of these as 1. on Death because it will be a notable means 1. to make us apply our hearts unto Spiritual Wisdom Psal 90.12 2. To restrain us from sin lest Death should find us in it or presently after it As a Copy of Writing is safest from blotting when dust is cast on it so we are safest from sinning when we remember that we are but Dust Callamy 3. A notable means to quicken us to repentance an instance you have in Waldus A rich Merchant of Lyons in France who seeing one drop down dead in the streets went home repented and changed his life studied the Scriptures became a Teacher and Father of those Christians called the Waldenses or the poor Men of Lyons Therefore 2. To meditate on the great and terrible day of Judgment because it will be as a curb to restrain from sinning so a spur to quicken to duty 2 Cor. 15.9.10 11. 3. Therefore to meditate on Hell because it will be a notable means to keep us out of Hell whence one adviseth thus Descendamus viventes ut non descendamus morientes Bernard Let us often look down into it that we may never fall into it 4. Therefore to meditate on Heaven because it will make us more willing to leave Earth to go to Heaven whensoever God calls for us the reason why so few go to Heaven when they die is because they never thought of Heaven until they came to die Calamy First On DEATH In it to meditate on those things that may fit you for Death and those things that may make you willing to die First On those things that may fit you for Death as 1. that it is one of the chiefest parts of Wisdom that which God you saw wisheth to Man in a most pathettical manner Deut. 22.29 Oh that men were wise c. 2. The original procreant cause of it viz. Sin Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death therefore as often as you are tempted to sin by the present credit profit and pleasure of it to think on the fruit of it Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed 3. On the certainty of it In the day that thou eatest of it in dying thou shalt die that is thou shalt most certainly die Gen. 2. Heb. 9.27 It 's appointed for all to die 4. The uncertainty of it as nothing more certain so nothing more uncertain Ut morior scio sed nescio ubi quomodo quando That I shall die I know but where how and when I know not It 's a Proverb When Health is highest Death is many times nighest 1 Thess 5.3 When men cry peace then comes sudden destruction To day the Sermon-Bell tolls to call you to Church to morrow it may be the Passing-Bell to summon you to the Grave and therfore to wait for it at all times and in all places in all manner of wayes because all things come alike to all Eccles 9.1 5. To consider to die is but once to be done and that which is but once to be done had need to be well done or we are for ever undone if this work be not done or but half done at the time of dying there 's no doing or finishing it afterwards Eccles 9.10 As the Tree falleth so it lyeth as Death leaves men so Judgment finds them Heb. 9.27 6. To meditate on the terribleness of Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of Terrors Job 18.14 and needs must seeing it separates those two friends Soul and Body delivers up the Soul immediately to stand forth before the Tribunal of Christ to receive his peculiar Sentence of Damnation before the Judgment Day comes and after the Sentence to be carried by the Devils into Hell and throwes the body of the wicked into the Grave where Death gnaws upon it as upon Carrion in a Ditch puts an end to all his temporal felicity and begins his eternal misery strips him of all the comforts of this life and brings him to eternal torments 5. To meditate on the means you are to use to use to fit you for Death and they are amongst others these 1. To acquaint your selves with God and make your peace with him by Jesus Christ as Eliphas counsels Job Job 21.22 2. To get and clear up your interest in Jesus Christ who hath destroyed Death and him that had the power of Death Heb. 2.14 3. To pull out the sting of Death by Faith in the Blood of Christ and repentance for every known sin 1 John 1.7 Acts 3.19 to see that Sin die ere you die for it 's one of the terriblest threatnings in the Book of God John 8.21 If you believe not that I am He you shall die in your sins and Luke 13. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And therefore Antequam moriaris moriantur in te vitia before thou dyest be careful to see that sin die 4. Labour to die daily as unto sin so unto the World 1 Cor. 7.29 The time is but short and the fashion of this World passeth away it 's the worst husbandry in the World to have Grace to seek when men should make use of it and the sick Bed is the worst time of all others to seek it in being then scarce able to think on any thing but Pain and Death and Hell 5. To get and clear up a Work of Grace that may entitle you to Glory or there will be nothing else able to stand by you and comfort you all things in the World without a Work of Grace will like Job's Friends prove miserable Comforters 3 John 3. Except a man be born again c. Flesh and Blood shall never inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 6. Not only look to this that you have Grace but that you keep it in exercise not only that you have Lamps and Oyl in them but that you trim them against your Lord's coming Mat. 25. that is that you act and exercise your Graces especially these your Faith and Patience Heb. 6.12 your heavenly-mindedness and contempt of the World Phil. 3.20 7. That you get and keep good Consciences this will be light in darkness and life in death Prov. 14.32 The Righteous hath hope in his death 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing in the testimony of our Consciences c. Isa 38.2 Remember how I have walkt before thee in Truth c. Lastly It was Moses's Prayer and let it be yours daily Teach us Lord so to number our dayes as we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom Psal 90. In a word Let the ends of all your thoughts be the thought of your latter end that so when you come to die you may have nothing else left to do but to die and whensoever Death comes you may bid it wellcome in the Name of Christ and when you are to die to die in charity with all in obedience to God's Call and in Faith to go to and be for ever with the
he did Lament 1.12 Behold and see if there were ever sorrow like to my sorrow c. Lastly He is altogether lovely in the benefits he purchased which are either Fundamental or Consequential First For the Fundamental they are theâ—e First Reconciliation Colos 1.21 Adoption John 1.12 Justification Rom. 5.1 2 Cor. 5.21 Sanctification Eph. 2.1 Acts. 26.18 Glorification John 17.21 Secondly For the Consequential benefits these you have Rom 5.1 2 3 1 Cor. 3. the two last Sixthly You are to meditate on the great Work of ouâ— Redemption by Jesus Christ and in it of these particulars The greatness of the Person that redeem'd us the greatness of the Price wherewith the greatness of the misery from which the greatness of the happiness to which he redeem'd us the compleatness of this Redemption and the Evidences you have of your interest in this Redemption First On the greatness of the Person that redeemed us No other but the Eternal Son of God every way Coequal with his Father and whoever heard of a King that gave his Son or a Prince that ever offer'd voluntarily to lay down his life for Enemies Rebels and Traytors and yet behold God and Christ hath done this for us Gal. 4.4 Secondly On the greatness of the Price wherewith he redeemed us with no other than his precious Blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Thirdly The greatness of the misery from which he hath redeemed us Vers 13. from that Vassall age and slavery we were in to sin Satan and the World Death Judgment and Hell 1 Thes 1.10 Psal 103.1 2 3. Fourthly On the greatness of the happiness unto which he hath redeemed us viz. To be Heirs and Co-heirs with himself Rom. 8.17 1 Pet. 1.10 Fifthly On the compleatness of this Redemption as he hath compleated it for us Heb. 9.12 26. So he makes us stand compleat in himself 2 Col. 10.16 Sixthly On the evidences you have of your interest in this Redemption Three whereof you have 1 Cor. 1.30 to whom Christ is made Redemption to them he is also made wisdom to enlighten them and righteousness to justifie them and holiness to sanctifie them A fourth Evidence you have 1 Pet. 1.18 They are redeemed from their vain Conversation and made new Creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 Fifthly They are redeemed from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 Not only from the condemning but the commanding power of it Rom 6.14 Sixthly They are made a People Zealous of good works Titus 2.14 and are redeemed out of the hands of their Enemies that they may serve the Lord without fear in righteousness and holiness all the days of their life Luke 1.74 Seventhly To meditate on the ways and means of his effecting this our Redemption as these his Incarnation Conversation Passion Resurrection Ascension Session and Intercession at the right hand of God First About his Incarnation to consider and take notice that the Word was made Flesh Joh. 1.14 And the End wherefore he took our Nature was that he might make us partakers of his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 He the Son of God became the Son of Man that we the Sons of Men might be made the Sons and Daughters of the great and ever-living God John 1.12 Isaiah 56.5 In the Incarnation of Christ to take notice of these two Branches of it viz. his Conception and Nativity First For his Conceptiont herein to meditate First On the wonderful manner of it it being not after the manner of other Men but by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost Luke 1.35 Secondly The Reason of it that He might be pure and free from Original sin wherein all others are conceiv'd and born Psal 51.5 Joh. 3.6 Thirdly The End of it that He might by the purity of his Conception cover the impurity of our Conception Secondly In the Nativity of Christ First Take notice of whom it was He was born And why so First That he was born of a Virgin to fulfill the Scripture Isaiah 7 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive c. And so born that he might be without the least spot and contagion of sin wherein all others are both conceiv'd and born Psal 51. Secondly Of the Virgin Mary because the Messiah was to come of the Tribe of Judah Heb. 7.14 and the Seed of David of which stock Mary came as you may see in the Genealogy Luk. 3. Secondly To meditate on the use we are to make of it namely this That as Christ was conceiv'd and born for us so we be careful to look to this that He be conceiv'd and born in us or we can never expect to receive any benefit by his Conception and Birth for us Secondly To meditate on the Conversation of Christ and consider how He walkt and liv'd in the World which you may find in the Gospel to have been Very wisely inoffensively humbly holily spiritually heavenly and actively for the glory of God and the good of Souls such must our Conversations be conformable to the pattern set before us that so having good Consciences they may be asham'd who have and would slander our good conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 3 16. 1 Epist John 2.6 Thirdly In the Passion of Christ to meditate on these Particulars the Matter of his sufferings the Causes of his sufferings the Manner of his sufferings and the Use we are to make of his sufferings First The Matter of his sufferings what it was that He suffered which was First The Vailing of His glory under our Flesh Secondly The imputation of the sins of the whole World 1 Pet. 2.24 Thirdly The fierceness of his Father's wratâ— Lam. 1.12 and the Curse due to all our sins Gal. 3.13 Fourthly The rage of Men and Devils in the prosecution and persecution of him unto death Even the shameful cursed death of the Cross Secondly The Causes of his sufferings First The efficient Cause that was God Isaiah 53.10 Acts 2.23 Secondly The instrumental cause was the Devil and his Instruments Judas and the Jews Luk. 22.53 Thirdly The meritorious cause our sins Isaiah 53.3 4. 1 Pet. 2.24 Fourthly The final cause that He might bring us back again to God 1 Pet. 3.18 and Redeem us from Eternal sufferings and sweeten and sanctifie all our temporal sufferings Thirdly For the manner of his sufferings that was First Willingly without compulsion Secondly Patiently so as he was as a Sheep dumb before the Shearer Isaiah 53. Thirdly Constantly unto Death Fourthly For the use you are to make of his sufferings which is this To be willing to suffer a little from him and for him who hath suffered so much from us and for us and the rather First Because by his sufferings he hath freed us from Eternal sufferings sweetned and sanctified all our temporal sufferings Secondly Because he hath promised if we suffer with Him we shall Reign with Him 2 Tim. 2.12 Thirdly Because if we chuse rather to sin than suffer for him we must expect to suffer for ever in Hell Mark 8. last Fourthly Because
all pains and miseries and calamities and all sin which is the cause of them as sin brought Death into our bodies so Death carries sin out of the body and however these vile bodies be dissolved into dust yet they shall be raised up again at the last day and be made like unto Christ's Glorious Body Phil. 3. last 2. For the Soul It shall be no loser but a great gainer by Death and that three wayes 1. In the place it goes unto viz. from Earth unto Heaven 2. In the excellent qualities it shall be endowed withall viz. perfection in all the faculties of it as it goes to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12. 3. In the excellent company it goes to enjoy leaving the company of sinners here and going to enjoy the company of Saints and Angels and the ever blessed Unity in Trinity 2dly In that it cannot hurt us appears in that it can never dissolve the Union between Christ and a believing Soul but brings it to a nearer sweeter and fuller Union of a Gracious makes it a Glorious Union however it separates Soul and Body one from the other yet it cannot separate either from Jesus Christ the Soul upon Death goes immediately unto Christ in Paradise and Christ goes down with the Body into the Grave where it sweetly rests as in its Bed in the Arms of Jesus Christ until the morning of the Resurrection of the Just Isa 57.2 1. It can never break the Covenant of Grace between God and the Soul for it 's an everlasting Covenant Gen. 17. And he hath not only promised to be their God unto Death but after Death and to all eternity 2. It can never untie the Marriage-Knot between Christ and his Spouse for he hath betrothed her unto himself for ever Hos 2. And whom he loves he loves to the end John 13.1 even with an everlasting love Jeremiah 31.3 3. It can never reverse those grants of Grace that God hath vouchsafed his as the grants of Reconciliation Justification Adoption Sanctification Salvation for the Gifts and Callings of God are without repentance Rev. 11.29 3dly As it is no way able to hurt you so it will every way do you good Though it be the last enemy that shall be destroyed yet of an enemy it shall be made a friend and the best friend that ever you had How so Why because Jesus Christ by undergoing Death and lying in the Grave he hath altered the nature both of Death and the Grave Death of a King of Terrors it made a Prince of Peace of a passage to eternal Death made a passage to eternal Life unto all that do believe the Grave that is a loathsome Dungeon to the wicked is made a sweet resting-place to the Saints That you may the more clearly and fully see the good will come to you by Death and so be made the more willing to it and chearfully resign your Spirit into the hands of God when he calls for it take serious notice of these ten following Particulars 1. Death is no Death to a true Believer It 's not his last day but the beginning of an everlasting day 2. Your dying day will not be your worst day but your best day better is the day of a mans Death then the day of his Birth saith Solomon Eccles 7.1 it being the egress of all misery and the ingress of eternal felicity 3. A Christians dying day it will be his enlarging day when he shall be set at liberty out of the Prison of the Body and brought home to his Fathers House 2 Cor. 5.8 It is but as Christ stiles it His departing and going to the Father John 13.1 4. A Christians dying day will be his resting day wherein he shall rest from all sinning sorrowing suffering from all temptations corruptions vexations Job 3.17 And who desires not rest 5. His dying day will be his reaping day having sown here in Tears he shall reap in Joy reap the fruit of all the Sermons they have heard all the Prayers they have made all the Tears they have shed all the Sighs and Groans they have uttered all the good Thoughts they have had all the good Words they have spoken all the good Works they have done all the Evils they have suffered and all they have forgotten to do and suffer Mat. 25.34 When saw we thee an hungry and fed thee not c. Then Christ will remember them and say In that you did it unto them ye did it unto me Yea there is not the least good work that any have done for any of his but it shall be remembred and rewarded even to a cup of cold Water Mat. 10. last 6. A Christians dying day will be his conquering and tryumphing day over all his Enemies Sin Satan and the World Death and Hell here we are in a continual warfare there 's not a day hour or moment wherein we can rest either from corruption within or temptation without but then there shall be an end of all then we shall tryumph over all in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 Oh Death where 's now thy sting c. 7. A Christians dying day will be his transplanting day from Earth to Heaven from Misery to Glory from a Valley of Tears to a Valley of blessed Visions from a howling Wilderness to a heavenly Paradise It is no other then a straight Gate to a Pallace of Glory a dark Entry to the Inheritance of the Saints in Light And oh Who would not be willing to exchange a Sodom for Sion an Egypt for Canaan Misery for Glory 8. A Christians dying day it 's his uncloathing day of a body of Sin and Death and the cloathing him with his House from Heaven his putting off his old Rags of Sin and Corruption and his putting on of the White Robe of Christ's Righteousness and with it the Robe of Glory 9. A Christians dying day it 's his marriage day with the Lamb the King of Saints and if the day of a Believers espousals be so sweet how sweet will the marriage day be Rev. 19.7 10. A Christians dying day will be his corronation day wherein Christ will crown all those that love his appearance with the Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 where they shall be still following the Lamb with Crowns on their Heads and Palms in their Hands and tryumphant Songs in their Mouths Rev. 5.11 12 13. Mix these Meditations with Faith and Prayer and you will find them mighty through God not only to make you willing but even long with the Apostle to be dissolv'd and be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1.23 Amen and Amen Secondly That which follows DEATH is JUDGMENT Sect. 6. In and about the Judgment Day to take notice of and meditate seriously on these things 1. The Certainty 2. The Uncertainty 3. The near approach of it 4. The great solemnity of it 5. The universality of the Persons to be judged 6. The impartiality of it
Divine Meditation and therefore it should be our endeavour to take notice of it and improve it to the Glory of God and our own and others spiritual advantage in the way homeward to Eternal Life because the most are ignorant or not so well acquainted as they should with this Divine Art of Extracting Spiritual out of Temporal things For your help and furtherance herein I shall briefly direct you in a few Particulars from the beginning of the day to the end and so conclude this Subject Pray mark them well I. WHen you awake to give God the first of your thoughts As David Psalm 139. When I awake I am presently with thee How precious are the thoughts of thee unto me To think also of our duty of awaking out of Sin unto Righteousness Ephes 5.14 and of our awaking at the last day out of the Grave by the sound of the Trumpet 1 Thess 4.16 This you may find was David's thought Psalm 17. last When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness Remember sleep is but the Image of Death the Bed the Grave and the Morning of the Resurrection at the last Day II. When you have had a sweet nights rest think thus If natural rest be so sweet refreshing and reviving how much more is Spiritual Rest and will be Eternal Rest Oh what cause have you to bless him that hath given his Beloved Rest when others have been altogether restless and others it may be slept their last sleep Think and say to thy Soul Oh how justly mightest thou have been awakened out of thy sleep at midnight as the Egyptians were with a cry or else have slept the sleep of Death whereas we have layen down in peace and slept because the Lord sustained us III. When you see the light of the day shining into your eyes think and say If the light be sweet and it be a pleasant thing to behold the Sun Eccles 11.7 Oh how excellent is thy loving kindness in causing the Son of Righteousness to arise with healing in his Wings upon us Mal. 4.2 Oh what great cause have we to bless God for the Light of Life especially for the Light of the Gospel the Light of Grace here and the hope of the Light of Glory hereafter to beg also of God to lift up the Light of his Countenance upon us and help us to walk in the Light of his Countenance all the day long IV. When you are about to rise think upon the first Resurrection to Grace here and the second Resurrection to Glory at the last day because without an interest in the first Resurrection you can never expect an interest in the second and therefore to be careful as you rise out of your beds so to look to this that you arise out of sin unto newness of Life V. When you put on your cloaths think on sin which was the cause both of your nakedness and your need of Apparel to be humbled under the one and keep you from priding your selves in the other think also what infinite cause you have also to bless God for Jesus Christ that he hath fulfilled and brought in everlasting Righteousness whereby your nakedness might be covered and you might stand amiable in his sight without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5. end And therefore when you put on your Apparel remember to put on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13. end and put him on wholly for Justification Sanctification Consolation Salvation and take heed of spending too much time in apparelling your selves It is reported of one Pambo that seeing a Gentlewoman dressing her self all the morning by the Glass he fell a weeping and being asked Why He answered Because this Woman had spent all the morning in dressing her Body and I scarce one hour in dressing my Soul VI. When you look into the Glass to see what is amiss about you remember to look into the Glass of the Word to see what is amiss in your hearts and lives and to order your Conversation according to it Psalm 119.9 Where withall shall a young man cleanse his wayes but by taking heed to thy Word VII When you begin to wash your hands and face think of that Fountain which God hath opened to wash in from sin and from uncleanness Zach. 13. What infinite cause have you to bless Jesus Christ that was willing to shed his precious heart-blood for you to wash in and the love of the Spirit to you in opening your eyes and revealing this Fountain to you begging of him That he would put you in and wash you and rinse your Souls and Bodies more and more from your remaining filthiness of Flesh and Spirit 2 Corin. 7.1 VIII When you are about to go apart into your Chamber or Closet to read the Word and pray unto God in secret Think thus What a mercy is it to have this liberty which is denied unto many What a mercy is it to look into that blessed Book of the Scriptures Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things contained in it What a mercy also is it to have access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of God when we cannot to the throne of Men to go to him also as my Father and a Father not onely able but as willing as able to supply all my wants that sees in secret and hath promised to reward me openly Matth. 6.6 IX When you are to pray with the Family think thus What a mercy is this that I have a Family to pray with and for and that we have all health and liberty to pray together and that any have hearts to joyn with us in Prayer and are not as too many are in other Families scoffing Ishmaelites and prophane Esaues X. When you are about to imploy your selves about the duties of your particular Calling Remember that as God requires every one should live in a Calling so that every one be diligent in it because it 's the diligent hand makes rich yet not to labour so much after the meat that perishes as that which endures to eternal Life John 6.27 1. So to labour in your particular Callings as that you may be more serviceable to God and helpful to others in the duties of your general Calling 2. That you be faithful and just 1 Thess 4.6 11 12. 3. That you be useful and fruitful not seeking only your own profit but the weal and benefit of others Phil. 2.4 1 Cor. 10. about the end 4. That you be Spiritual and Heavenly careful to trade for Heaven as well as for Earth and lay up a stock of Grace that will stand by you when all other things will fail you and forsake you XI When you are trading and trafficking buying and selling and making any bargain think on the best Bargain that which will make you rich for ever that of the wise Merchant who sold all he had to purchase the Pearl Matth. 13.44 Think of buying the Gold tryed in the fire Rev. 3.18 and
Lord. Secondly To meditate on such things as may not only fit and prepare you for death but meditate on such things as may make you willing to die and help you to die comfortably What are they Mind here well for they are of special use to you As first 1. The certainty of another and a better life after this nothing so sure as that by what you have seen already by the testimony of Scripture and many weighty grounds of it in your meditations on the Life of Glory 2. Meditate on the evidences you have of an interest in that better Life of Glory as your interest in God in Christ in the Spirit and in the Graces of the Spirit as your effectual Vocation Justification Adoption Sanctification and those Graces unto which 't is promised as Saving Sanctifying Knowledge Faith Repentance Obedience love to the Saints the Truth sincerity and uprightness of your heart in all to which you may see it frequently promised Psal 84. to the end Psal 37. v. 37. Isa 57.2 Thirdly To meditate on the many and weighty grounds God hath given to encourage your Faith and strengthen your Patience and cause both to have their perfect work 1. To encourage your Faith as 1. his immutable decree 2 Tim. 2.19 2. His unchangeable Love Jer. 31.3 3. His everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.39 4. His continual Intercession Heb. 7.25 5. His almighty Power to keep them through Faith unto Salvation 2 Pet. 1.4 however we should let go our Faith yet he will hold it fast by his Spirit 2. The grounds to strengthen our Patience 1. It 's a Lord whose Will cannot be resisted a Father who ought readily to be obeyed a wise Father who knows what is better for his Children then they do for themselves a pittiful tender-hearted Father that is afflicted in all the afflictions of his that will not afflict his too much because he knows whereof they are made that they are but Dust nor too long lest the Spirit faint and the Soul which he hath made a Father from whom they have received all the good they have had and therefore to be contented to receive a little evil and the rather because it is in order to their spiritual and eternal good Rom. 8.2 Ah! but the pains of my Body are great and the pangs of Death are bitter but to quiet your spirits under these Consider 1. That the pangs of Death are sometimes less then the pains they feel before as to Mr. Bolton who said to his Friend that askt him How it was with him when the pangs of death were upon him He said to him Your cold hand is the greatest pain I feel in his Epistle to the Four last Things 2. You are content to undergoe a great deal of pain here for a little gain how much more should you for an eternal gain These pains are but like the throwes in Travail to bring forth eternal Life 3. Whatsoever your pains and sufferings are they are little or nothing to those your sins made Christ to suffer and that many of his dear and precious Saints have and do suffer and to those eternal sufferings Christ hath redeemed you from and that exceeding excessive and eternal weight of glory that will follow your sufferings 2 Cor. 4.17 Fourthly To meditate on the many and great evils that Death will free you from as 1. from a body of Sin and Death that is still inclining you to evil and indisposing you to good still dulling deading and distracting you in all the services you do 2. From a wicked World wherein continually we see and hear what doth and should more vex our souls 2 Pet. 2. 3. From the dissention of Brethren who are continually undermining the credit and comfort one of another which made Melancton so willing to die when a Friend of his askt him how it was with him and whether he were willing to die He answered Oh yes Not only that he might be freed from a body of Sin and Death and a wicked World but from the dissention of Brethren and go there where all shall be perfected in love 4. From a malicious Devil that is still tempting us to evil and discouraging us from all that is good walking up and down like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. In a word from all Labours Pains Fears Doubts Sorrows Sufferings Rev. 14.13 Rev. 21.4 Death will perfectly cure you of all Diseases Corporeal and Spiritual at once both an aking Head and an unbelieving Heart a sickly Body and a distemper'd Spirit the best Physitian that ever you met with Fifthly To meditate on the many and great benefits Death will help you to as that glorious Place Company Imployment Priviledges you saw before in the Life of Glory the continual Presence of God the blessed Vision of God the immediate perfect and everlasting communion with God perfection of Holiness fulness of Joy and an everlasting Sabbath Sixthly To consider the evil of being unwilling to die By this Christians manifest too much ignorance unbelief hypocrisie love to the World senslesness of the body of Sin and Death that World of wickedness they live in and hereby procure more disquiet to their Spirits and hasten Death the sooner upon them besides the great unreasonableness of it that when God should be so willing of their company they should be so unwilling of his and when Christ should be content to leave Heaven and to come to Earth for them they should be unwilling to leave Earth to go to Heaven that they might enjoy him and know and profess it to be best of all to be with Jesus Christ Seventhly To meditate on the good of being willing to die Hereby you will make a vertue of necessity seeing you cannot put it off therefore you will voluntarily yeeld to it hereby you will manifest your hatred of sin contempt of the World Faith in God's Promises Love to God desire of immediate Communion with him honour your Christian Profession and make Death the less terrible to you Eighthly and Lastly Consider what the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 13. to the end Death is yours Yours no way to hurt you but every way to do you good 1. No way to hurt you because however it be a Serpent yet 't is a Serpent without a sting by stinging of Jesus Christ to death it lost its sting so that though it may hiss yet it cannot hurt however the Devil brought Jesus Christ unto the Cross unto Death unto the Grave yet therein Jesus Christ out-shot the Devil in his own Bow spoiled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of it openly tryumphing over them on the Cross Col. 2.15 And that it can no way hurt you appears further by these Particulars 1. In that it is not the destruction or annihilation either of Soul or Body but onely the alteration and change of their condition for the better As for instance 1. In the Body The Body by Death is freed from