A practical discourse concerning death by William Sherlock ...

CHAP. III. Concerning the Time of our Death, and the proper Improvement of it. (Book 3)

LEt us now consider the time of our Death, which is once, but when uncertain.

Now when I say the time of our Death is uncertain, I need not tell you that I mean only it is uncertain to us, that is, that no man knows when he shall die; for God certainly knows when we shall die, because he knows all things, and therefore, with respect to the fore∣knowledge of God, the time of our Death is certain.

Thus much is certain as to Death, that we must all die; and it is certain also, that Death is not far off, because we know our lives are very short: be∣fore the Flood men lived many hundred years; but it is a great while now since the Psalmist observed, that the ordinary term of humane life had very narrow bounds set to it, The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by

reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow: for it is soon cut off, and we flie away, 90. Psal. 10. There are some excepti∣ons from this general Rule, but this is the ordinary period of humane life, when it is spun out to the greatest length; and therefore within this term we may reasonably expect it, for in the ordinary course of Nature our Bodies are not made to last much longer.

Thus far we are certain; but then, how much of this time we shall run out, how soon, or how late we shall die, we know not, for we see no age ex∣empted from Death; some expire in the Cradle, and at their Mother's Breasts, others in the heat and vigour of youth, others survive to a decrepit age, and it may be follow their whole Family to their Graves. Death very often sur∣prizeth us, when we least think of it, without giving us any warning of its approach; and that is proof enough, that the time of our Death is unknown and uncertain to us.

But these things deserve to be par∣ticularly discoursed; and therefore with reference to the time of our Death, I shall observe these four things, not so

much to explain them, for most of them are plain enough of themselves, as to improve them for the government of our lives:

• I. That the general Period of Humane Life, which is the same thing with the Time of our Death, is fixt and determin'd by God.
• II. That the particular time of every Man's Death, though it be fore∣known by God, who foreknows all things, yet it does not appear, that it is peremtorily decreed and deter∣mined by God.
• III. That the particular time, when a∣ny of us shall die, is unknown and uncertain to us.
• IV. That we must die but once; It is appointed for all men once to die.

SECT. I. That the general Period of Humane Life is fixt and determin'd by GOD, and that it is but very short.

I. THat the general Period of Hu∣mane Life, which is the same thing with the Time of our Death, is fixt and determin'd by God: That is, there is a time set to humane Life, be∣yond which no man shall live, as Iob speaks: 14 Job 5. His days are deter∣mined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass. Which does not refer to the period of every particular man's life, but is spoken of Man in general, that there are fixt bounds set to humane Life, which no man can exceed.

What these bounds are, God has not expresly declared, but that must be learnt from Observation: Such a time as most commonly puts a period to mens lives, who live longest, may generally pass for the common measure of humane Life, though there may be some few exce∣ptions.

Before the Flood, no man lived a thousand years, and therefore we may conclude, that the longest term of hu∣mane Life, after the Sentence of Death was passed on man, was confined with∣in a thousand years. Methusalah, who was the longest liver, lived but nine hundred sixty nine years, and he died; so that no man ever lived a thousand years: And comparing this Observati∣on with that Promise of a thousand years reign with Christ, which is called the first Resurrection, and is the porti∣on only of Martyrs and Confessors, and pure and sincere Christians, 20 Revel. I have been apt to conclude, that to live a thousand years, is the priviledge only of immortal Creatures; that if Adam had continued innocent, he should have lived no longer on Earth, but have been translated to Heaven without dying; for this thousand's years reign of the Saints with Christ, whatever that signifies, seems to be intended as a reparation of that Death which they fell under by A∣dam's sin: but then these thousand years do not put an end to the happiness of these glorious Saints, but they are im∣mortal Creatures, and though this reign with Christ continues but a thousand

years, their happiness shall have no end, though the Scene may change and va∣ry; for over such men the second death hath no power: Or else this thousand years reign with Christ must signifie an eternal and unchangable Kingdom, a thousand years being a certain earnest of Immortality; but there is an unreason∣able Objection against that, because we read of the expiring of these thousand years, and what shall come after them, even the final Judgment of all the World. But this is a great Mystery, which we must not hope perfectly to understand, till we see the blessed accomplishment of it.

But though before the Flood some persons lived very near the thousand years, yet after the Flood the term of life was much shortned: Some think this was done by God, when he pronounced that Sentence, 6 Gen. 3. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. As if God had then decreed, that the life of man should not exceed an hundred and twenty years; but this does not agree with that account we have of mens lives after the Flood; for

not only Noah and his Sons, who were with him in the Ark, lived much longer than this after the Flood; but Arphazad lived five hundred and thirty years, Sa∣lah four hundred and three years, Eber four hundred and thirty years, and A∣braham himself a hundred seventy five years, and therefore this hundred and twenty years cannot refer to the ordina∣ry term of man's life, but to the con∣tinuance of God's patience with that wicked World, before he would bring the Flood upon them to destroy that corrupt Generation of Men; that is, that he would bear with them a hundred and twenty years, before he would send the Flood to destroy them. But after∣wards by degrees life was shortned, in∣somuch that though Moses himself lived a great deal longer, yet if the 90 Psalm were composed by him, as the Title tells us it was, the ordinary term of life in his days, was but threescore and ten, or fourscore years, 10 v. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and it is gone. And this has continued the ordi∣nary measure of life ever since; which

is so very short, that David might well say, Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth, and mine age is as no∣thing before thee: verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity, 39 Psal. 5.

I shall not scrupulously inquire into the reason of this great change, why our lives are reduced into so narrow a compass: Some will not believe that it was so, but think that there is a mistake in the manner of the account; that when they are said to live eight or nine hundred years, they computed their years by the Moon, not by the Sun; that is, their years were months, twelve of which make but one of our years; and then indeed the longest livers of them did not live so long as many men do at this day, for Methusalah himself, who lived nine hundred sixty nine years, according to this computation of months for years, lived but fourscore years and five months. But it is very absurd to imagine, that Moses should use two such different accounts of time, that some∣times by a year he should mean no more than a month, and sometimes twelve months, without giving the least notice of it, which is unpardonable in any Hi∣storian:

And therefore others complain much that they were not born in those days, when the life of man was prolong∣ed for so many hundred years: There had been some comfort in living then, when they enjoyed all the vigour and gaiety of youth, and could relish the pleasure of life for seven, eight or nine hundred years. A blessing which men would purchase at any rate in our days: but now we can scarce turn ourselves a∣bout in the World, but we are admo∣nished by gray Hairs, or the sensible decays of Nature, to prepare for our Winding-sheet. And therefore, for the farther improvement of this argument, I shall, 1. shew you, what little reason we have to complain of the Shortness of Life. 2. What wise use we are to make of it.

SECT. II. What little reason we have to complain of the Shortness of Humane Life.

1. WHat little reason we have to complain of the Shortness of Life, and the too hasty Approaches of Death to us: For, 1. such a long Life is not reconcileable with the present State of the World. And, 2ly, our Lives are long enough for all the wise purposes of living.

1. Such a long Life is not reconcile∣able with the present state of the World. What the state of the World was before the Flood, in what manner they lived, and how they employed their time, we cannot tell, for Moses has given no ac∣count of it; but taking the World as it is, and as we find it, I dare undertake to convince those men, who are most apt to complain of the shortness of Life, that it would not be for the general Happiness of Mankind, to have it much longer: For, 1. the World is at present very unequally divided; some have a large share and portion of it, others have nothing, but what they earn by

very hard Labour, or extort from other mens Charity by their restless Importu∣nities, or gain by more ungodly Arts: Now, though the Rich and Prosperous, who have the World at command, and live in ease and pleasure, would be very well contented to spend some hundred years in this World, yet I should think, fifty or threescore years abundantly e∣nough for Slaves and Beggars; enough to spend in Hunger and Want, in a Jaol and a Prison. And those who are so foolish as not to think this enough, owe a great deal to the wisdom and goodness of God, that he does: So that the great∣est part of Mankind have great reason to be contented with the shortness of Life, because they have no temptation to wish it longer.

2ly, The present state of this World requires a more quick Succession: the World is pretty well peopled, and is di∣vided among its present Inhabitants; and but very few, in comparison, as I observed before, have any considerable share in the division: Now let us but suppose, that all our Ancestors, who li∣ved an hundred, or two hundred years ago, were alive still, and possessed their old Estates and Honours, what had be∣come

of this present Generation of Men, who have now taken their places, and make as great a show and busle in the World as they did? And if you look back three, or four, or five hundred years, the case is still so much the worse; the World would be over-peopl'd, and where there is one poor miserable man now, there must have been five hundred, or the World must have been common, and all men reduced to the same level; which I believe the rich and happy Peo∣ple, who are so fond of long Life, would not like very well. This would utter∣ly undo our young prodigal Heirs, were their hopes of Succession three or four hundred years off, who, as short as life is now, think their Fathers make very little hast to their Graves: this would spoil their trade of spending their E∣states before they have them, and make them live a dull sober life, whether they would or no; and such a life, I know, they don't think worth having: And therefore, I hope, at least they will not make the shortness of their Fathers lives an argument against Providence; and yet such kind of Sparks as these, are commonly the Wits, that set up for A∣theism, and, when it is put into their

heads, quarrel with every thing which they fondly conceive will weaken the be∣lief of a God, and a Providence, and a∣mong other things, with the shortness of Life, which they have little reason to do, when they so often out-live their E∣states.

3ly, The World is very bad as it is, so bad, that good men scarce know how to spend fifty or threescore years in it; but consider how bad it would probably be, were the life of man extended to six, seven or eight hundred years. If so near a prospect of the other World, as forty or fifty years, cannot restrain men from the greatest Villanies, what would they do, if they could as reason∣ably suppose Death to be three or four hundred years off? If men make such improvements in Wickedness in twenty or thirty years, what would they do in hundreds? And what a blessed place then would this World be to live in? We see in the old World, when the life of man was drawn out to so great a length, the wickedness of Mankind grew so insufferable, that it repented God he had made man, and he resolved to de∣stroy that whole Generation excepting Noah and his Family: and the most

probable account that can be given, how they came to grow so universally wick∣ed, is the long and prosperous lives of such wicked men, who by degrees cor∣rupted others, and they others, till there was but one righteous Family left, and no other remedy left, but to destroy them all, leaving only that righteous Family as the seed and future hopes of the new World.

And when God had determined in himself, and promised to Noah, never to destroy the World again by such an u∣niversal Destruction, till the last and fi∣nal Judgment, it was necessary by de∣grees to shorten the lives of men, which was the most effectual means to make them more governable, and to remove bad examples out of the World; which would hinder the spreading of the in∣fection, and people and reform the World again by new examples of Piety and Vertue: for when there are such quick successions of men, there are few Ages but have some great and brave exam∣ples, which give a new and better Spi∣rit to the World.

Many other things might be added, to convince those who complain of the shortness of humane Life, that it would

be no desirable thing, as the state of the World now is, to live seven or eight hundred years in it; but this I suppose is enough, if I can make good the se∣cond thing I proposed, That our lives are long enough for all the wise purpo∣ses of living.

Now I will not promise myself to satisfie all men in this matter; for those who think it the only end of living, to eat and drink, and enjoy the more im∣pure delights of flesh and sence, will never be satisfied, that threescore and ten years are as good as eight or nine hundred for this purpose; for the long∣er they enjoy these pleasures, and the oftner they repeat them, the better it is: But these men ought to be convin∣ced, that this is not the true end of li∣ving, that these are only means to pre∣serve life, which God has sweetned with such proper satisfactions, or made the neglect of them so uneasie and painful, that no man might forget to take care to preserve himself; but man was made at first for higher and nobler ends, and since by the sin of Adam we are all be∣come mortal, this life is not for itself, but in order to a better life.

We come into this World, not to stay here, or to take up our abode and rest, for then indeed the longer we lived the better; but this World is only a state of trial and discipline, to exercise our Vertues, to perfect our minds, to pre∣pare and qualifie ourselves for the more pure and refined and spiritual enjoy∣ments of the other World: We come into this World, not so much to enjoy, as to conquer it, and to triumph over it, to baffle its temptations, to despise its flatteries, and to endure its terrors; and if we live long enough to do this, we live long enough, and ought to thank God, that our work, and labour, and temptations are at an end; For what la∣bouring man is not glad that his work is over, and he may go to rest? What Mariner is not glad that he has wea∣thered all storms, and steered a safe course to his desired Haven?

There are two things necessary to the improvement of our Minds, Know∣ledge and Vertue: And as God has shortned our Lives, so he has short∣ned our Work too, and given us a more easie and compendious way to both.

Knowledge indeed is an infinite and endless thing, and it is impossible tho∣roughly to satisfie that appetite in great and genorous Minds, in this blind and obscure state of life; but the comfort is, all the knowledge that is necessary to carry us to Heaven, is now plain and easie, and will not take up many years to learn it, for, This is life eternal to know God, and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent; which is plainly revealed to us in the Gospel: And when we get to Heaven, we shall quickly understand all the difficulties of Nature and Pro∣vidence in another manner, then the greatest Philosophers do now, or can do, though they should live many hun∣dred years.

And as for Vertue, we have as short and easie a way to it: The plainest and most perfect Precepts, the most admi∣rable Examples, the most encouraging and inviting Promises, and which is more than all, the most powerful Assi∣stances of the Divine Spirit to renew and sanctifie us; and he who is not re∣formed by these divine and supernatu∣ral Methods of Grace, in forty or fifty years, is not likely to be the better for them, though he should live to Methu∣salah's age.

As for doing good, I confess, the long∣er a good man lives, the more good he will do, and make himself the more useful to the World; but this is God's care, and whenever he calls him out of the World, he excuses him from doing any more good in it.

The truth is, nothing could be more improper, under the state of the Gospel, then such a long Life, as worldly men are very fond of; for our Saviour has taught us to expect Persecutions and Sufferings for his Name; and this is ve∣ry often the portion of true and sincere Christians, that St. Paul could say, If in this life only we had hope, we were of all men the most miserable. Thanks be to God, it is not always so, but when it is, it would be too great a temptati∣on for humane Nature, to live some hundred years in a state of Persecution, as they might, if they and the persecu∣ting Prince should live so long.

Nay, such a long life as these men talk of, would greatly weaken the Pro∣mises and Threatnings of the Gospel, which are all absent and unseen things, to be expected in the other World; but if the next World were so many hun∣dred years off, both the Promises and

Threatnings of it, would lose their effect upon the generality of Man∣kind:

Nay, it might be thought very hard upon good men, who are taught by the Gospel of Christ to live above this World, and to have a very mean opi∣nion of, and a great indifferency to all the delights of it, to live so many hun∣dred years in it; not so much to enjoy it, as to despise it, and to contend with it. And it is not less hard for men, who are transported with the ravishing hopes and expectations of a better life, whose hearts and conversations are al∣ready in Heaven, to be kept so long out of it: This is a severe trial of their pa∣tience, for hope when it is so long de∣layed, is a very troublesome and un∣easie passion; and though few men long to die, yet a great many good men do very impatiently long to be in Hea∣ven, and can be contented, whenever God pleases, to submit to dying, though with some natural reluctancy, that they may get to Heaven.

In short, this life is long enough for a Race, for a Warfare, for a Pilgrimage; it is long enough to fight and contend with this World, and all the Temptati∣ons

of it; it is long enough to know this World, to discover the Vanity of it, and to live above it; it is long e∣nough, by the Grace of God, to purge and refine our minds, and to prepare ourselves to live for ever in God's pre∣sence; and when we are in any measure prepared for Heaven, and possessed with great and passionate desires of it, we shall think it a great deal too long to be kept out of it.

SECT. III. What use to make of the fixt Term of Humane Life.

2. LEt us consider what wise use is to be made of this; and here are two things distinctly to be consider∣ed: 1. That the general Term of hu∣mane Life is fixt and determined by God. 2. That this common Term and Period of Life, at the utmost extent of it, is but very short.

1. That the general Term of humane Life is fixt and determined by God; and this is capable of very wise im∣provements: For,

1. When we know that we cannot live above threescore or fourscore years, or some few years over or under, we should not extend our hopes and expe∣ctations and designs beyond this term. 2. We should frequently count our days, and observe how our lives wast, and draw near to Eternity. 3. When this Period draws nigh, and Death comes within view, it more especially concerns us to apply ourselves to a more serious and solemn preparation for Death.

1. We should not extend our hopes and expectations and designs beyond this term, which God has fixt for the conclusion of our lives: We should not live as if we were immortal Creatures, who are never to die; for if God have set bounds to our lives, it is absurd for us to expect to live any longer, un∣less we hope to alter the Decrees of Heaven.

And yet it is more absurd, if it be possible, to extend our hopes and de∣sires, our projects and designs for this World, beyond the term of our living here; for how unreasonable is it for us to trouble ourselves about this World longer then we are like to continue in it? and yet if this were observed, it

would ease us of a great deal of labour and care, and deliver the World from those great troubles and disorders, which the designs and projects for future Ages create.

Men might see some end of their La∣bours, and of their Cares, of increasing Riches, and adding House to House, and Field to Field, did they stint their de∣sires with their lives; did they consider how long they were to live, and what is a sufficient and necessary provision for their continuance here: whereas now the generality of Mankind drudge on to the last moment they have to live, and still heap up riches till they know no end of them, as if their lives and their enjoyment of them, were to have no end neither.

The only tolerable Excuse, that can be made for this, is the care of Posteri∣ty, to leave a liberal provision for Chil∣dren, that they may live happily after us: But this indeed is rather an Excuse than a Reason, for thus we see it is, when there is no such reason for it; when men have no Children to provide for, nor it may be any Relations, for whom they are much concerned; on when they have a sufficient provision

for all their Children, to encourage their Industry and Vertue, though not to maintain them in Idleness and Vice, which no wise and good Father would desire; nay, it may be, when they have no other Heir to an over-grown Estate, but either a Daughter, whose fortune may make her a rich Prey, as is too often seen, or a prodigal Son, who is ruined already by the expectation of so great a Fortune, and will quickly be e∣ven with his Fortune, and ruine that, when he has it.

A competent provision for Children, is a just reason to continue our indu∣stry, though we have enough for our selves, as long as we live, but to make them rich and great, is not. The Pie∣ty and Charity of Parents, which en∣tails a Blessing upon their Posterity, and an industrious and vertuous Education of Children, is a better Inheritance for them, than a great Estate: But men who are so intent to the very last upon encreasing their Estates, seldom do it for any other reason, but to satisfie their own insatiable thirst, which is to hoard up riches for a time when they can't enjoy them, to provide for their living in this World a much longer time, than

they know they can possibly live in it. This is much greater folly than the man in the Parable was guilty of, whose Ground brought forth plentifully, and he pulled down his Barns, and built greater, and said to his soul, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. He was so wise as to know when he had enough, and when it was fit to retire and take his ease: Yet God said unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee; and then whose shall all these things be, which thou hast pro∣vided? 12 Luke 16, &c.

Thus how big are most men with projects and designs, which there is lit∣tle hope should ever take effect, while they live? especially aspiring Monarchs, and busie Politicians, who draw the scheme, and frame their design of an u∣niversal Empire, through a long series of Events, or meditate changes and altera∣tions of Government, of the Laws and Religion of a Nation, by insensible steps and methods; which, though it were ne∣ver so hopeful a project, they can't hope to live to see effected, and therefore ex∣ceed their own bounds, and trouble the World at present, with what no body

now living may ever be concerned in; they undertake to govern the World, when they are dead and gone, whereas every Age brings forth new Projects and Counsels, as it does a new generation of Men, and new scenes of Affairs, and a new set of Politicians: Would but men confine their cares and projects within the bounds of their own lives, and mind only what concerns themselves, and their own times, and they would live more at ease, and the World enjoy more peace and quiet, than now it is ever likely to do: And yet one would think this very reasonable, not to concern our selves about the World any longer than we are like to live in it; to do no in∣jury to Posterity as near as we can, and to do what good we can for them, without disturbing the present Peace and good Government of the World, but to leave the care of the next Age to those who shall succeed, and to that good Providence which governs and takes care of all Ages and Generations of Men.

2. Since we know the common Pe∣riod of humane Life, we should fre∣quently count our days, and observe how our lives wast, and draw near to

Eternity. Our time slides away insen∣sibly, and fow men take notice how it goes; they find their strength and vi∣gour continues without any decay; and they reckon upon living threescore and ten, or fourscore years, but seldom con∣sider that it may be thirty or forty years are already gone, that is, the best half of their lives; they put a cheat up∣on themselves by computing the whole duration of their lives, without consi∣dering how much of this is already past, and how little of it is to come; which if men would seriously think of, they would not be so apt to flatter themselves with a long life; for no man accounts twenty or thirty years a long life, and that is the most they have to live now, though they should attain to the longest period of humane life, much less could they flatter themselves with a long life, when they could not probably reckon above fifteen or ten years to come. And would men observe how their life shortens every day, this, if any thing, would make them grow chary of their time, and begin to think of living, that is, of minding the true ends and purposes of life, of doing the work for which they came into the World, and which they

must do before they die, or they are mi∣serable for ever.

3. When men draw near the end of their reckoning, nay, it may be are past the common reckoning of Mankind, it more especially concerns them to apply themselves to a more serious and so∣lemn preparation for Death: for how vigorous soever their age is, Death can∣not be far off; it will be unpardonable in them, to be deceived with the hopes of living much longer, who have al∣ready attained to the common period of humane Life, and are in the borders and confines, nay in the very quarters of Death, and have already, if I may so speak, borrowed some years from the o∣ther World.

Now when I speak of such mens pre∣paring for Death, I do not mean, that they should then begin to think of dy∣ing, that is a great deal of the latest to begin such a work; though if they have not done it before, it is without doubt high time to begin it then, in the last minute of their lives, and to do what they can in that little time that remains, to obtain their Pardon of God for spending a long life in Sin and Vani∣ty, and in a Forgetfulness of their Maker and Redeemer.

But that which I now intend, con∣cerns those who have thought of dy∣ing long before, and govern'd their lives under the conduct and influ∣ence of such thoughts, and therefore are not wholly unprepared for Death, but are ready to welcome it, when∣ever it comes; but there is a de∣cent way of meeting Death, which be∣comes such men, which I call a more solemn Preparation for it; that is, when their condition and circumstances of life will permit it, to take a timely leave of the World, and to withdraw from the noise and business of it; when they are placed just in the confines of both Worlds, to direct their face wholly to that World whither they are a going, to spend the little remains of their lives in conversing with themselves, with God, and with the other World.

1. In conversing with themselves, which God knows very few men do, while they are engaged in the business of this World; the cares of Life, or the pleasures of it, our Families, or our Friends, or Strangers themselves, take us from ourselves, and therefore it is fit, before men go out of this World, that they should recover the possession

of themselves, and grow a little more acquainted and intimate with them∣selves; retire from the World to take a more thorough review of their lives and actions, what they have still to do, to make their peace with God, and their own Consciences; whether there be any sin which they have not tho∣roughly repented of, and heartily beg∣ged God's pardon for; any injury they have done their Neighbour, for which they have not made sufficient restituti∣on and reparation; whether they have any quarrel with any man, which is not composed and reconciled; whether there is any part of their Duty, which they have formerly too much neglected, as Charity to the Poor, the wise Edu∣cation and Instruction of their Chil∣dren and Families, and to apply them∣selves to a more diligent discharge of it; what distempers there are in their minds, which still need to be rectified, what Graces are weakest, what Passions are most disorderly and unmortified, and to apply proper remedies to them.

This is an excellent preparation for Death, because it will give us great hope and assurance in dying; it gives us peace and satisfaction in our own

minds, by a thorough knowledge of our own state, and by rectifying whatever was amiss; it delivers our Consciences from guilty fears, and so disarms Death of its sting and terrors, for the sting of Death is Sin, and when this sting is pul∣led out, we have nothing else to con∣tend with, but some little natural aver∣sions to dying, which are more easily conquered.

2. Thus in this preparatory Retire∣ment from the World, we should spend great portions of our time in the Wor∣ship of God, in our publick or private Devotions; for commonly men of bu∣siness are very much in Arrears with God upon this account: in their active Age they had little time to spare, or little mind to spare it for the uses of Religion; and therefore we may well retire some time before we die, to make up that defect, and when we have done with the World, to give up ourselves wholly to the service of God: We should now be very importunate in our Prayers to God, that for the Merits and Intercession of Christ, he would free∣ly pardon all the Sins, and Frailties, and Errors of our past life, and give us such a comfortable hope and sence of his love

to us, as may support us in the hour of Death, and sweeten the terrors and agonies of it: We should meditate on the great love of God in sending Christ into the World to save Sinners; and contemplate the height and depth and length and breadth of that love of God, which passeth all humane Understand∣ing: We should represent to ourselves the wonderful condescension of the Son of God in becoming Man, his amazing goodness in dying for Sinners, the Just for the Unjust, to reconcile us to God: And when we have warmed our Souls with such thoughts as these, we should break forth into raptures and extasies of Devotion in the praise of our Maker and Redeemer: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever, 5 Revel. 12, 13.

And besides other reasons, which makes this a very proper Preparation for Death, this accustoms us to the work and employment of the next World, for Heaven is a life of Devo∣tion and Praise; there we shall see God

and admire and adore him, and sing e∣ternal Halelujahs to him: and therefore nothing can so dispose and prepare us for Heaven, as to have our hearts ready tuned to the praises of God, ravished with his love, transported with his glo∣ry and perfections, and swallowed up in the most profound and humble ado∣rations of him.

3. Thus when we are going into a∣nother World, it becomes us most to have our thoughts there; to consider what a blessed place that is, where we shall be delivered from all the fears and sorrows and temptations of this World, where we shall see God and the Blessed Jesus, and converse with Angels and glorified Spirits, and live an endless life without fear of dying; where there is nothing but perfect love and peace, no cross interests and factions to contend with, no storms to ruffle or discompose our joy and rest to Eternity; where there is no pain, no sickness, no labour, no care to refresh the weariness, or to repair the decays of a mortal Body, not so much as the image of Death to in∣terrupt our constant enjoyments; where there is a perpetual day, and an eter∣nal calm, where our Souls shall attain

their utmost perfection of Knowledge and Vertue; where we shall serve God not with dull, and sleepy, and unaffecting Devotion, but with piercing thoughts, with life and vigour, with ravishment and transport; in a word, where there are such things, as neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entred in∣to the heart of man to conceive.

These are proper thoughts for a man who is to compose himself for Death, not to think of the pale and ghastly looks of Death, when he shall be wrapt up in his Winding-sheet; not to think of the dark and melancholly retirements of the Grave, where his Body must rot and putrifie, till it be raised up again immortal and glorious, but to lift up his eyes to Heaven, to view that light∣som and happy Country, with Moses to ascend up into the Mount, and take a prospect of the heavenly Canaan, whi∣ther he is going: This will conquer e∣ven the natural aversions to Death, and make us with St. Paul, desirous to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all; make it as easie to us to leave this World for Heaven, as it is to remove into a more pleasant and whole∣some Air, or into a more convenient

and beautiful House; so easie, so plea∣sant will it be to die with such thoughts as these about us.

This indeed ought to be the constant Exercise of the Christian Life; it is fit for all times and for all persons, and without some degree of it, it is impos∣sible to conquer the Temptations of the World, or to live in the practice of di∣vine and heavenly Vertues: But this ought to be the constant business, or en∣tertainment rather, of those happy men who have lived long enough in the World, to take a fair leave of it, who have run through all the Scenes and Stages of Humane Life, and have now Death and another World in view and prospect.

And it is this makes a Retirement from the World so necessary or very useful, not meerly to ease our bodily la∣bours, and to get a little rest from bu∣siness, to dissolve in sloth and idleness, or to wander about to seek a Compani∣on, or to hear News, or to talk Politicks, or to find out some way to spend time, which now lies upon their hands, and is more uneasy and troublesom to them than business was: This is a more dangerous state, and does more indispose them for

a happy Death, than all the cares and troubles of an active Life; but we must retire from this World to have more leisure and greater opportunities to pre∣pare for the next, to adorn and culti∣vate our Minds, and dress our Souls like a Bride, who is adorned to meet her Bridegroom.

When men converse much in this World, and are distracted with the cares and business of it, when they live in a crowd of Customers or Clients, and are hurried from their Shops to the Ex∣change or Custom-house, or from their Chambers to the Bar, and when they have discharged one obligation, are pres∣sed hard by another, that at night they have hardly Spirits left to say their Prayers, nor any time for them in the morning, and the Lord's Day itself is thought more proper for Rest and Re∣freshment, than Devotion; I say, what dull cold apprehensions must such men have of another World? And after all the care we can take, how will this World insinuate itself into our affecti∣ons, when it imploys our time and thoughts, when our whole business is buying and selling, and driving good Bargains, and making Conveyances and

Settlements of Estates? How will this disorder our Passions, occasion Feuds and Quarrels, give us a tincture of Pride, Ambition, Covetuousness; that there is work enough after a busie life, even for very good men, to wash out these stains and pollutions, and to get the tast and relish of this World out of their mouths, and to revive and quicken the sence of GOD and of another World.

This is a sufficient reason for such men, as I observed before, to think when it is time to leave off, and if not wholly to withdraw from the World, yet to contract their business, and to have the command of it, that they may have more leisure to take care of their Souls, before they have so near a call and summons to Death; but much more necessary is it, when Death is even at the door, and by the course of Nature we know that it is so.

It is very proper to leave the World, before we are removed out of it, that we may know how to live without it, that we may not carry any hanckerings after this World with us into the next; and therefore it is very fitting, that there should be a kind of a middle state

between this World and the next; that is, that we should withdraw from this World, to wean ourselves from it, even while we are in it; which will make it more easie to part with this World, and make us more fit to go to the next. But it seems strangely undecent, unless the necessities of their Families, or the necessities of the Publick call for it, and exact it, to see men who are just a go∣ing out of the World, who it may be bow as much under their Riches, as un∣der their Age, plunging themselves o∣ver head and ears in this World, court∣ing new Honours and Preferments with as much zeal, as those who are but en∣tring into the World. It is to be fear∣ed, such men think very little of ano∣ther World, and will never be satisfied with Earth, till they are buried in it.

SECT. IV. What use to make of the Shortness of Humane Life.

2. AS the general Period of Humane Life is fixt and determin'd by God, so this term of life at the utmost extent of it, is but very short: For what are threescore and ten, or fourscore years? how soon do they pass away like a Dream, and when they are gone, how few and empty do they appear? The best way to be sensible of this, is not to look forward, for we fancy time to come, to be much longer than we find it, but to look backward upon the time which is past, and as long as we can re∣member; and how suddenly are thirty or forty years gone? how little do we remember, how they past? but gone they are, and the rest are a going a∣pace, while we eat, and drink, and sleep, and when they are gone too, we shall be sensible, that all together was but very short. Now from hence I shall observe several things of very great use for the government of our Lives.

1. If our lives be so very short, it concerns us to lose none of our time; for does it become us to be prodigal of our time, when we have so little of it? We either ought to make as much of our lives as we can, or not complain, that they are short, for that is a great∣er reproach to ourselves, than to the order of Nature, and the Providence of God: for it seems we have more time than we care to live in, more than we think necessary to improve to the true ends and purposes of living; and if we can spare so much of our lives, it seems they are too long for us, how short so∣ever they are in themselves: and when our lives are too long already for the generallity of Mankind to improve wise∣ly, why should God give us more time to play with, and to squander away? And yet let us all reflect upon ourselves, and consider, how much of our lives we have perfectly lost, how careless we have been of our time, which is the most precious thing in the World; how we have given it to every body that will take it, and given away so much of ourselves, and our own being with it.

Should men set down, and take a re∣view

of their lives, and draw up a par∣ticular account of the expence of their time, after they came to years of dis∣cretion and understanding, what a shame∣ful Bill would it be? what unreasonable abatements of life? how little time would there be at the foot of the account, which might be called living?

So much extraordinary for eating, and drinking, and sleeping, beyond what the support and refreshment of Nature required; so much in Courtship, Wan∣tonness and Lust; so much in Drinking and Revelling; so much for the reco∣very of the last Night's Debauch; so much in Gaming and Mascarades; so much in paying and receiving formal and impertinent Visits, in idle and ex∣travagant Discourses, in censuring and reviling our Neighbours or our Gover∣nours; so much in dressing and adorn∣ing our Bodies; so many blanck and long Parentheses of Life, wasted in do∣ing nothing, or in counting the slow and tedious Minutes, or chiding the Sun for making no more haste down, and de∣laying their evening Assignations: But how little would there appear in most mens account, spent to the true ends of living?

The very naming of these things is sufficient to convince any considering man, that this is really a mispending of time, and a flinging away great part of a very short life to no purpose; but to make you all sensible of this, consider with me, when we may be said to lose our time; for time passes away very swiftly, and we can no more hold it, than we can stop the Charriot Wheels of the Sun, but all time that is past, is not lost; indeed no time is our own, but what is past or present, and its being past makes it never the less our own, if ever it was so; but then we lose our time.

1. When it turns to no account to us, when it is gone; when we are never the better for it in Body or Soul: this is the true way of judging, by our own sense and feeling, whether we have spent our time well or ill, by observing what relish it leaves upon our minds, and what the effects of it are, when it is past; how vainly soever men spend their time, they find some pleasure and diversion and entertainment in it, while it lasts, but the next morning it is all vanished, as their night Dreams are; and if they are not the worse for it,

they find themselves never the better: And this is a certain sign, that our time was vainly and foolishly spent, that when it is gone, it can be brought into no account of our lives, but that of idle Expences. Whatever is good, whate∣ver is in any degree useful, leaves some satisfaction when it is gone, and time so spent, we can place to our account, and all such time is not lost; but men who spend one day after another in Mirth, and Jollity, and Entertainments, in Visits or Gaming, &c. can give no other account of it, but that it is a plea∣sant way of spending time: And that is the true name for it, not living, but spending time, which they know not how otherwise to pass away; when their time is spent, they have all they intended, and their enjoyments pass a∣way with their time, and there is an end of both; and it were somewhat more tolerable, if they themselves could end with their time too: but when men must out-live time, and the effects of time must last to Eternity, that time, which if it have no ill, yet has no good effects more lasting than itself, is utter∣ly lost.

2dly, To be sure that time is doubly lost, which we cannot review without amazement and horror; I mean, in which we have contracted some great guilt, which we have not only spent vainly, but wickedly, which we ourselves wish had never been, which we desire to forget, and could be glad, that both God and men would forget it too: For is not that lost time, which loses us, which undoes us, which distracts us with guilty fears, which we would give all the World we could lose out of the account of our lives, and could lose the very remembrance of it? I think that somewhat worse than lost time, which forfeits a blessed Eternity, and for which men must lose their Souls for ever.

3dly, That is lost time too, which men must live over again, and tread back their steps like him who has mi∣staken his way: not that we can recal our past time, and those minutes that are fled from us, but we must substi∣tute some of our remaining time in its room, and begin our lives again, and undo what we had formerly done. This is the case of those who have spent great part of their lives ill, whenever they are convinced of their folly and

danger; they must give all their past lives for lost, and it may be, when half or two thirds, or more of their lives are spent, they must then begin to live, and to undo, by Repentance and Refor∣mation, the Errours, and Follies, and Impieties of their former lives: Now I suppose all men will confess that time to be lost, which they must unlive a∣gain; to be sure Penitents are very sen∣sible it is, and I wish all those would consider it, who resolve to spend their youthful and vigorous age in Sin, and to repent hereafter; that is, they re∣solve to fling away the greatest and best part of their lives, and to begin to live when they see themselves a dying: This I am sure is no remedy against a short life, to resolve not to live one third of it.

2dly, Since our life is so very short, it becomes us to live as much as we can in so short a time; for we must not measure the length or shortness of our lives by days or months or years, that is the measure of our duration or being, but to live and to be, are two things, and of a distinct consideration and ac∣count.

To live, when we speak of a man, signifies to act like a reasonable Crea∣ture, to exercise his understanding and will upon such objects as answer the dignity and perfection of humane Na∣ture, to be employed in such actions as are proper to his nature, and distinguish a Man from all other Creatures: and therefore though a man must eat and drink, and perform the other offices of a natural Life, which are common to him with Beasts; yet this is not to live like a Man, any otherwise than as these common actions are governed by Rea∣son and rules of Vertue, but he who minds nothing higher than this, lives like a Beast, not like a Man: A life of Reason, Religion, and Vertue, is proper∣ly the life of a Man, because it is pe∣culiar to him, and distinguishes him from all other Creatures in this World; and therefore he who improves his know∣ledge and understanding most, who has his passions and appetites under the best government, who does most good, and makes himself most useful to the World, though he does not continue longer, yet he lives more and longer than o∣ther men; that is, he exerts more fre∣quent and more perfect acts of a rational Life.

But besides this, this life is only in order to a better life; it is not for it self, but only a passage to, a state of trial and probation for Immortality; and it were hardly worth the while to come into the World upon any mean∣er design: and therefore he lives most, who improves the Grace of God to make himself most fit for Heaven, and qualified for the greatest rewards, for the richest and the brightest Crown: Who knows God most, and worships him in the most perfect manner, with the greatest ravishments and transports of Spirit, who lives most above this World in the exercise of the most Di∣vine Vertues, who does most service to God in the World, and improves all his talents to the best advantage; in a word, who most adorns and perfects his own mind, brings most glory to God, and does most good to men: such a man at thirty years old, has lived more, nay, indeed may properly be said to have lived longer, than an old de∣crepit Sinner; for he has not lived at all to the purposes of a man, or to the ends of the other World. That man has lived a great while, how short so∣ever the time be, who is old enough for

Heaven, and for Eternity, who has laid up rich and glorious treasures for him∣self in the other World; who has an∣swered the ends of this Life, and is fit to remove out of it: this is the true way of measuring our lives by acts of Piety and Vertue, by our improvements in Knowledge, and Grace, and Wisdom, by our Ripeness for another World; and therefore if we would live a great while in this World, We must 1. be∣gin to live betimes. 2. We must have a care of all interruptions and inter∣missions of Life. 3. We must live a∣pace.

1. We must begin to live betimes; that is, must begin betimes to live like men, and like Christians, to live to God, and to another World, that is in a word, to be good betimes: for those who be∣gin to live with the first bloomings of Reason and understanding, and give ear∣ly and youthful specimens of Piety and Vertue, if they reach to old Age, they live three times as long as those who count indeed as many years as they do, but it may be have not lived a third of their time, but have lost it in Sin and Folly. The first can look back to the very beginning of his life, and enjoy all

his past years still, review them with pleasure and satisfaction, and bring them all to account: but a late Penitent must date his life from his repentance and reformation; he dares look no farther back, for all beyond is lost, or worse than lost: it is like looking back upon the rude Chaos, which was nothing but confusion and darkness before God form∣ed the World, such is the life of a Sin∣ner before this new birth and new creation; and therefore he has but a very little way to look back, can give but a very short account of his life, has but a very few years of his life which he dares own, and carry into the other World with him.

2. We must have a care of all inter∣ruptions and intermissions of life; that is of falling back into sin again, after some hopeful beginnings: This is too often seen, that those, who by the care, and good government, and wise instru∣ctions of Parents and Tutors, have had the principles of Vertue and Piety ear∣ly instilled into them, and have had a good relish of it themselves, yet when they are got loose from these Restraints, and fall into ill Company, and into the way of Temptations, have a mind to

try another kind of life, and to tast those pleasures which they see Mankind so fond of, and too often try so long till they grow as great Strangers to Pie∣ty and Vertue, as they were ignorant of Vice before. Now if such men ever be reclaimed again, yet all their early beginnings of life are lost, for here is a long interruption and intermission of life, which sets them back in the ac∣count of Eternity; and thus it is pro∣portionably in every wilful sin we com∣mit, it makes a break in our lives, does not only stop our progress for a while, but sets us backward. But he who be∣gins betimes to live, without any or ve∣ry few, and very short interruptions, will be able to reckon a very long life, by that time he attains to the common period of humane life:

3. Especially if he live apace: There is a living apace, as some call it, not to lengthen but to shorten life; when men by minding their business well, can in ten or twenty years destroy such a con∣stitution of body, and exhaust that vi∣tal heat and vigour, which would have lasted another man sixty or eighty years: this is to live much in a little time, and to make an end of their lives

quickly; and the living apace, I mean▪ is to live much also in a little time, but to double and treble our lives, not to shorten them: that is, to do all the good that ever we can, for the more good we do, the more we live; life is not meer duration, but action; time is not life, but we live, that is, we act in time; and he who does two days work in one, lives as much in one day, as other men do in two: He who in one year does as much improve his mind in knowledge and wisdom, and all Chri∣stian graces and vertues, worships God as much and more devoutly, does as much good to the World in all capaci∣ties and relations of life, as another man does in two or three or four, he lives so much proportionably longer than those other men; he does the work of so much time, and this is equivalent to, nay much better than being so much time; for he who can have the re∣ward of two hundred years in the next World, and not live above three∣score or fourscore here, I take to be a much happier man, than he who spends two hundred years in this World: This is the best way of lengthening our lives by living doubly and trebly, which will

make a vast addition to our lives in fifty or sixty years; and then there will be no reason to complain of the shortness of them.

3dly, If our lives are so very short as most men complain they are, surely we have little reason to complain of spending the whole of these short lives in the service of God, for an eternal reward: What are threescore or four∣score years, when compared to eterni∣ty? And therefore setting aside all the present advantages and pleasures of a life of Religion, that this only is to live to improve and perfect our own Na∣tures, to serve God, and to do good in the World: Suppose there were nothing in Religion, but hardships and difficul∣ties, a perpetual force and violence to Nature, a constant War with the World and the Flesh; cannot we indure all this so short a time, for an endless reward? Men think their day's work very well spent, when they receive their wages at night, and can go home and sup chear∣fully with their Family, and sleep sweet∣ly, as labouring men use to do, all night; and yet our Saviour compares all the work and industry of our lives, to Day-Labourers, in the Parable of the

Housholder, who at several hours of the day, hired Labourers to work in his Vineyard, and paid them their wages at night, 20 Matth. 1, &c.

We all confess, that threescore and ten years, if we live so long, is but a very short time in itself, and quickly passes away; I am sure we all think so, when it is gone; and yet consider, how much of this time is cut off by Infancy, Child∣hood, and Youth, while we are under the care and conduct of Parents and Governours, and are not our own men; how much is spent in sleeping, in eat∣ing and drinking, and necessary diver∣sions, for the support and repair of these mortal bodies; in our necessary busi∣ness to provide for our Families, or to serve the Publick, which God allows and requires of us, and accounts it ser∣ving himself; while we live like men, are sober and temperate, and just and faithful to our trust, which we should do for our own sakes, and which all well governed Societies require of us, without any consideration of another World; so that there is but very little of this very short life spent purely in the service of God, and in the care of our Souls, and the concernments of a

future State; and is this too much for an Eternity of Bliss and Happiness? To complain of Sobriety and Temperance and Moral Honesty, as such unsufferable burdens, that a man had better be damn∣ed than submit to them, is not so much to complain of the Laws of God, as of all the wise Governments in the World, even in the Heathen World, which branded all these Vices with In∣famy, and restrained and corrected them with condign Punishments; it is to complain of humane Nature, which has made all these Vices infamous, and to think it better to be damned than to live like men; and yet above two thirds of our time require the exercise of few other Vertues but these; and whatever difficulties men may imagine in other acts of Religion, if they can possibly think it so intolerable to love the great∣est and the best Being, to praise and adore Him to whom we owe ourselves and all we have, to ask the supply of our wants from him who will be sure to give, if we faithfully ask; to raise our hearts above this World, which is a Scene of Vanity, Emptiness, or Mi∣sery, and to delight ourselves in the hope and expectations of great and e∣ternal

Happiness, wherein the very life of Religion consists: I say, if these be such very difficult and uneasy things, which one would wonder how they came to be difficult, or why they should be thought so; yet they imploy very little of our time, and methinks a man might bear it to be happy for ever: I am sure men take a great deal more pains for this World, than Heaven would cost them, and when they have it▪ don't live to enjoy it; and if this be thought worth their while, surely to spend a short life in the service of God, to obtain an endless and eternal Happi∣ness, is the best and most advantageous spending our time; and we must have a very mean opinion of Heaven and Eternal Happiness, if we think it not worth the obedience and service of a few years, how difficult soever that were?

4hly, If our lives are so very short at their utmost extent, the sinful plea∣sures of this World can be no great temptation, when compared with an Eternity of Happiness or Misery? Those sensual pleasures, which men are so fond of, and for the sake of which they break the Laws of God, and provoke

his Justice, forfeit immortal Life, and expose themselves to all the Miseries and Sufferings of an eternal Death, can last no longer than we live in this World; and how little a while is that? When we put off these Bodies, all bo∣dily pleasures perish with them; nay, indeed as our bodies die and decay by degrees, before they tumble into the Grave, so do our pleasures sensibly de∣cay too: As short as our lives are, men may out-live some of their most beloved Vices, and therefore how luscious soe∣ver they may be, such short and dying Pleasures ought not to come in com∣petition with eternal Happiness or Mi∣fery; what ever things are in their own nature, the value of them increases or diminishes according to the length or shortness of their enjoyment; that which will last our lives, and make them easy and comfortable, is to be prefer∣ed, by wise men, before the most ra∣vishing enjoyments of a day; and a happiness which will out-last our lives, and reach to eternity, is to be prefer∣red before the perishing enjoyments of a short life; unless men can think it better to be happy for threescore years, than for ever; nay, unless men think

the enjoyments of threescore years a sufficient recompence for eternal want and misery.

5hly, The shortness of our lives are a sufficient answer to all these arguments against Providence, taken from the Pro∣sperity of bad Men, and the Miseries and Afflictions of the good; for both of them are so short, that they are no∣thing in the account of Eternity. Were this life to be considered by it self, without any relation to a future State, the difficulty would be greater, but not v••ry great; because a short happiness, or a short misery, chequered and inter∣mixt as all the happiness and miseries of this life are, is not very consider∣able; nor were it worth the while ei∣ther to make objections against Provi∣dence, or to answer them, if Death put an end to us.

Bad men who make these Objections against Providence, are very well con∣tented to take the World as they find it, so they may have it without a Provi∣dence, which is a sign that it is not their dislike of this World (though ma∣ny times they suffer as much in it, as good men do) which makes them quar∣rel at Providence, but the dread and

fear of another World: and this proves, that they think this World a very to∣lerable place, whether there be a Provi∣dence or not. And if so short a life as this is, be but tolerable, it is a suffi∣cient justification of Providence, that this life is well enough for its continu∣ance, a very mixt and imperfect state indeed, but very short too; such a state as bad men themselves would like ve∣ry well without another World after it, and such a state as good men like very well with another Life to follow: It is not a spight at humane life, which makes them reject a Providence, as any one would guess, who hears them object their own Prosperity, and the Calami∣ties of good men, as arguments against Providence, both which they like ve∣ry well; and whatever there may be in these Objections, supposing there were no other life after this, yet when they all vanish at the very naming of another life, where good Men shall be rewarded, and the Wicked punished, it is ridicu∣lous to prove, that there is no other life after this, because rewards and pun∣ishments are not dispensed with that ex∣act Justice in this life, as we might sup∣pose God would observe, if there were

no other life. To prove that there is no other life after this, because good and bad men do not receive their just rewards in this life, is an Argument which becomes the wit and understand∣ing of an Atheist; for they must first take it for granted, that there is no Providence, before this argument can prove any thing; for if there be a Providence, then the prosperity of bad Men, and the sufferings of the good, is a much better argument, that there is another life after this, where rewards and punishments shall be more equally distributed: Thus when they dispute a∣gainst Providence from the Prosperity of bad men, and the Calamities of the good, before this can prove any thing, they must take it for granted, that there is no other life after this, where good Men shall be rewarded, and the wicked punished; for if there be, it is easie e∣nough to justifie the Providence of God, as to the present prosperity of bad men, and the sufferings of the good: So that they must of necessity dispute in a circle, as the Papists do between the Church and the Scriptures, when they either prove, that there is no Provi∣dence, or no Life after this, from the

unequal rewards and punishments of bad and good Men in this World: For in effect they prove that there is no Pro∣vidence, because there is no life after this, or that there is no life after this, because there is no Providence; for the prosperity of bad Men, and the suf∣ferings of the good, proves ne••••her of them, unless you take the other for granted; and if you will prove them both by this Medium, you must take them both for granted by turns; and that is the easier and safer way to take them for granted, without exposing themselves to the scorn of wise men by such kind of proofs. But yet though this were no Objection against the be∣ing of another World, and a Provi∣dence, yet had the prosperity of bad Men, and the calamities of the good continued some hundred years, it had been a greater difficulty, and a greater temptation, than now it is: The pro∣sperity of the Wicked is a much less objection, when it is so easily answer∣ed, as the Psalmist does, Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be, 37 Psal. 10. When the very same persons, who have been

the Spectators and Witnesses of his pro∣sperous Villanies, live to see a quick and sudden end of him: I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree; yet he pas∣sed away, and lo he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found, 35, 36▪ And this is enough also to sup∣port the spirits of good men: For this cause we faint not, but though our out∣ward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day; for our light af∣fliction, which is but for a moment, work∣eth for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17.

SECT. V. The time, and manner, and circumstances of every particular Man's Death, is not determined by an absolute and un∣conditional Decree.

II. THough God, who knows all things, does know also the time and manner and circumstances of every particular Man's Death, yet it does not appear, that he has by an ab∣solute and unconditional Decree, fixed and determined the particular time of every Man's Death. This is that fa∣mous Question, which Beverovicius, a learned Physitian, was so much con∣cerned to have resolved, and consulted so many learned men about, as suppo∣sing it would be a great injury to his Profession, did men believe, that the time of their Death was so absolutely determined by God, that they could neither die sooner, nor live longer then that fatal Period, whether they took the Advice and Prescriptions of the Physi∣cians or not. But this was a vain fear, for there are some Speculations, which men never live by, how vehemently so∣ever

they contend for them: A Scep∣tick, who pretends that there is nothing certain, and will dispute with you as long as you please about it, yet will not venture his own arguments so far as to leap into Fire or Water, nor to stand before the mouth of a loaded Canon, when you give fire to it. Thus men who talk most about fatal Necessity, and absolute Decrees, yet they will eat and drink to preserve themselves in health, and take Physick when they are sick, and as heartily repent of their sins, and vow amendment and reforma∣tion, when they think themselves a dy∣ing, as if they did not believe one word of such absolute Decrees, and fatal Ne∣cessity, as they talk of at other times.

I do not intend to engage in this Di∣spute of Necessity and Fate, of Prescience and absolute Decrees, which will be Di∣sputes as long as the World lasts, unless men grow wiser than to trouble them∣selves with such Questions as are above their reach, and which they can never have a clear notion and perception of; but all that I intend is to shew you, according to the Scripture account of it, that the Period of our Lives is not so peremptorily determined by God,

but that we may lengthen or shorten them, live longer or die sooner, ac∣cording as we behave ourselves in this World.

Now this is very plain from all those places of Scripture, where God promises long life to good Men, and threatens to shorten the lives of the Wicked, 91 Psal. 16. With long life will I satis∣fie him, and shew him my salvation. So∣lomon tells us of Wisdom, Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left riches and honours, 3 Prov. 16. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortned, 10 Prov. 27. Thus God has promised long life to those who honour their Pa∣rents, in the fifth Commandment; and the same promise is made in more ge∣neral terms to those who observe the Statutes and Commandments of God, 4 Deut. 40. Upon the same condition God promised long life to King Solo∣mon, 1 Kings 3. 14. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and commandments; as thy father David did walk, then will I lengthen thy days. The same is supposed in David's Prayer to God, not to take him away in the midst of his days, 102 Psal. 24. And in 55

Psal. 23. he tells us, That bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. Now one would reasonably con∣clude from hence, that God has not absolutely and unconditionally determin∣ed the fatal period of every Man's life, because he has conditionally promised to prolong Mens lives, or threatned to shorten them; for what place can there be for conditional Promises, where an absolute Decree is past? How can any man be said not to live out half his days, if he lives as long as God has decreed he shall live? for if the period of every particular Man's life be deter∣mined by God, none are his days, but what God has decreed for him.

As for matter of fact, it is plain and evident, both that men shorten their own lives, and that God shortens them for them, and that in such a manner as will not admit of an absolute and un∣conditional Decree: Thus some men destroy a healthful and vigorous con∣stitution of body by intemperance and lust, and do as manifestly kill them∣selves, as those who hang, or poison, or drown themselves; and both these sorts of men, I suppose, may be said to short∣en their own lives; and so do those

who rob or murder, or commit any o∣other villany, which forfeits their lives to publick Justice, or quarrel and fall in a Duel, and the like; and yet you will no more say, that God decreed and determined the death of these men, then he did their sin.

Thus God himself very often short∣ens the lives of men, by Plague, and Famine, and Sword, and such other Judgments, as he executes upon a wick∣ed World; and this must be confest to be the effect of God's counsel and decrees, as a Judge decrees and pro∣nounces the death of a Malefactor; but this is not an absolute and unconditio∣nal decree, but is occasioned by their sins and provocations, as all Judgments are; they might have lived longer, and escaped these Judgments, had they been vertuous, and obedient to God: for if they should have lived no longer, whe∣ther they had sinned or not, their death, by what judgments soever they are cut off, is not so properly the execution of Justice, as of a peremtory Decree; their lives are not shortned, but their fatal period is come.

Indeed, unless we make the Provi∣dence of God, not the government of a

wise and free Agent, who acts pro re na∣ta, and rewards and punishes as men deserve, as the Scripture represents it, but an unavoidable execution of a long series of fatal and necessary Events from the beginning to the end of the World, as the Stoicks thought; we must ac∣knowledge, that in the government of free Agents, God has reserved to him∣self a free liberty of lengthning or short∣ning mens lives, as will best serve the ends of Providence: for if we will al∣low Man to be a free Agent, and that he is not under a necessity of sinning, and deserving to be cut off at such a time, or in such a manner, the applica∣tion of rewards and punishments to him must be free also, or else they may be ill applied: he may be punished when he deserves to be rewarded; the fatal period of life may fall out at such a time when he most of all deserves long life, and when the lengthning his life would be a publick Blessing to the World. Fatal and necessary Events can never be fitted to the government of free Agents, no more than you can make a Clock, which shall strike ex∣actly for time and number, when such a man speaks, let him speak when, or

name what number he pleases: And yet there is nothing of greater moment in the government of the World, than a free power and liberty of lengthning or shortning mens lives; for nothing more over-aws Mankind, and keeps them more in dependance on God; nothing gives a more signal demonstration of a divine Power, or Vengeance, or Protection; nothing is a greater blessing to Families or Kingdoms, or a greater punishment to them, than the life or death of a Pa∣rent, of a Child, of a Prince, and there∣fore it is as necessary to reserve this Power to God, as to assert a Provi∣dence. There are two or three places of Scripture, which are urged in favour of the contrary opinion, 14 Job 5. See∣ing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass. 7 Job 1. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days al∣so like the days of an hireling? Which refer not to the particular period of e∣very Man's life, but as I observed be∣fore, to the general period of humane Life, which is fixt and determined, which is therefore called the days or the years of Man, because God has appointed this

the ordinary time of Man's life; as when God threatens, that the Wicked shall not live out half their days, that is, half that time which is allotted for men to live on Earth; for they have no other interest in these days, but that they are the days of a man, and there∣fore might be their days too.

From what I have now discoursed, there are two things very plainly to be observed: 1. That men may contribute very much to the lengthening or short∣ning their own lives. 2. That the Pro∣vidence of God does peculiarly over∣rule and determine this matter.

1. As for the first, there is no need to prove it, for we see men destroy their own lives every day, either by in∣temperance and lust, or more open vi∣olence; by forfeiting their lives to pub∣lick Justice, or by provoking the Di∣vine Vengeance; and therefore who e∣ver desires a long life, to fill up the number of his days, which God has al∣lotted us in this World, must keep him∣self from such destructive Vices, must practise the most healthful Vertues, must make God his Friend, and engage his Providence for his defence: Can a∣ny

thing be more absurd, than to hear men promise themselves long life, and reckon upon forty or fifty years to come, when they run into those Ex∣cesses, which will make a quick and speedy end of them? which will either inflame and corrupt their Bloud, and let a Feavour or a Dropsy into their Veins, or bring Rottenness into their Bones, or engage them in some fatal Quarrel, or ruine their Estates, and send them to seek their fortune upon the Road, which commonly brings them to the Gallows; What a fatal Cheat is this, which men put upon themselves? especially when they sin in hope of time to repent, and commit such sins as will give them no time to repent in.

The advice of the Psalmist is much better, What man is he, that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile, depart from evil, and do good, seek peace and persue it: These are natural and moral causes of a long life; but that is not all, For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righ∣teous, and his ears are open unto their cry; the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remem∣brance

of them from the earth: That is, God will prolong the lives of good Men, and cut off the Wicked; not that this is a general rule without excepti∣on, but it is the ordinary method of Providence, 34 Psal. 12, 13, &c.

2. For though God has not deter∣mined how long every man shall live, by an absolute and unconditional De∣cree, yet if a Sparrow does not fall to the ground without our Father, much less does Man: No man can go out of this World, no more than he can come into it, but by a special Providence; no man can destroy himself, but by God's leave; no Disease can kill, but when God pleases; no mortal Accident can befal us, but by God's appoint∣ment; who is therefore said to deliver the Man into the hands of his Neigh∣bour, who is killed by any evil Acci∣dent, 19 Deut. 4, 5. Those wasting Judgments of Plague and Pestilence, Fa∣mine and Sword, are appointed by God, and have their particular Commissions where to strike; as we may see 26 Lev. 47. Ier. 6. 7. 65 Isai. 12. 15 Ierem. 2. 91 Psal. and several other places. All the rage and fury of Men cannot take

away our lives, but by God's particu∣lar permission, 10 Matth. 28, 29, 30, 31.

And this lays as great an obligation on us, as the love of life can, which is the dearest thing in this World, to serve and please God; this will make us se∣cure from all fears and dangers: My times, saith David, are in thy hand, de∣liver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me, 31 Psal. 15. This encourages us to pray to God for ourselves, or our Friends, whatever danger our lives are in, either from sickness or from men: There is no case wherein he can't help us, when he sees fit; he can rectify the disorders of Nature, and correct an ill habit of Body, and rebuke the most raging Di∣stempers which mock at all the Arts of Physick, and powers of Drugs, and many times does so by insensible me∣thods: To conclude, this is a great sa∣tisfaction to good men, that our lives are in the hands of God; that though there be not such a fixt and immove∣able Period set to them, yet Death can∣not come but by God's appointment.

SECT. VI. The particular Time, when we are to Die is unknown and uncertain to us.

III. THe particular time when any of us are to Die, is unknown and uncertain to us; and this is that which we properly call the uncertainty of our lives; that we know not when we shall Die, whether this night or to morrow, or twenty years hence. There is no need to prove this, but only to mind you of it, and to acquaint you, what wise use you are to make of it:

1. This shews how unreasonable it is to flatter ourselves with the hope of long life; I mean of prolonging our lives near the utmost term and period of humane life, which though it be but short in itself, is yet the longest that any man can hope to live: No wise man will pro∣mise himself that which he can have no reason to expect, but what has ve∣ry often failed others: for let us seri∣ously consider, what reason any of us have to expect a long life; is it be∣cause we are young and healthful and

vigorous? And do we not daily see young men die? can youth or beauty or strength secure us from the arrests of Death? is it because we see some men live to a great age? But this was no security to those, who died young, and left a great many men behind them, who had lived twice or thrice their age, and therefore we also may see a great many old men, and die young ourselves. It is possible, we may live to old age, because some do; but it is more likely we shall not, because there are more that die young. The truth is, the time of dying is so uncertain, the ways of dying so infinite, so unseen, so casual and fortuitous to us, that instead of promising ourselves long life, no wise man will promise himself a week, nor venture any thing of great moment and consequence upon it: The hope of long life is nothing else but self-flattery; the fondness men have for life, and that partiality they have for themselves, perswades them, that they shall live as long as any man can live, and shall e∣scape those Diseases and fatal Accidents, with which our Bills of Mortality are filled every week: but then you should consider, that other men are as dear to

themselves, as you are, and flatter them∣selves as much with long life, as you do, but their hopes very often deceive them, and so may yours.

But you'll say, To what purpose is all this? why so much pains to put us out of conceit with the hopes of living long? for what hurt is it, if we do flat∣ter ourselves a little more in this mat∣ter, than we have reason for? If it should prove only a deceitful Dream, yet it makes life chearful and comfort∣able, and gives us a true relish of it; and why should we disturb ourselves, and make life uneasy, by the perpetual thoughts of dying?

Now, I confess, were there no hurt and danger in it, this were as ill-na∣tured and spightful a thing, as could be done; and the least recompence I could make, would be to ask your pardon for it, and leave you to enjoy the comforts of life securely for the future, to live on as long as you can, and let Death come when it will, without being lookt for; but I apprehend a great deal of danger in such deceitful and flattering hopes, and that is the reason why I dis∣swade you from it. For,

1. The hope of long life is apt to make us fond of this World, which is as great a mischief to us, as to expose us to all the temptations and flatteries of it: That we must die, and leave this World, is a good reason indeed, why we ought not to be fond of it, why we should live like Pilgrims and Stran∣gers here, as I observed before: But few men, who hope to live threescore or fourscore years, think much of this; though it be comparatively short in re∣spect of Eternity, yet it is a great while to live, and a great while to enjoy this World in, and that is thought a very valuable happiness, which can be en∣joyed so long; and then men let loose their desires and affections, endeavour to get as much of this World as they can, and to enjoy as much of it as they can, and not only to tast, but to take full and plentiful draughts of the intoxi∣cating Pleasures of it: And how dange∣rous this is, I need not tell any man, who considers, that all the wickedness of Mankind, is owing to too great a fond∣ness and passion for this World.

And therefore if we would live like Pilgrims, and set loose from all the en∣joyments of this World, we must re∣member,

that our stay is uncertain here; that we have no lease of our lives, but may be turned out of our earthly Te∣nements at pleasure: For what man would be fond of laying up great trea∣sures on Earth, who remembers, That this night his soul may be taken from him, and then, whose shall all these things be? What man would place his happiness in such enjoyments, which for ought he knows, he may be taken from to mor∣row? These are indeed melancholy and mortifying considerations, and that is the true use of them; for it is necessa∣ry, we should be mortified to this World, to cure the love of it, and conquer its temptations; For if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: For all that is in the world, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.

2. As the hopes of long life give great advantage to the temptations of this World, so they weaken the hopes and fears of the other World; they strengthen our temptations, and weaken us, which must needs be of very fatal consequence to us in our spiritual War∣fare. All that we have to oppose a∣gainst

the flattering Temptations of this World, are the Hopes and Fears of the World to come; but the hope of long life sets the next World at too great a distance to conquer this: what is pre∣sent, works more powerfully upon our minds, than what is abfent, and the far∣ther any thing is off, the less powerful it is.

To make you sensible of this, I shall only desire you to remember, what thoughts you have had of another World, when the present fears of dy∣ing have given you a nearer view of it: Good Lord, what Agonies have I seen dying Sinners in! how penitent, how devout, how resolved upon a new course of life, which too often vanish like a Dream, when the fear of Death is over; What is the reason of this dif∣ference? Heaven and Hell is the very same, when we are in health, as when we are sick; and I will suppose, that you do as firmly believe a Heaven and a Hell in health, as in sickness; the one∣ly thing then, that makes the thoughts of the other World so strong and pow∣erful and affecting, when we are sick, is that we see the other World near us, that we are just a stepping into it, and

this makes it our present concernment; but in health, we see the other World a great way off, and therefore do not think it of such near and present con∣cernment; and what we do not think ourselves at present concerned in, or not much concerned in, how great and va∣luable soever it be in itself, will either not affect us at all, or very little. Thus while bad men place the other World at a great distance from them, and out of sight, they have no restraint at all upon their lusts and passions; and good men themselves at the greater distance they see the other World, are so much the less affected by it, which damps their zeal and their devotion, and makes them less active and vigorous in doing good.

And there is so much the more dan∣ger in this, because men look upon the other World as farthest off, and so are least concerned about it, when the thoughts of the other World are most useful and most necessary to them: in the heat and vigour of youth, men are most exposed to the temptations of flesh and sense, and have most need to think of another World, and a future Judgment; but those who promise them∣selves

a long life, see Death and another World so far off, while they are young, that it moves them as little, as if there were no other World.

And though one would think, that as our lives wast, and the other World grows near, so we should recover a more lively sence of it, yet we find it quite otherwise: When men have been used to think the next World a great way off, they will never think it near, till it comes; and when they have been used to think of the other World with∣out any passion or concernment for it, it is almost an impossible thing, to give any quickness and passion to such thoughts; for when any thoughts, and the passion that properly belongs to such thoughts, have been a great while separated, it is a hard thing to unite them again; to begin to think of that with passion and concern, which we have been used for thirty or forty years to think of without any concernment.

3. Another dangerous effect of flat∣tering ourselves with long life, is, that it encourages men to sin with the vain hopes and resolutions of repenting be∣fore they die: When men are convin∣ced, that if they live and die in sin, they

must be miserable for ever; as I believe most profest Christians are, as I am sure all must be, who believe the Gospel of our Saviour; there is no other possible way to ward off this blow, and to sin securely under such Convictions, but by resolving to repent, and to make their peace with God before they die: They flatter themselves, they have a great while yet to live, Judgment is a great way off, and therefore they may in∣dulge themselves a while, and enjoy the sweets of sin, and gratifie their youth∣ful inclinations, and learn the Vanity of the World by experience, as their Fore∣fathers have done before them, and then they will grow as wise and grave, and declaim against the Follies and Vani∣ties of Youth, and be as penitent, and as devout and religious, as any of them all.

Whoever considers the uncertainty of Humane Life, if he should hear men talk at this rate, would either conclude, that they were mad, or merrily dispo∣sed, but could never guess, that they were in their wits, and in good earnest too: but if he will allow men to be in their wits, who can promise themselves long life, when they see every day, how

uncertain life is; (and if we will not allow such men to be in their wits, a∣bove two thirds of the World are mad) this gives a plain account, how men may resolve to sin, while they are young, and to repent when they are old: for it is only the flattering hopes of long life, that can encourage men in a course of sin: Men, indeed, who do not promise themselves long life, may commit a particular sin, and resolve to repent of it, as soon as they have done, which are a more modest sort of Sin∣ners, of which more presently; but I speak now of those (and too many such there are) who resolve to take their fill of this World, while youth and strength and health last, and to grow sober and religious, when they grow old; the consequent of which is, that they re∣solve to be damned, unless they live till they are old, or till they grow weary of their sins, and learn more wisdom by age and experience.

Now I shall not insist at present up∣on the hazard such men run, of not li∣ving till the time comes, which they have allotted for their repentance, which belongs to another Argument, but one∣ly what a dangerous thing it is to be

tempted to a custom and habit of sin∣ning, by the hope of long life, and of time enough to repent in; for there is not a greater Cheat in the World, that men put upon themselves, than to in∣dulge themselves in all manner of Wick∣ednesses, to contract strong and pow∣erful habits of Vice, with a resolution to repent of their sins, and to forsake them before they die.

The experience of the World suffici∣ently proves, how vain this is; for though some such men may live while they are old, how seldom is it seen, that they repent of their youthful Debauche∣ries, when they grow old? They still retain their love and affection for those sins, which they can commit no long∣er; and repent of nothing, but that they are grown old, and cannot be so wicked as they were, when they were young.

And is there any reason in the World to expect it should be otherwise? Do we not know, what the power of habit and custom is? how the love of sin in∣creases, with the repeated commission of it? and is the spending our youth∣ful strength and vigour in sin, likely to dispose and prepare us to be sincere Pe∣nitents,

when we grow old? Do we not see, that a custom of sinning, in some men, destroys the modesty of humane Nature, in others all sence of God and of Religion, or of the natural differences of good and evil? Some men sin on till they despise repentance, others till they think repentance is too late; so that though men were sure, that they should live long enough to grow wiser, and to repent and reform the sins and extrava∣gances of youth, yet no man, who en∣ters upon a wicked course of life, has any reason to expect, that he shall ever repent: and therefore it is extreamly dangerous to flatter ourselves into a ha∣bit and custom of sinning, with the hopes and expectations that we shall live to repent of our sins; and if this be dangerous, it must be very dange∣rous to flatter ourselves with the hopes of long life, which is the great tempta∣tion to men to sin on, and to delay their repentance till old age.

2. Since the time of our Death is so unknown and uncertain to us, we ought always to live in expectation of it; to be so far from promising ourselves long life, that we should not promise ourselves a day: And the reason for it is plain

and necessary, because we are not sure of a day.

This you'll say is hard indeed, to live always in expectation of dying, which is no better then dying every day, or enduring the repeated fears and terrors of Death every day, which is the most uncomfortable part of dying; at this rate we never live, but instead of dying once, as God has appointed, we are al∣ways a dying: nay, this indeed is a fine saying, but signifies nothing; for no man does it, nor can do it; though we may die every day, we see that men live on forty, fifty, threescore years; and therefore though we know, that our lives are uncertain, yet no man can think every day, that he shall die to day.

This is very true, and therefore to live always in expectation of dying, does not signifie a belief that we shall die to day, but only that we may; which answers the objection against the uncomfortableness of it; for such an expectation as this, has nothing of dread and terror in it, but only prudence and caution. Men may live very comfort∣ably, and enjoy all the innocent plea∣sures of life, with these thoughts about

them: to expect Death every day, is like expecting Thieves every night, which does not disturb our rest, but only makes us lock and bar our Doors, and provide for our own defence: thus to expect Death, is not to live under the perpetual fears of dying, but to live as a wise man would do, who knows, not that he must, but that he may die to day.

That is, to be always prepared for Death, not to defer our repentance, and return to God one moment; not to commit any wilful sin, least Death should surprize us in it; not to be slothful and negligent, but to be always imployed in our Master's business, according to our Saviour's counsel, 12 Luke 35, &c. Let your loyns be girded about, and your lamps burning; and ye yourselves like un∣to men, that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching. And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore

ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. This our Saviour also warns us of in the Parable of the wise and foolish Virgins, 25 Mat. while the Bridegroom tarried they all slept; but the wise Virgins they pre∣sently arose and trimmed their Lamps, and went in with him to the Marriage, and the door was shut: the foolish Vir∣gins had no Oyl, and their Lamps were gone out, and while they went to buy Oyl, they were shut out, and could af∣terwards procure no admission, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, when the Son of man cometh.

This is the danger of a sudden Death, and the reason why our Church prays against it; for were we always in a preparation to die, with our Lamps trimmed and burning, like Virgins, who expect the Bridegroom, to die then without notice, without fear and appre∣hension, without the melancholy solem∣nities of dying, were a true 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the most desirable way of dying; but the danger of a sudden Death is, that men are surprized in their sins, and hur∣ried away to Judgment, before their accounts are ready, that they are snatch∣ed out of this World before they have

made any provision for the next; and the only way to prevent this, is to be always upon our watch, always in ex∣pectation of Death, and always prepared for it.

Some men think themselves very safe, if after an age of Sin and Vanity, they have but so much notice of Death, as to ask God's pardon upon a sick Bed, to confess and bewail the wickedness of their past lives, to die in horrors and a∣gonies of mind, which they call repent∣ance, but indeed are nothing else, but the sad presages of an awakened Con∣science, distracted with its own guilt, and the terrible expectations of venge∣ance: But though this be a very com∣fortless way of dying, and I fear gene∣rally very hopeless too; yet no man can promise himself so much as this, who does not live in a constant expe∣ctation of Death. We may be cut off by a sudden stroke, or seized with di∣straction or stupidness, that if only ask∣ing God pardon before we die, would save our Souls, we could not do it: And this is the case of so many Sinners, that it should be a warning to all: men, who know not when, nor how, or in what manner they must die, ought to

be ready prepared against all accidents and surprizing events.

3. Since the time of our Death is so very uncertain, it concerns us to improve our present time, because no time is ours, but what is present: I observed before, that the shortness of our lives, though we were to live to the utmost extent of them, threescore and ten, or fourscore years, was a sufficient reason to lose none of our time, but to improve it to the best and wisest purposes; and the surest way to lose none of our time, is to improve the present time; and there is a plain necessary reason, why we should do that, because our lives are uncertain, and therefore no time is ours, but what is present. The time past was ours, but that is gone, and we can never recal it, nor live it over again; if we have spent it well, we shall find it ours still in our account, but it is no longer our time to live and act in; the time to come may be ours, and it may not, because we know not whether we shall live to it, and therefore we can∣not reckon upon it; the time present is ours, and that is the only time that is ours; and therefore if we will im∣prove our time, we must improve our

present time, we must live to day, and not put off living till to morrow.

All Mankind are sensible of the ne∣cessity and prudence of this in all other matters, excepting the concernments of their Souls: An Epicurean Sensualist is for the present gratification of his lusts; Vive hodie, is his Motto, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die. Men who are intent upon increasing Riches, and advancing their Fortune and Honors, are for taking the present time and op∣portunity to do it: Indeed, setting a∣side the consideration of the uncertain∣ty of our lives, there are some things which a wise man will not delay, or put off to another time, when he has op∣portunity to do it at present.

What is necessary to be done, he will do as soon as he can, the very first mo∣ment, that it becomes necessary, if op∣portunity serves.

What is necessary every day, he will not put off from one day to another, but will do it every day; as eating and drinking and sleeping are.

What he resolves to do, and may as well do at present, and is as fit to be done at present, as at any other time, he will do at present.

What may suffer by delays, he will do the first time he can do it.

What is proper for some peculiar times and seasons, he will do, when those times and seasons come: as the Husband∣man observes the seasons for sowing and reaping; the Tradesman his Markets and Fairs.

What is of present use and conveni∣ence to him, what he takes great plea∣sure in, or what he mightily longs for and desires, he will by no means de∣lay, but is for doing it present.

Now all these are very weighty rea∣sons, why we should take care of our Souls, repent of our Sins, live in the practise of all Christian Graces and Vertues, and do all the good we can at present, but much more, when we consider, that our lives are so uncer∣tain, that we may have no other time to do any thing of this in, but what is present.

For, 1. is any thing of more abso∣lute necessity, than the Salvation of our Souls? This is that one thing needful; the Salvation of our Souls is needful as a necessary end; and the practise of true Religion needful as subservient to that end: If to escape eternal Misery,

and to obtain eternal Happiness, be not necessary, I know not what can make any thing necessary? And if this can∣not be done without the knowledge and practise of true Religion, that is as ne∣cessary as the Salvation of our Souls is: And can any present time, how early soever it be, be too soon to do that, which is necessary to be done? especi∣ally when we are not sure of any other time to do it in: No time is too soon to do that which is absolutely necessa∣ry; and no wise man will neglect do∣ing that at present, which unless it be done, he must be miserable for ever; and yet it may never be done, if it be not done at present.

2. Is not Religion, and the care of our Souls, the work of every day, as much as eating and drinking to preserve our bodily health and strength is? Must we not pray to God every day, and make his Laws the rule of our actions every day, and repent of our sins, and do what good we can every day? And what is the work of every day, we ought to do every day, though we were secure of living till to morrow, much more when we know that we may die before another day comes?

3. Do ye not all resolve to repent of your sins, and reform your lives, before ye die? And is it not as necessary to repent of your sins to day, as ever it will be? is not to day as proper a time to repent in, as ever you are likely to have? are you sure of having another day to repent in, if you neglect this? This may convince any considering man, that no resolutions of repenting hereafter, can be sincere, because such men resolve indeed to repent, but do not resolve to do it at such a time when they can do it; that is, the present time, which alone they are sure of, but put it off till another time, which may never be theirs:

I grant, men may sincerely resolve to do that hereafter, a month, or half a year, or a year hence, which they do not think so fitting and convenient to do at present; but then this is not an absolute resolution to do such a thing; but a conditional resolution, that they will do it, if they live till such a time, when it will be convenient to be done.

Consider then, which of these you mean, when you resolve to repent; is it onely a conditional resolution, that you will repent, if you live till such a

time? I grant, there is some sence in this resolution; but I wish you would consider, what danger there is in it too; for are you contented to be eternally miserable, if you do not live, till your time of repentance comes? No, this you tremble at the thoughts of, and resolve to repent, because you resolve not to be miserable for ever; that is, you ab∣solutely resolve to repent; you are con∣vinced this is absolutely necessary; it is a work that must be done, and you are resolved to do it: Consider then, how vain and contradictory this re∣solution is, to resolve to repent here∣after; which is an absolute resoluti∣on, with a condition annexed to it, and a very uncertain one too; a resolution certainly to repent, but not in a certain, but uncertain time; and yet those who repent, must repent in some time; and Repentance can never be certain, when the time to repent in, is uncertain. In∣deed no resolution is good, which is not for the present time, when there are no exceptions against doing it at pre∣sent, especially when there is such ma∣nifest danger in deferring it. To re∣solve to repent hereafter, when the pre∣sent time is the only certain time to re∣pent

in, only signifies, that men are con∣vinc'd of the necessity of Repentance; but love their sins so well, that they cannot part with them yet, and there∣fore, that they may sin on securely, without the perpetual fears and terrors of another World, they resolve to re∣pent hereafter. Now though there were no such manifest danger in a delay, from the uncertainty of our lives, yet let any man judge, whether such reso∣lutions as these, are ever like to take effect; a resolution which is owing to a great love to sin, and is intended one∣ly to silence mens guilty fears, and give them a present security in sinning: For this reason they resolve not to re∣pent now, but to repent hereafter; and if they keep this resolution, they will never repent, for their hereafter will ne∣ver come, which does not signifie any set and determined time, but any time which is not present: The reason why they resolve not to repent to day, will ex∣tend to every day, when it comes; that is, that they love their sins, and are un∣willing to part with them; and the reason why they resolve to repent here∣after, will serve for all hereafters, but will never serve for any time present,

viz. because they will not repent yet, and yet will flatter themselves into se∣curity with the vain hopes of Repent∣ance: flatter not yourselves then with vain hopes; he who resolves to repent, but does not resolve to repent present∣ly, though he knows he is sure of no other time but the present to repent in, does not sincerely resolve to repent, but only resolves to delay his Repent∣ance.

The like may be said concerning the danger of delays, concerning missing the proper times and seasons of action, and neglecting that which is of present use to us, and which we ought above all things to desire, viz. to secure the hap∣piness of our immortal Souls; but I shall only add this one thing to make you sensible, what it is to let slip the present time, without improving it to any wise purposes; that he who loses his present time, loses all the time he has, all the time that he can call his own; which is the sum of all other Arguments; that the present time is the only time he has to live in, to re∣pent in, to serve God, and to do good to men in, to improve his knowledge, and to exercise his graces, and to pre∣pare

himself for a blessed Immortality; which are the most necessary, the most useful, the most desirable things in the World; and that which gives the value to time itself, which is valuable only for the sake of what may be done, and what may be enjoyed in it.

But you'll say, at this rate we must spend our whole lives in the Duties of Religion, in thinking of God, and ano∣ther World, in acts of Repentance and Mortification, in Prayer and Fasting, and such like Exercises of Devotion: here will be no time left for the ordinary Affairs of Life, scarce to eat or drink, or sleep in, but that they will have some of our time, whether we will or no; but here is no allowance made for Re∣creations and Diversions, for the Con∣versation of Friends, and innocent Mirth and Pastime, to refresh our wearied Bo∣dies and Minds; for if we must be so careful to improve our present time to the best purposes, our present time is our whole time, for we have no time, but what is present, and as one minute succeeds another, still we must improve it to the best purposes; that is, we can do but one thing all our lives, and the best way then would be to turn Her∣mits,

and sequester ourselves from the World and Humane Conversation.

The answer to this objection will teach us, what it is to improve our present time, and how it must be done:

Now, 1. I allow the objection so far, that if a man have mis-spent great part of his life, have contracted great guilt, and powerful habits of Vice, the chief, and almost the only thing such a man can do, is to bewail his sins before God, and with earnest and repeated impor∣tunities to beg his Pardon; to live in a state of Penance and Mortification, to deny himself the pleasures and comforts of Life, till he has in some measure subdued his love to Sin, and regained the command and government of his Passions, and has recovered the peace of his Mind, and some good hopes, that God has forgiven him, and received him into favour for the sake of Christ: thus he ought to do, and when he is made thoroughly sensible of his sins, and the danger he is in, he can do no other∣wise: while he is terrified with the fears of Hell, he has little stomach to the ne∣cessary affairs and business of Life, much less to the mirth and pleasures of it; but this is such an interruption to the

ordinary and regular course of life, as a fit of sickness is, which confines us to our Bed, or to our Chamber, and makes us incapable of minding any thing, but the recovery of our health: and when this is the case, then indeed the care of our Souls is the only necessary business and imployment of our time.

2. But when this is not the case, the wise improvement of our present time does not confine us always to be upon our knees, or doing something which has a direct and immediate a∣spect upon God and another World, for the state of this World will not admit of that: but he imploys his time well, who divides it among all the affairs and and offices of life, between this World and the next, and imploys the several portions of his time in things fit and proper for such a season; who begins and ends the day with adoring his Ma∣ker and Redeemer, blessing him for all his mercies both temporal and spiritu∣al, begging the pardon of all his sins, the protection of his Providence, the assistance of his Grace, and then minds his secular affairs, with Justice and Righ∣teousness, eats and drinks with Sobrie∣ty and Temperance, does all good offi∣ces

for men, as occasion serves, and if he have any spare time, improves it for the encrease of his knowledge, by reading and meditating on the Scri∣ptures, or other useful Books, or re∣freshes himself with the innocent and chearful conversation of his Friends, or such other Diversions as are not so much a loss and expence of time, as a necessary relaxation of the Mind, to re∣cruit our Spirits, and to make us more fit either for Business or Devotion; but then on days set apart for the more publick and solemn acts of Worship, Religion is his chief Employment, for that is the proper work of the day, to worship God, and to examine the state of his own Soul, to learn his Duty more perfectly, and to affect his mind with such a powerful sence of God and ano∣ther World, as may arm him against all Temptations, when he returns to this World again. This is to improve our present time well, to observe the proper times and seasons of action, and to do, what is fit and proper for such seasons; never to do any thing which is evil, and as for the several kinds of good actions, to do what particular times and seasons require. Thus we

may give a good account of our whole time, even of our most loose and va∣cant hours; which it becomes us to do, though we were certain to live many years, but does more nearly concern us, when our time is so uncertain.

4. Since our lives are so very un∣certain, this ought to cure an anxious care and solicitude for times to come: we may live many years, though our lives are uncertain; and therefore a pro∣vident care becomes us; but we may die also very quickly, and why then should we disturb ourselves with To∣morrow's cares, much less with some remoter possibilities? Hast thou at any time an ill prospect before thee of pri∣vate or publick Calamities? Do the Storms gather? are the Clouds black and lowring, and charged with Thun∣der, and ready to break over thy head? Shelter thy self as well as thou canst, make all prudent provisions for a Storm, because thou maist live to see it; but be not too much dismaied and terrified with a Storm at a distance, for thy head may be laid low enough, and out of its reach, before it breaks; and then all this trouble and perplexity is in vain. Ma∣ny such examples have I seen, of men

disturbed with ill Presages of what was coming, which besides that these things did not happen, which they expected, or were not so black and dismal as their affrighted fancy painted them, if they had come, they were very safe first, and got out of their way.

I do not intend by this to comfort men against foreseen Evils, that they may die, before they come; which is a small comfort to most men, when it may be, Death is the most formidable thing in the Evils they fear; but since our lives are uncertain, and we may die, and never see the Evils we fear, it is unreasonable to be as much distracted with them, as if they were present and certain: The uncertainty of future E∣vents, is one reason why we ought not to be anxious and solicitous about them, and the uncertainty of our lives is a∣nother; and what is so very uncer∣tain, ought not to be the object of any great concern or passion.

5. For the same reason we ought not to be greatly afraid of men, nor to put our trust and confidence in them, be∣cause their lives are very uncertain, they may not be able to hurt us, when we are most apprehensive of danger

from them, nor to help us, when we need them most: This is the Psalmist's argument, 146 Psal. 3, 4. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 2 Isai. 22. Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be account∣ed of? Men, especially great and pow∣erful men, may do us a great deal of hurt, and may do us a great deal of good; and therefore common prudence will teach us by all wise and honest arts to gain their favour, and to avoid all unreasonable and needless provocations; but yet at best they are such brittle Creatures, that they can be the objects only of a subordinate fear or hope; when the fear of man comes in compe∣tition with the fear of God, it is wise counsel which the Prophet Isaiah gives, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctifie the Lord God of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread: and he shall be for a sanctuary, 8 Isai. 12, 13, 14. There is a vast difference between the power of

God and men, which is our Saviour's reason, why we should fear God more than men: Be not afraid of them who can kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do; but I will fore∣warn ye, whom ye shall fear, Fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him, 12 Luke 4, 5. But whatever power men may have to hurt, while they live, they can do us no hurt when they are dead, and their lives are so very uncertain, that we may be quick∣ly eased of those fears. The same may be said with respect to hope and confi∣dence in men; though their word and promise were always sacred, yet their lives are uncertain; Their breath goeth forth, they return to the earth; in that very day their thoughts perish; all the good and all the evil they intended to do: But happy is he, that hath the God of Iacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is, who keepeth truth for ever, 146 Psal. 5. 6.

6. For a conclusion of this Argument, I shall briefly vindicate the wisdom and goodness of God, in concealing from

us the time of our Death: This we are very apt to complain of, that our lives are so very uncertain, that we know not to day, but that we may die to morrow; and we would be mighty glad to meet with any one who could certain∣ly inform us in this matter, how long we are to live: but if we think a lit∣tle better of it, we shall be of another mind.

For, 1. though I presume many of you would be glad to know, that you shall certainly live twenty or thirty or forty years longer, yet would it be a∣ny comfort to know, that you must die to morrow, or some few months, or a year or two hence? which may be your case for ought you know; and this I believe you are not very desirous to know; for how would this chill your blood and spirits? how would it over∣cast all the pleasures and comforts of life? You would spend your days like men under the sentence of Death, while the execution is suspended.

Did all men, who must die young, certainly know it, it would destroy the industry and improvements of half Man∣kind, which would half destroy the World, or be an insupportable mischief

to Humane Societies: For what man who knows that he must die at twenty or five and twenty, a little sooner or later, would trouble himself with inge∣nious or gainful Arts, or concern him∣self any more with this World, than just to live so long in it? and yet how ne∣cessary is the service of such men in the World? what great things do they many times do? and what great im∣provements do they make? how plea∣sant and diverting is their conversation, while it is innocent? how do they en∣joy themselves, and give life and spirit to the graver Age? how thin would our Schools, our Shops, our Universities, and all places of Education be, did they know how little time many of them were to live in the World? for would such men concern themselves to learn the Arts of living, who must die as soon as they have learnt them? Would any Father be at a great expence in e∣ducating his Child, only that he might die with a little Latine and Greek, Lo∣gick and Philosophy? No: half the World must be divided into Cloysters, and Nunneries, and Nurseries for the Grave.

Well, you'll say, suppose that; and is not this an advantage above all the in∣conveniencies, you can think of, to se∣cure the salvation of so many thousands, who are now eternally ruined by youth∣ful Lusts and Vanities, but would spend their days in Piety and Devotion, and make the next World their only care, if they knew, how little while they were to live here?

Right! I grant, this might be a good way to correct the heat and extravagan∣cies of Youth; and so it would be to shew them Heaven and Hell; but God does not think fit to do either, because it offers too much force and violence to mens minds; it is no trial of their ver∣tue, of their reverence for God, of their conquests and victory over this World by the power of Faith, but makes Reli∣gion a matter of necessity, not of choice; now God will force and drive no man to Heaven; the Gospel-Dispensation is the trial and discipline of ingenuous Spirits; and if the certain hopes and fears of a∣nother World, and the uncertainty of our living here, will not conquer these flat∣tering temptations, and make men seri∣ously religious, as those who must cer∣tainly die, and go into another World,

and they know not how soon, God will not try, whether the certain knowledge of the time of their death, will make them religious: That they may die young, and that thousands do so, is rea∣son enough to engage young men to ex∣pect death, and prepare for it; if they will venture, they must take their chance, and not say they had no warning of dy∣ing young, if they eternally miscarry by their wilful delays.

And besides this, God expects our youthful service and obedience, though we were to live on till old Age: that we may die young, is not the proper, much less the only reason, why we should remember our Creator in the days of our youth, but because God has a right to our youthful strength and vigour; and if this will not oblige us to an early Pie∣ty, we must not expect that God will set death in our view, to fright and ter∣rifie us; as if the only design God had in requiring our obedience, was not that we might live like reasonable Creatures, to the glory of their Maker and Re∣deemer, but that we might repent of our sins time enough to escape Hell. God is so merciful, as to accept of re∣turning Prodigals, but does not think fit

to encourage us in Sin, by giving us no∣tice, when we shall die, and when it is time to think of repentance.

2dly, Though I doubt not, but that it would be a great pleasure to you to know, that you shall live till old Age; yet consider a little with yourselves, and then tell me, whether you yourselves can judge it wise and fitting for God to let you know this.

I observed to you before, what dan∣ger there is in flattering ourselves with the hopes of long life, that it is apt to make us too fond of this World, when we expect to live so long in it; that it weakens the hopes and fears of the next World, by removing it at too great a distance from us; that it encourages men to live in sin, because they have time enough before them to indulge their Lusts, and to repent of their Sins, and make their Peace with God before they die; and if the uncertain hopes of this undoes so many men, what would the certain knowledge of it do? Those who are too wise and considerate to be impo∣sed on by such uncertain hopes, might be conquered by the certain knowledge of a long life:

This would take off all restraints from

men, and give free scope to their vici∣ous inclinations, when they know, that how wicked soever they were, they should not die before their time was come, and could never be surpiz'd by Death, since they certainly knew when it will come; which destroys one great motive to Obedience, that Sin shall shor∣ten Mens lives, and that Vertue and Pie∣ty shall prolong them; That the wicked shall not live out half their days; that the fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortned, 10 Prov. 27. Such promises and threat∣nings as these, must be struck out of the Bible, should God let all men know the time of their death:

Nay, this would frustrate the me∣thods and designs of Providence for the reclaiming Sinners: some times publick Calamities, Plague, and Famine, and Sword, alarum a wicked World, and summon Men to repentance; sometimes a dangerous fit of Sickness awakens Men into a sence of their sins, and works in them a true and lasting repentance; but all this would be ineffectual, did Men know the time of their death, and that such publick Judgments, or threatning Sickness, should not kill them.

The uncertainty of our Lives, is a great motive to constant Watchfulness, to an early and persevering Piety; but to know when we shall die, could serve no good end, but would encrease the wickedness of Mankind, which is too great already; which is a sufficient Vin∣dication of the Wisdom of God, in lea∣ving the time of Death unknown and uncertain to us.

SECT. VII. That we must Die but once, or that Death translates us to an unchangable State, with the Improvement of it.

THe last thing to be consider'd is, That we must die but once; It is appointed for men once to die: There are some exceptions from this Rule, as there are from dying; that as Enoch and E∣lias did not die, so some have been rais∣ed again from the Dead, to live in this World, and such men died twice: But this is a certain Rule in general, That as all men must die once, so they must die but once; which needs no other proof, but the daily experience and ob∣servation of Mankind.

But that which I intend by it is this: That once dying, determines our state and condition for ever; when we put off these mortal Bodies, we must not return into them again, to act over a new part in this World, and to correct the errours and miscarriages of our former lives; Death translates us to an immutable and unchangeable state; that in this sence, what the wise man tells us is true, If the tree fall towards the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree fal∣leth, there it shall be, 11 Eccles. 3. This is a consideration of very great moment, and deserves to be more particularly ex∣plain'd, which I shall do in these follow∣ing Propositions:

1. That this life is the only state of trial and probation for Eternity: And therefore, 2. Death when ever it comes, as it puts a final period to this life, that we die once for all, and must never live again, as we do now in this World, so it puts a final end to our work too, that our day of grace, and time of working for another World ends with this life: And 3dly, As a necessary consequence of both these, once dying puts us into an immutable and unchangeable state.

1. That this life only is our state of trial and probation for Eternity; what∣ever is to be done by us, to obtain the favour of God, and a blessed Immortali∣ty, must be done in this life.

I observed before, that this life is whol∣ly in order to the next; that the great, the only necessary, business we have to do in this World, is to fit and prepare ourselves to live for ever in GOD's presence; To finish the work GOD has given us to do, that we may receive the reward of good and faithful Ser∣vants, to enter into our Master's rest; I now add, that the only time we have to do this in, is while we live in this World: This is evident from what S. Paul tells us, That we must all appear before the judge∣ment-seat of Christ, that every one may re∣ceive the things done in his body, ac∣cording to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. 5. 10. Now if we must be judged, and receive our final sentence according to what we have done in the body, then our only time of trial and working is, while we live in these Bodies; for the future Judgment relates only to what is done in the Body.

The Gospel of Christ is the Rule, whereby we must be judged, even that

Gospel which St. Paul preached, 2 Rom. 16. and all the Laws and Precepts of the Gospel concern the government of our Conversation in this World; and therefore if we be judged by the Gospel, we must be judged only for what we have done in this World.

This life, throughout the Scripture, is represented as the time of working; as a Race, a Warfare, a labouring in the Vineyard; the other World, as a place of Recompence, of Rewards, or punish∣ments: and if there be such a relation between this World and the next, as be∣tween fighting and conquering, and re∣ceiving the Crown, as between running a race and obtaining a prize, as between the work and the reward; then we must fight and conquer, run our race, and fi∣nish our work in this World, if we expect the Rewards of the next.

Many of those Graces and Vertues, which our Saviour has promised to re∣ward with eternal Life, can be exercised only in this World: Faith and Hope are peculiar only to this Life, while the o∣ther World is absent and unseen: And these are the great Principles and Graces of the Christian Life, to believe what we do not see, and to live and act upon the

hopes of future Rewards; the govern∣ment of our bodily appetites and passi∣ons, by the rules of Temperance, Sobri∣ety, and Chastity, necessarily supposes, that we have Bodies, and bodily Appe∣tites and Passions to govern; and there∣fore these Vertues can be exercised only while we live in these Bodies, which so∣licite and tempt us to sensual Excesses. To live above this World, to despise the tempting Glories of it, is a Vertue only while we live in it, and are tempted by it; to have our Conversation in Hea∣ven, which is the most divine temper of Mind, is a Gospel-grace, only while we live in this World, at a great distance from Heaven; to be contented in all Conditions, to trust God in the greatest Dangers, to suffer patiently for Righte∣ousness sake, &c. I need not tell you, are Vertues proper only for this World, for there can be no exercise for them in Hea∣ven, unless we can think it a Vertue to be patient and contented with the Hap∣piness and glory of that blessed Place.

Thus most of the Sins, which the Go∣spel forbids under the penalty of eternal Damnation, can be committed by us only in this World, and in these Bodies, such as Fornication, Adultery, Unclean∣ness,

Rioting, Drunkenness, Injustice, Murder, Theft, Oppression of the Poor and Fatherless, Earthly Pride and Ambi∣tion, Covetuousness, a fond Idolatry of this World, Disobedience to Parents and Governours, &c. now if these be the things, for which men shall be saved or damned, it is certain, that men must be saved or damned only for what they do in this Life.

Bad men, who are fond of this World, and of bodily Pleasures, which makes them impatient of the severe restraints of Religion, complain very much of this, that their eternal Happiness or Misery depends upon such a short and uncertain Life; that they must spend this Life un∣der the awe and terrour of the next; that some few momentary Pleasures must be punished with endless Misery; and that if they out-slip their time of Repen∣tance, if they venture to sin on too long, or die a little too soon, there is no re∣medy for them for ever.

But let bad men look to this, and con∣sider the folly of their Choice; I am sure, how hard soever it may be thought, to be eternally damned for the short pleasures of Sin, no man can reasonably think it a hard condition of eternal Sal∣vation,

to spend a short Life in the Ser∣vice of God: And if we will allow, that God may justly require our Service and Obedience for so great a Reward as Heaven is, where can we do him this Ser∣vice, but on Earth? If a corrupt Nature must be cleansed and purified, if an earth∣ly Nature must be spiritualized and re∣fined, before it can be fit to live in Hea∣ven, where can this be done, but on Earth, while we live in these Bodies of flesh, and are encompass'd with sensible Objects? This is the time for a Divine Soul, which aspires after Immortality, to raise itself above the Body, to conquer this present World, by the belief and hope of unseen things, to awaken and exercise its spiritual Powers and Facul∣ties, and to adorn itself with those Gra∣ces and Vertues, which come down from Heaven, and by the Mercies of God, and the Merits of our Saviour, will carry us up thither. There is no middle State, between living in this Body, and out of it, and therefore whatever habits and di∣spositions of Mind are necessary to make a Spirit happy, when it goes out of this Body, must be formed and exercised while it is in it; Earth and Heaven are two extreams, and opposite states of Life,

and therefore it is impossible immediate∣ly to pass from one to t'other; a Soul, which is wholly sensualiz'd by living in the Body, if it be turn'd out of the Bo∣dy without any change, cannot ascend into Heaven, which is a state of perfect Purity; for in all reason, the place and state of life must be fitted to the nature of things; and therefore a life of Holi∣ness, while we live in these Bodies, is a kind of a middle State, between Earth and Heaven; such a man belongs to both Worlds; he is united to this World by his Body, which is made of Earth, and feels the impression of sensible Ob∣jects, but his Heart and Affections are in Heaven; by Faith he contemplates those invisible Glories, and feels and relishes the pleasures of a heavenly Life; and he who has his conversation in Heaven, while he lives in this body, is ready pre∣pared and fitted to ascend thither, when he goes out of it: he passes from Earth to Heaven, through the middle region (if I may so speak) of a holy and divine Life.

Besides this, it was necessary to the happiness and good Government of this present World, that future Rewards or Punishments should have relation to the

good or evil, which we do in this Life. This in many cases lays restraints upon the lusts and passions of men, when the Rods and Axes of Princes cannot reach them; it over-awes them with invisible terrours, and makes a guilty Conscience its own Judge and Tormenter; it sow∣ers all the pleasures of sin, stuffs the Adulterer's Pillow with Thorns, and mingles Gall and Wormwood with the Drunkard's Cups; it governs those, who are under no other government, whose boundless and uncontroulable power gives them opportunity of doing what mis∣chief they please, and gives them impu∣nity in doing it: but the most lawless Tyrants, who fear no other Power, yet feel the invisible restraints of Conscience, and those secret and severe rebukes, which make them tremble: Nay, many times the fear of the other World go∣verns those, whom no present Evils or Punishments could govern: men who would venture whatever they could suf∣fer in this life by their sins, are yet a∣fraid of Hell, and dare not venture that: those who would venture being sick af∣ter a Debauch, who would venture to sacrifice their Bodies, their Estates, their Reputation, in the service of their Lusts,

who are contented to take their fortune at the Gallows, or at the Whipping-post, yet dare not venture Lakes of Fire and Brimstone, the Worm that never dieth, and the Fire that never goeth out.

Thus on the other hand, How much is it for the present Happiness of the World, that Men should live in the pra∣ctise of those Christian Graces and Ver∣tues, which no Humane Laws command, and the neglect of which no Humane Laws will punish? As to instance only in the love of Enemies, and forgiveness of Injuries, and such an universal Charity, as does all the good it can to all Men. I need not prove, that the exercise of these Vertues is for the good of the World, or that no Humane Laws require the ex∣ercise of them, in such noble measures and degrees, as the Gospel does.

The Laws of the Land allow scope e∣nough, to satisfie the most revengful Man, who will use all the extremities, and all the vexatious arts of Prosecution, unless nothing will satisfie his revenge, but bloud, and a speedy execution; for the Laws ought to punish those Injuries which a good Christian ought to for∣give; and then some Men may be un∣done by legal Revenge, and others damn∣ed

for taking it. If no Man should do any good Offices▪ for others, but what the Law commands, there would be ve∣ry little good done in the World; for Laws are principally intended for the preservation of Justice, but the acts of a generous and bountiful Charity, are free: and Men may be as charitable, as the Law requires, without any degree of that divine Charity, which will carry them to Heaven. Nothing, but the hopes and fears of the next World, can enforce these Duties on us; and this justifies the wisdom and goodness of God, in making the present exercise of these Vertues necessary to our future Rewards. I shall only add, that what∣ever complaints bad Men may make, that their future Happiness or Misery depends upon the government and con∣duct of their Lives, in this World, I am sure, all Mankind would have had great reason to complain, if it had been other∣wise: For how miserable must it have made us, to have certainly known, that we must be eternally happy, or eternal∣ly miserable in the next World, and not to have as certainly known how to e∣scape the Miseries and obtain the Hap∣••iness of it? And how could that be pos∣sibly

known, if the trial of it had been reserved for an unknown state? What a terrible thing had it been to die, could no Man have been sure, what would have become of him in the next World, as no Man could have been upon this sup∣posal; for how can any Man know what his reward shall be, when he is so far from having done his work, that he knows not what he is to do, till he comes into the next World.

But now since we shall be rewarded according to what we have done in this Body, every Man certainly knows, what will make him happy or miserable in the next World, and it is his own fault, if he do not live so as to secure immortal Life; and what a blessed state is this, to have so joyful a prospect beyond the Grave, and to put off these Bodies with the certain hopes of a glorious Resurre∣ction! This, I think, is sufficient to vin∣dicate the wisdom and goodness of God, in making this present Life a state of tri∣al and probation for the happiness of the next. But to proceed:

2. If this Life only be our state of trial and probation for Eternity, then Death, as it puts a final period to this Life, so it puts a final end to our work

too; our day of Grace, and time of Working for another World, ends with this Life.

We shall easily apprehend the necessi∣ty of this, if we remember, that Death, which is the punishment of Sin, is not meerly the death of the Body, but that state of Misery, to which Death tran∣slates Sinners: and therefore if we die, while we are in a state of Sin, under the Curse, and under the power of Death, there is no Redemption for us, because the Justice of God has already seiz'd us; the Sentence is already executed, and that is too late to obtain a Pardon: for in this case Death answers to our casting into Prison, from whence we shall ne∣ver come forth, till we have paid the uttermost Farthing, as our Saviour re∣presents it, 5 Matt. 25, 26: for indeed Sin is the death of the Soul; and those who are under the power of Sin, are in a state of Death, and if they die, before they have a principle of a new Life in them, they fall under the power of Death, that is, into that state of Misery and Punishment, which is appointed for such dead Souls: and therefore our redem∣ption from Death, by Christ is begun in our dying to Sin, and walking in new∣ness

of Life, which is our conformity to the Death, and the Resurrection of Christ, 6 Rom. 4. This is to be dead to sin, and to be alive to GOD, as Christ is; and if we die with Christ, we shall rise with him also into immortal Life, which is be∣gun in this World, and will be perfected in the next, which is the sum of St. Paul's argument, v. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. thus he tells us, 8 Rom. 10, 11. If Christ be in you, the body is dead, because of sin, but the spirit is life, because of righteousness; That is, our Bodies are mortal, and must die, by an irreversible Sentence, which God pronounc'd against Adam, when he had sinned; but the Soul and Spirit has a new principle of Life, a principle of Righteousness and Holiness, by which it lives to God, and therefore cannot fall into a state of Death, when the Body dies; But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead, dwell in you; he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his spi∣rit that dwelleth in you: That is, when the divine Spirit has quicken'd our Souls, and raised them into a new Life, though our Bodies must die, yet the same di∣vine Spirit will raise them up also into immortal Life.

This is the plain account of the mat∣ter: If Death arrests us while we are in a state of Sin and Death, we must die for ever; but if our Souls are alive to God, by a principle of Grace and Holiness, be∣fore our Bodies die, they must live for ever: A dead Soul must die with its Bo∣dy; that is, sink into a state of Misery, which is the death, and the loss of the Soul: a living Soul survives the Body in a state of Bliss and Happiness, and shall receive its Body again, glorious and im∣mortal, at the Resurrection of the Just: but this change of state must be made while we live in these Bodies; a dead Soul cannot revive in the other World, nor a living Soul die there; and there∣fore this Life is the day of God's Grace and Patience, the next World is the place of Judgment. And the reason St. Peter gives, why God is not hasty in execu∣ting judgment, but is long suffering to us ward, is because he is not willing, that a∣ny should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 5. Hence the A∣postle to the Hebrews exhorts them, Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your

fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years: Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their hearts; and they have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.

There is some dispute, what is meant by to day, whether it be the day of this Life, or such a fixt and determin'd day and season of Grace, as may end long be∣fore this Life: The example of the Is∣raelites, of whom God swear in his wrath, that they should die in the Wil∣derness, and never enter into his Rest, that is, into the Land of Canaan, seems to incline it to the latter sence; for this sentence, That they should not enter in∣to his Rest, was pronounc'd against them long before they died; for which reason they wandered forty Years in the Wil∣derness, till all that Generation of Men were dead: and if we are concern'd in this example, then we also may provoke God to such a degree, that he may pro∣nounce the final sentence on us, That we shall never enter into Heaven, long be∣fore we leave this World: Our day of Grace may have a shorter period than our Lives, and we may wander about in

this World, as the Israelites did in the Wilderness, under an irreversible doom and sentence. And the scope of the A∣postle's argument seems to require this sence, which is to engage them to a spee∣dy repentance, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts: But why to day? is it because our Lives are uncertain, and we may die before to morrow? No; but lest we provoke GOD to swear in his wrath, that we shall not enter into his rest.

All Men know, that if they die in a state of Sin, they must be miserable for ever; and this is a reason to repent be∣fore they die: But the Apostle seems to argue farther, that by their delays, and repeated provocations, they may tempt God to shorten their day of Grace, and pronounce an irrevocable Sentence on them, which leaves no place for Repen∣tance; which else - where he inforces from the example of Esau, who sold his Birth-right, 12 Heb. 15, 16, 17. v. Look∣ing diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby ma∣ny be desiled: Lest there be any fornica∣tor, or prophane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right.

For ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repen∣tance, though he sought it carefully with tears?

The stating of this matter may be thought a Digression from my present Design, but indeed it is not; for if by to day, be meant the whole time of this Life, that proves, that Death puts a fi∣nal period to our day of Grace; and if any shorter period than this Life be meant by it, it proves it much strong∣er; for if our sentence be passed before we die, it will not be revoked after death. But the stating this Question, is a matter of so great consequence to us, that if it were a Digression, it were very pardonable: for many de∣vout Minds, when they are disturbed and clouded with melancholy, are affli∣ed with such thoughts as these, That their day of Grace is past, that God has sworn in his wrath, that they shall not enter into his Rest; and therefore their repentance and tears will be as fruitless as Esau's were, which could not obtain the Blessing.

Now for the resolving this Question, I shall say these three things: 1. That

the Day of Grace, according to the terms of the Gospel, is commensurate with our Lives. 2. That notwithstanding this, Men may shorten their own Day of Grace, and God may in wrath and ju∣stice confirm the Sentence. 3. That the reasons for lengthning the Day of Grace, together with our Lives, do not extend to the other World, and there∣fore Death must put a final period to it.

1. That the Day of Grace, accord∣ing to the Terms of the Gospel, is com∣mensurate with our Lives; and there needs no other proof of this, but that the promise of Pardon and Forgiveness is made to all true Penitents, without any limitation of time: Whoever believes in Christ, and repents of his sins, he shall be saved; this is the Doctrine of the Go∣spel: And if this be true, then it is cer∣tain, that at what time soever a Sinner sincerely repenteth of his sins, he shall be saved; for otherwise some true and sincere Penitents, if they repent too late, after the day of Grace is expired, shall be damned, and then it is not true, that all sincere Penitents shall be saved.

I know but one Objection against this, from the example of Esau, who having

sold his Birth-right, when afterwards he would have inherited the blessing, was re∣jected; for he found no place for repent∣ance, though he sought it carefully with tears. It seems then, that Esau repented too late, and so may we; his repentance would not be accepted: And if we are concerned in this example, as the Apostle intimates we are, then we may repent of our sins when it is too late, and lose the Blessing as Esau did.

But this Objection is founded on a mistake of Esau's case; the Repentance here mentioned, is not Esau's Repent∣ance, but Isaac's; that is, when Isaac had blessed Iacob, Esau with all his tears and importunity, could not make him recal it; i. e. Isaac would not repent of the blessing he had given to Iacob, I have blessed him, yea and he shall be blessed, 27 Gen. 33.

Esau's case then was not, that his Re∣pentance came too late to be accepted, but that he could not obtain the Blessing, after he had sold his Birth-right, to which the Blessing was annexed. Now to ap∣ply this to the state of Christians, that which answers to Esau's Birth-right, is their right and title to future Glory, be∣ing made the Sons of God by baptismal

Regeneration, and Faith in Christ; to sell this Birth-right, is to part with our hopes of Heaven, for the pleasures, or riches, or honours of this World, as Esau sold his Birth-right for one morsel of Meat; that is, as the Apostle speaks, to fail of the grace of God, either through Unbelief, which he calls the root of bit∣terness, a renouncing the Faith of Christ, and returning to Iudaism, or Pagan Ido∣latries, or by an impure and wicked Life, Lest there be any fornicater, or pro∣phane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right; i. e. who de∣spises the hopes of Heaven, for the sinful pleasures and transient enjoyments of this World: Men, who thus fail of the grace of God, and finally do so, as Esau finally sold his Birth-right, when our heavenly Father comes to give his Blessing, those great rewards he has promised in his Gospel, how importunate soever they shall then be for a Blessing, as Esau was, who sought it carefully with tears, they shall find no place for repentance; God will not alter his purposes and decrees for their sakes. Our Saviour has given us a plain Comment on this, 7 Mat. 21, 22, 23. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom

of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me at that day, that is, the Day of Judgment, when the Blessing is to be given, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesi∣ed in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many won∣derful works? Here is Esau's Importunity for the Blessing. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity. They were profane Esau's, who had sold their Birth∣right for a morsel of Meat, and now they found no place for Repentance: our Lord will not be perswaded by all their importunities to alter his Sentence, But depart from me ye that work ini∣quity.

This example then of Esau does not concern our present case; it does not prove, that a wicked Man, who hath spent the greatest part of his Life in sin and folly, shall not be accepted and re∣warded by God, if he sincerely repent of his sins, and reform his life; but it only proves, that a wicked & ungodly Christian who prefers the pleasures and enjoyments of this World, before the hopes of Hea∣ven, and defiles his Soul with impure and worldly Lusts, what pretences soever he

may make to the Blessing, or how im∣portunate soever he may be for it, shall receive no Blessing from God; that is, that without holiness no man shall see God, which is the very thing the Apostle in∣tended to prove by this example, as you may see, v. 14.

I grant the case is different, as to Churches and Nations; sometimes their day of Grace is fixt and determin'd, be∣yond which without Repentance, they shall no longer enjoy the light of the Go∣spel. Thus the appearance of Christ in the Flesh, and his preaching the Gospel to them, was the last trial of Ierusalem, and determin'd the fate of that beloved City: and therefore when Christ rode into Ierusalem, in order to his Crucifixi∣on, When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench a∣bout thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side; and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy chil∣dren within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another: because

thou knewest not the time of thy visitati∣on, 19 Luke 41, &c. And this our Savi∣our warned them of before, 12 Joh. 35, 36. Yet a little is the light with you: walk while ye have the light, lest dark∣ness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light: Which signifies, that unless they belie∣ved on him, while he was with them, they must be utterly destroyed, The kingdom of God should be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; as he proves by the Pa∣rable of the Housholder who planted a Vineyard, 21 Mat. 33, &c.

And this was in some measure the case of the seven Churches of Asia, to whom St. Iohn directed his Epistles, to summon them to repentance, and to threaten them with the removal of the Candlestick, if they did not repent. The judgments of God in the overthrow of some flourishing Churches, and in tran∣splanting the Gospel from one Nation to another, are very mysterious and un∣searchable; but as for particular persons, who enjoy the light of the Gospel, un∣less they shorten their day of Grace them∣selves,

God does not shorten it: as long as they live in this World, they are ca∣pable of Grace and Mercy, if they tru∣ly repent.

2. Men may shorten their own Day of Grace; not by shortning the time of Grace and Mercy, for that lasts as long as this Life does; but by out-living the possibility of Repentance, and when they are past Repentance, their Day of Grace is at an end, and this may be much shor∣ter than their lives: that is, Men may so harden themselves in sin, as to make their Repentance morally impossible, and God in his just and righteous Judgments may give up such Men to a state of Hardness and Impenitence.

Every degree of love to Sin, propor∣tionably enslaves Men to the practice of it; makes repentance as uneasie and dif∣ficult, as it is to pluck out a right eye, and cut off a right hand, 5 Mat. 29, 30; as painful as dying, as crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts, which few Men will submit to, 8 Rom. 13. 3 Col. 5.

An habit and custom of sin turns into nature, and is as difficultly altered as na∣ture is; Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may

you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil, 13 Jer. 23.

Some sins are of such a hardening na∣ture, that few men, who are once en∣tangled by them, can ever break the snare; such as Adultery, or the love of strange Women; of whom Solomon tells us, Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead; none that go unto her return again, neither take they* 1.1 hold of the paths of life, 2 Prov. 18, 19.

Covetuousness is such another harden∣ing sin, that our Saviour tells us, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into heaven; those who love, and those who trust in their riches, 10 Matth. 23, 24, 25.

Those who have been once enlight∣ned, and fall back again into Infidelity; who have been instructed in the reasons of Faith, and the motives of Obedience; who have had the heavenly Seed of God's Word sown in their hearts, but have not brought forth the Fruits of it, are near the Curse of barren Ground, which drinketh in the Dews and Rain of Hea∣ven, and brings forth briars and thorns, which is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing,

whose end is to be burnt, 6 Heb. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

When Men obstinately resist the per∣petual motions and solicitations of the holy Spirit, he withdraws from them, and gives them up to their own coun∣sels, as we leave off perswading those who will not be perswaded.

And when the spirit of God forsakes such Men, the evil Spirit seizeth them, that Spirit which ruleth in the Children of Disobedience, 2 Eph. 3. for the World is divided into the Kingdom of Dark∣ness and the Kingdom of Light, 1 Col. 13; and those who are not under the government of the Divine Spirit, are led captive by the Devil at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 6: and therefore our Saviour hath taught us to pray to be delivered from Evil, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from the Evil One, that is, from the Devil: for that is a hope∣less state, when God gives us up to the government of evil Spirits: Nay, when Men harden themselves in sin, they are rejected by the good Providence of God, which secures good Men from, or deli∣vers them out of Temptations, as our Saviour has taught us to pray, Lead us not into temptation; as a Father keeps a watchful eye over a dutiful Child, to

preserve him from any harm, and to choose the most proper condition and circumstances of life for him, but suffers a Prodigal to go where he pleases, and undo himself as fast as he can. And whoever considers the weakness and fol∣ly of humane Nature, and the power of Temptations, must needs conclude that Man given up to ruine, who is rejected by the good Spirit of God, and cast out of the care of his Providence.

Into this miserable state Men may bring themselves by sin, which though it does not make them uncapable of Mer∣cy, if they do repent, yet it makes it morally impossible, that they should re∣pent. It is this the Apostle to the He∣brews warns them against, from the ex∣ample of the Hardness and Infidelity of the Israelites in the Wilderness, of whom God swear, that they should not enter into his rest; as appears from the ap∣plication he himself makes of it, 3 Heb. 12, 13. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God: But exhort one another daily, while it is called, To day; lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin.

This is a plain account of that great Question, concerning the length of the Day of Grace: Men may out-live the time of Repentance, may so harden themselves in sin, as to make their Re∣pentance morally impossible; but they cannot out-live the Mercies of God to true Penitents: This is reason enough to discourage Men from delaying their Re∣pentance, and indulging themselves in a vicious course of Life, Lest they should be hardned by the deceitfulness of sin, and should be forsaken by God; but it is no reason to discourage true Penitents from trusting in the Mercy of God, how late soever their Repentance be; for while we live in this World, the door of Grace and Mercy is not shut against true Penitents.

3. But yet the reasons of lengthning the Day of Grace and Mercy, do not reach beyond this Life: This sufficiently appears from what I have already said; and for a further confirmation of it, I shall add but this one comprehensive Reason, viz. That the Grace of the Go∣spel is confined to the Church on Earth; and therefore this Life is the only time to obtain the remission of our Sins, and a title to future Glory: We shall be fi∣nally

absolved from all our Sins, and re∣warded with eternal Life at the Day of Judgment; but we must sue out our Par∣don, and make our Calling and Election sure in this World.

The Gospel of Christ, which is the Gospel of Grace, and contains the pro∣mises of Pardon and immortal Life, is preached only to Men on Earth, and con∣cerns none else.

For this reason Christ became Man, cloathed with flesh and blood as we are, that he might be the Saviour of Man∣kind; which he need not have done, had not their Salvation been to be wrought in this World; for could they have been saved in the next, his Grace might have met them soon enough there: and there∣fore, at the birth of our Saviour, the Angels sang, Glory be to God in the high∣est, on earth peace, good will towards men, 2 Luke 14.

The Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross, (as all Iewish Sacrifices, which were Types of the Sacrifice of the Cross, were) was offered for the expiation of the Sins of living Men, or at least consi∣dered as living, not of the dead.

He carried his blood into Heaven, as the High-Priest did the blood of the Sa∣crifice

into the Holy of Holies) there to make expiation, and to interceed for us; but this Intercession, though made in Heaven, relates only to Men on Earth, as his Sacrifice did: The earthly Taber∣nacle was a Type of the Church on Earth, and that only, and the Worshippers in it, was expiated by Sacrifices.

There are two Sacraments whereby the Grace of the Gospel is applied to us, and which are the ordinary means of Salvation, Baptism and the Lord's Sup∣per, and they are confined to the Church on Earth, and if they have not their ef∣fect here, they cannot have it in the next World: These unite us to Christ, as Members of his Body, and then the holy Spirit, which animates the Body of Christ, takes possession of us, renews and sanctifies us; but if we prove dead and barren Branches in this spiritual Vine, if the Censures of the Church do not cut us off from the Body of Christ, Death will, and then we can never be re-united to him, nor saved by him in the next World. Faith in Christ, and Repent∣ance from dead Works, are the great Gospel-terms of Pardon and Salvation, and these are confined to this World: there may be something like them in the

next World; such a Faith as makes the Devils tremble; such a Repentance as is nothing else but despairing Agonies, and a hopeless and tormenting Remorse; but such a Faith as purifies the heart, as con∣quers this present World, as brings forth the fruits of Righteousness; such a Repent∣ance as reforms our Lives, as undoes all our past Sins, as redresses the Injuries we have done to our Neighbours, and the Scandal we have given to the World; such a Faith, and such a Repentance, which alone are the true Christian Gra∣ces of Faith and Repentance, are proper only for this Life, and can be exercised only in this Life, while we have this World to conquer, and the Flesh to sub∣due to the Spirit, while we can restore our ill-gotten Riches, and set a visible Ex∣ample of Piety and Vertue.

From hence it is very evident, that no Man, who dies in a state of Sin and Im∣penitence, can be saved by Christ, and by the Grace of the Gospel in the next World, for the whole ministration of Go∣spel-grace is confined to this Life, and if they cannot be saved by Christ, I know no other Name, whereby they can be sa∣ved: And thus Death puts an end to all the flattering hopes of Sinners.

3. Now if this Life be our only state of trial and probation for Eternity; if Death puts a final end to our Day of Grace and time of Working, then Death must translate us to an immutable and unchangeable state. By this I do not mean, that as soon as we go out of these Bodies, our Souls will immediate∣ly be as happy or miserable, as ever they shall be; the perfect rewards of good Men are reserved for the Day of Judgment, as the final punishments of bad Men are; when our Lord shall say to those on his right hand, Come ye bles∣sed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre∣pared for you from the foundation of the world: And to them on the left hand, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels, 25 Mat. 34, 41.

But though the Happiness or Miseries of the next World may increase, yet the state can never alter; that is, if we die in a state of Grace and Favour with God, we shall always continue so; if we die in a state of Sin, under the wrath and displeasure of God, there is no altering our state in the other World; we must abide under his wrath for ever. This is the necessary consequence of what I have

already said, which all aimed at this point, that once dying puts us into an im∣mutable and unchangeable state: and therefore I shall wave any further proof of this, and only desire you seriously to consider of it.

1. Now first, since Death puts an end to our Day of Grace, and determines our final State for ever, and this Death comes but once, all Men must confess of what mighty consequence it is to die well, that Death find us well disposed and well prepared for another World. Men use their utmost prudence and caution in doing that, which can be done but once for their whole lives, especially if the happiness of their whole lives depends on it; for no errour can be corrected in what is to be done but once; and certainly we have much more reason to prepare to die once, which translates us to an immutable state of Happiness or Misery. This ought to be the work and business of our whole lives, to pre∣pare for Death, which comes but once, but that once is for Eternity: What un∣pardonable folly is it, for any Man to be surprized by Death! to fall into the Grave without thinking of it! To com∣mit a mistake, which may be retrieved

again, to be guilty of some neglect and inadvertency, when the hurt we suffer by it, may be repair'd by future dili∣gence and caution, is much more excu∣sable, because it is not so fatal and irre∣parable a folly: In this case experience may teach wisdom, and wisdom is a good purchase, though we may pay dear for it: but a wise Man will use great caution in making an experiment, which if it fail, will cost him his life, because that can never be tried a second time; and experience is of no use in such things, as can be done but once.

And this is the case of dying; we can die but once, and if we miscarry that once, we are undone for ever: And what considering Man would make such dangerous experiments, as Sinnres do e∣very day, when their Souls are the price of the experiment! Who would try, how long Death will delay its coming? how long he may sin on safely, without think∣ing of Death or Judgment? whether Death will give him timely notice to repent? or whether God will give him grace to repent, if it does? Who would venture the infinite hazards of a Death∣bed-repentance? whether after a long life of sin and wickedness, a few distract∣ed,

confused, and almost despairing sighs and groans will carry him to Heaven? If such bold Adventurers as these, when they have discovered their mistake and folly, could return back into this World, and live over their lives again, the ha∣zard were not so great; but this is an experiment not to be twice made: If they sin on, till they harden themselves in sin, and are forsaken of the Grace of God; if Death comes long before they expected, and cut them off by surprize, and without warning; if their dying and despairing Agonies and Horrours should not prove a true godly Sorrow, not that repentance to salvation never to be repent∣ed of, they are lost to Eternity: And what wise Man would expose his Soul to such a hazard as this? Who would not take care to make his Calling and Ele∣ction sure, before Death comes, and in a matter of such infinite concernment, wherein one miscarriage is irreparable, to prevent danger at a distance?

2dly, We hence learn, how necessary it is for those who begin well, to perse∣vere unto the end: It is the conclusion of our lives, which determines our fu∣ture state; as God expresly tells us by his Prophet Ezekiel, 18 Ezek. 21, 24.

If the wicked will turn from all his sins, that he hath committed, and keep my sta∣tutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die: all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him; in his righteousness that he hath done, he shall live.—But when the righteous turneth away from his righte∣ousness, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he live? all the righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned; in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sin∣ned, in them shall he die. And through∣out the New Testament the reward is pro∣mised only to those who continue to the end. And what I have now discoursed, gives a plain account of this; for our whole life is a state of trial and probati∣on, and if we leave off before our work be done, if we stop or run backwards, before we come to the end of our race, we must lose our reward, our crown: the Christian Life is a state of Warfare, and we know the last Battel gives the final Conquest: and this cannot be o∣therwise, because what comes last, un∣does what went before; when a wick∣ed

Man turns from his wickedness, and does good, God in infinite Mercy, thro' the Merits and Mediation of Christ, will forgive his sins, because he has put them away from him, and undone them by repentance and a new life; when a righ∣teous Man turns from his righteousness, and does wickedly, his righteousness shall be forgotten, because he has renounced it, and parted with it, and is a righteous Man no longer: Now when God comes to judge the World, he will judge Men as he then finds them; he will not in∣quire what they have been, but what they are; he will not condemn a righ∣teous Man, because he has been wicked, nor justifie a wicked Man, because he has been righteous; for this would be to punish the Righteous, and to reward the Wicked: Such as we are, when we die, such we shall continue for ever; and therefore it is the last scene of our lives, which determines our future state.

And should not this make us very jea∣lous and watchful over ourselves? To take heed, lest there be in any of us an e∣vil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living GOD. Looking diligently,* 1.2 lest any man fail of the grace of GOD; lest any root of bitterness springing up,

trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: lest after we have escaped the pollutions* 1.3 of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, we are again entangled therein, and overcome, and it happen to us according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his vomit again; and the sow that was washed, to* 1.4 her wallowing in the mire. This, as the same Apostle tells us, makes our latter end worse than the beginning; for it had been better for us not to have known the way of righteousness, than after we have known it, to turn from the holy commandment deli∣vered to us.

Let those consider this, who have been blessed with a religious Education, and trained up in the exercises of Piety and Vertue; who have preserved them∣selves from the pollutions of youthful Lusts, and spent their vigorous age in the service of God; Can you be content∣ed to lose all these hopeful beginnings? to lose all your triumphs and victories over the World and the Flesh? When you have out-rid all the storms and hur∣ricanes of a tempting World for so ma∣ny Years, will you suffer yourselves to be shipwracked in the Haven? When you are come within view of the promi∣sed

Land, will you suffer your hearts then to fail you? will you then mur∣mur and rebel against God, and die in the Wilderness?

There has been a very warm Dispute about the Perseverance of Saints, Whe∣ther those who are once in a state of Grace, shall always continue so? I will not undertake to decide this Controver∣sie; but thus much I will say, (and that I think is all that is needful for a Chri∣stian to know about it) That to be in a state of Grace, is to have an inward principle of Holiness, which brings forth the fruits of a holy Life; that to perse∣vere in a state of Grace, is to persevere in the practice of Holiness and Vertue; that many who have begun well, and have thought themselves, and have been thought by others, to be truly good Men, have afterwards been overcome by the Temptations of the World, and defi∣led themselves with the impure Lusts of it; that if such Men ever were good Men, and in a state of Grace, they fall from Grace when they forsake the paths of Holiness; and that those who do thus fall away, who after promising begin∣nings, do all the abominations of the Wicked, and live and die in such a state,

shall never enter into Heaven: We shall receive our final Doom and Sentence according to that state and condition in which Death finds us: What is said up∣on another account, that we must call no Man happy before death, is true in this sence; no Man is a Conqueror, but he who dies so: Those Men deceive themselves, who confidently pretend to be still in a state of Grace and Favour with God, because formerly they were good Men, though now they are grown very bad: this is to persevere in a state of Favour with God, without perseve∣ring in Holiness, which overthrows the Gospel of our Saviour, and will miserab∣ly deceive those Men, who have no bet∣ter foundation for their hopes.

3. We hence learn, how dangerous it is to die in the actual commission of any known and wilful sin: Such Men go in∣to the other World, and go to Judge∣ment with actual guilt upon them, they die in their sins; for they could not re∣pent of them before they died, because they died in the commission of them, and there is no repentance, and there∣fore no pardon in the next World. This has been, and very often is, the miserable, and I fear the hopeless state of a great

many Sinners: How many are there, who not only drink themselves into a Feavour, which takes some time to kill them, and gives them some time to re∣pent of their sins, and to ask God's par∣don, but drink themselves dead, or which is much at one, as to this case, drink a∣way their reason and senses, and then fall from their Horses, or down a Precipiece, and perish by some evil accident; or when they are inflamed with Wine, for∣get their old friendships, and fall by each others hands? How many others have perished in the very act of Adultery, or which is much the same, in quarrelling for a Strumpet, in the rage and fury of Lust? How many die in the very act of Theft and Robbery? All such Men re∣ceive the present punishment of their sins in this World, and carry the unre∣pented guilt of them into the next; and if Men shall be damned, who die in their sins without repentance, such Mens con∣dition is desperate. And this may be the case of any Man who ventures upon a wilful sin; he may die in the very act of it, and then his repentance will come too late in the next World: and this so often happens, that no wise Man would venture his Soul upon it.

But there are two Sins especially, which this consideration should deter Men from, viz. Duelling and Self-mur∣der.

When Men have such a resentment of Affronts and Injuries, as to revenge them∣selves with their Swords, and either to thirst after each others blood, or at least to stake their lives, and to venture kil∣ling or being killed, to decide the Quar∣rel: these Men have the hearts of Mur∣derers, who would kill if they could; or at least will venture killing their Bro∣ther to appease their resentments or re∣venge, which is a mortal and a murder∣ing revenge, whether it murder or not; and therefore if such Men fall in the quarrel, as many do, without time to ask God's pardon with their last breath, they die under the guilt of Murder un∣repented of; though they do not kill, but are killed, yet they die with mur∣derous intentions, with a mortal hatred and revenge, for they would have kil∣led, if they could: and St. Iohn tells us, He that hateth his brother, is a murder∣er; and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him, 1 John 3. 15. So that these Duellers do not only venture their Lives, but their Souls too,

if they fall in the quarrel: and how little soever they value their Lives, it is a lit∣tle too much to pawn their Souls upon a point of Honour.

As for Self-murder, if we will allow it to be a Sin, it is certain that no Man who commits it, can repent of it in this World, and there is no pardon for sins in the next World, which are not re∣pented of in this. And yet why we should not think it as great a sin to murder ourselves, as to murder our Bro∣ther, I cannot imagine, for it has all the marks of a very great sin upon it.

It is as much Murder to kill ourselves, as it is to kill another Man; and there∣fore it is a breach of the sixth Command∣ment, Thou shalt not kill: The reason against Murder is the same, For in the image of GOD made he man, 9 Gen. 6; and he who kills himself destroys God's Image, as much as he who kills another Man. The more unnatural the sin is, or the greater obligations we have to preserve the life of the person whom we kill, the greater the sin is: to murder a kind Friend, and a Benefactor, is a great∣er evil than to murder a Stranger; to murder a Parent or a Child, a Wife or

a Husband, is still a greater evil, because they are so much nearer ourselves; and if the nearness of the relation increases the sin, no body is so near to us as our selves, and therefore there is no such un∣natural Murder as this.

The excuses which are made for Self∣murder, will not justifie the Murder of any other Man in the World: Though we should see a Friend whom we love like ourselves, labouring under intoler∣able pains, or insupportable misfortunes and calamities of life, though he should importune and beseech us to put an end to his sufferings, by putting an end to a miserable life; though out of great kind∣ness and compassion we heartily desire to follow him to his Grave, yet we must not kill him; neither the Laws of God nor Man will allow this: And yet if Self∣love be the measure of our love to other Men, and will justifie Self-murder, when we are grown weary of life, when we either despise the World, or think it best to make our escape out of it, I cannot i∣magine, why we may not do the same kindness for a Friend or a Brother, when he desires it, as we may do for ourselves; the reason is the same in both, and if it will not justifie both, it can justifie neither.

For there is no foundation, that I know of, for what some pretend, that God has given us greater power over our own lives, than over other Mens: We find no such power given us in Scri∣pture, which is the only revelation of God's will; and I am sure Nature teaches us no such thing; nay, Nature teaches the quite contrary; the natural aversi∣ons to Death, and the natural principle of Self-preservation, were not only in∣tended to make us cautious of any hurt or mischief, which other Men may do us, but to make us careful to do no hurt to, much less to destroy ourselves; and therefore the voice of Nature is, That we must preserve our own lives and be∣ing.

When God made us, he did not make us the absolute Lords and Masters of our selves; we cannot dispose of ourselves as we please, but are his Creatures and Subjects, and must receive Laws from him, and that in such instances, where∣in the injury is done only to ourselves: We must not abuse our own Bodies by Intemperance and Luxury, or Lust, though neither the Publick, nor any private persons are injured by it; and if we have not power over our own Bo∣dies

in lesser instances, much less to kill them.

And if it be a sin to destroy our own lives, it is the most mortal and damning sin, for it destroys Soul and Body toge∣ther, because it makes our repentance impossible, unless Men can repent of their sin, and obtain God's pardon for it, before they have committed it, or can repent and obtain their pardon in the next World. Did Men seriously consi∣der this, it is impossible, that the great∣est shame and infamy, want or suffering, or whatever it is, that makes them wea∣ry of life, should be thought so intolera∣ble, as to make them force their pas∣sage into the other World, to escape it, when such a violent and unnatural escape will cost them their Souls: Men may be in such evil circumstances as make death desirable; but no considering Man will exchange the sufferings of this life, for the endless miseries of the next: If we cannot destroy our Lives, and put an end to our present sufferings, without destroying our Souls too, we must be contented to live on, and bear our lot patiently in this World, which, whatever it is, is much more easie and tolerable than to be eternally miserable.

And yet God forbid, that I should pronounce a final and peremptory Sen∣tence upon all those unfortunate persons who have died by their own hands: We know not what allowances God may make for some Mens opinion of the law∣fulness of it; and for the distraction of other Mens thoughts and passions thro' a setled melancholy, or some violent temptation: My business is not to limit the Soveraign and Prerogative Grace of God, but to declare the nature of the thing according to the Terms of the Gospel: To Murder ourselves, is the most unnatural Murder; it is a damn∣ing Sin, and such a sin as no Man can repent of in this World, and therefore unless God forgive it without repent∣ance, it can never be forgiven; and the Gospel of Christ gives us no commission to preach Forgiveness of Sin, without Repentance; the Gospel-grace, which only forgives Penitents, cannot save such Men; and he is a very bold Man, and ventures very far upon unpromised and uncovenanted Mercy, who will commit a sin, which the Grace of the Gospel can∣not pardon.

All that I have to add under this Head, is the case of those who die in de∣spair

of God's Mercy: This is common∣ly thought a very hopeless state; for to despair of the mercy of God, is a great sin, and therefore such Men die in the actual commission of sin unrepented of; and By-standers are apt to suspect their despair to be little better than their fi∣nal doom and sentence; and yet many times we see Men labouring under de∣spair in their last Agonies, who have to all outward appearance lived very inno∣cent and vertuous lives; and it is hard to judge so severely of them, as to think they were secret Hypocrites, and that God has finally rejected them, because they pass such a severe judgment upon themselves.

Now I confess, despair is as uncom∣fortable a state as any Man can die in; but I cannot think it so fatal and dange∣rous as some imagine; for let us consi∣der, what the nature of Despair is, and wherein the sinfulness of it consists.

To disbelieve the Promises of Grace and Mercy, made to true penitent Sin∣ners by Jesus Christ, is Infidelity, not Despair: and this indeed is a great and unpardonable sin, for it is to renounce the Faith of Christ, and the Grace of the Gospel; but this is not what we com∣monly

call Despair: Such men believe the Gospel of Christ, and all the Pro∣mises of it, as firmly as others do; they do not doubt but God will forgive all true Penitents, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ; and therefore are as true and sincere Believers, as those who do not despair; but their despair is in the application of these Promises to themselves; that is, they fear that they are not within the Terms and Conditi∣ons of Gospel-grace; that they are not true Penitents; that their Day of Grace is expired, and now they shall not re∣ceive the Blessing, though, as Esau did, they seek it earnestly with tears; or it may be, that they are Reprobates who have no right to the Promises of the Go∣spel.

Now if these Men may upon all other accounts be very good Christians, but are either oppressed with melancholy, or disturbed with false and mistaken no∣tions of Religion, can we think that their melancholy or mistakes, which make them pass so false a judgment upon them∣selves, shall make God condemn them too, who knows them better than they know themselves? Should a Man, who has a delirous fancy, accuse himself of

Theft, or Murder, or Treason, which he was never guilty of; would a just and righteous Judge, who certainly knows, that he is not gulty of these crimes, con∣demn him, only because he condemns himself? Suppose a Man, who is in the right way to Heaven, should be perswa∣ded by some Travellers he meets, that he has mistaken his way; and upon this he should fall into great horrors and ago∣nies, and give himself for lost; is this Man ever the further off of Heaven, be∣cause he is perswaded that he has mista∣ken the way?

The false judgments dying Men make of themselves, either through Enthusi∣asm, Presumption, or Despair, shall not determine their final State: Men may go to Hell with all the triumphs of a de∣luded fancy, which promises nothing less than eternal Glories; and those who go trembling out of this World, may find themselves happily mistaken in the next. It is a wrong notion of justifying Faith, which makes Men conclude Despair to be so damning and unpardonable a Sin: if justifying Faith were nothing else but a strong belief and perswasion, that we are justified, there were good reason to conclude Despair to be a mortal Sin, be∣cause

it is a direct contradiction to justi∣fying Faith: nay, if the justifying act of Faith were an actual reliance and re∣cumbency on Christ for Salvation, De∣spair must be very mortal, because while Men are under these Agonies, they do not, they cannot rely on Christ for Sal∣vation; for they believe, that Christ has cast them off, and will not save them: but if to believe in Christ, that he is the Saviour of the World, that he has made expiation for our Sins, and intercedes for us at the right hand of God, and is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him; that he will save all true penitent Sinners, and will save us, if we be true Penitents; I say, if such a Faith as this, when it brings forth the genuine fruits of Repentance, and a holy Life, be a true justifing Faith, this is consistent with the blackest De∣spair; and then Men may be in a justi∣fied state, though they are never so strongly perswaded, that they are Re∣probates: A very good Man may have his fancy disturbed, and may pass a false judgment upon himself; but this is no reason for God to condemn him, no more than God will justifie a presuming and enthusiastick Hypocrite, because he justifies himself.

4. If Death put a final end to our Work and Labour, and shuts up our Ac∣counts, then it concerns us to do all the good that we can, while we live: What ever our hand findeth to do, we should do it with all our might, seeing there is no wisdom, nor knowledge, nor working in the grave, whither we are hasting. Not that the next World is an idle and unactive State, where we shall know nothing, and have nothing to do; but Death puts an end to our working for the other World: nothing can be brought to our account at the Day of Judgment, but the good we do while we live here; for this one∣ly we shall receive our reward, propor∣tionable to the encrease and wise im∣provement of our Talents.

And is not this a good reason why we should begin to serve God betimes, and to take all opportunities of doing good, since we have only a short life to work in for Eternity. There are great and glorious rewards prepared for good Men, but those shall have the brightest Crown, who do the most good in the World; who are rich in good works, and lay up for themselves treasures in heaven.

Indeed the meanest place in Heaven is a happiness too great for us to conceive,

I'm sure much greater than our greatest deserts; but since our bountiful Lord will reward all the good service we do, why should we neglect doing any good, when such neglects will lessen our re∣ward? why should we be contented to lose any degrees of Glory? This is a holy Ambition, to be as good, and to be as happy as God can make us.

This is never thought of by those Men who have no greater designs than to e∣scape Hell; but as for the Glories of Heaven, they can be contented with the least share of them. No Man will ever get to Heaven, who so despises the Glo∣ries of it: and if a late repentance should open our eyes, not only to see our sins, but to alter our opinions of this World and of the next, yet we can never recal our past time, and that little time that remains, which is the very dregs and se∣diment of our lives, the dead and un∣active Scene, will minister very few op∣portunities of doing good, and if it did, we are capable of doing very little, and if we get to Heaven, that will be all; but the bright and triumphant Crowns shall be bestowed upon those who have im∣proved their time and their talents bet∣ter.

It is the good we do, while we live, that shall be rewarded; and therefore we must take care to do good while we live: It is well when Men who do no good while they live, will remember to do some good when they die. But if God should accept such presents as these, yet it will make great abatements in the account, that they kept their Riches themselves as long as they could, and would part with nothing to God, till they could keep it no longer: it is not the Gift, but the mind of the Giver that is accepted. Under the Gospel God is pleased with a living Sacrifice; but the Offerings of the Dead (and such these Testimentary Charities are, which are intended to have no effect as long as we live,) are no better than dead Sacrifices; and it may be questioned, whether they will be brought into the account of our lives, if we did no good while we lived: The case is different as to those who did all the good they could, while they lived, and when they saw they could live no longer, took care to do good after death; such surviving Charities as these prolong our lives, and add daily to our account; when such Men are removed into the o∣ther World, they are doing good in this

would 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 Chari∣ty after death, and this will be brought to the Account of their Lives; but I cannot see, how a Charity, which com∣mences 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 said for it is this: That they make their Wills, whereby they bequeath these Charities, while they live, and therefore their bequeathing these Chari∣ties is an act of their Lives; but they never intend they shall 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 should account it so. These Death∣bed Charities are too like a Death-bed Repentance; Men seem to give their E∣states to God and the Poor, just as they part with their Sins, when they can keep them no longer: This is much such a Charity, as it is Devotion to bequeath our dead Bodies to the Church or Chan∣cel, which we would never visit while we lived.

But yet, as I have already intimated, this is the only way to prolong our Lives, and to have an increasing Account after death, to lay the foundations of some great good to the World, which shall out live us; which like Seed sown in the Earth, shall spring up, and yeild a plentiful Harvest, while we sleep sweet∣ly in the dust; such as, the religious E∣ducation 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 Hospitals; in a word, whatever is for the Relief of the Necessities, or for the Instruction and good Government of Mankind, when we are gone: To do good while we live, and to lay designs of great good to future Generations, will both come into our Account; and this may extend the Account of our Lives, much beyond the short Period of them in this World.

5. If Death puts an end to our Ac∣count, methinks a Dying-bed is a little of the latest to begin it; for this is to begin just where we must 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 dy∣ing

Man give of this, who has spent his whole life in sin and wickedness? If he must be judged according to what he hath done in the Body, how sad is his account, and how impossible is it for him to mend it now? For when he is just a dying, it is too late for him to be∣gin to live: If without holiness no man shall see God, how hopeless is his condi∣tion, who has lived a wicked and profli∣gate life all his days, and is now past li∣ving, and therefore past living a holy life? A Man who is confined to a sick and dying Bed, is uncapable of exerci∣sing the vertues 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 re∣ward according to what he has already done.

No, you'll say, he may still repent of his sins, and a true Penitent shall find mercy even at his last gasp. Now I readily grant, that all true Penitents shall be saved, whensoever they truly re∣pent; but it is hard to think, that a∣ny dying sorrows, or the dying vows and resolutions of Sinners, shall be ac∣cepted by GOD for true repentance: The mistakes 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 ano∣ther: now as the Gospel promises par∣don of sin to true Repentance, so it makes Holiness of life as necessary a con∣dition of Salvation, as true Repentance: Without holiness no man shall see GOD.* 1.5 GOD will render to every man accord∣ing to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteous∣ness,* 1.6 indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man, that doth evil;—but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good. Be not deceived, GOD is not mocked; for what∣soever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit* 1.7 reap life everlasting. The Promises of forgiveness to Repentance, are not more express than these Texts are, which de∣clare, that we shall be rewarded accord∣ing

to our works; and we have as much reason to believe the one as the other; and if we believe the Gospel, we must believe them both; and then Repentance and a holy Life are both necessary to Salvation: and then the dying sor∣rows of Sinners, who have lived very wicked lives, and are past mending them now, cannot be true saving Repentance. If sorrow for sin, without a holy life, can carry Men to Heaven, then I'm sure Ho∣liness is not necessary, then Men may see God without Holiness; and then the promises of pardon to Repentance (if this dying Sorrow be true Repentance) overthrows the necessity of a holy Life; the necessity of a holy Life, contradicts the promises of pardon to such Penitents, and then either one or both of them must be false.

To state this Matter plainly, and in a few words, we must distinguish between two kinds of Repentance: 1. The Bap∣tismal Repentance. 2. Repentance up∣on a Relapse, or falling into any known and wilful Sin.

I. By Baptismal Repentance I mean, that Repentance which is necessary in a∣dult persons, in order to their receiving

Christian Baptism: this is the Repent∣ance which is most frequently mention∣ed in the New Testament, and to which the promise of Remission and Forgiveness is annexed; this our Saviour preached, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, 4 Matth. 17. This he gave autho∣rity to his Apostles to preach, That re∣pentance and remission of sins, should be preached in his Name among all nations, 24 Luke 47. Now this Repentance, both as to Iews and Heathens, who embraced the Faith of Christ, was a renouncing all their former Sins, and false, superstitious, or idolatrous Worship; and this qualifi∣ed them for Baptism, in which they ob∣tain'd the remission of all their Sins in the Name of Christ; and for this reason remission of Sins is promised to Repent∣ance, because all such Penitents are re∣ceived to Baptism, which is the washing of Regeneration, which washes away all their Sins, and puts them into a state of Grace and Favour with God; as St. Pe∣ter tells the Iews, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ, for the remission of sins, 2 Acts 38. And much to the same purpose Ananias told St. Paul, Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the

Lord, 22 Acts 16. And I know not any one. Text in the New Testament, wherein the remission of Sins is absolutely pro∣mised to Repentance, but what must be understood of this Baptismal Repentance; and then Repentance and Remission of Sin are inseparably annexed, because such Penitents wash away all their Sins in Baptism; and come pure and undefiled out of that mystical Fountain, which is set open for Sin and for Uncleanness to wash in, and to be clean.

Now I grant, should any person who comes to Baptism rightly qualified and disposed, with a sincere Repentance and stedfast Faith in Christ, die soon after he is baptized, before he has time and op∣portunity to exercise any of the Graces of the Christian Life, such a Man shall go to Heaven without actual Holiness; the remission of his Sins in Baptism, up∣on his Repentance, will save him, though he have not time to bring forth the fruits of Repentance in a holy Life; and this is the only case I know of, where∣in a Penitent can be saved without a∣ctual Holiness, viz. by Baptismal Grace and Regeneration. Only the Primitive Church, and I think with very good reason, allowed the same to Martyrdom,

when it prevented the Baptism of young Converts, as we know under the Pagan Persecutions, young Converts who made bold confessions of their Faith in Christ, were hurried away to Martyrdom, be∣fore they had opportunity of being bap∣tized; but such Men were baptized in their own Bloud, and that supplied the want of Water-baptism, which they could not have: Now in this case also, if Mar∣tyrdom be instead of Baptism, as the Primitive Church thought it, then had any Heathen been converted from a lewd and profligate life, to the Faith of Christ, and been immediately apprehended, and halled to Martyrdom, before he could either be baptized, or give any other te∣stimony of the reformation of his Life and Manners, but by dying a Martyr, this Man also would go to Heaven with∣out actual Holiness of Life, as a baptized Penitent, who dies immediately after his Baptism, shall.

And this seems to me, to give the best account of the case of the Penitent Thief upon the Cross, which one example has encouraged so many Sinners to delay their Repentance to the last minute, and has destroyed so many Souls by such de∣lays. His case seems to be this: It is

probable, he had heard of Christ, and the fame of his great Miracles before, and that opinion some had of him, that he was that Messias whom God had promised to send into the World; for we can hardly think, that any Man, who lived in those days, should never have heard of Christ, whose fame went through the whole Na∣tion: but yet the course of life this Thief lead, gave him no great curiosity to in∣quire into such matters, till he was ap∣prehended for Robbery, and condemned to die at the same time with Christ; this extraordinary accident made him more curiously inquire after him, and learn all the circumstances of his appre∣hension, and trial, and usage, and beha∣viour, and answers, especially when he saw him, and was to die with him; and in short, he observed so much as convin∣ced him, that he was the true Messias, though he saw him nailed in so shameful a manner to the Cross.

Now if this was his case, (and we must suppose this, or something like it, unless we will say, that he was miracu∣lously inspired upon the Cross, with the Faith of Christ, without knowing any thing of him before, which has no foun∣dation in the Story, and is without any

president or example; I say, if this was his case,) according to the principles laid down, we must grant, that if this Thief had renounced his wicked course of Life, and professed his Faith in Christ, and been baptized in his Name, though he had immediately suffered upon the Cross, he must have gone directly to Heaven or Paradise, as Christ promised him he should, by vertue of the remission of all his sins in Baptism: Nay, we must grant farther, that if instead of Baptism, he had at that time died a Martyr for the pro∣fession of his Faith in Christ; this would have supplied the place of Baptism, and translated him to Paradise: All then that we have to enquire is, whether his Con∣fession of Christ upon the Cross, might not as well supply the want of Water∣baptism, as Martyrdom; nay, whether it were not equivalent to Martyrdom it self, and might not reasonably be accepted by our Saviour as such. Water-baptism he could not have, a Martyr he could not die, for he died a Malefactor, but he confessed his Faith in Christ, when he saw him hanging upon the Cross, which was a more glorious Act of Faith, than to have died upon the Cross for him: He confessed Christ when his own Dis∣ciples

fled from him, and when Peter himself denied him, and discovered his glory through the meanest disguise, that ever it was concealed under even in this World; And why should not this pass for the Faith and Confession of Martyr∣dom? And then the Thief upon the Cross was saved as by Baptism; which is, No tthe putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards GOD, 1 Pet. 3. 21. Which de∣scription of Baptism, gives us a plain rea∣son, why Martyrdom should supply the place of Baptism; and is as good a rea∣son, why the Thief's Confession of Christ upon the Cross, should do so.

This example then of the Thief upon the Cross, is no reasonable encourage∣ment to any baptized Christian, to live a wicked Life, and delay his Repentance till the hour of Death, in hopes of be∣ing saved at last, as he was; for he was saved, as new repenting Converts are, by Baptism, not as baptized Sinners hope to be, by a Death-bed Sorrow, and Re∣morse of Concience.

And yet this is the only example, which with any shew of reason is al∣ledged to prove the sufficiency of a Death-bed Repentance; for the Parable

of the Labourers, who were called to work in the Vineyard at different hours, some early in the morning, others at the* 1.8 third, the sixth, the eleventh hour of the day, is nothing at all to this purpose: The several hours of the day in that Par∣able, do not signifie the several hours of Mens lives, but the different ages of the World; and therefore those Labourers, who are called into the Vineyard about the eleventh hour of the World, that is, towards the end, or in the last age of the World, might be called at the begin∣ning of their lives, and work on to the end of them: for the design of that Parable is to shew, that the Gentiles, who were called into the Vine-yard, or received into the Church of Christ to∣wards the conclusion of the World, should be admitted to equal Priviledges and Re∣wards with the Iews, who were God's ancient People, and had been called in∣to the Vine-yard early in the morning, which occasioned their murmuring a∣gainst the good Man of the House; as we know the Iews murmured upon this account; and nothing more prejudiced them against the Gospel of our Saviour, than that the Gentiles were received in∣to the Church without Circumcision.

The same thing our Saviour represents in the Parable of the Prodigal: the return of the Prodigal to his Father's House, is* 1.9 the Conversion of the Gentiles, who were the younger Brother, and had been a great Prodigal for many Ages: the el∣der Brother, who always lived at home with his Father, was the Iewish Church; but when this young Prodigal was re∣ceived by his Father with Feasting, and Musick, and all the expressions of Joy; the elder Brother grew jealous of it, and thought himself much injured by his Fa∣ther's fondness for the returning Prodi∣gal, and refused to come in, and bear his part in the Solemnity; as the Iews re∣jected the Gospel, because the Gentiles were received into the Church.

And that this must be the true mean∣ing of the Parable of the Labourers, ap∣pears from this, that those who were cal∣led into the Vine-yard at the eleventh hour, received a reward equal to those who had born the heat and burden of the day; which is agreeable enough, if we expound it of different Ages of the Church, for there is great reason, why the Gentiles, though they came later in∣to the Vine-yard, should be made at least equal with the Iews, who were God's an∣cient

People: but if we expound this of entring into the Vine-yard at different ages of our life, it seems very unequal, that those who begin a life of Vertue just at the conclusion of their lives, should be equally rewarded with those who have spent their whole lives in the service of God; that is, that these who do very little good, shall receive as great a re∣ward as those who do a hundred times as much; which is a direct contradicti∣on to the scope and design of our Savi∣our's Parables about the Pounds and Talents, 25 Matt. 14, &c. 19 Luke 12▪ &c.

But suppose it were to be understood, not of the Iewish and Christian Church, but of particular Christians, yet their being called to work in the Vine-yard, at what hour soever it was, though the eleventh hour, was their first admission into the Christian Church, their first conversion to the Faith of Christ, and from this time they laboured in the Vine-yard, lived a holy and religious life; and I readily grant, should a Iew, a Turk, or a Pagan, be converted to Christianity in the eleventh hour, in his declining Age, and from that time live in obedience to the Gospel of Christ,

there is no doubt but he shall be greatly rewarded: But what is this to any of us, who were born of Christian Parents, baptized in our very Infancy, instructed in the Christian Religion from the very beginning, and have always professed the Faith of Christ, but lived like Pagans and Infidels! We were not called into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour, but early in the morning; and though Men who were called at the last hour, shall be rewarded for that hours work; this does not prove, that Men, who enter into the Vineyard in the morning, and play or riot away their time till the e∣leventh hour, shall receive a day's wa∣ges for an hour's work.

But suppose this too, yet it will not answer the case of a Death-bed Repent∣ance; such Men delay not till the ele∣venth hour, but till night comes, when they can do no work at all; whereas those who came last into the Vineyard, wrought an hour; now that God in in∣finite grace and goodness will reward Men for one hour's work, does not prove, that he will reward those who do no work, but spend their whole day idlely or wickedly, and only ask his par∣don for not working at night.

II. But what a fatal Cheat these Men put upon themselves, will better appear, if we consider the second kind of Re∣pentance, which is Repentance after Ba∣ptism, when Men have relapsed into the commission of new Sins, after they have washed away all their old Sins in the la∣ver of Regeneration; which is the only Notion of Repentance concerned in this Question; for such Sinners, when they come to die, are to repent of a whole Life spent in wickedness, after Baptism; and this extreamly alters the Case, for though Faith and Repentance, (as that Repentance signifies a sorrow for past Sins, and the purposes and resolutions of a new life) be the only Conditions of Baptismal Remission and Justification; yet when we are baptized, we then Co∣venant with God for an actual obedience and holiness of Life; To deny all ungodli∣ness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world: and therefore meer Repentance, or a sor∣row for Sin, with the most solemn Reso∣lutions and Vows of a new life (which is all the Repentance dying Men can have) cannot according to the Terms of the Gospel be accepted instead of the obedi∣ence

and holiness of our lives. Had the Gospel said, you shall either abstain from all sin, and do good while you live, or repent of all your sins, when you die; this had been a sufficient encouragement for a Death-bed Repentance; but when holiness of life is made the necessary con∣dition of seeing God, and the wrath of God* 1.10 is revealed from heaven against all unrigh∣teousness and ungodliness of men; when we are so expresly forewarned, That the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of GOD: be not deceived, neither forni∣cators, nor idolaters, nor aduliers, nor ef∣feminate, nor abusers of themselves with* 1.11 mankind, nor thieves, nor covetuous, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of GOD: When our Savi∣our expresly tells us, That it is only the doers of the word are blessed; that not e∣very one that saith Lord, Lord, shall en∣ter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father, which is in heaven; that as for all others, what* 1.12 pretences soever they make, he will pro∣fess to them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity: I say, whoever after such express Declarations as these, can perswade himself, that sor∣row for Sin, and some good resolutions

and fair promises upon a Death-bed, shall carry him to Heaven, though he has done no good in his life, and has been guilty of all, or many of those sins which the Gospel has threatned with Damnati∣on, makes void the whole Gospel of our Saviour.

But you'll say, Is there no place then for Repentance under the Gospel? no remission of Sins committed after Bap∣tism? God forbid! for who then could be saved? Our Saviour has taught us to pray every day, Forgive us our trespas∣ses, as we forgive them, that trespass a∣gainst us; and has taught us to forgive our Brother, though he offend against us seventy times seven, in imitation of God's goodness in forgiving us; and if* 1.13 we must forgive so often, surely God will forgive more than once.

But then Repentance after Baptism requires not only a sorrow for sin, and some good purposes and resolutions of a new life for the future, but the actual forsaking of sin, and amendment of our lives: In Baptism God justifies the un∣godly, 4 Rom. 5; that is, how wicked so∣ever Men have been, whenever they re∣pent of their sins, renounce their former wicked practices, and believe in Christ, and

enter into Covenant with him by Bap∣tism; all their former sins are immedi∣ately forgiven and washed away, with∣out expecting the actual reformation of their lives: this was plainly the case both of Iewish and Heathen Converts, wh•••• ••pon the profession of Faith in Christ, and renouncing their former wicked lives, whatever they had been, were immediately received to Baptism; as St. Peter exhorted the Iews, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the* 1.14 Holy Ghost. And the same day there were three thousand baptized: This is Gospel-grace, which is the purchase of Christ's blood, that the greatest Sin∣ners, upon their Repentance and Faith in Christ, are received to Mercy, and wash away all their sins in Baptism; but when they are in Covenant, they shall then be judged according to the terms and conditions of that Covenant, which requires the practice of an universal Righteousness; such persons must not expect, as St Paul reasons, that if they continue still in sin, grace will abound; the very Covenant of Grace, which we en∣ter into at Baptism, confutes all such un∣godly

hopes; For how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein: Know ye not, that so many of us as were bapti∣zed into Iesus Christ, were baptized into his death; therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life, 6 Rom. 1, 2, 3, 4. This is the difference St. Paul makes between the Grace of the Gospel in receiving the greatest Sinners to Baptism, and justify∣ing them by the Blood of Christ; and what the Gospel requires of baptized Christians to continue in this justified State: In the first case nothing is re∣quired but Faith and Repentance, upon which account we are so frequently said to be justified by faith, not by the deeds* 1.15 of the law; to be justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus: to be saved by grace thro' faith; not of works least any man should boast. And I believe upon inquiry it will be found, that Justification by Faith always relates to this Baptismal Justifica∣tion, when by Baptism we are received into Covenant with God, and into a ju∣stified State, only for the sake of Christ, and through Faith in his Blood; which

one thing well considered, would put an end to most of the Disputes about Justifi∣cation, and about Faith and Works, which I cannot explain now; but shall only observe, that the constant oppositi∣on between Justification by the Faith of Christ, and Justification by Circumcisi∣on, and the Works of the Law, to the* 1.16 observation of which they were obliged by Circumcision, is a manifest proof, that Justification by Faith, is our Justificati∣on by the Faith of Christ in Baptism, which is our admission into the Christi∣an Church, makes us the Members of Christ, and the Children of God, which is a state of Grace and Justification; as Circumcision formerly made them God's peculiar People in Covenant with him, which is the Justification of Circumcisi∣on: and Justification by Faith, and Ju∣stification by Circumcision, would not be duly opposed, if they did not relate to the same kind of Justification, that is, that Justification which is the immediate effect of our being in Covenant with God.

But now, when we are justified by a general Repentance and Faith in Christ at Baptism, we also vow a conformity to the Death of Christ, by dying to sin,

and walking in newness of life; that is, we vow an universal Obedience to all the Laws of Righteousness, which the Gospel requires of us, as Circumcision made them debtors to the whole law; which is* 1.17 the reason why the Works of the Law, and that Evangelical Righteousness, which the Faith of Christ requires of us, are so often opposed in this Dispute, the one the Righteousness of the Law, or of Works, the other the Righteousness of Faith; and therefore as Circumcision could not justifie those who transgressed the Law, no more will Faith justifie those who disobey the Gospel; but the righte∣ousness* 1.18 of the law must be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

Now the necessary consequence of this is, that meer Sorrow for Sin, and the meer Vows and Resolutions of Obedi∣ence, without actual Holiness and Obe∣dience of Life, according to the terms and conditions of the Gospel, will not save a baptized Christian; for meer Sor∣row for Sin, and Vows of Obedience, will be accepted only in Baptism; but when we are baptized we must put our Vows in execution, or we fall from our Baptis∣mal Grace and Justification: and there∣fore

when we relapse into Sin after Bap∣tism, no Repentance will be accepted but that which actually reforms our lives; for Baptismal Grace is not ordi∣narily repeated, no more than we can repeat our Baptism.

This I take to be the true meaning of that very difficult place, 6 Heb. 4, 5, 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned, and have tasted of the heaven∣ly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of GOD, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of GOD afresh, and put him to open shame. This severe passage occasioned some dispute about the Canonical Authority of this Epistle; for it was thought, that the A∣postle here excluded all Men from the benefit of Repentance, who fell into sin again after Baptism: but it is certain this is not the Apostle's meaning, nor do the words import any such Doctrine; but his meaning is, either that Men who have been baptized, and thorough∣ly instructed in the Christian Religion, may sin themselves into an impossibility of Repentance, (which is the most ordi∣nary

interpretation of the words, and which sence I gave before of them, and is in part the true sence, though I think not the whole) or that Men after Bap∣tism may fall into such a state, as nothing can deliver them out of, but Baptismal Grace and Regeneration; and since Bap∣tism cannot be repeated, the state of such Men is hopeless and desperate, accord∣ing to the terms of the Gospel, however God may deal with them by a Sove∣raign and Prerogative Grace; for tho' we can expect and rely on no other Grace, but what God has promised in his Gospel, yet God does not absolutely confine himself, nor must we confine his Grace: and this he tells us is the case of all Apostates from the Christian Faith: The understanding of this is necessary to my present purpose, and therefore I shall briefly explain it:

1. That the Apostle here speaks of persons who were baptized, is plain from the words, Those who were once enlight∣ned, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are those who have been once baptized; for so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the ancient Writers signifies Baptism; as Iustin Martyr himself tells us in his second Apology, that Baptism

is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Illumination, because their minds are enlightned by it; and being once enlightned, plainly refers it to Baptism, which can be administred but once; and what follows proves this to be the meaning of it, and have tasted of the heavenly gift; that is, saith St. Chry∣sostom, received remission of Sins in Bap∣tism; and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit being given at Baptism; and have tasted of the good word of GOD, been instructed in the Doctrines of the Gospel, which in the Apostolick Age immediately followed Baptism; for Men were then admitted to Baptism immediately upon their pro∣fession of Repentance and Faith in Christ, and were afterwards instructed in the Christian Religion; and the powers of the world to come; that is, those miraculous Gifts and Powers which were bestowed on the Apostles for a confirmation of the Faith of Christ, and which most Chri∣stians did in some degree or other par∣take of in Baptism. This is a plain De∣scription of Baptism, with the effects and consequents of it.

2. That he speaks of such as after Bap∣tism totally Apostatize from the Faith of

Christ, is as plain; for they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, those who fall away; From what? from their Christian Profession, which they made at their Baptism; that is, who renounce the Faith of Christ, and turn Iews or Heathens again; for these Men crucify to themselves the Son of GOD afresh, and put him to open shame: that is, they declare him to be an Impostor, as the Iews did when they crucified him, which is as much crucifying him again, and exposing him to publick shame and infamy, as they can possibly do: But now this Description can relate only to total Apostates; for whatever sins professed Christians are guilty of, though there∣by they reproach their Lord and Savi∣our, yet they do not declare him to be an Impostor, who justly suffered on the Cross, and whom they would condemn to the same ignominious Death again, if they could; nay, those who are con∣quered by some powerful and surprizing fears to deny Christ, as Peter did, or to offer Sacrifice to Idols, as many Christi∣ans did under the Heathen Persecutions, and recover themselves again by Re∣pentance, are not included in this severe Sentence; for such Men do really be∣lieve in Christ still, do not heartily re∣nounce

their Baptismal Faith, and there∣fore do not lose their Baptism, though in word and deed at present they deny Christ; the case of such Men is very dangerous, for our Saviour tells us, Who∣soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven, 10 Mat. 33. Those who through fear of Men persist in such a denial, shall not be saved by a secret and dissembled Faith; for we must not only believe in Christ, but we must openly profess our Faith in him: but such Men may be re∣covered by Repentance, and by a bold Confession of Christ in new Dangers and Temptations; these are lapsed Christi∣ans, but not Apostates, as Iulian was, who hated the Name and Religion of Christ; and therefore they were ad∣mitted to Repentance in the Christi∣an Church, as not having lost their Baptismal Faith, though through fear they denied it.

3. Of these total Apostates, the Apo∣stle tells us, That it is impossible to re∣new them again unto repentance, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as St. Chrysostom ren∣ders it, to make them new Creatures a∣gain by Baptismal Repentance; for so he

tells us, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that to be renewed is to be made new, which can be done only by Baptism, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Bap∣tism only can make us new Creatures.

The danger then of these Mens case, as the Apostle represents it, is this: That they having totally Apostatized from the Faith of Christ, together with their Faith have lost their Baptism, and are become Iews and Pagans again; now Iews and Pagans can never be made Christians without Baptism, wherein they are rege∣nerated and new made; and by the same reason these Apostatized Christians, who are become Iews and Pagans, can never become Christians again, unless they be rebaptized; and that they cannot be, because there is but one Baptism in the Christian Church: and therefore, though we could suppose, that they should be∣lieve again, and repent of their sins, they could never recover a legal Right and Title to Mercy and the Promises of the Gospel-Covenant; Faith and Repentance will not justifie a Heathen without Bap∣tism, for he that believes and is baptized shall be saved, are the express terms of the Covenant; and therefore the condi∣tion of Apostates is very hopeless, who

are relapsed into such a state, that no∣thing but Baptismal Grace and Regene∣ration, nothing but being new made, and new born, can save them; and that they cannot have, for they must not be bap∣tized again. A Christian must be but once born, no more than a Man is; which possibly is the reason why St. Pe∣ter tells us of such Apostates, That their later end is worse with them than their be∣ginning, 2 Pet. 2. 20. for Iews and Hea∣thens, how wicked soever they were, might wash away all their sins in Bap∣tism; but such Apostates are like a sow that was washed, that returns again to her wallowing in the mire: When they had washed away their Sins and Infidelity in Baptism, they return to their forsaken Paganism again, and lose the effect of their first Washing, and there is no second Baptismal Washing to be had.

The Apostle does not say, that it is impossible these Men should be saved, but it is impossible they should be rege∣nerated again by Baptism, which is the only Gospel-state of Salvation: If any such Men be saved, they must be saved, as I observed before, by Uncovenanted Grace and Mercy; they are in the state of Unbaptized Iews and Heathens, not

of Christians, who have a Covenant-right to God's Promises: and I would desire the baptized Atheists and Infidels of our Age to consider of this, whose case is so very like this, if it be not the same, that it should make them afraid of setting up for Wits, at such infinite peril of their Souls.

To apply this then to our present purpose: What I have now discoursed plainly shews, that a baptized Christian must not always expect to be saved by such Grace, as saves and justifies in Bap∣tism; Baptismal Grace is inseparably an∣nexed to Baptism, and can be no more repeated than Baptism. This makes the case of Apostates so desparate, that Infi∣delity can be washed away only in Bap∣tism, and those who Apostatize after Baptism can never be rebaptized again; and therefore can never have any Cove∣nant-title to Pardon and Forgiveness.

And this proportionably holds good in our present case; the Grace of Bap∣tism washes away all the Sins of our past lives, how many, how great soever they have been, only upon our professi∣on of our Faith in Christ, and Repent∣ance of all our Sins, and Vows of Obe∣dience to the Laws of Christ for the fu∣ture;

but whoever after Baptism lives a wicked and profligate life, and hopes to be saved at last only by Faith in Christ, and sorrow for his Sins, and vows of li∣ving better, when he is just a dying, will be miserably mistaken; for this is one∣ly the Grace of Baptism, which can ne∣ver be repeated, not the rule and mea∣sure whereby God will judge baptized Christians, who have had time and op∣portunity of exercising those Christian Graces which they vowed at their Bap∣tism.

A Man who retains the Faith of Christ, though he lives wickedly, does not for∣feit his Baptism, but shall be forgiven whenever he repents, and forsakes his sins, and lives a holy life; but if he de∣lays this so long, that he has no time to amend his life, that he can do nothing, but be sorry for his sins, and vow a new life, I cannot promise him, that this shall be accepted at the hour of death, because the Gospel requires a Holy Life, not meerly a Death-bed sorrow and re∣morse for Sin: Sorrow for Sin, and Vows of a new Life, will be accepted at Baptism, as the beginnings of a new Life, but that is no reason why they should be accepted at our Death, when

they are only the forrowful conclusion of a wicked Life: God will receive us to Grace and Mercy at Baptism upon our solemn Vows of living to him; but he has no where promised to accept of our dying Vows, instead of Holiness and Obedience, as a recompence for a whole life spent in Wickedness and Fol∣ly. It is very seldom that such dying Sorrows, or dying Vows are sincere and hearty, but were they never so sincere, (as sometimes though very rarely we see that Men who recover from a dan∣gerous Sickness keep the vows and pro∣mises they then made, and that is a good proof, that they were very sincere in making them) yet I do not know any one promise in Scripture to a dying Repentance; the Gospel requires actu∣al holiness of life; and when God cuts off such Men in their sins, without al∣lowing them any time to reform their lives, it is very suspicious, that he re∣jects their sorrows and their vows; as Wisdom threatens, 1 Prov. 24, &c. Be∣cause I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regard∣ed—I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh:—Then shall they call upon me, but I will not

answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. I will not pre-judge the final state of these Men, but if God accept of such a Death-bed Repentance, which cannot produce the actual Fruits, of Righteousness, it is more than he has promised, and more than he has given us authority to preach: and we should consider, what infinite hazard we run by such delays of Repentance, that we can∣not be saved by the express terms of the Gospel, but if we be saved, we must be saved by an unpromised and uncovenant∣ed Grace and Mercy; which, how good soever God be, we have no reason to re∣ly on. This, I know, will be thought very severe, but I cannot help it: it may terrify dying Sinners, but there is less danger in that, than in nursing Men up in the deluding hopes of a Death-bed Repentance, which renders all the argu∣ments and motives to a holy Life inef∣fectual, and I fear, eternally destroys as many as trust in it.

If you ask, why Faith and Repent∣ance, without the actual obedience of our Lives, should not as well be accept∣ed by God on our Death-bed, as it is at our Baptism? I shall ask another very plain question, Why a Husbandman who

hires Labourers into his Vineyard in the morning, receives them into his service, protection, and pay, only upon their promise to be faithful and diligent in his work, before they have done any thing; I say, when these Men have loitered a∣way the day without working, why should not he reward them at night, because they then also profess themselves very sorry, that they did not work, and make a great many promises and vows, that if they were to begin the day again, they would? A promise of faithfulness and diligence was reason enough why he should take them into his service, but their sorrow for not working, and their resolutions of working, when the time of working is past, is no reason why they should be rewarded, or escape the punishment of Loiterers.

This is the very case here; we are saved by the Mercies of God, and the Merits of Christ, which we partake of by our union to him; this union is made in Baptism, which incorporates us into the Body of Christ, and from the very first moment of our union, we are in a state of Grace and Justification; our sins are washed away in his Blood, as Water purges all bodily defilements, and the

Spirit of Christ dwells in us to renew and sanctify us: now all that is required by God, or that seems in the nature of the thing necessary to this Union, is a gene∣ral Repentance of all our Sins, renoun∣cing our former wicked course of Life, professing our Faith in Christ, as the Son of God, and Saviour of the World, and vowing Obedience to his Laws, for this qualifies us to be his Disciples, and to be received into his Service, and into the Communion of his Body and Church; and therefore this Faith and Repentance justifies in Baptism, because those who thus repent of their Sins, and believe in Christ, are received to Baptism, and in Baptism have all their Sins forgiven, and are put into a state of Grace and Favour with God.

But now though Faith and Repent∣ance, and the Vows of Obedience, are sufficient to make us the Disciples of Christ, and to put us into a state of Ju∣stification, yet they are not sufficient to save those who are the Disciples of Christ, without actual Holiness and O∣bedience of Life; for to be a Disciple of Christ, does not signifie meerly to believe in him, and to vow obedience to him, but to obey him: it is reason∣able

••nough, that upon our Vows of O∣bedience, we should be received into his service, but it is not reasonable that we should be rewarded without performing our Vows; for it is as ridiculous a thing to think, that our repeated sorows for not obeying, and our repeated and fruit∣less resolutions of obeying our Saviour, should pass for Obedience, as that that Son should be thought to do his Father's will, who said, I go Sir, but went not; especially when after our Vow of Bap∣tism we live a very ungodly life, and ne∣ver think it time to repent, and to re∣new our Vows again till we come to die: If we consider the difference be∣tween what is necessary to make us the Disciples of Christ, and what is required of us when we are Disciples, we shall see a plain reason why Faith and Repent∣ance, as that signifies sorrow for sin, and Vows of Obedience, will justifie us in Baptism, but will not be accepted upon a Death-bed, after a life spent in wick∣edness; for when a baptized Christian comes to die, he is not then to be made a Disciple of Christ, and to be baptized again, but to give an account of his life, since he has been Christ's Disciple, and meer Faith in Christ, sorrow for Sin, and

vows of Obedience, without actual Ho∣liness of Life, though with the Sacrament of Baptism it will make a Disciple, yet it will not pass in a Disciple's account, especially when the sum total of his Life, is nothing but sin, and sorrow, and fruit∣less vows, for this is not that holiness of life, which Christ requires of his Dis∣ciples.

The ancient Discipline of the Church was a plain proof of this, that they thought a great deal more necessary for a baptized Christian, than was required to qualifie Men for Baptism: In the A∣postles days, they baptized both Iews and Heathens immediately upon their profession of Faith in Christ, and renoun∣cing their former wicked lives; but in case they fell into any gross and scanda∣lous sin after Baptism, they were cast out of the Communion of the Church, and the profession of sorrow and repent∣ance for their sins, and the most solemn vows of a new life, was not thought suf∣ficient to restore them to the Peace of the Church, but they were kept under the severities of Repentance, till they had made satisfaction for the Scandal they had given to the Church, and given suf∣ficient testimonies of the actual reforma∣tion

of their Lives; and in the Ages suc∣ceeding the Apostles, this state of Peni∣tence in some cases was continued many years, in other cases such Sinners were never reconciled till the hour of death: Now if they had thought, as many a∣mong us now do, that sorrow for Sin, and the vows of Obedience do immedi∣ately obtain our Pardon from God, for sins committed after Baptism, it is not imaginable, why they should have im∣posed such a long and severe Discipline on Penitents: If they believed God had forgiven them, why should not the Church forgive them, and receive them them to her Communion again, upon their promises of amendment, without such a long trial of their reformation? But it is evident, they thought sins after Baptism not forgiven without actual re∣formation, and therefore would not re∣ceive them to Communion again with∣out a tried and visible reformation of their Lives. We know what Disputes there were about this matter in the Pri∣mitive Church; the ancient Discipline allowed but of one Repentance after Baptism; and some would not allow of that in the case of Adultery, Murder, and Idolatry, but denied the Authority of

the Church to receive such Sinners to Communion again: this was the pre∣tence of Novatus's Schism; and Tertul∣lian, after he turn'd Montanist, said ma∣ny bitter things against the Catholicks upon this argument, which seemed to question the validity of Repentance it self after Baptism, though it did reform Mens lives: but though this was a great deal too much, and did both lessen the Grace of the Gospel, and the Authority which Christ had given to his Church, yet it is evident that all this time, they were very far from thinking, that some dying Sorrows, or dying Vows after a wicked Life, would carry Men to Hea∣ven: and the Judgment of those first and purest Ages of the Church, ought at least to make Men afraid of relying on such a Death-bed Repentance, as they thought very ineffectual to save Sinners.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See 5 Prov. 22, 23. 7. 22, 23, 26, 27.
• * 1.2

  3 Heb. 12.
• * 1.3

  12 Heb. 15.
• * 1.4

  2 Pet. 2. 20, 21, 22.
• * 1.5

  12 Heb. 14.
• * 1.6

  2 Rom. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
• * 1.7

  6 Gal. 7, 8.
• * 1.8

  20 Mat. 1, &c.
• * 1.9

  15 Luk. 11, &c.
• * 1.10

  1 Rom. 18.
• * 1.11

  1 Cor. 6, 9, 10.
• * 1.12

  7 Mat. 21.
• * 1.13

  18 Mat. 21, 22.
• * 1.14

  2 Acts 38, 41.
• * 1.15

  3 Rom. 20, 21, 22, 24. 5 Rom. 1. 2 Eph. 8, 9.
• * 1.16

  5 Gal. 2, 3.
• * 1.17

  Ibid.
• * 1.18

  2 Rom. 13, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. 8 Rom. 4.