is this; That they make their Wills, whereby they bequeath these Charities while they live; and therefore their bequeathing thefe Charities is an Act of their Lives; but they never intend they fhall take Place while they live, but after their Death. And when they never intend their Charity to be an Act of their Lives, I know not why God fhould account it fo. These Death-bed: Charities are too like a Death-bed Repentance: Men seem to give their Eftates to God and the Poor, juft as they part with their Sins, when they can keep them no lon

ger.

ger. This is much fuch a Charity, as it is Devotion to bequeath our dead Bodies to the Church or Chancel, which we would never vifit while we lived.

But yet, as I have already intimated, this is the only Way to prolong our Lives, and to have an increafing Account after Death, to lay the Foundations of fome great Good to the World, which fhall outlive us: Which like Seed fown in the Earth, fhall fpring up, and yield a plentiful Harveft, while we fleep fweetly in the Duft. Such as the religious Education of our Children and Families, which may propagate itself in the World, and last many Ages after we are dead; the Endowment of publick Schools and Hofpitals; in a word, whatever is for the Relief of the Neceffities, or for the Inftruction and good Government of Mankind, when we are gone. To do Good while we live, and to lay Defigns of great Good to future Generations, will both come into our Account, and this may extend the Account of our Lives much beyond the fhort Period of them in this World.

5. If Death puts an End to our Account, methinks a dying Bed is a little of the latest to begin it; for this is to begin juft where we muft end. The Account of our Lives is the Account of the Good or Evil we have done while we lived: And what Account can a dying Man give of this, who has spent his whole Life in Sin and Wickedness? If he must

be

be judged according to what he hath done in the Body, how fad is his Account; and how impoffible is it for him to mend it now? For when he is just a dying, it is too late for him to begin to live: If without holiness no man fhall fee God, How hopeless is his Condition, who has lived a wicked and profligate Life all his Days; and is now paft living, and therefore paft living a holy Life? A Man who is confined to a fick and dying Bed, is uncapable of exercising the Virtues of Life: His Time of Work is over, almost as perfectly over as if he were dead; and therefore his Account is finished, and he must expect his Reward according to what he has already done.

No, you'll fay, he may ftill repent of his Sins; and a true Penitent shall find Mercy even at his last Gafp. Now I readily grant, that all true Penitents fhall be faved, whenfoever they truly repent; but it is hard to think, that any dying Sorrows, or the dying. Vows and Refolutions of Sinners, fhall be accepted by GOD for true Repentance: The Miftakes of this Matter are very fatal, and therefore I shall briefly explain it.

In expounding the Promises of the Gospel, we must take care to reconcile the Gospel to itself, and not make one Part of it contradict or overthrow another. Now, as the Gofpel promises Pardon of Sin to true RepenR

tance,

Heb. xii. 14.

Rom. ii. 6, 7,

‚8, 9, 10.

tance, fo it makes Holiness of Life as neceffary a Condition of Salvation, as true Repentance. Without holiness no man fball fee GOD. GOD will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh upon every foul of man that doth evil; but glory, bonour, and peace to every man that worketh good. Be not deceived, GOD is not mocked;

Gal. vi. 7, 8. for whatfoever a man foweth, that fhall be alfo reap: For he that foweth to the flesh, fhall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that Joweth to the spirit, fhall of the Spirit reap life everlafting. The Promises of Forgiveness to Repentance, are not more express than thefe Texts are, which declare that we fhall be rewarded according to our Works: And we have as much Reason to believe the one as the other; and if we believe the Gofpel, we must believe them both; And then Repentance and a holy Life are both neceffary to Salvation: And then the dying Sorrows of Sinners, who have lived very wicked Lives, and are paft mending them now, cannot be true faving Repentance. If Sorrow for Sin without a holy Life can carry Men to Heaven, then I am sure Holiness is not neceffary;

then

then Men may fee God without Holiness, and then the Promises of Pardon to Repentance (if this dying Sorrow be true Repentance) overthrows the Neceffity of a holy Life; and the Neceffity of a holy Life contradicts the Promifes of Pardon to fuch Penitents; and then either one or both of them must be false.

To state this Matter plainly, and in a few Words, we must diftinguish between two Kinds of Repentance: 1. The Baptifmal Repentance: 2. Repentance upon a Relapfe, or falling into any known and wilful Sin.

I. By Baptifmal Repentance, I mean that Repentance which is neceffary in adult Perfons, in order to their receiving Chriftian Baptifm: This is the Repentance which is most frequently mention'd in the New Teftament, and to which the Promise of Remiffion and Forgiveness is annexed: This our Saviour. preached, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Matth. iv. 17. This he gave Authority to his Apostles to preach, that repentance and remiffion of fins fhould be preached in his name among all nations, Luke xxiv. 47. Now this Repentance, both as to Jews and Heathens, who embraced the Faith of Chrift, was renouncing all their former Sins, and falfe, fuperftitious, or idolatrous Worship; and this qualified them for Baptifm, in which they obtained the Remiffion of all their Sins