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unalterably fixed upon those better and eternal Treasures, which thou haft prepared for them that love thee. Let the Thoughts and certain Expectation of Death and Judgment be fo conftantly, so powerfully prefent to my Soul, that in what Hour foever my Lord fhall come, I may be found ready to meet him,and to goin with him to the Marriage. Even fo, Bleed Fefus, Grant me in such manner to pass thro' things Temporal, that I finally lose not the things Eternal; but that I may use and improve thy Grace here, till Grace at last be swallowed up in Glory, and I tranflated to my Master's Joy. All which I beg for thy own Merits fake, my only Mediator and Redeemer: To whom, with the Father and Holy Spirit, be afcribed, as is most due, from Me, and every Creature, all Honour and Glory, Dominion and Power, Thanksgiving and Praife, and hum¬ ble Adoration, henceforth and for evermore. Amen.

Metr. ix. 27.

It is

ME D. VI.

Of Death.

Tis appointed for all Men once to Die, and after that the Judgment: So fays the Spirit of God himself; and what is thus appointed, none can reverse, none can escape. That then, which remains for Us, who lie under this Sentence, to do, is only to endeavour, that we may die as becomes Men and Christians; that is, as Persons who 2 Cor. v. Io. expect to render an Account of the Things done in this Body, and to receive a Recompence accordingly, whether it be Good or Bad. But who may abide that Day? or who fhall ftand, when the Lord appeareth? Who indeed; when not only the Thing it felf, but the very Apprehenfions, and especially the Approaches of it are o dreadful? For what is more

ter

terrible to Mortal Man, than Dying? and what more fo to finful Man, than being Judged? But yet, my Soul, fince thefe muft unavoidably come, let us fee what Course can be taken, to foften a little, and reconcile us to them: Nay, let us try, if it be not posfible, not only to bear them contentedly, but even to meet them gladly.

II. If Death be confidered in it self, it is no more than what all the living Creation here below undergo in common with our felves. And what is Dying? It is a Ceafing to Live after the manner we now do; it is a Removal, or rather, an Escape, from a World of Miffortunes and Miseries; of Sorrow and Difquiet; of Malice and Deceit; of Noife and Contention; of Pains and Anguifh; of Croffes and Difappointments; of Vanity and Vexation and, which is worst of all, of Temptation and Sin. It is doing that once for all, which we have done in part a thousand times already; by Sickneffes and Faintings; by the Decays and Infirmities of Nature; and by the lofs of tendereft Relations, who tore away our very Heart with them. In fhort, the prefent Life, even to the Profperous, will be found upon a juft Computation, to have made a very unequal Diftribution. For even fuch have a larger proportion of Trouble than of Happiness. But to the generality of Mankind, it is a rough tempeftuous Sea; and Death is the making their Port, or at laft retiring into the Shelter of 2 Creek, where Storms can reach and annoy them no more. These are not affected Strains of Philofophy, but weighed and measured Truths; fuch as every man is,or may be, fadly convinced of, at his own Expence. The only Deceit arifes from our natural Fondness for Living; which God hath wifely infufed, and woven into our Souls, that we might fuftain our prefent Calamities the better. As on the other hand he hath made Faith of a Future State our Virtue, and ordained the

Miseries of the Prefent Life as an Exercise for that Vir tue; that both together might be a Balance at least against the Objects of Senfe, and draw off our Affections from a Place, which was never intended for our Reft; and to raife our Defires of thofe Better Things provided for us in another World. And furely, if this Matter were well weigh'd, however timorous Nature may start and boggle at firit, yet it would be no hard matter to come clofe up to Death; and by the help of familiar Practice, and prudent pious Meditation, tổ render not only the Thoughts of it, but even the Thing it felf very tolerable to us.

III. But if we confider Death in another Capacity,as leading, and keeping us clofe Prifoners, to a juft and terrible Judgment, thus it hath a Sting indeed, which is the Senfe of Guilt, and Sin unpardoned. This is what nothing can relieve, but the Comforts of true Repentance, of a Saviour facrific'd to expiate, and make full Satisfaction for our Offences, a Title to our part in that Expiation, and the Favour of a reconciled God. And thefe, I hope, are Comforts which belong to Me. For do but hear and obferve (my Soul)what revivingWords the holy Spirit hath fpoken to this purpofe: If any man 1 John ii. 1,2. Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our Sins. Chrift hath dy'd, who is he that condemneth? Yea, Chrift is rifen again, and feated at the Right-hand of God, a perpetual Interceffor,and a mighty Saviour to all them that come to God by Him. He hath told thee,that what the Infirmity of the Law and theFlefh could not do, Christ hath done for us; that he knows and hath Heb. ii. & iv. felt our Weakneffes,and will not fail to make large and very gracious Allowances for them; that Jefus hath washed us in his own Blood, and tho' our Sins be as Scarlet, yet upon

Rom. vii.

Rev. i. 5.

a. i. 18.

Our

our true Repentance they fhall be white as Snow. Look up then, and fee thy Lord coming in the Clouds: Thou must be judged, 'tis true, but thy Redeemer fhall be thy Judge. And to whofe Decifion wouldst thou chufe to ftand, but to thy beft Friend's, to him who loved thee fo dearly, as to die for Thee; to be made Sin and a Curfe for Thee, that thou mighteft be made the Righteoufnefs of God in Him? This is thy fure Confidence, and Heaven and Earth may pafs away, but his Merits and Promifes can never fail. And he hath promised, that all who repent and believe, and ferve and love him, fhall be faved in that

Day, and be where He is, to behold his John xvii. Glory. Nay, not to behold only, but to enjoy it; to live, and reign, with the Son of God himself; For fuch he hath made Sons alfo,Heirs of God, Rom. viii. 17. and Joint-heirs with Chrift, of an Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, referved for them in the Heavens. And if I know that I Love God, I know that I fhall be with him, and be like him, and fee him as he is.

1 Pet. i.

4:

1 John iii. 2.

IV. Oh glorious Day, which fhall bring me to the full and infeparable Enjoyment of my deareft Saviour and moft merciful God: when this Veil of Flefh fhall be done away, and Spiritual Joy, and Peace, and Knowledge, and Love fhall for ever abound! Bleffed be thy Name, O God, who haft opened an Entrance into fuch Blifs for poor returning Sinners! Bleffed be thy Bounty, who haft ordained fuch an infinite Recompence for our imperfect and unworthy Labours! And if thou haft decreed withal, that I muft pafs thro' the Regions of Darknefs and Death, to come at thofe Seats of Light and Glory; fhall I grudge this Paffage? When I have born the Heat and Burthen of the Day, fhall I mourn becaufe Even is come, and fhrink back, when I am called to receive my Wages?

Some

Some Difficulties I know there are: But thou, O Lord, wilt ftrengthen my Faith, and not fuffer me to faint under the Terrors and Struggles of my laft Tryals, Give me Grace, I pray thee, to confider, that this is the Method by which thy own Son was made perfect; that it is no more, nay it is much lefs, than he fuffered voluntarily, and for my fake: that by fuffering Death he hath overcome it, and rendred the Conflict more eafy to them that come after. Grant me to rejoice, at least to support my felf, with the nearer Profpect of an Eternal Reft and Reward.

V. And do thou, O my Soul, labour continually to ftrengthen thy ownFrailties and Fears, with holy Meditations, with the repeated Exercises of Faith, and Repentance, of Truft and Love, and Heavenly-mindednefs. Bid adieu to this vain World, and fhake hands with it cheerfully: As for all that is uneafy here, thank God for a Deliverance from it; And for all whom thou haft reason to love and be concerned for, remember that thou leaveft them under the Conduct of the fame good Providence, of which thy felf haft had fo large Experience. Confider that God is All Relations, and more than All to thofe that want them; and if they continuę to feek and serve him diligently, he will never forfake them, but be their God, and their Guide unto Death. Bid all my Friends weep, not for me, but for themfelves; who are ftill in a State of Danger and Temptation, of Vanity and Mifery; from which they that die in the Lord are for ever freed. Tell them, that we fhall fee one another again fhortly. And, as I am going now, to thofe dear and good Souls, who have got the ftart of me in this Journey; fo They, and I, and all God's Children fhall have a glorious, a joyful Meeting, at the Refurrection of the Juft. We fhall all go together into a Place, whence Tears and Mourning are for ever banish'd; where the Vifion of God, the Ser

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