Motives to holy living, or, Heads for meditation divided into consideratins, counsels, duties : together with some forms of devotion in litanies, collects, doxologies, &c.

§. 168.

II. HEADS for Meditation of SICKNESS, DEATH, JUDGMENT.

Consider,

1. First the great benefit, and powerful operation of this Meditation; especially being urged by our Saviour, and the other Scriptures, as a chief motive to vigilancy and diligence in well doing. For which consider those places: Luk. 21.34. —16.9. Matt. 24.42. &c. 2.13. Mark 13.35. Deut. 32.29. Eccl. 11.9. —7.2, 3, 4. Ps. 90.12. —41. 1.4. —39.4. Lam. 1.9.

1. Being very beneficial for weakning pride, and am∣bition, worldly cares, and designs; and generally all sin, and inordinacy of affections. Eccl. 2.21.18, 19. 1. Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. Ecclesiasticus, 7.36. Facile contemnit omnia qui cogitat se esse moriturum semper. Nihil sic revocat a peccato, quam frequens mortis meditatio. Mors, & quae in malis ha∣bentur, ob oculos tibi quotidie versentur; sic nihil unquam humile cogitabis (i. e. to do unworthy things for worldly ends) nec impensè cupies quicquam. Epictetus.

2. Being useful for taking away the fear, terrour, and astonishment thereof, when it come (which we are sure one day must come) which are much lessened by often premeditation; forewarned, forearm'd. Ab assuetis non fit passio.

2. After this: imagine your self lying on your death-bed taking your leave for ever of this world, and all things dear to you therein, even of your own Body for a long time. And 2ly, Going to the place where God's justice shall assign you, the day of his mercy to you being then expired; and his patience, and long suffering ended; and our Saviour also then ceasing for you his intercessions.

1. 3. Then in order to the first of these [Leaving the World.] Consider

The strange alteration that will then be in your Judg∣ment, and opinion, concerning all the things of this world; and the extream vanity and folly of them; we then speak∣ing like those, Wisd. 5.7, 8. &c. and fruitlesly wishing a few hours of that now eternally irrevocable time mispent in such vanities, wherein to fast, pray, and reform our life past.

4. The extream shortness, and swift passage, that will then seem of your life past, and of all the worldly contents received therein, (for which consider that part of your life already past, how short, and how nothing worth it now seems unto you,) without any present or remaining fruit of them. And that all the pains of virtuous living then also would have been past, and seemed as short (to your comfort); and an eternal harvest of bliss, for them, to follow.

5. The sudden parting at once that then must be (with∣out taking the least thing with you, 1. Tim. 6.7. Psal. 49.17.) from all things even the most dearly affected by you in this life. And every thing at that time with so much more grief forsaken; by how much it was here more affected; and more lively to resent this, imagine the destraction and horror that would be to you in a pre∣sent exile from your Country into some desolate Island.

6. The great uncertainty, or unworthiness, of the inheri∣tors of your goods, and fortunes: (That great affliction of the wisest of men (See Eccl. 2.18, 19. Psal. 49. Ps. 39.6.) And, upon these well weighed, consider the reasonableness of the Apostles deduction and proposal. (1. Tim. 6.8.)

7. The leaving also behind of your own Body, and be∣holding your self even before death stript, first, of all your beauty, strength, abilities, perfections thereof, and many times also of your reason, and judgment; And consider as

the decays of it in sickness, so the filthiness, and loath some∣ness thereof, after death.

8. Upon these consider the fruitfulness, and loss, in that day, of all your labour spent on your body; or on your worldly estates, and fortunes; except only, what was done in rela∣tion to God's service. This in order to the first: you lea∣ving the world.

2. 9. In order to the second; [your going to a place of bliss, or torment, which so ever God's justice shall assign you:] Consider

The eyes of the Soul opened by death (as Stephen's were Act. 7.57. or the young mans, 2. Kings. 6.17.) And all things appearing new unto it (as the world, or the Sun did, to the man that was born blind. Jo. 9. Or to one, could he well observe it, that is newly come forth of the womb), and much contrary to what was formerly ima∣gined; so as things do to one awakned out of a long dream.

10. A doom, or Judgment, upon the Soul immediate after death as appears by Luk. 16.22, 23. comp. 28. —1. Pet. 3. 19. —2. Cor. 5.8. Phil. 1.23. though not such as shall be after the day of judgment; God's final judgment upon the Devil himself being deferred till that day, Jude, 6. much more of the damned men. But yet supposing the Soul as senseless after death, as the Body, till the general day of doom, yet that judgment also as if it were immediate, be∣cause no interval of time is perceived by what is utterly sensless.

11. The great uncertainty and doubt your Soul shall then be in what shall become of it; because of your former not assuredly sufficient repentance, reformation, &c. and perhaps opinion also that that repentance which you can then perform is too late. Your hope being then mingled with much fear, unless perhaps your life hath been singu∣larly, and extraordinarily holy.

12. The eternally unchangable condition, after that moment,

without any benefit, of despairing repentance, and everlast∣ing tears.

13. The attendance of good, or evil Angels (according to our life past) by our bed-side to execute God's vengeance upon the ejected Soul (See Luk. 12.20.) [they shall require] 16.22. —16.9. Matt. 24.31.40.

14. That as Bodies at the resurrection, so Souls of Saints are treated at their death; since their Souls at death go to be with Christ (Phil. 1.23.) as Bodies at the Resurrection. Therefore as their Bodies then shall be caught up in the Clouds into the air to meet the Lord, &c. (1. Thes. 4.17.) so are the Souls of Saints at death caught up, and carried by Angels into heaven, which are thought to be signified by those clouds, and a throng of them to have had the appearance of a white or shining cloud (See Act. 1.9. Matt. 17.5. Luk. 16.22.) And if the Souls of Saints at death by good An∣gels are carried upwards, in the like manner doubtless are the Souls of the wicked by evil Angels thrust down into the Eternal prison.

15. The strict judgment that will then be made by God of our whole life, even to every word, and thought, and that not only on Heathen, or on Christians for enormous crimes (who are judged already as it were, Jo. 3.18.) but on Believers, for omitting deeds of Charity, and mercy; or the duties of their profession, for the not right imploying of any Gifts, or goods spiritual, or temporal bestowed upon them. (Consider Matt. 12.36.37. Jude, 14, 15. Rom. 14.11, 12. Phil. 12. comp. 11. —1. Cor. 4.4, 5. —1. Cor. 3.13. &c. Job. 31.14. Matt. 25.42. —25.30.)

16. The fresh review that will be on your death-bed (upon the approach of this account) or if it be not then, much more desperate our condition; and immediately after our dissolution it will be so much more:) of all our sins, especial∣ly those more considerable, the suggestions of evil spirits help∣ing the accusations of conscience, when repentance is too

late, for the producing of despair. Psal. 50.21. Prov. 20.27. or (which is worse) hiding our sins from us; or falsly securing the conscience when impenitent upon our Saviour's merits, to the begetting of a vain presumption.

17. The bitter remembrance that will then be of former pleasures not innocent; and so much the more detestation and cursing of every thing now loved, as we here took in it more delight.

18. The impossibility of exercising, in that time of sick∣ness, any reformation, or acts of virtue, contrary to our former sins; except perhaps some deeds of Charity; which yet is then less acceptable, when we give what we longer cannot retain, at the least unto our selves.

19. The miserable condition of wicked men at that time beyond that of a beast that wholly perisheth; And here ima∣gine the terrors of Corah &c. when they saw the earth ready to swallow them up.

20. The pious resolutions of a better life (if God would reprieve us) that we would then make; and the hearty wishes that all our time here had been spent otherwise.

21. The exceeding great and comfortable remembrance of any one past good deed.

22. After these things well weighed, which will then certainly happen, consider ¹ The great uncertainty of the time; and that death commonly comes very secretly (as our Saviour hath very carefully forewarned us) like a thief, at a time when we are asleep, and think less of it, than at other times we do. Now this imagined great distance still from our death chiefly ariseth from every ones reckoning his own end, only from deficiency of nature (which yet not one of 1000 dyes of) and not from accidental distempers: when as most commonly this our lamp goes out (either choaked with its own nourishment or violently extinguish∣ed by some external accident) before its. Oyl is half con∣sumed. And since nothing is more common then exam∣ple

of this in others on every side; what self love, and do∣tage, is it to promise our selves a better destiny, till we also surprized become the like example to others?

23. And consider likewise, and think with your self how many are dying in that very time you are thinking, and meditating of it.

24. ² When this time shall come; your impotency, and unfitness (from your fears, your pains; and many times the want of your senses:) that will then be to order, either the matter of your Soul, or of your worldly affairs: to do any thing with sufficient devotion, or prudence; and also your friends at that time hiding from you as much as they can the danger of your sickness. Nay your self, perhaps when decumbent under the stroke of death, yet removing it a far off still, and certainly presuming (being loath to imagine the worst) of a recovery; only because some few, so sick, have not dyed; of whom your unkind friends will not be wanting to mind you also, because your self formerly have recovered.

25. For exciting your resolutions, and affections, In∣deavour to make the same judgment of things for the pre∣sent; and to have the same opinion now of your sins, of the world, and its pleasures, and its cares, and your designs in it; and what you imagine you should in such a case (at such a time,) purpose, now resolve upon.

26. Prepare your self for that terrible and dreadful hour in some of those Duties set down before.

27. Avoid not, but use and seek out, all the sad memorials of death that may be; as visiting Hospitals; the sick; sore, and putrifying, dying persons; hearing their speeches, their groans; looking on the skeletons of the dead, frequenting funerals. Making many reflections on the passing of time; decays of your own Body, or other mens &c. Remembring often Eccl. 7.2, 3, 4. Repeating often the 90 Psalm. Recalling to mind, and keeping a Catalogue (sometimes

to be reviewed) of your friends, and acquaintance deceased. Considering what they were, did, are. Thus much for Sickness, and Death.