The great concern, or, A serious warning to a timely and thorough preparation for death with helps and directions in order thereunto / by Edward Pearse.

THE Great Concern; OR, A PREPARATION FOR DEATH.

Psalm 39.13.

O spare me that I may recover strength; before I go hence, and be no more.

CHAP. 1. Which contains an Introduction, and an Explication of the Words of the Text, with the General truth of them, and therein the foundation of our intended Discourse.

TO walk with God here on earth, while we live; and to be ready to live with God for ever in Heaven, when we come to die▪ is the Great Work we have to do, the Great Concern we have to mind, in our

present Pilgrimage. To grow great and high in the World, to build our Names and Families, to live a life of sen∣sual pleasures and delights, spending our dayes in mirth; these are low, mean, poor things; things infinitely beneath the dignity of a soul, and altogether unworthy of the least of its care and so∣licitude: but to know God, to love God, to obey God, to delight in God, to contemplate the glorious excellencies and perfections of God, to live upon God, and to live to God; upon him as our chief good and happiness, and to him as our last end; and withall to be found ready at last to live with him for ever, to enter upon the beatifical Vision, and to pass into that life of love and holiness; which the Saints and Angels live above, being made perfect in the Vision and Fruition of the God of Glo∣ry; this is truly noble, this is worthy of the care and solicitude of Souls: to promote these things, and more especial∣ly the latter, is my design in fixing my Meditations on this Scripture, which I am the rather induced to do, because I am apprehensive, that the time of my going hence, when I shal be seen no more,

is drawing very nigh. The words are, a holy and pathetical wish and desire, breathed out into the bosom of God by the man after his own heart: and that when under sore and heavy afflicti∣ons: under grievous sickness, say some: under great straits and distresses, by reason of Absolon's rebellion and con∣spiracy against him, say others. In this wish or desire of his, you may note three things.

• 1. What that is which he wisheth for, or desires of God; and that is sparing mercy, O spare me.
• 2. The end of this wish or desire of his, and that is the recovery of strength: O spare me that I may recover strength.
• 3. The ground or motive which in∣duced him to make this desire for this end, and that was the near approach of his death: in these words, Before I go hence, and be no more seen. I will briefly paraphrase the words for the opening of them, and then give you the sum of them, as also my intend∣ment from them, in one general positi∣on.

O spare me, that is, cease to smite and

afflict me, give me a little relaxation, a breathing time: so one expounds it: Deal gently and mildly with me; sayes another. Withdraw thy hand a lit∣tle from scourging me, and mitigate the violence of my affliction; say o∣thers. That I may recover strength: that I may recruit my self a little, saith one. That I may have a breathing time before my death, and being well composed, may lay down my Spirit, and commit it into thine hand, say others. That I may grow strong in grace and ho∣liness; say others: That I may finish my course, and fight a good fight, obtain∣ing the victory through a happy death, say others. The sum is, that I may set things right in my soul, and get into a more ready posture for my death and dissolution, which seems to be near at hand. Before I go hence, and be no more that is, before I die, never more to return into this life, before I quit this

World, and bid adieu to this mortal life, to be no more in the Land of the Living, to be no more in this World, to do any thing for God or my Soul: for (as one well observes) David doth not here suppose Death to be the utter end, or annihilation of man, the putting of man out of being: but his meaning is, if God did still go on to afflict him, as he had done, he must suddenly die, suddenly go off the Stage of this World, and go down to the Bars of Death, to the Gates of the Grave: where, as to any thing that is to be done for God, or a man's Soul, it is, as if he were out of being; and where he will be kept for ever from returning any more to this life, or any opportunity of ever doing any thing for another World, It is a phrase like to, and of the same importance with that, Job 16.22. where Job speaks of himself: When a few years are come; then shall I go the way, whence I shall not return: Not return, that is, not any more to this life; not return to do any thing for GOD or my Soul: The sum of the whole seems to be thus much; the good man's afflictions were

so pressing and heavy upon him; that they did even bow him down to the Grave; and he really looked upon him∣self, as a dying man, as one going down to the dust of the Death: where he knew full well, nothing was to be done for another life, and from whence there was no return to this life to be ex∣pected any more; and therefore he begs a breathing time, a little space, wherein to recover himself out of all present distempers and discomposures of heart, and to set all things right in the matters of his soul; thereby fitting and prepa∣ring himself the better for his departure out of this World: he begs a time of respite, wherein to prepare himself, and make ready for a dying hour: this is the sum of what he drives at, and pleads with God for: accordingly the Obser∣vation, and therein the sum of my in∣tendment shall be this.

Doct. That 'tis a very desirable thing and a business of the highest moment and importance to the Children of Men, to have all things set right▪ well ordered, and composed in the matters of their souls, before they

leave this World; to get all the spi∣ritual concerns of their Souls into the best posture they can, before a dying hour comes.

David, An holy man, a man in cove∣nant with God, yea a man after God's own heart, doth yet (you see) pray for sparing mercy, for a breathing-time, a time of respite, here in this World be∣fore he goeth off the Stage: and why so? That he might recover strength, that he might set things right in the matters of his Soul; that he might make himself more ready, and get his spiri∣tual concerns into a better posture, for a dying hour; and this he looked at, and made out after, as that which was most desirable, and of the highest im∣portance to him, as indeed 'tis to all. You have a Scripture not unlike to this, Job 10.20, 21. Are not my dayes few? cease then, and let me alone; that I may take comfort a little; before I go, whence I shall not return, even to the Land of Darkness, and of the shadow of Death: That I may take comfort a little; that I may recover a little, that I may have a breathing time, that I may recover my

self, and gather up my Spirits; so I find the phrase expounded. He seems to desire a breathing time; the better to compose himself, and the matters of his Soul, for a dying hour. And indeed 'tis the concern of us all, to set all things right in our souls, and to get into the readiest po∣sture, that possibly we can, against a dy∣ing hour comes. I shall first briefly e∣vince this truth, and then make some practical improvement of it.

CHAP. II. Wherein is shewen the exceeding great weight of dying Work, and extream difficulty of a dying hour, as the first Evi∣dence of our Assertion.

DYing Work, my Beloved, is great Work, and a dying hour is a dif∣ficult hour; and therefore we had need have all things well ordered, and ready in the Matters of our Souls, against that time, that Work, that hour comes, I will lay the weight of dying work, and the difficulty of a dying hour before you in four Propositions.

First Proposition is this (That Death in

it self, and in its own nature (if we look no further) is a very terrible thing; and we had need have all things set right in our souls, all things in order, when we come to encounter with it: The Philoso∣pher, who lookt not beyond the natural notion of death, called it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Arist. the most ter∣rible of all terrible things. And in Job. 18.14. the Holy Ghost himself calls it, The King of Terrors: His confidence (speak∣ing of a wicked man) shall bring him to the King of Terrors: i.e. to death, which is most formidable; indeed 'tis therefore called the King of Terrors, because it is the greatest and strongest Terror, and Death must needs be terrible in it self.

1. Because it deprives us of all our sweet comforts and enjoyments here in this World, and puts an eternal period to our fruition of them; here we enjoy much good, many streams which run pleasantly on each hand of us (it may be) but when Death comes; that deprives us of all. Naked came I into the World, and naked shall I return, Job 1.21. So the A∣postle, we brought nothing into this World, and it is certain we shall carry nothing out, speaking as to our outward comforts

here, 1 Tim. 6.7. The Psalmist to the same effect, Psalm. 49.17. speaks of a rich man; He shall carry nothing away; His Glory (saith he) shall not descend after him. Death, as one observes, is the greatest Leveller in the World; it levels Scepters and Plow-shares, it makes the Prince as poor as the Peasant.

2. Because it dissolves the Union be∣tween the Soul and the Body: Death is indeed the rending of Body and Soul, (those old and loving Companions) asunder. Now all disunions, (as a wor∣thy Divine observes) are uncomforta∣ble, and some disunions are terrible: And, as some disunions are terrible, so those are of all others most terrible, that do rend them from us, which are most dear to us: Now what Union so near; as that between the soul and body? and therefore what disunion so terri∣ble, as the dissolution of this Union? The dissolving the Union between a man and his Wife is terrible; because they are nearly united each to other: but the dissolving the Union between Soul and Body, is more terrible, because the Uni∣on is more near and close. A man and his Wife are one flesh; but the Soul and

Body make but one Person: now Death dissolves this Union: while we live the Soul dwels in the Body, informs the Bo∣dy, acts in and by the Body; it hath a great influence upon, and is greatly in∣fluenced by the Body: But when Death comes, then the Soul and Body part, till the Resurrection; one returning to the dust, whence it came, the other to God, who gave it, Eccles. 12.7.

3. It is the destroying and demolish∣ing of the body of man, that famous and curious Fabrick, and a bringing it into dust and putrefaction, Psal. 90.3. It turns a living body into a dead carcass, a lifeless lump of clay, and causeth it to become meat for Worms to feed on, Job 19.26. The body of man is a ve∣ry curious piece of Workmanship, such as wherein the infinite power and wis∣dom of God is much seen and mani∣fested, Psalm 139.14, 15. But when Death comes, it marrs and demolishes all, stains all its beauty, and draws a Veil upon all its Glory. Sickness often makes a man's beauty to consume away▪ like a Moth, as you have it, Psalm 39.11. But Death utterly defaces it, and draws a Veil upon it; that turns his beauty in∣to

blackness and deformity. One of the Ancients, standing by Caesar's Tomb, wept, saying, where is now the beauty of Caesar? What now is become of all his Magnificence? In a word, as life is the sweetest of all outward mercies, so death is the sharpest of all outward affli∣ctions: The pains of it are pains to a Proverb: the sorrows of it are sorrows to a Proverb: The sorrows of death compass me about, Psal. 116.3. Now if Death be thus terrible in it self; then judge ye whe∣ther we had not need to have all things ready, and in order when it comes.

Second Proposition is; That in a dy∣ing hour the Devil is most fierce and terrible in his assaults and temptations upon the Soul. The Devil is in Scrip∣ture called a Roaring Lyon: And is usu∣ally most so against the poor people of God, when they come to die: then he hath wrath, because he knows his time is short: to allude to that Rev. 12.12. when a man or woman comes to die, the De∣vil knows he hath but a short time to tempt, to vex, to terrifie that Soul in; and therefore then usually he exercises great wrath; then he stirs up all his wrath, all his malice, all his cruelty a∣gainst

him; hee sees this is the last cast he is like to have for it, the last on-set he is ever like to make upon the Souls Faith and Comfort, and that now the battle is to be won or lost for ever; therefore now he roars and rages terribly indeed, now he dis∣charges all his Murdering Pieces a∣gainst the Soul, to make batteries, if possible, upon the Souls Fort of Salva∣tion, and to shake its foundation of life and happiness. The Devil is the Ene∣my of Souls, Mal. 13.25. and his en∣mity works especially one of these two ways: Either first to keep them from life and happiness; and here he acts rather like an Angel of Light, than a Roaring Lyon: he works rather in a way of Flattery, than in a way of Ter∣ror. Hence we read of his Wiles, Me∣thods, Devices, and the like; his cunning and fallacious workings, thereby to destroy Souls. Or, secondly, to trou∣ble and torment Souls in their way to life and happiness; and here he is in∣deed like a Roaring Lyon, and never more, than when we come to die. There are among others two seasons, where∣in the Devil is most fierce and terrible

in his assaults upon the Soul. The first is, when a man is going from Sin to Grace, when he is fully resolved to close with Christ, to shake off the yoke of sin, and to take upon him the yoke of Jesus. The second is; when a man is going from Grace to Glory: when he is going off the Stage of Time to Eternity: when a man begins to live the spiritual life, and when a man comes to dye the natu∣ral death. I know, first, That as for his own children, he usually lets them alone, when they come to die: he is afraid to have them disturbed; though sometimes he cannot forbear, but tor∣ments them before their time. Second∣ly, God can, and sometimes does chain him up, so that he shall not be able to trouble and torment the Saints in their passage out of this World: yet still I say, for the most part he does fiercely assault them then; and doubtless, there are but very few of the Children of God, but do meet with very sore assaults from Sathan, when they come to die; then he turns Accuser; then he charges the soul with all its sins; then he tells him, he is an hypocrite, that all his profession hath been nothing but a delusion, and

the like: Now is Sathan thus fierce and terrible in his assaults upon the soul in a dying hour? surely then we had need have all ready against that hour comes.

3. The third Proposition is this; that in a dying hour Conscience is most awakened; and so most quick and smart in its threats and charges against the Soul, if all be not right within; and therefore we had need have all so, in that hour. There are three seasons in which Conscience is most awake in the soul. First, when God begins to deal with the soul in order to life and salvation; then God lets Conscience loose upon a man. Hence we read of them, that they were pricked at their heart, In the sense of sin, the word is, they were pricked through and through, Acts 2.37. And saith Paul, when Sin revived, I died, Rom. 7.9. That is, in the fight of my sin, which was wrought in me by the Law of God, I was made to see my self lost and miserable, and awakened out of my security. Secondly, when the soul is under some smart and nota∣ble affliction from the hand of God: This is evident in that instance of Jo∣seph's Brethren, whose consciences were

awakened, when they were in distress, and charged them with the guilt of their sin in selling their Brother, Gen. 42.21. Thirdly, when a man comes to die, when the visions of death and the grave are before him: Oh you lit∣tle think, how strict Conscience will be in its search, how sharpe in its charge, and how severe in its censure in a dy∣ing hour: then if there be but the least frown in God's face towards the Soul, the least flaw in his peace, the least blot or blur in his Evidences for Heaven; if there be but the least stain upon the Spirit, the least sin unpardoned, un∣repented of, it is a thousand to one but conscience will take notice of it, and charge the Soul with it. O Sirs, you will find a great deal of diffe∣rence between Conscience upon a bed of ease, and Conscience upon a sick∣bed; between Conscience in an hour of health and worldly prosperity, and Con∣science in a dying hour: in the one, great things bear but little weight; but in the other, little things usually bear great weight in Conscience: then the Language of Conscience to the Soul is, these and these things hast thou done;

thus and thus things stand with thee; at best, grace is thus and thus weak, cor∣ruptions thus and thus strong, tempta∣tions thus and thus prevalent, the heart thus and thus out of frame, the spirit thus and thus alienated from God, and the like: Hence 'tis that at death there are such confessions, as you have some∣times from men and women, that now they will send for some godly Minister or Christian to pray with them, and for them; though perhaps they could not endure Prayer all their life-time before. Now if in a dying hour, Conscience be thus quick and smart in its threats and charges against the Soul; then surely we had need, and 'tis greatly our concern, to have all ready, all in order, against that hour comes.

The fourth Proposition is this, That in a dying hour we shall have to do with God in a very stupendious and amazing way, in such a way as may well startle and affright us to think of it: we are said to have to do with God here, Heb. 4.13. we have here to do with God in Duties, in Ordinances, in Mer∣cies, in Afflictions: indeed we had as good never have to do with these, un∣less

we have to do with God in these: but though we have to do with God here, while we live; yet know, we shall have to do with God in another-guess way, when we come to die; in such a way as may well overwhelm us to think of it. I shall give it you in three steps: then we have to do with God imme∣diately; with God immediately, as our Judge; with God immediately, as our Judge for Eternity: And O how loud do these things call upon us to get all in order in the matters of our foul, against a dying hour comes?

1. When a man comes to die, he has to do with God immediately; and that is an astonishing thing. In death the body crumbles to dust; but the soul returneth to God, that gave it: so the Holy Ghost-tells us, Eccl. 12.7. The body, which came from the dust, crum∣bles to dust again: but the soul, that goeth into God's immediate presence, to deal and to treat with him, as it were face to face: The soul is alwayes with God, and cannot possibly be out of his presence, Psalm 139.7. And yet here the Holy Ghost tells us, when we die, the soul returns to God; intimating,

that then the Soul goes into the imme∣diate presence of God, and has more immediately to do with him, then here he was ever wont to have; then he beholds his naked Majesty and Glory: Now what an astonishing thing is this? You will find (if you observe) that the Saints of God, yea the holiest of them, when they have dealt with God in a more immediate way than ordi∣nary, they have been overwhelmed by it: Take for an instance Daniel, who, upon receiving Visions from God, tells us, there remained no strength in him: That his comliness was turned into cor∣ruption, Dan. 10.8. I might instance also in John, who upon a view of, and converse with Christ, that was a little more immediate than ordinary, fell down at his feet, as dead, Revel. 1.17. Also that of Jacob, I have seen the Lord face to face, and yet my life is preserved, (sayes he) intimating, it was a won∣der, that he could so immediately see God, and live, Gen. 32.10. Now if we are to deal with God immediately, when we come to die, we had need have all in order, before a dying hour comes.

2. When a man comes to die, he has to do with God immediately, as his Judge; as one that is to try him for his life; to pass sentence upon his Soul; to determine his state in righteousness, measuring out life, or death, happiness, or vengeance to him in the other world: And is not this an astonishing and an amazing thing? Then (saith Solomon, speaking of death) shall the dust return to earth, as it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it, Eccl. 12.7. At death the Spirit returns to God; but it is to God, as a Judge, to determine his future condition for him. We must all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ, and every one must give an account of himself to God: so the Scripture tells us, Rom. 10.12. And, it is appointed for all men once to die, and after that the Judg∣ment, Heb. 9.27. When a man comes to die, that which is immediately before him, is the Judgement of God; the strict, the righteous, the impartial Judg∣ment of God: then away goes the Soul into the immediate presence of God, as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment, to pass a sentence of life, or death, salva∣tion, or damnation, upon him: And

(believe it) we had need have all things set right, and well ordered in our souls, when we come thus to deal with him: we had need have all things well ordered, and set right in the mat∣ters of our souls, when we come to deal with God, but as sitting upon a Throne of Grace: but much more, when we come to deal with him, as sitting upon a Throne of Judgment, to conclude and determine our future condition, what it shall be. Judgment is an astonishing and terrifying thing; the hearing of it made Felix tremble: or (as the Word is) it turned him into terror or affright∣ment, Acts 24.25. And the Apostle calls it, the terror of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.11. Now when a man comes to die, then he sayes, or may say; Now I am to deal with the great God, the Judge of all: Now I must appear before his righteous Tribunal, and have the state of my soul determined for life, or death, salvation, or damnation in the other World. O how great a thing is this!

3. When a man comes to die, he has to do with God immediately, as his Judge, for Eternity: and this speaks it yet more terrifying and astonishing:

For though a man is then to deal with God immediately, and that as his Judge too; yet if it were but for a time, for some short term of years, it would not be altogether such a terrifying and ama∣zing thing: but alas! it is for Eternity; and therefore his Judgment is called Eternal Judgment, Heb. 6.2. Hence Austin, speaking of Death, calls it Ostium Aeternitatis, the Gate of Eter∣nity: i. e. the Gate or Door that lets men out into Eternity; an Eternity of life, or death, salvation, or damnation: the sentence which God will then pass upon the soul, will be an eternal sen∣tence; and the soul must be eternally under the execution of it, whether it be for life, or death, salvation, or damnation. When a man comes to die, hee then sees himself launching forth into the great Ocean of Eternity; he sees his eternal all to be immediately at stake, and his eternal state to be imme∣diately determined by the great and holy God: now he sees he must shoot the Great Gulf, and take up his abode in the Eternal Region: This fills him with amazement. O now, sayes he, a sentence must pass upon me once for

all; now I must shoot the Great Gulf; now I must launch forth into the great Ocean, where neither bounds, nor bottom is to be found for ever: now I must enter upon Eternal Joys, or Eternal Flames; an endless life, either with God or Devils, in Heaven or Hell: Now I shall sind Infiniteness and Eter∣nity combine to do their utmost, to make me happy or miserable for ever: Now I must become the immediate ob∣ject either of infinite wrath, or infinite love, infinite hatred, or infinite delight, and that for ever. Now I must hear from God, either come thou blessed, or depart thou cursed, and that for ever: And O what an astonishing thing is this! O Eternity, Eternity! O vast E∣ternity! O Eternity, Eternity! O bound∣less Eternity! One serious view of it is enough to amaze a poor soul, looking upon it at a distance: But how much more amazing must it needs be, when it shall be immediately before the soul, and he sees he must enter upon it the next hour? O then it will be amazing indeed, astonishing indeed: This one thing, Eternity, puts infinite sweetness into mercies, and infinite bitterness into

sufferings: the thoughts of this, was that which did so much amaze that good man, who sitting in a deep Muse a long time, and being asked the reason of it, was silent; and being asked again and a∣gain, at length broke into these Words; For ever, for ever, for ever, for ever, and for near a quarter of an hour together spake nothing else: thereby telling them that asked him, that it was the thoughts of this same for ever, that so much amu∣sed him: And if you were more in the thoughts of the weight of Eternity, you would see it were an astonishing thing indeed: And this is that which makes dying work such a weighty work and a dying hour such a difficult hour. I will close this head, and with that, this demonstration, with a saying I have read in one of the Ancients; That is not to be accounted (sayes he) an evil death, which has had a good life precede∣ing it, nor doth any thing make death terrible, but that which follows death; therefore they which must necessarily die, are not much to concern themselves, what falls out to cause death, but whither by death they are constrained to go, whither death carries them. It is a great saying,

and indeed 'tis no great matter, when we die, or how we die, or what is the occasion of our death: But it is whi∣ther death carries us, and where death sets us down; whether in a blessed, or wretched Eternity; whether with God, or Devils; in Heaven, or Hell. Well then, if Death be thus terrible in its own nature: If in a dying hour the Devil be so fierce and terrible in his assaults upon souls; if Conscience be so awakened and smart in its Charges and Accusations; if then we must have to do with God im∣mediately, and as our Judge, yea as our Judge for Eternity, as one that will determine the eternal condition of our souls, in unspeakable happiness, or un∣speakable misery; then surely dying work is great work, and a dying hour is a difficult hour: It then greatly con∣cerns us to have all ready, and all in or∣der, in the matters of our souls, against the time thereof comes.

CHAP. III. Which shews the Glory, Sweetness, and Blessedness of the attainment of having all things set right in the matters of our Souls, before a dying hour comes, which will further evince the truth asserted.

AS dying work is weighty work, and a dying hour is a difficult hour; so to have all things set right, all well ordered and composed, in the mat∣ters of our souls, against such an hour comes, is an high, a sweet, a blessed at∣tainment, an attainment which carries infinite sweetness and desirableness in it: a taste of which I shall give you in two things only. (1.) Hereby we come to be glorious Conquerours over Death and the Grave. (2.) Hereby we come to have an abundant entrance ministred to us into Heaven and Glory: And, my Beloved, what more sweet and desirable than this? Surely this speaks it to be a very sweet and blessed attainment.

1. Hereby we come to be glorious Conquerours over Death and the Grave. Death is an Enemy, 'tis the last enemy

the Children of God have to grapple and conflict with: The last enemy that is to be destroyed is Death, 1 Cor. 15.26. and being the last enemy, in conquer∣ing this, they conquer all, conquering this they are compleat and eternal Con∣querours: Now, by having all things set right in the matters of our souls, all things ready, and in order for a dying hour, we come to conquer this last Ene∣my; yea, to get a glorious Conquest over it: Hereby Death comes to be swallowed up of Victory, as you have the expression, 1 Cor. 15.54. Hereby we are more than Conquerours over it, Rom. 8.37. Take the Conquest which this gives us over Death, in these three things.

• 1. Hereby the soul is carried above the fear of Death: In Heb. 2.15. We read of some, who all their life-time were subject to bondage through fear of Death: And, if in their life-time, much more when they come to a dying hour: Then Conscience (as you have heard) is more awake: Oh the fears, the ter∣rors, the Hell upon Earth, that the sight of Death's approach fills many a poor soul withall! But now take a soul that has all things right, and in order in his

• spiritual concerns, and he is carried a∣bove the fear of this King of Terrours; and that when made as terrible; as the wit and malice of men can possibly make it: He can converse with his last enemy as one that hath lost his sting and power, and so without the least fear or dismay∣edness of spirit: None of these things move me, sayes Paul, neither count I my life dear unto my self, that I may finish my course with joy. His Afflictions did not move him, did not terrifie him; but if death should come, what then? Why that shall be welcom too, saith he, Acts 20.24. Who is afraid of a conquered enemy, an enemy which a man seeth dead and slain in the field? One that has all things ready for a dying hour, he sees death to be a conquered enemy, an enemy con∣quered by the death of Christ; and so is carried above the fear of it.
• 2. Hereby the soul is inabled in a holy manner to triumph over death, and even to scorn and contemn it; which is an higher Conquest still. A man that has all things set right, and well ordered in the matters of his soul, he is not only carried above the fear of death; but he rides in triumph

• over it, as one that divideth the spoil: He can with boldness and comfort challenge this last Enemy of his, and even dare it to do its worst to him: O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? (saith the Apostle) The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the Law: But thanks be to God, who giveth us the Vi∣ctory through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. As if he should say, Death, you talk of a Sting; but where is it? Grave, you would threa∣ten us with Victory and overthrow; but do your worst, conquer us if you can. As a man that has disarmed his Enemy, thrown him upon his back, sayes to him; O Sir, where is your Sword? Where is your Pistol? Where is the execution you threatned? Do your worst?
• 3. Hereby the Soul comes to be able, solemnly to choose and desire Death; yea to exult, and rejoyce in Death; as that which of an Enemy is become a Friend, and an in-let into all happiness to him. So 2 Cor. 5.5, 6, 8. Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing, is God, who hath al∣so

• so given unto us the earnest of his Spirit: Therefore we are alwayes confident, know∣ing that whilest we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, I say, and willing ra∣ther to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. So Phil. 1.22, 23. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my Labour; yet what I shall choose, I wot not; for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. Mark, he desires Death, he chooses Death, as that which is a Friend to him, and an in-let into his happi∣ness: Such an one can say, as I have read a German Divine did, when dy∣ing; I am ready (sayes he) and desire to be gone out of this life, in which all things are not only full of miseries and calamities; but which is to be lamented, all things are full fraught with sins: I say; I desire to pass into that life in which there is no sin, no misery. Yea, more, such an one can exult, and rejoyce in death, Luke 2.29, 30. Lord, now lettest thou thy Ser∣vant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salva∣tion:

• They are words of joy and exul∣tation in the sight of Death's approach. The Child of some tender and indul∣gent Father, being abroad at sojourn, and seeing a Messenger come from his Father, to fetch him home; how does he exult and rejoyce? O (sayes he) my Father has sent for me home; now I must go to live with my Father, to eat and drink at my Father's Table, to live in my Father's presence, enjoy my Fa∣ther's love and counsels: and this he rejoyces in, and exultingly embraces the Messenger. 'Tis the very case here, the soul having all things ready, all things set right within, when Death comes, 'tis but as a Messenger to him, to fetch him home to his Father's house, which he can welcome and embrace with joy. O (sayes he) my Father has sent for me home, home to Heaven, there to live immediately in his pre∣sence, and upon his fulness; and now I shall be for ever with my Father; now I shall for ever feast my Soul with my Father's love, and the constant views of my Father's face: now I shall see him face to face, whom here I could never see, but through a glass darkly: now I

• shall see, and be for ever in the embra∣ces of my sweet Lord; my Lord that bled for me, that died for, that trod the Wine-press alone for me: Now shall I en∣ter into the glorious liberty of the Chil∣dren of God: I have hitherto been in bondage, in bondage to Satan, in bon∣dage to my own heart, which has all along wretchedly imposed upon me; but now I shall enter upon the glorious liberty of the Children of God: Now I shall partake of the Inheritance of the Saints in light: Now I shall bathe my soul in the Chrystal streams of undefiled pleasures, running fresh along the banks of Eternity at my Father's right hand: Now I shall spend a whole Eternity in Praises, Doxologies, and Hallelujah's to God, and the Lamb: Now I shall have all my spots and wrinkles, my sins and sorrows done away at once: Now shall I sigh no more, and which is infinitely better, I shall sin no more for ever; no more complain of dark visions, and short visits from God; no more complain of distances and alienation between him and my Soul for ever: There shall be no more interruption of communion with my sweet Saviour; but I shall

• stand in his presence, and behold his face for evermore. In a word, hereby death, the King of Terrors, becomes the King of Comforts to the Soul; and a man comes to die both happily and com∣fortably. Some men die neither happily nor comfortably; and such is the case of all, who die out of Christ; they die in their sins, they die to be damned for ever. Some die happily, but not comfortably; such is the case of poor Christians dying under dissertion, whose Sun sets in a Cloud; they die in the dark, not know∣ing what shall become of their Souls to Eternity, which yet go safe to Heaven being built upon the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some die both hap∣pily and comfortably; such is the case of all those who have all things set right (between God and them) all things rea∣dy, and in order; before a dying hour comes. Some die presumptuously, think∣ing all is right and well in the matters of their souls, when indeed nothing is so, that is sad for Eternity: The Lord deli∣ver your souls and mine from such an Ex∣it. Some die tremblingly or doubtingly, not knowing how things are with them, whether well or ill, but they fear ill;

• that is sad, at least for time: the Lord carry us above such an Exit. Some (viz. well ordered souls) die fiducially, know∣ing things to be right between God and them; and that is comfortable both for time and eternity. Well then, if hereby we come to have such a glorious Victo∣ry over Death and the Grave, it must then be a great attainment to have all things in order between God and us; and consequently greatly our concern to have things so.

2. Hereby we come to have a rich and glorious entrance ministred to us into everlasting life, and glory, into Heaven and blessedness. As hereby we come to be glorious Conquerours over the natural death; so hereby we come to have a rich and glorious entrance ministred to us into the eternal life, which also carries much sweetness and blessedness in it, 2 Pet. 1.5.11. And be∣sides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, &c. that is, grow as compleat in Grace as possibly you can, make sure of your sal∣vation, make all ready in the matters of your souls: and what then? So an entrance shall be ministred to you abundantly into the

everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savi∣our Jesus Christ. And is not this a blessed attainment? Take this in three things.

• 1. Hereby the soul comes to enjoy much of Heaven here upon earth; much of blessedness and glory, whilest on this side blessedness and glory; then hath a man an abundant entrance ministred unto him into heaven and glory, when he hath much of heaven and glory given out to him here on earth, large earnest, and first-fruits: and this the soul has that hath all things right in the mat∣ters of his spiritual state, all things rea∣dy and in order within. Hence we read sometimes of the earnest, sometimes of the first-fruits of the Spirit, Eph. 1.14. Rom. 8.28. And the soul that is most ready, has the greatest earnest and first-fruits, that is to say, the greatest begin∣nings of Heaven, here upon earth: For that which makes us ready for a dying hour, is something of heaven dropped into the soul here.
• 2. Hereby he comes to go triumph∣ingly from Earth to Heaven; to go to Heaven and Glory with a Crown upon his head; and is not this a sweet attain∣ment? Then hath a man an abundant

• entrance into Heaven and Glory, when he goes triumphingly thither: When a man passes to heaven and glory with vi∣sions thereof in his eye, and prelibati∣ons thereof in his soul; with a clear witness and evidence in his Spirit, that he is going to possess the fulness thereof, with God and Christ for ever: when a man enters into life without any re∣bukes from God, or his own Consci∣ence; without any stumbling through doubting or unbelief: This is the happi∣ness of such, as have all things well in their souls, before a dying hour comes. It is with such in death, as it was with John in a Vision, Rev. 4.1. They, as it were, hear a voice from Heaven, saying, Come up hither; and immediately they are in the Spirit. Some poor souls croud in∣to Heaven, through a throng of doubts and unbelief, difficulties and desponden∣cies, through many fears and tempta∣tions; insomuch that it might be truly said of them, that they are searcely sa∣ved, as the Apostle's expression is; but others go through none of these, they go triumphantly with a Crown upon their Heads as it were. So Paul 2. Tim. 4.6, 7, 8. I am now ready to be offered,

• and the time of my departure is at hand: I have fought a good fight, I have finish∣ed my course, I have kept the faith: Hence∣forth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righ∣teous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not unto me only, but to all them al∣so that love his appearing. Methinks I see how this holy soul went triumph∣ingly to the Throne of God, and the Lamb. When David and the house of Is∣rael brought up the Arke of the Lord, it was with shouting, and with the sound of the Trumpet: So when such a soul goes to rest, 'tis with a kind of shouting and triumph, among the Saints themselves, who all reach the same heaven and glo∣ry at last. There is a very great deal of difference in their death, and in their going to that heaven and glory. As (you know) two Ships may arrive at the same Harbour, yet with much difference, as to the manner of their coming in: The one makes a shift to get in; but 'tis with her Anchors lost, her Sails rent, her Flags down, her Masts broken, and the like: but the other comes in brave∣ly, riding, as 'twere, in triumph, with her Sails spread, her Anchors safe, her

• flags flying, her Trumpets sounding, and her Mariners shouting. So great a dif∣ference there is in the passing of Saints to Heaven and Blessedness: Now what an attainment must it be to go with shouting and triumph?
• 3. Hereby the soul comes to be ad∣mitted to, and invested with an emi∣nent fulness of Blessedness and Glory with God for ever: Then has a man an abundant entrance into heaven and glo∣ry, when he is admitted to, and inve∣sted with an eminent fulness of glory and blessedness in heaven for ever; and this he hath, who has all right and rea∣dy in the concerns of his soul, when he comes to die: Such a one receives a full reward, as the expression is 2 Epistle of John 8. and has much fruit abounding to his account, Phil. 4.7. And O what a sweet and blessed attainment does this speak it to be, to have all in order against a dying hour comes? Now if it be such an attainment to have things set right, and in order in our souls, against a dying hour, then surely it must needs be highly our concern to have all things so.

CHAP. IV. Which shews the state of men and women under death, as a further evidence of our assertion.

AS to have all things ready, and in order, when a dying hour comes, is an high and glorious attainment; so such is the state and condition of men and women under death, that it cannot but be highly their concern to have all things set right, all things ready in the matters of their souls, when they come to die: This I will set before you in three Propositions.

First Proposition is this; That such is the state and condition of men and women under death, that there is no return for them into this life any more for ever. When once a man's Sun is set, it never rises more: when once a man has his Exit, is gone off the stage of this world, he never enters more; there is no more any part to be acted here by him, this you have in the Text: Before I go hence, and be no more; that is, no more in this World.

So Job 7.7, 8, 9, 10. O remember, that my life is wind, mine eyes shall no more see good: The eye of him that hath seen me, shall see me no more: Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not: As the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to the Grave, shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his House, and his place shall know him no more. Again, Job 10.20, 21. Are not my dayes few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little; before I go, whence I shall not return, even into the Land of dark∣ness, and the shadow of death. And a∣gain, Ch. 16.22. When a few dayes are come, then shall I go the way, whence I shall not return. All shewing, that when a man is once gone off the Stage of this World, there is no return for him any more.

Second Proposition is this; That such is the state of men and women under death, that there is nothing to be done for their souls; there is nothing to be mended that is amiss, nothing to be set in order, that shall be found out of order. Death (my beloved) is not the time of working, but of receiving the reward of our

work: Death leaves us under an utter and eternal impossibility of ever doing any thing for another World: There∣fore whatever thine hand findeth to do (saith Solomon) do it with al thy might; for there is no work, nor counsel in the Grave, whither thou goest, Eccles. 9.10. And I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; because the night cometh, when no man can work, saith Christ, John 9.4. Death is a state of darkness, and it deprives us of all helps, advantages, and opportunities, of ever doing any thing for the good of our souls: There is no repenting, no be∣lieving, no turning to God in the Grave: There is no assuring pardon of sin; no getting an Interest in Christ; no making our Calling and Election sure there: O no; these things must be done now, or they can never be done; and if they be never done, our souls are for ever undone. 'Twas an Epicurean saying of him, who said, Eat, drink, play; for after death there is no pleasure: but it would be a Christian saying, to say to you, and my own soul, love God, pray to him, seek his face, repent, believe, make sure of Christ;

for after death none of these are to be done: They must be done here, or never.

Third Proposition is this, That such is the state of men and women under death, that the Soul is actually and irreversibly stated and concluded in his eternal condi∣tion: The Souls eternal state is absolute∣ly fix'd, and unchangeably determined, without any alteration for ever. 'Tis an observation among the School-men, that look what befel the Angels that sin∣ned, that in death befalls wicked men, those that are not ready for a dying hour: The Angels immediately upon their sinning, were stated in an irrever∣sible condition of wo and misery: And wicked men, unready souls, immediate∣ly upon death, are irreversibly stated in a like eternal condition; they are eter∣nally sealed up under damnation: And the Devils may as soon get out of those Chains of eternal darkness, whereinto they are cast, and in which they are locked up, being reserved unto Judg∣ment; as such persons can change, or reverse that condition. The truth is, death; when ever, ot where ever it comes, is a determining thing, it concludes

the soul for ever under an unalterable state of life or death, of happiness or mi∣sery; for as the Tree falls, so it lies, Eccl. 11.3. Hence in death, the Spirit, the soul is said, to return to God, Eccl. 12.7. Up∣on which a learned man has this obser∣vation: God (saith he) receives the Soul of Man, when he dies, to himself; and having received it, he delivers it either to the Holy Angels, that by them it might be carried to Heaven, if it hath been holy and good; or he delivers it to the evil An∣gels, by them to be dragged into Hell, if it hath been ungodly. Hence the Apostle tells us, after death comes judgment, Heb. 9.27. By which is meant the particular Judg∣ment of every man and woman imme∣diately upon death; which is nothing else but the stating of the soul in an eternal condition. Hence also, when Dives is brought in, desiring that Laza∣rus might dip the tip of his finger in wa∣ter to cool his tongue: answer is made, that it cannot be, for as much as there is no going for any, either from Hell to Heaven, or from Heaven to Hell, because there is a Gulph fixed, Luke 16.26. Noting the unalterableness of that state which Death sets men down in,

whether of happiness or misery. Well then, if such be the state of men and wo∣men under death, as we have heard, then surely 'tis highly our concernment to have all ready, all in order, against a dying hour comes. Having given you thus briefly the demonstration of the point, I shall make some practical im∣provement of it.

CHAP. V. Wherein sinners are convinced of their sin and folly in their neglect of this concern, with six weighty Pleas or Arguments, to set home this Con∣viction, and awaken them to their work.

ANd is this indeed a concern of so much weight and moment to us? Then how great is their folly, and what enemies are they to their own souls▪ who live in the neglect of this great bu∣siness and concern? (which the most of men do) God is pleased to spare, ye•• wonderfully to spare them for dayes, for weeks, for months, for years together

and that for this very end, that they should make themselves ready, and set all right in the matters of their souls, against a dying hour comes: but woe, and alas for them! This they mind not, this they concern not them∣selves about, but do live in a total neglect thereof; than which what greater folly can they be guilty of? Pray mind what God himself speaks in this case, Deut. 32.28, 29. Where he saith concerning Israel, they were a Nation void of counsel, nor was there any understanding in them: And what then? O that they were wise, that they understood this; that they would consider their latter end. Observe here two things attested and verified by God himself. (First) that 'tis a point of the highest wisdom the Sons of men are capable of, seriously to consider their latter end, that is, to prepare for death, to set all things right in the matters of their souls, so as that things may issue well with them at last, and they may go off the Stage of this World with comfort. (Secondly) that not to do this, is a point of the greatest folly? It doth evidently argue men to

be void of counsel, and all true un∣derstanding: It would have been their wisdom to have considered their latter end; and their not doing of it, argued them to be guilty of notorious folly: These things, you may see, God him∣self attests and verifies here. And, my Beloved, what greater folly can there be, than for a man to live in the neg∣lect of that which is of so much weight and importance for him to mind, as this is? Surely the greater the concern is, the greater must our folly be in the neglect thereof: yet this is the folly that the most of men are guilty of; they mind not their latter end, their dying hour; at least not so, as to make a timely provision for it: God lets them live many years, and per∣haps they rejoyce in them all; but they forget the dayes of darkness, which are many: They regard not the state of their souls, nor how things stand be∣tween God and them, in reference to another World: And O that this were not the folly of too many of us, who profess the belief of another life, a fu∣ture state: We live and enjoy good, but we put far from us the evil day, as those

are said to do Amos 6.3. God spares us time after time; but no provision do we make for a dying hour. O how ma∣ny of us have never yet set any thing right in the matters of our souls, any thing in order, against the time comes, when we are to go hence, and be no more; that have scarce ever had yet one serious thought of Death, Judgment, or Eternity, nor made the least tittle of provision for them? And what shall I say to such? I would (if God saw good) awaken them out of their folly, and con∣vince them of it: In order to which, I would plead a little with them in five or six particulars.

1. Must we not all go hence? Solo∣mon tells us, there is a time to be born, and a time to die, Eccl. 3.2. And the one is as sure as the other; as sure as we have had a time to be born, so sure we shall have a time to die; and the living know it: The living know, that they shall die, (saith Solomon) Eccl. 9.5. In∣deed they may well know it: for not only the experience of between five and six thousand years tells them so; but it is what is appointed, what is infallibly determined by the unchangeable Law,

and Degree of Heaven, Heb. 9.27. nor can any thing whatever exempt us from the stroak of Death.

1. Youthful strength and vigour can't do it: For young men die, as well as old; strong men die, as well as weak. One dieth in his full strength, (saith the Holy Ghost) being wholly at ease and quiet; his breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistned with marrow, Job 21.23, 24.

2. Worldly pomp and greatness can't do it: For great men die, as well as mean men; rich men die, as well as poor men. Where is the House of the Prince? (saith the Holy Ghost) Answer is made, He shall be brought to the Grave, and shall remain in the Tomb, the clods of the Valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there is in∣numerable before him, Job 21.28, 32, 33. So in the 49 Psalm 16, 17, 18, 19. Be not thou afraid, when one is made rìch, when the Glory of his House is increased: For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him; though while he lived, he blessed his soul, and the like; he shall go to the generation of his Fathers, he shall never see light.

3. Humane wisdom and policy can't do it; for wise men die, as well as fools. So Psal. 49.10. Wise men die, likewise the Fool; yea, in many respects, Wise men die as the Fool, Eccl. 2.16. Pray, what is become of all the wise men, and great Politicians that have lived in former Ages? Truly the clods of the Valley cover them.

4. Spiritual gifts and graces can't do it: For good men die, as well as bad; holy men, as well as wicked men: The righteous man perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, Isa. 57.1.

5. Eminency of place and service can't do it. Your Fathers, where are they? And the Prophets, do they live for ever? Zach. 1.5. What higher place, than to be a Pro∣phet, to be an Ambassadour for God? and yet such die. Nothing (you see) can exempt us from death's strokes: Why then should we neglect to prepare for it? I will close this Head with a saying I have read in one of the Ancients; What among humane affairs, saith he, is more certain than death? What more uncertain than the hour of death? Death compassio∣nates not poverty; it reverences not either the

greatness, it spares no Sex, no Manners, no Age; only it seems to come in at the gate upon old men; but craftily it steals in upon young ones.

2. Does not death hasten upon us all? As we must all die, so death hastens a∣pace upon us: Every step we take is a step towards death and the grave: So we find, Eccl. 9.10. Our whole life is (as one well observes upon that place) nothing else, but a journey towards Death and the Grave; whether we sleep or wake, eat or drink, trade or travel, pray or play, we are still hastening to the Grave: A dying hour hastens upon us all; and how fast (pray) does it hasten upon us? Faster than a Weavers Shuttle does to the end of the Web: My dayes (saith Job) are swifter than a Weavers Shuttle, Job 7.6. How fast does it hasten upon us? As fast as, yea faster than a Post hastens to the end of his Stage, or a swift Ship to the Harbour, under the advantage of Wind and Tide, or the swift flying Eagle to the prey. My dayes are swifter than a Post (saith Job) they flee away, they see no good: They are passed away, as the swift Ships; as the Eagle hasteneth to the prey, Job 9.25, 26.

How fast does it hasten upon us? So fast, as that for ought we know, it will be upon us, before we see the light of ano∣ther day. Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, Luke 10.20. How fast does it hasten upon us? So fast, as that for ought we know, it may be upon us the next hour, yea the next moment: They spend their dayes in mirth, and in a moment go down to the grave, Job 21.13. To be sure it will be up∣on us speedily, and it may be upon us suddenly. I pray, consider, what are we? And what is our life? Wind: Job 7.7. O remember, that my life is wind, an hands breadth, Psalm 39.5. Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hands-breadth; mine Age is as nothing before thee: a declining shadow, Psalm 102.11. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth, and I am withered like Grass: A Flow∣er of the Field which is withered, and gone with the Wind: As for man, his dayes are as Grass, as a Flower of the Field, the Wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof knoweth it no more, Psalm 103.15, 16. And again, All flesh is Grass, and the goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field, the Grass withereth, the

Flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: Surely the people is grass, Isa. 40.6, 7. Vanity, and a shadow: Man is like to vanity, his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away, Psalm 144.4. A vapour which appeareth for a little sea∣son, and is gone, James 4.14. O how soon may one, or another, or all of us, be among the dead? How soon may death approach us?

3. What infinite mercy is it, that God has spared us thus long, and still does spare us to set all things right, to make all ready for a dying hour? O (my Be∣loved) how great is the sparing mercy of God towards us? We have had some forty, some fifty, some sixty years in the World; and still God spares us; still he lets us live, and enjoy good: and why all this? (think you) smely to set things right in our souls, to make ready for a dying hour, and shall we yet neglect it? God forbid. O Sirs, think a little, I be∣seech you, with your selves; how long since the Grave might have swallowed us up, and the Bottomless Pit have shut its mouth upon us: How long since might time and dayes have been at an

end with us, and our souls stated in a miserable Eternity? But still God spares us, and we are yet in the Land of the Living, with a door of mercy and grace yet open unto us; at least a possibility left us of knowing the things of our peace in our day, of making provision for Death and Eternity: And O what mercy is this! I would fain a little quicken both you and my self by this consideration: And in order thereunto, let me plead a little particularly with you.

1. Consider how long God hath spared, and does spare you; beyond what he does, and has, thousands and ten thousands of others: God does not spare all at that rate, which he has spared, and does still spare us: Alas! How many thousands are there now free among the dead, who came into being long since we did? Their Glass is run, their Sun is set, their day is over, their hopes and expectations are all at an end, their souls, are stated in an eternal condition, a con∣dition that will admit of neither change nor period for ever; and yet we are spared still: They came into the World long after us, and are gone into Eterni∣ty

long before us: Yea, how many are there, that never arrived to the one half of those years that we have arrived un∣to? their Sun has set in the morning: How many of us have out-lived our yoke-fellows, our children, our servants, our friends, and acquaintance? And yet we stand our ground: and all this that we might prepare for a dying hour: This patience of God should lead us to re∣pentance, Rom. 2.5. And O that it might so do!

2. Consider how much we have pro∣voked God, and what advantage we have given him in Justice against us: I would fay here, as Christ speaks in ano∣ther case, Luke 13. begin. Suppose ye, that those Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices, were sin∣ners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish: Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloah fell, and slew them; think ye, they were sinners above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. So say I here, suppose ye, that those that are gone down to the gates of the grave, and

the bars of death, before us, were great∣er sinners than we? I tell you nay, but except we repent, we must all likewise perish: We have sinned as well as they, and possibly, in many regards, more than they: To be sure, we have all over and over deserved long since to have been covered with the shadow of the Night of eternal darkness: O how has the pati∣ence of God been tried, and his long-sufferings put to it by us! What a bur∣den have we been to his Soul! Some of us have cause to think, that we have been as great a burden to God, as most that ever lived: How justly may the blessed God complain of many of us: That we have made him to serve with our sins, and wearied him with our iniquities, as he did of them of old? Isa. 43.24. that we have broke his heart with our whorish heart, whereby we have departed from him, Ezek. 6.9. that our sins have pressed him down, as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves, Amos 2.13. Alas! Alas! How have we wallowed in our pollutions, and acted out the enmity and rebellion of our na∣tures against him! How have we reject∣ed his Word, resisted his Spirit, despi∣sed his Grace, trampled upon his Son,

refused many and many an offer of love, and many a sweet Call, and blessed invi∣tation, to come to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb? And yet that he should still spare us: O what mercy is this! In the 1 Pet. 3.20. we read, that the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah: And truly, my Beloved, it waits as much in our dayes, our provocations being as many, and as high against him, as theirs of that Generation were. O Sirs, why are we not in Hell? Why are we not sealed and shut up among the damned? Why have we one Call more, one offer more, one season of Grace more? Verily 'tis all rich Mercy: O that it might lead us to Repentance.

3. Consider how sad it had been with us; had the Lord taken that ad∣vantage against us, which we have o∣ver and over given him. Suppose (my Beloved) God had not spared us, but had cut us off, as he might long since; what now had been become of us? And where now had we been? Had you died of such and such a sickness you have been in, when possibly a sentence of Death was passed upon you, both by your selves and others, and there was really but a

step between death and you; where and how miserable had you now been? Had you not been now in the flames, eternally separated from God and Christ? Being Godless and Christless: Have you not now cause to fear you had been in as ir∣recoverable a condition, as the Devils themselves are in, sealed up under wrath and condemnation, past all hopes and possibility of mercy for ever? Whither had I gone (saith Austin) if then (speak∣ing of the time that he was in his sins) I had gone hence? Whither had I gone, but into the flames, and into eternal torments, answerable to my sins? May not we say the like? But blessed be God, it is yet time and season with me and you; we are spared to this hour, that we might provide for death and Eternity. O Sirs, suppose you or I were now among the damned; suppose we were, as they are, sealed up under wrath, and separated from God, left under an utter impossi∣bility of ever seeing his face; how sad then would our condition be? Why, thus it might have been with us: O what mercy then is it that God has spa∣red us, and doth-spare us as he does? And how should it awaken us to our work?

4. Consider, how much more sad it may, and will yet be with us, in case we provide not for a dying hour: Truly, the longer God spares us, if we answer not his end in his sparing mercy, the more miserable shall we be for ever. It will be sad to perish at all; but it will be doubly sad to perish under the long-suffering of God, under the abuse of much goodness, and long patience. O to have many dayes, and many years pa∣tience and goodness come in to witness against a man at last; how sad will this be! Think of, and seriously lay to heart that Scripture, Rom. 2.4, 5. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and for∣bearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to re∣pentance? but after thy hardness, and im∣penitent heart, treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and reve∣lation of the righteous Judgment of God. Every day which God in his patience af∣fords us, if we be not led to repentance, is a day of treasuring up wrath, heaping up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath, when wrath shall come up∣on us to the uttermost: Well, think then what a mercy it is, that God spares you

as he does; and what an Obligation this sparing mercy of his is upon you, to set all things right in the matters of your souls against a dying hour comes.

4. Are you sure that those helps and advantages which now you enjoy, to fur∣ther you in your work, will alwayes last and be injoyed by you. Suppose (my Be∣loved) that God should yet spare you, and prolong your dayes in the Land of the Living: Yet O how soon may all your helps and advantages, to further you in this great Work, be withdrawn from you: Now, blessed be God, you injoy many blessed helps and advantages for your furtherance in this great Work; but how quickly may they all be gone?

1. How soon may the Reproofs, the Counsels, the Holy Examples of your godly Friends, Ministers, and Relations, be withdrawn from you? now you in∣joy the loving Reproofs, the wholesome Counsels, the Holy Examples of such and such Friends and Relations; one re∣proves you for sin, another quickens you to duty; one dehorts you from the World, and carnal pleasure; another perswades you to close with Christ, and walk with God, to pursue after Hea∣ven,

and eternal life; one wooes and be∣seeches you, another charges and com∣mands you to labour to know God, and to live to him, to provide for ano∣ther life; and they all shew you the path of Life; they tread the way to Heaven in your sight: All which are great helps and advantages to further you in this Great Concern of yours: But how soon may all these be withdrawn? thy Friends, thy Ministers, thy Relations will speedily be lodged in the dust, and thou shalt never have a word of reproof, a word of counsel, a word of quickning, a word of encouragement, or a pattern of faith and holiness set before thee, by them any more for ever, which would be a dread∣ful thing: Now thy godly Father, Mo∣ther, Yoke-fellow, Master, Friend, and Ac∣quaintance, is plying thee with counsels and instructions, for the good of thy Soul; to morrow, it may be, he or she goes down to the Gates of the Grave; and then no more of this for ever.

2. How soon may the Word and Or∣dinances of God, which you now enjoy, be withdrawn from you? Now you en∣joy the Word and Ordinances of God, you go from Ordinance to Ordinance;

you have line upon line, precept upon pre∣cept, as it is Isa. 28.10. Yea, let me tell you, you see and hear those things, which many Prophets and righteous men have de∣sired to see, and hear; but saw, and heard them not, Matth. 13.16. O how is Light and immortality brought to light to you? How is the Way of Salvation made plain and manifest before you? What glorious discoveries? What blessed reve∣lations? What sweet and frequent ten∣ders of Christ are made to you? How freely are you called to the Marriage-sup∣per of the Lamb? How lovingly does Christ invite you to himself? How kind∣ly does he stand knocking at the Door of your souls? O (my Beloved) I may now say to you, as Paul to the Corinthi∣ans, 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold! Now is the ac∣cepted time, now is the day of Salvation. O what helps and advantages are these? But how soon may they all be gone? How soon may the Word of God be withdrawn? How soon may your light be put out, and your souls left in dark∣ness, not knowing whither to go? Re∣member that word of Christ, and lay it to heart, John 12.35. Yet a little while is the light with you, walk while ye have

the light; least darkness come upon you; and he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the Children of the light. It is a great question, whether we may not lose Gos∣pel-Ordinances and all; and where are we then?

3. How soon may the motions and strivings of the Spirit of God be with∣drawn from you? Now you have the motions and strivings of the Spirit of God in you, and with you; he moves up∣on the face of the waters in your souls; he moves and strives in and by the Word, and Ordinances; Mercies, and afflictions; now you have enlightening, and then you have quickening influences from him; now he shews you your work, and then he tenders you his assistance; now he discovers the odiousness of sin to you, and then he displays the beauty, sweet∣ness, and excellency of Christ and holi∣ness before you: But alas! How soon may all this be at an end? Think of that ter∣rible word, Gen. 6.3. My Spirit shall no more strive with man. God may possibly the next day, yea the next hour, say to his Spirit concerning one or another of

us, let him alone, strive no more with him, move no more in him, convince him no more, perswade him no more, draw and allure him no more; he is addicted to his lusts, and to this World, let him alone; he has no mind to Heaven, no de∣sire to make any provision for another World, let them alone; he is unwilling to see beyond time to eternity; he is given to his carnal pleasures, let him alone; he has a resisting, gain-saying spirit, let him alone. O how soon these, and all other helps and advantages, you now enjoy, may be withdrawn, who knows? You have all these together in one Scri∣pture, which I desire you to lay to heart, Luke 19.41, 42. When he was come near, he beheld the City (speaking of Jerusa∣lem) and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. They had had a day, they did injoy the things of their peace; they might and should have improved their day, and the things of their peace, by securing their eternal state: But they neglected it, and now all these are withdrawn from them; which caused the Lord of Glo∣ry,

the Joy of the whole Earth, to weep over them; so woful, miserable, and deplorable he saw their condition to be: and how sad will it be with you, if once Christ should come to say over you that dismal word, now they are hid from your eyes.

5. Is it an easie matter (think you) to set things right in your souls and to make all things ready for a dying hour? Sup∣pose (my Beloved) that you should live yet many days, and withall, your helps and advantages for the good of your souls should be continued to you, yet is it an easie work which you have to do; and shall you have time and days to spare? Believe it, Sirs, all will be little enough to set things right, to make things rea∣dy for a dying hour. Pray consider with me these few things, as to this.

1. Consider in what a woful disor∣der all things are at present with you, and how utterly unready for a dying hour: I will give you the Scripture state of your case; you are dead in trespasses and sins, under whole loads and moun∣tains of scarlet, crimson guilt; without Christ, without hope, without God in the world; alienated, and enemies in your

minds, by wicked works; yea, enmity it self against God and Christ; full of sin both within and without, and nothing but sin, having no good dwelling in you; void of all grace, all true spiri∣tual life; under the power and predo∣minancy of lust; serving divers lusts and pleasures, and carried Captive by the Devil at his will: Closely glued to, and deeply in love with this World: ignorant of God, and of the great Mystery of the Father, and of Christ; at least having no saving knowledge of them: No savour of Heaven, no relish of spiritual things in your souls; wallowing in your blood and gore, being filthy and abominable; to every good work reprobate: the heart strong∣ly averse from God, and all good, and vigorously bent to sin and vanity: nothing of Heaven within; but full of Hell, full of the Spirit and Image of the Devil; under the Law of Sin; strangers to the Law of Grace; no U∣nion with Christ; no Oyl in the Vessel; poor, miserable, blind, and naked; at most having but the form, and denying the power of godliness. This is your condi∣tion: O what disorders are these! And

what an unready posture are you in for Death and Eternity?

2. Consider how great a thing it is to be ready for Death, ready indeed, and to have all things set right, and in order, against a dying hour comes; and how much is requisite in order there∣unto. 'Tis a great saying of an holy man: No one (saith he) can joyfully welcom Death, but he that has been long composing his Spirit, and making ready for it. O my (beloved) to be indeed ready to quit the World, to go into the Divine Presence, the great, the holy, glorious presence of God; to be ready to enter upon the Beatifical Vision, to possess a Mansion in the Father's House, to joyn with an heavenly Host of An∣gels, and Spirits of just men made per∣pect, in eternal praising, admiring, and adoring of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Believe it, this is a great thing, and great things are requisite thereun∣to: This calls for a near Union with Christ, a firm peace with God, clear E∣vidences for Heaven; for much grace and holiness, much heavenliness and spirituality of mind, much weanedness from this World, much holy deadness

to sin, self, and the Creature, much Vi∣ctory over Corruption, much Soul-cleansing: much purity of heart and affections, much diligence and faithful∣ness in Duties: And (my Beloved) are these little things, or things easie to be accomplished and attained unto? O Sirs! The Scripture speaking of these things, calls upon us to strive, Luke 13.24. to give all diligence in the pursuit of them, 2 Pet. 1.5, 10. To manage and dispatch them with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.12. All which tells us, that they are great things, and not easily to be accomplished and attained unto: Therefore we had need look after this, and neglect no longer.

3. Consider what lets and hinderan∣ces, difficulties and oppositions you must expect to meet withall in your minding and managing this Work: Not only is the Work it self great; but you must also expect many lets and hindrances, much difficulty and oppo∣sition in the managing of it: You must expect lets and oppositions, from the Devil, he is the Enemy of Souls; and you must expect, that he will make use of all his wiles, methods, and devices,

all his craft and cunning, all his Arti∣fices; and that he will stir up all his wrath and malice against you: he is your Enemy, and he is a subtil Enemy, a potent Enemy, an indefatigable Ene∣my, an Enemy that always goes about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. You must expect lets and oppositions from the World too; from the men of the world, from the things of the world, from the smiles of the world, from the frowns of the world. The world is your Enemy, as well as the Devil: So much is intimated, 1. Joh. 5.4. and you must expect opposition from it: The men of the world will discourage you; the things of the world will divert you; the troubles of the world will mightily depress you; the enjoyments of the world will misera∣bly ensnare and entangle you: The world is of a marvellous bewitching, ensnaring and entangling nature: it is indeed opposite to God, and all good∣ness; and so to the whole interest of our souls. The friendship of the world is enmity to God, Jam. 1.4. The world will plead for, and take up your time, your strength, your thoughts. O•• the

hinderance that the World is to thou∣sands, and ten thousands, in the work of their souls; truly this ruines multitudes for ever: This ruined him we read of Matth. 19.32. And saith Paul, Demas hath farsaken us, having embraced this pre∣sent World, 2 Tim. 4.10.

You must expect lets and hinderan∣ces also from your own hearts; yea, from them above all others: The heart (the Holy Ghost tells us) is deceitful above all things, and disperately wick∣ed, Jer. 17.9. And who of us does at all observe it, and the workings of it, does not find it to be so? Now it will openly oppose you then it will se∣cretly seduce and ensnare you: Now it will carry you off, and draw you back from God and Duty, Hebr. 3.12. then it will turn you aside to sin and vanity, Isai. 44.20. Now it will divert you from Duty, then it will make you dead and slothful in Duty: 'Tis indeed whol∣ly set against all that is good; and it has a thousand wayes to hinder you in your Great Work; and you must ex∣pect, that it will do its utmost to hin∣der you; This is a close Enemy, it is alwayes at hand; there is no end of

its opposition, till life it self ends. One of the Ancients (I remember) breaks out into a sad exclamation against his own heart thus: My heart (saith he) is a wicked heart, a vain heart, a roving, a wandring heart: My mind is exceed∣ing light, wonderful unconstant, a vaga∣bond, and a fugitive; it changes it self into all shapes, it will, and it will not; 'tis like a leaf, moved and carried about with the wind: My vain and importu∣nate heart hales me now to the Market, and then to strifes and brawlings; now to feasting, and then to impure lusts; now the flesh is inflamed with sordid titilla∣tions, then the mind is defiled with fil∣thy cogitations. And who of us may not make the same complaint? yea, such is the enmity and opposition of our own hearts against Heaven, and the things of Heaven, that many times when we most resolve, and set our selves to follow God, and to pursue the work of our souls, then they set us most back. It was a great speech of that same Father: This (sayes he) is my dai∣ly exercise, with my whole strength I bend to thee, and would mount up to God and Heaven; but by how much the more

strongly I endeavour to come up to thee, by so much the more powerfully I am cast into the earth, into my self, and even un∣der my self, captivated to my lusts. And so 'tis often with us: Lets then and oppositions must be expected by us on all hands; and we had need therefore the more to awaken to our work. 'Tis true, if you will ingage in good earnest in the work of your souls, your helps and incouragements will be greater, than your l••ts and discouragements; you will have more with you, then against you: You will have God with you, and Christ with you, and the Comforter with you, and all the Gra∣ces of the Covenant with you; be in∣couraged therefore to set upon Soul-work. Now lay all these things toge∣ther, and see if it be an easie matter to make ready for a dying hour; and if it be not, why should we neglect? Why should we delay any longer?

6. How terrible will death be to you! And what a dreadful change will it make with you, in case you still neg∣lect to make ready for it! Suppose (my Beloved) you go on in the neglect of this Great Concern, putting far from

you the evil day; what (think you) will the issue of it be? will not death be most terrible to you, when you shall be called to conflict with it? Will it not make a dreadful change with you? Surely it will. Death to an unready soul, what will it be? It will be the period of all his mercies, of all his comforts, of all his hopes: For such an one receives all his good things in this life, before death comes, Luke 16.25. It will be the sending of him to his own place; the cutting him down as fewel for everlasting burnings: It will be (as a worthy Divine speaks) the taking up of a Draw-bridge, and the pulling up of the Flood-gates of Gods eter∣nal wrath, to let in the deluge of it upon his soul for ever: It will be a change to him; but what change will it be? Sure∣ly a very sad one.

1. A change from Earth to Hell: And is not this a sad Change? The wick∣ed shall be turned into Hell, and all that forget God, Psalm. 19.17. And we read of the rich man (who was unready for death) that being dead, he was in Hell, Luke 22.23.

2. A change from Light to Dark∣ness:

and is not that a sad change? The Holy Ghost speaking of such an one, tells us; God shall drive him out of light into darkness, and chase him out of the world, Job. 18.18. Here wicked men enjoy the light of Creature comforts, but God will drive them out of these, into the dark∣ness of Eternal misery, into utter darkness, Mat. 25.30. into blackness of darkness, Jude 13.

3. A change from pleasure to pain, from delight to torment: a sad change it is, from pleasure and delight in sin, to pain and torment for sin, Luke 16.23. Here the soul sports himself in the pleasures and delights of sin, and he thinks he can never have enough; but then there will be an end of all those pleasures and delights, and nothing but pain, and torment, and vexation will succeed them.

4. A change from the offers of Grace, to the Revelations of Wrath: Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destructi∣on (saith the Psalmist) in that 88 Psal. 11. True in the 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. we read of Christ's preaching by his Spirit to the Spirits in Prison, that is, to Souls in

Hell: But mark, when was it that he preach'd to them? not when in prison, but in the days of Noah, when they liv∣ed in the world. There is never an offer of grace and love made to souls in the Grave; while life lasts, the soul hears the joyful sound: And O the sweet of∣fers, the gracious tenders, the loving in∣vitations, that are made to him of Christ, of Grace, of Eternal Life and Love! O the wooings, the meltings, the entreat∣ings, the allurings of Divine Love to and over the soul! but when death comes, farewell all these, farewell all the sweet offers of Christ, and all the blessed motions of the Spirit; then there's no∣thing but wrath reveiled, and wrath shall come on the neglecting soul to the ut∣termost.

5. A change from fair probabilities to utter impossibilities of life and sal∣vation; a sad change still: Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvati∣on; now, and not hereafter, 2 Cor. 6.2. Now there is a fair probability for the worst of sinners to be saved, if they will look after Salvation, and mind their Eternal Concerns, Christ is both able and willing to save: to save was

the end of his coming into the world, and of all he did and suffered here, 1 Tim. 1.15. Now they are besought and entreated to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5.19, 20. but when death comes, that changes these fair Probabilities into utter impossibilities of life and salvation: Therefore mark, Now (says the Apostle) is the day of salvation; that is, now while life lasts, and while the Gospel is preached.

6. A change from hope to despair; a sad change indeed. We read, that the hopes of the Hypocrite shall perish, Job. 8.13. and that the expectation of the wicked shall perish, Prov. 10.28. Whether men be open sinners, or close hypocrites, their hopes at last shall all fail, and turn into despair, despair of ever seeing God, or enjoying the least tittle or Iota of good for ever.

Thus death will be terrible to you, and make a dreadful change with you, in case you neglect to make ready for its coming; 'twill affright you as bad as the hand-writing upon the wall did that proud King, Dan. 5.5, 6. Which made his countenance change, his thoughts to trouble him, and the joynts of his loyns

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to be losed, and his knees to smite one against another. O when death comes, and thou shalt be found unready, how will thy countenance change, thy joynts be losed, thy thoughts troubled, and thy heart tremble within thee? In a word, I would say to you as the Pro∣phet spake of old, Isa. 10.3. What will you do in the day of visitation, and whi∣ther will you flee for help? When death comes, what will you do? which way will you look? will there be any hope, any help, any refuge for your souls to flee unto? Alas! there will be none. Wilt thou then run to the mercies of God, and cry Lord, Lord? Alas! it will be in vain: he will then say unto you, Depart from me, I know you not, Mat. 25.11, 12. Wilt thou then la∣bour to get grace and pardon? Alas! it will be too late; then the door will be shut against thee, Mat. 25.10. Wilt thou then desire others to spare thee some of their Oyl? Alas! that will be a vain thing; they will tell thee, they have but enough for themselves, Mat. 25.9. Wilt thou then plead thy gifts, parts, and services for Christ? Alas! it will be to no purpose, unless thou hast

done the main work, notwithstanding all thy gifts and services, he will send thee away with the workers of iniqui∣ty, Mat. 7.22.23. Wilt thou call up∣on the Rocks and Mountains to cover thee, and hide thee from the wrath of him that sits upon the Throne? Alas! it wil be in vain, Rev. 6. latter end. O sinner! when thou shalt see thy self launching out into the great Ocean of Eternity, and God shall, as it were say to thee by the Mouth of thy own Con∣science; Well now, time and days are at an end with you, and will never dawn more, what hast thou done for thy Soul? What provision hast thou made for another world? Is Christ thine? hast thou gotten thy sins par∣doned? and the like. When it shall be thus (I say) what wilt thou then do and whither wilt thou then look? how wilt thou then cry out, Undone, un∣done, I am lost for ever, my day is ended, and my work is still to do? woe is me! what a God, a Christ, a Heaven, a Blessedness, a Glory, have I wilfully and foolishly lost? truly thou, and such as thou, are the only persons whose death will be truly lamentable. I re∣member

a saying I have read in one of the Ancients: They (saith he) are to be bewailed in their death, whom the Devils drag away to the torments of the Infernal Pit, not they whom the holy Angels do conduct to the joys of Paradise, they are to be bewailed, who after death are by the Devils turned into Hell; and not they, who by the Angels are placed or set down in Heaven. O that these things might convince you of your folly, and awaken your souls; and that so, as yet to know the things of your peace in your day, and the time of your visita∣tion.

CHAP. VI. Being a Call to all, Good and Bad, Saints and Sinners, to address themselves to the great work of making all ready for a dy∣ing hour.

WHat is the language of all this? Verily it calls aloud upon us all Good and Bad, Saints and Sinners, to make it our great business to set all things right in the matters of our souls,

and make all ready for a dying hour: And O that we would make this im∣provement of this great truth, and of God's sparing goodness to us! he spares us, and why does he spare us, but that we should set all things right, and make all things ready? Oh that we would now fall in with the end and design of God herein, making it our great care and business in time to pro∣vide for Eternity, in life to make ready for death. Some of you, I verily be∣lieve, are about this work, and the Lord prosper you in it: You know you were born for Eternity, and you do endea∣vour to live for Eternity; your great work in time is to make provision for a blessed Eternity: O happy souls that you are! Others of us, and those, by far, the most (I fear) are utterly negli∣gent in this business; Death and Eter∣nity are little minded by us, but we are in a sleepy, drowsie, secure spirit; and to such (methinks) this truth speaks in a language much like to that of the Ship Master to Jona••, Jon. 1.6. What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, and call upon thy God, if so be he will think on us, that we perish not. So what mean

you, O you sleepy, drowsie, secure souls? arise, make ready for a dying hour; set all things right, all things in order in your spiritual concernments, lest death come upon you at unawares, and you be lost for ever: And to such of us I would say, as sometimes God did by the Prophet to Hezekiah, Isa. 38.1. Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. So say I to you, set your hearts in order, your spiritual concerns in order, make all even between God and you, for you shall shortly die, and not live; you shall shortly go hence, and be no more: and why should we not all do so? if you be to change your condition in the world, how careful and solicitous are you to have all things ready, and in order for that change? Why (my Beloved) you are shortly to pass under that great and last Change, a Change from Time to Eternity; and will you have no care, no solicitude, to make ready for that Change? if you are to take a journey, though but a few miles, or to make a Voyage into a strange Land, O how are you con∣cerned to have all things ready, all things in a prepared posture, in order

therreunto? And (my Beloved) should not you be more concerned to make ready for your great journey, your last and great Voyage? you are making a journey, a voyage out of Time into E∣ternity; you are just launching sorth into the great Ocean: And what no∣thing in order, nothing ready, nothing set right in order thereunto? That is strange. If you have some great busi∣ness, a business of more than ordinary importance to be done, or a Suit at Law to be tryed and determined, O how close do you follow it? and how careful are you to have all things ready in order thereunto? And (my Beloved) should you not be as careful and dili∣gent to prepare, and set all things right for the great business of your souls in another world? Have you any business, any concern of greater importance to you, than the concern of your Souls, and Eternity? if you are to appear be∣fore some Earthly Judge, especially if it be about a matter that concerns your life, O how thoughtful are you to have all things ready, and in order, in reference thereunto? And (my Belo∣ved) should not you be as thoughtfull

and solicitous to make all ready, and to set all right, in order to your appear∣ing before the Judg of all the Earth; and that about a matter which con∣cerns the life of your souls, about a matter of eternal life or death? Well, what shall I say? will you set about this great business, this great concern? or is it all one with you, whether you live, or die; are saved, or damned to Eternity? God yet spares you, blessed be his Name: Will you now set all right, before you go hence and be no more? Sinners, will you set about this great business? your work is wholly yet to do, though, it may be, your day is far spent, your Glass is almost run, your Sun near setting, and all your work to do. Oh 'tis high time for you to awake out of sleep; unless you mean to sleep the sleep of Eternal Death. Saints, will you set about this great business, while God spares you? You have done somewhat, but there is much more yet to be done; there is much out of order yet in your souls: Grace weak, (it may be) Corruption strong, Peace broken, Evidences blurr'd and blotted, Unbelief powerful within

you, the heart much estranged from God, little suitableness to Heaven in your Spi∣rits, and the like; will you now labour to recover strength? how many of us may complain, as that holy man (St. Bernard) once did? I am ashamed to live because I am so unprofitable; and I am afraid to dye, because I am so unprepared. Surely this truth concerns the best of us all; and if we understand our selves, we cannot but know it; the Lord help us to know it ef∣fectually. And if after all you would indeed address to this great work and bu∣siness, then I have several great and weighty directions to propound to you for your help therein; of which some more general, some more particular; and I would speak of each distinctly.

CHAP. VII. Wherein are propounded several general directions, in order to a through prepa∣ration of Soul for a dying hour.

1. WOuld you indeed set all things right in your souls, make all ready for a dying hour? then in your most prosperous and flourishing state here, maintain a frequent and serious remembrance of death and the grave upon your spirits. If a man live many years (saith Solomon) and rejoyce in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they are many, Eccl. 11.8. By the days of darkness here we are to understand death, and the state of death; the abode of our bodies in the grave, which is a Land of dark∣ness, and where the light is as darkness, Job, 10.20. Now, saith he, though a man live many years, and rejoyce in them all; that is, though a man live long and prosperously, long and joyfully; yet let him remember death, and the grave, the future state: 'Tis true, there are other days of darkness, which we

are subject to in this world, and should be remembred by us, days of out∣ward darkness, the darkness of out∣ward trouble and affliction: and days of inward darkness, the darkness of spiritual distress and dereliction: and indeed 'tis of marvellous use to us in our prosperity to remember these days of darkness; but especially we should remember death and the Grave; we should carry a lively remembrance of these days of darkness daily upon us; and indeed our not remembring these days of darkness, is one great cause why we are so unready for Death, and the Grave, as we are. When we are in the midst of our enjoyments, and the streams run pleasantly about us, we are too apt to forget these days of dark∣ness; we are so taken with our earthly comforts, that we are loth to think of Death and Eternity, putting far from us the evil day; as those in their enjoy∣ments did, Amos 6.3. And therefore, when these days come, they find us so unready, and our spiritual concern∣ments so discomposed, as usually they do. But (my Beloved) as ever you would have all right, and in order in

your souls, against a dying hour comes, let me recommend this to you, as one special help, maintain a deep and fre∣quent remembrance of Death and the Grave upon your Spirits, remember the days of darkness; and that especially these two ways.

• 1. Remember them so, as to have them much in your meditation: be much and frequent in the contempla∣tion of Death and the Grave: This the Holy Ghost calls a considering our latter end; and withal, mentions it as a bu∣siness of great importance to us, Deut. 32.29. To consider, is to revolve a thing in our minds, and to keep it much in our thoughts and meditations. And thus we should consider our latter end, and remember the days of darkness: this is that the Saints of old have been much conversant in; they were much and frequent in the thoughts and me∣ditations of death: as I might instance in the good old Patriarchs, Job, David, and others: And 'tis what does mar∣vellously conduce to our preparation for it. The meditation of death (saith one) is life: it is that which greatly promotes our spiritual life: therefore

• walk much among the Tombs, and con∣verse much and frequently with the thoughts of a dying hour.
• 2. Remember them so, as to have them daily in your expectation. In the midst of all your enjoyments, expect Deaths approach daily: this is called a waiting for our change. All the days of my appointed time, will I wait, till my change comes, Job 14.14. And we are commanded to wait for the coming of our Lord, as that which lies in the directest tendency to the exactest readi∣ness and preparation for his coming: Luke 12.36. Expect death every hour, (saith one) for 'tis every hour approach∣ing thee: In the morning, when thou risest, think with thy self, this may be the last day: In the evening, when thou lyest down, think with thy self, this may be the last night I may ever have in this world; I know not when my Lord will come, whether in the morning, or in the evening, at mid-night, or at the Cock∣crowing: therefore I will be always ex∣pecting his coming. Woe, and alas for us! we are apt to talk of many years yet to come, as he did, Luke 12.9. whereas we should live in the expecta∣tion

• of death every moment. Thus let us consider the days of darkness, it will marvellously conduce to the preparation of the Soul for them: the meditation and expectation of death will conduce much (among others) to these four things.
  • 1. It will conduce much to our hum∣bling and self-abasing: Let a man own himself to be a mortal (saith Austin) and pride will, it must down: And think frequently of death, (saith another) and thou wilt easily bring down thy proud heart. Hence also the consideration of Death is often in Scripture mentioned by the Holy Ghost, as an argument to make us humble: Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return, Gen. 3.19. as else∣where.
  • 2. It will conduce much to the wean∣ing of our hearts from this world, and to the loosening of them from the things here below: The time is short, (saith the Apostle) what then? Why it remaineth, that they that have Wives, be as though they had none; and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not; those that buy, as though they possessed

• ...
  • not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. He mentions the shortness of time, as that the meditation and expectation where∣of, has the directest tender 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in it, to wean and loosen the heart from all things here below. And indeed (as St. Ber∣nard hath it) he easily contemns all things here, who looks upon himself as dying daily.
  • 3. It will conduce much to the en∣gaging the heart to Heaven, and the things of Heaven, to a serious pursuit of a blessed Eternity. So we find, Heb. 11.13. &c. Those all dyed in the Faith (saith the Apostle) not having received the Promises; but having seen them afar off, and were perswaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed, that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the earth; that is, they were apprehen∣sive they had but a little time to stay here: And what then? They desire a better Countrey, that is, an Heavenly: the apprehension they had of their depar∣ture hence, quickned them unto earnest desires and pursuits after the better Countrey, the Heavenly Land: And in∣deed

• ...
  • one great reason why we breath no more, and press no more after Heaven, and a blessed Eternity, is; because we so seldom remember these dayes of dark∣ness.
  • 4. It will conduce much to the quickning of the Heart to Duty, and to diligence, and faithfulness therein, Christ himself made use of it for this end: I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work, Jo. 9.4. Peter also that holy Apostle, made use of it to that end: I will not be negligent saith he) to do so and so in the way of my Duty; as knowing that shortly I shall put off this Tabernacle, 2 Pet. 1.12, 13, 14. The consideration of the near approach of his death, quickned him to his Work and Duty? And the Scripture propounds it, as that which has a tendency to this thing: What∣soever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, (saith Solomon) for there is no work nor counsel in the grave, whither thou art going, Eccl. 9.10. He pro∣pounds the consideration of our going to the Grave, as a means to quicken us to our present Work. By all which we

• ...
  • see, how much the serious remembrance of the dayes of darkness must needs contribute to our readiness and prepa∣redness for these dayes: Therefore be much in this work. For my own part, I have hardly found any one thing more quickning and engaging upon my Spirit, than this: And Souls, I would beg you, as you would live for ever, think often of death.

2. Would you indeed set all things right in your souls, and make all ready for a dying hour? Then be not fond of long life here in this World, but ra∣ther covet to live, as much as possible, in a little time: I would speak of each distinctly.

1. Be not fond of long life here in this World. A fond hope and desire of long life here, is one of the greatest Enemies to a true preparation of Soul for our departure hence. For pray ob∣serve, take a man that is fond of long life here, and all his thoughts and pro∣jects are for this World: He is wholly taken up about, and carried out after the concerns of Time, scarce allowing himself one serious thought for Death and Eternity: A sad instance you have

hereof in the rich man, Luke 12.19. he reckoned upon many years, upon a long life here; and what are the things he is taken up about? verily the things of this world only, the increase of his Goods, and where to store his Trea∣sures: Fond hopes, and desires of long life here, will certainly produce great delays, if not utter neglects, in the great work and concern of your Souls and Eternity: As ever therefore you would have all right and well in the concerns of your souls, when you come to die, be not fond of long life here; but sit as loose in your thoughts, hopes, and desires, both of this life, and all the enjoyments of it, as possibly you can. And indeed (my Beloved) to reason it a little with you, why should you be fond of long life here? why should you covet a long stay in this world? I would only plead with you in two things as to this.

• 1. What is this world, and what have we here, that we should here co∣vet a long stay? is this world such a sweet, such an amiable, such a desira∣ble thing, it is an angry world, a frowning world, a dirty world, a be∣witching

• ensnaring world: 'Tis a waste howling Wilderness, a strange Land, an house of Bondage, a trouble∣some, tempestuous Sea, an Aceldama, a Field of Blood: such I am sure 'tis oftentimes to the poor Saints and peo∣ple of God: And what have we here? Why here we have fears within, and fightings without, troubles on every side, and from all hands; from friends, from enemies, from men, from devils: here we have sorrows, snares, losses, wounds, deaths, dangers, temptations, seducti∣ons, disappointments, vexation of spirit; and truly little else is to be expected by us here, except that which is worse than all this, viz. dayly risings and ebolitions of lust, violent eruptions of corruption, great aboundings of sin and iniquity, both in our selves and, others; continual breakings with God and departings from him, renewing and increasing sin and guilt dayly. In∣deed this world is full of sin, and temptation to sin: 'Tis (as Augustin speaks of it) tota tentatio, all temp∣tation: and as it is all temptation so 'tis little else but sin: and why should we covet a long stay here?

• Why (saith one of the Ancients) should we so much desire that life, in which, by how much the longer we live, by so much the more we sin; and the more numerous our days are, the more numerous will our sins be? who would desire to stay long in a Prison, or a Dungeon, in a state and place of sin and sorrow? and such is this world.
• 2. Is there not a better life, a better place, a better state for our souls to long and aspire after? what do you think of the life above, a whole Eternity spent in the Divine Presence, in the bosom of Divine Love, a life of love, a life of pleasure, a life of joy, a life or admiration, a life of holiness, perfect and unspotted holiness, a life every way correspondent to the Divine Life, and the Divine Will? is not this a better life? to be with Christ is best of all, Phil. 1.23. To possess a mansion in our Father's House, prepared by our Lord and Head, Jesus Christ, for us: to live for ever in the vision and fruition of Father, Son, and Spirit: to dwell in the Heavenly City, where no unclean thing can enter: to joyn in with the glorious Host of Saints, and Angels above, and with them to spend a whole Eternity in

• Songs of Praise and Hallelujahs to God, and the Lamb: to take up all our waters at the Fountain head; and indeed to dive and bathe unchangeably in the Fountain of all delights at the Father's right hand: Oh how sweet is this life, and how much to be desired by us? In a word (my beloved) the Saints, when in the best frame, have many of them been so far from being fond of long life here, that indeed they have thought it long till the time came, when they should go hence, and be no more, crying out with an holy impatiency; Why is his Chariot so long a coming? why tarry the wheels of his Cha∣riot?

2. Covet to live much in a little time: 'Tis said of that Reverend and worthy Divine, Dr. Preston, that he desired to, and accordingly did, live much in a little time. And our Lord himself (you know) did not live long in this world; but he lived much in a little time: he did much work in a few days for God and souls. And indeed (my beloved) 'tis not a long life, but a fruitful life, that is most a∣miable, most desirable, and most like his life, who is life it self. 'Tis not he that lives many years, but he that lives

much in a few years, that is the most happy soul. I know those, whose am∣bition is not to live long, but to live fruitfully, and to do as much, as possi∣bly they can, in a little time: and might they have their option or choice, it would be this, to live much in a little time, and then have their dismission to rest. And (my Beloved) let this be your choice, and your ambition; be casting about in your selves, how you may live much in a little time; how you may compass much spiritual work and business in a few days: Labour to treasure up much grace, much expe∣rience of God, and his love; to bring a large revenue of glory to him, and the like: And for this end possess your souls with a deep sense of the exceed∣ing worth and preciousness of time; and accordingly set your selves to re∣deem it, looking upon the loss thereof to be the greatest loss in the world, Eph. 5.16. we are commanded to re∣deem the time: And what is it to re∣deem the time, but to esteem time as precious, as a thing of incomparable worth and value; and accordingly to make the best and highest improvement

of it for the honour of God, and good of our souls, that possibly we can? It is to fill up our time with duty, and our duties with grace: to make use of time for those ends, for which time is given us; not to eat, and drink, and so∣lace our selves in the Creature, but to serve and honour the Creator; to work out our Salvation; to get acquaintance with God and Christ; to make sure of Heaven, and a blessed Eternity. O Sirs, look upon time as precious; so indeed it is: Time is the most weighty and momentous thing in the world, 'tis that which our eternal all depends up∣on: According as we do, or do not ma∣nage and improve our time well, so will it go with us for ever. 'Tis a sweet meditation which I have read in a discourse of a holy man: This life (saith he) of ours is most swift; and yet in it Eternal Life is either gotten or lost for ever: This life of ours is most mi∣serable; and yet in it Eternal Happiness is either gotten or lost for ever. No less than a whole Eternity of Happiness, or Misery, Salvation, or Damnation, de∣pends upon our use and management of our little time here in this world,

As the tree falls, so it lies, Eccles. 11.3. As it is with us, when we go out of time, so it will be with us to all Eter∣nity: and this we should be much in the thoughts of, accounting therefore the loss of time to be the greatest loss. 'Tis a weighty saying, which I have read in one of the Ancients: It is a great and heavy loss indeed (saith he) when we nei∣ther do good nor think good (and let me add nor get good) but we suffer our hearts to wander abroad, about vain and unprofita∣ble things: and yet it is too difficult to re∣strain or keep them back from these things. Truly no loss like the loss of time: the loss of estate, the loss of Trade, the loss of this or the other outward comfort is nothing to the loss of time: these, being lost, may be recovered again: but time being lost can never be recovered more: accordingly set your selves to redeem it, and do it as much as possible you can; ac∣counting that day lost, wherein you have not done something for God, and your souls: the truth is we live no more than we are conversant in the work of God and our souls; For, as for that which we call life, that is not spent in this work, it is not indeed to be accoun∣ted life.

Thirdly, would you indeed set all things right in your souls, make all rea∣dy for a dying hour? then think much, and often with your selves, how great a change, death will make with you, when ever it comes: death is a change, and in many respects, the greatest change, which the Sons of men are to pass through: all the days of my appointed time, will I wait, till my change come, Job, 14.14. Job had many changes, and great changes; Changes and war were upon him, as he complains, Job, 10.17. But no change like this of death; this was the great change, and this he wait∣ed for all his days: indeed, death is a great change to every man and woman; come when, and how it will: 'tis that (as you have heard) that deprives men of all their enjoyments here; which dis∣solves the union between soul and bo∣dy; which turns the body to dust and putrifaction; and (which is unspeaka∣bly more than this) it is that, through which the soul enters into the immedi∣ate presence of God, and states it in e∣ternity; it is a change from time to e∣ternity, from work to reward; a re∣ward suitable to the work we have here

been doing, whether it be good or evil; and is not this a great change? Take a few hints in particular about it, to shew the greatness of it.

First, It is such a change, as all other changes upon the outward man, are but leading, and introductory unto, and into which at last they all issue, and re∣solve themselves; we pass through ma∣ny changes here in this world; we may say as Job, Changes and war are upon us; but these are but leading and prelimina∣ry, as it were, to this last and great Change: these all are, or should be to us, Monitors of this last Change, and do but a little darkly shadow it out unto us.

Secondly, It is such a change, as calls for great spiritual changes to pass up∣on us here, to sit and prepare us for it; a change in our minds, a change in our wills, a change in our affections, a change in our conversations, a change in our whole man; a real change, a thorough change, an universal change; Old things must be done away, and all things must become new, 2 Cor. 5.17. The mind must be changed from dark∣ness to light, from ignorance to know∣ledg,

in spiritual things: The will must be changed from enmity to subjection, from rebellion to obedience to God and his Laws: the affections must be chan∣ged from earthliness to heavenliness, from carnality to spirituality; the Con∣versation must be changed from sin to holiness, from vanity and loosness, to strictness and seriousness in walking with God; Oh how great must that change be, that calls for so many, and so great changes, to sit and prepare us for it?

Thirdly, it is such a change, as though it do not put us out of being, yet it puts us into a quite other manner of being, than ever we yet had; a change which sets us naked before the Tribunal of God, to receive a definitive sentence of life or death from him; a change which brings us into the immediate sight of God, either as a gracious Father, or as a revenging Judg; a change, which fully opens the eyes of the soul, and makes him to see both grace and sin, heaven and hell; grace in its amiable∣ness, sin in its odiousness, heaven in its glory, and hell in its horrour: for (my Beloved) whatever we are, whether

good or bad, Saints or Sinners; yet when we die, our eyes will be fully o∣pened, to see these things; we shall see unutterable things; if we be good, we shall see them with joy and exul∣tation; if we be bad, we shall see them with anguish and confusion of soul.

Fourthly, It is such a change, as makes us capable of, and actually puts us into, unspeakably greater things, ei∣ther of happiness or misery, comfort or confusion, than ever here we knew, or were capable of; a change, which in one moment, in the twinkling of an eye, carries the soul from small first fruits to the full vintage; from a few drops to a bottomless boundless Ocean of either Happiness or vengeance, Delight or Torment. And withal there leaves him without any possibility of change or al∣teration for ever, but that, of its reunion with the body: for it is such a change as leaves the state of the soul for ever un∣changeable: Oh then, think much and often with your selves, how great a change death will make with you; cer∣tainly did men think, and consider with themselves; how great a change death

will make with them, when it comes, they would not leave the matters of their souls in such disorders and discom∣posure, in such an unready posture for it, as they do.

Fourthly, Would you indeed set all right in your Souls, and make all ready for a dying hour? then, presently set upon Soul-work without admitting of the least delay or procrastination upon any account whatsoever: delays, and procrastinations in the work of our Souls and Eternity, is the High-way to death and ruine: what was it that ruined the foolish Virgins, but their delays in this great work, and their neglect of the great concerns of their soul, till it was too late to mind them? Mat. 25. begin. Felix also was in a fair way, and had a fair opportunity before him, to have provided for another world; but he delayed, and his delay (for ought we know) was his ruine, Acts, 2.25. Tru∣ly the heart is very apt to delay and pro∣crastinate Soul-work: it is apt to cry out to morrow, to morrow; hence it is that the Scripture calls so often upon us for a speedy engaging in the work of our souls; the Scripture saith now and to

day; now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 6.2. And to day, if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts, Heb. 3.7, 8. And if the Scripture saith now why shouldst thou talk of hereafter? If the Scripture saith to day, why shouldst thou talk of to morrow? Austin confesseth this, and withal tells us there is scarce any end of delays, if once we give way to them: I delayed (saith he) to be converted to God, and put off my living to him from day to day. And elsewhere he tells us, that when God called upon him to a∣wake to his work, he returned nothing but a few sleepy words, Anon Lord, (saith he) anon, bear with me a little, but this anon and anon had no end; and this bear with me a little, went on a long way. Take heed of this; this hath been the ruine of thousands, and ten thou∣sands: how many have been convinced that it is their duty, and interest both, to fall in with the work of God and their Souls, to make preparation for another world? but they have put it off till hereafter, and satisfied their Consci∣ences with resolutions hereafter to do so and so; and have thus lost their

season: Oh fall presently without de∣lay, upon Soul-work: and to quicken you a little hereunto, consider four things.

First, Consider the unreasonableness of delays; no just Plea can be made, nor true account given, why you should de∣lay your Soul-work one moment: the Devil, and a man's own heart, will make many Pleas, but no just Plea can be made; they will tell you, it is too soon, you are young, and have time enough before you: what need you engage so soon? but is this a rational Plea? Is it too soon to be saved, too soon to be happy, too soon to secure your eteraal interest? is it too soon to lay hold on eternal life? Is it too soon to know and enjoy God? Is it too soon to be out of danger of perishing eternally? Why truly it cannot be too soon for these things; besides, God calls for thy youth, Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Eccl. 12.1. And he greatly values the kindness of thy youth, Jer. 2.2. Again, they will suggest, that such and such a business must be dispatched, such a work done and carried off your hands; and then you may attend this work:

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Lord (saith he to Christ) I will follow thee; but suffer me first to go bury my father; and saith another, Lord, I will follow thee; but first, let me go, and bid them farewell, which are at home Luk. 9.57, 61. But friends, let me ask you, if there be any business to be dispatched, like the business of your Souls, and Eter∣nity? is there any thing upon your hand, that is of so much worth; as your souls? and of so much weight as Eter∣nity? is there any thing, you are so nearly concerned to mind, as that, which is indeed the one thing necessary, even the saving of your souls? Oh the whole world is nothing to this, and the great∣est concernments on earth, are but trifles to this concern. Again, they will tell you, it is an inconvenient season, and hereafter the work may be better done, and minded by you, than now it can; which was Felix his case, in the place before mentioned, Acts 24.25. But hearken soul, art thou sure, of another season? and art thou sure, that that will be a more convenient season? surely no, if it be not convenient to day, thou mayst fear, it will be less convenient to morrow, that Devil, and deceitful

heart that tells thee it is not convenient now, will make provision, that it shall be less convenient hereafter, O there∣fore, break through all these pleas, and fall speedily upon soul work.

Secondly, Consider the danger of delayes: delayes in this case are exceed∣ing dangerous, one dayes, yea (for any thing I know) one hours delay herein, may prove thine eternal undoing; it may prove the loss of Christ, the loss of hea∣ven, the loss of thy soul, and all for ever; Alas! Art thou sure, thou shalt live one day, one hour more in this world: for ought thou knowest, the next mornent, thou goest down into the grave Job 21.13. But in case, thou shouldest live lon∣ger in the world, art thou sure the Go∣spel, and the means of Grace, shall be continued to thee? if thou shouldest not be taken from the world, yet the Go∣spel may be taken from thee; though the day of thy life may last a while lon∣ger; yet the day of Gospel Grace and mercy may suddenly expire; and if that be once gone, all the tenders of Christ, all the offers of Grace, all the exhibiti∣ons of Life and salvation are gone, if the Gospel be once gone, thy season is

gone, and thy Soul is gone, and thy Salvation is gone, and that for ever; therefore, saith the Apostle, Now is the accepted time, speaking of the day of Go∣spel-mercy, now is the day of Salvation, 2 Cor. 6.2. Or grant thou shouldest live, and the Gospel should be continued to thee, as the outward means; yet art thou sure, that the day and season of grace will last any longer than this pre∣sent moment? remember that sad word which our Lord breathed out with tears in his eyes, over neglecting Jerusalem, Luk. 19.42. O that thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes. Alas! how soon may God withdraw his Spirit from thee? how soon may he call home his grieved Spi∣rit from thy neglecting, resisting soul, once for all, saying my Spirit shall strive no more with that man? Gen. 6.3. how soon may God seal thee up under judicial blindness and hardness of heart, so that thou shalt never be able to be∣lieve, or to do any thing for the good of thy soul, in order to the other world? thou talkest of to morrow, and of here∣after; but who knows, but that before

to morrow, God may clap the seal of an hard heart, and a blind mind upon thee; so as that though thou shouldest live a thousand years, and withal enjoy the fairest means that ever any soul enjoy∣ed; yet thou shouldest be never able to believe, to repent, to do any thing for the working out of thy Salvation? it is often times his way of proceeding with neglecting, delaying ones, Isa. 6.10. Joh. 12.39, 40. Or how soon may the Oath of God go forth against thee? thou talkest of to morrow; but alas! who knows but that before to morrow, God may swear in his wrath thou shalt not en∣ter into his rest: it is what is threatned against such as will not hear his voice to day, but harden their hearts against him, Heb. 3.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. There is a time when God's Oath goeth forth against such and such sinners, for their contempt and neglect of Christ and Grace; a time, not only when God saith, but sweareth and that in wrath, that they shall never enter into his rest; and if once Gods oath is gone out against a man, that man is past recovery: then farewell Christ, and Heaven, and Soul, and all for ever: O how dangerous are delays! therefore

take heed of them, and fall presently up∣on soul work.

Thirdly, consider the disadvantage of delayes! delayes herein are disadvantagi∣ous, as well as dangerous; indeed were there no danger in them (I mean as to the eternal state) yet the disadvantage of them is so great, as, if rightly con∣sidered, might be enough to antidote the soul against them; and engage it presently in the work which relates to another world. Pray consider it a little: by delayes the soul loseth much sweet communion with Christ, and many a blessed communication of love from him, which he might enjoy: the soon∣er we fall upon the work of heaven and eternity, the sooner we come to a taste and beginning of heaven, and a blessed eternity in our souls; O the sweet em∣braces, braces, the blessed discoveries, the glo∣rious incomes of love, and delight that the soul loses, by his delayes to get into Christ, and to walk with God, and to mind eternal concernments! Poor soul, by thy delayes, thou hast lived upon husks and swill, all thy dayes hitherto; whereas thou mightest have eaten bread in thy Fathers house, and drunk wine

new in thy Fathers kingdom: thou hast lived on the muddy, dungy drossie de∣lights of fin and the creature, whereas thou mightest have solaced and delight∣ed thy soul with those chrystal streams of undefiled pleasures, which are at Christs and the Fathers right hand. Be∣sides by delayes the work of thy soul grows more difficult; hereby corrupti∣on grows more strong, and the heart grows more hard, by every dayes de∣lay, the old enmity strengthens it self, and the soul is more and more setled upon its lees; for accustomedness in sinning hardens the heart in sin, as is hinted, Jer. 13.23. every day the soul is more alienated from Christ, and har∣dened against him, at best, if thy soul doth at last come to see thy need of Christ, and desireth to close with him, and to mind the work and concerns of another world; yet the longer thou de∣layest this business; the greater tempta∣tions thou wilt have to get over; for, though now thy heart faith it is too soon; yet after a few dayes delay, it will say it is too late; it will be apt to con∣clude, that now thy day is over, and now Christ will have nothing to do with

thee: Oh why shouldst thou be such an Enemy to thy own soul, as to run it upon these disadvantages? rather avoid them, by falling presently upon Soul-work.

Fourthly, Confider the sinfulness of delays, and the horrible guilt they bring upon the soul: as delays are dangerous, and disadvantagious; so they are sin∣ful too, exceeding sinful, and provo∣king to the God of Heaven: the truth is, were there no danger in them, no disadvantage by them to the soul; yet the sinfulness of them is such, as should make us afraid of them: In every days delay to mind and pursue Soul-work, there is positive rebellion, and disobe∣dience to the Will and Command of God: for the Command is, To day, if ye will-hear his voice, harden not your hearts, Heb. 3.7, 8. by delaying there∣fore, thou rebellest against the Com∣mand: in every day's delay to mind and pursue soul-work, there is horrible unkindness and ingratitude to God and Christ; which surely is a black sin, and brings great guilt upon the soul: God spares you time after time, when he might cut you off the next moment:

and this he doth that you may pursue the work of your Souls and Eternity: and oh what unkindness, what ingrati∣tude must it be in us to neglect, and put off this work? in every delay to mind and pursue Soul-work, there is much contempt of Christ and Grace; and this is that whieh makes it to be exceeding sinful: Christ offers himself, and his Grace to you, he offers you life, he offers you peace, he offers you pardon, he offers you righteousness, he offers you strength, he offers you all the treasures of heaven; and withal calls upon you to accept these offers, and to take home these things to your selves; but you, by your delays, powre contempt upon all; you in effect say, neither Christ, nor his grace, neither Christ, nor the purchase of his Blood, are worth minding, worth looking after; Oh what contempt is this? and what sin is this? by delays, you do in effect say, there is something better than Christ, and something of greater concernment to you than Sal∣vation by Christ, you plainly say, that indeed you will have Christ hereafter, and Salvation hereafter; but for the present, you had much rather have

your lusts and worldiy pleasures, Oh tremble at the thoughts of this, and let it affright you out of your delays, and put you immediately upon Soul-work: In a word, never any pretended, that they minded the concerns of their souls, union with Christ, walking with God, making sure their Calling and Election, so soon; many have repented, that they have minded these things so late: I remember a bitter complaint of Austin in his Book of Confessions, I have loved thee too late, saith he, O thou so ancient, and yet so new a beauty, I have loved thee too late: He bewails that he had so long laid out his love upon the creature, and not given Christ his love; could you ask all the Saints in Heaven whe∣ther ever they repented, that they mind∣ed the work of Christ and their souls, so soon; they would tell you no, they repented of nothing, but that they minded it so late once more therefore let me call upon you, to fall immedi∣ately upon Soulwork, and never rest, till thy heart cries out to God, as Au∣stin did, when God had really shewed him himself, and made him sensible of his sins; when God, saith he, had shewed

me my sin and misery, there arose a great storm within me, which carried with it a great showr of tears; and indeed, I let loose the reins to tears, crying out to God in such words as these, O Lord, how long, how long, wilt thou be angry? how long, shall it be said to morrow, and to morrow? wherefore may it not be now? why may there not an end be put to my sin and filthiness this very hour? And indeed, God made that very season the season of his Conversion: So labour, to see thy sin and misery so far, as that thou maist cry out with a holy restlesness to God, how long shall it be to morrow, and to morrow? why may I not be turned to thee now? why may not my soul be engaged in the work of Heaven and Eternity now?

Fifthly, would you indeed set all right in your souls, and make all ready for a dying hour? then be much and im∣portunate with God in prayer, to teach you so to number your days, as to apply your hearts to wisdom: This I ground upon Psal. 90.12. where Moses the man of God is found in this practise, Lord (saith he) teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts

unto wisdom: To number our days, is not to number them in an Arithmetical, but a spiritual way; it is not to cast up how ma∣ny days the life of man consists of, that is easily done; but it is spiritually and pra∣ctically to consider, and lay to heart, the shortness and uncertainty of our lives, toge∣ther with the various miseries and calami∣ties that do attend them. So Mollerus. It is seriously and fiducially to contemplate the vanity of life, as short and uncertain, and as attended with sorrows, miseries, and innumerable troubles, and to apply the heart to wisdom; 'tis to make Reli∣gion, and the work of a man's soul, his main business; it is to make it his great business and endeavour, to get an interest in God and Christ, in the Covenant of Grace, and Eternal life; and in time to provide for, and make sure of a blessed Eternity; it is to set a man's whole soul to the work of God, and his own salva∣tion: Now, as ever you would indeed make ready for a dying hour, beg of God to teach you thus to number your days, and thus to apply your hearts to wisdom: There are two things I would observe, and so close this.

First, That such a numbring of our

days, is what the best of Saints need, and may make great use of; Moses was a very holy man, and yet he looked up∣on it as a work useful, and of great importance to him, to contemplate the vanity of life, and to think of the short∣ness and uncertainty of his abode here; the most holy souls need this; the most holy souls need humbling, they need weaning from this world, they need quickning unto duty they need to have their hearts awakened, to mind heaven, and a future life; and the right num∣bring of our days, is that which greatly conduceth hereunto.

Secondly, observe, that as this is a work needful and useful for the best of Saints to be employed in; so it is a work above their own strength, and that which they need Divine Assistance to enable them unto: Moses was an emi∣nently holy man, and yet, as he saw, he had need of this, so he saw it was a work above his power; and therefore he goes to God, and puts in himself a∣mong the rest, and prays for his teach∣ings herein; let us do 〈◊〉〈◊〉, let us lye much at the foot of 〈…〉〈…〉 his teachings, whereby we may be enabled

so to number our days, as thus to apply our hearts unto wisdom; beg him to make us see the vanity and uncertainty of our lives, and that so, as effectually to engage us, to make out after a better life.

CHAP. VIII. Wherein more particular helps, and di∣rections are laid down, in order to the setting of things right, and making all ready for a dying hour.

BUt I would come nearer this great business, and give you some more particular directions, in order to your making all ready for a dying hour: and First, would you indeed have all things right in the matters of your souls for a dying hour? then get into Christ, get union with Christ, and an interest in Christ by believing: union with Christ, and an interest in Christ, is most requi∣site and necessary, to fit and prepare us for a dying hour; and without it we have, we can have nothing set right, nothing in order, nothing in readiness

for that hour: You know how the Scripture speaks, He that hath the Son, hath life; but he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life, 1 John, 5.12. and there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8.1. O my be∣loved, we shall live, or die, be saved, or damned for ever; according as we do, or do not get union with Christ, and an interest in Christ: This is what lies at the bottom and foundation of all, of all our hopes, of all our mercies, of all our comforts, of all our accepta∣tion, and communion with God, of all Grace on Earth, and of all Glory in Heaven: and without it, whatsoever our attainments in Religion are, what∣ever our Profession may be, whatever place or esteem we may have to the Church of God though never so raised and eminent, yet we have nothing that will avail us in a dying hour. I remember a saying of a learned man, That thou maist live in death, saith he, get into Christ, implant thy self into Christ by believing, Faith joyns and unites us to Christ, and they that are in Christ can∣not die, for Christ is their life: And in∣deed, if we have union with Christ, he

will be life in death it self to us: Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord; that is, die having union with Christ, being implanted into Christ, Rev. 14.13. If we have union with Christ, he will not be only life in death to us, but he will even turn death it self into life; the King of Terrors into a King of Comforts; insomuch that the soul shall be able to triumph over it, as the Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. whereas without this, without union with Christ, and an interest in Christ, we shall never be able to look death in the face with comfort, but shall, when we come to die, be some of the mise∣rablest spectacles in the world. It is the speech of a worthy Divine, who is long since gone hence, A Christless dying man or woman (says he) is one of the saddest spectacles in the world: For a man to be dying, and not Christless, that is com∣fortable, for such an one dies but to live for ever; he dies the death of Na∣ture, to live the life of Glory: for a man to be Christless, and not dying, is something tolerable; for who knows, but that the next meeting at an Ordi∣nance, may be the time of God's love to

him of drawing him into Christ? but for a man to be dying and Christless, Christless and dying too, that is intole∣rable, that is terrible indeed; for such an one dies to be damned, and he is going off from all hopes and possibilities of mercy for ever: Oh therefore, above all, press after union with Christ, and an in∣terest in Christ, this was Pauls great care and solicitude to the very last, that so he might go off the Stage with comfort; and that for which he accounted all things but dung, as most base and vile, Phil. 3.8, 9. O Soul, didst thou indeed know and consider of how much weight and im∣portance an interest in Christ is to thee, with reference to thine eternal happiness, thou would cry out as eagerly for Christ, as ever Rachel did for children, saying, Give me Christ, or else I die; give me union with Christ, and an interest in Christ, or I am undone eternally: Oh look to the great uniting act of Faith, make a right choice of Christ, chuse him as your Lord and Head, your King and Saviour, and renew your choice of him every day, resigning up your selves entirely to him, to be saved and governed by him in his own way.

Secondly, Would you indeed have all set right, and made ready, in the matters of your souls, for a dying hour? then press after a firm and unshaken as∣surance of an interest in God, and his love, and of your right and title to eter∣nal life, of another, and a better life than this is here, without some good evi∣dence for Heaven, and some well-groun∣ded assurance of an interest in God, and Eternal Life, things are not ready with us, nor are we in such a preparedness for a dying hour, as we ought to be; though a man hath an interest in God, and his love; though he hath a right and title to eternal life and happiness; yet as long as he is in the dark, and at an uncertainty in his own soul about it, things are out of order with him, and he is greatly unready for a dying hour: For pray mark, as our interest in this is requisite to our dying happily, so the sight and assurance of that interest is requisite to our dying comfortably. In∣deed, when a man hath attained to some good evidence for heaven, to some well-grounded assurance of his interest in God and Christ, then are things in a good posture with him, in reference to

a dying hour, then he can play with Death, and triumph over it; as Job did, when he could say, I know that my Redeemer liveth, Job 19.25, 26. And as the Apostle seems to speak of it, 2 Cor. 5.12. We know, that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; for this we groan earnestly, desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven: None of you do comfortably leave your house, unless you have ano∣ther to go unto; much less can you comfortably quit this world, unless you have some well-grounded assurance of another, and a better life: Take a man that is in the dark, and at a loss as to his interest in God and Christ, and he knows not what Death will do to him, nor where it will lodge him, whether in hea∣ven or in hell, whether upon the Throne of Glory, or in the Prison of eternal Darkness; in the Bosom of Christs love, or under the Revelations of his infinite and eternal wrath: and is such a one rea∣dy for a dying hour? Surely no: As ever therefore you would have things right and ready within indeed for a dying

hour, you must press after an assurance of your interest in God and Christ; you must do as the Apostle exhorts, give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. You must every day prest after a fuller and firmer assurance, as to your eternal interest; you must be much in faith, much in prayer, much in examining your evidences, much in pro∣ving your state, much in looking after the seal and evidence of the blessed Spi∣rit, which is indeed all in all; and never rest till you can say, My Lord, and my God, my Heaven, my Glory, God is the rock of my heart, and my portion for ever; O then all will be sweet and well with you; this is that which the Saints of old have laboured after with their whole might; Say unto my soul (saith David to God) I am thy salvation, Psal. 35.3•• set me as a seal upon thy heart, and as a seal upon thine arm, Cant. 8.6. This Austin pressed much after; Lord, saith he, tell me what thou art to me, say unto my Soul, I am thy salvation; so say it that I may hear it: behold the ears of my heart are before thee, open them, O Lord and say unto my Soul, I am thy Salvati∣on. O, my Beloved, this is worth pres∣sing

after; for this is the welcomest news a poor soul can possibly hear, to be told that God is his, and Heaven is his, and Eternal Life is his; and when once this news is come, then welcom life, and welcom death, welcom time, and welcom eternity; then the Soul can say, O sweet Eternity, O blessed Eternity! O Sirs, be not satisfied with∣out some good assurance of Gods love to your souls, and your right and title to heaven and eternal life; yea, without the fullest assurance that is attainable here; for know, that there are degrees in Assurance it self; the Scripture men∣tions three degrees of assurance. First, there is assurance, The work of righteous∣ness is peace, and the fruit of righteous∣ness is assurance for ever, Isa. 32.17. and give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure, as in the place before quo∣ted. Secondly, there is much assurance, Our Gospel came unto you, not in word on∣ly, but in power, and in the demonstration of the Spirit, and much assurance, 1 Thes. 1.5. Thirdly, there is a full assurance, We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end, Heb. 6.11. Now, my

Beloved, I would not have you satisfied without assurance, without much assu∣rance, yea, without a full assurance; the more full your assurance is, the more chearfully, joyfully, and triumphingly will you die.

Thirdly, Would you indeed have all all right, all in order, in the matters of your souls, for a dying hour? then la∣bour to maintain a constant, actual peace with God, every day making even with him, and renewing the sense of his pardoning love in your souls, as a firm union with Christ, and a well-grounded assurance of an interest in God, and eternal Life; so also, an actual peace with God, and a daily renewed pardon from him, is requisite to a thorough readiness and preparedness for a dying hour: David had an interest in God, yea and his interest was clear to him; yet how sollicitous was he to get all even between God and him, and how uncomfortable was it with him, till he had renewed his peace with God, when by his fall it had been bro∣ken? Psal. 51.8, 12. This also is what is evidently held forth Job 7.21. where Job pleads thus with God, Why dost

thou not pardon mine iniquity, and take away my transgression? for now shall I sleep in the dust, thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. In the verse before, he acknowledged he had sinned, and here he intimates, that God frown∣ed on him for his sin; the sense of par∣doning love was not renewed in his soul, which here therefore he pleads for, and that upon this account, be∣cause he was speedily to die; intima∣ting he could not die with comfort, till he had a renewed sense of Gods pardoning love: And this is the very thing which David begs in the Psalm of my Text, in order to his comforta∣ble going hence, (viz.) that God would take away his transgressions, Psal. 39.8. As long as there is any sin, any guilt lying upon our Consciences, any sin un∣pardoned, any difference between God and us, any frowns in his face towards us, we are unready for death, and can∣not with that comfort and boldness of spirit, welcom it as we ought; but when our peace with God is maintain∣ed, and we have a renewed sense of his pardoning love in our souls, then are things right, and in order with us in∣deed;

deed; and we may think of death with boldness and comfort, and therefore mind this, as ever you would be found ready for a dying hour; every day even things between God and you, every day get a fresh sense of pardon from him.

First, as near as possible may be, do nothing that may occasion any breach between God and you, or raise any frowns in his face towards you: if you do not break with God, he will not break with you; all breaches, as to peace and friendship between God and us, begin on our part; yea, neither will God break with us for little things, in case they be not allowed by us, but watched and striven against; therefore, as near as possibly you can, do nothing to break and interrupt your peace with God for one moment: And because when you have done all, many things may and will fall out (we having sinful sinning hearts, and living in a world of snares and temptations) for which God may justly frown upon us; let us

Secondly, every day make even with him: in the close of every day let us

consider wherein we have broken with God, come short of duty, given any grief, any distaste to his Holy Spirit; and by Faith and Prayer let us sue out the pardon of it; and let us not lie down, if possible, without some intima∣tion of his pardoning love: for which end,

First, We should act Faith on the Blood and Advocateship of Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a Propitia∣tion, through faith in his Blood, to declare his righteousness for remission of sins, Rom. 3.24, 25. And indeed, Christ hath set up a Standing Office in Heaven, which we may call the Pardon-Office; he pro∣cureth new Pardons for his People daily under their new sins; We have an Ad∣vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. Have daily re∣course to the Blood of Christ; truly without it there is no living; the best, the holiest on earth, have daily need of his Blood, and should have daily re∣course unto it, for the maintaining of their peace, and for the renewing of Gods pardoning love in their souls.

Secondly, We should be humbly and

earnestly importunate with God in prayer, resolving not to let him go without this blessing, carrying upon our spirits the sense of the worth, and also of our unworthiness of it. Thus the holy men of God of old have done, they have sued out the pardon of their sins by Faith and Prayer, and gotten a fresh sense of Gods love when they have broken with him; as I might instance in Job, in David, and others; we should every day pray as that Father did, O Lord, saith he, do not after the manner of a Judge weigh or consider what I have done, what I have spoken, what I have thought, but blot out all my sins with thy own Blood: And as another of them did, Lord, saith he, there is that in me which may offend thy holy eyes, I know and con∣fess it; but who shall cleanse me? or to whom shall I fly for relief, but to thee? O hide not thy face from me. Truly when we have walked most watchfully, most circumspectly, many things may, and will fall out, that may offend the pure eyes of Gods Glory, which we should confess and bewail before him, suing out the pardon of them by the Blood of his Son. Some of the Saints have made

this their daily practise, and so have maintained their peace for many years together; and when they have come to die, have gloricusly triumphed over Death; and have gone off the Stage with much comfort; and so should we.

Fourthly, Would you indeed have all right; all in order in your souls for a dying hour? then be true and faithful to your own Consciences; that you may have them for you, and not against you, both while you live, and when you die. Conscience (my Beloved) is Christs De∣puty, or Vicegerent in the Soul, it is both a Judge and a Witness for God within us, it either accuses, or excuses, acquits, or condemns, Rom. 2.15. and according as Conscience is either for us, or against us, so we are either ready, or not ready, prepared, or not prepared, for Death and Judgment: If we have the Witness and Judgment of our Conscien∣ces for us, then have we boldness and comfort both in life and death, then we can welcom Deaths approach to us, but if the Witness and Judgment of Conscience be against us, then Death cannot but be terrible to us, This is

our rejoycing (saith the Apostle) the te∣stimony of our Consciences, that in simpli∣city and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, 2 Cor. 1.12. And again, If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things; but if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, 1 Joh. 3.21. O, my belo∣ved, as a peace with God, so a sound and holy peace with a mans own Con∣science (that is to say, to have the wit∣ness and judgment of a mans Consci∣ence for him, and not against him) is highly requisite for a right disposing and preparing of us for a dying hour: As ever therefore you would have all rea∣dy, and in order against such an hour, mind this, and look after this; be sure you carry it so to your own consciences, as that you may have them always for you, and not against you, while you live; and for you, and not against you, when you come to die: In order to which, mind these two things.

First, Labour to get your Conscien∣ces well inlightned and informed, and be much with God in prayer in order

thereto; beg and implore God for a true and faithful Conscience, a Consci∣ence that will bear a true and faithful witness in your souls, and that will pass a right judgment upon things, both up∣on your state and actions. In Heb. 10.21. we read of a true heart, or a true conscience, that is, a conscience rightly informed, a conscience that bears a true and faithful witness, and that passeth a true and faithful judgment upon things, such a conscience should we beg of God, and labour by all means possi∣ble to attain unto. O, my Beloved, it is a dangerous thing to have an erroneous conscience, a mistaking conscience, a conscience not rightly inform'd: For pray mark, this is what leaves a man under a necessity of sinning, and so of grieving the Spirit of God on the one hand, and it endangereth his peace and comfort on the other hand: for having an erroneous conscience, whether we obey it, or obey it not, we sin; if we obey it, we sin, because conscience commands what is not agreeable to the Word of God; if we obey it not, we sin, be∣cause we rebell against the light and di∣ctates of Conscience, omitting that

which Conscience tells us is a duty, though it be not a duty, or doing that which Conscience tells us is a sin, though it be not a sin: Labour therefore to get your Consciences well informed and in∣lightened.

Secondly, Be sure you do nothing against the light and dictates of Consci∣ence, being rightly informed, but obey it in all things. In Job 24.13. we read of some that rebel against the light, that is, that do sin against their own Consci∣ences, with is a double sin, a sin cloa∣thed with great aggravations, and greatly discomposeth us for a dying hour: but we must take heed of this and listen to the voice of Conscience, Conscience regulated by the word of God: God speaks to us by our Conscien∣ces, he speaks to us through his word by our Consciences, and he speak to us through his providences by our Consci∣ences and we should take heed of vio∣lating the Dictates, or speaking of Con∣science in the least. Doth not Conscience many times tell us, such as such ways which we walk in are not good, and must be turned from, or we are undone for ever? And now we should be true

and faithful to our own Consciences, and speedily turn from those ways, we should have nothing to do with any thing that Conscience condemns us in and for. Again, Doth not Conscience many times tell you, that such and such duties are totally neglected, or else sel∣dom or slightly performed by you, which yet you ought to be conversant and diligent in the performance of? Now you should herein also be faithful and true to your own Consciences, living up to the constant, diligent, spiritual performance of those duties. Again, Doth not Conscience many times tell you, that things are nor right with you, that it is an evil frame of spirit you live in, that you are too carnal, too light, too vain, too frothy, too eager in your pur∣suits of this World, and too remiss in your pursuits of Heaven and Eternity? Now as ever you would be ready for a dying hour, you should be faithful to your own Consciences, setting that right which is amiss, and hastening out of that evil frame, into the contrary gra∣cious frame. (Oh my Beloved) if you be true and faithful to Conscience, Con∣science will be true and faithful to you;

witnessing for you, and not against you, both while you live, and when you die. In a word, in all things labour to keep a good conscience; this was Paul's great care and exercise, Acts 24.16. Herein do I exercise my self, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards man. O this will be a sweet and blessed exercise, and the more we are found in it while we live, the more comfort will it afford us when we come to die.

Fifthly, Would you indeed have all things right, and in order in the mat∣ters of your souls, when a dying hour comes? Then labour for much purity of heart and life, and by no means ad∣mit of any sin, any corruption whatso∣ever; the more pure and holy we are, the more ready are we, and in the bet∣ter posture things are with us for a dy∣ing hour: Without holiness, saith the Apostle, no man shall see God, Heb. 12.14. Holiness is necessary unto happiness; holiness is the way unto happiness; ho∣liness is what sits and prepares us for happiness, and brings us unto happiness; yea, holiness is a part of our happiness, a great part of the happiness of Heaven it

self lies in holiness; accordingly the more holy we are, the more we are suit∣ed to, and prepared for the future hap∣piness, and so for Death and Judgment; for that which prepares us for the fu∣ture happiness, that also prepares us for death, which is but an in-let into that happiness for ever: Therefore, if you would have all things right, all things ready indeed for a dying hour, then la∣bour for the exactest purity and holi∣ness that possibly you can: This is that which the Apostle aims at, and prays for, on the behalf of the Thessalonians, as most conducing to the preparing of them for their latter end, 1 Thes. 3.12, 13. And the Lord make you to abound and increase in love one towards another, and towards all men, even as we do to∣wards you, to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints. The posture he would have them to be in at the coming of Christ, is the po∣sture of unblamable holiness, which indeed is the best and readiest posture: The same thing he prays for, in order to the same end, in 1 Thes. 5.23. And the

very God of peace sanctifie you wholly, and I pray God that your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless unto the com∣ing of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is that also which that other Apostle injoyns in order hereunto, 2 Pet. 3.14. Be di∣ligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless; the more spotless and blameless we are in our spirits and ways, the more ready we are for Death and Judgment: O press after an eminency in holiness, ad∣mitting of none, no not the least taint or tincture of sin, or sinful defilement, upon any terms whatsoever: unholy souls are unready souls, they are unready for Death, unready for Judgment, un∣ready for the future life: and for men to talk of being ready for these, and yet be unholy, is the greatest folly in the world: therefore labour for much puri∣ty and holiness.

First, Labour for much purity and holiness in your lives and walkings: this is what God indispensably calls for, 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy. We should press

after universal holiness: there should be a vein and tincture of holiness run through all we do, even our Civil, as well as our Religious actions, we should as near as possibly be dedicated and de∣voted to God, and our Lives should be lives of walking with him: they, and they onely, who walk with God while they live, are those who will be found ready to live with God, when they come to die: As for all careless, licen∣tious ones, let them never talk of being ready for death, and the future life; for they are at an utter distance from any such thing: indeed ready they are; but for what? ready for Hell, ready for the wrath of God, ready for destruction; but they are not at all ready for a blessed Eternity: The Apostle weeps over such, as being indeed thus ready, Phil. 3.18, 19. Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies to the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. Many there are who profess and hope well of themselves, as to another life, who yet are loose and carnal, wicked and licen∣tious

in their lives and walkings: they do not watch and keep their garments, but wallow in the mire of their lusts and pollutions: they stain their pro∣fession with foul, gross, and scandalous sins; at least they live and allow them∣selves in some secret way and haunt of sinning, indulging this and the other Lust: But (my Beloved) these are far indeed from being ready for a dying hour; and must expect to be cast off from God and Christ for ever: Such were those, Mat. 7.22, 23. They came, and cried Lord, Lord: came with their gifts, parts, and privileges; but Christ sent them away, with a depart from me, ye workers of iniquity: So in Jer. 7. and beginning, we read of some that made profession of God and his ways, and yet walked in sin, and wallowed in all manner of abomination: And what is the issue? Verse the 15^th saith God, I will cast you out of my sight. God will at last cast off all loose, licentious walkers. Psal. 21.9. David prays thus, Gather not my soul with sinners: And truly, if you would not be gathered with sinners at last, you must not walk in sin with siners now: and as for the

Saints themselves, so far as they let down their watch, and neglect their walking with God; so far as they give way to a loose, vain, heedless way of living, so far they have things out of order with them, and they are unready for a dying hour: Behold, I come as a Thief, (saith Christ) blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame, Rev. 16.15. So far as the Saints carry it unbecoming their high and holy Profession (which is too too frequent with them) so far they are short of that compleat readi∣ness for Death and Eternity they should press after.

Secondly, Labour for much purity and holiness in your hearts and affecti∣ons: we must be pure and holy within, as well as without; in our hearts and affctions, as well as in our lives and walkings, if we would have all right indeed for a dying hour; Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall stand in his holy place? The answer is, He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, Psal. 24.3, 4. And Christ expresly tells us, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, Mat. 5.8. Indeed

impure hearts are unfit to see God; he is a pure and holy God; nor may im∣pure-hearted ones expect that blessed sight. I remember a saying which I have read in one of the Ancients, (which I look upon to be a great say∣ing) Woe and alas, O Lord, (saith he) how preposterous is it? how rash and un∣advised? how inordinate? how remote from the rule of the Word of thy Truth and Wisdom, for a man to desire to see God with an unclean heart? Oh have a watchful eye upon your hearts, and labour to keep them as free from any taint and tincture of sin as possibly you can?

First, Be sure you suffer no lust to get up into the Throne, where it is too too often found. When sin is consented to by the Will, the lust is on the Throne in the heart: and indeed it is wonderful to think how soon one or another cor∣ruption will mount up into the Throne in the Soul, if we let down our Watch but a little: But oh take heed of this! so far as any one lust whatsoever is pre∣dominant within us, so far we are mar∣vellous unready for a dying hour: And not onely so; but,

Secondly, Watch narrowly against the very first risings and motions of sin within: Nip Lust, if possible, in the very Bud and Blossom: It is true, this calls upon us to have a very curious eye upon our hearts, and indeed such an eye we should have upon them, we must have upon them, if we mean to be Christians indeed: Grace will teach a man not onely to oppose the acts of sin, and to watch against the reign of any heart-lust; but also to oppose the very first motions and risings of sin in the Soul: And the more you do this, the better posture you are in for a dying hour.

CHAP. IX. A further Direction, in order to a compleat Preparation for Death, to press after the noblest strains of Grace: Several of these pointed at, and insisted on, as tending hereunto.

Sixthly, WOuld you indeed have all ready, and in order in your souls for a dying hour? Then

rest not in low and ordinary, but aspire after the highest and noblest strains of Grace. The better to understand this, you must know, that there are some higher and more noble strains of Grace than ordinary, strains of Grace that carry a peculiar glory and excellency in them, and do in an eminent manner de∣light the heart of God, indeed every strain of Grace, even the least and lowest, has a beauty and glory in it, and is a pleasure to Gods heart: the least dram of godly sorrow, the least holy awe of God, and trembling at his Word, the least breathing of love and desire towards him, the least leaning upon him, in a way of hope and de∣pendance; Oh it has a great glory in it, and is a delight to Gods Soul: The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy, Psal. 147.11. But, my Beloved, there are some more choice and eminent strains and actings of Grace, that are above the ordinary rate, and do pecu∣liarly delight the heart of God, and bring honour to him; and the more you come up to these, and live under the power of these, the more ready

posture you are in for a dying hour. Grace is the beginning of Glory: 'Tis (as a worthy Divine expresses it) the infancy of Heaven and Glory; and the higher it rises in us, the nearer it comes to Glory, and the more it fits us for it: therefore, I say, rest not in low and or∣dinary, but covet and press after the highest and noblest strains of Grace, some of which I shall here set down, and insist a little upon, in order to this great end of being found under the ex∣actest readiness for a dying hour: The noble strains of Grace I would have you come up unto, are these.

1. For a man to be high, and yet low; high in worth and attainments, but low in spirit, low in his own thoughts and apprehensions of himself, to be humble under high and great acquirements, this is noble Grace. 'Tis said of Athanasius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 — That he was high in worth, but low in spirit: he had great attain∣ments, but was very humble and lowly under all, which is mentioned as a pe∣culiar excellency in him: and I remem∣ber a saying which I have read in one of the Ancients, speaking of Hamility;

For a man to be humble (says he) in a low, despicable, abject condition, this is no great matter, but honourable humility; that is to say, for a man to be humble in an high and prosperous condition, to be humble under eminent enjoyments, this is a great thing, a rare vertue indeed. Oh for a man to be high in attainments, high in gifts, high in graces, high in comforts, high in services, high in suc∣cesses, high in place and esteem among men; and yet at the same time to be low in mind, low in heart, low in his esteems and apprehensions of himself, this is an high and eminent strain of Grace: this Paul excelled in, and 'twas his Crown and Glory: he was a man of as high attainments and accomplish∣ments, as most that ever lived; he was high in gifts, high in graces, high in comforts, high in services, high in suc∣cesses, high in all true worth and excel∣lency; and yet how low, how humble in spirit was he? how little in his own eyes, and how vile in his own esteem▪ You know how he speaks of himself The chief of sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. less than the least of all Saints, Ephes. 3.8. I am the least of the Apostles, not worthy

to be called an Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.9. I am nothing, 2 Cor. 12.11. This also was a part of Christs Crown and Glo∣ry: who ever so eminent in gifts and graces? who ever abounded with such glorious endowments as he? and yet who so meek, so humble, so lowly, as he? Learn of me (says he) for I am meek and lowly of heart, Mat. 11.29. In a verse or two before he had told us, that all things were delivered to him by the Father; and yet here, I am meek and lowly in heart: He was humble under all his advancements and attainments; Oh labour to be like him herein; what∣ever your attainments are, labour to be humble under them, and that because he was so: Blush, O dust and ashes, blush to think of being proud, be ashamed to be proud: God humbles himself, and dost thou exalt thy self? so one speaks. And again elsewhere, 'Tis intolerable impu∣dence (says he) that when Majesty empties and humbles it self, a vile worm should swell, and be blown up with pride. O be humble, whatever your attainments are; the more humble you are, the more precious you are in Gods sight, for he hath respect unto the lowly, but be∣holdeth

the proud afar off, Psal. 138.6. yea▪ he resisteth the proud, he sets him∣self in battel array against the proud, Jam. 4.6. Arrogate nothing to thy self of those things that are in thee, but thy sins, by so much the more precious thou art in Gods eyes, by how much the more vile and despicable thou art in thy own eyes, says Bernard. And to say no more, none more ready to die, than the humble and lowly person; none more unready than the proud and high-minded.

2. For a man to be full, and yet emp∣ty; full of the enjoyments, and yet emp∣ty of the love of the world: for a man to enjoy an affluence of this worlds good, a fulness of all creature comforts and contentments, and yet to be dead to all, and fit loose from all, placing his whole happiness in God and Christ, this is a choice, a noble, an excellent strain of Grace indeed. We read of some, and but of some, in Scripture, who under an affluence of outward enjoyments have been weaned from all, and sate loose from all, and have kept up their communion with God, placing the whole rest and happiness of their Souls therein; some such (I say) we read of in

Scripture, but truly there are but very few, and indeed 'tis both a rare and a difficult thing for a soul thus to do: These things especially, when enjoyed in the fulness of them, are so apt to in∣gross the heart to themselves, and to alienate it from God, and communion with God, that 'tis indeed a very rare and difficult thing for a man under an affluence of them, to fit loose from them, and make God, and communion with God, all in all to him. 'Tis a great saying which I have read of a learned man, Although adversity breaks many, yet prosperity, and a fulness of enjoyments, kills many more: And how rare a man is that, who in prosperity does not, at least a little, in some degree or other, let down his Watch, and remit his strictness and ex∣actness in walking. David was a wise man, and Solomon was a wiser; and yet both the one and the other disco∣vered great sin and folly through abound∣ing prosperity: So that I say, 'tis both a rare and difficult thing; but by how much the more rare and difficult it is, by so much the more excellent and eminent, when attained. Oh for a man to swim Chin-deep in the streams of

creature-comforts, and yet not to for∣sake the Fountain of living waters; for a man to have the streams run pleasantly on each hand of him, and yet to bathe and delight onely in the Fountain, as his rest and happiness; for a man in the height of prosperity to be able to say to God, as the Psalmist in his affliction did, Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in hea∣ven but thee? and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee; this is noble Grace indeed: O labour to come up to this, whatever your worldly enjoy∣ments are, though never so great, so high, so pleasant; yet as ever you would be ready for a dying hour, fit loose from all, die to all; the more dead we are to the world, the more ready we are to go out of the world: a worldly spirit, a spirit in love with this world, is most unready for a dying hour; how can he be ready to leave the world, that is in love with the world? a worldly spirit is most odious to the Spirit of God, and most unsuitable to the future life; and one living in that spirit cannot be fit to die. 'Tis a great saying I have read in one, He is perfect whose soul is alie∣nated from the world; but (says he) that

soul is far from God, to whom this mise∣rable life is sweet: that is to fay, who is fond of these poor things here. O die, die daily to the world under all your enjoyments of it, if you would indeed be ready to die.

3. For a man to be empty, and yet full; to be destitute of all outward com∣forts and enjoyments, and yet to want nothing, but to be content, and to see all in God, and enjoy all in God; for a man to be afflicted, and distress'd, and yet at the same time see a fulness and sufficiency of all good and happiness in a naked God, and naked Godliness, and accordingly to live upon him, and rest satisfied in him; this is a noble strain of Grace indeed; this the Prophet, and in him the Church resolved upon, Heb. 3.17, 18. Athough the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Here you see is a most sad supposition, a most forlorn and destitute condition supposed to come; well, and what then? in case all this comes to pass, what will the Church do

then? that the 18 verse tells us, Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation: she is resolved to live upon God, and delight her self with God; she sees enough in him alone, and sets him, and her interest in him, over against all wants, losses, and afflicti∣ons. So the Apostles, 2 Cor. 6.10. who were as having nothing, yet possessing all things: they saw all in Christ, and en∣joyed all in Christ. Here (as one glosses upon the place) we possess nothing, but do wander up and down from place to place: yet possessing Christ, in him we possess all things. Oh for a man to see and enjoy all in Christ, when the world frowns upon him, and is low with him, this is a noble strain of Grace; and let me say this, that 'tis an argument that we have carnal hearts, if we see not all in God, and enough in God to satisfie us, and make us happy, whether we have any thing or nothing of this worlds: Heaven, which death sends us to, if we are indeed ready for it, is no thing else but the vision and fruition of God, for there he is all in all: and cer∣tainly if we do not see all in God now, and enough in God now, we cannot

suppose our selves to be so fully ready for death and Eternity, as we ought to be.

4. For a man to have no affliction, and yet to be deeply afflicted, to be wholly free from all personal affliction, and yet greatly to lay to heart, and be afflicted for the afflictions of Gods name and people, this is glorious Grace, Grace in lustre. 'Tis the observation of a wor∣thy Divine, That in the day of the Churches trouble and affliction, when both his name and people do greatly suffer, God does sometimes leave some of his people an affluence of all outward good things; when others are stript of all their comforts, they are full; when others are in straights, they abound; neither is there any cloud upon their Tabernacle: and this God does to try them, whether they will take up in their enjoyments, and forget the afflictions of his name and people; and truly not to do so, but in such a case to lay the Churches afflictions to heart, and to bleed and mourn with the bleeding in∣terest of Gods name and people, this is pure Grace, and marvellous pleasing to God: such Grace some of the Saints

have come up unto; such Grace was sound in David, 2 Sam. 7.1, 2. And it came to pass, when the King sate in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all enemies, that the King said unto Nathan the Prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of Cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within Curtains. Mark, all was well with David, he had rest, and he dwelt in an House of Cedar, he had all things suitable for and be∣coming a King: ah, but all was not well with the interest of God and his wor∣ship; Davids house and interest pro∣spered; but it fared not so well with the house and interest of God; and there∣fore all his enjoyments were as nothing to him, he so laid the sufferings of Gods name and worship to heart. The like was found in Nehemiah, Neh. begin. all things were well with him in his own person, he was the Kings Cup-bearer, and lived under the enjoyment of an affluence of all outward contentments; and yet was in deep affliction of spirit, upon the account of the Churches affliction: When I heard these words, (says he) verse 4. these words! what words? why that the remnant that were

left of the Captivity were in great affliction and reproach, that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and that the gates there∣of were burnt with fire. So verse 3. Now when I heard these words, I sate down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, and in Chap. 2. beg. his countenance, 'tis said, was sad upon this account. Oh this vvas rare Grace, choice Grace! no personal affliction, yet deeply afflicted in and vvith the afflictions of the Church; so deeply afflicted, that all his personal comforts, though great, were nothing to him. The like you find in Daniel, Dan. 10.2, 3. Oh labour to come up to this strain of Grace: it may be things are well with you, and you have all that heart can wish; but if they are not so vvith the interest of Gods name and people, you should be deeply afflicted for this in the midst of all your personal comforts; and the more of this spirit is in you, the more excellent your Grace is.

5. For a man chearfully to submit to, and acquiesce in the vvill of God, when most sharp and severe upon his outward interest, this is a noble strain of Grace.

When God shall exercise a man with rending, tearing dispensations, adding sorrow to sorrow to him, breaking him with breach upon breach, causing all his waves and his billows to go over him; and yet then for him quietly to acquiesce in, and chearfully to submit to what God does, this is choice Grace: such Grace was found in Aaron, Lev. 10.3. God slew two of his Sons at once, and the dipensation was attended with so many aggravating circumstances, as made it almost unparallell'd, not to be equall'd, so terrible was it; and yet under that great stroke, Aaron held his peace, he submitted freely, and acquiesced chear∣fully: the like was found in Job, when God had broken him all to pieces, he worships him, and blesses his name, Job 1.21, 22. and this was eminent in Christ himself, and was indeed his crown and glory; Father, not my will, but thy will be done, Mat. 26.39. he freely sub∣mits his will to the Fathers, though he saw the Father coming forth against him in a most terrible dispensation. O for a poor soul to lie down at the foot of God, and to be so melted into his will, as chearfully to bow to it, and acquiesce

in it under the sharpest dispensations; this is noble Grace indeed. Oh press after this, this is very necessary to prepare us for a dying hour, and the more of this, the more ready for that hour.

6. For a man to maintain the actings of his Faith in God, and to think ho∣nourably of him, when yet he frowns, and all things seem to make against the soul, this is a noble strain of Grace. Such Grace was found in Abraham, who, 'tis said, against hope, believed in hope, and so was strong in faith, Rom. 4.18, 19, 20. when he had no encouragement, yea when all things opposed him, yet then he maintained his faith in God. So Job, chap. 13.15. though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. O to love a smiting God, and to trust in a slaying God, this is noble Grace, for a man to maintain the actings of his Faith in God, when he comes forth as an enemy against him; this God calls for, he expects that when we walk in darkness, and see no light, then we should trust in the name of the Lord; and so to do is noble Grace, Isa. 50.10, 11. truly 'tis oftentimes the case of Gods people, that they walk in

darkness, and see no light, all things seem to be against them. Possibly God frowns and afflicts; he frowns within, and he afflicts without:

yea, the poor soul sees nothing but difficulties and discouragements, look which way he will: he looks into his own heart, and there he cannot find any one grace or gracious disposition; he looks into the Word, and there perhaps he can't see any one Promise that he dares lay hold upon; he looks back for former experiences, and they are all out of sight; he runs to his evidences, and they are all blotted that he can't read them.

Thus he is beset vvith difficul∣ties, and all things seem to make against him both vvithin and vvithout; and yet now, vvhen thus in the dark, for the soul to believe in God, and think vvell and honourably of him, this is noble Grace indeed, this is Faith in lustre: to call Christ Lord, vvhen he calls us Dog, and to fasten by Faith upon him, vvhen he is beating us off, as to sense at least, as 'twas with the vvoman, Mat. 15.26, 27, 28. this is glorious Grace: for a man to think vvell, and hope vvell, and believe vvell, in the face of frowns and

discouragements; for a man, when God is frowning and smiting, cordially to say, This is but for a time, he will smile again, he is but behind the Curtain, and will appear again; his desire is not to ruine me, but refine me; he is but making me to prize his Grace and presence more; there is love in all this: O for a man to believe that there is love in Gods heart, when he sees nothing but frowns in his face, and meets with no∣thing hardly but blows from his hand; for a man to believe that God intends nothing but good, when he inflicts va∣riety of evils, surely this is glorious Grace: O that you would labour for such Grace! such Grace will look death in the face with boldness. 'Tis a great speech which holy Rutherford hath, I lay inhibitions on my thoughts (says he) that they receive no slanders of my onely, onely beloved: let him even say out of his own mouth, there is no hope, yet I will die in that sweet beguile, it is not so: but I shall see the salvation of God, it is my joy to believe under the water, and to die with faith in my hand griping of Christ. Beg such Grace of God.

7. For a man to see a beauty and ex∣cellency

in service as well as in enjoy∣ment, in work as well as in reward, and accordingly to have his heart lie in it, this also is noble Grace. Sirs, there is a beauty and excellency in service for a man to be used and employ'd for God, and to act for him in the world, is the highest honour and excellency (next to union and communion with him) that can be put upon a poor creature: 'twas the honour of Christ, it is the honour of Angels: service is better than enjoy∣ment; 'tis a more blessed thing to give than to receive, Acts 20.35. now when a soul has answerable thoughts and ap∣prehensions about it, does practically, and indeed, see a beauty and excellency in service for God, and accordingly is active for him, willing to be employed by him, and that though he has no re∣ward at present from him; this is noble Grace. This was found in Paul, Ʋnto me (says he) is this grace given to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephes. 3.8. he look'd on't as an honour, a favour to be employ'd in the work and service of Christ. And again, 1 Tim. 1.12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for what he

accounted me faithful, putting me into the Ministry. Here he blesses Christ his Lord and Master, for using of him in his work; yea, such a worth, beauty, and excellency did he see in his service, that he was content to stay out of Hea∣ven, and the bosom of Christs love, where yet he earnestly longed to be, that he might do further service for Christ in this world. So you find Phil. 1.21, 22.23. O for a soul to long, and long ear∣nestly for Heaven, and the immediate enjoyment of Christ there, and yet to be content to stay here in a sinful, sinning, troublesom world, meerly to do some further service for Christ, and to honour him yet in the discharge of his Work and Warfare, this is high Grace, this holy Rutherford had attained unto, he could under high assurances of Heaven be content to stay many years out of it, to preach Christ. The same mind dwelt in Christ himself, who went about doing good, making it his meat and drink to do his Fathers will, and to finish his work: Oh when a soul comes to this, then he is fit to live, and fit to die; when with that Ancient Father we come to say in∣deed, What is it to live, and not to live

for use and service? when we value life and days in the world, no further than we are some way serviceable to Christ, this is crowning Grace.

8. For a man to rejoyce in the gifts, graces, and uses of others, and that though they out-shine and eclipse his; for a man to rejoyce to see Grace flou∣rish in others, and to see the work of God carried on by others, though he himself be laid aside, and does not share in the honour of it, this is pure Grace, Grace in lustre: such Grace was found in Moses, Enviest thou for my sake? (said he to Joshua, who would have had him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophesie in the Camp) would God that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them, Num. 11.29. he was so far from envy∣ing at them, that he wishes there were more of them: Such Grace was found also in John the Baptist, Joh. 3.26, 27, 30. he rejoyced in Christs being owned, and honoured, and flock'd unto, and in the increase of his esteem with men, though to his own abasement. In verse 26. some of Johns Disciples come and tell him, that all men come to Christ; well, says

he, 'tis but his due, verse 27. A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven: you your selves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ; and this my joy is fulfilled, that he must increase, and I must decrease: as if he had said, 'Tis so far from being a trouble to me, that 'tis indeed the compleating of my joy: Such Grace was found in Paul, Phil. 1.18. who rejoyced that Christ was preach'd, though with a design to cloud and eclipse him; Christ is preach'd, and I therein do rejoyce, yea and will rejoyce. Some are apt to think 'twill be an affliction to me (says he) that Christ is preach'd by any but my self; whereas indeed this is ground of great joy to me; I rejoyce that though I cannot be permitted to preach Christ my self, yet that so many others do preach him. And I remember a great speech of Luther (arguing the same Grace to be in him) writing to Me∣lancthon, to comfort him under the lets and opposition the work and cause of God met withal in his time; the cause of God was opposed, and his Work ob∣structed, in the sense of which Me∣lancthon was greatly troubled and de∣jected,

and Luther understanding it, writes an Epistle to him, to comfort and encourage him, in which he has this saying; God (says he) is able to raise the dead, and he is able to support his fallen cause, and to raise it when fallen; If he shall not account us worthy to be used therein, let him do it by others, and make use of others. Mark, he was content the work of God should be done by others. There are two things which I look upon to carry as pure and noble Grace in them, as any whatever: one is, to be willing to be used in Gods work, without being taken notice of, or having the honour of it: the other is, for a man to rejoyce to see the work of God carried on by others, though he himself be laid aside, and has not the honour of being used therein. Oh la∣bour for such Grace, Grace that will re∣joyce in the Gifts, Graces, Uses, and Suc∣cesses of others, though you thereby are out-shined.

9. For a man to have great affection to the name and honour of God and Christ, and to think nothing too much to do, too hard to suffer, or too dear to part withal for the service and advance∣ment

thereof, this is noble Grace: when a man has high and paramount affecti∣ons to the name of God and Christ, loving and preferring of it infinitely be∣fore all his own interests and concerns, being ready to be, do, or suffer any thing for the service on't: Oh what Grace is this! such Grace some of the Saints have attained to. Lord (says Moses concerning Israel) if thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the Book which thou hast writ∣ten, Exod. 32.32. What is here meant by the Book which God has written, I shall not now stand to enquire or de∣termine, but to be content to be blot∣ted out on't, was to be sure a great piece of self denial; and this Moses was, you see, rather than that the people should be utterly destroyed; and all be∣cause he knew how much the glory of God was concerned, and would suf∣fer by their destruction, as appears by comparing this verse with verse 12. the sum (as one observes) is, That Moses prefers the glory of God before his own sal∣vation, whose glory was conjoyned with Israels preservation, in respect of the Pro∣mises made to the Fathers, and in respect

of the Blasphemies which the Egyptians and other adversaries were ready to belch out against God, should he destroy them: Such Grace was found also in John Baptist, in the place lately mentioned, Joh. 3. latter end, who was content Christ should raise himself out of his abase∣ment; such Grace was found in Christ, who preferred his Fathers glory before his own life, Joh. 12.27, 28. such Grace was found in Paul, who was willing not onely to be bound, but even to die for the sake of Christ, Acts 21.13. for the Name, the honour of Christ: Christs honour was so dear to him, that he could be content to die to serve it, he preferr'd it before his life: O, my Be∣loved, when a soul shall be so swallowed up with love and zeal to the glory of God, and the interest of Christ in the world, as that his own interests are in a manner overlook'd and forgotten by him; when to see the Name of God ex∣alted, shall be a mans greatest triumph; and to see it debased, shall be his greatest trouble; when his practical language shall be such as this; Father, here I am, which way so ever thy glory lies, I am ready to serve thee in it, 'tis honour

enough for me to honour God, 'tis hap∣piness enough for me to glorifie God; and therefore let God do with me, and let him call me to do whatever he will in order thereunto: let him if he pleases eclipse my name, and throw my glory in the dust; so be it: he will thereby raise his own Name, and brighten his own Glory: let him, if he pleases, make me a footstool, and let me be trampled upon, so be it; he will advance himself into the Throne thereby; let me die, if his will be so, that his glory may live; whatever becomes of me, though I should be stript of all, though my name and interest should rot, yet let God be magnified, let God have honour in the world, and let the interest and Kingdom of Christ prosper, 'tis enough, I am satisfied: When, I say, 'tis thus with a soul, this speaks noble Grace in∣deed. Oh press after such Grace; the more you love the Name of God and Christ, the fitter you are either to live or die.

10. For a man not onely to be willing to suffer, but also to rejoyce in suffer∣ings for the sake of Christ and the Go∣spel, for a man chearfully to take up the

Cross for Christ, and to look upon it as his crown and glory, as an honour and preferment to him, this also is an high strain of Grace, and is greatly pleasing to God. The Cross, my Beloved, in it self is a black sowre Crab-tree, (as one calls it) but, though such in it self, yet as 'tis born for the sake of Christ, and so his Cross, 'tis an honour, and not a reproach, a Crown of Glory, a Royal Diadem upon the head of a poor crea∣ture: To you is given on the behalf of Christ, to suffer for his sake, Phil. 1.29. Sufferings for Christ are a Noble, Royal, Honourable gift, more Honourable than the Crowns and Kingdoms of this world: a prison for Christ, is more honourable than the stateliest Palaces of the greatest Princes: bonds for Christ, are more honourable than ropes of Pearl or Diamonds. Now when a soul shall look on these things as such, and accord∣ingly rejoyce in them, this is noble Grace indeed: such Grace was found in the Disciples, Acts 5.41. who rejoyced (or, as the word is, leapt for joy) that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ; or, as the words may be rendred, that they were ho∣noured

to be dishonour'd for Christ. So the Apostle and his Brethren, Rom. 5.3. We glory in tribulation; and, I rejoyce (says Paul) in reproaches, necessities, and persecutions for Christ, 2 Cor. 12.10. So those Worthies, Heb. 10.34. who took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. This Christ calls for, Mat. 5.22. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, when men persecute you for my sake. And again, Count it all joy when you fall into divers afflictions, &c. James 1.12. 'Tis admirable to think how some of the Saints, both in former and latter times, have gloried in the Cross of Christ, and even longed for it. Luther longed for the honour of Mar∣ryrdom, and was ready even to envy those that were called to it, when he was not; writing to some of his ac∣quaintance in bonds for Christ and the Gospel, he breaks out into this com∣plaint: O miserable me, who have been first in teaching these things, but last and perhaps never worthy to be a partaker of your bonds and fires. Oh labour for such Grace: We think it much, if we be con∣tent to suffer; but we should rejoyce in sufferings, glory in the Cross, carry our selves under sufferings for Christ, as

looking upon them to be (for so in¦deed they are) an honour and privileg to us.

11. For a man in a prosperous con¦dition, all things going smoothly with him in the world, to be willing to loo•• Anchor, and be gone hence to Heaver yea, for a man to long, and long earnest¦ly for a dissolution, that he might 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with Christ fully, and for ever with him this is noble Grace. Sirs, take a man whose mountain of prosperity stands strong, whose paths are as it were strewed with Roses, the Roses of crea∣ture-contentments, who has all the heart can wish of this worlds good, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 streams running pleasantly on each ha•••• of him; for such an one in such a con∣dition to long, and long earnestly to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gone to his dear Lord, that so he may be fully like him, and may see him as he is, that he may be eternally in his pre∣sence, swallowed up in the love, praise and admirations of him, be a perfect partaker of his life and image, this great and glorious Grace; when thou a mans condition in the world be every way such, as that he may well say, "〈…〉〈…〉 good to be here, yet the daily pulse of 〈◊〉〈◊〉

soul is that of the Spouse, Cant. 8.14. Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Spices; make haste to fetch me hence to Heaven; this is noble Grace, and that which every one does not come up unto: indeed when we are in affliction, and our lives are bitter to us by reason of many and great trials, difficulties, and tempta∣tions, then many are willing to be gone; but this is so far from noble Grace, that this may be where there is no Grace at all: but when the Sun shines upon our Tabernacle, and sets not; when we live in a Paradise of earthly comforts and contentments; then to pant and long to be gone, to be with Christ, then to suspire and breathe after the other world, and with an holy impatiency to look out for it, this is glorious Grace, Grace that carries an heavenly odour and savour with it. Thus I have men∣tioned some of those more noble and excellent strains of Grace for our imita∣tion, which I would have you to labour to come up unto; and the more you come up to these, the more fit you are to live, and the more ready you are to die.

CHAP. X. Wherein further Directions are laid down in order to the setting of things right, and making all ready for a dying hour.

Seventhly, WOuld you indeed have all things right and in order, before a dying hour comes then be diligent and faithful in the work of God, that work which God in a particular manner hath given you to do: We have all our work to do, and that given us of God; we have general work, and special work.

First, We have general work to do the work of our Christian calling, the work of our salvation, which we are commanded to work out with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.12. the work of Faith and the labour of Love, the work of Mortification, Self-denial, and the like. We have also,

Secondly, Special work to do, the work of our particular Stations and places; work that is incumbent upon us, as we stand thus and thus related being Magistrates, or Ministers, 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Masters of Families, or the like: for all such Relations bring their work and du∣ty with them; and this indeed is proper∣ly our own work, and this we should be diligent and faithful in, as ever we would be found ready for a dying hour. Paul had his work to do, and he was diligent and faithful in the discharge of it; which gave him comfort, when he came to die, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7, 8. I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, &c. He had been faith∣ful in the discharge of his work while he lived; and being now to die, he found the comfort and sweetness of it: yea, this was that which our Lord him∣self comforted himself withal, when he was to die, and in the sense of it goes to his Father with boldness for his glory, Joh. 17.4. I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: indeed he had a great deal of work given him by the Father, and he was faithful and punctual in the dis∣charge of it all; which was a comfort to him, now he was to die: and he

himself tells us, that is the blessed ser∣vant, whom when his Lord shall come, shall find so doing; that is, faithful and diligent in the discharge of his proper work, Mat. 24.46. Truly this is the posture which some (though but a few) are found in; they make conscience to discharge the duty that is incumbent upon them; they say with their Lord, I must work the work of him that sent me, while it is day; for the night cometh, when no man can work, John 9.4. they see a Night coming, Death coming, Judg∣ment coming, Eternity coming; and accordingly they desire to lay out their whole souls in the work of God, to live up to the Laws of Christ in every rela∣tion; and they look upon that day as lost, wherein they have not done some∣what for God and their own souls: and how comfortably may such look death in the face, when it comes? I have read the Life of an Holy Minister, who was seised upon by sickness, which was unto death, while he was preaching the ever∣lasting Gospel; and lying a few days sick, ere he died, a Fellow-labourer of his, another Holy Minister, coming to visit him, and seeing death in his face,

cryed out in some passion, O dear Sir, are you going to Heaven from us? To whom he replied, Yes, and I bless God, that my Master found me in his work: Truly, might a man have his choice and option, he would have death to find him while he is engaged in the work of God. Oh study your own work? study the work and duty of your Christian calling: study that work and duty which is incumbent upon you in your particular relations, and beg of God a heart to be diligent in the discharge of one and the other.

Eighthly, Would you indeed have all right, and in order in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of your souls, ere a dying 〈◊〉〈◊〉? then be sure to suffer no 〈◊〉〈◊〉, no estrangement to grow up between 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and you; but labour to keep 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••stant and intimate acquain•••••••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him, Acquaint thy self with God, and be at peace, Job 22.21. the more of an holy intimacy and acquaintance with God we maintain, the more we are at peace in our selves: and I am sure, the more we are at peace in our selves, the more ready we are for a dying hour: Woe and alas for us! how oft do we let

fall our converse and communion with God, and suffer sad distances and e∣strangements to grow up between him and us? And indeed (my Beloved) it is a sad and amazing thing to think how suddenly and imperceptibly di∣stances and estrangements will grow up between God and a mans soul: for my own part, should I have heard of it only by the hearing of the ear, and had not found it by too many sad and woful experiences, I could not have believed how suddenly and imperceptibly di∣stances and estrangements will grow up between God and a mans soul, yea and that after the nearest, liveliest, and most intimate acquaintance and com∣munion with him: which calls upon us to be very watchful and circumspect, as to this thing; and (my Beloved) as you would die with boldness and com∣fort, let me advise and persuade you to give all diligence to keep up constant intercourse and acquaintance with God, and watch narrowly against all distances between him and you. Which of us, that knows any thing of the things of God, knows not, that we suffer distances and estrangements to grow up between

God and us? we cannot tell how with any tolerable boldness and comfort to look him in the face in a duty, or scarce to think of him with delight; much less shall we be able to look him in the face with comfort in death, in case we suf∣fer distances to grow up between him and us: moreover, take this for a sure rule, That the more you are versed in communion with God, and do main∣tain an holy intimacy and correspon∣dence with him, the more boldness and comfort you will have when you come to die; then you will be able to say, I am now going to be, and live for ever, immediately with that God with whom I have lived in much sweet and inti∣mate communion here; I am now go∣ing to converse more fully with him in Heaven, with whom I have enjoyed much sweet converse here on Earth. Should death find a man under distances and estrangements between God and him, it must necessarily be uncomfor∣table unto him; but when there is an holy intimacy kept up between God and the soul, then the soul need not fear, or be ashamed to look death and Judgment both in the face: Little Chil∣dren,

saith John, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming, 1 John 2.28. We are put into Christ by Faith at our first Conversion; and we abide in him by after-acts of Faith and Communion; and this abiding in him is the way to have boldness before him at his coming: therefore mind this, and pray much about this; take heed of di∣stances growing up between God and you, and labour to have those sweet vi∣sits, those sweet intercourses of love, those blessed acts of communion kept up between God and you, that are wont to be kept up between him and his watch∣ful, close walking Saints: and in order hereunto, take three or four short hints.

First, Look upon and esteem converse and communion with God, to be (as in∣deed it is) your highest happiness, both here, and in heaven; the highest happi∣ness souls are capable of here, is to live in converse and communion with God in such ways as are suitable to this pre∣sent state; and the highest happiness souls are capable of eternally in hea∣ven, is to live in the Divine presence, and to see Gods face continually, and to

lodge for ever in the bosom of his love: we may run out to a thousand things, and when we have done all, this will be the highest, and indeed the only happiness of souls, (viz.) to converse with God, and to enjoy communion with God; and they that miss of this will miss of all happiness for ever: accordingly we should prize it, and press after it: we should account all things as nothing on this side God, and communion with God in Christ; the Saints of old have done so; Many, saith David, will say, who will shew us any good? but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, Psal. 4.6. as if he should say, While others are seek∣ing their happiness from carnal and earthly enjoyments, Corn, Wine, and Oyl, the happiness we desire is thy love, thy favour, the beamings out of the light of thy countenance upon our souls: So Psal. 39.7. Now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee; I have done with the streams, as if he should say, and I desire to cleave wholly to the fountain; I have done with the crea∣tures, of which I have formerly been too fond, and I would now take up

my whole rest, solace, and satisfaction in thy self alone: and also, Psal. 73.25, 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth I desire in compa∣rison of thee: my heart and my flesh fail∣eth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. The same spirit dwelt and acted in Austin, All fulness and plenty (says he) which is not my God, is want and poverty: And again, elsewhere, Thou, Lord, art my God, my happiness; and unto thee, and after thee do I breathe and suspire day and night. O (my Beloved) did we indeed prize communion with God more, we should live more in communion with him; and this take for a certain truth, that it will never be well with us indeed, till we see all in God, and account we enjoy all happiness in enjoying communion with him.

Secondly, In the close of every day take a serious view of, and diligently consider what hath passed between God and you, what transactions there have been between God and your souls that day: there doth not a day pass, where∣in there do not many things pass be∣tween God and his people; and he that

wouuld prevent distances and estrange∣ments between God and him, should seriously ponder and lay to heart vvhat hath passed between God and his soul, vvhat tranfactions there hath been be∣tween God and him that day. On the one hand ponder and consider vvhat hath passed from God to you, and vvhat his carriage towards you hath been, vvhat approaches he hath made to you, vvhat intimations of love, vvhat over∣tures of communion, vvhat discoveries of himself and his glory; how far and in vvhat vvay God hath been dealing vvith your spirits, convincing, en∣lightning, quickening, or comforting of them; vvhat calls he hath given you, vvhat myrrhe he hath dropped upon the handle of the Lock, what tastes you have had of his sweetness and Grace, vvhat holy impressions he hath made upon you, and the like. On the other hand, ponder and consider what hath passed from you to God, and what your carriages towards him have been, what reception and entertainment you have given him, making his approaches to you; what value you have put upon his presence, and the intimations of his

love: how far you have embraced and improved the overtures he made you of farther communion with him; what awe there hath been upon you of his holiness, and his all-seeing eye; what out-goings of heart there have been found within you after him; what breathings of love, what holy longings and desires, what springings and work∣ings of spiritual joy, and delight of soul to him, and in him; what place he hath had in your thoughts and contemplati∣ons; how far you have lived to him, and upon him; wherein you may have either grieved or delighted his Spirit, and the like. Thus in the close of eve∣ry day ponder and consider what hath passed between God and you, and ac∣cordingly deport & demean your selves before him; wherein you have fail∣ed, or been defective in any thing, in order to keeping up communion be∣tween God and you, be humbled, and set all right by Faith and Prayer; adore God in his acts of Grace and Condescen∣sion (as to be sure you will find cause to do) and loath your selves, for any acts of sin or unkindness, undutifulness or disrespect, that you have been guilty

of towards God: O this would be a blessed course indeed, to prevent distan∣ces and estrangements between God and you: This David calls a communing with his own heart; and enjoyns it as a duty of the highest importance; Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your hearts, and be still, Psal. 4.4. it is what he lived in the practice of, Psalm 77.6. (if he were the Author of that Psalm) I communed with my own heart, and my Spirit made diligent search. O be pun∣ctual in this work.

Thirdly, Be much conversant, and that with all spiritual diligence, in the ways and duties of Communion; those ways and duties wherein God is wont to meet his people, and maintain con∣verse and communion with them; and in all of them wait for God and his approaches to you: there are those which we may call ways and duties of commu∣nion; ways and duties wherein God and his people do hold converse with each other, wherein God visits and com∣municates himself unto his people, and wherein his people may be said to visit God, and make out after God; and these are the use of the Word and Sacraments,

the exercise of Prayer, Meditation, Self-examination, and the like: now, as ever you would prevent the growing up of distances and estrangements between God and you, see that you are much conversant in these, and that with a holy and spiritual diligence, waiting for God, and the manifestations of God to your souls in them; these are the gal∣leries wherein Christ and his People do take sweet turns together; the green beds wherein they lie down in the bo∣som of each others love: therefore keep up a constant and diligent attendance on God in these; and in all your atten∣dances on him, look after converse with him, let it be your solemn aim to con∣verse with him, and see his face, to have a visit, a smile, a descent of love from him. I do suppose you to be such as do, and will attend on publick Ordinances, and wait for God there, as they waited for the Spirit at Jerusalem: that only then which I would press you to, in this present case, shall be to be much conversant in Prayer and Meditation between God and your own souls; in these two great duties of communion with God, secret Prayer and Meditati∣on:

Oh the loss as to communion with God, that we expose our selves unto, by being no more in Prayer and holy Me∣ditation! The holy Ones of old, and those that have been men of the highest communion with God, have also been men of much Prayer, and great Medita∣tion; as I might instance in David, and Daniel, and others: and indeed their communion with God came in and was kept up this way: God (you know) hath told us, the Prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15.8. and Christ bespeaks the Prayer of his Spouse, as most pleasing and delightful to him, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove! thou art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs: let me see thy countenance, and hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely: as if he should say, Approach to me in scret Prayer, I will assure thee it will be most sweet and pleasant to me. And as he thus de∣lights in the Prayers of his People, so he will surely delight them in their Prayers vvith the visits of his Love, and com∣munications of his Grace, the beamings out of his Glory to and upon their souls: he hath promised to make them

joyful in the house of prayer; yea, he hath promised to perform the whole Grace of the New Covenant in answer to their prayers, Ezek. 36.37. Oh the great things God doth for his People, and the sweet communion that is kept up between him and them, in a way of Prayer! I remember a saying of one, He that is not much in prayer, will never be a man of much excellency: And I may as truly say, He that is not much in prayer, is never like to be a man of much communion with God. And so for Meditation: O how sweet, how Heaven-like a duty is that! Oh how much of God is let out many times to the souls of his people herein! David experienced this, Psal. 63.5, 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fat∣ness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night∣watches: while he was conversant in this duty of Meditation, his soul was filled with joy and satisfaction, as with marrow and fatness: Again, saith he, my meditation of thee shall be sweet, Ps. 104.34. Oh be much and frequent with God in these ways and duties of communion.

Fourthly, Give Christ his due place and honour, in all your makings out after communion with God. Joseph told his Brethren, they should not see his face, unless they brought their Brother Benjamin with them: and truly you are not like to see the face of God, in any of the fore-mentioned ways and duties, unless you bring Christ with you, and give him his due place and honour therein; that is to say, unless you eye him, and act Faith upon him, as the only way and medium of communion with God: Christ bespeaks this at our hands, while he tells us, I am the way, the truth; and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me, John 14.6. and by his Blood it is, that we have a way opened to us into the Holy of Holies, access for our Persons and Prayers into the Divine Presence, Heb. 10.19, 20. yea, not only has he purchased a liberty, and opened a way for us to approach into the presence of God; but having done this, by his Mediation and Inter∣cession it is, that any of us come to God: hence he is said to save to the very uttermost all that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for

us, Heb. 7.25. Indeed vvere it not for Christ, none of us could ever hope to see the face of God, and live; none of us could ever hope to see one smile of Gods face, one embrace of his bosom, any the least descent and emanation of love from him: vvere it not for Christ, vvhen vve come unto God, vve should find him to be a consuming fire, and vvhen he and our souls did meet, it vvould be as the meeting of devouring fire, and vvithered stubble: in a vvord, all communications of Grace and Love from God to us, are by and through Christ; and all the Love, the Duty, the Homage vve tender to God, must be all tendered to him by and through Christ, if ever we find ac∣ceptation vvith him: have Christ there∣fore in your eye in all your approaches unto God, as him by whom we have ac∣cess unto the Father, Eph. 2.18. Let the real language of your souls be, If I have any one smile from God, it must be upon the account of Christ, if he sheweth himself pacified towards me, it must be through his blood; if he gives out any grace, any favour, any blessing to me, it vvill be upon the sole account of his Mediation; if ever either my

person, or services be accepted of the Lord, it must be in and through this Mediator: moreover, how great soever the distance between God and my soul is, yet Christ can bring me nigh unto him; and however unworthy of, or un∣suitable to communion with God I am in my self, yet such is his well-pleased∣ness in Christ, that well-beloved Son of his, that I will hope through him to find Grace in his sight, and to be lodged in the bosom of his Love: Thus put all the honour upon Christ, that is due to him in this business; this is what is pleasing to the Father: and the more you thus honour him, the fuller and more constant will your converse and communion with God be.

Ninthly, Would you indeed have all right, and in order for a dying hour? would you be ready for that last and great work? then live wholly and con∣stantly upon Christ, and his righteous∣ness, for your justification and accepta∣tion with God, both living and dying: the more we live out of our selves upon Christ and his righteousness, for justi∣fication, and acceptation with God, the more ready posture we are in for a dy∣ing

hour: this indeed is the main thing, and when we have done all that ever we can, to deck and adorn our selves with Grace, and gracious dispositions, still we must live out of our selves, and out of all those Ornaments, upon the naked righteousness of Christ, for Justi∣fication and Salvation: This is that which the Scripture calls the readiness of the Lambs Wife, Rev. 19.7, 8. Let us be glad and rejoyce, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her self ready: and wherein that readi∣ness lay, the next words tell you; To her was granted to he cloathed with fine linen, clean and white; which fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints; that is, the righteousness of Christ imputed to the Saints through believing; this is the best robe, mentioned Luke 15.22. a robe indeed which covers all our na∣kedness, that beautifies and adorns us, and renders us most amiable in Gods eye: whatsoever spots and blemishes, whatever failings or defects may be upon us, yet these are not seen, while God looks upon us as cloathed with the righteousness of his Son; and we by faith do live upon that righteousness,

as the sole matter of our Justification and acceptation with him: and let me tell you, the more clear and distinct the actings of our Faith are, in carrying us out of our selves, and all self-righ∣teousness, and relying wholly on Christ and his righteousness, the more ready and comfortable posture we are in for a dying hour: This was the great thing Paul coveted, and pressed after to the very last, and which he accounted all things but dung for, Phil. 3.8, 9. I count all things but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is by the Law, but the righteousness of Faith, the righteousness which is of God by Faith. He dreaded the thoughts of being found in any thing of his own; he trembled to think of standing upon his own bottom, the bottom of his own worth and righteousness, when he should come to die; and he cleaved intirely unto, and relied wholly upon Christ, and his most perfect righteousness: Oh let me tell you, Paul had as much and perhaps more to have rested upon, than ten thousand of us; for gifts, for graces, for privileges, for services, for successes,

for sufferings for Christ, he went beyond any meer man that ever lived; and Chrysostom observes of him, That he feared nothing but sin; to displease God, and to dishonour him, was the onely thing that was terrible to him; and the Scripture gives a large and fre∣quent account of his other attainments: but still he goeth out of all, and his lan∣guage is, None but Christ, none but Christ; not but that also he presseth after the greatest eminency and exactness in holiness, as you find in the following Verses of this third to the Philippians: and indeed this is the true Spirit of the Gospel, to press after the greatest emi∣nency and exactness in holiness; to co∣vet to attain, if possible, unto Angelical holiness: and yet under, and after all, to live singly and entirely on a naked Christ, and his righteousness, for justi∣fication and acceptation with God: and the more you come to, and live in this Spirit, the more ready you are for Death and a blessed Eternity: this was a great part of the ground of the Churches rejoycing, Isa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath cloathed

me with the Garments of Salvation, and hath covered me with a Robe of Righteous∣ness: which Chrysostom, and others both Ancient and Modern, interpret of the Righteousness of Christ: and indeed no greater ground of rejoycing to a man or woman, whether living or dying, than to be cloathed with the Robe of the Righteousness of Christ: I shall on∣ly put you in mind of a saying I have heard from a holy man the day before he died: My Friends (saith he, speak∣ing to my self and others) I have walked with God these thirty years, and have en∣joyed a good measure of the assurance of his love: but now that I am come to die, I do not place my comfort on any of all these, but on the infinite satisfaction of Jesus Christ. Oh there, there, when we have done all, we must lay the weight and stress of our Souls, Com∣fort, Salvation, and all: and therefore be sure you live out of your selves upon Christ. It is a great saying Luther hath to this purpose; Lord Jesus (saith he) thou art my righteousness, and I am thy sin: thou tookest mine, (meaning his sin) and thou gavest me thine, (meaning his righteousness:) thou tookst that which

thou wast not, and thou gavest me that which I was not: intending the ex∣change that Christ had made with him, giving him his righteousness for his sin: Oh let this be the language of our souls to Christ; so shall we be sound ready when a dying hour comes.

Tenthly, Would you indeed die with comfort? then beg God to stand by you, and give you actual Grace in a dying hour; and make it one of your great works to treasure up many Prayers for this before-hand: When you have done all, should God withdraw his presence, and the influences of his Grace and Love from you when you come to die, Death would be in a great measure un∣comfortable to you: but if God will be with you, if God will stand by you, if he will vouchsafe you the influences and communications of his Grace in a dying hour, then how will your souls triumph over death? this indeed will sweeten death: they are great words of David in Psal. 23.4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: having the presence of God with him, he was not, he would not be afraid,

even in the very valley of the shadow of death: truly without the presence of God, we cannot live comfortably; what∣soever our attainments in Grace have been, yet if God withdraw his presence from us, we can do nothing, we can bear nothing, we cannot perform the least duty, we cannot resist the least temptation, we cannot grapple with the least corruption, nor carry through, as we ought, the least difficulty: much less shall we be able to die with com∣fort, if God withdraw: therefore, I say, beg God to stand by you in a dying hour: Let it be your daily prayer to God,

First, That he would be with you in the difficulties of life.

Secondly, That he would not leave you in the conflicts and agonies of death. And indeed we should not pass that day wherein we do not treasure up one prayer for this before-hand; and thus doing, God will not leave us, God will not fail us in that last and great difficulty; at least he will not leave us in point of Grace: our Lord himself was left in the agonies of death by the Father, in point of comfort, which put him to that out-cry, Why hast thou for∣saken

me? but he was not left by him in point of Grace, still a Spirit of Faith and Holiness acted him; and therefore though forsaken, he cries out, My God, my God: if possibly, in conformity to our Head, we should be left in that hour in point of comfort, yet if we carry our selves as we ought, we shall not be left in point of Grace; and if we be not left in point of Grace, all will do well, though not so sweet and joyous with us as otherwise it would be. And thus I have given you these more particular directions, in order to a preparation for a dying hour; which if you live up to, you may not only live above the fear of death, but also in the joyful expectation thereof daily.

CHAP. XI. Being a Consolatory Conclusion of the whole Discourse, containing Encourage∣ments against the sear of Death, unto all such as are found in the practice of the foregoing Directions.

NOw for a Conclusion of the whole matter, upon all that hath been declared, Soul, let me ask thee one Question: Dost thou indeed see thy par∣ticular concern in this business? so see it, as really to make it thy great work and solicitude while living, to set all things right, and make all things rea∣dy for a dying hour? Some there are that are so happy as so to do; and art thou one of them? then why shouldest thou fear death? yea, why shouldest thou not exult, and thy heart leap within thee in the sight and thoughts of its ap∣proach? true, it is a dark Entry, but it leads to a fair and stately Palace, even the Fathers house: 'tis a rough and dif∣ficult passage, but it sets thee safe on shore in a large and fat land: true, it car∣ries with it some what a black, lowring, and ghastly aspect to nature, and na∣ture

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may at first possibly be startled, and recoil at the sight of it; but open the eye of thy faith, and behold it in the glass of the Gospel, view it in the death of thy Lord and Head, and it vvill not appear half so terrible; yea, thou vvilt find it to be not so much an enemy as a Friend, not as a King of Terrours, but rather as a King of Comforts; not as an object to be dreaded and trembled at, but rather to be rejoyced in, and triumphed over by thee: it vvill ap∣pear to be not loss but gain: For me to die is gain, says Paul, Phil. 1.21. yea it vvill be thy great gain, 'twill be the peri∣od of all thy misery, and the perfecting of all thy happiness; and the truth is, vve are never perfectly happy, till death comes: But for thy further encou∣ragement, I shall in a few particulars shew you vvhat Death, come vvhen it vvill, doth and vvill do for such as make all ready for its coming.

1. Death, vvhen ever it comes, vvill translate thee, thou ready soul, from Earth to Heaven, from a strange land to thine own home, and Fathers house; and vvill not this be a kindness? as for this vvorld, vvhat is it to the poor Saints

but a strange land? 'tis Heaven is their home and Countrey: hence they have confest, and do confess themselves to be Pilgrims and Strangers upon earth, Heb. 11.13. and the Psalmist, in the words immediately foregoing my Text, Psalm 39.12. owns it to God, I am a So∣journer and a stranger here: yea, this world is not onely a strange land, but a waste howling wilderness to such, where∣in they live among wild Beasts, Lions, Bears, Wolves, Tygers, and the like: Lusts within, and Devils without, rea∣dy daily to devour them: but now when Death comes, that carries them off from this strange land, this waste howling wilderness, to their own home and coun∣trey, which is Heaven; yea to their Fa∣thers house, there to live with him, to enjoy his presence, and to adore his grace. We know, says the Apostle, that when our earthly house of this tabernacle (speaking of the Body) shall be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1. And you know how Christ speaks to his Disciples, Joh. 14.2. In my Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, and thi∣ther

does death carry you when it comes; Oh sweet! Oh my Beloved, to go home, to go to our Fathers house, and to pos∣sess our Mansion there, that Mansion which our dear Lord and Head is gone before to prepare for us, how sweet is this to think of? and how many deaths may it sweeten? Suppose one of you were some thousand miles distant from your home, Country, and Comforts, and you were in a waste howling Wilder∣ness, among Lions and Bears, ready to devour you, a wide Sea also being be∣tween home and you, and suppose with∣al, that a Ship should come and take you into her, and in a short time set you down in your own Country, and among all your Friends and comforts, would not this be a kindness? why this is your case here, O ye preparing souls, and this is the kindness death does for you when it comes: while here, you are ten thou∣sand miles distant from your home and Country, your Friends and Comforts, and in a waste howling Wilderness, but Death, that swift Sailer comes, and in a moment sets you down in Heaven, your home and Country; O how welcom should it then be to you?

2. Death, whenever it comes, will carry thee from trouble to rest, from a tempestuous Sea to a quiet Haven, there to lie at an eternal Anchor in the bosom of thy sweet Lord. This world ever was, and (for any thing I know) ever will be a place of trouble to the people of God: sure I am, Christ hath told us, In the world you shall have tribulation, Jo. 16.33. And who of us does not find it made good? This world is a tempestuous Sea, wherein the Waves lift up themselves, and the poor Saints are afflicted and tossed with tempests, and oftentimes not comforted, Isa. 54.11. We read in Jonah 1.13. that the Sea wrought, and was tempestuous, and the Mariners were fain to row hard to get the Ship to shore. And truly, thus 'tis often in the case in hand, the Sea of this world is tempestuous, it works, and the poor Saints are fain to row hard to get safe to shore; yea, as we read, Acts 27.14. that an Euroclydon, a tempestuous East∣wind arose, and beat upon Paul, and others in the Ship with him, which was ready to break all in pieces: So truly the Saints in this world do meet with Eu∣roclydons, tempestuous winds, not a

few, which beat upon them, and are ready to split all, and sink all; but now, when death comes, those stormes are all made a calm, and they (I mean the Saints) are brought into the desired Haven: Death sets them at rest; 'tis indeed their dismission to rest; There (says Job, speaking of the Grave) the weary be at rest, Job 3.17. Death sends the body to rest, it frees it from all sensible sufferings: when Death comes, thy weak body, thy sick body, thy pained body, thy consumptive body shall have its dismission to rest; and Death sends the soul to rest, that rests in God, and with God: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, henceforth they rest from their labours, Rev. 14.13. and you have, I think, both together in one Scripture, Isa. 57.2. where speak∣ing of the righteous, 'tis said, They shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds. Hence we read, that there remain∣eth a rest to the people of God, Heb. 4.9. indeed it remains, 'tis not here; but when death comes, that sets them down in this remaining rest. Oh what a kind∣ness must this be? Rest! O how sweet is rest? how desirable is rest? and rest too

after long and hard labour and trouble? how sweet is rest to the labouring man, that hath wrought hand all the day? how sweet is rest to the weary traveller, that hath gone a long and dirty jour∣ney? how sweet is rest to the solicitous Mariner, and how welcom is the Har∣bour to him, especially after having been long toss'd and beaten with storms and tempests? and how sweet will rest be to the poor, troubled, tempted, la∣bouring, travelling Saint, whose whole life has been little else but trouble, la∣bour, and sore travel; who here could scarce all his days find a resting place for the sole of his foot, the world as to him being covered with a de∣luge?

3. Death, whenever it comes, will turn your conflicts into victory; this Aceldama, or Field of blood (for such is this world) into a Mount of Triumph, and a Throne of Glory. What is this world but an Aceldama, a Field of blood, to the poor Saints? Sure I am, this life is little else but a perpetual war and conflict with lusts, with devils, with afflictions, and with temptations; hence 'tis call'd a fight; a warfare, and the like:

and the enemies which they in this war∣fare have to grapple with, are formi∣dable enemies: We wrestle not, says the Apostle, with flesh and blood, but with Principalities, and Powers, and spiritual wickednesses, Eph. 6.12, 13. We wrestle not vvith flesh and blood, that is, vvith men, or any thing that is frail and vveak, no, vve have more potent and formidable enemies to deal vvithal, vve vvrestle and conflict vvith Devils, vvho are potent, subtile, and indefatigable: Enemies (as Calvin observes upon the place) which wound before they appear, and kill before they are seen; Enemies which deal not onely by force and power, but who are dreadfully crafty and subtil, yea enemies which have fiery darts to cast at us, as afterwards he speaks: and for my own part, I think it vvere vvell for us, over what it is, if these vvere the vvorst enemies vve had to grapple and conflict withal; but there are legions of lusts within (which I look upon to be vvorse enemies) vvhich vve do and must vvrestle vvith (intestine enemies are in many respects the vvorst) these war against our souls, 1 Pet. 2.11. and vvere it not for these, all the Devils in Hell

could do us no hurt. Thus this life is to the Saints a vvarfare, a conflict; and O the vvounds, the bruises, the blood∣shed vvhich they are exposed unto in this War! now their Peace, and then their Grace; now their Comforts, and then their Consciences are sorely wound∣ed, and they lie a bleeding for days, and weeks, and months together; yea, sometimes like him that vvas travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, they are vvounded, and left half dead, and did not the good Samaritan pass by, take compassion on them, and pour in of his Wine and Oyl, his Blood and Spirit, into their vvounds, they vvould soon be vvholly dead: Well, but now when Death comes, that puts an end to this War, and sets them all down upon a Throne of Triumph: To him that over∣cometh (says Christ) will I grant to sit with me upon my Throne, even as I also overcame, and am sate down with my Fa∣ther on his Throne, Rev. 3.21. When death comes, then you begin an eternal Triumph with Christ; then the Palm vvill be put into your hands, and you shall triumphingly cry, Victory, Victory, for ever. O how sweet vvill this be!

how sweet is the Victory to a Souldier that has been long and hard put to it in the Battel? and indeed, the harder the Battel, the more glorious the Triumph. 'Tis a sweet and a great saying which I have read in Aug. to this purpose, The Conquerour, saith he, triumphs; and un∣less he had fought, he had never conquered and by how much the greater his danger and difficulty was in the battel, by so much the greater is his joy in the triumph. O Sirs, not only will death set you upon a Mount of Triumph; but know for your encouragement, the sharper your conflicts and warfare have been here, the more glorious will your triumph be, when Death shall set you upon the Throne.

4. Death, whenever it comes, will change your bondage into liberty, your spiritual thraldom into glorious, free∣dom; and is not this a kindness? Poor soul, one thing which here thou bleed∣est and groanest under, is that spiritual bondage and thraldom which thou liest under: And indeed this world is no other than a Prison, a Dungeon, an house of Bondage to thee, the Land of thy Captivity: Here thou liest in Chains

and Fetters, the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Guilt, yea, and the iron some∣times enters into my spirit. Hence we read of the bondage of corruption, which indeed is the forest bondage in the world, a worse bondage ten thousand times than that which Israel groaned and sighed under in Egypt, who yet were made to serve with rigour, and whose lives were made bitter with hard bondage, Exod. 1.13, 14. Truly this lust, and the other lust, this corruption, and the o∣ther corruption, are as so many Egyp∣tians, cruel Task-masters, which make thee serve with rigour, and thy life bit∣ter to thee with hard bondage: and oh how dost thou groan and sigh under the bondage of a proud, dead, hard, carnal, unbelieving heart, an heart bent to back∣sliding from God? And indeed, who that is sensible of it, can but groan un∣der it? This drew that heavy groan from Paul, and bitter out-cry, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am! says he: Why Paul, what is the matter? Oh, says he, I find a law in my members war∣ring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death. I am by sin brought into

captivity to sin, and I have a body of sin and death lying heavy upon me, hea∣vier than a Mountain of Brass or Iron; and who can but groan? and as 'twas with him, so 'tis with all the Saints in their measure: Well, but when death comes, Sirs, that will turn all this your boudage into liberty, yea into the glori∣ous liberty of the Children of God, Rom. 8.21. that will turn again this your cap∣tivity: And oh how sweet will, that be? You have some little tastes of this liber∣ty here; for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3.7. and the tastes of it are sweet, very sweet; but O how sweet vvill the full enjoyment on't be? Paul breaks out into praises in the faith of it before-hand, I thank God through Jesus Christ, Rom. 7.25. O soul, how should this make thee long for Death? Can a Prison, can an house of Bondage, can a state of thraldom be pleasant to thee? Canst thou be vvell-pleased to lie in chains and fetters of sin and guilt? Shouldest thou not rather vvelcom that vvhich alone vvould vvork thy deliverance?

5. Death, whenever it comes, will be the death of all your sins, and the

perfection of all your graces? and will not that be a kindness? Poor Saint, how dost thou here bleed and groan under the sense of the life and vigour of thy sins on the one hand, and of the weak∣ness and imperfection of thy graces on the other hand? yea, how great are the conflicts and holy contentions of thy spirit, to kill and bring down the one, and to quicken and perfect the other? How dost thou, with the holy Apostle of old, forgetting those things which are behind, follow after, that thou mayst ap∣prehend that for which also thou art ap∣prehended of Christ Jesus, pressing towards the mark, &c. Phil. 3.12, 13, 14. O the watchings, the warrings, the wrest∣lings of thy soul for more grace, more holiness, more victory over, and clean∣sing from sin! Oh the many prayers and tears, sighs and groans that thou pourest out between God and thy soul, in order hereunto! These things are the busi∣ness of thy life; yea, and after all, sin is still strong and lively, and grace is still weak and imperfect; the sense of which breaks thy heart almost, and makes thee go mourning all the day long: What daily cleansing thy self,

and yet still unclean? daily perfecting holiness, yet still imperfect? Oh hovv fad is this? Well, but Soul, vvhen death comes, things vvill be strangely alter'd vvith thee; that vvill do that for thee in one moment, vvhich thou by a vvhole life of prayers, tears, faith, vvatching, vvarring, labouring, couldst not do; 'tvvill make thee perfect: Hence those above are said to be so, the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12.23. then all that is imperfect will be done away, and that which is prefect shall come, 1 Cor. 13.10. perfect grace, perfect holiness: Novv there is much lacking in thy faith, thy love, thy obedience, thy humility, thy heavenliness, thy joy and delight in God; but death, vvhen it comes, vvill make up all in a moment: yea, novv thou art stained and defiled vvith sin, and this lust and the other lust stirs, and vvorks, and vvars vvithin thee; but vvhen death comes, that vvill purge a∣vvay all: Death is the Saints only per∣fect cleanser through Christ: Indeed 'tis said of vvicked men and hypocrites, that their iniquites shall lie down with them in the dust, Job 20.11. vvhich is a dread∣ful vvord indeed: Death does not kill

their sins; no, they live in the grave; they go vvith them into the other vvorld, and vvill there live in them for ever; vvhich vvill be a great part of their torment: 'twill be indeed (however they may now think of it) the one half of hell: for vvhat is hell, but sin at the highest, and vvrath at the hot∣test? but though it be thus vvith vvick∣ed ones, yet 'tis otherwise vvith the Saints; Death, through the Grace of Christ, vvill for ever put a period to your sin, and perfect your graces: Oh sweet! vvho vvould not vvelcom death?

6. Death, vvhenever it comes, vvill set thee above all afflictive distances be∣tween God, Christ, the Comforter, and thee, and vvill set down thy soul in the full, constant, and immediate vision and fruition of all for ever; and is not this svveet? Poor Saint, here thou com∣plainest, that God is as a stranger to thee, and as a way faring man, that turneth aside to tarry but for a night: Thou hast only novv and then a short visit from him, Jer. 14.8. Thou complainest that thy Beloved withdraws himself, and is gone, Cant. 5.6. Thou complainest that the Comforter that should relieve thy soul

is far from thee, Lam. 1.18. thou com∣plainest of many sad and woful distances from God, and of the lowness of thy communion, and well thou maist; for indeed, how little a portion is there here seen, or enjoyed of him by thee? well, but when death comes, that will lift thee above all those distances be∣tween God and thee, Christ and thee, and set thee down in the full, constant, and immediate vision and fruition of him for ever; the thoughts of which made Paul, and others, to desire to be gone, and to chuse death rather than life, 2 Cor. 7.6, 7, 8. We are confident (says he) knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: for we walk by faith, not by sight: we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Pray observe, Paul enjoyed as much of God and Christ here, as most did; and yet all that com∣munion he enjoyed here, he accounted as no communion, to that which he should enjoy after death, While we are present in the body, says he, that is, while we live in this world, we are absent from the Lord, absent from God and Christ, our

communion here is but distance and e∣strangement, so low and unconstant is it, in comparison of what we know we shall enjoy after death; and therefore, says he, we had rather be absent from the body, we had rather be gone hence, and be present with the Lord: Death will bring us to anotherguess presence and enjoyment of God and Christ, than here we shall ever be able to reach unto. Alas! all we enjoy of God and Christ here, is but as an earnest; so the Apostle speaks in the verse foregoing: He that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit: but when Death comes, we shall enjoy the full inheritance: all we enjoy here is but as the first-fruits; we that have the first fruits of the spirit, says the Apostle, Rom. 8.23. but when death comes, we shall have the full vin∣tage, full incomes of love, full mani∣festations of light, and life, and glory, fulness of joy and pleasure in the Divine Presence, Psal. 16.11. full embraces in Christs bosom, full views of his face, full visions of his glory. Death, when it comes, will bring us to the Beatifical Vision, which is all good and happiness

in one; Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, Mat. 5.8. They do see God now, they see him by Faith, and those sights of him are sweet, glorious, soul-ravishing, and transforming sights: but after death they shall have other sights of him, such sights of him as will even infinitely surpass all that ever they had, or were capable of here. Here they see him but through a glass darkly, that is, they have but low, obscure, mediate sights of him, they see and enjoy but little of him; but when death comes, then they shall see him face to face, that is, fully, clearly, immediately, 1 Cor. 12.12. The sum is, as a learned man gives it us, that in this life we have but low and slen∣der sights and enjoyments of God, in com∣parison of what we shall see, know, and en∣joy of him in eternal life. Glas. Rhet. Here they see but his back parts, as God said to Moses; but when death comes, they shall see his face, that is, his glory: here they see him but negatively, as it were, what he is not; but then they shall see him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2. we shall see him as he is, in all his glorious excellencies and perfections. In short, they shall then have such sights and enjoyments of God

and Christ, as shall eternally fill, delight, solace, satisfie, and set at rest their souls for ever; such sights and enjoyments as shall so solace and satisfie them, as that there shall not be room for the least tittle or iota of a desire for ever; yea, such sights and enjoyments as shall so satisfie them, as to leave them under an utter impossibility of ever turning aside from them to any thing else, and so an eternal impossibility of sinning. Oh how sweet must this be! and indeed the School-men I find, and others from them, give this as one reason, why the Saints in heaven are impeccable, be∣cause the sight and enjoyment they have of God there, is so full and satisfying, as that they cannot turn aside to any thing else. O welcom death, that brings us to those sights, those enjoyments of God, the Chief Good. Once more:

7. Death, when ever it comes, will bring you to, and set you down in the enjoyment of an eternal Sabbath: and oh how sweet is this! There remaineth a Rest (the word is, a Sabbath, or Sabba∣tism) to the people of God, Heb. 4.9. Ay, but when shall they enjoy it? why truly, when death comes, that will enter

them upon it: immediately, upon the night of death, dawns the eternal Sab∣bath. True, the Saints enjoy a Sab∣bath here, and the Sabbath to them is the sweetest and amiablest day in all the week, 'tis a day of joy and holy feasting to their souls; and oh how many times do your souls long for it? but alas these Sabbaths have an end: but the Sabbath death will set them down in, will be an eternal Sabbath, and an eternal Sabbath, wherein they shall be employed in the highest acts of worship and adoration, even Love, Praise, Admiration, and Halleluja's for ever; wherein there will be no weariness, no faintness; wherein there shall be no intermission, no going to duties, and break off again, as here we do; but an whole Eternity shall be im∣ployed in acts of Divine Worship and Adoration; wherein there shall be no deadness, no dulness, no spiritual in∣dispositions, no unsuitableness in us to those high and holy Exercises which this Sabbath will be fill'd with; but our souls shall be perfectly suited to, and fitted for those glorious employs; wherein not a few only, and those some Saints and some sinners, some good and

some bad, shall joyn together in acts of worship; but an innumerable company both of Saints and Angels, and these all perfectly holy, Heb. 12.22, 23, 24. Oh how sweet and glorious will this be! 'Tis a great saying which I have read in a worthy Divine, Sabbaths here are com∣fortable, says he, and we have tasted some sweet, some comfort in some Sabbaths; but take all the comfort that ever you had in all the Sabbaths you have enjoyed here, and all will be nothing to the comforts and sweetness of the Eternal Sabbath. Alas! the perpetual Sabbath that shall be here∣after, that will be the accomplishment of all these Sabbaths; how sweet then must that be! Oh ye Saints of God, lift, up your heads, death will set you down in this Sabbath. How have some of us longed sometimes for the coming of the Sabbath! and how have we grieved when it has been gone! well, but when death comes, that will bring you to a Sabbath that shall never end. 'Tis a sweet saying of Austin, There (says he, speaking of Heaven) is the great Sab∣bath, a Sabbath that hath no evening, no end, in which we shall rest and behold, be∣hold and love, love and praise for ever.

Oh blessed be God for this Sabbath: and blessed be God that death, when it comes, shall bring us to this Sabbath. Well then, fear not death, dread not death, but be found diligent and faith∣ful in the use of the helps prescribed for the preparing of your souls for it; and then 'twill greatly befriend you, when ever it comes, and you may exult and rejoyce in it.

I should now conclude, but I must first beg all that read this plain Dis∣course, deeply and frequently to consi∣der and contemplate these things.

1. Every day seriously consider and contemplate the exceeding worth of your souls, and the great things they are capable of: 'tis sad to think what low thoughts the most of men have of their souls: they are content to sell their souls, to lose their souls, to damn their souls, and all for a lust, for a little of this world, a little carnal sensual plea∣sure and delight here, which is but for a moment. That rebuke which Austin gave one, is due to the most; How comes it to pass, says he, that among all thy good things, thou wilt let nothing be in an ill case but thy self, thy Soul? Truly

the most of men are solicitous to have all well but their Souls; they will have it go well with their Bodies, their Names, their Estates, their Families, but their Souls they mind not: But, my Beloved, I beseech you think deeply and frequently of the worth of your souls, and the concerns of them: O 'tis your soul that is your principal part; Christ who best knew the worth of souls, tells you that the whole World is nothing to one soul; and that the gain of the one can't recompence the loss of the other, no not in the least, Mat. 16.26. and you know what a price he was pleased to pay for souls, even his own Blood, his precious Blood, Life and all, 1 Pet. 1.19. Besides, there are two things which speak the soul to be a thing of unspeakable worth and value: its vast capacity, and its absolute immortality. (1.) The capacity of the soul speaks its worth: Oh what great things is the soul of man capable of? there is a kind of infiniteness, as a worthy Divine ob∣serves, in the soul of man, 'tis capable of even an infinite happiness, or an in∣finite misery; 'tis capable of eternal life, or eternal death; 'tis capable of uncon∣ceivable

communications both of love and wrath, and must one day be fill'd with the one or the other of them; 'tis capable of knowing God, of bearing his Image, of enjoying glorious communi∣on with him, yea of living Gods own life, and in a participation of his own blessedness: look whatever the Angels enjoy, look whatever the humane soul of Christ enjoys, that thy soul is capable of the enjoyment of: Sinner, O how pre∣cious does this speak it to be! and how great should thy concern be for it while day and season lasts! contemplate it therefore a little, and say, O how pre∣cious is my soul, and what great things is it capable of! and it being so, why do I take up in such low, poor, dungy, drossy things, as the best of sin and this world are? (2dly) The immortality of the soul argues its worth, the soul that never dies; 'tis indeed but as it were a spark, a beam of God's own im∣mortality breathed into the body, at least there is a stamp and impress there∣of upon it: the body, that dies, that returns to dust; but the soul, that lives, that goes to God, Eccles. 12.7. As the mortality of the body, as a Learned

man observes, so the immortality of the soul is here asserted. Besides, Abraham Isaac, and Jacob, with the rest of the good old Patriarchs, and Servants of God, who died long since, are notwith∣standing living still; so Christ argues you know, Mat. 22.32, that is, their souls live, as indeed do the souls of all that are gone hence; their souls all live ei∣ther in happiness or misery, with God or Devils, and so must thine and mine, Sinner; when our body shall be eaten by the worms, our souls will live either in Heaven or Hell: Oh think of this, daily contemplate and say, I have a soul within me that must live for ever, and that as filled with even an infinite hap∣piness or misery; I have a soul within me that is capable of unspeakable joys, or unconceivable torments, and in the one or the other it will, it must live for ever: why then am I not more con∣cerned for it?

2. Seriously contemplate, and daily soak your spirits in the thoughts of the wonderful weight and importance of Eternity, the greatness of the concern of the other world. O Eternity, Eter∣nity! O vast, great, boundless Eternity!

how shall I do to speak of thee? how are my thoughts lost, and my spirit overwhelmed, when I set my self to contemplate, how great, how weighty a thing thou art? an endless, boundless, bottomless state; a state that admits of neither change, pause, or period for e∣ver; a state of unconceivable happi∣ness or misery; happiness in the enjoy∣ment, or misery in the loss of, and ba∣nishment from God and Christ for ever; happiness in the fruition of infinite love, or misery in the revelation of infinite wrath? one of which every soul must be the object of for ever. Eternity! such is the weight of it in it self, that indeed we know not how to conceive of it, every thing but Eternity has an end, a last: so innumerable as the stars of Heaven are, yet there is a last Star, and the number of them has an end, though we cannot reach it: so innumerable as the Sands on the Sea-shore are, yet there is a last Sand and the number of them has an end, could we reach to it: so numerous as the piles of Grass, which are now, and from the Creation of the world have been, and to the end of the world shall be, are, yet there is an end

of the number of them, could we reach it; there is a last pile, a last spire of Grass: so innumerable as the grains of Corn, in all the Harvests that ever were, or shall be, are, yet the number of them has an end, though we cannot reach it and there is a last grain: so innumerable as all the drops of Rain that ever did fall, or shall fall upon the Earth, from the Creation to the end of the world, are, yet still there is a last drop, yea, and that though all the drops contained in the wide and deep Sea be added there∣unto: so innumerable as the children of men have been, are, and shall be, to the end of all things: so innumerable as all the hairs of the head of them all have been, are, and will be: so innumerable as all the thoughts of the hearts of all throughout all Ages have been, are, and will be: so innumerable as all the Bruits and Animals, which both the Earth and the Sea have brought forth, do and will bring forth, are and will be, yet still the number of them has an end, could we reach it, and there is a last man, a last hair, a last thought, a last animal: should all the vast Body of the Heavens, which our eyes behold, be full written

with figures by the hand of an Angel; yet the number of those figures would have an end, and there would be a last figure: but as for Eternity, that has no end, no last: could all those vast numbers prementioned be put together into one, who could in the least conceive of the thousand thousandth part of it? yet all this were nothing to Eternity, no not the thousand thousandth part of it. Thus Eternity is unconceivably weighty in it self, and 'tis Eternity indeed that puts weight into all other things: 'tis Eternity that puts weight into the future Judg∣ment: what were that Judgment, but that 'tis Eternal Judgment? Heb. 6, 2. 'Tis Eternity that puts weight indeed into the happiness and joys of heaven: what were that happiness, and those joys, were they not Eternal? hence 'tis cal'd Eternal life, Eternal glory, a never-fading Crown, an everlasting Kingdom, joy and pleasure for evermore: So (you know) the Scripture speaks of it, as that which is its Crown and perfection: hence we read of being for ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4.17. to be with the Lord is sweet; Peter found it so; all the Saints in their measure find it so here: but to be with the Lord

[for ever,] that makes it infinitely sweet indeed: thus and thus [for ever] in the bosom of my Father's love, and there [for ever] in the views of my Redeemers glory, and there [for ever] joyned in with an innumerable com∣pany of Angels, in loving, praising, ad∣miring, adoring, and singing Hallelu∣jahs to God and the Lamb; and this [for ever;] to be fully swallowed up in the Divine life, the Divine will, the Divine presence, the Divine fulness, and this [for ever;] to be set above all fin, to be delivered from an unavoidable ne∣cessity of sinning, to an absolute impos∣sibility of sinning, and this [for ever.] O how sweet, how glorious is this! this one word Eternity, or for ever, is that which puts great sweetness into it. Again, 'tis Eternity that indeed puts weight into the miseries and torments of the damned: what were the fire of Hell, were it not unquenchable fire? what were the Worm there, were it not a never-dying Worm? when the Scripture would speak of the exceeding greatness and severity of those torments, (you know) 'tis in this language: There the worm never dies, and the fire is

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never quenched, Mark 9.44. their mi∣series and torments are eternal, and in∣deed Hell would be no Hell, in compa∣rison, had it not Eternity in it. Most weighty is the meditation which I have read in a learned and holy man to this purpose: O Eternity! Eternity! O never∣ending Eternity! O Eternity that can be measured by no spaces of time, that can be perceived or apprehended by no humane in∣tellect or understanding! how unconceive∣ably dost thou augment the torments of the damned! And but a few lines after, he again cries out; O Eternity! Eternity! thou and thou alone dost aggravate the tor∣ments, the punishment of the damned, be∣yond all measure. Heavy is the punish∣ment of the damned because of its sharp ness, its extensiveness, its universality, there being all plagues and punishments in it; but says he, it is most heavy, be∣cause of its Eternity. Oh 'tis this indeed that makes it intollerably great and hea∣vy. O not only to be banished from God and Christ, to be driven from the Beatifical Vision, but to be banished and driven from hence for ever. O doleful! to be in the flames, to suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire, to be sinning, and always

bearing the punishment of sin, and all this [for ever;] O this makes it out of measure heavy, thus, and always thus, under the wrath of God, and for ever so! this puts weight into it. Thus you see a little of the weight of Eternity, O contemplate it daily.

3. Consider and contemplate how dole∣ful a thing it will be to miscarry for ever; and on the other hand what a wide door of mercy there is open to you, & the fair opportunity you have of making a bles∣sed provision for your souls and eternity.

1. Consider and contemplate how dole∣ful a thing it will be to miscarry for ever, to perish eternally; the more worth there is in the soul, & the greater weight there is in Eternity, the more doleful it will be to perish or miscarry, as to the interest of them: to miscarry in our Estate, in our trade, in our name, in the change of our condition in this world, or the like, this is sad, and sinks many; but Oh what is this to the miscarriage of the soul for ever! what is this to a miserable Eternity, to the loss of God, of Christ, of the Com∣forter, of Heaven, and Eternal life? what is this to the wrath of God, to the ven∣geance of Eternal fire, to utter darkness,

to blackness of darkness for ever. O Sirs! to have infiniteness and Eternity com∣bined against you to make you miserable and to be for ever as miserable as infi∣niteness and eternity can make you, (as assuredly you will, in case you neglect to make provision for your souls, and the future life) O how dreadful, how doleful will this be! and what bitter lamentati∣ons will it fill you with for ever! Did E∣sau weep when he had lost his Birth∣right? and did Lysimachus upbraid him∣self, and bewail his folly, for parting with his Kingdom for a draught of water? O then how will you weep and wail, and even tear and torment your selves for e∣ver, for your sin and folly, when you shall find, that for a little of this world, for the satisfaction of a lust, for a few dreggy, drossy pleasures, and sensual delights, or perhaps through a mere sloth of spirit, you have lost your souls and have plun∣ged your selves into an infinite Ocean of Eternal woe and misery, whence there∣is no redemption for ever for you! Pray lay that Scripture to heart now, Lu. 13.27, 28. Depart from me, says Christ, all ye workers of iniquity: Depart, here is the Doom that will pass at last upon

every unrepenting, unbelieving sinner, every soul that makes not ready for a dying hour; well, and what then? there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you thrust out. O Sirs, when you shall see such and such lodged safe in Heaven, in the Bosom of Christ, and your selves shut out; and not only so, but cast into utter darkness, as you have it added, Mat. 18.12. when you shall see your selves shut up in the infernal Pit, and there seal'd up under Gods eternal wrath; O then ye will weep and gnash your teeth indeed; then your own Con∣science will be eternally a second Hell to you, tearing and tormenting your souls in the remembrance of your sin and fol∣ly, in neglecting to prepare for, and make sure of a better state. Think of these things ere it be too late.

2. Consider and contemplate what a wide Door of Mercy there is open to you, and what a fair opportunity God gives you, to make a blessed provision for your souls and Eternity. What shall I say? why Sirs, the way of Salvation is made plain to you, and you are daily

called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb; the great King of Heaven invites you to come and partake of his Gospel-Feast, by one and another Servant of his which he sends to you, he lets you know that all things are ready, all that your souls can need, to make them happy for ever; Christ is ready, and in him life is ready, grace is ready, peace is ready, par∣don is ready, a compleat righteousness for your justification & acceptation with God is ready, heaven is ready, salvation is ready, and withal he bids you come, yea he earnestly importunes and solicites you to come, and feast your souls upon these things; he freely and frequently offers himself and all to you, intreating your acceptance: yea more he opens the arms of his love to you, assuring you of most cordial welcome, and ready re∣ception, notwithstanding all your sins and miscarriages? him that cometh unto me, I will by no means cast out, Jo. 6.37. let him be who, and what he will, a young, an old sinner, a small, a great sinner, a sinner that hath stood it out against me, a little or a long time, I will not cast him out, my Grace is free, my Fulness is large and sufficient, my

Blood is precious, and has an infinite vertue in it, my Spirit is powerful and efficacious, I am every way mighty to save, able to save to the utmost all that come to God by me; yea, 'tis my work and business to save, my Father seal'd and sent me for that end, and for that end came I into the world, and there did and suffered such things as I did; and I may not, I will not cast off any poor soul that will come and partake of me and my Fulness, and that would fain be helped on towards life and blessed∣ness: This is really the language of Christ to poor sinners; yea more, he sends his Spirit to enlighten, to con∣vince, to perswade, to draw and allure them, and he does move in them, and strive with them: O what a wide door of mercy is there here open to you, Sirs! and how fair is your opportunity of preparing for, and making sure of a blessed Eternity? O accordingly, as you love your souls, and would live for ever. come into Christ, come and apply and improve him in a way of believing, for the good of your eternal souls; in his strength set upon repenting, believing work, the work of your souls and Eter∣nity;

and your day being so bright, as indeed it is, O labour to know the things of your peace in your day! lest neglect∣ing them, Christ speedily say of you, as once with tears in his eyes he did of neg∣lecting Jerusalem, Luke 19.42. O that thou hadst known in thy day the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.— I have done: I'l close all with that holy wish for you, my dear Congregation, and my self, that Austin was wont to make for himself, and his people; namely, That as they had been often crowded together to worship God in that earthly Temple wherein he preach'd, so they might eternally live toge∣in the Heavenly Temple above: So my wish and desire is, that we, my beloved, you and I, who have often been throng∣ed and crowded together in an earthly House, may live together eternally, and eternally adore God together in our Fa∣ther's House above; and if we shall ne∣ver preach, and pray, and here, and sing together more on Earth, (as I am apt to think we shall not) yet that we may praise, and love, and admire God, and sing Hallelujas to him for ever together in Heaven. Amen, Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• Cessa pereutere & affligere, &c. Mol. Leniter mecum age, Mar. Abstule ali∣quantulum manus tuas à flagellando, Menoch.
• Ʋt respirem ante mortem & traquillus animam meam in manum tu∣am doponam. Mol.
• Antequam mo∣rio••, in hanc vi∣tam na••quam reversurus Jun