him with pains in his body, with headache, heartache, backache, shortness of breath, fainting qualms, trembling of joints, stopping at the chest, and almost all the symptoms of a man past all recovery.  Now, while death is thus tormenting the body, hell is busy with the mind and conscience, striking them with its pains, casting sparks of fire in thither, wounding with sorrows and fears of everlasting damnation the spirit of this poor creature.  And now he begins to bethink himself, and to cry to God for mercy:  Lord, spare me; Lord, spare me.  Nay, saith God, you have been a provocation to me these three years.  How many times have you disappointed me!  How many seasons have you spent in vain!  How many sermons and other mercies did I of my patience afiord you; but to no purpose at all.  Take him, death.  O good Lord, saith the sinner, spare me but this once; raise me but this once.

Indeed I have been a barren professor, and have stood to no purpose at all in thy vineyard; hut spare, O spare me this one time, I beseech thee, and I will he better.  Away, away, you will not; I have tried you these three years already; you are naught:  if I should recover you again, you would he as bad as you were before. (And all this talk is while death stands by.) The sinner cries again, Good Lord, try me this once; let me get up again this once, and see if I do not rnend.  But will you promise me to mend?  Yes indeed, Lord, and vow it too.  I will never be so bad again, I will he better.  Well, saith God, Death, let this professor alone for this time:  I will try him a little longer; he hath promised, he hath vowed, that he will amend his ways.  It may be he will mind to keep his promises.  Vows are solemn things; it may he he may fear to break his vows.  Arise from off thy bed.  And now God lays down his axe.  At this the poor creature is very thankful, praises God, and fawns upon him, shows as if he did it heartily, and calls to others to thank him too.  He therefore riseth, as one would think, to be a new creature indeed.  But by that he hath put on his clothes, is come down from his bed, and ventured into the yard or shop, and there sees how all things are gone to sixes and sevens, he begins to have second thoughts, and says to his folks, What have you all been doing?  How are all things out of order!  I am I cannot tell how much behindhand; one may see if a man be but a little laid aside, that you have neither wisdom nor prudence to order things.  And now, instead of seeking to spend the rest of his time for God, he doubleth his diligence after this world.  Alas, he saith, all must not be lost; we must have provident care.  And thus, quite forgetting the sorrows of death, the pains of hell, the promises and vows which he made to God to be better, because judgment was not speedily executed, therefore the heart of this poor creature is fully set in him to do evil.